Back in the clocktower, Jacob bolted awake, sitting straight up and breathing heavily. He downed gulps of air, his heart racing as he lifted a hand to wipe the pooling sweat from his face. Slowly maneuvering his legs from the wrapped cocoon of sweat soaked blankets, he forced himself to move. Setting his feet on the cold concrete, he tried to stand up, his feet twitching slightly at the touch. A wave of nausea sent the whole room spinning around him before he fell backwards onto the bed again.
Poison must still be in my system, he thought as he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. The nausea slowly began to settle as he opened his eyes and looked up into the cobweb filled eves of the building. Forcing himself to sit up more slowly this time, he looked around the room for his canteen, hoping to use more of the herb water. Spying it across the room, he forced himself to stand, legs barely holding steady as he released his grip on the bed. The first few steps he took were fine, legs shaking but still managing. Taking a few more, the room began to spin again, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Son of a…" he muttered, groaning in pain. He shook his head, trying to block out the pain but making the room spin even more. He rolled over, using his arms to pull himself across the floor on his belly. After a few grunts, he managed to get within arms reach of the canteen. Reaching out one last time, his fingers just barely managed to close on the lid, tipping it over and rolling it just out of reach. He grunted frustrated, reaching out with both hands as his vision started fading to black. With a groan and a light thud, Jacob faded into unconsciousness.
Sin stood in the darkened park, shivering in the moist breeze as it rustled the leaves above in the tree she stood under. She wrapped her arms around herself, just below her breasts as she gazed across the park.
Where is she? She thought as she glanced down at her phone, resisting the urge to unlock the screen and reveal herself with the bright light. She almost gave in when she heard what sounded like the rumble of thunder. Freezing in place, she looked up and scanned the cloud filled sky.
No lightning? She thought, frowning and continuing to scan the sky. A flash of light lit up a distant cloud, making Sin frown even deeper as she quietly began to count the seconds till the thunder clap. By the time she got to thirty, she still had not heard anything. She stopped, a quiet whining sound coming to her ears as she noticed a faint shimmer in the clouds, almost like heat coming off the road in the middle of summer. The shimmer came closer, drifting down from the clouds to rest on a grassy knoll a few yards away.
What the hell...Sin thought, eyes growing wide as she stared at the spot. In a matter of seconds, the haze disappeared entirely, leaving nothing out of the ordinary. A line of bright light suddenly appeared, slowly growing until there was what looked to be a bright doorway splitting the darkness and illuminating the entire park. A strange shadow began to form in that doorway before it began moving, the light slowly fading behind it. Sin had to shield her eyes and blink several times before the light faded and left her once again in the damp darkness of the park.
She looked up, night sight slowly starting to return as the figure started walking directly towards her. Freezing, Sin stood motionless, hoping whatever or whoever the figure was hadn't seen her. Closer and closer it came, moving silently through the wet grass. As her eyes adjusted, she began to recognize the figures' features; first the golden blonde hair she had seen countless times years before, then the piercing blue eyes that filled her with a sense of security. She knew the figure and missed her dearly.
"Traded the black leather for white?" she called, gaining her composure and looking at the figure's clothes.
"Some say it looks better on me," it called back, a chuckle accompanying it.
Sin tried her hardest not to laugh, smile bubbling its way up to her lips and breaking through. Not bothering to hold back anymore, she rushed forwards and threw her arms around Sara's neck, squeezing tightly. Sara froze, slightly surprised before relenting and holding her tightly, even laughing after a few minutes.
"I missed you too," Sara said, the young girl's arms almost cutting her breath. "How did you get my number? It's not exactly listed."
"I sort of got it from your family," Sin replied, letting her go and taking a step back.
"From my family?" Sara laughed, smiling brightly yet raising an eyebrow. "Never thought you and my cop dad would buddy it up."
"Not your Dad," Sin muttered, laughter dropping from her voice. "Jacob."
The silence that rolled in between the two ladies became sudden and massive. Saras face instantly lost all happiness, even palling slightly as her brow furrowed.
