Who hit the Reset Button?

[Oleander]

Another fine day of Heroing finally comes to an end – and boy was it tiring. Physical exhaustion was a thing of Stein’s past, thanks to his vast amount of endurance training but mentally? He was pooped.
 
Sitting on the side of his bed, he kicked off his “hero” shoes; black work boots, and shoves them under the edge of his bed. His baggy, bullet riddled shorts followed, as well as a ruined vest and T-shirt. The poor turtle on the T-shirt had more holes than he had fingers and toes. Poor guy…
 
Left in only his boxers and socks, he flops back into the comfort of his bed, rolled over and happily fell into one of his classic deep-as-the-sea slumbers. No alarm set – tomorrow was Monday, his day off. Unless there was a Demon-level threat or greater, he had a nice long day of TV and videogames calling for him. Alas. He would miss out on his games and shows.
 
He awoke to an eerie presence. The world was dark, and the only being he could see was a faceless, featureless figure seemingly staring at him without eyes. He was about ready to throw up a shield, but the figure began to speak instead of attack.
 
“My name is Omni. This is not the world you know.” What a hell of an introduction. The slight haze that lingered from his slumber was lost. His senses became acute, listening to this… strange entity. “This is the Omniverse. You interest me,” what? “so I have made you part of it.”
 
The rest of the dialogue flowed effortlessly from this entity, as if it had all been rehearsed hundreds of times before. An orb was passed from the figure to Stein who held it almost cautiously. It looked pretty, but sometimes pretty things were volatile. The Tornado of Terror for example.  Worst. Date. Ever.
 
Wait, what was he saying? Stein’s attention had wondered and before he knew what was happening his eyes were assaulted by the vast white light that seemed to permeate every square inch of air in this unholy place. His skin was tougher than stone, but his eyes… oh they burned. A banshee-like screech is released as he rubs at his eyes.
 
“Please tell me I’m dreaming.” He muttered to himself. “If I’m not, I swear….” Not that he could actually follow through on any threats he’d make. “At least let there be food…” One eye slowly opened. Sure enough there was … no food. “Aww maaaan…” My fried rice, he mourned the leftovers in his fridge.
 
“Ahh well… Best get to it.” He needed the motivation. With a grunt, he rolled to his feet and stretched out. At least he felt well rested.
 
Just as he was about to take a good look around, a voice called out. “Hey over there!” Feminine, friendly enough; Stein turns about and spots the source. Three medieval armored fellows were walking up while one had taken on a swift jog. “Whoa there, hope I didn’t spook you. You have the look of a new Prime about you. Consider us the welcoming committee! I’m Franky! And you are?”
 
Stein was nice enough to let her finish, but upon hearing an opening, he quickly expressed his confusion. “A what now?”
 
“You know! We like to welcome new people to the Omniverse! Sort of our –“
 
“No, no, no…” He interrupted her, an apologetic expression added along with the act. “What did you call me?”
 
Realization lit up the freckled woman’s face. “Oh!” She clapped her hands and grinned. She apparently loved to hear herself talk. “Primes are like… super heroes! Or super villains…” Sounds like home. Primes though? What’s up with that? ”The big difference between them and us is that they can power up really quickly, but it takes us decades of training and hard work! But I don’t mind it, it builds character!”
 
By this time, the other three had appeared. “Pardon our friend,” an older gentleman interrupted. “She has a lot more energy than she knows what to deal with. In any case, I request you come with us to Camelot. You will be safe there, and—“
 
“Nah.” The old man’s face twisted to an expression of annoyance. “I’ll be fine.” The four amigos may have seen Stein’s standing as arrogant, but Stein felt from his own years of experience he could handle most of what this world had already.
 
“Well then, how about some clothes?” The woman chirps in before the older man could unleash his disgruntled rant towards the disrespectful younger generation. “And maybe a hot breakfast? With hair and clothes like that, you look like Omni snatched you right out of your bed!”
 
