Present Day
The team slowly emerged from the Lifeboat. Tenley relaxed when she spied Flynn exit, seemingly unharmed. She had found herself worrying over his safety since he left.
When her eyes landed on Wyatt, who had his arm over Flynn's shoulders, they widened, blinking at the state of him. She rushed forward, helping Flynn escort him to the infirmary.
Agent Christopher eyed Wyatt as he hobbled by. "What happened?"
Rufus stated, "Count Dooku helped us with a Bloodstone problem."
Denise furrowed her brow at Rufus. "Excuse me?"
Lucy shook her head, rolling her brown eyes. "Christopher Lee."
"I'm confused-" Agent Christopher began.
Lucy waved all the comments aside and stated, "We met Christopher Lee, but that wasn't why Bloodstone was there."
"Bloodstone?" Denise asked. "You're sure it wasn't Rittenhouse?"
"Four men in black suits?" Rufus asked. "Definitely Bloodstone."
"They were there to stop the execution of Eugen Weidmann," Lucy said. "Turns out he was a Bloodstone agent."
After Lucy filled Agent Christopher in on what had happened on the mission and how Wyatt ended up in the condition he was in, Agent Christopher nodded, ordering the team to get some rest while they could.
Jiya walked beside Rufus and asked, "You actually got to meet 'The Man With The Golden Gun'?"
Rufus laughed. "I'll tell you all about him."
Tenley had gotten to work examining Wyatt's battered body. She asked him a series of questions, which he answered as best as he could. He was in a lot of pain.
Flynn stayed in the infirmary, helping Tenley as she needed it. Once she had finished her examination of Wyatt, she had placed his arm in a sling, giving him some pain medications before ordering him to rest.
"For how long?" he groaned.
Tenley looked pained as she stated, "For a while, I'm afraid."
Wyatt didn't seem happy to learn that he'd be out for a while. "Come on, doc...there's got to be something-"
"Wyatt," she started. "You're lucky you're not worse than you are. You had a dislocated elbow, three bruised ribs - not to mention all the other bruises and scrapes all over your body." She sighed. "You're lucky you're even able to stand up at all - let alone see out of your left eye since your cornea is semi-detached from the retina." She could see the disappointment in his face. She spoke softer, "You need some time to recover. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can rejoin the team."
"What do you mean, rejoin?" Wyatt asked. He turned to Flynn, thinking he missed something. Flynn's brows had knitted together, turning his attention back to Tenley.
She glanced between the two. "The Mothership had jumped shortly before you returned. They're in London, 1888."
"No rest for the wicked," Flynn muttered the quote.
Wyatt shook his head. "I should be going out there-"
"I know," Tenley admitted. "But you're not going. You can barely stand up straight." She started to help him towards his room. "Best place for you to be is in bed."
After Flynn helped Tenley get Wyatt into his own bed, he stopped her a short few feet from his door. "When did the Mothership jump?"
"Like I said earlier," she started. "Just before you returned."
"Exactly, how long before?" he asked.
She thought for a moment. "I'm not exactly sure, but I'd say maybe 20-30 minutes before you returned." She narrowed her eyes at him, "Why?"
He pulled her close to him, lowering his mouth to her ear. "I think we might have a spy in our midst," he whispered.
The whisper sent shivers down her spine. The look on her face showed pure fear behind her eyes. If what he was saying was true, it could change everything with their mission.
Before she had a chance to ask any questions, he whispered again, "I don't know who, so I'm hoping you can keep this between us."
"How do you know it's not me?" she asked softly.
He smirked. "Because I know."
He stepped away from her, heading back into the main area. She stared after him before she followed him.
Back in the main living area, Agent Christopher was explaining the situation. "We noticed about twenty-six minutes before you returned that the Mothership had jumped to London, 1888."
Lucy's face scrunched up. "London? That's...that's Jack the Ripper."
