Agent Tolu was dumbfounded as he entered the room which seemed to have gone through a chaotic disaster. Glancing left and right, the mess was beyond belief. With chairs that had been damaged to splinters, the floor and walls cracked and the entire room a black sooted scenario.
"Come over here" captain James called to him.
"Captain you alright?" Agent Tolu seemed to be recovering from his shock as he rushed over.
"Am okay" captain James said while supporting a half-conscious Tobi and making a gesture with his head towards boss Ajasa who was sprawled on the floor. "Just grab him and let's go"
"Is that Tobi the courier?" Agent Tolu pointed at the unconscious man being supported by captain James.
"Yeah, hurry up we need to leave here now" captain James said as he pulled Tobi towards the door.
"Yes sir" agent Tolu replied as he pulled boss Ajasa's arm across his shoulder and pulled him up. From the room, down the stairs and out of the building, they dragged both men to the car which tyre was earlier not deflated.
Opening the backseat, captain James dropped Tobi while agent Tolu dropped boss Ajasa.
"Get into the car" captain James said as he sat on the driver's seat.
"Yes captain"
As the car's engine roared to life, captain James swiftly steered the car into the street and sped off into the distance.
Few minutes later...
Three more cars drove in front of the abandoned building as a dozen men emerged from the cars and rushed into the building. Getting up the stairs and into the room, they were all shocked at what they saw.
"This...."
"What the hell happened here?---"
"Baron Kabasa!"
A few men rushed to the unconscious Kabasa and tried to rouse him to consciousness.
~Stir~
"Hmm..."
Baron Kabasa began to regain consciousness as he tried to opened his eyes while trying to fight against the ringing pain in his head.
~Baron~
~Baron~
It was if he was hearing those voices from a dreamlike state.
"Baron!" Until they became more real and audible.
"Shut up! Am not deaf damn it!" Baron Kabasa snapped in irritation.
"What happened here Kabasa?" Inquired a man who had a bald head and a full long beard as he stared at baron Kabasa who was being supported to stand up but stubbornly shoved the men away and tried to stand on his own.
Taking a sweeping view of the room, baron Kabasa first had a look of surprise which then gradually morphed into anger.
"Where is he?" He muttered under labored breath.
"What?" The bald man frowned and turned his ear forward.
"Where's Ajasa?!" Baron Kabasa seethed.
"You mean boss Ajasa did this? The bald man inquired.
"Well, he's not here is he?" Baron Kabasa walked about a bit unsteadily.
The bald man took his eyes off baron Kabasa and settled it on one of the goons. "What's the fatality rate?" He asked with a straight face.
"Two dead while the rest are injured" the goon replied.
"Baron Kalu" baron Kabasa spoke turning to the bald man. "Give me some of your men so I can go after Ajasa"
"And why should I do that?" Baron Kalu raised an eyebrow.
"Because he has something of mine!"
"As much I am curious about what transpired between you and Ajasa, that's not what is important right now...."
"I don't think you understand---" baron Kabasa retorted.
"No you don't understand" baron Kalu sharply replied. "Domain HQ has summoned us for a meeting"
"....."
Noticing his speechless state, baron Kalu continued. "So whatever shenanigans you are engaged in, I suggest you drop it for the main time"
After a few moments, baron Kabasa sighed in frustration. looking at the goons, baron Kalu made a gesture with his hand. "Wrap this up and let's move out"
Coming down the stairs and outside the building, baron Kabasa and Kalu inspected the cars with deflected tyres.
"It seems that boss Ajasa did a real number on you" baron Kalu said as he glanced at baron Kabasa.
"Hmph" baron Kabasa snorted and swore through gritted teeth. "When I get my hands on him, he'll wish for a peaceful death"
"Yeah yeah stop your whining and let's go"
"But don't you worry kabasa" baron Kalu said as they stepped into the car. "After we conclude our business at HQ, I'll help you hunt down that old bastard Ajasa" then his eyes flickered dangerously as he stared at baron Kabasa. "And whoever that is helping him"
*********************
Tisane embraced Tina and waited for her to cry as much as she wanted on his shoulder. After what seemed like an hour, Tina regained her calmness.
