[Chapter 12]

I walked into the bridge to find Rip, Ray, Snart, and Jax questioning what had happened.

"We run out of gas or something?" Leonard asked.

"Chronos is still in pursuit. Weapons systems tracking," Gideon explained.

"Look, if this is your idea of trying to lose him, then..." Jax started to say before we saw two new aircrafts appear.

"Uh-huh. The Soviet Air Force to the rescue. Now, let's see how badly Chronos wants to follow us," Rip said as we flew through the skies.

"Wow, it's a MiG-21. No one's ever been this close to one before," Ray said and I stifle a laugh.

"Are you quoting 'Top Gun'?" Leonard asked dryly.

"Maybe," Ray said and I rolled my eyes.

"I've got heat-seeking missiles closing at a distance of less than a mile," Gideon warned.

"Which is why I need you to cut the engines," Rip said.

"Whoa, wait, don't we need to those to land?" Jax asked.

"I said, 'Cut them', Gideon," Rip ordered.

"This sounds like a terrible idea. I love it," I said Leonard and I sat down. Of course, we sat right next to each other but, there's this slight awkwardness between us and I'm worried that the team sensed some of it.

"Missiles are now targeting something else," Gideon state.

"Chronos," Jax said with realization.

"I suggest you all strap yourselves in. It's going to be a bumpy landing," Rip explained as everyone else sat down as well and we pulled on the harness.

"Initiating emergency landing protocol," Gideon said as I clutch the handlebars, bracing for impact.

"How's it going, Gideon?" Rip asked.

"There's not much more I can do. Elevation is 5,000. 4,000. 3,000..." Gideon counted down.

"When I said 'bumpy' I meant, prepare for a crash landing," Rip added before we slammed into the ground and we were jolted forward.

"Good news, Captain. Despite our rough landing, the ship is still fully operational," Gideon explained while parts of the ship sparked behind me.

"Right, because those sparks are normal," I said sarcastically.

"Welcome to the U.S.S.R," Rip said as we took off our harnesses and Stein walked in.

"If it were up to me, they would revoke your pilot's license," Stein said.

"'They' are more than welcome to, considering I don't have one. Did you get anything on Savage from the Pentagon file?" Rip asked as Stein put the stolen file on the table.

"It appears our friend has been quite busy since we last saw him," Stein commented.

"Svarog?" Rip asked looking at the folder that says Operation Svarog in bold letter across the top.

"God of fire in Slavic mythology, a secret project the Soviets are working on. Considering Savage's involvement, most likely some sort of weapon," Stein explained as Ray picked up the folder and flipped through the pages, finally landing on a female.

"Valentina Vostok. Graduated top of her physics program and then just dropped out of academia," Ray read.

"To help develop Savage's new weapon, no doubt," Stein added.

"The Cold War's up for grabs, and Miss Vostok is the linchpin," Ray explained.

"I say we put two in the back of her head and call it a day," Leonard said and I smirked.

"We have no idea who this woman is or what her effect maybe on history. She may be the next Madame Curie for all we know," Ray argued anxiously.

"She's working for Savage. That's all we need to know," Leonard argued back.

"She probably has no idea who's backing her research. Just let me approach her as a scientist, and we'll see what she knows about Savage's weapon program," Ray stated.

I nearly laugh out loud.

"It's 1986, you're American, and you don't even speak Russian," I stated.

"She'll have you pegged as a spy in a second," Leonard finished for me and I smile.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Rip said opening up a box of green pill-size items.

"Ingestible translators. They attach to your larynx via neural interface. Swallow them you can speak and understand ay language spoken to you," Rip explained and Ray and Leonard both took one.

Leonard looked at me before shrugging and swallowing the pill.

"How do you turn it on?" Ray asked.

"Gideon? Switch them into Russian. Go on. Say something," Rip prompted Ray.

"Я не знаю, что сказать (I don't know what to say)," Ray said. "Подождите, я до сих пор говорю по-английски (Wait, I'm still speaking English)."

The others stared at him in shock.

