by Ethan Bibile
Yet not all had been a nightmare. He had strengthened his bond with Morgan, and now Morgan was more than simply just Quinn’s A.I. He was his best friend, his best friend whom he had trusted through thick and thin and he knew that he could count on to the bitter end.
He had met Laura, such an amazing and brilliant person. She had shown him human compassion when he had none. She had taken the broken pieces and rebuilt Quinn Fenton. He had felt his feelings growing for her and she was more than just his friend.
What would he go back to anyway if he returned? His mother, his father, Natalie. All dead. And Nespritia was destroyed in the attack. All of Quinn’s family and friends would be dead. There was no point returning to his home time. Nothing was left for him there.
“Thanks for the offer,” Quinn said, his mouth open and not sure of the decision he was about to make. “But no thank you.”
The whole room went silent, all having heard his story and wondering why was this teenager, this teenage boy who had suffered so much despite being so young, why was he refusing this offer?
“Quinn,” Morgan said, and Quinn turned to look at his friend. “Are you sure?” His voice was full of incredible disbelief.
“Do you want to go back?” Quinn asked, answering a question with a question.
“It’s your call,” Morgan replied. Quinn could hear it in his voice, knowing Morgan well enough to know that he honestly did not care. In their home time, Morgan never saw the universe outside the Audion. Yet in this time, he had. This time was more his home than the other one.
“There’s nothing for me back there,” Quinn said, nodding his head to reassure himself, and he knew he had made the right decision. “Everyone I knew, everyone I loved will be dead. My home destroyed. It might be my universe, but I don't know anyone in it. Besides,” Quinn turned his gaze from Cedric to Laura, whose eyes were glistening. He had never seen her looked so happy or grateful, which made him want to stay even more. “There are some people I can’t leave.”
Cedric watched the interaction between the three, nodding in what Quinn realised was approval.
“A wise choice, I guess,” Cedric said, shrugging his shoulders.
“But could I make one request,” Quinn asked, and Cedric turned his attention back towards Quinn. “Could the three of us join T.A.S.P.A?”
Cedric stared at Quinn, and Quinn wasn’t sure if he was daring Quinn to ask again or genuinely considering his request. Quinn couldn’t read his face, as it was completely emotionless.
“Dad,” Emily said quietly, interrupting her father but he didn’t look at his daughter. “Quinn took down a band of pirates working for Agross alone,” Emily tried to give the three a ticket into the agency, yet Quinn wasn’t sure if it had worked.
“Mr Fenton, Ms Somers, Morgan,” Cedric said, nodding to each of them in turn. With the hand that wasn’t holding onto Laura’s, Quinn crossed his fingers. “I accept you into T.A.S.P.A.”
Everything he had done in this time had led to that one phrase. That one, glorious, beautiful phrase. He had done it, he had made it here. He, no, they were going to help to bring down Agross. Quinn had seen what he could do, and the universe shouldn’t be left alone and vulnerable to that. Any extra help the universe could get was needed.
Quinn, Laura and Morgan all hugged each other tightly, pulling each other into a hug just like the one they had shared after reuniting in Agross’s base. They squeezed each other, burying their heads together. Each person in the room looked on with a smile on their face.
The three turned to Cedric, all beaming.
“Thank you so much,” Quinn said, shaking Cedric’s hand, the leader smiling back at Quinn. “Really, you have no idea how much this means to us,” Quinn ran a hand through his already messy hair, his heart thumping with excitement.
“Your timing just so happens to be incredible,” Cedric said with a smile. “We needed additional people to create a new Unit. You’ll join with Mr Aidan Henderson and Ms Lily Foster to create Unit Sixty-One,” Cedric gestured to the two humans who he had been talking to before Quinn, Laura and Morgan’s arrival. Upon being joined up by Cedric, Aidan and Lily walked over to greet their new teammates.
“Nice to meet you all,” Aidan greeted as he approached them. He shook Morgan, Laura and Quinn’s hands in turn. A large grin occupied his face, obviously extremely excited about joining T.A.S.P.A. “How cool is this?” Aidan shook his head in disbelief. He then proceeded to lower his voice. “There are aliens! And you’re a robot! I mean, could this day get any better?” Quinn couldn’t help laughing as he turned to meet Lily.
