There and Back Again

Déjà vu.

Quicker.  Faster.  Harder.  Desperate.  She had to do this right.  Maybe … just maybe … she can save him …

Wayne Evans.

Maybe this was it, the event that forked her fate away from the True path.  The turn of events which created a reality that was never supposed to exist.  Maybe …  just maybe … the world needs him …

Captain Indomitable.

Scarlet needed to try.  If the Pillar of Ice and Flame sent her to this time stream, then something must be done.  At least to do it again.  At most to correct the future.

The Sky Raiders were not the issue: they existed before she came to Paragon.  Nor could she stop the Vigilance weapons getting to them.  But maybe … just maybe … she would be fast enough.

Scarlet exited the elevator and heard a nearby voice, “Get rid of it and we can be out of here.”

“No”.  Her whisper drained her of hope … but not all of it.

She bolted down the hallway, pushing her already throbbing legs to run faster.  Leaping to the opposite wall and spinning to put her feet forward, she planted both feet against the vertical surface.  Using the wall a springboard, Scarlet rocketed toward Lt. Marshall.  Her fists a blur as her bullet-like speed contacted with his helmet.  The visor exploded as his neck whipped to the side.  The rifle fired reflexively against the ceiling and his body was thrown into an unconscious pile to the corner.

Surprised, the engineer fumbled with his equipment and Scarlet pounced on him like a hawk to a rabbit.  Her sonic abilities pried open his helmet and his eyes rolled back, becoming unconscious from syncope.

A laser bolt warmed her chin as the coherent beam missed her head by centimeters.  Launching from her last victim, Scarlet’s fist found the Assault Raider’s stomach.  He crumpled to the floor, his machete falling from his grip.  Scarlet was gone by the time the weapon came to rest.
---

She sat on the couch in silence, staring at the objects on the coffee table.  Scarlet could not stop thinking of Mender Taros’ words before she came home:

Everyone’s destiny is sealed at birth.  What has happened was expected to happen.  What is happening will happen again.  The future is made by our actions today, but the end is already set in motion.  His death cannot be changed, could not be changed.  Take comfort that what is was meant to be.  Keep them … Like you have already done so.

Captain Indomitable's Uni-Bands rested silently on the coffee table.  Their gold luster lost in the darkness.

A cat’s tail crossed her vision to the bracers.

A tear flowed down her cheek to splash upon her chest.

There and Back Again

“Doc Delilah is … DEAD!  Dead, do you hear me?!  She died because of YOU!  You failed her!  All your powers, and you couldn't save one person!  She is DEAD and it's all YOUR fault!  She trusted you, and you let her DIE!  You left her!  YOU!  YOU KILLED HER!"

Scarlet raised an arm to shield her eyes from the black fire that swarmed toward her.  The terror across her face muted her plea.

“It wasn't me!”

“LIAR!  She called your name and you turned your back to save yourself!  YOU KILLED HER!”

The voice was everywhere, coming from nowhere.  The black fire danced with each word and consumed everything it touched, slowly creeping toward Scarlet.  She felt the hard, rough surface of a wall stop her retreat and she looked around her.  The bright red brick wall seemed infinitely tall and stretched to the horizon on both sides.  She was trapped and the voice continued to punish her ears.  She cupped her hands to muffle the voice and closed her eye as the black flame inched closer.  Scarlet sunk into the corner and shook in fear.

“No.  NO!  NOOOO …"


...



Scarlet kicked the sheets off her bed as she woke with violence from the nightmare.  Strands of hair stuck to her face and her whole body glistened with beads of sweat.  She blinked, sat up straight and looked around the room at first not recognizing it.  Once reality started to sooth her, Scarlet became washed with exhaustion as the adrenalin left her blood.  She flopped back onto her pillow and felt her sweat dry and cool on the drier parts of the bed or from the overhead fan above her bed.  She rubbed both eyes, even if only one could be used.

Looking at the clock beside her bed she realized she was breathing heavily as the time was only an hour past midnight.

