'Who is our next recruit, sir?' the AI asked the Captain.
"Our next recruit is Doctor Madilyn Merlyn. Member of The Black Circle, former CEO of Merlyn Global Group, and now head surgeon of orthopedic surgery at Starling General Hospital. And, also, she's an Egyptian goddess."
~
Madilyn Merlyn walked towards the patient, holding a clipboard in her hands. The man looks up to see his doctor and smiles at the woman. "So, Doc, what's the verdict? Am I gonna make it?" He asks jokingly. She chuckles, "Don't worry Grady. I was able to remove the windshield wiper from your leg. Though, I don't understand how it ended up in your leg in the first place." Grady laughed and playfully smirked, "well, maybe I could tell you over drinks or dinner sometime." Madilyn scoffed, "I would take the offer, but your not my type." Grady nodded in understanding, already knowing he was out of her league, like way out of her league, but he thought it would be worth a shot.
The man decided to change the subject to something that's been on his mind for a while. "I don't get it," he started, which caught the Merlyn off guard. "Get what?" She asked the man curiously. "Why did you choose ortho? I mean, not to be sexist but doesn't it make you at least a little squeamish? For me, the sight of a bone sticking out of my leg would make me pass out." Madilyn smiled, easily remembering all the times Team Arrow came to her for medical attention, mostly just Oliver. She then shrugged, "I guess I've just gotten used to it. Besides, knowing that I'm saving someone's life takes my mind off of all the gore." The man nodded, admiring the woman's confidence, "well, all I can say is thank you."
"You're welcome," she told him, turning around to leave since her shift was almost at an end. Once she was at the door she turned around with a small smirk. "don't get into anymore car accidents, okay? I don't want to be removing anymore windshield wipers from your leg." Grady just nodded his head laughing, "you got it, Doc." She turned around moving towards the nurse's desk and gave her Grady's file to put away. Once the nurse walked away towards the filing cabinet, Madilyn saw a couple of files on her desk. She grabbed them and set them in front of her to read. She opened the first one to see that the deceased patient had died from a crushed windpipe, yet there weren't any signs of violence inflicted on the deceased.
Madilyn knew that injury all too well. She had delt with deceased patients who were injured and killed by Damien Darhk. She and Team Arrow had been trying to stop the man from committing anymore deaths but it seemed that he couldn't be humanly stopped. She sighed looking through the other files to see that the others had similar injuries, meaning these people were all killed by Damien Darhk and his Ghosts. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and left, leaving the files where she saw them. She walked towards the break room to change out of her scrubs and into a pair of black jeans, a white tank top, and her black leather jacket. Once she was all set, she walked out of the hospital into the attendings parking lot.
Madilyn could feel that something was off but she shrugged it off knowing she could handle herself. It was Star City after all; you always had to watch your back in this city. She was almost towards her car when she heard a British voice behind her. "Ah, Ms. Merlyn, it is a pleasure to meet you," the voice said. Madilyn furrowed her eyebrows but was alert and turned around to face the man. She looked at his attire and raised her eyebrows, "okay, is it just me or are you trying to impersonate a friend of mine? Well, he's not really a friend, but more of a colleague." The man seemed to look confused at her reaction towards him, "I don't know who you're talking about." The assassin sighed folding her arms around her chest, "then what do you want?" The man seemed to smirk which made her tense up, "that's just it Ms. Merlyn. I want you." Madilyn was about to pull out one of her pocket knives when she saw a bright light flash in front of her eyes.
~
Madilyn slowly woke up clutching her head in pain. She slowly sat up with a groan still clutching her head. She opened her eyes to see that she was on a rooftop in Star City. She was confused until she remembered what happened to her. She looked around to see where the man was but once she turned her head to her bottom right, the thought of killing the man seemed to disappear, for now. She looked down to see her best friend starting to wake up. She heard other small conversations going on but she wasn't really paying attention to them. She smirked, "well I'll be damned. It hasn't even been two months and I see you again." They opened their eyes and looked up with wide eyes knowing that voice anywhere. They seemed to sit up quickly and look at the girl, "Madi?" The Merlyn's smirk seemed to grow, "hey, Sara."
The girls chuckled at each other and gave each other a small hug. After they separated they looked around at everyone else. Some people Madilyn recognized, but others she didn't. She then heard Sara ask where they were seeing as they were on a rooftop, which is totally not sketchy. The boy sort of answered Sara's question and reminded Madilyn of her kidnapper. "Why don't you ask the dude who knocked us out and kidnapped us? British dude with a flashy thing? Ring any bells?" Madilyn narrowed her eyes remembering, "oh, it rings multiple." Then the said man dramatically showed up out of knowhere, "The name's Rip Hunter. I'm from East London. Oh, and the future."
