[Winter Writing Contest 2022] The Greatest of All Time

“Detective.”

Almost as if on command, a portal ripped open and a woman was flung onto a transparent platform. It laid still—a lifeless corpse with blond hair and light brown outfit that was in complete tatters.

“Get up.”

A vast blackness dotted with stars stretched across in all directions. And in the space, there was no one other than the woman on the floor. The voice boomed without any direction, coming from everywhere all at once.

A few seconds passed before the woman’s eyes jolted awake followed immediately with a violent gasp as she scrambled to take air into her lungs. The empty void was filled with only the sound of her ragged breath as she worked to stabilize herself.

Though shaky and staggering and completely unstable, it didn’t take long for her to bring herself up to her feet, her breath still short.

“Send me—”

“Detective, you have failed once again. You think you are in any position to make demands?” The booming voice cut the woman’s first words off.

A palpable silence hung in the air.

“W-What do you want? I’ll do anything. Please!” The woman pleaded. “I have the pocket watch! Didn’t you say you could send me back if I had it?!”

“Yes. I said that I could send you back.”

“Then—”

“No. Do you not understand? There are no more chances. There are no more paths for you to take. You have run through all of them.”

The woman flung her hand out defiance out towards the void. “What the heck! No, there has to be a way! I just need one more chance!” She pleaded and screamed.

Another silence hung in the air, this time for much longer as the woman’s eyes began to well with tears. The adrenaline began to wear off as her legs began to buckle and weaken, bringing her to her knees.

“I-I’ll do anything! Please!” Her voice cracked as she pleaded once more, but again, she was only met with silence. She fumbled through the empty pockets of her coat and patted herself down knowing that it would be in vain. She had nothing to offer.

“I just want to save my friends…” Tears began to flow as she instinctively grabbed the pocket watch which hung on a chain at her skirt. It was then her eyes widened at a thought.

“How about—”

“Predictable.” The voice finally returned, only to interrupt the woman once again. “You would have the audacity to bargain with what is mine?”

“I don’t have anything else.” The woman bit down in shame, before yet another idea crossed her mind. “How about my body? I-I can give you my arms or legs or eyes! Yeah! You don’t have one right? Aren’t you interested in having a body? Please just send me back somehow, in some form! It doesn't have to be this body! Or what about…”

The woman continued to bargain nonsensically, nonstop, offering up her clothes, her body, her future, her consciousness, and even her life.

“I just need one more chance. I can save them. I can save them. I can…” She muttered to herself almost as if in a trance.

“Do you know how many chances I have given you?” The voice asked.

The woman stared blankly into the void. She was unable to answer.

“I have given you hundreds of thousands of millions of chances. They all end in destruction. You cannot break from your fate. As the Warden of Time, I cannot allow you to tamper with the threads of time any longer.”

“Just one more…” The woman sobbed.

“Just how many times must you be killed? How many times do you need to watch your friends kill you, kill each other, and kill everyone around them, before you finally understand? These †˜friends’ of yours cannot be contained. Each and every one of them are entities that can and will destroy your planet and, in some cases, the very fabric of your reality.” It paused.

“I am neither omnipotent nor omniscient. All I can do is weave and watch another thread of time.”

“Then—”

“For the first time in all of my existence, I believe I am feeling sorrow. I am sorry, Amelia Watson. There truly is no way out of this cycle of destruction. I will not weave another thread. I am… sorry.”

Another moment of silence passed. The dejected body slumped over lifeless once again.

However, it would not be for long. Amelia wiped her tears. She stood once again. Her face contorted with a mixture of frustration and sadness, but also something else.

She began walking into the space that stretched endlessly.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m coming to look for you.” That other feeling that welled up inside of her was anger as she stomped forward.

“What?” The Warden was speechless.

“I’m gonna beat you up and then you’ll send me back.”

The audacity, the hubris was unlike anything the Warden had ever witnessed. “Excuse me? I’m not even that way.”

“Fine.” The woman turned around and began walking once again.

“That’s not what I meant… What’s wrong with you?” It was incomprehensible to the Warden.

This time it was Amelia that left the question unanswered as she continued walking. A strange determination welling and growing with every step.

“Where does your confidence come from? Why do you not understand that you cannot save your friends? I can release you from the cycle that is binding you. You do not have to keep trying.”

Again, there was no answer.

“Just because you have the pocket watch does not mean I will spin you an infinite number of threads. I have a responsibility to—”

“Fuck your pocket watch!” She grabbed it and yanked it, dislodging the chain from her skirt. She tossed it on the invisible floor and continued walking. “I told you, I just need one more chance. And I’ll beat it out of you if I have to.”

