Llyr Eaghan's Story

The stark white corridors of the Time Institute Headquarters were brimming with life. The communications room and and research library also bustled with purpose. Finally things were happening. The Keepers were sending a group of their best and brightest into the past. The recent disappearances had cast a shadow over the institute. The past few weeks had left everybody itching to do something. And now, finally, the researchers had figured out where to start.

Paige Ceres walked purposefully through the corridors, strapping her twin handguns to her side. Usually they would sit around her thighs but now, given the time she was traveling to, they were hidden beneath the folds of her jacket. Paige was always immensely thankful for the Keepers synthetic clothing. While she was forced to wear a dress in order to fit in with the time period, the material it was made from had been altered to allow for ease of movement. Her dress, a simple one of dulled browns and dirty whites, would have her fitting in perfectly with the lower class of 1800s London.

Up ahead the doors into the mission room were opened, giving the young woman a clear view of the Time Keepers she would be traveling with into the past. In front of them, the only one dressed in modern clothes, stood Mr Haran, the Director of the Institute. That he was here indicated the seriousness of the case. Paige entered the room, again double checking that everything was where it should be. Her jacket covered her guns, the sleeves hid the watch that was their time travel device and she was dressed appropriately for the time period they were about to jump into. The room itself was empty of any furniture or decoration. It was circular, white and seemed to echo whenever someone spoke.

"I thank each and everyone of you for embarking on this mission." Mr Haran began, his voice ringing throughout the room, "Find our people, stop these fools from destroying all we work for and, above all else, remember our code: Do not disturb time."
He nodded, his eyes making contact with every agent in the room, before leaving. The door closed behind him.

For the group of Keepers in the room it was now time to begin. Paige stepped into the middle of the group, raising her wrist to reveal the small watch that was wrapped around it. The time read 09:29am. Paige pressed a button and the screen flicked to the current date.
"London, England. 1827." She told the Keepers gathered in the room, adjusting her device as she spoke. "The dockside, behind the fish markets. Let's say midday."
She waited for the other keepers to input the data. Then, when everyone was ready, she smiled and began the countdown,
"Three... two... one.. " On one her screen flashed and Paige's world flashed a blinding white.

Time traveling, as far as she had gathered, felt slightly different for everyone. Sure, there was always that rush of air as it tried to fill in the space you had left, but she had heard of some people feeling squeezed, while others felt ripped in two. For Paige it felt like she was spinning. The sensation lasted less than a second each time she traveled and she had grown to accept it, if not like it. It took no time at all to reach the 1800s, the time would still be reading 09:29 back home. The further back you traveled the longer it generally took.

Paige glanced around at her companions, checking that everyone had made it through intact. They were all standing behind a debilitated warehouse, the smell of fish, shit and smoke thick in the air. The sounds of the fish market on the other side of the warehouse could be heard as well as the squawk of seagulls. It was an overcast day, grey clouds threatened with rain and Paige doubted that they would see the sun anytime soon.

"We have our instructions." Paige reminded the group, "The reports pinpoint an old textile warehouse just beyond these docks. We split up and make our way there individually or in pairs to avoid detection." She glanced at her watch again, it now showed the current time in London of 12:00. "We'll move in at 12:45"
She smiled at them all before giving a final nod. She turned and began to leave. If someone wanted to pair up with her to reach the warehouse then they would catch her up, if not she was perfectly happy to get there alone.



The man stood by the window, watching the street below the warehouse through the dirty glass. There were always people everywhere in London, one of the reasons he had chosen this place and time for the base of his scheme. It was relatively easy for a man of money to make things work for him here.

Behind him, set within an arm's distance was his crossbow. A casual observer might mistake this weapon for some old artifact from the medieval period but on closer inspection one might realise that the material it was made from wasn't wood, or anything that could have come out of that time. Vance Savage had designed and made it himself in the 23rd century. It shot a laser arrow with deadly accuracy, especially when in Vance's hands. Now, turning from the window, he picked up the weapon and slung it over his back.

He left his private study, striding along the corridor. Below him was the whole of the textile factory, the old machines creating a maze of metal. He entered into what had once been some sort of office. Now it was alive with futuristic technology. Screens blinked figures and videos gave the team unlimited access to the streets around the warehouse. Vance went straight towards a lone computer, it's screen showing a single spike in the graph that ran along its face.
"They're here." His mouth formed into a satisfied smirk, his light brown eyes seemed to sparkle with dark energy.
He lifted his hand to his ear and spoke, knowing his message would be transmitted to all the rogues who had gathered here.
"Time to come in, we've got some guests to entertain."
Wherever they might be in London, and whatever they might be doing they would know that the real fun was about to begin.

sorry, wrong place.

