Chapter Text
It had been a long day and somehow it still wasn’t over. They got the dogs and the group set out in the first attempt to track the future predator down. Special Forces, the Cutters, Stephen, and Connor. Claudia, Abby, and Amelia stayed at the zoo for monitoring/staying out of danger.
The creature found the search party first. It was fast and agile. Darting from the trees. To the ground where it ran at astonishing speeds and attacked two men. While the dogs reacted, they couldn’t seem to get a scent trail to follow after it left.
Regrouping, they got a call from the Home Office lab with the analysts of the blood. While there was some lion as expected, they also had another type. The closest they could compare was to a bat but it was highly mutated.
“What if it’s an advanced evolution of a bat?” Connor proposed.
“That would explain how it seems to be a step ahead of us. Using sound to determine our position to pick us off.” Cutter nodded.
“Amelia and I were in the tunnel with the sea lions which is why it had difficulty picking us out from the noise.” Stephen realized.
Now that they knew a bit more of what they were dealing with, they could finally get a better handle. One of the pieces of equipment they had was an oscilloscope. A device used for picking up frequencies human ears couldn’t pick up on. Up until this point, they hadn’t really used it. But now they’d at least have a warning before the next time it attacked.
Taking some time with the maps of the area and Abby’s knowledge of the Zoo, they found out there was a storage building for the zoo behind it. Large, covered place that didn’t get much traffic. Rarely gone into but close enough to the locations of all the disappearances. An ideal spot for a lair. At the very least a good starting spot to search.
“What will we do once we find it?” Claudia asked as they stood around the map.
“Kill it.” Cutter said firmly.
“Kill it, really? You’re not going to argue about how it’s acting on behavior and all that?”
“The creature’s we’ve dealt with before came from the past. A risk of effecting the timeline come with killing them or not getting them back into the anomaly. So far, we’ve been lucky in the instances when we’ve had to kill. But this isn’t the case. This creature’s from the future effecting our time. We have no idea on the effect of the future, and it’s proven to be too dangerous to risk capturing alive. No, we kill it and be done with it.”
Helen’s face was guarded as he spoke. Claudia wondered if she was for or against the idea. She herself was actually grateful Cutter was willing to kill this time. Perhaps though, she should be worried at his lack of resistance she had become used to.
Special Forces worked to ready. Making sure everyone was armed with live aimo and semi automatics. Amelia herself was getting her own gun ready. She knew how to shoot and had gotten over her nerves. Preferring to go into danger that stand ideally by. Getting a little bit of flack from Stephen when he caught her. But Amelia turned him down with firmness in her decision before moving away to wait for the group elsewhere.
With the oscilloscope and appropriately armed, the group headed out for the storage building. Connor, Abby, and Claudia were ordered to stay at the zoo in the safety of the staff building since none were trained to shoot.
Cutter carried the oscilloscope with it on. Two of Ryan’s men worked the german shepherds. Between the two, they’ll have a heads up before an attack. It will only be a second, maybe two if they are lucky, but a warning is still a warning.
As they worked through the crop of small, dated buildings, the oscilloscope started going off.
“Should be right on top of us.” Cutter said as he looked at the building that seemed to cause the beeping.
“Dogs aren’t going crazy.” Stephen noticed. When they were attacked in the trees the shepherds went nuts right before the creature attacked the first man.
Cutter whispered, “Come on.”
They found an entrance and began filtering through the stacks of boxes and rubbish left to collect dust. There was a squealing noise the dogs began growling at. The source was a pile of infant creatures. Miniatures of the adult Stephen and Helen had separately witnessed.
“My God, she’s given birth.” Cutter said horrified at the development.
“We got three bodies.” Ryan declared off to the side. The missing people starting to decompose.
“She’s storing up to fed her young.” Helen said as she crouched down to observe the infants. “Likely to try to ensure most of the brood survives into adulthood.”
The beeping on the oscilloscope speeds up rapidly and the dogs began to bark. Something large thudded on the roof and everyone drew their weapons, and circled, turning backs to each other to protect one another.
“Where the hell is it?” Ryan said out loud.
“Sh!” Amelia strained to listen above the noise of the oscilloscope, the dogs, and the infants.
