"Come on, guys. I'm sure we can figure something out, we are a bunch of smart people after all." Barry commented after a moment of no one saying anything.
"We have to consider how we're gonna break this thing, if we even can." Cisco remarked.
"Preferably restoring things to a reality where the weasel is still gone." Snart spoke up.
"Leonard." Shannon said in a warning tone.
"Hang on a second, who's the weasel?" Barry questioned.
"Harald Forkbeard, Shannon and my cousin. Leonard holds a tiny bit of a grudge." Snart scoffed.
"A little bit of a grudge. Yeah, that's one way of putting it." Emma glanced at Snart for a moment before continuing.
"I think we might be able to break the curse, if we can figure out how Rohan did it. It's sorta like finding a cure for a poison. Hard to find-"
"If you don't know what the poison is." Frost finished. Emma nodded.
"Exactly. We just need someone who could tell us. Preferable someone close to Rohan." She finished. Shannon pointed at Hiccup.
"Didn't you mention that you had a contact that helped you track Rohan here? Amos?"
"Wait, as in Amos the thief from the Northern Markets?" Emma questioned.
"Yeah, that's the one. How did you-" Hiccup started, but Emma cut him off.
"In the other reality, you and the other Dragon Riders love telling stories. The one about the Sandbuster beach has to be one of my favorites." She answered. Hiccup put his hands on his hips.
"Well, in any case, Amos won't be much help. Even if he wanted to help us, he was killed at the Northern Markets after he helped me track Rohan here."
"What about Viggo?" Snart questioned. "We could go back in time and pull him from the timeline right before he died." He added.
"Why would Viggo want to help us?" Hiccup questioned, crossing his arms.
"Well, he did die trying to save you from the Hunters. In the other reality, he mysteriously appeared out of nowhere six years after he died, or so I heard." Emma explained. Hiccup shook his head.
"That never happened.." Emma blinked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Viggo, he died trying to kill Astrid. At the volcano." Hiccup stated, looking at Emma.
"Oh, of course. I saved Viggo from getting burned alive when the volcano exploded. Without me, Viggo would've died that day. Which he did." Shannon remarked. Snart threw a hand in the air as he paced around the cortex.
"Great. Everyone that could help us is either dead or missing and we have nothing." Shannon's brow suddenly furrowed.
"Wait a minute, that's not true."
"What do you mean?" Shannon glanced over at Frost.
"I have this contact, and I think he might be able to help us."
"Well, why haven't you mentioned this before?" Hiccup questioned.
"Because he might not be very compliant. Especially after what you did to him." Shannon remarked, glancing at Hiccup.
"Wait, is your contact who I think he is?" Shannon nodded. "Are you kidding me?" Hiccup asked.
"I never kid about contacts." Shannon stated.
"You know, feel free to loop us in at anytime you'd like." Frost spoke up, gesturing around the room with her finger.
"She's going to talk to Ryan Paulson." Hiccup affirmed.
"Shannon, going after Rohan's informants isn't gonna work, you saw how it worked out for the Dragon Queen over here." Cisco remarked, gesturing to Hiccup, who glared at him.
"Well, that's because Hiccup was using different, more violent, tactics. I know quite a bit about Paulson. He's not a bad guy, per say. He just hung around the wrong crowd. Made some bad choices. Something I'm sure everyone in this room can relate to that." Shannon glanced around the room and walked out.
Emma looked down the hall for a moment before she spoke.
"I've been looking through the Concordance Research database, and so far I've found squat. But there's still a lot of files to search." Cisco looked at Frost, who nodded, before turning to Emma.
"Frost and I can help you search." Emma nodded.
"Sounds good." Hiccup glanced at Barry.
"Y'know, speaking of contacts, I still have a list of people in the city Rohan is connected to. I could use a hand tracking them down." Barry shrugged.
"Yeah, I could lend you a hand. Just as long as it's peaceful." Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"Whatever." He said, begrudgingly. Cisco glanced over at Snart.
"Would you look at that? He's like a younger you." Snart glared at Cisco for a moment before walking off.
"Wait, where are you going?" Barry questioned.
"I am going to repair my gun before we face off with Rohan, because believe me, when we do, I'm gonna make sure that this time he stays dead." With that, Snart walked off.
"What?" Barry questioned. Emma shrugged.
"Last time we had a big face off with Rohan, Leonard shot him with a rifle and, well, it didn't stick, so...." Emma trailed off and then followed after Snart. "Hey, Leonard, can we talk for a second?" Emma questioned, catching up to him. Snart stopped walking.
"What's up?" Emma glanced down the hallway, bringing her hands together.
"I think when this is all over we should tell people about us." Snart looked conflicted.
"Emma....."
"Leonard, look. I know you're concerned about how the others, mainly my sister, are gonna react, but are you sure that's the only reason why?" Snart sighed and took both of Emma's hands.
"Okay, look. Felons don't exactly get shots like this. Shots at love. I just don't want to mess things up. I'm afraid about putting pressure on us, 'cause that's when things are probably gonna go south. It has nothing to do with your sister."
