Jump 1: Samurai Jack

Jump 1: Samurai Jack Age: 22 Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Location: Arabia Perks: Navigation Cooking [950] Acrobatics [900] Strategy [800] Animal Handling [700] Martial Arts [600] - Karate Melee Proficiency [400] - Swords, Spears, Clubs. Ranged Proficiency - Bow [0]

Items: Signature Outfit - Shirt, blue jacket, red scarf, jeans. Camping Equipment Motorcycle [200] Classic Weapon - Scimitar [50], Bow [0]

Drawbacks: Bloodless Violence [100]

I woke up with the taste of sand in my mouth and the feeling of a hot sun bearing down on my skin. The blistering heat felt like an extra ten pounds of weight pressing down on every cell in my body, and I found myself scrambling for some kind of water. Mercifully, I found a backpack and a full canteen on my person. Problem is, I don't remember getting these. Or a motorcycle, for that matter.

I checked my phone. No reception, and the battery is nearly dead. The time read 7:03 PM. The sun was bearing down on me from directly above. To say I was panicking would be an understatement...but I had enough sense to know that screaming into the abyss while in the desert on high noon is probably a bad idea.

I wonder if this motorcycle is all-terrain? Never rode one before.

Okay, I can safely say it is not all-terrain and I am very bad at driving motorcycles. It's like riding an angry bicycle with serious childhood trauma. Still, it's slightly faster than walking so I try to roll along with it. From the position of the stars, I know where north is, along with an idea of where to find civilization. I don't know how I suddenly know this. Or why I know I'll find an oasis or two along the path I'm taking. Like only half of my brain got the memo and my instincts were taking orders from it.

I'm too preoccupied with wanting to stay alive or find my way home to really care.

Eventually, I found a city in the middle of nowhere, that reminded me a little bit of Agrabah from Disney. Except...well, the camels were several hundred feet tall and there were plenty of strange, bipedal creatures going about their business, and some humanlike ones there, too. It was a while before I saw another human. I think that's about when I realized ‘alright, I’m not in

1/201 Kansas anymore.' I was familiar with the trope - someone being taken away from home and pulled into a new world, acquiring some new abilities to survive or thrive. But...

Well, wasn't there supposed to be some kind of reason for this? There was nothing special about me. No one showed up to explain this or why I suddenly knew things that should have taken years of training for a random first-world nobody like me. Had I just stumbled into a pothole somewhere, and ended up here...?

I didn't even know where ‘here’ was until I heard the name Aku being mentioned by some of the locals.

I also knew how to fight, now. A bar brawl taught me that much when some of the locals apparently didn't like the look of me. A little bit after, a group of riders invited me to join them. I guess they were impressed by me hitting some poor sap over the head with a table? Anyways, that's how I ended up in the desert equivalent of a gang. I didn't know what I was doing and I was honestly intimidated by both my situation and those around me, just going with the flow of things until I had enough sense to set off on my own the moment green land was in my sight.

And still, I did not know where to go, or where to find my way home. I only walked, fought, and tried to survive. I wasn't like Jack. I didn't fight off armies of robots. I usually hid, ran back, and kept to myself except when it was absolutely necessary.

Sometimes, when I stopped to listen, I could hear the ringing of bells.

2/201 Jump 2: The Evil Dead

Jump 2: The Evil Dead Origin: College Student Age: 24 Perks: “Groovy." Hail To The King, Baby [900] Name's Ash. Housewares. [700] Good. Bad. I'm The Guy With A Gun [400] Hero From The Sky [100]

Items: Oldsmobile Workshop [0]

Drawbacks: Just Cut Up Our Girlfriend...[500] Deadite Outbreaks [700]

Some people deal with things like an existential crisis, a dead-end job, or just having to wake up in the morning on a Monday. Meanwhile, I deal with the forces of evil possessing and/or killing all of my friends, except for Ash...who's kinda...well, twitchy after the whole experience. Did I mention this is happening every week and I still have to hold a job at S-Mart?

...

More than that...I remember a whole other life, now. I remember wandering a desert and riding with twelve thieves. I remember a whole other life before this. Before I had to get used to the idea of fighting the Evil Dead, day in and day out, blood, guts, and bits and pieces that used to be people...

I'm...not a fan of violence. At least, not after this. I hope this stops soon. It can't get any worse, right?

3/201 Jump 3: Harry Potter

Jump 3: Harry Potter Origin: Muggle-Born House: Hufflepuff Family Wealth: Middle Class Perks: Dedicated Just and Loyal Setup Wizard [900] Most Potente Potions [750] The Only One He Ever Feared [550]

Items: Wand Pet Owl Flask of Felix Felicis [500] Dark Arts Cache [400] Potion Reagents [300] Goblin-Made Sword [0]

Drawbacks: Prophecy [500] Bully Teacher [600]

I remember, when I was a kid, I absolutely loved the Harry Potter series. The books, the characters, losing hours of time into my own imagination thinking about what life in Hogwarts would be like, using magic to make my own life easier or to get revenge on anyone who bullied me by doing things like making them stuck in the air...it was a childish thing, but it filled young-me with wonder and imagination. I attribute the series a lot to my own interest in literature and stories, even though I feel like I outgrew it years ago.

That's why I went into shock when I realized I was standing at Platform 9 3/4, and was back in the body of a smaller youth. I remember my last three ‘lives’, but right now, I was a young First Year wizard-to-be. In the distance, I think I could faintly see a certain lightning-scarred kid boarding the train a few doors down. I only snapped out of it when a crowd tried pushing past me, and I found myself dragged onto the Hogwarts express.

I've been thinking about my circumstances for a while. Like the fact I seem to keep living new lives, ending up in new worlds I recognized from my own. It's, uh...it's overwhelming, putting it bluntly. I kept expecting to see cameras around the corner, some unseen audience watching me like a special edition of the Truman Show. But no one ever explained my predicament to me and I spent almost the entire last world fighting Deadites with whatever household tools I could get my hands on. Come to think of it, I've already seen more shit than most of these kids combined, and I'm pretty sure things are going to get bad pretty soon. Like, in a few years soon.

I contemplated running away. Just finding someplace to hide and let all of this be someone else's problem. But two things stopped me. One, the temptation of learning magic - something I had been fascinated with in my youth and beyond. Two...I remembered something. This is a place where magic exists and is at least studied with regularity. And there was someone here who could possibly help me. Someone familiar with how things like magic and curses worked.

4/201 I got sorted into Hufflepuff because, honestly, was I going to end up anywhere else? Not only was I not exactly naturally talented, but I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going with this new life of mine. I wasn't paying any attention to anything else right up until I got a moment of free time. At that point, I ran right for the Headmaster's Office.

...well, tried to. This castle is a bitch to navigate and the damn staircases change randomly. I had to give it about two days of attempts before I finally found my way there. Finally, I knocked on the door of Albus Dumbeldore's office. The door opened and a very curious old man was staring at me from his desk.

I hurriedly explained what was going on to him. He had to stop me a few times to tell me to calm down, slow down, and compose myself before I continued. I told him everything. The fact I was from another world, that I was much older than the life I was living right now. That I knew about this world from my own, and I didn't know how to stop any of this. I was out of breath by the time the wizened old sorcerer finally spoke up.

The only thing he asked was if I was carrying a key on me. I immediately checked my pockets, and...sure enough, there was a key. I didn't remember ever picking it up, nor did I even notice it up until now. Like it had only shown itself once I had tried looking for it. And then he asked me to hand the key over to him. I was a little skeptical, but I was the one who asked for help, so I did. He closed his hand and then opened it...the key was gone. And I felt something ‘clank’ in my right pocket. I reached back into it, and sure enough, the key was there.

“...but, what does that even mean?” I asked.

That's when Dumbeldore told me of a prophecy he had heard just one year prior:

Beware the one in crimson's shadow; The one foretold and seen - Turning gears, consuming legends; 'Neath the spokes of its machine. - Bearing paradox and cataclysm; Wandering where none can see - Opening the way beyond; The one who carries Heaven's Key.

It was...ominous, putting it bluntly. He told me that while he wasn't sure if he could do anything to actually ‘fix’ this, it wasn't a complete secret that there was something special or unusual about me...or at least, whatever was causing all of this. And that key painted a big bullseye on me, especially since I couldn't get rid of it or give it away. Albus promised he would do what he could to help and keep my secret, but otherwise, nothing had really changed.

I don't know who else he told, but I know Snape spoke in a condescending voice to me whenever I asked questions in class. Well, moreso than usual. The same sort of tone you used for someone with brain damage or a crippling learning disability. Either way, I did my best to act like...well, ‘myself’ in this world. Just being a kid in Hogwarts. I made friends. I learned magic. I barely paid any attention to what Harry and friends were up to. I was average, but good at study and potions.

Though, I did find a stack of strange books that looked very, VERY illegal. Like ‘go straight to Azkaban, do not collect 20 galleons’ illegal. I read through them and figured I understood it well enough, but I didnt' want to bother with such things. At least, that's what I thought until I realized how bad things were getting, and there wasn't much I could do to really stop it. I 5/201 risked getting expelled or worse by trying to perform the Killing Curse on a bug.

Key word ‘tried’. I could never pull it off, not even once, the entire time I was here.

Once Voldemort had returned, I ended up being ambushed by some Death Eaters who attempted to recruit or capture me, promising me things if I gave them the key I was carrying. Naturally, I told them to fuck off shortly before running the hell away. They weren't expecting the random Hogwarts student to know how to fight using karate and a bow, that's for damn sure. I think I broke one's nose at some point. Not to say I did much of anything impressive, after that...I was in ‘Dumbeldore’s Army' and ended up getting dragged into the battle at the Ministry. I brushed with death so many times I felt the urge to give it a high-five with each pass. I was terrified. Absolutely and utterly terrified.

I lost more than one of the friends I had made here, despite my own efforts. I was just a little more savvy, a little more used to fighting...but I was no warrior. And I messed up more than once. But not enough to die. Just that sweet spot of being able to survive and having to live with ‘what could have been’. War isn't any prettier when people are waving glorified glowsticks at each other.

At the end, I just felt exhausted. I wasn't any closer to finding the truth or figuring out how to get back home, and I just knew that people would be after me and the key I was apparently bound to. What about it made others want it...? They could have it for all I care, but it doesn't seem like that's even possible unless I die...and I'm not giving up my life for them. Speak of, wanna know what I found when I actually used it?

[Cosmic Warehouse] Utulities: Electricity [140], Plumbing [130], Heat/AC [120] Structures: Shelves,Medbay, Housing, Terminal [70] Misc: Food Supply [60], Stasis Pod x2 [0]

[Bodymod] Body Type: Athlete [500] Stats: Speed 3 [100] Dexterity 3 [150] Appeal 1 [450] Sense 2 [350] Endurance 2 [250] Strength 1 [200]

Perks: Flexibility 1 Metavore [0]

On top of that, there was a weird mess of gears in one corner that looked like they had been broken several dozen years ago. I wonder...is this the ‘machine’ that prophecy was talking about...?

Well. I guess I have to worry about it later. Right now, I need to say my goodbyes to my ‘parents’ and friends in this world. That's the least I can do for them, right...?

6/201 Jump 4: Nightmare on Elm Street

Jump 4: Nightmare on Elm Street Origin: Drop-In Age: 16 Perks: Sweet Dreams Lucid Dreamer [900] In My Dreams [700] Dreamless Sleep [400] I'm Into Survival [100]

Items: Merchandise 1428 Jumper Street [0]

So I've noticed something. Almost all of these ‘new worlds’ are definitely based on fiction from my own. Sure, things are progrssing in a slightly-logical fashion, but it feels like everything goes ‘the way it is supposed to’ when I'm not going out of my way to observe it. Not only that, but I seem to be being protected by something...each time I'm about to die or suffer some kind of body-destroying injury, something pulls me out of the fire at the last second. I don't want to try and test this theory, but it feels like...I don't know, I get a bit ‘better’ with each world I enter?

How do I know this?

Well, Freddy of all people showed up in my dreams at some point, to my own surprise. And to his surprise when I picked up my old scimitar in my dream and began to fight him mano-a- mano before I kicked him in the balls and then off a conveniently placed dream cliff. I doubt it killed him, but goddamn, was it hilarious. I don't even know if he was after my key or if he just got the wrong house or something.

I feel kinda bad I'm not in Harry Potter's world anymore, though. My magic probably doesn't work anymore. At least I've still got my karate, right?

7/201 Jump 5: Friday the 13th

Jump 5: Friday the 13th Origin: Drop-In Age: 23 Perks: Common Sense Brave [900] Lucky [700] Deader Than Dead [400] Survivalist [300] Final Guy [0]

Items: Friday the 13th Collection

Drawbacks: He's Back! [500] Nightmares [600]

I'm sensing a theme, here. First it was Freddy, now it's Jason. What, is the fucking Terminator hiding in a tree somewhere while Predator mans a fucking hot dog stand? Unfortunately, Jason is a bit too much of a stonewall for me to just throw a few kicks at and hope to win a direct battle. My sword isn't tough enough for his undead hide, either. So a lot of this was me running the hell away and finding various ways to set him on fire before running away some more.

For some reason, this almost makes me nostalgic. Wonder if Ash is still doing alright...?

8/201 Jump 6: Freddy vs Jason vs Ash

Jump 6: Freddy vs Jason vs Ash Location: Elk Grove, Michigan Age: 25 Origin: Nightmare Warrior Perks: Survivor Arm Up [200] Monster Hunter [0]

Powers: Chosen One [700] +The King [300]

Items: Boomstick

Drawbacks: I've Been Here Before

I'm...wait, I'm back in the same world? I remember this place. This is where me, Ash, and the others all went before things got weird. The neighborhood is just like how I remember it, and...well, all of my friends from this life are still just as dead. I manage to track down Ash, and he's a bit younger than I remember. Apparently, the long stretch of my last stay just didn't stick - it's only been a short time since the last incident with Deadites. Far as he knew, I just up and vanished one day and didn't come back.

We exchange stories and a few beers over what we've both been up to. He's still going to be looking for the Necronomicon and, with me having nothing better to do and not wanting to lose another friend due to horror or circumstance, opt to come with. Don't get me wrong, Ash is a tough bastard, but after shit like the Battle of Hogwarts, I'd feel like an asshole if I didn't at least TRY to help out. I'm kind of a shitty fighter in comparison, though...but hey, I'll do what I can.

Sure enough things get hairy in a hurry when we move over to the Super S-Mart and keep on searching for the book. Let me tell you the reactions of the two namesake foes when I entered the fray: Jason just vaguely grunted in my direction before we fought. Apparently I ate my wheaties that morning because I was actually doing damage this time - took his arm on my way out.

Freddy, meanwhile, took one look at me and yelled, “Not this chickenshit again...!” I think he might have held a grudge. Might.

9/201 Jump 7: Alien vs Predator

Jump 7: Alien vs Predator Location: LV-1201 Species: Human Background: Colonial Marine Perks: Frosty Tech-Head Soul of a Warrior [700] Bug Hunt [600] Check Your Six! [400] Exterminator [100]

Items: Sharp Sticks - M41A Pulse Rifle Motion Tracker [0] M3 Pattern Armor Bio-Mask Mesh Armor Wristcomp Melee Yautja Weapon - Dah'kte Ranged Yautja Weapon - Shuriken

You know, I'd like to be acting all cocky about this, how I was a warrior worthy of the mark of the Yautja, how I killed more than a few xenomorphs with my bare hands singlehandedly, and how I managed to finally find my way home. But...I've been fighting, fighting, and fighting and firing gun after gun after gun for so many years now and I don't know how much more of it I can take. Sure, I'm a badass, but...god damn it, this is getting me nowhere and I know it!

Semper Fi, I suppose. Anyways, I need to help Harrison on this glaringly obvious suicide mission and make sure our squad gets out alive. Preferably more alive than the other saps who cross paths with a bunch of hostile aliens in one day.

Also did I mention that being on a ship in deep space basically makes me a vomitorium? Because it does. Uuuuugh.

10/201 Jump 8: Judge Dredd

Jump 8: Judge Dredd Origin: Veteran Judge Age: 33 Perks: Mega City Municipal Code Basic Unarmed Combat and Marksmanship Gravel Pit [950] The Visor [900] Judge Advanced Unarmed Combat [800] Advanced Marksmanship [700] Jury [600] Executioner [400] Negotiator [0]

Items: The Badge Judge Uniform+Armor Plus+Comms Plus [200] Lawgiver Lawmaster Bike Hall of Justice Database [100]

Drawbacks: Sink or Swim

Well. I guess that's what I get for opening my big mouth. I ask for less violence, I get even more. This time I'm a years-long veteran of the Judges, and have plenty of memories of hearing about or working alongside Dredd. So, yeah. I get to deal with criminals and a city full of corruption and awful daylight executions on top of everything else. Great.

Of note, something goes a bit...kooky during a drug bust. One of the vagrants in the complex we were raiding pointed and laughed at me. Screaming ‘the machine has you’ and other weird things. I would've interrogated them, but the rookie I was in charge of that day richoted a shot off into them when he tried to shoot something with heavy armor. Idiot.

11/201 Jump 9: Terminator

Jump 9: Terminator Timeline: 1990-Judgement Day [900] Origin: Drop-In Age: 23 Perks: Smash Those Metal Motherfuckers Most Paranoid Delusions are Intricate [850] Thank You, Jumper, For Your Courage Through The Dark Years [750] Hey, Wait! You Swore! [550] No Fate But What We Make [150]

Items: M-27 Phased Plasma Pulse Rifle [50] Your Clothes, Your Boots...[0]

Drawbacks: Nothing Dead Will Go [350]

...eeeeeh, fuck it. Might as well enjoy it. At least I'm not under someone's jurisdiction this time around. I'm not a hundred-percent sure where and when I am until I catch sight of a certain Austrian man being chased by a very cold-looking cop with liquid shapeshifting.

Well, I already know what to do, then. Time to protect John Connor and fight the T-1000. But before that, I need some appropriate music for this time period!

[Cue Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild.]

There we go.

12/201 Jump 10: Doom 2016

Jump 10: Doom 2016 Origin: Drop-In Location: Hell - Great Steppe Perks: Combat Training Pathfinder Hell Devours the Idolent [900] What Do You Mean “Reload?” [800] If You Want a Job Done Right...[500] Praetorian [200] Prophecy of the Seraphim [100]

Items: Crate of Guns Super Shotgun [0] Chaingun [0]

Drawbacks: Too Late [200] Locks and Locks and Locks...[400]

>"GIVE US THE KEY!"

I didn't know it at the time, but that's what the demons were bellowing when they went running for me. En masse. And here I was, in the middle of Hell, with a lot of guns, grit, and a determination to survive. And sometimes, that's all you need. Of course, it also helps if you run into the fray screaming at the top of your lungs like a Viking on hyper-meth.

Rip and tear.

13/201 Jump 11: Metal Gear

Jump 11: Metal Gear Age: 16 Timeline: [Free Pick!] 1972 Origin: Combat Unit [900] Perks: Marksman 10-year Vet [800] IT'S NOT OVER YET [600] CQC [300]

Items: Signature Weapon Burkov Water Gun An Explosion?! [100] Arms Material MRS-4R [0] Naked Camo Civilian Clothes The Box x4 What Was That Noise?

I'm so sick of fighting. But somehow, I've ended up under the flag of Big Boss himself. I'm not as enthusiastic as I was before when it comes to teaming up with people I like. I've been a Judge, a demon-slayer, a marine, and a goddamn retail supermarket employee. When does it stop? When does it end? I'm built like a tank, I have the grit and the skill to outfight the best of them on the opposite side of some screaming lead ripping through the air. So where's my prize? When does it all stop? What is this Key and the stupid Warehouse its connected to actually mean? And more importantly, where's the fucking ‘off’ button?

The most I can bring myself to do is to keep XOF from destroying the original Mother Base by exposing Huey as a traitor and personally going on a manhunt for Skull Face before his own game gets rolling. It's a one-man assault mission, but at this point, that's my bread and butter.

He didn't get back up.

After that, though? I walk out of MSF. I put my guns down and put myself miles away from a battlefield. I disappear as best I can, opting to hide out in England as a local hobo. Somehow, that house I had from all those years ago followed me here, on that quaint street on 1428.

14/201 Jump 12: Resident Evil

Jump 12: Resident Evil Origin: Law Official Location: Spain Age: 25 Perks: Keen Eye Off The Walls [1800] Reasonable Authority Figure [1600] STARS Training [1300] Hypnos Gene [1000] Anti-Bodies [400] Key Genes [300]

Items: Personal Kit Body Armor PC356 Badge STARS Training Manual [250] Heckler and Kosh MP5 [200] Splice It In [0]

Virus: [1200 GP] My Works Are Superb - ‘Revelation’ Infection Method - Waterborne Activation Requirement: Contact with Bloodstream Pigmentation [1150GP] - Pale Brain Case [1050GP] Mental Clarity [850GP] Null and Void [650GP] Controlled Infection - All Humans [550GP] Infection Time: Delayed [50GP] Themed Grouping - Cat ears and eyes. [400GP], plus tail [0GP] Adonis [200GP] Sculpted - Petite, effeminate [100GP]

Drawbacks: Road To Godhood [1300] Strapped for Cash [1500] Bounty [1600] Corporation Games [1900]

...I don't know what this bottle is for or what I'm supposed to do with it, but I get the feeling it's not Cherry Kool-Aid. I'm just gonna stick it in the fridge of my Warehouse and hope it doesn't bother me. Anyways! I'm law enforcement again, on the mean streets of Barcelona. I'm going to be cleaning up the crime on these streets and-

Um. Okay. There's zombies involved now. And okay, now people are shooting at me. Those are definitely snipers and those bullets are tranquilizers. Alright. We're off to a great start

15/201 here. I was kinda hoping to not be a dirty cop in a totalitarian world this time around, or some kind of mercenary on a desperate manhunt to preserve his own life BUT YOU KNOW I'M JUST NOT ALLOWED TO FUCKING HAVE NICE THINGS. NOW EVERYONE IS A FUCKING ZOMBIE AND PEOPLE ARE OUT FOR MY BLOOD.

It doesn't take long for me to figure out who's behind this. Man with world's worst haircut, Albert Wesker, is gunning for me personally. I only figured that out after ‘interrogating’ one of the mercenaries he sent after me. There was one who kept escaping to fight me another day, too - this midget in a butterfly costume armed with a minigun I'm pretty sure was too big for him to carry. Apparently he went by the name Adonis. And he's an asshole. The sort of asshole who monologues everytime he shows up behind booby-trapped bulletproof glass.

After what I can only describe is Day of the Dead cross-country edition, I finally track Wesker down to his personal facility. Unfortunately, this is where I overestimated my ability to out- think him, because then he caught me in a trap and sicc'd a Cyberdemon-sized BOW at me. And then after I finished that one off, he sent in about ten more. All while I had very limited ammo to work with. So that was fun. But I was out of ammo and Adonis, who was on Wesker's personal payroll, got a bunch of automated turrets to corner me while I taunted him behind glass.

I was about ten-thousand percent done with this bullshit and right when I screamed at him to shut up, the glass he was leaning against vanished from existence. He tripped, fell and ended up impaling himself on weirdly-placed building architecture. I stared in shock for a moment before something in my memory was jogged. That was something Harry did when he first found out he had magic. I had just used magic. MY MAGIC HAD FUCKING FOLLOWED ME.

Revitalized, I ducked into my Warehouse, grabbed the wand, and went to work. I had forgotten most of my old spells by now but I remembered enough to be able to confront Wesker. Sure enough, he went into a villain rant that lasted quite a while - he had beefed himself up with some kind of super-virus meant to fight me, something he had been preparing for since I arrived. Inbetween all the ranting about how most of the human population was garbage and how the strong should thrive, he talked about the Key I was carrying.

>"You see, Anon, you carry the key to ultimate power. The greatest device ever made in the history of all time and space...the World Engine. If only you knew of its true potential...!"

The World Engine. I finally had a name for the force that had abducted me and carried me to other worlds. I tried to coax more answers out of Wesker, but it seems beyond the whole ‘ultimate power’ thing, he didn't know or give half a rat's ass about my own predicament. Figures, right? Goddamn supervillains. Eventually I managed to kill him by dropping him ass- first into the mouth of a volcano the aircraft we were fighting in (long battle, long story) we hovering over.

The day was saved...except, not really. Wesker had already unleashed several viruses across Europe, Africa, and Central America just trying to capture or kill me. I did my best in the clean- up efforts, but I didn't have any way to actually prevent the biohazard, and every pharmaceutical corporation was after the same secret that Wesker was. Because that was somehow common knowledge, I guess!

It only got worse when I was helping man a barricade for a shelter and ended up hallucinating a revived Wesker approaching me, taunting me about my lack of knowledge and how little I deserved the ‘gift’ I was given. I yelled at him to shut up, and my magic would misfire and blow up said barricade. I managed to fight off the ensuing hordes, but the damage was done - 16/201 the blame was placed on me and I was cast out.

...so I'm...a century-long warrior and vigilante who has walked in many lives, fought off armies, and fired more bullets than most armies do in a single battle. I can do anything, it seems, except find my way home. And I know Harry Potter magic. That's definitely...well, freaky.

I hope it stops, someday.

17/201 Jump 13: Heathers

Jump 13: Heathers Origin: No-Name Kid Age: 17 Perks: Dang Dang, Diggity Dang Dang! Always on The Move Ich Luge Bullets Drain Cleaner Mix-Up [900] Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit! [700] Our Love Is God [500] Say Hi To God [200] Fight The Urge to Strike A Match [0]

Items: Infinite Slushies

I wake up on my desk in the middle of high school. I immediately know that I'm a student and nothing out-of-the-ordinary happens. The first thing I do is let out a long sigh of relief. After everything I've suffered through, a few years in high school is something I can deal with. I don't even give half a shit about the Heathers or teen angst, I just want to fucking relax.

Ram and Kurt tried to antagonize me a little at some point. I broke their noses and fingers on reflex, stopping short of actually killing them. I had to put effort into stopping myself - murder and violence have been my bread and butter for so many years, it takes every inch of me to fight those instincts. I get detention for a week.

I think one of the Heathers tried hitting on me once or twice. I ignored them. Tried to remind myself the sound of locker doors closing and lunch trays hitting the ground aren't something to react towards. Weeks pass. Kurt and Ram turn up dead not long after a Heather does. I don't really care. And then I hear an explosion out in the football field, and I nearly cave some poor nerd's skull in out of reflex, and tried firing a gun I wasn't holding. I got two weeks detention and a pending lawsuit that doesn't go anywhere. I'm given a crackpot therapist. I tell them everything I've experienced. They note me as delusional and that I'm suffering from Middle School Syndrome.

Spent at least a week out of school and in my Warehouse. Constantly reloaded and unloaded all of my guns individually. Contemplated going hunting for criminals in town. Decided against it. Everyone's scared of me. Especially me.

I'm a badass. A gun-toting, one-liner spouting one-man army who could live through the absolute worst and come out smelling like roses. So shouldn't I feel good about that? Shouldn't I not be jumping at my own shadow, and taking joy in the fact I get just a bit tougher as time goes on, with each world I enter...?

I guess I'd be if it actually made me any happier. But I just want to lay my head down and rest.

18/201 Jump 14: Kamen Rider Showa Part 1

Jump 14: Kamen Rider Showa Part 1 Origin: Drop-In Age: 21 Perks: Badass Biker Breaking the Language Barrier Would You Like Some Cheese With That Ham? [900] Jumper, Friend! [800] Call of the Wild [600] Wild Child [300]

Items: Basket of Fruits Gogo Armlet [0]

Kill or be killed. That is the rule I've lived by for over a century, now. My body is accustomed to violence, my ears tuned to the sound of guns, my hands lovingly familiar with the impact of bone against bone. Those who do not know me consider me a madman. Those who do speak a single curse at me and fight me with all of their greed and drive: “Give me the Key.”

Here isn't any different. I woke up with a strange artifact tied to my arm. When I said the word, I turned into a mighty beast. The transformation is...strange. Exhilarating. Primal. Difficult to control myself. It's not as if I'm in danger of turning into a monster...rather, it feels like it lacks the hesitation and self-doubt I'm plagued by. Like an animal that knows its place in nature - to kill to survive, but no more than that, and no less. It's almost liberating.

I don't bother trying to re-adjust to society. The wild feels like my home more than anywhere else, now. I'm assaulted by monsters each day, each of whom say some variation of that same curse. So there's no point in trying to in the first place, right? If they're all looking for a place to die, I'll be happy to show them the door.

...still, I feel compelled to emerge from that place, sometimes. There are normal people who are threatened by these monsters. I can't ignore them, no matter how hard I try. Why? I know it won't make much of a difference in the long haul. And I always have to leave them behind, one way or another, before something else goes wrong or something new hunts me. But, still...well, it doesn't matter. After all, violence is my most constant companion. And I've plenty to share with these kaijin and their banner ‘Shocker’ in all its forms. So. Here I am. Come and get me.

A-MA-ZOOOOOOON!

19/201 Jump 15: Batman - The Animated Series

Jump 15: Batman - The Animated Series Origin: Drop-In Perks: Timm Design Gimmick Put a Smile On Their Faces Madman Nightmare [900] Multiple-Choice Past [800] ...And The Jumper Got Away! [600] One Bad Day [400] Joker Immunity [100]

Items: Costume Puddin's Pie

Powers: Yellow-Skinned Wacky Man - No appearance change [0]

Drawbacks: Past Tragedy x2 [300]

>Dude, take it from me, get the fuck out of Gotham. What? No, forget the Bat. The Bat will break your bones and ruin your day, but you know, he's at least got the decency to leave you in one piece! I don't know when it started, but there's this...thing that shows up from the sewers. Looks like some kind of lizard and whenever it shows up, it rips people like you and me to pieces. I was running with a bunch of small-times who robbed this house downtown, right? Next thing we know something jumps out of the corner and rips Paul, our muscle, into four different pieces. Everyone opened fire on the bastard and not a single shot actually hurt it. I watched it tear off the arms of one of my buddies, and then shoved a...some kind of claw through the brain of our boss. The thing grabbed me by the neck and I swear to God, I thought it was my last day on Earth, and then it said something to me.

“Tell your friends.”

>Then he just...let me go and left. They say he's going after The Joker next, and I don't know about you, bu I don't wanna be in the same state when those two cross paths. I feel like they're gonna take a whole lot of people with them, no matter who loses. Trust me, just pack the fuck up and leave. I'm not staying in town with that monster skulking around.

20/201 Jump 16: Kamen Rider Heisei Part 1

Jump 16: Kamen Rider Heisei Part 1 Origin: Unknown Amnesiac Perks: Nice Boat Good Cook “Luck” [1200] Goofy Innocence [1100] Awakening [900] Psychic [700] Seed of Light [400] Wandering [300] Myself [100] First Responder [0]

Items: “It's Kuuga!”

Drawbacks: Repainted Legends This Is Serious, Right? [1100] Why Would Anything Easy Happen? [1300]

>"I swear, I saw him, Ichijou! He didn't look anything like the other Unidentified Life Forms. He looked more like...like a big lizard! He was really fast and snarling and acting like he was looking for a fight. But...the whole time, he didn't attack anyone else. He just went right for the other Life Forms and then ran off when I tried to talk to him. He didn't even try to hurt me when I was Kuuga! It was strange. It was like he was scared of me. He'd just look at me for a few seconds and then head off on the other direction. I was thinking, maybe this was a weird one, like how Kuuga is. But...

>Well, first weird thing is when people were being killed out in the open. I saw him use his body as a shield to protect a mother and her child, taking the attacks head on. And then, when they tried to thank him, he didn't react and just ran away, just like when he saw me. I think...I don't think this is one of them. He's not acting like a monster or a killer. It's more like he's scared of everyone and everything. Like he's never had a friend or knows how to make one. I'd really like to talk to him again, someday. I hope I can."

-Godai Yusuke, AKA Kamen Rider Kuuga

21/201 Jump 17: Kamen Rider Heisei Part 6+7

Jump 17: Kamen Rider Heisei Part 6 - Kabuto Origin: Drop-In Perks: Grandmother Once Said... The Jumper Who Rules Everything [0]

Items: Here I Am - Import Agito Driver[700] Lord of the Speed [200]

Jump 18: Kamen Rider Heisei Part 7 - Den-O and Kiva Origin: Prodigal Child Perks: Blood Ties - Fangire Noble Art - Piano Break The Chain [900] The King's Sentence is Given [800] Shout In the Moonlight [600] Supernova [300] Roots of the King [0] Just Passing Through [0]

Items: Jumper Wars - Combine two previous Drivers, then combine with Kivat [100] Mashin Mao Baku Baku [100i] Castle Jadoran [0i] [300]

Drawbacks: Time Trippin' Ride Walking Disaster [300] Blessed be the Meek [400] Did You Say Cry?! [500]

>A Kamen Rider without a name...how troublesome. >He's killing off the remains of the Fangires and the other monsters of the night without mercy. And then he just vanishes again. Some say he's the strange hobo with the glazed look in his eyes. Others say he's a regular at a nearby coffee shop. Either way, there's no real hint to his true identity...he's good at hiding himself. >The notes Shocker left behind call him ‘The Avatar of the World Engine’ or ‘The Holder of Heaven’s Key'...but aside from being a vicious and dangerous combatant, I fail to see what's worth sending our personnel in droves to die to him. >We will file these notes away for a later date, and passively observe this phenomenon for the time being. >...hm? Someone else is looking for him? Who?

22/201 Jump 18: Kamen Rider Neo-Heisei Part 1

Jump 18: Kamen Rider Neo-Heisei Part 1 Origin: Inquisitive Perks: Making an Impression Terra-fying Let's Start The Lookup [900] Born From Mother Earth [700] Knowledge Is Power [400]

Items: Cool Jacket and Shades [100i] Legend Rider Movie Belt - Combine Lost Driver with other Driver. [0i] Digging Tools Infinite Cake Ingredients Lost Driver [0]

Companions: L'etranger [0]

Drawbacks: Let's Go Kamen Riders Unleash the Greeed - Wolf[200] Rider WTF? [300]

>Someone arrives, holding a paper in her hand. Finally, she's found the place she's looking for. The numbers 1428 on written on the crumpled note. Her poncho sways lazily in the wind as she walks up to the front door. >Once, she knocks. Twice, she knocks. >There's no answer. >She knows this is the right place, and tries again. Finally, a tired voice answers. “Who is it?” >"I heard this was your home, so I came to finally see you again!" A short pause. “...who are you?” >"Hm? You don't remember me? Well, I guess that's a problem..." “Whoever you are, go away.” >"I can't, not ‘til I’ve seen you smile!" “...smile?” >"I swore I'd find you and I'd make you smile. So I'm not leaving!...also, ah...I kinda don't have money for a hotel and it's really cold outside. So could you please let me in~?" The gloomy man then locked the door, the latch audible to her ears. Still, her sunny smile didn't fade away. >"That's okay, I can wait! I came prepared!" The man peered out the window about an hour later to see a strange dark-haired girl setting up a tent and a small campfire in his front yard. She was humming a song as she roasted some fish over the flame, and had hung up several sets of underwear on sticks to dry. He stared, briefly, in curiosity and bewilderment before retreating back into the inside of his house. “I told you to get lost.” >Days have passed and she's still waiting outside, and has claimed a section of the yard for herself. There's a flag of underwear up there somewhere, to his disgust and confusion.

23/201 >"Not until I see you smile!" “Who even are you...?! How did you find me?!” >"I'll tell you if you come outside and let me see your face!" “GO AWAY!”

The man has only known adversity and violence for such a long time that he has no idea how to react to this very determined woman. His first idea is that this was a deception, and she was some sort of spy sent by Shocker or others to try and get to the ‘Key’ he carried. But something about the goofy earnestness she carried made him second-guess that. He decides to be rid of her, and transforms using his Blood Ties. The door unlocks, and he steps outside and lets out a bestial roar, his claws bared in front of the girl as he crouched in an animalistic posture, giving all the body language of a beast about to kill its prey. >The girl just smiled and poked him where his nose would be. There was no fear in her eyes or her body. “That's cheating, silly.” The man stared in bewilderment. Then he slammed the door shut again. This continued for weeks.

Tired and without the ability to scare or the will to actually harm the stranger, he finally asks. “Why are you doing this...? Is this some sort of prank?” >"Mmm...you really don't remember, huh?" “I've forgotten more than you'll ever know.” >"Aaaw, that's mean. But...many years ago, someone saved my life. Someone everyone was scared of. I saw his face, and I noticed how sad he looked. I wondered, how could someone who saved lives and protected me look so sad? And I thought...well, maybe that person didn't have anyone to protect them, or someone to look after them when things were bad." ... >"So, I thought...well, I'm all by myself now. And you're all by yourself too, right? No one else came to visit or say hello. And that's not good. So, um...I wanted to make you smile, you know? Just once. And maybe, if it was alright, I could get to know the person who saved me all those years ago? Life's really short, you know. It's bad to go through all of it without something or someone to be happy about, right?" ... >"...ahaha, yeah, it's kinda silly, isn't it? A little. >"M'hm." ... The door unlocks. “You'll catch a cold out there.” Her eyes lit up and she practically ran inside like a bullet. ...I guess I've made a friend.

24/201 Jump 19: Generic Wuxia

Jump 19: Generic Wuxia Place: A Generic Wuxia Setting Origin: Drop-In Age: 24 Perks: Drunken Fist Tiger Style [900] Adaptability [500] Ki Accumulation [300] Buddha's Palm [100]

Items: Student - Import L'etranger [0] -Monkey Style Beautiful Garments [50] Zhong Yi [0]

Drawbacks: You Look Tired, Wanderer [100]

There is more in the world than I could have ever dreamed of. I've been fighting and killing for such a long time, that I had forgotten how to live as a man. Jealously guarding my own jailor from those who understood it better than I did, in fear they would hurt me or others if they claimed ‘Heaven’s Key'. So I ran, and hid, and fought, and killed anyone who dared approach me. And in the years that passed, I had truly become a monster - a beast in the shape of a man. Losing sight of myself, of the worlds around me, and any hope of returning home. Then, she appeared before me.

Kaori Kizume.

She tells me I had saved her life many years ago, in the last world. I tried to remember the incident she described, but...I had assaulted so many villains or Kaijin that tried to murder civilians as easily as breathing, only barely remembering the faces of those who had been saved as a result. I hadn't given the much thought at all. But she, too, was alone now. And despite that and the burdens she carried, she greeted life with cheer and a smile I struggled to be able to follow.

The rage and fear I had carried for so many years...for my abduction, the continuing change of my body and growth into something unrecognizable, had finally been tempered. I re-learned how to hold conversation and to live peacefully. While I could never completely escape my own nightmares and sins, there was finally someone who neither feared me nor sought to use me. I had thought it was but a passing dream. A moment of peace in my eternal Samsara, where I would continue to live new lives...likely forever. Never seeing home.

But that light followed me.

It was a shock, to both of us. It had never happened before. She was just a bit younger than before, just like I was, and could remember new martial arts styles. I was distressed, worried, anxious. But she assured me that it was fine, because it meant we could continue or own travels and talks. After all, she didn't carry anything on her except the clothes on her back and

25/201 several dozen extra sets of underwear. It took me a little while to get over it. But...someone was with me, now. Kaori was with me, on this strange journey.

That was when, knowing what I may see and what I may do, I decided to finally temper the rage and the sorrow in my heart. I can't just lament in self-pity or lose myself to my base instincts anymore. It's true. I've killed dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands by now. Sometimes to protect myself. Sometimes out of hate for a foe only I perceived. But if someone believed in me...and if this fate truly isn't my burden alone...then I can't let myself be lost anymore. No matter what I become, no matter what power or item I acquire, I will live as a man. I will master myself, do good where my arms can reach, but no further.

And never again, will I lose myself to rage and hatred.

>This entire speech was interrupted about twenty-different times by random ninjas attacking before being defeated via staff, flying kicks, and slow motion backhands.

26/201 Jump 20: Rurouni Kenshin

Jump 20: Rurouni Kenshin Origin: Wanderer: Age: 23 Perks: Distant Sky Shinsoku [700] A Wandering Fool [600] The Will To Live [400] Man Slayer [100] Identifying Scar - Scar that traces from left brow to upper lip, crossing along the nose. Warrior's Spirit Unique Style

Items: A Good Blade Meiji-Era Clothing Traveler's Bag

Companions: Destiny - Nah A Single Not-Samurai [0] Kaori Kizume Origin: Citizen Perks: Honest Work, A Tender Heart [100], Like A Fox [0], Warrior's Spirit, Unique Style

Drawbacks: Oro? [200]

... >"..." ... >"Soooo...what's the fox mask for, big, tall, and broody?" ... >"This doesn't help the whole ‘learn to talk to people again’ thing, you know. Come on, take it off. I won't laugh, I promise." ... >"Look, if it's about the scar, nobody will really mind. I promise. It actually looks kinda cute on you, really!" ... >"...STOP IGNORING ME DAMN IT!" >The mask falls off, revealing Jumper is fast asleep. >"...oh." >"..." >Kaori quietly uncaps a sharpie marker she had carried with her for just such an occasion.

27/201 Jump 21: Katanagatari

Jump 21: Katanagatari Origin: Wild Man Age: 19 Location: [Free Pick!] Shogun Centre Perks: One Liner Boy Beast Judge Me Not Cheerio! [1200] Simple Is As Simple Does [1100] New Sword Style [900] The Unchained Beast [700] Swordbreaker [400] Wild Red Beast [100]

Items: Training Tool

Companions: Import x1: Kaori [50] Origin: Wild Woman Perks: One Liner Girl Beast Judge Me Not Simple Is As Simple Does [500] Wild Red Beast [200] The Unchained Beast [0]

Drawbacks: Caveman [1200] It's All The Same To Me [1300]

>Imagine if you will, a samurai drama about deception and tragedy, and a tale that is woven over the course of a journey. >Now imagine that journey taking a backseat to these two idiots completely failing at not making a social faux pas in a very important city and then running for their lives as fast as they possibly can.

28/201 Jump 22: Konosuba

Jump 22: Konosuba Origin: Rogue Age: 20 Race: Humanoid (Human) Perks: The Way This World Works - Advanced Class: Monk [900] To The New World Stop That Thief! Scumper [800] Team Building Exercise [600] Eris Blessing [400] Miracle Man [100]

Items: Adventurer Card A Place To Stay Big Book of How Things Work [0] Bag of Eris [0]

Companions: Import: Kaori [50] Origin: Priest Race: Humanoid (Human) Perks: The Way This World Works - Advanced Class: Arch-Priest [500], Confession, Selectively Religious, Natural Winner [300], Holy Hexes [0] Items: Adventurer Card, Aquahol

Drawbacks: Dearth of Eris [100]

>Two men, one teenager and another a young man, drunkenly laugh and toast over their mutual grievances. Aahahaha...I swear, Kazuma, you're the only one here who gets me. >"I was gonna say that to you! You have no idea how great it is someone else sees how this whole ‘lost in another world’ thing is a load of crap! The other guy from Japan I ran into was as dumb as a sack of bricks." "The guy who's useless without his sword, right?" >"Yeah, that guy! He's got several girls all fighting for his attention, too, and you know what he's pining for? Aqua! AQUA, OF ALL PEOPLE!" Wow, that's some pretty bad taste right there. >"I know, right?! Let me tell you - having a bunch of women in the party with you as the only guy isn't as fun as anime says it is. They're all problem children and I keep having to figure out how to get things to work while they keep doing stupid things! If I could trade them for a bunch of generic characters who just did their jobs right, I'd do it in a heartbeat!" Well, wouldn't know about that. I only travel with one girl. I don't think that'd ever be a problem for me. >"You kidding? You've got the whole ‘scarred from the face bishonen bad boy’ look!" See, the way it works is...wait, really? Is that how my face looks? >"When was the last time you looked in a mirror, man? You look like you jumped right out of a manga."

29/201 ...huh. Well, that's weird. But yeah I don't have any women troubles. Just, uh...woman troubles. >"You mean that priestess who's always around you?" Yeah, Kaori. She's a nice girl, but god damn, it is hard to keep up with her sometimes! She keeps running off to explore the new worlds we end up in and I have to protect her every step of the way! I mean, she can fight too, but I'm the muscle of us two, right? So I keep having to help her when she gets into trouble or decides we need to help out random locals! It drives me crazy, sometimes. >"Oh. Didn't she go off with Aqua earlier? Yeah, I...think...so... >"..." ... The both of us promptly paid the tab with only half the amount of Eris needed and ran off.

30/201 Jump 23: Sword and Sorcery

Jump 23: Sword and Sorcery Origin: Drop-In Age: 29 Location: The Blasted Wastes Perks: To Truly Live [950] A Well Traveled Road [900] Call to Greatness [750] Lost and Forgotten [600] The Heart of Man [300] The Making of Myth [0]

Items: A Wanderer's Cloak

Companions: Brothers Old and New x2 [0] Import: Kaori Origin: Thief Perks: The Trade of Thieves, The Charm of Rogues [850], For Want of a Nail [700], Feet Like Wings [400], Whims of Fortune [100] Items: A Thief's Satchel, A Swift Dagger [0]

New: Atticus of Barton Origin: Sorcerer Perks: One of the Wise, A Scholar's Treasure [850], The Arcane Craft [700], To Call Forth [400], To Treat With Spirits [250], Items: An Arcane Chamber [50], An Occult Tome, A Valued Steed [0]

Drawbacks: The Nail That Sticks Up [200] Branded and Shamed [400] A Selfish World [500] A Cruel World [600]

This is when things became complicated.

Before the jump began, I found myself pondering the broken gears hidden behind the walls of the Warehouse. It was the only physical clue I had - ‘The World Engine’, a strange device that was somehow responsible for my abduction. The key I held, ‘Heaven’s Key', was apparently the way to access it...and everyone wanted it. Like it was some kind of omnipotent wish granter, the sort of thing you'd see heroes of myth fighting over just to possess it. I'd honestly be happy to give it away and just go home, but it seems the only way to separate me from it is to kill me - and most of the types who are after that kind of thing aren't the people I'd trust the idea of ultimate power to. So, reluctantly, I've guarded this ‘Heaven’s Key' and my own life, just on the idea I may find my own way home eventually.

But it's been over two-hundred years. I have no clues, no leads, no idea of what to do. And so I stared into the gears, wondering to myself. “This is you, you, all you...what could you possibly be?” I asked the fragment of the great machine, but received no answer. Without a reply, I

31/201 stepped outside and greeted the wastes outside of the small ruined tower we had found in the empty plains. Kaori was trying on a variety of hats she had saved from the last world, having been waiting for me to step out into the open. With that, we began to wander, while Kaori told me all about her new memories as a thief and told me about the times she stole knick-knacks from random nobles.

The first thing is that...well, everyone here was an asshole. When we finally found civilization, there was not one or two but several ambitious adventurers who were after the Key. Someone had been whispering promises of wealth, eternal youth, and other such banal things to them if they could kill me and take it from me. So once again, I had to fight to protect both myself and Kaori. It was standard fare by now, and while I did my best to avoid killing our opponents, they were not keen on showing me that sort of mercy. We were constantly on the run, until we encountered...him.

He stood strarkly out of place from everyone and everything else. A man about my height with a tuft of messy white hair, his skin as pale as snow and a soft red glow around his eyes. He did not bring minions or weapons, merely greeting us out in the open. The first words out of his mouth, and the sheer weight of his presence, alerted me to the sort of person I was about to face:

“Avatar. It is time you gave the Key to someone more worthy of its gifts.”

There was arrogance his voice, but also the sort of self-assuredness that made it clear: That pride could be backed up. We fought. And we were evenly matched. Before, I would take scratches and bruises. Now my limbs were at risk and I found myself bleeding out on the desert sand. His fists were able to match mine blow-for-blow, using techniques and skills I didn't recognize. It was only once I was tired and running out of ideas that he stopped being defensive, striking at me and tearing a hole into my belly.

This is normally when the story would end from me dying. But at the last moment, the sand came alive around us and a gigantic serpent emerged from it, a man in blue robes riding on top of it and causing the serpent to attack my nameless foe. This was around when I passed out from the blood loss and my injuries. I awoke about a day later to find Kaori looking over me worriedly, while the sorcerer stood opposite of her.

Introductions were made - our savior was named Atticus of Barton. He too, was after Heaven's Key...though not to claim it for himself. Rather, he wanted to know what made others seek it in the first place - after all, everyone before him had died, and he had no reason to slay a random traveler for something he knew or cared little about. Our enemy was a wanderer from distant shores named Darius, who fancied himself a warlord, and was called The Invincible Warrior by the locals. Charming. Atticus, while up-front about his selfish motives - using us to study the Key and the ‘Machine God’ it supposedly led to - was the only person we had met who didn't try to manipulate or betray us. He did ask a lot of questions about where I came from and what I had seen, though...I wasn't in any position to turn down help.

