The God of the Multiverse and I (feat. Rick Sanchez)

Challenge #2

I awoke the next morning in my private bedchamber, parched and with a terrible headache. At first I couldn't recall how the night had ended, but then vague images flashed in my mind: Rick being led away to the Detention Hall, flashing me a weary, bemused grin...Rodger telling me he had no message from Clive, who would not be seeing me that night...a look of foreboding from one of the Court attachés and a look of sly amusement from another.

I sat up in bed and picked up my tablet from the nightstand. I started by checking the Court Times and then the other major news outlets. All were reporting the evening's events circumspectly, sticking to what I assumed was the story in the official press release: that false rumors of a kidnapping had created brief chaos in the capital, but all was well. The reports were spun so as to suggest the two of us had not actually been AWOL at all. I also noticed that story was given slightly more weight than the one about Rick passing the first Challenge. No doubt Clive had decided it was best to use the City Emergency as a distraction from that unfortunate news. He was shrewd, that was certain.

The news sources directed at the less intelligent folk in the land, or "rags" as we called them, took a different view of the evening's events. While I was relieved that none of their stories included any of the truth—apparently my bribes and the good will of the co-conspirators had served their purpose—it was unpleasant to read speculations that Rick had tried to abduct me off-world, or even that we had engaged in sex in some secret, sordid boudoir.

Enough of that. I got up, made myself presentable, and sought out Clive. One of his assistants told me he would be occupied all day and had left word to tell me we would have breakfast together the following day while we traveled to the location of the second Challenge. While this news translated clearly to mean My Master-God was furious with me, I didn't mind a bit not having to face him until he'd had a chance to cool off.

I wanted desperately to see Rick. The way our dinner had ended had left me confused. Sometimes the mental picture of it made me feel embarrassed and regretful...other times it made me giddy. Meanwhile, I was also worried that Rick had not returned to a warm reception at Detention. I told myself it would be best to show no interest in him, so as not to encourage any more rumors, but I seemed to have lost my ability to be sensible since Rick Sanchez entered my life. And wasn't I the Mistress-God? Couldn't I do as I pleased at Court?

So I went to Rodger's office to inquire if I might pay the challenger a visit. He blanched at my question and rose from his desk. "My Mistress, I'm afraid that's not possible. My Master-God made it quite clear he should have no visitors today, including you, beg your pardon. In the interests of the integrity of the competition."

"What does that mean?" I asked peevishly. My hangover seemed to me making every annoyance a bit worse.

"He didn't elaborate, but he was quite clear—"

"I should speak with him..."

"My Mistress—I don't advise it. Truly, let him be until tomorrow. I can't stop you, but as a friend, I'm telling you...Clive needs to adjust to this."

I sighed. "I suppose he does. What do you plan to do with him after Rick passes the next Challenge?" I asked.

Rodger kept his face blank. "He won't," he told me quietly.

"Oh, but he will," I said, too put out to hide my smug tone.

Rodger walked up to me and looked down into my face earnestly. "Diana—be careful. Keep in mind who you're dealing with here. Rick Sanchez has murdered countless sentient beings in this and many other dimensions. He's lied, cheated, stolen, turned on his own family..."