Lost Time
Training Days
Tom was lying in the dirt, a little blood was flecking on his lips, he groaned as the shadow approached him.
He tried to turn and get up, but the person kicked him in the ribs
“Get up,” they told him, there was almost sadness in their voice “get up, Tom…We’re not done yet.”
The foot swung again and connected with his chest, he slid back a few inches, he felt a crack that time, a rib was broken, he knew it.
Tom rolled onto his back and tried to force himself up, he managed to sit up, but the shoe was crashed back into his face, he skidded across the ground.
It hurt.
“Fight back!” The person yelled, the voice was cracking, they were crying.
Tom forced himself back up, he looked around, his friends were standing nearby, looking scared…They couldn’t help him.
He told them not to.
He wished he hadn’t now.
He was on his feet now…and now it was a fist, the force of the hit staggered him, he looked up.
He was about to die.
“This is why you can’t be a Hero. This. Right here. It’s because you’re weak.”
Another fist, another second where he could barely stand up.
“You’re not strong enough to be responsible for all the things you want to be responsible for!”
It was a knee this time, and cracking again, Tom hoped it was the same rib.
Maybe he should hope that it was a different rib…the boy dimly tried to remember what was worse.
The person came closer “I should never have taught you. Never showed you how to fight. You’re too weak”
Tom was screaming in his head now, it was getting dark, the voice was telling him to fight back, but he couldn’t.
“You’re nothing!”
This time he didn’t even move when the fist connected, he was sinking.
He was sinking away from the fist.
Away from the light.
He knew he was going to be lost in the darkness.
They would all die. All the people around him.
That’s why he was here.
So he couldn’t hurt people. Learn to control it.
But he couldn’t. He would kill this person.
The last fleeting glimpse of the world was the person that had beat him to this point, blood was matting their blond hair, her blue eyes were dark, she was angry, she was wearing a tank top and jeans.
For just an instant Tom thought that he couldn’t do it.
He had to fight back. Fight the darkness.
Because if he didn’t…he would kill her.
Jenny hit him again.
Again he didn’t move.
And finally he fell into the darkness.
* * *
Tom sat back up, his head was swimming, he was about six feet from where he fell “What happened?” he asked.
Jenny was lying on her back, breathing heavily, she didn’t answer.
“You lost it,” Sam said as he fell next to Tom, gasping for breath, his jaw was swollen and his eye black.
“Remind me to never call you weak, Spikey” Adjana was standing behind him.
Tom started “W-where’s Hana?”
“Getting water,” Adjana said.
“I didn’t hurt her?”
Adjana was quiet.
“I ran off,” Hana said as she emerged from the woods, a jug of water swinging in her hand.
“What?” Tom asked as he turned around.
“I freaked out, ok? I’m sorry”
“No one’s blaming you,” Adjana said, with a bit of anger tinting the attempt at niceness.
“See?” Hana flopped down next to Sam “I just…when you turned…your eyes. It was like you didn’t even care. I saw you go after Jenny…I just…freaked. You just kept coming. Last time…when you saved me from that mech…I could almost see YOU…but now…you just…you were gone.”
“How’d you stop me?”
Adjana looked at Jenny, her breathing had finally slowed down “Jenoran. She had Sam and I distract you while she bashed you in the back of the head. Four times. I don’t know what that thing is…but a normal person would have died the way she had to hit you.”
Tom unconsciously rubbed the back of his head.
Jenny sat up “Why are we here?” she said suddenly.
The agents looked back at her, she stood “So…I can learn to control that…white eyed thingy.”
Jenny stood up “No,” She started into the woods.
“What? Why? What do you mean?” Tom asked his mother.
Jenny shook her head “You’re a team. And you fell apart. Not just Hana. But Sam and Adjana…you two didn’t work together. You were trying to shove each other out of the way. I’ve never seen anything like it. You four are supposed to be a team…instead you’re all vying for the lead.”
Jenny started to disappear into the trees “This is why we don’t let children play hero.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
“Wait…who’s supposed to be the leader?” Tom asked suddenly “I’m supposed to be the leader right?”
Adjana stood up and started after Jenny “When the barren plains become tropical wonderland, spikey.”
Tom looked confused “What?”
“When hell freezes over,” Hana mumbled, as she laid her head on her hands.
Friends in high places
Hana was lying on top of the sleeping bag, it was warm out, but the trees gave enough shade to keep the heat of the summer at a comfortable level.
