The multiverse is more than just a prism…
It is ever expanding and ever growing…
A place where one choice, one fork on the road can lead to many opportunities…
But every spark of brilliance there is a spark of madness…
These are the stories of both…
Cain finished showing Metamorpho around the House of Mystery and the stakes of their mission. To say that Metamorpho was ready for anything was an understatement. Though he did have to fix a few broken boards and shelves that Murphy's Law had affected. Though annoying to some, Cain found it entertaining, plus he was happy that none of his collectibles were damaged thanks to the House's magic.
"Sorry for the mess, Mr. Cain." Metamorpho picked up the remains of the broken shelf with a sweeper hand.
"I'll admit that this is not the kind of mess I was hoping to clean up first," Cain said. "But it is interesting to see an actual mess happen in the House of Mystery. It makes it feel alive and with an identity of its own. I'm mostly pleased that my collection wasn't damaged." Cain picked up the skull of a large beast from the ground before placing it on a brand new shelf.
"So many stories to go along with the pieces," Metamorpho muttered. "So, any idea of where we're going to go next?"
"For that we should join our ally in the operation room." Cain opened a door before walking in.
Metamorpho couldn't tell if the eternal dream being was being truthful or just making things up. But he didn't want to be alone in the spooky house that seemed as alive and twisted as its owner. He quickly followed after Cain, walking through the door before it closed behind him.
"Creepy." Metamorpho walked after Cain.
The room Nite Owl had fashioned as his workshop, looked like an old autopsy room. There were operating tables, a board full of pictures and information linking to Dr. Destiny and his plans. From pictures of other villains and enemies they had faced, to what the living nightmare was doing with all the energy that he was trying to gain. The lights were bright while the floor was made up completely of white tiles that were as spotless as they looked eerily terrifying. And in the middle of a working table was Nite Owl, looking at things through a magnifying glass. He looked as focused as a bird of prey stalking its prey in the middle of the night. The only dark thing in such a pristine white space.
Nite Owl was looking into the piece of evidence that Dr. Destiny dropped when they were back at the caverns. The robotic crab-like leg was advanced but no more than an appendage of a small mechanical contraption. He'd seen technology like this before, but it wasn't wasn't narrowing the list of possibilities of where Dr. Destiny could go. He had to learn more about it. That was the key for the next step in his plans.
"Oversight." Nite Owl's eyes glowed brightly as he observed the piece of tech while pulling out a recorder. "The appendage appears to be made of a metal alloy that's carbon dated to at least two hundred years from the current era, which means that it comes from a world with time travel and advanced technology that can safely cross the time stream. I believe this piece is a leg of a crab-like drone, no more than a foot of height. Probably used for exploration or espionage. The circuitry of the leg shows that they are fueled by a powerful source of energy. One thing is certain, Dr. Destiny requires something of this world. Perhaps these robots would be a basis of what he plans to do with the Dream Stone. Or perhaps he plans to use the circuitry to make the powers of the Dream Stone more accessible to the user."
Nite Owl got up from his work table before looking at Cain and Metamorpho over his shoulder.
"Is it possible?" He asked.
"The Dream Stone isa powerful relic of the Dreaming and only beings from it can use it. But the power Dr. Destiny has used so far can only absorb and influence dreams and their energy. He can't create them or make them a reality. Only Lord Morpheus can do something like that as it is his domain." Cain manifested a Dream Stone in his hand. "Think of it like parental control over the television."
"Then it stands to reason that he'll look for something to break through those restraints." Nite Owl narrowed his eyes. "Has anyone altered a Dream Stone physically, or added anything?"
"What, like a button or something?" Metamorpho asked, only getting a blank look from his companions.
"No, Metamorpho, I believe our friend refers more to a bypass between the user and the Dream Stone. Right?" Cain asked. "If that's the case, then there was one story of someone foolish enough to try to control such energies and came awfully close." Cain summoned a new item into his hand.
The item looked like a metallic scepter that crackled with energy with an orb of energy at the end. It had cracks and scratches around it but it still looked as powerful as it was advanced. Cain twirled it around, remembering the story.
"It happened a few years ago in a sleepy if not ordinary looking bay town…"
"Oceanside, if I remember correctly. I'd gone there because of a vacation, though looking back I should've gone to a place less cheerful and average. The fireworks were nice though."
Cain walked through the streets as the local New Year's celebration was taking place. Fireworks blew up in the sky as the people celebrated the beginning of a new year, but Cain looked for something a little less colorful. The people seemed nice enough, but he was always more at home at darker spots with a macabre atmosphere to it. However, something caught his eye.
A bright light came from the forest, a light that Cain had seen and felt many times before. He made his way down to the forest as the pull of that energy got stronger and stronger. It was dimensional energy. He stuck to the shadows of the trees and the night as he made his way to the source of the energy. Normally, he would've sent someone else or allowed the locals to deal with this mess. But the idea of getting a story and a souvenir out of this strange twist was enough to go and find what was going on. He had the curiosity of a cat after all.
Cain peeked out from behind a tree and saw a bunch of scientists and men in hazmat suits working on strange machines around a strange arch connected to many energy generators. He raised one of his eyebrows as he saw a man in a lab coat and a woman in a suit walking towards the arch while the man carried the scepter in his hands. He could tell they were talking about something interesting and as ever the curious character, he got closer to listen.
"-we've wasted too much money and time in this experiment, Portefoy. You better get some much needed results, or I'll make sure you don't have a spot to drop dead on." The woman glared at the man in a lab coat.
"I can assure you, Miss Dominus. The rare metals that we've uncovered will unlock the door to the energies of other dimensions." Portefoy smiled, holding up the scepter. "These energies from the Dark Universe will not only put Dark Star on the map but it will make us all immensely rich. The circuitry and energy conductors of the scepter will open the gateway and we can get all the energy we can get our hands on in mere seconds. We could even crack time travel if we wanted." Portefoy looked at his reflection on the scepter with a smile full of himself.
Dominus rolled her eyes at her scientist's actions. She didn't care about his ideas of grandeur, she just wanted to make her company more than just a brand of energy for the small town of Oceanside. She wanted results and what better time to do some illegal experiments than when everyone was looking at the pretty fireworks. She gave the signal to get the machine started.
