Save State Hero 2 - ch 13- (Patreon)

Edmund let the save-state run out just as it was supposed to.

Right up to the point that he had returned back to his apartment.

The change between Andrea being present, and not, had been a literal night and day difference.

Cleanup, restoration of Legion personnel, and even the morale, had happened quickly, and efficiently.

When there had been several Legionnaire’s that couldn’t be resurrected, Edmund made an off handed comment about if a soul without a body would be a zombie to Faith, and in the following days, those Legionnaire’s were back on their feet.

Somehow, somewhere, they had found someone to shepherd souls back to bodies. Which really wasn’t surprising.

Felix was at his peak at the moment.

His plans had gone off well, losses were incredibly slight, and he had everyone he needed.

Today or tomorrow would likely be when Ryker called everyone up to go on the expedition into Hell and everywhere else.

At the moment, Edmund was waiting for that to happen.

He had made a save-state the moment that he’d made it back home.

Spending time with Romina in one iteration, then reloading to spend time with Dot, only to do it again, and now spending time with Alina.

All three of them had seemed rather normal as far as he could tell.

Dot had been more forward and affectionate than he remembered, but he couldn’t really remember how she used to be anymore.

He’d seen a lot of versions of her.

Alina was Alina of course, which Edmund regretted deeply.

The loving and caring vampire who had nuturingly licked at his wounds was gone.

She was, one again what could be charitably described as the physical appearance of the side of a USB plug.

Edmund sighed, shrugged, and leaned back in his chair.

Alina was watching him curiously over their lunch.

“What?” she asked, looking confused.

“Nothing. Just… nothing. Nevermind,” he muttered and looked down to his knees.

He didn’t know what he had been hoping for but this wasn’t it.

“Is she that different than when I had saved her life, Oz?” Edmund asked, realizing this had been a waste of time.

“Yes. The Alina you’re attempting to court, is not the same as the one you put your life in jeopardy for,” confirmed Oz. “She is a radically different person.”

“Who… are you talking to?” Alina asked.

“Alright. I guess it’s time to get a move on then, isn’t it?” Edmund huffed and shook his head. “We need to go chat up Claire and see what she’s planning for that big fight.

“Then go through with it and follow Dot when she goes into the portal.”

“What?” demanded Alina, sounding very confused now.

“Yes, Edmund,” Oz confirmed again.

Edmund nodded his head and pulled open his powers.

He had the possibility of six save-states right now.

Four of them were in use, and two had shattered.

Of the four in use, he was fairly certain one was screwed and another was about to break.

“Twilight zone,” Edmund said and pointed at it. Given that it’d happened before Andrea’s death it was clearly safe. Then continued to point at each one. “Felix and company think tank which… it looks like it’ll crack in one use. Claire’s couch, which really should’ve been broken given the Andrea change. And finally the big fight where Ryker died which… it’s also fucked, isn’t it.”

“The Claire save-state is being upheld by virtue of the massive changes she made to you personally,” advised Oz. “The Felix and company think tank, as well as the big fight where Ryker died are also going to collapse with a single use.

“You will need to rerun those scenarios to re-acquire them. If you want to pursue Alina as you did previously, you would have to make the same choices once again.”

Edmund let out a slow breath.

He didn’t want to go up against Skipper again.

To feel his skin crisp and burn away just as it had previously.

The pain had been horrendous and the worst experience of his entire life. There was nothing in his existence that he could even begin to compare to being burnt the way he had been.

That didn’t even account for the time he’d spent running them into the future endlessly and getting her lost there.

“So… to get my Alina back, I’d have to jump back into that fire and risk fighting Skipper,” he complained. “That was a pretty nasty fight last time. Doubly so if we include the time I spent wandering forward with her.

“Was that me forcibly using her power by the way? Or what I’ve been doing with those echoes of my own?”

“Something like that,” said Oz in a cagey way. It felt like he wasn’t saying something. “Your ‘echo power’ has been impacted by the changing of Andrea’s fate.

“You can still peek ahead as you have been, but much of that had been based on their life experiences. Your own are limited and will be significantly less useful than previously.”

“Uh… are you trying to tell me I might lose to Skipper?” he asked.

