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The yellow portal is more like a spiral, and as he leaps within, he immediately feels himself pulled and stretched beyond any limit a human was meant to experience. In spite of all his self-control, Fox finds himself screaming as he feels his body wind into a string that coils through the aether of chaos. Six versions of himself, six individual consciousness's all leaping towards the same dimension, coil around each other before merging into one solid form. Most portals make one experience different extremes; heat and cold being the most common, but Fox experiences something far grander and more surreal. All at once, he is an unstoppable force and an immovable object, solid and fluid, utterly mad and supremely enlightened.

Then, he is violently ejected onto a floating rock, and the portal behind him closes as that rock flies away.

Fox coughs as his entire body shakes; he feels like his molecules are threatening to fly apart. He pushes himself up onto his hands and knees before staring at the palm of his hand. He watches his fingers fade apart from each other, as though reflections of them drift and separate into different beings, each composed of a fraction of his being. His eyes widen and he clenches his fist, focusing as hard as he can on staying together. Five wisps of his hand slowly merge back into one whole, and he takes a deep breath as he collects himself.

'Keep it together...' he finds himself saying in his head over and over. 'Keep it together...'

His other hand's fingers dig into the rock he is on, and as he looks down, he realizes that the rock isn't solid. It is pliable, like stone putty, shaping as he plays with it. He stands up and looks on, and immediately wishes he hadn't. He has been to Chaosrealm before, but this place is worse, much worse.

'The Ultra-Realm of Chaos...'

Six versions of Chaosrealm merged into one, six pandemoniums converging and sharing space that all at once does and does not exist. There is no sky, no concept of 'up' or gravity at all. The Chaosrealm he was familiar with had things like floating mountains and rivers, but this place has things he cannot fully understand on a conceptual level. His eyes and mind begin to burn and he averts his gaze for the safety of his own sanity. Spider webs of matter woven between impossible spaces of geometry composed of impossible angles, each gap between the strands containing a world unto itself. Creation and destruction seemingly lose all meaning and purpose as everything around him changes, and suddenly that web no longer exists. Or did it even exist in the first place? Is everything that he is seeing here just the result of his brain trying to make sense of it?

>Stop and focus!
>Shout out for Havik
>Attempt to contact Raiden
>Listen for voices
>Other

>>2573769
>Stop and focus!

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>>2573796

'Trying to make sense...'

He realizes he can hear his own thoughts as clearly as though someone was whispering them into his ear. For a moment, he worries they may not even be his thoughts at all, until he stops and focuses.

'I'm here for a reason...'

Nobody else on the team could withstand and resist the influence of chaos like he can. In the midst of this turmoil of existence, he stands like a beacon of ordered thought and iron will. Fox kneels back down, shutting out the noise of six realms screaming around him, and he digs his hands into the malleable rock.

'Havik is out there somewhere...'

From somewhere, Fox can hear Kaito's voice echoing across infinity. Or did it come from within?

>"Havik had something to do with the machines. He set a long series of things in motion, plots withing plots within plots, culminating in this."

'Havik did all of this...'

He closes his eyes again and focuses, shutting out all of the noise and excess stimulae. His hands bend the rock underneath him, and he reaches further within, extending his will to influence it. He knows he can shape it, because he believes he can. He is certain of it.

The only question is what shape to give it.

>A sphere to travel in
>A dragon-jet
>A bird to fly on
>A bridge to walk on
>Other

>>2573875
>A bird to fly on

>>2573875
>>A bird to fly on

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>>2573903

'Air might not exist here---but then how am I breathing?' He suddenly stops finding himself able to breathe and rapidly comes to the conclusion that questioning air isn't productive and simply believes he can breathe, and he stops suffocating. 'Don't doubt... just believe. Simply... fly.'

He shapes the rock into a large bird, his thoughts giving it the dimensions needed. Soon he is soaring through the void, carefully positioned upon the back of the stone avian.

'I can't doubt myself here,' he contemplates. 'Doubt will bring death. I could disintegrate, or drown, or simply fade.'

More voices find him, a typhoon of them, all speaking at once. He shuts them all out, focusing purely on the task at hand, but one manages to get through. He hesitates when he realizes to whom it belongs: Grandmaster Hanzo.

>"...you must not let this doubt cloud your mind. It must be focused and sharp as a razor."

'Focused... Sharp...'

The landscape around him changes to that of a massive wall, a barrier on all sides. He looks up and realizes it has no end; it stretches on to infinity. Fox narrows his eyes and mentally commands the bird onwards, right towards the impossible wall. Then, as it seems he is about to crash upon it, Fox turns the bird upwards, and flies parallel to its surface.

The wall becomes a road, and he lands on it. The bird melds into the floor as he begins to walk, and the road is now surrounded by a desert. Three suns bear down on him and he feels great heat, but doesn't let it affect him. He knows that all of this around him is illusory, temporary, and just as maleable as the rock he was on before.

'I am a stone in the river,' he thinks, and his thoughts echo for countless miles around him. 'The waters of chaos will wash over me and around me, but they will never move me.'

Overhead, the suns begin to spin, creating a circle of light. This halo expands, and as he looks up, he sees that another world looms beyond, a galaxy of stars blinking in and out of existence. But that is not his destination, he somehow knows---his destination is below.

>Create a tunnel
>Split the earth in two
>Climb down a ladder
>Turn the ground into water and swim
>Other

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>>2574036
>Split the earth in two

>>2574036
>Split the earth in two

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>>2574068
>>2574134

Fox holds his hand out in front of him, and takes a deep breath to steady himself and calm his nerves. He feels his body, which was shaking a moment ago, return to its stable condition. This place is unlike anything he has ever experienced; a single lapse in focus could be catastrophic to his very being.

He straightens his hand like a knife and aims it upwards.

'Focused... Sharp... Focused... Sharp...'

He channels all of his thought into cutting the very earth he stands upon in half. When he brings down his hand, he does just that, and cleaves a world in two. It separates cleanly, like fruit from a blade, and for a brief moment he stands upon the two halves. Eventually they pull farther apart than he can stand and so he tumbles forward and falls.

Hugging his knees close to his chest, he spirals downwards, all the while keeping a calm and clear head. He knows he is falling, but also knows that he isn't. As he spins, the two halves around him spin together, creating the appearance of a tunnel, and then it becomes a tunnel. The tube is like a well, getting darker and darker the deeper he goes.

'Falling towards the center of Chaosrealm.'

He stops spinning and straightens out his body, diving towards the black center of the abyss. He takes a moment to adjust the chain around his chest, making sure that all of the Kamidogu are secure. He knows they will not leave him, because he will not let them, and the thought alone keeps them secure.

His thoughts about the Kamidogu seem to trigger more voices. Memories echoing from the depths of his brain, taking life in the wormhole around him. Sounds of clashing are heard; lightning and entropy battling against each other.

>"What are you blathering about? The Kamidogu cannot merge."

>"Not as you know it. It's already too late for you to stop it. Wheels greater than even the mind of a god can comprehend are in motion, and I am the one in control of their direction."

'I don't know where you are, Raiden---the real you. But I'm going to carry out my mission. I'm going to see this through to the end.'

He reaches the end of his fall, entering a world of darkness. He passes through the penumbra of this anti-sphere. There is a point up ahead, where the umbra meets the antumbra, and there is something there that should not exist, a globe of some kind. Fox's mind is clear of distraction, his focus is singular, and so when he reaches the globe and finds that it is nothing but physical shadow, he passes through it with no greater trouble than one has when they blink.

When he opens his eyes, he is standing on a platform in a white space. The white mist surrounding him is thick, but he can make out a structure in the distance, a dark silhouette on the event horizon. It is a temple, and he knows that is where he must go.

>Travel forward, float
>Summon more stones
>Unsheath the Kamidogu
>Meditate
>Other

>>2574176
>Meditate

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>>2574186

Fox sits in the middle of the stone, crossing his legs, and places his hands in his lap, and prepares to meditate. His breaths are measured and even, his thoughts clear and concise. He empties his mind.

There are more voices, but they grow distant. This place is using his memories against him, or attempting to. He focuses intently upon the journey he has taken that has brought him to this moment. Five Kamidogu, six realms.

He opens his eyes. 'Wait...' He loosens the chain around his shoulder and places the Kamidogu in front of him. All five of them begin to hover in front of him, each one perfectly identical in appearance.

'Five... But...'

Summoned forth by his memories, Raiden's voice echoes from far away.

>"You still have the Kamidogu! Excellent! This means there is time yet to undo the damage Havik has wrought!"

He brings a hand up to his forehead. 'I had the Kamidogu from my reality's Chaosrealm. From the Nexus, I first travelled to Disorder Realm...'

>"I AM SCORPION! And Scorpion is me! We are one!"

'And then I returned after defeating Havik...'

>"You have accomplished much in a short time. But we yet have four Kamidogu remaining.”

'I went to Outworld, and spoke with Emperor Cao...'

>"Oh, that? I have that in the vault. You want it?"

'We fought and defeated Havik and Skarlet...'

>"Give in, Forrest. Lose yourself to the Blood Code. Become consumed by it! All there is and all that shall be will be found in the Blood Code!"

'And then I brought the Kamidogu to the Nexus, and...'

>"Forrest, you have returned! I am pleased at your successes. With two of the six, we are well on our way to defeated the Haviks and their scheme."

Now, he speaks aloud. "Wait... That doesn't... make... sense..."

That was his second journey into another realm. There should have been three Kamidogu, not two... He had two when he returned from Disorderrealm. He knows he did! And yet he remembers himself saying something...

>"So... Two down. And if things keep up, these next worlds are only going to get stranger than the last..."

"I had three... I should have had three..."

And yet, upon returning from the alternate Earthrealm that had been plunged into a postapocalyptic wasteland, he remembers Raiden's words...

>"Three Kamidogu of Chaosrealm. We are halfway to stopping Havik's vile plan. You have done well, Fox."

"This doesn't make any sense," he mutters. "I would have noticed, I should have noticed... I couldn't have lost count..." His eyes dart from side to side.

Suddenly, he is encased in shadow. He looks up. The stone he has been sitting in the center of has drifted towards the structure, which now looms overhead, tall and menacing. The ground upon which the temple stands now connects to his stone, allowing him to walk towards it, but he remains sitting.

"I don't understand." His heart is beating fast.

From within the chapel, he hears a voice. His voice.

"Enter, and all will be revealed."

>Enter
>Remain
>Speak
>Think
>Other

>>2574363
>>Enter

>>2574363
>Enter

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>>2574365
>>2574369

Gathering up the five Kamidogu and attempting to calm down, to return to his controlled state of mind, Fox approaches the temple. He realizes that it is familiar... It is his home.

The Shirai Ryu temple.

Its doors are open, and stained with blood. He walks within and sees dead bodies littering the floor, each clad in the yellow garb of his clan. He kneels down next to one, and turns it over, discovering that the man's face has been removed, exposing the musculature beneath, and amidst all that red are two white eyes staring into nothingness.

Each body is the same. He eventually stops checking them, as he is unable to identify a single one. Within the central chamber of his home, a place where he fought, bled and grew up, there is a figure standing there, surrounded by a spiral of corpses.

It is him.

Fox looks at himself, and his duplicate does the same. They are both still.

"Who are you?" he speaks. "Havik? Trying to play some trick?"

"No," his double replies. "I'm real. It's you who is the trick."

He holds out his hand, and from behind him to his palm floats the Kamidogu. The missing piece, the one he had from his reality!

"I'm the real Forrest Fox," the apparent doppelganger says. "You're just a figment of someone else's imagination."

>You're me, from another reality.
>You must have split from me when I entered this realm.
>How did you get that Kamidogu?
>I won't fall for this trick, Havik.
>Other

>>2574401
>You must have split from me when I entered this realm.

>>2574401
>>You must have split from me when I entered this realm.

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>>2574406
>>2574465

Fox puts a hand on his head. "You must have... split from me when I entered this realm..."

"No. I never split from anyone. And I've had this," he says, indicating the Kamidogu in his hand, "from the very beginning. It's you who split from me and hunted down the other Kamidogu."

Fox shakes his head. "This isn't going to work. Making me doubt that I'm real? You can't change what I know."

"And yet you didn't know that were missing one of the Kamidogu you already had. Listen to yourself, listen to your thoughts. Deep down, you know you aren't real. We parted from each other in Outworld, and were sent into two different timelines. Yours led you to gathering those Kamidogu, and mine led me here."

"To a bunch of dead bodies?" He looks down at the other's knife, dripping with blood. "Or were they not like that when you got here?"

"They weren't real, either. Another trick, just like you are. Now hand over the Kamidogu so we can fix all of this."

Fox's eyes narrow. "You expect me to believe that?"

"What you believe doesn't matter," he replies. "Nothing does. None of this is real to begin with."

"You're sounding less like me by the second."

"I'm the one trying to fix this. When the realms are set back the way they should be, you and I will be back together, where we belong."

"Sounds convenient. But why do I get the feeling there's something more you're not telling me, and that both of us don't know? Because I don't know what to do with all six Kamidogu."

"Then hand yours over, because I do."

"But if I don't, then you sure as hell don't. So how do you know, unless you're in league with Havik?"

"Ridiculous."

"Well, from where I'm standing, the only thing keeping the Kamidogu from being merged into one is them being separate. So give me one good reason why I should listen to you."

"Because you aren't Forrest Fox. You're nothing. Just a byproduct of the realms merging that someone dreamt up into reality, but you aren't real. You experienced that realization outside of the temple. This entire time, this entire journey you think you've been on, only half of you went on it. I'm the other half."

"If I'm nothing, and half of you, then you're nothing as well."

"Exactly. We're nothing." His eyes are cold and blank.

"Some clone you are," Fox mutters. "If we did split, then you clearly got all the bad parts of me. I'm far from a nihilist."

"I'm a realist. And I realize that you think reality is worth saving, when it isn't."

