Chapter Text
Universe: 51823
(Townsville City, Day). The Remote had officially started its mission of regulating the multiverse with its first error to fix being Universe 51823. However, upon arrival, it was challenged by its heroes, the protectors of Townsville City, the Powerpuff Women. These so-called heroes were three disillusioned and somewhat delusional twenty somethings that had recently reunited after being apart since childhood. There was Blossom, the leader who looked aged but wouldn’t admit it. She wore a crimson red blazer, a black blouse and blue jeans with dark red hair. Bubbles was what people would call “absent minded” but she would more accurately described as dense. She wore a light blue headband on her long blond hair, a light blue tank top and pencil skirt. Buttercup, the third Powerpuff, was a compensating butch. She was dark skinned and cut her hair in a tapered fade. Buttercup wore a sleeveless black muscle shirt, a green leather jacket and blue jeans. Blossom she was laying on the ground in a daze, surrounded by the destruction of a Townsville City street. She groaned from the agony, waiting for the pain that was coursing through her body to pass which was when she heard her sister’s voice.
Dialogue:
Bubbles: “Blossom! Blossom, get up or I’ll post your–!”
Blossom: “Shut up, I’m up! I’m up!”
Once Bubbles helped her sister back on her feet, Blossom told her; “ Not cool, Bubbles!” and the blue Powerpuff shrugged in indifference.
Bubbles: “It worked didn't it?”
Just then, Buttercup was sent crashing into a parked car right next to them.
Blossom: “I thought you said you ‘had ‘em’ ?”
Buttercup jumped off the now wrecked car and responded; “Whatever! Aren’t you due for a cringe ass pep talk from your child self or something?!” Buttercup then walked over to her sisters as Blossom was dusting herself off. The three women then saw the Remote walk out the smoke, slowly approaching them.
Blossom: “It’s coming.”
Bubbles: “ C’mon , we totally got this! We can beat this thing!”
Buttercup: “For once, I agree with your ditsy ass. Let’s do this, sistas!”
Bubbles: “Yea, Freedom Gal has nothing on us!”
The women roared as they charged at the Remote, all aiming to fight with all their strength. Buttercup was her Frost Breath on the Remote but it easily broke through, Blossom and Bubbles then fired their Heat Vision in unison but once again, the Powerpuff Women’s attacks were effortlessly discarded. The Remote then swatted them away with a swipe of his hand and while they were careening through the air, it blasted all three women with a large wave of its television static that quickly began to reduce them to nothing.
Buttercup: “No no! We had him! We had him!”
Blossom: “Buttercup… before we go, I just wanna say…”
Buttercup: “...What?”
Blossom: “...I’m still upset at you taking that girl home from Butch’s bar.”
Buttercup: “Are you… kidding me?! You’re in a relationship! Besides… first come, first ser…”
Blossom and Buttercup faded away but before Bubbles did as well, she managed to get her last words off.
Bubbles: “We didn’t even… get our pilot… off the grou…”
After all three of the Powerpuff Women were erased from existence, the Remote then erased the entirety of Universe 51823. The Remote was then standing in the middle of the silent Dead Airways, relishing in its accomplishment.
The Remote: “That felt… right.”
(The Centre of the Multiverse, The Flagship, Interior). Bad Ben opened his eyes with a gasp, finding himself in a cube cell made of energy one could see through. He got up from the bed he was lying in, seeing a flat screen television with a small mountain of video games beside it. Confused, he looked around his vicinity more, pressing against the see-through wall, trying to see into the distance. It was there that Uncle Grandpa suddenly appeared before his view with a pop, making the Ben Tennyson doppelganger jump back in shock.
Dialogue:
Bad Ben: “What the heck, man?!”
Uncle Grandpa: “Oh, did I scare ya?!”
Bad Ben: “What– of course not! Who’re you anyway?!”
Uncle Grandpa: “C’mon Ben, I’m your Uncle Grandpa!”
Bad Ben: “That doesn’t even make any sense!”
Blisstina then appeared, responding; “I would say it does, though. Maybe.”
Bad Ben: “You! Where am I?!”
Blisstina: “Dude, calm down. You passed out on the way here, ok?”
Bad Ben: “Pfft, wha– no I didn’t!”
Blisstina: “ Mhm .”
Bad Ben lifted his Omnitrix and threatened; “Let me out here, now!” However, the lilac Powerpuff was unfazed.
Blisstina: “Ya know, people may call you ‘Bad Ben’ but to me, you’re really just ‘Annoying Ben’ .”
Bad Ben: “So what, am I under arrest for being ‘annoying’ ?”
Blisstina: “No, you’re in here because you’re a threat in your universe. Look, just because we saved you doesn’t mean we trust you.”
Bad Ben: “What’s stopping me from just– I don’t know, breaking out of here?”
Ben, leader of Master Control, responded as he approached Bad Ben’s cell; “Your intelligence. I hope.” Bad Ben quickly greeted his adult counterpart.
