u/Just-Breakfast7295

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

Three years of training. 

That’s what it took to win the honor of The Gift. 

Having been top of my class at The Military Academy, I was obviously the first picked when it was announced The Raven was dying.

How they had such an advanced warning, I never found out. Simply removed from my dorm in the middle of the night, blindfolded, and placed in a secret facility to train with 9 other young men for the opportunity to inherit his powers. 

One Thousand Ninety Five days later, I was named the successor. Having expected some intensive ceremony for the transfer, I was taken off guard when the tall man covered in a dark cloak approached me and simply grabbed my hand. Instantly, blinding blue light began to radiate from our hands. 

Not just my body, but my whole being began to scream as fire surged through it. I cried out, the agony unlike anything I’d ever felt.

After what was an eternity to me, but likely only a few seconds in actuality, he collapsed to the ground and the crowd cheered around me.

The beginning of my Hero’s journey, started with the end of another’s.

The title The Raven is symbolic of the looming death The Power’s bearer constantly has creeping behind them.

No one knows the origins, or how far back The Power goes, but somehow we know one thing for certain. Without The Raven? The world will perish. 

No hows or whys, simply the ever present knowledge that my death prior to passing on my abilities would bring about the end of the world. 

That persistent thought has led me to this very moment. 

The particle collider’s explosion contained 2.3 Terajoules of energy. 

Lucky for the surrounding 10 blocks, I somehow managed to absorb it all.

Unlucky for the world, I can already feel my life slipping away.

It’s a miracle I’m not dead. I do some quick calculations in my head based on how far we have tested The Powers in the lab. 

I have approximately 30 seconds until I explode.

30 seconds to find someone, in a facility I personally evacuated myself. 

29.

29 seconds to run up and down these 5 sublevels and make it to the outside? Impossible.

28.

If I don’t, some world ending bullshit will happen. I don’t know the details! But it doesn’t matter. I HAVE to find someone, anyone.

27.

I race as fast as my legs will take me, every room I pass in the desolate bright hallway I turn my head and take a desperate peek. But there is no one there. 

26.

“HELP!!!! ANYBODY!!! I NEED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW!!! IS ANYONE STILL HERE???”

My footsteps are flying down the hallway, every empty room a second closer to death for everyone. Everything. 

25. 

The door leading to the stairwell is moving ever closer. Maybe I can make it. I HAVE to make it. 

24. 

Three years I trained for this. Five before that at the academy. It took me almost a decade to be granted this power.

23.

Now? Hopefully, in the next 20 seconds it will go to a stranger. We are in a government facility, so I may luck out with a Marine or a high ranking military professional.

22.

As desperate as I am to pass these powers on, knowing the consequences otherwise, I can’t help but grieve.

21.

Not for my life, I’d accepted long ago it wouldn’t be a long one. But for the loss of a competition. 

20.

To view the spectacle of 10 young men fighting desperately for the honor to be YOU.

19.

That’s all I’d been looking forward to these last 10 years. No wife. No kids. No true friends. That one moment of honor was EVERYTHING I’d spent my life working for. 

18. 

Wasted.

I finally reach the stairwell, the door slamming open as I sprint up the stairs. 

17. 

I continue screaming, hoping maybe someone will hear and meet me halfway. If only these were normal sized sublevels, there are 4 sets of stairs between each floor.

16.

I stare up, focusing on the distance to the surface. My legs are beginning to ache but my will never letting up. 

15. 

I think, in a perfect world, of what this would be like. Who would the perfect replacement be?

14.

We had begun making periodic visits to the boy’s training schools, deciphering if any of them may be worth keeping an eye on as they aged.

13.

There was this one, Kyle, big burly kid.

He was nearly my height, despite being just 12 years of age. His dark black hair perfectly matching the aesthetic of The Raven.

12.

I realize that thought sounds ridiculous, but I have run my brand for appreciation and recognition these last years. I’d fantasized about The Raven as a child, and I wanted the next generation to continue to see me with such awe.

11.

I run past the 3rd floor sign. I’m so close. I’m starting to think I may actually be able to do this.

10.

I was still a kid when my father saw my athletic ability and decided I **would** be the successor. At the time, all I saw was an opportunity to be a superhero, and for all my friends to love me.

9.

I’d never even given thought to what death might be like. I worked to push the idea from my mind every time it tried to claw its way into my thoughts. 

8.

I made it to the second floor sign, only 8 more flights in my way. I desperately pray someone worthy is standing just outside the exit. 

7. 

It almost seems unfair. To be given the power of a god, millions of adoring fans, more money than you’d ever wished for. Yet, to be crushed by the responsibility that's forever been sewn onto it. 

6.

I scream louder as I push every ounce of strength I have left into running, faster, FASTER.

5. 

I wish I’d lived. 

That’s all I can think about.

I know these are my final seconds, whether I make it or not.

You would think, as a superhero, my life would’ve been great. Parties. Awards. Praise. But, it’s so lonely.

4.

Everyone is afraid to be your friend, your *lover* for the consequences it may unknowingly bring them.

Despite this, my only true desire is to save them, here and now. 

3. 

At least one last time. I’m at the door. 

2.

I push it open, and make eye contact with a soldier 50 feet away. I’m gonna make it. 

1.

I reach out and scream as we both frantically attempt to initiate contact, the burning inside of me now visibly pouring through my skin. 

The agony is unbearable. It will all be over in-

0.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

The temporal jump feels like pulling your own soul through the eye of a needle.

Blinding light bleeds into focus, the roaring wind settles, and my wristband chimes with the only two words that matter.

 Welcome Home.

Seven years of history rewritten. Millions of lives saved. But as my eyes adjust to the dated downtown skyline of Lake Jekoba, I only have one prayer pounding in my chest:

Let Julia be waiting. Let my children exist.

I’d never gone back in time this far before. My twin brother and I shared powers almost exactly, the only exception being that he could manage a full 2 minutes at full strength, and I could only ever manage one minute back no matter how hard I tried.

But things had only continued to get harder after my brother’s death. 

We spent the past few months at our new makeshift lab, me and whatever other intelligent help I could find. 

We had one goal. Find a way to accelerate my abilities and allow me to go back in time, as preparation for another cataclysmic event like the nuclear blast that took the lives of half our team, and 3.9 million others. 

Within the first month, their technology allowed me to go back a full week. This allowed for extensive testing on the permanent effect minor changes would realistically have on our timeline. Thankfully, our universe remained intact. We witnessed minor changes when testing large anomalies such as preventing a murder, but no substantial evidence that we would cause harm.

It might sound naive, but I had hoped we would never have to use it.

The swirling winds around me begin to settle, and I begin to anxiously look around.

Somehow, no one has noticed my sudden appearance. I stand up warily, and attempt not to draw attention to myself.

I scan my surroundings. The dated downtown area outside of the shores of Lake Jekoba remains nearly exactly as I remember it. A few shops have been replaced with alternate versions, as could be expected from a change this size. 

I feel my lips slowly growing into a smile. Everything seems safe, and right with the world. I swipe on the green glowing panel on my wrist, and begin to type on the projected screen. I find the current number for headquarters, and dial.  

“Janus! You made it back! We did it!” I hear Vector’s familiar coming from his hologram.

“I sure did. Glad to see you too buddy, and glad you remember honestly. I was worried I would have a batshit story you’d never believe was true.” We both laugh for a moment, and I feel my guard immediately begin to lessen. “Can I come now for the debrief?”

His grin grows. “Absolutely Lieutenant. See you soon.” He salutes me in his usual cheesy way, and I end the call. I hope he’s brought Julia over to meet us. God I miss my wife. 

A secured car arrives, Vector must’ve sent it, I enter and lay back.

Letting myself enjoy the victory we’ve secured, and the images of my family playing in my head.

I arrive to a crowd of everyone from the office. Dozens of friendly faces, all cheering as I exit the car. 

I play along, bowing, blowing kisses, offering a few winks, and dancing down the aisle they’d created for me. I see someone waiting at the end. 

Julia.

Her back is to me, and her long brown hair is pinned in a messy bun, but I can feel her love from all the way over here. 

God I missed my wife. 

Fuck it.

I sprint as fast as my legs will take me, in an attempt to catch her and tumble to the ground together while I lather her with kisses.

Just before we make contact, she turns around and I press my feet to the ground, attempting to stop my moment, but it’s too late. 

We fall to the ground in a messy heap as I intended, except, this is not my wife.

If I’d been able to see the striking blue eyes, and dark brown beard covering half his face, I might’ve recognized it wasn’t my wife.

I guess I’d been so desperate to believe it was her…

The strangest thing happens, as he starts lathering me with kisses. 

His strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me tight into a bear hug. I’m so stunned I don’t even flinch. I feel him pecking the top of my head, my cheek, my forehead.

“I told you!!! You all owe me $100. I knew my husband would come back to us.” 

For some reason, the kisses didn’t strike my stomach with the pain of realization the way his words just did. 

He pauses, noticing the draining color from my face.

“Janus? Are you okay? Talk to me, what’s wrong?” He begins slightly stroking the side of my face, his own contorted in worry. 

He looks up at Vector. “What’s wrong with him?” 

“Everyone, give him some space. Can we disperse please? Thank you.” Vector's voice echoes through the crowd and they slowly begin to disappear in all directions. I hardly notice. 

Vector practically grew up with me and Sardonis, our parents took him in after years of practically living together with anyone once his parents passed. We became true brothers. He is the one person I know I can trust. I lean over and grab his shirt, almost throwing him off balance from his crouched position.

“Where is Jake and Lisa? And Julia? Please… Call off the prank. I just want to see my kids…” I know immediately from the look of sympathy and sorrow growing on his face, I’m not going to like the answer. 

“I think we need to talk, J. Come on, let’s get you coffee. Rob, you mind letting me handle this one?” My husband hesitantly releases me and nods to Vector, walking back inside to give us space. 

My shaking legs thankfully allow me to walk on my own to the small cafe next to our lab. Vector keeps close, analyzing me and my condition. He pulls out a chair for me at an isolated table in the back, and gets us drinks.

“Janus, you just returned from a 5 minute test drive. I think your brain is experiencing some time dilution, you and Julia have been divorced for nearly 6 years now.” His words come out matter of factly, yet I feel an undertone of worry attached to them. The growing confusion on my face seems to register in his brain as well. The color draining from my skin seems to be the final hint to my friend that allows him to put together the same pieces I just did.

This isn’t my reality.

My breath catches in my throat as I feel my lungs begin to restrict. My hand grasps at my chest, as if it can somehow claw air into my body through it. I feel my head lol to the side, Vector catching me before I lose balance. He holds me in the same tight hug he gave me when I found out our brother passed, blocking off the rest of the world and protecting me in the only way he can.

I take a shaky breath, gripping my cold glass of water, and start from the beginning. 

When the power dropped block by block throughout the city, we gathered a team and immediately began searching for the reason, desperate for a solution before the aftermath began sweeping the streets. Vantage flies above my head, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. After multiple minutes, he returns holding a small metal chip attached to broken wires.

“It’s been chipped. The whole city. EMP devices emitted a huge blast and destroyed all of the electronics in the city. Without power to check I couldn’t say, but I worry they might have messed with some data or online services as well based on this tech.” He presses a button on his wristband, and a small robotic drone arrives. 

“Get this to headquarters, and fast. We need to know what we’re working with. And have them scan the internet, see if they impacted anything else.” The robot waits till he is finished speaking, and begins to fly at maximum speed back to our makeshift headquarters. “Janus, I think we need t-” 

Before he could finish, we hear voices crying for help. Rushing towards the sound, we are met with a 4 car pile up, all smashed together in a giant heap.

“Janus, there’s someone trapped inside that middle red car. She’s not moving, help me get her out.” We approach the vehicle, assessing the damage when I recognize a familiar bumper sticker. Vantage pauses briefly as I freeze, the perplexed look growing on his face turning into fear once he scans the car again and realizes. 

“JULIA!” I run as fast as I can to my wife. Her car somehow turned sidewise in the crash, almost perfectly centered amongst the other three. Her head lies on the smashed driver’s side window, the blood beginning to pool on the ground beneath it. I slowly lower my body inside, trying to get a closer look at how bad this is. Her legs are completely crossed by the front console, multiple large gashes cover her face and arms, probably from the broken glass.

But she’s not moving.

“Come on, baby… Please.” I can’t even get her out, her legs completely compressed and lodging her in place. With the angle I’m holding to avoid falling on top of her, I can’t even hug her, or stroke her face. I can’t feel for her pulse, but deep down I already know. 

Vantage leaves at some point to continue working on damage control, but I can’t leave her. Thankfully my kids aren’t in the car, but I can’t believe I lost my wife…

The fire department has to come and use large cutters to remove her body from the car. Only then do I drop to the ground, and cradle her motionless head in my lap. 

