CHAPTER 13 - INVESTIGATE

Orlando, Florida, Tuesday 8:49 pm.

A cold milky way ran across the sky like a river, carrying the stars safely to the other side. Silhouettes of trees blew uncomfortably in the shivering winds, though even the rain was soon overcast by shadows with enough distance.

Karl was sitting on the doorstep of George's house, the only light was a flickering lamp above him. The rain had soaked his bubbly hair into a mop flattened on his forehead. The water dripped from his hair to his eyelashes, clinging onto them until the time traveler blinked them away.

It was the night George had vanished in the depths of the police and security. All Karl could remember was staring at the horrid scene like everyone else. He was just as shocked as all the other faces in the room as if he didn't already know his friend was an Omega.

A droplet of rain catching in his eye got him to blink away the thoughts. Jerking back at the cold touch, he realized how much he missed Dream and George. He watched his pocket watch swing side to side on its chain. Its mesmerizing gold reflected the dying light behind the wolf. This was the same object that had accidentally opened a portal to trip the Omega forward in time.

"Why can't you take me forward in time now?" He spoke to the swinging clock. Karl had never fully understood how to travel to the future. He knew in his clock it possessed the power, but the wolf never knew how to unleash it. Sighing, he swung up the watch into his hand in a swift move.

"Karl?" The wolf turned around in response to his name. It was Sapnap who was standing inside with his hand covering the handle. The panda looked just as exhausted as Karl was. His once dark green eyes were now fading to a miserable grey. They seemed to be like leaves in the winter, shriveling up into a cold unpleasant color.

"Come on, dry up inside." Sapnap offered, concerned about both Karl and George. Finally heaving himself up, the top half of his body was dripping with loose rainwater. When walking inside, the time traveler felt a warmth of welcome, the temperature softened him to the core.

Quickly soon showed himself, his wings were bony and plucked. The duck's hair was noticeably springing out the edges of his beanie, desperately needing a haircut. Before he knew it he was handed a rolled towel without question. Quackity walked off, not giving Karl the chance to ask if he was alright. 

The time traveler realized the duck was feeling the side effects of their loss. Although he was affected like himself, only expressed it in a different matter.

The slam of the front door behind the wolf couldn't even make him jerk or jump. He felt as if he were too far gone to feel much more. Karl unraveled the towel into a wide blanket, draping it over his head and shoulders. He held the corners of the blanket at the front, linking them together. His ears were uncomfortably trapped beneath the rag, he flicked his tail in annoyance.

"It feels weird in his house" Sapnap appeared beside him, feeling his discomfort. The time traveler felt like his eyes were hazy and unfocused from the rain, but he could see the panda and his beauty so clearly.

Wanting to feel more of the Sapnap's offering comfort, he leaned his head onto the other's shoulder. 

They stood together as one for what felt like eternity itself, enemies against both of them. Without exchanging words, Sapnap wrapped a gentle arm around him and led him forward. Sitting on a couch beside one another. Karl knew about all the troubles going on, but all he wanted to do was be in the warm arms of Sapnap. 

This wasn't his home, but when the panda was so giving, he couldn't help but think it was. He finally started to feel the cold itching on his skin.

Karl pulled the towel off his head and scrunched it on the panda's lap, following through by resting his head on his lover's lap. The time traveler had loved Sapnap for years. He knew those eyes that he saw when they first met, were the pair that would look at him throughout life. 

Resting in the warmth of the panda, got him wondering from one topic to the next. Not keeping track of where he was going with them. 

"What are we going to do without Dream?" One of these thoughts had slipped out of his mouth. By now Quackity had returned with a steaming hot drink, cupped in his hands, reaching for its temperature. 

"I hate sitting around when our friends are in trouble" The duck snorted, obviously hurting on the inside. All three of them were lost without their Alpha to guide them into the light. Like they were helpless birds with flightless wings, relying too much on their mother for survival. 

"What are we supposed to do?" Sapnap argued, "They are behind layers of security, it's like they only have each other." His lack of hope was burning through Karl's heart, and he seemed more lost than the others.

"We have to do something." Quackity persevered with a path of only miracles could affect. He was desperate to see their friend's faces once more. 

Karl couldn't even picture George's smile, only now realizing, before the Omega was taken away, he didn't smile once. He couldn't remember the last time he had truly shown his pearly whites. The time traveler was disappointed in himself that he couldn't pick up on it sooner. 

"Karl, you time travel," The duck started, already getting an angry glance across the room. "Why can't you go back in time to stop things?" 

"The number one rule of time travel, is you cannot change the past, it's already happened," Karl said in a cool manner like it was nothing to him. Though, it was everything to the time traveler, without his power, he felt like he was nothing. 

Karl had to repeat those words in his head to make sure he understood them himself. He knew his power wasn't the answer to everything, but in this situation, he wished it was. Without being able to use his ability to help, he felt just as powerless as Sapnap and Quackity were.

The wolf was staring at the blank ceiling when the duck spat; "Then what's the point of having a power when it's useless" The time traveler was shaken, and his eyes widened. 

Expression turning sour, Karl got up from Sapnap's lap, holding Quackity's gaze. "I know you can't go forward in time" Not backing down, the duck continued with the harsh comments. Rattling Karl's core, shaking it to his roots.

Karl brought his hands in view, clenching them tight. In an attempt to soothe himself, he couldn't take the negative spits. He felt himself give into the fire and feed it more wood to grow bigger. In this case, it was the burn between him and Quackity.

"What's the point in having wings when you can't even fly!" The wolf snapped back, his clenched fists suddenly caved at the realization of what he said. They were almost possessively brought up to his mouth, covering where the words came from. Like he was scared to say anything else.

Seeing Quackity's face crush Karl, he knew that was where his weakest point lay. But the time-traveler had selfishly taken it and used it against him.

"Right." The duck dryly responded, leaving the room in a barely composed state. Karl watched in horror as he watched him climb the stairs. Leaving his drink to steam on the coffee table that was set in front of them.

The wolf began to sit up to follow Quackity upstairs, Sapnap interfered by placing his hand on the time-traveler's shoulder. It wasn't like the other times when they were gentle and welcoming, this grasp was firm and assertive.

"Let him go" The panda assured him, the entitled grip on his shoulder didn't help but he felt himself sit down. Karl knew he wouldn't get much sleep tonight if he didn't apologize soon.

"Now we need to find a way to help Dream and George." Sapnap continued, progressively trying to change the subject. Karl Sighed, all he could do was think about the real problem, How will we help Dream and George when Quackity won't help?

Many minutes passed, and no words were exchanged. Though, the two were branching ideas together, like the roots in their brains connecting as one.

"I might have an idea," Karl spoke breathlessly. Shocked at himself by the thought.