1925, Chicago
Rapunzel was shocked to hear the bat woman say her name. She had never met this alien before.
"Who are you?" she asked, staring into the black, beady eyes of the bat woman.
"Who am I? You've already met me, dear." The bat woman extended her hand towards Capone. "But you haven't met my son. I've heard you two have been spending a lot of time together recently."
"Your son?" Eugene asked. "Uh… I don't see the family resemblance."
"That's because," Capone said, stepping forward, "this isn't what I really look like." Before everyone's eyes, Capone's body and face shifted into someone else entirely.
A humanoid alien - part human part bat.
"Ah." Eugene nodded. "Now I see it."
"I knew you weren't Capone," Rapunzel said.
The alien man tilted his head towards her. "Guilty."
"But I've never met you. Either of you. How do you know my name?"
The bat woman looked shocked. "I met you countless years ago. It was all the way back in the year 986."
Eugene stood up straighter. "What did you say?"
"You heard me." She set her eyes onto Rapunzel. "So, how come you do not remember me?"
"Because I've never met you before."
Bat Woman huffed. "That's not possible. I remember you specifically, Rapunzel. You promised to help me and then you left me there at the mercy of those damn Vikings."
"I… that never happened."
She slammed her hands onto the table, causing it to rattle. "It did happen. I remember it."
Eugene tapped Rapunzel's shoulder. "Uh, Blondie, there's something you don't know."
"Eugene, not now."
"No, you need to know this. Your future self… she's in the year 986. With Vikings."
Rapunzel just stared at him for a moment before turning back to the woman. "What's your name?"
"You know my name."
"Tell me anyway."
"Va'oria. And you left me for dead. And I'm going to make you pay." She nodded to her son. "This is Valk. My darling son, kill this little deceitful liar for me."
"Of course, Mother."
Before Rapunzel could prepare herself, Valk lunged at her. Eugene was there in an instant, pushing Valk back.
"We should leave now," he said, grabbing her hand.
"Agreed."
Valk came running for them but they were already sprinting towards the front door.
"Kill them!" Va'oria screeched.
Rapunzel managed to grab the doorknob right as Valk barreled into her, knocking her into the wall. She gasped. He spun her around and opened his mouth wide, showcasing off tiny little fangs and thrusted his face towards her neck.
He bit her right as Eugene threw his arms around Valk and pulled him off her. She stumbled back, clutching her throat. Two tiny pin-pricks were left behind on her skin.
Valk pushed Eugene to the ground and lunged for his neck.
"Eugene!" she cried out, rushing forward. With all her might, she kicked Valk in the stomach, knocking him over. She helped Eugene up and they ran to the door.
This time, they opened it and hurried outside.
But Valk was right on their tail.
Rapunzel didn't even have time to think about Va'oria's words since Valk was trying to kill them.
"He have to lose this guy," Eugene said, huffing.
"I know. We have to knock him out."
"Too bad you don't have any of that perfume that can make people unconscious."
"Eugene, that's a great idea! It's at my tower though."
"Well, let's lure him there then."
"My tower is across the city."
He shot her a look. "You really need to start bringing it with you no matter where you go."
She could feel Valk right behind them. "There's no time. We need to stop him now." She stopped running and turned to face Valk. This drew the alien up short.
He stumbled back, which gave Rapunzel the opportunity to attack. With a high kick, she landed her foot straight under his jaw. He groaned, cupping his face.
Eugene joined in and punched Valk on the side of the head, which made him stumble again. Together, they pushed him to the ground.
But Valk wasn't unconscious. As a matter of fact, he was in the process of trying to get back up.
"No you don't," Eugene said, bringing his foot down on the alien's head.
That did the trick.
Valk's eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground. Rapunzel checked his pulse to make sure he was alive. He was.
"Ok. Let's move him off the street. I don't want someone finding him and trying to hurt him."
"Or," Eugene said, "we could take him back with us and get answers. I know you have a ton."
She smiled. "You know me so well."
Together, they lifted Valk up and half walked/half dragged him to Rapunzel's tower. It wasn't easy. They had to use a streetcar to get there, which meant people saw Valk's humanoid bat face, which suffice to say, freaked the late-night goers of Chicago.
"Had a bit too much to drink," Eugene said to the other passengers.
Rapunzel elbowed him.
"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his arm.
"Prohibition, remember? Don't mention alcohol."
"Sorry." He turned back to the passengers. "Had a hard stumble and we're taking him to the hospital."
Rapunzel only shook her head and sighed.
"I thought that one was better," Eugene said.
She just patted his arm.
No one asked questions about Valk though. The other passengers just gave them a wide berth.
"I feel like an animal in a zoo," Eugene said. He glanced over at Valk and winced. "Maybe wrong word choice."
Valk's head rolled to the side as he remained unconscious.
"Let's just get to my tower," she said.
They stayed calm through the rest of the streetcar ride and got Valk back to her tower, where they tied up him to a chair.
"Eugene, Va'oria knew me but I've never met her before. And you just told me that my future self is in the year 986 and that's the year Va'oria says she met me."
"Which doesn't make any sense."
"Actually, it does. Remember, me and my future self are moving in tandem with each other. Because of you."
He slumped against her desk. "Sorry for being the cause of more chaos in your life."
"I'm not sorry. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not documented anyway. It's pretty exciting actually."
He only shook his head.
"So," she continued, "my future self must have met Va'oria. But I'm technically meeting her here for the first time, which means my future self will soon remember Va'oria if she hasn't already. But that's how Va'oria remembers me and I don't remember her. She's talking about my future self."
"Almost like you and me."
"In a way, yes. But I don't know why she wants me dead." She began to pace around the room.
Eugene watched her. "Whatever your future self did to her, she didn't like."
"But I wouldn't hurt someone unless it was the only way. So what happened with Va'oria?"
