Digger is whittling.
Honest to god, whittling.
Roy stands on the porch for a few seconds and just stares at him. It doesn't take him more than a second to figure out what Digger is turning that branch into.
"You have a knife. Why do you need a boomerang?"
Digger looks over at Roy and smiles.
"What, this piddly little thing? Could barely kill a mouse with it. Nah, I get this one all done, maybe make a few more, and I'll be able to knock out anyone that comes at us. Seeing as you lot can't use any of your powers or we'll be detected, somebody's gotta take up the slack."
Roy shakes his head slightly but doesn't make any other comments. He leaves the man to his woodworking.
Lisa and Shawna had gone out earlier. Usual supply run, except they were hitting up a town a little farther away. Testing the waters. Seeing if it was safe enough for them to move beyond the confines of their cabin.
Snart was standing by one of the cars. The hood was popped, and Snart was looking inside, but Roy wasn't sure the man was actually doing anything. Mick was usually the one that worked on the cars. Back when his hands weren't burnt to hell at least.
Mick had already disappeared into the woods for the day.
Roy walked back inside and sat down at the kitchen table with Axel and Mark. The two were playing cards. Had been for a while now. Anything to pass the time.
"Go Fish! Boom!"
"We're playing Gin."
"What? Since when?"
"At least the past twenty minutes."
"We should play Go Fish. Or War. That's a solid way to kill at least six hours."
Mark rolled his eyes. But then threw down his cards.
"Fine. War it is."
"Yes! Dude. I will shuffle."
Axel grabbed the deck and threw the entire thing into the air. Roy might have made a comment if it had been the first time the kid had done it. But seeing as that was Axel's preferred method of shuffling, Roy had gotten slightly accustomed to it.
It took Axel almost ten minutes to locate all the cards. Especially after a few managed to end up under the fridge.
A strangled yell broke them out of their quiet game.
The three Rogues jumped to their feet. They headed for the door, not knowing what they might find.
They must have been found. Somehow, the cops or Luthor or the Flash had finally located them.
Roy expected to see helicopters. SWAT teams. Men with guns ready to kill the Rogues if they so much as flinched.
What he was not expecting was a single petite blond woman standing over Digger. Digger was bent over on his hand and knees.
Digger's face was ashen and gray. The man looked like he was on the verge of throwing up.
Roy's focus was pulled from that odd scene to the nearest car. Where a man had an arm wrapped around Snart's throat.
Half of a man at least. He appeared to be coming out of the car's window. Snart was clutching the side of the car, apparently trying to resist being pulled through the glass.
"Um WTF?"
Axel's proclamation pulled the attention of the woman and Mark lifted his arm, already starting to form a small gust of wind.
Roy grabbed Mark's arm and pulled it down.
"They'll find us if you use your powers."
The woman didn't appear to have a gun but Roy was going to assume she had some type of powers to have taken down Digger so quickly.
The mercenary barely glanced at them but managed to choke out a few words before throwing up.
"Her…eyes…"
Roy quickly averted his gaze. Mark did the same. The sound of retching behind them evidence that Axel hadn't managed to avoid her powers. Mardon gave Roy a slight shove off of the porch.
"Get Snart."
Mardon headed for the woman, keeping his eyes downcast while Roy ran towards the half man still struggling with Snart. Mardon should be able to overpower her without his powers, while Roy can use his to get the man off of Snart.
As long as his powers actually worked of course.
Roy catches the man's eye and attempts to use his calming powers on him.
There was that odd feeling in his eyes again. His powers only flash in the man's eyes for a second, but it is enough for Snart to be able to escape the man's chokehold.
Then he disappears.
Shit. Roy hadn't been able to hold the man under his power.
Roy grabs Snart's arm and pulls him to his feet.
A muffled sound behind them causes them to turn. Mark is helping Digger to his feet, but there's no sign of the girl.
"What happened?"
"No idea…she…just disappeared."
"Who the hell was that?"
"Sam Scudder and Rosa Dillon." Snart was rubbing at his throat. Roy noticed the way the man kept touching the collar around his neck as well.
"Friends of…yours, mate?"
"If you throw up on me Digger…"
"I'm fine. I got it…"
Mark all but pushes Digger away as the man starts heaving again.
"Looks like they gained metahuman abilities since the last time I saw them."
Roy sighs. Of course, just what they need. More enemies.
"I'm guessing it wasn't an amicable parting."
"As amicable as almost putting a bullet through Scudder's head can be."
Roy helps Snart back towards the house. Axel is still lying flat on his back, staring up at the sky above.
"Why…was everything moving?" Mark reaches down and pulls Axel to his feet, the young Trickster grabs onto the nearest post for dear life. Roy helps Snart sit down, but Snart grabs Roy's wrist before he can let the man go completely.
"Roy…go find Mick."
Roy gives Snart a look.
"He's…"
"I know, but at least attempt to find him. Shawna and Lisa should be back within the hour. If they aren't then we are going to have to find them. We don't know if Scudder and Dillon's powers can be tracked or if they will sell us out, so we have to move."
For a moment, Snart almost sounded like his old self again. Self assured, giving orders, assuming they will be followed without question. It was only undercut by the fact that he kept touching the collar around his neck. Making sure it was still there. Still keeping his powers contained.
"I'll go with Roy."
Digger semi-stumbles over to where Roy was standing on the porch. Roy looked the mercenary up and down.
"You sure…"
"You got lost in the Central City Park, don't think you'll be too much good trying to find your way around the actual wilderness."
