Scudder's first contact had been a bust. Mainly because the man was dead. Looking into a bathroom mirror and seeing a man who had clearly been murdered at least a week ago, laying on the ground in his stained underwear, was not an image Roy was able to get out of his head quickly.
Scudder's second contact had also been useless. Tried to call the cops on Scudder the second the man turned his back. Didn't know Snart was watching through the nearby window. Grabbed the man right into the Mirror Verse. The man had been understandably panicked.
Even more so when Mick grabbed him and drug him off towards his coal mine fire mirror.
The third contact was a little better. But didn't have the information they needed. Just gave Scudder and Dillon some fake IDs. Told them they needed to get away as soon as possible. Find a nice little island somewhere and never leave it.
The fourth contact is a little more…reclusive. Scudder just had the person listed as 'Carver' in his book. Some kind of hacker, supposed to know everything. Or knows how to get anything. Scudder says he's never even met the man in person. Just texted information back and forth. But Carver says he's willing to meet. The problem is, he doesn't specify when. Or what he looks like.
Just a place. A shady bar, in an up and coming part of Central City. One of those communities that hasn't quite figured out that the old dirty days of run down bars and puking on the street are behind them. The whole area will be gentrified within five years, if that. Just down the block from the bar was a gluten free bakery.
The death knell of any haven for lowlifes if ever there was one.
Carver said that Scudder had to be there in person for the man to make contact. Or one of his associates. Any of the Rogues would do.
Snart hadn't liked the fact that this person seemed so sure they were all working together. But they didn't have any other options. It was this, or keep moving through Scudder's increasingly shrinking list of underworld contacts.
So they started a rotation at the bar. Waiting in a corner for hours on end. Waiting for someone who might or might not show up. They couldn't go in pairs, they'd be too recognizable. So they sat alone, drinking and keeping their heads down. Not making eye contact if they could avoid it. Everyone trying to be inconspicuous, trying not to be the one that got noticed. The one that caused the whole meeting to go up in flames.
Plus, no one wanted to be the loser in Digger's betting pool.
The odds were currently that Axel would blow the whole thing. Two to one that the kid wouldn't be able to stay silent for that long. Just shout out who he was one day to see what would happen. Or throw some confetti in the air and see if anyone noticed. Axel had been offended by the implication that he would do something as simple as throw confetti.
Roy found himself the second most likely.
"Why would I be the one to get caught and not Mick or Snart? They're more recognizable than me."
"Something about you mate. Trouble just sniffs you out."
Roy hated that he couldn't argue with Digger's logic. And that he ended up putting twenty dollars down on himself.
No reason he couldn't make a little money on his misfortune.
Not that they weren't prepared for it. For being found out. For it all to go to hell.
Everyone was carrying a small mirror in their pockets. Portals that Scudder kept permanently open. All Roy had to do was shove his hand in his pocket and he would be pulled into the Mirror Verse.
Not to mention that every 15 minutes he had to text Snart. Confirming that he was still alive. That the contact still hadn't reached out to him. That he was currently bored out of his mind.
Roy doesn't think much on the fact that they were back in Central. That of all the places in the world they could have met, the contact wants to meet here. Where the Rogues are most likely to be recognized. Where every person, especially in this area of the city, would be tripping over themselves for the reward money.
"How the hell do you know we can even trust this person? Maybe it's all a set up." Mardon hadn't liked Scudder's plan. And, as typical of the man, he was unable to hide his contempt for another meta claiming to be stronger than he was.
"Like I explained already, Carver is the best at what he does. And, is the only person who, so far, has been willing to give us any information. So he's reclusive. So are all of you at this point. Everyone is being extra careful these days. If there is a reason Carver is making us wait, it is a damn good one."
Hard to argue that point. Roy can't imagine anyone who is a metahuman or is associated with metahumans is having a good time out there.
Roy sips on his beer and vaguely watches the TV. Sports of some kind. Baseball…yes, baseball. He couldn't tell the names of the teams or who was winning, not that he cared to really try to find out.
Roy notices the bartender sort of glance at him. He'd done it a few times today, nothing to be too paranoid about. Roy keeps an eye on the man just in case.
The man turns back to the liquor on the wall behind the bar. Roy watches the bartender as discreetly as he can. He pretends to be interested in the baseball game. Though he is certain anyone watching can tell he couldn't give less of a shit about the sport. This may be his most unconvincing cover ever, even more than when he pretended to be a cop.
Roy sees it out of the corner of his eye, the moment the man behind the bar starts to look a little more closely at him. Roy doesn't move for his shades, doesn't change position, but he can feel his whole body tense up.
Cold had told them they had to prepare for the inevitability. To not do anything rash, stay calm. Stick to the plan. No matter what, stick to the plan.
They weren't going to be lucky forever. Not with the bounty still on their heads.
Roy sighs. He'd been here off and on for over a week. For some reason, today the bartender decides he wants to take a closer look. Roy stands up from his table slowly. He makes a move like he is pulling out his cellphone. His fingers hover over the mirror in his pocket.
"Seriously, John? This is why Marti left you, you know. You spend all your time in a bar." A woman slides up next to him, Roy tries to hide any hint of disbelief when she loops a hand around his arm. She points to the bartender. "Don't you dare serve him another drink. He is going to sober up and then he is going to go home and apologize to my sister."
Roy has no idea who this person is. She looks vaguely familiar. He keeps his fingers by the mirror. What if this is the contact? He…he swears he knows this person somehow.
"I am?"
"Yes." She reaches into her purse and throws some money on the bar. "Keep the change."
Roy wants to ask her how she knows how much he had spent on booze but the woman is already pulling him towards the door. Berating him as she goes. The bartender no longer seems to care about who Roy may or may not have been. He's counting the bills and wiping off the counter.
Once they step outside, Roy pulls his arm out of the woman's grasp. He quickly removes his shades. The woman makes a half hearted attempt to put her hands up. It feels like she is doing it for his benefit more than out of any actual fear.
