The Flightless

The End of the End

"You're sure this is the right place?"

I creep through the long hallway. Rip cocks his gun into position.

"I'm sure. It'll be right through here."

A swift kick undoes the lock to the artifact room. I search through each box until I reach mine. I grab the chain, pocket my mother's cardinal pin and abscond from Indian Hill just as quickly as we infiltrated it.

Rip and I walk arm and arm through the quiet cemetery. All of the guests have left. Only Oswald remains, standing alone at my grave.

My young, grief-stricken husband lays a bouquet of lilies on his mother's grave.

"Oswald Cobblepot?" I ask. Captain Hunter quickly wraps my scarf further around my head to conceal my identity.

He glances up at us. His eyes overflow with constant tears. I want to comfort him. I wish I could tell him about all the wonderful things still in store for him.

"Can I help you?"

When I woke up in Indian Hill, Strange had collected all of my personal artifacts. I was buried in the Emperor Penguin necklace he gave me. The only way he could've gotten it is from me.

"You left this," I say and reveal the old, rusty necklace. "We found it on the ground."

My husband greedily takes it from my palms, as if it was his last line to me. "How did you get this?"

Rip quickly makes up a lie. "We were at the clean-up of the church. It looked important, so we thought we'd deliver it to its most probable owner."

This old heart in my chest lightens. "You're so young—"

"—to have known such loss," Hunter corrects. "Our sincerest condolences, Mr. Cobblepot."

Oswald processes this for a minute before pocketing the trinket and extending his hand to both of us. "Thank you, I suppose. Did you know Sera?"

Captain Hunter shakes his head. "I didn't, unfortunately. I heard she was a wonderful woman."

He looks at me, next. I cover up my trembling hands in my scarf. The scars would be a dead giveaway.

"Only in name," I clarify. "I frequented your old club for quite a while, so I saw her on occasion. She was always bustling about, as kind as ever."

"Oh. That sounds like her," Oswald says through a pained heave.

Tears form at the edges of my eyes. "Take heart, Oswald. I have a feeling your adventure isn't over."

"What do you say?" Rip inquires once we board the Waverider, again. 

Constantine walks out to the main room. "We could use someone like you on board."

Dinah is old enough to take care of herself, now. Oswald is fulfilling his destiny with Batman, so is everyone else. Chaos and Order have never been in such balance. I could become a legend alongside Constantine, again. I could give the rest of my life to saving time itself. I could, but what would be left of me? How much more do I have left to give?

"A consultant."

"I beg your pardon?"

I nod, settling into my decision. "I'll be your consultant, Captain Hunter. Call me whenever you can't complete a mission by yourself. I'll be there."

Constantine's face curves into the smallest of grins.

Rip sighs. "Why won't you join us, Cardinal? We can return you to Gotham at any moment. It will be as if no time passed."

"I'll know," I say. "I have lived for many years without the company of the ones I hold the dearest. My daughter deserves a mother. My husband deserves a wife, and my brother deserves his sister." I place my phone number in his hand. "It's time for me to find my loyalties and stick to them, Captain Hunter."

"Very well, Sara."

"Expect many calls, love," Constantine chuckles.

I wave to my team from the concrete sidewalk. "I'll see you soon!"

It's never felt so nice to set my sights on the mansion. This is where I've always belonged. This heart of mine lightens in my chest, especially as I walk through the doors to be greeted by my husband.

"Welcome back, my dear. How was the wedding?"

"Beautiful, of course. I—" My phone buzzes loudly in my pocket.

"This is an urgent Cardinal call. We'll be at Cobblepot Manor in ten minutes," Rip informs. "Will you be ready?"

"Yes. I'll be ready, Captain."

Oswald's head tilts as I hang up. "Who was that?"

"Captain Rip Hunter. He's a nice young man. He introduced himself to me at the wedding; said he was putting a team together to save all of time."

"How peculiar. Did he provide any evidence to back these claims?"

I place a book back on the shelf in Penguin's office. "He did, in fact. I can officially say I've traveled through time."

My husband glances up from his desk. "Oh? Where on Earth did you go?"

"Do you remember the necklace you gave me all those years ago?"

"The one I sent with you to Metropolis?"

I nod. "That's the one. I was buried in it, so how did you ever get it back?"

"That's impossible. You couldn't have been buried in it. It fell out of your pocket when you were shot. I distinctly remember two workers from the crime scene brought it back to me."

"Think long and hard about those workers, Os. What did the woman look like?"

Realization takes hold of his features. Both eyes widen in shock and surprise.

"It was you! You— you brought it back to me."

"I did," I confirm through a smile. "Rip Hunter traveled with me. He was telling the truth."

His excited features falter. "Does this mean you agreed to join them?"

"Only as a consultant. I'm to be called in only when they need my specific expertise. I'm not leaving you, again."

He snakes an arm around my waist. "As much as I love to hear you say that, I know you've been itching to begin a new adventure, my love. I can see it on your face. Don't let me keep you from it."

"You're not. This is what I want. In being a consultant, I get to have some kind of balance. I get to stay here with you and only occasionally join the Legends on an adventure or two. It's perfect for me." 

"As long as you're sure. How long shall I prepare for you to be away?"

"It's a time machine, Os. I can come right back to this very moment. You won't even know I'm gone."

"That's not true." He places a true kiss on my lips. "My heart always knows when you're away."

"We won't miss any time together," I assure him. "I'll be back for dinner."

"I will be eagerly awaiting your return, Dr. Gordon."

That old name forces a smirk on my face. "Do you promise that?"

Oswald smiles, too. "I promise."