Bad Ben: “Great, someone I can talk to. I’m guessing that you're the head of this whole operation?”
Blisstina: “What is wrong with you?! Why do you act like such a child?!”
Bad Ben: “Hey, I’ll be eighteen in a couple of months!”
Ben: “Alright, calm down you two.”
Blisstina: “Let me just ask you one question. Do you care?”
Bad Ben: “Care about what?”
Blisstina: “You’re team, they’re gone. Do you care or not?”
Bad Ben: “...Why would I? The mere fact that I’m here with you guys means that you have a way to bring them back. Am I right?”
Ben: “Thanks for the compliment but that’s currently not the case.”
Bad Ben: “Wait what?! How can you guys not have a way to undo whatever’s going on?!”
Blisstina: “Hey, we’re working on it, ok?!”
Ben: “That’s enough, Ben! We’re not in your world anymore, got it?!”
Bad Ben was taken aback, pouting like a child as he folded his arms and turned away from Ben.
Bad Ben: “...Whatever.”
Blisstina smirked at Ben putting his younger counterpart in his place.
Ben: “Look, we’ll figure it out, alright? For now, you just need to sit tight and trust us, got it?”
Bad Ben: “Fine. …I get it.”
Ben: “Good. Now, c’mon.”
Bad Ben: “Where?”
Uncle Grandpa took out a device out of his fanny pack and after pressing the big red button on the device, one of the walls of the cube cell vanished, allowing Bad Ben to step into the out.
Ben: “This way.”
Ben lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Ben, Blisstina and Uncle Grandpa took Bad Ben to the Bay where all the other evacuated variants of the multiverse had congregated.
Bad Ben: “Hm, nice place. Not .”
Uncle Grandpa, now dressed as a waiter, gave Bad Ben a cold bottle of Red Gush before he entered the room. Walking around, Bad Ben was surrounded by variants as far as the eye can see but it was only the tip of the iceberg as far as the multiverse was concerned. One of these variants was Duncan Rosenblatt or the “Firebreather” from Universe 102410, the son of the King of Kaiju known as Belloc. When Bad Ben walked past Duncan, sipping on his Red Gush, he noticed the teenager’s slightly orange and scaly skin, reptilian eyes, pointed ears and fangs.
Bad Ben: “Freakshow, ok.”
He then saw a rock monster wearing an apron standing next to a small cat-bear-dog thing wearing purple. After that, he then saw a young sailor boy and a weird looking man, a pirate with wooden limbs.
Bad Ben: “ More freakshows. Got it.”
Bad Ben was then served a burger from Universe 1992’s, the Prime Universe’s Burger Shack by the waiter who was Uncle Grandpa.
Bad Ben: “Burger Shack. Hm, would’ve preferred their chilli fires but whatever.”
Just when he was about to take a bite, he noticed three odd characters; a large floating box of fires with a face, a sentient milkshake and a living piece of ground beef. These individuals made up the Aqua Teen Hunger Force; Master Shake, Frylock and Meatwad from Universe 9201. Meatwad was eyeing Bad Ben and the burger he had a few feet from his mouth. Bad Ben gave Meatwad a cheeky grin before taking an exaggerated bite of his burger while making eye contact with the uncomfortable Meatwad. After having his fun, Bad Ben continued on, going past more variants; Juniper Lee and a talking pug named Monroe from Universe 5305. Johnny Bravo, his mother and a girl who went by Little Suzy from Universe 7797. A samurai called Jack from Universe 8101, a team of eternal warriors known as Unicorn from Universe 5523 and the Planeteers of Hope Island from Universe 91590. Upon finishing his burger, Bad Ben came across three Powerpuff girls, different versions of each sister, hailing from separate universes. The first was a Blossom Untonium, accompanied by her father Professor Untonium from Universe 111898. The second was a variant of Bubbles, a lone blue Powrpuff from Universe 7106. Her name was Miyako Gotokuji but since she had transformed, she was “Rolling Bubbles”. The last was a version of Buttercup from Universe 2000. She was blonde and had on blue jeans, a green t-shirt with a black stripe across her stomach and white long sleeves. Universe 2000 was one locked in war with another, a universe filled with massive globs of green ooze called Nyks. Buttercup was a aprt of that war but she was pulled from it and dropped here alongside other heroes from Universe 2000, a team of heroes called The Friends for Justice. The leader of the team was Major Glorious, an enthusiastic patriot who hates all forms of bigotry and prejudice. She had long blonde hair, a blue mask, boots and a top with a white star on her chest. She had on a yellow belt, white flared pants and a red and white striped cape. There was Professor Krunk, a super intelligent purple goliath who wore a white button up shirt that hugged his musculature, khaki pants and glasses. The daughter of E-Male named E-Girl, Captain Righteous, the master illusionist and magician Al Lusion. A version of Mojo who was an electrical powered superhero who went by “Chimp” and a scrawny Johnny Bravo who had the Might Axe of Rock n’ Roll in his possession. Bad Ben was going to make a comment but he didn’t bother, gulping down his Red Gush as he walked away. Just as he took a satisfying drink, Master Control took centre stage upon an elevated platform.
