Time Loop System

The weird cream coloured slime version of Steve just stood there waiting expectantly for my response.

"What the hell?! Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!" I screamed out finally. I didn't reflexively grab weapons out of my inventory or anything I just stood there completely frozen in place screaming.

"Please stop," He said but it was to no avail my mouth continued to scream as much as it could, "I promise you I can't control this. I am still Steven. But now I guess I look like a weird marshmallow slime!" 

I took a quick breath to look him up and down then got back to screaming as much as I could, " Look you think this is terrifying for you?! Imagine waking up like this and having Skinny and Clarisse rush at you with everything they have."

This gave me pause enough for a moment to calm down and breathe. "Wait prove that you're still Steven!" I demanded bringing out my green spear to shove at its "face", or whatever it was currently talking out of.

"Name, age, and hobby? Steven Field, 36 years old, and I like to paint models."

I lowered my weapon and then just shoved it into my inventory and rushed at him. He recoiled knowing that I was going to try to attack him but instead my arms embraced his gooey back and brought him closer to me.

"It is you... But what happened to you?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell the three of you. I have no idea I just woke up like this and then the other two immediately started trying to kill me but their weapons just went right through me doing nothing." Steven (I guess) said glumly sitting down on the table next to us and putting his head in his hands and then putting it all between his knees in defeat.

"It's ok. It's all going to be ok." I said trying to smack him on the back but my hand went straight through him. "Look Steven I'll try to get the other two to help you but right now I have to go finish up something else. Are you going to be alright without me here?"

"I guess... Just promise no one else Is going to try to kill me." 

"Well I'm not sure I can promise that I mean you're not exactly looking yourself right now but hopefully Clarisse and Skinny should protect you." I said before making my way out.

Convincing Skinny was sort of easy, we had built up quite a high level of trust between us, but Clarisse still wasn't willing to accept that the weird slime creature was actually our guild member. She still went along with it but I could see it weighed on her quite a bit. 

Whilst those two made up with Mr. Marshmallow I jumped across town to Tamara's room in the hospital. Unfortunately it was currently quite late at night and I decided to just evade all hospital staff to get to her. I was sick of waiting and jumping through hoops just to re-rescue Vicki.

Tamara was sleeping peacefully in her bed. You know when she wasn't being stubborn and difficult she was actually just like a normal child. I could see her breath rising in her chest and her arm kept moving, shuffling the sheet around, and the other one kept trying to keep up with the other one but had a hard time. I looked next to her on her big desk with an impressive computer set-up and the screensaver that was currently flitting across it. 

I knew then that she had believed in me enough to actually keep her end of the bargain. As that same computer had been gathering dust, not touched for at least months, the last time I had seen her. 

She did look really at peace in her sleep. I slapped her on the face. 

"Aaahh! What the hell!" She said but I just held open her mouth and emptied the vial's contents down her throat. Once it was finished she actually managed to shove me off her.

"What the hell are you doing?! I made sure that you were able to visit me at any time! You're a dick!"

I actually hadn't realized that. I never even had the forethought to check. "Sorry but at least you shouldn't be dying anymore." 

I took a step back and it seemed like her pale, snow-like skin managed to gain some colour. 

All Tamara did was look down to her missing arm and then back up to me.

"What? You wanted me to stop you from dying. I'm not a miracle worker otherwise Vicki wouldn't have been taken in the first place and Steven wouldn't have turned into the yoghurt man."

She looked at me in that confused face that people who just woke up give you when they cant fully understand what you're saying.

"Eh dont worry about it. Anyway give me the info and I'll be out of your hair." Or lack of hair I should have said. It looks like she had shaved her head again for some chemotherapy. 

Tamara was able to hop out of her bed with renewed vigor and turn on the computer. She looked at me for a second until I finally got the hint and turned away whilst she signed on.

"Vicki is going to be introduced into high society by her brother at some big Association party in a week. Templar and Waterlily guilds will be there."

Hmm Karson and Clarisse's former guilds would be there as well as potentially some people that Skinny and Steven would know. "Is there any way you could get the Orion guild on the list?"

"Already taken care of. Just try to act like you belong at least!" She ordered but in the glare of one of the black screens I could see that she was grinning.

I shook her desk chair a little bit, "Thank you! So... What do you think you're going to do now that you're healthy again?"

"Well I still don't fully know that for sure. But I want to try to establish myself with a better reputation before and then crush anyone who left me before."

"So just back to being an information broker huh? Although I do like the revenge part."

"I figured you might," I could once again see her grinning. "If it really does work and I am healthy again maybe I'll consider giving your guild a discount... But only once."

"Yeah sounds good. Maybe I'll see you around Tamara." I called out already on my way out the door. But I stopped just at the door before going through it. "Orion is full of people who've been screwed over just like you, you know." Tamara finally swivelled around on her desk chair to actually look at me. I expected a look of boredom but she seemed to be confused and hanging on what I would say next. 

"So if you think you can deal with us. Maybe we could help you out again in the future?" I said and left before it felt too awkward or cringe for me to be saying something like that. I think from now on I'll probably leave all this mushy nice guy hero stuff to Karson.

Speaking of when I got back to HQ I saw that Slime Steven had been fully embraced by Clarisse as she was currently trying to fit clothes onto him to make him look less monster and more Steven. Meanwhile, Skinny was having a hard time trying to talk through what had happened with Karson. 

That didn't look like a fun discussion but Skinny seemed to be finding a way to power through Karson's nonsensical rambling by slapping him whenever he didn't get it.

"Good news everyone! We've been invited to the hottest party of the season so everyone bust out the suits and get ready to mingle!" I called out to the whole room expecting an eruption of celebration and quite a few 'way to go Zane's' but instead they all just looked at me blankly before all 4 of them began to moan and complain.