Author's Notes: Hello Readers! Thank you for your patience with this chapter. It has been a while since I've posted, but as I said, I've been working on other projects. I've decided to announce one of those projects now, hence the changes you will see for my username and profile picture.

I have recently created a YouTube Channel called "Versatile Creativity." Currently, it is dedicated to video game reviews and analysis. If that appeals to you, a link will be found in the profile I recently created. It will take some time before the link appears.

So, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and references owned by DC Universe and the CW, which I do not own. Enjoy!

My name is William Queen,

A man from the future who has come to the past with one goal,

To save Star City.

However, one of our enemies has my friends and allies in their grip,

So I, along with my sister, Mia,

Travel through time again in search of those our enemies are not aware of.

And one of them is…

Episode 7: A Hero's Return

"May it be Your will, God, our God and the God of our fathers, that You should lead us in peace and direct our steps in peace, and guide us in peace, and support us in peace, and cause us to reach our destination in life, joy and peace…"

Rory Regan looks up, his eyes beholden to the enormous, round dome of the Temple Mount. The bizarre yet colorful patterns and stained glass windows almost distract him from the journey ahead. He wanted to say and return us in peace. But it is meant for an immediate return. He has undertaken this pilgrimage following the Torah's events to the letter to try and find some new lead. Given how long it has taken him to even discover a hint, he does not see himself returning soon.

Rory bows his head once more and keeps praying, "Save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild beasts on the trip, and from all kinds of punishments that rage and come to the world. May—"

"May You confer blessing upon the work of our hands and grant us grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us…"

Upon hearing a voice, Rory turns around, and one of his feet readies to help him stand if needed. Across the way are two people, a man, and a woman, slowly approaching him from the darkness.

"…and bestow upon us abundant kindness and hearken to the voice of our prayer, for You hear the prayers of all. Blessed are You God, who hearkens to prayer."

As they step into the light, Rory can make out their features. The man finishing the prayer has brown hair parted to the side and blue eyes gazing at him. The woman shares the man's blue eyes but has naturally blonde hair. They look familiar to Rory, but he can't put his finger on it.

The man then tells him, "A good prayer. Though, I prefer Psalm 121 myself."

Rory stands up, looking them up and down. They are in similar garbs as he and the locals of Jerusalem are, but their faces make it plain that they are not from here.

Rory finally asks, "Who are you?"

The man answers, "The ones who know why you're here, what you've found in the Temple Mount, and the sites of the Jewish slaves who fled Egypt."

The woman continues for him, "And we want to help you find it, in exchange for your help."

Rory then realized the discrepancy the man-made in the prayer. The original translation is Grant me peace, not Us. But what did they know about his pilgrimage? More importantly…

"How exactly can I help you?"

The man throws out a bag once covered in the shadows. Even when it lands in front of Rory, he hesitates to open it. For all he knows, it could be a trap, a bomb, or money. Either does not sit well with him. The man motions his hand towards the bag, showing no outward signs of impatience. To Rory, this guy could wait all day.

With the benefit of the doubt, Rory opens it and reaches in. Above all the other emotions rushing through him, amazement rushes through his fingertips, feeling the familiar, rugged fabric he once wore, the now depowered Rags of Devarim, or the Ragman suit.

Rory is almost lost for words. The only ones that part his lips are, "How did you—"

The man interrupts, "We know you're looking for the source of power that gave the suit life: God's power. You've walked the same path as Moses and his people for the past year, from Egypt to Israel. You want to find where the suit attained its power and replicate the process. You've found clues, but the whole picture eludes you."

Rory almost finds it concerning how this man knows what he intends to do, almost to a tee. Has he been watched? If so, was ARGUS keeping an eye on him? Somebody else?

The woman elaborates, "We can help you find the place faster than you've been—"

The man elbows her in the arm, probably finding the sentiment rude. "She means to say that you've come a long way, and we're here to help you finish the journey, even if it skips a few steps."

Rory shakes his head. "Okay, you've lost me. What exactly can you contribute?"

The man takes something out of his pocket. "We can help you by fulfilling what you left out of your prayer."

With a touch of a button, a blue wave emanates from the device and spreads around the entire room. Suddenly, silhouettes and figures start appearing all over, their voices speaking in the familiar Hebrew language, chants of praise and adoration Rory has memorized since childhood. He cannot recognize any of the people, but the garbs, the rituals, some that are practiced while others he only recognizes from scriptures written long ago. They all look like 3D holograms, but then he notices the room changing, looking fresh from construction. It then fast-forwards to when it has been renovated. His brain cannot comprehend it all.

The man then finishes, "That we'll return in peace."

Rory looks over at the man and woman, no longer seeing a bunch of foreigners but someone else. Something else. He has seen enough weirdness in his life to pinpoint exactly what they are.

They are people not of this time but of the future.

William walked through the dirty, crowded bazaars, each carrying junk and trash that looked useless to the naked eye. William remembered this area as a large mall packed with stores with high-quality luxury or novelty items. He remembered Oliver taking him here to get a Central City Rocket's shirt and some Chinese from the food court, talking about his mother's parenting style and how it differed from his father's. They also spoke about Felicity, how William knew about them dating, and expressed how fine he was with her being a Stepmother, and even welcomed it.

Mia walked beside him, explaining, "There isn't anything I couldn't find here. Anything not nailed down is brought to one of these stands."

"Do they find these objects on the street? Other people's homes?"

"The owners don't get their hands dirty. They hire scroungers to do the dirty work for them, no questions asked."

"Were you one of them?"

Mia looked up, eyebrow raised. William didn't need a lot of information to guess correctly. "Nyssa taught you to fight. I assumed she also taught you how to avoid them when necessary."

Mia shrugged her shoulders. "I had to do something when I first arrived here. The ring was a gig I settled into later in life."

William let out a little chuckle. "Two perilous professions and you haven't been dissuaded? I guess Roy Harper was right about one thing."

"That is?"

"Stubbornness is hereditary."

On the comm, Zoe's voice rang out, "Focus guys. We don't know how long Ms. Smoak's got."

William responded, "You don't have to remind me. Any sign of a tape recorder?"

"Not yet. Ben?"

"Just looking through the first few. Double-checked too. You'd think they'd keep something that's of some use."

Mia assured him, "Don't get discouraged. There's only so many stalls this thing could be in."

William took note of Mia's tone. It was more affectionate and soft, unlike her hardened and rough persona. His brotherly instinct, one which he never knew he had, started kicking in.

When the comms cut, William couldn't help but ask, "How exactly do you know him?"

Mia explained, "Ben was the first friendly face I saw. He saved me from a few Deathstroke cult members that ambushed me on the road. He showed me the ropes, how to survive this place, and…"

She hesitated. Her little smile beforehand told William all he needed to know. Whatever she and Ben Turner were was not his business unless he was hurting her in any way. Even when he was an only child, he told himself this rule. He probably developed the instinct, anticipating that Oliver and Felicity would one day…

William stopped in his tracks, raising an arm to also stop Mia. His eyes caught the item they were looking for: an old telephone recorder and answering machine.

William grinned. "Bingo!"

William rushed to where the machine lay, the other items nearly shoved aside. He picked it up, rotating it around and probing it with his finger. It was in near-perfect condition, which he wasn't expecting. There was no other tape in there, and it was the exact size as the one they had, meaning they could play it now if they wanted to. But not here. Not in public.

"Find something you want, good sir?"

William looked up at the stall's owner, seeing a man in a worn blazer jacket, the brown dirt clashing with the light-brown fabric. The man's face contained rough stubble, his black hair looking ill-maintained. His looks definitely matched the quality of most of the products, save the answering machine.

Still, William maintained a neutral stare and nodded. "I do. How much?"

The stallkeeper looked down at the device. He purses his lips and nods. "For you…$300."

That took William aback. "$300? For an answering machine?"

The man nodded again, gesturing to William and himself. "It has value to you, so it has value to me. Plus, you're friends with a backstabber!"

His eyes shifted towards Mia, who had done her best to conceal herself by looking at another stall. Even with the accusation, William's tone stayed indifferent. "What did she do to you?"

"She swindled me. I asked her to retrieve a very high-quality air filter; instead, she brought me something slightly dirty. It sold, but I hate not getting my money's worth."

William saw the earpiece on the right side of his face; the clear plastic was not that discreet. His eyes darted, looking for anyone else that may be listening in. Around them are a few hooded figures spread across the stalls, most likely paid bodyguards and pickpockets. They might have informed this man about Mia's arrival already.

William nodded. "Of course. It's only fair that you get your due." He took out the $300 owed and handed it to the shopkeeper. "I hope this settles things."

The man's evident smirk meant the opposite, even when assuring, "Very much. Have a good day."

Machine in hand, he walked back to Mia. Before reaching her, he discreetly slipped the machine into his jacket pocket, making it look like he was trying to see if it could fit. From it, he took out a little disruption device he had been saving for special occasions.

Mia, when he was near enough, tried to tell him, "Look, before you get mad—"

"Later!"

William thrust the device to her, who looked at it, slightly confused. "Why are you—"
"Slip it into your pocket and keep walking."

William rushed out, forcing Mia to follow his instructions. He contacted Zoe and Ben, "Guys when I say run, you run."

Zoe asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

As expected, one of the dark-hooded figures passed William, bumping into Mia as if on accident. Even he could see a hand reaching into her pocket. The problem was the figure did not know what exactly she was taking out.

