Pendragon Inc., Starling City, 2005
"Why are we giving away our money?" Rory whispered to Snart at the Pendragon Private Reserve. They posed as a wealthy businessman and his bodyguard, who came to invest a large sum of money. "The plan is to get more money."
Ever the calm and collected one, Snart responded with a confident smile. "Think of it as an investment, one with a quick return rate too. Pardon," he said to the security officer he narrowly avoided bumping into, who wasn't aware of his access card sliding into Snart's pocket. "We just need a few more pieces of the puzzle before we go in for the kill. (How are things on your end kid?)" Snart thought as the team was telepathically linked for inconspicuous coordination.
Outside of the building Sage sat in the limousine they arrived in, reclining comfortably. "Ehh I don't see why you've been so concerned about this place Snart, it looks like any big bank to me. The tech looks a little fancier than what I'm used to, but the staff don't look all that impressive on the other hand…Did all the buff mercenary looking dudes take the day off?" Sage asked mockingly. Using his psychic power to project his conscious, Sage strolled undetected throughout the upper floors of the Pendragon building looking for whatever could be useful. Read a staff member's mind here, go through notes there, Sage was able to easily confirm parts of the plan, while pointing out holes in other parts of it. Everything was going smoothly. "I think I found the wonder boy that's on this whole town's mind in his office. Look at blondie sitting there all dramatic looking, bet that pretty boy loser goes to a salon to get his hair done."
"(With all that perfect hair I would too…)" Mick thought.
Snart ignored his partners' comments and continued. "(Stay focused Sage, what's the rating?)" While Sage didn't even tell them about Great Sage, Snart did know how well Sage could appraise everything including people at a glance.
"It is a beautiful day, and my palm is itching…I must be about to come into some more money today…Well my palm always itches haha." Regis laughed to himself in his office at the top floor of Pendragon Inc. He stretched out in his chair and looked out the window onto the city below. Turning around when his ears started burning and he saw a boy standing in the doorway of the office making fun of him. He didn't say anything he just looked at the boy with a blank face "(this is interesting, who is this child that made it all the way up here unattended?)"
"I uh- hold on…" Sage rubbed his eyes and looked at Regis again. Three things were wrong right then. One he couldn't hear any thoughts coming from him. Two Great Sage could not give a reading, there were gaps and distortions in the information making it impossible for Sage to judge. Third and most worrisome Sage thought Regis was actually looking back at him.
"(What do you mean hold on? Just give me an appraisal.)" Snart said slightly annoyed.
"I'm getting a blank. I can't read him," Sage answered while locked in a staring contest he wasn't sure if he was actually having. "I'm not sure but I think he might be able to see me…he hasn't moved, just been staring real unfriendly like."
"(That shouldn't be possible.)" Snart said.
"(Probably spacing out.)" Mick suggested.
"I'm just gonna go. I think I got enough intel," Sage responded making random motions to see if Regis would acknowledge his existence with some kind of reaction. "He's making me uncomfortable…It's like those posters where the eyes follow you."
"(See what he knows first, check his mind. )" Snart remained true to the job.
"I'm not going in there," Sage said feeling an overwhelming sense of danger coming from Regis. "That feels like a death trap."When the motionless boy suddenly smiled and waved, Sage was startled so much he returned to his own body. What Sage didn't notice was the employee walking by the glass door and waving to Regis. "He- he saw me!" Sage jolted awake.
"Oh how interesting, another who can astral project at this age? He seems a little rough around the edges, but I'll see what he's really worth soon… and there's nothing wrong with going to a salon!" Regis said to himself.
...….
"You seem to be in a good mood today Regis," Laurel pointed out while she and Regis were having lunch at a nice outdoor cafe.
"Is it that obvious? Well, I have made quite a bit of money today, wealthy thieves just made a hefty donation to my bank." Regis said.
That was a confusing statement for Laurel "Wealthy thieves donating?"
"Yes I believe it was the group of leeches who have been sucking Central City dry. That's why I've already donated the deposit back to Central City," Regis went on as he sliced his steak. "I'm pretty sure they came to case my building before attempting a robbery."
Laurel nearly spit out her drink. "Wait, wait, if you think they're casing the building why haven't you upped security or at least asked for help from the authorities? I can get my dad to station people around Pendragon Inc."
"Oh, it is simple. They don't worry me, my assets are perfectly safe." Regis said. "I'd like to see how they were so successful in Central city though. While I think the two men made a decent team the kid working with them is the real powerhouse."
"Another kid is part of all this?"
"Yes, and like me he's special. I don't know if his powers stem from a similar source as mine but whatever it is he's already a talented telepath. Now that I think of it, he may not have been human…" Regis trailed off into thought.
"Why does it feel like that's what you're most excited about." Laurel asked.
"Ever the sharp one sis, that's why we work so well together. I've been bored as the only abnormality…this battle might be entertaining; dare I say challenging even." Being so smart and virtually perfect at anything he's ever tried, Regis had long since stopped believing he could be challenged. Especially not in Starling city, he was the only extraordinary existence there but now another extraordinary existence has come to challenge him personally. He put a lot of hopes on Sage's abilities.
"You be careful Regis," Laurel warned her little brother. She knew there was no stopping him from doing what he wanted. "Have fun I guess," a sudden buzzing made her look at her phone and an annoyed look crossed her face. "Ugh, sorry Regis I've gotta go get Sara. She's gotten herself into trouble again…You'll be home for dinner, right?"
"Of course. Do you need any help?" Regis offered already putting money down.
"No, it's nothing serious, she's been partying a little too hard again" Laurel said declining his help. "And didn't I say this was MY treat."
