Out of Time Chapter 1: And only time will tell, an arknights fanfic

When I opened my eyes I only saw a blinding whiteness, and to tell you the truth.

That whiteness hurt.

And with that, I closed my eyes as fast as I could.

Not the greatest start but hey! It's something.

Shit, it still hurts.

It's like opening your eyes after sleeping and the first thing you saw was the sun in all its glory. It hurt like hell and there was the screaming of some baby over here which wasn't doing this nothing but even harder to endure.

After some seconds, something started to block that blinding light.

It wasn't much, but it made it easier to see now.

Opening my eyes for the second time, I could see what was blocking that light. It was some figures of people, but it was all a bit blurry. Slowly but surely, I could start seeing better. The first thing I saw was people... in teal? They are aliens?

After some seconds I wanted to berate myself for thinking that, as I started to comprehend that the person I saw was in reality a person with a teal attire. And it was one that I knew pretty well, as it was a surgical suit.

"..."

I heard some noises that came in front of me, probably of the surgeon. It looked like it was talking, but I had trouble understanding because of one reason:

I didn't know what he was saying.

"..."

Another voice, more effeminate responded from behind me.

I mean, they are saying something, that is for sure, but I couldn't interpret it. Maybe another language? Or perhaps they are making noises because they want. I don't know.

Then I comprehended that I was in reality being hold in the gloved hands of the surgeon. With that, everything clicked.

I was born.

The crying stopped, maybe because I was the doing it all of this time without thinking.

I am ashamed it took that much time to interpret it, really. I mean what do you expect? I was talking a few seconds ago with 'him' about the see you soon and all that but… but…

'Him'?

I can't remember his name.

Why?

I remember his face. I remember what we talked about. So how I can't remember his name?

It was some seconds ago so why?

A consequence of being reincarnated or something? There must be more about this-

My thought process was interrupted because I was suddenly wrapped in a warm cloth. With that said, it felt so comfortable that almost made me want to sleep right there, but not still. I need to know where I am.

I mean, I know I am in a surgery room, but… Ah~ I feel so much bliss with this warm cloth. You maybe didn't know this, but I was freezing, so this is a god's send.

After being wrapped, the surgeon continued talking before passing me carefully to the person behind me. Glancing briefly in that direction I saw a frail looking woman in a bed wearing a hospital gown. She had a beautiful straight silver hair, which combined with the light blue eyes. That and a warm smile plastered all over her face.

But the thing that took most of my attention was not her beauty, but another thing. Even more extravagant that the man beside her which looked that saw hell and came back just for the birth of his son.

Her hair… had something akin to... bunny ears?

Now that I looked around… The man beside her had something akin to horns coming from his head too…

Seeing the surgeon from earlier, I can now pinpoint… bear ears?

Ah?

Maybe…

No, don't pinpoint it as the only possible solution. There must be more possibilities that this isn't that world, so continue watching for clues.

Going back to the ear theme I see that…

The strangest thing from all of this…

She and the surgeon had the normal pair of ears at the sides of their heads.

Why?

I mean, I am not that shocked about the extra pair of animal ears and horns, but the thing is…

Why they have both pair of ears? One animal and another human?

Why? Maybe they hear better with the four ears?

I was thinking about that and if that really was the reason that they had more ears, when I was held closely by the woman… Or better said what looked to be my mother.

I mean, it isn't that hard to guess right? Right?

I just hope that I am not going into wrong deductions.

When I looked up I saw a smile that will put anybody to protect it. But that didn't last long, as that beautiful smile transformed slowly into a preoccupied one. She started talking pretty fast with the surgeon and what appeared to be my father about something I didn't understand of course.

This probably took some seconds, before her gaze came back to me.

With a nervous and happy face all together, she started singing a beautiful tune, reminiscent of a lullaby.

It was so lovely, but something about it was bothering me.

The thing is, I didn't hear it in all of my life- or better said, I don't remember hearing it, but it's familiar. Well, something to search later. I just want to enjoy such a beautiful tune.

To tell the truth about how I feel about all of this… It's strange.

Some minutes ago I was shopping so calmly in my past life, and now here I am as a baby born just some seconds ago. It so crazy and bizarre. And of course tiring.

…I don't know how much time passed, but I felt… How to say it? It was such a pleasing feeling. It was warm and fuzzy. At the same time it was calming. I don't know when it happened, but I had a smile in my face because I was feeling happy and secure.

What a stupid reason to have a smile right?

Little by little, my eyes started to close as sleep started to fell upon me.

