Dating Father Time's Daughter (Book 2)

Chapter 1: Life After the World Almost Ended

Working at Freedom Fries required choreography. One needed to avoid slipping on the hastily mopped floors, slide past the constant rush of busy co-workers, and bend limbs at unnatural angles to gather bags, sauce packets, and styrofoam cups. There was a grace that accompanied the greasy kitchen.

The most graceful of all employees was a young-adult that floated around as if he haunted the restaurant. Tiny cuts marked his fingers that pushed the lunch options glowing on touch screens, acne settled on his forehead and began its manifest destiny to his chin, and messy black hair tickled his ears reminding him that a haircut was desperately needed.

Nevertheless, his six-foot-three frame flashed the signs of significant added muscle. A sturdy chest was visible through his ketchup-red uniform shirt. His biceps also filled out the sleeves that once drowned his scrawny arms.

His eyes were open jars of confidence, his smile assured others that they would survive another shift, and his voice calmed every ear that listened to his words. This man understood the demands of his job. This man had a penchant for satisfying hungry customers and saving the world.

This man was Joe Means.

He grabbed a bag of hot fries from a co-worker and began his series of acrobatics that would transport him from the kitchen to the counter without interference. While his co-workers expressed their amazement at his ability to get through work without a stain blemishing his uniform, Joe knew the truth. He often used his Time Keeper abilities to either slow time or reverse it. Accidents were anachronistic. Mistakes were wiped away as easily as the grime on the drive-thru windows.

At first, he refrained from misusing his powers for tasks as pedantic as avoiding co-workers blinded by the tower of bags in their hands. He didn't want to seem irresponsible. But as December turned into January, and the world continued to go on without incident, it was clear that opportunities for him to use his powers were waning.

Defeating WormHole and preventing the detonation of a nuclear black-hole bomb brought peace to the world. Simultaneously, it left him with little work as a Time Keeper. He reasoned that using his powers at Freedom Fries would at least keep his skills sharp. Training sessions with Pixie never started up again after the huge victory. With each passing day, he felt less like a Time Keeper and more like a regular person. Using his powers at work stopped him from forgetting who he was.

Joe handed the bag to a customer as his mind continued to recount his past heroics. From battling the Seasons to taking down Destiny, his life was filled with more adventure than he could have ever imagined. Could he have experienced all of his greatest adventures already?

"Do you normally just stand there staring into space?" asked a voice all too familiar to Joe.

"BlackHole?!" replied Joe as his jaw slightly dropped.

The former alien turned Time Keeper met Joe's astonishment with his usual nonchalance.

"Did you hear my order? I thought you were good at this job?" said BlackHole.

"Uh, sorry about that!" said Joe, taking his order.

This wasn't the first time BlackHole ordered from Freedom Fries. He stopped by occasionally to deliver messages from Inertia to Joe. The guy's presence still startled Joe, however. There was a time when he attempted to suck everyone up into an enormous black hole. Thanks to the kindness of Inertia, BlackHole escaped his death in New Nirvana.

He still wore his green joggers and form-fitting white t-shirt with a black long sleeve shirt underneath. The outfit showcased his muscular build that made him the subject of staring eyes and the producer of gleeful giggles. The guy was as handsome as ever.