"Is he ok?" she asked, voice becoming very quiet and taking on a worried quality. "Where is he?"
"Last I knew, unconscious on the bed," Sin said, biting her lip. "That's what we need to talk about…"
"Take me to him…" she growled, cutting her off with her smile completely gone, replaced with full concern.
After a few minutes and the constant electrical winding hum, the two ladies stepped off the elevator and out into the main section of the clocktower. They both looked to the corner where the small bed sat, blankets still tangled up but found no Jacob.
"Thought you left him unconscious on the bed?" Sara quipped, raising her eyebrow at Sin.
"I swear I did!" she replied, eyes wide and staring at her. "He was out."
Sin turned, looking out throughout the room, eyes searching every corner. Halfway across the room, sprawled out on the floor in front of the tipped over canteen, they spotted him.
"Oh, hell," Sin groaned, rushing over to his side and rolling him over. "J! Wake up!"
She started shaking him, lightly tapping his face before he began to mumble and sluggishly open his eyes. Blinking a few times, he began to blearly look around the room. As his eyes moved slowly around, he spotted Sara walking over to him and squatting down to look at him.
"Great," he mumbled, blinking rapidly a few times before sluggishly speaking again. "Now I'm hallucinating."
"Hey, kid," she whispered, smiling down at him. "You're not hallucinating, I'm here."
"Then why are you wearing white?" he asked, squinting and shaking his head slightly.
He slowly rolled his body over and looked up at Sin, still in her lap and raised an eyebrow.
"You called her?" he asked, slowly coming to himself, his voice filled with accusation.
"Actually no," she countered, glaring right back at him. "I texted her, you only said not to call."
"Smartass," he mumbled, a smile starting to form on his lips.
"Come on," Sin replied, maneuvering him to a more seated position and pushing him upright. "Let's get you up."
Sticking an arm through one of his, Sara moved to help, picking him up as Sin scrambled to stand while pushing Jacob to his feet. After considerable effort and some slurred words from him, the two ladies managed to get him on his feet, the height difference making things more interesting. Taking each step carefully and balancing him between them, they managed to make their way across the room and back to the bed.
"Put me down or I'm gonna be sick," Jacob mumbled, trying to pull back his arms from around their shoulders.
Carefully, they sat him down and backed away as Jacob tattered side to side for a second. After a few minutes where Sin swore his skin had turned from shades of green to a pale grey color, Jacob seemed to calm himself.
"What the hell did you get yourself into now?" Sara breathed, shaking her head and staring at Jacob.
"You know me," he grinned, eyes slowly opening and turning in her direction. "Making friends everywhere I go."
He paused, waiting for her to laugh but only getting a glare in return.
"I'm fine," he grunted, rolling his eyes and looking away. "Except I'm thirsty, where's that damn canteen?"
Jacob looked past Sara, spying it still laying across the room before making a move to get up.
"I'll get it," Sin said, throwing a hand up to keep him seated before turning and walking away.
Jacob grunted something inaudible as Sin turned, settling back down on the bed. Sara shook her head again, this time kneeling down to stare directly into his eyes.
"I know you better than that," she all but whispered, keeping the stare. "Something is majorly wrong. Tell me what happened."
"I said, I'm fine," he grunted back, leveling with her gaze and staring back just as hard.
"Bullshit," she growled, so loud that Sin flinched across the room. "Tell. Me. What. Happened."
Jacob kept his stare leveled with hers, not wanting to give up but feeling the force behind each enunciation in her words. A silence crept up between the two, Sin standing a ways away looking from each of their faces, canteen in hand. Minutes began to fly by before Sara sighed, shaking her head and standing up. She turned, starting to head for the elevator. She had made it across the room, finger all but pressing the button before she heard him sigh.
"Wait," he said finally, his voice echoing off the walls and causing her to pause. "Just wait."
Sara turned, arms immediately folding over her chest and glanced at him. After a few seconds, her foot began to tap against the concrete, filling the air with a light pattering sound.
