"WAAAAAAAHH!"
"AAAAHHH!"
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! WHAM!
"Ugh…" Antoni groaned, feeling the weight of the people and raptor on his back as they sat on him and possibly had caused some injuries with landing on him. "Gonna feel that for awhile."
"Oh yeah…." Brenda grimaced having been pinned by Delta. "Unconscious raptor weight… Not… FUN!"
"Get her back home before she possibly breaks my spine."
The woman nodded typing commands on her watch before the raptor disappeared in a burst of blue light. "Gone."
"Good…" Antoni sighed in relief.
"Ahem."
Antoni froze, looking behind him to see the doctors and nurse.
"... Ah Angel Feathers."
Brenda groaned. "Crap and a half!"
Markus narrowed his eyes. "What… Was… THAT!?"
"Well if you get off me I can explain." Antoni gave an annoyed look. "You're crushing my ribs."
Everyone hurried to get off of him. "Sorry!"
Antoni got up, dusting himself off.
"To put it simple… we just time traveled!"
Everyone was quiet as they looked at him like he was crazy.
Markus charged at him grabbing his scarf pulling it VERY tightly. "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? TIME TRAVEL!? FREAKIN' DINOSAURS!? AND JUST WHY DID YOU BRING ALL THAT INTO A HOSPITAL!?"
Antoni was flailing a bit, his eyes wide.
"IT WASN'T INTENTIONAL!"
Markus just tugged harder. "I WANT ANSWERS RIGHT NOW!"
Brenda put a hand to her face. "Oh this is just "great"..."
Antoni tried getting Markus to let go with his hands, but it wasn't working… then before anyone could blink, tattered gold wings appeared on Antoni's back, pushing Markus away with a small gust.
"Ack!" Antoni gasped, coughing a bit. "Air… I take thee for granted."
"Do I need to bring back the freakin' dinosaur? Cause if I have to…" Brenda glared at Markus. "I will for safety's sake…"
"No need… their reaction is normal for humans… well humans who aren't versed in time travel."
"Ah yes, I remember those days…" Brenda shook her head. "Dark ages…"
Markus had an unimpressed look. "I still. Want. Answers. About ALL of this."
Elena was staring at the wings on Antoni's back. "Um…"
"Calm down…" Antoni waved a hand, the wings disappearing. "I'm not a mutant… eh… Okay maybe that's not entirely true but that aside… I'll say it again, we just time traveled. Chrono Demon, that was the thing that nearly got me killed, made a rip in the time continuum and teleported all of us to a different time, most likely so it could make an escape or just for the heck of it. Possibly both. Either way, I was looking for that thing, hoping to take it out without getting outsiders involved." Antoni gave a grin. "The end!"
The three looked at him with a dumbfounded look. "So… That happened…"
"Yup." Antoni crossed his arms. "That's everything in a nutshell."
"Yeah… And because you three couldn't listen to simple instructions "Stay here" now you're here with us." Brenda shook her head. "Normies I swear…"
"Well when you hear loud noises that shouldn't be heard coming from an OR it's kind of hard to just sit there." Valerie remarked, narrowing her eyes.
"Exactly, especially when someone BROKE INTO our hospital!" Markus added.
"... Do you guys never watch horror films? Cause seriously… Lesson one… RUN AWAY FROM THE NOISE!" Brenda yelled.
Antoni ran a hand through his hair. "I was gonna be quick about it, and it's not like they'd just let me in. So… time top used frequently. And I say frequently because I can't keep it on 24/7 or I pass out."
Elena sighed as she took all of this in. "This is just… Very shocking…"
"Yeah…" Valerie looked around. "Where… are we exactly? Or… When are we?"
"Hm… One moment." Antoni looked a watch on his wrist, nodding. "Ah, we're in the year 2021, and we are currently in Angeles Bay."
"... Did he just say-" Markus began.
Valerie almost fell over at the sound of it.
"2-2-2021?! You mean 7 years ago?!"
"Yep." Antoni nodded. "Ah this is a fun year. Derek Stiles on the front lines of the disease war… Well was. The part we're in, the war is over now."
