(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a follow-up series of side stories after my previous story The Greatest in the Multiverse. Therefore I highly recommend that you read that one first, since characters and events from that story will have center stage here. You can still read this one independently, but you'll understand far less if you do. If you've already read the earlier story, I hope you liked it and that you'll like this one too!

Second, this chapter in particular contains flashbacks to non-consensual events. If that's something that makes you uncomfortable, then I advise to not read any further. Otherwise, please enjoy this "sequel"!)

The Multiversal Tournament was the start of many things. It was the very first event of its kind; a contest where the participants were gathered from across the multiverse. It had made history by crowning the first ever multiversal champion, even if that title was more a source of pride than anything. And thanks to said champion's wish, it was the start of many extraordinary relationships among its 16 contestants. But life must go on, even for them. Just with a few new interdimensional friends by their side. That's where this story begins: With a violent spar between two musclebound bruisers in the outskirts of a bustling city in Universe 6.

"Okay then, how about this one?!"

This fiery warning was followed by a huge green fist careening towards a wide-eyed red face, but the slow attack hit nothing but air. As she pulled back her fist into a boxing stance, the large Half-Orc couldn't help but smile. There was no shift at the workshop to handle today, her son was off to school and she had no deadlines to think of for her own mechanical projects. Which meant that Abigail Harlow was free to brawl with her good friend without any regrets. Not a hobby she would've expected to pick up before the events of the tournament, but one that she'd ended up enjoying profusely.

"Not even close, partner! Ya gotta put some more passion into it if you wanna keep up!"

The Tiefling had a much less busy schedule to manage than her big buddy, but that didn't mean that she treasured these meetings any less. Outside of her childhood friend turned love-of-her-life, farmwork, animals and maybe training, there was nothing that Ashes loved more than a good fight. Everything from the grand spectacle of the tournament to a brief spar such as this. And it showed; the bulky farmgirl's hefty uppercut had just managed to send Abigail reeling. Not enough to knock her down, but more than enough to cause the mechanic to stop in place.

Like the previous 4 times they'd done this, the two appeared to be on even ground. And just like all those times, neither side was ready to give in any time soon. But all good things have to end eventually, and this bout was no exception. As Abigail went in for a heavy left hook, Ashes ducked out of the way before kicking the back of the Half-Orc's right leg. And with a follow-up shoulder tackle delivered into her upper back, Abigail quickly found herself put to the floor. She'd been the first one to get knocked down, and thus the one to lose this match.

"Well damn, guess it's four to one now. It almost feels like you're hitting harder every single time we do this!" the grounded mechanic sighed as her opponent cheered in victory.

Ashes let out a small chuckle as she helped the Half-Orc get up from the ground.

"What can I say, I've gone the whole figure with my training since the tournament. It really got me all riled up, you know!" the farmgirl responded.

Meeting that many people who could give her a good fight, some to the point of handily beating her, had really managed to ignite Ashes' fighting spirit. So after coming home to Universe 7 after the tournament had ended, the Tiefling had spent the last 6 months doing almost exclusively three things: Working on tracking down her old flame Dust, hunting enough bounties to stay afloat and putting almost all her remaining free time into training and honing her skills. Partly to one day have a rematch with Pulse and possibly take on Alva, but mostly because it was just that fun. Abigail even took a mental note; Ashes did appear to be slightly bulkier than she'd been during the tournament.

"It's definitely paying off, that's for sure. Speaking of paying, seeing as I'm the one put to the ground it seems drinks are on me again. I'll need to go pick up John from school, make some dinner and see if I'll have time to do the laundry, so how about we meet up at 9 PM at the Blue Bomber like usual? Unless you've changed your mind about swinging by my place first?" Abigail asked her restless friend.

The Half-Orc appreciated the fact that it was Friday - that way she could afford to spend an evening at her favourite pub with a good friend, just as long as she made it home in time before her son woke up the next morning. The fact that her excitable little 7-year old, unlike the spacefaring Tiefling from Universe 3 who shared his name, had come to look up to Ashes certainly helped too. That meant that the brawny gunslinger was more than welcome to crash at their place if needed, but given how she was currently shaking her head it appeared that she wasn't going to this time.

