Afterschoolers: Destiny

Chapter 8: The Next Step

"You? You killed me?" Ed asked.

"No... I just... I just failed to save you," Mary shared. "You're... You're not the same Mr. Cord I know... How old are you?"

"I'm 18... It's kinda weird... being here and seeing where I'll be in ten years."

"It's not how you think it is. You've alive. Kinda."

"That doesn't make sense. How can I be buried here but also alive?"

"It's a very long and complicated story. I can explain inside, but first I need to get rid of all this gas."

"Oh, leave that to me." Ed pulled out a lighter and flicked it on, igniting the gas. Before Mary's eyes, all the black smoke caught fire for a second and it all vanished.

"How did you do that?"

"I use a special chemical compound for the smoke I used. The slightest flame is enough to dissipate it all."

"Alright. Will my friends be okay?"

"Your friends will be waking up soon. Maybe with a slight headache."

"Get away!" Samantha flew in and tackled the time traveler onto the ground.

"Samantha wait!" Mary yelled. "He's not our enemy!"

"He's not?"

"I'm not!"

"Whoops. Sorry... Question, why do you look like Mr. Cord?"

"Long story," said Mary. "Now let's get inside so that I can explain."

"This doesn't make sense!" Cyclone shouted. "How is this even possible?!"

"Will you keep it down?" said Samantha. "Alana's sleeping."

"Look, man, I'm just as confused as you," said Ed. "One moment I'm preparing to break into a high school, the next I'm being sucked into a black hole that spits me out here."

"I remember reading something about black holes," Mary commented. "Not much is entirely know, but some theories say that time and space are out of sync in one. Imagine what would happen if two fused into one."

"Still doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it'll have to do. How do we get me home?"

"I'm not sure... We would have to get another black hole or something," Cyclone suggested.

"Are you nuts?! We already lost our school! What's next? The state?!"

"I don't hear you suggesting anything, Mary."

"At least any suggestion I would make isn't completely stupid. We need to find that guy that attacked, Mr. Cord."

"Describe him," Ed demanded. "What did he look li-"

"Dad?" Everyone turned to see Alana standing at the bottom steps of the stairs, utterly speechless.

"Alana," said Mary. "We can explain."

"Why does this man look like my father?"

"That's because he is your dad," said Cyclone. "But younger."

"Wait, are you saying she's my daughter?" Ed asked.

"You don't... know me?"

"No, I can't say I do. I'm sorry."

"You must be not even 20 years old," said Alana.

"I'm 18. I take it you all are, as well."

"My father, he found me when he was 18."