She was still angry about running off, she had her eyes closed, but wasn’t falling asleep, she just kept going over the same thing in her head over and over again.
She hated that she panicked.
For god’s sake she got into a fight with a psychotic alien!
She rolled over again and swore under her breath.
Hana shifted, she had the oddest feeling that someone was watching her, she opened her eyes just a crack and looked to her left.
Nothing.
Hana rolled onto her back and shook her head, she had to be imaging it, she opened her eyes just a crack and stared up into the trees…at least she would have if she didn’t find herself staring into a pair of blue green eyes.
“Ahhh!” she screamed as she sprang to her feet.
The young boy hesitated for a moment, then screamed as well.
Hana almost faltered, then managed to stutter “W-What?! Who the…who are you?!”
He cocked his head to the side “Name’s Omen!” he said as he jumped over the sleeping bag, then disappeared in a flash, he reappeared again behind her.
Hana jumped forward in surprise and slipped on the sleeping bag, she stumbled back and landed on her back.
Omen looked over her “Uhh…you OK?”
“W-who are you?” Hana said as she sat back up.
“Umm…Oooommmmeeennnn,” he elongated the syllables for her benefit.
“No…I mean who…what are you?!”
Omen cocked his head to the side again “Omen!”
Hana hung her head, she had decided he didn’t present an immediate threat “That’s your name…what are you?”
“OOOHHHH! I’m the assistant to the guardian of this world!”
Hana blinked several times, rapidly, then nudged Tom with her foot.
“Wake up! Tom?! Wake up!!” She started to shake him.
“He won’t wake up!” the little boy said happily.
Hana turned, Hands bursting into flames, she pointed the bubbling Zee energy squarely at the boy “What did you do?!”
The boy cocked his head to the other side “Nutin’.”
“Why won’t they wake up?!”
The boy nudged Tom with his toe “Jorrin said that they shouldn’t see me take you…they’ll wake up after that though…’course you’ll be on another plane of chronological existence.”
Hana’s shoulders slumped, the energy in her hand rippled and disappeared “What…what did you just say?”
Omen grinned “Heh, I forget how easily confused mortals tend to be! I’m here to take you to meet Jorrin! The guardian of this planet!” Omen seemed to not understand the question “but don’t worry, he’s a cool guy.”
Hana shook her head “You called me…’mortal’ what do you mean by that?”
“You’re not an immortal…umm…you know…you’ll die eventually…”
Hana looked taken aback “You…you won’t?”
Suddenly the boy was behind her, he was grinning again as he grabbed her hand “I’ve seen the greatest accomplishments of mankind…”
Hana felt a warm sensation flowing over her body, she was dimly aware that she (and the boy) were glowing now, faintly.
“I’ve seen the pyramids being built…Rome’s rise…and Rome’s fall…”
Hana felt the ground shift beneath her feet, she started to fall back, but when she should have hit the ground she continued to tumble.
“And I’ve even seen the advent of the Corndog-on-a-Stick…”
With that Hana couldn’t even see the sky anymore, just whirling light and a thunderous sound.
With a tugging sensation Hana appeared in the middle of a flat grassy plane, the sun was shining and a breeze caught her hair.
“W-Wha…h…where…whay?” Hana stumbled over her words as she looked around.
“Welcome to Watcher’s industries!” Omen cheered happily.
“Is this…am I dead?” Hana said as she marveled over the valley.
“Huh?” Omen turned around “uh…no…this…this is the park leading up to the entrance to the main building,” He tugged on her arm and Hana turned around.
Hana’s eyes drifted up the front of the building “It’s the second largest building on Earth and houses some of the greatest minds in telecommunications and visual recording!”
“Wait…we…we’re still on Earth?”
Omen nodded “Yep! We’re outside of Glasgow”
“Scottland?”
“Ummm…There’s another Glasgow I don’t know of?”
“Na-no. I…I just thought that we’d be…never mind.”
Omen started to jog up the walkway “Common! Let’s go! Jorrin’s waiting!!”
Hana took one more look around and followed the boy.
The glass doors at the center of the building slid open quietly, Hana leaned forwards unconsciously as the wind from the Air conditioner rippled against her clothes, she crossed the threshold hesitantly and looked around.
“It’s an office building…” she whispered, she didn’t know why…it was just so quiet inside, it felt off…just a little.
“Yes…yes it is” Omen agreed, albeit in a slightly confused manner.
“I just…when you said…and then we did that crazy teleport thing…I just…thought it was going to be more…I don’t know…unique,” Hana finished as she gazed upwards.
