Save State Hero -Ch24- (Patreon)

“Oh, look at that. Still no news about what happened,” Romina grumbled. “You know, it’s going to be kinda fucked up when I drop my videos on their heads in a few days.

“The editor is going through them all right now and putting it together. They’re doing two different versions. An only marginally edited one that cuts out the overly-graphic stuff, and a documentary style one.

“With like… black screens and text with stuff. Making it look like something out of a tv-show or whatever.”

“Interesting. Sounds like they’re trying to hit both audience oldfucks and not-oldfucks,” Edmund remarked, peering out the windshield. He was watching the side-exit of the prison. This was where people being held would apparently be released from rather than the front door.

He had no idea why but he didn’t really care either. All he wanted to do was get his sister in the car and be out of this place.

Rather than visiting her in prison, or even meeting with Ronald in person, he’d gone straight to where she was being held. Marched into the court, paid the bail, and gone straight back to the place she was being incarcerated at.

He’d been waiting several hours already but from what he’d been able to search on the web, that wasn’t exactly outside of the realm of possibility. It might even be a few more hours as well.

Already had lunch in the car, what’s dinner?

Doesn’t matter.

Not leaving till I get her back.

I’ll just pee in whatever drink I get for lunch when I’m done with it and toss it in the trash later. Not the first time.

Probably not the last.

“— guess so. It’s whatever,” Romina said with a long sigh that made echoed in the car. “I’m wondering if they’re going to try and get the videos off the platform. Wouldn’t surprise me at all when I really think about it.

“If they’re trying to bury the news story, they’ll try to bury my videos. Keep people from seeing it. Won’t they?”

“Probably,” Edmund admitted and looked away from the door. Checking his surroundings he confirmed he was the only car in this small lot. There was no one around, he was under a light pole, and he had an easy exit. Glancing back to the dash he adjusted the volume to make sure Romina’s voice wasn’t too loud and that it didn’t carry too far. “Just means that you’ll have to dump the videos on an alternative website that won’t delete shit and let it go wild.

“Just make sure you watermark the fuck out of it all. So that it all comes back to your channel one way or the other.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Editor already said they were going to watermark it the whole way through,” Romina said and then huffed. “No word at all? Eh, you’d tell me the moment you saw her, actually. I guess I’m just getting anxious to meeting her.”

Edmund nodded his head.

They’d agreed that it’d be best for her to remain in the hotel room for now. That if Earline was willing, he’d introduce her to Romina formally. He had no idea what his sister would want to do given that she’d spent some time behind bars.

“It’s fine. She knows all about you. She told me more than once I should’ve asked you out way earlier than I did. Kept telling me I was going to lose my chance if I didn’t,” Edmund confessed. “She always approved of you whenever I talked about you. You really don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Really? Ha. That’s funny. And she’s right. You totally did miss your shot. You only got the one you have right now because I got feelings,” Romina said with a laugh. “Lucky boy that you are.”

“Lucky indeed. Now I-er, Earline’s there. I can see her through the door. Gotta go. I’ll contact you,” spat out Edmund as he unbuckled his seat belt. He’d spotted Earline as she walked across the entry way.

“Okay, see you then. Uh… I miss you,” Romina blurted out and then hung up.

With a chuckle, Edmund turned the car off and then opened the door to the car. Stepping out he stood behind the door and waited.

His goal was simple.

Grab Earline, go to the hotel, and start planning out what to do. Everything else after that would all come down to what Earline tells him.

If all that needed to be done was to bribe some people, Edmund would do that. If it required him to run his life forward, watch the trial, then reload a save, he’d do that in a flash.

Even if it meant the possibility of people simply ceasing to exist due to information loss. He really didn’t care at all.

To him, Earline was a chance to redeem a life he’d never been given. To live vicariously through her and protect her the best he could.

Even when he’d had almost nothing, he’d given everything he had to Earline.

In a way he’d wished someone would have done for him.

