"Guys. Pack your shit," said Anna. "Prometheus sent a message telling us to meet him in Nueva Yorca."

"Where is that?" asked Chris.

"Down south," said Gerard. "It's best if we have a vehicle."

"Can't you run there in like... seconds...?" asked Jedan.

"I can only carry most of you... And since Athena is a literal legion of herself and Haps is a giant robot, I don't think I can carry you dudes to my kingdom so easily."

"It's okay. You could only take one of me. The other me's could be their own colony in this world!" smiled an Athena clone.

"How... do your powers work?" asked Miguel, who is now awake and cleaning himself up.

"Oh," said Athena. "I am everywhere!"

"Uh... huh... Right... Anyway. Vehicle," said Miguel. He closes his eyes and forms his wings, ticking them. "I think there's a city nearby down south."

"Then let's go there," said Gerard.

Later, the entire group reaches a strange forest with giant rectangular forested pillars around.

"What the Hell is this place?" asked Anna.

"I dunno!" smiled Miguel. "But I see a functional bus over there!"

"A bus?"

"Yeah! And it looks like it's a designed for inter-state travel!" smiled Miguel.

The group run to the bus, seeing that it's mossy all over with roots and vines all over it.

"Fred?" asked Gerard.

"Yeah?" asked Fred.

"Do your thing."

"A'ight," said Fred, walking toward the bus and beginning to clean it. "How 'bout a helpin' hand over here?"

They all work on cleaning the bus.

Later...

Fred finishes placing some strange gadgets into the bus's exterior, proceeding to fix it up from inside.

Gerard finishes decapitating a wolf with two heads with his katana. He sighs and cleans his katana before placing it back in his sheath. "Is Fred done, yet?"

"Done..." Fred walks out of the bus. "I think it's ready..."

The group walks inside and are at awe with the place. It's practically an RV inside complete with ten beds at the back. At the center, there is a kitchen with a bathroom. At the front is the driver's cabin and seats for everyone to fill at least 15 people.

"Big place," said Miguel.

"Complete with heaters and air-conditioning. Electric stove for food and with the Splooge for renewable energy."

"Splooge is renewable?" asked Anna.

"Whenever it runs out it begins multiplyin' again. It's some sorta bio-weapon made in some random world that nearly every universe in Maharlica-152 has some variation of the drug."

"What is the Splooge?"

"It's this weird mushroom stuff that keeps on reproducing when in hot places. They're the stuff that Prometheus splattered on all-a youse."

"We have Mushrooms in our bodies?"

"Yep. Don't work on Aswangs, though."

"Lord. What's your ability?" asked Jedan.

"Usog!" smiled Lord.

"No... Dude... You were shot with Splooge. Splooge and Usog are two very different things," said Miguel.

"Oh... I dunno, yet!" smiled Lord.

Later... the group silently fell asleep as Fred just drives toward the south...

Miguel wakes up to some sort of noise. He turns to see 12 Athena clones sleeping next to him. "Wow.... For an ant, she's actually pretty cute..."

Athena flips herself over.

Miguel turns red and looks away. "That's rude... Sorry, Athena..."

Miguel stretches, standing up and yawning. He walks around the bus to see that the bus is still moving in the forest.

Miguel sniffs the air and spreads his wings, proceeding to tick them sounding somewhat like a rattlesnake.

He closes his eyes and silently stares at the beauty of the landscape. In this state, he can see everything: The rectangular pillars scraping the sky above, the organisms that grow from each area in the massive forest, the fish that is looking for its family, the squirrel looking for its new home, the strange primitive savages enjoying a nice family meal, the wolves grooming their cubs, the strange ape men taking the bugs off the backs of their brethren, the bear that slumbers in the night, and the whistle of the strange blue mutants. He saw everything through his echolocation. Suddenly, intrusive thoughts begin to occur in his head...

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He sees his friends burning alive...

He sees himself feasting on the flesh of Anna and Jedan.

He sees himself slaughtering Lord's guts.