>Attack him
>Continue speaking
>Demand to know where the real Raiden is
>Say nothing
>Other

>>2574573
>Demand to know where the real Raiden is

>>2574573
>>Demand to know where the real Raiden is

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>>2574608
>>2574656

"Tell me where Raiden is. The real Raiden."

For a moment, his only response is silence. Then he seems to tilt his head, and gives him an alien look. "None of them are real."

Fox sighs. "More of this?"

"You truly don't know, do you? Of course you don't." He holds out both arms wide. "Tell me, if you can: what if all I see or seem is but a dream within a dream?"

"I don't read poetry."

"Nothing is real. You aren't real. I'm not real. Both of us are dreams within a dream. That's all any of us are. But we can end it all, right here, right now. Just give me the Kamidogu."

"Giving up on convincing me that you're the real Fox? I was just starting to buy it." He smirks, but his smirk fades as he stares into his twin's eyes, realizing they are changing, becoming bloodshot with contracted pupils.

"I'm more real because I know what I truly am. I have been given a glimpse of what we thought real was, and it made me the only true realist among us. I know now how pointless everything is, how utterly insignificant and without meaning our lives are. All of existence is just the dream of a being vastly superior to us in every way, Forrest. And helping him wake up is the only meaningful thing that we can do."

He takes the Kamidogu and places it within his vest, then withdraws a wicked-looking knife that glows with red runes.

"The dream is ending soon. And when he wakes up, it will be as if we had never been. Let's go into that oblivion together."

Fox places the Kamidogu at his feet, and withdraws his kusarigama. "I'd rather not."

"It doesn't matter." The mad duplicate charges!

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>2574822
Assert dominance with our superior reach.

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>2574822
Bend reality into a blast to hit him with

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>>2574835

Fox opens with a high swing, going for the advantage of his weapon's reach, but his twin slides underneath the attack. He attempts to slash at Fox's legs, missing as he dodges to the side. They both leap back from each other.

Again he tries a wide swing, but the other Fox flips over the attack and throws a kunai. Anticipating the manuever, and realizing it is exactly what he would do in such a situation, he brings up his sickle to deflect it. The small projectile clatters harmlessly away into the corner.

'He has my training,' Fox thinks.

"Yes, I do," comes the reply from his double. 'Your thoughts are my own.'

"But yours aren't mine."

"That is because this is my temple, not yours."

"I thought none of this was real?"

"Reality is subjective."

>>2574871

"I suppose it is." He raises his hand and points it at the madman, attempting to bend reality to his will in the form of a projectile, but finds himself unable to do so.

"Having troubling believing?" The other Fox raises the glowing knife at him. "I did, once. Until I was shown the truth."

A wave of red energy blasts out from the dagger, knocking Fox off of his feet and against the wall. He slides down, feeling the strange energy surge and pulse throughout his body, sapping him of his strength.

"You'll believe it, in the end," his double, now with glowing red eyes, says as he slowly walks forward. "You'll see how little your struggles mattered. In the end, they're nothing. Like you."

Fox grunts and attempts to pick himself up. He brings up the sickle to block the knife, which his twin stabs downwards. He holds the attacking arm back; the blade is inches from his face.

"You felt it for the first time outside, truly felt it. The realization that something was simply... wrong. That your life is a lie. Your flesh is a lie. All of it, lies, lies, lies! All part of a delusion we dreamt up to keep ourselves from knowing that it's all a dream!"

His arm shakes as the knife grows closer.

"You'll see it, you'll see it soon..."

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>2574981
Show him all of the experiences we’ve known. Show him what a real life looks like!

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>>2574981
Counter-armbar.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>2574992

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>>2574990

Fox lets out a haggard breath. "See..." An idea comes to his mind. "If my thoughts are yours... then take them!"

He places a hand on his doppelganger's head and thinks of all that he has seen and done, of his allies that he made upon this journey.

>"If you could stop blindly fighting each other, you would see that reality itself is at threat and put aside your differences! Just as you did in my world!"

>"If you keep going like this, Cao, you'll lose everything, when you have a chance to gain so much. Don't think that you don't have anything left to lose, because you do."

>"I've always felt that you can either take action, or do nothing. We only have so much time in our lives, and I won't, I can't, spend it doing nothing."

His double shouts in sudden pain, and Fox manages to push him back. As they cross the center of the chamber, and end up on the opposite side, he continues forcing memories into his head.

>"The Shirai Ryu could rise again, Hanzo. Where I come from, the Shirai Ryu are one of the pillars of Earthrealm's protection, and all know Hanzo Hasashi as one of the most honored champions of the realm. I count myself among the honored few who have trained beneath the legendary Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu."

>“You’re my teammate, no matter what reality we find ourselves in.”

>'I don't think you can, I know you can. There isn't anyone better at infiltration than you, and I say that as a trained Shirai Ryu."

>'I was chosen for this mission because chaos has no effect on me. Not on my body, not on my mind. I am a stone that the waters of chaos must flow around. I am a tree in the forest, strong and tall, with roots that go deep. I will not be moved. I cannot be moved. I am Forrest Fox.'

The knife falls from his duplicate's hand, as does the flesh from his face. Fox steps back with a bewildered look as he stares at the mass of skin he holds in his hand, that of his own face. He looks up to see his now-faceless double let out a scream of agony.

"These memories!" He claws at the sides of his head. "They... mean... nothing!"

>>2574996

Fox drops the face as his double goes for the knife, but he isn't fast enough. The other Fox manages to grab it and stab it into Fox's chest as he kneels down. Fox shouts in pain as more of the strange energy begins to filter into his body through the blade.

"I'll take away every precious memory!" his double says, his mouth dripping with blood. "I'll destroy everything you think makes you an individual! Your skin! Your flesh! Your thoughts! All will be gone!"

Fox feels his very life essence draining through the dagger, into the hands of his vile other self. He stares up into those lifeless, mad eyes as he hears his own cackling, maniacal laughter fill the room.

Reaching up, he grabs the dagger, putting his hands on his twin's.

"Time to die," his duplicate says. "Now, you'll see... there's nothing... nothing... NOTHING!"

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>2575128
Sickle to the jugular.

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>2575128
This Fox is a shattered reflection of a good man. Put the pieces back together Fox. Focus.

>>2575205
Yikes

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>>2575143
>>2575205

Fox attempts to raise his sickle, but to no avail. He coughs up blood as his hands fall to his sides. As the life drains from his chest into the knife, the strength runs from his arms and the light seems to leave his eyes.

'I... I can't believe it... This is it...'

"Despair," his double howls. "See the emptiness!"

Fox fights to hold on for as long as he can, even after he can't feel his legs or hands. His mind races, desperately attempting to hold onto everything that makes him what he is. His memories, his thoughts, his feelings, they all grow dark and distant. He can't feel them.

Amidst the jubilation of his twisted visage mocking him, he slowly and quietly slips into death, the very last feint breath leaves his lips, and he is no more.

Darkness takes him.

And then he wakes up, very suddenly and frightfully, in the midst of a desert. He scrambles to fight back at his twin, who is not there, and he feels for the dagger that is not in his chest. He isn't even wounded. Fox looks in all directions, seeing nothing but flat sand in all directions. His heart races and his mind spins as he attempts to make sense of it all.

"Calm down," a voice from behind says, and Fox leaps up to his feet to turn and behold a white-robed man in a mask with a staff sitting on a rock. A silver watch gleams on one of his wrists. "Please, calm down."

"Who are you?!"

"I'm, well, I, uh... I'm Ryan. Hi. Sorry, should've said hello first. It, it just seemed that calming you down was, you know, uh, prudent. I know you're probably very excited right now."

"Am I dead?" he asks, too fast to realize the words are coming out of his mouth.

"Ah, no. I mean, not yet, thank goodness. You, you're uh, just, temporarilly temporally displaced. I did that. One of my things. I mean, not normally, but circumstances are kind of 'special' right now."

Fox takes a few deep, rasping breaths. "Who... who are you?"

"You, uh... already asked that. But yeah, I know, it's all confusing, so uh... Here, have a seat." He points his staff at the ground near Fox, and a rock rises up from the sand, one with a flat surface. "Go on. Please?"

Cautiously, Fox sits down in front of the man.

"Right, so... I'm Ryan."

"I'm Fox."

"Yeah, I know who you are." He adjusts himself. "Ah, sorry if that came off wrong. It's just that I, I, uh, I know everything. Kind of."

"Are you... an Elder God?"

"Ha! Oh, I wish. Nah, no I don't, and no I'm not. I'm not that high on the, uh, the ladder, so-to-speak. But I work with them. Sometimes."

Fox stares somewhat blankly at the extraordinarily strange figure sitting in front of him, and doesn't know what to do.

>What's happening to me? What about the Kamidogu?
>You give very vague answers, you know that?
>I have to go back! I have to stop Havik!
>Let him continue
>Other

>>2575361
>You give very vague answers, you know that?

>>2575361
>You give very vague answers, you know that?

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>>2575374
>>2575376

"You give very vague answers, you know that?"

"Yeah, I'm, ah, bad at conversation. Don't do it very often. Last guy I hung out with was Kaito, so, you know."

"You know Kaito?" Fox asks, nearly standing from the rock.

"I know everyo---Yeah, I know Kaito. He's a friend."

"Is he here?"

"Not anymore. I'd bring him over, if I could. I can't. It's complicated." He seems to mutter something under his breath. "He pointed out that I use the word 'complicated' a lot. I'm trying to cut back on it. So... let me explain what's going on, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'm a guardian. More like a watcher. Doesn't matter. It's my job to try and keep reality in check. And Havik, well, he's doing what he does best, and that's making my job difficult. This time he's trying something... very interesting, I'll give him that. Still trying to figure out how he pulled it off. I think he's been planning this since that whole Otiak thing..."

"Go on."

"Right, sorry. So, you're not dead. Don't worry. I'm going to send you back into your body after we're done. I just felt that now would be a really good time to have a chat."

"We couldn't have done this before I was stabbed?"

"It's... complicated. Sorry, that word again. That knife he stabbed you with was a Kamidogu from his reality. The Elder Gods there shaped them into dagger for whatever reason... The Fox of that reality was possessed by Havik. This Fox, the one fighting you? He's like a visage of that one, doomed to forever serve chaos in an endless loop. The good news is that he isn't actually real, at least not anymore."

"But he beat me."

"That's just because you're going about it the wrong way. I respect it, I mean, trying to defeat him with memories of a life he never got to live, that was a nice touch. But it's not about him, it's about you."

"What do you mean?"

"That thing back there that looks like you isn't really you. YOU are you. He's just a remnant of one of Havik's plots, thrown in your way to make you doubt yourself."

"Is that what this all really comes down to? Believing in myself?"

"That's what everything comes down to, if you think about it."

Fox runs a hand over his head and sighs. "Look, I was, I was doing just fine, and then... outside that temple, I..."

"Yeah, I was watching. You realized the break in reality and it kind of broke you. Havik's done that before, it's a mean trick."

"So what do I do?"

"Ignore it."

"That's it?"

"There isn't really a special super technique I can teach you to defeat the powers of chaos," Ryan says with a shrug. "Everything you have done, everyone you have helped, has been because you made yourself to do it. Think about your friends, and all the versions of them you've met. Each of them had their own problems, but your problem is that you're willing to believe in yourself until you reach a certain point. Havik's playing a mind game and he's betting you'll lose now that you're past that point."

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>>2575454

"Is it a matter of blind faith?"

"No, not really. It's just about never, never, never giving up. About believing in yourself, no matter what. Even after realizing that he pulled that trick on you, made you think you didn't have the Kamidogu all along, you can't stop."

"Wait..." Fox stands up, his brow furrowed. "Are you saying that I still have the Kamidogu?"

Ryan reaches out with his staff and prods Fox's vest, touching something solid. He reaches in and, to his amazement, removes the sixth Kamidogu, right from the place his duplicate had placed it.

"But... how?"

"It's complicated. You don't need to know, you just need to believe. I'm sorry if that's vague."

Fox stares at the Kamidogu in his hands. He looks up at Ryan, feeling determination flood back into his body. "I'm ready to go back."

"I know," Ryan nods. "I'll see you around."

He points his staff at Fox, and there is a flash of white light. He is back in his body, and the knife is violently ejected from his chest with a burst of energy. His duplicate is thrown backwards, the knife falling from his hands.

"W-what?!" his twin shouts. "You... you're dead! You were dead, I felt it!"

Fox stands up, feeling his chest. There is no wound. He reaches into his vest and withdraws the sixth Kamidogu. His faceless twin sees him do this, and reaches into his own vest, finding nothing.

"That's... that's impossible... That doesn't make... sense..."

Fox smirks. "I believe it does."

He summons the other five Kamidogu back to his side, joining them with their sixth and final counterpart. His doppelganger gets up, summoning his knife to his hand.

"Give me those!" he shouts, charging forward. "GIVE THEM TO ME!"

>Current Meter: 3
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>2575458
Smoke bomb into X-Ray: loop around him, double-palm his spine, loop around him again to double-palm his ribcage, loop around him one more time and grab him for a short Izuna Drop to crack his skull.

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>2575458
tangle him with the chain of the hand scythe thing and use ti th pull him in for a beating

>>2575512
>>2575537

Off to bed for the night, but we'll resume in the tomorrow. See you then!

>>2575512
>>2575537
Writing now.

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>>2575512

Fox's duplicate leaps at him, but he merely throws a smoke bomb at his feet and vanishes into the mist. His mad twin leaps through the smoke and slashes at nothing, for Fox is now behind him. Not from moving, but teleporting, a power he previously never possessed. But now that he has understanding and belief, and training from his time with the Havik of that alternate Edenia, this temple is no longer the domain of his chaos-enslaved self.

Now, with the power of the six Kamidogu of Chaosrealm, this is his home.

A double-palm strike to the spine sends him lurching forward, and Fox steps to follow, but teleports in front of him. There is no 'trick' to it, he is simply in one spot in one moment, and then in a different spot a moment later. He snaps his hands back and forward, once more double-palm striking his foe, this time in the ribs. Now completely off-balance and subject to his manipulation, Fox appears behind him, grabs onto his shoulders and reverses gravity. The two of them fall upwards to the ceiling which is now the floor, whereupon he cracks his twin's skull upon contact.

