Veronica sat cross legged on the desk eating ramen from a large mug while they discussed their latest problem with Darkh and company.
"What's with bad guys and ancient amulets?" Sara threw down the amulet onto the desk.
"Any idea why Darhk wants this?" Raymond asked.
"All I know is, it's never a good idea when your nemesis starts accessorizing." Veronica pointed at the amulet with her chopsticks.
"And he's teamed up with a Speedster." Jefferson pointed out.
"What's a Speedster?" Amaya asked.
"A pain in the butt." Veronica said with a fake smile.
"Someone with super speed." Raymond answered. "That's how Darhk escaped."
"The energy of the Speed Force grants the Speedster Chronokinesis, temporal manipulation…" The professor started to explain.
"English, Professor." Mick rolled his eyes.
"It means that his running is real fast, lets him time travel." Sara explained.
"I'll be in my room." Mick left with beer in hand.
"Martin, I need you to gather everything you can on Speedsters." Sara ordered. "And Nate's right, this amulet looks a lot like the one we recovered off the Nazis. There's got to be a connection."
"Let me guess, I'm on library duty." Nathan said bitterly.
"Faunching at the bit for some action book boy?" Veronica teased getting a pouty glare from Nate before he stomped off to the library.
-0-
Nate sat behind his desk piled high with various books, papers, and knick-knacks. Ray, Sara, and Veronica had come in for his report which he was giving to them with a certain amount of annoyance.
"I'm thinking this amulet dates back to Late Antiquity and is Judeo-Christian in origin." Nate told them.
"Great." Ray smiled, but faltered. "Is that great?"
"Well, I can't find a reference of it anywhere." Nate tossed it on the table. "Like, none. Historically speaking, this doesn't exist."
"Well, this is right in front of us, so I'd say it does exist." Sara replied. "And we know that Damien Darhk and the Speedster are willing to kill for it."
"Sounds like you got some more homework to do." Veronica pointed out causing Nathan to scoff, leaning back in his chair.
"What?" Sara asked.
"I-I just thought, becoming a superhero, I would spend less time in the library than my old job." Nathan complained. "That's all."
"Well, research skills are a kind of superpower. And you can turn to steel. So you got two." Ray smiled as Nathan glared before a beeping came up.
"Saved by the Aberration." Nate cheered.
"Oh, what's the Trouble Alert say?" Ray asked as they came over to it.
"Look, I told you, don't call it that." Sara told him.
"The timequake's epicenter is Liberty, Colorado, 1874." Nate read off.
"Hah! Back to the Wild West." Ray smiled.
"You guys were in the Old West?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, town made me a Sheriff and Veronica was my deputy." Ray said proudly.
"That's cool." Nate said.
"All right, well, I will go tell Jax and Stein." Sara said. "Who wants to tell Rory?"
"Not it." Ray, Veronica, and Nate said leaving it to Amaya.
"What?" Amaya watched them go. "Okay. I'll do it."
"Bribe him with the good booze." Veronica told her.
"Will it make it better?" Amaya asked.
"Well…he won't burn your head off." Veronica shrugged before leaving her to it. Sara took note of the certain look in her eye and skip in her step.
"Excited to be back in the west." Sara hummed.
"A little." Veronica admitted. "Closest to the ranch I've been able to get since climbing onto this tug boat."
"And it would have anything to do with a certain bounty hunter." Sara pointed out.
"No." Veronica blushed. "I mean what are the chances of actually even seeing him again." Veronica stuttered. "Not that I want to."
"Right." Sara nodded, amused by Veronica's flustering.
-0-
Veronica was in the fabrication room with Nate and Ray trying to pick out which outfit she wanted to wear. She didn't want to admit how much thought she was putting into this and kept reminding herself that the odds of meeting Hex again were slim to none.
"I don't know how to use 'em, but I'm wearing spurs." Nate spun the spurs on his boot.
"They're for directing your horse sugar." Veronica looked herself over in the mirror before tossing aside her current jacket and picking up another.
"I remember my first time in the Wild West." Ray grinned. "Veronica and I drove a real-life desperado out of town."
"That's cool." Nathan replied picking up a hat.
"And that was my hat." Ray took the hat. "Thanks."
