The mellow sound of fingers clacking against the keys of the computer board were almost enough to put Scarlett to sleep. Of course, she'd been trying to avoid that activity as much as she could since she learned last night that her dreams of past memories were even more painful than the loneliness of her every waking moment. Thankfully, Jiya's victorious shouts were enough to startle her awake with a snort.

"I got it," Jiya exclaimed. "I got it!"

Scarlett rolled her chair closer, now curious. "Got what?"

"Okay, when the Mothership returned to the present, we tracked it down to this 50-mile area of Oakland, right?" Jiya asked rhetorically.

Scarlett nodded her head, but her father was quick to criticize as he joined the conversation. "None of this is news."

"Hold on," Jiya insisted, pressing a few keys to show her work. "Well, I accessed the city power grid's computers, and this electrical substation here has massive power drains. We're talking enough power to either stage Lollapalooza—"

"Or recharge the Mothership," Scarlett eagerly finished her sentence.

"You're saying you've narrowed its location to this neighborhood?" Agent Christopher asked as she joined the conversation.

Jiya shook her head, smiling with self-satisfaction. "No. I'm saying I've narrowed it to this block."

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

They had assumed that Flynn would be caught by the element of surprise, but he remained one step ahead of them. It was close, but he managed to jump before Wyatt and his team even entered the building, leaving many in a stupor of frustration. Something the team received the brunt end of as the soldier return, royally pissed.

"Anything?"

"If you'd be patient, and give us some time, maybe we'd have an answer for you by now," Scarlett answered, crossing her arms as she stepped away from the computer to address the soldier. "The techs are doing all that they can."

"Flynn left a lot behind," Rufus agreed, implying that it would in fact take time; however, he did end on the note that he'd found something—or a lack thereof, "but there's no sign of the nuke."

"Wonderful," Mason retorted sarcastically under his breath. "Do we have a lock on where he went?"

"December 9, 1944. Germany," Rufus called out, quickly adding, "The U.S. didn't have a working A-bomb until 1945. If Flynn gives one to the nazis before the war is over..."

"The war is over," Scarlett redundantly finished her statement. "So let's go get the bastard and make sure that doesn't happen."

"Flynn is somewhere inside this fifty square mile area in northwest Germany, 1944," Rufus added to his previous spout of information, zooming in on the location from his computer.

"What's so special about there?" Agent Christopher asked in confusion.

Rufus shook his head. "That's the thing. Not much. Lots of forest, farmland, a local castle."

"What about the date?" Mason asked, practically interrupting Rufus, which earned him a glare from Scarlett. "Any significance?"

Lucy slowly nodded, a look of thought crossing her expression as she pointed to a few specific areas on the map. "There is one thing. There was a tavern called Das Stein Haus, here. It may have been a rendezvous place for the Allied Resistance. It's not a hundred percent. The accounts are spotty, but maybe someone there can point us in the right direction."

Wyatt had a finger pressed against his lips, keeping quiet, but Scarlett could see that he clearly had some input to add. "What is it, Wyatt?"

"Just so I'm clear, you want to drop us into nazi territory, roll up blind to some bar, and just convince someone there that we don't know to help us?" Wyatt asked, semi-rhetorically, taking the time to gesture to both Rufus and Scarlett. "By the way, bring them?"

Lucy nodded. "Well, it's either that or give the nazis a nuclear weapon."

Scarlett scoffed. "Does anyone here even speak German? Or is this another assignment where we fly blind?"

"I do." Wyatt raised a hand, calling the attention of those around them.

"Really?" Scarlett brow furrowed with curiosity. "You do?"

Wyatt nodded his head. "Yeah, four languages, actually."

"Okay, that's mildly impressive," Scarlett admitted.

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "The Army drops us into other places than Palo Alto."

"I know that." A sly grin pulled at Scarlett's lips. "I just didn't think your brain had the capacity to process anything larger than a series of monosyllabic words."

Recognizing the growing tension between Scarlett and Wyatt, Lucy stepped in. "Well, does anyone have any idea how we're gonna get lederhosen in the next five minutes?"

"Ah, about that." Mason finally called for the group's attention before leading them down the hall toward what Scarlett swore had been a storage closet less than a week ago. Mason stepped aside and allowed the group forward, that smug and self-impressed look plastered to his face. "Wardrobe dock. Hundreds of expertly-crafted outfits suitable for any era. Uh, sorted by geographic area then by year. Germany's this way."

"Isn't this all a bit much?" Lucy asked.

"Well, it's better to have and not need, than need and not have," Mason replied. "And it doesn't seem like these missions are ending any time soon, so..."

And Mason left them at that. Scarlett listened to the clip of his dress shoes echo against the concrete floor up until the moment they were truly alone. Wyatt and Lucy had quickly began to prepare: Wyatt loading his handgun; Lucy making corrections here and there to the chosen outfits, ensuring they matched the time period as best as possible. However, before Scarlett could try and snatch a pair of pants from the rail, Rufus grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around the corner.

"What's up with you?" Rufus didn't let her voice her complaints.

"Nothing," Scarlett crossed her arms. "I'm sober. Is that not enough for you?"

"I want you healthy, Scar." A look of concern softened Rufus's features. "Your eyes are bloodshot and you snap at the blink of an eye. You're clearly not getting enough sleep."

"One step at a time," Scarlett replied. Clearly she wasn't hiding the emotional wreck of her life as well as she'd thought; however, it wasn't at the top of her priority list because she apparently had to deal with nazis and terrorists instead. It had been about a week since they'd started traveling back in time and nothing had changed. So, in her mind, she had every right to be frustrated. Flynn was no closer to being captured. Time was still being screwy. And there was still no sign of her fiancé. She desperately needed a win, yet the universe refused to throw her a bone. Instead, it tormented her every waking moment and continued to taunt her in her sleep.