“If you were to attempt to repeat the fight as it was previously, it isn’t a guarantee,” stated Oz. “Though you’re much stronger than you were previously. You have much more strength in your body, as well as no longer being what you were previously.

“It’s uncertain that Skipper would even be able to utilize her powers on you.”

“Right,” Edmund said. “Alright. Let’s just… let’s… go to Felix and the think tank. I’ll have him bring Andrea back. Then let the save-state go. That’d at least make me feel a little better about Alina.

“Then we’re off to see what the hell happens with Dot. I’ll just… stick with her from the very moment we get back from the mission. I’ll ask her out, lunch, dinner, drinks, everything. Get as close as I can.

“When the mission comes, I’ll just tell her I can’t be separated from her. Not for any reason. That’ll get me right up to the point Ryker dies.”

“You forgot Claire,” Oz prompted.

“Err… we’ll see Claire briefly after returning from the mission, then go see Dot,” Edmund ammended.

Then he took hold of the save-state with Felix and activated.

It wouldn’t matter at all, since he was but a dream, but Edmund would remember.

And what do I do with Runner.

Do I even bring it up to him?

Ugh.

Well… actually, I could ask Claire about it all.

She might know why Nadine couldn’t be reached.

That’d give me better insight into everything.

***

Claire flinched, leaned back in her seat, and then shook her head.

She slowly raised a hand up to her brow and held it there.

“I… ah… oh,” she muttered in what was clearly pain, then let out a slow wheezing breath. “Go-goodnes. That’s a lot of-of… of magic.”

“Oh, hey, yeah. Everything’s good,” Edmund said with a nervous chuckle. “Your magic you put on me helped, it let me get Dot to throw on a few other spells and we ran Andrea’s soul down.”

Iren was staring at Edmund in a strange way, though Ellie looked expectedly unperturbed.

Now that he knew she was absolutely aware of what was going on, she wasn’t hiding her awareness anymore.

“Ahhhh, I thought I-I tasted her magic in that. Mm. I think a few other iterations of me added to it without telling you. You wouldn’t have even noticed it,” Claire whispered. “It’s a lot more than what I would’ve considered putting in.

“I think… I think any Claire you will run into, will be very unlikely to move against you. Against you, Ryker, Runner, or anything.”

“Could… could I theoretically go back to a much earlier save-state and save you?” Edmund asked without thinking about the question.

Claire’s mouth hung open at that point, staring at him in a bewildered way. Only for her mouth to close and then have a long blink that felt like she wanted to close her eyes

“Yes, you theoretically could,” she whispered. “You would save me?”

“Errr, theoretically I could. But it’d shift a lot of things. I have no idea what Ryker would do if you had been more or less anything of what you had been,” Edmund said after having thought about what he had offered. “I wouldn’t mind trying though. I could always just reload.”

“I… no. No. Thank you for the thought. You’re right. There’s no knowing what Ryker would do,” Claire said with what looked like a genuine smile. Then she laughed, followed by a sigh that was also a pout. “It’s fine. I haven’t done anything truly horrible to the other side. I’ve mostly been here, raising my daughter, or supplying spellwork on the side.

“I never really… engaged directly. I have no real blood on my hands, so to speak. That’ll make my reunion easier.

“Though… what brings you here? You have no need of me if my spell has already done it’s job.”

“I wanted to see what you’d do when I move to the next phase. I need to try and save Ryker and Dot now,” Edmund clarified. “If I go into that fight, are you probably going to warp reality again?”

“Heavens no,” Claire said with a giggle. “If I had to guess by what my other selves have added, I think I’ll probably launch myself at Ryker and try to smother him in kisses and hugs.

“Though goodness I do feel far more… clear than ever before. If I had to hazard a guess, every time I interact with that spell, I probably have added more after a time.

“Slowly creating my own echo effect. If I’m being perfectly honest I don’t quite feel like my previous self at all anymore.”

“Is that good? I mean, you still kinda seem a bit… unwell, lady Claire,” Edmund asked.

Claire laughed, pointed at him, and waggled a finger.

“Claire. Claire. Say it. Claire. And you mean crazy, not unwell,” she demanded. “And yes, I suppose I’m still crazy. Just… ah… hm.