"Mm-hmm." Nathan went back to the fabricator and got another one watching as it was made before his eyes. "That's cool."
"What's this?" Ray picked up a piece of folded paper.
"Oh, uh, that's nothing. Don't open that…You don't have to open…" Nathan tried to stop him, but Ray was already looked down at the picture of Nathan in a hero uniform. "You opened it."
"Did you draw your own superhero costume?" Ray asked as Veronica peaked over his shoulder.
"No." Nathan said. "Absolutely not." His argument weakened. "Yeah, I did. And I only did, because when I steel up, my clothes stretch out and they fit all weird. And besides, don't I deserve a suit? I mean, am I just the research guy here?"
"Look, I-I know what it's like to be a rookie." Ray told him. "Just, uh, follow my lead, and you'll be fine out there."
"Yeah right." Veronica scoffed a bit before going back over to the jackets.
"Oh, I know a few things about the Old West." Nathan said.
"Like, for instance, nobody says, "howdy. And, uh you know how to ride a horse, right?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, I can figure it out." Nathan nodded.
"Oh boy." Veronica sighed.
"This loaded?" Nathan waved around a gun, startling when it was smoothly removed from his hand.
"Yes." Veronica glared at him. "Even if it wasn't you don't go around waving a gun like a tin horn."
"It is? Oh…right." Nathan slowly took the gun back doing a double take when he saw Veronica adjusting her long black duster.
She also wore a dark red dress shirt, a black closed vest, a pair of black pants, black boots, a black hat perched on her head, a black and dark red paisley handkerchief. She looked up from strapping on her irons to see him starring and narrowed her eyes at him.
"You got something to say librarian?" She challenged.
"Nothing, it's nothing." Nathan said quickly shaking his head then changing his mind. "But that's like the third time you've changed your outfit."
"So?" Veronica snapped.
"Nothing." Nathan quickly ducked his head.
"Do you think we'll run into Jonah?" Ray asked bluntly. "Is that why you're dressing up?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Boy Scout." Veronica turned away.
"Who's Jonah?" Nathan asked and before Veronica answered Ray filled him in. "Oh...so he's like the one that got away."
Instead of answering Veronica reached out tapping Ray's hat charging with just enough energy to make it pop. Ray yelped jumping back brushing the ashes from his head as Veronica turned on her heel stalking out of the room.
"That was my favorite hat." Ray pouted.
-0-
After parking the Wave Rider they procured some horses and took off into the wilds. They came to a stop on a wide muddy road to get their barring's.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Guys, I think my, uh, horse is broken!" Nathan called out as his horse moved in a circle. Veronica rolled his eyes letting out a sharp whistle, the horse coming to an abrupt stop, and falling into line with Veronicas. "How'd you do that?"
"I actually know how to ride a horse." Veronica replied. "Where's the Professor?"
"Uh, he's feeling a little off." Jefferson told her.
"More whiskey for me." Rory noted.
"Yee-haw! - Whoo-whoo-whoo!"
"Sounds like a commotion of some kind." Amaya commented.
"Hold back, let's get a better look." Sara said and they all dismounted moving through the woods toward the hollering men.
"Yee-ha! Yeah-hoo! Look at him up there, boy!" One of the men called out.
"Ah, it's a hanging." Rory grinned as they saw a group of men surrounding another man tied up on a horse with a noose and sack around his head.
"Is that Hex?" Sara looked through a scope as they removed the bag.
"Jonah?!" Veronica snatched the scope from Sara.
"Well what are the chances?" Sara shot a smirk at Veronica.
"You know that man?" Amaya asked.
"We got to help him." Veronica glared.
"Well, we got to take his crew out first." Jefferson pointed out.
"They look armed." Ray noted.
"Don't worry, guys." Nathan ran toward the scene "I got this!"
"Well, well, well, you look a lot less mean with that noose around your neck, don't you, Hex?" The man called up at Hex.
"You think this is finished?" Hex growled.
"Lookin' pretty finished to me." The man sneered. "Don't you think, boys?" Hex kicked out catching the man in the face. "Ah! You son of a bitch!"
"You might want to slow down there." Nathan came onto the scene. "Because these here parts ain't big enough for the…" He counted the men. "…five of us."
