TW: Glad to hear it. Yep. Thank you.
DCMarvel heroes: I look at it as Peter/Jay was always going to be a Speedster, but his speed gives him access to the Speed Force. Yeah, Wanda's going through a lot right now, which will be touched upon in the coming chapters. It will certainly be hilarious to see Thawne realize he's not the Fastest Man alive anymore.
Gallifrey 22.3: Thank you. Yep. This is a heist, not a battle royal. John is the guy you call to help you save the world, not for a prison break. Kara is off searching for Darkseid, the way she was in canon.
Brownstone
Afternoon
Wanda sat in front of the display of the Relics of the Justice Society, staring at the helmet she knew belonged to Jay. She was so deep in thought she was startled when Kurt sat down next to her.
"Sorry," Kurt said when he saw how she almost jumped.
"It's fine. I just wasn't expecting you," Wanda said with a sigh.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked after a moment and Wanda smiled tightly.
"I don't know. I'm just trying to take it all in. Everything I thought I knew about my family…it was all a lie. My mother…she would still be alive if Magneto hadn't driven her to run to Sokovia. I wouldn't exist…but she would be alive," Wanda said, her voice shaking with emotion.
"It's okay to be angry," Kurt said soothingly.
"I can't be angry, not about that. The last time I acted on my anger about my mom…I took it too far, helped Ultron nearly wipe out humanity," Wanda said with guilt and shame.
"We've all had our bad days, kid," the pair looked up as Clint walked in. "I was there when you were taking it too far, remember? And the person in front of me looks very different from the person who mind controlled my friends. Being angry is just being human. You're not the same person you were before."
"Maybe not. I just…I feel so much hatred towards him. I don't know what to do with it all," Wanda said with a shaky breath.
"We all face a test like this. One day, a situation arises that makes us question ourselves, question who we are. Not everyone passes this test, but I know you will," Kurt said sagely.
Wanda smiled tightly before getting to her feet and walking out of the room without saying another word. It was silent as Clint and Kurt stared after her, both worried.
"Look out for her," Clint told Kurt, who nodded.
"I will. And you as well, although I feel that does not need saying," Kurt noted and Clint merely looked at him.
"You care about her? Not just as a friend?" Clint asked and Kurt looked at him evenly for a moment.
"She is the most extraordinary person I have ever met," Kurt said, as though that explained everything. "I just want her to see herself…how we do."
It was as much a confession as someone like Kurt was likely to give, Clint mused. But, oddly, he was okay with it. It confirmed what Natasha had pointed out, that he was a good man who cared about Wanda.
Perhaps it was time to let go, Clint mused.
"Just watch out for her. Because if you don't…teleporter or not, I'll kill you," Clint said, making sure Kurt understood before he followed Wanda out of the room.
Later, the entire group stood in the meeting room, waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
"When's this guy supposed to get here?" Kitty finally complained.
"He'll be here," Clint said with certainty.
As if in answer, Logan started, hearing something. Before they could ask, they heard a pair of footsteps. They all turned to the doorway as a playing card, twirling in midair, flew into the room before a hand caught it expertly. They all stood as a man with brown hair, in his late twenties, walked into the room. He was wearing a tan trench coat, purple body armor underneath, complete with some kind of headset that covered his chin and forehead.
"You always have to be dramatic, don't you?" Oliver asked dryly and the man smirked.
"I do things with style," the man said before looking around at all of them. "I apologize for being late. The name is Remy Labeau. But you may call me The Gambit."
"Welcome, Gambit. Thank you for your assistance in this matter," Charles said diplomatically as he rolled forward.
"Clint said something about Ross holding people captive. I've spent most of my life stealing things. I'll be nice to steal people, for the right reasons," Gambit said, shuffling a deck of cards.
It was at that point that Gambit spotted Rogue. Gambit smirked, looking her up and down before pocketing his cards and walking over to her as everyone else watched him curiously.
"And who might be, Chère?" Gambit asked.
"Rogue," Rogue said, eying him oddly.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Rogue," Gambit said before kissing her gloved hand, his eyes never leaving Rogue.
At this point, Rogue started to flush while Logan looked like he was considering using Gambit's head as an ash tray.
"Now that we're all here, we know the plan. Two teams, one goes after The Raft, the other lays a trap for the Power Broker. Each mission is no less important, no less dangerous. Watch out for each other," Steve, looking around at all of them as he spoke. "Good luck."
"Maybe you should take notes from him on giving a speech," Lois whispered to Clark, who shot her a look that was part amused, part thoughtful.
"You be careful out there, 'kay kid?" Clint said as he walked over to Wanda, who was going with the X-Men and Justice Society to The Raft.
"I'll be fine," Wanda said and Clint stared at her for a long moment before nodding.
"I'll watch out for her," Jay whispered to Clint once Wanda had walked away.
"I hope so," Clint said, glancing at him and pausing as he saw Jay wearing a helmet that had two wings. "…What are you wearing?"
