Dating Father Time's Daughter (Book 1)

Chapter 37 (1/2): Aliens vs. Time Keepers (2/2)

Part IV

BlackHole was surprised to meet a man with a face as apathetic as his own. He studied Father Time's countenance hoping to notice some slight change as he got nearer. Alas, his hopes were fruitless.

The master manipulator of time's face remained as unchanged as a roman sculpture. BlackHole's opponent was the paragon of patience. The man before him changed time. Time did not change him.

Eyeing the exquisiteness of the throne, BlackHole reasoned that Father Time was a proud individual. The only object that touched the empty floor of nirvana belonged to him. What signified power the most? Owning many? Or owning the only thing there was?

"You didn't understand my warning?" asked Father Time unmoved by the enemy that stood only a few feet across from him.

"I understood it perfectly," answered BlackHole, matching Father Time's indifferent tone, "And it didn't frighten me at all."

His eyes examined the scythe in Father Time's possession. The weapon nearly rivaled him in height. Possible counter-attacks and other defensive manuevers filled BlackHole's mind.

Father Time's mind was blank. He waited for the galactic germ in front of him to make the first move. This entire ordeal was a waste of his precious time.

BlackHole deliberately exaggerated his next step. But, as soon as his foot touched the ground his body became as formless as mist. He ran circles around Father Time's throne. His insane speed left his body unidentifiable. Only the swirling wind that marked his brief presence was discernible.

"Speed?" asked a bemused Father Time, "You plan to use speed against someone who can manipulate time?"

A white spark engulfed Father Time's body for a second. Then, an evanescent light sparkled from the tips of his fingers and slid over his body like a scanner.

The light transformed his body. After sliding past his arm, a sleek dark armor shaped over his wrinkled skin. Following the light, the armor soon covered his chest and legs. Even more, the armor was familiar. It was the Greek titanium tunic that shielded Dexter's body.

Two formless slits of light blasted out of Father Time's shoulder blades. Immediately, the light morphed into the shape of angel wings. The color of the wings was also familiar. It was the same bright yellow color as Freida's halo.

"Do you know what the formula for speed is?" asked Father Time, finally standing on his feet.

His 10-foot-tall frame continued to inch towards the white skies of nirvana until he was 15-feet-tall. The long grey hair that cascaded down his back rolled into the empty space of the helmet that formed around his head. The Greek helmet of pure light molded around his face. A horizontal slit over his eyes was the only part of the celestial helmet that exposed flesh.

The slit only showed darkness.

"Speed is equal to distance over time" said Father Time.

BlackHole urged his body to move faster. His opponent's transformation and lecture failed to intimidate him. Black holes move at speeds greater than the speed of light. He was too fast to slow down. Too fast to rival.

A tiny tornado whipped around Father Time's throne.

"If I can manipulate time..." said Father Time lifting his enlarged scythe over his shoulder, "...then I can manipulate speed. That's how equations work. You change one variable and you change the entire outcome."

BlackHole sped around at such an incomprehensible speed that his feet stopped making contact with the ground. The wind lifted his body. He was running on air.