"Oh you've got nothing! You filthy liar." Esfir exclaimed loudly as she won yet another hand of Faro, a popular gambling game from this time and one that Esfir liked immensely. The odds were better and when she was winning she was definitely having a good time. Settling back into her chair she smiled broadly at the men around her and continued to play. Esfir knew it wasn't completely proper for her to be here in a house of gambling, a woman seemingly alone, but at least she was in proper period attire. A beautiful ornate silk dress, though she'd forgone the bustle for ease of movement, her long dark hair coiled and pinned into place and her favorite pieces of jewelry decorating her ears, throat and fingers. The time traveller didn't exactly fit in, but she wasn't too far off the mark and if anyone asked she merely responded that she was foreign and that settled that.

She kept playing, never once glancing at the man to the far left of the table although he watched her with grim amusement as he kept losing and she kept winning. Llyr didn't particularly care for Faro, the game didn't require a whole lot of thought or finesse and to be perfectly honest his heart just wasn't in it. The only reson he was here now with Esfir was because some of his fellow rogues decided that working alone or in pairs would spread their forces across the city. That way they'd know exactly when the Keepers were arriving and could keep an eye out for them. He couldn't say it was a bad idea but the irishman had about a million other things he'd rather be doing than babysitting the hot-head who had trouble keeping her mouth shut. It was a blessing when the word came. That it was time to finally set their plan in motion. The announcement couldn't have come at a better time.

"Did you just call me a cheater? You think I'm a thief? Prove it." Llyr heard, snapping back from his reverie. All the man knew was that Esfir had whipped out a large knife with an ugly curving blade and was hellbent on using it to restore her honor.

"You've got to be kidding me." The tall, blond murmured as he flipped his hand on the table and walked over to avert trouble. Snaking his arm around the waist of the younger woman he snatched the knife from her in her surprise. "My apologies. My wife, the sore loser." Llyr replied to the wide eyed stares they were receiving. "Ought to be on our way now, I should think, darling. Pressing matters and all." After doing his best to shuffle the wild Rogue out of harm's way he stage whispered loudly. "Foreigners." And arched his eyebrows for added effect, and with a few nods of understanding they finally extricated themselves from the situation.

"Are you a lunatic? Are you insane? What in the bloody hell were you thinking, girl? Just going to slice up a whole gambling parlour?" Llyr exclaimed as he gripped her arm tightly and began marching her back to their headquarters.

Wrenching herself free of the man who'd just dragged her away from a fight, Esfir had to restrain herself from lashing out at him. She hated being manhandled, or talked to like she was a child let alone apologized for and he'd done all those things. How humiliating. Taking a moment to rearrange her tousled state of dress and hair, she sighed deeply and tried to regain some dignity. To any passerby they looked like a young, affluent couple, a couple that had apparently had some sort of quarrel. Just as long as they didn't look totally out of place, Esfir thought to herself. Cursing her temper and lack of control over it.

"I'm sorry. My temper got the best of me, but I'm no cheater." She answered lamely, beginning to feel slightly ashamed for her actions. Coming to a halt behind the factory that was their homebase, Llyr opened the nearly hidden from sight entrance they'd been using and ushered Esfir forward.

"Yes, that's all fine and good. Doesn't matter now, they're here and your days of free time are over. Thank god, or you'd probably burn the whole city down." He answered back tersely, making his way towards what he considered the control room, Esfir following behind him, a sullen look settling upon her face. Finally entering the room which held most of their technology, Llyr nodded a greeting to Vance and checked the graph for himself.

"So it's true then, they've finally arrived? What do we do now?" Esfir asked curiously, her previous troubles all ready forgotten in her mind. She'd focused so long on the wait for them that now that the keepers were here her excitement became palpable.

Summer heat beat down on the two College students as they wandered from the familiar paths of the Universities grand library. The taller of the two trailed behind a skipping girl. His hands were in the pockets of his shorts as he watched her with a smile. She was so childish despite being the older of the two, and yet. It made everything more fun. It was nice, being around her and he was glad he took the invitation to leave the cool depths of the nearly vacant library to accompany her to town.

” Hey now! Not so fast, slow down or I’ll never catch up to you” He laughed with a wide grin. She made everything better. It was because of her that he didn’t really mind studying anymore. It wasn’t a burden his parents had thrown onto him. He didn’t even have to try hard to impress her; she’d always be there with a wide smile.

Just that morning, he had been pouring over some book, sitting at a table in the library she worked at. The library was always unoccupied and made it easy to focus, but he came there for other reasons.

“Lee~ you’re always just sitting here reading, isn’t that boring?”

He looked up trying not to grin too widely. ” It’s not just reading Lis, I have a big test coming up and even a project to do. he tapped his book with a finger. “Speaking of which, I need to remember to buy supplies for it. . He made a mental note of what he would need as he glanced back down at the book. The girl peered over his book, and frowned.

“Looks confusing, don’t you want a break? I mean the weather is soo nice!’

He lifted his head again and blinked at her. He could use a break, but he had to work on this assignment. “What if~ What if we went and bought your supplies together! Hmm? Then you could be doing work and having fun!?” She giggled and placed her hands behind her back, her eyes sparkled. He closed the book and stood up.

