Time For A Talk Chapter 1

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"Shut. Up."

I look away. My fists tighten before relaxing, opening and closing multiple times. Maybe I should pretend to be shocked at the time travel. But that was honestly the last thing on my mind right now.

I turned around. And I pointed right at Lark.

Cassidy might have been nicer about this. But Lark was not dealing with Cassidy right now. They were dealing with Spider-Bite.

"Don't talk to me about keeping your word. You heard what was said. Don't pretend this was some good thing you did or justify it with excuses."

I brought a hand to my chest, fingers pointing towards me.

"You think I don't know that's there is going to be collateral damage? There is always collateral damage! Even if I do my best! Even if I do my best one day and no one dies, someone will die the next time something goes down. No matter if I step in or not."

I stalked forward, pointing at Lark once again.

"I do nothing, and people will die. I do something, and maybe less people will die."

I would now be right in front of Lark, only a foot of distance between us unless Lark decided to move back away from me.

"You let them run. People might die now because of that. You know what you just did? You looked the other way because it was convenient. Because of your 'word'."

I would tap against Lark's chest, unless they were away from myself. Then I would point at their face.

"If people die because I failed to do something or wasn't good enough, fine. That's on me. People die because you let them get away when we both know the right thing would be to at least stop them and figure out something else. What did you think I was going to do to them?"

I tilted my head to the side and gestured.

"Go on. Tell me. What do you think my plan was? Or better yet what was your plan? Leave this be and sleep it off? Not a care in the world? Must be easy for you then, especially with your powers. Just a hop and a skip and nothing is your problem, hm?"

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"It doesn't take a genius to figure out the basic idea behind your powers. So don't start acting all sorts of disappointed with me. 'Cause you aren't the first, and you won't be the last."

It really didn't unless you were really slow, especially with how Lark implied it earlier. I listened to them a bit more.

Then I nodded.

"Yeah, people die. Doesn't mean more of them have to die, now or later. You think I don't know this? So boo hoo you can't change it. Everyone has dead people! Nobody can change it! It doesn't mean there needs to be more dead people because of you stupid sense of morality."

I let my hand get pushed away, only to raise my arms up and gesture at everything around the both of us.

"Tell me. Who did you help right now? In front of you? Not me. Not those kids because they are on the streets, stealing and risking getting into serious trouble. Worse than they ever would have with me."

My mask's lenses narrowed.

"You want to know what I would do? I might fight them if my webs didn't work. I'd knock them out or take them down. And then . . . I'd take them somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Somewhere to seriously talk. Anything and everything else before I'd resort to putting him in a cell or anything as horrible as that."

I held up a hand, putting pause on the conversation.

"And revenge is okay now? We're going to let this kid get more and more violent, to think hate and anger is okay? That it is the right way to resolve something? Because, even if he does indeed plan to save those kids and miraculously have a heart of gold, we both know he's going to kill those people. People who might be there for any number of reasons, fear, concern, anything. People with families and friends. People that will be missed and were loved. People, despite doing monstrous things, are still human beings capable of so much more. And what? You or I are supposed to hold them lower than a kid who had it terrible? That they deserve to die for their mistakes? That we can't help both sides as well as punish the parties responsible the right way? Is that suddenly impossible now?"

I pointed at Lark before waving them off.

"Awesome. Just awesome. Get lost. Go time travel to the far end of time and stay there. You're no help to anyone. Not. A. Single. Person."

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"And what else am I supposed to do? Do you know how hard this is? The decisions I've had to make? And how I have to think back and review myself, double checking and triple checking if I did what was right? What was decent? I always try to talk before resorting to anything else! It's certainly a lot nicer than a bunch of bruises!"

I waved my hand from right to left, swiping at nothing but air.

"So who is judging who now? What was your plan? Oh yes. Let's review. Let them go and risk more people getting hurt. A lot more people. My plan? A little bit of pain is involved, yes, but a little bit now is better than the both of them dealing with a whole lot more in their future, when heroes and law enforcement and every metahuman that takes issue with what they're doing comes down on their heads. It would allow for less non-violent options right now rather than what could come, what may be way worse. For everyone, including the both of them. Everyone."

