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THIS ISN'T 'BACK TO
THE FUTURE'
"Hold on to the memories,
they will hold on to you."
—Taylor Swift
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TWO cloaked figures hurriedly made their escape, leaving destruction and chaos in their wake. Running through a desolated shopping mall, trying to avoid the Minutemen who were hot on their trail with weapons ready. The taller of the two figures swiftly decided to split up, one heading up the escalator and the other towards the food court. Immediately, the TVA Hunters formed two teams in an attempt to capture the variants and reset the timeline. However, they underestimated the duo who seemed to have a trick on their sleeves.
The male-cloaked figure conjured a decoy of himself to head in the opposite direction, hoping they took the bait. Hiding behind a pillar while they followed the decoy through the long corridor, he snuck up behind one Minutemen and knocked them unconscious. Swiftly getting the limp body before thudding the ground, dragging it away to avoid being seen. The boy glances at the unconscious person before a bright green light surrounds his body, creating an illusion to copy their physical appearance.
Successfully, he blends in with the group as they mindlessly follow the illusion. It worked at first but the boy could only hold the illusion for so long, the longest time was about five minutes. Quickly formulating a plan, he outstretched his right hand to mind control Hunter F-17. He turned on the Time Stick before striking the closest soldier to be pruned while F-17 did the same. Caught by surprise, he expertly dodged their attacks as he summoned his weapon, Uru daggers. Dropping the illusion, the male figure managed to leave them defenseless before pruning them mercilessly.
Stealing the leader's TemPad and a few reset charges, he went searching for his companion. She was on the other side of the abandoned mall, flawlessly striking and blocking their attacks. Creating an energy shield when one of the Minutemen attempted to hit her with a Time Stick before redirecting it to a soldier nearby. Kicking her attacker's legs to fall to the ground before kicking the baton away and swinging her dagger to slit their throat. The remaining standing ambush in an attempt to overpower her yet she creates small energy shuriken or ninja stars to slit and slash their bodies.
He eventually found her by the deserted water fountain, the bodies of the Minutemen at her feet unresponsive. The boy found her tactical approach a bit brutal in terms of leaving them bleeding out to death. But they couldn't have any witnesses, just like how HYDRA used to teach her. She pulled down her cloak's hood to reveal her long brunette hair before facing the boy, slightly annoyed, "We could have gotten killed...."
"But we didn't." He remarked, rolling his eyes discreetly as he held on to the TemPad, scanning through the files and recordings. Droplets of blood fell from her dagger, she carefully cleaned them before placing them back on her thigh holster. The boy groaned softly as he tossed the device to her, "Another bust."
"No thanks to you, come on... we need to keep going...." The female glared at him for being so careless, catching the TemPad with ease. Scrolling through any information that could be useful, the male already prepared the reset charges. Placing it on the ground before turning it on, she conjured a portal as they entered another timeline.
"Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you're the boss of me." The boy declared bitterly, scowling while clenching his jaw tightly. Emerging out of an empty alleyway towards the busy streets, she checked the TemPad for what timeline they were in. It was Los Angeles, California in 2048, three days before the devastating earthquake along the San Andreas fault.
"I think it does, Nikos. You may have more powers than me but it means nothing if you still have a lot to learn," Aurora asserted, observing the citizens' attire before she indicated her brother to conjure a projection to fit in with the crowd. Changing from their cloaked attire a green light illuminated them into black trench coats and white straight-leg pants with black combat boots according to the timeline. Her leather satchel tucked underneath the trench coat with items she accumulated from the TVA.
The boy bit his inner cheek to prevent provoking her, knowing that what she said was partially the truth. He wasn't a natural like his father nor had the chance to learn from him since he was dead before the boy was born. Athena may have knowledge of Energy Manipulation but not Conjuration or Illusions since those were the abilities Nikos inherited from the God of Mischief. Trailing behind the girl, he would occasionally steal unsuspecting bystanders since they were looking for refuge for the night.
"What did I tell you about this?" Aurora stopped in her tracks, she glanced at him with a neutral expression and reached into his coat's pocket. Pulling out the trinkets he stole, giving him a pointed look yet Nikos turned his gaze away from her. Sighing deeply through her nose momentarily before she warned him, "You take anything from this timeline and accidentally leave it in another—."
"The TVA will find us. Yeah, I know...." Nikos grumbled when his sister took the items away and threw them in a nearby trash bin. Crossing the street, she tries to find an abandoned or isolated building although the city was heavily populated with high-rise towers. Too bad that everything will be destroyed in a few days, creating a massive sinkhole that nearly swallows Los Angeles. "Not a kid, you know."
