A/N . . . I wrote this as it's own story and then i hit themes of this and casually hit plot points i had intended to be written to write. written unitialy under 'darkmatter factor, the' it was supposed to be like 10k when i were done but instead the story exploded and i had too much fun. and also i missed writing grieving zurg.
this entire story is that one arch I wanted to write when Warp was talking to nana lightyear and have it happen at her house, being nabbed from her place, along with Warp who stands in front of her acting as a shield? yes.
Before you read the chapter, I want you to decide whether or not to continue with these few things in mind about what comes next. More of a warning, don't say you weren't warned on here. It's odd, it's strange, it's horrifying, it's funny, it's poetic, it's weird, it's a mess, it's a disaster, it's heartwarming, it's what did i just read, it can be 'i'll stop reading and not continue reading this', that spans on for 200,000+ words reaching for infinity and beyond! It's a story that has arcs as part of Warp and Zurg reaching for infinity and flying within it in the same way that they had before instead of failing and instead of falling. It's more of a character study looking back at the chapters ahead.
oh and Warbuton!Lightyear
"Evil emperor Zurg, I have something truly evil that you have not dared tried, yet." Brainpod 18 said.
"Interesting." Zurg tore his attention from the monitor toward brainpod 18. "What is it?"
"Tearing a hole in the very fabric of this reality to spill out horror." brainpod 18 said.
"Horror, you say?" Zurg's attention was squarely on the brainpod.
"Evil." brainpod 18 said.
"Suppose they can be controlled and cause mayhem . . ." Zurg started to say.
"I'm part of the brain pods, we can make it happen," was the reminder with the amendment. "evil emperor Zurg."
"Whatever horror can spill out, it can be guided to the Galactic Alliance and perform the greatest surrender since the collapse of the Roman Empire."
Zurg proceeded to laugh, in glee, his claws clenching against the palm of his servo, it was moments like these where the grief did not radiate from the powerful emperor, where his mind was else where, focused on the prospects of being evil and enjoying the moment. It was one of those moments where brainpod 18 wished that they could smile at seeing a old familiar sight come to the surface. Brainpod 18 retreated with the simple order demanding it be made echoing through the chamber as the evil emperor faced Team Darkmatter in the middle of saving a planet from a planet eater.
The machine was made in two weeks. The emperor admired the unique and quite long missle set on abeam, ready to be ejected, set near the edge of the alpha quadrant. The alpha quadrant was quite a wild place which made it the ideal place to perform this critical means pf testing. His claws stroked the machine, full of evil, his vibe radiating off the machine with a simple touch. The emperor departed to the bridge taking along his toy cowboy in one claw, squeezing it, much to the grub's observance. One of the grubs checked the nearest holographic calendar then grimaced shifting in the direction that the emperor had gone in sympathy.
"Today's the day."
"Already?"
"It's going to be a rough day if he doesn't get results."
"Then he better get the results the brainpods promised."
"Here's to hoping."
"You know, he hasn't been the same."
"Not since the accident, the Space Ranger can't tell. . . But, we can."
"Something tells me the Space Ranger doesn't want to notice the emotional difference."
"He isn't around him in the way that we are, my dear friends." brainpod 65 said.
Brainpod 65 appeared behind the two grubs with his arms folded.
"We should definitely warn Star Command."
"But, we aren't."
"Won't." Brainpod 65 said, bright blue eyed upon them. "Today..." brainpod 65 squeezed his eyes shut briefly in certain emotional pain in acknowledging the event. "is a painful day for the gamma quadrant," His aged and deep accentless voice softened. "And evil emperor Zurg needs a challenge, a challenge that doesn't wait to act, one that acts at the moment and takes time to defeat him."
"Then we should warn planet Z."
"Everyone back home should be prepared for the beasts." Brainpod 65 said in agreement then wheeled away.
The grubs proceeded to use their personal alert system.
The missile was ejected through the torpedo hatch flying out until it exploded leaving a notable tear behind. The emperor applauded, slowly, then departed the bridge. They waited for two hours for the horror to start spilling out of the portal with nothing coming directly out of it. In the next few moments, the grubs and brainpod 18 watched the emperor fly through the portal and vanished without another trace. The emperor flung through the portal observing how everything were identical. There was a dreadnought lingering right where it had been left only a few short moments ago. Practically a mirror image.
