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Soshi entered the house from the backyard. He was in the kitchen. The countertops were marble, and the counter was clean as a whistle, as it always was clean. Under the counter, there were a series of mahogany wooden drawers and cabinets. The cabinets above the counter were also mahogany. There was also a sticky note on the fridge from the kids saying they were at the neighbor's house, which made Soshi smile.

The stove was a black stove with flat heating elements and the sink was full of dishes. Unusual. The overhead light was a yellowish orange light.
He walked over to them and pulled out his spare wallet, and key set from one of them.
He never had a smartphone, as he usually stuck with the on base phones and a laptop which he never took to Pentref.
He walked upstairs to his bedroom, and put the stuff in an empty drawer set aside for the purpose. He looked at his bedside digital alarm clock.

15:55, Monday. She would be back in five minutes. Soshi decided to do the dishes. He closed the drawer, and returned to the kitchen. He began washing the dishes.
He'd done this before, and he loved his wife too much to ask her to let him lazy around. He also began loading the dishwasher with what could go in there.
On time, as always, Uno Card returned. She dropped everything she was carrying upon seeing him just to run over and hug him.

"Soshi...you're alive?"

"Yeah. Something in Pentref almost got me killed a month ago and I was forced to flee to another world for some time, but I was able to get back finally."

"I was scared sick. I thought you were murdered."

"You are such a caring wife. I could not have married a better woman. Any news on your end?"

"There was a fire in the house that almost killed us a month ago. It was under control, though. The fire extinguisher was in the closet, and Dwight used it."

"The house is in good shape then."

"Yeah, it was thankfully an easy fix."

"I'm glad you're all safe now."

"I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back."

"The kids really want you to stay around, you know?"

"I do too." Soshi said.

"Indeed. Would you like to tell me more about what's gone on?"

"...I'd really rather not." He sat on one of the barstools at the counter, now staring into space. He was deep in thought. His eyes teared up and he closed them.

"Soshi, please. It'd be better if you did."

"You really should not want to know."

She put her hands on his. "You're my husband. I want you to be open with me. We've always been open with each-other."

"...All right. You know about that fire?"

"Yeah, I just told you about it."

"I saw the newspaper reporting you and the kids dying in that fire. It was a few days after one of the team leaders died at the hands of two of the other team members. I couldn't live with myself being in that God-forsaken town instead of here to save you guys. I went into the forests of Goiky to hunt down the culprits of the leader's murderer and make them pay myself.
While I was, I was abducted and appeared in the lab of a human and a golden hilted Dagger. They presented me with a ring that made my powers stronger the more energy I absorbed into it.

The deal was to make them the future they wanted, and in return I could use it to rewrite history.
I helped some others as well in return for the assistance they provided.
I killed a number of the really powerful super-criminals the teams wouldn't have been able imprison. I was almost able to do it, but those bastards in the teams half foiled my plan. They basically stopped me from remaking history for me after I fixed the other problems of the people I helped.

The effect was turning off the cosmos and turning it on again, only for things to play out slightly differently on their own. Thankfully, that included a lot of people surviving, but now I'm just a menace to society. The only thing I can do now is ask for forgiveness and if that doesn't work, I'll turn myself in."

"Is this some sick joke?" She looked up into his eyes. He looked into hers, seeing the fear they were filled with.

"No. I'm serious. I did all that."

"...Am I even safe around you?" She backed away, worried.

"You are! You're my wife. Please, don't be scared."

"You have the power to warp reality. What's stopping you from abusing me? You've thrown out every rule which you used to live by. You're out of control."

"I did it for you." he pleaded.

"I get that. I do. But this obsession has caused you so much pain up to this point that you're as weak as water. It would have been better had we got a chance to say good bye.
But life won't always be fair. God deals us the hand we get, and it's up to us to play our cards as best we know how. You were a good man and you carried yourself honorably no matter what.

Now look at you. You lashed out against everything, and you're making excuses for the awful things you've done. Like a child sneaking himself more cards. I'm disgusted with you."

Soshi felt an anxious knot in his stomach as he went back to washing a plate. He thought back to that deal with Tisken and Dagger. He let them exploit him in a moment of extreme weakness. He had acted arrogantly and violently after being handed the ring.
Despite any refusal to admit it, he knew he had no right to do any of what he did. He was sorry now, and now he was scared half to death. Fear in his heart overtook him and he covered his eyes.

His vision blurred and cleared again. The calendar looked normal again.
He looked away.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Soshi!"

He looked at her.

"How can you justify what you did?!"

