Archive of Our Own

Timekeeper was beginning to wonder on the seventh day that passed. Perhaps waiting within the time rift itself wasn’t the best idea. They believed full and well that the TBD would supply String Gummy with whatever was needed to break through reality and make it here alone if he requested it for the mission. But perhaps they were expecting too much. Hopefully she wasn’t demoted or anything like that. They would just feel bad then. That cookie was much too talented to be getting punished over an honest slip-up.

This was their domain. Perched upon the Sonic Embroider like a swing, they idly floated in place. Maybe it was a bit unfair giving the previous victor a home field advantage like this but… They had all the intent to make this battle fun. If the battle was even going to happen? At this rate, they were tired of waiting, hunched forward with their elbow on their knee and their head in their palm. Bored. Bordering on disappointed if they were made to wait any longer. Where are you, agent? You’d best not keep me waiting.

As if their restless thoughts had summoned him, a portal was shot open through a break in reality and a familiar face made his way through. Her goggles were pulled down over her face and she had her gun held up, the tip smoking just slightly. Astonishingly enough, she wasn’t in an airship or anything of the sort, but walking across the ‘floor’ of the rift (if one could call it that) without flinching or hesitating.

“Timekeeper.” his voice sounded low and rough, as if he hadn’t used it in awhile. “I’m here.”

They felt the disturbance of a portal forming before it had even fully opened, shaking the air like a distant explosion. Their gaze followed them as they entered the rift, staring down from their perch above like a hawk.

“And so you are! I was growing worried that you’d chickened out, honestly.” Only by a little did they descend closer to String Gummy’s level so that they didn’t have to shout. The odd air in the rift had a habit of absorbing sound as they’d learned long ago. “You’re looking well! Better than I, you did quite the number on me after all.”

Rocking forward, they outstretched their arm to pat her on the top of the head before quickly withdrawing, behaving all friendly as if they weren’t just here to fight. “Did you bring everything this time, agent?“

”Still haven’t fully recovered or something? Really? It has been a week.” they grit their teeth as Timekeeper patted them but didn’t pull away. 

”Bruises always last longer than you want them to. Take the damn compliment, will you? I’m saying you punch like a boxer.” Timekeeper barked a somewhat forced laugh.

“In any case, I’m far more prepared than I was previously.” String ignored them, placing a hand on their gun. “My shooter was upgraded. What’s more, I can open rifts with it, as you saw.” There was a note of pride in his voice at the notion. “I’ve been given the proper equipment to traverse time rifts safely without the need of an aircraft as well. Anything I need to take you in.”

“Opening rifts? I’m glad to see you get promoted, String Gummy . Maybe now you’ll actually be able to hit me. Of course, here’s hoping you don’t on my end, since… Heh, well. You know.” The display of pride was pleasing to their eye. They were admittedly afraid that she’d return the same shaken mess as they last saw, making for an unfun encounter.

Timekeeper uncrossed their legs, still keeping their high ground mounted upon the Embroider. “I hope you have more stock placed in your skills than your gadgets if you plan on taking me in, agent. Fancy tools mean nothing in hands that can’t use them to their fullest, hehe…” Again with that asinine giggle. It made them sound simpler than they were. A façade, or simply a quirk? We may never know.

String Gummy said nothing in reply and simply tightened his grip on his shotgun, jaw set with a determined look, not that Timekeeper could see it from under the goggles. She took another brave step forward, back straightened as she faced up to the god, ignoring the dizzying feeling from staring them in the eye.

Slowly, Timekeeper lowered to the “ground” a good ten or so feet away from String Gummy. They dismounted from the Sonic Embroider with a flourish, twirling it over their head like a baton. Showoff.

“Have you practiced your aim at all between all these upgrades? There’s no windows to shatter here.” Despite their straight, ever-confident posture, a bit of apprehensiveness showed in the way their jaw was set, nervously baring their pointed teeth ever so slightly in a grimacing smile. One had cause to be a touch anxious when facing down the barrel of such a firearm. Not that they had any intent on making a panic of it. The whole “appearing here and there” trick to avoid being shot was tried but true, if not a bit wonky to pull off within the very rift they escaped to. No, there was nothing to be worried about. String Gummy just needed to be humbled one time more, and no other cookie was better equipped for that in the moment than Timekeeper.

”No windows perhaps, but I can use that to my advantage.” String cocked her gun with a soft click, eyeing Timekeeper with a hint of nervousness. 

It was evident in the way they carried themself, the nervous determination they held. The way his body was turned slightly away, the tenseness in his shoulders, the bend of his legs.

Timekeeper read her body language like an open book. So they both felt nerves. That was good. Anything they could abuse to gain a tangible advantage.

“Are you more comfortable fighting here? On your home turf?” String asked, taking a step to the side. “Knowing you have the advantage? I’ve been through many time rifts, but I’ve never lived in one, much less fought here.”

”Answer me this, would you feel an advantage fighting where you’re most comfortable? That’s sort of a dumb question, hm?”

“It’s not so different here than on solid ground. Perhaps the air’s a bit thinner, but… Don’t you think it’s odd that even beyond our reality, there still exists the same physical barriers we have? Even with how easy it is to float here, there is still gravity… But what does the gravity bind us to with no floor? Is there a center to all reality that we simply cannot reach, as there is a core to our Earthbread? That’s what I’ve intended for ages to answer. But in all my travels, I’ve grown no closer…”

They stopped talking abruptly. No need to get lost in that now. “But all this standing around and chatting is getting a bit boring. Shall we begin?”

”Do you even have to ask?” String Gummy got into a ready stance, raising her gun that much more. “I didn’t come here for you to lecture me.” she hissed. A little direct, sure. Truthfully, he was curious about what Timekeeper had to say. Much more curious than what he’d like to admit. So he remained quiet on the matter. Perhaps they would keep talking afterwards.

Timekeeper nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Perhaps we can sit down and have a proper intellectual conversation sometime.” They took the Sonic Embroider in both hands, wielding it outwards like a glaive. “Perhaps after I beat you!”

With that, they lunged at String Gummy with their weapon outstretched. The distance between them gave him time to potentially react, but not much as the chronokinetic went straight to strike his hand just as they did before, intending to disarm.

String Gummy was quicker to react this time, rolling out of the way and skidding behind Timekeeper, taking aim with his gun. She began to inch her way to the side, moving to become harder to hit while she aimed. 

“You seem confident,” String began, smirking a little. “I’m not surprised. You know this place like the back of your hand, don’t you?”

Timekeeper slipped right past as String Gummy dodged, skidding to a stop to face him again. Not a second passed before they swung the Embroider to knock the blaster aside in their hands to knock her aim away, in spite of her dodging. It was a delicate dance, trying to minimize the amount of time that the blaster was pointed at them as much as possible.