>>2575537

As they settle onto the ceiling, Fox wraps his chain around his double's neck, then hooks the sickle onto one of the ceiling's grooves. Once more he reverses gravity. Whereas he falls to the floor and lands with perfect balance, his twin finds himself hanging from the neck, choking and flailing his limbs in desperation.

"I know the truth, now," Fox says, bringing all six Kamidogu to bear in front of him. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, for whatever set you on this path to being a pawn for chaos." His duplicate stares down at him with red, bloody eyes. "I won't forget you, or the lesson you helped me learn. I hope that means something to you. But probably not."

"You... die..." his double manages to choke out. "No... thing..."

"We'll see. But you'll see it before me."

He holds up all six Kamidogu and unleashes their combined power upon his twin, who loses all sense of self and disintegrates. Fox watches as the layers of his very existence peel away until nothing remains. It is not with a great force that this happens, but a simple breeze, blowing his other self into his much-vaunted oblivion. His chain weapon falls to the floor, and he picks it up.

Now, he is left by himself, with all six Kamidogu.

'Well... now what?' he thinks. He stares at the artifacts, wondering what he can do with them. The full extent of their combined power hasn't been realized, and he doesn't know if he is capable of wielding them to such a level, but he possesses them. That alone means that Havik does not, and he still has a chance to do something meaningful. 'Whatever it is, I have to be absolutely certain of it...'

>Attempt to undo the merging of the realms
>Summon forth the six Haviks
>Bring about an audience with the god of Chaos
>Manipulate your environment and exert your influence upon all of the Ultra-Realm
>Other

>>2577409
>Bring about an audience with the god of Chaos

>>2577409
>>Summon forth the six Haviks
Make a big conference table with snacks. Have cool havik sit closest to you

>>2577428
Changing my vote to
>Summon forth the six Haviks

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>>2577451
>>2577521

For a moment, Fox contemplates further, but knows that all of this must come to an end, and there is only one person he can end it with.

Or rather, persons.

"Come forth, Havik," he demands, his voice carried on the waves of chaos. Around him, the temple begins to dissolve, until all that remains is a platform floating in the dark void. "I know you're out there. All of you. Watching from the beginning. So come out, and let's finish this."

From the depths of the void, stepping into the light of the platform, Havik emerges. He walks in a relaxed fashion, his arms behind his back, his blank eyes set with an unconcerned expression.

"I complement you on your work," Havik says. "Of all the things I didn't expect to witness upon this journey we've taken, you wielding the power of chaos was not one I would have ever thought possible. And yet, here we are."

Fox doesn't dignify anything he says by responding. Instead, he simply asks, "The others?"

From all around him, they similarly emerge. Each one is different, possessed of unique forms that he has come to know from every realm and reality he visited. They surround him, six against one.

"You all seem to be in good shape," Fox says as he turns in place, "considering I tore at least half of you apart."

"Pieces can be put back together," one says.

"There is wonder to be found in unity," another whispers.

"And you have done so well bringing us all together," a third says.

"And the Kamidogu," the original Havik says, taking a step forward. Fox snaps to the front, facing him, ready to guard against whatever attack may come. Havik seems amused. "You think you can hold onto those Kamidogu against the six of us?"

"I can bend this realm to my will. I've already done it. I defeated your test, conquered myself both within and without. And now that I have these, as far as you're concerned, I'm unstoppable."

"Such confidence! How bold. Quite the far cry from the doubtful little chunin you were in the beginning. But if you think you still possess such power in our presence, you are sadly mistaken."

Another one speaks. "Our combined powers to manipulate chaos vastly outweigh your own."

And another. "Even with the Kamidogu, our experience alone makes us your superior."

One from behind. "Together, all of us here, we outmatch you in every regard. Any attempts to manipulate matter will be countered by our own field of power."

The original Havik chuckles behind his skinless mouth. "I'm afraid there is only one way this is going to end, Fox. And it isn't pretty. But there is the choice of how you wish to get there: the easy way, or the painful way."

Fox looks around, and sees the Haviks taking subtle steps. One of them reaches into his cloak; the cyborg's eyes begin to glow red. Another cracks each joint of his fingers while yet another does the same with his spine.

>Make a bargain
>Wield the Kamidogu against them
>Signal the Edenian Havik
>Fight
>Other

>>2577732
>Signal the Edenian Havik
>Wield the Kamidogu against them

>>2577732
>Wield the Kamidogu against them
>Signal the Edenian Havik

>>2577732
>>Wield the Kamidogu against them
>>Signal the Edenian Havik

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>>2577743
>>2577814
>>2577821

"That certainly does sound like overwhelming odds," Fox admits. "All of you, united and working together..."

Fox briefly makes eye contact with the hooded Havik he met in Edenia, then looks away.

"But I know you fairly well by this point. I've gotten to meet you, or versions of you, several times. I've fought you a half-dozen times. But more than that, I remember the mission to the Netherrealm. When you were working with Noob Saibot."

"A fruitful partnership while it lasted."

"While it lasted... exactly. That's your style. You work with someone until it no longer benefits you, then you stab them in the back."

All around him, the Haviks slowly begin to encircle and close in.

"But I'm wondering, Havik... how long can you work with yourself, before you find your own dagger in your back? How long until you stab the others before they stab you?"

At that, they all halt. Fox notes that some of them are looking around at each other. Havik stares at him and mutters, "Words won't save you."

"No... but these will."

Fox thrusts out his arms and lets the realm of chaos flow through him, directing it through the Kamidogu like a six-pointed lens. Havik's eyes widen and he brings up his arms, tanking the chaotic beam with his palms. Streams of silky light ebb and weave through his fingertips, distorting the air around him and creating strange illusions.

"You fool... I am chaos! I can contain your futile blast! All you have done is expose yourself!"

Beneath his mask, Fox smirks. Nearby, the Havik he allied with earlier withdraws his mace and shouts, "You will not have the power for yourself!" He smashes his weapon against the head of his neighboring twin. On Fox's opposite side, as if caught in the wave of sudden treachery, turn on each other.

The prime Havik, holding the beam at bay, looks around. "What are you fools DOING? We cannot afford this!"

Discordic feedback from the Kamidogu seems to amplify their chaotic nature. The more Fox focuses on being a conduit for the ambiant energy of the realm, the further the other Haviks seem to lose their sense of perspective. As they do battle around them, they become wild and erratic, snapping limbs and heads all around, tearing each other to pieces. The only one who isn't is the one caught in the stream with Fox.

"You think you can win this way?" Havik cries over the storm brewing around them. "I didn't need those worthless second-rate copies! This was always my plan from the beginning! It was I who contacted them, brought them together, planned on using them in the first place! They mean nothing to me at this point... and neither do you!" He begins walking closer and closer, pushing through the stream as it bleeds in membrenous webs around him. "Those Kamidogu... are... MINE!"

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>2577894
Focus on making the beam blast more

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>2577894
Point the chaos beam at the ground and cause the earth to literally swallow him.

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>>2577931

He reaches Fox and grabs him by the wrists, holding on as the human struggles against him. Now they push against each other as the six identical artifacts float around them. The beam, no longer sustained and channeled through the Kamidogu, travels outwards in all directions and all of Chaosrealm begins to churn. The platform they are standing on is once more sent hurtling through the void, turbulent and frothing with destructive and creative energy.

"You can't contain the power of chaos," Havik growls as he forces Fox down onto his knees. He brings up a knee of his own and slams it into the younger warrior's chin. He doesn't let go, only tightening his grip as the Kamidogu rotate around them both. "You will only be swallowed by it!"

>>2577955

Fox spits out some blood. "Swallow this."

The ground beneath Havik's feet becomes mud and he slips through, falling onto the other side of the platform, which is now spinning like a flipped coin through the madness of the ultra-realm. Havik lands on the other side as Fox steps through. Gravity presses down on both sides of the platform equally, allowing them both to stand up.

"I suppose you think you are clever," Havik says. "But two can play at that game, and the Kamidogu answer to my call just as much as yours!"

He raises his hands and calls upon matter in the void to strike the platform in the form of meteors of fire and ice. They streak across the yellow sky like bolts of lightning, blasting upon the surface of their platform and shaking it. Two of the Haviks struggling with each other are flung into the void, and Fox is forced to hold onto the ground. Each impact causes the platform to spin in a new direction, its course constantly changing. The only things that remain constant are the Kamidogu, which continue to revolve around Fox and Havik.

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>2577975
A raging river appears to catch Havik's feet out from under him as you swing the chain overhead and maintain distance.

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>2577975
punch him in his dumb face.

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>>2578017
Should've added the picture for dramatic effect.

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>2578017
support to save

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>>2578017
>>2578090

Fox holds up his arms and imagines a river into existence, a stream of water heading right for the platform. Havik, in response, places his hands upon the platform itself and commands it to skid along the river, kicking up a stream of white foam behind them that dissolves into nothingness. As they surf down the infinite river, two more of the Haviks are carried away by the waters into the ocean of pandemonium.

"You have so much to learn, little one," Havik cackles as he approachs Fox. The ninja throws a punch, but Havik catches it, twists his own arm to get behind Fox, and pulls him close. "It didn't take much to break your other self, you know. In the end, you'll be just like him."

Fox kicks backwards, but Havik's knee bends with the attack, and he follows through by rolling over Fox's shoulder and hurling him towards the edge. He hits the ground and hangs onto the edge of the stone circle, his feet dangling over the rushing water below.

Havik approaches the edge and squats down, staring at Fox. "You've been a pain in my neck for long enough, Fox." He accents his point by snapping his neck and then once more into place. "I'm not going to miss you."

>>2578019

As he brings up his foot to stomp down on Fox's hands, the ninja focuses and splits the platform in half, with himself hanging onto both sides. Havik, standing right where the crack appeared, only succeeds in falling. He manages to catch himself, facing Fox as they both dangle.

Fox lets go with one arm to punch Havik in the face, forcing him to let go with an arm of his own. They both end up on opposite platforms which they climb upon, two half-circles skidding down a tube of rushing water, each with three Kamidogu hovering upon it.

As they face one another, Havik fails to notice his last remaining double climbing onto his side of the half-circle---the one Fox allied with in Edenia! He attacks Havik from behind, throwing his arms around the other's neck. Fox's eyes widen as he realizes this may be his chance!

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>2578123
Sludge bomb to make extra sure he can't move. Then jump on him.

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>2578123
While our Havik distracts havik, blast him with the kamidogu beam. Make sure to let friendly havik get out of the way.

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>>2578196
>>2578206

Fox's mind races with potential solutions, until his platform suddenly seems to crumble. He looks down, and then back up at Havik, who is reaching out towards him with one hand. As the Shirai Ryu focuses on keeping his platform together, and perhaps bringing it back to the other to reconnect the two halves, Haviks' duplicate shoves a hand through his chest.

The prime Havik's mouth opens in a scream, then continues to open well past human limits. He turns his head and snaps down upon his other self's neck, ripping off his head with one feral motion. Fox watches in horror as he kicks it aside into the void, then merges the two bodies together.

Both sets of legs intertwine as the torsos mash into each other. The four arms remain separate, yet seem to jut out from the figure's now massive shoulders. Havik lets out a roar that echoes throughout the realm as he guides his platform towards Fox's. The two halves crash into each other, both shattering into countless pieces, and the two foes find themselves falling alongside the stream of water.

"Come here!" Havik says, grabbing Fox by the ankle. He swings the human into one of the nearby stones, breaking it down further. He then does it again, and again. "There isn't enough matter across six universes to smear your blood upon!" With all four arms, he grabs Fox by the chest and pulls him close, staring at him face-to-face as they tumble through the eternal fall. "That is, you'll run out of blood long before I'm satisfied enough!"

Fox struggles in the deadly grip of the four-armed cleric.

>Current Meter: 3
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>2578324
xray the Havik.
kick his knees out, flip over him, dislocate some shoulders, and slam his face in the ground from behind.

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>2578324
Feet to chest and kick off. Tarzan swing off something to get to safety.

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>>2578347
>>2578371

As he stares into the shimmering blue eyes of the mad cleric, Fox lets loose with a great shout as he brings up both feet. He kicks off of Havik, forcing them apart. The stones around them begin to come back together, forming the broken platform behind the cleric. Havik's head spins around to see, and as he looks back at Fox, he finds the ninja flying through the air towards them. He tackles him onto the platform, which soars away from the waterfall behind them.

Now atop him, Fox unleashes a devastating series of blows, smashing him into the ground. Grabbing him by the neck, Fox lets it all out, every ounce of hate and anger pours fourth through his fists upon the cleric. Bones snap and splinter, flesh bruises and rips, limbs are torn from their sockets, and after more than a minute of solid pummeling, Havik is little more than a puddle of bits.

Fox picks himself up, breathing heavily, and steps back. He wipes his bloody hands on his grey vest, then looks up, seeing the sparkling orange crystals of the six Kamidogu spiraling overhead. But that isn't all he sees. Small specks in the distance begin to grow larger. At first what he suspects to be some kind of black rain turn out to be chunks of flesh, bone and drops of blood. They fall upon the platform, splattering all around him. He holds up a hand as a skeletal ribcage falls from above, followed by a cybernetic leg.

These pieces begin to move. He watches as they crawl and pull themselves towards the center, where the remains of Havik lies. All pieces of all six Haviks begin to congeal and merge, rising up in a macabre, twisted display. Fox looks on as the shattered skull of his foe pieces itself back together, and flesh grows over it. Limbs, both organic and inorganic, attach themselves wherever they can.

The end result is a mass of body parts loosely forming a humanoid shape. Havik, with several sets of eye sockets, now stares down at him. His horrible frame seems to further distort the already-weak fabric of reality surrounding him. When he speaks, it is with six voices in one, some laughing while others form words.

