Edward Graves: Temporal Detective

Jessica’s hand was covered with sweat and was beginning to slip. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to hold on to him. Or for that matter, how long he would be able to hold on to her.

The dark figure in the centre of the vortex was slowly emerging, still obscured by shadows, but now more three-dimensional.

“I’ve got an idea,” yelled Edward. “Trust me.”

Before Jessica could ask him to flesh out his idea for her, he let go of her hand and she felt herself hurtling towards the far wall, screaming all the way. With his outstretched hand, Edward made a few fluid gestures, shooting out a stream of Temporal Energy, which hit Jessica, causing her body to stop with a jolt, suspended in mid-air. The wind kept blowing around her, but there was some sort of invisible barrier that protected her from its effects. She tried to move her arms or legs, but couldn’t and in her peripheral vision, she could see that her clothes were frozen as if they were in mid-flight. It stuck her that she was frozen in time - that was the only explanation. But if that were true, shouldn’t that effect how she perceived everything around her? Yet, time around her seemed to be moving normally. Maybe it was the air around her that had been frozen, not her. She decided it was best not to dwell on it for the time being.

Edward let go of the railing and he too flew backwards, but only for a few seconds. He waved his arms around in sharp movements and he suddenly stopped midair, his coat still flapping about in the wind. Looking closely, Jessica could see faint streams of blue light weaving around Edward’s body.

He held both arms arm, palms splayed outwards, towards the whirling mass of Temporal Energy.

“What are you doing?” screamed Harbinger, still clinging to the railing.

“Throwing a spanner in the works,” said Edward. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

The dark figure finally emerged; he looked about twenty-five and had long, dark hair that was tied up in a ponytail. He wore a dark red suit and his face was twisted in an expression of absolute fury. Jessica recognised him from the picture of the Second Hand – it was Xander.

Harbinger yelled exaltations and laughed maniacally - his mind finally snapped now that his mission was complete.

“Edward!” The man’s scream carried clear across the room, even over the sound of the wind. It froze Jessica’s blood and she could feel her face turning a few shades paler.

A flicker of shock dashed across Edward’s face, before he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

“Edward, look at me, you coward!”

Edward kept his head bowed and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Then he twisted his hands and blue streams of light began to dance around the man’s body.

The man roared with rage and tried to take a few steps forward, but the Temporal Energy held him back. But even as the energy slowly encased his body, he strove forward, straining with every muscle. Soon, he was leaning out as far as he could go, looking straight at Edward with a ferocity which Jessica had never seen before.

Slowly, Edward looked at the man and they stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time. The man’s face softened to the point of sadness. It looked like he might cry.

“Please,” he said softly. “Brother.”

Edward closed his eyes again and said, “I’m sorry.”

With that, he pulled in his left arm and clenched his fist, while simultaneously pushing his right arm out further, hand still splayed.

There was a blood-curdling scream as the blue Temporal Energy pulled the man back into the writhing mass of light and with a flash of blinding light, the energy settled back into its passive state. The wind dropped off immediately and Edward fell to the floor, crumpling to his knees.

At the same time, Jessica’s little bubble of suspended time suddenly popped and she was hurled across the room by the delayed force of the wind, and then dropped to the ground with a crash. She just laid there and groaned for a while before sitting up and saying, “Ow.”

Harbinger let out a cry of anguish, “What have you done?”

He whipped out a gun from a holster inside his coat and he pointed it at Edward, who was still in some kind of shock.

Jessica strode forward and screamed Edward’s name, she shot her arm out in a futile gesture that turned out not to be so futile after all. A flash of blue light shot out of her hand and hit Harbinger, sending him backwards. He was taken off guard and lost his footing, sending him over the balcony and screaming into the Furnace below.

Jessica stopped in her tracks and looked at her hand in shock. It looked normal but it tingled in an odd way, all the way up her arm.

She ran to the balcony and looked over the railing. She couldn’t see anything other than the gentle waves of blue light below.

She retrieved Edward’s hat and cane from the back of the room, trying not to look at the bodies of Crawlfield and Vinnie. Silently, she offered Edward his things. He was still slumped over on his knees, she wasn’t even sure if he was aware of what had happened.

“Edward?”

Slowly, he looked up at her. His eyes were filled with so much pain and sorrow; it was hard for her to look at him. The anguish in his eyes seemed to physically age him. Gone was the facade of the fresh faced young man with all of time and space at his feet. Then, in that moment, Jessica could see all four hundred and fifty-three years of his life, weighing down on his shoulders and reflected in his eyes.

He offered a weak smile and he slowly rose to his feet and took his hat and cane from her.

“It’s over,” she said.

“Yes. All over,” he said quietly as he pulled his hat down firmly, pulling the brim down low over his forehead.

“I thought that gentlemen didn’t wear hats inside,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Well, there are exceptions.”

Then she saw a single tear run down his cheek and it sparkled on his chin for moment, before dropping to the floor.