“Confidence is just one of the many tools in my arsenal, agent! Have you ever seen some shy, fumbling cookie rise to the top as I have? You could take a page from my book, you could certainly learn to mask your worries a bit better, hehe…” 

They aimed to parry any attempt for String Gummy to properly get them in his sights, advancing slowly like a skilled fencer. “I could never be too familiar with a place so ever-changing, friend, but you could say I’ve spent time studying its ins and outs!”

”You better watch yourself.” String Gummy hissed wryly as he dodged the swing again, keeping his aim steady. “If I lose my gun, I’ll have no choice but to bruise the other side of your face.” She closed one eye, biting her lip, breathing quickening as she tried to fire off a shot.

One of the upgrades given to her shotgun during her regroup had been towards the efficiency of the weapon. Now, it fired two bullets instead of one. How was this possible? I don’t actually know anything about guns so I couldn’t tell you. But it would’ve come in handy much earlier.

The drawback to this was that String would have to reload twice as often, leaving them vulnerable during that time, but no matter. The extra range would hopefully come in handy to them.

”I’d like to see you try,” Timekeeper scoffed. “I learned my lesson on letting your hands anywhere near my face… Same as I know the moment you have the opportunity to train that thing on me, I’ll have much more pressing matters on my hands than a chipped tooth or a bitten tongue—“

Before they could even finish, the shot rang out in the empty space, muffled slightly by the thin atmosphere of the rift.

They were quick to react, blinking away to the side in a flash of yellow, but not before one of the bullets was able to graze their arm, tearing a small horizontal slit in their puffy sleeve, drawing a couple beads of jam to the surface of their skin. It was a tiny wound, and a skillful dodge at such a close range, but that didn’t stop their expression from darkening as if offended by the notion that they could ever be hit.

String’s eyes widened at the sight, as if he were surprised that he could ever have managed to hit Timekeeper, even if it was a small move. At that moment, they were glad the mask obscured their eyes, lest Timekeeper use her surprise to their advantage.

String Gummy couldn’t afford to bask in her small victory for long, unfortunately, as she had to keep moving. Their opponent was unpredictable, with no telling what they would do next to possibly gain an upper hand.

Timekeeper scowled, temporarily distracted by the imagined humiliation of being hit. In the back of their mind, they knew it wasn’t as if String Gummy was laughing at them, but on the surface all they could think was how embarrassing it was to slip up. But that’s something to worry about unpacking another time.

They spun the Sonic Embroider in their hand, holding the safe flats of the blades to hold it over their shoulder like a baseball bat. They swung for her abdomen, intending to try and break a rib or two with the strength behind such a swing.

String let out a yell of surprise at the sudden change in attitude and strategy, staggering backwards and losing his balance in the process. They fell back with a grunt, gun clattering off to the side.

“Shit,“ he muttered under his breath, rolling off to the side towards his gun to avoid any other blows that may come his way in such a vulnerable state. She hastily reached for her gun to try to recover.

When String Gummy reached for her blaster, Timekeeper stabbed the open blades of the Embroider down into the space around his hand, opened just enough to keep from actually injuring but rather to trap her in place. “I think not, agent!” They laughed, leaning forward on the handles to keep her from knocking his way free, towering over the other down on the floor. Little crackles of power  from the opened blades zapped his wrist like static, opened just too little to create a rift.

“How unfortunate…” they drawled, placing their foot atop String Gummy’s ankle and applying their weight to keep them down. “That was much too quick for my tastes, you’d best not give up,” they challenged with a smug smirk.

String let out a gasp, gaze darting from Timekeeper to the gun, feeling icy hot dread course through her. No…she couldn’t have lost already, could she?

He winced as the static shot up his arm in a painful tickle, the pins and needles distracting him and making it hard to figure out a plan for how he’d get out of this mess. His hand seemed to grow shrouded in static, toeing the leylines of spacetime itself. 

But he had to try, somehow. “I…I’m not quitting…just yet—!” he hissed through gritted teeth, forcing his brain to drown out the pain signals being sent to it.

”Then I admire your perseverance!” Timekeeper laughed cruelly, mockingly, grinding the solid heel of their flat shoe into the tendons in his ankle. Perhaps a step too far, but it was fun to see him writhe.

But what wasn’t fun was winning so easily. As nonchalantly as they could manage, Timekeeper subtly wedged open the Sonic Embroider a tiny bit more, opening it enough for her hand to slip free. “But I doubt you’re getting out of this one, agent. You’ll just have to accept that I am the superior duelist, hehe!”

String Gummy let out a groan of pain, feeling their leg go numb from pain. That would definitely bruise. But the pain seemed to bring out some frightening clarity.

He cracked open an eye, and in one swift and possibly stupid movement, he grabbed one blade of the Sonic Embroiderer, yanking it backwards to hopefully pull it from Timekeeper’s grasp or at least trip them up. In the same instant, she twisted around, swinging her free leg into the chronokinetic’s ankle.

For better or for worse, Timekeeper refused to let go of the Sonic Embroider. It seemed that it was going to be for worse, combined with the swift kick to the ankle, Timekeeper stumbled forward and faceplanted right beside String Gummy. Not for long at least as they recovered quite quickly, scrambling to sit upright and kick at her while she was still down, trying to pull the Embroider away from his grip all the while like a petulant child fighting for a toy. “Ugh, don’t hold the blade! I have no qualms with taking your fingers off!”

String let go of the Embroiderer, covering their face to protect from any stray kicks. He rolled to his feet and jumped up, making a dash for the shotgun and being careful to try and avoid Timekeeper in the process.

Timekeeper was much slower getting up, seeming a bit breathless and red in the face. Maybe showing that little mercy was a mistake. They thought bitterly.

They didn’t actively stop String Gummy from retrieving the blaster, letting him grab the firearm back up. But their hand gripped the Embroider tight, ready to blink away the instant a shot was fired. New strategy, force her to waste ammunition and make her have to either stop and reload or ditch the weapon altogether. Either way, Timekeeper knew they’d be handed the advantage then. Just had to hold out and not slip up anymore. That first graze was just a fluke! They could do this, easily… Right? Right.

String Gummy picked up the blaster and immediately fired off a shot as soon as she was able, keeping up the pressure so she wouldn’t end up knocked down again. Having found their groove, the fight would hopefully go much more smoothly now. No more hesitating and ending up knocked to the floor and defenseless.

Thankfully prepared this time, Timekeeper did just as planned and flickered off to the side in a much cleaner dodge. “Ha, there we go! I was worried you’d throw in the towel then, I’ll be honest… I knew I chose well putting so much stock in your ability to keep going, even if you know you have no chance of winning, hehe!”

”Don’t say that.” he hissed, whipping around and firing off another shot. “It’s not over yet!” Their responses to Timekeeper were no deeper than surface level, unwilling to fully absorb their words and let anything that may hinder his performance worm its way into his brain.

