{Chapter 37}

It had been minutes, hours, or days.

Time disappeared as we waited in our cells for whatever faith the Time Masters had planned for us.

Kendra and Mick had been taken by a load of soldiers a while ago. I'm not really sure how long ago. To Kendra's credit, she put up a hell of a fight, but even she was overpowered by the soldiers and their guns.

I sat on the floor of my cell, rocking my head black and forth boredly as I listened to Ray's insistent pacing and Stein's ragged breathing. I didn't speak, didn't dare voice the plan I had, that could possibly lead to our escape.

The soldiers left the rhodium cuffs on, dampening my power and bringing on a horrible headache. But I couldn't let that stop me. I had to help, had to get back to Leonard, had to complete the mission, by whatever means necessary.

I was about to snap at Ray to stop pacing when Rip was returned with an escort of soldiers. His shoulders drooped and his head was hung low. As if he had given up. As if this was the end of the Legends and the mission. As if they broke him.

I didn't stand, to conserve my already rapidly diffusing energy, but I kept my eyes trained on Rip, willing him to look at me, to prove that this was just a facade and that he was going to attack.

"Oh my God. They've tortured him," Stein said with horror.

Any second now. Any minute.

But Rip just walked back into his cell and the door shut, the force field snapping in place to keep Rip in.

"What did they do to you?" Ray asks as Rip slowly lifts his head.

"They showed me the truth," Rip says horsley and I narrow my eyes. "Druce showed me something called the Oculus. They've been controlling us all. Nothing we've done so far has been of our own accord. We've been following a script laid out by the Time Masters."

"No," Ray shakes his head. "That's not possible. I refuse to believe that."

"Well you should Raymond," Rip snaps. "Because they showed me your death. I'm sorry."

"I refuse to believe that," I snap back at Rip, shaking my head.

"You should Isabelle. Considering that they have been controlling you the most for your entire life. Starting with your siblings death. Then your memory loss every time you revert back to your teenage self. You are a soldier bred with anger in your very heart and soul to aid Savage in his cause."

No one was breathing. The room had gone completely silent, Ray and Stein waiting to see my reaction.

"It's a lie," I hiss. "I refuse to believe that."

It can't be true. It just can't be.

"I can't just stand around here and wait to die," Ray speaks up after a few moments.

"Well if it's any consolation, you're not alone," Stein replies tiredly.

"You're giving up too?" Ray scoffs.

"Well let's just review our situation, shall we, Raymond? They're turning Mr. Rory back into Chronos, I'm about to have a nuclear meltdown--"

"And our captain thinks our future is already written for us. You know what I think? I think you're both a bunch of quitters." Ray snaps.

"There's no escape from either of these cells or from the future," Rip said distantly.

"Face the facts Raymond. We're completely out of allies," Stein sighs.

"That's not true. Sara and Leonard are still out there. We still have hope. We are getting out of here Martin, I'm just going to need you to have a little more faith in our teams skills."

***

Moments, minutes, or hours later, I couldn't really tell, the Time Master, Druce, walked into the cell room with a bunch of soldiers.

"Your friends have time-jumped away. We've lost them," Druce said furiously. "And I've lost any reason to keep you alive. Well, most of you." Druce looked pointedly at me.

"Hold on, let's just talk about this a moment," Ray said frantically.

"Time Master Druce," a soldier said from the hallway.

"Kill them all. Except for the girl. She will go to the training chambers to await either Savage's return or she'll reincarnate and be ready to join the ranks." Druce said and I snarl furiously at him.

"Yes sir, but we've calculated where the Waverider is headed," the soldier said.

"Past or future?"

"Present."

I smile wickedly at this. I'm pretty sure if they could control our fates, they would have stopped this from happening.

I nearly laugh in relief when I hear the high pitched hum of Leonard's ice gun and see the ray of ice knock out a soldier.

Then Leonard rushes forward and wacks Druce right across the face with his gun.

"Somebody order up a rescue?" Leonard asks with a stupid grin on his face and I let out my laugh.

"Perfect timing, you stubborn bastard," I laugh out.

"Well I couldn't let you remain a damsel in distress. It's very out of character for you," Leonard replies.

"Or not," Ray shouts in warning and Leonard whips around, gun ready to fire at...

