Running Through Time

[Ch. 2]

"And the part you met Nikki?" The reporter asked.

"That's... the highlight of my life," Alex murmured, thinking of all the adventures they took together. She was... the only one who actually listened to his troubles.

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 It was midnight, and Alex walked all the way to the marketplace to attach some paper with tape. The people had to know what he was doing. Because this place... this very place was his land now.

 As he walked away from the telephone pole where he put the poster, he heard a rustling sound behind him. Trying to think that it is just a cat or a drone above him, he quickened his pace. The sound continued, and Alex finally turned back.

"Who's there?" His voice echoed in the air, both of his hands tightening on his pistol. The reason why he didn't get any shot before when he was in battles was because he listened to the sounds carefully.

 As he kept staring at his behind, a girl, about 6 or 7, peeked out of her hiding place. That made the young man drop his pistol.

"Wha-"

 The girl seemed to have been raised in a wealthy family, when he looked at her clothes. The white dress was lined with golden lines, and she even had an expensive bracelet on her wrist. As he was looking at her, the girl just looked at him, her eyes bright.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, meeting her eye level. 

"Nikki Reynolds," she said carefully.

 Alex looked at her, surprised, because the Reynolds family owned a conglomerate, which backed a lot of weapons his organization requested. All of them were good and fine -  but the best one was his own black-colored pistol. 

"From that Reynolds family?"

 She nodded, and what he could do was giving out a big sigh.

"Then you should go back to your family, not at this dangerous road," Alex muttered. "You're one of their precious daughters."

"But I don't want to go back," Nikki said, pouting.

"Girl, there are things that you must not know," Alex said, taking his glance away from her. He looked at the sky. "And one of them is meeting me on this particular road."

"Then who are you?" Nikki asked. Her eyes were so... cute that Alex couldn't just push her anywhere, hoping that she would go back to her home.

"Alex," he said at last, not being able to endure the pressure. "Alex Savage. Surely you would have heard of me? And I've answered what you asked, so you may just go that way and go to your home, and please, don't tell anyone that you met me."

"But I don't want to go..." Nikki said, and Alex just gently pushed her away, walking away from her. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her, but she was never related to him. And she would never be.

 But he should have known that it was her who had changed him in the end. But that's just another story...

 He tried to go, but he could just feel her stare behind his back. It was just an awful feeling. He's an adult, and he can't even take care of young children. 

 Sighing deeply, he turned around, and looked at the girl named Nikki, who was still staring at him. 

"You really want to come? I mean, did you... run away from your home? Is that the reason why you don't want to go back to the place where you should be?" Alex blurted out, and closed his mouth as he realized his mistake.

 But thankfully, Nikki just nodded. The light in her eyes seemed to deem as she let his words sink down. And that's when Alex knew that she had a dark past... perhaps similar to his.

"I'm not sure but I heard people talking about my parents that they have died due to a drone attack. The company is being run by my uncle, and he... hit me a lot. I... I don't want to go back to that place. I... I don't want to go..."

 Alex embraced her gently as her eyes were filled with water. Of course, she shared a similar past with him. There were people who still abused the children, who were usually weaker than grown-ups. 

 Alex's blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and as he held the young girl close to his chest, a low growl came out. He had just found a scar behind her neck, and when he asked Nikki to take off her bracelet for a moment, he found a single red scar beneath it. Nikki yelped and pulled down her sleeve, but Alex just held her hand close to him to take a close look.

"He... he made it, didn't he?" Alex asked, his voice getting darker with each word. 

"Yes..." Nikki said, shuddering. 

"Take me to your home," Alex ordered. "I think I should meet him at this very moment."

"No!" Nikki shouted. Her eyes were wide with fear, as if she didn't believe him.

"You should," Alex muttered. "Because I feel like giving him a good shot."

 They were able to get to Nikki's home when she pressured Alex that he won't kill him. Alex knocked on the door, and a man about forty came out of the house. The big, fat man looked at the other man, who was glaring at him with his niece next to him.

"Aren't you Alex Savage? The-"

 Before he could even finish the sentence, Alex punched him hard. 

"No talking when you fight," he said, not being able to contain the strong emotion inside him.

 Nikki's uncle stumbled backwards, but he didn't lose his smile.

"I was once in the army," he said.

"I'm still in an army," Alex replied. He launched another kick, but his opponent slid under his leg. He took out his knife and pressed it on the young man's leg. 

 Alex cursed, and he glanced at Nikki, who was almost in panic. 

 He gripped the man's wrist and twisted it, making Nikki's uncle scream in pain. But Alex didn't even dare to stop. His eyes shone in the sunlight, and he kicked the man in his chest. Touching the new wound which the man had made, he stood up, glaring coldly at him who was desperately asking for help.

"I'm going to take your niece to my place," Alex snarled. "She doesn't deserve to live here."

 Gripping Nikki's shoulder gently, he showed her the way to the building, which is called the MAIN BUILDING by the people who advocate the American Armed Revolution Organization. Nikki just quietly followed him. She was afraid of him. All the weapons he had around his waist scared her. Alex looked at her, and she looked back at him. The young girl tried to hide her fear, but she was seven and Alex was twenty-one years old. He could feel her fear, which was right in her eyes. 

"Did I scare you?" Alex asked carefully. "You can just tell me. I won't get mad at you, whatever you say."

 When she slowly nodded, her lips still trembling, he just gave her another hug. 

"It's just my way of avenging the children who had been abused. You know, I got hit lots of times when I was about your age. I did get out of my house when I was eleven. And then... you know... well..."

 Nikki held onto him close. Her hands were still trembling, but she seemed to relax a little bit.

"You won't...?" Nikki asked, and Alex smiled at her. 

"I won't," he replied. "And that's an oath."

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