It came in from the right, attacking a soldier on the edge. Then bounded up the walls and through an opening in the ceiling to disappear from out of sight before entering another opening and leading off of crates around them. It was too fast for them to keep the guns trained long enough to take a shot without missing or hitting someone else.
In the chaos, Cutter notices a greenhouse at the end of the room and an idea formed. He grabbed one of the infants. Leaping over a crate and running as fast as he could with the screaming infant in one hand and a gun in the other. He turned to see the beast had followed him as he wanted. He fired. Not at the creature, but up at the ceiling. Shattering glass failing to the ground. He repeated over and over. The failing of breaking glass causing a great commotion. Mainly to use to confuse the creature. Until finally, he lined up at shot to the head and took it.
Nick Cutter did not kill often. He wasn’t a much of a hunter or fisher. The most he’s slain was the annoying fly. He knew how to shoot. If he was ever stuck out in the woods, he knew how to get food. But he did not find enjoyment in killing other things. Fine with other people doing it and buying the product of meat at the store. Never thinking too hard about how the process was done.
To say his feelings were mixed as he stood above the dead body of this predator evolved bat from the future was an understatement. Knowing he made the right call but still felt mixed about pulling the trigger anyways.
~*~
Home Office took control of the scene. The deceased body of the future predator, after confirming it was dead, taken for extreme research to learn as much about it as possible. The five pups however were still alive for the moment and needed to be decided on. At their current state, didn’t pose much threat to them but as adults they could easily cause massive deaths.
Helen was against killing them. Her argument was they could use them to lead them through the Permian to the future anomaly as bat migrated and had a strong homing instinct. That if they don’t find it, there could be more pouring into the Permian era and cause havoc on their reality.
Cutter knew there was a good chance she wanted to find the future anomaly just to go through and see what it’s like on the other side. The risk of more getting loose in the Permian did concern him greatly. Ultimately deciding they’d use the young to find the future anomaly if it was still open, then kill all of them and figure out how to monitor for any more predators. Whether the marking the location or having a permanent incursion in the past to guard it. Neither was ideal.
They decided to meet up at the Permian anomaly in a few hours to A- give the team a small rest, and B- allow the Home Office to prepare equipment for a longer excursion. The anomaly had been holding steady for several days and currently had no sign of closing. But they knew it would be a matter of time before it did. And even if it stays open, they had no idea how long it would take to find the future anomaly.
Claudia was the one to organize it all of course. Lester was the one to approve but it was her job to organize and pull things together. Cutter told her he wanted a team of special forces with him and Helen, but none of the other team members to go through with them.
She agreed, mostly. She didn’t like the idea of him and Helen going through together. Nor how much time the estrange wife had spent with him alone. They were at their house together now and Claudia was trying very hard not to picture something going on. Cutter said up and down he was done with her. However, it was clear she wasn’t done with him.
Claudia was also just generally exhausted. Not just from the day, which had been tiring already, but from many nights plagued by bad dreams. Creatures coming after her, anomalies opening around her, and a constant theme of danger. Some times not just in her dreams. Using the bathroom at the office, she thought she saw an anomaly where her reflection was. But when she turned around to look again, it was normal. The stress was getting to her. But they were still in the middle of a situation that she had to see through. Put her stress and tiredness to the side to make sure Cutter was taken care of. Then, when it was all over, she could take a break. Talk to him about where they stood now.
Amelia set her bowl to the side. Returning to her apartment for some lunch and rest before meeting the team at the Forest of Dean. How crazy today had been. A creature from the future. More terrifying than the creature’s they had dealt with in the past. Not just because it was more of an unknown than the other times. But the speed and viciousness it had. To be able to track them by sound and attack before they knew it was there. How the hell Helen was able to escape it in the past was a wonder. Made her almost suspicious of her story.
Her musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. Amelia opened her eyes in confusion, getting up to see who would bother to be bugging her. Not like she had visitors.
Whoever it was knocked again before she got to the door.
“Ok Ok!” She said as she unlocked and opened it to find Stephen waiting on the other side. “Stephen?”
“I would have called but you’re not responding to my calls or texts.” He explained himself. “Gonna let me in or close the door in my face?”
