Blood in the Water

"Do you really think it wise to go trapsing out there when we don't know where or when we are?" Hermione asked Rip rhetorically as the team made their way off the ship.

"No," he answered shortly. "But unfortunately for us, Gideon's systems took quite the hit thanks to Chronos and I won't be able to know where and when we are until I'm actually on the ground."

"How useless," Leonard muttered.

As they reached the loading bay, Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Why am I coming with you all again?"

"Aren't you a little bit curious about where we're at?" Jax asked.

"No. If we're lucky, we're somewhere boring. If we're unlucky- and let's be honest, 'unlucky' is an adjective that describes this team rather well- we're going to walk straight into a dangerous situation. Either way, I see no point in getting off this ship."

Mick snorted as the door opened. "Too late to change your mind now."

The smell of smoke and ash hit them and, as the door fully opened, the team looked out into hazy darkness.

"Oh yes," Hermione laughed. "This is the smell of hope and safety."

Rip pulled out his blaster and cautiously led the way down the ramp.

The Waverider appeared to have landed on a rooftop- and how it didn't bring the building smashing down under it when it crash landed was a mystery to Hermione. She could hear the sound of crackling flames and distant explosions. Spotting a set of stairs to their left, she made her way towards it and down onto the street. In for a penny, in for a pound.

When she stepped onto the pavement, Hermione found exactly what she had been expecting to: a warzone. There were multiple fires of varying strength as far as the eye could see and the street was covered in debris from destroyed buildings and cars, hunks of metal, concrete, and glass covering almost every bit of space.

"Gideon camouflage the ship," Rip ordered, fingers tightening on his blaster. "This doesn't look like the type of place where we want to be lingering out in the open."

Glancing behind them, Hermione watched at the Waverider flickered and then disappeared from view.

"That looks a lot like a Palmer Tech building," Ray announced. Following his gaze, Hermione stared up at what seemed to be the only remaining skyscraper in the demolished city. "But why does it have a Smoak logo on it?"

"This is Star City," Sara realized, turning on Rip. "I thought you said the timeline was safe!"

Pulling out a device from his pocket, Rip told her, "Yes, Star City was intact in 2016. This… this is 2046."

Savage, Hermione thought, glancing over at Ray. His name would be even easier to find than mine once it started appearing in the media.

A hooded figure jumped onto an overturned car, clutching a bow in his hands. "Don't move," he ordered in a mechanical voice and Rip pointed his blaster at him.

"Thank god," Sara sighed, stepping towards him.

"I said don't move!"

"It's me," she called. "It's Sara."

"Hey, Oliver, look," Ray also shouted, moving to join Sara. "I know it's been a long time. But don't you remember that Rip Hunter recruited us to become legends?"

The figure shifted and his face appeared in the firelight. It wasn't the Green Arrow of 2016- it wasn't Oliver Queen.

"I never heard of any legends," he told them, pulling an arrow from his quiver and sending it soaring into the building behind them where it exploded upon impact.

Mick shot a wave of fire at the man, who pulled out another arrow and shot it at something far above the team's heads. A wire appeared in the air and the man hooked his bow to it and began sailing towards them.

"Get back!" Rip ordered, diving out of the way.

Hermione shifted to the side, pulling out her wand and sending a Slicing Hex through the wire, causing the man to fall to the ground.

"This guy a friend of yours?" Mick shouted at Sara and Ray. "I don't like him!"

The man landed on his feet and raced towards a pile of rubble. Hermione ran parallel to him, ducking behind chunks of what appeared to be fallen concrete walls.

"Hermione!" she heard Carter calling out from somewhere behind her, but she ignored him. If she found the right position, she could take him down easily.

Rip, Leonard, and Mick started to return fire as the man kept shooting a mixture of explosive and non-explosive arrows at them. Hermione continued watching from the shadows, moving with their attacker as he jumped from place to place. If he continued to use the pattern of movements he had so far, then she'd be able to catch him with his next jump.

The man jumped onto a long steel beam laying on top of a large chunk of concrete right in front of where Hermione had positioned herself and she threw a Stunning Spell and Binding Jinx at him in quick succession. As he began to fall to the ground, she cast a Levitation Charm so he hovered a meter or so above the ground.

"I've got him!" she shouted to the rest of the team. "Are we bringing him back to the ship or would you like me to find somewhere to stash him?"

"Bring him back to the ship," Sara ordered, stepping out from where she had been taking cover, Rip right on her heels. "I want to know what the hell is going on."

"No," Rip countered. "That isn't necessary. Just find somewhere safe to leave him."

"And we're not just killing him why?" Mick questioned as he and Leonard joined them, Jax, Martin, Kendra, Carter, and Ray slowly making their way over.

"Because he's unconscious and it'd be murder," Kendra answered dryly.

"So?"

"We can't keep standing around," Carter stated. "We need to make a decision."

"There's no reason to bring him with us," Rip snapped.

"This place is a warzone," Sara countered. "This is my home- we need to know what happened so we can fix this."

"The timeline is malleable," the captain reminded them. "In flux until it is set. This future is not set. But, if we are not careful, it will be. Remember when I told you it was dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures? Well, the events that you dread could very well come to be due to your actions to prevent them."

"He telling the truth?" Leonard asked Hermione.

She slowly nodded, lips pursed as she met Carter's gaze for a moment before looking away.

If the Time Masters really were running the show here, then that meant the team was supposed to come here. The question that needed to be answered was why. Why did they want them here? What were they supposed to do?

"This timeline isn't real," Hermione finally told the group. "It's a possibility- nothing more and nothing less. The moment we leave here is the moment it stops existing. However, our actions when we return back to 2016 may cause this to become reality if we make even one mistake."

"What do you mean?" asked Jax.

"This timeline we're in is one that was created when we were removed from the timeline in 2016- this is what the future looks like without us in it."

Shouting could be heard in the distance and Martin glanced around nervously. "Perhaps we should follow Captain Hunter's orders and make our way back to the Waverider before someone else finds us."

"What a capital idea," Rip drawled.

Hermione ended the Levitation Charm, allowing their attacker to fall to the ground with a thud. Reaching out to grab his arm, she Apparated them to a random rooftop and left him propped-up in a corner full of shadows. After placing a single Notice-Me-Not Charm on him in case anyone unfriendly found their way up there, Hermione returned to the group and they quickly made their way back to the ship.

The moment they were safely aboard, Sara grabbed Hermione. "So, what we just saw is how Star City looks in a future without us?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she answered, tamping down her annoyance. Hermione understood that Sara was concerned about the future of her home, but she had more pressing issues that needed to be dealt with right then. "But there are more factors than that. To be specific, this is a future timeline where we all simply disappeared and none of our loved ones hear from us again. This timeline will disappear once we leave."

"How do you know that?" she demanded, eyes wild. "What happens if we die? If we don't make it back, will this future happen?"

"No, because, as I just told you, this is the future in a timeline where we all simply disappeared and no one ever knows what happened to us. Should you or Ray die, then your loved ones will be informed and that will change the timeline."

"I don't know, 'disappeared' and 'dead' aren't all that different when you think about it," Ray interjected uneasily. "Either way, we're not there."

"Perhaps. But how loved ones react to one compared to the other can vary," Hermione responded coolly. "After all, if you're just missing then there's a chance you'll come back one day. If they know you're dead, then they won't bother hoping."

"Miss Granger!" Rip snapped as Sara, Ray, and Martin flinched back.

Rolling her eyes, she turned to face him. "You of all people should be aware of the dangers of sugar-coating the truth to this group. Our focus needs to be on fixing the Waverider and getting out of here as soon as we can, not sitting around dwelling on what ifs and worst-case scenarios. None of this is real; none of this matters."

"True, but a bit of tact may have been called for."

"We're all adults," Hermione disagreed. "If anyone here isn't capable of handling honesty, then they should go home."

"How about we just focus on getting the Waverider working again," Kendra offered. "I think everyone here gets the situation now- the timeline isn't real, it'll disappear when we do, so we should just focus on getting out of here without worrying about unnecessary things."

Looking away from Hermione, Rip nodded. "Mr. Jackson, Mr. Palmer, why don't you assist me in the engine room? Everyone else, take a walk through the ship and make sure all our supplies survived the crash."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Hermione turned to face the rest of the team. "Right, I think this will go a lot quicker if we all split up. Carter, Martin, and I will go walk through the rooms on the east side of the ship, Kendra and Sara can walk through the ones on the west side, and Leonard and Mick can take the ones on the second floor. Any questions?"

"Yeah, who died and left you in charge?" Mick grumbled but there was no real heat in his tone.

"Fine by me," Carter shrugged, glancing over at Martin. "Sound good to you?"

"Of course," he agreed, eyes darting between Hermione and Carter.

Spinning on her heel, Hermione led the two men up the stairs and down the hall to the east wing of the ship. Opening the door to the Medbay, she waited for Carter and Martin to step into the room ahead of her before slipping inside and locking the door behind her. After throwing up several privacy spells, she turned to look at Martin.

"It's time to have that chat."

"Remarkable," Martin repeated for the tenth time, eyes hazy and distant. "Absolutely remarkable."

"Not the word I used when I first heard, but alright," Carter muttered from where he sat next to Hermione on one of the beds.

Martin's gaze sharpened as he refocused on them. "Do you really think it's possible for the Time Masters to have a machine that lets them not only see multiple futures, but also allows them to pick one and then lock time so that it inevitably comes to pass?"

"We already know they have the technology to view the future," she told him with a shrug. "The idea of them having something that allows them to check how a future will look after a certain course of action is taken isn't too much of a stretch."

"And you haven't spoken to Rip about this?" he verified.

"No, and neither will you," Carter stated. "It's too risky to do that without proof. He's still loyal to the Time Masters, and we can't risk him doing something stupid."

"Fair enough," Martin agreed, frowning. "So then, going off your theory, you believe that the Time Masters had us come here for a reason?"

Hermione nodded. "There must be something here that we need to either find or do that impacts the future. Unfortunately for us, I have no idea what that might be."

Drumming his fingers on an empty tray, Martin asked, "Do we want to do or find whatever the Time Masters brought us here for, or do we want to try and avoid it?"

"If they do have some way of manipulating the situation, then I doubt it matters," Carter sighed. "One way or another, they'll make sure that we do what they want."

"Yes, but perhaps we can lessen the impact," the scientist offered eagerly. "If it's a piece of information we're supposed to find that will lead us to some point in time they want us to go to, then finding it before the others may allow us to suss out their intentions and present the information to the team in a way that keeps their goal from being fully achieved."

Considering his words for a moment, Hermione finally shrugged. "I suppose it can't hurt to try. At the very least, we need to figure out a way of testing our theories and find out how far we can push things before the Time Masters start pushing back."

The Medbay door opened, Gideon overriding the lock Hermione had engaged on the door.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Hall, Dr. Stein," Rip greeted, poking his head through the entryway. "Hard at work I see."

Hermione raised a brow at him. "The room is in order, isn't it?"

"It is indeed. Dr. Stein, please join Mr. Jefferson and Dr. Palmer in the Engine Room- your assistance is needed to repair the propulsion system. Miss Granger, Mr. Hall- come with me."

Sharing a glance, Carter and Hermione nod at Martin before following Rip down the hall.

Glancing down at the dark object clasped in Rip's hand, Hermione asked, "What have you got there?"

"A job for both of you, Mr. Snart, and Mr. Rory," he answered vaguely.

