Ancient Egypt: 1700 BC
Rip wakes up in a cell and Vandal arrives. Vandal demands to know who Rip is, and Rip says that he's the man who is trying to save the world from Rip. Rip staggers to his feet and says that he will never give up. Vandal warns that soon the meteorites will come and destroy the city, and Rip with it. He wonders what Rip knows of the future that he doesn't.
Now
Mick and Sara are drinking to celebrate Vandal's capture. Martin points out that Vandal still has Carter brainwashed, and Len warns that the imprisoned Vandal is a threat as long as he's alive. Kendra refuses to kill Vandal and leave Carter a brainwashed drone, but Mick and Len don't see a problem with that. Brandon and Jax arrive and report that the scans of Leviathan have revealed that the technology is more advanced from its time period of 2166. Rip figures that Vandal has been involved with temporal manipulation, meaning that the Time Council will want to stop him instead of killing them. Mick points out that the Time Council is at the edge of the timeline, and Gideon confirms that Waverider's time drive is stable. Rip tells the AI to plot a course for the Vanishing Point so they can deliver Vandal for trial.
Later, Rip visits Vandal. Vandal wonders how he escaped in 1700 BC, but Rip refuses to answer. He wonders how Vandal learned how to travel through time, and Vandal says that he learned it from Rip once he realized he was moving through history. The immortal insists that they're both doing what it takes to save the world, but Rip doesn't believe it. However, Vandal says that he has witnessed his children's' deaths, and that he's playing a far deeper game than Rip could ever imagine.
Leaving the brig, Rip tells Gabriel to go to maximum power. The AI warns that Ray weakened the engines when he siphoned power, but Rip override sit.
Kendra and Ray check on an imprisoned Carter. He believes that he's Scythin Torvil, adjunct to Vandal. Kendra tries to get through to him, and Carter knows her name because Vandal warned her of his enemies. He promises to kill her painlessly if she lets him go.
As Waverider shakes from the stress, Sara visits Rip in his office. She wonders if Rip is pushing the timeship too hard, and says that she's had Gideon confirm that the timeline didn't change. Rip's family still dies, and rip insists that once they get to the Vanishing Point then everything will be well. He's sure that Waverider will hold together... just as an explosion rocks the timeship.
The team goes to the bridge, and Gideon reports that the time drive needs repairs. He sends Sara to check on the prisoners, and then asks Jax to help him. Martin wonders if they're marooned, and Rip explains that the jumpship has an auxiliary time drive that can make a one-time jump to 2016. Jax goes off to repairs, and Martin remembers what Len said about Vandal's presence being a danger to them all.
When Sara arrives in the brig, Vandal asks if she's spoken with Laurel recently. She isn't impressed, and Vandal tells her that Rip's obsession to save his family will get his team killed. He claims that Rip chose the team because they were easy to manipulate. Sara doesn't believe him and walks out.
As Jax repairs the time drive from the engine room, Rip confirms that the radiation levels are three degree above maximum. He tells Martin that Jax should finish before the radiation affects him, but Martin doesn't believe him. Meanwhile, a blast of energy knocks Jax back.
The Past
Jax is working in his garage in Central City, and his mother Beverly wonders why he missed their meeting. Beverly gives Jax a watch that she bought as a present for her husband, and says that Jax can use it to get to their dinner at Grandma Louise's. Jax says that he will be there, but he has to stop at the university first to say goodbye to a friend who is leaving town.
Now
Rip and Martin get Jax out and wake him up. He tells them that he got the time drive working, and Gideon confirms that Jax has suffered an extreme amount of temporal radiation. His internal organs are aging at an accelerated rate and the rest of his body will soon follow.
In the kitchen, Mick is eating as Len looks on. He reminds Mick of their former partner, Alexa, and that he's sensing that something is going wrong.
