Cody’s mind went blank as he stared down the barrel of a gun in front of him, his mind barely registering the click that had signaled the gun being fired. Glancing down the streamline left by the bullet, he notices that the bullet had stopped less than an inch from hitting him, confused he looked up at the shooter and notices that he appeared to be frozen in time. Looking around, he noticed that everyone had stopped moving, looking back to the shooter he almost jumped back in fright, for standing in front of him was an oddly dressed man, just staring at him.
“The hell? Did you do this?”
Smiling, the guy shrugged “Of course, I came ask you something Cody, if you convince me I will let you step aside, if not…” Cody looked at the bullet the guy had glanced at, understanding the implication clearly.
Cody glance back at him, “W…what do you want to ask?”
“Why should I let you step aside?”
The glare that the man suddenly shot him stopped Cody from making a snarky comment, now suddenly feeling an immense sense of foreboding. “I am only 35, I still have a lot I can give to this world, I ca…” Cody stopped talking as the sense of foreboding increased. Unamused, the guy spoke up “you failed out of university, after buying your way in might I add, and most of your inheritance money is gone. Yet instead of doing something about it, here you are at 7 Eleven buying donuts and energy drinks before heading back to what you have been doing almost 24/7 for the past few decades, mindlessly watching tv series or playing video games just to pass the time. That’s strike 1, want to try again?”
Cody gulped, suddenly unsure “I could donate the last of what I have to a charity…”.
“that $20,000 you left will have an enormous impact, I am sure” the guy responded sarcastically. “Strike 2, one last chance to convince me”.
A surge of anger squashed that aura of fear that man was projecting. Cody glanced at the shooter one last time, noting just then how young he was. Snarling, he made a decision. Instead of begging, he fully turned to the man, a feeling of confidence blooming in his chest. “You will let me step aside, because otherwise that kid” he pointed at the shooter “will go to jail for murder”.
The guy raised a questioning eyebrow, “he is already a criminal, otherwise he wouldn’t here shooting at you and robbing the place”
“True” Cody allowed, “Yet he is still young enough to learn from his mistake, and murder will cost him life in jail. Look at him; those are not the eyes of a hardened criminal”
Indeed, Cody could see it in the shooters eye, a horrified look of regret at realizing what he had just done. And fear, plenty of fear, but not at Cody, but at something behind him. Before he could look behind him, he heard the man speak “Good enough”.
In the next instant, Cody realized he was standing outside the bullets trajectory; instead of hitting him the bullet had hit the people behind him. His mind reeled at seeing the bullet, seemingly in slow motion, tear through a kid and the baby she was holding, before disappearing into an older lady in a wheelchair holding another kids hand.
The last thing he heard was a chuckling voice in his head filled with malicious glee “that silly kid actually thought you would stand your ground and protect them, but instead all she saw was you step aside and let her siblings and only guardian get killed, what delicious punishment you just helped me inflict on her infuriating idealistic optimism. I'm glad you convinced me, by passing through you, that bullet would have been slowed down to not harm them."
Then just like that, the world went back to normal speed, and Cody felt himself fainting as the world erupted into chaos around him.