He nodded at Valk. "We should wake him up and find out."
986, Greenland
Rapunzel was ushered into Erik's house to perform the supposed ritual of seeing his future. She was only doing this in the hopes that finding a reflective surface will connect her to her tower.
The moment she stepped over the threshold though, she was hit with another memory.
One of Va'oria.
She met her before. In 1925.
Rapunzel whipped her head around to find Va'oria. The alien woman was being pushed to the ground, getting treated much more roughly by the Vikings than either Rapunzel or Masked Lady were.
"Don't hurt her," Rapunzel said, stepping forward.
Erik put his arm in front of her. "Don't waste your time with that one. You're here to please me. Show me my future."
Va'oria struggled against the Vikings but they weren't letting her go. They were kicking her, prodding her, poking her.
Rapunzel wondered why Va'oria hated her in the past. What was Rapunzel going to do to make the bat woman hate her so much? She knew it was coming. She just didn't know what.
Erik forced her to sit down. He set a metal bowl in front of her. Reflective enough.
Rapunzel pulled out her compact mirror and held it up to the bowl, looking at herself in both reflections.
Erik huffed. "What is that?" He ripped the small mirror right out of her hands. Looking into it, he frowned. "You… you're a chieftain's daughter? Who?"
In the chaos of everything, she completely forget to use her mirror on Erik. He was seeing her how he wants to see her.
The problem was – she didn't know the names of many other chieftains during this time.
So, she'd have to use Eugene as inspiration and wing it.
"Bjorn…" She looked up at Erik and inspiration struck. "Bjorn Eriksson."
He frowned harder. "I've never heard of him."
"Well, he's incredibly wealthy and would pay you a lot of money for not hurting me."
The Vikings around her all began to murmur.
"Quiet!" Erik shouted. He set his eyes back on her. "Fine. I won't hurt you. But you said you could see my future. Show it to me."
She held out her hand. "I'll need my mirror back."
Erik grimaced but gave it back to her. She immediately held it up to the bowl's surface and looked at herself. Now, if only her tower will know to come save her…
She waited. And waited. And waited.
Nothing happened.
"Well?" Erik asked.
Her eyes met Va'oria's. The poor alien woman was still prone on the ground, getting prodded with swords. Her eyes begged Rapunzel to help her while, at the same time, a darkness grew in them.
Rapunzel promised she'd save Va'oria and she intended to keep it. But her tower wasn't coming.
"My future, girl," Erik growled, banging his fist onto the table.
She jumped. "Um… you're going to have a long and prosperous one. You'll have many children and -,"
"I already have children. I like to fuck. That's not a surprise. What else?"
"You're going to be incredibly wealthy but it will come to you in unexpected ways."
"What ways are those?"
Rapunzel had to resist the urge not to shrug. "I said unexpected. That's for you to find out."
"This sounds fake to me," one Viking said.
"Agreed." Erik kept his eyes glued to Rapunzel's face. "You can't see my future, girl. It's all a lie."
"No. I can."
Erik picked up the bowl and threw it, letting out a scream of anger. "You are not a sorceress. And neither is… that woman." He pointed at Va'oria. "Lock them up. But not the well. Somewhere they can't escape." He paused before pointing at Masked Lady. "And her too. She tried to help them. She'll be punished with them."
"What?" Masked Lady gasped. "I did no such thing."
Erik just ignored her.
One of the men grabbed Rapunzel and dragged her out of the house. He didn't stop dragging her until he threw her into an empty stable. Using rope, he tied her hands together. Va'oria and Masked Lady were soon thrown in with her, their hands and feet also tied.
The three women were stuck. And with Rapunzel's tower nowhere to be seen, she knew they were also out of luck.
"Was this your plan?" Masked Lady asked. "To get us locked up? Because if so, you really nailed it."
Rapunzel shook her head at the other woman's sarcasm. "No. This wasn't my plan. I should have connected with my tower but… it didn't seem to work."
"You promised me you'd get me out of here," Va'oria said. "But I'm stuck right back here with these brutes."
"I will find a way to save us."
Masked Lady huffed. "How?"
"We could kill all of them," a man's voice said from the darkness of the stable across from them. The man leaned forward, revealing his face. It was Moretti. He was even more scarred and bruised and bloody than before. The Vikings had really done a number on him.
"Of course you're not dead," Masked Lady muttered.
Moretti's smile was savage. "I'm not easy to kill."
"How do you plan on killing them?" Va'oria asked. Rapunzel did not like the eagerness in her voice.
"With this." Moretti pulled a knife out of his pocket. "I swiped it from one of them as they were beating me. We wait for night and then we kill them all in their sleep."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Masked Lady said.
Va'oria nodded. "Me too."
"Hold on," Rapunzel said. "We can't just kill people. There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Va'oria hissed at her. "I believed in you. That you would help me but you're just like all the other humans I've met. Selfish. Pathetic."
Rapunzel flinched. "I can help you, Va'oria. I just need access to another reflective surface. That's all. Then I can summon my tower and we can get out of here. No bloodshed needs to happen."
"I quite like bloodshed," Masked Lady said.
"Me as well," Moretti added.
Rapunzel's eyes landed on the knife in Moretti's hand. It was reflective enough she'd be able to see her image in. "Hand me that knife."
Moretti tucked it closer to him. "No. Why would I do that? You were the one to bring me to this fucking place. You'd only use this knife on me."
"I saved you from the Vikings, remember? And I got thrown into a well for it. I'm not going to kill you with it. Please. If I can summon my tower, I can take us all away from here. Somewhere safe. I promise."
Va'oria huffed, crossing her arms. "Your promises mean nothing."
Moretti stared at Rapunzel with hard eyes. "You would take me with you?"
She wanted to say no but she needed Moretti's trust. "I would. All of you. Just let me summon my tower back. And I will take us all to safety."