"Nah, thanks but I'm all good. I've been meaning to take a gander at the countryside here, so I think I'll ride a shank's mare over to that forest of yours first. But do say howdy to that kid of yours for me, I'll make sure to make some time for him before I ride on home!" Ashes answered.

Abigail smiled as she shook her head - it'd been worth a shot. Though given how Ashes felt far more at home out in the wilderness than in the bustling city, her answer had been far from surprising. The Half-Orc went over to pick up her things, and as she headed back towards the city gates she waved back towards Ashes as the latter started making her way towards the nearby woods.

"I will! Well then, I'll see you in a few hours. Have fun on your hike, and don't get into trouble!" Abigail shouted after the Tiefling as they parted ways for now.

While the merrily whistling Ashes started walking towards unexplored territory, the mechanic found herself practically humming as she made her way towards her own destination. A good ol' brawl, some time with her beloved son and a beer with her friend… what more could one ask for? Today was gonna end up a day to remember, that was certain.

"I already told ya… I ain't interesch… intresseder… I don't wanna! Pleasche leave us alone, mischter!"

She might have had a substantial amount of alcohol in her system, but that didn't stop Ashes' message from getting through loud and clear. It was the same story every time: she enters a bar, she gets wasted, at least one guy comes over and tries some "smooth" pickup lines, she tells them to get lost with varying levels of gentleness. Which, given how she was a lot bigger, louder and more imposing than about 95% of said suitors, worked on all but the most stubborn dudes. Still, she and Abigail had been here for almost two hours before this guy came up and tried to make his move. That had to be a new record. However, as the wannabe ladykiller scurried out of the building, the Tiefling practically slammed her head down on the bardesk while giving off a very loud sigh. She might have been present enough to drive off another fool, but she was still extremely intoxicated.

"Damn, you actually made him back off. And after chugging like 10 beers too? That's impressive, I've gotta say" Abigail noted as she turned her gaze back towards her drunk friend.

Given that the Half-Orc had a son to take care of the next day, she'd been a lot more cautious in how much booze she took in. She'd already downed about 4 mugs, and that was enough. She was still almost entirely within her right mind, if a bit less restrained than usual. A good sign for her to stop.

"Eleven, actshually. But by gum, where do thesche guysch come from?! I can't go for a drink with my darn good partschner without gettin' schwarmed by lil' intruding idiotchs who think they have a chanchse! Do you ever have to dea… deal with schtuff like that, Abby?" the farmgirl loudly lamented.

That moment was when Abigail froze up.

Ashes hadn't meant to do anything but let out her frustrations regarding her usual bar experiences, but something in her comment had brought a memory in Abigail's mind to life. The memory of the single most haunting experience in her entire life. She didn't even register how hard she slammed down her mug onto the desk; hard and loud enough to - at least briefly - cause the other remaining patrons in the bar to fall silent. Including the previously rambling Ashes. And as the surrounding patrons eventually resumed their own conversations, the suddenly worried Ashes turned her attention back to the vacantly staring Abigail.

"Whoa there, what happun… happened? Everythin' in apple pie order, partner?" the farmgirl asked, leaning in extremely close to her friend as she did so.

Since Ashes' face was only inches away from the side of her head, not to mention the strong smell of alcohol coming from the Tiefling's breath, Abigail jolted back to the present. And while she appeared to still be very uneasy and distressed, she had managed to get ahold of herself. Everything was okay. She was accompanied by her - admittedly very tipsy - friend in the here and now, not back there with… him. He wasn't anywhere near.

"… yeah, I think I'm okay. I… remembered something I just can't seem to forget, no matter how much I try. But don't worry about it, he's- I mean IT'S nothing to ponder on" the inventor stuttered.

Something was clearly wrong with Abigail - even the stone-drunk Ashes could see that. Her breathing was uneven, her eyes were still wide open and her voice had cracked. But most of all she was clearly holding back not just panic, but more than anything sheer anger. Lots of it.

"Hey, it'sch clearly some kind of tear schuee… squeezer bothering ya. And if ya keep playin' a lone hand, you're juscht gonna end up lathering yourschelf. You okay with tellin' me what's on your mind, partner? Ya really don't have to, but it might help ya" Ashes asked as gently as her drunken mind could manage.