”Alright let’s go.”

He smiled fondly at the memory. It truly was a very nice day. A bright sun, a nice breeze, like nothing could go wrong, and he was spending it with Lissie Allen. He looked up to call to her again, noticing she had skipped ahead.

” Lis! Slow down!” he laughed, picking up his pace some as he watched her skip along. She really was so childish. Lis turned around to smile at him, coming to a stop, and standing on her tip toes. He walked a little faster, to catch up. And then…. It happened without warning.

One minute the both of them were smiling, the next. There was a call in the distance, and a terrible sound. His body froze in shock. She had gone into a construction zone and a metal bar had slipped from one of the buildings. He couldn’t get there, it fell too fast. People were pointing up, and he was running forward, but it was too late. The bar fell and stabbed right through her middle. She still had the ghost of a smile on her face as he finally managed to reach her. Red splattered the pavement, and he never smiled again.
..........

"Time to come in, we've got some guests to entertain." A voice sounded in his ear. 19 year old Jaycee Lee sat up from the chair he had apparently fallen asleep in. He inwardly glared at himself and stood up adjusting his clothing. That dream again…. He thought, I’ll never escape it.

He walked quickly down the hall to the room that people were in, and his so called leader had told them to go to. He entered slowly and without a sound to see Vance, Esfir, and Llyr gathered around a computer screen and looking at a graph. He took a place near the wall and observed them with crossed arms.

Jason sniffed in the filthy air around him as he reached 1827. The easiest way for him to get adjusted to the smell was to take a few deep breaths, that and a drink of course. He removed his flask from his pocket and took a big gulp. The spirited liquid warmed his insides which was a very welcome side effect. Getting dressed for the mission he did went for genuine and not for comfort. In retrospect, traveling to London he should have known better.

The group started to split up, and lost in his own thoughts he was one of the last to move. He saw Wes team up with Paige. Splendid, Jason thought as he saw them together. There goes my plan to once again let her know what a bad feeling I get regarding this mission. His mind went back to a private meeting between Paige, Mr Haran and himself where he had expressed his concern. Something was off on this mission and it wasn't just the fish for sale at stall number 3.

Jason was dressed as a dock worker, or simply Docker as the English would say it. Checking his pocket he found the old English coins he had brought from the Time Institute Headquarters. He was to far away from his favorite tavern, The Ten Bells at East End, but he was sure he would be able to get a drink at one of the local watering holes.
"Well ladies," Jason said to the two colleagues left behind, "I could sure use a drink, see you in 45 minutes."
With that said Jason made his way across to the fish market and dissappeared in the masses.

Halfway over the market Jason noticed someone touching his pocket. With a quick reaction Jason caught the arm of the young boy. He couldn't have been older then 8 or 9 years. The boy looked at him with big white eyes.
"If you don't want to lose that hand I suggest you keep it out of other peoples pockets, do you understand?"
The boy nodded and Jason loosened his grip on the boys arm. At that moment the boy kicked him in the shins and ran away. Blasted Oliver Twisty kid,Jason thought as he rubbed his shin. The boy had not been able to get any money from him, so he decided not to chase it. If I would chase him, I might be late at rendezvous point.

Coming to the other end of the fish market, Jason dove into an alley. This was the shortest way to approach the rendezvous point from the east. The alley was filled with drunks and tough guys and Jason did not feel particular excited to take this route. At that moment he felt the flask in his pocket and took it out. If you can't beat them..., Jason thought and he started to sing in a drunken tone.

"Maxwelton braes are bonnie, where early fa's the dew
Where me and Annie Laurie made up the promise true"

Jason got a few weird looks his way, and the drunk seemed to wake up out of their street naps.

"Made up the promise true, and ne'er forget will I
And for bonnie Annie Laurie I'd lay doun my head and die"

The drunk had joined in at this time. Jason was past the middle of the alley and started to gain more confidence in his plan then he originally had.

"She's backit like the peacock, she's breistit like the swan
She's jimp aboot the middle, her waist ye weel may span
Her waist ye weel may span, and she has a rolling eye
And for bonnie Annie Laurie I'd lay doun my head and die."

Coming to the end of the alley all the men ended the song together. Jason at this moment must have looked pretty smug, at least that was how he felt. Jason turned his back to the alley and continued on his way.

Walking from one alley to the next without much trouble Jason smelled the brewing of good old English ale near one of the buildings. It seemed to be a gambling house. As Jason approached the door slammed open and a couple came out. They seemed to have been in an argument as the man looked upset and held his hand tightly around the ladies arm. Without them noticing him he entered the gambling house and approached the bar.
"One scotch please Keep." Jason put some money on the counter while the barkeeper was pouring his drink.
"What happened to the two lovers I just saw coming out?"Jason asked in order to start a conversation. He looked at his glass and thought he saw dirt floating around in his drink.
"Those damned foreigners,"the barkeep sighed, "I'm thinking of putting up a sign, Englishmen only."
Jason's mind went into overdrive, foreigners..., making a scene in a gambling house. Even for foreigners such amount of feminism is unlikely, at least in the 1800's.Jason made a quick decision to follow the two. He put his glass, which he hardly touched, back on the bar.
"Better sign then Englishmen only...: no women allowed," he said with a wink to the barkeep. He stood up and walked to the door.

