Gloria and the others nervously paced as Katie talked with the adult Lynne, Morgan and Merlin. "This is bad isnt it," Felicia said.
Ann and Gloria said nothing, giving the teen an anxious look as they looked to the small group talking with Merlin. Ann was practically sick with regret as she clutched Jackie's ring in her hand. "I shouldn't have let her go."
"Aunt Ann this isnt your fault," Gloria whispered. "With everything that's been going on anyone of us were bound to check this out. We just need to figure out where shes at."
Ann could tell Gloria was trying to cheer her up but it wasnt working. Ann should have known better, she was the adult. When Jackie said she was going to take a look she should of stopped her right there. She should have said something earlier. Now, Jackie was in danger as well as Jackie (and possibly Ann's) future daughter.
"Aunt Ann can you come here?"
Ann could see Katie now beckon her towards the back of the shop. Excusing herself she now found herself in the back room with Lynne, Morgan, Katie, and Merlin. "So how are we going to rescue Jackie," she said.
"We'll get to that," Katie said. "First I wanted to ask you about these."
Ann felt her cheeks flush as Katie now pointed to three of the combat suits she had been working on. "Its called Project: White Knight," she said sadly. "The Defense Department has us producing them, for military use."
Katie and the others nodded as Merlin now approached Ann, a solemn yet kind look on his face. "It appears that this too happened in the future."
"But I thought everything was changed," Ann gaped. "How could this have already happened?"
"Allow me to explain," Merlin stated. "You see while the future has indeed changed, some aspects; certain events, seemed to have remained."
"Like Mia, Zack, and Yuki," Lynne said.
Merlin nodded as he now continued. "Since Villars defeat I have been in console with others about what is transpiring. It appears certain events can not be altered."
"Your losing me here," Ann sighed.
"My apologies," Merlin smiled. "You see in the original future, the one that saw my demise, you came into possession of Jackie's Ring of Age following her untimely removal from reality. That event stealer your will into designing these suits to fight against Villar."
"Wait I designed these in an alternate future!"
"Yeah you did," Morgan stated. "And you used them to help turn the tide of the war."
Ann's jaw dropped as she stared at the suits. It seemed impossible that she would ever climb into one of those things.
"As you can see though Ann things have changed," Merlin stated. "Instead of three suits there are hundreds."
"Wait why did I design three suits?"
"Because Megan and Stephanie helped fight in the war too," Morgan said. "And it looks like we're going to need their help yet again if we're going to save Jackie."
"Ann," Katie said slowly. "From what they're telling me you gained the ring in that alternate future. You used it and these suits to help save the world, save Jackie. If we're going to do this again then were all going to need you and your friends help."
Ann nodded, running her hand along one of the suits. Stephanie and Megan would never believe what they were about to do but if they were going to save Jackie it looked like they were going to have to embrace this role.