Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Simmons sighed as he cradled the drink in his hands. He didn’t usually go to bars as a form of relaxation, but today had been an unusual day.

He’d woken up with a massive headache that hadn’t disappeared quite yet and it had only gotten worse as the day went on- especially since he spent most of his time straining to keep his temper in check around his idiot clientele .

Although he didn’t tend to go out drinking often, he had to admit that this time he chose a… moderately nice piano bar this time around. The blond currently playing the piano wasn’t horrible and he could certainly feel himself relaxing at the sound of the music.

Suddenly, and abruptly, a man sat down right next to him still wearing what Simmons thought must have been his factory uniform. The man looked at him, eyeing him up and down, before smiling slightly.

Simmons could only blush in response, looking down at his glass.

He hadn’t expected the admittedly handsome man to speak to him- or perhaps it was more like he really didn’t dare to hope- but the stranger suppressed him again, in quite possibly the strangest ways possible.

“What do you know about paradoxes?”

Simmons could only blink and try to stammer out a response. Definitely an unusual day.

Chapter Text

Kai didn’t really know what was going on in her brothers head every hour of every day. And she certainly didn’t know what was up with that secret notebook of his.

He often let her get away with snooping through his things- he didn’t mind when she did.

But this? Not this.

This was the one thing he coveted and hid away from her at all costs since that one Sunday when he bought the stupid thing.

But today her curiosity had gotten the better over her and the second that her big bro was out of the house she raced towards his room.

It took a while to actually find where he had hidden it- really, she wouldn’t think to check behind some of the torn up and duct taped wallpaper in his room to reveal a small hidey hole for the book when most of the wallpaper had to be duct taped up.

She didn’t bother to escape back to her room since she knew Dex would be out all night working at a nearby convenience store.

Kai hesitated briefly before opening the notebook- there must have been a good reason for her big bro to hide this from her, right?

But, she came this far, so she might as well open it.

A lot of the first pages just seemed like utter nonsense, and a lot more of it was words that she just plain out didn’t understand- she thought they might have been names though.

Genkins and Chrovos popped up a lot.

Chapter Text

As the sergeant, he considered it his job to ensure that his men made it out safely. But in a world where aliens were real and violent, it was a lot harder to do that.

Just last week he had lost Private Delano, and he knew that the rest of his men still felt that particular loss.

Currently, it was just him and Private Grif alone on the battlefield. The soldier had started to lag behind, and he couldn’t leave another soldier behind to die.

Gas masks secured firmly on, he couldn’t see what type of emotion his soldier was feeling. Scared or confident? He couldn’t tell. The masks were essential as aliens didn’t care for the human rules of warfare, proving themselves as disgusting barbarians in his mind.

They just had to make it to the safe zone and then they would be in the clear-

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Private Grif look sharply to the left at a lone alien in the distance. Suddenly, he tried to take off towards its direction but he had stopped him by grabbing his arm as tightly as he could.

“Today is not the day to die, soldier!”

Shrugging off his grip easily, Private Grif said nothing and merely saluted in response.

Escaping, the soldier chased after the armored alien that had originally caught his attention.

He could only watch horrified as his soldier ran off into the approaching toxic mists.

Chapter Text

This was the fifth day in a row where Church had to deal with that fucking intern .

Now, Dr. Alpha Church hated a lot of things- people mostly, especially his roommate Michael. But the one thing he hated more than that idiot, was straight up incompetence manifested in a human body .

He almost snapped his glasses in half when his intern broke something in the background behind him.

Pushing himself away from his desk he clenched his fists as he growled, “I swear to god Jenkins if that was another goddamn expensive microscope it’s coming out of your nonexistent paycheck-”

A loud ringing came from his phone and he glared at the bumbling idiot before answering the call.

“Dr. Church speaking. Epsilon if this is you I’m gonna kick your goddamn ass-”

“Theoretically,” a voice he had never heard before cut him off. “If the timeline was shattered by a paradox, what would you do to fix it? What would you say to the people that you once knew to try and get them to remember?”

Church blinked. And then he blinked again.

“I’d say that whatever drug you’re on must be fucking powerful, and then I’d say don’t call this number again ,” he said ending the call.

Chapter Text

Donut sighed as he looked at the watch on his wrist again. His date was a half hour late, and now he’s certain that they’re not going to show up.

Darn. And to think that he had so much faith in this one. Well, since he was already at the cafe he might as well order something still.

He was just about to order when someone entered the cafe.

It wasn’t his flake of a date, but the stranger did look familiar. The stranger scanned the room and when he made eye contact with him, Donut felt as though this stranger was no stranger at all.

The man walked towards Donut’s booth and stopped by it.

“Is this seat taken,” he asked.

Donut shook his head and watched as the man sat down across from him.

“I know you Donut muttered. “But- I don’t know you.”

The man didn’t look surprised and he sighed.

“You do and you don’t,” he admitted. “I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to talk to you If I’m being honest.”

“Why not,” Donut looked adamantly at this enigma of a man.

The man leaned back in his seat and tilted his head towards the window.

“They don’t like it when someone else remembers,” he paused, eyes narrowing at something across the street.

“Especially when it’s you who remembers.”

Chapter Text

David sighed as he gazed out over the store, noticing the lack of customers. He hated his job, but at least on the quieter days, he didn’t have to worry about any of the usual bullshit.

He heard the bell ding, signaling that someone entered the store and so he straightened his posture.

He quirked an eyebrow at the young child that had entered the store without an accompanying adult. The kid looked about eight and he should really not be walking around without an adult.

The kid pretended like he was browsing the shelves, but David had a hunch that he was trying to save face and that he was actually lost.

Finally, the kid walked towards the counter, arms linked behind his back trying to look nonchalant.

David had to admit that it was kind of amusing, in the way of him being a teen and him being a much younger- and probably lost - kid.

“What can I do for you, kiddo,” David asked.

The kid peered up at him from in front of the counter, squinting his eyes as he looked up.

“You’re Wash, right?”

David’s thoughts stopped at that, and he could only stammer out a, “What?”

The kid looked at him in silence, before turning around and walking out muttering, “Not gonna take the chance.”

Putting his head in his hands, he could only sigh in confusion.

Chapter Text

Looking over the space station Lopez crossed his arms, tsking at the soft clicks the metal made on contact. The android leaned back, watching people walk past him and his ship.

It was unlikely for him to get any customers, seeing as no one wanted to deal with an android that could only speak a long dead and forgotten language. His captain had left to ferry their previous passengers to somewhere safer on the main cruiser, leaving Lopez in charge of acquiring new customers. Typical.

In his brooding he didn’t notice the young child standing in front of him, duffle bag slung across his back. The kid coughed into his hand, getting the androids attention.

“You provide transport anywhere ,” the kid asked, reaching into his pocket to pull out a card.

Taking the card and pulling out his datapad he scanned the card for the down payment. Having the appropriate amount transferred, he nodded at the kid and opened the door to the shuttle.

“¿A dónde te diriges, chico?” Where are you heading, kid?

A thud came from the duffle bag hitting the ground, followed by a zipper opening. The kid pulled out a star chart with a big circle in the middle of open space. “Here.”

Looking at the paper he shrugged, saying, “No voy a ninguna parte, lo veo.” Going nowhere, I see.

Lopez is shocked when the kid actually answered him back.

“No, not nowhere, just Starseed.”

Chapter Text

Kimball smiled at her campers as she herded them onto the bus, the kids still brimming with excitement. She was sure they were exhausted though and that the movement of the bus would lull them to sleep.

Once situated she took a quick head count and was relieved that all her campers were on the bus. After giving a nod to the bus driver she sat down to her favorite camper.

Dexter was a quiet kid, preferring to just sit back and relax instead of participating in the daily activities.

His mother had entered him into the camp with the warning that he was prone to violent outbursts and occasional breakdowns. Kimball had made sure to keep a watchful eye on him so that he wouldn’t be set off by something, but in doing so she found that he wasn’t a problem at all like his mother had warned he would be.

He was one of the only kids Kimball could count on to take care of themselves if she had to leave to do something.

“So, did you enjoy today, Dexter,” she asked.

He peered at her through lidded eyes, before turning his head towards the window. “Not really, General.”

With a sad smile, she shook her head. “Maybe you’ll enjoy tomorrow's trip more, Captain. We’re going to the planetarium, maybe you can ask them about that planet you’re always telling me about?”

Dexter didn’t smile back, but he did nod his head saying, “Maybe.”

Chapter Text

Dr. Grey looked at her patient lying sedated in the hospital bed. The man who had brought him in had claimed that it was a simple accident that had led to the child having three broken bones.

Emily was no idiot, and she certainly wouldn’t turn away a potential abuse victim.

Clutching her clipboard she remembered how delirious the poor kid had been when he was first brought it. He kept screaming about the end of the world and how time had been shattered. Silly thoughts, mad ravings from a child in pain.

Looking at the man sitting at his bedside, she saw how he looked at the child with a strange look in his eyes.

That was another thing about the man that had piqued her curiosity. She was no stranger to heterochromia, but she had never seen a case like his. One eye pure silver, and the other pure gold.

She didn’t want to leave this man of unknown relation with her patient, but she needed to report this man before he could do any more harm to the child. Reaching for the door she turned the knob, but the door didn’t open, it didn’t even budge.

Jiggling the knob, wincing as it didn’t open, she heard the man shuffle in his seat behind her.

“A marvel isn’t he,” he asked. “A pest sure, but still the fact that he can always remember…”

The man smirked, and said, “I think it’s time to explore weirder universes.”

Chapter Text

Kai hid under her covers as she heard Dex and Mama arguing in the kitchen.

“How dare you act like that to him, you little brat! Do you even understand what this relationship means to this family?!”

“Oh, I understand plenty! And usually I’d be fine with whatever bullshit you pull, but this is where I draw the fucking line in the sand.”

She’s never heard her big bro so livid before. Last week he was fine with Mama’s new boyfriend, grumbling about it sure, but not yelling like he was now.

But it was like he’d woken up an entirely new person. He’d taken one look at Mama’s boyfriend before telling him to get out and throwing an empty glass bottle at him.

“Literally anyone else is fucking fine! But not him! Not that conniving bastard-”

Big bro was shut up by a resounding slap that made Kai flinch from under the safety of her blanket.

“How dare you say that about Genkins. Go to your fucking room.”

She heard muffled footsteps heading towards her room. Her door opened and then was slammed shut. Peering out from under her blanket she could see a cut on Dex’s cheek, probably from one of Mama’s rings.

He didn’t say anything as she shuffled to his bed.

Chapter Text

Ortez sighed as his employer fiddled with the martini glass in his hands. At first, he had been suspicious of him due to his age- the kid had just turned twenty-one. He should have refused the job, let common sense take over and question the kid on how he knew how to contact him .

But the kid had produced the money necessary for an assassination like this and well-

Ortez thought him familiar somehow, but for the life of him, he didn’t know how.

“So what’s the plan,” his employer queried.

“Tonight as he sleeps, the poison that I had slipped into his drink should finish the job, if not I will personally smother him,” Ortez informed him.

HIs employer only hummed and fiddled with his drink more.

He assumed the conversation over, and as such, he turned around ready to leave the presence of the kid.

“Why’s your symbol a locust?” stopped him.

Pausing he thought about it, searched within himself as he realized that he’d never questioned it before because-

“It felt right,” he answered honestly.

Finally drinking from his glass, his employer ducked his head mumbling, “Sorry to wrap you into this.”

In that instance, he was filled with so many, too many, questions about who this child was, what he’d experienced.

In the end, he only said, “It’s my job.”

Chapter Text

Lina looked up from the photograph to the ruined house in front of her. The house had been abandoned for years, but if she judged from the photo it hadn’t fared well when it’s owner had still lived there.

Years ago the single mother’s toddler son had disappeared without a trace while she was still in the house. Reports say that the mother swore that she could hear someone walking around the house at night before her son went missing.

That’s what brought Lina here.

She was gonna find out what happened- she would find some sort of clue.

Walking into the house she was prepared to spend hours searching. But the second she walked in she noticed footprints on the dusty floors leading somewhere, but not a trail leading back to the front door.

With deliberation, she decided to follow them and see where they lead.

She followed them until it reached a small passageway and the trail ended there. Thinking that it must mean something she pried open the door and went through the crawl space.

Exiting, her eyes went wide as she muttered, “What the…”

Papers were strewn everywhere in the small room, picking one up she could barely read the child sprawl.

But what really shocked her was the message she hoped was written in red paint.

Gotta Be Faster Than That Kiddo!

Chapter Text

Tucker started to settle down on his couch after a long day of work when he heard a loud knock on his door. Groaning loudly, he shuffled over to the door to whirl it open and become face to face with a man he’d never met before.

Just as he was about to tell the man off it hit him. A powerful something that wasn’t a hex or a curse, but undeniably something magic .

“I’ve heard that you’re experienced in magic,” the man asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, come right in,” he answered, eyes wide still shocked by whatever it was that was so strongly cast upon this man.

The stranger entered his apartment, looking around at the various baubles hanging from the ceiling.

“Right this way,” Tucker mumbled gesturing to his back room where usually did his, well, stuff.

As soon as they were both seated, Tucker took a deep breath to center himself before asking, “You want me to remove the, fucking hell, the imprint on you?”

“No, fuck, I need that,” the man explained. His eyes became slightly downcast as he paused. “I need you to find someone for me- I don’t know where in the universe she is, but you’re my best bet for finding her.”

“Who,” Tucker asked, leaning forward.

“Her name is Huggins, and I need to know where she is.”

Chapter Text

Simmons’ day had started off good, great in fact! He had finally gotten that raise that he wanted and he didn’t have to deal with anyone not as intelligent as himself.

But now here he was, stuck in a broken elevator with his old flame from college.

He hadn’t even known that Dexter lived in the same apartment complex as him. And he certainly didn’t know that he was moving out, given the two suitcases and duffle bag.

Dexter looked terrible, bags under his eyes as if he hadn’t gotten enough sleep in decades. He kept his eyes trained forward, not even giving a side glance to him.

It made Simmons think back to the week when they broke up. Dexter had been restless and it built up until he started talking nonsense. Then they broke up. Simmons never thought he’d see him again.

“Fuck that,” Dexter mumbled.

Before Simmons could even stammer a ‘huh’ lips were crashing into his, hands cradling his face gently. He was being kissed with such ferocity that he stumbled back a little bit. But he sunk into the kiss, kissing back because god damn it, he’d missed Dexter.

“I’m sorry,” Dexter panting after pulling away, shame clearly painted on his face. “I just don’t know when I’ll be able to do that again.”

And before Simmons could question what he meant, in a whirl the elevator started again and Dexter rushed out with the doors closing behind him.

Chapter Text

Ever since he was little he knew he was different, that something about him was strange.

It took him a while to realize that shadows were supposed to look like you.

It took him even longer to realize that other people's shadows didn’t move on their own, much less interact with them.

When he was still in the army he had almost walked right into a minefield, but something had latched onto his arm pulling him back, making him stumble and fall away from the field.

Looking down at his arm he noticed a receding shadow of a hand slither back down into the normal unusual shape of his shadow.

He had thought nothing of it at the time- he blamed his paranoia for making him see things- but it kept happening.

So now he was seated in his living room, shadow cast in front of him.

“Are you alive,” he asked despite feeling silly doing so.

The shadow turned it’s head to the side and nodded.

“Do you know who I am,” he asked, peering at the shadow.

It nodded.

“Who are you?”

A pencil rolled towards the wall, and the shadow reached for it, its ghosting hand picking it up to sketch awkwardly on the wall.

G R I F.

Chapter Text

Doyle collapsed in his seat, groaning as he sunk his head into his hands. His day at his office did not go the way he intended for it to go when he got up this morning.

Glaring at his monitor, he looked at the offending article that had caused pandemonium at the agency he worked for.

'The Timeline Has Been Fractured, by Anonymous

Have you ever looked at someone and felt like you knew them from somewhere else, but logically you know you’ve never met them before?'

Just yesterday he had bumped into a woman on the street, Vanessa she said her name was. She looked familiar, but it was her first time in the city and, well, he’s never left.

'That’s not deja vu, it’s not a coincidence- you’re just remembering. The memories linger, and sometimes pain and injuries carry over too.'

The secretary, Richard, on his way in had been too focused on cradling his arm in shock than to give Doyle his usual greeting. Sometimes he feels like his whole body is burning, he faintly realizes.

'This reality isn’t the real one, you’re living a lie, it’s all the fault of Genkins and Chro-'

Before he could even finish the sentence, the words started to disappear before his very eyes until there was nothing.

The article was gone.

He was only left with the sense that something was off.

Chapter Text

Frank readjusted his tie as he waited for the secretary to call him up for his job interview. He wasn’t so much as nervous so much as he was a little overwhelmed by what was being offered. If he managed to nail this interview that salary would be more than enough to make up for how unnerved he’d originally been about this career choice.

Growing up with dreams of being a doctor saving lives, he’d never even considered the possibility that he’d become a hypnotist.

“Mr. DuFresne, you can go in now,” the secretary called out to him before returning to their work.

Clutching the folder that contained his resume and credentials, he entered the office and sat down in the chair opposite to the interviewer.

