Anthony and Antoinette stepped out of the mall, their WWII counterparts following close behind, still buzzing over everything they had just experienced.

WWII Anthony held his Starbucks drink like it was the greatest discovery in human history. "I still can't believe y'all drink this every day."

Antoinette smirked. "Bruh, this is light work. You ever had Popeyes?"

WWII Antoinette sighed. "I don't even wanna know."

Anthony stopped by the SUV, patting the hood. "Alright, lemme introduce y'all to the greatest invention of modern transportation—"

"おい！お前たち！"

Anthony and Antoinette froze.

WWII Anthony and WWII Antoinette immediately reached for their rifles, eyes snapping toward the direction of the voices.

The four of them slowly turned around.

And what they saw made them wish they had stayed inside the mall.

Standing several feet away were two more versions of them.

Except these ones?

They were wearing full samurai armor.

Edo-period Japan-style, complete with swords at their waists and an aura that screamed 'we have seen some shit.'

The male version looked like Anthony—but more rigid, standing like a warlord, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana.

The female version was Antoinette—but her expression was sharp, her armor more decorated, her long hair tied in a topknot, and her gaze piercing like a battle-hardened warrior.

Blasian Samurai.

Anthony immediately regretted existing. "...Nigga."

WWII Anthony tensed, rifle halfway raised. "Who the hell are they?"

WWII Antoinette gritted her teeth. "That sounded like Jap."

Samurai Anthony narrowed his eyes, speaking in fluent Japanese. "お前たちは... 我らの影か?" (Are you... our shadows?)

Anthony held up a hand. "Yo, slow that shit down. I ain't fluent, nigga."

Samurai Antoinette tilted her head. "ふーん...つまり、あなたはまた別の時代から来たのですね。" (Hmm... So, you are from yet another time.)

WWII Anthony squinted. "So... they're Japanese?"

Anthony shook his head. "Nah. They us. Just... Edo-era Japan us."

Antoinette rubbed her temples. "Man, I am too damn tired for this."

Samurai Anthony and Samurai Antoinette stepped forward, eyeing them carefully.

"あなたは私たちの時代の人ではない、" (You are not of our time,) Samurai Anthony muttered, still speaking perfect Japanese, but with a roughness that suggested he had spent a lifetime on battlefields.

Samurai Antoinette placed a hand on her sword hilt. "では、教えてください...あなたは一体何者ですか？精霊ですか？神ですか？それとも全く別の何かですか？" (Then tell us... what are you? Spirits? Gods? Or something else entirely?)

Anthony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Nigga, I just wanted a damn burger."

Anthony sighed as he opened the SUV's back door, motioning for the samurai versions of themselves to get in. "Alright, get in. We'll explain on the way."

WWII Anthony still had his rifle half-raised. "You sure that's a good idea? They're Japs."

Samurai Anthony's eyes narrowed dangerously at that. Samurai Antoinette, however, simply smirked.

Antoinette groaned. "Boi, stop saying that before we have to stop y'all from getting cut in half."

WWII Antoinette scoffed. "You really expect us to just sit in a moving steel box with two people who look like us but sound like our damn enemy?"

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lord give me strength."

WWII Anthony grumbled but reluctantly climbed in the back. WWII Antoinette followed but kept her hand near her holstered pistol.

Samurai Anthony and Samurai Antoinette hesitated before stepping in, adjusting their swords as they sat down.

Anthony climbed into the passenger seat while Antoinette slid into the driver's seat, adjusting her mirrors. "Alright, I'm driving this time."

Anthony smirked. "Yeah, let's see if you can actually drive without curb checking."

Antoinette shot him a glare. "Nigga, do you want me to crash on purpose?"

"Fair enough."

As Antoinette started the SUV, Samurai Anthony's hand shot to his sword at the sound of the engine roaring to life.

WWII Anthony, seeing this, tightened his grip on his rifle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Anthony held up his hands. "Relax! It's just the engine! This is how modern vehicles work!"

WWII Antoinette stared at the dashboard like it was an alien artifact. "This thing really moves better than a jeep?"

Samurai Antoinette's expression remained unreadable. "鋼鉄の獣...だが、それを操るのは君だ。面白い。" (A steel beast... but it is controlled by you. Interesting.)

Anthony sighed, pulling out his phone. "Alright, clearly this conversation ain't working. Time to use Google Translate."

WWII Anthony frowned. "What the hell's a Google?"

Anthony ignored him and pulled up Google Translate, setting it to Japanese.

He typed: "We are from different timelines, but we are all the same person from different worlds."

He hit the play button.

Google Translate: 「私たちは異なる時間軸から来ましたが、私たちはすべて異なる世界からの同じ人物です。」

Samurai Anthony and Samurai Antoinette listened carefully, their expressions unreadable.

