Timeline Crisis?! Working with the Past Cures?! We'll fight Again and Again!! #3

Chapter 5: Soldier of Time

"Let me go!!" Came a high-pitched yell. Akemi fought back the energy ring with all the strength she had, her azure color elflock ponytail hitting her square in the face. "Your not going to get anything from me!"

"I don't plan too." replied the solid voice of Jikan-Senshi. "At least not yet. Both teams have assembled in one timeline...."

Akemi continued to squirm around, trying to keep her cool. The chamber she had been tossed into was damp, wet, dark, and musty. It made her shiver from head to toe, especially the unused chains in the corner that she had no idea who had spent all their life in or the tally marks all over the wall. Repeatedly the sound of scratching nails between chalkboard resounded repeatedly as if wanting Akemi to be afraid. A single drop of water hit her head and she shivered.

If only the energy ring was a lock. She had a natural talent for lock-picking, but she couldn't find a single key hole. She couldn't transform, Jikan had taken her samurai bracelet. A bubble orb above her head contained her precious bracelet, trapping it in light. She knew he was taunting her by placing it high above her head where she could not reach, much less jump. Akemi scowled.

He smiled at her helpless figure, taking pride in her looming distress, but Akemi would not pleasure him by showing fear. "What do you even want?!"

Jikan-Senshi turned around, narrowing his eyes. "What do I want? I want to create only one timeline. One universe, destroying all others, one that is easier to take over."

"Bastard! You want to create your own world!? That's absurd and impossible!!" Akemi cried out. "There are millions of universes and cures too! None are going to sit and let you do what you please!''

Jikan laughed and knelt in front of her. "You don't know what I'm capable, little girl. Your last battle against a demon, Terran, was by sheer luck. Not actually skill."

Akemi spat him in the face. Jikan-Senshi tutted her softly. "Tis true. Your not the original timeline, anyway."
From one of the many pockets of his green robes, Jikan-Senshi took out a worn old clock and showed it to Akemi. "Firstly you have no idea what this is. It is a clock that tells time."

The worn clock looked very ancient. It's case was a dull silver with fingerprints all over from being constantly touched, repaired, and placed in dusty counters. The face and dial were rusting bit by bit, mixing with the light gold it had been made with. The black hour hand stayed firm as the minute hand moved around the roman numerials. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The sound overpowered the constant scratching in the distance and mesmerized Akemi.

''Watch the long arrow moving...that creates minutes." Jikan smiled and Akemi nodded. "The little arrow is hours. The lines it's pointing to are the roman numerials. Those tell what time it is."

Akemi nodded, again, eyes sparkling. "Tell me more...." her voice was so soft and warm.

"The little arrow only moves once an hour is created." Jikan pointed to the hour hand which moved to the next roman numerial. "An hour has passed thanks to the movement of the long arrow." Akemi raised a hand towards the clock, wanting desperately to touch it, to be one with it. Her index finger was so close to the tip of the minute hand as it ticked. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

"Don't touch it!!" A voice brought Akemi back to her thoughts and she pulled her hand away. "Look away!"
Akemi quickly shut her eyes, the desire for the clock fading away. Heart thumping and sweat beading down her brow, she heard Jikan walking away, away to where the yell had come from.

She couldn't see the other captive even if she opened her eyes. They were in different chambers covered by dark drapes, but she could tell by the tone of voice it had belonged to a middle aged man. She was correct. Jikan looked down at Ace with so much hate in his eyes that Ace scowled right back. Similar to Akemi, he was also immobile in his own energy ring.