“I’m so sorry, Jules… God I’m so sorry.” I hold her and feel my entire soul leaking through my tears, until the EMT’s insist on removing her from the public street. I comply, and watch as the love of my life’s empty body is wheeled into an ambulance, and driven away. 

Incoming call, Vector.

I answer. 

“Who. Did. This.” My voice no longer belonging to a devastated husband, but a man in search of revenge.

“The Apex. Judging by the scale and condition of these chips we’ve found, They’ve only been quiet the last 8 years because they were planning. For today. They erased bank records. Billions gone, untracked. The shutting down of traffic lights as well as cars…” He pauses for a moment, as if trying to find the right words before continuing. “Has caused as many as thousands of deaths so far. We are unsure of the exact number. Including the hospitals, and freak accidents caused by a complete shut down of technology, we are looking at catastrophic losses.”

My grief is too overwhelming to consider the cost the world is facing from this crisis, my mind is solely on the love swiped from my fingers. 

“Let’s go take them out then.” I’m sure he can feel the anger radiating through my words, the pure hatred.

“It’s not that simple. Too many died here to just do nothing. I think…” He pauses, and looks around, as if ensuring no other ears heard what he’s about to say. “I don’t think we have a choice… We have to use the Temporal Fulcrum. You have to stop this. I’ve done some research and they purchased a prototype chip on the black market 7 years ago. If we can get out back that far, you can destroy it and prevent all of this. The creator of the chip was murdered right before the purchase. The tech would be gone forever.”

I’m stunned. The furthest test we’ve done is 6 months, now he wants to go back years?

I’m about to protest, when I remember.

Julia.

If I stop this, she comes back. I never lost her. My kids have their mother again. I don’t have to live the rest of my life alone. 

“Okay. I’ll do it. When?” My resolve sounds more assured than I feel, but projecting confidence is the only way to ignore the mixture of stabbing grief and blinding hope that fights throughout my body and my mind. 

“Now.”

As I explain my version of events, Vector seems unable to stop sipping his coffee. I can only think he is attempting to hide his shock and other emotions from me, he prefers being unreadable. 

“I think that’s it. Does that sound… Mostly right? At all, right? Even a little?” The last part comes out in a nervous chuckle, the anticipation of finding out the true gravity of the change has stolen the air from my lungs.

“To be honest, J, no... We don’t have the technology to send anyone back seven years. You’re married to Robert here, and you don’t have children. I don't know what you changed in your timeline, but in this one, today was just test one.” I see the smallest of tears beginning to form in his eyes as his words falter. He clears his throat and continues like the emotions don’t exist. “We’ve only just started working on the machine. Today was test one, hence our temporary confusion. But, I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t know what to do here. Can you just… Live out your days here?”

My face contorts into a brutal grimace. 

“No? Absolutely not. I need to get back to my kids, to Jules. That’s the whole reason I agreed to your ridiculous plan in the FIRST PLACE!” I hear my voice beginning to morph into a yell, but I can’t help it. I need them, what kind of plan was that, act like nothing happened?

“Look, Janus. We just started. I don’t even know what it is that you changed that altered your personal situation. But, even if I could help you, we JUST started. We are years away from the kind of technology that would allow you to go back that far. You’d be stuck here till then anyway, yeah? Might as well just join us?” He says the last part semicomedically, but it doesn’t land on me.

“We can work on it. I’ll help you figure it out faster, you help me figure out what changed, and I’ll go back and make all of this right again, okay?” I can see his eyes screaming no. This is a dumb plan, I know. There’s no telling I wouldn’t end up right back here anyway. And I’m certainly no scientist, I was more of a test subject than a helper. 

But Vector knows exactly what I do. 

When my will is set, it’s in stone. 

He nods. “Okay. We can try to  figure this out. But if we can’t, you settle here. Deal?” 

We shake on it. 

The next few months pass in a blur of tests. Thankfully I paid enough attention to my reality that I was able to offer some insights. The addition of my wristband was also immensely helpful in moving up our timeline, but it was merely the transport. The engine that propels me through time was much larger, and it turns out, much trickier to perfect.

On the off chance I couldn’t find my way home, I agreed to live the life of my alternate self while I was present here. In the beginning, I drowned myself in research. I slept on the couch, and practically avoided Robert at all costs. Working your life around someone who lives in the same house as you however, is not as easy as it seems. 

He started leaving me notes about leftovers in the fridge. A few weeks later, he invited me to sit down with him for a meal. We’d told him the situation, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in the dark, but he also agreed we should try to live out our lives the best we could. 