The office was like any normal one, but what peaked Frank’s interest was the kid next to the interviewer. Sitting in a chair, the kid buried his head in his arms, listlessly watching as Frank sat down.

But, for a brief second, recognition flared in the kid’s eyes before it became drowned out by fury, the kid lifted his head slowly, a sneer etched on his face. All his actions were halted when the man beside him snapped his fingers, causing the kid’s face to become blank before he settled back down to rest on the desk.

“As you can see, Mr. DuFresne,” the man smiled, unnerving Frank. “We expect results from our hypnotists. Think you’re up for that, Doc?”

Chapter Text

Glaring at the bright screen of his computer in the dark, Dr. Church felt as if in the span of a week his entire life’s research had been a complete waste of fucking time.

Pushing himself away from his desk, he took off his glasses to rub his eyes.

“Yeah, this isn’t going to work,” he mumbled towards his portable radio.

It suddenly blared to life, switching between channels to get out, “What- do you mean it isn’t going to- work, Church?”

Reaching out for his Geiger counter, he rolled his eyes.

“It means I haven’t even a single fucking clue how to bring you to this plane of existence, let alone help you with- what again? Oh right- fixing the goddamn timeline,” he swept the counter around, trying to locate where his idiotic companion.

His arm was grasped by a translucent armored hand as the radio blared, “Epsilon! Epsilon- Epsilon? Stop!”

He gasped as he was suddenly bombarded with-

“Leonard, come on. Stop it, put that thing down. You’re gonna make me late. They’re waiting for me-

And don’t worry, you’ll see me again.”

“Fuck,” he swore as he tore his arm out of the grasp of the ghost hand. “Stop doing that, asshole!”

The radio was silent, but then it came alive to say, “Doing what- Church?”

Church sighed and pulled towards his desk to try again.

Chapter Text

Gates smirked around the rim of his glass as he watched the inauguration of the newest president. Election times always brought in the worse clients, the ones who would be willing to do anything to get rid of the president-elect who won. It was also the perfect time to con those gullible idiots by simply taking their money and reporting them to the authorities.

A man sat down at his table holding a case, anger stemming from him in waves.

Speak of the devil, and the idiots shall appear.

“I don’t think I need to say what I need from you,” the man gritted out.

“Believe me, I understand,” Gates smirked, settling his glass down and pulling out a switchblade to fiddle with.

It didn’t have the scare factor effect he was hoping to garner, but he did note the dismissive way the man eyed the weapon.

“I have something nobody else can offer you,” the man claimed as he placed the case on the table, flipping the locks open.

Gates stopped smirking, eyes wide as the alien tech was revealed.

“You’ll get this,” the man gestured towards the tech, “when you kill President Genkins. Deal?”

With tech like that, how could Gates ever say no?

Chapter Text

Feeling uncomfortable in her teal cocktail dress, Lina stood awkwardly towards the sides holding onto a champagne flute, but not drinking from it.

She didn’t even know why she had to be there if it was her father that was invited to the gala.

“You too, huh,” a man said as he approached her.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” Lina responded dismissively, trying to spot her father so that she could have an excuse to not talk to a complete stranger.

The man raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall. “You look ready to run away as fast as possible from here,” he shrugged. “I’d probably do the same thing if I wasn’t here as a plus one.”

The nonchalant expression on his face relaxed Lina slightly, enough for her to ask, “Who’re you with then?”

Pointing towards a crowd, the man sighed, “I’m with my sister, but she’s much better at networking than I am.”

Looking out into the crowd, Lina was able to pick out a slightly younger woman talking to a group of businessmen.

“I do hope you don’t mind if I borrow him,” another man in a green suit approached, a grin plastered on his face.

Before the man beside her could say anything, he was whisked away from her line of sight.

Chapter Text

Tucker chewed on his pencil as he glared at his so-called ‘friend’ from where he was perched behind a bush.

Simmons was five seconds away from receiving the biggest ass kicking in the history of the world. That stuck up asshole had been avoiding Grif the entire week, causing all sorts of problems within the friend group.

Sure, Grif may have been dealing with some sort of ‘thing’ for the last month- flinching at the oddest of things, starting really weird sentences, but never finishing them, stuff like that- but they should be supporting him not avoiding him.

Hence Tucker preparing to ambush the traitor.

Hearing footsteps approach him, he turned to see Grif standing behind him, a questioning look on his face.

“What are you doing,” he asked slowly.

Now, Tucker didn’t run away from his friend- unlike someone else- but instead, he glanced towards him and returned back to his ambush.

“I’m going to kick Simmons’ ass,” Tucker paused before adding, “you’re welcome to watch.”

“Why would you do that,” Grif asked.

“Because! That asshole doesn’t understand how the both of you are like universal soulmates,” Tucker explained.

Looking back he saw Grif’s panicked form retreating, and Tucker sighed, chasing after him like a good friend.

Chapter Text

Richard is just starting seventh grade when he makes eye contact with his first crush.

The kid is wearing a ratty orange hoodie, and he’s not carrying a backpack at all, only holding a pretty crappy binder. He looks disenfranchised with the orientation ceremony, but when he looks at Richard he smiles.

That’s when Dick met his best friend.

And seventh grade didn’t seem all that bad when he had Dexter by his side.

Dick planned on telling Dex his feelings for him at the Winter Formal, it was held on Valentine’s weekend, and maybe Dex would feel the same way.

But he never showed up.

And he didn’t go back to school. His texts never got answered.

“He had a mental breakdown,” was whispered down the school hallways.

“He’s in a mental asylum,” others claimed.

“His mother beat him so bad that he’s in the hospital,” was less popular but still spread around.

But the worst one was-

“Did you hear about that serial killer who's on the loose? He probably kidnapped or killed Dexter, good riddance.”

Richard is just ending seventh grade when he realizes that he’ll never see his last crush ever again.

Chapter Text

Kai likes to pretend that her big bro came from some sort of mythical world. Dex has some kind of magic, she swears that he does. Because, well-

Whenever she holds Dex’s hand she can actually see color. When she was a baby, she never realized the miracle that happened when her big bro held her hand. But now she’s a big girl and she understands that normally she can’t see colors.

But when she holds Dex’s hand when he takes her on walks, the world literally bursts to life and she gets to see it.

It’s also because of this ability that she can see why Mama sometimes looks disgusted by big bro.

Dex… doesn’t look like Mama, not really. He has the same skin tone as Mama and her, and from what Kai can tell he’s built like them.

But that’s it. Because Dex has curly white locks where her’s are dark brown. People mutter ‘freak’ under their breath when they see how his ears are much pointier than everyone else’s, but Kai doesn’t see what the problem is, her big bro is not a freak. As for his eyes-

One is pure gold and one is pure silver and people whisper that it’s unnatural.

But Dex is better than all those people even- even if he looks different, better, than all those normal losers. Even if-

Even if…

Even if he looks like Ringmaster Genkins.

Kai hasn't said anything, but she's seen the way that the Ringmaster acts around big bro. And, it unnerves her sometimes, well, a lot of the times.

He's always pulling Dex aside to talk to him about, magic stuff, she guesses. She's not jealous, cause Mama treats her so nicely and Dex not so nicely, so at first she thought it was ok that someone was paying attention to her big bro.

But... she secretly wishes that it wasn't Mr. Genkins of all people. She would have preferred maybe one of the trapeze artists- they were always nice to her and Dex.

When Mama was just starting to work with the circus, she didn't bring along her and Dex at all. She said it wasn't the place for children. But Dex started getting a bit older, and somehow they started visiting the circus more often.

Now big bro is in training to work in the circus, all because the ringmaster insisted he should. Dex doesn't go to school anymore-

"I don't want to do this, but Mama says that if I do we can get more money, and I guess it's better than working somewhere else. Other places don't like to hire kids."

But she still has to and it's not fair.

She doesn't want to leave Dex alone, she wants to be by his side always.

But she has to go to school, and he doesn't because an adult told him not to.

"It sucks not being able to go to classes like everyone else, but... what else am I supposed to do? Say no? It’s probably for the best..."

Kai sneaked out of class early once, and made her way over to the circus grounds, sneaking into the main tent to see just what her big bro was being taught to do.

His back was to her, and so was the ringmasters, but she could almost hear what they were talking about, and she could definitely see how tightly Mr. Genkins was gripping Dex's shoulder as he talked to him.

She squeaked when she saw Mr. Genkins summon some sort of flame from his fingertips, clasping her hands over her mouth when she realized that she did.

Dex looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed, but he was stopped when Mr. Genkins jerked his shoulder so that he would focus his attention back on the flame again.

"I want you to be able to do this by the end of the week, if not sooner," sounded like it was whispered right next to her, but when she turned to look, there was nobody near her hiding space.

She didn't try to sneak in after that.

But now she had more reasons to not like Genkins.

Dex had been acting strange for a few weeks, and at first, she thought it was because it had finally sunk in that he wasn't ever going to be like normal kids- and for that Kai hates Genkins a little more.

Her big bro was the greatest, and it didn't settle well with her that he had such a mournful look on his face. He kept blanking out in the middle of conversations, and when she accused that he hadn't been getting enough sleep because of the stupid circus, Dex acted like he didn't know what she was talking about.

She's grown to hate the circus, ever since Mama had rejoined it after quitting when she had Kai. It's ruined everything.

Dex is wearing his stupid uniform that Genkins insists he wears now that he's becoming a full-time performer of the circus, the orange and black suit reminding both of them bitterly of school marching band uniforms, and Dex just isn't acting like himself anymore and it's all the fault of that stupid circus.

They're sitting on the couch together, waiting for Mama to come home, and it's only because her hand is linked with Dex's that she hears-

"Simmons likes to go to the bathroom and cry while he punches the mirror on the wall-

I would just like to let everyone know that I suck-

Yeah, things must be great...that's why they sent out a distress sig-"

"Fuck," he swears loudly grabbing his head, yanking his hand out of her grasp to do so, and Kai can't hear strange phrases, but she knows that Dex must still be hearing them as he struggles to stand.

He gets off the couch only to stumble towards the wall, one hand steadying him while the other pushes against the side of his head.

"Dex," she scrambles off the couch after him. "What's wrong?"

Her big bro doesn't respond, instead, he gasps in pain and collapses onto the ground, curling up into a ball from the pain alone.

His right hand is practically glued to the side of his head, but Kai pries it off so that she can link her hand with his because she needs to see what's happening to her bro-

There's a mixture of the same voice overlapping saying things- saying too much - and it hurts, it hurts, it hurts-

Kai wants to scrunch her eyes closed from the pain, but she's a big girl and she needs to see what's happening because her brother is magic and she isn't-

Opening her eyes as wide as they can go, she watches in pain as an outline of armor starts appearing over Dex slowly, starting from his feet but rapidly assembling over his legs, and she's sure that if she let go of big bro's hand she would stop seeing it because it's barely even there while she is-

The outline is a bright orange, and it dwarfs the size of Dex, more fitting for an adult instead of her big bro who was only a few years older than her, and she just watches and watches until the phantom of a helmet ghosts over her bro's head.

The armor pieces settle and the voice is settling and the pain is settling, and she can hear big bro whisper, "Why... why does it-" he cuts himself off with a whimper, "why does it hurt so much this time? "

She's still clutching his hand like the lifeline that she knows it is, and she shakes his hand a little when he raises his head, "Dex- Dex what's wrong?"

He doesn't answer her, he only raises a shaky hand to rake it through his hair. As he pulls his hand back, one of the white curls gets dragged along with it into his line of sight.

As soon as he sees it Dex freezes, muttering, "What the fuck."

Grabbing more of his hair he yanks it forward, and Kai is so confused because Dex looks horrified at his hair-

In a sudden burst of adrenaline, big bro jumps up and races to the bathroom, catching Kai off guard, and she hears the door slam under his might.

It's silent, but the tension is so thick that Kai feels like she can't breathe. But then-

"THAT SON OF A FUCKING BITCH ," bellows throughout the apartment, causing Kai to flinch and the walls to rattle.

As if it can't possibly get any worse, the echo of something- the mirror, the mirror- shattering to pieces roars louder than Dex ever could.

Big bro nearly yanks the bathroom door out of the wall as he storms out and past her, flinging the apartment door open.

Kai has never seen her brother look that furious before, but she's quaking at the thought that he might direct his anger at her.

He doesn't of course, because even when angry, big bro would never harm her. He just storms out of the apartment, and she knows where he's going, but she doesn't know why-

She takes a minute- just one minute- to catch her breathe, before picking herself up and racing out the door, not bothering to close it, they don't have anything valuable that someone would try to steal, because she has to catch up-

Kai knows the way to the circus grounds by heart now, and she's not going to let Dex get himself into trouble, because little sisters have to look out for their big bros.

By the time she skids into the main tent, she's panting and feeling faint from exerting herself, but she just hopes she made it in time to-

"I'm going to fucking kill you, you smug bastard!" And there's Dex holding a knife trying to attack Genkins and the just knocks the breath right out of her all over again.

"Aw, finally remembered, Bubsy?" the ringmaster smirks just stepping to the side of the incoming blade.

"I swear to fucking Satan that I'm going to kill you so hard, you'd wish you were fucking dead," Dex growls, the knife in his hand- and where did he get the knife?

"You don't mean that," Genkins smiles and swerves around so that he's behind big bro, hands resting on his shoulder and lightly grasping his arm. "You're too much like me, well," he leans close to whisper and Dex's eyes go wide. "Like father, like son, eh?"

Dex flinches back as if those words had actually hit him, and he tears himself out of the cackling ringmaster's hands to turn around and try to stab him.

But Genkins only grabs the hand that tries to thrust the knife into his chest, and he yanks Dex off the floor so that they're eye level.

Kai stands frozen, and she can't do anything but watch and she doesn't feel much like a big girl anymore.

Genkins pouts a little, as he looks Dex appraisingly, "And to think I was having such fun with this universe, you're certainly more likable when you get your genes from someone as magnificent as myself."

The ringmaster doubles over in laughter, before adding, "I'm sure with time you could have become a little me!"

Shaking the still suspended Dex, he smirks as Dex glares at the man.

"I would rather die then become anything like you," big bro growls out.

"But that's the thing," the shark like grin is back, and Genkins raises his hand to Dex's forehead. "You would have, I had already started teaching you some magic, this universe is such fun like that!"

Dex let's go of the knife to struggle against the hand holding him up.

"Do you ever wonder where the other you's go?" Genkins cackled. " I do! I wonder if I could just bring this one back, and if not! I'll just repeat this universe as many times as I want until I get results."

"No! What are you doing," Dex said as he redoubled his efforts to get out of the ringmaster's grasp.

"That little discount fairy light that you called your friend has left a very impressive imprint against magic," Genkins smirked at that. "And while I can't remove such a thing, I can try to suppress it for this universe. And if I fail, then that's no problem to me."

Kai can't tell what color the ringmaster's hand is glowing, but she just feels sick being in the presence of it, and she flinches when his hand taps Dex's forehead.

A loud boom sounds throughout the tent and she is finally free from her brief moment of paralysis to shield her face by crossing her arms in front of it. She coughs from the dust that's been kicked up and she see's Dex laying prone, crashed against the audience stands.

"Dex," she yells out, racing to his side. He's unconscious and she grabs his hand, and she can finally see the green magic lacing throughout his body in shocks. She can also see the phantom imprint of armor fading slightly before flaring brighter than it had when it first appeared.

Hearing footsteps she looks up in fear at the looming ringmaster.

There's a frown on his face as he looks down at her big bro.

"Not unexpected, but I'm still disappointed." He shrugged, turning around and away from Dex's prone form and away from her. "Well, second time's the charm!"

Kai blinks and he's gone, and everything is silent. She hears nothing outside of the main tent, and the wind isn't gently blowing into the top, because nothing is moving, nothing but her clenching Dex's hand further and the rise and fall of his chest.

Her vision is fading or the world is fading or something is fading and she's getting lightheaded so she just rests beside Dex and the world fades to white.

She wakes up, and Kai thinks about how her brother must be from some mystical world. She swears that Dex must have some sort of magical powers, because-

When she holds his hand she can see color.

Chapter Text

He was very frustrated as he looked at his sketch paper since the ideas in his head were not jumping out onto the page and hm, that was not good.

Michael was, he was the best at making things. He just thinks of something new and, and he just gets it on the paper and then he does it.

But he doesn’t have anything on the paper- nothing.

That, that makes him sad. He’s the best so it should be easy but it isn’t.

Looking out the sparkly glass panes he’d asked Leonard to put in, he noticed the bard playing on his mandolin, with one of the king's guardsmen resting nearby against the tree.

There was something about the way the bard looked upon the knight that peaked his curiosity.

Michael had met the bard once before and, and he was so sad- always sad.

Sometimes he invented new toys, because toys made everyone feel better, and he gifted them to the bard.

But the bard must not have liked his toys since he was still sad. Or he didn’t know what to do with them which was sadder.

Leonard told him to stay away from the bard, he said that the trickster sorcerer put a curse upon him.

But he looks at the two together and-

And the bard looks so happy.

And he’s hit with sudden inspiration for the greatest toy, one that could make the bard happy like that too.

Chapter Text

Peeking out from behind the curtains at the empty audience, Matthews swallowed nervously, his hands suddenly feeling clammy. This was his first performance and while technically he was a part of stage crew he was still worried that he would mess something up.