When the hooded figure unclenched the device, it activated. The inaudible buzz was undoubtedly ringing in her ear-piece, letting out a loud shriek only she could hear. It soon started infiltrating the ears of every hooded figure, even the shopkeepers. Apparently, every owner here had a stake in these bodyguards.

This was when William yelled, "Run!"

Both he and Mia break for it, sprinting for the large exit. No one stopped them, more focused on the screaming men and women before them. Those who took their earpieces off tried to make chase, but the large crowds made it hard to catch up.

As they neared the exit, Zoe and Ben joined them. Zoe expressed with amazement, "THAT was the most CLEVER thing I've seen you do."

He dismissed it with, "Thank me when we get back in one piece!"

"So, you two are Oliver's kids from the future?"

William answers Rory, after a lengthly explanation during their trip, "Yes."

"And now you're time-traveling again to help me power my suit back up?"

Mia, more impatiently, answers, "Yes!"

"But why time travel to do it? Don't I find the way?"

With uncertainty in his voice, William explains, "It's up in the air. The Time Bureau has a hard time determining what your fate is. You don't even come back to Star City. It would help if you told us your pilgrimage in more detail."

"Well, after the suit was depowered and I left it with Team Arrow, I decided to follow the route as predicted using Jewish text."

William nods. "I assumed as much."

Rory leans forward and takes a book out of his pocket. William can already see the Hebrew writing below the English translation, a copy of the Torah that Rory carries around with him, as William does with his Bible. "I followed all the indications of the battles the Israelites fought to get to the Promised Land, but I haven't found anything. No signs of battle, no source of power, anything."

Mia seemed to joke, "You didn't pray to God to help find it?"

William elbows her in the arm, giving her an annoyed stare. She shrugs, trying to say that she's just jesting. Still, Rory seems to not get it.

"I did, every day. At least, at first. The search became exhausting, so my prayers were more…sporadic. But they must have worked. When I reached the Temple Mount, ready to give up, I accidentally tripped over a torch within the old library, and it opened a secret compartment."

Mia scoffs. "Cliché."

"There was nothing in there except for this."

He retrieves an old parchment from his pocket, carefully opening it and revealing the contents. William recognizes the writing to be ancient Hebrew.

Rory continues, "I've read it five times, and there's only one place I know that fits the description."

From the back of the all-terrain vehicle the Legends of Tomorrow lent them, Rory points to the sight William never thought he would see: Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, among other pieces of wisdom. As he has read, its height is over 7,400 feet tall, the much more towering mountains overshadowing it, but not its significance. He can already see the tourists hiking up the mountain slope. Below the slope is the St. Catherine Monastery, where the few Orthodox monks are keeping sacred texts within the walled temple.

Mia looks back at Rory, asking him, "This is where your clue pointed towards?"

Rory takes out a piece of parchment from his pocket, handling it carefully. However, it looks like it has been preserved for thousands of years. "This is what the clue says: From the peaks where our guide received the father's command, the Chosen Champion shall see the shape of his wisdom."

When William hears "The Chosen Champion," he already knows this is not just an excursion. His quest to stop John Deegan a few months back confirmed God's intent to make William a champion who will lead the fight against a major crisis that had not been made entirely known to him. All he knows is that it has been recorded in the biblical text "Revelation," the true meaning of which scholars are still debating.

Rory asks, "Do we know what this means?"

William chooses not to elaborate. "It's a long story, but we must get to the top of the mountain and find what the parchment elaborates on."

Rory then points out, "The mount will be swarmed with tourists and a few Orthodox monks. Won't futuristic technology be easy to see in the open?"

Mia unzips the bag of fake glasses, handing one to Rory. "We've come prepared."

Parking near the entrance, they slip on the glasses, allowing them to see the journey through their eyes only. Rory throws the knapsack with the Rags of Devarim inside over his shoulder and they head off.

Going further ahead, they see many silhouettes, making it hard to manage who is going where. Rory points this out in a whisper, "This is a whole lot of clutter."

"I can filter it." Fiddling with the glasses interface, he pinpoints the days from when Moses traveled up the mountain to when he came down with the Commandments. With that, he can see fewer silhouettes and more people. Many of them are tourists, heading up the mountain slope to where Moses' silhouette is now climbing.

Rory's smile is one of amazement. "This is so cool! You actually made this?"

William nods slightly. "Took about 10 years to find and tap into the timestream and make it work. Got the attention of the Legends of Tomorrow and the Time Bureau, too."

"In a positive way?"

William scoffs. "Hardly."

Walking up the slope, the three find a few stands with snacks, water, and a few novelty items along the way. Though, they choose to pass them for the moment.

As they walk past the overpass above the walled-off, glorious temple, William comments, "I've always wanted to come here. Never had the time."

Rory admits, "My family came here plenty of times for Shavout. This would be the first time in a couple of years."

Mia asks, "Why's that? You didn't think anything would be here?"

Rory shakes his head. "No! No. It's just…its complicated."

William guesses, "Does this remind you about the Havenrock Massacre?"

Rory looks at him with widened eyes. "You know about that?"

"Some employees of mine came from there. A new city was built, and a memorial to those long dead would be made. Your family's name was etched into it…upon Felicity's request."

Rory's stride slows. He takes one long breath. It looks as if he is going to cry.

Mia looks at both of them, slightly confused. "Am I missing something?"

A firm stare is subtly exchanged between William and Rory. They both know that Mia's mother was the one who redirected the missile into Havenrock, and they agree that she should not know, at least not know.

William simply says, "Let's just keep moving."

They continue to follow Moses' projection without even stopping for a break. Though, they did take in the view of the other mountains on the horizon, both big and small.

Mia comments, "To think that God chose this mountain range of all of them to give a couple of stone tablets. Why is that? What's so special about this mountain?"

William admits, "Not many people speculated on this. Why God plans the things he does is not always in our grasp."

"Yeah, well, couldn't it have waited until they got to where Israel was built before passing on the laws? Isn't that how governments are built?"

Rory then chimes in with, "Buildings are buildings. Laws are the foundation for governments and nature. You can't build a nation without first having a common understanding of what you're creating and why."

William smiles in agreement. "Excellent poi—"

He stops, forcing Rory and Mia to stop. The Moses Silhouette turns from his intended destination just as they near the spot where his 40-day and night meditation is supposed to be. Instead, it heads towards a dark crevice that seems to go inside the mountain.

William shakes his head in disbelief. "Hold on."

He rewinds the footage, seeing that Moses has indeed gone to the known spot for his meditation. But it wasn't for 40 days. It was only 40 seconds until he stood up, seemingly from amazement, and went to the crevice.

Even Rory is confused. "I don't understand. The Torah says—"

"So does the Bible."

William fasts forward, trying to make sense of things. But then, it happens. Distortions on a level that should not be possible, garbled noises and sounds.

Mia frantically asks, "What's happening? Is this a glitch?"

William shakes his head. "No. I've seen this before. An employee tried to use the device without my permission to see if Jesus Christ was real. From Mary's life to Jesus' rise to Heaven, all he found was static and garbled noise. He ran the diagnostics, and there was no error. It's the same here."

He fasts forward to the 41st day, seeing Moses walk out of the crevice with the tablets. But that's not all. Around his arm is…

"The Rags!"

Rory exclaims, "Moses first received the rags of Devarim? But why aren't there any mentions of it then?"

Mia smugly says, "I knew it! These Israelites being here wasn't a coincidence."

William wanted to correct her callous behavior. But she is right. There must be a reason the Rags of Devarim were gifted here, why there is interference with the timestream. He switches the glasses off and turns to the others. "This place may contain a clue that tapping into time can't tell us. We need to go deeper."

Rory, this time, argues, "But what about this Chosen? Shouldn't we find him—"

"I AM him." Rory looks at William with a confused stare. "Look, we'll explain when as we go inside. Just follow me."

After shifting his eyes to ensure no one was following, William leads on and into the dark cave. Where it goes, only the Lord knows.

Break

With the extra light from his phone, William has been able to follow the long, winding trail for the last minute. There doesn't seem to be anything here, the walls being the same smooth gradient greeting him every ten seconds.

Explaining things to Rory about Mar Novu, the upcoming crisis, and how he was God's chosen champion helped him keep moving forward.

Rory, however, did not seem pleased with the answers. "I don't understand. I mean, I get being put through a wringer, but…I'm the possessor of the Rags of Devarim. Moses brought it with him after his forty days. Doesn't that make me some kind of chosen one?"

William, not wanting to bog him down with the many intricacies of Judeo-Christian logic, simply says, "We all have our roles from God. You've been given the Rags. I've been given the protection of the multiverse."

"So what? You lost your Mom, and somehow that makes you a chosen champion?"

William is silent. He knows what Rory is implying, that the deaths of Haven Rock somehow mean less, that he suffered more. Yet, Rory does not know how much William has suffered in turn, all the things he has done to be where he is now.

Still, Rory seems to know that he touched a nerve. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"

William puts up an assuring hand. "If you have the Rags of Devarim, it must be for a purpose."

Rory makes no other comment, at least for a little bit. But then, "Is it though? Finding the Rag's power was almost wasted until you came along. You say I don't even come back to Star City. What is God trying to say to me at this point?"

"You shouldn't doubt yourself or God just because of me or—"

"It's not just you, not just this journey. After Team Arrow, I tried to move. I was helping people through a local Jewish ministry. But without the Rags, not being a vigilante, I felt…empty. Memories of Havenrock kept coming back in my sleep. Seeing those I help just makes me think of all the ways they could still suffer as my family did when my home became ashes. I hoped this journey would help me regain my faith, but now it feels like I'm…"

William immediately answers, "Running away from the life that would have been spiritually fulfilling and feeling that there's no going back. Not until you find something."

