a/n - Sorry for being gone for so long! My internet has been out since Thursday and I now finally got it back! I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 12:

Bad Blood

"Thanks for letting me stay here for the night, Mr. West," Lennox all but chirped the next morning, her lips then curling around the steaming mug in her hands. Sage, curled up in the chair across from her, shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I really appreciate it." Lifting her hand off her mug, she dug them through her bed-tousled hair and pulled it over to one side; her bright red hair cascading over her shoulder like water.

"Lennox, I would not be able to live with myself knowing that you were walking around intoxicated; something could have happened to you," Joe replied as she put on his jacket for work.

"It also helps that Iris didn't spend the night here," Sage added, throwing a pointed look to her uncle. He muttered something unintelligible beneath his breath. She snickered and picked a pastry off the top of the stack in the middle of the table and took a bite. "Did you figure out that whole bomb thing?" Their night at the Irish bar had ended early because of a bomb going off in a nearby building. Though that didn't seem to stop Lennox from downing another glass of wine once they were back at the West house, safe and sound.

"Not yet, but we're going to look into it today. Thankfully no one was hurt." Joe checked his pockets and then grabbed his bag which was nestled in one of the overstuffed chairs. He lifted the strap over his shoulder, approached Sage, and kissed the top of her head. "Stay safe. I'll pick something up for dinner."

"Chinese, please," Sage called after him. He waved and closed the door behind him. "Dude, you gotta stop flirting with my uncle," she added, admonishing Lennox with a shake of her head. "He's too old for you!"

"Old, schmold. He's hot." Lennox pulled her mug closer to her and brought her feet up onto the kitchen chair. "And he's not married so he's fair game. And you're hardly one to snipe to me about liking older guys." Sage mimed sticking her finger down her throat while making a gagging noise. Lennox smirked in return and finished her coffee, setting the mug aside. "I see you don't have a scratch on you, Hero. Did the gloves come off?"

"I tried. But then the guy dropped dead on the sidewalk," Sage replied. Lennox's freckle dotted nose wrinkled and she continued, "By Snart. That guy that is running around with a cold gun."

"And he saved you?" Sage confirmed her question with a 'yup' that had a popping p at the end. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he says he wants me to help him with something." At the look of utter bewilderment on Lennox's face Sage continued, "I don't know what for but that's what he said."

"How come you didn't tell your uncle?"

"I don't want him to worry." Sage drummed her fingers against the table. The taps were muffled by her glove tips. "Yeah, yeah, I know it's his job to run the police force and everything and they'd want to know that Snart is around Central City somewhere. But what if he's not? What if he's gone now? I'd be crying wolf over nothing. And I'm more than capable of protecting myself."

"Yeah, but from Leonard Snart?" Lennox asked. Sage knew that tone. Leonard Snart was considered a world-class criminal for a reason. He wasn't the safest guy in the world, to put it lightly. "But don't you think Barry should know at least?" Lennox prompted. Sage made a face. "He should know that he's after you. Or spoke to you at least. What if he's after Iris?"

"He doesn't know about Iris."

"How do you know? He knows you, he knows Joe. It's only a matter of time until he puts those pieces together." Sage didn't reply. "You should at least tell her about your abilities."

"Uncle Joe said not to. And…" Sage blew out a breath. When she spoke again her voice was much more timid than before, "And Iris would think I'm some sort of freak."

"You're a freak without the help." Lennox barely batted an eye when Sage threw a crumpled napkin at her. It bounced off her nose and landed harmlessly on the table. "This wouldn't stop her from loving you."

"No, but it may make her run away."

"Oh, like she's running away from the Streak?"

"That's different."

"Why do you want to be a hero so badly, Sage? This is crazy. you're being crazy."

"Len—"

"And don't you think Iris would be mad to know that I knew about you before she did?"

Sage and Lennox regarded each other. It was almost unfair how much clarity Lennox seemed to have despite going through the throes of a hangover. She was supposed to be groggy and complaining of a headache and yet here she was dropping more truth bombs than Scarlett Johansson. If she wanted a lecture she would just go back home to Canada and close the cabinet doors too loud. Her father could go off on a rant about that for an hour, tops. It'd have the same effect.

Sage was the first to break contact with Lennox's knowing look, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. It wasn't as if Lennox wasn't making a point. She knew she was, it's just…maybe if she could handle Snart on her own, maybe they'd see that she was being serious about wanting to help. Why was it that Barry could go running around saving people and taking up a heroic responsibility and she had to jump through hoops to get there? She could be useful, no matter what her father said...

"Sage, you're snowing."

"What?" Sage blinked and her hazel eyes crossed as something white and cold hit her nose. What the heck? Looking up her eyes popped open when she spotted a cloud hovering above her head with a steady stream of snowflakes falling from it, landing on her head and shoulders. "Wow." She blinked and turned her confused expression over to Lennox, only to note that she had a matching one. "You don't see that every day."