Duncan Rosenblatt: “So, you finally ready to tell us exactly what’s going on here?!”
Juniper Lee; “Who are you guys, first off?”
Ben: “We are Master Control, we protect the multiverse and all that.”
Master Shake: “Ah crap, we’re doing multiverse!”
Ben: “Yea I know, pretty wild. Oh and as for where you all are, you guys are inside our base, the Flagship–.”
Ben 23, from Universe 23, then asked; “Yea, that’s fine and all but why’re we here?!” Mandy, standing next to him, hailing from Universe 8241, then added; “Yea, just get to the point.” Ben stepped back and gestured to Dexstar who stepped forward and brought up the Bay’s massive holographic screen.
Ben 23: “ Ooh , holograms!”
Peridot, standing next to Garnet, both from Universe 52113, made the remark; “This holographic technology is very similar to the ones from Homeworld. Intriguing.”
Dexstar: "The multiverse is currently under threat, a strange being is destroying countless universes as we speak.”
Every variant in the room all gasped and screamed from harrowing news. Rex, from Universe 42310, then asked; “So that weird stuff destroyed our homes? They’re gone? Noah, Six, Holiday Bobo… everyone’s gone?”
Kwame: “That can’t be… can you bring everyone back?!”
Ben: “Trust us, we’re working on that.”
Clover, one of three W.H.O.O.P. spies that were present, those being two other girls named Sam and Alex, said aloud; “Well excuse us for being a bit sceptical of you guys!”
Ben: “Hey, I totally get it but we’re here to help guys, really.”
Professor Krunk: “This being, how exactly is it achieving such a feat?”
Dexstar: “I dubbed them ‘Dark Waves’ .”
One of the members of the Watterson Family from Universe 5311, with legs named Darwin, commented; “ That’s not ominous at all.”
Professor Krunk: “What is the structure of these Dark Waves ?”
Dexstar: “They have the visual appearance of television static or white noise as it is colloquially called.”
Professor Krunk: “Television static, interesting.”
Master Shake: “So some weirdo is going around wasting universes or whatever and you’re just standing here and telling us the daily news?! The heck are you doing about it?!”
Alex: "Oh my god, you’re a talking milkshake!”
Sam: “Alex, you just noticed?!”
Alex: “I'm sorry for being in shock , Sam!”
Sam chuckled a bit from Alex’s anxious outburst.
Buttercup(2000): “Would you calm down over there, it’s really not that deep!”
Clover: “Hey, you leave her alone! It’s not our fault that our world is not as weird and crazy as all of yours!”
Sam: “ Well .”
Clover: “Oh, you know what I mean, Sam!”
Blisstina: “Everyone, please calm down so Dexstar can finish!”
A woman named Priscilla Jones aka Aunt Grandma from Universe 9213, pointed at Uncle Grandpa and screamed; “What’s that moron doing here! Are you sure that he’s not the one behind this?!”
Uncle Grandpa: “Me?”
Blisstina: “Not really, that bad guy’s– or thing is actually…”
Blisstina glanced at Ben who gave her the go ahead to inform survivors.
Blisstina: “Yea, it’s a Remote.”
Richard Watterson: “A remote?! Where?! You guys got cable!?”
Grim: “A remoat?! Yah cyah be serious?!”
“A remote?! You can’t be serious?!”
Rumblings, murmurs and yelling began to erupt, filling the entire room. However, the loud echoes were quickly quieted by Cheetara slamming her Staff of Ages where she stood, shaking the room itself.
Beast Boy, one the surviving Teen Titans from Universe 7193, made the remark; “Whoa.” in response to Cheetara’s show of power.
Cheetara: “Please everyone, be calm! I know the situation may seem dire but we assure you that we’re doing the best we can to remedy it! All we ask of you is for your cooperation and hope in our ability!”
Mr. Gar, from Universe 8117, commented; “Well that’s a tough ask. You’re asking us to trust you when we barely know you.”
Ben: “You’re right but we were chosen by beings beyond your understanding to protect the multiverse and everyone in it so from the way I see it, we're your best chance.”
After the crowd calmed, Ben gestured to Dexstar, telling him; “Go on, Dex.”
Dexstar: “Thank you, Cheetara. Ben.”
The two in question both gave Dexstar a nod.
Dexter: “Yes, the threat is a Remote, specifically one with the capability to– as far as we know; speak, comprehend and the power to manipulate reality itself. The composition of its Dark Waves are unknown to us however, this is the power it uses to accomplish its goal.”
Bad Ben: “You guys know why it’s doing any of this?”
Ben: “No, we don’t.”
Carol Kincaid: “How about finding this Remote? Can you do that?”
Dexstar pulled up the Prismo Multiversal Database on screen.
Dexstar: “We are indeed able to locate the Remote however, it is only when it uses the Dark Waves at the apex of their capabilities.”
