The Moll Chapter 21: 1932, a doctor who fanfic

The past month leading to the year-end had been a blur to her. All she knew was that she had been gone for a lot of them. The equivalent of Interpol in space had contacted her about rounding up a couple of fugitives from a nearby planet that had eluded prosecution. She hadn't understood why they had come to her especially since she had been certain there were others that could have handled it, as they were most assuredly closer than she. They had responded they knew of her through her work with the Proclamation and liked what she did. They had wanted her and no one else. She had agreed but that had meant she had to stay away from New York for a while. She had hated that. Especially when things between her and Charlie had finally started to get back on track again after the trip from Chicago. God, she had hated to admit it now but she did have a lot of fun with Charlie.

Cleaning up the mess left by Maranzano had been easy; he had said to her on one of the rare occasions she had some time to pop by to see him. Get the physical release she so desperately craved, he as well, as that was usually the first thing they did before settling in to enjoy one another's company, staying up late into the night to catch up with one another. She always hated being away from him. She had relished in the fact that he would always stop into the Chelsea to ring her. When she had seen the number flash across her screen she would, nearly always, drop what she had and answered it. Even as they dug a bullet out of her arm from the latest interaction with her fugitives. Always so close before they would disappear. And she was getting pissed. She was getting tired of missing them, tired of being away from where she was comfortable and yeah, she was missing the hell out of Charlie.

It had been a stroke of luck she had managed to catch them on the morning of his birthday. She had been lying in wait and thinking up all kinds of excuses to tell him why she couldn't be back in time. Angry with herself that she had failed to get this mission done in a timely manner. She took it as a failure on herself. And then she had caught them, instantly relieved that she could be there. He had been too; celebrating his thirty-fourth birthday wouldn't have been the same without her so he had said.

But she wasn't without issue. Upon interrogating her suspects the police equivalent had learned there were more out there. So they had called her back for another go. Which she hadn't been pleased about. Especially since she had still been in bed attempting to sleep off her night before when she had been out celebrating her birthday with Charlie. Their time, it had been around six in the morning and she had only been asleep for about four hours. She hadn't had the patience that day. To deal with anyone. And that had made her travelling more frequent and extended. So they had to default to their normal setting, long distance by phone. If she had any days that she had nothing going on for the moment, she'd jump back to see him. And he had always been glad to see her.

And then things began to get tougher for her. While she had been following the trail of those two fugitives, she had stumbled onto the trail of another person that had been on UNIT's hit list and the reason the Ruby Jade Incident occurred. He had slipped through their fingers, allowing instead his partner to get caught, but they had never been able to find him. And she inadvertently found the trail again. She became torn for a quick second, whom does she help? She had finally decided that helping those still trapped in the trafficking ring was more important to her. And that he was going down for his crimes against those women. She remotely helped the police equivalent from her room when she was in the Chelsea. Since she no longer spoke with UNIT, even Kate's presence was becoming sparse; she had decided to formulate a plan on her own, one that hopefully didn't involve the stage once again. That one is still in the works and does often keep her busy.

She had also been privilege to see how things began shaping up for Charlie now that everything had appeared to be falling into place. Something had shifted in him when they had returned from Chicago; she wasn't able to put her finger on it. She still isn't able to. He certainly was different. Could there have been a sense of pride and relief now that his goals had been accomplished? He silently wielded total control over the Commission and its heads, making alliances, both obvious and secret but she isn't certain that's it. Was it the fear he struck in those close to or under him? She wasn't sure, as he seemed the same to her always, even though she knew it was all about sharing power as one of the most powerful member on the Commission, he hadn't let it get to his head. Perhaps the power he exuded now. Everyone knew his name. He wasn't just some bootlegger from New York City now. He was much more, and perhaps that was where the fear comes from. She just didn't know.

To her he was and still is the same. Incredibly dangerous, but then again she loved a little danger, even if it isn't the most tasteful danger. But at the rate she's going, she's slipping so quickly that to her, she's just lost and looked for any connection she could get. Charlie gives her everything she's wanted and craved. Because when he's with her he's simply her lover, whom she wouldn't be able to give up even if she tried. Doesn't matter who he was to history or not.

Now, for them, things can really get started and so far 1932 has been good to them. She just needs to convince him to go away with her now that things are over. No distractions.

'You're holding back.'

'I…am not,' Another inhale is followed by her throwing her head back and the exhale comes out of her slow and then sharp so she can inhale again. 'I can give you more.'

'I fucking hope so,' He can feel her grip him tighter to her abruptly and then her rake her nails down his back. Thankfully she doesn't have those talons she once did. Without warning the phone begins to ring, she nearly regrets syncing her mobile to ring the suite phone as well but at the same time it had saved her many times. He can feel her grip loosening on him but he keeps her tight. 'The first time I have you with me for more than a few days at a time…whoever that is can fucking wait. I am not ready to let you go just yet.'

She flashes him that impish smirk he's come to love about her and lifts her head so her lips can meet his, she doesn't care how sore they are already she just wants more, she wants to be greedy, to have something just for herself, the break she desperately needs. She puts her hand on the back of his neck while slowly lifting herself up until he's had to put his hand back to steady himself. She moves her hands to cup his face, making her kisses more ardent. She pulls away for a breath while he uses his free hand to wrap around her hips and lower back, keeping her pressed down on him. She closes her eyes as he gives her opposite hipbone a quick squeeze. She presses her forehead with his, closing her eyes when he begins kissing her further, moving onto her neck.

Another interruption from the phone. Shrill and imposing. Echoing, bouncing off the walls and Charlie glances to the lounge. He turns back to her and Rose is inhaling in short breaths as she smiles guiltily at him. He grips her chin and eyes her.

'Yes?' She wonders innocently shrugs but a slight frown appears on her face. He continues on. Only getting this intermittently hadn't been fair to her, she thinks. A few days at a time and then nothing for a few weeks…yeah, that hadn't been cutting it. Probably why this had been the first thing they had done when she had gotten her hands on him. Speaking of hands…she bites her lip from crying out, moving one arm she had draped around his shoulders to move the hair that had fallen in her face out of the way. It's getting too long again, she needs to cut it. Then again…he uses to expose her neck. Which she doesn't mind, so who's benefiting really? Right now, though, right now. It's her. Oh god is it her.

She rests her arm on his shoulders and gives him a small smirk, kissing him although with a tired enthusiasm than earlier. She doesn't have the energy anymore. She's tired and hot, she's not sure she even wants to let him go let alone move to lie on the bed. However the phone rings piercingly once again. She sighs and closes her eyes as Charlie places both his hands on her hips and keeps her pressed to him. She arches her eyebrow.

'You need to get less friends.' He tells her semi seriously and Rose kisses him before moving off of him and dashing towards the phone. She appears in the doorway just as Charlie begins to ignite his cigarette and notices the flat look on Rose's face the phone receiver and mouthpiece pressed against her body. Right, they're in the Chelsea. He gives her a once over, taking her in while he finishes igniting the cigarette just to bug her. She says nothing but holds the phone out to him.

'I need to get less friends? Same thing could be said for you.' Rose counters but again Charlie makes no effort to move. She gestures him to join her.

'What?'

'It's for you.' Rose tells him and he inhales on the cigarette weighing his options. He no longer wants to do any business, it's nearing midnight. The only business he wants to take care of is her. She's his main priority right now.

'I'm not here.'

'Nice try. They know you're here.' Rose informs him and Charlie sighs. He reluctantly gets up and comes around the bed to the doorway as Rose holds the phone out to him. He isn't impressed as he takes it from her. She stretches and as she begins to head to the bathroom, Charlie abruptly leans to secure her around her waist and pulls her back towards him, kissing her head before he releases her. Rose is so surprised she had been in shock but then soon smiles kissing him back as he disappears into the lounge.

She can faintly hear his voice in the lounge but thinks nothing of it and continues to splash her face with some water, towelling it off gently. She turns around to smirk at him when she feels him embrace her, pressing her to him tightly. He gives her a small kiss. But at the same time he seems slightly defeated and concerned. She places her hand on his cheek and arches her eyebrow.

'What…?' He begins and Rose shakes her head.

'A caller at this hour?' She replies and Charlie becomes sardonic. Oops struck a cord with him. So, wasn't a good phone call then?

'Yes, just a small update.' Charlie informs her and Rose backs up towards the door, heading towards the bed to continue to enjoy their much needed time together. She beckons him towards her, which he happily does.

'What kind of update?' She wonders and Charlie shrugs lightly.

'Something can be rather worrisome.' He replies and Rose eyes him carefully, waiting for him to explain. He sits beside her on the bed put his hand on her bent knee.

'Remember a few months ago, just before Christmas that I'd gotten word there are politicians who support the repeal or amendment to the Volstead Act?'

Rose blinks and nods her head. Honestly she vaguely remembers him mentioning something to her but either he hadn't said much about it or she hadn't been paying enough attention. Which, she's been known to do but he also tells her random things as he's leaving again. Then she gets curious, goes off to do her own thing and then she forgets. And he doesn't bring it up again when they reconnect. And hey, let's face it, she doesn't claim to be well versed in American politics of the 1930s.

'I do, yes. Why? Is it coming? Repeal, I mean?' Rose questions and Charlie stares ahead while he carefully considers his answer to her. Changes are coming, time to start thinking about how to fill the void that Prohibition will leave in their pockets and bank accounts. You fix one problem and then more are created.

'It's been in the works for about a year now, according to one source,' Charlie replies and Rose blinks from the surprise. If it's been in the works for a year, why won't it be repealed until the following year? Does it take that long to get things done? 'Problem is there isn't enough support yet.'

'Wait, wait, okay. People that championed for Prohibition in the first place, those people, are they getting upset that they're losing advocates now? Because, really, let's be honest, nothing's changed. People have been ignoring the law since it came into effect. It's social acceptance now.' Rose points out and Charlie nods his head at her, exactly as he had been thinking.

He's rather torn about the situation. Their mark-up on imported whiskey, scotch and rum is enormous, and it's incredibly hard to keep up with the demand, as it is, which means a good profit. Getting caught by the police for violating the Volstead Act meant a loss of inventory, profits literally going down the drain and jail time. Prosecution, fines. It all comes to be a nightmare. So repealing means the legal aspect is taken care of but the money wouldn't be the same. It might be time to meet with Meyer to discuss options.

'Yes, but there are those who fear that outlawing the sale of alcohol has increased gang activity.' Charlie responds and Rose is unable to hide her smirk from him. Even he smiles back when he realises his words to her.

'Well, are they wrong?' She wonders bemused and Charlie shakes his head.

'Not entirely.'

'The more opposition the better, I suppose,' Rose rests her head on her hand and studies him. He seems to be taking the potential threat of the majority of his business getting cut out from under him rather well. It would solve the complex law side of things but not the money they'd lose. 'If the Volstead Act does end up losing support, how long do you think before they will repeal it?'

'Next year.'

Rose blinks. 'That soon?'

'Sure.'

She decides to broach the next topic very carefully as it had been another source of aggravation for him. Things had been starting to escalade. 'How's things with Waxey Gordon working out?'

He gives her one of his dark stares and then shrugs, staying quiet on the matter for sighing slightly. 'He should have known that if he fucks with Meyer he fucks with me.'

Rose has no doubt that was the case, especially since what Waxey had been doing not only invoked the silent annoyance of Meyer, who was by no means violent that she had seen but also the temper of Charlie who had no problem at all getting aggressive.

What she failed to comprehend is why he didn't get that. If he constantly moved in on bootlegging and gambling operations owned by Meyer how did Waxey not have the foresight that Charlie would get involved? To protect his friend's interests, which could potentially include his own. Then again she's certain that Meyer and Charlie aren't partners in everything.

'Which he really should have seen coming.' Rose responds and Charlie just gives her a look that says he knows and instead draws her close.

'Meyer has an underhanded tactic to get rid of him once and for all. Eliminate competition, too.' Charlie informs her suddenly and he can feel her tense. She must be thinking the obvious. Who wouldn't? Someone is trouble? Well, trouble can always been rubbed out. And it isn't as though she doesn't know how he deals with those who cross him; she's smart enough to figure it out. So he rubs her arm absently and she begins to relax. She has never come in between him and his business, never questioned his motives, tactics or thoughts. She's commented, given her two cents on the matter, given him different angles to consider but for all he's told her over the last two years no trouble has come from her. No one has questioned him about information he'd originally given her that she instead used as she went to tell the cops. She's utterly trustworthy in his eyes.

'I didn't want to know that…' Rose answers him half-heartedly and Charlie smiles at her, drawing her closer to kiss the side of her head.

'I don't blame you for thinking that but it isn't what Meyer has planned.' Charlie replies and Rose frowns as she repeats his words over and over in her mind. Okay, not murder, than what? A beating? She feels her stomach turn.

'Really?'

'Yes, there is a lawyer, he's just left his practice on Wall Street to accept a lucrative job as special prosecutor to look into corruption in New York City,' Charlie pauses unable to stop the smirk that appears on his face. The man will be at that for a long time. The corruption is so ingrained into the city officials it'll take decades to fix. 'I think the title is Chief Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.'

Rose eyes him carefully. 'That's a mouthful.'

'I'll say, but supposedly the man has an excellent ability to recall crimes and is able to use it to trip up witnesses on the stand and catch the accused in lies as well.' Charlie explains and Rose doesn't like where this is going. Far from it to have Charlie get friendly with a federal prosecutor, he's doing this merely for revenge. She knows it but the way he's making this lawyer sound…she hopes it isn't who she is starting to believe it is.

'You sure supplying this lawyer with information about Gordon won't come back to bite you?'

'It isn't as though I'm walking into his office to tell him what I know or what Meyer knows.' Charlie states innocently and Rose exhales her concern. She doesn't like the nervousness sitting so heavily on her. She feels hot and not because Charlie has been absent-mindedly rubbing her inner thigh it's the fear of asking her next question and him telling her the answer she doesn't want to hear. She wants to grip him by the shoulders and shake sense into him. Doesn't he know the trouble this will cause him in about…oh, four years or so? Bloody idiot.

'Charlie…what's this lawyer's name?'

'Uh, Thomas…something. Fuck, I can never remember his last name.'

Rose hopes she doesn't look pale because she can almost feel the colour draining from her face. 'It isn't Dewey, is it?'

'That's it, yes. Thomas Dewey.'

She stretches one leg out and then bends it, sitting in the tree as she keeps watch of the building carefully. She slides the mag into the gun and sighs. She doesn't want to be doing this maybe this is why it's taken so long for her to drag her ass inside. Listen to her…she's becoming more, what's the word, North Americanised the longer she seems to spend travelling to this continent. That and it probably doesn't help the fact that she's been hanging around mobsters where every other word is a curse word, she hates to admit it but their…colourful vocabulary is starting to rub off on her. Only alone, she's yet to let one slip out in front of anyone else, thankfully. Vulgarity is no substitute for wit. Then again she's been around so many people that have been able to bend the two together she often forgets about something like that.