"Yet you act like it..." Aurora mentally pondered, fully aware that her brother could hear her thoughts with their shared telepathy. Feeling his icy glare but intentionally ignoring it, they walked alongside each other through a busy farmer's market by a popular shopping mall. They had two rules, only steal food and always look out for each other. "Meet me back here in five minutes."
The siblings split up to search for some food considering their energy was low from their recent escape. The girl accidentally bumped into someone, discreetly taking their wallet for cash. Seeing that it had a couple of large bills, she threw the wallet away before deciding what to get. Eventually, she came back with a plastic bag filled with sandwiches, fruits, pasta, and two bottles of juice before setting it on the table. Nikos managed to snatch a couple of snacks for the night, a map tucked underneath his left arm.
"Look... I'm not trying to be a bitch. You just... have talent. It would be a shame to let that potential go to waste." Aurora told him although it sounded like a sarcastic remark, letting the boy decide what he wanted to eat. He opted for pasta and an apple so she got the club sandwich, frequently scanning their surroundings for potential danger.
"I would have believed you... if it wasn't for that tone. You may be an excellent liar but I'm no idiot," Nikos proclaimed with a mischievous smirk on his lips, at that moment he almost resembled Loki. The girl rolled her eyes as she munched on her food, checking the TemPad before noticing the battery was half full.
"How can I forget? You have your father's tongue and mom's stubbornness." She commented nonchalantly, placing the device in her trench coat before glancing at the map in his hand. Considering it was the future, Aurora didn't expect that people would still use something so outdated like paper maps for navigation. When she tried to reach over, Nikos swiftly pulled the cartogram away from her. Narrowing her gaze, opening the palm of her left hand, "Now, give me the map, please."
"No, I found it." He retorted, glancing at her while shaking his head in disagreement. Nikos moved it aside under his arm, tucking it away out of her reach. She attempted to lean over the table but he was refusing to listen, even if she asked him nicely.
"Give it!" Aurora demanded as she reached over before gently kicking his shin causing him to lean forward. She quickly grabbed it and started to pinpoint their location and potential places they could stay. Looks like there was a park and a building in the late stages of construction about eight miles north. However, Nikos discreetly summoned the item with a wave of his hand much to her dismay.
"Too slow," Nikos taunted her before making the map disappear in thin air. She quickly glanced around in hopes that no one saw him use magic before lightly gripping his wrist with a harsh expression on her face.
"You can't just use magic whenever you want!" The girl whispered firmly yet he yanked his hand away from her grip. He didn't see the harsh reality as she did, Nikos grew up in Olympus with their mother by his side while Aurora lived on Earth and was raised by HYDRA, all alone. "I know you want to learn but magic leaves a trace, similar to a heat source and right now... we don't want to attract anything."
"Fine, no magic." Nikos rolled his eyes dramatically, not understanding why she always took things so seriously. Although they were half-siblings, they certainly have a similar temperament but completely different personalities.
"I'm serious, okay? People can't comprehend what they don't know. We're on our own..." Aurora explained, hoping that her words go through his thick skull and recognize the grave situation they were in.
"I know... do you think... we'll find mom?" Nikos questioned curiously, his voice wavering slightly as if he realized what his sister was saying. They've been on the run from the TVA for the last two months, this would be the fifteen timelines they've jumped in. That's why Aurora would steal the TemPads to figure out how to reprogram them and return to their respective timelines.
"We will... I promise." Aurora swears to Nikos, nodding her head faintly as she gives him a soft reassuring smile. They eventually finished eating and started to head to the location she saw earlier on the map. It was late evening, knowing they had to go since they couldn't stay in one place for so long. The girl slightly struggled to catch up with him, silently blaming his stupid Frost Giant genetics. "Will it kill you to slow down a bit?"
"I think not. Not my fault you can't keep up." Nikos teased her, the corners of his mouth twitching as if to hold back a smirk. He would use every opportunity to relentlessly make fun of her, purposely walking in long strides. She eventually caught up with him before he linked his arm with hers, surprising the older girl. He always appeared cold but he needed his sister as much as she needed him.