"Something cut me up," he muttered, hands going to his face and muffling his voice.
"No shit," Sara laughed, exasperation filling her voice. "I can see that much."
"You don't get it," he grunted back, lowering his hands to glare at her. "It cut through league gear, and it moved damn fast."
"It's not like that stuff is indestructible…" Sara shot back, rolling her eyes.
"You're not listening!" Jacob yelled, standing up suddenly and eyes lighting up dangerously. Sara snapped quiet, eyes widening and flickering to his face as Sin took a step backwards. Something in Jacobs eyes terrified Sara as she gazed into them.
Without warning, Jacob began to wobble, swaying back and forth before crumbling back to the bed. Sara shot forward, intent on trying to catch him before he cracked his skull off the concrete floor. Managing to fall mostly on the bed, Jacob held up a hand that wavered in mid air. Sara stopped, a few feet away, scowl still on her face.
"You know me Sara," he whispered, hand still on his face. "You know how quick I can move, you've seen my reflexes, this person was fast. I never even saw it coming."
"Did you see…..anything?" she asked, her voice losing its edge.
"Green," he started, squeezing his eyes shut. "Some sort of metallic green."
"You don't think…" she started, letting her words drift off as she frowned.
"No way," he cut in, shaking his head carefully. "No way Oliver could move that fast. No normal human could."
"So you're thinking meta-human?" she asked, nodding her head.
"Had to be," he confirmed, looking up at her.
"It's kinda cute how you two finish each other's sentences," Sin smirked from where she stood.
They both looked up at her and glared.
"Wow," she whistled. "Even giving the same look."
Jacobs' eyes flickered over to Sara, seeing the same look on her face that he used to get as a child, and couldn't help but grin. Sara, out of the corner of her eye, saw this as well and suddenly found herself starting to smile.
"That's what I thought," Sin said with another smirk, slowly walking closer and offering the canteen to Jacob.
"There's not much left," she grunted as she passed it to him. "Sort of dropped it while you were thrashing on the floor."
"Wonderful," he muttered, unscrewing the cap and taking a look inside. He took a drink and grimaced at the taste while Sara chuckled silently to herself.
"So how do you want to do this?" Sara asked, watching him slowly drink from the canteen, each time his face contorting at the taste. "You obviously need my help, even if you wont ask for it."
"Can you even stay here?" Jacob asked, gulping down another mouthful and finally emptying the canteen. "Last I heard from Felicity, Oliver is more determined than ever to find me out."
"You…" Sara started, eyeing him a moment before rolling her eyes. "Of course you told Felicity."
"What do you mean?" Sin asked, frowning and looking between the two with a very confused expression.
"You're more like him than you probably understand," Sara shot at Jacob, ignoring Sins comment.
"She's helping me with equipment," Jacob threw back, shaking his head and attempting to take another drink from the canteen but remembering it was empty. "Besides, I needed someone on the inside of his circle."
"I'm sure that's all you needed," Sara muttered, half under her breath before turning away.
"What the hell does that mean?" He asked, standing up and frowning at her.
"Dude," Sin sighed, shaking her head and reaching out to take the canteen from his hands. "You're an idiot when it comes to women."
Jacob stood there, confused looks spreading across his face as his eyes flicked back and forth between the two women. Silence filled the room again as Sara paced around, refusing to look at him and hiding the jealousy she felt creeping up inside.
What the hell, she thought, listening to the thundering of her heart accompanied by the muffled sound her feet made in the room. Why should I be jealous of her? She's not even….damnit Sara get a hold of yourself.
"So how do you want to do this?" she asked out loud again, shaking her head and refusing to give into her darker thoughts. "Do you even know what's wrong with you?"
"Some kind of poison," he muttered, still staring at her. "I had Sin here take a blood sample and we have someone analyzing it."
"A blonde haired someone?" Sara asked, instantly regretting it the moment the words left her lips.
"I think his hair is black with a bit of grey in it actually," he grunted, rolling his eyes. "I happen to have made friends with a doctor."