"Почему ты так смотришь на меня? (Why are you staring at me?)," Ray asked confused then realized why. "I'm speaking in Russian now, aren't I?" he said in English.

"Great. Now, you're annoying in multiple languages," I said sarcastically.

"Gideon, switch him back to English. Now, according to Vostok's file, she's a big fan of the ballet. She has box seats at the Bolshoi and attends every performance," Rip read.

"It seems the final performance of 'Le Roi Candaule' is today," Gideon explained.

"Very well. Dr. Palmer, you will engage Vostok at the ballet, whilst you, Mr. Snart, you're going to be his wingman," Rip explained and a huge grin widens on my face.

"$100 he fails and you have to flirt with her," I said to Leonard.

"Haha. I'm not stupid enough to take that bet. It's an easy win for you," Leonard replied winking.

"Hey!" Ray complained. "I'll take that bet, I can be smooth," Ray argued and I turned to him smirking and held out my hand for him to shake. Ray shook my hand, sealing the deal.

"Your funeral," Leonard smiled.

"Better go bone up on Vostok's CV," Ray said walking off.

"I guess I'll bone up on the ballet. Gideon, bone me," Leonard said and I smiled at him.

"On that note, I'm leaving," Rip said as he left the main room and Sara ran after him. I decided to go and listen in since ballet isn't really my thing.

"We have a problem," I hear Sara say to him.

"Right, you're going to have to be a little bit more specific," Rip said.

"It's Kendra. She's completely unstable. You saw her at the Pentagon. That psycho priestess Chay-Ara took over and clawed a guard's eyes out," she explained seriously.

"Perhaps Kendra just needs a bit of time. Remember, it was her first time out in the field since Carter's death," Rip said trying to defend her.

"Well, Carter's not going to be the only dead body on our hands if someone doesn't get her under control," I cut in, rounding the corner.

"You're right, and it just so happens I have the perfect candidate for the job," Rip said looking at Sara and I. "Correction, candidates."

"No. No, I was not talking about me," Sara argues back and I shake my head frantically.

"And yet, I can think of no others better suited to the task," Rip explained.

"I'm not a fan of feelings," I say and Sara agrees. "If Kendra needs someone to talk through her grief with..." I started to say.

"Kendra needs someone to help her get her warrior side under control. I imagine you both, above anyone else, know how to do that," Rip said walking off.

"This is a bad idea," I muttered and walked off with Sara to find Kendra.

***

We finally find Kendra sitting in a storage room by herself.

Sara grabbed three steel poles, handed two to me and sighed.

"Heads-up," I said and tossed her a pole.

"What the hell is this?" Kendra asked.

"Warriors train every day," Sara explains simply.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood," Kendra said lowering her hand with the pole in it.

"'Sorry' isn't going to help that guard that you defaced at the Pentagon," I added.

"Two months ago, I was a barista. I had no idea I had some psycho hawk goddess inside of me, and then I meet Carter, and he convinces me to let her out, and now that he's gone, I can't control it, so thanks for the offer, but I won't risk letting that monster out again," Kendra explained, handing me the steel pole and starts to walk for the door.

"That monster inside you is not going to go away. You have to learn how to control her," I explain.

"And how, exactly, do you expect me to do that, murderer?" Kendra asked and I tossed the pole to her again.

"Let's find out," I said simply and we started to fight.

We all fought throughout the ship for hours, taking turns fighting each other one on one. I end up tossing her to the floor, yet again.

"Are we done here yet?" Kendra asked annoyed and discouraged.

"If you want to harness your power you need to learn to control your fear," Sara explained.

"Yeah, well, you've both got blood on your hands for just being human," Kendra snapped but I didn't bother correcting her on the human part.

"Before you can control it, you have to accept that it's part of you," I said and kicked her in the head, ganging up on her with Sara.

"Ease up, will you?" Kendra asked shocked.

"You've got to channel your anger," Sare continued as she slammed her up against the wall.

"Guys, please stop," Kendra begged.

"Push down your emotions. Focus on your opponent," I continued and kicked her halfway across the hall. Kendra stood up and her wings flew out and she turned to us with red eyes.

