PLDN Chapter 31

"Chapter 31: Tying Up Loose Ends Leads to a Summer of Crossover Chaos (Sub-Entries 301 - 310)"

Sub-Entry 301: "Tying Up Loose Ends Once More":
Here I sit at Teletran-1 in my private Dimensional Research Lab. Why?

To compile a lot information. To update a database. To collect my thoughts. In short? I had a lot of things to report that I didn't include in the previous log set. For everything that went down in only three days? There was just too much to fit in. And too many things to ponder now that Asriel was now in front of many an open door that he hadn't thought to open himself.

Now he was asking himself if he should. Any one of them could lead straight to the conclusion that he suspected but was pushing out of his mind. But one thing was for sure...even if he was pondering the very reality that his home had what seemed like infinite iterations...infinite numbers of AU's....even he wasn't likely to guess about my ultimate goal of brining back to the closest version of his home I could arrange some day. Where we went from there...? I still wasn't ready to think about it.

"Rance Vor." I assembled a profile with a a photo I pulled from Asriel's phone.

They had brought up a point that I had glossed over in many, many missions before the Undertale research began. It was...unnerving having A.E.O.N.'s network of dimensional telemetry observing AU's such as theirs from afar. It was a grey area. Other Earths have been using radio telescopes and orbital telescopes to answer the question if they were alone in the universe for ages.

We just happened to be much further along then they were. And had, by far, much more success with it. I mean...any number is still greater than zero.

But when you got down to it...what should be the ethics behing observing other worlds. When should we consider it...well...spying?

"You're going to bog yourself down, Volt, worrying about the morality that no other scientist in S.T.C. would even consider."

If we were to spin the table around, weren't Rance and Dianne going back to their world to report on us? So...fair was fair...right?

I entered every relevant detail I had. Then I repeated for Dianne's. When I finished...I designated both potential allies, should we actually meet again.

"Hmm."

I placed the samples that Chameleon provided of metal traces from Rance's weapon into the mass spectrometer, hoping to get insight on its metallurgy. I'd watched it hold up to Asriel's NX Sabres.

"You're having trouble focusing, Volt." I said aloud as I rubbed my temples. "And I think you know why..." I narrowed my eyes as I thought back to the incident.

No, I wasn't referring to what Rance had put Asriel through, though I would certainly contemplate that for a bit. I was referring to the earlier incident between the spar between Mitzi and Dianne. My flashback account of it was only partially complete at the time of my last logging session. There was more to it and to be honest there were details I needed to not only clarify on but correct what I recorded versus what I observed.

When I thought back to what Bunnie noticed the moment that brother and sister went throught the portal...the odd smile she observed on Dianne...everything clicked and I understood what she meant.

"Why, oh why...didn't I recognize the warning signs back at the dojo when she was sparring with Mitzi...?"

Sparring would have been...the nice way of putting it. It was completely out of left field that Mitzi, who was known to be the one to diffuse bullying situations would be the catalyst to a reversal situation. Who know that the most unintended slight would be such a nasty trigger for the more level-headed of the the siblings?

Outside of the entrance to Rabbotou Dojo, Dianne was in the company of Violet. The two of them were getting along almost too well.

Adding to both my headache and Chameleon's was Robert "Ripper" Travason--the wolf ab-human responsible for accidently blowing the shack of his boss, Chameleon, with the muscle-car/motorcycle combo powered by unstable fusion reactors built from too much time on the internet and a viewing of both Back to the Future Part II and the Double Dragon movie.

"...No, if you want some bite back, you need someone who's got the nack.  No worries for this lupine, or whatever she is, for the dis on the miss, of whatever mixture's from her lip.  Don't mess with the scales, cause' he's got powers.  You can't harm without illegal howitzers.  Trust the wolf, not the chimera, cause we got this rap on Terra!"

And Violet was already encouraging him to freestyle and driving one of the other locals crazy with it.

"You guys are crazy."

"Naaaaah.  We're just ahead of the curve." Violet grinned.

"Well I gots to scoots with dread in my ped, orthe boss lizard's gonna have me walking the green mile, ya dig?"

"Later, Rips." Violet waved him off.

"What else do you do for fun around here?"

"What say we drop in on Buns?  Her martial arts classes are about over for the day."

Mitzi had promised a dinner later on. But for the present she was with Bunnie and myself in the dojo. Violet had been keeping Dianne occupied with her typical distractions. But eventually the two of them dropped in on us all.

"Hmmm." Bunnie narrowed her eyes as they both entered.

"Whatever Violet is doing, feel free to punish her later."

"No.  It's not that."

"Huh?"

"Dianne."

I arched an eyebrow. "What?  Frankly between the two siblings, I think she's the safer one to be around.

"You do not sense it, do you?"

"Sense what?"

"To put it in a metaphor...it's common for Vi to be open about things, but...based on their conversation...a tone of note doesn't quite match the choir's melody."

I cocked my head.

"You're being pretty vague, sensei.  Why don't I go join the conversation and keep things balanced.  Okay?  I'll make sure Vi keeps her mind out of the gutter."

"Do as you will, my student." Bunnie waved her off.

"...I gotta give props to someone who almost made the lizardman tap out.  He'll deny it but, hacking into traffic cameras tells a different story."

"That's Rance.  He just doesn't know when to quit sometimes."

"I get that he was provoked and all but if he's your king's right hand man, shouldn't he conduct himself more disciplined." Mitzi crossed her arms.

"Excuse me?"

"Where I come from, lashing out like that just because someone's being a jerk to you doesn't make you any better than them."

Dianne obviously didn't like that.

"You would do well to mind your words.  That is my brother you are speaking ill of."

Bunnie lowered an eyebrow.

"I don't mean anything by it.  I'm just saying, that he should have talked it out and not let him get under his skin.   I have to say I'm disappointed in Chameleon for startin this but didn't anyone teach him to be better than that?"

"Mitzi." Bunnie warned.

"No.  No one did." Dianne stared coldly.

"Okay, I get it.  Don't get defensive about it." Mitzi turned away, deciding to apologize to Bunnie for poking what she now realized was a sore spot. But really...she should have just kept her mouth closed after that comment.

"If I acted that way around my parents, I would have--"

Suddenly Dianne's hand was gripping Mitzi's shoulder rather tightly.

"You know...suddenly I'm in the mood for a sparring session."

"Hey!  That hurts!  Let go."

"You should learn respect.  Defend your honor or forfeit it."

"What's gotten into you?  If it's about the comment, then that's my bad.  I shouldn't have said anything."

"But you still would have felt the same."

I was picking up on what Bunnie was already dreading. The mood was like strings and one by one they were snapping one after the other.

Rance had decided to answer nature's call at the time that Asriel was sent on an errand. As Rotor would overhear, passing by said necssary facility, that the human felt "odd yet satisified" that the...ahem...comodes looked humane. Probably a detail I could have left out of this log report.

That said, Violet got strangely serious over the matter and decided to make use of my scanners. I get the feeling that KOMMAND would soon have answers to give about this situation.

"Hmm...there's a gap between their LV..." Violet pondered. "But...from this new analysis standard I managed to brute-force code into the scanner...Super Keen Intent to Level and Live or...SKILL tells another story of how she might be as powerful as I suspect she is...."

"if that is what you insist on, then under protest, I will grant this sparring match.  Abide by honourable rules of combat and settle your differences." Bunnie raised her hand as Mitzi and Dianne got into position.

"Both competitors ready?"

There were smiles of kindness and bravery between them. What was it that Bunnie sensed felt...less than genuine about the apparent fighting atmosphere?

"I'm not going to go easy on--"  Mitzi started. But that's all she got out.

It  was no more than a millisecond in the moment when Dianne disappeared; chains sounded like they were being pulled from a distance. None of us saw it coming...none of us but one.

Bunnie narrowed her eyes, her nanomorphically enhanced vision coupled with her sixth sense told the whole story.

Suddenly there she was.

Dianne had appeared a meter away from her opponent's back, standing in an assassin's executioner's stance. Her daggers looked clean and the chains that connected with them were undone. Mitzi was at a loss when her opponent flashed, but in Bunnie's cybernetic eyes there were furious blades storming without discrimination. Her shoulders, arms, calves, and her very back were wounded. Mitzi dropped her paired kama in an instant, which she didn't realize that they had also been rendered useless.

The human sister's blades looked pristine and unbroken; untouched that anyone who had never seen it--all of us would be left confused.

"TOMARE!" Bunnie's voice was louder than I'd been accustomed to. There was a narrowing of the eyes.

"Your method is effective...virtually flawless.  But that was a move clearly not intended for a simple spar.  Now my student may have incensed you with a comment that was never intended to deliberately harmful to you or your brother.  But clearly you overdid it."

"Then let that be a lesson about disrespecting my brother or our family."

That lone threat sent chills down my spine and felt all to familiar. There were no cartoonishly rosey cheeks, but I almost expected a red, glowing real knife in her grasp.

"I will at least acknowledge your level of restraint.  Had this caused permanent injury, we would have much to discuss...in the Miranda Army stockade.  Do not join your brother under house arrest.  Are we clear?"

"Noted.  It won't happen again." DIanne's tone was calm but there was a malice there that I'd later recogize in Rance's later battle.

"Megami." Bunnie prompted for the dojo's caretaker to tend to Mitzi's injuries.

"I'd...prefer you not mention this to Rance."

We agreed to it reluctantly. But as it turned out, Rance wasn't as easy to fool as her cues had implied. It seems brother and sister had a level of cleverness and cunning that weren't always immediately obvious. Again...i wonder if he had a talk with her about this.

One thing was for sure: if we weren't watching her like a hawk before...we were now. Causing Antoine and other Hybrids to drop unconscious from glomp-hugs was one thing. But this was a whole other story.

~

Back to the present, I just realized how much a danger both of them could be. Granted, we had a lot of allies by now with quirks and personality issues that strained our alliances from time to time. But this was the first time I felt like this alliance was balanced on a razor's edge. And what could be a one moment where we're allies, just the wrong slight could just as easily make us enemies.

"Knowing the background of Rance at least explains why she flew off the handle.  But to go to that extreme with a technique that none of us but Bunnie could see...?   What were the odds it could have turned fatal?"

My crew and I understood that being orphaned...losing your parents was no joking matter. And chalk it up to Mitzi's ignorance about it to step on a verbal land mine. Still...most everyone in my operation had learned to shrug it off when it came to the loss of our loved ones. We'd grown to accept it. We moved on but we never forgot their memories. Sometimes we could even banter about our own dead parents without batting an eyelash over it. Most of us were just that comfortable with our lives and our past.

Unfortnately that set up a pretty easy trap for any of us to step into when we were in the presence of someone else who knew the same pain. Chances are...even if they had moved on...it was still out of line to comment about anything that could bring them back to that point in their life when all they feel is dead inside.

"Why didn't you disarm that trap before it sprung?  It's EXACTLY what Asriel went through, dammit.  Callista and Violet gave the same diagnosis.  It's like a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

I was beating myself up pretty bad over it. That's what I did.

While my intial logs were more focused on Rance than Dianne, since I felt I didn't need to worry about her as much...I should have given equal weight to both of them when it came down to being concerned.

"Count your lucky stars that Asriel was not in the room at the time.  Mitzi's like an aunt to him as well as me.  Seeing her that destroyed by a single attack..." I squeezed my eyes shut.

While I was brooding over what went wrong, a lot of my crew was feeling elated over what went right with this chance meeting between AU's.

Gadget only saw the good in both of them. That's what she does.

Sally's brief window of being in town as the OGPX season had started up again gave her a new rival to challenge when it came to speed. Whether or not Sally would run circles around her, be evenly matched, or be outclassed was up to fate and chance...or maybe just the Sister Goddesses. While I had know doubts about Bunnie being able to read Dianne pretty easily...I couldn't imagine what effect Sally's Hybrid Ability coupled with her S.A.N.D.S. Gear would have on her.

"There's no doubt that Dianne could at least score a first-attack hit on her.  And little doubt that the Universal Bio-Field would definitely resist if not severely reduce the effectiveness of the attack--putting them on some semblance of equal ground but..."

There were too many variables to say this theoretical situation was indeed the case.

Rotor and Antoine remained intimidated. Rightfully so, with their abilities. But Rotor was at least willing to be in the same room with either or both of them.

Pit watched from afar, as my loyal scout. I didn't want to say he was in a sniper position, but under certain recommendation, if we had another incident like with Chameleon or a near-assassination like in the dojo? I'd have to bite the bullet and give the order. Though honestly, I was having my doubts that even Pit's arrows could touch Dianne with that level of speed and awareness.

The reality was both sides were equally balanced between trust and suspicion. It could go either way whether this was an alliance that could survive...or if we'd have new enemies to be on guard for.

Rance's spar with Asriel would be the deciding factor. But prior to that...

"...you seem off on a cloud, Rance."

"Just a feeling.  Dianne can be a little protective of me.  I don't want to raise any alarms or red flags but sometimes the slightest snide comment can...well..."

"Hmm?  What do you mean?"

"You and I both have something in common."

Asriel looked at Rance, inquisitively at first...then a moment of analyzing the look in his eyes.

"Oh...yeah...that forced smile?  I know it all too well.  That's the look of someone struggling to put the loss of family behind them.  At the risk of drawing comparisons to one of Aunt Vi's comic book movies, orphans recognize other orphans.  Not in those words mind you, but I don't plan on calling myself a "boy wonder" or apprentice of a "dark knight" any time soon."

"No offense, but you're wasting your breath on making references I don't understand.  Just get to the point."

"Yeah.  Well.  I'm guessing you know the feeling of being dead inside...all too well.

Rance turned away as he stared off at the starry sky.

"For anyone else but you, I'd advise them to tread lightly.  Especially if Dianne were in the room.  That rough spot I went through is a touchy subject."

"And you're worried one of my friends might step on a verbal land mind around her?  Is she as dangerous in combat as Mr. Chameleon says you are?"

"More so.  You would never see her coming.  Literally."

"Hmm." Asriel thought about that.

"I can tell when someone's uncomfortable tallking about battle.  About sparring...or fighting for real.  You'd choose mercy before you ever thought of raising a sword, if you think it's possible to get out of it."

"Of course." Goat Son agreed.

"Pfft.  Naive as he is..." Rance grumbled. That would be a comment that would come back to haunt Asriel in the very near future. After Mitzi's clash with Dianne.

"Hmm?"

Asriel didn't put it together that Rance meant his world's Asriel. I had adviced him to keep it quiet about details of his world...his friends. And especially out of the question was bringing up their Princess...just a determined little girl named...Frisk. How Bunnie managed to get him to name drop her stunned me as much as it did her. To say that we were glad Asriel was nowhere around at the time was understating it.

"Nevermind.  Let's just go and check in on them."

What a strange balancing act it was between them. When one was volatile, the other was calm. When one felt the other had been slighted, the gauntlet was thrown down. Both of them had tempers that I didn't envy. And yet, I honestly sympathized with them. They had a right to fly off the handle...but not to that extreme. Bunnie sensed the Chara iterations in both of them. But I noticed them too late. We all did. I wondered if this would have future reprocussions if we all met again?

Would it be on our world or theirs if Madam Fate stirred things up again?

"Why can't I let this go?  My allies and my own people were certainly reckless about what they did and said.

Chameleon was just being Chameleon.

Mitzi was surprisingly sympathetic toward Chameleon and a bit condescending toward Rance. A bit out of character for her, but not completely unexpected. When people act up around her, she can be a bit of a Toriel when it came to being the adult in the room. So why did it backfire so badly this time?"

Did Rance have a talk with her afterward, I wonder...?

That I might not ever know...but I do know that after his spar with Asriel, during that third day he did try to patch thing up.

Asriel sighed as he looked on at the sunrise.

"I can guess what you must think about me by now.  Suddenly the "cool guy" does the most unexpected heel-turns.  I heard what Master Rabbotou said in the other room about villains bringing out the worst in their enemies to bring them down to their level and claim to be victims when they get the "worst" they wanted to see.

But I I didn't just do it on a whim. I'm hoping you learned something from it."

"Well.  It does feel like a gray area between us, now.  I should be glad I'm not a Scorpio like Volt.  It would be a lot harder to gain his trust back should he ever think you betrayed him."

"Didn't peg you for one to read horoscopes."

"Not really my thing but I do notice a lot of things line up when I consider each of my friends and mentors.  All of the Taurus trio do have a noticeable stubborn streak...even Miss Lupe at times.

Basically...I'm just making small talk...y'know...because I don't really want to address the issues that we both obviously have."

A long silence.

"So.  That thing you do.  I probably wouldn't have noticed it unless KOMMAND hadn't told us about it.  Sensei felt something was off.  it lined up with holes in Mr. Chameleon's story.  I mean...someone getting his gun away from him and pistol-whipping it?  I'd almost believe that was a tall-tale but...for him to admit that's what happened."

"If you're going to say that we're too much alike--"

"You already did, Rance.  Your pre-emptive denial pretty much confirms it.  But really.  That's why the two of you secretly respect each other now that the misunderstanding is over."

"You're sure not like...well...nevermind.  I don't want to say anything more.  I promised your.......best friend.  Seems awkward to refer to the wolf that way."

"Volt's a great guy.  He just worries too much.  But...we're straying from topic.  That UNDO ability..." Asriel started, looking away from Rance. "...how many more times can you use it before...?"

Rance scoffed but it was more out of shock and surprise. "What...?!"

"You can be honest with me.  I didn't realize it at the time of our sparring.  But when I thought back on it...the moment before you...somehow reversed and countered my best moves...I saw it in your eyes...I felt it in your soul.  And for a moment...I could see the crack in it.

I don't remember much about magic usage from when I was still a monster prince and a child...but I'd picked up on certain kinds of magic that were said to exist that were very hard on the soul...some could even permanently damage it."

Rance tightened his fists for a moment. "You can't share this information with anyone."

"So...just an arbitrary guess...is it something like a hundred more of those and...?"

"If I had to guess...150." Rance's tone was very stressed.

"That's what Dianne meant by you abusing that power."

"Don't take this the wrong way but there's no way you can understand--"  Rance cut off when he saw Asriel produce his own H.U.D.

"...I'm a bit complicated."

Rance had way too many questions to ask. Most of them where how a monster...former monster could have this power.

"Aunt Vi has started calling it a "Save File".  Though...I don't know what exactly it saves."

Maybe it was by choice that Asriel didn't make the connection to how he "SAVED" his sister using that SAVE FILE H.U.D. Was it the "game" mechanics...or divine intervention? Or...maybe he was just that special?

"It's not like one of her emulators that can store and reload a game at any point of your choosing...at least I don't think it is.  And even if it is...I don't think I wasn to use that kind of power in real life.

I always thought I was the only one who had one but...seeing that you have something like it... Mine's a little different, though."  Asriel pointed to the missing piece.

Rance frowned. He had sworn not to tell about his world's Frisk and their..."Save File". And especially not the weed...

"But...maybe this explains a little better." Asriel flipped the H.U.D. over to reveal the chained-up RESET.

"Judging by your expression, you do know something about it."

There was an uneasy silence.

Asriel dispelled the window.

"Look.  It's beside the point anyway.  What I'm getting at is...you don't really understand a person until you've felt their pain...until you know their pain...their burden.  I only just met you but I feel like I understand you better than almost anyone else does."

"You shouldn't say such things so casually."

"I know.  I'm being presumptuous even implying that I think I have you figured out.  For what it's worth, I do still respect you.  I don't approve of your methods to bring out my inner beast but...it might as well be someone I trust and respect who uncovers my weaknesses and exploits them...than an enemy."

"You just got a tenth less naive, Dreemurr."

"Dreemurr-Arcade.  I took Volt's last name when I was adopted, despite my parents being Scott O'Conner and Callista Brighton.  it's...complicated.  Sometimes I don't get why I agreed to it, either.  It's not like I'm going to be the heir to a fortune or anything.  And really...I've had my fill of being a prince."

"Life has humbled you.  But a word of warning.  My sister may be the smarter one, but I'm no slouch at advice.  You're going to have to ask yourself who you are some day.  And you can't just say that you're no one special.  Just because you ignore a heratage doesn't mean it stops existing because your world stopped existing."

Yeah, by now Rance and Dianne were up to speed about the end of his timeline.

"I get what you're saying.  I can't stop being a prince just because I decide it.  It's in my past and it's in my veins.  And turning a blind eye to it won't change that.  It's still my life to live.  And I choose to live it this way."

Silence.

"Then I guess your determination is pretty damn impressive."

A nod and then silence again.

"So...assuming it's not off limits to ask.......your AU's first fallen?"

"She's in a spirit world, training to become a Shinigami...basically a Grim Reaper."

"............right."

I do not want to make allusions to that ReaperTale AU, as tempting as it is...

Rance decided from that point ignorance was probably bliss. Besides one side shouldn't know too much about the other...yet.

Some day we'd be square with each other. And there would be no secrets.

None of us were ready for the responsibility...of knowing.

~

Admittedly, there's still lots and lots more that happened in the course of three days...but when it came down to it...once we all understood what was on and off the table for discussion...one friendships had been mended and apologies given out, Mitzi did owe us a pizza party...

Rance eyed the retro look of the place.

"People actually paid to eat at places like this?" He was skeptical at first.

"The eighties were a different time." I mused.

"It may look quaint, but Mitzi has a talent for this sort of thing.

Inside the pizzaria, the hints of both the 1950's and the 1980's shown through in every little touch.

Dianne was drawn to the photos and the pictures, momentarily forgetting about her unease. The mouse girl she severely incapacitated was still willing to open her doors to her after that?

"Just so you know, I can's stick around too much longer.  Only a short reprieve now that the season's started.  I'll be back on the track by tomororow." Sally acknowledged.

"Didn't have much of a chance to get to know you.  But you seem alright.  You remind me of a fish lady--"

I cleared my throat to interrupt, but to no avail.

"Undyne?" Asriel cocked his head.

Rance decided not to explain further after giving a brief nod.

It was moments like that which added fuel to the fire of Asriel's curiosity. Certainly there was a threshold before Asriel couldn't contain it anymore.

"This Crossover War, Doctor..."

"A lot of universes colliding over the biggest headache of my day job.  Technically, the Ultra Crew Institute here is my former position.  But I've rejoined it in a co-leadership position with its active Commander, currently not available at the moment.  I'm burning the candle at both ends with threats on this world and plenty more on other worlds." I explained.

"Basically, Chaopolis wants to strip away all semblance of order...of law...of even the most basic of rules and create an existence of anarchy, chaos, and otherwise despair, tragedy, and hatred.  They've been doing so by sewing disunity among AU's; especially ones that Violet describes as "reboots" or "reimaginings"."

"You speak as if they're works of fiction."

"You don't know the half of it." I rubbed my temples at the dichotomy of how our world was flooded with pop culture that actually existed as worlds and realms all around us in different forms. But also as different interpretations in other AU's.

"Maybe that's somemthing you shouldn't explain." Rance folded his arms. "It seems like the kind of truth that could break people.  I don't think our world is ready to learn the truth about sister goddesses playing a game of chess to pull the strings of the ultimate battle of good and evil."

"I agree, brother."

"Just as you've agreed not to reveal secrets about your world, we should agree to keep the details of ours on the down low until we're all in more peaceful times.  When we're ready to forge a stable bridge between worlds...timelines...whatever." Asriel sounded very prince-ly at that moment.

"But we still plan to make your existence at least known to King Farlon."

"Sarina will provide proof of your stay here, off world.  I'd prefer it if you not get sent to the stockades or something for attempting to tell a "tall tale" to avoid a deriliction of duty charge or whatever punishment would be warrented for seemingly going AWOL." I shrugged.

"Agreed."

"Are we going to spend this only meal together in boring conversation?" Rance looked like he had reached his limit with our discussion. "Where's this amazing pizza you promised?"

"Rance.  A little patience." Dianne scolded.

"Okay, your order's up." Mitzi set down the super extra large pizza.

We all dug in.

"Well?" Violet smugly asked.

"Everyone gets one." Rance conceded. "Good job, mouse."

"At least use her name, brother."

"I'll take the compliment.  Don't worry about it." Mitzi sat down with us and dug in.

"So...is negotiation for the recipe on the table?" Dianne said with a sly grin.

Mitzi raised an eyebrow.

"Look at it this way.  I think it would really stick in your ex's craw if you gave the recipe to a completely different world sooner than you'd let his laywers subpoena for it in court." Violet prodded.

"We'll talk after dinner."

And that brought us to the point wher eour guests got changed and headed to the palace to take the gateway back home.

I still had a lot to reflect on.

But maybe coming to terms with this was what I needed so that I could stop beating myself up over it.

Nothing that couldn't be fixed with an apology and a first aid kit, right?

Alliances were as precious as gold during these times, and having a crossover ally like this was something we couldn't pass up.

We weren't alone in the multiverse. I'd know that for eons. But when our world became aware of this fact? I wonder how this changes the landscape of our world's very plyable, very adaptable timeline...?

Sub-Entry 302:  "Ectotron Returns"
I never felt like we had the complete story on Ectotron's appearance. And Peter Venkman was most certainly not telling us how the real Ectomobile ended up in an impoound lot in lieu of merely getting a "BOOT" put on the wheel until a past-due parking ticket was paid. I was sure that the car was paid in full since 1984. I mean it's hard to forget paying $4,800 plus additional expenses for shocks, brakes, brakepads, transmission, rear end, a little wiring...just to name a few things.

The way Peter handled it, I was half expecting Ecto 1-B to be rusting underneath a tarp in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. There's your Rust City, right there, am I right?

Too soon?

Anyway.

Not only was it time to get more information on what was going on with the substitute company car bearing an Autobot shield, it was probably about time Asriel and I helped nip this in the bud......sorry, Flowey.

"...continue." Asriel fixed his head fur after Peter noogied it into a matted mess.

"Our friend claims his full name is Ectronymous Diamatron and comes from the planet Cybertron."

"But you have trouble believing that.  Don't you, mentor?"

Egon narrowed his eyes.

"Yet, you don't have any trouble believing I'm from another world."

"Your dubiousness tells stories, old friend.  I fully grasp that we're not alone in the universe.  I have for a long time now.  But autonomous machinery?  Mankind is too far underevolved for true artifiicial intelligence of this magnetude.

For life to come into existence in an mechanical, inorganic form without the direct hand of other intelligent life? There are too many unexplained variables. Code just doesn't spring into existence in a recognizable mneumonic that our species can read on a decompiler. Metal isn't drawn into a ductile form like wiring through evolution."

"Wow...this is a side of you I'm not sure how to take." I put my hands on my hips.

"I can't accept it."

"Don't feel like I'm only seeing the ignorance.  I understand where you're coming from.  It defies logic.  It defies reason.  But most of all it's completely outside of anything remotely supernatural.  Explanations like...the car's simply possessed by a type of poltergeist we haven't seen before are convrnient...but they smash Occam's Razor in the face with a creme pie and run away laughing."

"Amusing metaphor."

"Why can't he be from another planet?"

"That part I'm open to.  But, please, Ray.  No more allusions to your comic books." Egon rubbed his temples.

"But Captain Steel answers so many questions about--"

"Fictional answers to fictional scenarios."

"Can you two agree to a consensus, already?  Louis is about tearing his hair out over how we're going to clear up the paperwork on the title and the insurance premiums on a second car." Winston interviened.

"You remember how I said I used to turn old hearses around for fun--"  Peter attempted to cut in with a joke.

"Not the time, Peter." Egon glared.

"So. Ecto 1-B still in impound or...?"

"The other garage." Janine pointed.

"Guys.  I really hate to see you argue.  So I'm going to break this up before it gets out of hand.  Besides, there's still the matter of the elephant in the room." Asriel pointed to where Ectotron was parked, in vehicle mode.

"Don't mind me."

"I haven't overlooked you, Eck."

"Please...could you not use that nickname."

"Sorry.  Aunt Violet's becoming a bad influence.  So...run it by me again.  Your discovery happened at Prosepct Park, here in New York?

"I believe that is the name designated to that place.  I scanned the first mechanical lifeform in the area.  I had to reveal myself when the local law enforcement attempted to afix a piece of thin writing material made of what appears to be processed biomatter--"

"You mean paper.  Yeah...you got ticketed for illegal parking.  But no.  Past that.  The ghost that the guys caught.  It sounded...familiar.  Like someone I met in the recent past with a nack for bad comedy and attempts at usurping leadership..."

Ectotron explained agian.

"Yeah.  That's Starscream, alright.  And it fits with his ghost surviving being blown up by future Galvatron.  But he still gained his form back after making a deal with the head of Unicron--"

"Unicron the Destroyer?"

"Obviously there's still some timeline details that are out of place.   But yes.  Although...he WAS destroyed again by Galvatron; blasted several times and hurled into the depths of space.  There was something in the archives referring to the Beast Wars where he found temporary refuge in the body of Waspinator."

Goat Son was becoming a quick study on my old case files.

Had Ectotron been in robot mode, Azzy would have picked up on how deep in thought he was.

From what the two of us had observed about him, my intial description of his personality was that he was similar to Ray. Further conversations had me convinced that he was a brilliant Autobot scientist but met with the same...skepticism that my mentors had met with all their lives. That led me to the conclusion he was mostly overlooked by his fellow Autobots and his theories brushed asside as the same level of "nonsense" the judge declared ghosts back during the Vigo the Carpathian case.

"This is getting us nowhere."

We were just rehashing what we already knew. Plus I hadn't quite figured out how the Ecto Trap was interferring with Ectronymous' tech. Spengler taught me everything I knew about muon fields but...this beat the heck out of me.

"They never believe us when we tell them it's a bad idea to simply turn a piece of equipment off."

Ray didn't have to explain what I already knew, though I appreciated a moment of that some-kind-of-a-rodent being a jerk about a Cease and Desist court order that led to one exploded Containment Unit.

"Nope." Winston shook his head."

"If it happens one more time, we get a free hat from our insurrance." Ray bantered back.

"Maybe if we knew how all this was connected." Asriel pondered. "Do you think that we've come across another Cybertron AU?  One that splintered off one of the ones that collided in the recent cross-rift?"

Silence in the room.

"Why do I overlook something so obvious...?" I facepalmed.

"KOMMAND!  Patch me into A.E.O.N.'s back door and scan for anomalies in past Cybertron."

"Can you give me a time window, Spark Wolf?"

"Umm...I'm going to arbitraily say between 64 and 65 million years ago."

"Ah!  Something after the launch of the ARK, you're thinking?  Our mutal friend in your...Inner Golden Circle had a a conspiracy theory--"

"No names, KOMMAND."

"I didn't drop any, dude.  Ahem...he theorized an alternate timeline where the Decepticons didn't immediately chase after ARK in the NEMESIS.  And, sure enough...you search results in A.E.O.N. has produced a couple of viable variations, verily.  Shall I verify this--"

"Yeah, you can quit with the V-words.  What's the most relevant entry?""

"You're going to flip over this."

Ray and Egon had stopped bickering to crowd around me as the hologram popped up.

"We have a Cybertron AU that matches all perimeters.  Get this: 1,000 years after the launch of the ARK, plans were made to pursue the Autobots, but the Decepticons were derailed by the appearance of something pretty big that your boys in beige are going to recognize..."

And that was when we laid eyes on the top of what looked like a main tower in Iacon...but it was what was ON TOP that made me do a double take. And made Egon and Ray do a triple-take.

"Does that resemble a Gozerian temple?"

"Like the one Ivo Shandor constructed?"

"Albeit a bit mechanized by comparison." Asriel narrowed his gaze.

"Oh man...you telling me these bots' got a visit from our not-so-favorite big Twinkee."

"Unfortunately the data is a snapshot so that's all I have to go on."

"We need to see more about it, if we're going to crack this case wide open." Ray seemed all in.

"Fascinating." Egon was subtly covering up his disbelief but I could tell that he was still grappling with how Cybertronian life violated a lot of laws of physics, logic, and common sense. Just were WAS the spark of life, he wondered. Obviously in a Cybertronian's...well...Spark. I'd explain the concept to him later.

"KOMMAND, is there any way--"

"No.  You'd have to be ON Cybertron for me to rewind the clock and show you what happened.  Even I have my limits, boss wolf."

"Unless anyone's got keys to a space shuttle, I don't think we can call in any favors from NASA." Peter shrugged.

"Darn it!  We were so  close!" Ray pounded his fist into palm. He really wanted to chase this one to the ends of...well...the universe.

"Just as well.  I can't say I had particular good memories of busting ghosts in space." Winston crossed his arms.

"I'm pretty sure your frequent flier miles don't cover expeses to another planet." Janine said with a shrug.

That was when Goat Son got an idea.

"You know...maybe we can't get a ride from this world...but what about one from...?" He suddenly grinned and wagged his tail.

I knew that look. There was one dream of his that I had never been able to make come true. And that was for him to reach out and touch the stars...metaphorically. Of all the places we've ever been...space wasn't one of them. And Goat Son really wanted to make history.

"I think I know just the Autobot you're looking for." KOMMAND grinned before the transmission ended.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this." Winston looked at me.

"What did you do, Azzy?" I asked, not all that serious.

Asriel beckoned we follow him to out of town to a spot where we wouldn't attract attention. I just hope that NASA wouldn't detect something...or someone really big coming into the atmosphere.

"I had my choice between a couple of Cybertronians and so...I decided on them both."

Wait. Both?

That was when the giant orange, yellow, and red rocket ship came down...followed by what appeared to be a merger of a space shuttle...attempting to be a dragon or brontosaurus and a robot lynx.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" Winston deadpaned.

"This is SO COOL!" We couldn't peel the grin off Ray's face with plastic surgery or a plasma cutter. He was so into this.

"I have to question your choices, Azzy.  Omega Supreme's kind of a gas guzzler when it comes to mileage to other planets.  And really...Sky Lynx?  Why Sky Lynx?"

"Well...I pondered a bit before asking myself this question.  Before you do anything, Asriel,  think, 'Is this what Sky Lynx would do in my position?', and you will not go far wrong."

"See?  The little furry organic gets it!" Sky Lynx lowered his space-shuttle-bird/bronto head.

Goddammit, Violet... I'm going to have a talk with you for corrupting Goat Son with your trivia. We also had to put up with one thing that was going to drive me nuts. With Sky Lynx? Twice the robot...twice the ego.

Omega Supreme opened the hatch and deployed the ramp.

"Pick your poison, boys." Azzy smiled as the others looked dubiously to Ectotron, who shrugged and borded Omega Supreme. Obviously he'd go with the one closer to the 1984 era. The Ghostbusters followed behind. Some more willing than others.

Azzy and I borded Sky Lynx. And before long both were off and headed through space.

"This is the BEST.  THING.  EVER." Asriel stared off into the cosmos once we left orbit.

"Don't get too excited, Goat Son.  We're still in the depths of space.  Remember what you learned at Space Camp especially the dangers of zero gravity, infinite inertia, and that something as small as a paint chip can puncture through the hull."

"I know, I know!  I'm just so excited I can't help it."

Aboard Omega Supreme, the guys had their own issues.

"How is it that this is the third time we've ended up in space?" Winston asked.

"And not even a pay  check promised to us for our services." Peter complained.

"I'm still skeptical about this.  But the proof is in the pudding."

"Or Energon!" Ectotron chimed in, in robot mode.

A momentary silence and stare.

"Right.  Shutting up now."

"Come on, you guys!  This'll be great!  We get to see an actual other planet!"

"For your information, Ray, I've had the experience of being off world.  I wouldn't say it's overrated, but the similarities to Earth are more than a bit passing." Egon crossed his arms.

"I feel better about all this that we're packin' the packs."

"Ghosts on alien robot worlds?  Yeah.  Why not."

"Did you already forget we seemed to have captured one of those alien robot ghosts."

"Riiiight.  The annoying red, grey, and blue F-14." Peter shrugged off Starscream's ghost. Speaking of the fate of Starscream's ghost after he had been trapped in Prosepect Park...well...no, that's another story I'd have to expand on, time permitting. This was now.

"For the record, this...Cybertron has an atmosphere, correct?"

"Relax, mentor." My voice came over the radio. "I can confirm from other Cybertron iterations that other humans have walked on Cybertron without need of space gear."

"Aww.  I was hoping to moon walk." Asriel said, as was doing the backstroke in the zero gravity environment.

I sighed. "Why did we turn off the artificial gravity in here, again?" I frowned, buckled into the seat.

Some time later we managed to land on Cybertron, in the ruins of what was Iacon. Most of the populace had relocated to Cybertron's moons...wait...they were still intact? I guess Unicron hadn't invaded, yet. Anyway...others I presumed had gone underground, leaving the capital city mostly abandoned. By now, Megatron and the Decepticons had probably abandoned the planet...provided the hadn't perished in whatever happened to this place.

"Lively neighbohood.  Must've been one killer last frat party."

"I was expecting it to be quiet, but I wasn't expecting it to be a dead husk." I cocked my head.

"Hmmm..." Egon eyed the P.K.E. readings.

Ectronymous lead ud up the tower to the place. There was no sign of the temple.

"I'm getting a creepy vibe of deja vu.  Anyone else feel it?" Winston asked.

Some looks all around but no answers.

"Okay, we're here, KOMMAND.  Do your thing."

"Before that?  The thing.  Don't forget the thing."

"Right, right." I sighed and handed out the arm bands. I shushed Peter before he could make a joke.

"These will sync us all to my Hazard Card." I said as I inserted a fresh circuit board into my Bracer. Asriel did the same as well. "We need these to keep ourselves outside of time and space."

"To stop the Butterfly Effect." Egon reasoned.

"Correct.  We're only here to observe.  We can't interfere with this world's past or we'll really screw things up in the future.  Chances are Ectronymous won't even be aboard the ARK and we'll cause a major paradox."

This was one of the times I actually had to ABIDE by Back to the Future rules.

"Emmett trained you well." Egon's tone was the closest I'd heard to "content" during this whole affair. I think the idea of giant free-thinking...no...living robots was just outside his comfort zone. If it didn't have a supernatural or paranatural explanation, it just wasn't logical.

"Okay.  Dial us back 64 million and 999 thousand years.  Or...cycles as they say in Cybertronian."

And the world around us suddenly went into full reverse as the moons and what I assumed was a sun began orbiting around the world in an endless ring, faster and faster as day and night tradeded off into one big flickering blur.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just have Superman on speed dial and have him fly around the world and spin it backwards real fast?" Peter asked.

"You know it doesn't really work that way!" Ray corrected.

"And this coming from the comic book nerd..." Peter rolled his eyes.

Gradually figures of Cybertronians--both Autobot remnants and Decepticon Ranks engaged in battles...but in reverse time. Slowly Cybertron's lights and power came back on while the city was becoming un-damaged.

"Fascinating." Egon observed the post-Civil War in reverse. There were very, very few survivors of whatever the event was, but enough to fight for what remained of their world. In seconds observations showed that most of them came from scout ships and vessels bring off world Transformers back to their former home.

I also noticed the semblance of a lot of...somethings...spectral in nature, choking what was left of this world. Ghosts of the fallen? Something else? The whole world seemed...haunted by something that wouldn't die.

The question arose...did what invaded simply abandon Cybertron? Or was it still here?

"Man, this is something like out of a movie." Winston suddenly looked up and started to flee in a panic as a Seeker Jet fell out of the sky and transformed, its foot about to land on him.

"AAAAAAAH!!!" He screamed as the machine came crashing down on him...and passed swallowed him up harmlessly before stumbling and crashing behind him, leaving him completely untouched.

"...!!!"  A moment of silence. "So that's what it's like...man, Slimer has it good being able to do that."

"We're outside of time and space.  We can't interract with anything on this plane of existence."

"Yeah.  We do this all the time." Asriel shrugged as laser crossfire passed harmlessly through him.

The millenia rolled on as semblence of battle for the scraps of Cybertron. While it was true, Cybertron was getting "undamaged", in truth, it was describing a grain of sand in the Gobi Desert. This world was long since destroyed by a major event and we had to see what that event was.

By now the time passing had accelerated and things were overlapping upon themselves because the history was going by so fast.

Finally...

"Stop." The world warped and distorted for moment before snapping back to where Cybetron was still prosperous.

"Do you see who I see?" Asriel pointed.

"That's Megatron." Ectotron gasped.

"And Soundwave and Shockwave." Asriel caught sight of his lieutenants.

"And there's Mr. Bad Comedy himself." I frowned at Starscream."

As we watched, the temple doors opened to reveal.

"No way..." Ray gaped.

"Uuuugh...tell me that's not who I think it is."

"Your favorite Big Twinkee is back." I narrowed my eyes at a surprisingly robotic looking form of Gozer the Gozerian and robotic versions of Vins Clortho and Zuul.

"It seems now we know how your worlds are intertwined."

"Taking bets on how long it takes for Starscream to do something stupid--"  Asriel started before the four Decepticons where knocked off their skid plates by Gozer's force lightning.

"...guess no one pays up." He shrugged.

"Shandor would be beside himself learning what other worlds Gozer invaded."

