[Chapter 17]

"Where's Mr. Rory?" Stein asked as we walked back onto the ship.

"Sleeping it off," Leonard replied as I paced the room annoyed.

"We have the Neuromorphic Prototype. Any luck with the ship's engine?" Rip asked.

"Yeah, it's all good," Jax replied.

"Is there something wrong, Isabelle?" Stein asked.

"Well, the one person who knows why I destroyed Star City has been kidnapped and will most likely die within the hour..." I replied angrily. I can't believe how much I'm freaking out over this. I'm the villain right? Why do I keep pretending to be a hero?

"I think if Isabelle needs to stay and help then we should," Jax said.

"I mean, that's what we signed up for: to be heroes," Jax added.

"I agree with Jefferson," Stein added.

"Yes, of course, you both do, because neither of you understand the pitfalls of changing the timeline. Meddling with the future is arguably more dangerous than changing the past, because it is still in flux," Rip argued and I cracked my neck annoyed.

"Your wife and son's death is in the future. You want us to change that," I said softly.

"Don't play that card with me," Rip said firmly.

"So what? Are you only willing to risk the timeline if it's for your own family? You're not going to destroy places where families live and normal people work. I'm no better than Savage if this is my future. I have no idea what I am or why I am this monster that stands before you. But I was given this chance to change my future and not ruin a whole bunch of innocent lives and you want to take that away from me? After everything I have done for this team?" I asked my voice going dangerously low at the end.

"I am not just trying to save my family and I'm not just thinking about myself and I'm not the one being selfish, Isabelle," Rip said angrily and I swear at him.

"Go to hell," I snap.

"Most likely. If you want to go and save Connor, then be my guest. I'll keep the ship here for one hour, then we're leaving. With you onboard or without," Rip stated and walked off. I left the room to find Leonard and Mick.

Mick was trapped in the ship's prison cells and Leonard was just around the corner, hidden from Mick's view.

"I've been given an hour to save Connor otherwise Rip is leaving without me, you coming?" I asked Leonard and he nodded.

"Let me just talk to Mick first," Leonard added as we walked over to Mick as he woke up.

"Hello Mick," I said sighing.

"You bitch," Mick roared at me.

"It's funny how many times I've been called that today," I say out loud.

"Just calm down," Leonard said calmly.

"You lied to me!" Mick explodes before trying to attack us but was stopped by the cell force field.

"Wouldn't be the first time. Remember the Del Ray Currency Exchange? The Black Hawk Armoured Car job? If I hadn't lied to you on those scores, we'd all be in prison or dead. I'm the brains, you're the muscle. That's how it's always been. And on occasion, I've had to call some audible. You have a habit of getting in your own way, Mick," Leonard explained.

"You're right. You've lied to me about jobs before, but then again, you lied to me about this being a job. It's not about the score anymore for you. You'd rather save the world than be my partner. A real team player," Mick explained, sitting down in his cell.

"Because that's what it's going to take to defeat Savage," Leonard asserted firmly.

"Then what? More money? More power? A life of leisure and sin?" Mick asked.

"You are so thick Mick! You still don't get it, do you?" I asked opening the cell.

"If we take out Savage, this immortal monster, can't you see what that gets you, boys?" I asked.

"No, tell me," Mick said unamused.

"We'd be the 2 baddest sons of bitches of all time," Leonard stated.

"I don't want a ticker-tape parade. You know what I want from this world," Mick said seriously.

"Yes... to see it burn," Leonard replied.

"You lay a hand on me again, you'll burn too," Mick threatened me and I simply rolled my eyes.

"Fantastic, now that we have sorted this out, I have 50 minutes to save Connor and find out what he knows about my past," I explained and turned with Leonard following.

Once we were outside the ship, we followed stray and drunk gang members to a spot in the city where a group of bandits were gathering.

"There he is," I whispered to Leonard as we saw them take Connor onto a stage in front of the crowd and Deathstroke with him.

"You should be honored. This is hallowed ground. I took Oliver Queen's arm in this very spot," Deathstroke shouted.

"Well, then let me go, and we'll see which one of us is tougher: me or Queen," Connor challenged as Deathstroke laughed.