As he opened it he could see the couple turning into a street not to far away. He put some haste in his step and turned into the same street half a minute later. He would have thought to still see the couple in the distance, but he could not see anyone. He saw he was standing right behind the old textile warehouse. Shit, they are working together,Jason thought. He looked at his watch and saw it was 12:41. He had 4 minutes to warn the others.

(wrong place - ignore!)

Paige walked up the street, taking care to dodge the stalls of fish and the many people pushing their way through the crowds. It felt strange being back in the 1800s. The last time she had visited the era she had been with her mentor. He had retired some years ago but this time always reminded her of him.

A tap on her shoulder made Paige turn. Wes gave her a smile as she turned to face him.

"I'm so sorry about that. You walked away before I could talk to you. I was wondering if you'd partner up with me?"
Wes was slightly out of breath and Paige, casting an eye back along the street, could see the line of people he had pushed through to reach her. Her attention was caught by Jason, who was just turning away from her and Wes. The memory of her meeting with Jason and Mr Haran flashed in her mind. He had been worried about the mission. His concern had been understandable, but in the end they had to continue with their plan.

Paige turned her attention to Wes, pushing Jason's doubts out of her mind.
"Sure." Paige told Wes, waiting for him to get his breath back before she started walking again. She wanted to reach the warehouse quickly to give herself enough time to get an idea of the place. The Keeper's plan was to storm the warehouse, capturing any rogues that they found. The Institute wanted them brought back alive and questioned. It would be easy to spot a rogue once the fighting began. They would be the ones with weapons from out of this time.

The fish market began to thin out as the two entered a section of the docks busy with the loading and unloading of ships. Here the market shoppers were replaced with tough looking sailors, a number of who gave Paige a curious glance. Their eyes would eventually wonder to Wes. She supposed having the other man with her meant that any leering comments from the sailors would be kept silent.

While Paige kept one eye on the crowd she gave Wes her remaining attention. She knew of him, most Keepers knew each other at least by name, but she hadn't ever had much reason to speak with him before.
"You haven't been here before, have you?" Paige asked, referring to both the time and the place. She recalled reading through his Keeper profile which had stated where he had run his missions. It wasn't uncommon for agents to specialise in one era or another, but she wasn't sure if Wes was one such agent or he had simply never had a mission in this time before. "Thoughts so far?" She couldn't help but let a small smile slip onto her face. The 1800s, depending where and when you were, could actually be a very pleasant place, but here in London it could be slightly overwhelming.



His message through, all Vance could do now was wait for his team to assemble. He didn't have long to wait before the first message came in.

"They came in at the docks, by the fish market. 6 in total, 3 male and 3 female. They're splitting up but they're heading east. Probably towards base" Eva's voice filtered through Vance's ear piece, her message bringing a smile to his face. Six Keepers meant that they were taking this threat seriously. Sure, they had the greater numbers but Vance hoped that the rogues advanced technology would give them the edge. Not to mention the surprise they had rigged up in the warehouse floor.

"They're all in sight. They could get suspicious if I go directly to the factory now, it's where they're heading. What should I do?" Eva's query came a moment later and Vance took a second to answer it, weighing up the options.
"Pick one and follow. Keep well behind them, I do not want you to be seen. When they enter the base you can close the door behind them. Be sure you do not get caught near the warehouse floor, you do not want to be caught in our surprise."

A moment later Llyr and Esfir entered the room. Vance returned Llyr's greeting and gave the man space to look at the graph.
"So it's true then, they've finally arrived? What do we do now?" Esfir question was curious and Vance smiled at the girl,
"We create mayhem." He answered, his smile becoming a wicked grin. "But first we wait for the agents to find us. The warehouse floor has been rigged with explosives, as you know. When the Keepers attack we will lure them onto the floor, set the charges and then watch the fireworks."
It was a simple trap but with the use of their advanced technology it was one that was likely to go undetected by the keepers until it was too late. Vance didn't care either way if the explosion effected any normal London citizens but he had installed a force-field like device that would restrict the explosion and subsequent carnage to the warehouse floor. That way anyone watching from the balcony - where he planned to be - would have front row seats.

Vance glanced across the room, spotting Jaycee standing against the wall. The young man could move soundlessly when he wanted to, a useful talent to have for a rogue. Vance nodded him a greeting.

"We lure the keepers in, make it seem like we are losing ground and then when they are in position we retreat to safety. Ideally we will be able retrieve one of them alive, but if not we know that they will send more keepers."
He knew they understood, after all they had come up with the plan together. One live keeper would give them access to the agency's network and was just one more step in Vance's plan. "We all know the rendezvous time if things do not go according to plan. We will meet there if need be."
It was always wise to have a back-up plan and if somehow the keepers managed to break through their trap then the rogues could regroup in another time - provided they hadn't been captured of killed.