She felt her face warm up before stepping back to let him in. Clearly he was looking for a conversation and seemed to take this bit of downtime as an opportunity. ‘Might as well get this over with’.
He walked in, taking in the space again even though it wasn’t his first time, before turning around to face her.
“So…” she started.
“So. You left before I woke up.” He got to the point.
Amelia crossed her arms in shame.
“If it was that bad you could’a just said something.” He joked.
“No- it wasn’t bad!” She quickly interjected. “The sex wasn’t bad. It was- I just- I don’t know! I’m not, I’m not usually the type to have sex on the first date and we just barely started talking about things shifting between us. We don’t know where we stand with each other and the team-“
“Is that what you are worried about? What the team will think?” He interjected. “You care about what they think?”
“A little.” She felt foolish saying it out loud. “I mean- they’re our friends. We have this crazy sort of job. What if things don’t go well between us and it effect everything else?”
“What if it doesn’t?” Stephen countered.
Amelia didn’t have a response to that.
“I’m not saying we got to start planning long term. I haven’t been in a real relationship for a while. You got burned in your last and made you stay off dating.” He continued, stepping closer to her. “We don’t need to decided here and now if this is something and tell the world. I, I like you. I think you’re smart, and attractive and the other night,”
She blushed at which night he was referring to.
“I had a great time. Drinks and talking, I would have been happy if it ended there. But, when it didn’t, it felt sort of, natural.” He exhaled, standing right in front of her. “I’m saying, I’d like to do it all again. Only if you are.”
Amelia looked up at him. Opening her mouth but struggling to make a sound. She couldn’t say she didn’t feel the same. She had a great time on their date. The conversation felt easy and unforced. The attraction for him was there. And the sex… the sex had been daresay good. She hadn’t had any in a while so she was hesitant to say amazing. But it was good and she felt like a long overdue desire had finally been satisfied.
Stephen’s blue eyes searched her face for something. A reaction or rejection or desire. Anything to hint what she was thinking.
“I” She finally found breath to make words “I do too.”
He took a moment to ensure she was honest before leaning forward to press his lips against hers. She didn’t hesitate to kiss him back, hand reaching up to wrap around the back of his neck and moving her body closer to his. He reciprocated by wrapping his hands around her back to keep her close.
~*~
The anomaly site was full of activity. Special forces taking equipment through and setting up a base camp on the other side. The future predator infants were in a metal crate to keep them contained, the opening for air flow also allowed the squeaks and henna like laughing to be heard. Both Lester and Claudia were over seeing everything.
Cutter looked at the crate. Stephen was by his side and he was telling him about staying behind. “You’re the only one I trust the most. If something happens and I can’t make it back, you’re in charge. Push Lester through the nastiest anomaly you can find.”
His friend nodded, “That’s a given. You sure you’ll be fine with Helen?”
“I’d rather be with Ryan than her.” He joked.
They both chuckled. Stephen glancing over his shoulder at Amelia standing with Abby. They agreed to keep things between them for now. Stay professional at work and on cases. Though it was hard not to sneak looks after you’ve slept with someone.
Claudia approached, giving Stephen an opening to walk away so she could talk with Cutter. They both looked towards the anomaly. Anxiousness in the air. Neither speaking for a few minutes.
“What will you do if the anomaly closes?” Claudia ventured.
“Wait for it to reopen.” He wasn’t sure if she meant this one or the future anomaly.
“You sound confident. Could take months.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the golden glow. “Maybe this was a bit reckless.”
“We don’t have much of a choice.”
Helen approached them. “We should get going.” Said with a smile as if she was worried about their time. Though it was just as plausible it was a tack to try and pull her husband from the new girl.
“Don’t go.” Claudia grabbed his arm as he made a move to follow Helen towards the anomaly. “Please- I want you to stay. I think this is a mistake. I-I have a bad feeling about all of this. Please Nick.”
“Woah, woah.” He turned and put his hands on her arms. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll come back soon after this is all over.”
He gave her a reassuring squeeze and headed towards the anomaly. His mind was set on seeing this out.
Claudia knew in her heart she couldn’t talk him out of it. Even though there was a pit in her stomach. Se barely registered the joke Lester attempted to make as he came by her side. Her feet propelled her forward on an act of bravery.
