The Season One Finale. I'll be taking a break from the series for a while to focus on other projects, but to anyone who's given this story a try so far, and especially to the several people who have read it all the way through, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you've taken time out of your day to keep up with this series. Any feedback you have, things you enjoyed, things you thought could have been done better. Theories on what might come next. I'd love to hear it all. Universal Collisions will return with Season Two on February 12th, 2023. Until then.
CHAPTER 18: THE END
Theas slammed into the ceiling of the truck and collapsed to the floor, and he looked around and saw what was happening. Without getting to his feet, he pressed a button on his watch and aimed his fist at us. I saw a bright glow, and I was then blinded in light. The light faded a split second later, and I found us in front of a hospital.
"HELP!" I screamed, crying.
The reaction was immediate. The automatic door to the hospital slid open, and five people poured out.
"What happened?" one of them asked as she checked Sarah's heart rate.
"I don't know," I answered. What else was I supposed to say?
Two people wheeled a stretcher out, and I was ordered to stand back as they quickly and carefully lifted Sarah onto it.
"What is happening? Is she going to be okay?" I said through harsh breaths.
None of the medical staff responded to me, and they rushed Sarah inside. I stood in the same spot for several seconds, watching the last place I had seen Sarah. I then took a deep breath and walked inside, past the sign that read, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After zigzagging through the hallways, I managed to find the trauma center. The front desk attendant saw me and said, "Excuse me, sir. Are you the one that came here with the stab victim?"
I nodded, and she said, "I need you to fill out some paperwork, please."
I walked over to the desk, grabbing a pen and the clipboard she offered me. I autopiloted through the forms as I said, "Where is she?"
"She's in surgery," the attendant answered. "She passed out right before they got her there, but they're working on her now."
"Is she going to be okay?" I asked desperately.
"Sir, I don't know," the attendant said, sincerely and empathetically.
"I need to get in there, I need to see her," I said, my heart rate steadily increasing.
"No, you need to sit down in that chair right there and hold it together," the attendant told me. "We will get you an update just as soon as we have one."
I didn't have the strength to argue with her, so I walked over to the corner of the room, as far away from other people as possible, and sat down. I let out a shuddering gasp of air, and I buried my head in my hands. I couldn't get the image of Sarah's limp, bloodsoaked body out of my mind. As I sat there, I steadily descended into horrid thoughts of what would happen if Sarah didn't survive, what I would do if I lost her. I knew that these were not helpful in any way, but I couldn't block them out. It was a chorus of misery in my brain.
I vaguely heard a rhythmic clunking sound on the other side of the room, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I barely noticed as someone sat in the chair next to me. Jackson Gibbs took a deep breath, looking around at the people surrounding us. I looked up at him, somewhat incredulously, and I said, "How did you even get here?"
Jackson shrugged. "I don't know. A portal opened up right in front of me. Something told me I should probably go through it, and I found myself in the bathroom down the hall."
I couldn't help but chuckle in some amusement. "Theas," I realized, having to appreciate his abilities.
"Yeah," Jackson said. "I think he was a bit distracted when he set it up. He sent me into the lady's room."
Jackson grimaced awkwardly, and this brought out another smile from me. He glanced at the large, glass doors that periodically opened to admit someone from either side. "How bad is it?" he asked.
"It's bad," I answered, on the verge of sobbing again. "It's really bad."
Jackson nodded. "You know, when Leroy's mother Ann died, I didn't even know how to function. I didn't know how to be a father, or anything else other than a grieving man."
I wiped my eyes and asked, "How'd you get through it?"
"Well, one might argue I never truly did get all the way 'through it'," Jackson said. "Hell, Leroy still hasn't forgiven me for how I acted during that time."
"Can I ask you something?" I asked. Jackson turned to me, nodding, and I asked, "When you knew she was going to die, like, in your gut, no question, it was over…what did that feel like?"
Jackson sighed, staring at me. "It's difficult to describe. Even more difficult to want to. It was just this crushing pressure. Like my heart was about to cave in. Everything felt heavy. Nothing else was real. I couldn't figure out how everyone else could act so normal when my whole world was ending. The thing that really settled in, you know, that final nail in the coffin, was when her nurses started avoiding me. They suddenly didn't have time to talk to me about her condition; my interactions with them were as brief as they could make them. That was when I knew."
I couldn't help but stare at Jackson. I had never suffered any serious loss before–I had never felt like this in my whole life. To see this man sit here and talk about it, beyond forging the reality that he was far more than a character on a screen, impressed upon me how young I really was.
"It made sense," Jackson continued. "Who wants to have those discussions? I couldn't blame them for not wanting to talk to me. But it did put a bit of a barrier between my wife and me towards her final days. I've wondered if she told them not to be straight with me, try and soften the blows. But…ah, well, that was decades ago. We're talking about right now."
