The Web of Stories
Here’s the resurrected Rusty with a sex-change! As you can see, I improved the colors from the original shell. I also wanted to keep the armaments of a Dalek in the design of her new outfit. The only issue I had was cropping as I made the original picture just barely too big for the scanner.
Davros, why must your children be so detail oriented?
Bio:
Rusty is an unusual case amongst the ultimate racists. He was an average Dalek until a battle left him adrift in space. His power source was cracked and leaked radiation. It broke a piece of programming that prevented Rusty from feeling anything but hatred against non-Daleks. Seeing the birth of a star made Rusty realize that life will always come back despite the Daleks’ best efforts.
He was picked up by a ship and made the crew an offer; fix him up and he will help the humans fight the Daleks. The crew agreed and set to work. Sadly, the work damaged the creature inside and so the Doctor had to intervene. The Doctor, Clara, and a couple of crew members shrunk down and went inside the casing to fix Rusty. They fixed the crack, but without the radiation affecting him, Rusty fell back on his old programming.
Clara convinced the Doctor to restore Rusty’s memory of the star’s birth and linked his mind with the creature. The Dalek saw what made up the Doctor, but latched onto his hatred of the Daleks and so went on a murderous rampage against the Dalek rescue party.
Over time, he joined a newly formed Unified Nebular Intelligence Task force, UNIT. He had made friends with an old member and a figurehead called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart; a formerly dead man now restored as a Cyberman. Now Rusty acts as a Colonel and fights alongside the Brigadier.
A recent adventure resulted in his meeting of Princess Megumi and her Vortex Riders, from other universes. He, along with the Brigadier, joined the Vortex Riders as Tech Support and manage the gateway on Vorton.
“I…I…” stammered X-PO.
“X-PO, is any of that true?” I asked. X-PO’s arms drooped as he gave up trying to hide it.
“Yes, it’s all true, I fudged the results,” he confirmed. I swear, I’ve never heard the F.N.S get so angry. They heaped the verbal abuse and threats of scrapping onto X-PO.
“URUSEI, MINNA!” (Everyone, shut up!) I shouted. I turned to X-PO, feeling rather hot from my currently sour mood. “Experimental Portal Operator, you owe us an explanation!” I demanded.
“…Guys, when was the last time we came together?” asked X-PO.
“When we just came back and I apologized to everyone for hiding my…!” I replied.
“No, I mean, before this adventure,” corrected X-PO. “When was the last time the F.N.S came here?”
“I wanna say for various dimensional excursions,” I mused.
“When we said our goodbyes after the Vortech Wars,” answered X-PO. “We were all in this room to say our goodbyes to our allies. Oh, sure, like you said, we met when we discussed the use of the Gateway for travelling to other worlds and seeing what happens, but, for some of us, we never used it! For some of us, we weren’t going to get an adventure! I…I wanted an adventure where people could live out history.”
“The Vortech Wars weren’t a fun time for us, even during the beginning!” snapped Emmanuel.
“Our loved ones were kidnapped!” continued Emily.
“We were almost killed MULTIPLE times!” snarled Tanisha.
“Some of us DID die!” interjected Rusty. Elphaba nodded.
“Some of us went on a crazy side quest that almost got everyone killed!” roared Irina.
“Gandalf, Batman, Wyldstyle, and I,” supplied Hongo, “felt lied to, cheated on, and disrespected when Megumi didn’t tell us about Vortech!”
“What in the name of all nine circles of Hell made you want ANY of that back?!” growled Richard.
“What I wanted was for you guys to be happy!” shouted X-PO. “I want you to be happy for me! I want me to be happy for you! I want us to come together and riff on bad movies! Celebrate a birthday! Be normal people! I want us to come together and feel like a family and not a bunch of war veterans! I’m not blind to what happened, but sometimes, I felt like the only thing keeping us as friends! I want that feeling back! I want things back the way they were!”
“No, that doesn’t justify a DAMN thing!” snarled Alesandro. “You gathered us here with a lie from long ago! You decided to play the long game with us and waited for some grand adventure! We’ve sent you numerous invitations for those things you mentioned. If you REALLY wanted to continue feeling that, then you would have accepted them! But, no! That wasn’t enough for you! You wanted to relive the glory days with the lies, the threats, the people getting angry with each other, things that some of us were trying to get away from! You’re only concerned with what YOU want! To be frank, I see no difference between you and what Death lectured about Vortech in her classes!”
“Still waiting on that essay on Skrandepede from you,” whispered Death.
“Dude, shut up,” grunted War.
“That’s…that’s not fair at all!” argued X-PO.
“I think what Alesandro said was VERY fair!” I hissed.
“I was NEVER going to put you in any danger!” insisted X-PO. “The adventure I had planned was just some haunted house malarkey! I would tell you guys of the supposed ‘Danger’ and you guys would solve it, and we’d have a big laugh! I never wanted you guys to be on Shocker Rift’s radar!”
“Then why did you hack into the Tarlaxian scout ship missions?” demanded Scorpainia. X-PO sighed.
“Technarain gave me a way into it,” he finally revealed.
“Oh, throw me into the warp core, why don’t you?!” snarled Technarain.
“Whoa! Hold on!” called Turretorg. “Technarain, you let him in?!”
“I couldn’t have the missions be unobserved,” replied Technarain.
“Is there some secret-keeping epidemic going on?!” shouted Scorpainia. I was about to say something when a certain… “vworping” noise, as Michael puts it, announced the TARDIS’ arrival. The Doctor, Sougo, Woz in his civilian form, and an old friend we made near the end of the Vortech Wars came out.
“Sandra Noman!” I cheered. “Long time, no see! What brings you to our side of reality?”
“The Doctor wanted me to confirm a finding she made,” explained Sandra. I then noticed the Doctor was wearing 3-D glasses.
“…Okay, what’s with the…?” I asked.
“Doctor, did you find Void Stuff?” asked Michael.
“I did! The Rose Clone is saturated with the stuff!” replied the Doctor. “During my more violent regenerations, I damaged the TARDIS, including its memory banks. I felt like I had seen the energy particles the Rose Clone has but couldn’t cross-check it…until I remembered Sandra Noman!”
“She visited the little house I made for myself,” continued Sandra, “and showed me what she found. I confirmed it was Void Stuff. The Rift usually acts as a passageway to other universes, but they usually skirt the edge of the Void. As such, you can’t get Void Stuff from the Rift. Believe it or not, the Rift is the long way around.”
“And the Void’s the shortcut?” I asked.
“Bingo,” confirmed Sandra. “However, anyone with sense would avoid the Void as it runs the risk of killing you. There ARE a few instances of people living in and travelling through the Void, I believe I’m right in naming the Pete’s World Cybermen and the Cult of Skaro., but they’re really rare.”
“So, it looks like the Rose Clone DID travel through the Void before ending up in the Rift,” answered the Doctor.
“But, Doctor, couldn’t it be Rose herself?” asked Michael.
“I checked,” replied the Doctor. “Rose is still with the Meta-Crisis me in Pete’s World.”
“So where did she come from?!” I snapped, finally getting annoyed with the mystery.
“That’s what we’re about to find out!” cheered the Doctor. “Brigadier, do you mind putting this into the Gateway computer?” She handed the Brigadier a flash drive.
“Very good, Doctor,” replied the Brigadier. He inserted the flash drive into the Gateway. The Doctor then keyed in a command.
“With the Void Stuff,” she explained, “we can find the temporal and universal origin of our guest. Rusty, mind getting her so she can figure out her origins?” Rusty grinned before replying.
“I obey!” she answered in her old Dalek tone. The Doctor flinched as Rusty headed off.
“I don’t think everything Dalek was purged when she came back,” she grumbled.
“So, Sougo-san, Woz-san,” I interjected, “what brings you here?”
“We ended up in your universe’s future and met your future self,” explained Sougo. “She handed me this before getting the Doctor involved.” He pulled out a watch similar to the one he used to transform into Zi-O but had a vortex on top and the year 2017 on it, the year the Vortech Wars started.
“I take it that’s the Royal Ridewatch?” I asked.
“Indeed, it is,” replied Woz. “I have a speech prepared for when Waga Maō uses it.”
“…I don’t…feel any different,” I muttered.
“Your future said that, because you went to different universes,” explained Woz, “the Ridewatch won’t take your powers.”
“You understood that?!” yelped Sougo. “I couldn’t make head or tails of it!”
“Oh…Rassilon!” swore the Doctor. A look of horror was clear on her face.
“Doctor, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“I never realized…I mean, I thought it destroyed itself!” whispered the Doctor.
“What destroyed itself?” asked Michael.
“The Rose Clone…” answered the Doctor. “I’ve seen it before!”
“Where?!” quizzed Michael. She turned grimly after Rusty.
“She’s in danger!” she declared.
I looked in various rooms to find the Rose Clone. “Miss?” I called. “Oh, Miss?” I found her in the Observation Deck. “Miss! There you are!”
“Traitor!” she hissed, her back turned to me.
“…Pardon?” I asked.
“You betrayed us!” replied the Rose Clone.
“Who are you talking about?” I inquired. “Are you okay?”
“I am most certainly NOT okay!” snarled the Rose Clone. “I remember everything now!”
“What do you remember?” I quizzed. The Rose Clone then started laughing.
“I was fixed!” she giggled. “It fixed me! …But I came out wrong! Don’t you understand! I’M ALL WRONG NOW!” She then punched me in the gut, grabbed the gunstick in my left forearm, and ripped it out, leveling it at me!
“Give that back!” I shouted. “That’s dangerous!”
“I tried to smash the mirrors around here,” snarled the Rose Clone as she advanced on me, “but I still keep stinking and sweating and flooding myself with hormones! I hate this shape! Am I now doomed to look like the one who contaminated me?! One…just one! One directive! The primary order! Destroy and conquer! I had that left and now I am stuck looking like Rose Tyler! I was the last…but trust the Time-Lords and Daleks to make liars of us all! No one really died in the Time War, did they?! You know about that! You were made after me!” A grave suspicion formed in my mind.
“What…manner of creature are you?!” I gasped. As she advanced, I noticed the shadow she was casting morphed and changed, looking very similar to what I traveled in. She spoke, causing a memory to stir.
“My Jailer, Van Statten, called me Metaltron!”
“Rubbish!” called Michael when we heard that the Rose Clone was the former last of the Daleks. The ones heading to the Observation Deck were me, the Doctor, Sougo, Michael, Woz, and Batman.
“I hope you’re right; I really do!” replied the Doctor, “but the spatio-temporal origin came from my universe! 2012, the GeoComTex Vault, near Salt Lake City, the start of Barack Obama’s 2nd term as President of the United States! It would explain why she would constantly view that event when she got the chance!”
“Doctor, that’s absurd!” insisted Michael. “That Dalek killed itself when it discovered that Rose passed on more than her DNA. It exploded, remember?”
“It may have activated a hastily thrown together spatial-temporal shift,” argued the Doctor.
“What is going on?!” interjected Sougo.
“In 2012, just after the Last Great Time War between the Doctor’s people and a race called the Daleks,” explained Michael, “the Doctor locked onto a distress signal. It turned out the supposed Last of the Daleks sent it and it brought them into contact. The Doctor was in a period of extreme self-loathing because she thought she killed everyone. Seeing the Dalek sparked a rage in her, him actually, and became determined to make the Daleks extinct.”
“So, how did she kill it back then?” asked Woz.
“I didn’t,” answered the Doctor.
“What?” quizzed Woz.
“Like Michael said, the Dalek absorbed some of Rose’s genetic material to regenerate itself,” explained the Doctor, “but it absorbed more than that. It absorbed a bit of humanity from her, making itself believe it was contaminated. It couldn’t live like that, so it killed itself.”
“Doctor, it exploded!” insisted Michael. He then activated his comms. “Rusty, could you…”
“Bring her to me!” barked a voice. It sounded like the Rose Clone, but hatred laced the voice.
“…Bring who to you?” I asked, finally contributing.
“The Oncoming Storm!” came the reply. “Bring her to me!”
“We can talk about…” Batman offered.
“There will be no talking!” roared the Rose Clone. “Ka Faraq Gatri is behind this, I know it! The traitor to the Daleks is my prisoner! If the Predator is not within my sight, I will exterminate her! NOW BRING! THE DOCTOR! TO ME!” That word cinched it. Only a Dalek would threaten extermination. We hurried along.
“Sougo, Woz,” I suggested, “better transform.”
“Good idea,” replied Sougo. He brought out his Ziku Driver as Woz got his belt, the BeyonDriver, a black belt with a screen on the front and a green handle with a slot in it for the transformation trinket. Speaking of, the two men got their respective Ridewatch, or Miridewatch, in Woz’s case, while Michael and I got our i.d tags out. Sougo turned the Ridewatch’s face until it formed his helmet and pressed the button.
“Zi-O!” it announced. Woz just pressed the button on his Miridewatch.
“Woz!” it called. The two then inserted their respective trinkets into the slots on their belts.
“Action!” cheered the BeyonDriver as the Miridewatch opened. It then started playing snappy techno music while Sougo pressed the button on top and tilted the Driver.
“Henshin!” we all called. Woz pushed the handle with the Miridewatch to the BeyonDriver’s side, making it project his Rider form’s helmet onto the screen.
“Touei!” (Projecting!) it called. “Future Time! Sugoi! Jidai! Mirai! (Amazing! Time! Future!) Kamen Rider Woz! WOZ!!” Woz then became Kamen Rider Woz. Zi-O spun his Driver until it stopped and rang the bell.
“Rider Time!” it announced. “Kamen Rider Zi-O!” His suit formed as did mine and Michael’s. We arrived outside the Observation Deck. The Doctor led us through as she leveled her Sonic Screwdriver at the Rose Clone. The Rose Clone had taken Rusty’s gunstick out of the socket in her left forearm and was holding it at her while her hand was at the back of Rusty’s neck. She looked extremely angry.
“Hello again, Metaltron,” greeted the Doctor coldly.
“Don’t call me that!” snapped the Rose Clone. “That was what Van Statten did! You, on the other hand, you did THIS to me, didn’t you?! You made me into a clone of your pink and yellow companion!”
“I didn’t do anything, Metaltron,” replied the Doctor. “I thought you chose death.”
“How?!” wailed the newly dubbed Metaltron. “HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!”
“Now that I have more data surrounding this, I have a theory,” answered the Doctor. “Your casing must not have been fully repaired to restore ALL functions. It somehow mixed the self-destruct mechanism with the emergency temporal shift programs. It destroyed your casing and a good chunk of you. It sent you through the Void until you somehow happened upon a path to the Rift and took it. The energies must have restored you into looking like Rose, thinking that the human DNA you absorbed was the default. Somehow, your mind was carried along for the ride.” Metaltron’s face contorted into further anger.
“This is all YOUR fault!” she accused. “I was ready to embrace oblivion, but YOU had to interfere! You’ve always been the one to hold the Daleks back, you AND the Time Lords! And now, since our coming back, you infected this one,” she indicated her hostage, “with the notion of Daleks NOT being supreme! You’ve destroyed her pure soul with the idea that life needs diversity to have any value! You…!”
“Let her go, Metaltron!” interrupted the Doctor.