Abigail tensed up a bit again, but only for a second this time. As if she hesitated. On one hand this memory was beyond painful - it was the single most important event over the course of her life, one that had left a looming shadow over everything else. She really didn't want to think about it any more than she had to. But on the other hand, Ashes had a point. After having been reminded of it, she was gonna keep thinking about it whether she wanted to or not. Sharing this story with someone she trusted, if only to lighten her own burden, might've been the best after all. Of course, all the alcohol in her system might've had a hand in her final decision.

"...Fine, you're right. But only if you're certain. It's gonna be a pretty long and heavy story, so I don't blame you if you want me to stop. Still sure you want to hear about my… ordeal?" Abigail asked silently.

Ashes simply nodded intensely while putting a hand on the mechanic's shoulder. She did indeed want to hear about Abigail's ordeal.

"Alright, let's do this. Again, this is a really heavy subject for me so if I start to cry you know the reason" the Half-orc said after a deep breath.

"I guess the best place to start would be my college graduation, 7 years ago. I was always hailed as extremely smart from the moment I could grab a pencil, which did give me fantastic grades but also alienated any potential real friends I might've gotten. Although being really big and bulky, not to mention gaining almost 3 feet in height in no time at all during my teen years, didn't really help matters in any way. I was taller than my folks by the time I turned 13, for the gods' sake! But I'm getting off topic. Anyway, this meant that by the time of said college graduation I was… really awkward. I could assemble a working airship engine with ease, but I for sure couldn't talk with strangers without either scaring them off or causing them to hold back laughter. So the few friends I did have decided to drag me to some bar to celebrate my stellar grades, and maybe help me to come out of my shell a bit. But although they couldn't have predicted it, that night changed my life forever. For better and especially for worse" Abigail laid out, so far with a steady tone in her voice.

"It didn't take me long to get absolutely wasted, and after what must've been 10 beers I could barely stand upright. Let alone think straight. And that's when… when he showed up. That's when that despicable bastard came in!" she continued, and when she reached her last sentence she couldn't keep back her rage anymore.

The bulky inventor slammed both her fists into the bardesk with a loud thud, but despite her aching hands she kept talking. And even if Ashes recoiled at this sudden outburst, her attention hadn't gone anywhere.

"I learned much later that his name was Albert Marsh, but I honestly couldn't care less. What matters is what he did, not what he goes by. Anyway, he came up to me while I was too drunk to do anything but wallow in my own lifetime of loneliness. I have to assume this was plastered all over me, because he immediately began to launch smooth words and compliments at me. Saying things like 'how he couldn't believe someone like me was still single' and stuff. In hindsight, I think anyone sane would've seen through his empty lies and told him to shove off. But to someone who wanted to hear those words more than anything - and wasn't in their right mind - I ate it all up. I barely even registered when he brought me up to his room - actually, I'm not sure I ever said yes! But go with him I did, and that night… well, let's just say that was my first time."

At this point Abigail's rage had subsided a little to give way for unease and solemn shaking. But she didn't stop her story. It appeared that she was gonna continue to the end, whether she wanted to or not. Which, despite her painful memories, she did. The more she spoke, the more she let out of her system.

"When I woke up the next morning, he was - unsurprisingly - nowhere to be found. All I was left with was an extreme hangover, a messy room and a horrible feeling. And it didn't take long to figure out why. Because this stranger, this puny little asshole, had taken advantage of me while I was too drunk to even form a coherent sentence. I had been r… h-had been… I'm sorry, I can't even say the word. It just felt so… disgracing! Like I had no power to do anything!" the Half-Orc stuttered.

She had forewarned Ashes about the incoming tears, and now they were here. This part of the story was by far the worst; after all, it was the part where she'd felt the most dehumanised. Ashes could only sit there in silence, all with a look of solemn condolence on her face. Coupled with a strong hint of rage at the revelation of Marsh's deed.

"An hour or two of asking around later and it became clear that he'd left town, without any word on where he'd been heading. I had no info on him other than what he looked like - and after checking with the innkeeper, his name - so there was no way to catch him. All I could do was to take a test a few days later to confirm my fears, and sure enough the test was positive. Not only had he taken advantage of me, he'd also made me an expecting mother at the age of 20! With my student debts there was no way to afford an abortion, I didn't want to risk an illegal one and I didn't dare to face my folks after what'd happened. And I think that was when it all truly hit me. In just one fell swoop, this absolute bastard had taken not just my feelings of safety but also all of my dreams for the near future. I'm… not sure how many months, if even years, it took me to genuinely smile again" Abigail sighed, her mood now gloomier than Ashes had ever seen before. But only for a brief moment, because as she approached the end of the story said mood ignited by quite a bit.