Once they found the two thieves in the Cargo Bay, Rip explained that the Neuromorphic Interface for Gideon's logic and navigation matrix had been damaged and without it, Gideon would be unable to function. "Fortunately for us, Palmer Tech was working on self-learning, Neuromorphic Cortex back in 2016 and Dr. Palmer believes they would have a prototype by now," he finished.

Mick took the rectangular interface from him, studying it closely. "It's not money, it's not jewels, and it's not a valuable artifact," he stated flatly. "You're just lucky I'll steal anything right about now."

"As I suspected," Rip responded dryly.

"We'll get your gizmo," Leonard said, pulling on his gloves. "You just get this bucket flying again."

"I have a question," Hermione announced, leaning on a metal container between Leonard and Mick. "Am I allowed to touch the gizmo or will my magic fry it if I come into contact with it?"

"Ah," Rip nodded. "Yes, excellent question. Considering how delicate the interface is, it'd be best if a good amount of distance was kept between you and it."

"You magic fries technology?" Mick asked, carefully pulling his gun away from her.

"Sometimes. But it seems that everything on this ship has some sort of shield around it that protects it from my magic. Then again, I haven't done any truly powerful spells yet."

"Please don't," Rip sighed.

"Please do," Leonard countered with a grin.

"Why am I here?" Carter interrupted, moving away from a weapon's case he was idly inspecting. "I'm not a thief, so I don't understand why I'm not somewhere else right now."

Before Rip could answer, Sara marched into the room, having changed into her White Canary suit. "I'm coming with," she announced, pulling her coat on.

Rip shook his head and scoffed, "No, no you are not. You're too emotionally connected to the city." When Sara ignored him, he reminded her, "We've been over this!"

"I'm over you," Sara finally snapped, moving to stand in front of Rip. "You got us on a mission to change the timeline for yourself, and you won't even let us look at our futures? Now, I know this city better than anyone else, and you're gonna need me out there. So, either I'm coming with you, or we can find out if the Time Masters are as good at teaching people to fight as the League of Assassins."

After several tense seconds of Rip and Sara silently staring each other down, Hermione sighed loudly and pulled out her wand, binding Sara from shoulders to knees with thick ropes and sending her falling to the ground with a thud.

"Alright," she said over Sara's shout of surprise, marching over to the blond. "I've had just about enough out of you."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sara demanded, struggling uselessly against the ropes.

"Well, considering Rip's failed spectacularly at getting the truth of this situation through your thick skull, I'm going to give it a go." Kneeling down beside Sara, Hermione grabbed her chin so that Sara wouldn't look away once she started saying things the other woman didn't like.

"This. Future. Isn't. Real," she stressed. "It's essentially nothing more than an illusion. This is not your future. Rip is not refusing to let you look at your future right now because it is not your future out there. It is no one's future. Your refusal to acknowledge and accept that fact is childish and selfish. Your actions are saying that you care more about yourself than you do the safety of this team and Rip may be willing to coddle you, but I certainly won't.

"Your wants and your needs are not more important than this mission and our lives, because I don't know if you noticed this while we were out there, but it's clearly a warzone and the longer we linger here, the more likely we are to get caught- camouflage or not."

Jerking fruitlessly against Hermione's grip, Sara spat, "That's my city- my family-"

"This isn't real!" Hermione repeated. "This isn't your city. Your family isn't out there. Your family and your city are safe and sound in 2016." Taking in the anger and desperation on her teammates face, Hermione forced herself to soften her voice. "You need to take a deep breath, Sara, and let go of any unhelpful emotions you're feeling right now because if you don't, the Lazarus Pit is going to take over."

Sara froze, eyes wide. Flicking her gaze over to their shocked companions, she hissed, "It's not safe for them."

"Oh, don't worry about them. The moment it looks like the Pit is taking over, I'll take you down. The Time Masters may not be as good at teaching people how to fight as the League of Assassins, but my instructor certainly was." Finally dropping her hand, Hermione asked, "Now, are you going to continue acting like a child, or are you going to be reasonable?"

Closing her eyes, Sara took several deep breaths. "Fine," she finally said. "Just let me up."

Hermione didn't move for a moment, studying Sara with narrowed eyes. "I am not playing with you right now, Sara," she warned softly. "Nor am I exaggerating. If you do anything to compromise this mission, I will take you down. I agreed to help you deal with the Pit, not bend to your wishes just because you throw a fit. If you step one foot off this ship, I will knock you out, bind your limbs again, and leave you locked in the ships holding cell until we leave again."

Sara glared at her. "Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth. Hermione flicked her wrist and the bindings disappeared. As Sara climbed to her feet, she stated, "But, for the record, you are not the boss of me. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Until you get the Pit under control I am," Hermione responded, unrepentantly. "So I suggest you adjust to the status quo quickly."

"Since this is just a potential future, it doesn't matter if we kill anyone here, right?" Mick asked Hermione.

"No, it doesn't. In fact, considering the state of things, I think we should have a Lord of the Rings-esque competition to see who can kill the most people before the night is over with."

"Absolutely not," Carter snapped, turning back to glare at the pair. Leonard also glanced back at them with an amused grin. "No one is killing anyone unless it's a kill-or-be-killed situation."

"I'm not going to promise anything," Mick informed him frankly.

"And, depending on your viewpoint, can't any situation be a kill-or-be-killed one?" Hermione questioned, taking an absurd amount of pleasure out of the way Carter glowered at them.

"Alright," Leonard interjected, falling back to stand beside Hermione and nudging Mick towards Carter. "Let's swap before the demigod goes on a rampage. I get the feeling his would be far worse than Kendra's was."

Mick rolled his eyes but moved to walk beside Carter.

Bumping his elbow lightly against hers, Leonard asked, "So, you were trained by someone more skilled than the League of Assassins."

Hermione glanced over at him and forced a smile, pushing down a wave of sadness. "Yes. I didn't learn everything from him, but he got me started."

"How'd you meet?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Hermione spun around, wand automatically raising as a curse fell from her lips. It missed the man who had come up behind her by mere centimeters.

"Easy," he chided, hands raised to show he was unarmed.

She clenched her jaw, carefully taking in his appearance. Short black hair, a neatly trimmed beard, leather jacket over a dark green shirt, worn jeans, and black combat boots to complete the ensemble. So, muggleborn.

"What do you want?" she demanded, trying to ignore the voice in her mind telling her it would be sloppy to leave a witness behind.

"Heard a commotion so I came to check it out." He glanced over the alleyway and Hermione automatically did the same, taking in the scene that he was seeing.

There was blood everywhere. It was spattered on the brick walls of the buildings on either side of them, it was slowly flowing into the cracks between the stones it was pooling on, and the scent of it was so thick it was almost choking. The bodies of her three attackers were strewn across the space and Hermione only glanced at one for a moment before looking away, knowing that his blank, horror-filled eyes would be cropping up in her nightmares later.

"Calling this overkill would be an understatement," he muttered with a grimace. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Hermione huffed. "I was thinking better them than me. Now, who the hell are you?"

He gave her an unimpressed look. "Slade Wilson."

"Well, Slade Wilson, I suggest you clear off. As you can see, I have no issues with killing and you're starting to get on my nerves."

"You're right," he agreed. "I can see you have no issues with killing. I can also see that you're using too much power and wasting too much energy while doing it which makes you inefficient, and that you're not nearly concerned enough about getting caught. Your anger is making you blind to the danger you're putting yourself and everyone around you into."

His words didn't make her angry because she already was angry. Hermione was always angry now. But they did silence the one tiny part of her that protested against attacking someone who wasn't a clear and present danger.

Hermione threw a killing curse at him without a second thought. He dodged it easily and then stepped forward, crowding into her space. Everything went dark the next second.

"I… it was a few months after I started… doing what I do. I was visiting my parents in Australia and I was attacked. Someone knew that I was the one attacking purebloods back in Britain despite the fact that I left no evidence behind. They wanted to settle the score. I defeated them easily enough, but it was sloppy. I used too much power, was too flashy, and I could have gotten myself killed. He noticed and stepped in. Told me that I was going to become a danger to myself and everyone around me if I didn't get my anger under control."

Her gaze was facing forwards, but Hermione wasn't seeing the destroyed city around them, her mind back in the alleyway that she'd painted with blood. "I was so angry," she admitted softly. "I was angry that I had been attacked, I was angry that things with my parents weren't going well, and I was angry that some stranger had the nerve to try and tell me what to do. So I attacked him."

"I'm guessing he managed to stop you," Leonard murmured, voice free of any judgement.

She blinked, turning to look at him. "He knocked me unconscious in a matter of seconds," she stated, a trace of humor threading through her words. "I woke up an hour later at his apartment, where he proceeded to list out in detail everything that I had done wrong."

Leonard's lips quirked upwards. "How did it go from that to him training you?"

"Keep your blade up," Slade snapped, the wooden edge of his practice sword slamming into hers. "Always stay behind your sword."

She glared at him but was too out of breath to spit out any kind of response. Instead, Hermione feinted to the right before quickly shifting and swinging her sword towards Slade's left side. He moved out of the way and then quickly swung his sword at her legs, sending her crashing to the ground.

Staring down at her, Slade commented, "You are improving, but you're still letting your anger get the better of you. Control, Hermione. You need to learn to control your anger, to let it fuel your movements, not guide them."

Before Hermione could answer, Carter announced, "Palmer Tech is just two blocks up this way," he nodded towards a street at their right. "Or at least it used to be."

A handful of seconds later, something exploded behind them and the faint sounds of gunshots and cheers could be heard.

"In the bus!" Carter ordered, leading the group to a large, yellow school bus abandoned at the edge of the street.

They ducked inside right as people started flooding into the area on foot and on motorcycle. Considering the way they were attacking each other, Hermione thought that it was either two rival gangs or a gang and a group of resistance fighters. Probably the former though.

"It's like World War III out there," Leonard shouted over the noise.

The window next to where he was sitting was shattered by someone's head being bashed against it and then a body fell against the front window of the bus as they were seemingly rolled off the roof.

"It's beautiful," Mick declared, staring at the carnage with wide eyes and a bright smile.

The Green Arrow suddenly appeared on top of truck further down the road, shooting down one fighter after another. Hermione thought his efforts to be rather pointless, since he didn't have enough arrows to take down everyone fighting in the street.

"We need to find another route," Hermione shouted to Carter.

Someone snuck up to the front of the truck where the Green Arrow was standing and shot him in the chest. The archer stumbled back before falling off the edge of the roof.

"That's gotta hurt," Leonard muttered.

A figure in white darted down the street towards where the Green Arrow had fallen.

"Is that Sara?" Carter asked, brows furrowed.

Hermione's jaw clenched. "I should have knocked her out. I should have realized that she was too fucking stupid to see reason."

"Are we going to help her?" Mick asked as the blond disappeared.

"Why?" she asked. "Actions have consequences, Mick. If she's foolish enough to get herself killed here, then she clearly wasn't strong enough to be a part of the team. It's 'the trash taking itself out' and all that."

"No," Carter snapped, pointing a finger at Hermione. "Bad Hermione."

Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me-"

Turning to the two thieves, he ordered, "You two stay here. We'll be right back."

Planting her feet, Hermione snapped. "I'm not helping her. Assisting idiots goes against my beliefs."

"I could not give less of a damn about your beliefs," Carter retorted. "Especially since that's a lie and we know both know it because, if it were true, you would have left the team five minutes after meeting them. We are going to get Sara and, after we retrieve the prototype, then you can beat the shit out of her back on the ship. Everybody wins."

Hermione literally hissed at him and Leonard stood up and placed a hand on her back, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "The sooner you go play hero for the assassin the sooner we get things back on track." When she turned to glare at him, he lifted his hand to cup her chin. "I promise to make it worth your while the moment we get back on the ship."