Rose slides the gun back into her holster and continues to watch the building, waiting for a sign to tell her it's time to go in there. What are the chances she'd track down a Merkabelta on Earth. She sighs. How'd it even get to Earth anyway? Hopefully answers will be revealed when she brings it back to UNIT and have them take care of it. An abandoned factory had been a small stroke of luck; if it had taken root in a forest or a town then she'd have a real problem on her hands. Oh but what if it's fully-grown? That'll be rather difficult to get it back to UNIT, the only thing she'd have to do it set fire to building. She doesn't want to think like that…that's the worst possible outcome. She won't know until she gets in.

She checks her watch. Here's to hoping for the best, she has nine hours until she's supposed to meet up with Charlie again. His decision to get involved, from a distance of course, with the lawyer who would eventually convict him as well as a revenge ploy to get rid of Waxey Gordon had yielded excellent results, according to the phone conversation Charlie had had with Meyer a few months ago. Their tips to Dewey had landed an arrest of Gordon not that long ago. They were prepping for trial. They couldn't make anything related to his career in bootlegging stick so they had supplied Dewey with information that would convict him of tax evasion. Not the bigger charge Dewey had wanted but it was something. The trial is up coming. She almost wants to attend it just to see Dewey in action before he utterly eviscerates Charlie on the stand. He shouldn't have done that, Dewey will finish with Gordon, jump in the current District Attorney's job before he starts his crackdown on organised crime. It's history and she can do nothing to stop it.

She arches her back off of the tree and then swings her legs over the branch's edge. Time to get moving, she supposes. And now that the random thoughts are in her mind she recalls that Charlie had been seriously considering going away with her for a weekend. She's always wanted to see what the fuss was about the Hampton's and he didn't mind going with her. The thought of a small vacation away from the city with him makes her burst with excitement and anticipation.

She jumps from the tree to the ground and stretches again as she walks towards the building dreading what she's going to find. She can't turn a blind eye to this though. This Merkabelta could be dangerous. If someone stumbles on this factory and then onto the Merkabelta, there is a serious chance of getting struck by a poisonous dart. They shoot them if they feel threatened or unsafe. She has to walk in with a calm aura.

Rose walks around the building twice, taking in the details, the windows, escape options should things get bad and the vicinity should she need to set fire to this building and let it burn, she wants to see what attention it will attract. She hopes it doesn't come to that, she doesn't want to have to take the life of this Merkabelta, ugh there is so much to consider so she turns her attention to the building. There are two levels, many windows that are broken, still no sign of trouble exterior wise. She comes to the front doors of the warehouse and is about to put her hand on the door handle when she turns over her shoulder to the sound of an approaching car. She widens her eyes and runs to the back of the building, she takes a running jump and secures her grip on the escape ladder and hauls herself up to the roof, crouching down low to watch the approaching vehicles. She holds her breath as two cars roll to a stop. Two men get out of the black coloured vehicle. Out of the blue car one man gets out and points to the back. Suits, expensive ones, these men are obviously from the underworld.

She carefully leans forward over the edge of the roof, using the lip to keep herself hidden. She believes she recognises one of the men there. He's just leaning into the back of the car too far she can't make him out. And it sounds as though another car is on the way as well. Huh, popular spot today. Why'd they have to pick this spot, this dangerous spot? She widens her eyes when the man hauls another man out of the back of the car. She lowers herself further. Oh no. That's Albert. Oh god no, this isn't good, she's gotta get them away from here. If they upset the Merkabelta in the factory, wherever it's hiding…things could go from bad to worse. She's gotta get in and out before they beat her in. She can sneak around, find the Merkabelta, get it out and then back to UNIT, so that they can continue on with their…dealings. She has a feeling she doesn't want to know.

It doesn't get better for her, though. As the third car pulls in Rose can feel her stomach twisting itself tighter into a worried knot. Any tighter and she feels as though she could vomit. Charlie and Vito get out of the third one and head towards Albert and his men no doubt from the infamous Murder Inc. This entire retrieval mission suddenly got its ante upped. They begin to converse while Albert's men hold down another, his face is bruised and bloodied. He's covered in a thin layer of sweat while he attempts to talk over them, begging for them to spare his life. Albert silences him with a solitary punch.

Rose swallows her nerves and reaches into the pocket of her cat suit. She slowly retrieves the metal halo and slips it around her back tooth. She then reaches for the hair elastic to tie by the long curled locks. They could have chosen someone with a bit more function to their look. She sighs. In and out. She can't draw attention to herself. She runs to the back of the roof and slips down the ladder. The heavy door is hard to push open enough for her to slip in undetected and starts to work on finding her target.

'That's the only one you managed to grab?' Charlie wonders and looks at the young kid who struggles against Albert's men restraining him. Clearly he's finally realised he's in way over his head, the sum of whatever he was promised by whoever to steal from them must be completely out of his mind now. Now that he knows who he's in trouble with. This kid tries to steal from him? No fucking way.

'I shot one in the head as he was running. The other two got away.' Albert replies and folds his arms. Vito strolls towards the kid still being held by Albert's men and before Charlie realises what he's done, Vito's taken the gun out of his jacket and flipped it over to expose the butt of it, he then drives it into the side of the man's head. He crumples, caught by Albert's men who haul him back to standing where he moans in pain, another fresh trail of blood running down his face.

Charlie shakes his head. 'Vito, for fuck sake, we need him to tell us where the others are and where the fuck the rest of our liquor is.'

Vito turns over his shoulder and shrugs. 'I was just getting acquainted with him.'

Charlie suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. That's the thing with Vito; he's incredibly violent, often forgetting to see the bigger picture because he's so focused on getting the answers he wanted. If they all hadn't come and it was just Vito left to deal with this mess, he would have killed the kid on the first no and done fuck all about everything else. Vito is the kind of man who immensely dislikes disloyalty. Charlie has seen it personally. If one of his men came to him with a compliant against another about them doing something dishonest, he would kill the offender and then kill the one who alerted him to the problem originally. You know, for ratting the other guy out. Dangerous and unpredictable. He'd be nervous to have him in any sort of power role, but then again that's just what he's done, hasn't he? Maybe it was an attempt to keep Vito close. Just in case. There's still that shred of doubt in his mind. Who knows if it will ever go away.

He turns his attention next to the dilapidated building in front of them. So this is the place these thieves have hid their merchandise. Or at least some of it. It certainly doesn't look like much, probably better that way, it'll be easier to locate things. Hopefully they'll be able to get the other two locations from this kid as well. The only problem is that those accomplices that were with him, well there's a good chance they were already destroying the evidence, that way when this kid coughs up the details, they'll go there and find an empty warehouse filled with broken Canadian Club crates and the strong smell of alcohol on the ground. Hopefully the other two will have simply gone into hiding, rather than risk the wrath of them it would be just easier to disappear, lest they be caught and never be found alive again.

He has a feeling that even if they do manage to get any sort of information, they aren't going to see their crates again. Great. Albert turns to him and points to the kid who has just spit out the collected blood in his mouth onto the ground. Charlie already knows what Albert is going to ask. At this point he's too pissed to think about trying to offer leniency. When Albert turns back to his man, he gives him a curt nod and the other men nod in response. They begin to haul the kid towards the doors of the factory and kid continues to struggle against the grip that holds him in place while continuing to pull him towards the door. He begs and pleads for his life, and yet strangely makes no comment that he'd tell them whatever they want to know in exchange for his life. Odd.

What is also odd is the scene they don't bare witness to. What appears to be ivy leaves have covered a portion of the door. No one pays any attention to foliage unless it's in one's way. So when the man that came with Albert grips the door handle, wiping his hand on his pants to get rid of what he perceives to be dirt. When he enters the foyer with the kid, who is still shouting, they don't notice the supposed ivy leaves have shuddered, withering before furling themselves back up and turning from an almost too vibrant, unearthly shade of green to the darkest shade of black, the light is absorbed by it.

Within another spot of the warehouse, through a corridor, the withering shudder is felt by a creature resting there.

Albert reaches into his pocket and retrieves his lighter, tossing it to Charlie so he can ignite the cigarette. When he does so, he tosses it back to Albert who puts it back into his pocket. It's been a very long half hour. Slow, they haven't spoken much. Just impatient about getting information from this kid. So when the sound of the doors opening, again no one taking notice that the shrivelled leaves have turned black, everyone's gazes fall to the door and the two men walking out. One has taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his plain white shirt. The tie is loose and he's absently rubbing his knuckles. They're shades of light purple and cut. He's been at work thoroughly. The other one looks as though he'd been supervising; he's much better off than his partner. But digressing. Hopefully with some good results.

The wind abruptly shifts direction, the clouds have been steadily increasing in the last half hour, a storm is approaching. Charlie flicks the spent cigarette to the ground and shoves his hands into his pockets, watching as Albert greets the two men and Charlie can see that Albert balls his fists in obvious rage. Swell. Tactics for questioning haven't been working, apparently. The associates step back to avoid a swing from Albert and then visibly relaxes when Albert turns to them. A small disbelieving smile on his face. What a fucking mess this day is already.

'Kid's fucking tough. Won't say shit. I think I'm going to have to go in and ask politely.' Albert declares at them and Charlie and Vito exchange look.

'Just remember, don't beat him to a fucking pulp. We have questions to ask.' Vito replies and Albert dismisses him as he cracks his knuckles heading towards the stairs to the building. Vito shakes his head.

'I fucking know what I'm doing.' Albert tells them seriously, leaving his associate to linger uncomfortably by the car they had arrived in. Charlie notices the way he attempts to keep his hands busy, nerves no doubt. He's failed at getting information, failed at his job. The only thing he had been tasked to do. Maybe he needs to have a frank discussion with Albert about the quality of men he's been hiring.

Albert pokes his head around the door and frowns at his associates who don't notice that Albert has been trying to get his attention until Vito whistles loudly to get the attention of his men, when he does Vito motions to the door and the men look over. He sees an annoyed Albert.

'Yeah, boss?' One calls to him and Albert's look becomes monotonous.

'Let's go.' Albert states with a rather menacing tone and the men hurry after him. The door clicks shut once they're inside and Charlie leans against the car, he folds his arms and wonders if this is even worth it. He has other things to be worrying about now. That lawyer that Meyer's contacted about Waxey Gordon has now continued to press them for information. He wants a tight conviction. He's got an evening dinner with Meyer to talk about things anyway. Perhaps getting mixed up with this lawyer wasn't a good idea.

'You think he's gonna tell them anything?' Vito questions and turns his attention back to the door and is rather curious to see, hear and feel what's going on in that open space. He's tempted to head up to second level where the offices and the viewing window. Just to watch.

Charlie shifts his gaze to the warehouse doors where if he listens hard enough he can almost hear Albert going to work on the kid, the butt of the gun connected with the kid's cheekbone, fracturing it, the impact of Albert's punch as it breaks the bone in the kid's nose. Strangely no gunshot is heard, the kid's kneecaps are still in tact, for now. Perhaps the sighs of seeing the Mad Hatter, the Lord High Executioner standing in front of him, saying nothing, doing nothing but carefully eyeing the kid up while the kid can only look on in utter fear. His imposing size and rigid posture. It's a not a spot one would wish to be in. Albert's reputation has always proceeded him. Maybe the kid heard of him, heard the rumours of how violent he can be, which were not rumours at all, the tactics he uses to obtain what he wants, regardless of the pain inflicted on the victim. All very true. Charlie recalls one time Albert went to work on someone, beat him so badly that when he was found by a passer by in Central Park, the doctors had to remove his left eye, it was beyond repair or saving. The man named no one in his attack, smartly, but rumour ran rampant that day.

Perhaps the kid heard that story too. And rather than endure the torturous question period, the kid did look rather frail, he decided to give up those he'd been cahoots with. Doesn't mean he's off the hook though. The decision about what to do with him after Albert emerges with the information they're looking for.

Charlie just doesn't have the time to be waiting around. He's got things to do. And there's the fact that Rose had gotten in this morning from Detroit. Another passing glance in the halls as he left to meet with someone and she remained behind to unpack. He didn't want to mention to her that she looked utterly exhausted. Whatever she does…maybe he'll know some day.

He and Vito look up when the sound of the door opening slowly reveals Albert emerging looking rather…bland. No expression on his face, no blood on his shirt either. Either he's getting less messy or there's a problem. Don't let it be a problem.

'We have a problem.' Albert informs them seriously and Vito frowns. Charlie closes his eyes in obvious defeat and frustration.

'What's the fucking problem?' Vito wonders and Albert motions to the building, again the expression is neutral. Maybe he just killed the kid. Accidentally he'll claim. Why does everything have to become such a fucking mess?

'He's gone.' Albert replies and Charlie straightens up. Vito drops his arms to his side and Albert can tell they're both struggling for words. They can't seem to articulate their thoughts on the matter. Yeah well, neither could he at first.

'What the fuck do you mean he's gone?' Charlie demands and begins to head towards the door with Vito trailing behind him. Albert can see the fury in Charlie's eyes and the stunned confusion in Vito's. He can't explain it either.

'I mean that when Nico, Tony and I went in there, where he had left the kid, the fucking room was empty. Empty.' Albert explains and Charlie and Vito pause on their way up the simple stone steps. They don't see the building's rear. The ivy like leaves that had been covering the entirety of the rear façade have shrivelled and gone the blackest shade of night. What lurks inside has been awakened.

'Well he sure as fuck didn't hobble out the front fucking door.' Vito points out and Albert dismisses him choosing instead to ignite a cigarette and glare at Vito. Charlie begins to check around the rear of the building. There is always another exit. Perhaps the kid managed to escape the bonds and ran out the back door. But then why take the trouble of hiding the chair? To show them who is really in control of this situation? To unnerve them?

He rounds the corner and steps back a few yards to get the full view of the factory's second floor. The windows are covered in a thick layer of filth. Some have had the panes smashed out and there is dead ivy leaves. Some have twisted their way so far up the building that on the opposite corner of the factory is covered with them. He frowns when he goes over the second story once again he can see the shadow of someone moving around up there, perhaps in one of the offices looking to conceal themselves, to hide so that they won't be found. He shakes his head, did they even bother looking, or did they simply see the kid was gone and decide to inform them?

Charlie heads around the building hearing the rapidly rising voices of Albert and Vito. His patience is wearing thin as well.

'Did you even look around when you noticed he wasn't there?' Charlie calls to Albert and he lets go of the front of Vito's shirt, frowning he shakes his head.

'No, I just came out here to let you both know we had a small problem.' Albert admits and Vito shoves him backward as he readjusts his jacket and shirt. Albert does nothing to retaliate. Charlie motions to the factory.

'Problem is solved, the kid's wandering around on the second level.' Charlie informs them and doesn't help but see the relief wash over Albert's face. He turns to the sound of a gun being cocked and Vito pushes by them.

