| Code Name: Shadow | (DC's Legends of Tomorrow)

52: Strings Attatched

You can't get rid of me, bitch.

"Do you think you have free will in all of this?" Ray asked her.

"The definition of free will has been manipulated over time- it doesn't matter anymore. I do what is best for me and for Savage."

"Gideon- show Meg the Oculus."

A hologram of the Oculus- the center of time continuum- appeared in front of the redhead. Druce and Rip Hunter stood in front of it. Their voices were muddled, but she could make out what they are saying.

"Druce, don't sugar coat it. You're abusing the power of the Oculus to make us do things throughout time. To make sure Savage gets what he wants." Rip said, "You made sure Margaret was born- that she got her Metahuman powers and killed her family so you could use her. You made sure my family was dead- and Savage won. What about those people?"

"It was necessary. Sure- we altered the time line, and no one has free will anymore, but don't you see, Rip? We can ensure the survival of Humanity. Altering Shadow's timeline, your timeline- even Savage's, was necessary."

The image cut out, and Shadow simply shrugged.

"Druce and Savage did what they thought was necessary to ensure I was strong enough. That meant eliminating those weaker than me."

You're lying to yourself there.

Ray stood facing Shadow, his eyes searching hers once again, "Is she still in there?"

Shadow sneered, "No- she'd buried deep in my mind where she does not exist."

"You're lying... you are Meg- deep inside. Even in her blackouts- she was always herself in the end." Ray smiled to himself, "Savage lied to you."

"No- he doesn't lie to his daughter. Margaret was weak- she was weak to fall in love with you, to trust you. She was weak to let her heart be broken over and over again by you. In the end- I was able to rip her away from you. If I am Meg- then I only made her stronger." Shadow sneered.

"And turned her into what?" Ray asked, "You're not gaining anything by this. Savage won't give you what you want- and you're powers will end up killing you."

"I am strong with my powers."

"No, you're not. When you were about to kill me- I saw it in your eyes. Those powers are tearing you apart. Meg was different- she was special. Yes, she was in a dark place... yes that was partially my fault... but the thing with Meg- she always knew how to balance light into any situation. With every bit of dark she used- there was a shimmer of light."

Face it, you're losing.

"You lead her down the path that caused her to be like this- to want to become me."

Um... no?

Ray stuck his hand inside his pocket- pulling out a charm on a small chain. He held it up to Shadow, an optimistic smile lighting up his features.

"What are you doing with that? It can't help you." Shadow looked at the necklace, studying it carefully. The prism? It was of no use to her.

"I'm bringing back the light."

He shined it to the light- where Meg's light powers slowly exited the prism and slowly wafted into the cell. The swirls of dazzling brightness circled around Shadow, the girl squinting her eyes to keep from going blind.

Then it went inside of her.

Shadow gasped as the light hit her chest, thrown against the wall by her own power. Well- Meg's power.

Thought you could sit in the shadows forever?

"Shut up! You're nothing- weak." Shadow snapped at herself-wincing as her head slowly started to burn. The Process- it was reversing.

Guess who's back, back again. Margaret's back! Tell a friend!

Her eyes glowed a bright white as Shadow fell to her knees- her whole body convulsing and shaking that it was. Electricity coursed through her veins once more as a ball of shadows exited her body- swirling with dark electricity and banged against the glass.

In the corner of the cell huddled a redhead, green eyes wide as she clutched her head, tears smudging the dark makeup that covered the upper half of her face.

Ray opened the cell and rushed in, carefully grabbing Meg's hand as he got her awake from the darkness the Process had planted into her mind- that bounced around the cage like a monster. It was a parasite. As he shut the door behind him, Ray wrapped his arms around her tightly, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"Ray- my head- it burns..." she sniffed, "I'm... I'm so sorry-"

"Meg-"

"I could have killed you! I'm a monster, Ray, a complete-"

"Margaret." Ray placed his hands gently on Meg's shoulders, "You are not a monster- you never were. Savage manipulated your mind with the Process- but you are okay. You're back." He said, smiling gently as he held the redhead in his arms.

There were some strings attached when it came to 'Shadow'. She was too power hungry for darkness that it was killing her- something Vandal Savage did not understand. Meg was mad at herself for giving in, for succumbing to Savage's lies and manipulations. But Ray had made her see the light- and that's what literally killed the blackout version of herself. Perhaps forever.

Ray helped Meg gently get to her feet, wiping the tears from her face as she wobbled along, his arm protectively around her.

"Come on, Meg- let's go get you cleaned up."