In his office, Gideon reports that the time drive has been restored but will require a master reboot. Rip has the AI double-check to see what happened in his family's future. Gideon warns that the timeline remains unchanged. Sara comes in and overhears him talking, and tells him what Vandal said. Rip admits that he would sell the team out to save his family, and explains about Jax's condition. He wonders if he sent Jax on a suicide mission so he'd be alive to save his family. Sara is less than thrilled that their captain cares more about his family then his crew, and walks out.
Kendra shows Carter a photo of Aldus and asks if Carter remembers, and insists that they were together and happy. Carter manages to grab her neck with his legs, and Ray knocks him off and pulls Kendra away. He punches Carter unconscious and confirms that Kendra is alive, and says that he's going to end it. Ray goes to the brig and demands that Vandal tell him how to free Carter's mind. Vandal asks if he wants him to, pointing out that Ray will lose Kendra once she's reunited with Carter. Carter has stood between Vandal and Kendra, and says that Kendra once loved him as she claims to love Ray. Vandal found her in one of her lives and they fell in love, and she didn’t remember that he killed her and Carter. They were happy until Carter came, poisoning Kendra against him. Ray doesn't believe it, and insists that Vandal is his only enemy. Vandal says that he's experienced the same things that Ray is going through, and points out that Kendra wouldn't be the first woman that Ray lost.
The Past
Felicity arrives in Ray's office at Palmer Tech, and he says that he's there to drop off a note. She knows from Oliver that he's going off to fight Vandal, and points out that Ray has a life there. Ray notes that everyone thinks that he's dead, and he'll come back to the world once he stops Vandal. Felicity says that there may be a future Mrs. Palmer somewhere in the timeline, and Ray tells her that he's going off to save the world rather than fall in love.
Now
Ray goes back to Carter and hears Kendra reading love poetry to Carter, trying to get through to him. She looks up and sees Ray, and he walks away. Kendra goes after him and insists she's just trying to help Carter remember who he is. She tells ray that he knows that she loves him, and Ray says that it's not enough. He repeats what Vandal said, and figures that the prisoner is right. Ray tells Kendra that he can't do it anymore unless she can tell him that he's anything more than Carter's placeholder. Kendra doesn't respond, and Ray walks off.
In the medbay, Gideon confirms Jax's aging condition. Len and Mick are there, and Len figures that it's Rip's fault. Martin insists that they're trying to resolve the matter without bloodshed, but Mick figures that they should talk to Rip. Jax doesn't see how that will help his situation, but Mick says that they're talking about all of them. Len agrees and says that Jax deserves better. He and Mick confront Rip in his office, and Sara joins them. Rip asks them for a little faith, but Len isn't interested. Sara agrees with them, and Rip offers to let them go back to 2016 in the jumpship. The two criminals walk out, and Rip asks what Sara is going to do. She says that she's never been one to run to the fight.
The Past
Sara meets with an imprisoned Nyssa, who is shocked to see her soul restored. When Sara says that she will help her escape, Nyssa tells her that she's in the cell because of her choices. She tells Sara to leave Nanda Parbat far behind for the love they share.
Now
Martin visits Vandal and asks him if he remembers a night in 1975 at the Greyhill Building. He wants Vandal to share some of his immortality with Jax, and Vandal says that it's Carter's blood that works the magic. He suggests that Ray is happy to spill some of Carter's blood, and Martin figures that Vandal would be happy to pit them all against each other. Martin realizes that they're not entirely stranded and thanks Vandal for giving him a solution to his problem.
Later, Martin takes Jax to the jumpship and explains that it's preprogrammed to return to 2016. He's made some additional adjustments, and the trip will reverse Jax's condition. Jax refuses to leave the team, and Martin injects with him with a mild sedative. He straps Jax in and says that he's thinking of him, then walks out. Jax warns that Martin will die if they're separated, and Martin tells him to live his life and give his love to Clarissa. Martin launches the jumpship and it disappears into the timestream.
The Past
Clarissa drops in on Martin and invites him to lunch. He says that he has to meet some colleagues for an experiment in time travel, and promises that he'll be home before Clarissa knows it. As she goes, Martin says that everything he does is driven by his love for her.