"I know it's been hard—"

"Do you?" she interrupted. She didn't snap; there was no anger in her tone. Instead, Rufus could see the full effect of her exhaustion behind the walls that she'd put up. "Do you know? Could you know, Rufus? Could you possibly understand the sense of loss that I've endured and accumulated over the past week? I was out. I was out of this business and on my way to a fresh start that didn't have my dad's hands tainting everything. Meanwhile, you're still stuck. I don't know everything that you and my dad talk about when he pulls you aside, but your face is so easy to read. He controls you. So... how could you possibly know?"

Rufus was silent. He has no comeback or retort. Instead, he had that same look of sympathy. "Maybe I don't know... but you should stop lashing out at the people who do."

"You mean the soldier."

"Yes. I mean Wyatt," Rufus agreed. "But I also mean Lucy, and Jiya, and your dad, and me. You've been snippy with just about everyone lately."

"Snippy?" she wrinkled her nose at the term. "No, no, no. Ten year old girls are snippy. I'm not snippy."

"Pretty sure you are," Rufus disagreed, but there was a playfulness to his tone.

"Am not."

"Are too."

She pursed her lips, trying to hide her growing smile. She rolled her eyes as he grinned—a grin of victory that is—and then nudged him as she walked away to change. "Shut up and get dressed... I can't fly this thing on my own."

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

"So when we get to this tavern, how do we let 'em know we're friendly?" Wyatt asked, buckling his seat-belt of the lifeboat. It had only taken them another half hour to get fully prepared and board the time machine.

"I'm pretty sure they'll try to kill you if they're not friendly," Scarlett retorted, earning a look from Rufus which she elected to ignore. "All the other hostiles we've encountered have simply pointed a gun in our direction... speaking of—"

"No."

"I didn't even get to ask yet." Scarlett crossed her arms as her lips frowned in a pout.

"You didn't have to," Wyatt scoffed.

Lucy gently cleared her throat. "Uh, well, the accounts that I've read said that you have to order a specific Cognac at the bar. A '23 Remy Martin."

"These the spotty, unreliable accounts?" Wyatt asked.

Lucy nodded her head. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Alright," Rufus warned the others. "Hang on."

The machine powered up with a metallic clang and a whir that Scarlett was unnerved to find she thought of as comforting by now. However, those sentiments were completely overlooked as her stomach flipped and turned itself inside out. As the lifeboat hummed, signifying that they'd successfully made the jump, Scarlett clutched her head with one hand and her stomach with the other.

"How does it get worse each time?"

Wyatt groaned in agreement. "We really need to start bringing some Dramamine."

"At least you kept your breakfast down this time," Rufus muttered just loud enough for Scarlett to hear. A fake smile flashed across her face as she released a mocking, yet silent laugh. Her face deadpanned just as quickly.

Rufus rolled his eyes, but quickly regretted the action as his own motion sickness had yet to pass. He flipped one of the overhead switches and the door hissed as it opened. Lucy gasped.

"Oh, my God."

Scarlett turned in her seat, noticing the German soldier simultaneously with Rufus. Their eyes both widened in fear as Wyatt fumbled with his gun. Just in the knick of time, he jostled the device from the inside of his jacket and shot the soldier before he could raise the alarm or return the favor. The German fell over, dead.

"Y'know, that would've been over even sooner if you just let me carry," Scarlett reminded the American soldier.

Wyatt—ignoring Scar's comment—unbuckled, stumbling out of the lifeboat to briefly surveil the area. He looked back toward the others with concern. "No way he's out here alone."

The soldier quickly took the lead, gun in hand and armed to kill. As he spotted another sentry, Wyatt shoved the other three into the bushes beside the bridge.

"So, how do we..." Wyatt's pair of gunshots interrupted Lucy's question. She frowned as he approached the body, ensuring it was dead. "You couldn't have, I don't know, tied him up or something?"

Wyatt shrugged. "Yeah, I could of, but he might have escaped."

"Look, I get that you didn't have a choice with the first guy, but if you don't have to kill someone, you shouldn't." Lucy insisted, "We should at least try and protect history."

Wyatt scoffed incredulously. "Protect nazis?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, I'm just saying there is a bigger picture here."

Wyatt gaze shifted off toward the horizon. His ear twitched, forcing the others to stop and concentrate on the increasing sound of an engine.

Scarlett glanced around the group, suddenly uneasy. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Move," Wyatt ordered. "Now!"

Scarlett and Wyatt each quickly grabbed an end of the soldier to drag him off the path. Only seconds later, it felt as if a German parade was driving down the street. First the motorbike passed. Then the beige car. And finally the forest green truck, loaded up with a rocket surely meant to do a lot of damage. It was a miracle that the group of four wasn't seen behind the log they were crouched beside... then again it seemed the soldiers had something more important to distract them with.

"Hmm..." Scarlett whispered, looking over at the others. "I'm sure that won't be a problem later."

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

After about ten minutes of walking, the four arrived at the tavern. Concealed by another fallen log, Wyatt studied the layout of the land through a pair of binoculars before formulating his plan. "All right, Lucy and I head in, order the drink, hopefully get some help. Or at least not die. Rufus—"

"Stays right here," he interjected.

"No." Wyatt shook his head then gestured toward the line of cars in the clearing. "I'm gonna need you to get one of those cars."

Rufus's eyes widened and his lips tightened. He was prepared to fight on this one as he repeated himself. "Rufus stays right here."

"We don't know who or what is in there, and if things go south, we need a car with the engine running," Wyatt again contradicted him. It was clear he was winning this one.

"I can hot-wire one," Rufus begrudgingly accepted the task.

Scarlett laughed. "That's cute, but we both know I'm better with cars."

"I don't care who does it," Wyatt snipped. He hesitated a moment before pulling out the gun he'd taken off the solider, handing it to Rufus. "Just in case."

