Chapter Text
Feet slam against the ground, each sound heavy and long. He'd always find himself in situations like this, so he'd usually just keep running until he could no longer run. He skid himself around the wall, pressing himself against the unevenly laid bricks, panting rapidly. The man took a few gasps for air, hearing the faint sprints enclosing upon him. Once again he'd found himself in the wrong timeline. He shoved himself off the wall, stumbling slightly before breaking off into a sprint once again. His name was Karl, and he is an interdimensional time traveller. The only one who knows how to use his skills, too. Hence, no matter the timeline or period he goes to, he can never avoid the government.
Or perhaps the reason he's being chased is because he stole a pocket watch. Well, either way, it isn't his fault he lost his original one in the twist between dimensions. He hears a gun shooting, reaching a hand out as a flickering slow-motion button appears underneath it, without hesitance he presses the button, leaping over the bullet and resuming time to it's initial state. The police behind him seem shook. He can simply manage a grin and a salute before continuing to run.
This is how he's always wanted to live his life. He likes the thrill, the chase. He likes the way that nothing in any dimension can seem to stop him.
"Karl Jacobs, Age: 23, Gender Identity: Male, Job: Interdimensional Time Traveller..?" The policeman looks up at him inquisitively. The man, the almighty unstoppable time traveller, Karl, he pouts, squirming in his handcuffs. It wasn't fair. They'd got him! It's almost like the Police are trained to deal with criminals and that sort of thing. Still, he cannot help but think slightly bummed out.
"It's true! Did you see how I dodged that bullet?" Karl insists, earning a raise of an eyebrow in return. He cannot believe this. He just looks away, face burning in embarrassment. He's supposed to be uncatchable.
"You pushed an innocent civilian into the bullets direction as a literal meat shield.."
Karl feels more embarrassed now, he almost forgot that he did that but he supposed that the one thing he couldn't run from was the truth. Consequences on the other hand? He absolutely could and would run from them whenever he could. Of course, though, the dimension he travelled to just had to have these silly Magic stoppers. What were they called again? Tasers or something? He decided that he hates them, he'll call them Time Travelling cock blockers, now.
"Anyway, we're going to have to ask for the pocket watch back, okay? If you refuse to give it willingly then we will have to take it from you.. Forcibly," The officer spoke simply, crossing his arms. He was tired as is, and he really didn't want to hear the crazy stories some criminal had as reasoning, this time. There is a long silence from Karl. He seems to be thinking about what to respond.
"Mmm.. See. I kinda need it to get out of this dimension?" Karl started, giggling when the officer glared down at him.
"Then pay for it." The statement was cold, factual. Karl felt himself go still as he processed this, well- he supposed that it couldn't be that expensive, right?
"Sure, how much is it?" He asked, rather casually, for a man in handcuffs being glared down by an officer that's about 8 foot something.
"...12,380 pound."
There is a long silence from both parties. Mostly one from the officer as he allows for the criminal to realise just how much money that stupid pocket watch is. An expression of realisation dawns upon his face, he mouths an 'o', quite unsure how he'd even begin to pay for that. He tries to brainstorm all the ways, shuffling backward on the chair and trying to push it away from the table. Unfortunately for him, the chair is bolted to the floor. So instead he decides that he's just going to get up, but with strength and consistency. He forces himself up, slamming his knee against the underside of the table and immediately keeling back into the chair.
"OH DEAR HONK-" He cried out, clasping his hands around his knee, which probably didn't hurt as much as he was making it out to be, in all honesty. When he noticed the officers were taking no pity upon him, he stunned himself into a prolonged silence.
“How about. I keep the pocket watch. And you all let me go and forget about this? Because this is just embarrassing for the both of us.” He attempted to persuade them with not even a hum of interest or a nod of acknowledgment. Just very much, heavy stares of judgment. He supposed he was a little different from their usual criminal, it’s okay if they can’t handle his uniqueness.
“I have a better idea.” The main officer spoke, sounding disinterested and somehow more fed up than before. He got up, walking to a man in a suit, he was wearing a lot of jewellery and his hair looked recently cut. The suit seemed to be mostly plain navy blue with the inner fabric having duck print on it. How professional, Karl finds himself mentally commenting sarcastically.
“You can have community hours.” He starts, Karl is absolutely gobsmacked, opening to argue but instead screeching as the pocket watch is yanked from his hoodie pocket.
“You’ll work at the store you stole from until you’ve earnt enough money for the pocket watch.” That was it. He was not a happy time traveller at all. He glares at the officer, trying to yank his hands from each other, as if that would break a metal chain.