Cain rolled his eyes at this. Typical mortals with egos and death wishes for quick riches and power always thought they owned everything they got their hands on. Part of him knew he had to do something to stop them. But another part of him wanted to see what happened and how it blew up in their faces. So, he stayed quiet and kept on watching from the shadows.
"Derek, come on, you can't be angry at your mom and storm into the forest."
Cain looked back to see he wasn't alone anymore.
Two high schoolers walked through the woods alone on their way to the strange experiment. One was a young man of Puerto Rican descent with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a dark blue long-sleeved t-shirt with a brown short sleeved shirt on top of it with a pair of jeans and black sneakers to finish his look. The other one was a girl with long blond hair tied in a pony tail and fair skin with clear blue eyes. She wore a black t-shirt with a funny monster on it, a green jacket and a pair of jeans with monster drawn shoes.
"As though by fate or chance, I found myself accompanied by a pair of youths that were completely unaware of what was about to happen to them. Energies and experiments of this nature and teenagers never mix well."
"It's not that Ernie, I just feel like nothing happens in this town. And I feel like I need to do something with my life that's not working for some company." Derek sat down against a tree. "We're already in Junior year and I just feel like I need to do something more. Maybe do some stuff before leaving for college? If I ever figure out what I want."
Ernie sat down before her friend with a sigh.
"At least your mom has expectations for you to be something great. My family still says I'm wasting my time in making cosplay costumes." Ernie rubbed her temples. "We need to get out of this town. Maybe catch the next bus out of here as soon as we finish high school?"
"Yeah, but how far could we get? I just want to see the world and do some crazy stuff before having to settle down in some stuffing job," Derek said.
Ernie rubbed his knee, trying to make him feel better. However, before she could say something, a bright light caught her attention. She looked past Derek and at what was going on. Bright lights were coming from behind the trees and it looked like it was getting stronger and brighter. She'd seen enough monster movies, read sci-fi novels and watched anime to know that was never a good sign or something normal in any town. But she couldn't help but let out a…
"What's that?" Ernie asked.
Derek turned around to see the bright lights.
"Okay, that's not normal. Let's go see what it is." Derek got up with all the curiosity of a teenager wanting something more.
"What? Derek." Ernie reached out only to miss. "Shouldn't we call the cops, or something that's not a cliche of every single horror movie in existence?" Ernie whispered as they walked to the source of the lights.
The two teens dropped down to see the experiment happening in the middle of the woods.
The arch turned on as Professor Portefoy inserted the scepter in the middle of it. The energy sprouted from the scepter as the professor watched with a greedy smile. The energy spread over the arch, giving off readings through the machines connected to the arch. Bright glowing orange energy crackled open before the eyes of everyone. Soon enough, the energies cleared up, revealing a strange space with different colorful worlds. It was like looking into a painting straight out of a sci-fi movie. Everyone could see strange creatures flying through the void of space as crystals floated around the worlds past the arch. It was all that Dominus and Portefoy wanted and all that Derek and Ernie wanted to see in their lives.
"Amazing." Derek whispered.
However, as fate would have it, Derek's whisper was heard by a passing guard.
"Freeze punks!" The guard aimed their rifle at the two kids. "This is a restricted area!"
Derek and Ernie jumped from their hiding spot, looking at the guard aiming at them. But their sudden movement startled the guard, causing him to shoot at them. The bullets flew at them, narrowly missing their heads. Derek didn't wait another second, he took Ernie's hand and took off running away as the guard fired at them.
"Stop! This is a restricted area!" The guard continued firing at them like a trigger-happy maniac.
Derek couldn't believe what was going on. But his mind was more focused on fleeing from the area and the people that were trying to kill him and his friend. The sound of the bullets whizzing over and around his body, narrowly missing him and Ernie by some miracle. He no longer cared about going into the dangerous and mysterious scene straight from a sci-fi movie.
However, the flying bullets and the two scared teenagers running towards the experiment didn't go unnoticed by the scientists or the head of the company.
"What the devil is all that racket?!" Dominus asked, turning around to see the mess happening before her eyes.
"It seems we have intruders. The guards will take care of them, not to worry Miss Dominus." Professor Portefoy shrugged off.
"A couple of dead teenagers and bullets flying is too dangerous, you foo-!" Dominus ducked as the bullets flew their way. "Watch it you moron!"
The bullets struck the scepter and flew into the portal, alerting the creatures that resided in the void. The arch buzzed and sparkled with energy shooting out from it. The damage was only small but what came from the other side was far more dangerous than what the energy could be. A large black tentacle shot out of the portal, thrashing and causing chaos around the location.
Everyone turned to see a large black monster with large razor sharp teeth, four glowing bright blue eyes broke through the portal arch as more black tentacles sprung out from the other side. The beast thrashed and snatched scientists left and right. Chaos spread quickly as the monster snatched and devoured scientists and guards all the same like a wolf attacking a flock of sheep. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie. The energies of the arch started shooting all over, frying the equipment, creating portals that sucked in people into god knows what terrible fates. The beast roared and pushed further out of the portal, trying to get out into the world.
Dominus and Portefoy ran as fast as they could, only for a portal to snatch the professor mid-escape. He let out a cry of help as he fell down but Dominus couldn't bother to stop her feet. All she wanted was to get away, that power and energy was all she could ever want and yet it was all a disaster.
Derek and Ernie hid behind one of the machines as they watched the whole scene in fear.
"What is that thing?!" Ernie asked, fear filling her voice.
"I don't know, but it looks like a monster made out of black ink!" Derek replied, not noticing a black tentacle slithering towards his leg. "We need to go-!" Derek was snatched and lifted into the air.
"Derek!" Ernie reached out to grab her friend, only to miss him.
Derek was tossed and shaken like a ragdoll until he was hovering over the large beast's mouth. He looked into the beast's large glowing maw, watching his own life flash before his eyes. All the missed chances and all the missed opportunities flashed before his eyes as he clung to the black tentacle. He fought for the hold, keeping himself from falling into the beast's open mouth.
Ernie didn't know what to do. She wasn't an action heroine like Ripley, but she had to do something. Her eyes landed on the scepter at the base of the arch. This gave her an idea. A crazy idea. But an idea nonetheless. She sprinted towards the scepter and the arch. She jumped over the opening rifts and portals in the fabric of reality. She grabbed hold of the scepter with all her strength.
