SMST: My Own Worst Enemy! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/5, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre mini-series.
Special Note: This story takes place before the events of "Blackest Reign and a Dark Night". C&C are welcomed.
Part 11
"What effect was that?" Ni asked.
"Apparently, all the accumulated energy—the quintessence of Creation itself—from these repeated attempts to destroy and recreate Reality, left enough energy to be…left unattended," Itchi said. "However, a Venusian mind slug named 'Mister Mind' manipulated four time travelers to first define that energy into multiple Earths, spaced apart by different dimensional frequencies, before 'harvesting' those Earths of their energy."
"For what purpose?" Rei asked.
"It would be the equivalent of refining sugar cane into something more edible…"
"It's all your fault!" Sailor Pluto yelled at the experience time traveler Rip Hunter, as well as the not so experienced, and somewhat laughable, Booster Gold while Chibi Sailor Moon looked on. Chibiusa has never seen Sailor Pluto so upset before. Well, Ranma-papa does, but they tend to make it up in Ranma-papa's unique way, something that makes Chibiusa blush with embarrassment just thinking about it…
"Because of you, we have multiple copies of Earth!"
"Um, it's not so bad," said Booster Gold, as he looked out into the different Earths that existed in Null-Space. At the moment, all four were in a Time Sphere, protected from the ravages of the spaces in between Time…
"You'll just have extra copies!"
Sailor Pluto rubs the bridge of her nose, as a migraine was coming to the forefront. She should have stopped the so-called superhero from the 25th century from traveling backwards through time to the 20th century, and pose as a superhero using future-tech…
Sailor Pluto then turns towards Rip Hunter.
"I can understand this FOOL not understanding that creating multiple paradoxes within a space of a year would create parallel timelines, but YOU should know better."
"Setsuna, I apologize for this, but we have to determine how to stop the incoming Darkness from consuming the Earth," Rip said.
"Rip, dear, I know you feel guilty about future events, but certain things have to happen," Setsuna said. "If and when Darkseid returns to take over the Universe, then so be it. He will be dealt with THEN."
"Okay, what about your precious Crystal Tokyo? Don't you care about THAT, or the lives that may be lost if his arrival is not nipped in the proverbial bud?"
"I do, but I learned a long time ago that people need to be able to make that choice for themselves."
"Wait, since when have you been into free-will?"
"Since the Moon Princess and the Sun Prince took me in as their close friend, and not someone who merely advises them on matters of importance," Sailor Pluto said, not wanting to also divulge the fact that she was their part-time lover in bed as well…
"But, Rip, what brought you into believing that do this was the only way to prevent Darkseid's return?"
"Skeets, my robotic sidekick, has been attuned to the timeline ever since his run in with Wave Rider the Time Traveler's battle with Extant, when Parallax tried to take over Reality," Booster Gold said. "Rip said he was evolving to the point of omnipotence, which is why my superhero career has taken off in a big way. I owe him big."
Booster turns to look at his old friend.
"Right, Skeets?"
"But of course, Booster Gold," Skeets said. "And now, it's time to collect!"
"Wha-?"
Suddenly, Skeets flew out of the Time Sphere, breaking the integrity of the bubble.
SHATTTER!
"Ah!" Chibiusa yelled, as she was about to be sucked outside. "Help-!"
"Princess!" Sailor Pluto yells, as she attempts to grab the girl. However, Booster Gold saves the daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity.
"I got you, kiddo," Booster said, as he cradled the girl, as the hole in the sphere seals up automatically. "You okay-"
"Princess!" Sailor Pluto said in shock and awe.
"I'm okay, Puu-chan," said a grown-up version Chibiusa. She was also sexy as well…
"It appears that when Chibiusa was caught in wake of Skeets exit, the girl aged," Rip said in his science voice.
"Not aged," Chibiusa said, as she got up. She was dressed in a pink body suit with symbols of her station as the heir of Crystal Tokyo, as well as stiletto boots. "I am ME, as I will appear thousands of years from now…"
"Oh, dear…"
"But what happened to Skeets?" Booster Gold asked.
"There," Sailor Pluto said, as she points towards the outside, as Skeets broke apart to reveal a monster moth of some sort.
"Skeets?"
"It's not Skeets!" Rip Hunter said.
"It's Mister Mind," Chibiusa said calmly, which warranted stare from her fellow time travelers. "What? I remember this situation happening…"
"Thank you for your cooperation," Mr. Mind said, as he flapped his gigantic wings. "Now, I can harvest what you have provided, by consuming the temporal energies that created those Earths…while I deal with YOU! HEEHEHEHEHEHEEHEE-HO!"
With that, Mr. Mind splits into fifty-one more versions of himself, while he went after the time travelers.
"I'm going to EAT you, too!" Mr. Mind said.
"AHHHHHH!" the Time Travelers screamed.
"Mr. Mind consumed the temporal energies of each Earth at a different rate, before he was stopped by those four, causing new realities in each of them," Itchi said. "For example, on one world, the fall of the Silver Millennium Empire never happened, while, on another, souls exist outside one's bodies in the form of 'familiars'."
"And what does this have to do with us?" Rei said.
"I was able to exploit the differences rather than the similarities, by making sure that those who are crossing over to our world kept their unique energy signatures. Without my process, the energy signatures will adjust to match the natural one."
"And thus become nonexistent."
"Correct. But now that we're done with THAT, we can begin in earnest."
"Good," Rei said. "Having trans-dimensional conferences is one thing; being able to travel across dimensions is another."
"Boss, why weren't you affected by the crossing process?" Ni asked.
"Because, I was lucky enough that Ranma Saotome, the one of this dimension, can have multiple versions of himself here," Rei said. "Apparently, this dimension accepts such things."
Pause.
"Alright, let's get on with the show," Rei said.