Miguel gasps, opening his eyes and turning to them, his friends.

"You have those thoughts, too, huh?" asked Fred.

Miguel turns to Fred. "What...? What thoughts? What do you mean?"

"Those animalistic thoughts of yours... That primitive instinct..."

"Yeah... What's it to you?"

The old dog sighs. "Do you know why we signed up for this?"

"You signed up for this?" asked Miguel.

"Yep... Seems the space wizard didn't tell you. Gerard and I came from this world. We were chosen to become your knight because of our good deeds here in this world. Gerard and I were destined to save the world from this evil god-like demon known as Doomer. Least according to Prometheus."

"And... you didn't?"

"Oh, we did. We killed Doomer. Problem was that I never heard of any prophecy. I only ever heard it from Prometheus. Who knows? You might not even be what he says you are."

"Why are you... planting seeds of... doubt in me...?" asked Miguel.

"Weird way to phrase it... Just sayin'... But I just wanna say that I don't trust that wizard nor do I trust that vigilante sidekick of his. The wizard you has some issues, alright. He sure is suspicious... But my nose tells me that somethin's up... And the nose is never wrong, kid..."

Miguel senses... heat.

But not like the usual body heat of a regular person.

This heat is much, much higher than anyone else's.

"Uh..." said Miguel.

"What's wrong...?" Fred senses that he's afraid.

"Something's wrong..." said Miguel. "Stop the bus."

Fred sighs. He checks the radar. His eyes widen. "That... doesn't look like any creature from our world... It's small... But the energy levels is astounding. Miguel! Don't-!"

Miguel teleports outside.

Miguel looks around. He closes his eyes and visualizes the place. He prepares flames in his hands.

He sniffs the air and ticks his wings.

"Hybrid..." said a man wearing a strange armor.

" said a man wearing a strange armor [https://img.wattpad.com/dd921bf0f6fc4e71f950e7999c3511b8f260c1f9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f75674a6e6166504333562d5a37673d3d2d313430383439313632352e313761343635656436303336346535363331373733343335313939382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"Come, Hybrid," said the man.

"What?" asked Miguel.

"You cannot trust the Wizard. Come to me..."

Miguel transforms into an Aswang and screeches at him. "Back away!"

"Why? You can trust... me... Come, Miguel Azral... Or shall I say... Miguel Ibarra?"

Miguel begins to feel at ease with this being. "Are... you... My Fatha???"

"Yes, child..."

"Wooooaaa..." smiled Miguel.

Fred tries to grab a shotgun but suddenly falls to the ground, falling asleep.

"Child. Come. I shall give you everything you ever wanted..."

Miguel's eyes quiver.

The man's eyes widen.

"MIGUEL!!! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!!" roared the Reaper, who flies toward the pair with flames beneath his feet and fists.

The man turns around and tosses a massive red bubble at the Reaper that explodes and throws him into several trees that snap into pieces.

"MR. REAPER!!!" yelled Miguel. Miguel transforms and tries biting the man's throat only for Miguel to feel great pressure beginning to pin him down to the ground.

Miguel falls to his knees, feeling great pain.

This seems to be the man's doing.

The man just stares at Miguel, coldly.

"Get down for now... These fools do not know the importance you have to me... to the Multiverse... Please... stay put for now..."

The Reaper blasts a Hell Fire blast at him. "FAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The Reaper teleports before them and blasts several punches at the man. "HELL RUSH!!!" The Reaper blasts thousands of punches toward the man with flaming fists.

The man blocks all of them with hundreds of red bubbles that explode at the Reaper.

The Reaper tanks this attack and growls.

The Reaper activates a vambrace blade from his arm and tries decapitating the man. The man uses another red bubble to lock his fist in time, proceeding to kick the Reaper away.

"You're very strong... Powerful, even... But you're powerless against my Eyes of Truth."

He warps out a red bubble than blasts it toward the Reaper.

The Reaper cuts it in half with his other arm's flame vambrace.

