"Please sign your names on these forms, and we will be finished."
"...Dear, are you sure about this?"
"Yes, Dad, I am."
"Are you really sure this is the best thing for us to do, Alex?"
"Are our other options any better, Mom?"
"...fair enough."
Alexis sighed. Talking to her parents was annoying.
On second thought, she took that back. Normally, she liked talking to her parents, as they always listened to everything she had to say and helped her when she was not doing so well. The only time they were truly annoying to talk to was right now.
When Alexis had learned that the Inferno-whatever people were accepting immigrants, she knew she had to apply. Her family was homeless and she DID NOT want to go live in he slums outside the city until rebuilding was completed. Though that issue had been rendered irrelevant by the Commander of the Inferno-whatever forces had assisted in rebuilding the city, she had still wanted to take up the Commander's offer. Even if that crazy alien worshipping cult had been destroyed, the gangs were still kicking, and with the police force still recovering even weeks after, well, all the more reason to find a better place to live.
She'd practically had to beg her parents to make it happen, but eventually, they'd acquiesced. Now, the three of them (and Stephen, who hadn't really required any convincing) were busy signing the last of the papers they'd need to complete their immigration. They weren't alone in this, as there were other people (and even a few aliens) who were also seeking a new home, but it looked like Alexis and her family would be the last ones to do so - everyone else in the room had already been processed and approved, leaving her family as the sole remaining potential immigrants.
Luckily, no last minute monkey wrenches showed up, and the man at the immigration desk (who, unknown to her, was really a machine wearing a holographic disguise), after some examination, approved them. Now, they were officially citizens of the ...Infernum Federation
What a strang name, that was.
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"Are we There yet, mommy?"
"Almost, my dear," replied Sandra. "Almost."
The little girl went quiet after that response, but her expression indicated displeasure - she had been told this twice earlier, and the excuse was starting to get annoying. On the other side of Sandra, a little boy was clinging to her leg, nervous at being around so many strange people.
Sandra was too. Yet she would have been even more afraid to be all alone, especially after what had happened recently.
She had been walking home one night, when a group of unknown people had contented her in an empty factory. She didn't know who they were, she only knew that they didn't like the Commander, and had asked her questions about them. She didn't known anything about him, other than that he'd rescued her from, well, wherever she'd been, but they didn't accept that answer. For all she knew, they were the people who had originally kidnapped her. Perhaps they were going to do it again.
Luckily, they'd been taken down before they could do more than yell at her, and ironically enough, the Commander, through a robot, had been the one to do it.
That was enough to convince Sandra that it was time to seek greener (or at least safer) pastures. When she learned the Commander was letting people immigrate to wherever he came from, she hadn't hesitated to join. There, at least, she knew that she could be safe, along with her entire family.
Now, though, came the hardest part: walking back through the portal she'd first gone through to go from the Infernum home world to Chiron. The first time, it had lead her from the strange to the familiar. Now, it did the opposite.
If she played her cards right, she could start a better life in her knew home. If not...
Well, she hoped she did things right.
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Under the seas of its new home, the Dreamer watched the new arrivals spread out across the distant world. Many beings, some strange, other familiar, were already trying to make sense of the land they now called home.
So many dreams. So many emotions. Joy, sorrow, and confusion were all present. Fear was a commo one, as well. Yet greatest of all among the dreams was a sense of uncertainty. Many wondered if they had made the right choice coming here. Some were having seconds thoughts. Others regretted what they had left behind.
Unfortunately, that was all that the Dreamer could determine. The new arrivals had foggy dreams, so only he faintest of details could be determined at the moment. All the rest was fuzzy at best. Attempting to discern them was difficult at best.
No matter. It would simply wait for them to become clearer. Then, it could decide if those dreams tasted good.
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"Took my advice to heart, didn't you?" Mused Melissa.
"It seems he did," responded Celm, eyeing the changing screen with intensity equal to that of his subordinate. "How kind of him."
"He's a kind person, aims be surprised if he didn't."
"You have a great point. That is not what we're here to discuss though."
Melissa sighed. Time to face the music.
"I know, I know. You're angry about me directly assisting him, aren't you."
"Indeed I am. Though I will excuse you this time, future actions will not be tolerated...unless you are willing to agree to a compromise."
"...compromise?"
"If you limit yourself to the weakest of your powers, and avoid toppeling nations solely for amusement, then you are free to assist then Commander or hinder him as you desire. Cross that boundary, though, and there will be a reckoning. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Then go."
With that, Melissa left, leaving Celm to continue cleaning. That statue needed to stay clean.
This only lasted, though, until a new presence entered the room. The minute Celm senses it, he sighed and turned around.
"Were you successful?"
"The world, and its technology, are in a safe place," replied the armored and robed figure. A heavy synthetic edge was present in the voice, along with a fair amount of breathiness.
"Good. We cannot allow the Commander to tarnish the legacy of the Progenitors. It is our duty to defend it."
The armored one merely tilted its at Thai response. "For how long?"
"Hmm?"
"Eventually, some Commanders will find tech that we can't secure, and we won't be able to do squat about it.l until it's too late. So how do you plan to deal with that?"
"Patiently. I already have a plan in place for that eventuality, one that out Commander has a part to play in making a reality."
"Thought you didn't want to let someone use Commanders in the first place?"
"Melissa insisted. And besides, you must know the enemy before you can defeat him."
"Fair enough. So what next?"
"Now, we wait, and let the Commander find our next batch of technology."
"Yes sir."
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"So," Questioned Mortarax, "how did the meeting go?"
"Much better than expected," replied Melissa, silently using about how useful telepathic communication that spanned universes was for her. "I'm not getting punished, and he said that, if I limit myself, I can continue to use my powers to mess with our pet Commander. Or help him, if I feel like it."
"Excellent...wait, what about us?"
"If your master wishes for you to get involved, I won't punish her," was the reply Celm offered. "And before you ask, I know when I am being mentioned."
"...I see," replied Melissa. "Though I must ask one question - what limits will you place on my subordinates?"
"None. An unknown army of monsters and machines will draw less attention to my plans than a Random Omnipotent Being. So long as you do not tell anyone what you are and silence those who learn the truth, then you are free to use your armies to torment or aid the Commander. How you silence them is up to you."
"...thank you sir."
"You are welcome," replied Celm. A moment later, and his mind disappeared from the conversation.
"...So," began Mortarax, "is your gift for Flame ready?"
"Indeed it is. Hopefully, this will help him find his bearings across the multiverse - he's more interesting to watch when he has a plan than when he's rudderless."
"Splendid. So what now?"
"...Payload on TF2?"
"Let the carnage begin."
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AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!