The sound of metal against metal clanked through the room as Mick's knife lodged itself in the wall of the Waverider.

Alex shuffled her cards back and forth before discarding two of them to be replaced. She noted the look on Leonard's face before shifting her gaze back to her hand.

"He's not doing well with being cooped up is he?"

Mick's roar echoed through the chamber, "I was recruited for my ability to burn things and now we're in the one place I can't do that!" He yelled, staring at the blue light around him, "a spaceship!"

Leonard's foot stopped Mick from moving any further, an expectant look crossing his face. Rory disregarded him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Why?" Rory snarled, "You gonna clock me in the head if I don't listen again?"

Leonard moved his leg, Mick stepping over the trio and marching up the stairs, Sara scooting out of the way of the pyromaniac.

"Everything okay with you two?" The assassin asked, a curious look crossing her face.

Leonard's stare remained on his cards, "Peachy."

Alex smirked as she drew several cards from the deck and revealed her hand, "I do believe that is a royal flush and I get my winnings again,"

Sara groaned, "What is that, your third royal flush? You've got to be cheating somehow"

Alex stuck her tongue out at the assassin in a childish manner, "I'm just that good Lance."

Sara bit her lip, staring at the Amazon and contemplating her next remark. Just as she was about to respond, an alarm cut off her words, calling them upstairs.

Sighing reluctantly, the trio abandoned their game of poker and followed Gideon's instructions, Alex's joints popping as she stood up.

Perhaps some action was needed after all.

Apparently she was still stuck heeding the whims of Rip Hunter, who seemed to think that answering a distress call from his former employers was a good idea.

"Doesn't it seem suspicious this distress call just happened to reach us?" Leonard brought up a good point, almost voicing her exact thoughts.

"I'm with Elsa over there," Alex brought up, moving closer to the criminal.

"Ooh an Ice Queen," Leonard remarked, "I'm flattered,"

Alex sent him a sarcastic smile, "Don't get used to it," She turned back to Rip, missing the flickering gaze of Ray Palmer on her and Leonard, "It does seem a bit convenient that the exact information we're needing just happens to send out a distress call near our exact location"

"How do we know it's not a trap?" Sara backed her up, appearing at her side.

Rip looked at the two of them, "We don't, but what we do know is that Savage's trail has gone cold. And unless Gideon can upload the data from Acheon's computer--"

"I'm in" an unlikely support system came in the form of Mick Rory.

Leonard jerked back, "You are?"

Clearly she was not the only one surprised by Mick's show of support.

Rory refused to look Leonard in the eye, "The sooner we end Savage the sooner I get back to where I belong."

"Prison?" Stein offered.

"A Mental Hospital?" Alex spoke up immediately after, garnering a laugh from the pyro.

"Any of those options are better than this one" Rory simply explained, strutting away from the table without any other explanation.

Alex shared a small look with Sara before turning back to Rip, who simply told Gideon to plot the course.

She, however, returned to her room, playing with the extrapolator a little bit longer before placing it back in the drawer next to her bed. She couldn't put a finger on why she had been feeling so down since Star City.

She couldn't figure out why she wasn't using the extrapolator to head back to her own world and help Kara and Alfie out herself.

Why she wasn't already at home snug in her own apartment bed.

A knock was heard at her door that pulled her out of her thoughts. Alex turned to see Sara standing there with a fresh bottle of whiskey in her hand.

"You looked like you could use a drink," The assassin explained, an unidentifiable look on her face. Alex chuckled softly before grabbing the glass out of her hand.

"The real question is who did you steal it from?" Alex teased, watching the dark liquid leave the bottle and gently fill up her cup.

Sara shrugged, "I figured since Rip's out on a death mission, he won't mind if we borrow from his personal stash,"

Alex took a sip, letting the alcohol burn down her throat, "Borrowing implies a return," She stared at the blonde sitting by her side, "Why do I get the feeling this bottle is going to go mysteriously missing?"

Sara sent her a cheeky shrug before capping the whiskey and placing it on her nightstand, "there, now you have to give it back. Borrowed."