Ben: “Which means… only when it's in the process of erasing a universe.”
Juniper Lee: “Wait, that universe would be gone by that point!”
Blisstina: “We know and it sucks but it’s the best we can do right now. I’m really sorry.”
Cyborg: “ ‘Sorry’ ? That’s it, that’s all ya got?”
Ben stepped forward, looked the teenage hero in the eyes and told him; “Unfortunately, yes.”
Major Glorious: “This remote, can you defeat it?”
Ben: “Of course we can!”
KO: “Do you need help?”
Ben: “We’ll take care of this. We went through all the trouble to save you guys, it would be stupid of us to put you guys on the front lines.”
Blisstina: "We want to make sure you get back to your families so you’ll be staying here where it’s safe.”
Cheetara: “In the meantime, please continue to enjoy the many refreshments and the accommodations we have to offer.”
Cheetara looked down at Richard Watterson in particular and continued; “Also, yes we have cable.” This made the overgrown pink rabbit jump with glee then race off to the many lounge areas that the Bay had to offer to take advantage of the television in that lounge. The rest of the Watterson Family shook their heads in embarrassment at their father sitting around the television and immediately falling asleep. In the meantime, Master Control went to the Flagship’s Nerve Centre to discuss their next move.
T.O.M.: “The Absolution is ready for another trip, Ben.”
Ben: “Good.”
Blisstina: “I know this is what we have to do but I hate the fact that this thing forced us to basically do a smash and grab of the multiverse!”
Ben: “I know but this is our only option right now.”
Cheetara: “I thought we had more time to prepare.”
T.O.M.: “Same here, three weeks was definitely not enough time.”
Ben: “I’m going to talk to Prismo and the guys about coming with a way to possibly fix this while the rest of you continue with the evacuation plan.”
Dexstar: “May I offer a suggestion? I have a plan.”
Ben: “Shoot.”
Dexstar: “I propose that if we can get a sample of the Dark Waves in our possession the next time we face the Remote, we could possibly use that Dark Wave sample to create a way to track this being.”
Cheetara: “That sounds dangerous, Dexstar.”
Dexstar: “I am aware, which is why I’ll be doing this task alone.”
Ben: “Are you sure about this?”
Dexstar: “I am.”
Ben: “Ok.”
Dexstar: “I would like to borrow your secondary vessel, T.O.M. The Reprieve.”
T.O.M.: “Sure, it’s still in my room. Let me give you the passcode–.”
Dexstar: “I know it.”
T.O.M.: “You do? How?”
Dexstar: “When I saw you input it.”
T.O.M.: “Dexstar, that was from months ago, after we finished building this place. You remember that far back?”
Ben: “I barely remember what I had for breakfast last Tuesday.”
Dexstar: “If there aren’t any more questions, I will be taking my leave.”
Ben: “Hey, come back in one piece.”
Dexstar looked back at his team and nodded before he left.
Ben: “The rest of you, go. Bliss, you and Uncle Grandpa take his RV– the more Noah’s Arks we have out there, the better.”
Ben then walked off and said; “In the meantime, I’ll go talk to the gods upstairs.”
Universe: 0104
(Space, Mandark Laboratories Spacecraft, Interior). A Mandark Laboratories had left its home, this universe’s earth. The spacecraft was filled with people, with survivors peering through the window of the ship with heavy hearts, watching their home become assimilated by Planet Fuse. Some of the people onboard was a young boy named Mac that found the blade of a legendary samurai that slayed an entity of darkness of long past. Next to him was his Imaginary Friend Bloo Superdude, who was a cyborg that had a hulking body with the left arm of a bear and long black hair. Another was Wilt The Fire Elemental, dressed in a tattered brown robe and the tyrannical anarchist known as Frankincensed. After fighting to save their earth for so long, in the end they couldn’t protect it from the embodiment of nihilism.
Dialogue:
Samurai Mac: “I can’t believe it, we… lost.”
Bloo Superdude: “Mac–.”
Bloo stopped talking, instantly alerting Mac who noticed that he was looking curiously into the cosmos.
Samurai Mac: “Bloo?”
Bloo Superdude: “What is that?”
What looked like television static began growing on the surface of Planet Fuse, eating away at it which eventually grabbed the attention of the others inside the spacecraft.
Frankincensed: “Is that… TV static?”
Samurai Mac: “I think it is.”
Planet Fuse was suddenly erased, eviscerated into pieces by the white noise then into nothingness.
Samurai Mac: “Fuse just disappeared!”
Wilt: “I’m sorry but what ?!”
Mandark then entered the canopy that everyone was in, leaving the ship’s cockpit after placing the spacecraft under autopilot.
Bloo Superdude: “Mandark!”
Mandark pushed through the crowd, making it to the front of the pack where stood stunned by Planet Fuse’s disappearance.
Bloo Superdude: “So… does this mean we can go back home?”