“Lovely to meet you,” She said, politely shaking their hands in turn. She seemed quiet yet nice. She was smiling, yet not with as crazy excitement as Aidan. Her accent was different from his, but it was slightly similar to Quinn’s. “I’m sure the five of us will make a great Unit!”
“I’m sure we will,” Quinn said, grinning. It was really sinking in that he’d made it to T.A.S.P.A now. He looked around at his teammates, feeling fulfilled now that he’d achieved his goal. “Thank you,” He said to Cedric.
“That’s no problem,” Cedric said, nodding to Quinn. “Here at T.A.S.P.A we have Units of no less than three and no more than eight. Mr Henderson and Ms Foster arrived only today as well. If it wasn’t for you three they would have been assigned to different Units,” Cedric said. “Here at T.A.S.P.A we destroy the Time Watches,” He began what sounded like a pre-scripted speech. “So far we have destroyed four hundred and six out of who knows how many…”
Cedric continued talking but Quinn wasn’t listening. His mind went back to the room he had hidden in Agross’s base. The computer. That one screen with the numbers. Hadn’t that screen said four hundred and six destroyed?
“There are nine hundred and fifty-three Time Watches in total,” Quinn burst out suddenly, breaking Cedric’s speech. Everyone turned to look at him, including Laura and Morgan. “I found a room in Agross’s base, there was this screen which said there were four hundred and six destroyed, and then next to it nine hundred and fifty-three.”
Cedric stared at Quinn in disbelief, simply blinking at Quinn as if he had just said something life-changing. Then again, Quinn probably had. Cedric then beckoned a woman over to him, where he whispered something in her ear before she ran off.
“I’m taking your word for that Mr Fenton, I just sent that woman off to alert everyone downstairs and update our records. This piece of information is incredibly helpful to our progress,” Quinn turned and grinned at Laura, before turning back to grin at Cedric.
“You will begin your training processes as soon as possible. You shall each undergo a test to see how long your training should be, based on previous skill. As well, you will need to elect a Captain for your Unit who will undergo additional training-” Once again Cedric was cut off.
“Well it’s obvious who should be our Captain,” Laura said. Her expression showed that it was an obvious choice. Morgan’s expression was the same. “Quinn.”
“What?” Exclaimed Quinn, genuinely surprised. “You want me to be Captain?” He asked Laura. “And not just because I’m Captain of the Audion and the two of us are… you know…”
“Oooh!” Aidan remarked, causing everyone to look at him. “We all see how it is now,” He looked from Quinn to Laura, before nudging Lily’s arm.
“Really?” Lily asked with a raised eyebrow. Aidan just replied with a nod and a smirk on his face. Lily shook her head, smiling lightly.
“Quinn’s the best Captain you could ask for,” Laura said, almost defensively. “After everything he’s done and been through, we’d be stupid to pick someone else!”
“She’s right Quinn,” Morgan agreed. Quinn turned to him, sighing. “You deserve to be Captain. It was your idea to join T.A.S.P.A after all.”
“I agree with Laura and Morgan,” Lily said simply, not knowing Quinn well enough to decide upon anything other than what the others said.
“Lead us, Quinn Fenton
, in this quest!” Aidan said with a gallant impression of a knight.
Quinn sighed, knowing he couldn’t back out of this vote. He turned to look at Cedric and shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess that I’m Captain,” Quinn said, shrugging with a slight smile on his face. Cedric clapped his hands together, settling the matter.
“Then I officially welcome the five of you to the Time and Space Protection Agency, giving you the collective title of Unit Sixty-One,” Cedric said to his five new recruits. “Before we proceed with more information and documents that must be signed, do you, Mr Fenton, have anything to say to your Unit?”
Quinn turned around, a smile on his face. He was thrilled that his Unit was made up of his friends and people whom he was sure he’d be friends within no time. Laura, Morgan, Aidan and Lily all looked at him with beaming smiles, seemingly glad he was going to be their Captain.
“Let’s go save the universe.”
