Misadventures in the Multiverse

Chapter Fourty One

The Mecha Forces Lick their wounds the fighting has ended all over, and they work to rebuild the damage. In the command center, Clyde, and Raleigh sit at a conference table with The Man from before. Clyde stays silent. "I see well, after an attack like that I'd say we have no choice but to join forces with you." He says to Raleigh. "It is a shame what happened to her. She had so much potential..." He slinks down in his chair, covering his face. "I wanted what's best for her, maybe I pushed her too hard."

Clyde is pretty broken up about it as well. He wasn't thinking about the potential lives lost. He simply chose this world because of how overpowered some of the robots, and pilots are. Not only that, but he didn't stop to think about how involving them would deviate them so much from the path of the show he was familiar with. He felt somewhat responsible. Raleigh seemed to notice this and tugged at his shirt, getting him to stand up and follow her. Before leaving, she stops, and turns to the man once more. "I'm sorry, I really am, but unfortunately we don't have much time, we will send you coordinates to where we are meeting." The Man looks up, regaining his demeanor, nodding in agreement as she pulls Clyde away.

When they are out of the building, she lets go of him and gives him a short hug. "It isn't your fault, Clyde, They would've come here even if we didn't." She says in an attempt to reassure him. "I guess you know me pretty well by now, huh." He says, raising his head. "I know all that, but, I still can't help but feel partly responsible." He says, pausing like he has something else weighing on his mind as well.

"All this time. Have I just been selfish? In some of the worlds we visit, people live in life-or-death situations. It makes the problems I thought I had seem trivial. They didn't choose this, but I did." He lets it all out to her. Raleigh pauses for a moment, wanting to make sure she uses the right words. "It is a little selfish. But I don't think it's wrong for you to seek something meaningful. That's how it was, right? Dull, boring, lack of meaning?" Raleigh can only speculate so much, as she doesn't know all the details. Clyde thinks about it more before answering. "It was, but not just that. Every day was work, work, and more work, all for a little bit of money to sustain myself, it was barely enough, and hardly fulfilling. There was no path ahead, everything seemed so bleak. Why was I even alive?" He lowers his head, not missing it.

"Well In a way... that is life and death isn't it, just not nearly as glamorous as a battlefield." She says, hoping to lift his spirits a bit. "I'm sure there are many people who would like to live in such a world, but so many more that would hate it just as much as you do. People's desires are complex and contradictory like that." She says, not knowing what else to add. Clyde raises his head. "Your right. I guess there isn't much point in dwelling on it now anyway. I'm already in the thick of it. Thank you, Raleigh." He says, walking past her to The Hopper.

The Empire's Fleet begins to emerge from the gate they opened to the source of it all. This place resembled a wasteland for the most part, but in the middle of it, was a massive white tree that glowed lightly with astral energy. Its branches looked like galaxies. Most likely this was the physical embodiment of the tree and the branches were the worlds everyone inhabited. The ships all leave the branches, landing near the base of the tree that stretched on for miles. 

Countless men and women started to exit the ships, following Their great emperor to the trunk. He was of course joined by The Reaper, and Corvus who had the girl with black hair that resembled Raleigh hooked up to a mobile machine. He was interacting with a machine that seemed to be leading them to the right place. Marcus and his legion walked close behind. Lucius kept glancing at Corvus with a hint of rage, but held it in.

At the base of The Tree, a woman with long green hair was waiting for them, with followers of The Multiversal Church all around her. She appeared to be blind but pointed Right at The Emperor anyway. "This is as far as you go." She says getting ready to fight. The Emperor looks amused, "Oh? The Church is finally taking action too are they? Your apathy has led to your downfall already. I'm surprised any of you remain after my subordinate took your leadership's body for himself. You relied on him too much." He mocks them. The woman looks displeased, knowing that most of what he said is correct. Her anger is mostly directed at The Reaper.