"Oh dear gosh… Derek… Stiles… When he was in his prime…"
Antoni looked at Markus, eyes focused. "You seem familiar… Hm… Brenda… Did the book we were looking at about medicine history menton anything big that happened in the year 2028?"
Brenda snapped her fingers as it came to her. "Stigma! That huge Stigma outbreak happened!" She looked at the three grinning. "... We have heroes among us."
"That explains why you three look familiar." Antoni pointed his fingers at each of them. "Markus Vaughn, Valerie Blaylock, and Elena Salazar. The team that was on the front lines."
"H-How do you know so much about us?" Elena asked. "And who are you?"
Antoni gave a bow. "Antoni Casimir, and the reason I know so much is because I am a Time Keeper. We're kind of required to learn about things from time to time that were important in history if we are needed to go to a certain time. Brenda here helped me with my study. You three are well known in the Time Keeper Medical History books, along with Derek Stiles of course and whatever other big names are out there."
"Alright… Officially accepted it…" Markus sighed shakily. "No use freaking out now… We traveled time… With actual time travelers… Saw a freaking DINOSAUR and now are in Derek Stiles' hometown…"
"Well, since you're a time traveler…" Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Mind taking us home? Please?"
"Certainly, one moment." Antoni focused a bit, bringing his hands up, showing marks on them that left of a bit of a glow. Just as it seemed they were about to do something… all that happened was small sparks. Antoni's eyes snapped open, looking at his hands. "Uh…"
Brenda looked worried. "Oh no… No… Your powers crudded out!?"
Antoni tried again, and only go sparks, his eyes widening in horror.
"I… I can't feel them there… They're gone!"
"Oh gosh…" Brenda gasped putting a hand over her mouth. "Antoni…"
"You… Can't get us home…?"
Antoni slowly shook his head. "I… I don't understand…" he brought his hands to his head, falling to his knees. "No…"
Brenda hurried to his side kneeling with him. "Oh sweetie…" She stroked his back trying to comfort him. "I'm so sorry… Maybe it's just due to the jump…?"
"Maybe… I've never had this happen before… and I really hope it isn't permanent…" He looked at Brenda with a pained look. "Those powers mean a lot more to me than any other Time Keeper."
Brenda frowned nodding. "I know hon'..." She brought her arm around him bringing him in closer. "We'll figure this out okay? You're gonna be fine..."
Antoni nodded. "In the mean time… Maybe you could get these guys home with your device?"
Brenda nodded. "I can try…" She pulled up a touch screen typing in the dates. "Alright… Time to sync-"
Nothing.
She growled trying again. "Time to sync-"
Still nothing.
"... Oh for the love of Jurassic…" She muttered looking it over. "... Yeah…" She looked at Antoni with an irritated look. "My juice is out. The touch screen still turns on but the unit that activates the time jumps is totally drained… I used the last of it sending Delta back."
"Joy… just running into all sorts of corners today… I think that Chrono Demon is probably behind the mess."
"I know one thing… When I find it, I'm gonna shove my boot so far up its-"
"Um… Excuse me." Elena was kneeling in front of Antoni.
"Yes…?"
"Can… I see the mark on your hands?"
"Um… sure…"
Antoni held up one of his hands. The mark in question was an hour glass with two wings circling around it, one upside down and the other right side up.
"Strange…" she muttered.
Antoni got a confused look. "Um… I suppose but I explained what I was so it shouldn't be too much of a shocker that I have weird marks."
"No…" Elena glanced to the side. "It's not that."
"What is then?" Brenda asked. "You familiar with Time Keepers?"
Elena shook her head. "No… It's this." Elena held one of her hands… showing it had the same mark.
Antoni's jaw dropped. "H-HAH?!"
Brenda's eyes widened. "How is that-YOU'RE A MORTAL!"
Markus and Valerie exchanged looks before looking at their own hands.
"Wh-What the…?!"
Antoni paled a bit. "Oh Amser…"
Markus looked at the mark on his hand wide eyed. "This… Cannot be-... Just… Why us!?"
