Chapter Text
Sara poured herself another glass of scotch and drank it in a single gulp, the memory of her failed mission still fresh in her mind, her back still throbbing from being thrown against a wall.
The trap that she, John and Charlie had set to capture Neron had failed. The demon was still free, wreaking havoc across the world. To make matters worse, Nora and Ray had yet to wake up from their comatose state, the latter having insisted on trying to prevent the witch from being possessed by yet another dark creature.
Things weren’t looking good for the Legends. Not at all.
Sara poured herself yet another glass before heading to an empty armchair. She fell in the seat, an exhaustion she had grown familiar with extending to her bones. The ex-assassin took a sip of her scotch, looking around. She wasn’t alone at the parlor.
Mick was sitting in the other armchair, in silence, his usual beer bottle in hand; John was hunched over the round wood table in the center of the room, obsessively rummaging through dusty ancient books in search of something that could help him subdue Neron; Charlie was uncharacteristically quiet, sitting on the floor with their elbows on their knees.
They all exuded defeat, and Sara felt sick. She had never seen the Legends like this.
She took another sip of scotch just as Zari and Nate came running into the parlor. The ex-assassin looked at them, bringing a hand to her face to pinch the bridge of her own nose.
“Please, tell me you have good news.” She asked, tiredness sipping from her voice.
“Huh...” Nate opened his mouth, but he didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. The historian exchanged a quick look with Zari, uncertain.
Then, the hacker spoke. “The Time Bureau has located another magical creature. They’re getting ready to go after it.” She explained, and Sara let her head hang back, groaning.
Yes, the Time Bureau, the organization that Rip had created to fix the timeline the Legends broke. The same organization that was working with Neron to capture the magical creatures on the loose all over time and space, according to Nate and Zari. Just another problem to add to a long list.
“Great.” The ex-assassin muttered to herself and took a deep breath. She then turned to Zari again. “Where, when and what?” The blonde asked just before downing the rest of her scotch.
The hacker turned her gaze to the device in her hands. “The coordinates are...” Her fingers moved fast over the lit screen, with practiced ease. Finally, she looked at Sara. “British Isles, 55 B.C.”
Sara frowned. “That’s not very specific.”
Zari merely shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t think they found what they’re looking for yet.”
The captain nodded. Although unwelcome, this was good news. If they could get to the creature, whatever it was, before the Time Bureau did, they could prevent Neron and Hank Heywood from using it for the so-called Project Hades. It was the best they could do at the moment.
Sara got up with newfound resolve. “Okay, so what creature are we talking about?”
“It’s a...” Zari’s brow creased at the screen in her hands. “Fallen star?” She sounded uncertain, as if there was a possibility that she hadn’t read it correctly. Nate checked the info over her shoulder, and a confused frown appeared on his forehead as well.
Sara could understand why. “A star?” She repeated, but tasting the word in her tongue didn’t help in making the possibility any less ludicrous. The captain didn’t claim to be well-versed in magical matters, but was she supposed to believe that the tiny dots of light in the night sky were creatures?
Well, the Legends did have to deal with an actual fairy godmother and a murderous unicorn, so...
The reply came from Nate, who was still staring at the lit screen of the tablet over Zari’s shoulder. “That’s what it says here.” He stated, though he didn’t seem to believe it any more than she did.
Sara was just about to speak, to tell their resident hacker to do some more digging, when Charlie’s voice interrupted her. “Bollocks.” The shapeshifter cursed, getting up from the floor. They walked to Zari, stopping right beside the totem bearer. “Are you sure that’s what it says there?”
Zari raised an eyebrow. “Here, look.” She handed the tablet to the punk-rocker, whose frown only deepened as they read what was written on the screen. “Do you know this...” The hacker wrinkled her nose. “Star? Was it in the prison dimension with you?”
“It couldn’t have been.” John intervened. He seemed just as nervous as Charlie. “That dimension shares too many similarities with hell. Stars are beings of pure light.” He explained. “Those don’t fare well in places infested with dark magic.”