From beside the bed she heard a faint “merow” from Hector and Scarlet smiled with some relief.  Then her memories of the dream came back and Scarlet was filled with insecurity and dread.  Her eye darted to several objects around the room as she tried to remember, not the dream, but what really happened.  Yet remembering the accuser’s voice made Scarlet doubt herself.

She remembered saving Doc Delilah from the Vazilok and how Scarlet had to convince Doc to stop fighting them at every turn of the abandoned lab.  Scarlet had to save Doc on a few occasions, even when a crossbow shaft almost pinned Scarlet to a wall.  There was the last room: large and dusty with half embalmed cadavers coming from the darkness and shadows to stop their escape.  Doc was a hard fighter.  Scarlet lost a lot of blood that night.  She could see herself closing the front door and calling the PPD to her location …

But she couldn't remember if Doc Delilah with her as she called.  Scarlet traced back her steps in memory as she sat up straight in bed and put her feet to the wooden floor as dread started to swell within her.  Scenes from her memory started flashing back and forth from the rescue, to the last room, to the call.

Fighting.  Anger.  Frustration.  Pain.  Remorse?  Decision.  Action.  Regret?

She shook her head and stood, trembling in fear: fear for the truth.  Was the dream … not a dream?  Scarlet numbly walked through her apartment toward her costume.  The images kept rushing through and she timidly searched for her Dawn Patrol communicator.  Terror seized her as she felt the cold metal of the device.

Then, from some source inside her, Scarlet pushed aside doubt and replaced it with resolve.  Resolve turned to confidence and she stood taller, stronger and filled with pride.  In her mind's eye she could see the last fight and the two of them exiting the building, even if it was Doc holding her up as Scarlet clutched the crossbow bolt in her thigh.

She twisted her head to brush the hair out of her face.  She looked and saw herself, naked, in the mirror next to the front door.  Her leg showed no signs of puncture.  Looking away, she activated the communicator and accessed DOGMA.   A chime acknowledged and Scarlet cleared her parched throat.

“DOGMA.”

She coughed as the word was scratched and coarse.  The strength in her legs started to wane.

“Search Doctor Delilah Stein.  Single parameter: alive or deceased?”

The paused lasted for hours when the reality was less than a second.

“Alive,” was the female-like response.

Scarlet fainted onto the hardwood floor of the living room.  Hector “merowed” in her ear and licked the tip of her nose.

There and Back Again

"Who are you ... so the Outcasts will know ... who to hold a grudge against?"

The Outcast "Brick" was panting savagely.  The rocks he formed from his elemental ability were crumbling away as his body started to revolt against his will to stay conscious.

"Is that the best threat you can use ..."

The hero stepped on the fading elemental stones and crushed them into powder with each determined step.  She leaned down to the Outcast.

"... against the Scarlet Scorpion?!"

Bedrock's eyelids started to flutter and Scarlet kicked his head with the side of her black leather boot.  The crack echoed down the hallway and the body rolled several times before coming to rest.

Scarlet listened as the echo died and everything was quiet save her own heavy breathing.  She composed herself before approaching the display case.  It was made of sturdy brown wood and supported a glass case.  Dust covered the top of the transparent vault. She looked back at Bedrock.

"Don't really care for your treasures do you?"

Returning her gaze at the item inside she whispered, "Or maybe you didn't expect me to come and take it from you."

She tried to pry the glass open one way or another and then looked for a way to open it.  In her frustration, Scarlet opted for a more direct approach.  Brushing aside the broken glass, she reached for the coral bracelet but quickly withdrew as it unexpectedly pricked her finger.  Even through the heavy gloves she wore, the pain was very acute.  Using a piece of glass, Scarlet lifted the artifact and placed it in a pouch found nearby.

The hero calmly walked through the office building-turned-hideout with plans to turn in the artifacts and get some sleep.
-----

Scarlet woke up by landing on the wood floor of her apartment.  She complained trying to get up but even the simple task was made difficult because of her moist hands, arms and legs.  She steadied herself before slowly standing, slightly embarrassed.  She was a "hero" and well-respected in the meta-community, yet just fell out of bed from her dreams.

