[Chapter 26]

I was writing in my journal when Gideon told me that we were having a team meeting on the bridge.

Halfway there I heard Rip yelling.

"Who the hell let him out of his cell!?" Rip exclaims furiously.

"Relax, Englishman. I'm on your side, but only because it helps me," Mick said holding up a finger.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sara asks.

"Since I failed to bring you in, the Time Masters want to bring me in, and this time, they're not gonna take any chances," Mick said standing in front of the group who had gathered around the console."I'm just trying to give you a warning here so I don't end up dead."

"Meaning?" Stein inquires.

"They're called the Hunters, mercenaries, and unlike me, there isn't a human part left in them."

"So they want to lock us all up in the Vanishing Point?" Ray questioned.

"Which is what?" I asked. I was behind on a few team meetings.

"Well...it's a point that's all but vanished in time. It's actually outside of time if I were to-" Rip began explaining but Leonard interrupted him.

"It's their base of operations," Snart told me. I nod in understanding but notice that he had a bruise on his cheek. I raise my eyebrows questioningly but he signaled to me to not worry about it.

"Okay carry on," I say, putting my feet up on the console.

"Wait but-" Jax started.

"I swear if one more person interrupts me" Mick growls angrily.

"I'll ask after or maybe never. Wasn't that important..." Jax murmurs quietly.

"The Hunters do one thing: kill, whenever, wherever, and they'll stop at nothing until every single one of us is erased from the face of history," Mick finally finishes.

"Do you have any suggestions as to how we might outsmart them, Mr. Rory?" Rip asks.

"Run," Mick stated storming away towards the kitchen going to have one last beer in case he died soon.

I laugh. "Welp, so much for making our place in history as Legends," I say and everyone glares at me.

***

"Aah! It's been quite a while since I time-jumped far enough to experience side effects. Fond memories," Rip said, jumping up from his seat.

"I can't feel my face," Jax said.

"Fine feel I," Leonard said before looking confused.

"Linguistic dysplasia, that should pass shortly," Rip explained.

"Better it now," Leonard says.

"Am I the only one who can't feel their face," Jax asked worriedly.

"I can't feel my... I better not say," Ray said, grabbing in-between his legs.

"Mr. Rory appears unaffected," Stein mutters.

"What's going on? We time-jump?" Mick asked confused.

"Yeah, we time-jumped. But 'where to?' is the better question," I say standing up from my seat next to Mick.

"The town of Salvation, the Dakota territory, 1871," Rip explains.

"I can't believe it... the Old West," Ray said excitedly.

"This isn't going to work," Mick states.

"It'll buy us time. We can hide out here while the Hunters search the other Fragmentations," Rip explains.

"What if they decide to check this place first?" Mick asked.

"You know, feel free to loop us in whenever it's convenient," Kendra cuts in.

As you've seen, time doesn't operate as is generally thought. It wants to happen. It takes time to harden. The... the timeline is unclear on occasion, constantly in flux," Rip explained.

"Hence the difficulty in locating Savage throughout history," Stein states.

"Indeed. And one of the other interesting notions of time travel is the existence of Fragmentations," Rip added.

"Temporal blind spots, specific places and times the Time Masters can't see," Mick explained.

"The town of Salvation and its surrounding environs are located within one of these Fragmentations," Rip added.

"So, basically, we're hiding out in the Old West and hoping your boogeymen don't find us here," Leonard concludes.

"The Hunters are not boogeymen. And you better hope they don't find us," Mick said firmly.

"Well, at least not until I get a chance to 'punch a few doggies' or 'bust a bronco' or two. Not that I condone animal cruelty. It's just that I watched a lot of Westerns as a kid," Ray saidexcitedly.

"Oh my God," I facepalm at Ray's expressions.

"Alas, you'll have to enjoy the Old West from in here, I'm afraid," Rip stated.

"Oh, come on. What's the harm in us just taking a look around?" Sara asks innocently.

"With this group? Clearly, you haven't been paying attention," Stein said.

"Ugh, if I'm in the Old West and I don't get to look around, I'm going to kick myself," Ray complained.

"I'll help with that," Leonard and I said simultaneously and we smile at each other.

"I'll keep an eye on them. Don't worry. I'll be a good boy," Mick said to Rip as we walked off to the fabrication room.

***

"I look just like Wyatt Earp," Ray said getting changed. I was wearing a white button-up shirt and jeans that were tucked into my cowboy boots. I also had a red and white wild rag around my neck and a tan trenchcoat and cowboy hat.