Timekeeper made little to no advance on String Gummy, keeping their distance the same for the time being as they narrowly dodged both of the bullets fired at once. Their reaction times were faltering a bit, but onward they went with the plan. How many shots can a blaster hold, anyways? “Don’t tire yourself out trying!” As if their own chest wasn’t heaving ever so slightly already, even as they tried to level their breathing and keep String Gummy from seeing their sudden onset mild exhaustion. Hitting the ground like a sack of rocks tended to knock the wind out of you, it seemed.

”Tired? Hah, I don’t know the meaning of the word.” String scoffed, biting back a more scathing remark. His blaster had two shots left before he’d be forced to reload. He needed to make it count.

String Gummy took a pause while keeping alert, looking Timekeeper over closely for anything he could potentially use against them. He edged cautiously to the side, making his way further away from the chronokinetic.

”Everyone gets tired eventually, agent. *Everyone* has limits they can be forced to and beyond.”

Timekeeper took a step closer as String Gummy backed up. The handle of the Embroider was slung over their shoulder casually as if they weren’t actively in battle right now, slowly encroaching on the other as she backed away. “The will to prove me wrong is only going to take you so far, String Gummy Cookie .” They hissed his full name through a sly grin and calculating gaze like a snake about to strike.

String refused to falter, even as the mention of their name made their vision shake. They couldn’t afford to break concentration, one slip-up could be the end of things.

“Maybe for you, but it’s a good thing I’m a long ways away from reaching my limit.” he hissed back with equal malice, suddenly jumping off to the side and firing a shot as he did so.

With the distance between them, they were given a split second to react. Plenty of time in the grand scheme of things. And react they did, the image of them in place flickering quickly with the intent to reappear elsewhere. But not quickly enough, it seemed. Both shots embedded themselves right in Timekeeper’s side, aborting the blink leaving them right where they were.

With an uncanny-sounding screech they fell backwards, tripping over their own feet as they stumbled. The Sonic Embroider fell from their hand as they grasped the widened wound in their side. Neither bullet struck them anywhere grievous, but it still hurt like a motherfucker. The injury dribbled blood all over their nice, unwrinkled blouse that now sported a decently sized hole. “Damn,” they snarled, still keeping up a strained smile, “perhaps even then limits should not be surpassed…! Agh…”

String flinched at the sound, taking a step back. She’d…actually done it? She was in utter disbelief, too stunned to do much else other than watch the blood dribble over their outfit and onto the floor. For a split second, they felt bad for them, wondering if this would even be worth it.

No. He had to concentrate. String growled silently and lifted his shotgun again, aiming to hit them again while they were down.

Timekeeper jumped to action, staring down the rifling of her blaster. Snatching back up the Sonic Embroider, they were quick to shield themselves with a rift back to reality as soon as the two more shots were fired. The bullets disappeared into it with a whistle at the sudden change of air passing through. Sure hope those don’t hit some random passerby!

The Embroider snapped shut again, revealing a thoroughly pissed off Timekeeper. “Executing someone while they’re down, agent? For shame . The TBD really does cut all you lackeys from the same cloth,” they hissed through clenched fangs. The insults were a touch excessive, but one tended to lose their filter when they had two bullets embedded in their side.

String tensed up at their harsh words. “You wanted me to give it my all, didn’t you?” he retorted, equally venomous. “You can’t expect me to slow down and wait for you.”

Their gaze flicked to the gun. Shit. They’d have to reload as soon as there was an opening to do so. She looked back up at Timekeeper, unflinching.

They glared up at String Gummy, lips drawn in a thin line to keep from spitting any more venom. They did want a challenge… Just not one they would lose at. They didn’t want to fail. It seemed they had at least one thing in common. Two atychiphobes walk into a bar.

Bracing the handle of the Embroider against the ground, they pulled themselves upright. Once both feet were firmly planted on the floor, they seemed alright…ish. Perhaps a bit pale in the face. “I would never request you slow down, especially not now, agen t. You’d be mistaken if you were to think I’m done, hehe…” They winced when they laughed. Yeah, they’d be fine, but damn if it didn’t hurt. With heavy steps, they crept ever closer like a tiger ready to pounce. “But it seems you’re at a bit of an impasse…You haven’t shot me yet. Out of ammunition, String Gummy ?”

String’s eyes widened as she steadily backed away. Of course they’d figure it out. It was easy to see that there’d been a perfect opening for him to do so. He practically had Timekeeper cornered, and if he fumbled that chance…

He mentally shook himself to rid the thought. It’s not over yet. There was still time.

“Maybe I am. But I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.” they finally said, teeth grit with determination.

”Like what? If you intend to put your hands on me, you’d be sorely disappointed. I’m ready for whatever you send my way, agent!” Bearing a wide grin that bordered on manic, Timekeeper cleared the space between them in a few long strides, wielding the Embroider in both hands like a broadsword. They swung hard for String Gummy’s abdomen, at around the same place on him as they were shot.

String Gummy scrambled to get out of the way, rolling off to the side and tucking her gun by her side for protection. She jumped back to her feet, eyes flicking from the gun to Timekeeper as they scrambled to reload before the god came at them with another attack.

Timekeeper scowled when they’d been dodged again, swinging a second time blindly and missing completely. The blade of the Sonic Embroider sparked when it hit the invisible floor with the force behind it. Their brow furrowed and their eye shined with suppressed anger (as well as a few pained tears). “I will not allow you to beat me like this!”

String Gummy stood back up, swaying slightly as they glared at her. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? I’m not just going to lay down and let you claim another victory.” She loaded the gun with a click. “If I do that, I’d be going against everything I promised myself. I’m not gonna let this end up like the first time we fought!”

”Never make promises you cannot keep!” The Sonic Embroider fell from their grip with a clang against the floor. Having done away with the heavy weapon, they opted instead to lunge at String Gummy like a wild animal. Long, blackened nails gripped at her padded uniform, trying to wrestle him to the ground with little more than the sheer surprise of being nigh tackled by someone. With their gear, String Gummy held the weight advantage by a decent margin, making for a hard time taking them down. Their gnarled, inhuman fingers clawed for any grip they could get to assist in taking String Gummy down.

String let out a surprised yelp, and caught off guard by the attack, dropped her weapon in an attempt to grapple with Timekeeper and force her off. Boots planted firmly into the floor, he kept his hands on their shoulders to try and push back. “Get…off of me…!”

”Haha! Not until one of us goes down, agent!” Going full anklebiter mode, Timekeeper opted to play a bit dirty and reel back for a kick at String Gummy’s shin. Wherever he shoved to try and wrench their grip off they fought that much harder to keep their ground. For someone so much lighter, they put up a hell of a hand-to-hand fight.

String managed to endure the hits, though the grunt of pain they elicited were all Timekeeper would need to know that they straight up weren’t having a good time. She decided to try another approach, twisting her body to the side in an attempt to knock Timekeeper off balance.