Alex chuckled as she raised the glass to her lips, some of the weight that had been pressing against her chest since Star City leaving her as she spent time with Sara.

Their moment was cut short by the sensation of the ship shaking underneath their feet, sending them falling sideways, their drinks spilling and Sara landing on top of her. Alex stared at the small space between them, gulping down the same sensation she felt around Ray back down into her stomach as Sara pushed herself up, Alex following suit.

They traveled to the bridge, just in time to see Ray strap into the Captain's chair.

"What the hell is going on?" Sara asked, turning toward Leonard.

"Boy Scout is gonna get us all killed!"

Kendra faced the two women, "Our hull has been breached,"

Sara and Alex shared a look before heading back down the hallway, Leonard following quickly after them.

"Where are you going?"

"To deal with the hole in the ship"

"Make sure Picard doesn't get us all killed!"

"Actually I'm more like Sulu," Ray gasped happily, "Or Han Solo!"

"Ray!" Alex reminded him, pulling the scientist back to reality, "Focus"

He nodded in her direction before swinging his chair back around. She ran after Sara and Leonard, reaching the engine room just in time to join Sara and Leonard in discovering the flaw of the ship.

A giant gaping hole in the side of the engine room.

"Here!" Leonard shouted, blasting his gun at the hole in the hopes of icing it over. Alex knew it was a temporary solution.

Alex could feel the cold of space begin to settle into her bones as the glow of Leonard's gun began to dim.

"How long can you keep that up for?" Sara asked, rubbing her bare arms. Alex was suddenly glad she had decided to wear a long sleeved top today.

Leonard shook his head, "Not long I'm gonna run out of charge"

Alex's impatience flared up again, "You couldn't invent a gun that didn't need to be charged?"

Leonard spun to face her, "Take it up with the talkative kid from Central City Princess, I didn't invent this thing!"

Gideon's calm voice rang over them, "Be advised, the breach is only partially contained,"

Alex scoffed, "Great"

Leonard pulled at the doors that had suddenly closed behind them, "guess we know the bulkhead doors are working,"

Alex appeared next to Sara and Leonard, testing the lock, finding that not even her superstrength could undo Gideon's need to keep the rest of the ship from being contaminated.

Red filled their vision and a familiar face met Alex's gaze through the circular window.

"Ray!" She called, pounding against the door again, feeling a sudden urge to break free.

"Alex!" His muffled voice pressed against the window.

Sara interjected, "Nice of you to show up,"

Ray stole a look behind him and Alex supposed Kendra was there too, slightly out of sight. Something in her stomach growled. Alex suddenly considered that she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast that morning.

That's why it was starting to hurt.

"Hold on," Ray's voice sent a soothing sensation washing over her, "We're gonna get you out of there I promise."

Alex nodded, believing him. But that belief did nothing to quell the goosebumps prickling across her skin, causing a shiver to erupt across her shoulders and arms. She began to rub at the thin sleeves, the cotton material of her shirt doing little to keep out the cold vacuum of space.

Sara's eyebrows creased in worry at the sight of the Amazon, "Is there another option?"

Leonard had the same idea, "Not to rush you Raymond, but it's getting cold in here. I wouldn't complain, but princess and blondie over here are freezing."

"Can't you just open the doors Gideon?" Sara shouted to the sky.

Alex shook her head, "I can't even open the doors. They're locked tight until the breach is sealed,"

Leonard rolled his eyes, "Well that's not happening from in here,"

Alex focused on Ray's face, she recognized the look clouding his eyes. The look he got when a particularly dangerous idea appeared in his head.

"How much time do we have until--"

"We're dead?" Sara spoke up, finishing the question everyone was thinking.

Unsure of what else to do, Alex sighed and wandered over to the wall opposite the breach and leaned against it, sliding down to take a seat and stare out into the space before her.

Warmth gathered on either side of her and she found Sara and Leonard leaning against her, the three of them back where they started.

Benched on a ship, except this time they had no alcohol to bond over.

"You guys ever play i-spy?" Sara offered, unsure what else to do.