Agent Christopher glanced up at Tenley and Flynn as they approached. She said, "I'll assume based on how Wyatt looked when you returned that he's out of commission for this mission." Tenley nodded. Denise sighed, adding, "That means you'll be joining this mission, Doc."
Flynn turned slightly to meet the doctor's eyes. He could tell that she knew it was coming, but was still showing signs of disappointment for having to go. He offered a small smile before turning his attention back to Agent Christopher.
Agent Christopher continued, "I don't need to tell you to be careful. I think that speaks for itself here. We'll do what we can on our end-"
"We're wasting time," Flynn interjected. "They left over two hours ago. We should go."
Once everyone had agreed, they started for the Lifeboat. The hatch closed behind them.
Flynn finished buckling himself into the chair and his eyes lifted to see Tenley had strapped herself in, but her eyes were squeezed shut. He smirked slightly. He knew that she didn't like traveling through time, but he admired that she hadn't complained this time.
The Lifeboat disappeared from the bunker.
1888
Flynn and Rufus had found clothes easily to change into. They patiently waited for the women to finish dressing so they could head further into the slums of Whitechapel where they knew Jack the Ripper was reported to be running rampant.
Their eyes lifted when they heard the women approaching. Lucy had dressed herself in a lavender corded silk afternoon dress which made her look like a wealthy woman. She was fiddling with a few stubborn strands of hair that refused to stay pinned up in the back.
Flynn's eyes had been glued to Tenley. She was dressed in a blue and gold floral silk dress with ruching and lace at the bodice, pushing her breasts up slightly. The dress had emphasized her figure in such a way that Flynn found himself unable to do anything but stare at her. She was beautiful.
She kept fidgeting with the lace at the top of her bodice, trying to get it to cover up more of her cleavage. She was muttering something under her breath.
Lucy gently swatted her hands at Tenley's. "Stop," she spoke in hushed tones. "You look great. Stop fussing...you'll attract attention."
"And this won't?" Tenley asked, motioning to her chest. When her eyes lifted up and met Flynn's, she turned a shade of red.
He cleared his throat, breaking his intense stare and turned his attention back to Lucy. "So, what do you suggest we do?"
Lucy began to explain what the team already knew about Jack the Ripper. She stated that she needed to find out what the exact date was because it would help her try and figure out which victim of Jack's would be next.
The team walked through the slums of Whitechapel. Tenley's eyes continued darting about as she walked, catching men staring at her. She tensed under their watchful eye.
Rufus tried to reassure her. "You look good."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I think that's what makes me uncomfortable."
Lucy had stopped to look at a newspaper that was dumped onto the ground. Picking it up, she scanned the front in search of a date. When she found it, she announced, "September 28th...That's two days before Jack kills two different women."
"So," Rufus began. "What exactly are we hoping to do here? Are we going to stop the Ripper from murdering these women? What's Rittenhouse doing here?"
Lucy shook her head. "I don't know...it could be that they're not here for Jack-"
"And it could be that he's another Bloodstone man," Flynn retorted. "The point is, we need to figure out where they are before it's too late. Like it has been for a while."
"Are we sure that we are even supposed to be here?" Tenley asked. "Is there no one else in history that matters here?"
Lucy shrugged. "It's hard to say. I mean, everyone matters..."
"You know what I mean," Tenley muttered. "I just wonder if this is a set up, like you guys have experienced before. It's just odd that we're even here with no real understanding-"
"Move along!" a police officer shouted to amassing crowds. "Move along!"
The team turned to see what was going on. The crowds were muttering about what they were seeing beyond the police barricade. Lucy asked, "What's happening?"
"They found another poor girl," an elderly woman replied. "Poor thing was ripped to shreds. I hope they find the maniac responsible."
Lucy stepped closer towards the barricade to see for herself. When she spotted the body, her brows furrowed. She could overhear the inspectors talking about the body.
"Her left artery was severed on the left," the younger man stated. "That's most likely what killed her."
The older man replied, "But the lack of mutilation makes me believe that we're dealing with a copy cat, and not the real Ripper."
