The Wicked One

Chapter Five | Easy, Part Two

Although they merely found more empty space behind the mass of rocks, Warp insisted that they continue down this route. Without any other option, and some gentle coaxing from See-More, Malchior flew them onwards.

"So, why did you decide to join with the Brotherhood?" See-More asked his quiet traveling companion, wanting to find some means of breaking the long silence as they flew.

Warp was quiet for awhile but finally seemed to decide that he too was growing weary of the silence. "Nearly all my life I have traveled through time," Warp said with a sigh, not looking at either See-More or the strange atmosphere around them. "As my father had done before me, and his father before him, and so on. It was foretold that my family would do this for all of eternity— our tasks laid out before most of us were even born into creation. During my travels, I have seen people and creatures of numerous race and species, but I never spoke with any, keeping my vigil and simply doing the tasks required from history."

"And what kind of tasks were those?" See-More asked, genuinely curious, though Warp still stared into space.

"Some justified, others not so much," Warp said simply, but he then turned to See-More, and the young thief saw something in those small, black eyes an age old weariness. A burden that only an ageless time traveler could experience. "At one point, I saved the lives of an entire species, at others I wiped them out entirely. It is not a burden that many could carry, but my family and I were destined to bear it."

"But what about the stealing? Are even minor things like that important?" See-More asked, thinking of Warp's first encounter with the Titans.

At this, Warp smiled."Believe it or not, some of the things that appear minor turn out to be one of the more important events in this planet's history. I stole that device, simply believing it was because Fate had decreed that I was meant to steal it, but I was wrong, at least, I was wrong in thinking it ended there."

"I did not anticipate on having to encounter the Titans, for it was not foretold to me, but as the events un-folded I was slowly being shown Fate's plan. I was being used as an ending goal, for the Titan's to form stronger ties, so that they will continue to exist as a team. But not only that, for I was turned into an infant by the end of the chapter."

"An infant!?" See-More questioned, his one eye wide.

"I can't have imagined that you were any quieter as a feeble babe," Malchior commented, to which Warp justly ignored.

"What was it like...being a baby...again?" See-More asked.

"I do not know," Warp said simply. "But gaining my innocence again, then being raised by the Titans...it showed me that I was wrong in my belief of Fate. She is not solid, unmoving, but an ever changing current, with numerous channels, limitless paths. When I regained my age, I found my suit in the Tower and returned back to my time, very grateful that She had preserved my mind while going through my youth. Unfortunately, my family did not share my new views of Fate, they only seeing her as words written in stone— one path to be followed. So, I left, or escaped rather, into time and space, knowing that I could never be found unless I wished. I was free to do as I pleased."

"So then...why join the Brotherhood...?"

"It was as Fate had decreed," Warp said, almost sadly. "Prior to my escape from my family, the only mistake I made during my Path was speaking to a young, Egyptian woman while I was busy trying to cause the death of her Pharaoh. She was one of his maid servants, and she had caught me sneaking around his palace. While I should have erased her mind and escaped, something compelled me to stay, to speak with the young woman. I explained to her that I was one of the new guards, simply on break. She bought my story fairly easily...I believe she was fond of me."