Meals together became more regular, weekly, and then eventually, daily.

Rob has an incredible sense of humor. We always ate in front of the TV, silent and distant at my house. Eating at a large table together and simply laughing and talking was a wonderful change of pace. Dare I say I began to enjoy it.

We became closer. I found we shared most of the same hobbies, and tastes in media. Our nights began to be shared reading the same books in tandem. We attended festivals together. And soon the subtle connection I felt when first laying eyes on this man began to grow into genuine admiration. 

I forgot how nice it feels to have someone genuinely seek you out. Marriage usually makes you… comfortable. I can’t remember the last time Jules and I had a date night. She would go out with her girlfriends and leave the kids and I home for our movie nights or ice cream dates. 

God I miss them so much…

As I blend further into my new life, I begin to face periods of time where I forget this isn’t my life. Our near daily work on The Temporal Fulcrum is my only continuous reminder I don’t belong here. It’s been 1 year now. The ache for my kids has started to fade, my brain beginning the realization that they simply don’t exist. 

My phone rings, as Robert and I sit at the table eating breakfast and working on the crossword. 

“I’ve done it. I figured it out. The safeguards went down at Julia’s lab the same night as you destroyed the chip. The explosion took out their power and generators, and she was exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. Causing the miscarriage, and the stress on the marriage and… yeah. That’s the last piece of the puzzle. I think we can get you to reach 7 years. We did 4 so perfectly, I think we can send you home. If… It’s what you want.” Vector seems nervous, I know he’d prefer me to stay. We still don’t know what happened to his *me* and this may be the last time he sees me, for good. 

“Oh. Wow. Okay. I’ll uh… be there soon. Thanks.” For some reason, I’m not overcome by joy, but sorrow. I hang up the call. “I uh… it’s time. Vector figured it out. I can go… home.” I see Robert’s face instantly fall.

“Already? Well… okay. Is that… Still what you want?” He hadn’t dared to ask me at all these last 12 months. Unafraid to let me talk about my wife, my children. Asking me questions, listening to my stories, he never let the impending doom our relationship faced stop him from supporting me. 

Do I still want that? What if it doesn’t work? I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.

My thoughts are overrun then, not with all the problems my former reality held, but by images of my kids. 

Jake’s overwhelming joy at hitting the ball for the very first time in T-Ball practice.

Lisa’s first steps, or her giant bear hugs.

Teaching them how to swim. How to walk. Protecting them from bullies, from crossing the street, catching them when they fall.

How could I let them just… cease to exist? Like 8 years of fatherhood just dissipates into nothingness? Whether I can save Julia or not, my kids deserve life.

I turn to Robert, trying to find the words, but they never come. I stare at him for one long moment, and run out the door. 

I’m standing in the large room holding The Temporal Fulcrum, and all the wires and tubes needed to help it function. Vector approaches me, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, I can tell he doesn’t want me to go.

“Just, uh… try to make sure you don’t do anything else, okay? We don’t know what effects could compound into our or your reality. Get in, have Julia call off work, come back. You should revert back to your original timeline, however your memories will be intact. It…” He falters after this last sentence, unsure of how to say goodbye.

“We’re gonna miss you. Even if your alternate self reappears, know you will have a place in my heart. Always.” He wraps me in the tightest hug I’ve ever received from my brother, and I find my arms pulling him in just as tight. We release, and his hands stay on my arms, he smiles at me one last time before heading behind the protective glass. “You ready?” I nod, and almost instantly I feel my tug on this reality fading. 

The light overtakes me, and I close my eyes. Letting myself feel the blinding colors shine around me. I open my eyes as sensation fades, and I find I’m once more 7 years into the past.

A task as simple as convincing her to take the day off is a relatively quick one. However, I spend far too long grappling with the pain and guilt of seeing her again. Rather than convincing her to take a sick day, I make the day about us. Vector warned me against change, so we stayed in the bedroom together. Holding her close against me as I stroke her stomach, making love, watching her favorite movies, ordering Chinese food. 

She falls asleep in my arms, her peaceful face pulling at my heart. Leaving her to return to an unknown future is terrifying, but I know my place isn’t here. 

I walk into the other room, not before leaving my wife’s unconscious form snuggled in the blankets and giving her a kiss on the head one last time. 

I enter the code onto my wrist, and watch as the colors once again take me. The swirls surround me, and I find the anxiety of the unknown twisting my stomach.

