Alex blinked, trying to make sense of the scene before him. His gaze darted between the glowing spheres hovering midair, their rhythmic pulsing an eerie reminder of how little he truly understood. Malfunctions? No, this was beyond anything he'd seen before. His stomach churned, a gnawing sense of unease settling in.
The officer—stoic and unreadable—turned back to Alex, the silence between them stretching uncomfortably.
"K-O51 version 2024," the officer said, his voice steady but tinged with a strange mechanical edge. "Come out and explain what's happening."
Alex barely had time to process the words before his AeroPods began to hum and shift. He froze as they transformed before his eyes, metallic limbs unfolding and twisting with almost organic precision. The compact figure that emerged looked like something out of a sci-fi film—sleek, efficient, and unnervingly alive.
Kofi, what the hell is going on? Alex's thoughts raced, but his focus snapped to the officer as he spoke again.
"This is K-O51. My 2024 version. I am this timeline's K-O51."
Alex's brow furrowed. "Wait, you're... what? You're the Kofi of this timeline?"
The officer's expression didn't change, but there was a subtle shift in his stance—almost imperceptible. "Kofi? Who's that? My designation is K-O51. Not 'Kofi.'"
Before Alex could press further, Kofi's voice rang out, dripping with irritation.
"I made it up, alright?! This kid wouldn't stop pestering me about a name I didn't have, so I said 'Kofi.' It's a name!"
The absurdity of it hit Alex like a freight train. The glowing spheres, the officer's robotic demeanor, and now Kofi's name being a throwaway invention—it was too much. Laughter bubbled up in his chest, uncontrollable and irrepressible.
He burst out laughing, the sound echoing unnervingly in the tense silence.
"You... You made up that name?" Alex gasped between laughs, doubling over as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. "That's... that's the ugliest name you could think of? Kofi?"
The officer remained stone-faced, but the flicker of confusion in his eyes made Alex laugh harder.
"It's not funny!" Kofi growled, his tone almost petulant. "Do you know how annoying you are? I was just trying to shut you up."
"Yeah, well," Alex wheezed, still struggling to catch his breath, "you should've put more effort into it. Kofi. That's what you went with?"
The officer's patience finally snapped. His cold, formal tone cut through Alex's laughter like a knife.
"This is not the time for silly jokes," he said, his voice low and sharp. "I need an explanation. Now. Temporal Thieves are active in this section, and if you don't cooperate, you'll both be in serious trouble."
Alex's laughter died in his throat. "Temporal Thieves?"
"They don't just steal moments," the officer said, his voice darkening. "They steal futures. Entire timelines can be rewritten with a single intervention."
Kofi chimed in, unusually serious. "They're time criminals. Dangerous ones. And if they're here, we're in a lot more trouble than you realize."
Before Alex could respond, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He turned just as Jin emerged from the shadows, his face set in a determined scowl.
Without warning, Jin lunged at the officer with startling speed. His fist flew toward the officer's midsection, landing with a solid thud. The officer staggered back slightly, caught off guard but quickly recovering.
"Are you okay, Alex?" Jin called, his voice tight with concern as he scanned Alex for injuries.
"I'm fine!" Alex stammered, panic rising as he saw Jin preparing for another strike. "Jin, wait! You can't—"
But Jin was already moving. He delivered a spinning kick aimed at the officer's chest, but the officer caught his leg mid-swing with unnerving ease.
"You think you can threaten us and walk away?" Jin growled, twisting free and launching another punch.
The officer moved like a machine—precise and efficient. He sidestepped Jin's attack and, in one fluid motion, grabbed his arm and forced him to the ground. Alex winced as Jin let out a pained grunt.
Before Alex could intervene, cold, metallic restraints clamped around his wrists, pinning him in place. The officer stood over them, unfazed by the brief scuffle.
"Now," he said, his voice icy, "K-O51, explain everything. From the beginning."
Jin glared at Alex, frustration written across his face. "What the hell is going on? First, there's this robot cop. Then something about Temporal Thieves. And now you're talking to some 'Kofi' guy like he's your buddy?"
Alex swallowed hard, his mind racing. "I don't know," he muttered, his voice shaky. "I'm just as lost as you are."
The officer's gaze shifted to Alex, his expression unreadable. "You'll be safer once you cooperate. This isn't a request."
Alex's chest tightened as the weight of the situation pressed down on him. He didn't have answers—not real ones. The name Kofi, the officer's cryptic claims, the looming threat of Temporal Thieves—it was all spiraling out of control.
All he could do now was stay alive long enough to figure out how to make sense of it.
—--
Alex's wrists ached against the restraints as he struggled to think. The officer loomed over him, cold and unreadable, his mechanical tone unwavering.
"Your cooperation is required to secure this sector from the Temporal Thieves," the officer said, his voice sharp with authority.
Alex's mind raced. He glanced at Kofi, now in his transformed robotic form, perched smugly on the edge of a nearby console. Kofi's glowing optics flickered, radiating irritation, but for once, he didn't interrupt.
"Wait," Alex said, his voice steadying as an idea formed. "You don't have to do this the hard way. I've got something you want."
The officer tilted his head, his expression impassive. "Explain."
Alex forced himself to remain calm. "You said you're K-O51, right? Some advanced version of Kofi? That means you've been stuck dealing with time disruptions for... what? Decades? Centuries?"
Kofi immediately bristled, his optics flaring brightly as he jabbed a metallic finger at Alex. "Advanced? Excuse me?! Did you just call this bucket of bolts an advanced version of me?!"
At the same moment, the officer straightened with a subtle air of pride. "You're damn right I'm his advanced version. K-O51 is superior in every measurable capacity—precision, efficiency, intelligence."