"Did you truly think this would end with a fist fight?" the combined clerics, all controlled by the centralmost being, mock him. "You can punch, you can kick, you can stab and dismember and crush and break... but you will never kill me." Fox steps back as the massive being, six bodies of chaotic will, holds out its arms, pointing five palms up to the sky. "This is my realm. This is my greatest design. All of it is my most beautiful and terrible creation. I am the new god of chaos! I am chaos!"

>Put up your fists and keep fighting.
>Fall on your knees and look up defiantly.
>Sit down and meditate.
>Attempt to use the Kamidogu against him.
>Other

>>2578517
>>Sit down and meditate.
I reject your reality, and substitute my own

>>2578517
>Sit down and meditate.

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>>2578523
>>2578593

As the amalgamation of his foes looms over him, Fox takes a few deep breaths. His arms are sore, his knuckles are bloody, and his mind is weary. He lets out a sigh, and looks up into the many-eyed face.

"Maybe you're right," Fox admits. "Maybe you are a god. Maybe I cannot defeat you. You are many, and I'm just me."

"So you finally see the futility," Havik says with an echoing laugh. "You gave up sooner than I thought you would!"

"I didn't say I'm giving up. Along the way, I said to myself that I would see this through to the end, no matter what it is." He kneels down, then gets into a cross-legged seated position and places his hands in his lap, his fingertips pressing against each other. He closes his eyes, takes a long, steady breath, and empties his mind.

Havik pauses, then is overcome with more malicious, mocking laughter. "You think this will save you?"

"I'm not going to think about anything," Fox replies. "I tried using the Kamidogu against you, and that didn't work. I tried fighting you on your terms, and that didn't work."

"That is because you are alone," Havik says in a low voice. "You have no team, no gods, nothing. I have all of the powers of chaos at my command, it was I who brought forth the other versions of myself into one being. Now all that there is, is chaos. Sweet, beautiful, glorious chaos. It will spread to every facet of existence, until there is nothing but chaos left."

In his meditative pose, Fox smirks. "That sounds terribly boring."

"On the bright side, you won't be around to experience it." Havik lifts one arm, holding aloft several morningstars gripped in his hands. "Goodbye, Forrest Fox. You die alone."

>Roll 1d14!

Rolled 3 (1d14)

>>2579274

Rolled 9 (1d14)

>>2579274

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>>2579280

As the mega-morningstar comes crashing downwards, a fiery bladed whip shoots up from behind Havik to wrap around the handles of the weapon. It is pulled taut, stopping the arm from going any further.

"What?" Havik's many voices all say at once.

Fox opens his eyes when he hears the voice that speaks up next. "He's not alone. He's never been alone."

The ninja stands up as the new figure reveals itself. "Takeda!"

"You're not hurting my friend," Takeda shouts, his eyes burning with fire. For this is not just any childhood friend and clanmate of Fox's, it is the very same Takeda he met in Disorderrealm, the one possessed by the vengeful spirit of their master. Takeda pulls back on the arm, cutting through several limbs with the burning blades.

"Now!" he shouts, and Fox watches in wonder as a hail of icy shards rains down upon Havik, piercing his large body and nailing him in place. Fox looks in the direction they came from to discover Tundra and Frost, Takeda's counterparts from Disorderrealm, standing atop two boulders of ice as they blast their deadly projectiles at the cleric.

>>2579285

As Havik raises his other arm to defend from the hail, a gleaming red rocket blasts out of the void: a red fist, aimed squarely at the center of his many faces. The fist makes contact and cracks into one of the skulls, smashing it to pieces and going through the main mass, blasting out the other side. The arm is then guided back to its owner, Cassie, from the alternate Earthrealm. It attaches to her stump as she shouts with a smile, "Rocket punch, bitch!"

Jacqui appears alongside her, carrying a minigun. With her augmented gauntlets interfacing with the weapon with a series of wires and a headset assisting her aim, she takes aim and unleashed a storm of bullets upon Havik. Cassie joins in by withdrawing her pistol and adding her own fire to the mix, but none can deny the absolute devastation the massive weapon causes as it tears into the monstrous maniac, ripping fabric, flesh and bone.

Two of Havik's heads turn towards them, their mouths opening to blast at them with beams of chaotic energy. A third figure appears, standing in front of them with her arms spread wide open---Sam. The beams impact on her with absolutely no effect, and she stares defiantly up at him as her two allies continue their fire from behind her.

Fox stands up, his heart beating fast. 'They're all here,' he realizes. 'They all came to help...'

>Roll 1d8 to see who's next!

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>2579302
I hope it's Rain!

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>2579302

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>>2579317

Havik pulls his wrapped arm, picking Takeda up and hurling him at Zian and Frost. They leap from their boulders as the fiery specter crashes into them. His arm free, Havik then turns and erects a protective wall from the platform, a barrier from the bullets.

"This changes nothing!" he shouts. "All of you are just strays from timelines that will soon no longer exist!"

A voice shouts from the sky. "Then what does that make you?" Cao Kahn, adorned in gleaming red and silver armor and wielding his Wrath Hammer, falls like a stone upon Havik, bringing the hammer down upon him. The sheer force of the attack cripples the cleric.

His wife Sheeva follows, performing a shokan drop-and-stomp upon his wall, breaking it into pieces. The mighty champion lets out a triumphant roar as she leaps to battle alongside her husband; the two of them smash Havik into the ground.

Several fists of flesh and bone emerge from the central mass, knocking them both back. As Takeda regains his bearings and Jacqui reloads, they all watch as Havik reconstructs himself out of his many bodies.

"All of you are nothing," Havik says. "Bring upon your fire, your ice, your bullets, your hammers and fists! Nothing can destroy me!"

"At least we can get you to shut up," Cao says, hefting his hammer upwards. He looks at Fox and smiles. "Nice to see you."

"How are you all here?" Fox asks.

"A friend of yours came and got us."

His eyes widen. "Who?" Then, in the distance, a crack of thunder is heard, and realization comes with it. "Raiden..."

>Roll 1d6 to see who is next!

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>2579358

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>2579358

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>>2579359

A stormcloud appears in the sky, and upon it are four figures. Kung Jin takes aim and fires, letting loose an arrow that pierces Havik's prime head, slicing right through it and into the ground below. The arrow had a thin fiber attached to its end, allowing his cousin Ling to use her staff to slide down and deliver a double-kick to Havik's chest. She bounces off of him, turning the head of her staff into a chain weapon as she falls. When she lands, she swings the shaft and wraps the chain around his leg, giving it a solid tug and putting him off-balance.

Fox looks up as Raiden---his Raiden!---appears on the cloud, standing alongside a spectral Fireseed. The ghost raises his own bow, and with Kung Jin, the two of them rain down magical arrows.

Havik is about to attempt a counterattack when his other leg becomes surrounded by grey mist. A physical force within the fog yanks him back, forcing him down onto both knees, as Vapor materializes nearby, using her powers to hold him down.

Raiden levitates off of the cloud, his eyes glowing bright blue as electrical discharges shoot forth from them. "It is over, Havik. Your time is at an end." He brings his hands together and creates a storm of lightning from his fingertips, each bolt finding their mark on Havik's body.

Havik takes the attack and shouts, "Never! I... cannot... end!"

The cleric moves to rise against the thunder god, but Takeda removes his skull-shaped mask to reveal his actual skull-face and breathes fire at his face, while Tundra and Frost now blast him with concentrated beams of cryo-energy. Cassie stands alongside them, adding her own green shadow power, and Cao alongside her with the power of Shao Kahn. Sheeva puts all four of her palms together and creates a massive fireball, and then another, and another, each one blasting more and more away from his body as Jacqui, Jin and Fireseed provide additional fire support.

Ling and Sam rush to Fox's side. The outworlder explains, "Raiden came to us all and brought us together. He said you needed help."

Sam points upwards. "The Kamidogu! He said those are the key to finishing him off for good!"

"We'll keep him held down," Ling says with a smile. "You get with Raiden and clean up this mess for good."

Fox smiles, nods, and clasps her hand. As they go to join the others, he raises his hands upwards and summons the Kamidogu down to him. Havik, far too preoccupied under the combined assault of the assembled warriors and their full power, cannot influence the artifacts, and so they travel to Fox without impedement.

With the six Kamidogu in hand, Fox looks on at the combined might of friends, his team, as they hold Havik at bay. "Now what do I do with these?" he wonders aloud.

He feels a hand on his shoulder, a supportive and warm presence suddenly appearing behind him. He turns, and his jaw nearly drops.

"Kaito!"

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>>2579578

The man standing before him is not the one he knows. This Kaito is older, at least two decades older, evidenced by the lines beneath his eyes and the neatly-trimmed beard covering his lower face. His black hair is pulled behind his head in a topknot, and he wears a dark outfit of black and red armor, alongside a yellow sash, adorned with small trinkets, stones and feathers. Fox looks upon his leader from another reality and immediately knows that he is looking at a Kaito who wasn't asleep for twenty years.

Kaito looks down at Fox with a smile. "I can help. I have some experience with matters like this."

Fox, still stunned, only manages a weak nod. Kaito holds up his hands, which begin to glow with electrical energy. 'His powers... He still has them!' Lightning erupts from his fingers, six lines of electricity connecting to the Kamidogu.

"Hold out your hands," Kaito instructs him, and Fox does just that, pointing them at the artifacts. "Now channel your energy through me."

Fox steals a look back at him. "How?"

"Just believe in yourself, and in us."

The Shirai Ryu nods at his leader, then looks back at the Kamidogu, which are now spinning rapidly, creating a bright circle of light. Through his halo he can see every member of his team, though each from different realities, all working together. He brought them together, and now with all of them here, they can finish this together.

As Havik lets out a piercing cry, reaching up to the void, the New Defenders of Reality keep him held down, preventing him from avoiding his demise. Kaito's grip on Fox's shoulder tightens as the Ultra-Realm of Chaos begins to break down. The magic linking the six Kamidogu is severed, and the realm shatters with it. The six Kamidogu fly apart, each carrying their inidividual Chaosrealm with them. The sight is incredible to behold, as six different realms split from one.

This splintering affects not only the realm, but Havik himself. His scream is legendary as the fracture of six realities and timelines tears him apart, rending his very existence in twain. His essence is cosmically shredded, and with him dies his plot to annihilate all of reality.

Havik is no more... and never will be again.

As for the New Defenders, caught between realities being torn apart, they are whisked to safety to prevent any potential damage they might have suffered from the splintering. They find themselves in a desert in Ryan's home plane, each of them safe and sound.

Kaito takes his hand off of Fox's shoulder, then pats him on the back. Fox lets out a long breath, and for the first time since starting this journey, feels completely at ease.

>Lie down and rest
>Talk to Raiden
>Talk to Alternate Kaito
>Talk to the others
>Other

>>2579582
>Talk to Raiden
You're liable to give a man panic attacks, the way you disappeared like that.

>>2579582
>Talk to Raiden

>>2579582

> Talk to the others

Thank them all.

>>2579774
Do this.

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>>2579605
>>2579697

Fox snaps back upwards as he realizes who is nearby. "Raiden!" He pushes through the group, running up to the thunder god. "What happened? You're liable to give a man panic attacks, the way you disappeared like that."

Raiden smiles, but then his smile fades. "I am sorry, Forrest. I had no choice. I had thought that Havik would be unable to reach me in the Nexus, and while I was correct, I did not anticipate an alternate version of myself, allied with Chaosrealm, to appear. I was forced to flee, and with Havik hunting me and with few options, I decided to improvise."

"I take it this was the result of that improvization?" Fox asks, indicating the team, in particular, Kaito.

"It came to me as I went along." He brings up both hands and places them on Fox's shoulders. "But nothing I could have done would have mattered if you hadn't resisted Havik and his magic as long as you did. On the cusp of him completing his spell, I was unable to locate you in the void."

"How did you find me?"

"When you stopped using the realm of chaos and the Kamidogu, and focused on being yourself, I was able to hone in on your life energy. You burnt like a beacon." Raiden pauses for a moment, simply staring at Fox, before pulling him in for a hug. "I am so proud of you, Forrest. Not many can face what you went through and emerge unscathed."

Slowly, Fox's hands come up and return the hug. "Not quite unscathed," he admits. "But I'm alright."

>>2579774
>>2579783

As they part, the others all rush in, each wanting a hug or pat or playful punch on the shoulder. Takeda rubs the top of Fox's head as Ling clutches dreamily to his arm before being pulled off by Frost while Sam and Vapor look on with pouting faces. He shakes Jin's hand as Zian bumps him in the ribs with an elbow. Cao launches into an excited story about how the chaos spawn they faced during their search for him as Sheeva looks on, her four arms folded with a stern yet approving expression on her face. Cassie and Jacqui jump in, each having their own things to say about the adventure, while the ghostly Fireseed looms nearby, silent but with a tiny smirk painting his lips.

In spite of himself, Fox finds himself laughing and enjoying the company. His arms begin to grow tired from hugging them all, but he can't get enough. He thanks them profusely, sometimes twice in a row.

"We're the ones who should be thanking you," Kaito says, walking through the group. "All we could do was help. You were the one who truly made it happen."

Cassie snickers. "I guess we should thank Havik for being the real reason we all got together, huh?"

"That might be difficult," Jin says with a wry grin. "I can't imagine he'll ever come back after that mess."

Frost brings up her hands. "Did you see him get ripped apart by reality? Nobody EVER got it that badly!"

Kaito nods. "He brought it on himself. I can think of no more fate more fitting."

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>>2579846

Their merriment is interrupted by a loud clearing of someone's throat. All of them turn to behold Ryan sitting on his rock.

"I really hate to interrupt, but speaking of fate, I'm afraid it's time for you all to leave."

Vapor rushes forward. "Wait! What was spoken of earlier, in Edenia, is it true? Will all of us forget this ever happened?"

Ryan seems to pause. "That... isn't up to me, I'm afraid. I can send you all home, but the way these kinds of things get cleaned up usually isn't very pretty."