I open my eyes.

I’m home. 

I immediately place a call to Vector.

“Hello?” My voice is frantic, a desperate man hoping he has a home to return to.

“Janus? Is that you?” Vector seems filled with a cautious joy, he must’ve been unsure I’d return after my journey so far back. 

“Vec! I have a whole crazy story for you, it’s actually been a year and-” I stop my words as I feel a chilling silence from my friend. “Vec, I made it home. Where’s Jules? Where’s my kids?” I feel the desperation in my final words.

“I’m sorry, J... I’m looking at the temporal readout right now. Nothing shifted. You’re still in our timeline. It didn’t work. ”

I collapse to the pavement, my breath catching in my chest.

I did everything right. I saved thousands of lives. I saved Julia. But she doesn't know my face anymore, and Jake and Lisa were erased before they could even draw breath.

I fought time itself to bring my family home, only to learn the universe doesn't negotiate. 

I'm stranded in the dark. 

And this is all that's left.

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, \\\*terminate\\\* him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe \\\*she\\\* would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more

*This story is also available on Royal Road. Posted by HaleyP9*

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, \\\*terminate\\\* him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe \\\*she\\\* would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming, honey.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more.

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, \*terminate\* him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe \*she\* would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, terminate him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe she would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, terminate him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe she would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, terminate him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe she would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more

I have lost.

With the ringing in my ears, it isn't the screaming I notice when I first come to.

It's only when I open my eyes and see the blood, the ruin, the flames, that I realize I've been defeated.

My powers have shielded me from the harshest effects of The Comet's explosion, but my tattered clothes and the debris, blood, and ash coating my skin is a constant reminder, even if I close my eyes.

I was so. fucking. close. He was one step away from the containment cell. My only thought was that he knew our scheme and was toying with me. We either have a rat in our midst, or his intellect got in our way one last time.

After he killed Eventide... and Synapse, Ghostwire, somehow even Paradox.... Damn it Gravel, get a hold of yourself. We have to do... Something.

The fog over my mind clears away, and I'm suddenly on my knees staring at the ruins of The Echelon Headquarters, also the only place I've ever called home. I haven't even dared my mind to take in how far the devastation traveled.

Vector told us months ago when The Comet's attacks became more frequent that we hadn't yet maxed out his potential. He theorized that he may be able to access his full power in one large burst, killing him in the process, but unleashing a supercharged thermal shockwave large enough to completely obliterate everything, and everyone in possibly a 3 mile radius.

Verdant didn't want to listen, though. Insisting his attacks are deadly, but localized, and he deserved the procedure instead of death.

"Removing his powers will solve everything! I'll even watch him personally, keep an eye on him. Please. We don't need to neutralize." Tears were streaking down her pale cheeks. They had been childhood best friends growing up, until a freak accident changed them both forever. Her, receiving her organic nature and bioluminescent powers, and him becoming a living bomb.

Nightfall took pity on them both, as he did me and many others. While Verd grew up, grew stronger, and developed an innate desire to help people, The Comet deteriorated. His powers caused him constant pain, every second of every day. The only release he ever felt was during his explosions, the smallest of which could incinerate a bedroom.

Nightfall in his infinite wisdom knew it was too late for him, but suffered from a super hero's biggest weakness, love.

He instead sent him away to a specialized facility deep underground. Somewhere to hold him until the cure was finalized. They worked for years, Verdant and Nightfall, to find a way to take someone's powers, all for him. The day after they succeeded, he vanished.

It was only 6 months ago, 3 years after he disappeared, that anyone believed he roamed this earth alive. When a small private compound was completely incinerated, everyone inside turned to ash, we had a feeling.

A few weeks of research, and we were almost positive.

He was back.

His energy signals lined up perfectly with each executed facility.

"John, we have to find him first, and.. God, I hate that I have to say this, terminate him. You've seen Vector's notes. He could kill millions in one coordinated attack. We can't risk it. I know how Verd and Night feel but-" Rebecca, otherwise known as Eventide begged me then to take her side. To put logic first over my best friend.

If I had only listened, maybe everyone would still be alive. Maybe she would still be alive.

I thought I could do it alone.

I found him, it was almost too easy. He wanted me to do it. I reached out, offering to discuss peace at our formerly shared headquarters. Vector was the only one in on my plan, I needed him to build a containment unit big enough for George... The Comet to be held by. Only long enough to administer the cure and save my friend.