Masked Lady sighed. "Of for the love of-." She stood up and walked across the stable and ripped the knife from Moretti's hands.
"Hey," he whined.
She cut the rope around her hands with the knife before tossing it to Rapunzel. "Here. I just want to leave this place."
Rapunzel used the knife to cut her own rope, then offered it to Va'oria. Once Va'oria was done cutting her rope, Rapunzel waited for her to hand the knife back.
But she didn't.
"Va'oria," she said, holding her hand out. "Give me the knife."
Va'oria gazed at her with dark eyes. "These men took everything from me. They killed my family. The only person who may be alive is my son. I sent him to hide but I don't know if he's dead or alive. I need to kill these Vikings so I can find my son."
"No, Va'oria, you don't. If you give me the knife, I will summon my tower and I can use it to help you find your son. You can be safe together, I promise."
"Stop promising me things!" She pressed the knife to Rapunzel's throat. "I'm tired of your promises. I am going to kill these Vikings, tonight. One by one. And you're not going to stop me."
Rapunzel held very still. "Ok. I won't stop you. But let me summon my tower. Let me do that at least."
"Yes, let her," Masked Lady said.
Va'oria shook her head. "No. You don't get to have anything. Night is falling." She nodded at Moretti. "Let's go."
Moretti gave Rapunzel and Masked Lady a smirk as he followed Va'oria out of the stables.
"That didn't go as expected, did it?" Masked Lady mocked.
Rapunzel was almost tempted to hit her. "We have to go stop them. Are you with me or not?"
"You'll take me somewhere else?"
"I will. I never should have brought you here in the first place."
Masked Lady frowned. "No, you shouldn't have." She stood up and headed for the stable entrance before looking back at her. "Are you coming or not?"
Rapunzel hurried after.
1925, Chicago
Flynn tapped Valk's face, waking the bat boy up.
He jerked, fighting against the rope binding him to the chair. "What's going on?"
"We want answers," Flynn said. "Starting with why your mom hates my girlfriend so much?"
Rapunzel looked at him with wide eyes. He knew why - he had never called her his girlfriend before. But it felt too good to not to say it. Rapunzel was his girlfriend and there was no pretending she wasn't.
"You really don't know?" Valk sneered at Rapunzel. "Hurt so many people that you can't remember everyone?"
"No," she said. "Because it hasn't happened for me yet. Your mom knows my future self. I need to know why she hates me."
"Why?"
"So I can fix it. Whatever happened between her and my future self is something I need to know. It's the only way I can help her and stop you from killing more people."
Valk eyed her over. "You can't stop us from killing anyone. You humans deserve it. Humans are the reason I was parted from my mother for centuries. It was by sheer chance we were reunited. My mom wants to see as many people killed as possible, including you. For what you did to her."
"What did I do?" she asked. Flynn hated hearing the pain in her voice. Rapunzel was such a kind-hearted person, there was no way she could have hurt anyone.
"You left her to die at the mercy of the Vikings after they killed our family and separated us. We were innocent people, living in Greenland centuries before the Vikings showed. They hurt us only because we look different. You promised you'd help her and then you took that promise away. She managed to escape but it was a long and arduous journey for her. She's been searching for you ever since. To enact her revenge."
Rapunzel stumbled back. Flynn caught her. "I wouldn't let an innocent person die."
Valk leaned forward. "Are you saying my mother wasn't innocent?"
"She's saying," Flynn cut in, "that she doesn't know what happened."
Rapunzel stood up straighter. "If I make things right with Va'oria, will she stop her vengeance on humans?"
"My mother will never stop. There's nothing you can do to fix it."
Flynn watched Rapunzel walk away, looking she was in a daze. He followed her. "Are you all right?"
"I just can't imagine what I did to this woman to make her hate me so much."
"What are we going to do?"
She smiled up at him. "You're on my side, even though I might have done something to an innocent person?"
"Blondie, I'm always on your side." He gave her a small kiss. "And I know you. You don't do things without reason. If you left this woman behind, it was because you had to."
"Then I'll have to find a way to make it up to her. I'm not sure how. But I'll find it."
She took one step back towards Valk when she stumbled. Flynn pulled her into his arms.
"Rapunzel, what's going on?"
"I just…" She held her head. "It's like my tower is speaking to me, telling me to try to reconnect to my future self. It just hit me in the head."
Panic seized his heart. "Then do the connection. We still need to save your other self."
"Ok." Ignoring Valk, she walked past him to the free-standing mirror in the corner of the room. Lifting her compact mirror up to it, she said, "Let's try this again. Hopefully, it works this time."
986, Greenland
Rapunzel stumbled over something as she left the stables. It was the dead body of the Viking who had been standing guard. His throat was slashed.
When she looked up, she could just barely make out the forms of Moretti and Va'oria as they made their way through the village.
"We have to stop them," Rapunzel whispered.
Masked Lady grabbed her arm. "No. Summon your tower. Those two can wait."
Rapunzel wanted to object but she knew Masked Lady was somewhat right. Her tower would save them.
But it meant standing back as Moretti and Va'oria killed people. Erik might not have been an innocent person but there were women and children here who were not a part of this feud. They didn't deserve to die.
She could sense within herself though that she needed to try reconnecting to her tower.
"I need something that will give me a reflective surface. Water won't do. It's too dark out now."
Masked Lady thought about it for a moment before looking down at the dead Viking before them. She reached down and lifted up… "How about a sword?"
"Hold it up to the fire." She nodded at the torch burning close to the stables. Masked Lady held the sword up and Rapunzel grabbed her compact mirror from her pocket. Holding it up to the sword, she stared at her two reflections.
And this time she felt a zing of energy.
She knew in her gut that her tower would come save her.
The wind began to rustle, the wood of the houses began to creak, the fire snuffed out, and the air felt thicker.
