Unto the Universe
Chapter Nineteen: Saving Hitler: The Time Agents
By Lumendea
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
AN: So as of last weekend's update I've been writing this series for ten years. Thanks to AllTypesOfLove for reminding me of my own anniversary. That's hard to believe, but I'm glad you're all here and enjoying the series after all this time. Also, I released the next book in my series so if you like my stuff consider checking out The Iron Soul series by J.M. Briggs.
….
There wasn't much time to process. Rose was trying not to panic and pushing down the storm of emotions raging in her chest at the sight of a prone and unconscious Adolf Hitler at her feet. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from him and picked up his firearm before dumping it in a nearby bin. That helped a little. She eyed a Nazi flag on the wall and wondered if it would be a huge problem if she tore it down and ripped it apart. It might help her calm down and stay rational.
"You alright?" the Doctor asked, taking a few steps towards Rose.
"Yes," Rose said. "And he is too." She gestured down at Hitler and enjoyed the scowl across the Doctor's face. Closing the distance between them, Rose kept her sword ready but allowed herself the comfort of a quick hug and soft kiss. "Not a great start."
"Jack," the Doctor called. "What about the bodyguards? Are they time agents?"
Jack had knelt beside one of the men and was studying his uniform and face. "He looks familiar. There isn't a Vortex Manipulator on his wrist, but that doesn't mean anything. You wouldn't risk carrying something that valuable so opening." He reached towards the man next. "But he might have a short-range teleport back to base around his neck."
Before Jack could check, the man stirred, and a hand shot up to grab Jack's wrist. Jack didn't fight him and eased back.
"Easy," Jack said. "Not trying to hurt you. When we came in, you were on the ground. What happened? How are you feeling?"
The man didn't answer and scrambled to his feet. Jack was still holding his firearm in his right hand, and Rose really hoped that they were Time Agents. The second man groaned and was starting to stir but lacked the quick recovery of the first. Rose stayed close to the Doctor and kept her sword ready, unsure of what to expect next.
Dressed in a Nazi uniform, the man certainly appeared to a person from this era. His hair was blond and cut short, and he had bright blue eyes. With his muscular build, he could have the poster boy for the Nazi ideal. He positioned himself so he could look at the three of them at once.
"Who are you?" the man demanded. His eyes swept over them, sharp and lingered on Rose's hair, Jack's weapon, and the Doctor's clothing. Then he sighed, looking like a man who had just realized there was a lot of paperwork in his future. "Great, more time travelers. Where is the other one?"
"He's gone," Jack answered. He adjusted his weapon, relaxing it to a non-threatening position, and adjusted his arm to pull up the sleeve of his coat to show his Vortex Manipulator. "He's got help from another time traveler, a dangerous one. We were tracking him, goes by the Monk."
Rose ignored the slight lie, figuring it was better than admitting they'd barged in even if that meant that Hitler had been saved. And she desperately hated that. The man frowned and studied Jack.
"I know you," he said.
"Possibly," Jack agreed. "I don't think we've ever met, but I served with the Time Agency for years. We may have crossed paths."
"Agent Javic," the man said slowly.
"I go by Jack now if you please. I've had much better luck with that name than any others," Jack replied. "Look, I know that you probably have a lot of rules, but we literally arrived in time to save your charge and protect history. We aren't trying to make trouble, but this Monk lives for trouble."
The man didn't look happy, but his shoulders relaxed a little. "Where is Hitler?"
"Over here, by the desk," Rose said. She gestured down at the man, realizing at the Time Agent couldn't see him. "He's unconscious, but his pulse was good."
"Move away from him," the man ordered.
Rose hated being bossed around, but the Doctor touched her arm, and she relented. Given that this man had the horrible job of keeping Hitler alive, she supposed she could understand his worry. He quickly took their place and knew beside Hitler. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out what looked like a silver cigarette case and held it over Hitler. A small hologram appeared with a medical report.
"Just like spy gadgets," Jack whispered, joining her and the Doctor. "I knew I wasn't getting the best toys."