"If anime and movies and video games have taught me anything, if you remove something that looks important then the whole thing goes down!" Ernie pulled the scepter with all her might.
She pulled and tugged at it until it broke free of the arch.
The arch crackled with energy as rifts materialized and closed around the area. The beast roared as the energy began pulling at it back into the dark of the void it had come from. But as the beast was pulled in, so was Derek. He reached out to grab hold of anything to break free from the beast's tentacle. But the grip of the beast was strong. He grabbed hold of a cable as he was dragged into the portal, holding onto it for dear life.
"Ernie!" Derek called, making Ernie drop the scepter before grabbing the cable.
Derek went into the portal while Erine held the cable with all her might, digging her heels against the ground like she was trying to overturn the soil.
Derek looked at the large vast void with all the energies crackling around him. His eyes landed on the large beast as it tried to bite down on him. But before it could sink its teeth into him, he was struck with bright orange energies, making the beast release him. He let out a scream of pain. Every nerve in his body was on fire as he twisted and turned from the power. His eyes shot wide, glowing with energy.
But as quickly as the power filled him, he was pulled out by Ernie.
They fell on the ground before the portal before it collapsed before their eyes before disappearing completely. Ernie laid down in silence looking at what was there before hand and what they had just experienced. The silence seemed to envelop them completely with only Ernie's breathing breaking the silence if only slightly. Derek fully broke the silence as he took in a deep sharp breath in before coughing wildly as though he was about to spit out his lungs through his mouth.
"Derek, Derek, talk to me." Ernie checked up on her friend, making sure that he was okay. "What happened? Are you okay? You want me to take you to a hospital? Tell me something!"
"Let's… Let's just… Let's just get the hell out of here." Derek struggled to get up with Ernie helping him to his feet.
They walked away from the crazy experiment that they had witnessed and survived, leaving the area. However, as they walked away from the scene of a sci-fi movie, neither of them noticed the orange sparks coming out of Derek's fingers. Nor did they notice a certain dapper gentlemen picking up the scepter.
"I believe the saying goes 'sometimes you have to let children get burnt before they learn the stove is hot'. But that science experiment brought out some interesting developments."
Back at the present, Cain looked at the scepter that he'd recovered from the world and the story. He did often wondered what had happened to the young man after he was almost drowned in the energies of the portal and the other realm. It would've been an interesting story that he had to look into sooner rather than later.
"The experiment seemed like a poor attempt to reach into the Dark Multiverse or the Nightmare Realm as those in the Dreaming call it." Cain explained. "The whole mess was an exercise in messing with something people shouldn't have."
"But it may be exactly what we're looking for." Nite Owl took the scepter. "The circuitry and the designs of the scepter is almost identical to the robotic leg. And if this can be used to access such energies, that's where Dr. Destiny will go next."
"Alright, let's go be heroes, Outsiders!" Metamorpho punched his palm, earning weirded looks from the other two members.
"Let's put that name in our back pockets for now, we need to catch Dr. Destiny while we have the element of surprise." Cain reached for the door, opening it before another door.
The door was split down the middle by a bright crackling yellowish orange line resembling one of the rifts from the story. The left side of the door was colored bright red and white with a list of items written on it almost carved, ranging from common chores to some oddly specific tasks. While on the right side was dark blue and light greenish blue in sharp diagonal lines with a list of it's own but this one was filled with fun activities and outlandish stunts.
"'Get first price for cutest pet rock'? 'Rift between Mt. Everest and the Great Wall and take pictures of both places'?" Metamorpho read with intrigue. "Okay, one sounds way more fun than the other."
"Then, let us see what's going on between the two different bucket lists and how they play into our quarry's plans." Cain opened the door. "After you."
The trio stepped into the door, walking into the new world. They soon found themselves in a new location, a bright sunny beachside town. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach and the pier brought a sense of tranquility to the scenery. The sky was clear and they were all out in the open.
"Well, this is kinda nice. I could really spend some vacation here and catch some sunshine." Metamorpho whistled.
"We need to get somewhere we can see the entire city. We're too exposed." Nite Owl pointed out.
"Not to mention that we need to find the young man from back then. I believe his name was Derek," Cain mentioned as the sound of police sirens came from down the street.
The trio watched as a runaway stolen armored car drove off while on a gun fight with the police closing in on them as a trail of money floated by. However, they then saw a bright crackling rift opening above them before someone jumped out of it.
The figure was a lean young man wearing a strange suit over his body. His features were hidden behind a dark blue and light greenish blue in a dynamic pattern. The upper part of his body, from the shoulders, pecks and head it was dark blue in a V-shape. The lower upper body and from the shoulder to the elbow was colored light greenish blue. The pants were dark blue with V-shaped accents of light greenish blue on his knees and feet. His arms were dark blue with his fingers being light greenish blue . His mask had two light greenish blue eyelenses with a V on his forehead. The lean male figure traced his fingers in the air, creating a yellowish orange rift through which he jumped through.
"Well, I believe there he goes." Cain commented.
Back on the pursuit, the colorful hero pulled out his phone and started recording his exploits.
"Hey there Sidewayers! It's your main man, Sideways and I got a treat for you today!" He turned the streaming camera at the pursuit. "A classic police chase! Let's see if we can make it more interesting for the boys in blue. Don't try this at home!" Sideways jumped through another rift, landing on top of the armored truck in a crouching position.
The armed thugs looked up with one of them poking his head out of the truck.
"Hey there! Say hello to the internet!" Sideways waved at the criminal.
The criminal pulled a gun in return. He fired at the hero, narrowly missing his phone and the hero's head.
Sideways kicked the gun away before rifting into the driver's seat. He fell on top of the criminal before elbowing him.
"Sometimes I wish I had spider powers." He commented.
Earth -3202
What if a young hero had a list of things to do?
Sideways grabbed hold of the steering wheel, spinning it in a sharp turn. The truck turned on its side as Sideways jumped out the window, making another rift appear over his head. He'd been getting better at making the rifts and was now capable of making them appear whenever and wherever he wanted. Another rift appeared ahead on the street with Sideways jumping out of it. He rubbed his head with a smirk. Expecting to see the truck slowing down to a stop behind him, he turned around. But instead, he saw a clear street without a trace of the armored truck. Scratching his head, he wondered where the armored truck was. He examined his rift, making sure that it was working properly.