"...I can't. You're right. I'm sorry I let you down. Will you forgive me?"

"...My forgiveness is free, but my trust is not. You don't even seem like you trust yourself."

"...Do you believe you would be safer without me?"

"...I don't know."

Soshi covered his face. He couldn't keep himself from sobbing after hearing that. His own wife, the one whose life he fought the world and broke the universe for, wasn't even sure she was safe around him. He couldn't cope with anything he'd done after hearing that. Uno Card sat next him, waiting for him to calm down.
Once he did, he sighed.

"I guess I'm turning myself in then. I'll get my gloves on, and we'll go to the police station. You'll have to drop me off there."

"Soshi, you broke the laws of that autonomous territory. You can only be tried there. Even if you confess, you'll technically walk free for the short time you have until you're summoned by their courts."

"I assume the penalty would be death."

"The law enforcement themselves vote on the verdict."

"They would end up exiling me. I know them all on a personal basis."

"Then you would just come back home."

"Or be redeployed to occupied territory."

"Soshi, you're thirty two. You can just retire and get a job as a librarian or teacher for potential recruits in high school."

"I suppose. I'm just not sure."

"Everything will be fine. Just pray about it and don't stray from the straight and narrow again. I know you're capable of doing the right thing.
I know you, Soshi. You may be feeling like you're sitting in a pig pen, but you will be welcomed with open arms by those who care about you should you decide to clean up your life and come back down to Earth. I won't give up on you if you're willing to move forward and be good again."

"I am."

"Then I won't leave you. You're my husband, and I will stay by you. I stayed by you in your other close shaves with death, this is no different."

"Thank you so much, Cheryl." Soshi hugged her like it was the end of the world.

"Heh, you're welcome, dear." Uno kissed him. "Just stop getting into these stupid predicaments."

"I'll certainly make the effort, but what do we tell the kids?"

"We'll tell them what we know they're mature enough to know."

"All right." Soshi responded. Before he could say anything else, Adversary reappeared.

"Well, well, well. I'm in a bit of a pickle, so I'm going to need your help."

"Who the fuck is she?!" Uno shouted. Adversary just laughed.

"I'm Adversary. And I see Soshi's second ring was a different type of ring. And in case you're wondering, ma'am, I forced him into making a deal with me. He doesn't know just how much I am willing to make him suffer if he doesn't carry his end."

"What was that deal?"

"I would not destroy you, your kids or his little universe if he promised to help me out with something of my own."

"...What's the thing he's supposed to help you with?"

"Bringing a quick end to one of my last and greatest ventures. Something that I've used his other ring for. You see, he got it from someone who made things that let you play with reality like a lump of dough. I got my hands on it after he was captured by some of my old crew lying in a bush. He tried to escape, so I tortured him into telling me what it did for a few hours. When I got my answer, I had him locked up and and made sure he starved until he was left a husk of what he used to be."

"You're working with someone who nearly killed you?!"

"You and the kids are the only thing I have left. She'll take you away if I don't cooperate."

"Then, I'll pre-empt her. If you help her, I'm leaving you."

Soshi sighed. Adversary clapped. "You're a smart one, Mrs....what's your name?"

"Tagayo. Get out of our house or I will burn it down with you in it." Cheryl replied.

Adversary laughed. "Feisty."

"Talk to my wife in the way you would talk to an equal, she is as much a person as you are. I won't have you being a jerk towards her."

"You're all animals to me. Only you animals can talk. Really, it's annoying."

"You don't listen, do you?"

"No, I just don't care. You're all predictable. Bugs I can smash."

Soshi shook his head. "You've crossed the line, Adversary."

He punched Adversary in the face and knocked one of her teeth out.

"Ow. Now, that was rude. You used to have manners, Soshi. I guess I have to teach you a lesson."

She picked him up and twisted his arm until something snapped. She then dropped him.

"That crunched like the stuff on the end of a chicken bone. You didn't even put up a fight. But you're going still to suffer. I was willing to keep things civil. I have more respect for you than most. Of course, it seems you resorted to your base instincts. And as hilarious as that is, its a deal breaker.

So, I'm going to mangle you so bad, you're going to be paralyzed. Then I'll make you watch as I kill your wife, and then your children. That should show you how much of a problem I have when you break a deal."

Soshi's fear was almost overpowering him. He felt his heart racing. His arm was in so much pain, and all he could think about was the pain. He looked at Adversary and managed a weak glare. He summoned all the strength in him, grabbing and dematerializing his hurt arm, before remaking it completely healed.


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