"Please stop sending the food away. Some of us doesn't have the patience for starvation."
Nyssa was sitting in the middle of the cell, meditating, while Nate was lying in a corner, whining. They have been there for weeks. From time to time, Nyssa would accept the food served to them simply to survive, but most of the time, she turns them away, which doesn't sit well with Nate. He could have his own food, but eating while Nyssa won't is just not something he would do. He would stand by her with whatever she wants to do.
"I gave you a choice to leave. You should have taken it."
"And then what? Let my conscience kill me for leaving you behind? Yeah, starvation sound better."
"Then stop whining."
"There's nothing else for me to do."
"Meditate."
"Done with that shit. I prefer this."
They bickered for a while, until Nate suddenly fell silent. Nyssa readied herself for what she could feel something heavy coming.
"Do you ever regret it?"
Nyssa didn't say a word. She just waited for him to go further.
"Do you ever regret choosing to be with me, when you could have just spent more time with her? You could have made it count more, being with her."
"Don't beat yourself up. Sara and I have had as much time as we could have had. I wish we could have had more, but I regret nothing. Do you?"
"I don't know. I feel guilty somehow."
"You did nothing wrong. So, don't."
Then again, there was silence, but Nyssa knew it wasn't done.
"What if she does come back as herself?"
Nyssa didn't really know how she would react to it, if that does happen. She has thought of it countless times since she saw her emerge from the reviving waters of the pit. But she knew too well not to keep her hopes up, she has seen what the pit does. She's seen how it's dark powers consumed her father. She saw what it had turned Sara into. But if there is some other kind of mystical power out there that could help her, she hopes and prays that they find it and make it work.
"I...I don't know. It's difficult to hope when you've seen so much loss and darkness."
Nate knew where she was coming from. He's seen her through it all. He's seen her broken and empty. He's seen her put up a wall though she has no strength left to fight. She's strong, but she's taken so much. He can't blame her for losing hope on anything.
-------------------
From the moment her soul was returned to her body, Sara felt the unquenchable thirst for blood. It's easier for her to control it because of her training, but sometimes it's just so intense that she simply loses to it. And she knew it would be the greatest battle she has to face, keeping the monster within.
She was happy to be back, to be with her family and friends again. It felt like she was given yet another chance, but for what, she still has to figure out. Being surrounded by her family and friends, and doing what they do, the feeling should be easy, yet she felt lost and out of place. She felt that there was something missing. She couldn't stay in Star City. She has to go somewhere and find herself. And she has to go see someone. She has to go see the person who's always been able to help her keep her demons at bay.
Nyssa. She's the one she could think of that could somehow make things seem okay. She needs to see her. She needs to be held by her. In that crazy world where her soul had been kept, all she could think of was her. She prayed for her to come and save her like she always did, but she did come. That didn't matter. She will go to her now, be with her, and everything will be better.
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Nyssa couldn't shake the strange feeling that was making her restless. From the night before, she couldn't even sleep or meditate. She would pace back and forth, stand in a corner and stare at nothing, then pace again. Her thoughts were scattered everywhere. She thought of the past, the what ifs, the could have beens, then it all centers around one person, her beloved, Sara.
"Will you stop? You're driving me crazy."
Nyssa's restlessness was starting to worry Nate. It was not like her to be that way. She's always so composed and controlled. He knew exactly where her mind could be. Only Sara could ever make her go out of character. Only she could make Nyssa feel all sorts of feelings that none thought she is capable of.
All their thoughts halted when there was a clatter of steel, which meant someone had entered.
There were no words to describe nor explain what Nyssa was feeling when she saw who was the person to visit them. Her heart cried out for her.
"Hi."
Nyssa can't believe that the beautiful and sweet smiling woman standing before her was the same one that came out of the pit. Her Sara. Could it really be her?
"Impossible. When I saw you last..."
"I know." Sara knew what was going on once she was revived, but it was as if she was a prisoner in her own body. She sees and feels everything, but has no control of herself. But she's back, not completely better, but she's herself again.
"A miracle. When I thought there were none left to be had."
They were both overwhelmed by the profound raw emotion that moment brought to them. It was like standing in front of the person you love for the first time after professing to them, and it being reciprocated, but ten times greater.
"I needed to see you."
It was something they both needed. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Everything else faded in the background. No more worries, no more pain. There, being able to stand so close to each other, being able to hold one another, it was all they needed to make everything feel better once more.
"Look. I don't know how, but I'm gonna get you out of here."
"This isn't your fight anymore, Ta-er al-Sahfer."
"I'm not gonna let you rot here. Not when you're in here because of me."
"I'm in here because of my choices, beloved. I made them ready to accept my punishment."
"I won't leave you in here."
Nyssa knew Sara was only being stubborn. She knew she feels responsible, but she doesn't have to be. She's been given a new life. She wants far better things for her than being sucked back into the life of the League. She deserves better.
"If you love me, you will. If you love me, you will leave this place far behind, and live a life unburdened by your past."
"It's easier said than done."
"Anything worth doing always is."
They held each other in a tight embrace, wanting to hold on forever. They poured every ounce of love they have to each other in that simple gesture. They both knew that it may not be the last, but they might not see each other for a long time again. And a lot could happen even in a short amount of time.
Nate couldn't help but feel the guilt grow as he watched the beautiful exchange of love in front of him. He took that away from them. He got in the way of that. Those thoughts kept drilling in his mind.
