Chapter Text

Four Years Ago

Rip followed Sara back onto the ship. It had been a simple reconnaissance bank heist. Get in, rob the target, get out. Unfortunately, the bank had been staffed entirely by trained mercenaries. Rip had been oblivious, but Sara had known right away. For a moment, he was proud of her. This was precisely why he’d wanted her on the team. Then she violated the “no weapons” rule by throwing hidden knives at the attackers. Moment ruined. Rip had tried to stop her, but the only thing that worked was to remind her why they needed the last of her targets alive. 

“What the hell happened back there?” cried the Brit, gesturing behind himself as he finally caught up to the blonde. Having just watched her expertly kill 5 people, he was careful to keep his distance. 

“You know I'm a killer.” Sara snapped, storming further away from the man “That's why you put me in your little group.” 

“I didn't witness just a killer at work, Sara. What I saw was an animal.” 

Sara whirled around, resisting the urge to let Rip witness a killer in the first-person “You are the last person on this ship to judge anyone!” 

“This is not judgment, Sara. This is concern.” 

“I thought you knew how I was resurrected and…” Sara’s voice weakened “and what it did to me.” 

“I know you were restored by something called the Lazarus Pit.” 

“Well, apparently there's a downside to being brought back to life. My friend Thea calls it a bloodlust, and I think that's being too generous, and so is calling me an animal. I'm a monster.”

1. The Bite

-Present Day, 2019-

The phone buzzed with the familiar pattern of a call from the Waverider. Sara groaned and reluctantly pulled away from Ava. 

The Director pouted at her girlfriend “Do you have to answer her?” 

“I left my team alone on a time ship for the last 13 hours.” said the Captain “Someone could literally be dead.” 

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

Sara slid the option to answer the call “What’s happening, Gideon?”

“Captain, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is a level 10 anachronism that requires your attention.” 

Sara rolled off of Ava and sighed “And the Legends can’t handle it without me because?” 

“Because it takes place in Nanda Parbat.” 

Sara sat up, spine completely stiff as she stared unseeing ahead. Memories of that location flooded her mind for a few moments. “Oh.” 

Ava frowned at the behavior and leaned forward to touch Sara’s shoulder “Oh?” 

“Shall I tell the team to prepare for your arrival?” 

“Yes, Gideon. I want everyone on the bridge, suited up, and strapped in before I get back.” 

“Aye aye, Captain.” 

Sara hung up the phone and continued to stare ahead, barely registering the hand resting beside her neck. 

“Sara? What’s going on?” 

“There’s a level 10 in Nanda Parbat.” 

“Nanda Parbat? Wait, that’s- that’s the League of Assassins headquarters, isn’t it?” 

“Mhm.” 

“A level 10- that could… Sara, you shouldn’t be going at all. If this thing damages too much, you might not have your League training to keep you safe. You should stay in the temporal zone until it’s taken care of.” 

“I know. I know I should,” 

Ava sighed, already defeated “But?” 

“But I can’t send my team alone. If they’re caught, they’re dead. If they can even find the door through the labyrinth.” 

“Ray and Mick have been there before, right? To get you when you were stranded?” 

“Yup. Mick the human flamethrower and Ray the overly friendly puppy. I can’t send them alone.” 

“They won’t be alone if the other Legends are there.” 

“Ava,” 

“I know! I know. Just let me be worried about you, okay?” 

Sara smiled and kissed her girlfriend’s nose “Okay.” 

— Later That Day —

“Gideon!” Ray flew into the ship, cradling a bloodied woman in his arms. She tried to maintain her composure as her blood poured from jagged tooth marks in a crescent that ran the length of her torso. “Call Ava and prep the med bay!” 

“Calling Director Sharpe.” 

“Sara’s been bitten by the demon. John couldn’t identify it, so it’s something rare. And she’s losing a lot of blood!” 

“Preparing a transfusion.” 

Ray landed outside the med bay and walked Sara in, placing her on a cot and running his gloved hand over her hair “Stay with me, Captain. Nora!” 

The witch appeared as she was called, having heard the yelling from where she’d been in the library. “What’s happening- oh my god! Sara?!” 

“I can’t help her much with the Atom suit on, but I can’t leave her alone either-“ 

“Go change.” Nora nodded, stepping up beside the Captain and beginning to set up the medical machines “I’ll stay with her.” 

“Thank you. Ava should be here any minute.” 

“What did this to her?!” 

“We don’t know yet.” 

Charlie’s voice came over the coms “We’re working on it now, Rayge!” 

Nora looked down at Sara as the Captain struggled to breathe. Gideon’s transfusion seemed to be keeping her stable, but the blood was still coming out too fast. Nora began taking off the layers of the White Canary suit. “Stay with me, Sara.” 

“Nora? Gideon said Sara was bitten?” Ava appeared behind the witch and walked toward the cot before Nora could tell her not to “How bad is- holy mother of time! Sara? Sara, can you hear me? Sara!” 

The Captain could only stare at Ava through hazy eyes and raise a pale hand a few centimeters off of the armrest. 

“It’s worse than it looks because she’s bleeding so much. Help me get her suit off so we can see the real damage, okay?” 