"And who the hell are you?" One of the men asked.
"What he said." Hex snarled.
"On second thought, I don't give a damn!" They started shooting at Nathan who went steel and deflected the bullets. The ruckus startled the horse Hex was on and it left him dangling from the noose.
"Sara, give me your rifle." Veronica held out her hand, the blonde placing the rifle in her hand.
Veronica aimed, red seeping from her hands following the length of the barrel and matching the red glow of her eyes.
"Hold still, Jonah." Veronica hummed before taking her shot, the red bullet streaking through the air and splitting the rope.
"Nice shot." Rory complimented as Hex fell to the ground with a thud. Veronica handed the gun back to Sara before starting toward the fight watching as Nathan and Hex took out the men.
"Now you get on that horse and you ride till you feel like you can't ride any further, then you ride some more." Nathan ordered the last man who took off as fast as he could. "Now go on, get! Go on!" Natha cheered firing off his gun. "Whoo! Hyah! Whoo! - Hyah!" He kept cheering as he turned to Hex who was staring at him in annoyance. "Woo-ah! Face."
"What?" Jonah growled.
"Nothing." Nathan looked away.
One of the men stumbled to his feet running toward Veronica. Her eyes narrowed in on the cavalry hat he was wearing and just as he turned to face the way he was running his nose met with Veronica's glowing red fist sending him back hard. The hat went up in the air, Veronica easily catching it without breaking stride. Hex straightened up spotting the red head sauntering over to him with his hat in hand. His lip twitching up into a smirk.
"Hello Jonah. Drop something?" Veronica grinned up at him placing his hat back on his head.
"Saved by a filly." He said in a low gravelly voice, his eyes lingering on hers.
"Ain't that the damnedest? A simple thank you would suffice." Veronica commented playfully gaining a smirk from the man, but the moment was broken as they realized Nathan was standing quite close to them. He had a dorky grin on his face as his eyes darted between them.
"So this is Jonah." Nathan waggled his brows, but quickly jumped back when Veronica's glowing red eyes snapped to him. Hex looked past Veronica as the rest of the league walked over to them.
"Oh, hell. They're all back." Jonah sighed.
-0-
"How'd you know I needed saving?" Hex asked as Sara and Veronica led him through the ship to the captain's office.
"Because we got an alert that history was being changed, and the coordinates led us to your hanging." Veronica told him.
"Well, I guess it's nice to know that I matter." Hex shot her a smirk, enjoying the way her cheeks pinked.
"Leaving already? I didn't get to shoot anyone." Rory groused as he and Amaya came into the captain's office.
"I need a drink." Hex moved over to the selection. "Where's Rip?"
"He's MIA." Sara said.
"Damn." Hex poured a drink. "How the hell did you miscreants manage to not get yourselves killed without him?"
"Miss Lance has been serving as Captain." Amaya replied.
"But she's a lady." Jonah said and just like that Veronica was reminded of one of the reasons she didn't stay. "You are a lady, right?"
"You know I could take your life just as easily as I saved it if you keep this up." Veronica pointed out with a tight smile.
"Oh, fiery." Jonah said. "Whoever breaks the two of you in is in for a wild ride."
"Too bad captain filly into other fillies." Rory told him.
"You don't say." Jonah nearly choked on his drink, glancing at Veronica, who seemed to grow less happy to see him.
"I'm into men who don't have a superiority complex over women." Veronica crossed her arms with a dark look. "So how did you end up in the noose? Couldn't have been due to your extensive charm."
"Well, I was collecting the bounty on a piss-ant by the name of Quentin Turnbull." Jonah told them.
"As in Turnbull Country?" Nathan said as he came in
"Never heard of it." Hex growled out.
"That's because it's not supposed to exist I'm guessing." Veronica said.
"Exactly, this book has changed since the last time I saw it." Nathan told them. "Check this out Gideon."
"Right away." Gideon brought up a map showing west America now named Turnbull country.
"That's a map of the United States from 1876." Nathan showed them.
"All right, who is Turnbull?" Sara asked.
"Two-bit, yellow-bellied cattle rustler." Hex answered.
"Who controls all of the land west of the Rocky Mountains." Nathan said.
"Looks like we found our Aberration." Amaya said.