Frankincensed: “Mandark, is he right? Can we go home?”
Mandark did not respond, focusing on the television static that took out what was once the bane of their existence and what was still expanding.
Mandark: “...Something’s not right.”
Bloo Superdude: “Wait a minute… we just won, right?”
Samurai Mac: “I… I guess we did?”
Bloo Superdude: “Yea, we won!”
Bloo Superdude began cheering and his elation quickly spread across the crowd like a contagion, making everyone cheer along in their presumed victory. Everyone was clapping and screaming for joy, all except for one, Mandark, who was still cautiously staring at the television static. However, their elation stopped from the sudden appearance of the Remote. It floated up to the window the survivors were looking through and stared at them as its Dark Waves continued to expand in the background.
Frankincensed: “Wait… the TV static is still moving!”
The Remote: “As a sign of respect, I am willing to answer any question you may have.”
Mandark: “Who are you?”
The Remote: ”I am a being on a mission and in some way, your liberation.”
Mandark: “How is this liberating?”
The Remote: “Your universe has a potential for power, I have eradicated one of your assets but that creature is attracted to power so the mere fact it showed itself was very telling. It means that it is too high of a risk to leave this universe.”
Samurai Mac: “Wait, so your idea of ‘liberation’ is wiping the slate clean?!”
The Remote: “Not everything. I have a system in place and that system dictates the erasure of your universe among others.”
Samurai Mac: “WHAT?!!”
Mandark held up his hand, stopping Mac’s inflated aggression.
Mandark: “What makes you qualified to make that decision?”
The Remote: “Because I am the margin.”
The screams of the survivors filled the Mandark Laboratories spacecraft as the Remote’s Dark Waves seeped inside, eating away at everything as it encroached upon everyone. Mac and Bloo Superdude called out to each other as they ran into each other’s embrace, as did everyone else, waiting for the end. Mandark kept eye contact with the Remote that stared back, right up until the Dark Waves reduced him and everyone else to nothing. The Remote left as its Dark Waves erased the entirety of Universe 0104, once again leaving the silent void of the Dead Airways. Moments later, Dexstar had arrived inside T.O.M.’s vessel, the Reprieve. It was a smaller vessel, capable of transporting at least four passengers across the Dead Airways. It had a dark blue colour scheme with bright blue lighting shining from its crevasses, two thrusters at the back and four wings on either side with two of the four being smaller.
Dexstar: “I am too late.”
T.O.M. contacted Dexstar, asking about his progress. T.O.M.’s face showed up on the control panel that Dexster was sitting before.
Dexstar: “I was too late, the universe had already been expunged and the Remote’s Dark Waves had already extinguished. How is the evacuation?”
T.O.M.: “We just came from Universe 238AU… we only managed to get four survivors. Cheetara is giving them the run down of the situation right now.”
Dexstar: “I see. My condolences.”
T.O.M.: “I know this is a pipe dream but we’ll try to get there faster next time. By the way, how’s the Reprieve, how’s she running?”
Dexstar: “It is operating quite well considering its 86 percent completion.”
T.O.M.: “Yea, once I get it done, I’ll–.”
Dexstar suddenly began hearing alarms blaring from the other side of the call.
Dexstar: “Another universe?”
T.O.M.: “Universe 4510, gotta go! Good luck!”
Dexstar: “Thank you. Likewise.”
T.O.M. ended contact and Dexstar then continued on.
(The Centre of the Multiverse, The Flagship, Interior). Blisstina and Uncle Grandpa had touched down into their base’s landing deck, the UGRV’s door opened up and Uncle Grandpa stepped out dressed as tour guide, leading the group survivors out of the vehicle.
Dialogue:
Uncle Grandpa: “Stay in a single file until we arrive at the Bay where you’ll get a cold bottle of Red Gush or a cup of hot choco!”
The first group of survivors were from Universe 11211; a flame headed girl Joni West, her talking dog Dutchy and her two genius brothers Simon and Mark West. The second group hailed from Universe 9244, the members of the Galactic Guardians; Atomic Betty, Sparky and X-5.
Joni West: “ Ooh Red Gush! Nice!”
Simon West: “This place is… whoa.”
Mark West: “We better keep an eye on Joni or this place will fall apart.”
Joni West: “Hey, I’m not a walking time bomb, alright?! I can keep my hands to myself!”
Dutchy, and the West Brothers laughed in Joni’s face but ended their chuckle abruptly when they realised that Joni wasn’t enthused.
Dutchy: “Oh, you’re serious.”
Blisstina stood at the door of the UGRV, watching as now two tour guide Uncle Grandpas, escorted the survivors to the Bay. After they were gone from her view, Blisstina then took a seat on the UGRV’s door steps just as the Absolution Mk. XIV had arrived. T.O.M. and Cheetara then exited the vessel with the survivors they evacuated in tow. One group was made up of Lord Boxman and his robot children K-0, R.A.D.I.C.L.E.S. and En1d from Universe 238AU. Another group was from Universe 4510, from the Land of Ooo; Finn and his nephew T.V., Marceline and Simon Petrikov. While the last group was from Universe 83123; Fionna Campbell, her elastic talking cat Cake and her best friend Gary Prince.