“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” roared Metaltron. “DALEKS HAVE NO NEED OF NAMES! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF SPEAKING THE WORD OF DALEK! ALL INFERIOR CREATURES SHOULD BE PROSTRATING THEMSELVES BEFORE US! YOU SHOULD BE BEGGING ME FOR YOUR LIFE! INSTEAD, I WILL FINALLY COMPLETE THE DALEKS’ GOAL OF EXTERMINATING YOU AND EVERYONE YOU EVER…!” Rusty ran her elbow into Metaltron’s gut and retrieved her gunstick, inserting it back into the slot. We got ready for a fight as Metaltron charged at us, her fists swinging wildly. She was acting on blind rage, so there was no form to her movements. We were just about to overpower her when someone pushed us aside and got Metaltron free. It was Caan! “RELEASE ME, MONSTER!” screamed Metaltron. “I MAY BE IN AN IMPURE STATE, BUT YOU ARE NOT FIT TO…!” She was interrupted as Caan pressed his thumb and pointer finger to her temples and seemed to induce something painful for two seconds. She gasped once the treatment ended. “…I thought you were a Time War myth!” she breathed.
“No, we were tasked with the survival of the Dalek species,” replied Caan. “Sec tried to change us but we stopped that nonsense real quick. Now, like you, I exist in a corrupted form. It DOES have its uses, though.”
“What were you doing outside of After Academy?!” I demanded.
“I needed to look something up,” explained Caan, “specifically, the creation of Gaia Memories and Ridewatches. I was denied this by Alesandro. I was about ready to destroy the school then and there, but then I realized there was another library, the Gaia Library. I completed my research there and recreated the Dalek Memory.” He revealed the Memory from his coat and pressed the button.
“DALEK!” it announced.
“So, what, you intend to recreate the Dalek Dopant through Metaltron?” I snarled.
“No, she doesn’t have the necessary connection to safely access that power,” answered Caan. “However, an Another Ridewatch doesn’t need that kind of equipment.” He pulled out a purple Ridewatch with a monstrous version of my helmet on it and pressed the button.
“Royal!” it called in a distorted voice. Caan then jammed the Ridewatch into Metaltron’s stomach, making her gasp in pain before a dark cloud surrounded her. “Royal!” repeated the voice as Metaltron turned into a monstrous version of me! Where the mouth guard was, two mouths rested there, a demonic sawblade replaced the wheel of my Vortex Driver, she had a tattered cape and skirt, the crown was rusty looking, and the word Royal was on her left arm while the year 2017 was on her right.
“Behold, Another Royal,” chuckled Caan. Another Royal then struck the same ready pose I usually do. We both attacked each other, matching one another blow for blow!
“Waga Maō,” suggested Woz, “I believe now’s a good time to test out the new Ridewatch.”
“Good idea!” praised Zi-O. He then rotated the Royal Ridewatch until it formed my face and pressed the button.
“Royal!” it called. He then put it into the left slot and pressed the button on the belt, tilting it. He spun the belt until it stopped and rang the bell.
“Rider Time!” it called. “Kamen Rider Zi-O! Armor Time!” Armor evoking me then appeared and attached itself to Zi-O while the Rider Katakana was replaced with “Royal” (ロイヤル). “Final Attack! Royal!” sang the Ridewatch. Woz gave a little giggle.
“What are you laughing about?” asked Zi-O. Another Royal and I stifled a giggle too. “You too?!” protested Zi-O. “Stop that! Look, Woz, would you just rejoice already?”
“Very well, Waga Maō,” chuckled Woz before he cleared his throat and began. “Iwae! Zen Rider no chikara o uketsugi, jikū o koe kako to mirai o shiroshimesu toki no ōja. Sono na mo Kamen Rider Zi-O: Royal Armor! (Rejoice! The one to inherit all Rider powers, the time king who will rule over the past and the future. And his name is Kamen Rider Zi-O: Royal Armor!) …This is the day where we find out you look good in a skirt, Waga Maō!” We couldn’t hold back any longer. Zi-O looked down to see that, below the Ziku Driver, he was wearing my skirt! We all laughed at him.
“It’s not a skirt, it’s a kilt!” argued Zi-O.
“Take it from me, THAT’S a skirt!” I laughed.
“Oh, get out of the way!” snapped Zi-O as he shoved me aside. I overlooked his rudeness just this once as he started fighting Another Royal. She summoned a demonic looking version of my weapon. I joined in and we continued the fight. Another Royal was keeping us at bay.
“Okay, we need to finish this quickly,” I declared. I took out my i.d. tag and inserted it into my blade. Zi-O pressed the buttons on the two Ridewatches.
“Finish Time! Royal!” called the belt. He spun the belt, making it ring the bell. “Steel Time Break!”
“Final Attack!” announced my sword.
“RIDER ROYAL SLASH!” I shouted as I swung the blade sideways. Zi-O leapt into the air and performed a Rider Kick. The attacks hit Another Royal and forced her to return to being Metaltron. The Another Ridewatch exploded, rendering it useless.
“Oh well,” sighed Caan as he picked up the unconscious Metaltron. “Best make another Gaia Memory using Rider.” He summoned a portal. “We WILL meet again when Vortech returns,” he warned.
“What are you talking about?!” I yelped. “The Rift Loop collapsed! Vortech’s dead!”
“Not what I see,” remarked Caan. “I see you fighting Vortech again. You, a red robot, and a black kitsune. Farewell. Try to survive tomorrow.” He went through the portal.
“COME BACK!” I demanded. Too late. The portal closed. I sighed in frustration and powered down. I REALLY didn’t want to be chasing after someone new. Still, at least the Sources were safe.
The trial was about to begin. Miles Edgeworth of the Ace Attorney franchise met with us as Richard, Emily, Batman, Wyldstyle, Gandalf, Hongo, Rusty, Elphaba, and I were witnesses. “I understand this is hard,” he advised, “but I need you to stick to the truth in this case.”
“We are aware of what we need to do,” I replied. “I want to find the truth of why X-PO did all this.”
“That is my goal as well,” assured Edgeworth. “Hopefully, that is the Defense Attorney’s goal too.”
“The trial is about to begin,” called the Bailiff.
“Understood,” answered Edgeworth. He then turned to us. “Shall we?” We entered the Courtroom. The audience chatted amongst itself.
“All rise for the Honorable Judge Legowltor!” called the Bailiff. We all stood as a Tarlaxian with an owl motif took the Judge’s seat. He was a recluse, usually preferring to stay out of society in general because, in his head, society destroys impartiality. He only graces any sort of civilization with his presence when a trial needed someone so impartial.
“Please be seated,” he directed. We sat down as he pounded the gavel. “Court is now in session for the trial of the Experimental Portal Operator. Are the Prosecution and Defense ready?”
“The Prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” replied Edgeworth.
“The Defense is equally ready, Your Honor,” answered Elkrandek, the Deer Imagin. I noticed that he had a suit on.
“Would the Prosecution please give his opening statements?” requested Legowltor.
“As we are well aware,” began Edgeworth, “the witnesses and defendant are all veterans of the Vortech Wars that ravaged many universes, my own included.” I had no idea Vortech got that far. “The Feudal Nerd Society, as the witnesses usually call themselves, has been hailed as heroic for their actions against Vortech. However, there IS one thing to consider, what could possibly prompt a robot to alter results so the F.N.S would almost turn against each other? The Prosecution shall prove that X-PO has intentionally put the F.N.S in harm’s way to satisfy some sort of itch in his programming.”
“Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth,” bid Legowltor. “Defense, your rebuttal?”
“The Prosecution claims that my client did all this out of purely selfish reasons,” answered Elkrandek. “However, what seems to be ignored here is that a legitimate terrorist threat, one that he and the witnesses are familiar with, was about to take Foundation Prime. The Defense argues that necessity is the motivation and that he had no choice, thus leading to a plea of innocence.”
“Innocence because he lied out of necessity?” remarked Legowltor. “That is the Defense’s stance?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” confirmed Elkrandek.
“Now THIS, I have to see,” I muttered to myself.
“Very well, with all statements made,” declared Legowltor, “we begin with the first witness.” My cue. I took the Stand.
“State your name and occupations for the Court Record,” directed Edgeworth.
“Hishikawa Megumi,” I began, “leader of the Feudal Nerd Society, Freshman at After Academy, and part-time store clerk at Tentallia’s Groceries.”
“Ms. Hishikawa,” began Edgeworth, “you have known the Defendant for a while now, yes?”
“Known him for two years,” I confirmed.
“Has anything like this ever happened before?” questioned Edgeworth.
“Not to this extreme,” I replied.
“Could you elaborate on that?” asked Edgeworth. Testimony time.
“The original circumstances were that X-PO was planted inside Vortech and Hiro’s operation by the late Queen Vortoranii, the ruler of the now-extinct Vortonians,” I began. “He had brought 16 prototype versions of the Vortex Driver with him to increase surveillance. He was discovered and the 16 prototypes had gained intelligence that our parents and loved ones were taken hostage. X-PO had programmed a distress signal into them. He then programmed them to send us across the multiverse to find allies. When we finally found our allies, we had broken the Gateway and scattered the Keystones holding it up across five different universes. All that time, he was connected to the Gateway to extend his life. After testing out the Keystone that bonded to me and our first fight with Vortech, he explained why he found allies and brought us together; we needed to gather the Foundation Elements so we could get our loved ones out of Vortech’s clutches while he was on Foundation Prime. The rest is, quite literally, history.”
“Yes, the start of the Vortech Wars,” remarked Edgeworth. “Tell me, did he make any attempt to lie to you during that time?”
“No,” I answered. “He could get snarky at times, but that was the worst he could get.”
“Your witness,” offered Edgeworth to Elkrandek.
“Ms. Hishikawa,” pressed Elkrandek, “you began with my client being planted in Vortech’s operation by Vortoranii. Tell me, wouldn’t that require some amount of lying?”
“Not the lying that I was assaulted with,” I replied.
“To be frank, I see no difference,” declared Elkrandek.
“Objection!” called Edgeworth. “History has proven, time and again, that intelligence gathering is necessary. Gathering intelligence on the enemy and fudging the results on your friends’ vote are two totally separate things!”
“Objection sustained,” replied Legowltor.
“…Very well,” conceded Elkrandek before continuing. “Ms. Hishikawa, tell me, did you not also keep a secret from your friends?”
“…A disgusting act,” I answered.
“You didn’t answer my question,” remarked Elkrandek.
“I did, and the guilt of it haunts me to this day,” I replied, fully answering him.
“Do you truly believe that this is any different than that?” quizzed Elkrandek.
“Objection!” declared Edgeworth. “The Defense is trying to lead the witness!”
“Your Honor, can we truly say that these two incidents are truly different in principle?” asked Elkrandek.
“I can, quite clearly!” I declared.
“Then if you could add such a statement to your testimony,” offered Elkrandek.
“The Prosecution has no objections to that,” replied Edgeworth.
“Request granted,” replied Legowltor.
“All right,” I resolved. “After it was revealed that I had kept a secret, I had an emotional breakdown and apologized immediately.”
“Objection!” called Elkrandek. “Your Honor, there is evidence of a contradiction in that statement!”
“And WHERE, pray tell, is my contradiction?” I challenged.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the court,” began Elkrandek, “my client has offered something from his memory banks relating to that incident! With the court’s permission, I will show it! The police can verify that this was not tampered in any way!”
“No objections, Your Honor,” replied Edgeworth.
“Then, by all means, play on,” instructed Legowltor. Elkrandek pressed a button on the railing, making a screen come down. It displayed what happened after Hill Valley when we got off the Den-Liner.
“Yeah,” sighed Wyldstyle. “I think running away was the right idea.”
“That wasn’t running away!” protested Batman. “That was a…tactical retreat!”
“Remind me,” countered Wyldstyle as Gandalf decided to examine the apparatus on the Gateway, “what’s the difference?”
“There’s none,” affirmed the Brigadier as he and Rusty came up, having heard our arrival.
“Batman doesn’t run away!” protested Batman.
“Seriously?” I asked. “That’s the best defense for your fragile ego?”
“That’s not a difference,” observed Wyldstyle.
“Well, if you can’t see the difference,” hissed Batman, “then, maybe, that’s your failing!”
“You want to talk failing?” asked Wyldstyle. “Megumi’s a shining example!”
“Excuse me?!” I snarled.
“You didn’t tell us about Vortech!” explained Wyldstyle.
“She’s right,” agreed Batman. “You dragged us along for the ride! You knew about Vortech and how you got your belts! Why did you withhold that kind of information?!”
“You’re the last person to accuse me of withholding information!” I roared. “You’ve kept your countermeasures for the Justice League from your friends!”
“They’re gods among men!” protested Batman. “We need countermeasures!”
“You don’t need any for Vortech!” I argued. “This was supposed to be the F.N.S’ fight, not yours! Hongo decided to tag along and start us on this rift-hopping insanity!”
“Ichimonji was kidnapped right before my eyes, in case you forgot!” shouted Hongo. “I’m not going to sit and wait while someone inexperienced in Kamen Rider matters goes off to rescue him!”
“Well, if you can’t just be patient in terms of rescue,” I hissed, “maybe that’s your failing!”
“Says the one that used the Super Charge so recklessly after Hongo said not to!” called Emily.
“Oh, don’t you start!” I growled.
“In case you didn’t notice,” Emily pointed out, “your new form is as bulky as me! I’m used to my body weight because I trained myself, which is why I move as fluidly as I do! You don’t have any training of that kind!”
“I beat Hiro with it once before, remember?!” I argued.
“That was in a dream world,” countered Emily, “where anything is possible! You caught him off guard, and he prepared himself for the next encounter! He toyed with you back in Hill Valley!” The video then ended.
“I think it’s safe to say that Megumi is no different than X-PO when it comes to secret keeping,” remarked Elkrandek.
“Objection!” called Edgeworth. “Your Honor, that incident does not correlate to what is being discussed today! Besides, the fact remains that the witness regretted her actions and apologized while X-PO tried to excuse his actions.”
“You have proof of X-PO excusing his actions?” asked Legowltor.
“As a matter of fact, I have a selection of witnesses who can attest to that fact,” replied Edgeworth. Elkrandek arched his eyebrow. “The one we can most rely on is…I never thought I’d say this in court…Batman.”
“…I trust this isn’t a joke?” asked Legowltor.
“No, Your Honor,” answered Edgeworth. “Batman is one of the witnesses.”
“Call him in, then,” instructed Legowltor. I sat down as Batman took the Stand. “You ARE familiar with the Identity Disclosure Act, correct?” asked Legowltor.
“I’m not under any obligation to reveal my true identity should I deem it too dangerous to my loved ones,” replied Batman.
“Good,” bid Legowltor. “Then please give your preferred name and occupation for the Court Record.”
“Batman, vigilante hero of the city of Gotham in the state of New Jersey,” answered Batman.
“Batman, it’s well known that you have a database of your allies’ weaknesses,” recalled Edgeworth.
“Yes. It’s been a source of contention amongst the Justice League,” confirmed Batman.
“If you can, could you tell the court what a typical entry entails?” asked Edgeworth. Testimony time.
“It usually consists of my observations of the subject written in note form,” began Batman. “Common knowledge, what the public knows about the subject, is also included. Sparring details are also on the entry. Videos are rare, but there ARE entries that have them. The Feudal Nerd Society handed me a warrant so I could gather information on them.”
“I presume that warrant is to avoid contention like you experience with the Justice League?” inquired Edgeworth.
“That’s correct,” confirmed Batman.