"Easy there. I just helped you."
"An incredibly suspicious thing to do if you know who I am."
"You're Roy G. Bivolo aka the Rainbow Raider. Or Prism, if Cisco is feeling particularly contrary."
Roy's trying to figure it out. How he knows this person. But he's never been very good with remembering people. Or their faces. Or their names. The woman puts her hands down when someone else starts to walk around the corner. She takes a small step forward and keeps her voice low.
"Look. I just want to talk. But maybe we should do it somewhere a little more private."
Roy raises an eyebrow.
"Why would I go anywhere with you?"
"Because I know Lex Luthor set you guys up in Metropolis. And I can prove it. Unless of course, you want to wait around and see how long it takes the CCPD to notice the Rogues have been hanging out in the same bar all week. Only took me three days."
He's certain this isn't Scudder's contact now.
This could very well be a trap. This girl could be an ARGUS agent. Maybe that was how he knew her. Or she could be working for Luthor. Or the cops. Or the feds. Or maybe he saw her in a crowd of civilians who tried to murder him recently.
He's supposed to be at the bar for another hour. Snart is going to have his head.
Plus, he can't help but feel a little annoyed that Digger was right about him being the one to get found out first.
He pulls his cellphone and takes a picture of her. He texts it to Axel.
"What are you doing?"
"Figuring out who you are."
His cellphone chirps almost instantly. He hasn't even managed to type out what he wants Axel to find out about the woman before the kid has responded.
Dude. Nice.
Roy rolls his eyes. Both at the words and the excessive amount of emojis that Axel had included in his text. He never understood the 100 emoji, but he's fairly certain it's not supposed to be paired with the octopus one. What would that even mean? Roy suppresses his annoyance at today's youth and finishes his text.
She approached me in the bar.
I bet she did you sly minx
She knows who I am, who is she?
The woman is looking slightly amused by all this. He assumes it has something to do with how long it takes him to text versus how long it takes Axel to respond.
"You sent that to Axel Walker right? He's still doing all your tech work, since Hartley left?"
His phone chirps again.
Iris west reporter for the picture news in CC
There's a link to her professional profile, then Axel sends him a copy of her resume. And then her college transcripts. And her yearbook photo. And…those can't possibly be her actual dental records.
Roy sends one more text.
Let Snart know
Will do buckaroo
Roy's about to turn back to the woman, about to ask her how she found him, ask her what the hell she was doing talking to him, what the hell she wanted, but his mind seemed to only be focused on one thing.
Hartley.
She called him Hartley.
Not Rathaway. Not Pied Piper. She said Axel Walker. But then only said Hartley.
"You know Hartley."
It was half statement, half question. And clearly wasn't the most pressing thing at the moment. There were a million other things he should want to know. But he found himself wanting to ask how the kid was doing. If he was pushing everyone away with his sarcasm. If he was letting people help him. If the cops were giving him too much grief, was anyone at his back?
Something seemed to settle in the girl's eyes and whatever hesitance she might have had about him disappears completely.
She takes a step forward.
"I do. He had some interesting things to say about the Rogues. And you in particular."
"I can't imagine any of them were good."
"No. But then, I've never heard him say anything good about anybody. I did once hear him say that some of Ray Palmer's designs were adequate, in a retro and completely useless kind of way. Which I took to mean a declaration of love."
"You really do know Hartley."
She smiles slightly at him.
"I'm Iris. We've met briefly when you held a gun to my head a few years ago."
Roy knew he recognized her somehow. Although he still had no idea when he did such a thing. But if she said so then it must have been true.
"So you decided to approach a man who held a gun to your head, and whom you have heard nothing but negative things about from an ally, all because…"
"Because I want the truth. Because I know that Luthor is up to something. There is a story there. A story that everyone else seems set on ignoring. And I want to know the Rogues' side of it."
She seemed oddly earnest about it. Roy didn't know what to do with that information.
"Why?"
"Because it's the right thing…"
"I find that the right thing, is rarely the right thing to do."
Snart's slow drawl caused them both to turn. The man appeared in the alley behind them. Roy saw the faint shimmer in the glass window of the bar.
Iris didn't appear to be phased by Snart appearing out of thin air. Or by the man himself. She simply narrowed her eyes and kept her voice calm and even.
"Maybe not during a bank robbery. But when you're being blamed for a terrorist attack and the entire country is taking their anger out on other metahumans, then it has to be. People, innocent people, are suffering because of the fear that Luthor is spreading."
"And what would you have us do Ms. West? Pour our hearts out to your little newspaper? Go on an interview with Barbara Walters where we can cry and confess our sins?"
"People have a right to know…"
"People don't want to know. What they want is to go home, binge watch Netflix, eat their take out and pretend that the world is exactly the way they think it is. You go in there and try to make them see something else and their little brains might explode."
"You don't have much faith in people."
"I don't have faith in the unwashed masses, no. All Luthor has to do is wave his hand and you and all your little self righteous rhetoric will disappear. Not even…the Flash could save you."
Snart put a little more emphasis on the Flash's name than normal. Iris refused to break eye contact with Snart. In fact, his words only seemed to harden her resolve.
"It doesn't matter if he silences me. The truth always comes out, nothing stops it. Not even death."
"I'd rather be alive. I've found death to be a bit of a drag."
"I know you care about your family. And I know all of this, is a show." She hands Roy a piece of paper. "It's my number. I have information about Luthor. Information that can help prove that you weren't responsible. That he is a monster, not you. And once your boss gets his head out of his ass, give me a call."
She turns and walks away.
Snart watches her go. An odd look passes over his face.
"We need to move."
"Why?"
"Let's just say Ms. West is on a first name basis with the Flash."
"If she knows him, why is she coming to us with this? Why go to the trouble of hunting us down if the Flash could just run in and grab us?"
"Methinks the lady is going on her own. The Flash might not have any idea what she's up to. Especially if he doesn't believe her."
"You really think she thinks we're innocent."