"And it looks like he...she...it...Gozer succeeded at destroying this one." I narrowed my eyes.

"But how did this Gozer do it?" Ectronymous asked.

"You're about to get your answer in just a few moments." Asriel predicted.

Our attention was piqued the moment the Gozerian offered Megatron a choice.

"Choose the form of the Destructor?  What does--"

"The choice is made!"

Oh crap.

Megatron immediately glared at Starscream.

"See?  I'm no the only one who let something just "pop in there"." Ray defended.

"Ugh...any chance it's the most harmless thing he could think of?" Winston asked.

We all slowly turned as we saw it rise up.

"None whatsoever." Egon looked up...up...and waaaay up at it.

"He chose himself in a crown and a cape?"

"And a lot bigger than 100 foot marshmallow man..." Ray actually took a step back.

"Guys...I think we've overstayed our welcome as giant King Starscream looked in our direction.  Apparently Destructor form gods can see through the veil of time and space.

"Get us home, KOMMAND!!!" I screamed as the world went white as Destructor Starscream's hand wrapped around us.

...and then here we were on Cybertron in the present again...a burnt out husk without any life.

"This is extraordinarily bad." Egon stood up.

"I don't see how.  We kicked the Gozerian to the curb on our world.  The Goze' is 64 million years in the past on this one--"

"Time is like a ripple.  Gozer's influence will spread millions of years and impact us on both worlds." I explained.

"Besides, the fact that Ectronymous is here, now, is practiclaly a sign saying that something's coming the the future.  Something that will involve both worlds." Asriel shrugged. "There's no reason why Gozer can't make a return to Earth.  He's a primordial god, right?"

"And don't remind us that you eat gods for breakfast."

Egon arched an eyebrow, instantly regretting that one-liner after defeating Ivo Shandor......oops. Spoilers on that third story they promised Goat Son, some day....

"And for that matter, what became of the Decepticons?  Or Gozer's Destructor Form?" Asriel reasoned.

"Y'know I vote we head back home.  I'm getting a little tired of these things ending on a building that got the top floors blown up." Winston looked around at the wreckage of the tower.

"At least we're not the ones who caused it this time." Ray shrugged with a cheesey grin.

"You just haven't wiped the smug off of not summoning a manefestation of Gozer, this time, Ray." Peter prodded.

"So.  Having an easier time believing in Cybertronian life, Mentor?" I asked Egon.

"I suppose I cannot dispute the hard evidence."

"C'mon, Spengs.  Your company slogan is "we're ready to believe you"."

Egon sighed and conceded defeat.

"Shouldn't we explore this place and find out a little bit more about it?  It might help us if we do cross paths with Gozer again." Ray suggested.

I shrugged. "All right.  But only the designated areas that might actually have something important.  Archives,  armories, anything that  might shed some light on what happened after the Destructor's wrath.

So we explored a little; I took them through various pathways I remembered from my own trips to Cybertron.

"Fascinating."

"That's all you can say about the supercomputer, Vector Sigma?" I shrugged. "Oh well."

I knew Spengler's mind was going a million miles per hour. He just didn't emote it particularly tell-tale.

"You may have had the idea to look around, Ray.  But how are we supposed to read this stuff.  And for that matter, it's 50 times our size.  Or did you forget about the part about this planet being home to giant transforming robots?"

"Easy Zeddemore.  Did you forget we have one of those giant transforming robots with us?" I grinned.

"Right." He shook his head as Ectotron scannned through the materials.

A visit to the Plasma Core--long since dead and inactive--yielded nothing...at leas tuntil Asriel thought to search its empty shell.

"Hey....look!" He fished out the orange heart-shaped crystal.

"Add another one to the pile.  That makes four." I narrowed my eyes. Ray and Egon looked at each other briefly but decided they'd ask about it later.

After  a top-to-bottom in the crypts, on the grounds that we might find some ghosts of Cybertorn's Past...

"C'mon.  Let's board Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme and head back to New York.  I'm craving a pizza." Asriel smiled.

"I know this place on Blecker Street that's amazing."

"And let me guess.  Recommended to you by a turtle or four?" Asriel asked.

"You sly little goat..." Peter grabbed Azzy in a headlock and noogied him.

"Hey!  Don't noogie the Goat Son!" Azzy protested.

"C'mon.  Let's go home.  And maybe Slimer won't eat us out of firehouse and home." Winston waved us toward the shuttle and the rocket ship.

We all boarded.

I probably should have paid more attention to Peter's mention of Blecker Street, as the King of Crossovers. The geek in me would be able to not only confirm that now the Ghostbusters had a connection to Cybertron, but also a standing connection to Splinter's turtles...sons...which were they in UltraVerse continuum, again?

But that would come later. I'd long since known about a connection between an iteration of the four...I mean five turtles and a team of five multicolor-spandexed costumed heroes originally from Angel Grove. But coming from me, the King of Crossovers, it said something when I strongly declare:  We...don't talk about that team-up."

Nevertheless, before this crossover occurs, it would be Goat Son crossing paths with them in a different kind of crossover.

Sub-Entry 303:  "Prankster's Paradise":
"Goddammit, Violet..."

You know, I really should have seen this coming...but really...when was the last time that Violet caused a little "harmless chaos" around here?

So the 64 billion gold piece question was...what did she do? In short: she started a prank war. Though in her case...it was more a one-sided crusade to upset the status quo and keep herself entertained.

There was only one rule with Violet's prank wars in the past: everyone's a target.

"AHHHHHH!!!  Not cool, Vi!" Rotor dropped the pipe wrench, too late to step out of the path of the gushing chocolate pudding.

"Heheheheh...oh yes it was..." Violet chuckled from her hiding spot.

And all the while, we were pushed to the point where we vowwed we'd take her down a peg and put a stop to it.

Challenge accepted, Vi had decided, watching from her master control room, while wearing of all things...a costume of a certain blue hedgehog, having 3-D printed everything based on the poorly-received trailer that got a ton of backlash over the design.

"They're about to learn that with their confidence to challenge me...it's easy come, easy......gotta go fast..." She chuckled as she flipped the switch, put on her gamer headset and started recording a new freestyle set to Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise.

"As I walk though the chaos of the last Splatfest, I take a look at my victims and realize they got nothing left.

Cause I've been tankin' and prankin' so long, that even a drenched Goat Son picks up his super soaker and declares "oh, it's on!"

'I ain't ever slimed a punk who didn't have it coming! Me be understimated and berrated, you know that's unbecoming.'

You better watch out, where your sittin' or your gittin' a whoopie cushion filled with industrial strenght stink that will have you rinsin' and spittin!

'I really love a good chuckle from Antoine wiping out on a bar of soap! As I fill the men's room up with lots of colored smoke, foo!'

I'm the kind of "G" the Crank Yankers wish they could be like, on my swivel chair, on the Wi-Fi air, droppin' Area 51 memes while I photoshop you with the face app on a tryke!

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!"

Al Dente tried to save face as siddled away, covering up the fact he was now in his boxer shorts, his clothes having literally disintegrated into confetti from Violet's latest chemical prank.

"HA-HAAA--"  Skeeter pointed and laughed, doing a Nelson impression from the Simpson's moments before he realized now he, too, was standing in just his briefs. From the wall in front, Violet high-fived Roy Rooster, who was holding back his chortling.

"No doubt the situation that you got your ridiculous face in, it ain't a normal joke!  I'm a cut above the rest!  You might want to cover it up with a hoodie while you blush with the urge to scream!  You're on television, sucker, and covered in whipped creme.

I'm a Lupin the 3rd level mind with a 300 brain power I.Q.  This is a game of tag that you'll rage quit before I'm through!

'I'm a level 99 advanced class supreme funklord master, and you're now stuck in a room that I've filled with plaster (of Paris). Against my Jackass antics, you might think fast, but I think faster! Fool!'

'Antoine thought a truce was a hearbeat away, but a 100 volt joy buzzer got the last say. It was hilarious to hear him panic and holler. I'd say Antoine even got a little hot under the collar!'

'The score's 23 to nothing now, it's about to become 24. Can you catch up to me? The way things are going, I don't think so.'

'Tell my whyyyyyyyyy art thooooou so easy to trick now? And the one-liners I deliver make you haaaaaave a cow?'

'Tell me whyyyyyyyy art thoooooou so easy to trick now? And the one-liners I deliver make you haaaaaave a cow?'

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!"

Violet rolled on the floor, laughing her bunny buns off as she pointed to the monitors of Mitzi and Gadget running out of the shop, chased by remote-controlled snakes and cockroach mini-bots.

"Dried Cayenne pepper in the salt shaker!  Now Cid Padesh is covered in flour!  Minutes of air horns are now Lulu's ring tone!  A fake zombie corpse in Chameleon's shower!

'Everybody's chasing me, but half of them don't have a clue that it's only a polymorphic phantom in the kitchen. Why's it so easy just to trick them?'

'They say that I'm gonna learn a harsh lesson. But how can they teach me? If they're not in my mental weight class, how can they impeach me? I guess they can't! I guess they won't! I guess I'm undefeated! That's how you know you got no chance to prank me, fool!"'

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spending all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!

You've been spendin' all your summer lives, livin in my Prankster's Paradise!"

'Tell me why art thee...so naive and ea-sy? Those looks on your faces...you need to see!'

'Tell me why art thee...so naive and ea-sy? Those looks on your faces...you need to see!"'

Violet laid back in her chair.

That was when our eyes became visible in the darkness behind her.

"Well.  What kept the lot of you?"

"Paybacks are Hell, rabbit." Chameleon growled, cracking his knuckles.

"This one-sided prank war comes to an end now, Aunt Vi." Asriel point the super soaker. "First rule of revenge.  It's a fools game and it takes a fool to play it...except when it comes to Super Soakers and Super Smash Brothers."

"And last words, bunny girl before we reap our sweet, sweet revenge?" I snarled, pulling off the wet toilet paper.

"I guess you got me dead to rights." Violet closed her eyes and raised her hands in an "I give up" surrender.

"First smart thing you've done all day!" We all let loose...then realized the horrible truth as "Violet" started static-ing up, distorting and collapsed in a heap of hard-light computer code that just blipped out of existence.

"Oh no--"  Asriel gasped before the massive torrent of Green Slime right off the set of You Can't Do That On Television rained down and covered every last one of us until we were dripping.

"VIOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!"

From an unknown location, with a tablet in hand...

"Ain't I a stinker?" Violet grinned as she nibbled on a carrot.

Sub-Entry 304:  "Protecting the Power so the Power May Always Protect You":
An unspecified number of millenia ago, Universal City timeline, in my early S.T.C. career...

"...IF I HAD KNOWN THAT ALLYING WITH MY UNIVERSAL CITY COUNTERPART MEANT I'D RUN INTO A LANGUAGE BARRIER, I NEVER WOULD HAVE AGREED TO JOIN FORCES!" Rita Repulsa shrieked.

For her, it was like looking into a mirror. But where being visually identical ended...the probably began.

Grifforzer just snarled as he stared down his counterpart, Goldar.

"My queen!" Finster ran in.

"We're being overrun!  Zordon has called in reenforcements from both the Ultra Crew Institute and the Universal Detectives.  They've already joined forces with both the Power Rangers and their Universal Counterparts, the Zyuurangers."

"Don't bring me bad news, Finster! Start making monsters and throw everything you have at a them!"

"Right away, my queen!  Pleprachaun has already started cranking out their versions of Putties with that knock-off Monster-Matic.  A Nendora Machine, he called it!  I would not stand for such craftmanship if he weren't my own counterpart."

"Stop complaining and get to it! NOOOOOOW!!!"

The alliance was falling apart, rapidly. Once again our enemies had underestimated us.

On the other side of the battlefield that took us to the moon en route to Bangora's palace--counterpart to Rita's own moon palace...

"Give up, Rangers!  You'll never defeat our masters!"

That was when one of our allies made a grand entrance.

"What?  Where is Detective  ?!?"

"Don't worry about her.  Our Universal Detective and her druid friends won't be joining us; they have other matters to attend to.  But you can feel honored that you'll fall to ME!  The Prince of all Saiyans!"

"Curses!  The Bearer of the Heart of Childhood would have to send one of her partners!"

"Where one is the other can't be far behind!  Take him out and--"

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!  FINAL FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!"

"It can't beeeee--!

"Tch...  Unsightly.  BRING ME A CHALLENGER WORTHY OF MY ROYAL BLOOD!  I WILL CRUSH YOU BENEATH MY HEEL, WORMS!!!"

While at the same time on the Kyuuranger AU Earth sector of the impossibly large multi-galaxy-sized Universal City...

"...by jove, you've found the dinosaur eggs!  Now Bangora cannot make their species extinct as planned."

"Elementary, dear Watson.  Our partner and leader merely illuminated the path.  It was simple deduction to follow the clues of the vile Bangora and track down the hiding location."

"I shall inform Detective  at once!"

"Very good, Watson.   I will send for the Kyattou Ninden Teyandee to clean up the rest of the...irregulars.   Provided Sukishii can private himself from unnecessary flirtation around the young ladies, they should have it well in hand before tea time.  Come, Watson.  The Game is afoot.

Back at the battle field...

"Commander Arcade!  The Agency wishes to deploy Trainee Adonis."

"Negative!  Keep him out of the fray!"

"But, sir!  They're insistant!  They feel that he can accelerate the--

"Hang up on them this instant.  He's young, naive, and vulnerable.  And they know damn well that if anything happens to him on my watch, it's on my head and that'll be another demerit on my permanent record.  Just another excuse for them to recommend I be removed from the frontlines!  We can't risk it on a touchy op like this!

Remember, it's more than just our alliance with Universal City at stake! We have two universes to think of!"

"Won't this strain your relationship with him?  He's your protogee--"

"He'll understand.  He has to.  It's for his own good.  It's not that I don't trust him, it's that I don't trust them.  The council is getting too chummy with him and that's going to lead to him being exploited.  Forget this conversation happened.  Focus on the mission."

"Sir, we have incomming.  Jason Lee Scott is en route with Geki."

I had formed an alliance with the Power Rangers at a time when Rita had equipped Goldar with Cyclopsis but before the rise of Lord Zedd.

"Have them lead the charge and push into Bandora Palace.

"Volt."

"Talk to me, Dr. Nicodimus.  What have you got?"

"Rita and Bangora have incoming and they've already used their Magic Wands."

"Crap!  This soon?  Okay.  Tell the Red Ranger and the TyrannoRanger to bust out the Megazord and the gestalt Guardian Beast, Daizyuzin.  I have a feeling we'll be dealing with Cyclopsis and Dora Talos very soon."

Having one evil zord was bad enough but having them do a Gemini Man? This was going to be an uphill battle.

And sure enough we had the rise of Megazord vs. Cyclopsis and Daizyuzin vs. Dora Talos with Bandora Palace in the background.

"If we get out of this,  this will forge an unbreakable alliance for generations to come.  The Power Will protect us this day.  Now and forever." I narrowed my eyes as the titanic machines battled in a four-way clash. And honestly it got very difficult to keep track of who was who on the battlefield; Super Sentai from Universal City...or Power Rangers from the UltraVerse. Rita Repulsa and her minions...or the Bandora Gang.

"What if Rita summons Lokarr?"

"Or Bandora prays to Dai-Satan?"

"Then the day may be lost.  We have to stop them from casting those spells and calling forth those ultimate evils.  All teams advance ! We win this day or everything we fought for dies in a blaze of glory while all of us with Goddess Contracts spend eternity treading water in our own failure!"

Present Day...well, present day for Angel Grove, circa 1993...

"....NOOOO!!  TOMMY!" Kimberly Anne Hart's scream reverberated.

The Green Ranger had fallen, felled by his attacker...an evil White Ranger? White suit, red visor on the helmet, green highlights. For Tommy Olver...his foe was all too familiar...yet...?

With the attack finished, Lord Drakkon was gone; an echo of his words that were prelude to this tragedy reverating through time and space.

"So many Rangers...so much potential.......squandered for so long.  We will invade their worlds.  We will tear down everything that might protect them.  And then...when it's too late...when they're powerless and alone...they will realize the truth: THEY COULD HAVE BEEN GODS..."

"Hey!"

"GAAAAH!!!" Tommy jumped as he felt Asriel's hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...just....it's the same dream again.  I keep dreaming about this Evil Ranger...he fights like me, has powers like me, and even his voice sounds like me......and--"

Tommy had confided in Bunnie and myself about this prophetic dream. Most of us in UCIAT dismissed that the idea of a timeline where lay a Shattered Grid. Even by going on A.E.O.N.'s data streams even I declared the possibility very unlikely. But not all of us were convinced it was just a dream...

"Normally I'd say the leader of the Power Rangers can't fall asleep on the job during a mission briefing...but sensei has always told me that dreams are the windows into deeper meanings.  Sometimes they can be premonitions."

"What's important to me now...is my friendships with the other Rangers...with all of you.  I don't ever want that to change."

"Kimberly already told it won't."

"Maybe..."

"Hey.  Zordon called us in.  We're all fighting for the same thing.  We're with you."

"Hey.  You okay, bro?" Jason Lee Scott asked.

"Yeah.  Just give me a minute, man."

The goat and the teen joined the rest of us in the Command Center, gathering around before Zordon of Eltar's plasma tube.

The time, as my backdated log said, was 1993. They year not long after the accepted first known team of Power Rangers; though other teams were very much recorded through Earth's history. From 6000 years ago during the reign of Ivan Ooze, to the Wild West Rangers due to a time-traveling incident that Kimberly had *yet* to partake in. White Stranger represent, yo.

"You honor our alliance by returning from your distant future, Volt Arcade.  I humbly thank you for your efforts in turning back evil."

"We've done this song and dance before, Zee.  It's casual.  That's what Ultra Crew Institute does and what S.T.C. is SUPPOSED to do."

"Nevertheless, you are risking much by returning to a point which has become ripples in the sea of time relative to where and when you now dwell."

"Please!  The flattery is overwhelming!  Let's just cut through the formality.  Yeah, I get it.  We did you a solid way back then.  We're in each other's debt for a lot of things, but honestly it's not about owing anyone one.  It's the right thing to do, y'know?"

"It's great to have you back, Doctor." Jason Lee Scott gladly accepted my hand in friendship. "And I see you've got an all new crew.  Who're the new faces?"

"Allow me to introduce Prince Asriel Tobias Dreemur, adopted into the Ultra Crew Institute and the Arcade family.  He's a prodigy in training and showing great promise in all walks of life."

"Dont' oversell it, best friend.  And really...you can drop the whole prince thing.  I'm just plain Asriel."

"My second in command, Grand Master Bunnie Rabbotou."

Bunnie gave a formal bow. I'd notice she'd been bonding with Yellow Ranger, Trini Kwan. Not to mention helping her perfect her Mantis-style kung fu."

"My third in command, Princess Violet Usako Tokugawa.  Brilliant hacker and guru with genetics.  Take everything about her that isn't science and technology related with a grain of salt."

"Aww, you do care, boss wolf!" Vi shared a fist bump with Black Ranger, Zach Taylor.

"My genius little sister, Gadget."

"Huh?  Did you need something, big brother?" Gadget was already working with Blue Ranger and resident genius, Billy Cranston on a new piece of tech.

"My Photon Combat Specialist, Mitzi."

"Hello!" Mitzi waved from where she was with Zordon's robot aide, Alpha 5.

"And my Terrain Master, Sally A. Acorn, briefly with us in between OGPX seasons.  She really burns the candle at both ends, even when she's on the clock for her day job."

"Gotta, I'm partial to pink but you know how to rock the color blue." Kimberly Ann Hart, the Pink Ranger complimented.

"Wait til you see my wheels.  It's got one nice stereo." Sally gave a thumbs-up.

"This team should be enough to work with you.  So what's the emergency, Zordon?"

"Rangers, I would like to introduce you to officer Jenn Scotts of the law enforcement agency known as Time Force.  This agency comes from the year 3000 and they've turned up some alarming information.

"Another Ranger...?  Prodigeous!" Billy uttered, in total surprise.

"I'll make this brief." Jenn pulled off her helmet and demorphed, revealing her pristine white Time Force uinform.

"It's currently the year 3001 and we've since dealt with the city's greatest theat, now reformed and cured of his unstable mutation thanks to the efforts of a later generation of Rangers."

"You're telling me that there are still Power Rangers teams in the far future?" Zack was in a little bit of disbelief.

"And other sub-dimensions of this Earth." I confirmed. "As you may remember Universal City had its own counterparts of your team."

"Yeah, we all remember." Tommy Oliver confirmed.