Sara turned to Charlie, the crease between her eyebrows deepening. “Why are you worried, then?” If the shapeshifter had never found a creature like that, what reason did they have to fear it?
“I’ve never really met a star, but I’ve heard some stories.” Charlie explained in between chewing on their lower lip. They turned to John. “We can’t let Neron get his hands on one.”
“I agree.” The warlock replied, his face filled with newfound resolve.
Nate butted in the conversation. “Wait, wait, wait.” He raised his hands, successfully catching the attention of everyone else. “A star? Like, an actual star? A celestial body?” With every question, his eyebrows rose a little higher, disbelief spilling from his eyes.
“I’m not scared of a magical flashlight.” Mick grunted; his beer momentarily forgotten.
“Not exactly.” John said, ignoring Mick’s little observation. “While they’re in the sky, stars may be just bright lights, but, when they’re on Earth, they’re very-” He stopped himself, seeming deep in thought for a moment. “Not human, as far as I know, but certainly sentient.”
Sara sighed before nodding. She should’ve imagined. “What does it look like, then?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” John shrugged. Then, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. He still didn’t have enough time to light it, as Sara pulled it from in between his lips and tossed it away.
The warlock rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to argue, but the ex-assassin was faster. “What do you mean with ‘you don’t know’?” She asked, her voice making the question appear more like a demand than anything else.
John sighed. “Stars are creatures discussed only in ancient magic tomes.” He stated. “They don’t usually leave their home. It’s been millennia since the last time one fell on Earth, or so I was told. The magical imbalance you lot caused in freeing Mallus must’ve knocked this one out of the sky.”
Sara shut her eyes tightly. Of course, just one more thing that was their fault. It shouldn’t surprise her anymore. The list was already long enough as it was.
Still, the captain gestured for the warlock to keep going.
“Some legends say that stars look like rock trolls, others say they are silver imps.” He said, moving his fingers over the many books scattered all over the table in front of him. The man then pointed to an specific one, and Sara moved closer to him to take a look. “Not much is known about them.”
On the worn, yellowed page, a black ink drawing of a grotesque little creature looked back at the ex-assassin. It didn't seem impressive, nor threatening, so Sara found herself asking. “And why is it so worrying that Neron could get his hands on one?” She turned to the man again as she spoke.
“Like I said, stars are creatures of ancient magic, and extremely powerful ones, at that.” John said, putting his hands in his trench coat’s pockets. “The legends say that they have unpaired skills, the most commonly mentioned being their ability to bestow on anyone the gift of immortality.”
His voice was replaced by a suffocating silence, and Sara swallowed. The ex-assassin could only imagine what Neron would do in possession of something capable of such power, and she couldn’t let it happen – she wouldn’t let it happen.
Nate cleared his throat. “Yeah, that’s bad.”
“So, it seems to me that we have to secure this star before they do.” Sara stated, feeling everyone’s attention on her. They expected her to come up with a plan, to tell them what to do, the ex-assassin realized. “It fell on the British Isles.” She turned to Constantine. “Can you narrow down the area?”
The warlock nodded, more to himself than to her. “It might take some time, especially now that I don’t have Nora’s help.”
Yes, because Nora, along with Ray, was still stuck in her own personal purgatory. Just great.
Sara opened her mouth to answer, but another voice came over the heavy silence before her own. “My help with what?”
The ex-assassin turned to the sound, seeing Nora and Ray approaching. The witch looked so tired that Sara thought she would collapse at any given moment, and a bandage was on her collarbone, where Neron had drawn a nasty rune. The tall man kept his hand on her shoulder as they walked.
Nate was the first to break the stunned quietness that formed with their arrival. “Look who’s back on the land of the living!” He exclaimed, happy, just before throwing himself at the couple, pulling them both into a tight hug.
“Way to go, Rage!” Charlie went to high five Ray and then Nora as soon as Nate let them go. The shapeshifter had a large, sincere grin on their face.