Fionna: “So this is your multiverse cop precinct? Cuz you know, you’re multiverse cops.”
Cheetara: “I guess you could say that.”
Cake: “Coulda used your guy’s help with Scarab last year, ‘multiverse cops’ .”
T.O.M.: “We weren’t a thing last year but what happened with you guys was definitely one of the reasons we’re here now.”
Fionna: “Well, at least some good came of all that.”
Cheetara noticed Blisstina, sitting down on the steps of the UGRV, yawning.
Cheetara: “T.O.M., you’re ok here? I’m going to check on Blisstina.”
T.O.M.: “Sure, I got it.”
Cheetara approached the lilac Powerpuff, in the middle of another yawn.
Cheetara: “You alright?”
Blisstina: “Hm? Oh, yea, I’m good. It’s just that…”
Cheetara sat next to Blisstina.
Blisstina: “...We came up short, again . Uncle Grandpa and I… we couldn’t save Universe 0104.”
Cheetara: “T.O.M. and I weren’t able to evacuate some of the erased universes either.”
Blisstina: “This really blows!”
Blisstina yawned again, prompting Cheetara to ask about it this time around.
Cheetara: “I thought you were getting good sleep at the Flagship?”
Blisstina: “...Oh, uh– I am! I just need a nap, that’s all. A matter of fact, I’m gonna crash in the UGRV for a bit.”
Cheetara: “Ok, rest well.”
Blisstina thanked Cheetara before stepping inside the UGRV. Cheetara rose to her feet, ready to walk off but quickly called out to Blisstina; “Oh, is Ben still with the gods?”
Blisstina: “Yea, he’s been up there a while, actually.”
Ben was in Prismo’s Time Room, sitting on a sofa with the Cosmic Owl to his left and C.H. Greenblatt to his right, all partaking in a jar of Prismo's homegrown pickles.
C.H. Greenblatt: “Ok, so the Wishmaster plan is a no go.”
Cosmic Owl: “Is there really no way to maybe bring these universes back?”
Prismo: “I don’t know, CO.”
Scarab: “Wait a minute, Prismo. Couldn’t they do the same thing Fionna Campbell did to restore her universe last year?”
Pizza Steve, who was in a jacuzzi with Mr. Gus, watching Prismo’s TV wall, commented; “You talking about when you almost iced them?”
Scarabs: “Grown ups talking now, infantile pizza slice.”
Prismo: “The Reality Spores? Yea, that could possibly work– but that wasn’t me, remember? That was Golbetty.”
C.H. Greenblatt: “Then we go to the Under Realms and by we, I mean you guys.”
Ben: “But wait, Universe 4510 is gone, how would I even get to Golbetty?”
Cosmic Owl: “There’s the Prime Universe, they have an Ooo in their timeline.”
Scarab: “Each universe has its own Afterlife with a few differences across the board; a lack of a Nergal, the Guardian of the In-between, a singular Hell realm instead of multiple or even the lack of an entire sect of the Golden Palace pantheon. However, Golb World is a multiversal singularity, the same realm exists in every single universe’s Afterlife.”
Ben: “Ok ok but wait, there’s tons of Bettys across the multiverse. How does that make sense?”
Scarab: “True, there’s a multitude of Bettys but they all went through the exact same endgame. The events getting there might be different but at the end of the day, all those Bettys become a part of the multiversal constant that is Golb, right at the exact same moment.
Ben: “Hm, just when I thought I understood the multiverse.”
Mr. Gus: “Tell me about it.”
Ben: “Alright, so it’s off the Afterlife then.”
Scarab: “Luckily, the Afterlife is a physical realm on top of being a metaphysical one, so you and your team won’t have to die to go there.”
Ben: “I plan on going on my own, to my universe’s Afterlife.”
Prismo: “Although, I don’t think you’ll be able to convince Golbetty… but Simon could.”
Ben: “I think he might be in the Bay right now so maybe I could ask him to help convince her.”
C.H. Greenblatt: “Sounds like a plan to me.”
Ben quickly finished the rest of his pickle then jumped out of the sofa, elated.
Ben: “Good, we found a way to bring those universes back!”
Prismo: “...No, Ben. When Fionna and the others used those Reality Spores, they were like conduits the spores used to repair what was broken.”
Ben: “So all those fully erased universes that we didn’t get to evacuate are gone forever, then.”
Prismo solemnly nodded.
Ben: “...Alright.”
Universe: 0190
(Hope Island, Day). What was the home to Gaia, the protector of mother nature, was in ruins, covered in fire and debris. Gaia was a metaphysical force that inhabited the five elemental rings; the ring of Earth, the ring of Water, the ring of Fire, the ring of Wind and the ring of Heart. From these rings stood five avatars made of each element; stone, water, flame, air and soul. Gaia, through these avatars was doing her best to put a stop to the Remote but she continued to come up short. The Earth avatar was thrown through multiple structures, crashing through each one before hitting the ground. The other avatars rushed over to the Earth avatar, helping it up on its feet. It was then that Gaia decided to use her ultimate power, to power to combine.