"I'm not at liberty to comment on too many of them, but you meeting a Time Force Ranger has already set things in motion for the beginning of things to come...team-ups to come.  A Ranger-verse, if you will.

If Universal City still existed, I'd estimate that there have been well over 199 to wear the suits and helmets of the Super Sentai."

"Over two-hundred?!"

"That...is a total...mind-blow."

"It sounds like our legacy is in good hands."

"And that legacy is precisely the reason that you're being targeted."

"Rita?"

"No, but you're not far off." I held off on name-dropping Lord Zedd. He hadn't ererged yet. In fact a lot of Power Ranger  history had yet to take shape and form. Tommy was still the Green Ranger and had yet to take on the mantle of White Ranger.

"I'm a little learly about dropping information about things that have yet to happen, but the forces of evil have already made a move and altered events in the time stream."

"We at Time Force have confirmed the Doctor's story.  We were tracking a new threat believed to be rising against all Ranger iterations but the trail has since gone cold.  In fact any chance of finding that trail was covered up by our current threat.

The information provided to us came from Hartford Industries in Silver Hills. A confirmed point of alien interest yet to transpire. The beneficiary of its acting security force, the Silver Guardians, has reported that this threat tried to unite the alien factions of that era in order to take down their era's Rangers. However a number of future rangers from different factions of different eras joined force with Operation Overdrive to qwell the unrest. Howevver the villain escaped to parts unknown. At least until now."

"You seem to imply that this villain has ties back to us...to our era.  Who is this villain?" Jason asked.

"Our invading threat is this being...Thrax."

"Thrax?"

"You would know him...as Rita Repulsa's future son prior to the resolution of what will be known as Mission X."

Jenn had wisely omitted Lord Zedd's name. But that wasn't what grabbed my attention.

I noticed the look in Zordon's eyes that went unnoticed by everyone else. Did...he know about his own future fate...? Did he know about Dark Spectre this early on?

Considering Zordon could only exist in the vortex of a Time War within his Plasma Tube, it made sense that time and space could very well be connected. His sagely nature could very much extend this far into past and future.

But I didnt' have time to contemplate it as the Rangers were in stronger disbelief.

"No.  Way.  Someone actually had a kid with RITA?!" Zack burst out.

"Eww.  Gross." Kimberly cringed.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, like Bulk and Skull being nice?" I prodded over Kimberly's nightmare come to life on the Island of Illusion."

She wrinkled her nose, shooting me a scoff.

"Hey.  It could happen...some decade." I shrugged, not REALLY implying anything. But suffice to say differernt generations of Rangers would have better opinions over the hapless comedic duo of Farkus Bulkmeyer and Eugene Skullovich.

"There is no time for levity.  Thrax is very bitter over the failures of his parents and seeks to correct it by ripping the Ranger Legacy out by the roots.  Starting with all of you."

I'd already said that this team wasn't necessarily the first Rangers, as Zordon had recruited warriors on his own world of Eltar 10,000 years ago as well as on Earth 6,000 years ago. And there was the whole Wild West Rangers time travel incident that I dared not tell "Calimity" Kimberly about any time soon, lest I screw up those future events.

But something else of note was that Jenn had said "failure" of his parents. What she should have said was the "betrayal" of his parents when the Zordonian Blast Wave had purified anyone who was remotely humanoid. Zedd. Rita. Divataox. And even Astronoma, reverting her to Corone. But everyone else was turned to dust. Yikes. Did allusions to Undertale start for me even way back then?

"So what's the plan dealing with him?  Do we wait for him to attack, or do we get pre-emptive?" Asriel asked.

Wait a minute...if Thrax was behind this...how? I had well-documented his final moments during Operation Overdrive. I still had video footage of him screaming "You again? I wish I had the sword Excelsior. Then I would use its power to destroy you forever. UGH! AGH!" before Sentinal Knight's Power Kick Attack destroyed him...althouuuugh...

"Hmm..."

I then recralled a casefile that most recently landed on my desk, code-named "Hyper Force". After skimming it, I could have sworn I came across Thrax's name. Which meant...yeah...maybe it was possible that we were dealing with a sub-dimension incarnation.

We strategized for a good bit until the alarm went off and the Viewing Globe showed us our enemy. Oh yeah. Shades of Zedd. Hints of Master Vile. And of course a manible that felt ripped off of Rito Revolto's own fleshless skull. Yeah...I could see how Rita's brother, a skeleton monster painted in army camo could influence his apparent nephew.

"Trap?"

"Likely."

To action we went. It seemed at first it would be pretty cut and dry. But then Adonis had to go and drop plenty of unexpected wild cards from all throughout the Ranger-verse.

I think I was most surprised to see Ivan Ooze again.

"Back the heck off!" I went gold lightning to purple lightning against who Violet joked as "one of the better Mutant Apocolypse cosplays.  At least her one-liner wasn't too soon.  I guess it was hard for her to work a Dark Phoenix reference in there...but maybe that was a movie even she thought wasn't worth riffing on.

Wishing I had paid more attention to the Hyper Force file probably would have better prepared Violet for. While she did have Director Ransik and Time Force's Jenn Scotts on her side, it was an uphill battle to get to Mr. Ashford as she had her hands full with a resurrected Venjix.

"You think you scare me, Venjix?  I have your counterpart on a quarantined Jump Drive back in my virus research lab!" Violet stabbed forth with the Thunder Spear.

"Then allow me to repay my captor in kind when I bond you with generation 41 hardware!"

Bunnie was soon up to her ears in trouble between Madam Odious, Lord Draven, and Master Xandred.

"The Sanzu River shall not overflow on my watch." Bunnie stood back to back with the true heir to the Shiba Clan and Red Samurai Ranger, Lauren Shiba as well as her stand-in, Jayden Shiba; once believed to be the real Samurai Red Ranger.

Sally was having her hand full pulling turbo duty with ironically enough...NOT the Turbo Rangers but the R.P.M. and the Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers.

"Man.  Thrax really knows how to throw a game into extra laps."

"I can't help but notice that you've somehow benchmarketed my technology into your own brand of Self-Assembling Nanofiber Digital System." Dr. K's irate voice came over Sally's headset.

"Yeah, it's a long story.  Corinth's counterpart on our world kinda turned it into a profession racing sport."

"And I'm sure I will have quite a jovial conversation with you about it, later."

"Well, take it up wtih Dr. Lynx.  She'll be happy to answer your questions." Sally grinned before killing the coms in mid protest.

"Now come on...who wants to be the first to get black-flagged."

It was about that time that one of the Grinders got kicked off a parked bus by R.P.M. Blue Ranger, Flynn McAllistair. "Get off this bus, you piece of trash!" His thick Scottish accent called back to his first time in Corinth City.

And it was like this for all my team.

"You okay?" Mitzi helped up Kimberly.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Oh no!  Tommy!"

Out of all of us, it seemed like Thrax was focusing more on Tommy and Jason than the rest of us. This was familiar. Mamma D's plan for Divatox to carry out was "remove the leader". Some villain plots just never go out of style.

Time and space rifts had been opening and closing throughout the battle and it was starting to look like the Legendary Ranger Battle from the end of the Super Megaforce Era.

But one in particular aimed to complicate matters..

"...!!!"

Future Tommy Oliver almost stepped through the gateway, Master Morpher in hand ready to morph when he saw his past self.

"No...I can't be here.  It's too dangerous for the time stream--"

That was when a stray shot forced him back through the portal but also...!"

"Oh no--"  He didn't have a chance to fully protest as the Master Morpher clattered to the ground.

"TOMMY!" Jason went tumbling, quicklky isolated from the Green Ranger, now knocked out of morph and looking up at Thax's Z-Staff.

"And with this I take my revenge and correct what those fools couldn't when they succumed to good."

"You'll never get away with this, Thax.  My friends will rise up to defeat you even if I fall."

What we hadn't noticed was where Asriel had gotten to during the melee. Had I paid more attention I'd notice the white furry fingers, wrap around the holding grip/strap on the Master Morpher.

"Hey!  Thrax!"

"Huh?"

"What!"

"Who?"

We all whirled at Asriel's voice.

"You!  What do you intend to do?  Are you volunteering to take his place in death?"

Asriel smiled as he brandished the morpher like he was wearing brass knuckles.

"That Morpher!  You wouldn't dare!"

Asriel smirked devilishly before slipping into that stance. "I dare.  IT'S MORPHING TIME!"

And the Power Coin that appeared in the holder had switched out for...

"WHITE TIGER!"

Well. This was unexpected.

"What?  A New Ranger?" Billy cocked his head.

"YOU BRAT!!!"

"I want you to meet a friend of mine I just now met.  Care to say hello to SABA!" Asriel produced the tiger-hilted sword.

"HIYAAAAAAH!" Asriel leapt into action and struck hard and fast, giving Jason a chance to get to Tommy and get him on his feet.

"That power!"

"Yeah...and it feels oddly famliar." Tommy commented, not understanding why it was nostalgic when the White Ranger Powers were yet to be created.

"I don't care who you are, I will annhilate the Legacy of the Power Rangers and undo the stain that Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa left on this world!  They should have never have gone good!  A pox on them all!"

Elsewhere in a magic realm...

"ACHOO!  First a headache and now sneezing?!  Someone better not be talking trash about me!  I didn't reform my ways as the Mystic Mother just to be slandered!" The Mystic Mother, formerly known as Rita narrowed her eyes from atop her pristine white throne.

Meanwhile, Asriel soon showed that Thrax was in for more fits than he'd bargained for.

"DRAGONZORD!"

That made the Mighty Morphin's all do a doubletake. Especially Tommy.

"Are you seeing this?" Tommy asked.

"Inconceivable.  There shouldn't be two Power Coins." Billy cocked his head.

"Somebody should have told him that." Kimberly commented.

"Does it matter?  He's on our side." Jason acknowledged.

"Yeah, and his giving Thrax a beat-down he won't soon be forgetting!"

"Go, Asriel!" Trini chimed in.

And another transformation later...

"Zeo 5!"

Admittedly, Asriel in red certainly sold that he had grown into a leadership position.

And one last one for the road.

"Bracchio Power!" Dino Thunder Black. Yeah. Asriel had mastered the ins and outs of walking a mile in the boots of one of the most legendary Rangers of all time.

"And I think it's time we put this nightmare to bed." I joined my best friend's side with both XBTOCLC's pointed. Every Ranger lined up for what turned out to be Thrax's execution.

Every Ranger Team had assembled their weapons into their fininishing attack.

"If only I had the Excelcior...I would have...ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!"

And that was that.

Asriel powered down and looked at the Morpher in his hand.

"Hmm...it was nice for a time.  But this has to go back to who it belongs to."

"So...I guess we have to welcome you to the family, huh?" Zack squeezed Goat Son into a man hug.

"You were soooo cool out there." Kimberly complimented.

"You've brought honor to the Rangers.  Thank you, our friend." Trini offered a bow.

"It was indeed morphinominal!" Billy followed up.

"Buuuut, I'm guessing you're looking into early retirement?" Jason slyly asked.

"Yeah.  This power was nice for a team-up and all...but it doesn't belong to me.  It needs to be returned to whoever it does belong to.  It's not one of yours, right?"

Everyone shook their heads and denied it. As Asriel went down the ranks, eventually it became clear that no one was missing a morpher.

At least until the gateway opened up. Through the energy dialation distorting the silhouette we couldnt' see who was on the other side. A hand emerged.

"I believe that belongs to me." the voice echoed through the tunnel.

"Yeah...I think it does." Asriel said after a momentary pause, to judge if this guy was on the up and up.

"You served the Rangers well.  I can't thank you enough.  You'll always be one of us.  For now, rest on your victory.  And may the Power protect you.  Always."

"May the Power protect you as well...whoever you are." The Master Morpher was passed back and the gate closed.

"Who was that Ranger?"

"Couldn't have been the Phantom Ranger...could it?" Cassie Chan asked as she joined the other mix of Turbo and Astro Rangers.

"I don't think so.  No...he felt...more familliar than that." Asriel said as he stood in front of Tommy.

"Well.  How was it, Azzy?"

"It was great.  i only have one regret though."

"Oh?  What's that?"

"I...was kinda hoping...I'd get to pilot a Zord!"

Laughter all around as everyone had finished de-morphing.

There was just one last detail to take care of.

"Doggy Krueger.  If you would do the honors?" I handed Anubis "Doggy" Krueger tha Neurolizer as only certain ones of us were issued the ray ban sunglasses. And with that, everyone's memories were rolled back to preserve the timeline.

Krueger handed me back the device and I bid him well as the last portal closed up.

"Come on, team.  Let's report back to Zordon."

And our tale ended there.

But sometimes...the tale has an unexpected epilogue that none of us saw coming.

"..."  Jason looked around the cityscape of Coral Harbor.

At the same time a dossier landed on my desk at S.T.C. bearing the code name: "Beast Morphers".

"Jason...?" The voice of Devon Daniels echoed through the room, inquisitively.

This would be a case I'd have to solve on my own time, some other other time...

Sub-Entry 305:  "Fear Itself.  The Cowardice of Chara Against Asriel's Bravery":
We really should have taken more cues from Mysterio of the Spider-Man universe. We may not have been far from home, but we would have been better prepared for when Evil Chara came knocking on our door with a new power, gained by sacrificing something else. In this case...it was a sacrifice that gave him a double advantage.

Granted, he couldn't touch anything, having lost any semblance of being a physical being...but that worked to his benefit as now we couldn't touch him. And he was about to put this ghostly new form to bad use.

It seems that talking was never the solution and fighting us in hand to hand, overpowering us, and deceiving us with lies hadn't worked. If messing with us phyiscally and mentally wasn't going to work...he was going to try to mess with us emotionally. And what better emotion to exploit than fear.

And to think it started off normal but quickly turned into a trap. Usually it's pretty obvious when Chara has landed on our world. But time he was sneaky about it. And apparently, Adonis gave him an advanced screening of a certain wall-crawler movie for inspiration. Not to mention gave him some cliffnotes from the recently mutated Dr. Jonathan "Scarecrow" Crane.

"I got your message as soon as I could." Asriel entered Rock-Afire Pizzaria.

"Good.  Let's have a chat."

Dr. Archimedes was a trusted ally. Asriel would have no reason to suspect anything.

Though I would have had questions as to why he was down here on my world. He should know better. This fact slipping through the cracks was a sloppy clue. But it still went unnoticed.

"I have questions about...well...Chara."

"...a bit personal.  But okay."

The conversation started a bit uncomfortable. But it didn't improve over time. And goat son got increasingly agitated.

"...I...don't like talking about the plan.  What's this about?  What's your interest in it?"

"Just a concerned party." In that moment it seemed like Achimedes' eyes had disappeared behind the thickness of his glasses...there was a vibe about him that had suddenly become like the late Sewing Life Alchemist on Edward Elrich's world. And just bringing up his State Certified title was a red flag if you knew what he did to his own daughter and the family pet.

It wasn't just Azzy's imagination though...the room was getting colder.

"What's going on...?" He muttered.

"Do you feel any sort of...guilt over it?"

"G-Guilt?" Asriel was starting to sweatdrop...no this was more like several anime sweatdrops in a cloud.

"Guilt over betraying your best friend..." Archimedes stood up and lowered his glasses, revealing red eyes...the same kind as...!

Asriel started to get up.

"Feeling your sins crawling on your back, Azzy?" His voice started changing as an inky ichor started surrounding him. His form became more nebulous until it had taken on a familiar shape and form. One that Asriel hoped he would never see again.

"No!  No!  You can't be here!  You can't!  You're locked away in the Containment Unit!"

"That feeling you're experiencing is fear.  We, the Legion, of Madam Fate have not experienced such pure fear in a long time...now we feed once more!"

"Somebody!  Help!" Asriel had fallen backward in the chair and scrambled on all fours to try to get away.

"Struggle, little goat.  It makes the chase all the more worth while." The ichor had started to spread from the Wraith all over the room, eventually swallowing the whole building up.

"This can't be happening!  This can't be happening!  Mitzi!  Anyone!?"

Asriel stumbled back and noticed something was wrong with the town itself.

As he took a step back, the pavement gave way and he found himself falling into...!

"What?!  Wheere...?!?" Asriel looked around in a panic...then it started coming back to him.

"The...the Void?!?  I can't be in the void!!!" No sooner had he said that the giant hovering, melted skull form of W.D. Gaster had manefested, both giant hands reaching out for the prince.

"Stay away!  Stay away!" Asriel swatted to no avail before he was swallowed whole in the gaping maw of the former Royal Scientist.

Down, down, down he tumbled toward the fiery gates of Hell.

"Why...why do I deserve this?!  What did I do wrong?!  Please, goddesses!  There must be some mistake!"

As he plummeted, the faces of all the enemies he had made over the last 7 years loomed around him in every corner of the darkness.

"Prime Evil?!  Skeletor?!  Megatron?!  Dr. Blight?!  Mother Brain?!"

And before long...

"OOF!!!" Asriel landed face down before a gravestone.

"What is...no....anything but that...!" He gasped as he read the inscription: Here Lies Chara Dreemurr. Poisoned to death with buttercups by her own sibling. Dear gods...Evil-Chara was already using Mysterio's mental torture from the Spider-Man sequel on him?

"I...I...!"

"ASRIELLLLLL!!!!" The bony hand reached up from under the dirt and grabbed him by the shirt as the corpse of Chara...his Chara undug herself.

"Whyyyy...you had...one job to do...!"

"This isn't right!  This isn't right!"

"The plan...why did you ruin the plan?!"

"I...I didn't...I...we abandoned the plan!  We forgave each other!  We--"

Asriel ran from there, sobbing.

It was then he got attacked by the feral versions of Toriel and Asgore when the Wraith-controlled Chara had possessed them.

"Stop it!  Stop it, please!" Asriel was backing away. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, moments before the locomotive rocketed past him.

"My god...!  I could have been killed!  Another step and I would have--!"

Nothing was making sense. The city wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Why was he getting so lost? And more than that...why wasn't anyone coming to his rescue?

"VOLLLLT!  SENSEIIII!  ANYBODYYYY!!!!!"

From the darkest depths of Asriel's nightmare, a shadowy formed watched. "You called for help...but nobody came?  And why is that?  Welll...."

Elsewhere in town...

Gadget hugged her knees to her chest. "Make it go away!  I don't want to be eaten by giant cats!

Sally picked the wrong time to drop in, yet again. Due to the race being rescheduled, Team Acorn was given down time to check in on us. Only it turned out far different.

"S...So--"

"So.  You decided you didn't want to live your own life...so you lived mine, instead.  Mondo uncool, Sal."

The spikey quills...the red and white high tops...those green eyes.

"Where were you when the brains were handed out?  Did you think I'd be okay with you being a fake hedgehog all these years...when you're not even a hedgehog."

"This...this wasn't how I wanted this reunion to be."

"Maybe you hoped you'd get to talk down to me again.  Make me feel stupid like you always did.  Complain about how immature I was.  Maybe you just wanted to say how much you hate my favorite food."

"No!  It's not like that."

"You're a joke, Sal.  You gotta go...fast.  Hasta la vista, meestah..."

"No...no, don't leave me again...!"

And beyond that...

"Who...what are you?!" Lupe cried in tears.

"I'm their polluting powers COMBINED...I am Captain POLLUTIOOOOOON!!!!" The surfer-accented, twisted clone of Captain Planet boasted as he hoisted Lupe up by the neck.

And even Pit was not beyond Evil-Chara's reach.

"I...can't move...I...it's impossible!  I can't be in the Ring of Chaos again!  Lady Palutena!  Did the Chaos Kin take over you again?!  Then that means...oh no...my body!  What horrible things is my body doing under your control?!"

All over town, people were in the grip of their worst fears.

"STAY BACK!!!" Chameleon was crowded around by waves upon waves of the corpses of Ebon Rabites that he kept killing...and they kept coming back.

Red Stokes screamed in agony as Dr. Kirk had pride open his chest cavity with HEAT blades and began the autopsy...while his subject was still alive.

Ivy could barely excape the reach of the Rygard Phantom, flanked by waves of giant Mandragora plants screaming bloody murder.

Jon crawled backward on all fours, ears drooping and eyes wide in terror as the Darkstalker bounty huntress, Baby Bonnie Hood bore down on him with a Molotov Cocktail in one hand and a silver machete in the other.

Bunnie covered her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I know it's not real...but to relieve the murder of my own parents?!  You have a sick mind." Bunnie tried resisting.

"That look...you think you have me all figured out, don't you?"

"So that's it...that's what you gave up for your new power.  In exchange for the power of illusion...of mastery over fear...over bringing our nightmares to life...of these powerful telepathic abilities.....you gave up yoru physical form.  But that's working to your advantage isn't it...we can't touch you...not physically."

