And then I'm no longer walking. I'm in my own body, consciously aware of each movement and sound. I feel no effect of having gone through five years in the tower of fate, though I've retained all manner of cosmic and occult knowledge. In fact, it feels like nearly no time has passed at all.
Best of all, Nabu has faded from my vision.
An explosion rattles the ground. Alarms all around Arkham blare loudly. Guards run into position. An officer places a bag over my head, then Ed's. My friend furiously flails and fights his kidnapper to no use.
"Sara!" Dr. Quinzel screams. "Release her, immediatey!"
"Sorry, doc. I'm on special orders from Oswald Cobblepot, himself!"
Harleen heaves an understanding, amused sigh. "Be careful with her."
Our guards remove our blindfolds once we're safe in a warehouse far away from the asylum.
I gasp upon laying eyes on my friend. "Ed!"
The Riddler is just as surprised to see me normal. "Sara? Are you still cuckoo?"
My fingers wriggle under my command. My mouth no longer whispers tales of the vast universe. I feel myself. Everything is still intact. My dirty blonde hair drips down to my waist, and perhaps it's been a while since I've been fed a good meal, but I'm alive. I'm alive and free at last, but not quite.
My fingers find the back of my neck. The nano bomb is still blinking inside my skull. Before I do anything else, I'll have to find the one person who might be able to remove it.
"I think so," I say. "What about you?"
He struggles to speak. Instead, he hugs me. "I'm just happy you're back. You have to tell Oswald!"
"I will, I will. I have to find Lucius Fox, first. I need him to take out the bomb from my head. I can't return to the Suicide Squad."
Riddler adjusts his bowler hat upon his brow. "Would you like me to accompany you?"
"I think I can handle it." I nod to the briefcase before us. "Besides, it looks like you've got a date with destiny."
I travel through the warehouse doors and breathe in the fresh scent of the docks. Gotham's bay streams to my right. The city bustles and hums to my left. Pride and joy surge in my chest. I release a loud scream to the sky. Sera Gordon is--
No, that's not right.
Sera Gordon is dead.
Sara Lance is alive and rising. She's here and ready to take on this big, wide world.
I use my speed to my advantage and run through the streets of my home. My chest is free and light. My heart pounds with excitement. I've never felt so free.
Where would Lucius Fox be? My eyes flutter shut amongst the city-goers. When I left him, he was a tech for Wayne Enterprise. Residual divination grants me the sight to see the older man in his office in the lower levels of the newly built Wayne Tower.
Wasting no time, I enter the tower and call upon the elevator to Wayne's Research and Development levels. Perhaps I should've thought about changing out of my inmate attire, for I'm given many strange looks by fellow employees and guests.
I don't have the time nor care to pay attention to them.
Amanda Waller is crawling her way out of the dog pen as we speak. She's pulling on every government string and blackmail to free herself from prison, but she won't stop there. No, Amanda won't stop until she's ruling Task Force X once more. She's learned from her mistakes, and she's determined not to make them again. I can't let her reel me back in.
I will never go back to the squad. Ever.
"Lucius!" I enter his office without knocking. Alfred Pennyworth sits in the chair across from the chairman.
Shock is apparent on both of their faces. They stand, horrified and relieved at the sight of the woman they thought to be crazy, now completely sane. Well, perhaps not entirely sane.
"Sara."
"My lord," Alfred whispers. "They said you died. It was all over the news. You're a national hero, you know. How on Earth are you here?"
"I had a god in my head," I explain as simply as I can. "It's been a long five years. I came because I need your help, Mr. Fox."
Lucius folds his hands in his lap. "What can I do for you, Miss Lance?"
"Amanda Waller conveniently forgot to remove the bomb from my head." I sweep my hair to the side. "Can you help me?"
Their eyes remain wide.
Lucius examines the device under a careful eye. "It's deeply implanted into the base of your skull. Since it's been idle for so many years, your muscles have simply grown over them. Aside from that, we'll have to disarm the bomb before taking it out."
"Alright, so it's just another day in the park, right?" Alfred asks.
The other man bites on his upper lip. "Unfortunately not. It seems ARGUS didn't want anyone being able to disarm these things. Fortunately for us, we have the equipment to override any explosive."
I finally breathe easy. "Oh, great!"
"There's a catch. That piece of equipment is locked away in the archives at the top of the tower. Even I don't have clearance up there."
The butler's brows knit together. "But Master Bruce cleared you for every floor before he left, Mr. Fox."
"That's what I called you, Alfred. The board members of Wayne Enterprises have decided to vote Bruce out of his own company. Until he returns to settle things with his chair members, I'm all but powerless."