"Oh, ok then," she muttered sheepishly, looking away and scratching her head. "And what did he have to say about it?"
"Going to take some time," Jacob went on, taking a step and trying to stay up right. "His equipment isn't exactly the best down in the glades."
"Then what are you doing to get it out of your system?" she asked again, looking around.
"Your wonderful beverages," he snarked back, waving to the canteen in Sins hands. "Figured the herbs would counterattack the poison, worked for most other things."
"It should," she confirmed, nodding her head and walking over to where Sin stood and holding her hand out. "If you consume enough."
"Yea about that…'' Sin mumbled, handing over the canteen sheepishly. "I tried to get as much as I could into him, but i don't think it was enough."
"It might not have been enough," Sara sighed, shaking the canteen. "But it's certainly helped, otherwise he wouldn't be conscious."
"Well that was all of the herbs I had," he muttered, taking another step and fighting off yet another wave of nausea that threatened to pitch him from his feet. "Been in use for a while and haven't had a chance to make it back to that island."
"Well we might have to…" Sara started, handing back the canteen and turning around.
Jacob stopped and turned, staring directly at her with piercing eyes.
"How are we going to do that exactly?" Sin asked as he stared at Sara, seeming not to notice his rigid stance.
"I have a way," Sara said dismissively, concentrating on Jacobs' sudden reaction. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to go back there..." he whispered ever so gently.
"What way?" Sin asked loudly, frowning and not hearing Jacobs' voice.
"I have a time ship," Sara answered, turning and grinning at Sin.
"The last time I was there nearly killed me," Jacob went on, staring directly at Sara and not seeming to see her.
"You'll have me," Sara started, frowning and waving a hand infront of his face.
"I had you there last time," he muttered, looking down and away.
"...and Sin will be able to watch your back as well," she finished, hearing his comment and choosing to ignore it. "Besides, this time I'll have Gideon on constant scan of the Island. Shouldn't be any surprises."
"Who's Gideon?" Sin asked loudly, eyes flicking between the two.
Sara stood in the dimly lit park, in front of a seemingly empty space as Sin carefully walked up with Jacob leaning on her shoulder. The young woman seemed almost out of breath from being his crutch, but still she soldiered on, helping him with each step before coming to a halt just a few feet behind Sara.
"What are we…." Sin started, out of breath and starting to sway under Jacobs weight.
"Shh," Sara hissed, reaching into the pocket of her white leather pants and pulling out a small remote. With a click of a button, a line of light suddenly appeared in front of her, expanding into what looked like a doorway. After a few seconds, the light dimmed and there in that doorway was what looked like a metallic chamber, a small boarding ramp extending down and towards them. Sara stepped forward and into the chamber, turning to her right before waving them to move forward as well.
"I swear if we end up getting probed…." Sin muttered under her breath before adjusting Jacobs weight and urging them both forward slowly.
"Not likely," Jacob grunted back, cautiously taking a few steps before putting his hand out against the cool metal wall.
"Good evening Captain," Came a computerized woman's voice as soon as they stepped through the doorway, making Sin jump and duck under Jacobs arm. "It seems you have brought guests with you."
"What the hell is that?" Sin blurted out loud, looking around the chamber wildly.
"Relax," Jacob chuckled, making his way to a seat that folded itself out from the side of the chamber wall. "It's just Gideon."
"Ahh, hello Mr. La….Im sorry, hello Jacob," came the woman's voice again. "It has been some time."
"It knows you?" Sin asked, astonished and looking at Jacob with huge eyes.
"She has a name," he chuckled, sitting down on the chair heavily and starting to strap himself into a set of restraints that began to materialize from the side. "It's good to see you again, Gideon."
The entire chamber shuddered as the screen began to polarize itself, the movement catching Sins attention and causing her to turn towards the front.
"Holy shit, it's a ship…" she breathed out, staring out the front and looking at the entire park as it lit up with bright greens from the computer's night vision filter.