"I think she knows there is more going on. The Flash would have told her about the kidnappings, the clones, Cadmus…"
Snart trails off. The reporter has disappeared from sight, but Snart continues to look in that direction. Roy nods back towards the bar.
"You want me to go back inside, see if Scudder's man shows?"
"Not worth the risk. If Ms. West found us, it's only a matter of time before someone else does. We'll head back, see if we can't figure out what Ms. West knows without having to resort to giving her a call."
They have to call her.
Less than a week after she accosted Roy in the bar. Although it had more to do with Scudder's contacts than it did Iris' earnestness.
Carver never contacted them again. And the next four contacts had turned up dead.
All recently.
"Someone is wiping out your people Scudder."
"That's impossible. Why would anyone target these people? They're nobodies."
Snart had glared at Scudder's tone. At his dismissive regard for what was clearly a pattern in Snart's mind.
"Someone must have realized we were working together. And are now trying to cut off any source, any avenue, we could pursue to find more information about Luthor's operation."
Lisa had sighed. Interrupting Scudder before he could put in more of a fight about his list of contacts.
"Seems like we still have one person they wouldn't expect us to be working with." Snart had looked annoyed, but ultimately he realized Lisa was right. They didn't have anyone else they could ask for information.
"Alright. Lisa, call Ms. West. Set up a met somewhere outside of Central. Somewhere we know.
"I know just the place. Little diner in Opal. Off the beaten path, but shouldn't be too much of a problem for our intrepid little reporter to find."
"Scudder, you will be transport only. Stay in the Mirror Verse. Don't be seen. Lisa, you'll take Roy and Mardon with you."
"You sure that's a good idea brother dear? Ms. West is…"
"I'm aware of who her father is. We need her off center. Seeing Mardon will shake her confidence, hopefully give us the upper hand."
"Mardon knows who she is."
"Which is why you are taking Roy. The rewards outweigh the risks."
Lisa didn't seem like she agreed with her brother's assessment. But she wasn't going to undermine him in front of Scudder.
"What about me boss man? You want me to come with?"
"You'll stay here Shawna. Scudder can handle it."
Shawna hadn't been too happy with that. Complained to Roy about it later while he was painting in his room.
"It's like he doesn't think I can do this any more. I'm way more capable than Scudder. Keeping me on the sidelines, this is bullshit."
"Consider yourself lucky. You don't have to go on this incredibly ill advised meeting with Mark."
Shawna continued as though Roy hadn't spoken.
"Hell, they're sending you and you don't even know if your powers work any more, you're more useless than I am at this point."
Roy ignored Shawna's remark. She had, in the past, made such comments in anger or frustration. Though she generally apologized for them later. Usually by way of stealing him more paints or warming up the tea that he had forgotten he made before he got lost in a painting.
It's a few days before he realizes she never did apologize. He writes it off as the stress. Shawna had always been more active than him. She wanted to be part of the action. Whereas he was usually content to be left out of it.
He had gone into town on his own, not long after her comments. He did need to practice. He picked a spot in the market where he would be ignored. Not particularly easy as most of the vendors were constantly telling Roy that he needed to buy this item or that one.
Still. He picked a couple that were shouting at each other, arguing about how much bread they need for some party or something. He really couldn't tell. He waited until he was certain no one was looking at him.
Then he activated his calming powers.
Both of them calmed down instantly.
Roy breathed a sigh of relief. His powers had actually worked. It must have just been overuse. That was all it was.
The stress of running, of using his powers, the injuries. All of it must have just caused him to…
The couple start yelling at each other again.
Damn.
Well, at least it worked for a moment. He hadn't felt that oddness in his eyes this time. This was more like when he stretched his powers on too long. He had reached his breaking point, that was all it was. He used to be able to keep people under his power for hours.
Still, a whole minute was longer than he had been capable of last week. He was slowly getting them back. He just needed to rest them a bit longer. They would be back fully before too long, he was sure of it.
Hopefully, he won't have to use his powers during their meeting.
Hopefully, Mardon would actually keep a level head in the presence of the daughter of the man who killed his brother.
Roy rubs his eyes slowly.
This was going to be a disaster.
But it was the only plan they had at the moment.
So they went to the meeting. Wearing as much of a disguise as each of them could. Luthor's facial recognition software was able to see through most changes in hair styles or facial hair. So the best thing to do was to try and keep the face covered. Hoodies, jackets with high collars, scarves. The kind of thing people wore in winter.
That it was the middle of June and currently 75 degrees outside was limiting their ability to be inconspicuous.
Still, Axel figured out the best way to keep their faces hidden from nearby cameras. Standard ball caps pulled down low were really the only accessories they could add that wouldn't stand out.
They make it to the diner without any incident. They find a small table in the back. Roy tilts his chair so that he can watch the door leading to the kitchen. Mardon keeps an eye on the door. While Lisa sits nonchalantly and chats with the waitress like they are old friends. The woman takes their orders for coffee and walks away.
They don't have to wait long for Ms. West to make her entrance.
It gets to her.
Just for a moment. Barely more than most people would be able to recognize. He sees the way Ms. West's eyes widen at Mardon sitting at the table. The way her steps falter for just a moment. By the time she reaches the table she's regained her composure but she's glaring at them. As though she knows exactly why Mardon is here.
Lisa just smiles as Iris sits down across from them.
"Is there a problem Ms. West? You did want to meet with us didn't you?"
Ms. West shakes it off, steels herself. Mardon, for his part, is acting rather bored with the whole thing.
Which is the opposite of what the man is feeling. Roy can see the twitch in his fingers. The static in the air causing the hair on Roy's neck to stand on end.
"You won't make a move against her. Unless I give you the signal, and even then…"
"Just scare her. Yea, I heard you the first dozen or so times."
Mardon had blown off Lisa's concern, steadfastly ignoring her in favor of the pizza in front of him. It was cold and a couple days old, Roy doubted it tasted very good. But Mark was treating it like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. Lisa had given Roy a look and then left the room.
