Lightning Strikes Twice

Chapter 40: Time's Running Out

As Allison walks me through the portal, we appear in the warehouse as we come out the other side. I see Luxia immediately noticing me but staying put, while Kron rushes over to me the instant he notices me.

"Marsh! What happened out there, you alright?"

"Plan didn't work. That's what."

As I say that, I let out a heavy sigh while lowering my head a bit. As Allison walks me over to a chair and sits me down, Kron looks over to Luxia with a worried expression.

"Did your eyes not..?"

"As Nexus explained it, he's not one mind. He's many. Could be a few, could be hundreds. When.."

Luxia pauses, glancing at Allison. But Allison doesn't pay her any mind, she's keeping her focus on me and seems to be looking me over for injuries.

"..When he was called an anomaly, it was nothing short of accurate. According to him there were timelines where mostly the same, the one event that stayed the same was him losing."

"Wait, so does that-"

"I'm afraid not Kron. Marsh asked the same thing. His response was that all iterations of him learned about multiple timelines, killed their.. respective time proxies and ended all other timelines to merge and create this one. So it's all of them in one, and there was no way I could get all that under control."

The moment Luxia mentions "time proxies" Allison just freezes in place, starting to shut her eyes. I reach for her hand and squeeze it. She opens her eyes with a weak smile as she mouths "Thank you" to me.

As Luxia finishes, I look at everyone else and they all seem to be silent with shock. Looking to just be processing everything that was said. I sigh as I start lowering my head.

"Its over. We're doomed. Ultia's doomed."

As I say that, everyone remains silent. It's likely they know it as well deep down. The room continues to be quiet, that is until I feel hands on my face; then, lifting my head up until I'm met face to face with Allison.

"Hey. Why are you pulling out now? Odds have been against you countless times by now, why do you want to give up now?"

"Its not the same.. this isn't just a life threatening task, it's a task that's threatening lives. Thousands at that. Not to mention I don't stand a chance against him."

"It is the same. He's always been ahead of you, yet you've kept going regardless."

"I.. I don't know.."

Allison moves her hands from my face to grip my shoulders. She gives me a look of seriousness this time when she speaks.

"You can do this Marsh, I know you can. I believe in you and I'm gonna stay by you until we knock this bastard down."

"Wait.. you mean you're gonna help?"

"Course I am. One proxy ain't nothing against two and everyone else that's here."

At first I just look at Allison, being at a loss for words. Then I feel myself, slowly starting to form a smile.

"Yeah.. yeah, you're right. Thanks Ally, I really needed to hear that."