Brenda shook her head. "This is getting weirder and weirder… And I thought time travel was nuts back then…"
"Time travel is just funny… and I need to test some things… just not out in the open… Good thing we landed in this time… I have a place where we can stay. The Time Keepers have a Time Share here."
"Let's head there then… Regroup and maybe get some rest on top of all this."
"Yeah…" Antoni looked to the three. "This is probably gonna be a rougher ride than we'd like…"
Soon, the group found themselves are a rather large and nice apartment.
"Whoa…" Elena muttered, looking around, fascinated by the interior style. "Very… Victorian."
"The last Time Keeper who was here has a knack for interior design of earlier eras. Plus, I stay here a lot, so they like to have me feel at home." Antoni answered, shedding his scarf and coat.
Markus nodded as he headed further in. "It's.. Interesting."
Brenda shook her head. "Ah time shock… I can still see it on 'em. Good thing I didn't have one of the little ones with me… You know baby raptors like nipping new people."
Elena got a bit of a scared look. "Uhhh…."
"Calm down, no baby raptors, just us till we can get this time thing figured out." Antoni sat down on a couch. "And even if we get Brenda's device recharged, I can't just send you back with those marks on your hands."
"So we're stuck here…" Valerie sighed. "Oh great…"
Brenda took a seat on one of the chairs. "Consider it an adventure. You'll keep some kind of sanity that way."
"Yeah… now I wanna test something…" Antoni eyed Elena. "... Think fast." Antoni dug a coin out of his pocket throwing it at her.
Elena's eyes widen… and she moved out of the way in what seemed like a split second, the coin landing on the on the floor with a loud, clink.
"Interesting…"
"So we've found your Time Stop." Brenda nodded before getting up heading into the kitchen grabbing a muffin taking a bite. "Now who else wants to share with the class?"
Markus eyed the muffin… It was chocolate. He looked at the mark, wondering what he got. He focused before a portal opened, and he could see the muffin on the other side. He grinned, grabbing it… the one in Brenda's hand disappearing.
Brenda's eyes widened as she also realized she could no longer taste it. "H-HEY! THAT WAS MINE!"
"You owe us." Markus retorted, munching on the muffin.
"And chocolate is something Markus happens to like." Valerie giggled.
"Got ya… Remind me to eat before everyone else then…" Brenda muttered more to herself. "Well we found Time Travel… So…" She eyed Valerie. "That leaves you."
"If I had to guess, Reversal is hers." Antoni crossed his arms, his wings appearing again. "Because I still have my wings… and I only have four powers."
"Got it… I'm not sure how to activate it though…"
"It's simple, you focus and you tap into it. Though with Reversal, it's our way of healing… Let me show you." Antoni eyed Markus. He grinned before finding something sharp in the room, grabbed one of Markus' arms, and gave it a nice cut. "That's for stealing from Brenda."
"YOWCH!"
Antoni stepped back, looking to Valerie. "You're up."
Valerie sighed, walking over to Markus, taking the injured arm into her hands. She brought one of her hands over it, focusing… and in a second the wound seemed to fix itself… almost like time was turned back on it, and a faint glow was coming off her hand where the mark was located.
Markus sighed in relief. "Thanks Val… Heh… Literal Healing Touch."
Valerie smiled sheepishly. "Yeah…"
"So there's where all my powers went…" Antoni brought a hand to his face. "Chrono Demon… it has to be… They just love messing with us, just because."
"Just as bad as Dream Trolls…" Brenda shook her head.
"Anyway to undo it?" Elena asked.
"That's the thing… I don't know." Antoni sighed. "I've never had this problem."
Markus sighed. "Well… We'll just have to adjust then…"
Brenda hummed in thought. "Well…. Since we're stuck like this for awhile… Why not put these three to work…?"
Antoni looked to them. "... Would it help your sanity if you could temporarily live in this time?"
"... Yes. Ladies?"
Valerie nodded. "I don't like sitting around doing nothing."
"Same." Elena agreed.
"Then yes… We'd like to be able to work here. Even if it's just a small clinic… Just that itch to keep helping people."