Stein looked down at himself. “If there was a breeze I’d make a very cliché comment at this point…” Instead, he just rubs at his bare chest and wiggles his toes in his socks. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer. But I don’t need the full escort.”
 
“Don’t be absurd!”
 
The young woman waved off the objection from one of the other men. “Shushush, it’s fine! I’ll take him back to Camelot and be back in a day, tops!”
 
Stein’s stomach did a flip. “A DAY?! BUT”
 
“Shhhhhh—hush little one… I have snacks, and we’ll stop at the first town for food.” The woman seemed to know exactly what was on Stein’s mind. “Let’s go before the geizers can stop us, right?”
 
With no further objections, Stein followed the energetic young woman. She moved quite easily even in the scattered metal plate on thickly padded armor. Watching her almost made him feel tired. “So, Miss… how long till we hit the town?”
 
“It’s Franky, and we’ll be there in … mmm… three hours?” Before he could complain, she reaches into a pouch on her waist and obtains a few hearty strips of jerky. Stein’s mouth practically salivated. It wasn’t bacon and eggs, but it was food. He went to bed hungry, so at this point he might have eaten the woman’s shoe if she offered it. “But first, your name?”
 
“Stein!” He was rewarded with a single strip, which he tore into. He expected it to be a lot harder and tougher, but it was actually quite tender as far as jerky goes. Salty but not all that greasy… and more meaty tasting than chemical, like the kind you buy from a farmer’s market. Real jerky was hard to come by.
 
Franky walked backwards, waving more strips as a promise of reward. “And your shtick? What’s you’re thing, huh? You some sort of fire-ball-lobbing type, or guns ablazing?” It would seem they really were in a whole new world. Or at least another country. Who didn’t know the Turtle Guard?
 
That was until he realized he was not wearing his usual Hero’s attire. Yet she was asking him as if she knew he was just that. Maybe Heros are much more common here? Primes, rather… he corrected himself. Apparently those of greater power were called Primes. “I can heal and create forcefields.” He made grabby hands at another strip, even as he popped the last length of the first one in his mouth.
 
She rewarded him again. “Awesome! I don’t know a lot of people who go for the support stuff, that’s pretty neat! What kind of attacks do you have?” Franky was consistent, waving yet another strip as a possible prize.
 
“I don’t,” he answered honestly. His stomach made him greedy… “I just have shields and healing.”
 
A pout was her first response. “Don’t be like that, you don’t need to hide from li’l ol’ Franky…” Instead of rewarding him, she takes a bite of the strip. Stein looks hurt for a moment. “You don’t have to tell me though… I was just curious…”

[Oleander]

Franky and Stein hit it off pretty well during the long walk to the gate. Franky had explained a bit about how the Omniverse worked, namely with the Nexus being the center of several different “realms” that varied quite greatly. It was odd, but Stein was not too offset by this. This universe was just running on a different set of rules. It was its own type of reality… He was no scientist, but it would have been dim to assume that if there were other universes, they would be exactly like what he knew.
 
“… That means that if you travel from one area to the next, you could technically travel all the way around the nexus! At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I don’t know anyone who’s been able to make it all the way, but I’ve always wanted to go for it, you know? Try and make a map of the whole Omniverse!” Franky had a look in her eyes; the starry eyes of a dreamer. It was quite adorable.
 
She was distracted. Stein felt a crawling sensation up his spine. He reached out to grab her by the shoulder and immediately wrapped her up in his arms. With just enough time to turn, a sharp pain ignited his senses. The arrow in his back did not pierce too deep, but it was enough to lodge it into his flesh.
 
Stein had barely seen them. White sheets had camouflaged them to the wall of the Nexus. Quite ingenious really, it would have given them the element of surprise needed to drop Franky with only one arrow. “How did you…?” Franky was surprised, but after peering tentively over his shoulder she understood why – just not how. She was a trained soldier and she did not notice them.
 