Snart thought for a second before he continued.
"Okay, maybe it does a little bit. She packs a mean punch." Emma chuckled. She looked at him for a moment before she placed her hand on his chest, still smiling.
"Love, huh?" Snart smiled too, and shrugged.
"Why not?" Emma kissed him, her hand resting on the back of his head, eyes closed.
"I love you too." She murmured before she walked off. Meanwhile, across town on the twentieth floor at Concordance Research, Ryan Paulson was sitting at his desk, typing away, when his intercom beeped.
"Mr. Paulson, there's a woman here too see you. She claims she's from Central City Citizen." Paulson's brow furrowed, but then he shrugged.
"Alright, send her in."
A moment later, Shannon walked through the door, wearing her long black winter coat, which still had hints of snow on it.
"Mr. Paulson?" Paulson stood up.
"Yes, come in." Shannon walked into the office.
"I'm glad you let me in, there's something I need to talk to you about." Paulson nodded and gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
"Of course, have a seat." Shannon nodded and sat down as Paulson sat down too.
"So, you're from the Citizen?" Shannon shrugged.
"I was." Paulson held up a hand.
"Wait, so what, you got fired? Or did you quit?" He questioned.
"Neither. I think things might be clarified a bit if I told you my name. Shannon Pine." Paulson's breathing hitched.
"I just realized I am late for something." He managed to say, standing up. Shannon stood up quickly.
"No, please, don't. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just here to talk. Okay? So, just sit back down and let's talk." Paulson swallowed and he sat back down.
"Thank you. So, I assume since you panicked just then, Rohan's told you about me." Paulson nodded.
"And that means you-"
"Know about the other realm? Yup. I know more than you'd think." Shannon cleared her throat.
"Yeah, you'd be surprised." Before the curse, Shannon used to go to Paulson all the time for information. That's how Snart knew that Paulson was part of Rohan's contacts.
"Let me guess, Rohan is why you came down here?" Shannon nodded.
"Yes, he is."
"Look, Ms. Pine, I'd love to help you, but I cannot. Do you know what Rohan does to people who sell him out?" Shannon opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped when she saw Paulson shiver. She glanced over at the broken window Hiccup had jumped out of a few nights earlier, which was where the cold February air was coming from. Shannon muttered something under her breath, waving her hand towards it. The window repaired itself, good as new.
"Thanks." Paulson muttered, relieved, but still slightly annoyed by her presence.
Shannon sighed and pulled out her phone, walking closer to Paulson, who was still sitting at his desk.
"Okay, Paulson, I've got something to tell you about your boss." Shannon looked at the picture she had pulled up for a moment before she it to showed Paulson. It has a picture of the Dragon Riders in the clubhouse at Dragon's Edge.
"You see them?" Paulson nodded.
"Yes?" Shannon pointed to herself and Hiccup.
"Everyone but me and him are dead." Paulson looked up abruptly.
"What?" Shannon nodded.
"Yup. Your so called boss came to the island of Berk and killed them and the rest of the Hooligan Tribe all in less than a day. That's hundreds of innocent people dead." Paulson didn't know what to think. Shannon sat back down in the chair.
"Look, I'm not telling you this for a guilt trip or anything. I just want you to know the kind of guy Rohan is." Shannon went into her purse and pulled out a business card with her number on it.
"And that if you help me, there is the chance I can set things right. That I can bring my friends, my family, back."
Shannon stood up and saw the look on Paulson's face.
"Just think about it, okay?" With that, Shannon walked out of the office. Paulson looked at the card for a moment before he threw it into the garbage, not wanting to think about it. He couldn't think about it. Rohan would have him killed if he learned he had even considered it. Hours later, Paulson was still in his office when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." That's when the last person he wanted to see walked into the office. Rohan. Rohan with his auburn hair and sinister gray eyes.
"I heard you had a visitor."
"How can news travel that fast?" Paulson thought.
Rohan glanced at the window.
"Shawn told me he broke a window on the way out." Paulson immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. Rohan was talking about Hiccup, not Shannon.
"Well, you know Shawn and his stories." Paulson remarked with a shrug. Rohan nodded.
"That is true. I do hope he didn't learn anything about any of our allies." Paulson shook his head.
"No, of course not." Rohan nodded again.
"Good. I've heard from some of our allies that he and the Flash are working together, which is why I have come to you." Rohan turned around, slowly walking towards the window.
"I want you to find out who the Flash is and have him killed. I don't care if it's messy or public, just get it done. We can't have him interfering in our plans."
"But, Rohan, you don't under-" Rohan cut Paulson off without looking back at him.
"Whether he saved your life or not, The Flash is conspiring with our enemies, therefore he's to be dealt with like an enemy." Rohan turned around.
"Do you understand?" Paulson nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Good man. Don't be a stranger." With that, Rohan departed the room. Paulson sighed and bit his lip. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.
That's when he glanced down at the garbage pail. Paulson picked it up and dumped the contents on his desk, picking up the card with Shannon's number. It was his only option.