Rapunzel closed her eyes and felt. Just felt. Felt for her tower, for her past self who was with Eugene, for her own heart.
When she opened her eyes, her tower was standing before her in all of its glory.
Masked Lady gasped, stepping back.
Rapunzel ran over to the tower, feeling the urge to just get in and fly away but she stopped. She couldn't do that. She had to convince Va'oria to leave with her and not kill the Vikings.
There was another problem though – Masked Lady was running for the tower too. If Rapunzel didn't stop her, Masked Lady would fly off with her tower, leaving her stranded all over again.
"No, you don't," she muttered, picking up her speed to stop Masked Lady. She barreled into the other woman, knocking her to the ground.
"I was just trying to get inside," Masked Lady said.
"Or were you trying to steal my tower?"
Masked Lady didn't reply.
Rapunzel eased off her. "Thought so."
"It was a good idea. You can't fault me for that."
"Are you going to help me stop Va'oria and Moretti?"
Masked Lady snorted. "No. I don't care about them. Let's just fly away right now."
Rapunzel sighed, standing up. "I can't trust you so…" She walked into her tower, Masked Lady right behind her.
She grabbed the perfume bottle off the shelf and turned to Masked Lady.
"Oh no," the other woman said. "You're not using that on me again."
"It's the only way. If I know you're unconscious in here, then I can go do what I need to do."
"No."
Rapunzel spritzed the perfume but Masked Lady dived out of the way. Grabbing the bottle, Masked Lady threw it to the ground, breaking it.
Rapunzel gasped. "That was the only one I had."
"I am not letting you take me wherever you want just so I can end up as another man's sex slave. No."
"We can't trust each other which means we need to work together. I am not letting you out of my sight. Now come on."
Masked Lady shook her head. "I'm not leaving."
"And I'm not letting you stay in here while I'm out there."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Rapunzel moved into her fighter stance. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Masked Lady frowned. "What do-,"
Rapunzel kicked her leg up, landing a hit straight to the side of Masked Lady's head. The woman fell to the ground and immediately passed out. "I could have just used my perfume on you and then you wouldn't have a welt on your head." She dragged Masked Lady over to the closet and locked her inside. She'd be fine in there.
Now, Rapunzel needed to go stop Va'oria from doing something she'd regret.
She hurried out of the tower and back into the village, where she encountered dead bodies along her way. Moretti and Va'oria were making quick work of the Vikings.
When she saw the body of a woman with a baby in her arms – both of them dead – she knew things were going too far.
She spotted the two of them heading for Erik's house.
"Stop!" she shouted, running after them.
They turned to her.
"Keep your voice down," Moretti hissed.
"Don't do this." She locked eyes with Va'oria. "Please. You don't need to kill these humans. I summoned my tower back." She pointed to it where it could be seen through the darkness. "We can leave. Let's just go."
"No," Va'oria said, jabbing the knife – now covered in blood – in Rapunzel's direction. "I'm just doing what these humans did to my family. It's justice. Now, either join us or leave."
"I can help you find your son, Va'oria."
She huffed. "You can't help me. No human can." She turned away.
Rapunzel had to do something.
Her only way to stop them was to attack.
With a deep breath, she ran straight into Va'oria, sending both of them to the ground. They grappled for the knife. Moretti watched on in amusement.
"Let go!" screeched Va'oria as Rapunzel tried taking the knife from her.
They weren't exactly being quiet.
The door to Erik's house was wrenched opened and the Viking ruler himself strode outside.
"Shit," Moretti muttered.
Erik saw what was happening and shouted for his men to join him.
Within moments, they were surrounded by Vikings.
"You did this!" Va'oria screamed into Rapunzel's face.
"I didn't. You are so hell-bent on seeking vengeance, you can't see help when it's offered to you."
"No!" She shoved Rapunzel off her but Rapunzel managed to grab the knife and hold onto it.
Va'oria screamed as she ran at Erik, swiping her nails down his face. He pushed her to the side like it was nothing.
Moretti began to laugh.
It was a vile, cruel sound that sent an anger through Rapunzel she had never felt before.
Twisting around to him, she raised her knife and sank it straight into his heart. Moretti stopped laughing and stared at her in shock. Everyone did, including Erik.
Rapunzel didn't even realize what she had done until it was too late.
Moretti stumbled back, clutching at the knife in his chest and fell back onto the ground. His eyes were open as he stared at the night sky but it was clear he wasn't breathing.
Rapunzel had killed him.
And she didn't feel regret for it. She felt safer knowing an evil man like him could never hurt anyone ever again.
She knew that was a dangerous way of thinking and one she couldn't entertain.
The only thing she felt was the need to run and get onto her tower. She wanted to be in Eugene's arms. She wanted out of this hell-scape. She wanted to be safe.
With a gasp, she ran away from the village and the Vikings didn't try to stop her.
Well, only for about a minute before Erik starting shouting at his men to give chase.
Rapunzel was much closer to her tower this time. She'd make it. She'd get away.
As if it was a miracle, she made it inside her tower. Masked Lady was still unconscious.
But before she could take off, Erik strode forward on his horse. Va'oria was getting dragged behind him. All Rapunzel wanted to do was run out there and save her. Keep to her word.
But doing so could mean she'd lose her tower again. And that wasn't something Rapunzel was willing to risk.
She walked out onto the balcony of her tower.
"You're going to leave without your friend?" Erik shouted up at her.
"Help me, Rapunzel," Va'oria begged. "You promised me."
"You didn't want my help," she said.
Va'oria began to cry. "Just make sure my son is safe. Please!"
"Light the tower on fire!" Erik shouted to his men.
"Please!" Va'oria begged again.
The only option Rapunzel had was to turn away from Va'oria, walk back into her tower, and plug in different coordinates. The last sound she heard was Va'oria begging for her help.
