Dominion (Futuristic Four)

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

"Hiro! You're back home!" A sharp squeal burst through the air. "And you brought a GIRL?"

"Aunt Cass, please don't freak out!" Hiro pleaded as his aunt rushed towards him and past some very startled looking customers. She shook a bemused Penny's hand vigorously.

"What's your name, dear?"

"Penny."

"What a beautiful name! Why don't you and Hiro go sit over there and I'll bring you some snacks! What kind of donuts do you like?"

"Powdered sugar."

"Just like Hiro!" Aunt Cass turned towards Hiro and winked. Her face was beaming. "Go on! Don't let me bother you."

"Might as well," Hiro said as he glanced at Penny. He led the way to one of the tables by the window and sat down. Penny claimed the other seat. "Sorry about that. It's my Aunt Cass. She doesn't think I get out much."

"You probably don't, knowing you and your inventions."

Hiro shrugged but didn't say anything. Inventions? Maybe school projects. But what really occupied his time was bot fights.

How strange that he and Penny had just escaped mortal danger, and now they were sitting in a cafe like regular teenagers waiting to eat some donuts.

Penny seemed to be thinking along the same lines because she said "I hope Wilbur made it out ok."

"Are you and him . . ?"

"What? No, he's like . . . like my best friend or something. You all are." But her face had blushed a furious res, so Hiro was sure that there was more to that story. He was about to pursue the matter further when the bell over the door chimed and Wilbur walked in, along with a girl Hiro didn't recognize. They navigated the room and sat themselves down at Hiro's table. Hiro noticed that the new girl was avoiding looking at him.

"So Kyuubi's gotten more powerful," Wilbur said as way of introduction.

"At least you got away," Penny said.

"Yeah, but it took a couple days. He chased me all over the timeline. I finally managed to snag Violet and come here, but t was a close call. He still might show up."

"So you're Violet?" Hiro asked. The girl looked at him and looked away again. She mumbled something to the floor and Wilbur rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Violet, he doesn't bite," Penny promised. "He's perfectly normal, actually. Well, sort of . . ."

Violet stared resolutely at the table. Hiro took the moment to try and recognize her. She had long dark hair and blue eyes. Her eyes also had tints of green and purple which Hiro found fascinating. But he didn't recognize her. Not in the slightest.

"So you saved Violet," Hiro said. "Now what?"

"Donuts!" Aunt Cass cheered as she dropped a tray of them onto the table. "You must all be friends of Hiro's too!"

"Yep," Wilbur said. He picked up a donut and saluted her with it. "Good to see you, Aunt Cass."

"You too," she said. "Have fun, kids!"

She hurried away and Wilbur turned back to the group. "You're aunt makes the best donuts."

"I don't think she actually makes them," Hiro admitted. Wilbur shushed him.

"No! Don't ruin it for me!"

Hiro shrugged. If Wilbur wanted to live in denial, that was fine by him.

"Did you explain the situation to Violet?" Penny asked. Wilbur nodded. "So what are we going to do now?"

"I mean, we could kill Kyuubi . . ." Wilbur suggested slowly.

"Kill Kyuubi?" Penny and Violet shrieked together. Penny shook her head.

"Are you crazy, Wilbur? First you ran over Hiro with the time machine, then you suggest we kill-"

"It was just an idea!" he protested, raising his hands in surrender.

"Why can't we?" Hiro asked. "I mean, the guy tried to kill us."

"Oh no," Penny said. "We can't kill him. Especially not you. If anyone did, well . . ."

"Bad things," Wilbur finished.

"We can't kill him," Violet agreed. "Couldn't. Shouldn't."

"Got it. No killing."

"Then what do we do?" Wilbur asked. Penny shrugged.

"Honestly? No idea. Hiro was sort of our ideas guy, but Kyuubi messed that up."

"Well, what's even our goal?" Hiro asked. That was as good a place as any to start.

"Fix time," Wilbur said, but Penny shook her head.

"No, we can't do that either," she interrupted. "If we do that Violet ends up dead."

"So we're trying to fix time as much as possible without fixing it completely so Violet doesn't die?"

"Right."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad."