the stars, like dust

[Case in point, he entered the room with Jones' tank to find Evie sitting and watching, her eyes and posture screaming exhaustion. Perhaps, this was his opportunity...]

[He walked beside her, and leaned his back against the wall.]

Evie, it has been some time since you last slept... please, allow me to take a shift. If only to make up for the fact that I was supposed to watch him the last time...

*Evie cast an exhausted glare sideways at the Visitor.*

That is exactly why I haven't put you on the rotation.

*She sighed, staring back up at Jones. He'd been improving more lately. The pixelated bleeding had stopped, and his vitals were steadier. And yet still his eyes wouldn't open.

A wave of dizziness washed through her, settling as nausea in her stomach, and Evie leaned back with a groan.*

Ugh... You're right that I haven't really slept well, though... I'm exhausted, but I just can't seem to get to sleep. If I can't sleep, though, I might as well be useful.

I understand. Believe it or not, but I do feel as though his current condition is my fault... I simply wish there was more that I could do.

[He was fuming, but thankfully, his mask hid his face, and his thoughts were shielded from telepathy by the Seven's armor. Something he had only grown more thankful for after learning that Evie was in fact a force sensitive...]

[Walking up to the tank, he stared into Jones' face and laid a hand on the glass. The man's eyes were shut, and his breathing shallow, but even.]

[Just a bit more pressure on the glass... The tank would shatter, and the enduing physical trauma would render Jones permenantly catatonic, if not dead.]

[Alas, it would also reveal him as a traitor, and he would not jeapordize his plans further if he could help it.]

Evie wanted to snipe back at him, but didn't. If he wasn't the one who shot Jones, then he really was likely dealing with a lot of guilt.

For the first time since these powers emerged, she actually wished she could read him. That armor repelled her attempts, and the Force skated over him like oil on glass.

Right now, though, she watched the Visitor as he laid a hand on the tank, and a hot blade of territorial jealousy cut through her heart. Stars, guilty or not, this man was ANNOYING. Evie despised him. All the visits, the watching. Even now he was trying to convince her to leave her husband alone with him. Who did he think he was?!

Evie took a breath, closing her eyes just for a moment. The Dark was pulling at her mind again. This wasn't a healthy train of thought--

-- A turn of phrase derailed her thoughts.

"...The Zero Point... the days have grown dark indeed..."

Ow. A pinging migraine broke through the dizziness, causing Evie to flinch. Something wasn't right...

She needed him to keep talking.*

After everything I'd heard about her, I admit I'm a little surprised that... the Innovation was inducted. Not like I have a say; it just seemed abnormal, I guess.

*Evie rubbed her eyes, suppressing the urge to yawn. Might as well play up the tiredness, not like it wouldn't be believable.*

[Ah! Something interesting and not inane to talk about! He spun around, casually.]

Ah, now that is an interesting story, though how it occurred here may be... different than how it occured within my own reality.

[He pulled out a chair and sat down. This was always a fun story to tell.]

The Foundation was the first, you see. He had discovered Reality Zero, along with a close ally of his. Safeguarding this place was always his goal, though I suppose it went hand in hand with testing his strength against the might of those who came for it.

What he did not anticipate, however, was that his first challenger would be the very ally he discovered it with. Betrayed, defeated, and cast out, he determined to stop that man, and the goals of his new Order.

Thus, around him gathered the Seven, a group dedicated to retaking the Zero Point, and freeing it from the Imagined Order's grasp. Scientists, explorers, adventurers, it did not matter. They swore an oath to protect the Zero Point, and keep reality safe. But they all had their reasons.

[He saw the question in Evie's eyes, and anticipated it. It always helped to add this part, anyways.]

... For my own reason, I am, by all accounts, a refugee from my reality. It was destroyed, down to the man, by a madman of unfathomable power. A beautiful monster, some called him. He wished me dead, and for that, he wiped out the entirety of my home. I only survive due to the actions of the Seven, and I have fought beside them for that end.

[He shook his head.]

Ironic.

Most of the story aligned with what Jones had told her about the Foundation. Evie let her eyes wander as he spoke, looking over the gifts left for Jones, watching the bubbles in the tank.

It was all pretty standard to what she'd heard of them, until it started to get sad. Evie almost started to feel bad for him...

-- "A beautiful monster..."

It took all of Evie's training to keep her expression from betraying the sudden icy grip that plunged her heart through the floor.

She knew that phrase. No odd brain fog could erase that from her mind, or its significance. The crazed Riftwarden and confrontation with the Ageless had carved it into her memory. There was only one reason the Visitor would be aware of that specific phrase.

He was Geno.

Everything fell into place. They had been betrayed and undermined from the start. She had handed her husband over to a perfect trap disguised in armor he trusted.

Swallowing a new wave of nausea, Evie looked up at Jones' closed eyes and prayed he could forgive her for having such a casual conversation with the man who had shot him... and for taking so long to figure it out.

To the man sitting across from her, though, she called upon her own escape from Asteria to conjure a sympathetic grief, and that was all that showed in her eyes.*

I'm sorry I stepped on such a rough memory. Losing everything like that to a mad monster... believe it or not, I know how it feels to be the lone survivor.

*A forced smile, though it didn't really matter that it was obviously forced. It just looked like smiling through the pain.*

[Visitor had lived for a long, long, long time. And he had worked with people for that entire time. Evie was a master spy, but even she had tells, just like any other person.]

It is... isolating, isn't it. Knowing you are the last of a family is one thing, but the last of a culture? A people? An entire universe? Seeing those "what ifs" play out over and over, wondering if there is a version of your friends, your family, somewhere out there living happily...

[Something he had said had triggered some sort of recognition in her. Whether she knew, or she knew, she was now far more dangerous to his plans.]

[Oh well. This particular mask was soon to slip anyways. It would hold out for the time he needed. Though he needed to think of what caused her to suddenly figure something out...]

As for the Zero Point? Well, obviously we will need to fight Dark Voyager and whoever is pulling his strings, to keep them off of it. Then, we simply continue the mission. Protection, defense. It is clear we will have our hands full with that alone...