"Merrrow?"

Hector had woken with Scarlet and stood patiently at the edge of the bed, looking up at her innocently.

"Thanks for helping me sleep."  She had her fists on her hips.  Hector started to lick his paws nonchalantly and Scarlet simply smirked.

She turned to walk toward the bathroom to wash her face and relished  her cooling skin from the air conditioning.  Her eye squinted from the bright light turning on and she winced at the sight of her disheveled hair, slightly damp from the nightmares.  She leaned onto to the sink and eventually shed a tear.

"That wasn't enough."
-----

Scarlet opened her eye and she found herself standing in a very pleasant part of Paragon City: Overbrook, popularly known as "Faultline".  She immediately got to business.  Pulling out a piece of paper from a pocket, she reread the name scribbled by Taffy only a few minutes before.  Now he was almost a year into the future.

A short flight above the better part of Overbrook and Scarlet gently landed near Yin's Market.  She was warned about the Clockwork having a strange affection toward a young girl in the area and was rewarded with nothing but a robotic stare from the few automatons as Scarlet walked past them to the store.  Outside the door stood a young girl in a red sweater-vest, jeans and was reading from a book.  One foot rested on the wall and supported her weight.

Scarlet took a few more steps more cautiously toward the girl than she had near the Clockwork, who were still watching Scarlet approach the teenager.

"Penelope Yin?"

The young girl looked from her book and instantly recognized Scarlet, probably from the few articles Scarlet knew was written about her in Amazing Hero Magazine.  Scarlet blushed at the thought as the girl spoke.

"You're Scarlet Scorpion, right?  Oh, man, did Jimmy Temblor send you?  He and Ann, err, 'Fusionette' have been treating me like a little sister since before... Everything...  Um, actually, I kinda could use some help.  Well, not me, I mean. It's just that my Dad, he's been kidnapped!"

There and Back Again

Scarlet screamed herself awake and sat upright in her bed.  The silk sheets clung to her moist skin at the legs and she reached back with one arm to feel the pillow while the other pulled the hair back from her face. Both pillow and hair were damp with sweat.  She was breathing heavily and her eye darted around the room looking for something familiar.  The window betrayed the details in her room and her awoken terror was diminished.

"It was just a dream.  It was just a dream," she whispered heavily to herself.

A small cat’s meow was at the edge of the bed. Scarlet looked suddenly and the little animal almost fled from her gaze.  "Aw, Hector. No need to fear. I was just having a nightmare."  With that, Hector licked his chops and cautiously approached Scarlet.  As the feline walked between her legs, Scarlet stretched and pulled at her long t-shirt to remove the clothing.  She threw it on the floor and scooped up Hector to bring him closer.  He meowed in protest but did not fight her and Scarlet snuggled the little cat to her chin and neck.  Hector purred and pushed against her with his head, a sign of affection.

"I need to figure out why these dreams are affecting me like this."

Hector continued to purr against her drying skin.
----

"Are you serious?  There has to be another way."  Scarlet's arms were crossed in front and she stared down at Capt. Cymru defiantly.

Cymru just stared up at her from his desk in Dawn Patrol Headquarters.  "No ma'am.  This is it.  It's not that bad.  Domgeorm and I have done it dozens of times.  It does get a little used to, I'll admit.  But from what I know, your symptoms are not rare.  Odd, but not rare.  I can set up the way to get there.  After that you're on your own."  Cymru looked out the window and cleared his throat.  "Well that's not true.  A team can do it at once.  But no one can leave until the time stream is fixed.  So to speak."

Scarlet considered his answer for a moment and turned on her heels to leave.  Halfway in the spin she stopped and looked back at Taffy.  "And you don’t know why the dreams have started?"