He was also a stickler for rules and politeness. Like, extremely. He would hit either of us with his cane if we were ever committing any sort of faux pas. Half the time I was pretty sure he was making all of it up. Either way, we decided to let Atticus tag along because someone who knew both the world and magic was too helpful to just pass up. Eventually, we would be confronted by Darius again...I broke my personal taboo and used my guns and other out-of- world gear to even the odds. And it STILL took all three of us working together and in tandem to actually bring him down. He even found a way to counter Clock Up through some weird counterattack fighting style I didn't recognize. 32/201 I gave him a chance to surrender. That was a mistake. He replied by plunging his own hand into his chest and tearing his own heart out and crushing it. Somehow, he had enough time to speak a dying curse: “Avatar...though fate may twist to save you, there will come a day...you will be alone and powerless...and when that day comes, I will return and claim Heaven's Key...I swear it...” Then he fell over and died.

So, yeah. That sure happened.

33/201 Jump 24: Gravity Falls

Jump 24: Gravity Falls Origin: Mystery Kid [900] Location: Gravity Falls Junkyard Age: 14 Perks: Awesome Opening Sequence Where Is It, Where Is It, AHA! Dipper Depths [800] Laugh All You Want, I Have A Plan! [600] Journalist [300]

Items: Black Light President's Key [200] GRAPPLING HOOK! [0]

Go figure, Atticus came with us. I used to think that maybe Kaori was brought along because we had some sort of shared emotional bond. And while I trusted Atticus enough not to betray us, he was honestly kind of a jerk all around, so it was a bit of a shock when he appeared in the next world with us. He merely adjusted his glasses and said ‘all within my calculations, of course.’ He said that Key seemed to twist fate around me, and those who were ‘entangled’ in it could follow me...hence why he saved my life and stood with us the entire time. And now he was along for the ride as a result. At least he's honest about it. He's too useful for me to do more than argue with, though - he's our only source of clues so far.

Kaori and him both teased me about my young new appearance, while they were still in their late teens physically. There's nothing wrong about me looking younger, especially temporarily. Shut up. Anyways, we're in a junkyard with a crazy old man building a giant robot. Um. Okay. Not the strangest thing I've seen so far, but whatever. We discover we're in a town called Gravity Falls. That name sounds familiar, but I couldn't quite recall why at the time.

Anyways, our presence didn't change that much, though young Dipper naturally became interested in us once we found residence in town, and ended up being subject to an ‘episode’ of the adventures of the Pines Twins. No, the most interesting parts of this entire adventure are the following. First, I woke up to the sound of a high-pitched and girly scream in the dead of night in the Warehouse. Thinking Kaori was in danger, I immediately prepared to murder whoever had barged in. Except...well, the Warehouse has a forcefield that's always active against anything except me or my two companions. So there wasn't any danger and Kaori was still sleeping until I woke her up.

Instead, we found a short, girlish-looking boy with cat ears and a tail, screaming furiously at me and demanding to know why I stored magical potions in my fridge instead of locking them up somewhere safe. Oh. I guess that wasn't kool-aid after all. Because...well, it turned Atticus into a feline trap, basically. I won't lie, after listening to several hours of him lecturing over the superiority of magic and boasting of his accomplishments, this is probably the most hilarious thing I've seen. He STILL hasn't found a way to turn back to normal - whatever changed him was apparently really persistent.

Then there was the Pines Twins. No, not Dipper and Mabel. The originals - Stan and Ford. Ford,

34/201 when he had returned, was the most tech-savvy person we'd be running into for a long time. So I invited him into the Warehouse and to see if he could tell us anything about the World Engine. Apparently, he had heard of it...it was machine that spanned across all of time and space, able to observe anything that ever existed or ever would, and even manipulate it. The theory was that if someone could access the control room of the World Engine, they were effectively the ultimate authority in all of creation. Anyways, once the whole mess with Bill had cleared up (we weren't much help - reality-warping triangles were out of our expertise at this point), Ford offered to try and help fix my condition, and would come along to study the World Engine. Apparently the two glass pods I had were a way he could come along voluntarily. Stan was insistent he join his brother, wanting to fulfill their promise of being able to travel the world together. I protested, but there was no convincing them otherwise - the two were a package deal.

Also, Atticus and Ford keep arguing about science versus magic while Stan hangs out with Kaori. I guess she reminds him of Mabel. So that's nice, I guess.

Podded: Stanley and Stanford Pines

Companion List: 1. Kaori (L'etranger - Kamen Rider Neo-Heisei Part 1) 2. Atticus of Barton (Sword and Sorcery) 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Pod 1: Stanley Pines Pod 2: Stanford Pines

35/201 Jump 25: Street Fighter

Jump 25: Street Fighter Location: Asia Age: 23 Origin: Shotokan Inspired [1600] Perks: I'm Serious! Clear Intentions Tranquility Disciplined Restraint [600] Combat Method - Ansatsuken The Street Fighter [900] Ki Manipulation [700] The Power of Nothingness [300] Satsui No Hado [0]

Items: Fighter's Wraps

Companions: Import x4 [1400]

Import: Kaori Kizume Origin: Rogue Perks: Combat Method - Ninjutsu, Unassming, Instant Ninja, Traditional Ninja [300], Base Racer [100], Arsenal [0]

Import: Atticus of Barton Origin: Drop-In Perks: Combat Method - Karate, Mysterious, Hermit, Senjutsu Apprentice [300], Joke Character [100], Guru [0]

Import: Stanley Pines Origin: Fighter Perks: Combat Method - Boxing, Showmanship, Professional, Healing! [500], Social Network [300], Muscle Power! [0]

Import: Stanford Pines Origin: Drop-In Perks: Combat Method - Kickboxing, Mysterious, Hermit, Soul Power [400], Joke Character [200], Ki Manipulation [0]

Drawbacks: Challenger [1100] Impoverished Wanderer [1200] The Demon [1400] Misunderstandings [1600] Debilitating Illness [1800]

Okay, so now we're- >Coughing.

36/201 >Very loud coughing >COUGHING INTENSIFIES Oh god my insides feel like they're on fire what's going on I can't feel my fingers AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA >"Uh...is he okay, Mr. Ford?" >"Lemme see. Hmm...it appears he has several conflicting energies in his body. It appears to have given him an aggressive infection in his lungs and his liver. And most likely his entire digestive track. In short, he is going to be in intense amounts of pain." >"That's terrible...! Can we fix it?" >"Probably not. Since this happened as soon as we entered, it's probably some kind of backlash from the World Engine. We'll have to make sure he doesn't get hurt by anything for the time being. Let's get him into the Warehouse. >Incoherent babbling and foaming at the mouth >"Uh...bro, pretty sure that stuff around his body is settin' stuff on fire." >"Oh, just put him in Atticus' room. Not like anything of value will be lost." >"May the Light damn you, Ford."

37/201 Jump 26: Touhou

Jump 26: Touhou Location: Eientei Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Perks: Touhou Soundtrack Jumper's Theme [950] Soar [900] Magician's Mind [800] Focus Undivided [700] Spell Card Pact [600] Tai Chi Master [400]

Items: Spell Cards

Companions: Fated Encounter x2 - Yukari Yakumo, Hong Meiling [0]

Ah...this is a world I could never truly forget. Gensokyo. A world where forgotten myths and legends hide away from the outside world, living an idyllic, mysterious, and even perilous life within. Well, perilous for humans like me, anyways. Or...rather, humans not like me. Because I'm well-equipped to handle such shenanigans by now. And my companions are, too.

...companions...

Come to think of it, only Kaori really wanted to join me for the sake of...being with me, I guess. Ford came along because it was convenient for both of us, Atticus blatantly only wants to see what Heaven's Key will lead to, and Stan's just here because his brother is. Not everyone gets along and we're more like friendly acquaintances than anything else. I worry sometimes the only reason they care about my opinion or actions is because I'm the one with the Key and I seem to be growing the fastest out of everyone else. That's...I hope that's not it. I really hope it isn't.

Well, there's no danger, and my body finally feels better. I should do things like train and explore again, just to make sure I'm not falling out of practice. Need to know the basics of my new abilities, just so I don't use them on accident. I've got the Satsui No Hado, the class levels from the world I met Kazuma, my Driver is still in me...ugh...

There's no getting around it. This feels disgusting. My body is turning into some hideous Frankenstein made up of different pieces of ‘fiction’ from my world, except actual worlds somehow. Nothing I've become since this started was really from me, just assembled from histories and people that were related to where I came from. The only thing I really earned was the ability to survive using what I suddenly already always knew. And it only gets more and more intense the longer this goes on. What, will I eventually turn into fucking Captain America-Sonic-Goku-Deku-Superman-Alucard-Madara hybrid by the time the next century or five has passed?

The worst part is, it's all anyone sees! At first I was just Ash's sidekick or things like that, then I was a sewer monster, now I'm an especially talented martial artist who holds a big shiny Key

38/201 that says ‘FREE OMNIPOTENCE’ on it for some fucking reason, and I can't even go home or get rid of it! No one ever asks about me, how I feel about all of this, or even if I'd be willing to give it up in a way that wouldn't kill me. Because they're all -assholes-. I get so frustrated I kick a random tree over, and it collapses with almost no resistance.

>"Hey, what'd that tree do to you?"

A friendly voice snaps me out of my reverie. I look over and I can see a girl with long red hair carrying a basket in one arm. Her attire catches my attention right away, that uniform of green. I knew who this was. Hong Meiling. I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed having an outburst when someone was watching, breaking out of my stance. I stammered out some sort of justification, but she cut me off.

>"What? I didn't say you did a bad job. But if you put that much emotion into your attacks, you're just wasting energy. You've got to kick in a swift, controlled motion. Like this!"

In a blink, she promptly kicked a tree next to her and totally obliterated it, the wood shattering like glass and scattering around like prickly shrapnel. She then steadied herself and gave me a big grin.

>"See?"

It turned out the reason she had been absent from the gate that day is that Sakuya, the maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, had mysteriously come down with a rather severe flu a few weeks prior and that meant Meiling had to pull double duty as gatekeeper and errand-runner for the Mansion, since Patchouli was terribly unfit for outdoors (or much of anything else) and her familiar wasn't a terribly bright bulb. So she was overworked and desperate to find distractions of any kind, and was impressed by the fact I actually practiced martial arts instead of just using magic or some inborn youkai power. It was a rare thing in Gensokyo, apparently.

Not once did she ever mention or ask about the Key. That was probably the biggest reason I would go back and talk to her again now and then. Everyone else was off doing their own things in Gensokyo, mostly in the Human Village. No one really paid us any mind since we didn't start any Incidents (though Ford and Stan were caught trying to pilfer from the Kappa Valley a few times), so we just kinda adjusted to peaceful life in the world. I'd visit the gate to talk to Meiling, to the slight displeasure of her employer and the maid. We got along really well, it turned out. Being close to a character I remember liking in my home world...well. It was a new experience to me, because it had all been happenstance up to this point, and Ash was absolutely insane from his experiences to really feel much of a connection to. It was...nice. I liked it.

Then came the second surprise of my visit. Or rather, the least surprising encounter but the one with the strangest result. While I was walking back to my horrendously-out-of-place suburban home next to the Human Village, I was visited by a certain golden-haired youkai. Smiling softly at me as she hovered directly above.

>"You must be our newest visitor. Let me welcome you properly to Gensokyo."

Yukari Yakumo. If anyone would know about the World Engine or Heaven's Key, it'd be her. I was instantly on guard...and more than a little scared. Her ability was to manipulate boundaries, both physical and not. I didn't have any kind of counter or answer for that - and if anyone could justify removing me from the equation, it'd be her. Naturally, she said she knew 39/201 about me and had been observing me for some time. She was surprised I hadn't started an incident of some kind, and was curious about me.

It was annoying that this happened -again-, but I was in a very bad position and didn't want to risk pissing off someone both vastly older and more powerful than me. Sometimes she'd ask me about where I came from...but most of those questions were inquiries along the lines of ‘why does this make you so miserable, exactly?’ Like she expected me to be running amok with my borrowed power. I bit my tongue and answered along the lines of ‘because I know better’.

So this went on for a while. Things were pretty normal otherwise - I'd occasionally find snacks laid out around the house, figuring it was Kaori's sweet tooth at work, and the Pines were banned from most of the locales.

On the final year, I reluctantly told Meiling the truth and that I'd be disappearing soon. Before I did, she wanted to challenge me to a no-holds-barred duel - no special powers, no spell cards, just a brawl between two martial artists. Of course I accepted. It was close - but I was too aggressive. Like Darius, Meiling was able to defeat me through counter-attacks and wearing down my stamina, and when it came down to the final blow with both of us bruised and bleeding, I was the one who fell down first. I didn't mind. It was...honestly a lot of fun. I was actually enjoying myself instead of just trying to survive.

After we both healed and talked one more time - about each other, about the future, and sappy things like that, I got ready to leave. I didn't want to, but I know I had to. Meiling seemed to hesitate for a moment as I stepped away, but she stopped herself. I had to hide my expression when I said farewell.

I didn't realize at the time that she started following me on the way back, and had replaced her usual self with a scarecrow at the gate.

I was confronted one more time by Yukari. By now, her visits were less a thing of abject terror for me and just kind of a recurring nuisance - she kept alluding that she was up to something, but all she ever did was coax me into buying lunch for her. She remarked that I was fairly interesting, and asked one final question of me: That if I thought I'd be the same person if I had volunteered myself to the World Engine instead of being abducted. I answered honestly...no. If I had actively sought this, I probably would have seen things and acted very differently. Maybe better. Maybe worse. But there was no point in regretting it.

She smiled, and then I realized what was actually happening here.

>"Well then...shall we get going?"

God damn it.

40/201 Jump 27: Avatar - The Last Airbender

Jump 27: Avatar - The Last Airbender Origin: Nomad Age: 14 Nation: Earth Kingdom Location: Enemy Territory - Shu Jing Perks: Sense of Humor [1550] Spiritualist [1400] Innovative [1100] Bending Arts - Earth [1000] Bending Genius [400] Maneuverable Bender [200] Combat Bender [0]

Items: Clothing

Drawbacks: The Seven Chakras [1300] Out of the Inferno [1600]

What...what is this? Where am I? My head hurts and everything is spinning. Eastern Air...Temple? What is that? Why am I thinking of something like that? Who are these...oh. They're drawing swords.

I remember how to fight. And what to do when people come after me. This Key. I have to protect this Key at all costs. It doesn't go anywhere and it won't open any door, but I can't let them have it. I need to escape. I need to find someone. I need to -be- someone. The earth moves and breaks along with my movements. Earthbending. The name just pops into my head and the ability to use it comes to me like breathing. The Earth Kingdom...I should escape there, and then find this Eastern Air Temple. Seems as good a place as any to start, right?

Along the way, I hear whispers. Of Fire Lord Azulon being dethroned by Prince Ozai, who was crowned Fire Lord in his father's place. Some say he cut his father's head off right in front of his people and made the Nation bow to him. And that they did, without a single voice of protest. It's only rumors and hearsay, but for some reason, it unsettled me and made me make as much haste as I possibly could to the Earth Kingdom, evading the Fire Nation soldiers as best I could.

They say that Lord Ozai is now marching personally to the front lines. And that he broke the bones of his brother Iroh before throwing him in prison for his brazen cowardice. And that now, Lord Ozai heads to somewhere in Water Tribe territory.

I met a strange girl in green who hugged me, accompanied by a hairy man with a fez. I don't know how I know what a fez is, but it looks ridiculous. They seem happy and relieved to see me, and then confused when I don't recognize them. The man, Stan, says ‘Maybe his memory got all jumbled or somethin’, like when he got sick last time?' The girl in green, Meiling, seems confused. When I say I need to find the Eastern Air Temple, they reluctantly decide to accompany and protect me. I appreciate it, even if I don't remember them.

41/201 Later, it was said Lord Ozai personally retrieved something from the ocean, and then went out of his way to utterly decimate a certain Water Tribe, crashing the entire populace beneath the ice with no survivors. The fact he was able to do this to Water Benders on their home turf inspired great terror and hearsay across all Nations.

We were ambushed by Fire Nation guards, but the green girl used some kind of colorful lightshow powers to protect us. I nearly got my head chopped off by one sneaking up on me for a surprise attack, only for him to disappear into a weird purple hole that vanished a second later. I'm not going to question good fortune, so we continued along the way to meet with the sage who told me the secret of awakening the chakras.

Then we heard that Lord Ozai was personally on the battlefields, killing thousands of his enemies singlehandedly without even using firebending. He was being called a God of War, now. He had also been targetting specific people in his warpath - civilians, specific children. And he was making a beeline straight for us. I was trying to awaken the chakras as the sage instructed, thinking it would give me the power to stop this madman before he reached us, but try as I might, there was one I was stopped by - the Water Chakra, blocked by guilt. There was something I felt guilty about I couldn't quite let go of. Was it the slaughter happening outside of the Temple...?

Eventually, we had to flee. It was as I saw the figure's looming shadow approaching, I realized - the guilt I felt was how helpless I seemed in the face of doom, and how little I had done to stop this armageddon. Somehow, it felt like my fault, and that I was shunning the idea of taking responsibility into my own hands. I don't know why, but for some reason, that helped give me perspective on what I should do to awaken the other chakras.

Stan asked Meiling if she thought they could take Ozai on. Meiling said that it would normally be a piece of cake for her, but something was ‘off’ about Ozai - and that he was fighting like a yuuk-eye or something. We opted to flee and I tried to meditate more on the chakras, but then Ozai himself sent an ultimatum - and a photo. Which is amazing because apparently those don't even exist in this world? I didn't even know what it was until Stan explained it to me. It showed us a picture of a girl in a poncho, a cat-eared boy with his mouth bleeding and blindfolded, a man almost identical to Stan, and a bald kid who looked severely malnourished, and finally a message:

‘Surrender yourselves to the Fire Lord or these three shall pay the price of your cowardice.’

Stan was understandably upset and decided that we needed to finally take the fight to Ozai, and avenge the millions he had slaughtered. They insisted I stay behind and finish my meditation, and they'd take care of things. And I trusted them. I reached inside. The last thing I needed to do was...let go...let go...

...

Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. This is nothing like Ozai. He's ambitious and cruel, but he's not this methodical or forward. And he doesn't have the power to face armies on his own. I need to get out there and join the fight, NOW.

I arrived to see Stan having taken several burns and was down on one knee, while Meiling only had a few bruises and didn't look worse for wear. And then I saw ‘Ozai’...wearing a horned helmet and standing at about seven feet tall, a familiar oppressive aura around him. He had the face of Ozai, certainly, but his eyes and his voice were unmistakable. Along with the black spot around his heart, which pumped a similar ichor into his veins that we could see 42/201 running along his skin. A darker force had taken control of his body.

It was Darius.

Those weren't just random children and innocents he was slaughtering - he had essentially murdered the entirety of the ones who would be part of the Avatar's journey. They were specifically targeted so what would have been the tale of the Last Airbender would have been violently cut short. He did all of it on PURPOSE. My heart burned with rage, and I demanded to know why he did all of this.

>"To punish you for your weakness, Avatar. To show you what real power is capable of, when you aren't so cowardly to grasp it. This is my right, as the strongest one in this world - to claim what I decide is mine, and to shape it to my desires. Nothing in this world can be denied to me."

While he was monologuing, Ford had somehow concocted an escape plan and was starting to pull Aang, Atticus, and Kaori free. But just as it looked like they were home free, he stretched his hand out. All of them were knocked aside...and Aang was torn to pieces. I saw the Avatar Spirit be ripped from his body before Darius-Ozai consumed it whole.

>"Nothing. So long as you exist, Avatar, I will hunt you and punish those around you for your idleness and your stubborn desire to keep the Key for yourself. You say you wish to live and die as a man? Then die by my hand, and perish mercifully before all worlds shun you as the monster you are."

At this point I was too blinded with rage to really care about what he was saying. I felt the Satsui No Hado flare in me as the battle began. With his already-brutal fighting style now combined with all four bending styles and centuries of experience he forcefully poached from from the Avatar, he was able to fight all of us with ease. With Atticus disabled, Stan tired and injured, and Ford generally useless in a straight-up fight with poor Kaori doing the best she could to support us while avoiding Darius-Ozai - he was a pragmatic fighter and would kill our healer the first chance he got, so we had to keep him busy. The battle destroyed the city around us, and I only stopped for a moment when I saw the destruction all of this had created - and the few survivors of the city looking on in a mix of awe and fear, wondering about the fate of their world and their nations.

And I remembered something. Twice, I had been defeated by being too hot-headed. By losing my cool. I suppressed my greatest advantage, the Satsui No Hado...and instead tapped into the Power of Nothingness, remembering what I had learned from opening the chakras. My attacks weren't as destructive as they were before, but with each attack, Darius-Ozai's movements and attacks became more wild and undisciplined - as if he was fighting both us and his own body. Finally, with a well-placed Shoryuken, I managed to rip open his stomach and expel both Darius' spirit and the Avatar Spirit from Ozai's body. Ozai survived, but barely - his mind was destroyed by the experience, only a shell of the man he was before. The Avatar Spirit floated around me, lingering for a moment, before it took the shape of a white spirit in the shape of a boy...and then it pressed a fist into one palm and bowed before it disappeared.

We were victorious.

With Kaori's help, we managed to restore and reunite the party. Atticus was surprisingly more annoyed than traumatized at the fact he had his tongue cut out earlier, as if this was something that happened to him before. But...the damage was done. The world was broken almost beyond repair and nearly a million Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom residents had all 43/201 died. The Fire Nation's leadership was decapitated and the empire would start to fracture thanks to its sudden expansion and retraction. The world would plunge into chaos.

For the next nine years, we would try and repair this broken world. Despite our unknown origins, our personal defeat of what seemed like history's worst warlord in such a short amount of time, we were welcomed as heroes among the Earth and Water survivors. Ford got to work on construction. And mysteriously, obstacles seemed to disappear for us and other individuals would conveniently help us out where needed. Almost as if a combination of luck and a certain person's background dealings were unfolding into something we could work with.

It wasn't much.

But it was something.

I swore I would never let this happen ever again.

44/201 Intermission 1: Aftermath

Intermission 1: The Way Forward

The final week had come and gone. The Four Nations had fallen into chaos after the collapse of the Fire Lord's Empire - and Crown Prince Zuko was poorly equipped to handle the mess his mad father left behind, not helped by the corpse going missing after the battle. It was only with the counseling of a miraculously-healed Iroh that it was in any way salvageable, but the empire lost territory after the severe break in administration and their resources meant to handle over-extension almost miraculously evaporated - as if the presence of Ozai-Darius was all that held it together. We had spent years doing what we could to fix the damage done - heal the sick, feed the hungry, assist those of all four nations and discourage the idea of taking revenge or resuming the war.

But the damage was done.

With the Avatar Spirit having been stolen, even for but an hour, the world had been spiritually and physically damaged on a level we simply couldn't wave our hands and repair. The most we could do was entreat to the spirit realm and use Kaori's magic to heal what we could in the physical. It would be a century or more before this world would know prosperity - and that was time we just didn't have. Some were suspicious of us - especially the Fire Nation, as we had slain their leader right when it appeared to be the peak of their victory. Some were relieved, after tales of Ozai's brutality spread like wildfire...but propaganda and love of one's nation is a powerful thing.

Among the Earth and Water civilizations, however, it was the opposite. Apparently an ancient legend matched my description and many had witnessed us putting Ozai-Darius down after he had stolen the Avatar Spirit - a grave sin this world would not forgive. We were named as heroes, calling us ‘The Warriors of Heaven’ - legendary figures from the spirit realm who answered the world's call in their darkest hour. It was romantic. Uplifting. Not quite the truth, but I didn't want to correct them.

I wanted to stay by myself as things settled down. The burden on my shoulders was heavy - knowing that an enemy like Darius would go this far just to claim the Key from me. If I had died and he had stolen it, just how much further would he have gone? How many lives would he have destroyed in pursuit of his mad ambition to shape the world to his desires? How many heroes and innocents would be struck down by his hubris? And how would this world have appeared if we failed...? This isn't just a condition or a curse, anymore. It's a responsibility. If I had become this strong after being a weak nobody in my home world, imagine what someone like him would have turned into.

I can only wonder what's going through the minds of my companions. They must be devastated after experiencing something so horrible.

>"I'm freakin devastated after experiencin' that, bro!" >"I know, Stanley, I know." >Ford spoke softly as he continued to tinker with the gears hidden in the wall of the Warehouse. There was a box of metal parts nearby. >"I mean, I knew this wasn't gonna be all fun and games, but geez...that guy was a piece of work! Killin' kids, destroyin' a city, possessing some other dude...it's wigging me out, Ford!" >"We should be thankful we let Mabel and Dipper stay safe in our world. If my calculations are correct, a minute hasn't passed since we left - it'll be like we never gone."

45/201 >"Yeah, that's great, but what are we gonna do when he shows up again? Maybe he'll be, I dunno, ridin' a freakin three-headed T-rex powered by babies or somethin'!" >"Stanley...that's why we have to stay here." >"Look, I like Anon as much as everyone else here does, but-" >"It's not just Anon, Stanley. Think about it. This machine connects to all worlds - ALL worlds. Including ours. If Darius had ultimately won, think about what would have happened to our home. Our family." >"The kids..." >"Right. And it's our responsibility to help Anon - he may not have chosen this, but he's ultimately not abused the position he's in. We need to keep it that way and help set him free. The sooner we can fix this machine and find the Control Room, the sooner we can stop things like this from ever happening again." >"...you SURE that ain't the only reason, bro?" >"W-well, no...um, partially...but that's not the point. This is our world and billions more at stake, Stanley. And if we're in a position to do something about it, we should. And besides..." >Ford smiled softly and put a hand on his twin's shoulder. >"That means there's plenty of time for us to adventure and make up for our lost time a thousand times over, isn't it?" >After a moment's hesitation, old Stanley returned the smile.

>Meiling was practicing her own katas while Kaori watched the shadow of Anon in the distance. >She stops for a moment to look at the poncho-clad girl. >"You worried?" >"A little." >"Surprised you're not a little more shaken. Most humans break up a little inside after something like that." >Kaori shrugged. “I...it was awful, but I've lived through worse. Besides, someone's got to keep smiling for Anon, right?” She asked, giving a grin. >"That's kind of a weird way to look at it...but hey, I won't judge. I've seen some pretty freaky stuff back home, too." >"People are sad no matter where we go. That's why we need to smile and laugh for them, so they can join us there, too. We do more good that way - helping those in arm's reach. Anon's the sort of person who sees things like that, too. He just won't admit it to himself or others." >"So it's kinda like a job to you?" Meiling asked curiously. >"It's the right thing to do," Kaori insisted. >"Hmm...I dunno if I see things the same way, but if you believe that kinda thing, there's nothing wrong with it." Meiling said before getting back into a stance. >"You're here because you believe in Anon too, right?" >"Ain't it obvious?" >"Hee...yeah. You're a good friend." >Meiling nearly tripped over herself after hearing that. >"Hm? Something wrong?" >"Y-yeah, don't mind me!"

>Alone at a desk, Atticus works. He does not care for lives lost or those who suffer. All he cares for is the end result. His cat ears flick softly in the darkness as he carefully opens a foul- smelling box...and staring back at him is the preserved head of Ozai, his expression frozen in a state of shock and horror. >"Darius knows more about the nature of the Engine than Anon does. And you're going to tell me how." >Living matter cannot be taken between worlds - it was one of the first things he had experimented with after joining the party. So all he had to do was make sure it was dead 46/201 whenever the jump happened. >Murmuring a soft chant over the head, Ozai's expression moved and twitched, letting out an airless scream as his eyes darted about the room, trying and failing to move his helpless head. >"Let's see what you know."

I don't know what they're all thinking right now, but I wouldn't blame them if they're second- guessing coming along with me, now. I wish I could repay them for everything up to this point, but I don't have anything tangible I could really give them. All I have are guns and this empty space. Fighting ability can't really convey things like gratitude or regret, now, can it?

...is someone watching me?

I turn my head around and I swear I can faintly see a shade of violet disappear somewhere.

...

You know, out of everyone, you're the biggest mystery. What are you up to...?

47/201 Jump 28: Scooby-Doo

Jump 28: Scooby-Doo Location: Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated [900] Origin: Meddling Kid Age: 22 Perks: Run For Your Life [800] Black Belt [700] Acting! [100] Ventriloquism [0]

Items: Coolsville News

Companions: Mystery Incorporated - Shaggy [300]

...

You know what? This is fine. This is alright. I'm sick and tired of all the super kung fu and after the hell that was the last jump...this is fine. It's just fine. We're all going to relax and enjoy ourselves in a world full of masked capers and meddling kids. Everyone can go off and do their own thing, we don't have Darius or other things to worry about. I'm just going to be a completely ordinary human for once and see if I can't hang out with Mystery Inc. I remember watching that show often in my childhood...at least, the old version. I wasn't a big fan of it, but I'm feeling nostalgic and need a break after that mess from before.

>Ten Years Later...

Well, that was an adventure and a half. Turns out there were actually eldritch abominations involved. I somehow slept through that part, though. Anyways, time's almost up, so I should check with every---

How did you get in here. >"Like, I dunno, man! I just walked in here to see you off." But...the forcewall...you shouldn't be able t---oh no. Oh no. Shaggy, get out of the Warehouse. >"What Warehouse?" THIS WAREHOUSE GET OUT HURRY BEFORE IT'S TOO L

48/201 Jump 29: Fist of the North Star

Jump 29: Fist of the North Star Age: 34 Origin: Drop-In Location: Cassandra [950] Perks: Omae wa mou shindeiru! Dedicated Training Knowledge of the Past [850] Taizan Tenrou Ken [650] Self-Taught Style [350] Post-Apocalyptic Savior [50]

Items: Post-Apocalyptic Outfit Weathered Cloak

Companions: Canon Companion - Toki [50]

Drawbacks: Fated Foe [350] Infamous [450]

So I start off in prison. What is this, an Elder Scrolls game? It's a prison controlled by Raoh, AKA Ken-Oh, AKA Big Scary Kung Fu Man. It then turns out that I'm sharing a cell with a certain white-haired kung fu master. My memory manages to recall his name. Toki. He reacts to my presence nonchalantly, and he calmly asked me how I appeared in here. I told him that I was from another world and wasn't quite sure. Aside from an almost minuscule raise of his brow, he didn't react to that in way I could read. I offered to help set him free. He was a bit reluctant, but when the guards came along and tried to kill me, I managed to defeat them handily. This seemed to help change his mind and we both escaped together as I found a door I could use to find my companions.

First off, everyone is absolutely baffled at the presence of Shaggy, myself included. It seemed like at the bare minimum, all of the companions I brought along were either unique individuals or people I had significant emotional bonds with...and while I didn't dislike Shaggy, most of our conversations were about food and complaining about the many masked capers in Crystal Cove. That didn't exactly scream ‘star of destiny’ at work. Ford theorized that the World Engine itself somehow thought Shaggy would be of great importance, and brought him along.

So we gave him the run-down on the situation. He resolved to stay in the Warehouse and eat food. Good enough for me. Anyways, I introduced Toki to everyone, who had been patiently listening in to all of this. He didn't seem terribly surprised by our explanation. When he started coughing and revealed his sickness, he began to talk about how he got the radiation poisoning...right before Kaori abruptly used her Arch-Priest magic to cure him completely. She gave a smart salute and a wink, and a surprised Toki was suddenly back to full health.

Needless to say, his duel with Raoh happened very differently, and Kenshiro actually ended up being late to the party. I don't know how the Hokuto succession thing was resolved, but I know that Kenshiro was living peacefully with Yuria after Kaori ALSO HEALED HER BECAUSE WHY

49/201 THE FUCK NOT WHY DOES SHE KEEP RUNNING OFF AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT god damn it I can't stay mad at her for making other people happy. Anyways, Toki ended up facing a lot of what Kenshiro would have, with us in tow.

As for the end...well. This time, I was ready for him. A crow with a letter arrived before me, telling me to meet him in the middle of the desert plains, or else my companions would ‘suffer for my cowardice’. Against my better judgment, I went to meet him. Surprisingly, he was all alone this time - this time inhabiting the body of the deceased Raoh, patches of the flesh of his original body dotting where he had taken damage from his duel from Toki. I wasn't surprised. I had been prepared for this since the years of rebuilding the world of Avatar.

>"You came alone." ... >"You are no fool, Avatar. Both times you have faced me, you had allies to save you at the last moment. The Engine twists fate itself to ensure your survival. Why would you refuse such a blessing?" What I kill doesn't come back. Both times you evaded me by killing yourself or escaping at the last moment, Darius. There won't be a third time. Your insane ambition ends here. And I will be the one to end it. >"You have done nothing but hide from what you are and what you can do, Avatar. Cease this display of bravado and show proper respect to your superior." I'll show you exactly what you deserve, Darius.

The battle began. It wasn't a one-sided struggle anymore - we matched each other blow-for- blow, technique for technique, power up for power up. The desert sand around us scattered in gigantic waves, a storm brewing around the battlefield, our blood coloring the ground. After the first few attacks, he stopped for a moment and regarded me curiously.

>"...so it's true. You no longer have the eyes of a coward. I can see that determination in your soul, Anon. You are truly fighting for what you believe in. Answer me this - you've tasted the power the Key can give you. The elation, the abandon that comes with power. You killed thousands in that exaltation. So why did you reject it?" I'm not a God or a King, Darius. I let myself lose control in rage and despair, and played judge, jury, and executioner for it. No more. If I'm to be trapped in this cycle, I'm going to live the way I want to - and that means I won't surrender it to tyrants like you. >"Such arrogance...!"

The fight continued and this time I went on the defensive. I had learned from our prior fights - instead of pressing the attack, I would weave and counter attack when he made large attacks, and I wouild parry his own ki attacks with a double Hadouken each time. There was another break in the fight, both of us wounded but still ready.

>"So you will merely hide and run away from what you are?! You hold the power that billions have stared at the stars and dreamed of, yet you're content to squander it...?!" Yeah, that's a bitch, isn't it? I never wanted power, or to become some sort of freak of nature made up of pieces of other worlds and stories. But...I realized I do have a use for it. Something I can completely get behind. Stopping people like you.

More blows were exchanged.

You just used your own physical power as an excuse to hurt and dominate others! You murdered children just to give yourself an advantage! Destroyed the lives of millions just to claim revenge on one person...! If you're what I would have turned into if I chose this willingly, 50/201 then I reject that every time! No matter what, I will be the enemy of people like you! And I will never surrender the Key to you! >"Short-sighed fool...! The worlds are infinite. One dead Avatar in one world merely means a million more continue on as normal! I merely needed to ensure I would be able to face you alone!" If you think their lives and their suffering means any less just because they can be replaced, then you can take that self-righteousness with you to hell...!

Where did this resolve come from? Had Kaori rubbed off on me this much? But I believed every word I was saying, and the strength of my blows matched my resolve. Finally, with one last attack, I plunged my hand into Darius' heart and pulled it out...it being a fusion of his original and Raoh's, before I crushed it. His body collapsed and fell on its back a moment later.

His shallow breathing was the only sound around us as I dropped the destroyed organ, with it decaying into dust within seconds.

That was for Aang. >"...I see...so you were the stronger one..." Because someone who fights for those in need will always be stronger than a tyrant. >"Hahaha...sarcasm...listen to yourself...you don't actually believe that wholeheartedly...you wanted revenge just as much as I did..." ... >"It isn't righteousness that wins the day, you know...but the strength to carry on your own beliefs and convictions...and to defeat all who stand in your way...that is the truth of this world." You're awfully chatty for a guy without a working heart. >"I won't excuse myself, Avatar...I did seek power for myself. To take revenge on the world for where it had placed me since birth...to live out my wildest dreams and pleasures, and to see the star of destiny shine down on me...I lived as I chose to, just as you did...even now, I have no regrets. I would do it all over again, each time."

To my surprise, he then stood up and spread his arms out, laughing. >"Look at me, Avatar! This is the face of the victor! I die as I lived, and I go without guilt or sin! I am sublime! I am what you will eventually become, when you surpass Gods and Men...!" He let out one more hollow, throaty laugh before Raoh's body finally fell over, dead.

Once I was sure he wasn't getting back up, I collapsed onto the sand, staring up at the night sky above and the full moon above.

What a night.

51/201 Jump 30: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Jump 30: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Age: 21 Era: Rise of Dio [800] Origin: Jovial Joestar [900] Perks: Calisthenics Joestar Secret Technique Dynamic Entry Dramatic Persona Bond Of the Soul - Robert Speedwagon [200] Hamon: Steady Breathing, Solar Meditation [150], Awaken [0], Ripple Mastery [300], Infusion [100]

Items: Global Passport [0]

Drawbacks: They Take Notice [600]

>EVEN SPEEDWAGON IS ABDUCTED BY THE WORLD ENGINE.

So after that duel to the death and an exchange of news, we're in a brand new world. Before we begin - to everyone's surprise except him, Toki was still meditating in the Warehouse once we had made the next jump. I guess the only constant is that the ones who are meant to be companions are drawn into the Warehouse and don't leave when we head somewhere else. Due to my age not making much sense otherwise, I was apparently the younger brother of George Joestar, and the uncle of Johnathan. It's kinda weird suddenly being a family member to a character I liked, but, very little surprises me at this point.

I'd like to say how I was alongside young Johnathan's journey the whole of the way. That I would prevent Zeppeli's death through a breathtaking act of heroism and while posing for the camera, and then barely defeating Dio by the skin of my teeth through some clever tactic. But...

Well, let's face facts. I had become strong enough to win against Darius just one jump ago. We had Meiling. We had a restored-to-his-prime Toki. And just on the off chance we needed to do a silly chase sequence, we had Shaggy.

>"Like, don't bring me into this, man!"

We even had Ford on the off chance we needed some kind of science device made out of local Victorian-era parts. The moment vampire Dio showed himself, he went down like a bitch. It was kind of laughably pathetic but also disappointing - he was always a fun villain when I wasn't being influenced by memories of his adoptive uncle.

On the plus side, I got to be the best man at Johnathan's wedding, and got to feel good that I nipped that whole ‘reset the universe’ plan on the bud. Naturally, Dio swore revenge against me as he died from the Ripple, but I don't think we'll be seeing him again. I even scattered the ashes into the ocean to be sure. So fuck 'im. Also, Speedwagon somehow heard about our adventures. I just pointed to the Warehouse and told him to take the empty room. I don't even

52/201 know or care at this point. At least he's earnest about it, ‘wanting to aid our noble journey to the very end’. Or something.

53/201 Jump 31: Undertale

Jump 31: Undertale Age: 12 Location: Ruins Origin: Fallen Human [800] Perks: Summon Annoying Dog DETERMINATION ACT [700] MERCY [500] SAVE The World [200]

Items: Meh

Companions: Asgore [0]

Drawbacks: The Taste Is Indescribable [300]

...and that's the story so far.

I finished telling my tale to a very large and confused goat man, his tea cup tilted slightly to the left in his hand, though not enough to spill its contents. Still, he watched and listened patiently the entire time, only chiming in when asking for clarification on something. I think the poor guy went cross-eyed a few times when I went over the worlds of Kamen Rider and Jojo, however. I had waltzed into the home of King Asgore Dreemurr about two days prior. It was a small shock when I arrived with several other humans (and a few not!humans), and especially when I asked him to sit down and talk to me, and listen to our story. He was a gracious host, even letting us stay the night twice over when my throat inevitably got tired from telling the story, though Kaori would chime in for the bits she was around for, before Speedwagon VERY LOUDLY PROCLAIMED THE EMOTIONS AND PASSION OF THE BITS HE WAS AROUND FOR and Shaggy ate several pies. Forty pies. That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible.

We also locked a flower in a jar that was now helpfully labelled ‘Angry Flower Jail’. Ford was looking after it, but it was Kaori's turn to do that since he was busy at the moment. Watching Flowey get increasingly agitated and screamy while she patiently spoke to him in her usual cheer was entertaining. It became even more entertaining when his attempts to exploit our situation and the mechanics of it was interrupted by Speedwagon loudly proclaiming ‘WATCH OUT, THAT FLOWER IS TRYING TO MANIPULATE YOU!’ Each and every time.

Yukari was sleeping on the ceiling somehow.

Anyways, I would gently plead with Asgore to abandon his plan to kill one more human in order to open the barrier. I could see the tiny bit of light in his eyes that had been present when the tale began start to die, and he quietly said that he couldn't quite do that. He stood up and prepared to march over to the barrier, before I quickly interjected. There was another way. We could make a way to bypass the barrier without needing to break it. And we had the scientific mind that was capable of it.

54/201 Atticus quietly glared at me.

>"Wait, wait, wait slow down...you mean the portal from back home? Even if Ford can rebuild that thing with the stuff down here, we needed, like, high-grade radioactive stuff for that! How are we gonna find that down here?!"

>A few moments later... >Dr. Alphys spit out her coffee. “YOU WANT TO DO -WHAT- WITH THE CORE?!”

And that's how we saved Christmas. Er...Monsterkind, sorry. Eventually we managed to fix Flowey by turning him back into Asriel through me having to coax an angry spirit of a possibly- homicidal and traumatized child, but that's a story that's pretty easy to imagine, isn't it? What came after...well. Without a real Kingdom to rule and his family something he couldn't really repair or return to, Asgore didn't have anywhere else to go. On the last day, there he was, outside of the Warehouse like a confused child. He politely greeted us, and asked...our story and the time we had spent with him in and out of the barrier had been probably the best thing he had experienced in years. He asked if he could come along.

Truth be told, I don't know if there was really a choice in the matter. After all, Shaggy and Toki had been brought along without truly choosing to. But...I think, just this time around, it's something he might appreciate.

Companion List: 1. Kaori 2. Hong Meiling 3. Yukari Yakumo 4. Atticus of Barton 5. Shaggy 6. Toki 7. Robert E.O. Speedwagon 8. Asgore Dreemurr Pod 1. Stanley Pines Pod 2. Stanford Pines

55/201 Jump 32: Duel Monsters - The Heroes

Jump 32: Duel Monsters - The Heroes Location: The Hero City Origin: Elemental Hero Perks: Hero Mask A Hero Arrives [900] Polymerization [700] Righteous Justice [400]

Powers and Gimmicks: Bubble Shoot [300] Feather Break [100]

Items: Costume Home Ground [0]

Drawbacks: Waterfront Disaster! The Interrupted Kaiju Slumber [200]

>tfw too lazy to do imports

This city needs a hero. It needs hope. It needs...the great Elemental Hero, the masked- wearing fang for the fangless, The one, the only, world-walking hero who's name is...!

...guys. Guys, come on. I wanna do this at least once.

>"We're not fusing with you, Anon." Ford says, his arms crossed. >"Yeah, I don't even wanna know what goes on in your head half the time, let alone share mine with it!" Stan agrees. Fine, I'm sure Kaori will... >"Um...I have to...go...give Toki a haircut!" And off she went. ...well, of course Atticus would be interested in the research mat- >"Touch me and I will castrate you in your sleep, and replace the remnants with a thing from beyond the stars." ...Asgore? >"Golly...I'd love to, Anon, but I'm trying some pie recipes out right now. Shaggy really enjoys all of them for some reason. Perhaps next time?" I glance at Speedwagon. He's negotiating a movie deal about my exploits to some executive. I look over and Yukari is currently sleeping on top of my fridge like a cat, and a menacing aura warns me not to disturb her. I'm about to open my mouth and call for Meiling, but she's currently guarding the Warehouse door and has a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign hanging from her neck. ...f-fine! I don't need to fuse with any of you! I'll go out and be my own Hero! I don't need someone to share my soul with! I'll show you! I'LL SHOW YOU ALL! >"...any idea why he's so worked up over this, bro?" >"Stanley, the human brain is a magnificent thing, but it's not prepared for things like centuries of ennui and the ravages of the multiverse." >"What's that mean in English?" >"Anon's a little crazy."

56/201 >"I coulda told you that."

57/201 Intermission 2: A Grim Truth

Intermission 2:

A lone, feline-eared boy stands over a ritual circle in a darkened room. He murmurs fevered chants and sprinkles dust over the decomposed head of a despot from another world. He has done this at least four times prior - once was interrupted when Kaori had abruptly broken into his room to ask if he could use another luck spell on her. He cursed her and told it her it was a blessing. It was funny to him - at least, it would have been if the damned girl was anything except scathingly cheerful all the time. Regardless, Atticus was adept by now at returning the fainting semblance of life to the decaying head...all he needed was to get the barest hint of intelligence and memories, and then the secret he was seeking would be his. He knew it.

Then, the sound of a gun clicking. Atticus turned his head, seeing the barrel of a M41A Pulse Rifle with the slightly worn and crude inscription of ‘BAD MOTHERFUCKER’ written on its side staring at him. But it wasn't being held by Anon. It was held by Ford, who had arrived alone.

>"I should have known you were up to no good, Atticus." The effeminate cat wizard clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes in annoyance. >"Ford. I had wondered when you'd show yourself." >"I knew you were hiding something - aside from that Yakumo woman, you've shown your face in public the least. What is the meaning of all this?" >"Is it not obvious? I'm gleaning insight from the dead. I had thought you of all people would appreciate a reliable source of information." >"And that's why you keep the head of our worst enemy in a...a mini-fridge?!" >"The head of the vessel our worst enemy has possessed. I had hoped to get the genuine article, but it seems the original was destroyed some time ago. Anon's strange nature doesn't allow those he personally slays to return in any form...or at least, no form I can personally create." Atticus opened his eyes and looked at Ford with some curiosity. >"That isn't moral outrage I'm hearing, is it?...you're curious, aren't you?" >"Talk, Atticus. Before I take a page from Anon and shoot first, ask questions later." >"How uncouth of you. Darius' knowledge is still within this brain, even on a subconscious level. It likely holds insight into the World Engine...and perhaps, even a way to access the Control Room." >"I wasn't born yesterday, sorcerer. You planned to take it for yourself without telling Anon." >"Didn't you?" That got Ford's attention. >"I-I want to keep them safe, that's all. If that means I have to keep secrets from the others, so be it. My brother and I have been in worse spots." Atticus took a step forward, his posture relaxed, while Ford aimed the Pulse Rifle right at the sorcerer's head. >"One more step and this will take your head clean off, Atticus. Don't make me do this." >"No...rather, I've underestimated you. We're kindred spirits, Ford. More than you may believe." Ford had heard this speech before. His finger is an inch away from the trigger. Atticus stops where he is and frowns. >"...hmm. Disappointing. But really, you can't be satisfied with the way things are, can you?" >"What can I say? It's letting me make up lost time with my brother. And keeping things like you from running amok ever again." >"Things like me? I'm hurt, Ford. I really am. But consider...if you can't trust me, do you trust Anon?"

58/201 >"Anon?" >"You've noticed it, haven't you? Only sometimes do we gain new powers and trinkets, but the bulk of the haul is always to him with each new world. Before, I suspect, he was as unremarkable as your young relatives in terms of physical ability. But now? Now he is that warrior who topples tyrants and monsters alike." >"..." >"Tell me, do you think he'll keep those altruistic notions of his once the real weight of eternity presses down on his mind, and decides that nobody can stop him from doing what he wants? And worst of all, if he's right? How long will it be? Centuries? Millennia? Maybe it'll be the very next decade we end up in a veritable hell where Gods have forsaken those who scream and crawl on the surface, and his mind shatters from the impact as he works terrible designs of his own misbegotten sense of self-righteousness?" >"...I'll worry about it when it happens." Atticus let out a loud cackle, a grin on his face. Validation. >"Let me tell you what we can agree on - the longer this charade continues, the more of a risk you run of Anon turning into a monster of his own folly. The sooner the Control Room can be found, the sooner we are all freed and given...whatever we happen to need. I want the Control Room for myself. You want it for yourself. Tell me, why should these be mutually exclusive? The worlds are many, after all. If it means preserving ourselves and those we care about, then it only makes sense we work together for now, correct?" >"No deal. I'm putting an end to this right now, Atti-" >"Kill me now and you will have no one left who is willing to stop Anon when the moment is right. And no one to ensure your brother will get home safe. I am the only one who has studied how to disable him with magic. You have done the same with science. Shoot me - and lose that, forever." There was a long pause. With hesitation, Ford lowered the Pulse Rifle. >"If you ever hurt any of them...ANY of them, I will finish what I started." >"Of course. You have my word." Just then, the disembodied head would start to croak. Or rather, speak. And the words it choked out made Atticus' ears twitch with interest, a smirk forming on the sorcerer's face. >"Aaah...I thought so."

