Chapter 7
They all sat in an awkward silence, Jon searching over the apartment on more time before returning.
"We good?" Martin asked.
Jon dropped a few tape recorders onto the table,"Now we're all good".
"Why do you need so many tape recorders?" Tim asked confused.
"Oh these aren't our" Jon stated without giving further information.
"So"Martin started, "Where do we start".
Sasha took the lead, "Let's start off with what we already know so far, You can know things that you may not have previously known. When you try to know this stuff those eyes appear so I'm thinking that it may be linked to the weirdness like in the statements".
"That's a lot Sash" Tim had pieced together.
"You can say that again but i do have a question to start off with" She began.
"We'll try our best to answer" Martin replied.
"Why did you lie back in the archives. Look maybe i would've believed your story more if the two of you hadn't have been so weird recently but things just don't add up. It's like you both are two separate people to the Jon and Martin we first met and have been working with", Sasha had always been one of the smartest of their crew, always taking another step into research. It made sense why Gertrude wanted to choose her to be the next archivist.
"So, what do you think is happening?" Jon asked.
"Time Travel" Tim stated out of nowhere, they all gave him a weird look." I'm just saying it makes sense"
When Jon and Martin didn't try and correct his suspicion he shot up.
"No fucking way"
"Ah" Sasha let out, "It does explain a few things"
"Like what?" Martin sputtered out.
"Well first of all how close you and Jon have gotten, there is no way you two suddenly sorted out your issues in a weekend. It looks like you two have had so much bonding time, i mean have you met Jon, it takes him a few weeks to admit he is wrong in any argument. Plus Martin is much more confrontational and stand offish than he usually is. Also, i talked to Melanie after she gave you her statement and she said that she was shocked you believed her. You are the biggest sceptic i know. That's when i defiantly knew something should've been wrong here".
Jon and Martin remained in a shocked silence.
"So, where do i want to start? How far in the future?" Sasha said softly
"twenty twenty" Martin replied.
"So when you mentioned when Jane came early?"
"She was supposed to show up In July to attack the institute, but for some reason she didn't. We think it's because we changed a few things, but at least you both are safe".
"Was something supposed to happen to us?" Tim asked.
"Well..Um..Sasha you-" Jon was cut off.
"You were going to be killed and replaced" Jon grimaced, "What? It was easier to rip the plaster right off".
"What do you mean replaced?" She asked interested.
"Do you remember statement 0070107, where Miss Patel claimed that her neighbour had been replaced by something that crawled through her window? Well, when Jane Prentiss originally attacked you went to get help but ended up being killed by one of those things".
"Oh shit" Tim gasped, "I just got chills, thank god that didn't happen this time" Tim held Sasha close, hand slightly shaking. Jon should've put that a better way, He'd already lost a brother so losing Sasha would've also been super hard.
"What else?" Sasha asked.
And so they began to inform them of what they had been through. The attack, finding Gertrude's body in the tunnels to the police investigation and being accused of murder. The whole truth behind the institute and the story behind why they all couldn't leave. In the retelling they decided to leave out Tim's death but did tell him about the circus, they had to take a break after that but with Sasha by his side he managed to calm down.It was heart breaking seeing Tim so fragile but he needed to mourn the loss he had endured, even after all of these years he never really got to know what had happened to Danny and now that he was he found out in the worst way. Through his monster boss.Eventually they got to the part of their retelling of the final attack before the apocalypse and Jonah's statement, they talked of their travels through the different domains while also bringing up the different entities and their meanings.
"So what exactly can you do with your powers? How do they work" Sasha asked, going into investigation mode.
"Well, i can know pretty much anything other than what may happen in this current future, i can inform you about the past future about as much as Martin could though. Um...I can make you tell me things? but i don't do that anymore, it forced others to spill their trauma to me and once they start i can't stop them until they have finished. In the end of the world i could rid the avatars in their domains, smiting them. Sometimes when i entered a certain domain i would gain features and characteristics of the fear?"
"You said there was one called the Hunt? Like an animalistic fear of being chased" Sasha asked.
"Did you turn into a furry!" Tim jumped in with a small smile.
"Oh luckily we didn't have to see that, i did end up in the web's domain though. Ew, never more have i hated spiders in my life and Martin don't you disagree with me" Martin chuckled a little.
"Interesting, did you have any spooky powers Martin?" Jon cringed at the word and Martin thought about it for a second.
"I mean, yes i did? But i gave it up, I might still be able to use them but i'm not to sure" He admitted nervously.
"You want to try, I'll be right here for you to pull you out if you need the help?" Jon offered support, Martin looked over to Sasha and Tim who looked full interested.