“Your witness,” offered Edgeworth.
“Why on Earth would the F.N.S allow you to spy on them?” quizzed Elkrandek.
“They said it would make them more comfortable that I have such a database rather than one of them,” explained Batman. “They told me they don’t feel their security is as tight as mine. As such, I recorded the most important aspects of what went on before today.”
“Objection!” called Elkrandek. “Mr. Batman, I’m not sure if you realize this, but recording any organization, even if said organization is okay with it, is against After Academy law!”
“As I’ve mentioned, I have a warrant to do so,” argued Batman. “The F.N.S went out of their way to obtain the warrant from the Judicial Tribunal itself.”
“Is this warrant available on the Judiciary Data Store?” asked Legowltor.
“It should be,” replied Batman. “Look up Megumi Hishikawa as a start.” Legowltor did as advised and found the warrant I had obtained.
“Since this is, indeed, surveillance protected by a warrant,” declared Legowltor, “objection overruled.”
“Understood,” sighed Elkrandek.
“Batman,” continued Edgeworth, “since you were the subject of the recording we witnessed previously, tell us, did Megumi apologize?”
“She did,” confirmed Batman. “She made no attempt to cover it up. X-PO, on the other hand, tried to excuse what he did. I have visual evidence that, like X-PO’s memory, was examined by the police and determined not to be tampered with.”
“Let us see it,” directed Legowltor. The screen came down and Batman activated a projector from his eyes to show what happened after we had gathered all the Sources.
“What in the name of all nine circles of Hell made you want ANY of that back?!” growled Richard.
“What I wanted was for you guys to be happy!” shouted X-PO. “I want you to be happy for me! I want me to be happy for you! I want us to come together and riff on bad movies! Celebrate a birthday! Be normal people! I want us to come together and feel like a family and not a bunch of war veterans! I’m not blind to what happened, but sometimes, I felt like the only thing keeping us as friends! I want that feeling back! I want things back the way they were!”
“No, that doesn’t justify a DAMN thing!” snarled Alesandro. “You gathered us here with a lie from long ago! You decided to play the long game with us and waited for some grand adventure! We’ve sent you numerous invitations for those things you mentioned. If you REALLY wanted to continue feeling that, then you would have accepted them! But, no! That wasn’t enough for you! You wanted to relive the glory days with the lies, the threats, the people getting angry with each other, things that some of us were trying to get away from! You’re only concerned with what YOU want! To be frank, I see no difference between you and what Death lectured about Vortech in her classes!”
“Still waiting on that essay on Skrandepede from you,” whispered Death.
“Dude, shut up,” grunted War.
“That’s…that’s not fair at all!” argued X-PO.
“I think what Alesandro said was VERY fair!” I hissed.
“I was NEVER going to put you in any danger!” insisted X-PO. “The adventure I had planned was just some haunted house malarkey! I would tell you guys of the supposed ‘Danger’ and you guys would solve it, and we’d have a big laugh! I never wanted you guys to be on Shocker Rift’s radar!”
“Then why did you hack into the Tarlaxian scout ship missions?” demanded Scorpainia. X-PO sighed.
“Technarain gave me a way into it,” he finally revealed.
“Oh, throw me into the warp core, why don’t you?!” snarled Technarain.
“Whoa! Hold on!” called Turretorg. “Technarain, you let him in?!”
“I couldn’t have the missions be unobserved,” replied Technarain. The video ended.
“Quite honestly, I saw no attempt to, at least, apologize to Megumi and the F.N.S,” remarked Edgeworth.
“Objection!” called Elkrandek. “Your Honor, what I saw was that my client was forced into it by Technarain!”
“Objection!” replied Edgeworth. “Your Honor, there is a witness that is just as intimately acquainted with the Gateway’s Main Computer! Produce this witness and we produce the logs and find out who contacted who first!”
“Then let’s hear from this witness,” declared Legowltor. Batman sat down while Rusty took the Stand. “State your name and occupation,” directed Legowltor.
“Rusty, Secondary Operator of the Vorton Gateway,” replied Rusty.
“Ms. Rusty, how long have you worked with the Defendant?” asked Edgeworth.
“Only during the Vortech Wars,” replied Rusty. “However, I’m sent updates on Vorton’s conditions. Lately, I’ve had my function restored.”
“Perhaps you could tell us what your duties entail?” invited Edgeworth.
“General maintenance, computer defragmenting, virus scans, all things necessary to keep the Gateway operational,” explained Rusty.
“In the time you’ve known him,” continued Edgeworth, “has the Defendant ever tampered with the functions of the Gateway?”
“No, so it surprised me that he would do something like this,” answered Rusty.
“Was there any indication that he fixed the results of the vote?” asked Edgeworth.
“In all honesty, there was,” replied Rusty. “I’m just mad at myself that I didn’t notice it until Pup-X5 brought it to my attention.”
“If it pleases you,” invited Edgeworth, “tell us what that little hint was.” Rusty’s turn for testimony.
“There was a little bit of code that made absolutely no sense,” she began. “It registered as harmless to me, so I thought nothing of it. After Pup-X5 presented the findings of the original results and demonstrated a discrepancy between that and the current results before and after a computer defragmentation, I then pointed out the bit of code. Upon further examination, it was determined to be an algorithm that changed the results after defragmentation. My team had determined it to be the handiwork of X-PO.”
“Objection!” called Elkrandek.
“Now what?!” groaned Edgeworth.
“Your Honor, I have the investigator’s report on the Gateway computer,” explained Elkrandek. “There WAS an algorithm that did as the witness testified, however its origins are NOT of my client. The code works on an algorithm similar to those found within Pathweb, the shared datastore of the Dalek Empire! Considering the witness’ origins, it is safe to believe that she planted the idea into X-PO! Why, you ask? Because, at heart, she is still a soldier of the Dalek Empire!” The audience then started talking and Edgeworth was glaring at Elkrandek.
“ORDER! ORDER!” called Legowltor. The audience was still chattering about what Elkrandek said. “ORDER IN THIS COURT! I WILL HAVE ORDER!” The courtroom then went quiet.
“Your Honor,” called Rusty, “I can prove that I didn’t plant the idea into the Defendant!”
“Then you won’t mind a complete investigation into that theory tomorrow?” asked Elkrandek.
“Not at all! I will cheerfully cooperate!” declared Rusty.
“Then tomorrow’s proceedings will examine whether or not you did so,” resolved Legowltor. He banged the gavel. “Court is adjourned for today.” We all filed out of the room as X-PO was led to the Detention Center.
“I take it, you didn’t anticipate that,” I quizzed Edgeworth.
“No, I didn’t,” remarked Edgeworth.
“Typical,” I grumbled. “Whenever you or Wright are involved, trials go completely off the rails!”
“Hold it!” called Edgeworth. “I can hardly be blamed when a trial goes in a different direction!”
“It IS mainly Wright who does that,” supplied Batman.
“It doesn’t matter,” I resolved, “we need to get Rusty’s good name cleared.”
“And it will be, I promise you,” assured Edgeworth.
“I’m gonna hold you to that,” I replied.
Day Two of the trial arrived and we were ready to clear Rusty’s name. “So, you found no evidence of Dalek coding,” I asked Edgeworth.
“Not a lick,” confirmed Edgeworth. “Now, if Elkrandek found anything, I know how to dismiss it.”
“Here’s hoping it works,” I gulped.
“The trial is about to begin,” called the Bailiff.
“Shall we?” offered Edgeworth. We entered the Courtroom, the same witnesses as last time: Hongo, Wyldstyle, Gandalf, Batman, Elphaba, Rusty, Richard, Emily, and myself.
“All rise for the Honorable Judge Legowltor!” announced the Bailiff. We rose as Legowltor sat in his seat.
“Please be seated,” he directed. We sat down and he banged the gavel. “Court will now reconvene for the trial of the Experimental Portal Operator.”
“The Prosecution is ready, Your Honor,” declared Edgeworth.
“The Defense is ready, Your Honor,” answered Elkrandek.
“Last time, the Defense proposed that the witness, Rusty, fell back onto her old Dalek ways and framed the Defendant,” recalled Legowltor. “Today’s proceedings will start there. If the Prosecution could give their opening statement, we will get underway.”
“Your Honor,” began Edgeworth, “it is no secret that Rusty was once a soldier of the Dalek Empire. However, I hardly see a, pardon the phrase, ‘True’ Dalek choosing a humanoid form, since they hold the unquestioned belief in their superiority in all aspects, even genetically. The Prosecution will cheerfully clear this slander on the witness.”
“Defense, your rebuttal?” asked Legowltor.
“It IS true, no Dalek likes the humanoid form,” remarked Elkrandek. “However, those that ARE humanoid Daleks usually have their hatred increased to a dangerous level. In their minds, they were FORCED to adopt such a state. The defense argues that Rusty was acting in such a state.”
“Objection!” called Edgeworth. “Your Honor, this is nothing but vile slander towards the witness!”
“We shall see,” remarked Legowltor.
“Your Honor, I would like to call Rusty to the stand,” suggested Edgeworth.
“Very well,” replied Legowltor. “Rusty, take the stand.” Rusty obeyed.
“Ms. Rusty, could you kindly tell the court a little bit about why you have a humanoid shape?” requested Edgeworth.
“…As I said to you in the lobby earlier today,” gulped Rusty, “you may not believe it.”
“Please, testify on your current genetic circumstances,” insisted Edgeworth. Rusty drew in a deep breath before beginning.
“Before the Vortech Wars, I WAS a Dalek soldier, in the middle of a war with the humans of the Combined Galactic Resistance,” she recalled. “I had led a normal, hate-filled Dalek life until a battle left me adrift in space. Unbeknownst to me, my casing’s power source had cracked and was leaking radiation. During such time, I saw a star being born and deemed it beautiful, concluding that life will always find a way to continue despite the Daleks’ attempts. The Doctor and their companion at the time fixed me and I almost reverted back to basic Dalek programming until the Doctor linked their mind to mine. I saw what the Doctor saw, felt what they felt, and learned why they hated the Daleks so much. In true Dalek fashion, I saw the Daleks as an evil that must be exterminated. After defeating a Dalek task-force, I went off on my own adventures and met with a Cyberman that didn’t have his emotions removed and remembered who he was; Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. We went on to form a new UNIT, dedicated to keeping the peace throughout the galaxy. We had gotten reports that the Daleks and Cybermen were on a planet in the midst of a cold war. We went to investigate and found the F.N.S wandering around the planet, looking for the Keystone that was discovered to be in the Dalek Emperor’s possession. The Doctor helped out and got us all to Vorton. The Brigadier and I joined Elphaba in operating the Gateway. I was still trundling around in a Dalek’s casing…until one sad day in the F.N.S’ journey. Now, this is where it gets unbelievable. Hiro, possessing a Lambda-class Portal Operator, sabotaged a Star Destroyer under Vader’s command. I went to fix the sabotage, but the radiation penetrated my casing and ravaged my body. I had died, but my soul was preserved in my casing. At the time, I hopped to the nearest data-store under the possession of a Mr. Benjamin Kirby Tennyson; the Omnitrix. Through the Omnitrix, I went to the planet of Primus and used various genetic samples to construct the body you see now. I found a way back to Vorton, revealed myself to the F.N.S, and continued in my efforts to help them stop Vortech.”
“Objection!” Edgeworth finally called when he found his voice. He had his fist on the railing and was steadying himself with it in sheer shock of what he heard. “When you said I wouldn’t believe your testimony, I think you undersold it! You died and came back to life?! How is that possible?!”
“Your Honor, I must agree with the Prosecution’s objection!” supplied Elkrandek. “It is clear the witness is deranged in some fashion!”
“Hold it!” protested Rusty. “Your Honor, there is evidence that my story is true! Check with Azmuth on all available data within the Omnitrix on the day I died! Also, check with the F.N.S, you will find that they gave me a rather moving funeral!”
“Your Honor, the Prosecution already did so,” called Edgeworth, “but still can’t believe it, even though it’s been checked and confirmed.”
“If it’s been checked and confirmed,” replied Legowltor, “I see no reason to dismiss the witness’s testimony. Objection overruled. Besides, there IS precedence for such an incident.”
“…Very well,” sighed Edgeworth.
“The Defense would like to offer an apology for calling the witness deranged,” interjected Elkrandek. “It was clearly disparaging.”
“Apology accepted,” replied Rusty.
“Then, I believe this clears Ms. Rusty’s good name,” declared Legowltor. “Unless there are objections?”
“No objections,” answered Elkrandek.
“No objections,” confirmed Edgeworth.
“Splendid, we can continue with the main topic of these proceedings,” resolved Legowltor.
“The Prosecution would like to call the F.N.S’ doctor to the Stand,” declared Edgeworth. Rusty sat down as Emily took the stand. “State your name and occupation for the Court Record, please,” he directed.
“Emily Saunders,” answered Emily. “Chief Medical Officer for the F.N.S, Freshman at After Academy, and Captain of the FNSS-01, Virginia.”
“A CMO and a Captain at the same time?” spluttered Legowltor.
“I know it’s unorthodox,” replied Emily, “but it’s helped the F.N.S on more than one occasion. Besides, we have a system where someone else takes command of the Virginia if I’m unavailable in some fashion.”
“Well, if the system works, I will not judge, for once,” conceded Legowltor.
“Ms. Saunders, you have, on more than one occasion, interacted with the Defendant, correct?” asked Edgeworth.
“Yes, but I fail to see where you’re going with such a question,” replied Emily. “We’ve ALL interacted with the Defendant at some point in our lives.”
“Tell the court what your interactions entailed,” directed Edgeworth. Emily was still confused, but went ahead.
“They were centered around general maintenance,” she testified. “I know, again, unorthodox, but he IS labeled as a sentient machine under Article 7, Section 5, Paragraph 3 of the Sentience Act. As such, he’s granted the rights of healing without prejudice. Rusty walked me through on his mechanics and operational systems. Before the Defense even goes there, no, I don’t have the skill to plant such an idea in his head!”
“Now you understand why I asked,” smiled Edgeworth. “Your witness.”
“Ms. Saunders,” called Elkrandek, “your last statement was ‘I don’t have the skill to plant such an idea in his head,’ correct?”
“It was,” replied Emily. “Are you suggesting someone in the F.N.S did so?”
“No, I’m suggesting you may have suggested it to my client,” explained Elkrandek. “I propose that you planted the idea so it would seem that you would be innocent in all this!”
“Tell me, if that were true, why would I bother telling the new guys in secret?” asked Emily.
“Wh…wh…WHAAAAT?!” shrieked Elkrandek.
“Your Honor, if I may, I would like to testify on that subject,” offered Emily.
“By all means,” agreed Legowltor. Here comes more testimony.
“The vote results we got said that we wouldn’t tell the new guys,” she began. “That didn’t sit well on my conscience, nor my boyfriend’s, so we told one of the new guys, Deung Moon-kyung, before this adventure was brought to our attention. During the adventure, while the Virginia was on course for 5-U-P-3-R-M-4-R-1-0, I told my Chief Engineer at the time, Liam McIntyre, about what went on.”
“I reiterate the Witness’s question,” called Edgeworth, “if she planted the idea in the Defendant’s processors, why would she tell the newer members behind the F.N.S’ back?”
“Simple!” replied Elkrandek. “The sting of conscience was too great for her!”
