I'll be your hero till the very end.

The beginning of the end.

Takemichi couldn't sleep. He hasn't been able to sleep for a long time, for when he closes his eyes, flashbacks of all the pain he's been through rush through his head. He didn't want to save anyone anymore. He had just made the future worse than it had been in the beginning.

Takemichi found himself at Naoto's front door. He's been there so many times before that it was muscle memory now. Knock knock

Naoto sleepily opened the door to let Takemichi in. He didn't ask why he was there or why he came so late in the night. His question was why he didn't just come in. Naoto's apartment was basically Takemichi's second home, and he should know that by now.

Naoto's hand was already stretched out for a hand shake, Takemichi wasn't even two steps into the room yet. Takemichi stared at the hand of his dear friend, thinking about the other hundreds of times he's seen the same hand stretched out before him. He winced as he remembered the cold, pale corpse of his colleague. He gingerly wraps his hand around Naoto's. Naoto looks Takamichi in the eyes for the first time in a few futures and says,

"973 times the charm, right..?" He and Takmichi share a pained smile.

"Right..." Takemichi says, barely above a whisper.

Then he feels his body go limp. Going back in time isn't as simple as you think. It's very complicated to explain. It feels like he's falling very fast. Every time, without fail, it makes Takmichi sick. Sometimes Takemichi would throw up after going back to the past or future. This gets him a lot of disgusted and confused looks. It feels like he's falling forever before actually going back in time or making contact with the pavement.

Takamichi opens his eyes. All he sees is darkness. Makes sense, because he was the one that decided to go back at 11:30 PM. He looked around, his eyes slowly adjusting to the pitch black room. He really wished he had stayed blind or even stayed in the future. Around him was his old room. It's not a Middle schoolers room, but elementary schoolers room.

Takemichi didn't want to be there, but he had nowhere else to go. It's not like Naoto would even be alive this early on in the game. Takemichi thought that his luck couldn't be any worse, but of course, he had to come back to the worst years of his life.

Takemichi knew his Mother would still be awake at this time, and he had no intention of trying to make new memories. He quietly crept out of bed, trying not to make any sound. Knowing that she would make any reason to beat him. He remembered where his backpack was and grabbed it, stuffing it with clothes. Takemichi remembers many nights where he would lay awake at night after Mothers drunken brawls, wishing he had the guts to run away. Well lucky you past Michy, your future self has gotten stabbed and beaten to death too many times to care. Good thing the window wasn't bolted shut. He knows it would be if his Mother knew he had the balls to try to escape.

Thud!

Takemichi successfully landed on the dead grass without making too much noise. Takemichi grabbed his bag from the hard cold ground and sprinted away from the house when he heard the sound of his bedroom door slowly creaking open. Michy made it two houses away before hearing his Mother yell his name with anger. Well, now he knew that the neighbors could hear him being beaten. He thought that he wasn't loud enough, but now he knows that they just ignored his cries for help completely.

Takemichi was so tired from running. He didn't stop after those two houses or even three blocks. Takemichi stopped when he saw something familiar. The place where the underground fights were held. Mother didn't know where this place was. He would be safe here, at least till morning. Takemichi sat on the cool steps and tried his best to fall asleep, and being able to have a fresh start and help everyone gave him the peace of mind to fall fast asleep.

Takemichi sleeped in so early and would've sleeped in later if someone hadn't shook him awake.

"Umm.. sir, are you okay?" A higher pitch, but familiar voice asked.

I was on alert when I opened my eyes, thinking that the devil was near. Seeing this, the other body jumped. I shifted my gaze at the boy who looked to be around the same age as me. He was holding a baby in one arm and was holding a little girls hand in the other. Mitsuya. His lilac hair shimmering in the sunlight.

"Are you okay?"

Takemichi has heard those words regularly, but he didn't feel like living this time.

"No." Takemichi stated simply before standing up, meeting Mitsuya's level.

Mitsuya's POV:

I saw this strange boy sleeping where Gang members hang out. I thought nothing of it and continued walking toward the park so that my little sister could play for a little while. We spent a good two and a half hours there and started going back home. To my surprise, the boy was still there. I kind of thought he was dead, but just to make sure, he decided to try and wake him.

"Umm.. sir, are you okay?" Mitsuya asked, shaking him lightly.

The boys eyes shoot open and start looking around. I couldn't help but jump. He was so alert just from me gently swinging him back and forth. After scanning around him, he finally looks at me.

"Are you okay?" I ask again. He takes a deep breath before saying firmly,

"No."

Nobody's POV:

Takemichi looks away from his soon to be best friend and tries to think about where in this timeline he should start. He should definitely save Shinichiro first. Shinchiro died on the day of August 14th of the year 2003. 'I wonder how much time I have left.' Takemichi looks at the very confused lilac boi again.

"What's today's date?" I ask. The boy becomes more confused before answering.

"It's the 29th of May. "

"Year?"

"2003.."

Takemichy had a little more than two months till the whole nuclear explosion that started this whole mess happened. Takemichi can't help but feel exhausted from all the work he's about to do..

Hello! This is Onyx, the writer, and I hope you liked the first chapter. BTW, I just finished this at
4:01 a.m., so it might be pretty grainy. ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