Glancing up for one last time, I saw how her eyes connected with mine for the first time. I tried to say something, or do anything, but tiredness was already all over my body. The only thing that I could do was wait for the darkness to envelop me and take me to dream land.

But just before I fell asleep, I heard something which for some reason I could understand:

"Micha"

When I opened my eyes for the third time I was in what appeared to be a cradle.

No, it didn't appeared to be, it was one. And I had something akin to those pajamas that babies wore-

A-and a tail?

As it was called, it appeared in front of me.

Eh... what?

No really, I have a tail with a greyish colour. It's as smooth as a lizard's one too.

Okay, okay, okay. Calm down. A tail won't distract you, right?

I mean it's doing it, but enough of that.

First, collect information, then hypothesis and conclusion.

Looking around with my little baby head, I was able to see one of the sides.

What appeared from my research, was a big teddy bear. It almost scared the living hell out of me just because of the poor lighting in the room.

Glancing behind it I found a wall with blue pastel colour. Seeing that I just found a wall and only a wall, I prepared myself to look to the other side and expect a plushie to appear in front of me.

And I was right! As I was greeted by yet another teddy bear, only that in comparison to the other one, this one mas smaller. I pushed it a little to the side to finally see the rest of the room.

It was pretty small, and counting that I literally have the body of a baby… Yeah it's small.

The walls were of the same pastel colour, with the wall in front of me having a door. Maybe it the exit?

The right one from where I was looking had a window to the outside, and it was the only light source, albeit poorly, as something akin to a rain was occurring at this time. The left wall had a big mirror in which I could see myself and a small chest on the bottom of it in the floor, having some big symbols in it. It looked like Russian.

So no other door. Then the front of me is the one and only exit door.

Ah, so they were speaking that? Russian? Or maybe something similar. Remember, don't jump to conclusions that fast. First analyse everything for clues, then hypothesis and conclusion on what you find.

I say that, but there is nothing more to see.

I mean, I found that I have another two plushies, but nothing more that is important or of relevance.

...I am bored.

I try to move a little more, but I can't. Babies don't have so much trouble to move right? So why I can't move!? I can move my head, yes, but only that! And it's stressing me!

I didn't remember that I had such a small temper.

Oh yeah, I have horns too, didn't you know? Because I didn't until I saw myself in the mirror.

They are greyish with black at the ends. Cool right?

Maybe I should sleep-

"..."

Noises.

No, more like talking, as there is two voices. One is familiar, the other not. One female, the other male.

I can pick a lot of things if I am bored, wow.

Looking to the door I can see now that the crevice between it and the floor is showing light from the other side now.

I can hear steps coming closer. After some seconds, the door opens slowly, and from it, the woman- I mean, my mother appears followed by the same horned man from before. She is dressed in something akin to a… well, white dress. It almost makes her something like a snow fairy or something. While I was seeing her, the man turns on the light, and it makes me turn my attention to him.

Looking at the man better, he is almost the contrary of her. His hair is black, and the horns are greyish with the start being darker and the ends clearer. They look like mine too!

The eyes are of a soft orange colour, albeit they look a little tired. He is wearing a brownish shirt with a plain red tie, and some dark grey trousers. In his hand you can see something akin to a jacket, so maybe he is a salary man or something?

Remember. Don't- Ah you know what? Fuck it. He must be a salary man.

And a tail of course.

So I got the tails and horns from him.

"..."

I can't understand them, and I'd like a lot to do. Meanwhile I was thinking about how much I want to know what they are saying, the woman carefully picked me up with her arms, almost like my body was made of glass. After taking me out of the cradle slowly, she started to say something while pointing to herself.

"..."

Did I say that her face is beautiful? Because if I didn't, you should know.

"..."

Maybe she wanted me to repeat it? Like the thing about 'This is mama, this is papa?' I don't know, but…

"...I know that it's a bit heavy, but it's better for all of us. For him, for you, and for his parents..."

Ah fuck it.

"...m… a..."

Hell it's hard to talk. Why? My vocal cords feel strained only from that but...

"…m...a...m"

Come on… Just a little more…

"Ma...m...a"

And with those words, her face becomes one of unadulterated happiness. It's so contagious that I can't help but smile too. But as soon as my smile appears, that face becomes flooded with tears. Those tears are not of sadness, but of the same emotion as before.

Happiness.

My father, in silence, puts her in an embrace slowly with myself in the middle of them. And like that we stay in silence.

"..."

After some time, she says something to him and talk about something. Maybe that means 'I am okay?' Then, she look to me and starts pointing to him while saying.

"..."

So now the same but with 'papa'?