Her breath caught in her throat and she was thankful for the scarf covering her face. She was sure Leonard could see what she was feeling in her eyes since he was so close, but at least Mick and Carter couldn't.

"Fine," she groaned, feeling a little resentful towards both herself and Leonard. When did she become so easy to manipulate?

Carter smirked and Hermione made a mental note to hurt him later. Not badly. But just enough to remind him that, 4,000-year-old demigod or not, Hermione Granger was not to be trifled with.

Once he turned to exit the bus, she told Mick and Leonard, "We passed a bank three blocks back. Perhaps you should check it out, see if anyone managed to get into the vault."

Leonard smirked. "It's like you read my mind."

Hermione turned and stepped out of the bus before taking off in the direction Sara had been going, Carter at her side.

They caught up with the blond and the archer at the end of an alley just in time to hear the Green Arrow say, "Oliver Queen is dead."

"How did he die?" Sara demanded, seemingly unaware of their arrival.

"I don't know," the kid answered, voice no longer distorted. "No one does. No one's seen him since… Well, since the Uprising."

"The Uprising?" she repeated.

Before Hermione could interrupt the conversation, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to the left, she realized that there was actually two ways into the alley, and someone seemed to be lurking at the second entryway. When she glanced over at Carter, he nodded minutely to show that he'd also noticed it.

"It's what people called it when… Well, when all this happened," the archer answered. "Fifteen years ago, he brought an army with him."

"Who brought an army with him?" Sara demanded.

A figure strode into the alley and Hermione froze. No, she thought. It's not him. It can't be. He wouldn't do this. Not again.

"I did," he called out and Sara spun around in surprise, even as Hermione relaxed slightly. The voice had an Australian accent, but it wasn't the right Australian. It wasn't deep enough, wasn't rough enough. And yet…

"No," Sara breathed, staring at the man in black in horror. He was covered from head to toe in armor and weapons, a katana strapped to his back. A black mask covered the entirety of his face, only made distinct by the fact that its wearer was only able to see out of the left side of it, the place where a slit should have been made for his right eye completely missing.

Pulling out her expandable batons as the archer readied his bow, Sara demanded, "How did you get off of Lian Yu?" The man cocked his head to the side but said nothing. "Say something, damn it!" the blond demanded.

"You know this guy?" Carter asked.

"He's someone very dangerous," she answered, a hint of fear tainting her voice.

Hermione stepped away from the group, towards the armored man.

"Don't-" the Green Arrow started to warn her.

"Joey?" she called out hesitantly, unsure if her guess was right. The armor, the realization that whoever this was had the knowledge and skills to lead an uprising that brought a city to its knees, and the sword on his back… if it wasn't the father, then it must be the son because no one else would be foolish enough to try and take on that mantle. She'd shown the world what happened to copycats those first few years after Deathstroke was defeated. But the voice didn't sound right. It had been almost thirty years for Joey though and voices can change but… why?

"Who the hell is Joey?" Carter demanded.

Hermione stepped out of the bedroom and froze. There were more people here than she had expected.

In the kitchen, Slade was standing off against a beautiful woman with perfectly curled black hair wearing a neatly pressed dark red dress that matched her lipstick. She automatically glanced down at her own outfit- black joggers, a pair of Slade's socks, and one of his oversized jumpers. Not the fanciest of clothes, but it was comfortable and that's really all she wanted on a lazy Saturday.

"Who the hell is she?" the woman demanded, and Slade snorted.

"None of your business."

Movement by their feet caught her eye and Hermione glanced down and met the wide green eyes of a boy who couldn't be more than four years old. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. That hair and facial structure made it clear that he was related to Slade. The boy glanced from her to Slade and then over at the woman. His mother perhaps?

She felt herself soften, body automatically going loose and open as she stepped towards the trio and knelt down.

"Hello," she greeted him. "My name is Hermione."

After looking at Slade again, who was watching them with guarded eyes, the boy ducked his head down a little and held out a hand. "Hi. My name is Joseph Wilson."

Hermione smiled gently at him as she reached out and took his tiny hand in her own. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wilson."

He giggled, standing a little straighter. "I'm not Mr. Wilson! That's Father!"

"Oh dear, my apologies. I'll be sure to call you Joseph from now on."

"You really think it's a good idea for you to let one of your whores meet our son?" she heard the woman hiss at Slade, but thankfully Joseph didn't seem to hear her.

"I also go by Joe," he told her.

"What about Joey?" Hermione asked, straightening up and standing to the side so that Joe had room to step away from his parents.

"It's Joe," his mother snapped, and Hermione watched as Joe flinched.

After shooting the woman her meanest glare, enjoying the way she automatically took a step back, Hermione held her hand out again to the little boy that looked like he was seconds from pulling back into himself. "Well, Joe, I was just about to go downstairs and get the mail and then maybe buy a cupcake at the bakery next door. Would you like to join me?"

Joe's eyes lit up and he looked up at Slade. "Can I?"

"Of course you can," Slade agreed, smiling softly at his son. "But you have to promise to listen to Hermione."

"I promise!" Joe reached out to take Hermione's hand and started tugging her towards the door. "I promise to listen to Her… Herm…" His brows furrowed as he stumbled over her name.

"It's okay, you can call me Mi," Hermione told him, giving Slade a look as she slipped on a pair of shoes so he knew that that offer was only for Joe. "I know my name can be a little difficult to say."

"It's long," he told her earnestly, leading her out into the hallway.

As soon as they got to the stairs, Joe stopped and tugged on her hand until she bent down to eye-level with him. Leaning up on his toes, he whispered in her ear, "It's okay if you call me Joey."

"That's Slade Wilson," Sara snapped.

She took another step forward. "That's not Slade," she told the blond, not looking back. "It can't be."

"Joey," the masked man repeated slowly, then laughed. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Same with Slade." He slowly reached up to remove his mask, revealing a face that Hermione had never seen before. "How do you know my brother?" he asked.

"Brother," Hermione breathed, shocked. "No, that's impossible. Slade only had one son- Joe." Realization struck her. "That bitch," she breathed. "She hid you, didn't she? Adeline?" Gods, that would be just like her. She understood why the woman had issues with Slade, but she never thought things through.

His eyes- Slade's eyes, now that she had a clearer look at them- narrowed. "How do you know my family's names?"

Raising a hand, Hermione allowed her facial covering to fall away, ignoring the sound of Carter hissing her name.

He blinked at her, seeming surprised, and then he laughed loudly. "Let me guess- you're the daughter of Hermione Granger. My poor brother would be beside himself if he was here; your mother's disappearance broke his heart, though my father took it far worse." His head tilted to the side as his face lit up. "You know, I heard that Hermione and my father were very close. How old are you?"

Hermione could feel Sara's eyes boring into the back of her head, but she ignored it. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Who trained you? Was it A.S.I.S.?"

"What's it matter to you?" he shot back.

"Because I'm not the daughter of Hermione Granger- I am Hermione Granger." This future wasn't real, it didn't matter. But the history that created it was, and she needed to understand. "Slade would never have let you do this, and neither would Joey. Which means that…"

Oh. There was a stabbing pain in her chest that she only let herself feel for a moment before shoving it down again. Her poor boys…

"They're dead," he stated flatly. "But my father's legacy lives on."

She slowly shook her head. "This isn't his legacy- this isn't what he wanted."

He snorted. "He wanted Oliver Queen dead and Star City to burn. I've fulfilled his wishes."

"Once upon a time he did, but that wasn't what he wanted by the end," Hermione told him confidently. "That dream was created by the Mirakuru and once that was out of his system, so was his need for revenge."

"How would you know? You left! You abandoned him, and my brother!"

Hermione didn't know why she had bothered to slip on Slade's discarded shirt on her way to the bathroom; they were long past the point of modesty.

The moment she climbed back onto the bed he was dragging her into his lap and fisting her hair in one large hand. His tongue slipped between her lips and she moaned, holding his face tight between her hands as she ground down against him. When the need to breath became too much for her, Hermione let her head fall back. Slade began tracing open-mouthed kisses down the arch of her neck as she panted, nuzzling against her skin for a moment before biting down hard.

She keened, the pain of the bite mixing with the heated pleasure rushing under skin. "Slade," she begged, beyond desperate. He was hot and hard between her legs and Hermione clenched her thighs, mind spinning with how much she needed him inside her right then.

He slowly relaxed his jaw, pulling back and licking at the mark he'd left behind. "Hermione," he murmured, his right hand releasing its grip on her hair and sliding down her back to join the left at her waist, slipping beneath the shirt. "Need you."

Whining in agreement, Hermione reached down to grasp him in her hand, shifting so that she could sink down onto him. She moaned at the slight twinge she felt as her walls stretched to accommodate his size but there was no resistance- she was still slick from their last round less than half an hour before.

Slade groaned, catching her mouth in another kiss as his fingers dug into her sides, lifting her up and then slamming her back down over and over-

The sound of someone banging on the door made them freeze.

Breaking the kiss, the couple stared at one another for a moment. It was quiet in the apartment for another few seconds before someone banged on the door again.

Hermione's head fell forward as she groaned, though this time the sound was one of annoyance. "Were you expecting anyone?" she demanded.

"No," he grunted, hiding his face in her shoulder. "Give it a moment- maybe they'll leave."

Another round of banging proved him wrong.

Sitting up on her knees, Hermione hissed at the feel of Slade sliding out of her before shifting to the side and flopping down on the bed. "If that is Adeline, I swear to God I am going to kill her."

Slade slipped off the bed and snatched up a pair of pants. "Not if I kill her first."

He stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him, and Hermione could faintly hear the sound of the deadbolt clicking and the door swinging open.

"Father!"

Hermione rolled off the bed, quickly grabbing her underwear and shorts and pulling them on. She scanned the room but couldn't spot her shirt. Glancing down at the one she was wearing, she decided it would do. Joey wouldn't notice that it clearly belonged to Slade and not her, but Adeline would, and her displeasure always made Hermione happy.

Throwing open the door, she raced into the living room. Joey was hugging Slade tightly, seemingly telling him about a funny thing that had happened in school, but his words cut off at the sight of Hermione.

"Mi!" he squealed, pulling away from his father and racing over to her.

She scooped him up into her arms and spun him around. "Joey!"

His loud laughter filled the apartment and she swung him around a few more times just to hear more of it before slowly coming to a stop. "I missed you so much," she whispered, pressing her cheek to the top of his head and breathing in the smell of his apple shampoo.

"I missed you too," he told her, pulling away after a moment and beaming up at her. "Father said you were in Russia."

"Yes, I was. But I'm back now and I don't think I'll be going to Russia ever again."

Slade snorted and she glanced over at him. He was watching the two of them with bright, amused eyes. It was a direct contrast to the look in his ex-wife's gaze. Hermione wrinkled her nose at the woman before turning back to Joey. "Shall we go and look at all of the gifts I brought you?"

He grinned widely, bouncing with excitement. "Yes, please! Did you bring me candy?"

"Of course," she told him, standing up and leading him over to his bedroom. "I could never forget our candy." It was something she always did with Joey. Everywhere she went, she would pick up as much local candy as she could find and brought it back with her so that they could try it together. Everywhere except England, that is, since she went back to her home country so frequently that it hadn't taken long for them to try all the local treats.

Right as they reached the doorway, he paused. "Are you going to have to leave again soon?" Joey asked, staring down at his white and red trainers.