Mick grunted something unintelligible and raised his beer in a ‘cheers’ motion; John only nodded at the couple; Zari walked to the newcomers and pulled each in a quick hug, muttering something to the both of them.
Finally Ray and Nora made their way to Sara, who had stood in place, waiting. The captain hugged her older friend first, before doing the same to Nora – had someone told her, a year ago, that she’d feel so relieved to see Nora Darhk alive and kicking, she’d have thrown a knife at them. But Nora was a Legend now, and Sara cared about her just as she cared about anyone else in the team.
“It’s good to have you back.” Sara stated as she let go of the witch, who flashed her a tired smile.
“It’s good to be back.” Nora said, looking around at the gathered Legends. “What’s going on?”
Zari was the first to answer, her voice still betraying a bit of disbelief. “Neron and the Bureau are going after a fallen star.”
Nora frowned for second, like she was trying to understand the statement, but then her eyes closed. “Fuck.” She muttered, and Ray appeared appalled at her use of the word, looking at her with wide eyes and agape mouth.
Zari paid him no mind, instead staring at Nora. “Wait, you know what a star is?”
“Mallus said something about stars once or twice, and it always made him wary.” The witch said, holding Zari’s gaze, even though her green eyes still held unmistakable shame for her past actions.
Sara nodded to herself and, at that, she felt multiple eyes on her.
“Just another reason for us to get this star before Neron does.” The captain stated, being met with agreement from the entire team, even a quick nod from Mick as he finished his beer. It was settled then. “Gideon, plot a course to the British Isles, 55 B.C.”
“Right away, Captain.” The A.I. replied, always dutiful, and Sara turned to Nora again.
“Nora, if you're well enough, I need you to work with John. We have to track this star, and fast.”
Ray placed his free hand on the witch’s other shoulder. “Maybe she should rest for a-”
“I’m fine.” Nora interrupted him, her eyes flaring with determination. Then, she turned to the man standing behind her and smiled softly at him. “I can do this.” She assured, gentle.
He nodded, if a little reluctant, and let go of her shoulders. Nora took his hand and squeezed it for a quick moment before letting go and turning to John.
“Let’s go.” She said, and the warlock did nothing but follow her out of the parlor.
Finally, Sara allowed herself to breathe. Nora and Ray were okay, and the witch would be helping Constantine with their newest mission. Things were already much better than they were just a few minutes ago. She could work with that.
The captain turned to the rest of the team. Zari, Nate, Ray, Mick and Charlie looked back at her.
“The rest of you, let’s do some research.” The blonde said. “I don’t want us going into this blind.”
John’s weird books were still at the table, and soon the remaining Legends gathered around it.
Time seemed to pass too fast after they started their little research project. Gideon had to translate the tomes, since they were mostly in Latin, but there was barely anything useful about stars in the old, yellowed pages, just like Constantine had said.
Still, there was an information or two, written in too short lines. Some reports mentioned that stars glowed, which was honestly a given, while others theorized about possible healing abilities. Most, however, seemed to focus on the issue of immortality – apparently some kind of ritual was needed, but the books didn’t say what said ceremony would entail.
Sara had just abandoned another book, frustrated, when John and Nora rushed into the parlor. She turned to them, feeling something akin to excitement in her chest – the duo seemed satisfied with themselves, and that could only mean good news.
“I think we’ve got something.” Nora announced, barely able to conceal her smile. Ray beamed at her, and the faintest blush, maybe imperceptible to anyone other than Sara, appeared on her face.
“Did you find where the star is?” The captain asked, and the witch exchanged a look with John.
“Not quite, love.” The warlock shrugged, a hint of a smirk in his face. “But, if you give us a time courier, maybe we can enchant it to take us to where the star fell.” He explained, and he appeared as confident as Nora did.
It was enough for Sara, and she nodded. This should be easy enough; the Legends had stolen their fair share of time couriers from the Time Bureau since they first invaded it, long ago.
