Chapter 2
Chapter 2
"How the hell did this happen?" Hartnell shrieked.
The council had reconvened in their chambers. Hartnell paced the floor. Tennant and Morstan sat in their respective chairs. Tennant kicked his feet onto the table and lounged back in his chair. After Hero's disappearance, Freeman had reinstated him. He very much looked the part of the cat who ate the canary. In response to Hartnell's question he shrugged.
"Aren't you the least bit concerned?" Hartnell said.
"The least bit? Yeah, sure."
"Councilman Tennant, you are on shaky ground already. I wouldn't make your situation worse by being glib." Freeman said.
"Maybe he helped her. Him and her brother.” Pace said.
"I don't know how to get out of a chronocuff, no one does."
"She does." Morstan said.
"I don't know why you aren't more worried." Hartnell said.
"I am worried. I'm worried about Hero. Whether she's safe or not. Not about how she escaped this joke of a council." Morstan said.
***
Hero's eyes were squeezed shut. She may have been a bit scared to open them. She slowly opened one eye, then the other. She appeared to still be alive so points all around for that. She also wasn't entirely sure when or where she was.
She stood in the middle of a football field. Football field, not pitch, so that meant America. She looked to her left and saw a sign hanging over the grandstand "Towles Field: Belleview-Lorraine High school". Based on the equipment and lack of hover seats she'd place the time period around late 20th early 21st century. Neato. It wasn't her favorite era, she was fond of cowboys, but it wasn't her least favorite either.
The chronocuff beeped feebly and she glanced down at it. She tapped it and the beeps became agitated. She was so busy fiddling with the cuff that she didn't notice the 16 year old blonde boy lying on the ground, reading a Mac Gnight book, in front of her until she tripped over him.
Hero sprawled to the ground or, more specifically, sprawled on the boy in front of her. The boy made a rather amusing noise, somewhere between a grunt and the word "why?”
"Oh hello." Hero said, making no move to get up. "I'm Hero. What's your name?"
"You're a hero?"
"Yes. And you are a... Rick? Dorchester? Emilio?"
"Seems a bit presumptuous to call yourself a hero."
"It's my name. So if anyone was presumptuous it was my parents. Now, name, do you have one?"
"Get off me."
"That's a weird name for this century isn't it? Are Khaleesi and Sherlock popular yet? Your parents are ahead of the curve."
"No. My name is Tommy King. Get the hell off me."
"Right." Hero scrambled to get off of Tommy. He wasn't really helping matters by pushing her. His arm somehow got caught in her suspenders. They grappled for a moment. Then Hero's suspenders became wrapped around her own neck. Her bowtie ended up hanging out of Tommy's pocket. Finally they got themselves sorted. They rose to their feet, gasping for air. Hero eyed Tommy as she retied her bowtie.
"You're a short one aren't you."
"I'm 5'7. I'm average. You're Jack Skellington."
"Well that was unnecessary.”
“Well so’s all that.” He gestured at her bright clothes.
“This is power-clashing.” Hero said. She bent over and rubbed at a grass stain on her antler pants. “It inspires respect and fear.”
Tommy stashed his book, now sporting a lovely crease down the middle, into his backpack. He slung the bag across his back and walked away.
"Oi! Before you go. What year is it?"
"2014."
"Boffo. Thank you." Hero marched in the opposite direction. 2014.
"Wait." Tommy said. He was hiding out before his brother Dallas’s birthday party and didn’t have anything better to do than talk to this weird girl.
"Have a wonderful day." Hero said, not slowing down.
"Hold on. What's that on your wrist?"
"Present tech. Can't talk about it."
"Present tech?" Tommy asked.
Hero stopped. "Shoot. Uh, just kidding. It's a...novelty watch."
"A novelty watch..." He said.
"Uh huh." She said.
"And why did you want to know what year it was?"
"Short term memory loss."
"Mm hm." He said.
"'K bye." Hero walked away.
"Just hold on for a second." Tommy said. He jogged to keep up with her long stride.
"Look mate, I've really got to go. Sorry about your book." Hero said.
"What's your deal? Why are you dressed like England threw up on you? What's that thing on your wrist?"
"You ask a lot of questions don't you?"
Hero paced back and forth, tugging her dark curls until a few stood in the air, further enhancing her already manic appearance.