The man sighs. "Your Usog is quite powerful... How could you trick this poor child into following your every command?"

"The only trickster here is you, MABUS. Stay put, Miguel."

The Reaper points his finger at MABUS. He closes his eyes. "HELL DRILL!!" A deadly twister of flames with a needle-like end charges toward MABUS. MABUS tries blasting it away only for his helmet to fall off of his head.

MABUS turns to Miguel...

...revealing that he is also Miguel...

Miguel's eyes contract. "Mr. Reaper... WHAT THE FUUUUCK IS GOIN' OOOOON!!?!?"

"Multiverse shit!" yelled the Reaper. Suddenly, the Reaper is trapped in a bubble, frozen in time.

MABUS sneers.

He picks up his helmet and warps it away.

Miguel backs away. "Yeah. Now, I KNOW you're evil."

"Yes... Well... It was worth a shot..."

"What? Are you some kind of Aswang, too?"

"MABUS. Dark Lord of the Multiverse."

"Not really helping your case here with the word, 'Dark Lord' as an honorary title."

"Child. Come. I can show you boundless opportunities and worlds you could possibly imagine. A world where everyone is your friend..."

"I already have friends!"

"Then how about one where you belong? A world where your parents are alive, perhaps?"

"You're lying."

"Child. I am powerful enough to create worlds beyond what you are able to comprehend. There are endless copies of you out there."

Upon hearing that, a crushing feeling entered Miguel's chest. He teared up.

"Wrong..." Prometheus floats down behind MABUS. "There's only one of that child."

"Mr. Prometheus?" asked Miguel.

"Leave him alone, MABUS..." said Prometheus.

"How much more will you lie to the boy...?" asked MABUS.

"How much more will YOOOOOU lie to the boy, BUCKAROO!!!" yelled Prometheus, landing before him.

MABUS snickers and begins chuckling. He paces around Prometheus. "Look at what you've become. A king of rodents swarming his army on territories that isn't theirs masking it as heroism... or guidance... or protection!" He spits on the ground. "You make me sick..."

"Well, MABUS. Just saying... What I'm doing? It is heroism! Because it's to protect people from the likes of you! You chose to be evil. You chose to be the fuckin' bad guy. Look at you... Killin' people... Doing... Evil stuff with your... evil... evilness... Shit... You chose the Great Evil! I'm no betting man, because there's no need to bet about this boy's future. The boy's destiny is to kill you and your master. And that is final."

MABUS smiles. "Riiight... That IS his destiny..." MABUS laughs hysterically. "So, that's how you're playing... Sure. Fine. That's his destiny indeed. I'll play with this little... game of yours... Be sure to fatten the calf up for master... He's damned hungry..."

MABUS opens a portal behind him and walks into it. "See you later, Aswang... But do realize this... That whether or not he wins... He's still gonna die..."

The portal closes.

"Heh! Was expecting to see y'all in Nueva Yorca. Met you all halfway instead!" smiled Prometheus.

"What does he mean that I'll die whether or not I win!?"

"Bah! Don't worry about that!" smiled Prometheus. He opens a portal. "Let's get into good ol' Nueva Yorca!"

Prometheus walks into the portal as the bus follows after, pushed by magical bubbles.

The Reaper, grabbing his arm, walks into the portal. "You comin'?"

Miguel sighs. "What does he mean by that?"

The Reaper just stares at Miguel. He turns around and walks away.

"Mr. Reaper!"

The Reaper stops and sighs. He thinks for a bit. He speaks. "Don't listen to MABUS. I'm not gonna let him or anyone like him hurt you. Got that, kid? Excuse you with 'Father of the Year?' Fuck off, Book."

"Mr. Reaper?"

The Reaper sighs. "Look. Every step is always gonna be a leap of faith. There's no such thing as fate. There is only the smoke and the wind. That's why real life is dangerous. You could never know what happens next."

Miguel's eyes quiver. He closes his eyes and steps inside the portal, which then closes.