A/N: Thank you, fritzen, Danielle, and Timeless Badger, for your comments, theories, and support. I say it every time but I really do mean my words. I appreciate all of the love and support of this story. It's kept me writing it when I feel like throwing in the towel. So, thank you for helping me finish this story! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
That afternoon, the bunker alarms chimed overhead. "Active time travel initiated." Many of the residents of the bunker lifted their eyes toward the ceiling, listening to the alarm but a lot of them ignored it, continuing with their daily tasks.
The time team, including Quinn and Rowan, met Agent Christopher and Jiya at the control center. Wyatt watched the two brothers out of the corner of his eye, unsure of their presence.
"What have you got?" Denise asked, bracing against the back of Jiya's chair.
Jiya's eyes scanned the images as they popped up on the screen. As the information scrolled by, she stated, "April 5, 1946...Nuremberg."
"Nuremberg?" Wyatt repeated. "Germany?"
"It's right after the war too," Lucy said with a nod.
Quinn's eyes drifted across them, watching them think of a reason. He cleared his throat. "I think I have the answer." When the others turned to him, he added, "Abba Kovner."
"Who?" Rufus asked.
Lucy inhaled sharply. "Right...April…" she paused to think, eyes widening as it came to her. "It's about the time he leads his fighting force to carry out Plan B-"
"Can you slow down and fill the rest of us in, please?" Agent Christopher asked. "Who is Abba Kovner? And what is Plan B?"
Lucy licked her lips. "Abba Kovner was a Jewish poet who assembled a resistance fighting force. Then after the war, they sought out revenge against the Germans for how many died during the Holocaust."
"Assembled?" Rufus repeated. "Like the Avengers?"
Lucy didn't even hesitate to confirm. "They are recognized today as The Jewish Avengers."
Rufus muttered under his breath, his voice showing his enthusiasm, "So awesome!"
Denise turned to them. "Be careful out there-"
"I think it'd be wise to send one of us along," Quinn interjected, motioning between Rowan and himself. "Ye might need the extra manpower."
Wyatt gritted his teeth, a scowl rising on his expression. "We've got it handled."
Denise thought about the offer for a moment. "It might not be a bad idea-"
"You can't be serious," he scoffed, whipping his head over to glare at her.
"You're heading into post-war territories," Denise explained. "I think you might want to consider the benefits of having another trained marksman-"
"And leave who behind?" Wyatt questioned. "Do we leave Lucy? Rufus?" He motioned to the two as he said their names.
Quinn cleared his throat. "Ye could leave either one if ye so choose," he stated. "I'm a bit of a history buff myself and I know how to pilot the machines."
Wyatt turned to the others. "I'm just going to say it but I don't trust him," he glanced over at the brothers, "no offense."
"Ye've been consistent enough," Quinn told him with a small shrug. It was clear to everyone that he wasn't surprised to hear Wyatt's remark. He turned his dark eyes over to Rufus. "Would ye like to sit this one out?"
Rufus's eyes bugged out. He had been praying to hear those words since this whole thing began. He never thought in his wildest dreams that it would become an option. His mouth fell open, words catching in his throat.
Wyatt held his hand out. "Hold on a minute," he turned to Agent Christopher, "you really can't be serious about this?"
Denise shot him a quick look, lifting her shoulder slightly. She cocked her head as she said, "Whether we want to admit it or not, we've formed an alliance-"
Wyatt shook his head, throwing his hands up in frustration. He turned to Flynn. "Back me up here, man."
Flynn's eyes darted between Quinn, Rowan, Wyatt, and Denise. "I don't like it either-"
"See?" Wyatt interjected, motioning with his hands as if his point were made.
"But," Flynn continued, "I also see the benefits of having them along."
Jiya cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention back to her. "Uh, they're still in 1946...in case you're wondering."
Quinn nodded, stepping forward. "So, I suppose Lucy should sit this one out then?"
Denise glanced over at Lucy. "All right," she said as Lucy blinked at the suggestion. "Rufus, Wyatt, Flynn... and Quinn."
Wyatt pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head as his jaw jutted out in disapproval. Turning his gaze over to Flynn, he silently lectured him on the importance of being careful with Quinn. To his genuine surprise, Flynn nodded once, letting him know he was on the same page.
The four men entered the landing pad where the time machines sat. Quinn asked, "Shall we take mine?"
"Can we do that?" Rufus asked, glancing at the others before looking over his shoulder to Agent Christopher.
Quinn smirked. "I'll even let ye drive her."
Rufus's lips curved into a wide grin - one that would put the Joker's to shame as he almost gleefully climbed into the Death Star Mothership. The others climbed in behind him, shaking their heads at Rufus's excitement.
Those remaining behind watched from behind the safety glass of the control room as the door to the dark mothership closed and it popped out of view.
Lucy glanced over at Jiya and Mason. "So...it's been a while... but what do you do while they're gone?"
1946
The moment the dark mothership landed, Rufus swiveled around in his chair, looking over at Wyatt and Flynn. "That was a smooth ride!" he said, beaming, "I almost forgot what it felt like."