Madilyn slowly stood up while rolling her eyes at his dramatic entrance and monologue. She already had to deal with her father's dramatics every time she saw him, she didn't want to deal with this brit's now. "Nice to meet you, Rip," one of the criminals says in a gruff voice while grabbing for his weapon that wasn't there. The brit seemed to acknowledge what the criminal was up to and pointed it out, "uh, while you were incapacitated, I may have tampered with your weapons." Towards the end of Rip's sentence he seemed to look away a little intimidated by the two criminals. He looked towards the group again, "I've assembled you all because I need your help. The future of the world is in peril because of a man by the name Vandal Savage."
Madilyn seemed to look towards the man in surprise. The same going on with the the two hawks near her with looks of surprise as well. "That can't be. We destroyed him," Carter told the brit. Kendra nodded at his words, "yeah, the Green Arrow and Flash helped us do it." Madilyn scoffed under her breath, "you know, it was a team effort, right? It wasn't just them who helped you." Madilyn always hated when those two received all the credit when in reality it wasn't just them who did all the work. They always had help from someone. Whether it was from teammates fighting with them or teammates telling them what to do over comms or even people creating inventions to help them defeat the bad guy. Kendra seemed to glare at the girl but one look from Madilyn sent Kendra immediately looking away scared of the assassin.
Everyone else, besides Sara who silently chuckled at the girl's comment, ignored her. The brit turned back towards Kendra, "and therein lay the problem. Unless you or Mr. Hall deliver the death blow, Savage can be restored from but a single cell." Madilyn furrowed her eyebrows not understanding why someone would take his ashes to resurrect him, when it popped in her head. She shook her head in anger, "That's why he was so eager to help us. I swear my father has a death wish," she whispered to herself. She was pulled out of her thoughts when the same criminal from earlier spoke up again, "what the hell are you talking about?" The man seemed to be pointing the question to the birdman.
Carter shrugged, "Vandal is immortal. Kendra and I reincarnate." Sara nodded in agreement, "yeah, I've done that." Madilyn tensed up at the memories but eventually relaxed and playfully scoffed; agreeing, "yeah, it's not fun." "And what the hell does this Randall guy got to do with us?" the man gruffly asked the brit. Rip rolled his eyes, "Vandal," he corrects. He continues, "in the future, he will employ the evil he's perfected over his long life, and the power he has amassed thoughout history, to finally conquer the world." He walks towards the other end of the roof looking out at the city. He then turns towards the nine others, "I've been tasked with assembling an elite team to stop him." Madilyn just crossed her arms thinking she would rather be dealing with Ghosts then hear this brit talk.
"How?" Sara asked Rip feeling like this was a waste of time. Madilyn sighed knowing that Sara just encouraged Rip to make another dramatic monologue, which was true. The man waved his hand around towards the city, "to travel through time. To capture Savage before he grows into the monster he becomes." The other criminal seemed to not like that idea, "you got the wrong guy. 'Hero' ain't on my resume." He started to walk away with the other criminal, possibly his partner, not too far behind, "or mine." Rip reasons with them before the two could actually leave, "I know it's difficult to fathom, but where -- when I'm from, the year 2166, you and everyone on this roof aren't just considered heroes...you're legends." The last part seemed to grab everyone's attentions, well, mostly everyone's.
"Legends?" Ray asked intrigued. "I, um, I hate to nitpick, but doesn't a legend have to be dead?" the old man seems to ask Rip. Madilyn just raises an eyebrow at the man's question. The youngest of the ten agreed with him though, "yeah, see, uh, that's a deal breaker for me, so I'm gonna pass." Madilyn rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time in ten minutes, "oh please, someone doesn't have to be dead to be considered a legend." Everyone seems to turn their attention towards her. She just shrugs and continues, "you just need to do something incredible and give people time to see if what you did wasn't at all easy to do and hold that record. If you can, you would be considered a living legend." Everyone looks astonished by her knowledge which makes her uncomfortable. All she did was pay attention in her high school mythology class. But she covers her umcomfortableness by pointing out another fact, "besides, we would all be dead anyways since 2166 is 150 years away from now."