"Yeah, well, he has to live here," Rose pointed out. "What was your longest assignment?"
"Do time loops count?" Jack asked.
"No," Rose answered.
"Hitler is fine," the man announced. "I'm not sure what knocked him out-"
"That was me," Jack admitted. "He had seen energy weapon discharge, and putting him to sleep once the situation was contained seemed the best course of action." He paused. "And I didn't want him opening his mouth and tempting us to hurt him.
"Hmmm," the man said, but Rose saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Then he stood and walked to his partner. "Get up, Trefor," he growled. He tapped the man's cheek as he groaned. "Wake up; you're going soft."
The other man woke suddenly, jolting in place and reaching for his firearm. The first man caught his hand before he could draw the weapon. He was a broad man with light brown hair and blue eyes that widened as he caught sight of Rose, the Doctor, and Jack. Saying nothing, he climbed to his feet and glanced at his partner.
"It's fine," the first Time Agent said in a low voice. "There was a breach, but the package is safe."
Jack chuckled and, when the second man glared at him, shrugged. But he seemed to trust his partner enough not to attack them. His dark blue eyes bore into them one at a time, and Rose wondered how this man was chosen. They were both white with blue eyes, but physical appearance alone couldn't be the determination of who got this awful job. Without a word, the man walked over to Hitler.
"I already checked him over," the first man said. "There's no need."
"I need to reassure myself," the second man huffed, pulling out the same device the first man had used. Then he relaxed. "Hitler is fine, save a broken finger."
"Oops," Rose said. She smiled despite herself, and the first man's lips quirked.
"I won't hold that against you," the first man said.
"Focus, Regnold," the second man barked. "We have a serious problem."
"Yes, but I'm not sure they're the problem," Reinold said. He stood beside Hitler, his hand resting on his firearm but not drawing it. "That man got away for us using unknown tech and made it up here. We activated a device that took us down. We just came to, and thankfully, the monster is still alive."
"Could be a trap," the other man said.
"Can we calm down," Rose asked. She finally released her sword, letting it return to its bracelet form. "And maybe introduce ourselves? We spoke with your partner before you woke up."
"Well, I am Regnold Daniels," the first man said with a nod.
"Trefor Garnet," the second man grunted. "What happened, and what do you know?"
Jack and the Doctor glanced at each other, and the Doctor nodded, ceding the floor to Jack. Clearing his throat, Jack stood almost at attention and kept his hand away from the firearm he'd returned to the holster.
"We were in a time ship when we detected a time traveler landing in Germany 1938. Realizing the potential danger, we landed and took a look around. We traced the time traveler to the outside of the building and saw one of you apprehend them. Not sure how they got up here, but we were about to head off since the situation was in hand when there was a strange flash of light. We entered the building with the help of psychic paper and arrived up here to find an unknown time traveler preparing to kill Hitler. We stopped his attempt, and he departed with the help of an alien known to us as a danger."
"He's a former Time Agent," Regnold told his partner. "I came to immediately after." He eyed the door. "We don't have much of a window to clean this up."
"You said that you know the alien this time traveler left with," Trefor said. "Friend of yours?"
"Hardly," the Doctor said. "He's dangerous." He hesitated but then sighed. "The man- the being helping him is a Time Lord," the Doctor said.
Both men scoffed but looked uneasy at the phrase. "I doubt that," Regnold said. "They're a legend."
"He's a Time Lord too," Jack said, gesturing at the Doctor. "I know how it sounds, but there have always been stories." He nodded at the Doctor. "But he's the real deal, and so is the other one. I don't know too much about him, but the few times I've crossed his path, it hasn't been good. Without knowing what his plan is, you're going to need help."
"We need to remain with Hitler," Regnold said. "We aren't authorized to go running off after a rogue."
"Hitler has more bodyguards than us," Trefor explained. "We make sure that we have the shifts during the day here as it is an easy place to find him, and despite what you may think, the security is fairly relaxed. We leave, and anyone can get to him."