[He looked back at Jones.]

*Evie pinched the bridge of her nose. That old familiar rush of guilt needed a bit more effort to wash back off and into the Force.*

It is isolating. And you have the worse end of it. At least I managed to see an old friend living their best life... though they had never met me. I'm sorry you don't even get to have that.

*The persona of the Secret Weapon of the Peace Syndicate was settling back in place. She'd done this hundreds of times. She could do it again.

And now he was trying to feel her and the Reality Warriors out, trying to see if they would be a thorn in his side going forward. Evie allowed an expression of tired worry to overtake her features as she joined him in looking up at Jones.*

I'm glad to hear that our intentions are the same, at least. Protecting this place is all John ever wanted, and protecting the peace is my ultimate goal. For both of us, defending the Zero Point is the perfect solution, so we've done all we could together. It's great to finally have more allies with the same goal.

*A small smile, a signal of at least lessened hostility towards the Visitor, flickered over her face as Evie turned back to him.*

The Reality Warriors will stand with the Seven, as long as the Seven don't mind our ranks. I know Foundation didn't like most of us, but I'm glad he didn't stop us from helping. There's too many threats out there to let our pasts split us up.

*Her gaze drifted away again, eyes clouding in concern.*

[He lowered his head. After a moment, he looked back up again.]

As for who controls the Dark Voyager... I would imagine that it has something to do with the Last Reality. They are the only ones known to work with Cubes in a manner such as this.

*A rueful smile flickered across Evie's lips, but her expression sobered quickly. Her eyes, unfocused but piercing, darted between the Visitor and a random spot on the wall behind the tank. Hesitant, as though she wasn't sure about saying something or not.

Finally, Evie let the mask down, her features now betraying anger and unsettled concern, her mind clearly made up. Leaning towards the Visitor in her seat, she lowered her voice a notch so only he would hear.*

Normally I wouldn't do this, but you and I have one thing in common, and that's what we've lost. I'd never forgive anyone, not even a close friend, if they held back a possible lead on that freak of nature, Kado, who killed everyone I loved. So I'm not going to do that to you, even if it turns out to be nothing. You can figure that part out yourself.

*She glanced up at Jones, then away, clearing a flash of guilt from her eyes.*

He wouldn't approve of personal revenge, especially after the Foundation, but...

... Your "beautiful monster". I know that phrase. We've had a lot of bad guys around this place, and I've read the files on the ones that came before my arrival. The Cube Queen. Geno. Doctor Doom. Heck, Slone counts. But on Asteria I heard of a different one mentioned with that exact phrasing, the "beautiful monster", and that one was called the Shapeless Man by the crazy Riftwarden.

*She leaned back a little bit, checking the door to be sure nobody was approaching.*

I know you said someone else defeated him, but if that's the same bad guy, and he was trying to get to the fourth Island, then he's probably not dead yet. Contact with anyone from that period is difficult at best as most just vanished after the Gate collapsed, but the twin Prince and Princess recently showed up with the Elites.

*Evie took a deep breath, leaning back fully with a somber expression and tapping a nail on the armrest of her chair. After a moment she settled, her voice darkening slightly.*

[But wait... something Evie had said. She had mentioned his name in the list of previous adversaries... but seperate from "The Shapeless Man". Did she not know they were one and the same?]

... If the one known as the Shapeless Man yet lives, I fear a threat from my timeline has made the journey to yours, just as I did.

No wonder he would be referred to by such a name, his method of destruction was singularly extreme... though apparently temporary.

[He began to pace, thinking of what he now knew. When he hid among the loopers, to learn what had happened in the years since his dissolution, he had heard no one speak of Geno, or the Shapeless Man, or any such. Even the Oathbound remnants only spoke of the Ageless, and that was all old information. How many truly remembered Geno? How many suspected that he even could return?]

[His plan could be more untenable than he had hoped. A shame. He did so hate to get his hands dirty unnecessarily.]

I must speak to the rest of the Seven about this. I do not know well the history of the past not my own, but I am aware of the threat that particular being poses... and if he is attempting to get here, the Dark Voyager would be the least of our concerns.

[Case in point, he entered the room with Jones' tank to find Evie sitting and watching, her eyes and posture screaming exhaustion. Perhaps, this was his opportunity...]

[He walked beside her, and leaned his back against the wall.]

Evie, it has been some time since you last slept... please, allow me to take a shift. If only to make up for the fact that I was supposed to watch him the last time...

*Evie cast an exhausted glare sideways at the Visitor.*

That is exactly why I haven't put you on the rotation.

*She sighed, staring back up at Jones. He'd been improving more lately. The pixelated bleeding had stopped, and his vitals were steadier. And yet still his eyes wouldn't open.

A wave of dizziness washed through her, settling as nausea in her stomach, and Evie leaned back with a groan.*

Ugh... You're right that I haven't really slept well, though... I'm exhausted, but I just can't seem to get to sleep. If I can't sleep, though, I might as well be useful.

I understand. Believe it or not, but I do feel as though his current condition is my fault... I simply wish there was more that I could do.

[He was fuming, but thankfully, his mask hid his face, and his thoughts were shielded from telepathy by the Seven's armor. Something he had only grown more thankful for after learning that Evie was in fact a force sensitive...]

[Walking up to the tank, he stared into Jones' face and laid a hand on the glass. The man's eyes were shut, and his breathing shallow, but even.]

[Just a bit more pressure on the glass... The tank would shatter, and the enduing physical trauma would render Jones permenantly catatonic, if not dead.]

[Alas, it would also reveal him as a traitor, and he would not jeapordize his plans further if he could help it.]

Evie wanted to snipe back at him, but didn't. If he wasn't the one who shot Jones, then he really was likely dealing with a lot of guilt.

For the first time since these powers emerged, she actually wished she could read him. That armor repelled her attempts, and the Force skated over him like oil on glass.

Right now, though, she watched the Visitor as he laid a hand on the tank, and a hot blade of territorial jealousy cut through her heart. Stars, guilty or not, this man was ANNOYING. Evie despised him. All the visits, the watching. Even now he was trying to convince her to leave her husband alone with him. Who did he think he was?!

