Tick-Toc Chapter 5

5 minutes before Ken had walked down the steps of the subway station when he noticed the lights had gone out for some reason, "That is not a good sign." Ken whispered.

Ken then heard his sister scream her lungs out, hearing this, his heart dropped He took a deep breath and he ran down the steps and as he turned the corner, he saw it, the creature, it looked right at him, his sister's voice was gone, and it was coming right for him.

As if his heart hadn't already dropped to his knees, it went further, "W-w-w-w-w- What is that thing?" he told himself, and then all the possibilities of what could have happened to his sister rushed into his head.

"No no no NO" he told himself,

"be brave…" he whispered,

"Mom would never let me live another day." 

Ken thought as he picked up a plank of wood. Ken took a deep breath as her sister screeched, "It's now or never." Ken told himself, he leaped out of the hallway and swung the plank like his favorite baseball player.

"AHHHHhhhh…wha?" Suki said confused as her fear wiped off her face and confusion began to take over, "Hey sis." Ken said while sounding constipated,

 "KEN! KEN!" Suki exclaimed grateful to see her brother, but as he bent over to get up he paused, squealed under his breath, and bit his lip, "Y-you're hurt" Suki said softly as she saw Ken's clothes had been cleanly cut through revealing claw mark gashes on his back.

 The Humanoid regained its balance on its feet and charged Ken, he bit his lip harder then pulled out a Captive bolt pistol he took from the farm on his way out and the humanoid flew head first to bite Ken but he shoved the pistol on the creature's forehead and pulled the trigger.

It got dropped and rolled backward and squealed on the floor in pain as its head had a gaping hole with ripped skin all around it.

It rolled back into the side of the wall as the flesh in its head started to glow, "Its fixing itself we have to go" Suki said as she frantically started crawling up the step, but Ken didn't follow, he was suffering from the cuts, "I'll be right there." Ken said in pain as he dragged himself,

"I'll help you." Suki said as she slid down the steps to assist Ken. The Humanoid recovered and started crawling towards them, 

"Dang it!" Ken said to himself as he frantically attempted to reload the pistol, then suddenly, a green glowing bolt whizzed by the head of the creature.

it stopped in its tracks, and looked to its left to be faced with Shenn standing with his hair all ruffled up, covered in dirt holding his stomach with his left hand and gun in his right, but it was different.

"Bastard, gave me a good little struggle and a concussion but I'm hung over already" Shenn said with a smug look on his face, "It's over" Shenn exclaimed, 

"Woah, Shenns different!" Suki said in an awe, Shenn's hand was glowing with green outlines going from the halfway point of his forearm leading to the top of his hand and extending like linked rings on each finger, as he held a glowing green pistol.

The creature charged at him with that same static energy, but instead of being surprised or worried, Shenn's pistol shattered like glass but floated in the air but then quickly reassembled to make a one-handed sickle. 

It shined bright as he swung at the creature and it swung back. SWOOSH a clean cut. Shenn, as well as the creature had both thrown over-hand swings, the creature had aimed for the head of Shenn, but Shenn aimed for the arm and somehow had been faster than the immensely fast humanoid and took its arm off clean at the bicep, "WOAHHH!'' 

Both Ken and Suki said simultaneously as they watched the humanoid rolled and looked at its arm that was spewing with blood and blowing out a goop-like substance.

It screeched once more but not in pain, in anger. It charged up more, "Try it again, let's see where this gets you purple freak!" Shenn said with confidence and a smile on his face.

The monster zoomed at Shenn with static energy flowing immensely through its talons and claws as it flew in with its claws and talons forward, Shenn assumed a stance, with more weight on his back leg and he threw a slash attack with his sickle straight at the Humanoid. 

Suki and Ken could not follow with his quick movements, Shenn was shoved straight into the wall, but unlike last time, he stood his ground creating a streak on the floor and a hole in the concrete wall behind him, but the creature? "Damn…" Ken said under his breath with admiration.

As the creature laid on the floor in 2 pieces, Shenn had cut it at the waist leaving its torso up separate from its hips down, it tried wailing but had no voice to scream. 

"I do admit, for your kind you are significantly stronger than the rest, usually they don't get as strong as you do, not as long as I exist." Shenn said with amusement, 

"Let's finish this!" Shenn said with a serious, deep tone of voice, the same markings that appeared on his right arm, appeared on his left, the gun then appeared out from thin air, green glowing and all.

The monster saw him and tried to crawl away, "Ah, Ah, not so FAST!" Shenn yelled as he shot the hands of the humanoid making it unable to crawl, he then started walking towards it as it wiggled across the floor, he unloaded 5 more shots to its back and arms, and on his way closer, he quickly slashed the lower body into bits, making the once glowing veins and organs stop glowing. 

He then used his foot to turn the creature to face him. Once confirming its immobility, he faced the creature back to the floor "It's done."

The creature then screamed one last time as Shenn used one last bullet to the brain of the creature, going straight through, causing all the glow to disappear and the skin to go white.

"Ew!," Suki said, 

"Its over finally.," Ken said as he fainted, 

Shenn's weapons dissipated and he turned around to look at Ken and Suki embracing, 

"He's losing blood." Shenn said,

 "What do we do then? I don't want my brother to die!" Suki said while mumbling in fear, 

"Don't worry, I know the way, he's going to be fine." Shenn said assuringly. Shenn made his way to the rails to the suitcase the creature was originally inspecting, he opened it. 

