by The Eurostar
Edulcore Cicciotto:
I stand before Tempus. He has asked me to be his ally for an indeterminate number of missions. "I still have some questions," I say.
"Talk."
"You are asking me to be your champion... asking, like I can refuse. But I know that I will. I have seen myself doing that, back in Mandelovia. So what kind of choice is this?"
"You can refuse, and I will ask your help in an infinite number of other moments of your existence, or I will ask an infinite number of your parallel existences. I will find one who is willing."
"Oh. I see. How many missions will I have to perform?"
"It's not for you to know. But you will always have the right to stop working for me."
"When I will choose to come back to my time, I will remember my time outside the time stream?"
"No."
"Okay, I accept, at one condition. Can I ask you something in exchange?"
"Of course. Three things, like in all the best tales."
The comment hangs in the air. Then Tempus says, "Your three wishes?"
"I must express them now, before beginning my mission?" I ask.
"Yes, Eurostar. Your three wishes?"
"Okay. I want body, powerful comrades and a place to hide."
"Why?"
"I need a body to hold my son, comrades to help me in rescuing him, and a place to keep him away from the ones who haunt him."
The talos smiles. "Granted. But tell me, aren't your friends powerful enough?"
"They are. But I can't risk their life for my own scope, even if it's saving a baby. They are important for the Revolution. I can't send them directly in the fangs of that monsters that want to enslave all the metahumans."
"And you? You are the living flag of the Revolution."
"Naecken or M'xy are more than worthy to lead the revolution, and Tobias, Velo, and the others to help them."
"So after you rescue your son, you will retire?"
"You know what will happen, so I don't get why you are asking me. But yes, I will retire from the action. But not from the Revolution. There is need to begin a new stage, more politics and less actions, I think. I will see."
"Good luck, Cicciotto. Are you ready for your first mission?"
"Of course."
A complex-looking, shaped armor forms around my body.
"This will protect you from the merciless harshness of the time stream. Your first mission is to go to January the 30th, 2002, in the Mandelovian headquarters of Malvan-X Corporation just moments prior to the destruction of your body. You are warned: don't alert them, or the future will be at stake. Your only tasks are to convince Danny to let himself be operated on by Dr. Quantos, and to give your past counterpart this disk. Tell him: 'In the time of fire, the green will emerge from the red, bringing life where none existed before.' Put this disk on Naecken's forehead at the crucial moment I told you about." He hands me a small disk.
"Okay, consider the mission completed. I remember doing just that!" I say, smiling.
"Yes. But you have yet to do it, at least from your actual perspective. So, hurry up."
And everything vanishes around me as I am sucked into the time stream.