Miss Havishma raised her head from her computer to her door as a soft knock reverberated through the room. She clicked a button on her table and the door slid open.
Scarlett walked through the door with a worried expression tainting the real beauty she had.
"Oh, Scarlett, just the person I was looking for, sit."
The deep blue-haired lady forced a smile before descending on the chair. Just by a glance, Miss Havishma knew something was bothering her. "Is something the matter?" The Chief of Department H queried.
Scarlett averted her eyes from Havishma and sighed. "I'm fine, just a slight headache."
The chief of Department H got up from her work desk and strode to where Scarlett was seated and sat on a chair in front of her. "Let me tell you of a vision I had as a child."
Scarlett looked up at the pale-skinned woman who kept an indifferent look while she spoke. "I was a victim of the uprising that hollowed after the Galactic war, had nowhere to go, I was naïve and had no money to help me, a lot of people were in that pit with me, and so I promised that if I survived, I'd make sure everyone on Winter Weir, and any Weir that is to be born never have to live that kind of life."
"All these people don't see what I do… they think my theory to tear the Galaxy up and build it back with a better constellation of stars is a bad idea, they believe 'to change the world you have to start with your home but that is not it, starting with your home will only make you weak and vulnerable. Scarlett, I see a future where the whole of Winter Weir is one with no division, and no more wars, no more planet suffering due to war," she paused for a second before speaking again.
"The road might be bumpy, filled with sacrifice, sometimes letting go of the thing you love the most, but it doesn't matter how you get there, what matters, is that you get to there."
The smile slowly began to return to Scarlett's lips as she listened to Miss Havishma speak. "I meant it, every single thing I said during the Prime meeting, I meant it. At this moment, you are the only person that… thinks like me. So Scarlett Starr, will you ride with me while I make history?"
"Yes! Yes! I knew Steve was wrong! There's no way you would do that to me."
Miss Havishma furrowed. "Steve said what?"
"Meh, it's nothing serious… just something on how you only made that statement about me at the Prime meeting for your own good."
Havishma nodded understandably. "He did?" She muttered under her breath.
"I'm at the most crucial part of my vision, and I can't let anything go wrong. Scarlett I need you to once again keep this agency safe," she stated. "I do not know how long I'd be gone for so you'll handle matters here. Do not let anyone or anything in this pad. Issue an emergency lockdown to close of Department H and if anyone asks about me or the lockdown, just say it's confidential and ignore whatever else."
"Of course, you can trust me to do it right, ma'am."
"Can you handle one more task?"
The deep blue-haired lady nodded eagerly, waiting for the dark-haired woman's words. "I want you to research on the head of ARCHER, Madeline Gurley… I need a report on any mission she has ordered, and every person she's reported since she became the head of ARCHER. Do it quietly, not even Steve should find out about it."
"Yes. I won't fail you."
.
.
.
The dark-haired man thought of other ways to approach the situation but he went on and picked up the young Coco without any struggle and took him to an abandoned warehouse just a few meters away from his house without anyone spotting them. He sat the boy down on one of the many crates available and curbed in front of him.
"This is illegal. You are a trooper, you shouldn't be doing this," the boy complained. "What do you want from me?"
The boy complained about the act but was calm. He fixed his eyes on the former Storm 01, watching his every move.
"My next line is supposed to be an apology, and me telling you that you'll come to understand what I'm doing now, but it'll be too late by the time that baby brain of yours figures it out so I'm just gonna go ahead and break the script…" he inched closer and seized the penknife from his younger self's pocket.
"Hey, that's mine, give it back!"
"I will when we are done."
"Did those boys send you? I swear I didn't take anything from them," he chipped.
He remembered his bullies threatening to send someone after him.
"Listen to me kid, and listen very attentively. I am you, from the future."
The warehouse was filled with silence the moment he spoke the words. The boy also remained silent, trying to consume what the stranger had just said. He kept making different facial gestures as he thought.
"What?" He blurted.
The dark-haired man sighed. "I don't have time for this."
"No no," the young Rohan chipped. "I believe you. I just don't believe that you are me," he said, gesturing at the man's body.
"No, it doesn't take ten years to get this," Rohan gestured at himself. "You should look like this after the fifth year or so."
"Why are you doing this if you are me?" He queried.
Rohan stood up on his feet and walked a few steps away from the boy before turning back to face him. "10 years from now, you're gonna be in great danger. Everyone you know will actively try to kill you, and this is not a joke."
"Why?" He asked, eager to dig deeper and get all the information.
"I know you are eager to get more details on the future, and I will tell you just the enough information I can share right now."
"For the rest of today, if you step into Cherry parlour, and into the arcade, you'll regret that moment…"
"Wait," he chipped. "Cherry parlour? The Cherry ice cream parlour? That's the only place that keeps me going in Zoda," he stated.
"Especially the menu where you get to mix all the flavors... it's not really on the menu, I came up with it. You get a rush of different flavors in your mouth. It's crazy, and that's why I love it…"
"Kid," the agent yelled. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You don't believe me, do you?"
The boy remained quiet.
The dark-haired man grabbed the boy's hand and pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a scar on the boy's wrist. He then let go of the boy and also pulled his back. The same scar was on his hand. He raised his head to look at the genuinely shocked boy.
"We got this when we were ten. Placed our hands over a fire to see if we were resistant to heat. Never healed, and never will," he returned the boy to the past. "I also spoke to my, your, our," he struggled to find the right word. "…a guy that also claimed to be me. He was lenient and only spoke to me about not going. But I was stubborn, and still went there anyway, which means you might be just as stubborn and still enter that building, which is why I'm gonna do whatever it takes to keep you out of that building, even if I have to break your legs."
"Whoa. What did you turn into."
The agent shrugged and fixed back his sleeve. "Life does things to us."
