Casey stared at him, "You're leaving?"

Rip grimaced as he continued to clean glasses, "It's time for me to move on. I'll stay until you've found someone to take over my shifts."

"That's not the issue, Michael," she frowned at him, "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be on your own again?"

With a long sigh Rip shook his head, "I've been here too long already, Casey. The people I'm trying to avoid..."

"You're running from," she corrected making him frown.

"They will find me if I stay anywhere too long," Rip continued ignoring her interruption.

Casey sighed, "Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself wherever you go."

Before he could reply she hugged him tightly making Rip sigh slightly but he hugged her back wishing things were different.

x

Sitting in the small apartment Rip went over his options.

Picking up his pocket watch he stared at the photograph of Miranda and Jonas trying to remember how it felt to be with them. Part of him wanted to return to London, to go back to the city Miranda had loved, where she had chosen to raise their son.

It was now almost eight years since they'd been taken from him, Jonas would actually be a teenager now. Rip closed his burning eyes trying to remember the sound of their voices, Miranda's kiss and the way Jonas would run around his legs excitedly whenever Rip came home.

Putting the watch down he picked up the cube wishing he had Gideon here to talk to. He missed her more than he could bear sometimes. Gideon had been his partner for so many years through all his highs and lows. She'd kept him going when he'd lost his family and helped him face that loss. It was only because of her that he'd been able to actually escape the prison in his mind that Thawne trapped him in. Only because he had her to talk to he managed to come to terms with everything he'd done under that influence.

Now he was alone and having to leave the one person who gave a damn about him these days.

But he knew he couldn't stay here any longer.


Casey looked up from slicing lemons when Rip stood in front of her. She hummed to herself ignoring him until Rip took the knife from her.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I gave you plenty of notice," he stated annoyed, "It's been three weeks, Casey. I have to leave. I can't stay here much longer."

Casey frowned folding her arms, "Why? No one has come near here, Michael. There's nothing for you to be afraid of."

Rip let out a long sigh, "Casey, I wish I could stay but I can't. The longer I'm here the more chance there is someone will find me. It wasn't that long ago people I knew were here."

"And I made sure none of them saw you," she reminded him resting her hand on his arm, "Michael, I don't want you to leave because honestly I'm worried about you. I see the way you drink. I have heard you yell out some nights in your sleep, on the nights you actually manage to sleep."

Rip shook his head.

"Then there's the pictures on your bedside cabinet," Casey continued, "Don't have a clue what the cube is but when I tried to move it one of the nights I put you to bed you treated it like it was some precious jewel."

Rip just stared at her before sighing, "Casey, I am leaving tonight. I'm sorry but I have to go. I wish I didn't have to but the people who are looking for me will use you to get to me and I won't put you in that position."

"You need to promise me," Casey whispered after a few minutes, "That you will take care of yourself and that you will let me know every so often that you are okay."

He nodded, "I will."

Casey smiled, "Before you go can you bring up some crates for me?"

x

Screams echoing down the stairs started Rip running back up to Casey, he skidded to a halt horrified to see the large creature in the bar smashing the furniture. It was just slightly taller than Rip with dark orange skin, the garments it wore was covered in the symbols confirming its clan affiliation. The long bone protrusion from its right arm was razor sharp and currently being swiped towards Casey who was throwing glasses at it trying to protect herself.

"Son of a..." he breathed, dodging when it saw him Rip jumped over the bar grabbing the knife they used to cut up fruit. Rip slammed the knife into its side, ripped the blade up spraying himself in blood, relieved when it fell to the ground dead.

Turning he moved to Casey to check she was okay.

"What...what...what the hell was that?" she demanded through heaving breaths.

Rip grabbed the towel and cleaned the blood off himself, "It's called a Gnarl, or that's what I've always known them as."

She stared at him.

"If one came here others will follow," Rip told her, "We have to get out of here but I need a better knife."

Casey stared at him in utter confusion.

Rip caught her hand making her focus on him properly, "Do you trust me?"

She nodded.

"Then get some money and your jacket while I grab my things," he told her, "I have an idea where to go for safety."

She nodded again, "Okay. Hurry up."

Rip ran up the stairs grabbing the bag he had left sitting on the bed already to leave, he quickly located the several knives he'd kept since his pistol and guns wouldn't work on the Gnarls. He placed his home-made customised Time Courier on his wrist and the comm. in his ear tuning it to listen into any chatter regarding the Gnarls. Returning to the bar he found Casey waiting for him staring at the dead creature.