"Where is it? I could've sworn I had it on lock this time." Sideways scratched the back of his head before hearing something screeching towards him.
He turned around only to see the truck skidding towards him. With an unheroic scream of terror, he jumped out of the way, letting the truck crash against his rift. The crash was loud, but it stopped the truck, bending itself like it had crashed into a large steel beam.
Sideways looked at his unexpected handiwork with a surprised look on his face.
"Huh, that's one way of stopping a runaway truck." Sideways hummed to himself as two of the armed robbers stumbled out.
"Eat lead, freak!" They shot at Sideways, forcing him to jump into another one of his rifts avoiding the bullets.
Sideways landed behind the armed thugs before kicking one in the stomach and punching the other across the face. One of the criminals fired at Sideways, forcing him to jump back and dodged the bullets. He might've been invulnerable, but the idea of getting shot was not something that appealed to him. Without missing a beat, he traced his fingers into two different rifts that appeared behind the two robbers. And as fast as lightning, he threw two punches into the rifts, hitting the two criminals behind their heads.
"And for the big finish!" Sideways grabbed the heads of the two criminals and bashed them against each other with ease.
The criminals dropped to the ground unconscious as Sideways continued to film for his streaming.
"And that's how you do it Sidewayers, always keep an eye out for the unexpected." Sideways gave the stream a thumbs up as the views and the replies poured in like rain. "Man, I'm getting a lot of love and comments from you guys. Love the love guys. And sorry, but that's all for today, unless you guys know of a crime happening somewhere else." Just as Sideways finished his sentence, the police arrived, circling him.
"Freeze, Sideways!" One of the officers aimed his gun at the young hero.
Sideways rolled his eyes as he saw the different officers aiming their weapons at him like he was some criminal. It was a cliche of the superhero genre and everything, but he couldn't blame the boys and girls in blue for taking him like a threat. He could make portal rifts to anywhere he wanted and that included banks and safes full of cash and jewels. Plus the whole mask thing with the awesome costume wasn't making things easier for him and the people that didn't follow him on social media. But that was neither here nor there, now he had to do the same routine as he did yesterday and the week before.
"Hey there, officers. Caught you guys a present, and before you ask, my hands are up." Sideways turned around, holding his hands up, while still streaming. "Got anything to say to the millions of followers watching?"
"Cut the feed and come quietly!" The officers demanded. "And keep your hands up."
"Okay." Sideways moved his hands up, opening a rift on top of him. "Bye!" He jumped into the rift as the officers cursed their luck.
"Dang it, Gary! You know he does that every time!"
"Sorry, it slipped."
Not far from the location, the trio of dimensional travelers watched the events unfold. It was hard not to see the different reactions and interpretations to what had happened. The trio's suspicions had been proven right about the young man but that didn't mean that they were all in agreement as to what had happened. Cain smiled at the interesting development before them as it was indeed an interesting new story for him to add to his collection. Nite Owl narrowed his eyes at the events that took place before their eyes, analyzing every action that had been taken. And Metamorpho…
"Wow! That was awesome! Kid handled himself nicely there." Metamorpho cheered. "Did you see those things he made and how he hopped around like a videogame character?! It was so cool!"
"He wasted time and his treatment of the situation as a joke and a game. He should've just made a rift appear before the truck's wheels, taking them out before taking out each of the gunmen and the driver." Nite Owl critiqued. "And that streaming thing he was doing was a waste of time and effort. Keeping people aware of your movements is the perfect way to get yourself blindsided. We should neutralize him and demand answers before proceeding."
"Now, now, Nite Owl," Cain said. "No need to be so judgemental of the young man. Sure, he is rough around the edges, but was anyone not so at that age? Besides, the less you know, the better you learn in the long run. Now, let us find him and ask him about the tech we're looking for."
"Um, yeah, how do we do that if the kid can portal himself anywhere?" Metamorpho asked as Nite Owl tracked his signal.
"I got his location," Nite Owl said. "He's five miles ahead of us and three miles west of here. I got the address. Let's move."
Nite Owl pulled out hsi grappling hook before taking off, leaving Metamorpho and Cain behind.
"That guy is scary sometimes." Metamorpho commented.
"That could be considered efficient to some," Cain counted. "But yes, it is quite spooky indeed."
Ernie yawned as she got out of bed wearing her favorite monster onesie. She was glad that she didn't have to go over her sister's stupid stuff that she left lying around as she went to the bathroom. Her large collection of monster action figures, anime posters, and movie books and fashion magazines were all disorderly put on her side of the room according to her system. But her sister just loved to blame her for the mess of her stuff. Hard to be a sister to someone like that.
"Man, this is the last time I'll stay up playing video games." Ernie washed her face in the sink. "Good thing it's a Saturday." She got ready to brush her teeth before she caught a strange light in the mirror.
Ernie narrowed her eyes until she realized that there was a glowing yellowish orange rift behind her.
"Missed a spot there." Sideways poked her cheek.
Ernie screamed in shock, falling on her butt as Sideways took off his mask, revealing Derek's face.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ernie. It's me!" Derek held up his hands. "Derek, remember? Your best friend."
Ernie looked down at her onesie and back at Derek with an embarrassed angry blush. She quickly got up, pouncing on Derek as she throttled him. Her hands and shaking weren't doing anything to actually hurt him, but it was the best she could do to prove that she was angry with him. Afterall, what girl liked getting a surprise visit from her superhero best friend.
"What is wrong with you?!" Ernie throttled him with all her might. "I told you to stop doing that! What if I was in the middle of a shower or worse, my sister could've seen you and labeled you a perv?!"
"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't thinking." Derek apologized. "Hey, did you catch the stream?"
"I just woke up, man." Ernie got back up to her feet as Derek did the same. "But, I guess you had your fun and crossed another item from your bucket list?"
Derek pulled out a notebook while smiling. He flipped it open until he reached the item he was looking for.
"Item number 25: Stream a superhero fight." Derek crossed it off from his list. "Check. Doing pretty well, aren't I?" Derek twirled his pen with a smug look on his face.
Ernie took his notebook before going over the things he'd written down he wanted to do. Most of the first few items were jokes or superhero first steps that she helped fill out. First was to figure out how his powers worked. Then it was make a superhero costume, which she happily made for him. Then there were some of the more outlandish ones like the one he had just crossed off.
