CHAPTER 11

Young Omi ran up to the thunder god and tried reasoning with him. "Samurai Jack! We should listen. He may be telling the truth."

Samurai Jack took out Pitch's Amulet. "There is only one way to find out."

The thunder god blasted the amulet's power on Wraith Barnyard Dawg, causing him to hit the ground again.

Samurai Jack glared down at the Wraith as the latter raised a hand as if it were a makeshift shield. "Now, Barnyard Dawg. The truth!"

Young Omi intervened, not liking his mentor's methods. "Samurai Jack, stop!

The thunder god pushed him to one side. "Step aside, Omi."

"Put down the amulet! Its darkness is taking hold of you!"

Samurai Jack then knocked Omi down with the power of the amulet.

Foghorn, meanwhile stayed down—a perplexed look evident on his face.

Samurai Jack glared. "Our time has run out. I do what I must to save Earthrealm." He then blasted lightning just an inch away from his pupil's feet. "Stay down!"

Young Omi reluctantly stood ready to fight. "It is not the way. Barnyard Dawg is not the enemy now."

"Omi, do not interfere!"

The fight between them was frankly one-sided. Samurai Jack had little problem in fighting off a skilled fighter as Omi, before the thunder god knocked him off his feet, defeating him.

Samurai Jack breathed in anger. "Do not force my hand, Omi. The Realms hang in the balance! To defend them, I must command order!"

Young Omi looked at the thunder god in disbelief. "I thought it impossible, but the revenants were right. You cannot be trusted."

The thunder god summoned his lightning power. However, instead of being blue, it turned red. "I do not need trust. I demand obedience!"

The bald monk pointed angrily at his mentor. "Enough of your madness. If you must die, so be it."

Just then, Samurai Jack retracted his powers, his eyes turning back to blue again—realization plain on his face. "It—It has happened before. . . ."

The thunder god saw a vision of the final battle with Aku.

"Omi, do not interfere! You cannot fight Aku! Omi, stop!" shouted Samurai Jack.

Young Omi snapped. "Enough of your madness. If you must die, so be it!"

The two fought through a multitude of options for a possible future . . . before coming back to the current time line, where Samurai Jack managed to stop the fight.

Young Omi looked at his mentor in confusion. Sara then ran up to him, as did all immediate allies around the dojo.

Samurai Jack dropped Pitch's Amulet, stood back up, and bowed to his pupil. "I have been a fool, Omi. Eris's puppet. We only battle because she wills it." He then looked over to Wraith Barnyard Dawg. "I must help him."

The thunder god used his powers to heal the Wraith Shirai Ryu before helping him back up on his feet.

Samurai Jack sighed. "I was wrong to doubt you. I, too, have been a slave to anger."

Young Omi was confused. "I do not understand, Samurai Jack. Your rage was caused by Eris?"

"Yes. I succumbed to her influence. But then, our confrontation . . . It unlocked memories. Memories not only from our current timeline, but from timelines that have come before."

"Wait a sec. Timelines? Plural?" Sara queried.

Samurai Jack explained. "Eris has restarted time on countless previous occasions, using each timeline to learn and to perfect her plan. The details of each timeline are different. But in each one, events conspire to bring Omi and I into conflict. In each one, he dies. Only Eris has such power to control time and fate."

"I don't get it. Why do that?"

"I do not know. But be assured, Eris will control us no longer."

A sandstorm rose and Eris appeared. Time stopped its course.

"At long last," smirked the Elder Goddess, "you see the pattern."

"The pattern," said the thunder god, "but not the purpose. Why set me against Omi?"

"Is it not obvious? Your combined power threatens my vision for the timeline."

Samurai Jack glared. "Omi and I will not be divided further by your machinations."

"Oh, Samurai Jack. Do you think this is the first time you made such a vow? We have repeated this exact conversation so often, in so many timelines, I have lost count."

The thunder god clenched his fists. "The timeline now will end differently."

Eris glared, her smirk now gone. "We have played out all possible scenarios, Samurai Jack. You cannot win. You are welcome to try, of course. But without Omi by your side."

Young Omi was kidnapped by Eris via sand teleportation.

Eris smirked again. "Enjoy these final hours, Samurai Jack. They are all you have."

As the Elder Goddess disappeared, time returned to normal.

"Guys!" Raimundo exclaimed. "What happened to Omi!?"

"Omi!" called out Sara, before looking at the thunder god with concern. "Where is he?!"

Samurai Jack's frown deepened. "Eris has taken him to her isle. We must leave immediately. To save the Rrealms, we must save Omi."

At Eris's hideout, young Omi was sitting chained up on a chair. He was guarded by Dr. Droid, now wearing what looked to be improved armor.

"A new look, just for me?" young Omi jested. "You shouldn't have."

Dr. Droid glared at the bald monk.

Young Omi then glared. "What do you want from me?!"

With a few revenants by her side, Eris walked in. "You will aid in my protection."

"Not likely."

The revenant Omi scowled at his younger mortal counterpart. "I have mastered Pitch's sorcery. I will add your soul's strength to mine, and finally avenge myself upon Samurai Jack."

"My friends," said Eris as she turned to face her allies, "Samurai Jack's armies are coming. They will fight us, and they will lose."

Samurai Jack and his army were sailing on the Grim Reaper's boat for the final battle. Joining them were young Kimiko's fleet and several other ships supporting their other allies.

The Grim Reaper pointed outward. "Eris's isle lies beyond the fog."

But from the fog appeared something else. . . .

The Grim Reaper looked over to the thunder god. "Battleships. My ferries cannot fight a war."

Samurai Jack assured the dark figure. "Our fleet is under my protection." He then focused his attention on his army. "If the Grim Reaper falls, our fleet cannot sail. Protect him at all costs."