"Smart bunny.  You thought I'd give up my speech and complete the pattern...hear no evil...see no evil...speak no evil.  But this was far too good to pass up.  Now be a dear and join your ancestors."

And even I was petrified with fear as I dangled from the broken spire of the tallest skyscraper in town as a blizzard rolled in accompanied by my own childhood nightmare...the Huntress. And she had several weapons pointed at my head while I was tied and suspended over a fall to my dooom.

"All your friends are gone, Asriel.  Submit to me..."

"I'm not afraid...I'm not afraid...I'm not afraid..."

"Denial is the first stage.  Give into the fear and seal your doom."

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Do I NEED a reason?  Because I can.  Or would you rather have me say it's very sweet revenge."

"I have...I have to fight back!  I gotta be brave...I gotta be brave." Asriel tried to convince himself as his eyes flickered between their default copper red and the orange of bravery...but they just couldn't hold.

"Stubborn to the end.  I suppose I'll just have to finish you off and show you how futile it all is."

Asriel struggled against the Boss Monsters of the Underground, recreated and out for blood. As he tried to get free, each of them started to crumble to dust from the slightest block and the slightest counter.

"No!  No!  This isn't happening!  I can't...I can't have killed them.  Mommy...daddy...stop!  I don't want to hurt you--!"

And that was all he got out before Toriel crumbled to dust in his grasp.

Asriel dropped to his knees. That was when the mounds of dust gathered together into a clay-like mass and engulphed Asriel, dragging him down a storm drain.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!"

Moments later he was unceremoniously spat out of the Fountain, which was now gushing blood. Asriel climbed out and hugged his knees to his chest...and wiped his sobbing eyes on his sleeve...all while trembling.

As a final note, his own shadow wrenched free, spreading out before swallowing him up and turning into a sphere of solid black.

That was when Evil-Chara drifted down from where he was floating...and gloating.

"You're done.  Swallowed up in darkness.  Blacker than the blackest black times infinity, Asriel.  It's there where you'll die of fright...literally.  Unless you finallly conceed defeat and agree to the plan.  I don't care what it takes, I'll MAKE it work, even without a Monster Soul.  You'll do it.  You'll make it happen.  All that determination...it will be your downfall!"

Silence from within the perfect sphere of darkness.

"Don't you dare die to spite me.  It's you're only way out.  Do you want your so-called parents to know you went out like a coward?  That you left them behind to mourne?"

No answer.

Oh gods...please, no. Asriel just can't have been crushed under his own fear. He was supposed to be the best of us...he was the...no...no Revenge of the Sith reference, Volt. No Dr. Strange moment. Just...it can't end like this--

That was when something pierced out of the sphere...a beam of light...a beam of orange light, tearing  a breach into the oil black ball.

"That's more like it..........what the...?!?"

That's when the silence that had gripped the whole city was broken by a voice...his voice. And his voice raised to the heavens in song.

"Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night

Search your soul and reawaken the undying...."

The pause seemed to go on forever.

"Grrrr...you....!" Evil Chara tightened his grip on the shadow saber and raised it over the breach, a moment away from plunging the blade in--

"...LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!"

Asriel's voice echoed through the whole town as the whole of the black ball trapping him suddenly exploded in a blastwave as the whole thing was swallowed up in a tower of bright, neon orange light!

In the moments after, his form remained suspended in the pillar of energy, his eyes blazing just as neon orange, if not brighter. This was different than his solar powers...his taiyoudamas. This radiated with the virtue of bravery.

"On that day, when the sky fell away

Our world came to an end

In our eyes, did a fading sun rise in the dark

Glimmering shadows..."

Chara snarled, incensed by the parallels of the song with the final moments of Asriel's world at the last moments of the Genocide Timeline. He has said before that he was witness to several resets and had been tossed around many timelines before making it back to the one that was rightfully his. He had to have seen the timeline destroyed by the ERASE.

I opened one eye, realizing that I wasn't as high up as I thought...in fact I hadn't left the ground. I pondered Asriel's powers. The signing was definitely Mitzi's influence but Azzy had gotten his Kindness Virtue from her...though in all honesty he did first manefest kindness in Rabbotou Dojo.. But the orange light...could it be...?

"Silence grows, in the spaces between

stretching out beyond time

Rising up, as a chorus of souls find a voice

flickering through the void."

Asriel lowered down to the ground and started advancing. He had no weapon in his hands. He showed no intention of attacking. But what he did make known was that he was no longer afraid. That expression...that was the expression of someone who was ready to face his fears and tear down the illusions Chara had constructed.

"What do you think you're doing, Asriel?  Why are you singing?!  Fight me!  Fight back--

"These little sparks, cling on to life,

everyone caught in the struggle,

And then the storms of change, they fan the flames

scattering ashes to the wind."

Was he DARING to make light of monsters turning to dust? Was he TRYING to provoke Chara? No...this was different. This was someone who was making it very clear that they had already been provoked. This was how he was fighting back.

"Every soul contains a whisper of light

gleaming faintly as it dwindles from sight

No escape, no greater fate to be made

In the end, the chains of time will not break..."

Pit looked up from where he had lay face down, having passed out from his own terrors.

"That song...how does he know that song?  I haven't heard it since...!"

"Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night

Search your soul and reawaken the undying light!!!!"

And another beam of orange light errupted from the ground and pierced through Chara's false Wraith form, tearing a hole through him.

"What...what is this...power?!?"

As Asriel continued to advance, Chara drifted backwards, his Wraith form starting to fall apart and his physical form starting to manefest again. He started to lose altitude, dropping back to the ground in a stumble.

"As fate spins a thread without end,

new life draws its first breath,

Blossoming in a soil reclaimed from the past,

where destiny holds fast,"

As he continued to force Chara to retreat, more orange lasers pierced through him. Where where they coming from? Where would they strike next? Above? Below? Behind? To the left? To the right? Where? WHERE?!?

The sound they made as they struck...so...famliar! I know I'd heard that sound before!

"Here where we stand, hand clenched in hand

everyone caught in the struggle,

This is the day we finally find our way

stepping into our tomorrow..."

As Chara looked closer, Asriel's soul had emerged, beating like a heart and pulsing incredibly brightly with that orange light.

The further he got from where his transformation occured, the more of us started to find ourselves rising up. As we did, each of us began to feel inspired. One by one, a surge of bravery welled up in us all.

From those who it came easily like Mitzi and Bunnie to even the most afraid of us like Gadget and Antoine; we weren't scared anymore. What did we have to be scared of? This bratty kid who had been playing head games with us?!

"Every soul contains a whisper of light

growing louder as it calls to unite

From the distance sings a chorus of souls

rising slowly, stirring heat from the coals."

As we all began to gather behind Asriel, the whole world became brighter...warmer. It felt safer. It felt right.

"Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night

Light will guide you, on your way to the ultimate fight

Every soul contains a whisper of light

growing louder as it calls to unite

From the distance sings a chorus of souls

rising slowly, stirring heat from the coals"

By now, Evil-Chara was on the ground, backing away on his rump. A look of defiance and anger...and hints of fear.

"Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night

Light will guide you, on your way to the ultimate fight!!!"

An uneasy tension wrapped around Chara as he stared up at a united town bearing down on him.

"Is this it, Azzy?  Is this your great new power?  Sniping me like this with lasers?  Sneak-attacking me with a stupid light show then getting everyone behind you?!

You spineless goat...you're all going to gane up on me?"

"Everyone here only joined behind me of their own volition.  I had nothing to do with that.  But the lasers?  Yeah...my new power is Bravery.  And the light it posseses will burn right through the darkness of fear."

"You're so full of crap, Azzy.  Where's this ultimate fight you've been yammering on about?  You can't even fight me with a proper weapon!" Chara forged the Real Knife again, expanding it back to its dark counterpart to the Chaos Saber.

"Right again, Chara.  My new power doesn't really have a shape or form...but...if you really WANT me to give it such...

I should warn you, the advice of a Shaman named Yoh Asakura was very clear about compressing down the size of your attack. The same advice given by one Isshin Kurosaki about a Soul Reaper's true power and why they don't swing around swords the size of skyscrapers..."

"Will you shut the Hell up?!  You think that advice scares me?"

"No.  But it should.  It really, really should." Asriel signed as he outstretched his hand and the light beams all manefested and gathered, bending in elegant curves, loops, and spirals into his palm before taking a shape...a bent shape."

"Are you just taunting me?!?  That's your ultimate weapon?!  A dinky little boomerang?!"

Now it was making sense where Azzy's power was coming from. All those years ago in Violet's simulation of Quick Man's stage. Those beams piercing through Chara...those were Quick Man's death lasers! But was he really going to use--

"You're as good as de--"  Chara's eyes went wide as a he was now missing an angular chunk out of his shoulder.

"AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" His scream of bloody murder echoed through the city as he clutched his wound, desparately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Don't touch it.  The residual light particles haven't finished cauterizing your wound.  We can heal you after you surrender, which I strongly suggest you do." Asriel held up his hand as the streak of light curved around and back into his grasp.

"You...you...!" Evil Chara stumbled backwards, still clutching the wound, the orange light particles burning not just the wound but his hand as well. It was like touching fire...no...magma.

"You see, my power isn't so horrific that it would leave you to bleed to death.  In this form it'll cut through you like a razor heated with a blowtorch.  It's the boomerang that cleaves evil.   The light that pierces fear."

"No no no NO NO NONONONONONONO!!!!" Chara lost it in a frenzied panic.

"Please...stop it.  I don't want to make you stop." Asriel launched a trio of Quick Boomerangs. These merely clipped Chara, but the injuries were just as excruciating. He was losing feeling in his limbs where they struck.

"Yield." Asriel commanded as he finally stood over Chara's fallen form.

"I'd sooner die..."

Asriel sighed and grabbed Chara by the shirt. "You forced my hand.  I'm sorry about this..."

And then he knocked him out with a headbutt.

"Your reign of terror is over.  Finally, you're going to face jus--"  Asriel reached out to grab Chara's wrist.

But at that moment the Cyber Gate errupted underneath him, vomiting up a red geyser of chaos energy before swalling the fallen teen up and closing.

Goat Son deeply sighed as his boomerang broke apeart and the orange glow of his eyes faded.

"Again." He shook his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"We'll live." Bunnie placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Four virtues down." I muttered to myself.

"Well.  I guess he got away again." I pounded my fist into my palm.

"Maybe...but I have a feeling Dr. Adonis will give him something to REALLY be afraid of..."

And sure enough int he chaos realm.

"...you wear defeat rather well." Adonis smugly looked down from the throne as his guards had Evil-Chara in arm and leg manicles, having stripped him of his shirt, his shoes, and his dignity.

"You think having me barechested and barefoot is anything new to me?  You've been chipping away at my pride for ages now, old man.  It's cliche at this point."

"No, that's just to amuse me.  And I am rather amused how well you mastered the antithesis of bravery so well...until you un-mastered it."

"Save it and just send me back to my cell."

"Ohhhhhh there's more this time, I'm...afraid." The grin at that joke really stung.

"There's nothing you can do to me."

"For once you're right.  So I'd like to introduce you to a recently acquired asset who was all too willing to serve once he heard my offer.  I was a bit...surprised by his recent mutation.  But his skills and resources most certainly haven't deteriorated."

"What are you--"  Chara was suddenly allowed to stand up by the guards. That was when he felt the tap on his shoulder. The moment he turned around he caught a blast of some kind of dust in the face.

A coughing fit ensued as well as some swearing and some blind swings.

"What did you...?!"

"Chara.  Meet Dr. Jonathan Crane; recently transfered here from Arkham Asylum.  But I must apologize to the doctor...he really prefers the alias, Scarecrow.  Can you guess why...?"

Chara's pupils shrunk as his irises dulled in color...and he looked up at the sudden form of the towering, angry goat god in his presence. This wasn't regular Absolute God of Hyperdeath...this was more like an ULTIMATE Absolute God of Hyperdeath.

"Chaaaaarraaaaaaaa....I've missed you sooooo much, best friend......you got me killed didn't you?  Well...it's only fair that I repay you in kind..."

"No!  NO!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Adonis laughed sadistically as Chara blindly swatted at the air, completely taken by the hallucination.

"The only thing we have to fear...is fear...itself..." Adonis mused as Chara fell to the ground and writhed...and sobbed.

Sub-Entry 306:  "That's Rude, Buster":
You know I think I think this weird, continuing dreamscape skipped an interval the last time I updated these logs.

"Please, Heroes...listen to my tale..."

I still had the Hazard Card in...ate least I was pretty convinced I did. This was the third time I was manefested in this DeltaRune instance but I was still not sure if it was just a dream or if there was more to it. I'd pretty much gone by the book approaching this unknown realm which was somehow connected to the Undertale multiverses.

But something was about to throw me a curveball I wasn't prepared for.

"Are you not going to listen in as well?"

"!!!"

Kris and Suzie looked at each other then at the stranger, completely confused.

"Uh...who do you mean?  There' ain't nobody there." Suzie seemed almost annoyed.

"You do not see them?  They are a Lightener, like you, yes?"

"...!!!"  This cloaked individual was staring right at me.

"In fact they overflow with light.  An angel perhaps!"

No doubt about it. They were drawing attention to me. I could maintain the facade and simply cast doubt, passively, on the cloak-wearer, hoping he'd just get on with it instead of freaking the two Lighteners out.

But...I felt like somehow if there was a timeline here...this was disrupting a flow of events. I had a decision to me. Was it more productive to try to just disappear and draw more attention to myself or...

I would regret this.

I pulled the Hazard Card and stuffed my hands in my pocket.

"Well.  You saw through time and spacce and somehow found someone who didn't technically exist in the world until now."

"WHAT THE H--"

Kris silently stared holes through me...at least I think they were doing so. The shadow of the bangs covering up the eyes really  made it hard to tell.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, I'm just here to observe.  And just know that if you try to cause trouble..." I generated a VERY big ball of electric energy in my palm.

That made Suzie back of.

"Good choice." I snuffed the spark. "Well then.  Get to do, stranger.  I might as well know what I've gotten myself into on this world."

"Please.  Listen to my tale."

Kris seemed to be the one to decide so I guess we were hearing him out.

"Very well then...

Once upon a time,  a LEGEND was whispered among shadows..."

I wasn't sure but it almsot felt like his tale was being told in stereo, but the words weren't quite lining up.

"It was a LEGEND of HOPE."

"It was a LEGEND of DREAMS."

I swallowed hard at that.

"It was a LEGEND OF LIGHT."

"It was a LEGEND OF DARK."

My eyes widened.

"This is the legend of DELTA RUNE."

And so he told the story...

"For millenia, LIGHT and DARK have lived in balance, bringing peace to the WORLD.  But if this harmony were to shatter... a terrible calamity would occur.

The sky will run black with terror and the land will crack with fear. Then her heart pounding... the EARTH will draw her final breath.

Only then, shining with hope... Three heroes shall appear at WORLDS' edge. A HUMAN, A MONSTER, And a PRINCE FROM the DARK.

Only they can seal the fountains... And banish the ANGEL'S HEAVEN. Only then will balance be restored, and the WORLD saved from destruction.

Today the FOUNTAIN OF DARKNESS--the geyser that gives this land form--stands tall at the center of the kingdom. But recently another fountain has appeared on the horizon...and with ith the balance of light and dark begins to shift..."

Hmm.... I rubbed my chin.

"Kris, Suzie...thank you for listening to my long tale.  I deeply believe that you two are the HEROES of the LEGEND.  That despite whatever enemies you may face...you two have the COURAGE to SAVE THE WORLD..."

That phrase sent chills down my spine. The last time I heard it in that context...in...that voice, even...a goat son was trying to save his sister from a doomed fate as a Wraith tightened its stronghold on her spirit.

"Alas...I do not know your role in this story.  The prophecy did not mention you."

"Yeah...I don't suppose it would for a space and time traveler lost in an unknown place, not sure of what his mission here is even supposed to be.  I don't even remember how I really got here...at least to your world, Kris.  I'm pretty sure I fell into this one with the both of you in the supply closet."

"You followed us into the supply closet?  What kind of creeper are you?"

"Hate the job not the guy doing the job.  I got enough crap about critizied for having to watch grass grow on multiple universes just to chart evolution and geographical change over time."

"As a time traveler, you kinda suck.  Where's your sport car time machine and flying skateboards?"

Yup. There's a Back to the Future equivalent in the Lightener's world.

"Perhaps your role will become clear over time.  It is better to have allies than enemies, yes?"

"Works for me." I shrugged.

"Well then.  DELTA WARRIORS!  Please, won't you accept your destiny...?"

"Uh...nah." Suzie turned away.

"Wha...what?"

"Me?  Some kind of hero or something...?  You've got the wrong person.

"B-buts, Suzie, without you, the...the WORLD will..."

"So what?  If the world gets destroyed, it's none of my damn business.  Might even be kind of fun, honestly."

Jeeze what an ass. Yeah, I said it. Ass. This girl needed an attitude adjustment.

"..."

"Anyway, Kris... If you want to play pretend with this weirdo...stick around. I'M going to find a way out of here."

"Suzie, wait--"  the cloaked stranger started before something sounding like a motorcycle roared from the right...the east I guess...got louder really quickly before barreling into the cloaked person and drive-by crashed into him, sending him flying...with a firely explosion that didn't quite match the look of this dark world. It almost felt like it was photoshopped in.

Huh...?

"Ho ho ho!" The rider chuckled, coming in for a stop.

He was a short dude in a white and dark blue outfit with a black covering draped over top like something out of the three musketeers...only it had a single blue spade on the front...like from a house of cards. His chalky white, grinning face housed a goofy smile with crooked teeth. But the upper half of his face was completely covered by a black mask in the shape of the same spade on his duster.

"The heroes are already running away... And they didn't even know I was here.  My dad's going to make me Son of the Month."

"More like a son of b--"  I grumbled under my breath before Suzie interrupted me.

"Who the HELL are you!?"

"I'm....!" He started before his whole bike with him on it did a full 360 degree donut...but it was like he was a 2-dimensional sticker that merely flipped over. Weird.

"...the bad guy."

Well. That was descriptive and anti-climactic.

"You CLOWNS want to seal our DARK FOUNTAIN, huh!?  And--still picturing you guys as CLOWNS--save this world from ETERNAL DARKNESS, huh!?"

"Eh."

"Don't try to deny it...!"

"We both know you'll go EAST!

Wait a minute...did he just drop a hint? Was he that stupid or...did he have other motives?

"It's your only way home!  But I, LANCER, won't let you go there!  And I've got a flawless two fold plan to ensure it.  Step one.  I thrash you.  Step two.  You lose!"

Arrogant fool.

"Hmm.  Nice plan, kid."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, actually...MIND IF WE USE IT ON YOU INSTEAD?" Suzie got that same crazed look I saw in the hallway.

We're doing this. Can't use firepower or deadly ordinance.

"Discharge, Kaminariou no Danganken."

That was when the battle began. LANCER. Attack: 7. Defense: 1. Not to call a Spade a Spade, but he's a Spade. Not old enough to ride a motorcycle so he set his bike on fire.

Suzie immediately rushed in with the axe she was carrying and gave a pretty sizeable chop, knocking Lancer off his bike.

"Halt, Clowns, this bike is fueled by victory!!!" Lancer cried before trying to run Kris down.

"Don't know how I got an axe, but like, that's cool!" Suzie was relishing this.

Kris...somehow conveyed to Lancer that he should watch out for Kris' axe attack, prompting him to ready for it. But that left him open to Kris' sword.

"I love to get thrashed...just kidding, that's you!" Lancer's humor somehow reminded me of a certain skellly. Yeah. We all know the one...

Several more attempts to run us down were accompanied by spade-shaped throwing projectiles.

I dragged my blade across the ground, training lightning, cutting a gash and spraying sparks. I drew upward with the sound of a thunder strike and knocked Lancer for a loop.

Kris tried something else by flattering him, telling him they couldn't tell the difference between his outfit and his body. He seemed...flattered? But that was enough to lowe rhis next attack.

"Wait!  Wait a second... My bike's running out of fuel...!  Alright you punk-a-roos!  You had the luck of the draw this time, but...next time the losers will be YOU! HAHAHAH  Bye, losers!  I gotta get home before dinner!"

And then he tore out of there. We won and got no EXP and 36 dark dollars...dark...dollars? Question it later, Volt.

"Are you two okay...?"

I gave a thumbs up even though he excluded me. I just assumed he could tell I was an experienced warrior and could take care of myself. I didn't give it thought--

"That's good, mister.  I meant to include you, too.  I'm still adjusting to the whole plus-one of the prophecy."