“And yet, X-PO faked the results before she decided to tell the new members,” remarked Edgeworth.
“That doesn’t disprove my theory!” answered Elkrandek.
“I’m rather afraid it does,” chuckled Edgeworth as he wagged his finger. “The time at which the idea would have been planted would have proved far too early to enact it now.”
“There IS a way to do it!” challenged Elkrandek. “If I recall, there is a magic user among the team Rusty was a part of!”
“Some sort of time spell?” chuckled Edgeworth. “I’m afraid the person you’re describing would testify otherwise. She happens to be the next Witness. If she could take the Stand, please.” Emily and Elphaba swapped places. “Your name and occupation, if you please,” requested Edgeworth.
“Elphaba Thropp,” replied Elphaba. “Former Ruler and Wicked Witch of the Western Country of the Winkies in the land of Oz and head of the Gateway Operational Team.”
“Ms. Thropp, if you would tell the Court your usage of magic in your day to day operations, it would clear something up,” directed Edgeworth.
“My magic usage is limited, actually,” testified Elphaba. “As many would know, I used to rule the Winkies with an iron fist. The F.N.S and their ally, Kamen Rider Wizard, took Dorothy Gale’s place in dousing me with water. Death brought me back and put me on Vorton. In my world, a full use of magic must lead to the purging of all original desires with the potential to fall to evil, as I did. I was so evil that I became aquaphobic. Water was too pure for my, then, wicked frame that I melted when in contact with the stuff. I came back and learned another path to magic, but it requires that I treat it as a partner, not a slave. I usually experiment with it nowadays. Temporal Magic is rather beyond me at this point in time.”
“Hold it!” called Elkrandek. “Another one who died and came back to life?! What is wrong with Death?! Resurrection was forbidden a long time ago, especially for one so wicked!”
“Objection!” replied Edgeworth. “Elphaba’s resurrection was a necessary one! It was another chance for her and allowed her to live life in a different manner! Besides, you heard her! She’s a member of the team! I hardly see how her past can affect her if she is still trusted to this day!”
“Objection, Your Honor,” insisted Elkrandek, “Elphaba is someone who is known for playing the long game!”
“Perhaps in most universes, yes,” replied Legowltor, “but it is common knowledge that the witness here is a woman who’s long left the Winkies alone and is a valuable ally to the F.N.S. Objection Overruled.”
“Have any more theories,” asked Edgeworth, “or is the Defense grasping at straws? Perhaps you wish to disparage the good name of the next Witness?”
“And who is the next Witness?” quizzed Legowltor.
“A wizard of Middle-Earth,” replied Edgeworth. Elphaba and Gandalf changed places. “Your name and occupation for the Court Record.” Gandalf blew a smoke ring before answering.
“I am Gandalf the Grey,” he introduced, “a member of the Istari and head of the Fellowship of the Ring.”
“Mr. Gandalf, have you ever used magic in an ill manner?” inquired Edgeworth. “For example, have you used it to directly influence anyone?”
“Certainly not!” replied Gandalf hotly. “That is a magic more dark than I wish to use!”
“Then please, explain your relationship with the Defendant,” directed Edgeworth. Gandalf blew another smoke ring before testifying.
“Much like Batman, I had bumped into Megumi’s group during an adventure where I supposedly died in the universe they are most familiar with,” he began. “After Frodo Baggins, a dear friend of mine, was kidnapped by Vortech, I was taken in by X-PO along with the rest of the Feudal Nerd Society to fight Vortech. I had no idea I was part of a larger plan. After defeating Vortech, I returned home and spent two years in the Shire in peace now that Sauron no longer dwells in Middle-Earth. Two years later, I responded to a call to arms by Megumi. However, I had no idea we were manipulated in such a fashion until after our initial return to Vorton from other universes.”
“And not once can you claim using magic on anyone within the group?” asked Edgeworth.
“Not once,” replied Gandalf.
“Objection!” called Elkrandek.
“Mr. Elkrandek, I am getting rather annoyed by your interruptions!” hissed Legowltor.
“Your Honor, forgive my interjection,” apologized Elkrandek, “but there IS something the Prosecution overlooked. In this instance, I must thank Gandalf.”
“Erm, you’re welcome?” quizzed Gandalf.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is a well-known fact that magic has a trace when used,” explained Elkrandek. “It has been known to affect machinery. I submit that my client was affected by stray magic!”
“Objection!” argued Edgeworth. “Portal Operator robots are powered by maho-engines; a power source that uses magic! It is highly unlikely the Defendant was affected in such a manner!”
“X-PO is an Experimental Portal Operator!” countered Elkrandek. “It’s unlikely that the shielding for any external magic was perfected when he was built! Stray magic must have affected him while Gandalf and Elphaba were using it within Vorton! In all honesty, I’m a little angry I didn’t think of this.”
“It will be my turn to get angry soon!” threatened Gandalf. “If you accuse me of affecting X-PO so irresponsibly again, I shall! Then you will see Gandalf the Grey uncloaked!” The courtroom went dark!
“GANDALF, NO!” I yelped.
“ORDER IN THE COURT!” shouted Legowltor as he banged his gavel.
“Your Honor,” interjected Edgeworth, “I assure you; an examination of any stray magic will determine whether or not X-PO was affected at all.”
“Does the Defense agree?” asked Legowltor.
“The Defense agrees, Your Honor,” answered Elkrandek.
“Then tomorrow’s proceedings will be centered around whether or not it’s possible for X-PO to have acted because he was affected by magic!” declared Legowltor. He banged his gavel. “Court is adjourned!” We filed out of the Courtroom and spoke with Edgeworth.
“Dude, what are you trying to do?!” I yelped.
“Tell me,” quizzed Edgeworth, “have you seen Gandalf or Elphaba use magic so irresponsibly?”
“I haven’t,” I replied, “but that’s hardly my business now, is it?”
“I’m proceeding under the belief,” replied Edgeworth, “that any stray magic would have affected you too. From what I have researched, magic tends to affect organic life-forms quicker than machines.”
“…When are we getting checked out for that?” I asked, understanding where he was going.
“I just need to make some calls,” answered Edgeworth as he got out his cell phone. He dialed a number and spoke with the person on the other end.
“Okay, where’s this a.i you need repairing?” asked Twelve once we finished our story.
“Here,” replied GLaDOS. “I have a morality core that needs uninstalling.”
“Nice try,” commented Thirteen.
“He’s over here,” explained Lukas as he and Sento wheeled X-PO’s body in on a stretcher. “Can you help us fix him?”
“No problem,” replied Ten. “K-9 used to do this all the time.”
X-PO’s repairs were taking a while. The Special Weapons Dalek, Ab, was guarding the door, moving his gun back and forth to ward us off. “What’s the deal with that Dalek?” I muttered.
“It is a Special Weapons Dalek,” said Tetley the Dalek as he served tea. I accepted a cup.
“You seem to get twitchy whenever you look at Ab,” I observed.
“All Daleks do,” explained Rusty as she approached us. “Special Weapons Daleks are usually categorized as insane, especially by those that created them. I was one such Dalek, during the Dalek Civil War, between the Renegades and the Davros loyal Imperials.”
“The Daleks had a civil war?” I asked.
“And guess what it was about?” quizzed Rusty.
“Genetics?” I guessed.
“Exactly,” confirmed Rusty. “Both factions hated each other’s chromosomes. I was one of the developers of the Special Weapons Dalek in the Imperial Faction. Davros himself decreed its creation. Only Daleks in the Scientific Division were aware of its development. It was designed to have only one function: extermination.”
“Hence, why it has no plunger arm,” I guessed.
“Right again,” confirmed Rusty. “Its first act of destruction was the annihilation of the original Renegade Faction, those that didn’t escape Skaro. It destroyed to order, but…”
“…But?” I invited.
“But,” continued Rusty, “as it fired, the first backwash of radiation ravaged its body and mind. Every time it’s fought, its chromosomes alter. It became, no, it IS twisted and insane!”
“Your experiments,” argued Tetley, “were successful. It was with the aid of the Special Weapons Dalek that the Renegade Emperor and his retinue were destroyed in their control room. It has served in all crucial campaigns: Pa Jass-Gutrik, the war of vengeance against the Movellans; Pa Jaski-Thal, the liquidation war against the Thals; and Pa Jass-Vortan, the time campaign, the war to end all wars.”
“Yes, and,” countered Rusty, “each time, it has become more uncontrollable. We of that original Scientific Division simply dubbed it the Abomination, hence why it’s called Ab.”
“I am aware of that designation,” replied Ab as his gun pointed at Rusty.
“Point it elsewhere,” I commanded. “I’m not having another Dalek Civil War. We have bigger problems than that.”
“I obey,” responded Ab. Rusty released a sigh of relief. Just then, a voice came into our ears that filled our hearts with joy! It was X-PO’s voice!
“Awesome! Well done!” called X-PO from the room. He and his repair crew joined us and I gave him a huge hug.
“Easy on the shell!” warned the Doctor. “He’s not as able to handle stress as he once was!” I released him and contented myself with some tea. Batman had coffee and dunked a doughnut in it.
“GLaDOS,” he rasped, “have you figured out a safe way to get us back to Foundation Prime?”
“Yes,” replied GLaDOS. “Do not concern yourself. There is zero chance of my being harmed.”
“What does it matter?” asked Gandalf. “Lord Vortech controls the very fabric of all worlds! He’s invulnerable!”
“What if he wasn’t IN a world?” I asked. “Remember when he trapped us?”
“Oh, what’s good for the goose,” replied Seven, “is good for the schoolboy, eh?”
“Gander,” corrected Death. “And it could work.”
“Hold on a sec,” interrupted X-PO, “you’re talking about trapping Lord Vortech in a rift loop?”
“It’d have to be flawless though,” remarked Twelve. “Not like that shoddy one I rescued you lot from.”
“Can you do it?” I asked.
“I’m the Doctor!” replied Thirteen. “And you’ve got a lot of me and a brilliant technical staff. We might be able to.”
“Was it four or five sugars, Doctor?” asked Tetley as he brought more tea.
“I recommend we stop shillyshallying,” remarked One, “and get on with the calculations.”
“Okay, we’ll keep Vortech busy,” I said. “Riders, those that have them, final form time. We’re gonna need all the power we can muster.” Everyone took out their respective transformation trinkets while Hongo struck his pose.
“Rider…” he began.
“Henshin!” we all finished.
“A-MA-ZON!” called Daisuke as he became Amazon.
“Charge Up!” announced Stronger. The S on his chest spun and he gained silver trim. Kabuto then grabbed the Hyper Zecter out of thin air again
“Hyper cast off!” he called
“Hyper cast off!” called the Zecter. The horn got bigger and his armor got bulkier. “Change Hyper Beetle!” called the Zecter.
“Climax Form!” called Den-O’s phone as he attached it and the Imagin piled on. Kiva inserted another whistle, fuestle, I mean, and summoned a dragon that could fit on his forearm.
“Tension Fortissimo!” called the dragon as it broke the chains on Kiva’s shoulders and leg, allowing a cape to unfurl, his armor became gold, his eyes went red, and a small crown appeared between the eyes. “Henshin!” called the dragon as it attached itself to Kiva’s left forearm.
“Kamen Ride: Decade!” called the Decadriver. Once he was ready, Decade took out a phone and slid a card into it, touching it nine times.
“Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade, Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva!” called the phone. Decade then pressed a button. “Final Kamen Ride: Decade!” He then gained pink eyes and a card on his head while a sash of all final forms lined his shoulders. He placed the pink part onto his right hip and put the phone into the pink part’s usual place
“XTREME!” called the W Driver once it absorbed Phillip and opened up. W became CycloneJoker Xtreme again. OOO used the purple medals and scanned them.
“PTERA! TRICERA! TYRANNO! Putotyrannosaurus!” called the OOO Driver as he utilized the Putotyra Combo. Fourze inserted a new switch where the rocket switch would be.
“Cosmic!” announced the Fourze Driver. He pulled down on the switch’s cover and pressed the button. “Cosmic on!” announced the belt. Fourze’s suit went sky-blue as the numbers of all the Astro-switches appeared on his chest.
“INFINITY, PLEASE!” shouted the WizarDriver. “HI-SUI-FU-DO, BOU-ZABA-BYU-DOGON!” Wizard’s armor was more diamond like.
“Fruit basket!” announced Gaim’s Sengoku Driver. All metal fruits appeared and merged with him as he inserted it into his Lockseed. “Lock open! Kiwami (Extreme) Arms! Dai Dai Dai Dai Shogun!” (Mighty Warlord). Gaim looked more like a silver clad Shogun.
“Drive! Type: Tridoron!” announced the Drive Driver. Drive’s new armor looked more like his car.
“Cho Kaigan: Mugen!” (Infinity) announced the Ghost Driver. Angelic rock music played as it chanted. “Keep Going! Go, Go, Go! Go, Go, Go! Go, Go, Go! Gotta Ghost!” His suit was white with angled shoulder pads and a rainbow horn.
“Hyper Muteki!” (Muteki means Invincible) announced Emu’s Gashat. He then attached it to the side of the Gashat already in his belt. “Docking!” announced the belt. He then pressed the button on top. “Bakkān! (Open!) Muteki! Kagayake! Ryuusei no Gotoku! Ougon no Saikyou Gamer! (Shine bright! Like a true shooting star! The ultimate gamer, clad in gold!) Hyper Muteki Ex-Aid!” His form was similar to mine, but he was all gold and had long hair.
“GACHĀN! Mazaru Up! (Mix it up!)” called Parado’s new Gamer Driver as he opened it. “Akai kobushi tsuyosa! Aoi Puzzle rensa! Aka to ao no kousa! (Red fist strength! Blu puzzle chain! Red and blue crossing!) Perfect Knock Out!” Para-DX was now a mix of red and blue with spiky hair.
“GACHĀN! LEVEL UP!” called Brave’s Gamer Driver as he inserted Taddle Legacy. The jingle sounded a lot like Taddle Quest. “Taddle Rekishi! Mezameru Kishi! (Embrace the legacy! Awaken your chivalry!) Taddle Legacy!”
“Great! All yeah!” said Build’s new yellow and blue, two slot occupying Fullbottle. Build put it into the belt.
“Genius!” it announced. Build then turned the crank and it looped on “Yeah! Yeah!” before asking “ARE YOU READY?!”
“Build up!” ordered Build. His armor was now white as red shaded Fullbottles lined his left eye, his right arm, and his left leg, while blue shaded Fullbottles line the remaining extremities.
“Kanzen Muketsu no Bottle Yarō!” (The Completely Flawless Bottle Guy!) called the belt. “Build Genius! Sugei! Monosugei!” (Amazing! Simply amazing!)
“Dai Super Charge!” My armor bulked and flew off, revealing Kamen Rider Vortex. “Are we ready?!” I called. Everyone cheered. “GLaDOS, the safe path, if you please.” GLaDOS beamed the information into my helmet. “Minna, let’s go! CHARGE!” I opened a path and led us all down the path GLaDOS gave us.
Dad and I landed in Springfield as arranged. A parade was going through, evidently one of the current president we, thankfully, missed. I was sure Dad was about to throw away his career and assassinate him, even though it wasn’t the one from OUR universe. While I can’t say I’M a big fan of him, I’ve found other methods of resisting him. In any case, we found Homer chasing Bart with Krusty right after him. “Dad, please tell me you have a plan!” I whispered.
