He could tell he was approaching well before he had entered his vision, and it put an unsettled scowl on his face. It had been, what, forty years since he last saw this man? And he hadn't aged a day.
"You." Viktor's lip curled, his normally well-reigned instincts forcing him to take a step back. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The man, dressed in all black and face largely hidden by a wide brimmed hat, smiled. Amused. The man's German was flawless, though he still carried that uncanny accent. "That's a rather cold reception, Viktor. What for?"
"Last time we met, you completely upended my life." Viktor growled. "So excuse me if I see you as a bad omen."
"Would you have rather lived in ignorance? Imagine if you had found out when it was more mature?" His head lifted, and blue eyes met blue. "There would've been more damage than just a small crater in the forest." He was one of the few men who could send a chill down Viktor's spine, and it wasn't just his association with the fellow. This man was... unnatural. Or perhaps too natural. Too present. Too real. Viktor's silence and grimace was enough of an answer for him, though, so he nodded and folded his hands behind him. "To answer your question, I have a favor to ask of you." He offered a small letter out to the project.
"... A favor?" That was surprising. Viktor visibly hesitated, but took it after a few beats of his slow heart.
"Mm. Unfortunately, there were some backups of the Apotheosis databases that had slipped my awareness. I have reason to suspect that there may be... individuals who have infiltrated other scientific communities. I've listed a few suspects." He nodded. "I'm sure you'd want to investigate anyways, wouldn't you? Especially since one of the files was yours, M4X, as well as NOVA's." Another smile crossed his face. "Rumor has it they may be trying again."
"If stopping this is so important to you, why don't you do it?" Viktor snapped.
"My hands are tied." He waved a hand vaguely. "There are things set in stone in the future that I can't meddle with yet."
"Does this not count as meddling?" He countered, only to recoil as the man grinned at him.
"Oh no. Not at all. See, at the end of the day I'm not making you do anything after all, and you would've found this out one way or another. It's all on you what you do from here, my friend." He hummed, turning then to start walking away. "If you do my favor or not, I can't foresee. But I have faith you'll know what to do."
Viktor watched the man shimmer out like a mirage, lips pursed and complexion a little paler than he normally was. The only evidence that man had even been there being the small black-papered letter in his hand.
2087
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