I pointed both hands at Lark.

"Anger? Yeah, it happens. How you use it is something else. I'm not telling them to stop feeling. But it's another thing when it is used for something horrible. You can use your anger to either hurt others, to make them feel that anger, or you can use it for something better, something positive. I'm supposed to, what, excuse what is going to happen next because what was done to them? Just because we're both sympathetic doesn't mean we can be accomplice to murder."

I noticed the flash as Lark moved from one place to another. Threatening me.

Do not make threats unless you plan on making good on them. I learned that a long time ago.

Time for me to make sure Lark made good on that.

I moved.

Lark would only see the flash-image of myself in one spot.

Then immediately right in front of them, taking their hand.

And putting it against my chest. And I wouldn't let go.

"No, no, no. You're not a hero. Remember? You can do whatever you like, help however you can. So go ahead. Do it! Help those kids! I'm the big bad superhero who likes beating up people, don't I?! I love beating on psychos and mentally ill folk when all else fails, and I don't lose a blink of sleep, don't I?! And I certainly don't go about helping anyone or sending letters to prisoners or do anything nice or kind for my enemies! Nope, out of sight and out of mind for everyone I put away! Everyone is a walking punching bag for me, right?! RIGHT?! So do everyone a favor and send me back! 'Cause the world is much better without someone like me, isn't it?!"

I shook their hand against my chest.

"Come on! You don't need anyone's approval right? Maybe not even your own! Forget those little morals that no one should ever care about! It's easy! Just a single thought! SO JUST DO IT!"

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There were a number of things I could have said in that moment.

All logical, sound-reasoning arguments. I chose none of them. I just held on.

I sensed what Lark intended. The alien knew that they were reaching for something in one of their pockets. It would be no help to them. Anything thrown at me could be countered easily enough, especially with my speed and reflexes.

So the sudden appearance of another Lark was a bit unexpected, but not too surprising. After all, if your past self was in trouble, why not go back and give a hand?

I turned my head slightly to the future Lark.

"Get lost, you walking paradox. Unless you're from the future where either Psi does nothing or Psi does a whole lot of a specific something, you aren't in this conversation. You're basically next to useless."

My mask now faced the original.

"As for you, go ahead. Do something you'll regret. You're basically taking preventive violence. I haven't harmed you at all. Simple just have ahold of you. Not even a single bruise from that either. Just good old, fashioned sticky powers. So go ahead. Do it, you hypocrite. Or are we going to hug it out?"

My narrow lenses softened.

"Because here is what you don't get. Either of you. I'd love more than anything in the world for the latter to be the case. For both before and now. But it rarely works out like that, no matter how hard I try or how good I am. And then I have to fight this while people like you give up and walk away, putting the weight of those two's actions on other people. I don't know if that's selfishness or cowardice, but it certainly is no help to anyone because you're not even trying to at least change something somehow. You heard what he said. That's no indication for roses and puppies."

I breathed in and out.

"You asked what gives me the right? Nothing. I don't do any of that. I'm not any of that. I'm not a hero. I'm not a warrior. I don't kill. I don't judge. I don't pretend. I just try to be a friend, a good neighbor, to everyone. I just know right from wrong, and that the right thing is often the hardest thing to do because that's often what all worthwhile things are composed of. Hard decisions. And I had to make the really easy choice of walking away and risking more people getting hurt or the hard choice and risk hurting two kids to keep them from hurting themselves as well as others. You think I'd enjoy that? You think that's what I'm all about? And I had to do that all alone. No backup. No time to make revised or better plans. Nothing at all. Just me."

I shook my head.

"No one needs approval for anything. That's a joke. Just because you can do anything you want doesn't mean you should. There are morals. There are laws. There is kindness and compassion and good old-fashioned ethics. There are responsibilities that every person should understand. Those can't be just done away with because they are all worthwhile. They are good and can be used for good. But I guess you'll never understand. You don't help, Lark. You just do whatever on a whim. Don't pretend any different. Just don't."

