Iker manifested in an endless grid.

I must have died. Hah! All religions were full of shit. There was no fucking afterlife, Iker thought. Wait, how am I still thinking?

When he heard an angry suckle, Iker glanced up to find a hood AF baby in a sky blue onesie, a black fitted hat, and a pink pacifier.

CAPTCHA ME! CAPTCHA ME!

"Awwwww!" Iker gushed as he threw his hands up in the air.

A LITTLE TO THE LEFT CHOLO.

After he waddled a teenie weenie bit to the left, Iker caught the OPAF baby.

Cheers autoplayed.

NICE CATCH! Spiderland complimented in an Engrish accent.

That's racist.

MY BAD. OH, IKER BOY, YOU ALREADY FUCKED UP.

"What did I do? I just got here!" Iker cried.

As the cosmic baby Spiderland fragmented into quarks and tesseracts in Iker's metal, bark, and flesh arms, he found himself in the company of Uzi and Monica. When Iker met gazes with Uzi's, even though he could not recollect the memories with ver that were probably modified for the information war... Iker realized how much he missed Uzi.

How much he put Bastian through. He even kept Iker in his thoughts while he was spending time with Fatima.

How much he just went through with Camilo. It was nowhere close to what Camilo experienced, but what happened on the playground... it was going to sit with Iker for the rest of his life too wasn't it?

After a sniffle and two good rubs into his eyeballs, Iker raised his gaze again to meet Uzi's bubble wrap eyes across the grungy maze that was manifesting.

"Bring it in kid," Uzi said while waving a needle arm towards verself.

Iker vaulted over a dark pit into the eight embracing arms of the arak. He hugged ver back.

"Aww," Monica mumbled, leaning on a dingy wall far away from them.

"You did fuck up tho," Uzi whispered.

"What the fuck did I do?" Iker yelled. He hopped out of Uzi's vicinity.

Uzi rubbed vis ear holes by the side of vis fan-shaped torso. "I was right beside you human."

"My bad," Iker mumbled.

"Well, we are keeping him in the dark," Monica said. "He would not know–"

"Oh chucks. We wasted time being sentimental," Uzi fussed, then turned in midair to finish vis thought with Monica. "I had to comfort the kid though."

"Wasted time with wh–"

"You were actually supposed to get stuck here with Bastian and Fatima," Uzi explained. "I got control of Pager's carbon body at the last second. Sorry, I know there's no way you would have known."

Iker was supposed to let Bastian and Fatima also get trapped here? Why were the two teenagers so scared of this scruffy ass maze?

"It means events will be very different this time," Monica said.

"Words I would be happy never hearing again," Uzi moaned.

Iker sighed, but gave the arak a glimmer of a grin. "As Bastian likes to say, let's focus. What do I need to do before Bastian and Fatima bring me back?"

"It's something you used to say Iker over several timelines," Monica said. "Bastian picked it up from you."

The trio stayed quiet for a moment.

"This is not what focus looks like or sounds like," Uzi reminded the two humans.

"Iker, I need you to not ask questions. Not because they are not important, but because we can't risk meandering," Monica said. "In your first life, you were researching with 2 platoon how Ameen was able to have hundreds of instances of himself while also having similar powers resembling a Felix's. You ended up discovering true cloning."

"True cloning?" Iker asked.

A weak light on the maze's maniacal roof flickered off, startling Uzi to the point of making his bubble wrap eyes wriggle.

"Jesus Christ!" Uzi yelled. "I just learned that human slang term by the way."

"That's actually a prophet's name," Monica said.

"Really?" Uzi asked.

"Focus," Iker said.

"There's adult Iker," Monica said while motioning towards him with an open palm.

"What?" Iker asked.

"Nothing," Uzi said.

The vibe was so natural even though Iker barely remembered bantering with them before.

"When you actually clone yourself perfectly... your consciousness gets divided," Monica said. "It's not just getting an extra limb. You get an extra brain, an extra two arms and legs. The new body you create does age a lot faster though."

Iker got the chills and a racy heart.

"I don't have any time left to freak out about how scary that fucking sounds do I?" Iker asked.

Like old friends would, Uzi and Monica shook their heads in sync together. Well, Uzi shook vis entire body.

"Quickly, we need a fetus at least," Monica instructed as she walked closer to Iker across the maze floor. "Scream. Push."

"What in the Octavia Butler?" Iker asked. "Am I giving birth or something?"

"Quickly, we don't have time," Uzi said.

