[She's not wrong in her summation. Rip remembers well the day he stood before them, his last ditch effort to persuade those protectors of history to defeat Savage before he destroyed the very world itself. He'd predicted they would say no, stood ready to enact his own plans when they did--oh, but Rip had no idea just how deep their plotting went.]

Because they wanted Savage to rule the world. They possessed a device that would allow them to see the future--the actual future, as it would unfold, rather than a projection or prediction. And they saw an invasion of an alien force only a few short years after the conquest I wanted to stop.

So they set in motion their own plan. The device allowed them to not just see all of time, but to manipulate it; to guide the actions of those whom they chose to suit their purposes.

I could not save my family because they ensured I would not. [His fingers tighten; he knows Peggy has turned to face him, but Rip's gaze is not on her, nor the door.] They were the ones who sent Vandal Savage to kill them. To make use of my rage and grief to "spur me on," as they told me.