"Am I supposed to have the faintest idea what the hell this means?" Hex asked Veronica.
"It's means that we need to stop Turnbull from taking over the West." Veronica pulled out her gun twirling it before replacing it in her holster.
"Looks like you got yourself a posse, partner." Rory stood up bracing himself on the table and Hex looked less than happy at the idea though his eyes did glance to Veronica feeling a bit better about the situation.
-0-
"Where is everybody?" Jefferson asked as the strolled into town.
"Ever since Turnbull set up shop 'bout six months ago, everyone's been run out of town or made to work in the mine." Hex answered.
"Mine? What kind of mine?" Rory looked interested. "Gold?"
"Hell if I know." Hex shrugged.
"Nobody's been mining for gold through these parts for half a century." Nathan spoke up. "Listen to me, "these parts" I sound like I'm a cowboy."
"Well, he's pulling something out of the ground that's making him rich Turnbull also owns the saloon." Ray pointed out.
"The hotel, the laundry and the whorehouse." Hex listed off.
"The answer's no, Mick." Sara looked pointedly at Rory.
"Turnbull's got an office above the saloon." Hex said. "It's also got about a dozen men making sure nobody gets close to him."
"I think I know how we can." Sara took out a wad of money. "Mick." She tossed it to him. "Why don't you mosey on in there? Have yourself a good time."
"If you insist." Rory didn't need to be told twice to have a good time.
"I'm not sure I understand your plan." Amaya said as Rory went into the bar. "You just set a match to a powder keg."
"And if Turnbull doesn't want his saloon to burn down, then he's gonna have to come out of his office and deal with it." Veronica caught on.
"Exactly." Sara nodded.
"Better yet, get your boy to get in a fight with Turnbull and bring him out here on the street." Hex told them.
"Amaya, your job is to make sure Rory keeps his pistol in his pants until he's outside the saloon." Sara ordered.
"Clearly, I drew the short straw." Amaya grumbled.
"So what you want us to do?" Jax asked.
"Reckon I can post up nearby with a long gun." Ray adopted a wester accent then spat on the ground.
"Ray, we've talked about the accent." Veronica pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Are you chewing tobacco?" Nate asked Ray.
"Mm, Tootsie Roll." Ray smiled.
"Get rid of your hats and your guns." Sara ordered.
"What? I thought we were supposed to be some badass cowboys?" Jax drew his gun.
"You guys want to know how Turnbull went from being a cattle rustler to running his own country? I'm gonna need you to infiltrate his base of operations." Sara told them.
"As what?" Nate asked and Sara smirked in reply.
-0-
Veronica, and Hex were camped out in the laundry across the street from the bar to keep a look out curtesy of Sara who was getting another angle on the building. Veronica was still annoyed with Hex's views on women, but she was also curious about him.
"So what's your history with Turnbull?" Veronica asked him suddenly.
"Come again?" He eyed her as she took a seat next to him.
"Well, you said that you had dealings over the years." Veronica tilted her head eyeing him out of the corner of her eye. "I can tell a vendetta when I see one. I'm kind of an expert when it comes to revenge."
"This is what it's like working with a woman? You just sit around and talk about your feelings?" Jonah questioned causing Veronica to bristle.
"Well, if your "feelings" are what almost got you hung, then, yeah, I'd say they're worth talking about." Veronica bit out.
"Not in my century." Hex told her meeting her gaze.
They spent the rest of their watch in silence and when Sara joined them she could practically feel the tension between them. Not the normal tension like they were one moment away from sucking each other's faces off, but like Veronica was trying hard not to hit Hex. Hex seemed to want to be anywhere, but where he was at that moment.
"I'm going to check in with the others." Sara commented not getting a reply from either. "Why don't you two just make out already?" Sara grumbled under her breath. "Amaya, it's been forever, what the hell is going on in there?"
"Your plans caught something of a snag." Amaya told her.
"Explain." Sara ordered.
"Well its hard to." Amaya began. "Mr. Rory and Mr. Turnbull…like each other."
"What? What happened to Rory starting a fight?" Veronica asked.
"I think it's more likely that him and Turnbull get matching tattoos." Amaya sighed.
"Are you gonna sit around while those two bend elbows?" Jonah asked as he checked over his gun.