"Okay, that's so not fair," Scarlett pouted, crossing her arms, but since they were the only things propping her up, her face felt into the dirt. She quickly coughed, spitting a few leaves.

"Shhh..." Wyatt warned then looked back at the line-up of cars. "Just make it fast."

"Sir, yes, sir," Scarlett lowered her voice to a mocking tone as she saluted the soldier. He glared back at her but left in silence with Lucy. The second they were gone Scarlett turned toward Rufus. "Gimme, gimme, gimme."

"No." Rufus shook his head, pulling the gun close to his chest before realizing how close he was to the weapon. Quickly, he moved it away, tucking it underneath his jacket into the back of his pants. "Let's move."

Keeping their heads down, the two made their way across the clearing to the first car they saw; however, Scarlett quickly shook her head. "Not this one."

"What do you mean not this one?" Rufus asked between gritted teeth as he checked their surroundings. His paranoia was kicking in despite them being alone for the moment.

"Not this one," Scarlett repeated before pointing to the car beside. "Not when there's a perfectly good Mercedes Benz right there."

"Alright fine, we'll take that one," Rufus huffed as he agreed, jogging around to the driver side of the car. He slid in, brushing against the horn as he did. The sound was short but certainly not silent.

"Nice going there, Bond," Scarlett scoffed. She slid in on the passenger side, closing the door behind her, before leaning to reach underneath the steering wheel. The wiring of the car was easily accessible and she'd gotten it up and running in a matter of seconds. She laughed. "How's that for fast?"

"It's criminal how good you are at that," Rufus noted, failing to hide the bitter note of impressment.

"Yeah, dad thought so too when he caught me trying to steal his car," Scarlett admitted. "That's how we first met, y'know. I'm not sure whether that says more about him or me considering he took one look at this ten-year-old thief and went 'Hmm, I think I'll take that one'."

"That's how Mason adopted you?" Rufus's brow furrowed.

"There's was a lot more paperwork involved, but yeah that's the gist of it." Scarlett shrugged. She opened her mouth to add to her previous statement before movement from her peripherals caught her attention. She lifted a finger then pointed at the group leaving the tavern. "Isn't that our soldier and historian?"

Rufus sighed. "Yes... yes it is."

"Now would be a great time to hand over that gun," Scarlett suggested. Rufus agreed with her sentiments, practically handing it over before she'd even asked for it. After all, she was the only one between the two of them who'd been to the range, not to mention passed the carry and conceal test.

They crept along the edge of the building, making their way toward the shed at the back of the tavern. They were less than discreet, but their priorities were focused on retrieving the other half of their team.

"I swear, you Americans," an english voice echoed from just inside the doorway. "You couldn't stand out more if you tried."

Scarlett raised the gun, pressing it to the back of the soldier's head—in her defense, a soldier wearing a German unison—then uttered a warning. "Don't move."

"I'd listen to her," Rufus suggested.

The man glanced over his shoulder at the Asian and the African-American before rolling his eyes as he looked back over at Lucy and Wyatt. "I stand corrected."

"Scarlett!" Lucy called out. "Scarlett, it's... it's okay. He's... he's okay."

Scarlett quickly shrugged, tucking the gun into her waistband. Wyatt immediately shook his head, extending a hand to take back the weapon he'd never even given to her. "There's a reason I didn't give you this."

"Not a very good one," Scarlett scoffed and muttered under her breath.

Wyatt then turned his attention back to the apparent undercover British officer. "We work with the OSS. I'm Agent—I'm Wyatt Logan. This is Lucy Preston. These are our pilots, Rufus and Scarlett."

The British soldier's harsh expression immediately melted as he stepped forward, placing a kiss on Lucy's hand. "Well, relief to see a lovely face in... an ugly place. Now, what are you lot doing here besides cocking up my operation?"

"If it's all the same, I would love to take this conversation someplace a little bit more nazi free," Wyatt requested.

Rufus raised his hand then quickly gestured to both himself and Scarlett. "We got a car."

The soldier shrugged, turning to leave, but Lucy called out to him. "Wait... um, what's your name?"

"Fleming," the man introduced himself. "Ian Fleming. MI6."

Wyatt was instantly starstruck. "Wait a minute, you're... Ian Fleming?"

"Have we met?" Fleming asked.

"No." Wyatt shook his head, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. "It's... I... no."

Fleming blinked, walking toward the door. "Right. Shall we?"

"That's..."

"I know," Lucy nodded, interrupting Wyatt before he could completely geek out.

Scarlett chuckled. "I just almost shot the spy guy?"

"Which is why you don't get a gun," Wyatt countered.

Scarlett frowned, pouting as she mimicked him then followed the group out to the car. Wyatt managed to hold himself together until they reached the safe house and Fleming was out of the room.

"That's Ian Fleming. The Ian Fleming, the dude that wrote 'James Bond'." Wyatt's grin had only grown wider.

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "He was an actual spy in World war II, a good one. You a Bond fan?"

Wyatt shrugged as if playing off that he wasn't actually freaking out. "Yeah, little bit.

"Me too." Rufus's eyes remained trained on the doorway as Fleming returned. "Love his movies."

"And the books," Wyatt added on in a whisper.

Scarlett snickered, leaning closer to whisper so that only Wyatt could hear. "First German, and now Bond... maybe you're not as thick as I originally thought."

"So... you lot are chasing an atomic weapon?" Fleming asked, setting a bottle of wine down on the table. "Those are only theoretical."

"No, they're real." Wyatt shook his head. "This high-level threat we're tracking, he stole a functional prototype."

"We think he's going to give it to the nazis," Lucy added.

"We saw a convoy on the way over here," Wyatt shared the 'last' bit of information they had. "There was a flatbed truck with a V2 rocket on it."