"So I decided to finally do something about it. The more I recalled that man's face, the more furious I got. And at one point that fury must've exceeded my despair, because I decided then and there that he would not get away with this. I would keep this kid, and he would be purely my son. Not his. I would raise him to be the complete opposite of his… I'm not gonna call him his father, but you know what I mean. And then, one day when I was ready… I would get one hell of a revenge. So that's what I did for the next 6 years: Learn to be a good mom, work myself to the bone at the best workshop I could get a job at and train my ass off whenever I could. It's pretty sad, really. I'm easily the beefiest person I know - in this universe, at least - and it's all the result of wanting revenge on one little pathetic fucker".

The mechanic exhaled deeply, as if getting rid of the last hint of the painful recollection.

"So that's the whole thing, bud. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with all this, but I just couldn't stop. It all just… flowed out of me" Abigail finished, and while she seemed more relaxed than before she was still shaking.

Ashes simply sat there motionless, her dim gaze just staring at her moody friend. To the point that Abigail quickly convinced herself that she'd lost focus long ago; Ashes was still extremely drunk, and the story had been really long and serious. Frankly, she couldn't blame the Tiefling for zoning out. But right as she finished that thought, Ashes started moving. The huge farmgirl quickly hopped down from her stool onto the floor, where she promptly started to wobble towards the door. Haphazardly slamming her fists together all the while.

"Hold up, what are you doing?" the Half-Orc questioned.

Ashes stopped for a moment, before quickly turning around to face Abigail. It was clear as day; the gunslinger was absolutely livid.

"What I'm doin'? I'm gonna track down that piechse of garbage and give him the mother of all schloggingchs! Nobody doesch that to my… to my pal and getsch away with it!" the Tiefling blurrily shouted.

Despite Ashes' dialogue becoming less decipherable by the minute, Abigail still understood enough of it to crack a genuine smile. With a light sigh, the mechanic went over to her friend to guide her back to her barstool. But it appeared that Ashes was dead set on going out to find the scumbag that had ruined Abigail's life - the moment she'd been set down, she started to get back up to head out again. So the Half-Orc simply put a reassuring hand on the gunslinger's shoulder, before continuing her story. There was one very important part left to tell.

"While I really appreciate the thought, I don't think that's such a good idea. Partly because you've had a bit too much to drink and I don't want you to crash into some dark alley, partly because there's no need. I've already done that myself" Abigail assured the Tiefling.

As soon as it became clear that the intrigued Ashes had stopped trying to go on a quest of revenge, the inventor started the last section of her retelling.

"About a year or so ago, me and a few friends managed to track Marsh down. Real good people, those folks. Anyway, now I finally had not just his location, but the means to pay him back for what he did to me as well. So we took the airship we're occasionally working on - ever heard of the Armadillo Volantes? Remind me to tell you more later - there, and while the others distracted the guard dogs he's keeping I cornered him in his room" Abigail explained, her voice getting ever steadier the further she got.

For a moment, she felt a prick of nostalgia wash over her. Her friends and the crew of the now laid to rest airship Armadillo Volantes… she had a lot to be grateful to them for. In a way, she and them had been their very own little adventuring group. But those memories could wait - her story was about to reach the only part she liked.

"And there he was, the man I had seen as the very incarnation of evil for the last 6 years. Just a shivering, pathetic little weakling that barely recognized the naive drunkard whose life he'd ruined all for his own pleasures. Although eventually he did, and like one would've expected he started to beg for mercy. But I had no mercy left for someone like him. And so I put all of my pent-up rage and hatred towards him into the hardest thrashing I was capable of. Which, given all the intense training I'd done just for that moment, was a lot. Honestly, I'd be surprised if he'll ever be able to use even a single limb again!" the mechanic continued.

"Last thing I did was to force him to admit out loud what he'd done, record it and then hand said recording over to the authorities. Then we left the area as fast as we could - we did still break into someone's home after all, and I'm not sure that 'personal vindication' counts as a legal excuse. But questions about whether or not we did the right thing aside… that was it. I'd finally gotten the revenge I wanted for so long, and my old demon had been conquered, if you'll excuse my poetry. I don't think I'll ever feel as relieved as I did that night on the airship home" she added, almost done with her story for real this time.