Roy opened his mouth to explain that that had been one time, but found he didn't really have much of a rebuttal.
He was not a fan of the wilderness. He wasn't really sure why Snart wanted him to go retrieve Mick.
"Roy…bring Mick back." Snart reiterated his order. Not something he usually did. He always expected his orders to be…
It dawns on Roy rather quickly. Mick might not want to come back with them. Snart was ordering him to use his powers on Mick if he had to.
Roy sighs and follows Digger as he staggers into the woods.
"Got a couple hours of daylight left. Shouldn't be too hard to follow his tracks again."
"Again?"
"Tailed after him a few times, thought I'd see if he found anything interesting."
"And?"
"Nah."
Digger didn't explain any further. Just kept walking.
They walked for at least half an hour. As they went on, Digger's movements became more stable. Whatever that girl could do, it seemed to knock people off balance.
Roy figured they were getting close. Digger had started making more noise as they walked. Giving Mick the heads up that they were coming. Not wanting to sneak up on the most volatile member of their group.
Mick was sitting on a rock, staring out at a stream. He didn't appear to be doing anything. Roy wasn't sure what he thought Mick was doing out here. But…nothing definitely wasn't something that had crossed his mind.
"Gotta head back mate. Couple of wankers found us."
Mick doesn't turn at first. Just keeps staring. Slowly he stands up and walks past them without saying a word.
Roy and Digger share a glance but follow the pyromaniac silently.
Which lasts for about three minutes before Digger starts talking.
"Two metahumans tried to grab Snart. Said their names were Dillon and Scudder. You know them?"
Mick doesn't respond.
"Right. Well, seemed to hate Cold. Thinks they might lead the cops or something to us, so we gotta move. The one chick just got this look in her eyes and I was on the floor. Now I ain't no stranger to ending up nauseous on the floor but usually I got the fun of drinking first. Didn't even see what the other bloke was doing."
"He was able to disappear and appear in the window of the car."
"Yea? That's something. Pretty convenient way to…"
Mick stops suddenly and Digger collides with the man's back.
"Jesus, mate what is…"
"You said he moved through the glass?"
Roy looked at Mick.
"That's what it looked like. He was half in it and half out trying to grab Snart."
"What's…"
Mick points to something on the ground just in front of them.
It was a piece of broken glass.
Roy looked around quickly. There were broken shards of glass surrounding them completely. They had walked right into a trap.
"Shit."
Roy felt something wrap around his ankle.
He looked down and saw a hand coming up out of a small mirror beside his foot.
Roy didn't have time to warn the others before he found himself pulled down.
He didn't pass out.
He knew that much at least.
He knew he was conscious. That all that had happened was that he had been yanked rather forcefully down into a piece of glass no bigger than his hand.
It had been a rather uncomfortable feeling. Sort of like the feeling when teleporting with Shawna. Except that this was immediately followed by this…sudden chill.
It wasn't cold. Not exactly. It wasn't that he suddenly felt cold. It was just that he seemed to notice an odd absence of something…Like the sun suddenly going behind the clouds on a warm day.
It was dark. No…that wasn't right either. If he turned his head upward he could see light, a small hole that showed the sky above him.
He looked around him. He was standing on…nothing.
He bounced slightly on his feet.
There was something solid beneath him and yet, he was certain there was nothing there. There were other holes, casting small beams of light into the shadows all around him.
The other pieces of broken glass no doubt. So…Digger and Mick might be around here as well.
He took a step.
The not-ground didn't move, didn't give under his feet like grass or mud might. But it wasn't hard like concrete. His steps didn't echo as he moved through the cavernous expanse around him. Which he thought was a bit disappointing. Would have added to the overall mood of the place. What's the point of a shadowy cave like reality if you couldn't be terrified of the echoes of your own footsteps?
He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to move away from the spot he was pulled through. Maybe that was the only way he could move back out. But he found himself oddly drawn to the strange shadows around him.
He passed underneath another beam of light in the darkness.
This one appeared to be leaning against something. Roy could see blades of grass, and trees in the distance.
It wasn't pointed upwards towards the sky like the one he had been brought through. There were other mirrors all around him, some to the left and the right. Some above and below. Each pointing out in a different direction.
How did one orient up and down in a place like this?
He was going to assume he was facing the right way until something proved him wrong.
Something like seeing Digger standing perpendicular to Roy. Like he was standing on a wall. He was underneath a piece of glass. Attempting to punch it.
Roy tried to yell.
"Digger!"
His voice didn't seem to go any farther than his lips. He heard the sound clearly in his own ears. But Digger didn't turn.
Roy realized he could see Digger's mouth moving. No doubt shouting obscenities at their captors. He couldn't hear any of it though.
Digger didn't appear to be more than a few hundred feet from Roy.
Roy started walking again.
It was like one of those dreams where you walk and walk but never get any closer to your destination.
Digger turned and finally seemed to notice Roy. Roy waved. Digger stopped attacking the glass. He could see Digger's mouth moving.
"I can't hear you."
Digger looked confused then somehow the man started walking towards him. He made actual progress. How the hell was he doing that? Was there some kind of pathway that Roy couldn't see? Too many shades of black and gray all muddled together for Roy's eyes to be able to tell them apart? The mercenary was in front of him after a few moments.
"Where the hell are we?"
Roy was glad that he could actually hear Digger now that they were closer. He hadn't been looking forward to a game of charades.
"Don't know. You seen Mick?"