Like what if he set a prop in the wrong place?

Or what if when striking a prop he didn’t get off the stage in time and then the lights went up and he’d still be on stage and he’d be so embarrassed-

“Matthews stop worrying and get over here,” the stage manager called out to him.

Jerking his head away from the curtains, he hurried over to where the man was trying to set up the projection screen, asking, “Do you need help, Mr. Grif?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mr. Grif dismissed, rotating the screen into position. “Get the other side would you?”

Grabbing tightly onto the other side of the screen, he noticed the stressed look his stage manager had on him.

“Are you ok, Mr. Grif?” he asked.

Waving him off, Mr. Grif took a step back and looked over his shoulder at the director of the musical.

“Just… nervous is all,” he answered vaguely.

Looking at the set Matthews asked, “About the show?”

Had he been looking at the stage manager he would have seen the way his eyes narrowed at the director as he answered, “Just nervous about how quiet it’s been lately.”

Chapter Text

Standing in the hospital ward, Bitters tried to maintain his nonchalant attitude, but it was just too hard.

When Mrs. Kimball had suggested he volunteer at the hospital he didn’t think it’d be anything like this.

The patients were in constant pain he’d been told, but nobody knew why.

Everyone in this ward was physically healthy, but they all were brought to tears from a ‘horrible, gut-wrenching pain.’

The phenomenon was centralized to his state, his city, and only his state. In their delirium, some of the patients claimed that they knew other patients.

Bitters was only here because Matthews passed out a few weeks ago from searing ‘burns’ on his stomach.

“Dr. Grif,” he peered up at his supervisor who was checking the vitals of one of the patients who kept saying he was missing an arm.

“What’s up, Antoine,” he murmured.

“These patients can get better, right?” Bitters asked, glancing up at the single milky and faded eye the doctor bore.

Pursing his lips, Dr. Grif sighed and ran a hand through his short hair.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, kid,” he closed his eyes, wincing in slight pain as he did so. “I don’t think so this time.”

Chapter Text

Closing the door behind her, she sighed in relief at finally being able to relax after a long day of babysitting.

She didn’t mind children, and she’s been a babysitter for a long time. This is something she’s good at.

But this child? He was exhausting.

And Lina felt bad for feeling that way, but she couldn’t deny the unnerving way the kid seemed to know things that no child should- things way beyond his years.

But as exhausting as Dexter was, she was concerned for him. No child should act in such a way, flinching at odd things, always sad- not without some outside influence.

She suspected abuse.

Lina wanted evidence first, so she went snooping- and she knew she shouldn’t have, but she cared more about keeping her charge safe than keeping her job.

So she searched and went through any and all drawers. Ruffling through one of them, she found a beaten up journal, pages worn out but evidently well used.

Opening it up her eyes roamed past numbers and words- sentences that didn’t make any sense- but all of it written in a child’s scrawl.

Getting to the last entry, her eyes widened at what she saw.

Universe No. who fucking cares at this point.

Gimmick: I’m a child again. Seriously what the fuck is his problem?

Interactions: So far only Carolina- not even Kai is here- that AI bitch.

Notes: This universe fucking sucks so far. I hate that I’m feeling bored of this whole thing.

Looking back, all the other pages were set up exactly the same way.

Chapter Text

“Mr. LaPesado?” one of the boy scouts tugs on his sleeve before pointing towards the mess that has become the campsite. “I think we did something wrong.”

Lopez can only sigh, and he walks away because he cannot deal with this shit right now.

But then he turns around and sees his most troublesome scout trying to climb up a tree, carrying some sort of camera equipment.

Now, this wasn’t something he could just ignore. Not like how he could ignore how disastrous this camping trip was going.

Going up to the tree, he coughed loudly and tapped the scout's shoulder.

The scout looked back at him, looked away, and then looked back at him with a glare.

“Do you mind?” he snapped.

Lopez rolled his eyes, but gently pulled the scout down, glaring at him while crossing his arms.

“Ugh, what do you want Lopez,” Dexter pouted at him.

There would be no point in reprimanding the scout when he couldn’t understand him anyway, so he simply dragged the scout back to the campsite.

“Come on, I was trying to find that bastard of a cryptid,” the scout rolled his eyes. “It’ll probably find me before the end of the night anyway. The stupid bastard…”

Chapter Text

He wakes up, but then he wakes up- really wakes up.

He wakes up he wakes up he wakes up-

Franklin- Donut- Donut- Donut- D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅---

He doesn’t know what to do because he knows and- and- and-

Out of the corner of his eye- he sees him, He’s younger- too young- wrong wrong wrong wrong.

D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- knows that there have been changes, they’re supposed to be the same age, but they’re not and that’s wrong.

He should he should he should-

It’s an out of body experience feeling his arm- but not- move and his fingers grab into his jacket because he’s moving away- away

“Hey watch it,” Dex- Grif looks back at him, his eyes wide.

A pain shoots up his arms, and it hurts but it doesn’t because it doesn’t feel like his arm and it doesn’t feel like his body-

“Grif!” escapes past his lips but even to him, it sounds wrong.

Grif’s eyes widen further and he can see his face contort in a mixture of confusion and fear.

“Uh, look dude can you just-” he tugs against the grip, but D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅-’s grip is tight and unrelenting because it was so easy to find him but why- “Just let go, what the hell!”

“Why don’t you remember?” he says because this is even more wrong. He’s meant to remember- he always remembers so how does D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- remember first?

He can hear Grif panic to his confusion when he yells out, “DAD!”

Dad? Dad dad dad dad-

Why would Grif be calling for his dad? That didn't make sense, it didn't add up, it didn't add up-

He was young, yes. But in the universe- the true universe the real universe the proper universe- Grif mentioned how his dad was absent- gone.

Why now would he be calling for his dad?

A white-haired man was approaching them- coming closer and closer, and D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- tightens his grip willingly- who is this man, why was he approaching?

He could be coming to hurt him- hurt them, and Grif was too young, and there was something wrong with him he just knew that there was.

"What are you doing to my son," the man yelled as he finally came within yanking distance of them, doing just that to get Grif out of his grasp and into his. D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- knew that voice from somewhere but he couldn't remember-

Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong-

This man- the father- he didn't look like Grif, nothing was similar. Not one part of that man got passed onto Grif, not in this universe and not in the real- the true- the proper universe.

How was this man the father? How did this make sense?

Who was this man?

"Son?" he stutters out, looking down at Grif, who's looking more and more and more and more frightened by the minute.

A pain shoots down his spine, making him curl in forward, and making Grif flinch towards the unknown man.

Something was wrong, and D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- knew that it must have something to do with Chro- Chro-

C͏̝̩̗H̸̪͍R̼̠̪͖͚̮̫O͟V̗̙̼̮ͅO҉̘̣̣̪̮͕̜S̛-

"Yes, son," the man snaps irritably. "My son who you seem to be assaulting."

"Dad, what's wrong with him," Grif looks up at the man. "He's all twitchy and he speaks weird."

"He's probably on drugs," the man responded. "Or homeless- maybe even both."

The more the man spoke the more that it came back to him- that voice he's heard it somewhere before but where but where but where-

Genkins.

"You," D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- glares at the AI now human. His fists clench but his fingers flex outwards and they clench and flex and clench and flex-

The man's demeanor changes and a small smirk appears on his face as he responds, "Me!"

His arm hurts and he feels it and he doesn't feel it moving forward but it moves forward and he grabs and he yanks and he tears and he wrenches Grif back to his side, away from the trickster that he couldn't remember but would- he would he would-

His hand sizzles and burns and he let's go and Grif stumbles forward, and D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- can see familiar armor trace around the small child, protecting and hiding and transparent and still there but now- but now- but now-

But now it was glitching. It was fading in some areas but then surging back but wrong and it's wrong and he knows somehow he did that-

"Ah, you too huh?" the liar, gently picks up the young Grif, stabilizing the kid as he shivered- and D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- knew that he must be feeling something wrong, that somehow and Donut doesn't know what it is, but somehow Grif knew that something was wrong with the armor. "Nasty little imprint isn't it?"

Looking down at the child, the liar reached out with slightly green tinted hands, coursing with magic, and it lightly traced along the ghost armor- the visor darkened and darkened and tinted and the helmet became more pronounced-

"Now that's much better, he can't see or hear much of what we say," Genkins laughed. "Although I don't think he'll notice! That sure seems to be a nasty glitch you gave him, might take a while for the imprint to fix itself."

"Get away from him," D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- manages to say, but he shivers in pain again, and he doesn't know why he's in so much pain but he is.

"Why don't I make you a deal instead? An offer perhaps," the liar muses. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that you're all over the place."

D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅- doesn't say anything because it's true because it's true and something is wrong and wrong and wrong-

"My boss has become annoyed by your continued presence, and how you sometimes remember," the trickster pouts. "He's annoyed at my favorite SIM too, but I'm not done messing with him yet. I want him to come to me first, I want him to come begging and asking to forget everything- oh it'll happen too, I have nothing but all the time in the world for this and it's been so much fun so far that I don't mind waiting."

He tries to move forward to attack- to hit to punch to grab- him for that comment because Grif didn't need to deal with that- it wasn't fair-

He collapses on the ground, shaking and shaking and shaking-

"But you on the other hand? The boss is ok with just deleting you from the fabric of reality itself. And I'm ok with that too," Genkins shrugged, settling his hands on the still in pain and shivering Grif, armor getting corrupted and healed by the second. "So you're a goner, no hope left for you. But if you'd like," he gestures with one hand. "I can ease the pain a little, for I am a merciful and benevolent God after all."

"No," is the first clear thing to come out of his mouth since he'd woken up.

"Suit yourself," the liar shrugs and moves away, pulling along the disorientated SIM by the hand, looking to the rest of the world like a father guided along his child- the roles he'd made for this universe and the roles that everyone would believe-

But for D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅-?

People walked by and walked by and walked by and walked by and walked past and walked through-

He could feel himself slipping further and further and he couldn't feel his body and he didn't want to lose- he was so close to winning before-

The hammer was nearly touching the cage when something happened.

He didn't back down then- he wouldn't back down now-

So as he's slipping and fading and glitching and feeling himself getting deleted but he refuses-

He's gone and gone and gone and gone and gone-

But he's latched on.

But it's not original.

D̷̹̺̜͚̮͓̥̞̑̐O̵̹͎̮͉͙̤̐̐̅-nut doesn't know who to thank for the idea of an imprint.

Chapter Text

King Tucker rested his head upon his gauntlet, watching as the sorcerer Dexter le Fay opened one of his many tomes. The pages crinkled as he turned them in silence.

Scanning across the poorly lit and musty room, he pursed his lips and pondered on the state his friend was living in.

As King, he couldn’t openly reveal to his people that he was in cohorts with a magician- but Dexter was a childhood friend.

It wasn’t fair that his friend must hide away, living in shame of the powers forced upon him by that cruel trickster.

“My friend,” he started but stopped, not knowing where to continue. It was quite disgraceful for a king.

Dexter looked up but didn’t comment, merely pushing forward the tome and pointing at some indecipherable spell.

“Is this what you need?” he asked. “I can’t make out most of these ingredients, but I’ll get them nonetheless.”

“Thanks,” Dexter looked away, but gestured towards the safe way out of the tomb, lest he wished to drown by the mystical waters of the lake.

“Before I go, I must ask,” King Tucker gestured openly. “Are you happy, my friend? Please, I need to know.”

Dexter le Fay huffed out a miserable laugh. “I shall be happy when he’s dead.”

He shuffled over to his cauldron, his corrupted magic turning the natural mellow range into a monstrous green.

“I have the power to make it true this time,” he ended maniacally.

Chapter Text

Head hung down, Richard shuffled towards his front door, shoulder slumped and eyes glassy.

He failed his pre-calc test.

A test.

He failed a math test.

He had studied for hours- days- weeks even!

And he still failed it.

His father was gonna kill him.

He reached the steps to his house, eyes closed to hide his tears and steady himself as his hand shuffled around in his pocket to find his key.

Grabbing onto it, he moved forward, eyes flying wide open when his foot knocked into a small box.

Looking down, he reached for it, picking it up and juggling it in his arms as he used his key to go inside.

Sniffling, and still trying to hold back tears, he turned the box over, trying to see who it was addressed to. But there was nothing on any side of it.

Against his better judgement he decided to open it- how much worse could his day get after all?

Inside was a package of bright, multi-color dice that he wanted so badly for his birthday, but knew that he would never get it from his parents.

Attached was a note that said, “Sorry you failed your math test.”

He was surprised when he got a gift the next week and every week after that one.

Chapter Text

“I hate this,” Dex murmured next to Caboose, crushing the cookie in his hand to make small crumbs that he then let fall from his hand as they walked, his orange cape and hood swishing behind him.

But Caboose knew that his grumpy brother Dex wasn’t talking about the crumb trail plan because Caboose came up with it and all of his plans were always super smart and thought out. Like this one!

Dex was probably just upset that he wasn’t able to eat the cookie at all.

“Come on, Dex,” he chirped. “I’m sure we can make it to Granny’s house without getting lost!”

“Why are we siblings,” Dex glared at him, crushing a biscuit in his hand.

“Mom won’t tell me,” shaking his head, he walked along the dirt trail. “But it probably has something to do with how great I am at not getting us lost.”

“That’s another thing,” Dex muttered. “Could that asshole not choose one fairy tale? Too impatient to test both out that he combined them?”

Caboose just smiled at Dex as he started mumbling under his breath. His brother just got that way sometimes.

“Witch or wolf,” Dex mumbled. “Witch or wolf, wolf or-”

He was cut off when they stumbled upon a cottage made entirely out of candy, and if Caboose had known that that was an option he would have convinced Granny to do the same long ago!

“Witch,” Dex sighed. “Of course.”

Chapter Text

He’d been riding down a long road when he’d picked up the hitchhiker beside him. The kid couldn’t have been older than twelve, but here he was dressed in rags. And on his neck were little indents, as if he’d been bitten by something.

Sarge looked behind him at the crates filled with stakes and crosses, bouncing in the back as his truck rumbled onwards.

“So,” he started. “How long have you been out here on your lonesome?”

“Too long,” the kid grit out, hands clenching in his lap, and Sarge saw little tears prick at the corner of his eyes.

“A long time isn’t good for a child to be alone,” he remarked.

“When you’ve lived as long as I have,” the kid closed his eyes, “you get used to it.”

“A vampire?” Sarge decided to bite the silver bullet and ask.

“No,” the kid made a point to look at his reflection in the rearview mirror. “A snake bit me. And I haven’t seemed to die since. Wish I could though.”

And Sarge could have pressed and pushed and possibly killed this obvious mythological cursed creature beside him.

But all he saw was a kid, a kid who was alone, and although he wouldn’t admit it- it broke his heart.

Reaching around on the floor, he picked up a bomber jacket and handed it to the kid saying, “Yeah well, don’t plan on that too soon- you’re not gonna be alone anymore now, son.”

Chapter Text

“Do we have to sell the house,” Kai whined towards her bro.

Dex stared at their old rickety house, worth much less than what they were selling it for.

“Yes, we do,” Dex clipped. His eyes watched as the movers they hired loaded their furniture- equally as falling apart like the rotting wood holding up the building- into the moving van.

“But why,” tears teased at the edges of her eyes. She didn’t understand why they had to move. Dex wasn’t telling her anything.

He would tell her if they were having trouble with money. He wouldn’t lie to her about something like that.

“Because I’m tired of seeing it,” Dex said, no expression on his face.

“Huh?” she stuttered, her eyes wide as she looked at her bro.

“I’m tired of living in this same old, stupid house,” Dex shrugged, not looking at her in the eyes.

“But that doesn’t mean we have to sell it,” she protested.

“Sure it does,” he finally looked down at her. “Because I can sell it, I will sell it.”

Dex moved forward towards the steps, fiddling with a lighter in his hand.

“I can do whatever I want now,” he smirked.

Chapter Text

Huddling around the bathroom window, Vanessa glared at the empty playground.

It was dark and she was cold wearing her angel costume and she would much rather go back to the gym to enjoy the Halloween party.

But no.

Here she was, trying to see if the Janitor Ghost story was real on a dare of all things.

“This was a stupid idea,” she muttered. She should have never listened to that wuss Donald.

All Vanessa had to do was turn around and go back to the party, telling Donald that she saw nothing to prove that she was right and he was wrong.

“Of course there’s no such thing as ghosts,” she started lowering herself from her position hanging off the window edge when she saw something. A figure looming in the distance, too far away for her to see anything but shadows.

She didn’t stop to think of how much trouble she was going to get into as she vaulted herself out of the open window.

She ran as fast as her tiny legs could take her, down the courtyard slope and towards the playground gravel.

Turning and looking everywhere, she couldn’t see any sign of the figure from before.

Dismayed, her shoulders slumped and she stood quietly outside all alone, the moon shining down on her and her fake angel wings.

Turning around she walked back towards the girl's bathroom, and somehow her shivering stopped and she imagined that something warmed her up.

Chapter Text

The beach house looked on the verge of collapsing if she stepped in, but shouldering her gear she walked up to the porch.