And then Rapunzel was gone and she wasn't sure if she'd ever see Va'oria again. But one thing she knew for certain was – the guilt in her heart would eat at her forever.
1925, Chicago
Rapunzel stumbled away from her mirror. Eugene steadied her.
"Are you ok? Did it work?" he asked.
Staring up into the eyes of the man she loved, she knew she'd be all right. She might not have known what her future held, but she knew as long as she had Eugene, nothing could ever hurt her.
She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.
"Rapunzel, what happened?"
"I made the connection," she said into his neck. "My future self is safe."
He sagged. "Thank god."
"But we still have Va'oria and Valk to deal with." She pulled back. "They're killing people and we can't have that. I still don't know why I left Va'oria to the Vikings. I won't know until that happens for me. But if I can bargain with her, maybe I can get her to stop and make up for past wrongs. Or, well, future wrongs in my case."
"I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong. You know how aliens can be. They all want to take over the world."
"I'm not sure, Eugene. I may not know what happened exactly between me and Va'oria in my future, but there's something inside me telling me that it isn't right."
"I'm here for you either way." The way he looked into her eyes stole her breath away.
She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him with everything she was feeling. Eugene wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight.
They continued to kiss until Valk cleared his throat, reminding them that he was right there.
Rapunzel pulled away with a sheepish smile. "We have more important things to do right now."
"Are you sure about that?" Eugene crossed his arms, looking smug. "Because that felt pretty important to do."
She smiled as she walked back to Valk. "Take me back to your mom. I'm going to do right by her."
"What can you do, human?" he snarled.
"I can make it so that she never had to feel any pain done to her by any human. I can bring her back to a time when humans didn't even exist yet. You as well."
"Why would we want that?"
"You hate humans because they hurt you. So, the answer is to bring you somewhere humans don't exist."
Valk huffed. "That can't make up for the wrongs you did."
Her heart squeezed. She really wanted to know what happened between her future self and Va'oria but she knew only time would tell. "It might not. But it's a start. I have no desire to hurt your mom but if you take us back there just to try and kill us, you won't like the outcome. So, you have a choice. I can either take you somewhere now and separate you from your mom for the rest of eternity or your mom and I can make a deal where you two get your happy ending. Take it or leave it."
She could feel Eugene staring at the side of her face but she didn't dare risk look at him or she'd break. Rapunzel knew she was being harsher than she normally was but after everything she'd been through so far in her life, she was tired of people walking all over her. Gothel did that to her for the first eighteen years of her life.
And then with Cassandra… (She tried not to think about that).
And now her relationship with Eugene and the possibility that she'd lose him one day, she was tired of playing by everyone else's rules.
She couldn't stand back and let humans get hurt. Sometimes, she had to be hard. But that was a hard pill to swallow.
Valk glared at her for what felt like an eternity before he slumped in the chair. "Fine. You have a deal. I'll take you to my mother."
"Good." She felt like she could partially breathe again.
Eugene untied Valk. "No funny business."
"I agreed to the deal. Unlike humans, I keep my word."
They followed Valk all the way back to the house his mother was in. It was a tense affair the whole way there.
Va'oria was waiting for them in the kitchen again, as if she knew they'd be back. "My son, you returned these filthy humans to me so I can kill them."
"I didn't, Mother," he said, standing by her side.
Va'oria's face fell. "What do you mean?"
"Just… listen to what Rapunzel has to say."
She scoffed. "I am not listening to anything that human has to say."
"Mother… I'm tired of hiding in the shadows. I want to be free. So, I suggest you listen to her."
Va'oria looked like she really wanted to object but the serious expression on her son's face made her turn to Rapunzel. "What did you say to my son?"
Rapunzel stepped forward. She felt safe knowing she had Eugene at her back. "I can take you somewhere no humans live. You and your son can live in peace. It might not make up for what I did to you and honestly, I don't know what I did. The person you met was my future self. I don't know why she did what she did but I am telling you that I want to make up for it. I want to give you your happy ending, away from humans."
Va'oria stared at her hard. "But I want to hurt humans. Why would I want to be away from them?"
"Is that what you really want? To live your life with vengeance? Valk told me that you were separated because the Vikings hurt you. Let me give you a life of peace with your son for the rest of eternity."
"I don't believe you. Not after you left me behind."
"And I am so sorry, Va'oria. But I promise you now that I will give you peace. If you will let me."
Va'oria turned away from her. Valk touched his mother's arm. "Mother, listen to her. I'm tired of living amongst humans. Sure, it was fun to kill some of them but it's tiring taking on someone else's skin. I just want to be me. Free. She can give us that."
"That girl left me behind when I needed help," she growled.
"Well, she's trying to make up for it now. Let's let her. The worst that can happen is that she betrays us and then we kill her."
"Jeez," Eugene muttered. "Cold much? We can hear you, you know."
Rapunzel wanted to object but whatever got Va'oria to agree to her plan, she'd take it.
Va'oria sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Is that what you really want, my son? To live away from humans."
"Yes."
With a grimace, Va'oria turned back to Rapunzel. "I am choosing to believe you, girl. But if you betray me again, I will not hesitate to kill you."
"I won't."
Eugene clapped his hands. "Great. Now that that's all settled, I say we take a trip back to the tower and be done with all this craziness." He paused. "There is one thing I'm curious about though. Why Al Capone?"
Valk shrugged. "Why not?"
Eugene looked thoughtful for a moment and shrugged himself. "Good enough for me."
"Is he dead?" Rapunzel asked. "Capone?"
"No," Valk said. "He's locked up in his basement. I just drank enough from him to take on his appearance. It also gave me some of his thoughts and feelings. He sure likes pretty blondes."
Eugene shook his head. "This is officially the strangest conversation I've ever been a part of."