Hermione paused, heart catching in her throat. After a moment, she knelt down again and reach out to nudge Joey's chin up so he would look at her. "No, I'll be staying for a while." There were a few houses in England that she had been planning on hitting, but she could make sure that those trips lasted no more than a day, ensuring she could leave and return without Joey even knowing she had gone.

Joey had relaxed at her answer, but Hermione still couldn't help feeling guilty. "I'm so sorry for leaving without telling you, Joey. It was a very unexpected trip and if I had known I was going sooner, I would have told you- you shouldn't have had to hear it from your dad. But I promise, I will do my very best not to do it again, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, leaning in to hug her again. "Love you."

Crushing him to her chest, she whispered back, "I love you too."

Hermione flinched, pressing her lips tightly together. He was right, she had left. She'd gone off without even sending them a message because there hadn't been enough time to find them and she hadn't wanted them to worry. But she'd left notes with George to be delivered to them if she didn't come back after two months.

Nothing good came from wondering what it would mean if George never gave the notes to them.

"I did not abandon them," she responded as calmly as she could. "You are clearly making assumptions on something you don't understand."

His expression tightened, and then he smirked. Peering past Hermione, he looked at Sara and said, "You wanted to know how my father got off of Lian Yu? Your friend here could answer that better than I. After all, if she is who she says she is, then she's the one who helped him escape."

"What?" Sara gasped, and Hermione grimaced.

"You may be related to Slade by blood, but you're clearly Adeline's boy through and through," she hissed. "The lack of sensibility and class makes it obvious."

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you," he responded softly and then, raising his voice, shouted, "Or we will."

Men appeared at both entrances into the alley and Carter groaned. "This is all your fault," he hissed at Sara, and his wings sprung out as he grabbed Hermione and flew up into the air.

Looking down, Hermione spotted the archer shooting one of his arrows with a line attached to it at the building above them and, after grabbing Sara, rose up into the air after them.

Sara had her gaze locked on Hermione, and the witch could sense the seething rage roiling inside the blonde's skin. Which was fine by her- she was still angry at Sara and now with the added emotions that came up from her conversation with Slade's mysterious other son, she was looking forward to showing Sara just how much better she was compared to her.

The moment they touched down the roof of the building, Hermione grabbed the Green Arrow and Sara and apparated them back to the Waverider. The two fell to their knees outside the ship, gasping for air, as the cargo bay door opened.

"Whoops," Hermione stated unrepentantly. "Should have warned you."

Then, she apparated back to Carter.

"You okay?" he asked the moment she reappeared.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," she sighed, slumping against a wall next to him.

It was quiet for a moment before Carter said, "I'm sorry, but I've got to ask- you and Deathstroke? Really?"

"No, Slade and I. And also, it's complicated."

"Wasn't fishing for your Facebook status," he teased, bumping his shoulder against hers. "Just wanted to know why you're going from 'renowned mercenary' to 'world-class thief'. Are bad guys the only ones that do it for you?"

Hermione let out a huff of laughter. "You could say that. Though, before Slade went through that pesky mercenary phase, he was a hero through and through."

She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. "Is that why it didn't work out between you?"

Shaking her head, Hermione straightened up. "I'm already going to have this conversation with Leonard; I refuse to have it with you."

Grabbing his arm, she took him back to the Waverider, both relieved and annoyed that Sara and the Green Arrow were already gone. No doubt Sara had run off to Rip to tattle on her.

"'Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more'," she grumbled, leading the way onto the ship.

"So I've officially achieved friendship status? I'm thrilled."

Leonard had been amused when the gang had tried to rob him and Mick moments after they left the bus and had enjoyed their attempts to intimidate him, but those good feelings didn't last long once Mick decided to make himself the new leader of the gang after he'd burnt the former one to a crisp. They were supposed to be robbing a bank and then rejoining Hermione and Carter once they'd dealt with Sara, not running off to party with a group of strangers in a town-turned-warzone.

Mick didn't seem to be on the same page though, and that was going to be a problem. Leonard was the one who made the plans, who did the thinking, and Mick was the one who backed him up. Without him, Mick would probably be dead by now. But his partner could be temperamental if he felt like he was being manipulated or cornered. If he continued thinking that staying in 2046 forever was a brilliant idea, then nothing Leonard said would be able to convince him otherwise.

He was sitting at the corner of the bar in the nightclub the gang apparently controlled considering his options while watching Mick holding court in the center of the dancefloor when the sound of glass shattering cut through the music. Twenty or so masked men carrying swords made their way through the club and Leonard heard someone murmuring about Deathstroke, which made him straighten up in his seat.

Deathstroke was not a name he would have thought he'd hear in the year 2046. Leonard knew all about the mercenary's exploits and the grudge he held against one Oliver Queen, and he had no interest in dealing with whatever shmuck had been stupid enough to take on the name.

A man stepped out of the crowd, the hilt of a katana sticking up over his shoulder. "Party's over!" he shouted in an Australian accent. "Everyone hit the streets. Hit everybody on them! I want Green Arrow dead by morning!"

Mick stood up and marched forward to stand in front of him, looking utterly ridiculous in his white and brown fur coat. "Listen, pal, this is my gang. The only orders they take are from me."

"Hmm," Deathstroke hummed, looking unimpressed, and Leonard knew that a fight against this guy was one Mick wouldn't win. He could only hope his partner wasn't too drunk on power to miss that. "Might be your gang, but it's my city."

Turning to look back at the crowd, he continued, "Green Arrow is running with a female assassin in white, a guy with wings, and a Brit dressed all in black. Kill all of them except the girl in black- I want her brought back to me alive."

Leonard stiffened. Could they seriously not go anywhere without Hermione catching the attention of a psychotic killer?

The Australian looked at Mick again, scoffed, and then straightened the collar of Mick's fur coat with a smug little grin before turning and exiting the club, his men falling in line behind him.

"You heard the man," Mick's second in command- who Mick had dubbed Fonzie- yelled. "Let's go!"

Slipping off his stool, Leonard came up beside his partner. "Looks like your new minions are about to go on a citywide manhunt for Carter, Hermione, and Sara."

"So what?" Mick snapped.

"They're gonna kill our friends." Well, they were going to kill Sara and Carter. Hermione was supposed to be left alive.

"Since when did they become our friends?" his partner asked, not moving.

"You tell me," Leonard replied, glancing over at him. "You and Raymond seemed to get pretty tight back in Russia."

Mick snorted. "I've never been tight with anyone. And you don't care about the team; you're worried about Hermione, and she can take care of herself. She doesn't need you watching her back."

Leonard's eyes narrowed, but he settled on simply heading towards the door while ordering, "Mick, it's time to go."

"You're not the boss of me," Mick growled, and Leonard heard the whir of his gun powering up.

"Actually, I am," he sneered, spinning around and reaching for his own weapon.

They glared at each other for a long moment, waiting to see who would make the first move. Finally, Leonard forced himself to relax. "Okay, let's both take a deep breath," he gritted out, inhaling audibly and holding it for a few beats before exhaling. "And we'll make ourselves a deal. You help me get to Carter and the others. Once they're safe, we can have this conversation. Fair?"

Mick didn't move, continuing to glare at Leonard until he eventually groaned and let go of his gun, storming past Leonard and out of the building.

Leonard hoped that Mick's compliance meant he'd be more willing to listen later when he informed him that they would not be staying in 2046, but he highly doubted it.

"I cannot believe you would be foolish enough to bring him here," Hermione heard Rip ranting as she and Carter entered the bridge.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, striding over to where Sara, Rip, and the Green Arrow were standing. "It's exactly the kind of selfish, self-centered, shitty thing that Sara loves doing." She conveniently ignored the fact that she had been the one to bring the archer to the roof where the Waverider was located.

"Excuse me?" Sara growled, but Hermione ignored her.

"Where are Mr. Snart and Mr. Rory?" Rip demanded, glancing between Hermione and Carter.

"We split up when we spotted Sara," Carter answered, coming to a stop beside Hermione. "Hopefully they're out trying to find the prototype."

"You really trust them out there on their own?" the captain scoffed.

Hermione's eyes were narrowed and hard, even as she smiled. "They've proven themselves more capable of handling assignments than you have. After all, you seem unable to even manage your own crew, which makes you rather useless as a captain, doesn't it?"

Rip grimaced, glaring at Sara. "Yes, unfortunately I was foolish to believe that Sara was intelligent enough to see reason."

Sara was almost shaking with anger now and Hermione smirked at her. "It would seem the stereotypes about blonds run true when it comes to Sara, which is such a surprise because I wouldn't have though Ra's to be all that willing to tolerate fools."

"Is it true?" Sara interrupted, knuckles turning white due to the tight grip she had on the center console.

"Is what true?" Hermione asked guilelessly.

"What he said about Slade. That you got him off Lian Yu. Is it true?"

Hermione's head cocked to the side, taking in the blonde's coiled stance. "Now what would a girl like you know about a place like Lian Yu?"

"I've been there," she growled. "I almost died there. I was recruited to the League there."

Her eyes widened with surprise, and then Hermione laughed loudly. "Oh, that is too rich. I wouldn't have guessed it before, but it all makes sense now."

"What makes sense?" came Kendra's voice as she, Ray, Martin, and Jax walked into the room. "What's going on?"

She ignored them. "You're the sister, aren't you?" Hermione asked Sara, filled with malicious joy at the way Sara's rage instantly turned to shame. "Slade told me about you, but he never gave any names."

"The sister?" Carter repeated, voice filled with confusion.

"While Slade was trapped on Lian Yu- a small island in the North China Sea- he met and trained a boy who had been shipwrecked there. The boy's yacht had been destroyed during a storm and he was thought to be the only survivor. Apparently, the boy kept going on and on about needing to make it home to make things right with his girlfriend, whom he had been cheating on with her sister. The sister was on the ship with him when it went down."

"Oh, that is fucked up," Jax stated, and Hermione laughed again at Sara's wince.

"Isn't it just? And it would seem that our dear Ms. Lance is the sister. Which makes it all the more amusing that she keeps talking about how the Lazarus Pit made her into a monster, since she wasn't exactly a saint before getting dipped into it."

"Okay," Ray interrupted, raising his hands into the air. "Let's all just calm down."

"At least I'm not fucking a serial killer," Sara snapped at Hermione.

"You are a serial killer, Sara," she reminded the blond. "Which means that you basically are fucking a serial killer every time you touch yourself."

"Slade Wilson is a monster," Sara spat, hands clenching into fists at her side.

"No, Deathstroke was a monster," Hermione corrected, forcing herself to remain calm. "Slade Wilson is a man who spent his entire life being the hero and trying to do the right thing. The Mirakuru is what turned him into a villain but as soon as that was fully out of his system, Deathstroke became Slade again."

"You've got to be kidding me," Ray muttered, sounding horrified.

"The fact that he was given the Mirakuru doesn't excuse what he did!" the blond shouted.

"Really? In that case, neither does the Lazarus Pit." Sara flinched back and Hermione mercilessly dug into the crack she'd created. "Shall we find you a nice cell on Lian Yu and lock you away forever, Sara? Shall we punish you for the things you did while in a Pit-rage, things that you had no control over?"

"Hermione-" Rip started to interject but she silenced him with a flick of her wrist. This fight was going to happen whether he liked it or not.

Sara shook her head, and Hermione could see the Pit slowly taking over. "It's not the same. I didn't try to burn down an entire city. I didn't murder a man's mother right in front of him as punishment for not saving someone."