Fully distracted by their efforts to throttle String Gummy, it was quite easy to knock Timekeeper off balance. They quickly recovered at the cost of releasing their grip on her, putting only about a foot of distance between them.

“You’re strong, I must admit!” Quite animatedly, Timekeeper reeled their right arm back. They swung their fist with shocking swiftness; a right hook directly to String Gummy’s jaw. The power behind the strike may have been lacking, but it still was ultimately a punch to the face, enough to get a reaction out of about anyone.

String, too caught off guard to react in time, was hit dead on and was knocked back a few feet, reeling from the blow. Though it was light, it had the element of surprise. String hissed, eyes watering as she rubbed her throbbing jaw. “Dammit…” she cowered for a few seconds before slowly glaring up at the chronokinetic.

“You’re unpredictable…I’ll give you that…” he muttered, straightening back up and balling his fists. “But can you take what you dished out?” Without further warning they charged Timekeeper, fist raised.

”Incalculability is my specialty, friend! You have to expect the unex—“ Timekeeper didn’t get to finish that thought as String Gummy’s fist connected smack dab in the middle of their face. Aside from the choked up sound of the air being knocked out of their throat, they were quite silent as they crumpled backwards onto the ground quite cartoonishly. Purple and red instantly bloomed on the bridge of their very broken nose to match the faded mark on their cheek, bleeding down their face in little rivulets.

They laid back on the ground for a bit, completely dazed and unable to even process what just happened. Just blinking dumbly at String Gummy in a mix of disbelief and just trying to clear their suddenly-fuzzy vision. But after a moment of recovery… “…Ah…shall we go two out three?” Their head dropped to the ground with the effort it took to speak up, still conscious with their thoughts still rumbling about all over the place like bubbles of carbonation.

String stood over them for a moment, fist raised as he attempted to process what had just happened. They’d actually done it. Did they really…? No…it can’t be that easy.

Could it?

She slowly lowered her arm, keeping an eye on Timekeeper incase they tried to get up. “Don’t move.” they said, voice low and emotionless. “There’s no way you can keep going like that .” she gestured to their face and the wounds in their side.

That still didn’t stop Timekeeper from trying to get up anyways. Not that they were going to get anywhere. Each limb seemed to work independently of one another, getting nowhere, giving them the appearance of a turtle that’s been flipped on its back. The mental fog that getting battered in the face with the equivalent force of a thrown brick tends to do that to you.

“Give me a second,” they chuckled. “I… I won before, heh… I can pull it off twice. Don’t be a… nngh …nay…naysayer.” Delirious laughter followed their babbling words. Perhaps they should take a second to recover before trying to speak again… A bony hand rose to their face, inspecting the damage to their nose. A hissed breath at the lightest touch confirmed that, yep, their face was fucked up . “That’s not…good, I think…! Hehe… Agent String Gummy, have I…told you that you hit like a freight train?” There seemed to actually be no malice behind that compliment for once. Not that their mumbling had much meaning at the moment.

String Gummy regarded them with apprehension for a moment, slowly crossing his arms. “Erm…thanks. Not that it means much, coming from you.” He muttered the last part under his breath as he knelt down in front of them, ignoring their incoherent mumbling. He carefully hid the disbelief he felt that he’d actually succeeded in what felt to be an otherwise impossible mission.

She almost pitied them, taken out so easily by a mere punch. Though, it didn’t seem totally unrealistic. Timekeeper was probably unused to being touched, let alone attacked like that. String kept their eyes trained on them in case they suddenly caught a second wind and attacked again, but she was fairly confident that she’d be able to subdue them a second time.

With a bit of effort, Timekeeper willed their breath to level as they shut their eye tight to try and will away the haze. At least they weren’t concussed somehow. Just a broken nose, a bump on the head, and a shattered sense of dignity. To say they were mad about being so easily taken down would be an understatement.

Opening their eye again, they found themselves able to actually focus on String Gummy’s face that was much closer than it was a moment ago. “…This isn’t good for me, is it?” Speaking much more clearly, their voice came a bit nasally from the broken cartilage in their nose. “I doubt you’ll let me get back up. I suppose this means…congratulations, agent! You’ve done the impossible.” Both hands rose slightly into the air to give a quiet, brief applause. They seemed… oddly chipper for someone who had just come down from a sort of berserk rage and still lost. Maybe it was the wooziness from the still-seeping bullet wounds. Maybe they were just being a good sport. Who the hell knows with Timekeeper.

String closed his eyes. “I won’t accept flattery from you.” He opened one eye just a bit to glare at them and make sure they weren’t bluffing. It would be all too easy for Timekeeper to slip away, even in this state if String let her guard down.

She took a deep breath, trying to focus and think of what to do next. The orders given to them hadn’t exactly been…clear about it. He was beginning to second guess his motive. “…Can you sit up? Don’t . Try anything.”

”I can try!” Placing a protective hand upon the open wounds in their side, they pushed themselves upright with a grunt. Despite swaying a bit, they stayed mostly stable with the help of a hand on String Gummy’s shoulder. “If you don’t mind.”

Obviously their gaze flickered to the Sonic Embroider discarded on the ground. If they could get their hands on it fast enough, they might still have a chance at getting away… But instead they waited. Just to see what String Gummy would do now. “I don’t plan to try anything, you shot me,” they laughed. Playing up the injury.

String Gummy tensed up at the contact but complied, waiting patiently for her to recover. “Better safe than sorry.” He replied curtly. “You didn’t exactly have much trouble attacking me just now.”

String looked between Timekeeper’s wounds and their face, slowly reaching for one of his pockets. “I’m…I’m going to treat your wounds, and then I’m going to take you in, got that?” their voice was low. 

“Don’t try anything,” she repeated. “You’ll probably die or something without medical attention. You’ll have plenty of time to try and escape when you aren’t bleeding out. Not that it’s a guarantee. I can easily track you down again.”

”Oh?” Timekeeper tilted their head like a dog. “I don’t believe it says anywhere in the employee handbook anything about patching up prisoners.” They brushed a wild curl from their face, their hair all a frazzled, tangled mess by this point. “I wouldn’t die . Don’t you let this get to your head… You can track me all you want. I am nothing if not a master at evasion.” Their tone was strangely level now, much more casual sounding having gotten rid of the theatrics and such, simply lacking the energy to keep up an animated façade. They sounded like a normal person. “I won’t allow you to work up a sense of superiority over me, String Gummy.”

”I don’t give a damn what you think about me doing this. I’m not letting you bleed everywhere.” String bristled. “If you make a mess I’ll never hear the end of it.”

He pulled open the gauze forcefully, measuring it with his eyes. “And I certainly feel nothing if not inferior to you. This victory was likely a fluke. But a fluke that can be exploited as many times as I need for it to. Now shut up for a second and hold still.” their voice sounded strained, almost tired.

Timekeeper’s mouth opened for a second before they paused, opting to withhold their words for now. Perhaps it would just be smartest to be quiet for once.