Vance was an expert at waiting. It might not have been his favourite part of the plan but it was necessary. He stretched out his back, glancing from Llyr to Esfir to Jaycee.
"I hope you're all ready for some fun." He remarked absently, "It shouldn't be much longer."
No sooner had he spoken than another screen in the room gave a loud beep. This was not the same screen that had revealed the Keeper's arrival but a larger one that showed a computerized map of the London docks. It seemed to be scanning the nearby area. A small red dot had appeared a short way off from the warehouse, it was the cause of the noise and the reason a slow smile had spread across Vance's face.
The dot could only be a Time Keeper. No one else in this backwards time would have technology like this, unless of course you counted his fellow Rogues, but they were all set to frequencies that wouldn't set the alarms off.

"I'll handle this, unless anyone wants to join me?" Vance said, wondering towards the door. He walked down the balcony until he reached a small set of stairs that led up onto the roof. From here he had a decent view of the surrounding area. He couldn't see the keeper but his position was known. Vance brought up his crossbow and sighted down its length. He angled it towards the direction of the keeper, using his memory of the map on the screen to guide him. He might not hit the keeper but his shot would undoubtedly be enough to disrupt the warehouse the keeper was on. Taking a deep breath Vance steadied his arm, double checked his aim and then squeezed the trigger. A burst of energy erupted from the weapon, streaming straight towards the location where Vance knew the keeper to be. It hit the building, piercing through the brick.

He let the crossbow fall back onto his shoulder, grinning lazily as he watched the destruction he had caused. Sure, he had just given away the rogue's position but he doubted that the Keepers would just let his attack go. They were duty bound to come now, Vance had just used highly illegal technology hundreds of years before its time. And he had attacked one of their own.



Paige and Wes were covering a decent amount of ground. Paige was confident that if they kept this pace up they would reach the warehouse soon. It was also nice having a chance to talk with Wes. She hadn't have much reason to talk with him in the past.

“I know it’s silly, but when I always thought the 1800s would have, I don’t know, balls or something. Rich women looking for a husband, court intrigue, masquerades, and all that. Not a smelly fish market. It’s not bad though, just different... By the way, I didn’t know you could move so fast. You covered a lot of ground before I could catch up. And thanks for waiting." Wes's words brought a smile to her face.
"That's the 1800s you see in movies." She replied. The real London was the mass of people trying to survive.
As for moving fast, Paige shrugged, "It's be a lot easier in pants, but when in Rome."

The two continued, moving into the dodgy area just short of their final destination. Like Paige Wes was watching the crowds and it seemed that he spotted something that Paige had missed. He leaned in and spoke quietly in her ear,
"Don't look now, but the girl with the cane. Something's off,"
Paige had to force herself not to glance over her shoulder, but she accepted Wes' warning and simply nodded her reply. They weren't far off the warehouse now. Paige glanced around and found a dark, thin alleyway. No one in their right minds would wonder down here alone, especially a girl with a cane. The alleyway would also take them closer to the warehouse. Surely if the girl wasn't following them then she wouldn't come down the alleyway.

"In here." Paige said quietly, heading into the alleyway. She glanced at her watch, taking care to hide the movement so that no one watching could see her keeper watch. The time read 12.40, five minutes.
Paige reached the end of the alleyway and stopped short, stepping back into the shadows as she came into view of the textile warehouse.
Her communication device crackled into life and she heard Jason's voice in her ear,
"Everyone, it is a trap, they are expecting us. Paige, I'm not being paranoid, I swear on our mission in Paris, 1789."
Paige swore. For Jason to use the communication device was a big risk, the rogues could track it. Add to that the fact that Jason had brought up their mission in Paris and Paige was seriously worried. She had known Jason since he first arrived at the Institute, seven years ago, and although she didn't always listen to his advice there were times when she couldn't ignore it. This was one such time.

Then the laser blast hit nearby. From where Paige stood she could see a figure standing on the roof of the textile warehouse. A rogue, with zero regard for the time laws. The weapon in his hands was from the future, no doubt about it.
There was a sick feeling in her stomach, was the figure firing randomly or had someone... Jason been his target? She would have to risk communication, she had to check to see if Jason had been hurt.
"Jason. Are you there?"
"Shit." Paige swore again, glancing at Wes. "It may be a trap but we have to stop that man from destroying London." She pointed at the figure on the textile roof, her hand shook slightly. If Jason's warning was real they would find more than one dangerous rogue in the warehouse

Esfir smiled broadly as she nodded emphatically and followed Vance. Esfir was a force to be reckoned with and she always preferred to be where the action was. One never knew when you’d get another shot at it. Bunching up her cumbersome skirts she hurried after Vance. She figured, and rightly so, that he wouldn't actually need her help but the spectacle would be too much to resist. They were tired of hiding, being chased and run down like dogs. The Rogues were finally making a stand and she was here for it. It would've made her family quite proud, this she knew for a fact.

