I groan in annoyance. Swatting at the annoying finger that kept poking me, I roll over and pull the covers over my head. "Go away!" I yell when the person, I figure to be my infuriating older sister, starts to shake me. For a second, I felt her stop, then resume her jostling of me. I push the covers off of me as I sit up, eyes still shut.
"What do you want?!" I growl.
"Your help," comes the unexpected, male voice. My eyes snap open. Blinking my eyes rapidly the person in front of me starts to come into focus. When I can finally see clearly, my jaw drops.
Standing in front of me is someone who could pass as my twin. Same squarish jaw, same nose, same brown eyes. Heck! Even the same little scar on my left cheek that I got when I was eight in a biking accident. But there are differences. I-he is wearing a black trench coat, ripped jeans with some kind of chain, a black shirt, choppy brown hair that hangs over his eyes, and oh my god--!
"Is that a sword?!" I point at the hilt poking out of his coat.
"Listen, I know how weird this is, but I need you to listen to me,"says my doppelgänger raising his hands, palms facing towards me, in the universal “I-come-in-peace” gesture. It didn't really work. I feel my breaths come in short gasps as I start to hyperventilate.  My doppelgänger realizes this and immediately slaps me.
"What the--?" I hold my face in my hand. The sting of the slap makes me temporarily forget my previous state of panic.
"I need you to listen to me," he growls. I stare at him dumbstruck, but somehow his words penetrate the cloud of confusion, and I nod hesitantly. "Good," he rubs his hand across his face.
I lower my hand, and he motions awkwardly at the desk beside him, "Well then, uh? Feel free to take a seat?" His-my, no, his face is set in a grim expression, and I think that he'll just keep standing there and be all threatening and stuff. Thankfully, he sinks into the rolly chair like the fate of the world is weighing down on him.
"Alright then, where do I even begin?"  he mutters.
"I don't know? How about like the beginning, like how every story should begin?" I snark.
He shoots me a dark look, and it effectively shuts me up, "Right the beginning…" he sighs wearily, "Look, if I tried to explain all of this in detail you would probably only understand a fraction of what I would say." I open my mouth to argue his point, but he puts up his hand in a "stop" motion. "Let me just tell you the basics of what's going on, and then you can start talking.
"Let's see. First off, I'm you from an alternate dimension."
"Are kidding me?! That's utter bull!" I interrupt.
He stops me once again, "It's crazy. Trust me I know. I had to go through exactly what you're going through right now. But hear me out." He looks at me, his gaze piercing, and I nod.
"Good. Anyways as I was saying, I'm you from another dimension and I need your help." I open my mouth to ask why, but his glare stops me. "I was escaping from my greatest adversary,…, when I damaged my transport device. I managed to make it here without causing any rifts between the dimensions but there's a problem now, Void is searching for me. I took something of his and now he won't stop until he gets it back. It won't be long until he manages to find me here and I need a place to stay and fix my transport mechanism. That's where you come in.
"I need to stay here for the time being and have you act as me."
"Wait, what?! Why do I need to that?!I don’t even know your name!” I exclaim.
He gave me a pensive look, “I can’t get risk getting caught. If Void gets a hold of this,” he shows me a small black case, “then your world, along with tons of other dimensions, will be in jeopardy.” I swallow, the desperation and tone in his voice tell me how dire the situation is. I nod.
“Alright, I’ll help you,” I said slowly, “But how am I supposed to impersonate you?”
“Simple, just go around town, be discrete and try not to be seen by too many people.”
“That’s it?” I ask. He nods. “But, what about my family? My friends? School?”
“I can just fake being sick. It’s not the hardest thing to do,” he shrugs nonchalantly. I sigh. ‘Alrighty then.’
“Do you know when he’ll figure out you’re here?”
He pauses before answering, “Probably a few days at the most.”
“Alright then, that gives us a few days for you to fix your--”
I’m suddenly cut off when a giant blue swirl appears in my room. Wind whips around me, scattering papers and empty plastic wrappers across the room.
“Actually make that a few minutes,” a deep, gravelly, voice booms. A man walks out from the portal. The man is tall and fit with flaming red hair, while wearing an all black suit with a strange shimmer to it and a giant sword strapped onto his back.
“Void! How’d you--?!” Void interrupts my counterpart.
“Before you escaped I stuck a tracking device on you,” he explains. My alternate self reaches behind him and feels around until he finds a small chip. He scowls and crushes it in his hands. “Anyways, I believe you have something of mine, and it would be greatly appreciated if you gave it back.”
