Chapter 0: Part II: Long Ago
Utrominon - Dimension X
"I call this meeting of the Utrom High Council to order" Queen said "Knight, how is Kraang's work coming along?"
"The scientist is working on a substance he calls mutagen" Knight said "It is derived from the Kraathatrogon. He says it will grant temporary enhancements in the natural abilities of a being"
"Why do we need to enhance our abilities?" Bishop asked "Utroms are more suited for using a robotic suit. Extra strength wouldn't do much with out limited bodies"
"Not everyone is capable of building their own robotic suit" Knight said
"You're just upset you're the only member of the Utrom High Council not to have designed and built your own suit" Rook said
"I'm a soldier, not an engineer" Knight said "besides mutagen can be used to enhance other beings, not just Utroms"
"Kraang has consumed a lot of funds in his experiment with very little results" Queen said "if he does not make progress, he will need to find funding elsewhere"
"Understood" Knight said
Later, Knight meets with Kraang
"What did the Utrom High Council think of mutagen?" Kraang asked
"They're… well they're not uninterested" Knight began
"They hated it" Kraang said
"No, I wouldn't say that" Knight said "it's just you need to produce some results to show them this is worth the money they put in it"
"They threatened to cut my funding, didn't they" Kraang said
"Yes, yes they did" Knight said "if you don't produce results soon"
"Don't you know how difficult it is to test something like this?" Kraang asked "it's not like engineering, where you simply need to test the experiment in a safe, controlled area. I've tested on various animals without issue, but sooner or later, I have to test it on a Utrom. Who wants to volunteer for a test that could maim or kill them?"
"I understand, Kraang" Knight said "I'm with you, but the Council outvoted me"
"I know that, Knight" Kraang said "and thank you. I'll find someone to test it out on, even if I have to do it myself"
"Don't do that Kraang" Knight said "if you test on someone else and something goes wrong, you may be able to cure them. If you test on yourself and something goes wrong, no one else understands mutagen well enough to be able to help"
"Many scientists have experimented on themselves" Kraang said
"Don't, please" Knight said
"Okay" Kraang said "I won't"
"Thank you" Knight said "I have other duties to attend to, so I'll let you to get back to work" and he leaves
"Cut my funding?!" Kraang says to himself "the audacity. I'm doing great work, the hubris of the Council. I should use the mutagen on myself and then take my revenge on the Council… no, no. I'm a scientist, not a monster. Scientists throughout the ages have had to deal with obstructive bureaucrats and managed to prove themselves through their work, not through petty vengeance"
"But petty vengeance is so much more fun" a voice said and Kraang turns to see a robot suit
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Kraang asked "and may I see the designs for your robotic suit, it's not bad"
"Oh, this isn't a robotic suit" the being said "I'm not an Utrom. You can call me Hades. And I think your idea of testing the mutagen on yourself is a great one. You know, while I can't see the future, I do happen to know exactly what that mutagen will do to you"
"And what is that?" Kraang asked
"Exactly what you predicted" Hades said "more or less"
"More or less?" Kraang asked
"Your strength and size will increase as predicted" Hades said "but you will additionally gain telepathic powers over other Utroms. The one thing you got wrong is that it won't be temporary, it will be permanent"
"Why should I believe you?" Kraang asked "what have you to gain?"
"Let's just say I'm invested in your future" Hades said "but the choice is up to you, I can't force you to do it" and Hades twirls his hand and teleports away in blue fire
"I shouldn't do it…" Kraang said to himself "but, they want to cut my funding… what do I have to lose" and he drinks a vial of mutagen. He grows much larger and stronger and can sense his assistances' presence a couple rooms over. He thinks about calling them over but then they both walk in
"Newman, what are you doing here?" Kraang asked
"Who is Newman?" Newman asked "I have no name, I am merely one of the Kraang. As for what I'm doing here, Kraang Prime, you summoned us"
"I was about to…" Kraang began, but then realized, he was able to tell his fellow Utrom what he wanted to do through his thoughts and they did it… no… that's not quite right. He was able to control the Kraang through his thoughts, and they followed through without question. This could prove to be very interesting…
Later, at an Utrom High Council meeting, Kraang burst in
"Kraang" Bishop said "what happened to you"
"You said you wouldn't test it on yourself" Knight said
"But I did and it worked" Kraang said
"We can see that" Rook said
"How long does the effect last?" Queen asked
"It's permanent" Kraang said
"Permanent?" Bishop asked "then your experiment was a waste, no Utrom in their right mind would want to be that large forever"
"Agreed" Queen said "Kraang, we will fund a project for you to develop a retro-mutagen so you can cure yourself, but once it is complete, we are cutting off all funding"
"You can't do that" Kraang said
"Yes, yes we can" Rook said
"Well then, I suppose I should show you one additional ability the mutagen gave me" Kraang said "you are now all my slaves"
"No, no we are not" Queen said
"What?" Kraang said "why isn't it working. I can control the other Utrom just fine"
"You can what…" Knight said
"Some Utrom have stronger minds than others" Bishop said "did you really think you can control the High Council?"