Pulling away slightly from his embrace, Tina noticed that she had soiled Tisane's shirt with snot and tears.
With an embarrassed look on her face she squeaked an apology. "Am sorry"
"Its okay Tina" Tisane replied with a smile. "You've grown more beautiful since I last saw you"
On hearing this, Tina's face brightened as a smile floated up her lips.
"So what kind of cream do you use? Is it carol white? Is it lush or?---" Tisane spoke with a funny tone in his voice.
"Master!" Tina replied with a giggle and a deep blush. "You sound just like aunt Joyce"
Upon hearing the name 'Joyce' the look in Tisane's eyes became intense.
Noticing the change in Tisane's countenance, Tina felt her heart skip a beat. "Master..."
"Its all my fault" came the melancholic voice.
"What?" Tina looked up sharply.
"I should have seen it coming" Tisane's eyes burned with sorrow.
"No master don't say that. You did the best you could do for us" Tina could feel her heart wrenched in the feeling of loss.
"But it was not enough"
"It kept us safe and alive"
"How is everyone?" Tisane asked after a long pause.
"..."
Tisane stared at Tina and noticed the strange look on her face.
Discovering that her silence was quite suspicious, Tina awkwardly replied "they are fine"
Tisane was not satisfied with that answer "Tell me the truth Tina, how is everyone?" Tisane emphasized the latter part of his sentence.
Knowing she couldn't hold out anymore, Tina let out another burst of sorrow "we are barely surviving master! All the realms have turned against us! We are being attacked day after day!"
"What about the world shield?" Tisane asked agitatedly.
"Its barely holding out. From the way we see it, the world shield could collapse at any time" Tina tried not to but she couldn't hold back her tears. "We lost so many brothers and sisters I----"
Seeing her trembling from sorrow, Tisane hugged her again as he consoled. "Its okay Tina. I swear to you that very soon, I will right all wrongs that have been committed against us and establish our family at the pecking order once more"
After calming down again, Tina asked in anticipation "so are you coming with me?"
"No Tina" Tisane replied.
"Huh?" Tina was confused by the reply.
"I can't come with you, not in this state"
"What do you mean master?"
"I am only able to talk to you now because I forcefully hacked into my younger self's consciousness" Tisane said.
"So you mean....." Tina began.
"It would be unwise for me to stay in this state for too long" Tisane finished.
"But this is your body right?" Tina asked.
"Yes it is" Tisane nodded; " But far younger and weaker, both mentally and physiologically"
"So that's it" Tina frowned in understanding; "He's too weak"
"Yes currently" Tisane affirmed; "But he can and will become stronger in time"
"So is that why you asked us to come to this current timeline?" Tina asked; "Just so we could train him?"
"Initially, that's what I intended, but now, I have discovered a better way to train him" Tisane said as he narrowed his eyes and stared at Tina; "When you said 'we', did you mean to say that you are not the only one in this timeline?"
"The others couldn't come..." Tina said as her eyelids drooped in sadness; "With the limited resources in our hands, we were only able to construct a low level portal"
"And you were the one chosen to come" Tisane said while nodding his head in coherence.
"So what's the plan now master?" Tina asked after getting over her melancholic state.
"Preparation" Tisane simply said; "First of all, here"
He handed over to her what appeared to be a smooth cylindrical mechanism.
"This is a blueprint device" Tina spoke in recognition as she released as flash of light from her finger tip into the device.
~Click~
~Whoosh~
The device, on receiving the light from Tina, expanded into segmented compartments, having an inner and outer circle. After some seconds, the outer and inner circles began to rotate clockwise and anticlockwise respectively.
After rotating for some seconds, a holographic image emerged on display.
"A time machine blueprint?!" Tina exclaimed.
"Yes Tina" Tisane nodded; "I want you to build for me a time machine"