Rewrite The Clock

The two emerged from the cave into the harsh morning light, their Anchor Suits working just enough to shield them against the distortions. Crumbled chrono constructs and scorched earth stretched in every direction. The waypoint guided them steadily, Mira checking the signal every few minutes to ensure they stayed on course.

As they approached the signal’s origin, the distant sound of combat began to echo through the air—shouts, the clash of weapons, and the unmistakable hum of chrono energy. Jessie quickened his pace, his blade ready in hand. “That’s them,” he said, his voice filled with relief.

They crested a ridge and spotted Squad GX and NX holding their ground against a wave of Aequitas soldiers. The battle was fierce but controlled, the knights moving in coordination. Rhea’s whip lashed out like a living thing, her time Lock working overdrive. Talia fired precise arrows from a raised vantage point, each one finding its mark. Dax charged through the fray, his gauntlet crackling with raw energy, scattering enemies in his path left and right. Meanwhile, Gravik’s hammer swung, and Calian shouted commands, directing his squad’s movements as he held off two attackers at once with his glaive.

Eris danced around her opponents, her twin chrono daggers a blur of motion as she struck vital points. Skye, her twin pistols blazing, ducked behind cover and smirked at their arrival.

Tidus, hovering just above the squads, projected a precise map of the area onto the helmet displays of the knights, its robotic tone chiming through the comms. “Enemy forces thinning.”

Moments later, Jessie and Mira charged into the fray. Jessie deflected a blade aimed at Gravik’s back, countering with a swift slash that sent the enemy to the ground. Mira, her blaster steady in her hands, fired shots that tore through the Aequitas line, forcing them to retreat.

Rhea’s sharp eyes caught sight of them, and her whip snapped back to her side as she called out, “Jessie! Mira!” Relief softened her usual commanding tone, but she quickly barked, “Form up! Don’t let them break the line!”

Within moments, the Aequitas forces began to falter under the combined strength of both squads. As the last enemy fell, the battlefield grew quiet.

Rhea strode over, her usual stern expression replaced by a fleeting, rare smile. Without warning, she pulled Jessie and Mira into a tight hug. “Glad to see you’re safe.” she said, her voice low but firm.

Talia approached more hesitantly, her usual formality slipping as she exhaled a long breath. “You’re both impossible,” she muttered, though the relief in her voice was unmistakable.

Dax clapped Jessie on the back, his grin wide. “Told you they’d be fine. Didn’t doubt it for a second.”

Tidus hovered close too, “My statistics clearly said you’d make it back, Mira Chen, Jessie Valis.”

“Gee, thanks guys.” Mira laughed.

Gravik, standing a little ways off, gave a shy thumbs-up. “Good… to have you back,”

Eris raised an eyebrow but smirked faintly. “Try not to fall off a cliff next time.”

Skye sauntered over, her grin sharp. “Missed me, Valis?”

Jessie smirked. “I think the Aequitas missed you more, Skye.”

Liriana’s voice came over the comms, her tone light with relief. “I… I’m so glad you two are okay,” 

“Thanks, Liri. We’re glad to be back.”

Even Calian, the ever-composed leader of Squad NX, nodded approvingly. “Nice to see you two in one piece. Try not to make that a habit.”

The brief reunion was cut short as Rhea’s helmet comm crackled to life. “Heads up,” she said, her expression hardening. “There’s more movement up ahead. And it’s not just grunts.”

The squads fell into formation, once more as they moved deeper into the battlefield.

◔

The forest gave way to a barren expanse, a graveyard of withered trees clawing at the dim sky. Tidus floated above the squads, its mechanical tone calm but urgent.

“Distortion activity increasing. Probability of destabilization imminent. Object of origin detected ahead.”

Liriana spoke, using Tidus’ sensors and her abilities to pinpoint the disturbance. “It’s… it’s close. Whatever’s out there is creating more of these distortions.”

Rhea nodded sharply. “It may not be the hourglass but it’s definitely dangerous.”

“Weapons ready, everyone.” Cal added.

The squads advanced, their boots crunching against the brittle ground. Soon the clearing came into view—a circular expanse devoid of life, the center dominated by a sleek, humming device.

Surrounding the device were Aequitas soldiers, and at the forefront stood their commander—a tall, imposing figure with blue lines across his mask. His gaze swept the squads, raising his hand to signal for his troops to halt.

“What the…” Jessie muttered, as they stood locked in silence. Then the commander removed his mask with a robotic whir, turning his eyes to one member in particular.

Mira’s steps faltered, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes locked onto the device and towards the man, recognition dawning with a horrifying clarity.

“No…”

Jessie turned to her, alarmed. “Mira? What’s wrong?”

“That’s… that’s it,” she said, her voice barely audible. “That’s the device. My device. And that’s…”

The Aequitas commander’s gaze was calm and unnervingly pleased. His lips curled into a faint smile.

“Well, well,” he said, “Fate truly has a sense of humor. Mira Chen. It’s been a long time.”

Mira froze, her body rigid as the weight of his words sank in. The squads exchanged uneasy glances, their weapons still raised but their attention drawn to her.

“Who is he, Mira?” Rhea asked, confusion evident in her voice.

“He’s… he’s the one…” Mira stammered, her words faltering.

The commander spread his arms, “You haven’t forgotten, have you? The mark on your body? The gift we gave you? You’re one of us, Mira. You always have been.”

Talia’s eyes narrowed, “What is he talking about? Mira?”

Squad NX exchanged wary glances, their suspicion evident. Skye’s voice took on a different tone than usual. “One of them? What’s the meaning of this?”

Mira’s head whipped toward her, panic flaring in her eyes. “I—no! I didn’t… I didn’t choose this!”

“Then it’s… true?” Gravik’s voice was low as he asked.

“Enough!” Rhea snapped, cutting through the rising tension. “We can deal with this later. Right now, focus on the battle!”

“She’s right. Later… we’ll have a chat.” Cal’s gaze locked onto Mira and squad GX almost disapprovingly as they prepared.

The commander’s laugh rang out, “Ah, but the truth has a way of unraveling things, doesn’t it? Let’s see how you fare when your own creation finishes what it started.”

With a sharp command, the Aequitas soldiers charged.

The battlefield erupted into chaos. Jessie moved instinctively, his blade a blur as he intercepted an incoming attacker. Rhea’s whip lashed out, snapping around an enemy’s leg and tossing them right into another approaching enemy. Talia hung back with Skye, sharp shooting from a distance while Eris and Cal covered them from short range, and the two powerhouses took the front line.

Mira, however, stood frozen, her eyes locked on the device as the distortions it emitted grew stronger, warping the air around it.

Jessie deflected a strike and shouted back to her. “Mira! Snap out of it! We need you!”

“I—” Mira’s voice faltered, her hands trembling.

“Mira, focus!” Rhea barked as she fought.

Tidus hovered above her, its tone urgent. “Recommendation: prioritize deactivation of the device. Distortions increasing exponentially.”

Liriana’s voice crackled over the comms, her tone laced with compassion. “Mira… you can do this.”

Do this? Do what exactly? When she built that device… it killed everything she knew.

That device…

That’s right. She made that device. And she was the only one who knew how to use it to power down the distortions.

Mira’s breath hitched, and something in her snapped into place. Without another word, she broke into a sprint.

“Mira, wait!” Jessie shouted, cutting down an attacker as he tried to follow her.

The distortions grew stronger as she neared, the air shimmering ominously. Mira’s feet stumbled, the magnetic pull of the distortions threatening to drag her off balance, but she pressed on, her eyes locked on the panel she had built all those years ago.

“You won’t touch it again, little girl. Your purpose has been fulfilled already.”

The commander moved to intercept her, his blade gleaming as he lunged.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

But Jessie was faster. His blade clashed against the commander’s in a spray of sparks, and the two became locked in a fierce duel. Jessie’s strikes were fast and relentless, pushing him back.

“Mira, hurry!” he shouted between blows. The commander attacked fiercely, his blows strong and devastating. Jessie however used his speed to dodge, and his precision to strike at the right moments. More distortions appeared in the clearing, one in particular catching knight and commander in its wake.

“Jessie!” Talia shouted as a warning, and the young knight managed to jump away from it. However the commander was not so fortunate. His arm was caught firmly in the midst of it, evaporating away in an instant. The next second he was swallowed whole.

“…Good riddance.” Jessie muttered.

Meanwhile Mira had reached the device, her hands flying over the panel as she opened it. She rerouted a few cables and within she saw it— the switch she had designed years ago. She hesitated only for a heartbeat before flipping it to neutralize the distortions.

The device’s pulsing energy faltered, but a distortion managed to erupt nearby, its magnetic pull latching onto Mira.

The squad shouted in unison.

“Mira, get out of there!”

“Mira!”

But Mira didn’t move. Her eyes were resolute, her body steady as the distortion edged closer. She whispered under her breath, “I won’t run this time.” 

She couldn’t.

She pulled the cables free from the panel disassembling her creation for good. She had to tear it down. Even at the cost of her life.

When she finished she saw the blue glow encasing her, indicating it was far too late for her to do anything. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized that…

This is the end.

She didn’t want to die. Yet there was nothing she could do.

Jessie turned and saw the distortion closing in, his heart lurching. What was she doing? That distortion had firmly closed her in. There was seemingly no escape for her.

No escape my ass. Jessie thought, dashing straight for it.

“Jessie, don’t!” Rhea shouted, but it was too late.

The distortion’s pull latched onto Jessie as he reached Mira, his body straining against the force. Parts of his suit disintegrated, his helmet’s glass cracking and the shards digging into the side of his face.

“Jessie why’d you come?!” Mira’s tear stricken face twisted.

“Just shut up and let me save you, you suicidal idiot.”

Jessie didn’t stop. He couldn’t. The distortion closing in on him seemed to halt just before reaching him, as if his body were a protective dome to them both.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her free, throwing them both clear just as the distortion collapsed in on itself. The device’s energy sputtered and died, the distortions vanishing with it.

As the last of the Aequitas fell, silence blanketed the battlefield. Jessie lay motionless, his body unnervingly still.

“Jessie…?” Mira’s voice cracked as panic overtook her. She dropped to her knees beside him, her trembling hands gripping his shoulders. “Jessie hey! Wake up!!”

The others rushed over, their steps hurried and frantic. Rhea knelt down, her normally steady hands hovering over Jessie’s chest.

“Is he—?” Talia’s voice wavered, her words choking on fear.

“I haven’t even thanked you yet…!” Mira choked in a breath, as she shook him.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Then, a groan broke the silence. Jessie’s eyes fluttered open, his voice unmistakably familiar. “You guys… really need to… chill out.”

A collective wave of relief swept over the group. Mira’s shoulders sagged as she let out a shaky breath, tears spilled freely down her face.

“Thank time…” Liriana sighed over the comms.

“I knew you couldn’t kick the bucket like that, kiddo.” Dax smirked at him, while Tidus flew closer to the young knight.

“Minor injuries detected, but vitals are green. You narrowly avoided demise once more, Jessie Valis. Congratulations.”

“You idiot,” Mira whispered, her voice trembling. “You could’ve died. You nearly—”

Jessie’s hand, still weak, reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. “But I didn’t. And neither did you. And that device is no more… it’s over Mira.”

For the first time, Mira let herself smile, though her tears didn’t stop.