Beyond the Time

Rumi picked up her phone, dialing the number she had ingrained into her mind. Her phone rang once, then twice… “Spartan speaking.”

“Hey big guy.”

“Oh, Rumi.” There was a sigh on the other side of the phone, “Sorry I sounded like that, I was napping when you called. I didn’t have enough time to check the caller ID before I answered.”

“Want me to call back later then?”

“No, no, I’m free to talk. What’s up?”

She leaned back in her chair, “Well, before you left you said that you would be staying in Antarctica for a week. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s cutting it pretty close to my-“

“If you’re worried that I might get delayed and miss your birthday, then don’t be. I promised you that I would be back in time for it last year and made it, didn’t I?”

She sighed, “Yeah, you did. But the problem is bigger than that. You leave so often, are gone for so long and you don’t really tell me what you’re doing. It has me worried that one day something is going to happen and you’ll just disappear off the face of the Earth.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been focusing so much on my work, that I’ve neglected you and my responsibilities as your partner.”

Rumi closed her eyes, feeling a little bit better. “Alright, apology accepted. But I’d like to know exactly what it is you’re doing.”

“Do you remember that Chinese base in the Kunlun mountain range that you attacked in order to free David Shield and Zhang Tian?”

She leaned back, “I do.”

“Well, the reason the Chinese were using slave labor to excavate the area was because they found a massive facility underneath the mountains. It goes tens miles beneath the surface, and is crammed full of advanced technology people can’t even begin to comprehend. That’s because none of it was made by humans.”

She sat up, “Not made by humans? Is that why you were going to China last year?”

“That’s right, I wanted to make sure that I was able to get my hands on it first before someone with bad intentions got to it.”

“Huh, now I feel like my complaints are peanuts compared to what you’re probably dealing with.”

“No, don’t say that. You still have every right to be unhappy with the way I’ve been acting. I just wasn’t sure what to tell you at the time because everything about this is sort of unbelievable.”

“I mean yeah alien stuff is sort of unbelievable, but it’s not impossible. You already showed that-”

“No, not that part. If anyone should know that aliens are real, it’s me. It’s more so the connections I’ve been making in order to find all the possible sites of similar nature.”

“Well I’m sure that if you just explain it properly then-”

“My decisions on where to look have been based on works of fiction, mythical stories and conspiracy theories.”

“...I take back what I was just about to say,” she sighed, “You’re the leader of a country with literally everything at your fingertips, and you’re making decisions based off of storybooks and crackpots?”

“Look, I’m absolutely aware of how insane this sounds but I’ve had literal years to think these ideas over and I’ve already been proven right. I explored that facility, and so much of it perfectly lines up with the supposedly fictional city of Shangri-La.”

“And Antarctica?”

“It’s been rife with conspiracies ever since the Second World War, with some citing the German expedition from before the war and some citing the two American operations, Highjump and WIndmill, after the war. Then three years ago the Scalar event happened, and the earthquakes ripped massive chasms through the ice. Tons of things that no one can understand are coming to the surface, so it might stand to reason that there is a similar facility down there.”

She shook her head, “You know, I think if I knew you believed this crazy stuff before I met you I might have second guessed our partnership.”

“Would we still have ended up together?”

“Probably, but it would have opened the door for a few funny jokes early on.”

There was a chime over the other end of the phone, and Rumi could hear the sound of an announcer. “We will arrive at dig site Romeo India in approximately five minutes. All personnel are to prepare to disembark. Reminder, you will be allowed to retrieve any personal effects following stowage of this aircraft.”

“Sounds like you’re about to be busy.”

She didn’t need to see him to know his reaction, “I’m really sorry, I wish I had more time to talk.”

“Don’t sweat it, focus on your work and call me when you get a chance. Just promise that you’ll be back like you said, alright?”

“I promise. After all, I’ve got a surprise I want to give you.”

“Really now? Well, guess I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat until you get back.”

“Love you, Rumi.”

“Love you too.” Rumi put down the phone as the call ended, leaving her to sit quietly and alone on the chair in the living room. Alone, with the mixed feelings in her heart. Certainly she was for the most part happy, after all she was in a relationship with the man she truly loved and he was able to return her feelings. But she knew that things had changed. Before it felt like both of them were pulling their weight, that they were equals because they were both Heroes doing the same job together. Now he was the most powerful man in the country and she was only just technically still a Hero. Because even though she still had her license, she almost never used it. Organized Villain activity was non-existent, and crime across the board was at an all time low due to the system and the laws put in place. With people being taught how to defend themselves, there was very often little need for Heroes. And for the jobs that did appear, they were almost always taken by the next younger generation of Heroes. All she could really do now was sit at home and think about the past.