Roy casually poked the pizza when Mark wouldn't look up.
A bit of cheese stuck to his finger and Roy was overcome with the desire to wash his hands profusely. He had been in sewers with less disgusting combinations. But that was what they got for letting Axel order the pizza.
What kind of a monster puts anchovies and Swedish Fish on a pizza?
"Don't use that calm bullshit."
Roy had turned at Mark's voice. The man was still looking at the pizza, though he had begun to push it around with his hands with more force than was necessary.
"Didn't like it when you used it on me with the Reverse Flash and his goons."
"What would you suggest then?"
"Don't know."
Fear and anger would only make matters worse, and would most likely lead to the same outcome. Not to mention his powers were currently at their weakest. He would only be able to stop Mardon for a minute at most. Not nearly enough time to keep him from killing a shit ton of people.
"I'll think of something."
Mark nodded. Not exactly a great vote of confidence going into a meeting with someone who says they can clear your name, but it was the best Roy would get. He assured Lisa it was taken care of. She hadn't believed him of course. But there was only so much they could do. The risks of bringing him didn't outweigh the advantage it gave them. Or the information her reaction to him would bring.
So there they all were, in a semi-public place, pretending like they weren't seconds away from disaster.
"Of course not. I was expecting your brother is all."
"Brother dear doesn't like to reveal himself if the information isn't worth his time."
"So you're just your brother's lackey? Way I hear it, you're running the Rogues now."
Lisa's face didn't change, still had the same sweet smile. But Roy could feel the change in her demeanor.
"Interesting how you have all this personal information about us. Roy tells me you've been in contact with Piper. I'm sure he's given you all the gossip, all our dirty little secrets. But if all you have is the word of a disgruntled former associate…"
Iris smiled.
Roy got the feeling Ms. West was enjoying this little tête–à–tête as much as Lisa was. He suddenly doubted Mardon's presence was going to do anything to influence Ms. West's confidence.
"What I have is concrete evidence linking Luthor to Cadmus, and to the experiments performed on your brother."
"You said that last time, and yet, I don't notice any suspicious looking files in that designer jacket of yours."
"Maybe because this isn't a 1970s spy movie." Ms. West pulled a thumb drive out of her pocket. "This has what you need to show a concrete link between Luthor and what happened in Metropolis. The man's downfall is going to be his pride. His supreme confidence in his own intelligence and planning. If he had just planted a random meta in the subdivision and set them off, it would have done everything he wanted. But he saw this as a way to get rid of you, and to use your 'celebrity' to his advantage. I was able to find out information in regards to what caused your brother to…explode."
"Really."
"A subsidiary of a subsidiary of a subsidiary of LexCorp created the chip that was implanted in your brother. They were commissioned by ARGUS, but ARGUS tested them and they didn't work. They were supposed to be in the same vein as the chips that were used for Task Force X…
"How does a little local reporter like you, know about something top secret like that?"
"I assume the same way you do. I've got insider information. And no, I won't reveal my source."
Lisa just smiled at Iris' tone. She waved a nonchalant hand.
"Continue…"
"These chips were designed specifically for metahuman prisoners, to be used on the Suicide Squad. Give them the ability to use their powers for the mission, but shut them down if the meta tried to betray them. They were supposed to be able to emit a signal that would automatically neutralize the meta's powers, but they didn't work right. Every person they tested them on, caused their powers to go haywire. ARGUS scrapped the project, but the creator kept the first chip he created, and the designs for creating them. Luthor bought that company and then took the chip from where it was being stored. I have proof that he went into the company warehouse and signed out a bunch of the prototypes they developed for ARGUS. The chip was labeled as being destroyed in his records. The only physical proof of the existence of these chips, that Luthor used it, is in your brother's neck. The designs are on the drive, as well as information about the best place to implant them. You should be able to…"
"You're being awfully forthcoming with all of this information."
"That's because I've only put half of the data you need to remove the implant from your brother's neck in there."
"And the other half?"
"You can have it after you've helped me."
"That's not very charitable of you."
"Just trying to keep everyone honest here."
Lisa smirked.
"Well, we will have to review this of course. See if there's any substance to all your…"
"We've been spotted."
Roy turns sharply towards Mark's voice. The static in the air began to crackle, the hairs on the back of Roy's neck were standing on edge. Mardon knocks over his chair as he pushes away from the table.
"She betrayed us." Roy stands quickly and puts a hand on Mark's chest. He pulls off his shades, Roy stares at Mardon for a moment. The man doesn't make any moves towards Iris. But he doesn't really have to move to hit someone with a bolt of lightening. Roy's only going to have a split second to stop him if Mardon decides to kill her.
Probably should have come up with a better plan for this.
Lisa doesn't stand, just glances at Mark out of the corner of her eye.
"Easy Mark. Iris here wouldn't do something that insanely stupid. Would she now?"
Roy hears the telltale sound of Lisa's gun powering up. Lisa was giving Iris a much harder smile now. Iris, to her credit, wasn't backing down. She puts her hands on the table.
"Of course not. I get caught with this I'm just as dead as the rest of you."
Lisa keeps the gun on Iris a few more seconds. She holsters it and turns towards Mardon.
"Mark, cover. Now."
Mardon was still glaring at Iris. For a moment, Roy thought he might just ignore Lisa's order and hit Iris with a gust of wind. Knocking her through the window and killing the stalwart reporter.
Mardon moved his left hand slightly.
The street outside was suddenly covered in fog. Roy could hear the sound of sirens now. He had an uncomfortable flashback to Evergreen Acres. The world burning around them, the thick fog, the sirens closing in.
Lisa touched the framed picture behind her. The reflection of the glass enough that Scudder should be able to grab them all through.
The glass doesn't change. Doesn't shimmer or move.
The fog outside begins to dissipate. Mark looks down at his hands, the electricity from before now gone. Roy touches the mirror in his pocket.
Nothing.
"Must have a portable anti-meta generator."