He let out a deep sigh, "Why not? I trust you. Just pull me out if i go to far". With that Jon held onto his arm while he closed his eyes and began to lose feeling.
He was no longer with anyone, going back in time wouldn't change that they were lonely. they? where had that come from? The lonely had always been just him. No, the lonely was everyone, because if this didn't work they'd all die, Jon could die and Martin would be alone once again. Who could stop Peter from throwing him to the fog filled plane he had stayed once before. What about his mum? She was alive again and he hadn't done a single thing to help her in the months he had been back, he was a failure. He shouldn't have-
"Martin?" Jon called and his eyes shot open.
He had a small look of concern on his face but when Martin had smiled and mouthed a thank you Jon smiled as well. Than he noticed the white fog around him, he breathed out a puff of white smoke before the rest of it slowly dissipated.
"What was that?" Tim asked slightly in shock still.
"That was the lonely" Jon claimed as he instructed Martin to lay down, So he did that, head in Jon's lap and he ran his fingers through his hair in a calming motion.
"What does it do?" Sasha asked delicately, she sensed it was a sensitive subject.
"It's like a prison, a place where no-one can reach you and you are forever by yourself. You could be trapped there for so long and feel nothing, it makes you forget and just feel meaningless" Martin explained coldly.
"But that isn't you anymore" Jon reassured.
"No it isn't" Martin sighed, "I'm not lonely anymore".
"So you can just give up being an avatar?" Sasha questioned.
"No, not usually. Martin however is an exception, i don't know how he did it but I've never been more proud" Jon admitted.
"Well, thank yourself. I knew I needed to get back to you" He smiled.
"So what exactly is the relationship between you two now?" Tim asked.
The two linked hands, "I love him" Jon replied, and Martin hummed in agreement.
"Well, finally" Time Joked.
"It's kind of cute but sickening to see you two all lovey dovey" Sasha admitted which got her a small nudge from Tim, who laughed.
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They had decided to all sit around and relax for a little while processing everything, Jon offering to cook something for everyone and shortly followed by that offering if the two wanted to spend the night once again. The relaxation and calm didn't last long though.
"Um..double boss just sent out an email, Archive is being investigated for the murder of Gertrude" Tim announced.
Jon had only briefly mentioned Gertrude's body being found to he other two but that also meant one more thing.
"what!" Jon yelled, "No, that's no right?" He was confused.
Everything was changing, this wasn't supposed to happen and by this point Jon was so sure that Elias knew what was going on. That's why Jane came early but he didn't expect Michael, maybe due to the distortions nature it was just something that Elias couldn't predict to happen.
"Hold up, i'm making a call" Jon stated as he reached for his phone and finding Elias' number to call.
"What are you going to say?" Martin asked.
"Just act clueless, start questioning about hopefully he'll slip something up?" Jon admitted, once he pressed the call button he turned on the speaker making sure to signal to the others to be quiet.
The phone rang out for a few suspenseful seconds before a voice picked up.
"Jon, i assume you're calling to question the email i sent out?" the bastard questioned.
"Yes in fact" Jon tried his best to sound as professional as he tried to be all those years ago, "I was just wandering where she was? I thought she was declared missing?"
"Ah yes, Some officers will be in to question you and your team eventually" He answered.
"Where did they find her?" Jon pushed.
"I was asked not to share the specifics of the case but apparently in the tunnels where a lot of the worms had been found" It was obvious that wasn't the case but Jon wouldn't question him about it now.
"Do they know how she died"
"Jon" Elias replied sternly.
"I'm just saying, the police wouldn't get involved if this was a normal death" Jon defended, Sasha gave him a thumbs up.
"The police will talk to you soon" Jon sighed, "Oh and Jon".
He perked up a little, "Yes?"
"Tell your team to not snoop around in those tunnels, we don't know what could be down there" Than he hung up.
"Urg! I hate that man so much" Martin raged, "He knows the whole thing and when we all exited together he knew he had to call it in before we went searching".
"Wouldn't he already know about both of you if he shares a patron?" Sasha asked.
"We made sure that he had nothing to listen in on us with here or in Jon's office, He can't listen in the tunnels either. There's a blockage down there that shields those outside of the tunnels to pry, well, those other than the mother manipulator but that's an explanation for another time" Jon explained.
"So what do we do now?" Tim enquired.
"Well for now we just relax and when the police come we'll just have to see how things will go. Basira and me should be at least the little bit fine but I'm not sure about Daisy yet" Jon admitted.
"Yeah, hold on a sec. last time you and Basira barely talked but seemed so familiar" Martin realised, "Why was that".
"Oh i didn't tell you?" Jon started, "She was in a band with me".