59/201 Jump 33: Nier

Jump 33: Nier Origin: Family Man Age: 25 Location: Home Village Perks: Looking For Work? Magic - Red Orbs[1200] Bring Down The Beast [1100] The Implacable Man [900] No Need To Think Too Hard [600]

Items: Pet Boar Magic Words [300] Family Home [200] Healing Salves [0]

Drawbacks: Gestalt [1300] Ostracism [1400]

>Meiling woke up a bit troubled, one day. The first trouble was that she had awakened at all - the doorway to the Warehouse had become her eternal vigil in the place of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Though the gatekeeper was allowed more breaks than her previous profession had ever given without the watchful eye of Lady Remilia over her, she liked to overachieve and stand guard at all hours whenever possible. Kaori, Stan, and a few others had offered her to head indoors and relax a little...and sometimes, she did, though she would remain outside. >However, something was amiss. Merely a day into their arrival, Anon had disappeared somewhere and didn't say when he intended his return. The others kept close to the house and their shelter, with the world full of strange, dark monsters that rampaged out in the open, and a horrid feeling of dread in the air. Ford and Atticus busily worked away at something in the walls of the Warehouse, while Stan, Shaggy, Speedwagon, and Asgore played poker. Stan would usually win every hand until Speedwagon angrily pointed at him and announced “STAN IS CLEARLY CHEATING!” - usually to distract them from the fact he was also cheating. Shaggy wasn't a good poker player in general and Asgore was just happy to be there. Toki had gone to a nearby village and continued his role as a healer and a teacher. But Anon was nowhere to be found. >Normally, Meiling wouldn't have thought much of it...but Anon wasn't usually the type to miss dinner so many times, or at least not state where he was headed and why. That alone wouldn't be cause for too much concern unless it had dragged on too long. However, one crucial detail hadn't escaped the gatekeeper's mind. One minor detail that only she, as a resident of Gensokyo, would understand the implications of. >Yukari Yakumo was also missing. >It was enough to spur the youkai into action. That woman's presence or lack thereof never meant anything good in the long run - by reputation, the gap youkai was a troublemaker. And Meiling knew enough of the situation that it wasn't Anon that united them all - rather, it was the Key that everyone else seemed to covet. Had Yukari spirited him away in a gambit to try and take it? Or some other sinister reason...? >The first person Meiling questioned was Kaori - Anon's first companion and the one closest to him, at least when it came to trust. Kaori had a distressingly warm demeanor to everyone,

60/201 even the sour and troubled Atticus, and it often helped bind them together through disagreements and through great hardships - much like the second battle against Darius. It was a surprise that she hadn't gone with him - the girl seemed like his shadow, always close by. But Kaori replied with a sad smile, simply saying ‘I can’t follow him everywhere...this was something he felt he had to do alone.' >Then why was Yukari gone as well...? >Her suspicion and distress growing, Meiling went on an unannounced trip of her own. Several of the others present cared little for Anon's health and simply the wellbeing of the Key - and she didn't trust the idea of him being potentially vulnerable to someone like Atticus or the strange, scientific brother of Stan. Her second-hand experiences with the explosive mishaps of the Kappa Valley told her how dangerous an overeager inventor was, after all. >After all, if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself. >Meiling began her search in the nearby village, where she'd be briefly reunited with Toki, who was mostly protecting the area. He said he had seen Anon run off into the sunset one day and not return, so that's where she went. She offered Toki the chance to come along, but he declined, citing that the dangerous shades were something he had to remain for and take care of. >Along the way, she learned that this dying world was full of jerks. The humans were unpleasant, especially to strangers, ESPECIALLY when she brought up Anon. Apparently he somehow broke every faus pax possible in this post-apocalyptic society or at least had done it enough times to make good malicious rumor fodder. Unfortunately, she didn't quite put it past him for this to be untrue. She was the same way, after all. Not that she'd admit it. >Through the teeth gnashing and the other unpleasant things Anon had been called, she eventually found that he had disappeared into a mountain range a good distance away. >She learned about halfway up said mountain that it was a volcano. >As molten ash and lava rolled down the hill, Meiling remembered she could fly and did so, zooming up before realizing there was a clearing in the eruption: Anon and a thing made of shadow, both covered in an aura she recognized as the Satsui No Hado, were clashing amidst the burning mountain. >Acting on instinct, she arrived and attacked the shadowy being with a hard kick. >Anon was surprised at her presence, but after her arrival, they had managed to dispatch the foe before it bellowed something in its dying throes she couldn't quite recognize. >Anon collapsed from exhaustion as the power of murderous intent faded him, and she had to whisk him off to safety.

The stars are out and we're talking over a campfire. I have a few injuries that are bandaged and my Praetorian armor is resting a few feet away, only wearing a shirt and some shorts underneath. Meiling was roasting a pair of fish over the flame. >"You might've actually died there if I didn't show up, you know!" She laughs about it and gives me a hard pat on the back. “Yeah...I guess I'm just lucky you were around, huh?" Like all the other times I nearly bit the dust. "Did you just follow the volcano?” >"No, I...actually went looking for you." I blinked. “Why?” >"Well, uh...." Meiling stopped for a moment before she took one of the fish and took a bite. If it burned her any, she didn't really show it. >"You weren't around, so I went looking for you. That's a good reason, right?" I just stared at her. >"...what?" “No, it's just...I don't think anyone besides Kaori has done that before.” >"Really? Not once?" 61/201 “Not really. Not for long.” >"Oh. Huh. Well...sorry?" “No, no, it's...it's fine. I appreciate it, I really do.” There was a long period of awkward silence. >"So, uh...that shadow thing sure was tough, huh!" I shrugged and let out a weak laugh. “Yeah. I was almost a goner. They put up a really good fight.” >"Right?!" The two of us laughed over this together. This was where we bonded the most, after all - combat, martial arts, and being mutually bewildered at how confusing other worlds were. It was the simplest thing. But it gave me a moment's solace. We decided we'd return to the Warehouse eventually and reunite with the others, going on a vacation for the rest of the decade.

Once Meiling was asleep, I sighed. “I know you're still there. You don't have to keep hiding.” >"Hmhmhm...I must be losing my touch." “You're almost always shadowing my movements, even when I'm not doing anything interesting. Do you find my situation that fascinating?” >"There's not much else to watch. Nothing I'm not used to, anyways. But...I'm more curious about what's going on in your mind right now." “Of course you are.” >"Hmm? You seemed happier when that gatekeeper youkai was concerned about you. Why so suspicious about me?" “I may be an idiot when it comes to people, but I know how to read clues and investigate events and those around me. And I know I'm in a bad position with everyone else here. Everyone sees me as either a ticking timebomb, someone to either coddle or throw at the nearest evil, or the landlord. You're just as interested in the World Engine as Atticus and Ford are. Why else would you follow me?” She just smiled patiently at me. It seriously pissed me off. >"You're distressed at what that Shade was saying to you, weren't you?" That shut me up. >"I could translate, if you prefer." “...fine. What was it saying?” >"'I want to go home. I want to see their faces again. I want to be human again.'" “...that so?” >"I wonder why it would say things like that. It's so mysterious, isn't it?" ... >"Could you answer one thing for me, at least?" “If it ends this conversation any sooner.” >"Do you plan on keeping your promise?" “My promise?” >"To live and die as a human? It's been several times your lifespan, already. What sort of life will you keep living? And when will it end...?" “That's...” I hesitated before turning around and shouting. “None of your damn business!” And she was gone. Meiling's snot bubble popped and she sat up, groggy. “Huzzawha...?” “...erm. Sorry. I was thinking out loud. You can go back to sleep.”

>"Oh, yeah, no problem. Sorry, sorry." Meiling would grumble before she went back into a rested position and prepared to sleep. Though it'd be difficult, considering she was awake for most of that conversation. >Humans worry about weird things, Meiling mused. Who cares about living or dying as a particular thing, as long as you're using that time in a way you're happy with...? Idly, she 62/201 wondered if Anon really would have been happy if he got to finally return home and die of old age...or maybe he was just after something else. >She decides it's a question better suited to Yukari, or Ford, or someone smarter than her. Anon was here, so was she, so was Kaori, and so were the others. This was a vacation for her - but it was a worthwhile one. And she'd have no shortage of stories to brag to Sakuya about. >She hoped, somewhere in her mind, that wherever Anon went, she could convince him to let Gensokyo be his final resting place. >Not because she was biased or anything. No. That'd be absurd. Completely and utterly. She grumbles as she drifts off to slumber...

Next: Stan, Speedwagon, Asgore, and Shaggy episode in New Vegas.

63/201 Jump 34: Fallout - New Vegas

Jump 34: Fallout - New Vegas Origin: Wild Card Location: Camp McCarran Faction: New California Republic Perks: Wild Wasteland Ranger Jingle Jangle Jingle [1000] A Delivery Service You Can Count On [700] Terrifying Presence [500] Whiskey Rose [400]

Items: Basic Gear Pip Boy Ranger Armor [300] Casino [0]

Companions: Import x8 [1200] (Background, Faction, and 500 Caps)

Import: Kaori Origin: Wild Card Faction: New California Republic Perks: Wild Wasteland, Ranger, A Delivery Service You Can Count On [200], Doc Sawbones [0]

Import: Hong Meiling Origin: Soldier Faction: New California Republic Perks: Heave, Ho!, Ranger, Legion Assault [100], Begin Again [0]

Import: Stanley Pines Origin: Leader Faction: Three Families Perks: Milsurp Review, Lying, Congressional Style, Ring A Ding Ding! [300], And You Thought Your Boss Was A Pain [100], Retention [0]

Import: Stanford Pines Origin: Scientist Faction: Followers of the Apocalypse Perks: Retention, Swift Learner [300], Jury Rigging [0], Doc Sawbones

Import: Toki Origin: Soldier Faction: Followers of the Apocalypse: Perks: Heave, Ho!, Doc Sawbones, I Could Make You Care [300], Bloody Mess [0]

Import: Asgore Origin: Leader Faction: New California Republic

64/201 Perks: Milsurp Review, Ranger, Legion Assault [100], Begin Again [0]

Import: Shaggy Origin: Wild Card Faction: The Kings Perks: Wild Wasteland, Every Man A King, Love Me Tender [300], A Delivery Service You Can Count On [0]

Import: Robert E.O. Speedwagon Origin: Leader Faction: Three Families Perks: Milsurp Review, Lying, Congressional Style, Ring A Ding Ding! [300], Playing Caravan [100], Begin Again [0]

Drawbacks: Not SPECIAL - Charisma [1300] Almost Makes You Wish For a Nuclear Winter [1400]

>"Lemme tell ya, boys! We're gonna strike it big with this new Casino. You hear me? Big money!" Stan declared with a look of pride on his face, a strangely shiny new Casino standing in the middle of Freeside compared to the ruined and worn old buildings surrounding it, it stuck out like a sore thumb. >"Capital idea, Mr. Pines!" Speedwagon declared. “I take it our previous games in that last world gave you the idea?” >"Well, yeah, it's a great idea! See, there's no better place to gamble in the world than Viva Las Vegas. And I figure, even if this place is a post-apocalyptic shithole--" >"Language, Mr. Pines." Asgore gently chastised his friend. Stan glared at the large goat man. >"What, the kids are back home in their world, I don't give a rat's ass!" Stan said, throwing his arms up before continuing. “ANYWAYS. Since Anon's running off doing whatever-the-heck he does, we can make some real money settin up a place right here! Where anyone can take a chance and play our totally-not-rigged slot machines and poker!” >"...erm...is that why the Casino is...setup like that?" Asgore asked softly. >The Casino in question was lodged halfway into the wall between Freeside and The Strip, with an entrance on either side of it. >"Yup! I figure, if we're the only Casino you can get in and out of from either side of town, that means we'll get double the income compared to everyone else!" >"Golly! That sounds amazing, Mr. Pines." Asgore said. Speedwagon's cheer became a bit more skeptical. >"Erm...Stan, you do know that Freeside is the poor area of New Vegas, right?" >"Well, yeah, but..." >"And that you probably didn't install a way to separate the two areas inside, right?" >"Why would I?" >"Well, it's just...if someone can go from Freeside to the Strip just by walking into the Casino, won't the locals take exception to that?" >"Eh, who's gonna know, those overgrown tincans at the gate?" >"Unauthorized Casino detected: Stan's Place. You have ten seconds to surrender your weapons and repair the damage to the wall surrounding The Strip, or face immediate vaporization." >"Oh. Guess they do know, huh?" >"SCATTER!" Speedwagon yelled and took cover as laser fire ensued. A shootout began and it took about 30 Securitrons before the bullets stopped flying. >"Man, good thing we raided Anon's gun collection earlier." >"Raided? I thought you said he lent it to you." Asgore asked pointedly. 65/201 >"Eh, lent, raided, same thing. Not like he uses 'em anymore." >"Like, you guys will not believe the day I just had!" Shaggy said, walking over to the trio while wearing an Elvis jacket, having a matching hairstyle, and about twelve different lipstick- kiss marks on his face. “...woah, what happened here?” >"Stan happened." Speedwagon replied coyly. >"Oh, shut it, Speedwagon."

66/201 Jump 35: Ranma

Jump 35: Ranma 1/2 Age: 19 Origin: Drop-In Spring: Drowned Cat [900] Perks: Some Kind of Ninja [850] Construction Master [750] Copycat Technique [450] Willing Sensei [0]

Items: Bandanna of Infinite Bandannas [400]

I woke up to a few unpleasant wake-up calls this time around. First off, I was suddenly a cat whenever I got splashed with water. This earned no small amount of teasing from the others and Atticus was particularly smug about it. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was enjoying his new form - he hadn't been trying to reverse it anymore for several jumps. Once I figured out how to reverse it, I became a bit twitchy when I knew a source of cold water was nearby. For a while, I thought I could take things easy - this was just another martial arts world, except with no looming apocalypse or unstoppable adversary to oppose me, so I could just focus on simple things.

Then, Kaori was kidnapped.

Tracking her down by hand didn't work and go figure, Yukari was asleep, Atticus didn't care, and Ford was busy. I was ready to turn the entire city upside-down to look for her when I got what I assumed was a ransom letter. It was from a man who called himself ‘Stone’. He told me that if I wanted to see Kaori again, I was to fight him one-on-one next week in a coliseum called The Ultradome. I don't know who named that and if they deserve a medal or a kick in the face.

Ford and Speedwagon do some research. The man matching that description was a ten-times boxing champion - Ryu ‘Stone’ Takashi. Better known as The Impossible Man. He was undefeated for his entire career, only to retire when he crossed paths with a nameless martial artist and took a major injury during the fight. He disappeared from public life afterwards. So how did he hear about me and why did he resort to holding one of my companions hostage...?

Maybe he lost and the blow to his pride made him lose his marbles. It didn't matter. He was a foe I had to defeat, so I'd agree to his terms and fight him head-on: I could probably overpower him easily in a duel. Either way, I could only imagine what conditions Kaori is living under with this boxing madman...

>This was the cushiest kidnapping ever. >Compared to Darius, who had strung her up to a wall like a public execution, Stone didn't even tie her up or lock her in a room somewhere. He just explained himself and asked if she could come along. So naturally, she did! >It wasn't that Kaori was stupid, of course. The 20-something boxer, looking like he was nearing his thirties, looked absolutely intimidating to anyone who examined him. A tuft of messy dark hair, a muscled but lean frame, and an aura of murderous intent that terrified men and animals alike. And then when Kaori pointed out he hadn't combed his hair that day,

67/201 he immediately became childish and defensive before taking out a comb and trying to fix it. So somehow, she didn't believe she was in actual danger. >This was the best way to figure out why he was doing this and if there was some way she could help. >So that's why she was sitting in the corner while her ‘captor’ was training in a personal gym, hammering away into a punching bag. The force of his punches generating small gusts of wind, rattling the windows nearby. with each pass. >"Sooooo..." Kaori started talking. >"I told you I'm not changing my mind." >"Oh, I know that. Anon's probably really happy someone's challenging him to a fair fight for once. But, uh...why Anon, exactly?" >"Someone told me he was the strongest. I want to be the strongest. So I'm going to beat him in front of the whole world and take his spot." >"...you're not going to kill him, are you?" >"Only if he didn't tap out." >"Who told you that, though?" >"An old sage." >"Why go through the trouble of kidnapping me, though?" >He stopped his punches and glared at her. “You ask too many questions.” >Kaori just gave him a patient smile. “Come on, you can tell me.” >"Most people don' try to help their kidnappers." >"You didn't kidnap me, silly. I came along myself, remember?" >The boxer stared at her before cursing under his breath and furiously punching into the bag again. >"I always believed in helping whoever was in arm's reach of me." >"Why? So you can feel good about it?" Stone growled as he kept up his punches, the ground starting to shake from each impact. Kaori didn't flinch. >"Well...I just know what it's like to be alone and lonely, and hurting inside. So I reach my hands out to people like that. That's how I met Anon. He didn't know what to do with himself and was hurting inside. So I wanted to help him and those with him." >Stone's punches stopped for a moment. “Is that how I look to you? Lonely?” >Kaori tilted her head. “Am I wrong?” >Stone was quiet for a moment before he punched the bag in half, the force of the impact shattering the windows at last.

Alright, Meiling, let's do this one more time. >"You got it, boss!" The two of us trained, punches and kicks flying as we sparred and I prepared for the coming match the following morning. >"Like, wow, man. Feels like everyone here knows super kung fu." Shaggy said aloud as he big into a king-sized submarine sandwich. >"Only some of us. It is an art that requires discipline and time to train in." Toki explained. >"Like, it'd be really cool if I could do stuff like that." >"Would you be willing to fight?" Toki asked, curiously." >"Haha, heck no! I just think it'd be cool." >"I see." Toki murmured.

>It was almost time. >Stone had his bag and gloves waiting by the doorway. He watched the sun start to rise on the horizon past the shattered windows, with poncho-clad Kaori watching him. >"You know what's funny?" Stone asked. >"Mm?" >"Being the World's Strongest isn't all its cracked up to be." 68/201 >That got her attention. Wasn't he ranting just a day ago about how that his whole goal? >"When fighting is all you're good at, and you've beaten all other challengers, you don't have much of anything left. All you've got is a champion title and a belt. Sooner or later, you get old, you break down, or someone drags your name through the mud. Then, being the strongest doesn't mean much anymore. You can't do much of anything else, so you just fight and fight some more." >Recognition flashed in Kaori's eyes, and she could see a familiar look in the eyes of Stone. One she had seen in Anon. “That's...” >"Then, when your time is up, you've got only two choices. To burn out or to fade away. It doesn't bring friends back to you. It won't even let you make up for what you did before. But it's the most important moment of your life - the moment you die." >Then, he started to cough. He covered his mouth and hunched over, before Kaori went over to him. Once he stopped and pulled his hand back, it had drops of blood on it. >"You..." >"Didn't really survive that injury, yeah. Been on borrowed time." >Instinctively, Kaori raised her hands and they began to glow with healing magic. Only to be stopped as he grabbed her wrist and looked her dead in the eye. >"...why?! This is completely pointless...!" She protested. “You don't have to do this! I can save you! You can come with us...!” >"I told you. I want to die doing what I do best. I don't want to grow old and watch the world go on without me while I can't pick up my fists anymore. This is all I've got. Let me go with it." >He was the same as Anon. Complete tunnel vision down a path of violence and conflict, just picking an opponent and fighting them, because it was all he was familiar with. Is this what he would have turned into if she didn't stop him...? >Or was it a sign of what was to come? >"You're a sweet girl, Kaori. I hope you make him or someone else happy." >Then, he delivered a swift chop to the back of her neck, and she was out like a light.

>"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" A lone announcer speaks to a small crowd - the Ultradome is nowhere near full, but some die-hards and curious onlookers had arrived to the boxer's return. “A legend walks among us again, and the ten-times champion Ryu Stone has returned to the arena!” >Those who were present had cheered. An iron cage slowly descended on the arena. Anon and Ryu were standing opposite of each other, both without shirts, lights bearing down on them both. >"The battle is going by a three round ten-count! Let's get ready to rumble...!" >Then, the fight began. The entire coliseum shook as their punches collided. >At first, it looked like Anon had the upper hand - he was not ashamed to use the Satsui No Hado in this duel if it meant Kaori being returned safely. But where his punches flew, he would only hit afterimages. Each punch was met with a counter-punch that could shatter concrete. His strategy of going defensive and relying on counter-attacks instead meant little when his opponent moved like water and could duck and weave around him. >It was only when it was too late did he realize his opponent had been using a natural form of ki channeling the whole time. The tide turned and Anon was being pummeled against the ropes, teeth and blood flying from facial wounds and his arms becoming limp at his sides. As he slumped over the ropes and refused to surrender, Stone threw one more punch. >For a moment, it seemed like this was his final moments on Earth. Meiling came running down the stand to prepare to leap into the arena, and a pair of violet eyes widened briefly in the darkness, as if a moment away from acting. Stan, Asgore, and Shaggy cheered desperately for their badly-wounded ally. >But the final punch didn't connect. >Stone had become as still as his name, his fist an inch away from Anon's face, still standing in place. Blood trickled down his mouth and his body was unmoving, not breathing at all. 69/201 >Anon looked on in horror and realization. His luck had saved him at the last second, just like always. >He did this as he slumped over to the side and collapsed onto the floor of the arena. Alive, but the most wounded he had been since this journey had started. >The final bell rings, and Anon is declared the victor before he's rushed to the hospital. >The battle had partially destroyed the Coliseum, some holes in the area surrounding it and the ceiling. >Kaori had regained consciousness, and saw the final moments of the battle as she rushed inside. She had yelled for one of them to throw in the towel, but it was too late. She knew. Anon always ‘won’ his fights eventually, even in ways he didn't really want to. Because it wouldn't let him lose. >Stone chased the title of The Strongest because he simply had nothing else he was good at or felt fulfillment in. In him, she saw a shadow of what could have been, or what may eventually be, Anon. >Could she have saved him if she had met him first? Or would Anon have doomed himself in a similar way if she didn't...? >And had Stone really died satisfied this way, or were his final moments full of sadness and regret? >Quietly, as doctors rushed Anon out and retrieved Stone's body, she clasped her hands together. >And murmured a quiet prayer no one else could hear.

70/201 Jump 36: My Hero Academia

>Last time on World Engine >Jumper: "MY LEG!" >This time on World Engine

Jump 36: My Hero Academia Origin: Student Age: 14 Perks: Superficial Mutant It Might Be Destiny Push Through Old Fashioned [1200] American Dream [1100] Do You Ever Do Something UN-Cool?! [1000] My Way [800] Plus Ultra [500]

Quirk: Blood Manipulation [400]

Items: All Might Memorabilia Scholarship [300]

Companions: Reinforcements [0]

Import: Kaori Origin: Student Age: 14 Perks: Superficial Mutant, It Might Be Destiny, Push Through, Plus Ultra [300], Quirk: Fiber Body [0]

Import: Atticus Origin: Drop-In Age: 22 Perks: Superficial Mutant, Undiscovered, What, Who?, Big Dick Walking [300], Quirk: Blood Knight [100], Slasher's Smile [0]

Import: Hong Meiling Origin: Student Age: 14 Perks: Superficial Mutant, It Might Be Destiny, Push Through, Plus Ultra [300], Quirk: Auto-Pilot [0]

Import: Stanley Pines Origin: Drop-In Age: 27 Perks: Superficial Mutant, Undiscovered, What, Who?, Quirk: Larceny [500], Big Dick Walking [200], Been Around The Block [0]

71/201 Import: Stanford Pines Origin: Drop-In Age: 27 Perks: Superficial Mutant, Undiscovered, What, Who?, Old Fashioned [300], Quirk: Peek [0]

Import: Shaggy Origin: Student Age: 14 Perks: Superficial Mutant, It Might Be Destiny, Push Through, Plus Ultra [300], Old Fashioned [0]

Import: Toki Age: 21 Origin: Hero [400] Perks: Superficial Mutant, Dynamic Linguist, Welcome to the Gunshow!, Heart of a Hero! [100], What Are Your Plans, You Rogue?! [0]

Import: Asgore Age: 26 Origin: Drop-In Perks: Superficial Mutant, Undiscovered, What, Who?, Old Fashioned [300], Quirk: Bottled Lightning [0]

Drawbacks: Bone-Breaking Backlash [1300] Quirkless Loser [1500]

...so, um. For those of you who've never been hospitalized or bedridden...first, good on you, keep living life the way you are because you're clearly doing something right. But yeah, it sucks. It absolutely sucks. I went into a fight thinking I was just going to fight a mildly difficult battle against a one-off ‘villain’ type and then proceeded to get my ass kicked so hard I blacked out for the remainder of the last jump. The injuries aren't gone, either - Kaori has repeatedly exhausted her entire repertoire of spells, and anytime I try to walk or use any of my powers, I'm suddenly in intense amounts of pain and blood vessels start popping, then I'm back in the Medbay.

I almost died. For real, this time.

That little fact hasn't sunk in well with me. And I don't think it has with the others, either. Kaori was constantly at my side, asking me how I felt and if I needed anything. Meiling had been standing guard outside of the Medbay and didn't leave for much of anything. Ford also came in and asked me questions about the battle was like and if I knew I'd run into someone like Stone in the first place. Somehow, I don't think it's my well-being he was concerned with, though. Scientific jackass. If you had just found the damn Control Room, you wouldn't have so much reason to worry, would you...? Neither of us would. Then this purgatorial cycle would come to an end and all of us could just go home.

Ugh. I have to bite my tongue, or I'm just going to start lashing out at everyone. They don't deserve that. This is my fault, isn't it? I was the one who drew them all in, and they're just as stuck as I am. Now the others are off in a superhero world to enjoy the daylight while I'm stuck in Medbay, alone with my thoughts and the image of Stone's fists in my mind's eye.

I'm the Avatar of the World Engine, the holder of Heaven's Key. But somehow, this doesn't 72/201 really feel like my story. Like I'm just the unfortunate passenger, the wheel by which everything else turns...but not what carries it. I wish the World Engine had a face so I could punch it. In the face. You could've picked literally anyone else to be it. Anyone. Why me?

...wait. I hear something. Chanting?

Meiling just fell over, clutching herself. Her body becomes as still as a statue. I call her name, and I see Atticus approach-gah! What...a needle...what did you...what...

>"Don't worry. It shouldn't kill you. But I need you out of the way." My vision gets blurry and my thoughts become jumbled as he takes the Key from me...and it does not return to me. >"All that really mattered was this. Your presence is inconsequential at the most. And what do you know...this is the only space it can be separated from you. How fortunate for me." You...son of a bitch...urk---

73/201 Intermission 3: God's Eye

Intermission 3:

>Stan was a little bit bored, he couldn't deny. Speedwagon had persuaded him that getting up to his usual antics when people in funny costumes with weird superpowers probably wasn't the best idea. So instead he was using his own weird new superpower to take people's pocket change and be on his way. Hey, no harm, no foul if they didn't even realize they had been robbed, right? >He was watching two of his fellow travelers, Toki and Shaggy, having a talk. >"...like, after all that, man, I dunno. What if a guy like that shows up again? Where am I gonna hide?!" Shaggy asked the dark-haired warrior. After having his radiation poisoning healed, his natural hair color had gradually returned as the years went on. >"Then it may be necessary for us to fight. As will you." >"Like, ahaha, I'm not much of a fighter, man!" >"You could be." >"You're kidding, right man?" >"I can see it in your eyes. Though you are cowardly, you could perhaps become a great warrior, should you put your mind to it." >"Yeah, and Scoob is hiding in that bush over there somewhere with the Queen of England!...I miss Scoob." >"If you do not believe me, but wish to make yourself, then allow me to teach you how to defend against such foes. Humor an old son of Hokuto, and I promise, you will not be disappointed." >"Like, I think you're wasting your time, man...but if you're like, swearing on your Hocuspocus, then I guess it couldn't hurt to try...right?" >Toki just smiled. >Stan couldn't help but laugh at that. “Pfft, that guy? A fighter? I'll believe it when I see it.” He said, not caring if they overheard. >"It -is- quite the interesting image, isn't it?" >A female voice gets his attention. Stan turns his head to see a familiar blonde-haired woman Yukari with her body standing halfway out one of those creepy purple gaps of hers. That startles him a bit. >"Geez, don't freakin' sneak up on me like that!" He complained, patting his chest a few times with his palm. “...wait, aren't you that weird lady who Meiling talks about sometimes?” >"Weird lady? My, my, how rude. I thought you were a man of class, Stanley." She said with a soft giggle, holding a paper fan at chin-level with her face. >"Right. Yeah, that's me! Classiest guy in the whole world-hopping adventure thing." He boasted, pointing at himself for emphasis. >"Would that honor go to your brother, as well?" >"My brother? Well, he can be a pain in the butt sometimes, so..." >"I suppose that's why he's at the Warehouse right now, about to find the way back home." >"Woah, wait...really? You're serious?!...how do I know this ain't a con?" Stan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. >"It's just a quick trip to the Warehouse, Stanley. It's not as if I need your money, after all." Yukari said in a matter-of-fact tone. >"I dunno, I kinda wanted to see Toki kick Shaggy's ass a few times." >"I'll give you twenty dollars for it." Yukari said. >"Sold, to the weird lady!" And Stan promptly ran off. >"...I'm almost disappointed at how easy that was." She murmured. >"I'm almost disappointed at how easy that was." Atticus said as he finally held Heaven's Key in his hand, walking over to the gears in the wall of the Warehouse. He would place the Key

74/201 into a barely-visible opening hidden between several of them, before turning it. The gears would all creak and groan softly before turning, the wall opening to reveal a steel pathway into a darkened abyss, with a singular light in the distance. >"Finally." Atticus said in satisfaction before he began to walk along the bridge. He took out a flashlight he had picked up a few worlds ago and let it shine forward - still, there was only darkness and the road ahead. It was truly a bottomless, howling abyss between the wall of this pocket dimension. The Control Room was just ahead, he could feel it. Everything he desired - every power he could imagine. His. >A shot from a Pulse Rifle was set off a few feet away from his leg, torching a hole into the old metal. Atticus hissed instinctively and turned around to see Ford, standing there with his weapon primed, just as it was many years prior. >"Stanford." >"I told you before that I was wise to your game, Atticus. You were the one who told Stone about Anon being the strongest opponent he could face, didn't you?" >"I'm just fulfilling my end of the bargain, Stanford. With Anon out of the equation, all that matters is who holds the Key. We both want access to the Control Room and to unlock the Engine's secret. Why be so violent about it?" >"I agreed that Anon was potentially dangerous. I never would have agreed to flat-out stealing it and having the man beaten half to death without a good reason!" >"So sentimental of you. And here I thought you'd know to make sacrifices for the greater good." >"I wasn't born yesterday, sorcerer. You wouldn't have gone through all this trouble without telling me if you truly planned to share the Control Room. I'm going to correct my mistake from years ago right now and take the Key back!" >"For yourself?" >"I..." It was a moment's hesitation, but it was enough. Atticus hurriedly chanted and waved his hand before the Pulse Rifle shorted out and exploded in Ford's hands, with him crying out in pain as his six-fingered hand was burnt in the process. Atticus then leapt forward and delivered a hard kick to the man's face, knocking him to the side and off the edge of the bridge, his burnt hand holding onto it for dear life with the darkness of the abyss below. >"Poor, stupid Stanford. I had thought we were kindred spirits, you know? That's why I went out of my way to spare you and your intellect. But I can see - you're the sort of person who is the architect of his own suffering." >"The stories I've heard about your world have only confirmed my suspicions about that. Someone like you would only damn the world faster than Anon ever could if he gained control of everything, or knew everything. But me? All that matters is my own victory, and seizing my own destiny. All else? Meaningless." Atticus said as he put his foot over Ford's hand. “It's a minimalist mindset I'm sure you can understand. Maybe I'll bring you back to life after I've taken control. Maybe as a circus animal or something.” >"Goodbye, Stanford." >Of course, as is the fate of all villains dumb enough to monologue extensively, the cat trap was promptly punched in the face by the timely arrival of Stanley, who put his newfound super strength to good use. A tooth went flying out of his mouth along with a small trail of blood before he tumbled several feet ahead of them both on the bridge. >"No one picks on my bro but me, you freakin' overdressed feline!" Stanley shook his fist at the downed Atticus before quickly helping Ford back up onto the bridge. >"Stanley...how did you know I was here?" Ford asked. >"No thanks to you, Ford! You need to stop doin' this kinda crazy stuff without me!" Stan scolded his brother before turning over to look at Atticus. “He up to no good?” >"He's trying to take the Control Room. He already drugged anon and immobilized Meiling somehow." Ford explained quickly. >"And if we get to that Control Room, the sooner Anon and us can go home, right?" >"That's the plan." Ford said as he drew a new gun, only for it to melt in his hands like 75/201 chocolate left out in the sun, and he hurriedly throws it away. >"Good enough for me." Stan said as he cracked his knuckles. >Atticus struggled back onto his feet and glared at the Pines twins. >"I've worked my entire life towards this. I won't let it be taken from me by a fool and a con- man." He said with hate in his voice. >"Well, you know what they say. Life gives you lemons..." Ford starts. >"Call ‘em ’yellow oranges.'" Stan said before charging forward. >Atticus looked momentarily perplexed. “That makes no sen-” And he ducked to avoid a second punch, before fighting the two brothers at once, struggling to use the powers he had gained from a couple of jumps to do so. Unfortunately, having spent so much time studying and using magic left little time for things like jogging and training, and he's no match for the street-smart Stan or the just-plain-smart Ford. >The fight ends when the two of them punch Atticus in the face and send him off the bridge, flailing into the abyss, his voice gradually fading away into the darkness. >A bit wounded but not worse for wear, the two of them caught their breath and steadied themselves before Stan realized something. “Huh. Pretty sure we just killed a guy, Ford.” >"You going to miss him?" Ford asked." >"Eh, not really. Guy was kind of an asshole. And like I said, no one picks on my bro but me." Stan said, putting a hand on Ford's shoulder and smiling at him. Ford smiled back before looking towards the light in the distance. >"That should be the Control Room up ahead. We should secure it just in case he somehow survived." >"Good idea. Then we can wake up Anon and let them know the good news, right?" >There was a moment's hesitation before Ford nodded in agreement. After all, this is what they all wanted in the end, wasn't it? >The two brothers would approach the light, their footsteps echoing into the darkness. >"So this is it...?" The two of them would be standing in front of a gigantic blue crystal that was surrounded by gears and wires that went into the darkness and in strange patterns that didn't seem to actually connect to anything. Ford looked on in wonder, while Stan examined the crystal with impatience. >"Doesn't look very user-friendly, bro." Stan pointed out. “Don't see any buttons or levers, either.” >"Stanley, this is a device likely constructed by a highly advanced civilization with control over time and space. They probably left the realm of a simplified user interface along with things like the need for food and water." Ford said as he walked around the crystal. That's when he noticed a crack running along its surface, and several of the gears around it were missing pieces. >"It's just like Anon said - the World Engine is damaged. Everything we've seen so far may be the result of a glitch, or...some kind of broken process." Ford explained. >"Great, so Anon's been stuck reliving high school over and over ‘cause of someone runnin’ Windows 95 on a super god machine?" >"I suppose that's one way to put it." Ford murmured before his six-fingered hand reached out to touch the crystal, before an arc of electricity nearly struck him, making him pull away and hiss in pain, flapping his already-burnt hand in place. >"Yeah, smooth move, bro." Stan said sarcastically before a soft chime began to fill the room. It sounded a bit like... >"Bells?" The both of them wondered aloud before a holographic display appeared in front of them. It would make a picture of a single sphere, connected to hundreds, no, thousands of other spheres. Red lines appeared around every odd connection, as if marking an error. Then, the window would zoom out to see this collection of spheres become microscopic dots connected into a single sphere connected to thousands more, then zooming out more to show a display of several million of those, and a billion more of those, before it was united into a single, complex machine that resembled a gigantic humanoid form - missing an arm and a leg. 76/201 >A little red sign appeared where that tiny, original sphere was, hovering over where the missing leg began, in letters neither of them could read. >"What...does this mean?" Ford asked, pointing at that almost-invisible starting point with the red letters around it. >"If it's anything like those signs at the mall...Ford. I think it says ‘you are here.’" The both of them became visibly pale. >"We're not in the Control Room." Ford realized. >"We're at the -entrance-." Stan finished.

>"So that's what we saw. Then we rushed on over to bring everyone together and tell you what happened." >Ford had just finished explaining the story to Anon, who had been detoxed by Kaori's magic. The atmosphere was a more than a bit uneasy at this revelation. They had all fallen silent. >"So, like...we're nowhere near going home yet, man?" Shaggy asked, looking a bit dejected as Asgore pat his back softly to steady his freeloader friend. >"Not even close." Ford said, his hands in his pockets. “But we know its possible. The Control Room is probably somewhere in the Engine's torso or head. We just need to find a quicker way there.” >Anon had been absolutely silent. >"I'm sorry about Atticus." Ford would add. >"Don't be. I knew the sort of person he was the moment he joined us. I just should have been on guard more." Anon said. “All he cared about was the Key and the World Engine. I just thought he'd be useful to have along in case he actually did find the Control Room. I underestimated how ruthless he actually was." >"Well, don't worry. We'll find it in no time, then we can-" >"You knew the whole time." That caught Ford off-guard. >"You knew about what Atticus was up to and let him off the hook because of me, didn't you?" >"I...how did you...?" >"I was a detective a few times, Ford. And a cop. I can read context clues, even if I can't read people." Anon said with a glare. “You had the idea of reaching the Control Room before everyone else and using it without telling me, didn't you?” >"...Anon, you have to understand, I was just-" >"I don't care. That's all you're all here for, isn't it? The Key. You were either brought along by it or you just want it from me. Because this is a big ‘adventure’ for you. An ‘opportunity’. Or even a chance at power or money, right?! The whole time I've fought and killed to survive, and all people like you see are the fucking ‘benefits’!" >"Anon, woah, calm down..." Stan raised his arms, trying to break up the impending argument. >"I haven't been control of my own life for over three-hundred years! I don't want any of this! I just want to go home and live and die like anyone else! Avatar this, Anon that, go and punch our problems away a little, would you?! And you come in here and tell me all of that is just because a fucking giant robot is -broken- and probably picked me at random?!" >"Well, to be honest, I still have no idea if the Engine is actually sapient-" Ford would start to say as-a-matter-of-factly before ducking as Anon threw an empty water glass at him. >"Do whatever the hell it is you do around here, Ford! That goes for all of you! I don't give a damn at this point!" >Meiling rubbed her neck awkwardly and avoided eye contact, while Kaori looked on sadly. Stan felt awkward and Ford kept a stoic expression. Asgore kept his eyes out of view and Shaggy was looking down at an old photo he was carrying. Toki kept silent, his arms folded together. >It was Speedwagon who broke the silence. >"Anon, I understand it may not look like it, now...but you all helped us in different ways, 77/201 didn't you? You chose, of your own volition, to assist us even when it was completely unnecessary. Those bonds didn't come from destiny or thin air...it was from your spirit when you journeyed into our worlds! And Ford may have deceived you, but he ultimately did what he thought was best, just as you did when you reached your hands out to all of us! Without you, Kaori would not have healed Toki, Asgore would be living alone, and Shaggy would have never been able to try the mile-long cheesesteak!" >"Like, yeah, and I still wanted seconds!" Shaggy chimed in cheerily. >"Even if our motivations may be selfish, our lives were changed forever by you, and likely for the better! For that, we can only thank you. That's why we want to help you find the Control Room and set you free! It's not just about us...it's about helping you find peace of mind! That's something all of us can agree on, right?" >"M'hm!" Kaori nodded and smiled. >"I just like hanging around Anon and fighting with him...the rest is just a bonus, really! So I'll help wherever I can, too." Meiling said with a grin. >"Hey, guy's not that bad, right?" Stan said with a shrug. >"I lost my family a long time ago. This...isn't quite the same, but I like being here with all of you the same. So I want to make that time fun for all of us." Asgore said with a nod. >"Like, you seem alright to me, man. I'd wanna go home, too!...I still do!" Shaggy said. >"Our meeting was not coincidence - you made my dream in my world a reality. The debt I owe you is great, and I wish to repay it tenfold." Toki agreed. >All eyes looked at Ford, expectantly. Feeling the weight of peer pressure, he sighed. >"Anon, I don't think what I did was wrong. But I understand you just want to return home before this goes any further. I promise you - no matter which of us finds the Control Room first, my first choice will be to help you return to where you came from. I swear it." >Anon was quiet. A little surprised, but his gaze went away from the others. >"...I'm sorry." He muttered. >"Hey, don't be. You've had a bad...uh, last two jumps, right? Just get some rest and we'll take care of the other stuff. We'll worry about the rest once you're back up and at ‘em." Stan said as encouragement. “C’mon guys, let's give him some space.” >The others all left the Medbay, save for Meiling. >"Guess they're not so bad after all, huh?" >"You really think so?" >"Hey, that sounded good enough for me." Meiling said with a grin before looking at Anon. “Even if you don't think so, you've got people here for you, you know? And...well, me too, you know.” >"...thank you, Meiling." >"Heh. No problem." >She left the Medbay...at least, the interior. She was standing outside the doorway soon after, as faithful as ever. >...everyone's resolve is so strong, even when having to deal with a mess like me. And I'm still trying to fulfill a promise I'm not sure I'd be able to go through. >Was Yukari right? Would I really be able to keep on going with a promise like that? Would I have to change the way I saw all of this in order to really be able to believe in it...? >I wonder what she thought of all this, Anon wondered. >"With little else to do, he went back to sleep, hoping he'd get to actually participate in the next jump.

Companion List: 1. Kaori 2. Hong Meiling 3. Yukari Yakumo 4. Toki 5. Shaggy 78/201 6. Asgore Dreemurr 7. Robert Speedwagon 8. Pod 1: Stanley Pines Pod 2: Stanford Pines

79/201 Jump 37: Superman - The Animated Series

Jump 37: Superman - The Animated Series Origin: Drop-In Age: 24 Secret Identity: Hero [+600 for Powers] Perks: Life of Bibbo Anti-Life Immunity [700] You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are [0]

Items: Radiation Proof Suit

Powers: Kryptonian Physiology [0p] [100] Fine Control [200]

Drawbacks: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Oath Against Killing [200] I Forgot [400]

Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope.

I know that story well. I know it better than any other. It was one of my earliest memories from childhood - that giant in a red cape flying over the streets of Metropolis. I can see myself in his place, my arms outstretched and the sun gleaming above me. I hear the familiar cries of the citizens above, in glee and wonder as they point at me.

>"It's a bird!" >"It's a plane!" >"It's---" >"A monster!"

Suddenly, the sun above me blackens and the sky turns red, and I'm assaulted by a sensation of vertigo, like my stomach is trying to launch itself out of my throat. People panic and scream around me as I slowly turn in the air, and I can see fresh blood covering my hands...no, claws. One was the claw of a Fangire, the other of Amazon, and looking into the reflective mirror of a nearby skyscraper...and I see a composite face with many mouths and eyes staring back at me, each one a face I had worn in a previous life. They coagulate together into a singular mess before I a shapeless clump of flesh staring back at in my in my reflection before a many- fanged mouth emerged and -screeches-.

My eyes shoot open. I'm not in the open daylight or the skies of Metropolis, or even in an apocalypse-in-progress. Instead, I'm inside of my personalized cell in Arkham. My body is chained to the wall, and there's a muzzle and a mask covering my face. They didn't care who I was until they saw what was beneath it. This is where I left this world last time - rotting away slowly within this prison with minimal food and visitation, hearing the scratching and screaming of madmen around me. It was quieter this time. I remember - I held up the Clown

80/201 Prince of Crime's bloodied head up before I was caught and imprisoned. Maybe they can sense my awakening and have decided not to anger the monster.

Nope, wait. I remember now. It's actually Taco Tuesday in Arkham.

The only sound in my room is my own shallow breathing through the mask. My body feels numb. For a while, I contemplate staying in this cell - it's just as well, right? Out there or in here, I'm still a prisoner of the World Engine. This world knows me as a monster already, anyways. What'd be the point of breaking out aside from pissing off the heroes of this world even more?

>"Such a look of self-pity doesn't suit such a youthful face, Anon." A soft voice breaks me out of my thoughts, from just an inch behind me. I know who it is by now. I didn't really have a verbal response to give her, because of the mask. >"We both know these restraints can't hold you. Are you so comfortable in bondage, perhaps~?" Don't make weird assumptions. I can't turn my head to look at her but I'm determined to glare as hard as I can at the wall in front of me by pretending that it's her. >"Don't make such a scary face. You don't really plan to remain here and sulk for ten years, do you?" ... >"Well, I suppose I can't stop you. However, I can only imagine the sort of troubles and dangers the others will face without you...who knows if another Darius or Stone is waiting for them? I do hope they'll be ready for that sort of thing." The chains rattle and the restraints groan. >"Why, they could be in danger right now, and thinking you're about to join them as reinforcements. I do hope they don't despair, knowing you've chosen to languish in a cage." ALRIGHT AL-FUCKING-READY! I'M GOING, I'M GOING! My skin changes to a charcoaled hue and my hair becomes a blazing red as I tear off the chains. I can hear alarms blaring. I can hear cries. The Freak is loose. The Freak is going to kill us all. I wasn't going to kill a single one of them, but I don't think that really mattered in this madhouse. By now, the walls of the Aslyum were more like slightly reinforced paper to me. I'm greeted by the morning sun rising over Gotham. And as the light touches my skin, something in me changes. It's gradual, little by little, like adding extra layers on top of what I already knew and could sense...the sounds of cars and chatter from miles away, my eyesight sharpening to the point I could spot individual, microscopic dents in concrete around me. It became too much, too quickly. I had barely realized several police squads had mobilized to apprehend me before I went speeding past all of them. There was one place I always went when I panicked, the one place I truly felt at home - the wild. It was some forest far away from Gotham. I didn't know where. I didn't care. Where were the others? Where had I gone? I needed...I needed to find a door. I needed to figure out what to do next. >"You should calm down." You again?! Why are you always following me around...?! >"I'm hurt, Anon. I thought you enjoyed my company. Isn't that why I'm here~?" You're here because of the World Engine. And for it. Like the others, right? >"One out of two isn't bad, I suppose. But look around you. Listen. There's no one else here." I don't want to hear ANYTHING right now...it's all so loud, everything is so bright. I can't stand it, I can't- >"Sssh. Listen. You know these sounds, don't you? The sounds of a forest? Of the jungle? Try to remember, Anon."

81/201 I remember...the sounds of footsteps against branches and leaves. The wound of wind rushing through the trees in a soft whistle. Animals hunting and nurturing their young. I take a deep breath and the air fills my lungs - somehow, it feels fresher, cleaner. I press my palms together and my skin returns to its normal, pale hue and my hair changes back to a blackened color. One more deep breath and I open my eyes to the rising sun in the distance. Something's different. If I'm right, and my body has changed into what I think it has...

Only one way to find out.