He looks back, seeing Rory nod. "You ran away once too?"

"…Yes."

"But you went back to Star City, right? You found your faith?"

William doesn't say another word. He doesn't tell Rory that the first time he ran was when finding out that his mother lied to him about the status of his father, Oliver Queen, or that the second time was a long trek from Cambridge to Gotham. Both weren't motivated by spiritual doubt but a sense that it was the best thing for him and everyone else. William would later regret those choices, though the second time did bear better fruits.

Mia's patience, however, had run dry at this point. "We've been going through this forever! How much longer are we supposed to go?"

William simply tells her, "Patience, Mia. We'll find what we're looking for."

"Or maybe we should give up on the suit entirely and find the rest of your potential squadmates."

Rory disagrees strongly, "NOT an option."

Mia sighs. William can tell she is one foot from turning back, but she has promised to do everything he says. Still, she questions Rory, "What's so special about these 'Rags of Devarim' anyways?"

"I guess you're not as religious as your brother?"

"Just with the quotes."

William elaborates, "I try to start small with the family."

Rory nods. "Well, legend has it that when our people, the Israelites, were journeying to the promised land, they were beset by internal and external obstacles. The latter were kingdoms choosing to raid the refugees, so God blessed the rags as self-defense. I don't have concrete proof, but it was said that Joshua wielded the rags while leading our people against the enemy. And here's the kicker. It also states that Moses was powering it, being a medium between God and the suit."

William elaborates, "I know the reading. It said whenever Moses was faltering, the Israelites would begin losing. Hur and Aaron had to keep him supported until the battle ended."

Mia then asks, "If that's the case, what kept it powered afterward?"

Rory is silent for a moment. "That, I don't know. Maybe God decided to just let it stay powered up indefinitely."

"How'd it get—"

William stops them when he spots respite from the corner of his eye. "Guys! There's a light here."

It gets stronger as William rushes toward the light, like moving toward a movie projector. He can't see what lies beyond, but it doesn't matter.

When they finally get through it, William can feel the familiar sensation of going through a breach portal, like phasing through matter. He looks back, seeing Rory and Mia enter through, though they are slightly more disturbed than William.

He takes in the surroundings. It looks like the bunker, but not the same one. He recognizes the dim lighting, the ivy growing on parts of the wall and ceiling, and the old and worn-out computers.

Mia stands beside him, asking amazedly, "Is this what I think it is?"

William nods, deducing, "This is the Bunker, as it was in 2040."

Rory then appears beside them, more confused than them. "This doesn't make sense. Why would—"

"You made it!"

A familiar voice echoes from the platform. Oliver gets up from the chair, wearing his Green Arrow outfit. As expected, his beard and hair are white, and wrinkles are more prominent on his face.

William and Mia are baffled as Oliver approaches them as if he can see him standing. "Dad?"

Oliver continues, asking, "Did you get the recorder?"

Oliver seems to not take note of Rory standing right next to them. William can see Mia ready to blurt something out, but William puts a hand out to her. "Don't do anything rash! Just play along. Do exactly what you did here."

It takes a while, but Mia nods and exclaims to Oliver, "We did. There was some improvising, but Will managed to get us out in one piece."

Oliver smiles. "I thought he would."

He holds out a hand as if expecting something.

Rory asks, "What's happening?"

William guesses, "This appears to be a memory. Maybe a test of some sort. I don't know what I'd—"

It then dawns on him. This is the moment they returned from finding the answering machine to play a message from Felicity, who was being held captive then. William looked through his pockets, and lo and behold, it was in the pocket he remembered stowing it in. He takes a moment to observe it. It's not real, but it feels that way. Maybe it is an illusion fooling him, reusing his muscle memory.

"Hey." William is startled by Mia. "Are you going to give to him or what?"

William looks at his father, finally giving him the machine. "Here you go."

Oliver quickly glanced over it, grinning again when satisfied with the results. "Mint condition. I'm surprised."

"Me too."

The three of them look over to their side, seeing a face William thought he'd never see in a long time. "It's rare to find working junk."

Mia then comments, "Ag…agreed, Ben."

That is what Mia is supposed to say, but the hesitancy in her voice, the subtle guilt. She was supposed to be a bit more upbeat while keeping to her rough and demanding personality.

"Let's play the tape." Another person who comes to their side, just next to Ben, is Zoe, in her black leather outfit, the last thing she wore when William saw her. "I want to see what we risked our necks for."

As Oliver prepares the tape, Rory asks, "Who are those two?"

William says somberly, "Those are Ben Turner Jr. and Zoe Ramirez."

Naturally, the name Ben Turner doesn't ring any bells for Rory since he had never met Bronze Tiger. But Zoe Ramirez, though… "That's Rene's daughter?"

William slightly nods, his voice weak, "Yes."

The tape recorder plays, Felicity's voice booming through it. "Hello, William and Mia. Wow! I…never thought I'd say your names in the same sentence. For 20 years, I've been struggling to keep myself from doing so, and it made me a bit of a paranoid parent." William and Oliver couldn't help but grin a bit at the comment. "Anyways, if you ARE hearing this, then either I am kidnapped or…worse. If so, find your father and give him these coordinates: 47.6119 North, 122.3301 West. Once you do so, leave Star City and don't look back. Your parts in this are done. Take the tape with you and flip it over once you're far from the city. You need to hear one more on this thing for your ears only."

That is where the tape ends. Oliver nods, saying. "I know where the coordinates lead."

Zoe nods as well. "Me too."

Mia is the one who confirms, "The Glades."

Oliver and the others look at her with curious glances.

"I've studied the maps long ago so I didn't get lost. That's where we need to go."

Oliver shakes his head. "We?"

William goes along with the memory, saying his bit, "We can't leave Felicity to her fate. We're going to find her."

Oliver again fervently shakes his head. "No. I'm getting BOTH of you out of here."

William stares him down, remembering how this went with perfect clarity. "Felicity doesn't get to say when we're done. We've come this far!"

"And this is as far as you're going!" Oliver's emotions are getting the better of him. "I'm not putting MY CHILDREN in the line of fire."

"Dad, I respect your instinct to protect, but this is my choice."

Mia chimes in with, "And mine."

Ben Jr. chimes in with them, "And mine."

"And mine." Zoe's enthusiasm gets even William's notice. "The Glades are my territory, and I can get you through the security measures easily enough. I'm coming with you."

"Like hell you are!"

Then there's the final voice that William and probably Mia are dreading. From the elevator comes Rene Ramirez, older, with a complete set of hair. His fast walk and stiffened face are riddled with rage.

Zoe is the first one who reacts, "Dad?"

Rene pays her no attention, walking towards Oliver. "I gave you my help, and THIS is how you repay me? Getting my daughter involved?"

Oliver raises a hand, trying to explain, "This wasn't what I wanted either Rene."

"Don't give me that crap! I've been watching them AND you since your son asked about using ARCHER. YOU let her go out there, on her own—"

Zoe interrupts, "This isn't my first time Dad!" Rene looks at her, stunned. "I've been doing this since YOU turned your back on Star City."

Rene insists, "Star City turned its back on US! I kept us SAFE in the Glades, and you've been putting yourself in danger for this…VIGILANTE."

"She wasn't working for him." From the other side of the platform, the older John Diggle emerges. "She was working for me."

Rene looks at him with wide eyes. "Dig? Why? Of all the people…"

"I tried to dissuade her, Rene…" He waves a hand towards Zoe. "But your daughter's heart belongs to not just the Glades, but Star City too. She didn't want to see it suffer."

After a moment of doing nothing, Rene shakes his head, "No. No! I refuse to believe…"

"Dad." Zoe walks up next to him, unearthing a necklace hidden by her shirt. It is a pendant with a Black Canary design, which makes sense to William since almost all three incarnations wore that same design. She holds the pendant up for her father to see. "Do you see this?"

Rene turns away, his eyes closed as if the solid black bird were shining a blinding light. "Don't show that to me."

"Look at it, Dad!"

Zoe walks to where Rene is staring away. When his gaze is fixed on the pendant, his eyes look longingly as if he is seeing a treasure to be snatched away.

Zoe then says with conviction, "Dinah gave this to me. She gave it to me when I told her I wanted to be out there, saving the people in Star City. She said that ONE day, I would be old enough to do so, to inspire and save others, as SHE did. Do you know what Dinah told me to do before that? Look out for you. Make sure YOU were being supported as you were supporting the Glades through all the CRAP that it was wading through."

Rene's brows furrowed as Zoe spoke, his lips subtly quivering, and his head shook. William knows that expression well. It is of someone remembering not just an old acquaintance or friend but someone closer, much more intimate. William, himself, has made that face in a mirror, reflecting on a girl he thought would be the one he would propose to, only to figure out she was part of a crime gang called "The Royal Flush."

Zoe then pulls the pendant back, continuing, "Well, I'm old enough, and I can't be your support anymore. You must do what you should have done long ago: STEP UP."

"She's right."

Another figure shows up from behind the platform, this one being Roy Harper. For so long, he has been in the shadows, just observing. To this day, William did not know what made him want to appear like that. Maybe Zoe's words reminded him of what Aunt Thea had told him. Perhaps he had some time to reflect upon himself. Since the future is changing, William may never know.