Chronos.

Shit.

"Put the gun down Mick," Leonard warns just as another Time Master rushes into the room.

"Chronos fire!" The Time Master hisses.

Leonard and Mick stood there, and I was stuck in the stupid cell, unable to help him.

"Sure thing," Mick replies and turns the gun on the Time Master. Then he pulled off his helmet and walked slowly over to the Time Master.

"As I recall, I made you a certain promise," Mick growls at the Time Master, who was now struggling to rise, to escape.

I grin ferally when I realise what Mick was about to do.

"No, I beg of you," The Time Master begged as Mick raised his foot over the Time Master's head.

And brought it roughly down. Crushing the Time Master's skull. Killing him instantly. Son of a bitch deserves it.

When the cells open, I leap into Leonard's arms, nearly bringing us both to the ground, and kiss him fiercely.

"Never do that again," Leonard grabs my head between his hands.

"What? Make you play hero?" I ask innocently.

"That and put yourself in danger." Leonard says and I kiss him again.

"I'll probably always be in danger, but it's alright if I know that you'll always guard my back." I reply when we break apart.

"I promise, I'll always come for you. No matter what." Leonard swears and I smile. How far we have come from the broken murderer and the selfish thief.

***

After I help Leonard get Stein settled in the MedBay, we rush onto the bridge to see what our next move is going to be.

"Professor's in the MedBay," Leonard informs the team as we enter the bridge. "Promises not to blow up while he's on board, which I thought was considerate."

"Yeah, the Professor's condition is the least of our worries, I'm afraid." Rip replies.

"Yeah, much to my chagrin, it turns out everything we've done, maybe even our whole live, has been determined by the Time Masters," Rip says dramatically.

"What?" Sara asks confusedly.

"The Time Masters have this thing called the Oculus, which allows them not only to gaze into the future, but to engineer it. Isabelle is living proof." Rip explains and Sara turns her eyes to me. Ray starts talking before she can ask what he means by "living proof".

"A future where I'm dead, apparently." Ray says.

"And why would they want you dead?" Sara asks.

"Have you ever listened to what comes out of his mouth?" Mick replies.

"Now, in my opinion, Dr. Palmer's death is not part of their plan." Rip explains briefly.

"No, that's not reassuring," Ray replies hurriedly and Mick reaches over and slaps Ray's shoulder causing Ray to cry out. "Ow!"

"You're saying the Time Masters wanted me to do that?" Mick asks Rip.

"What I'm saying is that they've been engineering our lives to move in a very specific direction," Rip explains. "And we are playing out that script even now."

"So we can go to 2016, but that might be what the Time Masters want. Or we can go get Kendra and Carter--" Sara leads and Leonard catches on.

"Which could also be what they want."

"Then we need to do what they don't want," Ray says vaguely, causing everyone to look at him with confusion. "If the Oculus is what they're using to control us, then we need to destroy it."

"But how do we do that if the Time Bastards are pulling our strings?" Leonard asks.

"Well Druce told me that the Oculus' ability to control our actions doesn't work in the Vanishing Point, most likely because the Vanishing Point itself exists out of time." Rip explains.

"Why were we able to escape," I muse outloud and Rip nods.

"And why we might actually have a shot at destroying this thing," Sara continues. "I'm with Ray." Sara slaps his bicep, causing him to say "ow" again.

"If I'm going to be someone's puppet, I'm gonna be the one who cuts his own bloody strings," Rip voices his agreement.

"And I like blowing things up," Mick shrugs.

"We set out on this mission to stop Savage and save the world. To become legends and change our fates. That mission hasn't changed." Ray says confidently.

"If what you said about the Oculus is true," I say, getting an exasperated look from Rip about my disbelief. "Then I want to kill the bastards that killed my siblings and tried to turn me into a soldier in Savage's army. I need justice."

Rip nods confidently at me, the silent promise in his eyes. I will get my justice. I will claim this debt and shatter their hold on history.

Mark my words.

"This is madness," Leonard says and I turn my head to him. Leonard strolls over to my side and grabs my hand, interlocking my fingers with his. "I like it."

We all turn our heads to Rip now.

"Gideon, plot a course to the Oculus Wellspring. Team... I think it's about time we seized our destinies back."