“There’s one in my room.” Nate announced, very enthusiastic. “I’ll be right back.” He waited for no one’s response before running out of the parlor and out of the bridge.
It took the historian no more than five minutes to return to the parlor, slightly out of breath, a time courier in his hand. He walked to Nora and John and handed it over to the witch, who took it and smiled at the metahuman in gratitude.
Zari and Charlie made quick work of the books on the table, moving them to wherever was most convenient, and Nora placed the time courier on the round wooden surface. The witch exchanged a look with the warlock, who nodded, and the duo started to mutter words in a language that Sara couldn’t understand.
It happened very fast. The time courier started emitting an unnatural silver glow, which only grew stronger as Nora and John continued to chant. Then, all at once, the light flashed one last time just before it stopped shining altogether. Far from impressive, Sara would say.
Nate appeared to agree with her thoughts, and he was more than happy to share them. “That’s it?” He asked, his face not concealing his disappointment, and Zari patted him on the shoulder.
“What did you expect?” Nora raised an eyebrow at the historian, who simply shrugged.
The metahuman opened his mouth to answer, but Sara was faster. “Does it work?” The ex-assassin asked. She didn’t care if the spell was so far from impressive – she only needed it to work.
“It should, but...” The witch averted her gaze, looking at John for support.
The warlock shrugged. “There’s also the possibility that it’ll take whoever goes through it to hell.” He stated, sounding so unconcerned that he seemed to be talking about something as trivial as the weather. But Sara could see right through him, the tension on his shoulders, his forced smirk.
Constantine was as confident as he wanted to appear, meaning that there was actually a fair chance that this little spell would blow in all of their faces. Still, it wasn’t like they had any other options.
“Well, we have to test it.” Sara announced, receiving hesitant nods from her small team of misfits. “Who wants to do it?” She asked, staring at the time courier on the table.
The ex-assassin heard steps and, when she looked around, she saw that everyone had taken a step back – except for Mick, who was still sitting in his armchair. Therefore, she was the only one still standing near the table, and she rolled her eyes.
“Cowards, all of you.” She fired in a dry tone, but secretly she was grateful that none of them had volunteered. She wouldn’t risk her team, not even to stop Neron from capturing the star.
Besides, if someone belonged in hell, it was Sara Lance.
The ex-assassin took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this over with.” She then took the time courier from the table and put it in her left wrist. The device was warm, a little more than usual, and there was a strange glow on the display – all red flags that she chose to ignore it.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Nate intervened, stepping towards Sara. “Shouldn’t we think about this?”
There was an unusual kind of despair in his voice, similar to the uncomfortable feeling that filled the entire room, and the captain turned to him.
“There’s no time to think.” She stated, her best serious face in place. “If Neron succeeds, we have no way of knowing what he can do.” The ex-assassin looked around, seeing worry in far too many faces. She couldn’t have that. “This is our best chance.”
No one argued. No one could argue. Still, none of them seemed happy with the situation, but Sara would take what she could.
She moved to turn on the device when Nora grabbed her arm, stopping her “So, why don’t we do this outside?” The witch suggested, a nervous grin on her lips. “You know, just in case.” Her little attempt to appear unconcerned failed miserably, but, instead of commenting, Sara nodded.
The team then moved to leave the Waverider, crossing the corridors in silence. Their nervousness was almost palpable, hanging over their heads. When they arrived outside, the only noise was the cool autumn breeze, which made some of them shudder.
Sara turned to Zari. “When are we, exactly?”
“October 19, 55 B.C.” The hacker replied, her arms tightening around herself. She stepped closer to Nate, whose position mimicked hers. “It’s the date the star fell, according to the Time Bureau.”
The captain nodded and, just as she turned to her time courier once again, someone else broke the silence. “Take this with you.” John asked, offering her something small, thin and shiny.
Sara accepted the object and studied it for a moment. It was a little silver chain, barely big enough to wrap around someone’s neck. Not exactly what the ex-assassin would deem useful.
She looked up at John, raising an eyebrow. “What’s this?”