She put a hand on her necklace. Running her hand over the crumpled bullet attached to it, she was able to remind herself of what she felt on that day he’d saved her life. But it also reminded her of the Christmas they’d spent together, and the conversation they had at the end. So long as she held onto those feelings, she would be alright.

“Love you, Rumi.”

“Love you too.” He pressed ‘end call’, then put the phone down with a sigh.

“Was that your wife, sir?” One of the soldiers in the cabin asked.

“Don’t start with that, you know I’m not married.”

“Well, I’ll be perfectly honest with your sir,” another soldier said, “Most of the country already sees you as husband and wife. After all, aside from work like this you’re almost never seen separated from each other. Really, the only thing stopping it from being reality is the fact you haven’t made it official.”

“Sometimes a man needs to take his time to settle down, alright? Besides, it’s not like I’m totally unaware of how things are.”

An older soldier crossed his arms, “Personally, I think you should get married as soon as possible. Your bride isn’t going to get any younger. And the longer you wait, the less kids you’ll be able to have.”

“Why are you making this about children?”

“Even just a man, it’s your duty to produce an heir that will inherit your will and carry on your beliefs. But you also carry with you the responsibilities of the Emperor. It is up to you to produce an heir so that they might lead Japan to a bright future just as you have.”

Aurdel gripped the armrests and narrowed his eyes. “‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.’” Rebuilding and running a nation is not nearly as simple as some people would like to believe, especially not after a disaster like the one we saw. I cannot, in good faith, force the position of leadership onto someone that may not even want to take it.”

“You’re missing the fact that more often than not, leadership of circumstance is more successful and better for the people than leadership of institutional continuance. Simply relying on leaders who wanted to be leaders and not leaders who needed to be leaders is what led the world to destruction in the first place. Sacrifices need to be made for the bettering of society at large.”

Aurdel sighed, “The problem is that more often than not the people who say sacrifices need to be made for the greater good are the ones who aren’t willing to sacrifice even the tiniest thing for the same goal.”

“But I have sacrificed things, plenty of them. If I didn’t want to help people then-” Aurdel raised a hand, and the man quieted down.

“I apologize for implying that you were someone who didn’t sacrifice anything. I know that all of the people on this aircraft, and all those that work personally with me, have sacrificed a great deal. All I am trying to say is that as someone who has lost more than I would care to recount, the world I want to strive for is one where ‘necessary sacrifices’ are a thing of the past.”

“Is that really an ambition that we’re able to achieve?” One of the younger soldiers asked.

“With the things that we’re finding in these sites, and the technology that we’re bringing back, it may yet be possible. But until that day comes I would like you all to allow me to take things at my own pace.”

“Yes sir.” They all felt a physical jolt as the plane's landing gears touched down on the runway, slowly coming to a halt upon the newly made asphalt.

A green light filled the cabin, “We have arrived at dig site Romeo India. All personnel are to follow disembarking procedures and report for immediate debriefing at Meeting Hall Alpha.”

Aurdel and the soldiers stood up, “Gentlemen, I expected great results from all of you.”

“Sir!” The soldiers in the cabin gave him a synchronized salute, one that he returned, before turning and walking out the back of the transport aircraft. Aurdel walked over to the side door and stepped down the stairs.

SIr!” A young man in a large coat stood at the bottom.

“At ease Lieutenant.” The man put his arm down, “Is the report that I asked you and our analysts to prepare ready?”

“Yes sir, the report was finalized just three hours ago. It’s been left on the desk in your office.”

“I would appreciate it if you could lead me to my office, I haven’t exactly had the time to study the layout of the base just yet.”

“Of course sir, just follow me.” As Akimoto walked forward clutching his coat, Aurdel followed him.

“Before I go to read the report, is there anything that I should desperately know about?”

“I don’t think that ‘desperate’ is the right word to use, but there are certainly some things you should know about. A number of the men are complaining about the conditions here, saying that after spending time in the Chinese mountains the last place they wanted to go was another frozen wasteland.”

“Is it personal or physical discomfort?”

“Both, really. Though those two are-”

“Tied together, I know.” As they entered the base proper they began walking past a number of armed guards, each one of them giving them a salute. “The truth is that I wish I could give these men and women the rest that they deserve, and the chances to see their families and homes, but right now I can’t. The work that we’re trying to accomplish here and at each of these sites that we visit is just too important.”

“I know that, and they do too. The problem is that they’re not seeing the results that you’re promising them.”

“I wish that I was able to pull progress out of the air and show it to them, but the problem is that these things take time. Especially when they concern technology from a dead civilization that is a million years old. For all we know down there in the ice could be something that will destroy the world if we’re not careful enough.”

“I suppose you’re right, though I myself would like to have a chance to see home.” The two of them stopped in front of a door guarded by two men, “This room will serve as your office for the duration of your stay here. If there’s anything that you need sir, please let me know.”