I'll try something... If it works, maybe it can make her laugh.

"...ma...ma..."

For a moment, my father's face becomes a little funny, but he recuperates fast, as it never happened. He starts pointing to himself while saying 'Papa~'.

"...Mam...a"

"Pa-pa." His face becomes funny yet again, and is fully visible now.

"...Ma...ma..."

"Pa-pa." He is trying his harder this time, as it can be seen in his face and voice.

"...Ma...ma..."

"Pa-pa!" He starts to get desperate.

"...Mama!" Hey, I said it without problem!

This continued by some time until we are interrupted by a small laugh. Like that my father starts to laugh too. I succeeded! Mission success! To tell you the truth, he deserves a reward for such a good act.

"...Papa!"

His laughter stops, all of his tiredness disappears from his eyes in an instant, and faster than she can react, he takes me from mother's arms and starts rubbing his face against mine while saying something with the new learned word.

That, of course, is interrupted seconds later as she starts to scold him.

After the scolding, my mother takes me from father's arms, still grumpy with him, and starts walking outside of the room.

Sometimes her hair falls in front of me and tickles but let's forget about it.

Let's think about my living space from now on.

To make it simply, the apartment is pretty small with a rectangular shape.

Not making it simply, at the front, there is a living room fused with the kitchen, leading to a corridor ubicated in the left side which connects to the dormitories. The bedrooms are in this order: For some reason the bathroom is the first one, then it's followed by my parent's room and finally mine. For each door in the corridor, there is a window in the opposite wall.

And it's decorated pretty poorly too…

Yeah, I prefer the simple explanation too.

Coming back to my family, they look a little bit nervous for a reason unknown to me. Following their direction, I see that they are looking to a television, and when my eyes end in it I open them so much in surprise that they almost popped out of my skull.

So…

If you see a city big enough to rival New York being enveloped in something akin to a hurricane, what would you do?

And.

If you see said city, starting to lose its gigantic skyscrapers, what would you do?

And.

If you see said, fucking city, growing pure and unfiltered Originium from the ground and where the skyscrapers were.

What would you do?

No, really, what would you do?

Me?

I don't know.

Happy because I am in the world of Arknights.

And scared because I am in the world of Arknights.

The same one in which Originium arts exist.

The same one where the things I am seeing in that TV, are a casual thing.

The same, fucking one, where Oripathy means living with something in the same level as shit.

So…

What should I do?

Meanwhile I was thinking, my parents start talking fast.

Oh please, for the love of god, don't tell me we are in that city. I talk with myself waiting for a response, but of course.

I don't fucking get it.

As my mother is holding me, my father takes out a little cell phone and starts calling someone.

Hey, some minutes already passed, and I don't see a storm breaking through the door, so that good news right? Right?

No, because I remembered where the hell I must be:

An Ursus surgeon? Check.

Russian? Check

Shitty climate? Check

It's freaking Lungmen! … Not.

I am in the one and only harshest country to infected in all of terra. The freaking Empire of Ursus… or what is the equivalent of Russia.

Where talking something about the government is a free pass to the coal mines a.k.a. Originium mines. And that comes with free Oripathy too.

Really… just great.

Now I really want to go back to sleep.

I just hope that we aren't in an equivalent of the USSR right now.

Hey, I now have a good question…

What year is it?

I mean… don't they have the mobile cities? So why is that city staying still in the middle of the catastrophe?

Please tell me that the mobile cities exist or I'll-

"…"

And my thought process goes right to the trash can as my father starts talking fast to my mother while walking without a purpose. The cell phone is still in his ears, but little by little it's getting away from it.

When he finally stops trying to call someone, he slumped right over a couch in front of the TV.

Just when my mother was going to go next to him, she looks at me and decides to take me back to my room and put me in the cradle before going back to the living room.

So here I am, in the darkness and noiseless of my room. Well not that quiet, because the rain became a hellish storm…

So… Let's recap:

I am in the world of Arknights, unknown year, and unknown specified location. Maybe I am in Ursus, but just because they speak, talk and read Russian isn't enough information… Let's just say that I am in Ursus… It'll be easier to think like that.

Haa…

I really should have learned Russian before.

I'll sleep, and tomorrow will be another day, right?

Hey, you remember that tomorrow? Well, actually is five months later.

So, now let me tell you what I did in those five months.

I can understand now a 'little' better basic Russian objects because of my insistence of pointing things in front of my parents. For example, did you know 'chair' is стул? Well, I didn't.

So these five months I probably made my fathers preoccupied by pointing literally everything.

Maybe I should try to ask for a picture book. That'll help.

