Quid Pro Quo

My fingers tightened around the cool metal of my pistols, anticipation coursing through my veins as a figure materialized from within the shadows, shifting in and out of focus. As he stepped forward, the disfigured left side of his face came into view, marred by scars that resembled a charred pizza.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Savitar." he said, lifting his hands in a gesture of peace.

A growl escaped my lips. "What do you want?"

"I'm not your enemy, Jason. I'm here to offer you a deal," he replied, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Surprised that he knew my name, I raised an eyebrow beneath my mask. "A deal?"

"A quid pro quo, if you will," he said, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Not interested," I said, ready to turn and leave. But then he uttered four words that froze me in place.

"The Court of Owls."

"What do you know about them?" I demanded. My curiosity override my initial dismissal.

Savitar's smile widened. "Do I finally have your attention?"

"What do you want?" I asked. My grip on my weapon tightens.

"Relax. I'm not here to harm you. I just need your help. I'll tell you where to find the Court of Owls, and in return, you'll work for me."

"Why should I work for you? I can find them with or without your help," I replied, skepticism lacing my voice.

"Because I can give you something you want," he said.

I narrowed my eyes. "And what's that?"

"Your wife," he said, making my heart skippped a beat.

"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"I can bring Rebekah back," Savitar said, his eyes locked on mine.

A surge of hope mixed with skepticism coursed through me. "How?"

"I have the ability to travel through time. I can go back and save her before she dies," he explained.

Hope clashed with the weight of consequences in my mind. "And what do you want in return?"

"Your services. I have a job for you, one that only the Crimson Knight of Death can do," he said.

I weighed my options. On the one hand, I could find the Court of Owls on my own. On the other hand, I could have my wife back and potentially wreck the timeline.

"Bloody hell, screw the timeline," I muttered under my breath, determination fueling my decision. "Deal, but on one condition."

Savitar's smile froze, curiosity glinting in his eyes.

"Proof to me that you can go back in time, and I will work for you," I said firmly.

"That could be arranged," Savitar replied, his hand gripping my shoulder tightly. Suddenly, we were swallowed up by a swirling blue vortex, leaving everything behind in a blur.

...

~3 months before~

As Savitar's grip pulled me through the portal, the world spun and twisted around me, sending waves of dizziness and disorientation coursing through my body. I stumbled forward, my hand instinctively reaching out to steady myself against the nearest wall.

"It takes a bit of getting used to," Savitar's voice cut through the fog in my mind.

Slowly, my senses began to settle, and I took a moment to survey my surroundings. To my astonishment, I found myself standing amidst the familiar hustle and bustle of city streets, just outside my apartment building.

"Where are we?" I demanded, turning to face Savitar, my head still swimming.

Savitar's lips curled into a knowing smirk, his eyes shimmering with an otherworldly intensity.

"Three months ago, just before your wife's murder," he replied, nodding towards a blonde woman approaching our apartment building.

My heart constricted as I locked eyes with Rebekah. A whirlwind of emotions swirled within me—joy at the sight of her alive, mingled with the lingering pain of her tragic loss.

"Rebekah..." I whispered. My voice choked with a mixture of sadness and elation.

Before I could rush forward to warn her of the impending danger, Savitar's firm hand stopped me in my tracks.

"Not yet," he said, his voice low and menacing. "First, we have a deal to fulfill."

Reluctantly, I extended my trembling hand and shook his, signifying my agreement to his terms.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, my voice barely audible, a torrent of emotions raging beneath the surface.

Savitar's expression remained inscrutable as he spoke, his voice laced with an enigmatic tone.

"First, let's go meet your teammate," he said, his eyes gleaming with purpose as he prepared to transport us back to the present, leaving behind the bittersweet reunion with Rebekah in the past.

...

~Present time~

As Savitar dragged me through the swirling vortex, the scenery warped and twisted in a mesmerizing blur of colors. In an instant, we came to a sudden halt, stumbling out onto a snow-covered landscape. I found myself standing in a dense forest on the outskirts of Central City, the air biting cold against my skin.

"Where's this teammate you promised?" I asked skeptically, scanning the wintry surroundings. It seemed unlikely that anyone would be camping out here in such harsh weather.

"Just wait here," Savitar replied before striding towards a large clearing in the center of the woods.

As I watched him disappear into the distance, curiosity gnawed at my thoughts. Who could this teammate be? My musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow. I turned my gaze toward the source, and a woman emerged from the opposite side of the forest, stepping into the clearing. She appeared to be around my age, with fair skin and piercing blue eyes that shimmered with an icy sheen. Her snow-white hair cascaded in loose waves down her shoulders, and she wore a matching white hospital gown. If I weren't so focused on rescuing my wife with Savitar's help, I might have found her captivating.

Surprise flashed across her face as her eyes met Savitar's. "I've been waiting for you. Fear not, my child. I have come only to offer you what you desire," he spoke, his voice resonating with an otherworldly confidence.

"And what's that?" the woman asked. Hervoice was filled with suspicion.

"Salvation," Savitar replied calmly, his words filled with an almost reverential tone.

The woman's eyes flared with anger. "You wanna cure me? Turn me back into Caitlin Snow?"

Savitar shook his head, his expression turning solemn. "No. I want to make sure Caitlin never returns."

A surge of skepticism coursed through the woman's voice. "And why should I trust you?"

Kneeling before her, Savitar's suit emitted a soft, pulsating blue light as the metallic panels parted, revealing the man within. Recognition sparked in her eyes.

Her voice barely above a whisper, she asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Savitar nodded, "First, let me introduce you to your teammate, Red Hood."

Emerging from the foliage, I approached the woman, taking in her striking beauty as I removed my signature red helmet, revealing my disheveled hair and haggard appearance.

"The name's Jason Todd," I said, extending my hand. She accepted it and gave it a firm shake. Though I was wearing a glove, her touch sent a chill through me, a fitting reflection of her alias.

"Killer Frost," she replied coolly.

"Red Riding Hood, huh? Seems like you're lost in the wrong fairy tale," she taunted, a sly grin playing on her lips, finding amusement in my annoyance.

Oh, here we go again.

I rolled my eyes and shot back, "I drew inspiration from 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. But I suppose someone like princess over here wouldn't know anything about reading actual books."

Before Killer Frost could respond, Savitar interjected, his voice commanding their attention.

"Enough. We have important matters to attend to."

In an instant, the three of us vanished from the forest, leaving behind trails of swirling snowflakes as evidence of our presence.