Rene looks on in surprise. "Harper? How are you—"

Roy puts up a hand. "Long story, but you have to listen to your daughter. You can't stay in your luxury office forever and hope things go your way, like…like me exiling myself to Lian Yu. You know there's a threat to Star City, and I'm pretty sure, deep down, you WANT to stop it. So, help us."

Rene looks down at the floor. William could partially tell that he was considering whether or not helping them was the best course of action. But the trauma his eyes were projecting, the pain his clenched fists were grasping. Even William couldn't tell what memories were flooding through Rene's head.

Finally, Rene looks up at Oliver and says, "I know a path into the Glades on the south side of the Wall. An emergency exit. Only my pass card can get you in." He takes the card from his pocket, which sports a picture of his face and a bar code beside it. "That's as much as I can do for you. Even as Mayor, there are eyes inside."

William remembers that he is the one who takes the card and walks up to him. As he is about to take it, Mia grabs his arm.

"Don't!"

William breaks away quickly and argues, "I have to continue the…"

"You know what happens next!"

Mia is on the verge of tears, trying as she might to hold them in. The only time William had ever seen her cry like this was when she confessed to her parents that she told Chimera where Felicity and William were hiding in 2018. She is right, though. William knows what he must say next to proceed. He, too, is very much dreading the moment.

"PLEASE."

Despite Mia's begging, William knows that this has to move forward. As he grabs the card, he asks Rene, "How were you able to get out of the Glades without being seen?"

Rene gives his expected, cryptic response, "I know my way around the city. I lived there my whole life."

"But you said yourself that the Glades have eyes on you. So how could you have—"

His question gets cut off with the explosion from the vine-covered ceiling. The explosion forces some of the group to step away. From the new hole, a few men propel downwards. They do not resemble the police force William and Roy encountered when first entering Star City. These guys are in full body armor, their faces covered in Kevlar masks and wielding high-end assault rifles with red dots shining from the barrels of their guns.

Oliver is the one who reacts first, yelling, "Take cover!" as he shoots an arrow onto the floor, which explodes into white, congestive phosphorous. Though the smoke does not stun the soldiers, they are now shooting blindly into the smoke while the others either run onto or behind the platform. Oliver goes around the elite soldiers and gets behind them, their shots deafening the sounds of his footsteps. John, who has taken cover behind one of the platform computers, jumps and takes one down. Oliver comes in and sneak attacks the other from behind. They then take the other two down with swift and brutal takedowns, almost as if their armor meant nothing.

From behind the platform, Zoe peers out from cover and looks at the fallen squad. "Wow. That was almost too eas—"

Suddenly, the eyes of the four helmets light up, two of them kicking Oliver and John and forcing them onto their knees. The other two get back up with a flip, drawing katanas from their backs. The other two do the same, ready to stab Oliver and John. However, Roy enters the fray, shooting arrows from the platform as he charges in. Two of them at least hit the soldiers in the shoulders, getting their attention and allowing John and Oliver to block the incoming attacks of the other two.

William shakes his head, "They just got back up as if that were nothing. Are they metas?"

Ben explains, "No. They're an elite squadron, trained and experimented on to remove threats like the Green Arrow."

Mia gets up, saying, "We need to help—"

However, Rene gets in the way, "No! Felicity needs help. You four are the only ones who can save her right now."

William and Mia didn't react, for they knew what would happen. Zoe, however, questioned her father, "What do you mean the four of us?"

Rene pulls a gun from his pocket. "I have to help them."

Zoe, showing fear for the first time since William saw her, begged, "No. You can come with us."

"We can buy you time; keep them off your backs."

"Dad, you CAN'T—"

"And you said I need to step up!" Rene takes one of Zoe's hands, his grip as tight as a father assuring his child would. "There was a time when I had to be there for you, to be your father. Let me be that again."

As they are having their moment, Mia runs past and tries to get to the action. Noticing this, William yells to Rory, who has been observing this whole time, "Stop her!"

Rory asks, "Which one?"

William looks back to where Mia took off from, seeing her there too. "What the?"

Mia charges in, yelling, "Get away from my—" As Mia punches one of the elite soldiers, however, it goes through him.

William looks back to their past selves, escaping with Zoe and Ben to a secret exit Rene mentioned, which would be repurposed into the speedster entrance when rebuilding the Bunker. Now, Rene is aiming and shooting at the elite soldiers, pulling one of them towards him.

William runs to Mia as they fight. He tries to get her up, but she refuses. She is crying, crying the hardest she's ever had.

"What is this?" Mia looks him dead in the eye and asks again, "What the HELL is THIS? Why is this still playing? This is as much as we remember!"

William looks back, seeing the older Team Arrow fighting together, supporting each other, and taking on each other's opponents, like gladiators fighting one last glorious battle, knowing they die with honor.

William deduces, "Because we're not here to remember but to witness. God wants us to see this."

Rory walks next to them, seeing it all happen with an upsetting gaze. "I should be here. I should be protecting them. Why wasn't I?"

William gets up, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "That's going to change, in this timeline, at least."

With one last thud, Team Arrow is surprisingly victorious. They breathe heavily, covering whatever wounds were made by the katanas. They're smiling and laughing, probably reminiscing about older times. For a little bit, Rory seemed to have smiled.

However, something else comes down from the hole, something familiar to William. It is a mech suit he and the others took down at City Hall less than a month ago.

William starts, "It's him."

Mia dreadfully finishes, "Chimera."

John shoots at him, but Chimera, aka Noah York, blocks the incoming shots with his arm. He walks up to John and delivers a brutal punch that sends the old vigilante flying across the room. Roy attempts to swing his bow, but Chimera takes it and disarms him quickly. From his wrists, the rocket launchers come out. Instead, though, they fire riot suppression pellets that send them flying away from either side of him.

Oliver, however, did not join the fight. Instead, he was tapping something on his glove. William ran up to him quickly, seeing that he was sending a signal, one that was tracking where William, specifically the bow he was wielding since Lian Yu, was going. He then realized that was when Oliver called upon HER, how she found them. But immediately after, he is felled by the large pelt that rushes through William's head.

With the others incapacitated, up next is Roy. However, Chimera does nothing but aim his gauntlets at him.

More elite soldiers jump down, rounding up the four weakened teammates. Then comes one more. Yet another face William recognizes, but not one he looks at with contempt or bitterness. Instead, it is out of pity.

Mia is nearly in shock when seeing his demonic mask. "That's…that's a Ninth Circle mask! That means…"

Rory looks at the man walking up to Rene, asking, "You mean those guys who took over ARGUS? This guy is one of them?"

William shakes his head. "No. He's the head of it, co-leading with Chimera."

Mia gives William an incredulous look. "How do you—"

"You disappoint me, Rene." The voice modulator is almost like Deacon Blackfire's, mechanical yet also intimidating to the ear. "We had a deal. You were supposed to let us take the prisoners, and we would let your daughter go free."

As John is being led back to the group, he yells at Rene, "You brought them here? What were you thinking?"

The man in the demon mask continues, "What any man would consider. The safety of their child. Normally, I would consider the deal null and void, BUT…since you've been so useful to us in assembling the glades, I'll give you one last chance. WHO are they? WHERE are they going?"

Rene hesitates to answer. He does not look back at his old team, only at the masked man. It now makes sense that Rene would spy for the people running the Glades, where his obedience lies. Partially, it is why William keeps the possibility of Rene becoming Mayor a secret.

Yet, Rene defies expectations. "The north gate. I'm sending them to the north gate on a food truck. I have no idea who the others are. They're friends of Zoe's. Now, assure my daughter's safety."

Even Mia is baffled by this. "He lied. He protected us."

William adds, "Or gave us time to infiltrate the Glades, at the very least."

The demon-masked man nods. "Very well." He takes a few steps back. "I'll spare your daughter's life…in exchange for YOURS!"

From his side, he unsheathes a katana and, in one slice, is about to take Rene's head, whose eyes are closing so he doesn't have to face the inevitable. Oliver, Roy, and John scream, trying to jump at the man and stop the execution.

Even Rory screams, "NO!"

THIS is where the scene finally ends, though, before the gruesome conclusion.

Mia has her hands close to her mouth, the scene even too shocking for her. Rory is struggling to breathe, to keep himself calm. William, however, knew this would happen. He would encounter Rene's remains later on. All he can do was watch in sorrow.

Still, William looks around. Even though the scene has ended, it does not dissipate.

Mia asks, "Why aren't we out of this? Are we supposed to have learned something? I haven't learned anything useful from any of this!"

Rory shakes his head. "This feels like torture. Why are we witnessing this?"

William then finds the only other object in the room. The answering machine. They dropped it during the attack, never hearing their mother's final message. Surprisingly, he can pick it up.

William calls to the others, "Guys! The recorder. We can still play it."

Rory runs up to him. "Really?"

Mia sounds ready to be done when she states, "Maybe there's a clue hidden in this thing that can get us out of this."

William opens the slot and flips the cassette to the back that says, "Something long overdue." He then plays it, Felicity's voice playing through.

"Okay, so I am assuming that you're out of the city or, what I hope you wouldn't do, you decided to completely disregard everything I say and are playing this anyways. While I hope you guys did the former, I know what I'm about to say is LONG overdue. So, this is for both of you, but primarily for Mia."

Mia has her arms crossed, her foot tapping on the floor, her eyes looking back at the defeat of Team Arrow. She might be listening, but she does not want to dawdle.

"I'm sorry."

Felicity's words halt her foot. Her gaze centers on the answering machine, her eyes wide in surprise.