Digger turns and looks at all the space around them.
"Nah mate, didn't even see you standing there until I did."
"Well."
"Guess we just wait here then?"
Roy wanted to make some comment. How they should at least attempt to find a way out, but he got the distinct feeling that it would be completely useless. Digger was already sitting on the not-ground. He had his knife and half completed boomerang out again.
There was nothing here but shadows. Interspersed with the rays of light cutting through at all angles. And physics didn't appear to be an issue in this world. There was no way of knowing how big this place was, or what would happen if they wandered too far from the mirrors around them.
Roy sat down beside Digger.
"So. You and Shawna banging yet?"
Roy snorted.
"Subtle as always Digger."
"What? Somebody in this bloody team ought to at least be getting some."
Roy ignored Digger. It didn't stop the man talking, but it was the only thing he could really do.
Roy isn't sure how long they sit there. Digger's inappropriate comments not withstanding, there's no way to tell the passage of time. He supposed eventually they would be able to see the sun setting through one of the mirrors. Unless time passed differently here.
Digger finishes the boomerang he's working on though. Sharpening the edges into thin points.
Digger stands up.
He throws the boomerang. It disappears into the shadows.
It doesn't come back.
"Bugger."
"I'm going to assume that the laws of the real world don't exactly apply here."
Digger starts to walk towards where he threw it.
"You're not seriously going after it are you?"
"What? Gotta get it back don't I?"
"You literally have no idea where it went. It disappeared into a shadow. In a world made entirely of shadows."
Digger just keeps walking. Roy rubs his eyes then he stands up and starts to follow. He's only a few steps behind, when he sees something out of the corner of his eye.
"Digger."
The mercenary turns sharply, palming his small knife.
Someone is walking towards them. Roy can barely make out the figure, but he is sure it isn't Mick.
Digger puts a hand on Roy's arm, pulling him slightly back.
"Your powers still messed up?"
"Does everyone know about it?"
"Not too hard to figure. You been squirrelly about it since Utah."
Roy attempts to access his powers, he starts to feel the familiar burn of rage. But abruptly it stops.
"Damn it."
"Take that as a no then."
Roy can see the other person more clearly now. It's the same man from earlier, the one who had been trying to pull Snart through the window.
"That's Scudder."
"Don't see his skirt anywhere."
Roy glanced around. He didn't see Dillon. But she could be hidden in any of the shadows surrounding them.
"Welcome to the Mirror Verse gentlemen."
"Lovely place you got here mate. Could use a bit of sprucing up, a couch or fridge maybe."
The man smirked at Digger's tone.
"Sorry about that. Didn't have time to clean the place up for guests."
"Well, that's just being a bad host."
"Roy Bivolo and Digger Harkness. My name is Sam Scudder. I…"
"What they call you? Mirrors? Reflect-O? "
"Mirror Master."
Digger scoffs.
"Bit presumptuous for my tastes."
"I'll keep that in mind 'Captain' Boomerang. Now as I was…"
"How do we know you are a Master of Mirrors? Maybe you're just an apprentice. I mean, this place ain't exactly the most impressive of places. I've seen abandoned warehouses with better design."
"I am trying…"
"Course, I figure you didn't actually create it. Just sort of stumbled upon it one day, yeah?"
Digger's ability to annoy an enemy into making a mistake was something that Roy had come to appreciate about the mercenary.
Scudder looked like he was getting angry now. He took a few steps forward. He didn't appear to see the small knife hidden in Digger's hand.
"I have you trapped and unless you want to spend the rest of your very short lives here, I would suggest you shut up and listen to me."
"Course mate, no reason to get your knickers up. Just making friendly conversation is all."
"My fight is with Snart. You can all stay in here for the rest of your lives or, you can help me. Join with me and I will let you go.
Digger lets out a belly laugh. Bends over slightly and puts his hands on his knees. Even wipes away imaginary tears. Roy smiles at the man's reaction. Scudder is looking more and more furious by the moment.
"Roy, let me ask you something mate."
"Sure Digger."
"How many times we been kidnapped by some psycho that wants us to help them with their idiotic plan?"
"Two or three at this point I would say."
"And have we ever gone along with it?"
"No, generally we just beat the shit out of the idiot."
"Sorry Sammy, but looks like our track records speaks for itself."
"You don't have a choice. I control…"
The thing that most people tend to forget about Digger, with all the puns and his obsession with boomerangs, and his generally shitty personality, is just how quick he is.
Digger has an arm around Scudder's throat and his knife on the man's jugular before he can even finish his sentence.
"Now then. That's better don't you think Roy?"
"He seems more amenable to listening."
"He does, doesn't he? How about it Sammy? You willing to listen to our counteroffer?"
"You kill me, you'll never get out of here."
"Ah, see now that's just bad planning on your part. See, I'm thinking the reason only me and Roy is here, is cause you couldn't grab Mick like you wanted. He's a slippery bastard that's for sure. And the fact that your skirt ain't here, makes me think that maybe she didn't get away from our friends quite so quick. So you thought you'd come in here and try to intimidate us with your quaint little magic tricks. Get us to give up something. Maybe going to trade us for your little girl. But here's the thing, if Snart's got your girl, I'm thinking he ain't going to show as much patience for her as I'm showing you. So you're going to get us back out there, or I'm going to slit your throat. Then me and Roy will sit here and wait for our mates to figure out how to get us out of here. How's that sound?"
"Sounds fair to me."
