We dropped out of the last jump, "Aah! It's been quite a while since I time-jumped far enough to experience side effects. Fond memories." Rip said as he stumbled getting up.
I chuckled as Jax started slapping himself, "I can't feel my face."
Snart kicked one of his feet up on his other knees, "Fine feel I." I started giggling hysterically, these side effects keep getting funnier as we go.
Rip turned towards him, "Linguistic dysplasia, that should pass shortly."
"Better it now" was grumbled.
"Am I the only one who can't feel their face?" Jax asked worriedly as he started walking around.
"I can't feel my…" Ray started as he stood up. "I better not say."
Stein stood up, "Mr. Rory appears unaffected." Mick was definitely asleep.
Mick woke up from his little nap, "What's going on? We time-jump?" he asked sleepily.
"Yeah, we time-jumped." Sara said, annoyed by his nonchalant attitude. "But "where to?" is the better question." She said as she stood up and moved towards the console.
"The town of Salvation, the Dakota territory, 1871." Rip said looking into the study before turning back towards us.
"I can't believe it... the Old West." Ray said excitedly. After living with him for two years I can decisively say that excited is definitely his default setting. It's almost sickening but at the same time kind of cute.
"This isn't going to work." Mick grumbled.
"It'll buy us time. We can hide out here while the Hunters search the other Fragmentations."
"So we have at least enough time to get a drink," I said seeing my bright side.
"What if they decide to check this place first?" Mick said to poke a hole in Rip's plan.
Kendra gestured to all of us saying, "You know, feel free to loop us in whenever it's convenient."
Rip turned from leaning his back against the console to facing us, "As you've seen, time doesn't operate as is generally thought. It wants to happen. It takes time to harden. The... the timeline is unclear on occasion, constantly in flux."
Stein interrupted him clarifying, "Hence the difficulty in locating Savage throughout history."
Rip agreed with him, "Indeed. And one of the other interesting notions of time travel is the existence of Fragmentations."
"Temporal blind spots, specific places and times the Time Masters can't see." Mick explained darkly before moving to stand by the study.
"The town of Salvation and its surrounding environs are located within one of these Fragmentations." Rip explained our location.
Snart stood up moving to stand by Mick, "So, basically, we're hiding out in the Old West and hoping your boogeymen don't find us here."
"The Hunters are not boogeymen. And you better hope they don't find us," Mick nodded to him.
Ray spoke up more excitement in his voice than ever, "Well, at least not until I get a chance to 'punch a few doggies' or 'bust a bronco' or two. Not that I condone animal cruelty. It's just that I watched a lot of Westerns as a kid."
"So about that drink…" I trailed off looking at Rip.
"Alas, you'll have to enjoy the Old West from in here, I'm afraid." Rip said as he walked into the study.
Sara piped up, "Oh, come on. What's the harm in us just taking a look around?"
"And getting a drink," I added quickly. I pushed out compelling pheromones trying to get him to cave.
Stein tried shooting us down, "With this group? Clearly, you haven't been paying attention."
Ray scoffed at the idea, "Ugh, if I'm in the Old West and I don't get to look around, I'm going to kick myself."
"I could help with that," Snart added helpfully.
"I'll keep an eye on them. Don't worry. I'll be a good boy." Mick said to Rip nodding before turning to walk away. Mick's going to keep an eye on us, that'll be something new.
"I look just like Wyatt Earp." Ray chuckled as he admired his old west outfit.
Rip walked in moving to pull a drawer out, "Now, the fabricator can make clothing, but you're also going to need era-appropriate protection. This era can get a little, uh, rough."
"Oh, six shooters?" Jax asked after seeing the weapons Rip wass inspecting.
"Actually, most guns of that time period had hammer blocks, thus reducing the number of shots to five," Ray spoke quickly to correct his assumption.
"Now, this should go without saying, but considering this group, I am going to say it... only use these weapons in the case of extreme emergencies." Rip said as he begrudgingly handed out the period appropriate weapons to Kendra, Sara, and I.
"Emergency only, got it," I said chuckling lightly, holstering it while Rip looked at me in consternation.
Kendra looked at him as he walked by her, "You make it sound like you're not coming with."
"From your duster and revolver, I'd imagined you as much an Old West aficionado as Dr. Palmer," Stein pointed out.
"Indeed I am. But my time is best spent back here on the ship, plotting our next move against Vandal Savage. Besides, as Mr. Rory says, it's only a matter of time before the Hunters find us here," Rip said, there is a story there.
"Don't worry. We're not going to put down roots," Snart said from where he was leaning against the wall.
Sara did a few tricks while inspecting her gun, "Yeah, we'll stay out of trouble."
"Mm, how I hope and pray that to be true."
People stared as we walked through town and into the bar, "Remember, we're just here to get the lay of the land. No trouble." Stein tried to remind us.
"Sure that'll happen." Sara said, a truer statement has never been made.
"I need a drink." Mick said quickly heading to the bar.
"I am also here for the drinks" I said, moving to follow.
"That tastes like gasoline." Kendra said having barely taken a sip of her shot.
"Pretty much. Hit me again." Mick said, holding out his glass for more, I gestured to the bartender to fill mine's too, Kendra walked away. Mick and Sara started talking about the way Mick had changed after his time as Chronus. "You two can handle your liquor. I like that," he said gesturing between us. I preened, the omega within me pleased at having impressed one of our makeshift pack's alphas.
