Tw: mentioning of death and hints of child/domestic abuse.

The subway passed by lightly and quickly, giving the passengers inside only occasional jolts. The landscape outside was difficult to perceive by sight alone, as if it were a fragment of a dream. Outside there seemed to be a warm, vaguely filtered light, like the light of a lamp hidden under a winter blanket. Everything was very quiet; it was not possible to hear the sound of the train running on the tracks.

The inspector, his dog and the five kids sat side by side, their eyes fixed on Frank, Bruno and Rain.

Rain was sobbing, hiding their face in the large unicorn-shaped stuffed animal they had managed to bring with them in a cream-colored backpack.

Frank stared at an undefined place in front of him, quiet but attentive.

Bruno kept his head down grimly. No one spoke.

At one point, a soft but electronic voice informed them of the name of the next stop, startling them.

"What did it say?" Jake whispered to his girlfriend, that looked as much confused as him.

"I don't know. I didn't quite catch the name." Yutani whispered back, shaking her head.

A rather strange scene appeared on a small screen placed near the doors of the train.

A woman was holding a little girl in her arms, looking at her with a loving gaze.

A man was kissing the woman's hair before caressing the baby's head. The woman smiled at him.

[Isn't she beautiful? Look how cute she is!] he murmured so as not to wake the little one up.

[Yes.] The man replied, smiling sweetly. [Welcome to the family, Yutani.]

"Mom! Dad!" Yutani suddenly stood up and ran toward the screen. She stopped with her face inches from it, watching the scene with sad and frightened eyes. "But that's... that's me!" she turned to Frank. "Frank, what's going on?"

"We're going back in time." Frank replied in a calm tone. "You're seeing your past right now because you're the last one who spoke, and the train - or time subway - picked up your essence and your memories. That is how it works."

"What? But then I have to get off right away! I have to go back to my parents!" Yutani cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"Absolutely not, Yutani. If you get off the train now, you would be in a time frame that does not belong to you. You could cause damage to your timeline and get stuck in paradoxes or time loops." Bruno warned her, finally looking up. "You could find yourself reliving the same day forever, or changing your past. You don't play with time. You have to get off at exactly the right stop, not one more and not one less."

"Exactly. Bruno is absolutely right." Frank agreed and nodded.

"..." Yutani stared at them for a few seconds. She opened her mouth to reply, only to close it again shortly after without actually being able to say anything. She turned to the screen one last time, gently stroking the scene with one hand before returning to her seat next to Jake.

The boy hugged her tightly and closed his eyes.

The screen went black again and the voice again announced the next stop in a language apparently unintelligible to the human ear.

This time a boy of about ten years appeared on the screen, but with his back turned. His hair was the same hazel color as Frank's, but he was not clearly recognizable since his face was not visible. He was wearing a white t-shirt and pants, and was sitting in a chair similar to those used in dentists' offices. He appeared to be unconscious, as his head was helplessly tilted forward. His wrists and ankles were bound to the chair, while several electrical wires protruded from the back of his head, and his arms were wrapped in bandages and plastic tubing connected to several IVs. The child appeared to be in a hospital or laboratory, with sterile white walls and several people in white coats hovering around him.

"Huh? But...? Frank, is that you?" Rain muttered, her voice choked with tears. "What are they doing to you?"

"I don't know. I don't remember that scene." Frank murmured, keeping his eyes on the screen. "The last time I traveled through time, I was alone and I never said anything. I arrived right at the destination, with no stops in between."

The rest of the group stared at the scene with curiosity and attention, listening to the rest of the discussion between the men on the screen.

[Do you think he will survive?] One man, perhaps a doctor or scientist, said to a colleague.

[We will see. This fusion of human consciousness and artificial intelligence has never been done before. The result is unpredictable and dangerous, yet fascinating. This child may lose its identity and sense of self and change its emotions. But it must be done. Science must pay a price to make progress]. He pressed a button and the child's slender body twitched slightly.

[Presumably, since his memories have been erased, the risk of losing his identity is reduced, but there may still be a conflict between his human consciousness and the artificial intelligence.]