"Course it does Roy. Cause we're both reasonable. What about you Sammy? You reasonable?"
Digger pushes the blade harder into Scudder's neck.
"Alright! We need to be closer to one of the mirrors."
"Do we now? Well, let's hope me hand doesn't slip as we're walking."
They find one of the small beams of light. Roy grabs onto Scudder's arm as the man touches the mirror.
Being pushed back out of the mirror verse is just as disconcerting as going in. Roy takes a moment to reorient himself, feeling the ground beneath his feet again. Digger's hold on Scudder never waivers.
They're back in the forest. In almost the same place as where they were ambushed.
"Pull off Sammy's tie."
Roy pulls it off and starts tying it around Scudder's eyes. Then he searches through Scudder's pockets
"I meant to tie up his hands Roy, not start a kinky sex party. Not that I'm opposed to it, I'll try anything once, it just hardly seems like the right time."
"If he can see or touch a mirror he can escape through it. Just making sure he doesn't have one on him."
"See Roy, this is what I like about you. Always thinking things through."
Digger keeps a hold on the back of Scudder's jacket as they walk back towards the cabin. Digger spins the man around, using him as a shield, at the sound of twigs snapping behind them.
"There you assholes are."
Shawna looks at them with an exasperated smile.
"We've been trying to get information out of Dillon on how to get you guys back since you vanished."
"If you've hurt her…"
Digger slaps Scudder on the back of the head.
"Hush now mate. I'm sure they're treating her like she deserves."
Shawna smirks.
"Oh yea, Snart's been real polite. A true gentleman."
Shawna teleports them back to the cabin.
Roy and Shawna enter the room first. Dillon has a rag tied around her eyes as well. She's sitting in a chair in the kitchen. Digger pushes Scudder through the door.
Snart raises an eyebrow at their sudden appearance.
"You managed to escape."
"Sammy just needed a little motivation is all."
"Sam? Are you alright baby?"
"I'm fine Rosa. Did they hurt you?"
Snart grabs Scudder by the collar and pushes him down into a chair beside Dillon.
"Well this is touching. Truly. However, I am trying to think of a reason not to kill both of you right now. And quite frankly, I'm not coming up with anything compelling."
"You need us."
"Really? Seeing as you just tried to kidnap or kill several members of my team. I find my dependence on your aid to be counterproductive."
"By now, the anti meta pigs will have locked on to your location."
"And they have done that how?"
"They knew where you were. I was watching through the mirrors of some of the cops, see if we could find you through them. Some grocery store owner called in someone she thought looked like Mardon yesterday. We had planned to grab you before the cops showed up, be gone before they got here. They are on their way here right now. I saw it in the mirrors."
Snart cocks a gun and puts it to Scudder's skull.
"Sounds like just another reason to kill you."
"You won't escape. Your girl can't teleport far enough away. They'll find you. I can use the mirrors to get us all out of here."
"And why wouldn't you just leave us in your little Mirror Verse and wait for us to die?"
"Damn it Snart, we don't have time for…"
Axel busts into the cabin.
"There's helicopters and drones and shit coming. We gotta bail, like stat."
"Mardon, blow as many of them away as possible."
"Got it." Mardon follows Axel back outside. Roy can hear the telltale sound of thunder and the wind whipping through the trees.
"Listen to me Snart. I want to call a truce. Those bastards are after us as well, they'll kill us if they think we are working with you. We need to escape just as badly as you do."
"You expect me to believe that you won't betray us?"
"I'm thinking you don't have a choice. They will send everything after you. You're trapped here. The woods have hidden you but they've also cut off your main means of escape. I still have mine."
Snart glances over at Lisa. She looks disapprovingly at the two new metahumans.
"We'll take our chances."
Snart pistol whips Scudder knocking him to the ground.
"Sam? Sam! What have you done to him?"
"Keep your mouth shut Dillon and you might just live through this. Well, we won't kill you. Don't know what the cops have in store."
"Oh shit."
Roy turns towards Axel voice. The young man is standing in the doorway, his eyes wide.
"That's a freaking tank."
It was, in fact, a freaking tank. It was coming up the road, knocking down all the trees that got in its way. Scudder and Dillon had distracted them, they lost focus. Didn't keep an eye on the road like they should have.
Within seconds, bullets are flying through the walls of the cabin. The Rogues hit the ground as wood and glass splinters around them.
There's a break in the shooting and Lisa pulls her gun to aim it out a broken window.
"Looks like they're done giving fair warning."
"Mardon, clear the…"
Snart doesn't even get to finish the order before Shawna has grabbed ahold of Roy. He's in the woods just outside the cabin, the other Rogues suddenly appear just as quickly. Shawna even grabs Scudder and Dillon.
The question of why seems a bit redundant as he watches the tank fire a round into the cabin. The cabin explodes in a large fireball.
Roy had thought houses only exploded like that in action movies.
"So much for a defensible position." Mardon is still trying to blow the helicopters and drones away, has even started a downpour, but it isn't working. Anything stronger and he risks the Rogues getting pulled into it. There's too many trees, too much debris that could cause unintended damage.
Their enemies were prepared.
The Rogues aren't.
They only have two guns with three clips between them. Roy's powers are barely working. Shawna's jumps won't get them far enough away. The non meta members don't have any of their regular gear or tricks. And Mardon's powers won't last long enough for them to escape, especially if one of the cops gets a lucky shot and takes him down.