Evie took a breath, closing her eyes just for a moment. The Dark was pulling at her mind again. This wasn't a healthy train of thought--

-- A turn of phrase derailed her thoughts.

"...The Zero Point... the days have grown dark indeed..."

Ow. A pinging migraine broke through the dizziness, causing Evie to flinch. Something wasn't right...

She needed him to keep talking.*

After everything I'd heard about her, I admit I'm a little surprised that... the Innovation was inducted. Not like I have a say; it just seemed abnormal, I guess.

*Evie rubbed her eyes, suppressing the urge to yawn. Might as well play up the tiredness, not like it wouldn't be believable.*

[Ah! Something interesting and not inane to talk about! He spun around, casually.]

Ah, now that is an interesting story, though how it occurred here may be... different than how it occured within my own reality.

[He pulled out a chair and sat down. This was always a fun story to tell.]

The Foundation was the first, you see. He had discovered Reality Zero, along with a close ally of his. Safeguarding this place was always his goal, though I suppose it went hand in hand with testing his strength against the might of those who came for it.

What he did not anticipate, however, was that his first challenger would be the very ally he discovered it with. Betrayed, defeated, and cast out, he determined to stop that man, and the goals of his new Order.

Thus, around him gathered the Seven, a group dedicated to retaking the Zero Point, and freeing it from the Imagined Order's grasp. Scientists, explorers, adventurers, it did not matter. They swore an oath to protect the Zero Point, and keep reality safe. But they all had their reasons.

[He saw the question in Evie's eyes, and anticipated it. It always helped to add this part, anyways.]

... For my own reason, I am, by all accounts, a refugee from my reality. It was destroyed, down to the man, by a madman of unfathomable power. A beautiful monster, some called him. He wished me dead, and for that, he wiped out the entirety of my home. I only survive due to the actions of the Seven, and I have fought beside them for that end.

[He shook his head.]

Ironic.

Most of the story aligned with what Jones had told her about the Foundation. Evie let her eyes wander as he spoke, looking over the gifts left for Jones, watching the bubbles in the tank.

It was all pretty standard to what she'd heard of them, until it started to get sad. Evie almost started to feel bad for him...

-- "A beautiful monster..."

It took all of Evie's training to keep her expression from betraying the sudden icy grip that plunged her heart through the floor.

She knew that phrase. No odd brain fog could erase that from her mind, or its significance. The crazed Riftwarden and confrontation with the Ageless had carved it into her memory. There was only one reason the Visitor would be aware of that specific phrase.

He was Geno.

Everything fell into place. They had been betrayed and undermined from the start. She had handed her husband over to a perfect trap disguised in armor he trusted.

Swallowing a new wave of nausea, Evie looked up at Jones' closed eyes and prayed he could forgive her for having such a casual conversation with the man who had shot him... and for taking so long to figure it out.

To the man sitting across from her, though, she called upon her own escape from Asteria to conjure a sympathetic grief, and that was all that showed in her eyes.*

I'm sorry I stepped on such a rough memory. Losing everything like that to a mad monster... believe it or not, I know how it feels to be the lone survivor.

*A forced smile, though it didn't really matter that it was obviously forced. It just looked like smiling through the pain.*

[Visitor had lived for a long, long, long time. And he had worked with people for that entire time. Evie was a master spy, but even she had tells, just like any other person.]

It is... isolating, isn't it. Knowing you are the last of a family is one thing, but the last of a culture? A people? An entire universe? Seeing those "what ifs" play out over and over, wondering if there is a version of your friends, your family, somewhere out there living happily...

[Something he had said had triggered some sort of recognition in her. Whether she knew, or she knew, she was now far more dangerous to his plans.]

[Oh well. This particular mask was soon to slip anyways. It would hold out for the time he needed. Though he needed to think of what caused her to suddenly figure something out...]

As for the Zero Point? Well, obviously we will need to fight Dark Voyager and whoever is pulling his strings, to keep them off of it. Then, we simply continue the mission. Protection, defense. It is clear we will have our hands full with that alone...

[He looked back at Jones.]

*Evie pinched the bridge of her nose. That old familiar rush of guilt needed a bit more effort to wash back off and into the Force.*

It is isolating. And you have the worse end of it. At least I managed to see an old friend living their best life... though they had never met me. I'm sorry you don't even get to have that.

*The persona of the Secret Weapon of the Peace Syndicate was settling back in place. She'd done this hundreds of times. She could do it again.

And now he was trying to feel her and the Reality Warriors out, trying to see if they would be a thorn in his side going forward. Evie allowed an expression of tired worry to overtake her features as she joined him in looking up at Jones.*

I'm glad to hear that our intentions are the same, at least. Protecting this place is all John ever wanted, and protecting the peace is my ultimate goal. For both of us, defending the Zero Point is the perfect solution, so we've done all we could together. It's great to finally have more allies with the same goal.

*A small smile, a signal of at least lessened hostility towards the Visitor, flickered over her face as Evie turned back to him.*

The Reality Warriors will stand with the Seven, as long as the Seven don't mind our ranks. I know Foundation didn't like most of us, but I'm glad he didn't stop us from helping. There's too many threats out there to let our pasts split us up.

*Her gaze drifted away again, eyes clouding in concern.*

[He lowered his head. After a moment, he looked back up again.]

As for who controls the Dark Voyager... I would imagine that it has something to do with the Last Reality. They are the only ones known to work with Cubes in a manner such as this.

[Case in point, he entered the room with Jones' tank to find Evie sitting and watching, her eyes and posture screaming exhaustion. Perhaps, this was his opportunity...]

[He walked beside her, and leaned his back against the wall.]

Evie, it has been some time since you last slept... please, allow me to take a shift. If only to make up for the fact that I was supposed to watch him the last time...

*Evie cast an exhausted glare sideways at the Visitor.*

That is exactly why I haven't put you on the rotation.