Inside was some clothes, a pocket watch, and a jewelry box, he pocketed the pocket watch and opened the box.

It was a necklace with a purple glowing crystal the size of an index finger, "This is what it was after huh?" Shenn said as he got up and rushed over to Ken and Suki, he took out the crystal, "What's that gonna do?" Suki said in confusion, 

"This." Shenn said with confidence as he put up the crystal in the air, suddenly the whole place and the lights lit up he then turned Kens back over and saw the five finger claw marks on his back. 

Again, Shenn's hand began to glow, but then the crystal started to emit static just like the creature, he put the crystal to the gashes, one by one, his flesh started weaving together as well as his skin, and under a minute his wounds were all healed up as if the wounds weren't there in the first place.

"He still lost blood Suki, we need to get him some food, water, and a place to rest and the crystal will do the rest," Shenn said.

"Oh! Will this work?" Suki said curiously as she grabbed pears off the ground, they were Shenn's and a few of them were squished, "That'll do just fine, Suki," Shenn said with a smile.

"Let's get out of here first," Shenn said. Shenn, Suki, and Ken made their way out of the subway station, all the way to a nearby food shack, and used one of their benches to sit Ken.

"Thanks for the pears and water Shenn, I feel better after whatever you did," Ken said. 

"It's my pleasure, I should have known better and been on my guard," Shenn explained. Suki noticed that he held the stone to his rib, 

"Are you ok Shenn?" 

"I'm fine Suki, he got me with a good one when I was holding you,

"Shenn replied. 

"I-I-I'm so so sorry Shenn…" Suki stuttered as she began to tear up and cry"

"Don't cry it's ok, none of this was your fault" Shenn said softly.

"No no no it is my fault, if it wasn't for me, Ken wouldn't have come and gotten hurt, you wouldn't have gotten distracted and hurt as well, I just wish this never happened!" Suki said while sobbing. 

"Just take a deep breath Suki," Ken said.

"Yeah listen to your brother, you should be happy he's still here and that things are gone". 

"You said you're a time traveler right?" Ken said,

 "Yeah why mention that now" Shenn said in confusion. 

"I believe you now, don't you have more important things to do than sit here with us and comfort my little sister, couldn't you have just let us die…?" Ken said with a serious tone. 

"KEN?!" Suki said angrily. "Calm down Suki, Listen ken, I'm still human, I can't hop through timelines like their a playground, I can only do it after killing all of those things, I also can't stand to see kids like you so young get hurt over something I've done, you guys gave me a bed to sleep on. you didn't rat me out, and you guys gave me my moment to speak and explain myself."

Suki didn't understand what Shenn fully said, as she was young and didn't really know how to use medium sized words in conjunction with one another, but she didn't want to feel left out, since it was clear Ken knew what Shenn was saying. He stared contently,

"Listen I'm glad you saved us, but what is all THAT' stuff and why do you know about it?" Ken said curiously. 

"It's all I known, ever since I've gotten stuck in time, I'm just stuck wandering in a timeline trying to figure out what to do, I've discovered that thing before that we fought, usually their weaker and more of them, I call them Time Crawlers",

At this point Suki became bored as a result she began conversing with a small pigeon, "Hey birdie, do you know what their saying'?" 

"Why time crawlers?" Ken replied. "Well they're human- like creatures, that crawl on all fours, and they constantly are in every timeline searching for these.''

Shenn took the same crystal attached to a necklace and lifted it up, "Oooo, shiny," Suki blurted out. 

"I didn't notice it at first because of the dark, but it's pretty!" Suki then swiped at it but Shenn moved it away, 

"Aww please!" 

"Don't touch, this is off limits. at least she's in high spirits,'' Shenn told himself. 

"These crystals have that same shock-like energy the time crawler had, except instead of using it to be stronger, it helps me find a new timeline." "Really?" Ken said with doubt. 

"Yes really, once I find enough and combine them I get to leave." 

"So what about the thing with your hand?" Ken said with curiosity. 

"That's enough you two, Ken I'm taking you two back home, and Suki, quit cartwheeling when you get home." 

".....okay" Ken said while letting out a deep breath, showing obvious signs he was clearly done with today. 

Another wagon rolled by with apples, "HEY!" Shenn yelled to get the attention of the man steering the horse, "You mind taking these kids out the east exit down the corner till you reach the farm houses, I've got 100?" Shenn said as he pulled out a one hundred dollar bill.

The man's eyes widened at the sight of the crisp bill of Benjamin, he rubbed his eyes taking a double look and replied with an eager nod at Shenn. "Take them there and if I overpaid just keep it or if the kids take a fruit that'll cover it."

The man nodded once again and took off while Ken rested, and Suki waved back at Shenn. "BYE SHENN I WILL SEE YOU LATORR," Suki shouted with a smile. 

"MAKE SURE KEN EATS AGAIN WHEN HE FEELS BETTER, AND DRINKS A LOT OF WATER," Shenn replied. 

"OK!!" Suki yelled back as her voice began to fade further into the distance. "Looking back at it, even for an age like this, a horse carrying fruits on a wagon or cart is still kind of outdated," Shenn said with a confused look on his face.

He continued to ponder until, BEEP "Ah crap, can't even enjoy my moment of peace," Shenn said as he pulled out his radar. "Another one." but this time the radar pointed to the edge of the city which was on the other side. "If I had to guess, someone on the poor side of town bought something from the wrong person."

Chapter End