"Good thing we always have a back up plan. You should probably come with us Ms. West."
Iris doesn't argue, she follows the Rogues as they head out the kitchen and towards the back door. None of the staff move to stop them. Most of them are used to Family members having to use the back exit. Lisa had picked this diner because of the discretion of its staff in regard to illegal meetings.
The anti-meta generators only create a field that covers a few blocks. Axel had set up an EMP and should be moving to set it off. All they had to do was…
"Get back!"
Lisa pushes them backwards towards the kitchen, as gunfire erupts in the alleyway just outside.
"Shit."
"Told you we should have brought more firepower."
"Shut up Mardon." Lisa pulls her gun and aims it towards the kitchen door they just came through. Making sure no one sneaks up and shoots them in the back.
Roy and Mark both pull guns and start shooting back towards the source of the gunfire. Roy knows his aim isn't the best, but the bullets don't stop raining on the wall around them. Usually the people shooting at them have to duck for cover or at least move to avoid being hit.
Mardon stops shooting out the alley door, and sort of stares for a moment.
"Is that a robot?"
Roy peeks around the corner, during a sudden brief second of quiet. The bullets start up again almost instantly. One bullet embedding itself in the door where Roy's head had been only a moment before.
Roy glances at the bullet hole, then back to Mardon.
"Yep."
There's a robot shooting a machine gun at them. That's new.
"Luthor realized that some of your powers can influence people. So he's been building these androids, he made them heat and cold resistant, put in all kinds of protections in the metal to ward against your powers and weapons. A few less reputable sources say he's even used magic on them. They're supposed to be automated police officers. Just to help protect people, but they round up anyone without…"
"You can tell us all about when we aren't dead." Roy slams the metal door as Lisa and Mark pull a table in front of it. Roy can still hear bullets hitting the door from the alley.
"That's not going to last long."
"Lenny and Scudder were monitoring from the Mirror Verse. They should be bringing in back up once the anti-meta generator went up. We just…"
"Lisa Snart, Mark Mardon, Roy Bivolo. You are surrounded. Exit the building now or we will kill you. This is your only warning."
There were dozens of cops outside. Helicopters and more of the Luthor androids aiming machine guns at the small restaurant. Roy glances over and realizes most of the kitchen staff is still huddling in one corner.
"Looks like they don't care about collateral damage."
"Those androids have injured dozens of innocent civilians in their attempts to capture metahumans."
"So the old, 'we have hostages' line, isn't going to work?"
"They'll just shoot us too."
"Alright. We're going to surrender."
"Like hell."
"Mark, sweetie, listen very carefully. We are just going to buy some time. Axel will have that EMP knocking out the generator in less than two minutes. We just have to play along for that long. Now put your damn hands up. Ms. West you might want to hold back in case they don't know you're with us."
"Got it."
Lisa sticks a hand out towards the window.
"We're coming out."
Roy has a sudden vision. Of the three of them stepping outside and the cops just mowing them down anyway. Their bodies riddled with bullets, bleeding and twitching on the ground.
He keeps his thoughts to himself.
He puts his hands up, tosses his gun to the side, and follows Lisa outside. He hears Mark move slowly behind him. Mark doesn't throw away his gun. Just puts it in the pocket of his jacket.
Roy doesn't say anything, not wanting to put any undue attention on the gun shaped bulge in Mark's jacket.
The three of them step outside. They are greeted by an, unfortunately, familiar scene. One that Roy had gotten more used to over the past few years. All manner of weapons pointed at them. Bystanders vying for a look, even as the cops tried to keep people back. Television helicopters mixed in with the police ones.
It was quite the show.
The androids were odd to see now that he could focus on them without being shot. Clearly not human, they were more like the robots Roy remembered from old sci-fi movies his father used to watch. What was that movie…the Day the Earth Stood Still. It had been his dad's favorite. Roy must have seen the movie a dozen times with his father, though he couldn't remember much about it. Aside from being bored out of his mind and sketching in his notebook. And thinking the robot looked stupid. Even then Roy had known it was just a man in a silver suit.
He supposed these robots were better than that. No face really, but with arms and legs where they should be. He supposed they were more like Terminator robots. A reference he could only make because one of his roommates back in art school had a poster on the wall of one of the things. He'd never actually seen the movies, only knew the Terminators killed everyone they saw.
Can't imagine it's a good connection for his mind to make now.
The robots stood about a foot or two taller than any of the cops. Their chests were painted in blue patterns similar to the officers uniforms, but that did nothing for the fact that they were clearly robots. That they clearly weren't human.
They were weapons. Sophisticated weapons Luthor must have just been dying for an excuse to get a chance to deploy.
One of the officers stepped forward, a megaphone in his hands.
"Lay down on the ground, throw away all weapons. Now!"
Roy could see the way the cops were all nervously holding their guns. Anything would set them off.
Lisa just smiled.
"We're complying boys. We…"
Something crashed through the window behind them. Instinct caused the three of them hit the ground. The android from the alleyway had broken through the back door and was now heading straight for them.
The cops reacted the only way cops ever do.
They started shooting.
The bullets were flying over top of the Rogues. If they tried to run they would be caught in the cross fire. Roy put his hands over his head, not that it would do anything but it felt like an attempt at protection. There was little they could do except lay there and wait for someone to get a lucky shot on them.
Roy was expecting a bullet to hit him any moment. He was not expecting to almost be engulfed in flames.
A burst of red hot fire crossed above Roy's head. Temporarily blinding him, and he was certain, singeing his eyebrows. The flames reached over towards the cops, causing them to turn away from the Rogues on the ground and duck for cover.
Roy turned his head slightly, Mick was standing just to the left of the restaurant. Roy can see out of the corner of his eye the semi-melted robot that had charged out of the restaurant attempting to stand and move towards the new threat.
Mick was laughing.
Which considering it wasn't something Mick had done since Metropolis, Roy was willing to overlook that he was laughing as he was being shot at.
There was fire swirling around the man's arms.
