Intentions

"Huff...huff...huff, damn it!" After running for about 2 hours, Alan finally found a safe place to rest. He looked at his surroundings and noticed that the alley he was in was the same one that Marshal had died in the previous loop. But before Alan let his guard down, he sensed a presence nearby. Alan felt a strange presence watching him. He carefully eyed the entrance and found nothing amiss. "That's odd. I swear someone was nearby," he thought out loud, looking to grab someone's attention.

After analyzing his surroundings once more, Alan declared it was safe and then took a rest, unaware of the future that awaits him.

~~M~~

Around the same time, at the New Providence Eastern District Police Station, stood two men before a crowded desk filled to the brim with paperwork and digital monitors showcasing many news reports. One of the men was a tall, buffed man with a black and orange eye patch who seemed to be in his thirties. His face broadcasted the extreme stress he had built up. He stood behind the desk, staring at a rich older man with blonde hair wearing all white. The two men have been talking to one another for two hours, after Evangela's death.

"You know Mr. Seamon, I understand your goals, but still this is dirty, even for you," the one-eyed man said in a heavy voice. He glared at Mr. Seamon, waiting for his answer.The man just smiled with a smug look and shrugged his shoulders. "I understand, but this was unavoidable," the rich man replied. "If those terrorists want to start a war with us, then we need to collect all the pawns that we can."

"Even if it means to falsely accuse that boy?" The man then slammed his fists onto the desk before him. "And you watch your own daughter die?"

"Yes, I do feel bad for him, though. He was walking with my daughter, but then got caught up in a war between terrorists and the government." Mr. Seamon reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. After lighting it, he took a poof and shot it out at the one-eyed man's face. He glared aggrievedly at Mr. Seamon. "I would have attempted to save that daughter of mine, but she was the one who wanted to cut ties with me. I consider this karma for her wasting my time."

"So why are you framing him then? Why are you getting him involved in your enteral affairs?" The one-eyed man said as walked to a nearby map of the city.

"Because he's a nano user," Mr. Seamon said, "he is a part of the one percent who can naturally wield the ancient technology of the old, and not to mention that he is currently in possession of one of the relics, as reported by your men."

Upon hearing this, the one-eyed man let out a deep sigh, then pulled up an air console. "You know, I would normally say no to this inhuman choice of yours, but this technology was only made possible because of you. However, this doesn't make us friends. After all, you are the one who killed my daughter with this 'experiment' of yours."

"I am truly sorry for your loss. Masa wasn't supposed to stay within the blast zone. But, it was thanks to her that the experiment for releasing the nanomasses was a complete success." Mr. Seamon said with little to no remorse.

Hearing this made the one-eyed man's blood boil. However, he kept his anger under control, as he didn't want to be the next one placed on the rich man's hit list. Moments later, in the completely silent room, an alert on the man's intercom was the first to break the silence. The one-eyed man opened his air console, and a man dressed in a normal police uniform appeared.

"Sir, I have a report," a man on the other side of the video intercom window said.

"Go ahead."

"Our drones have found the boy, sir."

"Well done. Capture him and then you all can go home for the day."

"Yes sir!"

Mr. Seamon had a quite satisfied look on his face as he overheard the news. The one-eyed man glanced at him in disgust and said, "Well now, the ball is in your court. Just not involve the EDP anymore."

After staying that, Mr. Seamon waved his hand and walked out of the man's office. The one-eyed man pulled out a photo of him standing with a younger-looking girl and said to himself, "I'm sorry Masa, it seems like I have too many sins to wash away before I can join you."

~~0~~

Meanwhile, in the alley in which Alan had taken refuge, the sound of multiple heavy footsteps approached him. Alan, who was still recovering from his two-hour marathon running from the police, was unable to hide his surprise when he noticed they found him. He honestly thought because it was a dead-end alley, that no one would check it. While looking for a way to climb out of the alley, he notices four drones above him. "So that's how they found me," he thought to himself. The sound of the footsteps grew louder, and he knew that there was no way out. So he turned himself in. Upon surrendering, an older-looking officer walked up to him.

"Sorry kid, but we have our orders," the older man said, moving closer.

"Why are you sor-" Before Alan could finish, the older man knocked him out with one punch to the stomach. The police officers carried the boy to the patrol car and called off the lockdown.

"Once slothful, forever slothful, I guess." A mysterious figure walked out from the shadows of the alley. "However, the boy did notice you, yet he brushed it off like it was nothing."

"I told you that child is a fool, but he served as the perfect bait to lure out the dogs." Another man came from an aqua-colored mist. "Still, I can't believe he survived this long.""Yeah, no kiddin," the shadow-cloaked man said, "But he is a relic user, you sure you don't wanna capture him ourselves?"

"We can't. He's under the effects of the Chronos pendant. We need that relic in order to advance our plans. After all, with the power to freeze and turn back time, we can accomplish our goal of bringing down this damn corrupt government." The aqua-cloaked man said while biting his lip.

"Nevertheless, he is your son."

"That may be so, but I have never loved him. I have only loved my wife, yet the government took her away from me. So now I just want revenge, even if it means sacrificing my own kin."