"Umm...allow me to introduce myself more properly,  I am..."

"Jeeze, can you take off that hood?" Suzie cut him off. "I can barely hear you under there."

"U-umm...alright..."

And off came the hood and cloak...but I was NOT prepared for who was underneath.

"A...A...A...!" I stammmered.

Asriel?! It couldn't...be...!

No. It wasn't him. Maybe it was the lack of contrast in a place so dark...but his fur seemed black...or the darkest of greys. And he was wearing a green encasulating robe or cloak with a black heart emblem along with a green...I guess it was a wizard's fedora of some kind? And matching green glasses. Maybe it was the darkness but I couldn't tell if he was barefoot or wearing boots. I mean I couldn't even see the shape of them. Heck, I couldn't see his hands or his arms. Were they underneath the cloak?

The only other thing of note was...the greatly contrasting magental scarf that covered up everything under his snoot.

Even that familiar tuft of head fur...

"Hello, everyone...  I'm Ralsei."

Ralsei? No...the anagram couldn't POSSIBLY be that obvious? Asriel...Ralsei. How? What was the connection? It was like...Wonderland around us. And this was a far cry from a white rabbit with a waistcoat and a pocket watch. But I felt like the dimensional umbilical cord tying the Light World to the Dark was ringing loud and clear and carrying with it the sounds of Hyrule, Aether, and even frickin' CastleVania.

"Kris, Suzie...it's ever so wonderful to meet you!  And you, Mister...I didn't get your name...huh?  Are you okay, sir?  Are you...crying?"

"No...just...something in my eye.  I was thinking of...someone precious to me.  I'm sorry.  Continue."

"I'm certain we'll become great friends, and--"

"Best way to leave is East, right?"

"Yes, that's where we'll--"

"Got it.  See you at school Kris..." Suzie turned and walked away.

"Umm...I suppose it's just the three of us, then...?" Gods...that sad face...

"Kris, I'm a PRINCE, but...I, um, currently don't have any subjects.  I've been waiting alone here...um...my whole life for you two to arrive.  So...I'm really happy to meet you."

The feels. The FEELS, MAN! Goddammit, the FEELS! This goat prince was too good for this world! He didn't deserver this solitude!

"I hope we can be good friends, Kris!  And...uh...?"

I gave a pleasant smile. "My name...is Volt.  Volt Arcade." I gave a thumbs up.

"Okay, Mister Volt."

"Volt.  Anyone who calls me Mr. or Doctor Arcade just makes me look over my shoulder for my own father.  And that makes me feel old."

"Er...okay, Volt.  Sir."

I shook my head and rubbed my temples. You are too kind, little goat. You are too kind. And you remind me of Asriel at a younger age.

Ralsei took us to the southeastwhere his training dummy was set up. It was in his likeness, having no one but himself as a point of reference. It was too cute to bring harm to. Suffice to say training involved pretty much everything I had seen with Toriel's training dummy. Though there was a cute instance where Ralsei was hugged instead of the dummy. I about almost couldn't contain my glee.

But to make a long story short, we proceeded east. And sure enough...

"Oh my!  The Great Door is opened?!  No wonder Lancer was able to get through..."

He paused and looked down a moment before looking up at us.

"Kris...Volt...once we pass through this door...our adventure will really begin.  A journey foretold exacdtly by the prophecy... But, Kris, I believe YOUR choices are important, too."

Huh? What was he implying?

"This world is full of all kinds of people, Kris.  Volt.  In the end, how we treat them makes all the difference.  So lets try our best to get by without FIGHTing."

A goat after my own heart. And it was a relieving thing to hear after Gaster's...at least I THINK it was Gaster...after Gaster's words echoed, warning my my choices didn't matter. Assuming he was talking about me, in the first place. But technically, Ralsei was focusing more on Kris. I think it was because they were the same age. Maybe I just intimidated him.

"If we can manage to do that...I believe this tale may have a happy ending.  Otherwise...I fear...you may not...find the result favorable.  ...Oh!  I'm sorry!  Is that too much to ask?

Before Kris could respond, I cut in with. "Yeah.  We can both handle it." I gave the most confident of smiles. I was overstepping my bounds, but I was suddenly interested. I wanted to see this...dream through.

"I knew you were heroes the moment I saw you.  Let's try our best, alright?"

We stepped through...and Ralsei closed the door behind us...

"Dad!  Time to get up!"

Right on cue, Stephie.

"Get up you lazy wolf you." Penny shook me, playfully.

"Right.  Let's go then." I got up from the cot and rejoined my family in the waking world, the realm of DeltaRune slipping away from me once again.

This was getting...very interesting...

Sub-Entry 307:  "A Crossover in Dark Water Leads to a Pirate-pocolypse ":
"You know, I was just thinking that my long list of off-world adventures was missing a dose of pirates."

"Couldn't deliver on the ninjas, though, Goat Son."

"I don't think that matters right now..." Asriel grimmaced as we both held our manicled hands up, clearly not in a good place.

"Could someone remind me how we got into this ugly mess...?" I grumbled as our possibly-allied group of rag-tag heroes and their ship were now under the control of Lord Bloth and his group of pirate scum.

There we were, tied up on the Maelstrom, Bloth's behemoth of a ship, as the ship of the other fellow captives with us--the Wraith--was towed behind it. In total? It was me, Asriel, Violet, and Rotor...along with the rag-tag crew of the Wraith--Ren, Ioz, and Niddler.

But we got off easy. Bloth had personally taken Lupe as well as the only female member of Ren's crew, an ecomancer (and stowaway) named Tula. While initially identifyig herself as a simple barmaid, Violet didn't buy it. And as our bullcrap detector, she soon became aware that Tula was keeping many secrets and had some other motive besides wanting to get away from the drudgery of a deadend job.

"What is it they want with us again?" Asriel whispered.

"Isn't the usual motive our money or our life?" Rotor sniped, not liking the situation any more than we were.

"Now would be a good time for Drew to come back with some backup...." I sighed.

"He'll be back with the Solaris.  And sensei with him."

"And put himself right in the crosshairs of the pig slime guarding us." I growled.

"Huh.  Was that a Skulljaegger reference?  There's a Super NES game from the bottom of Aunt Vi's archives." Azzy joked, trying to alleviate the situation.

"This is a fine mess we're in.  Some help YOU turned out to be." Niddler, the Monkey-Bird crossed his arms...er...wings. I described him as a little greedy and self-centered as well as constantly ravenous for food. In short I considered him a more mischievious and less naive version of Tithius.

"Hey.  Do me a favor and say 'the worm, the worm, I hate the worm.'." Violet chuckled.

"The worm, the worm, I hate the worm...?" Niddler arched an eyebrow.

"Now say "Starscream, you've failed me for the last time!"

".........your friend is very weird."

"You don't have to tell me that..." I grumbled.

"You--"

"Yeah, I wouldn't go with the "you'll never get away with this" speech, Ren.  It never goes over well with villains and you often have to wait for the payoff." I cut off the blond-haired hero of this world in mid protest."

Ren. The prince of the once-grand kingdom of Octopon and the hero to be. I wouldn't be far off by considering him the sea-going version of Luke Skywalker. Though instead of a light saber, he was armed with a broken sword...that...belonged to his father. Well shoot. The parallels were many, weren't they?

"So let me get this straight...before all this mess with Dark Water started, you were just a lighthouse keeper?  And it turns out you're some kind of prince of this kingdom called Octopon?"

"In so many words."

"I got it!  You're totally Arthur Curry!" Asriel said, excitedly.

"Who?"

"...right...I guess you wouldn't have heard of Aquaman."

"Your whole crew is out of their jitatin' minds." Ex-pirate, Ioz complained. While I quickly learned he and Niddler both used to work for Bloth, he assured me that..."it ended ugly". That didn't exactly help us now. In terms of personality I described him as being very much ruled by avarace and very much a scoundrel...but also someone who had the potential to somehow rise as a trusted first mate and brother figure to Ren.

My gods...he was the pirate version of Han Solo, wasn't he?

"Better cooperation between our groups than yours it seems." Vi prodded.

"This is not constructive." I growled.

"If he hurts Tula--" Ren started.

"He's got Lupe, too.  And...I don't think he will...they're too useful to him." Asriel frowned. "An Ecomancer and a Druid?  On this world, I'd think this would be a powerful combination."

"What do you mean "this world"?"

"We'll, Azzy, they're smart enough to realize we're not from around here.  But I don't think the concept of other worlds...planets...dimensions is something you'd find on Mer."

"...I think you've been hitting the grogg." Ioz scoffed.

"Really.  Grogg is really a thing on this planet.  Well.  Chalk ANOTHER pirate cliche up to this adventure.   Pretty sure we've already covered "walking the plank" when the overstuffed lard factory that this ship calls a captain threated to toss us to the Dark Water."

"Don't knock it til' you try it."

"I don't drink alcohol.  Period." I narrowed my eyes.

"Pipe down!" Konk, the short, fat minion of Bloth stood guard to make sure the dumb-as-rocks Lugg Brothers--ogres by any definition--didn't mess up and let us escape.

"I'll wager this...Mantus is with Bloth right now, helping him figure out what to do with Lupe and Tula."

"As well as find the rest of the Thirteen Treasures of Rule."

"These treasures...what are they?" Rotor asked, his scientific curiosity piqued.

"They sound like sexy enough to put in a money bin..." Violet grinned.

"They're thirteen mystical artifacts and the only thing that can stop the Dark Water from consuming Mer."

From Violet's and Rotors initial scans of the place coupled with S.T.C. info from A.E.O.N. this was what we knew about Mer:

Mer seemed to be a planet very different from Earth with a variety of its own creatures with varying degrees of intelligence, such as the monkey-bird and the leviathan. The world had twenty seas, and Ren and crew made most of their stops at islands. Parts of Mer seemed to be continually in flux, like a river of spiked rocks that rose out of the ocean and appeared to defy physics, but whether this is the Dark Water's doing or just the nature of the geologically hyperactive planet? That I couldn't determine.

Octopon was once the greatest city on Mer, referred to as "the jewel in the crown of Mer" by Ioz in an offhanded conversation before Bloth caught up to us. Though it lay in ruin waiting for Ren to collect the first seven Treasures. There was evidence to support that Octopon may have been centuries ahead of the current technological state of Mer, although it is probable that civilization was continually in decline due to the Dark Water oozing from the planet's core.

"And the overstuffed ox of a man-beast in the captain's chambers wants them for himself.  Yeah, gotcha." Violet cut in.

Meanwhile Bloth was attempting to be "persuasive" with Tula and Lupe. If i had to guess, persuasive was a step above resorting to torture.

Unfortunately with things as they were, I couldn't get an account of what was going on in there. And that worried me. He could be doing anything to them, and I was absolutely sure it was unpleasant.

But the real problem was that Bloth now had what I could only guess was Ren's compass, in the form of a large jeweled pendant or amulet. Obviously it was the divining rod they needed to seek out the treasures.

If this wasn't a worst-case scenario, I don't know what was.

Despite the "persuasion", it became clear that their will wasn't going to be broken any time soon.

Which led to them being left to in so many words "rot" in the bilge hold...or something to that effect.

"...are you okay?"

"Been...better."

"I was worried that---"

"I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction."

Lupe smiled weakly.

"I suppose now would be a good time for explanations.  What are you?"

"Not of your world.  That much should be plain to see even to those brutes that took us captive."

"Tougher than you look."

"Even a soft-spoken flower has a will to live.  But a druid has a code to honor.  He can do as he might.  The life of an ecosystem is not negotiable.  Not for any "treasure" this world has to offer."

"Spoken like a true ecomancer."

"What about you?  There's more to you than being a bar maid who stowed away just to seek adventure.  But I have a feeling you will not be revealing much about the secrets you keep to your own crew much less a stranger."

"You've probably asked who or what it is I'm protecting."

"It has crossed my mind.  But I respect your right to privacy."

A long pause.

"I am Lupe."

"Tula."

"Well, Lupe...let's get out of this mess, together."

"Yes.  Now would be a good time, as my friend Sally would say, to come up with a plan..."

On deck...

"I don't know what these chains and restraints are made of, but I don't think we can count on my magnetism to affect them, let alone break them.  I don't think I've come across a metal like this that's a near perfect insulator, either."

"I don't think we want to be electrocuted, on that note." Rotor sweat-dropped.

"He's just trying to find a way to think outside of the box."

"We don't know the layout of this ship.  Finding the treasure hold that they dumped our weapons and gear into isn't going to be easy.

"A plan would also help." Violet smoldered.

"Someone's missing their best friend." I prodded.

"Hey!  Too soon." Violet wrinkled her nose.

"Volt, don't gloat.  Even though clearly my best friend didn't get separated from me." Asriel mused smugly.

"Well that was back-handed." Violet stuck her tongue out.

"You guys banter like an old married couple." Ioz interjected.

"Perish the thought." I rolled my eyes.

"if we're going to do something, we better do it fast.  We're closing in on the location of the next Treasure of Rule that the compass pointed to before Bloth captured us." Ren knitted his eyebrows, clearly agitated and growing all the more restless.

Yeah, the Star Wars allusions just didn't seem to stop. Whoever this Tula was, I bet she did a bang-up remix of Leia Organa.

"I got nothing." Violet shrugged. "And even if I had my gear, it's pretty much useless on this world.  I don't think anyone's heard of a USB port and I doubt I'm going to find a charging station any time soon."

"Does she always talk nonsense words?" Ioz complained again.

"This is her on a good day." I brushed it off.

"Ren is right...I can see shore on the next island from here.  Outside of making a move on wherever they lead us, I don't think we stand much of a chance of pulling this evil plan up by the roots."

"I think we're going to have to accept that Drew isn't going to make it in time--"  Rotor started before the whole ship was rocked by an explosion.

"HEEEEEEEY!!!!" I heard the scream of someone who was most certainly not Drew. Or any of our allies.

"Uh...Azzy?  By any chance did you somehow let it leak to KOMMAND where we were headed?"

"My lips were sealed, best friend.  Why?"

I rolled my gaze toward what was coming up on us.

As soon as Asriel saw it. "Oh this is going to be goooood." He curled his fanged mouth in a grin that Flowey would be proud of.

"Goddammit, Vi..."

If my hands were free I'd be facepalming at the sight of what I confirmed was the Thousand Sunny. Also known as the ship of the Straw Hat Crew. And perched on the very tip of its...er...lion-faced bow...was the captain, himself, "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy.

As I looked about the approaching ship I made out all of it extended crew, including the Sniper King himself, Usopp; navigator and cartographer, Nami; the Pirate Hunter Roranoa Zoro; chef "Black Leg" Sanjii; the reindeer doctor, "Cotton Candy-Loving" Tony-Tony Chopper; self-proclaimed pervert and cyborg, Franky; historian/archaeologist and very "handy" crew member, Nico Robin; and lastly the Soul King and animate skeleton, Brook.

Yo-ho-ho.

"We get backup from the Strawhat Crew before we get backup from Drew?  Well I'm disappointed." Violet joked.

Konk didn't take the news lightly and I can imagine that Bloth would be quick to underestimate them.

"Boss!  We're here!!!"

Well that's a sound for sore ears. Guess Drew did make it, after all.

"Look!" Asriel lunged toward the direction of the call where sure enough the golden form of the Solaris was also headed our way.

"Sorry, fearless leader.  These guys insisted they come along.  The one in the open vest, sandals, and straw hat was really insistant.  Kept goin on about how he was going to become King of the Pirates." Drew projected his voice thanks to his weaponized speakers and sound magic.

"He's totally off the hook, isn't he?" Asriel mused.

"Yeah, but we're not if Bloth decides to use as as meat shields or threaten to throw us to the Dark Water.  Which I've noticed as been creeping up on us from the port side.

"Uh-oh." Rotor shrunk down.

"Well, something like THAT should really stick in Bloth's craw." Violet grinned.

"Only you would be this calm when we it's a race against time for our rescue to get to us before either the Dark Water swallows us whole or Bloth slices us up six ways to Sunday where we stand." I grimmaced.

"Think positive, Volt.  I have a feeling the answer will sprout up any time now..."

And that was when I noticed something coil up out of a crack in the wood under us.

"Is that a...vine?" Niddler squawked.

"A plant growing on THIS ship?  I don't believe it." Ioz narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, Lupe, you sly wolf you..." I grinned ear to ear.

And that was when several more vines started puncturing through the floor boards.

"What?!?  What is this?!?" Konk soon found himself bound by a tangle of vines.

And just as rapidly, the vines contined to grow, threatening to crush the ship within their grip.

"NO!!!" Bloth had gotten top side.

He grabbed Asriel by the shirt. "Cease your deviltry or get very acquainted with your entrails, boy!"

"Hey!  Leave him alone!" Ren challenged.

"I will deal with you in a moment, boy.  This is the work of this creature's friend.  What is that she-witch doing?!"

"That she-witch, as you so delicately put it, decided the accomodations were too unpleasant."

"So my fellow ecomancer decided to combine her powers with my own to offer a new deal.  Let us go or we can all go down with the ship, together."

"Then we perish together!"

"You're bluffing." Ren forced himself to his feet.

By now Bloth's entire crew was assembling, so we were all still a little outnumbered. But Lupe and Tula's distraction had opened up a chance for the Solaris and Thousand Sunny to board the Maelstrom.

"I don't care how many of you I have to beat up!  I'm going to be king of the pirates!" Luffy massaged his bicep in that cocky manner I recognized, moments before he unleashed the power of the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit. Oh yeah...I should probably mention to anyone who doesn't know that Luffy is kind of a "rubber man"--

"GUM-GUM GATLING!!!!" And that's an instant recipe for men overboard.

"Hey, boss.  Need a hand getting out of there?" Drew went south paw with his boxing, giving Konk a sore jaw int he process.

"I don't suppose you brough Marcel to pick these locks--"

"No need." He produced the bolt cutters as Bunnie boarded next.

"Commander."

"Good timing, Major."

Some of Bloths men were quick to taunt Zoro over how many swords he was wielding. I estimate it was about 250 milliseconds in that they instantly regretted tangling with a master of Santoryu. Thoooough...it did become a quick competition between Zoro and Sanji.

"You're in my way, fry cook!"

"You want to go, green mop?!

What was it Ioz said about old married couples, again?

"Three...verse...humming...SLASH!"

This is why you don't take a skeleton lightly. If Sans weren't reason enough...

By now it was becoming a major bruhah.

"I think you're going to need this." Lupe handed over Ren's broken blade.

A quick nod. "I still need that compass."

"Somehow I think your luck is looking up." Asriel pointed skyward as a glint in the sky twinkled for an instant. The next thing Bloth knew he was empty handed with only a couple of falling feathers as his only clue what happened.

"NOOOOOOO!!!"

"Looking for this?" Pit hovered back down and handed over the item.

"I think this alliance is a go." I secured my gear as Asriel hopped aboard the NX Hoverboard.

"Am I glad this hoverboard DOES work on water..." Azzy took to the surf and jetted in to blaze through the ropes tying the Wraith to the Maelstrom.

Nami's staff tapped on the wooden deck as the lightning she summoned coursed down into the cutlasses of many  a pirate only for them to get bulldozed overboard by Chopper in his four-legged morph, while others took a spicy hot pepper shot to the face courtessy of Usopp's slingshot.

"COUP DE VENT!!!" And an air cannon shot from Franky further cleared out the poop deck.

"Do you know who you're dealing with, boy?  I am Lord Bloth--"

"Yeah?  Well I beat up pirates way stronger than you!!"

I had to admit his resume was impressive in those lines. He had many a list of references pretty well hospitalized from his encounters; from Buggy the Clown to Captain Kuru to Arlong to Don Krieg to Crocodile to Silver Foxy to most of the whole friggin Navy just to name only a few.

"Everyone fall back!  I think this pirate adventure is about to come to a very quick end if we stay around much longer." I generated magnet beam planks to the Solaris, the Thousand Sunny, and the Wraith.

"C'mon.  Let's get out of here before THAT gets us!" Violet pointed at the wave of Dark Water.

"It's been a slice." Asriel saluted cheefully.

"Bangarang, baby!" Violet taunted before giving a mocking slap to her own behind.

"Let's shove off and make tracks!"

And with that we set sail, leaving Bloth and company at the mercy of the Dark Water. Knowing this bilge rat, he'd find a way to escape it. Though the Maelstrom would need a lot of repair after Lupe and Tula's handywork.

"I can't thank you enough.  You've given Octopon a chance as well as all of Mer." Ren accepted Asriel's handshake.