Lucy's eyes darted away from the inspectors and to the police who were interviewing 'witnesses'. Their stories seemed unable to match up. They all claimed to have seen this woman with a man, but they couldn't agree on what the man was wearing.
She turned around to the team. She walked passed them, forcing them to follow her off to the side where they wouldn't be heard. Lucy inhaled deeply before saying, "This doesn't make sense."
"What's that?" Rufus asked.
"I think this is one of the women that Jack murdered, but she's not supposed to die until the 30th..." Lucy replied, losing her words as she tried to think.
"Maybe this is a Bloodstone or Rittenhouse thing, like Flynn said," Tenley whispered. "Maybe they know that we're here and are picking up the pace?"
Lucy sighed, unable to provide answers. Nothing was making sense these days. She felt powerless.
"Let's try and focus," Flynn suggested. "Who's next after this one?"
Lucy closed her eyes, trying to think. When her eyes opened, she stated, "Catherine Eddowes would be the next victim, if this Jack sticks to the original history."
"Where do we find her?" Flynn questioned.
Lucy thought briefly before nodding. "Her body was found in Mitre Square."
"Then that's the best place to start," Flynn replied, motioning for the team to follow.
The walk to Mitre Square was a lengthy one. When they finally arrived, it was starting to get dark.
"Now what?" Rufus asked, scanning the area. People were either heading to the bar or going home. The streets were starting to become empty while an eerie fog rolled in.
Lucy shrugged. "We ask around to see if anyone has seen her?"
"How many people are going to know who she is by name?" Tenley asked. She felt stupid for asking the question, but she didn't know. In a large city like London, she didn't think that anyone would remember one woman out of thousands. She wondered if she was projecting.
Flynn glanced at Tenley briefly before saying, "Let's see what we can find out."
Lucy tried to explain, "She was a prostitute, so it's possible that many people would know who she is by name." Tenley nodded in understanding, thankful that Lucy offered an explanation.
Inside the busy bar, the team could barely enter. They pushed their way inside. They managed to get into the corner of the room. They scanned the crowded room, looking for someone that would fit the description of Catherine.
There were a few promiscuous women lingering about the room. Rufus muttered something under his breath about it being a brothel. One such woman approached Flynn.
Her hands slid up his chest towards his shoulders before coming to rest on top. Tenley's eyes widened, brow furrowed, clearly disapproving this woman's behavior.
Flynn had stiffened, pulling the woman's hands off his shoulders. He asked, "I'm looking for Catherine."
"You can call me Catherine, if you want to," the woman replied, lust lacing her words.
Flynn glared down at the woman. "I'm not interested, but I am trying to locate Catherine."
"What for?" the woman asked, seemingly pouting.
"She's an old friend," he stated.
The woman let loose a cackle. "That's what they all say," she stated. "She left about twenty minutes ago."
"Was she alone?" Lucy asked.
"I'm not talking to you, sweetheart," the woman spat.
Flynn gritted his teeth and demanded, "Answer the question. Was she alone?"
"No," the woman replied, stepping away from Flynn. She had finally realized that he was being serious about not wanting to fool around with her. "She left with one of her gentleman callers."
"Which way did she go?" he asked. The woman shrugged and disappeared into the crowded bar.
Flynn's eyes landed on a disapproving Tenley. He offered her an apologetic expression as the team forced their way outside.
"Where would she go?" Flynn asked Lucy.
Lucy sighed, glancing up and down the foggy alleyways. "I don't know. She might have taken them back to her place...or..."
"Or?" Rufus asked.
"Often times, when the streets are empty like this," she started. "They...you know..."
"In the streets?" Rufus balked. "That's sanitary."
Tenley smirked, but didn't say anything. She agreed with Rufus, but she was still upset with Flynn for what happened in the bar.
Flynn sighed. "Let's go. Hopefully, we'll get lucky and find her."
"Like you almost did?" Rufus joked. Tenley rolled her eyes, releasing a short groan at his jab.