"What are you doing?" Veronica reached up placing a hand on his chest stopping him from moving toward the bar.
"I'm gonna collect my bounty, whether you like it or not." Jonah told her.
"Stick to the plan, Jonah." Sara said.
"Your guy on the inside ain't sticking to no plan, why the hell should I?" Jonah moved past them.
"Stay with him." Sara nodded Veronica after him.
"I don't wanna." Veronica replied.
"Veronica." Sara said sternly.
"Fine." Veronica pouted following after Jonah.
"What are you doing?" Jonah asked as she fell into step next to him.
"Nannying." Veronica replied.
"I don't need no filly…" Jonah started.
"Oh shut up." Veronica snapped stepping in front of him pressing a finger into his chest. "I am so tired of your macho bull crap. I'll remind you this woman can turn your inards to outards with one flick of her finger if you keep pissing her off." Veronica glared up at him. "Now are we going into the bar or what?"
Veronica turned on her heal charging away from Jonah who stared after her rubbing the spot on his chest before quickly following after her. He kept having to reminder himself she wasn't from around here and was not like the women he knew.
"Turnbull!" Jonah and Veronica burst into the bar causing the piano to stop along with all the chatter that was going on in the bar.
"Well, if it ain't the great Jonah Hex, himself." Turnbull grinned and then his gaze went to Veronica. "And you got yourself a mighty fine looking woman." Jonah placed himself in front of Veronica who was both touched and annoyed at the gesture. "A bit too good lookin' for your sorry looking face ain't she." Turnbull laughed along with his men. "Whoo, you got quite a pair to walk into my establishment like this. You're like a cockroach. Hard to kill."
"I'm taking you in." Jonah drew his guns, Veronica following suit. "Alive or dead. Your choice."
"I choose dead!" Turnbull said and literally everyone in the bar drew a gun aiming it at Jonah and Veronica.
"I want you to know I blame you for our current situation." Veronica told him.
"No one asked you to come along." Jonah grunted.
"Actually, Jonah I'm glad you decided to pay me this little visit." Turnbull unloaded his gun and replaced the bullets. "You see, I've been working on a little something. It seems that ore that I discovered…Well, it's got special qualities."
"I got a real bad feeling about this." Veronica said as Turnbull leveled the gun at them.
Right before he fire though Sara came in wielding a whip and wrapping it around the gun so the bullet missed. Instead it hit a wall and completely took it out in a blue explosion. Then Sara proceeded to knock Turnbull on his back before the bar erupted in a mad fight.
"Let's party!" Rory cheered as he fought his way across the room.
"So glad we didn't follow the plan and just charged in here!" Veronica fought back to back with Jonah who growled back at her. Amaya used bottles to smash some men to the ground while Sara was a blur of movements and Rory was using his special chaotic fighting style.
"Come on!" Mick roared.
"It's to close fighting in here, we need to get out." Veronica said after making her way to Sara.
"I think you're right." Sara said as they made their way out along with Jonah and Mick bringing up the rear. They all ducked behind a wagon, the rest of the team joining them.
"Why do you guys get to have all the fun?" Jax commented.
"We just got back from Turnbull's mine." Nate called out as Turnbulls men came out of the bar shooting at them.
"The reason for the Aberration? He's digging up dwarf star." Ray told them.
"Get back to the ship." Sara ordered right before Turnbull fired causing the wagon they were hiding behind to explode.
"That's right, run, you yellow-bellied cowards!" He kept firing at them causing more explosions.
"Finally! Some excitement." Mick smirked as he came out from cover.
"Mick, no!" Amaya called out.
"We're sitting ducks out here. It's time to level the playing field." Veronica's eyes lit up red and her guns became charged with the same energy.
"Veronica!" Jonah made to go after her, but was held back by the gunfire. "Get back here!"
Turnbulls men were surprised when the red bullets that Veronica was firing caused similar explosions to their boss's bullets. With Rory they forced the other men back, a few of them running when they saw Veronica's red eyes thinking she was a demon.
"And here I thought you and me was gonna be friends!" Turnbull called out to Rory.
"I don't have friends." Mick replied.
"Ow, my feelings." Veronica said sarcastically then both of them ran out of ammo. "Well crap."