"I'm sorry that I kept your father's whereabouts, me helping him, and…your half-brother a secret from you. And I'm sorry to you, William, that I never contacted you when I saw you were back from…wherever you were."

William can't help but sigh a little at Felicity's remark on his absence.

"Your father and I thought that if we kept you both in the dark or at a distance, you would be happier. We thought we could micromanage you two and that, one day, things would finally settle down enough so we could reunite under better circumstances. But the truth is that we couldn't do that for long, not with you two growing up. When you're grown up, you want to do your own thing, be your own person, and make your own choices, and, the hardest lesson for a parent…is accepting that reality, giving your adult son and daughter the ability to choose their fate. I learned that the hard way when you left home, Mia."

Mia's arms uncrossed, her hands moving to cover her mouth. She might be holding back a word that will make her cry more than she already has.

"I pushed you away that day. I should have told you everything sooner. It was the most REGRETABLE thing I've done, and it was my fault. I am SO sorry, Mia."

William can hear Mia gag a bit behind her shut mouth. He puts a hand on her shoulder, telling her that he knows how she feels, to let it out.

Felicity's recording continues, "I'm telling you this now because…there's a chance we're not coming out of this one. I'm not making this recording asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for one last favor. Whatever path you two set out on, take care of each other. Goodbye."

The last word before the recording cuts out sounds like Felicity breaking down crying. Mia removes her hand from her mouth, wiping the tears on her cheeks.

Looking at the two of them, Rory asks, "Did she ever tell you this? Future Felicity?"

William shakes his head. "There wasn't time. We had to stop the people trying to bomb Star City and traveling through time."

Rory then asks, "Is there supposed to be a clue in this?"

"No." Mia takes the answering machine from William's hands. "It's a reminder…meant for me." Mia looks up, William figuring she knows to whom she's addressing. "I know why you're showing this to me. So let me make my promise. When I get back, I'll do what I have to. I'll…I'll forgive my mom."

In just mere moments of Mia's promise, the answering machine vanishes. Along with it, the entire room slowly disappears, peeling away to reveal the truth, hidden for more than 2,000 years.

They have passed the test.

As the Monitor predicted.

He cannot help but grin, seeing such progress unfold, unlike himself when he wandered the multiverse searching for knowledge. Still, this was only the test for Mia Queen. Now, it was time for Rory Raymond and William to face theirs.

Novu closes his hand, the image of the trio disappearing. His eyes look down at the unconscious woman, Beatrice, defeated by the combined might of brother, sister, and the Paragon, Sara Lance. He kneels down to her and places a hand on her head. As his hand glows, he whispers, "Awaken, warrior."

Immediately, Beatrice gets up in a frivolous rage, looking side to side for any signs of her opponents.

When her eyes find Novu, he raises a hand. "Calm yourself. I am not here to hurt but to help."

Even with his assurance, Beatrice gets up and takes out one of her various daggers, bringing it up to his neck. "There were three interlopers here! Where did they go?"

Not reacting to the blade, he calmly tells her, "Long gone, I'm afraid. But I am here to lead you to them. It is as the Lord commands."

Beatrice's blade lowers slightly when she hears the name of Novu's commander. Her brows furrow, understandably cautious. "Why would God allow ME to find them?"

"I cannot divulge that, but I am here to present you with the choice. The alternative is to leave and try your best to persuade Dante of William's deception. But you know that will be in vain, don't you?"

Novu can see the struggle within her eyes, the slight twitches of her lips. He knew what she would choose.

The room around them changes into something very, very alien. The walls are covered with radiant energy flows within the crevices, illuminating the smooth infrastructure. Carvings with text by their sides line the walls. On the floor is a large, black circle with a small valley where the circle seems to diverge. Smaller circles divide from the larger circle and other circles from those, and so on. The further the circles go, the more microscopic in size.

Rory, who looks at it with suspicion as Mia is, states, "This is…weird."

William, however, identifies it right away. "It's Mandelbrot."

Both Rory and Mia look at William, confused. "What?"

William repeats, "Mandelbrot. In the late 1900s, some mathematicians discovered an equation which creates this shape."

Mia looks down at the shape and then back to William. "For what? What's the purpose?"

"Guys!" Rory points upwards, where the Rags of Devarim are floating in the air, just out of reach. "It didn't fly out of the bag. It just…teleported."

Mia asks, "Should we try to get it down?"

William shakes his head. "Let's not risk it. For all we know, it may be a test…or a trap." His focus turns to the various carvings. William can tell that one of them depicts Moses carrying the Commandments and the Rags of Devarim out from the cave and, before that, his meditation upon the Mandelbrot symbol. He doesn't recognize the others, possibly from long ago. Yet, they look so well preserved.

It takes him a little while to recognize the language, but he knows what it is. He calls to Rory, "It's Ancient Hebrew! Can you translate?"

Rory runs over, looking at the text. "It says, 'To the Chosen Champion who has come after me and those who have followed my path towards the Lord, here you shall find the revelation of his design and intelligence. If you seek to revive his gift to our people, you must ask for…the truth? Is that correct?"

William puts a hand to his chin. "Moses wrote this. It's instructions on how to get the power of the Rags back."

Rory shakes his head. "It's too cryptic. We're not seeing anything about God's design or—"

"Yes, we are." William points to the Mandelbrot. "That's what this is supposed to be."

He and Rory walk back into it, Mia just looking down at the design. Her face gives a somber look, probably thinking about the vision they just went through.

Moses says that we must ask for the truth to receive the gift. Is it just as simple as... William closes his eyes, praying to God, "Lord on high, show us how vast your mind is so that we may understand you more deeply."

Afterward, the outer lines of the Mandelbrot begin to glow. The radiant energy from the walls seeps into the floors around the symbol, emitting a light that should be burning their eyes, but is somehow pleasant to look at. It begins to zoom into the sides, revealing more of the shapes, the bright light shifting into a red color with yellowish hues. Within that are spirals which form tiny little universes that surround another Mandelbrot. It continues towards the new Mandelbrot and its lines, revealing a set of spirals that blend that yellowish-red hue with a bit of purple. Beyond that is a bluish hue containing even more mini-universes. It keeps going on.

Both Mia and Rory look on in pure astonishment.

Mia professes, "It's…BEAUTIFUL."

Rory thought otherwise. "This is unbelievable!"

William simply explains, "It's Mandelbrot." As it goes on, he points to certain formations. "And look at those. Those spirals and how some of the Mandelbrots are different shapes."

Mia gets next to him, looking at several Mandelbrot circles now grouped together. Some in twos, others in groups of three. Some form lines that form three lines, others four, then five.

From her expression, William can tell she is coming to the conclusion some scholars made upon observation. "That looks almost like a snowflake."

William points an ecstatic finger at her. "Exactly. The Mandelbrot equation, among other things, tells us how some objects in nature are divided into fractals, like a snowflake or even a lightning bolt in the sky."

Rory looks at it, almost overwhelmed, his eyes darting through everything but unable to retain any of it. "I…I don't get it. Where does it end?"

William grins. "It doesn't." The other two give the same astonished looks as before. William continues, "You can keep this going on forever, shape after shape after shape. It never ends! It goes on for INFINITY."

Rory slowly steps back as if finding the whole experience dizzying. Admittedly, for William, that's how it first was when he first discovered the mathematical equation, stumbling upon it when scrolling through YouTube to see if there was any compelling evidence of God's existence. At first, he thought it was all one big optical illusion. It certainly seemed that way to his young brain. Yet, the more he delved into the subject, the more he was convinced that the mathematicians had stumbled upon the theorem of how the multiverse could even exist. Yet, he still does not fully understand how the Mandelbrot could account for this. Still, that did not stop his curious mind.

"Look!" Mia is pointing up towards the floating Rags. They are changing and morphing, both in texture and color. It is a white denim jacket at first, but now a leather coat, then a darker version of its original design with white slits in the hood. The changes are constantly happening as they move from Mandelbrot to Mandelbrot, from one color hue to another.

Rory is then asking, "But…how is this…" He's too stunned to finish.

Just then, something occurs to William. He takes out his Bible and opens it, flipping the pages to Moses, praying for forty days. The Israelites still make it to the promised land, blasphemers create the Golden Calf at one point, God sends snakes as a form of punishment, only to send the bronze serpent as a way for the penalized to repent, etc. However, several passages allude to the blasphemers never truly dying, some even becoming full-blown cults. Other passages follow suit, such as Solomon being conceived by David with a lawfully wedded wife instead of infidelity. The Book of Job sees someone other than Job tested by God, the name changing constantly. The descriptions of settings and cultures vary, either futuristic or primitive, steampunk or cyberpunk.

For the Old Testament, the possibilities are almost endless. Some of the terms William finds familiar. Some of this tech has been developed by 2040. Yet, others are alien to William, even the substituted names for places and descriptors.

However, when reaching the New Testament, almost nothing changes. The Virgin Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit, escorted by her husband Joseph to Bethlehem, and gives birth to Christ, who eventually gives his sermons before sacrificing himself on the Cross and rising from the dead. A few terms and the descriptions of settings are switched up, But Christ's divinity remains intact, his chosen apostles fixed, even Paul's redemption and everything up until the Bible's end.

William beams and laughs almost hysterically. "I knew it! I KNEW my theory was correct."

Rory shakes his head in confusion. "What—what theory?"