I glanced at the glass doors, some ridiculous part of me hoping they would open to allow Sarah to stroll out of them, perfectly healed.
"So tell me about everything that's going on," Jackson requested. "Leroy, he gave me the short version, but you know, I want to hear all of it."
I sighed. "It's a long story."
Jackson shrugged. "I like a good story."
IN THE EYES OF THE MULTIVERSE:
Debris was strewn across the streets of Chicago. Several nearby buildings were on the verge of collapse. Bodies populated the battlefield among the destroyed property. Theas stood against Algaltha, blood running down his face and arms, his swords clutched at his sides. Algaltha was still strong, his own sword held out in front of him while he carried a sinister leer.
"Why do you defend these cretins?" Algaltha asked.
"It's my job," Theas answered.
Algaltha huffed, and he said, "You do it much more zealously than your colleagues. I believe your superior Daak was the one to let a group of Anomalies fall to our wrath. All to avoid the possibility of losing her precious Keepers in battle."
"Daak and I have our differences in how we view the Anomalies," Theas agreed. "Much like the Keepers and the Hunters."
An explosion caused the surrounding area to tremble, and Theas looked around to see fire envelop a small shop. Rob backed away after having narrowly avoided Chala's shot, and Chala engaged Fornell and Gibbs in hand-to-hand combat. Admiral McGee ducked behind a destroyed car, and he looked around him to see Luca and Kyle in hiding spots nearby. Sloane marched towards Chala, aiming her pistol, but she couldn't get a clean shot.
Gibbs and Fornell put up a valiant offensive against her, but Chala all but shrugged them off. Gibbs threw a punch, but she caught this and threw it aside. Gibbs aimed a kick, but she backed out of the way. Fornell came in from the flank and swung his fist at her, but Chala ducked down and kicked him away. Gibbs pulled his pocket knife, but Chala caught his wrist, swung him around, and kicked him away. Sloane fired her pistol, but Chala ducked to avoid the shots, and she fired both guns in return.
Sloane dove out of the way, and the two red energy beams crashed into a store front and blasted out the front wall. As flames and smoke rolled into the sky, scattering rubble in all directions, the seven Anomalies ducked down.
Algaltha swung his sword at Theas, and Theas crossed his swords to defend himself. Algaltha's blade slammed into Theas's, sending a shockwave rolling out from the impact. Theas forced his swords outward, knocking Algaltha's back, and he shot in and started attacking. The energy around his swords cut through Algaltha's skin, but these injuries were relatively minor. Algaltha kicked out at Theas, but the Keeper leapt high into the air and swung his swords at Algaltha's face. Algaltha managed to intercept Theas's strike with his blade, knocking Theas back.
Theas landed on the ground, and Algaltha charged in and swung his sword down. Theas crossed his blades over his head to defend himself again, but when Algaltha's blade made contact, the impact blasted up dust and rubble over Theas. Algaltha then brought his sword back, and he swung it once more at Theas while the Keeper was still obscured in dust. Algaltha's attack swept Theas out of the smoke, sending him tumbling across the ground. Theas rolled to his feet, and he aimed the tips of both swords at Algaltha and fired a series of energy blasts at him.
Algaltha raised his arm and formed a shield, intercepting Theas's attack, and the Hunter swung his arm outward to send his shield at Theas in a powerful wave. Theas quickly opened a portal, slipping through it while the ground was torn apart by Algaltha's attack. Theas dove out of the portal directly over Algaltha's head, and he swung both swords.
Blood spattered across the ground, and Algaltha stumbled away from Theas with two deep gashes along his head and shoulder. Theas landed on the ground and charged in, but Algaltha immediately counterattacked. He buffeted Theas with a leg, and while Theas was distracted, Algaltha swung his sword down. Theas didn't have time to intercept the strike, and he sustained a serious injury to his arm.
Theas backed away before Algaltha could follow through, but his ability to fight had been severely compromised. Algaltha patted the ground, ready to charge, and he held his sword in front of him. The blade of his sword became enveloped in a shroud of purple energy, and he charged in at Theas. Theas aimed the tip of one blade at Algaltha, swinging his other blade across it like a flint and firing a burst of energy shots at the Hunter. Algaltha swung his sword, generating a wave of energy that extinguished Theas's attack. Algaltha continued his charge and forced Theas to dive out of the way.
Algaltha rumbled past, and Theas rolled back to his feet as Algaltha banked around. Algaltha swung his sword through the air, firing a wave of energy at Theas. Theas tried to get out of the way, but the energy wave blasted the ground apart in a furious wave that hit Theas and knocked him into a nearby car.
Algaltha then braced himself, and as he built up power, the ground began to quake. Several of the Anomalies looked around in alarm, but none of them were in a position to do anything about it. Algaltha aimed the tip of his sword at Theas, who crossed his swords and formed a dome of energy around him. Energy concentrated into Algaltha's sword blade, and he fired a blast that took the shape of a harpoon. The blast slammed into Theas's defense with the strength of a warhead, and the entire city lit up with the power of the explosion.
