Chapter 77

The Good, The Bad, The Cringy

  This time I managed to avoid a few major pitfalls. This of course meant that there were some good things that happened. First and foremost, we were not quarantined. While we did end up sending Carrie, Lynn, Nicole, Rachel, and Noel to the hospital, they were in mostly clear condition when they left. That, along with the fact, that rescue personnel weren’t hit by Prolaxian Herald Mave’s caustic spit, and no one escalated this mansion to be a biohazard area.

  There was also the fact that I could technically be charged with trespassing, even though I owned the property. I claimed I had a very bad Precognition-X vision of the girls being tortured. While that did explain why I was on the premises, it didn’t give me the right to barge into the premises. I know, it is weird to me. Fortunately, after everything was cleared up, the girls, and by that I mostly mean Felicia, were willing to drop the charges.

  Buzz, twitch.

  There was a bad, with so much going on, I of course eventually let my guard down. That was when Julie first tried to inadvertently touch my wings. And yes, despite being metal, they can feel everything. Well, they can feel good sensations. Gentle caresses, light pats, those kinds of things were not only able to be felt, but also illicit a quick response. See, the Endarians knew that you shouldn’t just touch the wings. I assume this was either a cultural thing, or maybe something learned from dealing with Rayquel so much. But my wings were sensitive to good sensations. Anything more than a light pinch and fortunately for me, the wings didn’t feel anything.

  In fact, like a pinky toe, they could slam into the random furniture around me to make sure it was there. Unlike the pinky toe, when such collisions happened, I didn’t feel a thing. This of course led to all sorts of tests by the girls, who particularly liked making me jump from random tickles.

  Their harassment, and that is what it was, wingual harassment, even devolved into a game. Where the girls would take turns, trying to tickle or harass me while I was being interviewed by the police.

  On the bright side, this helped me avoid being arrested and detained. Eventually the whole matter was dropped, we spent the night at the hospital, where I was praised for my magical healing efforts. Then the girls were all sent back. I of course stayed, as I had something important to ask the survivors.

  Eventually when everyone was released from the hospital, I made my move. Or would have.

  “So, what is it that you have been trying to get us alone, to ask us?” Julie said.

  Wow, she is direct and to the point. I was about to answer when I felt gentle patting on my wings.

  Giggle.

  Bzz. Snap.

  “Oww.”

  “That hurt.”

  Nicole and Rachel, two of the survivors, say. They apparently felt left out, from when everyone was distracting the heck out of me while we were talking to the cops. So they joined, but their reaction caused an involuntary flinch, which caused my metal wings to snap at their hands. This was good, as it would hopefully get them to focus. But I then felt kind of bad, as the wings were metallic, even if they apparently felt like metal covered in soft velvet.

  “Oh my gods. Can you stop?” I ask, turning to the two, then seeing their faces I cast Healing-X on them, before I begin.

  Now I am on guard, but I still go through with my plan. “I know from my visions of the future, that Mave had at least two people working with her. But the only problem is, they come across as blurry male figures. Do you know who they are?” I ask.

  With that, the mood of the room suddenly changes. Given the topic, and the fact that there are likely, at least, two more people involved in this, the girls focus. Well, most of them do. Julie still eyes my wings like they are some prize to mount on her wall. I suddenly feel very sorry for every butterfly, who was randomly captured and impaled, to be part of a collection.

  Fortunately, Lynn, another one of the five survivors, is able to provide some details.

  “Yeah, I remember there being a male figure. He had a deep commanding voice.”

  That was it, a male with a deep voice. But at least it was something in the right direction.

  “Oh, that’s right. He also had salt and pepper hair.” Carrie added.

  There we go. Now we were adding visuals.

  “I think he was the guy from the photo.” Rachel added.

  “Photo?” We all added.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  After that, there was an hour-long scavenger hunt around the mansion looking for photos. Finally, we found it, there was an old, framed image, you know the type. The one that is three dimensional on a two-dimensional space. The old timey ones where you can rotate the image to show different angles and people.

  Well, the image was of Mave, likely the real Mave, before she got possessed by a herald. In the image, she was being presented a reward for something. Then off in the background was apparently a younger version of the person that Rachel saw.

  Badump, buzz. Badump, buzz.

  Upon seeing the image, a few things happened. First again, I had a terrible poker face, thanks to my wings. Also, one thing was clear to everyone.

  “You know who that is?” Julie asked.

  I nodded. I did know. I was almost recruited by the same person, to be a pilot.

  Thinking back, I wonder why I didn’t notice that he was a Prolaxian Infiltrator then. Then I realize the time I met him was just in passing before I went to my pilot cert training. That was of course, before I went to the alternate universe and unlocked my additional Psychic powers.

  Patting the violin by my side, I realize it was also before I got my violin to also help keep my emotions in check. So much had changed, and yet technically, to this universe, only a day had passed.

  With this revelation, I realize I need to do a few things. First, I need to get close to the admiral, which means I need to stay in the military.

  Then, there is something else I realize. Something else that I realize I must do before anything else. In fact, I think I will rather enjoy this next part. I hope that if there is another restart, it happens after this part.

  Smiling evilly to myself, I prepare for what I am about to do.

  “What are you going to do?” Julie asks.

  Most of the other girls at this point, have taken an involuntary step back. Apparently, they can feel the malice I am now exuding.

  “I just realized; I haven’t said hello to my brother since I got back.”

  “What?” Nicole asks, but it is too late. I am already activating Total Recall.

  Poof.

  Again, no sound, I almost wish there was. I appear in a pitch-black room. It takes me a minute to orient myself. Only now do I realize that it has gotten late and that we must be past midnight. Thus, I quickly realize a few things. Despite it being dark, I can still see everything clearly. This is due to my eyes and wings are veritable night lights. Night lights that don’t glow brightly enough wake up anyone. This is particularly good as my brother Chet, is apparently with a woman.