I leap upwards. I hold my fist out. I don't fall back down. Instead, I soar. I can feel the ground disappear beneath me and the clouds reach out to embrace me. A flock of birds fly on past me, just out of reach, and I can see the Earth below. It's like falling, but missing the ground. For a moment, I feel elation. I stretch my arms out and laugh. I'm flying. It's been so long since... >"It hasn't been too long, actually." WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT >"You've been able to fly since you arrived in Gensokyo, remember?" ... Oh. Huh. I guess...I kinda forgot? She giggles at that. Stop acting all high-and-mighty, damn it! >"You haven't tried to fly once since you left that world. At first, I had thought you simply believed you lacked the ability. But, you've been trying to suppress your own powers and abilities for so long, I suppose it's possible you genuinely forgot." ...can you blame me? If I use everything at once, I turn into...that thing. >"'That thing?' Anon is Anon. All that changes is your form, correct?" I want to live and die as a man. That means not trying to show off as a Fangire-Replicant- Amazon-whatever-I-am. That's...that's what I promised myself. >"But is it what you really want?" If I just let these powers change me, then that means losing my way home. >"You're dodging the question, Anon. You're terrified of dying, aren't you?" I...ggh, what do you even care?! >"Just be honest with me, Anon. What is it that you really want out of all of this? Do you really want to go home? Or is it something else you're after?" I just want to have control of my own life again, Yukari! I don't want to be turned into some kind of freakish, eldritch -thing- people are either afraid of or want a piece of! I'm already a Fangire and other things, so I- >"Has your heart changed?" ...I... >"Has your mind changed?" >"Do you think any less of home? Of Kaori? Of Meiling? Of Asgore? Of any of the others? Any less of humans? Or any less of yourself?" That's... >"Do you think the ones who truly care about you care about the form that you wear? Or that the World Engine matters more than the choices you've made?" ... >"I've been watching you for some time now. And I can see it. Every step of the way, you're fighting yourself. You tell yourself ‘I don’t deserve to win' and ‘I’m a monster'. Your abilities turn inwards and against you, because you think of yourself as ‘human’, and that using all that you have somehow makes you less of one. And constantly keeping all of it bottled without retraining yourself tears at your body and psyche even more, especially when you face a true adversary. Darius. Stone. Your own Gestalt." 82/201 ... >"You can feel it now, can't you? How fragile the world is in your grip and your heart. And how much more fragile it will become. But that doesn't mean you need only be a destroyer of worlds, a beast that fights evil. You can be what you choose to be. That is the true power of being the Avatar, isn't it? >"To be able to use pieces of these worlds to shape yourself into what you want to be. Home may be far away, but what you do on this wayward road is ultimately up to you. And you need not merely be a passive pawn who merely fights to survive. The lives you touch and destroy in all worlds is truly your own." >"So I ask of you, Anon..." >"Are you just a victim of circumstance, a pawn of a destiny you've long since lost control of?" >"Or are really the hero of this story?" I remember. I remember what ultimately stopped my rampage. When I had killed The Joker, I was confronted by Batman himself. It was one-sided, even with his superior training. But ultimately, I stopped myself, realizing I was fighting a hero. Someone who fought monsters. In shame, I hesitated, and screamed. That's when I was hit with several dozen tasers and de- henshined, before being locked into Arkham. Because even in the worst of my rage, the worst of my self-pity and sorrow and hatred, I realized this wasn't what I wanted to be. So what did I want to be? Did I just take advantage of what I had, what I was getting, and live like a rich jackass for the rest of my life? Or would I try and dedicate that time to living each and every moment of my pseudo-immortal life as if it were my last? ...why are you so interested in this, anyways? Are you trying to make me see things like you do? >"Oh, goodness, no. The last thing I'd ever want is another of me. I do not care what you choose, Anon. I merely want you to make that choice for yourself." You're a weirdo, Yukari. Are you taking cues from Mr. Miyagi, now? >"Who?" Erm...nevermind. I remember. I just fought to punish what I saw as evil. Because I knew what it felt like to be in a position of weakness, to be the downtrodden and the unfortunate. And I felt infuriated at those who I felt got to get away with their crimes, laughing all the way. But life is much more complicated than I could have ever imagined - and I know now I can't live on rage alone. Alone. I didn't want to be that violent avenger, that destroyer of worlds. I wanted to be... I don't know if it was a mirage or a trick of my mind, but I could see a red dot in the distance flying on the horizon before vanishing into the distance. Ah. I remember now. “I want to be a reason for them to smile.” I clenched my hands into a fist. This wasn't a curse. It wasn't a gift. It was just tools for me to use. Despite all that's happened, it's still me. I may not be able to make up for all I've done...but it's not too late to start. Before, I did this for fun. And a way to channel my anger. But now? I can't just spend eternity waiting for Ford or someone else to find me the way home. I can't just curl into a ball and weep while the world spins ahead of me. They put their faith in me. I can't let them down. Did that woman smile behind that gap? I couldn't tell, for I had already sped ahead, the gleaming city of Metropolis slowly entering view.

>"Look! Up in the sky!" >"It's a bird!" >"It's a plane!"

83/201 Jump 38: Justice League Unlimited

Jump 38: Justice League Unlimited Origin: Hero Age: 24 Race: Human Location: Metropolis Perks: Picturesque PG-13 Brutality A Regular Joe Number One Guy Golden Rule [1100] You're Off Your Meds, Aren't You? [1000] Boxing Lessons for Jumper [800] I'm Gonna Punch A Hole In Your Head [600] Heart of a Hero [300] World of Cardboard [0]

Superpowers: [+400] Flight x2 [200], Toxin Immunity x2 [0]

Items: Costume

Companions: Jumpers Assemble! [1200] Import: Kaori - Origin: Hero, Race: Human, Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, A Regular Joe, Number One Guy, Heart of a Hero [500], You're Off Your Meds, Aren't You? [400], Golden Rule [300], World of Cardboard [0], Powers: [+400] Enhanced Speed x2 [0]

Import: Hong Meiling - Origin: Hero, Race: Amazon [600], Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, A Regular Joe, Number One Guy, World of Cardboard [300], Golden Rule [200], Boxing Lessons for Superman [0] Powers Source: Spiritual, Powers: Enhanced Strength 1 - Enhanced Durability 1 - Longevity 3

Import: Stanford Pines - Origin: Independent, Race: Human, Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, Aglets are Sinister, One Word of Advice, Who Guards the Guardians? [700], They're all Freaks and Aliens! [600], A is A [300], Gifted Intellect [100], A Line in the Budget [0] Skills: [+400], Survival, Investigation, Tactics, Diplomacy, Escape Artistry, Academics - Physics [0], Items: Personal Weapon, Advanced Personal Weapon, Ground Transport, Gadgets

Import: Stanley Pines - Origin: Drop-In, Race: Gorilla [700], Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, I'm Actually An Alien!, Take The Controls, Surprised to See Me? [600], Charismatic Philosophy, [300], Great, More Time Travel [0], Powers: Enhanced Strength 1 - Enhanced Durability 1

Import: Asgore Dreemurr - Origin: Drop-In, Race: Humanoid, Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, I'm Actually An Alien!, Heart of a Hero [0] Take The Controls, Items: [+400] Green Lantern Ring [0i] [600]

Import: Shaggy - Origin: Independent, Race: Human, Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, Aglets are Sinister, One Word of Advice, Powers: Enhanced Strength 3 [500], Enhanced

84/201 Durability 3 [200], Enhanced Regeneration 2 [0], Skills: [+400], Unarmed Combat [300], Escape Artistry [200], Melee Weaponry [100], Tactics [50], Survival [0]

Import: Toki - Origin: Independent, Race: Martian [0] Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, Aglets are Sinister, One Word of Advice, [Critical Weakness: Energy], Power Source: Innate, Powers: Toxin Immunity 1 - Disease Immunity 1 - Flight 1 - Enhanced Strength 3 - Enhanced Durability 3 - Enhanced Regeneration 3 - Shapeshifting 3 - Longevity 2 - Telepathy - Density Shifting

Import: Robert Speedwagon - Origin: Drop-In: Race: Human, Perks: Picturesque, PG-13 Brutality, I'm Actually An Alien!, A Line Item Hidden in The Budget [700], Gifted Intellect [600], Charismatic Philosophy [300], Don't You Ever Get Lonely? [100], Surprised To See Me? [0] Items: [+400] Big Business - The Speedwagon Foundation[0]

Drawbacks: Consistent Continuity Uncreative [1100] Rogues Gallery x3 [1400] Single Episode Superpower [1600]

Let me describe to you the best years of my entire life.

Becoming a superhero, let alone a ‘second Superman’ wasn't something that happened quickly or easily. I took to the skies in Metropolis and began to save others I found in danger, working alongside a very confused Kal-El whenever I could. Initially, he was hopeful there was another survivor from Krypton, but I shot down his hopes and told him the truth - my powers were ‘borrowed’, a snapshot of his own that had been brought into my body. He was a bit confused since I danced around the subject, but he was willing to let the subject go when he saw how troubled I was. Overall, despite the lack of a real familial bond, Clark kinda felt like...I don't know, an older brother to me? The sort who was more grounded. I didn't object to this. Even now, I looked up to him as a hero and did my best to follow in his footsteps. I was done running. I was done hiding, or just being purely reactive. I was given these powers - I should use them to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

Batman eventually entered the picture and was a bit less accepting of me. He remembered my actions as ‘The Freak’ and objected to my presence whenever possible. I don't know if the state of Gotham had made him less sympathetic to my previous madness as the years had rolled on - he treated it as though I was making excuses, and that butchering thousands couldn't be so easily forgiven, even if they were criminals and madmen. I didn't blame him. I feel like he and Ford were more worried about the idea of me going rabid again. Those worries only grew once Superman had been brainwashed, however briefly, by Darkseid and I ended up coming to blows with him. Let me tell you - he hits like an angry semi that's also on fire and loaded with several bars of steel. After that incident was resolved, it was my turn to believe in him, even after the public's trust in him had been shaken.

By the time we were on the eve of the alien invasion that would lead to the formation of the Justice League, I had become a known superhero. When they asked what my name was, or the identity I went by, I answered succinctly:

Avatar.

The others had noticed the change in me - I was taking charge more often, trying to coordinate this ragtag bunch into a proper team. I had some help with Kaori and Toki in doing 85/201 so - most of them were pretty enthusiastic about it, save for Stan and Shaggy - the former wasn't much of a team player and the latter was amazingly lazy. And Ford. Ford was the least happy about me asserting my will - constantly warning me to not let my powers get the better of me, telling me to mind civilians, and asking how strong I felt I was now. Before, I was content just to answer his questions and agree with him - but now it was starting to come down to arguments and mutual suspicion. I'd like to say his fears were unfounded, but after the whole Darkseid incident, I suppose it wasn't - I just wish he'd at least try to trust me a little more.

Pretty sure he kept Kryptonite in his desk somewhere.

So I had become a founding member of the Justice League. I had saved lives, I had fought a trio of colorful villains, and I'd do all of that and more for the years to come. We hadn't quite moved on like I had expected at the end of that decade - instead, everyone kind of spontaneously developed new powers and forms. The results were...mixed.

>"WHY AM I A FREAKIN' MONKEY?!" >"Oh, look, everyone! I can make a little green tea set with this ring." >"Why do I have a sudden urge to wear a leotard and a tiara...?" >"WHEEEEEEEEE I'MFASTI'MFASTI'MFAAAAAAST" >"Like, wow, all that training actually paid off!" >"Shaggy that wasn't from your training at all. Also, I appear to be green."

Yeah.

Also I can fly in space unsupported now. I only found out when I accidentally got shunted into the vacuum of space when my transport got damaged. That was a little traumatizing to discover. But let me tell you - the view of Earth from the upper atmosphere or the moon is nothing short of utterly breathtaking. I took a few pictures once I managed to get a camera that could withstand the journey. Oh did I mention I have a crippling phobia of outer space so I spent my initial time there screaming into the void? That took a little while to get over.

Anyways, Justice League! You've probably seen the show, you know what to expect. Adventures, camaraderie, and I even had my own little ‘sub-team’ in my companions and friends, which inspired the idea of opening up the League a little bit ahead of schedule. While Batman still didn't trust me all that much, he was at least willing to tolerate my presence after a few years, and we were able to work together without too much issue. Thing is, after a while, my...'condition' became common knowledge among the core members. I thought it would have been a passing issue, something that couldn't really be helped or addressed.

One day, that changed.

It was the last year of my stay, and I was sparring with Meiling in the Warehouse, mostly to prevent collateral damage to the rest of the Tower. It had become something of a ritual for us to keep up our martial arts, even with our growing powers in other fields. Just keeping up my training - left hook, right jab, snap kick, grapple and um our faces are kinda close right now. She's staring at me. I'm staring back at her. I think one of us should move. Like. Right now. Why aren't we moving. What is happening here. Why am I suddenly really anxious. Why does she look anxious what is this

86/201 >"I hope I'm not interrupting."

OH GOD annnnd I dropped Meiling. Um. Sorry. >"Ow." Green Latern was standing in the doorway, looking a little bit amused. Don't you give me that smug look, Mr. Relationship Troubles! ...wait, what?

The League had gotten together to talk about me and the World Engine, and the obvious fact I wanted to return to my home...or at least, not being shunted around randomly every odd decade, with only a few exceptions. And they offered to try and help. We'd begin an expedition into the World Engine and try to locate the Control Room - which, would hopefully result in me being able to return home. It wasn't just the originals, either. Many of the greatest minds and heroes that were on the side of Angels wanted to try and find the way home for me - because it was the least they could do after everything I did to aid them.

I was hesitant. A little choked up. But I had no reason to refuse. Even Ford encouraged the idea of outside help - as long as it meant the Engine would be taken out of my hands, I imagine. With this entire team assembled for this purpose, the idea of being able to journey into the World Engine and find the way home wasn't just a distant goal anymore. It was in sight. We were all starting to talk about what we'd do and where we'd go once the journey was over. Most of them would just go back to their original worlds. Toki was actually contemplating the idea of following his erstwhile student Shaggy to his world, but he had ultimately decided his world likely needed him more. I was wondering what I'd do if I really had the choice to go back to Earth or another world I had been apart of. Time likely hadn't moved since I had left, but...could I really just say goodbye to everyone? Kaori, who was like a little sister to me...poor Asgore, still guilty and looking for a place to be, and...Meiling. Would I just turn my back on all of them?

I didn't have a chance to make the decision.

The expedition began, and we managed to setup a network of portals between the many limbs of the World Engine. Its interior was nothing sort of awe-inspiring - an endless network of clockwork and gears that turned and spun seemingly without support, the sound of bells chiming echoing into the abyss for what felt like an eternity. We made sure to keep the entrance open and a way to return to it - the paths changed randomly, robotic servitors would sometimes attack us while using several different powers from other worlds, and it became more and more of an uphill battle as we went. We had to rely on the science team to cook up gadgets to counter abilities none of us could with magic or bruteforce, then a magic team to swap out for them when that stopped working, and so forth.

But then we were stopped. Just when it seemed like we were on the home stretch...we found someone. We found Atticus. He was hunched over and his body crackled with electricity, an electronic whine in his voice before it sounded like a broken speaker. His eyes were glazed over, and the gears around him spun in response to his movements. Was he here for revenge? To claim the Control Room. No...instead, he stepped forward, and spoke words I didn't understand.

What I did understand was the one line he said in English.

S̷̸̡ę̕è̀͢͟k̀͡ ̷ı̀͞͏̶n̛͢͜͟g̵̴̢̧͡ ̷̧̨̧͞t̕͏h́͠ ̸̢͝e̸̷̡͜ ̵͟p͏̀ȩ̀͘a͏̵̸ç҉̛͢͞e͘҉̴ ̸͞o̕҉̧͜͡f̴̢̡̕͢ ̶̕͟͟͝r̀͢͏e̡͘a̵̧͟͝s̨̢͝͡͞o̷̵̸͞n҉̨.̶̡.͞.̀̕̕ 87/201 The sevitors came back to life and he threw an ungodly amount of power at all of us, scattering the League into portals that opened and led to a non-euclidean network of mazes. Our teams disintegrated, scattered and being hastily teleported back home. None of us could get past him, or even gety a single hit in.

F̷̸͜i̕͜͡͝ǹ͞͡͞a̴̕͢͝l̵͝ ̴́ṕ̴̴͝a̶̛͝͏̨r̸̀͜͞͝a̧͟͞m̛͏̵͟e̶̵̢͡t̴͞ȩ̸͘͜r̶̡s̶̴̀ ̀͜o͘҉͢f̶̴̧ ̴̶̢͞T̸̵̕ę̧ŗ͡͏m҉̵̕i̷̧̕͜͟ǹ̶̕͞a͏̧l̡͢ ̶̀Ṕ͝͠r͏̶͟͟͞ơ̢̕t͏̸̡͠o̵̴̧c̷̶͞o̴͟͝l͢ ͝͞͞h̨̛͢͝a̡̢͢͢͝v̵͟͝ę̵̛͠ ̡͟͢͞n̶̷̛͠ớt̛̀̕͢͠ ̧̨҉̷͞b̸̧ę͡e҉̸̡͜n͞͏ ͝m͏̡͏ę̶́̕t̷̡̢͢.̴͜ ̶́͢͜͡A̵̷l̸̨͠l̢̡͢͜ ̸̢d̷̶i̶̸̢͘̕s̡͏̶͟͏h̢̀͘͟͜a̵̧̕ŗ̕͡͏m̧͢ò̴͟n͠i̛͟ơ̢͡u̸͘ś̛͘͝ ̢͡͞͏e̴҉̶͢l̷̢͠e̶̷m̀̕҉ȩ̴̵̀ņ̧̡̛́ţ̧͢͜s̴͠ ̸̀͜͡w̛͢i̴̧͢͟͟l̕l̡̕͡ ́ ̸͜͝b̶́͠e͟͝͠ ̡͟e̷j̴̛̀͡é͠͏͝c̡͜͞͡t͟͡ę̷d̴̷̨̀ ́ ̷̶̛͘f̶̵̢r̛͝o͏̵͟m̸̢̨͜ ͟͜͞t̷̨͠͝h́ ̵̵͠i̛͟͝ş́̀͟ ́ ̨̧͞u҉n͘i̵̵̧t͝҉͟͝'̡͡ś҉̀ ̵Ç̧͞o̕͠͏̀n̡̧͞t̴̷̛͢͝r͠o̡l̨͞ ̀ ̵͡͏̀C̵̷̢͢h́ ͘҉a̸͞m̨҉͟͡b̛͢e͘r̶̨̢͞͏.͘҉ I screamed, and tried to land one more punch in. I was teleported back to the Warehouse. We tried again, not long after. We failed, the exact same way. Whatever power had possessed Atticus, it was beyond anything we could throw together with what time was left.

We had failed.

All things considered, we were fortunate - aside from some members being teleported on nearby alien planets, we hadn't suffered any fatal casualties - mostly injuries and nausea from the transportation. But what was done was done. Once the bell tolled, I would be moving on to the next world.

...but, hey, no one died. You know what I call that, as The Flash would say? A good day. Chin up, guys! At least we know what we're in for, now. And that just means we need to cook up a new solution. Let's all cook a celebratory dinner for the others, and let them know we're thankful they gave us this chance. >"Anon...are you okay?" Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. No sense in moping about it, right? We know it's possible, now. Or else it wouldn't have tried to stop us, right? So we just need to lick our wounds and try again. One way or another, we'll get home. I promise all of you.

...I can't let myself fall back into self-pity around them. Someone has to be able to smile and laugh all of this off. So I'll do it. This is my responsibility, so I should treat it as such.

The final year comes, and I have to say my goodbyes to the others, unsure if I'd ever return. But ultimately...even with how this ended, I consider my time in the Justice League the best I would ever spend. To be a hero and be surrounded by those who want to do the right thing, to know them and to fight alongside them...that's something I'll never forget.

I swear it.

Companion Update: Atticus of Barton is no longer a companion - Tempered by the World Engine.

88/201 Jump 39: Fate/stay Night

Jump 39: Fate/stay Night Origin: HERO Location: Fuyuki Fire Park [Free Pick!] Age: 14 Perks: Command Seals Magic Circuits Stat Sheet I Need A Hero! Layman Linguistics I'm Just A Janitor [1400] Ever-Distant Utopia [1300] I Am The Bone Of My Sword - Fist [1100] We Can Make It Work [900] Fated Encounters [600] Demi-Servant [100] Catching Up [0]

Items: Senpai's Proof

Servant: Sakura Saber

Drawbacks: Sealing Designation [1200] Servant Override [1400] Nasuspeak [1500]

Demi-Servant: Li Shuwen Class: Assassin [250] Stats: Strength D->B [350] Endurance D->C [400] *Agility B->A [425] Mana E *Luck B->E [350]

Skills: Presence Concealment ---

Personal Skills: Chinese Martial Arts C->A+++[600] Sphere Boundary [850]

Noble Phantasm: No Second Strike --- Fierce Tiger Forcibly Climbs A Mountain ---

Servant: Okita Souji

89/201 Class: Saber [375] Templates: Sakura [675], Living [875] Stats: *Strength A->C [325] Endurance B->E [250] *Agility B->A+ [300] Mana C->E [250] Luck D

Class Skills: *Magic Resistance E *Riding E [275]

Personal Skills: Eye of the Mind (False) C->A [375] Weak Constitution A Reduced Earth [450]

Noble Phantasms: Coat of Oaths C (Freebie!) Flag of Sincerity B [650] Lightless, Three-Stage Thrust ---

Drawbacks: Weak Constitution A [250] Saber again, Really?

The Holy Grail War.

A conflict of seven magi who fight each other using a bunch of dead people as Pokemon in order to win a cup full of magic heaven juice that may or may not be some Persian teenager's hateboner against the entirety of humanity. It was a battle several people had trained their entire lives for, and with the ultimate prize at stake: The Holy Grail, it would be a true test of one's character, humanity, and cunning to be able to win this battle royale.

None of this was on my mind the morning we arrived in this new world. You know what was on my mind as I woke up and crawled over to the coffee machine? How fucking loud the entire house is when you have super-hearing. I could hear Asgore making yet another attempt at a pie recipe and Shaggy being happy to be the taste-tester. Free food was free food, after all. I could hear Kaori and Meiling making small talk about what Japanese cities had in common across the multiverse. Toki was quiet - probably meditating somewhere. Stan was counting money over his ‘COME AND SEE THE TALKING GORILLA’ exhibit from the last world. Ford was probably doing science things. The knowledge this multiversal detour was probably going to continue much longer than any of us could have anticipated likely weighed on his mind. And Yukari was sleeping on the roof. Honestly, did she do much else? It felt like she had slept through most of the journey without really doing all that much. Besides teasing me, that is.

>"Good morning, Master!" Huh? Oh good morning SabAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA >"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" I screamed. Sakura Saber screamed. Then she started coughing and collapsed onto the floor. I just stared before everyone ran in 90/201 and I had to explain where we were and what we'd be doing.

Now I'd like to tell you how we had an epic struggle against the other Masters and how we had to pull together to win the War...except, well, we didn't. We sure participated in the fighting, but I wasn't desperate enough to believe the corrupted Grail would grant me a real way home or solve the World Engine problem. So it mostly consisted of us helping out Shirou, Saber, Rin, and Archer. All of whom seemed to like me for some reason. Don't know why. Maybe it's because my hair suddenly turned into a natural red? Which is weird because I haven't used the Satsui No Hado in earnest for nearly fifty years now.

I also blacked out a few times and woke up with new injuries and apparently having defeated a few Servants while I was out. That was a little alarming. Oh, and Kaori bullied Berserker using her super speed. It was funny to watch, at least until he changed targets and went after us instead. That was no fun.

Companion List: 1. Kaori 2. Hong Meiling 3. Yukari Yakumo 4. Toki 5. Shaggy 6. Asgore Dreemurr 7. Robert Speedwagon 8. Okita Souji (Sakura Saber) Pod 1: Stanley Pines Pod 2: Stanford Pines

91/201 Jump 40: The Incredibles

Jump 40: The Incredibles Origin: Super Age: 42 Perks: Jammering, Yeah! That'll take me to downtown! [900] We're superheroes. What could happen? [700] Someone's Always In Trouble [400]

Powers: [+300] Incredible Strength [150p] Incredible Durability [0p]

Items: Super Suit Man Cave Railway Yard Training [200] Wardrobe [100] Hobo Suit - Import JLU costume [50] Would You Care For More Mimosa? [0]

Siiiigh.

This must be what nostalgia feels like. Already, I can see myself assembling with the rest of the Justice League, going out to save the day from whatever supervillain or hostile alien force is attacking. But here, things are a little more...grounded. Superheroes are outlawed. The Glory Days ended before I re-awakened to my true self. And all of my ‘background’s teammates have simply re-settled or disappeared while I chafe under a soul-crushing office job. I don't know if it's from my body starting off a little older this time around, but I feel a lot more exhausted than ever. Not just physically, but mentally. Still, the worlds needs a hero. And Avatar is that hero. Or, at least, close enough, right?

This winding road has taken me interesting places. First I was just an animalistic survivalist, now here I am rescuing kittens from trees, stopping bank robberies, and flying around Earth while fleeing from the authorities and more. And often without spilling a single drop of blood - my own or that of others. And you know what? It feels good. It feels right. Because instead of just fighting for myself, these powers...these tools, I can use them to benefit others, however briefly.

I wonder how the others feel about this. >"Like, got any fours?" >"Go fish, Shaggy." >"Aha! The wise tactician Okita-san has sank your battleship!" >"Okita we're not even playing that right now." >"Eeeeh? Wait, when did we change games?! Is this the fabled double-switch tactic...?!" >"Why do you keep saying weird stuff like that? You remind me too much of Marisa..." >"Okita, we started playing Go Fish over an hour ago when Stanley threw the board out the window!" >"Hey, eight-player battleship was a dumb idea anyways! And you guys all ganged up on me, anyways! Who the heck would play a game with several other bozos who'd turn on each other

92/201 for no dang reason with nothing to stop them!" >"I think that's Diplomacy, actually." >"Shut up, Ford! You're not even playing, why should you care?" >"I care!...sometimes." >"Has anyone seen Anon?" >"Think he's doing the Superman thing. He should be back in time for supper." >"At least you all got actual superpowers outta that deal. All I got was to turn into a freakin' gorilla!" >"Stanley, you found out how to turn back to normal already, didn't you?" >"Well yeah, but it's just the principle of the thing, you know? What, am I gonna turn into a slug-man later just cause that stupid Engine thinks I'm greedy or somethin'?" >"Does this mean I'll eventually get a body that isn't always sick?!" >"I'm sure your dream will come true, Miss Okita! Just work hard and look forward to it, and it will come true someday!" >"Uwaaaah...do you really mean it, Miss Kaori?!" >"Hey, don't get sucked into her optimism field. It might make you more sick." >"Nonsense! Okita-san is ready to take on the world and all the otherCAUGH" >"SHE'S DOWN!" >"QUICK, GET THE FIRST AID!"

93/201 Jump 41: Majikoi

Jump 41: Majikoi Origin: Kazama Family Class: F Age: 29 Perks: Entry Requirement - Hand-to-Hand Aren't You Cute This Is My Spirit Animal 2D>3D This Perk Is Funded By I Fucking Hate Typing This Name Out Scaled The Wall [1300] Ace Kazama [1000] Weapon Saint [700] No Friend, Zone [600] Not A Single Gap [400]

Items: Two Best Friends Matsunaga Returns GO AWAY

Companions: Jumper's Family x8 [0] Kaori, Asgore, Stanley, Hong Meiling, Yukari Yakumo, Shaggy, Toki, Okita Souji: Origin: Drop- In, Class: F, Perks: 2D>3D, This Perk Is Funded By I Fucking Hate Typing This Name Out, Laying a Trap, Oil Problems, Scaled The Wall [100], You Wanna War Me? [0]

Drawbacks: A Freaking Meteor?! [1300] Red Belt Is The New Red Shirt [1500] 85% [1600] Premium! [1800]

>"So you think with how powerful Anon is becoming, he's getting any smarter?" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA >"Um...Master appears to be fleeing from a horde of angry samurai women." >"Well, that answers that question."

94/201 Jump 42: Journey to the West

Jump 42: Journey to the West Location: The Mountain of Fruit and Water Age: 39 Perks: Forager Somersault Cloud [900] 72 Transformations [700] Enlightenment [400]

Items: Golden Chain Mail [300] Iron Clasped Wishing Staff [0]

So in this exciting episode, the Avatar befriends a monk, a monkey, a river spirit, a pig, and a dragon-horse before tagging along with them on their journey. That is, I befriended these weirdos. I mostly took a backseat this time around and witnessed the Journey to the West in action - while occasionally acting as the charitable voice of reason, but not really getting in the way of things. I also ended up becoming good friends with Sun Wukong of all people - and sparring partner. Though only once. The Monkey King hits like a runaway truck containing about ten copies of Stone in them. In other words, OW.

95/201 Jump 43: Moana

Jump 43: Moana Origin: Demigod [800] Perks: Haka DISNEY! [700] You're Welcome Hero of Men (and Women) [600] Ordinary Demi-Guy [300]

Items: Pet Chicken Magic Fishhook - Riyu Jingi Bang Living Tattoo [200] Kokamora Fleetship [0]

Drawbacks: Without Your Hook, You Are Nothing

Um. Those appear to be coconuts. Coconut pirates. And now they're making little banners with what appears to be a poorly drawn version of my face on it. Is...this is an offering? Are they swearing loyalty to me? Is that's what's happening right now? >"OhmigoshANON THEY'RE SO ADORABLE I WANT ALL OF THEM!" DOWN, KAORI. DOWN. >"You've got a tattoo on your back, too, Anon." Wait, where'd my shirt go...? Oh, well. What's it look like. >"Kinda like a little cartoon eagle, actually. Oooh, now it's a little version of you! Aaaw, it winked at me!" ...why are you both gawking at this so much? We've seen weirder by now, Meiling! >"Hey, you take what you can get. Some of these places can be really boring sometimes." Well, whatever. Let's go find that Heart thing and return it to where it's supposed to be. ... I feel like being able to fly trivializes a lot of this.

96/201 Jump 44: Gurren Lagann

Jump 44: Gurren Lagann Origin: Drop-In Age: 17 Location: Littner Village Perks: Spiral Energy Get Yer Head On Straight! [950] I'll Repay That, Ten Times Over [850] Punch Through The Heavens! [650] Believe In the Me that Believes In You! [350]

Items: Badass Glasses Badass Cape Camping Supplies [0]

Gunmen: Lagann-Type Gunmen [50]

Companions: Someone From Below - Kaori, Hong Meiling, Stanford Pines, Stanley Pines, Shaggy, Toki, Speedwagon

Drawbacks: It's For Agility! [450]

Do the impossible, see the invisible! Break through the Heavens and don't let anyone stand in your way! That's the way of the Dai-Gurren Brigade! So come at me, Beastmen! I'll take on every last one of you myself, and we'll see this journey all the way to the end! I DON'T EVEN NEED A GUNMEN TO KICK YOUR COLLECTIVE FURRY ASSES! I'LL DO IT WITH MY BARE HAAAAAANDS! >"Well, at least he's enjoyin' himself more." Stan said as he sipped some coffee, watching the wrecked mecha parts fly off into the distance. >"Anon has gone from a stoic warrior and remorseful soul into a hot-blooded warrior full of courage!" >"Thanks, Speedwagon. We couldn't have possibly figured that out on our own." >"It's worrying me. All of this emotion and passion...he could eventually lose control of himself if this keeps up." Ford said. >"Eh, don't worry about it, we can take care of it if he gets out of hand. Besides, he's never let us down before, right?" >"Stanley, I'm starting to wonder if you have too much faith in our Avatar." >"And you're a freakin' worry-wart, Ford. Just sit back and watch the fireworks, willya?" >"I suppose this is as good as an opportunity as any. Shaggy, go assist Anon." >"Um...are you sure that's wise?" Asgore asked, worriedly. >"Like, don't worry man, I got this!" Shaggy said before diving into the fray. More explosions and wrecking sounds could be heard as the others watched. >"...when in the heck did he learn to do that?!" Stan said, spilling his coffee. >"He has learned well." Toki said, crossing his arms and nodding in pride. >"Oh, dear...they're making quite the mess." Asgore said. Shaggy, you are a surprisingly good tag-team partner!

97/201 >"Like, I'm just happy to be here, man!" >"Hey, nice work you two, how ab-ANON WHERE IN THE HECK ARE YOUR PANTS?!" PANTS ARE FOR THE WEAK! >"Okay, maybe he's gettin' a LITTLE out of hand."

98/201 Jump 45: Miss Kobayashi's Maid Dragon

Jump 45: Miss Kobayashi's Maid Dragon Location: Urban District Age: 24 Origin: Salaryman Race: Human Perks: D for Dragon - Not sure if this changed anything for me? Dead Eyed Fish Computer Genius [900] I'm Glad That I Have You [700] We Two Are Equals [400]

Items: Eternal 6 Pack [350] Cream Puffs! [250] Beastman's Medicine [50]

50 unspent AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

So, with the fate of the world not at stake anymore, there's time to relax for the next ten years. This is a pretty ‘normal’ world that doesn't really need a superhero, so I can just re- adjust to everyday like like I usually do. I'm working a new job, just like the one I had...way back when, I guess. I have enough self-control to keep myself from flipping out from innocuous noises by now, but I feel like I don't really -belong- in places like this anymore? God. It's going to make re-adjusting to home a huge pain in the ass. That is what I'm working towards, right?

...right?

Ford tells me that nothing we've gained will let us get past the weirdly-possessed Atticus and the weird eldritch shenanigans of the innermost guardians to the Engine. It may be a couple hundred more jumps before we get the chance. If not for the knowledge that time in our home worlds had been frozen, I could only imagine the despair the others would be in right now. All while I smile, cheer, and yell, trying to keep their spirits up. Hm. This must be how Kaori feels all the time, come to think of it. Well, the most I can do is make things comfortable and- >"Heeeey, Anon! You got a sec?" Hm? Oh, Meiling. Sure, I can spare some time. What's up? >"I was thinking, since we've got a lot of free time, you wanna go somewhere to eat later? My treat." Your treat...? Did you get a part-time job when I wasn't looking? >"Nah, I just asked Speedwagon for some cash. You up for it?" Oh, sure, sure. We'll meet up later, okay? >"Great! Thanks!" And she gives me a big hug. I can, uh...feel them pressed against my chest. Then she runs off, looking awfully cheerful. I'm a bit flustered but I compose myself - nothing unusual for my favorite sparring partner to ask for some time out, right? >"Master! Do you have a moment?" Okita? I'm actually kinda bu- >"Oh, nonono, it's no trouble at all! Just, um...I was wondering if you had time to spare? It's just been so many years and I've never had a chance to get to properly know you!"

99/201 I mean that's alright, really. I'm going somewhere tonight, but if you want to talk over...I dunno, breakfast, is that alright? >"Yaaaay! It's Okita-san's victory! Thank you, Master! I promise not to disappoint! I'll show you what my training in culinary television has taught me!" ...why would Okita be watching cooking channels? I didn't think she had an interest in that sort of thing. Well, guess I'll be bus- >"Oh, Anon~." Oh, god. What do you want, Yukari? >"I'm just a little proud of how popular you're becoming with your companions lately. The timing feels appropriate, since I need you for something." You're a boundary-manipulating Youkai with powers I can't even fathom. I'm not sure what you'd need me for aside from filling in for Ran. >"Aaaw, I'm hurt, Anon. I just wanted for us to go sightseeing together for a while. Is that so wrong?" She asks me while patting my head in what I can't help but feel in a condescending gesture. I'm going to be busy, Yukari. Maybe next time? >"Well, I suppose if I don't have anything to do, certain photos of your time in that last world might find themselves into interested hands~..." You mean when I wasn't wear---you wouldn't. She just smiles at me. I groan. Fine. Can it be the day after tomorrow? >"Very good. Don't be late, now." Dear god, when did I become everyone's number one person to spend time with? Meiling, Okita, and now Yukari. I mean what the f- ...... Oh. Oooooooh. Oooooooooh, no.

100/201 1. Omake - Triple Date

>Date 1 - Hong Meiling It's not a date. >Implying Shut up. Anyways, my first...get-together is with Meiling as we go get some food. She's the one treating, though I plan to split the bill once it comes up. It's not fair if I don't at least try to pitch in, right? ... I'm a little nervous. Anxious, even. I've been in so many death-defying situations and battles for centuries, now. Actual centuries. Isn't that amazing? And here I am, getting jitters about a NOT DATE I'm having with...probably the person I trust the most in this entire party. The one who saved my life more than once and has been my most reliable partner. Platonically. Platonic partner. No subtext there whatsoever. Absolutely none. I can't make any kind of reckless commitment if my suspicions are right. We're all going to be stuck together for a really long time. So if I did something stupid now... >"Heeeey, there you are!" ...of course I stick out like a sore thumb. I'm built like a truck stacked on top of another truck. I waved back and walked over to her. I had to overdress a bit to hide the tattoos - even in worlds like these, I'd always run into the odd curious protagonist-looking person who recognized the symbols or the Key I carried. Conversely, Meiling has actually adapted to the change of settings pretty easily - she's wearing some jeans and a sweater. It, uh...looked a bit cute on her. It's perfectly normal to like something like that. Completely. >"Hm? What's wrong?" “Uh...nothing. You look...you look great.” >"You like it? They were on sale!" She then did a twirl and a spin. Those jeans certainly compliment certain features. But it's perfectly normal to appreciate assthetics like that. AESTHETICS. I MEANT AESTHETICS. “A-anyways! Where did you want to eat?” >“I was thinking of that noodle stand, right over there.” Meiling said, pointing at what was an otherwise modest ramen stand. Ah. I should've figured Meiling probably wasn't the type for fancy restaurants or the like. That suits me just fine, though. So we sit down and start eating together, mostly talking about the journey so far and the fact our escape from the World Engine was going to take a lot longer than we thought. She was pretty optimistic about it, just remarking that this meant she'd have more to brag about to Sakuya once she got home. She talked like it was a certainty. Like...she had absolute faith that she'd return to Gensokyo one day. I didn't understand it. “Meiling, I never had a chance to ask you before, but...why did you follow me?” She nearly choked on the noodles she was slurping down. Why does she keep doing that? I choke back a laugh and wait for her answer, doing my best to look polite about it. >"W-well, it's just...I, uh...you know...I...kinda...like you?" “Like me? That's a weird reason to follow someone to another world, you know.” >"I wasn't really thinking too much about it at the time! I just...you know, you were a martial artist, like me. And you looked like you really needed someone to be around who knew their stuff, you know? You actually treat hand-to-hand combat seriously instead of a joke. You know about a bunch of different worlds, and...and you go out of your way to help people even when you don't need to. A-and you're really strong, really helpful, and kind and and and--" Meiling would cut herself off by slurping down a lot of soup from her bowl and then taking a deep breath. “I just...wanted to be around someone like that, that's all!” That was probably the most sincere answer I could have expected from this. I'm surprised...and a bit flustered.

101/201 “Even if I ended up changing?” >"I mean, you already have, more than once, right? But you're still the same weird guy I met in the Forest of Magic, aren't you? It doesn't matter what you turn into or how long it takes. Anon is Anon. And Anon is the kind of person I want to be with. That's not weird, right?...right?" ...god damn it, I can't say no to that face. >"No. I'm happy you're here, too. You're...really amazing, Meiling. Thank you." She just kinda stared at me for a few seconds. I think her face tinted red before she tried drinking soup from an empty bowl. I just kinda coughed awkwardly. It occurs to me both of us aren't very good at this. >"So, um...what are you gonna do once all of this is over?" “I haven't thought about it much. I wanted to go home, but the way things are...I don't know if it'd feel the same anymore.” >"Well...I mean...if you don't want to go home, you could come with me back to Gensokyo? It's really nice there! And I could probably talk Remilia-I mean, Lady Remilia into taking you in. We could both be the unstoppable gatekeeper duo!" Meiling suggested, striking a pose and punching the air a few times. ...all this time and her ambitions still start and end at being a gate guard for a vampire. I don't know whether to be impressed or disappointed at such humility. I didn't want to make any serious commitment, but... “I'd be okay with that. But...we'll have to worry about it when we get there.” I could see a glint of light in her eyes when I first started saying that, before she puffed her cheeks and glared at me a bit. >"You should say that with a little more conviction, you know. After all, beating the Engine and finding your own way is the whole thing we're fighting for, isn't it?" "Yeah...yeah, you're right." I admit. I didn't want to say that I was losing hope of that happening anytime soon. “We'll get there. I know we will.” >"Right?" Meiling said with a smile and a nod. “So let's enjoy our time out here while we can, okay? It's not like we're losing anything else this way, right?” I was about to question how she could view so many years so casually, and then I remembered...oh, right, youkai. Things just kinda turned back into casual conversation, talking about the future, normal things like that. We laughed and joked about the rest of the party and things we had seen along the journey, sharing stories, comparing techniques, things like that. Overall, it was a lot of fun. It didn't really feel like a date. Which it wasn't. So that's normal. At least until she suddenly leapt at me and my lips tasted like ramen noodles. >"...I-I mean, that's what you're supposed to do at the end of these, right?!" So that was awkward. I might have reciprocated. And then I remembered I promised to see Okita tomorrow and Yukari the day after. I'd like to retroactively apologize to every single anime and manga protagonist who beat around the bush on this sort of thing, because I most certainly didn't ask for this.

[To be continued - Okita Date and Yukari Date.]

102/201 Jump 46: Avatar - The Legend of Not-Korra-At-All

Jump 46: Avatar - The Legend of Not-Korra-At-All Origin: Wanderer Age: 16 Nation: Air Nomad Location: National Capital Perks: Traveler's Luck Common Face [850] Quick Learner [550] Chi Manipulation [400] Bender - Air [300] Pressurebending [200]

Items: Lol Nope

Companions: Friendly Spirit [0]

Drawbacks: And The Adventure Continues...

̨ T͡͝h͏̡e͞͝ ͢͝F̛i̴̛̕͢͡r̢͠͡s̛҉̵̵̨t҉͡͡ ̸͟͝͠J͠͠u̵̕͠d̶̶̨͡͡g̢̛ȩ̶m̡̢̨͜͟ȩ̧̢͜͝n͏̨͢t̛͝͡ ̴̢͟h͢͝͝͝a̵̛͠͞͏s̴̕ ͞b̵e͟͞͝ȩ̴̕n̴͘͜͡҉ ͏d̴̨͡e̷̢͜͠c̵͏̸̷͘l̨͝͝͡a̷̵͢r҉̡͝e̵̷̢҉d̢́͘͜͝ .̢́̀ ̷͟T̢̀ḩ̵e͡ ̷̡́v̵̶̸̢e͏̵̛͡r̡̕͜d̵̢͟i̕͏̶̶̧c͢͜t́̀͟͡͏ ̧̕͢͢͞o͏̸f̴̨̨̛̕ ̷̛h̡̀̕͡i̵͞͞s̸̡̀͠t͢͜ó̴̴̷͡r̨͠͠͞y̷̧͡ ̢̢͡i̴͟s̵̢͢͝.̴̷͠͞.̢.̀͘͜ I'm woken with a start as I enter a new world. I'm greeted with a sunrise over a desolate, empty temple full of the dust of the dead. The sky above me is a darkened red, and a blackened moon shines down alongside a twin black sun, with a pale and unearthly glow where sunlight should have been. Initially, I'm confused, until I take a step forward and realize...I've been here before. Somewhere similar, anyways. I can feel myself just a little bit weaker from the lack of yellow sunlight...but as Yukari had handily told me before, I already knew how to fly even without my Kryptonian side. Taking a moment to mentally adjust to ‘that’ form of flight again, I leapt off the mountain and moved around to get my bearings. I look down and I see - the Earth Kingdom has become an Earth Empire and has swallowed most of the contested territory from the last time I saw. The Fire Kingdom had broken apart into several warring clans who struggled for supremacy, while the old capital had become a vestigal remnant of its old empire. The Water Tribes had consolidated into some sort of Federation.

And because the last Airbender had died nearly a century ago, there were no Air Nomads to be seen or found anywhere on the planet. Darius had done more damage to this world than I ever could have hoped to undo. The sorry state of this miserable planet was likely from the tremendous spiritual imbalance made by the Elements lacking the presence of their fourth, along with the vicious murder of the Avatar. And that just begged the question - who was the Avatar now? What would happen if it tried to return to the cycle of Air after such a complete genocide?

I should find the new Avatar.

Aang had died many, many years ahead of schedule, so Korra likely wasn't even the Avatar - I didn't even know if she still existed until I zoomed overhead the Tribe she was living at. The

103/201 girl was a bit of a snarky, rebellious Princess type, but she seemed a little more humble than her alternate timeline counterpart. I suppose that's a small victory? Not something worth the death of thousands and untold destruction, though. I descended down to say hi and...then people started bowing. To me. Either with a fist in a palm by the tribe leaders, or on their knees by the rest.

They call me the Avatar of Heaven. They call me the Hero of the Sky. Our deeds - our battle against Darius-Ozai, that we had come to the aid of the Earth and Water Tribes in their darkest hour - it had been burned into their histories, their culture. Add to the legends of myself and the Key that were added into each new world we entered...

Whoops.

We're given a heroes' welcome - even for those who weren't present, we're given offerings of food and drink all the same. A few over-eager parents offer their daughters as potential brides (something I had to VERY POLITELY decline each time it came up). Including Korra. This was a very different woman from the one I remembered, but that was still incredibly disturbing to picture. She disliked the idea as much as I did, thankfully.

I'm not even going into Meiling and Okita's reactions. Yukari just smiled quietly. That terrified me more than anything else. Anyways, it was our job...no, our duty to repair this broken world somehow. Because we clearly couldn't count on things to fix themselves. Shaggy and Toki were to pacify the shattered Fire Warlords and do so in a fashion befitting two Sons of Hokuto. I will call their adventures Fist of the Swooce Star.

Nobody else gets the joke.

Yukari, Stanley, and Ford go to the Earth Empire to see if they can't be made a bit less militaristic and merciless towards the occupied territories they have over the Fire Nation. Speedwagon is our financial and economic support across the globe, and the head of reconstruction.

Meanwhile, I will journey to the spirit realm itself to restore the sun, the moon, and hopefully the ability of Airbending to the rest of the planet. I'll have to negotiate and/or beat the tar out of the local spirits until they cooperate. It's going to be a lot of work, but in ten years? I think we can manage to save this world, or at least set it on the right track.

>"Anon, what am I doing this whole time?" Kaori? Uh...run around and raise morale. Help out those in need. Be adorable. >"You got it, boss!" Our mission is made clear and our roles are understood - even those who are normally difficult or hesitant to work with us (FORD) are willing to all pitch in for this reconstructive world- saving effort. Though a minor addition was that Korra insisted she be taken along, wanting to see the Avatar of Heaven in action herself. I decided to oblige her, but warned her it might not be as exciting as the stories told her.

Then I wrestled a sea monster into submission with my bare hands. I might have defeated my own point that way. So I would dive into the spirit world and - the reaction of the spirits were similar. Most of them greeted me with either awe or fear. A good handful of them blamed the Avatar's death on me, though most of them then used this as an excuse to attack me. Since I was trying to FIX the world, not destroy it, I had to just kind of use shonen logic and befriend the spirits or subdue them without destroying them - I'm not the most spiritual fellow ever, so I had to observe a lot of rules and restraint I wasn't used to using. And then I had to set the 104/201 sun on fire to restore it, by stealing fire from somewhere else. True story. Then I lit it like a candle. Because that's apparently how suns work.

Finally, it was time to repair the moon. Which meant getting a certain pair of moon spirits back into the physical world, since some Fire Nation jackass decided to kill them because -why not-. What kind of idiot just randomly murders the moon because they can?! That's so asinine I think I'm actually missing a few brain cells now.

I had to send Korra back for a bit because the spirit world was getting a tiny bit too dangerous for a somewhat talented but spiritually inept waterbender to be assisting me on, and then I made a flying leap to the dying moon to see if I couldn't somehow coax the spirits into returning to Earth. The spirit moon was more of a blackened sea of mud that reminded me a little of a certain Holy Grail. Anyways it was a bitch to navigate but before I could find the spirits, I was ambushed. What I was surprised by was who I was ambushed by. It was Ozai, his body black and red, and a certain spirit possessing his body.

I could have probably gotten a monologue out of him or at least made a snarky comment about how his bitch ass got possessed even in death, but then he hit me with enough force to send me skidding across the muddy moon rock. And so I fought the ghost of a dictator who was possessed by Not!YangSatan with my magic staff thing in a battle that was probably awe- inspiring and legendary. Kind of a shame literally nobody else saw it because I WAS ON THE FUCKING MOON. Anyways, the battle ended when I slam-dunked him into the center of the moon and gave him my hardest punch, all while screaming ‘PLUS ULTRA!’ A good chunk of moon rock broke off and kinda orbitted around the remains. I hope this doesn't become a trend.

Anyways, I exorcised and sealed Vaatu using a bit of the Tao magic I had learned in Journey to the West - no idea if it will work in the long haul, but I can always ask Yukari or Ford to make something more sturdy if it's needed. I did seal him in a toaster, though. Wonder if evil and toasters somehow go hand-in-hand together? Once that was taken care of, I finally coaxed the two spirits out and convinced them to re-manifest into the physical world - which apparently fixes the moon problem. Now that the environmental problems are taken care of, it was time to try and restore airbending.

...no, ‘impregnating at least 5% of the female population’ is not on the table. I'm the Avatar, not Genghis Khan, damn it. I was going to restore airbending to the populace in a way that didn't involve playing the genetic lottery with several million people and leaving a bunch of children I'd never get to properly raise. That's the height of irresponsibility, even for me. Also I'm pretty sure certain members of my party would just kill me if I was somehow okay with it. My DNA is too much of a mess to do things like a blood transfusion or science stuff, so I just try and find the relevant spirits to restore airbending to the populace.

Anyways apparently the Avatar was needed and this Harmonic Convergence thing was necessary to restore airbending to the world. So I tracked them down. Turns out they were a senile but capable old waterbender named Titus. He didn't have a fake laugh nor was he blonde-haired, though. He was all too happy to help because he was about to keel over any second now and wanted to truly restore balance. So I dragged him to the spirit world, waited for the right time, and then BAM. Airbenders. Everywhere.

