Chapter Text
A series of knocks jolted Terrence out of sleep and almost out of his chair. The paperback he’d been reading peeled off his cheek and fell onto the table.
Terrence rubbed his eyes and stared around the kitchen, finally noticing the stove’s clock; it was just after noon.
The knocking came again, faster this time, leading Terrence to get up and stumbled for the door, a swirl of unease in his chest.
Henry was standing before him, a slight frown on his face.
“Oh, it’s you,” Terrence said, letting his shoulders relax. “Thought you were the general.”
Henry stared at him, his eyes narrowing a little.
“Is, uh…something wrong?” Terrence asked, glancing quickly behind him to see that Rowan was still asleep on top of the cat tree.
“You don’t need to do what they say anymore,” Henry said abruptly.
Terrence sharply looked back at him.
“…what?”
“You don’t have to do what they say,” Henry repeated.
“Yeah, I do,” Terrence muttered, glancing past Henry at the soldiers briskly walking by. “Is the conversation going to include more of this? Because I’d rather not anybody…”
Henry barged past him and Terrence promptly shut the door.
Terrence sat at the table and watched as Henry reached a hand up to pet Rowan.
“You shouldn’t,” Henry said quietly as Rowan woke up, sniffed his hand, and hissed.
“He’s not usually like that,” Terrence said, raising an eyebrow.
“It doesn’t matter,” Henry said with a shrug as he sat down across from Terrence. “Cats can sense things about people.”
“Things like what?” Terrence asked, giving a nervous laugh. “Ghosts?”
“That, too, but not what I meant,” Henry said.
“Alrighty then,” Terrence mumbled. “Why’d you come over? Were you supposed to?”
“No. Just needed to tell you something.”
“I’ve got to go soon,” Terrence sighed. “They need me to test that Teleporter again.”
“It won’t work,” Henry stated bluntly, his expression darkening.
“Wh…what makes you say that?” Terrence stared uneasily at Henry.
“When someone has a high Chaos count,” Henry muttered, “things like the Teleporter malfunction. It’s happened to me…a lot.”
“They told me you weren’t using it right,” Terrence said, folding his arms on the table. “When I used it, I was fine.”
“You were lucky,” Henry scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It could’ve teleported you fifty feet into the air, or under the ocean, or into space, or…” He closed his eyes tightly and shivered a bit. “Bottom line. Don’t do it.”
“And they’ll have no problem with that?” Terrence retorted. “I have to do whatever they tell me to, or…”
“Or what?” Henry interrupted. “They’ll kick you out, now that you know important things and Reginald knows you’re still alive?”
Terrence jolted up straight in his chair, his eyes widening.
“…How’d you know that?”
Henry just stared at him for a moment, then slouched back with a heavy sigh.
“I just know.”
Terrence leaned back into the table, his fists clenched.
“You know who I am,” he said.
Henry nodded.
“How?” Terrence asked hoarsely. “Or are you just going to say ‘I just know’?”
Henry stood up and walked around the table, then held his left hand out.
“Something happened the first time we shook hands,” Henry said. “Do you remember?”
“I heard voices,” Terrence mumbled, looking uneasily at Henry’s hand. “Things about you, and about me.”
Henry nodded.
“I thought…” Terrence mumbled, clasping his hands tightly. “I thought I was just…having some kinda…I don’t know…that I was stressed or…my prescription wasn’t working yet…”
Terrence slowly raised his hand and took Henry’s, closing his eyes in anticipation.
What could happen next…?
Terrence Suave is currently part of the government after being overthrown by Reginald Copperbottom.
Terrence opened his eyes and pulled his hand back.
“It didn’t…say anything about you,” he mumbled, reluctantly looking at Henry. “Does that happen all the time?”
”Whenever I touch somebody,” Henry mumbled, crossing his arms. “It’s as creepy as it sounds and I tune it out when I can. Sometimes the things I hear about people change if I get to know them better.”
”So that’s why mine changed?” Terrence asked, giving a half-hearted chuckle. “Guess I’m glad it doesn’t call me a failure anymore…”
”Me too,” Henry said, smiling faintly, “even though mine’s suddenly vague as hell.”
“Tomorrow’s the mission,” Henry said after taking a deep breath. “Ellie, Charles and I are going to spend the rest of today getting ready. I shouldn’t be here but I wanted to tell you to be careful.”
“I can’t just decide not to do what they say,” Terrence said, shaking his head. “They’d just make me do it anyway and…”
Henry gave a long sigh.
“What do you honestly think they’d do?” he asked.
“K…kick me out? I don’t know!” Terrence burst out, holding his head tightly.