The year is still unknown, and I confirmed that I am in Ursus. How? Every freaking news outlet has an Ursus as its reporter. Plus, they show the same Ursus symbol at the start of every program.

Haa...

I feel that I'll sigh a lot in my life, right?

Next good thing. I can walk! But is hard as hell. I get tired so fast, that I don't want to remember how many times I fell because my legs yielded. My tail helped me a lot, but I still fell a good lot. I scared a good amount my poor mother because of that.

Did I tell you how beautiful she is?

I just hope that I don't develop an Oedipus complex.

Moving on, my horns grew, and when they grow it itches a good amount. Do you remember that feeling when your wisdom teeth where coming out? The same just that it's in the upper part of my head.

Next thing is that my mother sucks at cooking. How can you fuck up a cheese omelette? No, really. I love her with all my might, but that time, it looked like a black pancake.

Ah! Right.

Next thingy… To tell you the truth, I don't know if this is good or bad. I think pretty bad.

For some reason. My… feelings? Some feel wrong and others don't. What I mean is that I can't feel angry.

No really.

I can feel frustration, sadness, happiness, and empathy, but there is some feelings that I can't feel no matter what.

Anger is one of them. Embarrassment is lost too. Don't ask how I tried to feel the last one.

Maybe there is more things that I am incapable of feeling, but yeah, it's strange.

Perhaps… I lost more in that space than part of my memories? I remember that I was able to feel in anger with against 'him', but then I couldn't later.

I am happy that I feel empathy at least. I don't want to be a psychopath.

Haa…

Wait! I just had a revelation. If I am in Chernobog, what do I do?! Please I implore to god, that I am not in fucking Chernobog.

Haa…

Can babies have wrinkles?

While I was thinking if I saw sometime a baby with wrinkles, the door to outside opened.

"Hello …" My mother said to my father who came back from work, seen by his tired eyes. Maybe did she mean 'Hello dear'?

And did you see it?! Did you see it?!

I can understand more words now! Never in both my lives, had I thought that was I going to be happy because I could understand what somebody was saying. But hey, there is a first to everything right?

Meanwhile, my father needs a reward for the hard work.

"Papa!" I say while walking with difficulty to the door.

As always he drop everything and picks me up the instant he sees me.

"My…Micha!" Perhaps he said 'My little Micha'? Or 'My beautiful Micha'?

I really need to study Russian faster, really tiring needing to guess every time I don't understand a word.

"… of this… for you and…"

You see why this is tiring right?

"Come… food…" My 'Mama' says. I think that means that food is ready, even though I don't want to eat that black paste. What's worse, I am sure it is a vegetable puree, so why it's black?

I need the nutrients, don't I?

Ha…

"Yes…" My father says with a hardened face.

At least I won't be alone in this battlefield.

Even though the food is almost impossible to eat, the atmosphere is a lovely one. It's calm and warm.

And talking of warm and temperatures. I didn't went out of this house still, but just looking at the window, I can see that it's freezing. It's all blurred.

I really want to do more than just eating, walk and try to comprehend what they say every day. I want to see the outside and I don't know, see something? Talk with someone?

"Micha?"

Yet again, my thought process stops as my mother says my name.

A pretty name right? It's a little bit girly for my taste, but I don't have other problems with it.

While I look at her, I try to point to the window. Maybe I can show to her that I want to see the outside?

Seeing where I point, she makes a complicated face, and turns to talk with father about something.

I-I was ignored?

But after talking with him, she turns again to me while saying:

"…Dinner"

What? 'Dinner' what? Maybe 'After Dinner'? Or perhaps 'Eat your Dinner'?

What does it mean?!

Feeling a bit depressed, I eat the 'food' yet again.

After dinner and washing the plates, it's of course sleeping time, as always…

Except not.

They start dressing themselves with warm clothing. I included.

Could it be?! The first time I see the outside without a window in the middle?! It's been five months, but they felt like a lot more! If I could, I'd cry, but I don't want to preoccupy them.

My father takes me and they go to the front door.

The only bad thing about this, is the amount of clothing. I can't move myself. I feel like a starfish.

I mean the weather shouldn't be that bad, right?

Wrong.

When the door opens, I feel a breeze so cold that makes the warm in my face disappear almost instantaneously. It generates a good amount of chills too.

How many degrees is outside?! It's winter?! Why would I, of all times, want to go outside in Ursus, the freaking equivalent of the coldest country on earth, in winter?! And at night too.

I should have reconsidered it a bit.

When we finally go outside, I can see that we live in an apartment complex, the last apartment on a corner. And it's pretty high up. Maybe a good ten or eleven floors?

