Leo debated with himself after Sara had vanished into the trees. She didn't have any sort of super powers…never had, but she was going anyway, because that's what heroes did. Whatever had led her to deal with Malcolm, she was still trying to be better. He swore and took off after her.

The 'meteor' that had crashed into the village was anything but inert. It was monster, hulking and grey, with flashes of blue lightning surrounding it. And it moved impossibly fast, demolishing everything in its wake. He knew instinctively that this was Malcolm's 'business acquaintance,' and that his cold powers might have combated it.

Sara was struggling to keep the villagers safe from the thing. Even Mick was trying, but it was simply too fast for them. Leo waded in to try and help, but the creature's speed, combined with the villagers' panic, rendered his efforts useless.

The people had taken shelter in the armory, the sturdiest building in the area. Unfortunately, it was no match for the speedster, who was gleefully dismantling it around them. Mick was struggling to hold up the lintel of the main doorway so Sara could shepherd people out. There was a blur, and a flash of blue lightning, and the building collapsed in a cloud of dust. Mick was thrown clear of the debris, but Sara…

Sara was laying on the ground, beneath the heavy stone door post.

The village was suddenly deathly quiet as the creature sped off towards the temple. Sara lay pale and still beneath the heavy stone. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Leo skidded to his knees beside her.

"I'm sorry," she coughed weakly, tears cutting tracks through the dust on her face. "I didn't mean to…I never wanted…"

"Hush, now," Leo said gently, checking to see if there was any way to lever the heavy stone off of her. He laid his hand carefully on the stone - and it froze. He lost no time grabbing a rock from the ground and using it to shatter the stone that was crushing Sara. She gasped sharply as the weight fell away, but made no move to sit up - a fact that terrified him.

"You have your powers back," Sara whispered.

"The deal - Malcolm swore you wouldn't be hurt."

"Guess his word actually is worth something," she muttered, but her eyes were clouded with pain - and fear.

Mick staggered up and limped over to join them. "She's all busted up inside, Boss," he said grimly, after a long moment's observation.

Leo nodded, and carefully smoothed Sara's hair back from her face.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

Leo leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Hey - my father's the Sky King, remember? That's gotta be worth something. We can - "

He broke off at the sounds of screaming and destruction from the direction the creature had gone.

Sara smiled weakly. "Go - be a hero."

"I'll stay with her," Mick said, carefully stretching out his bloody leg.

"I'll be back," Leo promised. He kissed Sara's hand, then gently set it in Mick's. "Hold on, all right? I…I love you."

"Love you, too."

Leo was not at all surprised to see Bartholomew in the thick of the chaos. The younger man's face was clouded with worry as he tried to move people towards the road out of town, away from the danger.

"Leo!" he cried, smiling with relief.

"Bartholomew, what can you tell me about this…thing?"

"It's called Zoom, because well…"

"Because that's what it does. Got that part."

"You father - that is, your real father - exiled it. I don't know how -"

"The King of the Underworld brought it back somehow. What's it doing, and how do I stop it?"

"It's trying to destroy your father's temple. More specifically, the statue. That statue is your father's gateway to this world. It's how he communicates with his acolytes, and how he uses his powers here on earth."

"And if Zoom destroys it, then Malcolm would be in charge?"

Bartholomew nodded gravely.

"Do you think my powers can stop it?" Leo asked intently.

"It should work. Cold and speed are opposites."

"Good. Do me a favor, would you? Mick and Sara were trying to help the villagers back at the old armory. They're both hurt. Sara…"

"I'll find them," the younger man promised.

The temple was shaking with the force of Zoom's attack on the statue. Dust rained down on Leo as he considered the situation. The building was coming apart faster than the statue, but it was only a matter of time. He had to get the monster away from there. Leo extended his arms and concentrated on ice.

A stream of ice poured out of his hands at Zoom's feet. Zoom skidded into the wall, demolishing it. The monster scrambled to his feet, snarling. Leo threw up his hands, thinking only of the need to contain the creature. More ice poured out of his hands, encasing Zoom's feet in ice.

The creature howled in frustration, trying to get free. Leo saw the ice start to crack, and poured all of his will into thoughts of even more ice. The ice crept up over Zoom's knees. Leo thought about Sara, hurt and bleeding back in the village, and the ice grew colder, and crept up to the monster's chest, then finally up over its head, encasing it completely.

A warm, golden glow filled the chamber.

"Well done, my boy!" the hearty vice of the Sky King exclaimed.

A sharp crack sounded in the sudden stillness, and the figure in the ice began to blur. Leo promptly added yet another layer of ice to its prison.

The 'statue' reached out one great, stone hand and picked up the ice-encased Zoom. "I'll take care of this."

"How?"

"Like this!" The Sky King lobbed the chunk of ice far out into the sky. "It's very, very cold out among the stars. That should Zoom out of trouble." He smiled fondly at the man before him. "You've done very well, Leo. Your mother will be so pleased to see you!"

"That's…great. Really. But I need to check on my friends - they were hurt fighting Zoom. And there's all those people…"

"Of course, my boy."

It took a frustratingly long time for Leo to make his way back to Mick and Sara. There were terrified people in need of reassurance, and a few in imminent danger. All of that took precious time. The closer he got to the ruined armory, the faster he walked, until he was flat-out running. And then…

Bartholomew looked up from Sara's still form and shook his head sadly.

Leo dropped to his knees. He took one of Sara's small, cold hands in his. Her hands were calloused from handling weapons, and her grip was always ferociously strong, but now…her fingers lay still in Leo's gentle grasp. He held her hand to his lips, as though his own breath could impart life. Which it couldn't. But an idea was slowly forming.

"Bartholomew, you said my father's temple is his gateway to this world." Leo's voice was cold and detached.

"That's right," the younger man agreed mournfully.

"So Malcolm must also have a gateway."

"Leo, you can't. Even you aren't strong enough to take on the King of the Underworld."

"We'll see about that. Now, how do I find him?"

The old jewel mine in the woods was reputed to be haunted. The stories were gruesome enough that even Lewis had avoided the place. That didn't stop Leo. He stalked through tunnels littered with the bones of would-be thieves. A couple of imps tried to bar his way into Malcolm's chamber, but he just turned them into ice balls and booted them out of his way.

One of those ice balls rolled to a stop right at Malcolm's feet. He freed the creature with an absent wave of his hand.

"Nephew. How good to see you."

"Give her back to me!"

"Which one? There are so many new acquisitions today."

"We had a deal."

"We did, indeed. Sara's safety for your powers. You have your powers. My deal is intact."

"Your deal?"

Leo sucked in a deep breath, and pressed his eyes closed, trying to center himself. He needed to be calm, cool, and logical, if he was going to get out of this. He opened his eyes and took a good, long look around. The jewels twinkling from the walls hadn't particularly caught his attention before, but now…

"All those people who broke in here thought they were trying to steal jewels, didn't they? But these aren't jewels they're…they're souls."

Malcolm clapped his hands in a mocking semblance of applause. "I knew you'd figure it out eventually. Now, what's your next move?"

"You like deals? How about this - if I can find Sara's soul, I take it and walk out of here."

"And what would I get out of this little arrangement?"

Leo shrugged slightly. "If I can't find her, you get me instead."

"Oh, Leo…you have got it bad!"

"So, is it a deal?" Leo drawled, holding out his hand.

"Hmm…the son of my hated rival, trapped here forever. Oh, I do like that. Deal."

They shook on it, and Leo choked slightly at the cloud of sulphurous smoke that announced the sealing of the deal. He turned away to study the walls of the cavern. He was saddened by the profusion of new 'jewels' appearing in the walls, knowing that they were people killed as a result of Zoom's attack. Some of the jewels glowed softly, looking as if they'd be warm to the touch. Leo had a sense that those were older people, who'd lived good, full lives. Others shown with bright, pure light, and something told him those were children, their little lives snuffed out far too soon.