"Eh.  you're a strange lot.  But you've earned my respect." Ioz leaned up against the main mast, arms crossed.

"We're in your debt.  It's good to know we're not alone in this...universe I think you called it.  Before this day, I had no idea there was anything outside of Mer.  Now I know we are not alone." Tula accepted Lupe's momentary embrace.

"You know I'd appreciate you all a lot more if you maybe offered something to eat..." Niddler rubbed his wing-hands together.

"C'mon, team.  Let's board the Solaris and get back home."

"Aye-aye, Cap'n." Asriel led on.

Sub-Entry 308:  "When the Duke Boys and Bravestar Comes to Moo Mesa"
Well. When the last adventure was pirates, the next common denominator for adventure would definitely be cowboys.

But wouldn't you know it that by fate and chance there would be something very literal to that.

"So.  A world of cow and steer hybrids?"

"Makes as much sense as anything else we've experienced."

"Reckon so."

"Might want to keep that head down, Goat Son."

"For the record...you are a REAL cowgirl, right, Miss Harmony?"

it seemed to make sense that we enlisted Mitzi's co-worker, Harmony Howlette for this one. It gave her some field experience and kept her from chasing after Antoine.

But in peace time you don't tend to stock up on a lot of ammo and for someone whose hybrid ability is basically the same as Stand User, Hol Horse from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. In other words she had the power of controlling bullet paths in mid air to the point of each one being practically radio-controlled.

"What do you take me for?  Some city slicker?"

"Just asking."

"Yeah, we'd like to avoid a bad ending to this world's iteration of the shootout at the O.K. Corral." I fumed.

"It also speaks volumes when our allies over there are just as pinned down, too and on a severe ammo shortage of their own."

"Shock Holiday really put us in a tight spot with of all things...an electromagnet powerful enough to empty every weapon in town.  Moving on up from stealing trains, it would seem."

"And somehow did so while leaving the empty weapons themselves behind?"

"Don't question the 90's plot-holes, Goat Son.  Villains always make questionable moves like this."

"We better come up with a plan fast, or they're going to shoot all our cover to pieces."

"I could draw Shock's fire since he's using Lightning Pistols.  Electricity's my thing."

"But even with your immortal regeneration, you won't be able to press forward.  The ammo will tear you apart just as fast as you can heal.  And eventually that healing factor will slow down from trying to keep up."

"Good point.  Even I have my limits."

"Sensei and Aunt Violet should be back from off world with more help.  I don't know who else they can recruit who can get us out of this mess, though." Asriel frowned.

"Better make it lickity-spit, boys.  I'm down to my last shot."

I looked over where Buffalo Bull, Marshall Moo Montana, the Cowlorado Kid, and the Dakota Dude were pinned down. I think they'd gotten past the issue of whether we were on the up and up.

It was actually reassuring when we came to worlds where we didn't have to be concerned with staying in human form or switching out the Unitrix cores with a DNA sequence from Vi's archives of off world species. If only now were a good time to appreciate that.

"How did we end up in this mess?"

Well, when you off-world adventure, you gotta expect something will go wrong. And to think it all started with S.T.C. sending me on a "quickie research side-trip" to confirm the established history of Moo Mesa.

My research, after cross-referrencing the town's hall of records summarized it as this: an irradiated comet struck the late 19th century Western plains creating a miles high mesa shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state.

Okay so Asriel wrote the description, I admit it. The puns had to be a tell-tale give-away.

What we observed together was mix of "weird west" and steampunk done as only the early 1990's could pull off.

It had been chaos this whole mis-adventure, having kicked off with the sudden kidnapping of a local by the name of Lily Bovine. it was never a good start when your day involves the snatching up of yoru typical Lois Lane/April O'Neill/Calico Briggs archetype.

And worse when you just *HAPPENED* to get suspicion pinned on you by an obviously corrupt Mayor pulling schemes right out of "Boss" J.D. Hogg's playbook. But...more on that reference, later.

What ensued was a lengthy set of ups and downs that took us through the town, through mineshafts, into a ghost town, on top of a speeding train, and more in a race to clear our names while also trying NOT to get captured by the good guys who were now behind cover with us. But also from getting put in the ground by the bad guys who now outnumbered us.

"So.  This wild west adventure still all it's cracked up to be?" Asriel asked with a sheepish grin.

"Depends if I have to hear the phrase "the Code of the West" again..." I grumbled, hoping the four cowboys...and I mean that in BOTH senses of the word...didn't catch my complaint.

"C'mon, it's not that bad."

"Sometimes I suspect Montana over there is making that Code Of the West up as he goes..." I narrowed my eyes. "But that isn't even the strangest thing about this whole adventure.

"You don't mean the fact that you think it's a little weird that cow anthros are riding normal horses, do you?  Frankly I don't think it's that much weirder than anything else we Hybrids do that would be questionable."

"Fair point."

"Plan if any?"

"It was going to be hit the water tower and short out Shock's weapons while washing away his goons.  But I think they got one step ahead of us when they drained the water tower before hand."

It was about that time I heard the distinct sound of Moo's last star-badge being fired from his gun.

"And our backup just ran out of ammo."

"Shock Holiday's got us dead to rights."

While it was true that Holiday was the villain hounding us, he wasn't the big taco around here. No...that dishonor when to the Sherrif of this town, going by the name of Terrorbull. Handpicked by the mayor but leading a double life. By day, using the badget as cover for his evil.

But his alter ego, the Masked Bull (clever name, no?) orchestrated the real crime around here. While Asriel and Montana couldn't prove it...they suspected he had gotten Shock Holiday to be his pawn.

I had to wonder why Buffalo Bull had a stake in this. He was just the local blacksmith.

The other two were easy to figure out. The Dakota Dude was the softspoken muscle. Cool temperment. Boy scout mentality. Deathly afraid of heights--I could relate.

Then there was the little brother who wasn't quite a deputy yet. The Cowlorado Kid was a self-proclaimed ladies man with a good singing voice. The type that had something to prove and was determined to prove himself worthy of being a deputy.

"Well...if we're headed for the last roundup...let's go out in a blaze of glory." Asriel shoved up his sleeves and fired up the last of his NX Weapon's charge.

"I think that Bravery virtue is working overtime, Azzy.  There's no glory to be had if you charge headfirst into a fire fight!"

"We can't just do nothing!"

"I don't think we have a choice..." I noticed the snipers and gunmen were tightening their grip around us.

It was that time an explosion rocked the town, moments after a flaming arrow landed in what I thought was an empty barrel.

"Maybe J.R. came through for us?" Cowlorado suggested.

"Or maybe...!" Asriel turned at that distinct engine sound.

"Of course." I deadpanned as I saw the orange charger with the stars and bars on it fly over the fenced off area accompanied by a pair of simultaneous rebel yells.

"YEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!"

"You didn't, Vi..." I watched the General Lee spin out as Luke leaned out the window, compound bow in hand and launched another dynamite-tipped arrow.

"Hey, Commander!" Violet waved, seated on top of the car's roof, nonchalantly.

As she and the Duke Boys stood together, bows and arrows and questionable weapons out, Violet decided to really sell. it.

"Alright you slime-eating dogs,  you scum-sucking pigs, you sons of a motherless go--"

I whapped her over the head as I protested with a suppressed grunt before pointing a thumb to Asriel, indicating she better NOT say something she'll regret.

"You went to Hazard County for backup?!?"

"Well...I did.  But I sent Bunnie to a different place I had in mind."

"Where.  Would.  That..  Be." I narrowed my eyes.

"Newww....uh....Texas."

"Excuse me?"

"Y'know...New Texas?"

"But isn't that the world of--"

And then I saw him gallop out of the space warp with Bunnie holding onto him, both atop his mount, Thirty/Thirty.

"Marshal Brave Starr." I wasn't actually irate over it. Honestly he was a better choice than two trouble-making cousins armed with only a car full of moonshine in the back. Yeah...I prefered gracing over what the Duke family business was.

"I apologize, Commander.  But time was of the essence." Bunnie was actually in her more Southern attire, including the ten-gallon hat, frilled tan jacket, and even...spurs on cowboy boot-sandals?

"This is on Violet, not you.  But I'm glad you brought more sensible backup."

"STRENGTH OF THE BEAR!"

Now would be a good time to mention Brave Starr had the power of Spirit Animals. In a way he was like a literal space cowboy version of Lupe.

With a mighty punch he managed to cause a tremor, resulting in a sink-hole that swallowed up more of the bandits boxing us in.

That was when Thirty/Thirty transformed from his quadrped horse form into his bipedal Equestroid form. He immediately whipped out his blunderbuss weapon that he called "Sarah Jane" and started firing. Yeah, I could tell he was a beligerant type who prefered fights over resolutions.

"I always wondered if there were any other were-animals out there." Asriel was eating this up like butterscotch pie.

Violet, let her favorite .50 calibur gun drop out of her sleeve into her grasp.

"Hoo-wee!  I ain't never seen a gun that big!" Bo Duke stared at the piece.

"Yeah, it's a fifty cal.  Don't tell our allies over there but it's for hunting cattle.........up close.  It's only legal in two places (that I know of)...and I'm pretty sure this isn't one of them."

"You're something else, Vi." Luke replied.

"You know I would have honked the horn on the way in here but Bunnie threatened to whap me over the head with the phone book that the Dukes keep in the trunk.

"Can't imagine why."

"Because it would completely ruin the element of surprise?" Asriel followed up.

"That was rhetorical, Goat Son."

As the tide of the battle began to turn...

"If you would be so kind." Bunnie pointed to her jutsu in the sky--specifically "Crystal Pyramid.  In it I could see a lot of gallons of water, the whole thing suspended right over Shock Holiday and company.

"Care to do the honors?" Moo handed over his star shooter as Violet finished 3-D printing a star badge shot from her portable computer briefcase set-up.

"I'd be right honored, Marshal!" Asriel took caim and fired up. The star shot easily cracked through the jutsu, collapsing it and dumping the water in a rolling wave.

And with that, Shock Holiday was washed right out of town and his posse with him.

"I am guessing this madamoisselle belongs to you, no?" Antoine showed up in time to take the credit for rescuing Lily. You know what? Let him have it. He needed a win after all this time. Just as long as it didn't go to his head again--

"D'OOOH!" Harmony stormed up to Lily. "Hands off my man, you jezzabelle!"

A scoff followed by "Well I NEVER...!"

"Eheheheh...please do not be fighting!  There is more of moi to go around, no?"

That was when Bunnie klonked him over the head. "Bakana."

"Not touching this one." I smoldered.

Asriel just rubbed the back of his head.

After that ordeal.

"Much obliged for your help.  Give a holler and we'll be there to uphold the Code Of the West."

"You got it,  Marshall."

Brave Starr and Thirty/Thirty helped with the cleanup of the scragglers who couldn't make up their minds to stand their ground or get out of dodge.

"Airght, Dukes.  We won and sent them packing.  We gotta do the thing."

"No, Vi...not the thing..." I facepalmed.

"We will give the Three Amigos salute!" And then Violet did what I could only describe as two parts of the Macarena followed by a turn of the head to the side and a pelvic thrust.

"HUH!"

How did she get those cousins to agree to this?!?

Bunnie grabbed Vi but the ear and dragged her to where Felicia and Mitzi were waiting in the Time Train at the station.

"Happy trails, Moo Mesa!" I gave a wave as Goat Son and I walked off into the sunset. Our warp zone to S.T.C. headquarters was waiting and so was the council. This seems like a good spot to leave off on.

Sub-Entry 309:  "When in Mainframe, Mend and Defend to Avoid a ReBoot"
"Violet...your experiments with virtualization are going to be the death of us.":

"Whoah...who dialed back the rendering.  We look like CG crap." Asriel blinked as noticed not only our forms but our surroundings.

"Really...skimped on the shaders and color pallete.  I've seen more shape and form in Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" music video.  What is this place?" I looked around.

"Very circular, I'd say and...very high up."

"You HAD to remind me we're floating about a digital sea.  I did not want to spend my time on a 64-bit version of Angel Island."

"Well if this place IS a giant computer, we might as well head to the CPU core and see if we can find directions or at least a read-me file or two."

"See, this is why we should have dragged Violet along for the ride.  Then we'd have someone who could actual tell us where everything inside a computer actually is rather than guess our way around."

"Bet you're wishing you would have taken operation systems in college instead of advanced hardware design?" Asriel asked.

"Rub in.  Please." I smoldered.

"I sure hope the natives are friendly.  While we definitely got the early-generation CG style down, we still don't exactly look like...well whatever they're supposed to be." Asriel looked at the squatty robot creatures and what appeared to be walking numbers and other weird representations of computer software.

"I'd say varying stages of digital evolution or at least sophistication."

"So if you were the highest energy lifeform here, Volt..."

"What would we be?" I finished.

We both looked at each other an shrugged. "Sprites?" We asked each other, shrugging in unison.

"I sure hope that's the case.  Okay then.  If anyone asks...we're sprites from another system." Asriel suggested.

"Like from what?  A supercomputer?" I mused.

"As plausible as anything."

I wish I had known how much risk going by that cover story carried. Or how that would not only complicate things but make us suddenly popular. And really. Attracting attention was the opposite of what we were going for. Seriously, how were we to know that saying your from the Supercomputer was bragging?

What I guessed was a few hundred clock cycles later...assuming this place was running faster 500 Megahertz...

"...that could have backfired less spectacularly." We finally ducked down an alley.

"And I thought rumors spread fast on the internet.  Practically the whole city became in the know of our cover story after finishing our sentences!"

"Let's keep a low profile before we make whatever this system calls the news.  If  we haven't already..."

That was when the sky darkened and I could see the circuit paths etched in the sky light up...and stretch upward into a vortex.

"WARNING!  INCOMING GAME!  WARNING!  INCOMING GAME!"

"Uhh...Volt...?" Asriel looked waaaaay up into the eye of the event horizon.

"I really don't want to make a joke about this...but are we really staring up at a giant...Game...Cube?"

"You think this is what gave the Big N the idea for the game console name?"

"Joke about it later.  It's huuuuge and it's about to land on our heads!"

We started running. Little did we know, someone else was headed TOWARD the giant cube.

"I'm almost there, Dot!"

"Be careful, Bob!  If we Mainframers lose this game, everything in the block will be Nullified!  And you with it!"

"Don't worry, sis!  Bob's got this on Caps-Lockdown!"

But back at our position.

"I can see the edge of the shadow!  We're gonna make it, Azzy--!

That was when Asriel tripped and wiped out.

"Azzy!!!" I whirled and outstretched my hand. He reached back but...!

The whole, hazy, purple cube landed as connections in the ground were made. But more importantly...it cut us off from each other.

"NOOOOO!!!!  You can't be...you can't be...you can't be...!" I pounded on the wall of the cube to no avail. It barely reverberated with a flux of binary code in ripples...both otherwise it just continued to glow as arcs of purple lightning crawled over it in regular intervals.

I took scans. I took readings. I ran every test I could think of on the spot. The info I got was informative and intimidating. Relative to how much energy Asriel and I were putting out individually...relative to how much energy was in the city itself? This "Game Cube" was like a giant nova while we were just the tiniest of electrions.

"Oh...gods..."

I got a crackle of static on my bracer...followed by Goat Son's voice.

"Volt!  I'm okay!  Are you there!"

"Azzy!  Oh thank the friggin Matrix you're okay!"

"I gotta say, I'm feeling a little like Keanu Reeves at the moment, because I really want to give the most heaviest gasps of "WHOAH."  This is really out there."

"Where are you?"

"I...guess in the game.  That seems obvious.  But...it's more like another dimension in here."

"Describe it."

"Like something out of World of Warcraft meets Cyberpunk only I have no idea what the goal of the game is, how to play, or much of anything else."

On the other side of the cube...

"Is there anything you can tell me about it?"

"Yeah there are other citizens from the city caught up in this.  I can't be sure but I think they're joining the game as...computer-controlled opponents against an outside player?  They keep referring to someone called "The User"."

"Goddammit, if Violet is playing a video game while she's supposed to be working, I'm going to wring her neck when I get out of this."

"Hold on, Volt.  I just now noticed something on my jacket...it looks like an emblem or...icon.  The others have one like it too.  I'm going to see what they do and try to join in the game.  Maybe that's the way out of here."

"Be careful, Goat Son.  I'm going to try to see if I can find someone to help."

"Roger.  Asriel out." the goat hybrid clicked off his bracer's com and studied closely.

"Now...what do I do with this...?" He watched as one by one people tapped their icons and called out "REBOOT!"

"Uhh...reboot." Asriel shrugged and tapped it, moments before he felt a flood of computer code just pour down inside and around him.

"Whoah...insta-change wardrobe.  Maybe comparing it to WoW wasn't that far off.  Alright.  Let's blend into the crowd and maybe I'll go unnoticed."

The one time Asriel's optimism would work against him instead of me would be the one time he bumped into the one person who'd figure out something was off. But I on the other hand..."

"Huh?  What are those rock-em-sock-em robot-looking goons doing over there?" I noticed the minions I'd later learn went by the names Hack and Slash monkeying around with the cube. It looked like they were attaching hoses or something to it.

"I've been around the memory block a few times and I can tell when people are up to no good." I narrowed my eyes as I pressed up against the wall and peered around the corner.

As they argued, I wasn't that surprised that they were as bumbling as they were. But I didn't have a chance to savor their stupidity as they were contacted by who could only be their boss. Shiny but dark metal in appearance with evil eyes.

"Hack.  Slash.  Report."

The argueing and the accusations continued.

A sigh followed by... "Must I do everything myself?"

It was strange...his voice reminded me of Shere Khan from Cape Suzette......and somehow a book...about a jungle...and a man cub raised by wolves? Something about bear necessities...dancing monkeys...and a tiger scared off by lightning? Huh...look into the archives for that later.

As I listened in, I didn't like what I heard. I soon got a name for my pain.

"Let some virus named Megabyte tamper with a game my friend is trapped in and endanger his life for some scheme to take over this system?  I don't think so." I narrowed my eyes.

But at the same time...

"Uh...hi!"

"You seem a bit off for a game sprite.  What's your file name?" The black-haired, blue-skinned form of Bob the Guardian had picked Asriel out pretty quickly during the game.

"Uh...Asriel Dreemurr?" Asriel really should have been more clever than that.

"Asriel...never come across a file name like that.  Come to think of it...never come across a file name that was more than one word or didn't contain an underscore between words."

Oh boy. How out of date was this system? Was it even Y2K compliant?

"Glitch.  Scan for file registration." Bob accessed the watch-like key tool.

Uhhhhh...!"

Goat Son was as good as busted.

"File registration not found."

"Glitch...scan file header for program information."

"File header not found.  File structure unknown.  Format unknown.  Operating System affiliation unknown."

"The last time I came across that many unknowns was against a certain bug called the Medusa...which means if you're not a sprite, executable, or batch file...that makes you a virus!"

"V-Virus?"

"I think it's time I put a stop to whatever you're here for--"

"GAME LOG UPDATE.  USER LEADS BY 10,982 Experience Points."

"What?" Bob whirled at the sudden vid window.

"Look...this has all been just a big misunderstanding and I can tell you're busy so...I'm going to er...Control-Alt-Delete out off here!  See ya!"

"Uugh!  Can't worry about him now.  I have to finish the game before the User does.  I'll catch him on the way out."

Asriel had managed to slip into what seemed like a pocket space between game code.

"Wow.  This game has some memory leaks.  Must be a beta-test.  I knew I'd learn a thing or two if I hung around Aunt Vi long enough.  But now what do I do?  I'm lost without a road map...but maybe...all I need is...!" Asriel traced the lines of binary.

"Now I just need to find the right extention within this cube's game folder..." Asriel sorted through access terminals on the cyber-circuits between the game's reality and the framework holding it together.

"...and there it is." Asriel ran down the pathway and through the door way after touching its adjacent hovering window. Before him a giant tablet rose out of the ground.

"Alright!  A read-me file!  I'm glad this game has a digital version of the instruction manual.  Now....let's speed read through this like I'm ready for a collegiate level entrance exam!"

Asriel combed through the Common text until he was up to speed.

"Okay...time to duck out and hope Mr. What's-His-File-Name doesn't quarantine me or something." Asriel slipped back through the crack inrto the artificial reality.

"Okay...let's try this again...REBOOT!" Asriel clicked his icon as his code form returned to the game sprite character form.

"Okay...so...which faction to I join?  While...I should probably be rooting for Aunt Vi...if she is the one playing the game......it would probably stick in her craw if she lost to the computer.  And it might pay her back a little for her prank war.  Okay then...I'm with the Mainframe programs.  Let's defeat the user!"