'The fuck are we waiting for? Kid can't hide forever.'

Vito leads them inside, the door shutting behind them. What they don't know, unfortunately, is the kid isn't hiding on the second level. He's missing because he was taken. His final moments were in fear, but not by the men who had been holding him captive, looking for answers over something stupid he had been talked into doing, no, he had come face to face with a creature he had never seen before. He's missing because he's been killed. Something the one person investigating hasn't realised yet, and also how much more complicated her job is about to become. When her lover crosses into a world no one should ever see. This day is about to get a lot more complicated for her.

Albert looks around the factory floor carefully. The open space, long since cleared of the machinery, has somehow changed. There is a yellow mist that covers the floor and it seems to have gotten a lot hotter, more humid since he's left. And another thing…where the hell are his associates? They finally decide to look for the kid? Good, they can take a look around the floor. See if something will point them in the right direction.

The wind creeps in from the broken window, rustling the ivy leaves and stirring the mist around their feet. It even seems darker in the factory now, but it has to be his imagination. The place has suddenly become a lot more unsettling to him. But he can't pin it, there isn't really a reason for it. So why does he feel the way he does? It's just the atmospheric shift.

Charlie leads them to the centre of the room where they can see where Albert has left his hat and jacket on an empty stack of crates. But that's the odd thing. The chair was positioned about ten feet from the crates. So, where'd he go? Where'd the chair get to? So much is just missing and not making sense. Charlie turns around to see if he could maybe spot the rope laying somewhere or anything to help them but it's almost as though he's completely vanished.

'Where'd your men get to?' Charlie wonders and Albert shrugs nonchalantly. He points to the staircase that leads up to the second level, where the offices are located.

'Hopefully redeeming themselves.' Albert says over his shoulder as he begins to walk towards it. Vito and Charlie follow him and they climb the stairs. Charlie pauses on the landing, certain he saw something moving around in the darkened corners of the factory. He waits for a moment, to see if the scene would repeat itself. But nothing happens, and so he chalks it up to his imagination and continues up to join the others.

The vines pause briefly before retracting to the door just under the stairs, retreating to the boiler room in the basement. Steam pours through the small crack where the door sits on its rusted hinges before the vines slowly begin to creepy back out, climbing up the stairs and twisting themselves around the railing.

When they reach the rather narrow halls it still is quiet. Sunlight pours in from the windows on the shut doors of the abandoned offices. Papers on the floor of the halls, spots and stains on the worn down carpet paint a less than desirable picture. This is hopefully going to be over shortly. Grab the kid and get back to business. Charlie draws his own gun and motions for them to spread out. Vito walks to the opposite side of the end of the hall to check the few doors there while Albert goes to the end of the hall and begins opening doors. Charlie does the same.

However each time the door is opened it reveals nothing but long forgotten desks, some of which are missing drawers, papers, filing cabinets and the intrusion of the ivy leaves, some of which are black having died. The officers are tiny, if the kid were hiding it'd be fairly obvious he would be spotted instantly. Charlie even checks under the desks of those offices that have them facing the door and yet each time reveals nothing. The kid must be hiding somewhere else. When he, Albert and Vito meet in the middle he can see the anger flickering in Albert's eyes. They can't find this kid and now his associates seem to have vanished. Perhaps they're looking elsewhere.

Something bothers Charlie, though. Who was it that he saw in the window them if not Albert's men or the kid? Could there be another person here? Someone the kid knows? Did they trail the three of them? Charlie's thoughts are interrupted by Albert letting off a few rounds from his gun into the ceiling. Dust and debris fall around and on them and Vito irritably brushes off his shoulders.

'Could you fucking not?' Vito wonders sarcastically and Albert puts the gun away. Charlie watches the two of them and shakes his head, putting away his own gun. Clearly there is nothing up here but a failed business. This is quickly trying his patience. Do they cut this as a loss, round up Albert's men and head back into the city or do they see this to the end?

'I think we know what's going to happen next.' Charlie informs them and Vito nods his head. He then shakes it at the failings of their attempt to locate him but he isn't here. He's gotten away. Hopefully they don't see him around the city because if they do they owe him a parting gift, and a promise that he won't ever see the light of day again. Only Albert crosses his arms in obvious disagreement.

'What? You want to leave? Charlie, that fucking prick is still in here somewhere, we just have to find the fucker so I can put a bullet in his head for stealing from us.' Albert replies seriously and Vito scoffs at his train of thought.

'Listen, your fucking men are gone, where, I don't fucking know but they ain't here. They can't find them. They've probably taken the car and high tailed it back to the city because of the colossal fuck up they managed to do here. One fucking job and they lost the kid.' Vito reminds Albert and Albert nearly raises his fist to punch the smugness out of Vito's voice. But then he remembers that, unfortunately, for him, he's right. His two fucking recruits managed to lose their man. And if they knew what was good for them, they'd already be leaving the city because if he ever came across those two incompetent idiots, he'd put one right between their eyes. And what's even more unnerving than being in this factory is the fact that Charlie has yet to mention certain aspects of this day to him. Hopefully he won't say it with his fist.

'Fine. Fuck it, let's go.' Albert says bitterly and turns around, only to stop when he notices someone at the end of the hall. Vito and Charlie frown as they stand beside him to look at the one who blocks their path.

Charlie nearly calls her name because she looks so much like his girl but the more he focuses on her face the less and less she looks like Rose. Her red hair, deep and rich, is pulled off her face into a high ponytail. Her face holds no expression but there is a fierceness to her incredibly pale green eyes. It reminds him of jade they are that pale. Her arms are folded and it increases her apparently ticked off exterior. She is wearing something they've never seen before. An outfit that appears to be manufactured of one piece of leather and is tight, showing off her curves. On her thigh a gun is strapped. The three of them exchange looks. They have no idea what to make of her. They've never seen anyone like her before. She drops her arms to the side.

'Sorry, gentlemen, but you won't be leaving any time soon.' Her voice clings to no accent, she must be from somewhere in America. She takes a few steps towards them and Albert is quick to draw his gun, pointing at her but still she continues to advance towards them. Charlie puts his hand on Albert's forearm and he reluctantly lowers the gun and she stops a few yards from them.

'No broad tells me what to do.' Vito notifies her plainly and Charlie notices she smiles at them. A smile that tells him she wants to laugh at Vito's words. Her demeanour reminds him of Rose, as she is also the type of dame who takes no guff from men.

'I figured you'd say that. So here's the thing. You've wandered into a bit of a precarious situation and the only thing keeping you three alive is me. So. You're going to stay here while I get this mess sorted and when I'm done I'll come collect you. Do not move from this spot.' She explains and watches the look of confusion fall over their faces. Charlie hasn't taken his eyes off of her. He must certainly suspect something. Is she struggling with sounding American? It's rather difficult to keep her natural accent hidden. No, he's trying to figure her out. He's trying to ascertain how if he doesn't focus on her she appears to resemble herself and yet the more he focuses on her the more diluted her features appear to be. Wonders of the metal halo and its disguise powers.

She turns to leave but stops when the three of them erupt into chatter behind her. She places her hands on her hips and frowns, listening to them talk over one another in an attempt to get her attention and to listen them. She turns over her shoulder with a disbelieving look on her face and then turns to face them completely. They fall silent when she makes eye contact with them and she arches her eyebrow waiting for one of them to talk first.

'I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on and who the fuck you are.' Vito informs her and Rose shakes her head at him. He's losing patience with her but the less they know the better, it will hopefully keep them safer. She hopes. She blinks when the barrel of a gun is abruptly shoved in her face, Charlie and Albert remain silent but she can see Charlie isn't comfortable with Vito shoving a gun in a woman's face. However his curiosity seems to be trumping manners at the moment. Not that she's concerned for her own safety; she can easily make this situation safer.

'Danger. That's what's going on. Your friends have already fallen victim to it, so I'm trying to make sure you make it out of here alive,' Rose explains, Vito lowers the gun and a realisation hits them. She pretends to not know what the relationship is between the three of them and the three men that went into this building. But she does. 'As for who I am, well, you can call me RJ.'

'RJ? What's RJ stand for?' Albert questions and Rose smiles slyly.

'Well, I could ask you the same thing, Mad Hatter but I think we all know the answer to that,' Rose counters and again they exchange uncomfortable looks with one another. Maybe she shouldn't have let that one slip. She'll try to smooth over it. 'And RJ does stand for something. I won't tell you but I'll give you a hint.' Rose points to her hair and then her eyes. The only two clues they'll get. However thanks to her cockiness, they're still stuck on what she's said. Lesson for next time. Then again hopefully there will not be a next time with these three.

'Who are you? You working for the cops? No fucking broad should know things like that unless they've sent you into spy on us.' Vito accuses her and Rose folds her arms. She should have known this was going to be difficult for her. And then she goes and makes even more difficult by saying things like that.

'Who's they?' She wonders and Vito raises the gun in her face once again. She doesn't think she's ever seen him that quick to anger before. She places her hands on her hips. They're wasting time.

'You fucking tell me! This whole situation is fucked. Some fucking broad strolls in here claiming this and that. Who are you working for?' Vito demands and she notices that Charlie waits for her answer while Albert has his hand inside his jacket pocket, no doubt debating whether or not help Vito out.

Well at least one of them seems to be a bit open-minded, but she can tell it's the fact he is trying to decide what to do with her and how to take her. She never wanted these two worlds of her to collide like this. But history isn't done with these three yet and as such she needs to do her utmost to keep them safe. Three stubborn men safe. Cause that will go over well. Rose sets her jaw and gently places her hand on Vito's forearm, lowering it as she maintains eye contact with him. Albert takes his hand out of his inner jacket pocket and Charlie's gaze doesn't leave hers.

'I work for no one but myself. Get that straight. But I read I know who each of you are, what you do, so take that and do with it as you will. You can call me whatever you want, think whatever you want, but I work for no man, no institution, no country and no government,' Rose pauses and watches as they contemplate her words carefully. But there is still a hint of distrust in their eyes. She presses her lips together. 'You don't have to trust me, not at all. All I'm asking is that you trust me long enough for me to get you three outta here. Because believe it or not, you've stumbled into my world and it's not a place I want to have you. It's dangerous, so I'm asking you again, please stay here while I get done what I need to get done.'

There is an unsettling pause as her words linger heavily in the air. Their stares of her, taking her in, debating whether they can trust her is at the forefront of their minds. It worries her that Charlie has barely said a word in this exchange, indeed since they've met. She just needs to push her feelings from her mind. And yet it isn't that easy. The only reason she's slipped on the guise of RJ is because these three had to come to this abandoned factory to do what she already knows, be gangsters. If they hadn't then she'd be herself. And as such she still thinks of herself as Rose and not RJ. Rose, even in the guise of RJ, has an undeniable connection with Charlie and he must trying to ascertain why he's feeling this pull to this strange red headed woman. She wants to tell him, but she knows she can't. Focus on the mission. Act as though you don't know them because RJ doesn't. Rose does but not RJ.

Finally they convene their looks upon one another, hushed tones between Albert and Vito, it's only after Charlie rolls his eyes and looks at them, shaking his head, does she realise they've been talking in Italian. Damn that language barrier. And damn their, correct, assumptions that she doesn't speak it. She has half a mind to call them out on it or only speak Russian or French to them but that would be a clue. Charlie would pick up on it. She doesn't like when someone she cares for becomes mixed up in this life.

Vito and Albert are still keeping their voices low, she wonders what they've been discussing, as if she doesn't know, but gauging by Charlie's reactions, it's petty, especially when he folds his arms at them and they look at him as though he's the crazy one. All this inane chatter…she is about to say something when she can hear the rustling of the leaves. It's acting up again. She's gotta get down to the only place she's yet to go. The basement, the boiler rooms. It'd be humid enough down there to sustain the creature that surely living there.

'How do we know we can trust you if your allegiances lie to no one or to nowhere?' Charlie abruptly questions and it shakes Vito and Albert from their conversation to glance at him before shifting their looks to her. Even Rose is taken back by his fairly accurate description and question. How to answer that?

'Fair question. And to answer honestly, you can't. I will promise you this, though: right now, I am your best bet for getting out of here. I'm not going to beg you for your trust. I don't want to lower myself. You either do or you don't. There is no in between. But I've got to go get things sorted. So if you trust me, then please stay here. And if you don't…well, been nice chattin' with ya.' Rose smiles and turns on her heel and begins to stride down the hall to the exit.

'Wait, what's wrong with walking out the way we came in?' Albert wonders and Rose smirks over her shoulder as she pauses by the doorway down to the stairs.

'You're welcome to try but things are not as they first seemed when you came in here. Just…don't move, okay?'

They watch as she is about to disappear Charlie calls back to her and what he says causes her to freeze in her steps. 'It's Ruby Jade, isn't it?'

Rose turns over mentally panicking inside as she wishes he hadn't figured it out. Clever boy. She shoves her fear away and smirks at him, she hopes she comes across as confident and secure because inside she's trembling with fear. 'It is, but call me Ruby.' She all but darts around the corner and Vito and Albert stare at him.

'How the hell you figure it out?' Vito wonders and Charlie shrugs.

'She pointed to her hair and eyes and said it was RJ. I took a guess.'

'We aren't seriously going to wait here, are we? Why can't we just get the fuck out of here?' Albert questions after Ruby has left, but Charlie's mind is on the last rather nefarious observation.

The comment that Ruby made is unsettling in and of itself. They turn to one another and let her comment sink in a bit further. If this is some sort of joke the meaning has been lost on them. Her words make no sense to them, how are they not able to leave this building when not that long ago they walked in. Whoever this Ruby is she is not very forthcoming with information, just vague details. But why? Does she think it'll make things easier? Surely she should know that minimal information often, more times than not, elicits a natural curiosity to want to find things out for one's self. And right now he wants to find out why they're unable to leave.

What he also wants to know is why this Ruby and Rose seem to be so similar in appearance, at certain angles, could they be related somehow? A lot of this situation makes no sense. And that fact doesn't seem to sit well with Albert and Vito either. People are missing and it doesn't seem to concern Ruby. She interested in something that isn't visible to them, an invisible danger.

'We're not seriously going to sit here like idiots, are we?' Albert wonders loudly once again, to anyone that will answer him and it breaks Charlie's concentration. Vito is already nodding his head in agreement with Albert's words. Charlie eyes them wearily. He of course concurs with them but a small part of him, a really small part of him, wants to proceed with caution. Things have happened in this place that haven't been adding up and he wants to know why however before he can respond to Albert's thoughts, Vito's spoken first.

'I say fuck it. We should cut our losses and get the fuck out of here. Who cares what the broad says?' Vito has started down the hall, gun drawn and pauses, letting his hand, still clasping the gun, fall to his side. Charlie and Albert exchange glances.

'Vito?' Charlie calls to him and begins to close the gap. Vito answers rather quietly.

