Cody Hollywood adventures

Chapter 2: The Flashback and the Base

Chapter 2: The Flashback and the Base

"Alright, alright, I know you're all wondering what led me to that little showdown back in the graveyard," Cody Hollywood says, casually leaning back against an invisible fourth wall. He looks at the reader, adjusting his signature gold tuxedo once more. "It wasn't just about digging up a skeleton, you know. This goes way deeper than that-like multiverse deep."

He pauses, a smirk playing on his lips. "Let me take you back to what happened before all the bone-chucking and NSYNC."

A few weeks earlier, Cody Hollywood had found himself in a situation unlike any other. As usual, his day started with glitz, glamour, and another blockbuster premiere. The red carpet was rolled out, and all eyes were on him-just the way he liked it. But as Cody stood there, soaking in the praise, something strange happened.

One moment, he was basking in the limelight, the next, everything froze. No, seriously-everything. Paparazzi mid-snap, fans mid-cheer. It was as if time itself had decided to take a coffee break.

Cody glanced around, frowning. "Okay...this is new," he muttered, squinting at the frozen scene. He took a step forward, his gold tuxedo catching the last bit of motion before a burst of blue light exploded around him.

And just like that, Cody found himself yanked out of the premiere and into a cold, sterile room filled with the hum of futuristic machines. A group of heavily armed officers stood before him-Time Cops, as he'd come to know them.

"Cody Hollywood," one of them barked, his voice booming through the space. "You've violated the space-time continuum."

Cody blinked, glancing down at his wristwatch. "Pretty sure I was just on time for my premiere, actually. Who are you guys supposed to be, the party police?"

The leader of the group, a hulking figure with silver armor and a badge that read Paradox Enforcer, stepped forward. His face was a mask of stoic authority, his eyes cold as ice. "This isn't a joke, Hollywood. You've broken multiple continuity laws, not just with your own timeline, but with the timeline of Earth Prime itself."

Cody raised an eyebrow. "Earth Prime? What is this, some kind of comic book crossover?"

"No, it's real," Paradox Enforcer growled. "You've been meddling with more than you realize, and we're here to set things right."

With a snap of Paradox Enforcer's fingers, two officers moved in, grabbing Cody by the arms. "Oh, come on," Cody said, rolling his eyes. "Can't a guy get some personal space?"

They ignored him, dragging him through the sleek corridors of their base of operations-a facility that Cody quickly realized was floating in some weird pocket of space-time. The walls shimmered with flickering timelines, streams of moments from countless alternate realities, all converging in this one place.

Eventually, they hauled him into a large circular room. At its center was a massive holographic map, showing the different dimensions branching out from Earth Prime. Cody squinted at the display, not really impressed. He had seen bigger holograms at award shows.

Paradox Enforcer stepped forward, standing next to the hologram. "This is the center of the multiverse, the anchor that holds everything together. And it all ties back to one individual."

Cody leaned in, pretending to be interested, though his mind was racing with escape plans. "Let me guess. The anchor is someone super important, right?"

Paradox Enforcer's eyes narrowed. "Yes. And that someone is Jack 'Blackthorn' Connolly."

Cody froze for the first time, his trademark grin faltering just slightly. "Jack? Wait, my Jack? The vampire outlaw?"

The Time Cops nodded solemnly. Paradox Enforcer tapped a few buttons, and the holographic image shifted to show the diamond-covered skeleton of Jack Connolly in his grave. "He's more than just an outlaw, Hollywood. He's the lynchpin. If Jack's remains are disturbed, it could unravel all of Earth Prime. Without him, the timeline collapses."

Cody blinked, processing the information. "Wait, so you're telling me that my buddy Jack, who used to rob banks and drink blood like it was whiskey, is the guy holding all of reality together?"

"Precisely," Paradox Enforcer replied coldly. "And you were moments away from disrupting that balance."

Cody leaned back, crossing his arms. "Huh. That's wild."

The Time Cops stood there, expecting Cody to be in awe of the magnitude of their revelation. Instead, Cody's grin returned, wider and cockier than ever.

"You guys really don't get it, do you?" Cody said, chuckling. "You think I'm just gonna sit here and let you boss me around because Jack's a multiverse anchor or whatever? You clearly don't know who you're dealing with."

Before the officers could react, Cody lunged at Paradox Enforcer. With one swift motion, he grabbed the man by the collar and drove his fist straight into his face, the satisfying crunch of a broken nose echoing through the sterile room. Paradox Enforcer staggered back, blood dripping down his chin.

"That's for kidnapping me during my big premiere," Cody quipped, wiping his knuckles on his jacket.

Chaos erupted as the Time Cops scrambled to subdue him, but Cody was already in motion. He vaulted over the nearest officer, snagging a glowing device from a nearby console. With a glance at the controls, he realized it was a portal generator.

"Let's see where this baby takes me," Cody muttered as he punched in a set of coordinates.

The Time Cops lunged at him, but Cody was too fast. He dove headfirst into the glowing portal, flipping them a mock salute as he disappeared into the vortex. The last thing he heard was Paradox Enforcer's furious shout.

The portal spat Cody out with a flash of light, dumping him unceremoniously onto the familiar ground of the graveyard. He landed with a thud, groaning as he picked himself up. His gold tuxedo was rumpled, but that was the least of his concerns.

Cody stood and dusted himself off, looking around. He had arrived right where he wanted to be-back at Jack "Blackthorn" Connolly's grave.

"Home sweet home," Cody muttered, staring at the diamond-covered skeleton lying peacefully in its coffin. "Okay, Jack. Time for round two."

He cracked his neck, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see the faint shimmer of another portal opening. The Time Cops would be back any minute, but this time, Cody was ready.

"You're the key to all this, huh?" Cody said, crouching next to Jack's remains. He grinned, shaking his head. "Leave it to you to go from outlaw to timeline savior. Some things never change."

As the faint hum of the Time Cops' approach echoed through the night, Cody looked down at his old friend's skeleton, his fingers brushing the diamond-encrusted skull. He could feel the weight of the moment, the multiverse teetering on the edge of collapse.

But Cody Hollywood wasn't one to follow the rules. Not when he had a plan of his own.

"Alright, Jack," he whispered, his grin returning. "Let's rewrite this story. Our way."

The night air crackled with energy as Cody prepared to face whatever came next. Because if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that no one-not the Time Cops, and certainly not the Continuity Police-could stop Cody Hollywood from making the world his stage.