I just, went back in time.
Nagito thought as he sat around with the crew, waiting for their captain. It had been a few minutes, no one still worried. He closed his fist, feeling the pain of the calluses built from the scaly grip of the pistol he fired.
Vermy drank from a water bottle, the liquid quenching her thirst from all the sweating. She also had a white tank top on because of the intense heat, but her body was pretty well built. Her tank top hugged her, if you look closely then you can appreciate, curves. Her chest was pretty moderate, probably the size of a smaller hand.
Get a grip, dude. You just killed someone.
He scolded himself, looking away. Carla finally picking up the call after hearing the phone ring.
"I'm requesting back up, guys. I should be about 253 meters away from where you are."
"What kind of enemy is it-"
She was cut off before he answered. They brought their stuff back up to their vehicles, Nagito hopping in with Carla again.
"We'd better hurry, he could be in trouble."
Nagito told Carla, she nodded and hit her foot to the pedal heavier. Vermy already going ahead.
"He didn't exactly tell us which way, just how far."
Carla told Nagito, putting him on the lookout. But, he didn't really know where to look. Carla seeing this, pointed him the right direction.
"In the glovebox."
He found binoculars, helping him see 20 meters out. In the thick forest, he caught a glimpse of gold shining, assuming it was from the helm of the AVALON.
"I see the AVALON."
He pointed the way, Carla turning the car. The almost unnoticeable breeze from the speed calms Nagito. His mind still questioning his ability, but it wasn't the time for that.
They got to the AVALON staying dormant, looming over the team like a giant. The phone rang again.
"You guys are heading the right way. Just call out for me so I can confirm it's you and I'll come outside."
The captain hung up again. The hills far away providing shade.
"Captain Ryan! It's Carla, come out! Jeez, why does he have to be so paranoid?"
The captain ejects from his cockpit, landing on the ground.
"Alright guys, I was just wondering where you were."
At this moment Nagito thought something.
Didn't he know how far we were from him? He thought quietly. But it was at that moment. Wait, how did he know we were outside.
From the hills, a loud thunder noise was heard. But it probably wasn't thunder. Because the captain had been shot in the head. The bullet flew by Carla and Nagito, both having no time to react.
Carla reached out, to him, but not in time.
"Carla! Get down!"
She ducked, dodging a bullet Nagito taking it to the knee. Blood splattering across the floor.
"Shit- AUGH!!"
He screamed from the pain shooting up his whole leg. He closed his eyes, clutching his knee.
"There's no time, Ash! Get behind the AVALON!"
She yelled, putting his arm on her shoulder, helping him walk behind cover. The bulletproof AVALON being perfect.
They both caught their breath, the firing stopped. Nagito took out his binoculars, slightly leaning to check if they were gone. After they left, they went to check on Ryan's body. To which it was cold, bloody, and lifeless.
"Oh god."
Carla went to puke, the barf ending up with her tears. But Nagito had one thought in mind. I'll do it again. But next the captain's body, was the key to the AVALON. The colors matching with the mecha's palette. Gold, and a dark blue.
Nagito picked it up and put it in his pocket. He took a deep breath, looking straight forward. His eyes glowing gold, then, time slowed down once more, before fully rewinding, while sucking him back in the void.
In the vacuum space he floats around, waiting for a new timeline to be created. Then, he was popped back out into the world. But, it wasn't the world he was expecting. Thinking he'd be sent back to the same place he did last time.
…
The Squadron 12 first meeting and introduction.
Nagito found himself sitting at a round table with five other people. Some he could recognized. His eyes lit up. The big man, Ryan Hardsval. Next to him, a random. Next to the random, Carla Meli. Next to Carla, Vermeil Ally.
Next to Nagito, was also a random.
"So who'd like to introduce themselves?"
Silence.
The captain spoke again.
"I guess I'll go. My name is Ryan Hardsval. I am the captain assigned for this squadron. I hope we can work together."
The one next to Nagito then spoke.
"My name is Tony Kaebi."
They all spoke, one after another.
"And what was your name?"
The captain looked at Nagito. He stood up and spoke.
"My name is Na-"
He coughed on purpose.
"My name is Ashton! Ashton Dennis. You guys can call me Ash."
They nodded. Nagito sighed. Relieved he caught his slip-up. After they've been dismissed, everyone left, going to their living quarters.
Nagito caught the captain before he left.
"Captain!"
He looks back, confused.
"Oh, it's you, Ash."
He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.
"I rewinded time to get back here! See, in my timeline, you died by a sniper, and I'm here to get you back! Me, Vermy and Carla's all waiting for you!-"
He was slammed to the floor, Ryan's strong hand pulverizing him.
Nagito's vision tunneled as the captain's hands clamped around his throat. His uniform offered no protection—just thin fabric and skin beneath. Every attempt to push the man off was useless; the captain's grip was iron.
Air was ripped from his lungs, and his chest heaved desperately, but no sound came out. Panic clawed at him like a living thing. Not again… not like this… The memory of his first death surged forward, mixing with the present in a blur of terror and pain.
He clawed at the captain's wrists, nails scraping thin fabric, but it was like grappling with steel. Knees buckling, heartbeat hammering in his ears, he felt the world narrow down to pressure, heat, and the suffocating fear of ceasing to exist.
A voice, cold and mocking, echoed inside his mind: Dumb bastard… Panic spiked into a violent determination. Somewhere in the haze of terror, a flicker of instinct—he couldn't die here. Not now. He grit his teeth on his last second.
His eyes glowed golden again, the hands in his clocks running counter clockwise. Time rewinding, he was back in the same vacuum. Then popped out again, into the same place. The start of the meeting.
He panted, panicking, then came the coughs.
What the hell just happened?!