Our heroes exited multiple rifts that deposited them right outside After Academy. They picked each other up once the rifts closed. “…Did…did we do it?” asked Arsha through Vortex: Trinity Soul. Death used her smartwatch to call Vorton.
“Brigadier, this is Death,” she said. “Requesting immediate status update on Foundation Prime.”
“Checking now,” replied the Brigadier. “…Victory confirmed! Foundation Prime is locked away from the entire multiverse and the Sources, Prizes, and Tome are inside! No life signs within Foundation Prime!”
“We can account for one of the villains,” said Tom as he hauled a bedraggled Katie Barker to her feet. Her hair was loose and unkempt with her adornment hanging loose, her dress was torn and tattered, and her makeup had washed off from the sweat and tears.
“Let me see if anyone else survived,” said Death as she cancelled her transformation and checked her smartwatch. “…Well, it looks like Metaltron, Intrag, Nemesis Prime, and the Dalek Supreme survived as well, but Shocker Umbra’s scattered to the point that they’re all manageable factions now.”
“And Khan?” asked Vortex: Trinity Soul.
“He fell into the Sea of Reality,” replied Death. “He’s nothing more than an ugly thought now, and his initial soul…is in Hell.”
“Then there’s one loose end to deal with now,” said Vortex: Trinity Soul. “The energy wave affected me. …I can’t keep Megumi, Optimus, and Arsha for long.”
“Hold on a minute,” said Optimus through her, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
“ANANSI!” bellowed an angry voice before Vortex: Trinity Soul could answer. A rift opened and an African man in regal Akan clothing stepped out. He looked ANGRY! Anansi trembled.
“N-N-Nyame!” stammered the spider man. “W-W-What a su-!” The man, Nyame, the Sky Deity and Ruler of the Akan Gods, grabbed Anansi by the shirt and pulled him close so that they were nose to nose.
“When I said to leave the tricks for immortals like us, what did you hear?” he hissed.
“…To leave the tricks for immortals like us!” squeaked Anansi.
“SO WHY DID YOU DISOBEY ME AND DRAG MORTALS INTO THIS MESS?!” roared Nyame as he shook Anansi.
“Lord Nyame!” called Death. “Before you justly punish him-!”
“Speak, Death!” snarled Nyame.
“Anansi’s methods left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, there is no argument on that. But please consider this: the Tome is now safely locked away from everyone in the multiverse.”
“…Explain,” said Nyame, doubtful of what Death said.
“The plan was to use the energies the Author was going to abuse to lock Foundation Prime away. It needed raw, magical energy to help guide the energies into that position. And the best way to do that was to fire the magic energy at the Sources. The new Prime and her companions succeeded. The only way to unlock Foundation Prime is to use the Sources.”
“…But the Sources are locked within Foundation Prime, alongside the Prizes and the Tome,” said Nyame. He then realized the plan. “…Just like a mortal accidentally locks their keys in their car!”
“Only this time,” continued Death, “it was on purpose. Like I said, crude though his methods were, Anansi did the entire multiverse a favor by locking the Tome away from anyone to get.”
“…He still disobeyed me,” said Nyame, “…but I cannot punish him so bad. ANANSI!”
“Y-Yes, Lord Nyame?!” gulped Anansi.
“As you did the multiverse a favor in the long run, I will not sentence you to the Void. However, you are forbidden from travelling the multiverse for one thousand multiversal standard years! Return to our universe at once!” Nyame opened a rift for Anansi.
“…Y-Yes, Lord Nyame,” replied Anansi, grateful for that little bit of mercy. He entered the rift. Nyame then looked at Vortex: Trinity Soul.
“…You fought Khan, yes?” he asked.
“Yes, Lord Nyame,” replied Vortex: Trinity Soul.
“For a hero to be split and contained within three…you deserve a reward. I can sense the energy within you. You wish to be your own person.”
“…Yes, Lord Nyame.”