Turnbull aimed straight at Rory and fired. Nate turned to metal rushing out in front of him taking the bullet straight to the stomach, but this time his form did not stop the projectile. Nate looked down in surprise as the blood on his hands.
"Ugh!" Nate fell back into Rory's arms
"Nate? Nate? Are you okay?" Amaya ran out to them as the others provided cover.
"Yeah. I'm the Man of Steel, remember?" Nate started to go into shock.
Veronica managed to reload and fire at the same time Turnbull did. In an amazing bout of fate the two bullets hit each other and for a moment there was a strange silence before a great explosion ripped through the air as the two explosive forces were magnified by each other. It left behind a crater, but also supplied them with the opportunity to get away.
-0-
Veronica ground her teeth as she stalked down the hall toward the captain's office where she knew Jonah was drowning himself in the good stuff. She pulled out her knife as she made it into the office slamming it down into the table just shy of Jonah's had as it reached for his glass.
"Sara gave us a plan." Veronica hissed having reached her boiling point with Hex. "You went off book, now you're gonna cut the crap, and tell me what the hell is going on between you and Turnbull."
"I don't answer to you, Miss Rowen." Hex growled. "And I don't answer to Miss Lance."
"It is Captain Lance." Veronica emphasized the word captain. "And if you did answer to her though, Nate wouldn't have gotten shot." Veronica leaned in close to him with a dark look. "Now, I know you don't like taking orders from a woman but…" Veronica pulled her knife from the table and moved back. "…you're gonna like getting your ass kicked by one even less."
Jonah looked away from her for a silent beat before slamming his fists on the table causing the contents to shake.
"I've been after Turnbull for eight years now." He stood up slowly from his chair as he spoke facing her. "I almost got him twice. He wants to see me pushing up daisies just as bad as I want to see him do the same."
"Because why?" Veronica pressed.
"Little town in Oklahoma. Goes by the name of Calvert." He walked over to her. "Turnbull and his men were harassing it. And they hired me to fight back."
"Calvert, that's the town that Rip left in the lurch." She realized.
"My little rebellion made other towns think they didn't need to pay protection money to Turnbull and his gang." Hex went on as he moved toward her so he was standing over her. "So one night Turnbull gathered every man, woman, and child in Calvert. Locked us in the church. Set it on fire." His whole posture was stiff and his eyes were filled with overwhelming guilt. "Somehow, I escaped. The good Lord saw fit to leave me with a souvenir." He gestured to his scarred face and seeing the softening look in her gaze moved back with a scoff, walking back over to his drink. "Oh, what the hell am I telling a woman this for? You'd never understand."
"Wrong. Like I said, vendetta's kind of my thing." Veronica told him leaning against the center table. "I've got a Turnbull. And he's still out there." Hex turned to her waiting to hear her story. "The ranch I was shipped off to was a special kind of ranch for bad kids. You see I wasn't a model citizen in the orphanage." Veronica saw the slight quark of his lip. "Yeah, I know, hard to belive." Veronica scoffed. "The ranch was set on reform in ways that…" Veronica shuddered, her eyes glazing over with dark memories. His eyes fell to where she was rubbing her upper arm, her sleeve rolling up a bit to reveal some scarring along the top of her forearms. Hex had a feeling that she had a lot more where those came from. "But there was a man there that used kids like me, with special abilities, in his experiments, horrible experiments that many of them did not survive." She laughed bitterly. "That was what the ranch really was, a way to get ahold of some enhanced kids and see what they could do with us, what they could shape us into in order to sell us off to the highest bidder as enhanced soldiers." Veronica looked down. "I managed to escape with the others like me and blow up the ranch with all of those monsters inside, but the damage their leader, Erik Fairchild, had done was already set in stone. I still run across their victims from time to time."
"Well, here you are with a timeship." Hex pointed out.
"Been there, tried that." Veronica smirked bitterly. "Going into the past to kill him before he did what he did to us would create ripples in history that I can't control." Veronica walked right up to Jonah starring into his eyes. "But there are things that I can control. I can help you capture Turnbull."
"Even though I screwed up?" Jonah moved a bit closer to her.
