Isaac Woodman
T2 2025 - Harry's signature smile seemed to hold a sense of knowing in it as he looked at me.
"Where are we?" he muttered before standing, his posture different to what it had been a few moments prior. "Why do you look," he looked me up and down with a confused look on his face, "younger?" He looked about the room, landing on Jacob, still wreathed in flame and Sebastian standing by his side. "You both look different, even you," he gestured to Ashlea who had thrown herself awkwardly to the ground.
"Harry?" Stacy muttered, causing Harry to spin around quickly. He looked at his girlfriend who lay on the ground, then turned back to me.
"What sort of sick and twisted game is this?" he muttered, venom in his words. "Isaac, what is this?" He conjured electricity to wrap around his fingers, the control much more stable than what it had once been. "Even this feels different," he looked down at his hands, before holding a palm up to the wall and releasing a bolt of electricity that tore through the concrete of the wall.
"It will take a while to explain," I said in a placating manner.
"Why not start now, I have the hostages for it don't I?" He raised his palm at one of the Americans and fired a bolt of lightning. The line of blue soared above his head harmlessly, but the man still let out a whimper of pain.
"Not here," I muttered.
"I know exactly the kind of man you are Isaac, don't you dare take me for a fool."
"I'm trying not to, look, if I tell you the answer in front of all these people here, then-"
"Just spit it out Isaac, If I deem that the answer needs to stay between good friends, then I will simply kill everyone here, simple as that," I could tell that he wasn't joking, that look of his made that obvious.
"This may sound weird, even compared to everything we have been through but-"
"Jacob, stop moving, don't think I can't see you trying something back there," I twisted to look at Jacob, who had indeed moved slightly from his original place.
"Jacob, don't," I warned, "he's not someone you can handle."
"Bless you Isaac, you know the right words to turn someone on, but he is correct, I'm holding back because I know what brash actions will lead to, so don't force my hand."
"Look, Harry, you know me, you know that I can't beat you in a fight, so please, let's go somewhere more quiet," a bolt of lightning tore through the air, this time hitting its mark. I dared not look back, but by the shrieking, I knew what had happened.
"Stop wasting my time Isaac, ah ah ah, Jacob don't, you move and another one is dead," this time, he pointed his hand to someone behind me. "Speak, you should be good at it Isaac, that's all you seem to be good for."
"Harry?" Stacy mumbled and she looked scared, though I understood why. Someone doesn't just change this drastically instantly, but it had indeed happened.
"Just stop," Harry muttered, "Isaac, tell me now, what is this?"
"What was the last thing you remember?"
"You and Henry spearing me through the face with a beam of light, or do you want me to be more specific on how you killed me."
"This is the past, year two thousand and twenty five."
"Don't lie to me, using some plot that you gleaned from an old time travel movie, at least be more creative than that."
"Stacy, how old are you?" I asked, ignoring Harry's retort. She looked at me, ready to give some glib remark, but Harry's look made her change her mind.
"Twenty four," she answered.
"Jacob?" I asked.
"Same here," Jacob responded.
"Harry?"
"What point are you trying to make? Simply saying a number won't prove your point."
"Have you looked outside?" I gestured to a nearby window.
"None of you move," the threat was immediately felt and as ordered, no one moved a muscle, though I presumed many wanted to. "Impossible," Harry muttered. He stood by the window, transfixed by the difference in the sight presented to him. "Isaac, I think we need to have that chat." He turned, displaying his hands.
"No!" I shouted as multiple beams of electricity flew through the air, latching onto everyone but Jacob, Sebastian, Ashlea, Stacy and myself. I turned to Valerie, my old friend who didn't know me now. Seeing her die again, seeing that pained expression again, made me want to lash out, but that humane anger was long since dead. Fire erupted all too late as Jacob shot himself forwards, using the combustion of his fire to propel his body like a bullet. Inexperience would have gotten Harry killed, but the attack was easily sidestepped and Jacob was trapped in a headlock.
"I even feel the temperature of the room rise, and a bolt of electricity will fry your brain," Harry whispered into his ear, but the words were heard by all. At that moment, Harry was flung backwards, as if pulled by an invisible force and in the process releasing his grip on Jacob. "Hello oh savior," he smiled wide as he looked at Sebastian, then he looked at me, "are you really placing all of your hopes on him?"
"We have to, you, we killed you before you saw what happened."
"Well, unless you have any other sudden ambushes planned, I suppose you have to try your best to make me understand why I shouldn't have to kill this fucking liar."
"We made it, we finally made it." I breathed out, I needed to speak the truth, "We managed to survive to the last Theatre, it asked for one participant, the strongest of us all." I pointed at Sebastian, "he stepped forward, fifty-three powers under his belt, he died in three seconds when that thing walked onto the field." I remembered the aftermath and the sorrow that followed. "It, it was horrible."
"And let me guess, you wanted to train this, failure, into beating that Theatre, saving us all, Jesus Isaac, I know you were desperate, but really," he broke into a laugh, "it will never work, do you know why?"
"Why's that?"
"He's missing something integral."
"And what the fuck is that?" Jacob coughed, massaging his throat.
"The beauty of violence," he opened his hands wide, "you don't find pleasure in it, admirable, but in these times, deadly," he stalked forwards, placing his hands into his pockets in a fashion that screamed arrogance. "That is something that you need, if you don't have that, then the only thing you have left to save you is tenacity, and only one person can take that approach," he glanced at me and I felt a swelling of pride, though I hated myself for feeling that. "I need time to think things through, Isaac, I would say it was nice meeting you again, but then I would be lying, you did get me killed after all. Stacy, I, I've missed you," he took a hand out and stroked her cheek, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you before. But this time-" he turned and glared at Sebastian, "I won't lose you again." He left her there, walking out the door that he had just come in. Stacy looked at us and then back at Harry before following him into the darkness of the corridor.