It was snowing on her head. On her head. She knew that her powers would be able to extend to some degree, if Barry was of any indication, but for it to snow? It was so silly. She could feel pressure building up within her chest and she pressed her lips together to keep it in but they wavered, bouncing up and down. Lennox squeaked, her face steadily growing red from the strain. But once they locked eyes it was all over and the two dissolved into laughter.

# # #

The table shook beneath the weight of Mick slamming his boot-covered feet on top of it. He crossed one ankle over the other and repeatedly opened and closed the lid to his lighter. He stared into the heart of the flame before the lid snapped shut; seemingly becoming hypnotized every time he looked at it.

It was almost elegant how the flickering flames danced and twirled atop of the lighter. Smoke streamed off the tip of the flame and the scent tickled the inside of his nose. He took in a long breath, his chest rumbling with a satisfied groan. There was nothing like having fire in his hands. It was a beautiful thing, so powerful and so wild and so destructive. And he had it all in the palm of his hand. He was in control of it now and he'd never lose control again.

That's how he ended up with half of his body scarred. He lost control. Like when he was fourteen and got his hands on a roman candle one Fourth of July. But now he had the fire in his hands. He was the one in control of it. He was the one who decided what it destroyed and what it burnt. He made all the decisions. He didn't care how his gun worked. He didn't care to take it apart and know each piece inside and out, he just wanted to have it. He wanted to feel the trigger beneath his finger waiting to be pulled. He wanted to feel the machine resist as he applied pressure until it lost the battle and relinquished control.

Huffing, he slapped the lid of the lighter into his palm again and this time wrapped his large hand around the cool device. He twisted in his chair and looked over his shoulder at Leonard, whose face was illuminated by the bright blue glow of the computer he seemed almost permanently stuck behind. His hand was propped up on his cheek in a child-like manner but the sharp cut to his jaw and the popping muscle that was nestled in it shattered any sort of innocence that could have come from the position.

"Is this all you asked me around for? To follow some girl and then sit around and do nothing?" Mick demanded, his gruff voice filling the space in the room. His fingers twitched and drummed against the armrest. His nostrils flared. He needed to burn something. Anything. Old papers, newspapers, but he really wanted a candle. He wanted to watch the wax liquefy and then watch as it dripped onto his skin, cooling on the surface but burning his skin beneath.

"Patience," Leonard replied, almost hissing the end of the word. His eyes never left his computer screen. "You know better than to question me, Mick."

"I wouldn't have to question you if I could actually do something," he grunted.

"What? Rush off after an armored truck? Some jewelry? A nice…barbecue perhaps?" A brief, ghost of a smile appeared on Leonard's face but it disappeared as fast as it came. "If you want to get caught, the door's open. I'm sure The Streak catching you would only be a walk in the park for him."

"The Streak. Pah!" Mick spat. "I've never seen this guy. How do I know he actually exists?"

Leonard paused. His eyes finally tore away from the computer screen and lifted until they locked with Mick's questioning gaze. He leaned back in his chair and rested his palms on his stomach. The clock on the wall tick, tick, ticked away as the seconds passed. The muscles beneath his eyes tensed ever so slightly and he said, "At any given moment I am steps ahead of anyone that gets in my way. I have every base covered and I have many outs. …The Streak is the only one to have put a speed bump, as it were, in my plans. But I know how to stop him. I know what slows him down."

"So why aren't we going out there, luring him in, and taking care of him?" Mick demanded.

"What would be the fun in that?" Leonard replied, his tone almost taking on a teasing lilt. The natural lack of warmth in his voice, instead, made him appear bored. "Besides, he has his merry little band of do-gooders on his side. If you want to break the knot…you have to pull a certain thread."

Leonard turned his eyes away from the confused expression on Mick's face—it was nothing new, even some of the simplest explanations seemed to slow the gears in his head—and turned back to the computer screen. He pulled up the newspaper article that he had been poring over all morning. The words had been engrained in his mind after the second read through but still he found himself reading it again just to make sure nothing was amiss. Not that he believed there would be, the police officers of Central City didn't seem to know anything unless it was spelled out in front of their faces. Even when the deceased that they were reporting on had black blood oozing out of his orifices, a bomb going off dominated the headlines. Interesting.

"The priorities of this city are astounding," he murmured, clicking on the x in the corner of the screen. "But I suppose that just makes my job that much easier. What a shame. I like a challenge."

"So what are we going to do now?" Mick demanded, dropping his feet to the floor. "Follow that girl again?"

