Chapter Two
Honey knew she couldn't keep her secret for very much longer. It was just dumb luck that Hiro was already working on a project dedicated to turning back time. That bought her some time but not much.
She walked home futilely attempting to keep her glasses from fogging up. Though storms didn't bother her much it was the mere fact of what it represented. Gray skies and water logged boots. It was as though the high heavens could feel the chaos rummaging through her mind, or rather, it knew how torn her heart had become in the past few months. Was this even a worthy cause? Was there really a way to go back into history and undo what Father Time had taken? Despite feeling Hiro was onto something with his idea of curving time onto itself she knew there was much more needed to be able to do it successfully.
It didn't take her long to find herself on the outskirts of the city. Remembering her steps she found the tree she was looking for. Glancing behind her and finding no one of importance she crept to the base spotting a small plot of upturned dirt. Taking heed to look as inconspicious as possible she began to kick away a layer of dirt with her boot. Soon enough she could see the lid of the small box she had planted there days before. With an awkward and quick bend she retrieved the small parcel and tucked it into her cloak. Glancing once again in all directions she found her escape and traveled home. There was no time to waste. This project would be the biggest she had ever undertaken. With luck she and Hiro would become the caretaker of time itself.
Little did she know that her discreet venture would be all in vain. For someone had watched her from a distance dropping their chewed up piece of gum into the watery gutter below.
Honey slipped into her bedroom placing the small parcel onto her bed. She needed to work quickly and secretly. No doubt heading to the labs with her intentions would only result in the crew becoming suspicious. Though it would be much easier considering the labs had all the equipment she would need to find more immediate results this would have to do.
Shedding her cloak and kicking off her heels she took the box onto her lap. Her long thin fingers trembled as they fingered the thin lid. She had found this object a month ago. How her memories came flourishing back with vengeance. Wandering the rooftops of SanFrantokyo wondering with every moment how easy it would have been to just take one step off the edge. The pain would be gone and the lingering haunt of her once gifted beloved would be nothing more than a darkened void. This was love? Despite her quick affinity with anything chemical she couldn't for the life of her discern why love had such a chaotic nature. She could easily figure out how electrolytic zinc would affect ferrous metals but she couldn't understand how the chemicals in her mind would have her think these dark thoughts.
She remembered just last week how she stood at the precipice of life and death. Her heels danging from a skyscrapers edge. Looking up at the darkened violet sky she wished for an answer. Anything to help her understand the feelings she harbored in her heart.
And then it happened.
Her green eyes came upon the stars and seemingly out of nowhere something came soaring from the heavens. A shooting star? A meteorite? All the same really. However, this was unlike anything she had seen before.
Tracing the path of the falling object it made its way across the sky and towards the outskirts of the city. Something inside her began to stir and without a moment of hesitation she leapt from the edge. Finding within her purse several chem-balls she chucked them ahead of her and towards the ground. Upon contact they bloomed into globs of mass cushioning her fall. Several people around her gasped in fright, however, her mind was too clouded with her own demons to even notice. She raced through downtown and into the fields surrounding the city. Something told her that this was the answer she had been seeking. Whatever it was she needed to get to it.
Night had approached faster than she thought though it didn't take her long to find her prize. She was just outside the city at this point. She continued on a dirt path leading to an overgrown forest forgotten by the people that lived just a few miles. Pulling several branches out of the way she spotted a small crater, the outer rim charred from impact but nonetheless smaller than she expected. She approached cautiously but was quickly blinded by an orange tinted light that illuminated from within the crater. Falling backward and onto her backside it took but a moment to regain her wits. However, as her eyes focused she gasped.
As though she was surrounded by ghosts she saw different forms of people walking around her. It was like standing at the center of the city. People bustling past all carrying on with life as they knew it. None of them took notice of her presence as they faded in and out. Her eyes caught sight of what looked like people and then phantoms of creatures. The phantoms flickered and as she attempted to touch one of them her hand simply passed through. Was this a memory? It all seemed like a damaged hologram.
Then the phantoms disappeared leaving the forest quiet. Leering into the crater she spotted a small stone sitting at the bottom. An ethereal orange hue glowing with life.
Questions rang between her ears along with fear rising from her stomach. What was this thing? It resembled nothing she knew from the periodic table. A new metal? Was it dangerous to be this close to it? Did it matter at this point?
It was as though the small stone was calling to her beckoning to be touched. Leaning into the crater she pried it from the dirt of which some had crystallized into an odd form of glass. It was heavy for such a small thing, she thought. As she continued to gaze into the swirling clouds that sat captured by the stone a massive gust of wind caught her by surprise. In an instant the trees that stood rooted around her were ripped violently from their base. The sky turned white and the ground beneath her feet blew like sand into nothing.
The city was gone. There was nothing. Nothing but white. It was as though she were standing in a massive white room with no doors or windows. And before she could even strike a thought massive amounts of earth began to manifest. Like a movie placed on fast forward things began to take shape around her. Another gust of wind roared as white sand brewed around her heels. Mountains took shape, palm trees sprung from the nether and the air began to grow warm and moist. Stunned, she watched as the horizon sprouted distant volcanoes spewing superheated air into the atmosphere.
What was going on?
Something bumped into arm. Taking a look she saw the muzzle of a Brontosaurus leaning against her shoulder. Jumping with fright she fell back onto the sand kicking a plume of it into the air. The beast towered over her and gazed down with curiosity. Her throat went dry as she frantically came to her feet. However, there wasn't much in the way of an escape. Planting her back against a massive boulder she clenched her eyes shut as the beast began to sniff at her hair. Peeking with a single eye she saw the dino stick out its tongue and lick the side of her face.
"Aw, do I taste sweet to you? Sorry but I'm not a fruit," she finally said. The brontosaurus stared at her with dark beady eyes and proceeded to lick at her hair with its monstrous sized tongue.
From the corner of her eyes she noticed what looked like birds flying off into the distance. A distant but carnivorous roar then followed and even the friendly giant lifted its long neck into the air seemingly looking off into nothing.
The ground began to tremble and Honey felt a sense of dread surge through her veins. Leaning forward and spotting a veil of dense forestation off a ways she could hear something approaching. Soft at first and then ear splitting loud.
With a bellowing roar the trees gave way to a Tyrannosaur, its massive teeth gleaming in the sunlight, a look of hunger evident in its bloodlust eyes. Her new friend quickly turned to flee but not before the carnivore sped freakishly towards it. Honey felt her legs give out from fear, her mind going blank. She wanted to go home. Away from here. Clutching the stone tightly she prayed to return but the only answer she received was the blood curdling screams of the brontosaurus as it was being torn apart.
Panicking and feeling herself become frantic her eyes fell upon the monster that now stared at her, blood running down its rough skinned jaw.
"Ta-Tadashi... help me..."
She blinked.
The night sky returned and the forest she had found herself in had regained its shape. She could hear her heartbeat thumping in her ears as she swallowed hard. The stone went dark and her mind did the same. She possessed something powerful. Something extraordinary. There must be a way to harness it.
She needed to get to Hiro.