“An enchanted chain.” He replied, and she stared at him with a blank face; that much was obvious. The warlock had the audacity of smirking at her. “It should be enough to hold almost anything.”
Almost. Not all, then.
Sara sighed. “Let’s hope this star isn’t that powerful.”
“If it works, contact us.” Ray instructed as the captain stuffed the chain in her pocket. He held out her bo-staff to her, and Sara accepted it with a short-lived thankful smile. “Gideon should be able to track you down, then.”
She raised an eyebrow at her whole team. “And if it doesn’t work?” No one answered, and she’d never actually expect them to. In the end, it was a risk she was choosing to take. “Okay, then.”
The blond woman pressed familiar buttons on the device on her wrist, and a square window, with bright blue edges, appeared in the air in front of her. But, unlike usual, she couldn’t see what was waiting for her on the other side. She took a deep breath.
“We’ll go after you.” A voice came from behind her as soon as she took the first step towards the portal. Sara looked back over her shoulder and found Zari staring at her. “If this goes wrong, we’ll find you. Captain.” The hacker added the last word almost as an afterthought, and Sara nodded.
“I know.” She smiled at her team, trying to appear confident, and, in a way, she felt it. There were few people in the entire world, in the entire history of the world, that Sara trusted as much as this merry band of misfits she ended up being a part of. And she knew they’d never abandon her.
Finally, she took a deep breath and closed the distance between herself and the portal, not wanting to risk anyone trying to stop her. Then, she walked into the window open in the air, and the space-time gap closed as soon as she passed through it.
And then... then she was falling.
Falling.
Falling.
And falling.
Her stomach swirled and swirled inside her, but it didn’t take too long for her to reach the ground.
She felt the oxygen being expelled from her lungs as she crashed into something solid, just before plummeting a little more. As she hit the floor, the ex-assassin noticed that she wasn’t on hard cold ground, but instead on something much softer and warmer – someone, she soon realized.
She looked down at the person she had fallen on and found a pair of blue eyes reflecting the silver glow of the moon in a way she had never seen. Suddenly unable to control herself, the ex-assassin stared, mesmerized.
“Wow.” Sara muttered; her mind only half-aware of the sound.
She was most certainly not in hell.
The woman under her, in turn, frowned, and her bright blue eyes seemed to harbor a small storm. “What are you doing? Get off me!” The stranger exclaimed and, just like that, the spell broke.
Sara blinked and then cleared her throat. “Sure. Sorry.” The former assassin was quick to get up, wiping the dirt from her clothes as she did so. Then, she turned to the other woman, who was still on the ground. “Are you okay? Do you need help?” The shorter blonde offered her a hand.
The fallen woman ignored her in favor of looking around, and Sara frowned. Fine, so this stranger was hot – like, really hot –, but she also appeared to be as unfriendly as they came. But still, there was something weird about her – about her unusual eyes and her perfect golden hair –, something the captain couldn’t quite put a finger on.
Well, it didn’t matter anyway. Her current mission wasn’t to seduce a beautiful woman – although no one would hear her object if given the opportunity –, but to locate a magical creature and secure it before Neron or the Time Bureau could.
She looked around. “Okay. Now, let’s see...” She was in a crater. Her landing hadn’t been optimal, but it also hadn’t been too far from her goal; at least she wasn’t in hell. Still, there was no sign of the star, whatever it looked like. “Well, as least I’m in the right place.” The ex-assassin sighed.
Her frown only deepened as she continued to look around for something – perhaps a small, shiny silver creature, something very easy to see. Of course, if it were so visible, she’d have found it by now.
Sara let out a groan.
Then, she heard the rustle of a dress and turned to see the stranger she had collided with trying to get up. It looked like she had hurt her ankle.
An idea flashed in her mind. “Hey, you.” She approached the other woman again, and the stranger looked at her with suspicious eyes and pursed lips. “Look, this might sound really weird, but have you seen a fallen star anywhere?”
