Some people have bad luck. And then there's the Legends of Tomorrow—masters of turning a crisis into a catastrophe.
When Sara Lance, the White Canary, first joined the team, they nearly lost her over a family matter involving her sister's love life. The solution? Ship the problem off to Themyscira, home of the future Wonder Woman Diana and the formidable Amazon warriors. That, in theory, should have fixed the time anomaly.
In practice?
Sara stayed with the Legends, but the Birds of Prey still formed. The only real difference was that without Jack Kadere's influence, they operated more discreetly. Sara remained publicly "dead," still betrayed the League of Assassins to protect her family, was still killed, still resurrected, and still recruited to the Legends. Her timeline shifted in small ways, but the big beats stayed the same.
That was fine—at least she didn't quit the team. The Legends planned to kill Vandal Savage and then go back for Jack. Unfortunately, the team's "garbage heap" reputation was well earned. Savage was alive and thriving, Hawkman was dead, and after barely escaping a deadly encounter, they found themselves hunted relentlessly by Chronos, a bounty hunter working for Rip Hunter's old bosses—the Time Masters.
What to do?
They agreed on one thing: return Jack Kadere to his own place in time before the situation got any worse. And somehow, they made it worse anyway.
They arrived at Themyscira to find the unthinkable—Jack Kadere had apparently enslaved the Amazons, and none of them seemed inclined to resist.
It was the kind of absurdity you'd expect from an alternate Earth—like Vandal Savage dying from choking on a cup of water. But no, this was reality, and the Legends were staring at it.
Surrounded by Amazons glaring daggers at them, Rip Hunter could only watch helplessly as Jack led his followers aboard the Waverider like he owned the place.
....
Aboard the Waverider
Artemis, Diana, and Queen Hippolyta examined the ship's corridors and controls with open curiosity, their eyes sweeping over technology centuries beyond their own.
"This vessel… it can really travel through time?" Diana asked.
Jack waved her off, too busy reviewing reports on the Birds of Prey and Huntress Helena Bertinelli.
After Jack's sudden "disappearance," Felicity Smoak had rallied Laurel Lance and Selina Kyle to form a search party. Felicity wanted her boyfriend back. Laurel wanted answers about her sister's death. Selina wanted access to certain high-grade software to wipe her criminal record. While searching, they took down several criminals in Gotham and Star City, inadvertently shaping the early Birds of Prey.
Meanwhile, Helena—having lost her evidence against her enemies and with Jack missing—was on her own mission. When she crossed paths with the Birds, she laid down an ultimatum:
Either hand over Jack Kadere, or hand over the erased evidence.
The Birds had neither, and weren't inclined to cooperate.
Helena returned to operating solo as Huntress. Laurel and Felicity, unwilling to stand by, repeatedly stopped her from killing mob boss Frank Bertinelli. Selina stayed neutral, but tensions escalated into a constant game of interference. The Huntress had the edge in skill, but the Birds had teamwork on their side. Victories and setbacks stacked up on both ends, but neither group had the time—or desire—to dwell on romantic rivalries.
Jack's goal was achieved: keep them distracted, and his personal drama stayed buried.
...
"They're here to take you back, aren't they? Will you go with them?" Diana's voice pulled him from his thoughts. Artemis and Hippolyta turned toward him, waiting for his answer.
"You don't want me to leave, do you?" Jack asked, a knowing smile on his face as he placed a hand on Diana's shoulder.
She brushed it off with a sharp snort. "No matter where you are, I'll find you, and I'll make you pay."
"Then you'll never forget me," he replied with a smirk. "Artemis, bring them here."
"Yes, Master."
Moments later, the Legends were marched in under armed Amazon escort. Their expressions ranged from pale dread to outright resentment.
Jack looked them over and chuckled darkly. "When the levee is weaker than the flood, the water always wins. You charged in without thinking, and now you're paying the price. If there's a phrase for you, it's this: 'A fierce operation, a disastrous result.'"
He began to pace slowly, his words cutting sharper than any blade. "You've managed to get Themyscira destroyed, turned its people into my loyal followers, and—let's not forget—delivered Wonder Woman herself into my hands. Do you even comprehend the kind of timeline fracture this could cause?"
Jack leaned forward, his voice low and mocking. "Imagine this—because of your actions, Wonder Woman swears off men entirely. She never joins the Justice League. Instead, she dedicates herself to waging war on mankind. You'd be the reason the world changes forever. Doesn't it make you feel pathetic? Useless? Like all you ever do is ruin what you touch? Don't despair though…"
His smile widened, unnervingly bright. "Because at least your judgment about me was correct."
The Legends stood in grim silence.
"We'll send you back," Rip Hunter said firmly, turning to Queen Hippolyta and the others. "We will repair this timeline deviation. I promise you—we'll undo what he did and make it as though it never happened."
Jack threw his head back and laughed. The sound echoed like a blade scraping steel, louder with each breath until he doubled over with amusement. Then, pointing one by one at the Legends before turning his finger toward Hippolyta and the Amazons beside her, he sneered: "Do you know what's truly hilarious? Even if you had the chance—even if I didn't lift a finger to stop you—they would never agree to your plan!"
"You're insane!" Kendra Saunders, the current Hawkgirl, shouted in anger.
"He's always been insane," Sara Lance, the White Canary, muttered with disgust. "So don't be shocked he's spouting nonsense."
Jack's grin sharpened as he ignored them. "Sometimes, you don't realize the depth of despair until you try—and fail. Tell them, Queen Hippolyta… you, who went from ruler of the Amazons to being bound as my servant. Do you truly want them to change everything that has happened?"
Change it? If they did… then who would stand against Eris, the Goddess of Discord, who now threatened to consume them all?
"No!" Hippolyta's voice was resolute, her gaze unyielding.
"What?!" Hawkgirl cried out in disbelief.
"And you, Artemis," Jack said, turning to the warrior who had sacrificed herself for her sisters. "Do you wish to see this undone?"
"My master," Artemis answered coldly, her eyes gleaming with the chaotic power of Discord that now flowed through her veins, "anyone who dares to change what has happened is my enemy!"
The silence that followed was suffocating. The Legends stared, struggling to grasp what they were hearing.
Their hope flickered only when Jack turned his gaze toward Diana. Surely Wonder Woman, forced into this nightmare, would desire above all else that none of this had ever taken place…