*She sighed, staring back up at Jones. He'd been improving more lately. The pixelated bleeding had stopped, and his vitals were steadier. And yet still his eyes wouldn't open.

A wave of dizziness washed through her, settling as nausea in her stomach, and Evie leaned back with a groan.*

Ugh... You're right that I haven't really slept well, though... I'm exhausted, but I just can't seem to get to sleep. If I can't sleep, though, I might as well be useful.

I understand. Believe it or not, but I do feel as though his current condition is my fault... I simply wish there was more that I could do.

[He was fuming, but thankfully, his mask hid his face, and his thoughts were shielded from telepathy by the Seven's armor. Something he had only grown more thankful for after learning that Evie was in fact a force sensitive...]

[Walking up to the tank, he stared into Jones' face and laid a hand on the glass. The man's eyes were shut, and his breathing shallow, but even.]

[Just a bit more pressure on the glass... The tank would shatter, and the enduing physical trauma would render Jones permenantly catatonic, if not dead.]

[Alas, it would also reveal him as a traitor, and he would not jeapordize his plans further if he could help it.]

Evie wanted to snipe back at him, but didn't. If he wasn't the one who shot Jones, then he really was likely dealing with a lot of guilt.

For the first time since these powers emerged, she actually wished she could read him. That armor repelled her attempts, and the Force skated over him like oil on glass.

Right now, though, she watched the Visitor as he laid a hand on the tank, and a hot blade of territorial jealousy cut through her heart. Stars, guilty or not, this man was ANNOYING. Evie despised him. All the visits, the watching. Even now he was trying to convince her to leave her husband alone with him. Who did he think he was?!

Evie took a breath, closing her eyes just for a moment. The Dark was pulling at her mind again. This wasn't a healthy train of thought--

-- A turn of phrase derailed her thoughts.

"...The Zero Point... the days have grown dark indeed..."

Ow. A pinging migraine broke through the dizziness, causing Evie to flinch. Something wasn't right...

She needed him to keep talking.*

After everything I'd heard about her, I admit I'm a little surprised that... the Innovation was inducted. Not like I have a say; it just seemed abnormal, I guess.

*Evie rubbed her eyes, suppressing the urge to yawn. Might as well play up the tiredness, not like it wouldn't be believable.*

[Ah! Something interesting and not inane to talk about! He spun around, casually.]

Ah, now that is an interesting story, though how it occurred here may be... different than how it occured within my own reality.

[He pulled out a chair and sat down. This was always a fun story to tell.]

The Foundation was the first, you see. He had discovered Reality Zero, along with a close ally of his. Safeguarding this place was always his goal, though I suppose it went hand in hand with testing his strength against the might of those who came for it.

What he did not anticipate, however, was that his first challenger would be the very ally he discovered it with. Betrayed, defeated, and cast out, he determined to stop that man, and the goals of his new Order.

Thus, around him gathered the Seven, a group dedicated to retaking the Zero Point, and freeing it from the Imagined Order's grasp. Scientists, explorers, adventurers, it did not matter. They swore an oath to protect the Zero Point, and keep reality safe. But they all had their reasons.

[He saw the question in Evie's eyes, and anticipated it. It always helped to add this part, anyways.]

... For my own reason, I am, by all accounts, a refugee from my reality. It was destroyed, down to the man, by a madman of unfathomable power. A beautiful monster, some called him. He wished me dead, and for that, he wiped out the entirety of my home. I only survive due to the actions of the Seven, and I have fought beside them for that end.

[He shook his head.]

Ironic.

Most of the story aligned with what Jones had told her about the Foundation. Evie let her eyes wander as he spoke, looking over the gifts left for Jones, watching the bubbles in the tank.

It was all pretty standard to what she'd heard of them, until it started to get sad. Evie almost started to feel bad for him...

-- "A beautiful monster..."

It took all of Evie's training to keep her expression from betraying the sudden icy grip that plunged her heart through the floor.

She knew that phrase. No odd brain fog could erase that from her mind, or its significance. The crazed Riftwarden and confrontation with the Ageless had carved it into her memory. There was only one reason the Visitor would be aware of that specific phrase.

He was Geno.

Everything fell into place. They had been betrayed and undermined from the start. She had handed her husband over to a perfect trap disguised in armor he trusted.

Swallowing a new wave of nausea, Evie looked up at Jones' closed eyes and prayed he could forgive her for having such a casual conversation with the man who had shot him... and for taking so long to figure it out.

To the man sitting across from her, though, she called upon her own escape from Asteria to conjure a sympathetic grief, and that was all that showed in her eyes.*

I'm sorry I stepped on such a rough memory. Losing everything like that to a mad monster... believe it or not, I know how it feels to be the lone survivor.

*A forced smile, though it didn't really matter that it was obviously forced. It just looked like smiling through the pain.*

[Visitor had lived for a long, long, long time. And he had worked with people for that entire time. Evie was a master spy, but even she had tells, just like any other person.]

It is... isolating, isn't it. Knowing you are the last of a family is one thing, but the last of a culture? A people? An entire universe? Seeing those "what ifs" play out over and over, wondering if there is a version of your friends, your family, somewhere out there living happily...

[Something he had said had triggered some sort of recognition in her. Whether she knew, or she knew, she was now far more dangerous to his plans.]

[Oh well. This particular mask was soon to slip anyways. It would hold out for the time he needed. Though he needed to think of what caused her to suddenly figure something out...]

As for the Zero Point? Well, obviously we will need to fight Dark Voyager and whoever is pulling his strings, to keep them off of it. Then, we simply continue the mission. Protection, defense. It is clear we will have our hands full with that alone...

[He looked back at Jones.]

[Case in point, he entered the room with Jones' tank to find Evie sitting and watching, her eyes and posture screaming exhaustion. Perhaps, this was his opportunity...]

[He walked beside her, and leaned his back against the wall.]

Evie, it has been some time since you last slept... please, allow me to take a shift. If only to make up for the fact that I was supposed to watch him the last time...

*Evie cast an exhausted glare sideways at the Visitor.*

That is exactly why I haven't put you on the rotation.

