She wrapped the lasso around her hand.

Once. Twice.

She unwrapped it and began the cycle over again.

It helped her keep her centered, something her mom had taught her all those years ago on the island. The lasso guides us. It leads up where we need to go.

Alex wasn't sure she believed her mother's words, but she supposed it was better than nothing. The methodical rhythm of her hands against the warmth of the golden rope calmed her down before missions.

It was her meditation.

And it was now being broken by the sound of Leonard's grating voice.

"So you ditched the armor huh?"

Alex blew a strand of hair away from her eyes, tucking the stray behind her ear as she hooked the lasso to her side. "Yeah, I felt wearing red, yellow, and blue didn't exactly scream covert mission."

She caught the barest glimpse of a smirk as he leaned against the door, his eyes narrowed at the woman standing before him.

"That's too bad," Snart replied, "I'm sure Raymond would've appreciated seeing you in it as you saved him."

Alex scoffed at the insinuation, pulling her jacket over her shoulders again, "This mission is about Stein, not your partner and Ray."

Leonard didn't buy it.

"Right, that's why you tore into Rip earlier" Snart commented, lifting his brow in a teasing gesture, "It was for your general love for Stein and not because you wanted to get Boy Scout back?"

She pressed his gun into his chest, staring him down as a tense air settled over them.

"Our priority is saving Stein and the future" She emphasized, "If that means leaving Ray and Mick behind, then I'm doing it."

She shoved the guilt down into her gut, ignoring the voice in her head that wanted to protest her declaration. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted, not even by one of her friends.

"You ready?' Sara asked, pushing a knife into her side pocket. Alex nodded, adjusting the strap of her sword as the door of the Waverider opened to allow them outside.

"Alright," Rip began, taking charge. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Alex, Sara you go after Stein, do not let him get in that lab."

She nodded curtly, Leonard and her rolling the gurney down toward the lab, a hushed conversation passing between the assassin and crook as they rounded the corner.

"How does it feel to be dead again?" She heard Leonard tease the blonde and she shot him a look.

"Would you two shut up please?" She begged, trying to keep her composure, "Take the next left."

They did as she was told, fighting their way through the reluctant guards with relative ease as they tied them up in the closet next to them.

"Okay," Sara breathed, "This duct should take us to solitary, we just need to get to Stein--"

"Yeah, I'm not going" Leonard dropped on the both of them. Alex whipped her head around in frustration.

"What the hell?" She raced after him, catching him before he left.

Leonard shared a look with her, "Last chance to come with Girl Scout" He explained, a cocky look in his blue eyes.

"I told you," She began, "My priority is the mission."

"And Mine's Mick."

He cocked his gun, turning his back on the two women.

Sara's anger burst out of her, "So much for your code, crook!" She called after him.

"Anytime assassin!" He shot back, "Don't worry Princess, I'll tell lover boy you say hi."

Alex bit her cheek in frustration before following Sara down the duct.

***

"What's happening?" Rip's tinny voice rang in their ears, Alex pressing her body against the wall before sliding out, her bracers colliding against one another, sending the guards spiraling. But Stein was nowhere to be seen.

"We couldn't rescue Stein," Sara replied breathlessly.

Rip's tone turned serious, all sense of caution gone. "Well if that's the case..."

Alex turned around, meeting Sara's weary gaze, "I know what I have to do" The assassin replied.

Alex shook her head, trying to encourage her friend to stay her hand.

"Sara!" She called after the blonde, watching the woman disappear behind the door, leaving her alone in the hallway.

She stared down the corridor Leonard had traversed earlier. She inhaled deeply before grasping her sword from its sheath, hoping she didn't regret this decision.

***

The door to the jail swung open, her boot breaking open the lock, a stunned look crossing the two criminals' faces as she probably awoke the rest of the prisoners.

"Well, what do you know?" Leonard teased, "Princess has a heart of gold after all."

"Shut up" She replied, shutting down his smirk as she tossed an unconscious Ray over her shoulders, "We have to go, now."

That was enough to get the men moving.

They were halfway down the hallway when the power went off, electronic locks released every criminal in the gulag.

"We're dressed as guards," Mick observed, something akin to fear written across his face.

Alex and Leonard shared a look before he offered the only order she would ever take from him.

"This is the part where we run."

They sprinted, her foot smashed into an inmate's face as they skidded to a stop at the intersection.

"Take Ray and Mick to the jumpship" Leonard instructed. Alex nodded, a worried look on his face as she and Mick watched Snart disappear down another hallway.

