Chapter 3: Acceleration

Review Comments:

Starkiller: Yes! I plan on doing Lena POVs in the future (possibly other major characters as well).

Sam C: I think a major problem with fanfics is that they are very predictable, and most of them are overly positive. I will try to keep this story as unpredictable as possible. Although I may not take the route you suggested, you can suspect that this story will NOT be all unicorns and rainbows.

The bedroom was quiet without the Brit. Although you used to require complete silence to sleep well, you had grown accustomed to Lena's restlessness. She would rarely fall asleep before you, and she commonly fidgeted for over an hour before finding rest. Some nights she would even wake you up just to make sure you knew that she could not sleep.

A few nights prior…

"(Your Name)… (Your Name) wake up. (Your Name)," Lena said as she shook you, jolting you from slumber.

Your eyelids were extraordinarily heavy, but you fought the urge to close them again because the girl in bed beside you seemed distraught. You took a deep breath and rubbed one of your eyes with the bottom of your palm.

With a low, husky voice you asked, "Hm?... Everything okay?"

"I can't sleep, love. I don't know why because I am exhausted," she said while using her elbow to prop herself up.

She looked down on you innocently and smiled. Her hair, which was more disheveled than usual, was evidence that she was indeed having trouble sleeping... again.

Your stared at her with half-opened eyes; her eyes were the opposite, large and radiant. Even in the dark you could clearly make out the soft structures on her face. As much as you wanted to be angry with the brunette, there was something about the way she looked down at you that put you at ease. Any other person, given the same situation, would have regretted waking you up for such a pointless purpose. However, since the hands and voice that awoke you belonged to Lena Oxton, you approached the matter more delicately.

You attempted to stifle a rather large yawn and asked, "I am sorry… anything I can do?"

"Well since you're awake, let's play a game of truth or dare."

Your eyes shifted from side to side in confusion, "How in the world is that supposed to help you sleep?"

"I suppose that you will either entertain me with dares or put me to sleep with truths," Lena said through a tired smile. "So… You first, truth or dare?"

Begrudgingly, you said, "I want to go back to sleep as soon as possible so… Truth."

She turned her eyes to the Union Jack hung on the ceiling, pondering. Her face lit up as she once again locked eyes with you and asked, "What is the most expensive thing you have ever stolen, love?"

The Brit's question took you aback, "What? I haven't stolen anything in my life."

Lena yawned far too obnoxiously for it to be earnest, "Wow, it seems the game is going according to plan. How plain, (Your Name)."

You propped yourself up with your elbow to meet her at eye level, "Well what is the most expensive thing you have ever stolen, Lena? Have I been sleeping next to a common thief?"

"That's not how the game works. You have to ask whether I want a truth or dare."

"Fine… Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"No, I want to know the answer to my question," you said as you nudged her shoulder with a smile, not breaking eye contact whilst doing so. Your eyes were fully open at that point.

"Dare."

"You're the worst."

"Dare."

"Okay, I dare you to go to sleep."

Present time…

You quietly smirked to yourself, reminiscing of your nights with Lena. Although you would never admit it to her, you enjoyed her nightly episodes.

The door to the apartment opened audibly, and you were momentarily shocked before deducing that the sound must be signifying Lena's return. You quickly rolled over on your side away from the stairway leading from the living room to the bedroom to act like you were asleep. She would indubitably wake you up to talk, so might as well have a little fun with her. You couldn't resist a slight smile creeping on your lips as you heard the brunette scurrying up the staircase.

"(Your Name)! (Your Name) get up," Lena blurted out through gasps. She had obviously been running, but you had no clue as to why.

Feigning a sleepy façade, you sat up slowly and looked her with one eye barely open. You breathed deeply and whispered out, "This better be good."

The brunette was still visibly struggling to catch her breath, "Winston… He…" She took a moment to recompose herself, "Winston saw me. I spoke to him. He said we need to go to the laboratory immediately for further study."

The circumstance seemed odd, and you expected foul play. This could have been another one of Lena's stupid jokes. Besides, this seemed too good to be true. After all, you and Lena had spent hours trying to get anyone to notice you.

Your voice full of doubt, you asked, "Are you… Are you certain?"

"I am fucking positive, (Your Name)," she said dryly. The Brit had a certain sternness to her voice that was not native to her. Either she was telling the truth, or she was very dedicated to some sick joke.

You decided to give Lena the benefit of the doubt and threw the sheets off you in a hurry, exposing your half naked body for a brief moment before you rushed to grab your night shirt from Lena's walk-in closet. Because you spent so much time in Lena's apartment, the two of you decided it was best to split the closet space; however, the closet space was split heavily in her favor.

"I swear I will kill you if this is some kind of joke, Oxton."

She brushed past you and walked down the stairs. "This is no time for standing around. Hurry up, (Your Name)," she said from the bottom step.

Unsure of what to expect, you put your faith in Lena and followed her out of the dorm.

Laboratory Study: Day 3, 18:19

Your faith in Lena was rewarded for once; you initially doubted the veracity of her story, but Winston was able to confirm everything after the two of you reached the lab, which took much longer to find than you expected considering the Brit had come from the location. She wasn't very good with directions, and her spatial awareness outside of cockpit was lackluster at best. Luckily, you were able to navigate with brute force by checking all possible routes suggested by her.