Here and there were small, dull lumps of what looked to be coal. It didn't take much to figure that those were the likes of Lewis Snart - people who'd been small and mean in life. And there is was - a blue jewel, just the color of Sara's eyes. There were a few flaws in it, but the stone flared brightly as Leo's hand hovered over it. He closed his fingers around the jewel and tried to pull it from the wall.

"Oh," Malcolm remarked in a conversational tone. "Did I mention that the merest touch of the jewels is instant death? Silly me."

Leo went rigid as his hand closed around the stone. He felt himself start to age as a clear stone appeared in the wall next to Sara's. The stone grew bigger as the cavern sucked his life force away. He felt his body start to weaken, and his vision darkened. He wished, more than anything, that he could have saved Sara, that they'd have more time together.

And then a clear, bell-toned note rang out through the cavern. The new stone that had been forming dwindled down to nothing as Leo felt the strength flow back into his limbs. A silvery nimbus seemed to surround him. He easily pulled the blue stone from the wall.

"Ah. I must say, I wasn't anticipating -"

Malcolm's words were cut off as Leo's fist landed a very satisfying blow. He strode quickly out of the cavern, heading back to his friends.

Mick looked up, shading his eyes as the glowing figure approached. "Boss? Is that you?"

"Yes," Leo replied.

Bartholomew looked up from bandaging Mick's leg. His jaw dropped when he saw the blue jewel in Leo's hands. "Is that -? Did you -?"

"Eloquent as ever. Yes, and yes."

"Do you know how to -?"

Mick rolled his eyes at the spate of abbreviated sentences, but Leo - this new, glowing version of Leo - just seemed to take it all in stride.

"I think so."

He knelt beside Sara's still form and carefully set the blue jewel over her heart. It flared brilliantly, then vanished. Color and warmth flooded back into Sara's body and she gasped, then settled into steady respiration. Her eyes flew open, and she saw Leo gazing at her with such adoration on his features. He gently helped her to sit up, then bent his head and kissed her.

After a few moments, they pulled apart, flushed and breathless.

"I guess I really am one hell of a thief," he quipped.

"No…you're a hero," Sara replied.

"A legend," Bartholomew corrected.

"Whatever," Leo conceded, carefully helping Sara to her feet.

"What he is," a booming voice proclaimed, "is my son!"

Sara let out an undignified squeak of surprise as she and Leo began to rise into the air. Her hands clutched into his tunic and his arms tightened around her automatically.

"Is that -?"

"Yeah, I think it is," Leo agreed as they approached a golden palace, situated on a billowing cloud bank.

Cheering crowds of glowing people and…things…lined the path to the palace. A small, fairy-like creature with a glowing golden nimbus flitted over their heads and sprinkled Leo and Sara with glittering golden dust. In an instant, their battered clothing was replaced with a regal blue toga for Leo, and a stunning silk gown for Sara.

"Welcome home, big brother!" the fairy chirped.

"Brother?"

"Come and meet everyone!" she continued, gripping his hand with typical younger sister enthusiasm, and leading him towards the dais where their parents waited.

He looks like he belongs here, Sara thought, a bit sadly. She wondered when it would occur to one of these, well…gods…to return her to earth…back to the dirt, where she belonged.

And then she heard Leo's voice, close by, and he was reaching out to take her hand. "…so many people hurt by Zoom. I never thought of myself as a hero, but if that's what I am, well, I can't just leave them. And I won't leave Sara."

She lifted her head, not quite daring to believe what she was hearing.

"What do you say, Sara?" Leo asked in a low voice, just for her ears. "Want to help me save the world?"

She nodded, eyes sparkling with warmth and love and just a hint of mischief.

The Sky King nodded magnanimously. "Well chosen, my son."

But Sara and Leo didn't hear him. They were too wrapped up in another kiss.