"Come on," She urged, feeling Ray's body stir atop her shoulders as they traveled down the winding hallways, Mick covering her escape from behind.

The jumpship awaited them across a field of rabid inmates, each one determined to make their escape from the hellhole Mick and Ray had been locked up in for the past few days.

She ducked teeth and punches while a fire raged behind her, lighting up the criminals and forging an available path for her to use.

She tightened her grip around Ray's waist and pushed herself up, soaring over the mix of Russian guards and criminals before landing in front of the jumpship, her legs shaking from impact.

Red flames entered her vision and Mick appeared from the smoke, following her to safety. She strapped a half-conscious Ray Palmer into the seat next to Mick and pushed herself into the pilot's seat, hoping her father's skills were genetic.

They were.

Although Gideon did most of the work.

When they docked at the Waverider, she exhaled loudly, turning to face the now conscious Ray and dizzy Mick.

"Everyone okay?" She asked, trying to ignore the stupid question she had just asked. Ray nodded, while the sound of Mick's puke against the floor of the ship filled the air between them. A soft chuckle escaped her lips, relief coursing through her as she met Ray's bruised face.

"Come on" She stood up, grabbing hold of the two men, "We need to get both of you to Gideon."

Later, the bridge was back to a cheery atmosphere as the rest of the team clinked their glasses together in a toast.

"Thanks for saving me," Ray's voice brought her back down to Earth, a slight tinge of pink mixing with the cuts that scattered his face like constellations.

Alex smiled softly before taking a seat on the arm of the chair he had collapsed in, "It was the least I could do, boy scout."

The quip brought another wide smile to his face, a chuckle leaving his parted lips at the sound of the nickname.

"Well here's to you," Ray lifted his glass, "Princess."

She tucked a small piece of hair behind her ear, her smile growing wider at the tender way he had spoken her title.

They were quickly pulled out of their moment as the Waverider shook, her body almost launching into Ray's lap. She stabilized herself using the back of the chair before standing up, looking to Rip and Sara for an explanation.

"What was that?" The assassin asked.

Gideon's voice came over the monitor, "We have been struck with an explosive particle"

"No kidding," Alex heard Ray whisper under his breath. She helped him up as Rip instructed everyone to strap in.

She pulled the restraint over her head, barely paying attention to the conversations being exchanged across from her.

She heard the words Chronos and Timestream and that was enough for her to put two and two together.

"Initiating evasive maneuvers" Rip announced, spinning the ship around to avoid the impeccable aim of Chronos' technology.

Ray groaned next to her, fingers wrapping around her own as the ship began to shake again.

"Vodka was a bad choice," He announced, his grip growing tighter.

She resisted the urge to laugh as they continued forward, the missile causing the ship to spark and screams to ring out.

"Sir" Gideon's voice cut through the chaos, "We've just been knocked out of the time stream"

"What does that mean?" Kendra called from across the bridge.

Rip didn't waste any time beating around the bush, "It means we're crashing in place and time."

They crawled out of the Waverider when they landed, Alex immediately canvasing the area for anything that could surprise them. Her eyes darted from place to place, the ruins looking eerily familiar to her.

"That looks like a Palmer Tech building," Ray observed, pointing upward at the glowing beacon in the sky. Alex tilted her head up to see where Ray was pointing to, but instead of his name lit up across the top, elegant letters spelled a much shorter name that shone across the city.

"This is Star City," Sara whispered, breathless from the realization.

Ray whipped around to face Rip, "I thought you said the timeline was safe"

Rip checked what tech he had brought with him, "Star City was intact in 2016, this is...2046."

Alex had little time to comprehend that new bit of information before an arrow found itself at her feet, stopping the group in their tracks.

"Don't Move!" A deep voice commanded, drawing another arrow in their direction. Alex lifted her hands up, knowing who they were up against. But this time he was joined by another figure by his side, bo staff in hand.

"Oh thank god," Sara breathed, moving closer. The bow grew taut.

"I said Don't move!" The deep voice commanded again. The figure beside him drew his staff at the group.

Sara stumbled back, "It's me, it's Sara."

Ray pushed forward, stepping in front of Alex and Sara, his arm outstretched, "Look, Oliver, I know it's been a long time, but don't you remember that Rip Hunter recruited us to become legends?"

A pause hung in the air as the Legends shot a nervous look at each other, their fates placed in the hands of an elderly Oliver Queen.

The mysterious figure spoke one phrase which dashed all her hopes, "I've never heard of any Legends."