"I don't think I'll ever fully recover from what he did to me. You saw me just a moment ago; of course, the four beers I've had probably didn't help. But I am ready to move forward again. And although the circumstances of his birth couldn't have been worse, I have come to love John more than anything else. In the end, he's the one good thing to have come out of this. Him and all the life lessons that I had to learn in order to raise him right, I suppose" Abigail finished, finally ending her long emotional rollercoaster of a recollection.

With her entire traumatic incident shared, the Half-Orc started to realise just what she'd spent the last minutes doing. She'd retold the single worst event of her life to a relatively new friend, and given how Ashes had proven to have surprisingly few issues with alcohol-induced memory losses during previous meetings… she was no doubt going to remember at least the core parts the next morning. Thus one thought held back the otherwise clear relief she felt at having the story out of her system - had she just driven back the Tiefling? With her extremely personal, not to mention heavy, monologue? But those thoughts were very quickly put to rest; Ashes had practically launched herself into a vigorous hug. Clearly meant to be comforting and/or commending, but unrestrained enough to make even Abigail squirm a little.

"By gum, you're scho darn cool! Like you ower… ovurrcame… you schowed your ol' demon who'sch boss all on your own! All while bein' the bescht ding mom I've ever scheen since I left the ol' farm! You're a blaschted hero to the manner born, partner!" the drunk Tiefling rambled.

At this point Abigail gently pushed back her friend while sheepishly snickering. Everything had its limit, after all. Like for how long she could manage the farmgirl's powerful hug, how much of her alcohol-reeking breath she could tolerate and - most of all - how much of Ashes' drunken compliments she could accept.

"Oh no no no, I'm no such thing as a hero. I'm a good mechanic, I'm a mom who tries her best and I'm someone who had to learn the hard way when to push back; nothing more, but nothing less either. And frankly, that's all I could desire to be" Abigail firmly but warmly replied.

"I'm also someone who appreciates a good friend that's willing to help me out, of course" she added, earnestly looking the wobbly Tiefling in the eye all the while.

Ashes flashed a smile that appeared to come straight from the heart. She might not have been all there at the moment, but she was present enough to appreciate her friend right back. Thus she leaned in to put her huge arm over Abigail's shoulders, and it didn't take long for the Half-Orc to return the gesture. The two women sat there for a moment simply taking in each other's company, at one point throwing in a solid fist bump with their free arms. Eventually they let go, and it didn't take long for Ashes to fly right back into her delirious state.

"Aaah, what a nicshce moment! I think I'll have… have another mug, pleasche!" the gunslinger shouted towards the bartender far in the back.

But before said bartender could answer, Abigail held up her hand in front of Ashes while shaking her head.

"I think that's enough booze for one night, Ashes. We still need you aware enough to get all the way to my couch, after all."

The mechanic instead waved over to the bartender to signify that they were gonna pay for themselves and leave, before helping the wobbling Tiefling to get up from her stool. And while the latter let out a loud disappointed groan, she didn't make any moves to resist. It appeared that she got the hint.

"John should be sound asleep right now, so while I doubt I'll need to say this I do need you to keep your voice down. And I'd prepare myself for tomorrow morning if I were you - as soon as he realises you're visiting he's not gonna let you out of his sights for a second!" Abigail laughed, fully aware of how much her son admired the massive gunslinger.

"I'll look forwuu… forward to it! Oooh, we could go to the pl… the playground!" Ashes blurrily answered.

As Abigail finished paying for their truckload of drinks, her face lit up at the Tiefling's enthusiasm. All the hints of despair and anger from her recollection were gone, replaced by sheer relief and gratitude. It appeared she had been right before; today had in fact been a day to remember.

"We're happy to have you as long as you can stay, buddy!" Abigail happily replied, affectionately jabbing Ashes' huge shoulder all the while. And as the two slowly but surely went out the door onto the dark street, the Half-Orc added one last tidbit to end off their turbulent drinking session.

"Actually, depending on how long you're staying you might even catch Prime whenever he comes back!"

The lives of the tournament's participants went on, all with new friends at their side. Friends who were there to aid in not just dealing with their pasts, but help form their futures as well.