"Well yea, what did you think a Time Ship, meant?" Sara asked as she watched Sin slowly walk forwards and look all throughout the screen, a smile on her face.
"I don't know," Sin admitted, still awestruck by the sight. "Nothing like this though."
Jacob laughed behind them, the last click almost echoing throughout the small ship.
"Gideon this is…." He started, nodding towards Sin and groaning when another wave of nausea began to wash over him, causing him to lift his hand up to his head.
"Cindy Simone, born march 3rd, 1997 to John and Amanda Simone," Gideon announced, cutting him off. "My sensors deduced her identity when she walked on board."
"Cause that's not creepy or anything," they heard Sin mutter up in the front, causing Sara to grin.
"Sit down and strap in," Sara laughed, using her foot to spin the seat next to her around before turning and facing the ship's main controls herself. "Gideon, are we ready to take off?"
"Yes, Captain," Gideon answered vocally, while the ship itself began to hum. "Coordinates entered."
"You alright back there?" Sara called, looking over her shoulder to see Jacob leaning his head back against the cool metal of the ship with his eyes closed.
"Not really," he grunted with a gulp, his hands slowly flexing open and closed as he tried to control the ever increasing nausea. "But do it."
"Alright," she replied, eyes frowning momentarily before turning back around and tapping a series of buttons on the console in front of her. "Whenever you're ready, Gideon."
"Engaging liftoff thrusters now," Gideon answered, a sudden shudder rippling through the ship before they slowly began to ascend.
A grunt and a small scuffle made Sara turn her head to where Sin was sitting, seeing the young woman struggling with her own restraints. Every time she pulled on one, it would only extend a few inches before locking in place and refusing to move.
"Son of a…." she muttered, reaching up with both hands and yanking as hard as she could on the strap. "Why wont you…"
"Gideon, some help here?" Sara called, grinning up at the screen.
With a wordless answer, both straps suddenly sprang free and loosened from their moorings, extending far out enough to cross Sins chest before routing around her armpits and securing themselves. After a momentary fidget, Sin settled in her seat and relaxed against the cushions.
"Friggin machine…." she muttered, wiggling one last time before sitting still and awing at the clouds as they passed by the front screen. "I've never flown before. This is just….wow."
Sara sat back for a minute, watching at the young woman's facial expressions and smiling to herself. As they cleared the sky and ascended up above the clouds, she tapped a button on the console in front of her, and the screen began to darken, shielding them from increasingly bright direct moonlight. A smaller screen in front of her began to light up and blink, with a series of numbers appearing with a slider below them. Tapping a few variables and pushing one final button, she grabbed the steering stalk down near the level of her stomach.
"Prepare for time jump," She said with a grin as Sins face began to pale.
With a shudder and a blast of green light, the sky around them illuminated fiercely. In a matter of seconds, rocketed forward and were gone, leaving a bright blink in the sky before disappearing entirely.
Seconds later the ship settled down, the hum from the jump leaving an echo in Sins ears as she stared out the viewing screen in front of her, still darkened in the bright sky. Sara angled the ship down, aiming back into the clouds and began to steer them to their destination.
"Was that it?" Sin asked, raising her eyebrows and peering up around the screen, looking up at the cloud filled sky.
"Did you expect something else?" Sara laughed, rolling her eyes and angling the ship down, rolling waves starting to come into view as they descended through the clouds.
"A trail of fire, maybe a spinning license plate…" Sin muttered, shrugging and taking in the new sights.
"Kids and their movies…"Jacob muttered from the back, pulling on his own restraints and pausing a second as they retracted back into the seat. With a grunt, he stood up and slowly began making his way forward, eventually resting a hand on the back of Saras chair and staring out the view screen.
"Let her have it," Sara chuckled, looking up at him and seeing sweat start to trickle down his face, pain showing through as well. "You need to sit back down, before you fall."
"I'll be fine," Jacob shot back, holding his opposite hand up to shield his eyes from sunlight that broke through the clouds as they descended; a few seconds later the screen began to auto darken and correct for the brightness.