Ava nodded and did as Nora asked, continuing to beg the drifting Sara to answer her. 

--- Hours Later ---

Sara had only been awake for a few moments when her team flooded the med bay to check on her. Ava, of course, never left in the first place and watched the futuristic machinery perform life-saving emergency surgery on her girlfriend. Shortly before she woke, Gideon announced that their Captain was expected to make a full recovery. 

“There’s good news!” announced the blond man striding into the medbay “And there’s bad news.” 

Charlie followed him into the room and addressed the crowd “The good news is that we found a book with a picture of the demon in it.” 

“And the bad news?” Ava asked

“It’s old as dirt and beat to hell.” John hissed and spun the book around “Zari? Can you read this?” 

“Why me?” 

“Because I can’t read Arabic and the translation bit is all muddled.”

The hacker stepped forward and read aloud the title at the top of the page. “Alraghbat fi aldami.”

“Bitten by Death.” Sara translated, shocking the newer Legends with her fluency 

“Yeah,” Zari managed to push aside her excitement at the reveal and focus on the problem at hand. She fixed her eyes on the battered page again, straining to read the ancient text “He who is Bitten by Death will become it.” 

“Become the demon?” Nate guessed

Zari shook her head. “Become Death.” 

Ava frowned “What the hell does that mean?” 

“I don’t know, it doesn’t say.” 

“You mean to tell me there isn't even a full fifty words on that page?” 

“I’m reading everything I can, Ava! It mostly seems to be a description of the thing. The rest is illegible.” 

Sara cleared her throat and spoke in a weak voice “Babe,” 

“And you don’t have any other books?” The Director rounded on the warlock “Any other sources that reference this monster?” 

“Aves,” 

John shrugged with his palms up “I’ve searched everything I’ve got, Pet.” 

“Then search again!” 

“Ava,” 

“Gideon? Have you found anything yet?” 

“I’m scanning all of recorded human history. I’m afraid it’s going to take more than a few moments.” 

“Dammit!” Ava raised her wrist and spoke into the device she wore “Gary, I want you and Mona to comb through the Bureau archives. Bring me anything that seems even remotely relevant. Nate, go with them to supervise.” 

“Ava, honey-“

“Nora, go back to Constantine’s and help him search through his books again.” 

“Ava-“

“Ray, I want you to stay near the center console and wait for an update from Gideon. Any lead she gives you, even the slightest shred, I want you to follow up on it until there’s nothing left.” 

“Babe, please-“ 

“Zari, Mick, and Charlie: go back to where Sara was bitten and see if you can find anything. Maybe this demon has friends nearby.” 

Charlie frowned “And how d’you propose we get back in?” 

“You’re a shapeshifter and two totem bearers. Figure it out!” 

“ Ava !” Sara snarled, grabbing the other woman’s arm and whipping her around to face the bed

“Ow! Sara, you’re hurting me!” 

The Captain froze. Red. She was seeing red. It was fading now, but she was sure it had been there. She knew what that meant. Alraghbat fi aldami. Bloodlust. He who is Bitten by Death will become it. She released Ava’s arm and sat up as much as she could. 

“New objective. I need everyone looking up everything they can find about Lazarus pits, Lazarus water, and bloodlust.” Sara paused to look directly at Zari “Alraghbat fi aldami.” 

The hacker nodded her understanding. 

Sara addressed the group again “It’s connected somehow, I can feel it.” 

“Sara, are you sure?” Ava asked, trying to be subtle as she massaged the sore spot on her arm “I trust your instincts, but what if they can’t find anything and we end up wasting too much time?” 

“Then look up both. We’ll probably find it faster that way, to be honest. They’re linked, Ava. I can’t explain how I know, but I need you to believe me.” 

“Of course. I’m in your corner. Always.” 

“Good.” Sara looked from her girlfriend to her friends “I know you’re all exhausted, and I know I may seem invincible, but I’m not, and I have no interest in dying again so please, for me, work as fast as you can. And stay focused.” 

The Legends responded in various affirmatives and hurried off. 

Ava held her girlfriend’s hand and tried not to show her terror as she sat on the stool beside the cot. “How are you feeling?” 

“Sweaty as hell. Seriously, no one should ever be this sweaty if they’re not getting a really good orgasm out of it.” 

Ava couldn’t fight the chuckle that came. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah! It’s gross, and I’m not even having fun or earning it.” 

“Let’s just focus on getting you better.”

“Good plan.” 

Sara closed her eyes and let her body relax. Her mind, on the other hand, was tenser than ever. She knew what she should be doing. She should be pushing Ava away and telling Gideon to activate the command Mike Echo Delta Charlie Alpha Golf Echo. She should be putting herself in medical quarantine and staying there. But she couldn’t. Ava’s hand on her own and the steady, loving look in the other woman’s eyes were the only things keeping Sara sane. 

Still… That red in her vision. That vice grip she’d had on her lover’s arm. That flare of primal fury in her chest. She knew what it all meant. She was staring down the barrel of her own best weapon. She was terrified. The last time her bloodlust had taken over... She couldn’t let that happen again. She wasn’t sure she would be strong enough to stop it. Gideon’s second round of sedatives kept her from being able to think about it any further.