Because, why else would another human being be in a crater like that? The rude, hot woman must have seen the star falling and came looking for it. And seeing as she had arrived there before Sara, maybe she had seen something useful. It was a stretch, but it was worth a shot.
The fallen woman tilted her head to the side, her face blank. “You’re funny.”
Sara merely shrugged, unaffected. “Yeah, I admit, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but...” Her hands gestured to the space around them. “We’re in a crater. This must be where it fell.”
Silence filled the air. The stranger observed Sara as if trying to decide if she was actually serious, not that the ex-assassin could blame her.
Finally, the still nameless woman started to speak.
“Yes, this is where it fell.” So she knew something about the star! Sara nodded, urging her to keep going. “It is. Or, if you want to be really specific...” The woman then pointed at the sky. “Up there is where this strange magical pulse came out of nowhere and knocked it out of the heavens when it was minding its own business.”
A crease formed on Sara’s forehead, and she watched with growing confusion as the stranger kept talking. The other woman, for her part, pointed at the ground just a few feet from herself, looking more irritated at each word she pronounced.
“And over there is where it landed.” Then, she gestured to where she was sitting. “And right here, this is where it got hit by a magical, flying idiot!”
It hit Sara like a ton of bricks, and the captain’s eyes widened.
“You’re the star.” She stated, receiving only the other woman’s disdainful grin as answer. “You... you’re the star? Really?” She found herself asking, still not quite able to believe it.
Sara looked at the woman, really looked at her. The stranger had pale skin, long golden hair, and bright blue eyes, and there was something about her that just made her seem inhumanely beautiful – that should have been Sara’s first clue. She was barefoot and wearing a long, ankle-length dress, whose color looked like a perfect mix of light-blue and silver. It seemed to glow a little under the moonlight.
“Not bad.” The ex-assassin commented, her eyes still drinking in the star’s appearance. Now that she knew the truth, it just seemed plain obvious. No actual human being looked like that.
I’m an idiot, Sara thought, but she wasn’t even the one to blame here! A rock troll? A silver imp? Seriously, John?
Well, there was no point in crying over spilled milk. The small, magical chain that John had given her seemed to weight a little more in her pocket, like a reminder. Sara reached for it and pulled it out.
She took a step towards the stranger before stopping herself. The idea of chaining the star seemed to assume a whole new meaning now that an absurdly beautiful woman was before her eyes.
Still, it had to be done. Sara sighed.
“Well, better ask for forgiveness than permission.” She muttered to herself, but she had been close enough for the other woman to hear her.
The star turned to her again, her brow creasing. “Forgiveness for what?”
Sara didn’t reply. Instead, she grabbed the stranger’s wrist in a swift move and tied the tiny chain around it. Like magic, the metal came together, circling the other woman’s arm without any gaps, leaving only the thread Sara held connected to it, and that one seemed extendable. Not bad at all.
“For this.” Sara finally said, and the fallen woman glared at her, greyish-blue eyes sparking in ire. “Now, you have to come with me.” Perhaps it’d have been best to try to convince the star before chaining her, but the captain had a feeling that this woman just wouldn’t cooperate.
“Why would I do that?” The question was asked through clenched teeth, and Sara was pretty sure that this star would kill her if given the chance. Why, then, had she not done so?
She probably wasn’t that powerful if she couldn’t heal her own ankle or get rid of that little chain. Maybe John, Charlie and Nora were wrong. Still, it wasn’t up to Sara to argue. Not now.
“Look, there’s a demon who wants to use you and...” The captain tried to explain, but the stranger interrupted her before she could finish.
“And you don’t?” The star raised an eyebrow, and there was disbelief in her scornful gaze.
“No.” Sara was quick to respond, but then something flashed in her mind. In other circumstances and with explicit consent, the captain would love to do all sorts of things with this woman – sure, the star was a bitch, but Sara wasn’t blind.
In the end, the ex-assassin shrugged.
“Well, not in the way he does.” She said it in a barely audible whisper, and the star didn’t appear to hear her. Then, Sara pulled at the chain. “Let’s go.”