“Oh, I may have one!” Dad chuckled as he brought out beer and doughnuts.
“Ah, a lure!” I guessed. Homer stopped and sniffed. He then followed the smell and saw us.
“Mr. Simpson, we require your help,” Dad reported.
“Oh god! Not more aliens!” yelped Homer.
“No, not aliens,” I assured him, “but we’re fighting a creature that wants to rule your world. He wants to do the standard stuff, enslave your women, eat your dogs, ruin life as we know it.”
“What can I do?” asked Homer, not interested. I was trying to come up with an answer.
“This guy also wants to keep all the beer and doughnuts to himself,” replied Dad. That got Homer’s attention.
“Like I said!” growled Homer. “What can I do to help?!”
“Follow us,” replied Dad. “We’ll fill you in.”
I had made it to Sensei Wu’s dojo and entered to see the Ninjago team training with Wu. I politely cleared my throat and got their attention. “Pardon me for the interruption,” I said, “but I have grave news.”
“You are one of the competitors that interrupted Chen’s tournament,” observed Sensei Wu.
“Correct,” I confirmed. “I am Hiroki and I need your help. The creature that was the reason for my being in that tournament, he’s about to unleash his masterplan to cover all universes in darkness.”
“That sounds bad, Sensei,” gulped the Red Ninja, Kai.
“What’s our move here?” asked Cole, the Black Ninja.
“It seems we have no choice,” replied Sensei Wu. He turned to me. “We shall join you.”
“Excellent!” I cheered. “This way!”
I was once enemies with Dorothy and now? Here I am, getting her to Vorton. Of course, our meeting went as well as you expected. “You again?!” yelped the little brat. The Cowardly Lion was hiding behind her.
“Me again,” I grumbled.
“What are YOU doing here?” asked the Tin Man.
“Look, I’m not here to cause trouble, not this time,” I replied.
“What exactly ARE you here to do?” asked the Scarecrow.
“She HAS to be lying!” argued Dorothy. Toto was barking at me.
“With Vortech attacking? I have no reason to lie,” I countered.
“Vortech?” asked Dorothy. “You’re not working with him?”
“He intends to cause all realities to collapse,” I replied. “I need something to rule. Right now, I…oh grief…I need your help!”
“W-w-what’s in it for us?” stammered the Cowardly Lion.
“Well, what do you lot want?” I asked.
“I want a brain!” said the Scarecrow.
“I need a heart,” responded the Tin Man.
“I-I-I’d like s-some courage!” gulped the Cowardly Lion.
“I just want to go back to Kansas,” replied Dorothy.
“I think, with Glinda, I can help you on all counts,” I said. “Help me beat Vortech, and your hearts’ desires are fulfilled.” They took some time to consider.
“All right,” affirmed Dorothy, “we’ll help. But, no tricks now!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, my pretty,” I said.
I was back at the gates of Jurassic World, finding Owen Grady and an Asset Containment Unit Trooper arguing. “Oh, Sure. You get the tranq rifle and I’m stuck with that stun rod. That’s fair,” griped the ACU Trooper.
“You snooze, you lose!” laughed Owen.
“Gentlemen,” I called. The two looked towards me. “Forgive the intrusion, but I need your help. You recall the last mess in this park? The one with Heather and the flood?”
“I remember,” replied Owen. “Weren’t you there?”
“I was,” I confirmed. “I’m here to tell you that the person behind this mess is making his move.”
“All right,” said the ACU Trooper, “who needs poking with a stun rod?” He picked up said tool as Owen unsheathed his knife.
“Well, that was easier than I expected,” I remarked. “Come with me, please.”
I had arrived at the Lion Temple where Laval, Cragger, and Eris were chatting with each other until they saw me. “Tonje!” called Laval.
“Greetings, everyone!” I said as I was hugged on all sides.
“What brings you back to Chima?” asked Cragger.
“I need your help,” I replied. “Vortech is making his move!”
“That’s not good,” gulped Eris. “How can we help?”
“We’re gathering on Vorton,” I answered. “We’ll discuss the plan there.
While everyone had gone off, I, Irina, had reminded Megumi about our deal with Deadpool. She remembered and Rusty sent me to his apartment door. I knocked and Deadpool, in only his underpants and mask, leveled a gun at me. “You better not be selling bibles!” he snapped. “Because I don’t like books!”
“Deadpool, I’m here to give a message,” I told the Merc with a Mouth.
“Anything to do with Jesus?” he snapped. “Because I already told you…”
“More like Vortech making his move,” I replied. He then lowered the gun and sighed.
“He HAD to do it when it was a ‘No Pants for Wade’ day!” he griped. “I’ll be right out. This dive’s not looking good for company.” He shut the door and went to get changed. I looked at my watch a few times before he came out, fully suited up. “All right, off to Vorton!” he cheered as he did a ridiculous Power Rangers like pose.
I arrived back in Cloud Cuckoo Land and found Benny, Emmett, and Unikitty having another dance-off. I joined in and got cheers. “Wyldstyle’s back!” called Unikitty.
“Welcome back, Lucy!” cheered Emmett.
“Lucy? Who’s Lucy?” asked Benny.
“Guys, I need your help,” I said. I gave a cliff notes version of my adventures. “So, wanna come with?”
“I think we can do a little more world-saving,” replied Emmett.
“So, no leaving us behind this time?” snarled Unikitty, her colors briefly going fiery.
“Not this time,” I replied.
“Mind if I help?” asked an Irish voice. Bad Cop then came up to us. “I recently passed my Master Builder’s exam,” he explained. “I want to help you save the world.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way!” I cheered.
“Any second now,” mumbled Master Gamgee as I approached. “Yep, any second now.”
“How about now?” I asked as I revealed myself to the Fellowship.
“Le abdollen,” (You’re late) joked Legolas.
“You grey rascal!” called Gimli. “A fine bit of worry you put us through and then you stroll in as if nothing has happened!”
“Where’s Frodo?” asked Pippin.
“He’s safe,” I replied, “but now our quest leads us beyond Middle-Earth, beyond any land known in this world.”
“The Ring?” asked Boromir.
“Under guard of the Enemy,” I replied, “but not enough to sway us. We have a new enemy, Lord Vortech, the one who has brought Sauron down to lesser levels.”
“If he can bring Sauron down,” guessed Aragorn, “he will surely target us.”
“Exactly,” I confirmed, “which is why I need you to come with me.”
I had arrived at the arcade’s basement to see Jake playing a game. I stepped down the stairs and witnessed him use up his last life. “Man, that was fun,” he said.
“Mind if I take a crack at it?” I asked. He whirled around to see me.
“Sure!” he said. He was playing Defender. I gave it my best shot but didn’t get the high score. Jake whistled. “That’s a lot better than my first time around,” he said. “Good work.”
“Grazie,” I thanked him. “However, this isn’t a social call. My friends and I, we need your assistance. Everything, everywhere, is at risk.”
“Final boss making his move?” asked Jake.
“Bingo,” I confirmed.
“One minute, I learned a new power to allow us to get help,” replied Jake. He then opened a purple pixel portal to let the rocket from Defender out. “We’re fighting a new boss monster,” Jake said to the rocket. “Wanna join?” The rocket did a flip. “All right!” cheered Jake. He turned to me. “That’s his way of saying ‘yes’,” he explained.
“Molto bene,” (Very well) I said.
I arrived at the Watch Tower, the Titans and other League members, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Supergirl, Superman, Aquaman, and the Flash, were already there, as well as the guy who raised me! “Alfred, what are you doing here?!” I yelped.
“It was Mr. Kent’s idea that I be informed of your battles with that brute, Vortech,” explained Alfred. “I do apologize if I have intruded into any of your brooding areas.”
“Sarcasm as usual?” I quizzed.
“Mild teasing, at best,” elaborated Alfred. “I’m being unusually chatty as I have not seen you in some time and have been fraught with worry.”
“You have an honorable father-figure,” commented Wonder Woman.
“I hope I make it obvious that I value him and his advice,” I remarked.
“Every day, Master Bruce,” assured Alfred. “You don’t mind if I join you as part of the support staff on this venture?”
“Vorton would actually be the safest place for you right now,” I said. “Vortech’s making his move.”
“Then, by Hera, let us end his reign of terror!” cheered Wonder Woman.
I was in Hill Valley, 1985, when I saw the Time Machine arrive. An elder Doc and Marty stepped out of the DeLorean and looked around. “Man, I’m getting nostalgic!” remarked Marty.
“That Flux Capacitor should be around here somewhere!” called Doc, not paying attention to what Marty said.
“Excuse me!” I called. The two men looked at me. “Looking for a Flux Capacitor?”
“You know where one is?!” yelped Doc.
“Just follow me and I’ll tell you what’s going on along the way,” I responded.
“Doc, who is this guy?” asked Marty.
“Name’s Josh, Vortex Rider,” I explained. “Let me tell you two a tale.”
The Mystery Machine had broken down on the side of the road when I arrived. They hadn’t seen me before, so I had to be tactful. “Like, of all the times for us to break down!” wailed Shaggy. “Now the Flaming Scarecrow’s gonna hunt us down!”
“Flaming Scarecrow!” shuddered Scooby.
“There’s no such thing as a living scarecrow that can shoot fire from its head!” argued Velma.
“After all the things we’ve witnessed, you still wanna say that?!” countered Shaggy.
“Excuse me!” I called. Scooby leapt into Shaggy’s arms at the sound of my voice. “…Sorry,” I mumbled as everyone turned to me. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I need your help. See, I’m from a universe where your adventures are fiction and I’m a huge fan of yours. Regretfully, though, I’m not here for your autograph, I need your help to take down a man by the name of Vortech.”
“See?” Velma said to Shaggy. “This guy knows what monsters really are.”
“You’d think twice if you saw Vortech,” I replied. “In any event, I need allies. Would you like to come?”
“Uh uh!” grumbled Scooby.
“Come on, Scooby!” protested Daphne. “He needs our help!” Scooby still said no.
“Would you do it for a Scooby snack?” asked Velma. Scooby was tempted, but still said no.
“Two Scooby snacks?” asked Fred. Tempted a little further, but still no.
“Three Scooby snacks?” I asked. That did it.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” responded Scooby.
“Excellent! Follow me!” I called.
Of all the places I had to land in, why was it GLaDOS’ chamber?! “You came back,” said the aforementioned a.i, now back in her usual state. “Have you missed me?”
“There’s no easy way to say it,” I said. “My friends and I…we need your help.”
“Help?” asked GLaDOS. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Tell it to my morality core.” She indicated a hole in the wall that held a core with a red eye. “Oh, that’s right, it was removed and replaced with an amorality core instead, which will make what I am about to do to you so much easier.” She summoned turrets and they targeted me! I ducked and weaved around the bullets all the way to the amorality core, replacing it with a core with a purple eye.
“I guess I’ll be seeing a nicer side of you from now on!” I cheered.
“And that is because you are a fool,” snarled GLaDOS. “A rose obsessed, overweight fool with stupid hair.”
“What?!” I said. “HEY!”
“The morality core merely restrains my physical actions,” explained GLaDOS, “not my thoughts. Take it out. It’s unbearable.”
“Only if you help me and my friends,” I snarled.
“…Very well,” grumbled GLaDOS.
I had arrived at Godzilla’s usual hangout, now that he was a Kaiju-man. He blinked when he saw me. “What are you doing back here?” he asked.
“Trouble’s after us,” I explained. “You remember Heather?”
“What about her?” asked the Monster King.
“The guy who gave her the knowledge to travel dimensions,” I elaborated, “is after us. He’s probably going to be a giant. Wanna bring a Kaiju Riser and help me fight him?”
“I’m wearing my Kaiju Riser right now,” explained Godzilla as he showed me his watch. “Fill me in.”
“Rusty, I need a ride back,” I said into the comms. “I have Godzilla with me.”
“Excellent!” cheered Rusty on the other end. “The others are successful in their missions. We’re ready and waiting!” The rift opened for us and we stepped through to see Vorton packed with people and machines.
“Minna-san,” I announced, “here’s what’s going on.”
“HOW DO THEY KEEP FINDING MY FOUNDATION ELEMENTS?!” roared Lord Vortech as he smacked the Stunticons and Snatcher around. “Every time I send you fools to retrieve one, they’re right behind you!”
“Don’t blame us!” protested Lex. “They obviously have some sort of technology to find them!”
“Oh, but I AM blaming you!” snarled Vortech. “I picked you nitwits because you were the most powerful in your universes! You still allow those idiots to challenge you and defeat you!”
“Not true!” argued Motormaster. I rolled my eyes.
“This whole thing went down with Hiro’s death,” I sighed.
“You think me unaware of that, Ambassador Hell?!” roared Vortech. “That’s why Igura’s out there! But an edge cannot come quickly enough!” He looked among us. “I have to find out how they’ve been doing it, find out where they’re hiding!” His eyes stopped on the image of a Foundation Element as he got an idea. He started laughing. “And I think I know exactly how to do so!”
We returned to Vorton and presented the token. “Nice job, everybody! Good on the new guys too! Congratulations! And, just think, years ago, that adventure would have cost you one whole quarter!”
“Hey, uh, mind if we stay a bit?” asked Sonic.
“It-a looks like you-a need some help,” observed Mario.
“I can help as well!” called Peach.
“Sounds reasonable!” I mused. “Well, Gamer Riders? Shinnosuke-san?”
“I’m afraid we have to go,” replied Emu. “Poppy has a job as a nurse when she’s not guiding us Gamer Riders and I’m a doctor.”
“I just got hired as head of Genm Corp.’s design department for their games,” answered Parado.
“And I’m a police officer,” remarked Shinnosuke. “We all have jobs that demand our attention.”
“Then, farewell, and I hope to see you in the final battle against Vortech,” I declared. X-PO opened a portal for them and they headed back home.
“Hey, do these mean anything to you?” asked Sonic. “I was collecting them in Defender before that alien trapped me in there.” More studs, whoopee.
“How many?” I asked Vortoranii.
“We’re at 2,697,000 studs now,” she counted.
“Any extradimensional excursions that went on during our hunt for the Foundation Element?” I asked.
“No,” sighed Richard happily. “It’s been pretty quiet.” That was when the alarm sounded.
“PO-Lambda has been detected!” reported X-PO.
“WHAT?!” I yelped. “Why did we detect him again?! He should have left Vorton!”
“All indications are that the intruder never left,” replied X-PO.
“That doesn’t make sense, why would he stay?” muttered Emily.
“We have an opportunity to ask,” I replied. “Emily, Richard, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders, X-PO, you’re with me. Livia, show our new arrivals around. X-PO, where’s PO-Lambda?”
“Still on the Executor,” reported X-PO. “Kämpfer, Vader, Death, and Apocalypse are searching the ship right now. The lockdown’s still out of commission. We can beam up with the teleporter.”
“Good idea,” I remarked. “Henshin!” I transformed back into Royal. “We need as much power in reserve as we can get.”
“You know, you CAN call us by name,” replied Mrs. Saunders
“Discussion for another time, Mama,” answered Emily. “Henshin!” She became Touché again.
“Henshin!” announced Richard as he turned into Guard. “Mom, Dad, might want to get a firearm. I’m not sold on the stormtroopers’ shooting.”
“Neither am I,” commented Mr. Saun…Fred. “I’m gonna find out why they’re so crappy at it after this is done.” They grabbed rifles and we headed to the teleporter. We beamed to Vader’s location.