Quite docilely, they let String Gummy do as needed with the gauze. Once they got away, they planned, they’d have to worry about fishing the bullets from their side before replacing the bandages. Unpleasant, but necessary. “I wonder how this will scar,” they mused aloud with a lilted smile. “I can’t say I have been shot before, hehe... Thank you for the experience,” they joked.

String’s lip curled up slightly. “Thank me later.” They moved their arms away and began carefully wrapping the gauze around Timekeeper’s waist, hands shaking slightly as they did so. It wasn’t a very neat job, but it would do for the time being.

He scoffed quietly as he examined Timekeeper’s face next. “Not much I can do about a broken nose. Can’t you just…snap your fingers and reverse that or something?”

”It doesn’t work like that,” they deadpanned. “Even I’m not skilled enough to simply rewind a few minutes. It’s an imprecise science with results to an extreme, and I have no intent to accidentally reverse my entire existence. Who else would be around to torment you then, agent?”

They hooked a gnarled black claw under the gauze around their waist, testing the tautness of the knot and nodding when it didn’t just come undone. “Thank you. You’re shaking, what is with the nerves? Adrenaline?”

All patched up, Timekeeper gazed once more at the Sonic Embroider. Perhaps they should make their break for it now. They doubted their ability to outspeed String Gummy in this state, but… There was only one way to find out. Just a second longer, they decided, wanting to whittle down String Gummy’s guard as much as possible before making a break for it.

”It’s nothing.” String huffed. “I’m just not used to this sort of work. Now.” he sat back and put his hands on his hips. “Are you ready to admit defeat? There’s no way you can keep going like this.”

She knew she was kidding herself. Of course Timekeeper wasn’t just going to up and submit like that. She knew better than to underestimate the goddess, even when injured. String frowned and slid a free hand around to their shotgun, keeping their eyes on Timekeeper just in case.

Ah, damn. Well, it seemed their window of opportunity was rapidly closing. They had to act fast if they wanted to do this.

With her backed off there was some advantage at least. Timekeeper pounced into action, lunging from their lac sitting position to grasp the Sonic Embroider. “Ha!”

Both hands on the heavy tool, they went to open the mechanism and create a rift to escape through. A sudden lightheadedness from the bloodloss struck, knocking their sense of gravity askew and forcing them to pause and wobble uneasily in lieu of making their daring escape with the Embroider in hand…

”Hey!” String barked, jumping to his feet and running after them. “What do you think you’re doing?!” They grabbed their arm, trying to pull them back and hopefully get them to drop the weapon.

She’d noticed their gaze drawing to the Embroiderer, but had done nothing to stop them from grabbing it, foolishly believing they simply didn’t have the energy to try something like that.

That damned pair of scissors was starting to become the bane of String Gummy’s existence.

Timekeeper hissed when String Gummy grasped their arm, making a pathetically weak attempt at getting free and failing miserably. But their grip on the Embroider didn’t falter, clinging to it like a petulant child unwilling to let go of a toy, even if they couldn’t really use it properly with only one hand. “I’m trying to get away, you can’t fault me for it!”

"That doesn't mean I can't try to stop you!" she hissed back. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be." String took an unsteady step back, trying to pull them off balance.

It was quickly becoming evident that this attempt was a bust. It wasn’t long before they finally just had to give into the exhaustion before they wound up dropping unconscious. The Embroider fell from their hand with a clatter as the fight drained from them in the blink of an eye.

“…Fine,” they drawled, tired beyond belief. “Fine, damnit.” So that was it. So overconfident, they’d believed they were guaranteed an easy out if needed. Only now was the fact that they’d actually been beaten making it through. “Fine, agent. You’ve got me.”

String Gummy raised a brow. “Are you just giving up?” They obviously weren’t opposed to this but couldn’t help but remain cautious. Even if Timekeeper was tired now, they could easily get another second wind and—

Lips drawn in a taut frown, Timekeeper’s entire countenance fell abruptly. “If I try anything else I’m going to injure myself at this rate…” They cut that thought off abruptly. No need to stupidly betray any more plans aloud. “You overestimate my ability, agent, w—“

”You took too long.” a voice drawled from behind them. String Gummy went rigid, grip loosening on Timekeeper in the process. “‘Top agent’ my ass. I can’t believe I had to come in after you.”

The sound of another voice just about scared Timekeeper to their feet. They might actually have jumped up if String Gummy’s faint grip wasn’t there. They snapped to face the source, shock plastered all over their face. But quickly did that surprise give way to faux smugness… “Oh! Good evening, or whatever time of day it is out there! Who might you be? Allow me to hazard a guess, if you will. That coat…doctor, might I presume?” Straight from that defeated, kicked puppy look right back to their usual overly chipper self, just like that in the face of a stranger.

”I am no doctor.” The newcomer hissed, voice like a dark miasma as it stepped through the time rift. He was a sickly pale cookie, face obscured by thick goggles, the lens of which gave off an eerie green glint. His left eye was covered by a small propeller blade and his hair was green, spiked and swept to one side to make room for the thick tubes that connected his scalp with the back of his skull. Its body was obscured by a long white labcoat that went down to its shins and was sleeveless, exposing a robotic right arm that ended in razor sharp talons. The strangest thing though about his appearance was the two whips that extended from his back, ending in two rather large and imposing spinning blades.

“I am a scientist, a weapon engineer. And I take great pride in it. Oh, but I digress. I don’t know why I’m telling you that.” it spat the last bit like the mere mention of Timekeeper made it sick. 

“And as for you—“ He whipped around to face String Gummy. “What took you so long? I— We thought you were dead ! We have a deadline to meet, you know!”

”I could care less about your deadline.” String replied bluntly. “I work on my own terms. You should’ve thought about that before sending a single agent after someone like them.” he gestured to Timekeeper with a toss of his head. “I owe you nothing.

”No need for venom,” Timekeeper chuckled, holding the wrapped up wound in their side as the minute mirth sparked the ache again. “We can all be friends here, hehe…”

They watched the pair bicker, absorbing each word for each one’s potential for usefulness. Is this her superior? Impressive. And intimidating… Their gaze near-nervously followed the numerous blades all over it. Certainly a unique look…

A deadline? For? Now that piqued their interest. But still they remained silent, patiently waiting for more information to be handed over as they idly fidgeted with the gauze wrappings around their waist.

”You stay quiet.” he snapped at Timekeeper, taking a step forward. “I oughta tear you apart right here and now. Our little friend here will have made that easy for me.” he pointed to String Gummy with a robotic arm. “Pray tell, how does it feel to have a bullet embedded in your side?”

”Nothing of the sort will happen.” String Gummy interjected. “You’re supposed to take them into custody.” he seemed to be growing aggravated, scuffing a boot on the floor.