"The war hasn't started yet," Jack said. "There isn't as big of a list of attempts on him yet."
"No," Trefor agreed. He was clearly struggling. "This man and this… Monk. Do you know what their next move might be?"
"The Monk likes to mess with history," the Doctor explained. "He justifies it for moral reasons, but… well, I doubt you need a lecture about why some things can't be changed. If he can't get to Hitler, then he may encourage the man he's working with, or using, to go after another official. After all, Hitler might be the most famous of the Nazi party, but he didn't pull off his rise to power and regime alone."
"No, he did not," Trefor agreed, seeming to warm up to them. "We'll alert our third, and he'll send a message to Headquarters. Reinforcements-"
"The Time Agency won't take him down," the Doctor said sternly. He walked over to one of the windows and looked down to the street. "He's a Time Lord. You can't outwit him, and he'll always know that you're coming."
The two Time Agents looked at each other and stepped closer, speaking in low voices to each other while watching the three of them. The Doctor sighed, frustration showing in his features. Rose touched his arm gently and leaned against his shoulder for a moment, suddenly very tired.
"You okay?" the Doctor asked.
"Mostly," Rose said. "I don't know. We go to points in history with a lot of bad, and I know I can't fix everything, but this is harder."
"It's recent," the Doctor said gently. "You recognize your world in this place more than in most. And… you're familiar with the horrors because it looms over your home time more than most. The Thirty Years War is terrible, but you didn't grow up learning about it, not like World War II. That makes a difference. If you need to go back to the TARDIS-"
"I don't think splitting up is a good idea with the Monk around," Rose pointed out. "I'll be fine. I won't enjoy the trip, but I'll do what needs to be done," she promised.
"Right," the Doctor agreed. "You two," he called to the Time Agents. "You better focus on Hitler. We'll work on tracking the Monk."
"Doctor," Jack started, "Don't you think-"
"I think the Monk is dangerous, Jack," the Doctor interrupted. He met the glares of the Time Agents. "I get that you have protocols and a priority, but there's a real potential problem out there. The Monk is still here, which means that your assassin might try again, and he's got a weapon that takes downtime travelers. We can't afford to wait around while you debate how you regard us."
There was a beat of silence, and Jack looked like he was bracing himself for the worst. "Fine," Trefor said. "You go and scout for the rogue." He turned to the desk and grabbed some paper. "Do you have a communications device?"
"I do," Rose said.
"Then here is the phone number of our post," Trefor said, holding out the note. Rose took it with a nod and slipped it into the pocket of her coat. "We'll clean up here and deal with the fact that a prisoner escaped and got up here before we could get him to the break room. You scout around, and we'll alert our third agent."
"Fine," the Doctor said. "Jack, Rose, let's go. The Monk is still in the city. They only teleported away." He gave the two Time Agents one more stern look. "You focus on keeping the monster alive, and we'll worry about the time traveler and Monk."
The pair had that stunned look that Rose had seen on many faces over the years. They were professionals, and the Doctor had, in his usual fashion, steamrolled right over them. She would be lying if she didn't admit that it brightened her spirit a little. The Doctor took her hand and led Rose towards the doorway of the office, and Jack fell into step behind them.
As they slipped out of the office, Rose kept her eyes out for any other officials, but the office building was surprisingly quiet. Yet, when they reached the first floor, a group of guards were marching through the halls with worried and confused scowls. The Doctor showed them the psychic paper quickly, releasing Rose's hand and instead guiding her with a hand on the small of her back. The doors to the outside gleamed in front of them, and the receptionist glanced up as they passed with not even a flicker of curiosity.
Stepping out into the sunlight, Rose watched Jack, and the Doctor immediately turn their attention to the sonic screwdriver and Vortex Manipulator. The city of Berlin stretched out before them, and Rose wondered what game the Monk was playing. Was he still helping the Eternals, or was he a free agent now?
"This way," the Doctor said, pointing east. He grabbed Rose's hand and led her down the street with Jack right behind them.