'If she works for no one but herself, then…how dangerous does that make her to us?' Vito wonders and points to the factory floor. Charlie stares stunned and Albert muscles his way in, suddenly feeling rather nervous as they continue to watch her. She could very easily disarm all three of them and even with their fists Albert has a feeling that isn't going to help them much.

'Isn't that one of your boys, Albert?' Charlie points to the man in the grey suit. His movements are mechanical and stiff. He is lumbering along, taking swings at Ruby who is easily avoiding his attempts at striking her. It begs the question why are they even fighting to begin with.

'Yeah, that's Nico.' Albert points and frowns when something catches his eye. When his hand extends to grab Ruby by the throat he can see his veins coloured an ugly black. As he hoists her up veins are visible in his neck. Again it looks like a roadmap, running up his neck and temple, disappearing into his hairline.

Vito motions to the man Nico in a bit of a concerned manner as he watches the broad, Ruby swing her leg over Nico's arm in an endeavour to break his grip on her. The fierce look of fortitude in her eyes isn't something he's ever seen before in a woman's eyes, nor did he even know they were capable of what she's currently doing. Or wear what she is. Where is she from? And what line of work is she in, exactly?

Rose can feel that even though she's pushing her leg into this man's chest his grip isn't relinquishing itself from her throat. He's continuing to squeeze and it's starting to affect her vision, little spots are appearing at the corners of her eyes. She pushes harder. She gasps suddenly when she drops to the ground, hard, and the man has a gaping hole in his shoulder.

Rose exhales and turns over to where Charlie has a determined look in his eyes with his arm raised, the gun still pointed at the man from his spot on the second level doorway. Good shot. But she can see the relief melt into concern when the man begins to come after her once more. She performs a kip and holds her fists up, really not wanting to have to reach for the knife in the holster behind her back to lob off the man's head. Because she's heard that's the only way to break the connection.

It isn't looking promising though, as she flips the man onto his back and puts her foot on his chest. He struggles under her foot even though she has her gun pointed at him. He flails about until he's gripped her ankle and taken her balance out. She falls to the ground and immediately the man's on top of her, reaching for her throat while she fishes around for her gun. She can hear the hurried footsteps of someone coming down the stairs so she has to end things quickly. She doesn't want them becoming involved in anything like this. And judging by the void behind the man's eyes, he's too far-gone. When she does finally secure the gun in her hand she puts it to the man's head and pulls the trigger. However since the bullets in the cartridge are not designed to take a life, it merely stuns the man and knocks him out. He falls to the left side of her and she pulls herself up, using her foot to turn him over onto his back, just as the Calvary makes it down to the floor and begins taking cautious steps towards her.

Rose continues to examine the body of the man; he's one of Albert's associates, that's for sure. But there should be another one. So where is he? Her gaze shifts to the door to the basement, slightly ajar. No light comes from the crack, just darkness. How inviting. The man may have already fallen victim to the Merkabelta. Indeed, if this man here had been struck with the dart already and the Merkabelta is extending its limited control of the man before the breakdown occurs then perhaps the second man has already fallen victim to it. Which isn't something she wants to discover. The mess would be horrifying. She holsters the gun and gingerly turns the man's neck to the left. No marks there. She moves it to the right. And there. Four obvious marks that appear as though he'd been hit with a dart. A bad sign. That means there is now the extension of the Merkabelta to watch out for. The flowers on the vines that can spring up out of a small cluster of vines and shoot the darts. There is no coming back from that one.

All of this defence mechanisms to let it continue to live in peace. Problem is that if it's already started to flower certain parts of itself, it's getting to a more mature state quickly. And it sure as hell can't stay living in 1932, but she also runs the risk of attempting to uproot it to somewhere new. Maybe if she could explain the situation, UNIT would help it find another place to live, free of hassle. She doesn't even want to consider the other option as the final one. She wants to remain positive that this outcome will be good. She really doesn't want to have to destroy it with fire.

She can feel the stares of her company behind her and so she straightens up, turning to them as the yellowing mist swirls around her feet and climbs over the body in front of her before dissipating. They don't immediately notice that she has in fact risen to give them her attention, they're too absorbed in staring at the body of someone they know. Ah, well she supposes she gets it. Who the hell would understand what just happened anyway?

'So, I guess I'll say it. Questions?' Rose wonders with a small smile and the three of them finally break their stares at the unconscious body of Nico.

'Not a question so much as a statement, why the fuck did you just kill him?' Albert wonders and Rose holsters her gun. Albert begins to walk towards Nico however Rose steps in front of him and shakes her head.

'I didn't kill him, I merely knocked him out, and I'd thank you to stay away from him.' Rose informs him and glances over her shoulder to the man to ensure he's still unmoving. So far so good, now she just has to remove herself from this area and down to the basement boiler room. Why does she have a feeling that won't be easy?

'Why?' Albert questions and continues to head towards him. Rose can feel her patience wearing thin at his stubbornness and contemplates taking her gun out so that he can have a restful sleep for a few hours.

'Uh, were you and I in a different room a moment ago? He's dangerous.'

Albert scoffs. 'He's no more dangerous than I am.'

Rose plants her fists on her hips and presses her lips together. Okay so for next time, which there will not be, but for next time in situations like this, she needs to restrain herself from slapping sense into him. 'Listen, honey, I know it's probably hard taking orders from or listening to a woman, but believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Especially in this realm.'

She notices that Albert's glaring anger that had, moments ago, been directed at her shifted to the movement behind her. Well that didn't last as long as she thought it was going to. She can even see that Charlie and Vito are watching the yellow mist rising as the man gets up unsteadily. She draws the gun out and aims it behind her, pulling the trigger without looking, twice in quick succession. The mist is disturbed once more as the man drops to the ground unmoving.

Charlie watches Ruby holster her gun, a sleek model, one he's never seen before as she arches her eyebrow and dares one of them to refute her claims. Indeed they seem very out of their element. He's also come to notice that the uneasiness and apprehensive attitude he'd taken once back inside the building seems to be justified.

The factory floor seems darker somehow than the office part they had just left, and the unsettling yellow mist that encircles them begs the question as to where it had come from and why. However he's not sure he wants to know. He watches Ruby lower herself to check on the status of Nico, the black veins still visible makes him wonder if he had caught some kind of illness, but then again why would he want to fight Ruby? Did she say something to antagonise him? Because she's doing a decent job of rattling Albert. No dame he's ever met talked to Albert like that without a swift smack of discipline, and it didn't matter if he knew the dame or not.

He hates to admit it but his curiosity is peaked, not so much with Ruby but with the situation. There are many questions that need to be answered, what world has she been referring to this entire time?

'Hey, Garnet, where's the door?' Vito calls from across the floor and Rose's look becomes flat. She shoos Albert away from the man on the ground, holds her finger out to Charlie when he's about to ask another unrelated question.

'Hey, it's Ruby and I told you that you couldn't leave. It is…it's complicated to explain, that is why I need to go and sort it out. Which I can't do with the three of you following me around. So please go back upstairs. I'll get you when I'm done.' Rose explains and can see that what she's just told them does nothing. They're not going to move and Albert even folds his arms at her. A thought strikes her. If she still has some of that liquid on her then she can go crazy with the explanations and just have them come into contact with the liquid and that'll wipe out the memories for the last few hours.

Oh but how does she manage to do that? She could always…with the Icer gun…that wouldn't be nice though. And it'd hurt. But that may be the only way she can get them to forget things. Who hates her up there that this has even happened? Who hates her enough to have her two lives come together as they have.

'You expect us to just play along as though we know what's going on. We don't. So why don't you do yourself a favour and it explain it to us.' Albert demands and gets in Rose's face. Charlie nearly heads towards them because even if he's just as incensed as Vito and Albert are however he keeps it carefully hidden. Getting mad at her won't really solve anything; she has every right to withhold information from them if she thinks it'd be beneficial. It's irritating but, well, no it's irritating.

'First of all, get out of my face,' Rose informs Albert and to her surprise he does indeed step a few steps back, giving her the required space she demanded. Charlie notices that her look softens at them and she folds her arm. 'I expect you to play along because if I explained to you what's really going on you wouldn't believe me anyway.'

Charlie nearly does a double take when he sees in the light Ruby's features morph to become like Rose's. However the longer his stare lingers the more things between them couldn't be more different. Perhaps it's just her mannerisms that remind him of Rose. The way she stands with her arms folded she looks nearly identical to Rose.

'Why don't you let us be the judge of that?' Charlie decides and he watches Ruby turn to him, a difficult to decipher smirk is on her face. He watches her unzip the front of her shirt and he arches his eyebrow the lower it goes and the more flesh is revealed.

Rose can see his intrigue and she shakes her head. 'Don't get any ideas.' She comments and reaches into the inner pocket in her cat suit to pull out the mobile phone. To hell with it, they won't remember things after this. She's decided that. She pulls up her profile on the Merkabelta and beckons them closer. She blows up the picture on her mobile screen and turns it to the three of them when they stop in front of her.

'Is that a photograph?' Albert wonders and Rose nods her head. He frowns. 'How did you add the colour to it?'

Rose blinks and tilts her head before the realisation hits her. 'Oh, never mind that.'

'What's that-…?' Vito begins, pointing to her mobile and Rose can feel as though this wasn't a good idea to begin with. Ugh, she should have just listened to the voice in her head about warning not to do this.

'Never mind. Do you see the creature there?' Rose wonders and taps to the screen with her nail. The three of them scrutinise the photo carefully. Vito pulls away first with a dismissive attitude.

'You mean the collection of vines? What about them?' He wonders and Rose shakes her head.

'In that collection of vines is the heart of the creature. Ever seen a Venus fly trap?' Rose questions and again the three of them exchange looks of how is this relevant to their conversation. Rose can't help it and finds it rather amusing. She begins to twist the end of her ponytail. 'That a no? Maybe? Yes?'

'Not in person, no but I know of them.' Vito responds and Rose nods her head approvingly.

'Great, okay so picture that about a hundred times bigger and sharper teeth. It also has the ability to shoot poisonous darts out of the flowers that bloom on the vines.' Rose replies with a smile and rather enjoys their uncertain look that appears on each of their faces. Then she replays the words in her head and realises that it does sound rather ominous.

'And that thing is here?' Albert clarifies and Rose nods her head at him deeply she motions to the door that leads to the boiler rooms, positive that's where it's lurking.

'See, when a Merkabelta becomes nervous or afraid, as it's environmentally sensitive, it releases its defence mechanisms. The mist that surrounds us right now is one of those tactics. It alters our perceptions of reality. The door is still there, we just can't see it. You cut off the head and the link is severed so to speak,' Rose points to the man still unconscious on the ground behind her. The veins visible are still black, like ink runs through his veins. 'The darts inject a toxin to the victim's bloodstream and eliminates their ability to think for themselves. A mental connection is established with the Merkabelta. It isn't long. Usually an hour at most before the body of the victim begins to break down…see the thought is that it believes the victim won't be harmed because it is known to people. So it can use the victim to ward off threats. I more or less…pissed it off.'

Again there is silence that stretches before them. Rose uses her left foot to rub the back of her leg in an attempt to ward off the anxiety and nervousness she feels. She forgets she's in 1932; half of what she says doesn't make sense to someone in the 21st Century, what makes her think people from the 20th would understand? And it makes her feel more awkward than before. She's just explained her world to them, somewhat, and it isn't pretty. It's down right terrifying. And judging by the look she's getting from the three of them they are trying to decide how crazy she is. She presses her lips together.

'You do this…for a living?' Charlie inquires and Rose is taken back by his question. It makes her curious as to whether he's begun to connect the dots, he knows something but is unsure of what. And how it relates to her. It does makes her nervous, however since she's decided that a little slip of the serum and they'll forget this encounter entirely she shouldn't be. She can come right out and say anything. She doesn't want to risk it. Plus Charlie seems to be the only one who is coming at this situation with an open mind. Then again he's always been the type of person to simply go with the flow, so maybe he's just given up and is curious to see where this will go.

'I do.'

'Why?' Charlie follows up and Rose finds herself frowning. Why does she do this? Because after the last years up to and including her time in the parallel world she honestly can't imagine readjusting to a 'normal' life again. Not when she had the knowledge about what lies beyond Earth. How could she not be inclined to live that life, to help those that need help? This is her normal now.

'Why not? It's an interesting life to live. Look at all the fun I have.' Rose responds and Charlie finds himself smirking at her snarky answer.

'So you're a mercenary?' He adds and Rose shakes her head, unable to stop smiling.

'No, not a mercenary per se. I don't kill people. I lend my skills to people or an organisation that needs them. In a rather…obscure field. I'm an expert so they come to me for answers. And to get the job done. Whatever that may be.' Rose explains and swallows. Keeping this faux accent is hard to maintain. She's never had to keep up this guise before. Usually it is simply a quick exchange of words and she's off. Not this much interaction. It's keeping her concentrating on the annunciation of each word before she speaks it.

'Who hired you for this?' Charlie watches Ruby fold her arms and then shrug innocently.

'No one. I stumbled onto this one myself. Can't turn a blind eye, you know?' Rose answers and Charlie merely arches his eyebrow in return. He doesn't know what to think, but there has been some weird things going on, and Nico doesn't look well to begin with. Maybe she isn't as crazy as he had initially thought.

The gunshot is deafening and Rose shifts her gaze to Albert who has his arm raised at the body of the man behind her and she widens her eyes. She stunned into silence and turns around to see the once crimson blood, blackened by the toxins, slowly drain from the hole in the man's head. Gun smoke still twists itself into the air, it smells and she is unable to comprehend what's happened.

'What the fuck?' Charlie wonders loudly and Albert shrugs his shoulders. Rose sets her jaw, really struggling to maintain composure. The man was as good as gone anyway and to be honest, that way would have been more merciful than his body breaking down until there is nothing left, but for god sake. At what cost?

'What? Just taking care of a problem. She just said she doesn't kill people, I do, so I did.' Albert explains as if it should be simple, as if they should know why he's just done what he just did.

'Women are too frail to handle something that serious anyway.' Vito adds and Charlie rolls his eyes. He opens his mouth to refute it when he watches Ruby take a few steps towards Albert before she angles herself slightly, lifts her right leg and throws it into Albert's outstretched arm.

Instantly he drops the gun and as his gaze becomes one of surprise, lowering it to where the gun now rests on the ground, the mist dissipating around it Ruby has closed the gap and drawn her fist and thrown it into Albert's face. It hits him so hard that he takes a step back and his hands fly to his face. Vito winces and Charlie is staring at her. Albert unleashes a list of curses at her.

'I may not kill people, you mudak, but I will not hesitate to dissolve into violence if you tick me off enough. And trust me, I am not a person you want on your bad side.'

'You'll fucking pay, cazzo di cagna.' Albert threatens behind his hands and Rose brushes his threats off. Her look becomes hard.

'Do your worst, send the boys from Brooklyn, you can't handle me.'