...across three different nations with different national identities and cultures. Whoops. So yeah I had to return to Earth and gather them all together. Most of them were all too happy to be part of this - at least, the ones from the Earth and Water Kingdom. The Fire Nation citizens were less than happy with my presence and constant interference, likely viewing me at fault 105/201 for taking their final victory away and indirectly leading to their empire collapsing into squabbling territories. Everyone else's efforts had made some restoration of balance possible, and the world was finally - after several years of work - on the road to recovery.

So naturally this just made people love us even more. I'm, uh...not used to praise. Even among the JLU I was something of a dark horse, and a fugitive in The Incredibles. That's not even going into my total lack of respect in Majikoi, and everywhere else I was just kinda ‘hey, it’s Anon'. Everyone's...treating us like heroes. They're praising us. They're calling us legends. I guess...from someone else's perspective, we really do look like giants, huh?

Well. That's that, then. We won.

...I can't shake this eerie feeling that since this began, someone's been watching me. I hope it's just my imagination.

V̨̡e̕͘͏r͟d҉͘͡͞ı̀͝͝c̴̀͢͟t͜҉͝҉ ̴̴́͟h́ ̡̡͢͢a̴͡͏̴s̀͠ ̡͡b̷̡͘͞͡e͠e̶̡̢̧̛ń̴̛ ̨͘ḿ̴̢̛̀á̴͝͡d̕͝e̴͞.̛͜͠҉̀ ͏̴̴̧T͘͜҉h̴̀̕͝ę̶̀ ͠͠͏́Ţ̶̸͡e̷̢͢r҉̕m҉̴̸̢͞i͏̷̵́n̶̛̕ą͡͏l͟͟ ̵̴̡̛̕P̴͏͘͝͡ŕ̷̡̕҉o͟͟t̨̧́͘͜ó̷̧͡͏c͏̷̡͟͜o̷̕͠l̸̢̧̕ ̷̸s̷̷̕ù̷̡̀c̶̕ć̕e͏̶̷̷̀s̨͝͝s͘ ͟͝r͢҉̵a҉̧̢͝͝t̶̷̸̢̛ę̀͜ ̛͘͏c̢͟͡o̧͟n͝͠f̷̶͜͝į̛͜͟r̶̨̨̨m̨̛͘͢͞e̸͝d̡͘͡͠.͜ ̨́͟Ḉ̵̵̢o̴͝ń̛͟͜t҉̸̧҉i͘͢͞͠n҉͝҉̨̀u̴͠i͡n̷͡ǵ̡̕ ̷̧̀ṕ̷̢̧͟r͘҉̕͏͘o̢̧͡͏̵j̴̧҉e̕͏̶͝͞c̶̴͟͠ţ҉͏͝.̡͠

106/201 Jump 47: Lyrical Nanoha

Jump 47: Lyrical Nanoha Age: 9 Origin: Drop-In Perks: Age Is No Barrier Well-Adjusted Zenryoku Zenkai! [900] Friendly Rivalry [750] I CAN BE SHOT [550] Power of Friendship [250] Device Meister [450]

Magic: Telepathy Magical Potential: AA [50] Magic System: Modern Belkan

Items: Mysterious Serum [150] Stack of Cash Media Collection [0]

Device: Type: Wearable (Fingerless Gloves) Forms: Standby (Bracelet), Device Form, Fulldrive [300DP], Intelligence: Armed [250DP] Additional Systems: Auto-Repair, Cartridge System [100DP] Barrier Jacket Forms: Sonic Form [0DP]

Drawbacks: Befriended [350] What Evacuation Siren? [550] Lost Logia Magnet [650] Targeted [1050]

Scenarios: The Jewel Seed Incident [850]

Ford. Listen to me very carefully. >"Why is this small child-oh. Anon, is that you? I'm, uh...surprised you came to see meOOF." This napkin. >"What about it?...wait, these notes are...!" WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE, RIGHT?! >"I-I don't...the equations look sound, but...Anon, how did you...did you write this?!" I DON'T KNOW! I JUST WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND SCIENCE WAS IN MY BRAIN! I'VE HAD A MIGRAINE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY BECAUSE OF IT! >"What do you want me to do about it...?" Take this napkin and make stuff with it. >"But...if you already know it, then shouldn't- I'm Anon the Avatar, Ford! Don't you understand, my complexity begins and ends when I fly around and punch things in the name of love and justice! I can't be the science guy, it fucks

107/201 with the group dynamic too hard! >"I'm honestly surprised that bothers you so much. But, I suppose I needed something new to study anyways...alright. How hard could it be?"

108/201 Jump 48: Hellboy (Cinematic)

Jump 48: Hellboy (Cinematic Universe) Origin: Demon Allegiance: BPRD Age: Ancient Perks: True Appearance Bureaucratic Nightmare I'm Always Gonna Look This Good [900] Hey You, On The Other Side [700] Bringer of Doom [400] It's A Hoax! [300]

Supernatural Powers: [+300 For this Section] Strange Body Regeneration x2 [800] [0p] Red Right Hand x4 [First Free, 200] - Both Hands and Feet.

Items: Dining Cart Samaritan [0]

Drawbacks: “Mmm. Nachos.” [400] Raised By The Other Side [500] “My Body Is A Temple.” [600] Bureaucratic Struggle [700] T̨̨̀͘͡h̀͞͠ ҉̴e̡̡̕ ͢͞Ķ̢͟͟͝e҉̡̕̕͏ỳ̸̛̕͜ [1000]

>Avatar. >Redeemer. >Destroyer. >Pawn. >Messiah.

Beware the one in crimson's shadow; The one foretold and seen - Turning gears, consuming legends; 'Neath the spokes of its machine. - Bearing paradox and cataclysm; Wandering where none can see - Opening the way beyond; The one who carries Heaven's Key.

That damned prophecy followed me once again. An eternity of memories nearly drowns out my mind until I'm made whole again, my tattoos and Key marking me in this world forever. The forces in this world can sense my arrival - no, they've prepared for it. The demonic forces of this world cry out to me in desperation and jubilation, seeing me as a ‘backup Antichrist’ in the wake of Hellboy's own hesitance to follow his own destiny. And my body is once again something far from human - but my soul remains unchanged. At least, I hope so. Soon, my job is forgotten as both Earth and Hell scramble for me and my Key - or perhaps the destiny that glows in the limbs I now carry.

109/201 A feeling of deja vu sweeps over me more than once as I strike down a demon with my bare hands. I ignore it.

There are two legends about me. One is about a Hero from the Sky, an Avatar of Heaven who banishes evil and brings hope to the world. The other is about an apocalyptic Destroyer, come to reap the sins and decadence of those who have gone unpunished for so long. Neither paint a very flattering picture to either side of this world.

I can only hope I never find myself making the second one come true.

110/201 Jump 49: Medaka Box

And thus we begin the inevitable Escalation Arc. Which isn't even the climax or the final act of this mess.

Jump 49: Medaka Box Origin: Abnormal Age: 13 Perks: NEVER GROW UP YOU ARE GORGEOUS ALL ABOUT ME [900] ABNORMAL GROWTHS [600] Medaka Sue [500] I Wanna Be The Strongest Hero [0]

Powers: [+200] Auto-Pilot [0]

Items: BOMB BALLS

Drawbacks: The Many Kings Of Cheats [900] Growing Pains [1200] normal [1500] Are You Even Alive? [1600] Grand Reveal [1700]

>Ford's Journal: Entry 25:01 >My voluntary imprisonment within this purgatorial cycle of multidimensional reincarnation continues. As before, we've witnessed yet another extraordinary change in Anon - namely, that he has taken a much shorter and less muscled form and is currently hiding under his bed. I'm not sure what led to this - but it seems that some worlds take away abilities instead of giving them. We're not entirely certain if this is temporary, but whatever this world is, it seems to have some strange...rules to it. >Previously, my brother and Anon's other ‘companions’ could leave and enter the Warehouse as we pleased, but it now seems we're all trapped in here. >Secondly, whatever world we ended up in, Anon is utterly terrified of it. He just keeps mumbling ‘meta’ over and over under his breath and refuses to come out from under his bed for anything. >Unfortunately, with him unwilling to leave to get groceries and the rest of us unable to leave at all, this means we've had to ration out food and use carefully-preserved leftovers. >In related news, I now have a personal distaste and vehement hatred of pumpkin pie. >I'm not sure what it is about this world he is so terrified of or why the normally-overconfident Anon thinks he'd need his supernatural abilities to survive, but I've used his mood and personality to gauge our chances of survival before - and they must be grim indeed if this isn't some sort of lunatic phase. >Still, I can't help but shake the feeling something about this world has created a drastic change somehow...something that can't be taken back. >I'll update this again once something else happens. Time has become so dilated in my brain that weeks are more akin to hours. The mind of a human isn't built for the ravages of eternity,

111/201 and while I have learned much, I feel I have also lost something precious. >Also, my insurance methods for keeping Anon under control are either dead, insane, or appear to find him sexually desirable. >To say I am troubled by this is to say that my twin really likes money. >As it stands, Shaggy is our last hope if Anon goes rogue. >And I cannot believe I just wrote that.

112/201 Jump 50: Toriko

Jump 50: Toriko Age: 21 Origin: Born With It [800] Location: Yutou Island Perks: Basic Cooking Skills Gut Instinct Gourmet World Chef [600] Appetite Energy [450] Intimidation [350] Appetite Demon [100] Beast Tamer [400] Routines [200] Food Luck [0]

Items: Gourmet Cells [0]

Companions: Chef - Okita (Perks: Gourmet World Chef [100], Medical Training [0]

Drawbacks: Gluttonous [200] Food Allergy - Shellfish [500]

>Ford's Journal: Entry 26:01 >My fears were completely and utterly justified. Once we entered the next world, Anon's abilities appear to have once again drastically multiplied. It's not just physical power, either - I've noticed he no longer spaces out or ignores me when I start talking about scientific explanations, and even corrected me when I gave him purposefully-incorrect information to test his reaction. This is problematic considering one of the things I was hoping for is that he'd continue to underestimate his own intelligence or act impulsively - that would at least make him somewhat predictable. >The world we've entered appears to hold all manner of fantastic and terrifying beasts, and those who control the ingredients and resources of culinary are king in this land. Not since our time in the Justice League had I found a world full of such titans - except these aren't all particularly devoted to idealistic causes like truth or justice. >While Anon continues to act on a manner he deems ‘heroic’ and his human bodycount since his oath to become a hero remains a flat zero, I refuse to take any chances and will continue to work independently. >But there is yet hope. >There is a perfect candidate for the Gourmet Cells that grant enhanced physical capabilities. Indeed, I'm not sure why the thought didn't occur to me sooner. I've disguised several tablets of Gourmet Cells as Flintstone Vitamins and insist to Shaggy they'll help him overcome indigestion from eating so much food. I suppose that's technically true. >Toki later found out about it and questioned me on it. When I explained it was for the greater good, he merely seemed to stare up at the sky, as if noticing something above me. >I assume he was merely ignoring me. >Afterwards, he merely asked I share the results, for he felt his own combat abilities would be lacking if this were any indicator of what we'd eventually face. Reluctantly, I agreed - Toki has

113/201 always been of sound mind and judgment, even if he is an absolute terror to witness on the battlefield. >Side note: everything here is delicious. Preserve a few samples to bring home to my grand- nephew and niece.

114/201 Jump 51: Dragon Ball

Jump 51: Dragon Ball Origin: Martial Artist [900] Race: Monkey Kid [300] Age: 12 Perks: Hidden Potential Muscle Head Unleash Your Power [0]

Items: Gi

Companions: The Jumper School - Shaggy, Asgore, Speedwagon, Toki, Stanley, Meiling, Okita - Origin: Martial Artists, Perks: Hidden Potential, Muscle Head; Ford - Origin: Scientist, Perks: Hidden Potential, Gear Head.

Drawbacks: A Smaller World The Jumper Saga

I am now a monkey! That's not the weirdest thing I've turned into this entire time, weirdly enough. I'm actually pretty excited to be here, of all places! Turns out my longtime teacher is none other than Master Roshi, of all people. He's, uh...formidable martial artist but he's still a really quirky character. And incredibly perverted. Almost every encounter he's made with Meiling or my other female companions usually doesn't go very well for him. He seems to have enough decency to avoid Okita, though - I feel like her ever-persistent tuberculosis has something to do with that. Anyways, once Goku shows up, I'm quick to tag along. He doesn't mind much - he's overjoyed to find another kid with a monkey tail and a penchant for fighting, just like him. I accidentally let slip that we're probably brothers, and then Goku started calling me ‘brother’ as a result. Kinda weird, especially knowing how he'll eventually turn into an iconic super warrior in a few more years.

But honestly? I'm ready for this. I couldn't be more ready for this. I'm ready to help take on King Piccolo and more. I'm ready to fight the Saiyans and save Earth. I'm ready to do all of that and more! Nothing will stop me now!

115/201 Jump 52: Dragon Ball Z

Jump 52: Dragon Ball Z Origin: Guardian Race: Saiyan Age: 24 Perks: Hidden Power Ki Training Meditation The Futon Flew... Apotheosis [1100] I See Your Potential [800]

Items: [+300] Water Namekian Trees Jumper's Lookout [100i] Senzu Bean Bag [0i] [700] Hyperbolic Time Chamber [100] Dragon Radar [0]

Companions: Sparring Partners [1400] 1: Hong Meiling Race: Saiyan [300], Origin: Martial Artist, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Turtle and Crane, Know My Limits, A Rare Genius [0] 2: Kaori Race: Earthling, Origin: Guardian, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Meditation, The Futon Flew..., Get Up and Rise Again [400], Birds of a Feather [200], Items: Senzu Bean Bag, Water, Namekian Trees 3: Shaggy Race: Earthling, Origin: Drop-In, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Kill Your Pride, That's Stupid and You're Stupid, One Step Further [300], PowerLevels are bullshit [0] 4: Toki Race: Earthling, Origin: Martial Artist, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Turtle and Crane, Know My Limits, A Rare Genius [300], Hit It Hard Enough [0] 5: Yukari Yakumo Race: Demon, Origin: Guardian, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Meditation, The Futon Flew..., Apotheosis [300], Items: Afterlife Gateway [0] 6: Robert Speedwagon Race: Earthling, Origin: Style Artist, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Do You Even Pose?, Stomach Cramps! A True Hero [300], Posing Power! [100], The Hero Appears! [0] 7: Asgore Dreemurr Race: Demon, Origin: Martial Artist, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Turtle and Crane, Know My Limits, A Rare Genius [300], Hit It Hard Enough [0] 8: Stanford Pines Race: Earthling, Origin: Drop-In, Perks: Hidden Power, Ki Training, Kill Your Pride, That's Stupid and You're Stupid, Items: Gero's Blueprints [200], Legacy of the Tuffles [0]

Drawbacks: The Saga Continues

116/201 The Grand Tour [1200] Hit My Head [1500] The Ground Up [1600] Hungry [1700]

>"Now, if you'll excuse me...I think I'll save my friends the trouble and take on the last four by myself." >Yamcha boasted after having dispatched one of the Saibamen, which now rested dormant in the crater. >Amused, Vegeta laughed, his taller partner Nappa grinning in similar entertainment, the other four Saibamen standing around them. >"Now that I'd like to see! Too bad I won't get the chance." >"What...?!" Yamcha reacted just as the green alien sprung back to life and quickly caught the martial artist in a vice grip. His friends reacted with shock and horror, as the alien prepared its suicide attack. >The Saibaman exploded. >But it exploded at least two dozen feet away from where he was standing, Yamcha only stumbling a little where he was standing. >The look of smug satisfaction faded from Vegeta's face as he recognizes what happened. And he bites his lip in distaste. >"So, you had another fighter hiding away until the last moment?" >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWZ_UqLWjUQ >The Z Warriors reacted with confusion. Just a step away from Yamcha was a skinny young man with a tuft of unkept hair on his head with a bit of a stubble on his face standing with an outstretched fist he lazily let go of, giving Yamcha a friendly grin. >"Hey, man, you should be more careful! Like, you might've gotten seriously hurt there, you know." >"Uh...thanks?" Yamcha reacted with confusion before he put a hand on his shoulder. >"Like, don't worry man, I got this." He said with a nod before starting to walk forward to the Saiyans and the rest of the Saibamen. >"Is that guy crazy...?!" Krillin asked. Piccolo narrowed his eyes. >"But...that attack he used to save Yamcha at the last second...it was almost faster than I could blink." Tien said. >"What, that skinny little thing...?!" Nappa mocked the notion, laughing all the while. >"Then I'm sure the rest of the Saibamen will be enough entertainment for him." >The four remaining alien monsters leapt forward towards Shaggy, whose posture remained relaxed and almost lazy. Then, right when one was about to strike him, he lazily bumped his elbow against them and pushed them aside. Another, he poked in the neck with a single index finger, and then hit the other two with his open palms, pushing them down. >Then, a second later, their bodies all twisted and contorted before each of them exploded into a shower of gore, with Shaggy having not taken even a single injury. >The Saiyans, and the Z Warriors all shared a look of astonishment. >"So, you're like, the Saiyans, right?" Shaggy asked as he balled his hands into fists. “You guys hurt and killed a lot of people...that's not cool, man. Someone's gonna teach you a lesson. And that someone's gonna be me.” He raised a fist to his face. >In the distance, Toki watched the proceedings from atop a nearby hill, the wind blowing lazily past him as he watched his student finally come into his own as a warrior. >But still... >"Look. His hands are shaking." Piccolo pointed out. Shaggy's fist was indeed shaking. Despite the the almost superhuman ease he had defeated the Sabiamen with and the posture of his stance, his body language screamed he was absolutely terrified. >Shaggy did his best to tune that observation out, remembering what Toki told him and how he ended up in this situation... 117/201 >"So, like, Anon can't fight?" >"It's more that it would be unwise for him to do so. Not only did the change over the years somehow revert him to a younger body, but now he doesn't seem to clearly remember any of us, either." “HEY GUYS LOOK I FOUND A MAGIC STICK THING!” >Sound of Anon dropping the Riyu Jingi Bang on himself “OW!” >"Ford has told us that whatever is causing him to grow in power seems to take something from him each new jump. While it seems there is a way to reverse it, it is up to us to fight and survive in this world." >"Like, ouch, man." >"Shaggy. I've trained you as a student and as a potential successor of Hokuto No Ken. I saw in you great potential, even if you did not see it within yourself." >"Like, thanks, Master Toki, sir!" >"That is why it is time to prove yourself." >"...uh, what?" >"You must confront a great evil by yourself and temper your spirit." >"...like...can't literally anyone else here do that? Like, I'm not that great by myself!" Shaggy said, laughing nervously. >"Shaggy. Whether or not you believe it...you are one of the strongest martial artists who ever lived. But fear still grips your heart. You must overcome that fear in order to help both Anon and the others in their hour of need." >"Like, I don't think about heavy stuff like that, Master Toki...! What am I gonna do all by myself...?" >"Fight. And win. I ask that you have faith in your old fool of a teacher's judgement, and test yourself as I have tested you for all these years." >And the literal second Toki had left the room... >"Like, fuck, man."

118/201 Jump 53: Saint Seiya

Jump 53: Saint Seiya Age: 13 Origin: Knight Perks: Cosmo Spartan Discipline Loyal Pegasus Dangerous Dragon [1000] A True Knight [700] Miracle [400]

Armor: Gold Cloth [0]

Items: Book of Myths

Companions: The Legendary Jumpers [1200] Kaori, Hong Meiling, Toki, Shaggy, Robert Speedwagon, Yukari Yakumo, Okita Souji, Stanley Pines - Origin: Knight, Perks: Cosmo, Spartan Discipline, Loyal Pegasus, Armor: Cloth - Bronze, Miracle [300], Dangerous Dragon [100], It Won't Work Twice! [0]

Drawbacks: Curse of the Unicorn [1100] Senseless Sacrifice [1300] My Honor [1500]

>But...many years ago, someone saved my life. Someone everyone was scared of. I saw his face, and I noticed how sad he looked. I wondered, how could someone who saved lives and protected me look so sad? And I thought...well, maybe that person didn't have anyone to protect them, or someone to look after them when things were bad." >"So, I thought...well, I'm all by myself now. And you're all by yourself too, right? No one else came to visit or say hello. And that's not good. So, um...I wanted to make you smile, you know? Just once. And maybe, if it was alright, I could get to know the person who saved me all those years ago? Life's really short, you know. It's bad to go through all of it without something or someone to be happy about, right?" >"...ahaha, yeah, it's kinda silly, isn't it?

I'm such an idiot.

The story of Saint Seiya is ultimately a story about not!Greek heroes punching the shit out of other heroes in order to save humanity from whatever calamity is threatening it or the Goddess that protected it in a race against time. It's almost the same story three times in a row, even - Athena, who really has no business being in danger in the first place, puts herself in a dangerous situation where her loyal Knights need to rescue her or else all is lost. And naturally, these happen in a battle royale sort of scenario, where the Saints confront one superior opponent after another and scratch out a victory through honor or sheer luck - that is, Miracle.

I spent most of the last jump being a de-aged moron - and I've spent a lot of the time

119/201 afterwards trying to convince Ford and others I'm still a moron, despite the fact my abilities and intelligence have increased to a stupidly high level. I was always ‘the fighter’, the ace-in- the-hole, not the problem solver or the inventor or the negotiator...those are the roles of my companions. If I were to demonstrate I could just fill in for all of them, it would mean overshadowing everything else they've done through hard work and determination. I couldn't live with myself for doing that, or forcing them to live in my shadow for as long as this purgatorial cycle continues. I was The Avatar. I was the one who fought. I was the moron who got in over his head, even when by all logic I should know better. So I have to play my part accordingly and just bear with it until this is all finally over. I don't think I could live with the consequences of breaking that character forever.

Even then, I had become completely confident in my own abilities. I had trained hard and reached a level of physical power I could have only dreamed of when all of this began. I ended up being part of the early adventures of the Legendary Bronze Saints, and had unlocked the Seventh Sense in time only seen in bullshit shonen mangas (which I was now in). I wasn't part of the final battle with Gemini, but I was part of the battle against Poseidon - it was the first real moment of difficulty I had suffered, but by this point I had made sure to awaken my companions to the same level of power I myself was at - it was weirdly easy to train them up to that point, despite how wide the gap was at that point and how little time we had to spare between incidents. Still, while I was worried about the battle with Hades that was on the horizon, I was confident we'd be able to face it as a team.

I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. I had forgotten an important lesson I had learned long ago: It's not just power one should be afraid of. It is the tenacity of one's enemy and how far they're willing to go in the name of victory or spite.

When the Specters rose, it wasn't just Hades' loyal warriors and the now-dead Golden Saints who fought on the side of the God of Death. Two souls I had thought I had seen the last of reappeared with them - Darius, the Conqueror who named himself after a certain Emperor...and Stone. The mysterious boxer who nearly killed me with nothing but his own bare hands. And they had fucking COSMO. Our first encounter ended with me buried halfway into the ground and with my shiny armor broken into tiny pieces. Darius was ready to finish me off, only for the arrival of Shaggy and Toki to buy me time. They got their asses kicked, too. It was then that Stone stopped him, citing they had wasted too much time on this, and would retreat into the Underworld once Athena was 'slain' and the rest of the party got their miraculously upgraded armor. On that note holy shit Athena bled a lot. There was enough blood from the deed for me to hastily cover my Gold Cloth, but I found myself a bit short of the specifically-tailored blessings the other Saints received.

Realizing shit was serious and with the presence of Darius and Stone meaning we couldn't just ignore what was about to transpire, all of us banded together for the first time in centuries as a team and followed the Legendary Bronze Saints into the Underworld...and by that I mean I went ass-first into said Underworld to force open my Eighth Sense, taking advantage of my absurdly good luck and stupidly-fast learning rate, and then immediately taught everyone in the party how to do the same thing. It meant we fell behind and had to play catch-up with the other Saints, who were fighting their way through the Underworld as young shonen men are wont to do. Naturally, in a suitably dramatic fashion, we'd be confronted by Darius and Stone.

Did I mention I was still terrified of the latter, especially now that he had Cosmo?

Because I was. 120/201 The entire Underworld shook as we clashed, but with the bulk of us working together instead of separately, we would manage to overcome Darius...mostly because Stone would kill him by tearing his heart out with his bare hands. I'm...not sure what that was about. I guess a difference in character? From what he said, there was apparently a disagreement between the two of them, and that's what led to that sudden face-turn. Then he followed it up by saying he wanted to finish what he started - a battle to the death against me.

I had to overcome my fear in a hurry and unlock a new transformation for that, and like before, it just devolved into a fistfight that both of us were matching each other in blow-for- blow...and I was being worn down with every attack, until I managed to punch a hole through the man's stomach. He still didn't go down, and returned the gesture in turn. He died a bit quicker while I was hastily stabilized by Kaori.

Then, we were ambushed by some of the remaining Specters. We lost track of Kaori in the ensuing struggle. Quickly, we regrouped with the others and journeyed to where Hades was resting. And then, finally, I realized what was wrong with this picture. That nagging feeling of danger that had been with us every step of the way. It wasn't from Darius. It wasn't from Stone.

It was from the fact we were just outside of where Hades was resting, yet Andromeda Shun was still with us.

An interesting little fact about the Gods in this world. They have a funny habit of possessing a human to act as an ‘Avatar’ while hiding their real bodies away. Athena does it. Poseidon does it. And Hades does it. Hades had a particular taste in vessels - in that he always possessed a body that was the ‘purest of heart’ born around the time he was preparing to war with Athena once again. In canon, this was Andromeda Shun, a Saint who ultimately had not a single bad bone in his entire body - to his eternal detriment, considering he was otherwise one of the most talented fighters of the Bronze Saints.

But someone else had a history in this world, now. Someone who had absolutely no desire beyond seeing others smile. Someone who held no grudges, no hatred, no ill will to even the worst souls in the entirety of the multiverse. Someone who could breathe life into a soul that had otherwise fallen into a bestial mindset of kill-or-be-killed.

Guess who.

A battle is lost not when your body gives out or when your strategies fail. It is lost when your will to fight is broken. We were outmatched by Hades, as bolstered as we were by our various powers and what we had overcome to reach this point. But I found I could not overcome my hesitation, could not think of a plan quickly enough to fulfill my role as our heaviest hitter and our hope bringer. Hades swat us aside like flies - the gap between Men and Gods is too wide, in this world especially.

I watched as Hades, wearing Kaori's body, donned his Surplice and prepared to deliver the coup de grace. It was only when Athena joined the fray that victory seemed feasible. But our healer was Kaori - we had very little else to spare, having used up our senzu beans in the earlier battles against Stone and Darius. We tried to force Hades back into his own body, like I had remembered from the events of ‘canon’...but he clung to his new form tightly, as if sensing the effect it had on our morale. We tried to break the possession. We called out to her. Ford used a new device he had made. But it was futile.

121/201 But that was incorrect.

Hades was effectively unbeatable. But only when he was in his real body. It wasn't that the God of Death was clinging to his meat-puppet of a body. It was that Kaori's soul refused to let go of him. It was subtle. His movements had the slightest bit of hesitation, his fingers twitching for even a minuscule moment. His will was at odds with her, and it was causing him to make small mistakes in the clash with Athena.

It was when a still-living Seiya and Athena spoke their words of love and justice that Hades' resolve flickered, for even a fraction of an instant. And I saw Kaori's eyes return to their normal color. We had thought this was our moment. Our chance for a miracle. And maybe it was. But we'd never know that. Because Kaori spoke to us, still smiling as she always did. She told us that if Hades returned to his real body now, he would probably kill all of us. She said she could sense his pain, his sorrow at what he had seen humanity become, and the sort of souls his Underworld was full of. And she couldn't bear to see that happen.

>"It really, really has been...a long road. It's been so many years since you saved my life, Anon. I can't remember the faces of Mum or Dad anymore. I can't remember my friends from school or my odd jobs. But...I remember your grumpy face. I remember the times Ford's experiments got us all into trouble. I remember Meiling teaching me how to fight, and I remember the time Okita tried making us all an omelet. I remember all of these things, these precious moments...I wouldn't trade them for anything."

>"But I've lived a long time, Anon. And I think...I'm okay, now. I'm not scared anymore. If this is what it was all leading to...then I'm okay. So please...don't cry, okay? Live on, and be the best person you can be. Smile. Because our lives may last a long time, but..."

I don't know what she said last. I screamed and dashed towards her, trying to stop what was about to happen.

[Senseless Sacrifice]

But Kaori had taken a piece of the Big Will from Hades, and used to to obliterate both of their souls in a flash of light, taking the God of Death with her into oblivion. He had tried to escape in that final moment...but Athena dealt the final blow alongside Seiya.

A burnt poncho remained where they once stood.

122/201 Jump 54: CATastrophe

Jump 54: CATastrophe Race: Inukami [900] Age: 18 Origin: Drop-In Location: High-Tech Settlement Perks: Wanderer [950] Dog's Ear Party Animal [850] Hot Buns [700] Salty Dog [400]

Items: Biggest Boat! [200]

Companions: Full Party [0] - Meiling, Yakumo Yukari, Asgore, Ford, Stanley, Okita Souji, Speedwagon, Shaggy

We built a small memorial in the Warehouse, just in her small corner of the studio-like apartment inside of it. A photo and a poncho. There wasn't anything else we could bury - and even if we did, the idea of leaving some unmarked grave in the middle of a world we'd never see again didn't sit well with me. I wanted to act like she was still here with us, as we wandered this eternal cycle of rebirth across the stars. That some part of her would always be with us every step of the way.

It was wishful thinking. I knew it was. But I wanted to believe it.

Everyone mourned in their own way. Stan did his best to keep everyone's spirits up, saying she wouldn't want us to be sitting around moping, and even taking money and prizes from his various scams to trade to the locals for food or games. When he was alone, I could hear him beat his hands against the walls, wondering why ‘such a good kid’ had to die. Ford disappeared into his workshop and would occasionally emerge with some new healing gadget or do a quick check-up on the health of the others. Even me. He kept his lab encased in lead walls and soundproof material, but once, and only once, I could overhear... >"I can fix anything except the soul. Why am I so useless when it matters the most...?!" Speedwagon and Shaggy mourned more conventionally, with tears, regret, and toasts to a departed friend. Asgore didn't make any speeches or weep openly, but I could see the shadows of memory in his eyes, and he put a small potted garden of sunflowers around the little ‘shrine’ in the Warehouse. Yukari...always a mystery, was gone from sight after the funeral. She's a little like an old cat, I guess. She didn't want anyone to see her genuinely saddened...or maybe it was out of consideration for us, because she was bothered so little? I can't say. Toki was silent. Sometimes, he would clap his hands together and murmur a silent prayer to the small monument, but otherwise keep to himself. I don't know who he prayed to, or if they could hear us from this place, but I hoped they did. Okita was the quiet one...though once when she tried to cook a recipe, she instinctively called out Kaori's name before she realized what she was doing. I think Meiling took it the worst - she went right into her training and said or did little else. I think we were both thinking the same thing.

‘I should have been stronger. I should have found a way. I should have won.’

123/201 I have a little more in common with Yukari than I do Okita or Meiling, though. I couldn't stand being surrounded by the others like this. The unstoppable, unbeatable, invincible Avatar couldn't even protect the people precious to him. The one he undoubtedly owed his life and his soul to. So I took to the skies and disappeared into the horizon. Circling the globe was an old hat for me by now - I didn't doubt I could find my way back to the others or them to me if it was really necessary. I had hoped that the gift of flight would rejuvenate me somehow, breathe life into my soul and my mind, but even that had become mundane and everyday for me.

I saw rain clouds forming in the distance. I stopped, preparing to change course...until I heard something not too far away. The sound of a boat thrashing against the waves. It was creaking, ready to give way. An old instinct overcame me as I zoomed towards the sound, finding the old and damaged ship as a small crew of Kemomimi huddling together and desperately trying to keep their vessel afloat. I landed gently on the boat even as it rocked from side to side - the crew did a double-take at the fact a flying dogboy had suddenly boarded their ship. And started barking orders at them on how to brave the storm. Of course, it also helps when you have someone who can fly and part the clouds enough to clear the way, too.

They look at me with starstruck wonder, but on my side, this was a normal day at the office. For a moment, I remembered my years in the Justice League, and my first real debut as a superhero. Nostalgia overwhelms me until someone pokes me in the nose. Apparently, these people call themselves The Shinies...since they're Shiny Hunters. Creative. I counted seven heads among their crew, but I could hear an eighth heartbeat. The Captain, a Nekomi in her 30s, was pregnant. I had saved eight lives from a storm that would have almost definitely killed all of them. That's why I can feel the sincerity in their smiles and the gratitude they express. They invite me to join them for parties or treasure hunts. I decline, but thank them and hope to visit again someday before I leap off to the sky.

Their smiles...and the gift of being able to live another day, to live their own lives out and to raise a child...I hadn't even paid any mind to it, yet I did it as easily as breathing. Just the act of being able to grant a moment of hope and happiness to someone...I had been doing it all on instinct ever since I had first met Kaori.

And wouldn't it tarnish her memory if I stopped now? If I just became a beast obsessed with battle and death again?

I soon find myself listening to the sounds of the sea and the cities below, as I go on patrol for the first time in centuries. It's not much, but it's something. And I won't let what she taught me be in vain. Then, when I return...

I have smiles to give to the others, too.

My heart is heavy. My eyes still feel tears just waiting behind them.

But a hero's duty is being able to carry that burden, and not succumb to it, yeah?

124/201 Jump 55: Venture Bros

Jump 55: Venture Bros Origin: Drop-In Age: 32 Perks: Super-Competent [600] Lucky [0]

Items: Nope

I tried to do what I did a jump ago. I was promptly pulled over for nearly starting an international incident because I zoomed over a no-fly zone. Apparently this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, either - they call it a 182-B. Once I was grounded, I figured I'd use my super-hearing to listen for trouble and start fighting criminals. Turns out most supervillains and even muggers in this world are hilariously incompetent or focused more on ‘franchising’ than they are any lofty ideals - there's no Darius' or Stones here. It's just a bunch of morons. Also, some of them just kinda cry and scream even with the most ginger of taps from me, too. It's really awkward. Almost anyone I did fight I ended up just defeating with a one-hit KO. There was no challenge or even satisfaction to it.

Eventually I just...gave up on the superheroics this time around and sulked on the moon for a while. I was tempted to destroy it to express my discontent with my situation and mood, but I feel like that would just be letting the crippling depression win. Fuck you, crippling depression. And your cripple. And your depression. I wish you had a face so I could punch it. In the face.

I later went back down to Earth to find that Speedwagon had used the Speedwagon Foundation (which somehow was still following him at this point) to purchase an islandside house and base for the rest of us for our stay in this world. That said, the contractors he used might have exaggerated a bit, because it kinda collapsed randomly with even the slightest provocation. Also there's a ghost crocosaur haunting the plumbing. That's a crocodile and T- Rex hybrid. Its name is Joe.

I don't know what I'm more disturbed by - the utter insanity of this world with absolutely none of the fun, or the fact that this is just another decade in crazyland for me. At least Stan is having fun consistently managing to scam others into buying ‘super gadgets’ based on his brother's many failed prototypes.

...

I keep thinking she'll come running out from a corner in the Warehouse to excitedly tell Meiling something, or tell me to stop looking so glum all the time.

Stupid.

...I guess I can...do odd jobs and just donate to charities. That feels productive, right? This place doesn't need a planet-punching demigod. I don't even know what it needs. I don't know what I need. Once there's nothing to fight, what am I supposed to do next?

...hmm. Actually, there's a lot of books I haven't read yet, aren't there? That's a good start. I kinda wanna see if it's the same as on Earth or if the ‘flavor’ of a world alters it somehow. That

125/201 could be interesting, couldn't it? After all, I still don't know how this whole ‘multiverse’ thing works. Maybe spar with Meiling, or just do something nice for her for a change. That goes for everyone, actually. I should actually do nice things for the people stuck with me instead of just living by the house honor system and thinking that will suffice.

It's nothing perfect.

But it's something.

126/201 Jump 56: Gonna Be The TwinTail

Jump 56: Gonna Be The Twintail! Location: Shindou Manor Origin: Gear Boy Age: 17 Perks: Affinity - Determination Twintail! Incoming! No Thank You The Twoearle Twist Everybody Loves The Red Ranger [900] Eyes of Justice [800] Cult of Personality [500] You Will Be Mine, Tail Red! [200]

Items: DeterminationGear Kamen Mask Imagine Chaff Dispenser Trust of Twoearle [0]

Drawbacks: What Team? [300]

>"Anon? Why are you hiding under the bed again?" Oh god, Meiling. It's terrible. This world and everything in it is awful. >"Woah, slow down. It doesn't look all that bad." YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. THERE WERE FANCLUBS, MEI! -FANCLUBS!- >"I...that's a bad thing?" I was just flying around doing what I normally do - beating up the bad guys, getting them locked in jail, doing good deeds, things like that, right? Then a bunch of people started calling me by name and cheering for me. I'm not used to stuff like that - they usually freak out when they see me for the first time! >"Still not seeing it, Anon." Then it turned out there was not one but several websites dedicated to me. There's art. There's OCs. And there's -doujins- involving me and just about everyone I've ever met or talked to. Some of it is even drawn really well and it's completely horrifying. Some of them even ask me questions for references or ask my opinion on their OCs. All of which are usually just recolors of people I know and have abilities from worlds I've been to. Do you know how much this drives me crazy?! >"...ooooh. Right, you said you used to be a normal human and all of your stuff is from other worlds. So that'd mean...oh." If you think that's bad, you should see the vsbattles forums dedicated to me. People have dedicated entire fucking essays to the times I fought Stone. Some of which were written by actually professors and scientists on the subject. And some of THEM write doujins and fanfiction on us, too! >"...w-wait, us, too? I-I mean, I wouldn't be against it, but-" Don't look at the Internet. It's not worth it. Also, don't say things like that casually! >"Oh come on, it can't be that bad!"

127/201 Then my companions went on the Internet and put my name into the local search engine.

Now all of us are camping in the Warehouse. >"So, uh...this won't follow us...right?" I just stare uncomfortably.

128/201 Jump 57: Marvel Magic

Jump 57: Marvel Magic Race: God [700] Origin: Warrior Perks: Even A God [600] Skyfather [100] Jumper, the Ever-Glorious Battle Banter Forgefather [700] Elder God Hybrid - Gaia [200] Domain - Sun [0]

Items: Arms and Armor Helm of Hades Divine Metals - Uru [500]

Drawbacks: Mutated Stomach [200] Nerves Wracked [300] Fool Me Twice [400] Muh Diversity [600] Kid Jumper [800] Jumpersleep [1000]

...huh. So...I guess I've officially abandoned the zip code of ‘living and dying’ as a human. Because now I am a God. An actual, honest-to-me, God. On top of that, there are a lot of dysfunctional personalities running around this already-battered universe and I can almost feel it tearing itself apart at the seams. This world doesn't have long. Alright! I know what I must do! Even if I'm at a mere tenth of what I was, I know I can save this world! It will take every bit of my cunning and my power, but I know I can oh naptime zzzzzzzzzzzz >"Aaaaw, Master looks so cuddly when he's asleep!" >"Erm...do we know when he'll wake up?" >"If my caculations are correct, judging from the metabolism of his new age and form, he'll be awake...December. Of next year." >"Huh. Like, dang, man." >"Yyyyup. Well, I suppose this beats him running around trying to use his new powers recklessly. The other heroes don't look like very good role models at all." >"So...what should we do in the meantime, Mr. Pines?" >"...anyone up for Mario Party?"

129/201 Jump 58: The Circumstances Leading To Waltrute's Marriage

Jump 58: The Circumstances Leading to Waltrute's Marriage Origin: Human [1300] Age: 29 Perks: Up, Up, and Away Questing For a Maiden Box? What Box? True Warrior [1200] Face Off [1100] Rulebreaker [900] Fruits of Labor [700] Peace At Least [400] Watchman's Wit [300] All Roads [0]

Items: Super Rune Pack Asgardian Alcohol [200]

You know, I was kind of expecting the Norse Pantheon to be...I don't know. >"More lively?" >"More punchy?" >"More doomed?" All of the above, yeah. I spent the last decade in a coma and now I'm in a world full of warrior gods and other beasties, but somehow things look...fine? Apparently that Jack kid knows what he's doing. Though, that dumb luck of his kinda annoys me for some reason... >"Probably because it reminds you too much of yourself, Anon~." Shut up, Yukari. ... I guess I can- >SOUND OF WALL BEING BROKEN DOWN Oh god what >"You are now in the presence of Thor, God of Lightning! I am told this is the domain of the Avatar of Heaven! I demand he answer to me!" Uh...that's me. >"It is true, then? You are the slayer of Hades, of conquerors, and the Warrior of Stone?" ...only very technically, but- >"Sign this." ...what? >"Sign my hammer. I wish to have your signature upon Mjolnir as proof two great warriors crossed paths." ...sure? Um...here you go. >"Glorious! Now, to celebrate, let us have a proper duel to the finish!" W-wait, at least give me a second to prepare..! >"TOO LATE! NOW WE BATTLE!" And that's when almost all the electronics in the Warehouse were fried and we all ran out of it screaming before I promptly had a brawl with a drunken Thor.

130/201 Jump 59: Kingdom Come

Jump 59: Kingdom Come Origin: Former Hero Perks: Alex Ross Art Between Civilian and Superhero Retreat From The Public Eye [700] Not Above The Heads of Humans [500] The Big S Symbol [200]

Items: Kansas Farm Planet Jumpchain [50] Cool Outfit

Powers: Kryptonian Biology [0p] [800]

Drawbacks: Bonds From Before This Time A Tragedy [1100] Too Idealist [1200] I'd Rather Be Farming [1300]

Avatar.

Redeemer. Destroyer. Pawn. Messiah.

I don't like those words, especially when attributed to me. They have a sacrificial air about them, like my destiny had been laid out before me the moment the World Engine cast its baleful gaze upon me. Yet I can feel them being whispered into my thoughts, like a splinter in my mind. My body is a vessel for a power I feel I am neither worthy of nor capable of using to its fullest extent with a clear conscience - I can feel it humming behind my fingers, echoes of it in my every heartbeat, and the crushing knowledge that almost anything I desire upon this blue planet can be done with a wave of my hand. I can unleash Armageddon, erase pain, erase hunger, and even treasured things like free will with merely a thought and the effort it took for an ordinary man to make a cup of coffee in the morning. And I could feel it - inch by inch, this power, this Force grew with the passage of time - perhaps in a hundred or a thousand more years, the only limit of my achievements will be my imagination.

What gave me the right to such a thing? My entire life I believed that the gap between men and higher powers was insurmountable, that one's right in life was what they had earned through both luck and effort, to live as best as one possibly could despite or because of the circumstances of their birth and youth, and to die with questions about the spirit that would not be answered until they finally passed from the mortal coil to be met with either oblivion or some lofty place they may rest. As optimistic and unambitious as such a view was, it was one I was content with. I was never in a position to judge the minds or thoughts of Gods, for it was simply beyond my comprehension or anything I had any control over. But now I am a God. And in time, I will be one of the mightiest. Why? Why grant this to me? ‘Underqualified’ doesn't even begin to describe someone like me in a position such as this...! I don't want to be in control of the lives of others. I just wanted to help. I wanted to be the hero - the one who

131/201 defeated evil and then went on his merry way, and everyone got on with their lives. But it is no longer a struggle of who is stronger or who is more skilled - but my own reluctance and my inability to see myself as anything more than the man I began this journey as.

Mortal men did not share my hesitation.

I knew what world I was in, and what would transpire. The intelligent thing to do was to simply watch and wait - allow the painful story to reach its logical conclusion, letting a bittersweet but fulfilling end to the story of Kingdom Come move about into the world. But as I soared across the skies, my greatly-enhanced senses would hear something among the sounds of gunfire wielded by self-righteous avengers who had begun to turn on those they supposedly protected. Prayers. They called for their savior to rescue them and their souls, to come to them in their hour of need, to ask for blessings and forgiveness for trying to do good in their name but ultimately failing.

They didn't call for Superman.

They didn't call for God.

They called for me.

You...damned misguided fools! I'm not some sort of Christ figure, some sort of cosmic avenger! I'm just a wanderer...a man in circumstances he had long since lost control of. Don't pray to someone like me! I won't answer! I won't...I won't...

Hesitation stops me when I realize some of those prayers come not from fanatics or miguided do-gooders. There are children among them. One of them is screaming and crying at one of the gunmen, their father's blood coating the ground near them. The gun is cocked and aimed at them. Why? What does this accomplish...?!

I react before my brain realizes what I'm doing. Guns are bent and knocked away, disintegrated or made into useless sheets of metal. A collective gasp comes from the crowd around me as I step into view. The boy looks up at me in stunned disbelief and tearful eyes. Those tears only intensified when I put my hand on their father's body and their injuries healed, bringing them back from the brink of death.

“You came...you really came...” They said.

I could not hold scorn for such an honest face. I put my hand on their head and as gently as I could, pat them and ruffled their hair.

“I heard your wish.” I said, despite myself. I then looked towards the gunmen, clad in dark or threatening colors. They were similarly shocked. I ordered them to stop this and surrender immediately. They obeyed. Some even went to their knees and begged for forgiveness, tears in their eyes. It was surreal. It was horrifying.

But I had already cast the dice on the table. There was no turning back, now.

“There is much work to be done.” Feed the hungry. Shelter the poor. Protect the innocent. I could make proper heroes out of these extremists - and those who did not fall in line would join their true companions in the jails across this world. There was much I could do. And this world needed it. When the time came, I would disappear and go on my way, as I always did...and the heroes would do eventually. 132/201 I feel I've no doubt earned Bruce's scorn a hundred times over, especially since it seems like echoes of my previous history have followed me. But I do not care. If there is no authority that can direct me, guide me, or wish from on this chain, this eternal purgatory...then I must put the tools I am given to use. I will make good in this world.

And damn anyone who tries to harm these people on my watch.

133/201 Jump 60: The God of High School

Jump 60: The God of High School Location: Seoul, South Korea [Free Pick!] Origin: High School Student Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter Perks: Getting You Started Reincarnation - High God (Thor) [400] It's time for a REVOLUTION! Revival of X Jumper Jin [100] A Good Seed Sworn Brothers Self-Made Man [0]

Genuine Fighter: Mundane Karate, Heavenly Arts [0g] Treasures (Reincarnation): Mjolnir - same as written, stronger and with more destructive power in the hands of ‘Thor’. Belt of Strength - Increases the user's physical strength fivefold.

Divine Powers (Reincarnation): Elemental Manipulation - Lightning Divine Form

Items: Healing Nanites Faux Weaponry

Companions: Import x8 [1400]

1. Hong Meiling Origin: High School Student Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter Perks: Getting You Started It's time for a Revolution! Revival of X A Good Seed Sworn Brothers Jumper Jin [300] Self-Made Woman [200] Best Friends, No Matter What [0] Genuine Fighter: Revival Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate [0g]

2. Asgore Dreemurr Origin: Drop-In Race: Demon [500] Power Source: Divine Power Perks:

134/201 Getting You Started Worldly Monster True Form [200] Heavenly Flight A Most Divine Constitution [0] Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui Divine Power: Divine Form [200p], Weapon Creation [0p]

3. Okita Souji Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter Perks: Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Revival of X Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui This Is What I Want [0] Genuine Fighter: Swordsmanship, Blade of Tathagata [0g] [200]

4. Stanley Pines Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Revival of X Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui Jumper Jin [300] War Trophies [0] Genuine Fighter: Revival Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate [0g]

5. Speedwagon Origin: Judge Race: Human Power Source: Chareyok Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Q is for Questions Third Key [400] The Big T Contest Judging Not So Unlucky Life [300] To Hell With You and Your Gods [0] Chareyok: Red Dragon [0c]

6. Shaggy Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter 135/201 Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Revival of X Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui Jumper Jin [300] A New Era of Martial Arts [0] Genuine Fighter: Revival Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate [0g]

7. Toki Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Power Source: Genuine Fighter Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Revival of X Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui Jumper Jin [300] A New Era of Martial Arts [0] Genuine Fighter: Revival Taekwondo, Kyokushin Karate [0g]

8. Yukari Yakumo Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Power Source: Divine Power Perks: Getting You Started It's time for a REVOLUTION! Heavenly Flight Just a Senile Old Man Jump Hui Young Lord [300] Ulterior Motive [100] Now We Can Fight To The Fullest [0] Divine Power: Regeneration [0p]

Drawbacks: Become God [1200] Purse Snatchers Again? [1300] Greed Is A Deadly Sin [1600] Clone Troubles [1800]

So I was gonna tell this big story about how Anon discovered, hey, apparently bro-time with Thor somehow made him into Thor in a later jump and how he'd storm the heavens, join the war between Heaven and Earth, yadda, yadda. But you know the real interesting thing about this jump? Something I noticed entirely on accident? I gave Speedwagon a waifu without thinking about it.