Then, after a moment, Samurai Antoinette nodded.

"興味深い. では、お前たちは何者だ？" (Interesting. Then... what are you?)

Anthony sighed and typed: "We are your future selves, just from different time periods."

Google Translate played the response, and Samurai Anthony raised an eyebrow.

WWII Anthony scoffed. "You trust that translation thing?"

Antoinette rolled her eyes. "Nigga, unless you suddenly fluent in Japanese, this is the best we got."

WWII Anthony grumbled something under his breath but didn't argue.

As Antoinette drove, Anthony continued typing out explanations for the Samurai versions, trying to break down the insanity of what was happening.

Samurai Anthony seemed skeptical but remained quiet, observing everything.

Samurai Antoinette, on the other hand, smirked. "ならば、未来の私たちは戦士のままなのか？" (Then, in the future... are we still warriors?)

Anthony typed the response and let the phone speak. "We are still warriors, just in different ways. But we fight our own battles."

Samurai Antoinette grinned. "よろしい。 それなら、私は失望していない。" (Good. Then, I am not disappointed.)

Anthony sighed, leaning back in his seat. "This is the dumbest day of my life."

Antoinette snorted. "Nigga, same."

WWII Anthony, still clutching his rifle, muttered, "I still don't trust them."

Anthony sighed. "Boi, trust issues ain't gonna fix this. Buckle up and enjoy the ride."

Samurai Anthony gave a small smirk. "信頼は与えられるものではなく、獲得されるものです。" (Trust is earned, not given.)

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Samurai wisdom."

As they continued driving, they all realized one thing:

This day wasn't getting any less weird.

Antoinette pulled into the driveway, shifting the SUV into park. "Aight, we here."

She and Anthony stepped out of the car like it was just another normal day.

Their four historical counterparts, however?

They just stood there.

Jaws. Dropped.

WWII Anthony and WWII Antoinette stared up at the house like they had just walked into a millionaire's estate.

Samurai Anthony and Samurai Antoinette?

They looked like they had just seen a daimyo's castle.

"...Holy shit." WWII Anthony muttered, stepping forward cautiously. "This is your house?"

Anthony blinked. "Yeah?"

WWII Antoinette gestured toward the two-car garage, the front yard, the damn mailbox. "You live here? In this big-ass place?"

Antoinette raised an eyebrow. "Big-ass? Nigga, this a regular house."

WWII Anthony scoffed. "Regular?" He motioned to the house. "Girly, I grew up in a two-bedroom shack with six people! This is a mansion!"

WWII Antoinette nodded. "This house could fit five families back in my time!"

Anthony and Antoinette blinked.

Then looked at each other.

"...Dammit."

Then came the samurai versions.

Samurai Anthony stepped forward, his eyes scanning the structure like a strategist sizing up a battlefield.

Samurai Antoinette, arms crossed, nodded slowly. "ここは...領主の館だ。" (This is... a lord's home.)

Anthony blinked. "Ninja, what?"

Samurai Anthony gestured to the house. "私の時代、こんな場所に住めるのは高位の武士か領主くらいだった。大半は質素な家に住んでいたが、これは？これは壮大だ。" (In my time, only samurai of high rank or lords would live in such a place. Most live in simple homes, but this? This is grand.)

Antoinette snorted. "Ninja, we got folks out here with bigger houses than this."

WWII Anthony rubbed his temples. "The future is insane."

Samurai Anthony gave a small smirk. "もしかしたら間違った道を選んだのかもしれない。商人になるべきだった。" (Perhaps I chose the wrong path. I should have become a merchant.)

Anthony laughed. "Bruh, that wouldn't have saved you from taxes."

WWII Antoinette shook her head. "I still can't believe you just... live here."

Anthony shrugged. "D-Day, it's just a house."

Samurai Antoinette squinted. "この大きさの家？警備員もいないし、要塞の壁もない？" (A house this size? With no guards? No fortress walls?)

Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Lady, why would I need fortress walls?"

Samurai Anthony looked at him like he was stupid. "敵が存在するからですか？" (Because enemies exist?)

WWII Anthony nodded. "I ain't gonna lie, I kinda expected sandbags and a trench or somethin'."

Anthony groaned. "Nigga, it's 2028. I don't need to fight off invading armies."

WWII Anthony and Samurai Anthony both looked skeptical.

Samurai Antoinette smirked. "あなたは今そう言っていますが、戦争は常に潜んでいます。" (You say that now, but war is always lurking.)

Antoinette sighed, rubbing her temples. "Nigga, can y'all stop being paranoid for five minutes and just go inside?"

The four historical versions of themselves exchanged glances.

Then, reluctantly, they followed Anthony and Antoinette inside.

And if they thought the outside was shocking?

Wait till they saw the inside.

The second Anthony and Antoinette stepped inside, they both froze mid-step.