"I've been on more than a few dates with guys who thought we'd get wasted and they'd get lucky, but somehow they always ended up the ones under the table," Sara chuckled.
I turned, "I've just done a lot of drinking," shrugging I continued, "and a faster metabolism helps."
"Mm. You haven't drunk with me." Mick practically challenged.
Sara had to clarify as we eyed him, "Is that a challenge, Mick?"
"Line them up," he told the bartender. Oh this'll be fun.
After Mick passed out on the bar, a gunshot from the poker tables drew our attention away from our drinking, "Your friend drew first, got put down. It was a clean shot," Snart said from his position in the middle.
"Do we look like we care about 'clean'?" Some random guy asked before he lunged at Snart.
"He has a point," Stein said. The bar quickly descended into chaos as everyone jumped to side with their crew, the piano guy played a faster set.
Another gunshot sounded, "All right! Playtime's over. Anybody's got a problem with that, they answer to me," some local guy took charge ending our spot of fun.
"Thank you, Mister…" Stein said hesitantly.
"Hex. Jonah Hex. You're not from around here, are you?" He asked Stein.
Stein responded, "No. My friends and I are, uh... from out of town."
I moved back to the bar to get another drink only vaguely paying attention to make sure no one got themselves killed. I leaned against the bar, by where Mick was passed out. When I started listening to the conversation again, I heard "You think you're the first time travelers I've ever come across?" I paused, then shrugged my shoulders before getting another drink, this definitely has something to do with whatever Rip was hiding, but did I care enough to pay attention. I groaned as the rest of the team left with the guy, I downed one last shot before waking up Mick to return to the ship.
I slipped to my room with the bottle I took from the bar before we came back to the ship. I sat on my bed looking at the glass of bourbon I had just poured myself. I closed my eyes before knocking back the glass, crude but effective, every glass I had helped to suppress both my omega instincts and dark impulses.
We stood in the center of the town as Stillwater's gang rode in, "I'll be drawing for Sheriff Palmer." Rip called out to them. I silently sipped from my flask knowing that either way this would be over quickly, then I could grab another bottle of 1870s whiskey.
The Stillwater guy asked, "How do me and my boys know you're going to keep your word?" Snart said something to him as he handed him a revolver, "Then he should be the one in the street."
After Rip shot the guy, Jax jogged over to us from where he was freed, "Jefferson, are you all right?" Stein immediately asked, rushing up to him.
"Yeah." Jax said, he turned to Rip asking, "Did you just shoot somebody for me?"
"Yeah. You're welcome." Rip said simply, someone has started thinking with a pack mentality.
Noticing something Sara walked forwards, "I don't think we're done here yet."
Rip moved towards Sara, "Oh, no," he said seeing three figures decked out in future weapons stalking towards us. "They found us."
The townspeople started running inside, "Ah, friends! Welcome." Mick said as he shot at them then held his hands out in welcome.
"I think you'll find this slightly more effective than your current sidearm." Rip said handing Hex one of his guns, "Yes, I will be wanting that back, by the way. And you'll be needing this," he said as he held out Ray's suit.
Ray questioned, "What about revealing our future tech to the locals?"
"It doesn't seem to bother them. Shall we?" Stein said quickly, turning to merge with Jax.
"This should be fun," I muttered tucking away my flask as I moved forward purposefully. I knew that I could still fight these guys even with how drunk I was. I joined Firestorm in the sky getting a higher point from which I could throw blasts at the hunters. I landed when people started exiting the buildings after the fight ended, I looked around, sighing I strode towards the saloon to get another bottle of whiskey the others could handle the clean up.
Kendra and Ray walked into where we were gathered on the bridge, "So how are you feeling, given your concerns about becoming addicted to this era once again?" Stein asked Rip.
"The last time I left, Martin, I did it to be with those closest to me." Rip said he chuckled lightly before saying, "I'm doing the same again," a little softer than the rest. I smiled into my drink pleased he was forming bonds within the pack.
"So where to now?" Snart asked from where he was leaning against the console with Sara next to him.
"Or, more specifically, when?" Sara asked the right question for a group of time travellers leaning towards Snart she stressed the 'when'.
"Is there another Fragmentation we can hide out in?" Kendra followed up with.
Rip shook his head, "Unfortunately, matters are not quite so simple."
Jax groaned, "How'd I know you were gonna say something like that?"
"Rip's buddies," Mick started.
Ray interrupted, "And yours."
Mick ignored him continuing, "The Time Masters have issued Omega Protocols on all of us."
"That sounds pretty terrible." Ray said from where he was standing by the window with his hands in his pockets.
"The worst kind of order they can issue…" Mick said, walking forwards he continued, "they've sent the Pilgrim after us."
Jax looked over to Mick and asked, "Who's the Pilgrim?"
Rip spoke instead, "The Pilgrim is the Time Masters' most deadly assassin, and she will stop at nothing until each and every one of you are dead."
"Ooh, scary. Pretty sure we can handle ourselves." Snart said jokingly.
"Indeed... which is why she won't be going after the present-day versions of you." Rip added that might be a problem.
Mick finished, "She's hunting our younger selves. And she won't stop until each and every one of us has been erased from the timeline."