"Fry you pigs!"
Another blast of fire exploded from the pyromaniacs hands. It hit one of the cop cars dead on. The vehicle exploded and launched into the air. Scattering the cops and knocking the robots among them to the ground.
Looks like Axel's flame-thrower gauntlets were a huge hit.
Roy had seen the look in Mick's eyes as Axel had been explaining them to the pyromaniac.
"So like, your hands are totally jacked. But like, that only matters if you have to hold your flamethrower right? And sure, I get it, it's a gun and guns are cool. But like, they're also super boring and like…" Roy had been certain Axel was going to have an aneurysm with all the espresso the boy had been downing lately. High quality, expensive, Italian espresso.
That he liked to mix with Red Bull and Sour Patch Kids.
"Breathe, Axel."
"What? Who has time for that? Look so you just slip these bad boys on and…" Mick already had them on his hands. "Right. Exactly. And the fuel pack goes…yep you got it. So since you can't like grip anything too well, I made these so all you gotta do is…"
Mick had figured out how to use them without Axel's need to explain. The pyromaniac did some kind of movement and fire had leapt from his forearms. The flames swirled around the gauntlets before being shot out of the ends. Axel had had to duck rather quickly to avoid losing all his hair.
Thankfully they had been inside the Mirror Verse at the time. Though a mirror across from them was suddenly engulfed in flames.
Roy wondered what that looked like from the other side. Was someone checking their hair in the mirror and suddenly they were staring into nothing but fire?
Must have permanently damaged that person's self esteem.
Axel had stood up quickly, and brushed himself off. He rocked back on his heels.
"Pretty sweet right?"
Roy could practically see the need for validation in Axel's eyes.
"Not bad kid."
Axel's smile was huge. The kid looked like he wanted to hug Mick. Not something that Mick ever allowed. But considering the circumstances, Roy was certain this was the only moment it would have been achievable.
"Of course they're not bad. I'm literally the best!"
Mick had been practicing with them in the Mirror Verse ever since. Often disappearing for hours into the darkest corners of the immense space. Though Scudder or Dillon were always able to locate him.
Mick's distraction gave them enough time to stand. The robot behind them was still moving about, its body only partially still on fire. It refocused its attention and pointed a gun at them.
A small object landed in front of the robot. It ignored the spinning object and continued to move towards the Rogues. The small object continued to spin until the robot was only inches away.
A flurry of razor sharp metal wires burst out of the top on the ground. The wires wrapped around the robot, tightening with every rotation, until it was tearing into its metal frame. The wires wrapped around its body, its legs, and its head. The machine was unable to move, unable to break free.
It looked a bit like a mummy, covered in a strange metal wrapping. The wires cut through the metal body of the robot, tearing it into several large chunks. They fell to the ground with a loud crash.
The parts sparked and twitched, but there was no doubt the thing was completely destroyed.
Roy tried to ignore the fact that Dillon had created those tops to be used on human enemies. Someone really needed to talk to Axel about some of the stuff he was building for the other members of the team.
Dillon walked over from beside the restaurant, she stood over the destroyed machine. She casually bent over and picked up the now empty top.
"Looks like I came out on top of that one."
She smirked.
Mardon ignored her terrible wordplay for more pressing matters.
"Our powers?"
"Ready whenever you kids are."
Mark smiled. He used a gust of wind to pull some of Mick's flames up towards the helicopters above. Lisa grabbed her gun and started firing at the cop cars.
"Roy, go find Iris."
Roy ran back into the restaurant. She was ducked behind the counter, trying to avoid being seen. Though Roy couldn't help but notice she was talking to herself.
"The 2XL fired in the direction of the Rogues, which was also the direction of the police officers. This is completely contrary to Mr. Luthor's insistence that the androids are not capable of…"
"Really?"
She turned towards him.
"People need to know what they are letting Luthor get away with. All in the name of fear. Plus, he can't hack this bad boy." She held up the voice recorder. Roy could actually see the small tape inside of it. He wasn't sure you could even buy those things in the store anymore. She must have had to get it off of eBay.
"Time to go."
She stood up and started to follow him towards the back door. He touched the earpiece. Activating it now that Axel's EMP had already done its thing.
"We're heading out the back."
"Meet you there. Mick, Dillon, and Mark are going to keep cover for another minute. Scudder will grab us by the window on the nearby grocery."
Roy and Iris walked to the corner of the building. Lisa joined them less than a minute later.
"I think we…"
Roy barely had time to react to the sound of gunshots behind him. He had barely turned his head when he felt a slight breeze.
There was…another version of the Flash standing between them and almost certain death at the hands of another one of the androids.
The new Flash disappeared and the next second the robot was in pieces on the ground. Then he raced back and grabbed Ms. West by the arm, pulling her several feet away from Roy and Lisa.
"Are you alright? What the hell were you thinking?"
"Yea…I'm fine we…" Suddenly the surprise at almost being murdered seemed to wear off and she slapped the new Flash on the arm. "What the hell Wally? You followed me?"
"Of course I followed you! Once I figured you were running out to meet up with a bunch of freaking murders and…"
"Standing right here Baby Flash."
The kid whipped his head around. Clearly not a fan of his new nickname. By Lisa's smirk, Roy got the feeling it was going to stick.
"Don't call me that."
Lisa smiles.
"Sorry, you prefer…Wally was it?"
Iris looks horrified. She opens her mouth as if to offer a rebuttal but Lisa waves her off.
"Not hard to figure out he's your brother, even if you hadn't just blurted his name out. Lenny uses that exact same tone with me all the time. Plus Lenny did thorough background checks on all of you years ago. Not too hard to figure out who was in the suit. The real question is why Baby Flash is here and not version 1.0."
Iris and Wally exchange a quick glance.
Lisa continues talking.
"Of course. Maybe Regular Flash doesn't know either of you are here. Because he wouldn't approve. So Flash thinks we're guilty just like everyone else. That's a little disappointing. I thought he liked…"
"It's complicated. Everyone thinks he was working with you."