"So, now that your ego has been satisfied and it's not even breakfast, how does the search for number ten go?" Ernie asked. "Or maybe number twenty?" She handed his notebook back for him to look at.
Despite the fun Derek was having with his newfound powers and the list of things he'd wanted to do with them, there were some serious items on the list. Number ten was finding out who were the people that had opened the portal that had given him his powers. And number twenty was battling his very own arch nemesis. A milestone in every hero's career, something he was sorely lacking. It wasn't that he didn't want to get answers or learn about what had happened to him, but he just didn't have the rush to figure those things out. Or any leads to start looking. So, for the time being, he would just be the carefree hero of Oceanside and internet sensation Sideways.
"Well, so what if we haven't made all of the checks?" Derek shrugged. "Besides, we looked all over and there were no traces of the creepy science guys that night. Maybe they decided to take all their stuff to some hidden secret base or something? Plus, remember what day it is today?" Derek asked his best friend.
Ernie thought about it before her eyes widened in realization. There was something that they were dying to do. A certain movie was coming to town and they wanted to watch it all the more. She looked at Derek as she nodded slowly.
"The special edition release of the new Dreadbolt and the Terror Titans comic! With the reveal of a new hero!" Derek and Ernie said at once.
"I completely forgot! My brain really needs coffee to wake up!" Ernie jumped in place. "We gotta be there for the whole event! I've followed those comics since forever and I've studied the animated and live action series and they are all awesome!"
"Heck yeah! And what's best, I can get us there in the blink of an eye!" Derek snapped his fingers.
Just then there was a banging on the door.
"Ernie, is there someone in there with you?" Ernie's mom called out.
Derek made a rift and jumped out before the door was opened.
Back at his own room, Derek quickly got dressed in his normal civilian clothes. He put his costume away, safely hidden underneath his clothes. Sure, it was a pain and would've given him a rash if not for baby powder, but it was worth it if he got to be a hero. He quickly made his way downstairs where his mom was waiting for him.
"Good morning mom," Derek said.
"Good morning, Derek. Where are you going in such a good mood?" Helen asked.
She was a tall woman with tied up blond hair and a band by her right side. She wore a beige business suit with a white shirt underneath along with a skirt and high heels.
"Me and Ernie are excited to catch the release of a new comic book later today." Derek got some toast into the toaster before pouring himself some orange juice. "I'm gonna go meet her later today."
"Ooh, that sounds like a date."
Derek turned to see another woman, but this one with dark skin, long black hair that hung loose and wore a blue t-shirt and beige pants. This was his other mom.
"It isn't a date." Derek pouted.
"Stop teasing him, Rocio." Helen kissed her. "He's still not emotionally prepared for a girlfriend. Though we could give you some tips for when you do." Helen kissed her wife once more, making her giggle.
Derek groaned at the display of affection. He had no problem with his moms showing affection to each other like that every morning, but when they offered dating tips for him and his best friend, that was another story. Part of him just wanted to ignore those conversations but he loved his moms to pay attention to them. He walked away from the table with the toast in his mouth before heading out the door.
"Oh Derek, mijo, you remember that you're supposed to help Mr. Banks today?" Rocio asked, stopping Derek on his tracks.
"Huh? What? When did I say that?" Derek asked.
"I asked you yesterday while you were doing your homework. Don't you remember?" Rocio looked at her son with a raised eyebrow.
Derek's mind snapped back to the past day. He'd been finishing his latest science assignment while listening to music on his headphones. He was so in the zone with his music that he hadn't heard his mom knock on the door before entering his room.
"Mijo, Derek, Mr. Banks needs someone to help look after his house while he takes his twins to the doctor for a check up and his wife's working." Rocio called out. "I'd do it but I have classes at that time. Are you free on Saturday?"
"Huh?" Derek pulled up one of his headphones. "What was that?"
"I asked if you're free on Saturday afternoon," Rocio replied.
"Oh yeah, sure. I mostly got a free day, there's something later at night though." Derek explained.
"Great, thank you mi amor. You're the best." Rocio kissed the top of Derek's head before heading out.
Derek groaned at the memory. He had promised to do that stuff. It wasn't that he minded helping out around the neighborhood. Mr. Banks was a very chill guy and a good father to his family but he just couldn't stand his eldest kid or Scott.
"Oh man, why can't Hailey do that? She's already a Freshman, isn't she?" Derek asked.
"She is, but you're already sixteen and a Junior at highschool. He trusts you more," Rocio explained. "Plus, I heard that Hailey and Scott had something to do. It sounded important, but I don't know the details."
"Fine, I'll text Ernie and tell her the situation," Derek groaned.
He wished to go all the way to the other side of the country with one of his rifts. But he couldn't say no at that moment. With a beaten sigh, he grabbed his stuff before heading to the Banks residence. He'd known the Banks since he was younger and was on pretty good terms with the parents and the twins were sometimes a menace but he and Hailey had always had a bit of a tense relationship. It wasn't like they hated each other's guts or anything, but they just didn't seem to connect or keep a steady friendship. Part of him wondered if it was because their personalities were so stark contrast to each other. But somewhere in the back of his mind, Derek wondered if it had anything to do with the list that Hailey always lugged about but never got around to it.
"Better make the best out of this," Derek finished texting Ernie before turning to the Banks residence.
He was about to knock on the door when he heard a twig snapping behind him. He looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing. Shrugging it off, Derek was greeted by the tall Hawaiian man that was Mr. Banks.
"Derek, so good to see you!" Mr. Banks hugged Derek, snapping him out of his funk. "Wow, you feel more solid than the last time I saw you. Been working out to impress the ladies?"
"Hey, Mr. Banks. I heard you needed a house sitter?" Derek said. "Something like that. So, what do I gotta do?"
"Just some stuff around the house, the plumber is gonna come by soon and the showers have been a bit wonky. So, just be on the lookout for him." Mr. Banks explained while two little chubby babies jumped on him. "I gotta go, thanks for the solid. I'll make it up to you later."
"It's cool, Mr. Banks. Glad to help." Derek waved as Mr. Banks drove off with the twins.
Across the street, hidden from view, Cain, Metamorpho and Nite Owl watched Derek like a trio of hawks.
"That's our target. Be prepared to engage." Nite Owl pulled out his boomerang.
