Interlinked
Oleh: Poor Storyteller
Speculation #0: Pilot
From Tragic to Possible Savior?
A City full of surveillance welcoming the night. The City's buildings filled with giant screens that always broadcast the public service announcements. Those screens always show the mysterious Big Brother's face. He announces official informations from the government, especially a warning that "Big Brother is watching you". To make sure that the citizens' actions always under the surveillance. Security cameras installed everywhere in The City. Streets, buildings, even the citizens' home filled with those cameras.
Because of that, their actions were limited. They cannot do anything that violate the government's law. Especially those that against the government's rule. They will be caught and executed. In this city, lives a man with full of scars and stitchess across his body.
He dresses like a homeless, wandering The City. Nobody cares him, like any other homeless'. Looks like the government do not care about them anymore. They are allowed to wandering The City just like the man with the scars and stitches across his body.
In the man's thought, he always remembered a mysterious voice that always said "It's time to save this world. You are the key." Today, is the last day of his five-year time loop after the multiverses merged. This is the 666th loop.
Until one day, the loop ends. He is transferred to this empty dark place. "How does it feel like, live in the same five years after The Merging of the multiverses' life over and over again?." Said the mysterious voice to the man's ear. "It feels tormenting." Answer the guy. The Man asks to the mysterious voice where he is. For him, the empty dark place was worst than a city ruled by the Totalitarian Government. There is nothing there.
"Easy, I am just adjusting this place because of your presence. Everything is difficult after the multiverses merged. More mysterious force trying to take over this place that always be under my watch." Answer the voice.
Finally, the mysterious voice reveal itself. A tall-skinny, pale-skinned, messy-haired guy with a black robe. He is the dream himself, The Dream of the Endless, Morpheus.
"I am the guardian of dream, the source of inspirations and ideas. Where all stories began." He answered the man with scars and stitches across his body's doubt.
"Did you the one who released me from the time loop?." Said the man furiously.
"I should be the one who asked first. How can you enter this realm. No one can enter this place unless you had certain abilities." Answer Morpheus with another question.
The Man with scars and stitches starting to process what happened to him so far. All of these events happened so fast like a speed of light for him. But, before he wants to say something, Morpheus stopped him because he realized who is this mysterious guy that entered his realm..
"The scars and stitches across your body. You are the one on the famous story. You really exist. But now, you looked different than the story describe you. You are the Victor Frankenstein's Creature. I must admit, you changed your appearance better." Praise Morpheus to him.
"You know, I lived different lives in this five-year time loop for six hundred and sixty six times over and over again. I think you can't explained what happened to me. I cannot trust strangers these days because of that. If you don't mind, can you please bring me back to the real world?." Ask The Creature to Morpheus.
It looks like, after released from the loop, he just wants to start a normal life. Many things were happened to him. He experienced many adventures and events inside the loop. Unfortunately, Morpheus thinks he need The Creature's help. If he knows what happened to the world right now, he will help.
Once upon a time, a big will decided to unite all multiverses into a single multiverse. Combining the stories and laws into become one and screwed at the same time. It can be said, everyone are getting used to live in this new world. But, threats are keep coming, it is just a matter time until the Multiverse destroyed because of colliding laws of nature from different worlds.
It only took five years after The Merge, Everyone getting used to live in this "Brave New World". Unfortunately, someone had made The Frankenstein's Creature trapped in mysterious five-year time loop after The Merge for 666 times . At those times maybe it feels like hell for him. But at the same time, he learned many things, and experiencing those. All of those makes him understanding more about human. Yes, The Creature is adapting.
For those five years, Morpheus had a rough time. The merging of the multiverses makes him ressurected again as the Original Dream of the Endless, replacing Daniel Hall, the Second Dream of the Endless that mysteriously disappeared and must defend the Realm of the Endless from who want to seize it. He has six siblings whose also rulers of the Realm of the Endless, but they also mysteriously disappeared after The Merge. Right now, his only purpose was find them to bring back balance to the realm.
Morpheus trying to convince The Creature that even the real world is safe, the other worlds became unstable bacause of The Merge. Basically, the other universe that shapes the real world to the way it is. If the other universes destroyed, then it's only a matter of time until the real world destroyed and ends everything.
"There are big forces out there that trying to seize the Multiverse for themselves. I don't know whether it's a person or a whole group. You had many experiences in your life and also gained advantages from those lives, I hope you can help me finished this problem." With hopes, Dream of the Endless try to convinced him.
"Listen, I'll do it because I want to know who released me from the time loops. It looks like whoever the person is, also knows what the hell is going on. After all, this adventure may erase my boredom. You should find every help you need to defend this realm. It's crazy that you can survived in this realm for five years defending it." The Man answered his request easily.
"And I will give my support as long as I can. But first, you have to give yourself a name. It's time for you to mark yourself in life." Morpheus reply his answer a little excited because The Creature wants to help him.
"I must admit. Without Victor, I'll never existed. So my name is Victor Frankenstein II or just call me Frankenstein. If the man who I used to call "Father" is still alive, I will punched him in the face for what he did." Frankenstein told that in a creepy monotone voice.
"There is another distruption in this realm. I cannot stay longer with you. There is an attacker that i have to deal with. Hopefully you succeed, Victor Frankenstein the Second. Make your mark in life. And, I hope you found your Bride." After that, he sends Frankenstein back to the real world.