"Are you mocking me?" Monica asked the arak.

Iker understood he would know the technique subconsciously. Through the universal mind.

Before the trio that loved to meander could do it again, Iker screamed like a child with a monkey tail. He pusheth. It seemed Uzi had vis own technique to help some carbon from Iker's physical body arrive in the simulation they were in, and most of the fetus formed.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Good enough," Uzi said. Monica nodded, and they motioned their hands together as if using an entirely different magic system to fucking steal the fetus. They kept their hands in the air, turned their backs with a hip sway, and double-timed off into oblivion with the flying fetus.

How dare they?

"NO! BUT I MADE UP MY MIND! I'M KEEPING MY BABY!" Iker cried as the simulation came to an end.

"NO! BUT I MADE UP MY MIND! I'M KEEPING MY BABY!" Iker cried as the simulation came to an end [https://img.wattpad.com/0ce37bcb29593a4266cea034d89ce16965517cf7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f557245346f6f6f4b4f39335170413d3d2d313339313734313337392e313739303539333363616662396637353832393134373837323331332e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

As Iker danced through many simulations, he suddenly felt he had extra eyes. He could see above Monica and Uzi.

We got it from here, a voice said. This only works if you let go too.

k i leggo

Iker let go.

Iker let go [https://img.wattpad.com/ee2f167702188cd427549e6b361df9d0b0a77d62/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f2d364d635376317a426e76674c773d3d2d313339313734313337392e313739303539353239343162376233353137383035363233313238362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Indeed, Fatima and Bastian did bring Iker back to reality, but his two friends had already been defeated by Pager.

They lied unconscious at Iker's feet.

Uzi must have had only a second or two to control that subhuman piece of shit.

The blood dripping from Bastian's dark blonde hair indicated that Pager decided on just using brute telepathic force. His telepathy was his second strongest ability after his ability to send and receive messages from a couple of planets away.

Iker lightly punched away the boulder Pager almost dropped on him from the sky. From the few times he paid attention in science class, he somehow remembered that a lighter punch would keep the boulder intact while redirecting it, thus keeping Bastian and Fatima safe.

With fury and a grit to the teeth, Iker willed Hughmungus to ambush Pager that was laughing in the sky. However, with a psychic spin and telepathic shred from the bark soft-fall on the playground, Pager stabbed Hughmungus's powerful propeller with the flying orange seesaw, and sent it freefalling into the condo nearby.

An infernal blast echoed through all of Fornia. Iker dug in his soles as the platform shook, and he crouched briefly just if in case he had to hold Bastian and Fatima in place. However, the platform was stable.

Numerous of the condominium's floors were set aflame as residents screamed, flames and explosions continuing to rise all the way to the top floor. The ominous booms must have been audible even from the fourth Fornian residential platform that was the furthest away. The recording spectators finally began running, some even smiling knowing they had a viral clip in their hands.

Pager did not stop flinging a variety of projectiles towards Iker. He clearly hated Fornia as much as he hated Iker as he left the city platform looking like it was made of flame instead of concrete and cruise ship parts. Even though Iker was not as experienced as Bastian in Kaya form, he had no choice but to pretend that he was as his two friends needed him.

1 platoon is going to blame me for everything in the media wars aren't they? Iker said to himself as a drop of his own blood left a maroon streak over his left eye. Pager telepathically threw something from behind him, but Iker was busy ignoring the pain.

With a spin meant to scan the area, Iker kept punching incoming projectiles in Kaya form to protect Fatima and Bastian, ignoring how his arms felt as best as he could.

Iker still had Que Va and RNGesus...

I can still try splatting him if I get some of Pager's blood.

No he could not. Pager already destroyed all his drones... only Que Va pinged back and it autopiloted to the other end of the entertainment platform. Iker squinted to find even all the 420 and 430 drones smoking and pummeled on the playground. At least the shipment was in Fatima's hotel room.

Shit, where are the branches I was using? Iker thought as he punched away a thrown magnetic car. He used his right arm as his prosthetic arm's joint was losing tightness, however he caught a glimpse of bone white knuckles as he punched it. It took a moment to register, but it was actual bone. His right arm was drenched in blood.

Iker needed to think ahead while still keeping Bastian and Fatima safe.

Could Iker bide it out, or does he need to figure out Pager's telepathy conditions? He did float still when he flung heavier objects.

However, with a wave of fireflies creating a forcefield, Iker glanced behind him to find Monica, Uzi, and someone he did not recognize. He was also holding all his branches.