Tommy was swiftly moving from annoyed to amused with the strange girl standing in front of him. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she appeared to be arguing with herself and losing quite badly.
Hero was severely torn. On the one hand, she was in enough trouble as it was and really shouldn’t add “divulging present tech to denizens of the past” to her rap sheet. On the other hand she didn’t know where she was or what she was going to do. Also she got very bored when she was by herself. She turned to Tommy.
“Alright. Ok. I’m Hero Mcfitzowitz and I’m from the present.” She scrunched her eyes shut and waited for the shock to overcome Tommy. When it didn’t, she opened her eyes. Tommy stood before her, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
“I’m from the present too.” He said.
“I thought you were from here!”
“Yeah. I am. This is the present.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yeah it is.”
“No it’s not.”
“Is too.”
“Is not. This is the past. Pretty far into the past. Not as far back as I’d prefer, I like cowboys, but beggars can’t be choosers and this is indubitably the past. I used my past watch to get here so this is definitely the past, defy that logic at your own peril. ” She clapped her hands together in a sort of ta-da! gesture.
“No it’s not.”
“Oh, we’re not going to start that again are we? We’ve got things to do.”
“Things?”
“Yes. Things. Important things. Things that shall be decided on at a later date. For now we’re walking.”
Hero took off. Tommy followed after her. She jogged lightly across the track that surrounded the football field. She vaulted the fence, despite there being a gate not twenty feet away and nearly landed on her face. She then came upon a high school parking lot. There was only one car in the entire lot, a beat up Pontiac Grand Prix. Hero pegged its year as somewhere around 1977.
“Why are you at school on a Saturday?”
“Sunday.”
“Say my sentence again in your head and replace Saturday with Sunday.” Hero sauntered over to the Pontiac, she lightly caressed the hood, she liked classic cars.
“I like reading and not having anybody bother me.” Tommy said behind her. “I’m oh for two on that front. Hey what are you doing?”
While he’d been talking Hero had rummaged around in her pockets and emerged with a bobby pin. She was busy jimmying the lock when Tommy finally noticed what she was doing.
“You were being slow.” She said.
The lock popped open and she climbed into the passenger side seat, tossing a wrapped gift in the back.
“Careful wit that.” Tommy said. The gift was Dallas’s birthday present. Dallas loved sweatbands for some reason and Tommy had found an awesome Captain America one. It was the perfect gift for the little weirdo.
Hero settled into the seat and her knees nearly touched her chin due to how deep the seats were. She closed the door and waited for Tommy to unlock the other door.
“You’re not coming with me.” Tommy said.
“But I’m already in the car. We’re best friends and we’ve got really important undisclosed things to do.”
Tommy sighed heavily and lowered himself into the low seat. He took special care of the wire sticking out of the side of the seat that was always waiting to jab him in the ass. He started the car. The radio came on, tuned to the local pop station. He pulled out of the parking lot.
“Oo! I like classical too.”
“Oh very clever."
“Well I am clever. Very clever, but that is neither here nor there. That is just a statement of fact.”
Tommy turned off the music. Hero attempted to distract herself with the scenery outside. It was quite beautiful, very green, if you’re into that sort of thing. However, Hero had never been good with things like sitting still and looking out the window. She would much rather prefer an axe murderer or pirate show up. If neither of those were available she’d settle for a good book.
She took another stab at conversation. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
“Come on! That’s from Star Wars.”
“And I can’t enjoy classic films? I was planning on majoring in American Cultural Studies, you know. 1800’s through 2200’s in college.”
“Was planning?”
“Hit a bit of a snag in the old five year plan.”
“Couldn’t get financial aid?”
“Not exactly.”
Radio silence emanated from Tommy’s side of the car. Hero found a rubber band on the dashboard. She played with it, twining it around her fingers, shooting it at the windshield. She kicked her feet onto the dashboard. Tommy glared at her feet, scuffing the wood, but she was blissfully unaware. Amusement soured back into annoyance. Then she lost control of the rubber band and it shot Tommy in the face.
Tommy slammed the brakes and pulled over to the shoulder. He turned to her, his eye twitching. “Out. Get out.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you are a crazy person. And the most annoying person I’ve ever met. And you’re weird. Pick any one, mix and match ‘em if you like. Just get out. I’ve got a birthday party to get to.”