Leonard faced Sara with an incredulous look on his face, "only on every awful family road trip ever,"

Alex chuckled, "My Mom and I would play this game called hotseat," She explained, recalling the fond memories of driving to visit Aunt Etta and Uncle Charlie when she was growing up, "No matter what questions they were asked, the person in the hot seat had to answer,"

Alex chuckled at the memory of her Mom's bright red face when she had asked how she had come to be. The smile dimmed when she remembered how the game would end whenever Alex had brought up her dad.

"You ever stolen anything?" Leonard immediately asked.

Sara shook her head, "Come on dude,"

Leonard shrugged, "It was her idea,"

"Yeah I have," Alex confirmed, "When I left Themyscira I stole my Mom's weapons and armor,"

Sara leaned forward, "You mean--"

"Girl Scout's been fighting with stolen goods" Leonard finished for her, a smile drawing itself on his face.

Alex rolled her eyes and Sara scooted closer.

"Okay my turn," The blonde began, "So on this mystical island full of women, no boys are allowed, does that mean what I think it means?"

Alex smirked, "How else are we supposed to find pleasure on the island?"

Sara laughed, "Okay, it's official, we're taking a trip there one day,"

Alex giggled as the game continued, each question sillier and more absurd than the last. Somehow, the game had caused her to drift off, and she found her eyes softly closing as darkness began to envelop her, causing her to forget about the cold surrounding her, a heavy warmth cloaking her body.

She drifted in and out of consciousness, barely catching pieces of the conversation Leonard and Sara were having over there.

Alex was only able to catch the last bit of Sara's statement. "Mick's in a dark place, he's not coming back"

"Yes he is," Alex protested, trying to see the best in people like her mother used to. Trying to see where they needed help, "He's angry now, but he'll come back."

Sara and Leonard shared a skeptical look and the door swung open. Alex stood up, Leonard's jacket falling to the ground before she picked it up, explaining the warmth she felt during her nap.

They followed the path back to the cargo bay, where Alex froze at the sight before her. Kendra's tight embrace of Ray sent her stomach growling again.

She really needed to get something to eat, didn't she?

"You kids need a moment?" Leonard teased, the joke causing another twist in her gut to form. She suspected the lack of warmth had messed with her systems more than she thought.

"Mr. Palmer nearly died" Gideon informed them, sending a tightness crawling across Alex's chest.

Ray had almost died.

Ray had been on death's door and she hadn't been there to help.

"Well I guess that's another thing we have in common," She teased, trying to stop the growling of her stomach and tightness in her chest from expanding.

"Gideon!" Leonard called, moving back to the hallway, "What's happening on the Acheron?"

"Funny you should ask" Gideon replied, her monotonous voice a relief, "I just received a message from Mr. Rory. It appears he has escaped capture and is now returning to the Waverider."

Alex smiled, sending a look at Sara, "told you he'd come back,"

The five of them made their way to the entrance hall of the Waverider Ray questioning Rory's ability to fly the jumpship in the first place.

"Actually, I did the flying," Gideon said proudly, correcting Ray's mistake, "he received quite a beating at the hands of the pirates. That's him now"

The doors of the Waverider opened, allowing the burly man to move forward.

"You okay Mick?" Leonard asked, checking up on his oldest friend.

Mick said nothing, turning back toward the doors as if acknowledging a presence, "Boys! Ship's all yours,"

Alex's stomach dropped as she watched the Time Pirates file onto the ship, disappointment settling over her as she came to an awful realization. She had been wrong about Mick.

She had been wrong about everything.

She gripped the lasso by her side, Ray stepping forward to voice her thoughts, "You son of a bitch!"

"What are you doing Mick?"

"I'm getting us home are you in?"

"Yeah, time to choose a side I guess" Leonard charged his gun, pointing it at the traitorous member of their team, "Chosen."

"Bastard!" Mick snarled, "Go, get them! I'll get the time drive."

Shots rang out and Alex ducked behind a pillar, Sara taking a spot opposite her, the two women ducking out of the way of the laser fire.

She knew her cuffs could dodge bullets, but laser fire? That was one theory she didn't want to test.