"I already know the answer to that. Ready the prisoner," Deathstroke said as they took him towards the table where he was going to die.

"Cover me," I said to Leonard before leaving him and walking through the crowd. Then I step up onto the stage and Deathstroke laughs in my face.

"Well if it isn't the new little gray-eyed girl to the Green Arrow's rescue. What was your strategy? Just turn up tonight and kill me?" Deathstroke taunted.

My finger twitched and I feel the sensation like my hands are falling asleep. Oh yeah. I shut my eyes for a second a welcome my power back for the first time ever. I told you, it always comes back.

I raise my head and open my new, radiantly glowing, violet eyes. I smirk just as Deathstroke's banter falters.

"What the hell are you?" Deathstroke asked disgusted and I rolled my eyes.

"You don't want to find out," I smirk and command the air to obey my will. My eyes shifted into a milky, white-purple and I flick my hand, tossing Deathstroke from the stage. Leonard jumps down from his hiding spot and shoots the two men holding Connor. All hell then broke loose as Leonard tossed Connor his bow and arrows and the 3 of us fought and killed Deathstroke and his men.

They were starting to overwhelm us, and a felt this new power nagging at me.

"Get down!" I shout at the two men when my eyes return to their normal violet and a wave of purple shoots out from my chest, knocking down all of the men around me.

The rest of the team showed up and helped us finish the remaining stragglers that escaped my wave.

"How did you convince Rip to stay?" I yelled.

"Actually, sending the cavalry was his idea," Ray replied, looking over at Rip.

"Doesn't look like you actually need us though," Rip replied.

"Thanks for the save," Conner said looking down. "I'm... sorry I shot you with that arrow..."

"It's all water under the bridge," I say, patting his shoulder. "But I do have a few questions I need to be answered."

"Like..."

"Start with how I messed up Star City."

***

I sigh as I fall into my bed.

"Did you find your answers?" Leonard asks me, making me jump.

"No. Apparently no one knows how I destroyed Stay City. They don't even know if it was me. Everyone just assumes it was because I was the Green Arrow's arch-nemesis and I mysteriously disappeared after the dust had cleared. The Green Arrow had figured out that rhodium can kill me and that's where Conner go those arrows from and he saw my pictures all over his father's lab and the Arrow's hideout. That's why he assumed that I killed the Green Arrow and his father. But all of it was based on a hunch," I recite.

"So that means it might not have been you," Leonard says optimistically.

"But that also means it might have been me," I say pessimistically.

Leonard raises my head, sits on my bed, and puts my head back down on my lap, stroking my hair. I feel like I could stay there forever but I have something I need to do first.

"I'll be right back, don't go anywhere," I say raising my head and start walking to the door. Leonard pouts grabs my hand and turn me so I'm facing him.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"I need to go thank Rip. Don't worry," I say and kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting," Leonard says and I walk out the door, blushing like crazy. Damn these human emotions.

I walked into Rip's office to find him working. Rip hears me come in and starts explaining what he's doing before I can ask.

"I'm just working on determining our next destination. I've considered your suggestion of hell but I think I'll give it a miss for the time being," Rip explained as I laugh lightly.

"I just wanted to say thank you for sending the team to back me up," I said softly.

"As it turns out, you were right," Rip stated.

"That must have been hard to say," I joked.

"Takes one to know one. Of late I've discovered that I still have a lot to learn, I admit. This mission is going to continue to present us with difficult choices, and I need to know that you are a member of this team," Rip said standing up.

"Of course I am," I said genuinely.

"Did you get your answers?" Rip asked and I frown slightly.

"No," I mutter before walking out to join the rest of the team in the main area. I even see Leonard there and I can tell he would much rather be in my room. I go over and sit next to him.

"All right, Gideon, let's see if those repairs that Martin, Ray, and Jax made are up to scratch," Rip stated as he joined us.

"As far as I can tell, Ms. Saunders did most of the work while the 2 gentlemen competed for-" Gideon started to explain.

"Just get us out of here. Please, Gideon," Stein said interrupting Gideon as Leonard and I smirked.