Then, the woman paused for the first time since she began walking. “Uh, thanks though. I really do appreciate all the chances you’ve given me.” She wore an apologetic expression. “But, I can’t stop here. As long as I’m breathing, I’m gonna try again.”

Her words defied everything the Warden knew. It had been watching countless timelines with countless lives. Countless beings had held the pocket watch, but nothing had ever gone to such lengths. And for the first time, someone was coming to †˜beat it up’.

“Heh.” The Warden’s scoff echoed through the vast space. “A mere human thinks it can just walk up to me? You think you save everyone? You’re up against gods, immortal beings, and things beyond your comprehension, even now.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m Amelia Watson, the greatest detective of all time! So, I can solve this mystery too!” She wore a shiteating grin all the while. “And, I know how to throw a real good punch.”

“You truly are the most foolish human I have ever met! Hahaha!” The Warden’s laugh reverberated before it stopped to regain its composure. “But, fine.”

“You’ll help me?!” Amelia was quick to latch onto the hope.

“One chance. But, only after you’ve answered my question.”

“Anything! Fire away!”

“Why?” This would be the first time the Warden had ever asked this question to any being. “Why are you trying so hard?”

The woman paused for a moment. “Ina makes really good cookies, you know. I bet you’ve never had a cookie as good as hers. Or, I guess you don’t eat. But you’ve gotta see Kiara dance, and Gura sing, and Calli rap! They’re so amazing! They’re incredible”

Once again, the Warden was left speechless.

“And when they smile and hug you… they’re so warm. It’s just, I just want to protect that.”

This time, the silence was beginning to make Amelia burn up from the embarrassment. “Um, yeah, so could you say something? Do I pass?”

“Goodbye Amelia Watson. Take the watch with you, as a good luck charm. But, no more chances.” There was nothing left for the Warden to say.

“Thank you!” Looked down at her skirt to see the familiar gadget appear once more at her side.

With those parting words, a blinding flash of light appeared for a second to consume the woman and then she was gone.

Amelia Watson, you are more incredible than you know. Let’s see if you really are the greatest detective of all time.

Probably one of the hardest themes in a long time, simply because I could not get this scenario out of my head.

In the end, I simply chose to write it, even if the quality is maybe not what I normally write.

edit: also want to mention that it's fanfiction, but it's (should be) written in a way that needs no extra context. I could have just changed the names, but it would go against the spirit of where I got inspiration from.

A time travelling detective story... a very promising premise. Interesting concept as always, would be interesting to see how a story like this turns out in the long run!

Would have liked more, but what you have seems pretty well-polished. Wouldn't have guessed it was fanfiction if you didn't say anything about that.

Interesting short story, xnine, and one that conjours up familiar memories to me of a long gone past entry of my own, in terms of setting and emotion. You did a great job of conveying the sense of futility, skepticism, and raw desperation of the characters. I always find it very easy to get a sense of the emotions in the way you write your characters, and this time is no exception.

I must confess that I initially thought this was Vy popping out of an interdimensional door trying to save her friends yet again. I was pleasantly surprised to see you shift away from that, and honestly a Hololive EN fanfiction was probably not where I expected you were going to go this year. Rest assured, though, I can appreciate the larger context that which this scene might take place. So, that makes it all the more amusing imagining Amelia have this back-and-forth argument with Kronii. Hopefully this time Amelia will avoid Myth's Bad Ending. Best of luck to her, and congratulations on yet another captivating entry that you continue to grace us with year-after-year. It's always a pleasure.

Here are a couple places with some errors:



You probably meant "defiantly" and only one "out."



Missing subject.

First of all, thanks for reading everyone! Glad to hear that it's at least being received well!



Yeah this definitely lends itself to being the start of a series. Perhaps one day I can continue.



Good to have a HoloEN watcher! Myth's Bad Ending was amazing! Those girls are really just turning my (and so many others') creative gears. Honestly really grateful for the contest giving me an outlet and excuse to write the fanfiction ahaha. Hopefully, I did Amelia's personality justice here.

Anyways, thank you for reading and thank you for the corrections!

Really creative idea for a piece! I'm impressed with the concept. It really feels like a great testament to human nature and how we value our attachments to others more then anything else, and the will it fill us with, a sentiment which resonated strongly with me. Good job on the piece! I hope that Amelia Watson's final attempt goes well and that her love for her peers manages to defeat all odds.