Reaching up to grab Cutter, she pulled him in for a searing kiss. Not caring they were in front of everyone, including her boss. Just needing to kiss in case it was the last time they saw each other. To convey feelings that were difficult to put into words.
Cutter, surprised, kissed her back. Momentarily forgetting were they are or who was with them including his wife.
“Make sure you come back.” Claudia whispered as the kiss broke.
He nodded and she stepped back to join the group.
“Well that wasn’t very professional.” Lester said with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Stuff Professionalism.” Claudia cleared her throat. Ignoring all the eyes on her.
Cutter looked at Helen, who gave him a raised eyebrow. He chuckled at Claudia’s brazenness and didn’t mind it got under his ex’s skin. Taking one last glance at the group before walking through the anomaly.
On the other side the Permian landscape greeted them. Just like before, with the sun high over dry hill with little vegetation. The cries of creatures long extinct in their time. It wasn’t the exact same spot as the first time he came through but felt familiar to it. Likely not too far off. He followed Ryan to where they were setting up a base.
“That was a touching farewell.” Helen said as she walked up to his side.
“Yeah, I thought so.” He felt pretty chuffed.
“Suppose it was to punish me in some way?”
He looked at her form a moment, “Actually, wasn’t about you at all.” He could have cared less if she was there or not. Sure, now it was kinda fun seeing it had gotten under her skin. But in the moment he only thought about Claudia’s kiss.
They hiked down to the starting campsite over looking a ridge. Miles and miles of sun backed land in every direction. Visually, the only anomaly in sight was the one they came through. Special Forces set the crate of babies down to take stock. Helen stepped up to take in the view, clearly comfortable in the terrain. Cutter wondered how much time she spent here. She pulled out her camera to snap some pictures, it was an old one that took film. Inviting him to snap a few with her.
Cutter clicked twice before it dawned on him. The photos. The same ones he saw on the film recovered from a camera found at a trashed campsite in the Permian months ago. In his first excursion to the past with Ryan they found a destroyed camp in the black rock with the camera and a body of a man completely skeletonized in an exposed grave. The ruined campsite is the one being set up at this very moment. And they are all in danger.
“Oh my God its us.” He said with wide eyes as he turned around to find Ryan.
“What?” Helen was confused.
He didn’t answer her as he went up to his friend. “Ryan- it was us! The ruin campsite we found the first time we came in. This is it. We’re the intruders.”
Ryan was confused, “The campsite was old.”
“This anomaly has opened years before the old one. Don’t you see? The metal canisters, the tent. We’ve created our own past to the first encounter.”
The revelation stunned all of them. Even Helen. A possibility just as much as an anomaly from the distant future opening up. But what concerned Nick was that they had found a male body. Which meant someone had died in this excursion. Begging the question: who was about to die?
~*~
Amelia watched the anomaly. Periodically checking the compass to make sure the magnetic field was still going strong. Feeling both bored and anxious waiting for Cutter to come back. There was a possibility he might not. Lester likely carried that thought. But the rest of them had confidence he would make it. He had to; he was their leader. Dealing with anomalies and creatures didn’t feel right without him.
She heard someone walking up and was surprised to see Claudia coming to stay beside her. Both of them looking at the anomaly for a few moments. Amelia feeling awkward with her given they’re weren’t exactly friends.
“So… you and Cutter a thing?”
Claudia shrugged, “I don’t know. Not exactly sure where we stand on things. I feel like these past couple of days I’ve been competing with Helen to get his attention and wondering if I’m embarrassing myself.”
“The kiss was pretty bold.”
She snorted, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Maybe the lack of sleep’s starting to get to me.”
Amelia felt some sympathy for her. It was obvious she liked him and he seemed to like her. Watching their attraction build up for months. Verses any time she seen him with Helen it had been nothing but cold and standoff. If anyone should feel inferior in the race for Nick Cutter’s attention, Amelia would say Helen.
“I slept with Stephen.” Amelia quietly admitted, surprising Claudia and herself. “Couple of nights ago. And- we weren’t gonna say anything to anyone yet but, I feel like I need to tell someone.”
