Sad story about what happened immediatly after "The Day I Died." Read that first or you'll be really confused.
Rant...over...
Paradox
“Nothing but flames now...” A man said solemnly, watching the red cloud over the burning Ragnarok skyscraper, his own eyes red with the reflection. He bit his bottom lip, slowly letting out his rage as he watched the last of his creations, slowly disperse into the air. His eyes narrowed as his anger slowly built up.
If he heard the loud thunderbolt behind him, I didn't know. I just stood there, watching the man as he stared off into his world, watching it as it burned to the ground. It had only been a minute since I saw the man last, a minute since he shot the only reason the world kept spinning in front of my eyes. A mere matter of seconds and yet, I could see the coldness and harshness in his eyes, the flame of anger raging behind them.
“There were over a thousand innocent people in that building...All ashes now.” He said, the statement directed at me but he didn't turn. He didn’t face his accuser, but I didn't blame him, how could I?
“The virus that triggered the explosion issued an emergency evacuation priority one,” I replied. “There were only two people left alive in the building when it went up.”
“One of them was you...and yet here you are!” Duncan Price spat back, turning to face me, anger raging in his eyes. I only stared back coldly. He grinned as he turned back.
“Two people you say?” He chuckled slightly. “Tell me, how's your little friend doing, huh? She make it out alright?” He said, ending in a small chuckle. I could see his grin stretching in his cheeks, even while his back was turned.
“A poor bright mind, gone to waste...It's a shame really. I kinda liked her. I didn't want her to die, but it had to be done.” He said, grinning wider. “Tell me though, was it worth it? Staying with her until the last second? Or I guess, will it be worth it?” I still remained in silence.
“I killed you...” I replied.
“And yet, here I am!” He said, turning back and opening his arms wide. “Ghosts amongst the living, eh?”
“It's over Duncan.” I replied, ignoring his previous comment.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance. It would have saved me from this awful headache...” He said, dramatically clutching his head.
“So, what now? Why are you here? Come to beg me to bring poor little Sam back, hmm?” He said, grinning as he noticed the small Wormhole Generator on my wrist, the once flashing life like buttons, now remained dark.
“Only enough juice for a teleport. Not strong enough to open a Time Wormhole is it?” Duncan guessed accurately. “You've come to me; to beg, to plead, to find an energy source haven't you?”
“I'll let you in on a little secret.” He said, before turning back and forth, watching for eavesdroppers before leaning forward, whispering loudly. “You're never seeing her again...”
“I'm not here for her.” I said softly. “I'm here for you.”
“Ah! I see. One last fight. Fueled by revenge and anger, you find your sweet's killer; hoping somehow, his death will bring her back huh? Or at least sooth your troubled soul. Maybe let you sleep at night. Well, lets give it a go! I'll let you have first shot! Come on!” He yelled into the empty expanse around him, before holding his arms out wide. I only stared back, looking into his cold anger filled eyes.
“I killed you...” I repeated.
“Yes! We know! Good for you. Bravo!” He said, clapping softly. “You may have gotten one lucky shot in, but I got a shot of my own. And in the single second, destroyed your entire world. My building isn't the only thing I have. I have followers and skyscrapers, dotting the skies all across the world, and all across time! I exist in several time streams. Cut off a head, another grows back! Haha!” He said, screaming into the wind.
“Have you anything to say? I win again!” Price continued. “I win agai-” He repeated before stopping, mid word. He fell to his knees quickly, clutching his arm in pain. A dark haze circled around his wormhole generator, swirling around quickly.
“I've kill you...and you've opened a paradox...” I said softly. He looked back at his arm before looking at me, eyebrow raised.
“Whats your time distance?” I asked quickly. He looked back in confusion. “Whats your time difference from you and the present right now?” I asked. “Think, quickly!”
“Uh, I'm...four minutes behind...” He replied before the dark Wormhole rippled loudly.
“Listen, you went back to assist your present self. So did I. My time distance is a few years; yours is a matter of minutes. You're time is up. If you don't go now, no one comes to assist your future self.”
“Then what!?” Price asked me quickly.
“Time gets rewritten. No one comes to help you, and you surrender. No one dies. Not me, not Samantha, not you. If you go now, you will die. I killed you, the you in the future. If you go now, you'll be the one to take that bullet. If you don’t you've just saved three lives, your own included. The Wormhole Generator is building a new reality, rewriting time. You have a choice, you can save yourself.”
“Save myself?” He said, his eyes opening wide at the idea of it.
“Yes! If you go, you'll die. You'll kill Sam, and I'll kill you. It's going to happen, no matter what you do. But you can rewrite time, right here, right now. Two options. End it Price. You can end this now!”
Price looked back at me then back at the paradox, steadily increasing in speed and size before inhaling a deep breath. With one motion I didn't have time to stop, he brought his arm up quickly before pressing a small button on his wrist.
“NO!” I yelled as the paradox slowly vanished and Price's wristwatch slowly hummed louder and louder.
“HA!” He said from the ground, looking up at me. “It's over now! I win again!”
“But you'll die! Price don't do this!” I plead.
“Ah, true. But I'll survive. I'm alive in over a dozen other time steams. There are four of me on the earth at any given time. No no, this isn't the end of my timeline, its only a knot in the bundled up reality of what my timeline had become. This doesn't end here. Not for me at least. I can't say the same for you though.” He said as his wrist hummed louder.
“Please! I can help you!” I yelled at the madman. The empty words sailed harmlessly through the air, falling on deaf ears.
“This'll be the last time I'll see you, but you'll be seeing tons of me! HA!” Price said again before his image started to fade. “I'll let Samantha know you send her warmest regards.”
He said before a crack of lighting illuminated the world and I stood alone, more so than I had ever been before in my life.
