The Wrong Time Chapter 2: It Gets Bad
“Aaron, be on your guard, there is something different about this facility” Livewire walked before Aaron, as they walked down the empty, seemingly abandoned corridor, his metallic tendrils slowly swaying behind him, scanning the walls for traps. “I don’t like how empty it is. “
“Livewire, do you think i don’t recognize a clear trap when i see one? Better question is, do you think I’m scared? It’s not my first trap, definitely won't be my last either” He chuckles softly to himself “So, what does Vet have planned for Thanksgiving?”
“Why do you think Vet celebrates Thanksgiving?”
“The man may be an alien, but he is the most damn American alien I have ever met”
“Wait, I thought he was still a human, just evolved into something else?”
“Is that what the man is? I thought he was an alien”
“Well I also heard he’s from another universe, where humanity evolved differently, with tails,  and regenerative properties, but the hands were from an accident involving an ice bomb.”
“The ice bomb story is the only constant. He told me that, told Ember that, he tells everyone that. But his origin is always changing.”
“I have a theory” Aaron smirked as they walked around the corner, “I know what he is.”
Livewire chuckled “what?”
Aaron smirked back “He’s a redneck”
“Your coms are on boys”
They both stop dead in their tracks, Aaron’s head filled with the sound of Vet’s laughter from the remote communication device in his ear.
“Well” Livewire shivers slightly from the sudden intrusion. “Since you're here. What are you?”
“Well my boys, I am what's known as a Chronologian. Not quite alien, not quite human. Something different”
“How many of your kind are there?”
“See son, that's what’s complex”
Aaron stops walking “How complex?”
“Well, it's like this son, there are two other Chronologians in this universe. Virus and Schism. Formally they were known as Professor and Sargent. While I evolved to become a master of time, they evolved into something else.Virus because his name sake, a virus, his body holding every last virus, infection, bacteria, fungus, etc, in all of the universe, time and space. But Schism became a God. A literal embodiment of balance and equality, order and chaos in one. “
“Ok, that is pretty complex” Aaron scratched his head, confused.
“It gets worse. Because of my mastery of time and space, I have discovered the infinite multitude of Vet’s across the expanse of the multiverse. Every alternate timeline, every doomed time paradox, ever single nanosecond clone of myself. So while There are three Chronologians. There is nearly an infinite amount of myself.”
“Vet, buddy, pal. This is...a lot to take in. So where did you come from?” Aaron’s voice was no hushed as he heard footsteps approaching.
“New York” Vet replies, his southern twang emphasizing the sarcasm in his tone.
“Vet, listen, we both know that’s bullshit but right now, I have an unknown incoming and despite how curious I am right now to find out where you truly came from I need to put this convo on hold” Aaron stayed close to the wall, with Livewire standing behind him.
The footsteps got closer, approaching from behind a corner. Aaron’s heart pounded in his chest, his beastly instincts prepping for a fight, his fists clenched. As his eyes narrowed a figure walked out from behind the corner. A man, standing tall, a good portion of his body robotic, shining and new. From under his skin, wires were seen in place of veins and arteries. His left eye a machine, it's iris blue. Where his heart should be was a small blue shield on his vest, a pulsating blue light at its center.
Aaron stood straight up, his body relaxing “Silver Heart?”
The man turned and faced Aaron “Aaron? Livewire? What are you two doing here? “
“We can ask you the same thing James.” Livewire walked up to him, his tendrils scanning his body “You are still you, you aren't under any control. What are you doing here?”
“Well,” James takes a step back “I received an anonymous tip that a new Group 100 Project testing facility had been discovered so I came to see about finding this new upgrade to my silver heart I heard about. “
“Upgrade?” Aaron seemed confused “What upgrade?”
“Well. I received word that they have created a new Silver Heart that repairs wounds with flesh instead of machine. I’m here to take it and add it to my own, be human again. “
“Listen James” Livewire looked around them “Us standing here and chatting is really stupid and a waste of time. Any second now Vet should be connecting to your interior coms, he’s currently walking us through the facility. We received word of this place as well. Apparently they are gathering gifted individuals for some big experiment. Pinstripe has gone missing, Error53 has completely disappearances from the Internet. Number 43 has been spotted at many different locations already, we believe he is tracking Bob. You remember Bob? The murderous robot from the future made out of that liquid metal but thinks he’s an American dad from the 1950’s. He has been spotted in Egypt, as has 43, soon later, only 43 leaves Egypt, Bob is nowhere to be seen. “
“What do you think they have planned?” James asks, his brows furrowed in worry. “Wait,do you think this is a trap?”
“Oh please James, Jamie Jamie Jamie. Mister James Raling. I know this is a trap” Aaron’s sarcastic tone echoed down the corridor.
The three look to each other, the realization hitting them each at different intervals. They knew it was a trap, but the only one not worried was Aaron.
“Come on guys, let's make sure no one is trapped hear, or there aren't any stragglers we need to kill before we blow this place off the face of the earth. “ Aaron took charge, walking in front of them, his ears twitching as he listened for life. He stopped, and stood straight up. “Guys?”
Aaron sighed and closed his eyes.
At an instant, the corridor filled with high voltage of pure energy, arcs upon arcs of electricity filling their bodies as each fell to the ground one by one, Silver Heart first, Aaron second, Livewire last.
As the electricity flooded his robotic body, Livewire rushed down the hall, desperate to find a way to cut off the power. Slowly, the high voltage over powered his energy conduits, and his body fell to the ground. Falling to his knees, the last thing his eyes saw were two legs standing before him, and a voice calling out “It's time, to clean house. And start a new”