He arrived in front of a big gate with a sign "WELCOME TO METROPOLIS". With holding a fake id card that mysteriously appeared in his hand, he shows it to the guards nearby that saw him suddenly appeared.
"Morpheus, you never stopped surprising me." Said that deep down in his heart, he the allowed to enter that mega city.
The Man in Black has Many Names
The merging of the Multiverses cause the landscape of the world itself changed. There are still exists, combined, separated, disappeared, even there are new ones that always popped up for unknown specific times. But the most worrying of them all was strange events or phenomena that always keep happening across the Multivese also for unknown specific time periods.
Most of the organisms can adapt with this new environement, even there are several that use this for their own good. But some of them, still not getting used to.
A cloudy day in the City of New York. This is not just your typical New York City. Because this city is the result of the merging of many versions of the City across the Multiverse. Looks like it's going to rain in the city that never sleeps, the sky is gettting darker. People start running to find warm places or at least some of them, preparing the umbrella then go straight to their own destinations immedeatly. The traffic was fine, not many vehicles crossing around the streets.
On the spotlight, there is this man dressed in black. Wearing unbuttoned, black-hooded suit, revealing untied black shirt. Black pants and also black shoes. His clothes look fancy and high quality like those rich people wear. Wandering the streets looking for something.
His smartphone on the pocket of his suit starts ringing. He stopped his step to see who is calling him on the screen. On the phone's screen shows contact name "Wicked Witch of the West" and "Calling" sign under the name.
"Zelena, looks like there is a problem, is'nt it?." The Man surprisingly answers the call with ease. "How many times, Randall. Call me Theodora, I am not green anymore." The Witch reply his call with a little tempting voice. "You know I'd like to be called Walter, right. Actually, it doesn't matter which name do you called." The Man jokingly answers.
"Alright, alright, alright, back to business. What do you want to tell me?." Tell the Man now with a serious tone. "Cobra Commander finally agreed to work with us to released The Ronin. Which in turn, he can be participating in the Holy Grail War. Do you accept his offer?." Asked the woman that used to be called "Witch".
"More participant, more interesting. Alright then, I accept. This war needs participants as many as possible. All of this to make lure that "guy" out. Tell Kotomine Kirei that he must also recruits people. This will be the biggest Holy Grail War ever held." Walter replies.
"Don't forget, o'Dim. Visit Rotwang in Metropolis. There is something he wants to show you." Then, Wicked Witch of the West closed her call. Randall then continues the journey.
Suddenly, The Man in Black transported to an underground parking lot beneath a buidling that not far from his last location.
"Finally. Walter Paddick, Walter o'Dim, Randall Flagg, The Man in Black himself. I found you." Said a mysterious blue-hooded man appears before him.
"Looks like, you know much about me. Are you a fan?, because you mentioned several of my names, Merlin's Student, The Sorcerer's Apprentice himself?." Answers Randall with ease. He released his hood.
"I must admit you were hard to find, because your magic traces was hard to track. This time, you will not getting way from this. Your crimes which cause the merging of the Multiverse must be stopped." With a high tone, The Sorcerer's Apprentice challenges Walter.
"If you can defeat me. I will turn myself in." Randall replies him not seriously.
"Dodge this, Walter." The Merlin's Apprentice unleashes his magic in the form of white light.
Walter dodges the light and react quickly, lifting a car beside him with his sorcery. The Apprentice splits the car with waving his right hand.
A blue laser beam came out from Flagg's left hand. Then the Apprentice replies with the same blue beam from his right hand.
Both beams collided, who knows which one make it to the each other's opponent first. With more effort, both men increase the powers. A little scream heard from the Apprentice, but the Man in Black still standing like it's not even a threat for him.
The Apprentice then spins his right hand. The beam keeps directly to the front of Walter. Walter gives a push to his left hand. Then, the Apprentice getting pushed out to the car that he just split. Randall then lifts him with his magic.
"You still have to learn more from Merlin, kid. In this universe that have been united for a long time, there are many better sorcerers than that old, forever young man to be your teacher. Example of those, was me." Walter chokes the floating man.
"Be careful, Walter. The….Frankenstein's…Creature, had been released from his time loop by an unknown force. Just wait until he knows everything. When you facing him, that's the sign of your downfall. This is from the recently discovered Nostradamus' prophecies. But, at least you were right, this world made my powers rusty." Said the Apprentice with a little laugh.
"I accept your last words gladly. It's time for you to learn more from me." Then, Walter spins his right hand, unleash a black smoke. The smoke going through the body of the Apprentice. Then filled him. Until, the smoke already inside his body. His eye color changes from blue, to red.
The Apprentice lying down. Randall then whispers something in his ear. "Visit Karl Mordo, He will explain everything to you." Whispered the Man in Black before disappearing into a black smoke.
Walter returns to the streets of New York, bending himself with the crowd. With a smile on his face, he wandering through the city, waiting for the challenges that will come for his grand plan.
Somewhere between the worlds. Which connect the universes. A place that keeps the balances and lives of the living. The place looks old. Many bridges that connect the universes to the place, had been destroyed.
All of those lead to the center that connects everything. If the center of those destroyed, then the balance of the universes will be screwed. But, what happens instead was those worlds and those recently discovered new worlds merged. This is one of the causes the Multiverse created. The fall of the Dark Tower. Yes, the Man in Black himself, finally destroys The Dark Tower. Those images still fresh in his mind.
Finally, the rain falls in the city that never sleep.