"Oh sorry, I just figured you'd be on a budget with school and all. I just wanted to help out."
Laurel glared at him for a second "Don't' be a smartass Regis, I was there when you made tuition as low as it is."
Regis was being serious, rich as he was, he felt Laurel should never have to pay for anything. Especially things relating to him. "I didn't mean to upset you. Tonight, I will explain the nature of one of my abilities to you, so you won't care about money issues anymore. Give the family my best for me."
......….
Parked in an abandoned lot in another part of town Snart, Sage and Rory reviewed their plans with the new information they've obtained.
"Yeah, the guy gives me bad vibes, I don't know if we should go through with the heist anymore," Sage said taking a bite of a peach. "I'm telling you he saw me, and I couldn't get a read on him either. That's never happened before."
"You aren't getting cold feet are you kid?" Rory goaded in between bites of a hamburger.
"I thought you had a brain Mick, I have no doubt we can rob the building…but I've never met someone who had powers that opposed my own, definitely didn't think they'd be in my generation. Or human for that matter…" Sage answered. "He's our only real challenge, Regis Pendragon."
"Him having powers like yours is definitely an issue, an issue I didn't foresee." Snart commented he was on the rocks about the job too. No one ever got a reaction like that out of Sage. This Regis Pendragon might be dangerous. Did he loosen security because he was so sure of himself? If this was the case, it made Snart wonder what really happened at the Pendragon residence two years ago. "We don't know enough about him to go on. Regis is the variable that makes this job so much riskier…"
"So you saying we should pack it up?" Rory asked, he just wanted to see the building burn and make off with the money, his partners getting nervous upset him a little.
"After all that work, you're both quitting now? What about the loot?!"
"Never fear, I still think we can do this but we have to be more careful now than ever. New measures need to be taken," Snart responded looking at Sage.
"What?" Sage asked confusedly "Is there something on my face?"
"We need much more intel on Regis fast. I need you to do a mass reading over all of Starling City."
Sage looked at Snart like he just asked him to just flat out sacrifice himself for the job. "All of Starling city? Do you know how many people live here?! I don't! But do you know the headache I got last time I did a mass reading? I thought my head was going to split open!"
"Don't be such a baby! That was a whole year ago, think how much your powers have grown since then." Snart reminded him.
"Filter out the unimportant stuff, you only need to find people with real dirt on Regis.
"That's still a tall order…" Sage grumbled.
"You chicken? I thought you were a monkey." Rory Laughed. "Well, both have little brains."
"Chicken? You think I'm chicken ya big idiot!?" Sage took the bait and opened the door.
"(Host is being manipulated, don't fall for it.)" Great Sage warned, but Sage didn't care. His pride had forced him to prove he could do it, he just didn't want to.
"I want a bonus for this one!" Sage yelled as he took off and flew high above the clouds. "Alright this is high enough for good signal…now gotta focus, I only need stuff about Regis Pendragon…" Sage closed his eyes and sat on a cloud in a meditative position.
He started hearing countless voices around him growing louder and more numerous by the second. Reading so many minds at once caused his nose to bleed from the stress, but Sage pressed on. However, as time went on, he started to narrow down his search focusing on things related to Regis (though it was hard at first getting passed all the buzz about Star University and his family's altruism). His search brought him to a violent mystery two years ago at his home and two families he was closely tied with. The also super rich Queen family and the Police family the Lances. "(Tch, of course he'd kick it with pigs…)" Sage stopped his search when an overwhelming presence above stole his attention.
"What the fuuuu-" Directly above him was a giant red eye that shadowed the whole of the city looking at him, but only he could see it. Sage stared at it in shock for a moment before he could regain his senses.
"You think a big eye scares me?" Using the eye as a gateway, Sage entered Regis' mind.
"Huh? Why's it so dark in here…and what's with those huge ass pillars?" Inside Regis' mindscape Sage was alone in a vast abyss looking around for Regis. "Where is he hiding?"
"(Host, leave now. This situation is beyond your control.)"
"Can it computer. Show yourself Regis!" Sage roared into the void.
"WHO SAID I WAS HIDING?" A great voice thundered from above. Three massive eyes opened up far above looking down on him.
Two sporting the alpha and omega, the third had no symbol but felt far more oppressive, as if a titanic god was looking down on him.
"(Do you see now? Those are not pillars but fingers.)" Great Sage said as Sage was finally getting the picture and the world around him became illuminated, this whole time he was merely in the palm of Regis' hand.
"YOU'RE BOLD LITTLE THIEF, BUT THIS IS MY DOMAIN. BEHAVE OR BE PUNISHED!" The massive Regis warned him.
"You think being a giant scares me?! Piss off!" Sage flipped the bird before he attacked Regis' with a giant ki blast and he dissipated like an illusion. "He just tried to punk me, didn't he? Alright fancy eyes, let's see if you can actually stop me from taking your money."
"(I don't think that was a challenge but a warning, I advise host to not antagonize Regis farther. It could end badly,)" Great Sage warned him.
"Naaaah, he just looked down on me. I don't like that. It was a challenge." Blinded by his wounded prided Sage descended to tell his partners he was all in with the heist.
...…..
Starling City
Sitting in the back of his own limousine Regis opened his right eye. "A psychic? And did I see a tail? That's definitely new. I don't know where this weird creature came from, but I can't wait to crush him." Regis made a new expression for the first time just then as a sadistic smile crossed his lips.
"I'll set the stage for our battle, so don't be late little thief." Regis tapped the glass to talk to the driver. "Take me back to Pendragon Inc. Please and thank you."