"Then was it all for nothing?" Takeda asks, stepping up alongside Vapor. "We've all learned so much, about ourselves and the universe. He," Takeda points at Fox, "taught us all a valuable lesson. We're going to just forget it and go back to the way we were?"

Ryan patiently waits for him to finish. "It's complicated. This wasn't the usual kind of breach. Several realities were vastly altered and the damage may be impossible to repair..." He stands up and walks towards the group, using his staff like a walking stick. "But if it means anything, I will bring up the issue with the Elder Gods when Fox goes and meets with them. I'm sure he will as well."

Everyone looks at Fox as those words sink in. "I have to... meet with the Elder Gods?"

Raiden puts a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not. I will be there with you."

Ryan sighs. "Yeah, and so will I. I don't have a choice in the matter, mind you. But we can't go until I send everyone else back."

>Everyone should come before the Elder Gods
>Say goodbye to everyone individually
>Say goodbye to the group
>Delay meeting with the Elder Gods
>Other

>>2579852
>>Everyone should come before the Elder Gods
Let's make this a party.

>>2579852
>Everyone should come before the Elder Gods

>>2579852
>>Everyone should come before the Elder Gods

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>>2579862
>>2579875
>>2579883

Fox looks around at everyone, looking into each of their eyes. He looks back and makes up his mind. "Everyone should come before the Elder Gods," he says to Ryan.

The hooded man's shoulders slump and he seems to give an apologetic shrug. "Look, I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. They were involved, yes, but the Elder Gods only want an audience with the first party from the origin reality of the crisis. That's you and Raiden."

"But the Haviks from each reality were involved," Fox points out.

"I don't make the rules. I'm sorry." Ryan turns around and returns to his rock. "Fact is... this cross-reality party we're having right now is only making things worse. For your sake and theirs, none of them get to come along. And, to be even more, uh, blunt about it... You're never going to get to see them again. So..." He looks at his watch. "Damn. Look, I can give you, uh, five minutes. Make it count."

>Say goodbye to everyone individually
>Say goodbye to the group
>Promise that you'll fight for their memories
>Delay meeting with the Elder Gods
>Other

>>2579964
>Say goodbye to everyone individually
>Promise that you'll fight for their memories

>>2579964
>Say goodbye to everyone individually

>>2579964
>>Say goodbye to everyone individually
>>Promise that you'll fight for their memories

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>>2579973
>>2579975
>>2580031

Fox sighs, then turns back to the others. "I suppose this is goodbye, then."

Cassie shuts her disappointment down. "Aw, hell then, c'mere." She walks up and gives him a hug. Several others join in, and soon Fox finds himself in the middle of a large group hug.

"Thanks," he says to her. "Good luck."

"Give those Elder Gods hell," Cassie tells him, giving him a playful tap on her jaw with her cybernetic arm.

Takeda is next. "Elder Gods be damned. I'm not going to forget about you, Fox." He clasps hands with his friend, then puts his other on his shoulder. "I lost my way, and so did Hanzo. We're both in here and we're both going to take your words to heart."

"I only wish your world's Fox was still around to watch out for you," he says. "So, keep safe for me, yeah?"

Takeda nods and gives him a powerful hug. Frost steps up as he walks away. "I'm not good with goodbyes," she says, rubbing her arm. "So, I'll just say thanks." She offers her hand, and he takes it. When he is about to let go, she gives him a chill by channeling some of her power into her grip. He lets go and shakes off his hand and looks at her questioningly. "Stay cool, kid."

He smirks. "You too."

As she steps away, Vapor walks up, giving her a curious look. "I remember her," she whispers. "From my world. A little different... This has all been so wild, getting to learn about all of these friends I never got to make..."

"Andela, I..."

She holds up a hand. "Let me just say what I want to say." She composes herself and takes a deep breath. "Even if I end up forgetting you, I think our time together was wonderful, and we saved the world. And that's... that's really special."

Fox gets a serious look in his eyes. "I promise you, I'm going to try and fight to keep all of our memories intact. I swear it."

She seems like she wants to say something more, but she seems to decide that a hug will say more. He puts a hand on the back of her head and holds her close.

The hug lingers for a moment, before she vanishes in his arms, appearing nearby and bashfully looking away. He's about to say something more to her when Ling puts a hand on his cheek, turns his head and plants her lips on his in a firm kiss. It doesn't last long, only about a second. He gives her a look of surprise. "Ling?"

"If I didn't do it, I'd regret it," she shrugs. "Besides, I might not end up remembering it. But I hope not." She winks and slips away to let him say goodbye to the others.

Seeing his chance to get his parting out of the way, Fireseed floats up. "Thanks." He then floats back.

"Uh, yeah, you're welcome... Sorry about the whole ghost thing."

"I'm learning how to deal with it. I was never much one for the spirits... but in time, I might be."

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>>2580301

Zian steps up next to shake Fox's hand. "Thank you for your words back in our realm. I want you to know, I'm going to take your advice to heart. The realm needs to change, and so does the Lin Kuei. It's my hope that, eventually, we'll make peace with the Shirai Ryu, as in your world. I would rather have the mantle of Sub-Zero be known for peace than war."

Fox looks over at Takeda, who folds his arms but does not object. He gives Zian a smile. "I think that would make your father very happy."

Next comes Sheeva. She walks up and bows to him. "You are a great and wise warrior, Forrest Fox. I have no doubt that you will only grow stronger and wiser with time. I know that never shall we meet again, and we may be forced to forget our time together. If that is the price we must pay to save our worlds, then so be it. But in this moment, I I am humbled to be in your presence."

He finds himself speechless. "Uh... Thank you, Sheeva. I honestly don't know what to say."

"Words are not as great as actions. Thank me by continuing to be an honorable warrior." Once more she bows, placing all four of her hands together. He faces her and bows back.

Kung Jin replaces her and clasps Fox's wrist; he does the same. "Don't worry, I won't kiss you, unlike some people." He smirks at Ling, who blushes furiously and looks away with a huff. Jin smiles and chuckles before returning his attention to Fox. "Thanks for your help. It means a lot. And, you know, for all of reality being saved. That's nice too."

"Glad I could help," Fox says with a chuckle of his own. He pulls Jin in for another hug before they part.

Jacqui approaches and puts her hands on her hips. "Well, those are some tough acts to follow," she admits. "I'll just say thanks. I wish you could stick around and help rebuild our world, but you've got your own to get to." She holds up her fist, and Fox bumps his against hers. "Keep it real."

"I will."

As Jacqui turns away, Sheeva pushes Cao forward. He seems irritated. "Yeah, yeah..." He grunts and forces himself to face Fox. "I don't like this. I don't trust those wyrms... I say, to hell with the Elder Gods. Their rules shouldn't force us to say goodbye or forget each other." Fox waits for him to compose himself. "I just... I hope I make another friend like you. I... I need more."

Fox smiles and holds up his hand. Cao hesitates, then firmly clasps it. "You can always be better by surrounding yourself with good people," he gives the thief emperor one last piece of advice. "I know that better than ever now."

"Thanks, for everything." The emperor steps back to rejoin his wife, whereupon he takes her by the hand.

Fox notices that Sam is standing off to the side, somewhat apart from the group. He approaches her and they don't exchange any words. She goes for a hug, and he returns it; it is warm, and long, and sweet. "Goodbye," she says into his chest.

"Goodbye."

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>>2580304

He feels someone walking up next to him, and turns to behold Kaito. He lets go of Sam and turns to face him.

"We didn't get to meet, Fox, but I want you to know that from your actions and words alone, you are one of the greatest warriors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"Do you know me, from your world?"

"Not as well as I would like. I'm going to change that."

"I learned a lot, meeting everyone here," Fox says, looking out at them all. "I think I can say the same."

Kaito squeezes his shoulder affectionately. "You did right by your team, Forrest. I hope they learn how enriched their lives are by having you in them."

Those words, combined with all of the others from his new friends, elevate Fox to a place he's never been before. He faces the group and nearly feels tears coming to his eyes. "Everyone, I... You're all making me feel like I'm the most important person in the universe. I'm... I'm not."

"Right now, in this moment?" Kaito says with a friendly grin. "You are."

Fox feels his legs grow weak, and he puts a hand on Kaito for stability. The older warrior embraces him, and the others filter in around them to join. One final moment with each other, the very last they would share, for a series of bright portals begin to appear around them, each showing a different world beyond.

Ryan, looking up from his watch, silently says, "It's time."

Cassie, Jacqui and Sam wave to the others as they approach the portal displaying a destroyed Earthrealm. Takeda, Zian and Frost approach the portal displaying a world of ice and fire. Fireseed, Jin and Ling are returning to the Netherrealm, where their allies await. Cao and Sheeva are stepping back into the throne room of their Outworld, and Vapor floats towards the dark Edenia, where she can see her mother and the mysterious figure in armor.

No further words are exchanged. Some wave, some turn and keep from showing their own teary eyes, for all of them know that they might not know each other much longer.

Fox watches them go, remaining as stoic as possible. His eyes are drawn to Kaito, who turns with a wave of his own. His portal leads to a green field alongside a river, with a ship in the distance. There is a beautiful creature waiting for him: a sphinx. He steps through the portal and approaches her, embracing her as the door closes behind him and the image fades away.

Now, only Fox, Raiden and Ryan are left. The hooded man stands up and approaches them. "Don't worry about them," he says. "I'm sure they'll all be fine... Thanks to you."

Fox swallows, and in a weak voice replies, "Yeah. I know."

>When do we leave
>Is it going to just be us?
>What should I expect?
>Let's just go.
>Other

>>2580310
>What should I expect?

>>2580310
>>Let's just go.
>>Other
I have elder gods to chew out.

>>2580310
>What should I expect?

>>2580310
>>What should I expect?
"Am I in bigger trouble than I just was?"

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>>2580320
>>2580339
>>2580395

He breathes deeply and looks at the hooded man. "What should I expect? Is this an inquiry or some kind of hearing? Am I in trouble?"

"I can't quite say," Ryan confesses. "I don't work directly underneath the Elder Gods. But I'm involved, so I have to be there." He pauses. "They're, uh, not really very conversational. They speak in absolutes, and aren't really open to arguing. And... they're not very nice."

Raiden walks up. "Long have I dealt with the Elder Gods, Forrest. I am a god, and their appointed defender of Earthrealm. Do not be afraid."

"I'm not. I'm just cautious, is all."

Ryan turns and checks his watch. "Time." A portal opens up. "This way."

The three of them walk into the portal. Fox shields his eyes from a bright light which fades after a few moments.

They are standing in some kind of ring, an ornate arena surrounded by many pillars. It seems to be set atop some kind of mountain beneath an evening sky. In the distance, many more mountains can be seen; the horizon seems to stretch on much farther than a normal realm. Fox looks at the floor, noting the intricate pattern of black and gold; lines, circles and shapes all intertwining in a complex pattern. The floor itself is perfectly smoooth, perhaps unnaturally so.

"What is this place?" Fox asks, feeling a strange breeze washing over him. "It feels... I don't know."

Raiden places his hands in front of him. "This place is the meeting grounds for gods and the Elder Gods. Any interraction between them is held here. They exist on a higher plane of existence, overseeing all realms across many realities simultaneously."

"So... where are they?"

"That is a good question." Raiden looks at Ryan, who adjusts his robes but seems just as uncertain.

As they wait, a portal opens nearby. They all turn to behold a figure emerging from it: Kaito, from the prime reality. He looks around and then sees them.

"Raiden? Fox? ...Ryan?"

"Hey man," Ryan says with a small wave.

Kaito approaches them, looking very confused. "What's going on?"

>Don't you know?
>We're meeting the Elder Gods.
>Kaito, you wouldn't believe what I've been through.
>Havik is dead.
>Other

>>2580511
>Kaito, you wouldn't believe what I've been through.

>>2580511
>We're meeting the Elder Gods.

>>2580511
>Kaito, you wouldn't believe what I've been through
I am a cold blooded pro, but even I could use some support right now

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>>2580516
>>2580542

Fox lets out a happy gasp. "Kaito, you would not believe what I've been through."

"I think he would," Raiden says. "He once had to do what you did, more or less."

Kaito cocks a brow. "Is something wrong?"

Fox shakes his head. "Not anymore, at least, I don't think so."

The conversation is about to continue when Raiden gets a grim expression upon his face. He looks up towards the sky. "The Elder Gods."

All four of them are silent as great figures begin to appear all around them. Several massive, blue, spiritual apparitions surround the ring, manifesting as though humanoid from the shoulders upward. There are men, women and at least one strange figure of indeterminate gender due to wearing a mask are seen, each distinct and unique in appearance. Their eyes glow brightly as they gaze down upon them with unreadable expressions.

Raiden steps forward. "Almigthy Elder Gods, you have summoned us, and we are here." He bows before them.

"Oh, shit," Kaito mutters under his breath. He looks at Fox with a concerned expression. "This isn't about that one thing I said long ago, is it? That was more than twenty years ago!"

"I don't think that's what's on their mind," Fox whispers back.

When the Elder Gods speak, it is in perfect unison. Their voices are not booming, but resound with great power. "YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO FACE JUDGMENT FOR THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO REALITY. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE FOUR OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE IN EQUAL MEASURES."

Fox's brow furrows. 'Wait, what? How could I be responsible for anything? I just stopped it!' Alongside him, Kaito looks at Ryan, who is silent. Raiden seems to be preparing for his next statement.

>Speak up in defense of yourself
>Tell Kaito what's happened
>Let Raiden speak
>Ask about what's happening to the other realities
>Other

>>2580584
>Let Raiden speak

>>2580584
>Raiden seems to be preparing for his next statement
As in he has something to say, or as in he is wondering about what he should say?

>>2580618
Both, honestly.

>>2580584
>Let Raiden speak

>>2580584
>>Let Raiden speak
Seems raiden is just the local public defender

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>>2580597
>>2580646
>>2580866

Fox keeps silent, biting his tongue. Raiden responds to the Elder Gods by inquiring of them, "Respectully, so that all present may know exactly what they have been accused of, I request that each of our actions be laid bare."