The Alkaevs were always ones to flaunt authority and usually found themselves to be above the law, which in turn meant trouble with the law. More specifically Time Keepers. This operation wasn't just another adventure to her; it was a way to avenge her family and their way of life. It was a cause she’d die for, one that she’d kill for. So when she watched Vance decimate part of London she was filled with a bit of triumph. It had finally begun, no more skulking about or worry about being found out. The cat was out of the bag and she’d die kicking and screaming before she’d be put back in it.

Laughing aloud she clapped her hands and twirled around, seemingly drunk on the madness of the scene before them “Has anyone ever told you that you have a flair for the dramatic?” Esfir asked wryly before slipping back inside. It would only be a matter of time before they were surrounded by Keepers and there were still so many more surprises for them.

Stripping off the binding garments she’d been forced to wear to blend in, the slim, athletic girl was now clad in her standard jumpsuit. Originally intended for pilots to withstand high pressures or even depressurization, her suit had been stolen and slightly modified to fit her needs. Namely time travel. Checking that her gear was in place she quickly moved into position among the rafters, ready to spring into action when it came time. Until then she waited



Llyr watched as Vance left the room with Esfir following after him like a puppy. All you had to do was wave a little mayhem in the girl’s face and she was spellbound. As for himself he’d seen enough death and destruction throughout time that he was quite fine where he was, thanks. Taking over communications while Vance was gone, Llyr was now in charge of assigning tasks to the few field agents they’d stationed around London. The Rogues who hadn't made it back yet. He didn't intend on giving them orders but was there in case anyone called out in distress. Though the Irishman wasn't sure what he’d be able to do for them. Soon enough Time Keepers would be swarming through warehouse and they’d be back to leading them on a merry chase.

Taking note of the heat sensors that they’d placed through their base he took note of Vance and Esfir, not to mention those who were gathering outside. Too bad he wasn't able to tell which side they were on or he’d just snuff them out. Of course he could do it anyway, rather be safe than sorry he always said, but Llyr knew that there was a reason for all the things they’d done and all the planning they’d undertaken. It hadn't come naturally to the Rogues to work together but when they finally coalesced it was actually bloody fantastic. They had superior weapons and materials and no qualms about using them. There was no way, at least in Llyr’s mind, that they could possibly lose. Casualties sure…but not him and that’s what really mattered. Llyr, making it out alive with more power and riches than when he’d arrived in eighteenth century London.

Time Keepers were trained to perform well under stress and if the rogue's sudden attack on London wasn't a stressful event than Paige didn't know what was. Her mind was whirling with all the disastrous things that might now happen because of the attack. Even the smallest change in time could change the future drastically, what would this do if they didn't fix it?

Wes pushed Paige back into the shadows of the alley, using his body as a shield against another potential attack. Then he touched his earpiece, transmitting a message to all the keepers that had come here with them,
"A rogue fired a laser at Jason. North of the warehouse. If anyone's nearby, get to him." The message would no doubt give away their position. The two would have to move, and fast.
'We're on it. Follow me' Wes said, already having a plan in mind. He took Paige's hand and together they ran down to the end of the alley where a wooden fence acted as a simple ladder up to a window with bars beneath the roof.
Paige followed Wes up, taking care not to catch her skirt on any stray nails. She would love to take off her skirt, she had on a pair of standard issue Keeper leggings beneath, but there was still history to preserve and it had already been altered by the blast. She didn't want to do anymore damage.

She reached the top as Wes hopped onto the window ledge and turned to check on her.
"Onto the roof?" Paige asked, unsure where Wes' route was taking them. The roof would definitely give them a better vantage point to see the rogue that had just destroyed the other warehouse and possibly Jason, but then again it might also give him a better view of them.

"Guys... what if we went back one more year? See if they follow? Let us lead them into a trap? They know we'll get in their way and stop them no matter what... wouldn't they want to defeat us before destroying London?" The transmission came through a moment after she had spoken, she recognised Aaron's clear voice. He certainly had a point about leading them into a trap, it would give the keepers an advantage. Right now, given Jason's warning, it seemed as if the keepers were the ones who had blindly walked into a trap. The only problem with Aaron's plan was that, as far as the keepers knew, the rogues didn't care. If the keepers just disappeared Paige doubted that the rogues would bother to come after them. Why would they when they suddenly had the whole of London to themselves.

Paige decided to risk another communication to talk with Aaron,
"Negative. There is no guarantee that they will follow us. We must stop them now."
Paige turned her attention back to Wes and nodded for him to lead the way.



Vance smiled with satisfaction, his eyes lazily glancing over the scene of destruction that he had created. Behind him Esfir was laughing and applauding, her delight evident. He gazed back over his shoulder at her as she spun in a circle.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a flair for the dramatic?” Esfir asked.
Vance smirked and gave a casual shrug, "It is a gift." He remarked.
Esfir was by far one of his most favourite rogues. She had an attitude that made the most out of life and Vance was glad to have found a fellow enthusiast of mayhem around.

