The Hero's Conundrum/Chapter 22

The explosion was too close to us but then time stopped and this time neither Marduk nor I are able to move, we are frozen in mid explosion. I remember this! I’m able to move my fingers is not as hard to move as I thought. I can move if I want to but I remember that I couldn’t move when I was Marduk, I need to pretend that I can’t move easily. This is too tedious I move as slow as I can but I’m already on my feet and I grabbed Marduk’s hands. I remember that as Marduk I killed Bansao, but what if this is my chance to change things?

“Maybe this is the solution Marduk, both of us dying at the same time. Maybe this rid the world of both of us. No more Marduk, no more Bansao the world is better off without us.”

But if we both die then I change Marduk’s fate and he won’t become me, I can’t do that. What if I manage to stay alive this time and escape? I don’t really know what is going to happen next. What if I really die for good this time? I will try to stay alive this time, I need to change this, is too late for Marduk to join me but if I escape Marduk will follow me and everything will change. To be able to change this, I need to kill him but if I kill him he doesn’t become me. This is a catch 22 situation I need to let this flow as it did.

The explosion continued expanding slowly and the heat was reaching us and I could feel it burning me slowly. I didn’t let go of Marduk, what should I do? Should we both die? The fire reached us but the pain is not as bad as I remember. I’m letting go I need to die, this is normally a decision that a hero do, sacrifice himself so that everyone else is fine. Marduk started to move and we both start moving faster as the explosion keep expanding. We start fighting and he grabbed from behind and said;

“The only one dying today here is you”

“I was hoping to end this now, but you made your decision and as I told you, it’s going to break your heart. I will kill your people and you’ll have no choice but to help me” I started laughing because I wanted to cry, I know what lies ahead for him but for me is death or something new.

“Shut up”

He stabbed me and suddenly time resumed normally and the explosion blasted at full speed. I shielded Marduk from the explosion and everything went black.

Suddenly I’m grabbing Marduk’s hands and time is stopped, what happened? Why is this happening again? I need to change something so I didn’t let go of Marduk I even grabbed him harder and pulled him to me. The explosion resumed and blew us away, I’m dying on the floor and I see Marduk dead with half of his body gone, everything went black.

Suddenly I’m grabbing Marduk’s hands and time is stopped, again? What the hell? Suddenly John comes really fast and kills Marduk, then grabbed me and pulled me out of the explosion. In the confusion I pulled out my knife and stab him in the heart in the heat of the moment. Then Marduk men shot me as I tried to run and I died.

I opened my eyes and I’m seeing the explosion from a different perspective, time has stopped and I see Marduk and Bansao struggling. I’m looking thru the eyes of John, what the hell. Sammael is beside me and tells me;

“Are you going to do something?”

“What is happening? Am I John too?”

“Remember that John is a figment of your imagination. No you are not John.”

“What the fuck is happening?”

“You are starting to understand”

“You can do whatever you want now, but only until the explosion resumes.”

I went running and killed Marduk, grabbed Bansao out of the explosion but he stabbed me and I died.

Suddenly I’m grabbing Marduk’s hands and time is stopped again. I looked at Sammael and he is smiling. Now everything is stopped except me and Sammael then he comes to me and ask

“Do you want this to stop?”

“Yes please”

“Then you need to make a choice. This is the moment when you either wake up or stay dreaming”

“What the fuck? Is this a dream?”

“Not quite, I’m talking about waking up and perceiving time as I do. Once you do that Marduk will also wake up and you both will be able to come with me”

“I can’t do that, I still don’t perceive it as you do.”

“But you did for a moment, when you saw the explosion thru John’s eyes.”

“I did not do that on purpose”

“I see, but you will eventually, you saw for a moment time not being linear right?

“Yes, it felt like I was in control of everything for a moment”

“Yes, that’s how it feels, right now you need to let time to flow normally. You’ll be back here for another chance.”

“Ok! Sammael, what is going to happen to me after I die now?”

“Oh I don’t want to spoil the surprise” He smiled then Marduk stabbed me and suddenly time resumed normally and the explosion blasted at full speed. I shielded Marduk from the explosion and everything went black. Again.

I woke up in a bed, but this time I’m not covered in blood or anything, this looks like a hospital, but everything looks like new. Is not a rundown derelict hospitals we are trying to rebuild. I feel weird, I’m handcuffed to the bed and there are two men in matching uniforms at the door. What the hell happened, when in time am I? There is a working TV, is the first time I’ve seen one working. It seems that I ended up before the nuclear war, so the men at the door must be cops, I’ve read of them. I never thought I would be able to see the world before the war, the cops may help me so I call one of them. As soon as I made a noise, they called on their radio telling that I’m awake. I asked them;

“Where am I?”

“Stay calm sir, someone will come and talk to you soon”

“Look, I don’t want any trouble, let me go”

“Sir, stay calm or we will be forced to restrain you more” I can easily escape but I don’t want to make a scene. Let see how much information I can get, then I’ll leave.

After a while a doctor came with some guy in a nice looking suit, everything looks so new, like a dream then the doctor started asking me questions.

“Good evening”

“Good evening doctor”

“First of all, who are you? There is no record of you anywhere in the US.”

“My name is Bansao”

“Where are you from, and how did you get here?

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you”

“I see. If you don’t want to tell me is ok, but I warn you, the FBI have other methods of extracting information”

“FBI”

“Yes, you don’t know what the FBI is?”

“I think I have read about them”

“I see, never mind then, you’ll meet them soon enough. About your health, you are in very good health, in fact I’ve never seen anyone like you”

“I know”

“I would like to run some tests on you later”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, I won’t be here that long”

“We’ll see about that, excuse me, it’s time for you to meet the FBI” He left and the guy in the suit came closer, and started talking;

“Good afternoon! I’m special agent Alvarez, you need to answer a couple of question before you can leave”

“I’ll leave whenever I want to leave”

“We’ll see”

“Why have you restrained me here?”

“We found you covered in blood on an alley and you had no wounds, we send the blood for testing and it turns out it’s yours.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong why are you keeping me here?”

“I just need to make my report and then I’ll leave. But you need to answer me. Where are you from?”

“I’m from USA but. . .”

“But what?”

“I don’t think you’ll understand”

“Try me” I smiled and told him

“I’m from the USA but there are no more government. None of you exist anymore where I’m from” He stood up and said;

“I’ll arrange your transportation to the headquarters, maybe you’ll want to take your freedom seriously there.” And he left.

I told one of the cops that I needed to go to the bathroom, he released the handcuff from the bed rail and put it in my other hand and went with me to the bathroom. He is about my size, I can take him out and escape, without anyone knowing. When I got to the bathroom and look in the mirror I was shocked, I’m young, like 20 years younger.

I need to get out of here, then I felt a big headache and closed my eyes, when I opened them I was outside the hospital. How did I do that?