“Oh.” Claudia looked around. “Didn’t realize there was something going on between you two?”
“Neither did I. Until we kissed.” She felt a little like she was in college again. Young and feeling things intently not knowing what to do about it. Silly considering she was in her mid twenties now.
Another pause pasted between the two. Claudia felt they didn’t have the relationship to dig into it nor did it feel the time to. a conversation about boys felt like something one should discuss over wine and maybe food. Instead she pivoted to what else had been on her mind lately.
“Where do you think the anomalies come from?”
Amelia considered it and ultimately shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a magnetic disturbance so strong it opens a doorway through time, connecting two points together. No idea how long it’s been happening. I feel like if it was a natural phenomenon, we would have known about it way before now. But given the nature of them it’s difficult to pinpoint when.
“Helen Cutter seems to have a way to tracking them. Which makes it odd she had trouble finding the Future anomaly but maybe some are harder to track then others?”
“How can she track them anyways?”
“I don’t know. But given it’s magnetic disturbance it can effect more than just compasses. Electricity is another thing I’ve noticed, maybe cell and radio signals too. Regardless, somethings messed with the Earth’s natural magnetic field and if we can find out what or who caused it then maybe we can get a handle on them. Possibly stop them.”
She didn’t love the idea of loosing the research access to windows to the past. But the dangers of creatures cometh through or people getting stuck in one was too high. Already people have died in incidents that could have been prevented if the anomalies hadn’t started. Which made Amelia curious on what was the catalyst event. Was it eight years ago when Helen first disappeared or in the future? Was it a man made device in an attempt to travel through time? Or perhaps a experiment on something else that went awry?
There were many questions they didn’t have answers to and maybe would not get in their lifetimes. Grim thought but there it was. She had been exploring them two years and still didn’t have many answers.
~*~
Pandemonium
That was the only word that came to Cutter to summarize what happened.
As soon as he realized they created the camp he found before and created his own past, the babies in the create started going nuts. Helen thought they sensed the anomaly but he only felt dread.
Turns out there was a second parent future predator that followed them through without anyone noticing. And it struck with devastation. Taking out men like they were gnats. The commotion and blood also drew the attention of a Gorgonopsid making it so they had two predators to deal with. One from the past, the other from the future and both deadly.
The parent got to the crate and made short work of the lid. Setting it’s young free. The Gorgonopsid struct the creature knocking it out for a moment before preying upon the young. As the Future predator regained it’s senses it heard it’d babies in distress and went after the Gorgonopsid. Jumping on it’s back and making many strikes. However the large carnivore was not one to simply give up. Eventually pushing onto it’s hind-legs and falling back to crush it’s attacker with his larger body. Incapacitating the Future predator to where it could drag it off into the brush to feast on.
As the dust settled, Cutter went to the side of Ryan. Deep laceration on his chest. Too deep to be tended to.
“It was me.” Ryan sputtered weakly. “The first time we came, that body we found, it was me. Wasn’t it? I was looking at myself. ”
Cutter could only nod. It was very likely they were one in the same or any of his other men dead around them. In the span of minutes four of train soldiers, good men, slaughtered. Coming here was a mistake.
Ryan’s breathing stopped. The wound too great, even with Cutter trying to hold pressure on it, he bled out in seconds. Dying in the arms of his friend.
Cutter pulled his hands back and looked around. The campsite was a wreck. Hours of work done by half a dozen men destroyed in the span of a minute or two. Five good men dead. The anomaly back home was in sight but far, too far to carry it all back.
“Are all the infants dead?” Cutter called to Helen who was closer to the crate.
“Looks to be that way.” She saw partials of mangled bodies.
He wiped his hands. The creature and it’s young were dead which mean finding the future anomaly would be difficult and the cost of it made it a mute point. He lost the urge to find it.
“We should burry the men.” He said as he pulled Ryan’s body onto his shoulders in a fireman carry.
It was grueling work. Digging five graves, carrying the bodies of five men, and burying them. Helen helped somewhat but it took a long time. After the dirt had been settled and he had said the final prayer, Cutter looked up after a moment of silence.
“We can still find the anomaly Nick.” Helen started. “Together, we can find it. This doesn’t have to be a complete loss.”