William explains, "When I I discovered the Mandelbrot equation at a young age, I always assumed that it explained how God would have created the multiverse. Now I have proof!" He shows Rory the Old Testament instances, and Mia joins them to see what William is on to. "See this? Some names, settings, and even small events change. This goes for others in the Bible's timeline. But look at the New Testament!" He points to the New Testament and its fixed events. "Multiple universes, but the same God throughout! The SAME MESSIAH."

Mia takes a step back, her fingertips touching her temple. "I don't get it. How does this explain anything going on right now?"

William points at the Rags, taking the Bible back from Rory. "This, right here, is us going through multiple universes, seeing multiple Rags of Devarim."

"So, like a gateway? Before stuff like the Speed Force or magic?"

"Exactly! Some universes like ours are where the Rags lose their power, but others remain intact. If we just find the instance where the Rags never—"

Suddenly, William hears a book collapse to the ground. He looks at Rory, whose hands are bent downwards. At his feet is his copy of the Torah, opened to the events of the Devarim. The words in both English and Hebrew are changing, as the Old Testament did in the Bible.

William then looks at Rory, whose eyes stare off into the cavern walls, his mouth trembling, a face riddled with shock and doubt.

William asks, "Rory?"

His eyes remain fixed on the cave walls. "Our people's history…It keeps changing. Yours doesn't."

It then occurred to William that he and Rory are of similar yet different faiths. To see the events of the Israelites changing and morphing while Christ and the Apostles remain mostly intact must be too much for Rory to comprehend. Then again, it must have been too much for Christ's followers to see their rabbi perform the miracles at first or when Thomas doubted Christ's resurrection until seeing him.

William picks up the Torah for him, trying to hand it back. "Rory –"

"Our people's lives were MALIABLE!" Rory swats the book away. Mia takes a cautious step forward, but William signals her to stay back. "If we were God's chosen people, then why the HELL are we still fumbling in the dark waiting for a savior WE KILLED?"

William appeals to him, "Rory."

"Why am I in a universe where MY FAMILY is DEAD?"

"Rory!"

"WHAT?"

William is about to assure Rory that his faith is not invalidated, that his people's faith and his family's death were not in vain. Rory's God is William's God, the Jews, their descendants, and God's chosen people. No matter how the Torah or Old Testament changed, God's overall plan was the same.

Yet, as he opens his mouth, his eye catches a glint in the darkness. Something metal. Something sharp.

As it flies through the air, William grabs Rory and yells, "DOWN!"

The three of them duck and see the object: an arrow. No! A very nimble dagger. Wait! A…plasma bolt?

What in the?

The object changes constantly, even when making contact with the wall. Sword, spear, polearm, even acid. This confounds even William.

"There you are!"

A familiar voice echoes from the cavern's entrance. Out from the shadows comes Beatrice, who is supposed to be unconscious on Star City's airstrip, now approaching them with gritting…fangs? And scaley wings spreading out?

Even William is confounded by what he's seeing. "Is that…Beatrice?"

Mia asks, "But…HOW? WHAT…"

Beatrice seems unphased by their confusion, yelling, "You thought you could escape me? The Ninth Circle's wrath Incarnate?"

Suddenly, Beatrice's appearance appears. She is now covered in an advanced metal mesh from head to toe, no signs of flesh present. Her hands are replaced with razor blades, and an automated mouthpiece replaces her fleshy one.

"You brats will not elude me this time, for your chances of escaping alive are SLIM to NONE!"

She is now human again, but not as a woman. Instead, Beatrice is a muscular man with knight's armor. His face is covered in a black camouflage.

"I don't care how highly Deacon Blackfire holds you!"

Deacon Blackfire? But Beatrice is…

He then observes the way Beatrice is changing more closely. It is similar to how the Rags of Devarim phase through different outfits in between realities.

William exclaims, "We're seeing different versions of Beatrice!"

Mia asks, "And she's not noticing?"

"We're inside the Mandelbrot. We must be immune to the change—"

Beatrice's form then shifts to something like an action star, with a black leather jacket, pants, and dual akimbo pistols. She even says, "Now, it's time for you all to get SMOKED!"

As she prepares to fire, William takes his emblem from his pocket and places it on his chest. The nanites surround his body quickly enough to where he can cover his sister and Rory as Beatrice rains bullets all over them. Though, it won't deter her for long.

As Red Arrow, his eyes glance to Rory. "This is your show. Find the Rags of Devarim that work. I'll hold her off."

Rory shakes his head. "No! you can't. I don't know how this thing works."

"Just pray, just as Moses describes on the wall."

He can feel the vibrations of bullets dying down. Looking up, he sees Beatrice changing into a half-human, half-dragon hybrid, her throat lighting up as she sucks in air.

Red Arrow then runs off, telling Rory, "Have faith!"

He can hear both Rory and Mia yelling at Red Arrow to wait, but he doesn't. There's no time.

Gotta stop that fireball. Punch the throat. Dragon humanoids like her should be able to take it.

He charges in and punches the dragon by the larynx, ceasing its inevitable fireball or breath. As she chokes, smoke emanates from its mouth. With Beatrice weakened, he goes for a hook to the face.

However, Beatrice shifts again, becoming a White Martian, those who decimated J'onn J'onnz's people. She molds into a giant snake and attempts to wrap around Red Arrow.

Fire!

With only seconds to react, Red Arrow takes out a flair and uncaps it. It erupts with large flames and smoke, causing the Martian assassin to screech in pain and retreat. Red Arrow advances, bringing the flare with him and pushing Beatrice towards the cave entrance, away from the…

A metal hand rises from the smoke and grabs Red Arrow's flare hand. Beatrice turns into a cyborg male, flexing his hand in a painful direction, forcing him to drop the flare. The cyborg's eye then lights up.

Push away!

Red Arrow's free hand pushes the mechanical face away. As he expected, the red eye shoots out a red beam of energy, cutting through the smooth stone ceiling above. Chunks of rock fall, landing upon Beatrice and barely missing Red Arrow. When the mechanical hand lets Red Arrowgo, he jumps away and falls to the floor. As much as he hopes it has stopped Beatrice, he knows better.

He rushes back to the cave and hides just beside the entrance. His breathing is erratic, his heart loudly beating. Beatrice is changing faster than I can think. I can't discern a pattern with someone changing that suddenly every few seconds. How am I supposed to beat…

He looks across the way, seeing Rory pace back and forth, arguing with Mia.

I can't. I need to hold Beatrice off until Rory gets the suit. All I can do is adapt and keep up. Don't stress too much on strategy.

Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoes above him, bits of rock flying past. Red Arrow quickly moves away and stands up, seeing Beatrice now as a female version of Bane, tubes of venom attached to her back, her veins green. She punches the ground, removes a chunk of rock, and throws it at Red Arrow. He dodges it quickly, keeping her attention on him and not on Rory and Mia.

Pray? PRAY? How can I pray when I just discovered that my people's history can be completely different but not any Christian doctrine? What worth am I? How can I just move into an entirely—

"Rory!"

Rory stops pacing, yelling at Mia, "What?"

"Will you just do the thing already? William's barely holding his own out there."

Rory looks back, seeing William in his superhero costume, fighting off the woman, now a white specter humanoid.

Rory shakes his head. "Okay. I can do this. Just…" He looks up at the Rags of Devarim. "G—God of our ancestors. God of Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob. Give—give to me the Rags of Devarim. Let—let me be…"

Rory can't finish. His mind is racing with doubtful thoughts of his people's sufferings in this universe.

Is there a universe where my ancestors never make it to the promised land? Did Jacob sacrifice Isacc to God on his altar on several Earths? Did Abraham forsake God and lead his family to ruin? Did King David not become the king of Israel or defeat Goliath? Is Israel even the promised land? Is Jerusalem just a city?

Mia yells again, "Rory, now!"

Rory grasps his head.

Is there a universe where my ancestors were evil?

All he knows is that the Messiah they needed, the one the Christians praise, was the one they killed.

Rory looks towards William again, facing a woman with some compound flowing into her back and arms.

His expression grows weary.

Is there…is there a universe where my family is alive? Is there a universe where they never get killed, where the Rags never become my responsibility? Are they a responsibility…or a punishment? Did I do wrong? Did my family do wrong? Is that why Havenrock is…

"I can't."

Mia, her fists now clenching, tries to say, "Rory—"

"I can't! I can't, okay? I'm NOT worthy." Rory points to William, who is still battling the strength-enhanced woman. "HE should be the one receiving this, not ME."

Mia walks up to him, close enough to his face to feel the roaring of her breath, even when she holds back. "My brother entrusted you with this. HE trusted YOU to do this."

Looking on the floor, Rory spots his Torah. He walks and picks it up, flipping to the passage where the "Book of Job" lies, the words ever-changing. He did not look thoroughly, but he didn't care.

He brings the book to Mia. "THIS is proof that my people are NOT the chosen people. Names, circumstances, even events keep changing. Look at Job, whoever's name is on this passage! Most likely, there's an ending where they spit on God's name and get sent to Hell."

"No, there isn't."

Rory is about to argue…

Wait.

"What?"

"The name is changing, but the ending isn't."

The ending…is the same?

"You mean…someone is saved regardless?"

"Yeah! Can we get on with it now?"

Rory looks back at the Torah. This time, he looks thoroughly. Mia's right. No matter who it is, their faith never wavered.

But that means…

He flips through the pages, finding Moses leading the people. They still find the promised land, whether it be a nation, a planet, or an entire galaxy. In all instances, it is called Israel, with Jerusalem as its capital. David is still king, lording over the nation, planet, or galaxy. Abraham spared Isaac from being sacrificed. Solomon still trapped demons and forced them to build a temple to God.