Hero crossed her arms and tightened her seatbelt. “You’ll have to drag me out.”
“I’m not doing that.”
“You’ll have to. I just can’t believe you’re picking a fight on our ten minute friendiversary.”
“We’re not friends.”
Hero let out a hurt gasp but didn’t move. Tommy leveraged himself out of the car. He stomped over to the passenger side and whipped the door open. Hero looked up at him, she tapped her fingers, and gave a slight shake of her head. He flapped his hands in frustration then leaned across her to unhook the seatbelt. She sat completely still while he did this. He straightened up and gestured for her to get out. She shook her head. He grabbed her and pulled. She didn’t budge. He pulled again, sweat beading on his brow.
Hero rolled her eyes and unfolded herself from the low bucket seat. In one swift move she wrapped her arms around Tommy and punched a button on her past watch. Tommy and Hero disappeared, leaving the Pontiac idling on the shoulder of the road.
***
Tennant and Morstan sat in a dark corner of the Wolf Lyre pub. They both had pints of german beer from 1979, a very good year for the Dunkel brand. They had deliberately chosen the least reputable bar in the city of the present. Hartnell and Pace weren’t known for consorting with the “element” who frequented the Lyre, and Morstan didn’t want anyone seeing them.
“Olliver. I want you to know that if at any point you don’t feel comfortable with what we’re discussing you can leave. I won’t think any less of you.”
“I think you know me better than that Mr. Morstan.”
“Well I figured I’d give you the option.”
“Noted.”
Morstan took a long drink before he spoke. “I’m sure you already suspect why I’ve asked to speak with you.”
Tennant nodded. “I’ve an idea.”
“Hero’s out there. Somewhere. Who knows what time she landed in. Or if she landed at all.” Morstan said.
Tennant looked stricken by the idea.
“You’ve got to bring her back. You’ve got to bring her back and you’ve got to do it before the lawmen.”
Morstan took another long drink, Tennant followed suit. Tennant nodded slowly. He sat his drink down, thought better of it, picked it up, and drained it.
“Alright.” Tennant said.
“You’ll do it.” Morstan said.
“It’s Hero. I’m already packed.”
“You’re quite close to her brother aren’t you?”
“Benvolio? Oh. Yes sir. Quite close sir.”
“My God Captain Tennant, are you blushing?” Morstan said.
“Screw you.” Tennant said with a grin. He stole Morstan’s beer.
“You’ll leave tonight? Will Benvolio go with you?”
“Let me finish your drink first. Yeah, we’ll go. Volio’s been just sick about what happened.”
“You know what’ll happen if you get caught.”
“Mm-hm. Drawn and quartered. Burned at the stake. Fall on our swords.”
“It’s treason Olliver. All that isn’t so far off.”
“Then we won’t get caught.” Tennant said.
Tennant finished Morstan’s beer. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He then held out his hand for Morstan to shake. Morstan grasped his hand.
“Bring our girl back.” Morstan said.
***
As soon as Tommy and Hero touched down Tommy ran to some nearby bushes and puked.
“That’s perfectly normal. Everyone does it when they’re first exposed to the singularity.” Hero said.
Tommy retched again. Hero sidled over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “There, there.” She said.
Tommy glared up at her. “I need you to walk away from me right now.”
“Touchy.” Hero said as she walked away, trying to appear nonchalant, whilst moving at a pretty good clip.
Tommy spit a few times then straightened up. “What’d you do to me?”
“Quick jaunt into the past. We needed to move past the ‘I don’t believe in time travel’ stage. This is usually effective. Don’t feel bad, Billy didn’t believe me at first either.”
“Stop. Talking. Did you drug me?”
Hero almost growled in frustration. “Yeah, that’s exactly it. I dosed you with a psychotropic drug of my own devise that allows me to control your hallucinations. I whipped it up in my bloody lab on the off chance I’d meet a git whom I would then convince I was from the present slash future slash whatever for a bloody laugh! Which admittedly I could… but I didn’t. Look. Around. It’s real. It’s. All. Real.”
It was at that moment a rock connected with Hero’s head. She crumpled to the ground in a heap of limbs and questionable fashion choices. Against all odds the rock had not been thrown by Tommy. Rather, it had been thrown by an elder gentleman in a tunic and breeches.
“Witch!” He shrieked.