Taffy shook his head solemnly.  "No ma'am.  Ouroboros is your only solution."
----

Scarlet faced the Pillar of Ice and Flame.  Tucked away in the corner, its paradoxical existence did not fit well in the Dawn Patrol base and always made Scarlet uneasy.  It was placed by Xaddak months before and Scarlet avoided it and anything to do with it … until now.  The ease to let another Patroller 'handle it' was all Scarlet needed.  She had read the reports from Cymru and Domgeorm concerning its use.  It's not natural, she thought to herself, hen smirked at the observation as the flame flickered inside the ice crystal, challenging reality.

Surrounding the large crystal were the security columns.  Before that were the Olympium-infused, temporal-resistant walls guarding the room itself.  These measures were untested, but Xaddak is a thorough scientist and expressed confidence that the dual aegis systems were enough to protect the headquarters in the event of a temporal accident.  It was the stuff of science-fiction to Scarlet, but then again, she had been to the Shadow Shard and Cimerora.  Science-fiction and time travel be damned.

Still, staring at the Pillar of Ice and Flame caused a little nausea within Scarlet.  She remembered her dreams that have haunted her the past month; each more terrifying the last.  First, Mark Vargis' death, then the twisted smoldering pile of children.  Patrollers gruesomely killed one by one, including her own death.  Scarlet shook her head as if to shake the memories of the dreams out of her mind.  Mender Silos of Ouroboros told her that a mistake was made in her past.  Something or someone she overlooked or forgot.  Maybe she missed that one pivotal moment that led her to her current path.  She would have to travel back in time in an attempt to find that moment, person or thing to change her future ... or her present.

She gulped loud enough to embarrass herself.  It was a daunting task.  And what of the Fates?  Didn't They have a hand in all of her life all along?  Wasn't it They who gave her the memories of the First Age?  Where were They now?  How is it that the Truth is somehow different because of Ouroboros?

Mender Silos instructed she could not bring the Zenith Fangs for they are a part of her present.  As they did not exist in the time stream she needs to start at, they would cease to exist once she passed though the crystal.  It made sense and not at all at the same time.

She activated the aegis systems to allow one person and, feigning fearlessness, she passed the inner perimeter and stood close enough to feel the crystal's cold and heat.  Scarlet closed her eye to the light that surrounded her ...
----

Opening her eye, she was greeted with a familiar sight.  Quickly breathing in the musty, dank yet familiar odors, Scarlet welcomed the sight of Eastgate.  She smiled and looked around.  The only person in sight was in the uniform of the Paragon Police Department.  Then other sounds: gunfire.  The PPD were defending this part of the city, Cherry Hills, from the Trolls and Outcasts gangs.

Looking at herself she was dressed in her off-duty costume and was a little surprised.  She expected to still be wearing her uniform.  No, Scarlet thought.  I joined the Patrol after my time here.  Suddenly, she was overcome with a feeling like some mental or physical burden was upon her.  Something she could not put her finger on.  Something was different about her.  She did not remember feeling this way when she first entered Eastgate.  Scarlet touched her throat.  It felt different.  She was not as strong as she was ... or is.  Panic started to creep in and she willed herself to fly ... but couldn't!  She could almost remember how she learned to fly but it would not happen.

The Scarlet Scorpion suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable ... and she knew it.  Checking her Dawn Patrol communicator provided relief as it was still open, active and traffic was registering.  She could communicate with her present in real time.

She closed her eye and focused.  What was it that Mender Silos told her ...

Once you have achieved whatever goal was needed in the past, you will immediately return to your present.  You may be trapped to relive your past.  There is a way to return to your present, but you will continue to be haunted by your dreams until you straighten the twisted threads of your fate.

She reached into her belt and found the miniature crystal, one similar to the Pillar.  This was her ticket home.  Yet, she must not fail.  She can't live with her dreams any longer, not like the ones from the First Age.  Composing herself, the Scarlet Scorpion casually waked up to the officer, and greeted him.

"Hello, I'm Officer Wincott.  So you're Scarlet Scorpion, huh?  I hope you're as good as your reputation.  These Trolls are vicious, but, with your help, I hope to take them out."