He shook his head. “You only care about finding the future. Look around? This is a total loss. The creatures are all dead and so are five good men.” He almost asked her where her humanity was, but he swallowed it. He knew where it was.
“This whole thing was a mistake we should have never let you talk us into. Should have realized that you only care about your own interest. Your next frontier.” He looked past her towards the anomaly. “If you want to find it go ahead. I’m going back.”
“What do you have to go back for? That pretty, doe-eyed girl? Don’t tell me you’re in love with her.” She scoffed.
“Maybe.” He said before he really thought about it. “I don’t know- that’s not the point.”
“Then what’s the point?”
“Point is, I know where I belong. Not my fault if you don’t.”
He trudged towards the direction of the anomaly. Not caring what she did. If she followed or stayed. All he wanted to do was go home. Tell the rest of the team the tragedy. It was clear that going through the anomalies into the past was a mistake. No matter how careful they thought they had been was not enough. From this moment on they weren’t going to go traipsing around in the past anymore. Just get any creature that comes through back unless it’s another future predator.
Surprisingly, Helen did follow him back to the anomaly. They walked through to see the team waiting for them. Lester, Connor, Stephen, Abby, and Amelia all the closest.
“What happened? Did you find the anomaly?” Lester asked.
“No. There was an incident with a second adult future creature and a Gorgonopsid.” Cutter forced the words out clearly. “Captain Ryan and all his men are dead. The one good news is that the Gorgonopsid killed all of the future creatures so they won’t decimate the past. No one else is to go through.”
“Hate to break your new rule so soon Nick,” Helen stepped around to be in front of him. “But I’m not staying.”
“Why am I not surprise?” His voice was bitter. “If you didn’t intend to stay then why bother coming back through?”
“Because I told you I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“I’m never going with you Helen.”
She held her gaze on him with a smirk as she stepped over to Stephen. Lingering long enough before turning to the brunette. “You’re not the only one I had unfinished business with.”
Stephen scoffed, “You can’t be serious.”
“Things happened, I didn’t mean anything by it at first but, Stephen was just always so understanding. I’ve always appreciated how sweet he was. Always showing up for someone, so loyal. And I was so lonely in our marriage.”
“Shut up Helen!” Stephen hissed.
Lester cleared his throat with a not too subtle “What an extremely awkward moment.”
Cutter looked at his friend’s face. His best friend. All he saw was guilt. And it was too much.
“You might be done with us Nick, but that doesn’t mean I got to be lonely again.” Helen stepped closer. “What do you say? I can show you all sorts of things. The past, the future, we can find it all together.”
Stephen looked to Cutter, who turned away from him as he processed the new betrayal. In that moment any feeling of affection towards Helen was poisoned. Like the blinders he had been wearing had been yanked off and now he saw her as manipulative.
“Nick I’m sorry. It was years ago and a mistake.” He said to him. “So long ago it felt like there wasn’t any point in saying anything.”
“I can’t believe you kept it from me!” Cutter snapped as he looked at him.
“Past has a way of haunting.” Helen said.
Stephen looked down at her with coldness in his eyes. “You know what Helen? I’ve forgotten what a real Bitch you are.” He stepped back away from her.
The group was watching from the sidelines the same way one observed a crash burning down. Feeling awful and awkward yet unable to do anything or look away.
Helen swept her gaze across them. Then to Cutter one last time, before turning and squaring her shoulders as she disappeared into the anomaly.
Cutter wished it may be the last he would see of her but wouldn’t hold his breath. He took a moment to compose himself. Even though he just experienced a betrayal and had a man die in his arms, he needed to pull together while they were still at a site. Turning, he found Abby and Connor avoiding his gaze feeling embarrassment for him. Lester looked sour as always. Amelia was giving him a sympathetic face. Stephen’s was full of guilt.
It finally dawned on him there was someone missing from this welcoming party. “Where’s Claudia?”
He was met with confused looks.
“Come on. Claudia. Claudia Brown, where is she?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.” Connor shrugged.
“Come on, we’ve worked together for months!” Were they playing a joke on him?
“Cutter,” Amelia tentatively took a step, “We don’t know who you’re talking about. There’s no one here by that name.”