The walk to the construction site would be around twenty minutes, maybe fifteen if they wanted to hurry. For the most part, they stayed silent and tried to enjoy the tranquil surroundings that temporarily helped them subside their troubles. Aurora always tried to be a step ahead of the TVA, despising the organization for ruining everything. She was able to reverse-engineer one of the TemPads they stole to track anyone from the TVA ahead of time. Giving them an advantage in case they needed to escape, their problem was how to charge the device since it would require a surge of power.
"I wonder... if this is how Doc Brown felt when he tried to get Marty back home." She blurted out randomly, feeling rather comfortable as they stuck together. However, Nikos' expression creased as he wasn't familiar with anything she just said. She blinked before raising her eyebrow, "Wait... you've never seen Back To The Future?"
"What a Midgardian film?" He replied with a slight shrug and shaking his head in disagreement.
"Not just any film, arguably the best Science Fiction film there is. It's about a teenage boy who accidentally uses his friend's time machine to the past. His friend, Doc Brown is a scientist who eventually helps him get back home before they ruin the space-time continuum. There's a lot more that happens but I don't want to spoil it." Aurora explained, not believing that her other self didn't teach him anything about Earth. Reminiscing that it was one of the first films Peter showed her, a ghost smile on her lips.
"Never heard of it," Nikos interjected, recognizing his sister's longing to have everything back to normal. He too wished to return home where he didn't create a nexus event, both siblings yearning for what they lost.
"Remind me when we go back home to show it to you." She muttered, attempting to lighten the mood between them. A soft chuckle could be heard from the boy, nodding his head in agreement. Her hand gently gripped his forearm, sensing his sharp stare over her, "You know... I kinda envy you sometimes. Among other things."
"You envy me? What a revelation, Rory." The boy teased her causing her to grin at his playful banter. Purposely bumping her hips against his which made him accidentally laugh at her amusing tactics.
"Of course, this was going to boost your ego." Aurora silently groaned at her mistake. She thought if she was nice to him, Nikos would start to appreciate her but got the opposite reaction she wanted.
"And it has, thank you very much." He grinned widely, using his other hand to ruffle her hair. Immediately she smacked his hand away and tried to readjust it, no longer their arms were linked together.
Eventually, they arrived at the construction site that seemed to be nearly completed, maybe sure no one was around before breaking in. Unlocking the doors but thankfully they haven't tripped any security system, heading towards the stairs to the upper levels. It wasn't exactly a skyscraper but it wasn't a normal office building either. Settling on the seventeenth level, there was new office furniture and desks scattered around. Nikos called for the only couch by the far left corner but Aurora didn't bother to argue with him about it.
Staring through the window at the illuminating city, spotting the Hollywood sign from the distance. They were both far from home, from New York and Olympus. The bright lights and skyscrapers could have fooled her that she was back in her dimension. Imagining to see a familiar figure swinging around but it was all an illusion her mind conjured. Subconsciously gripping the sunflower necklace next to her mother's, a gift from Peter when they went to Europe. Not sensing Nikos trying to call for her attention, snapping her out of a trance.
"Rory? Did you listen to anything I said?" He waved his hand in front of her face, she blinked a few times before turning to face him. Biting her inner cheek as she quietly shook her head, seeing that he was handing her leather satchel she dropped on the ground.
"No... I didn't. Sorry...." Aurora meekly apologized, swallowing back her tears as he tried to read her mind. Concentrating on not letting him get through her head, walking past him, unintentionally bumping his shoulder. Deciding to sleep on the elongated storage cabinet by the pillar, she took off her trench coat to use as a blanket for the night.
"Maybe you should take the couch." Nikos offered, grabbing one of the throw pillows yet she shook her head in disagreement. The boy sighed as he perceived what he just read in her mind, standing beside her as he was unsure whether to comfort her or not.
"...You miss him, don't you?" Nikos whispered, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. She didn't reply initially, just reminiscing about the past as she hugged herself from the lack of warmth. The boy sat beside her on top of the cabinet, letting her lean against him. Aurora snuffled softly as she blinked away the tears, detesting the feeling of heartache for him.
"He won't remember me anyway...." She answered truthfully, muttering goodnight to him as she lay on the cabinet. Her trench coat covered her body as she stared at the ceiling for some time, remembering her nexus event. After the spell Doctor Strange cast for everyone to forget Peter Parker, she was able to still remember because of their soulmate bond.
But the TVA made sure to change that.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Yay another update! I know it's been a long time since I've updated but it will get interesting trust me! You get to see a glimpse of the relationship between the Parthenos siblings and this is just the beginning! Anyway, don't forget to comment, like, and please don't be a silent reader! Until next time my loves!