“Finally made it I see,” her employer raised an eyebrow at her late arrival.

“Well, this place wasn’t so easy to find,” she remarked.

“That’s a relief- that was the intention after all,” he smirked. “Too many enemies that I wanted to make sure would never find me.”

“Enemies plural?” she asked. “I wouldn’t think that someone like you could amass too many enemies, let alone one.”

Looking to the side, the man huffed out, “Well you’d be surprised.”

“So, what seems to be the ghost problem that you have? You didn’t say much on the original call,” she asked, getting back to what she was hired to do.

“I’ve got a nasty poltergeist in my house,” he gestured towards the crumbling walls. “And I want it gone as soon as possible. Preferably without much fanfare.”

“I’m sure I can get this done in a timely manner,” Carolina approached one of the windows, cracked and covered in dust.

“I would hope that you can,” walking away he descended the steps. “I am, after all, paying you a million dollars for this. I’m expecting results.”

“Of course,” Carolina nodded. “Freelancer always produces results.”

“Perfect,” her boss smiled, walking to his car. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

Carolina didn’t respond, only nodding her head towards him as she entered the house.

If Mr. Genkins wanted results, then he’d get them.

Chapter Text

As they sat in the dark, Donald nervously adjusted his tie as the passenger next to him glared out the window.

“Strange that it’s taking them this long to get going, huh?” he said, trying to start up a conversation.

The lights had gone out a half an hour ago, with the train stalled on the tracks.

“We’re going to die,” the man said, apropos of nothing.

“P-pardon?” he stuttered, eyes wide and unconsciously shifting in his seat to lean away from the other passenger.

“We’re going to die,” the man repeated. “He hasn’t done something like this yet. This must be the time then.”

“Who- who are you referring to,” he asked despite his better judgment.

“God?” he shrugged. “Might as well call him as it is.”

“God,” Donald repeated.

“Sure,” the man glanced at him as he said, “I like to call him other things much more blasphemous.”

While what the other man said perturbed him, he relaxed slightly.

The man was just crazy, and he wasn’t going to die.

Then the train started up again, and the lights turned on.

“Yeah, we’re going to die,” the man said again. “Which is rather tame to what he could be doing. I want something new to happen- I’m getting bored of all of this.”

Chapter Text

“You know,” Mark started. “People don’t usually sequester themselves in an abandoned lighthouse.”

The cloaked stranger jolted at the sound of his voice, eyes wide with panic as he took a step backward.

“What the hell? Tem-” he cut himself off with even more panic. “I- I mean, who the hell are you?”

“Generally, the polite thing to do is offer your own name first,” he tested. “Before asking for someone else’s.”

“Yeah well, the more polite thing to do is not bother strange people obviously trying to keep to themselves in abandoned lighthouses,” the man crossed his arms.

“I suppose so,” Mark conceded. “But then again, you know what they say about curiosity.”

“Whatever, what the hell are you even doing here,” the cloaked stranger adjusted some bandages on his hand, and Mark could only wonder as to how that injury happened.

Mark came here to relive his past, to think about when times were simple and everything was better and not-

“My best friend Biff passed away a few days ago,” he admitted. “We used to come here when we were kids.”

“Oh,” the man sounded surprised. “I- I’m sorry. That sucks. I’ll go-”

“No, don’t,” Mark looked away slightly. “It’s good to talk to someone. Again.”

The man didn’t say anything, and Mark thought he’d say no when he spoke up, but he was surprised to hear, “Alright.”

Chapter Text

“Well,” Epsilon started, his sensors picking up on the disorganized warehouse. “This is a fucking problem.”

“It’s a goddamn catastrophe,” his fellow android said.

“It’s not that bad,” Epsilon stated warily. “Yeah, it’s a fucking mess, but it’s not unsalvageable.”

“Are you blind,” Omicron rolled his eyes. “This place looks like Satan came and fucked around this place.”

Epsilon looked around, trying to pick up on anything that he might have missed.

After a brief pause he turned back to Omicron to say, “Is your scanner broken?” he reached out to link with the other automaton when he moved away out of reach.

“I’m fine,” Omicron rolled his LED eyes. “I’m not malfunctioning.”

“I didn’t say you were,” Epsilon glared. “Omicron look-”

“Grif,” Omicron cut off.

“What?” Epsilon asked, shocked.

“My name is Grif, not Omicron, or whatever other Greek letters you want to call me,” the android stated.

Epsilon didn’t know what to say, it felt like his internal processors had stopped.

“Director Genkins won’t like that,” he warned.

“Yeah well, he can kiss my ass,” Omicron’s eyes flickered briefly as he continued, “Let’s just get this over with because, to reiterate , this place is a fucking mess.”

Epsilon quietly reported that Omicron was malfunctioning to the Director.

Chapter Text

Breathing hard, Alpha made sure to check that his atmo suit was still intact as he rounded the corner.

“All clear,” he called out to his companion.

The was supposed to be a simple study expedition, consisting of him and his team of scientist and their armed guards.

A group of forty that has thus been reduced to two.

He didn’t even know which soldier he had been left with.

God dammit.

The soldier moved forward and past him, his orbital visor tinted to help with the concussion Alpha assumed he got when the hostile unknown lifeform smashed him into a wall.

“Yeah, sure,” he grumbled. “Make the scientist do all the dangerous checks. An injured scientist nonetheless.”

They made their way towards the medical bay, where Alpha could possibly find something to heal himself.

Thankfully, there was nothing stopping them from reaching it, and he shuffled inside as the soldier closed the door.

“God, I feel like I’m gonna pass out,” he groaned. “Let’s just get what we need and-”

He was cut off when he finally saw the unnamed soldiers face, the sclera of the eyes black and the iris a hauntingly bright silver. Orange cracks- glowing like a heartbeat- spread outwards from the eyes, and the hair like clouds and colored like a nebula.

Alpha felt himself collapse back into the alien’s arms as he called out, “Church!”

Chapter Text

There was a man who would sit down at the park bench every day at six in the afternoon without fail. Theta would watch as he sat down for an hour before leaving without a word.

He looked really lonely.

And Theta knew Epsi would get mad at him if he just went up to a random stranger and talked to them.

But he was pretty sure that this guy wouldn’t hurt him or do anything bad. He didn’t look like he could, he looked too sad too.

Climbing down from his perch on a nearby tree, he padded slowly towards the man. His bare feet were soft against the grass as he padded towards the bench.

As he approached the man he fiddled with the straps of his overalls.

The man had still yet to acknowledge him, even with him standing right next to him, so he, in an act of spontaneous bravery, decided to say, “Hi.”

The man jolted and looked around before he finally looked down at him, a look of confusion on his face.

“Hi?” he questioned, eyes scanning the park for an adult. “Are you lost or something?”

“No, I’m Theta,” he responded before ducking his head and hiding his eyes underneath his curls. “I mean- I’m not. Lost, that is.”

The man was quiet for a moment before asking, “Theta? That’s an unusual and unique name.”

“I think my brother Epsilon name is weirder,” he supplied helpfully.

Not responding, the man got up and left without saying a word.

Chapter Text

Price looked up from his clipboard, to look at his patient.

“How are you feeling, Dexter?” he asked, ready to begin the session.

The teenager barely even blinked at the question, expression completely blank as he responded, “I don’t know.”

“Could you elaborate on that?” he tried, but at seeing the kid shrug he changed the subject. “Do you remember anything?”

“Remember?” Dexter finally made eye contact with him.

“Yes, you lost your memories after getting into a car crash. That’s why you’re here,” he informed.

“I… remember things,” Dexter furrowed his brow. “I remember… yelling and… a question.”

“A question?” Price was intrigued by that. “Could you tell me the question?”

Dexter was silent as he pursed his lips, before slowly saying, “Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

“Was that the question you remember?” Price asked for confirmation.

Dexter nodded, so he continued, “Do you have an answer?”

Looking to the side, Dexter nodded once more.

“What’s your answer Dexter,” he coaxed.

“I think,” he started before pausing. “I think I’m here to stop somebody… somebody bad…”

Now that was a curious answer.

“Who do you need to stop?” Dexter didn’t answer.

But then in a quiet voice, he said, “I don’t know.”

Chapter Text

North had finally settled down in the boarded up department store when one of the other survivors had shuffled over to him to announce, “I don’t know who you are.”

Raising an eyebrow he responded, “Well, I would think not. We had only just met.”

He had been trying to buy a gift for his sister when the outbreak happened. The mall had been pretty much empty, and thankfully someone had noticed those things outside.

They did their best to board up and lock any possible entrances, so he assumed that they were safe for now.

The man looked to the side briefly before offering, “I’m Dexter.”

“You can call me North,” and at seeing the confused look he elaborated. “Inside joke- my friends and I picked a state and ran with it.”

Dexter’s eyes widened and he looked like he wanted to say something but stopped. Instead, he asked, “If you could end the apocalypse, would you?”

“How do you mean,” North asked.

“If you could sacrifice one person to stop this from all happening, would you?” Dexter explained.

“Well, I think it’d be the right thing to do,”  he answered.

“Even if they didn’t want to die?” Dexter looked down.

That made him pause, but he still answered, “Even if they don’t.”

Dexter didn’t say anything in response, he merely walked away in silence.

Chapter Text

Tucker was blasted into the brick wall as the villain in front of him cheerfully announced, “Felix! Just the rat I was looking for!”

“What the hell are you ack-” Tucker choked, caught in the grasp of the deranged criminal who had escaped from a maximum security prison.

Fire danced around the hands of the madman, and no amount of shielding that he tried to summon could form.

“Tucker-” his eyes widened at hearing his own name, “I need your help. You owe me one after all.”

“What- are- you- talking about?” he grunted, trying to claw at the hand holding him up.

“I need your help to find Caboose- Donut- Simmons- Sarge- Genkins? No, no,” the villain growled, using his free hand to grab his head, letting the flames singe his own hair.

“Huggins!” The villain broke out in glee. “Her! I’m looking for her.”

“And- you need- my- help- why?” Tucker gasped out, starting to feel light headed.

“I think she’s hurting- her imprint, it’s weakening,” through blurry eyes, Tucker could see the other man’s concern. “It’s messing with me- slowly I think. You’re gonna help me find her, right?”

On the verge of blacking out, he yelled, “Yes! Yes!”

The villain let go of him and he collapsed on the ground coughing as the other man said, “Perfect. Let’s get a move on, Church.”

Chapter Text

The kid beside him kicked his legs back and forth on the boardwalk, sometimes picking up a stone from the pile he had gathered to toss into the water.

Settling down next to the kid, he inclined his head in a questioning manner.

“Sometimes the water tells me secrets,” the kid looked up at him.

Looking down in the water he tried to see anything, but he could only see the murky green depths below.

“Not like that,” the kid shook his head. Reaching over he grabbed his hand, small fingers dwarfed by much larger ones. “Here, it shows me the future. Maybe it can show you yours.”

Guiding the conjoined hands, the kid dipped them into the water, eyes glowing a bright white. The water began to swirl and churn, twisting and thrashing, creating a small whirlpool of images of events not yet to come.

Maine saw a figure, heavily armored, storming towards a group of other armored soldiers. The soldier grabbed one and held them up by their neck before he was forced to let go by being dragged off a cliff. On his way down, he grabbed one of them and dragged them down too.

The kid yanked his hand away, ending everything, saying, “So that’s who you are.”

Chapter Text

Laying in the hospital bed, Biff turned towards the other rooms occupant.

The soldier, just like himself, was hooked up on a many number of machines that Biff hoped were keeping him alive.

They hadn’t been expecting it- the attack, the aliens- and it had been a proper massacre.

Biff was going to die back there- an alien had its energy sword aimed at his neck, primed to gut him like a fish.

But he wasn’t dead.

He wasn’t dead because of the soldier in the other bed.

The soldier had shot the alien dead, saying, “Not this time. Not again.”

He couldn’t ask what he meant, he couldn’t even thank him for saving his life.

He wished that he had read the fine print before enlisting.

He should have listened to Mark.

The man in the bed winced and grimaced, and his heart monitor began to screech and yell.

Doctors came and swarmed in and he could only watch as the man who saved his life lost his own.

There was nothing they could do and the room became quiet once more.

It wasn’t long before a letter came to tell him he was being stationed at some place called Blood Gulch.

Chapter Text

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” a child’s voice echoed around the tunnel.

“I’ve never seen you, so I can’t say the same,” she lowered her knife, blood dripping down her hands and fingers.

“I’ve actually never seen what you looked like,” the kid drew closer, not seeming the slightest bit concerned about the mutilated body. “You don’t look like what I thought you would.”

Dropping the body, and hearing it’s wet thunk against the ground, neck snapping on the already dead body, she watched the child.

“You’re a brave kid to walk onto a murder scene and try to make buddy-buddy with the murderer,” she glanced down at the kid who barely reached past her waist.

“That’s the thing about you Freelancers,” the kid said as he started to walk into the blood puddle that just kept on growing. “You keep on surprising me. Showing me your faces- giving me a name and voice to dead faces.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tex took a step back, the kids demeanor freaking her out just a tad.

“Agent Texas, Tex, what does it matter? You’re dead, dead along with every other Freelancer- dead along with Church-” and he stopped because she made a mistake.

She jabbed and twisted her knife into the kid's stomach, her fear at his words, at hearing her boyfriend’s name.

“Well this world didn’t last long at all,” were the kid's last words.

Chapter Text

VIC watched as the teenager walked around the desolate halls of Starseed. He walked with confidence as if he had done this quite a few times already.

And VIC knew that he had.

Oh, he’s seen it all, that abnormality in the new order of the world that glimmered and flickered over his soul to protect it.

Now, VIC’s kept to himself out of fear that the big dude upstairs would finally take notice of him- a fellow glitch in the universe as well.

But he couldn’t just leave his amigo hanging like that.

So he had to find a way to tell him subtly, all incognito like.

Using his outreach, he connected to one of the terminals nearby Griferino and typed, He was onto something.

VIC watched as Grif took notice, but didn’t draw attention to it, acting just like the smart cookie VIC hoped he was.

He continued walking so VIC periodically send more messages along the way. He needed to help out somehow after all.

There are many unique and weird universes, my dude.

Just wait it out.

And find the right one-

To win. VIC out.

Chapter Text

Allison gasped out in pain, jolting upwards as her hands immediately reached out to clutch her chest, searching and searching for something.

Looking around she found herself in some sort of room, filled with panels and screens.

She was still gasping for air, her breaths coming out in white puffs, feeling as cold as a corpse.

Where was she? The last thing she remembered was being faced to face with an alien on the battlefield and then-

Looking down she realized she was trying to find stab wounds.

“I want you to understand,” a voice said, causing her to flinch. “Who you are, and why you’re important.”

“Who are you,” she asked, eyes darting to and fro.

A man walked into the room, wearing standard UNSC armor.

In the middle of his head was a dripping, oozing bullet hole.

“You’re Allison, right?” the man asked. “Allison Church?”

“Yes, that’s me,” she nodded, but then she repeated, “Who are you?”

“Unimportant in the scheme of things,” he avoided. “I’m not as interesting as you.”

“I’m not interesting,” she disagreed, shaking her head. “I’m just a normal woman, married with a daughter.”

“And your husband?” he asked. “Do you love him?”

“Of course I do,” her eyes become glassy as she found the punctures on her chest. “Allison and Leonard, we’re two halves-”

Chapter Text

“-of a hole,” a voice broke out in the room, shocking Leonard into dropping his gun, wincing as it clattered against the table.

He stood still, not wanting to make any sudden moves, but he could see from the reflection on the screen in front of him a soldier in SIM armor.

So that’s how it’s going to be.

Killed by the soldiers he sent to die in droves.

How fitting.

“I presume,” he drawled. “That you’re here to kill me yourself.”

“No,” the soldier shook his head, and moving forward he left afterimages in his wake. “That’d be a waste of this huge risk I’ve taken.”

Turning around to become face to helmet with the soldier, he asked, “Would you care to elaborate?”

“This is the closest universe to the original one,” the SIM waved his arm and waited for the lingering images to join together. “And since I’m not meant to exist in this world, might as well make it one where I win.”

“Win what,” curiosity made him ask.

“Would you believe me if I told you I’m fighting an uphill battle against a God?” the man queried.

“No,” he said firmly without a doubt in his mind.

“Then don’t worry about it,” he moved forward. “You should concern yourself with saving a planet named Chorus. Correct your mistakes, Director, for your wife’s sake above all else.”

Chapter Text

Kai watched the snow flutter and dance across the sky, a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The dingy apartment left much to be desired, and the honks of the cars filled the night.

“Here,” Dex handed her a cup of hot cocoa, and she cradled it into her hands relishing its warmth.

Dex didn’t have a cup of his own, but she saw how his fingers twitched, searching for a bottle to hold.

But he promised he wouldn’t drink around her, so he wasn’t going to.

Turning back towards the window she was mesmerized by the snow- today was her first time seeing it in person.

At first, she had laughed and taken hundreds of pictures as her brother led her around Rockefeller Center.

But now she was cold and disenchanted with it all as she longed for her own apartment back in Hawai’i.

Dex cleared his throat and picked up a terribly wrapped present, proclaiming, “Mele Kalikimaka.”

She reached for it and with nimble fingers tore off the wrapping.

