Cosmic Strings || Ray Palmer

River of Time

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all this love! I love writing this story and I can't believe we only have two more episodes of season one left! If you're enjoying the story please leave a vote or a comment! 

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Alex stormed into the office, her lips turned down into a frown, creasing the smooth skin around her mouth, plopping next to Mick.

He uncapped the glass decanter, swallowing the dark liquid before handing it to Alex, "Mission... almost accomplished."

"That bottle of Scotch was given to me by Rob Roy MacGregor in 1689." Rip protested, trying to swipe the decanter from her hands. Alex rolled her eyes and held it closer to her, taking a swig, making a face as she handed it back to Rory, the alcohol burning a hole in her throat but doing little else.

She couldn't even drink to forget about this day.

"We should be toasting to Savage's death." Sara scoffed, and Alex leaned against the table, nodding with her.

"Agreed,"

"Apart from celebrating murder," Stein interrupted, ever the moral compass, "Savage still has Carter brainwashed."

Leonard moved around, flanking Alex's other side, a smirk written across his face, "I don't know if you've been paying attention, Professor, but murdering Savage was always the plan."

Alex nodded, "Besides, Carter reincarnates," She struggled to contain the anger surging beneath her, threatening to boil over, "We should've killed Savage."

"As long as he's onboard and breathing," Leonard agreed, "Savage is a threat to everyone on this ship."

"So what, we just kill Savage and leave Carter a brainless drone?" Kendra's voice was grating, screeching in Alex's ears as her pulse began to race, hands clenching into fists at the ultimatum.

"Yes." She and Mick spoke at the same time.

Alex pressed herself upward, the anger moving from her gut to her chest, bubbling and boiling until it threatened to explode. "This isn't your Carter Kendra, this is Savage's guard and he will kill us,"

"You don't know that!" Kendra protested. Alex moved forward, getting in Kendra's face, trying to make the woman understand.

"Yes, I do!" Alex raised her voice, trying to keep herself from attacking the woman. Her hands began to shake, sweat forming on her brow, trickling down her neck as her body began to overheat, "The Carter you know is dead and gone, and nothing, not even Savage can bring him back! You wanted to be reunited with him?" She inhaled deeply, chest heaving, her next words catching everyone off guard as they spilled out of her mouth, "Then you should've died with him"

Kendra's mouth grew tight. Leonard's hands found themselves on her shoulders, gently pulling her away, "Alright, let's focus on the real problem here--"

Alex never tore her eyes from Kendra's, a fire burning in both of their gazes, playing chicken with each other. Neither of them wanted to be the first one to move.

"Sorry we're late," Ray's miraculous ability to disperse any tension in the room was incredibly welcome, and Alex finally turned away to see him and Jax enter the bridge, "but we found something."

As the boys talked science and terms she didn't understand, Alex faced Leonard, his chiding gaze reminding her that they were all unhappy with how things turned out. She clenched her jaw and tore herself out of his grip, joining Rory in drinking her sorrows away.

The alcohol scorched her throat again, and she finally rejoined the conversation when they were speaking words she understood.

"Well, that's the thing. It's not." Jax continued, and Alex searched the conversation for any clues as to what they could be talking about, "This technology's light years more advanced than anything from 2166."