Vito and Charlie exchange concerned looks. How does she know about what goes on in Brooklyn and the hit men they use from there? What else does she know? Does she know about Lepke's role? About Albert's? She certain gets around with her information. Vito reaches back into his jacket to grab his gun but Charlie puts his hand on Vito's shoulder, leaning in.

'I doubt highly we'll see her after this.' He whispers and Vito shakes his head.

'She knows things. She said she is hired by people, organisations to get jobs done. What if she was hired by someone to get information on us?' Vito questions and draws his gun nonetheless. They don't see that Rose has appeared behind them.

'Because I have better things to do with my time than convince people about a crime syndicate they aren't even sure exists.' Rose replies and they both turn to look at her with surprised expressions on their faces. She suppresses her smirk. They straighten up and Rose crosses her arms.

'Fair enough,' Charlie replies and Rose glances over her shoulder to where Albert spits out the blood that has been collecting in his mouth. 'You know if you lean forward that'll stop it from going down your throat.'

'What?' Albert calls and frowns, rubbing the blood off his hands. Charlie's comment makes Rose turn away to hide her smile. He does actually listen to her. And here she thinks it goes in one ear and out the other.

'Never mind.' Charlie shakes his head and he watches Ruby pick up Albert's gun and look how many rounds are left. She pops the chamber back in and spins it. She passes it off to Albert who once again spits out the blood. Only this time he does it close to Ruby's feet. Charlie shakes his head. Ruby, perhaps smartly, makes no comment.

'Here. I'll give it back if you promise to stop acting like petulant child.'

'Fuck you.' Albert comments and snatches the gun off of Rose, but he doesn't hold it up to her, instead he puts it back into the inner jacket pocket. He doesn't want to admit he learned his lesson, but if anyone says anything he'll simply say he doesn't want to waste the bullets.

'Yeah, you wish,' Rose responds and points to the basement door with her thumb over her shoulder. 'So, I'll see you gents in a few. Just stay here. Seriously. Please.'

'You're just going in there alone?' Charlie wonders and watches Ruby pause by the door and searches the three of them for some kind of meaning.

'Well, yeah. I mean it's been great hanging but you're safer to stay here. I'll be fine,' Rose assures them and then pauses before she goes back to open the door. 'Question. Can I borrow a lighter? Matches, whatever.'

Surprisingly Albert feels around his pants pockets for one and when he doesn't find it he opens up his jacket and reaches in to it, retrieving the cigarettes, lighter and a flask. Rose arches her eyebrow. The flask could come in handy as well.

'Here.' Albert holds out the silver-plated lighter, complete with Art Deco designs on it and Rose takes it from him, smiling appreciatively.

'Thanks, do you mind if use the flask, too?'

'Now you're becoming demanding.' Albert responds and tosses her the flask. Rose catches it and shrugs.

'As if I wasn't before?' Rose comments, not missing the smirk Albert flashes her and her hand pauses on the door when Vito decides to ask the obvious.

'What'll happen if you don't come back?' He stares at her with a cold look in his eyes and Rose debates his question for a bit before deciding to answer him.

Not that she plans on not coming back of course, but he does raise a decent point. What does she tell them? Hopefully the mist hasn't gotten to the upper levels yet and if it hasn't then feel free to jump to the ground or climb up to the roof, if it has then…how do you three feel about facing a Merkabelta on your own? Yeah, like that would go over well. Not that she would ever ask them to do that anyway. And it isn't as though she can radio for backup. Huh, all this speculation and she's starting to doubt herself immensely. And she really doesn't like that.

'Well I don't make a habit of breaking promises. Just get up to the second floor and wait for me there.' Rose replies seriously and Vito's look becomes flat. Obviously not the answer he had been waiting to hear.

They watch her back towards the rusty door that says boiler room but with faded and scratched out lettering. She peers in to the blackness, it's hot down there, humid, she can feel the air on her face. How can that be if there hasn't been utility service since god knows when? Well, enough with the hesitation time to go and do what she does best.

As she shuts the door behind her, heavier than she had anticipated, she wonders how well the Merkabelta will take the threat of fire? Hm, probably not well. Okay, so time to formulate a plan then. No worries, she thinks of plans all the time while walking headfirst into trouble. She's just never had other people depending on her. Like in the line of fire before, that's why she works these missions alone. She reaches into her pocket to pull out her torch, trying to steady her nerves and the sensation of her heart thumping widely in her chest.

'There, that's three in a row from here. You're up.' Albert responds and Vito smirks at him, taking a few steps back from where Albert is standing and aims at the furthest light from where Albert shot at. This fucker is going to eat his words, challenging him to this stupid pissing contest.

Charlie sits up from his position lying on the stairs at the sound of the gunshot ringing out and the sound of the light bulb shattering. They can be rather childish. How the hell did they even decide to pass the boredom like this? Shooting out light bulbs? He attempts to drown out Albert's accusations of Vito cheating, loudly, them deciding a rematch, repositioning themselves at a different point in the empty room. Do they have to be so loud, fucking headache. Charlie rubs his face with his hands. This is turning out to be one hell of a fucking day.

The mist that still surroundings them seems to be creeping ever higher in the room. They hadn't entirely believed Ruby when she said that there was no door, well there was but that they couldn't see, so they had attempted to find a door, trying to forget this messed up day and head back but Ruby had been right. It had been four walls with no way out. Even when they had gone up to the second levels the offices that previously had windows were suddenly blank. If she didn't hurry it up, something tells him that they're gonna get stuck in here. Slightly inconvenienced.

Another explosion of glass followed by the shards landing on the floor and the crunch of someone walking over them. Their game must be getting old; will they move on to the windows? Right, they can't as they've been slowly disappearing over the several of hours they've had to kill waiting for Ruby to get back from wherever it is she is in that boiler room. They had heard some concerning banging around followed by a few low rumbles and what he took as a few gunshots, but then all had fallen silent about an hour ago. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Should he be concerned or not? He doesn't know why he ought to be. He doesn't know this woman, what does it matter? Strangely he feels bad about thinking that way.

Perhaps it's Ruby's idiosyncrasies that remind him so much of Rose, how she would act or what she'd say in a situation like this that he feels the need to be cordial and friendly to her. Besides, whether or not he likes this she seems to have answers for what's been going on. Which again makes him slightly worried that they have heard nothing from her in so long, Vito's words also echo in his mind. What are they to do if she doesn't come back? Should he go looking for her? She could be in need of help, like last time.

Charlie studies Vito and Albert arguing over the winner of their pissing contest and realises that should he mention this idea he has to them they wouldn't agree to help. He'd be on his own. Simple reason? What's in it for them? They won't willingly risk their lives to help some dame they don't even like because she's their only hope of getting out. Fucking stubborn. So it seems as though he'll have to investigate the quietness of this factory alone.

The small things are starting to get to him. The windows slowly disappearing on this floor and the second one. How the mist, once a pale yellow seems to have intensified as the hours drift by. And while the only adverse affect he seems to be feeling from it is a nasty headache, reality seems unaffected. For the moment. The feeling of being inside a box that is growing smaller is slightly uncomfortable and pushing that thought from his mind is only doing so much. He can still feel the atmosphere getting tense and thick. Or is that merely his mind telling him so and nothing has actually changed? That isn't a comfortable feeling or thought.

That's it. It's time to put an end to this bullshit, he's tired of waiting around for something to happen, good or bad. He glances to the boiler room door, that's where the answers will be. It appears that the only way out is to immerse himself in the odd. At least he'll be able to see if Ruby has been telling him the truth, an entirely new and hidden world full of nothing but the strange runs along side parallel to theirs. Is it, could it be true?

He gets to his feet and walks down the few steps, past Vito and Albert and stops by the door to the boiler room. It's slightly ajar as the hinges on the lower part of the door has completely rusted off. The door hangs by a thread. It's hard to say if the mist still around his feet is being drawn down the stairs or pushed up and out from whatever is living down there. Charlie grabs the door by the handle and pulls it towards him. It nosily scraps against the concrete floor drawing the attention of Vito and Albert.

'What are you doing?' Vito hollers over to him and Charlie frowns peering into the darkness that reveals a set of metal stairs. Only one way to go, down. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a matchbook and breaks off a match, turning the matchbook over and running the match along the back strip.

When the light is struck, Charlie extends his hand but it doesn't do much but light the few feet in front of him. It colours the iron stairs in front of him a pale yellow and orange. He can faintly see some ivy on the wall; it shrivels when it appears to notice the light being shone on it. Slightly discomforting. As the match burns closer to his fingers, Charlie tosses it down the stairs when he feels the heat creep closer. Just as he turns his gaze back to where Vito has shouted his question again, Charlie sees something move out of the corner of his eye, coloured slightly blacker than the darkness. Or was it his imagination?

'What the fuck are you doing over there?' Albert wonders and Charlie shrugs absently.

'Nothing.' He answers but it doesn't sound convincing as both Vito and Albert have started towards him. Nonetheless he checks how many rounds are left. Only missing one. Where'd he lose one? Oh, right. Course, how could he have forgotten?

'You're going down there, aren't you?' Vito peers around the door and shakes his head at his friend's brazenly foolish and cavalier attitude. And for what? The redhead's recognition? He thinks she's just gonna drop her clothes the moment he rescues her? If that's even what he's thinking.

'She hasn't come back yet and it's been hours. What if she needs help?' Charlie states and Albert scoffs at the mere thought.

'She made it quite clear that we would be in the way. So fuck her, she can handle this one on her own.'

'If she doesn't get out we don't get out.' Vito points out and Albert's steel façade melts away at the mentioning of that. Shit. That's true.

'Well, never send a woman in to do a man's job.' Albert decides firmly and Charlie eyes them.

'You two fucking idiots wasted a bunch of bullets with your fucking pissing contest.' Charlie shoots back and there is an awkward silence that stretches between the three of them.

Albert had forgotten the way out was through the broad. And it wasn't until Charlie drew attention to the fact that she'd been gone for so long that he'd gotten angry at her lack of appearances. Can't rely on a woman for anything. The hell is she doing down there anyway that's taken hours from them? So much that they've had to dissolve into stupid games. Of which Charlie elected not to participate in so he must be more bored than the two of them combined.

'So what are you planning on doing once you're down there?' Vito questions, his tone is accusatory, nearly, and Charlie shrugs. Honestly he hasn't given much thought to that figures simply he'll make it up as he goes.

Plus what help are the other two going to be, they have no ammunition for their guns. How helpful will they be?

Charlie strikes another match and walks out onto the landing of the stairs, dropping it over the railing to see how far down he'll be going. Unfortunately it doesn't illuminate much. But it doesn't look as though it's too far down; maybe he'll get lucky and find a flashlight. After all, there has to be things of use that have been abandoned down there. He glances to Albert and Vito, and having not replied to Vito's line of questioning he takes off his jacket and shoving it into someone's hands, he doesn't look back to find out who.

As he's rolling up his sleeves he can feel a small hint of apprehension and the question why seems to be echoing in his mind. 'Give me an hour.' That's the best reply he has to offer them because logically, the part of his mind that still seems rational is clamouring at him to stop himself from going further. It isn't his fight. And yet strangely he finds himself gripping the handrail while he carefully makes his way down.

It's humid when he makes his way to the bottom, ignoring Albert's calls not to be stupid and let the redhead do what she apparently does best. Charlie strikes a match and ignites it. Again the darkness is thick and the match's light weak and feeble against it. How can it still be so hot? This basement's retentive abilities are quite astounding. Just before the match burns out Charlie holds it to the bottom to see if anything can help him, but so far no flashlight. He drops it when it burns down too far. Another one is struck and he continues walking.

There is a faint breeze, rustling the leaves around on the ground. It does nothing to break the humidity but he can hear something dragging behind him, he thinks or is it in front of him? Charlie takes another step that is interrupted by his left foot coming to rest on something firm. Leap of faith, does he even want to know what it is? Charlie fingers the matches. He's getting a little low on them but nonetheless breaks off another one and strikes a light. He crouches down and holds the match to illuminate the object which, strangely and luckily, is a flashlight. He picks it up and notices that the design, much like Ruby's gun, is sleeker. But it works when he pushes the button.

The grip is sticky and when Charlie pulls his hand away he can see the rusty colour of smeared blood. That isn't good. So he had been right. She's met some kind of trouble in here. He is rather glad he decided to venture down here; even if he isn't sure at what capacity he can help with.

Charlie steps on the match as he stands and points the flashlight around the hallway. It smells of rusty, metallic water, no doubt because when he shines the flashlight on the pipes he can see many of them have broken and yet water continues to drip, echoing in the puddles he walks through as he continues to head straight. The sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor echoes around him but he sees nothing in the halls but pipes and a few odds rooms, all of which have their doors open and when Charlie pauses at each of them, shining the light in it reveals nothing helpful. Just rooms filled with the ivy like leaves. As he turns to leave the final room he pauses, unsure if he actually saw the leaves retract from the walls and disappear. What has been revealed are small sticks that look as though they're stuck in the wall. They are thin and black. They have left a black trail that runs from where they have become stuck in the wall to the floor. Charlie wonders if it's the same thing that had affected Albert's man, could it be toxic? He doesn't want to approach it further so he leaves it for speculation.

When he turns around to run the light over the walls again he is rather unnerved to see the walls that had once been covered in vines with leaves have all but disappeared. That's not weird at all…especially since the heavy dragging sound hasn't ceased yet. And where exactly is Ruby hiding? She called this…phenomenon her world but there hasn't really been any otherworldly things happening down here. Except for the ivy like leaves disappearing, if they had even been there to begin with. After all it is kind of dark in here. But he does remember the stark way the green sat against the darkness of the room. Since when has he questioned himself this much before?

Charlie pushes the self-doubt from his mind. It doesn't matter now, he's concerned himself with tracking down a woman who hasn't been seen from in a few hours and has not resurfaced on the main level but why? Has she gotten lost somewhere? He hasn't, it's very straightforward down here. So far. He isn't sure about anything anymore.

Another problem presents itself. He can continue on down the hall where it rounds off to the right or he can go down the stairs which, judging by what Charlie sees when he shines the light down, is maze of pipes and faint outlines of machinery. This must have been the heart of this factory many years ago. It's just become eaten away with rust; even the small part the light shines on is evident of that. Save this part for another time, it seems to be silent right now. However he can see discarded bullets on the stairs. Is this where the gun battle took place? Who's to say? So he backs away from the opening of the stairs and heads to where the corner rounds off to the right. It's there he begins to hear faint murmurs that sounds as though someone is talking. Perhaps it's Ruby.

When Charlie rounds the corner he stops abruptly. There at one point had been doors, but where they have gone he doesn't know. Struggling to sit up, Ruby is lying on her side, attempting multiple times to get up but she can't seem to as though someone is holding her down and she is struggling against an imaginary force. And she is talking to someone, but there is no one in the room in front of her. Has she finally lost it?