For about six floors there wasn’t a ceiling, only balconies connected by walkways curving around the entire interior and in the center there was a giant crystalline glass globe with the continents done in a frosted relief on the outer shell.
Hana bumped into the reception booth, then noticed that Omen had stopped.
She looked towards the woman sitting behind the counter, who was well dressed; wearing a skirt suit and black rimmed glasses.
The woman cocked her head to the side slightly and smiled, he almond eyes narrowing “Can I help you?”
“Hey!” Omen stood on his toes and placed his arms across the table, he pulled himself up a bit so he was eye level with the woman “Jorrin sent me to get Hana!”
The woman looked back at Hana “And how long will you be staying?”
Hana stammered.
“Three weeks!” Omen responded, ignoring the fact that the woman seemed to prefer to address Hana.
“Wait what?! I-I can’t stay for three weeks!” Hana said as she stumbled back.
The woman tapped on the keyboard for a second then looked back at Hana “Relax sweetheart, hardly an hour will pass once you’re reached the top floor.”
Her lips parted in a broad grin and Hana recoiled slightly when she noticed that the woman had fangs.
“A-Are you… a NIS?” Hana asked hesitantly.
The woman looked back at Omen, brows knitting together in annoyance.
“Aren’t you supposed to brief the mortals you bring back?”
“Not this one! Jorrin was specific about it. She’s supposed to know only what she has to know.”
The secretary leaned back and sighed “Fine. Go on up. Follow Lord Omen, he knows the way,” she addressed the last part to Hana.
Omen started off, leaving Hana following in his wake, feeling slightly dazed “L-lord…Lord Omen?” she asked the woman as she attempted to follow the little boy.
“Jorrin will tell you…if he chooses,” she told Hana and Hana briefly thought that she saw the woman’s eyes glow red as she waggled her fingers in goodbye.
Hana entered the elevator behind the boy and almost slumped against the wall, she looked around, it was a regular elevator.
Omen tapped a series of floor numbers on the panel then rounded it out by pressing the two top floors at once.
With a slight shudder they started their assent.
Omen was rocking back and forth on his heals as he hummed tunelessly, seemingly in time with the quiet hum of the elevator.
Hana just stayed still.
Finally after what seemed like hours she asked “What did she mean…hardly an hour will pass?”
Omen stopped humming, but didn’t stop rocking “We have a temporal bubble surrounding the top floor. Really hard to get one…they don’t approve their use too often. So Jorrin will control the passage of time when we get there. Ali was just sending a message to Jorrin to meet us at the elevator.”
Hana assumed that Ali was the woman at the information desk…she was more concerned with the ‘temporal bubble’ part of the boys explanation.
“What’s a Temporal bubble?” she asked.
Omen responded, still rocking back and forth and still not looking at her “It’s not really a bubble…it’s just a shift-able plane of existence where a person can adjust the relative flow of time. Like I said…it’s hard to get one approved…but they like Jorrin.”
Hana stepped in front of the boy, now slightly angry.
“Who the Hell is ‘they’?!” Hana cried as the doors to the elevator slid open quietly.
She didn’t even notice the figure as he came up behind her “Why…the Gods of course,” he answered her, grinning.
Hana wheeled around, hands lighting in a blue flame, she dropped into her stance “W-who are you?!” she did her best to sum up the man.
He looked to be about middle aged and had dark skin, his hair, pulled back in a pony tail, was graying slightly at the temples, but was still mostly black, he was wearing a heavy white shirt with blue trim that was tucked into a pair of dark blue pants…and sandals…with socks.
Hana met his eyes again, he was still smiling.
“I find socks to be so comfortable…don’t you?” he looked down at his feet fondly “I never had a pair until I passed on…now I hardly ever take them off.”
He looked back at Hana “Come, come. You must be hungry.”
Hana lowered her hands a few inches, the energy flicking off “I just at-” she stopped short.
She was starving.
The man turned around and started off towards a small house…more of a hut…he called over his shoulder “The shift between temporal planes always causes a bit of hunger.”
Omen started after him, with Hana following at a distance “I didn’t even feel anything,” she said.
“Always the mark of a well crafted bubble,” Jorrin called out behind him.
Omen caught up with the man and matched his steps.
She gazed around, they were outside again, but at the top of the building on a patch of grass…it took up the entire roof and even had a small pond and several trees growing, the odd pair had disappeared into the hut and Hana hurried after them.