Pennyworth rests in his chair once more. "Oh, bugger. Who knows how long it'll take Master B to get down here. We've got to come up with something in the meantime."
"What if I just steal it?" I blurt out.
"Excuse me?"
"It's only like forty floors up, right? What if I just steal the equipment and bring it down?"
The butler and the tech exchange glances.
"I mean, I guess that could work. You'll only have to deal with a couple of security guards and a lock I'm sure you could break."
Lucius produces an image on his phone. "This is what it'll look like. It'll be in Sector fifty-eight. Floor forty-one. Got it?"
"Sure."
"Ahem, you might want to change, Miss."
I glance down at my inmate garb. "I don't have anything else."
Again, Lucius is the man of the hour. With a click of a button, he reveals some kind of superhero suit. It's my old Cardinal suit, but different. Instead of being a leotard, he's tailored thick pants to the original piece. The white and silver material completely covers my chest, and it's even been given a stylish coat.
"I can't believe you kept this."
"Jim asked if I would keep it safe. I made a few modifications in my spare time. I hope you don't mind."
It's not black, but perhaps that's a good thing.
"I don't mind at all."
I change into the suit, jacket, gloves, and boots in the restroom. I take the first elevator up to the correct floor. As soon as I step foot on the marble, the lights flicker. I grip the staff tightly between my gloves.
Something tells me the security guards won't be my only problem.
As Lucius said, Sector Fifty-Eight is guarded by nothing but a simple lock. I kick it off and retrieve the device from a bin on the shelf.
When I exit, the lights flicker more rapidly. Something in my chest rises in a panic. Someone or something is here.
I break into a sprint for the elevator. I feel the collision before I see it. Someone's punched me, hard. I trip backward, planting full body on the floor. The assailant straddles me.
"What do you want with this equipment?" It shouts.
I force my eyes open, pushing aside the discomfort and discombobulation. A man is dressed in all black armor. A mask covers the top half of his face. I've seen every manner of hero and villain in my day, but I have never seen someone so striking.
Fate whispers his name to me.
"History has been waiting on you, Bat."
He socks another punch to my mouth. "Did Waller send you? You're supposed to be locked up in Arkham, or was that just a cover for her illegal acts?"
I regurgitate the blood onto the floor of his own building. "Nope, I was really crazy."
"Where is—"
I scream against his chest. It's not my intention to hurt the kid, but I'm running a short clock.
Batman hits the back wall. He uses the momentum to push off the surface and land a sharp hit against my stomach. I drop to my knees and forcefully trip the vigilante with my metal staff.
"I just need Lucius to take the bomb out of my head!" I shout, pinning him to the ground with my screams. "Ask him. Ask him why he cannot access his own company."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not on the squad anymore. Zatanna Zatara and John Constantine freed me from the Lords' grasp." I release him from my hold. "I sought out Lucius to help me return to a normal life. I'm only up here because the chair members voted Mr. Fox out. Get your company in order, Mr. Wayne."
He mimics my motion. In a single swoop, he has me pinned the ground again. "How do you know who I am?"
"I put on the Helm of Fate, Bruce. I have seen everything."
"Swear to me you won't tell anyone, Sara. Promise me!"
"I promise, Batman! I promise. That's not my secret to tell, anyways. Now, I believe both you and I have our destinies to fulfill."
Batman offers me a hand from the ground. "It's good to see you, Sara. Tell Lucius he needs to make a few upgrades to the suit. I felt no protection against your scream."
"He's a busy man," I smirk. "Welcome home, Bruce."
I return to Lucius' office beat half to hell. Alfred has already gone ahead to open Bruce's Welcome Back party.
"He didn't give you much trouble, did he?"
I wince as he slices open multiple layers of muscle to reach the bomb. "Not much. He said he didn't feel much protection against the vibrations of my screams. Said he needs it upgraded."
Lucius chuckles. "I am not a miracle worker, but I'll see what I can do. Mind if I run a few tests with your Cardinal Cry? Just for future use, of course."
"Feel free. What's it looking like back there?"
"Well, bloody," he admits. "When did you get this tattoo? It's awfully precise."
"What tattoo?"
"I don't mean to worry you Sara, but Doctor Fate's symbol has perfectly tattooed into your neck. Do you think it's a bad sign?"
For the first time, I don't. I trust Zatanna's work in my head. I remember when Fate cast his protection spell over Dinah, his symbol appeared on her skin. It disappeared after a few days. Maybe this was Kent's last protection order over my life.
He carefully removes the bomb from my skull and stitches up the laceration. I finally feel like I can breathe. For the first time in nearly a decade, I can take in a full breath of polluted air. There's no worry that my life will be gone at the touch of a button.
No one is in control over me.
I am free.