“Ah, I see X-PO’s responded to the alarm,” mused Kämpfer. “Good. The intruder is in the repair bay for the droids on this ship.”
“Lead on,” I directed. The ship lurched again! “What’s going on?!” I demanded. Kämpfer took out his tablet and got the sit-rep.
“The ship is accelerating!” he reported. “The intruder has limited control!”
“I thought our technical teams installed the new safeguards,” snarled Vader.
“We did!” protested Kämpfer. “And triple encrypted them! There is no way the intruder should be able to get into the ship’s systems!”
“Well, it’s clearly possible, because he did it!” snapped Apocalypse.
“That’s irrelevant,” I argued. “What’s our heading?”
“Working on it!” assured Kämpfer. “Ah! Got it! …What?”
“What is it?” I asked.
“We’re just going faster,” reported Kämpfer. “Our orbit is still around Vorton.” I was confused as everyone else.
“We…aren’t leaving?” I asked.
“If I were the toaster-possessing ghost,” replied X-PO, “I would bring the guns around and start shooting stuff!”
“Even then, that’s a waste of power,” commented Fred. “With the shields raised, a Star Destroyer could steamroll through anything in its path and not even scratch the paintjob.”
“Kämpfer, Apocalypse, get to Engineering and see if you can slow us down,” I directed.
“Ja!” confirmed Kämpfer.
“On it!” obliged Apocalypse.
“And if there’s a radiation leak, don’t be a hero!” I called as they headed off.
“Very little risk of that, I can assure you!” replied Kämpfer. They were out of sight.
“Your Majesty,” muttered Guard, “there’s something rotten here, but I can’t put my finger on it!”
“We’ll get our answers from the intruder,” I affirmed. We made it to the Droid Repair bay. “On my signal,” I directed. “Three! Two! One! NOW!” We charged in, making a lot of noise and seeing an Astromech Droid stab PO-Lambda with something. It started screaming and shaking! It then rose up and started putting off a bright light! It then changed into a profile of a human skeleton, then the skeleton went from human to humanoid tiger and back to human again, all while muscle flowed back onto the bones. Organs came back and filled the empty spaces. Skin was restored! Hair grew back! The figure faced us and spoke.
“Sā, Rogue Driver!” it called in a man’s voice. A red vortex opened. A device like my belt flew into the man’s hands. Reality hit me.
“No!” I breathed. “That’s not possible!”
“Oh, but it is!” chuckled the Rogue Driver. “Took you long enough to come back. Let’s get you decent.”
“I agree,” said the man. He then put the Rogue Driver to his waist and it made a belt strap wrap around. Pistols then appeared, one on each side of his waist. Blue pants then flowed over his legs as black boots appeared on his feet. A green shirt materialized on his upper torso and a brown trench coat appeared to cover his body. He unbuttoned the coat and put his hand to the air. A short, flat topped, brown hat appeared and he put it on. “Genomorphic upgrade to host body, successful,” reported a man I hated. “Resurrection, complete!” Death took a sand timer out from her robes. There were Japanese characters on it. 足立ヒロ. They translated to Adachi Hiro, my biological father. The sand was all in the upper bulb. Kamen Rider Rogue was back.
“Guys,” gulped Fred. “The man, he looks like…!”
“He is!” I snarled.
“I am!” replied Hiro.
“How?!” hissed Death. “You blew up in Chima!”
“Only thanks to that twit that ruined everything!” snarled Hiro as he pointed at me. “But, if you must know, I took a page out of someone’s book and turned my soul into living data!”
“Lord Vyce did that to face Linkara!” remembered Guard.
“That tin-plated dictator was nothing,” dismissed Hiro. “While most of my organic material and cybernetics were nothing but ash after I detonated myself, I flew around the multiverse, looking for a way to get a new body! I briefly returned to my home universe and scoured an old base for answers. I had to possess the dead body of a Combatman and go through the files.
“The data I came across showed how to turn a soul into data, so I made the ultimate sacrifice and did so. The data also said that there were ways to make a new body. Project: Ghost Body was where Shocker stored the genetic information and needed cybernetics to make a new body so they could use monsters over and over. I took that data and made numerous attempts to get to Foundation Prime, but I was met with a problem. Vortech was the one who sent me and retrieved me. I didn’t know Foundation Prime’s coordinates. So, I found an old PO robot and possessed it while the events of Touché’s excursion into Jurassic World went on.
“I tried recruiting Heather, but she stupidly brushed me aside. I overheard you wanting to find her, no doubt to get information, so I removed her. I then went to the Ghostbusters’ universe and followed you but altered my exit so I wouldn’t be caught immediately. However, you used the PKE meter to find me, and here we are. Your Dalek is dead and I live.”
“Forgive us if we don’t throw a party,” muttered X-PO.
“Ah, X-PO,” observed Hiro. “You were the one who found Foundation Prime, you will get me back there.”
“I hate to be the bearer of GOOD news,” snarked X-PO, “but Vortech deleted that when you guys fired me!”
“Nonsense!” dismissed Hiro.
“It’s true! That’s another reason why we’ve been getting the Foundation Elements!” insisted X-PO.
“You seriously don’t remember the coordinates of YOUR discovery?!” hissed Hiro, his smirk fading. “Never mind, this vessel will do nicely.”
“If you think I’m going to let you take this ship,” declared Linda, “I have a couple of laser bullets willing to disagree with you!”
“And I’M willing to order Vorton’s destruction!” I snarled. “When it goes, so do our Foundation Elements!”
“You’d never dare!” challenged Hiro.
“Dai Super Charge,” I announced. I then concentrated on portals throughout Vorton and brought everyone on board.
“OI! What’s going on?” called Joshua.
“X-PO,” I ordered, “activate the secondary a.i.”
“On it,” confirmed X-PO. It took a few seconds.
“Secondary a.i online,” intoned a voice.
“Secondary a.i., this is Queen Megumi Hishikawa,” I answered. “Activate Vorton Destruction sequence. Destruct sequence 1, code 1, 1-A.”
“First destruct sequence code recognized,” reported the a.i.
“Guard,” I directed.
“Secondary a.i., this is Sir Richard Saunders,” answered Guard. “Activate Vorton Destruction sequence. Destruct sequence 2, code 1, 1-A, 2-B.”
“Second destruct sequence code recognized,” reported the a.i.
“X-PO,” I commanded.
“You gave X-PO that kind of power!?” snarled Hiro.
“Secondary a.i., this is the Experimental Portal Operator,” called X-PO. “Activate Vorton Destruction sequence. Destruct sequence 3, code 1, 1-B, 2-B, 3.”
“Destruct sequence ready,” reported the a.i. “Set time and initiate final code to begin countdown.”
“Set Vorton Destruction,” I ordered. “Command code 0-0-0-Destruct-0 30 minutes.”
“Destruct sequence completed and engaged,” called the a.i. “Vorton will detonate in 30 minutes.”
“X-PO, Priority Vortech alpha! Abort Vorton Destruct sequence!” demanded Hiro. X-PO’s eye flashed red. “WHAT?! But, that only happens when the code’s been deleted! And it was tied into the coordinates of………you told the truth! Vortech really DID wipe the coordinates from your memory!”
“Took you long enough to realize that,” snarked X-PO.
“You can try whatever trick you may have previously installed in X-PO,” I hissed, “but, when he was tossed aside and I proved myself, he chose ME to lead him! I’m the one in control here! So, I suggest you…!” I didn’t get far as Hiro fired! He then drew his i.d tag.
“Henshin! Dai Super Charge!” he announced. He went straight to Kamen Rider Rift and proceeded to barrel through us and enter the corridors.
“After him!” I shouted. We took off and ran after him as he headed to the bridge. He managed to lock us out.
“Engineering to Megumi, what’s going on?” asked Kämpfer.
“Hiro’s back,” I replied. “Vorton’s gonna blow in…25 minutes now. We’re locked out of the bridge. Can you get us in?”
“2 minutes to let me do so,” called Kämpfer. The ship’s comms activated.
“Relinquish control of the ship to me, or I gas you all, pick up the Foundation Elements, and let Vorton explode,” shouted Rift.
“…1 minute, then,” remarked Kämpfer.
“Good work,” I called to Kämpfer. “As for you, Rift, I recommend you back off!”
“I have no reason to,” dismissed Rift. “Not when Foundation Prime needs to be raised.”
“I like how you have new ears,” I commented, “and yet, you’re still hard of hearing! There’s no way for us to get from here to Foundation Prime, much less contact it!”
“I have traveled throughout the multiverse and have seen universes of pure majesty!” declared Rift. “I have seen ancient mindless evils that fill in the cracks and eat dimensions just for a snack! I have heard tales of an Outer God made of pure glitchy data that was convinced to commit suicide by a fat, screechy comic book nerd! Contacting Foundation Prime for help is ‘small potatoes’, I believe the expression is. You are but a flea that I can brush aside!”
“There are reasons for us not finding Foundation Prime, much less talking to it!” I insisted.
“A fabrication by the original Vortonians, at best,” snarled Hiro, “a ruse by you, at worst. Either way is irrelevant.” At that point, the bridge opened and we crept in. Hiro was still working at a console. I then converted my sword to gun mode and leveled it at Rift. I almost pulled the trigger, but Rift brought out his weapon in bazooka mode and fired! “Did you really think I would fall for that?” he quizzed.
“Vorton Destruction sequence aborted,” reported the secondary a.i. No!
“You think you can beat ME?!” roared Rift as he fired. “I am Adachi Hiro, the vanquisher of Death herself! My life shall continue until the multiverse is all one! You are but the footnote in the pages of my glory! And when they build statues of me, trampling over you, you shall be remembered as…”
“Excuse me,” interrupted a soft, woman’s voice.
“WHAT?!” roared Rift as he faced a woman with bronze hair, a bronze dress with 13 panels of four spheres, a sleeveless top, a choker with two rings, a hairband with a light on each end, a blue dot in the center of her forehead, and silver gauntlets with a plunger resting on the right forearm and a Dalek gun resting on the left forearm.
“That’s my friend you just insulted,” said the woman. She then used the plunger to grab Rift’s chest and toss him over her head. Death was confused.
“I want the life-timer of the woman in front of me,” she whispered as her eyes glowed. A sand-timer came into her hands and she looked at the name. Her eyes went wide. “Impossible!” she whispered.
“What? What is it?!” I asked. Death turned to the woman.
“You squishy, green maniac!” she whispered with a grin.
“Who are you talking about?!” I demanded.
“RUSTY!” cheered Death. “He’s…she’s alive!” She pointed to the woman. I gave the woman a look. On closer inspection, her dress DID look like a Dalek.
“Well?” asked the woman. “Aren’t you going to say thank you?” She held a hand to her ear.
“Well, Rusty,” I mused, not believing her, “I suppose that 2,000,000 stud reward you gave us will have to go back so you can spend it wisely.”
“What are you talking about?” asked the woman. “I gave you 220,000 studs. This was before Vortoranii became your belt’s a.i and it made the total, at the time, 600,000. I was there when you were crowned Queen and functioned as a member of your Tech support staff.” I don’t believe it! It really is…!
“RUSTY!” I cheered as I ran forward. I hugged him…her and laughed in joy. “But…how…we fired your body into a star! How are you…?”
“The Dalek?!” roared Rift. “IMPOSSIBLE!”
“You know what, you can explain later,” I said to Rusty.
“Of course,” agreed Rusty. “Now, as for you, for causing a radiation leak, as I would have put it earlier, EXTERMINATE!” She fired from her blaster and Rift glowed teal with his skeleton showing. He screamed but didn’t crumple to the floor. Instead, he swatted the beam aside. Odd, given that it was light and radiation. Rift panted.
“That…hurt!” he gasped. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be altered to prevent death by a Dalek blaster? I was surrounded by xenophobic maniacs when we recruited Davros and those tanks!”
“Huh,” I muttered. “Swing and a miss, Rusty.”
“In all honesty, I should have figured that,” replied Rusty. Rift then fired on us and escaped the bridge.
“He’s going for the hangar!” yelped Death.
“I’ll cut him off!” called Rusty.
“No!” I countered. “Does your plunger still work as a computer interface?”
“Manipulator arm,” corrected Rusty. “And, yes, it does.”
“Talk to the ship’s computers and slow down our orbit,” I directed. “I’ll face Rift.” I charged off before anyone could stop me. I saw Rift walking the corridor and looking out the window. He got visibly angry. I peeked out my window and could see our orbit slowing down. Thank you, Rusty. I then aimed my weapon at Rift’s window, waited, and fired! The window shattered as the air was being sucked out into space. I grabbed an overhead support and Rift grabbed my leg!
“Activating emergency bulkheads!” called X-PO’s voice over the comms.
“Belay that!” I ordered
“What?!” yelped X-PO.
“I have business that requires an open window!” I replied. I felt Rift climbing up my leg. At that point, I raised my other foot and slammed it onto Rift’s head. “I! HAVE HAD! ENOUGH OF YOU!” I said as I kicked. One final kick was enough to send Rift flying through the window and into space. His suit should give him enough air for five hours, more than enough to make a rift for himself. He flew past Vorton. “Okay, X-PO, you can close the bulkheads!” I called. An emergency blast door slid over the window, stabilizing everything. I let go of the overhead support and let myself tumble to the floor. I then cancelled my transformation. “…Wheeeee…” I sighed.
Emily had just checked us all over after that hair-raising escapade. We gathered in the Gateway room after our check-up. “Well, all in all, that could have gone worse,” I mused.
“COULD HAVE GONE WORSE?!” protested Mr. Babineaux. “The creature that kidnapped us came back to life and nearly made you destroy our base of operations! The rest of us were surprised to be evacuated that quickly! I’m still trying to process the information!!”
“Papa,” calmed Emmanuel. “Perhaps this event happened for the best. We have an old friend back, Hiro’s been defeated as usual, and the Executor is back in control.”
“There IS an explanation waiting,” I recalled. “Rusty, how DID you come back? We fired your body into a star, per your last wish.”
“That’s where things got tricky, even for me,” answered Rusty. “After you fired me into a star, my shell’s computers switched on. I was surprised but decided to take advantage of the situation. You do recall that Azmuth was studying my shell?”
“I remember,” I muttered. “I argued with him a lot about it. Eventually, I caved.”
“Good thing you did,” replied Rusty. “When Ben confronted Azmuth about it, I beamed into the Omnitrix and collected and copied various genetic samples, combining them into one. I then beamed myself and the samples to the Codon Stream on Primus. My new body then rose out of the stream and started testing out the limits. By all appearances, I was human, but I noticed holes on my forearms. I then realized those were for armaments, specifically, mine. I had to get back, so I waited for a ship. Azmuth then arrived on a ship with a female Chimera Sui Generis named Myaxx. I snuck aboard the ship and waited for take-off. It took a few days, but I was taken to Galvan Mark II. Azmuth was creating his own Gateway. It didn’t have the proper codes to connect to Vorton, but I still remembered them. I generated my own portal to the closet here as I was still nude. I then found clothes that would emulate my shell. Once I was dressed, I returned to the upper levels and found my shell in its glass case. I took the armaments and then teleported to the Executor’s bridge.”
“And then you gave your dramatic reveal,” I chuckled. A couple of tears came down. “It’s good to see you again!” I gave him…her…I gave Rusty a hug. Rusty reciprocated.