"It's dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures, but I am here because each of you, as individuals, is destined for greatness," the brit reassures them even more. Ray seems to already be all in ever since Rip first said the words 'time travel'. "I could get behind that," Ray tells Rip with a smile. Rip turns around and walks towards the edge of the building pulling out a projector device of some sort, "and, because if you don't follow me, this is what is in store for your world 150 years from now." The device projects a different version of the city, where you could see crumbled buildings and fire engolfing almost the entire city. Madilyn gulped, hearing the screams of women, men, and children. Everyone else also seemed affected to see that that was the future of their world.
The projection disappeared, "I could have chosen any time and any place. Of all the people who ever lived, I chose you nine. I certainly hope that you won't let me, and the world, down." Madilyn saw the projection, she could hear the screams, but she still was skeptical of the man. You know when you see those commercials about dogs in shelters and they show their sad faces to make you feel even guiltier? And then all you want to do is rescue one because it's just so sad? Well it feels like that for Madilyn. She felt like the man was blackmailing her, and everyone else, into coming on this suicide mission by showing them the horrors of what's to come 150 years from now.
The brit seems to be done with his speech and walks away but not before giving the old man a card, "if your answer is yes, meet me at this address in 36 hours." He then disappears to god knows where. Madilyn walks behind the man and peeks over his shoulder to memorize the address. She wasn't planning on going but if she talked with someone about this she had a feeling they would try to convince her to go. She then walked away but stopped, realizing Sara would probably need a ride to see her sister. She looked at Sara which caught the blonde's attention, "you need a ride? I believe I know where your sister is." Sara smiled at her best friend, "yeah. That would be helpful."
The two started to walk away and towards Madilyn's parked car, which was still parked at the hospital. She unlocked the car so the two could get in. Madilyn started to drive towards the campaign office where the bunker was. The two sat in silence until Sara asked the question on both their minds, "are you going to take the deal?" Madilyn sighed at the dreadful question. She didn't trust the guy, hell, she never really trusted anyone anymore. The only people she truly trusted the most were the three Queen siblings, the Lance sisters and their dad, Felicity, and Dig. That's it. Besides, she was needed in Star City more. "I don't know. Why should I care about something that's gonna happen 150 years from now when I should actually care about how many more people Damien Darhk is gonna kill now, in the present?" Sara looked at the raven haired woman, clearly seeing that she was fighting a battle inside her.
Sara sighed, "you don't have to worry about Damien Darhk alone. That's why there is a Team Arrow. They can take care of themselves just fine here. You don't have to stay in this city anymore, Madi." Madilyn knew what Sara was talking about; her brother's death haunted her, her mother's death haunted her, everything seemed to haunt her in Star City. Sara was trying to convince her that there was a way out of this city, but Madilyn still wasn't fully convinced. She then pulled over next to the building and Sara got out of the car but before Sara left to go inside, she peaked through the open window and looked at Madilyn, "just think about it Madi."
The blonde then walked away after that into the campaign office. Madilyn sat there for a moment contemplating Sara's sentence. However, maybe she needed a little more assurance from her childhood friend and sister. She then drove off towards Thea's apartment, no doubt she and Axel were there. But, first she stopped at Big Belly Burger to get their favorite meals as well. She arrived at Thea's loft with the warm food and cold drinks. She walked up the stairs with the three meals and arrived in front of the girl's door. She knocked twice and could hear the girl coming towards her. Thea opened the door to see Madilyn holding up Big Belly Burger with a smirk. She could then hear Axel walk towards the door to see the food and grin, "what's the occassion?"
Madilyn giggled, "what? I can't bring my sister and my childhood friend food and just chat?" The Queen siblings just looked at the girl knowingly. She sighed giving up the act, "I need advice. Huge advice." Thea and Axel sighed, knowing that whenever Madi came to them with food, their talk was going to be something very important. The two let the woman in, all three of them moving towards the couches to eat and talk there. Madi sat down while the two others got the food ready on the small table. The two then looked at Madilyn and gave her her burger. Thea smiled at her sister encouragingly, "okay, now tell us what's on your mind, sis."
~
"Wait. Time travel's a thing?" Thea asked Madilyn, not ready to grasp that time travel is now a thing. Madilyn just nodded at her younger sister not really knowing how to explain it. Axel rubbed his temples with his fingers, "you know, I'm still trying to wrap my head around you being an Egyptian goddess. Now I have to deal with time travel?" Axel liked normal but ever since Barry Allen entered Team Arrow's lives, nothing was normal anymore. The two women chuckled at the man's reaction. Thea then looked at Madilyn, "you should go Mads." Madilyn sighed shaking her head, "I feel wrong leaving you guys with Darhk." Axel gingerly smiled at the person he has considered one of his best friends since forever, "we'll be fine. Besides, you get the chance to kick ass and time travel." Thea had to agree with her older brother on this one, "he's got a point. It's a package deal."