*She sighed, staring back up at Jones. He'd been improving more lately. The pixelated bleeding had stopped, and his vitals were steadier. And yet still his eyes wouldn't open.

A wave of dizziness washed through her, settling as nausea in her stomach, and Evie leaned back with a groan.*

Ugh... You're right that I haven't really slept well, though... I'm exhausted, but I just can't seem to get to sleep. If I can't sleep, though, I might as well be useful.

I understand. Believe it or not, but I do feel as though his current condition is my fault... I simply wish there was more that I could do.

[He was fuming, but thankfully, his mask hid his face, and his thoughts were shielded from telepathy by the Seven's armor. Something he had only grown more thankful for after learning that Evie was in fact a force sensitive...]

[Walking up to the tank, he stared into Jones' face and laid a hand on the glass. The man's eyes were shut, and his breathing shallow, but even.]

[Just a bit more pressure on the glass... The tank would shatter, and the enduing physical trauma would render Jones permenantly catatonic, if not dead.]

[Alas, it would also reveal him as a traitor, and he would not jeapordize his plans further if he could help it.]

Evie wanted to snipe back at him, but didn't. If he wasn't the one who shot Jones, then he really was likely dealing with a lot of guilt.

For the first time since these powers emerged, she actually wished she could read him. That armor repelled her attempts, and the Force skated over him like oil on glass.

Right now, though, she watched the Visitor as he laid a hand on the tank, and a hot blade of territorial jealousy cut through her heart. Stars, guilty or not, this man was ANNOYING. Evie despised him. All the visits, the watching. Even now he was trying to convince her to leave her husband alone with him. Who did he think he was?!

Evie took a breath, closing her eyes just for a moment. The Dark was pulling at her mind again. This wasn't a healthy train of thought--

-- A turn of phrase derailed her thoughts.

"...The Zero Point... the days have grown dark indeed..."

Ow. A pinging migraine broke through the dizziness, causing Evie to flinch. Something wasn't right...

She needed him to keep talking.*

After everything I'd heard about her, I admit I'm a little surprised that... the Innovation was inducted. Not like I have a say; it just seemed abnormal, I guess.

*Evie rubbed her eyes, suppressing the urge to yawn. Might as well play up the tiredness, not like it wouldn't be believable.*

[Ah! Something interesting and not inane to talk about! He spun around, casually.]

Ah, now that is an interesting story, though how it occurred here may be... different than how it occured within my own reality.

[He pulled out a chair and sat down. This was always a fun story to tell.]

The Foundation was the first, you see. He had discovered Reality Zero, along with a close ally of his. Safeguarding this place was always his goal, though I suppose it went hand in hand with testing his strength against the might of those who came for it.

What he did not anticipate, however, was that his first challenger would be the very ally he discovered it with. Betrayed, defeated, and cast out, he determined to stop that man, and the goals of his new Order.

Thus, around him gathered the Seven, a group dedicated to retaking the Zero Point, and freeing it from the Imagined Order's grasp. Scientists, explorers, adventurers, it did not matter. They swore an oath to protect the Zero Point, and keep reality safe. But they all had their reasons.

[He saw the question in Evie's eyes, and anticipated it. It always helped to add this part, anyways.]

... For my own reason, I am, by all accounts, a refugee from my reality. It was destroyed, down to the man, by a madman of unfathomable power. A beautiful monster, some called him. He wished me dead, and for that, he wiped out the entirety of my home. I only survive due to the actions of the Seven, and I have fought beside them for that end.

[He shook his head.]

[Case in point, he entered the room with Jones' tank to find Evie sitting and watching, her eyes and posture screaming exhaustion. Perhaps, this was his opportunity...]

[He walked beside her, and leaned his back against the wall.]

Evie, it has been some time since you last slept... please, allow me to take a shift. If only to make up for the fact that I was supposed to watch him the last time...

*Evie cast an exhausted glare sideways at the Visitor.*

That is exactly why I haven't put you on the rotation.

*She sighed, staring back up at Jones. He'd been improving more lately. The pixelated bleeding had stopped, and his vitals were steadier. And yet still his eyes wouldn't open.

A wave of dizziness washed through her, settling as nausea in her stomach, and Evie leaned back with a groan.*

Ugh... You're right that I haven't really slept well, though... I'm exhausted, but I just can't seem to get to sleep. If I can't sleep, though, I might as well be useful.

I understand. Believe it or not, but I do feel as though his current condition is my fault... I simply wish there was more that I could do.

[He was fuming, but thankfully, his mask hid his face, and his thoughts were shielded from telepathy by the Seven's armor. Something he had only grown more thankful for after learning that Evie was in fact a force sensitive...]

[Walking up to the tank, he stared into Jones' face and laid a hand on the glass. The man's eyes were shut, and his breathing shallow, but even.]

[Just a bit more pressure on the glass... The tank would shatter, and the enduing physical trauma would render Jones permenantly catatonic, if not dead.]

[Alas, it would also reveal him as a traitor, and he would not jeapordize his plans further if he could help it.]

That said...

[Visitor passes you some Zero Point Pretzels.]

[Was Hope this for the Reality Warriors? She had seemed to be more a scared child playacting at being a hero, but Visitor had recently learned that he should not assume so little of those who chose to defend reality...]

[He found her sitting in front of Jones' tank, spraying some paint back and forth over a canvas, seemingly aimless.]

Ah, Hope. I thought I might find you here.

[He looked up at the sleeping Jones, internally sneering at the man's continued survival.]

Were you hoping that Jones might act as some sort of muse for your art?

@perfected-visitor-fn

[ Hope quickly looked up from her canvas, setting it down as she got up from her chair. ]

" Visitor! Sorry, you startled me... "

[ She glanced at Jones' tank, then back at Visitor. ]

No offense taken, Hope. I have been told that I tend to arrive unexpectedly.

[Looking down from the tank at Hope's doodlings, he hummed to himself.]

So, the visions still elude you, then. Just as they did before the battle with the Ice King.