"There' s no need. We know where she will be at any given time of day," Leonard replied. "We don't want to draw any more attention to ourselves. Not yet. For now, you can take apart your gun like I had asked you to do yesterday." Before Mick could protest he continued, "You are only as strong as your weapon. Knowing it means you know how it works and know how to fix it in case something goes wrong. I don't have room for anything going wrong. And you don't have enough skin left for that, either."

"Last time wasn't my fault," Mick shot back.

"I suppose the building burnt down by itself then?" Leonard asked dryly. Pushing his chair away from the computer, he crossed the room to the solitary bowl nearby. He picked an apple off the top and took a bite of it. The crisp crunch bounced around the empty room. He knew he needed more food, or a more sustainable location to hide for the time being, but he couldn't risk being seen on the streets. No matter, he had plenty of people that owed him a few favors. And once he showed them what they could get out of it, he was sure they'd see it his way. Or else they'd see the barrel of his gun pointed in their faces. He couldn't risk having liabilities running around.

"The official ruling was faulty wiring," Mick pointed out.

"Wiring can easily be tampered," Leonard replied. "A few blueprints of a house and you know all the secrets. All the tricks. All the tracks to cover…." He swallowed the bit of apple in his mouth and took another bite. "Besides, our mission had finished. You were the one to decide to stay until you obtained some vase—"

"Do you know how much money I could have gotten for that vase?" Mick cut in.

"The same amount you would need to pay for your skin graft?" Leonard guessed, using his apple to motion towards his partner. Mick pushed a breath out of his nose and before Leonard could move, Mick had him by the throat, pushing him against the wall. Leonard continued to idly chew.

"One more word, Snart. One more word…" Mick's hot breath brushed against Leonard's skin. His eyelids drooped and he pulled his mouth to the side, as if quietly challenging Mick's reaction. "I can easily turn you in. I have enough information on you to get you behind bars for years. Don't forget that."

Leonard laughed. "You'd only be taking yourself down in the process. And besides, you need me and you know it. And who's going to keep me behind bars? I have ways of getting out. The police of Central City aren't exactly competent if you of all people could escape an ambulance undetected." The two men stared at one another, silently daring the other to make a move.

Tightening his grip on Leonard's collar, Mick then let him go, growling and grunting beneath his breath. He slapped his fists into the side of his head, all the while muttering how he was "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Leonard merely adjusted his clothes. He'd seen this tantrum before.

Sure, he was putting his plans in jeopardy having Mick by his side again but they had worked together before for a reason. He was a bit more stable back then but having him now, despite how unhinged he seemed to be, could be helpful. Once his mind was set to an objective at hand he went at it with an insatiable sort of desire that he appeared manic. And that sort of Mick was the kind he wanted to work with. If only he could slough off the rest of him and keep the parts that were so valuable.

The lone cell phone by Leonard's computer began to ring. Crossing the room, he picked it up and briefly glanced at the number on the screen before answering, which was a moot point. Only a select few knew the number to his phone so he knew the caller could be trusted.

"I was wondering when you'd decide to pull your head out of your ass," Leonard said into the phone.

"Now Lenny, is that any way to talk to your favorite sister?" Lisa Snart cooed on the end of the line. Leonard's mouth pulled up in one corner once his sister's voice reached his ears. "Besides, it's not my head that's been up my ass lately."

"As much as I would love to hear about your conquests and catch up, baby sister, you know there's a reason that I've left you messages."

"You mean you don't miss my voice? How rude. I always love to hear yours. Helps me sleep at night, knowing you're okay."

"How sweet." Leonard rolled his eyes and shook his head. Leave it to Lisa to drag out the mundane. "Do you remember that diamond bracelet I got for you? The twenty-carat tennis bracelet that you just had to have?"

"That was my Christmas present two years ago. A girl always remembers when diamonds are given as a gift, Lenny."

"And as you know, gifts come with a price tag." Leonard crossed his arms. "I'm cashing in. You owe me a favor."

"Anything for my big brother. I've always wanted to come back to Central City. Coast City is getting a bit boring; they don't have nice stuff like home does. And besides, there has to be a new crop of lonely boys who don't mind giving their dicks a little time to be in control."

"Great. Nice to know my sister's still a slut."

"No no no, Big Brother, I'm hardly a slut. I'm in control. I know what I want and what I deserve. And I deserve the world. I'm not going to let some street urchin think he can get his hands on me for nothing."

"Mom would be proud. I bet you're making her turn in her grave."

"Mom married an abusive asshole; she has no room for comments. And if she didn't want us to turn out like this, she could have not tried to defend him and actually gave a shit about her kids. At least Grandpa tried."

Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose and then clenched his jaw. He had to give his head a hard shake to dislodge the images of his grandfather out of his mind, when he tucked them into bed and when he took them to the Motorcar and when he would patch up their wounded knees and help them with their homework and… There was no time for this! No time to dwell on the past and let emotions sink in. Emotions and guilt only got in the way and guided his hand as if on puppet strings. It was a waste of an emotion, really. He could do without it. "Just be on standby for my next call. I promise it'll be worth your while."

"Working with my big brother is always worthwhile."

The dial tone buzzed in his ear after she hung up. He listened to it for a moment and then hung up his phone. He had checked earlier to be sure there wasn't a bug on it but it didn't hurt to be sure. He couldn't afford to be lax on his routines.

He had barely put his phone down when a knock sounded on the door. Mick's jumped to attention, like a dog having heard something in the night. Leonard, however, took his time to grab his gun and load the bottom with a magazine. Once he pulled back on the gun, setting the bullets in place, he nodded over to Mick who then approached the door. He held a gun behind his own back as he murmured something. The response had to be right for Mick then opened it and allowed the man inside.

"Is it done?" Leonard asked.

"Yes. I've looked over the notes again and tweaked a few ingredients. It's sure to work this time," the man replied. He shifted his arms and revealed a box from beneath his coat. He moved forward and placed it on the table near Snart's computer.

"Are you willing to take that risk, Koushiro?" Leonard asked, brandishing his gun. "Because the last person you used it on bled out on the sidewalk all because the first batch was imperfect. It was supposed to enhance his abilities, not make it so that some girl could hold her own."

"The instructions were written years ago," Kourshiro reasoned, his voice trembling slightly. "I can't make out some of it, it has faded over time. That is not my fault."

"You can't read your own language?" Mick asked, snorting. "You speak Japanese and you can't read it?"

Koushiro huffed while unzipping the lid of his case. "As I said—"

Leonard slapped his palm on the table and looked Koushiro in the eye. "I don't care if you can read it or not. I care if it works. If your ancestors can perfect it, I'm sure it can't be hard for you to do with same when you follow their instructions."

"Are you sure you want to use this, Snart?" Kourshiro asked. "It has some adverse side-effects before we started tampering with it. I've heard about soldiers having mutated with one dose of it, and that's if they survived being injected. Who knows how this could wreak havoc if we get it right?"

"Which is why we won't let it fall into the wrong hands," Leonard replied, his voice as cold as ice. "As you said, you've seen what happens when the army gets their hands on it. They're supposed to be the responsible ones, though all they've done is prove that they're just like us. The ends justify the means in their eyes. Who cares if a few expendables suffer on the way to a victory? No one has ever won a war without blood being spilled." He picked up his gun and pointed it towards Koushiro's head. "Open it."

Mick eagerly moved towards the table, jostling it in his haste once he got close enough. Kourshiro gulped and flipped open the lid, revealing a container sectioned off in a three-by-three grid. Each section had a needle nestled inside with a metallic silver colored liquid in it. Leonard reached in with his free hand and picked one up, holding the needle between his fingers with his thumb resting on the plunger. He pushed down a little and a few drops of the liquid came out.

"Just remember, Koushiro, you have one strike against you," Leonard spoke up, his voice a slow drawl. "You can't afford to be mess up two more times so you better hope that this works. As I'm sure you saw with your brother in the paper…everyone can outlive their use."

a/n - Well? What did you think? What is it that Snart wants to use? The first person to guess and get it right gets a shout-out, it has been mentioned in the Flash/Arrow universe before so think hard. Thanks for being so patient with me but I have good news!

If you haven't heard yet, my sisters over at DarkElements10 and I are going to write a crossover story! It's called Flashpoint and will feature the Flash and Arrow characters experiencing a new threat that needs the teams to come together to defeat it. It will feature our characters (Cadence, Averey, Brady, and Sage) as well. I can't wait for you to see the ideas we come up with, it's gonna be really good (if I do say so myself).

Review Replies

guest27 - Here's another chapter to hint towards what Snart is up to! I hope you liked it! Thanks for the review!

babyj - I personally think the writers dropped the ball when it comes to Iris. There's so much they could do with her but they don't give her a chance to showcase her own life separate from Barry or Eddie. I like Iris a lot so I'm hoping that I do her side justice and maybe explain a little more why she acts the way she does and go into how the PA affected her since that wasn't touched on at all besides knowing that her best friend was in a coma for so long. Thanks for the heads up on Snart and Mick, I knew writing them and getting their characterization right would be challenging but I wanted to take it on because I do like their dynamic and them as characters themselves. I think there's a of potential with them. I'll keep that in mind to try not to make them so repetitive. As this chapter shows, that was Lennox and she'll come in a bit more to show Sage's life a bit on the "normal" side. Thanks again for your review and sharing your thoughts!

maxhart - Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

Guest - I hope this was soon enough for you! Thanks for your review!