With some trepidation, he entered through the back hatch then flew into the craft. He landed, his rocket mode deactivating, replaced by a hover mode that had replaced his legs entirely. He rubbed along his skirt section, remembering when it used to be cloth instead of metal, memory of fond times. His exploration mode, he called his lower half, that lacked legs. Did exploration mode apply to Planet Z? It felt quite a long time ago, becoming more classy, more fashionable, more villainy.
He had discarded the villain who made crucial mistakes, forgot about certain details, replacing the spikes along his shoulder for a more evil collar. He gazed around the hallway observing how bright it were compared to the moody feeling in the dark corridor that had red glowing corridors, the carpetting was identical in one way as it were to the crate like metal floorboards that were red aboard his ship. Nostalgia dripped in his positronic brain.
Zurg didn't have time to fully process the comparisons as a familiar sound of laser fire drew his attention up. He saw Buzz Lightyear, three years older, along with Mira, and a diplomat that he recognized carrying a strange golden item in their arms. The emperor watched his counterpart attack, full of envy, knocking Buzz Lightyear his way missing him in the nick of time but he were frozen in that moment, the evil emperor drifted to the side then watched as the Space Ranger beckoned the diplomat his way. He slid his back against the wall watching as the confrontation proceeded to go on without appearing to acknowledge him until-
"Buzz, look out!" Mira announced. "There's two Zurg's!"
Buzz turned toward the direction of the two emperors.
"I knew you had a evil plan somewhere!" Buzz proclaimed
And it wasn't even the voice of the Lightyear that he knew. He looked like him, acted like him, talked like him, but for all intents and purposes, the voice was entirely different. Buzz Lightyear is gone, a harsh reminder, jabbing at his optics, over and over, and over, how unfitting the Space Ranger died. It was painful, ripping out what was left of his heart, stomping on it, chewing on it, grating it through a cheese splicer, throwing it out into space, shoving it into a sun, freezing it on Ipseadan's surface, and fossilizing it, then cleaning it up. The emperor remained still in place as the counterpart turned his attention toward him.
"GET YOUR OWN PIECE OF A LIGHTYEAR, spoil sport!"
Buzz's laser blast knocked down the counterpart then the Space Ranger fled long after Mira and the diplomat.
"Curse you, Buzz Lightyear!"
He was so, completely silent, no words to say, his optics breaking in pain, systems malfuctioning. He aimed his blaster at the counterpart knocking him back, silence ringing in the room, rage building up, plasma shifting from the very atom to a new material, evil radiating through his technology as he turned to face the counterpart. He loomed over the counterpart and fired, no mercy, chasing him to the escape pod as the grubs fled the ship. He was silent, he was precise, destroying the very ship that had once been a home to him, filled in self-hate, disgust, and appalled nature. It had once been a comfort, but now, it had a cold hard reminder of what he had lost to the passage of time. The ship burned around him in idle mode, his claws clenched against his palm, his audio synthesizer on his helm breaking into pieces by the internal pain rippling through him.
The emperor shot out a hole then flew back toward the portal, his rocket mode activating, leaving behind a self destructing space craft. Neatly, the emperor returned, neatly created a program to conceal the rage, full of shackles, full of security commands, returning to the ship with a frame ready to break, drifting toward the repair bay. He collapsed to the floor, his figure trembling in grief, surrounded by grubs, exhausted, his fists rolled up on the floor.
The brainpods were the first to join his side then lift him up carrying him toward the repair berth that had been taken along for the trip. He was set into rest mode with a select few buttons, a few plug ins to panels hidden underneath his armor, groaning, his entire figure in pain, wires misplaced, circuits damaged, his claw clenching on to the chest armor of brainpod 42, his optics unreadable, broken, shattered, dimmed, the structures behind his optics only exposed in the cracks.
"Which . . . one of you thought this up?" Zurg asked.
"I did." Brainpod 18 came forward.
Zurg shoved the other brainpod aside then reached out grabbing brainpod 18.
"Close that portal, by any means, necessary." Zurg drug the brainpod by the chassis, closer, his evil vibe filling the room as his voice became cold and ominous.
"Will become my personal project, yes, evil emperor Zurg, will be right on it." Brainpod 18 said.
Zurg let go of the brainpod, his grip relaxing, his figure loosening, passing out on the repair berth.