Most importantly, the Rags of Devarim are prevalent in more than one instance. Those wearing it drive out the various iterations of the Golden Calf worshipers, the misguided Bronze Snake cultists, all those who oppressed God's people. Sometimes, they are known as the first vigilante. Their legends inspires other heroes, other Chosen Champions, until the end.

Rory repeats William's assessment, "Multiple universes…the same God." He adds, "The same plan…the same chosen people."

All doubt is slowly replaced by relief. Rory's grip on the Torah tightens, knowing his people are always chosen to sire the savior in every universe. He looks up to the rags, now knowing that regardless of his family's destinies in the multiverse, whoever the Rags ended up with, this is the universe where the responsibility is his.

Rory knows what to say now. He walks just below them.

"God, Jehovah, Yesua, whatever you call yourself. Look into my mind, into my heart. Know that you have shown me the truth. YOUR truth. I'm not running from it, and I'm done doubting you…and myself. Please give me the strength…to surrender myself to you. Rags or no Rags…just let me save my friends."

The Rags then shift back to the original form they started in. For whatever reason, they stay that way. For a moment, nothing happens. There is only the sound of William now battling a version of the woman dressed in what looks like a white turban straight from Greek culture, coming at him with a sword and shield.

Suddenly, the Rags shoot out towards Rory, the sleeves wrapping around his arms. Mia is about to grab them, but Rory stops her with, "Don't!"

Rory closes his eyes, not attempting any resistance. This has to happen. He surrenders completely, the cloth covering his limbs, torso, and face. He can feel a surge of energy emanating from the Rags, but it is not of the Rags. It's power comes from something else. No…SOMEONE else.

Rory then hears a whisper in his ear. Go, and let my will be done.

Red Arrow finds the Bane version of Beatrice somewhat easy to manage. Like the original Bane, her attacks are strong but slow. Red Arrow sidesteps away when Beatrice attempts a front kick and finds an opportunity to phantom punch her in the face. Though, it is blocked by…a shield?

The shield retracts to show Beatrice in dark armor and battledress, one Red Arrow recognizes as the armor of the Amazons of Themyscira. He had assistance from them a few times, one of whom was a "friend" of Bruce's back in his earlier years before retreating to Earth 38. As expected, Beatrice carries a sword by her side, which she tries to stab Red Arrow with. Thankfully, his tri-weave armor can withstand the refined Greek steel, his gauntlets trapping the sword. She then tries to bash him with the shield, but he quickly catches that as well.

Red Arrow kicks her away and stays in a defensive position. At this point, trying to outthink or attack Beatrice is inefficient. She changes faster than he can plan. All he can do is wait and react. She charges in, sword first. Red Arrow preps himself, but reality alteration gets the better of him as a claw grabs him by the torso and pins him down. Beatrice is now large and scaley but not akin to a dragon. Her complexion, her large tail, her sharp teeth. She is a variation of Killer Croc, aka Waylin Jones. She roars at him, her breath reeking of a thousand digested corpses.

For this one, Red Arrow has no escape. The hand and claws trap his arms almost entirely, with little room to wiggle out in time. This is as much time as he could give Rory. He closes his eyes, praying, "Please, Lord, let them live at least," under his breath.

Then, for some reason, the pressure on his body ceases. He opens his eyes and sees cloth extending from the Mandelbrot towards the wall, wrapping the Beatrice Croc from head to toe.

From the center of the Mandelbrot, Red Arrow can see Rory covered in the original Rags of Devarim, producing more cloth than it possibly should. As much as Beatrice tries to struggle, the Rags' supernatural strength seems to have increased. Its durability is now ten times what it was.

As Red Arrow stands up, he gives Rory a grin. "You had faith, after all."

"More like I found it." Rory's voice is altered, sounding like five different ones softly joining him in unison.

As Rory whispers something, the Mandelbrot's glow diminishes. The floor around them turns back to its smooth granite texture, the map of other Mandelbrots and everything between them gone.

From the uncovered section of Beatrice, Red Arrow can see the lizard's nostrils turn into a natural nose. He tells Rory, "Uncover her. She might suffocate."

Rory nods, the rags retracting almost at the speed of light. A human, female Beatrice falls to the floor, breathing heavily as if it is the first time she has tasted the air.

Rory keeps a couple of rags floating, ready for when Beatrice attempts to attack again.

"Do not bother."

A familiar voice echoes from the cave entrance next to them. The three of them turn and see who Red Arrow assumed was the one behind this.

Mar Novu, aka the Monitor, looks at Beatrice with a smirk. "She lost our wager."

Mia groans with displeasure. "Of course, you're involved."

Rory looks at her, asking, "Do we know this guy?"

Red Arrow clarifies, "The Monitor. He's been testing me who knows how many times at this point."

The Monitor shakes his head. "Not just you." He raises his gloved hand to the others. "These two as well."

For once, Red Arrow is stunned, as are Rory and Mia.

Rory asks, "This whole thing was a trial?"

The Monitor nods. "For you, it was a test of faith, something you lost after Felicity Smoak's revelation."

It takes a moment, but Red Arrow is the one to realize, "I see now! The Rags' power came from God, who allows the host to use it so long as their faith is strong. Something conflicted with that."

Rory nods, surmising with a bowed head, "The time the Rags lost their power, I used them to stop a weapon of mass destruction. I thought I was going to die, be with my family. When I survived…I was beginning to wonder why. I didn't stay with the synagogue, abandoned my post there because—"

For once, it is Mia who understands Rory. "You ran because you started doubting everything. You needed to know whether your sacrifice, your…family's sacrifice, meant something."

Rory nods. "But I'm done doubting."

William smirks, gladdened by Mia's mature response.

The Monitor nods. "As you should be. What happens next depends on your connection to the suit."

To Red Arrow's right, a fist slams on the floor. Beatrice is doing this repeatedly, almost asking for it to bleed. "I. WAS. SO. CLOSE!" Every time she utters a word, her fist slams harder.

Red Arrow then remembers what the Monitor said when he first appeared. "What wager?"

The Monitor walks up to her, placing a hand on her head. "Beatrice, still a lost little girl spreading vengeful wrath on her enemies, letting herself become a puppet for those you secretly loathe. It's almost a pity I have to do this."

Red Arrow repeats with more fervor, "WHAT DEAL?"

The monitor finally explains, "She wanted to kill you William, and I let her try. Should she lose, she would be removed from the rest of the events to come."

Red Arrow's eyes widened to a length he never felt before. "What does that mean?"

The Monitor says nothing. The figure of Beatrice starts glowing, her eyes shedding the first set of tears as she looks at everyone else with contempt.

Red Arrow pleads, "Novu, DON'T—"

It is too late. The bright light flashes, and Beatrice is gone, with nothing remaining of her but the bow and quiver.

Red Arrow looks at the Monitor with an angry stare. "What did you do?"

The Monitor just grins. "Still concerned about your enemies, even when they care little for you. A faithful chosen one as the prophets and kings before."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

The Monitor raises a hand. "She is NOT dead, that I can assure you. The reformation she will go through will be less painful than Athena's."

Hearing the word reformation brings little comfort to William. He knows what Athena went through when dipping her hand into the Blood of Christ. On a cosmic scale, at least to William, less pain could mean anything.

The Monitor's gaze now turned to Rory. "The Rags of Devarim are now a part of you until the day you hand it to your successor. Go now and use them well." He then turns to William. "Remember your weakness in this fight. You will find it to be the weakness of your enemies."

The Monitor raises a hand, opening a breach. As he steps towards it, Mia calls, "Wait!" he pauses momentarily and listens. "You said you were testing both of us. What does my forgiving Mom have to do with the future?"

"It is not about your mother only. You have seen what your parents have sacrificed to keep you, your brother, and your friends out of harm's way. There will come a time when you must do the same for them. When it comes, do not hesitate to take it."

That statement makes Red Arrow shake his head. "Wait, what does that mean?" The Monitor does not answer, walking through the breach. "Wait!"

It closes, the stillness of the air being the only sound. That, and many questions running through Red Arrow's mind, and no doubt in Rory and Mia's.

Stepping out of the cave, the three are greeted by the sting of the afternoon sun.

Mia sighs in relief. "Finally! Something normal."

Though, Rory is quick to point out, "It looks like the sun barely moved."

William nodded, remembering that the sun was just reaching its peak in the sky as they entered the cave. He looks at his watch, finding that only a few minutes have passed since they were inside when it felt more like twenty to thirty minutes. Given the reality-bending they went through, it's better not to question it.

William states, "That means we can make our flight. Come on."

Mia's fingers roughly streak through her hair. "Good. I need to process this whole thing."

Before taking another step, William looks back to where the cave is. He finds it already patched in by the mountain wall as if it were never there in the first place.

Rory is beside him, commenting, "Guess we can't use that Mandelbrot thing again."

William nods. "Maybe it's for the best."

He then looks at Rory, wearing the Rags of Devarim, now disguised as a turban. He keeps looking at where the cave is as if he has forgotten something. More likely, his mind dwells on what he came out with.

William asks, "How are you doing?"

Rory takes his eyes off the mountain face. "I'm…processing too. It's gonna take time for me to accept everything."

William nods understandingly. "It is hard to comprehend all the stuff that happened in there. Especially for me."