"Oh, Sara," Hermione drawled, folding her arms over her chest. "Let's be honest here- you have no idea who all you've murdered, do you? You have no idea who they were before they met you. In fact, it's likely you've murdered many mothers and just don't remember, isn't it? Well, some of them you may remember, provided you killed them while with the League. I mean really, Sara, you of all people shouldn't be judging Slade. You were both killers long before you were exposed to mind-altering liquids, but at least Slade was working for a government agency while you were working for a shadowy organization that specializes in murder."

Just as Hermione knew she would, Sara finally snapped.

Lunging forward, Sara started to pull out her batons, but Hermione was already moving, ripping one out of Sara's hand while grabbing the wrist of the other hand and twisting until Sara was forced to release her weapon.

"Shit," Carter swore, grabbing Rip and the Green Arrow and dragging them out of the line of fire. "Get back, all of you."

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Hermione heard Jax shouting as she dragged Sara to the flat, open space in the back of the room and threw her against a wall.

"Nope. I told Hermione if she helped me rescue Sara, she could beat her up. Figured you guys would like that deal better than Hermione's original plan of just letting Sara run around and probably get herself killed."

Sara's foot snapped out, almost catching Hermione in the chest, but she leaned back to avoid it and then used her momentum to swing sideways and forward, coming up inches away from Sara and swinging her fist into the blonde's face. Her head snapped back, but Hermione didn't let up for even a moment, slamming her hand into Sara's chest and knocking the wind out of her.

She heard someone shouting her name, but she ignored it. Sara was lost to the Pit at the moment and she wasn't going to stop until Hermione stopped her.

The blond managed to land a hit to Hermione's knee, sending her to the ground for a moment, but all that really did was give Hermione the chance to come at her from a different angle.

My poor brother would be beside himself if he was here; your mother's disappearance broke his heart, though my father took it far worse.

Even though Hermione was actively forcing her mind not to dwell on the words, her subconscious seemingly wasn't on the same page, and she couldn't stop the mixture of rage and fear that had spread throughout her body, causing a tight feeling in her chest.

Just like Sara, she was hurting, and she needed to let it out before it ate her alive. However, unlike Sara, Hermione was in complete control of her faculties.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you, Sara?" Hermione taunted, ducking below swinging fists. She knew that Sara could still hear her, that she was lurking beneath the spectator of the Lazarus Pit. "Even after all those years of suffering and hardship, you're still the same spoiled, selfish little girl that ran off with her sister's boyfriend because she couldn't be bothered to give a damn about anyone but herself. I would have expected the League to have forced you to grow up, but apparently not."

Sara's movements became more fluid as she fully embraced her rage.

"You couldn't care less about the team," she continued, catching Sara's arm and spinning the blond so she sailed into the backs of the chairs. "You'd sacrifice each and every one of us to get what you wanted. Despite years of experiences proving just how ignorant and useless you are, you've still convinced yourself that your ideas are always brilliant and always right. It doesn't matter that Rip and I are experienced time travelers, and it doesn't matter how reasonable and well thought out our explanations are if they don't match with what you want to believe."

Stumbling back onto her feet, Sara came at her again and Hermione decided that it was time to stop toying the blond. Using her leg to block Sara's kick, Hermione grabbed the assassin's arm to keep her in place as Hermione punched her three, four times in the face. Once the blond was dazed, she wrapped a hand around the back of Sara's neck and pulled her in close. To an outsider, it would have looked like she was embracing the other girl, holding her head against her shoulder with her face turned away from Hermione's.

It was one of Slade's signature moves.

Leaning in to whisper in Sara's ear, Hermione told her, "The Lazarus Pit isn't what makes you weak, Sara- it's your lack of conviction. You've been hoping that having a mission would help fix what's wrong with you, but no mission can make you into something you're not. You are not a hero, or an asset. You are a liability."

Keeping a firm hold on Sara's neck, Hermione stepped back and met her dazed and frightened eyes. She instinctively knew that Sara wasn't seeing Hermione now; she was seeing Slade. "No amount of fighting will be enough to knock some sense into you," she finished, tightening her grip. "But it sure has been fun trying. Until next time."

Spinning them both around, Hermione twisted her body away from Sara and slammed the blonde's head into the top of the metal headrest of a chair. Releasing her hold, she watched impassively as the woman slumped to the ground unconscious.

The room was deadly quiet for a handful of seconds before Rip exploded. "What the hell was that?!"

Carter suddenly appeared in her line of sight. "Should I take her to the MedBay?" he asked, glancing over Sara.

"No," Hermione told him shortly, taking several deep breaths. "I didn't leave any injuries that she'll need medical attention for. Just take her to the brig; we can leave her there until we're out of 2046."

He nodded, picking Sara up and sweeping out of the room without another word.

"Hermione-" Ray started, eyes wide with horror, but she held up a hand to stop him.

Turning to Rip, she calmly stated, "You and Carter are going to go and find the prototype. Hopefully you'll run into Leonard and Mick on the way but, if not, I will go out and find them once you get back. In the meantime, I'll stay here and keep an eye on Sara."

Rip began to splutter. "You will not-"

Hermione took a step towards him, expression turning dark. "You are very lucky that I am familiar with the rules of time travel, Hunter, because otherwise I would be making you explain what exactly happened to my son." She heard the way Martin inhaled sharply and Kendra gasped, but she didn't look away from the suddenly guilty expression on their captain's face. "Vandal Savage knows my name, and he knows where I'm from. If this quest has resulted in the death of my son, Rip, and if we are not able to stop Savage and fix this, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are never reunited with your wife and son, in this life or the next. I promise."

After a long moment, Rip slowly nodded. "I know."

Once she was sure that he had taken her words to heart, Hermione stepped away from the team and moved to stand in front of the Green Arrow. His fingers tightened on his bow, but he didn't try to draw it. "Do you know Deathstroke's name?" she asked him. "His real name?"

"Yeah," he answered, pulling off his hood. A mask still covered the skin around his eyes, but it was easier to see the cautious hope on his face. "His name is Grant Wilson."

Grant Wilson. She wondered when the kid had taken Slade's last name, since there was no way Adeline had given it to him once he was born.

"You're all time travelers, aren't you?" the archer asked. When she nodded, he pressed, "So, are you here to fix this? To stop Deathstroke?"

Hermione licked her lips, carefully choosing her words. "We're going to do everything in our power to make sure that none of this happens- that Grant never becomes Deathstroke and never attacks Star City. Once we do though, this timeline will disappear; you won't remember any of this."

The man let out an exhausted, almost delirious, laugh. "My dad is dead because I couldn't protect him from Deathstroke. Not remembering any of this… none of this happening… that would be a gift."

Her lips quirked. "Good. But in order to change things, we need to get this ship working again. We're looking for a prototype that Felicity Smoak was working on. Would you be able to help us locate it?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I can help."

"Lovely." Carter reentered the room, and Hermione told him, "You'll be accompanying Rip and the Green Arrow to retrieve the prototype. Try and find Leonard and Mick while you're at it."

"Alright," the demigod agreed, glancing around the room. "You gonna keep an eye on things here?"

"Yes. Because unlike Captain Hunter, I know how to keep a crew in line."

Once Hermione made it to her room, she allowed her shoulders to slump.

This day… well, it had been a while since she'd had a day quite this terrible.

Releasing the charms on her bag, she pulled it over her shoulder and set it on the bed. After staring at it for a long moment, Hermione opened it and reached in to carefully remove a black photo album. Flipping open the cover, she stared down at the picture featured proudly at the front. A wave of heavy emotions hit her and she stumbled back until the back of legs hit the stairs leading up to her bed and sank down onto one of them.

Her own face stared up at her, smiling widely at the camera before turning to look at her companions with warm eyes. Next to her was a lanky, dark-haired boy who beamed at the camera for only a moment, and then turned to look up at picture-Hermione with an adoring gaze. On the other side of the teen was a large, dark-haired man with neatly trimmed facial hair, who was watching the boy and Hermione with a gentle grin.

She traced her fingers lightly over the top of the picture.

Joey and Slade- her boys.

Letting her head fall back against the wall behind her, Hermione couldn't stop herself from remembering how it all fell apart for them.

When Slade had first asked her to join him and Joey on their camping trip, she had been hesitant. Though she had loved doing it when she was younger with her parents, the year running with Harry and Ron had eaten away at the happiness the idea of camping had used to given her. He had asked her to give it a chance and Joey had begged her to come with them, so she had finally given in and was glad she had. This entire trip had actually been quite enjoyable.

"Here," she said, passing Joey a metal prong with two marshmallows on the end of it.

S'mores was a camping treat she'd heard about while visiting in America but hadn't had the opportunity to try before. When she'd decided to join Joey and Slade on this trip, Hermione gotten an American acquaintance to send her a package of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars to her by Owl Express; if they were going to do this, they would be doing it properly.

Joey carefully maneuvered the prong so the marshmallows hung right over the flames.

"Don't let it catch on fire," she reminded him, and he rolled his eyes, biting back a smile.

She knew that Joey was getting too old for her hovering, but some habits were hard to break. Plus, Hermione thought that Joey secretly still appreciated when she fussed over him, somewhat like Harry with Mrs. Weasley. While Slade and Adeline weren't anything like the Dursley's, they were both rather serious and she knew that Adeline was very strict with Joey.

Hermione opened up the package of crackers and pulled out two, breaking each in half, and then opened up a chocolate bar and also split it in half.

"I think they're done," Joey told her, pulling the now brown marshmallows away from the fire.

Separating the chocolate and setting each piece on top of two of the crackers, Hermione took one of the crackers and grabbed a half of cracker without any chocolate and carefully reached out to trap one of marshmallows between the crackers, enjoying the way it crunched a bit as she smushed it and pulled it off the prong. Setting the s'more aside, she repeated the process. "Here you go," she told Joey, handing him the second one.

He waited until she'd picked her s'more up to take a bite of it. Hermione watched as the gooey marshmallow spilled over the sides of the cracker and laughed.

Joey mock-glared at her, mouth full and Hermione took the hint, taking a bite of her own campfire confection.

It was incredibly sweet and warm and so messy. She loved it.

Hearing a snap, Joey and Hermione turned to see Slade holding Hermione's camera, taking several pictures of them. She gave a garbled protest, trying to give him a severe look but the sound of Joey's muffled laughter made her smile. Slade grinned widely at her and she shook her head, amused at how easily they managed to win her over without even trying.

Several hours later, they were settled into their tent. Joey had already crawled into his sleeping bag and was sound asleep. Hermione carded her fingers through his hair and wished this trip would never end.

"Thank you for bringing me," she whispered to Slade, looking over at the man sitting on her other side.

"I'm glad you came," he rumbled, running a hand slowly up and down her back. "Wasn't sure I'd be able to convince you."

"I don't know how you boys did it, but you've made camping into something fun again." She glanced down at Joey again and sighed. "I wish every day could be like this."

Slade's hand paused and she turned to look at him. He was giving her that look- the one he gave only to her that she'd been spotting more and more frequently. "Who says it can't be?" he murmured, leaning in and pressing a slow, gentle kiss to her lips.

He'd never kissed her like that before. That kiss was sweet and loving and everything they weren't.

Hermione's stomach dropped.

The door slammed behind Slade as he stormed out of the apartment. Hermione sank down onto the couch, pressing her face into her hands.

Gods, it felt like all they ever did was fight nowadays, and Hermione knew it was her fault.

She loved Slade, she really did. And she knew he loved her too and he desperately wanted for them to actually be together, to be a couple. But she couldn't do it because she knew it wouldn't work- they wouldn't work. If they tried, it was certain to end badly.

They couldn't be together, but they also couldn't stand being apart and Hermione worried that it was slowly killing them. What else could they do though? She loved Slade and Joey, they were her family, and she couldn't lose them. But what was she willing to pay to keep them?