And at that time I followed the cables back across Mainframe to a bad sector of the disk. Or so I described it. After overhearing the locals converse about staying away from it, I soon learned it was called the "Torr". And it was the headquarters of the virus around town, Megabyte.

"Let's see if we can halt your processes before you corrupt this drive." I snuck my way in.

As I did I could see many of what I guessed were programs who turned traitor on Mainframe. Or they suffered infection from Megabyte. Either way, they were carrying out his plans.

From what I guessed they were building, it looked like Megabyte was planning to leave the system. But to where? Somewhere in the internet? Somewhere like--"

"Finally...the MAC Address for the Supercomputer."

"...and that's why it was such a big deal over our cover story." I narrowed my eyes, realizing that if Megabyte wanted access to a place like that, it had to be a VERY big deal.

Meanwhile...

"Sorry, player.  But victory goes to the G.O.A.T.!" Asriel snatched the Legendary Artifact.

"GAME OVER.  THE USER LOSES." And with that the whole Cube was pulled away, taking the artficial reality with it back up into the sky.

"Wait a minute...you won the game?!" Bob landed.

"Yeah...kinda did." Asriel rubbed his nose.

"No virus would stick their neck out for Mainframers.  I guess you're on our side after all."

"Hero?  Nah.  I just won a video game.  I mean it doesn't matter if you win or lose, right?"

"That settles it.  You're not from around here.  Otherwise you'd know that if you fight for the system and not the user and lose...everything here gets nullified."

"Null...ified?" Asriel arched an eyebrow. That's when he noticed the pastel-colored slug-like creature rub up against his leg.

"Null." Bob pointed.

"Eeww!" Asriel jumped away."You mean I'd get turned into that?"

"Not to mention the whole city block would have been leveled from the backlash.

"WHOAH.  Games here are deadly serious."

"You...sure don't talk like a game sprite...much less a program.  In fact...!"

Bob looked a bit confused at first...then he looked like he was hanging on the words he wanted to say.

"Are...you the...User?"

"User?  You mean like a player?  A gamer?  The way you're asking makes it sound like you think I'm some kind of god or something........though...when I think about it...that might make a bit of sense."

"...this just got mega-binary."

"Well...I am kinda from the outside world, if that's what you mean.  I figured all this was just a program Aunt Violet was running but...the more I see of it...it's like everything in here is more than just binary code.  It's like you're alive and have souls........oh gods, you ARE alive and have souls!"

"Uh....not really sure what you're talking about...but I guess that's the case."

"This is all very heavy duty."

"I think we both need a polling cycle.  Join me for a system idle.  I know this place.  Fastest food in Mainframe."

"I'll take you up on that.  Though have to ask...what do sprites eat around here?  I hope it's something like electric cheeseburgers.  Then I could brag to Aunt Vi."

At Dot's Diner...

"...a real live User?!  From outside the system?!  ALPHANUMERIC!" Enzo Matrix was definitely overclocked over the situation.

"That's some story."

"Yeah, basically my Aunt Violet inherrited this technology after liquidating the assets of what was formerly known as EnCon--a game manufacturing company."

"This is hard to wrap my RAM around.  A place where game cubes are actually made?"

"It was some kind of laser they developed to digitize objects.  Put real things into virtual environments."

"You created a portal into our world?"

"We...didn't really know it was a world...so much as countless amounts of binary code....but I guess I've always kinda wondered what shape or form it would take inside the computer.  Were the circuits like streets...freeways?  Were the programs like people?  Where there cars...motorcycles...was the system like a city?"

"So...you're actually not that much different then us...though...not very humanoid."

"Some of us are.  But there are others out there closer to sprites in shape and form.  Though...not so much the blue or green skin."

Goat son took a moment to allow the giant, red, metallic dog lick his face.

"Frisket likes you!"

"Frisk...et?" Asriel seemed like he paused on the word for a moment...feeling a strange vibe he couldn't explain. "That's a very nice name."

"You're lucky.  Whenever I try to get near him--"  Bob approached before Frisket whirled and growled, threatening to snap  his teeth onto his hand.

Asriel accepted the digital milkshake. "Thanks, Miss Matrix."

"Dot.   Please."

"Okay, Dot."

That was when it occured to Asriel.

"Oh no...I just realized, I didn't come here alone!  I haven't had contact with my partner and best friend!  He's a scientist, explorer and adventurer."

"You have a bitmap of him?" Bob asked.

"Well...yeah, on my phone."

"Phone?"

Asriel produced the device and scrolled through a few photos.

"Here he is--"

"Ahhh!!" Everyone kinda winced.

"What?  C'mon, I know he's not going to win awards for looks...and I already feel bad I said that...but he can't be that hard on the eyes."

"No, it's just that...the colors...!" Dot waved the image away.

"I'm getting dizzy!  I didn't think that many colors existed!  What resolution do you have that at?!"

"Uh...1080-p?  High definition.  I know it's not exactly 4K-res, but I can't afford the best tech like Aunt Vi--"

"Ten-eighty what now?  High...definition...?"

"Wow...now I really feel like I'm in the early 1990's..." Asriel muttered.

"Huh?"

"Hold on, let me see if I can scale it down.  It'll look a little grainy in 16-bit mode...but I suppose a JPG of his avatar will have to do." Asriel fiddled with the controls before he put up the image.

"That...still feels a little hyper-real...but yeah...I think I can work with that.  Glitch.  Copy image."

"So...how do we go about finding him in a city this big?"

"When we need advice...that's when we go to see Phong."

Asriel blinked a bit.

While he was headed to the Core, I was deep in the Torr and about to make my attempt at a rescue of Goat Son when--

"NOO!!!!  The Game is over already?!  Blast processing!  Without the game to power it, I won't be able to draw enough resources to open my portal to the Supercomputer!"

it was about that time that a vid window opened.

"Grrraaargh...of course her timing would be this..."coincidental"."

"Hellooo, dear brother." Came the white-masked face of a female-looking virus.

"Hexadecimal.  I must say the unannounced transmission is a rare pleasure."

"LIAR!  LIAR!  LIAAAAAAR!!!" Hexadecimal's face suddenly swapped out with a FURIOUS version of her previously grinning porcelain-like mask.

'Althought it was rather thoughtful of you to spare me your real feelings? Getting sentimental?"  Hexadecimal's mood suddenly swung the other way.

"Really.  i have no time for idle prattle.  I have much more important business to attend to."

"Ohhh!  You wound me so badly!  It's so sad that my own object code would be so cruel!" Hexadecimal's mood changed again. "But whatever could it be that has your command com in such a mess of stack overflows?" And it changed again to inquisitive. "Maybe it's the outsider that invaded the game or the intruder in your very Torr!  AHAHAHAAAHAHAHAH!"

"Oh crap..." I grimmmaced.

"Your call was appreciated, dear sister.  But a wasted effort."

"WELL THANK YOU FOR NOTHING!" Hexadecimal's split personalities switched agian. "Tah-tah now..." She went back to wicked before the transmission cut out.

"Hack.  Slash.  Sweep the building.  I want that intruder found.  And then we will find the other hiding out in Mainframe.  And I might have a good idea where to start..."

At the core...

I don't quite know how to describe Phong. Oh everything about him was very much a Chinese, old man stereotype that also overflowed with vibes that Bunnie would most certianly recognize--both the boundless wisdom, the cryptic mysticism, the sly but subtle sense of humor, and even the cranky geezer stereotypes.

But to a physical description? I think the Jetsons' AU was missing one of its robots.

He had spindly arms and he hovered. I described his body like a red robe with purple collar...but wrapped around a squatty hose-type vacuum cleaner while given a rectangular spin on an R2 unit from a galaxy far, far away.

The head was almost solid gold with a purple wrap around extension in back that accentuated his bald look. Overall it was a very wide lemon shape except around the jaw where his face kind of drooped. And then there was the chin extension that looked vaguely like a braided oriental gotee.

Asriel of course gave a formal bow.

"So well-behaved and formal."

"I was taught to respect my elders.  They've been around a lot longer than I have so I would do well to always honor them when they're in your presence."

What Asriel wasn't prepared for was that Phong's wisdom did come at a price...namely...

"In order to earn my wisdom you most best me at my favorite game."

"Game?  I love games!  I'd be happy to accept your challenge."

But even Azzy wasn't prepared for...

"It's...Pong?" He thought to himself. "Talk about the oldest of the old schools.  This is the grand-daddy of all video games.  To some it might seem a little beneath them but...for someone with an attention span..." Asriel grinned as h waited for Phong to launch the game puck where it richochetted off the walls with the tamest and most basic of computer blips.

Goat Son knew Phong had...well...the computer equivalent of decades would probably be closer to hours, possibly days of expereince.

But sometimes, youth really does have the advantage as Phong wasn't prepared for Asriel to pull a spin-kick and score the winning point.

"Unorthodox.  But I never said it was agianst the rules.  You are one who things outside the DOS Box."

"Thank you, Master Phong...........what's DOS?"

Phong cocked his head but shrugged it off.

"Come.  Let us discuss more in the archive.  Perhaps with the proper search engine we can find your friend..."

As it turned out...

"Well now.  It seems that we've caught quite the unknown bug in the network.  You donm't seem to be of any known file-type."

"Yeah...funny that."

"However...your high energy readings may prove useful."

"There it is again." I huffed. "Why the the villains always insist on exploiting me for their purposes."

"Perhaps you are merely the easily exploitable type.  Nevertheless...you may very well provide the power I need to open the supercomputer.  Since my attempt at draining the Game Cube's energy did not run according to spreadsheet."

"Great.  A battery am I?  This really IS the Matrix."

"Matrix?  And what do you know of the lovely Miss Matrix?  Or perhaps you mean her young brother?  Perhaps that is where...the other one of you is hiding out?"

"Guh!" Crap. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. If he detects anger in your tone, it'll make him that much more motivated to find Asriel.

"It doesn't matter if you will not answer.  We can add memory scan to the processes while I extract your energy for my cyber portal."

My ears drooped. There was nothing worse than selling out your friend...even if you don't have a choice. Getting your mind probed doesn't pad the blow.

"You could save yourself the decompiling by giving up his whereabouts.  And then your demise will be quicker."

Even if he got it out of me, I'd make him work for it. Very, very hard. I would not give up without a fight.

"Have it your way.  But really...I will find the other one if I have to tear Mainframe apart, byte by byte--"

"Why interrogate him for the answer when I'm right HERE!" Asriel hurled down from the ceiling and planted both sandals into Megabyte's chest.

"GRAAAAH!  Get off me you low-density stack of junk data!"

"How about you take a dose of Norton or McAfee, malware?" Asriel reforged the NX Blasters and adjusted their ammo, effecrtively "stapling" Megabyte to the floor.

"Get him you FOOLS!"

it was about that time when Bob, Dot, Enzo, and Frisket busted in and kept his minions very busy.

"Glitch.  Skeleton key!" Bob quickly undid my restraints.

"No!  They're getting away!"

"Correction.  We GOT away!" I taunted as I quickly escaped with the others.

"Have a miserable run-time!" Dot left him with some final words before Asriel brought the doorway down and sealed the goons inside.

Once back at Dot's Diner.

"Way to think on your feet again, Goat Son."

"Yeah.  I'm getting the hang of this leader stuff now."

"Now the question is...when's Vi gonna pull us out of this--"  I started before I noticed the area around Asriel and I get swallowed up by a 3-D wireframe stack of cubes as something seemed to be scanning us from afar.

"Looks like our ride's here."

"It was nice meeting you all!" Asriel waved.

"Come back again!" Enzo waved.

"But uh...take it easy on winning games.  It'll be a lot easier on Mainframe."

"I'll try...but it's kinda hard to lose on purpose." Asriel shrugged.

"And close file!" I said as I closed my eyes as the world around us pulled away and faded to black for a moment.

Then there we were back in Vi's lab.

"Hey.  So...this is kinda embarassing but I loaded you in the wrong dang program.  I kinda accessed one of my old development kits for a mainframe computer I worked on back in the 1990's before I joined UCIAT.  I can just shut it down and--"

"NO!" Asriel hollered. "I mean...that's okay.  We...might want to go back again.  Just leave it running in the background."

"Huh?  Uh...okay then.  So...I guess things went okay in there?"

"Oh yeah...everything was just alphanumeric." Asriel said with a wink.

"Yeah. But next time you send us into that simulation could you actually stay focused and not plug one of your games into the darn thing."

"Hah hah. Good one." Vi grinned.

"C'mon. What if Goat Son hadn't been able to win it.  What would have happened to him."

"Uhh...I don't know what you're talking about."

"You mean you weren't the User that inputted a game into Mainframe's memory sectors?"

"No, been going through the laser's software to figure out how to reverse the process."

"Well if you didn't input a game...who did?"

I guess this was one question that would never be answered any time soon...

Sub-Entry 310:  "Bring a SPOON When You Freak(azoid) Out"
Superhero outings are getting weirder.

And this one was no exception.

"SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

That was the battlecry that proceeded the strangest and most total of bad-guy beat-downs as well as a cascade of 7-foot superhero-shaped holes (complete with antennae) going through walls and obstacles.

"Dut-DWEEE!  Duh-duh-dwee dow!  Dut-DWEEE!  Dut-dut dwee dow!"

"That's enough scat-singing, Vi." I whapped her over the head.

It was about that time the husky accountant-turned moth-themed superhero landed on the roof beside us.

"Glad you could join the party, Arthur."

"The Tick's really gotten himself into jam, hasn't he?" Violet grinned. "Man, look at him go.  He's strong, he's quick, he's built like a brick and mowing down a heck of a lot of public property, which he'll no doubt be indemnified for."

"Violet, shouldn't you be hanging around with Die Fledermaus?"

"Tried to.  But then American Maid threw a shoe after me after a while.  Something about not being able to put up with twice the obnoxious?  On the minus side, getting pummled by pumps stings a little.  But on the plus side getting to see a badass woman in the most patriotic of hotel cleaning staff attire in bare feet--"

* THWAP*

"Too much info, Vi."

At that time who should arrive but...

"This reporter belong to anybody?" Sally set down Sally Vacuum. "Found her tied up to a giant anthro whale that was apparently jogging out of the city.  Long story."

"I bet it's fit to compare with that." I pointed to the moon in the sky etched with the laters C, H, and a partial A.

"Huh..."

Sally Acorn gave it an almost Undyne dead stare.

"Nevermind that.  Where's Goat Son?"

"Well...funny story..." Sally looked off in the distance.

"Funny like ha-hah or funny like I'm going to thwap Violet over the head?"

"Welll..."

Elsewhere, off world.

"Hey, Freakazoid.  You and your new goat friend want to go check out a guy write an entire encyclopedia on a grain of rice?"

Asriel and the black-haired, white-skinned, red-suit wearing "sort-of" superhero, Freakazoid looked at each other with overly giddy expressions before turning back to face officer Mike Cosgrove.

"WOULD WE??!?" They said in unison.

Cut away to...

"...and this one has the entirity of Paradise Lost enscribed on it."

"It really makes you appreciate the talent and dedication that goes into something so insignificant but speaks such volumes."

"I see what you did there." Asriel pointed with a grin.

"Some of my more clever word play."

"By the way, your friends are on that other world mixing it up with a bunch of super villains.  Thought you should know." Cosgrove offhandedly mentioned.

"Oh right!  I can't believe I forgot!" Asriel whapped his forehead in a "Hello, Megan" moment I'd see Me'gann, niece of Martian Manhunter do before.

"Ooh!  Can I come with?!" Freakazoid hopped up an down.

"I don't know, can you?" Asriel chuckled.

"Mmm....yeah, I totally can!"

"Great!  But we're going to have to retrieve Antoine.  Where is he?"

"Last I saw him he was with Roddy."

And sure enough...

"Ach!  Make somehin' of yer-self, laddie!  You smell like crud vapors!" The kilt-wearing Roddy McStu yanked Antoine out of the...as he described it "doody water".

"Sacre bleu cheese."

Back to Azzy...

"But if we get him, shouldn't we do something about your heavyset basset hound friend?" Cosgrove asked.

"Nah.  He'll be fine.  He's with the Professor.  By the way...didn't that guy used to be on TV with a robot?"

And we immediately cut away to Al Dente with Dr. Zachary Smith...er...I mean Professor Jones.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Both continued running for their lives as Candle Jack slowly and barely-threateningly drifted after them.

Back to Azzy...

"Really.  They'll be fine."

It...was another long story with a far more unpleasant outcome. To save what's left of Antoine's dignity, I'll omit the details and cut right to the other person of interest.

"Well, let's get going." Asriel dialed in the coordinates on his bracer and opened the Cyber Portal to the Tick's world.

Asriel hopped on the NX Board and drifted in.

And Freakazoid attempted to follow but--

"Hey, Freakazoid.  You know you can't fly, right?"

"Oh.  Yeah.  Forgot." And then he did what I can only describe as running while attempting a Superman impression while making whooshing noises. Straight into the portal.

Back to where we were...

"Whoah!  What is that smell...?!" I started before I noticed I was suddenly rising up. I looked down to notice I was standing on a manhole cover and under it was the form of Sewer Urchin.

"It's a really bad scene over there."

"Eh..." I admit. I was having trouble adjusting to the...uniqueness of the superheroes of this world. I hadn't seen anything this off-beat since first coming to Coop's world. But that was a different breat of off-beat all together...and unforutnatley one that Violet revelled in.

Violet finished checking in with the others. "Rotor and Skeeter have their hands full with Apocolypse Cow.  Mitzi's dealing with Ramses IV and the Pyramid Gang.  And I think Scott's tied up with taking down Chairface Chippendale.  I think we now know what THAT'S all about." Vi pointed to the moon.

"We'll be fine as long as we don't get mismatched again.  It took hours to wake Mitzi up after she got a look at Zipperneck's powers."

"Eh." Vi shrugged.

"What's keeping Asriel?  This is so unlike him.  Also, you and I are going to have a talk with whatever you got him into that distracted him from his duties.""

"Eh...what makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

I held up the note that said: "Dear team. Went out to see a guy write on grains of rice, take part in a honey festival, watch a bear on a unicycle.  Homework. - Azzy

This was a Sans move. But also a play right out of Violet's handbook.

"Ehh...I plead the fifth amendment?"

"The fifth amendment doesn't exist on our world, Violet."

"Eheheheheh..."

"Arthur!" the Tick called out. "Our tate with destiny aways!  To battle, good chum!"

"I'd...better get down there." Arthur deployed his wings.

"Nice bunny costume!" Violet called after him.

"I'M A MOTH!!!" He hollered back.

I facepalmed and watched Arthur sail after the blue behoth moments before I heard

"WHERE'S THE JERK THAT CALLS HIMSELF THE TICK?!"

"I am that Jerk!"

"Darn it, Azzy..." I watched yet another obstacle delay the blue superhero...ish guy."

That was about the point when the portal opened and Asriel accidently buzzbombed the form of Barry Hubris a.k.a. the "other" Tick; probably still P.O.'ed that the Tick "stole" his costumed identity.

"Oops!  Sorry!"

"WHY YOU--!" Barry readied his force amplifier-equipped shield to charge Asriel down moments before Freakazoid unceremoniusly knocked him down and trampled him.

"Ooops!  Sorry!  Can't talk!  In a hurry!"

I deadpanned. "That...would explain much." I facepalmed.

I'm feeling a headache coming on, so I'll just sum things up.

What resulted was the unlikeliest team-up between the Tick and Freakazoid I never could have predicted, with Asriel and I providing support.

In the end, things...more or less got resolved and things more or less resulted in an iconic...ish...handshake and invitation to the other's home world along with promise of root beer floats and something about another of Cosgrove's offers to go to some place mundane yet somehow fullfilling.

Asriel had dropped Antoine off at UCIAT HQ before coming back to join me on the rooftop. We...did eventually get Al Dente back our world...but we decided to let him stew a bit with someone as annoying as him for a while.

"Oh the paaain, the paaaaaaain!"

"Oh shut up!" Jones shushed him as the continued to run, this time from Freakazoid's entire rogues gallery. From the Lobe to Longhorn, Cobra Queen to Cave Guy.

Which brought us back here.

"Cheer up.  All's well that ends well, yet again.  Right?"

"Right again, Goat Son.  This was...the strangest outting we've ever had.  But I'm glad it's over--"

I shouldn't have said anything because I felt the presents of Dinosaur Neil loom above me.

"You've GOT to be kidding me..." I squeezed my eyes shut as the Godzilla-sized man-T-Rex mutation drooled gallons of spitile.

End transmission already!!!

CRYPTOSMASHER LOGOFF

END TRAMSMISSION...

PLDN Chapter 32

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