Rapunzel met Va'oria's eyes. "Let me take you to my tower. Let me do right by you."
Va'oria stood up. "I am trusting you once again, Rapunzel. Do not disappoint me."
968, Greenland
Rapunzel's tower was floating through space while she figured out what to do. Leaving Va'oria behind was never her intention. She could not risk her tower again.
But that lingering doubt and guilt nagged at the back of her mind.
It also didn't help that Masked Lady was awake and mocking her for it. "It's just you and me now, Rapunzel. All because you broke your promise to Va'oria. How does it feel? Pretty shitty? Because that's how you made me feel when you dumped me on Greenland's shores."
"Can you just be quiet?" Rapunzel asked, gripping her desk. Her fingers were turning white.
Masked Lady laughed. "That's just not possible for me. What you did, killing Moretti, I will say, I am impressed. I didn't think you had it in you."
"Shut up!" The anger in her voice surprised even herself. She could tell it definitely surprised Masked Lady. "Just shut up. I don't need you making me feel worse than I already do."
"Don't be." Masked Lady leaned against the desk. "I'm glad you killed Moretti. He was a colossal asshole. Even back on our home planet, everyone hated him. If there's one thing you did right here, it was killing him."
She hung her head. "Somehow, that just makes me feel even worse." She ran her hands down her shift and corset. "I'm going to change. Don't touch anything."
Masked Lady lifted her hands up in surrender. "I'm just glad I'm not in freaking Greenland anymore."
Rapunzel went into her room and changed into a simple pink shirt and jeans. She just wanted to be comfy after everything that had happened. Leaving Va'oria behind, she knew, would always haunt her.
A memory hit her so fast, she fell back onto her bed.
The memory of herself in 1925, helping Va'oria get back home.
That's it.
In all the chaos of everything, Rapunzel almost forgot the most important thing. She has a time machine.
She knew what to do to help Va'oria.
"I said don't touch that," Rapunzel scolded Masked Lady as she walked back into the main room. Masked Lady ripped her hand away from the computer. "I know where we're going."
"Where?"
"To Greenland, 984, right around the time the Vikings arrived."
Masked Lady's jaw dropped. "And why are we doing that?"
"Because, I can save Va'oria and her entire family before the Vikings kill them all. She won't be separated from her son for centuries. She won't hate humans and want to kill them in the future. I can do that." She plugged in the coordinates.
"But doesn't that change things? I thought time was set in stone."
"Some of it is. Some of it isn't. But this is one thing I can fix." She pushed the button on her computer and they were off, back to Greenland.
The tower landed right in front of the cave Va'oria's family lived in, right as the Vikings were attacking them. She needed to come back to a time when the Vikings were trying to hurt Va'oria and her family. It was the only way to get Va'oria to trust her to leave with her.
Masked Lady watched Rapunzel in confusion as she ran out of the tower. She spotted Va'oria, huddling in a corner, holding onto her a son, who was only a child in this time. Men who looked like Va'oria were fighting the Vikings.
Rapunzel had to dodged and duck around the fighting between the Vikings and the Lazat people. When she reached Va'oria's side, the alien woman shrunk from her.
"It's ok," Rapunzel said, holding out her hand. "Come with me. I can get you to safety. I am not a part of these people. I can make you safe."
Va'oria looked up at her with fear in her eyes but also hope. "I don't know you."
"I know. But I am here to take you to safety. You and your son."
"The rest of my family?" She nodded at them in the middle of the fight.
Rapunzel wanted to help them all but there was one thing about Time that was always set in stone.
And that was when someone died, that was it. No going back in time to change that.
"I'm sorry. I can only save you and your son."
Va'oria pulled away from her. "Then I'm staying. I won't abandon my family."
"Do you think they'd want you to get hurt? They'd want you alive and safe. I can give that to you."
Va'oria squinted. "You're… not from this time, are you? I can tell by your clothing."
"I'm a time traveler."
She sucked in a breath. "I've heard of people like you."
"So you know I can help. If you want to save your son a life of misery, then we need to go now." Rapunzel kept her hand extended, hoping Va'oria would take it.
After a moment of looking between Rapunzel and her son in her arms, Va'oria finally took Rapunzel's hand. Together, they ran for the tower.
Once they were safely on board, Va'oria ran to the front windows and looked down. Rapunzel knew what she'd see. Her family dying before her eyes and maybe Va'oria would resent her for it. But Rapunzel really hoped that this would be a new beginning for Va'oria – one not plagued by human cruelty.
Rapunzel placed her hand on Va'oria's shoulder. "I am so sorry. If I could have saved them, I would. But they died today. There wasn't anything I could do to change it. But you and your son don't die on this day. I can save you. Let me."
Va'oria stared down at the battle between the Vikings and her people for a few moments before she turned away, tucking her son further into her arms. "Then save my son and I."
Rapunzel nodded and went over to her computer and plugged in new coordinates. She took Va'oria and her son, Valk, to a place and time completely undisturbed by humans – a planet full of light and food that was ruled by a peaceful democracy. A democracy of aliens of all kinds of looks and shapes. A place where Va'oria and Valk would feel at home.
"What is this place?" Va'oria asked, gazing through the windows as the sunlight came in.
"A planet named Athea. You'll be happy here. Trust me."
Va'oria took in a shuddering breath as she hugged Valk closer to her. "Me and my son will be happy here together?"
"That's one thing I can safely promise."
She looked Rapunzel square in the eye and said, "Thank you."
Rapunzel could only nod, for her emotions were getting the better of her.
Va'oria and Valk left the tower and walked out into the sunlight.
"What about me?" Masked Lady's voice brought Rapunzel back to the present.
"If you can promise me that you wont cause death and destruction, you can stay here too."
"I never cared about killing innocent people. I only ever wanted to kill Moretti. Don't worry." She gave Rapunzel a sneaky, secretive smile. "I know how to play nice."