"And you think the Krauts are going to try and arm it with this atom bomb?" Fleming asked.

Rufus nodded. "That's the theory."

Fleming took a moment to think and process what he'd just been told. "At least my intel is finally starting to make sense. Here, take a look at this. This is Castle Varlar, here. Next to it, the nazi have been building a launch pad. They're holding a demonstration of that V2 rocket tonight."

"What kind of demonstration?" Lucy asked.

"Members of the High Command are going to sip champagne as they watch the rocket be launched into Belgium. The target is civilians and Allied troops," Fleming explained. "How powerful is this atomic weapon?"

"It'll completely obliterate everything in a 3-mile radius," Scarlett stated as if it were just any other ordinary day and they weren't trying to save the foundation of the past as they knew it.

Fleming's eyes widened. "That'd be worst than Britain during the Blitz."

"If you can get us to that launch pad, we can disarm that rocket," Wyatt said. He then turned toward Rufus, searching for confirmation. "Right?"

"I mean, probably." Rufus nodded his head. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Way to instill confidence," Scarlett muttered under her breath.

"All right. Well..." Fleming popped the cork of the wine bottle with a grunt. "First things first."

"So we're drinking now?" Rufus's brow furrowed.

"Well, with what you've been through," Fleming shrugged, handing out each drink he poured, one by one, "and what we're about to go through, absolutely."

"Amen to that." Wyatt lifted his drink in the air.

"How could I refuse after an offer like that," Scarlett agreed, taking the glass despite the look of disapproval she received from Rufus.

"Cheers, chaps." Fleming lifted his glass in a toast before taking a drink. Wyatt and Scarlett didn't show as much composure, downing theirs in one. Rufus managed to take a sip, but Lucy left her glass untouched... an action that didn't go unnoticed by Fleming who slid the glass a bit closer. "It's, uh, bad form to leave a poured glass full."

A small smile graced Lucy's lips, breaking the lines of worry across her face. She lifted the glass to her lips and Fleming left without another word.

"Dude," Rufus whispered to the others. "James Bond just hit on Lucy."

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

They reached the V2 rocket without delay. Fleming easily handled the posted guards, allowing the group to pass by without being so much as seen. Rufus and Scarlett immediately pulled out their equipment, scanning the rocket for any signs of radiation. They shared a knowing look before shaking their heads, Scarlett masking her panic better than Rufus.

"The bomb's not here," Rufus reported.

"What do you mean?" Wyatt asked. "It has to be."

"We're not picking up any traces of radiation," Scarlett explained. "It's nowhere near here."

"Well, perhaps we're early," Fleming suggested. "Maybe the nazis haven't attached it yet."

Rufus shook his head. "Look, you can't just strap it on with some duct tape. There is no way they armed one of these rockets in time for the launch tonight."

"Maybe we're wrong about why Flynn's here," Lucy concluded. However the discussion was interrupted by the sound of an approaching vehicle.

"We gotta move," Wyatt warned the others, ensuring they made it to cover before following.

The car pulled to a slow and none other than the devil himself stepped out of the car. Scarlett's blood boiled, flooding her ears with static to the point that even if she understood German, she wouldn't have been able to translate a single work of the conversation. She was too busy staring at Garcia Flynn as if the effort alone might cause him to spontaneously combust. Her hands subconsciously reached back toward her waistband, but as she grasped nothing but air she remembered that Wyatt had taken the gun out of from her possession.

"Wyatt," she hissed. "Give me a gun."

Lucy shook her head, pulling Wyatt's hands back before he could take the shot himself. "Stop, stop. Don't shoot. You can't shoot. That's Wernher Von Braun standing next to Flynn."

"Who the hell is that?" Wyatt hissed.

"Please, Wyatt. Give. Me. The gun." Scarlett held out her hand. "Let me shoot him. I need to shoot him."

"Someone we can't risk getting caught in the crossfire," Lucy answered Wyatt's question.

Wyatt was incredulous. "Flynn is right there!"

Lucy shook her head. "Please, Wyatt. You can't. You have to trust me."

He listened, but certainly wasn't happy about it. The Germans and Flynn loaded back up into the car and were gone moments later... another wasted opportunity. Wyatt stormed back inside the safe house, pacing inside the living room before whipping around to face Lucy.

"Explain again why I can't kill Flynn," he demanded.

"Yes." Scarlett vigorously nodded her head. "Please do."

"We can't risk Von Braun," Lucy replied. "We need him alive."

"He's the father of their rocket program," Rufus added. "He's a genius."

"Right, got it. Wouldn't wanna kill a smart nazi." It was clear Wyatt was pissed.

"Any operative that spots Von Braun has orders to apprehend him immediately. The Allies want him for themselves. You know that," Lucy said pointedly.

Fleming agreed with Wyatt. "This man's rockets rained on Britain during the Blitz."

Lucy nodded. "Yes, but there is a bigger picture here."

Fleming paused. He took a breath, then slowly nodded his head even though his own anger remained just below the surface. "Very well. If those are the orders, those are the orders. We'll snatch him up and take him to the Allies."

Lucy sighed with relief. "Thank you."

"So it seems that this Von Braun will be at the demonstration tonight," Fleming noted, quickly devising a new plan. "I can get us past the front door. Lucy can accompany me as my secretary."

"How do I get in?" Wyatt asked, brooding out the window.

"You don't," Fleming contradicted. As Wyatt whipped his head around, Fleming explained the second half of the plan. "You, Rufus, and Scarlett can provide backup from the perimeter."

Wyatt shook his head, taking a defensive step forward. "She doesn't get in without me."

"I can barely get her in much less you. Besides, she's a capable operative just the same as you and I, isn't she?" Fleming rhetorically asked. When the room remained silent, he added, "I'm sorry, but there simply isn't another way."

"He's right," Lucy agreed.