"Been there, too." Veronica smirked up at him causing that lurch in his heart that always happened when he was near her. "I'm starting to think that screwing up is just an essential part of surviving."
She was some kind of woman, nothing like the women of his time or at least none that he had ever come across. The way her head was tilted back to look up at him it would take much effort to bend down a bit and capture those pouty lips of her in a kiss. When Veronica saw his eyes dip down to her lips she felt those familiar butterflies erupt into her stomach. He may annoy her with his talk about women, but man she'd be lying if she said she didn't want him despite it.
"I know my views on women frustrate you." Hex began as if reading her mind. "But I think you might just be changing them."
"Well I'm glad of that." Veronica reached up straightening the lapels of his jacket and his hands were just about to settle on her hips when Ray came bursting in with Nathan and Sara causing them to spring apart.
"I think I know how Turnbull's gonna make his own country." Ray said proudly, but furrowed his brows when he saw the dark look Veronica was shooting him. "What did I do?"
"Nothing, just spit out whatever you were going to say?" Veronica huffed while Hex bit back a smirk.
"Well…um…when I saw how much dwarf star ore he had in that mine, I started to wonder, how could he transport such a heavy shipment?" Ray explained hesitantly. "He'd have to use…"
"The railroad." Hex spoke up.
"The railroad." Ray agreed.
"Okay, get to the part where we care, Ray." Sara ordered.
"I think he's gonna use the railroad and the dwarf star to wait for it…" Ray paused for dramatic effect.
"I don't want to wait for it." Sara told him.
"Close Summit Pass." Veronica realized.
"I wanted to do the big reveal." Ray pouted.
"Oh, my God, Ray's right." Nate said as Gideon brought up a map on the screen.
"Thank you." Ray nodded to Nate.
"Summit Pass connects East/West via railroad." Nate told them.
"Not if Turnbull uses this - the magic…" Hex gestured.
"Dwarf star?" Ray supplied.
"Yeah, to blow the thing up." Hex finished.
"Well, if he destroys the pass, there's no way of transporting soldiers and supplies from the East coast." Nate went on. "The U.S. Army is effectively locked out of the West. So it's simple We just stop Turnbull from blowing up the pass."
"Yeah, simple." Veronica scoffed. "You don't have a suit," She pointed to Ray. "…you just had invasive surgery," She moved onto Nate. "Stein's out of commission."
"We'll think of something." Ray said.
"Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it". Nate quoted.
"Yeah, what about Turnbull? If that train goes boom he's not gonna be on it." Hex pointed out.
"I overheard one of his people saying Turnbull just called for a meeting at his mine." Nate told them.
"You, Jax, and Ray, stop the train." Sara ordered. "The rest of us, we'll deal with Turnbull."
"You sure about this?" Hex asked.
"Of course. This isn't my first rodeo." Sara made a pair of finger guns.
"I wanted to say that." Ray sighed.
-0-
Mick, Sara, Hex, Veronica, and Amaya made their way up to Turnbulls camp sticking to the outskirts to remain out of sight. He was there gathered with all of his man going over his plan.
"That's three of them for every one of us." Hex said.
"Hex and Veronica will draw their attention while rest of us will make sure Turnbull can't pull anymore dwarf star out of the ground." Sara ordered.
"Why don't I just go blow it all to kingdom come?" Veronica asked.
"After what happened in front of the bar that might just be too big of an explosion than we need." Sara hummed.
"We'll need about five minutes to plant enough dynamite to seal the mine." Amaya said.
"It's about time we got to light something up." Mick grinned.
"We're just going to light the fuse and run, we're not sticking around for the fireworks." Sara told them.
"Yeah, yeah." Mick said as they left to the mine.
"You know what we're going to do?" Hex asked Veronica.
"I've got a plan to get us close to Turnbull." Veronica smirked. "Are you ready to follow my orders?"
"Yes ma'am." Jonah replied smirking back.
"Good, now put these on." Veronica smiled holding up a pair of cuffs.
"Hmm." Jonah's smirk faltered.
"Quentin Turnbull!" Veronica called out lowering her voice. She had closed her jacket to disguise her figure and brought up her scarf over her face. She kept her hat low as well not wanting to be recognized and had stuffed her hair up into it.