Madilyn looked down at her intertwined hands, "I guess it is a package deal." Axel and Thea grinned at her. Madilyn sighed and then looked at the two, "after I stop Savage, I'm coming right back, okay?" They smiled at Madilyn's genuine concern and nodded. Madilyn got up with the two others getting up after her. Madilyn first hugged her half sister and Thea gladly accepted the hug. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?" Madilyn whispered to her sister. Madilyn has spent almost her whole life treating Thea as her little sister and now knowing Thea was actually her sister, she became even more over protective of her. Thea scoffed, "when have I ever done stupid things?" Madilyn laughed, "do you want me to make a list right now? I have time."
Thea pulled away with wide eyes, "yeah, um, I'm good." Madilyn shook her head at Thea and then turned towards Axel. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, "call me with the wedding date, okay? I swear if you don't, I will kill you." Axel chuckled, nodding at her, "believe me, I think Laurel put you on the top of the list." Madilyn pulled away smirking, "of course she did." The three went silent, basking in this moment before Madilyn decided to time travel. Madilyn nodded, "I have to go to the bunker and get my things and say goodbye to everyone else." The two nodded.
Madilyn walked towards the door and opened it ready to be sucked into a whole new chapter of her life. Before she could leave she heard Thea say her name which resulted in the Merlyn turning around. Thea smirked, "don't get into a spaceship with a madman." Madilyn scoffed rolling her eyes at Thea, "are you quoting Doctor Who to me right now?" Thea shrugged, the smirk still on her face, "you're about to time travel on a timeship. Of course I'm gonna quote Doctor Who." Madilyn nodded, grinning at the girl. She looked at them one last time and walked out the door towards the bunker where everyone else was.
~
Madilyn rode her bike to the location to see everyone there already. Madilyn had said her goodbyes to everyone in the Arrowcave, or that's what Felicity calls it anyway. She had also switched her car out for her bike, seeing as it would be easier for the team to pick it up after she left. Everyone turned their attention to the woman on the bike with a small duffel bag on her back. She stopped the bike and took her helmet off to see some of the people with wierd looks on their faces. Madilyn furrowed her eyebrows, "what? I wasn't in the mood to walk all the way here." She got off the bike and walked up to the group with her duffel bag seeing the kid past out in the old man, Stein's, car. Madilyn scoffed, "And I don't think he was in the mood to come at all," she said pointing at the kid.
The man in the parka, Snart, looked at Kendra, "you don't look too happy to be here." "Perceptive," she told the man sarcastically. Madilyn then saw Rip magically appear in front of them, again. "Well, I see you've all decided to come. Well then, we can be on our way," the man seemed to hurriedly say turning around to walk away. Snart folded his arms, "I ain't footing it anywhere." Madilyn was confused on where the man was going, seeing as the direction he was going was towards the river. He saw the disbelief in each of there eyes and sighed, "a time master's sacred charge is to do no harm to the timeline. Can you imagine what a timeship would look like in, say, Victorian England?"
Stein's eyes widened in astonishment, "holographic indigenous camouflage projection." Everyone else, with the exception of Ray and Madilyn, didn't understand a word the man said. Madilyn decided to clue them in since they had no idea what that was, "the timeship can turn invisible." Everyone seemed to now understand what the professor was trying to say earlier. Rip smirked, "indeed." The brit pressed a button which made the timeship instantly appear. Everyone seemed amazed at how big the ship seemed to be.
"It's called the Waverider. It's been my ship for over a decade. Shall we?" Rip told/asked the group. Everyone walked towards the ship amazed while Stein asked Mick to carry the kid inside. They all boarded the ship, looking around amazed at all the tech. Ray and Stein seemed to start talking nerd talk which Madilyn was not interested in. She walked away from the group getting a tad clausterphobic. She turned down a hallway but heard someone else walking towards her. She stopped and sighed, "you know Snart, it's creepy to stare." "Oh, I wasn't staring, I was observing. That's all," the man cooly told her.