"Hey, easy, it's just a kid. We just gotta talk to him," Metamorpho said.
"I agree. Besides, there don't appear to be any threats that could attack him, he'll be willing to listen." Cain noted something. "Though, it would seem that he's about to have company."
He pointed to two teenagers, a girl and a boy. The girl wore overalls with a long sleeved red and white shirt, glasses and sneakers. She had a long brown ponytail and tanned skin like Mr. Banks. The boy had a green t-shirt, jeans and green sneakers. He had lightly tanned skin and short brown hair, and the look of a doofus.
"I'm telling you Hailey, the list will be a sinch! We got this in the bag!" Scott cheered.
"Scott, would you please not scream about the list for all to hear?" Hailey asked. "Let's take it easy. There's no rush to finish all the items before the summer."
"But we're on a roll, right Beta, my teddy bear man?" Scott pulled out a pink teddy bear with a screen for a face.
"If you mean, you've finished almost all the mundane items on the list except for cleaning the attic, then yes. You are on a roll, you buffoon." Beta sighed.
"Nailed it!" Scott pumped his hand.
Back with the trio…
"Okay, now it might be awkward to approach Mr. Derek." Cain commented with a frustrated sigh.
"Wonder what's with lists in this world," Metamorpho commented.
Helen just finished her strategy meeting with her boss at Dark Star Industries, and was eagerly waiting for her boss to give her some pointers. Or to agree with her strategy but she was open to criticism.
"And so, we will make sure to reach out to the Oceanside community by offering a trial with the new energy source that's being developed. We need to keep the people on our side and reaching to the less fortunate areas will do just that, Ms. Dominus." Helen finished.
Leto Dominus couldn't have cared less about the company's image or reaching out to the less fortunate of the small seaside town she had settled on. Her dark look told that she would rather spend her time and resources on other matters. But she was not one to start something she didn't like.
"I like it, and with the show that our energy is not only stronger but more environmentally conscious, we'll have the environmentalists on our side and the federal government in our pocket," Dominus said. "Proceed with the strategy Mrs. James." She dismissed Helen before scowling at her phone.
More so at the video on her phone and who it was showing.
She watched Sideways stopping the criminals before giving the police the slip. That was the power that she had been seeking. It was the gateway to the unlimited power that she wanted and needed to escape this little quiet town. But every time she tried to snatch that clown, he disappeared.
"If only I could get my hands on him and find out what makes him tick." Dominus growled.
Just then a portal appeared before her eyes, sucking in her phone. She was about to scream, but a small red and white crab-like robot appeared, holding her phone. It handed it back to her before its eyes glowed brightly. Dominus looked at the robot before it brought out a hologram of someone she believed long dead.
"Apologies for the rude appearance, Ms. Dominus. But my time is short and it is high time we talked." Professor Portefoy smiled, now having a cybernetic eye, a beard and futuristic armor.
"Portefoy? I saw you fall into that rift months ago," Dominus said. "How are you alive?"
"I had the misfortune, or fortune, of falling into a rift that sent me into the far future. It might've been months for you, but it's been years for me. I have amassed powerful technology, but these fools keep getting in my way. Listen to me, all our dreams and goals are being taken from us as we speak. Sideways is but one piece of the puzzle. His rifts not only can go into other parts of reality but also between dimensions." Portefoy explained. "One day, he will meet a stupid girl that stole my research and together they will create a future where the energy we sought to use will be distributed by them. This will lead to the sickening utopia I am stuck in."
"What?!" Dominus smashed her fist into the table. "That is my company's legacy. My legacy!"
"Yes, I reacted in a very similar manner that got me tased. I've been trying to destroy the girl with my bots, or at least her wretched list," Portefoy said.
"List?"
"In the time records, she wrote that had she not gotten the courage to complete her stupid list, she would never have found her passion for science. Something sentimental like that. Disgusting," Portefoy said. "But she is of no concern. Sideways is the real target. You must capture him and use his power to achieve our ambition."
"Easier said than done. He appears and disappears faster than any of my agents can get their hands on him." Dominus gritted her teeth.
"Which is why, I'm sending you a little gift from the future." Portefoy created another portal before Dominus.
This portal was bigger and a very human looking figure appeared from within. It looked like a man wearing a large brown trench coat, a black tactical suit with a large white skull on his chest with a yellow bolt across it, a black mask with sharp yellow glasses.
"Whoa, now he looks like he can get the job done." Dominus smiled with no small amount of lust.
"Meet my agent and personal terminator, Bolt." Portefoy smirked. "Now, go and bring Sideways in. Dead or alive."
Bolt's eyes glowed with a spark of electricity.
Back at the Banks residence, Derek let out a sigh as Hailey and Scott were watching some romantic comedy.
"This is so boring and so unrealistic. Can't we watch something else?" Derek asked.
"Hey, if you don't like it, you can just not watch it, Derek," Hailey said.
"I thought everyone liked romantic comedies," Scott, the lovable dumbass, asked.
"Not when they have uncharismatic characters with zero chemistry." Derek pointed to the screen. "At this moment I'm rooting for the evil step mom." Derek pulled out his notebook before writing something down. "Find the movie directors of this movie and hit them. Hard."
"Hey, Hailey, Derek has a list just like yours," Scott said.
Derek rolled his eyes as Hailey did her best to hide her list from Derek's sight. Not that he cared, he already knew of Hailey's list of things to do. No biggie.
"Scott!" Hailey snapped.
"Buffoon," Beta let out from inside the backpack.
Derek pretended he hadn't heard that strange voice before turning to Hailey.
"Relax, Hailey. Everyone has a bucket list of stuff they want to do. Just be glad that you're stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things." Derek put away his notebook.
"Huh, that's kinda nice of you, Derek." Hailey switched the channel. "Just for that you get the channel changed."
However she hit the news channel that showed off Sideways' morning adventure.
"Hey, it's that funky lights guy!" Scott pointed only for Hailey to groan.
"Not a fan of Sideways?" Derek asked.
"Not really. This guy claims to be a superhero but all he does is make messes and show off. I bet he makes these things happen just to get the attention he wants." Hailey didn't know but it struck Derek's ego. "And people just clap for him like he didn't just cost the city a pretty penny to fix the street."
"You're just saying that because you don't know him." Derek muttered.