"You better. Or I'm coming back for you and taking you back to Greenland."
She shuddered. "No thank you. I'm off. I hope I never see you again."
"Wait."
Masked Lady looked over her shoulder. "What?"
"What's your name? I never asked."
"Why don't we leave that a secret?" She turned and began walking down the steps. But at the last moment, her voice traveled back up to Rapunzel. "Jessica. My name is Jessica."
Rapunzel laughed. If only Eugene knew, he'd have a field day with that one.
Thinking of Eugene made her sad. She wasn't sure when she'd see him again. She didn't know where he was. The only thing she did know was that the more she got to know him, the less he seemed to know her.
But she would deal with that day when it came to it.
A beep on her computer drew her attention away from Eugene. Looking at it, there seemed to be some trouble in London, 1599.
Like always, her curiosity got the better of her.
She pushed the button on her computer and her tower took off.
A new adventure awaited her – hopefully she'd run into Eugene while she was at it.
Only one way to find out.
1925, Chicago
Rapunzel led Va'oria and Valk into her tower, with Eugene following behind.
Va'oria looked around with contempt on her face. "So, this is the inside. I never got to see it because you abandoned me."
"Hey," Eugene said. "Rapunzel is helping you. Don't be rude." It warmed her heart that he stood up for her.
Va'oria ignored Eugene and walked over to the large windows at the front of the tower. "So, this is really it. I'll no longer be plagued by humans."
"Yes," Rapunzel said. "I'll make sure of it."
Va'oria nodded once and then turned to Rapunzel with a small smile. "I won't forget this."
Rapunzel was about to respond when Va'oria vanished right before her eyes. Valk vanished a moment later.
"Uh…" Eugene hurried to her side. "Where did they go?"
"They disappeared." She ran over to her computer, checking for signs from her tower about what just happened.
"I can see that, Blondie. But why?"
Once she saw the answer on her computer, she relaxed. "You see this line here." She pointed to an image of lines on the computer. Eugene nodded. "It means her timeline changed."
"How?"
She smiled. "My future self. She had my memories once I learned about Va'oria and Valk. I'm guessing she went back and did right by them."
"Just like that? They're gone from existence?"
"They're not gone. They just… moved. If my future self helped them, then I know she gave them the happy ending they deserved away from humans. Meaning, Va'oria never ends up here in 1925. She hopefully never learns to despise humans the way she did, which means hopefully no more humans have to die because of her and her son."
"But I thought you couldn't change the past."
She leaned against her desk. "Some pasts you can change. Va'oria and her son never died, meaning their timeline could change."
"But if they had died?"
"Then that's it. There's no changing death."
His shoulders slumped slightly. She was curious to ask why but there was a deep part of her that didn't want to know the answer. "Then if you can change the past," he asked, "why are we moving in opposite directions? Can't we change that?"
She thought back to everything she had experienced with Eugene so far. There was one experience they had together that nearly destroyed everything. She couldn't risk something like that happening again.
"I don't think we can," she said softly. When he let out a shuddering breath, she laid her hand on his cheek. "Hey. It will be ok."
"How do you know that? You're not the one who knows your future. I am."
"I know. And I know your future. At least, a part of it. It's not ideal what's happening between us – going in opposite directions – but we have to make the most of it."
"I'm tired of it." He pulled away from her, running a hand down his face. "I had to lose another version of you. And soon, I'll lose this version of you now. I don't know how much more of it I can take, Rapunzel."
Her heart ached for him just like it ached for herself. "I feel the same way," she admitted. "You entered my life in a blaze of glory. You knew me. Really knew me. How could I not fall in love with you?" She could feel the heat on her face. "I know I haven't said it yet but I need you to know." She walked up to him, cupping his cheek again. "I love you, Eugene."
His breath hitched. "This… is your first time telling me this?"
"For me it is. Why? Have I told you before?"
"Am I allowed to say?"
"You can say."
He grabbed her waist and gave it a squeeze. "You've told me before. Your future selves."
She wanted to ask him if he had said he loved her to her future self before but she didn't want to put that pressure on him. He'd tell her he loved her when he was ready. It wasn't arrogance that she knew he loved her. She knew because he already told her in her past with his future self. Her soul was connected to Eugene's.
"Rapunzel," he said softly, "I need you to know how much I care about you."
She smiled even though her heart deflated a little. So, he hadn't said 'I love you yet.'
It hurt knowing that his future self already told her he loved her. She remembered the moment clearly – when they were in her tower and everything was going to chaos around them.
He had told her he loved her then just when she was realizing she loved him.
And now, she was telling him she loved him for the first time but this Eugene couldn't reciprocate it.
Because he wasn't there yet.
Which only meant she was one step closer to losing him. If the other versions of him had told her he loved her but this version couldn't, then she was already losing him.
She smiled through the pain, not wanting to damper the moment between them. "I know you care. Let's focus on that and nothing else. We saved the day, once again. Let's just take this moment to be happy together."
There was a flash of pain in his eyes before he smiled, clearing it away. "That sounds great. You know, I was thinking, we're here in the 1920s. We could go watch a jazz band and dance the night away. Just have some fun for once. Together."
"That sounds perfect."
"A date it is." He kissed her. The sweetness of it made her heart ache even more.
"A date," she agreed. "But there is something we need to go first."
Flynn did not exactly want to spend time freeing Al freaking Capone from the cage he was locked into on the night he wanted to go on a date with Rapunzel. But going by what Rapunzel said, "It's the right thing to do."
They snuck back into Capone's house and found their way to his basement where he was locked inside a cage, just like Valk said.
He had a rag in his mouth. When he saw them, he rattled the cage, trying to speak.
"We're letting you out, don't worry," Flynn said, unlocking the cage. "Even though I don't agree with it."
