Would You Trust a Time Traveler?

Rewinding Fate

She stares at Gura's bloodied corpse, uncovered from a pile of trash bags. Her hand clenches and unclenches into a fist. This isn't the first time she's had to walk in on this and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Three days Gura had been gone. Amelia kneels down next to her fallen friend and looks her over for clues to the cause of death. There is a gunshot wound in her torso, both legs and her temple. Amelia notices the bruises covering her body. She must've been ganged up on and abused. Someone had a vendetta. There's blood on her that isn't hers, too. She hadn't gone down without a fight. Amelia's face is covered with a stone cold expression. She's had enough tears for one lifetime and simply tries to not imagine what Gura had gone through – after all, it didn't happen.

She pulls out her watch and spins the dials back. Three full rotations, and the world spins around her, the bloodied body of her friend vanishing as well as any trace of a murder. Just as soon as the world started spinning it stopped, and Amelia is alone in the alleyway, not even a bag of trash left for company.

It's nighttime. She holds her watch in one hand and grips her revolver in the other, both hidden under her coat, as she steps out into the night. The moon was just rising. 8:34, her watch reads. She leans against the dilapidated building next to the future crime scene and waits.

Her senses are heightened as she readies herself for any movement, any attack. The overhang of the roof above her should keep her blind spot safe, and she'd spot a sniper of any kind far before they'd get her.

Half an hour passes and she hears footsteps in the alley next to her. Her grip tightens on the gun in her coat. They knew she was here. Probably were hoping she'd just leave. Not a chance. She clicks the safety off, and is just about to swing herself into the alley when she notices snowy white hair in the corner of her eye, turning to see a short girl on the other side of the street, staring in shock at the sight of Amelia. "A-Ame...?" Amelia waves at Gura with her left hand holding the watch, and then uses a finger to point Gura back in the direction she came from, making sure not to make a noise. Gura doesn't seem to understand and waits a moment too long, as a gunshot sounds out in the night, hitting the stationary target in the leg. Gura cries out and falls to the ground, cringing in pain. Amelia curses, readying her watch and turns into the alleyway only to be met by the sight of two firearms aimed at her. Uh-oh. She spins the dial on her watch at the same time they fire, the bullets whizzing towards her disappearing as time rewinds. She allows herself to be carried by it this go around, landing about a minute prior, leaning against the building once again. This time she doesn't wait and quickly sets off at a brisk pace in the direction Gura was coming from.

She spots her after a moment of walking and gets the expected response. Gura freezes and stares at her in shock. "A-Ame...?" Amelia jogs up to her and tries not to show the happiness she feels as seeing her friend not shot and bloodied. "Hey, Gura." She responds coolly, subtly grabbing Gura's arm and leading her in the other direction.

"H-how... how are you here!?" Gura seems panicked. "You can't be here!"

Amelia lets out a small laugh attempting to lighten the situation, while trying to drag Gura away from the direction of the alley. "I can be wherever I want, silly." Gura isn't budging. "C'mon, let's get out of this run down place." She tugs on Gura's arm but isn't a match for the strength of the Atlantean.

"I-I can't go. I have to be here." Gura seems afraid.

Amelia growls and looks back. There's no way they won't be spotted soon, out in the open under the bright street lights. "You definitely don't. You'll regret it if you stay here."

Gura shakes her head and pulls her arm away, continuing to walk down the street towards what Amelia knows is her death. "W-whatever you saw, i-it doesn't matter, I need to be here. I can't afford not to be."