"No matter" Kraang said "Kraang, attack!" and many Utroms, no Kraang flooded into the room and began firing at the High Council
"I suggest a strategic retreat" Knight said "we can't fight them all"
"Agreed" Queen said and the Utrom High Council teleported away
The Utrom Civil War has begun
Underworld
Hades returns from Dimension X to watch his handy work
"This had better be worth having to learn the Utrom language" Hades said "they sound like they're squealing pigs when they talk" and he watches with glee as the Utroms fight each other, transferring more souls to the Underworld. If he was only permitted to rule over the Underworld, he would make sure the Underworld had as many souls in it as possible
Hall of Legends
"He can't do that!" Zeus said
"Unfortunately, he can" Daimyo said "your restrictions had a loophole and he found them"
"We have to stop the war" Simultaneous said "trillions will die because of it"
"No" Nyx said "The Original Powers may not interfere in the affairs of the Omniverse beyond the limited scopes our duties require"
"If what Hades did bothers you so much, go back in time and stop him" Poseidon said "that is within your scope"
"No" Simultaneous said "messing with the flow of time, especially this early on, could have consequences even I couldn't see coming"
"What do you mean this early on?" Ursula asked
"Time is just getting started" Simultaneous said "we haven't even started numbering our years yet"
"That would be helpful" Daimyo said
"I'm working on it" Simultaneous said
"But wait, isn't time infinite?" Flora asked "no matter when you interfere, wouldn't there be infinite years afterwards"
"It should be infinite, yes" Simultaneous said "but I can't actually verify that. Even I can only go so many billions of years in the future with my magic. But I can't worry about things that beyond my limitations, or else I'd never be able to do anything. So I know about how far in the future I can use my time magic to see and until we get closer to it, I'm going to be very hesitant about interfering. Even when we get closer, time magic is to be used as a last resort only"
"I'm glad to hear it" Ruel said "but you need to understand, just as you are justifiably concerned about what impacts your magic will have on the Omniverse, so are we concerned with ours. We can't go and stop every civil war that starts, no matter how many people die in them". Lord Simultaneous doesn't quite agree, time magic gone wrong could unravel the timeline, but simply using a bit of magic to undo brainwashing or to kill a lone combatant is not the same thing, but he's new, he'll just go along… for now
Dunwyn
The humans had destroyed almost everything
In their quest for Gummiberry Juice, they have killed hundreds of Gummi Bears. The irony is that the war the humans declared on the Gummi Bears showed that the humans didn't actually need the Juice… they could conquer anything or anyone with their own natural talents.
The only thing the humans haven't discovered yet was Gummi Glen. The remaining Gummi Bears knew they couldn't survive the onslaught, so they decided it was time to leave. But they would leave behind a few tribes of Gummis in Gummi Glen, with the secrets of the Gummiberry Juice Recipe and a copy of the Great Book of Gummi, and a Gummi Bear Medallion.
They hoped they could return soon… but in their hearts they knew none of them that left would ever get the chance to return in their lifetimes
Utrominon - Dimension X
"Hello, Krang" Kraang Prime said
"Hey, Kraangy" Krang said "you wouldn't mind control an old friend would you?"
"I've mind controlled almost all my old friends" Kraang Prime said "but no, I'm not going to mind control you. I turns out having a bunch of mindless slaves isn't great for strategy planning. I need someone with a clean mind and I somewhat trust you"
"Thanks… I think" Krang said "can I keep my name, I don't want to be called Kraang"
"It's pronounced the same you…" Kraang Prime began "yes… you may keep you name"
"Maybe Krang would have been better a mindless slave…" Kraang Prime thought "but he's the only one I think I can trust… even if he's not particularly bright, he should at least be able to make my plans idiot proof"