Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chronos's laser rifle roared, sending bursts of burning light toward Sara Lance. Diana stepped forward, her golden Bracelets of Submission flashing as she deflected the blasts with lightning precision, each ricochet ringing like a clash of steel.
"Thrilling, isn't it?" Jack Kadere asked with a wry smile, glancing at Kate, who stood frozen in shock.
Her lips parted slightly, and she gave the smallest of nods. Seeing a man punch through a wall, an armored hunter firing futuristic weapons, and Wonder Woman herself standing firm against the barrage—it was more than she could process.
"Who… who are you people?" she managed, her voice trembling.
"Who are we?" Jack chuckled lightly. "They're just passengers in this little show. As for me…" His gaze held hers. "Call me Jack Kadere. For now, you could say I'm your… master."
Sara Lance, ducking behind Diana, scowled. "You planning on helping, or are you just going to stand there hitting on her?"
Jack ignored the jab and tilted his head toward a sleek black vessel parked nearby. "I'm more interested in that."
Chronos's personal craft sat gleaming under the dusty light. Smaller than the Waverider, but its smooth armor and concealed weapon pods hinted at dangerous capabilities. And unlike the Waverider, it probably didn't have an AI like Gideon—meaning it could be flown by anyone who knew how. For Jack, it looked like a ready-made time machine ripe for the taking.
Seeing Jack heading for the ship with Kate still in his arms, Chronos turned his aim toward them. Before he could fire, Sara moved, flicking her wrist to send a dagger spinning through the air. It struck the rifle cleanly, knocking it from his hands.
Chronos reacted instantly, but Sara was faster. She vaulted forward, twisting midair and locking her legs around his neck. With a sharp motion, she used her momentum to slam him into the ground. The armor took the brunt of the impact, but the shock still jarred him.
Chronos tried to rise, but Sara pinned him, one knee pressing his chestplate while her dagger hovered inches from his throat. "Tell me—what happened to the Waverider?" she demanded.
Meanwhile, inside the craft, Jack guided the wide-eyed Kate through its interior. It was smaller than the Waverider but no less impressive—tight corridors lined with control panels, weapon systems that looked far deadlier than anything Rip Hunter's ship carried, and just enough room for a small crew.
"From now on," Jack said with satisfaction, "this ship is called The Disciple."
He turned to Kate. "Watch the ship. I'll be right back." Without waiting for her reply, he strode out.
By then, Sara had yanked off Chronos's helmet. The sight beneath made her falter—Heat Wave. Mick Rory's scarred, scowling face stared back at her.
Diana's brow furrowed. "This isn't possible. He was with you."
Sara's voice was tight. "At least, in our timeline."
Jack approached casually. "He's just from a different branch of time. Same man, different history." His gaze fixed on Rory. "Got a flight manual for this thing?"
"This ship belongs to the Time Masters. You think I'm—"
Crack!
Jack's boot came down on Rory's leg with a sharp snap. Rory roared in pain, clutching at the break.
"Yes… or no?" Jack asked evenly.
Rory gritted his teeth. "No."
Jack's lips twitched into a cold smile. "Oh."
Electricity danced across his hand, a sharp, unnatural blue. Without hesitation, he pressed it to Rory's chest.
Boom!
The discharge lit the air for a heartbeat, and when it faded, the body slumped—blackened, unmoving.
Sara shot to her feet. "What the hell are you doing?!" Her voice cracked between anger and disbelief. "That's Mick Rory! Even if he's from another timeline—"
Jack cut her off. "What were you going to do? Let him run into your Mick Rory and play a game of 'spot the double'? Or let him go so he could keep hunting you? This way, the problem ends here. Besides…" He smirked faintly. "The real Mick Rory's still alive in your time. And if you leave this one alive, he could still end up as Chronos again. Sounds like an endless time loop to me. You'll get over it."
Sara's glare didn't waver.
Jack shrugged and turned away. "Tell Rip Hunter I've got a new toy. You can keep saving the world without me."
Sara blinked at him. "Can you even fly that thing?"
"If I can't," Jack said, already turning toward the ship, "I'll learn."
Diana cast Sara a brief, knowing look, then followed Jack up the ramp.
On board the Disciple, Jack moved with the excitement of someone exploring a new weapon. The controls weren't exactly like piloting a plane or driving a car, but the principles were close enough. While Diana and Kate explored the narrow halls and compact compartments, Jack worked over the console. Within minutes, the ship's engines hummed to life.
The Disciple lifted from the ground in a slow, steady climb. The moment Jack steadied the controls, the ship surged forward, breaking into the open sky like a bullet from a gun.
Sara Lance could only stand on the ground, staring upward at the shrinking silhouette until it vanished. The entire situation felt absurd—Jack had barged into her mission, used her crew as leverage, stolen the Waverider once, and now simply traded it away for a sleeker, faster time vessel. And he'd done it without a shred of hesitation.
—
Hours later, the Disciple drifted down over an endless stretch of golden sand. The landing struts sank slightly into the dune as the engines powered down.
The rear hatch hissed open, and Jack stepped out into the heat, followed by Kate and Diana. The desert air was dry, still, and vast enough to swallow sound. Diana took a moment to scan the horizon, her blue eyes narrowing.
"What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?" she asked.
Jack grinned and sat casually on the edge of the hatch. "Watching the sunset."
The sky ahead blazed in shades of red and gold as the sun dipped toward the horizon. In the glow, the desert looked almost alive, waves of sand shifting with the light.
Diana hesitated, then joined him. Kate quietly sat on his other side. For several long minutes, no one spoke. The sound of the wind and the warmth of the sun seemed to belong to another time entirely.
When the last sliver of sun sank out of view, Jack stretched, draping an arm over each of their shoulders. "Alright," he said with a half-smile, "sunset's over. Let's head inside."
Diana stiffened and pulled back instinctively. "I didn't agree to spar with you today."
Jack tilted his head. "You're on my ship now. You should contribute something."
"You stole this," she shot back flatly.
"A ship I take with my own hands belongs to me," Jack replied, unbothered. "If you think you can do better, steal one yourself."
"I'm not as shameless as you," Diana said, her tone cool. She vaulted from the hatch to the sand below, clearly unwilling to humor him further.
Jack simply shrugged, slipped an arm around Kate, and headed back inside the ship.