Rory raises an eyebrow. "But…the New Testament. It was the only static—"

"It was consistent, but not static." William takes out his bible, pointing to it. "It still had changes. In one universe, Joseph wasn't a carpenter but a metal forger for an Israelite galaxy, and Peter was a war veteran who shipped refugees and victims of barbarian raids. Jesus would call him 'the shipmaster of all men.' But in every universe, there is the Virgin Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Twelve, and Christ's death and resurrection."

Rory shakes his head in disbelief. "But how—"

"Guys!"

Mia is way ahead of them, her hands on her hips. Clearly, she wants to leave as soon as possible.

So, while walking, William explains to Rory, "I've been contemplating the blurry images when looking through time, particularly when my employee tried to see Christ's life. But it was everything else that made me realize the truth."

"You mean the Bible passages changing?"

"Not just that. The Rags of Devarim, my confrontation with Beatrice. We were traveling through various universes, protected by God's hand, most likely. We were going through various realities, yet God's influence is constant. So, how can God's influence be felt through multiple universes but in the same timeframe? God is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. How does he do it?"

Nearing the entrance to the Mount, Rory pauses, almost frozen. His face gives a stunned expression. "Are you saying…God condensed multiple universes at once?"

William nods enthusiastically, feeling how Aquinas probably did when coming to his own discoveries. "The blurriness was seeing every universe collapse on themselves at certain timeframes, lasting days or years. We never see them because every universe is on a different frequency, which probably also causes interference for anyone looking back to try and find concrete answers."

By the time William explains his theory, they are a few feet from their jeep, Mia is in the front seat and lying on the headrest. She closes her eyes, her head starting to droop. The abnormal experiences have no doubt tired her out.

Rory places his hands on his hips. "I don't get it. If God can condense multiple universes into one, why not just do that? Why have this whole complex Mandelbrot stuff?"

William grins, having contemplated the question himself a long time ago. "You know, I asked a similar question the first time I encountered a parallel universe. But hopping through one multiverse event to another, I found a lot of consistencies, especially the most important."

"And that is?"

"Free will. Choice. Even if I chose to do something in one moment and another me made another, he was presented with new choices, and I with others. Of all the changes in every one of them, the consequences of our actions were never different. We all have the chance to spread goodness and suffer evil. Just as you had the choice to accept the truth God showed you in that cave. It's not the most concrete answer, I know. But…it's what I arrived at years ago."

Rory's eyes gaze down towards the Bible in William's hand, breathing a heavy sigh. "I surrendered to God. But the other stuff… that will take time for me to accept. Especially all of what we just talked about."

William chuckles. "Well, not everything God shows is simple…and he'll be waiting."

Rory nods, and the two of them head to the jeep. "Whatever I do, though, I'm still doing Hanukkah. Christmas is a bonus."

William chuckles, this time amusingly. "No one's stopping you. Besides, it's hard to give up those tasty latkas."

The two exchange more stories as William drives them to the airport, of traditions that can still be held and debating others. To the Monitor, it did not matter. Rory Reagan had passed his test, and his role was now set.

As Mar Novu watches them from his perch on the mountain's peak, he mutters, "Perhaps the Chosen Champion can change things after all. Perhaps my penance…shall finally be paid."

After escaping the Bunker intact, the four survivors returned to Mia's club to recuperate. Though, it felt like mourning. Zoe was in the corner, her eyes on the door, breathing slowly. She was probably contemplating whether her father survived, that he and the others would enter, and everyone would leap for joy. That moment would never come.

Mia was drinking some brandy. Ben Turner Jr. joined in with her, clenching her hand in his. What suspicions William had of them were confirmed, but that was far from what he worried about. He was pacing around the room, considering their next move while concerned for his father's survival.

As William passed by Mia again, she outstretched a fresh brandy glass. He contemplated whether to take it, to drink his worries away.

He found the strength to push it away. "We shouldn't be sulking." William walked to Zoe, crouching down to her eye level. "Zoe, listen to me. I know you're not looking to see if any of those elite guards followed us. Our fathers…YOUR father gave us a chance to escape for a reason. Felicity is in danger, and we're the only ones who can save her."

Zoe finally looked at William, the shimmering of potential tears plain to him. The urge to hug her was overwhelming him, to profusely say everything would be alright in the end, that they would win. But William did not want to inspire false hope, especially with a situation that felt like a 50/50 coin flip.

Though it seemed that Zoe saw that urge in his eyes. Her smile surprised even him. "You remember our pinky promise?"

William himself smiled. "Well, it's hard to forget the day we almost fought off Noah York."

"Will."

He nodded assuredly. "We promised that what we became, whatever our differences were, wouldn't get in the way of our friendship."

"Well…" Zoe placed a hand on William's arm, almost sending a shiver down his spine. "You haven't changed a bit since then. You're still the reclusive kid who would sit behind a book, who took charge on that bus situation when everyone else was scared, the boy I had to drag to Book Club so he could open up to others."

William's smile faded. His eyes shifted downward. "You have no idea how much I've changed."

Zoe's hand went from his arm to his hand, his eyes shifting to hers almost instinctually. She continued, "And yet, I'd trust you more than anybody. You took charge then, and you need to do so now. Get yourself out of your own head."

"How Sweet."

William and the others stood up, readying themselves for whoever made their presence known. Thankfully, it wasn't one of the elite guards. Instead, standing at the door is somebody else William recognized, a blonde woman wearing a black leather suit reminiscent of the Black Canary. In fact, it was a Black Canary or at least an iteration of her.

Laurel Lance finished, "But we're on a tight schedule."

Mia asked with a hostile tone, "Who are you?"

William answered, "That's Laurel Lance. The last District Attorney before Star City's collapse and a vigilante known by the Black Siren."

This information prompted a raised eyebrow from Lance. "You've done your homework."

"It isn't much since you're supposed to be dead."

"A fake death meant to help me keep the peace in the shadows like your father has been doing. He and I kept in touch frequently."

Mia walked to Lance quickly, almost ready to demand something of her. "Is that how you found us? My father sent you? Where is he?"

Laurel looked at Mia with an almost pained stare. "I only got your coordinates from him. I don't know what happened to him or if he's still alive."

Mia raised her hand, almost ready to throw her brandy glass to the floor. Laurel stopped her with a quick grasp of her wrist.

"HENCE, we're on a tight schedule. If we act now, we can still save your parents and the others."

Ben asked, "How?"

"The southern entrance." Zoe took out the passcard that her father gave her before escaping. "It'll take us through the commercial district."

Mia, freeing her wrist from Lance's grip, pointed out, "We can't exactly go through there without drawing attention."

Zoe added, "That's why we have the advantage of today being the fortieth anniversary of the Glade's renovation. It'll mostly be partygoers and drunks. We'll reach the exact coordinates with relative ease."

William asked, "What about you? Your dad would have been outed for helping vigilantes. You'll be implicated, too."

Zoe shook her head. "Even if they suspected me, my Dad won't give us up easily. I'll split off from you guys just in case."

William insisted, "I'll stick with you."

Zoe shook her head. "Will—"

"I was seen with you when coming into the Glades, and you'll need someone to give you an alibi, even if they didn't see our faces."

After a little bit of time, Zoe nodded. "Alright."

William then looked at Mia with conviction. "Felicity's life, OUR MOTHER'S life, is in our hands. Ms. Lance is right. If we're going to save her, we must leave NOW."

Mia looked at her Brandy glass, her second glass half empty. She probably saw her reflection in there, something in her eyes. Whatever it was, she put her glass down. "Let's save our parents!"

Ben grinned. "And my Foster Dad."

Laurel grinned. "I know a stealthier way to the wall. Follow me."

Laurel, Mia, and Ben walked out, conveying a sense of purpose. Zoe followed, placing a mask on her face. William…

"Wait." William finds himself confused now. Something isn't right. This moment feels broken like a puzzle piece loose from the board. "We…we never made that promise yet."

Zoe stops by the door. "Will, what are you—"

"This wasn't how this played out. You were more reluctant. Laurel was the one who talked you into this, not me. It took half-an—"

"And why would this moment be any different?" Zoe smiles. "After everything you saw, would it be weird that nothing changed?"

William shakes his head in confusion. "I remember clearly! This isn't—" His eyes widen. He realizes what is going on. "This moment is changing…because the future is changing. I'm aware because…because…"

"You're in your own head too much. So are the ones you face. What happened in that cave when you were fighting Beatrice? Why were you struggling to keep up?"

"I…I was overwhelmed, trying to plan everything out, so I…I focused on the present. I got out of my head. Which means…"

William awakes from his sleep. He looks to his side, seeing Rory and Mia still napping in their seats. Checking the screen, their plane still has an hour to reach the U.S.

That dream…didn't feel like a dream or a memory. It was…foresight from God himself. Is that what I had to learn from fighting Beatrice? That I got overwhelmed? How can that possibly…

William then looks to Rory, remembering the Rags of Devarim now attached to him. He realizes that when the Rags entangled Beatrice, so much cloth came out at once, ensuring that there would be no escape no matter what Beatrice turned into.

If the Rags can multiply near infinitely, then it stands to reason that…

The pieces fall into place. William's strife against Beatrice, the Rags of Devarim, the foresight he had just experienced. He had not lost a piece of the puzzle. Rather, he was piecing together a new one.

I'm always in my head when fighting…so is the Deacon! William smiles to himself. Thank you, Lord, for your gift of intelligence.

Author's notes: Thanks for reading! Be sure to favorite this story if you like it so far, and share it with somebody you think will like it. Also, follow my account and the story so you don't miss when a new chapter comes out. Also, check out my new YouTube Channel, "Versatile Creativity," through the link in the profile. I'll see you in the next one.