Most of the Anomalies were blinded in the light of Algaltha's attack, and they could do no more than crutch down and hope they wouldn't be attacked. After several seconds, the blast died down, leaving a massive crater in the ground. Several buildings had collapsed from the blast, and a plume of smoke billowed into the air over the city. Theas laid amongst the destroyed ground, half-buried in rubble while spilling blood from his side. His swords sat loosely in his hands, and his eyes were closed while his jaw hung open.
Gibbs peered around from behind an overturned truck, his sniper rifle in his hands. He had blood trickling down his forehead, and he looked around as Fornell dove behind the truck with him. Fornell was gasping for air, and while he clutched his assault rifle in his hands, he had heavy injuries across his body.
"Is this what it's like being in the military? I've never served," Fornell said.
"There are differences," Gibbs answered, peering around the truck for signs of Chala or Algaltha.
Fornell looked around as well, and he spotted Admiral McGee hiding in an alleyway, his pistol in his hands as he searched for enemy activity. Luca and Kyle were in cover as well, and Rob was helping people escape from a building that had collapsed on them. Gibbs looked down the road, and his eyes widened. "Oh, no."
Chala was clutching Sloane, who hung limply in her grasp. Chala held the barrel of her gun against Sloane's temple, and while Sloane glared furiously in defiance, she couldn't do anything to save herself. Gibbs aimed his sniper rifle, lining up a shot with Chala's forehead.
"Do you have anything to say to me, Anomaly?" Chala asked.
"I don't know if you think you're right," Sloane said in a slurred voice, "or if you just don't care. I'm not going to let you kill my people."
A gunshot rang out, and Sloane flinched while Gibbs's shot perforated Chala's head. Both of them collapsed to the ground, and Sloane scrambled away with blood spattered across her face. Chala lay still on the ground, her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head while her jaw hung open. Sloane stared at the corpse, taking deep, ragged breaths before she finally managed to get back to her feet. She grabbed her pistol off the ground, and she looked around at Algaltha.
Theas tried to put up a fight, but there was nothing to be done. After recovering from Algaltha's massive attack, he tried to wage a counteroffensive that as of yet had been unsuccessful. He swung his sword, but his strike was parried, and Algaltha grabbed him around the waist and lifted him into the air. Theas swung his swords, but he was unable to free himself as Algaltha brought him down and smashed him into the ground. Cement broke loose from the impact, and Theas fell limp in Algaltha's grasp.
Algaltha lifted him back up, and he marched over and slammed Theas into a building with all his strength. Windows shattered as rubble rained down, and Theas groaned in pain as he gazed at Algaltha with one half-open eye. Algaltha swung his sword into him with all his strength, and the force of the attack blasted out the front wall of the building.
Ten stories of reinforced concrete came collapsing down on top of Theas. Dust rose into the air over the whole city. Algaltha backed away as Theas was completely buried in a hundred fifty tons of rubble.
"Oh dear," Fornell said as he watched, aghast.
"Everyone move in!" Admiral McGee ordered.
All of the Anomalies obeyed, and seven people advanced on Algaltha while firing their weapons. Algaltha turned to face them, and while he raised his arm to shield himself from the hailstorm of gunfire, this seemed little more than a minor nuisance to him. Fornell fired a Tri-Shot Blitz, and this combined with a shot from Gibbs caused Algaltha to grumble in pain. Gibbs flipped the lever on his rifle and fired a tracker shot, and while this made direct contact, Algaltha didn't notice it.
Sloane, Luca, Kyle, Rob, and McGee formed a firing line, letting off a massive array of gunfire against Algaltha. Algaltha swung his sword through the air, producing an arc of energy that shot at them and dispersed them all. Gibbs fired another shot, and while the bullet missed, it curved around through the air and hit Algaltha in the back. Algaltha growled in anger, and he looked around to see who hit him. This was enough of a distraction for Fornell to close in, firing a massive burst from his assault rifle at Algaltha's legs.
Algaltha roared in pain and frustration, and while he tried to withstand the assault, his legs eventually caved out from under him. He crashed to the ground with enough force to shake the whole city, and Gibbs yelled out, "Now! Give him everything you've got!"
Gibbs fired two shots from his rifle at Algaltha's head. Both shots hit, and while blood spattered out from the Hunter, it wasn't enough to inflict fatal damage. Sloane led the firing line of her, Rob, Luca, Kyle, and Admiral McGee. They maintained a steady wave of gunfire on Algaltha's legs that started to tear them apart. Fornell fired a line of shots down Algaltha's back, and within seconds, the massive form of the Spatial Hunter was riddled with blood and injuries. Gibbs held up his hand in motion for the Anomalies to hold their fire, and when the gunfire ceased, Algaltha groaned miserably.