"It's my old suit. It's a bit retro but it gets the job done," Jay said with a shrug.
Clint respond, merely nodding before turning away, trying not to laugh.
"Good luck out there," Oliver told Logan as the two said goodbye.
"I think you'll be the one needing luck. Prometheus and Chase are gunning for you," Logan pointed out.
"Whatever they throw at me, I know I can handle it," Oliver said with certainty and Logan stared at him for a moment before chuckling.
"Whatever happened to you when you vanished…it was good for you," Logan noted before pausing. "Has Fury told you about why he came to us before Chloe showed up?"
"Have you met the man? He's not exactly the sharing type," Oliver pointed out and Logan nodded.
"Fair enough. Ask him why he came to Charles before all this. You have a right to know," Logan said and Oliver nodded, looking thoughtful.
"I will. Thanks for telling me," Oliver said, glancing at Fury before looking back at Logan. "Good luck, brother."
"You too," Logan said, the two grasping hands firmly.
"You should say goodbye to Sara," Oliver said, looking at his ex, who seemed determined not to look at Logan. "She's emotionally stunted, but she cares about you. Maybe more than she can admit. So if you're waiting for her to make the first move, you're gonna be waiting a while."
Oliver then walked off, leaving Logan alone. He looked over at Sara before nodding, walking over to her.
"Hey. So, we're splitting up again," Logan noted.
"Hopefully, the whole city won't go to shit this time," Sara said sarcastically and Logan chuckled.
"Yeah, I hope not to repeat that part," Logan said before pausing. "Listen…maybe, after all this is over…you and I can go for a drink. Or something."
"You asking me out on a date?" Sara asked, looking at him carefully.
"Or something like a date. I'm a bit out of practice. I just know I care about you. So, what do you say I?" Logan asked and Sara was quiet for a long time.
"Ollie told me once that, close to the Undertaking, he realized he'd been living on the island, mentally. Maybe that's what I've been doing too, living on that island. I just…I don't want to, not anymore. So yeah, I'll go grab a drink with you," Sara said, getting to her feet. "So, until then."
"Until then," Logan said with a grin.
"Maybe I should go with you, stay here," Barry hedged to Oliver as they said goodbye.
"Barry, you have no real skill in covert operations, nor interrogation. You'll be way more use to Logan's group than to this mission," Oliver pointed out and Barry nodded after a moment.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. I've just never done anything like this before."
"Logan and Carter both have, and Gambit has made a living on it. Follow their lead, and you'll be fine," Oliver assured him.
"Never thought I'd be doing this. I always wanted to protect people…but the people think we're the enemy now," Barry said with a sad sigh.
"Not all of them. And hopefully if we beat Darkseid, the majority of people will see that we're just trying to help," Oliver pointed out and Barry looked at him oddly.
"Since when did you become the optimist between us?"
"Let's just say I'm seeing things differently these days. I'm choosing not to dwell on everything that went wrong in the past," Oliver and Barry smiled.
"Good. It's just gonna take some getting used to. Good luck," Barry told him.
"You too," Oliver said before Barry walked over to Chloe.
"So, I guess I'll see you later," Barry said and she smiled tightly.
"Yeah. Guess so. Be careful out there," Chloe told him and he laughed.
"Now you sound like Caitlin, always telling me to be careful," Barry noted.
"She sounds like a smart woman. You should listen to her," Chloe said only half joking.
"I try too. Listen, what's happened here…I hope you know it's because of you. We're all here, together, because you brought us together. I just thought you should know that," Barry told her and she smiled tightly.
"Thanks. And not just for that, but for believing me, coming with me. I know it couldn't have bene easy."
"It wasn't, but I know it was the right decision. And I'd make it again in a heartbeat," Barry told her.
Chloe stared at him for a moment, seeming to wrestle with herself for a moment before she did something that took Barry completely by surprise. She leaned up and kissed him. Barry was so stunned he didn't even react, frozen.
"Sorry," Chloe said, embarrassed as she pulled back.
Barry wanted to say something, anything, but all that came out when he opened his mouth was 'uh duh'.
"I think you broke him," Clint quipped as they all watched.
"I've never seen him speechless before," Oliver mentioned amused.
"Well, he'll have to get over it. Come on, Kid," Carter said as he grabbed Barry by the arm, dragged him away as the rest of the Justice Society, X-Men, Clark and Wanda.
"When I told you to find out whether or not he felt the same way, that wasn't what I had in mind, Chlo'," Lois said, trying not to laugh at her embarrassed cousin.
"Figured if I didn't do it then, I'd probably chicken out," Chloe said blushing.
"At least you put it out there. Wish I had that kind of courage a long time ago," Oliver told her.
"I just kissed someone," Chloe argued.
"You took a leap; you didn't know where you'd end up. It's a small step, but no less important," Sam said, sounding like the councilor he had once been.
"Now that that's settled, you all need to prep for the mission," Fury reminded them.