Roy doesn't even consider the possibility that Snart would use his own powers. It's clear the man isn't factoring it in to his decision either. Digger appears beside Snart, Roy wasn't even aware the man had slipped away.
"They're coming up through the woods in teams, they've got vehicles blocking the road and the old forest paths. There will be helicopters out of Mardon's range, watching the mountains. Anywhere Shawna jumps to, they will immediately have us on heat sensors."
Snart listens to Digger's words then looks at Scudder and Dillon on the ground. Lisa gives her brother a look.
"Lenny, they might be our only…"
"He'll betray us."
"We don't got a choice Snart." Mick growls.
Snart grabs Scudder off the floor and slams him against a tree.
"You do anything I don't like and I will make damn sure your death is as painful as possible."
"Truce."
Scudder sticks out a hand.
Snart takes it begrudgingly.
"Truce." He pulls the tie off of Scudder's eyes.
"I need something reflective. A mirror works best but anything will do…"
Lisa pulls a small mirror out of her jacket and hands it over to Scudder.
"Since it's not large enough for you to walk through, I have to go in first and then pull you all in."
Snart puts his gun to Dillon's head.
"By all means, go ahead."
Scudder looks at Dillon, the anger in his eyes clear.
"Faster might be better!" Roy turns at Mardon's shout. The tank is turning towards their position. Ready to fire again.
"Mardon, keep the wind up as long as you can."
Scudder disappears into the mirror. His hand the only thing still sticking out of it. Lisa hesitantly takes Scudder's hand and is pulled through first. One by one, all of the Rogues follow suit. Snart and Dillon are the last to enter the Mirror Verse.
The process of being pulled in was no less strange this time than it had been only a little while ago.
The shadows were still ever prevalent, but there seemed to be a more definite sense of up and down. Most likely to do with Scudder keeping control of the space. Not deliberately trying to keep them disoriented like he must have been earlier.
They all stand there for a moment, looking around the large area. The mirror they were pulled through suddenly cracks and shatters behind them. Scudder lowers his hand.
"Just ensuring they can't follow us."
Axel wanders slightly away from the group. His hand reaching towards a particularly dark area.
"This place is super creepy. What's in these like pitch black areas?"
"That's where I keep my mirror monsters."
Axel retracts his hand.
"What really?"
"No."
Scudder rolls his eyes. Axel sticks his tongue out.
"Nice place." Cold's sarcasm is clear. He's still holding the gun to Dillon.
"We have a truce Cold, let Rosa go."
"A truce doesn't mean I trust you. How about you pop us out somewhere in the real world and I'll let your little lady go."
Scudder grits his teeth.
"Fine. Follow me."
They walk forward, or whatever constitutes direction in this place. They pass thousands of mirrors as they move. Roy glimpses different things. People sitting on their couches, children playing in schoolyards. It's all so…
"So you're like a total perv, huh?" Shawna stops to look at a man shaving his beard in a bathroom mirror.
"Any reflective surface can become a portal if I need it to be. I don't sit in here and watch people."
"Psh, that's what I'd be doing all day. Think you can find the bedroom mirror of Angelina Jolie for me real quick? Just want a quick peek."
Lisa slaps Digger on the side of the head.
"Don't be disgusting Boomer."
"What? Come on, like you're not all thinking it? We could look in on anybody!"
"Yes…we could." Cold stops walking. "Can you find Lex Luthor's office?"
Scudder turns.
"If I had enough time. I have to be able to find the place first. It's not as easy as just thinking it. I have to search through millions and millions…"
Snart waves off Scudder's words.
"I'm not planning a raid right this second. Just trying to figure out how…useful this little truce of ours really is."
Eventually they stop in front of a full length mirror. It looks like it leads into a run down motel.
"You can just walk through…"
Digger comes up behind Scudder and puts his knife at the man's back.
"Sounds like a good idea mate. You and me will just take a little look see first."
Scudder looks annoyed but moves through the mirror with Digger right behind him.
They wait in silence for several minutes. They can see every time Digger or Scudder passes in front of the mirror.
"So tell me Rosa, how did a girl like you get mixed up in all this? Scudder can't be that good in bed."
Lisa is looking Dillon up and down, as though trying to figure out exactly why anyone would follow Scudder anywhere.
"Sam knows what he's doing…"
"Except his little ambush didn't work."
She glares at Mick. Well, as much as she can. Snart has removed her blindfold, but has her hands tied.
"Sam has power you can't imagine."
Mardon snorts.
"He can travel places quickly. Shawna can do that and you don't see her acting like a dick about it."
"Aw, such a sweet talker Mardon." Shawna smirks and leans against Mardon's shoulder.
"Axel. Stop straying."
Axel turns around at Cold's voice. He walks back towards the group.
"I mean, this is cool and all, but like, is this all he can do?"
"All he can do? All he can do? Are you insane? He created an entire universe…"
"Big empty universe. Where's the dragons? Or the monsters that will eat our faces, or the people who have butts on the front? Why aren't there like ghost reflections trying to rip our throats out? I would even take just like a version of me with a goatee wandering around. I mean…It's just empty. Your dude has like zero imagination if he created this place. Cause it is a total bummer. Unless that's was he was going for. The Bummer Verse."
Dillon seemed the most upset about the fact that Axel didn't find anything impressive about the Mirror Verse, than the fact that Snart still had a gun on her.
"I can spy on people with mini bot drones. And yea, like Mark said, Shawna can teleport if there's cameras and there's cameras literally everywhere so…It's not like this is anything special."
Before Dillon could get really worked up, Scudder stuck his head through the mirror.