"Hello Chay-Ara," I muttered before she flew at me, cut my face with her claw and dropkicked me back into the wall hard. Then she turned to Sara and slashed at her and smashed her on the wall, right beside me. She landed and her wings disappeared.

"Oh my God, you guys I'm so sorry..." Kendra started but was cut off by Sara lunging at her. She grasped a hold around Kendra's neck and tries to suffocate her but I rush forward and yank Sara off of her. I hold Sara down with my legs on either side of her and my knees holding her arms down. I stroke her forehead and shush her until her murderous side melts away, and Sara comes back.

I get off of her as Sara looks around in bewilderment, then realization at what she has done.

She races off to her room and I look sadly at the direction she had gone. The assassin isn't very different from me after all.

***

Kendra and I go to Sara's room an hour after our last sparring practice carrying three steele poles.

"Heads up!" Kendra said and tossed Sara a pole. She caught it easily and put it down.

"Let's go," I said but Sara remained silent.

"'A warrior trains every day,' remember?" Kendra asked

"I tried to kill you the last time we did this, remember? I'm too dangerous," Sara replied emotionlessly.

"'Tried' being the operative word," Kendra said walking up to her. "Look, you want to know my theory?" Kendra asked. "I think your problem is the opposite of mine. I need to learn to embrace my inner hawk goddess, but you... you need to learn to embrace your human side," Kendra explained.

"And what if that side of me is gone? What if the Lazarus Pit took it all away?" Sara asked quietly.

"If you think that side of you is gone, there is only one way to find out," I said

"What, are you baiting me?" Sara asked sarcastically.

"No, I'm training you. Come on. Are you scared?" I taunted and Sara stole my steel pole from me and we started fighting.

***

I walked back to the bridge after a few hours of training with Kendra and Sara but I decided I'll let the two spar by themselves for a while.

I walked in to see Leonard holding a gun to Rip. I stayed back and listened.

"Where was my backup, Captain? Half the team is gone...because of you," Leonard asked annoyed.

Backup? What for?

"And if I'd have sent the other half in to save them, they'd be captured too, and where would we be, hmm? Savage would have both halves of Firestorm, a dead Kendra on top of a dead Carter, everything he wants. It would be the end of our little crusade, and most likely, the world. So before you pull that trigger, ask yourself what would you have done?" Rip asked.

"That's a pretty cold calculation, Rip. Almost criminal, except we criminals have a code. 'You never leave one of your own behind,'" Leonard said angrily.

"We will get them back!" Rip shouted. "Now, if Savage even hopes to create a Firestorm, first, he's going to need a new one of these," Rip explained as Kendra and Jax walked into the room and I joined them all at thetable.

"A thermal core?" Kendra asked.

"Let me get this straight, you had Kendra, Sara and I training for the next mission when we should have been helping them on this mission?" I asked annoyed.

"We will help them, and our next mission is to get our compatriots back from Vostok," Rip explained.

"We better because if my partner is killed, then you will be killed as well," Snart threatened, stepping towards Rip before I placed a hand on his shoulder. He slightly relaxed under my touch, instead of tensing up like everyone else does.

"Who is to say they're not already dead?" Kendra asked and I glare at her.

"Vostok needs the professor alive in order to rebuild the thermal core," Rip explained.

"And Ray and Rory?" Jax asked.

"Savage will keep them alive too," Rip stated.

"As leverage. He'll torture them if Stein tries to hold out," Sara explained annoyed.

"Well, we'll have to pray that he does. If Savage's goal is to create his own Firestorm, then Stein himself is the key, the missing piece of the puzzle. And if Vostok figures out howStein's powers against us, then... I'm afraid the world is beyond saving," Rip explained.

"Stein's a lot tougher than he looks. I mean, it will take a lot to break him," Jax added.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that our compatriots are being held in an impenetrable Soviet gulag," Rip explained and Leonard and I share a look.

"Sounds like I could use a drink," I say and drag Leonard to the food fabricator.