“Stay behind me.” For now, Stein did what he would normally do. He tried to manifest his Grand Shield into existence. Nothing came. Instead, he felt another arrow sink into his back and heard the cackling of one of the archers. It was unusual that a simple arrow could cause him pain, much more unusual that it could actually pierce his flesh.
 
He turned, facing the roguish ambush. “Nice outfit, pretty boy!” They cackled at him. “Planning to get down and dirty with that cutie right there, huh?” Stein frowned, but did not respond immediately. Instead, his hands moved behind his back and he just stood there. His only reaction was a wince as Franky yanked out one of the arrows. “Oh, looks like we got one of them strong silent types! Drop ‘em boys! Leave the girl, she’ll fetch a nice price!”
 
Two archers took aim. With the distance between them they were in no rush, as if trying to taunt Stein with their notched arrows. Meanwhile, Stein was focusing on his palms. Two arrows… two shields… and it seemed they had no idea just what they were getting themselves into. “You have one chance to surrender.”
 
That earned a laugh from the three rangers. Franky was watching the glassy shields grow in the man’s palms. As realization hit, she turned her attention back to the archers, ready to see just what this new prime is capable of. A big grin found her lips. What an experience!
 
“Surrender? You’re out matched two to one! And we don’t take prisoners… Fire!” That sensation returned. Like a spider up his spine, he could feel the moment right before they released the arrows. His hands were in motion even before the bowstring. By the time the arrows were in flight, the shields were up.
 
T-ting!
 
The talkative man’s eyes widened as his comrades’ voices filled the air. They screamed bloody murder. Each arrow fired had been deflected right back at them, right to the knee. “Don’t worry guys,” Stein smiled as he approached. “I hear the town guard is always hiring.”
 
The Turtle Guard walked towards the gate. The apparent leader dropped his bow and drew a pair of daggers. “You think we’ll go down so easy?!” He charged. Ting! Twang! Two daggers deflected so easily – this man had no skill. The weight behind each strike was… pretty intense… but the strikes were so wild.
 
“Why yes,” Stein chimed, sweeping a foot out towards his attacker’s ankles. With a thud, the man is on his back. “Yes I do.” He seemed quite bored with the situation, even as his semi-sort-of-not-really captive drives a dagger straight through his shin. “Ouch. Quit it. You’re hurting me.” In truth, it hurt like a bitch but the fact he managed such a sarcastic deadpan put his point across.
 
The other dagger falls to the ungodly white of the Nexus floor. “N-now wait a minute! Let’s work something out, common! We weren’t REALLY gonna kill—“
 
“I want your clothes… your boots… and your phone.” Close enough, right?
 
“W… what’s a Phone?”

[Oleander]

“What? Phone, dude! I’m jacking your phone!” New world, need connections, yea Stein was going to take this thugs cellphone.
 
With Stein becoming obviously irritated, the secondary held his hands up, empty and defenseless. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ll give whatever else you want, just don’t kill me!” Obviously he does not know Stein. Kill? Nah. As soon as the hero lifts his foot, the bandit is scooting back on his butt and stripping down to his skivvies.
 
Meanwhile, Franky decides to chip in. “I think I know what you’re talking about… Well, sort of. It sounds like something the Empire uses. Well, maybe not just the Empire, but… you know… the people who don’t have magic…” That peaked his interest.
 
While accepting the clothing from the cowering thug, he conversed freely with Franky. Apparently, due to that little display of skill, these three expected a lot more from him than just shields. Interesting… “So you separate magic and technology? And we’re going to a magic-world with… little or no tech?”
 
“Um… I’m not sure… what you mean by technology…” Stein started dressing himself. He ignored a few articles that looked too… thug-ish. He ended up with thick, itchy pants, an itchy shirt and no boots – because he sure as HELL was not wearing that man’s socks and shoes after seeing the fungus between his toes. He felt a bit uncomfortable in the shirt and pants, but … he had to maintain modesty at least. “You sure you want to wear that?”
 