"Yes, yes we've all heard those ridiculous rumors. The questions is, are we going to keep having this conversation here, or do you want to…"
The new Flash took a step in between himself, Iris, and Lisa. Roy could see the family resemblance, even through the mask. Even more so when Iris rolled her eyes at new Flash's actions.
"We aren't going to back to your secret lair…or whatever."
"Secret Lair. Oh honey, you are adorable. I could eat you up."
Iris took a step in front of her brother.
"We're in this deep. If we are going to get to Luthor, we all have to work together. As long as…"
"Don't worry your baby brother's secret identity is safe with us."
Roy can only imagine how Mardon is going to react to this.
"Yea, your word, isn't going to cut it. I want assurances. You want that chip out of your brother's neck, then you are going to do what we say. If any of you do anything that could endanger my family, then I will make damn sure you are all in prison before I expose Luthor."
Lisa's smile was genuine now.
"Oh I like you."
Iris smirked.
"Well then, now that that's settled. Shall we?"
He'd blamed a lot of people when his brother died.
That piece of shit cop was at the top of the list of course. Cops were all the same. Talked a big game about protecting people, but would just kill anybody if the feeling struck them.
Their shit parents for giving up on them when they was kids. If they had just taken care of them like they were supposed to, none of this would have happened.
Harrison Wells for setting off the particle accelerator. For setting up the situation where a cop would even have a chance to shoot his brother without Mark being there to stop it.
The doctors in the hospital who made him stay in bed. Made him lie there and eat shitty food while his brother was bleeding out.
The Flash. For all his damn heroics had still let his brother die when it came right down to it. Decided his brother's life wasn't worth saving. Like he gets to decide who is worth it just because he's got powers. Only difference between the Flash and anyone else, is people cheer him when he gets people killed.
Now standing here in front of him was a goddamn two for one. The son and daughter of the man who killed his brother, and one of them a speedster. Gotta know the original Flash. Gotta be some kind of bond between them if he's letting this kid run around in a suit just like his. He kills the kids, he destroys the Flash and Detective West in one swoop.
Course, going to be hard with the way all the other Rogues are watching him out of the corner of their eyes. Snart is full on glaring at him. Guess the wind in here was starting to pick up a bit. He tries to calm it down and Snart turns back to the chick in front of him.
"You are certain of all this information?"
"Of course. It took me months of digging, and some not inconsiderable money, to find some of this."
"Why not just publish it in your newspaper then?"
"So Luthor can come out and discredit it? I don't want this to become something that can be swept under the rug. If this is going to work, then the presentation of my finding will have to be…dramatic."
Snart looked positively pleased for a moment.
"And so you came to us of course."
"No one more dramatic than Leonard Snart."
"Compliments are always appreciated Ms. West."
"Iris, we…"
"Don't worry Baby Flash. I think I've caught on to your sister's line of thinking. We do the dirty work, get that last little bit of proof you need, and then you publish your findings."
"Can you do it?"
"Of course."
"It needs to be soon."
"I didn't realize we were on a schedule here. Something you left off of your little flash drive?"
"Luthor is good, but people are questioning him already and he can't silence them all. Plus all the other metas who were experimented on, they aren't going to stay silent forever. Eventually someone will believe their story. Someone with the right amount of influence. He's…I think he's going to try and move forward with another attack."
"Since my…little meltdown didn't go quite as planned you mean."
"Yes. I think he needs to have something big happen. The fact that you guys still haven't been caught keeps getting brought up. He guaranteed your capture and he doesn't have you. It makes him look bad. So he is going to stage another attack, with a scapegoat that he will already have under his control."
"Deflecting away from all the inconsistencies and lies. People do tend to ask less questions when they are afraid. It's a good plan."
Boy West had actually looked disgusted by the tone of Snart's voice.
"You're actually praising this guy? After what he did…"
"I appreciate a well thought out plan. Doesn't mean I don't fully intend to destroy this man and everything he loves."
Kid's back is to him. One lightening bolt and he'd be on the ground. Then another one to finish him off. Burn him from the inside out.
Roy's standing beside him. Giving him a full on glare. Roy would stop him. Try at least. He knows Roy's powers aren't back to where they should be. Knows it would just take a minute and the others would be on him. But what would they do? Kick him out? So he breaks the rules one time and kills some people for revenge. Snart has killed more people than he has and he's still in charge.
For now at least.
Scudder's been making noise. Saying things about how he'd do things different. Let the Rogues off their leash. Stop hiding in run down motels. Dillon's been making Scudder's case. Talks about getting their revenge. Just killing Luthor and letting the cards fall where they will. Not like they'd be any worse off than they are now.
Roy had explained it to him earlier. About the plan. About the info Girl West has. They need these kids right now. He's been working on his patience. Working on trying not to just react to everything. Maybe if he bides his time. If he goes a long with this for now…
Sounds like a big fight coming up. Shit happens all the time in a throw down like that. Not his fault if he accidentally sends a gust of wind the wrong way. Kid ends up drowning, the water crashing over him, breaking him into little…
"Mardon…" Roy's voice is little more than a whisper. Mardon gives him a glance, but Roy is looking at Mardon's hands.
There's lightening crackling around his fingers. He hadn't even felt it.
He tries to force it to stop, but it's just curling around him. He doesn't want it to stop. He likes the feel of it in his veins. Likes the idea that he could finally end this. End that bastard who shot his little brother.
Make sure that cop knows exactly what it's like to lose your family. What it's like to have to look at them laying in a whole in the ground. Dirt all around, staining their clothes and hair. Making them look like some piece of trash that had just been abandoned in a ditch.
Coroner had labeled his brother as having no family and dropped him in some potter's field. He'd had to scour a bunch of records just to figure out which plot it had been.
He'd found it eventually.
Spent more than a couple hours in a graveyard digging up his brother. Hands had been bleeding by the end of it.