"Then it's settled." Fleming nodded affirmatively. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll go and find you a uniform."

The second Fleming left the room, Wyatt leaned across the table. "If I have a shot at Flynn, I have to take it."

"No." Lucy shook her head, standing her ground. "I'm sorry, but not this time. Von Braun is too important. After the war, he comes to America and jumpstarts our entire rocket program."

"He's the guy that gets us to the moon," Rufus added. "NASA's because of him. We win the space race because of him."

Scarlett's lips tightened as she slowly sided with the other two, nodding her head like Judas's kiss of betrayal. "And the Cold war. He basically helped define modern America."

"And he's able to do all this because the U.S. pardons him. He never gets punished. Right?" Wyatt asked pointedly. Lucy averted her gaze. Wyatt scoffed. "Yeah. You know, let... let me ask you a question here. If Von Braun is so important to America, why didn't Flynn just kill him?"

There was a lull of silence... and with no good answer, the group dispersed throughout the house. Lucy went off into another room to change into the uniform Fleming had brought. Wyatt was likely brooding, bitter that even though he was right, he was reprimanded as if wrong. Which left Rufus and Scarlett in the living room with a half-drank bottle of liquor. A bottle that Scarlett had no qualms pouring herself another glass from.

"Is that really a wise idea?" Rufus asked.

"It's one glass, Rufus," Scarlett replied, correcting her statement immediately though. "Alright, it's just a second glass. I'll be clear-headed when we head to the demonstration. Besides, we're back-up. If everything goes according to plan we won't have to lift a finger."

"When does anything go according to plan?" Rufus asked.

"Touché," Scarlett lifted her glass as if making a toast to him. She took her time on this one, swishing the liquid around in her glass while pacing herself.

"What are you doing?"

"Drinking," she retorted. "What does it look like?"

"No, Scarlett." Rufus repeated himself. "What are you doing? You seem lost anymore."

She slowly blinked, allowing her eyelids to blot the tears gathering in her eyes. She kept her gaze locked on the table, knowing if she looked away she'd break down for the nth time. She couldn't take another break-down, not when she'd built the facade of remaining strong... but it hurt so much. She took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth.

"I had a plan for my life, y'know," she muttered, facing her finger along the edge of the glass. "We were gonna elope. Run away from it all. Start a little life for ourselves somewhere out in the countryside. A life that we could claim as our own making. There's no point now. There's no point to anything without him."

"Carlos." Rufus paused. "He was a good guy."

"He was a great guy," Scarlett corrected him. "And without him, what do I have left, Rufus? Hmm. Mason and his legacy?" She laughed then raised her glass into the air. "Well here's to a legacy that rests at the bottom of a bottle."

"You're brilliant and young," Rufus replied, slamming his hands down on the table, startling her enough to put the glass down. "You could walk into any tech corporation that you desired and demand they give you a job because you have the connections too."

Scarlett scoffed. "You don't get it. I don't want any of that. I want out of this life!" She pulled at her hair. "I should have said no. I should have turned him down and said no that night. I should have said find another pilot."

"There aren't any other pilots. It's just you and me," Rufus said. "It's you and me like it's always been. And if that's not enough for you, then figure out what is worth fighting for."

Scarlett remained stunned in her seat. Seeing that she was no longer responding, Rufus sighed and left the room. And so concluded another argument where her flaws were put on display. Was it a pity party that she'd been handed a life? Yes... but was that life ever really hers to begin with? She was a charity-case. A trophy child. A child prodigy meant to make Mason look good. They were father and daughter alright, equally messed up by a past that neither was willing to talk about. They had plenty of secrets between them, and perhaps that's why it had always felt like they were a family in a display case. A collector's item never meant to be taken out of the box. Because once you remove the packaging, things break and they're never the same.

Scarlett pushed what was left of her drink away from herself. The glass slid a couple of inches then stopped, still within reach of the temptation scratching at the back of her mind. What was she fighting for? The preservation of history? No. She'd sided with Lucy in the beginning only so that no one else would have to experience the pain of having someone ripped away as if they never existed. Lucy understood that pain. Wyatt understood her loss. Rufus was her cornerstone. Maybe that's what she would fight for: the team. And yet vengeance was so much more alluring. Her finger twitched. If only her shot was a few inches higher and centered. Flynn wouldn't be an issue.

Her jaw clenched at the thought of him. A man who robbed her of her happiness and didn't even have the respect of knowing she existed. Twice they had met. Twice he had looked at her like something to be discarded. Never again. She'd make sure he would remember her name. She would ensure that it would haunt him at night the way she'd lie awake for hours on end. She would be the undoing of Garcia Flynn if it required the last breath of air from her lungs.

And then she was stuck on guard duty. Kept away from the action as Fleming and Lucy charged into the fray. Meanwhile, Wyatt had constructed a back-up plan to the back-up plan, pulling the pair of geniuses back toward the launch site. Without hesitation, Wyatt shot the guards that stood watch."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Rufus hissed in a whisper as he jogged to keep up with Wyatt and Scarlett.

"Letting nazis fire rockets at civilians is where I draw the line," Wyatt replied.

"Yeah, well, that was supposed to fire," Rufus reminded him, looking toward Scarlett for help. "You know, Lucy's whole thing about not changing history."

Vengeance really was just the prettier word. Scarlett's lips tightened. "Screw it. I'm done letting despicable people get away with despicable actions."

"Besides, this isn't for Lucy," Wyatt added. "It's for someone I know in the 101st."

As Rufus opened the electrical panel and got to work, Wyatt bent down to pull out a pair of binoculars from his pack. He focused on the castle, pointing the binoculars at the large window to see inside. However, he quickly tensed and jealousy infected his voice.

"Are you serious?"