He looked from side to side, “Would you dismiss these two men for a moment? I would like some privacy as I go over the report and settle in.”

“I… Of course. Gentlemen,” Akimoto gestured to the two soldiers, then the three of them walked away. Aurdel pulled open the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him as he walked into the relatively barren room. The only things it had in terms of furnishing was a bed, a desk, a computer on the desk and a chair. But it wasn’t like he needed that much else.

Aurdel sat down at the chair, put down his helmet on the desk and began to read the report in front of him. The first few pages of the report consisted of the troubles that the soldiers who were sent here had with initially setting up this base, having to clear massive mounds of ice in order to set up the main building and then the runway. The next few pages of the report consisted of the initial results when attempting to dig down through the ice at the zone he’d designated. Initial attempts were made using blasting powder, however the temperatures were too cold and the ice was too thick for it to have an adequate effect. So instead they began using machinery to break through the ice, dumping all the chunks and shavings into the wide open ice sheets off the coast of the island. As for what was found underneath the ice, so far they’d-

Aurdel paused, hearing the sound of the door creaking open and a pair of footsteps walked in. “‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’? Really? That’s the excuse you’re going to use for everything that you’ve done?”

Aurdel took a deep breath and let out a sigh, then closed the report. He turned around. “I was really hoping that you would never show up in front of me again, Hawks.”

One Last Chat

“My my, so impersonal. Where’s the enthusiasm? We’re coworkers who haven’t seen each other in years, I thought you would have been happy to see me.” Hawks wore a grin of facetiousness and seething anger, staring him straight in the eyes. Most of the clothes he was wearing consisted of his old costume patched up with bits of rags he’d likely found over time, but Aurdel could also see that he was wearing a false right hand. “After all, why else would you have sent me that gift?”

“The bomb that I sent to the United States was to wipe out the remaining leadership of those three letter agencies that took control. It was never meant specifically for you.”

“But it managed to reach me all the same.”

He narrowed his eyes, “If I wanted you dead, then I would have just left you to die two years when I blew off your jaw.”

“I’m not so sure about that. You made it seem like you were showing mercy to Yoroi Musha, then you killed him.”

“Yoroi Musha was put in public trial and lynched by a mob of civilians, I had-“

“That ‘public trial’ was a kangaroo court and we both know it. And as for him being lynched, it doesn’t matter if it was done by civilians. As the leader of the country any blood spilled is on your hand.”

“Is that how you try to clear yourself of any responsibility, Hawks? By shifting the blame off to the people above you?” He furrowed his brow, “Hawks, we both know that you would have done the exact same thing that I did to the League of Villains.”

“You think I care about them? You’ve killed Heroes, I know what you did to Coldfront and Nighthound.”

“They were selling out their country to foreign influence-“

“They had families and they were being blackmailed!”

“There are reasonable limits to what one should do to protect their loved ones!” Aurdel raised his voice, Hawks scowled.

“Forget it, I could care less about other people like that. My biggest grievance is what you did to me.” He took a step forward, “The Hero Public Safety Commission were the people that took me in when I was in a broken home, they raised me and gave me a second chance at life that I never would have had otherwise. Then you wiped them out. Endeavor was the Hero that inspired me and gave me hope despite the horrifically shitty situation I was in, then you turned him against me by manipulating him through his grief. Even though she treated me like crap when I was young, I still cared for and worked hard to protect my mother. She took her life when you went in public and aired the family dirty laundry. And then there’s Rumi.” He let out a laugh, “You know, before you showed up I was actually considering going out with her. I think it could have actually worked out.”

“You’re going to blame me for everything that went wrong in your life?”

“Not everything, just the stuff that went bad from the moment you showed up. That way it’s fair.”

“Fine then, go ahead and blame me for everything. Now that you’ve found me and managed to get close to me, what exactly is it that you plan to do? Are you going to kill me? You’re in a base in the middle of the Antarctic, one filled to the brim with armed guards that would kill you on sight for showing up in a place like this. That’s not even accounting for what they’d do if they found out that you killed me. Even if you did manage to escape from here the nearest safe harbor is over two thousand miles away. You’d collapse from exhaustion and freeze to death before you were even half way there.”

“Maybe what you’re saying is true, or maybe I’ll be able to defy the odds and make it out. It doesn’t particularly matter what happens to me afterwards though. The only thing that matters is that you pay for what you’ve done, and it would be particularly ironic if you managed to die at the hands of someone you wronged.”

“It’d be as ironic as dying any other way.”

“I don’t believe that. But before I kill you, there’s something that I want to ask you.” He threw a number of photos to the ground, each one of the robotic body he used to use. “I wasn’t around for it when it happened, but when I was in America I heard that during the war you were using a second body. A robot body. Then when that Scalar attack hit Japan something happened. Your mind was split between your actual one and the robot body, and you continued working like that all the way up until you fought against All For One. After the fight people thought you were dead, but then suddenly you sprung off the operating table and back to life. At the same time, the robot disappeared.”