Sara shook her head, frowning before turning back to the view screen. Adjusting the controls slightly, she began to navigate the ship into a downward spiral, bringing the front end around until a series of islands started to come into view on the horizon.
"What is that?" Sin asked, trying to sit forward but being held by the straps across her chest. After struggling for a few minutes, she reached one hand up and tapped on the top most part, jumping slightly when the straps suddenly unbuckled and began to retreat into the chair.
"Lian Yu…" Jacob grunted, eyes narrowing and his face starting to constrict.
"Purgatory," Sara nodded, pushing the ship onward.
"The place between heaven and hell," Sin answered, pushing back from the chair and standing up to look at it better. Both Sara and Jacob turned to look at her incredulously; after a few seconds, Sin noticed the look and turned.
"What?" she asked, frowning. "It's not like I don't read."
Jacob grunted in response, turning to walk towards the back of the ship while Sara chuckled and tapped another button on the console in front of her. Instantly an infrared map of the island popped up in the corner of the screen, a scan being initiated and several dots popping up.
"Gideon?" Sara asked out loud, watching as each dot began to multiply, filling the map into a clustered chunk of red. "Can you seperate the heat signatures?"
"Of course, Captain," Came her computerized voice, the digital representation of her head popping up from the center of the console. Sin jumped where she stood, retreating a few steps with her eyes wide. "Separating and coordinating all signatures."
Several seconds later, the map was now populated by several color coded dots, with a legend popping up on the side of them.
"Is there any human presence on the island this time?" Sara asked, frowning and peering down at the map.
"Negative, Captain," Gideon answered. "My sensors have covered the entire island and found only animal life."
"What about the underground bunker where we were held last time?" Sara asked, the ship now skimming over the waves with ocean spray hitting the view screen.
"No human life has been detected, Captain," Gideon reiterated, the modulated voice almost sounding irritated. "I have checked up to two hundred meters below the surface and even scanned a perimeter of fifteen square kilometers. There is no human life."
"I just don't want any surprises this time," Sara shot back, giving the holographic projection a look before turning back to the screen and pulling the control stalk back. With a slightly hum, the ship pulled up into the air, skimming the trees and leaving a wave rippling across the treetops.
"When are we?" Jacob asked weakly, sitting down and closing his eyes.
"Not long after we left the first time," Sara responded, bringing up a date in the lower left corner of the display. "I figured at that point we already knew no one else was here and we needed to be here before the island blew up."
"What do you mean, blew up?" Sin asked, tearing her gaze away from the view screen to stare at Sara incredulously.
"Long story," Jacob grunted, shaking his head.
"Exactly," Sara agreed, piloting the ship over a small clearing and slowing down into a banked turn. "Lets just say this island has a very bloody past, present and future."
"Remind me again why we're here then?" Sin asked again, blinking.
"One, for the herbs," Jacob responded, holding up a shaky hand and listing off digits. "Two, it wouldn't hurt you to train somewhere you're not going to fall off a building. Three…."
"You could use a brush up yourself," Sara shot back, setting the ship down with a groan as the landing gear cushioned them. "Apparently you're getting a little slow."
Wordlessly, Jacob glared at her before standing up and tapping on the door controls. In a matter of seconds, the door and stairs slid out from the wall and laid themselves out onto the grass below. As the entrance appeared, a breeze blew into the chamber, blowing Jacobs hair back. Hesitantly, he started down the stairs, taking a deep breath as soon as his feet touched grass.
Pushing away from the console, Sara undid the restraints holding her to the chair before standing up and stretching. Walking over to the hatch, she stopped a second and watched Jacob as he stood motionless in the sun. A smile began to spread to her face as she watched him, taking note of how the sun danced along his skin and truly looking at him in the moment. His back and shoulders seemed more muscular, which she hadn't noticed before. The curve of his jaw seemed more defined, making him look remarkably more handsome.