Grasping her lasso, she pressed forward, slinging it around a pirate's leg before pulling, his feet disappearing underneath him. She continued to move through the hallway, her fist colliding with one pirate while her leg smacked the gut of another. Sara followed her lead, bo staff in hand as the two women fought their way through the growing horde. A charge of electricity flew past Alex, taking out several pirates behind her and she whipped around, nodding gratefully at Ray before pressing forward.

"Step away from it Mick" Sara's voice rang through the engine room.

Mick faced the assassin, "Tell you what Blondie, Walk away, and I won't kill you."

A flash of light slapped Mick's wrist, the lasso of Hestia wrapping itself around his hand, pulling it away from the time drive.

"She said Step away Mick," Alex's voice was low, dangerous, her accent making an appearance for the first time in weeks.

Mick's laugh was throaty, overconfident. Alex tightened her grip on the lasso. "I like you two, you girls got a lot of guts, that's why I'm only gonna kill you a little bit"

He reached for his gun, tugging the lasso forward but Sara kicked it out of his hands. Alex felt her momentum dragged toward him and slammed a kick into his back, dodging his blows while Sara bombarded him from the front.

They were wearing him down.

Her fist flew forward, Mick grasping her arm and seizing the action, she used it to her advantage, hooking her leg around his torso and pulling herself upward to sit on his shoulders, her lasso winding itself around his neck while Sara continued to attack. Her torso collided with the ground as Mick threw her off, but she scrambled back up and continued the attack, Sara and her launching several kicks and punches his direction before headbutting Alex in the face.

It didn't phase her.

But Sara's disappearance from the fight did.

Mick had tossed her aside and then almost burned her with the heat gun. Anger fueled her, spurring her forward to attack the burly man, trying to kick his legs out from under him.

All she succeeded in doing was giving him access to the lasso, which soon found its way around her neck.

Her breathing grew shallow, voice hoarse as she tried to choke out a plea.

"Mick!" Leonard's voice entered the room, a ray of blue light sending his partner flying to the other side of the room, releasing his tight grip.

Alex's felt air whoosh back into her lungs and she collapsed on all fours.

It was time to take a break.

***

She was still getting used to the winding paths of the Waverider, and it often felt like the rooms changed places every day.

She was sure she would get used to it soon enough.

As she made her way to what she assumed was the kitchen, she rounded the corner and froze at the sight before her.

Ray and Kendra.

Kissing.

Like lovers kissing. Not friend kissing.

Her stomach growled again, only the twist that accompanied it sent Alex biting her cheek in pain.

She wasn't hungry then.

Ray and Kendra waved at her, but she wasn't registering anything they were saying.

She shook her head free of her fog, "Sorry, I guess this isn't the kitchen,"

Kendra laughed at the joke, while Ray almost looked sheepish. Like he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

Alex meekly chuckled before walking back down the hallway she came from. She even missed the briefing on the bridge about Mick's fate.

She didn't need to go.

She knew what awaited him.

Besides, she didn't need to see another one of her failures.

Instead, she curled up in her bed, contemplating the sight she had seen only a few minutes earlier.

Ray and Kendra?!

When did that happen?

When had she started to care about Ray's love life?

Why did she care?

She swallowed the truth before standing up and stepping out of her room, shuffling across the hallway and briefly knocking on the metal door of the bedroom across from hers.

"Alex, hey" Sara smiled, she was already dressed for bed, her shorts hugging her thighs while the tank top clung to her figure, "What's up?"

Knowing she would lose her courage if she backed down, Alex went for it, pressing her lips against the soft ones of Sara Lance, her fingers rushing through the silky strands of hair that had been newly released from her ponytail.

Sara began to kiss back.

The two broke apart only for a moment, Alex's hand sneaking up Sara's shirt to lift the hem of the skintight pajama top. Sara placed her hands on hers, breathing heavy as she faced the taller woman.

"You sure you wanna do this?" She asked.

Alex didn't say anything, only nodded softly before the door closed on them, granting the two women privacy as they disappeared for the rest of the night.