[ Hope was taken aback by the mention of her visions - how did he know? It wasn't a secret, but... she didn't just tell anyone. And she certainly didn't tell him. ]

[ But she hadn't told anyone to keep that private, either. It made sense then, that he knew about her visions. And what did it matter, anyways? ]

" I... didn't know you knew about the visions. "

[He tilted his head slightly.]

Or that is what I have heard, at least.

[So, she was uncomfortable with her gift already. No wonder she acted like a frightened child in the presence of mighty heroes.]

[Despite her many feats, that is what she saw herself as.]

Do not be discouraged, Hope. I have no doubt that your gifts will prove useful in time.

[He folded his hands behind his back.]

... In the meantime, perhaps it would be wise to chart your own course ahead?

After all, Jones was... is, a great man. But if you also lead the Reality Warriors, you cannot wait for his signal to act forever.

[His helmet looked at her, unblinking.]

You are a leader. You shall have to step out from Jones' shadow eventually. The answers you seek may come from the whispers of your mind... but they also may come out there.

[She was teetering on a precipice. She had potential, certainly, but she didn't feel ready. She never would be, of course.]

" My visions are really helpful, when I can actually decipher them... "

[ She glanced back at the canvas, which was painted with various shades of red. But despite how frustrating her visions were at the moment, Visitor was right. They were a gift. ]

" And you're right. I know I need to step up and be a leader, but... it's easier said than done.

Perhaps it would be best if you chose to make any decision at all, and work from there. Even if you fail, I am sure that those who stand beside you would continue to support you.

Going in any direction is better than staying still. I am certain that Jones would not want you to remain stagnant.

[She had an independent streak. That was clear from her records. And with this little push, perhaps a fire would be lit under her, and she would go off like a fuse...]

[The direction she went off in didn't matter. Clearly, she was no threat to him in the slightest.]

[Was Hope this for the Reality Warriors? She had seemed to be more a scared child playacting at being a hero, but Visitor had recently learned that he should not assume so little of those who chose to defend reality...]

[He found her sitting in front of Jones' tank, spraying some paint back and forth over a canvas, seemingly aimless.]

Ah, Hope. I thought I might find you here.

[He looked up at the sleeping Jones, internally sneering at the man's continued survival.]

Were you hoping that Jones might act as some sort of muse for your art?

@perfected-visitor-fn

[ Hope quickly looked up from her canvas, setting it down as she got up from her chair. ]

" Visitor! Sorry, you startled me... "

[ She glanced at Jones' tank, then back at Visitor. ]

No offense taken, Hope. I have been told that I tend to arrive unexpectedly.

[Looking down from the tank at Hope's doodlings, he hummed to himself.]

So, the visions still elude you, then. Just as they did before the battle with the Ice King.

[ Hope was taken aback by the mention of her visions - how did he know? It wasn't a secret, but... she didn't just tell anyone. And she certainly didn't tell him. ]

[ But she hadn't told anyone to keep that private, either. It made sense then, that he knew about her visions. And what did it matter, anyways? ]

" I... didn't know you knew about the visions. "

[He tilted his head slightly.]

Or that is what I have heard, at least.

[So, she was uncomfortable with her gift already. No wonder she acted like a frightened child in the presence of mighty heroes.]

[Despite her many feats, that is what she saw herself as.]

Do not be discouraged, Hope. I have no doubt that your gifts will prove useful in time.

[He folded his hands behind his back.]

... In the meantime, perhaps it would be wise to chart your own course ahead?

After all, Jones was... is, a great man. But if you also lead the Reality Warriors, you cannot wait for his signal to act forever.

[His helmet looked at her, unblinking.]

You are a leader. You shall have to step out from Jones' shadow eventually. The answers you seek may come from the whispers of your mind... but they also may come out there.

[She was teetering on a precipice. She had potential, certainly, but she didn't feel ready. She never would be, of course.]

[Was Hope this for the Reality Warriors? She had seemed to be more a scared child playacting at being a hero, but Visitor had recently learned that he should not assume so little of those who chose to defend reality...]

[He found her sitting in front of Jones' tank, spraying some paint back and forth over a canvas, seemingly aimless.]

Ah, Hope. I thought I might find you here.

[He looked up at the sleeping Jones, internally sneering at the man's continued survival.]

Were you hoping that Jones might act as some sort of muse for your art?

@perfected-visitor-fn

[ Hope quickly looked up from her canvas, setting it down as she got up from her chair. ]

" Visitor! Sorry, you startled me... "

[ She glanced at Jones' tank, then back at Visitor. ]

No offense taken, Hope. I have been told that I tend to arrive unexpectedly.

[Looking down from the tank at Hope's doodlings, he hummed to himself.]

So, the visions still elude you, then. Just as they did before the battle with the Ice King.

[Maybe he had replaced them with snapshots, but that was their own fault for not being skilled enough to exit the loop faster.]

[Still, his current identity provided a unique opportunity for appreciation. So, he had sat himself down in the cafeteria, poured himself a small glass of wine he wasn't going to be able to drink, and situated himself in such a way that was sure to catch Order's attention as she walked into the room for her fifth cup of coffee that day.]

[ Once again, Order made her coffee; this time, just black coffee. She'd grown tired of the extra effort it took, to make her coffee how she actually liked it. ]

[ She sat across from Visitor, and took a sip of her coffee. Her exhaustion was obvious, with a tired look on her face, and yet she still tried to give him a polite smile. After all, he was one of the few people she felt like she could trust. ]

Order. I trust you are doing well today.

[ She sighed, taking another sip of coffee - it was far too bitter, but she needed the energy. She noticed how Visitor's posture shifted, and figured he must have something to say. ]

Today is a... difficult day, for me. Before I was Visitor, before I joined the Seven... I had a family. I had children.

[He audibly swallowed and let his voice crack slightly.]

One of them, I have not met as myself since I took up the oath and bound myself in this armor. The other... passed, during a war.

[He shook his head, before looking at Order.]

There is not a day that goes by where I do not miss them.