The shadow-cloaked man shrugged his shoulders and disappeared into the shadow mist, leaving only the aqua-cloaked man behind as he looked into the sky. A drop of rain fell onto him. "Rain, huh? I guess even the heavens are upset by the sinners that will be out tonight." He spoke to himself. After standing there for a few moments longer, he vanished into an aqua-colored mist.

After a few hours, the patrol car carrying the unconscious boy finally reached its designation deep within the Northern District of New Province. The one driving the car was a young adult man who seemed to be completely annoyed by all the driving he had to do just to reach the Northern District from the Eastern District. Beside him was his partner, the one who knocked Alan out. He had a bulky figure and an unenthused look on his face.

"Why do we have to drive all around the whole damn city just to drop off this boy?" The younger man had said, venting his frustrations out on his partner.

"Because we are dogs of the government, Maverick. We have our orders." The bulky man said.

"I get that T, I do, but it makes little sense on why we have to do this."

"That's what happens when we choose dirty jobs. Also, stop calling me T. I hate that nickname."

"Hehe, sorry Tony, force of habit," Maverick said, awkwardly scratching his head.While the two were idly chatting, a tall man in a lab coat came out to greet them. As he walked towards the car, Maverick found the atmosphere around the man was far too dense to even ask why they had to bring the boy there.

"I welcome you, gentleman. I am Professor Omega." The man said with a wicked look on his face as he went to see the unconscious boy. "I see you have brought him in one piece. Good work."

The man picked up the boy and threw him over his shoulder and waved goodbye to the two officers. As he left the eyesight of the two men, Maverick turned to Tony.

"I don't like him," Maverick blurted out.

"Just bear with it. He is just a nut job who experiments with humans. I don't agree with it, but money is money, I suppose."

As the two men got back in the car and drove off, the professor had just finished strapping the unconscious Alan to the experimenting table. Upon finishing, He pulled out his air console and gave an order: "Operation Chronos will now begin."

Professor Omega took a look at the holographic clock that was being projected by a small implant in his right wrist. "11:30 huh? That took longer than I had hoped." He said out loud while pulling out a strange chemical within a syringe, "Now, without further ado, let's beg- !?"A loud explosion ruptured through the halls of the laboratory, causing the professor to lose focus. He pulled out his air console and asked his secretary what was happening in a very annoyed tone.

"Sir, it-its Ouroboros, th-they are attacking!" the secretary said fearfully.

"So the snake bears their fangs. Looks like this experiment is to be put on hold."

"Damn right we do!" A man in an aqua-colored outfit said while appearing out of an aqua-colored mist.

"Heh," the professor laughed, "Long time no see, Arthur."While the two men pulled out their weapons, they became locked in combat as the two inhuman-like fighters started to destroy the surrounding room, only leaving one place untouched, the place in which Alan lay bound to a table.

"Nngh...what happened?" Alan had asked with a pained groan as he woke up. As he looked around, he saw nothing but aqua-colored mist in the air. "What the hell?" He thought to himself, hearing only the sound of loud clashes of metal.

"I would recommend that you escape if you wanna live." Alan heard a voice in his head.Looking around the room, he saw he saw only one way in and out, but unfortunately, it was completely blocked by sparks. "Damn, I have to somehow get through that...?" He thought to himself. As the boy got up, a flash of light went past him, causing the surrounding air to get very hot. Alan, who was startled by this, slowly touched his cheek only to notice his blood on his hand.

"Tsk," a figure from the mist materialized, "I missed."

"That's no good Arthur, you can't go killing your son yet. I need him still." Another man appeared from the mist.

"..." Alan stared at Arthur with anger.

"Judging by that look, you have repeated this day once before. After all, you're not surprised to know that I'm even alive," Arthur had said while exchanging blows with Professor Omega.Alan ignored his father's remarks about the situation and got off the table, looking dead at the exit of the room.

"What a rebel for a son you have. He won't even look his own father in the eye. How sad." The professor retorted.

Arthur pulled a dagger out of the mist and threw it at Alan. The professor blocked the dagger from hitting Alan and then retaliated with a few more daggers appearing from the air. While dogging the airborne daggers, he dashed towards Alan and whispered. "This is the end for you." However, before his sword reached Alan, he yelled:

"I'VE RELIVED THIS DAY!"

"How cringe." A familiar voice had said within Alan's mind.

The world around him froze. Alan remembered what Chronos had said to him, so he immediately bolted out of the room instead of thinking about what was happening. After the twelve seconds, he escaped the lab. He looked around and noticed that the laboratory he was in was completely reduced to rubble. But before he could even process what was going on, a sharp, burning pain was felt on his back.

"N...No, it's too early for this." He groaned.

"No, it's not." A voice said to him, "I told you that when you stop time, you have to pay the price. Nothing is free."

Alan, groaning in pain, turned to look at his watch.

"So only one more minute....I'll bear with it." He said.

"If only it was gonna last a minute."

"Wha-" But before he could finish his question to Chronos, the world faded to black, only to relive this hellish day again.