"Your pit bull says it's safe."
Cold glances around Scudder to see Digger making a hand motion.
They all go through the mirror. Once again, Snart and Dillon are last. Once they are through, Roy can see how small and run down the room is.
"It's an abandoned motel in a remote region of Italy. Don't think they'll be looking for you halfway across the world."
"They're looking for us everywhere."
The Rogues stand on one side of the room, Dillon and Scudder on the other. It was clear from the way that Scudder stayed close to the mirror that he expected Snart to kill both of them at any moment.
"Relax Scudder. We have a truce, remember?"
"You'll forgive me if your word means nothing to me."
"Of course, bad blood and all that. And I'm not going to lie, the idea of killing both of you did cross my mind. But…now I think you might actually be useful."
"You want to use my mirrors to spy on Luthor."
"And who said you were just a pretty face."
"Sam…"
Dillon was looking at Scudder. It was clear she just wanted them to bolt back through the mirror.
"What would be in it for us to help you?"
Cold smirked.
"We expose Luthor and we expose a huge conspiracy. I've found that government officials like to show their magnanimity towards those who have been falsely accused. Pardons. Multimillions dollar payouts. That sort of thing. You help us clear our names, and we will consider you…honorary Rogues."
"Why the hell would we want to be a part of your little group?"
"Because it means that any time either or you are arrested, we would be willing to break you out. You would never spend another night in jail, never have to worry that Luthor was going to come in and rip your powers away. Trust me Scudder, you would much rather be with us in this fight than against us."
"Seems like Luthor kicked your asses last time." Dillon was glaring as Snart got closer.
"He did. Of course, we can kill both of you right now if you would prefer."
Dillon and Scudder move, ready to fight. Roy watches with some amusement as Shawna appears between Scudder and the mirror. Preventing him from being able to touch his means of escape.
"Going somewhere partner?"
Snart puts a hand up when it looks like the two newcomers might just start swinging.
"Look, we don't want to kill you. Not after you so graciously helped us escape. Even if we were only in danger because of you. For all we know, the cops followed you to us. So since I have forgiven you for that, you now owe me."
"You're a real prick."
"I am. But I'm also willing to let you live Scudder. I would suggest you accept my olive branch. The truce stands. You help us get a lock on Luthor. And then you and your girlfriend can run off into the sunset. What do you say?"
Scudder looks back at Dillon. She doesn't look thrilled by the idea of a partnership with the Rogues. Eventually, she nods her head.
Scudder looks back at Cold.
"Fine. You've got a deal."
"Excellent. I've got a good feeling about this partnership."
Snart is smiling as he says it but there is a glint in his eyes, promising a painful death if Scudder or Dillon make one move he doesn't like.
Scudder is giving Snart the same look.
Yea. This is going to go great.
Thing about shitty motels is they're the same no matter where you are. A shitty motel in Kansas is the same as a shitty motel in Italy. Damp carpets, bugs in the bathtub, sheets so thin and scratchy you're better off without them. Mirror boy said this motel had been abandoned two years ago. That's why it's so bad off. Why no one will care if they're there.
He's stayed in motels that were still open that were worse than this one. Don't mean he's excited about it. Mattress is shit. Stuffing coming out of it, bits of it on the floor are black. Don't think they'll be here too long to worry about the mold growing everywhere.
All that matters is they're somewhere they won't be noticed. Somewhere so far away, most people don't got TVs. Or any reason to read American newspapers.
First thing Mick does is goes to the nearest market. Buys as much food and beer as he can carry. Nobody gives him a second look when he buys a couple lighters.
A small bottle of kerosene.
It relieves a tension in his shoulders to just be able to carry them around. Quiets his mind just a little bit to know they're in his pockets.
Feels like being able to breathe again.
For the first time since all the shit in Metropolis went down, Mick almost feels like he can relax.
Knows he can't. Not with Scudder and Dillon with them now. And the whole world still after them. But at least he got his fire back with him.
Axel had been running his mouth earlier. Talking about how he was going to try and find some electronics to mess around with. Showed him a sketch. Looked like a pair of brass knuckles.
Mick had already been a couple beers in at that point. Hadn't been paying too much attention to it.
Just nodded to the kid before he disappeared. Least Axel would be able to find something to do that wouldn't annoy any of them for awhile. Kid had too much damn energy.
They are all relieved to just have some space. Mick knows most of them was avoiding him back at the cabin. Which was probably good for everybody. Even going off into the woods didn't help most days.
Most days when he wanted to just burn it all down and walk away.
He'd gone out the first time, after punching Snart, just trying to get some space from him. That's all he needed. Had picked up some twigs along the way, some dried moss. Was halfway through trying to start a fire before he realized it wouldn't work. His hands too messed up to keep up the speed needed to start a little fire.
So he'd sat down on a little rock. Tried to meditate.
He'd almost laughed out loud. Trying to meditate.
His anger management counselor would be so proud. Hadn't done much at first. But then he realized he could sort of…unfocus his mind. Like he did around fire. Just let time pass without anything happening.
He's out there one day, just sitting, watching the water. Trying not to think about nothing, when a lighter is dropped in his lap.
He looked up and it was Lisa. She looked a little upset, but just looked at him for a moment.
"Do what you have to do."
She had walked away after that. Never mentioned it again. Probably didn't even tell her brother she'd bought it. Was a risk. Not like the cops could track every time someone bought a Bic at a gas station, but still. They weren't even buying Roy pens and paper at the time. Just in case.
