by Jamie Hawke
No such luck, though. The guy’s shield kept off any projectile attacks, including a couple of darts thrown from Temra’s glove. Plus, he was able to use his metal arm to block their strikes, as if it could sense them coming.
Fighting went on with clashes of swords, explosions of pistols—both flintlock from the enemy, and modern badassery from Frank’s side. He and Temra charged out and used grappling hooks to leap to the next building over, the cyborg close on their heels.
“We have to think outside the box,” Frank mumbled as they dove for cover.
“Give me a way to kill him, and I’ll think any damn way you want.”
Frank considered, then pulled out the flamethrower canister and nodded. “Follow me.”
They ran and made for the next hallway over, doubling back and again going for the grappling hooks, much to Prain’s irritation, judging by his cursing and shouting. They didn’t swing out yet, but waited. Out of the corner of Frank’s eye, he could see Rose firing away with her sniper rifle, and hoped this worked. If not, she’d be next in the cyborg’s sights.
“Come back here and fight me like a man!” Prain growled, turning the corner to see them, aiming in. “Or are you afraid I’ll kill you like I did the other one?”
“Now!” Frank shouted, and he grabbed Temra around the waist with one hand, the other wrapping around the cord of the grappling hook.
She had the flamethrower, and pulled the trigger. Nothing. “Shit.”
“Throw it,” he hissed, and she did. He released his grip on her, pulled his pistol as he shouted for her to grab hold of him, and used his reticle—not on the cyborg, but on the canister. As it got close to the bastard, he fired. At the same time, he felt Temra’s grasp on him, and pulled on his modified grappling hook so that it shot them across the gap while flames erupted behind them.
They swung down, feeling the heat of the fire licking their sides, and then were crashing through flower pots to land on a balcony, slamming into the walls, while the fire consumed the building they’d just left.
For a brief moment Prain appeared at the window, engulfed in flames, and then Frank had his pistol, reticle up, but didn’t take the shot. He handed it to Temra.
“To be certain.”
She smiled, took it, and unloaded on the fucker. No shield to protect him this time, and he was probably doomed by the flames regardless. But the look of satisfaction on Temra’s face when each shot hit was priceless. The red and black crisp of the cyborg’s head and torso were visible a moment longer, then it fell back.
Gone forever. Her vengeance fulfilled. The son of a bitch would be nothing more than scrap metal in the annals of time.
“Let’s find the others,” Frank said, turning and kicking through the shutters, all that stood between them and the house.
As they entered, Temra sank into him, clutching his hand. “You aren’t, you know.”
“What?” He froze, turning to look into her eyes.
“Better than him. Or worse. The other version of you, I mean. You aren’t either of those… because you’re Frank. That’s all that matters.”
Frank felt the tension in his chest release and pain starting to take hold as adrenaline faded, but most of all he was overcome by the surge of emotion expanding in his chest. He pulled her close, lips locked with hers in a passionate kiss, and then they were out of there to reconnect with the team.
23
Moving back up to a rooftop where Shadow and Rose waited, Frank nodded to them and then pulled out his compass and grinned. Level twelve. He quickly made the green light show his stats and skills, excited to assign his next point when he saw that a new skill had opened up called Branching Paths.
He stared at that for a moment, very much aware of the others joining them, but too focused on this. Considering that this was a time travel device, he could actually see something like it showing alternate paths, but the idea of that was mind-boggling. He turned to his stats, to consider.
The shield had come in damn handy in the past, and he would’ve loved to upgrade it more than just one point to see how much life-saving he could get from it, but… Branching Paths sounded awesome!
Fuck it. He applied his point to the new skill so it read:
LEVEL: 11
STRENGTH: 140%
BALANCE: 130%
STAMINA: 140%
ACTIVE SKILLS: Awareness 1; Crafting 3
PASSIVE SKILLS: Aim 2; Shield 5
SPECIAL SKILL: Branching Path
He wondered why it was set as a special skill instead of active or passive, but was glad to have it either way. When he looked up at the others he was grinning from ear to ear, full of excitement for the next opportunity to use that skill.
“What crawled into your pants and got you so giggly?” Esmerelda asked, seeing his expression.
Apparently, Temra misinterpreted it, because she stepped forward with an equally broad grin. “We got him. The man who killed my—well, the other Frank—we got him.”
“That’s right.” Frank wasn’t about to counter that and take away even a smidgeon of her joy in the moment.
“Good, good,” Keisha was beaming at him, and then took Temra in a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
“We all are,” Esmerelda said, next to hug her.
It was a weird moment, sort of moving on in a sense from a dead version of himself, Frank thought. The grieving could maybe move on to the next stage, only… he was standing right there. Very strange indeed.
“If there are reinforcements, they’ll be along shortly,” Rose pointed out.
Shadow nodded. “Best move along, at least get out of sight and see if we can find the other Rick.”
“Actually, one of my skills might be able to help,” Frank stated, and quickly explained how his awareness skill showed the enemy, even through walls to a degree.
