The Lightning Loop

The assassin crouched on the rooftop, rain lashing against her futuristic combat suit. Her mission was absolute: eliminate the 'Temporal Anomaly' located in the hospital room below—a newborn baby destined to destroy the world. She aligned her scope, crosshairs settling on the infant's head. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning illuminated the room, revealing the face of the dying mother holding the child. The assassin froze. The mother had a jagged, lightning-bolt shaped scar running down her left eye. With a trembling hand, the assassin traced the exact same scar on her own face. She switched her rifle's setting from 'Purge' to 'Restore' and fired a beam of light. She knew she had just failed the mission, but she had successfully ensured her own existence.