"I'll arrange something then." Antoni put his head in hands. "I need to get into contact with the higher ups… Oh!" Antoni looked to Markus. "I need you to open a portal for me. Just think about time itself, and not a particular time."
"Okay…" Markus closed his eyes, holding out a hand as a portal opened to what appeared to be a black space with a golden flowing stream floating in it with a bunch of numbers flying by.
Antoni grinned. "Perfect… I'll be back. Make yourselves comfortable." Antoni took Brenda's hand. "Shall we?"
Brenda smiled squeezing his hand. "We shall. Let's go."
The two lept through the portal, it closing shortly after, leaving the three to their own devices.
"So… we're basically all time travelers of sorts?" Valerie asked, slumping in a chair. "Well… life just got more interesting… again…"
Markus sat down on the couch leaning back. "On the upside… We didn't drop in, in the middle of the GUILT epidemic… Or the Rosalia outbreak… What could go wrong."
Elena groaned. "Dr. Vaughn… Why?"
"... What!? I'm just saying…" He mumbled.
"Just let it go, Elena… Let it go." Valerie muttered.
Elena sighed. "Sorry… But, he's right, we're in a good time so… no disease worries…"
"Yeah…" Valerie nodded. "Just a quiet peaceful period in time… Most intense thing we'll probably see is a defect or two…"
"Yeah… guess we'll just wait and see."
A portal opened up, Antoni and Brenda reappearing.
"That was quick." Valerie commented.
"Time travel is funny." Antoni deadpanned, unlooping a bag around him, and opening it. "But that aside…" He pulled out ID tags, tossing one to each of them. "The higher ups were able to create a temporary time warp so you guys could work at a hospital and people won't question your existence till we get this resolved."
They looked at the IDs before looking to the two shocked.
"We… We still get to work at Caduceus…!?" Markus gasped.
Antoni nodded. "It was their idea, not mine."
"Yeah we've learned not to question his bosses." Brenda replied looping an arm around Antoni's shoulders. "For now… Sleep sounds REALLY nice right now…"
Antoni nodded. "Very…"
"Wait… did you find anything about getting us back to normal?"
Antoni sighed. "It's the waiting game. They're on a hunt to find the Chrono Demon who did this. In order for this to be reversed they gotta kill the darn thing to lift the lock curse it put on you three and myself and then Amser will set things right."
"Got it…"
"Well… We'll deal with it then."
"Thank you…" Antoni leaned against Brenda, collapsing a bit. "Sorry…"
Brenda kept him close running her free hand through his hair. "It's okay… Let's get you tucked into bed okay?"
"Okay…"
She lead him off to one of the rooms, sighing a bit when they were alone. "This has just been one long freaking day hasn't it my dear?"
"Feels like a long YEAR." Antoni sighed, looking to the mark on his hand. "And I feel like I just lost my sister all over again…"
Brenda frowned sitting with him, bringing both arms around him. "I'm so sorry… So… So sorry…"
Antoni brought his arms around her, holding her close, burying part of his face in her hair, keeping quiet.
Brenda didn't move, just let him have his moment, rubbing circles on his back. Poor Antoni… He loved his sister so much…. Those powers were all he had left…
Antoni slowly relaxed, resting his head against hers.
"I'm glad I have you, Brenda…"
Brenda nuzzled him a little keeping close. "I'll always have your back Antoni. Promise… With all of my heart."
Antoni smiled, kissing her head.
"I know you will…"
She smiled kissing his chin.
"Not just a Time Keeper… The keeper to my heart too."
Antoni stroked her hair, nuzzling a bit.
"Right now… I just want to sleep…"
She nuzzled him sighing in content. "Get some rest then… Want me to stay til you fall asleep?" I still worry…
"I'd like that…"
Brenda smiled hugging him. "Then consider it done… Goodnight…"
Antoni hugged her back before lying down on a bed, closing his eyes.
"Night…"
Brenda sat down on the edge of the bed stroking his hair until he was asleep. She smiled softly.
We'll figure out this mess… You'll be back to your old self in no time…
'Sides… Time is something we know a little about…