He came in, and it was almost like normal. He hugged me, asked how Rebecca was doing, if our elderly dog Sauron was still kicking. For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if things were as they'd always been, before he grew out of control.

I offered him a beverage.

That's when it all went wrong.

They were all supposed to be at a charity event for children with superpowers in foster care to receive training. No one was supposed to know about this until it was finished.

Then Eventide flew through the front door, Synapse, Ghostwire, and Paradox hot on her heels. She uses her abilities and pulls all the light from their side of the room, shrouding them, and me, in darkness. Only George and his golden blonde hair shining in her light are visible. He frowns.

"I thought we had a deal, John." His words toy with me, but I feel the underlying devastation and betrayal through them.

"We did! I didn't tell them anything. Guys.. Becky. Please leave. We have this under control. He's not a threat. We are just talking." I step in front of him, begging for my friends, my family to understand this. It seems to surprise him, but he remains still just behind me.

"John... Damnit you PROMISED me." I can hear the cracking in my wife's voice. I knew this would hurt her. There's so much at stake. But I can DO this.

Or, I could've.

"Well, now you've forced my hand, John. I'm truly sorry." He guides his arms open, the deadly orange and green light start to build from a faint glimmer to a larger, blinding blaze.

"No. Everyone stop this! Please leave. Synapse. Get her out of here. All of you. Let me finish this. I can do this!" Ghost hacks into the mainframe and releases a plume of hot steam from just behind Comet. He screeches in pain, and his building slows momentarily.

I see Synapse concentrating, trying to use her abilities to pick apart his brain and block whatever part controls his powers. Her eyes go white as she leaves her own consciousness to enter his. He closes his eyes, his head twitching back and forth violently, as if physically trying to fling her from his head. Something happens, and Synapse collapses, George's eyes opening once more as he returns to his concentration.

Paradox moves his hands in a counter clockwise circle, and everything rewinds 30 seconds. He pull Synapse aside before she links into his brain. She briefly thanks him, before removing the sensory input to Comet's eyes, plunging him into darkness.

I run to Rebecca. "Becky please. Stop this. Everybody is going to get killed I had this handled."

"No John, you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied to me, to EVERYONE." She brushes past me, and begins using the light from the window to burn George's skin. He screams in agony, but the light continues to grow.

"SOMEONE GET NULL-POINT HERE NOW!" I hear Paradox scream as the impending explosion becomes imminent.

I change my tactics. I approach George, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"You're my brother, George. Verd misses you so much, and Tom... they made the cure just for you. To save YOU. They want you in their lives, everyday buddy. I want you in my life. Beck, she's having a baby. I want you to be there. Good ole Uncle Georgie, you know?" Tears begin to stream down both of our cheeks, and for a moment I think I've had a breakthrough.

He doesn't seem to notice me slowly pulling him backwards towards the containment cell.

Five more feet.

Three.

Two.

One.

He suddenly turns around and places his forehead against mine, all he can do with his arms stuck open and building.

"Thank you. For everything. And I'm sorry for this."

I truly think he means it.

"Wait No-"

Silence.

Blinding white light.

Darkness.

Ruin.

The entire city limit is decimated. The 3 million people vaporized instantly.

My home.

My best friend.

My wife.

My unborn child.

All lost in a moment.

The destruction spans so far, I can't see anything but horror. In the distance I hear the screams of survivors, although how long they have, I couldn't say.

Radiation like that is dangerous in more ways than one.

And I've failed them.

All of them.

If I had only listened to my wife, my friends. If I hadn't let my heart get in the way.

I start punching.

Not at a tree, at the ground.

Each thundering punch from my large fists creates a bigger canyon in the middle of the ruins.

I look up and see the sky fading in the distance above me.

My failure pulling me down faster and faster.

I've hit bedrock, and I'm still punching.

I won't stop, not until I've ended it. Quieted this pain, the loss.

The rock begins to heat beneath my hands.

I wonder if it was a boy or a girl, my child.

My fists bloody and brutalized now.

I don't notice.

My only goal is reuniting with the people I love.

I long ago learned this was the only way, my skin too durable, and able to regenerate too fast.

I'm almost there.

Becky, I love you. I'm coming.

The heat hits my flesh, and instead of pain all I feel is relief. My troubles melt away with my skin.

Soon, I am nothing.

And then, I'm home once more.