The Elder Gods do not hesitate in their response. "RAIDEN. YOU HAVE FAILED IN YOUR DUTIES AS PROTECTOR OF THE REALM OF EARTH. YOUR INACTIVITY DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONE KNOWN AS HAVIK BY ALLOWING HIM GREATER FREEDOM FROM SCRUTINY. WE HAVE FOUND YOUR DILIGENCE LACKING."

Next, they address Ryan. "RYAN, OF THE WATCHERS. YOU HAVE FAILED IN YOUR DUTY BY NOT DETECTING THE ONE KNOWN AS HAVIK'S COMMUNICATION BETWEEN REALITIES WITH HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS. HIS ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF HIS OTHER SELVES WERE UNDECTED. YOU, TOO, WE HAVE FOUND LACKING."

Ryan, leaning on his staff, remains silent.

Now, they turn their gaze upon Kaito. "AKAYAMA KAITO. YOUR RECKLESS USE OF TIME TRAVEL RESULTED IN THE ONE KNOWN AS HAVIK OBTAINING THE KAMIDOGU OF CHAOSREALM AND ENACTING HIS PLOT. YOUR PREVIOUS ROLE IN HIS SCHEMES IS ALSO SUBJECT TO QUESTION. MANY OF YOUR CHOICES AND ACTIONS DIRECTLY BENEFITED AND FURTHERED HIS PLANS."

"Are you serious?" Kaito says, turning in place. "Okay, yeah, look, the time travel is on me, but how could I have possibly known that---"

They cut him off with a resounding command. "QUIET." Now, they turn their gaze upon Fox. He stares up at them and shivers as they say his name. "FORREST FOX. YOU ARE ACCUSED OF WORKING ALONGSIDE THE ONE KNOWN AS HAVIK AND FAILING TO PREVENT HIS BREACH OF REALITY. YOUR MISHANDLING OF THE KAMIDOGU AND LACK OF DISCRETION HAS RESULTED IN MORE DAMAGE TO THE REALMS THAN CAN BE REPAIRED."

Fox is left stunned. 'Working with Havik? Failing to prevent his breach? Do they not know that I was working to stop him? And what do they mean, 'lack of discretion?' That I wasn't fast enough?'

"Raiden, what the hell is going on?" Kaito asks, approaching him and taking him by the arm. "Another reality breach?"

Before Raiden can speak, the Elder Gods proclaim, "THE ACCUSATIONS HAVE BEEN LAID BARE."

"We request a moment to counsel amongst ourselves," Raiden says to them.

"GRANTED." The Elder Gods fade from sight, leaving them apparently alone.

"This is going well," Ryan says dryly.

>What is their problem?
>What are we going to do? Do we have a way to defend ourselves?
>Explain the breach and Havik's plot to Kaito.
>Let Raiden explain things
>Other

>>2580945
>>What are we going to do? Do we have a way to defend ourselves?
>>Explain the breach and Havik's plot to Kaito

>>2580963
This

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>>2580963
>>2580998

We'll be resuming tomorrow. Thanks for playing.

>>2580945
>Explain the breach and Havik's plot to Kaito.

>>2580945
>Explain the breach and Havik's plot to Kaito.
tl: super dr

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>>2580945
The Elder Gods once again, prove themselves to be bullshit!

>Raiden's job was to protect Earthrealm. Not to babysit Chaosrealm. Have someone tried to merge the Earthrealms, or if the unified Chaosrealm invaded Earthrealm then maybe. But the protection of Earthrealm wasn't involved.
>Yet Raiden went beyond his job description and helped Fox to stop this from reaching critical mass

>Ryan had been freshly reinstigated after 20 years of exile. >Havik already aided the Entity upon the first breach, and with both Kaito and Ryan out of the picture, he had 20 years to prepare unabated

>Kaito's use of timetravel might have been reckless, but innocent in the context the Elder Gods put it. Havik had the kamidogu before time travel was ever involved.
>His travelling merely restored Earthrealm, and the kamidogu was still gone because of Havik's tampering

>Fox can probably defend himself, but just for the fucking record
>He did his best for someone who have never been appointed for any duty involving either Chaos Realm, or Spacetime.
>In the end he helped to re-arrange things the way they were, and no intervention from either them, nor Chronos was necessary.

We also came here out of our own volition. Would they have brought the unified Havik here, or waited till he wrecked shit with 5 Earthrealms, and Outworlds?

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>>2580963
>>2580998
>>2581149
>>2581899

Kaito runs a hand through his hair. "What is this even all about? I still feel like I'm not on the same page here. Fox, does this have to do with your mission?"

Fox nods. "It does." He looks at Raiden, who also nods, giving his blessing for him to continue. "Havik tried to merge the Chaosrealms from six realities into one by combining their Kamidogu. I travelled to those realities and confronted each version of him, collecting each one, then I and the team---parallel versions of the team, that is---defeated him. And now... we're here."

He puts his hands on his hips and leans back somewhat. "Well... that's one hell of a story. I guess all I can say right now is that it's good that you succeeded. You're going to have to give me all the little details later." He glances at Raiden. "So, now what? What do these accusations mean exactly?"

Fox adds a question of his own. "Do we have any way to defend ourselves?"

Raiden folds his arms and grimaces. "The Elder Gods have likely already made their determinations. Once their mind is set, they rarely change it."

Ryan jumps in. "Look, this is probably just a scolding. I've been to these before."

"As have I," Raiden says. "And if there is punishment to be dealt, I shall take it upon myself."

"That's extreme," Kaito says. "Look... If I'm being frank, these accusations don't make any sense. Raiden, you protect Earthrealm, not monitor Chaosrealm. That's more of Ryan's thing. And Ryan, you and I were both out of the picture for twenty years! We couldn't have known or prevented Havik's plan. Even the time travel didn't undo his work, so we'd still be in the same position if we hadn't, right? And Fox... well, honestly, I don't get why they're upset with you. You solved the problem, didn't you?"

"More or less, or at least I thought so."

Raiden puts a hand on his shoulder. "Fox performed admirably, to the absolute best of his ability. All of the realms would be destroyed were it not for his actions."

Kaito smiles. "Then it sounds like you solved the problem."

>Wait for the Elder Gods to return
>What manner of punishment might there be?
>Isn't there something we can do to prove ourselves?
>Tell Kaito about his alternate self
>Other

>>2581955
>Once their mind is set, they rarely change it.
>Look, this is probably just a scolding. I've been to these before.
Are you sure? Because if this is a serious trial, then this is the time to defend ourselves, and if it's a scloding then we should let the accusations slide and not make this serious. Those are two very different positions and required actions

>>2581955
>Isn't there something we can do to prove ourselves?

>>2581955
>Isn't there anything we can do to prove ourselves?
>Await the elder gods return

>>2581955
>>Isn't there something we can do to prove ourselves?

I feel they're going to try and pull the "worked along side A Havik" against us, even though he was trying to stop the entire merger.

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>>2581958
>>2582040
>>2582220
>>2582352

Fox nods at him, then looks at Raiden. "Isn't there something we can do to prove ourselves?"

"We shall see," he replies. "The Elder Gods have yet to say what their judgment is, or any punishment."

"Raiden," Kaito gets his attention. "When I was Otiak, and stopped Havik and the Entity, I wasn't summoned before the Elder Gods."

Ryan speaks up. "That was mostly Aegis' doing, good riddance."

"Right. But what makes this whole situation different? Why only now are we called before them?"

"I do not have all the answers," Raiden admits, "but I do have some ideas. I would not wish to dwell on them. Let us confer further with them and see what they have to say."

He turns outward from the group and raises his head. "Elder Gods, we are prepared."

Again they appear, gazing down upon them with emotionless expressions. Their many voices continue to speak as one.

"THE RESULTS OF YOUR ACTIONS, AND INACTION, AND THE ACTIONS OF THE AGENTS OF CHAOS HAVE RESULTED IN UNFORSEEN CONSEQUENCES."

Raiden remains firm. "If there is a threat to the realms, I beseach you to alert us to it."

"THE DAMAGE TO THE REALMS IS SEVERE. THE FURIES HAVE BECOME UNBALANCED IN WAYS SUCH AS NEVER BEFORE. THROUGH OUR SIGHT, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE PATH TO ARMAGEDDON IS NOW UNAVOIDABLE."

The thunder god straightens, as though a shiver went down his spine. "Armageddon... unavoidable? This cannot be! The very nature of the prophecy means that it may be prevented. By what means has it become inevitable? What is the catalyst?"

"THE FLOW OF TIME HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO BECOME DILUTED BY CHAOS, AND ABERRATIONS HAVE BEGUN TO FORM."

"What do you mean? What manner of aberrations?"

"ERRANT THREADS CREATED BY TIME TRAVEL ARE SPIRALING BEYOND OUR MEANS TO CONTROL THEM. SOON, THEY WILL BECOME TOO MANY, AND BEGIN CROSSING OVER INTO ONE ANOTHER'S PATHS. THE PROPER ORDER MUST BE MAINTAINED AND THE FLOW OF TIME RETURNED TO ITS NATURAL STATE."

Upon hearing those words, Kaito rushes forward. "Woah, wait! Are you talking about undoing the changes I made to the timeline? You can't! That would kill my team, and unleash an army of cyborgs upon the world!"

"THAT COURSE WOULD PREVENT ARMAGEDDON."

"By what, turning all of Earthrealm into a cybernetic hell?"

Raiden holds up his hand and urges Kaito to calm down. They begin to argue, but then the Elder Gods speak, overriding their words.

"THE CHANGE TO THE TIMELINE CANNOT BE UNDONE." At that, Kaito lets out a deep sigh of relief. "THE ALTERED TIMELINE RESULTED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF HAVIK AND THE UNDOING OF HIS MERGER OF REALITIES."

>Remain silent
>What will become of the other universes?
>What must be done to repair the timeline?
>Can Armageddon still be stopped?
>Other

>>2583102
>>What must be done to repair the timeline?

>>2583102
>What will become of the other universes?
>What must be done to repair the timeline?

>>2583102
>What will become of the other universes?
""Repairing"" the timeline probably means reinstigating the Triborg-regime

>>2583102
>>What must be done to repair the timeline?
>>Can Armageddon still be stopped?

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>>2583109
>>2583114
>>2583147
>>2583340

Boldly, Fox steps forward. "What will become of the other universes? Is everything that I'm going to do in them going to be erased as well?"

"NO. YOUR ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF THOSE WHO ASSISTED YOU CANNOT BE UNDONE."

He looks at the others, then back up at the Elder Gods. "Then what must be done to repair the timeline, if you can't undo anything that I did?"

"THE THREADS MUST BE REPAIRED AND RETURNED. IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER ERRANT STRANDS, ALL MUST BE WOVEN TOGETHER INTO ONE."

Raiden seems to understand, as does Ryan, and they both don't seem thrilled. The thunder god is the first to speak. "But could that not result in countless further unforeseen events?"

"What exactly are we talking about?" Kaito asks.

Ryan steps forward. "By reconnecting the strands, meaning combining the timelines we created with our time travel, they're going to take everything that was changed in the timeline you left behind and merge it into our reality."

"Then... The cyborgs will come back?" He looks up at the Elder Gods. "You can't harm my team!"

"THE CHANGE WILL BE MINIMAL AND AS IDEAL AS CAN BE DONE. YOUR TEAM WILL BE UNAFFECTED, AS DOING SO WOULD ALTER THE FLOW OF TIME, AS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED."

Kaito calms down somewhat. "Then if the team is going to be immune to the change... what comes back? The original machine that became sentient?"

Ryan nods. "Likely. Every one of its creations that wouldn't conflict with rejoining your current timeline. Your team will be spared the cyberization they went through."

"What about everyone else? The ones they killed?" He gets a desperate look in his eyes. "Mileena?"

The Elder Gods speak. "ALL SHALL BE UNALTERED. IN WEAVING THE THREADS BACK TOGETHER, CHANGING THE DESTINY OF BUT ONE LIFE COULD HAVE DRASTIC CONSEQUENCES AND ALTERATIONS UPON THE FLOW OF TIME. AS FOR YOUR SPECIFIC QUERY REGARDING THE NON-ORGANIC BEINGS, ONLY SEVEN SHALL REMAIN IN EXISTENCE AS THE TIMELINES MERGE."

"Probably purely technological creations," Ryan observes. "That way, nobody is turned into a cyborg by the process."

Kaito is silent at first as he takes this information in. "Only seven... But I've seen how quickly they can spread and multiply in less than twenty-four hours."

Raiden nods. "Then when the merger happens, we will need to move quickly, and prepare our allies for any places that may be attacked."

Kaito folds his arms. "The New Defenders base, Special Forces Command, Area 51... those are some places I know they hit. Problem is, we've got this lizard people issue to deal with..."

His train of thought is cut off by the Elder Gods. "THE SOLUTION TO THE ERRANT THREADS OF TIME HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED. NOW COMES THE MATTER OF JUDGMENT FOR YOUR ACTIONS."

>Remain silent
>Volunteer to be judged first
>Demand a defense of the actions taken
>Counsel with the others
>Other

>>2583524
>Volunteer to be judged first

>>2583524
>Volunteer to be judged first
Let's not forget about overtly asking the question what if we didn't intervene at all.

>>2583524
>>Volunteer to be judged first

>>2583544
This.

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>>2583532
>>2583544
>>2583574
>>2583705

Fox clenches his fist, steps forward and declares, "I'll be judged first."

Raiden holds up a hand. "Forrest---"

Staring defiantly up at the Elder Gods, he defends himself against their accusations. "I stopped Havik. I didn't work with him. I fought him every step of the way, even if I had to play by his rules. I brought together the Kamidogu, confronted him in his home, and what's more, I didn't do it alone. My friends were there with me. If you want to judge me, fine, judge me. But I ask you this: what would have happened if I hadn't done what I did? If I had given up? I didn't, so here we are."

His knuckles are clenched hard enough to be nearly white. Behind him, Kaito and Raiden look on, slightly stunned at his words, but inspired nonetheless. All are silent as they await the response of the deities.