"You don't need to know him to know he's a buffoon," Beta said.
"In fact, item number 600: Prove Sideways is full of it." Hailey wrote down on her list.
Derek rolled his eyes at that. But he couldn't help but feel like Hailey was in the right. Sure, he had fun and stopping a few crimes was awesome, but he didn't have anything that drove him to be a hero. Heck there wasn't any big injustice or crime he had to face. He needed something to get him skin in the game. But first…
"I'll be right back." Derek got up. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone." He eyed the pink teddy bear in the backpack.
"Don't worry, Derek, the next thing I'll do is clean the attic. Time to get that item once and for all." Hailey and Scott cheered while Beta rolled his eyes.
"What's with these kids just having to clean junk?" Beta ranted, not seeing the rift forming behind him. "The least she could do is fess up and get together and ki-AAAAHHH!"
The next thing Beta knew, he was face to face with none other than Sideways.
"Man, Care Bears have really gone downhill with their designs. What are you supposed to be? Sass Machine?" Sideways asked.
"None of your business, buffoon! Hailey! Help!" Beta screamed. "That side buffoon just kidnapped me!"
"Kidnap is a bit of a harsh word. Plus, screaming won't work. I mean, look where we are." Sideways gestured to them being on the rooftop and far from Hailey or Scott's ears. "Now, out with it. Who or what are you?"
"My lips are sealed! You won't get anything from me!" Beta tried to pull himself free.
"His name is Beta, a computer algorithm sent from the future to ensure Hailey Banks will complete the list of items that'll lead to her making great strides in the future."
Sideways and Beta turned to see Nite Owl standing behind them with a menacing glare in his eyes.
"Wait, what? Since when does cleaning the attic count as something to save the future?" Derek asked.
"On another note, who are you and how do you know that?! All you masked buffoons look the same to me!" Beta asked only for Nite Owl to snatch the AI out of it's teddy bear body with swift precision.
"Dude!" Sideways jumped back. "Brutal much?" Sideways got ready to fight against Nite Owl who just plugged himself into Beta.
"I gotta agree with the kid, that was a bit much." Metamorpho and Cain joined the other two heroes. "Sorry about him, he kinda likes punching and hitting before talking."
Sideways was kinda freaking out at the sight of not just one but now three strangers like him. He kept his guard up, ready to punch his way through if he needed to or rift far from the Banks residence if he needed to.
"Please, we mean you no harm, Sideways. We're here because we believe you could help us find someone we're looking for." Cain bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cain. and these are my allies, Metamorpho and Nite Owl you already met."
"Sup, kid. Good moves back there." Metamorpho reached out his hand, only for Derek to punch him in the face. "Okay, rude, but understandable. Not a bad punch but you're gonna want to put more weight behind your punch. Try putting your whole arm and hips in next time."
"Um, thanks, but why are you after me? I'm fairly new to the hero game," Sideways said.
"Because, according to the AI's database, you and Hailey Banks work together to create a renewable source of energy that stabilizes the planet. And now mad scientist criminal from the future and an evil want to stop it to capitalize on that energy and all the resources from other worlds." Nite Owl dropped that bomb of information, leaving Sideways with wide eyes. "It's all in the AI's memory banks. I've downloaded it and erased the last five minutes of its memory. Put it back where you snatched it." Nite Owl tossed Beta at Sideways.
"Jesucristo." Sideways caught the AI before dropping it into a rift. "So, what, they'll send the Terminator after me and this Hailey girl? Boy?"
Just as Sideways said that, a lightning bolt struck the rooftop, sending him flying into the backyard. He got up only to meet Bolt dropping down on him with a strong punch to his stomach. The air got knocked out of him as cracks appeared beneath him. Bolt pressed his hand against Sideways, sending an electric current through his body. Sideways screamed in pain before being thrown through the living room of the Banks house.
"Sideways. By order of Professor Portefoy and Dark Star Industries. You'll come with me." Bolt stepped towards Sideways, hands crackling with electricity. "Dead or alive."
Sideways struggled to get up. His head was buzzing and his eyesight was all dizzy. He'd never been hit with such brutality before. As he heard the steps of his attacker coming, he only had one thought. He had to run. He rolled out of the way of a stomping foot aimed for his chest before jumping into a rift. Appearing out in the backyard, Sideways turned around to see Bolt coming after him once more. He ducked under his punch, throwing a punch like Metamorpho had told him. He landed the blow in Bolt's stomach, sending him back. He then spotted the trio, looking at him.
"Care to join?!" Sideways snapped.
"Hang on, I'm-" Nite Owl stopped Metamorpho.
"This is his fight," Nite Owl said. "Besides, Dr. Destiny will make his move and we have the location of where." He brought up his locator.
"Well, I ain't letting the kid fight alone!" Metamorpho jumped down.
"Very well, we'll take care of Destiny in the meantime." Cain and Nite Owl took off.
Sideways looked at Metamorpho as he landed at his side.
"Got your back, kid. Ready for a crash course?" Metamorpho transformed his hands into a hammer and a shield.
"Say the word, teach." Sideways watched Bolt getting back up.
"Take a deep breath, analyze how he fights and exploit any weaknesses." Metamorpho blocked a lightning bolt with his shield. "Also, your powers need to be focused. Think of where you want your rifts to go and make them. You need to be certain and count for every detail."
Sideways didn't know what to say. Looking at his hands, he had always allowed his powers to go loose but always to where he wanted. He was honestly scared of where his powers could take him. It was like he was afraid of letting the genie out of the bottle. A bottle that had nearly cost him his life.
At that moment, Ernie entered the house. And she wasn't alone, Hailey and Scott had both come down after hearing the ruckus.
"What is going on?!" Ernie asked in shock.
"Who are those guys?!" Hailey asked.
"Superhero fight!" Scott the lovable dumbass cheered.
Sideways's eyes widened as Bolt turned to face the other kids. Fear was starting to freeze him in place. His mind wandered into horrible possibilities like what that monster had done the night he got his powers. He was powerless. He couldn't do anything.
"Don't wander into too many what-ifs. You need to be here and roll with the punches!" Metamorpho pulled Bolt back and away from the kids. "You're up kid! Get him!"