The fallen woman didn’t even budge, not looking at her anymore. “No.”
“But...” Sara tried to argue, only for the still nameless blonde to interrupt her.
“No.”
She appeared determined, and Sara groaned. But instead or arguing, the ex-assassin chose to turn to the time courier on her wrist and press familiar buttons. It should be simple enough to push that damn star through a portal.
Nothing happened.
Sara frowned and tried again, but only a quick sparkle of blue flashed in the air in front of her just before disappearing completely. The device had broken in the fall. Just her luck.
Still, not everything was lost. Sara put a hand to her ear, to the communicator that barely ever left it. Her fingers found nothing, and her eyes widened. The ex-assassin looked around, trying to find the small device, but, in the moonlight, she couldn’t seem much beyond her bo-staff on the floor.
SHIT. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit...
She might as well be in hell.
Well, it wasn’t a Legends’ mission if something didn’t go royally wrong.
Sara turned to her time courier again. The broken little thing wasn’t opening portals anymore, but there was still a tiny arrow lit on the chipped display pointing in a specific direction – courtesy of Ray. She could still find the Waverider. It’d just take a little (a lot) more time.
The ex-assassin took a deep breath and retrieved her bo-staff from the ground. She then turned to her uncooperative companion.
“Listen to me...” Again, she was interrupted before she could say more.
The star had finally looked at her – glared at her, actually. “The answer is still no.”
Something inside the captain snapped – perhaps the broken time courier, or her missing coms, or, maybe, this infuriating woman whom she was obligated to help –, and she lost her cool.
“I am trying to rescue you!” Sara exclaimed, unable to contain the annoyance that bled out of her voice. She had met this woman not even fifteen minutes ago and, no matter how hot she was, this so-called star was getting on her nerves.
The still nameless blonde let out a sardonic chuckle. “But, of course! Because nothing says rescue like kidnapping an injured woman.” She deadpanned, crossing her arms. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Sara felt her jaw clench. She was going to kill this woman, star or not.
She took a step towards the stranger before stopping herself. Of course, she could knock this star out and drag her over who knows how far to wherever the Waverider was, but it would take a lot longer than if the other woman simply cooperated.
So, for the last time, Sara took a deep breath and tried again.
“Listen, you have two choices.” The star opened her mouth to retort, but Sara’s glare was enough to shut her up. “You can come with me, and I’ll let you go and do...” The captain’s face scrunched. “Whatever it is that stars do after this is over. Or you can stay here, and you can try your chances with the demon I mentioned. The choice is yours.”
The choice wasn’t really hers – Sara wouldn’t simply let her go if she decided to risk going against Neron –, but, still, it was part of the argument. And it seemed to have worked, because the stranger stood in silence for a few minutes, frowning, before finally sighing.
“Fine.”
The strange woman started to get up, clearly struggling because of her injured ankle, but she still refused Sara’s help when the captain offered. Finally, after way too long, she stood before the ex-assassin, and Sara realized that the star was taller than she was.
The captain cleared her throat. “Good. Now, do you have a name? I can’t keep calling you ‘star’.” She could, but it was annoying even to herself, and she actually wanted to know what names stars had.
The taller woman frowned at her, her head tilting to the side a little. Still, she replied. “It’s Ava.”
Ava. Sara repeated it, tasting the name in her tongue. It wasn't that unusual, nothing she expected from an ancient magical creature, but it seemed oddly fitting.
The captain flashed Ava her best smirk. “I’m Sara. Sara Lance.”
“I don’t remember asking.” Still aggressive, then. At least she was cooperating.
Sara winked at the star, enjoying the way those stormy eyes glared at her in response. It seemed easy enough to irritate the other woman, and the ex-assassin could certainly use that to her own amusement.
Still, the road to Waverider seemed quite long, and the night seemed far from over. So, Sara gestured to her companion, indicating that she should go ahead. And, with Ava limping and Sara walking closely behind, still holding onto the chain, the duo started their journey.