Seeing all the proof his older self had presented, a cold chill ran down his spine as he looked into the dark-haired man's blue eyes.
"What will happen if I do enter the Cherry Parlor? What will happen to me? What will happen to you?"
"For you, you'll put yourself in a terrible situation, as for me, I'll end up in the same pool of shit I've been trying to get away from."
The former Department H agent caught the boy's eyes glancing towards the exit. "I know what you are thinking, trust me, you don't want to do it."
The younger Rohan kicked one of the crates at the runaway agent before bolting for the exit of the warehouse.
Rohan shook his head disappointedly before using his ability to switch places with a crate near the exit. He shut the door of the exit which was the only source of light into the building.
The boy crashed on the ground as his heart began to race rapidly. He looked around the place, scared, and unable to see anything. Just then, a spark of electricity appeared and it lit up the whole place.
The younger Rohan's eyes widened in shock as he watched the dark-haired man approach him with a spark of electricity flowing around his hand.
"What…"
Rohan curbed in front of the boy. "Do not fear kid, I'm about to show you something… a snippet of what life would be like if you go ahead and proceed with what I warned against."
Rohan placed his index finger on the forehead of his younger self. Immediately his finger touched the boy, he gasped and inched backward, trembling in fear.
"I can save us from this loop of madness, you just have to do as I say and return home to…" he hesitated for a second before speaking. "… dad."
****
After taking the boy back home, the dark-haired man made his way to the Cherry Parlour. Once in, he poured himself a mix of all the flavors available before proceeding into the arcade.
He walked to the middle of the room and looked around the place. Everything was just as it was when he entered there as a little boy, only that this time, he wasn't little anymore.
"I'm sorry to spoil your little show," he said softly, drawing the attention of Havishma, and Electro 28. "… but little Rohan is feeling under the weather and won't be able to make it here this time."
Electro 28 glanced at Havishma before taking a step forward. "Sorry, but this is the STATE's business, I'll have to ask you to leave."
"I can't do that."
The electro-agent furrowed before reaching for his gun which was in its holster that was attached to his belt. But as he did, he found an empty holster.
"What the?" He looked up to where the dark-haired man was standing but he too had disappeared.
"I only have one, how about you share?" Havishma and Electro 28 both veered around to see the blue-eyed man on one knee in front of the kids. Neither of them knew when or how he slipped past them.
Rohan passed the ice cream to one of the kids there before ushering them towards the exit, completely ignoring the two.
Once they were safely out, he turned to face the duo.
"You dare to interfere in the STATE matter? Who do you think you are?"
The dark-haired man pulled out the penknife he took from his younger self. "I am the future."
Electro 28 groaned loudly before charging forward. He threw three very fast punches that would have met and knocked down any normal Weir, but Rohan was no normal Weir. He effortlessly evaded the attacks and threw one of his own, catching the electro agent with a slight cut in the cheek.
The agent staggered backward while using his hand to touch the blood on his cheek. "You bastard, you dare attack an agent of the STATE."
The dark-haired could have easily killed his opponent with the attack, but for some reason, he held back. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to look at the two electro-agents in front of him. While Electro 28 morphed into his battle stance, Havishma did nothing, she simply stood still with her arms by her side and her eyes stabbing into the dark-haired man.
"I was having second thoughts about carrying this out, but right now, my mind just got made up." He switched the knife, now holding it with the pointed part facing back. This time, the dark-haired man didn't wait for Electro 28 to make a move.
He advanced quickly, moving so fast Havishma and his target thought he had teleported to the next location she saw him next. Rohan mercilessly stabbed the knife in his stomach, forcing him to bend, and once he did, he slit his opponent's throat, letting him gurgle before crashing to the ground.
Havishma was shocked but she tried to remain calm. She put her hands up and took a few steps back. "Before you kill me, can I ask a few questions?"
"What does it matter?"
"The satisfaction of knowing, even before death."
"Hmm."
The pale-skinned woman dropped her hand. She glanced at Joe's dead body before looking up at the man in front of her.
"You are an agent of Department H, correct?"
Rohan nodded.
"But you are not from around here."
The dark-haired man's grip on the knife tightened. Something felt off, but he couldn't figure out what.
"Are you from the future perhaps?"
Rohan's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly composed himself.
"Judging by the split-second expression you just had, I'm guessing I am right. You are from the future to change things, are you not."
"Live it to Winter Weir's greatest agent to figure it out."
Havishma laughed. "How wouldn't I? After all, I did succeed in one of my goals. Tell me, did I also unite the whole planet at the end?"
"You did the opposite."
The pale-skinned woman sighed. "If… you do kill me, what will you tell the security agent?"
"What more is there to say? I was simply preventing the abduction of some kids, and I'm sure this is a secret mission since the Chief isn't aware of it."
"It seems myself and this whole mission have been compromised… oh I wish I had more time to witness the greatness of my creation, but oh well…"
"I don't have the time to entertain any more questions."
She furrowed before letting out a sigh. "Fine, then answer me this last one: what are you trying to change, Rohan?"
［Completed］
Before the dark-haired man could realize what the sound was, an extremely bright light blinded his vision, and when it cleared, there was a hole in the wall of the arcade and Havishma was gone.
"Damn it!" The dark-haired man groaned.
He pinched the bridge of his nose before walking back to the main shop. He walked up to the owner and transferred more money than he was supposed to pay using his watch.
The lady smiled gleefully. "Oh, thank you, thank you so much."
"It's actually payment for the damage I did back there, sorry. You should call the Zoda Security service to take care of things, I'll happily speak to them and explain the situation." Rohan pointed at the arcade before moving to the machine to pour himself some ice cream.
"Oh… okay." She quickly pushed a button under her counter for the emergency summon of the security service.
....
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