“They don’t want the Toppats to find you,” Henry said. “They don’t even think Reginald told anybody you’re alive yet. Not even Right Hand Man.”
“I…I guess not,” Terrence stammered. “But why do you think I could get away with refusing orders?”
“I know you can’t,” Henry sighed, briefly looking away. “But risking that is better than risking what could happen if you used the Teleporter. You might even be able to make a choice.”
“Why wouldn’t it work this time?” Terrence asked skeptically, crossing his arms.
“Your chaos level is too high now,” Henry said. “It was normal before you were overthrown, but everything that happened changed you because none of this was supposed to happen. It’s never gotten this far with you.”
“None of…” Terrence muttered. “What…what do you mean? Why wouldn’t I be here?”
He held his head in his heads and closed his eyes, thinking back to when he’d woken up in the desert.
“I was supposed to die…” he muttered. “But I didn’t…is that what you mean?”
Henry nodded once.
“You knew about me…” Terrence began hesitantly. “So do you know why I’m still here?”
“Something decided to change things this time,” Henry said quietly. “I don’t know why. It tries to cause as much chaos wherever it goes. It needs that to keep it alive.”
Terrence looked at Rowan to see he was staring at them with wide eyes.
”Can animals sense it?” Terrence asked.
”I think so,” Henry murmured. “Also, if it keeps someone alive through something that would’ve killed them, that means whatever doesn’t kill us makes it stronger.”
Terrence stared at Henry for a moment, his heart thumping fast.
“Have you ever seen it?” he asked quietly, his neck suddenly prickling.
“Never,” Henry muttered, wrapping both arms around himself. “I hear it all the time. I’ve never seen it, but it sees me. And now it sees you too.”
“There’s no excuse I can make to not go,” Terrence said. “I…I have to. Maybe they won’t kick me out if I say no, but they have a billion ways to punish me for it.”
“I’m just letting you know,” Henry sighed, hanging his head. “So you can be prepared if anything happens. There’s no telling how far away you’ll end up or if anybody will find you in time. Anything you have on you teleports with you.”
”Should I tell them about this?” Terrence asked, rubbing his forehead. “Dr. Vin might understand…”
“It’s your choice,” Henry said. “If Galeforce is there he might override her. If it’s just her, then maybe.”
Henry walked to the front door and opened it.
“I’ll see you later…hopefully.”
He shut the door heavily behind him.
“You don’t think it’s safe?” Doctor Vin asked, frowning and crossing her arms.
”I…I just…don’t know if anybody should be using it,” Terrence mumbled, nervously meeting her gaze. “It’s not just for me.”
”We could examine it but most I will wait is one day,” Doctor Vin sighed, removing her glasses and massaging her forehead.
”What’s that?” Galeforce asked, walking in with narrowed eyes.
”Something is wrong with Teleporter,” Doctor Vin said, striding over to him. “We will continue testing of other devices and continue with Teleporter tomorrow.”
Galeforce gave Terrence a skeptical glare, then looked at Doctor Vin.
”You’re sure it’s necessary?” he sighed.
”Yes,” Doctor Vin said. “I had my doubts but was not sure how to bring it up.”
Terrence looked at her in surprise.
”Alright,” Galeforce said. “Until tomorrow. We’re leaving early so get started at the same time.”
Doctor Vin nodded.
”As for you, Suave,” Galeforce snapped. “Do exactly what she says when she says it. Any backtalk will get you a reprimand.”
”Yes, sir,” Terrence responded.
”I’ll be back later to check on things if I can,” Galeforce said, heading for the door. “Thank you for your hard work, Doctor.”
”My pleasure,” Doctor Vin said. “Good luck.”
Terrence sighed and leaned against a table when Galeforce left.
”Well, back to work,” Doctor Vin said. “Unless there is anything else you need to discuss?”
Terrence uneasily shifted his feet, but shook his head.
”No…everything’s fine. Thanks.”
Doctor Vin gazed at him sternly for a moment.
”…Very well.”
She gestured to the time machine on the lab table.
”This is still unstable, but we may be able to use it soon. We are slowly learning more about how it works.”
”Where did Henry get these?” Terrence asked. “Did he say?”
”No,” Doctor Vin sighed. “He seems to have always had them.” She looked across the table at Terrence. “You said Toppat Clan traded with Gadget Gabe.”
“Yeah, so I don’t know where he got them either,” Terrence said. “Maybe he met Gabe once, or maybe he just stole them. Who knows.”
”Mm.” Doctor Vin looked down at the devices on the lab table. “Well, back to work, now.”