”I wouldn’t believe for a moment that your intentions were to execute me, not after all the trouble your lackey went through.” Timekeeper casually twirled a tousled lock of hair around their finger, looking as unaffected as one could be. “It doesn’t feel wonderful, I have to admit. But I’ll live with plenty of rest and relaxation… Though I doubt I’m going to be taken to any spa resort, heh. So, what are your plans? Ooh, am I going to be vivisected?”

As infuriatingly silly as they were being, the notion did strike Timekeeper with a slight sense of fear. What was custody going to be like? Surely the TBD wasn’t so incompetent to try and just put someone like them in a cell and forget about it.

”Vivisecting you sounds appealing,” Whirligig flashed an eerie sharp-toothed grin, seeming to sense their fear. “but unfortunately I’m going to need you alive.”

String Gummy started. “Now, what are you going to need them—“

“Keep quiet.” the grin immediately faded as it shot String a glare. String fell silent, but met the glare with equal fervor and hatred.

”Oh? Alive? For? I don’t make for the best of lab rats, I tend to bite when stressed or cornered.” Timekeeper drew their lips into a thin line, looking away to the side. That didn’t sound…promising. But Timekeeper wouldn’t let it get to their head. To be visibly worried would be an admission of defeat.

Whirligig turned back to Timekeeper, pressing his hands together. “Do you know my name? Even if you don’t, I’d imagine it isn’t difficult for someone like YOU to figure out.”

“I am quite good with names. Let me guess… You’re not a doctor, apparently, so… Pinwheel? Windmill? Something like that which I could hardly take seriously, hehe…”

”Whirligig Cookie.” he hissed, taking offense. “My name is Whirligig Cookie. You are not making things any easier for yourself, Timekeeper .” he spat their name like it was rotten.

Whirligig took a couple of steps closer, striding and confident. “Now, come with me quietly and perhaps I might consider showing a hint of mercy. You don’t want to get on my bad side.” for emphasis, the blade arms spun with a soft whir.

“Wait a second,” String Gummy put up their hands, letting go of Timekeeper completely in favor of backing away from the scientist. “you never mentioned any of this.”

Oh. Suddenly, things were looking very…grim. Timekeeper had no idea what the scientist had in mind at this rate. Nor did they intend to find out. They didn’t want to make another break for it, premonition told that those blades would not be so merciful as the agent. Dismemberment felt to be a horrible way to go.

So then…now what? There was only one option at the moment, it seemed there was only one way to go about this. They’d just have to find an out… Later.

With a bit of struggle, Timekeeper rose to their feet as String Gummy let go. “As you say, Whirligig ,” they hissed through a forced grin. “Shall we?”

Whatever Whirligig had planned seemed to come as a surprise to String Gummy as well, surprisingly. He looked between Timekeeper and Whirligig, panic flashing across his face before he quickly concealed it with his normally stoic expression. Part of him had been hoping that Timekeeper would escape, but he doubted it would end well that way. 

“I knew you would comply, one way or another.” Whirligig pushed up his goggles before he turned around towards the time rift he’d opened. “Come along now. We have no time to waste.”

Timekeeper obediently enough faced the rift as they were told, though only willing to trudge along as slowly as possible to waste everyone’s time. Might as well try to screw over that aforementioned deadline. But still… deadline for what ? They had many questions they felt they’d rather not have the answers for.

But none of that worry showed on their face, a defiant smug smirk was all they were willing to give Whirligig. Same for String Gummy, as they looked over their shoulder at him as they were urged through the rift. “I appreciated this battle, all things considered. We should do this again soon!”

”…Right.” String Gummy palmed their shotgun as they began to follow, Whirligig stepping in front of Timekeeper to take the lead. The scientist’s goggles glinted in the light of the rift and he said nothing, only lending to the tense and foreboding atmosphere.

String felt apprehension only further infiltrate his thoughts, leaving him too nervous to really focus on what he was doing. She nearly ran into Timekeeper a few times, before she finally gave up and just waited for the chronokinetic to enter the rift before actually following.

With Whirligig’s eye off of them, Timekeeper didn’t hesitate to turn again and give String Gummy a look of pure what the fuck is going on? They kept a better pace between the two captors, not wanting to get tripped up. String Gummy could only shake his head, looking just as lost as they were, and a little bit scared. Evidently he hadn’t been told about this part of his mission.

 Timekeeper tapped their long nails together anxiously but still upkept that borderline creepy smile. “Will I have access to a comb wherever I’m going to be held? I hate the sensation of all this untamed frizz on my head. A shower would be even nicer.”

“That is the least of your worries, my dear Director .” Whirligig’s tone was mocking. “A title I don’t think you deserve, but one you have nonetheless.” its voice sounded forced.

Well. That didn’t inspire hope. They cast String Gummy a final glance before looking back ahead for good.

“Whatever. It’ll be your problem when I start smelling like sweat. Because I certainly worked one up in our little duel .” They worked hard to be as much of a nuisance as possible on their little trek, making sure to step on Whirligig’s heel as much as possible. In their focus to be an annoying asshole, they neglected to actually look up and see where they were heading. Presumably somewhere in the TBD…

Whirligig pretended that they weren’t affecting him, but it was fairly evident by the way he was twitching that he was annoyed. “You can use the facilities provided by the holding cell. That is the most I can offer you. I am not here to be nice .” he said. “The cell is specially enforced, so good luck using your abilities in there.” his voice held a bit of a high note, as if he took some sort of joy in the notion of their powerlessness. From behind, String Gummy grimaced.

Oh.

That was a problem.

Timekeeper’s eyebrows rose with minute shock at that. So… They’d need to work on a new plan, it seemed. Something better than digging through the wall with a spoon, at least.

Schooling their concerned expression back to amused neutrality, they spoke up once more. “So long as I get my three square meals a day,” they joked. “I’m like an old dog, I have *very* specific dietary needs, hehe…”

”Are you really making jokes? Right now ?“ String Gummy hissed as they caught up to them. “You’re probably going to die, assuming it’s even possible for you.” he looked ahead. “If not, you’re in for a world of pain. Not that it’s my problem. This just isn’t what I signed up for…” she said the last part under her breath.

They had reached the time rift now, Whirligig muttering as he fiddled with the device he’d used to open it in the first place. It didn’t seem as though he was used to using it yet.

Without looking back, Timekeeper shrugged their shoulders at String Gummy. Though the tenseness in how they moved told another story… I’m not going to start groveling for mercy at this quack’s feet, they thought bitterly, wishing they could just telepathically tell the agent that. I’ll figure this out. I’ve been in all sorts of trouble before, now is no different.

“If you’re struggling with working that thing, you could always pass it on to me. Most TBD technology is intuitive enough that an intern could work the simplest of tools, but I understand if you lack the intelligence to press big red buttons…”

”You’re not trying to escape, are you?” Whirligig raised a brow at them, seeming unimpressed. The blade over his left eye spun slightly.