"Who's asking?" Turnbull looked up to see Veronica on a horse with her gun leveled at Jonah who was walking ahead of her with his hands cuffed.
"I heard you're looking for someone." Veronica drawled.
"Jonah Hex!" Turnbull laughed. "Well, hell, looks like I'm gonna have to kill you for the third time." He looked up at the disguised Veronica. "I'm impressed, boy." He praised and Veronica nodded in acceptance as he pushed Jonah forward with her foot. Hex turned a bit giving her a look, but she just winked back. "Jonah, Jonah, Jonah. Back in the belly of the whale."
"A lily-livered whale who killed women and children." Jonah spat out.
"Whoa, no, that was before." Turnbull corrected him. "I've changed. I got purpose now. Matter of fact, why don't I show you what I'm working on so you know why you died? You come along too, boy." Veronica dismounted her horse placing her gun back in its holster. "Anyone who can bring in Hex always got a place on my crew."
Veronica pushed Hex along following after Turnbull, Hex growling under his breath at her prodding while she just smirked behind her scarf.
"Colt Single Action Army." Turnbull told them as he led Veronica and Hex into a clearing. "The gun that won the West." He laughed. "Some folks like to call it "the peacemaker." Only, I don't much care for peace. Yeah, thanks to what I pulled out of this mine, I got my own weapon now." They came upon the mine opening guarded by three men. Something that's gonna tip the scales. Win the West back for the folks it belongs to. The outlaws!" Turnbull shoved him forward toward the opening of the mine. "Now get on in there!"
Suddenly an explosion ripped out of the mine sending them all to the ground. Veronica's hit the ground and her hat was blown off allowing her red hair to fall free. They all struggled to the ground and Turnbull's eyes landed on Veronica.
"You ain't no man!" He accused.
"No fly's on you sweetheart." Veronica grinned as Hex tackled Turnbull.
"You burned down Calvert! You murdered all those people!" Hex kept punching him as Veronica watched making no move to interfere. "For what? For power?"
"Oh, get it over with!" Turnbull gasped out as Hex chocked him.
"Alive or dead?" Jonah snapped.
"Alive!" Turnbull chocked. Jonah looked up at Veronica who tilted her head toward him, it was his choice, not hers, to make.
"You lucky son of a bitch." Hex growled delivering one final punch leaving Turnbull unconscious.
-0-
With the train stopped and Turnbull under lock and key the team returned to the Wave Rider to make sure everything was back on track as far as the timeline was concerned. Veronica made her way through the ship into the cargo hold where Hex was taking a drink.
"That's a mighty fine job you did back there." Hex nodded to her.
"Not bad for a woman." Veronica leaned against some of the boxes he was sitting on.
"Not bad for anyone." Jonah corrected her making her smile.
"So now that you have your man, what're you gonna do with him?" Veronica asked.
"Turnbull? If I had my way, he'd be in for a long, painful demise." Hex replied gaining a dry chuckle from Veronica. "I'd let him bleed out from the gut." Jonah sighed. "But I'm gonna turn him over to the authorities. So you don't have to worry about your "Aberration. " Only territory Turnbull's gonna be claiming is a cold, dark prison cell."
"Then our work here is done." Veronica nodded grimly, sad that it was time to move on. She was finding it much harder this time to leave Hex behind, but they had a job to do.
"I best get Turnbull. Collect my bounty." Hex stood up next to Veronica. "Now, you try to stay out of trouble."
"Not likely." Veronica held out her hand, Jonah grasping it, but not letting go.
"Wouldn't imagine so." He leaned down placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth causing her breath to hitch. He straightened back up reluctantly letting go of her hand and tilting his hat to her in farewell. "Ma'am."
Veronica watched him leave the ship feeling her stomach twist, but she couldn't ask him to stay with her any more than he could ask her to stay with him. They both had their responsibilities and Veronica needed to focus on hers. After changing into her modern clothes of a red leather jacket, black shallow v neck shirt, black skinny jeans, and black ankle high boot flats she made her way to the cockpit.
"I see you let him walk away again." Sara commented as she fell into step with Veronica.
"He's got his life and I have mine right now." Veronica replied.
"And what about later?" Sara asked.
"I don't know." Veronica smiled a bit.