Wyatt sighed. He couldn't disagree with Rufus, despite wanting to. For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel sick to his stomach from the jump. The machine didn't jostle him around like the Lifeboat usually did.
Quinn stood up, smiling at Rufus. "Don't ye worry," he told the pilot, "I'm sure ye'll get plenty of opportunities to fly her again."
"You mean," Rufus started, eyes widening more, "You'll let me fly this one again?"
"That's what the man said," Wyatt muttered as he stood up.
The four exited the time machine, finding themselves on the outskirts of some rubble on the edge of town. It was clear to them that the rubble was what was leftover from the war - the destroyed buildings and walls the locals were able to clear out of town and dumped here.
It didn't take the team long to secure clothing for the current time. There were plenty of donated clothes to be found at shelters and church boxes for the needy. They changed quickly before marching down the lane.
Quinn stated, "There's an internment camp near here that houses SS officers and soldiers." His squinted dark eyes darted about the street as he searched for the obvious direction.
"What does the camp have to do with why we're here?" Wyatt asked. "I thought Lucy said they were some kind of avengers?"
Quinn nodded. "After the war, they decided to level the playing field, if ye will," he said with a subtle bob of his head, "so they concocted a plan to poison the water supplies here in Nuremberg."
"What happened?" Wyatt asked as he fell in step with Quinn.
"A series of unfortunate events happened," he explained. "Abba Kovner took it upon himself to secure the poison and bring it back here but he was arrested before the ship docked. He threw the poison overboard in a state of panic, then spent several months in prison."
"And now?" Wyatt pushed, "What? They're trying to do it again?"
Quinn nodded. "Except this time, they're targeting the food supplies for the prisoners."
"How does someone poison food without anyone even noticing?" Rufus questioned, his voice dropping low. He glanced about the street, careful not to draw attention to themselves.
Quinn turned his gaze briefly to the pilot. "They got men on the inside who've been hiding the arsenic under the floorboards. At the proper time, they will attempt to coat the loaves of bread with it before they are passed out."
"Why would Rittenhouse or," Wyatt motioned to Quinn, "Bloodstone...want here? Did they succeed or something?"
Quinn shook his head, stopping off to the side of the lane. He turned to face them. "They sickened quite a few but as far as killing anyone, there were no reported deaths."
Flynn's lips were pressed hard together in thought. Finally, he spoke up. "Maybe that's why Rittenhouse is here. Maybe they want this plan to work."
"What purpose would it serve them to have millions of Germans die?" Wyatt asked, brows knitted together in confusion. "It makes no sense-"
Quinn motioned with his chin across the street. "Perhaps, we should just ask the mastermind behind it, eh?"
The team glanced across the street to see a lanky man with a long face emerge from a shop. He ran a hand through his thick black hair before he readjusted a wicker basket on his forearm. He glanced up and down the lane before crossing the side street, seemingly in a hurry.
"Who's that?" Rufus asked, eyes following the man.
"Abba Kovner," Quinn told him. "If ye got questions, he's the man with the answers."
Wyatt nodded once. "Then let's go have a chat."
The four trailed the unsuspecting Abba Kovner through the city square toward the slums. They stopped on the corner to watch the man enter an old run-down apartment building. The windows were semi-boarded up, bars along the lower windows and door. The door to the brownstone building scraped against the concrete floor as Abba opened and closed the door.
"Do we follow him?" Rufus asked, glancing over to the others for directions.
Flynn licked his lips, eyes squinting in concentration as he scanned the area. He noticed these buildings were near the prison and the bakery. "You mentioned they were planning on poisoning the food supplies for the prisoners?"
Quinn nodded, eyes darted over to where Flynn was staring. "Aye," he said. "Perhaps we should take a look there."
"You're assuming Rittenhouse is going to let them continue with this plan," Wyatt pointed out, "especially now that we're here."
As they continued discussing their plan of action, they spotted more men entering the old building. Wyatt pressed his lips firmly together before saying, "Looks like they're having a meeting of some kind." He started to cross the street. "Let's go."
"Wyatt!" Flynn called out to him, grabbing Rufus by the shoulder to stop him from following blindly, "Wait!"
Wyatt glanced over his shoulder in time to see a large warehouse truck barreling down the cobblestone lane toward him. It wasn't slowing down. He felt a pair of strong hands grab him by the shoulders of his coat, tugging him back onto the curb just as the truck roared past.
Flynn's eyes locked onto the truck as it barreled by them. The two men inside the cabin didn't stop to make sure they were all right but that wasn't what bothered him. One of the men inside the cabin seemed familiar but his mind was drawing a blank as to why.
Wyatt's head snapped up to see Quinn releasing his hold on him. Quinn studied him for a moment before asking, "Are ye all right?"
Nodding, Wyatt replied, "Yeah… yeah, thanks…" he glanced between the other stunned and concerned faces surrounding him, "I didn't hear him coming."
Rufus raised an eyebrow at Flynn. "Hey, man," he started, breaking Flynn's concentration, "you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Flynn's brows were knitted together. "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Rufus questioned, clearly not believing him. Flynn remained silent as he nodded. His eyes drifted down the lane, watching as the truck disappeared around the far corner of the square.