" I'm... so sorry to hear that. "

[ It took her a moment to figure out why today of all days was a difficult one - she'd lost track of time lately. ]

" Oh, today is... father's day, isn't it? "

" Then... happy father's day, Vis. "

[What odd sentimentality ]

Thank you, Order, I appreciate that more than you know.

[He sat for a few moments, pondering over the inner workings of his own mind. In the end, Imagined and Order were ever tools, nothing more. An experiment, to see if his perfection could be implimented at scale.]

[Desiring their affection or acknowledgement in any respect was pointless and unnecessary. Why did it give him such satisfaction, then?]

Well. I fear that I must go and continue the work of repairing the point.

[It was probably just appreciation of his own work well done. He turned to Order, and raised his glass.]

[Maybe he had replaced them with snapshots, but that was their own fault for not being skilled enough to exit the loop faster.]

[Still, his current identity provided a unique opportunity for appreciation. So, he had sat himself down in the cafeteria, poured himself a small glass of wine he wasn't going to be able to drink, and situated himself in such a way that was sure to catch Order's attention as she walked into the room for her fifth cup of coffee that day.]

[ Once again, Order made her coffee; this time, just black coffee. She'd grown tired of the extra effort it took, to make her coffee how she actually liked it. ]

[ She sat across from Visitor, and took a sip of her coffee. Her exhaustion was obvious, with a tired look on her face, and yet she still tried to give him a polite smile. After all, he was one of the few people she felt like she could trust. ]

Order. I trust you are doing well today.

[ She sighed, taking another sip of coffee - it was far too bitter, but she needed the energy. She noticed how Visitor's posture shifted, and figured he must have something to say. ]

Today is a... difficult day, for me. Before I was Visitor, before I joined the Seven... I had a family. I had children.

[He audibly swallowed and let his voice crack slightly.]

One of them, I have not met as myself since I took up the oath and bound myself in this armor. The other... passed, during a war.

[He shook his head, before looking at Order.]

There is not a day that goes by where I do not miss them.

[Maybe he had replaced them with snapshots, but that was their own fault for not being skilled enough to exit the loop faster.]

[Still, his current identity provided a unique opportunity for appreciation. So, he had sat himself down in the cafeteria, poured himself a small glass of wine he wasn't going to be able to drink, and situated himself in such a way that was sure to catch Order's attention as she walked into the room for her fifth cup of coffee that day.]

[ Once again, Order made her coffee; this time, just black coffee. She'd grown tired of the extra effort it took, to make her coffee how she actually liked it. ]

[ She sat across from Visitor, and took a sip of her coffee. Her exhaustion was obvious, with a tired look on her face, and yet she still tried to give him a polite smile. After all, he was one of the few people she felt like she could trust. ]

Order. I trust you are doing well today.

[So why... why did everyone seem to think he was so important!?]

Scientist. A word, if I may.

[Scientist had always been the most dismissive of Jones, of the Seven. If he didn't know what the deal was with his newfound popularity, Visitor doubted that anyone would.]

*Scientist looked up from fixing one of his leg prostethics, which seemed to have little progression considering it sparked lively at times. Supporting his body was a spare one given by Triage as placeholder.*

Oh! Ah, Vis you know you can always have more than one word! Even if that's usually all you can muster up...

*He attempted checking for any sign of emotion in the other man's visor, only getting slow led animations in return.*

With my Seven, Jones was... nothing too terribly special. No offense to the man at all, but he was generally seen as a bit of a joke.

From how I have seen you interact with him, I surmised that it must be similar in this timeline as well. So...

Well, you came to the right guy. I actually studied a little his current background and...

*Limping towards a screen, Scientist typed away on the keyboard, tons of files showing up infront of them*

You know the Reality Warriors, right? Well he assembled them while me and the other Seven were out of commission, he and this young lady that follows him around called Hope.

*A file with an image of Hope pops up*

He's a charismatic man with handsome features, a crazy hero complex and enviable luck, it's easy to be swooned by his talks about positivity and saving the world with the power of will. And so in the span of not even a few months...three people approached him...

his now partner Evelynn Claire Yasunaga, alias Evie;

*a file appeared on the screen*

Lord Megalo Don of the Wasteland;

*another file*

Johnathan Rising Re Vengeance Dawnof Justice Jones-

alias...Vengeance...

*another file*

And so on, so forth, people began coming and going.

*He turned away from the screen*

Out of all members there's also allies like a team of youngsters called "Supernovas" and real important people like The Empress of the River Guard and the Golden King, Midas. However the first I listed are known go be kind of...a core, with Jones as the pillar. Without him, they feel lost and panic, and it spreads along the team like jam on a warm sandwich for breakfast, especially among the mentally weak ones...

*He gave Visitor a look*

[Lucky for him, Scientist tended to find his sardonic comments amusing.]

*Turning to the computer again, new files began sweeping the already present ones out of the way, mission files, most if not all with one verdict...Successful*

This guy's traits do have a demonstration that they work! And not only that! He's proven his charisma attracted highly skilled warriors, intelligent beings experts in strategy, literal human nuclear weapons! These guys still won even when they lost! They did crazy things like blow up the Death Star!!! They called on 100+ realities to usurp the Demon King!!

Do you understand the craziness this guy was able to create just with sheer hero complex and bad quips? Could you imagine how powerful we'd be if the Seven were all here? If we were all one team?

*He turned to Visitor*

We changed the course of your events, Visitor. Thanks to a plan schemed by this guy. A regular blondie with lucky coins. We lost and won at the same time, even at the cost of losing Foundation and sending him in a coma because of...I don't know!

And he has snapshots with this same abilities...ohhhh if only I could study them! I could collect them all! Starting by the fattie...

My own army at my command....

*He clenched his fists before snapping out of his mad scientist day dreams and clearing his throat*

I think you may be missing a piece. Yes Jones has accomplished much. And he seems to be the axis upon which this team turns. But in every victory, he has not been alone.

[He pointed to Hope's picture on the board.]

It has been her and him. Together. Every time. The only failure he has had was when he was seperated from her, and they operated independently.

*He skimmed through files again, looking for all sentences where the girl's name would be present. Ever sentence turned itself to be more interesting than the last*

Apparently she has...a power...she can see in the future...visions represented through the use of a brush...She's an artist.