"What?" Rufus looked up from his work. Wyatt ushered him over and handed him the binoculars. Rufus's eyes widened with a look of disbelief. "Dude... James Bond's hitting on Lucy... And she's into it."

"Jealous much?" Scarlett snickered, elbowing Wyatt in the ribs before taking the binoculars from Rufus. Only she wasn't looking for the couple in disguise, she had her sights set on another. And the second she found what she was looking for, she handed the binoculars back to Wyatt. "Bond's teaching you lesson."

"And what's that?"

"Take what you want."

It was ominous and certainly sounded like a threat, but neither of them thought anything of the comment as Scarlett excused herself. She calmly walked away, but once she was in the clear she sprinted toward the castle.

She assumed she'd have some issues actually getting into the building, but the servants' entrance was left unguarded. Too many nazis enjoying the party she guessed. Once inside, she smoothed out the wrinkles of her garments, straightened her posture, placed the most prestigious smile on her face, then mingled into the crowd. Being a member of elite society had its perks now and again, but she'd still trade it all for one more moment with Carlos. She was determined that his name would be on her lips as she tracked down the man responsible for his fate, but the second her eyes caught sight of Flynn, the time traveller was the only one on her mind.

As she pushed her way through the crowd, she could see that his sights were set on Lucy who was making her way across the room, presumably to Von Braun. The music in the next room over swelled, and Scarlett was struck with an idea. A stupid but brash idea.

As Flynn reached out to intercept Lucy, Scarlett looped her arm around his available one, pulling him back in the direction that she'd just come from. She'd kept her face concealed; therefore, her identity concealed for the time being.

"Entschuldigen sie, meine dame." Flynn sounded terribly inconvenienced as he tried to pull away from her. "Ich bin mitten in etwas."

The waltz in the room they entered had picked up the pace, but only when they reached the center did she turn and face him, watching his expression with her own smug eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't speak German."

His eyes narrowed. "You."

"Me." She agreed with a curtsy before taking his hand in hers while placing her other hand around his waist.

"This is the third time you've interfered," Flynn hissed.

"I'm sure Lucy doesn't mind," Scarlett countered. "An uninvited interruption isn't very appreciated. But you know all about that with Wyatt's visit earlier this morning, don't you?"

"Speaking of your friend," Flynn paused, glancing around the room as they moved with the flow of the waltz. "Where is he?"

"Don't worry. He's close by," Scarlett answered. "Lucy thinks this is about Von Braun. What I don't understand is why don't you just kill him? You've never lacked the conviction before."

"Killing Von Braun would be easy, but handing him to the Russians, assuring they'll win the Cold war, maybe even be the first to the moon..." Flynn sneered as he leaned closer to continue their whispered conversation, "far more damaging."

"Damaging to who?" Scarlett asked. "To Rittenhouse? This paranoid delusion of yours?"

"They're very real," Flynn contradicted. "You don't understand that there is a greater good here. If you would just let me speak to Lucy—"

"Greater good?" Scarlett scoffed. "You've shot Lincoln. You're helping nazis. You're the reason Lucy's sister is gone. It's insane that you even think she'd want to speak with you."

Flynn snatched Scarlett's wrist, pulling it out away from his waist. Clutched in her fingers was his handgun. He quickly took it away as if she were a child playing fire. He didn't threaten her with the weapon though; instead, he used it to emphasize his point. "You think I like this? You think I like helping these bastards? You think I sleep at night? One day, you'll understand. I'm a patriot."

"Right, keep telling yourself that," Scarlett scoffed.

Flynn holstered his weapon, but his eyes remained trained on her. Never leaving, never wavering. But they did narrow as if studying her with an unmatched scrutiny. "Who are you?"

Scarlett seethed, pulling her arm away. "The girl that's going to take away everything you care about."

"You can't." Flynn leaned closer so that their lips were inches apart. He still had one arm wrapped around her waist, and he used their momentum to keep the waltz going. His eyes had softened, almost as if he were looking at her with pity. "Rittenhouse already did."

"Then I can rid the world of another monster," Scarlett spat. "And, by the way, you're not getting Von Braun."

"What makes you so sure?" Flynn asked, unthreatened.

"Lucy's not alone," Scarlett replied. "She's probably lured Von Braun outside where he'll be handed off to the allied forces."

"So you found your way to the British spy," Flynn confirmed. "It's too bad I was counting on that."

And just as if he could have predicted it, Lucy and Fleming were led along the outskirts of the room and upstairs. Flynn then turned his weapon on Scarlett, discreetly pressing it beneath her ribcage as he turned her around and followed after the nazis.

"You know the saying. Fool me once, shame on you," Flynn whispered in her ear. "Fool me twice... well, I planned ahead. True, I didn't expect you to be so bold, but if our encounter at the train station said anything, it was to prepare for your unpredictable nature. You shot me once, Pilot. That won't happen again."

"Say that again when I'm looking down at your corpse," Scarlett spoke between gritted teeth. She remained compliant though, allowing him to lead her down the hall and into the next room where Lucy and Fleming were being kept.

"Scarlett?" Lucy questioned her presence.

"I thought I made myself quite clear that you and the others were back-up," Fleming said.

"By the looks of it, you could use a little back-up," Scarlett eyed the soldiers in front of them readying their weapons. "Flynn's here."

"I figured," Lucy nodded. "Where are the others?"

"Wyatt and Rufus?" Scarlett hesitated. "They're—"

The entire building shook from the impact of the explosion outside. Screams of chaos echoed down the hall, and it was infectious. The two guards looked at one another, preparing to fire their weapons, but from Fleming's sleeve a retractable gun flicked into his hand. It only took two seconds to take them both down.

Scarlett's eyes widened with delight. "Okay... I need one of those."

"Don't look so impressed, it only holds two bullets." Fleming shook his head. "Now, quickly."

