The duo appears back to a ground, a solid one made of pure gold and the walls around where something out of a sci-fi movie, one dealing in terms of rich décor akin to the corporate hell of a luxury technocracy skyscraper.

“I didn’t expect the 20’s to look so futuristic?” said Kazue. “W-wait, hold on this is… no, no! We’re at time headquarters!” she shouts.

“Seems to be the case.” Sighs Hideki, already theorizing why they dragged them here in the first place. “I’m guessing the boss wants to talk to us.”

“And right you’d be.” Said a firm feminine voice behind them. The voice belongs to a woman, early 30’s, her grey dress suit equip with a time tie beneath resembling a bow clock where it tucked, a bevy of clocks as the design. Kazue truly thought it was unfitting for her, a comedic thing on an otherwise comic-less woman.

“You two, report to my office immediately.” She continues.

“Rung out the welcome wagon for us today? Didn’t even get a secretary to do it, must be a big thing we got today, huh?” Kazue chuckles nervous.

“Unamusing as ever, Kazue.” She makes her way to her office in silence. She knows, they will come.

“Looks like we’re in a hot mess again. Come on, let’s get this over with so we can get started on the mission.” His sneakers squeak across the polished ground, Kazue’s Mary Jane’s clicking in tow.

There were workers working on the side in mid-sized cubicles. One could peer right over at them, see them and their dastardly walk of shame and judge them based on how often they trudge this place in that fashion. Most keep to their computers, seeking out anomalies that arise in the time continuum. A normal person wouldn’t understand, how often these happen in their day to day lives. Hideki was witness to one, one day at a baseball game a ball had hit itself right at the corner of a bunted ball. Normal stuff, but in truth, that bunted ball had shifted 47 degrees to the right when it should have been 46, and because of that, Hideki who had been playing that field went for it, bumped his head and was called out for the day to the hospital. The same hospital Kazue visited before nightfall completed, the same hospital they witness the falling watches.

The office of hers was cleaned, everything, it was like a wash of sanitizer always scrubbed her room when she stepped out it. Kazue always imagined a giant hatch above in the roof and with one push of a button, comes down suds and water making everything shine with an otherworldly glow of gold, silver, and white master-desk with pictures of her kids on it.

Kazue leans a whisper. “I swear this room makes me want to take a mud bath after, too clean for my taste.”

“I’m not even going to acknowledge the fact you may have just told me you skip baths sometimes.” He is the first to step up. “You requested our attendance ma’am?” He says respectful.

“Always one to keep up the good boy act even when I made that obvious, yes, I did want to see you both. Some might call that respect stupid, but Kazue, you could learn a thing or two about charm and getting where you want to be from him.”

“I am respectful, ma’am.” She straightens her back.

“Sure you are kid.” She slaps a photo down on the desk. “This boy who you met on your last mission, what was he, six, seven? You yanked the ice cream from his cone because he said your thighs are too skinny?” she huffs, the picture displaying Kazue in the time period of 1990’s America stealing a child’s vanilla cone, his eyes teary.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“That boy had it coming! Look at that little chubby face, his mother wasn’t far from the dropping apple tree there.” She stands by her decision.

“And you want to see what that ripple in time caused for realm seven?” another photo levers over the other, a volcano is seen exploding covering the atmosphere in ash, debris and a sea of animals toppled unconscious on the ground.

“Oh… uh… over stealing some kids ice cream?” she chuckles, realizing while harmless to the animals in realm seven, volcanic ash causes them instant weariness and gives them nightmares. That part, made her regret her decision.

“You’re hopeless. Because of that, I had to send four teams out to fix that mess.”

“We apologize ma’am. It won’t happen again.” Answers Hideki.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Time and time again this happens. If this keeps happening I will have to terminate both of you.”

“What!? No we don’t want to get fired!” they said in unison.

“Fired? Oh no. Don’t worry about that. I mean we’ll have to turn you both into stardust, eliminate you from life to put into calmer words. You both know way too much about things humans shouldn’t. In fact, maybe, I should do just that, now.”

Their eyes widen, they can’t believe what they just heard. Their going to be laser blasted into grim reaper land if they don’t pick up their act, immediately making them huddle to discuss in a whisper.

“You absolute ditz! You’re going to get us both killed!”

“Hey, it was a moment of anger okay? That kid deserves it for being a rude snob to a pretty girl like me!”

“Well, young Cleopatra, nothing is going to be any quote on quote, pretty, left of us if you keep that up!” he grits his teeth.

“I’ll try, I do feel bad for those animals… but you’re going to need to restrain me if it happens again.”

“I would say grow up, you need too, but for now, since our lives are teething on a line of yes ma’am and immediate death, I’ll say I will, but you better do your best not too.” He pounces his head up speaking to their boss in a slender sleuth of soft words. “I have spoken to my time partner and she has agreed to the terms. You shall never have us mess up that way again.”

“Yes ma’am I swear on my life I won’t again!” Adds Kazue.

There is a tension riding the air, if either one of the two in the boiling pot snuck that steam into their lungs, they would choke on the gaze of their boss, her, her silly tie, it didn’t matter, nothing was taking that fire beneath their feet as she considers, her brow furrowing like a wobbly ferret.

“Count your blessings. The universes smile on you. Every single one with how lucky you both are.” She stands, her frame is like a basketball point guard, the ones Hideki watched on American streaming sites. Grown men next to her would be below or just her height if they stood next to her. It made her all the more intimidating in these situations, even with that breath that releases from the two troublemakers.

“Thank you ma’am we won’t disappoint.”

“I know you won’t, Hideki. I understand you both will handle Raymond Reed with great and precise care, hmm?” she questions.

“Y-yeah. May we ask just to be certain, what exactly do we got to get him to do after we stop the speech?” Kazue is aware it isn’t always as simple as getting someone to stop from doing one thing to prevent everything. At times, multiple steps are needed to course correct to the ideal route for all ten universes involved. A fact and at times a sad truth, with ten universes, it is inevitable that one will get the short end of the stick. There’s has had a few, nothing major, but still, she sometimes fears that.

“No, no this one is exactly that simple. Raymond Reed is a man with a good head on his shoulders, once convinced of that, things will fall exactly where they are needed.”

“Great, that’s a relief.” She says.

“One thing, you two were arriving too early, you need to go back three days before the original stated date, it is an unseen update. You will understand once you arrive.”

“You’re not going to debrief us?” asks Hideki.

“No. You will understand, you can trust me on that.” She clicks her fingers on the keyboard in front of her, the date and time of their watches change.

“Now, I will see you both off. Remember. No more mistakes.” She stands waving as the two once again swift away from the watch. Once they’re gone, she sighs.

“Time patrol these days are so hit or miss. I pray this one time, they don’t miss.” It is clear in her meager expression, there is a weight up on her making her sit back with the best hopes into her chair.