12: The Brotherhood: Daniel: Turning Back Time

[k_a_webb]

It had taken time, and a couple of lifetimes without a mind power, for Daniel to realise the mistakes he’d made over the centuries. His first life had been the worst, when he’d been drunk on power, surrounded by people exactly the same, and he had regrets from that life. More of them than he cared to admit, especially when it came to Kara. Often he thought about what it would be like starting again, but that was something that could never happen, so all he could do was live with the regrets and try to change the Brotherhood into something better. At least until the day he arrived.

Daniel had no idea what his name was, because he never said it. Instead he walked into Daniel’s study and said, “What changes would you make if you could live your life again, Daniel?”

Unsure of the boy in front of him Daniel had run a hand through his hair, attempting to stall for as long as possible. “I don’t know.” It wasn’t a lie because he didn’t know exactly what he would change, but he had some ideas. “If you’d lived my life what changes would you make?”

The boy smiled. A tooth had fallen out and it gave Daniel an idea of his age. “It depends on how far you’d go back. You started making mistakes when you realised what you were, but they weren’t necessarily bad mistakes. Isolation wouldn’t have been good for someone like you so searching for people like you was a good idea. The problem was your choice of companions. Personally, if I were you, I’d go back to the moment you met Kara, because that was a point in time that could have changed your life forever. You knew it even then, even though you thought she’d help you gain more power instead of teach you how to live with the ones you already had.”

Nodding, remembering that moment, Daniel looked at the boy. “How do you know so much about me?”

“I’m a past seeing telepath. You were the first person I went back to see, because I’ve always been interested in learning about the leader of the Brotherhood.” The boy looked at Daniel. “When would you return to, Daniel, because I can send you there.”

“How? I don’t know anyone with the ability to send someone back in time.”

“Not everyone believes that the Millennium children are dangerous, so we don’t all come to the Brotherhood, and Unity are happy to help us learn how to best use our powers.” Still smiling the boy lent against the wall. “I think the best use of my power is to send you back in time to start you life again, but it’s entirely up to you. There’s no way to send you back against your will.”

“I could stop this from happening?”

Shrugging, the boy’s smile faded. “It’s possible, but there are no guarantees with time travel. Going back could make things worse, make things better, or not change them at all.”

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.