Standing there, he waited. Staring at the door.

Earline wandered up to the door and peered out into the lot. She looked like she didn’t want to exit immediately. Her hands were held up to the sides of her face to fight against the glare of the afternoon sun.

Then she saw him.

Their eyes meeting and holding to one another. Edmund smiled and waved a hand at her. He’d wondered if they’d tell her who’d bailed her out.

It didn’t seem as if they’d let her know despite the fact that he’d stated quite directly who he was when he paid the bail. He’d also left his business card with his name, Legion, and the Association, listed as his employers.

He’d be more than happy to push what he could. Given that he was fairly certain that this was a trumped up charge that didn’t mean anything, he didn’t feel any guilt for that.

Earline’s shoulders slumped partially, as if something had just fallen away from her. Her body posture shifting in a flash.

Edmund’s phone began ringing away in his pocket.

There was no one that could be calling him that would cause him to break away at this moment. He needed to be here for Earline as she got out.

Pushing the door open, Earline came out into the lot and stood there. Staring at him. Clearly hesitating for a few seconds, she then started walking his way.

She was dressed in a way that set her as having been picked up just after school, or during it. A backpack over one shoulder, clothes that looked to be fairly bland, and a sweater.

Leaving the door open, he walked over to the passenger side of the car and waited for her there.

“Eddy… did… you pay my bail?” Earline asked as she slowly drifted closer to him. Coming to a stop about six or seven feet away.

“Of course I did,” Edmund said with a small nod of his head. “There was no way I was going to leave you sitting behind bars. I found out this morning about it all. Moved on it immediately after that.”

“You didn’t know,” murmured Earline with a slow shake of her head.

“No? How would I. You gave me that bizarre note and then wouldn’t respond anymore. I just figured you’d contact me when you’re ready. I still don’t have any idea what you were talking about. It sounded like you were referring to a court case but… I don’t have one pending.”

Earline sighed, put her left hand to her brows, and looked quite pained. Her body slowly hunching forward where she stood.

“I knew it. I fucked up. It wasn’t you at all,” groaned Earline. “Mom and Dad… they said you were trying to take me away from them. They told me a lot of stuff.

“Told me so much and just… all… I thought I was going crazy. You were always so nice to me and they were awful, but I had to live with them. The things they’d tell me were so… so different.”

“Yeah… yeah. That sounds about right,” agreed Edmund. He had no doubt at all his parents probably gaslit the ever-loving-shit out of his sister. Trying to turn her around on every possible position she’d ever take. “Well, there was no case. Never was. I was waiting just as you’d asked me to. Didn’t move forward at all in any way.

“It’s why I didn’t even know what was going on till Kine called me. He told me about it and here I am.

“Now… rather than standing here… how about you get in the car and we head over to a hotel room. You can’t technically leave the state so we’ll have to bunker down here.”

Earline nodded her head at that as tears rolled down her face. She didn’t say anything more as Edmund opened the door and held it there for her.

Closing the door behind her he pulled out his phone as he crossed around to the front of the car.

Ryker!?

Raising his eyebrows, Edmund felt very strange at the fact that Ryker had called him. He didn’t evne know the man had a cell phone let alone that he knew Edmund’s number.

Holding onto his phone he hesitated. Then realized it could wait a bit.

Ryker hadn’t left a message, send a text, or called him again. That meant that whatever it was needed him to call back, but it could hold for a bit.

Likely long enough that he could take Earline to get some food, go back to the room, and give her a chance to do what she wanted.

He could call Ryker back then.

Sitting down in the driver’s seat Edmund closed the door and then powered up the car. The car turned on and the car began going through it’s boot up sequence.

Then connected to his phone.

Earline had buckled her seatbelt on after tossing her backpack down between her feet. She was now staring at the dashboard screen.

“Oh,” she said with a strange tone. “I… I see. Well. That’s… congratulations?”

Frowning, Edmund looked to what she was looking at.

In the bootup sequence it’d gone to a home screen display. There was listed contacts that he’d programmed as favorites in his phone there.

They also each had a photograph assigned.

For Romina it was a topless picture of her in what was clearly a drunken state taken from the night previous. He had no memory of changing it, but it’d clearly been changed.

Either he did it, or Romina did.

She’d gotten very adventurous with their cameras after getting as drunk as she did.

“Yeah, that… yeah,” Edmund mumbled and then tapped the screen away so the photo would be hidden. “Obviously need to change that.”

“I mean… it also listed her as ‘your sexy camgirl’ so… I’m guessing you didn’t write that,” Earline remarked sounding somewhat shocked. “Things… progressed?”

“Things progressed,” agreed Edmund with a sigh. “She’s also here in town. She’s waiting in the hotel room to see if you’re willing to meet her. I told her about you and —”

“Of course I am,” Earline said with a sudden laugh. Then she sank into her seat and laid her head against the glass of the window. “I’m very much willing to meet Romina officially. Sounds like you two hit it off finally.

“Did you hit it off in her? Looks like it.”

“Is that really a question you should be asking?” growled Edmund. He wasn’t very happy with his sister’s awareness of the world but he knew being blind to things wouldn’t help either.

“I mean… yeah? Am I going to be an auntie is a relevant concern,” Earline teased with a laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes as to hitting it into her. Congrats bro. You got a promotion.

“Now… I’m hungry. Really hungry. The other bitches in their stole my food today. Let’s get food and go hang out with Romina.

“In fact, call her so we can figure out what she wants. It’ll be nice to have someone intelligent to talk to. You don’t count.”

Edmund grinned and did as he was asked. Reaching up he tapped the button for Romina.

So far, it seemed as if Earline hadn’t been too changed by being locked up.

“Sure thing. At some point we need to talk about why you were in there though,” Edmund said as his phone began going through the process of calling. “Did you do it?”

“No. Even if I did though, you’d still be here,” Earline declared confidently.

And she was right and Edmund couldn’t deny that.

He only nodded his head.

***

Leaving the hotel room, Edmund stood in the hallway and considered what to do.

Earline had quite literally eaten, talked to Romina a lot, then passed out on the couch. Edmund had the impression that she hadn’t been sleeping very well.

Romina had offered to stay with her while he went out and got some things. Like clothes for Earline since she literally only had the clothes on her back.

That meant he’d have to head to his parents trailer or just buy her new clothes.

Which meant it was a foregone conclusion he’d go to the nearest department store and buy her an entirely new wardrobe.

Even with taking out the bail money, he still had a few million dollars he’d earned through abusing the market. He was no win a position to absolutely flog a stock to death if he knew which way to invest.

Even in a short turn around situation.

Need to get ready for the trial. I can use that as a stock-market jumping point. Since I’ll likely be turning back the clock anyways.

Need to make sure this goes perfectly and doesn’t haunt my sister.

As he had the thought about haunting, his mind went down an utterly ridiculous line of thoughts. Starting from “haunting”, moving to having to be a ghost to haunt someone, to dying, to Ryker.

Mostly because Edmund couldn’t help but have an unwished for worry about Alina and Dorothy. That he was being contacted because something had happened already.

Pulling out his phone, Edmund began walking for the car while tapping through the recent call list. He found the number that’d been listed as “Ryker” in his caller ID and tapped it.

As he put the phone to his ear he stood in front of the elevator.

Even before the first ring finished, it was picked up.

“Edmund,” croaked Ryker on the other end. “Thanks for calling me back.”

“Course. I didn’t even realize you knew my number,” Edmund said as the elevator opened and he stepped into it. “What’s up? Everything alright? Dorothy literally just talked to me yesterday about some super duper mission she was going on.”

“Got your number from Dorothy’s phone, actually. And no. Everything isn’t alright,” Ryker said. Edmund had only barely noticed it at first, but now couldn’t deny it. Ryker had a rasp to his voice and it sounded like there were several machines around him. One unmistakably sounding a lot like one of those machines that measured the rate of your heart. “While it hasn’t been long for you, a significant bit of time has passed for many others.

“Felix, Dorothy, and Alina, to name a few. Your world’s time ran differently than theirs. For you it was about twenty-four hours. For them it was about three months.

“We didn’t expect the fluctuations of the location we were going to and weren’t entirely prepared for it. Time almost held no meaning there at points.

“Anyways… I was calling because of what Dorothy asked me to do. The mission didn’t go as planned. We took casualties and… and Dor-Dorothy was one of them.

“We lost direct contact with her, then communication, and after that she… she just… she was gone. Lost.

“When we finished we found… found her body. It… that… we… she’d been dead for a little while. Probably a day or two after we lost communication with her.

“I’ve gone through her things and found a few requests she’d made to be carried out. One of them was to let you know that she was sorry that she wouldn’t be coming back after all.

“That what time she’d spent with you had been fun, and she’d been glad to have known you. That… ‘thank you for treating me like a friend first, woman second, mage last.’ She had a lot of troubles with people wanting to use her for her abilities.

“You apparently never really even cared that she had them let alone bothered her about them. On her behalf, and my own for that matter, thank you, Edmund.”

There was a strange weightlessness in his stomach that had nothing to do with the elevator coming to a stop.

As the doors opened Edmund just stood there with the phone to his ear. He had no idea what the hell was going on anymore.

While he hadn’t been interested in Dorothy romantically, he’d found her to be a fast and true friend. One that he’d expected to be around going forward in his life.

At the same time endless whispers caressed his hearing. Endless conversations he’d had with Dorothy in other lives. Of times spent together with one another.

Groaning, Edmund turned his head to the side and let out a hiss of a breath.

“Alina?” he asked instead. He only now remembered that in many of the lives he’d spent with Alina was where Dorothy had died.

The opposite held true just as often. Where Alina had died, he’d ended up mending fences with Dorothy.

“She didn’t make it either. We… we took too many losses, realy. Too many. Even Vince died. I didn’t think anything could kill him,” Ryker confessed. “We didn’t even win this stupid war. In the end we lost.

“Lost our people, lost the battle, lost the war. It’s all just… it’s all wrong. Its all wrong. Nothing went the way it was supposed to at all.

“Not a damn thing in any way. I wish I knew what to do to fix it, too. To hit do-over button and get another go of it. But that’s not how this works. Not at all.”

Edmund was surprised to find out that Alina and Dorothy had both died. He’d never experienced such a life-time where they’d both failed to come back to him.

He was in uncharted waters and he felt like he only had one option available to him.

There was a sudden explosion like coming from his phone followed by screaming. Then a sudden disconnect.

“Ryker?” Edmund asked.

Then he pulled the phone away from his head and saw it really was a dropped call. Tapping the contact button he put it back to his ear.

Except before he’d even gotten it to his ear he saw that the call failed.

It didn’t even ring, in fact.a

The call had simply failed to initiate outright.

“Shit,” Edmund murmured and stood there. Contemplating his options.

He had what he wanted.

Romina as his significant other and Earline was talking to him.

Yet now those two things were quite likely going to be a possible cost to getting Dorothy and Alina back.

Given his unlived history with them, he didn’t feel like he could walk away from this without going back for them. Even if it did cost him Romina and Earline.

Letting out a loud and frustrated groan, Edmund contemplated what to do.

Only to realize he had his answer.

“Okay… okay. Let’s… rent another room, fool around with Romina in it for a few days. Try everything out that I possibly could, tell her goodbye… then… load. Load and hope we can make it back to here after we save Dorothy and Alina. The last save-state is literally in the armory after the last mission. I can demand Dorothy take me with her. Take me with her and then… save everyone,” Edmund said aloud as the elevator doors closed again. “Time to play the Save-state Hero, I guess.”