Aurdel relaxed his posture, leaving one hand touching the chair. “What’s the exact question that you’re getting at?”

Hawks folded his arms, “I want to know whether or not the man that I’m getting revenge on is the real thing, or if the only thing in front of me is a walking corpse being piloted by a glorified computer program.”

Aurdel was silent for a moment. “Fine, I suppose that if someone needs to know the truth of what happened in those last days it may as well be you.” Hawks’ posture relaxed, and he began to listen.

“…Is this what you saw the first time this happened?”

“For the most part, yes. The only difference between now and then is that All For One isn’t here, not that I miss the evil son of a bitch.” He took a deep breath, “But that’s why we need to talk. Now that All For One is gone, all that’s left is to sweep aside the rest of his associates and pick up the pieces to begin rebuilding. We need to make a decision about ourselves and our futures.”

“Make a decision?” He echoed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Listen, maybe you didn’t feel it as much recently because you were in that robot body but ever since we came to this Earth we’ve been completely emotionally torn up. Part of us wants to keep up the good fight here, protecting the loved ones that we’ve found and helping them to push on through all of the hard times coming their way. But part of us…”

“…Wants to go back to our original Earth,” the him in front of him nodded, “Because Clementine and Aric are still both at ONI’s mercy. And if we aren’t there to fight the Covenant, then they have no reason to not just up and execute them. No one would know what happened to them.”

“I wanted to save the conversation for a better time, but circumstances have forced this hand. Though I suppose it’s better this way since if one of us disappears no one will really be able to tell the difference.”

“Don’t you care about everyone here?” He asked, “What about Rumi? Midoriya? What about Eri? Don’t they-“

“You know that they matter to me, and that leaving them behind is like losing a part of my soul. I wanted to watch Midoirya and Eri grow into adults and be successful, I wanted to Rumi to the moon and back as many times as she wanted. I wanted to see them all be happy. And I know that with even one of us here, they will be happy. But if both of us stay here…”

“…Then there’s no guarantee for Clementine and Aric.” He looked at the void around them, taking a deep and frustrated breath. “You know, I really wish we had time to discuss this before things hit the fan.”

“We rarely have a chance to figure things out before they happen. Though, I suppose it’s better to have this conversation than not at all. We wouldn’t have had any time to decide if Eri hadn’t somehow known to run back to UA.”

“She’s managed to grow up so much, hasn’t she?” He said solemnly.

“Yes. She has.” The two were quiet for a moment.

Finally, he managed to speak. “My biggest concern in all of this is that it might all be for nothing, we don’t have any guarantee that if one of us dies we’ll make it back to our world. What would be the point then?”

“Listen, the fact that we managed to come to this Earth at all means that there are things beyond our control. Something guided us here. It was the same thing that woke us up in that mine on Reach, healed our wounds and fixed our armor. Maybe it’s God, maybe it’s something else entirely. All I know is that unless I have no reason to do so, I will believe.”

Again they were silent. “Alright, I’ve made my decision.”

Hawks stumbled over his word, a stunned look on his face. “So I was right… You’re not the real one. You’re just a doppelgänger.”

“Let me ask you something. If someone took you and scanned your mind, making an exact copy of everything from your memories to your personality, and inserted it into a different body, would they be real? Or would they be a nonperson? If you had asked me months ago before all of this happened, I would have said that they were a non-person. But now I’m not so sure.” He looked at his hands, “I know everything that he knew, I can feel everything that he felt and I can think the way that he did.”

Hawks shook his head, “If you’re not the real one, then all the time that I spent waiting for the right chance to kill you has been completely pointless. You’re not the one I want revenge on.”

“Then what are you going to do now?”

Hawks looks around, as if he could find something in the room that would tell him what he could do now. But there was nothing. “Then I suppose I’ll do the next thing. I’ll kill you, and all of the people he cared for.”

“Wrong answer.” Hawks let out a flurry of his feathers all covered in knives, but they weren’t able to move quick enough. With one hand on the chair Aurdel disintegrated it, reforming it into a single, sharp, wooden spike that launched forward and impaled Hawks through the eye. The once number two Hero collapsed forward into the ground, the wooden spike collapsing. “Even with everything that’s happened, I would have still let you walk away and live…” Aurdel muttered to himself. He turned back around and picked the report back up with one hand, then opened his comes with the Lieutenant. “Lieutenant Akimoto.”

“Sir?”

“I want to come down and examine the dig site personally in around ten minutes, assemble some men there.”

“Yes sir, is there anything else?”

He looked towards Hawks, “I’ll also need a biological disposal unit to come to my office, cremation for one.”

“Yes sir.”