After walking down the back road for a few minutes, the road suddenly split. The team stopped, looking up and down the two roads. "What do we do now?" Rufus asked.
"We split up," Flynn stated.
Rufus furrowed his brow as he whipped his head around to look at Flynn. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Flynn released a heavy sigh. "Do you have a better solution? We don't have a lot of time."
"You're the only one with a gun," Rufus pointed out.
Flynn gritted his teeth, removing another gun from his inside pocket. He handed it over to Rufus and said, "Now we both have a gun."
Rufus stared at the gun in his hand like it was the plague. "Seriously?"
Lucy could see the frustrations growing on Flynn's expressions. "It's fine..." she said, turning around to Rufus. "It's fine. We'll be fine. Besides, he's right. We need to cover more ground."
Tenley stood there, glancing between the three, feeling uncomfortable and awkward at the situation. She knew that if Wyatt were present, they'd be on their way already because Wyatt could handle himself, much like Flynn could.
Rufus sighed heavily before caving into the plan. "Fine," he stated. "What do we do if we find her?"
"Keep her alive," Flynn replied. "We need to find a place to meet up after some time." He checked his watch. "Shall we meet back in the square in twenty?"
Rufus glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes. Okay..."
Tenley fully expected to be going with Rufus, but was surprised when Lucy and Rufus started down the alley to the right. "Uh," she muttered. "Okay then..." She turned around to see Flynn looking at her. She shifted in her place before asking, "Shall we?"
He blinked at her, nodding slowly before he turned and began to lead them down the alley to the left.
The walk was silent for a few minutes. Finally, Flynn broke the silence saying, "You've been quiet for a while." Tenley hummed a response but still didn't say anything. "What's on your mind, Nine?" he asked.
She lifted her eyes up to meet his. "Nothing."
"Liar," he retorted.
She scoffed. "I-I am not." He gave her a side glance telling her that he knew better. She sighed and said, "I just feel useless, that's all." Flynn opened his mouth to reply, but she continued, "If Wyatt were here, there'd be no hesitation in separating. I sort of muck up your abilities to accomplish your missions."
"That's not true," he said, stopping them.
She softly chuckled. "Now who's the liar?"
The two held each other's gaze for a moment. Tenley felt her heart racing as she stared into his eyes. She studied the look behind his eyes as he looked at her. The intense emotion behind them were mimicking the look he had on that abandoned highway.
A tin can being kicked down the alley had broken their gaze. Tenley's eyes darted into the fog-filled alley to see who was coming. Flynn wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a short alley nearby.
He pushed her against the wall, covering her with his body. She could feel his body pressed hard against her, his heart pounding through his clothes, vibrating against her chest. She could no longer smell the scents of the city as her nose was filled with his musk. She lifted her eyes to look up at him.
She noticed that his arms were on either side of her head, caging her in protectively. Flynn's eyes darted from the alley to her. His eyes softened as he held her gaze. He studied her features, memorizing all the little details that graced her face. He noticed how long her lashes were, the darkness of her eyes when she was scared, and how her cheeks reddened in the cold - or it could be due to his proximity to her, he couldn't tell.
He could feel her breathing had picked up slightly, heart beating fast like his. His eyes drifted down to her parted lips. Before he could stop himself, he crashed his lips onto hers, pressing them both harder against the brick wall.
They melted together, forgetting all about the dangers that lurked in the alley with them. All that seemed to matter to them had been each other. Tenley gasped against his mouth, feeling the need to breathe or she'd be too consumed in the moment. He forced himself away from her, remembering where they were.
He blinked at her, seeing her lips were slightly pinker than normal. He could see her skin prickle with goose bumps, and he wasn't sure if it was because of their kiss or the cold air around them.
He stepped away from her, peering around the corner to find that the alley was still void of people. He looked back to her, whispering, "Come on. Let's get out of here." She nodded, somewhat stunned as she followed closely behind him.