He followed her back inside but made his way back to the control room while she got into position. There he found Llyr handling the communications and watching the heat sensors.
"What have we got Llyr?" [b] Vance asked as he entered the room, [b] "Are the keepers gathering?"
He could see the screen that monitored communications beeping every so often as the keepers talked, no doubt they were all getting their pants in a twist about what he'd just done. That brought a smile to his face. It would be handy to keep an eye on their position but he didn't feel any inclination to repeat the spectacle he had just made. They knew where the rogues were and he was confident that they would come.

Vance hoped that Eva hadn't been caught in the blast. He had told her to pick one and follow them, for all he knew she could have followed that keeper and been hit by flying debris.
"Eva, what is your location?" He said into his earpiece. He wasn't particularly sentimental, his concern stemmed from the fact that the rogues needed every man and woman they could get. Vance glanced at Jaycee and Llyr. Their numbers were small but they had technology on their side.

The man and the woman had turned down a thin alleyway, an unexpected route to get to the warehouse, and one that she could never follow without suspicion. But that was easily rectified- all she was there to do was watch and listen, after all. It would probably be easier to do so if she climbed the fire escape of the textiles warehouse that marked, adjacent to the other warehouse beside it, the alley. The roof was high enough up that even if the pair were to glance up she would not be seen, and of course, she could hear everything that they said.

It was oddly peaceful up on that rooftop. Although she was concentrating a great deal on listening, not being seen, and also not falling to her death, Eva found an odd serenity dodging between the chimneys and looking across the familiar, unfamiliar sky line. She spotted her high school, an ancient grammar school in her day- a brand new one today. It was strange. They were nearing the warehouse, where she had planned to climb down after them, slamming the door and locking it should they wonder in, when she heard the woman keeper's communicator buzz with news of a trap.

She could barley contain her laughter. She'd said up a lot of the rouges technology herself- any one making a transition on that type of technology would be instantly located, and even though her plan had mostly fallen apart, she suspected that Savage would react accordingly to the exact location of a keeper. She ran forwards, using the cane to climb over turrets so she could see the head quarters. She saw the blast, and was caught between rolling her eyes and applauding.

He could have just shot him with a bloody gun, she thought.
But of course we have to try and blow up the place while we're here, don't we?
Melodramatics

From her vantage point she gazed at the brief fire and couldn't help Grace jumping to mind, with the rhyme she'd learned in year 2, the one she wouldn't stop singing for three weeks straight, and was actively banned from the household.

London's burning. London's burning...

Picturing her sister singing in her mind, Eva was reminded with ultimate conviction why she was here- what she had to do and who she had to help to do it.

Fetch the engine, fetch the engine...

The keepers were panicking, she heard them scrambling up the fire escape to her left, while the fire blazed on in front of her and base lay just out of sight. She obviously couldn't be caught up here- she wasn't armed and she'd lose all hope of finding Grace again. But, she was still holding the basket. She quickly analysed her surroundings, for the second time that day. Two keepers coming up to the roof-to her- in seconds. One was in the blast, and thanks to Savage's little flair might not actually be dead. She had a basket full of technology- mostly homing devices, but there were two other objects. She threw the fish down one of the chimneys and got rid of the basket, too. With one of the objects, she slipped it into her pocket. The other, she simply turned on and left where it dropped on the rooftop, where the two rouges would be in seconds.

Fire, Fire! Fire, Fire!

Abandoning the cane and moving quickly, Eva ran backwards and found some scaffolding, which she climbed down as quickly as her absurd dress could manage. Landing with a thud and scraping her arm on some rusty metal, she reached street level a little too close to the action as she'd have liked. People were freaking out about the blue flames they'd seen and she blended into the crowd nicely, but she still had to get back to base.

Pour on water, pour on water...

While on the ground, desperately trying to find a way she could just get to the others, Eva spotted a man leaning against a wall with a flask in his hand, injured. Of course he wasn't even bloody dead. She made a mental note to show Savage a gun later on.
Thinking on her feet, she turned to a woman near her who was avidly staring at the sky as though she was expecting the rapture.
"Ya know what I 'eard?" She said, fake fear etched across her sooty face. "That that was all time trav'lers. From the future where they don't got no god. They've come to stop the English empire expanding across the 'hole world, they have."
The woman wasn't going to believe Eva. That was of course until she took the extra earpiece from her pocket.
"Nah, look! I found this! It's true, it is an' we've got to warn everyone! They'll kill us all for the empire, they will!"
And with that the woman started to panic. Snatching the earpiece from Eva's outstretched hand, her shrill cry of warning reached everyone in the area. Eva briefly thanked the British Depth study and slipped into the warehouse while the ensuring panic about the evil from the future played out.

