Enemies of Time and Space (A Hat in Time AU)

Chapter 3 (Dreams of the Dead)

Approximately 45,990 days ago from Day 2,234 A.O.

I had a weird dream during my nap. It was more like a memory as everything that happened was the same as it had once been before. Here's how it went,

Stepping outside the front door, I could see my mother and father sitting in front of the shallow river. Keeping close and holding an arm over each other, I squeezed in between them and was snuggled. After a few moments of silence, a bush cat came up to the river to quench its thirst. Mom had her red lens goggles on like usual. Unless she was sleeping in bed, she had them over her eyes every waking second. She stared at the bush cat as it drank.

My dad sighed, "H, it's just a bush cat. It's drinking water at that. Relax a bit."
          "We can never relax! Don't you understand that, Thor?" she said.
He stayed silent and hugged me close while mom continued to observe the bush cat. The bush cat meowed over at us then ran back to the forest.
          "Give your eyes a break, H."
She shook her head at him and scanned the horizon. "It's getting late. I need to have my weekly discussion."
          "Hey mom, how come you never take off the red glasses?"
          "To see lies and deceptions, physically at least," she said.
          "H, you really think she understands what you just said?" dad asked.
          "No, but she wanted an answer and I gave her one," mom said walking away into the forest."
Admittedly I still never figured out what she meant.
"Aye, that lady is too much sometimes. How's about you and I go tinker on something in my workshop, Hailey?"
          "Ya! Let's do it! I wanna use the hammer!"
Dad picked me up with one arm and carried me back inside as I clinged onto him with a hug.
Enough reminiscing... Dream or memory, I've got a task for the moment. Time to get back to the present day struggles.

Day 2,235 A.O.
Sitting at my desk, I put my hat upside down in my lap and took out every piece of clothing that belonged to my mom and placed it on the table. Boots, pants, shirt and coat, gloves, and her black top hat with a red stripe and... her red lensed goggles. I inspected the goggles which now had a crack on the right lens from earlier. Trying them on, I looked around my room and saw the same old things just... red filtered. I took all the clothing and headed for the laundry room to wash everything. Passing by the main room where everyone was laying on the floor staring through the sky roof at warping space. I was surprised to see them all so calm... it was unsettling. Mu and SS appeared to be having a conversation.
"You got any family?" Mu asked him.
          "I did..." he replied.
          "Oh, I'm sorry I asked."
          "I murdered them! Hehehe!"
Mu sat up and looked at him horrified then scooted away and hugged Rough Patch tightly. I walked over and joined in the conversation saying, "He's only joking, Mu, have a sense of humor haha... you are joking, right?"
          "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," he said, twisting his face.
He definitely wouldn't have been recruited into the TTA if he had done such a thing. Though I can't be sure since Tim is the CEO.

I made it down to the laundry room and put the clothes in to wash, said for the goggles. Adding some bubbly pink seal soap into the mix for maximum cleanliness, I hoped it wouldn't damage the torn area of the coat. Everything in my ship is so colorful and while that worked for child me, new young adult me doesn't care much for it. But I don't have the time or patience to redecorate right now. Continuing to sit on the floor and looking around my red filtered room, I thought about my current outfit and how dirty it was; having been through a lot in the last 7 years or so.

Once the clothes were done washing, I took them out and had a good inspection. The tear was the same and the blood spot was still there and always will be it seems... I hate it. I hate the grim reminder of what happened that day. The day my universe as I knew it crumbled in a split second. I think a lot, and then I don't. Peck I'm crazy.

Putting all of it away into my hat, I heard the elevator coming down and looked to see Roombi with Mustache Girl and Rough Patch. "Guest has requested to see you," Roombi said, leaving the room. I continued to hold my shoulder injury and before I even got to say hello, Mu rushed over to me.
          "Hat Kid, your shoulder is still hurt! Let me do something about that."
Mustache Girl pushed my hand away to inspect the damage. I didn't say anything in the moment because I guess I was too lost in my own head. Besides... I like being mute sometimes. It brings less chaos into my world... The kind I don't start, hehe.

Rough Patch jumped on my lap without warning to my facial surprise. Mu continued to diagnose my shoulder while I pet Rough Patch gently. He was soft and... grassy. He was not soft, he was rough as stated by his name haha.
"So uhhh, Hat Kid... anything interesting happening with you as of late, other than... ya know..."
          "Well um... I guess it is my birthday."
          "Well holy shiit, Hat Kid, happy birthday, how old are you?" Mu asked.
          "252 years old."
          "No way!"
          "Yes... way?"
          "So you must be an alien, right? Because you sure ain't human."
          "No, you're an alien."
          "I'm an alien?"
          "To anyone who isn't from your home planet, yes."
          "Ah... right."

Mustache Girl finished her diagnostic to say, "I took medical training at the TTA so I know what I'm doing. Your shoulders' going to get infected if we don't do something, Hat Kid."
          "Infected? Haha, silly Mustache Gurl. Don't they tell you anything at the TTA? Our blood is too advanced to be infected by some impotent lead. Much like when I lost my eye, it couldn't get infected or anything, it just really hurt."

Mu ripped the bullet out of my shoulder and I grunted a small pain.

The ship arrived at the planet of the universal black market and I ordered Mu to go down and get us a job, whatever the task. I waited below the ship for her return and just enjoyed the nature; still very paranoid of the silhouette man watching. Who the peck is he and what does he want? His motives toward me are still unclear as can be but he hasn't hurt me so that's nice of him.

I lay on the grass looking at the sky, breathing gently and clearing my mind of any and all horrors I've been through in my life... It wasn't very effective.

I accidentally didn't publish this and it stayed a draft, wtf!
Chapter 4 came out before this one ugh!