When Hermione answered the phone, she could tell that Joey had been crying the moment he said her name. "Joey," she breathed, automatically afraid. "What's wrong?"

"Father's gone," he gasped. "His mission… something went wrong… the plane crashed. He's… and Billy…"

It felt like she couldn't breathe. Slade couldn't be gone. He couldn't be. He wasn't. Not after everything.

They had just had a fight. He couldn't die right after they'd been fighting.

"Did they…" she started to ask but stopped herself.

"They didn't find a body," he told her, somehow knowing what she wanted to know. "They didn't find a body, which means there's a chance, right? Mother says he's dead but if they didn't find a body then he could still be alive."

Hermione forced herself to inhale and exhale. "Yes, if they didn't find a body then there's a chance he's still alive. You know your dad, Joey- he won't go down easy. I'm sure he's fighting to try and make it home to you right now."

"Yeah," he choked out, and Hermione's arms ached to hug him. "You're right. Mother says… but she's wrong. She is. She hates Dad so of course she'd want him to be dead."

That was probably the moment when Hermione was supposed to jump in and reassure Joey or tell him that he shouldn't talk about his mother that way, but he was right. Adeline was probably hoping Slade was dead.

"Can you," Joey started, pausing as his breath hitched. "Can you come get me? Please? Mum?"

Mum. He'd first started calling her that as a joke when a shopkeeper once assumed he was hers when they went in to get him some art supplies. But the more time they'd spent together, the more accurately it reflected their relationship.

"I'm on my way," she told her son. "I'll be there in no more than an hour."

After almost three years of nothing, Hermione had nearly given up hope. Despite the fact that her spells showed that Slade was just missing, not dead, she'd been worried that she was wrong, that the magic hiding Slade's location from her was also hiding the fact that he was dead. Joey never had though, and his faith had been rewarded.

Hermione watched father and son cling to each other on the hospital bed with a small, sad smile. Slade glanced over at her with his one remaining good eye- and gods, Hermione both did and didn't want to know what had happened while he was gone- which was filled with tears.

"Hermione," he croaked, voice breaking as he said her name.

She slowly made her way over to them, giving Joey a reassuring smile as he glanced up at her. But when she went to greet Slade, words failed her.

What do you say to the man who had once been one of the most important pillars in your life? To the man who made you who you are? To the man you loved and lost and mourned?

His expression told her that he was just as lost as she was, and Hermione almost started to cry because it was suddenly all so final.

Whatever they'd once had- whatever they'd once been- was over.

They were over.

She had really thought that that moment in the hospital room where she had finally let go of loving Slade was going to be the most painful moment of their relationship. Because even though they knew their chance was over, he and Hermione hadn't stopped caring for one another. They were still friends before anything else, and they still had Joey to consider. So they'd done their best to move forward as friends. But then the Mirakuru had taken hold of Slade again and Deathstroke had been born.

Mirakuru… the Japanese word for Miracle. But miracles were supposed to be welcomed events, not real-life nightmares.

Hermione banged her head lightly against the wall. Nothing good came from remembering. But no matter how much she may have wished otherwise, Hermione knew she would remember loving Slade until the day she died.

Loving him almost killed her. Harry said that Dumbledore once told him something along the lines of 'love is the most powerful magic of all'. But all magic had a price, and the price of Slade's love had been too high. Could she really try and say that loving Leonard would be any different? Did she honestly believe that things would end any better?

It was too soon for her to romantically love Leonard, but Hermione knew she would if she allowed herself to try. And part of her wanted so much to let herself try with Leonard the way she hadn't with Slade. But what if she was only seeing what she wanted to see? What if the issue that had kept her and Slade apart was also going to pop up with her and Leonard?

The only way to know would be to speak to Leonard about it, and the prospect of doing that terrified Hermione. She had never told Slade her reasons for refusing to enter into a proper relationship with him out of fear, and she wasn't sure she could do it with Leonard.

Leonard wished they had all chosen to wear comms but, since the group was supposed to stay together and there was a limited number of units in Rip's possession, they'd opted to forgo them. It would have been a lot easier to find Hermione and Carter if he could just ask them where they were, instead of riding around the city on a stolen motorcycle trying to find any sign of them. He and Mick were about to head back to the ship when they spotted some of Deathstroke's men racing towards a warehouse.

Following after them, Leonard and Mick drove straight into the warehouse and followed the sound of shouting until they came upon Carter and Rip starting to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Deathstroke's men. Jumping off their bikes, they began firing ice and fire at every masked man in sight. Working together, Leonard, Mick, Carter, and Rip were able to come out on top.

"Gentlemen, your timing is exemplary," Rip complimented.

"Where's Hermione and Sara?" Leonard demanded, glancing around to make sure that neither woman was one of the bodies on the floor.

"Back on the ship," Carter answered, pulling off his helmet. He had a strange look in his eyes that instantly set Leonard on edge. Instead of just spitting out whatever was on his mind, Carter turned to ask Rip, "Where's Conner?"

Rip slowly straightened from where he had been crouched on the ground, a bow clutched in his hand. "He's been taken."

"Who's Conner?" Mick asked, fiddling with his gun.

Carter sighed. "The Green Arrow. He was helping us search for the prototype."

"Which I have found," Rip announced, striding over to a case resting on the ground and picking it up with his free hand. "All that's left to do now is get back to the ship, get this installed, and then we can be on our way."

"We're not going to go after Conner?" Carter questioned, not sounding too fussed either way.

"Why would we?" Rip asked. "Like Miss Granger and I have both been telling you all, this world isn't real. Once we leave, it'll disappear."

The demigod shrugged. "Alright then."

"The guy with the half-face and the body armor has a real mad-on for the kid in the hoodie," Mick grunted, side-eying Leonard. "And it sounded like he's got one for Hermione as well."

Inhaling audibly, Carter demanded, "What makes you think that?"

"He's ordered for her to be brought to him alive," Leonard answered, narrowing his eyes. "He's got people combing the city looking for her. Any idea why?"

Rip and Carter glanced at one another before Rip reluctantly informed them, "Deathstroke's real name is Grant Wilson and apparently he's the son of a man that Hermione was previously… involved with named Slade Wilson, the first Deathstroke."

Leonard stared at them. He wanted to say that he was surprised that Hermione would date someone like Deathstroke but honestly… that sounded about right. Although, she had said something before about doing her best to avoid the hero and villain community, so how could she do that when she was dating one of the biggest bads out there?

"Actually, she only dated Slade Wilson," Carter corrected, still giving Leonard that strange, evaluating look. "I don't think she had anything to do with him while he was Deathstroke; she was pretty emphatic about that."

Ah. That answered his question.

Rip pulled Carter away, starting to tell him something in a voice too quiet for Leonard to catch.

Mick stepped in front of Leonard. "Now that we rescued them, let's have that chat."

Leonard sighed. "You want to stay here."

"Thought I made that pretty clear. What I'm less clear on is why you don't. A city of thieves and criminals-"

"Sounds like a lot of competition," Leonard interrupted with a shrug. "There's also the fact that this timeline is going to disappear once we leave it."

Mick rolled his eyes. "You weren't the only one paying attention. The only way this worldline is going to disappear is if Sara and Ray make it back to 2016. Considering how things have been going so far, there's a pretty good chance they won't."

"Perhaps. But, if they do make it back, then all this is going to disappear. And if we're still here when that happens, then so will we."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take," Mick told him, turning around to stare at the darkened warehouse. "Take a look around, Snart. We're living the dream."

It would seem that logic wasn't going to be enough to make Mick see reason. On to plan B. "Yeah, speaking of which." He pulled out his gun and slammed the hilt of it into Mick's forehead, sending his partner onto the ground unconscious. "Sleep tight, buddy."

"What happened to him?" Rip asked as he and Carter rejoined them.

"Difference of opinion," Leonard quipped.

Rip glanced between Leonard and Mick. "Right… we need to get this," he held up the briefcase, "and Mr. Rory back to the Waverider."

As Rip walked over to one of the motorcycles, Carter stopped beside Leonard.

"Before we get back to the ship, there's something else you should know," he murmured. "Hermione and Slade have a son together. I know you and her are something, even if you're not actually together yet. But that's something you're going to have to accept and deal with moving forward."

Leonard forced himself to not react. A son was a hell of a thing to not talk about, but he could understand why Hermione hadn't said something sooner. They had shared fragments and tidbits about their pasts but hadn't gotten too personal. There was also a difference between just having a kid and having one with Deathstroke.

"Did she say what happened between her and Slade?" Leonard asked, wanting some idea of what he was walking into.

"Not to me," Carter shook his head. "I asked, but she said that she was already going to have to explain it to you and she wasn't up for talking about it twice in one day."

He hoped that whatever conversation they had didn't involve Hermione trying to push him away simply because she had a past because it had been a long day and he was not up for playing that game. Leonard had made his choice, and this new revelation didn't change it.

Hermione heard Sara begin to move around in her cell but kept her eyes closed for a bit longer, easing herself out of a meditative state as gently as possible. She needed as much calm as she could get right then.

After another minute, during which Sara remained quiet, Hermione opened her eyes with a sigh and met Sara's blank stare. "You back with us?" she asked.

Sara didn't say anything, but Hermione hadn't expected her to.

"Rip, Carter, and the Green Arrow have gone to the prototype," she continued, undeterred. "We should be leaving 2046 soon." Falling silent again, Hermione pondered what her next move should be. "I'm not going to lie or pander to you by apologizing for my actions earlier because I'm not sorry. You've been on edge since we arrived here and, while I understand the reasons behind it, your actions have been unacceptable and while Rip may be willing to tolerate such behavior, I am not."

That got a reaction. "My actions have been unacceptable?" Sara repeated, eyes narrowing. "You're the one who's been going on a power-trip all day. You're the one who's in a relationship with a man who terrorized my family, my city. You're the one who goaded me into attacking you before beating the shit out of me. In what world is any of that acceptable behavior?"

Hermione shook her head calmly. "If you ever want to be able to regain control of yourself and your emotions, then the first thing you have to do is stop blaming others for your actions. I may have said things, but you chose to respond. You were close to snapping for hours and because you weren't able to properly regulate your emotions, you ended up falling into a Pit rage, just as I said you would. And just so we're clear, Sara, if I had 'beat the shit out of you', you'd still be in the Medbay as Gideon desperately tried to piece you back together. The fact that you are sitting there with only a few aches and bruises is a testament to how much I held back."

"Yeah?" Sara challenged. "If I'm such a liability, then why'd you bother holding back at all? Why not just take me out when you had the chance?"

"Just because you're a liability now doesn't mean that you can't change," Hermione shrugged. "Rip, at least, seems to have high hopes for you. You're a very good fighter and I'm sure that, when it comes to tactical decisions, you have solid instincts. The problem is that, like Kendra, you're struggling to figure out where you stand. You want to believe that you're a one-woman army and that you're able to everything, but you can't.

"You don't have the necessary knowledge to understand the consequences of your actions. You don't have the ability to be objective when it comes to any situation that even slightly involves or affects you. And I have the sneaking suspicion that, even when a situation doesn't involve you, you'll find a way to make it involve you. Whether that's because of your desperate, child-like need to matter and be relevant or because of your flaw of over-empathizing with people remains to be seen."

Sara leapt to her feet. "That's easy for you to say! This isn't your city! It's not your family that's dead! It's easy to judge someone for caring too much when you don't have to care at all."

Hermione also rose to her feet, picking up the photo that she'd set beside her as she did. Staring at the picture of her, Joey, and Slade for a moment, Hermione stepped forward, turned the picture around, and pressed it up against the glass walls of Sara's cell.