Because in front of them—standing casually in their goddamn living room—

Was another version of them.

And this one?

Looked like they came straight out of the year 3000.

Future Anthony stood tall, draped in some sleek, futuristic outfit made of glowing fabric that shifted colors. His eyes had a faint blue glow, and his dreadlocks were threaded with some metallic fiber that looked part human, part machine.

Future Antoinette was the same—her form-fitting bodysuit pulsed with energy patterns, and floating holographic symbols flickered around her like a damn sci-fi character in a movie.

Their skin was flawless, their movements smooth as hell—like they had evolved past basic human limitations.

And to make it worse?

They weren't even speaking English.

Instead, their voices came out in some advanced-sounding alien language.

"Ɇʂɖơʈø ƃɨȼʂ ɭơʗʗɬ?" Future Anthony tilted his head, looking at his historical counterparts with mild curiosity.

WWII Anthony's hand went straight to his rifle.

Samurai Anthony's hand hovered over his katana.

Antoinette groaned. "Nigga, I am TIRED."

Future Antoinette sighed, then casually tapped something on her wrist.

A faint hum filled the air—then suddenly, the strange language shifted into something they all understood.

Future Translator Activated.

Future Anthony smirked. "There. Now you can understand us."

Anthony's eye twitched. "Nigga, WHO ARE YOU?!"

Future Antoinette crossed her arms. "Isn't it obvious? We're you."

Anthony and Antoinette looked at each other.

Then back at them.

Then back at each other.

Then sighed violently. "...Man, I should've just stayed in bed today," Anthony muttered.

Anthony rubbed his temples, sitting on the couch.

Antoinette sat beside him, equally exhausted.

Across from them sat four versions of themselves—WWII Anthony and Antoinette, Samurai Anthony and Antoinette, and now, Future Anthony and Antoinette.

All of them from different universes.

All of them trying to process the absolute stupidity of today.

Future Anthony leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, arms folded. "So, let's go over this one more time."

Future Antoinette nodded, adjusting her sleek, holographic visor. "We're all the same person, just from different universes, different time periods."

WWII Anthony grunted. "Yeah, we got that part."

Samurai Anthony nodded. "Different eras... but the same soul."

Anthony groaned. "Boi, don't get all philosophical on me right now."

Future Anthony smirked. "Oh, you haven't even seen 'philosophical' yet."

Anthony massaged his forehead.

Antoinette leaned forward, looking at Future Antoinette. "So, what's your world like? You from the year 3000 or some shit?"

Future Antoinette chuckled. "Not quite. I come from the year 2728. Humanity has evolved, technology has advanced—"

WWII Antoinette cut her off. "Do people still fight wars?"

Future Anthony and Future Antoinette exchanged glances.

Future Anthony sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Some things never change."

WWII Anthony grumbled. "Of course. Figures."

Samurai Anthony, ever the strategist, narrowed his eyes. "Are swords still used?"

Future Antoinette smirked. "Oh, you'd love it. Swords made of plasma, energy fields—old techniques combined with advanced technology."

Samurai Antoinette raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. So the blade never dies."

Anthony threw his hands up. "Cool. Awesome. Whatever. But let's talk about the REAL problem."

Everyone turned toward him.

Anthony sighed. "We ALL got a gender-swapped version of ourselves that showed up with us."

Silence.

Everyone blinked.

Then, almost instinctively, they all stole a glance at each other.

Anthony eyed Future Antoinette.

Antoinette eyed Future Anthony.

WWII Anthony and WWII Antoinette looked at each other for a second too long.

Samurai Anthony and Samurai Antoinette also exchanged a glance—but theirs was almost like a warrior's silent acknowledgment of mutual respect.

Then—

Everyone immediately looked away.

STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!

Anthony shook his head violently. "NOPE! Not thinking about that."

Antoinette crossed her arms, face red. "We are NOT about to make this weird."

WWII Anthony cleared his throat aggressively. "Yup. Nothing happened. Moving on."

Samurai Antoinette exhaled through her nose. "A warrior does not entertain foolish distractions."

Future Anthony just smirked knowingly.

Anthony pointed at him. "3000, WIPE that look off your face."

Future Anthony chuckled. "What? I'm just observing the natural course of things."

Antoinette groaned, rubbing her face. "Nigga, shut up."

Future Antoinette smirked. "Admit it—"

"NO." Anthony and Antoinette said at the same time.

Silence fell again.

Then, Future Anthony leaned forward, grinning.

"Alright, fine. Let's talk about something else... like how all six of us look hot as hell."

Everyone glared at him.

WWII Anthony groaned. "I hate the future."

Samurai Anthony sighed. "Discipline is dead in your time."

Future Antoinette chuckled. "Oh no, it's alive. Just... evolved."

Anthony leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. "I should've just stayed asleep today."