Once Capone was free and un-gagged, he turned to them. "Who are you?"
"Buddy, we're the people that just saved your life. Remember that."
Capone set his sights on Rapunzel. "Hello there, doll. What's your name?"
Flynn rolled his eyes. "Only a second out of the cage and he's already flirting with you," he said to Rapunzel.
She only laughed. "My name doesn't matter. Go spend time with your wife. I think she misses you."
They left a stunned Al Capone standing in his basement to go on their date.
The jazz club was packed with people dancing and talking. They weren't at a speakeasy so there was no alcohol in sight, which made Flynn a little sad, but Rapunzel was more his main focus tonight. Booze could wait for when they said goodbye and he needed to drown his sorrows.
They joined the other couples on the dance floor.
"You're a good dancer," Rapunzel said as he twirled her around. "Where did you learn to dance?"
"I'm what they call 'au naturel.'" He threw his smolder look at her, which only ended up making her laugh.
"Eugene, you're not as cool as you think you are."
He placed a hand over his heart. "Ouch, Blondie. You know how to strike a man right in his heart."
She kissed his cheek. "Better?"
"Much better," he growled, pulling her flush against him.
She smiled as he kissed her, not giving a damn about the other dancers around them. It was just him and Rapunzel in this moment and that's all he wanted it to be.
They spent the rest of the night dancing and laughing and just having fun.
But the night couldn't go on forever.
They went back to the hotel they stayed at the other night because it was closer to the club. But instead of having sex again, they just laid on the bed in each other's arms.
"I don't want to lose this," she said. Her face was resting on his chest so he could only see the top of her head. He was desperate to see her expression.
Pulling her closer, he said, "I don't want to lose this either." He paused. "What if we didn't? What if we just stayed here together?"
"You know that's not possible."
"Why isn't it?"
She sighed. "Because sooner or later, something or someone is going to draw my attention and I'll need to go deal with the problem. Which mean I'll have to time travel, which means we'll be moving in opposite directions again."
"What if we just tried time traveling together? What then?"
"It's not possible, Eugene."
"Why not?" He didn't care if he was pushing for answers. He needed them.
She sat up, still not looking at him. "It's just not."
"Why?"
"Eugene."
"Rapunzel. Tell me."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
She huffed. "I don't want to end our night like this."
"Then just tell me."
"Because we already tried that!"
He fell silent, staring at the back of her head, feeling his heart constrict.
She sighed again and turned to face him. "We already tried it, Eugene. I can't say more because it's in your future but it was in my past. And we almost died because of it. I thought I lost you forever just when I was first getting you."
He knew the feeling.
"I really shouldn't be telling you any of this. But now you know. We can't try it because we already did," she said.
"Not for me."
"But you will. And when you do, you'll understand what I'm talking about. For some reason, we're stuck moving in different directions. And the sooner we accept it, the happier we'll be."
He stared at her before speaking. "You really believe that?"
Her eyes glimmered with tears and he felt like an utter ass for asking. "I want nothing more than to spend more time with you. And I know I'll get that but it won't last forever. There will come a day you wont remember me and it will break my heart. And then after that, we'll never see each other again. So, no. I don't just want to accept it. I have to. Because I think I might die if I don't."
He flinched. "Don't say that."
She cupped his face, making him look at her. "I love you, Eugene. You're mine and I know I'm yours."
He let out a shuddering breath. "How do you know that?"
"Because you've told me. We'll part ways like we always do and you'll get to know a past version of me and I'll get to know a future version of you."
"It's the opposite for me," he said, trying to sound lighthearted even though his own heart felt like it would squeeze right out of his chest. "You'll get to know a past version of me and I'll get to know a future version of you."
"And that right there is the problem. We're not on the same timeline. And I don't think we ever will be. So I have to accept it, Eugene. I just have to. And I need you to accept it to because if you don't, you'll be breaking my heart even more."
He pressed his head to hers, closing his eyes. It felt like his ears were ringing and his heart was pounding. "I don't want to break your heart."
"So don't."
"Only if you don't break mine."
She let out a soft laugh. "It's a deal."
He pulled her in closer to him and kissed her, infusing all his emotion into it. His happiness. His sadness. His love.
When they pulled back, he knew that was it. That would be the last kiss he'd experience with this version of Rapunzel. The next Rapunzel he kissed would be a different version of her, one who knew him slightly less.
They laid back down, holding each other in their arms.
Flynn eventually fell asleep, even though his heart was beating so fast the entire time.
When he woke up in the morning, he expected to feel Rapunzel in his arms. But she wasn't there.
"Rapunzel?" he called out, sitting up.
No answer. She was gone.
He looked at the pillow next to his where a piece of paper lay. He didn't want to read it because he knew it was from Rapunzel. He knew it was her goodbye letter.
But he had to know.
With shaking hands, he picked up the letter and read.
Eugene,
I'm leaving before you wake up because it will be easier this way. It might make me a coward but I just couldn't look into your eyes once more and say goodbye. It's getting too hard.
I'm off to Venice, Italy where I've gotten reports of alien activity. Hopefully, I'll see you there. But I guess it won't be you specifically. If you're looking for me again, go to Tombstone, Arizona, 1882. I know my past self will be happy to see you. I'm always happy to see you.
I could spill my heart out in this letter but you already know how I feel.
I love you, Eugene.
I can't wait to see you again.
Rapunzel.
He crumpled the paper up in his hand before he released it and set it back on the pillow.
Just like that – Rapunzel was gone again.
She made a good point. He had to accept what was happening between them. That they were like Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed lovers never meant to be.
But he'd keep trying. And trying and trying until the day came she didn't know him. He wasn't going to give up on her, in the past or in the future.
So, with a last look at the letter, he plugged the time and year into his watch, pressed the button, and looked forward to seeing Rapunzel in the old wild west.
Until Wednesday!