Dialogue:
Gaia: “Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Heart! With my powers combined, unleash the power of Mother Nature!”
The Remote watched as a tower of light blasted into the air, pulling in the elements around it. It then mixed into an orb of light before exploding, sending blades of winds bursting through the air. The harsh winds brushed past the Remote but it didn’t even react to the grand display of power. After the winds died down, what stood before the Remote was the physical form of Gaia, the culmination of the combined power of planet earth itself. Captain Gaia had pale blue skin, long dark blue hair with a blue streak running through it. She wore a purple suit with a golden belt, with a golden symbol on her chest in the form of a globe.
Captain Gaia: “Now, the real fight starts.”
The Remote: “Oh, does it?”
Captain Gaia held up an open palm and replied; “Yes, it does .” before blasting a massive beam of intense plasma at the Remote. The blast dug out an enormous trench that stretched to the ocean shore but when the smoke cleared, to Captain Gaia’s shock, the Remote had disappeared. Captain Gaia suddenly found her face stuffed into the ground, shattering it. The Remote, having Captain Gaia’s head in its hand, then threw her up and then sent her flying into the side of the mountain with a punch to the gut. The strike was so strong that upon slamming against it, the entire mountain collapsed on top of her. Captain Gaia blasted through the rubble, sending the massive chunks of mountain into the air with another burst of intense flames. She then used those flames to turn the pieces of mountain into massive boulders of molten rock and threw them at the Remote. As they flew forward like gigantic comets of fire they were unfortunately quickly dispatched by the Remote’s Dark Waves. It then rocketed towards Captain Gaia at blinding speeds. With a thrust of her arms, multiple geysers of water erupted from the ground and she then turned them into boiling water spouts with the cyclones of fire she then summoned. With a roar, Captain Gaia shot the boiling geysers at the Remote, driving it into the ground with her scalding water.
Captain Gaia: “Got you!”
The Remote held out its arm to use its Dark Waves but something else happened, it conjured an orb of concussive force that shielded it from the bombardment of scalding water.
The Remote: “Do you?”
Captain Gaia: “What?”
The Remote exerted this concussive force, expelling the boiling water and then went back on its path towards Captain Gaia. She then raised her arm then swung it down, sending out a massive blade of air at the Remote that was slicing through the earth on the way to its target. Unfortunately, her attack was for naught as the Remote destroyed her attack with ease with a hand wave.
Captain Gaia: “I’m not giving up!”
Captain Gaia dug her arms into the ground, summoning massive monstrous vines from the earth and sending them the Remote’s way but it was once again dispatched just like her prior attacks. It shattered the vines into pieces with a burst of concussive force from its hand before seemingly vanishing from view.
Captain Gaia: “Where did it–?!”
Captain Gaia got her answer as the Remote suddenly appeared next to her. It then held out its hand, emitting a concussive force that instantly flattened Captain Gaia into the ground.
The Remote: “I suppose I should thank you for allowing me to learn. It is imperative for my mission that my power keeps growing.”
Captain Gaia: “What mission?!”
The Remote: “The mission that you are reaffirming right now, that power, the source of aggression, only breeds conflict which ends with extinction. The cycle of suffering that mortals across creation continue to propagate.”
Captain Gaia: “Not all aggression is bad aggression! We help people!”
The Remote: “I never brought up morality, in fact I commend your noble efforts to thwart ‘evil’ no matter how trivial I may view it. However, I see all conflicts the same. Whether bad or good, it all leads to the same outcome and you are a part of the problem. Thus, you need to be erased.”
Captain Gaia: “ Erased?! That’s what this is for?! Erasure?! Your plans are drastic, don’t you know that there’s other ways to quell conflict?!”
The Remote: “I am aware but you keep misunderstanding me, I think– I know that the current ways are meaningless!”
Captain Gaia: “...You say that we ‘mortals’ prolong the cycle of suffering but what makes you any different based on your actions?”
The Remote: “I never claimed the above conflict, that would be contradictory to my actions, yes. However, it is necessary because unlike you mortals’ incessant fight of ‘good vs evil’ , my actions will lead to an absolute end, an end that is good for all. Once I have completed my mission, even the mere concept of conflict would cease to exist!”
Captain Gaia: “So you want to establish a hierarchy of power where you stand at the top! My next question is, if you're capable of conflict, what disqualifies you from inciting conflict on everyone else?!”
The Remote: “I understand your scepticism but I do not plan on inciting that which I despise, I have no intention of attacking those weaker than me. In addition, I will have no equal as no being will be able to oppose me. I assure you, my actions are just, my intention is to bring about the end of conflict by erasing all its negative consequences.”
