Find Me >> Wattys2016

zero >> the beginning

- PART ONE -
before

???'S P.O.V

Date – June 13th
Time – 00:03
Location – CLASSIFIED

"Attention all units! Attention all units! We have a break in!" the P.A. boomed loudly above the voices of the whining sirens as I made my way through the corridors, with the small device tucked under my arm.

"The Time Desistor is missing from its compound! All units are commissioned to search and return the device! Lock down in commission!"

I pant breathlessly as I turned into another corner, hopeful for an exit. When I washed ashore onto this secret base three months ago, they had beaten me senseless and I woke in a small, empty room. Ever since that happened, I was stashed inside a cell and forced into labor in a bright yellow leotard. I had no knowledge of where the exit was, but I had to find it anyway.

I heard the thundering footsteps coming towards me from my left, and I quickened my pace, feeling panicked.

I needed to get out of this place and repair the time lost in my absence, for her.

The base had no directions whatsoever, all the places and corridors looked the same; bare and white, and I was barely allowed out of my compound. Just when I turned to another corner, a cry of anger shouted at me, "HALT!"

I turned around and found that a group of soldiers surrounded me, but they had forgotten that I was a soldier too.

I didn't think, I charged and aimed my stolen gun at them, firing one soldier to the next. Three fell, and the remaining six shot at me, and one bullet dug itself onto my shoulder, making me unable to fire at them.

But I had the leverage. I pointed my gun at the Time Desistor that poked out from under my arm, and cocked my gun to get ready for fire. "Don't shoot, or your precious Time Desistor goes with me!" I threatened, halting their fires instantly.

They all looked doubtful, because they knew my reputation, and I always keep my word.

This device will help me keep my delayed promise to her.

I pranced forward and aimed a square punch to a soldier's face, and a brawl started immediately. They were just rookies, the new Joes of the army, so I took them out easy, being in the service for the past six years.

One tried to grasp the Time Desistor, but I took his hand and brought my elbow to it, hearing him give out a wail of pain. I threw him at another soldier, and took out the rest.

I shot all of them dead, except one, a weak-minded one, and took him by the collar instead. "Tell me where the exit is!" I yelled at his pale face.

I cocked my gun and aimed it at his temple, his face turning whiter. "D-d-down the hall to t-the left," he stammered out quickly.

I dropped him on the heap of dead bodies, repositioned the Time Desistor and gave him a cruel smile. "Thanks, buddy." I pulled the trigger and the bullet sank itself into his gut, giving him a slow, well deserved death for a traitor of his own side.

I shoved the gun inside my pocket and made a run for the exit, now hearing louder footsteps echo through the walls. When I came to the exit, it was already locked, but I knew that there was some sort of emergency code to reopen it.

I approached the coder, and slipped out the small black book that I stole during my sweeps. I punched in the few buttons and the door opened out wide into the sea, a few small boats waiting a few miles off.

I punched in a few extra buttons, not without a smile. They were up for a big treat.

"THERE!" a loud voice screamed as gunshots rained around me, but I was already in the water, the Desistor in my grasp.

Years in the Navy trained me to hold my breath for a very long time, and I waited as the bullets whizzed through the dark water.

The water jostled violently, and soon screams from the troops ring through the air, but not for too long. I swam away, feeling debris sinking into the water, and soon I was on a boat, watching as the base erupt in plumes of flames and fire.

With a satisfied smirk I started the engine and sped through the water, the Time Desistor in my possession.

<•>

COLE'S P.O.V

Date – March 24th
Time – 16:24
Location – UCLA, LA

I felt my phone buzz as I walked down my university to go to my next session. I just got my phone fixed; it had some battery problems, and I just got it yesterday. I was pretty sure that the one calling was my mom, because I didn't give her a heads up about my phone.

I ran into a quiet corner before raising my phone to my view, and I was surprised to see that the one calling me was one of my closest friends, Edwin Bakker.

With an amused smile I pressed the accept button and raised the phone up to my ear. "Hey Ed! Are you really going to ask me about homework at this hour? I gave you all my high school books to cheat on!" I exclaimed, smiling despite myself.

"Cole?" a voice replied, but it wasn't his, it was a woman's voice, his mother.

"Aunt Rosie?" I asked, feeling bewildered.

"Cole, dear Heavens where have you been? Everyone has been trying to contact you for days!" she exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, my phone just got fixed," I apologized, checking my watch to see that I was going to be late for my class.

"Look auntie, I need to go to class, can you please-"

"Cole," she called out my name sternly, cutting me off my sentence. I sensed something wrong from her tone, something not right.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's Edwin," she croaked out in a sob, "he's dead!"