"Before Lian Yu- before being injected with the Mirakuru- Slade Wilson was one of the Australian Special Intelligence Services' best agents. He helped take down gang leaders and terrorists and saved countless lives over the course of his service. I met him almost fifteen years ago when I was in Melbourne visiting my parents. This was while I was struggling to deal with my rage. I was attacked and used an excessive amount of force to defend myself. Slade witnessed it all and offered to help me. I don't know where I would be today without him."

Sara's eyes were locked onto the photo. "That's Joey?" she confirmed, glancing up at Hermione for a moment before looking back down. "Slade mentioned he had a son named Joe while we were trapped on the island. He didn't say anything about you."

"Technically, Joey is Slade's son with his ex, Adeline Kane, but I've known him for almost his entire life. I consider him my son, and he sees me as another parent."

They lapsed into silence as Hermione waited for Sara to ask what she really wanted to know.

"Why didn't you help us?" the blond whispered. "If you knew about Deathstroke, then why didn't you help stop him? And why did you let him out?"

Hermione slowly pulled away from the cell, taking the picture with her. "When Slade made it back to Australia almost three years after he'd first disappeared, the Mirakuru seemed to be completely out his system. He was a little quieter than normal, a little more withdrawn, but after everything that had happened to him, that wasn't exactly a surprise. But a year after his return, the Mirakuru suddenly became… reactivated, for lack of a better term. There didn't seem to be any reason for it; Slade hadn't been under attack or under any unusual amount of stress.

"He hurt Joey," she whispered, remembering the pain and disbelief on her son's face when he'd confessed what had happened. "And then we got the call that Slade had killed multiple agents and stolen a suit of armor that the agency had been developing. I went to the training facility where Slade and Joey had been and watched the security tapes. I watched as Slade started speaking with someone who wasn't there. All we were able to pick up were ramblings about how someone named Oliver had managed to escape the island. It didn't make sense until two years later, when the miraculous return of Oliver Queen made worldwide news."

Sara's eyes went wide. "Slade could see the future?"

"It's a myth that humans only have access to 10% of their brains capabilities, but there are parts that many can't use," Hermione explained solemnly. "The Mirakuru gave Slade access to at least some of those portions. I didn't know what Slade was talking about at the time, but I knew there was something… dangerous about what he was saying. So I took Joey and we ran."

Meeting Sara's gaze, Hermione repeated, "He hurt Joey, Sara. In a fit of rage, he hurt his son without realizing it. And that was before the Mirakuru had fully pulled him under. What might he have done if the Mirakuru was fully in charge? How badly might he have injured Joey? I couldn't risk it, and I couldn't risk Joey losing two of his parents if I tried to stop Slade and lost, or risk him trying to go after Slade. He missed his dad so much, and he already followed in Slade's footsteps when joining A.S.I.S.- I couldn't risk him following Slade any further. More than that though, something just felt… wrong.

"When we figured out what Slade's rambling meant, Joey and I went even further underground. While Deathstroke was active, Joey stayed hidden with me in various magic communities. When the Green Arrow defeated Deathstroke and injected him with the cure to the Mirakuru, I made sure to find out where Slade was being imprisoned. With the Mirakuru gone, I'd hoped that Slade might turn back into the man I knew. Less than a year after he'd been imprisoned back on Lian Yu, he was released by Malcolm Merlyn and tried to escape but was stopped."

"Yeah, and he was still all Deathstroke when Oliver and Thea stopped him," Sara told her, folding her arms across her chest.

"If that were true, then Oliver and Thea wouldn't have been able to defeat him," Hermione responded confidently. "Even without the Mirakuru, Slade is one of the most lethal fighters out there. Because the Mirakuru had such a strong effect on his mind, it took longer to get the remnants of it out of his head than it did to get it out of his body. But if he had been giving his all during that fight, they both would have been killed. But he held back. So, after a few months, I went to Lian Yu to see him. It was clear that he had finally started to fight his way free of the Mirakuru, but he was still struggling. He needed help, Sara, not to be locked away in a cage with only guards for company."

"And?" she questioned, voice tight.

"And it worked. He's Slade again, not Deathstroke. He doesn't blame you or Oliver for Shado's death and he truly regrets what he did while under the Mirakuru's effects. He blames himself every single day for what he did. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Sara shook her head, seemingly unconvinced. "No, we just have to worry about his psychotic son."

Hermione inhaled sharply. "Slade had- has, I suppose- no idea about Grant. Adeline must have kept it hidden from him all those years. She hated how much of an influence Slade had on Joey. If Slade had known about Grant and what he was trying to do, then he would have stopped him."

"You think he's dead," Sara stated, peering closely at the brunette. "He and Joey."

"I think that there's more to this situation than meets the eye," she answered softly. "Slade had the Mirakuru in his system when he waged a war on Star City, as did his soldiers. It's part of the reason why they were able to do so much damage. I have to assume that Grant doesn't. It's also unlikely he received the same amount of training that Slade did."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that it'd be even easier to figure out Ray's identity than mine."

Sara stiffened. "You think that Savage had something to do with this?"

"Honestly? Yes. It fits his M.O.- he has the chance to cause chaos and get revenge against both the team and the Green Arrow for trying to kill him while also possibly drawing Kendra and Carter out. And with Grant being a willing puppet, he could keep his identity hidden."

"That makes sense," Sara muttered. "But why would Rip not mention that Savage might be behind this?"

"Because it doesn't matter if Savage is behind this or not; we need to stop Savage in the past, not the future. If Savage is behind this, Sara, then what we just witnessed is a perfect example of why we need to go back as far as possible to stop Savage. We can't risk him finding us pre-2016 when most of us will be unaware of who he is. It's too dangerous for both us and our loved ones."

Looking away from Hermione, Sara leaned against the cell door and started drumming her fingers on it. "If I promise not to leave the ship, will you let me out of here?"

Hermione snorted. "No. I warned you that I was willing to lock you up until we left 2046. Be glad that I didn't go ahead and bind your legs while I was at it."

Turning around, Hermione headed for the stairs, calling over her shoulders, "Gideon will let you out once we're gone."

Once she was out of hearing range, Hermione let the forced levity drop from her face. "I suppose this is us coming full circle," she murmured, letting her head tip back as she closed her eyes. "I know you're there."

She heard Leonard step away from his hiding place and come to a stop behind her. "Clearly."

It may have been cowardly, but Hermione would have given just about anything to not have this conversation. It was a lifetime ago that she was worthy enough to step foot in a tower where dwelled the brave at heart.

"Heard you had an interesting run-in earlier," Leonard stated.

"Yes, I did," she responded, not moving. It was easier to do this with her eyes closed- easier to do this in the dark. "I had the pleasure of running into Deathstroke Lite with Sara and Carter and got to explain things to them that were none of their business. Which, as I'm sure you've guessed, is my favorite thing to do."

Leonard hummed. "Of all the people I might have guessed could be your ex, Deathstroke would never have come to mind."

"That's good, because he's not my ex. Neither is Slade Wilson, if we're being perfectly honest. Well, I suppose that depends on whether or not we have the same thoughts as to what constitutes a relationship. In my mind, a relationship involves two people who are committed to one another."

A hand fell on her arm, gently turning her around, but Hermione refused to open her eyes. "You saying Wilson wasn't a commitment sort of guy?"

"We both know you know better than that, Leonard," Hermione chided, taking a deep breath before slowly opening her eyes, keeping her gaze locked onto the ceiling. "I don't let people in, remember? And it's hard to commit to someone who's constantly keeping you at arm's length."

He was silent for a handful of seconds before he asked, "Where did it go wrong?"

Hermione's head snapped down, meeting Leonard's gaze with wide eyes. Never in a million years would she have guessed that that would be the first question he asked. Yet, it was the one that mattered the most, wasn't it?

"In the beginning when Slade was still training me, our relationship was very much casual with no real feelings involved on either side. I relocated to Australia on a semi-permanent basis and told everyone back in England that it was because I wanted to spend time with my parents. In reality, it was just easier to be there and simply go back to England whenever my presence was required. Slade had a guest room, so I stayed with him. We just sort of fell in together."

"Dead," he grunted, smirking down at her.

By this point, the feeling of a blade pressed to her throat didn't bother Hermione in the slightest, so she glared up at him and sneered, "You realize from this position, it would be so easy to kick you in the crotch, right?"

Slade rolled his eyes, slightly increasing the pressure he was putting on the knife held to Hermione's throat. "So what? That still wouldn't keep me from killing you."

"No, but if I used enough force when kicking you, I may cause permanent damage to what seems to be every male's favorite area. And I've heard that some men believe that they'd rather be dead than live with that."

His grin became a little more genuine at that. "Wouldn't have pegged you as sadistic, girl, but I'm glad to see that you have a spine to go with all that anger."

Hermione laughed, lifting a hand and using wandless magic to throw Slade off of her. He flew across the room and slammed into the wall with a grunt. Rolling to her feet, she spat, "My morals may be flexible, Wilson, but my will is not. It takes a lot to break me."

Straightening up, Slade snorted. "Considering the state you're in, pretty sure someone broke you long before I arrived on the scene. Don't try to pretend that you're anything other than damaged, girl."

Gritting her teeth, Hermione threw herself into another fight with Slade. Just because she knew he was right didn't mean she had to acknowledge it.

This time, the fight ended with Hermione's back pressed against the same wall she'd thrown Slade into. He grinned down at, all dark and wild-eyed, and before she knew it, Hermione was pushing up onto her toes and pressing her lips to his.

Slade stiffened, fingers flexing against her pinned wrists. But then his mouth was parting under hers and his tongue plunged into her mouth, taking control of the kiss with ease.

For the first time since the night she'd drunkenly broken into Malfoy Manor and burned it to the ground, the anger running through Hermione's veins disappeared.

"But the longer I stayed there, the more muddied things became. That line between casual and serious became hazy. Meeting Joey made it all the worst." Hermione swallowed, throat suddenly dry.

"Have you ever… have you ever gone into a situation knowing that it can never end the way you want it to? That you're never going to get your way? And you know the smart thing to do would be to walk away and save yourself the trouble, but you don't. Maybe because you hope that you'll be wrong, or maybe because you want to hurt yourself, and here's a way to do it."

Leonard's eyes didn't leave hers and, while his gaze wasn't as warm as it sometimes was when looking at her, it also wasn't his trademark ice-cold stare. "You wanted it to work."

Hermione nodded. "Of course I wanted it to work; I loved him. I loved the time I was able to spend with him and Joey. At a point in my life when everything felt so shaky and unsettled, Slade was something solid and real. I wanted so badly for things to work out between us, and yet I knew it never would. But instead of saving us the pain and grief that comes from pouring your heart into something not sustainable, I twisted the knife in deeper. I hurt him in the hopes that it would stop him from loving me and he let me because he knew what I was doing and was too stubborn to see reason. He loved me, and I loved him, and it wasn't enough, Leonard. Not for me, at least. And Slade wanted to know why, and I could never tell him."

"Why not?" he murmured.

"Because he loved me so much that he would have tried to change a fundamental part of himself in order to keep me. And it wouldn't have worked- we still wouldn't have worked- but he'd have been left far worse off than my silence left him." She stopped speaking then, biting down hard on her lower lip.

Staring at her closely, Leonard reminded her, "You told Carter you would tell me why it didn't work out between you and Slade. Can't falter now, Hermione."

"I'm not. I'm just… I'm trying to figure out how to explain this without sounding like a complete monster." Even just thinking it made her feel like trash, so how much worse would saying it out loud be?