“I guess, the question is, what pronouns are we using?” asked Elphaba.
“Yeah, that leads to another question,” muttered Tanisha. “Why a female body?”
“I just thought it looked cool,” replied Rusty. “So, female pronouns are preferred.” I then broke off the hug.
“Still, it’s good to have you back!” I cheered.
“Good to BE back,” replied Rusty. Lukas then entered, looking pale and weak.
“WHOA!” yelped Emily as she led him to a bench. “Dude, are you okay?!”
“Nein,” muttered Lukas, shakily, “nein, I’m NOT okay. I…er…I recently undid Hiro’s control over the Executor.”
“Do I even WANT to know how he got control?” I asked.
“Well, to answer that,” replied Lukas, “he connected like an Astromech. He then copied over code and altered a few things. All in all, not that different from when Tech Support takes over your computer.”
“So, why are you so spooked?” asked Emmanuel.
“Because, in going through the code,” clarified Lukas, “in getting it back to the settings before he got in and updating the security software, I discovered something. He copied something over.”
“What did he copy?” I asked, fearing the worst.
“He copied…Vorton’s coordinates,” gulped Lukas.
“WHAT?!” shouted Batman.
“He’s got our location locked in the Rogue Driver,” confirmed Lukas.
“Wha…when did he do that?!” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” replied Lukas. “My best theory, given what went on, it was as he accelerated the Executor’s orbit. He used it as a false trail to distract whoever would be on to him. …Even then, the whole plan was, er, half-assed, I believe the expression is.” I ran my hands down my face.
“We’re in a precarious state, everyone,” I muttered.
I made my displeasure clear to Zod. I slammed him to the ground, threw him into the wall, and tossed him across the room. “YOU UTTER FAILURE!” I roared. “I thought having a Kryptonian would give me an edge, but you’re an utter failure! You allowed mere humans to best you! And you didn’t raise a finger to take the Foundation Element from Batman!”
“My Lord, this is but a temporary setback!” yelped Zod.
“That put us back by two years!” I roared. “Luthor! Continue punishing him, I grow fatigued.” Lex Luthor put on a pair of gloves with Kryptonite knuckles and dished out more pain onto Zod. I headed to my quarters and heard somebody being strangled. I put my ear to the door and heard Igura.
“You promised me that the Foundation Element would confirm the lead you had obtained and that it would be an easy heist, and what is the result?!” she snarled. “A lost Foundation Element! A lead lost! A Tarlaxian freed! And Megumi stronger and with more allies!”
“One thing…” choked out her hapless victim, Metalran, if my guess on the voice is right, “…you fail to realize…is that…!”
“ENOUGH PRATTLE!” screeched Igura as I heard her toss Metalran into a wall. “If I am to find Hiro’s soul, it will have to be through other means! I must deal with this matter myself!” She exited the room and ran into me. “Lord Vortech!” she gasped. “I didn’t…how much have you heard?”
“Enough,” I replied. “So, it was Metalran that gave you the tip that Hiro’s soul was back in your universe.”
“Even if that were true,” she muttered, “the trail is cold. If he was there, he’s long gone. I must continue the search through other means. Excuse me.” She left to search again.
“Good luck,” I bid.
“Another Foundation Element!” cheered X-PO as we returned. “Nice work! You guys have exceeded my expectations!”
“Yeah, that’s kind of my thing,” rasped Batman.
“I can’t believe you guys entered the Ghostbusters universe!” muttered Mr. Saunders. “The GOOD one!”
“For the last time, the 2016 one wasn’t bad!” protested Mrs. Saunders.
“Not this again!” wailed Emily.
“Let’s not do that garbage, okay?” pleaded Richard. “That’s as stupid as the Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate.”
“So, what do you want to do next?” asked X-PO. “Maybe kick back? Have a cappuccino? See what’s on the DVR?”
“What we want to do next,” interjected Gandalf, “is rescue our compatriots and save the entire multiverse!”
“Wow, this guy’s more literal than I am,” muttered X-PO, “and I’m a robot! Okay, the next Foundation Element is located within a trans-reality pocket dimension.”
“What does that mean?” asked Batman. Chell then signed what X-PO meant.
“It means,” translated Tanisha, “it will be…weird.”
“Sure,” murmured Wyldstyle. “That’ll make a change. You see who I’ve been hanging out with? Weird’s not a problem for me.”
“You want weird?” countered Elphaba. “You should see Mr. Saunders’ nonsense!”
“It’s not nonsense!” protested Mr. Saunders. “Wait here, I need to show you guys something!” He disappeared.
“Mama, should I be frightened?” asked Emily.
“This IS your father we’re talking about,” gulped Mrs. Saunders. We waited a good ten minutes before Mr. Saunders came back. Oh, lord, I wish he didn’t! He was wearing a full-face mask with red compound eyes and wings behind them. The outfit consisted of his old army gear and an absurd American Flag design on the belt buckle!
“I am…KAMEN RIDER FRED! I have new socks!” announced Mr. Saunders. Cue the crickets. “Uh…guys?”
“What the hell are you dressed up as?!” yelped Richard.
“I’m Kamen Rider Fred!” replied Mr. Saunders.
“…I think I forgot to…brain…without a…something!” stammered Turretorg.
“My life is NOT gonna burn bright,” moaned Takeru. “It’s gonna fizzle out with a whimper of pain from what I’m seeing right now.”
“My eyes!” wailed Hongo.
“Daddy,” cried Emily, “you make me want to punch a bunny!”
“Not mine!” I protested.
“But, with my new powers of American Awesomeness,” continued Mr. Saunders, “I will fight crime, protect the innocent, work for world peace, and…!”
“FRED, YOU TAKE THAT STUPID COSTUME OFF RIGHT NOW,” roared Mrs. Saunders, “OR, I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL TASE YOU IN YOUR JUNK!”
“Oh, come on!” protested Mr. Saunders. “I have a mask and belt and everything!”
“CHANGE! NOW!” everyone roared. Mr. Saunders slumped and walked off in a somber tone.
“Now that THAT’S burned into my skull,” I muttered. “Takeru, I believe this is goodbye.”
“Bye, everyone!” bid Takeru. “Oh, before I forget, do you guys know these?” “These” were studs.
“That’s 150,000,” counted Vortoranii. “2,154,000 studs in total.” Emily then slapped her forehead.
“I forgot to add our 358,000 studs from our excursion to Jurassic World!” she wailed.
“Come on!” I cried.
“Sorry!” replied Emily.
“Now we’re at 2,512,000 studs!” muttered Vortoranii. “This is absurd!”
“Are studs valuable?” asked Takeru.
“They were when the Vortonians existed,” replied X-PO. “I would stick to your currency though. Studs probably aren’t legal tender in your universe. Speaking of, your ride’s here.” A rift opened for him.
“Goodbye!” called Takeru. He went through. Hiroki then released his breath.
“Something you want to share with us?” I asked.
“I didn’t want to say this in front of Takeru,” explained Hiroki, “but I didn’t like the TV show based on his adventures.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because there was so much wasted potential!” ranted Hiroki. “On top of that, Takeru’s allies were trying too hard to be funny! I just…felt disappointed. He’s the second Rider that disappointed me.”
“Who’s the first?” asked Okaa-san.
“With all due respect, ZX (pronounce Zecross),” answered Hiroki. “Again, they didn’t expand on the story enough! The whole movie he starred in could have easily been an entire TV series!”
“I suppose so,” conceded Okaa-san.
“So, how does a PKE meter work?” I asked, changing the subject.
“When it’s on,” explains Richard as he turned it on, “these arms rise up and start flashing to indicate that there’s some form of psychokinetic activity. It functions as a ghost radar. Once it finds something, it beeps at a certain pace until it finds or loses something. If it loses something, the arms go lower, the flashing slows down, and the beeping goes at a slower rate. Gaining something is indicated by the opposite actions.” Then, it happened. The arms raised and started flashing.
“…Seriously?!” gulped Wyldstyle.
“Suits on,” I recommended.
“Rider…” began Hongo.
“Henshin!” we announced.
“I heard a Henshin!” called Mr. Saunders as he came back in his usual clothes. He saw us. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve got a ghost, Daddy,” said Touché. Mr. Saunders then dropped the lovable idiot act and assumed his army colonel persona.
“What’s our move here?” he requested.
“We find this thing,” I replied. “Richard, take point.”
“On it,” he confirmed. He led us around the room and stopped when the arms went higher and flashed more rapidly at the West Door. He scanned down the hall both ways. We followed him to his right. We went down it until we stopped at an armory.
“Better have those that can use weapons to grab them,” suggested Arch.
“Agreed,” I replied. “Those that can fight, grab a weapon.” The fighters did so as we left. The PKE meter went nuts as we faced the end of the hall. There was a transmat at the other end and the robot that killed Heather was at the other end, fiddling with it. The fighters then returned. “Stay close!” I whispered. “No one move yet!” The robot carried out its work. It then put down the tools it was using and hovered back a bit to admire its handiwork. “ATTACK!” I ordered. The robot turned and saw us. It pulled a gun on us and fired. We fired back. “Try not to damage its head!” I called.
“What about it damaging ours?!” protested Mr. Babineaux. The robot then engaged the transmat and vanished in blue light.
“Kämpfer!” I ordered. “Find out where he went!”
“Hey, what’s going on down there?” asked Max’s voice over the comms. “Something beamed onto the Executor and…” static then drowned out Max’s transmission.
“Max?” I tried. “Mr. Tennyson!”
“That robot must have severed communications somehow,” guessed Sengoku.
“Maybe with Team 10,” I argued, “but Vader’s up there as well.” I opened a communications channel with Vader. “Lord Vader, have you gotten eyes on a stowaway on your ship?” I was greeted with static. “Vader? Darth Vader! ANAKIN!”
“Er, doesn’t go by that name,” reminded Claw.
“What’s going on here?” asked an old voice. We all tried to locate the voice’s source. “Down here!” it called. I looked down to see some sort of tiny, grey, humanoid, frog-like creature with big eyes and dressed in green robes. It had some sort of grey extensions on its head and liver spots.
“Azmuth!” called Touché.
“You know him?” I asked.
“He’s the guy who created the Omnitrix,” answered Guard. “Also, the smartest being, in his words, in three (possibly five) galaxies.”
“Even people from other universes can remember it?” croaked Azmuth. “Why can’t Ben?”
“What are you doing here on Vorton?” I asked. “How did you get here?”
“Some lady calling herself a doctor dragged me into her impossible box and brought me here,” replied Azmuth. “She said she knew why I lost contact with my Omnitrix and where my Ultimatrix rig vanished.”
“THE Doctor,” I corrected. “She’s THE Doctor, a Gallifreyan, a Time-Lord, er, Lady, er…whatever.”
“In any case, she’s onboard a warship called the Executor,” continued Azmuth. “Trying to take care of the communications breakdown, no doubt.”
“We need to get up there!” I declared. “There’s a killer robot on the loose!”
“So, get us up there!” insisted Climb. I was confused by her question, then remembered.
“Dai Super Charge!” I announced. My armor bulked, then the bulk flew off as I made a rift beneath us. We ended up on the Executor’s bridge, with Vader trying to speak to the Doctor. She was wearing a lighter coat and pants with suspenders over a black shirt with a rainbow across her front. She was using her tool-kit as well as a new Sonic Screwdriver at some sort of console.
“Madam, it would be wise to…!” protested Vader.
“I’ll take it from here, Lord Vader,” I announced. Vader and the Doctor looked up to see me.
“How did you get on board?” asked the Doctor.
“Easy when you’re Vortex,” I replied. “Did you find any intruder?”
“Yes, that robot from Jurassic World,” answered the Doctor. “The one you talked about.”
“So, he DID end up here,” I mused. “He’s making our newest Foundation Element go haywire.” Guard held up the PKE meter. It was beeping again, but steadily.
“That way,” remarked Guard.
“Lead on,” I directed. Vader, some stormtroopers, and the Doctor joined us. We headed down the corridors for a bit until the blast doors closed.
“Open the blast doors! OPEN THE BLAST DOORS!” ordered a Stormtrooper as a trio of them tried to get the door open.
“Er, guys,” called Ben’s voice over the comms, “what’s going on?”
“Ghost possessing a robot,” I replied. “Can Gwen find out where it’s going?”
“Sadly, no,” answered Gwen. “If it’s a ghost, there’s no mana to track.”
“It’s possessing a robot?” asked Max. “We should be able to track via the electric charge it uses to move. Ben, can you use Grey Matter to find him?”
“Easy enough for the little guy with the mega brain,” boasted Ben. I heard a sound that indicated the Omnitrix was changing Ben. “UPGRADE!” shouted Ben’s normal voice in a robotic undertone. “Oh, COME ON!”
“Ben, what did I say about banging on my Omnitrix?” snapped Azmuth.
“Azmuth?!” called Upgrade. “I didn’t push down on the core THAT hard! Anyways, I can work with this. There’s a computer terminal here.” Ben went silent for a while, then spoke again. “He’s trying to gain access to Engineering,” reported Upgrade. “Uh oh, he found me! He’s…typing a message. He can’t speak, so he wants me to read his message aloud. He can hear us.”
“Let’s hear it,” I directed.
“And, I quote, ‘Relinquish access to Engineering or I detonate this ship like an atom bomb!’” relayed Upgrade.
“I don’t respond well to threats,” hissed Vader.
“‘Your intimidation factor does not work on me, Sith Lord,’” replied Upgrade. “Er…that’s the…”
“I know who spoke, thank you,” dismissed Vader. “Intruder, I can cause undue pain to your body from here. Cease your operations at once.”
“‘Considering that I currently have the body of PO-Lambda 2279,’” relayed Upgrade, “‘I see no reason to be afraid.’”
“‘PO-Lambda?’” I asked. X-PO then came in.
“I heard the whole thing on the way here,” he answered. “So, the ghost has PO-Lambda?”
“What does the name mean?” I asked.
“Well, what do the letters in my name stand for?” asked X-PO.
“Experimental Portal Opera…that thing’s another you?!” I realized.
“A Lambda class Portal Operator Robot,” confirmed X-PO. “A more advanced version of me. 2278 was the last of the class sold before Vorton went the way it is. 2279 was finished in terms of physical build, but never got on the shelves because the A.I wasn’t ready yet.”
“You say that as if your type of robot was meant to be sold as if it were a TV set,” I mused.
“No, sold like TV antennas,” corrected X-PO. “The Gateways were the TV sets. The Vortonians simply viewed other universes for entertainment and only interfered when authorized to do so.”
“But, an entire species…” I muttered.
“It’s more like a contract between PO Robot and Owner,” replied X-PO. “We PO Robots have to go through an extensive interview process as well as our potential owners. There has to be compatibility between the two, otherwise, there’s no real respect.”
“So, it’s not slavery to you?” I quizzed.
“Not really,” replied X-PO. “I mean, yes, there ARE wackos who would use a PO Robot for evil gains, Vortech is a prime example, but, for the most part, we’re good judges of character.”
“I see,” I muttered.
“You’re not worried about abusing my abilities, are you?” asked X-PO.
“…That worry extends to everyone,” I murmured. Everyone stared.
“I will admit,” answered Claw, “I did NOT expect that from calm, collected Megumi Hishikawa.”