"Hey, give those back," Iker cried.

"Oh my God, he is so fucking adorable at fourteen," the firefly user gushed.

"He was more adorable before he saw more of the ugliness of the world on this night," Uzi said.

"Sorry about leaving you here alone," Monica said while bringing Fatima and Bastian closer to her. "Uhm... good luck, and don't fuck it up?"

Iker and the stranger locked eyes for a moment.

"Stay strong," he said.

All five of them vanished, leaving Iker alone on the infernal playground.

It felt as if his lungs vanished with them, as Iker could not breathe. His anxiety kicked him in the gut and the smoke that was replacing the man-made air was not providing any relief.

"Mom... dad... somebody help me," Iker whispered to himself. Tears welled in his eyes.

Years ago... Mami and Papá were standing... with women and children in the attic?

Or was it esper shenanigans?

The pain from his bloody fist and a prosthetic arm that no longer listened to him made Iker lose all of his composure in an instant. He dropped to his knees and wailed in despair as flames kept rising higher.

Iker for a moment thought about Bastian. A memory of him carrying Camilo and Maverick even though his own hand was injured.

Iker gritted his teeth and forced himself back up on his two feet. Even Uzi watched out for him; Iker did not even notice that walls of terrain ve summoned in front of him that was already slowing down Pager. It seemed the stranger's fiery forcefield was still going to hold up for a few more seconds, even though the fireflies were no longer there.

Iker was not going to let their efforts go in vain.

There was a James Baldwin statue in the Beale plaza in the middle of the entertainment platform. Knowing Pager would not resist desecrating it, Iker came up with a plan.

I am really sorry James Baldwin.

Iker never would have thought he would use something he learned from trolling campaigns in real life as he parkoured across nightclub rooftops, but he was now leaping as far as he could towards the middle of the platform as he prompted Que Va in his head. He kept forcing the prompts while stimulating his nervous system attached to his loose prosthetic arm. He could not afford to watch how many terminals would fail to open or send the prompt. He pictured the exact angle he needed.

Iker was only going to have enough influx for one more more punch by the time he reaches the core – that was for certain. However, he never relied on just one magic system.

When he made it to the side of the condo, Iker glimpsed behind to see that Pager spotted him and was flying towards him in a superman pose instead of flinging cars at Uzi's improvised terrain.

Iker, having learned from his mistake during the spaceship crash, leaped across the restaurant plaza effortlessly. He was going to make it to the core quickly.

Yo shut the fuck up and mind your business, Camilo yelled in Iker's head.

A sneaky ass tear manifested at the bottom of Iker's left eye.

Pager's bloodlust was apparently at its maximum, as he telepathically lifted a water tower in-between Iker and the tall James Baldwin statue poking his head above the horizon of buildings.

Police drone propellers hums were audible.

"SHINÉ!" Pager tried to yell in Japanese. Yes children, it was quite insipid and cringy.

Iker simply stopped jumping to dodge Pager's attack, and was now jogging on the ground.

"Keep running faggot!"

"Are my cakes turning you on?" Iker yelled back, making it to the plaza's opening.

Iker could imagine Pager crossing his eyes in rage at the implication that he was gay and chuckled at the thought.

In what seemed to be desperation on Pager's part, every single magnetic car that was parked around the plaza that had the James Baldwin statue was lifted by Pager. They slammed into each other towards Iker's location, but Iker jumped above them to dodge.

Another infernal explosion was audible behind Iker as he stood on a building. He was surrounded by police drones as the Fornian city platform was in hellish flames.

Pager took the bait; the James Baldwin statue was wobbling. However, Iker was not going to let him disrespect him as he pulled out Bastian's revolver. He took off the safety and began emptying the barrel.

"Sorry, I've been a supersoldier for a long time," Pager bragged, floating above the plaza while bullets bounced off him. "I can maintain my Kaya form while using my Anagami form for esper shenanigans."

A silver flash appeared above Pager as he floated still trying to pick up James Baldwin, but he lifted a hand to slow Que Va down telepathically and he dodged to the right.

"I already saw you do that earlier you one trick spic!" Pager yelled.

Those were all feints.

Iker, with a magic fist, was in midair channeling all the influx he had left into one punch.

With Iker's own bony knuckles, he made Pager's skull shatter in the skin bag around it, and more of his bones broke when he hit the pavement below.

Pager's bloodshot eyeballs shifted to meet Iker's falling gaze as he said his last word.

"... T-trickster."