Misadventures in the Multiverse

Chapter 21: We Have Our Heading

It was time for Clyde, and Raleigh, to leave. Loki, and Theron both came to see them off, along with a few more of the residents of Valhalla. "Here are the coordinates for the man you need to meet. However, without the aid of your mind, you'll have to travel like everyone else." Loki explains, handing her something that looks like a flash drive, to Clyde. "Like everyone else?" Clyde would ask. Loki chuckles. "Oh, how you've been spoiled till now." Raleigh starts to explain. "It usually takes a lot more trial and error to get to other worlds even if you have the right numbers, and if it's on the other side of the multiverse it will take a few hops to get there." He seemed to understand.

He should've guessed that Raleigh wasn't exactly doing things the normal way by now. "Safe travels to you both. You are welcome to join us in war anytime." Theron said, "Um will do." Clyde said, a little more timid than usual, not liking the idea of putting himself in mortal danger like that again. "Goodbye friends." Loki cheers, bringing them both in for a big bear hug that neither of them seemed to want that much, but let him have it anyway. They all waved as they entered The Hopper, ready to jump to the next world. Instead of the normal way Raleigh did things, she went to the front of the ship and began messing with the controls, inserting the flash drive.
"Looks like it will take three, maybe four jumps to get to him. It's going to take a little longer than normal to set things up, so just chill for a bit, OK." She says playing with the controls once more. He sits down in the chair next to her, clearly having something on his mind. "Hey, Raleigh." "Yes, Clyde?" She would answer. "Is your, galaxy brain, the reason the empire is always chasing you? What exactly is our goal now?" She looked a little annoyed that he called it that. She paused for a little while, but then explained. "Yes, it... Yes, it is, and... We are going to find The Physician. Loki says he can pretty much fix any problem with a body." Clyde left it at that, leaning back. "Aye aye captain."

The hopper sprung to life, lifting itself into the air, and breaking out into between the worlds. It seemed to take longer this time, but eventually, they did make it world-bound once again. Raleigh eagerly checked a screen reading some text, becoming disappointed the more she reads. "Aw, come on. This world is supposedly almost as boring as your world, Clyde." She states, only for Clyde to sigh a huge sigh of relief. "I could use a breather, honestly." He says. "You better use your time wisely, then well be leaving as soon as The Hopper is ready to jump again." She groans, spinning around in her chair. "You are not going to die of boredom. Even you need rest sometimes, right?" He says, thinking he kinda sounds like a nagging mother now. He starts to think he might be wrong about that, considering she isn't completely human. "Fine fine we can chill out for a little bit." She says humoring him.

They land on the outskirts of a town no one seems to be around to notice. She follows him, out locking the ship down tight Clyde slowly starts to remember why he hated his world. He could tell there wasn't much up ahead. Just a gas station, and a grocery store from the looks of it. He figured there must be a million towns just like it all around this world. What exactly did normal people do for fun he thought. They eventually made it to a gas station Clyde spied a bag of his favorite chips in the window. "At least they have Toritos." "What are those?" She asked minorly curious. "They are one of my favorite snacks in my old world. Hold on I'll get some." He fished around his pockets realizing he didn't exactly have the funds. "Um well actually. Do you have money?" She shrugs. "Not for this world. Maybe they'll take gold?" She asks pulling out a gold coin from one of her cubes.

"I um guess we will see be right back." She sat on the curb waiting for him to go in and get it. He walked in getting some puzzled looks no doubt because the clothes he was wearing probably looked like cosplay or something to the people here. He finds the family-sized bag heading to the counter to pay for them, but before he can even speak to the clerk someone grabs him from behind covering his head with a bag. The Clerk seems to be in on it leaving his place behind the counter and helping. They slowly drag him away as Clyde tries to get away from them to no avail out the back door. No one in the store seemed to notice.

