Shadow Riders Omniversal Journey

Chapter 69

"We'll be right back after these messages," the screens across the omniverse said.

In the world of X-Men Evolution Cain just leaned into the couch almost as if he was melting into the seat it looked like his eyes had rolled into the back of his head.

"Is he ok?" Jean asked, and Petra, Illyana, and Wanda walked up to the catatonic rider.

"Yes, but I think all of this just threw him into some kind of coma, could have been the second-hand stress he's getting from his counterpart," said Petra.

"It might not be him, but it's still him the only difference is our Cain here and now is significantly younger than the one currently multiverse jumping," said Wanda.

"This is a lot for a young man to take in," said Storm sitting next to Cain and pulling him close.

"Should we do something?" Evan asked though feeling kind of off about how his aunt was holding his friend close.

"Let him reboot," was all Scott said, he was probably coming to terms with himself, Cain and Scott were pretty good friends, at least in this world, they both wanted to see Xavier's dream of coexistence through to the end from the looks of it, Scott was as bad as Magneto used to be in that other world.

In the world of Spider-Man the animated series, Cain was working on his motorcycle, and Petra came down with a bag from some burger place.

"The girls and I went out and picked up some food, you should eat something," said Petra as she set the bag down.

"Working on my bike helps with the stress, especially with, everything that's happening," said Cain.

"Are you ok?" Petra asked as she walked up to him.

"Yeah, it's just, it feels like I feel everything he feels, all the anger, the pain, it feels as if it all is coming right back at me tenfold," said Cain.

"I can't imagine that kind of pain, Cain," said Petra as she bent down wrapping her arms around his shoulder.

"Let me help you carry those burdens," Petra whispered in her crush's ear.

In the world of Earth's mightiest heroes, Cain was sitting on the roof of the Avengers mansion.

"You alright beloved?" Natasha asked sitting down beside him, Cain looked over at his godmother.

"I feel confused about all of this, it's like that first time we fought Kang, I saw a future version of me," Cain said.

"Yes I remember hearing about that, Kang had come to kill Cap, a version of you from an alternate future showed up to stop him," said Natasha.

"Seeing all this, it makes me feel weird, seeing me grown up and fighting even greater monsters and demons, and just calling it another Tuesday, but, being so jaded, so much so I don't even get along with the people I've come to consider my family, is that what I'm destined to become?" Cain asked.

"I don't believe that it's entirely your fault beloved, I think in this case it's just the circumstances for that version of you, from what I've seen so far, I wasn't very present in that world, and from the way we can figure the multiverse to be, we're different across it, some differences are major, some are minor, but if I had to guess, I was more focused on my Super Spy job rather than raising you," said Natasha.

"Likely, this left you alone with Zarathos, and you became Shadow Rider, my guess is, even if you were an Avenger, it didn't help much, from  the way your other self treated Steve, I feel he might have taken on the more parental role you needed in that world," said Natasha.

"Do you ever regret it, taking me in?" asked Cain.

"Never have, never will, you know that beloved," said Natasha as she pulled the young Rider into a hug.

"I was robbed of the chance to have children young, your the one person that made me feel like a mother, something I've always wanted," said Natasha as she hugged her godson close.

Cain sat slumped on the couch, head back, groaning.

"Dude, you okay?" asked Dane.

"He's probably just overwhelmed by how many hotties he's got," said Bobby Drake, smirking.

Cain didn't even look up. "Another word out of you, Drake, and I'll shatter your frozen ass like glass."

Bobby immediately shut up.

"This has nothing to do with that," Cain muttered. "I just feel... tired. Like everything my other self's been through — all the fights, all the pain — it's hitting me too. Like it's being funneled into me."

"Could be a multiversal feedback loop," said Peter.

"A what now?" asked Luke.

Peter sighed. "Basically, Cain's feeling the stress of his other self. His body's syncing up with the older version — all that exhaustion, all that emotional weight — it's bleeding over here."

"Cain's older counterpart is stronger, more experienced," added White Tiger. "Our Cain's still developing. The same pressure that guy can handle would crush this one faster."

"So what you're saying," Luke said, "is our Cain's, like, a single A battery — but he's losing charge like he's a triple A battery?"

Peter blinked. "That... weirdly makes sense."

"In a cosmic-being sort of way," Petra added with a grin.

"Basically," Peter said. "Cain's body can't keep up with the emotional drain. It's burning him out."