When I Met Myself

On The Verge Of Disaster, Pt.2

I stormed into the Time HQ. I was just about to enter, when a guard stopped me. 

"Shigran! Sir, you're not allowed-"

I glared at him, and slammed him into a wall, knocking him out in the process. I threw the door open and teleported to her room. I stalked to her table, and forcefully hit it with my open palm, causing it to quiver.

"Shigran. You, Mother, have some explaining to do."

Before she could reply, four bodyguards instantly assaulted me. In one adroit motion, I moved out of the way so that all of them crashed into each other.

"As I was saying- you have some explaining to do."

My mother got up, unruffled and in a stentorian tone, said to me, "I do not have anything to explain to you, filius."

"You do not have anythi- THE MACHITES ARE WAGING WAR ON US!"

"And we are dealing with them carefully. We do not wish to wipe them out, simply have peace."

"Peace- What-? Peace is not an option with that scum!"

"You need to learn some diplomacy, filius. There is a reason you went to the Time Center, and not the Runners Center. You inherited all your father's BRASHNESS and NONE of his wisdom. And therefore, since you insist upon behaving like a child, I will treat you like one. Go to your room!"

I cowered for a second, but soon recovered, and roared, "No!"

She glared coldly at me, and flicked her hand. Instantly, two cuffs appeared on my wrists and teleported me back to my room at the Quentalorion. I cursed.

"What is wrong with you, Melsur? I have never seen you so excited or enraged!" said Morfus.

"That's because he never came across a race that was responsible for the death of his father before." Blemat quietly said.

A charged silence engulfed the room. For a second, nobody spoke. Then, barely restraining my anger, I choked out, "You... read... my mind... after... I told you... not to?"

I apologise, but-

I charged into him, and knocked him to the ground. I then began attacking him like a wild animal, until I suddenly crashed to the ground, paralysed by Xotik.

"Calm down, friend! Calm down!" he squeaked.

"It's fine, Melsur. Your anger is justified, but don't take it out on your mother or on Blemat. Reserve it for the Machites, who will feel every last drop of wrath and pain you're feeling right now." Morfus whispered in my ear.

I struggled against the paralysis for a moment, but after 15 minutes of fruitless struggling, I surrendered. Instantly, the paralysis wore off.

I staggered to my feet, and looked at all of them. Then, after taking one last look at Morfus' pained visage, I stalked away.

__________________________________________________

For the next three weeks, I came along with the team on every Mission, but did not look at them or speak to them for longer than was absolutely necessary. Finally, this came to an end when I heard the Evening News (which was telepathically transmitted to all the inhabitants of the Magna Galaxia), which said that the Machites had captured one of the Outer Worlds.

"Alright, that's it. Melsur, you're coming with me." ordered Morfus.

I looked at him, wide-eyed and bewildered. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to the Time Council, and getting them to take action against these bastards. Besides, I don't know if I've told you this, but my father's Diveloculpus- the most successful Runner EVER- so he's super rich and has a lot of influence with important people."

"You'd do that for me?"

"No."

"Wha-?"

"No, of course I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for XOTIK!"

Xotik and I laughed. The tension in the room was now eased, and everyone was smiling. I could even sense Blemat smiling through his eyes. 

"What are you waiting for, man? Let's go!"

I grinned at him and walked out of the room with him.

___________________________________________________

"Okay, when I said we're going to the Time Council, I didn't mean we'd do so right away. First, we need to gather all the information we can about these attacks. Then, we have to compile a presentation. And finally, getting an audience with the Emperor will take at least a week or so." said Morfus. He looked at me nervously, as if I would go up in flames at this news. I looked at him amusedly, and said, "Relax, I'm not going to lose my cool again." 

"Oh, good. Well, I'll assign the most fun and active part to you, since you clearly don't believe in warming your seat at all. Your job is to do a quick recon of the Outer Planets and compile EVERYTHING you see, however seemingly insignificant it may be, in a single report. Go now!"

"Man, you sound like ol' Tafos."

"Do I? Damn, I must be spending a little too much time around that guy."

"Definitely. Anyway, I'm going to get the special baby ready. Shigran!"

"Shigran!"

The "special baby", by the way, was a state-of-the-art, Time-Center-commissioned, space-friendly, powerful hunk of Planetary Core which served as a spaceship, only to be used by Time Warriors who were authorised to use it, i.e, me. I got into the front seat, and powered it up. It roared, and I grasped the controls tightly. Oh, I loved my special baby.

I then launched it into the starry sky, knowing not the beautiful little mess I was going to get myself into. Ah, the disadvantages (or advantages, if you want to look at it like that) of hindsight.