“Sir?! That’s like! Three quarters of a year in salary!! I have places to be!” Karl claimed, despite knowing that is very much not true in the slightest. But hey, maybe if he acts important enough, he will be important enough. There is nothing from anybody until the one in the suit erupts into a small fit of giggles.
“This isn’t funny, you blue corporate dickhead!” Karl insisted, now glaring at the suited man who only seemed to find that funnier, snickering away at the insults that the time traveller had so gracefully given to him.
“My name's Purpled, actually- but the nickname is endearing and amusing. So please, go on!” He's wiping a tear away! The dickhead! Karl feels himself getting more worked up and ends up looking away, displeased.
“Whatever you say, duck man.” A hand wraps around his arm, pulling him up and out of his seat. Another officer. He barely stops himself from grimacing as he's pulled over to the man in the suit with the strange name. What kind of name was Purpled anyways? It sounded stupid, like some alien name. He didn't even look like a man! More like some boy or teen dressed up in a suit that seemed a tad too smart for him. That's probably why he's still laughing away despite the insults the time traveller is throwing at him. He's immature and young, because, of course, nothing else made more sense.
"Thank you for catching the criminal, once again you have done outstanding work, Officer Foolish." Purpled is speaking to the officer that interrogated him, Karl notes, one again realising that Foolish is also a strange name. Though, that could also be a second name, given how officers are usually addressed. His interest would be peaked but he finds himself just getting more angry at himself. How dare he be marvelling over how cool and unique their names are after he literally got arrested by them? He finds himself looking away as the business boy gently wraps a hand around his arm and tugs him along out of the interrogation room.
They walk through the hallway of holding cells together, the silence unending. Karl takes the time to analyse the boy some more, because the more he takes into account, the more he realises this man was a boy the whole time. He has light blonde hair, almost platinum with a hint of brownish grey, and his face is soft at the chin, with no bags under his eyes. His nose, it's almost like a button, his eyes are round and full of life. The hand leading him into his demise is fragile looking, smooth with no wrinkle in sight, even with the nails painted a nice dark purple colour, Karl can tell that they are taken great care of. In simple words, the business boy seems to be about 17, and not much of a heavy lifter. He probably works in an office, given how his hands are not calloused and his nails are recently painted.
"Are you even old enough to work in a company like a jewellery maker?" Karl commented snarkily, unable to help himself. He notes that Purpleds' mouth curves upwards in a sort of smirk. However, there is no reply from the business boy as they keep walking, this time through the reception. They reach the exit, Purpled pushing the doors open with a bit of a struggle, though both of them do end up outside. Karl can't help but snort in amusement, it really shouldn't be funny, someone unable to open a simple push door. But it is funny because the blue corporate dickhead was unable to, and the time traveller is one petty man.
"I'm 17, you're allowed to work from like 14. I'm not allowed more than 7 hours a week usually, but since I dropped out of college I gotta make ends meet somehow." Purpled let slip finally, expression now one of boredom as he guides the criminal to the jewellery shop. He doesn't know how this fully grown 23 year old man has the sense of humour and maturity of some of his old classmates. He did find it entertaining at first, he doesn't know how entertaining it will be if he has to be the boss of this crazed man, though.
Finally they reach the store, it's a really grand one, an entrance with all the jewels on display accompanied by a spinning door, several floors of different types of jewelleries for different types of customers, the back warehouse for making the jewellery, and the rest of the top floors dedicated to office work and administration work. One of the windows is broken, the one showing off their newest clock collection, the sign reading '£12,380' is hanging off its cords at a tilt, the pocket watch that sat on the plump red pillow now missing.
Karl winces as he earns a few glares entering the building with Purpled. He chuckles nervously, wow, he wonders who stole that pocket watch! It's not in his position anymore so technically it wasn't even him in the first place. However they are, he feels bad for them, they probably have to pay for the damage they did to this huge posh jewellery store. That doesn't sound like a him problem! Not in the slightest.
He's led across the reception area, Purpled picking up a phone, one that's a pearly white colour with a marble pattern imprinted on it. A phone attached to a cord. How old is this company? The time traveller mentally cringes as he watches the teen struggle to turn the dial to the right numbers. He would help if a) his hands weren't cuffed, and b) he actually didn't find this kind of funny to witness. His humour might be broken, always finding the worst times to find something funny. Finally, the teen seems to let out a sigh of relief, holding the comically large phone to his ear.