[We'll see.]

At these revelations, everyone turned around in shock to stare at Frank. Frank was motionless with a stare at the screen, his face always hidden by his indecipherable rabbit mask. There was a dead silence as the screen went black again.

Rain wiped away her tears before gently placing a hand on Frank's shoulder, who flinched slightly. "Frank? Are you okay?" she asked him in a worried voice.

"I don't know." Frank admitted, lowering his eyes. "But that... explains a lot." he added in an icy tone.

"Well, I'm not surprised. I'd be pretty shocked too if I found out some people were doing strange experiments on me without my knowledge." Jake commented, raising an eyebrow. He was beginning to doubt if what he was experiencing was just the result of a strange dream or if it was really happening.

Frank did not respond, continuing to stare at an undefined spot in front of him.

Rain opened his mouth to speak, but was again interrupted by the voice from the subway intercom.

This time, Jake, who looked to be about three years old, appeared on the screen. He was hiding behind the leg of a table, looking frightened. His little hands were gripping the table leg tightly, while his little body was visibly shaking. Two shadows could be seen above him as voices argued angrily.

[I said get out! Get the hell out!] a female voice shouted, and Jake's eyes went wide. "Mom..." he mumbled, keeping his eyes glued to the screen like the rest of the group.

In the background, the sound of what looked like a vase or plate being destroyed could be heard. The woman screamed.

[This is all your fault! Are you even ordering me to leave? If you had been a better wife, I would never have gone looking for another woman!] a male voice shouted angrily before another sound of breaking glass was heard.

[Stop it! I said stop it! Not in front of Jake!]

[You and that damn brat have ruined my life. Do you understand?! I didn't want a son! Not now! Not with you!]

[I didn't want a kid now either, but now that he's here, it's our duty to love him! You're an asshole, shame on you!] Suddenly Connie screamed and the shadow of the man was seen attacking her with a slap in the face.

Both the Jake on the screen and Jake gasped at the same time and made the same gesture, clutching their sweatshirt tightly to their chest with their left hand. Yutani squeezed his right hand in concern.

[I won't let you talk to me like that!]

Connie burst into tears. Jake on the screen tried to come out of his hiding place, but was blocked by his father's scream.

[You stay out of this! Or-]

[Don't you dare touch him! I swear, if you even dare to think about hurting Jake, I'll kill you!]

[You're so loud now, but look at you! You're pathetic. I bet you got pregnant to trap me into this relationship, didn't you?]

[What are you talking about? Do you even hear yourself when you speak?]

[You're the one who insisted on staying together, saying it was better for your son!]

[MY son?! He's OUR son!]

[Ah, really? Is he really mine? Because I heard rumors that you were giving your coworker a little too much attention!]

[I never did anything! The only one cheating here is you!]

Another loud noise, more crying, more screaming. The Jake in the frame crouched in a fetal position, his hands protecting his head.

[Enough! Now get out! Get out of our lives and never come back! If you don't leave in five minutes, I'm calling the police, you understand?!]

The scene stopped and the screen went black again.

Jake bit his lower lip, obviously doing his best not to burst into tears."Jake..."

Ted reached out a hand to gently stroke his hair. "I'm so sorry." He could only manage to say as Jake's friends stared at him in silence with a worried and distraught look on their faces.

"Mom had only told me that dad had found another woman - I didn't know that he had beaten her." He suddenly burst into an angry sob, clutching the fabric of his pants tightly. "That damn bastard... if I find him again, I swear I'll kill him."

"Don't say that, Jake. Please. I understand your anger, but don't stoop to his level." Mumbled Ted, who could barely hold back his own tears. This scene had hit him particularly close to the soul.

Jake shook his head and said nothing as silent tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Yutani hugged him tightly, trying to ease his pain.

Suddenly the voice announced the next stop. This time, Ted visibly gasped as he saw himself on the screen, holding a woman's hand in the hospital.

She appeared to be dying, her eyes half closed and breathing heavily.Ted looked much thinner and younger, sobbing desperately, his head bent over the edge of the hospital bed. In the background were bouquets of flowers of various colors.