Leonard gave a small huff of laughter, lips pulling up at the corner. "Let's be honest, if I were ever going to think you were a monster, it would already have happened by now."

Hermione snorted, closing her eyes again. "I understand how consuming a mission can be. I understand how it can keep someone away for days, even weeks. But there is a difference between how a hero thinks on a mission and how a villain does. And I realized with Slade that I couldn't live like that.

"I can't live with a partner who would sacrifice themselves to save a stranger, a civilian, an innocent life. I can't live with a partner who would die to see a mission through because the mission is all that matters when they're out in the field. I can't live with someone selfless, because I'm selfish." Her eyes opened again, and she blinked back tears as she met Leonard's gaze. "I want someone who wants me as desperately as I want them. Someone who will do whatever it takes to come back to me. Who would scrap a mission, sacrifice a life, just do whatever it takes to come out alive no matter what it costs in order to come home.

"I was a hero, Leonard, and it killed me. I know the mindset of a hero too well to ever be able to fully love one. And before… everything, Slade was a hero. He always did the 'right' thing until he was stranded on Lian Yu and he met and fell in love with Shado. Until he was injected with the Mirakuru."

Leonard's eyes went cold and he started to pull away, leaving Hermione confused until he said, "And then he was able to stop being the hero for another woman."

"No!" she half-shouted, reaching out to grab his arm. "No, Leonard, don't you see? Slade stopped being a hero and it broke him, turned him into something he wasn't. The Mirakuru serum was mostly responsible for that, but still, that's what Slade not being a hero looks like. That's what he might have been if I'd ever told him the truth."

His arm relaxed under her grip. "Do you still love him?"

Hermione shrugged, letting her hand drop. "I think I'll always love him. Not the way I did before, but how things ended doesn't change everything he did for me, and it doesn't change that we share a son."

She took a shuddering breath, shoulders hunching slightly. "I want to let you in, Leonard," she admitted, voice shaking a bit. "I really do. But I'm just not sure I can. I've seen just how cruel I can be, and I don't want to hurt you the way I did Slade."

"I'm not Slade," Leonard told her simply.

"No, you're not," she agreed hollowly. "But are you sure you differ from him in the ways that matter?"

Leonard's brows furrowed but, before he could say anything, Carter came walking down the hallway.

"Mick's starting to wake up," the demi-god stated, glancing between Leonard and Hermione. "Figured you should be the first person he sees."

Jaw clenching, Leonard gritted out, "Fine." Looking at Hermione, he warned, "This is not over- we're going to finish this conversation. You can't decide this without me."

Hermione held his gaze silently.

Spinning on his heel, Leonard pushed past Carter and raced up the stairs.

"Seems like that went well," Carter commented, glancing over his shoulder before looking back at Hermione.

"I had to give a bare-minimum explanation about my relationship with someone known for his high body count," Hermione stated flatly. "It was never going to be a great conversation."

Carter nodded slowly. "If I were you, I would follow him." At Hermione's raised eyebrow, he said, "I think Leonard and Mick's conversation will help put things into… perspective. And you could do with a little of that right now."

"I could do with a lot of things right now, not the least of which involves flavored liquor, a container of ice cream, and a night where no one bothers me. Unfortunately, I'll have to do without."

"Hermione," he chided.

She held up a hand. "Just don't, Carter. I know what you're wanting to say and I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. This is not me letting my issues stand in the way of my own happiness or me projecting my past relationship with Slade onto Leonard. This is me fully and honestly considering whether a relationship between Leonard and I has the potential of succeeding."

"Or it's you over-thinking everything and viewing the situation through that glass-half-empty lens you're so fond of using."

"Yes, because you're the poster boy for optimism," Hermione sneered, stepping past him to walk up the stairs.

"Hey, things didn't turn out all the badly for me," Carter called to her.

That finally pulled Hermione out of her somber mood, though she didn't turn around as she retorted, "Considering the fact that you must have died over two hundred times by now, that statement's very concerning."

The only reason that Hermione decided to eavesdrop on Leonard and Mick's conversation is because Leonard had just eavesdropped on her and Sara. And because she had an unfortunate habit of trying to learn about things that were none of her business. It had nothing to do with Carter.

She still owed Carter a beating for earlier. Hermione promised herself that she would go deal with him just as soon as Leonard and Mick finished talking. Or, more accurately, fighting.

"You son of a bitch," she heard Mick hissing as she crept down the hallway leading to the teams living quarters.

"Just calm down," Leonard instructed.

Hermione peeked around the corner to see Leonard standing outside the door to Mick's room.

"You lied to me!" Mick shouted, and Hermione watched him slam into an invisible barrier that barred him from leaving the room.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Leonard responded, unconcerned. "Remember the Del Ray Currency Exchange? The Black Hawk Armored Car job? If I hadn't lied to you on those scores, we'd both be in prison. Or dead." Mick was silent so Leonard continued. "I'm the brain. You're the muscles. That's how it's always been. And on occasion, I've had to call some audibles. You have a habit of getting in your own way, Mick."

Mick grunted, turning away and moving out of sight from Hermione's vantage point. "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."

Her stomach dropped. That. That right there was what was holding Hermione back. The mission was taking priority over Leonard's personal relationships. A real team player, Mick said.

A real hero.

And it wasn't as though Hermione didn't get it. After all, she wanted nothing more than to stop Savage, but her reasons certainly weren't selfless ones. She wanted him dead for what he had done to her, for what he was going to do to her. If they didn't stop Savage in the past, then there was nothing stopping him from coming for Hermione in her present, in her future. Nothing stopping him from coming after her loved ones. She couldn't give a damn about what Savage was going to do in the future- those events didn't affect her. Saving the world wasn't her problem, but saving her world was. And Hermione had known the moment she saw Savage back in 1975 that she had to do whatever it took to stop Savage in order to protect herself and her family.

Maybe the difference between what her motives were and what she suspected Leonard's motives were was subtle, but it made all the difference to her because their limits were different. What she was and was not willing to do to stop Savage wouldn't line up with what a hero would do because a hero would be willing to sacrifice a lot more than she was.

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

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

Leonard reached out and swiped at the panel on the edge of Mick's bedroom door, causing the force field to disappear with a flash of blue light. "Don't you get it, Mick?" he demanded, stepping into the room. Hermione wished there was a way for her to get closer, but the hallways didn't exactly offer a lot of hiding spots, and it would be too time-consuming to dig out the cloak. "By confronting Savage in the past and not killing him, we've screwed ourselves over in the future. He already knows Hermione's identity; it won't be difficult to find ours if he bothers to look. Our weapons are rather distinct, in case you haven't noticed."

Mick snorted. "If Savage was going to attack us, wouldn't he have done it by now? Rip said that we'd know if Savage was messing with our younger selves, but nothing's happened yet."

"Yeah, and that's all Rip said. He didn't say whether or not we'd instantly know, or if we would remember running into Savage once it happened. Rip, much like myself, likes to play his cards close to his chest, which means that we should be a lot more concerned about what he isn't saying than we are about what he is."

Hermione wasn't expecting the turn the conversation had taken. Leonard was being entirely pragmatic and logical in his reasoning for why Savage was a priority. So, was Mick misunderstanding Leonard's actions, or was he just able to see the truth when Leonard wasn't?

"If we don't take out Savage, this immortal monster, don't you see what that'll get us?" Leonard continued. "We'll have ourselves a new enemy at our back that we can't kill, out for revenge because of a job we left unfinished. No lose ends, Mick- that's always been how we do things."

"I was wrong," Mick said abruptly. "This isn't about saving the world and being a part of the team- this is about Hermione."

She stiffened.

"You know Savage is interested in her. You went after her back at the gulag. You insisted that we go find her when Deathstroke mentioned her. All this talk about Savage coming after us… you're not worried about us, you're worried about what he's going to do when he finds her."

Leonard was silent for a moment. "Hermione is our friend, Mick. And yeah, Savage is targeting her, but she can look after herself."

"Doesn't mean that you don't also want to. You're letting your interest in her cloud your judgement."

"No, I'm not. We're here to stop Savage- that's always been the goal."

"And getting Hermione is what? Just a perk?"

Hermione was having a hard time not getting offended at the idea that someone could 'get' her. She understood that Mick didn't mean it the way it sounded but that didn't mean she liked it.

"This isn't about Hermione," Leonard responded, voice cold. "You're upset that we're not staying in 2046, and I get it. But my desire to not have the both of us blink out of existence now that we've meddled in the past outweighs your need to ignore the obvious in your quest to watch the world burn. I made the decision to pull the both of us out of there. Don't try and blame anyone else for the calls I make."

There were footsteps and then Hermione heard Mick hiss, "You lay a hand on me again, you'll burn too."

Peeking around the corner again, she watched Mick storm out of his room and down the hall, thankfully going in the opposite direction from where she was.

After waiting a minute for Leonard to also exit, Hermione found herself moving to standing in the hall a few meters behind the man, staring at his back. "Did you mean it?" she asked, and he turned to stare at her with opaque blue eyes. "Your reasons for being a 'team player'- is needing to defeat Savage really the only reason?"

Leonard raised a brow, stepping out into the hall and past Hermione to move away from Mick's room. "Savage is a threat, and I prefer to take out a threat before they take me out. Just common sense."

Turning back to face her, Leonard's hands slid into his pockets. "Like I said when Rip first recruited us: hero ain't on my resume."

Hermione worried the inside of her bottom lip, warring between her instincts. She was done with heroes, but Leonard seemed to be saying that his interest in stopping Savage was due to his self-preservation instinct, which she could absolutely understand. And really, what all had Leonard done so far that made her concerned about his intentions?

She hadn't known that Leonard had purposefully been looking for her when he found her during the fight at the gulag. And she hadn't known that Grant had ordered for her to be captured when she heard that he and Leonard had arrived in the nick of time to assist Rip and Carter. Yes, he hadn't seemed all that concerned with stealing things so far, which she had thought was his primary motivation when joining the time traveling team, but then again, they really hadn't gone all that many places that had things worth stealing.

Hadn't she been thinking not too long ago that she had given up doing the smart thing years before and hadn't looked back? What was one more stupid thing added to the list?

"What are you doing?" Leonard murmured as she moved to stand directly in from of him, staring down at Hermione with his usual half-smirk playing on his lips.

Hermione paused.

"What are you doing?"

"Stealing a kiss."

A small huff of laughter escaped her as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "Stealing a kiss," she told him, pushing herself up onto her toes and pressing her lips to his.

It started out a simple brush of lips against lips, allowing Leonard to pull away should it not actually be what he wanted. It stayed that way for mere seconds before Leonard was leaning down to return the kiss and wrapping Hermione in his arms.

Slipping his hand up into her hair, Leonard tugged out the band holding her curls back and let it drop onto the floor. Twisting the strands between his fingers, he turned her head slightly to the side so that he could deepen the kiss. When Hermione felt his tongue lightly tracing the shape of lower lip and then press against the seam of her lips, she instantly parted them and sighed as his tongue brushed against hers.

Despite the fact that this was Leonard's first time kissing her, it was just as good as she remembered. Her arms slid up his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. His hips jerked against hers and Hermione felt Leonard's groan at the sensation. The kiss instantly changed from a lazy exploration to something more heated and darker. It felt like Leonard was trying to devour her from the inside out and all Hermione could do was hold on tight and enjoy the ride because she may have initiated the kiss, but she was no longer the one in control of it. And as someone who prided themselves on always being in control, it was both a heady and terrifying experience.

She had been right- there was no coming back from this.