  Seeing the woman, I can’t help but wonder if he actually seduced the girl or forced her here against her own better judgement. Then realizing it is my brother, I automatically assume the latter. While I can’t fix what happened earlier this night, to this poor woman, I can make sure it never happens again. And that is exactly what I do. Finding his mind, I find the four areas where his darker mind powers reside. This is my third time doing this, and sadly I think I still enjoy this process.

  Mind Rend-X.

  Then a quick Mind Heal, to prevent any major damage. This also makes sure to heal the frayed ends of his brain together, all but permanently neutering his mental powers. With that, my work here is done.

  One Total Recall later, and I am back with the girls at the mansion.

  “Wait, where did you go?” Julie asks.

  I smile, “well you see, I just fixed a perpetual mental rapist. Also, if the cops ask, I was here all night.”

  Everyone just stares at me with wide eyed shock.

  “Wait, you aren’t joking, are you?” Rachel asks.

  I am beginning to think that Rachel is the most perceptive of the group. She was the one that noticed the photograph and was able to make the visual connection between the much younger man in the picture, and the person that helped torture her. Now she realized that I had left and come back within a minute to conduct a crime. Well, some might call it a crime, I call it a good deed. My second humanitarian act for the day, mind you. I really am setting the bar high for tomorrow.

  “Would you be mad if I wasn’t?” I asked, locking eyes with her.

  At this, Rachel visibly trembled for a second. Though I don’t think it was out of fear. I could tell she was not frightened of me. In fact, her body language and posture showed that she felt more at ease around me. Look at my Empathy skills, coming in handy at a time like this.

  “No.” Rachel says, then gives a slight pause before she continues. She continues with words that make me pause. “I trust you.”

  I blink.

  I almost feel like I was suddenly added to yet another alternate timeline. One where women were ridiculous.

  “What?” I ask.

  I am not the only one. As apparently some of the other girls around us are also showing signs of confusion.

  “I trust you. I don’t really know you, and quite frankly what you can do frightens the hell out of me. But despite it all, I trust you.” Rachel says this, but then an idea hits me.

  Part of why these twelve girls were targeted was because they were all nulls. They went through the trials and never awakened their magical or psychic potential. It is at this point that I remember the six hundred and sixty certs in my pocket. Certs that might otherwise go to waste. Well, they wouldn’t, I would apply most to my magic slot and try to unlock my seventh magic spell. But that was a waste when I literally had a chance to truly save these girls.

  With that thought, an idea comes to my mind.

  “Would you all want a chance to be on equal footing with me?” I ask.

  “Hah!” Felicia shouts out. She has always been my biggest detractor, though I don’t quite know why.

  “No wait, I think he is serious.” Julie says, looking at me.

  She has spent the most time by my side today. She is also the one that started the stroke a wing harassment game.

  “I have enough certs to give each of you a chance to unlock either a magic or a psychic class.” I say, then I pull out a few of the certs. These were of course my ten percent for what I had killed earlier. Since this was a new time loop, I somehow managed to not take the thousand certs. Realizing that was likely part of the Kangaroo Court bobble that Mel had used against me, it made sense that they were returned. This was a boon for me, as I still had the benefits from when I added them last timeline. This time, I decided to pay my ten percent forward.

  “What do you want for them?” Marta asked. She always thought there was a catch to everything. There was, in this case, I felt these certs were basically play money. Money that wasn’t quite real. I also knew where I could kill another Prolaxian Infiltrator and earn even more certs, thus I was not too concerned.

  Rachel was the first, she wanted to be a mage. Once she applied all forty-nine certs her class visibly changed as she was granted a Diviner class. After her Julie tried it, wanting to be a mage as well, she turned out to be a nature mage, one who could heal and augment life. Basically, a support mage, all except more druidy in nature. Meaning, it was actually a useful class.

  Then after that the rest of the girls finally came around, even Felicia.

  Five hundred and eighty-eight of the six hundred and sixty certs used. I felt sort of poor with only seventy-two certs, but again I wasn’t disappointed. This was a good investment, at least I hoped it was.

  With that my first day in the new time loop finally came to an end. I had done a lot.

  I had saved the five girls, check.

  I had mentally neutered my brother, check. Though I do regret not doing so sooner, given the fact there was likely another victim in his bed when I found him.

  I found out who one of the two Prolaxian Infiltrators was.

  I also gave these twelve girls a new chance at life.

  Yep, life was good. Almost too good. In fact, I felt sort of hesitant to let myself relax. Last time I felt this good, I was about to be mind raped by a celestial. With that thought, I instinctively felt towards my violin case, where the last bauble remained. The last thing that just speaking its name would likely cause it to activate. An item that I still didn’t know if I should try to destroy, or if it was truly meant to be an item that could save my life. Regardless, I would rather be in possession of that item, then let someone else be in possession of it. These items only do harm, at least that has been my experience with them so far.

  But if the remaining celestial artifact could help, then I would be foolish to get rid of such a device. The sad part is, I can feel a resonance with the device, something telling me that throwing it away would be terrible. It is because of this gut feeling that I don’t, though I have learned recently that I can’t always trust my gut. But in this case, I think it is better to have the device and not need it, then to need it and not have it. Thus, I will keep the device.

  “So, what will you do now?” Rachel asks, after a few minutes of me sitting idly in a corner by myself.

  “You know, that is a very good question. I think I might take tomorrow off.” I said.

  Of course, how was I to know that those words would come back to bite me.

  ***

  Little did Kyle Goldman know, that the altruism he offered the girls would come back to bite him. Especially, now that he was fully integrated into his universe's leveling system.