He'd just held it. Couldn't light it with his hands all wrapped. But just holding it was enough at first. Was a couple days he almost ripped the bandages off with his teeth just to flick the little lighter a couple times. Just to see the hint of a spark.
Shawna had given him an earful about it when he finally broke down and did it. Especially the time his bandages had gotten a little burnt. Took him hundreds of tries each time to get his hands to work right. Get them to move that little wheel just enough.
It had been like drops of water to a man dying of thirst. Barely nothing. Still, it had been enough to keep him from killing anybody.
Even Harkness hadn't started shit with him at the cabin. And Harkness starts shit with everybody. That had pissed him off too. He was in the mood for a fight and none of them would give it to him.
Not even Snart.
Which is who he really wanted to fight, if he was being honest. Knock him down, make him bleed a little. Get the anger out, way Mick always ended up doing.
He can tell it's all an act.
Snart acting like he's back to normal. Like he ain't resisting the urge to touch the collar on his neck every two seconds. Mick can see it every time the guy's hands twitch.
Act ain't going to last long.
Mick knows how long Snart can keep things bottled up. Years if he has to. But it always comes rushing out. Someone always ends up dead. And it's usually Mick that's gotta dump the body in some river somewhere. Or burn it up…
Guess they'll be using rivers and swamps and shit more often now.
He moves slightly and feels the lighter in his pocket against his leg. Takes a breath. It's still there. Few more days and Shawna's saying they'll take the bandages off. Start working on exercises to make them move right again. Says he'll be starting fires again in no time.
Be just like it's always been.
Being the way he is, people expect him to be able to remember his first fire. The first one he set, the first lighter he owned. First time he realized wasn't something right about the way he liked to watch it.
He don't really.
Told a couple stories over the years. In prison mostly, talking about how he burned up animals and stuff when he was young. Liked to hear them scream and all that sociopath nonsense.
Snart made up most of those stories for him. Told him it would keep people away from them in juvie.
It did for the most part.
Except, after awhile, he had told the stories so many times he started thinking some of it was true. Started thinking maybe he did get his first lighter by stealing it out of his old man's tool box. That he spent hours setting small piles of grass on fire, only stopping when his dad caught him. Gave Mick the back of his belt and sent him to bed without supper.
That last part did happen a lot. Especially as he got older and he did start setting fires out in the fields. Course he always dug a little fire pit. And he never sacrificed animals or nothing to it. Just felt peaceful to him.
No one really remembers the first time they saw something like a fire. Likely he was a baby, his mom carrying him around at some bonfire party or a fireplace in some neighbor's house.
Maybe if they was alive, they'd say that even when he was a few months old, he would just stare and stare at the fire. Course that could just be them looking at things then, through what they know now. Adding details that never existed, make things sound better.
Everyone's got a nice story.
Everyone can suddenly remember the seminal moments of their life, even if they was only two or three when it happened. Somehow, everyone can link where it all started.
Mick's first memory is when his mom dropped him off at preschool and he had chewing gum in his mouth but they wasn't allowed to have chewing gum, so he started running after her car.
Crying.
Not the sort of thing you tell to a bunch of thieves and murderers when you're in lock up.
So his first memory became watching the flame on his grandmother's stove, and almost burning himself when he tried to touch it. Len had recommended adding something about Mick actually turning the stove on and almost burning the house down. But Mick figured actually burning your parents alive, meant you didn't need to invent stories about almost killing your grandmother.
He'd never met his grandmother. But it was the kind of story people liked to hear. The kind of thing that reinforced what they thought of you anyway.
And that was always Len's thing.
Make people believe you're just the one thing.
Mick was just a pyromaniac.
Always had been. Always would be. Nothing else about him worth talking about.
Figure that's the game they'll play with Scudder and Dillon. Mick's kept his mouth shut. Let Snart do all the talking, like always. Though Mick still wants to punch his lights out every time he opens his mouth.
Knows Snart can tell too. Sees the way he keeps looking at Mick out of the corner of his eye. Like watching a dog that's growling, just waiting for the chance to bite.
Beer's cold at least.
Axel got all the power up and going in the rooms. The fridge in the kitchen is the only one they could get working. Rest were all rusted out or covered in mold. Roy said something about seeing mold like that swallow a man whole. So they just gotta deal with one fridge and one sparky microwave.
Mick ain't going to complain.
Cold beer is cold beer.
He grabs one and sits down at the little table. Takes him a few tries to get the bottle cap off.
More than a couple.
He's about two seconds from just smashing the neck against the table and drinking from a jagged bottleneck, when the cap finally gives way.
He's gotta use both his hands, still all wrapped up in bandages, to even get the thing close to his mouth.
Mick curses as the bottle falls from his hands. It crashes onto the ground. The liquid pools around his socks. He growls at the wasted beer. Third damn bottle in the last…
"Need a hand hot stuff?"
Mick looks up from the mess on the ground. The new chick is standing in the doorway.
Mick just grunts.
She seems to get the message and walks over to the fridge. She pulls open the handle and grabs a beer. She pulls off the cap and hands it over to Mick.
He gives her another grunt before carefully picking it up and attempting to drink it down. Bunch of it ends up on his shirt but he don't care at this point.
Just needs to get enough in him to get drunk.
"Gotta say. If I was in your shoes, I don't think I would be handling this as well as you."