The hero shrugged. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve worn.” Actually, it is. Holy shit this thing is itchy! “I’m also going to assume Camelot’s tech level is pretty low…” He did not sound pleased by that. “And I’m going to take a wild guess and say Camelot and this Empire are at war. Tech versus Magic, right?”
 
Franky’s eyes widen. “How’d you know?!”
 
“Instinct.” Videogames. “Does that mean if I enter this gate, I won’t be able to have the life I’m used to?” His voice betrayed him. It held a deeper meaning. Stein was pretty addicted to his modern lifestyle. He may use abilities that definitely appeared magical, but… he was by no means ready to live a simple farmer’s life. “What if I turned and headed for that Empire place?”
 
Franky’s energy seemed to drain. Her shoulders slumped as she watched the three goons flee back through the Gate only meters away. “I guess… I’d have to… I donno. Are you going to join the Empire, or just… live in Coruscant?”
 
“I… don’t really fight for politics. Never have. To be frank, no pun intended, I don’t have any offensive powers at all. I just like to protect people.” His hands attempted to slide into his pockets, but he realized his pants had none. “I mean, I’ll probably still be a vigilante… and if there’s a big problem in Camelot, I’ll definitely swing by and help fight it... I’m just a city boy, you know? Cars, TV, videogames, coffee shops and MacRonalds on every corner…”
 
Franky nodded. She understood, somewhat. Obviously there had to be some good people in the Empire, not everyone fought against the Kingdom after all. And other Primes have been to both without engaging in the battle. It was just another lifestyle and a place to live. “If that’s what you want. It was nice meeting you.” Deflated, the woman pointed out into the vast whiteness of the Nexus. “If you head that way, you’ll find the gate. I think…”
 
Very reassuring.

[Oleander]

It was an awkward goodbye. He could tell Franky was disappointed to lose a potential ally, and it was only worse that he intended to choose the polar opposite of Camelot too. The call of magic might pull other Heroes through that gate in particular, but Stein enjoyed his modern life way too much. Videogames, microwaveable dinners, a stove that did not require chopping down a tree…
 
Since his pants lacked pockets, he walked most of the way with idle hands. They flick the air as if playing a drum for a while, and then switch to picking grimy pieces of… whatever it was off of his “borrowed” shirt. There was a LOT of things stuck to the shirt.
 
After a few minutes of walking, he eventually thought of something else to do with his hands. Back to back, he created the small little shields. Palm Shields. These were his oldest friends. They used to be much quicker to create, but when he began they were sluggish. He left a trail behind him. The little glassy barriers almost blended perfectly with the perfect white of the world. The lack of contrast made them nearly invisible when still.
 
In retrospect, Stein felt as if years of his training had just… vanished. His flesh was softer than he was as the Undying, and the arrow in his back had only just stopped bleeding a few moments ago. By now, his body should have ejected the arrow completely and recovered. Not to mention his shields were… nearly nonexistent. All he could create is the tiny little Palm Shield.
 
Thinking back on the little scuffle, he remembered something else. His Mind’s Eye was not closed – at least not entirely. He could still sense threats before they happened. A majority of his powers were present, but in tiny proportions.
 
I’m a Level One character. The thought was amusing for a bit. Then it became distracting. He loved the thought of living in a videogame, but this was clearly not a videogame. Unless… “Ehem… Pause? Menu. Inventory?” He had stopped to give his little theory a test run. Surprise! Nothing happened. “Damn…” That would have been SO cool.
 
Wait… Where am I? Still in the Nexus, obviously, but… which way was he supposed to go? The fountain was in the distance behind him, but was he supposed to be walking straight AWAY from it, or at an angle? Distracted again.
 
Lost in a blistering white wasteland, dressed in flea-covered peasant’s clothing, hungry as all hell and relatively powerless… He had not felt this messed up in years. His stomach growled at him, his head was filled with agitation and his heart had an arrow through it – and not a metaphoric “shot through the heart” type of arrow. Worst part? The arrow shaft was RIGHT out of reach. Even as he tried to yank it out, it just turned into this awkward game of Twister. Needless to say, the walk was uncomfortable every step of the way.
 