Pissed him off the most to think that their old man was still alive out there somewhere. Knew their mother had died, doesn't even know how. Just that Clyde had looked it up one day. Curiosity he had said.
Sentimentality is what Mardon had said.
Didn't feel anything about it. He'd hated her as much as he had hated their old man. Every time she just stood back and let the old bastard hit them. Any time she'd throw in a slap or two, or complain about how much they were eating.
When she sold Clyde's favorite stuffed animal, Jojo, for a couple bucks and Clyde had cried himself to sleep for a week.
That's when he had hated her the most.
He'd thought about that when he was pulling his brother's body out of an unmarked grave.
Thought about finding his old man and killing him. Hadn't thought about that in years. But it had been all he could think of when he was holding what used to be his baby brother. Had buried him down in that old abandoned warehouse they used to play in when they were kids.
Was the only place they had played where none of the memories were tainted by their parents dragging them away or hitting them for staying out too long. Plus the hot dog stand across the way used to throw out all their old buns in a sealed plastic bag. None of the other stuff from the dumpster would get through the bag. So they could eat as much of that as they wanted there.
It was the only place he could remember them never going hungry. He thought Clyde would have like that. Liked to be where they had only happy memories.
"Is this going to be a problem for you?"
Takes him a second to realize that the chick is addressing him. Snart's looking real pissed. The new Flash just looks confused.
Mark knows what Snart wants, what he should do. Keep his mouth shut. Just go along with the plan. Don't let anyone see that there's a problem in the ranks. Especially not with the way Scudder and Dillon are watching everything from their little corner.
"If I killed your baby brother. How long would it take you to get over it?"
He can practically hear Roy roll his eyes and run a hand over his face. The "idiot" is implied.
She takes a couple steps towards him. His fingers twitch. God he could just kill her right now…
"I wouldn't go after your family. I would…"
"Bullshit. You don't know what you'd do. You know what you tell yourself you'd do. But I don't think you're quite as sweet as you've convinced yourself you are. I think you'd get blood in your eyes just as much as the rest of us. Kill anyone you had to."
She ain't backing down. Neither is he.
Roy wraps a hand around Mardon's arm.
"Mark."
He rips his hand out of Roy's grasp.
"This is bullshit."
He turns and stalks out. Though he can hear Roy following him. Probably wanting to make sure Mardon doesn't just walk outside then blow the building away.
Lightening still cracking around his fingers. He loves how familiar it feels. Hasn't had the chance to really let loose in too long. He hears thunder up above, crashing down, cutting through the wind. Sounds like even the skies are on his side.
Roy doesn't say anything, just stares at him. Got his shades on so Mark can't tell what he's thinking. But he can make a guess.
Mark finally gets the skies to calm down a bit. Roy is still waiting on Mark to say something. Give some kind of reason for being so stupid about this. Finally the artist seems to get a little annoyed.
"They have information that…"
"That can what? Clear our names? Get us immunity? You don't really believe that BS do you? You really think that even if we prove we didn't kill those people that anyone will just believe it? Just move on and let us go? We're still criminals. Still going to be hunted, nothing is going to get us back to what we were. Might as well take as many bastards with us before we go."
Roy doesn't reply. Does that irritating thing where he just stands there, like he knows something about you. Something you don't want to say. Which is bullshit, Roy don't got the social skills to be reading people.
Just sometimes, he can just see emotions, flickers in people.
More than Mardon wants anyone to see.
More than he wants to see in himself.
He starts walking towards the little market in town. Roy doesn't follow him.
After their dad walked out and their mom spent all her time somewhere else, social services had come by. Don't know who snitched on them. Mark had been doing a good job of it. Keeping Clyde clean, getting him to school. So maybe sometimes they went without, and he didn't have the money to keep the electricity and the water going. Were dozens of people in that neighborhood in the same situation. Just cause they had someone older looking out for them didn't make them any better off than Mark and Clyde were.
Put them in a group home. Wasn't bad for awhile. Mark knew as soon as he got a chance he could get them out of there. Could find someplace for them to live. Couple more years and he would be sixteen. Then no one would question him about where his parents were. Could take Clyde, get an apartment. Could have even gotten a job if he had to. He had just needed a little more time.
The Sinclairs.
They ruined everything. Coming into the home, talking about how cute Clyde was. How smart he was.
Clyde had liked them too. Liked how they didn't get mad when he made a mistake. Liked how Mrs. Sinclair always answered all his questions. How they would take him out to eat or make him a sandwich that wasn't moldy. How they talked about his future.
They brought him a little Lego set. Saying how he could be an architect when he grew up.
Mark had known they didn't want the same for him. Sure they talked about taking him. Talked about how they would never break up brothers. How they had a room for him too. Even showed him pictures of it.
He knew it was bullshit. No matter what they said, he knew they would just take Clyde and leave him behind. Show his brother how better they were at taking care of him. It was all they ever did. Rubbed it in his face every day, how bad Mark had done in keeping his brother fed. Getting him up, getting him to school, keeping him clean. Talked about buying him clothes and shoes without holes in them, like Mark hadn't done enough to protect his brother.
They thought they were just going to swoop in and take his brother from him? Thought they would prove how shit a brother he was? He couldn't let them do that. Clyde need him.
He was all he had.
He'd snuck Clyde out one night. Telling him they had to run, because their dad was coming back for them.
Clyde had believed him. Of course he had. Mark always kept him safe when their dad was looking for them. Packed a bag and never looked back.
They had to live on the streets for awhile. Had to steal to eat. Clyde only brought up the Sinclairs once or twice.
"Why can't we ask them for help? They said…"
"They didn't care about us Clyde. You're too young. You'll be able to tell when people are lying to you when you're older. I'll take care of you. Nobody else."
Clyde never asked about them again. Then it was bank robbery after bank robbery. Jail time interspersed between.
Then his little brother was laying in a morgue.
Alone.
A bullet in his back.
No one watching out for him.
Maybe there wasn't a whole bunch of people he blamed for Clyde's death.
Maybe there was just one.