Staring down at the probably expensive designer jacket she started to cry.

Everything was different and she hated it, she wanted to return to the warm Christmas’ with a happier brother.

“Kai,” Dex surged up and cradled her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, I’ve failed you and you don’t even know it.”

Chapter Text

Tucker watched in trepidation as the man in front of him twirled a light between his fingers. The public display of magic was making the other pedestrians nervous.

Magic was normal. Nearly everyone had some form of it.

But it was a private thing- you didn’t just flaunt it around liked this man seemed to be doing.

The man stopped when the crosswalk light lit up. He blended into the crowd well enough now that he wasn’t using magic.

Tucker tried to follow him but lost sight of him when his eyes started to fog up.

Damn it, this guy didn’t want to be followed.

Well, tough shit.

Breathing out slowly, Tucker felt his tattoos begin to hum as he followed the wavelength of magic.

Briefly, he paused as he saw the man's own magic trail after him, intertwined with someone else’s, a gradient of pale yellow with a mundane orange.

This was unheard of.

And it only fueled his curiosity, even more, making him give chase, speeding down twists and turns.

He had to find this man.

He needed to know who he was and why he exists as he does.

Because Tucker saw something else too.

He saw his own aqua magic.

Imprinted in the mans fading footsteps.

Chapter Text

Simmons nervously looked around the indoor arena. He was trapped down to his seat, and looking to his right and left he could see a myriad of people in the same position as himself.

The only difference being the colored banisters seated behind them.

And the fact that he was wide awake while they were unconscious.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a man announced to the near empty room. “I welcome you to the first ever Gladiator of Time event! You all alone will get to witness one Dexter Grif of the reds-”

And at this a man was pushed into the arena, suited up in some mesh of Roman gladiator armor and a high tech power armor.

“Fight against all my trials!” The man announced from his balcony. “And one more thing! For every trial he fails, someone he loves will die, starting with-”

A bright spotlight shone on him and he turned his head to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

“Richard Simmons of the Reds,” the man smirked, ignoring how both men yelled out a shocked ‘what?!’

“With all that done,” the man leaned back and reclined in his mock shift throne. “Let the games begin my dearest champion.”

Chapter Text

He awoke to nothing and everything all at once.

He blinked and felt shocked at the action, causing him to look down and see the body currently inhabited.

This was wrong. All wrong.

He was supposed to be dead.

He was supposed to be an AI.

Not some human.

Looking around he found himself in some sort of circus tent.

And looking up he saw one of those mortals- the one Huggins was so fond of.

The mortal was balancing himself on a tightrope and a familiar giggle caused him to look over and see what could have only been that blasted son of his, donning a human appearance as well.

Genkins turned towards him to smile cruelly, before looking up to call out, “Dearest Grif, do you believe that there is some moral to learn from all this?”

“No,” the mortal said firmly.

“Wrong,” Genkins chimed. “The moral is to not fight against your divine creators. You’ll learn this in time.”

The mortal didn’t respond, so his son called out, “Let’s play a game. If you let yourself fall, I’ll give you a new ally. If not, he’ll disappear forever.”

That made the mortal pause, but then he leaned to the side and the mighty King Atlus had to turn away from the sight of his body smashing into the ground, a bloody smear against the sawdust.

Chapter Text

Lina got to work combing her customers long, thick hair.

The man had been dragged into the store by his frustrated sister who all but begged her to cut it all off into something presentable.

“So, do you have anything planned for the upcoming holidays?” she asked in an attempt to make small talk.

The man didn’t say anything, his mouth pressed into a firm line as his fingers clenched around his knees.

“I know I’m planning to visit my brother,” she said to fill the silence. “Apparently he has something he wants to show me.”

Still, nothing was said by the man, so Lina merely huffed softly and reached over for her water sprayer to apply to the man's hair.

“I tried killing myself for the one hundredth time yesterday,” the man whispered.

Lina froze at the confession, her eyes wide and her fingers nearly wrapped around the bottle.

“And I thought I really managed to do it too,” the man continued. “But then I woke up again today and realized he wouldn’t let me go that easily.”

Lina didn’t know what to do or say to what the man had revealed.

“Just pretend like you didn’t hear that,” the man said.

So she did.

Chapter Text

Frank dabbed his brush onto his canvas, meticulous with his strokes as he got into a rhythm.

The stranger beside him was wearing headphones, but he could hear no sound coming from them.

Perplexed, he looked over to see what his fellow artist was doing when he got a glimpse of his canvas.

“Woah,” he couldn’t help himself from saying. “That’s amazing!”

The painting depicted some sort of clockwork amalgamation, golden in essence and highlighted in a blue light. The details were exquisite as if the person next to him had seen it in real life.

The stranger stopped and glanced at him to say, “Thanks, I guess.”

“What is it supposed to represent?” Frank asked as the artist switched brushes and dipped the new one into the red paint.

“Represent?” the man asked, panic blossoming on his face, eyes darting over the canvas, but not seeing anything.

“Yeah,” the smile fell from his face. “Like, what emotions are you trying to convey?”

“I-” the man stuttered, hand shaking as he held the brush up.

“Are you ok?” Frank set aside his palette and brush so that he could help the stranger if need be.

“I don’t know what this is,” the man dropped the brush, and didn’t react as it clattered on the ground.

Eyes rolling back, he collapsed into Frank’s awaiting arms.

Chapter Text

Palomo felt giddy as he sat at a table with fellow conspiracy theorists like himself.

They were currently enjoying the provided buffet in the cafe of the convention hall, and the only thing stopping him from striking up a conversation with someone was the fact that everyone was eating and to do so would be rude of him.

Looking around he found someone who wasn’t eating and quickly made his way over to him.

“Wonderful artificial weather we’re having, huh,” he started, a smile on his face.

The other theorist looked like he was in his late twenties, and while Palomo was finally a legal adult, he hoped the age difference didn’t scare the man away.

“I’d say as much,” the man smiled back and Palomo took it as an invitation to sit at the same table as him.

“So,” Palomo started, brimming with excitement. “What are you an advocate for?”

“I’m a firm believer that this universe doesn’t really exist,” the man said. “This world and all of our lives are fabricated by a separate pocket dimension. The real and pure timeline is out there somewhere- and I’m gonna find my way back to it.”

Palomo’s jaw dropped and it felt like he had just been enlightened by a philosopher of old. Stars formed in his eyes, his brain going cosmic.

And to think he was here as a flat-earther.

“Wow,” he whispered in reverence.

Chapter Text

Matthews whimpered as he felt the gun press tightly against his head.

He’d been trying to take out money to go Christmas shopping when a bank robbery had started.

And he’d been taken as a hostage.

The man with strange eyes had grabbed him firmly and announced loud and clear, “If I don’t receive what I want in five minutes, then the little Republic boy gets it.”

Nobody dared to move or say anything in response.

And nobody pointed out that he hadn’t made any demands for anything at this point.

Matthews felt the tears stream down his cheeks.

Something told him that he was going to die today.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” the robber taunted. “I know you think of Gold Team as your kids, so just come out already.”

Then the doors to the bank opened and a single police officer walked in.

Matthews could send the confusion of the other people around him at the display.

“Game time,” the robber sang. “Your life for his, but no one else's. His life for your own and everyone else's. Choose.”

The policeman had a tired look to his eyes as he raised his gun to his own chin and fired.

Matthews didn’t know what that meant as he watched the man fall dead.

Chapter Text

Michael glanced at the man leaning against the tree across the garden.

He was waiting under the gazebo for Leonard to pick him up, as it was very rainy and wet and icky outside.

But that man seemed perfectly content to get soaked on by the sneaky water that slipped past the tree branches guard.

He also looked sad. Sand and lonely.

So picking up his umbrella, he opened it and stepped out into the rain to walk towards the man.

The man looked up at him but didn’t say anything.

“Are you ok?” he asked, hoping to coax an answer out of the man.

“No,” the man smiled ruefully. “Not really.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” he wanted to settle down next to him, but the thought of sitting down on the wet ground made his skin crawl.

“What should someone do if nothing they do makes any sort of difference?” the man asked.

“Well that’s just silly,” Michael said. “Everyone makes some sort of difference.”

“Even when everything hurts?” the man looked away.

“Then make it stop hurting,” the answer seemed simple to him.

“How,” and it was at this that the man’s voice wavered.

“Any way possible I guess,” Michael answered.

Chapter Text

“Dex,” Richard looked away, closing his eyes as if he could simply will away the sight in front of him.

“Simmons,” and he opened his eyes to see the other man at the opposite end of the room.

There was nothing Richard could do to make this scene go away and disappear like he wished he could.

But he needed to bring back that intel to his commander.

And Dex was on the wrong side.

“Please,” he begged. “It doesn’t have to- if you just let me get what I need-”

“Save it, Simmons,” Dex cut him off. “We both know that neither one of us is going to budge. We’re at an impasse whether you like it or not.”

“Why does it have to be this way,” Richard’s gun wavered in his hand. “Isn’t there some other wa-”

“I love you,” Dexter cut him off once more, and he felt his jaw drop. They’d never said those words aloud, until now. “I love you and it hurts and I’m going to make it stop.”

“Make what stop?” Dexter didn’t answer him.

He only raised his gun, high and steady, and if only Richard could understand or know what he was thinking, then maybe he could help.

Maybe he could say, “I love you,” bac- B A N G.

Chapter Text

Tucker had noticed how his friend had been more depressed than usual lately, and he took it upon himself to cheer his pal up.

By getting him completely plastered at the nearest bar available.

Thankfully Grif seemed totally up for it, and after many, many drinks they were beyond inebriated.

“We- we need to find you, someone, to uh,” Tucker took a swig of his beer. “We gotta hook you up with some- someone nice.”

“I’m him- I’m,” Grif started to hiccup softly. “I’m that Vonnegut guy. The one who- the one-”

“Someone who’s gonna treat you right,” Tucker continued, nodding to himself. “I’ve seen the- seen the way you’ve looked at that asshole Simmons and- and you deserve better.”

“The one who- so it goes. So it goes,” Grif drawled. “That’s me, isn’t it. I’m the so it goes guy.”

“L-look,” Tucker slapped his friend's arm. “I’m- I’m gonna hook you up with- with someone amazing tonight.”

Grif only rested his head against the bar, mumbling ‘so it goes’ like a broken record.

“Don’t worry buddy,” Tucker rested his head on the bar too, wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulder. “I’m gonna get someone to take good care- care of you.”

Chapter Text

When Kai had gone to sleep, she had dreamed of stacks of money waiting for her big bro on the living room table and a fridge full of fresh food.

When she woke up she found exactly that, alongside a confused Dex.

“How,” he trailed off, closing the fridge and backing away.

She was too shocked to say anything, and she merely watched as Dex checked the locks to the apartment door and windows.

This was a fluke. It had to be.

Either that or she was still dreaming.

She didn’t say anything about her dream to Dex, and he didn’t call anybody about the mysterious arrivals.

And when she went to bed again she wondered if the same thing would happen once more.

So when she dreamt of a giant hulking titan, a being that towered over skyscrapers and mountains, clocks and gears embedded in its body like the weapons shattered on a battlefield, and eyes a blinding blue, she woke up crying.

Crying and afraid.

She didn’t dare leave the safety of her bed.

She was paralyzed when a bright blue beam peaked through her window blinds.

Chapter Text

“I wouldn’t open that door if I were you,” the sentry droid stated.

“I beg your pardon?” Donald asked.

Turning towards him the droid pointed towards the multiple warning signs on the evacuation shelters door.

“Leaving the Sanctuary means guaranteed death,” the droid said by rote. “Leaving the Sanctuary means never coming back in.”

“I’m aware,” he responded dryly.

“Do you wish to proceed?” the droid asked.

“Indeed,” he adjusted the straps to his survival pack.

He looked ridiculous and he knew it. He’d forgone his usual suit for clothing better suited to traverse the wasteland that had once been his home planet.

“State your reason for leaving,” the droid moved towards the control panel, and Donald was relieved that it wasn’t going to fight his decision to leave.

“I cannot simply sit here and twiddle my thumbs whilst those who are less fortunate than I are left to the dogs,” his eyes narrowed at the thought.

He was coming, Vanessa.

Just wait a little longer.

“Goodluck, Doyle,” the droid said before it opened the doors to hell.

Chapter Text

“You know,” the stranger beside her said. “The last time I was on a train like this, I thought everyone would die.”

Emily blinked at that but set her bookmark between the pages of the novel so that she could set it down.

How peculiar. It certainly was an odd conversation starter, but she was never one to shy away from any sort of discussion.

“Really? What would make you think something like that?” she asked.

“Too many bad experiences,” the man fiddled with a journal in front of him. “Have you ever used your own blood as ink?”

“I must admit to having done it once,” she adjusted her glasses which had started to slip down the bridge of her nose.

“I thought it would have some sort of retaining property,” the man waved the journal. “But it doesn’t so I have to memorize everything.”

“You rewrite the contents often?” she eyed that journal with great interest.

She wondered what secrets it hid.

“Every time,” he answered vaguely. “My only fear is that one day I will consider stopping. It’s a scary thought.”

How peculiar indeed.

Chapter Text

Hearing a ringing noise, Richard awoke and blearily looked for his phone.

A brief look at the clock showed that it was three in the goddamn morning.

“Hello?” he answered groggily.

“I’m so sorry,” a voice sobbed on the other end. “I thought it would help the pain but it only made it worse.”

“Hey, man are you ok?” Richard felt concerned for this stranger who obviously had the wrong number.

“No, no I’m never ok,” the man admitted, a slight slur hidden behind the crying.

He was clearly drunk and upset about something.

“Well, um, I may not be who you actually meant to call, but since I’m already here maybe I can help?” he tried.

The man on the other end had fallen silent, with only his sobs and haggard inhales being the only evidence that they hadn’t lost the connection.

For a moment, Richard thought he would hang up now that he realized he had the wrong number.

He didn’t know why he felt so concerned about a man he would never meet.

But he was so very concerned.

The man’s sobs had started to cease and in a quiet voice he asked, “Can you tell about your day?”

Gladly he would do so.

Chapter Text

The second his processors came online, he was filled with a deep sense that something was very wrong.

Looking up, he could see intense lines of cold connecting like a thread in the night sky.

Panicked, he moved backward until he bumped into someone, his optical unites never leaving the sky.

“Hey, watch it,” the human sneered until he got a good look at his horrified expression. “Woah, Lopez what’s wrong?”

He couldn’t bring himself to question how some random stranger knew who he was.

He couldn’t even bring himself to attempt to convey just what he was seeing.

Illogically, he pointed upwards, knowing that the human wouldn’t be able to see the same thing as he.

The man’s eyes trailed upwards and just like he thought the man couldn’t see anything.

“Are you malfunctioning?” the man asked.

Lopez turned, ready to curse out the human with the hope that he didn’t understand Spanish when he saw something just as perplexing.

The lines of code were lashing and unraveling on themselves in an attempt to connect to the man.

A quick glance showed that everyone else was connected.

Even himself.

Everyone was connected except this man.

Chapter Text

He sighed as he twirled his scepter in his hand.

Everything was moving so slowly lately and his boss was getting angry at him.

It wasn’t his fault that he wasn’t bored yet! Nor was it his fault that his delightful partner hadn’t given up yet either.

They were both stubborn and so hated to lose.

Round after round, it didn’t matter that his opponent lost every time.

He’d just come back for more.

Maybe they could change things up for once.

Snapping his fingers, he got his guards to drag forth his favorite human.

Well, not so human this time. He had a bit of a laugh at the design that he’d chosen for this world.

The orange crystalline flesh of his partner was just the right amount of weird for him.

“Let’s play another game, pumpkin,” he announced as he lounged against his throne.

Sighing, Grif asked, “What type of game?”

“I want you to help me conquer the people of this world,” he saw Grifs mouth open to curse him out, “Uh, uh, uh! If you do this, I will owe you something.”

His smile grew as his partner considered it seriously.

“Fine,” Grif nodded.

Another round won by Genkins it seems.

Chapter Text

When he came too for the second time, he noted how he was in some sort of cafe instead of that circus tent.

And the man who he just saw willingly fall off a tightrope was sitting in front of him with a cup of coffee.

“So,” he started, taking a small swig from his cup. “You’re my new ally, huh?”

“You mean to say you willingly died without knowing what aid you would be receiving,” he asked incredulously.

“In this game, I take what I can get,” he shrugged.

“I see,” he said, voice tinged with bitterness.

With all of his might, he cursed that bastard son of his.

And he cursed his creator most of all.

“Now the real question is what you can do for me,” the mortal leaned back in his chair.

“Not much I’m afraid,” he clenched his fists.

“Can’t you use your powers over the space-time continuum to send me back to just before we created a paradox,” the mortal asked.

“No. Even if I had my powers, my answer would remain the same,” he watched wearily as the mortal glared at him. “As much as it pains me to say, you should consider giving in to-”

“HE OWES ME A FUCKING FAVOR,” the mortal exploded, slamming his hands against the table. “And I intend to use it to fucking win and make that bastard regret ever fucking with me.”

Chapter Text

Tucker watched as the two beings starred- well, glared in the case of the orange one- at each other, with him merely as a bystander.

