It started with a woman.

She had no significance in the world's grand scheme, existing as her own person living day-to-day life. There was one person she held close and in high regard. He wasn't exactly the definition of model citizen despite his demeanor and upbringing – born into wealth, pacifistic in the thinnest sense of the word, and happy-go-lucky. He brought it upon himself to bring peace to his neighborhood, crying every time he had to resort to or experienced violence. She calms him with the song she wrote – it lacks lyrics, but she's getting to it. Melodies played on her guitar named after an Old Hollywood actress act as the soothing lullaby to make anyone relaxed. Their lives were something they planned to discard to start anew. When that was hadn't been decided.

May 14, 1998. No one, from the authorities to the media reporters, knew the reason for his disappearance. She attempts to learn a song she heard to pass the time until there's a case lead or he returned.

"I'm still trying to keep this time from running out.
Head down, always moving on and on and on."

It was an accident.

Billions of people.

One person was chosen.

Another heart is held together by a string. Time is more than a concept. It's the constantly warping barrier keeping them separate.

A new life where she doesn't believe anything – history is fiction at this point. Thinly veiled allegiance is her cover for a spree of violence. One person – a new Valentine, allegedly one of the thousands made every day since the original died – declares war on the world and dies at her hands on repeat. Another – that damn knight or whatever he is now! – defeats her five years later. She hadn't accounted for his improved state. In another lifetime, she defeated his past self in front of him, yet he continued to live from the words of someone they both knew. Frustrated, she goes back, finding herself unable to kill her previous victim again.

The strange man who shares her powers – he feels like they know each other, she doesn't return the thought until later – asks her something. Asking escalates to pleading, she shows some sympathy and replies she cannot do it. They learn the truth about themselves from an "angel" – she claims their boss wants to save her from herself. The vagabonds part for now, with her suggesting he join her to lead dishonest lives. Later they meet again; she tells him not to fear his power and find his own perspective.

Immense power and responsibility are cast upon one woman. She is the world, and the world is her. A man calls out – curses aloud in desperation. He's scrambling to pinpoint where it went wrong. It's a new voice she doesn't recognize.

"How could this be?! Mankind's emotions have overtaken the world! And one girl is supposed to shoulder it all? The world tore itself from its origin. Her godhood is nigh! The only solution is to rid her of human desire. Humanity's hope for the future comes at the cost of her own. Forgive me. All I can leave her is her name..."

Musician in red.

Crimson minstrel.

The calamity.

A voice yells to warn their comrades. "It's I-No!"

[December 12, 2187. Wasteland – en route to Illyria City. Early afternoon.]

A woman learning about the world she had a hand in creating finds herself seated in a motorcycle's sidecar, accompanying a man regarded as the world's savior. To her dismay, her prior identity became synonymous with war and destruction. In a twist of irony, who drove the bike had a part in the course of history as well, be it they were lovers turned enemies and back again. It wasn't until seven years ago that she was finally defeated, and humans temporarily knew peace. Three weeks since the last threat to existence fell from grace, forces bested by a combined worldwide effort. Unfortunately, who she became played a part in it, refusing either outcome, thus calling for a forced override. A turbulent history spanning a century, had the activation test for her new self gone precisely as planned, humanity wouldn't have come to dread the name Justice.

With a second chance at life, Aria Hale was reborn. Justice remains a part of her, not locked away in a pocket dimension or one of the recesses of her memory. Instead, the commander Gear is still within from magical powers and strength – her most potent ability hasn't come to light yet if she still has it. Her companion went by two names, his original identity known to a select few. The hero known as Sol Badguy was a fellow scientist for the Gear project named Frederick Bulsara. The two began a partnership this past weekend, with Hale taking up the profession of a bounty hunter and the matching alias "Luna." Residing in her head (and by extension, the magi-tech goggles she asked one of the castle's technicians to work on) is the lifeform who previously occupied her body, Jack-O Valentine, acting as an observer and guiding voice.

Regarding her first two days, the first bounty she turned in yesterday went without a hitch. She found it a great change of pace after leaving home she spent the past eleven days since leaving the hospital. The two are headed towards their next target past the halfway point between Florence and Illyria City – her second in a row she happened to choose by luck.

"Hey you boy, hey you!
Hey you boy, think that you know what you're doing."

"You think you're gonna set things to rights.
You're just another picture on a teenage wall."

"You're just another sucker ready for a fall!"

"Hey, Sol."

"Hm?"

Aria wanted to hear his honest opinion again – she first heard it after leaving the station and collecting the reward. "Do you think I did well yesterday?"

"What kind of question is that?" Sol briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her. "Of course, you did. It's not something everyone can pick up overnight, but somehow you did, and you're one for one."

"Hah," she emitted a chuckle. "You're just saying that."

"I'm not," he replied, flashing a smile in her direction. "I mean it. You're cut out for this."

"I agree. And I'm not just saying that either. ~" Jack-O adds, watching the road in front of them as they cruised down the asphalt. "You surprised even me with how you handled it."

The entire situation still sounded ridiculous to her. Waking up in a new era, piloting a new body that felt like her original frame. Rekindling the bond with who she'd give her life for, with getting to know the family they indirectly started – along with befriending the key to her rebirth. Gaining a new set of competencies, wildly different than what she initially knew. Barely picking at the surface of everything that's come to pass. "We sound like science fiction protagonists. A cytologist and a particle physicist become heroes, guided by the secondary voice in one of their heads after their lives took a turn for the worst."

"That's one way to put it. You always knew how to say what we were thinking."

Backpack in her lap, she played with the keychain trinket she bought from an art gallery's gift shop. "How do you think everyone else is doing? I'd say a quick stop home would be good before we head out again."

"Should we tell them about our discoveries? As in how you have magic powers and that I can materialize for a short time before I have to return to your body? Or, would you want to keep it a secret until it's the right time? Just tossing suggestions out there."

Thoughts of how Ky, Dizzy, and the kids were faring without them hadn't crossed his mind. Constant communication wasn't something either side brought up as Ky's words to them before they departed were "call if you need anything." Thinking of a quick answer that she'd like, Sol lightly shrugged and answered, "probably the same as ever. They'll be thrilled to know you bought them gifts. If there were a problem, they'd have contacted us by now."

"Yeah, you're right. Not like anything horrific could've happened in the past 48 hours." Aria lowered her goggles to her eyes, activating the radar function to check for an update on their target. "He's nearby. A couple of miles southbound from where we are now."

"I've got an idea." He pointed out a ledge up ahead. "What do you say we try a surprise approach?"

"Sounds great. When he's close," she banged her fist against her palm, "we swoop in."

Her enthusiasm and positive attitude continued to amuse him. "Exactly." Heading towards the indicated point, he drove the vehicle up towards the top of the ridge, parking near the center. She got out of the sidecar, leaving her bag in the seat. Walking a few steps towards the edge and kicking aside some rocks, she sat down, right leg crossed under the left that lazily dangled over the edge. With multiple holo-screens activated, she focused on managing her information – fingers tapping the key ring boards and swapping between panels. Pondering a bit, he chose his following words carefully not to offend her, though that in itself was difficult to do. "A navigator that can fight and uses a metal weapon as her backup plan. The next thing you're going to tell me is you're planning on becoming a pop idol or a media icon."

"Pfft, nah. I wouldn't even think about it." She's stated she doesn't care for fame and attention. Closing the extra windows she cleared, the target locator opened so she could keep an eye on it. "There. And now, we wait."

Seating himself to her left, he asked, "wanna chat to pass the time?"

"I'd love to. Any thoughts?"

Placing his hand on her shoulder, the response was simple. "Let's talk about you."