Sideways wasn't sure what to do. He had to do something. His eyes landed on Ernie, Hailey and Scott as they looked at him in shock. The fear in their eyes felt colder than the void he'd been stuck in. He didn't want anyone to go through that sensation again. A heat sprung from his chest and spread through his body like wildfire. This was how he was going to prove himself as a hero. He felt the energy coursing through him as he had found his heroic reason.
Sideways looked at Bolt as it ran towards him with lightning in his eyes. He couldn't think of too much of what could happen. He had to focus on what he had before him. He jumped into a rift appearing behind Bolt, kicking him in the back. Bolt swung his fist back only for Sideways to jump into another rift. He appeared on top of the electric terminator, kicking him in the face before jumping into another rift. He repeated the same process over and over, increasing in speed until Bolt was surrounded in a small dome of rifts. He punched and kicked at the electric villain as he dodged the electric shots being thrown at him. It was like a game of tag with an electric socket, but he was winning.
"Good! Hit him in the legs!" Metamorpho explained.
Sideways slid down between Bolt's legs before kicking him behind his legs. He sprung back to his feet just as Bolt threw an electric punch at him. The punch was swallowed by a rift that sent it back into the Terminator's stomach, going deep into his stomach.
"Had enough?" Sideways asked.
Bolt replied with an electric discharge that sent Sideways back. Metamorpho caught him as Bolt glared at the two heroes. His body shot out sparks and revealed a mechanical body underneath its body. Something that gave Metamorpho and Sideways an idea.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sideways asked.
"That he just became even more punchable? Yep." Metamorpho rushed at the robot, transforming his arms into large wooden hands.
Bolt fired eclectic charges at the tow heroes with the rabid rage of a feral animal.
Sideways opened different rifts, blocking and diverting the lightning sent their way. He opened a path for Metamorpho to run through, landing a strong punch on the robot's face. He grabbed hold of the robot's arms with a vice-like grip, tearing them off with a herculean strength. The young hero took this chance to jump through between the hero and the villain, landing a mighty punch on the Terminator's head, sending it flying.
Bolt's head fell on the ground with sparks coming out from the neck stump.
Sideways panted as he watched the body fall down to the ground.
"Man, that was intense," Sideways panted.
"It's all about the hero stuff kid." Metamorpho patted Sideways on the back. "Not bad for your first supervillain."
"Are you okay?" Ernie ran to Derek's side, checking him over. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah. Just got out of my first supervillain fight and it could've gone worse." Sideways joked. "But man, so many rifts really tuckers a guy out."
"That was so cool!" Scott called out. "You were swish, wish, swish and he was all zap, zap! And the big guy was-!"
"Scott, one tiny thing before you continue fanboying: WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT MY HOUSE?!" Hailey screamed.
"Don't worry, we'll fix it." Metamorpho morphed his hands into power tools.
Meanwhile, in the depths of Dark Star Industries, Dr Destiny furiously typed away at the computer, getting the proper information on the alterations the Dream Stone needed. He watched the monitor as the information poured like gasoline into the fire. He could almost feel the new lengths of power he was about to achieve with his alterations. All he had to do was put them to work on the Dream Stone.
"Soon my pretty. Soon you will be the most powerful of all Dream Stones." Dr. Destiny drooled.
"That's creepy, even for me." Cain smacked Dr. Destiny back, hard.
Dr. Destiny growled as he watched Cain and Nite Owl walking towards him with killing intent. It was too soon. He hadn't made the modifications to the Dream Stone and he would not be able to best them both on his own. Gritting his teeth, he thought of his options. His hand reached for the Dream Stone, only for Nite Owl to cut him off.
"You're surrounded." Nite Owl threw a dagger at Dr. Destiny, making him bleed. "Surrender. It is impossible for you to defeat us."
Those words rang in Dr. Destiny's head. He wasn't beat yet. He could still win this war.
"This battle you've won, Cain. You and your dog get this night." Dr. Destiny pulled out the head of one chaos bot. "But the war will be mine!" He activated the self-destruct function on the chaos bot, causing a large flashbang to blind his pursuers.
They covered their eyes, allowing their sight to return. They saw Dr. Destiny had escaped and left them alone.
"Blast and tarnation. He's escaped once more!" Cain gritted his teeth.
"But it would seem that we stopped him before he altered the Dream Stone." Nite Owl walked to the computer. "I'll delete it in case he comes back or someone else gets any bright ideas." Nite Owl plugged his own communicator into the computer, taking all the data from the computer.
"Then we must regroup and move on to the next world Dr. Destiny will go after he licks his wounds," Cain said.
Night had fallen and Derek and Ernie had gone to their comic book event. They had fun and participated in the event as much as they wanted. It was a great thing to cross off his list, but now he had other items to add to his own. Which was what made their laughter so bitter sweet.
"Are you sure you need to go with them?" Ernie asked.
"If that Destiny guy is behind all these things, then I have to help them. Plus, I can learn to be a better hero with them." Derek argued, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "I promise to come back often. Someone has to keep the people safe in this town."
Ernie looked down, feeling like her friend was moving on from her and everything they knew. But if that terminator was anything to go by then he had to see this through. Which made her want to cross something off her own list.
"Well, if that's the case." Ernie kissed Derek on the lips. "I'll make sure to be ready to save your butt every time. But promise me that you'll be safe." She blushed as did Derek, who tried to register what had happened.
"I promise. Besides, now I have another reason to come back in one piece." Derek turned to the House of Mystery standing there at the end of the street.
Metamorpho, Cain and Nite Owl waited for him by the entrance, watching the goodbye between the friends.
"I still don't like it. You sure he'll come back whenever he wants?" Metamorpho asked.
"The House of Mystery opens and appears everywhere it wants. It is the classic urban legend of the place you swore wasn't there before," Cain explained. "Young James has to but wish it and the House will give him a door back to his home."
Derek put on his costume and joined his new mentors. He would help them protect his home and all homes from the threats that were popping up. It would not be easy but he needed to step up as a hero.
"Ready whenever you are, boss." Derek said.
"Welcome to the Outsiders, Young Sideways." Cain gestured to him inside.
"Don't worry, kid. We got your back." Metamorpho smiled as they walked inside the house.
Derek hadn't known what his path of becoming a hero would be like. But now he understood that it was a responsibility that he had to uphold. He would make everyone that trusted in him proud. And he would prove himself a hero worthy of his title. Besides, there are worse things to happen than life going sideways for him.