London's Burning, London's burning...

She got the transmission about her location as she walked into base. Not needing to give an answer, she sat in her designated chair next to Lee, and smiled at the others, quickly filling them in on the details of the three rouges she had seen and where they were, as well as the little riot she had started outside. Turning on her computer and tearing off her bonnet, she added
"Oh, and never, ever make me do that again"

Llyr glanced up as Vance entered the room and quirked an eyebrow at their leader, Llyr had seen the explosion on the monitors and while he preferred to a more subtle approach he knew that this whole operation was the opposite of subtle. It had to be to work, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy. There were so many different variables that could go wrong, but of course that’s why he was here. The consummate perfectionist wouldn't let them go down in burning flames. He would've counted on Vance to do it but since he was blowing up London perhaps he wasn't the best choice.

“I've got heat signatures outside the warehouse, I’m assuming they’re keepers since we’re all in attendance now.” He finished as he caught sight of Eva joining them. He knew that that Esfir was waiting as bait to lure the Keepers into proper position before the Rogues acted. “And I don’t know, Eva, I thought the bonnet was cute.” He teased sardonically, as he took her bonnet and twirled it around his index finger, his true Irish accent breaking through the eighteenth century upper class Londoner accent he’d affected.

“So they’re out there, swarming around and they’re not coming in. Keepers, always so bloody cautious.” He muttered mostly to himself as continued to watch the many monitors. Subconsciously he slipped his hand beneath the overcoat he was still wearing and felt the outline of his rail gun. He was ready for them, now all they had to do was follow the trail like the good little dogs they were.

Paige Ceres

Paige watched as Wes drew out his gun, holding it low to avoid detection.
"Please, cover my back." He said as he inched forward. Paige nodded her agreement, her hands carefully drawing out her twin handguns. She glanced back down at the alley they had come through, it was empty. As was the street behind them. Everyone seemed to have either fled from the explosion or run towards it.

“You should probably take your skirt off,” The words caught Paige by surprise, she glanced over at Wes with her eyebrows raised. Surely he hadn't meant it in a bad way, his choice of words had just been a little off “With everything that’s happened, I don’t think one woman in tights will do any lasting damage to the timeline.” He added. Paige glanced back down at the quiet alley. Certainly there seemed to be little citizens around to see her if she changed. With a sigh Paige replaced her guns in their place and quickly ripped the skirt portion of her outfit off, revealing a pair of black, skin-tight pants. They were high-tech, designed to adapt to the surrounding temperature. They allowed for much better ease of movement as well.

"What can you see?" Paige asked, darting quickly forward to crouch beside Wes. He was squinting down at a figure in the street,
“I found Jason. He’s at 9 o’clock,” He said, his words sending a wave of relief over Paige. As Paige watched she saw Jason take hold of a woman and walked her down the street, popping into a nearby alleyway. Hoping that they wouldn't lose him Paige followed Wes down the fire escape, landing softly on the ground. She pulled out her guns again, holding them low.

"He went this way." Paige said, leading the way down a quieter side alley. A man crossed the pair, his hair singed and his eyes wide as he spotted Paige and Wes. He saw the guns in Paige's hands and the clothing she was wearing and began to point at her, raving about killer keepers. In a series of quick, fluid movements Paige stepped up to the man, struck him on the temple and then helped him fall gently to the ground.
"Looks like someone has been spreading lies." Paige remarked. Quickly she erased the man's memory before pushing him against the alleyway wall. She looked at Wes and nodded for the pair to continue, "Jason should be just be around the corner,"

Vance Savage

“I've got heat signatures outside the warehouse, I’m assuming they’re keepers since we’re all in attendance now.” Llyr said. Vance glanced behind the man at the screen and nodded. Hopefully the keepers would advance soon, there was little they could gain from hovering outside the warehouse.

Vance couldn't help but grin as Eva arrived and began to fill in the group on what she had learned. Vance knew a few Time Keepers personally from previous interactions, but the only one he recognised from Eva's details that had turned up in London was the one he suspected to be Paige. The young woman came from a family of Keepers and had doggedly tracked him for the past year before he had eventually shaken her off. He said nothing to the group though, it wasn't as if revealing his knowledge of her would benefit the rogues in anyway, after all the only things he did know about her was that she was persistent.

Vance's attention was drawn back to his immediate surroundings as Eva tore off her bonnet,
"Oh, and never, ever make me do that again" She added. Vance gave a chuckle,
"But darling, you look exceptionally charming in a bonnet." Vance echoed Llyr's words. Grinning at the expression on Eva's face. It could as easily have been any of the others that had dressed up in the Victorian clothes but Vance disliked wearing anything that didn't proclaim his position, besides he was the one who had been watching the machines for signs of the Keepers arrival.

“So they’re out there, swarming around and they’re not coming in. Keepers, always so bloody cautious.” Vance caught Llyr's comment.
"If they do not make a move soon, I will take another trip to the rooftop to further encourage them." He told the room.