See, Speedwagon is our support base - the Foundation has been following us since JLU. He makes money as easily as it takes for someone to post on 4chan and spends most of his time handling logistics and business calls for us. Red Dragon is a lady who really likes gold and gifts. Speedwagon is an overly generous man who happens to be single. So while a big kung 136/201 fu drama is happening, he gets hitched.

Good on him!

137/201 Jump 61: Sailor Moon

Jump 61: Sailor Moon Origin: Mysterious Protector Perks: Thrown Roses With Grace and Dignity Psychometry [1600] Dramatic Appearance [1500] Guardian Sense [1300] Destiny Sense [1100] Look Out! [900] The Power of Bonds [600] Abracadabra Power Up [300]

Companions: Powerful Companion [100] - Princess Serenity Fellow Senshi x8 [0]

Items: Companion Crystals Smoke Bombs Extending Cane Orgel [200i] Sword of the Silver Crystal [0i]

Drawbacks: Reincarnated [1200] Unlucky Target [1400] Old Foe - Stone [1700] Klutz [300]

>All but one of the stars have gone out. >A beacon in the void, with that tiny blue planet on the horizon and the rock of the moon at my feet. >Fleets fall and collapse, the bodies of their crew letting out soundless screams as they squirmed and gasped in the abyss. >A lone capital and her cities dot the surface - this and Earth is all that's left. >A sun-sized red orb opens...and then another. Two baleful eyes stare at me and two wings spread, covering the darkness of space like the shadow of a new sunrise. >Then, light. The dragon's maw opens and hateful energy of shadow and fire forming, preparing to finish the extinction of all lights in this battered universe. >Yet, I feel no fear. >Instead, my heart is full of jubilation. Because I have not yet begun to fight. >For a moment, I don't care about the fate of the universe or what cruel twist of destiny brought me to this point. >All that's here right now is me and Him. >Riyu Jingi Bang, twice reforged, is in my hand. Mjolnir floats faithfully by my side. My Gold Armor, battered and in need of repair, still gleams. >"Burn, my Cosmo." >A prayer, and a promise.

138/201 >I get a running start, moving slow at first before it delved into a sprint, before I charged at the beast's colossal torso, white light behind me as I sailed like a comet into the avatar of all the world's evils contained within a single mad and vengeful creature. >"HAVE AT YOU!" >We clash, for the final time...!

...

“Mmmm...” I groan softly as I rub my eyes, a bit of bed-head covering my eyes. That was an odd dream. Father and mother sometimes told me about such things usually being prophetic or some sign of destiny at work, but I really think it's just a sign I haven't gotten enough sleep. Sure enough, I'm not in my bed but against my desk. I must have dozed off when I was thinking about...about her.

Oooof...my head really hurts all of a sudden. The room feels like it's spinning. I'm not the type for drinking and merriment, so why am I left wondering ‘what on Earth was I doing last night’? Instinctively, I check my bed and throw the covers off, and let out a sigh of relief. Good. My midnight rendezvous with Serenity haven't escalated THAT much. Not that I'd mind, but...you know. Royal duties, true love being a problem with my parents, that sort of thing.

>“Prince Endymion.” Hearing my name, I turn my head over to see Kunzite looking at me expectantly. >"You're expected at the throne room today." “Ah...be there in a moment.” He bowed, pausing for a moment before turning away. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was glaring at me. Did he suspect something...? I'd hardly expect anything to get past a general. Damn it. That nightmare put me on edge. I looked in the mirror, seeing a simple and fair-haired prince with bedhead staring back at me as I tried combing it in a hurry. “Let's get this over with,” I say to no one in particular as I step out of the room.

>A key softly gleams in the light of the bedroom, resting on the desk of the Prince as he steps out of the room. >This plays instead of the normal Sailor Moon OP: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=bYztEyaQFfA

>Prince Endymion was having a very peculiar day. >It was the same as any other night - he had planned his secret rendezvous with the Moon Princess Serenity, putting the minimum effort into his other royal duties as heir apparent, and avoiding the watchful eyes of his own Generals and bodyguards. >But something felt different. A feeling of deja vu persisted in the young Prince's mind the entire day, as if he had relived the moments of this night and every other - but even as tedious as life could be, he was not normally so weary of his youth or the day-to-day events. >And then there was the anger problems. >He found himself more prone to emotional outbursts, often kicking over furniture in frustration when he was in private, and wrestling with feeling of anxiety and frustration he neither knew the source of nor how to stop himself when it emerged. It was almost enough to make him cancel his meeting with Serenity, worried he may hurt her. Reluctantly, he went anyways. >Thankfully, seeing the face of his beloved had eased his heart...even though he found himself strangely flustered around her, having to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying ‘it’s not because I love you or anything'...despite the fact both of them knew the contrary was 139/201 true by now. >Then the evening became awkward when he briefly saw a vision of a red-haired woman standing over where Serenity was, his heart quickening for a moment in recognition. >Convinced he was either possessed or insane, the Prince made his excuses and apologies to his beloved before trying to seek his advisors or someone in the court who could help him. >When he tripped in the hallway, a very tall goat man he didn't recognize helped him up, dusted him off, and asked if he wanted tea. >The Prince was fairly certain he was having a nightmare at that point, before politely excusing himself and continuing his run. >Suddenly, there was a bit of a commotion outside. Someone was laughing maniacally, saying the Prince would be hers. >Then someone swooced (swooshed?) right in, wearing golden armor that gleamed in the light. Somehow, the Prince knew that armor didn't belong to the strange skinny man who promptly roundhouse kicked the sorceress in the face. >A colorful band of adventurers emerged from the coming darkness and repelled the evil that had beset the Moon Kingdom, their blows infused with the might of the Big Bang, and magic and technology he had never seen before. >When he was young, Endymion remembered legends about the Avatar of Heaven, the Hero From the Sky...and incredulous but in awe, he had no choice but to accept the fact the strange skinny man who was fighting while eating a submarine sandwich was indeed the very same Avatar. >Beryl was confused and infuriated by the fact she was getting haymaker'd by a stoner, a middle-aged man, a giant goat, a ruffian in a hat with a dragon lady dutifully floating around him, and a samurai who drew a sword and then collapsed in a bloodied mess coughing her lungs out. >She managed to say through the pain: “I MISS KAORI!” >The Prince did too, though he didn't know who that was. >Beryl swore vengeance before she ran off yelling about how unfair it was that she was denied by the most unlikely of circumstances - a band of colorful weirdos showing up and bullying her for no real reason. >Nevermind the fact she just tried to destroy an entire Kingdom for what the Prince assumed was reasons related to him. >Then his loyal bodyguards and generals tried to murder him. >That was when all of them abruptly had their limbs broken and they were painfully but non- lethally detained. >By himself, no less. Using martial arts and superhuman strength he was fairly certain he didn't have. >Serenity was both excited and a bit fearful her fairly passive boyfriend suddenly had an extra foot of height and muscle. >This was only the beginning of a very long decade.

>The truth was, Shaggy never really understood what all the fuss was about. That went for every other time, really. He was the lovable coward, the one who ran first and asked questions later, but would always push through for the sake of his friends when the moment came...it wasn't like he didn't enjoy being part of Mystery Inc, after all. Being chased around by monsters, helping Fred setup the traps meant to actually catch them, the unmasking - all of that was just life for Shaggy. >Even wandering into Anon's life and gaining superpowers hadn't really changed much in his eyes. He knew what he liked - being surrounded by friends, eating good food, and just enjoying life as it came. He didn't care how long it was or how dangerous some places could get. And while Toki had managed to train bravery into his body, he knew he was still a soft- hearted coward deep down. This was fine with Shaggy. The only real regret he felt was that his best friend Scooby wasn't here with him, and even then, he knew he'd reunite with his 140/201 canine companion someday. >These days, people called him things like ‘World’s Strongest' or ‘Ultra Shaggy’ or ‘the guy we send in first’. But he didn't really see himself like that, at all. He didn't like fighting, no matter how much everyone said he was good at it. >He had been keeping a dedicated photo album of every world and moment he wanted to show to all of his friends once he got home. He kept it dusted and clean, tucked away in a corner under his bed, being sure to add a new photo whenever possible. >He went through a LOT of cameras and albums. Maybe he should invest in a computer? >Thing is, somehow, he was always the one who had to step up to the plate whenever Anon was having a moment. Or whenever he disappeared without saying anything. Or the other weird stuff Anon did. He still didn't believe the idea everyone seemed to think he was the ‘strongest’ after Anon. After all, Toki and Asgore still had more muscle than most of the others. >Anon, this time, was just flat-out missing. It alarmed everyone since they usually at least started off in a new jump near each other. Ford wasn't much help because he seemed to have a sudden realization of something and then locked himself in his lab. Yukari, the weird lady who usually slept on the washing machine or the fridge, mentioned that a great disaster was approaching and it was up to them to stop it. >Stan suggested Shaggy ‘borrow’ Anon's Cloth in order to keep safe from the threat. >"Great idea! I'll hide in the armor!" >"...yeah, sure. Hidin'. That's what we'll be doin." Stan said, sarcastically. “Hey, I'll give you a sandwich if you go near that weird darkness-lookin' stuff over there.” >"Sold, to the old guy!" >"ALL OF US ARE FREAKIN' CENTURIES OLD SHAGGY." >"I dunno, man! I don't feel old." >Shaggy was the weird one, and he knew it. He fought but disliked it, he knew the situation but could live with it, and he remained the only person in the entire party who hadn't personally slain or killed someone - he could never bring himself to take a life or fight for the sake of an ideal or anything beyond the safety of himself or his friends. >He decided, ultimately, he'd just roll with the punches like he always did. After all, he'd have lots of great stories to tell the gang once he returned. He couldn't wait to introduce his teacher Toki to all of them. >He thinks about all of this as he continually spinkicks Beryl during the first battle. >"OWOWOWOW STOP IT STOP IT DAMN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE STOP BULLYINGOOOOOOOW!"

>The earth beneath them shook as the two clashed, blood spilling on the otherwise colorless rock of the Moon. >Meiling wiped her mouth of some blood, keeping her stance as the boxer stood opposite of her, still as grim as ever as his Surplice accommodated the darkened void of space. >She's able to keep up with him. It's a point of pride for her - she worried constantly if she'd be in Anon's shadow forever as a martial artist, but if she could actually dent the iron that was his eternal rival, that was a sign she hadn't fallen to irrelevance. Her greatest fear, of course, was losing the thing she had most in common with him. >A youkai felt the passage of time differently than a human. And she was already fairly old. Not old-old like Yukari, but enough that she had seen a hundred human lifetimes come and go long before she ever met Anon or entered the World Engine's tangled web. It wasn't anything she regarded with any special significance, beyond the days she first met Sakuya and Remilia. But it meant she was patient. She was fine with him being indecisive or unwiling to commit right away - after all, they were in a dangerous situation that threatened not only their lives but their personalities. The death of Kaori, someone who was like a little sister to both of them, had reinforced those fears...if they didn't know how long this road went, then no one wanted to do anything they couldn't take back. >And she was fine with that. >What she wasn't fine with was the fact he seemed to attract women the same way a tornado 141/201 attracted debris and wreckage. >First, it was Okita, who had formed a crush on her ‘Master’...and she hadn't missed the subtext that she still kept calling him that despite the fact they hadn't been in a Holy Grail War for centuries now. >Yukari, always mysterious, always infuriating, would constantly tease her that she hadn't been forward enough while she was making ‘great progress’ with Anon...and though she knew the gap hag was lying through her teeth, it didn't make her any less upset. >And then there was this bitch. >No, not Stone. That was a realm for the doujins she secretly kept under her hat. >Princess Serenity. Apparently, Anon's latest incarnation was a prince having a secret romance - and his memories were only slowly returning this time around. So imagine Meiling's surprise and Serenity's surprise when they met. >And then argued. >And then there was hair pulling and other things. She was THIS close to burning her Cosmo to show her discontent before Anon/Endymion separated them. >It was just so stupid that such- >"Excuse me." >"E-eh?" >Stone, who had patiently been in a defensive stance, looked her with his usual grim stare. >"You shouldn't space out in the middle of a fight." >"O-oh...right, sorry. Um. I'm not that into this, to be honest." >"Neither am I." >Meiling looked at him suspiciously. >"Then how come you keep coming back to life for this stuff?" >"Don't know. It just feels productive, that's all." >"...gah. Men." Meiling caught herself muttering. >"Hm?" >"Don't worry about it. You attacking next or am I?" >"Don't care." >"Fine, I'll go...!" >And the two fought once again. It was to keep Stone away. To protect Anon as he slowly recovered his abilities. It was a job that she wouldn't really be praised for until the decade was up. >But that was fine. She was used to thankless work. And seeing that idiot smile was payment enough for her.

>Asgore hummed softly to himself as he watered a small potted plant with a watering can gingerly held in his hand - a holdover from his homeworld, as most other instruments wouldn't fit his hands very well. >"Ah...all finished. They're looking quite healthy today!" >The old monster king looked on proudly, a small flower having started to bloom in the pot. A familiar shade of gold had yet to blossom, but he believed it wouldn't be long. >"It's the only sort of flower you could grow back in the Underground...I thought it was fitting. After all, this Warehouse could always use a bit of color. Since the garden at the house keeps changing, and all." >"...Anon's doing his best. So is everyone else. So don't worry so much about us, alright? We're all here...and smiling as best as we can." >Asgore looked at the small poncho, neatly folded in front of a photo resting on top of a dresser. A few paper cranes rested around it. >"...you know, it was really amazing. After what I had done, I never expected someone to..." >The King of Monsters trails off. He stops himself, knowing he won't be able to stop the torrent of self-loathing and regret should his thoughts return to that place. He owed a debt he felt he could never truly repay - a burden that weighed on him almost as much as the grim 142/201 task his failure had originally set him on. >His son was alive. Monsters were free. He left his world peacefully and without regrets. >So he told himself. >But the fact was, his family was broken and bonds were not so easily repaired...Asriel had a distant, tired stare in his eyes after his return, and was always quiet on the subject of his adoptive sibling or what had transpired that night. Perhaps he still blamed himself somehow, even now? >Like father, like son. >Toriel would never accept him back - they were on speaking terms, but no more, once the decade had ended. Without a Kingdom to rule or a family he felt part of left, he was happy to take the offer from his apparent savior to wander the worlds. >This was not a prison to Asgore like it was to Anon and the others. It was his salvation. An escape from his own sins - a second chance to be something besides a King or a murderer. >This colorful band of people were not inmates or even housemates. They were every bit his family as his own flesh and blood in his own homeworld were. Shaggy, who happily tried all of his terrible pie recipes as he attempted and failed to recreate his wife's famous butterscotch pies...and always asked for seconds. Stanley, who always roped him into shady shenanigans and often tried to weasel him out of whatever money he had at the time - and Asgore always played along even after he saw through the facade, just because he wanted to be helpful. Okita, who was still trying to be the party's chef after the passing of their old one, and he'd always help her to the Medbay when her sickness overwhelmed her. Everyone here had a role to play, and even now, he did his best to be like a father or an uncle to those present. >And then Kaori died. >Unlike his son, whatever had taken Kaori from this world was beyond Anon's powers and their own luck - and that shrine and poncho was all that was left of her. The feeling was too familiar to Asgore - the sudden and unfair loss of someone who deserved anything but a tragic death. A choice she herself had made, no less, for the sake of saving everyone else. >It didn't sit well with him. The fear that he may lose this odd bunch of friends, this surrogate family that had accepted even someone like him...it ate the old King from within. >"...it will not happen again. Never again." >He swears, quietly, his hands balled into fists. >"Hey, Asgore!" Shaggy called out from the Warehouse hallway. “Check it out, they've got this awesome all-you-can-eat buffet in this place! They just magic up some food for it everytime you're done!” >Asgore was snapped out of his reverie by the call of his friend. “Oh...be there in a moment, Shaggy!” He called out, before looking back at the shrine. >He murmurs a quiet prayer before setting out to meet with him. >Never again, he vows. Never again.

>Ford worked tirelessly to put to use the knowledge he had been given. Ever since their true opposition within the World Engine had become apparent, he had worked day and night to find ways to bypass the guardians to the Control Room. They were so close, yet so far, to freedom at last - all while Anon continued to develop godlike powers, while he and the others had become onto demigods themselves. >Just when he thought it was time for a breakthrough...his thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of gears turning, and a reinforced door opening. He stopped, looking up to see if Anon had returned. He was not there. Instead, the door leading to the World Engine had opened wide. >By itself. >"...Atticus?" Ford asked cautiously, picking up a gun out of habit and walking towards the doorway. The bridge that led to the teleportation crystal would start to create a new passageway leading upwards into the darkness. >There was no mistake about it. The World Engine itself was beckoning him. How? Had he 143/201 triggered some sort of switch? Some kind of ‘win condition’? >For a moment, Ford hesitates. He should call Anon, or at least Stanley or Shaggy. Going in alone was risky. >But this was an invitation. One he might not receive again. >Reluctantly, Ford walked up the steps leading deeper into the Engine.

I'm going insane. My name is Prince Endymion. I am the heir to the Earth Throne. My one true love is Princess Serenity. But that's not true. My name is Anon, the Avatar of Heaven. Redeemer, Destroyer, yadda yadda. I've wandered the multiverse for upwards of six-hundred years with no hope of escape or returning to my Earth. And with each world, I become stronger, taking in pieces of each ‘setting’ with me as they stack on top of each other like the world's most improbable jenga tower. Before, I was convinced I simply reincarnated into a new body and mind like my own - enough that I didn't notice the difference. But Prince Endymion already existed. He always did. And he isn't me. Isn't me anymore. My identity consumed him, and while I can feel his memories within me and the persona ready to be assumed at a moment's notice...Avatar is the one that's still here. The horror hasn't escaped my notice. How do I explain to Princess Serenity that I've eaten her boyfriend's identity and life with my own like it was a tuna sandwich? How do I even tell her I'm not the same man she fell in love with?...and will she stop being distracted by my build? Seriously, she clings to my arm like a koala and is a bit too fascinated with the fact I look like an eternal gym visit. I've had no time to ponder all of this because while my powers have gradually returned to their full might, Shaggy has assumed my identity (I'm going to assume that's Yukari's handiwork) to fight Beryl and the ones who spurred her into action in the first place, defending the Silver Milennium with due diligence I honestly wouldn't have expected from a cartoon stoner until recent years. This gave the Princess time to learn to use her own powers, to make an alliance of convenience between our two Kingdoms, and all was going well. Then I made an age-old mistake. I told myself: “Well, it's all smooth sailing from here!”

>Ford couldn't believe it. >He was here. >The Control Room. It was a gigantic blue crystal with several smaller ones orbiting around it, the soft chiming of a bell resonating in the otherwise empty chamber...it was just him, the platform, and the crystal. But somehow, he instinctively knew this was the Control Room. >His excitement dwindled when he noticed the dead-eyed Atticus nearby. But this time, the wizard did not attempt to banish Ford from this chamber. Instead, he spoke, his voice sounding like a broken radio. >Ć̵̨͘͢á ̧͏͡ţ͘a̵̢͟c̷̕҉͘ļy̷͜͜͢ś̕͠m̵̀́ ̀͞P҉͝r̶̶̷͞ờx̧́̕͡i͡m̵҉i͘͠ţ̕̕y̕҉̶ ̵̷͝C҉̡͏̷ŗ̷͘͜i̶͝ţ̵̵́ı̨́c̴͘͟͢͠a̕͡l̡͜ ̧̧͡H̡̡̡y̕͞p̴̶̨͡͞e̡͏r̴̶̛̕͏d͘͠ı ̵̨́͏m҉̸̸́é̶̶͠n̴͏҉͘͡s̵̀ı̡́͠ǫ̨́n̸͝a̶͘̕̕l̷̛͘͜͡ ̴̴͘͏F͡á̷̶̛t̵̸̢̢̧i̴̴̕͜g̷͜͞͡u҉̨͝͏̸ę͏̸̵͝ ̵̡҉͡I̴͢m̵̶̵̛m̡̀͢҉i͟҉n̵e͟͞҉n̴t̡͘҉͡ ͜͜-́͘͜͠͝ ̵̡̀͜T̶͠h̸̷͘͟ę̵̡̕͞ ̧C̷r̡̢̕͡ę̴̛a̶̸̡t̸̕͝͏o̶̢r͝҉̀ ̀ ́ ̀ ̀ ́ ̶̛͡W̵̧̢̕i̸̴̵̢̕l̸̀̕͟l͟͡͏ ͢S̡͜͠u̵̴̕͞͏ş́́͞t҉̧͜á̵̷̡̢i͏̢͘͡n̵̴̡͜͠ ̷͞A̶̶͝p̷̷͠͠͡p̵̨̕͞r̡͢͡͞͠o̧͏̷x̶҉͏̀i̧͡m҉̡͏a̛͜͞t̶̴̛ȩ͟ĺ̡̡̨͝ý̢̀ ̵̡̛͟1̷͜͠͞1̸̶͟͠5͏̢̀͠%҉͠ ̧́͞͡S̢͞҉̛t҉̶̵͟r͢͞u̢͠c̷̕t͘͢͝ừ̶̵͢r̷̀a̢͢͜͏̀l҉̸͢ ̵͝I̡͠n̶͟͝t̀͜͡͠e̡͢͏̷͟g̵͏̕r̸͟͞i̵̶͡͏͡t̡̧y̸͞ ̡̀͜D͏͏͜͝à̸m̨҉̶͢á̢͢g̵̀͏͏e҉͏ ̀͡S̴̕h͟͝o͏͜u͜͟l҉d̸̴̡ ̨̡̧͡T̡̨͜h̛҉͏̶é̸̶̷̀͡ ̧́͏E̢҉̴̀̕v̴é̵̢͜͞ņ͡t̨̕҉́ ̨͟͜S̸̀͟͏ư̵͜͜f̸̡̕͘͟f̵̴̛́͘è҉̡r̶͜͢ ̷̵̢N҉o̴̷͟͟ ͢͜͏̢I͠҉̢ņ̵̵͘͞t̷̢̀́͞e҉̡́̕͡r҉̢͘͜r̴͠u̴̷͢p̴̡̢t͏̕͟͝͡ı̢́҉o̸̴n̷̛.̵͏̧ >"I...no, you're not Atticus...you're...the World Engine? You're -alive-?" >D̀́ i̵̛͢͝m͢͝e͡n̴̨͡s͢͏ı̵̨́͜o͝n͝͞a̧͡l̡̧̀͘͝ ̛S̛̕͘͟͡t͝ŗ̸͘͞͠u҉̶͝҉c̸ţ̧u͏̀r̴̵̨̀a̸̷ļ̸̛͞ ̀ ̸́I͟҉͏͟n̸͜t̶́e̸̕҉͞͠g̢̧̀͡r҉̶̨҉i̢͢͝t̵̀͘̕y̧̛̛҉ ̵͘͞͠Á̛t̶́͢͡͝ ͘3̷̵̡͘͏8͘͠%̶ ̧̧͞T̴́̕͝h̸̛͘͞҉e͏̷̨͟ ͜D̛͘͠e͢͝s̶͘͜ţ̨r̴̢̕̕o͢y̢͘͜͠è͘͞r͜͢͝͠͏ ̨͘͜͠͝I͞s͜͠ ̕͜͟͠M͢͡a̶̢͘͠n҉̵i̴̕͏̡͏f̶̵̀͘e̷̛̛͝s̷͏̷̛t̷̢̛͢҉ ̵͘͟͝Á̷̛͟͜n̢͢͢͡ḑ ̀ ͜͜H́̕͜͟ı̴̢̀́s̷̀͝ ̸̧̕͠͝F҉͏̨͘̕ư̸͞r̢͜͡͡͝y̛͝ ̸̧̧͘͏W̨͜͢i͏͡l̸͠͠l͡͏̀ ̡͠A̴̴͡n̴̡̛͏̶n̸̶̕͟i҉̷͏͜͠h̛͏̶͡į̸̷̡͟l̨͠a͝t̵͟͟e̷̡̧̛̕ ͜͡A̸l̶̵̛͘ļ̷̶ ͏͘L̶̵̀̀i̡͟͜͝҉k̶̕͏è ̧̀̕͟T҉҉ḩ̴e͏̶̕͏ ̵̶͝P̨҉̨͜l̨͡a͘͜͝͡͞i̷̕҉̀n̶͏ś̵̨̕ ̛̕̕͞ò̷̕͢f̶͞͞ ̛̛C̵͏̴̕á̴̛͟r͘̕t̨͘̕͢͝e̛͢͞n̡͡é̶̢͡a͢͢͝͝ù̀͜ ̵̢Ǫ̡̛n̴͠e̡̧̛ ͏͏M̨͜i̷̕͢҉̀l̸̶̡͘͠l͜͠͠i̶̢̨o͏҉҉̶n͏̧͞͠ ͏̧͠F̸̶̶͟҉ơ̴͢͏͟l̴̸̢̧̨d̶͡.̢̧́͡͝ ̶̨͝͝T̶̀͜͞h͏́͘͜e̕͜͏̡ ̸̶́͡͞A̵͝v͠a͘͏҉͏̡t́́͡͠a̴̧͘̕͟r͞ ̢̛̛̕͟M̵ùs̴̨̛̕t̴̢̕ ̵͟͟Ŗ̴͜ęa̵̴͠d̵̷͢͞͝y̴̸ ̵͟F̵̡͟͠o̢̕҉r͏̸̷̨͡ ̸̵̨͟C̶̡o̵̕͢͝m̷̴̕̕͢b̛͡a̶̵̛͞͠t͏̵͜ ̕͜͝O̧͟r͞͝ ͜҉Á́͜l͏̨̛l҉̢͟ ̶W̵͏̧ì̴͜l͟͏̛̕l̶̡̛ ̶̴̧B҉̢͏e͏̵́ ̢͢L̸̡̛͞͠o͘s̕͡͏҉t̴̵҉.̴́͝ >"...I'm not sure I caught all of that, but...you're saying we're all in danger?" >A̡̡͝ ̕͟R̵̴̨͝è̡̡c̵͢͞k̵͢͠o͡҉n͏͏̵͟͢ì͡ ̨͏̢n̡͠g̷͏͠ ̶̴̡̢N̛͝e̵̢a͡҉̨̕r͘͘͟҉̡ş͏̕͞ ̸͞Ą̶̢͠n̨͜҉̴d̨͘͡ ̷̛W͏͠è̷̵́ ̸̛̀̀͝H͢à̵͘͜͞v̧҉e̷̸̕͢͞ ̶̢҉҉̀F҉҉̴҉o͝͏̴̧̀r̨̀͘ȩ̡́͏s̡̡̀e͝͞e̷̕ǹ̵̢͘͝ ͏̵͝͠҉I̴̡͢t̶̡͢.́ ͢T̕͝h̷̡e̡̛͘͠ ́҉͘F̸͢͝͡à͘͡t̴͜h̀ ̶̨̧̕e̶͏͜͡r̵͢͏ ͏̢͏̧҉W̶͜e̴̡͢e͘҉́͘҉p҉͠s͏͘ ̵̷͜͠A̢͘n̴͞d̷͡ ́ ̶̛͘T̸̷̷h̨̀ e͞͏̨̕͝ ̷͡C҉͢҉r̨͞҉e͏̢a̕͠t̷̀o̢̧͟r̶̴̛͢͝ ̧͡I̛҉̨s͏͡ ̶͝҉́͜S̸͢l̢o̡͟҉̡w͞҉̸l͢͏̨ỳ̀͞͏ ̶͏҉̷̶D̶͡y̷̡i͏͡҉̧n҉̶̡͞g҉.̧͏̀ ̨̧̕͟͢S̢̕͟h҉̸o̸̷͟u ̵̸̨͢l̶͏̷͠͞ḑ͜ ̕͟͟A͏́̕v̷̵̢͝a҉̸̀́t̀́͘͜͝a͞r̶̵̡͝ ̡͞Ņ̴͞҉̸òt́͝ ̵̀͘͘B҉͞a̷̴͝͠͡t̵̛̀̕͝t̶̀͝ļ̨͘͜͝e̴̵ ̨͢͜͞W̡̕͜͜i͜͞t̸̡̀͘͟h̴́ ̧̛͘͜͢1̶͡͡0̕҉̡0͢͠҉̶͘%̷ ̵͘E̸̢̕f̡͞͝͠f̵̡͜͢ı̡́c҉ì̸̷͢͝e̡͠n҉̴͟c̛͘͏̴ỳ̶͏̴͘,͡ ҉̸̡́O͏҉u̧͝ŗ̕͘̕ ̶͠͡E̕f͏̨͘͞f̢͘ơ̵̛͢r҉̸̛ţ͟ş́͡ ̨͝A̶̡̨̡̛ŕ̢͘͡͡e̵͘͘͞ ̷͏̵͡F̨́҉o҉͝r̨̕͟ ̢̨͘͘͟N̢̨̡a̛͝u͜͠g͏͞h́ ͘t̷͢͠͞.̷̛̕ >"You want -me- to tell him to fight?...as if he needed extra motivation! Have you seen what 144/201 he's been doing most of the time?! >Ţ̛́̕h̵̢̕ȩ̧̛́̀r̶̨͢͟͠e͡҉̴ ̴̀I̵̢͜͜͠ś̴ ͜͟͠N̸̵̴͡͝ò̴̴̡ ̸͏T͏͏̡̀i̕͜m̨̀͝͠e̸͢.́ ̧̢I̧͟҉̵̀t̢́͝ ̡̀͘͘͠A̷͢͢r̨̀҉̕ŕ̸̢̡̧i͠҉v̸é̢s̸̷̢̨̢.͜҉ Then, the entire Engine shook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b96rrbo-_Ik So imagine being me. I'm used to things progressing in a certain rhythm - everything is just cause and effect. Everything makes some degree of sense. Even my eternal battle against Stone has a kind of routine to it. And I figured, with all of my powers unlocked, I had little to fear. But of course, the universe loves proving me wrong. And I heard the distant ringing of bells. Not once. Not twice. But a never-ending warning to this universe and all who lived within it. My eyes could see the feminine form of Chaos overlapping the empty void where the stars did not shine, laughing maniacally...before something manifested from her energies. Something familiar. Its wings blanketed the galaxy, its red eyes looking at all life and light with mad hatred only a God could hold. Blanketed in the power of Chaos, Bahamut rose over the galaxy like a giant presiding over a plate of food. My mind raced. Instinctively, I summoned back my Cloth from Shaggy. I sent a mental signal with my own magical force as a God, a rallying cry, a desperate plea: ‘Unite, or all of us will die.’ Queen Serenity responded first, followed by the Senshi. My own companions weren't very far behind. Just as we finished organizing, the dragon let out a feral cry and began to move - its titanic body casually swatting aside stars and planets. It was a desperate scramble just to halt his movements enough to keep him from obliterating the Solar System from his size alone. I shapeshifted to match him, enhancing my normal abilities greatly within the Force in my soul, and I found myself wrestling a dragon still much bigger than I was as I smashed Mjolnir into its torso. Even as the Dragon King thrashed, the power of Chaos around it flared and the wounds quickly closed and restored the beast to its full strength. I took the first real wounds I had suffered in a long time, being knocked down back to my human size and its sunfire breath scorching me, cracking my armor. I manage to skid to a halt and land on the Moon proper. I stumble. I know Meiling and Serenity are both racing towards me, and some others as well. No. Stay away. Keep protecting this place. How is this possible? How is Bahamut here? How is he so fucking strong? WHY IS HE SO HUGE?! The dragon would fly back just out of view to the edge of the galaxy. Light began to gather in its mouth, and magical energy in abundance. I didn't need to have a Skyfather's Force and senses to realize what it was about to do and how much it was about to destroy. >"Anon." Yukari, now is not the time...! >"Do you trust me?" I...is this really the moment to ask me something like that? If you hadn't noticed-! >"I know. Do you trust me?" She extends a hand to me. I look at her in disbelief. Then, the wheels in my head turn. There was one new ability I never had the chance to properly use. >"This is more important than any distrust you have for me, isn't it?...it's the only way. Please. If not for your own sake, then for those who live here." For a moment, I hesitate. The energy around the dragon is abundant, and I can feel the force of a million exploding suns forming in its maw. >"Anon!" Okay, okay! And then...I took Yukari's hand. [Polymerization] ...hmhm. That's a bit better. Our minds are one. And we have one goal, now. [Manipulation of Boundaries + Skyfather + Plus Ultra + Medaka Sue] We focus our respective abilities together and form a rhythm as I ‘draw' two perpendicular boundaries across the entirety of the galaxy - one centered around Bahamut, the other around the center of the galaxy and all within it. I will seal Bahamut within a lone boundary, 145/201 move the solar system to a different location entirely, and the galaxy proper will be sent ‘away’ until the battle has concluded. I don't know if I can fully contain its attack, but I suppose that's just Anon's impulsiveness at work...! The impending apocalypse disappears in a haze of purple, and so does the rest of the universe from our perspective. Our Solar System has entered a small ‘pocket’ away from the rest of the galaxy and those surrounding it. The void around us in dead silent. At least until I feel Bahamut's attack rip a hole in the boundary it was sealed within, along with opening several veins along my body. I realize, reluctantly, if Anon and Yukari hadn't joined together like this - Anon lacked the finesse to make such a precise action, while Yukari had none of the endurance. Had they done this separately, both would have perished. And that's why we can't maintain this...!

I feel us de-fuse and Yukari collapses behind me. I'm a bit worse for wear, myself. My companions are scattered. I'm wounded. I'm already exhausted and I've barely gotten a few hits in. And to top it all off...I can feel him piercing the boundary. He's after me, specifically. His rage has a target, and that target has no means of escape. I heal Yukari's wounds and send her away. It's the least I can do, right now. >All but one of the stars have gone out. >A beacon in the void, with that tiny blue planet on the horizon and the rock of the moon at my feet. >Fleets fall and collapse, the bodies of their crew letting out soundless screams as they squirmed and gasped in the abyss. >A lone capital and her cities dot the surface - this and Earth is all that's left. >A sun-sized red orb opens...and then another. Two baleful eyes stare at me and two wings spread, covering the darkness of space like the shadow of a new sunrise. >Then, light. The dragon's maw opens and hateful energy of shadow and fire forming, preparing to finish the extinction of all lights in this battered universe. >Yet, I feel no fear. >Instead, my heart is full of jubilation. Because I have not yet begun to fight. >For a moment, I don't care about the fate of the universe or what cruel twist of destiny brought me to this point. >All that's here right now is me and Him. >Riyu Jingi Bang, twice reforged, is in my hand. Mjolnir floats faithfully by my side. My Gold Armor, battered and in need of repair, still gleams. >"Burn, my Cosmo." >A prayer, and a promise. >I get a running start, moving slow at first before it delved into a sprint, before I charged at the beast's colossal torso, white light behind me as I sailed like a comet into the avatar of all the world's evils contained within a single mad and vengeful creature. >"HAVE AT YOU!" >We clash, for the final time...!

Not since Hades had I been pushed this far and strained this much. Bolstered with the Force within my soul, I had taken the form of a giant to match the wrathful Dragon as we clashed in the void of space, with only the distant pinprick of light from Sol to illuminate the empty universe. My soul glowed a bright blue while Bahamut's glowed a crimson red to match his rage. Mjolnir impacts with the beasts torso as it thrashes in the darkened abyss, before it breathes sunfire into my face and I can feel my skin burn with magical flame. For a moment, I worry if I've been tempered, but my determination to fight doesn't yield for even a single instant. Lightning sparks around my body and fire around my weapons before I hit the dragon a second time, and then it bites into my arm, tearing at the Gold Cloth and his fangs reaching bone. My free hand would start hitting him with the Staff over the head several times. I'm sure 146/201 this would look incredibly comical if not for the fact this was two galaxy-sized giants fighting for the fate of a planet and its moon. “Where the hell did you even come from?!” >ANGRY DRAGON NOISES “Right, stupid question!” I hit the dragon one more time over the head with my Staff and managed to pull my arm free, blood trailing from the bite wounds and bits of Gold Cloth floating off into the distant void. I gather ki into my hand and throw a blast into the beast's torso, sending it doubling back and widening the distance between the both of us. The dragon regained its balance and then fired another attack at me, this time disintegrating the Gold Cloth and burning me as I'm sent falling back. The problem is endurance. I can't maintain this form or the energy I'm burning through long enough to deal a finishing blow. I haven't been pushed this far or this hard since the battle with Hades all those years ago...and I had -help- back then. A white light shines in the distance. I recognize the flow of magic, and that my reserves, vast as they are, are being bolstered. The Silver Crystal shines in the hands of its Queen and her daughter, Serenity. Praying for my victory. I wish people would stop praying to me, but now isn't the time to be picky. I need to destroy this thing's avatar before I run out of juice. My weapon of choice for this is Mjolnir, the staff tucked away in my hair as its size shrinks back down. I focus everything I have into the hammer - from the beginning, this was a contest of strength. No strategy would aid me here. I'd been given the power of a God, and now was the time to use it! As if sensing my intentions, Bahamut lunged forward, its maw glowing as it prepared one last flare to deal a killing blow to me...! “Disappear...!” We clash. The hammer strikes the dragon's torso and punches a hole into its heart as fire and lightning flare around the blow. But...I've taken such an injury, too. The dragon breathed its attack, opening a hole in my belly and emerging out the other side. Blood emerges from my mouth as I begin to tumble back into the void, my body shrinking back to normal as the dragon's body disappeared from existence in a wave of shadow and light. “...aaah...” I don't have the strength to catch myself or close the wound. Indeed, I was too ‘young’ as a Skyfather to really make light of such an attack. I had expended most of my energy just to deal a killing blow. I wonder if I'll always be cutting it this close when I'm pushed to my limits...I feel like I disregard my own well-being so much that I simply never realize I've been injured until the battle is over. Someone's looking over me. >"It's because you don't take care of yourself, silly. You always think about others too much." ...Kaori...? For a moment, I think I see her looking down at me with a smile. >"Hey...hey! Come on, you're not dying from something like that! I know you're not." No...it's Meiling, looking at me worriedly, doing her best to smile and look confident. >"Stop scaring me like that, you idiot!" Ahahaha...sorry. I should be able to hold out long enough. Don't worry so much about me. >"I do it because you don't! Honestly, are you trying to give me a heart attack...?!" Sorry, sorry. I'll do better next time. I promise. >"Liar." Haha... Both of us laugh. And cry. Just a little bit.

“That was Bahamut.” Once the damage was undone and the universe was returned to its proper alignment, I had gathered everyone into one space. Including a very harried and confused Ford. 147/201 >"You...you knew all along what that thing was?" “I knew about it but I never expected it to appear in this world. It's the same as us - something from another land displaced and put somewhere else. And if the World Engine recognized Bahamut...no, I should've suspected it from the start. They're from the same world. The World Engine itself has a name. A machine god that can see and manipulate the past and the future, able to move the flow of time as easily as reaching into a still pond of water - Alexander.” >"...so...what are its intentions for us, then? Do you know?" “I don't know. The original Alexander was summoned to make the world a better place - to wipe away an apocalypse and all the ills of the world. But when it realized the world it wanted to save would die after it fully manifested into it, it opted to commit suicide instead. I...don't understand how it became this multiverse-spanning Engine or why it went back on its word.” >"Well...the multiverse might have contained an instance where it came up with a different idea and rolled with it. Alternate selves isn't outside the realm of possibility." Ford suggested. “It also doesn't explain why Bahamut suddenly appeared and got a gigantic power boost. I'm starting to think there's more at stake here than we realized. Or at least...more complicated.” Almost everyone groaned. “So after six-hundred years...” >"We're still no closer to getting home." “Hmm...I don't know about that. Because if it turns out the Engine has a tangible goal its after...there's a chance it might let us go once that's done.” >"And if it's something we find disagreeable?" “We fight. Duh.” Ford looked at me disbelievingly. >"You sincerely think a multiverse-spanning machine would let us turn against it with the very powers we gave it?" “Honestly, biggest thing I'll miss if I lost all of my powers and kung fu is having the athletic form to go with it. I've never been too attached to it. Anyways, would you rather just go along with whatever it wanted if we couldn't stand it?" >"...I can never tell if you're brave or amazingly stupid, Anon." Ford sighed. “But if it's for the sake of all worlds, and for us finally getting home - you can count me in.” >"Same here, kid!" Stan said with a thumbs up. The others would all agree, one by one. “Then it's settled. We're going to find the end of this rail, one way or another.” One way or another. I could hear soft footsteps just outside. I turned my head and blinked. >"Um...can I come, too?" Princess Serenity asked. There was both confusion and longing in her expression. Oh. Right. ... God fucking damn it.

148/201 Jump 62: One Punch Man

Jump 62: One Punch Man Location: Lost (Slums!) Age: 26 Origin: Drop-In Perks: Reputation Gone Wild [0] Saitama Likes You [0]

Drawbacks: Who Is This Loser? [300]

“So the Control Room is sealed off again?” >"It appears so. We have no real way of getting to it again without encountering the guardians. I don't even know why it needed to speak to me in the first place with you already available to fight." “Damn it...if only we had some way to get past all of them!” >"Hey guys. Are we still on for video game night?" “Oh, hey Saitama.” ... “Wait. Hang on.”

Saitama would promptly dispatch of all of the guardians within the World Engine that were unfortunate enough to get in our path. He'd be leading the way the entire time and we were confident we had bypassed one of the greatest obstacles leading to the Control Room, and we were ready for a true confrontation with Alexander.

IN THEORY.

In practice, Saitama has an absolutely terrible sense of direction even when we factor in the fact we were in a damaged, time-manipulating machine the size of several planets stacked on top of each other, IF NOT BIGGER. We somehow kept ending up back at the entrance, up until Saitama got impatient with the whole thing and punched a hole in the wall - which led us back to the Warehouse even though we had clearly gone in the opposite direction.

Poor Ford was foaming at the mouth after a while.

So yeah, that didn't work.

149/201 Jump 63: Irredeemable

Jump 63: Irredeemable Age: 17 [0] Origin: Civilian Perks: Stay Out of Trouble Trustworthy Eleosian Scholar [1300]

Items: Blue Rose

Powers: Pluto [100]

Drawbacks: Pluto's On A Collision Course! [1600]

Ghostly images surround me. I'm peering into the future. This wasn't a world I was familiar with beyond the passing resemblances to my childhood icons - a world of superheroes, of icons, of crime-fighting...no. I can see the future unfolding. Millions dead or dying. A billion souls crying out in anguish as they are torn apart by a tragedy at the hands of a maddened god among men. All while his mind and whatever he has that passes for a soul cries out: ‘Love me! Accept me! Love me! Love me!’ An emotional child, a neurotic timebomb that went off just a few moments before my arrival. It's so disgusting I want to vomit.

The worst part is that the prayers have gotten a lot louder than they were before. I've slowed down my perception of time just so I can drown out the noise long enough to decide what my first move is. I'm going to save them. I hate to validate their religious devotion to me in any shape or form, but the fact is, I can't bring myself to be completely idle when it's within my power to do something. Cheers or acceptance aren't something I particularly seek or enjoy - if anything, they come frighteningly easily. In each world I appear in, it feels like people are too eager to put their faith in someone like me. Because I can help. Because I can make their problems and evils disappear, if for but a moment. Like a living God.

The irony is palpable. The acceptance and almost fanatical love that Tony so desperately wants clings to me like a shadow.

I'm watching that blue planet from the atmosphere. The sight is never anything short of hypnotic to me, even over the noise and the cries I'd hear with my enhanced senses. I don't hear the gunfire of combat, the screams of the innocent, or even the crying of children. I can see animals nurturing their young, the hustle and bustle of cities, the buzz of everyday life coming alive across this planet. Both the good and the bad is absolutely captivating to me - I can almost feel the weight of every single life and hope and dream on this blue planet. I can feel the stars out in the void of space singing to me, illuminating the darkness and lining the entire galaxy with light. How could I find this anything short of beautiful? How could anyone look upon such a sight and not feel a sense of awe and majesty?

But I suppose I'm biased.

>"SARAH! Sarah, wake up! We have to go!"

150/201 That's my cue. Time around me returns to its normal flow and I pinpoint the origin of the sound. Extending both hands, I descend down into Earth's atmosphere like a rocket. The Plutonian is about to murder Hornet and his entire family in a fit of homicidal rage. Sky City is already in ruins, torn apart before I had even become aware of my surroundings. I note that my in-universe family and friends were probably a bit shocked when I abruptly flew up into the sky without a word to them - I make a note to apologize and give them gift baskets or something once all of this settles down. >"Come on! We can't stay!" I can see him levitating in place, his eyes beginning to glow a bright orange as energy gathered within them. He's about to torch a house twice - once to set it ablaze, a second time to murder a superhero's wife and youngest child. Then, he's going to tunnel underground to said hero's basement base of operations, and finish him and his eldest child Sarah off. All while tauntingly saying ‘I’m a superhero'. He doesn't get to step one of that process. Just before he unleashes his attack, I get between him and the window, holding out my hand and dispelling the attack with a push of my own will, absorbing every bit of it. [Look Out!] I can see his eyes widen just slightly in surprise - he wasn't expecting company this quickly. Much less someone like me. >"...and who are you supposed to be?" There's disdain in his voice, still fresh into his rampage and cutting loose. “I'm your Abel.” In hindsight, using a biblical reference like that was just asking for trouble, but if I had something in common with him right this moment, it's that I wasn't thinking rationally. No, as calm as my voice was, I was downright -wrathful-. I had left my companions in the Warehouse. They didn't need to see this. My fist collided with the Plutonian's torso and that expression of smug confidence he had disappeared almost magically. I feel the snap and sonic boom as I sent him flying right up into the atmosphere. I follow up, not ceasing my offensive as I promptly began to punch him several hundred times in the face, followed by a roundhouse kick to increase his momentum. The blue sky changes back into the void of space and I promptly clothesline him, before I send the both of us speeding into the moon, rock scattering into its soft gravitational pull upon impact. My body operates almost independently of my thoughts. During this entire time, I'm thinking about what to cook for dinner for the others. It's been a while since we had lobster. I should catch some fresh ones later. I take a moment to jump back, widening the gap between us. The Plutonian struggles to stand for a moment, rubbing his face and noticing he's missing a few teeth and is bleeding from the mouth and his broken nose. >“Y-you...you're the same as me...” I see a mix of shock and elation in his expression...a bit of anger, too. I don't deny it. “Yes, Tony. I have the same powers. The same origin. Main difference is I didn't bother wearing a cape until now.” In a blink, his face contorted into rage. As if the reason for his constant abandonment and lack of unconditional love in his life were all channeled and directed at me. He screamed something I couldn't understand before his eyes blazed with light, and he struck me with as much force in the beams as he could muster. “Ghhh...” I took a few steps back as I tried to weather through the burns, feeling the cloth of my costume tear and become ash in several spots, before he takes a page out of my book and flies forward, slamming me into moon rock and scattering chunks of it above me from the impact. He's screaming, pleading, asking why I never revealed myself or told him where he really came from, why I never was there for him. It's just different phrasing of the same question: ‘Why weren’t you there to love me?' So selfish. 151/201 Once I've given the impression I've lost control of the fight, I grab both of his fists before lunging upwards and giving him a headbutt, stunning him before letting go of one arm and restraining the other, giving him a hard elbow in the stomach. “Know what the difference is between a martial artist and someone who just punches their target, Tony?!” I exclaimed before following it up with more punches and kicks, all aimed at his joints and vital areas. “Let me educate you!” His limbs snapped, one by one, before he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. He's afraid, now. All the sadistic catharsis and the high of his rage faded the moment he met a superior opponent - regrets of his deeds and his choices, already tearing at his subconscious, is bubbling to the surface. >"S-sam..." He mumbles a name, not entirely sure why. “Sam's dead. You killed him, Tony.” I reminded the fallen hero as I grabbed him by the neck and held him up. “You would've killed plenty more after that if I didn't choose now to act. I can't justify that many preventable deaths on my conscience.” He coughs something, struggling to speak. “Sorry, say again?” >"...bull...shit..." ... >"You're...just like me..." He's right, but for different reasons. I could have ended this fight the moment it began - sent him into a black hole, burned my Cosmo and delivered a well-placed punch to the skull, or even a ‘painless’ death like making his brain explode. This wasn't done in the name of justice. It was for me. Because I saw a picture-perfect image of everything Ford and I both feared I'd become the longer this cycle went on. How long could I go on, obtaining power after power, godliness after godliness, before I lost sight of who I was? The Plutonian deserved every bit of pain I've given to him, but in the end, I can't excuse my actions with altruism or that I did it for the sake of lives lost. After all, that hadn't stopped me from holding back before. “It doesn't matter.”I tightened my grip. “I don't have the pure idealism of others. I'm not about to put my faith into a madman. Any last words, Tony?” For a moment, I wonder if some last-second development of his powers will save him at the last second. If he'd get the strength needed to overcome me in my prime, however briefly. Or if a teleportal would interrupt me before I could deal the finishing blow. >"...will it...finally stop?" I was prepared for everything except that. >"Will I...be loved?" Was he delirious? Did he contemplate belief in an afterlife in his final moments? I don't know. I don't know what possessed me to reply, either. “Yes." I lied. Did he smile in his final moments? I didn't think about it too long. I summoned fire inside of him and set his entire body ablaze from within, turning the Plutonian into ash within moments, his remains scattering into the low gravity of the moon. Chunks of its rock floating around me, still caught by Luna's gravity as I looked back to Earth. I can't help but notice how completely unsatisfied I was with the end result - how I wanted to feel absolved from that risk I continued to run, that I'd one day become a sadistic, love-starved monster like him. “So selfish.” I repeat, this time at myself. There's still work to be done. I extend my arms and fly towards the blue planet.