Outside the store Raleigh was starting to get bored about to go inside to drag him out. "Ugh whats taking him so long." She groaned. Clyde walked up toward her from the side of the store smiling at her. Something was different about him. He seemed to be more handsome then before his eyes where a dreamy blue now. "Sorry for the wait my lady. I've returned." She looked up at him very confused, and looked like she might deck him in the head for talking to her like that. However after seeing his face she blushes a little. She stood up still confused, but sparing him from any pain for now. "Why are you talking like that? What took so long anyway? Wait where are the Toritos you were ranting about I kinda wanted to try them now?" He seemed a little unsure what to say.

"Oh um." He looked inside the store seeming the too people who dragged him out giving him thumbs up. "They were sadly out of stock my dear. Gas station food is unfitting for a beautiful lady such as your self anyway." She looks a bit weirded out, surprised Clyde of all people would be so openly flirting with her like this. "Did you get hit on the head or something." She asks. "No I well... Realized I should be treating you with more respect you are a captain aren't you?" He said to her a little nervous she wasn't buying it. "Lets get out of here I'm sure your ready to go on another adventure and look amazing doing it too."

He grabs her hand pulling her away from the store. He seemed like he really didn't want to stick around much longer. She let him do so her ego getting the better of her. Buttering her up was a very effective way to get her to like you. "Wait Clyde. The Hoppers that way." He stopped looking at her, and smiling. "Oh silly me I must of gotten lost in your radiance shall we go then." He turns around letting go of her hand so she can lead the way. Her face remains faintly red as she takes them back to the ship still giving him a side eye a little concerned with his sudden change in behavior.

As they approach It a giant ship pops into the sky. "Oh Shit looks like those two finally caught back up with us lets book it." She says Clyde nodding rushing to the ship with her. "I don't feel like fighting these losers right now I think we can jump before they notice if we are careful. She starts inputting commands into the console like before quickly flying past the giant ship, and to the next world. The huge vessel seems to have noticed firing at the hopper, but unable to do anything before it gets away following after it.

"Looks like we got away I hope they didn't get close enough to follow. Clyde leans in smiling at her. "You handled that incredibly." "Oh um... Thanks." She smiles faintly blushing again she definitely enjoys the praise. "Do you maybe want to." He comes closer putting his hand on her chin. "Let me show my appreciation for the great job your doing." She then proceeds to knee him in the balls, and then kick him away from her. Blushing much heavier now she turns away in her chair peeking over at her shes starting to think something is very wrong, she just can't see him actually doing this kinda thing to her. "I appreciate the praise, but don't push your luck buddy." He stays on the ground in pain with a scowl on his face. "Noted." He gets up dusting himself off looking very angry. "Excuse me princess." He says walking toward the back room leaving her alone for now. "This isn't how it was supposed to go." He said under his breath.

They made it to the next world which also wasn't all that impressive looking at least according to the database she was using. "Whats with all these boring ass worlds. Come on Clyde Lets get going I'm hoping they at least have good places to eat around here. The alarms started to go off all over. "Whelp looks like the caught up with us anyway. At least things well be somewhat interesting." Clyde is panicking to her annoyance glaring at him to calm down so they can get ready for battle. She leaves the ship looking outside seeing that it was a much smaller ship than before. Even still Darrion and  Cyrus jump out.

"We had to abandon the flagship to avoid losing you sadly. Come now Surrender already." Cyrus said weapon already in hand. He was giving her a chance, but clearly didn't expect her to do so. "You guys are really saying stuff like that with all the times we've kicked your ass." She grins ready to beat them up, and move on like usual. "Right Clyde. Clyde?" She notices he is not there looking behind to see him running away behind a box, and giving her a thumbs up. Darrion laughs. "Looks like the runt is scared of us." She seems to be pretty upset that he would just do that but tries to shrug it off, and not look that way in front of them. "Clyde's not much a fighter anyway he would just be in the way." She pulls out her multi-tool all the fun has seemed to be taken from this fight for her.