It had been three days since then, and you found yourselves in a circular room surrounded by glass. On one semicircle, the glass overlooked the Bay of Gibraltar, and on the other, the glass served as an observation window for a large team of scientist. The bay was blue and beautiful at night, but the observation glass seemed rather pointless as you and Lena were still desynchronized from the present. The two of you were visible to the team only at small intervals, usually hours or days in between. However, the room was fitted with sensors that could pick up signals that indicated when the two of you were about to appear.

Above the glass, there were cables and visible wiring that ran around the entire circumference on the circle. The wires carried a large current through them, and the circular pattern was used to create an electromagnetic field within the room that, in theory, was meant to alleviate your condition and make your trips to the present more frequent. The doctors called your condition "Chronal Dissociation," but the name seemed to be the only progress they had made thus far.

The science team was kind enough to place two separate beds and a small couch in the room. The furniture was nice, but it was subpar compared to the amenities you and Lena shared in her apartment that past week.

Aside from the glass, the cabling, and the furniture, there wasn't much to your new world. Despite being on the right track toward the present, the two of you felt more isolated than ever.

"We should have stayed in the apartment," the usually bubbly Brit said with a hint of regret in her throat. She sat completely still on her bed, looking out at the Bay of Gibraltar. The sun was on its final descent into the water on the horizon, and its afterglow through a perfect shade of orange over her hazel eyes. The light did not seem to bother her.

"Nonsense, this was the right move. I do miss the bed though," you said looking in her direction as you sat on your uncomfortable mattress.

Lena did not look away from the bay, but she graced you with a subtle smile. "You just miss being able to lay next to me," she teased.

You couldn't help but smile too. "More nonsense. Where do you come up with these things?"

"I just call it how I see it I suppose. You're easy to read, love," she said as she finally looked away from the window to match your gaze. "These beds are small, but you could always come join me if you're feeling lonely," she giggled out playfully.

Rolling your eyes, you said, "I will be sure to keep that mind. After all it does get a little dark in here."

Lena gave you a disapproving look. It was obvious that you were making fun of the Brit's fear of the dark. She had confided in you a few nights after the Slipstream incident that she was deathly afraid of darkness.

"Ha-ha. Very funny, (Your Name). I should have never told you that."

"Don't be like that, we all have our idiosyncrasies."

She raised her eyebrow with interest, "What's yours then?"

"You're going to have to get me drunk if you want to find out." You kicked your feet up and laid on the bed with both of your arms behind your head. "Now is not the time nor place."

"Now we're talking," she said as she mimicked your actions. "First round is on me once we bloody get out of this joint."

Laboratory Study: Day 67, 14:04

Lena had lost it.

You thought she was in bad shape after the second week, but now she had gone completely off the deep end. Who could blame her though? Spending over two months in a 500-square foot space had a certain disconcerting effect on a person.

Neither of you were in a normal state of mind, but she was obviously much worse off than you were. The Brit was used to running around out in the open while talking and interacting with everyone and everything in sight. The lack of outside interaction, in tandem with the confinement cell you two were locked in, had thrown her out of homeostasis, and now she was slowly beating her head against the glass window that peered into the observation room. Besides the unruly hair and the bags under her eyes, Lena looked as stunning as ever; you couldn't help but notice even in your discombobulated state.

You sat up in your bed. "Lena… Lena stop."

"Stop what?" The brunette continued to beat her head on the glass while not looking away from the window opposite of her.

You pointed at the window behind her and said, "The head banging. You're going to give yourself a nasty headache."

"What's the point, (Your Name)?"

Lena's words perplexed you. She had a point; what was the point? Sure, that was a wild conclusion that was unsupported by any evidence, but what was the point? You took a moment to ponder her question.

You then thought to yourself, 'Wait, no. This is absurd.'

You realized the absurdity of her statement, and you were beginning to lose your mind as she was. You refused to let the girl drag your mental state down into oblivion along with hers. You got up from your bed and physically moved her away from the wall.

"The point is you're going insane, and you're driving me there with you."

"You're driving me insane," she countered.

Puzzled, you scrunched your face and asked, "What? What did I do?"

"God… always has to be about you, doesn't it?"

Utterly confused at this point you stood up from your bed. "Lena, what in the hell are you talking about? Get a hold of yourself before we both lose it."

Lena stood up to match your elevation, but she was at least a head shorter than you still. She put her hands on her hips and gave you a stern look. "Oh so it's my fault?"

"I usually put these things as nicely as possible, but I am just going to say it. This is one-hundred percent, definitely your fault. Get a hold of yourself, Oxton."

"You're such a wanker sometimes, (Your Name). If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be going insane. I'd rather be locked in this cell alone in all honestly."

Your arms sank to your sides, and you put on a fake frown, feigning sadness. You took a short step toward Lena. "You don't mean that."

She took her hands off her hips and crossed her arms. "I do."

"I know you don't mean that," you said as you slowly advanced on her.