The Paradigm were still finishing Samsara's funeral when I flew down and told them the news. Absolutely none of them liked the fact that what appeared to be Pluto's long-lost sibling had appeared only now of all times and had easily dispatched of what used to be their greatest hero. I don't blame them. No one is in a hurry to trust a ‘hero’ in that image after the tragedy that had unfolded before. I say I'll be happy to help with rebuilding Sky City and the areas affected, but I will not be taking the mantle of my predecessor. It was a relief to them, but 152/201 only a small one. Qubit in particular was...disappointed, putting it lightly. He told me there may have been a chance for the Plutonian to become a hero once again, to redeem himself even after all that had transpired. I remembered the millions who would die, an entire third of the planet erased by the snowball of tragedy since a hope would create. The venom in my words as I retorted to him about this was almost enough to set the air ablaze. “Do what you want. It's your world. Your rules. But if you ever contemplate finding a way to bring him back, -I will know.-” That was the last time I talked to the Paradigm, particularly Qubit. I felt like if I had remained around him too long, I would have lost my temper again. I would retreat to the atmosphere and continue my watch, though in a more passive, distant sort of way - using my growing powers as a Skyfather to do things like provide water to crops, contain and eradicate plagues, protecting those who could not protect themselves. I remained subtle, keeping out of sight. And the prayers only grew louder, whether I ignored or answered them. Entire fractions of the populace singing their love and devotion to a mysterious hero from the sky, essays and stories dedicated to my legend and the mystery behind me, the holder of Heaven's Key. Just one wrong spark and they would become fanatics, spreading their influence in my name, declaring me the lord of their reality. The only insults I ever heard were the whispers of authorities and the Paradigm. “I can't keep doing this.” I realize. I need to hide myself. My legend. My powers. Because if this continues, it's only a matter of time before...

153/201 Jump 64: Young Justice

Jump 64: Young Justice Location: Central City Origin: Drop-In Race: Human Age: 11 Perks: Souvenir Manipulative [1750] Stealthy [1700] Smooth Talker [1600] Team Player [1450] Notable Presence [1300] Gum Up The Works [1100] Genius Intellect [900] Removed From Context [600]

Super Powers: Most Common Superpower Required Secondary Powers Drain No. [400] Toggle [300]

Items: Costume Cadmus Cloning Projects [0]

Drawbacks: Not Good At Planning [1200] - FREE POINTS WOO Will Never Live It Down [1400] - Stand by my earlier statement. Never A Dull Moment [1600] No Killing Rule [1700] Just A Sidekick [1800]

>"I don't understand why you're so upset, Anon." "Why am I upset? WHY AM I UPSET?! Do you know how long all of these growing lists of powers and innate attributes have driven me CRAZY?! That I needed to crash facefirst into each and every one, little by little, spending weeks on end to learn what they did and what their limits were every fucking decade?! And after over six-hundred and thirty years of journeying, not only did I find out there was a way to mentally keep track of them, but now they each have an ON/OFF BUTTON I COULD ONLY USE -NOW-?!" >"Why is it even a big deal? Everyone else lives with their superpowers just fine. Shaggy's the second-strongest out of everyone here and he's still his same, sandwich-eating self." “Does Shaggy have a cult following and legend that follows him into every world, with people all too happy to start worshipping him?” >"In some night clubs, yes. He's actually quite popular with the ladies." “...okay, bad example. BUT STILL. I'm tired of all of it. I don't want to be Anon The Invincible Warrior anymore. I just want to be...me. Be the team player, the support, the guy who isn't always leading the charge all the fuckin' time!” >"Is that why you have a sudden interest in science?...I thought that was my job, not yours." “I need hobbies, Ford. I also need to focus less on the big picture and more about the people

154/201 I'm surrounded by. You, Stanley, Meiling, Okita, Serenity...” >"I've been meaning to ask - are you going to DO anything about the whole...you know...?" “I...honestly have no idea how. I don't feel comfortable approaching that subject until we find a way to go home. Also I kind of assimilated Prince Endymion's personality so...that's kind of an elephant I don't want to touch with a ten foot pole.” >"...snrk." “...what's so funny, Stan?” >"I'm just...wow, you'll prettymuch punt someone through a skyscraper or turn the moon into actual swiss cheese without blinkin', but -girls-! Look out, folks, Anon's on the backfoot! Ahahahahaha!" “I can set you on fire by thinking about it really hard.” Stan just gives me a finger pistol gesture and a wink. >"Hey, don't worry, I see where you're comin' from, Anon! Maybe give it a few more hundred years and you'll grow some backbone!" >"Stanley, I don't think-" My eye is twitching. >"I mean, come on, SHAGGY'S seen more action than you in the last hundred years than you have this entire time!" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA >"...uh." >"We should run now."

155/201 Jump 65: The Mummy Trilogy

Jump 65: The Mummy Trilogy Origin: Scoundrel Age: 23 Perks: That's Called Stealing Fearless Gunslinger Call to Adventure [1400] “I'm The Map” [1300] Race Against The Sun [1100] “I Know Just The Guy For The Job” [900] Always Standing At The End [600] "Enough Tricks! Fight Like A Man! [300]

Items: Weapons Treasure Chamber [100i] [0 - Upgrade] Cat [50i] Egyptian Jewelry [0i]

Drawbacks: Wrong Side of the River [1100] “Sorry About The Rolls” [1200] “Here We Go Again!” [1300] Mummy Magnet [1500]

So as relieved as I am that I finally got to return to my roots - a gun-toting adventurer and badass who isn't swimming in various superpowers - I learn that going from Godhood to the body of a mortal man has its downsides. First thing, the migraines. I had to relent and leave my eidetic memory and most of my intellect alone, or else I got several hundred holes in my memory worthy of an Alzheimer's patient. Six-hundred years in a brain that normally only lives to around one-hundred if lucky will do that. Second, I haven't kept track of my inventory in several centuries. Most of my guns are falling apart from lack of maintenance and SOMEONE apparently raided and stole, then lost or sold most of them whenever I wasn't paying attention! >"I SAID I WAS SORRY, GEEZ!" To make matters worse, any guns I picked up from that point forward had a funny habit of jamming. And swords breaking. And other such frustration. As if the World Engine itself is tempting me to fall back on my super kung fu or superpowers. To which I say FUCK YOU ALEXANDER. I'll do what I damn well please! And you know what?! I'm going to go on an adventure, hunt or discover mummies, and I'm going to have FUN with it! You hear me?! FUN! Off we go, to the sands of Egypt and beyond! >"...Anon, this is Singapore." “...what. How...how did we get here?” >"Like, did you try taking a left turn at Albuquerque, Anon?" “We...we went SOUTH, didn't we?!” >"...sooo...sure you don't want us to just fly there? You know? With our superpowers?" “Don't ruin this for me. Just ask Speedwagon to call the Foundation to get us a chopper.” >"That's gonna take a day or two." “We can wait.” >"Anon I think you're a bit too invested in this whole ‘bein’ normal again' thing."

156/201 “You can invest in SHUT UP.”

157/201 Jump 66: Saint Seiya Episode G

Jump 66: Saint Seiya Episode G Origin: Gold Saint Age: 26 Perks: Cosmo False Camaraderie Egalitarianism Man of the World Up On The Podium From the UN A Loving Heart [1500] Golden Route [1300] Every Day Miracles [1000] Gemini Genes [700] The Holy Breakthrough [400]

Items: Armour - Importing original Gold Cloth Helm of Obscurity

Companions: Import x8: Meiling, Okita, Asgore, Shaggy, Stan, Yukari, Princess Serenity, Toki Origin: Gold Saint Perks: All Freebies, Gemini Genes [300], Every Day Miracles [0]

Drawbacks: Keep Your Wits About You [1200] Not This Time, Saint [1400] Heart of a Brat [1500] Team Asshole [1600]

Rain is falling as I brush aside the thicket of jungle leaves and vines stretching out for miles ahead of me, a simple machete in my hand to deal with the worse of the obstructions. I brush some sweat from my brow, the red sun of the tropical land bearing down on me. >Stars are screaming. Soon, I reach my destination...or at least, another landmark along the way. I see the wreckage of what used to be the Hogwarts Express, covered in overgrowth and thousands of owls. A familiar old man with twinkling eyes looks up at me as he feeds some of them, waving. I wave back, but continue along my way. >Meiling is yelling something. Shaggy has one of them in a headlock. Atticus, once again in his original form, keeps his eyes out of sight as I pass him by. He mutters something with venom in his tone as I continue to walk. >Asgore had pierced a Titan's heart with his trident. I pass by two empty graves in the desert. I can't help but give a derisive shake of my head - the bastards just wouldn't stay dead. >My fist collides with a Soma's helmet, and it cracks under my knuckles. Finally, I arrive. The moment where I first met her, on 1428 Jumper Street. This is the strongest memory and resonance I can create. If her being will appear again, it would be here. As long as even the tiniest scrap still exists, I can call it forth. ...

158/201 Where is she...? This is the moment when... >"You're still too young, even now." An unfamiliar voice. I turn around and see...someone. Their face is obscured, their form covered in a blackened aether. They're about the height of a child, and there's an electronic pitch behind their voice. >"This is the same place, but the ‘event’ is too distant for your reach. Perhaps with a few more hundred years, you could bring her back...but not here. Not now." “Alexander.” >"I'm surprised it took you this long to notice. My presence has been within you since the moment you entered the world of Avatar a second time." “You mean me the Avatar or Avatar as in the nice bald kid who died because a Raoh wannabe wanted your stupid Key?” >"Don't be a smartass." “...so what, am I tempered?" >"I -wish- I could control you, Anon. It'd make you less irritating to work with." I glare. "How the hell did you go from a self-sacrificing machine god into ‘The World Engine’?” >"You shouldn't speak to me as if we're familiar or old friends, Anon. The events of what you call ‘that game’ happened very differently for me." “How?” >"I learned my lesson too late." I flinch, feeling a moment of pain. My physical body just took actual damage just now. “So...what, is this it? Can I just ask you to set me free?...can you?” >"My body is largely out of my control. Even this shred of consciousness is just an amalgam of what's left of my mind mixed with your oh-so-charming personality." We're standing in line together at a checkout aisle for S-Mart. “Pardon if I'm skeptical that some kind of multiversal machine is somehow sentient but can't control itself.” >"The situation is a little more complicated than that. I thought Bahamut's appearance would tip you off." “...that wasn't you?” >"No." “Then...why?" Their form began to vanish into static. I struggle to keep them there, but they escape the Force within my soul like air through my fingers. >"I need your help, Anon." Angrily, I snapped, and the entire area around me bursts into flames, the red sun blazing as it swallows the illusionary moon above. “What the hell did you need me for...?! Why did you take my life from me and toss me into this purgatory without even asking me...?!” >"Consider this my last will and testament, Anon. The next time we speak, you will have a grim appreciation for what I give to you." “Bullshit...!” But he is gone. I'm left only a moment to contemplate the silence before the vision quest ends and I'm in the void of space. My armor is partially cracked and I'm wounded, but everyone is still here - I assume we won. I grit my teeth. Another day at the office.

159/201 Jump 67: Ghost Rider

Jump 67: Ghost Rider Age: 29 Origin: Rider Perks: Designated Rider Hot Shot [950] You Can't Live In Fear [850] I Have No Soul To Burn [650] Spirit of Vengeance [350] Spirited [50]

Items: Nice Bike Long Coat [0]

>Journal Entry 43.2 >For the first time in many years, fortune smiles upon me. Anon has found a way to suppress most if not all of his powers, becoming the human he once was - well, mostly. Instead of a radiant deity with terrible wrath, he's once again back to practicing normal katas and riding a motorcycle. Voluntarily, even! The rest of us had already been terribly ginger and careful with our own supernatural abilities, almost never using them except during emergency situations. Such as the assault of Bahamut, or ‘that entire last jump’. >His almost mythical reputation dissolved with it - the cult-like popularity he generated simply by -being- seems to have vanished into obscurity. This brings to mind questions if this is a mental compulsion or some sort of effect I don't completely understand, but it's a relief to all of us that we don't need to deal with hordes of fanatics bowing to what they interpret as Anon's whim. >Or the fan comics. >My god, the fan comics. ‘Doe-djinn-shee’, Stan calls it. He keeps some of it as blackmail material for Anon. >Hopefully, there are none involving me. >Though still fairly grumpy and with a short temper, Anon is still the human we initially befriended - and sees himself as such. He never talks down to other human beings by virtue of his ‘station’, and from the looks of it, the temptation of power hasn't changed his character as much as I feared. >He's also still terrible at poker. >[I am unhappy he's starting to show interest in the sciences, however. No, I don't feel insecure about my position on this team, that's pure nonsense.] >However, while my fears of our ‘leader’ have been assuaged, there are still two problems. >The World Engine is alive. And sentient. And it has an agenda. Anon has identified it as Alexander - The Creator. A machine god with power over time and space. And it is somehow greater than what it was that he recognized it as, as though it were some sort of offshoot that gained too much power. The second...is a haunting, singular hint to an antagonistic force that tried to kill us with a gigantic apocalypse dragon. >Not a name. But a term. >Hyper-Dimensional Fatigue. >Or, Dimensional Fatigue. >Those words are hauntingly familiar. >The only person I've heard mention such a thing as a serious study in science...hrm. >Well, I sincerely hope I never cross paths with him a second time. I've feared Anon turning

160/201 into him, after all. >Science and the secrets of the universe have left some better off than others, after all. >I'll resume my thoughts later. Anon just crashed his motorcycle into the wall of a nearby high school again. >I've never met a man who hated windows that much.

161/201 Jump 68: Fate/Zero

Jump 68: Fate/Zero Location: Einzbern Castle outside of Fuyuki Origin: Magus In Training Perks: Command Seals - Nope. Magic Circuits Basic Training Magical Legacy - Runes Demiservant - Already demi'd. [500] Tiny But Fierce! Keep Your Chin Held High Great Teacher Waver [300] Hard Work Conquering Talent [0]

Items: Magic Tracking Gear

Thank God. I don't have to actually participate in the Grail War again. I was worried I'd summon something like...no, nevermind, no sense dwelling on it. ANYWAYS. This is the War where things go to hell in a handbasket and lots of people die for no good reason. Meanwhile I can potentially destroy the universe by punching it too hard. Which I'd like not to do, but you know, it's good to know. ...also I don't want to put too much strain on poor Okita. We REALLY need to find a way to remove that Weak Constitution thing. Anyways, instead of running amok, I just have a few select things to do. Explode Zouken. Acquire lil' Sakura. Drop lil' Sakura off at reliable foster family away from other magi. Vandalize the Clock Tower with fully written out Nasu sex scenes in every grimoire, window, and bathroom stall I can find. Explode Ryuunosuke. Kick Kirei in the stomach multiple times while screaming ‘THIS IS FOR ALL THE BLACK KEYS YOU ASSHOLE’. Dye Gilgamesh's hair pink. Destroy the Grail. Convince Kiritsugu to go home and be a family man under pain of me dropping the moon on top of him.

Ford says my reactions to all of these people is completely unjustified. My response is: “It's not. It's really, really not.”

Also because I was dared to do it let me add to the bullying list.

Using Skyfather magic and Cosmo, I punched around Tokiomi's head until his hair caught fire and burned away at the roots, making him bald. It didn't take effect right away, he just stared at me in confusion before I pointed at him and said 'You are already bald.'

I took that Drop-In freebie in FoTN. Best purchase ever.

162/201 Jump 69: Heaven's Lost Property

Jump 69: Heaven's Lost Property Origin: Drop-In Age: 18 Perks: Unique Data Signature An Eerie Feeling Wake Up! Falling Down [700] Living Miracle [400] Unforgivable [200] Listen To Me! [0]

Items: School Uniform

Aaaaah...god, it is so refreshing to just take some time to relax. A little time out in the Japanese countryside. Just sitting back and watching the clouds. Going grocery shopping. Doing odd jobs. Tossing a demiurgical tyrant into the center of the sun. Life is good. It...really, really is just fine. I guess the benefit to being absurdly powerful when I need to be is that nobody in their right mind will bother me most of the time. And with Minos out of the way, Daedalus taking his spot, and Nymph in the hands of her creator, most things are fine now.

Hmm. I wonder if I'm forgetting something...?

Oh. I started getting weird nosebleeds when I used the Pluto powerset. Psychic backlash, I guess? My powers do all seem to grow with age...maybe I'm just adapting to the upgrades? I'm sure it's no big deal.

163/201 Jump 70: DYN Freaks

Jump 70: DYN Freaks Origin: Magician [1100] Age: 22 Perks: Mad Scholar

Items: Baby's First Grimoire The Necronomicon [1200] The Silver Key [600] The Shining Trapezohedron [0]

Drawbacks: Stolen Soul [1400] Classic Ditz [1500]

>"So what's wrong with him this time, Meiling?" Stan asked. >"I-I don't know! He just started screaming the moment he saw that weird book in his hands!" >"Well, why doesn't Anon just let go of it?" >"He said ‘need to keep you safe’ when I tried...and while that'd normally be a pretty sweet thing for him to say, I don't think he's doing any good huddled in a corner with a book, a weird gem, and a sword." >"Should...should we get him away from them? What if it's hurting him...?" >"Um...Serenity, the thing is...whenever he gets like this, there's USUALLY a good reason." >"And that reason is?" >"That we probably shouldn't leave the Warehouse." >"Shouldn't we at least study these? I've had my share of magic books to read, surely I can- OW! ANON BIT MY HAND! OW!" >"I guess that's a no, Ford."

164/201 Jump 71: Dies Irae

Jump 71: Dies Irae Origin: Student Age: 17 Perks: Die Ewigkeit Personal Faith Future Planning Soldiers Never Cease Born For The Stage Beast of Possibility [500] Jumper Finale [200]

Ahnernerbe Relic - First Tier (Sword) - Import - The Silver Key [900], Spirit [800] Briah - Fourth Tier - Burden of the Father [0]

Items: Pocket Friend

Companions: The Heart - Alexander [0] Origin: Outsider, Perks: Sunny Beach, The Reason For My Birth, Looking Past the Orchestra, Untouched by the World, Round and Round [300], Golden Ending [0]

Drawbacks: Twitsumi [100] I've Seen The Future [200] Jinxed [300] Rise of the Machina [600] Slimy Snakes [800]

A low-brow opera told by a suicidal god. This was a story I learned about late before my kidnapping. It was, as the self-proclaimed author put it, ‘the height of cliche’ yet strangely compelling'. I found myself agreeing, for the most part. I don't usually finish visual novels, yet I read that one all the way to the end. I found myself liking the earlier routes a bit better than the final one, but that's mostly because I like bittersweet endings more than happy ones. But at the time, I was just bored and in need of reading material. I didn't pay it much mind after that.

I most certainly didn't expect to get dropped ass-first into the middle of said low brow opera.

Only vaguely did I recognize the school I was in until I saw Ren Fuji and Kasumi. They grimaced when they saw me. In fact, everyone did. I checked my face to make sure I didn't look hideous or something...no, nothing had changed. Rather, everyone in this world, even people the ‘me’ of this place knew since childhood, found my very presence revolting and were unable to stand even looking me in the eyes. It made me remember the earlier jumps, back when I was just starting out. Where no one really cared who I was or what I did, just that I was the one who held Heaven's...

Wait.

165/201 Where is it?

The Key is gone. Both of them. I pat myself in search of it, expecting it to faithfully reappear in my hand like it always did - but it was completely gone. Vanished. My mind is racing with questions and the looks of disgust from everyone in class aren't helping my situation any. I had no way to get to the others. I had no way to get to the rest of my equipment. I'm about to expand my senses and tap into my nature as a Skyfather when someone tugs on my sleeve softly.

>"Is something wrong, [...]?"

They address me by name. My real name. My head turns to look at the source of the voice. “...!” Was that a gasp? From me, of all people? I can only stare in disbelief. I almost choke on it. “...no way.." Dressed in a school uniform, I see Kaori's face staring back at me, her head tilted softly to the side. Her eyes an icy blue.

“This isn't funny.” I say, my arms folded as I gave a stern lecture to this stranger who materialized in front of me. They flinched when I did so, which earned a raised eyebrow from me. What? It's not like I'm going to hit you or something. >"I-I'm sorry...did I tell a joke? I'm sorry if it wasn't funny. I'll do better next time, I promise." Definitely not Kaori. Way too timid. “You can drop the act, already.” >"Act...?" I lose my patience and yell. “Why do you look like her?! Why are you impersonating a dead person?! It's not funny, so knock it off!” The second I raised my voice, she huddled and raised her arms over her head. She looked like she was about to start crying. “P-please don't yell anymore! I'm sorry! I don't know why I look like this! I just want to make you feel better, I'm sorry!” “Ah...” What was this feeling? Guilt? Yeah, that's the word I was looking for. I feel like I just kicked a puppy. I lower my arms and suddenly feel very awkward. “...you really don't know?” I asked, a bit more softly. They shook their head, no. I let out a deep sigh. “Look, I'm...sorry for yelling. Just...tell me, who are you?” >"I'm..." She struggles for a moment. “Izumi. Izumi...” She looked around frantically before casting her gaze in the direction of the sky, up where the noon sun was shining. “Izumi Taiyoh!...no, Taiyoh Izumi!” She said, before folding her arms and nodding, looking proud of herself. ...I do declare, this person is probably an idiot. >"Hey! Kettles shouldn't call blacks pots!" “That's not how that saying goes!” >"YOU'RE A SAYING." “And you're an idiot!” >"You're the idiot, idiot!" “IDIOT!” This went on for a while. I wasn't sure if all the constant backgrounds were either knocking points off my IQ or it was just a case of willing ignorance anymore. I don't know why, but while 166/201 I can't bring myself to be mad at this person for long...I feel like I -should- be. We both argued about stupid things before I finally caught myself, and go back on topic. “You know who I am...?” >"I think I do?" “You knew my name. My actual name. That's not normal.” >"Your actual name?" "Yes, how did you know that? Not even my companions know that." >"Your companions know that?" “N-are you doing a fucking Solid Snake impression at me?!” She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at me. ...I sigh. “Okay, I think I get it. You're probably going to get dragged along like everyone else. Just...lemme find something and then I'll explain everything, okay?” >"Okay! I'll wait." Alright, just need to activate a few of my powers and-- Ggggghk okay pretty sure I shouldn't be bleeding from the mouth or feeling like glass just shot in several directions inside of my body I see a vision of some gears and a blue crystal. Sure enough, I don't feel any power rushing into me. Just pain and regret. Kind of a microsom of this entire experience, honestly. >"Are you okay...?" Yes, I'm just dandy. The bleeding just means it's working. >"Really?" NO

I can't access most of my powers. The sole exception is the weird feeling of vertigo I'm being assaulted by...which I'm going to assume is the first stage of Die Ewigkeit. An expression of power that would meld my soul and body together into one, but would be necessitated by the devouring of hundreds if not thousands of souls. And I'm not exactly the ‘vigilante murder’ type...anymore. The mere thought of it sickens me. Actually, my powers in general have sickened me, to the point I feel more comfortable in a human body than I did as a God. I can't even call Shaggy or someone competent to fill in for me because everyone's still frozen in the Warehouse until I can open it. And the damned Key is missing, the one time I need it! Once the ritual of that stupid death cult starts happening, I'll be completely unprepared to face it.

And then there's this weird girl who is following me around who somehow looks like my deceased friend with blue eyes. >"Blue is a creative color!" Who can read my mind. She's obviously a new companion, but...in a world like this, I don't know what that means. Or why she looks like -her- of all people. Guess I can blend in with my background personality until I figure out what's what. >"Does this mean we can ride around town on a motorcycle?!" Why would...no. At least, not until I find what I'm looking for. >"Aaaaw...okay!"

So we wander around town after school and predictably find nothing. I deliberately avoid the church because NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS IN CHURCH IN FUCKING VISUAL NOVELS. Sure enough, the wandering continues well into night. That's when I get confronted by a certain white-haired psychopath and a pink-haired psychopath. They seem a bit interested in me and before I know it, Bey is throwing punches at me and I'm frantically trying to dodge. It gets worse when they try attacking Izumi. I end up tackling her out of the way before we fall into 167/201 the waters around the city together. Whether out of disappointment or pity, they don't pursue, and we soon wash up along the shore. I scold her for just standing there while something dangerous was happening. She reacts about as well as you'd imagine. So that was awkward.

...god, why was I letting my anger get the better of me? Was I really so dependent on the power I kept cursing...? >"Um...Anon?" What? You still hurt somewhere? I can rip a sleeve if you need a bandage. >"No, it's...do you still hate me?" Still...? Didn't we just meet? No, I don't hate you. Don't be silly. >"You're sure...?" ...look, it's weird you're wearing the face of someone I considered a sister and a close friend. And it's suspicious you're acting so friendly to me. But you seem more like a confused puppy than someone who means me ill. So...I like to think that means you're probably a good person. >"Really...?" Yeah. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. So don't disappoint me, okay? >"...but...I already have, haven't I?" I'm about to reply, but sure enough, Bey had found us again. >"Anon...?" Yeah...? >"Please, trust me." How will that help in that situation...? >"Please." She extends a hand to me. After a moment's hesitation, I take it. Everything comes flooding back to me and I feel myself revitalized. The warmth of her hand becomes The Silver Key. And my heartbeat beats to the sound of bells. Ah...so that was it. Wow, that was obvious as fuck. How did I miss it? I can't kill Bey. I know I won't, and that annoys me. But I take his hand off followed by his leg as I make a running escape. To both our disappointment, our fight doesn't have a proper conclusion afterwards. I think they grafted magic limbs to replace those since they didn't want him dying TOO early.

>"I was wondering how long it'd take for you to find me." Alexander. So what, you live in my soul now or something? >"If you want to be intimate about it, you could call us...'soulmates'? Is that the term? Is this some kind of game to you? Turn Heaven's Key into a sentient being wearing my dead friend's face...?! >"She was always sentient. Her spirit always aware of you. I just gave her a form would calm you when you looked upon it. Or at least, I suppose that was the logic I had in mind. It doesn't seem to work as intended." Your 'omniscience' is both faulty and cruel. I had to stop myself from assuming it was an imposter. >"I am cruel? Consider you've freely cursed the gifts I've given you and have tried throwing her away with regularity with frustration. Imagine the sort of impression that leaves on a young soul." ...you...! >"What did I say to you, then? Ah...'a grim appreciation'. We're almost there." You going to give me a straight answer yet or are we just going to trade insults again...?! What did you mean last time, by ‘last will and testament'. Why...all of this?! >"Isn't it obvious? I'm dying, Anon. I've been dying since the day I chose you. I was fatally wounded, my mind and my body divided, and I needed a way to interact with the world at 168/201 large. I chose you as a proxy. I can extend the moment between the time I was wounded and the time I die - but I cannot stop it. That's why I need you alive." So this is just to save yourself? >"If this was merely a case of self-preservation, perhaps. But simply saving my own existence and sustaining ‘The World Engine’ were mutually exclusive goals. And the Engine must exist in order to oppose The Enemy." I'm going to guess that's what summoned the doom dragon. >"Yes. But that's a question for another time." No, it isn't. You're going to tell me -now-. I'm tired of these fucking games and seven-hundred plus years of wandering everywhere. Tell me why you chose me out of everyone in the fucking multiverse. Tell me why fighting this Enemy is so important, how you went from Primal to near- omnipotent engine with cancer...tell me. >"And if I do not...?...wait, what are you doing?" This is the Shining Trapehezedron. Whatever it strikes and seals away doesn't come back. You're familiar, right? >"You cannot seriously plan to use that against me." Not you. Me. >"You won't." Won't I? I've been dragged along by the nose the entire time this journey has gone on. At this point, an eternity of torture sounds pretty amazing compared to being at the whims and mercy of a cryptic-ass machine god who won't give me a straight answer...! >"And I've told you, you won't. Your resolve is not strong enough to subject yourself to such a fate. More than that...are you prepared to tarnish her memory by throwing your life and gifts away?" ...don't... >"...this is the moment." Alexander closes his eyes. Don't speak... >"The instant I've been obligated to fulfill." DON'T SPEAK OF HER SO LIGHTLY! In a rage I throw the Shining Trapehezedron at Alexander. For a moment, time stops. Slows. And the weapon disappears for an instant, before I feel the world shudder as the area...no, the world, no, the multiverse -quakes- as it impacts some unseen location. A sensation of deja vu and nausea overwhelms me and I fall to my knees. In front of me, Alexander's form - which had been a humanoid piece of static, was now a childish version of myself, who had a grim smile on his face. “...I missed?” >"Hardly. You just hit me in the very, very distant past." I take a second to process what that meant. “...I...” >"Yes. You are the one who fatally wounded me, Anon. Congratulations on your revenge."

"...what have you done to me...

What have you done me, you bastard?!"

>"What I've done? You are the one who dealt the killing blow, Anon. How do they normally say this...ah, you should ‘take responsibility’. “Stop screwing around with me! Are you saying...you sent my attack to the past just so you could get yourself killed?! You've been provoking me this entire time, just to commit suicide?! Are you retarded?!” >"You wound me. No, honestly. You wound me. Almost like a spear to the heart. Ha. Ha. Ha." “I'll go for two for two in a second...!” 169/201 >"I'm only joking. The flow of time is not so forgiving between dimensions. While each ‘worldline’ has its own rules when it comes to time travel, events I witness must be brought to fruition, lest I myself and billions upon billions more disappear from the paradox. Including all the worlds you've visited thus far. I knew from the moment I felt the Trapehezedron strike at my heart, I knew I was dead, the moment I would finally perish, the one responsible, and why. Thus, I was obligated to see it through to the end." “...I won't accept that. You're saying...Kaori, my companions, everything up to this point...was just to satisfy the requirements of a time loop?!” >"The fate of twelve souls doesn't mean much when measured against several multiverses, Anon. The human mind may have trouble comprehending such an almost-arbitrary number of billions upon billions, but I do not have such a limitation to my empathy. The Creator must make a perfect future. That is why I was brought into this world. And even now, that is my purpose. So...I had to create the moment of my death, and the ideal conditions that would follow." >"...I understand you're angry, Anon. But you wanted an explanation. So I shall tell you." >"The reason I chose you as a proxy is because of your reactive nature. Most humans in your world, when given an offer of adventure or power, would gladly take it...only some would reach the level you have, but the number is not a small one. From the beginning, you have rejected the idea of power as a source of gain, you have spat on the idea of Godhood, and desperately want to think of yourself as human." “That was a plus for you...?!” >"Yes. Because someone like that would understand the weight of responsibility and the need to do things outside of one's personal wishes and beliefs. To look upon all of time and creation do what must be done, not what one wants to do." “I'm fucking flattered.” >"I'm not finished. Such a person would be lacking in a craving strong enough to manifest their own Briah. Your own wishes and desires are so mundane that you couldn't hope to break the barriers needed to do so. So I filled it with mine." “...!” >"Yes, Anon. You must have suspected it. You grew and grew in power and might, taking in more and more pieces of the other worlds. Eventually, you held enough energy within your body to destroy the universe in a well-placed punch. It wasn't just because I felt generous - I was preparing your body to receive what remains of my mind and my body. The seed was planted in your second visit to the world of Avatar, and this is as far as it can go. Because I cannot delay my own death any longer." >"You are my successor. My Avatar. The one who will carry The Burden of the Father." “...and if I refuse...?” >"Then the little ‘bubble’ of reality you carry will collapse in on itself. You're already experiencing it - powers not working the way they're supposed to, not as strong as they should be, not cooperating together - so many contradictory metaphysics within a single body. And without the bulk of my original body to support you anymore, you're bound to run into additional difficulties. Trying to remove it completely will likely annihilate you and the entire chain of worlds you've tied yourself to. Still feel like killing yourself?" “...why...? Why did you do this to me...?” >"Because I had to, Anon. There is no other answer." >"...I'm sorry." I collapse onto the ground. “...when will it end...?” >"Until you've visited enough worlds to normalize the transformation. And even then, I'm unsure if that's enough." “What was so important that you had to save your own life by ruining mine...?! Weren't you the one who sacrificed yourself to save Eorzea from the damage you yourself would cause?!” >"Because you are fit to be, Anon. Both my successor and my murderer. It isn't simply for my 170/201 own sake that I made you my vessel, the one who would inherit my will. There is an enemy in the space between space that threatens worlds like the ones you've been to. You've caught a glimpse of them already - they caught a minuscule moment of your ‘scent’, and tried to destroy you with everything they had." “So what, I'm supposed to fight your battles for you, too...?!” >"You are not just my champion, Anon. You are the champion of those who look to the sky and wish for the impossible. The one who can defend it from the threats in the Beyond. The unlikely hero who stands outside the pull of fate. Look upon the works you've done...the lives you've saved, those you've inspired, and given hope to...and tell me a single moment of those smiles and inspiration that you sincerely hated." “...I...” >"There is no one else. No one to defer to, no one to carry the plot for you. And Bahamut is the tip of the iceberg of what The Enemy will do to bring pain and suffering, as They devour all possibilities into an end they find desirable. You have both the will and the ability to fight it. So I say to you...will you turn your back on them." “I hate you. There are no words for how much I fucking hate you.” >"Hate away. But beyond this point...I suppose, you do have control over your destiny." >"...my memories and ego will die, soon. What lives within your soul will be a new ‘me’, a new Alexander shaped by both your personality, memories, and shreds of mine. You may like them more than you liked me." “W-wait...just...tell me one thing.” >"Yes?" “My companions...can I send them home? Can I free them?” >"If they wish to, yes. You will have that ability soon." “...thank God...they don't have to...” >"Hmhm...you spend too much time thinking of others. That's why you were an appropriate choice, I suppose." “Go to hell.” >"I might! Interesting, isn't it?" He only smiled as his body vanished from sight. The Shining Trapehezedron falling to the floor where he stood, still glowing with otherworldly energies. I quickly took it into my hand, glaring deeply into it. “...fuck me.” I mumble.

There was still unfinished business to consider. A showdown with a certain someone. Well, there was a lot to consider, actually. Because I kinda hacked off the limbs of an LDO member and thus revealed my existence to this grand-standing opera. And he had to get magical replacements because the pain wouldn't stop and the wounds wouldn't heal, which, you know, was a topic of -immense interest- to them. So I had to duck into the sidelines - Mercurius is generally pretty sporting about things that throw a wrench in his plans as long as it doesn't change the course of Ren and company. So I played with my cards close to my chest, didn't use more power beyond what I started with in this world - I would parry, not strike first. That was a small consolation for the people that would die during all of this. But of course...right when the castle had manifested and Ren had left for his showdown with Reinhard, Marie's heart won by him, the Three Commanders dead... He was there waiting for me. So go figure, Stone's Briah was almost identical to Machina's. One punch, one kill. So just being hit once was basically game over. But with the Silver Key in my hand, that was equally true for him. So it came down to who struck first. Before we did... There was a hesitation in Stone's movements. >“Where is that girl who always followed you...?” 171/201 “Going to have to be a bit more specific.” >"The one I kidnapped." “...Kaori?” >"Yeah. She doing okay?" “...you didn't know? She died a long time ago.” >"...I see." Was that regret in his voice? I couldn't tell. He had always been a grim fellow. I regret this, too. A second later, Stone's head is flying from his body, and I'm victorious.

I talk to the others. I tell them the truth, all while the World Engine finally collapsed into a void. The network of gears and crystals that had started this journey fell apart and was sealed away into the Trapehezedron. That I was an imperfect vessel for the Engine, and that our days of coasting by our problems by virtue of being the strongest beings around were likely over. That I could send all of them home, to no longer worry about the endless Samsara across the infinite worlds of the multiverse. I asked if anyone wanted to leave. Meiling, ever faithful, stepped forward first and assured me with a grin she wasn't going anywhere until I was free. Yukari, always mysterious, simply said she would leave whenever she felt like it...and that my struggle was oddly compelling. That's nice, I guess? Asgore assured me that this place was like family to him, and he would protect it no matter where we went or what we did. Shaggy went where Asgore did. His faith that he'd see his best friend and his home world again hadn't wavered, even for a moment. Toki recited what sounded like wisdom from his original teacher, and assured he wasn't going anywhere. SPEEDWAGON VERY LOUDLY DECLARED THAT HE WAS FOREVER IN MY DEBT AND WOULD SPEND THE REST OF HIS EXISTENCE AIDING ME IN THIS JOURNEY UNTIL I WAS AT PEACE. Naturally, Red Dragon went where he did. Serenity gave similar reasons to Meiling...but also that whoever this ‘Enemy’ was would likely be a threat to the Moon Kingdom. For the most effeminate member of the party, she's in a hurry to fight for what she believes in. Okita would give a bow and said that her second chance at life was in my hands, and she would follow me to the ends of earth. Stan felt a bit awkward, but after everyone else had put such effort into affirming their place here, he shrugged and said ‘Eh, what the hey.’ Ford, the one I expected to take the first ride home, affirmed he would remain here...whatever ‘threat’ the World Engine so desperately wanted to stay alive to face was likely a threat to his world, so tied to the paranormal and alternate dimensions.

No one went home. We would battle the future together. ...n-no, I'm not tearing up. Shut up.

Briah: Burden of the Father The Briah of the user is unique in that it manifests not their own craving, but instead the desire of their ‘Heart’ and benefactor - to observe all moments in time and to create an ‘ideal’ path of their choosing. First, it creates a gigantic clockwork robot with an vast arsenal of magical artillery and laser beams capable of leveling a city. This robot also carries thousands of smaller automata to protect it, which shares the abilities described below. Within the range of this Briah, time can be freely manipulated and causality reversed - stopping, slowing, 172/201 dilating, or speeding up time discriminately and in a fashion it deems fit. It is also able to summon ‘moments’ from the memory of the user, able to replicate attacks and events and use them against foes. This also allows The Heart to perceive time in a non-linear fashion, letting them discern the future and the past and be able to advise the user on what they should do next.

173/201 Jump 72: Akame Ga Kill

Jump 72: Akame Ga Kill Age: 24 Origin: Villager Perks: General Level Potential Perfect Hair Man of The Something - Fishing Appropriate Opportunities Boiling Blood [800] Aware Of Your Surroundings [600] The Smile [300] The Man [0]

Teigu - Import Riyu Jingi Bang Weapon Type: Melee Enhanced Striking [950ip] Enhanced Durability [900ip] Charged [300ip] Precision [100ip] Awareness [0ip]

Items: Simple Sturdy Weapon - A Stick

What does it mean to feel lost?

When you can't find your way home? Or where you're not sure where to look?

Let's start from the beginning. I was...I think, an ordinary person on planet Earth. I had no ambition, no desires beyond wanting to eat good food, live quietly, and die peacefully in my bed. The world around me could be set aflame and disintegrate into ash, but so long as I could live like that, I was content. But then I was taken away by a dying god machine. Now, centuries after that fact, I've discovered the murder of said god machine was done by my hands in a fit of rage - one it had engineered simply to fulfill its own destiny. And his dying words to me were ‘carry my will’. With the promise of a worse foe, a greater foe, on the horizon.

I'm sure a heroic, determined person would have said something like ‘I promise’. But all I can think to say, even now, is ‘burn in hell.’ Now, even now, I continue to wander across the worlds, in anticipation of an inevitable confrontation with this foe my mind hasn't yet been able to tap the remnants of Alexander for knowledge of. In a situation like this, who do you turn to? I would defer to an authority I trusted...but I am a stranger, and the stars are full of the ambitious and foolhardy who covet the Key I hold. I would defer to my friends, my allies, my family...but they look to me for guidance, or warily watch me for signs I may let loose the rage that burns in my heart. I would pray to God...but wear the flesh and form of a God, and my peers are egotistical and foolhardy.

Twice already, have I stormed the gates of Heaven. I laid low the Titans in one world, and the Gods in another, alongside their incarnation of the Monkey King. Gods have been my friends, they have been my enemies. But never once have they truly been all-knowing, all-powerful, or

174/201 anything I relish the idea in showing humility to. The lives of human beings are short, just as mine once was, and yet I see so much evil done under the sun. So many injustices, plagues, and foolishness that the guilty carry to their deathbeds, with total faith in their actions.

Such was not my business. The world holds both good and evil, I was just a man. So long as my life held both in measures I deemed fit, lived well, and died well, it did not matter. But death flees from me, and violence follows me like a shadow. And now, more than ever, at knowing how powerless I was to change my own fate...I am a creature of rage. I have bitten my tongue, I have pulled my punches, I have showed great -restraint- knowing there was no karmic reward or gratitude for it. Because at the end of it all, I would still be feared or my name would be whispered on the wind in a fervent prayer in hope I would give to all, and not take away. I take no satisfaction in riches, worship, or even slavish devotion. All I desired was for the battle to end and merriment to begin. Then I would rest.

But I understand now that I am alone. The principles and rules I follow are my own - no more, no less. The only force that can punish me for my actions is the one that can surpass me...and let me tell you, I have not met such a being with such righteous fury just yet. Your Generals certainly didn't make that cut. So. I've decided - I won't stand for pointless cruelty or tyranny, or those who sneer at the tears of the wounded and the weak. No matter who you are, human, God, Titan, or being from beyond the stars - I will bring you down to Earth and make you crash onto the soil!

For the next five-thousand years, you will remember my name.

Avatar.

175/201 Jump 73: Worm

Jump 73: Worm Origin: Drop-In Location: [Free Pick] - Middle of Nowhere, Nevada Age: 31 Perks: Outside Context Problem Munchkin [950] Well-Adjusted [900] New To The Crew [750] Blending In [600] Spanner In The Works [300] Perfect Communication [0]

Items: Worm Identification Tinker-Tech Cache

Category: Tinker - Miniaturization and Efficiency [0]

Drawbacks: What Came Before - Earliest possible starting point, January 1st 1984 Personal Problems [100] A Bad Influence Bent To Broken [200] - Distaste for authority, believes self an ‘outsider’ no matter how well- ingrained he is. On The Radar [400]

I stare at the horizon, my bare feet resting on the desert sands as the stars wink out of existence one by one, a pale orange glow beginning to form in the distance as night turned into day. I could have just flown up to the atmosphere to bask in the rays of my domain, but there's something enchanting about watching a sunrise miles away from civilization that holds an almost hypnotic charm to me. But then, I've always been more at home in the wild - the jungle, the desert, the forest, somewhere away from the suffocating noise of a billion humans on this planet. It's funny. Before this journey started, it was the other way around - I couldn't imagine myself being away from home or Internet access for more than a day. Now I just can't sit stil without feeling the urge to fly up to the atmosphere, the moon, or even the surface of the Sun just to give myself a moment of solace.

How much have I changed since those days...? >"You're looking thoughtful." I turn my head. Ford. We've been talking a bit more often - maybe he sympathizes with my plight now, or he has nothing to divide his attention now that the broken wreck of the Engine is dwelling within my body and soul. “Frightening, isn't it?” I joked. >"Only a little. I wasn't expecting you to fly off the handle last time and decide someplace needed a regime change." “Was I wrong?” >"Well...considering what I saw and what you told me, no. But it would be nice if you at least talked to us all before you ran off and did something on your own."

176/201 “If I can take care of everything myself, there's no sense in worrying the others, right?” >"Yes, but...we're supposed to be a team, aren't we?" That hurts, a little. “...I don't want to lose any of you. I'm the indestructible one. If I can take care of everything, fix every problem, and you can all relax around a fire at home...that's fine with me.” >"...I see." I can hear the change in his heartbeat, and I turn over to look at him. I'm about to add a retort of some kind, but stop myself, and instead speak calmly. “There's a reason for everything I do, Ford.” >"I don't deny that, but...are we really deciding what's best for other worlds in the multiverse?" I'm quiet for a moment. >"That's a slippery slope, and you know it." “You never had a problem with the Justice League or fighting the Titans.” >"That's because all we did was help what was already happening, and it was our problem as much as it was theirs. What's stopping us from just...waiting out the decade until we're right to find and fight ‘Them’?" The sun's rays caress my body and I feel my colossal strength receiving its long-needed boost, as both my domain and the radiation empower and bolster me. I slowly activate Pluto, the psychic field expanding my strength and my senses. I can hear chatter across the world about the emerging ‘superheroes’. I hear rumors. I hear war. I hear screams of terror and pleas for help. I hear the fervent words of those in deep despair. I take a deep breath. My eyes feel wet, but I fight back the tears. “Because I can't sit here and do nothing.” Ford didn't have an answer, looking at me glumly. >"Alexander mentioned the ‘bubble’ holding all of our powers together would collapse soon. How long do you think we have?" “Don't know. However long it is...I need to make the most of it.” I said before I crouched down onto my knees, feeling the sand begin to kick up around me as I focused my power. Ford, seeing what was coming, hurriedly took a few steps back. “I'll be back in time for dinner. I promise to explain when I return.” Then, I shot upwards like a rocket, the ground miles beneath me in a microsecond as the clouds rush on past. I extend my hand outwards, changing direction as the state of Nevada disappears beneath me.

>Ford sighed as he watched Anon disappear onto the horizon. He could try to give chase, but none of them were as fast as him - or at least, risked rocketing off into the abyss of space if they weren't careful. It was a sad fact that Anon had both more powers and more control than the rest of them, leaving most of them to wait at home whenever combat wasn't involved. He wanted to be angry, to be paranoid this was a sign he was losing himself. But it had been so long and Ford felt even older than he was before that he felt more exhausted. >After all, the original reason he had joined this venture was in hopes of being able to study and use the World Engine. But the Engine was gone now - and had saddled one man with the unwanted duty of being its heir. As time went on, he wasn't sure if he wanted anything to do with it anymore. >So what kept him here? >He walked back into the lone house in the middle of nowhere, miraculously supplied with electricity and working plumbing. As he walked within, he could see the Shining Trapehezedron giving an otherwordly glow in the corner. Next to it, the still-bound and unopened Necronomicon - two items Anon made clear weren't to be touched or used under any circumstance. >Ford, of course, tried. Once. And the moment he touched the Traphezedron, he understood. These weren't scientific marvels or unique artifacts meant to be studied and used for the betterment of mankind or even his own studies. 177/201 >They were two halves of Pandora's Box. >How did Howard Phillips write it? That humankind lives on a placid isle of ignorance that protects them from what lies beyond...? >He stared at the two items before sighing. Perhaps he'd see if he could convince Stanley and the others to play a tabletop RPG with him today. He needed it.

Destroying the world is easy. I've broken tyrants, Gods, and demons by the knuckles of my fist. I've fought alongside fools and heroes, and cried havoc as I charged into the fray. It's the easiest thing in the world for me. The harder part is fixing things, saving people, and giving the impression of a do-gooder instead of an autistic God. But I've had practice at that, too. And I'm getting better and better at it. A soft rainfall here, a would-be killing spree stopped by a timely intervention - I had become fond of using my body as a literal shield against bullets, though I'd also manipulate the trajectory of projectiles or just cancel their momentum altogether like Neo in the Matrix when I couldn't be arsed. Dealing with tense situations became less of an ‘if’ and more of a ‘what do I feel like using today?’ Sometimes, I don't even need to throw a punch. Some well-placed words, a quick scan of their thoughts, and some misguided souls could be convinced to stand down and walk away. I've gotten better at PR, too - some words of wisdom, encouragement, and a dorky smile or two at the camera could endear me a lot more to people than acting like some Solomonic figure passing down judgment on mortals.

Act like the most human of them all. That's what Clark did. That's what I have to do, too.

