Chapter 5: Pilot Promises & Pranks Awaiting
Star City was a delightful mess, but the Arrowverse was a sprawling tapestry of interconnected chaos, and Adam had a date with destiny. Or, more accurately, a date with a time-traveling rogue and a team of reluctant heroes.
"Alright, System, next up: the Legends!" Adam thought, a palpable excitement thrumming through him. "January 21, 2016. DC's Legends of Tomorrow S01E00/S01E01: 'Pilot, Part 1'. Rip Hunter, the Waverider, and the glorious assembly of misfits. And, most importantly, Sara Lance. My future 'funny couple'."
He arrived in a bustling part of Central City, just a day after the Rogues incident. The air hummed with a different kind of energy here, a subtle temporal distortion that only his System seemed to pick up on. He knew the Legends would be gathering soon, a motley crew of heroes and villains (mostly villains, let's be honest) brought together by a Time Master with a penchant for dramatic speeches.
Adam found himself near a quiet park, and then, he saw her. Sara Lance. White Canary. She was leaning against a tree, looking contemplative and utterly lethal. "Okay, Adam, this is it. First impression. Don't screw it up. No flamingos. No rubber chickens. Just… charm. And maybe a little controlled chaos."
He took a deep breath, picturing himself right behind her. Poof. He materialized, a little too close, a little too suddenly.
Sara, with the reflexes of a highly trained assassin, spun around, her hand instinctively going for a non-existent weapon. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, narrowed on him.
"Whoa there, killer," Adam said, putting his hands up in a placating gesture, a charmingly awkward smile on his face. "Just admiring the… scenery. And by scenery, I mean your impeccable ability to look like you could snap me in half with a single glance. It's very… intimidating. In a good way."
Sara stared at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Do I know you?"
"Not yet," Adam replied smoothly, taking a step closer. "But you will. I'm Adam. And you, I presume, are the legendary Sara Lance? The one who makes even the most hardened assassins question their life choices? Because, honestly, I'm already questioning mine, and I just met you."
Sara's lips twitched, a hint of a smirk. "You're… certainly something."
"I aim to please," Adam said, winking. "Or at least, to confuse. It's a work in progress. But seriously, you've got that whole 'dark and brooding but secretly cares a lot' vibe down. Very Oliver Queen. But with more… flair."
Before Sara could respond, a sudden, loud squawk echoed from a nearby bush. Sara flinched, her eyes darting to the sound. Adam, seizing the moment, leaned in.
"So, about that coffee I owe you," he whispered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Or maybe a drink? My treat. I promise not to make any more bird noises. Unless you're into that."
Sara, still distracted by the phantom squawk, looked back at him, a flicker of exasperation in her eyes. "Are you always this… weird?"
"Only when the fate of the timeline hangs in the balance," Adam said with a theatrical shrug. "Or when I'm trying to impress a gorgeous assassin. It varies."
He saw Rip Hunter approaching in the distance, a man clearly burdened by the weight of the universe. "Time to make my exit," Adam thought. He gave Sara a quick, charming smile. "Think about it. I'll be around. Probably."
[SYSTEM: Target: Sara Lance. Flirtation Attempt: Success (Comedic Failure).]
"Comedic failure? Harsh, System. Very harsh. I thought that was pretty smooth," Adam grumbled internally, even as a grin spread across his face.
He teleported away, leaving Sara to ponder the strange, disappearing man who had just hit on her in the middle of a park.
Later, Adam found himself observing the gathering of the Legends. Ray Palmer, looking like a lost puppy in a shrinking suit. Martin Stein and Jefferson Jackson, the walking human torch. Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall, the ancient reincarnated lovers. And then, the true anti-heroes: Leonard Snart and Mick Rory.
Adam felt a strange sense of kinship with Snart. "He gets it. The pragmatism, the cynicism, the hidden moral code. Plus, he's got a cool gun. Very important."
As Rip Hunter launched into his dramatic monologue about saving the timeline, Adam decided to have a little fun. He focused on Mick Rory, who was already looking bored and vaguely homicidal. Shimmer. An illusion of a tiny, dancing unicorn appeared on Rory's shoulder, doing a little jig.
Rory blinked. He swatted at his shoulder. "Get off me, you damn… glitter-pony!"
Snart, standing next to him, glanced over, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips. "Everything alright, Rory? Seeing things?"
"It's that damn… magic," Rory grumbled, looking around suspiciously. "Someone's messing with me."
Adam chuckled silently. "Oh, Rory, my friend, you have no idea. This is just the beginning."
Then, the Waverider shimmered into existence above them, a magnificent, futuristic marvel. Adam felt a jolt, a strange pull from his System.
[SYSTEM: Object Detected: Temporal Vessel "Waverider". Time Travel Ability: Locked. Conditions for Unlock: Proximity/Entry.]
"Oh, you beautiful, magnificent beast," Adam thought, his eyes wide with awe. "Time travel. The ultimate cheat code. This is going to be so much fun. Rip Hunter is going to absolutely despise me. And I am going to love every second of it."
He watched as the Legends, after much dramatic exposition, boarded the ship. He knew his time to officially join the chaos would come soon enough. For now, he was content to be the unseen architect of their burgeoning exasperation.