All at once, they say his name. "FORREST FOX."

He gulps, but stands tall.

"IT IS OUR JUDGMENT THAT IN SPITE OF THE OVERWHELMING ODDS ARRAYED AGAINST YOU BY THE FORCES OF CHAOS, IN SPITE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SCHEMES AND MANIPULATIONS OF HAVIK, IN SPITE OF THE DURESS EXPERIENCED BY MORTALS TRAVELLING TO OTHER WORLDS, YOU PERFORMED YOUR DUTIES... ADMIRABLY."

Slowly, he finds himself able to breathe again and his hands unclench. "Does that mean... I'm not going to be punished?"

"YOUR ACTIONS HAVE BEEN CLOSELY EXAMINED. WHILE YOU MADE SEVERAL QUESTIONABLE CHOICES, AND UNWITTINGLY AIDED HAVIK IN BRINGING TOGETHER THE KAMIDOGU, YOUR GUILT IS A MATTER OF IGNORANCE, AS MOST MORTALS LACK THE FORESIGHT AND AWARENESS OF HIGHER BEINGS. NONE OF THE ELDER GODS DENY YOUR ROLE IN PREVENTING CHAOS FROM SUCCEEDING."

Feeling emboldened, Fox says, "If you recognize my role in this, then recognize Raiden's as well. He brought together the friends I had made on my journey, he's the one who told me what I had to do. If you are going to pardon me, then you should pardon him as well."

"IT IS OUR JUDGMENT THAT HE IS TO BE HELD TO A MUCH HIGHER DEGREE OF SCRUTINY THAN YOU. HE IS A GOD, AND YOU ARE BUT A MORTAL. HE POSSESSES INSIGHT THAT YOU DO NOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO DETECT HAVIK DEMANDS HARSHER RETRIBUTION."

Fox is about to protest when he feels Raiden's hand on his shoulder. He turns to look at his face, which wears a smile. "I appreciate your concern, Forrest. But I will face my own judgment."

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>>2583766

"FORREST FOX." He looks up. "IT IS OUR WILL THAT YOU BE SUFFICIENTLY REWARDED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT. YOU HAVE GUARDED AGAINST THE THREAT OF UNCHECKED CHAOS AND PREVENTED THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL THAT IS. NAME YOUR REQUEST. IF IT IS WITHIN THE POWER OF THE ELDER GODS, IT SHALL BE GRANTED."

The weight of those words nearly makes his legs buckle. His eyes stray downward. 'This is... almost like a wish,' he realizes. Immediately his mind spins with possibilities. 'My family... My home... I could receive powers, abilities, become even an even greater Defender...' Then, his mind considers the broader situation, and applications of this request that do not directly benefit himself. 'My new friends, from the alternate worlds. They're going to lose their memories of me.' He looks back. 'And what about Kaito? He deserves some kind of justice for what Aegis did to him. Will they grant him a request? I doubt it... he broke their time travel rules.'

Kaito notices his gaze. "Fox? Are you alright?"

"I don't know," he says softly. "I could ask for so much... How do I know if what I ask will be right?"

Raiden offers some advice. "If you search your heart, and make the request that you know is what you truly desire, then it is the right choice. Few are blessed by the Elder Gods, but a choice made without thinking of its consequences have left many throughout the ages in ruin and regret."

"I must be certain," Fox says, understanding. "Absolutely certain. Just like I had to be in Chaosrealm."

"I know you will choose wisely."

Kaito and Ryan look on, each offering their own silent encouragement. Fox retreats inwardly and focuses on what his heart truly desires.

>What is your wish?

>>2583767
To take a raincheck on that wish and save it for later. We can't come to a decision on that so soon.

>>2583769
I guess save it. It’d be good to have during Armageddon

>>2583767
Dammit. Wishes are so hard to decide.

>>2583769
I would say take a raincheck, but If we want the people we met to remember us, it would be better to do it sooner, rather than later.

I'm off to bed. Please feel free to continue discussion; we will resume tomorrow.

This is a big choice and very open-ended, so don't hold back. Speak your mind.

>>2583767
>The elder gods are not acting bullshit
I... I am of confus

At any rate; Either asking to lessen the harshenss of the other guys punishment, save it, orrrr as>>2583903 suggested

I feel like "Let the people we met keep their memories" is enough. Wouldn't want to wish for something bigger and somehow get monkey paw'd.

We could always wish the robots get teleported into one convenient location to be dogpiled by everyone.

>>2583769
>>2583865
>>2583903
>>2584356
>>2584458
>>2584895

So, we've got:

>Raincheck
>Preserve the memories of your friends
>Lesson the harshness of the others (Kaito, Ryan, Raiden)
>Deal with the robots
>Write-In

I'll take final votes now.

>>2585653
>Raincheck

>>2585653
>>Preserve the memories of your friends

>>2585653
>>Preserve the memories of your friends

>>2585653
>>Preserve the memories of your friends

>>2585703
>>2585960
>>2586010

Writing.

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>>2586018
>>2583767

For several moments, Fox contemplates his options, seeking the truth deep down within his soul. It comes to him in a moment of clarity, such that it seems as though it can be the only true choice for him to consider.

But first, he needs to know an answer to a question. "Before I make my request, I want to know what is going to happen to the friends I made from the other realities."

"WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM IS OF NO CONCERN TO YOU."

"Wrong," he says, perhaps too quickly given the status of those to whom he is speaking. He straightens himself and says, "I'm sorry, but you're wrong. I want to know what's going to happen to them."

"THE DAMAGE DONE TO THEIR REALITIES WILL BE REPAIRED. IT WILL BE AS IF THE INCURSION NEVER OCCURRED."

"And their memories?"

"THEY WILL NOT HAVE MEMORIES."

"I had heard as much," he says. With fists clenched and his heart beating, he stares up at them. A bead of sweat runs down his forehead. "I made a promise, and I'm not going to break it. My request is that they remember what happened, that they remember everything."

"THIS REQUEST INTERFERES WITH THE ESTABLISHED LAWS WE ENFORCE. IT IS OUR WILL THAT EVERY BREACH IN REALITY BE SEALED FROM ALL KNOWLEDGE OF MORTALS."

Kaito steps forward. "I was allowed to keep my memories from my time as Otiak."

"YOU WILL BE SILENT," they boom, and he takes his hands off his hips. The Elder Gods return their attention to Forrest Fox. "YOU SHALL SPECIFY A DIFFERENT REQUEST."

"No, I won't." Fox points up at them. "I made an impact on their lives, and they made an impact on mine! Taking away their memories means you might as well take away my own, because all you're doing is preventing us from becoming greater than we are. I helped put an end to the conflict in Disorderrealm, toppled the rulers of the Netherrealm, destroyed a tyrant in Earthrealm, and more! But to me, all of that doesn't matter. What matters to me is that I learned how different and strange the lives of my friends would be if they weren't on my team. I gained perspective on each and every one of them, and I know that they gained just as much perspective from meeting and knowing me! It's that very connection that I made with them that allowed me to defeat Havik!" And finally, brazenly, he adds, "You owe them just as much as you owe me, Elder Gods!"

Silence follows. Fox lowers his arm and breathes a few times. Far off in the distance, there is a rumbling noise, like thunder. The gazes of the Elder Gods seem to bore through him, glaring at his very soul, but just as when he faced down Havik, he doesn't back down.

Finally, after much tense quiet, their unified voices speak. "YOUR REQUEST... SHALL BE GRANTED."

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>>2586124

Relief floods through him. He lets out a happy sigh as he thinks about his friends, each of them stretched across time and space. He brings a fist up to his heart and thinks about their words to him, their smiles and laughter, and the struggles he helped them with. "I'll never see you again," he whispers. "But I'll never forget you."

"And never shall they forget you," Raiden says warmly. "I respect your choice. I greatly admire you, Forrest. Never has there been an unintentional Champion of the Elder Gods such as you, and I suspect there shall never be again."

Kaito approaches him, clasping him on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You put your team before yourself, even if they were from a completely different reality. By the way, I'm going to need details... but later." His smile runs away as he looks back up at the apparitions. "Something tells me the rest of this isn't going to be as fun."

"RYAN, OF THE WATCHERS. STEP FORTH."

Ryan shrugs, checks his watch and walks forward. "Ah... let's just get this over with."

"YOUR POSITION AS A WATCHER HANGS IN THE BALANCE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPLITTING OF THE TIMELINE, AN INEXCUSABLE ACTION TAKEN IMMEDIATELY UPON RETURNING TO YOUR POST."

"Well... I wouldn't have done it without a good reason," he defends himself. "And furthermore, I wouldn't have ever had to do it at all if Aegis hadn't taken my place. His little, uh, coup against me was outright criminal, and I was never given a chance to properly defend myself against his accusations. I was exiled without so much as a hearing! Like it was truly my fault that an extradimensional entity slipped into reality! Aegis and his witch hunt---"

"AEGIS PERFORMED HIS DUTIES TO OUR SATISFACTION. YOU HAVE NOT."

He scoffs in indignation. "Well it's a good thing I don't work for you, then. I want to speak to my boss. I want to speak to Chronosis."

Fox doesn't miss the expression on Kaito's face, the widening of his eyes. Raiden seems just as shocked.

>Who?
>Remain silent
>Talk to Kaito
>Defend Ryan to the Elder Gods
>Other

>>2586129
>>Remain silent

>>2586129
>>Talk to Kaito
>>Who?

>>2586129
>Who?

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>>2586229
>>2586297

"Who did he say?" Fox asks. "Chronos?"

"Chronosis," Kaito says. "He's a being that exists outside of normal reality. He's the one in charge of all the watchers like Ryan."

The Elder Gods do not immediately reply. Ryan seems impatient. "I don't have all day."

"SILENCE."

He shrugs and decides to sit, laying his staff across his lap. Kaito looks over at Raiden and asks, "Can he appear here? I thought he existed entirely outside of space-time."

"His very nature prevents him from appearing directly, but he may be communed with. Doing so can be difficult, for every communion with him is simultaneous from his point of view, and so his answers may not always be easily undestood."

"Sounds about right," Kaito replies with a nod. "Still... I haven't seen him in so long. To think that no time at all has passed for him..."

Ryan looks up as the Elder Gods speak. "WE SHALL COMMUNE WITH CHRONOSIS, AND SUMMON HIM NOW."

Before their eyes, a crystal structure floats down from the clouds, a prism of immaculate beauty and reflection, its surface completely unmarred by any scratch or hint of dust. As it rotates, they catch glimpses of themselves reflected in its surface. It hovers downwards, stopping several feet from the ground.

Its surface changes from mirror-like to translucent, and a figure appears within: a skeleton, wearing a robe, with two glowing gems in its eye sockets.

Ryan gives a small wave. "Hey, boss."

"Ryan. And Akayama Kaito, as well."

"You remember me?" Kaito asks, then mentally slaps himself. "Well, of course you do. To you, we're still having our conversation that we shared twenty years ago."

"Indeed. I know why I have been summoned, Elder Gods. It is my will that Ryan be cleared of all accusations."

"WE DEMAND PUNISHMENT FOR HIS ENDANGERMENT OF THE TIMELINE."

"His punishment at the bottom of the Edenian Sea for doing no wrong will be enough," Chronosis declares. "And as he has already served that sentence, you shall judge him no further."

"HIS ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF THE MORTAL AKAYAMA KAITO HAVE HASTENED THIS REALITY TOWARDS ARMAGEDDON."

"That was always going to happen. This is my only communion with this reality prior to my final communion upon Armageddon."

Raiden steps forward. "Then it is as the Elder Gods have foreseen? Armageddon is inevitable?"

"It is a possibility faced by each reality. This one, in particular, is destined to face it."

The Elder Gods seem displeased by this revelation. "YOU HAVE FAILED TO WARN US OF THIS INEVITABILITY."

"You are aware that if I had done so, and if you taken actions to prevent this, a paradox would have occurred. Now that the damage has been done, the course is set, it matters not what could have been."

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>>2586557

Kaito gets a worried look on his face. "You once told me that destiny doesn't exist. How can Armageddon be unavoidable, if we still can make choices leading up to it?"

"A great number of things have been set into motion, an unforeseen chain of events converging towards. While each mortal still possesses choice, the choices that have yet to be made will all lead to Armageddon."

"So, there is nothing that can be done to avoid the destruction of our reality?"

"I did not say your reality will be destroyed." Everyone looks at each other, then back at the skeletal being. "This reality will face Armageddon. The end result, I do not know. There exist no further communions with me beyond the final communion that will take place upon the its eve."

"That could mean destruction," Kaito points out.

"It could. My gaze into your time only travels as far as each of my communions, and after Armageddon, my gaze never pierces this time again."

>What is Armageddon?
>Remain silent
>What alternative is there beyond destruction?
>What about the other realities?
>Other

>>2586572
>>What alternative is there beyond destruction?

>>2586572
>What is Armageddon?

>>2586572
>>What is Armageddon?

>>2586572
>>What is Armageddon?
>>What alternative is there beyond destruction?
>>What about the other realities?

Fox finds himself confused. He leans in towards Kaito and asks, "Wait, what's Armageddon?"

"I thought it was the destruction of all reality," he replies, seemingly just as uncertain.

"But is there some alternative to destruction? What could that be?"

Chronosis answers that question. "Armageddon is the end, but also the beginning. It is the point beyond which this universe will be permanently destroyed, or allowed to continue existing in new form."

"...New form?" Kaito says. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. What does that mean for us?"

"That depends on what happens when Armageddon comes, and what form it takes. Each reality may face Armageddon, and each time it occurs it may have a different result. Even the Elder Gods cannot foresee who will win the prize."

"Prize?" Fox asks. "What prize?"

The line of questioning is severed. The image of Chronosis fades and his prism is returned to the sky. The Elder Gods speak. "ENOUGH. THERE HAS BEEN TOO MUCH TALK OF ARMAGEDDON. THE MATTER AT HAND IS JUDGMENT."