We go through an elevator, and they press the button of the last floor. When it opens, we are greeted by the same corridor with a lot of different apartment doors, just that in comparison to the other floors, this one has a staircase to upwards just right outside the elevator.

After going through them, we end in front of a metal door.

Without pause, my mother opens it, and in the other side it's…

A rooftop. Only that.

You expected right?

When it opened, an array of different colours appeared in front of me.

Red, blue, orange, almost all of the colours in different building all together. There is a lot of holograms too! Each one is showing something, like an advertisement or maybe a show. And of course the Ursus symbol.

"Do you like it?"

Of course I can't respond that. I can say mama, papa and maybe other words, but the ones I know aren't good enough to express what I felt. It was…

Astonishment.

This really was just around the corner?

For five months I didn't saw it, and could only see the blackness of the night through the window.

But now?

It looks like a star field on earth. It was beautiful.

When I finally got out of my trance, I glance with difficulty at my parents, to see them only smiling to me.

And for some reason… Those smiles…

It almost made me want to cry.

Why?

It's just a city, so why?

It's just my parents as always, so why?

Why I feel so freaking happy?

Haa…

Trying to keep my emotions in check is hard as always…

But should I?

For the first time in a while, I start to be in doubt about my emotions.

Should I hold back my emotions or not?

I choose not to do it.

The faces of my parents transform from a smile to preoccupation, and rapidly start seeing me to see if something is wrong with me.

Of course, in their eyes when a baby cries, it's because something hurts him or wants something.

But not me.

It's just that I was so happy to be with them, to be here, to see this, to do all of this with them.

Ah, I repeated that r-right?

Ah… I should have hold back a little.

When they don't find the reason of my crying, they want to go back but…

I refuse.

I want to continue seeing that sight with them.

For the first time.

I don't want to sleep tonight.

But then I remembered something.

That city that was destroyed by the catastrophe.

It looked almost the same.

How many died in that city because of that?

How many families like mine ended right there?

Then I remembered Reunion, the Bad part of the Empire, the cleaning of the Lungmen Slums , and of course the centre of all that:

Oripathy and the discrimination of the people.

How?

Reunion can be evaded, the Empire, the Slums and even the catastrophe too. But the disease? And the people?

Impossible. Everybody is exposed to Originium.

No matter how much I think, it's impossible to find a solution except the cure for Oripathy…

But there wasn't none in the game…

Game…

I am not in a game.

And I wasn't in the game.

Maybe… I could try?

How much time it will take?

Years? Decades? Maybe I won't be alive for when it's complete.

But…

I can try.

No, I will try.

If it's to protect my family from Oripathy and those fuckers in power.

I'll try to find the cure for Oripathy.

Only like that, I can shot down almost all of the problems from before.

And only like that I can continue being with the ones I love.

I remember.

Time, my friend.

From now on, you'll be the judge if I am victorious or not. It will take a lot of time, I am sure of it, but you have a lot of it right?

After all, that's what you oversee and manage.

So, like the saying goes:

Only Time will tell.

Chapter 1 And only time will tell: End

Author's note: ON!

Hey, it's me ya boy Hiogen here!

Thanks for continuing reading "Out of Time", and thanks to the people that left reviews for me to read! And those that followed and favorited too!

No, really. you don't know how much it means.

But, let's not get that touchy feely right now. As you can see our beautiful protagonist ends this chapter with a pretty heavy promise.

One almost impossible to complete. Almost.

In other words, I am trying to make a cover! But my drawing skills aren't the greatest and it took me a full day (I am not kidding) to make something at least presentable.

Of course, you won't see it, because I want to make Micha appear in all of it's glory, but hey, little steps, little steps.

Now, here is the part that I was waiting the most: My responses to the reviews!

Goqqi: Thanks for the encouraging words! I'll try my best to make it appear as a ruby or a sapphire while trying to go for a diamond one!

Ksafmest: I hope I could answer why he couldn't get angry against Time. About the doctor... let's say I have a good idea of their encounter. And for last and not least, I am literally reading all lore sources I can find, being that reddit, the main page, the dialogues of the operators and their archives! It takes time, but I have a good time reading it.

(Anonymous)Owl: Thanks for that technique, i'll use it a good amount.

Elpis Bringer of Hope: I am one, but I need to find the why. Still, thanks for the review!

Now, I will try to make these faster because I like to write them, but of course i'll try to make them have a good quality. I still think I posted this one to fast, but anyway.

Thanks for everything! And please review! I want to see what you think about this!

Author's note: OFF!