On Eris's battleship, Hyena shouted, "Ramming speed!"

Eris's army was sailing close to the Grim Reaper's ship. The battle with the Cyborgs had begun.

With Foghorn and Wraith Barnyard Dawg aiding him, Samurai Jack took on many a Cyborg before being confronted by a familiar face: Boog.

The aging retired commando still wore that look of reluctance and regret. "I don't want to fight, but I've got to. For Julie's sake and mine."

They fought. Even though Boog had been given Eris's upgrades, the thunder god proved to be more than a match. Samurai Jack knocked the retired commando off his feet.

Samurai Jack felt bad for Boog. "Let me help you." He brought his old ally back up on his feet, explaining. "Eris's promises to you are a cruel deception. She is the mother of Pitch, the architect of your revenant enslavement."

Boog shook his head in disbelief. "But . . . No. She's Valerie's mother."

"Valerie is Pitch's sister. In Eris's New Era, Pitch will be the darkness to balance Valerie's light."

Realization struck the aging commando. "Which'll only happen if the Realms keep on fighting each other." He hung his head in sorrow. "What have I done? I'm a fool."

The thunder god set a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "It is not foolish to fight for your family's betterment."

"I'm sorry, Samurai Jack." Boog looked over and saw another wave of Cyborgs coming, before putting on a game face. "I promise to make things right."

Boog charged into the oncoming Cyborgs, fighting them off.

Just then, Dr. Droid jumped down from the battleship and confronted the thunder god. Samurai Jack tried to use his flying lightning charge, only for Eris's minion to grab him by the throat and punch him out of the way.

The thunder god stood back up, taking on a fighting stance as he confronted the metallic being.

Dr. Droid prepared himself. "I have died a thousand deaths to prepare for this battle. My defeat is impossible. Yours, inevitable."

The fight was on. Dr. Droid certainly had godly powers, but so did Samurai Jack. The thunder god had the advantage over the otherworldly being and managed to beat him down (with and without lightning).

"Your fate has been decided." Samurai Jack then grabbed a chain. "I will suffer you no more."

The thunder god wrapped the chain around Dr. Droid's torso, before making the anchor drop into the sea.

Eris's minion looked at him with an arrogant scowl. "Drowning cannot kill me, Samurai Jack."

Samurai Jack glared back. "That is unfortunate for you. The sea we are on is bottomless. You will fall forever."

Soon Dr. Droid fell into the dark sea below.

Not long after, Hyena dropped in.

"Now do I have your attention, Samurai Jack?" hissed the Lin Kuei. "The warriors sinking your fleet are under my command."

The two rivals started circling the other, like lone Wolves about to fight over a kill.

Samurai Jack powered up the electricity in his hands. "You have made a devil's bargain with Eris, Hyena."

The female Lin Kuei took on a fighting stance. "You ignored me my entire life. Eris saw my talent from the start."

The fight began. Hyena, a mere mortal blinded by conceit, was no match for the thunder god. Samurai Jack made short work of the skirmish as he electrified her into unconsciousness.

Samurai Jack extinguished his electric power. "Envy and ambition consume you."

Foghorn soon joined the thunder god, shaking his head in shame. "Such—I say, such wasted potential."

"The good she could have done, in command of these Cyber Lin Kuei."

"She commands them? Not Hannibal? If so, she is linked to them—linked, that is. They follow her thoughts."

". . . Then let them follow her to defeat."

Samurai Jack used electricity to control Hyena's brain. All the Cyborgs were then shut down.

Boog was struggling with a horde of Cyborgs before they followed suit and shut down, collapsing on the deck.

Boog looked around at the fallen Cyborgs and scoffed. "Bunch of pansies."

Over in Eris's domicile, revenant Omi laughed evilly as he consumed young Omi's soul. The torture was unbearable for young Omi. As the revenant finished doing so, his younger self lost the life in his body and closed his eyes for the last time.

With revenant Timmy by her, revenant Kimiko approached the bald revenant monk. "Samurai Jack's fleet nears our shores."

Revenant Omi extinguished the fire from his hands. "The two of you will command the army defending the beachhead."

"Where will you be?"

The bald revenant monk responded with an evil grin.

"LAND HO!" called out the Grim Reaper, his ships having almost reached the land.

Samurai Jack noticed something flying above and across the water.

It was revenant Omi. After burning a hole through a mast, he landed on deck in front of the thunder god.

"Time after time," Samurai Jack shook his head, "Eris's schemes have pitted us against each other. That cycle must end, Omi."

Revenant Omi powered up the fire in his hands. "Oh, and it will."

The bald revenant monk sent a flying kick toward the thunder god.

After picking himself back up, Samurai Jack found himself surprised. "Your power! Is it Eris's gift?"

A sly smirk was on revenant Omi's face. "A gift to myself, you could say."

"You stole your own soul. Tainted your own nature!"

"It's a lesson you taught me, Samurai Jack. To fight my enemies by any means necessary."

And so began the fight. However, while revenant Omi was consumed by darkness, Samurai Jack was able to think clearly. It was a long and hard fight, but the thunder god was able to triumph despite the odds.

Samurai Jack caught his breath as he looked down at the fallen revenant. "I have conquered the darkness within me. You must do the same."

Revenant Omi hissed. "You will have to kill me."

"I would rather save you."

The thunder god struck him with powerful electricity.

Back in Eris's domicile, young Omi was revived, realizing what Samurai Jack was doing.

"Samurai Jack!" whispered the now revived young Omi.

Eris, by her hourglass, looked on in shock as young Omi was unfettered and teleported away to Samurai Jack's ship.