"The others will be coming soon," Rip told her taking her arm, "We need to get somewhere safe."

"And where the hell is that?" Casey demanded.

Rip grimaced, "These things don't like the water. There is a boat we can use at the harbour."

She turned back to look at the creature turning back to him when he tugged her away, "Who are you?"

"I'm your friend who has knowledge of some strange thing," he shrugged, "So you have to trust me."

Casey took a deep breath, "Of course I trust you. Let's go."


Sara dodged the razor sharp bone thing the creature swung at her, she had to stop coming to Central City for parties.

"Any idea how to kill these things?" she demanded over her comm. link.

"None," Cisco yelled back.

Sara ducked before she rolled to one side, "Anyone?"

"They don't burn," Mick snarled from behind her.

"Nate is at least managing to knock them down," Ray called, the weapons on the ATOM suit only annoying the things and making them angrier, "I thought the Time Bureau was going to get us something."

Sara let out an annoyed sigh, "Ava told me they don't have any information. These things aren't from either the future or the past."

"Typically useless," Mick slammed his heat gun into the creature coming at him.

Sara nodded slightly in agreement.

"Barry has something," Cisco appeared suddenly at her side making them jump.

"Don't do that," Mick snapped at him.

Cisco rolled his eyes at the former thief, "They're coming through a dimension breach."

"Can you close it?" Sara demanded.

Cisco shook his head, "Not unless I can find what they're using to open the breach then work out how to close it and I can't get anywhere near it without them trying to stab me with their bone-sword things."

"What about Barry, can't he get you there?" Sara demanded.

Shaking his head Cisco grimaced, "They've got a speedster barrier."

Sara rolled her eyes again, "Just typical. Okay, Mick help Barry get the people away. Cisco, find us a way to stop this."

As everyone scattered another creature bore down on her, Sara fought back stunned when someone suddenly thrust a knife into the side of the creature yanking the blade up to the ribcage before pulling it out again. The thing fell and Sara stared at the man standing there with a woman just behind him watching worriedly.

"Rip?"

"Use a knife," he told her, "Into its side and cut upwards. You'll hit the heart."

Before she could say anything two more attacked them. Rip pulled his companion out of the way readying himself to fight again. Rip easily dodged the smallest creature but the larger of the two caught him with a back-handed swipe throwing Rip into the tree behind them.

x

Rip's right arm snapped when he slammed into the large oak tree. Swearing he pulled off his belt and created a makeshift sling. Luckily he was ambidextrous so grabbed the knife with his left hand. Running back he saw Sara pull Casey to one side before following his directions to kill the Gnarl not seeing the second one coming up behind.

"Casey!" he yelled running towards her. Horror filled him as the Gnarl stabbed Casey through the chest, "No!"

Reaching the thing that had just killed the only friend he had left Rip slammed the knife into the Gnarl with more force than was necessary, ripping through the internal organs as hard as he could. Kicking the thing away Rip fell down beside her.

"Casey?" he breathed finding only a blank stare from dead eyes.

He felt a hand on his shoulder before Sara said softly, "I'm sorry, Rip. I..."

"I was meant to protect her," he cut her off his voice a complete monotone shrugging her hand off him. Standing slowly Rip gripped the knife, "Where is the portal?"

"How..." Sara stared stopping herself asking the question, "Other side of the park but Barry can't get near it and Cisco doesn't know how to shut it down."

Rip took a breath, "Tell him to get me there and I can shut it down."

Sara frowned slightly, "You're injured, Rip and your friend..."

"I know what happened," he forced out through gritted teeth, "But I know how to stop these things and you obviously don't."

She grimaced but knew she couldn't argue with that, "Fine. Cisco, can you open a breach to where these things are coming through? I have a way to stop them."

"Are you sure?" Cisco demanded through the comm.

"Just do it," Rip snapped.

Sara threw him an annoyed look before saying, "Cisco, trust me."

Rip quickly made a few modifications to his Courier. The moment the breach opened Rip shoved Sara away from the opening. Her shock meant she wasn't able to stop him and Rip jumped through the breach shutting it down instantly so she couldn't follow him.

The Gnarls were all focussed on attacking that none of them noticed him behind them as he sabotaged the breach generator. Suddenly a small breach opened up at each Gnarl dragging them back to the main rift causing a lot of confusion.

"Rip," Sara yelled, she was running towards him but he couldn't get past the Gnarls.

Knowing he had no way out Rip destroyed the generator, readying himself to fight for as long as he could seeing Sara's horrified face just before the rift closed completely.