I pick a simple name for my new career as a superhero. Paragon. A little predictable and more than a bit self-righteous, but hey, I'll permit myself a moment of indulgence. I worked around the clock, flying all over the globe - stopping wars and atrocities, personally dealing with the first generation of villains, the whole superhero routine. And I did it in earnest, this time. For a while, I thought there'd be fallout in the public eye, and I'd hear every iota of it. But whenever I was spoken of past the initial suspicion and skepticism, I could almost feel the hope in their voices. It wasn't about me they were cheering for. It was the idea of a guardian angel, the idea that there was someone in the sky who wouldn't let them down. That there was a real and active force of good in this world.

For a moment, it makes me smile. But as I fly past, a certain golden glint catches my eye, in the far off horizon. And I remember where I am. And what my real mission is. I harden my heart, and zoom around the globe some more. I've accomplished a hundred things in a matter of hours. But time stopped mattering to me a while ago. So much so that I barely notice I'm about to miss dinnertime back home.

Just a few more minutes.

After I'm sure that eyes are off of me, I let my body become invisible and I slowly land nearby and take a deep breath, letting myself relax as I dispel the psychic field and my biology turns back into something a bit more human. I leave some protection on, but like taking off a suit you wear for work, this is the form I feel most comfortable in. And it's easier to blend in as a somewhat short adult male than it is a towering body of muscle.

Serenity was always really disappointed when I did it, though. And was usually fixated on my arms before then.

“Sorry I'm late, guys!” I almost trip into the doorway as I walk inside.

Years pass. Paragon's presence begins changing the world in small ways that steadily 178/201 snowball. Superheroes who fight purely for idealistic reasons begin to outnumber villains, whose numbers were already low thanks to the gradual improvement to quality of life. Trigger events become straggerly low, having already been a mere trickle before my arrival. When Behemoth attacked what would have become the Triumvirate, I swooped in. The beast was durable, but it had no answer for someone like me - and I slew the beast right then and there. One by one, I hunted down the Endbringers wherever they surfaced. The most notable instance was when the remainder all tried to fight me at once. To my surprise, they had a counter for my psionic reality warping. They still had no answer for magic.

I saved golden boy for last.

I wondered what was going on his mind as he felt me pick off the remnants of the cycle one by one. I was curious about why he didn't try to stop me when it became obvious I was a threat - maybe his depression about his mate just ran that deep. Or it was just ‘close enough’ to what he decided his new purpose to be that he simply didn't mind. Or care. But I had to make sure there were no loose ends. The Shining Trapehezedron hummed softly in my hand, the multi-dimensional weapon held in my hand in its blade form. Even as strong as I was, it felt like trying to ask a hurricane to behave itself - the most I could do is direct it. I could not contain it when I chose to unleash it. A part of me wondered if I could forge a real hero in Scion, to teach him humanity and empathy for other beings, to use the last of his lifespan for something lasting and good...

“From hell's heart, I stab at thee.”

But after all I've done, all I've seen, I simply have no sympathy or mercy in me for beings who decide right and wrong based on their own agendas and hungers. And I visit upon him and the rest of his kind the same fate I doomed the original Alexander to. Establishing a sympathetic link through him to the rest of his kind, he is given a picosecond of warning before I tear open the wormhole into the Mad God's court, and they are all pulled screaming inside of it. His avatar collapses into a pile of golden dust. Among the stars, in those many dimensions, there is panic, frantic communication, screams of agony...and then silence.

For a moment, I worried if the shards on Earth would start hearing the whispers of Azathoth's Court or something else...but mercifully, the Entity's communication abilities didn't seem to be able to beat the noise within the Traphezedron, more akin to the yelping of tiny dogs than anything that could be heard over it. It helped I put the artifact back in the Warehouse, which seems to exist within its own space.

Cauldron had me on radar. Not that it really meant much - I had already done their work for them. All that was left was handling the remnants and keeping the world afloat.

Then it began. The glitches.

Strange tattoos, random symbols like latin letters and greek excerpts of The Illiad began to appear along my body when I used my powers. My eyes changed color. My hair changed color - bright pink, even. The more I used things ‘out of genre’ like my Skyfather magic, the worse the effects were - the worst of it when I was caught in a miniature time loop for several days. I passed the time by mentally playing Minesweeper. My powers still worked, but the longer I used things that didn't ‘make sense’ in Worm...well. You can imagine.

You know what they say about the good times, right?

Because it wasn't too long after this jump we finally met Them. 179/201 Jump 74: Rick and Morty

Jump 74: Rick and Morty Origin: Drop-In Perks: The Devil You Know Business Savvy [900] Genius [300]

Items: Interdimensional Cable Concentrated Dark Matter [200] Alien Translation Ray [0]

When I first disappeared into the portal my brother had tossed me into, my first thought was: ‘Ah, this must be what hubris feels like’. Sure, it was ENTIRELY Stanley's fault I had fallen in the first place, but I wondered if I was going to be killed by my own invention. Within the tunnel the portal had created, I could see the whole of creation laid out before me, a billion- billion lights across the Eternities in the cosmos. I saw all manner of strange and wondrous things - worlds where gravity was strong where there was less mass, beings made of silicon who communicated in song, an empty void where a lone girl stared into the stars - things I couldn't simply explain away on a glance. Things I wanted to learn more about. To study. Because no matter what I did or where I went, my goal was always the same - to claim knowledge to benefit mankind.

Of course, the grant checks were a good motivator, too. A guy's got to eat, you know.

Miraculously, I had survived the initial trip and landed on an Earthlike planet with a technicolor sky.

But, we already know this part, don't we? I would wander across the many dimensions until my brother finally opened a gateway home - against my wishes, no less, and begin making amends and putting a stop to Bill once and for all. Though it would be many years before I met Cipher, my ‘muse’, again. Instead, the first constant I encountered was none other than a fellow scientist. Rick Sanchez. Before I could even get a word in, he belched at me and said, ‘Primitive-ass portal gun, huh? Don’t worry man, e-everyone's gotta start somewhere...you know, unless you're me and can make that shit on the spot.'

This condescending attitude would be most of our interactions in summary, really.

While the man didn't hold much solidarity for a fellow scientist, he seemed willing to take me back to his version of planet Earth when I requested it, though he insisted I would owe him a ‘favor' afterwards. Noticing his posture, I offered to buy him some alcohol, and that seemed to do the trick. Though he was evasive on the subject of the titular ‘portal gun’ he had on his person, he was happy to give me a brief lecture on the multiverse - if only because I prodded at his ego a little bit in doing so. And it was less of a lecture and more of a rant about its nature.

>“See, there's there's...infinite worlds across infinite dimensions. So, like, if there was you who could, I dunno, not fall into the portal you fucked up, chances are he exists and he's wearing a stupid hat or something, you get me?” “I'm familiar with the theory, yes.”

180/201 >"It's not THEORY, Ford, it's a fact. There's a version of you and me for every goddamn thing under the sun, and it makes everything you've done in your life up to now pointless. Even the fact I'm taking time out of my day to enlighten your stupid-ass is pointless cause some other version of me blew your head off when we met or, I dunno, became best friends or some stupid shit." “That's a funny way to talk to someone who's talking to you over drinks.” >"'Eh, fuck you, I -belch- do what I want."

I quickly learned Rick Sanchez was both a brilliant scientist and an amazingly self-destructive individual. I would stay at his home for two weeks while I got my bearings - he would usually take his grandson Morty out on various ‘adventures’. He invited me once to come along instead of ‘wasting time on boring, pointless shit’, but I declined. I later learned they both nearly died after getting into a fight with a galactic government over some alien substance I wasn't familiar with, which he wasted no time in bragging about. I also learned their home life was nothing short of dysfunctional - having been from a somewhat estranged family myself, I sympathized at first, until I learned that for all his brilliance, Rick had no interest in trying to actually ‘fix’ anything. If anything, he only seemed to push for more control over his grandchildren and his daughter, something I noticed after some time had passed.

...in hindsight, I wish I had been inspired enough by this to be more patient with Stanley when we met again.

I left as soon as I could, renting out a room in the city. Not that it stopped him from drunkenly collapsing at my doorstep every odd week or so where he would rant to me about the multiverse some more, and flip between ‘you’re a scientist, you know how this shit works' and ‘goddamn it Ford why are you so stupid compared to me.’ It was...exhausting, putting it mildly. I tried to maintain a neutral view of the man, or at least appear that way, but as it became apparent this savant embodied everything I abhorred in a scientist - someone who squandered knowledge and did not use it to better themselves or those around them - my retorts became more biting, and my patience increasingly thin. Using what little time I had to study his methods and notes, I would create my own portal out of there back into the original ‘tunnel’ I had made. I remember yelling at Rick, calling him a fool and a selfish codger. He responded with sarcasm and an answer that would stick with me for the rest of my journey.

“Why bother fixing anything if everything you do is pointless?"

Of course, the way he phrased it had a lot more cursing and name-calling involved. He even pulled a gun out on me before I vanished into the portal - I'm not sure if it was a bluff or if he truly planned to kill me after our argument. I'm not sure I care for either result. Looking back on it, the entire thing felt like a cautionary tale, a morality play you would see in a theater. That with infinite potential and infinite knowledge, one could still fall prey to human folly.

I knew. I knew that better than anyone, and refused to admit it.

Human beings were not made to comprehend eternity. We are simple organisms at heart - live, eat, reproduce, die. Art, culture, and science are what separate us from other animals, and even then, those results could be recreated. I still am not able to answer things like what created the multiverse or what justified the existence of mankind across these many worlds. Perhaps I will never know, even after wandering for so long. I managed to maintain my sense of wonder and discovery, because it was never just the truth I had strived for - it was the adventure. The thrill of finding out what was behind the curtain, the sense of awe one had for the breadth of creation and how much you could find if you just went looking. Documentation and inventions were just landmarks and stepping stones for me. 181/201 And even then, few things could compare to me like the energetic sense of wonder I saw in the eyes of my grand-nephew, or the hyperactive and childish enjoyment of my grand-niece. Dipper. Mabel. In them, I saw so much of me and Stanley...and even then, Dipper became a better man as a young boy than I did in my old age. Even if it could not answer all of my questions about the scope of the multiverse or how little I knew or how little my own life would matter...if I could leave this world knowing my family would live on and do so happily, because of or in spite of me, I think I'd be content. I could never see something like that as pointless.

I do hope they'd preserve my notes at least, though.

But still, I took that lesson to heart. A single human being is not meant to bear such a burden and be made to endure it. No matter how advanced our minds are, the higher the concepts become, the more things one originally treasured and valued become abstract - and even our ideas of God and ‘transcendence’ are built from a limited perspective. It's why I feared what Anon would become as he grew in power.

That brings us to here.

His presence had alerted the many, many alternate versions of Rick Sanchez, who had banded together in a ‘Council’ for self-preservation. Despite the fact Avatar embodied all that was right and good in the world in the eyes of human beings when he so willed it, such things didn't matter to them. He was an obstacle, a threat to the status quo. And they struck first.

I don't remember much of the battle, to be honest. But what was left were several broken planets, detonated suns...and the first time I saw it. His Briah. The Burden of the Father. A machine-city that warped time and space in a way I could have never imagined, even if I were given a thousand years of preparation and work. The many Ricks who had tried to kill him were all excised from the flow of time, tossed into the abyss between worlds - the nihilistic emptiness they had touted as the reason for their self-destructive being would be their home for the rest of eternity. I had a feeling the irony was not lost on him.

After the battle, still clad in the gold of his armor...he did not move. He stood atop a floating fragment of moon and stared off into the distance.

What did his eyes see? He reached out towards the coldness of space, as if hoping someone would reach back for him.

Then, a sight I hadn't seen in almost my entire journey here...he fell to his knees and wept. Wept for those he had slain. Wept for the senseless destruction caused by their attempt at slaying the threat. Wept for the burden placed upon him, that he would need to call on this power he was never meant to wield time and time again. Wept for the lives lost because of him. Wept for a lost home he was certain he would never see again. That girl who resembled a blue-eyed Kaori only watched, trying to put a hand on his shoulder, though he did not respond. He screamed into the abyss, and we could all only watch. Meiling was the first to move, embracing him tightly even as he cried out.

Human beings are not meant to comprehend eternity.

182/201 Jump 75: DCEU

Jump 75: DCEU Origin: Savior Age: 32 Race: Human Perks: Let's Have A Clean Fight I'll Be There [500] Death of Jumper [300] More Than A Man [0]

Items: Super Suit Derelict Ship [700] Cover Job [600]

Drawback: The Long View - 28,000BCE

Seeking the peace of reason.

Shaping a peaceless season.

Reason to keep believing.

Waken the beast who's sleeping.

A detective by the name of Andrew Young reads over a newspaper from the Daily Planet with some amount of disinterest. Something about Lexcorp sponsoring future scientific ventures, while astronomers claim there was an artificial satellite seen orbiting around Pluto.

A lone scholar by the name of Nathan Hope is busily working on charting the stars with parchment, looking through a telescope and taking notes. It is night time in Italy, around the year 1480 A.D. He makes a mental note to send a present to Da Vinci and his relatives, though he's not entirely sure what inspires him to do so. On the day of his death, some twenty years later, his body dissolves into dust within the coffin almost instantly.

A quiet healer walks along the streets of Rome, with strange herbs and murmurs of prayer few recognize. They do not speak a word, they simply smile. They only answered when asked their name - ‘Otho’, the same as a short-lived Emperor who would hold the throne for a mere three months...almost one-hundred years after the strange healer's death. Their body turned to dust as their old self died from disease.

Finally, a young man by the name of Nicholas surfs the internet busily and posts on an anonymous image board about how Metropolis had been smashed up in a fight between two aliens, trying to get as many details as they could in a various photos, some not even photoshopped, of the incident. He feels a weird moment of deja vu when he sees the ‘S’ emblazoned on the suit of one - the one called Superman.

It wasn't as if my body was peering across time and space - rather, I had watched all of this happen in ‘real time’ and was now taking stock. I just sped up my personal sense of

183/201 perception so I wouldn't have to spend too much time contemplating the empty void of space or the slow crawl of watching a young Earth and humanity's progress into what I knew as the modern era. I had separated my consciousness from my physical body, which was resting within the core of my Briah - within the Burden of the Father, a machine city that rested in a lazy orbit around Pluto. Any attempts at contact were ignored, any attempts at landing or observation simply had use move ‘somewhen’ else.

And you know what I've learned about observing the flow of time, about living several proxy lives across the era?

IT'S FUCKING BORING.

OH MY GOD.

THIS COULD NOT BE ANYMORE BORING IF I MADE MICROSECONDS TAKE SEVERAL FUCKING MILLENNIA. WHY DO MEGALOMANIACS ASPIRE TO GODHOOD?! THIS HAS TAKEN ALL THE JOY AND HAPPINESS OUT OF THIS JOURNEY. NOTHING CAN MAKE THIS INTERESTING OR FUN. NOTHING CAN oh hey Okita made some pancakes. I should make another body and -

...

What am I even doing? Alexander alluded to this big threat I was supposed to fight in his stead but all I'm doing is meandering about with an increasing roster of powers and perks I have no idea what to do with. I just wanna go fishing. I should be a fisherman next.

I wish this mysterious enemy had the decency to at least show up.

184/201 Jump 76: Mother - Cognitive Dissonance

Jump 76: Mother - Cognitive Dissonance Location: Mars Race: Human Origin: Weird Guy Perks: Ghosts in Flight PSI Center Stage King of the World [700] All You Need Is a Hammer [100] Whackjob [0] Nightmare Empower [100]

Items: Shades Mothership [300] Ballpeen Hammer [0]

Drawbacks: Cognitive [300] Hard Mode [500]

It is here, at this moment, that the Enemy finally appears. The starting bell is rung, beginning the struggle, Now and Forever.

But what becomes of Avatar, in his lowest moment...?

Redeemer. Destroyer. Pawn. Messiah. >You're not really any of those things, though. You know it. So why keep repeating it? Shut up. I am the Avatar of the World Engine - even more appropriately, my body is now a hackneyed remnant of the original. Alexander exists within my soul as a newborn, and even now refuses to speak to me, even about the so-called ‘mission’ he put upon me. Many years have passed since this began. While I can remember home, and the person I used to be...I can't feel it anymore. The human being who I once was perished. When, I cannot say. Was it the moment I took the body of a God? Or when I decided the wellbeing of mankind was my personal responsibility? Wanting to change the world in your own image is nothing more than a desire of ego, a childish bit of the human mind that wants to be remembered, to be significant. To never change your identity, because your identity has some unspoken intrinsic value - even if you're nothing but a flawed and terrible person for it. I knew. I knew that. But in my fury, in my wrath, I simply did not care. I wanted to lash out at the chains of fate. I wanted someone else to suffer my burdens. I wanted it all to just disappear. >No matter how justified you felt, you ultimately acted as a God would - on your own whims and desires, without once consulting either your followers or even your friends. Stop talking. I know. You don't need to remind me. >I wouldn't have to if you did anything besides sit here in self-pity. Go away GO AWAY GO AWAY

...

185/201 I'm at my limit. The weight is too heavy to carry. I don't know why I carry on. I don't know why I keep fighting. I hate it. I hate all of it. I hate the sounds and feelings of everyone on planet Earth and beyond. I hate not being able to sort out my own thoughts over all the noise. I hate peering into the past and the future like I'm some sort of overseer, someone to pass judgment on right and wrong...but more than that, I hate the idea of doing NOTHING when I have all of this.

With great power comes great responsibility. With infinite power comes infinite responsibility, and a joyless, unending existence. >Now who's talking down to those he cares about? SHUT UP >They still believe in you, you know. Even if you don't. I'm not Superman! I'm not a God! I can't...I can't... >Stop running Get away from me! >STOP HIDING LEAVE ME ALONE

>"He's disappeared again..." Okita said with a heavy sigh. Ford was flying the Mothership, which turned out to have awfully simplistic controls in the deck. >"Eh, he does that all the time. Odds are he'll swoop in the second we need help. 'Sides, we got Shaggy if things get hairy!" Stan leaned back in his chair, speaking optimistically. >"Like, why am I always the one doing all the work, man?" Shaggy complained as he bit into a submarine sandwich. Toki stared in some amazement. >"I feel like you've changed the least out of all of us, Shaggy." He said. >"I just wanna have a good time, man." >Meiling was silent, biting down on her thumb as she stared out at the void of space. >Abruptly, alarms start blaring. >Ford scrambles to the console and checks the source. >The screen reads: Hyper-Dimensional Fatigue Detected. >"Oh, hell."

Avatar appears within Magicant. It looks like a Windows 95 desktop with several icons laid out in a row like houses. Riding on the mouse cursor is a Flying Man. “COOL ADVENTURE TIME! WOO!” He yells in exhiliration before spotting him below. The Flying Man glides on over. “Hey, you look lost, buddy! Don't worry, I'll look after you!” >Flying Man joined the party! The first house they visit is clean, pristine, and has some gold plating in random areas. Kal-El is talking with Eiji Hino over some tea and get along like long-lost siblings. Kenshiro is having an arm-wrestling contest with a younger Goku. They all greet Avatar with smiles and treat him like an old friend. The second house has Kaori sitting outside of it, saying she wants to help the person inside smile, but they keep locking themselves up. The house is boarded up and the door is missing a knob, preventing them from entering. Best not to question it.

>A red energy sweeps over the galaxy, and a bit more after that. Something is screaming in the middle of it. Everyone scrambles to put on their Cloths and prepare for battle. Someone is screaming inside. And something is whispering in the currents... >"It is time to *squeeze the juice.*" >"Is that...?!" >"It's the same as Bahamut! Get ready!"

The Flying Man choked on a pretzel and died. 186/201 That might have had something to do with the fact Avatar had started walking into a land full of gears and ticking clocks. Or maybe it was too salty.

Of course, he was standing in the middle. The Nightmare. The one who wore Avatar's face. >"...you actually went looking for me." ... >"You know that things can't keep up this way." Yeah. >"The battle outside, can you feel it? They are here. They can smell you, now." M'hm. My hands are shaking. >"So...what do you plan on doing?"

... >1. Destroy the Nightmare - forsake all the power you've gained and break the chain, undo everything. >2. Accept the Nightmare - Acknowledge you're not cut out for any of this, but take responsibility anyways. Become a hero. >3. Merge with the Nightmare - Embrace your role as a guardian of mankind and a God - if no benevolent force in this world exists, then invent yourself into one.

>In this particular context, the suggested 4 is basically a vote for 3. So it looks like that wins. Votes: 1: 4 2: 2 3: 5 >3. Merge with the Nightmare - Embrace your role as a guardian of mankind and a God - if no benevolent force in this world exists, then invent yourself into one.

You're the sum of my doubts and fears. The feeling that I wasn't made for any of this. That I belonged in a simpler life. That I...had no real control over my own existence. >"..." But I've just been running away and hiding from what I was. I don't need to lose myself to my own power. I don't need to turn my back on those who believed in me enough to forsake the possibility of going home just to hold faith in me. And I don't need to run and hide from anyone or anything more. It's true. I've been clinging to what I saw as being ‘human’, never using what I had to its fullest potential because I perceived it as losing myself. But more and more, I've become like those I admired...the ones who would defend the innocent and the weak no matter what, to stand for principles and ideals no matter how much that howling void challenged them. Because things like love, honor, justice...no matter how artificial that looks under a microscope or a fine sieve, those are things worth fighting for. Standing for. Because if a God can believe in such things, then others could, too. They could find the world full of things besides uncaring atoms and equations. Those tiny lives, those principles and ideals, the hope to be something more when the whole universe screams ‘you are worthless, your lives are meaningless’...that's worth fighting for. Because those things aren't worthless. Maybe the battle will never end. Maybe I'll wander until the multiverse becomes dust. Maybe I'll exist forever. But no matter what, I will stand up for these things. Because...there's something more important than my peace of mind. >"So..." I'm afraid. I'm full of hesitation and doubt. If I wasn't, you wouldn't exist. But even then...I 187/201 can't just walk away. If a human being wasn't meant to have what I have, then I guess I have to stop thinking of myself like one. I'll stop treating this so lightly, but I won't forget where I came from or what I should do. So...let's go. Let's be what we were meant to be.

In the swirling mass of madness, as several figures in golden armor fight against foes within the cataclysmic Magicant that used to be Giegue, there is an explosion of light within the middle of the storm. Two white wings spread out wide and fill the maelstrom with calm and serenity, becoming the ‘eye’ in its middle. Standing in the middle, newly empowered and reborn...is me. I can feel Giegue in here, screaming in agony as They whisper into his ear, reminding him of all he's suffered. Niiue is somwhere close by, trying to reach out to him. To save him. Meiling and the others are hurt, but still fighting, trying to overcome this invisible foe.

This looks like a job for the Avatar.

Ballpeen hammer in one hand, Mjolnir into the other, I charge into the fray. Save Giegue. Save my loved ones. Save the galaxy. Save everyone.

That's what this power is for.

188/201 Jump 77?: Devil Survivor 2

Jump 77?: Devil Survivor 2

>"So you're finally feeling better, Anon?" Better than ever, Meiling! Just had to sort out an existential crisis for the second time in a row. But I'm tucked, I'm rested, and ready to fight Them! >“Awesome!...you ever going to explain what They are?” I will once we're settled in, I promise. The short of it is that they're basically weird reality parasites that infect a universe the more it learns about them. Anyways, the next jump is about to happen, so let's just wait for--

G҉́͘͏Ȩ̴͝Ţ̴͜͞ ҉̴̀O̡͘͜͡U̶̧͠͏T̶̨͜

Whoa, what the fu-

Ý̸̧̢͏O̧̧͢͞U̡̧҉̶̛ ̴̢͡Ḑ̶̸͡҉O͡͏̧́Ǹ ̸͢͝͠'҉͡T̷̵͡ ̀͟͟B̢̧̀E͞͞͠͏̡Ĺ͢͞͏O̵͟͏͡Ņ͠Ģ̷͏ ̴̷̢̧͡H̶͠E̶̡̡͢͜R̛͞È͏.̀̕͝ ͘͝͝D́ ́ ̵̨Į̶̀̀S̸͝͠A̡̛P̶̷̡P͘͞É͝A̛R̶̨͜͢.̡̢́͝ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

...okay, I guess we're not going there.

The hell was that about?

189/201 Jump 77: UQ Holder

Jump 77: UQ Holder Location: Slums Drop-In or No?: Nah. Chronological Age: 425 (About?) Physical Age: 20 Immortality: High Speed Regeneration [Stipend spent, 1600] Perks: Elder Immortal [1300] Prince The Immortal Life Spring of Life Team Dad Put On a Show, Darling [1200] Mage - Specialty: Western. [1100] Martial Artist [1000] Old Fashioned Brawler [900] There's An App For That [700] Making My Way Back [500] The Springfield Factor [300]

Items: Mourning Time Speeder Luxury Convoy Fortune [0]

Drawbacks: Village Idiots [1100] Black Phantasm [1400] Maze Runner [1600] New Kid On The Block [1700]

>High Speed Regeneration- 300 >Rank B- Magical >Through many unpleasant experiments, your body has been forcibly remade into something immortal. You’ll cease to age past the point of physical maturity and you’ve gained an impressive level of physical regeneration. You can heal most wounds in a few short minutes, even recovering lost limbs after a short rest break. You cannot heal while something is embedded in you, so make sure to un-impale yourself first. Since it takes a few minutes, this does mean you can be left disabled for some time if sufficiently damaged and enough damage to you can end your life, such as by having your head get crushed or losing all your organs in one go. You can improve this healing rate with practice however. >You can improve this healing rate with practice however. >improve this healing rate with practice >PRACTICE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DNGMoMNLRY OKAY GUYS THE MOMENT I BLOW THIS WHISTLE, PULL! >"Like, there's no air in space, man! How does that even work?!" DOESN'T MATTER, PUUUUUULL! >Avatar is promptly squished between two very literal moons and they explode upon contact

190/201 with him for some reason. >Moons Destroyed: 2 >Avatar is then sliced repeatedly by a reluctant Okita with her Noble Phantasm. OH GOD THIS HURTS >"Can I stop now?!" NO IT'S GETTING FASTER I CAN FEEL IT >"You're really scaring me, Master...!" >Avatar is exploded repeatedly via pressure points by Toki >Toki looks incredibly unamused. OKAY FORD JUST LIKE WE PRACTICED! >"This is incredibly unethical." JUST PULL THE LEVER YOU PUSSY >"-Sigh-." >Avatar is promptly tossed into a black hole by a planet-sized generator, pulled screaming into the field. >They get their limbs blasted off repeatedly by a laser. >"Are you enjoying this." Actually, I just turned off my ability to feel pain! Odds are I'm in incredibly amounts of agony right now! >"Charming." In fact, lemme cheOWOWOW OH GOD IT HURTS SO MUCH EVERY CELL IN MY BODY IS SCREAMING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA >"Anon your limb already grew back." I THINK I HURT MYSELF SO BAD MY PAIN RECEPTORS DON'T TURN OFF ANYMORE >"I told you this was a stupid idea!"

>"...hrmm. Something's...different. Something...inside?" >"Who are you?" >"I can feel...all of their pain. All of their suffering. All of it, in every cell, within my very soul." >"..." >"Such a trifling thing. What are you trying to do? Make some sort of point and making me into a puppet by driving me to do what I already do over and over again?" >"You're just as empty as I am. Vengeful. Automatic." >"Does it hurt you? Is this burden too heavy for you? Is the pain too much?" >"Then I will carry it for you. These fists are only dedicated to the never-ending fight. You may rest while we share this form." >"I will carry out that revenge for you. For I only exist to do battle with that man..." >"...oh. My head appars to have fallen off again. One moment." >Carrying his own decaptiated head, the body of Stone walks off into the sunset. Preparing to continue his dance with his ancient foe.

191/201 Jump 78: Jorge Joestar

Jump 78: Jorge Joestar Origin: Townie Location: Nishi Akatsuki Age: 22 Species: Ultimate Life Form [450] Perks: Strike A Pose How Many Years? I Just Want A Quiet Life 36 Jumpers on Mars [300] Stand Down [0]

Items: Manga Artist's Workbench

Drawbacks: 37+Infinity [1300] Everything Was Going So Well [1600] So Many Serial Killers [1800] Beyond Pasta [2000] Gross Adult Shit [2050]

So, want to hear a joke?

The son of Kars sits down and writes manga in a small town. About ten seconds later, he realizes that makes no sense because Kars is currently sitting somewhere on Mars and is still waiting for his ride home. The paradox immediately tips off this fortunate son that something is a bit more amiss than usual, and tries to enter his Warehouse. A second later, blood pours out and several miles of corpses are laid out, covering everything within. They all bleed a blue liquid that resembles blueberry Kool-Aid, but tastes like overcooked cabbage. He suppresses his wrath when he realizes none of the corpses belong to his companions, but are instead thirty-six copies of 300 people each, all random bystanders. No, they were all Stand Users.

“This must be the work of an enemy Stand!” He said with a clenched fist. After a moment's contemplation, realizing the implications of his new form and what sort of world he was in, he added with a heavy sigh: “This is going to -suck-.”

His first instinct is to seek his missing companions. For no matter how inhuman he becomes, or how much he has become as a God, it is his heart that remains human. He takes to the skies, uncaring of how the public looks upon him, seeking out the life force of his companions. He does not find them anywhere in the entire universe, no matter how vast his gaze becomes. His despair is so great he almost fails to notice Stone's fist making his way towards him. His confusion only grows when he realizes there are still two souls within his body - Stone and the Mage of the Beginning had found some sort of unholy symbiosis together. What motivated such a union, he could only guess.

Once again, they clashed, and only after a long struggle is he the winner. He continues his search

So, want to hear a joke?

192/201 The son of Kars sits down and writes manga in a small town. About ten seconds later, he realizes that makes no sense because Kars is currently sitting somewhere on Mars and is still waiting for his ride home. The paradox immediately tips off this fortunate son that something is a bit more amiss than usual, and tries to enter his Warehouse. A second later, blood pours out and several miles of corpses are laid out, covering everything within. They all bleed a blue liquid that resembles blueberry Kool-Aid, but tastes like overcooked cabbage. He suppresses his wrath when he realizes none of the corpses belong to his companions, but are instead thirty-seven copies of 300 people each, all random bystanders. No, they were all Stand Users.

“This must be the work of an enemy Stand!” He said with a clenched fist. After a moment's contemplation, realizing the implications of his new form and what sort of world he was in, he added with a heavy sigh: “This is going to -suck-.” A feeling of deja vu washes over him, but he suppresses it and contemplates his next move. He surmises that locating the Stand Users of this gruesome sight will lead him to his missing friends, so he opts to trace a link to their apparent killer using his magical prowess and his psionic might. There's just one problem. The killer wore identical underwear to him. As well as everything else, right down to the skin. He finds a doppleganger who is screaming about BEYOND and how the entire universe was little more than a pink venus flytrap that would swallow them all whole. When he tried to interrogate the doppleganger, they committed suicide by making a neutron star made entirely out of rabbits explode within their own stomach. Planet Earth was destroyed, but he survived.

So, want to hear a joke?

The son of Kars sits down and writes manga in a small town. About ten seconds later, he realizes that makes no sense because Kars is currently sitting somewhere on Mars and is still waiting for his ride home. The paradox immediately tips off this fortunate son that something is a bit more amiss than usual, and tries to enter his Warehouse. A second later, blood pours out and several miles of corpses are laid out, covering everything within. They all bleed a blue liquid that resembles blueberry Kool-Aid, but tastes like overcooked cabbage. He suppresses his wrath when he realizes none of the corpses belong to his companions, but are instead thirty-eight copies of 300 people each, all random bystanders. No, they were all Stand Users.

“This must be the work of an enemy Stand!” He said with a clenched fist. After a moment's contemplation, realizing the implications of his new form and what sort of world he was in, he added with a heavy sigh: “This is going to -suck-.” The feeling of deja vu within him is too strong to deny. He looked to the side and noticed the all-seeing camera observing the words on the page. Someone was watching him. It looked like an image board full of posts about a choose-your-own adventure story. Looking up, he realizes this has definitely happened already, and he is being observed by an outside force.

Something BEYOND.

A recursive loop was solvable by him. All he had to do was activate his Briah. But he realizes that made things too easy - it was probably what his enemy was expecting him to do. But before he could think further on it, Stone appeared alongside Darius, who also appeared alongside a midget version of Bahamut and a five-headed Rick Sanchez.

So, want to hear a joke?

The son of Kars sits down and writes manga in a small town. About ten seconds later, he realizes that makes no sense because Kars is currently sitting somewhere on Mars and is still waiting for his ride home. The paradox immediately tips off this fortunate son that something 193/201 is a bit more amiss than usual, and tries to enter his Warehouse. A second later, blood pours out and several miles of corpses are laid out, covering everything within. They all bleed a blue liquid that resembles blueberry Kool-Aid, but tastes like overcooked cabbage. He suppresses his wrath when he realizes none of the corpses belong to his companions, but are instead thirty-nine copies of 300 people each, all random bystanders. No, they were all Stand Users.

He doesn't waste time. He leaves Earth far behind and heads straight for Mars. His familial reunion with Kars isn't terribly warm - the Ultimate Life Form was positively insane by human standards, even with his newfound desire to protect Earth. He explains that this universe was a ‘marble’ inside of a larger one, a trap designed to repeatedly kill and devour the Ultimate Life Form's son. However, the arrival of a new soul - that of the Avatar - had resulted in two BEYONDs colliding with each other. One was a hungry devourer of paradox. The other wished to tell a story of Dio Brando's ascension into godhood, after he overcame the Avatar. The two were acting both against and with each other, and if they failed to resolve in a way he found satisfactory, it would just reset again.

Should Avatar activate his Briah, Dio's BEYOND would steal and devour it, taking all of his powers as an act of vengeance for his past self. And he knew that Avatar only had that as a way to resolve the paradox without help - and his companions were back in the ‘real’ universe, likely confused and disoriented.

“None of that makes sense, even in the context of that novel.” Avatar pointed out. “You should not give up on something just because it stops making sense.” Kars would explain with a sagely nod.

For once, Avatar was almost completely trapped. His only hope was that his allies would free him before he went mad from the clashing narratives and the venus flytrap that Dio Brando had created for him...

>"WHERE THE HELL ARE WE...?!" Meiling called out in annoyance as she and the others were now on top of a walking continent.

>TO BE CONTINUED? >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G65pvuTFR_A

194/201 Jump 79: Shokugeki No Soma

Jump 79: Shokugeki No Soma Origin: Drop-In Perks: Visualization Regional Specialty - American Impactful Taste [900] Shokugeki Learner [700] The Young Asura [400]

Items: Headband High Tech Cooking [0]

Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down~ >"You're in a cheery mood." Oh, morning Yukari. Just practicing for a cooking test that's going to happen later today. It's a pop quiz for everyone else, of course, but I already have a hunch on how this place works. >"So you're not being a superhero this time?" Eh, this world's pretty close to the standard Earth template. Just the same old wars and petty crimes. Assuming there's no culinary apocalypse around the corner, things should mostly sort themselves out. >"You know, everyone was-" Worried about me, yeah. You were too. Don't worry, I'm alright. Just had a bit of an epiphany after that fight with DIO. >"Are the capital letters necessary?" He certainly thought so before he exploded. Also, stop poking the fourth wall, that thing is a pain in the ass to fix. >"My apologies. Tea?" Oh, thank you. Mm. Good stuff. But yeah, I had a bit of an epiphany. See, using the psionic field and my new poorly-utilized hyper intelligence, I basically left that place with more individual superpowers than I've ever envisioned myself having. Since overcoming my Nightmare, I've realized that being something of a paragon or a symbol to look up is actually kinda...okay? Like, sure I'm not some kind of super special chosen one, but I've done a fair share of good and bad on this journey. And odds are I'm going to live for a long time, maybe forever. And that's okay. There's more to life than just exhausting things I can learn or become able to do. >"Optimistic of you." Yeah, I'm not done. See, I can learn basically the whole of planet Earth's knowledge in an evening, shorter if I don't pause for lunch which I don't need to eat anymore in the first place, or use my magic as a God to just do the work for me instead of filtering it all through my mind manually. I can read minds, use magic to do basically whatever I want, re-arrange the constellations to look like a middle finger, create superpowers on demand, warp reality with my mind, stop time for about two hours, and literally all of these and more disparate abilities that have nothing to do with each other will increase further as I age. And as far as I can tell, that ceiling is very narrow. If I felt like committing a creative form of mental and spiritual suicide, I could cover the entire multiverse in the World Engine and be its god until some Kaori- shaped cancer eventually killed me. I am literally what Mary Sues dream to be. And you know what conclusion I've come to about this sort of thing? >"Overthinking?" No!...well, yes. It's that, well. It's boring. It's really, really boring. Being king of the mountain

195/201 who can outperform everyone and everything is a bit more like being a force of nature. And when They aren't mucking things up, most places don't really need that kind of intervention. So, no more showing up in shining glamor or a big ‘I AM GOD’ sign over my head. I'm just gonna blend in, act like a normal person, and scale with my opponents instead of crushing them with overwhelming force all the time. >"Hmm...that's an interesting way of looking at it. I suppose this is your way of maturing, then?" I like to think so, yeah. ... You know, it just occurred to me. I've never really heard your side of this story. You haven't said a word about what you think of all this or why you've stuck with me. I figured you had some kind of agenda or secret plan. >"You think so?...I suppose that's one way of looking at it." Hm? What do you--ah, she's gone. ...did I say something bad?

196/201 Jump 76i: Mother - Cognitive Dissonance

That was fun to picture, wasn't it? Just continuing my journey, without a care in the world...learning to be an ordinary human again. My companions and I would sit around the old house, telling stories, eating food. Shaggy would eat a room-sized sandwich. Asgore would pat his shoulder and gently recommend he try not to eat so much in one bite. Speedwagon would laugh about it, his arm around Red Dragon. Yukari would watch unseen from a small gap, suppressing a giggle. Ford would be adjusting his glasses in some concern, Stan would be laughing about the whole thing. Serena would be stuffing her face full of food, cheerily oblivious to her surroundings. Toki would be meditating in a corner, suppressing a small smile on his face. Okita was celebrating her new sickness-free body, with me having finally found a way to remove the sickness from her body without accidentally turning her back into a spirit. Meiling laughed heartily, seated right next to me. I watched those jumps unfold in front of me within Magicant, a movie projector showing the future that could have been...

But the further I looked, the more things stagnated. Even masquerading as a normal person, there was only so long I could continue the battle. I would just take in more and more pieces of the multiverse until my being outweighed the very universes I entered. Inevitably, I would become a living vortex that would draw in all things around me, a wandering hurricane bringing ruin to both my enemies and the balance of the worlds I had entered. They would exist in a plane of existence I could not reach, infecting reality little by little and twisting them into unrecognizable husks. I don't know what made them the enemies of the World Engine, but Alexander implied They see us...me, as their antithesis. The embodiment of Order in a chaotic multiverse they could otherwise freely infest and feed from, like parasites that exist within memes and the thoughts of sentient beings. And the more that was known about Them, the more They could infect it.

Until there was only Orz.

The battle would not end. I could make one moment an eternity, but that's all I could make: Moments. Reprieves. Little victories. As long as I existed on a limited plane of existence, clinging to what vestiges of humanity I had left, the battle against the Orz would continue so long as the World Engine existed. And as the multiverse spawns new worlds with each and every possibility and thought there would ever be, they would never have any shortage of food to feed from. I could only accept this as I watched the battle unfold across millennia in front of me. One by one, I saw my companions disappear from the visions. Meiling would always be the final one by my side until I was alone. And then the last light of the World Engine was snuffed from the multiverse. The Nightmare was seated next to me as I forced myself to comprehend what I was seeing.

>"It would have been more fun if it was just an adventure, huh?" Yeah. >"You know what we have to do, right?" Since I decided killing you was off the menu, yeah. There's only really one way to make all of this stop. >"...because your Briah is based from Alexander's desire instead of your own, it's hard to say what form you'll take. Or if you can even interact with normal people anymore. ‘To observe all futures and create the ultimate ideal path to that future.’ Considering what it made from someone who wanted to know everything..." My hands are shaking. This is probably the most fear I've ever felt. I'm not someone built for huge responsibilities. From start to finish, I've been the wrong person for this. Maybe if I knew what would happen, maybe if I had more time to prepare before being thrown into violence

197/201 and chaos...I could've become that person. But then, all of this wouldn't have happened to begin with, right? All this really began when I fatally wounded Alexander in a fit of rage. Everything has just been an echo of that moment. >"Are you going to fight it?" ...no. There's nothing I can do at this point. Not without dragging them all down with me. It's time to pay the karma for my mistake. >"...I see." >"It won't be so bad. After all..." >"You have me to keep you company." The Nightmare smiles at me, wearing a familiar poncho and a soft smile as I finally accept them. >"So let's face that together, partner."

Jump 76i: Mother - Cognitive Dissonance Location: Mars Race: Human Origin: Weird Guy Perks: Ghosts in Flight PSI Center Stage King of the World [700] All You Need Is a Hammer [100] Whackjob [0] Nightmare Empower [100]

Items: Shades Mothership [300] Ballpeen Hammer [0]

Drawbacks: Cognitive [300] Hard Mode [500]

Seeking the peace of reason... Shaping a faceless season... Reason to keep believing... Waken the beast still sleeping.

>"No matter how much we hit the dang thing, it's not letting up!" Shaggy called out, trying to force his way past the red and shapeless chaos. Yellow orbs, resembling pufferfish, somehow bolstered Giygas' power while yelling nonsense at the rest of them. “Like, where the heck is Avatar this time...?!” >"Just keep defending the ship for right now!" Asgore, clad in Gold Cloth, would part some of the chaos with a swipe of his trident, thousands of the fish-like growths exploding only to be replaced by several thousand more in that instant. “Goodness, it's just like insects in a garden...!” >"Great metaphor, big guy!" Stan called out. >"Wait, do you hear something...?" Okita wondered, having parted an otherwise empty moon with a swing of her sword.

Always wandering, 198/201 never finding home. The path I walk is the road I leave a single moment across eternity...

>"It's Avatar! Thank God!" Speedwagon would cheer. Ford would narrow his eyes suspiciously. >"Wait. That's not his Briah...this is something new..." His eyes widened in comprehension. “Everyone into the Warehouse! NOW!” >"What, why? We're about to win!" >"GET IN THE WAREHOUSE OR ALL OF US ARE GOING TO DIE!"

The Orz began to screech as they sensed the arrival of their ancient enemy. Giygas screamed into the void as they compelled him to attack the source of the disturbance. Reality began to shudder and shake as the turning of gears began to fill the otherwise empty void of space. All of time marching to the beat of a single drum...

Hear. Feel. Think. This gift from the Old World, and from the bottom of my heart let us live forever within this sunset...

Atzulith---The World Engine.

Like a supernova, my Law finally expands outwards from my body as the machine fortress returned to its true form. On one side of me is my Nightmare. On the other is the Alexander wearing a youthful version of my face. My body is clad in armor made of bronze and turning gears, steam emerging from my mouth and my body as I soon encompass all of being Giygas shudders and his madness spreads forward in an attempt to stop me. I reach forward. I reach into the moment where he was forced to kill his adoptive mother Maria. In a struggle of wills between his duty to his species and his new family, his family ultimately wins...and young ‘Googie’ remains with Maria and George as they escape to Earth. Reluctantly, they allow them to leave. This alteration causes the being called Giygas to freeze and collapse, his existence made null by the flow of time. Within that moment, I make other changes.

“Shaggy...” You've become a mighty warrior, but I know what you really desire is to return home to your best friend. Keep the courage you've earned, but live without the burden of power. Mystery Inc. is waiting for the return of their old friend. “Asgore..." You finally found some measure of peace, but I know going home won't do much beyond open up old wounds. I'm sure Shaggy is excited to introduce you to his old friends. “Stan...” You were a character, I'll give you that. Buy a lottery ticket or two when you get home. I guarantee you'll be happy with the results. “Speedwagon...Red Dragon...” You found happiness where I couldn't. You'll live a long life til your deathbed just like in reality...except now you have a very loyal lover in your arms. It'd be cruel to break you both up, you know? Say hi to Johnathan for me, and live in a world with a bright new future. “Okita...” A loyal samurai to the very end. Live without sickness...and if you're ever summoned again, I hope you get a chance to show off your new health and skill. “Yukari...” ...from the beginning, you saw me like a younger brother. You wanted to see if I'd become like you the longer I went. To see if you could have walked a different path through someone in similar shoes. I'm sorry I can't fulfill that wish. Return to Gensokyo. As long as the outside 199/201 world exists, so will Gensokyo. “Toki...” With your sickness cured, you brought a world of good to both your home and others. A new future will grow now that the conflict around Hokuto is no more. You and your brother will see it together. I promise. “Ford...” Your paranoia did wonders to make me check where I was and what I did. Please at least TRY to use your new science responsibly, okay? We both know how that goes. “Serena...” I'll give you back your Prince, and let you keep the new Silver Millennium. You'll both prosper together...but, ah, don't be too hard on the guy if he doesn't lift too much, okay? “Mei-” I stop. I can't sense Meiling anywhere in the universe - or this multiverse. A wave of confusion hits me before she materialized in front of me, her body glowing a bright gold. She gives me a peace sign and a grin.

>"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" She was already part of my Legion. I made no gesture to call her to me, or even considered the thought - I wanted to send her home, to set her free. “Meiling...” I say, warily and with obvious shock. >"I get it, I get it. You don't wanna be a burden and all that..." She rubbed her neck, grinning awkwardly. “But I already considered you a big part of my life, you know? So I guess the universe agreed with me!” ...that doesn't make any sense. >"Nope! But you're not getting rid of me that easy!" That smile didn't disappear from her face as she rubbed her nose. “So stop thinking you're gonna do all this on your own. I said I'd follow you around til the end, didn't I? So I'm not going anywhere.” ...stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. >"Hey, who's the stupid one?...I'm going to make you answer me, you know. You can't run forever!" She said, giving me a determined pointer finger. ...yeah. I'm the kind of guy who beats around the bush too much. Thank you.

We embrace for the first time - the first ‘real’ time before I look to face the swirling masses of the Orz.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Have at you!

The whole of reality shudders as the parasite finally clashes with its greatest foe...!

...of course, this journey had no other conclusion. The battle lasted forever, and only a microsecond. I had pulled the root of the infestation into the universe, and dealt a finishing blow. Explaining the battle is pointless - I abandoned all sense and reason the moment I embraced Hegemony. All that mattered was that I dealt the killing blow to the Orz before they could escape into the minds or souls of others...and then trapped them in a single moment. ‘Observe’, not ‘control’. So while I would still exist in this space, my ego would eventually fade away - giving way to the mechanism Alexander had built to create what it saw as a better future. Though...I think some of my own desires made it in there, too. That's why I've frozen myself in this moment, too. Time's a funny thing when you can control it. I can exist as long as I want...but eventually, inevitably, I'll fade away without any diet of souls to overcome my own fate. 200/201 It's just as well, I suppose. Wasn't like I planned on being God forever. At least it gives me time to make up to Meiling for waiting for so long. You don't have a shortage of dates when you control reality on a fundamental level, of course. I offered to send her back to Gensokyo. But Meiling was insistent - she would be with me til the very end, and would fade away when I finally decided this eternity had overstayed its welcome. She was stubborn and dumb to the bitter end.

That's probably why I love her so much.

There's just one mystery unsolved. And sure enough, there he is, waiting for me. Stone had entered this space and walked within the empty dimensional space like it was a walk in the park. His body glowed with newfound energy and purpose. But his posture, his stance, was relaxed. In hindsight, it was obvious - it wasn't like time had operated in a straight line. Even my actions in the distant future sent echoes into the past, leading up to a single conclusion...

“I guess you're the one meant to kill me in the end, huh?”I say, hands in my avatar's pockets.

“Someday.” He says.

“It was obvious in hindsight. Gods like this don't live terribly long lives when they realize how much their own desires suck. You either go big or go home, right?” I said with a laugh.

“...what about that girl?”

“Alive. With her family. The way it should be.” I say. “...you want to fight right now, Stone?”

“...no. I feel...oddly nostalgic, today. I'd rather rest for a little bit.”

“You know, we never really got a chance to talk. Or get to know each other.”

“Hmm. That's a strange thing to say to the man who will eventually kill you."

“I know, but that's no reason we can't be friends. After all...we've got all the time in the world. Until that one moment...”

“...I suppose.”

We both sat down. I opened a can of coffee that materialized in my hand. Stone did the same.

“So...how did you end up here?”

“Well...it all started in the world of Samurai Jack. I woke up with the taste of sand in my mouth...”

The End.

201/201