“My insanity feels manageable though I do fear I will likely become manic around Ryker. Just thinking about him makes my brain itch.

“I think I’ll likely drown him in kisses when I lay eyes on him.

“But… beyond him… I feel quite well. Quite well indeed.”

“Great. Then… I can go to the battle and it’ll be alright? Oh!” Edmund said then snapped his fingers. “It’s a stand up fight between our side and your side. Like… barriers in front of each, facing one another.

“Steve is there fighting with Vince along with that catgirl person. They turn a giant blob monster inside out. Your daughter is working with a man in a mask, too.

“I ended up killing Skipper somewhere else, I don’t think she was at the battle at all so she probably won’t be an issue.”

Claire laughed, clapped her hands together rapidly, then held them palms upward.

“Well! I should add a bit more to my spell it seems. You’re just a fun little fortune cookie,” exclaimed Claire, giggling. “I have a number of nieces who are likely your age now, you know. I think we should have a family get-together with my daughter and my sister. See if we can’t pull you into the family, somewhere.”

“Flattered, Claire, but I’m not even sure where I’m going to end up, let alone a love life,” he apologized.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m sure it’ll work out,” she said dismissively as spells began to form and coalesce. “Now, tell me what else about the fight. But don’t tell me about Zeus as any foreknowledge I have about his actions would only make it harder to act.

“In planning against him, he would know what I’m doing, I’m afraid. Though I can fool him with everything else.”

Edmund sighed, then nodded his head.

Apparently he was going to become a magical depot for spells and odd ends.

***

“Everything is becoming unstable!” Oz warned Edmund even as the portal Claire was coming through appeared. “It isn’t Claire’s fault! This is hold-over from the last time we came through!

“All of reality is permanently damaged here, at this time, in this exact place! We can’t make any save-states, or access the power!”

Ah shit!

Edmund ducked down behind the barrier Dot had put up, pressed into her side, and worked at putting in a new magazine.

Next to him, Dot froze, likely having spotted Claire.

“Come on out then, my beloved wife!” Ryker screamed at the top of his lungs. “Let’s get a look at you before this end comes for us all!”

“Ryker! My love!” called a voice from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Ryker!” Claire yelled. “I’m so glad to see you! And… and I… yes! I’m so glad to see you! My love!”

“Claire?” Ryker asked aloud almost to himself.

“What the hell?” whispered Dot. “No… no way.”

Edmund blinked and lifted his head up.

Not far off, Claire was forcefully mauling Ryker with her mouth inside of a pale blue bubble.

It also looked like she had her tongue halfway down his throat.

“Hell yeah, get’em Claire,” Edmund called with a laugh.

As if hearing him, she pushed herself harder against Ryker, her fingers digging into his back.

“What?” Dot whispered.

“I mean, Ryker’s first love was Claire, why not cheer them on?” Edmund asked and popped back up over the barrier. He deliberately kept himself up against Dot. His shoulder was just about under her armpit. “I’d chase after you, you know.”

“I-you… ah… ah?” Dot asked, she was staring at him. Her eyes were wide and she clearly couldn’t really comprehend the situation as a whole.

Not that he could blame her.

Everything up to this point had been more or less what he had been expecting. Claire diverting as hard as she was right now was the biggest change, other than him cozying up with Dot.

Romina had been rather sad at him putting all his focus on Dot, but in the same breath, she hadn’t really gone out of her way to see him either.

For some reason, he had felt like she was running away from him again. Running away as she often did.

She’s really a bit of a coward.

“I ever tell you I admire you as a mage last, a brave young woman, first?” Edmund said, laying it on thick. He needed her to think of him a bit better than she probably did previous so she wouldn’t chase him off when he went after her.

Edmund sighted his rifle on enemies across the way. He felt somewhat safe at the moment because Dot had a shield up.

Thankfully he had done a lot of shooting lately and working this particular battle rifle really wasn’t that hard for him. He was able to pick targets with quick bursts and cycling to other targets.

“You’re really-this is-wrong… wrong time and place, Edmund!” accused Dot, the right hand holding the shield in front of them flexing. The magical construct seemingly strengthening.