“With all due respect, doctor,” String Gummy began coolly. “They aren’t in any condition to be making a getaway. You don’t have a lot of experience working those things either.”

Whirligig shot String Gummy a glare loaded with enough venom to kill ten cakeberus, before reluctantly tossing the tool to Timekeeper.

They looked a touch dumbfounded when the device was passed to them. Damn. That worked?

Just about every instinct within themselves was just screaming to bolt the fuck out of there. Screw the Embroider, they could retrieve it another time. But at the same time, they still weren’t going to get far…

They stepped through the rift after Whirligig, making sure String Gummy had followed through as well before closing it. In one last little act of defiance, they handed the device to her instead of the scientist. “You should be a bit nicer to your underlings. A please has never killed anyone before.”

String took the device, blinking dumbly down at it as if she had been handed a live firecracker.

Whirligig scoffed. “They’re expendable to my cause, As far as I’m concerned.” It pushed up its goggles. “If he had died out there, I easily could have gone after you myself. Consider it a mercy that you were spared such a fate.”

String let out a quiet snort at Whirligig’s words. They were completely empty, only a means to boost the scientist’s ego. The first part did hurt them, wounding its way into String Gummy’s brain and settling there, seeding doubt in a way that would be hard for her to shake off later.

Timekeeper wrinkled their nose at that. In a way, they themselves were responsible for an uncountable amount of deaths with all the destruction they wrought upon the timelines they’d visited, but this was obviously personal. Or…whatever way they described their own atrocities to themselves to sleep better at night. The point being, they did not like a word Whirligig was speaking. Having only known him for a comparatively short time, Timekeeper had worked up a small sense of respect for her. The scientist, however…

But now wasn’t the time to be mouthing off at someone who apparently had some sinister plans in store and an uncomfortable amount of control over their situation. Timekeeper did not like feeling so powerless. But perhaps holding their tongue would be the difference between it getting cut from their face or not.

“I would hate to consider any of this a mercy… So you are unwilling to share your plans, hm? Not even a hint? If you’re going to harvest my organs or make me into a cyborg, I’d love to be warned first.”

”No, no. Those sorts of things are far too…conventional for me.” Whirligig’s voice was still loaded with a careful venom, blades whirring a bit as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I’m someone who likes to find out the how and the why. All the more ways to grow my own power.”

He’s monologuing… String Gummy’s lip twitched in exasperation.  “Do you want to elaborate on that? You didn’t mention any of this to me.”

“My plans are my own, dear soldier.” Whirligig spoke down to them. “You are a means to my end, nothing more. With your level of devotion you would blindly follow whatever the TBD tells you to do, even if it has less than desirable results.”

String Gummy winced.

The urge to kick this nerd in the back of the knee was growing ever stronger for Timekeeper. But not so strong that it couldn’t be suppressed a bit longer. But only a bit, Timekeeper was very rapidly approaching their wit’s end.

“Slinging venom only grants you enemies. If you’re going to employ someone stronger than you, you may want to spare a shred of friendliness…” Who knows why they were coming to String Gummy’s defense, if not just to be as much of a contrarian as possible. And not to mention, unbearably annoying. “Are we almost there yet?”

”We are here.” Whirligig spread his arms. “If you would stop talking for five seconds, you’d realize that.”

They were in a large white room, a part of it separated by a holding cell. It looked to have a bed, a desk and a shower. Rather rudimentary. The other side also had a desk, albeit much cushier looking.

String Gummy couldn’t shake off the feeling of apprehension he felt as Whirligig opened the cell and held the door, beckoning for Timekeeper to enter it. “That will keep you while I figure out exactly what to do with you.” Its goggles glinted rather sinisterly in the cold fluorescent lights. “I already have some big ideas.”

Timekeeper knew immediately that something was wrong. They felt…tired. But not in the way that made them want to sleep, per se. Presumably the work of whatever suppressed their abilities, sapping the awareness right out of them. They looked about the room with an unreadable expression, taking it all in. The harsh lights forced them to squint to be able to see, unused to the reflective brightness of such white walls. “Very… sterile.” The cell didn’t garner much better of a reaction, obviously.

Obviously there was little that could be done now. Timekeeper mentally cursed themselves for not just making a break for it before. Today was just mistake after mistake, it seemed. They dragged their feet on the way into the cell, casting Whirligig a dark look on the way. “I will not be pranced about like a showpony. Whatever you have planned, I have little desire to cooperate through it, Pinwheel ,” they hissed through bared teeth.

Whirligig bared his teeth right back, letting out a harsh growl. “Try as you might, I am on the road to success. Whatever resistances you through my way will only slow me down.” The fact that the suppressors were working only served to fuel his smug confidence.

He turned to String Gummy sharply, snapping his fingers. “I have things I need to take care of, agent. Stay here and watch them for me. You did…exemplary, for once.” with that tiny scrap of praise, the scientist turned and strode out of the room.

String Gummy stared after it. “Are you kidding me?” they finally said when it was out of earshot. “He’s a total idiot. His head is so far up his own ass he can’t even see in front of him…”

”You think I haven’t noticed?” Timekeeper leaned on the cell’s door, still awfully casual for the situation. Though that faux-joyful act had long since fallen away, their expression now one of permanent displeasure. “I have no plans to stoop for such a clown. Do you not have any idea what his plans are? You can tell me, you know. Just a hunch, but I have a feeling you don’t like him.” They sighed agitatedly, looking down at the floor in thought. “Because I’m sure you can tell that I’m going to be out of this place soon, even if I have to gnaw apart the bars with my teeth.” It seemed that was meant to be a joke, but their gruff delivery made it hard to tell…

String Gummy leaned against the wall, folding his arms. “If you want to know the truth…I had no idea of his plans from the start. He told me that in a timeline he’d been monitoring for a while now time was fluctuating and you were likely the one causing it. He wanted me to apprehend you.” they huffed and looked up at a flickering light on the ceiling. “I foolishly believed it. Whirligig Cookie is one who’s bad side you never want to see, so I didn’t want to disobey its orders. It seems as though that may have been a front for something even worse.”

She dug through her pockets and brought out the rift opening device from earlier. “The opener won’t work here. If it weren’t for those damn suppressors, you could probably get out of here.” She put the device back in her pocket and let out a wry chuckle. “I suppose I should be apologizing for getting you into this mess…And for beating you up.”

”Don’t apologize for putting up a good fight, agent.” Timekeeper gave them a small smile at that. In everything, they’d actually forgotten about the whole broken nose thing. They went to touch it again but stopped, knowing that it was just going to hurt. They’d need to right that soon before it healed wrong, but not now in front of someone. The thought admittedly made them a touch queasy. Little things like that always tended to get a shiver from them even if it was mostly ignorable. “If you genuinely didn’t know, I wouldn’t fault you. I’m not as vengeful as one might think, though I can’t promise it won’t be your name I’m cursing if that quack tries anything on me, hehe…”

String Gummy folded their arms again. “Even so, it’s my fault you got into this mess…I want to try and make things right.” They stood up from the wall.