"Before that, we need to talk, Sir," Oliver said, his voice letting Fury know that it wasn't a request.
"About what?" Fury asked warily, sensing something was off.
"Why did you reach out to the X-Men before Chloe reached out to you?" Oliver demanded and Fury stared at him blankly. "Logan seems to think it's something I should know about. What's going?"
"Nick, you'll never keep it from him. I'm surprised Logan waited this long to tell him," Charles pointed out before Fury could even open his mouth.
Fury weighed his options silently before sighing, having a feeling he was going to regret this.
The Raft
Same time
In his office, Ross was watching a news broadcast about Lane's press conference, internally cursing Sam Lane.
They had never gotten along, but The Accords were one area where they seemed to be in agreement. But whatever had happened, Ross knew Sam Lane could no longer be counted on.
"I see you've lost one of your greatest allies," Thawne noted as he rolled into the office.
"It doesn't matter. The Accords are law," Ross said gruffly.
"For now. But a man like Sam Lane is a man of influence. People will listen to him," Thawne pointed out, partly enjoying how angry he saw Ross getting.
"Any progress on Raymond?" Ross asked gruffly, warning Thawne to change the subject.
Which he immediately noticed but allowed. For now.
"Not much. His body runs at impossibly high temperatures. His speech consists of incoherent ramblings. He keeps saying one word over and over: FIRESTORM, although we've yet to piece together what it means," Thawne explained and Ross nodded.
"Figure it out, Wells. I want to know how and why he has those powers, so they can be replicated. Because I have a feeling they'll be needed sooner rather than later," Ross said firmly.
Watchtower
Later
Chloe was at the computer, getting everything ready as Lois watched, more to avoid the scene of Oliver, Sara, Fury, the former Avengers, Matt and Charles than anything else.
"Bobbi's been missing, and you didn't say anything to me?" Oliver asked, his voice carefully controlled even as he glowered in rage at Fury.
"You were dealing with Prometheus. I didn't want to distract you," Fury tried to explain.
"I had a right to know, Fury!" Oliver snarled angrily.
"So did we," Clint spoke up, he and Natasha glaring at Fury angrily. "Bobbi is our friend."
"You two were gone, on the run from The Accords," Fury argued.
"And would you have told them if they hadn't been?" Steve asked and Fury's silence said all they needed to know.
"You should have told us. Didn't you learn anything from the uprising?" Natasha asked in disbelief.
"Keeping secrets always turns out badly. Always," Steve said firmly, thinking of Siberia. "When are you gonna learn, Fury?"
"I did what I thought was best, nothing more," Fury said calmly.
Matt was silent, listening to Fury's heartbeat. He was telling the truth…but there was a slight flutter in his heart. He was holding something back. But it wasn't Matt's place to interfere.
"Do you have any leads?" Sara asked, trying to break the tension.
"It's why I came to Chuck. He was able to use Cerebro to track her to Metropolis. But that's all we know. Cerebro wasn't able to pin down her exact location," Fury explained, surprising all of them.
"That's never happened before, has it?" Oliver asked as he looked at Charles.
"No, it hasn't. But now that we know about Darkseid and his interest in you, I have an idea about why that is," Charles said surprising them all.
"You think Darkseid is behind Bobbi's disappearance?" Sam questioned.
"I can't think of anything else that would prevent me from tracking her exact location. Magneto's Helmet or something like it would mean that I could not track her at all. But by allowing me to track her to Metropolis but withhold her location from me, I can only assume Bobbi plays some role in Darkseid's plans for you, Oliver," Charles pointed out.
"It makes sense. Chase is working for Darkseid, and Godfrey told Clark that he's been working on trying to turn you. Darkseid might be trying to use Bobbi to make you vulnerable enough to mark," Sara pointed out.
"We will find Morse, Oliver, together. But for now, we need to focus on The Power Broker and Prometheus," Steve pointed out and Oliver almost growled, but took a deep breath.
"You're right. Fine. But no more secrets, especially when it comes to Bobbi," Oliver told Fury.
"Fair enough," Fury said with a shrug.
Fury avoided Charles' look as the others all walked to the computer, knowing his old friend's opinion on the subject. But he had made a promise to Bobbi's mother, and he wouldn't break it unless forced to.
Besides, he was hardly the one keeping that particular secret.
"I've pulled the blueprints of this underground lounge the Power Broker is supposed to be at tonight," Chloe said as they reached her, pulling up the plans on a screen. "You guys sure about this?"
"Positive," Steve said firmly, eying the screen like it was a battlefield he was about to rush into. "This is our only change to find the Power Broker, and get Intel on their connection to Prometheus. Let's make it count."
A bit if a filler chapter, but hope you all enjoyed it.
Hope you enjoyed Gambit's appearance as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Next chapter is the string/ breakout, so buckle up for a chapter filled with revelations, wild turns and just all around insanity. It doesn't slow down at all from this point on.