Captain Gaia: “We mortals won’t just go down without a fight, you know?”
The Remote: “I know.”
The Remote then shattered Captain Gaia into pieces before she was then reduced to nothing, it then went on to spread its Dark Waves across the entirety of Universe 0105, starting the process of erasing it. The Remote took one last look around before leaving through a rift it created. Seconds later, Dexstar had arrived just in time to retrieve a sample. A small hatch on top of the Reprieve opened up and Dexstar came out, pointing what looked like a laser weapon at the universe erasing Dark Waves. He fired a yellow laser, aiming to contain a piece of the Dark Waves but just like the universe it was eating away, it also ate right through the energy itself. The Dark Waves then unfortunately reached the Reprieve and began eating away at it, it even reduced the laser weapon Dexstar had just used to nothing. Dexstar was forced to flee, leaping into the void of the Dead Airways that was opening up around him. Dexstar saw the Reprieve dissolve as he kept drifting further into the Dead Airway, its absolute silence was already getting to him until he was quickly rescued by T.O.M. and Cheetara, arriving in the Absolution Mk. XIV. He was pulled into the Absolution via a tractor beam and brought to the cockpit by Cheetara.
Dexstar: “Thank you for rescuing me, both of you.”
Cheetara: “Of course, Dexstar.”
Dexstar: “T.O.M., my apologies for getting your vessel destroyed.”
T.O.M.: “Hey hey, we’d rather have you alive than my ship, Dex.”
Cheetara smiled and nodded at Dexstar, continuing T.O.M.’s sentiment non verbally.
T.O.M.: “So, did you get what you needed?”
Dexstar: “No, I failed. I had collected a device from the Prime Universe’s Professor Utonium, a containment ray that he once used to capture that universe’s Bubbles Utonium, who was masquerading as the Rowdyruff Boomer at the time. I was under the impression that a containment ray that had the capability to contain a Chemical X individual would have worked but I was mistaken. The Dark Waves cannot be contained by any other means once it has been released, even eating through pure energy.”
Cheetara placed her hand on Dexstar’s shoulder, comforting him.
T.O.M.: “I’m still shocked that the Remote hasn’t targeted the Prime Universe yet. I guess that means it's going to random universe’s, it doesn’t have the lay of the land yet.”
Cheetara: “My hope is that it never does.”
T.O.M.: “Same.”
Cheetara: “Unfortunately, another universe has been claimed and we're nowhere closer to finding a way to track the Remote down.”
T.O.M. sighed.
T.O.M.: “We better call Ben.”
(The Centre of the Multiverse, The Flagship, Interior). Ben was going down the Flagship’s elevator, just leaving Prismo’s Time Room when his Ultimatrix beeped. He raised his arm and a green holographic screen popped out of the dial, displaying T.O.M., Cheetara and Dexstar.
Dialogue:
Ben: “What’s up?! You guys alright?!”
T.O.M.: “Yea, we’re good.”
Ben: “Wait, Dexstar? I thought you were on your own mission?”
Dexstar: “I failed my mission and the Reprieve was destroyed. If it weren’t for Cheetara and T.O.M., I would’ve been lost within the Dead Airways.”
Ben: “Well, I’m glad you’re alright. Well, since your mission was a bust, continue the evac plan with Chee and T.O.M.”
Dexstar: “Of course.”
Cheetara: “Have you and Prismo come with a plan to possibly reverse the Remote’s actions?”
Ben: “Yea, uh–.”
T.O.M. and Cheetara let out a sigh of relief while Dexstar just closed his eyes and nodded but their perceived win was shattered once Ben continued; “But.”
T.O.M: “...But?”
Ben: “Apparently there’s a caveat. We can only restore the universe we evacuated people from because they’re the key to restoring them… all the others that we couldn’t evacuate in time… are gone forever.”
Cheetara: “Wait, how can this be?!”
Ben: “Sadly, it’s how the Reality Spores work.”
Cheetara: “Reality Spores? What’re those?”
T.O.M.: “If it is what I’m thinking…”
Ben nodded, affirming T.O.M’s assumptions.
T.O.M.: “Ok, then I’ll explain later.”
Cheetara: “Sure.”
Ben: “I just need to get to Golb World to see Golbetty and I need Simon’s help.”
Cheetara: “It looks like we’re going have to risk the lives of the survivors. I just hope they understand.”
Ben: “Me too.”
T.O.M.: “...I can’t believe we’re gonna live in a multiverse… without Superman. That universe was one of a kind, there was no other like it.”
Cheetara: “It just means that every person we manage to save is even more important.”
Ben: “Yea– Oh, wait a minute. I’m going to need a lift, I’m gonna have to borrow the UGRV.”
Dexstar: “That would result in one ‘ark’ on the field.”
Cheetara: “True but we have no other choice.”
Ben: “Alright, get back to the plan. I’ll call Bliss and Uncle Grandpa to tell them what’s up. I’m going to the Afterlife.”
To Be Continued