“Not on your life,” my counterpart growls and he unsheathes his sword. I back away immediately when I see what’s about to happen. Void darts forward and swings down his sword. A loud clang is heard as the other me blocks. He pushes Void back, and swings at him. Void dodges and runs towards me with his sword raised high. My eyes widen while the other me darts in front of me and parries. There’s a small thump but it’s ignored as my counterpart runs out of the room with his enemy hot on his heels. I stare, baffled at what’s happening in my own home. Looking at my feet, where I heard the thump. I pick up the small black case which contains the thing that could put my entire world in peril.
There are noises outside and I look through my window. A giant battle is happening right in my backyard! And it doesn’t look to good for the other me. He’s starting to tire, and his nemesis realizes that and is beginning to push him back.
Making up my mind, I rush to my closet and grab my metal bat. It might not knock him out but it’ll probably daze him when I hit him, if I can even manage that. I shake my head and rush out the back door.
I wince, my other self looks even worse up close. Luckily, Void’s back is to me and I take my chance. I rush towards him, close my eyes and bring it down. But, instead of feeling it connect with Void’s head, I feel someone grab my bat. I open my eyes and gulp.
Void stares down at me with a predatory smile. “What do we have here? An ordinary boy trying to be a hero? Pathetic.” He picks me up by the collar of my shirt and throws me halfway across the yard. My back hits the ground and all the wind rushes out. I lay there struggling to breathe as the sound of clashing swords continues on.
I turn my head to the right my eyes land on open black box. My eyes widen as I look at the strange glass ball. Inside there’s an ever changing mass of what looks like bits of space. I glance at the two people in front of me. Neither of them seem to be paying attention to me. ‘Good,’ I think.
I roll over and  push myself up. I stumble over to the thing slowly and pick it up carefully. Suddenly, there’s a lack of sound. I turn around and see Void staring at me with my alternate self on his knees. Void stalks towards me, “Give me that,” his voice is low and threatening and I start to shake but I shake my head and start to walk backwards.
His eyes narrow and his hand tightens on his sword. Then there’s strange whirring sound coming from Void’s weapon and I stare in fear and awe as it transforms into a giant scythe. “Don’t make a decision you’re going to regret, boy.” My eyes flick towards my doppelgänger, praying that he’ll get up, and he’s trying but I doubt he’d be able to go against Void. All of sudden, I trip. Glancing at the ground, I quickly bend over and pick up the discarded baseball bat.
Void laughs, “You think that little metal stick is going to harm me? Preposterous.”
“You never know. You might not be as tough as you think you are,” I snap. Void’s laughter increases in response. He reaches me and knocks me to the ground, catching the glass ball before it hits the ground.
“How amusing. Do you even know what that was you were carrying in your hand? No? Then let me tell you.
“This is a tiny portal, that can take you to a higher plane,” he explains. “This little thing when it’s opened can take you to places you can only imagine. It’s not just different earths now, it’s completely different realms,” his eyes are slightly crazed now and I glance nervously behind me watching as my doppelgänger’s sword starts to change forms, but he seems to be in his own world now. “Think about all the things you could learn, accomplish, the power you could attain.” He looks me straight in the eye, “And it all starts with this little thing.”
All of a sudden, my other me comes up behind Void and hits him with a giant hammer. Void goes down on his knees and whirls around, and blocks the next blow. Seeing my chance I take the bat and swing down with all my might. I hear a satisfying “smack” and see Void go down for the count.
My legs are weak and I sink down to the ground. “You gonna be alright?” my alternate self asks, concern lacing his words.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine, except for the giant bruise I’ll have for the next couple of weeks,” he says in a slightly joking way and he huffs good-naturedly. Bending down, he grabs Void and brings out some handcuffs, except with a glowing blue line instead of a chain in between.
“Will that actually hold him?” I question, and he nods.
“Yeah, it will. Don’t worry about it,” he reassures and looks through Void’s pockets. He takes out a futuristic compass and starts pressing some of the buttons. In no time, another swirling blue portal is opened. My other self slings Void’s unconscious body over his shoulder, sword and all, and steps forward. Turning back, he gives me a two-fingered salute.
“See ya around,” he says and steps through the portal, when I remember something.
“Hey you never told me your name!” I call after him.
“You’ll figure it out at a later date,” he hollers back and then he’s gone.
Looking around my yard, I realize that the sun is starting to rise. “Great,” I mutter, “What am I going to tell mom and dad?”