The Wrong Place, At The Right Time

New York City, 2029 – The Comedy Club, 11:37 PM

Riley Cross wasn’t bombing—she was crashing and burning.

“…So, anyone else feel like their life peaked in high school? No? Just me?” she quipped, pacing the tiny stage under the dim spotlight.

Silence.

A guy in the back coughed. Someone else checked their phone. Even the drunk heckler had fallen asleep. Riley sighed, running a hand through her messy brown hair. At this point, she was pretty sure the bartender was pretending to polish glasses just to avoid eye contact.

Her dream of becoming a famous comedian? Not exactly going as planned.

“Okay, tough crowd,” she muttered. “Guess I’ll save the existential crisis for therapy.”

A weak laugh from the front row. Small victories.

As she wrapped up her set, she forced a smile and bowed. “I’m Riley Cross—thanks for letting me ruin your night.”

The audience clapped out of pity, and Riley slinked offstage, grabbing her leather jacket. If her dad were alive, he’d probably give her that disappointed smile—the same one he wore when she dropped out of college. But he wasn’t. He’d been gone five years.

And yet, tonight, everything was about to change.

Riley’s tiny apartment was a mess—empty pizza boxes, half-drunk coffee mugs, and a framed photo of her and her father collecting dust on the bookshelf.

She kicked off her boots, ready to wallow, when a metallic clink echoed from the floorboard.

“Huh?”

She knelt, pulling up a loose floorboard. A metal box lay hidden beneath, sleek and cold, with a faint blue light pulsing at its center. This wasn’t some family heirloom—this thing hummed with power.

A sticky note on top read:

“If you found this, you’re already in danger. Don’t trust anyone.”

It was signed: Dad.

Her heart thudded. “What the hell were you hiding?”

Before she could process, the box clicked open, revealing a watch-like device—sleek silver with glowing gears and a digital interface that flickered with strange coordinates.

Curiosity got the better of her. She slipped the device onto her wrist.

Bad idea.

The moment it touched her skin, the world twisted—colors bled, gravity vanished, and her apartment shattered into a blinding swirl of light.

When Riley landed—hard—she wasn’t in her apartment anymore.

Instead, she was face-to-face with a man holding a gun.

“Freeze!”

He was tall, sharp-jawed, and way too attractive to be pointing a weapon at her. Black suit, tactical gear—like he walked out of a spy movie.

“What—where—am I dead? Is this the afterlife?” Riley blurted. “Because I expected more clouds.”

The man lowered the gun, glaring. “Who the hell are you, and why are you wearing an unauthorized time anchor?”

“Time… what now?”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Great. Another civilian messing with forces they don’t understand.”

“Hey, I didn’t ask to be zapped into—wherever this is!” she shot back, rising to her feet. “I found it in my floor. Blame my dad, not me.”

At that, his expression shifted. Interest. And something else.

“Your father?” His voice softened. “Who was he?”

“James Cross.”

The man’s face paled. “Your father was Agent Cross?”

Riley blinked. “Wait—you knew him?”

“Knew him? He was one of the best agents in the Temporal Bureau—until he vanished.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “I’m Agent Theo Hale. And if you found his time anchor… then the Clockwork Syndicate knows about you.”

“Clockwork what-now?”

“Rogue time travelers.” His tone was grim. “And if they think you know your father’s secrets—you’re their next target.”

Great. Just her luck. One failed comedy career and now she was apparently in a time war.

Scene 4: The Chase Begins

Before Riley could argue, an alarm blared. Theo swore under his breath.

“They’ve already found you.”

A portal—swirling red and black—ripped open behind them. From it stepped two figures in sleek, silver armor. Their eyes glowed gold beneath their helmets.

“Oh, cool. Sci-fi bounty hunters. Because my night wasn’t weird enough,” Riley muttered.

Theo grabbed her wrist, his voice urgent. “Hold on tight.”

“To what—AHHH!”

He slammed a button on his watch. The world twisted again—and they disappeared in a flash of blue light, leaving the Syndicate agents behind.

Riley never believed in fate—but if her father’s secret, a grumpy time agent, and time-travel assassins were her new reality…

She was about to rewrite the rules!!!

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