ChronoNicles - Stories Beyond Time

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A/N:
This story takes place 16 years after the events of both SoR and TC, in the original world.

 "Alien Invasion! Conspiracy theory or a science fiction story come true?"

All the TV screens, monitors and even mobile devices in the entire shopping center were repeating the same footage over and over.

"I think we've got a problem, dad."

Elementary school aged girl was holding her father's artificial hand, squeezing the metal underneath the leather glove.

Her father knelt in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking directly in her red and blue eyes.

"We've talked about this, little bird, there's nothing to worry about."

"But daaad..."

"No 'but daaad'. Trust your dad, and your mom. We'll clear up the mess."

The girl looked at the huge video board on the outside of the mall building. A looped footage was showing a scene in the middle of the city, where a caped individual shooting some kind of glowing projectiles killed a large elephant man wearing black armor. The shot down alien was then sucked into a dark purple vortex, and the caped person jumped after it, leaving entire city block in ruins behind. The video then looped back to the elephant man creature rampaging through the city.

The girl nodded to her smiling father and the two started walking deeper into the mall building.

"So, ice-cream or shopping?"

"Ice-cream!" screamed the girl in excitement.

"Thought so."

Father and daughter approached the nearest ice-cream booth and ordered two largest portions of everything.

"Here you go, Master" said the ice-cream seller, "anything else I can do for you?"

"Not in the ice-cream department, Jack." Father looked at his daughter who already started eating her portion. "And what do we say?"

"Thank you, uncle Jack!"

"Little bird, why don't you go sit to that table over there and wait for me? I have to talk to uncle Jack for a minute."

"Mhm." she couldn't say anything with her mouth full of ice cold fluffiness and joyfully walked a few feet away.

When she was far enough the father reached into his pocket and took out a small cubic device made of black metal. He held it out between his fingers and showed it to the ice-cream seller named Jack.

"Would you mind telling me what is level 4 Technomian tech doing in the hands of Callyps' goons?"

Jack's face turned blue and dripping sweat. He tried stepping back from his booth but the father grabbed his collar with his second hand and pulled him towards himself.

"You're a crook, Jack, everyone knows that. Everyone except her." he pointed a thumb behind him at his daughter. "She thinks we're friends, and as hard as it is for you to admit it - we WERE friends, despite your shortcomings. But if you sell anything other than ice-cream to anyone WE didn't authorize - I will crush you harder than the truth about you will crush her dream version of you. ARE. WE. CLEAR?"

Jack gulped and nodded nervously in admittance. The father let go of his 'friend' and a smile came from under his short, black beard.

"So, tell me this. Where exactly did you steal this from?"

"T-t-t-time v-v-vault?..."

"Oh for the love of... seriously? Did HE give you access? Now I've got another pit stop to make today, and it's HER day today."

The father turned around, put the device into his back pocket and grabbed his ice-cream.

"You're lucky you're my wife's cousin, or you'd be put in the Nozone for good."

Jack gulped again, wiping the sweat off his face and heavily breathing. The father walked up to his daughter and sat alongside her on the bench. They laughed and ate three helpings of ice-cream from Jack's booth until they stood up and went shopping for new clothes. The father looked once again, more intensely and seriously than before, at Jack who nodded in return.