'Ah, no, it's starting wear off now,' She pauses and then laughs with strain. 'Yeah, for only getting nicked it's quite potent. Yeah, no I'll be okay. Yeah, I'm struggling a little bit. I'm just impatient. Haha, I know work now, dammit.' She is able to sit up to her hip but pauses and pants.

Charlie apprehensively enters a large room illuminated by a solitary light overhead close to the door, it strangely only lights up around half of the room, leaving the back half in the shadows. A few chairs lie on their sides, covered in dust, some are broken, missing legs and litter covers the floor. There is an array of the dart like objects he had seen in the one room all over this one as well. Stuck in the walls and floor in a haphazard fashion. What has done this? Still he sees no one in the room with her. So she must have gone crazy then. He carefully studies her; the shiny red hair has become covered in dust and is seems as she sits on the left side of her hip, her right arm is stuck to her side. He spots her gun in the corner of the one room along with the flask she'd borrowed from Albert.

Charlie frowns, the ivy leaves. They've appeared all along the walls and he swears they've slowly made their way down the ground, creeping ever close to Ruby. She turns her head to acknowledge it but she can't move, are they even dangerous? She manages to put her right arm in front of her and push herself up a little more.

'Ruby?'

Rose turns over her shoulder and widens her eyes. 'Uh…hey?'

'What the fuck is going on?' Charlie is about to take another step forward when Rose shakes her head and shifts her gaze forward to the bare wall in front of her. Charlie doesn't see that her gaze in actuality moves upwards to the blackened mass that sits on the ceiling.

'No! No, please don't do that. It's okay. Remember? Peace. That's right.' Rose encourages and Charlie only hears silence. Charlie carefully keeps his eyes open and on the ivy as the leaves rustle in an invisible wind. When he reaches Ruby he kneels down and notices that her veins in her hands and part way up her arm have been coloured black. Some of the veins on her neck that he can see from her collar are also tainted. Will she die?

Charlie is about to grip her under her arms to hoist her up when he pauses. The heavy dragging noise that had been following around seems to have found him in this room. He turns over his shoulder expecting to see the noise maker but instead is met with an empty doorway and hall. There is a low rumble. Something doesn't like him getting close to Ruby who still appears to be paralysed by the toxin that runs through her veins. Actually when he re-evaluates the noise, it rather resembled a growl. But it was subtle that he doesn't know where it's coming from.

'You weren't supposed to follow me,' Ruby complains and lets out a noise of frustration when Charlie attempts to help her to her feet. Abruptly she begins to shake her head. 'No, no, he's fine. I promise.'

Charlie frowns. She's incredibly difficult to move. What's this poison done to her? 'Who the hell are you talking to?' He wonders absently and she is only able to motion with her head upwards.

'There.' She holds her breath as Charlie shifts his gaze upwards. Immediately becoming transfixed. Is it from fear? No, although he's rather certain his heart rate has increased or doubled at least.

Maybe it's because he's never seen anything like that ever in his life so it's a stunned curiosity or the simple fact that he actually is, that his mind refuses to believe what he's looking at. He's utterly frozen, even the feeling of Ruby clutching his shirt as she tries to move with more fluidity barely registers in his mind. He blinks, wondering if perhaps that would help his mind believe what he's seeing. It doesn't help. He runs his gaze over the black mass that is attached to the ceiling. And it's alive.

It appears as though it is a tangle of vines, living and breathing, withering around as the petals what he recalls Ruby saying to him is the inner most part of the creature remains hidden. The vulnerable part. It is protected by what look like large petals, they no doubt unfurl to reveal the horrors inside but it's the vines that control the leaves, they move as though someone is breathing on them and to his surprise a few sickly yellow flowers emerge from hidden spots on the thick vines against the left side of the room on the wall. They too are furled until Ruby lets out a little moan of pain and they reveal what's hidden behind them.

The petals open as though it was a Venus flytrap except poised in its mouth instead of what one would normally expect to see there are five, maybe six, he can't tell, darts poised to be flung at a target. Which, why does he have this nagging little feeling is at him.

Well that's because it was and in his haste to avoid being struck at the first sound of that thing firing at him, he jumps back and drops Ruby, not on purpose, but she lands awkwardly and groans from the pain. Again Charlie watches her shake her head. He isn't struck but he does notice that one of the thicker vines has descended from an unknown spot on the ceiling. It securely grabs Ruby by her left ankle and hoists her up until she is staring at the mass that is living in the shadows. She is held upside down and at what he presumes is eye level for the creature.

Something rustles above him and four petal like…things open in front of Ruby who, to him, seems remarkably calm. Until the millions of teeth are barred. Sharp and razor like. Ruby inhales sharply. Saliva drips to the ground in a thick pallid stream and the mist from earlier pours from its mouth. It aims to swallow her. He knows it does and yet Charlie can't stop himself from staring that the rows and rows of teeth. A massively huge carnivorous flower, but not really a flower. It's alien to him. He has no word for what's happening in front of him.

'Fuck…' He breathes and watches Ruby awkwardly raise her hand. As if she's trying to…reason with it. Weird doesn't even begin to fucking describe it. His mind is blank. He can't form coherent thoughts.

'Wait, hang on a second I thought we had a truce. Peace. That's right,' A lull in her apparent monologue. 'No, I do know him. You ate his…associates? Remember? Oh. Well I found one, where are the other two? Oh. I see. Ew. No, he tried to help me, that's all. You were the one who got nervous and…no, wait! Stop!'

Charlie isn't entirely sure if that's directed at him or…whatever that thing is that's holding her but he's run over to where her gun and the flask lie discarded, scooping it up and turning over his shoulder just as the sickly yellow flower emerges form a hiding spot on the vine and shoots those darts at him. He ducks and they noisily pierce the wall above him. He listens to Ruby's pleas to have him stop and then to the creature but he hastily removes the cap to the flask and takes a quick drink, fishing around for the matchbook he strikes a light and spits out the alcohol into the flame.

The flame grows, extending far beyond its normal capacity. The alcohol agitates the fire and immediately the fire is spread all around the ivy leaves. Ruby lets out a cry of surprise as the grip around her ankle loosens and believes she'll be landing head first on the ground. When one of the vines shoots down from the mass on the ceiling, Charlie narrowly avoids it by jumping back and firing a single shot from Ruby's gun into the mass. The creature lets out a horrific shriek and Ruby begins to fall towards the ground, moving her arms to cover head and squeezes her eyes shut. Charlie rushes towards her and manages to catch her in his arms and she opens her in relief. Charlie sets her down and Rose embraces Charlie tightly and quickly. That could have been messy. And he merely allows her to her, standing uneasily.

'Thanks, good catch,' Rose states and they both cover their ears at the screech the creature lets out, bellowing and echoing around them. Well that solidifies it. Charlie's managed to thoroughly piss it off. 'You gotta get back, I gotta handle this without you getting hurt.'

They both duck as a collect of vines lunges at them and Rose begins to shove Charlie backwards towards the door but he grips her arm and tugs her forward into him when another vine is tossed their way, they stumble slightly. She takes a quick look to the charred remains of the leaves and vines that Charlie had set ablaze attempting to rescue her, well he did but now their are oozing the black liquid. Bleeding it looks like. The Merkabelta is in pain. There will be no tries to reason with it now. There isn't much she can do. It appears as though this will have a bad ending. Which is sad for her. She didn't want it to come to that.

They have nearly made it to the door when Rose sees the sickly yellow flowers sprout up along on the vines along the wall. They open their mouths and the darts become visible. Uh oh. She quickly looks for something that will shield them from the attack and spots an old discarded chair. Rose rushes to secure it in her grasp before rush back to Charlie and ensuring he's tucked firmly behind her she barely manages to raise the chair above her head before the darts are hurled. The drive themselves into the wood which splinters, the sound of breaking wood causes Rose to close her eyes. She waits, pausing and is nearly about to lower the chair when she hears another round shot at them. She holds her breath and keeps Charlie tight to her.

It's quiet. Rose opens her eyes and swallows her shock and surprise. The darts have easily broken through the chair and have come mere inches from striking her in the face, arms and neck. The toxin is bubbling out from the tips of the darts, dripping down from the tip onto the ground, pooling close to her feet. Rose tosses the chair to the side and grips Charlie's hand in hers.

'Time to go!' She announces and runs out the door, tugging Charlie along with her. He looks over his shoulder when the…thing howls at them. Also slightly concerning…the vines are following them with a rapid pace. And apparently with such force that those vines actually break through some of the wall to apprehend them. Right.

Rose continues dashing down the hall with Charlie's hand clasped tightly in hers and checks back to ensure that he's keeping pace with her. Which he is, what she doesn't like to see is the fact that vines have started to crawl up the ceiling. Rose pauses and Charlie stops behind her.

'What, are you stopping to admire it?' Charlie wonders dryly and watches Ruby scoff, holding out her hand. He reluctantly places her gun in her hand, just as well, it didn't seem to do anything anyway and she holsters it once again on her thigh. However she holds out her hand once more and Charlie frowns.

'I need the flask and matches.'

'Why?'

'I'm going to buy you some time.' Rose decides and Charlie stares at her, but nonetheless fishes for the matches and hands over the flask. He watches as Ruby turns her head slightly as a light fixture crashes to the ground. That creature is getting closer she won't be able to stop it on her own.

'You're going to stay behind?' Charlie clarifies and watches Ruby gently shake the flask to gauge how much whiskey is left in it. She makes a slight frown at the acceptance that there isn't much left. She lightly shoves Charlie down the hall.

'Yes, now go, I've gotta stop it.' Rose turns away from him and faces the vines as the vines now dangle in front of her, curling and then uncurling, almost in a taunting like fashion. That thing knows it's faster than she is and it is pissed at having been attacked. Well fuck that. Whatever that thing is it attacked them first. There isn't time to go over semantics.

'You're coming with me.' Charlie insists, grabbing her arm and he sees Ruby take a quick drink from the flask, which she then abruptly shoves into the pocket of her weird outfit. She doesn't swallow the whiskey, holding it she waits for the creature to attack her.

She doesn't have to wait long, the swinging vines in front of her seem to grow thorns, which either they hadn't noticed before or Rose hadn't known about them but she can tell it is waiting until it thinks it has them in a false sense of security. As she continues to watch it, barely registering the notion that Charlie has his hand around her arm. She decides to strike the match; just as she finishes she widens her eyes at the ferocious speed the vines are heading towards them. A manage to pass by them as Rose gets ready to set fire to them. She feels the razor sharp thorns on the vines slice the side of her leg on either side and Charlie presses his arm against the cuts inflicted there. They're deep and he winces when he removes his hand from them.

A cracking sound, similar to what wood sounds like when it is thrown into a fireplace erupts around them and Charlie moves his stare from his arm, which thankfully, those thorns don't appear to be poisonous, to where Ruby stands in front of a stream of fire. The vines have retracted, the shriek is heard from the room they had run from earlier, parts of the blackened and burnt vines fall to the ground. Ruby tosses the spent match at them and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

'Go!' She shouts and he doesn't need to be told twice. Together they begin to put distance between themselves and where that small confrontation had taken place, the ivy leaves still following behind them and the vines shortly after that. It is relentless in its pursuit of them.

When they reach the junction, which feature the stairs that lead down to the machinery, the ones Charlie paused at earlier. He runs by it without worry. However as Rose crosses it she feels the vines grab her before her mind registers it. Seconds later she is on her back pulling her leg in a feeble attempt to free herself. She's failing. And she's being slowly dragged towards the stairs. Charlie realises she isn't behind him and doubles back to her; Rose is now gripping the doorways in both hands trying to free herself. She can't even find her knife, not that she'd be able to use it but it's missing now too. She is about to have her grasp loosened from the door and as she lets go, she feels Charlie's hand grab hers and begins to pull her as well.

He ignores the vines securing around his left forearm and twist, cutting into the flesh there as the creature endeavours to sever his grasp of holding Ruby's hand. The blood drips down his arm and to the floor, it stings like all hell but he doesn't stop trying to help her. Unfortunately his grip slips from her left hand, the vines immediately wrap themselves around his wrist, preventing him from taking her hand again. The more he fights to release his wrist from the vines, the tighter it twists itself around him and the deeper the thorns cut him. Although Rose doesn't let on she is just a wee bit nervous, because she is, she does her best to remain calm and focused, and so she doesn't worry Charlie. Truth is she doesn't know what's down there, she didn't get a chance to explore further than the landing earlier when she finally made contact with the Merkabelta and agreed to see it in that empty room.

She continues to block out the curses from Charlie as he fights off the grip the vines have on him. It's a losing battle she can see that.

'Just let go!' Rose insists and feels her grip slipping from Charlie's. He struggles to maintain it.

'Fuck that! What's at the bottom of those stairs?!' He wonders rhetorically and Rose shakes her head to signify that she doesn't have a single idea either, well not conclusively. It'll be the Merkabelta but in what capacity she doesn't know.

'I don't know!' Rose shouts back and Charlie continues to tug harder. It's no use; he's losing his grip on her. 'Let go, I'll be fine!' She insists again and before Charlie has a chance to answer her ridiculous statement his grip on her hand finally slips and he watches in horror as Ruby is pulled down the stairs unleashing a storm of curses and the darkness swallows her.

Strangely the vines untangle themselves from his wrist and as he goes to head down the stairs after her the vines spring up again and block his path. He decides to endeavour to break them apart but when the pale yellow flowers emerge as a deterrent it forces Charlie to take a step back. It doesn't stop the flowers from positioning the darts and he quickly runs to the end of the hallway, and around the corner. He peers around it and widens his eyes when the darts are hurled towards him. He can hear them strike the wall. There is no way he'll be able to help Ruby the way things sit now. He'll have to go back to the factory floor and see if anything helpful has been left behind.

It doesn't need to be said. It's felt but not one of them have said it. The hour mark has come and then passed. Still there has been no sign of Charlie or Ruby. They're worried for Charlie, not so much the broad. Things must have gotten dangerous, the evidence of the slightly unnerving screeching noises they heard awhile back spoke volumes. Something is definitely alive in this factory. Something not human. But to admit it would be admitting Ruby had been right, that there are things that go bump in the night and she's from some elite force that stops them. A mercenary for hire. Which strikes Albert as odd. Then again women can vote, scary as that is because what the hell do they know about politics? He's even heard of some women becoming lawyers, not secretaries to lawyers, actual lawyers. Those women need to find a man, get laid and get their asses back home, women with careers, not in his world.

Speaking of worlds it almost as though Ruby isn't from his, from the normal world. The way she talks, acts and dresses makes him question where she's from. Really. Because she, oddly enough, reminds him somewhat of the broad Charlie's been dating the last few years. He'd never admit it to Rose's face but he does actually like her. Take that to his grave though.