"Fornell, Rob, cover me," Gibbs ordered.
The two men followed Gibbs as he approached Algaltha, all of them with their weapons raised. Algaltha shifted on the ground, and he looked around to see Gibbs and his group approaching. Algaltha found his sword laying on the ground nearby, but before he could attack, a portal opened next to him. Gibbs saw little more than a flash of metal, and Theas landed on the ground next to Algaltha's decapitated corpse.
Gibbs, Rob, and Fornell all looked on with wide eyes, and Theas hunched over, panting in pain. His whole body was soaked in blood, and he seemed barely able to stand upright. He glared furiously at Algaltha's remains, and blood dripped to the ground at his feet.
The Anomalies lowered their guns, and Gibbs stepped forward. He placed a supportive hand on Theas's shoulder, who seemed unsure if he was angry or just in agony.
"It's over," Sloane croaked, looking as though she couldn't believe it. The other Anomalies slowly started gathering around.
"Maybe this battle," Theas said, "but the Hunters are still damn strong."
"Well, we got something done today," Gibbs said. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Theas nodded, and he said, "You all are used to a certain way of life. That's over. This is the end of everything you knew."
Gibbs nodded, and his phone rang in his pocket. Gibbs pulled it out to see a map with a red, blinking dot. Gibbs grinned at Theas and said, "Not everything."
JACK FOSSE:
"The attack that has swept through the streets of Chicago seems to have stopped for now. We still don't have confirmation on what exactly is the cause, but authorities are prepared to declare it a terrorist attack."
I watched the news report on the television in the surgery waiting room. Jackson sat next to me, his mouth hanging open as he watched as well. I shook my head indignantly. "I should have been there."
"Ah," Jackson said, waving this away with his hand. "You need to be right here with your wife. They've got it handled."
"Yeah, but not knowing what happened is killing me," I said.
"Well, sure, but would you rather not know what's going on there or here?" Jackson asked.
I shrugged, not having an argument, and I continued watching the news report.
"Emergency crews are just now starting to arrive in the area. The National Guard has been deployed to assist in evacuation. So far, twelve deaths have been reported as well as sixty-three injuries. Again, we don't know exactly what has caused this incident, but multiple buildings have been destroyed. Current damage estimates are in the tens of millions."
The door to the surgery wing opened, and I looked around as a medical staff member walked in. She strolled over to me, and I automatically shot to my feet, staring at her with wide, desperate eyes. Jackson stood up as well, leaning on his walking stick with one hand and placing the other on my shoulder.
"We've got her stabilized," the woman announced.
I yelled out in relief, putting my hands over my mouth and nearly collapsing. Tears started streaming out of my eyes, and Jackson patted my shoulder, nodding in satisfaction.
The woman gave us a beaming smile, and she said, "There's a lot of work ahead of you. She's going to need a lot of physical therapy. But eventually she should make a full recovery."
"Thank you," I sobbed, laughing and crying. "Thank you so much."
The woman nodded. "She's still out right now, but as soon as she's able, we'll get you in to see her, okay?"
"That will be great, ma'am," Jackson said, likely realizing that I was in no fit state to speak.
IN THE EYES OF THE MULTIVERSE:
Gibbs, Sloane, Fornell, and Rob walked through the streets of Terre Haute, Indiana. Sloane was grinning in spite of herself, and when Gibbs noticed this, he grinned too.
"What?" he asked. "What is it?"
"Oh, you know," Sloane said, trying unsuccessfully to conceal her delight. "You know, we just accomplished a lot today. It feels good."
"Yeah," Gibbs agreed. "Doesn't bring us any closer to home."
"Well, aren't you just a party pooper," Fornell said. "Enjoy the win, Jethro. You can be proud of yourself for fifteen seconds."
"Who do you guys think we're here for?" Rob asked, seeming a bit nervous. "Do you think it will be Ellie?"
"No telling," Gibbs said. "We'll see when we find them."
"Yeah," Sloane said, checking her phone. "They should be right around here."
A man stepped out of a nearby alleyway in front of them, and the four of them stopped. It took Gibbs a second to register what he was looking at, and his face fell in shock and alarm. He drew his pistol, aiming it at the man. The man, who had short, dark hair and was wearing a black sweatshirt with dark pants, raised his hands into the air.
"I heard your voice, Gibbs," he said in an accented voice. "I couldn't believe it. I wondered if our game would continue."
Gibbs didn't respond. He only held his pistol steady, while Sloane, Fornell, and Rob stared in shock and astonishment.
Ari Haswari stared back at Gibbs, a malicious leer on his face, and rather he was afraid of Gibbs or simply amused was entirely unknown. "Well?" Ari said. "Are you going to finish what you started?"