[Don't cry, honey, you know this is not the end.] the woman whispered to him, hinting at a smile despite the obvious pain on her face.

[Mathilda...] The inspector's voice was broken by tears. [How will I live without you? How will Spike grow up without his mother?]

[I'll always be there for my family, Ted, you know that, even if you can't see me.]

[I-I can't do it, I can't do it, I'm not strong enough!]

[You have to.] The woman squeezed his hand harder. [You have to, Ted. You have no choice. Please promise me that you will continue to appreciate the beauty of sunsets, the smell of the ocean, the joy of our son's smile. Don't let my physical absence keep you and Spike from living.]

[I was not a good husband. We said so many bad things to each other, I made you suffer so much. Oh, Mathilda. I'm so sorry. I want to go back in time and make up for my past mistakes.]

[The mistakes of your past have made you the man you are now.] the woman smiled at him, unable to hold back her tears either. [I'm proud of you, Ted; I'm sure Spike is in good hands. He has a wonderful dad.]

The screen went blank.

Ted lowered his eyes, hiding them behind his thick eyebrows. Even the kisses his dog gave him on his hands did not help him to come out of this state of absolute silence. No one spoke for a while.

"Damn, guys." Rain finally murmured, hugging the stuffed unicorn tighter. "I'm so sorry about, you know, everything. I'm so sorry."

No one answered them. Only the electronic voice of the subway broke the silence.

Rain appeared on the screen, clutching a cardboard box containing all their belongings. She had a dull look on her face and was walking aimlessly through the streets of the City of the Super Runner. It was impossible to tell if she was crying or not as the rain had completely soaked her face. Their clothes were dirty and tattered, and her white shoes were now completely black, as if she had been walking for a long time without ever stopping. At one point, he paused in front of a bench, looking down, trying to avoid the curious looks of passersby. He looked like a completely different person than the one his friends had always known. He pulled out a picture of two smiling people. [Mom... Dad ... you said you loved me. That Jenny and I were the most important thing to you...] they murmured, their voice sounded dull. [Did you love me, or your idea of me?] they asked to himself.

[You ask yourself too many questions. In my opinion, you should tell all these assholes to fuck off.] A seemingly familiar voice suddenly answered her, off screen.Rain looked up, clearly trying to make out who the voice was in front of her despite her fogged up glasses. [Excuse me?]

[Hi. My name is Miss Maia.] A hand appeared and shook Rain's hand, which still seemed to be interjected. [Hello.] Rain replied half-heartedly. [What do you want from me?] they asked her with a clear suspicion on their face, their body tending to move slightly away from the person talking to them.

[I want to help you, what is your name?]

[My name is...] They looked up as the rain drummed on their prescription lenses. They took a deep breath and closed their eyes for a moment. [My name is Rain.]

[Rain? I'd say that's an appropriate name.] The scene stopped again, and Rain also sank into a muteness to hide her deep sadness.

"Miss Maia was very important to you, wasn't she?" asked Bruno gently, with a sad smile on his face.

Rain just nodded and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

"I'm so sorry it turned out like this." Bruno continued.

"I should have saved her. I should have saved her like she saved me. My parents were right, I am a failure." Rain sobbed.

"You did everything you could. Unfortunately, a lot of things cannot be controlled." Tricky murmured, trying to cheer her up.

Rain shook her head and continued to cry silently.

The screen lit up again, showing a much younger Tricky trying to show her mother a drawing. Her mother watched her with an annoyed look as she held a phone in one hand.

[Sorry, Dolores. Wait, Beatrice is here and she wants to show me one of her drawings. Yes.] She put her hand on the phone and sighed. [What is it, Beatrice?]

[Mom! Look! I drew you, Dad and me! I also drew Dino!]

[And who's Dino?] Mrs. Fairchild asked condescendingly. [That weird blue dinosaur?]

[My imaginary friend! I have told you about him many times, Mother! Why don't you ever remember him?]