He reaches to his neck and loosens the tie a little more. The hazy mist has been making things difficult to see around him for some time now. It started just after Charlie left to search out the broad and help her. He still doesn't know why he'd want to, it doesn't concern them. Why would want to waste time. The stupid bitch said she could handle it so he should have believed her. Now he's who the fuck knows where and that means that either, he or Vito or both of them are going to have to go down there and find him so they can figure out how to get the fuck out of here. After all, it's been one fucking strange day and he could use a drink to put this shit behind him. Make it a distant memory. Oh that's right he can't. The dame with the pale green eyes and holier than thou attitude took his flask with the whiskey in it. Who the fuck knows why she needs it, maybe a small swig of liquid courage, but the point is she's taken it from him and that's an inconvenience to him.

'Hey, Al, come look at this.' Vito calls to him from his spot on the opposite side of the room. Albert slides off the empty crates he'd been sitting on and heads over. Vito points to a spot on the wall and Albert frowns.

'Yeah? What about it?' He inquires and Vito shrugs unsure.

'I dunno, doesn't it seem…lighter in here all of a sudden?' Vito replies and Albert scans the room. Strangely it actually does. Even the mist appears to be dissipating, thinning even. The floor is starting to become visible. This is a good sign. Whatever is causing it is starting to fade.

'Vito, there, that look like the bottom of a door to you?' Albert points to the wall a few feet from them and together they walk over. To them is seems as though that a door is appear from the wall. The bottom portion, covered in rust letting let a small sliver of light has illuminated the floor in front of them. So, the redheaded broad was right. Hopefully they won't have to wait much longer. And they can get the fuck out of here.

The echoing sound of footsteps around them startles them and they both reach for their guns, turning and aiming it at the intruder. They immediately lower their arms when they take a good look at who it is. Charlie is always sometimes difficult to read. Except when he's pissed off at something, his façade doesn't change save for his glare, which darkens. So it's slightly uncharacteristic of him to be wearing so many different emotions on his face.

That and the fact there's blood on his shirt. And his wrist is mangled. The pissed off look becomes one of determination. Albert and Vito exchange uneasy glances. So, he's come back, where's the broad?

'Charlie…what the fuck happened?' Vito questions and Charlie presses his hand to his wrist and forearm, it hasn't stopped bleeding. Nothing steady or to cause alarm but it's cumbersome. And painful.

'I really have no fucking idea.' Charlie admits and it garners odd looks of disbelief from both Vito and Albert.

'Where's the broad?' Albert decides that if she isn't coming up behind him then they need to work on getting that door to reappear so they can leave. He sure as hell doesn't want to be waiting around for her to magically turn up. He wants to make this day some distant memory.

'This…thing grabbed her. She might be dead. I don't fucking know.'

'What thing?' Vito peers around him to stare at the door but nothing emerges from the darkness. There's something down there, there has to be. So, is it coming up, did it follow Charlie? Shit, why the hell did he and Albert waste all their bullets shooting out light bulbs?

'I…don't even know how to describe it. I don't even know if it's followed me back or what. I don't know.' Charlie absently presses his hand to his wrist again, trying to alleviate some of the pain.

Vito endeavours to take Charlie's mind off of the weirdness he's witnessed down there. Besides that gash on his wrist and forearm doesn't look good. It hasn't stopped bleeding yet. 'Look. The door's starting to reappear. See?'

Charlie joins them and crouches down, putting his hand by it. He can feel the air passing under the door; however when he looks up further it appears as though the door and wall have fused together. If it continues to take so long then they could be stuck in here forever. And if that thing finishes with Ruby, if it hasn't already, then what's to stop it from coming up here? Hell he's the one that pissed it off to begin with. He's the reason it started this rampage and the reason Ruby sent him back up here. Alone. Without her. He was supposed to have gone down there to see if she needed help. Now he might have killed her. Which is distasteful. He kicks the bottom of the door in frustration. A thin hairline crack appears, travelling up and stopping. Almost like the seam of a door.

'There's that rage working for you,' Albert comments and throws his shoulder into the door, another few cracks appear and the yellowed mist begins to get sucked out, slow, painful progress. 'Quit fucking around over there, Vito, give us a hand.' Albert shouts and throws his other shoulder into the crack, as he pulls away, Charlie flings his weight into it. Progress is being made.

'Fine, then Charlie, switch spots with me.' Vito calls to them and Charlie turns over his shoulder to ream Vito out when he finds himself unable to when he can see whom Vito is holding up.

He has his arm around Ruby's waist and her arm over his shoulders. Her head is tilted back, before she throws it forward and grits her teeth. Exhaling slowly she lifts her gaze to Charlie and Albert by the door that is slowly materialising. Not to mention the windows have slowly started to resurface.

'How's the door coming along?' She wonders and Charlie runs towards her, because he swears in the shadows, her features resemble Rose's once more. And he knows when he locks eyes with those pale jade ones, they aren't Rose's impish hazel ones. He wants to know how things like this keep happening, why he nearly mistakes her for Rose once again. Perhaps it's simply because he wishes she were Rose.

He and Vito trade places, Vito heads towards Albert and they immediately begin arguing about how to properly tackle the door. Charlie notices she holds him tightly while he supports her. She's gotten more cuts littering her arms and legs, but she is bent over slightly. She must have gotten hit somewhere else that is more painful.

'What the hell happened down there?' He questions and Rose closes her eyes, trying hard not to inhale too deeply. The way she landed against the wall at one point down there…might have cracked a rib.

'Not what I wanted to have happen, happen,' Rose admits and gingerly touches her left side. She sucks in air quickly. 'Damn. Must have broken one. Or two. So, how's that door coming?' She repeats and Charlie frowns.

'I…don't know, why?'

'Uh, well,' Rose pauses and looks over her shoulder and begins to see the smoke billowing up towards them. Not good. She probably should have delayed tossing the matchbook at the half full barrels of petrol she had found down there long since abandoned when the factory was shut down. 'Uh, this place is going to explode?'

'What?!' Albert shouts and turns to them and Vito stops to stare at them. Even Charlie takes a step back from her in shock.

'You're blowing this fucking place up?!' Vito adds and Rose stands a little taller with a steely look in her eyes. She struggles to keep herself from slipping into her accent she's that annoyed. She's annoyed they got tangled up in this mess of a day and she's beyond upset that she couldn't do something to convince the Merkabelta to come back with her to UNIT. It had gone on a rampage. She couldn't snap it out of it. There was nothing she could do. She hates failing.

'You bet. Because do you want to come face to face with the Merkabelta that is beyond livid right now thanks to me? So hurry up and get the door open or we'll all be caught in the blast. And I can tell you right now that I do not want to die in New York.' Rose informs them and slowly lets go of Charlie to walk towards them. They make no comment but Charlie does decide to ask a follow up question. One to which she doesn't really have a solid answer for him.

'How long do we have?' He wonders and Rose bites her lip as she shrugs absently. Charlie reluctantly follows her towards the door, of which the handles have become visible. The factory gets lighter and the yellow mist, of what remains, appears to be sinking, having grown weak since the Merkabelta is not up to its full strength.

Rose shoos Albert and Vito away while runs her finger along the seam, they need to open this door sooner rather than later. If they all throw their weight at it, they should be able to break the connection the Merkabelta has on this surrounding factory before the explosion. It just infuriates her. This shouldn't have had to happen. She just…wishes she didn't have had to do this.

'Two and a half minutes,' She declares and that leads to awkward silence between everyone as they look at one another and then to her and finally to the door itself. 'Two minutes.'

Albert doesn't need to be told twice, he quickly being to throw his shoulder into the door, Vito following suit. Charlie is about to join them when he notices that Ruby has pressed her hand to her head and has closed her eyes. She looks pale and unwell. He's about to go over and ask if she needs help or if she needs someone to lean on but she holds her hand up and he takes that as a sign that she'll be fine, what a liar. Instead he goes back to helping Albert and Vito.

Shuffling causes everyone to pause in their motions. Rose turns over her shoulder to see another man slowly shuffling towards them. His veins are black as ink, and he continues to stumble towards him. She widens her eyes. How has this man's body not completely decomposed due to the poison? Is this the Merkabelta's last ditch effort to stop them? To keep them here, trapped so together they can all perish in this explosion together? Rose walks towards the man, wincing already. This is going to be a difficult fight. It hurts to move her arms above her head, what is she thinking?

'Tony? What the hell?' Albert shouts and Rose flexes her fist as the man, Tony, continues towards her, his white eyes fixated on her. She holds her fists up and calls to Albert as she desperately ignores the pain in her ribs.

'Sorry, but your friend has been gone awhile. Keep working on the door, don't worry about what I'm doing.' Rose engages the man first, lunging at him and hitting him with a hard uppercut that sends Tony stumbling back.

Charlie does his best to keep his focus on the door but he continues to sneak little glances to Ruby. Every time she lands a hit on Tony or avoids one of his own she winces and shuts her eyes. As Albert continues to ram his shoulder into the door, he and Vito continue to push it open. Slowly it begins giving way. Inch by painstaking inch.

A low rumble rattles the ground under them. Charlie, Vito and Albert pause, waiting and listening to see if another sound is made but it's silent, the only thing they hear is the sounds of Ruby moving along the floor, still engaging in a fight. Rose throws all her weight into her sidekick when she connects it with Tony's temple, allowing for Rose to catch her breath and wince. The adrenaline coursing through her right now is not enough to sustain her. Everything hurts; expanding her lungs to breathe in puts immense pain on her ribs. Attempting to take her mind off of it, Rose shifts her gaze to the door, watching the smoke slowly begin to creep up from the stairs. The 'timer' she set down there, giving herself enough time to make it back up has gone off. Only a minute remains.

She can hear the boys working on the door and before she has time to shout her warning to them that they'd better hurry up, a swift hit to her ribs, of course on the broken side, is felt. But the twisting movement needed brings too much irritation to her ribs and she goes down to one knee, rolling out of the way of Tony's attempt to grab at her. She twists out of the way of his punch but he moves around, turning into her and throws his elbow to her side. She cries out from the pain, dropping to her knees from the immense pain that now flowers out over her body. She wraps her arms around herself and bites back cursing, trying to focus on breathing instead, it's like the air has been sucked right out of her. Which still hurts immensely, the pain prevents her from taking in deep breaths. She tries once again to inhale deeply but is prevented from doing so when Tony secures her throat. She glares at him but gasps when a bullet strikes his head and she squeezes her eyes shut as she feels the blood hit her face. Tony looms over her with a gaping hole in his head. Rose widens her eyes and scrambles to get out of the way before he falls on top of her. As he goes down Rose slowly gets to her feet, staying hunched over and keeping her arm protectively wrapped around herself as she lifts her gaze to the doors. Once again Charlie is standing there with his arm now lowered at the body, gun still smoking from the barrel. Damn he's a good shot; she gives him a weak smile.

'Thank you.' She carefully walks towards them. As she gets closer the rustling sound is heard and she sees the vines cover the walls quickly, it heads for the boys. Rose starts running towards them, hoping that more adrenaline is pumped through her and the haste in which they've started working on the door resumes. They're running out of time.

She instantly remembers the whiskey flask and pulls it out of her pocket, the matches next and widens her eyes when the yellow flowers sprout up, she widens her eyes. Take out those things first. She should have brought a different round of ammunition, something that freezes. Well there's not time to think about that now.

'You're not even trying!' Vito accuses Albert as he rams his shoulder into the door once more; it scraps the ground just a little bit more.

'The hell are you talking about? What the fuck are you doing?!' Albert retorts and Charlie rolls his eyes, he's about to tell both of them to shut their mouths when Ruby's voice rings out.

'Duck!'

They all do as they're told and an impact sound above them instantly tells Charlie what they've narrowly avoided. Those fucking little flowers and those dangerous darts are becoming more than a nuisance. He'll never look at any type of flower the same again. When she gives the okay for them to get up Charlie widens his eyes at how close they came to being struck. Albert's the tallest out of the three of them and those darts are inches above his head, gradually ascending upwards. Already the black oozing has started from the darts.

Rose continues to run around to random spots where the vines have taken over, especially the spots where the flowers have sprouted. She avoids being struck by the darts and ignores the vine that cuts into the side of her leg. She hastily pauses in her step and strikes a light before another flower sprouts up, she spits out the whiskey and the vines and flowers become encased in flames. It spreads along the left side of the vines where chunks charred to black drop off and fall to the ground and whither around briefly before expiring. She moves on to the next spot but she is hastily running out of whiskey. Only a few more spots to hit before the flask is dry.

'We've nearly got it.' Charlie states and throws his weight into the door. It scraps further along the concrete. He can smell the fresh air not the horrible putrid air that they've all been inhaling in here. But the door is stubborn, still carefully amalgamated with the wall preserving the illusion. They've gotten it open until the middle part, how do they make it work to their advantage. The factory is getting lighter, more windows are appearing, but they're too high up that they can't send one of them out there to pull on the door from the other side. If it's even visible on the other side.

'Great! Because I'm running out of fire power and two…I think that explosion is set to go off soon!' Rose calls to them and side steps out of the way as more hunks of the vines fall to her feet.

'What?!' Charlie shouts back to her but his question is drowned out by Albert having taken several steps back and run towards the door, flinging his weight into the door and the momentum in which he's done so moves the door enough so that someone can squeeze through, if they were as small as Ruby is. It's close but it isn't enough.

Ruby runs to join them along side the wall, leaning on it and panting. She sighs loudly and grits her teeth. Charlie looks away, she's the one in most need to medical attention, and so she needs them to get this damned door open more than what it is. Rose shuts her eyes. The pain is getting stronger, and the whiskey is nearly out, perhaps a mouthful and that's it. Hoping to speed things along she takes her place beside Charlie; using the good side of her body she aids them in pushing her weight into the door while Albert continues to take running starts before throwing his weight at it. Cracks begin to flower out further, tracing the doors outline. They are so close. She can fit through the crack they've managed to open but she will die before she goes first.

The ground rumbles. Ten seconds. They must have sensed her urgency because they all work harder. Finally it opens enough that Vito is able to slip through, Rose and Charlie hold it open so that Albert can get through next. Five seconds. Rose frantically pushes Charlie out next however he reaches back for her and Rose barely has time to issue an apology to the Merkabelta for the way things turned out before he's yanked her through the crack. They take a few steps back and they are about to celebrate when the force from the explosion on the basement level sends every one of them flying backwards, away from the building and they each land hard on the asphalt, Rose feels herself roll a few times and she instinctively covers her face as the explosion sends parts of the building up in the air and the debris lands around them.

She last remembers staring up at the once blue sky, the sun shining in her eyes, the black clouds of smoke driving themselves further and further into the sky. The smell of fire and smoke fill her lungs and she finds she unable to move her head to check on Charlie, Vito and Albert. Her body has succumbed to the stress she's put it through over the last few hours. She coughs, gasping for a breath of clean air. The heat from the fire that burns around them makes her hot but she has no energy to do anything about it. Even the thought of lifting her arm to unzip the front of her cat suit is too much for her.