As she watched him, he leaned down and unlaced his boots, Sara happily noticing the shape of his ass as he did so. Carefully, he slid them both off, pulling at his socks and stuffing them into the neck of his boots before spreading his toes out and feeling the grass and earth beneath his feet. Closing his eyes, he began to smile, spreading his arms out and enjoying the way the sun warmed his skin.
"I can feel you watching me," he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.
Sara grinned, turning away to hide her blushing face as Sin walked forwards and out of the chamber. Taking no more than a few steps down the stairs and barely touching the grass spread out in front of her, she full on face planted dramatically.
"What the hell," Sin slurred as Sara jumped down the stairs and quickly knelt down beside her. "I can't feel my damn legs!"
"Side effect of time travel," Sara laughed, reaching down to turn the poor young girl around so she was staring up at the sky. "Give it a few minutes, it'll pass."
"Goddammit!" Sin grunted, reaching down and rubbing her upper thighs, hoping to get her legs back in order. "How come you two aren't falling over your selves ."
"Not exactly the first time I've done this," Sara chuckled, pulling Sin up into a sitting position.
"And you?" She grunted at Jacob, who still had his back turned.
"I've had worse," he chuckled, turning around to see her grumpily staring at him and barely sitting up thanks to Sara. Taking a step towards the pair, he faltered, stumbling and barely managing to keep himself from falling face first into the grass. Dropping down to one knee, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, fighting a wave of nausea.
"Least you're not perfect," Sin grunted, glaring at him with a half smile on her face.
"The poison?" Sara asked, staring at him with worry as he took a few deep breaths and managed to keep himself from puking. With a silent nod, he confirmed her thoughts before rolling into a sitting position on the grass beside them.
"How'd I end up having to look after you two?" Sara asked, shaking her head and looking between them.
"Older sisters privilege," Sin snarked, finally managing to move her legs and slowly starting to regain her feet. With a playful shove to Sins shoulder, Sara stood up and walked back into the ship.
"You two sit tight a minute," she called, stepping up into the body of the ship and starting to unzip her suit. Reaching down to unlace her boots, she flicked them over into the corner, reaching up and starting to wriggle free. After a few minutes of struggling, she managed to free herself from the leather and stopped, letting her skin breathe. She could feel the sweat starting to trickle down her skin, causing a slight tingling sensation to spread wonderfully up her body. Wiping the droplets away absently, she picked up the pieces of her suit and tossed them to the row of seats, tapping a panel on the cabin wall as she walked by. A low hum emitted from the wall, sending a panel sliding out with a few articles of clothing and what looked like a set of hiking boots sitting below it. Grabbing up a pair of breathable looking pants and a sleeveless shirt from the rack, she stepped into them quickly, jumping slightly and buttoning them. With another once over her stomach and chest, she wiped the sweat from her body and quickly pulled on the sleeveless shirt. Hanging off to the side of the clothing was a webbed belt of rugged woven material, with several pouches and a single canteen attached to it. Snatching it up next, she began to undo each of the straps that dangled from the main section. Buckling the main section around her waist, she grabbed each side and began to buckle each one in turn around her thighs before standing up and squatting down, checking to make sure they don't ride up or move under intense movement. With a quick motion of her hands and a twirl of a section of paracord around her fingers, she tied up her hair before snatching the boots and another new pair of socks. As she turned to step back out of the capsule, she kicked back with her right foot, shoving the panel back into the wall and watching as it disappeared. Taking a few steps to the stairs down, she sat and began to pull on the new socks and lace up her boots.
"Dammit," she heard Jacob mumble to himself as she finished the last boot, looking up and watching as his fingers almost drunkenly attacked his own laces.
"You alright?" she asked as she walked over, knelt down and laid her hands on his fingers, noticing how much they seemed to tremble for a second before relaxing.
"Not really," he sighed, stopping for a second and staring at his boots. With a delicate nudge, she moved his fingers away and quickly tied the laces together, giving him a warm smile.
"Come on, on your feet," she said, holding a hand out to help him up. With a sigh, he looked up and met her eyes, gripping her hand strongly and letting her pull him to his feet.