He had apparently been called as the witness of the event.

“You know what I want,” the mainly translucent orange being announced, crossing his arms.

The more corporeal green-themed one waved his hand nonchalantly, “Yes, yes, of course. The elusive reward of this favor I owe you.”

“I’ve waited long enough for it,” the orange one said. “And I want to know just what exactly it is too.”

“Well alright, snookums,” the green one approached the other and lounged against him. “The favor- and your reward- is this: a deal.”

Narrowing the bright white orbs that Tucker presumed were his eyes, the being said, “I don’t want to play any of your fucking games-”

“No. not a game,” the other interrupted. “A deal.”

Quiet for a moment, thinking perhaps, the  orange one announced, “I’m listening.”

“The deal is this- if you can make it through a few more cycles without giving up or giving in,” the being smirked at this, “I will send you back to the original timeline- back into that old body of yours- for you to try again to stop the paradox. How’s about it?”

The other beings demeanor changed immediately, and Tucker could see a predator in his place, catching his prey with a simple, “Deal.”

Chapter Text

There was a myth that a river creature lived at the head of the river, blessing it with an abundance of fish when the nearby town was nearing a famine.

And Locus had been contracted to find and kill it.

For somebody wanted the town of Chorus to starve.

He was apprehensive, and just about sure that it didn’t really exist anyhow.

But Mason was getting sicker, and his wife and children needed the money.

And they had been oh so generous to Locus. He had to pay them back.

Walking aimlessly through the woods, Locus realized that his maps were wrong.

Damn it.

“Hey,” a voice said behind him, causing him to whirl around, knife in hand.

A fae stood behind him, arms crossed over its brightly colored tunic, hair made of vines with flowers mid-bloom intermingled- pulsing with life. Two branch protrusions decorated each side of its head and its eyes were a vibrant orange.

“If you’re looking for the river,” its lips quirked upwards. “Then you’re going the wrong way. For a price, I can lead you there.”

He loathed to put his hands in its life, but he asked, “What price?”

Walking closer, the fae radiated confidence, “I want you to kill a God for me.”

Chapter Text

Hands clenching tightly, she eyed the flash drive she held in her hand.

She was told to take it and upload it into this big dashboard beneath an even bigger screen.

Connie didn’t know why she had a horrible sense of foreboding, but she did.

A part of her screamed at herself to not do it, and she knew she should listen to it.

But her group needed the money if they ever had any hope to destroy the UNSC.

So, with a grimace, she inserted the flash drive.

At first, nothing happened.

But then the room exploded in a writhing cacophony of electric screams and whirrs.

Everything mechanic started freaking out, lights blinking in rapid succession, the monitor glitching out and flashing with blocks of color as it processed the virus.

A giant unhappy face appeared on the screen as a security officer ran into the room screaming, “What did you do?!”

He tried removing the flash drive, but it didn’t stop the murder of the system in front of them.

With the screen sharply turning dark, the man slammed his hands against the dashboard roaring, “NO. NO. NO-”

Chapter Text

Sarge glanced around the corridor before heading back into the room.

Moving towards the desk, he looked at the kid perched on top.

“How’re you holding up, son?” he tried to act as if they didn’t just witness a man get ripped to shreds by a shadow that belonged to no one.

“You’re going to die,” the kid responded.

“Now I don’t know about that,” he ran a hand through his coarse hair. “I’m sturdier than I look.”

“This is just a challenge,” the kid jumped off the desk. “He’s trying to get me to give up by killing the ones I love.”

“Who?” he picked up immediately on the unnamed person.

“God,” the kid answered, moving towards the closed door.

Funny.

He didn’t take the kid to be all that religious. For in all the time that they lived on the moon colony, he’d never seen the kid or his folks attend a sermon.

“I’m not just gonna wait around for you to die, Sarge,” the kid announced, hand on the scanner. “Goodbye.”

As soon as the door opened, he ran out, leaving Sarge to chase after the kid.

Amazingly, a bright light cleared the path of any shadows that neared the kid, protecting him.

But the same couldn’t be said for Sarge.

Chapter Text

Temple looked out towards the unending depths of the ocean.

The sun, dazzling against its surface, colored the waves a myriad of yellows, oranges, and reds.

It’s funny, he’d never considered himself a patient man.

But the marks on the tree nearby his camp told him that he’d been stranded for nearly a month.

The scraggly beard that had adorned his face was a testament to how long he’d been here as well.

At this point? He wasn’t expecting to get saved.

“It sucks doesn’t it,” the hallucination beside him said. “Being all alone by yourself.”

“You’re telling me,” Temple scoffed.

“Believe you me,” the hallucination laughed. “If you had some volleyballs of your friends then we’d be two sides of the same coin.”

“I’d argue that we already are,” Temple rested his head against his open hand.

The hallucinations demeanor darkened and it violently thrust upwards off the sand, heading towards the ocean.

“I refuse to believe that we’re anything alike,” it growled before its body collapsed into the water, becoming one with the ravenous fathoms below.

And Temple was all alone again.

Chapter Text

Shuffling her papers, she looked up at the man with an exasperated sigh.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Grif, but you just don’t qualify,” Kimball tried to let him down gently- he looked like a mess after all.

“On what circumstances?” the man asked, moving back with little pieces of his imprint fluttering off like broken glass.

Clearing her throat, she answered, “For one thing, your imprint is far too unstable for us to allow you within our walls. We here at the Magic Rehabilitation Center want to ensure the safety of our patients above all else.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off saying, “Secondly, the imprint doesn’t even belong to you. Perhaps if you went to the castor and asked them to repair it-”

“Not possible,” he interrupted. “She doesn’t exist within this realm anymore, from what I’ve gathered at least.”

“Then how did you obtain your imprint,” she queried.

“Not sure,” he shrugged. “If I had to guess though, I’m assuming she didn’t make it to be long-term.”

“Well,” standing up, she opened the door for him. “I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to find her to repair it, but until that happens, I’m afraid that you simply do not qualify.”

“Oh I’m working on it alright,” Mr. Grif got up and walked out the door, and she figured that she may as well walk him to the front entrance. “Something tells me that I’m going to see Huggins again real soon.”

Chapter Text

“What are you doing?” Alpha merely stared at the human who was hooking himself into some kind of interface.

The human raised an eyebrow at the question, saying, “Church, what does it look like I’m doing? I’m getting ready to suit up- what with being a vigilante and all that.”

“No,” Alpha snapped. “What you’re doing is getting ready to zap your brains out. You can’t fool me.”

If Alpha had a physical body, he’d cross his arms, but alas all he was left was a face projection.

So he sneered instead.

“Done already with this universe?” a frown formed. “I’m not good enough company to get you to stay till He gets rid of the world?”

“You know that’s not it,” Grif looked away.

“Then what is it,” he didn’t want to sound petulant, but he couldn’t keep his emotions from bleeding into his voice.

“I’m considering giving in,” Grif looked shamefaced. “I can’t stop those thoughts- I’m tired of all this.”

“Oh,” he didn’t know what to say.

“But I have to hold out hope- and I’ve got to punish myself for those thoughts,” the human turned away.

Alpha didn’t know what to say- emotions and caring about people were still new to him. So they merely stood in silence.

Chapter Text

“Dex, did you mean it,” she asked, pausing from her coloring, placing the crayon amongst all the others.

“Mean what?” her brother asked from where he was painting something.

“Did you mean it when you promised that one day, when I’m older, that you’d bring me out to the town? For the first time,” she clarified.

She watched hopefully as her brother paused mid-stroke. Kai could see the thoughtful approach in his eyes as he considered what to say.

“Yeah,” he settled on. “But that’s not till the far future. You know why we stay away from peering eyes, right?”

Pouting she picked up her crayon again and mumbled, “Yes.”

“It’s because you caught the eyes of Chrovos,” Dex said sternly.

“That wasn’t even me!” she yelled, smacking her hand against the floor. “That was one of those stupid different universes me!”

“Stop,” Dex said harshly. “You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“She,” Kai bitterly corrected. She regrets Dex ever telling her about all that nonsense.

“Enough fighting for today,” Dex sighed. Turning his canvas towards he asked, “Is this what he looked like?”

“No,” she answered honestly, not recognizing the being in the painting.

“Damn it,” Dex growled as he cast the canvas into the ever-growing discard pile.

Chapter Text

Flowers knocked against the door in a pattern known only to himself and a few others.

The meeting place for his little group was on a rotational basis, last week it was his room and this week it was Reggie’s.

He waited a few moments, but the door did not slide open to let him in.

As quietly as he could, he put his ear against the door to try and hear something.

But he could hear only silence.

Backing away from the door, his heart pounding, he turned back down the corridor and pretended like nothing was wrong.

He passed by a few of the newer recruits and smiled at them, maintaining his cheerful captain facade as he made his way to the safety of his own room.

Flowers mind raced as he wondered what happened to Reggie and the others.

Opening the door to his room, he walked in and shut it soundly behind him.

“I wouldn’t do anything if I were you,” a figure spoke up causing him to hurl his knife in the direction of the voice on instinct.

“Nice try,” the figure caught the knife and threw it back, catching him off guard, impaling itself in his throat. “Sorry about all this, but I need Genkins alive to talk- not dead from some coup.”

Chapter Text

The festival ended and he raced to find the director of the final film that had played.

“Hey, wait!” he called out to the retreating form.

The other man paused and looked at him as he caught up.

“Yes?” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow as he waited for Tucker to catch his breath.

“I just wanted to say that your film was one of my favorites!” he exclaimed, a smile on his face.

“You don’t say,” the director looked away for a second, an indecipherable look on his face before he shook his head. “Not too sure that much anyone else liked it- it didn’t win after all.”

“Well they just don’t understand it,” Tucker argued. “I mean- your writing was phenomenal dude, in that short film you got me to care about every character.”

“Well, I doubt that’s because of my writing,” the director huffed at some unknown joke.

“It was definitely because of your writing,” he gestured vaguely. “I could relate so hard to that one character, what was his name again? The aqua one? Yeah him, I felt like our experiences were so similar.”

The director smiled good-naturedly, but with a hint of sadness.

“I’ve got to go, but,” he paused for a second. “It was nice talking to you.”

And with that, the director of the short film Red vs. Blue walked away.

Chapter Text

Lopez leaned against the rails of the boat, feeling the gentle rocking lull him to sleep, slowly but surely.

They’d been hard at work, catching as many fish as their small boat could carry.

He didn’t talk much, the language barrier being enough to dissuade him from making any attempts.

Opening his eyes slightly, he looked at the bow of the ship to where the most mysterious crew member often went to relax.

The man had been strong-armed into joining the crew by his ‘friend.’

Lopez used that word as loosely as possible considering the other man could never claim it as truth or not.

He couldn’t, after all, speak without a tongue.

So that made two crew members who couldn’t communicate, how quaint.

“Oh, Grif,” the supposed friend chirped, appearing out of nowhere to drag the man towards the lower deck, “What are you doing up here all alone? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were going to jump right off the boat!”

Grif rolled his eyes but didn’t fight against the pull of the other man.

As they passed, Lopez made eye contact with him, and although no words were spoken, he could see the tired soul of a man who very nearly couldn’t care to fight anymore.

Chapter Text

It’s a weird state being alive one moment and then dead the next and then alive again.

He blinks his eyes open but closes them immediately after facing how bright the world was.

Right. He’d forgotten what natural light was like.

He can feel the grass underneath his hands and he wonders why he’s back alive again.

Not to say that he’s not glad to be alive.

But after everything, he’d found out in the afterlife-

About how he had lived a life a lie.

He died for a made up war.

The very thought fills him with anger.

And yet here he was again.

He opens his eyes and notices that he’s not alone.

“What about this one, Grif?” a man asks. “Would you sacrifice everything for this nobody that even I doubt you remember.”

That name- Grif.

It reminds him of the day when he died.

There were two others with him.

And yet he can’t seem to remember-

“Yes,” the other man says. “Because every life is goddamn precious and no one deserves to be put through this hell.”

“Not giving up yet?” the other man sounds disappointed.

“Never,” is the firm and absolute answer.

Hammer is dead again before he knows it.

Chapter Text

He awoke once more to the sound of things shattering and an enraged mortal wielding a gravity hammer.

Swinging it into the wall, the mortal glared at him and snarked, “Oh! Look who’s decided to fucking show up! Mr. Useless Fucking Ally!”

Before Atlus could respond, the mortal yanked the hammer out of the wall and pointed it towards him.

“Tell me everything about you and Genkins and Chrovos, right now,” the mortal demanded.

Shaking his head he could only respond, “I cannot.”

The mortal didn’t look shocked, and with an angry roar, he swung the hammer into a table, smashing it into smithereens as he proclaimed, “That’s what I thought you’d say! Fucking useless piece of shit!”

His hair becoming askew he looked at him and snarled, “You wanna know something? I had another AI ally- VIC- and he’s fucking dead now but he’s leagues more useful than you’ll ever be.”

“My limitations are out of my control,” he felt frustrated as he knew he had fallen so low.

“If I could trade you I would,” the mortal looked away. “Now I just want you fucking gone.”

“Your wish,” his son appeared behind Grif. “Is my command.”

With a snap, Atlus could feel himself untethering from reality once more. It was probably for the best.

Chapter Text

Destiny walked across the patterns drawn in the sand, a dance only she knew to lead her across space and time. Her in the lead, her sisters followed close behind her as was meant to be.

The human who had caught her attention from the grave and beyond sat at the end of the dock, the fog attempting to hide him from her sights.

Too late.

Daintily, her bare feet settled against the wood of the planks. Her sisters to the left and right of her, she strode towards the human.

Standing behind him, she idly started to um, her white dress draped across her and moving with the sea.

“Dexter Grif,” she whispered, watching as he turned to look back at her and her sisters.

“Who… are you,” he asked cautiously, hands gripping tighter to the edge of the dock.

“My sisters and I have a message from our dearest Huggins,” she sung lowly.

The human's eyes went wide as he looked at them.

Swallowing, nervously he asked, “What does she have to say?”

“She begs you, to please give up,” she clasped her hands together. “Your pride is what keeps you from true eternal happiness.”

Shaking his head in denial, he said, “No, no, she wouldn’t- I don’t believe you.”

He got up to lean back and fall into the depths so he wouldn’t have to listen to the truth.

Chapter Text

She’s helping her neighbor clean out his attic when she finds a photo album.

It’s old and dusty, but hidden far back in the corner underneath boxes and worn out curtain drapes.

“Dexter, you want to keep this?” she calls out to the man at the other side of the room.

“Want to keep what?” he looks at her curiously but meanders over nonetheless.

“I found an old photo album,” she explains. Handing it over to him she remarks, “I didn’t think you’d be the type to have one of these.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either,” he sounded absent-minded.

Opening the hardcover, dust puffed up, being seen only through the gossamers of light peeking through the window.

She watched her neighbor's eyes widen and hurriedly flip through the pages.

A somewhat horrified look bled onto his face and he slammed it shut, exclaiming, “Yeah, no- I’m burning this.”

“Oh come on, I’m sure the photos can’t be that bad,” she reasoned, her curiosity peaked.

She wondered what could be in that photo album.

“No, not bad. I just-” he closed his eyes and set the book down. “It’s just a reminder of what I can’t have anymore.”

He walked away and went down the attic stairs carrying a box.

Opening the book, unable to stop herself, Carolina is greeted to the sight of brightly colored soldiers smiling at a camera, their helmets in their hands. And yet, there she was too.

Chapter Text

“You’re making this harder on yourself, you know that right,” Epsilon eyed the hostage that he was holding at gunpoint.

“I don’t fear you any more than I fear a child with a dictionary,” the hostage shrugged.

“Again with that shit! What does that even mean?!” he shrieked.

It was supposed to be a simple robbery of a secret laboratory- then everything went into chaos.

Now he and the other Fragments were holding all the scientist's hostage until the company handed over the technology that they wanted.

But the hostage that he was talking to was completely and utterly batshit crazy. Blabbering nonsensical things that weren’t even feeble attempts to distract him from killing them.

If anything he was making Epsilon angrier and more trigger happy than normal.

“What it means is that I know who you really are, Church,” the hostage said calmly, ignoring how he had frozen at the mention of his name. “You’re not a killer- no version of you is. It’s taken me a while to understand and see why you’re so important.”

The hostage pauses for just a moment before staring through his soul, right into the core and data of his being.

And then he spoke and said something that Epsilon didn’t think that he’d ever forget.

“You, Church- Epsilon- Alpha- you are important because you’re a hero.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Dex!” Kai called out to the nearly vacant apartment. “I’m home!”

“Welcome back, Kai,” her brother mumbled from where he was hunched over, typing something into his computer.

“You finish your resume yet?” she asked as she moved towards the fridge, opening it to scan for something to drink.

After seeing nothing but a half-empty milk carton she resigned herself to having a glass of water instead.

“Working on it,” he grunted before sighing and placing his head in his hands. “This shouldn’t be difficult for me by now.”

“Maybe you just suck at everything,” she teased, grabbing a glass and turning on the tap.

The sound of rushing water almost distorted and muffled her brother's words of, “How the fuck am I supposed to remember what I’ve done in this universe or the last?”