In a final burst of strength, Rose manages to turn her head to the right to see Vito unmoving on his side, Albert a few feet further from him unconscious on his back and her heart rate increases as she can't spot Charlie, until she moves her head to the left to see him on his stomach unconscious. She can't move to get to him and in anger she closes her eyes. What she doesn't realise is that she too has fallen unconscious.

Rose shoots up silently screaming as the aching returns tenfold. She presses her hand to her head and groans. However her complaining is drowned out by Albert cursing loudly as he gets to his feet slowly, helping Vito up while Rose crawls towards Charlie, who has finally started to sit up. It worried her. Not as much as the gash on his forehead above his right eye. That and the numerous cuts that litter his face and hands when he brings his hands to face concerns her. So much so that when she stands uneasily, she nearly collapses under her body's refusal to cooperate with her, it simply wants a break. However Albert grips her waist and holds her up.

'Easy there, Red. I gotta ream you out later for nearly killing me, can't do that if you faint on me.' Albert slowly releases his grip on her, staying close by just in case she decides to take another tumble. She seems all right and he slowly backs away.

Rose pats Albert's shoulder with a tired, crooked smile before he's out of reach. It almost makes her feel terrible for what she's about to do. She just needs to first lull them into a comfortable atmosphere.

Vito joins them, brushing some dirt off his jacket sleeves and he eyes Rose with an impatient look. He nearly tells her off but given her current state, she marred the worst out of all of them, he feels the need to back off. This broad's tough as nails, she's proven that, so maybe he ought to forget what the hell just happened in there, maybe just this once.

'Is it over?' Vito questions and Rose listens to the silence in her mind. The mental link established with the Merkabelta when she first came into contact with it has long been forgotten. It didn't survive. And it makes her feel worse, and utter and complete failure. She hates failing…

'It's over. Building is gone. There were a lot of unused petro…gasoline containers in there. No doubt to feel the machines at one point. I didn't think the explosion would be so great. Sorry for getting you all caught in it.' Rose apologises. Again there is silence. Rose turns her attention instead to Charlie, still removed from her and the others.

Charlie carefully removes the back of his hand from the gash on his head. His head is splitting, it's rather difficult to keep his eyes open and when he does everything is spinning. He debates sitting on the ground and wait, at least until it stops, but the fire burning out of control makes him think otherwise. Surely it won't be long until the fire brigade shows up.

When two gunshots ring out, Charlie looks over his shoulder and frowns, turning around, albeit a little too quickly and his vision blurs. When it does finally clear he can see Ruby standing over Vito and Albert who are, to him, dead on the ground. Her betrayal stings him deeply. He hadn't anticipated that, all of Albert and Vito's warnings of her he hadn't wanted to believe. Perhaps because she did so remind him of Rose that he wanted to believe she was trustworthy. Instead she's a calculated murderer. She had earned their trust through phoney promises and statements. Now she's killed two men he's known forever.

Charlie reaches into his inner jacket pocket where he's kept his gun a fishes it out. Killing a woman…some have no trouble doing it. They remove the feminine aspect of her and treat her no different as they would when they need to kill a man. To him...it's always been distasteful. Even now he's unsure he could pull the trigger. He imagines those pale jade eyes would haunt him forever as he watched the life ebb away from her. However…she doesn't need to know that he wouldn't be able to pull that trigger, she just needs to believe he would.

Rose crouches down and gives Albert a small half smile. She reaches into a hidden pocket on the inside of her cat suit and retrieves two small orbs, not bigger than marbles. She looks at the purple tinged liquid encased and gently slips it into his hand. She forces him to make a fist around it and once the orb breaks, the purple liquid seeps out it is absorbed. She shifts her weight to her other foot and repeats the same process on Vito. There. That should sufficiently erase the last couple of hours from their minds. Just one left…

The sound of a gun being cocked causes Rose to slowly get to her feet. Her hands raised. Thankfully she holstered the gun or he might have pulled that trigger first and then asked questions after the deed had been accomplished. She really doesn't want to die at the hands of her lover. Rose slowly turns to face Charlie, his look is dark and she presses her lips together. She doesn't know if he'll actually go through with it, but she doesn't want to press her luck.

'Let me-…'

'No. You don't get to explain. Tell me one good reason I shouldn't put one between your eyes.' Charlie questions and his tone unnerves her. This is the side she's only heard about but has yet to see. She doesn't like it.

'I didn't kill them. They're alive. It's just a mild sedative. Come and see.' Rose holds her hand out to them and she can see Charlie thinking about it carefully. He lowers his aim and carefully walks towards, but she notices that he never once takes his gaze off of her.

Rose takes a side step out of his way and as Charlie crouches down to ensure she isn't lying to him, Rose carefully removes the gun from her holster and conceals it behind her back. Her heart is beating wildly in her chest it's amazing Charlie hasn't commented on it.

As he lowers himself to the ground he can see that Ruby has been telling him the truth. They are still breathing comfortably without any marring. Aside from what the explosion had done to them. The only thing that's noticeable is the impact of something blue on Albert's shirt; same with Vito's jacket and something purple that stains their hands slightly. Almost like it's residue. But from what?

'Why do this at all?' Charlie wonders and continues to study them. He waits for Ruby's response and Rose closes her eyes. Waiting for the right moment to present itself. She's getting hot and anxious. But she forces herself to remain calm.

'Because you can't remember the last few hours.'

Charlie frowns at her words and slowly begins to stand. 'Why can't we?' He wonders and turns around to see Ruby has the gun aimed squarely at his chest. He swallows. He can't predict her. She says one thing and does another. How can he read her? He doesn't even know if this is the same gun she used on Vito and Albert, what if this one actually has bullets? He eyes her.

'Drop it,' She instructs and Charlie drops the gun on the ground. He continues to glare at her and Rose can feel the anger and rage behind that glare. 'Because this is something I don't want you to remember, you shouldn't have gotten mixed up in this.'

'But we did.' Charlie counters and Rose gives him a rueful smile.

'That was a mistake. That was a mistake on my part and one I don't aim to repeat.' Rose replies evenly and shifts the barrel of the gun slightly upwards and pulls the trigger. The shot rings out and hits Charlie just below his shoulder. The force of the blast causes him to take a step back and just as surprisingly he isn't dead. So, what the hell did she shoot at him? Silence extends between them and the wind shifts direction, blowing the smoke from the fire into their eyes, burning them and choking their air from their lungs.

'What did you…?' Charlie begins but the question is lost and he finds himself unable to continue. Everything is getting heavy and whatever she's shot at him exacerbates his headache. He's tired and he feels his vision getting blurrier. Ruby holsters her gun and stands close to him. She gives him a small smile.

'Shush. Don't fight it,' Rose keeps her voice soft and feels immensely terrible for aiming a gun and shooting Charlie. He begins to fall forward and Rose reaches her arms out and catches him. She carefully lowers herself to the ground with him protectively in her arms. He pulls away to stare at her confused. 'I'm sorry, truly I am.'

Charlie endeavours to focus his vision but Ruby is blurry, and his eyesight is deteriorating further. 'Why…?'

Rose presses her finger to his lips and he falls silent, she's never seen anyone fight this hard against the sedative before but his eyes are not focusing on her for long, he'll succumb soon enough. 'We aren't supposed to meet like this. I didn't want you to come into my world like this,' Rose pauses and kisses him. He pushes her off of him weakly and stares at her. 'What? Oh. Was I not supposed to do that? Sorry. Hey, you know, you were pretty decent back there. And I do appreciate the help. But you won't remember me.'

Charlie shakes his head, closing his eyes. It's a few seconds before he reopens them. 'I will…' He insists and Rose smiles at him again. She sneaks another kiss.

'You won't. Promise you won't. But I may be closer to you than you think.' Rose gives him a crooked smile and embraces him tightly to her, still so relieved that they made it out alive, without anyone losing a life. She kisses his cheek again but feels him finally slip into unconsciousness.

Rose carefully sets him back on the ground and retrieves the final orb. She places it into Charlie's hand, making him close his fist around it and brings it to her lips, kissing his hand. When the purple liquid begins to drip onto the ground she gets to her feet and bites her lip when she finally gets a good look at his injuries. He seems to have gotten the brunt of everything. It's the worrisome feeling that he could have a concussion that nags at her as she begins to back away.

When the sounds of the cars arriving from the various departments, police and fire, Rose ducks behind the closest tree. Time to get back to the hotel and get herself taken care off. It won't be easy to explain these injuries so she's gotta go now. She pulls out her manipulator and puts the coordinates in.

She's disappeared just as the police, fire and medics fan out to figure out what's happened. Too bad the manipulator doesn't cooperate with her.

She barely has time to shut the door, leaning on it from the pain when the phone in her room rings. She pants a few times and glares at it. Who the hell is phoning her now? Is it Charlie? Oh god, she hopes he's okay, she couldn't stay she had to get back and work on those injuries so she could conceal them from him. Dammit she hates that he got caught up in her life like that but honestly how was she to know that was a spot he used? She pushes herself off the door and staggers towards the phone, she winces and she can feel the blood starting to run down the side of her head and chest from where she got thrown in the wall from the Merkabelta. She sits in the chair and pants a few times before she lifts the phone off the receiver and makes an effort to sound put together.

'Hello?' She squeezes her eyes shut and holds her breath. She twisted funny. Bad idea. She exhales slowly away from the mouthpiece.

'Yes, hello, Mrs Ross?' A man on the other end of the line waits patiently for her response. Rose frowns and pulls the phone away from her ear to stare at it. Really? A wrong number? How the hell does that work, making her struggle to reach the phone for this?

'No, I'm sorry you have the wrong number.' Rose replies and again there is a long drawn out pause. Clearly the answer he hadn't wished to receive, he clears his throat.

'I'm sorry, this isn't Mrs Ross?'

'No, it isn't. Do you know where you've called?'

'I believe this should be room 1212 at the Chelsea Hotel, is it not? I specifically asked the man at the desk to transfer me to this room.'

Rose shifts in the chair wincing slightly so she can set the phone down on her lap. 'You have the right room, yes, but there is no one here by that surname.'

'Oh, beg your pardon. My name is Dr March; I'm with the general hospital. I was given this number by a patient in my care. He said I could reach his wife at this number.'

This time she straightens up and eyes the phone with suspicion. 'Really?'

'Yes, but he must be mistaken. Could be from the concussion. I do apologise, ma'am, I meant no intrusion. Have a pleasant-…'

'Wait!'

'Yes?'

Rose inhales deeply. Oh god, how could she have missed this? That frustratingly brilliant man. She needs to slap some sense into him. 'I beg your pardon I must have misheard you, yes, I am Mrs Ross. There was some static on the line.' She invents and can hear the man's voice relax when he responds to her next.

'Oh, wonderful. Yes, your husband was admitted about an hour ago. A minor concussion, I didn't want to discharge him without someone here to explain how the next few days will proceed, and what to look out for. Since he clearly had no intention of listening to me.' Dr March explains and Rose is already slowly pulling herself to an uneasy standing position. She rests her hand on the wall, she's gotta throw something on and take out the metal halo from her mouth, put RJ to rest.

'Of course, I'll be down right away. Thank you, Dr March.' Rose hangs up the phone and makes her way to the bedroom and then the bathroom, hastily scrubbing away the dirt and blood from her face and hands, stripping off her cat suit and stashing it away for later and wrapping the deep cuts from the thorns on the vines.

The gel she had bought on Jupiter that accelerated the healing factor of injuries received she's toted with her forever it seems like and she hastily slathers it over all the injuries visible to her and she feels the tears streaming down her face. Her ribs on the left side hurt the most.

Once she is somewhat presentable she pops a couple of painkillers to speed up the numbing, downing them with water, and reaches for her key and some money to hail a taxi. What a day. She's just ready for a break. She picks up her mobile and rushes out the door. She has some things to say to Charlie when she gets there.

'In here, ma'am.' Dr March stands to the side so Rose can enter the room and she is relieved to see Charlie standing and looking out the window, stubbing out a cigarette as he turns to her with a relieved smile that it's she that's come into the room and not another doctor.

He's certainly ready to go. In fact he begins unrolling his sleeves, buttoning up the cufflinks, before he reaches for the vest on the chair and slowly sliding it on, buttoning it carefully before pausing. Fucking headache. It's too damn bright in here.

Rose closes the gap between them while Dr March closes the door. She embraces him tightly and he lifts her off the ground, ignoring the immense headache he has as he sets her back on the ground while she disguises her want to cry out in pain as a small uncomfortable wince, the damn gel hasn't really kicked in yet. When he does Rose places her hands on her hips and gives him a frustrated look.

'What?' He wonders innocently and Rose shakes her head at him.

'Next time we decide we're married, can you remind me to attend the wedding at least, Mr Ross?'

'Right, that. Sorry, he wasn't going to discharge me until I had someone waiting. Probably to tell them to remind me what not to do.' Charlie responds innocently and Rose shakes her head. She embraces him tightly.

'What happened?' She wonders and Charlie shrugs. He pauses and then winces as he carefully slips on his jacket. Rose helps him and disregards her own discomfort. She can tell he's anxious to leave. He's at the door before Rose realises he isn't at her side.

Charlie holds the door open for her and does his best to recall the past couple of hours. He can remember this morning, talking to Rose on the phone and agreeing to see one another. He remembers meeting Albert and Vito as they headed towards the Meatpacking District but not why they were meeting or where they had been heading. He vaguely recalls being at some building that had at one point been a factory, and then maybe an explosion? He had woken up in the back of an ambulance.

Albert and Vito remembered nothing at all either, small details but nothing substantial. The police had come by and said they had been caught in an explosion due to a gas leak. Someone, one of them, had dropped their cigarette too close to the leak, hence the explosion. He doesn't remember any of that. How can he not remember parts of his day? How does that happen?

He grows annoyed at his lack of remembrance but does recall that Rose asked him a question and that he hadn't answered her yet. Especially when she wraps her arm around him while they walk down the corridor of the hospital. Charlie is ready to put this place behind him and get home.

'I don't remember.' He finally replies and Rose looks up to him, feigning surprise but is immensely relieved that she succeeded in that aspect but completely understands his frustration about a gap in his memory.

'Really? Maybe it's…' She trails off and points to his head. Charlie stares at her, unimpressed with her comment. 'What? A concussion is serious.'

'I know.' He answers and Rose looks to her feet while they stand outside the hospital. She sincerely hopes he won't dwell on this for long. She already feels awful that he got mixed up in this. That she had to shoot him with the sedative. That she failed to save the Merkabelta. It just hasn't been a good day. She just wants to hide at the Chelsea for the rest of the day.

Charlie turns his gaze down to her and notices something strange about her when she takes his hand in hers. Blue residue on her the back of her hand. Blue. He remembers a woman with red curled hair crouched down next to someone. And then he is where the woman is. He's staring at someone and there is the same blue residue on a shirt. Was she there? She couldn't have been. Impossible.

Or is it…?