Now
Len and Mick arrive and realize that the jumpship is gone. Martin insists that he did what he had to, to save Jax's life. Now they have to do whatever is necessary to repair Waverider and deliver Vandal to the Vanishing Point.
Ray returns to the bridge and tells Vandal that Kendra is free to do what she wants. Vandal says that Ray masquerades his weakness as goodness, and taunts Ray into letting him out so that they can fight. Ray attacks him, but Vandal gets him in a choke hold and renders him unconscious. He then uses Ray's hand to open the cell door and walks out.
On the bridge, Gideon reports that the time drive has reinitialized. Ray arrives and tells them that Vandal has escaped, and Gideon reports that Vandal has already freed Carter and disengages the computer. The AI shuts down, and Rip tells Mick and Ray to recapture Vandal while he, Martin, and Sara out how to pilot the ship without Gideon. The trio goes through Rip's navigational charts, and Rip has Martin act as engineer while Sara navigates the ship.
Captain Cold and Hawkgirl have caught up to Vandal and Carter, and Atom and Heat Wave join them. the two sides exchange fire.
On the bridge, Martin confirms that he can provide a 25% burst in energy.
Carter closes in on the heroes, and Heat Wave and Captain Cold charge at Vandal while Hawkgirl and Atom take on Carter.
Sara plots a course and Rip takes Waverider to the Vanishing Point.
Hawkgirl tells Atom to help the others. Atom goes after Vandal, preventing his teammates from getting a clear shot. Vandal grabs Atom's arm and redirects his energy blast at the wall, knocking the two criminals down before knocking out Atom.
Rip realize that Vandal and Carter are approaching the bridge, and goes to confront them. Sara takes the controls and pilots Waverider.
Carter defeats Hawkgirl, but Rip arrives and stuns him. Vandal opens fire on Kendra, and Rip leaps forward to take the blast on his shoulder. Vandal grabs Hawkgirl and says that he's sorry it has to end. Carter clutches at his head as memories of his past lives overwhelm him. He then attacks Vandal, who finally stabs Carter in the chest. Carter calls Kendra's name... and then passes out. Furious, Kendra attacks Vandal and knocks him unconscious. Rip confirms that Carter is alive, and that Kendra saved them all.
Waverider arrives at the Vanishing Point and the station snares the timeship in a tractor beam. A technician orders them to disengage their weapons, and is surprised to see Rip. Rip requests an immediate assembly of the Time Council so that he can justify his actions.
As Rip escorts Vandal off of the timeship, Vandal again asks how Rip escaped his prison. Rip says that he bribed the guard with a novelty pen, and warns that the Vanishing Point guards won't be so easily swayed.
Ray is in the medbay checking on Carter when Kendra comes in. She's surprised that Ray is taking things so well, and Ray points out that Carter saved her life and has always been a part of the team. Kendra insists that what she and Ray had was real, and Ray explains that Kendra showed him that he could find love again after Anna died.
Rip enters the Time Council chamber with vandal and shows him to Zaman and the others. Zaman points out that Rip argued before to remove Vandal from the timeline, and Rip presents the proof that Vandal has been manipulating time. He also has a recorded confession of Vandal boasting that he has time travel. Zaman congratulates Rip and calls Vandal forward, and says that it is his duty to return Vandal to Earth immediately. He tells Rip that Vandal is needed in 2166. Rip figures that the Time Council is in league with Vandal, and Zaman says that Rip was never able to take the long view of history. The guards take Rip away and Zaman sends others to search Waverider for Rip's team.
On Waverider, the guards arrive and take Martin into custody. Len and Sara are playing cards in a separate room, and Len realizes that something is wrong.
Mick is sitting in his quarters and realizes that he's out of alcohol. The guards come in and arrest Mick, and bring Ray and Kendra along as well.
Vandal and the guards tell an imprisoned Rip that his team has been captured. He shows Rip the novelty pen Rip used to bribe the Egyptian guard, and says that he died. Vandal says that he's been heading back to 2166 to meet Rip's family, and Rip screams in fury.
Written by Gadfly on May 6, 2016