As much as she wanted to hide it, she couldn't help but crack a half smile. She tried to maintain her anger. "Don't you fucking dare, (Your Name)."

Her smile was contagious. "Take it back. Take it back, Lena," you whispered with a husky voice. You extended your arms out like a bear ready to attack its prey. Due to the shape of the round room, you were not able to corner Lena. However, you were larger and faster. She had nowhere to run.

"If you fucking tickle me again, I will scream rape."

"No one will hear you, my sweet," you said in the creepiest voice you could muster.

"I will claw your eyes – ahh."

You cut the brunette off mid-sentence by tackling the girl into the mattress behind her. She kicked and screamed to no avail as you lifted her arms above her head with your knees. She did her best to resist, but you were much stronger than she was.

"Take it back, Lena."

"No bloody chance in h –"

Before her defiant words could exit her mouth, you used both hands to tickle the Brit's underarms. The scowl that plagued her face was replaced by forced laughter and tears. The old, laughing Lena was back. You had almost forgotten what it was like to hear the delightfulness her joy and to see the brilliance of her smile.

Even though you were the tickling perpetrator, you also laughed full-heartedly. "Take it back!"

She struggled through laughter, but she finally fought it down long enough to respond. "OKAY!... I… take it back! You're not a wanker!"

"Promise?"

"I swear on my mum's grave now get off!"

You accepted her surrender and laid down on the bed beside her, facing the daylight. You looked down at the defeated brunette and rustled her hair, earning an exasperated look from her. It had been weeks since the two of you had played around with each other, and you missed the light-hearted interaction.

From the look on her face, you could assume that she had missed it as well.

Laboratory Study: Day 141, 2:36

Winston barged into the cell, waking both you and Lena. The gorilla scientist held two devices in his hands. They shared the likeness of the Slipstream's drive core, but they were much smaller and had straps that you guessed might attach to someone's chest. The devices glowed different hues, one red and one blue, and they both appeared to give off static discharges at regular intervals.

"Sorry to drop in at such a late hour, but I think we have finally done it. This might be the answer," Winston gleamed with pride.

Though you were both sleep deprived, the two of you shot up from your respective beds to stand to attention.

The gorilla lifted the two devices above his waist and said, "We call these two apparatuses, Chronal Accelerators. In theory, the accelerators should give you two control over your own time."

Winston coughed into his shoulder and continued, "Now I cannot see the two of you, so you must strap these to your person on your own. The accelerators will bind to you at a molecular level and bring you back to the present. I must warn you, the initial sensation will not be pleasant. Keep in mind that your molecules will anchor in time one-by-one, and it will most likely feel like an electric shock. Neither of you will be harmed, but I must leave the room so that I am not caught in the inevitable overload. See you on the other side."

Winston dropped the two accelerators a few feet away from the exit of the containment cell and made his way to the observation room.

You and Lena were speechless. You both had been waiting for this moment for months, but now it was difficult to process that the end was nigh. Lena slowly crept off her bed toward the two devices, and you followed her lead.

"Well, ladies first," you said as you followed the Brit.

She turned over her shoulder to give you a disapproving scowl. "You must be joking. We are in this together, (Your Name)."

Sweating lightly, you walked ahead of her and picked up both accelerators, and you quickly handing her the one that glowed a red hue. She gave you a concerned look, but she quickly recovered enough to flash her smirk at you.

You matched her smirk and looked back toward your accelerator, then you positioned your head between the straps.

"Ready for this, Lena?"

"Wait…"

"What is it?"

She sheepishly put one hand behind your head and looked at the floor, "I sort of want the blue one…"

Rolling your eyes, you accepted the Brit's trade. "You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"

Lena beamed with delight. "Okay! Now I am ready."

You rattled your brain for a clever line, but only came up with something cheesy. "Well, see you in a second."

Your response earned a sigh from the brunette. "You just had to say something, didn't you?"

In unison, the two of you strapped the accelerators to your chests, and the room filled with a bright explosion of red and blue that fused into a magenta supernova. You couldn't hear Lena, but you imagined she was also experiencing the excruciating pain that overcame you. It was as if your body was being torn apart and reassembled piece by piece. The screams never left your throat, no matter how hard you pushed them out.

After what seemed like an eternity of suffering, the light dimmed and you found yourself face down on the floor. Looking up, you were able to make out the silhouettes of men walking toward you. However, the light's blinding effect persisted, and you were only able to see the shadows they casted.

Dazed by the explosion, you and Lena tried to crawl away from the shadows, but they were much too quick and you were surrounded by walls.

Despite your temporary blindness, you were able to see a large, hairy hand extended out to you, attempting to help you to your feet.

A deep, nasally voice boomed with excitement. "Lena. (Your Name). Welcome back."

Notes:

I am sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out, but I have been busy with tests and interviews for MBA admission. I got in!

Regarding the story, I am not sure how long this will be. I have a clear end goal in sight, but I am not sure what route I will take to get there. I want to keep the pacing slow so that the story's ending will feel rewarding. If I had to guess, I think this story will end up being around ~15-20 chapters. Until next time!