Timekeeper stepped back from the door, taking off their hat. Might as well get comfortable. Their already puffy hair seemed to fluff up quite a bit without the weight. They took each little pin from their hair that was used to keep the headwear in place, inspecting the objects in their hand.

  I’ve never been good at lockpicking… But I’d best keep these on hand. Just in case. They dropped the pins into the hat as they crossed the cell to set it on the desk. “I must ask, are you employed by the TBD or directly by Whirligig? You’re wearing a very TBD-esque uniform, but I’ll still ask.”

“I do work for the TBD, but Dr. Pinwheel over there was the one who assigned me this mission specifically. I’ll admit, he’s a genius. It’s one of the head scientists, so it’s in a position of authority over me that I can’t exactly argue with.”

”I understand how that feels. I used to like having a sense of authority over my head, it kept me motivated. Then I became my own authority, and found it to be much more enjoyable. Perhaps you should try it one day.”

Leaning against the desk, they idly clicked their nails against its surface while they stared at the opposite wall in thought. “Proclaiming your own independence is the most liberating thing one can do. You’re smarter than these TBD fools. Maybe not as smart as me, but…”

”I understand what you mean, but…I could never leave the TBD.” she crept a hand to her shotgun absently. “This is my life’s work. I finally feel as though I have a purpose. I feel like I belong somewhere.”

String’s vision blurred and he hastily shook his head to clear it, squeezing his eyes shut. A wave of exhaustion from the fight had finally caught up to them it would seem.

Timekeeper shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly. “To each their own. Just keep your talents in mind at all times, don’t let the man trod all over you, heh.”

Without realizing, they had begun nervously pacing about the cell, hands clasped. At least it was roomier than what they’d pictured once made aware they were going to be put in one. “Any clue when the doc will be in?” Only now did it strike them just how powerlessly unaware of what was to come they were. Before, it was a conscious decision to keep the battle a surprise, but… Now they really had no way to know. Maybe if they weren’t so committed to the thrill of the fight, they might have seen this coming, and been able to make it different…

But their worries could be put aside for now. Same as always.

”I’m not sure.” At the mention of Whirligig, String Gummy’s mouth went dry. “Maybe there’s still time for you to get away.” If that happened, then Whirligig would probably take his anger out on them and blame them for Timekeeper’s escape. But that didn’t matter to the agent. She wanted no further part in whatever plans he had for the time deity. 

”Maybe there is,” they agreed, approaching once more after stopping by the desk again to retrieve a pin. “I doubt the architects that made this place went so cheap on cell door locks that they can be beat with a hairpin, but would you happen to know how to pick one to at least try? I assembled some way back when for various projects because I never trusted storebought locks, but breaking into them was never my talent.”

String Gummy decided to force his worries down for now. He’d have plenty of time to wallow later. “If you can find the Embroiderer, you’ll get the upper hand back. Is that right?”

Timekeeper nodded after a beat at her proposal. “That idea carries plenty of variables, all with the possibility of failure. But also, a chance of success. I’d have to first get my hands back on the Sonic Embroider, make my way to someplace I can make a rift without being caught, and if I were to have to face the quack I doubt I could hold my own in this state… You get the picture. It’s a risk indeed on every front. To both of us, at that. You could be terminated if I got loose on your watch.”

String gave an affirmative nod. “I picked up on how to lockpick as a teenager. Don’t ask. And, I’m…aware of that.” He looked away, goggles glinting in the light. The plainness of the room was starting to get to them. “I don’t want for that to happen if I can help it. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take to fix the mess I’ve caused.”

She began to pace, walking small circles on the outside of the cell. “Believe me when I say I would have declined this mission from the start if I’d known Whirligig’s true intentions. Of course, the notion that he was lying is still a hunch…but it feels probable.”

”I believe you, you don’t have to keep justifying yourself. Or worry yourself into the ground, for that matter!” Timekeeper tapped the pin against the door of the cell, ringing out in a series of tiny ding s. “Take it, it’s no proper pick but I feel you could do it. Though you say not to ask… I’m going to anyways. Why did you learn? Boredom? Necessity ?” God, in spite of everything they still found the time to be smug. “And hurry, I need to go and grab my hat again, I would loath to lose it. It really brings my whole look together.”

String Gummy gave them a dry look, was that all they were concerned about?, before taking the pin and pulling it open. 

“Necessity.” He mumbled after a beat, not elaborating further. He eyed the keyhole of the cell, hesitating for a moment. Would it actually work? Part of her was scared that somehow it wouldn’t, specifically for her. How unrealistic. They shook their head to rid themselves of these thoughts before sliding the pin into the keyhole.

…

“…Huh.” String Gummy said after a moment of silence, ear pressed to the door as they attempted to pick the lock. “Nothing’s…happening. Hang on.” He took a deep breath before grabbing the door handle and swinging it open without any resistance, jaw dropping in disbelief. “…This bastard forgot to lock the cell door!”

Timekeeper stared at the handle of the now-open door, entirely dumbfounded. “…You’re kidding.” In spite of the situation, they chuckled, snowballing into proper heartfelt laughter, if not a bit nasally from their busted face. “And you take orders from him? Unbelievable, ha!”

They stepped through the threshold of the open cell door, holding their injured side as they continued giggling like an idiot. “Unbelievable,” they sighed lightheartedly. “Your talents are wasted under someone like that.” They pat String Gummy’s shoulder, flashing him that too-toothy smile of theirs. “Though perhaps I should hurry, before Windmill comes back…”

String Gummy couldn’t help but find himself chuckling alongside them. Their laugh was contagious. “Yeah…You’re right…”

It said nothing about Whirligig’s intelligence, but for the scientist to make such an obvious slip-up left the agent dumbfounded. It was edged by the fear of his temper when he would inevitably figure out what happened. She let out a breath as her laughter began to die with this thought. “I wish I could go with you, but I fear that he would know something was up if I did. All I can do is buy you time.”

They nodded in understanding. “Well, I do appreciate your effort, agent. If you make it out of his grasp in one piece, you should try getting assigned to chase me down again. After having a taste of such a fun opponent, I would be disappointed to not see you again!”

They righted their oversized hat one final time, not bothering with the remaining pins for now as they tipped it respectfully to String Gummy. “I have no time to write you a formal IOU, but should you not want to duel with me again and desire any help traversing rifts or avoiding pockets, simply seek out the nearest disturbance in the time-space continuum, and you might just find me!” Treating that as an official goodbye, they backed out the door of the lab with a curt wave. The moment they’d escaped the suppressor's range, they disappeared down the hall as fast as they could. Off to get their hands back on the Sonic Embroider, likely already on its way to be stored as evidence or contraband.

What an eventful day today has proven to be.