"Right,"" Itchi said, as he points towards a lab technician, a youma, to activate the eye of the Stargate. It was modified to allow for dimension crossings…
"Yes, sir," the youma said, as she did as she was told…
WRRRRRRRRRRRR…
As the eye of the gate spins, Itchi begins his countdown.
"Initiating activation sequence in five, four, three, two, one…GO," Itchi commanded.
FWOOOM!
The eye lights up in an explosive manner before calming down. It appeared as if everyone was looking at a reflective pool, only vertical…
"We have an incoming!" said another youma.
Rei steps up closer, as a friend from his past appears.
"Soma," Rei said with a smile.
The silver-haired man, who was dressed as he does, very stylishly, surveys the air.
"Hello, old friend," Soma Cruz said with a wiry smile. "I like the décor of your place."
"Examine him," Rei said, as he directs Itchi.
"Right," Itchi said, as he scans for anomalies within Soma. "It appears that the electronic implant will prevent transphasing."
"I'm glad to hear that," Soma said with a smile. "I would hate to have my style corrupted like that…"
"We have much to talk about, old friend," Rei said, as he held Soma's shoulders.
"Indeed, and unfortunately not so good."
"Oh?"
"Apparently, your old friends Taimu Kyuusaisha and Dr. Tempo are at it again, and will be seeking to prevent you from solving your problem."
"WHAT?" Rei said.
"No lie. In fact, those two are attempting to undermine whatever overtures you got going one with those people who have already sealed alliances."
"Why would they do that?"
"They heard what had happened on one of the Sub-Verses," Taimu said. "I mean, honestly, why did you assume that every female was an aspect of the Moon Princess? You should have checked the evolutionary strain of those women, and you would have learned that just because they look like the Moon Princess, that didn't mean that they were."
Pause.
"And now you got certain people spooked by your act of genocide, whether or not it was intentional."
"You don't know how much I hate that woman, Soma," Rei said. "The very idea that there is a being out there who is dedicated towards order rubs me the wrong way."
"Requiem, I told you that you didn't have to do this," Soma said. "You could just go off an be happy."
"So, you're going to stop me?" Rei said accusingly.
"No, I am NOT. As your friend, it's up to me to be straight with you. Whether or not you want to listen to my advice…is up to YOU."
"So I can count on your help?"
"I would have walked way, if that was not the case," Soma said. "But I am here now, and I will help you."
"Good," Rei said with a smile. He then turns towards Itchi.
"I want more from you on this, Itchi," Rei said. "No more delays, and no more failures. Understood?"
"Of course," Itchi replied. "I'll start mass-producing the implants…"
Meanwhile, in a secret, extra-dimensional pocket known as "The Nexus of All Realities", Director Charles Little Sky, an Amerind who was head of Homeworld Security's "ARMOR", whose role is to keep non-natives of other dimensions from having unauthorized access to Earth Prime, looks at the readings his aide had discovered.
"So, General Tsukino was correct," said Little Sky, as he read the report. "This Requiem is trying to infiltrate this dimension…"
He then turns towards his aide.
"And this blip was registered a few minutes ago?" Little Sky asked.
"Yes, sir," the aide replied. "Apparently, the precautions that we have taken to prevent this Requiem from entering this world have been nullified."
"Not necessarily," Little Sky said. "We DO have our allies…"
Little Sky then turns towards his aide.
"Get me 'Otherworld'…"
Otherworld was a nexus-like realm that connects to each of the 52 worlds, but always centered on the United Kingdom or its dimensional equivalent. Previously, it was watched over first by Merlin, and then later his daughter Roma. These days, it has a new ruler: the original Captain Britain of Earth-0, and now leader of the Captain Britain Corps. An evil supercomputer name Overmind, the same one that had killed his parents long ago, attempted to wield the secret treasures of Otherworld: the Amulet of Right and the Sword of Might, both made from the same mythic ore that created Excalibur. Having defeated the monster, which was created by his father, Captain Britain took over management of both the corps and Otherworld as its king. Meanwhile, he appointed a new Captain Britain, a single mother of two children named "Lionheart", who is now the leader of the superhero team, Excalibur. At the same time, Captain Britain still advises Ranma Saotome, also known as "Ronin" in his superhero guise, within circle of modern day knights as "Knights of the Pendragon", since Ranma possess the right to rule as possessor of the spirit of King Arthur himself, as his "Lancelot", whose spirit dwells within Captain Britain. Of course, with Sailor Moon as the possessor of the spirit of Gwenivere, Arthur's wife, one wonders if Sailor Moon and Captain Britain have had affairs, causing Captain Britain's wife Megan (an elemental shapeshifter) to suspect adultery. Of course Ranma's solution was to suggest "wife-swapping", so that the pressure would not be on, but only initiated if Sailor Moon and Captain Britain DOES have an affair. Although not the most desired of outcomes, Captain Britain knows that should he touch Ranma's wife, he will know that Ranma will have touched HIS wife. Thus, there was an equivalent a "marital mutually assured destruction" scenario was firmly in place…
And Captain Britain knows that, considering Ranma's reputation amongst women, his wife will be thoroughly satisfied with the experience.
"Sir!" said an aide, as Captain Britain brood on his thrown.
"Yes?" Captain Britain looked up with concern. "Did you see Ranma sneak into my wife's bedroom?"
"Er, no, sir," the aide said. "For the one hundredth time, no one has seen Lord Ranma make a move on Lady Meggan."
"Er, thank you," Brian said with a slight cough. "So, what's up?"
"We just received a 'Priority One' from 'ARMOR'," the aide said. "We have confirmation that the virus known as 'Requiem'…has metastasized."
"Then we shall initiate counter-measures, and begin the process of dealing with this threat!" Captain Britain said.
Tbc.