I would hold on a few more moments, to see if Lark would do anything next. Harm me. Attack me. Either of them. I could easily bat them away from me without causing any sort of real harm to them. Just have the pair of them end up on their butts.

Before I let go. I was right. Future Lark was a walking paradox. Because if I never intended to harm Lark, with or without Future Lark's intervention, so unless they were here to prevent their past self from doing something

Next on the agenda, I would leapt up onto a nearby wall and gave a friendly wave before sitting there, watching the pair of Lark's.

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My lenses narrowed.

Lark doesn't care? Survival? What were they on right now? What were both of them talking about?

Twisting my words? Or was this something each of them would only understand?

The alien began becoming more than concerned. What was happening right now?

However, I could sense the future Lark closing in behind me. The alien could even see them closing in. Last time, that may have worked with the little time travel flicker trick, but now? Now I was prepared.

From my back, webbing fired and intended to capture future Lark in a cocoon of webbing. A small mistake on my part. It seems the extent of Lark's abilities worked through touch and being able to pause time. The webbing paused mid-air, but it provided an obstacle for which Lark would have go around, giving them pause.

Long enough for me to move and drag present Lark with me, stepping away from Future Lark.

"Time travel me again without my consent or telling me where we're going, and we will have problems. It'll start with a serious punch to the face. I mean it. I hate teleportation in general, and I don't like this any better. Don't. Test. Me."

I turned my head to the younger Lark.

"As for you, what are you talking about? What do I not know? You know what? Screw it. You don't care? What do you think will happen if I stop caring?"

I leaned in.

"Come on. Even your future friend can answer this one. Ask. What happens if I stop caring? One of you can answer that one at least, even if neither of you can answer what Psi will do."

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"You can't tell me because it would cause a paradox or issues in general. Don't try and sell me on that nonsense. Future is malleable. And, no, I didn't come up with that from watching TV."

Time travel. Alternate realities, timelines, quantum mechanics thrown into a blender and regurgitated in something resembling the regular reality. A subject discussed a dozen times over and the general rules had been figured out at least, if not the method or the means. Every time you go back, you risk shifting reality into a different direction, if not doing so already just by committing the act of the travel.

And then interacting with others further caused that risk. Maybe Lark had a deeper insight or perhaps they believed interacting with me in that manner would seal the future.

I did not. The saying that information is power is true. And having the information to prevent something like that from happening would be tremendous.

But would it cause that event to never occur?

So, yes, I was skeptical of what future Lark had to say and so was the alien.

I glanced at Lark, the present one. All color gone and trying to get away. And I still held strong.

The NanoSym thought I should amp up the pressure. This was someone with no regard for what I was trying to do, trying to prevent. The same person that had the audacity to ask if this was the person I wanted to be when the person I was trying to be was trying to stop two kids, or, at least one of them, from throwing everything away.

From becoming bitter and cold and uncaring.

And was I now bitter, angry at someone who did what they thought was right? Was it even right? Lark condemned those people to die if I could not stop Psi in time. With or without words, no matter the method used to stop him, that would be the ending if nothing was done, if this was allowed to slide.

I could not let it slide. I don't look the other way. Not like Lark was willing to, no matter if this was about keeping one's word.

I looked at future Lark.

"Tell me. What kind of person do you want me to be? Because your past self condemned a whole lot of people to die with the stunt they pulled. Especially so if I can't get to the psychic and maybe that girl and stop them."

I growled.

"I know who I am. Who I want to be. So, you tell me. Because I tried being good. And that didn't seem to be good enough for anyone. And maybe you deserve this. After all, all those dead people and you get away scot free?"

I kept ahold, ready to let go in a moment.

"Because I am so close to beating your past self and you, just a straight punch to the face. Very, very close. Because your lack of answer makes me believe the worst is coming. And this could have been the time it could have been prevented."

I lowered my head and let go.

"It's nice, isn't it? To not care. I'm sorry I can't share the same luxury."

I fired a web-line and began heading for the nearest skyscraper. I needed to clear my head.

And, if Lark decided to leave me to my own devices, then that was all the evidence I needed of who they really were.

Because not even time travel could catch me while I was up here.