"Now, the fabricator can make clothing, but you're also going to need era-appropriate protection. This era can get a little, uh, rough," Rip explained, handing us guns.

"Oh, six-shooters?" Jax asked excitedly.

"Actually, most guns of that time period had hammer blocks, thus reducing the number of shots to five," Ray explained.

"Now, this should go without saying, but considering this group, I am going to say it... only use these weapons in the case of extreme emergencies," Rip said as I smirk. I check the ammo in my guns and then cock them.

"You make it sound like you're not coming with," Kendra implied.

"From your duster and revolver, I'd imagined you as much an Old West aficionado as Dr. Palmer," Stein said confused.

"Indeed I am. But my time is best spent back here on the ship, plotting our next move against Vandal Savage. Besides, as Mr. Rory says, it's only a matter of time before the Huntersfind us here," Rip explains.

"Don't worry. We're not going to put down roots," Leonard said, putting on a cowboy hat.

"Yeah, we'll stay out of trouble," I added, holstering my guns.

"Mm, how I hope and pray that to be true," Rip mutters and walks away.

***

We walked through the town, as the townsfolk stared at us.

"Remember, we're just here to get the lay of the land. No trouble," Stein warned as we walked into the local pub.

"Sure that'll happen," I muttered sarcastically.

"I need a drink," Mick mutters.

"Wow. It's a real old-timey saloon," Ray says excitedly. I walked over to the bar with Mick, Sara, and Kendra and started taking shots.

"That tastes like gasoline," Kendra said wincing.

"Pretty much. Hit me again," Mick said to the bartender.

"Time doesn't pass normally in the Vanishing Point. It's been years since I've seen the bottom of a glass," Mick said to me as he took another shot and I asked the bartender to hit me again.

"Years? How long were you..." Sara asked curiously.

"Chronos? Never counted. Doesn't matter. Turns out it was just another gig anyway," Mick muttered, taking another shot.

"Doesn't seem like it. You're different now," I say, downing another glass.

"Better or worse?" Mick asked amused.

"Don't know yet," I said and took another shot. I'm keen on making my feelings melt away right now. I don't want to feel anything, let alone everything that I'm experiencing right now.

"You can always handle your liquor. I like that," Mick said smirking. Sara and Kendra went off on their own conversation.

"I've been drinking all my life. I've beaten every boy in a bar that tried to get me wasted when I wasn't off on a killing spree," I said grinning

"Mm. You haven't drunk with me," Mick commented.

"Is that a challenge, Mick?" I asked grinning.

"Line them up," Mick said to the bartender.

"So, have you made up with Leonard yet?" Mick asked, taking a shot.

"It's complicated," I muttered, matching his shot.

"And yet you're taking shots with me, even though you must be pissed," Mick said.

"Hell yeah, I'm pissed at you. But even the corrupted deserve a second chance," I say and we clink our glasses together and drink another shot.

"Since when do you care about my affairs with Leonard?" I asked, matching his shot and then taking another one.

"It's interesting," Mick said, slurring his words. I was about to reply when suddenly a gunshot went off. I spun around to see Stein standing there, shocked.

"You killed him," Stein said shocked.

"You're welcome," Leonard replied as the rest of the men stood up angrily.

"Clearly, the deceased was a friend of yours, but my friend here..." Stein said.

"Your friend drew first, got put down. It was a clean shot," Leonard explained, standing up.

"Do we look like we care about clean?" A man asked angrily.

"He has a point," Stein said before a man tried to hit Leonard but he ducked and punched the guy first. Which started a giant brawl in the room. I punched away at a guy as Mick was passed out on the bar. Suddenly gunshots went off and a man stood up, with a large scar across his face.

"All right! Playtime's over. Anybody's got a problem with that, they answer to me," A stranger said stepping forward. The rest of the room went silent and left us alone.

"Thank you, Mister..." Stein said, stepping forward.

"Hex. Jonah Hex," He introduced. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No. My friends and I are, uh... from out of town," Stein explained vaguely.

"Way out of town," Hex added as we left the saloon.

"All right. Why don't you folks tell me where you're really from?" Hex asked.

"I'm not sure that's any of your business, sir," Ray said.

"Let me rephrase that. Tell me when y'all from. You seven stick out like a dog in a manger," Hex explained and the team shared a concerned look.

"Like he said, we're not from around here," Sara said.

"You think you're the first time travelers I've ever come across?" Hex asked.

"Uh, yes," Stein replies, confused.

"Where is he? I got some words that need saying," Hex demanded.

"Where is who?" I ask.

"Rip Hunter."