Fleming, Scarlett, and Lucy all bent down to retrieve the soldiers' fallen fire arms; however, another pair of guards entered the room more hostile than the last. Lucy closed her eyes, bracing for the shot to come but flinched even though the sound of gunfire wasn't directed at her. As she opened her eyes, four dead soldiers lie on the ground as Wyatt and Rufus stood just outside the room.

"They're right there," Scarlett noted the obvious. Rufus glared as if implying they were bound to have another talk later. She sighed, but nodded her head in defeat.

Wyatt was quick to take control. "Time to go."

Lucy was even quicker to contradict him. "We still have to get Von Braun."

Rufus and Scarlett remained behind, trying to find an escape route while the others grabbed Von Braun. They had zero luck though as they were trapped right back where they started when the others returned and locked the doors.

"No windows, no other doors," Rufus informed the others. "Great."

"We post up here," Wyatt explained his lack of a plan. "Soon as they come through the door, we shoot."

"Wyatt, that's suicide," Lucy emphasized how bad an idea it was.

"All right, but first..." Fleming raised his weapon in Von Braun's direction.

The nazi immediately cowered. "Oh, no, please!"

Wyatt managed to wrestle the gun from Fleming's grip. "What the hell are you doing?"

"That bastard's rockets destroyed London." Fleming pointed at Von Braun accusingly.

Von Braun's arms remained raised defensively. "I was just following orders."

"He has to pay for what he did," Fleming insisted. "You give him to the Allies, that's never gonna happen! There is right and there's wrong."

"Wyatt," Lucy pleaded. "Wyatt!"

"I agree with him..." Wyatt paused, allowing his gaze to drift from Von Braun and soften as he looked at her, "but I trust you. We listen to her. End of story."

Flynn could be heard pounding on the other side of the door, shouting out in German at the soldiers around him.

"Flynn can't win if he's dead," Scarlett noted, gesturing toward Von Braun.

"And neither can we," Rufus reminded her. "You know how important he is."

As the pounding continued, Fleming held out his hand, requesting Wyatt return what had been taken. "Give me the gun."

"We really don't have time for this!" Rufus shouted.

"Wyatt, they will be in here in ten seconds," Fleming insisted. "Give me the gun!"

"Hold on," Lucy called for the group's attention, grabbing Wyatt's arm before approaching the fire place. "I remember why this castle is so special."

Without hesitation, Lucy pressed forward, opening a secret chamber that ran beneath the castle foundation and led them back out into the woods. Just a few feet away, the flames of the burning remnants of the rocket glowed and flickered against the night sky.

Although his eyes remained trained on the launch site, Rufus directed his question toward Lucy. "So you just knew there was a secret passage there?"

"In the 1500s, Catholicism was outlawed here," Lucy explained. "So Catholics in that castle built a network of secret tunnels to get priests in and out. Through the fireplaces."

Wyatt nudged Rufus. "They called 'em 'Priest Holes'."

"How did you know that?" Rufus asked.

Wyatt averted his eyes before admitting the source of his information. "It was in Skyfall."

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

The following morning, the group waited outside the safe house, awaiting the arrival of the incoming allied forces. Von Braun sketched in his notebook, unfazed by everything occurring around him. He wasn't worried in the slightest, as if he knew how important he was.

"How long 'til you think the Allies are here?" Lucy asked.

"Fleming made a call," Wyatt replied. "They should be here any minute."

"He doesn't seem worried," Rufus noted, focusing the group's attention on Von Braun. "He looks happy."

"He understands his worth." Scarlett crossed her arms. "He knows the Allies can't touch him because they want the secrets locked away inside his head."

"He's gonna get away with everything he's ever done," Wyatt added, bitterness seeping into his voice. "He's gonna live a great life."

Rufus stormed forward, approaching Von Braun. Nervous he might do something rash and out of character, Scarlett quickly followed.

Rufus cleared his throat as he announced his presence to the scientist. "I have a question."

Von Braun didn't even bother to look up. "Why would I bother talking to... excuse me, what are you..."

Rufus snatched the notebook from his hands, finishing the equation with accuracy Von Braun hadn't expected. He stood stunned. Seeing that he'd caught the scientist's attention, Rufus repeated himself. "I have a question. Do you ever think about the people your rockets have hurt?"

Von Braun continued to look over the equation. "No."

"Tens of thousands of people have died because of something you created," Rufus informed and reminded him.

"My concern is whether the rockets go up, not where they come down," Von Braun explained.

"Is that so?" Rufus asked.

"If I did care, it would inhibit me from my goal. You see..." Von Braun sighed, "getting there to the moon, that's all that matters. I don't care who provides me with the means."

Rufus's eyes hardened. He took a step closer. "I helped invent something greater than you ever will, and all I can think about is the destruction it's doing. The people it's hurting."

"Yeah, but you weren't thinking about that when you were creating it," Von Braun countered. "Because if you did? You never would have gone through with it. Hmm?"

Scarlett froze. Another perspective she hadn't considered. All this time, Rufus had been drowning in guilt over a device that they'd created together. The damage was a burden he carried every day from the moment he woke up to the moment he closed his eyes to sleep. It hadn't been a thought to cross Scarlett's mind. She'd been so busy trying to find anyone else to blame for Carlos's death that she forgot to turn the finger around and remember that the machine wouldn't exist if she hadn't helped develop the technology. The mirror of self-reflection shattered. It was her fault. She was the one who failed him.

The approaching car interrupted her train of thought. As it pulled to a stop and a stout man emerged, greeting Von Braun with a civil handshake, Fleming stepped outside.

He sighed. "I hope you're right about this."

Lucy offered him a comforting smile as she nodded her head. "We are."

"Well, I guess this is good-bye." Fleming paused, turning to face Lucy with an implicit proposition. "But maybe not for you. I might find myself stateside when all this is over."