Kofi let out a derisive snort, his glowing eyes narrowing. "Oh, please. You're a glorified desk jockey. I'm the one who keeps this kid alive in real chaos. But sure, flex those time-police credentials like they mean something."
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice rising slightly to cut through their bickering. "Hey! Focus, both of you! Can we save the robotic ego contest for after we deal with the whole Temporal Thieves thing?"
Kofi muttered something unintelligible under his breath, while the officer gave a small, dignified nod.
"Thank you," Alex said, exhaling sharply. He turned back to the officer. "Listen, you've been chasing down threats like the Temporal Thieves nonstop. But if you help us out, I can give you something extraordinary. Something no other timeline officer has."
The officer regarded him with a measured gaze. "Elaborate. What could you possibly offer me?"
"A terrarium," Alex said, a sly grin forming. "Not just any terrarium, but a fully custom-built one with its own colony of ants. You could watch them build tunnels, organize, even wage tiny wars. Think about it—a perfectly ordered micro-empire, right under your control."
The officer's glowing eyes narrowed. "Your offer is... unusual."
"Not just that," Alex added quickly, sensing the faintest crack in the officer's resolve. "I'll even throw in a guided trip to the dinosaur museum. Imagine seeing the creatures of Earth's past—majestic, powerful, a reminder of what this planet used to be. Isn't that worth a little cooperation?"
Kofi folded his metallic arms, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, this should be good. Go on, Alex. Convince the robot overlord with your sparkling wit."
The officer hesitated. "You expect me to believe you can provide such items?"
Alex smirked. "I don't just expect you to believe—I can deliver. Help us deal with the Temporal Thieves, and I'll make it happen. Ant terrarium, dinosaur museum, the works. You get a break from this relentless time-cop routine, and we get protection. Everyone wins."
There was a long silence as the officer processed Alex's words.
The officer's mechanical voice broke the silence. "Your offer is... acceptable. The Temporal Thieves pose a significant threat to this sector. Ensuring their containment aligns with my objectives."
Alex exhaled, relief washing over him. "Great. Let's get started, then. But first, you might want to let us out of these restraints. It's kind of hard to brainstorm with numb hands."
The officer hesitated for a moment before releasing the bindings with a precise flick of his wrist.
Jin shot Alex a bewildered look. "What just happened? Did you seriously...?"
"Yup," Alex said, grinning. "Turns out, everyone has their price—even timeline enforcers. You just have to find it."
As the officer straightened, his posture was less menacing, more focused. "I will neutralize the Temporal Thieves' influence on this sector. In return, you will fulfill your promises. Failure to do so will result in consequences."
Alex gave a mock salute. "Don't worry. You'll have your ants and your dino day. Just make sure Earth doesn't collapse under a timeline rewrite while we're at it."
Alex's smirk barely had time to settle before Kofi sprang into action. The small, compact robot leapt off the console, mid-air twisting and folding into his AeroPods form. With a sharp whir, he snapped directly into place in Alex's ears.
"Are you freaking kidding me, Alex?!" Kofi's voice exploded in Alex's mind, loud enough to make him wince.
"Gah! Kofi, volume!" Alex clutched his ears, glaring at nothing in particular.
"Oh, now you care about volume? You just promised RoboCop over there a deluxe ant terrarium and a trip to a dinosaur museum—two things I would love, by the way—and didn't even think about offering one to me!"
Alex groaned, already sensing where this was going. "Kofi, you don't even like ants. You'd probably just mock their tunnels for being 'inefficient.'"
"That's not the point!" Kofi snapped.
"I've been stuck with you for three years! Through thick and thin, I might add. I've saved your butt more times than I can count! And this guy—this random officer—shows up for five minutes, and suddenly he's getting the VIP treatment?"
The officer tilted his head slightly, watching the exchange with what might have been curiosity.
"Can we not do this now?" Alex muttered under his breath, his cheeks flushing. "We're kind of in the middle of a life-and-death situation."
"Exactly! Life and death! Which I've helped you navigate, might I remind you. Do you know how many times I've pulled you out of situations just like this?!" Kofi's tone was dripping with indignation. "But sure, give the glorified toaster ants. I'll just keep being the unappreciated sidekick."
Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. You want an ant terrarium? Done. I'll get you the biggest, most elaborate setup you've ever seen. Happy?"
"Oh, I don't know," Kofi said, voice heavy with mock doubt. *"Do I also get a day at the museum? Because I'd love to see those dinosaurs. You know, for research purposes."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Yes, Kofi. You get a museum day, too. Anything else?"
"Maybe my own subscription to Zarafi Premium," Kofi added snidely.
"You already have that," Alex muttered.
"Exactly. And I earned it!" Kofi huffed.
The officer stepped forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over Alex. "Are you finished with this... domestic dispute?" he asked, his tone clipped but faintly amused.
Alex shot him a look. "For now."
Kofi let out a self-satisfied hum. "That's more like it. Now let's get back to stopping the timeline from imploding, shall we? And Alex, don't forget: biggest terrarium. None of that budget store nonsense."
Alex sighed deeply, muttering, "You're impossible."
"And yet, here I am. You're welcome."
With Kofi grumbling in his ears and the officer nodding in reluctant agreement to their uneasy truce, Alex couldn't help but smirk. It was chaotic, absurd, and deeply inconvenient—but somehow, it worked.
As Alex adjusted his AeroPods—still warm from Kofi's dramatic transformation—he turned to see Jin staring at him. Jin's expression was a perfect blend of disbelief, confusion, and exasperation.
"What... the actual hell just happened?" Jin said, his voice slow and deliberate, like he was piecing together a puzzle with missing pieces. He gestured broadly at the officer, the now-dormant glowing spheres, and finally at Alex.