Kaito raises a finger. "Excuse me, Elder Gods, but priorities seem a little skewed here. Isn't the end of all things more important than---"

They interrupt him. "AKAYAMA KAITO."

He lowers his hand and sighs. "Yeah, that's me."

"YOU STAND ACCUSED OF ALTERING THE FLOW OF TIME, AND THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, ALLOWING CHAOS TO INFECT IT."

He scratches the side of his head. "See... You're going to have to be more specific, because no matter what you say, I'm not responsible for Havik's actions. You're using a bunch of words that don't mean anything to me. How, exactly, has chaos 'infected' the timeline?" Before they can respond, he holds up a hand. "And please, don't give me that whole, 'Your mind cannot comprehend it' or 'Your perception is limited, mortal' spiel."

"YOU WILL CEASE YOUR INSOLENCE. OUR WORD IS LAW AND WE WILL NOT EXPLAIN ANYTHING THAT WE DEEM UNNECESSARY."

He throws up his arms in a shrug. "So no one learns anything and nothing ever progresses, got it."

Raiden clears his throat. "Kaito. Reign yourself in."

"No, no, I've been putting up with the arcane rules set forth by these guys ever since Shang Tsung's island, and I like to think I've put down more than my fair share of problems to the realms, so they owe me an answer."

"WE OWE YOU NOTHING. YOU FORFEITED ANY GRATITUDE FROM THE ELDER GODS WHEN YOU WENT AGAINST THE LAWS OF TIME. IT IS OUR JUDGMENT THAT YOUR SERVICE IN THE PAST AND YOUR RECENT TRANSGRESSION ARE IN EQUAL STANDING."

"So you're saying they cancel each other out. Am I to understand that means there is no punishment?"

"CORRECT."

"Well then, don't expect any gratitude from me either. Are we done here?" They give no answer. He turns back to face the others and shakes his head. As he walks up, he mutters, "I guess hit the mark pretty damn well that day in Shao Kahn's arena."

>Remain silent
>What about you, Raiden?
>What was that talk about a 'prize?'
>The Elder Gods aren't always bullshit.
>Other

>>2587398
>What was that talk about a 'prize?'

>>2587398
>>What was that talk about a 'prize?'

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>>2587422
>>2587551

Fox gives Raiden an inquisitive glance. "What was that talk about a 'prize?'"

"Long ago, the Elder Gods foresaw that one day, warriors would grow too powerful and too numerous. If left unchecked, their rampant battle would unbalance the furies and threaten to tear apart the fabric of the realms."

"Like Havik did?"

"Yes, but through sheer battle instead." He looks up at the glowing visages and continues, "The Elder Gods demanded that a safeguard be put into place. Argus, protector of Edenia, was called upon to perform this duty. He and his seer wife Delia envisioned a contest between their sons Taven and Daegon, and the prize of this contest would prevent Armageddon."

Kaito's face grows serious. "I read about this once... Taven and Daegon disappeared. But someone with that name is now leading the Red Dragon clan, the is the one who killed Kenshi's wife. Is it the same man, Raiden?"

"I know not. It is possible... but the Red Dragon elude me. Another reason why I must face judgment from the Elder Gods."

As he moves to step forward, Kaito grabs his arm. "Raiden, you can't be too hard on yourself. They judge too harshly, too strictly."

"I am sorry, Kaito, but there is something I must do." He smiles and pats the man on the arm, then faces his superiors. "Elder Gods. I am prepared for your judgment."

"RAIDEN, GOD OF THUNDER, PROTECTOR OF THE REALM OF EARTH. YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND WANTING IN YOUR DUTY. CHAOS FLOURISHED AND YOU DID NOT DETECT IT. A PLAGUE OF DEATH WAS UNLEASHED UPON THE REALMS, AND YOU FAILED TO PREVENT IT. YOU DID NOT DIVINE THE MACHINE THREAT, THEN ALLOWED AKAYAMA KAITO TO ALTER THE TIMELINE. HOW DO YOU PLEAD?"

Raiden puts his hands together and takes a slow breath, remaining strong and dignified in his stance. "I am guilty of all that you have accused me of. I deny none of it. When I returned from my corrupted state at the end of Shinnok's invasion of Edenia, I withdrew from actively interfering with affairs of mortals. I thought to be an advisor and mentor, and while I became that, terrible things happened that could have been prevented if I had not been afraid."

He closes his eyes. "My greatest crime is that I allowed fear to rule my actions. Fear of becoming corrupt once more, of becoming bloodthirsty, of threatening the lives of the very beings I swore to protect." He opens his eyes. "That is why, before you render any judgment upon my inaction, I have decided to renounce my title as protector, and my status of godhood."

Kaito is the first to speak. "Raiden, no! You can't do that!"

"I'm afraid I must."

The Elder Gods speak before Kaito has a chance to. "WE DEEM YOUR REQUEST TO RESCIND YOUR TITLE AND STATUS AS FITTING FOR YOUR CRIMES. IT IS THE SAME PUNISHMENT WE WERE TO PLACE UPON YOU."

"You see," he says to Kaito with a knowing grin, "it is the same no matter what. Only, I go willingly."

"You can't do this!" Kaito shouts, this time to the Elder Gods. "I won't let you!"

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>>2588332

"YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER US. IT IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE ELDER GODS THAT RAIDEN SHALL BE STRIPPED OF HIS TITLE, HIS STATUS AND HIS POWER, MADE MORTAL ONCE MORE, AND EXILED TO THE REALM OF EARTH."

Raiden faces them once more. "Elder Gods, hear me. As I willingly forsake my title, status and power, and as I have served as protector for millenia, I have two requests."

"IF THEY ARE DEEMED UNWORTHY, THEY SHALL NOT BE ANSWERED."

"I understand. My first request is that Fujin be made Earthrealm's protector. He has been a strong and loyal ally for countless ages. I can think of no worthier inheritor for the title."

"THIS REQUEST SHALL BE GRANTED."

He nods his head. "And my second request... is that my power, when taken, be given to a warrior just as worthy." He looks at Kaito and smiles. "One who has been missing his power for far too long."

The man is utterly stunned. "Raiden... No, I refuse. That's your power."

"I once gave you a fraction of my power. Even if it led you on the path to unlocking the secrets of the Crimson Thunder, I do not regret it, nor all that came after." He approaches Kaito and takes hold of his hand. "Long have I fought to protect Earthrealm. Now I am unable."

Kaito is frustrated. "You're too damn hard on yourself!"

"No. I've been too lenient. I have failed in my duties and allowed threats to take root in Earthrealm. Havik, Noob Saibot, the Red Dragon... My actions also drove away Liu Kang. I cannot continue as protector; I am unworthy of the powers I wield. If I would choose one who deserves the mantle of thunder and lightning, it would be you."

"Raiden, I... I tried to return my powers, to wield your staff. It came back when I used the Dragon Medallion, but... I don't know if I can accept this from you. I know they're still in me, I just need time to figure out how to unlock them!"

"This is the way. When I took the Crimson Thunder into my being, I took something else from you... You are the last of the crimson bloodline, the descendent of the warrior I killed so long ago to become a god. It is only fitting at the end that I return the power to that blood. To you."

For several long moments, they share a powerful look. Kaito is distraught, but there is comfort in Raiden's expression. They share a hug, and the Japanese man clutches tightly onto his white robes.

"Alright... I'll do it."

Raiden pulls back. "It has been my honor." Now he looks at Forrest and smiles. "I am honored to have fought at your side, Forrest Fox. You are one of the greatest young warriors I have ever met. Thank you."

>Bow
>Hug him
>Protest
>What will happen to you?
>Other

>>2588338
>What will happen to you?

>>2588338
>What will happen to you?

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>>2588367
>>2588709

"What will happen to you?"

"I shall walk the Earth as a man."

"But you'll still be with us, won't you? Helping the team?"

His only response is a knowing wink that leaves Fox questioning and uncertain. Raiden walks to the center of the area and holds up his hands, pointing his palms skyward. "Elder Gods, I am prepared."

"IT IS DONE."

A beam of light from the heavens shines upon Raiden, who closes his eyes and throws his head back. Fox shields his eyes from the shine, but catches glimpses of the thunder god levitating upwards, into the beam. A humming noise fills the area and the golden patterns on the floor seem to glow. Then, amidst the blinding aura surrounding him, an arc of lightning surges forth, encircling the beam before shooting towards Kaito.

It strikes him in the chest and he lets out a cry, not of pain but of pure primal power, as it completely encircles his body. Torn between the two sights, Fox only catches small details from each. The electricity enters Kaito's body and he falls to his knees while the beam of light vanishes. When he lowers his hand, Raiden is nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone..." he finds himself saying, but then realizes that Kaito did not hear him. The man is on all fours, panting heavily, looking like he is attempting to dig his fingers into the solid floor. "Kaito?"

"I'm okay," he gasps. "I'm... I'm okay..." Fox moves to help him up. He looks around, as if in a daze, then focus and clarity returns to his vision. "Raiden... Raiden!"

Ryan approaches them. "He's been exiled to Earthrealm."

"Where?" Kaito looks up at the Elder Gods. "Where?"

"THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN."

He points a finger up at them, and before Fox's eyes it crackles with electricity. "Now listen here, Blue Man Group, you're going to tell me where you sent---"

"SILENCE. THE JUDGMENTS HAVE BEEN RENDERED. YOU WILL NOW HEED OUR WORDS."

Kaito grits his teeth, but lowers his hand.

"ARMAGEDDON IS COMING. YOU WILL BE SENT BACK TO THE ISLAND OF SHANG TSUNG TO PREPARE. YOU ARE CHARGED WITH READYING THE REALMS FOR THE COMING BATTLE."

"Where and when will it happen?"

"WHEN IT IS TIME, THE GREAT PYRAMID WILL RISE IN EDENIA, AND ARMAGEDDON WILL BE UPON THE REALMS."

Fox's eyes widen. "Pyramid..."

"THIS MEETING IS ENDED. THE TIMELINE MUST BE REPAIRED."

Ryan looks over. "Nice seeing you again, Kaito. Fox, nice meeting you."

Kaito looks at him, then back up at the Elder Gods. "Now, hold on! My question didn't---"

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>>2588963

There is a great, bright light, and Fox finds himself weightless and formless, but only for a brief moment. He opens his eyes in a dimly-lit room: his room.

Fox sits up in his bed, and immediately looks at the nearby clock. It is the same day that he left on his mission, and the amount of time that passed since him leaving and Havik fracturing reality with the Kamidogu is accounted for on the clock. He looks down at his hands and realizes that the Elder Gods did as they said, and mended the timelines, starting at the moment of the breach.

'They must have placed me in my room... then that must mean...'

He gets out of his bed and approaches his door, opening it to discover Takeda walking past. He is geared up and ready for his own mission, but stops upon seeing him and gives him a concerned look. "Forrest? Aren't you supposed to be on assignment?"

>Hug him
>It got cancelled
>Yeah, I just need to find Kaito
>You wouldn't believe me if I told you what just happened
>Other

>>2588967
>Other

We should probably round up the team and tell everybody what's up.

>>2588967
>Yeah, I just need to find Kaito

>>2588971
In due time. No one will believe a thing if it comes from us.

>>2588974
Well, "round up the team" would include Kaito.

Fox hesitates. "I need to find Kaito."

"Kaito? I think he's with the general. Why? What's up?" He's about to answer when an alert goes off in the base, a call to assembly. "Again?" Takeda says, but Fox is already on the move.

Within minutes, the team is back together again in the rec room, and Kaito is in the center of the room. Fox realizes the scene is almost exactly like what happened earlier this very day. The sight of all of his allies, unaware of all that has transpired, is bewildering to him. He looks at Kaito, who shares a knowing look, then addresses them all.

"Everyone, I know we just convened, but new there's been a new development." His face scrunches slightly in thought as he folds his arms. When he looks up, his expression is grim. "I suppose there isn't an easy way to say all of it, so here we'll go in steps: Raiden is gone."

"Gone?" Sonya says with a growing look of concern. "Where?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. His position as protector has been taken away and he's been stripped of his godhood and powers. As for proof, so you'll believe the rest of the claims I am about to make..." He holds up his hand, commanding it crackle with electricity. "I've been given his powers."

Johnny steps off the wall. "You can't be serious... Raiden? Gone, for good?" Others among the team whisper and ask their own questions as Fox lingers in the back.

Kaito stops his power and lowers his hand. "I'm sorry for the bad news. It was the Elder Gods. Listen, a LOT has happened in the last hour, more than I can relate at this time, because our plans have changed and we have to move. The cyborgs are coming back and we need to stop them before taking care of the saurian infiltrators."

Cassie pops a bubble of gum before asking, "I thought you John Connor'd them out of existence."

"So did I. But apparently I broke the rules of the Elder Gods and now they're merging the timelines I split. That means Triborg and his machines are coming back, but we don't know how, or where. Only that we're all going to be safe." A host of questions are all asked at once, but he holds up his hands. "Listen! I know how this must all sound, but I promise you that there will be time for an explanation soon." He looks past the first two rows, right at Forrest. "The short version is that Forrest saved all of reality."

Every single head in the room turns to look at him. In this brief moment, as he meets the gaze of every team member and ally, he sees his adventure play in their eyes. Each reality None of them have any idea the things he has learned about them, or how wildly different their other selves from different realities are, or how valuable he's come to realize their companionship is. None of them have the perspective he's gained about his place in the universe, in the multiverse, and on the team. His true purpose now known, he smiles as he realizes how much he is looking forward to sharing it with them.

He shrugs and says, "I had some help."

>>2589475

That's the end of Fox's journey. I hope you all enjoyed it. This has been one of the most fun mini arcs that I've ever written for the quest, and it was a challenge and a pleasure to write.

There will be a poll later to determine who the protagonist of our next episode is going to be. Thank you all for playing and I sincerely hope to see you next time!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DamashiKonquest
Discord: https://discord.gg/8BHvxRH

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A poll for the next protagonist is now live!

https://www.strawpoll.me/15813766