"Hi boss, this is Purpled, manager of floor 13, I'm here with the criminal that stole the pocket watch. Karl Jacobs, 24. He's going to be working here until he's made up the money to pay for the watch and repairs as you requested." The teen, much to Karls surprise, spoke very formally, though what ruined it was the casual almost fed up attitude that dripped off every word that he said. That's when the time traveller reminded himself that this is a teen, not some old miserable businessman. No, no. Much better! A young miserable business boy!
"I'm sorry? You want him to work under me? Sir- my floor is already full when it comes to employees, plus you need to have work experience and be a specialist in many things" There was a thread of impatience in Purpleds voice, his expression clearly more annoyed than before. This isn't how he envisioned things going, because he did not want to be the boss of this so-called 'Time Traveller'. It was no longer entertaining. It was just plain bad luck.
"I'll train him? AND introduce him to the staff? Boss- What do you mean another employee is also due to work on my floor? We have no offices!" This sounded like a pretty tense call, Karl starts to fiddle with his cuffs, seeing if he could somehow break the chains that held them both together. He wondered if they were just going to keep him handcuffed the whole time, because if it is office work he's doing, that seems to be a little more than counter productive. He hears a groan from the business boy.
"Anyone but him. I can introduce him, then, fine. You better give me a raise for this" And just like that, Purpled set the phone back where it had initially been resting. He turns to give Karl the same glare everyone else has been giving him. Karl manages to grin back sheepishly.
"Come with me" He urged simply, not bothering to drag him along this time, because he knows fully well the cuffed man wouldn't try to run like this. They both head toward the glass elevator, talk about fancy, Karl mentally mocks, rolling his eyes as they enter, staring at the assortment of fancy buttons on one of the walls. Because of course the buttons glowed after you pressed them! As if this couldn't get anymore well off business cliche. Purpled presses the 13th button under the O category and the button lights up a lovely bright baby blue. Just like that, the doors close, and the elevator begins its ascend.
Karl watched every floor whizz by comically slowly, he guessed even the elevator was old, what are the chances that he accidentally travelled to 1965 or something? Once again, he and his shitty sense of humour found this amusing. Until he notices the number at the top, reading S 4. And then O. The number increases gradually. He’s going to make a guess now, S means Shop floor, O means Office floor, W means Warehouse floor and M means Managing floors.
The number hits O-13 and the doors cast themselves open. He feels compelled to leave the lift almost instantly, this time Purpled is the once following behind him. The beauty of this floor is more than he could ever describe, he finds himself taken aback and admittedly a little astonished.
The walls are Purple, each office desk has a decider between it but the office spaces are large and cosy, with bean bags in one corner and a minifridge under the desk, accompanied by a locker and shelf to put personal items with. And the chairs! They were spinny chairs. Don’t even get him started on the computers!
That’s when he could truly tell that he was actually in the modern day, and just found a company that prefers old technology compared to the clearly better newer technology. A slim screened monitor with a sleek tower case stood beside it. The keyboard was clean, slim, but it looked like it made a healthy amount of noise, and the mouse, thank god it was wired, also fit right in with the aesthetic.
He notes all this technology has a mushroom symbol imprinted in it somewhere. Weird, he’d never seen a company like that before. Not in any other dimension, anyway.
“Welcome to office 13. I’m your boss, Purpled. The job is fairly easy here, you’ll be managing customers who have pre ordered in store or ordered online. The database is open on the computers ready for you, though you will have to use the pre existing employees details for a while until I can administer your own account.” As the time traveller was being explained to, he felt his brain turning to mush.
Much of it he despises though, he’s already being pushed into an office after the business boy checks a work phone of his- Karl assumes that’s a work phone at least, it’s like a Nokia brick. No 17 year old would be caught dead with their main phone as that, especially when they’re working for a company at this scale.
“This was a previous employee's office, his name was Clay, though he liked to be called uh- Dream. You’ll be signing in with the following: DreamLNInc102034, and the password is the same.” The time traveller already feels more lost as he’s being whisked away once again, to a- is that a changing room?! Because how much more extra can you get?
“An assortment of suits are in there, many of my employees forget they have to wear them so this protocol is there to simply ensure they always look like they’re on the job.” And even with Karl’s yell of protest, he is shoved into the changing room, the door now locked from the outside.
“HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET CHANGED WITH THESE HANDCUFFS ON?!” He yelled through the door in dismay, a key sliding under the small gap at the bottom with the half assed mumble of.
“Totally didn’t forget about that”
So he had the key to unlock them the whole time?! This would be a long day. If only it wasn’t for the time travelling cock blockers.