“Well, fuck.” Shadow laughed. “You’re point then, yeah? Rest of you, keep your eyes open and be ready.”
Frank gladly led the way, eyes wide and looking for the red that showed his enemy nearby. They passed streets with carts and pens for animals, a drunk passed out in a ditch, and houses of old wood unlike anything found in Frank’s time. As a tour of the place, it would’ve been quite exciting. But considering what he was running into, it was merely dressing for the slaughter.
Ahead he spotted red, far off, but more a bit closer. One of the red dots paced, and as they drew closer, Frank found a spot to get a good look. Sure enough, it was a version of Rick. All he could see was the man’s face from the vantage point at the top of a hill behind a pile of logs and carts of barley, so he couldn’t know which version this was.
“On me,” Frank said, and he waited until Rick’s back was turned, shot two blowdarts at the others with his reticle, and then slid down the hill, coming up as Rick spun—pistol to the man’s head.
Rick eyed him for a brief second, before returning to his normal cold, smooth self. “So, you’ve found me.”
“Yes…” Frank stared at the man, confused. It couldn’t hurt to ask, he realized. “Why not just go back to yourself, give yourself the stones? Kill the other me?”
Rick scoffed. “Honestly, I don’t have any stones.”
Frank bit back a laugh, but apparently this wasn’t a type of slang or insult that Rick—especially this Rick from another world—got, because he frowned, confused.
Frank considered this, eyeing the man, wondering if other versions of him did. He was very aware of the heavy breathing from Temra nearby, and the fact that she was about to explode if she didn’t get a chance to take out this asshole. While he wasn’t the cyborg, and that was over, now that they were here it was easy to see how she could blame the man actually in charge of that situation.
“What I do have, is a promise,” Rick said. “Of your deaths.”
Red dots appeared in Frank’s awareness, showing enemies moving in and quickly all around. Frank spun, hearing the crunch of bones breaking, the phwoot of blowdarts being shot, and the su
cking sounds of swords on flesh. But it didn’t matter, there were too many of them.
Shots rang out, then more shots, and the doors were opening as pirates ran in. Rick stepped back, drew his clockwork pistols and smiled from ear to ear. More shots, and Frank’s breath caught as he saw Esmerelda and Keisha go down, blood splattering, bullets passing through their bodies on the way.
Temra caught the first couple with her small shield, but then the shots hit her from behind and she too was on her knees, toppling over face-first. Without a doubt, Shadow and Rose had met the same fate.
Frank’s shield was flickering, but he didn’t care. If they were all dead, why not him, too? He had no chance of surviving without them, no will to go on in a life where they weren’t at his side.
“More!” Rick shouted, his pistols apparently out of ammunition. He ran at Frank, blade drawn, and Frank had to think fast. His shield would give any second, and if not that, the blade would pass the shield. He could parry the strike, take this man, maybe. But all of them, by himself?
He didn’t have to, he realized, as he dropped the gun and instead went for the compass.
“Don’t let him—” Rick’s voice was cut off as the lights from the compass spread out in front of Frank and he quickly swiped through it, not worried about spending too much time that he didn’t have. All he needed was to go back a few minutes, and to the spot right outside. He wasn’t sure how that would work with another version of him, but he made it happen, nonetheless.
The light flashed and he was gone.
And then he was there, at that same point, presumably the same world, because everyone was in place. The other version of him with his friends had just entered. Frank from a few minutes ago stared at him, baffled, and then looked around, licking his lips, and tilted his head.
“Go,” future Frank said, and turned to Rick, pulling up his Branching Path skill.
Everything moved in slow motion, several paths moving in regular motion but in a blue light, almost like ghosts. He could see one version of time where he’d run with the others, reaching one side of the building and fighting their way out, another where he took Rick hostage to avoid getting shot at, and a third where he blew Rick’s brains out immediately. The first faded away as shooting started outside, the second ended in everyone dying, but the third showed no other outcome but Rick falling dead.
Frank wasn’t sure if that was the best outcome or what made sense here, but the other two weren’t acceptable. He wasn’t about to just run, leaving this Rick alive.
The blue paths faded, time moving back to normal, and he did it—gun to the man’s head, Frank pulled the trigger.
Rick fell dead. The others glanced around and pulled back, no questions asked… and then future Frank turned, the shots coming for him. He dropped the compass, turning all of his firepower on it and the stones, blasting it to pieces as the pirates stormed in, giving him all their attention.
Maybe his plan had worked. Maybe not. Either way he wasn’t letting these fuckers get hold of his compass or his stones. And to his relief, it seemed to work, as one well-placed shot resulted in a click, and then a burst of fire and light.
The explosion took him and the building with it.
Frank stared in confusion, turning back to face the building that had exploded and nearly took them with it, if not for Shadow and Rose acting fast to leap and pull them out of there. There was no doubt in his mind, that had been him. Him with a compass. Him in the exact same clothes.
“I…” He didn’t know what to say.
“Yes, you did,” Shadow replied, and frowned.
“He’s wondering if that meant you created another world,” Rose explained, analyzing her husband’s eyes. The man nodded.