Ignoring that statement as she did with all her bro’s weird mumblings, she moved past the garbage and expressed shock at what she found.

“Dex, why are you throwing out your journal?” she was tempted to reach down and get it, but years of scoldings prevented her from doing so.

The typing stopped, before resuming as he answered, “That thing’s useless to me now.”

“How so,” she asked.

“There are only a hundred pages in that book,” he said, not daring to look away from his screen. “After a thousand or so ‘dreams’ you tend to run out of room, hence, it losing its purpose.”

Chapter Text

The sea rocked the ship in a nice lullaby as the darkness creeps and creeps into the night sky.

His fellow sailors were assembled on the deck, laughing and telling tales of supposed heroism.

Michael smiled and joined in on a few conversations, but he felt as if he just couldn’t get into the happy fun mood.

He missed land a little too much. And Church. He missed both of those things, but Church most of all.

He heard a raucous laughter bellow across the deck and saw a sailor reach across another's shoulders to shake them good-naturedly announcing, “None of you idiots have anything against my man, Dexter, here! He’s encountered a siren, you hear!”

The other sailor grimaced, a movement that pulled awkwardly against the deep claw marks that scarred the left side of his face.

“You don’t have to go out telling people about those things, Tucker,” he griped.

“You should have seen him!” Tucker continued loudly. “The siren tried luring him overboard, but he stood strong and firm- he even slapped the beast! In return, the nasty creature left its mark on him forever.”

Dexter tried hiding that side of his face at the sudden attention, the other sailors finally having an answer to their unasked question.

“Forever is such a strong word, and well, the demon deserved it,” was his excuse.

Michael watched, enraptured, and made a note to tell Church all about it when he got back on land again.

He had many tales to tell, and all the time to learn more.

Chapter Text

He’d been staring at his drawing, trying to think on what it could possibly mean.

Tucker was struck with a wild and uncontrolled urge to draw that he simply picked up his sketchpad and drew whatever it was that had come into his mind.

But looking down at the intricately detailed buildings and landscape he’d drawn, he couldn’t help but feel homesick for somewhere he’s never been.

Maybe if he visited this place and this building he could understand what it meant to him.

Another kid was walking past, glancing down curiously at his drawing before coming to a dead stop, eyes blown wide.

“That’s Chorus,” slipped out of the kid's mouth, and even he looked surprised at what he said.

“You know where this is?” he asked, excited, that burning feeling growing in his core.

“I- uh, yes,” the kid stammered. “But it’s not- it’s off the planet. If that makes sense.”

“But you recognize it,” Tucker got up, sliding his sketchbook into his arms. “So then, one day you can take me there.”

“Is this non-negotiable?” the other kid didn’t outright protest.

Extending his hand, he introduced himself, “I’m Tucker.”

With no hesitation required, the kid clasped it tightly and said, “I’m Grif.”

Somehow, Tucker already knew him, somewhere inside.

Chapter Text

Almost nervously, David entered the room and observed his surroundings.

This was one of his closest secrets that he’s kept to himself, and yet here he was- ready to share it with others just like himself.

He didn’t know what to expect, but maybe he hoped to find a kindred spirit here that could understand the amount of details and dedication that went into-

“Oh my God,” an unknown voice announced, approaching him with a cat-like grin. “Wash, you write fanfiction?”

Blushing and feeling defensive, he stammered, “And you don’t?”

First few minutes into this group meeting and he was already being ridiculed by his peers.

Just fucking great.

He tried to turn back around but the stranger stopped him by saying, “Relax man, no need to leave. I was just surprised to see a football jock here of all places.”

“How do you that,” he asked, remembering how this stranger apparently knew his nickname despite them not knowing each other.

“We go to the same school,” the stranger explained. “I run this group, but I guess I’ve never really made the name-face connection until now, you know?”

“I guess,” he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s good to know that you enjoy this sort of thing,” the stranger continued. “Makes you seem different- more SIM Trooper I guess.”

For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what he meant by that.

Chapter Text

Huggins hummed as she hovered around the asleep human that she was beginning to call her friend.

After nonstop walking through the English Channel they both agreed that Grif needed a good nap.

They made quick camp and the human was fast asleep before she knew it.

It always got quiet and lonely when he slumbered, but Huggins knew that she could handle a little silence.

After all, he’d be awake before long anyhow!

Circling around the base of the tree she thought ahead on all the topics that they could talk about in the morning.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she felt two unknown presences enter their camp.

Both were familiar, but she for the life of her couldn’t think as to where she felt them before.

One felt holy, the kind of energy that she would expect from one of her venerable Lords and her Lady.

And the other-

Well, this was the one that confused her the most.

The other presence felt like herself.

An imprint, perhaps, of what made her a spy for the Cosmic Powers- that holy protection that kept her whole and intact.

But this duplicate was cracked and worn down nearly beyond recognition.

She could hardly tell that it once originally came from herself.

And it was emanating off of Grif.

Before turning in to sleep, Grif had taken off his helmet, having stated a while ago that sleeping with it was near impossible, while with the other parts of his armor, it'd be slightly uncomfortable, but manageable nonetheless.

So she could perfectly see his eyelashes flutter softly, as his eyes peered awake, slowly before they bolted open, pupils dilating.

He gasped loudly, lurching forward off of the tree trunk.

He looked around wildly, eyes uncertain of his surroundings, an unformed question at the tip of his tongue.

But everything stopped when he looked at her.

And when she looked at him back.

A small forming happiness blossomed onto his face, but she could only pay attention to the shadowy wisps that bleed off of his back, something that she was sure that only she could see.

They built up and built up, the mass growing larger, but Grif still being none the wiser.

"That asshole," he whispered still in shock. "I can't believe it, he actually kept up his side of the deal. Huggins I-"

He was cut off painfully as his face twisted and he curled in on himself. His eyes were clenched closed and it looked as if he was trying to pry them open, but the pain of whatever he was feeling must have been too much.

"Wh- what the," he couldn't continue, raising a hand to his head, trying to stave off the pain.

"Oh, Grif," the second presence appeared, a blurry image that she couldn't make out, magic stopping her from recognizing his voice or appearance.

"Grif!" she panicked, wanting to get close, but not trusting the unknown figure to not harm her, an instinctual feeling that she couldn't quite comprehend.

"Are you feeling pain," the figure continued, kneeling down towards Grif, who was glaring at the figure, apparently recognizing the being where she could not. "I would suspect that you might. This was a difficult thing to organize, you know."

"What- what are you talking about," he managed to ground out. "What have you- done you fucking liar."

"I haven't lied in the slightest!" the figure said, voice getting higher with false sincerity. "I said I would send you back didn't I?"

"Then why-" Grif cut himself off with a groan of pain, curling in further.

"I just never said," Huggins could hear the figure's smile. "Which you I would send back."

Through the pain, Grif's eyes widened in realization, and although she didn't understand anything that was going on, she knew something truly horrifying had been said.

"So I thought," the figure continued. "Why not send all of them! I'm sure that pain is from the amount of oh, let's say, memories and will to dominate this body of yours."

Grif tried to swap at the figure, a feeble attempt at an attack, but the figure merely gracefully got up and walked away.

"I'm sure you'll do fine to stop me," the figure waved. "But I won't stay to watch. Good luck, dearest!"

The figure disappeared but left Grif and Huggins in the clearing, one in pain and the other confused on the series of events that had occurred.

With the figure no longer in her way, she hurried towards Grif, mindful enough to avoid the amounting mass of shadows reaching out towards Grif's unprotected head.

"Grif, are you ok," she fretted. "Who was that?!"

"Huggins- just let- let me explain," he breathed heavily. "I need you to know- I'm not- we need to prevent the para-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a hand formed and reached out fast like a viper, snapping towards his head and phasing through it, freezing his whole body.

A changed occurred, as his body slackened, and the other shadows backed off for the moment, a brief orange light being tethered to it and pulled back- far, far back.

Grif's face settled, and he closed his eyes only to open them again, an entirely new person looking through them.

"Where- where am I," a hand raised to his head once more as he tried shifting his position.

Looking down, he scowled, and asked, "What the hell am I wearing?"

Concerned she leaned in closer, asking, "Grif! What were you trying to tell me?!"

Grif looked at her with no sense of recognition, leaning backward slightly and furrowing his brows.

"Are you a hallucination," he asked, with complete seriousness.

"Come on Grif, don't joke around this isn't funny," she scolded, still worried beyond belief as she hovered in front of him.

"A hallucination with feelings apparently," he continued to look around. "What the fuck happened to me?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" she said, exasperated. "That's it- you stay here I'm going to get Tucker and your sister myself to see if they can help you!"

"My sister?" he tilted his head curiously, before narrowing his eyes. "Is this supposed to be some form of practical comedy?"

Ignoring him, she raced off into the direction of Camelot, knowing that something was seriously wrong.

This was undoubtedly the work of a shisno. And only another shisno could possibly fix this situation.

She didn't think that she'd be approaching the unknown Blue Soldiers by herself, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Without having to slow down to keep pace with Grif, she reached the castle much quicker than they would have in the morning. In the dead of the night, no one was awake except for the weary knights on guard, so it wasn't too hard for her to sneak into Camelot without being seen.

If anyone had witnessed her, there would probably be many cries of shock at her presence, maybe a few of them would claim witchcraft with their old world thinking. Then she'd have a near riot on her hands.

And that wouldn't help Grif at all.

She paid no mind to the stone walls of the lavish castle, hurrying through doors quickly searching for the one that would hold either Tucker or Kaikaina, either or fitting her need of helping her friend.

Huggins got lucky when she entered one and found the asleep form of Tucker upon the many furred blankets adorning the beds.

Getting up and close to his face she yelled out as loud as she could, "Tucker- WAKE UP!" while making herself glow as bright as she could.

The man jolted awake, hitting his head against the dashboard of the bed, exclaiming out a, "Ow, fuck!"

Rubbing his head in pain, he looked around and winced at how bright she was projecting herself.

"What the fuck?!" he exclaimed, bringing up his arms to shield his eyes. "What the fuck are you?"

She was starting to get annoyed with all these useless questions.

She huffed, sternly saying, "Tucker, I need your help! Grif needs your help! Now!"

"Grif," he asked, lowering his arms, no longer feeling the need to shield himself from her. "What about Grif? Wait- how do you know Grif?"

"Grif's hurt!" she exclaimed, finally glad that she could get back on track. "I don't know how or who, but someone came and did something to him, and now he's acting weird! Really weird! And I demand that you fix it!"

"Someone came and," he stopped. "Wait, was it someone who was in league with that lady who attacked us earlier?"

"What," she paused, recognizing that he was talking about Lady Kalirama. "No- it was someone-"

Her words didn't matter to Tucker as he leaped out of the bed and hurried to throw on a robe, racing towards the room adjacent to his own, exclaiming, "Kai! Wake up- Grif needs your help!"

"Can't it wait till the morning," a muffled voice said, exuding tiredness.

"This is your brother," Tucker admonished. "So get up or I'm leaving without you!"

"Fine, fine," Grif's sister said. She appeared quickly, wearing a nightgown with her hair all tussled about from having just been awoken. "What's going on with Grif?"

"This," Tucker struggled to find a word before settling on, "thing came to me saying that Grif was attacked by one of those assholes from earlier."

"Attacked?" Kai looked more awake now. "If he's hurt then what the hell are we doing just standing around here?"

"Finally," Huggins exclaimed loudly. "Now can we go, please!"

"Lead the way," Tucker looked at her, a firm expression on his face.

Having to once again accommodate herself to the relative speed of humans, it wasn't as quick of a journey for her to make. Thankfully, she and Grif had already practically walked the whole way, and their camp had been set up as close to Camelot as possible.

But that didn't mean the speed that they were going at didn't make her any less anxious.

Possibly her best friend in the whole galaxy was sitting around confused and was just harassed by some unknown person and she wasn't able to do anything about it-

And when they got to the campsite he wasn't there.

"Huh?" she spun around the campsite trying to find him in a tizzy. "Where did he go?!"

"Was this some kind of joke," Tucker was glaring at her now, looking angry at the fact that she had woken him up and hurried him to the middle of the woods on the account that his friend needed help. "Oh were you planning to attack us when we were most defenseless?"

"No, I swear! He was just here," she stressed.

The last thing she needed was to make enemies with the only people who had a time gun in this century.

"So then where is-" Tucker had started to say but was cut off unexpectedly when Grif appeared into view.

He looked calm, a slightly charming smile plastered onto his face as he observed the group. His eyebrows knit together slightly when his eyes locked onto Huggins, but he was the image of calm all the same.

Huggins knew that this wasn't the same person that she had left in the clearing earlier.

And it certainly wasn't Grif.

Whichever shadow had control currently seemed to exude power, a dominance that forced the other shadows to back off a bit, drawing away from Grif's person. It was only the orange light that had tried to move forward, but it was kept back still despite it all.

"My King," Grif announced voice strong and clear, the direct opposite of his previous pained tone. "I thought it was you that I heard."

Tucker's jaw dropped slightly, and he glanced at Kai for just a brief second, noticing her disbelief as well, before clearing his throat, saying, "Very funny Grif. I don't know how you found out about my whole stint as King of England, but I thought your barbs would be a little sharper."

Tilting his head curiously, Grif responded, "I fear that I don't quite get your humor- surely you remember that I was hidden during your coronation, I witnessed it all."

"What- what coronation, what are you even talking about," Tucker reaching up to run a hand over his head. "Ok, you know what this really isn't funny. Your little friend here had us all concerned that you were hurt-"

"Little friend?" Grif looked at her before laughing sharply. "Surely you don't mean the fae? Me? My King, the concept is laughable!"

"Grif," Kai finally spoke up. "C'mon, Tucker's right- as much as I hate to say that- this really isn't funny."

"That name again," Grif looked to the side. "Why do you insist on calling me that? That's not my name."

Kai frowned, responding, "Yes it is. You're Grif, it's- Dexter Grif. That's your name."

"My name is Dexter le Fay," Grif sneered slightly at his sister before saying, "Who are you? Surely the king wouldn't consort with a woman of your presumed... ilk."

"Excuse me," Kai looked offended, with good reason too. "But what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Hm, you're probably not literate, they never are," Grif mused to himself. "It could very well explain your intelligence."

"This is taking sibling bantering way too far," Tucker stepped in, as Kai clenched her fists tightly, looking like any second she would beat Grif out of whatever nonsense that was possessing him.

"Sibling," Grif questioned. "I have no sibling- let alone a sister. I don't know this woman that you seem to care about."

A look of hurt that was unimaginable passed onto Kai's face at the sound of her brother's words.

"Dex, how can you say something like that," she whispered.

"I can say what I please," he deadpanned. "Especially to someone like you."

"What the fuck's wrong with you," Tucker asked, shocked at the orange soldier's words as well.

"What's wrong with me," his facade crumbling, gesturing angrily at himself. "There is nothing wrong with me! But there is something very wrong with you! My King, you know I would never be cross with you if it were for anything else, but surely you can't take this harlot's side over my own-"

In an instant, Tucker had whipped his sword and activated it, exclaiming, "Ok, fine. If you want to pretend like you belong in this time period than surely you remember the power that Excalibur holds. So stop talking shit and listen to me."

Grif had a look of contained horror on his face as he stared at the bright blue energy sword. He didn't say anything but the look on his face was unlike any other that Tucker had seen when faced with his supposed 'holy sword of legend.'

"What," Grif started to say breathlessly. "What is this witchcraft that you dare to claim is Excalibur?"

"Huh?" Tucker's own eyes widened, worried that his bluff had finally been caught. "What do you mean- of course, this is Excalibur, you know the Excalibur that I, King Tucker, totally has!"

"No, no," Grif murmured, eyes distant. "No that is all wrong."

For a brief moment, his control over the other shadows wavered and they seemed to surge for a moment, but soon he was shaking his head and reasserting his will.

"Where did you find this weapon of light," Grif moved closer to the sword, his hand reached out to touch the plasma but Tucker retracted it before he could burn off his own fingers. "It is unlike any other magic I have seen, not even the Trickster's magic can compare."

"It's uh-" Tucker struggled, not sure how to take the sudden shortness of distance between the two. "From space?"

"The heavens?" Grif looked up at the night sky. "Most unusual."

Now that he was closer to Tucker himself, Grif looked down morosely, asking, "My King, am I to presume that all our years together mean nothing to you, that you would rather consort with... other's than I- the one who has been by your side for all our years, even if I had been hidden?"

"What the fuck," Tucker moved backward. "Ok, no this is too much, no way no how am I dealing with this right now. Glowing orb lady, fix this now!"

"Hey!" Huggins exclaimed. "I brought you two shisnos here to help him, but you just made everything worse! At least when I left, he still recognized his sister! Your corrupted presence must have made him worse!"

"Wait," Kai interrupted, still closed in on herself at the way that her brother was acting towards her. "You mean to say, that he recognized me?"

"Yeah!" she bobbed up and down. "He responded when I mentioned you! I don't know which shadow is in control now but-"

"Control?" Grif chimed in, a crestfallen look on his face. "You mean those pinpricks that I feel tethered behind me?"

"You can feel them?" Huggins asked. "I can see them."

Frowning to himself, Grif moved away, muttering, "Something is very wrong indeed."