"Can you run?" she asked, giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and giving him a once over with her eyes; he confirmed with a short nod.
"Where are we going?" Sin asked, stumbling over to the two and looking between them with an eye roll.
"Herbs first," Jacob half asked before nodding and dusting off his pants.
"Herbs first," Sara agreed, eyes darting below his belt as she watched his hands. "I need you at your best."
With a snort, Jacob bit back a comment before giving Sara a look.
"Keep up then," He shot back, taking off towards the trees and leaving the two women behind him. With a laugh and a pull on Sins shoulder, Sara followed him.
Across the Island they ran, trees whipping by as they went. At first, Jacob managed to lead the trio, a grin spreading across his face as he moved almost effortlessly. After a few hundred yards, his body began to feel the effects of the poison coursing through his veins, slowing him down and limiting him. Sara took the opportunity to push ahead, throwing not only a sultry smile to him as she passed but also a sparkle in her eye as she caught his gaze sliding down.
That's right, she thought, chase that ass.
Bringing up the rear, Sin barely managed to keep up. Lungs gasping for air despite the decent amount of running she had been doing, she pushed as hard as she could. Every so often, she would see Jacob quickly look behind him at her, making sure no matter what she wasn't left too far behind. She too noticed something different about Sara, catching the looks she was giving Jacob and taking special notice on how Sara's ass moved as she ran.
After what seemed like a few hours, Sara slid to a halt. A few seconds later, both Jacob and Sin joined her, Sin being completely out of breath. With a shake of his head, Jacob wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down at Sin, who had her hands on her knees and gasping for breath.
"You gonna make it?" He asked, chuckling as he looked at her.
In response, Sin looked up, took her right hand off her knees, and flipped her middle finger up at him. Sara broke out laughing, her voice echoing off the trees and causing Jacob to smile, patting Sin on the back before looking around.
"Let her breathe," Sara laughed, waving Jacob over to her and turning to look around the trees. With a shake of his head, Jacob walked over and followed her gaze.
"I felt you staring at my ass," She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Why else do you think I let you lead us," he shot back, looking at her out of the corner of his eye with a grin creeping to his lips.
"If you wanted to see it again that badly," She replied, turning to look at him, her cheeks getting a shade pinker. "All you had to do was ask."
"I…" he started, turning to face her before being interrupted by Sin walking over to stand with them.
"If you two are done flirting," Sin cut in, breath finally starting to return to normal. "Care to tell me why we stopped in the middle of the damn woods?"
With a roll of her eyes, Sara turned back the original way she was looking and pointed at a small rise in the ground. "Just over that hill is a major grouping of the herbs we need."
"Ok, great," Sin sighed, starting to head in the direction Sara was pointing. "But stupid question, did anyone bring anything to put them in?"
With a frown, Jacob shook his head before turning to Sara and watching as she produced a small tangle of leather from one of her pouches. In a few twists and a second of untying, she managed to untangle three small bags and tossed one to each of them.
"Pick what you can and fill each one," She instructed, walking past Sin and starting to climb the rise.
"I don't even know what they look like," Sin started to complain, unfolding the bag enough that she could look inside before following Sara.
"Come on," Jacob urged, grasping her shoulder firmly and nudging her along. "I'll show you."
Up ahead of the pair, Sara suddenly stopped, eyes growing wide and body freezing in place. Jacob took notice immediately, raising his eyebrows and stepping faster up to her side.
"What's…" he started, looking at Saras face for a second before turning his gaze around to the clearing.
"They're gone," she whispered in shock. "They're all...gone…"
I know its been quite a while since i've released anything, my deepest apologies for those loyal fans who have been reading this since the beginning.
For those of you who don't know, I recently joined the Army and lets just say...its been hellaciously busy. Good news is, now that things have calmed down, ill be able to write more.
As usual, I ask all my readers to drop some feedback; it makes the whole process go smoother especially during the editing stages. Let me know if you dont like something, like something in particular, or want to see something I havent done yet. My notes are panned out but theres always holes to fill.
Cheers.