She's not warrior per se, but she is backed up by someone, something. And she has a gift. Apparently she was able to predict the enemy's plans with her visions. And Jones could scheme a counter-attack...these are all counter-attacks! They don't attack, they defend!

*And then it clicked...they had lost this time...Hope had trouble with her visions, and they had lost...*

So even with Jones incapacitated, Hope may still have the answers the Reality Warriors need about what is to come...

[The last thing he needed was Hope finding out about his betrayal early. He would have to resort to plan B, and the ensuing fight would take more of his precious time than he preferred. He would have to get on her good side... or eliminate her, as well.]

[So why... why did everyone seem to think he was so important!?]

Scientist. A word, if I may.

[Scientist had always been the most dismissive of Jones, of the Seven. If he didn't know what the deal was with his newfound popularity, Visitor doubted that anyone would.]

*Scientist looked up from fixing one of his leg prostethics, which seemed to have little progression considering it sparked lively at times. Supporting his body was a spare one given by Triage as placeholder.*

Oh! Ah, Vis you know you can always have more than one word! Even if that's usually all you can muster up...

*He attempted checking for any sign of emotion in the other man's visor, only getting slow led animations in return.*

With my Seven, Jones was... nothing too terribly special. No offense to the man at all, but he was generally seen as a bit of a joke.

From how I have seen you interact with him, I surmised that it must be similar in this timeline as well. So...

Well, you came to the right guy. I actually studied a little his current background and...

*Limping towards a screen, Scientist typed away on the keyboard, tons of files showing up infront of them*

You know the Reality Warriors, right? Well he assembled them while me and the other Seven were out of commission, he and this young lady that follows him around called Hope.

*A file with an image of Hope pops up*

He's a charismatic man with handsome features, a crazy hero complex and enviable luck, it's easy to be swooned by his talks about positivity and saving the world with the power of will. And so in the span of not even a few months...three people approached him...

his now partner Evelynn Claire Yasunaga, alias Evie;

*a file appeared on the screen*

Lord Megalo Don of the Wasteland;

*another file*

Johnathan Rising Re Vengeance Dawnof Justice Jones-

alias...Vengeance...

*another file*

And so on, so forth, people began coming and going.

*He turned away from the screen*

Out of all members there's also allies like a team of youngsters called "Supernovas" and real important people like The Empress of the River Guard and the Golden King, Midas. However the first I listed are known go be kind of...a core, with Jones as the pillar. Without him, they feel lost and panic, and it spreads along the team like jam on a warm sandwich for breakfast, especially among the mentally weak ones...

*He gave Visitor a look*

[Lucky for him, Scientist tended to find his sardonic comments amusing.]

*Turning to the computer again, new files began sweeping the already present ones out of the way, mission files, most if not all with one verdict...Successful*

This guy's traits do have a demonstration that they work! And not only that! He's proven his charisma attracted highly skilled warriors, intelligent beings experts in strategy, literal human nuclear weapons! These guys still won even when they lost! They did crazy things like blow up the Death Star!!! They called on 100+ realities to usurp the Demon King!!

Do you understand the craziness this guy was able to create just with sheer hero complex and bad quips? Could you imagine how powerful we'd be if the Seven were all here? If we were all one team?

*He turned to Visitor*

We changed the course of your events, Visitor. Thanks to a plan schemed by this guy. A regular blondie with lucky coins. We lost and won at the same time, even at the cost of losing Foundation and sending him in a coma because of...I don't know!

And he has snapshots with this same abilities...ohhhh if only I could study them! I could collect them all! Starting by the fattie...

My own army at my command....

*He clenched his fists before snapping out of his mad scientist day dreams and clearing his throat*

I think you may be missing a piece. Yes Jones has accomplished much. And he seems to be the axis upon which this team turns. But in every victory, he has not been alone.

[He pointed to Hope's picture on the board.]

It has been her and him. Together. Every time. The only failure he has had was when he was seperated from her, and they operated independently.

[So why... why did everyone seem to think he was so important!?]

Scientist. A word, if I may.

[Scientist had always been the most dismissive of Jones, of the Seven. If he didn't know what the deal was with his newfound popularity, Visitor doubted that anyone would.]

*Scientist looked up from fixing one of his leg prostethics, which seemed to have little progression considering it sparked lively at times. Supporting his body was a spare one given by Triage as placeholder.*

Oh! Ah, Vis you know you can always have more than one word! Even if that's usually all you can muster up...

*He attempted checking for any sign of emotion in the other man's visor, only getting slow led animations in return.*

With my Seven, Jones was... nothing too terribly special. No offense to the man at all, but he was generally seen as a bit of a joke.

From how I have seen you interact with him, I surmised that it must be similar in this timeline as well. So...

Well, you came to the right guy. I actually studied a little his current background and...

*Limping towards a screen, Scientist typed away on the keyboard, tons of files showing up infront of them*

You know the Reality Warriors, right? Well he assembled them while me and the other Seven were out of commission, he and this young lady that follows him around called Hope.

*A file with an image of Hope pops up*

He's a charismatic man with handsome features, a crazy hero complex and enviable luck, it's easy to be swooned by his talks about positivity and saving the world with the power of will. And so in the span of not even a few months...three people approached him...

his now partner Evelynn Claire Yasunaga, alias Evie;

*a file appeared on the screen*

Lord Megalo Don of the Wasteland;

*another file*

Johnathan Rising Re Vengeance Dawnof Justice Jones-

alias...Vengeance...

*another file*

And so on, so forth, people began coming and going.

*He turned away from the screen*

Out of all members there's also allies like a team of youngsters called "Supernovas" and real important people like The Empress of the River Guard and the Golden King, Midas. However the first I listed are known go be kind of...a core, with Jones as the pillar. Without him, they feel lost and panic, and it spreads along the team like jam on a warm sandwich for breakfast, especially among the mentally weak ones...

*He gave Visitor a look*

[Lucky for him, Scientist tended to find his sardonic comments amusing.]