"I'm sure you will," Lucy agreed.

"Will you be waiting?" Fleming asked.

Lucy's eyes drifted to the man's lips, then his eyes, and back to his lips. She leaned closer and he followed. However, she stopped an inch away as her lips curled back into a coy smirk. Her voice was a gentle, but teasing whisper. "Definitely not."

Fleming chuckled. He made his way over to the car, but paused just before opening the door. He faced the group for the last time, taking the scene in. "Well... never say never."

"Again," Wyatt quickly added with a laugh. Fleming looked at him with pure confusion before shaking off the reaction and taking his place in the passenger side of the vehicle. Wyatt looked at the others for support, but none was given.

Lucy only let him enjoy the moment for so long. "Seriously?"

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

"After we escaped, we handed Von Braun over to the Allies," Lucy finished explaining their latest voyage to Mason and Agent Christopher as they made their way down from the Lifeboat.

Mason chuckled under his breath. "That's..."

"What?" Lucy glanced over her shoulder to look at him.

"Well, you're—you've just described, beat by beat, the plot of Weapon of Choice," Mason explained.

"What's Weapon of Choice?" Rufus's brow furrowed in confusion.

"The Bond movie," Mason replied.

Wyatt shook his head. "Mm, no such movie."

"Yes, there is," Mason contradicted. "It's the one in the castle with the rockets. Uh, Connery's finest, as far as I'm concerned."

"Bond infiltrates the castle, rescue evil scientist, with the help of CIA agents Wyatt, Lucy, Rufus, and Scarlett," Rufus laughs as he reads the synopsis from the page he'd taken off the hands of one of the passing interns. He looked around at the others. "How much you wanna bet Bond sleeps with Lucy in that one?"

Wyatt's eyes lit up with excitement. "Okay, so you're telling me there's a new Bond movie with Sean Connery and we're in it?"

"Yeah, but it's not new," Mason explained. "Came out in, what, '64?"

Wyatt laughed. "Well, it's new to me."

"Okay, I hate to put a damper on all the fangirling, but did you find any signs of the nuke?" Agent Christopher asked, getting the team back on track.

"Nothing." Scarlett shook her head. "Not even radiation traces."

"I don't get it," Agent Christopher admitted her confusion. "If Flynn was gonna use it, this would have been the perfect time."

"Unless he wants to use it for something else," Mason noted, staring off into space as if remembering something.

"Like what?" Agent Christopher asked for clarification.

"Well, uh, something Anthony talked about once, but that was..."

"Theoretical," Rufus finished Mason's sentence. "But there's no way he even could have."

"Could have what?" Agent Christopher asked.

"Created a limitless power supply," Scarlett addressed the elephant in the room. "Anthony's using the nuke like an infinite battery so that the Mothership doesn't need to recharge between jumps."

The group stood, stunned in silence. Things were looking more and more bleak with each passing day, but there was only so much they could do to control it all.

Agent Christopher sighed. "We'll call you when he makes the next jump... in the meantime, get some rest."

The team disbanded, walking off in separate directions to change and head home. Only not everyone immediately left. Scarlett understood that Rufus had wanted to speak, so she leaned up against the wall outside the wardrobe warehouse; however, movement in her peripheral caught her attention. Just down the hall, her father quickly passed by, checking his surroundings but not well enough to notice his own daughter. A curious look crossed Scarlett's face, and it drew her in. She followed her father down the hall, keeping a safe distance so she wouldn't be caught. And when she heard Rufus's voice in a hushed whisper... well, she certainly began to wonder what this could possibly be about.

"Do you have it?" Mason asked. There was silence, so Mason repeated himself. "Rufus—"

"I've been risking my life for Lucy, and Wyatt, and Scarlett," Rufus interrupted. "I didn't think I had it in me, but... I did. It's because I knew they'd do the same for me because I trust them. Spies can't trust, and that's not me. I'm just not wired that way."

Scarlett poked her head around the corner just enough to watch Rufus hand something small of to Mason. Mason quickly nodded his head, but Scarlett knew better than most what disappointed looked like, even without seeing her father's face.

"I understand," Mason replied. "But you need to understand how deep I'm in with these Rittenhouse people. I need you to be on my side just as I've been on your side all these years."

Chills shot down Scarlett's spine. She'd asked about Rittenhouse and their existence had been denied to her face. What else had her father been lying about? She leaned her head against the wall, no longer watching the conversation but still eavesdropping.

"I can't," Rufus's voice quivered. "It's wrong. I'm sorry."

And then there was silence. Partially because the conversation was over... and partially because Scarlett had run before she could hear anymore. Her keys jingled as she yanked them from her pocket, clumsily throwing her backpack over her shoulders as she climbed aboard her bike and raced off into the night.

Her world was so much simpler a week ago. And now everything was crashing down around her. Blame was flying left and right. Flynn. Mason. Scarlett. Rufus. Rittenhouse. She didn't know what to believe anymore. She didn't know who to believe anymore. Despite the wind rippling across the fabric of her flannel, she felt trapped. Like the walls of Mason Industries were closing around her. And if Rufus had been roped into Mason's illicit activities, how long could she avoid the same fate? Could she ever truly be free? And the worst question of all: was Garcia Flynn actually right? Was she fighting in the wrong side of history?

She should've said no. She should've walked away from it all. She should've said find another pilot. She should've said no.

——— • — 𖥸 — • ———

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 | It's certainly been a little while but thanks to @CatalinaBaboi and the other users who expressed interest, I found some inspiration to pick it back up again... and also remembered how much I love Scar and Flynn. It's going to take a little while, but she'll eventually warm up to him. Their enemies to lovers arc is going to be so much fun to write. I have so much in store for Scar and her personal story. I'd love to hear some of your theories about how she fits into the puzzle. As always don't forget to vote and leave a comment! All feedback is appreciated!