“Well, me? Future me?” Frank shook his head, feeling a strange hollowness in his chest. “I’m confused. Does that mean I’m going to go back there, to die?”
“I don’t think so,” Temra said. “I think whatever was going to happen in there has been avoided.”
“Or undone,” Esmerelda interjected.
They all stared, watching the flames, amazed and confused.
“Rick was in there,” Temra said. “The version of Rick that originated in my world. Or came to my world and changed it, I don’t really know.”
“And now we stopped him.” Frank shrugged. “So… where does that put us?”
“I think the question here,” Rose cut in, “is who sent him? Just another Rick?”
Shadow grunted in confirmation. “And if so, which I assume is the case, why not come himself? Why not send more?”
“I think we saw more in there,” Frank said. “But it wasn’t enough, apparently. He’s been able to kill me off in every scenario—you all said it yourselves, I’m the last one.” He avoided Temra’s gaze with those words. “So, of course he thinks he can win. And to be fair, he sent a sizeable force.”
“And might have sent others to different points in history where his plan has set up key times, in case you show up there to intervene. As you have… Future you, or alternative you, anyway.”
“We still have to ensure there aren’t more of him here, to keep everything as it happened,” Frank pointed out. “Maybe we wait until that’s over before making my head explode with all this stuff.”
Shadow chuckled, motioning for them to move out as he said, “No problem at all.”
24
They arrived at the PK’s estate and cliffs where he’d fought Rick not long ago, in terms of how much time had passed since they’d last been there before. Knowing he was about to see himself fight the man again made Frank’s mind spin. He looked at the grand mansion, wondering if he’d somehow fuck this up. If that was even possible, or if time travel made any sense at all.
As they snuck up, he heard his other self shout, “Pirate King, let’s make a trade. I’m calling you out!”
Below he could see guards with rifles, some with swords and pistols, but he couldn’t quite see Rick. He inched closer, then again, until he could see the man. One shot and it would be over—though not really, he realized. All they really had to do here was ensure everything went as it had the first time. Still, if he could… He pulled out his pistol, aiming in with his reticle, and wished.
“No way does that work, boy,” Rick called out to other Frank.
“I said a trade,” other Frank repeated. “Your life, for the compass.”
“Should’ve just killed him,” Temra whispered next to Frank’s ear, where the two crouched watching the other version of himself. A strange concept indeed.
He nodded. “Didn’t want to ruin the compass.”
She nodded, although she seemed to think it might’ve been worth it.
He frowned. “You realize you might not exist if I had.”
“I think I would’ve, just not this version of me. In fact, other versions of me likely do, and…” she gulped, “never got to know you.”
That gave him something to think about. No time for a response though, because Rick had just said, “Shoot him,” and Frank remembered what came next.
Frank grinned as he watched from the building, knowing that the stupid PK was about to get his ass handed to him. And then it registered that the next step was his other self shooting the bazooka at not just any building, but the one he was now standing in.
“Shit, get out!” Frank hissed, and in that moment Rick flinched as if he’d heard, and managed to activate a shield that flickered to life. Frank and his team were running, jumping, clearing the building and then—
KA-BOOM!
The place shook as the explosion hit, the building collapsing. Temra and Frank were at the back, and she thrust her gloved hand forward, shooting it out! He didn’t have time to gawk, but damn, would he have, as he realized that it had just latched onto the railing of a balcony opposite them and was pulling them over.
When they landed, he turned to her, blinking, but then looked back at the fight that was continuing as smoke and dust wafted up from the
remains of the building.
All that mattered was that Frank and his team were safe. But dammit, if Frank hadn’t said anything, the son of a bitch might not have made it clear and survived that shot! He was pretty sure his command to his team had been what alerted Rick.
Fucking time travel.
There was more shouting, then fighting broke out. Frank was up, preparing for what was to come. He used one of the ninja hooks to grab the ledge above, then swung himself up to see where the others were. As he suspected, other Esmerelda was below, at the curve of the road. She was supposed to be making her way up here already—the smoke and explosion surely showed her where other Frank was.
But she wasn’t coming as she had before.
He glanced around, confused, and then said fuck it. He’d never been great with the throwing stars, but realizing he could use the aiming reticle with it, he took one, arced it just the right amount, and threw. It soared through the air, spinning and catching the light in spite of its dark, matte paint, and… clattered on the rocks next to Esmerelda. Just as he’d intended.
She turned, frowned at it, and saw what was going on up above. Off she went, leading the others to fall into place as it had happened in the other time frame. Esmerelda at Frank’s side chuckled.
“Huh, that was… weird. I don’t remember if that happened the first time or not.”
“But you remember it?” Frank whispered.
“I do now, but can’t tell if I did before.”
Shouts sounded from their right, and Frank turned to see another group of pirates moving their way from up the street. He certainly didn’t remember them interfering from that direction before, so took the hint.
“This one’s on us,” he said, moving into position.
“Here I was thinking we’d been pretty amazing taking on the city by ourselves,” Keisha hissed. “Turns out we had, but only with help from ourselves.”