“Then it shall be so.” Nyame put his thumb to her forehead and a light surrounded her. A huge rectangle of light then appeared and Optimus, Kamen Rider Vortex, and Arsha tumbled out of the rectangle.
“What the?!” spluttered Vortex.
“On this day, let it be known that Vortex: Trinity Soul is her own person!” proclaimed Nyame. “Her new body takes the best of the heroes that once made up her being and she shall choose her own path!”
“Lord Nyame, that was the best reward you could give her!” praised Optimus.
“I have to agree,” confirmed Arsha. “There’s no greater gift then living your own life.”
“…Lord Nyame, I am honored,” said Vortex: Trinity Soul as she bowed. Nyame smiled warmly.
“Well, it was fun seeing you all,” he said, “but I must go. Gotta make sure Anansi’s missus doesn’t make him as dead as history again.” He opened a rift and went through it. It closed behind him and everyone powered down. …Well, except for Vortex: Trinity Soul.
“You know what, you need a name,” said Megumi.
“…How about Vortrina?” asked Vortex: Trinity Soul.
“It’s your name, you decide,” replied Arsha.
“…Yes, I can work with that! Vortrina, it is! …Now…a wardrobe and a home.” Megumi realized what Vortex: Trinity Soul was talking about.
“Let my mother fix you up with a wardrobe,” she said. “This way!”
“You go on ahead,” said Tom as he held onto Katie. “I’m taking this creep to lockup.”
“Need a lift?” offered Batman.
“…Well, if you’re offering,” accepted Tom. Batman put bat-themed handcuffs on Katie once her hands were behind her back, then pressed a button on his gauntlet. The Batmobile appeared and Tom pushed Katie into it before taking the shotgun seat as Batman took the wheel. The Batmobile then sped off!
“Luckiest cop, he is,” muttered Sam.
What was happening with Metaltron and her fellow survivors? Well, they managed to escape to a small universe. “…You know,” hissed Intrag, “I really have to hand it to you, Metaltron. Betraying Khan like that was the worst idea ever!”
“Oh, please!” scoffed Metaltron. “As if YOU could come up with a better idea for our future!”
“I would have, at least, waited until we claimed our prizes before going along with no plan!”
“I HAD a plan!” argued Metaltron. “It just…i-it just…”
“It just what?!”
“It got lost!”
“Oh, it got lost, did it?!”
“Yes, Intrag! It got lost!”
“You’re an idiot, Metaltron!”
“Shut up, Intrag! I only wanted what was our due!”
“Yeah, and look where that-!”
“SIR! MADAM!” called Nemesis Prime. The argument stopped. “…Perhaps Intrag was right and we DID act too rashly, but tell me, would we really have our godhood as promised? Metaltron was right in betraying Khan. …Besides, we all know where it failed when it really mattered.” Nemesis looked directly at the Dalek Supreme.
“…Nemesis is correct,” agreed Intrag. “The actions our enemies’ children have taken caused considerable disruption of our operations!”
“This was a matter beyond my control!” replied the Dalek Supreme.
“Your orders were to crush anyone who got too close to the core!” snarled Nemesis.
“It was not possible!” begged the Dalek Supreme. “We did not have proper countermeasures for them!”
“THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS YOURS!” shouted Metaltron. “YOU HAVE FAILED! I DO NOT ACCEPT FAILURE!” She fired her gun at the Dalek Supreme, destroying the casing and killing the creature inside. Once it was confirmed dead, Metaltron sighed. “…Nemesis, Intrag, the time for recriminations IS past. It’s time to look for new ways to build a new empire and regain our immortality.”
“Agreed,” said Intrag.
“I may not have my transforming suit anymore,” remarked Nemesis, “but I DO have my sensors. And they’re telling me that there’s a civilization nearby that uses magic and science…on a primitive level. Better news…this entire universe is beyond our enemy’s reach!” The three then smiled.
“Time to take control!” declared Metaltron, a plan of rebuilding forming in her mind!