[Ah, yes. Yes. Nice. Now, why don't you go play with the dolls for a while and let Mommy take care of the important things? Your nanny should be upstairs, that's what I pay her for!]

[I already played with her, I wanted to spend some time with you! I also wanted to tell you...] But Mrs. Fairchild had her attention elsewhere and no longer listened to her. Tricky looked disappointed and silently left the room. But a voice suddenly made her smile.

[Who is my favorite child?]

[Daddy!] Tricky started to run and hugged a man in a blue dinosaur costume. She giggled loudly, amused by the strange disguise.

[Dad? I'm Dino! Your best friend!] her father replied, playing along. Tricky laughed even louder and decided to humor him.

[All right, Dino, shall we play together?]

The screen went black again.

Tricky seemed almost embarrassed by what she had seen. She smiled awkwardly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Ouch. My memories are so nice compared to yours. You must think I'm a spoiled brat who complains too much."

"I don't think so." Fresh said, smiling at her and patting Tricky on the shoulder. "It's not like it's the Pain Olympics, you know."

Tricky smiled in return and nodded slowly. "Thank you. I was very lonely as a kid. I went to a fancy private school where everyone was snobby and distant and I couldn't make friends. My mother was interested in displaying me as a trophy to show everyone that she was the perfect woman of the house. But they didn't really care that I was there, as long as I kept quiet and didn't bother them."

"But you had your daddy by your side. And now you have us, too." King exclaimed, smiling.

"That's true. Thank you, King. Despite the difficulties, I consider myself lucky." Tricky smiled again, but more sincerely, and nodded. "Thank you all."

"We should be almost there. I recommend that nobody says nothing and makes no comment about the next stop, so that we arrive sooner and with less emotional turmoil for everyone." Frank suggested calmly. He seemed strangely serene, as if what he had just seen had not upset him all that much.

The others nodded and looked silently at the screen where a unique scene appeared.

A blond boy seemed to be getting ready to bake a cake, happily mixing the ingredients and humming a tune. He left the bowl of dough on the kitchen table and walked towards the door when he heard a knock.

[Coming! Hey, Frankie, is that you? Welcome back, honey! I was just making your favorite pie!]

When he opened the door, however, he was confronted by a group of policemen. He stepped aside to let them into the house and they began to argue. The boy looked frightened.

"Brody!" Frank shouted, clearly caught off guard, causing the rest of the group to jump in surprise.

They watched in disbelief as Frank hurriedly got up from his seat and pressed the stop request button. He looked strangely agitated, which scared his companions.

"Hey Frank, FRANK! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" shouted Rain, standing up and grabbing Frank's arm.

"Rain, I'm sorry. But my ride ends here."

"What do you mean it ends here! Didn't you just say to-"

"Forget what I said. I know I was contradictory. But I didn't expect this, honestly." Frank told them firmly, releasing himself from Rain's grip. She looked at him in complete shock.

"Frank, can you explain?" exclaimed Jake, obviously startled. "Do you want to die?"

"I don't have time to explain it in detail. I really have to try to get off the train. I have to help Brody before it's too late! If I hadn't been so late - maybe I could have saved Brody." Frank's tone was calm, but his voice seemed to shake slightly.

"Aren't you afraid of creating time anomalies?" asked Yutani.

"I don't mind. I would do anything to have even a chance to change the past." Frank said as the train slowly slowed down. The door was about to open.

"What, Frank, what about you?" sobbed Rain desperately, holding her hands close to her face.

"I'll be fine, Rain. Thanks for everything. You're the closest thing I had to a friend." Frank replied in a softer tone. "Thank you all, really. Thank you, Bruno, for helping me on so many missions with your inventions."

The train door opened.

"Wait!" Jake shouted before standing up and hugging Frank. "Thank you - thank you for saving my life earlier! Thank you, Frank! I hope to see you again sometime!"

Frank patted his head gently. "Maybe we will see each other again someday. Who knows?" he said enigmatically before nodding to the other kids. "You're all great guys. I'm sure you'll do great things."

"Good luck." Ted nodded, looking professional but sincere. Frank nodded in turn before stepping off the train and disappearing into the light.