She scoffed and turned around to see his eyes weren't looking at her face. She rolled her eyes, "my eyes are up here, Cold." Snart chuckled at the woman, "I know." Madilyn just crossed her arms, "why'd you follow me?" Snart simply shrugged finally looking up at her, "you intrigue me." Madilyn furrowed her eyebrows confused at his words. He continued, "you just seem too smart to be an assassin." Madilyn shrugged, "I payed attention in school," she said being vague about her answer. But, Snart wasn't done poking, "if you're so smart, it pegs the question: why did you become an assassin?" Madilyn tensed at the question and Snart noticed it. Madilyn's expression immediately turned angry and annoyed, "it's none of your damn business, Cold." Madilyn immediately walked away after that, obviously pissed.
Madilyn walked onto the bridge of the ship to see everyone was there. Carter and Kendra walked out of another hallway amazed at everything, "I have never seen anything like this before." Madilyn walked over to Sara's side still angry and the blonde assassin noticed. Sara nudged Madilyn to get her attention and reassuringly smiled at her. Madilyn nodded in thanks at the younger of the Lance sisters in being able to calm her down a little bit. She then heard Carter talk, "neither have I, and considering I have 4,000 years worth of memories, that's saying something."
Madilyn whispered to Sara, "yeah, it's saying he's a cocky bastard." Sara grinned trying to hold in her laugh but failing miserably. Stein looked like he was a kid in Disney World, "how does a vessel of this size function without a crew?" Rip simply stated he didn't need one, "I have Gideon." Madilyn was confused until she saw the projection of a head, 'welcome aboard. I am Gideon, an interactive artificial consciousness programmed to operate this vessel's critical systems and aid Captain Hunter in his mission.' Madilyn rose an eyebrow at the word 'Captain'.
It seems that Snart was thinking the same thing, "Captain?" "Gideon's been working on helping me locate Vandal Savage," the brit explained. Ray was confused, "I thought you said he's pretty active in the 22nd century." Madilyn sighed at Ray's stupidity but was going to let someone else comment, seeing as she didn't want to go off on him. Stein decided to comment on Ray's earlier sentence, "perhaps engaging Savage at the height of his powers isn't the best strategy." Ray looked down understanding his mistake. Rip nodded at the professor, "indeed. Unfortunately, Savage has kept his movements hidden throughout history. Not even Gideon can determine where or when we can find him. But I have the next best thing: the man who can. Professor Aldus Boardman."
Madilyn walked closer to the table to see a picture of the man pop up. She felt like she's seen this man before, not in person, but somewhere. "Professor Boardman is the world's leading -- well, only -- expert on Vandal Savage. We're gonna pay him a little visit." 'Course plotted for St. Roch, New Orleans.' Madilyn and Carter both repeated the name 'St. Roch' feeling like they've heard it before. Then it popped in Madilyn's head that Laurel and Thea had recovered a tape about someone explaining who Savage is. Professor Boardman. 'October 17, 1975.'
Rip ran towards the center chair, "I suggest you all strap yourselves in. Temperol navigation isn't something one wants to be standing up for." The brit sat in the seat, pulling the straps down while everyone found a seat. Madilyn set her duffel bag down next to her chair, which was in between Sara and Snart. She pulled the straps down hearing a voice, "time travel. Cool." Madilyn looked at Mick's face, seeing excitement plastered on it, and smirked at the criminal. But, the brit had to scare everyone, "some of you may experience some slight discomfort. In very rare instances, there will be some, uh, bleeding from the eyeballs." The last part the time traveler whispering.
Kendra looked at the man disbelievingly, "I'm sorry, what?" Madilyn chuckled, "lovely." Rip started up the ship, "the human body is used to time unfolding linearly." And, at just the perfect timing, the kid wakes up and freaks out. "Jackson, I'm so glad you're awake. I didn't want you to miss this," the professor tells the kid. Madilyn shook her head at the man and looked at the two sitting next to her, "I'm pretty sure that's child abduction." Sara and Snart smirked at her comment. Jackson looks around, "miss what?" He then widens his eyes, "What the--"
Rip tells the kid to not unfasten his straps which doesn't really help the kid's anger. "Get me off this -- whatever this thing is!" Jackson yelled at Stein. Sara smirked, "good luck explaining this." Stein just simply looked at the woman, "I did him a favor." Madilyn laughed at the exchange, everyone knowing full well it wasn't a favor for the kid. "He doesn't look all that greatful," Snart told the old man with a smirk plastered on his face as well.
Rip was annoyed by the bickering, "just hang on and remain calm. All your worlds are about to change."