Then when the two women finally let each other go, a simple look Nyssa gave her told her what else Sara needed to do. She walked up to Nate and knelt down in front of him, so they would be leveled as he was seated. She reached out for his hands and held it in hers.
"Hey, stranger."
"I'm sorry." He finally said after a few seconds of silence.
"Friends fight. We still are friends, right?"
Nate finally looked up to face her, clearly fighting back tears, and sporting a weak smile. "Of course."
"Then can I ask you a favor?"
"Anything."
"Keep her safe." They both looked up at the most important person in both their lives, Nyssa.
"Always."
Sara gave him a sweet smile. She knew even if she didn't ask, he will be doing it. But they seem to have needed that understanding.
"Thank you."
-----------------------
As much as Sara wanted to respect Nyssa's wishes, she still wasn't completely happy with what she asked for. It really wasn't easy to walk away from all that, no matter how ugly things have been. Walking away from all that meant walking away from her, and she wasn't sure she could do that again, even if she asked her to this time.
She stayed close by if ever she changed her mind and ignored Nyssa's words. She sat by a window of a bar, brooding. She wasn't in the finest of moods. And she seriously needed to vent out some steam. Then at the other side of the bar, some guy was harassing a woman. Right on cue. She told the guy to let the woman go. Then he responded with an "Or what?"
Sara finished with her shot of much needed alcohol, then threw the small glass straight to the man's forehead. The fight was very light and short, that she didn't even break a sweat. What could she have expected, they were clearly no match for her skills.
Then a man with a British accent called her by name, saying he came a long way to meet her. Then he flashed something so bright and it was the last thing she remembered before waking up on a rooftop somewhere in Star City. There she saw that she was not alone.
The man who had taken them all, introduced himself as Rip Hunter, a time master. He told them about Vandal Savage and the destruction he causes in the future. He tried to convince them that he had chosen them specifically because they were destined to be legends. Some of them were reluctant, saying that they are not heroes, and it wasn't for them. And some were already excited with the prospect of saving the world. They were all given some time to decide whether they would all come or opt out.
Sara went to see her sister, Laurel. She told her about Rip Hunter and his time travel expedition to save the world, while they went on sparring. It wasn't surprising to Sara that Laurel was fighting really well, since it was Nyssa who had taught her, but she was still nowhere near her level of abilities. She could keep up with her, but Sara could still whip her sister's butt. She enjoyed how she could now share those things with her sister.
"I think you should go." Laurel then said, seemingly certain of what Sara should do.
"Laurel, I died. I'm still picking up those pieces. The Lazarus pit brought me back but it left me with this need to take. To kill. I'm dangerous." Sara reasoned out.
"After you died, I needed a channel for my grief. I found it in being the Black Canary. I found it in you."
"For me, being the Canary was never that positive."
"Then don't be the Canary. Do what Oliver's been doing. Do what Rip Hunter's offering you a chance to do, and be a hero in the light. Be the White Canary."
Laurel then showed her a new costume. It was all white from top to bottom. And it made Sara excited for some adventures.
"Where did you get this?"
"I have a resourceful friend named Cisco."
"Where's the mask?"
"You don't need it anymore. You've lived in the shadows long enough."
Could it really be what she needs to fill that void of purpose in her new life? Was she really about to go on a time travelling endeavor, no longer off to save a city, but all of humanity? She never thought of herself as a hero, but always hoped to be one. Could it be her opportunity to be just that?
She went to the place where Rip Hunter had told them, and it appeared that everyone else were on board with going down uncharted waters to save the world from an immortal tyrant.
They first went to 1975 to meet a professor who had spent his life studying Vandal Savage. After being benched from the mission, because their expertise weren't needed, Sara along with Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, went to a local bar for some drinks. They tried to enjoy themselves, and Sara even did some dancing, until some guy tried to hit on her. She turned him down flat, and the guy got pissed. Sara told the two that she got the situation handled and took on the guy and his friends quite easily by herself. When they recuperated and decided to go at her all at the same time, she signaled the two guys to help her out. They were able to put down all the attackers, and they enjoyed the brawl more than anything they've done so far.
They went back to the ship, having caused enough trouble in a different time line. They arrived in time to fight off a time bounty hunter named Chronos who was hunting Rip Hunter down. After the encounter, Rip told them the truth about his unsanctioned mission and that they weren't really legends. They were actually meaningless in history that's why they were chosen. Their lives in 100 years has no effect on any recorded timeline, and Rip needed help without disturbing it.
It started a discussion among the crew.
"What's the point of us even giving this a second thought? Rip has already seen the future. He knows exactly what's in store for each of us. Might as well have stayed dead, 'cause the world doesn't need any of us. You're just a lost assassin. You're just a pair of good-for-nothing criminals." Ray Palmer said, clearly losing hope. He always wanted to make a huge difference in the world, and someone telling him that he won't be doing that just depletes all his positivity.
"I can live with that." Mick Rory simply chimed in.
"Well, I can't. Can't live with somebody putting a cap on my destiny. Spent my whole life working to be something greater by becoming something smaller. Then some guy comes along and tells me that being the Atom is an insignificant as an actual atom." Ray ranted even more.
"That's not what he said. Rip said that in his future, we're nobodies, but this mission is about changing the future. I mean, if we have the power to change the world, don't you think we have the power to change our own fate?" Sara said.
Her words seemed to have convinced the rest of the group and all agreed to stay and continue with the mission to stop Vandal Savage.
She thought about it real hard and she believes that they could do just that. They need something to hope for, because if all hope is lost, there's no saving the rest of humanity.