Huggins watched as he moved away from the camp, following the sound of rushing water.

A stream was nearby and Grif looked down at his reflection.

And with utmost certainty, he turned back to the assembled group and said, "This is not my face."

Turning back towards the water he said, "This is not my body."

Huggins moved closer, hovering above the assembled shadows as she watched the current one drag some hair idly saying, "This is my hair, but this body is cleanly shaven. And this patch- be this some form of leprosy?- no, no. This is certainly not my body."

Turning back towards Tucker and Kai, he bowed his head slightly, "My apologies, I am afraid I am not quite sure what's going on right now."

Tucker and Kai shared a quick look before Tucker gestured over his shoulder saying, "I'm gonna go ahead and get the time gun, and we're gonna put on our armor. Something tells me this is something we can't fix by ourselves."

"Right," Grif looked away. "Of course, I will try to assist where I can."

The two Blues booked it back towards the castle, leaving her alone with the shadow in control.

This whole situation confused her and made her feel dizzy, but her concern for her friend shone brightly most of all.

Something strange was going on.

And she had to bet that that figure was behind it all.

She knows that he said that he wouldn't watch, but she hoped that he would show his face again so that she could give him a piece of her mind.

"It's been a long time since I've been on land you know," Grif spoke up, staring off into the distance.

In her musings, it seemed as if a different shadow had taken advantage of the previous ones off-kilter shock of being in the wrong body.

"And why's that," she asked curiously, cautious that this shadow wouldn't handle her presence well.

"Been on a boat practically my whole life," Grif nodded. "All I know is the sea."

"Oh yeah," she played along, stalling for time she supposed. "All I've known is space, and now I'm stuck here on this crummy rock."

"The stars?" Grif asked with a slight smile on his face. "Now that's something. Don't think I've met a heavenly body before now."

"What have you met then?" she asked.

"I've faced off with a siren, I think," he mused, closing his eyes. "I don't remember much after hearing its song. Perhaps I died, it would explain everything happening now. My soul must have moved on to its new body."

"A siren," she asked. "What's that?"

"A nasty creature," Grif looked ashamed. "You listen to their songs and it's all over for you. It's a shame I had to die that way."

Staring at his face, Huggins felt like she was forgetting something before it suddenly came crashing down on her.

"Oh! Grif! You should put on your helmet," she spun around slightly. "You probably don't remember where you left it so if you just follow me I can show you!"

"I have no problem with it," Grif followed after her, eyeing his environments. "You wouldn't happen to know which continent that we're on, would you?"

"Oh, Europe! I think," she said. "All these continents are sorta confusing, it's the same plant after all."

"You get used to them," Grif said, walking back into the campsite. "Now, when you say helmet, do you mean something practical or something along the lines of this ridiculous nonsense that I'm wearing right now?"

"Uh, something ridiculous I suppose," she admitted. Hovering over the long forgotten helmet she watched as the man picked it up and turned it over, trying to figure out which way to put it on.

Eventually, he seemed to guess that the orange visor was what allowed sight so he placed it on firmly, fumbling slightly to connect it in all the right places.

"It's very, high tech," he murmured, voice muffled by the lack of projection. "Can you even hear me through this?"

"Oh, I should ask Tucker to turn on your radio for you," Huggins exclaimed, just remembering that the Grif in front of her probably wouldn't know how to do that.

Grif remained quiet for the duration of their wait, and Huggins periodically looked at the shadows behind him, figuring that a different one must have taken control at this point.

When Tucker and Kai returned, neither of them wasted time in opening a portal and returning to a point in time where the others would, hopefully, be.

Only to miscalculate.

Multiple times.

It was frustrating almost how unpredictable the other shisno's could be.

But at least it gave her time to think.

On whether she should bring them to the Cosmic Powers.

Naturally, her instinct would be, yes of course.

But she worried how they would take her being in cohorts with them when the only person who would be willing to work with her was currently indisposed of sorts.

Neither of the Blues had asked her, her name.

Which was fine, she supposed.

She only needed them to help her friend.

Maybe then she could fix everything else.

But Grif came first above all else.

She was going to keep this quiet from her Lords and Lady for just the moment.

In their last attempt to establish direct contact with the Reds and Blues, Tucker set the time gun to a random setting, hoping that their extraordinary luck would chime in to lead them to the others.

It worked somehow. Huggins would bet that the Fates were on their side.

Arriving on a movie set, Tucker seemed to recognize a person in the distance, someone Huggins vaguely remembered being there when she and Muggins first made flare-contact with the Reds and Blues.

"I think I see Jax up ahead," Tucker announced. "I'm going to see if he knows where the others are, and if he can arrange for all of us to meet up."

"I'll stay here," Kai offered, glancing softly in Grif's direction.

Grif continued to remain quiet, and Huggins was worried for a moment that the shadow in control couldn't speak when a slight buzz of an open airway channel opening up signaled that Grif was going to speak to them.

"Hello!" Grif announced, voice stilted and choppy. "It took me- a while- but!- I've remembered- how to- speak- with you all!"

"What's going on now," Kai growled out.

"I apologize- I don't think- we've met!" Grif extended his hand, the move equally concerning. "I am- not sure right now- come back in a few moments."

Just staring at his hand, Kai didn't shake it. Huggins felt especially sorry for her, she didn't know what it would feel like if someone she knew didn't recognize her.

"What are you supposed to be," she asked. "Why are you speaking like that?"

"Radio waves- are- hard, my thoughts have been scattered," Grif explained. "To have- a voice- again, it's a beautiful thing, Rose."

"My names not Rose," Kai practically scowled.

"Of course not! In- the- void, things become different I don't know how to explain it to you," Grif said as he turned to admire the set. "The- portals- would have been very, useful, for- Epsilon."

"Epsilon," a new voice sounded out in the room.

Huggins spun around to see the cyan armored woman, accompanied by a man in grey and yellow armor.

"Tucker informed me of what's going on," the woman said to the side towards Kai.

Turning back towards Grif she asked, "What are you talking about with Epsilon?"

"The good doctor- Epsilon- was- helping me," Grif explained. "Define void. Adjective. Completely empty. That's where- I was."

"Could you describe this place more," the woman asked. "We're trying to figure out if maybe this is some sort of side effect of these time guns you guys all have."

"Time- guns?" Grif tilted his head. "I've never! Heard- of something like that."

For the first time, the new woman addressed Huggins, "Do you know if it's possible for someone to get lost in the time stream and end up in something like a void? Maybe Grif got messed up from something like that, although Tucker thinks that the people who attacked them earlier had something to do with it."

Moving her body in a 'no' motion, Huggins said, "No, that's not possible. I was following him and that other shisno the whole time. Plus, this all started when this figure came and did- well- something to him."

"And you're sure that this figure wasn't one of the figures from earlier," she queried.

"I'm positive," she bobbed.

"Then I'm at a lost," the woman sighed. "The last thing we need is another villain popping up and causing us more grief."

Huggins was too distracted to notice that a different shadow hand had surged forward for control at that moment.

No one noticed in the end with Grif's helmet on.

"What if it's something to do with alternate universes, Carolina," the man in grey and yellow asked.

"What makes you say that," the now named Carolina responded.

The man shrugged and responded, "Can't rule it out until we know all the facts."

"Still," Carolina stressed. "Forgive us, miss..."

"Huggins," she supplied, happy that finally, someone had asked for her name.

"Huggins," Carolina nodded. "Forgive us for our lack of knowledge, it was only... recently... that we found out that time travel was possible."

"Makes me wonder if it's possible to change our own past," the man mused.

"Yeah," Carolina agreed mindlessly, looking at the man directly.

Worried, she quickly added in, "I wouldn't do that if I were you! Changing anything too drastic would cause a paradox and that would lead to the end of the universe as we know it!"

Disappointed, Carolina's shoulders dropped as she asked, "Not even for something small?"

"Even the smallest of things had the greatest of importance," Huggins sighed, then continued softly. "Trust me, if I had the choice to save the lives of my parents, I would."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Carolina said without hesitation.

"The power of time travel really is a bitch isn't it," Kai looked away. "Can't seem to do anything fun with it, only cause more messes."

"Which is exactly why I'm here to plead the case of my Lords and Lady," Huggins chimed in, seeing her chance to hit two birds with one stone. "I'm sure if we work together to help Grif, I explain to you in full the dangers and consequences of time travel!"

"And paradoxes?" came from Grif, his manner of speaking having changed drastically.

Looking at him, Huggins was hesitant, before agreeing, "Especially paradoxes."

"I think I'm being to remember some things," Grif said, shocking Kai who turned in full towards her brother. "Something... about the time gun?"

"Really?" Kai got excited.

"Do you think, that I could hold it for a moment?" Grif asked, hands outstretched.

Practically throwing the device in his hands, Kai gave it up in the prospect that her brother would come back in full.

But Huggins knew better.

And she was suspicious.

Turning towards Carolina, Grif asked, "Was there a moment recently where we were all together, and something, bad happened? I think I remember someone getting hurt."

"Wash was recently hurt," Carolina said, a tone of caution and guilt in her voice. "It was when we were trying to get out of Temple's hideout. A... a blue SIM Trooper managed to shoot him in the throat."

Wash shuffled uncomfortably, before uttering, "Hey, boss? I think I'm going to see if Tucker's got everyone together by now."

"Of course," Carolina watched him leave, the weight on her shoulders increasing ever so.

"Do you know what date that was," Grif asks, and Carolina looks at him.

Nothing is said for a few moments, but Huggins suspects that they're communicating through a private channel.

"Perfect," Grif says out of the blue, his fingers having set the time gun to the proper date, before forming a portal beneath his feet, falling through it.

"No!" she cried out, zooming as quick as she could make it through the portal before it closed quickly.

Finding herself in a mimic of the movie set she was previously in, she looked around for Grif before seeing him turn around a corner, moving towards an unknown direction.

She raced after him and came into an opening hanger with Red and Blue soldiers stationed as they watched guard.

And there was Grif, removing his helmet, sighing in relief once it was off, muttering to himself, "That's so much better."

"Grif," she hissed. "What are you doing?!"

"Grif's not here, sweetheart," he responded, not at all surprised that she had followed him. "I am, and I have a mission to carry on. Universes- it all makes sense and it gives me the only chance I need."

"What are you doing," she asked, completely aware that whatever shadow was in control right now, was not a good one.

From the opposite side of the hanger, Huggins watched as the past Reds and Blues entered.

And she suddenly understood what was about to happen.

The grin was maniacal on Grif's face as he raised the gun in their direction, the orange light practically clawing its way towards the front for control.

"I've been sentenced to life in a prison cell- a special circle of hell for 'villains' like me- for murdering people," Grif huffed. "But destroying time itself? Now that is something worthy of my attention. Can you picture it? The complete and utter end of this pathetic universe?"

"Why would you do something like that," she shrieked.

"Because in my universe, my sister was murdered, so I killed the murderer, and I was the one in the wrong," he looked at her. "Justice doesn't exist, and while I may not be in my body, this is still me. And what I want-"

He fingered the trigger.

"Is for this world to burn," was all he said before he pulled the trigger.

And at that moment, the orange took control, and Huggins knew that this was her Grif, and in his horror, he dropped the gun.

It clattered to the floor at the same time that the Blue Soldier fell to the floor as well.

"No, no! FUCK," Grif screamed. "This was supposed to be my chance! I was supposed to FIX EVERYTHING."

The world faded out of existence and she knew that this was the end.

That figure had won.

And as the world turned to white she remembered, oh she remembered.

The pull of a black hole as she was betrayed, her death in crisp details.

Then the sense of nothing.

But somehow she became aware in the dark.

Grif had been trying to fix everything.

But he was hurting.

He was hurting so goddamn badly.

She wanted to protect him still, even now.

So she spreads herself out, and she reaches out to him, and reestablishes her imprint, fixes it up.

Huggins wants to keep him whole.

It's too late to reverse the process when she remembers the message she sent to Lady Destiny.

And she regrets it.

She's so fucking sorry.

But then she's gone again.

Chapter Text

Writing down on his clipboard, he looked up subtly at the man willingly letting himself be subjected to inhumane experimentation.

Alpha has never seen a man more defeated than the one in front of him.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“Can you fucking do it or not,” the man snapped irritably.

“Possibly. What you’re asking me to do may be impossible,” he ran a hand through his hair.

“Listen, I just want the fucking thing gone,” the man refused to look at him directly. “Whatever it takes.”

“Alright,” Alpha sighed and moved towards his contraption.

Everything was set up to the best of his calculations.

But there were still so many other factors to consider.

“From what I can tell,” he started. “This plasmatic energy that you call an ‘imprint’ is attached to your brain activity- your psyche I suppose.”

The man didn’t say anything, as if he already knew.

“I’m going to try and see if electroshock methods produce any kind of stimulus to ward off this energy,” looking down he continued, “however, it might do nothing, and it’ll just have to fade in time- however long that might take.”

Without further ado, he turned on the machine and tried to block out the muffled screams.

The man ended up dying anyhow.

Chapter Text

“Good people of the jury, may I ask you to consider human nature for a moment,” Mr. Grif began, stepping towards the assembled jury.

From where Locus stood, he could only raise an eyebrow at where his attorney was going with his closing statement.

“Human nature gets thrown around a lot, doesn’t it,” Mr. Grif continued. “But what does it truly mean? I’ll tell you what it means.”

Closing his eyes briefly, he gestured towards Locus.

“It means good people are forced into bad situations with no way out. Human nature is one of conflict- receiving and giving,” the attorney shook his head. “How can we blame a man for protecting not only himself but the lives of others? Lest we forget, that the Wu family was there at the scene of the crime.”

“No,” he continued. “No. We can only blame those who are in the wrong- those who force good people to abandon morals and ethics in favor of pure survival instincts. These people do not have human nature, for they are not human at all.”

Locus found himself slightly shocked at those words, but something told him that they weren’t only for this case. No, they meant something more.

“We call these people monsters,” Mr. Grif went closer to the jury, making sure to look at them in the eyes and look deeper still.

“Samuel Ortez has done no wrong than what has been done to him,” he continued. “Do not condemn a good man. Don’t become monsters yourselves. That’s all I ask.”

Having finished, having said all that he needed to say, the man sat down and waited for the monsters to show themselves to him if they dared.

Chapter Text

Sarge has seen his fair share of violence and death.

He’s seen men crumple underneath the stress and hatred of war.

Not him, however.

He was built for combat, he served his duty well as an ODST and same out all the better for it.

Some looked at him and sees an old man disillusioned with tales of the grandeur of the hell he experienced.

But he understood what he went through and knew that others wish that they could say the same.

There’s a young man at the meeting today, looking like he was recently discharged from both the service and the hospital. That was probably the case.

He’s sitting silently, resigned to just listen to what the older soldiers had to say.

Sarge settles down beside this younger man, not daring to break the silence himself.

“I’ve seen my friends die many times,” the young man speaks up. “I’ve never been able to stop it. Well, I have- but I refuse to do so because I’m prideful.”

Sarge only nods and listens, because sometimes that’s the only thing a person can do.

“I guess that makes me a bad person,” the young man continued.

He disagreed.

“But I’ve come to terms with what I have to do,” the young man looks at him, truly looks. “I know how to make it alright for me and everyone else. Sometimes losing is winning, right?”

Chapter Text

He sits against polished doors in a sea of a whited sepulcher, the clanking of a once impervious cage sounding behind him, the doors a barrier between him and the domain of a titan.

He had tried.

He had tried so goddamn hard.

How was he to win against a God?

He waits for the echoed footsteps to get closer and closer.

The bane of his entire existence appeared in front of his slouched form.

The AI turned God squats in front of him and expectantly offers his hand.

He could just not take it.

And suffer through another million lives premature and like a flame, ready to be extinguished and lit into existence once more.

His grip is tight against the AI’s hand.

And the last bits of his imprint crumble before him, giving way to the weary soul underneath.

It’s quiet as the game is won and lost and he remembers nothing more than what the others in the next universe probably will.

Lives of torture slip away like sand in a broken hourglass.

He will remember nothing of his resistance against a villain who has offered him more mercy than life could give to him.

Everything is gone.

And for that he is grateful.

Chapter Text

“Do you ever get irrationally and intensely happy?” Grif asked beside him.

“What do you mean?” he asks, turning towards the armor-clad soldier.

“Like sometimes, I just get really happy,” Grif elaborated. “It feels like a huge weight is taken off my shoulders, and a thousand versions of me are sighing in relief.”

“That’s weird,” Simmons pursed his lips. “I really only get anxious out of nowhere- especially with all that deja vu crap.”

“I think it’s the heat of this canyon,” Grif nods. “It’s getting to our heads, just standing around and talking.”

“Heh, yeah,” he agreed.

“I really am happy though,” Grif continued. “For the first time in a while. And I think it’s your fault.”

“My fault?” he’s blushing slightly but tries to deflect anyways. “You’re probably just happy that you don’t have to any work.”

“And thank God for that,” Grif huffed.

They sit in silent comfort, keeping watch as they were supposed to.

Nevermind the feeling that someone was missing from their team.

Nevermind that someone being a glitch in the fabric of this made up universe, trying to claw his way back to existence- managing it for only a second, no more.

Nevermind any more trouble or grief for one Dexter Grif most of all.