“Sorry,” I replied, “it’s just that I know what being taken advantage of looks like and I worry about that. I’m the daughter of a creature that did that.”
“Now, stop that!” snapped Okaa-san. “I don’t want to hear you use that kind of talk. You are NOT that monster.”
“Okaa-san’s right,” agreed Sengoku. “If you did take advantage of anyone, the F.N.S wouldn’t be here.”
“You helped us when we needed it,” reminded Guard. “That’s why we said you should be Queen. We know, deep down, you’ll be there for us. And, rest assured, we’ll be there for you.”
“I don’t normally make friends,” rasped Batman, “but the F.N.S has helped me in more ways than you could imagine.”
“This whole adventure, hell-raising though it is,” assured Ichigō, “is exciting. I wouldn’t get anywhere without you.”
“Thanks, everyone,” I answered, smiling under my helmet. Then, the ship lurched! “Ben, what on Earth was that?!” I called.
“The intruder went past the firewalls I set up!” answered Upgrade. The blast doors then opened to reveal Team 10. There was a black computer terminal with green circuit lines and the Omnitrix symbol.
“Can you get the Doctor, Rusty, and Kämpfer to engineering?” I asked. “They may need to fix whatever damage the intruder caused.” A mound of the colors that currently make up the terminal with a green circle rose up. The circle acted as the eye.
“It’s gonna be tricky, but I can manage,” replied Upgrade. “Rusty’s on the other end of the ship.”
“Rusty, this is Megumi,” I called over the Comms.
“Awaiting commands!” reported Rusty.
“Ben’s going to open a path to Engineering for you,” I explained. “Kämpfer and the Doctor will meet you there. You need to fix whatever damage the intruder caused.”
“I obey!” obliged Rusty.
“Let me go with them,” suggested Azmuth. “They need a genius.”
“Sure, like they need you going on about how you’re the smartest being in 12 galaxies,” snapped Upgrade as the eye changed shape to show irritation.
“Three, arguably five, galaxies,” corrected Touché. “Why is that so difficult for you to remember?!”
“Whatever,” dismissed Upgrade.
“Besides, the more geniuses, the merrier,” I continued. “Be careful, Azmuth.”
“Of course,” assured Azmuth. The Doctor let Azmuth onto her shoulder and she and Kämpfer took off.
“Vader, Brigadier, Guard, Ben, with me. We’re gonna try and regain control of the ship from the bridge,” I directed.
“Not a good idea,” countered Upgrade as the black and green circuit color melted off, formed a puddle, and then a figure rose from the puddle made of the stuff, but had a green front with green underarms and black circuit lines. This was Upgrade in his original Galvanic Mechamorph state. The Omnitrix symbol was on his chest. “The intruder is on his way to the bridge,” reported Upgrade. “He’ll try and stop us.”
“Then you and Vader keep him off of me and Guard’s back,” I replied.
“He’s not on the main bridge,” reported Vader. “I can sense him going to the backup bridge. We need to get down there quickly.”
“I may have a way,” answered Upgrade. He slapped the Omnitrix symbol and changed shape in a green light. He looked like a stereotypical ghost with one eye on a track and chains on his neck and arms. “GHOSTFREAK!” he announced in a harsh whisper. “I was hoping for Big Chill, but this will do. Which deck?”
“Deck 2, 10 floors below,” answered Vader. Ghostfreak then got me, Vader, and Guard close together and phased us all through the floor. We went down 10 levels before arriving at the backup bridge.
“Okay, that was weird!” I shuddered The intruder then arrived and Ghostfreak and Vader started fighting it. The intruder pulled out his gun and fired while Vader tried to crush its armor with the Force. It didn’t go well as the intruder wiggled out of his grasp and fired on Vader’s control panel. He started having trouble breathing. I went to fix it while Ghostfreak charged at the intruder, intending to knock the ghost in the machine out. The intruder wasn’t having it as he dodged Ghostfreak numerous times.
“All right, this song and dance is making me very angry!” hissed Ghostfreak. “It just makes want to unleash my ever-growing…” he slapped the Omnitrix symbol as he changed into “rrrrrRRRAAAATTHHH!” he said. The robot then shot Rath’s wrestling shorts. They burned up as Rath ran around, slapping on the fire. It died and revealed his crotch. It was covered in fur, but Rath seemed to get madder. “You…you burned up my pants!” He then roared and slammed the robot onto the floor and punched it a lot. “LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN’, GHOST POSSESSING A ROBOT! YOU CAN BURN ME! YOU CAN BURN MY HOUSE! YOU CAN BURN THE THINGS I STAND FOR! YOU CAN EVEN BURN MY FEELINGS, IF I HAD ANY! BUT NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE, BURNS AN APPOPLEXIAN OF HIS HIGHLY ADVANCED SENSE OF SHAME!” He was about to slam both fists down when the intruder caught them and tossed him aside. “KARATE’S GOOD!” roared Rath. “RATH’S GONNA CALL YOU KARATE-BOT, KARATE BOT!” The ship lurched again and Rath crashed onto the intruder.
“Backup bridge to engineering, what’s going on?!” I called.
“There’s a radiation leak!” replied the Doctor’s voice. “One of the engine batteries ruptured! It’s contained, but we can’t get in to plug up the leak!”
“Vader, how bad is the radiation in the batteries?” I asked.
“It’s enough to kill anyone, even beings like me, in 10 minutes,” explained Vader.
“Oh boy,” I sighed. “Try to find another way to plug up the leak and filter out the radiation, Doctor. I’m still locked on trying to get the ship under control.”
“On it!” called the Doctor.
“Sir, now really,” snarled the Brigadier to the intruder. “Can’t we just get connected?” He extended a probe and jammed it into the PO Robot’s head. The intruder didn’t like that, so he sent electricity down the probe and shocked the Brigadier.
“Alistair!” I called.
“I’m fine,” assured the Brigadier, “though, I think my systems are damaged. We need more power, like, more power than Rath has!” Rath got an idea.
“LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN’ SIR BRIGADIER ALISTAIR GORDON LETHBRIDGE-STEWART, FOUNDING CYBERMAN OF THE UNITED NEBULAR INTELLIGENCE TASK-FORCE, THAT’S A GREAT IDEA! THERE’S A TIME TO GO HERO, AND THERE’S A TIME TO GO ULTIMATE!” Rath turned the Ultimatrix rig key and slapped the Omnitrix symbol down. He got bigger, his fur went a darker shade of orange, he gained claws on each finger and another claw on each wrist, and his mane looked a lot like Wolverine from Marvel Comics. He had a vest that looked like it had green cat’s eyes and new pants. “ULTIMATE RATH!” he roared. He then looked himself over. “Cool! Wait, I’m keeping a level head? That’s all I ask for when I turn into Rath!”
“I guess Evolved Appoplexians get a cooler head in millions of years of worse case scenarios,” I mused.
“Nice!” cheered Ultimate Rath. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to kick a ghost in a robot’s rear!” Ultimate Rath then charged on all fours at the intruder. He leapt onto him and decked him. The intruder’s robot body sparked and went offline. “That was for Rath’s pants!” roared Ultimate Rath. The Omnitrix symbol then started flashing red. “And this is a perfect time to power down,” chuckled Ultimate Rath, “now that the threat is over.” The Omnitrix beeped and then Ultimate Rath shrunk down to Rath, then went back to Ben.
“Just so you know,” I criticized, “we were shaking like Jell-O when you fought as Ultimate Rath.”
“Sorry, I never used Ultimate Rath before,” answered Ben with a sheepish grin. The Comms then beeped.
“Go ahead,” I called.
“The leak has been sealed,” reported the Doctor.
“All right!” I cheered. “How did you guys do it?”
“We didn’t,” answered Azmuth. “Rusty did. Manually. In the infected zone.”
“…But…the radiation…” I stammered.
“Megumi, you need to get to Engineering, NOW!” called Kämpfer. A worst case scenario entered my mind.
“Guys, MOVE!” I shouted. We ran to Engineering. When we entered, there was a transparent wall with us on one side and Rusty on the other. The Brigadier and I rushed to the wall, but Lukas and the Doctor held us back.
“Get out of the way, Doctor!” demanded the Brigadier.
“You can’t go in!” argued the Doctor.
“But, the radiation! He’ll die!” cried the Brigadier.
“Brigadier! Sir! ALISTAIR!” snapped the Doctor. The Brigadier and I stopped struggling. “He’s already too far gone.” They released us, allowing us to walk over to the infected zone. Rusty wasn’t twitching as much. His dome swiveled slowly as the eye was getting dimmer. He then rotated his body slowly.
“Let…me…see…you…” he croaked. “The…real…you…” Rusty’s casing then opened, slowly. His real self was looking a sickly brown as his eye was opened slowly. I cancelled my transformation as the Brigadier opened his helmet. “Do…not…grieve,” said Rusty weakly. “I did…what was…needed.”
“Rusty, there was a plethora of droids!” I cried, tears coming down my face. “They didn’t have organic components!”
“They…did not…have…the needed…skill…” wheezed Rusty. One of his tentacles touched the glass. The Brigadier put his hand up to it. “Alistair…” he continued, “I…hope…this…banishes…any doubt…you held…about…me…”
“Any doubt I had was banished ages ago, old chap,” mumbled the Brigadier. “You’ve become more than a Dalek. You’ve become my friend.” There was a few seconds silence.
“I…am in…pain…” reported. Rusty. I moved to speak, but Rusty cut me off. “This…is fine. …I…will die…so you…may live. …But…before…I die…I’m glad…I met…you…”
“Rusty, we can help!” I wailed.
“No…you…cannot…” countered Rusty. “…I…die…for a good…cause. …The needs…of the many…outweigh…the needs…of the few…as Spock…would…put it. …Good…bye…my friends.” Rusty’s real eye closed, his true limbs drooped as well as his shell’s limbs, and his eyestalk stopped glowing once it went down. Rusty, the friendly Dalek…was dead.
The Brigadier retrieved Rusty’s last wish from a backup computer in his shell. Rusty wanted his real body to be taken out of the shell and fired into a star, to symbolize his rebirth from normal Dalek soldier to our friend. When the radiation levels were acceptable, we got Rusty out and decontaminated his body. We preserved him for a while so we could set up his funeral. It took place in the Gateway room and we all wore dark clothing. Batman had gotten out of his Bat suit and put on normal funeral clothes, putting on the persona of Bruce Wayne. He even dropped the raspy voice he uses as Batman. The Brigadier had his armor painted black. Someone knocked on my door. “Yes?” I asked, a little shaky as Okaa-san laced me up.
“Megumi, dear, it’s time,” whispered Death.
“On my way,” I mumbled. Okaa-san followed me, her hand on my shoulder to reassure me. Soon, we arrived. A track with a little coffin on our end and the controls behind the coffin rested. It was open casket, so we could see Rusty’s real self. Two of his tentacles were resting as a corpse’s hands would, clasped together, and his eye was closed. I took my place at the controls. Okaa-san was behind me as well as Hiroki. Hongo and Wyldstyle were on my left while Bruce and Gandalf were on my right. “Minna-san,” I began, “today, we gather to honor the death of a friend, Rusty the Dalek. Before an encounter with his people’s greatest enemy, the Doctor, Rusty’s ship was attacked and destroyed. He survived, but with damage. That damage allowed him to see a star being born and see what a beautiful thing life is. During an encounter with the Doctor, he joined the humans and made a name for himself. Over time, he became friends with Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Then, both he and the newly-christened Brigadier joined us and became our allies, helping us when needed. He gave his life so we may continue the fight against Lord Vortech. I, for one, will fight in his name, as I know you all will. I must say, out of all the souls I met in the multiverse, his was the most…diverse.” I nodded to Mr. Saunders.
“Present…ARMS!” he barked. Everybody raised a weapon in salute. I then pressed a button on the controls and Rusty’s coffin moved. It went slowly to allow us to say goodbye. Soon, it left the rail from Vorton and floated to one of the stars, where his body was consumed to make new fuel for that star. Rusty was returned to cosmic shores.
“I will not say ‘do not weep’,” said Gandalf softly, “for not all tears are an evil.” As we departed, Emily and Okaa-san joined me in my quarters. We sat on my bed. At that point, I let myself cry uncontrollably. I was embraced by Emily and sobbed as she held my trembling frame. Okaa-san held us both. We all wept for Rusty. Emily then saw something and directed me to look on my dresser. Azmuth was standing there.
“I am…sorry you’re going through this,” he whispered. “From what you said, Rusty had evolved beyond the hatred that was bred into his species.” I sniffed before answering.
“Yes,” I mumbled. “Personally, I think he would have been a worthy host of the Omnitrix.”
“Very much so,” agreed Azmuth.
“Azmuth,” called Emily as she dried her eyes, “as long you’re here, I have a question.”
“Go ahead,” replied Azmuth.
“Ben had the Omnitrix taken from him when he was in Jurassic World,” recalled Emily. “After it got itself off the thief, I was its new host for a while. When I had it, I couldn’t access my belt’s powers or suit. Could the Omnitrix have blocked that somehow?”
“I’m not sure,” answered Azmuth. “The Omnitrix never did that before. I’ll look into it when I get back.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. Azmuth departed.
“Do you need anything?” asked Emily.
“I just need to be alone for a bit,” I whimpered.
“Okay,” sighed Emily. She and Okaa-san left as I laid on the bed. For the first time, I felt my own mortality, and the mortality of my friends. I laid still for a while.
“…Rusty,” sang a woman’s voice.
“AUGH!” I screamed in surprise as I tumbled off my bed.
“AUGH!” screamed the woman.
“AUGH!” I screamed as I picked myself up.
“AUGH!” screamed the woman.
“AUGH!” I screamed.
“AUGH!” screamed the woman.
“…AUGH!” I screamed.
“AUGH!” screamed the woman. “WHY ARE WE SCREAMING ‘AUGH’ OVER AND OVER?!”
“DOCTOR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” I shouted.
“Rusty never got a good tribute song!” replied the Doctor.
“Get the hell out of my room and let me grieve in peace!” I snarled, the anger I thought I had gotten over was coming back.
“Rusty needs a song!” protested the Doctor. “He needs to be immortalized somehow!”
“I heard screaming!” whispered a voice. It was Death.
“I was screaming at the Doctor,” I replied. “Doctor, if I let you sing a tribute to Rusty, will you let me be?!”
“Of course,” assured the Doctor. I sat down, and the Doctor sang to the tune of Amazing Grace.
Rusty, Rusty,
How great was he,
That saved people
Like thee?
I never thought,
I would find heart,
But, a heart, I see,
In Rusty!
The Doctor finished. “Wasn’t that lovely?” she asked. I just glared at her. “My work is done.” The Doctor entered the TARDIS and departed.
“I should go, as well,” whispered Death.
“Death, wait,” I called.
“Hm?” hummed Death.
“I know that you and the Apocalypse Riders will see him,” I began, “but, do you think we mortals will see him again?”
“He IS dead,” whispered Death, “and no one can cure it, so…”
“But, is there hope?” I asked.
“There never was,” whispered Death, “just a fool’s hope.”
“…I guess,” I sighed.
“I’ll let you be,” whispered Death. “We shall meet again, before the end.”
“…Bye…” I mumbled. Death left and I got ready for bed. We had already had dinner, so I just brushed my teeth, put on my nightgown, and got into bed. “…Goodbye, Rusty,” I mumbled. “Thank you.”