He had to squint to see it, but there was definitely a gate in the distance. Stein assumed the Nexus was just one big circle with a number of these odd portals linking … other worlds? From what little he had gotten from Franky, that is what it sounded like. Just like some videogames. This was the Hub. Maybe if there was a way to collect extra lives, he would just reappear here. That would be neat, he thought. 

You know what else would be neat? Some god damn color... Stein was growing increasingly bothered by the sheer white and omnidirectional lighting of the Nexus. It was quite unsettling. His pace quickened towards the gate, which he could only hope was the one Franky had pointed him to. For all he knows, this could lead to some desert with a wild west theme. That would be weird.

[Serraph Quarrere]

The walk from that fancy resteraunt wasn't too terribly long. Who knows how lost the Arrancar boy would be should the building he rode down be farther than it was. Serraph would sigh, his hands retreating into pants pockets as he walked through street through the mixed crowd of white armored soldiers and citizens. A few turned their heads, possibly taking into account of how strange it was for a young man to walk alone in this part of the city, which was like a checkpoint station for those coming in and out of this verse.

 It would seem he couldn't walk out like he did before, as the soldiers funneled the crowd into various lines leading into the checkout station. Serraph's eyes would wander about, finding no end to his curiosity. Bipedal machines strolled to and fro, carrying luggage and supplies to various speeders, as the locals near him called them. An inverted "Y" shaped craft would land nearby, with people in grey and black uniforms marching down from its ramp. They seemed more personalized than the sea of white armored soldiers that filled the place, leading the former Espada to believe that perhaps these people are the ones who ran the show or at least this station.

 "Caught some Camelot scum, they did. Showed those bantha turds what happens to those who challenge the Empire, they did.", Said an enthusiastic old man clad in tattered rags said, gripping a hold of Serraph's sleeve. 

 The sudden shock of someone snapping him out of his curious daze upon the world was enough to make the boy jump, his hand instictively falling upon the hilt of his blade. It didn't take even half a glance to realize there was no threat to found here and so he let his hand drop from his blade. 

 "Camelot?", Serraph said in near disbelief, his eyes glancing back at the officers who were reassigning some nearby troops. "I didn't realize this eh... 'Empire' of yours fought such mythical kingdoms", Serraph would reply, mindlessly advancing along with the line.

 "You haven't heard? Tis the only nation that dares to rival this great Empire! They aint  got the stuff to go toe to toe with us though. A couple of 'em got themselves caught red handed trying to steal Primes for their cause."

"I see.... how um... unfortunate."

"Papers, please.", said another voice beside Serraph, dragging his attention to it. The line had moved much faster than Serraph could believe, yet here he was stating at a man behind a blue field of energy, clad in the same officer greys the ones he saw depart from that one strange craft. This one seemed older with stress marks tainting his face and scars running over his cheeks. His hand motioned to the metal table before him. "Your papers. Please.", he repeated again.

 Serraph was unprepared but he did what he could at a mere whim, a rough page appearing in his gloved hand detailing his various specifics including race, home city, occupation, and place among this world. The man was hardly surprised but was careful at grasping the ancient appearing page through the blue field of energy, as if his very touch would disintegrate it. His brown eyes narrowed down upon the page before glancing up at Serraph.

 "You should have said you were a prime, boy. You are free to pass, but here it lists a deceased date. You are clearly alive."

 Serraph Quarrere leaned down over the table, his white gloved hands loosening his tie and shirt before pulling it down to reveal a hole about three inches in diameter that seemed to be punched clean through. The seasoned officer was surprised even if he didn't reveal it to be and merely motioned his hand in dismissal to him.

 Now free, He fixed himself, walking through the portal out to the nexus, the blank slate of the realm a welcoming sight compared to the near overcrowding nature of Coruscant. He wasn't alone however, as a person seemed to be walking towards him or the gate for that matter. His body shifted towards him, his right hand lazily waving in greeting.