Mick ignores her. Her and Scudder are only here cause they might be useful. Cause the Rogues need a couple people whose faces ain't plastered all over every TV and newspaper in the world. Second they ain't useful, Mick figures Snart will just kill them both.
Especially since Scudder still seems to want to kill Snart.
Snart had given them the rundown. About how the last job he pulled with them had ended. Only the particle accelerator had stopped Scudder from getting a bullet to the brain.
Way Mick figures it, the man is past due. Just waiting for that bullet from years ago to finally catch up with him.
Snart hadn't said much about Dillon. Just that she had been a part of the crew. Did her part, but too willing to just follow Scudder around. Do whatever he says.
Love, apparently.
Mick finishes off the beer and wipes his chin on his sleeve.
Chick is still standing there looking at him. Mick just raises an eyebrow.
"I just think it's impressive how you've managed to..."
"I ain't interested in talking. Thanks for the beer, but you can go now sweetheart."
Mick figures that'll be it. She'll go back to whatever room she's holed up in and ignore Mick like she's been doing since they got here.
She sits down in the chair across from him.
Now he's annoyed.
He ain't in the mood to talk to some chick who thinks she understands what he's going through.
Ain't even that bad really.
Still got both his eyes. Shawna had always said it would take a long time for his hands to work again.
He ain't stupid. He knows they might not ever work right again. Knows he might spend the rest of his life spilling beer all over himself.
But what was he going to do? Cry about it?
He's got other shit to do. Just another set of scars, these will heal up as best they can and he'll keep going. Hardly the worst fire he's ever been through. And it ain't going to be the last.
He ain't going to stop until there's nothing left of him but ash.
"Look. I know that all of you don't trust us. And believe me the feeling is mutual. If there was any other way, me and Sam would be out of here in a heartbeat. I'm just trying to make the situation a little more bearable for all of us."
"By getting me drunk?"
She smirks.
"By trying to be, if not friendly, at least professional. We're all thieves here, wanting to get back to what we had before. Just because we are all on the run for our lives from shady government agencies and murderous billionaires, doesn't mean we have to be miserable."
Girl hands him another beer.
Mick manages to down almost the whole thing with barely a drop spilled.
"You think we're suddenly going to forget that you tried to kill us?"
"No more than I'm going to forget how Snart put a gun to Sam's head and was going to pull the trigger…I'm just saying, maybe we all need to just try to put that behind us until this is all over. Then we can all go back to hating each other."
Mick didn't hate them. Not anymore than he hated anyone else who ever crossed him. Just people who needed to be dealt with.
"So you thought we'd bond? Is that it? Why not go give Shawna or Lisa a try. You girls can all talk about your makeup and hair. Bond over a copy of Vogue magazine."
Girl is still smiling. Keeps looking at Mick, real intense like.
She puts a hand on his arm. He glances at it. Can barely feel it through all the scar tissue.
"I don't think Lisa wants to get to know me. She's so protective of her brother. It's like the man can do no wrong in her eyes. Even when he's gotten you all so deep into this."
Mick's trying to figure out her game. Figure out why she'd try to come to him out of everybody. Like he would give a shit about her and Scudder.
She removes her hand.
"I'll clean up this glass."
She bends over and picks up the shards of the broken bottle. Then throws them in a nearby trash can, she tosses a napkin over the spilled beer.
"Goodnight Mick."
Mick doesn't respond.
Something not right about that girl.
Mick snorts.
Something not right with all of them.
And it ain't like she said anything he didn't already know. Lisa thinks the sun shines out of her brother's ass.
Even thought it's all Snart's fault that Mick's hands are like this.
It's Snart's fault that Mick's face is all scarred up. That he got all burned. That his hands ache all the time. That he can't do anything with them.
Snart was always like that. Always thinking his plans will go off without a hitch, then leaving Mick to be the one that's gotta take the hits when things go sideways. How many scars does he have because Snart had to go and run off his mouth? Because Snart thought he was the smartest guy out there?
All the while talking down to Mick like he's just some idiot. Some hired muscle. That son of a bitch never gave a damn about the cost to Mick.
He should light that bastard up. See how long it takes for Mick to melt through that layer of ice. He knows the exact accelerant. He wonders what color Snart will be when he burns. He can pour lighter fluid over him while he sleeps. Have to make it so he dies from the burns before he manages to get the collar of his neck. He should…
Mick stops drinking his beer. The rest of it spills over his shirt.
He sets his half empty beer bottle down.
Looks like he needs a refresher on that anger management class.
He's thought about beating the shit out of Snart before, done it once or twice. That ain't nothing new. Thought about lighting him up when they were real pissed at each other, but he ain't never done it.
Must just be the shitty beer. And the cabin fever. And that he ain't started a good fire in too long.
Ain't like he'd really do it. Kill Snart. It's just cause his hands were hurting him and he wants to kill something for it.
He hasn't gotten a chance to burn anything since the explosion. And his gun is gone so he don't even got an easy way to set fires anymore.
He can't use a lighter without taking a thousand tries. Or strike a match.
It's making his skin crawl. Thinking he might not be able to start another fire again.
He starts making a list in his head of all the ways he could start a fire that don't require dexterity of his hands. There's still dozens, hundreds, of ways he could do it.
This ain't nothing but a setback.
Of all the things that he's wanted to kill Snart for over the years, this ain't even in the top ten.
Just drank too much was all. Too tired from their last mad escape.
He stands up and heads to his room.
He shakes off the last vestiges of those random thoughts. He ain't going to kill Snart.
Even if the bastard deserves it.