“Nah, this might be the last moment for us. I even wrote a nice will in case I died. It’s this really over the top, we barely know each other, but I’m really interested, feel like I’ve known you forever, kind of thing,” Edmund said, in between trigger pulls. His magazine went dry and he ducked back down again. Pressing right up against Dot’s side once more and pulling out yet another.

He was overdoing it, but he needed to.

To push so hard that Dot couldn’t even consider the possibility that he wasn’t after her.

“Ed-Ed-Edmund, this is-this is not—”

“No. This is not possible,” declared Zeus, signaling his arrival.

“Very possible, Zeus you bastard!” shouted Ryker. “I’ve worked hard to counter, fix, and fuck you over at every turn! Did you think we’d just sit here and do nothing?”

There was a strange warbling shriek that almost sounded as if it were an electronic device being dropped into a tub of water. Crackling and breaking up even as it hit the surface.

“Reality semi-restored, again,” reported Oz. “This is the point that you made a save-state previously. You could manufacture another one. This is the first time you’d be able to since arriving in this area.”

Edmund slapped down a save-state of the right now without even a question or a thought. He could use this to work at saving Ryker in the future, as well as, attempting to pull Dot away from the edge in this moment.

Before Edmund could comprehend that his save-state went down perfectly, time was already moving.

Zeus appeared amongst a number of soldiers from both sides.

A casual swipe of its arm and he incinerated everyone around. Each person that was struck being melted.

Disintegrated.

“I thought I had more time. I know this is how it’s supposed to be, but I thought I had more time,” Ryker muttered almost to himself. Edmund had only heard it due to the insane quiet after the appearance of the static monster.

Ryker shoved Shirley and Claire to the side a moment before a massive blast of bubbling lightning was launched out of the static creature’s hands.

Once again, as he’d seen so many times, Ryker failed to block the attack.

After a moment, only the lower half of Ryker remained. Flopping backward to the ground. The attack had literally taken the top part of Ryker and removed it.

Leaving nothing of it behind.

Edmund had been unable to react. The force of Zeus’ presence and the speed of it had shocked him to a stand-still once again

Claire stood there, frozen in place, then slowly looked to Edmund. Staring at him in seeming disbelief but also frustration.

He immediately nodded his head at her. He knew what she was asking.

Edmund desperately wanted to reassure her that he was still working on this.

Seemingly understanding his point, Claire began to throw a relentless barrage of spells at Zeus.

None of them seemed to make reality bend or warp, thankfully, but they were heavy. Heavy and devastating to the ground around Zeus where it struck him.

Zeus was struck repeatedly, losing his arm at the forearm and taking a step back.

“Claire, I can fix this. We just need to—”

Zeus’ words were cut short as Shirley let out a scream and began attacking it as well. Magic attacks from two sides were pelting him and knocking him around now.

Then Zeus slid into the ground and vanished. Disappearing completely.

The soldiers of Zeus that remained were breaking apart from the forces of Runner and hightailing it out into the portals they’d come from. Leaving behind their dead and wounded without a glance backward.

Dorothy was knelt down against the bunker now, one hand to her mouth. Tears were rolling down her face as she stared wide-eyed at Ryker’s corpse.

Everything went absolutely quiet as a great many people all stared to what remained of Ryker even as the whole fight ended in a flash.

“No,” whispered Dorothy. “No, no. This isn’t… no. No! It’s not true. It’s… no. This is because of him. It’s all because of him. It is. I know it.

“It’s because of him.”

Dorothy began to whisper to herself in a grieved way.

Edmund now understood that it wasn’t even actual words but strange muttered syllables and broken pieces of words.

Dorothy got up and sprinted off and away. Darting past Vince and Steve as they came back toward the rest of the group.

Having waited for this moment, Edmund was right behind her as she sprinted on.

“Oz, what changed? Scan her, inspect her, do whatever you need to do!” he hissed under his breath, catching up to her quickly.

She sprinted at full speed into a portal.

With a cough, Edmund reloaded the Save-state.

He had some other ideas about trying to save Ryker.

Being able to re-run the Save-state from the point he’d made, as well as the day as a whole, might give him some better results.

It wouldn’t hurt to try, at least and if he saved Ryker, that’d save Dot, after all.