Multiverse with the Ultimatrix

The flash of the transport was different this time. James looked to see instead of arriving back at the Dungeon, he was in the middle of nowhere. He looked around and felt silent stillness. James blinked. He found himself standing in a void that was neither dark nor light. It simply existed.

He moved his head and saw Lois, Jasmine, Saeko, Musubi, Lefi, Rei. Moonracer, Firestar, Greenlight, Lancer, Elita-1 were not there. “Where is everyone?” he asked himself.

James then looked forward and saw someone. He saw a woman with vibrant, floor-length red hair that fanned out dramatically at her feet. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant white gown accented with blue piping and a circular sigil on the bodice. She radiated an aura of absolute finality, yet her presence was as calm as a frozen sea.

“Keena?” James asked. “No, you are the Law of Identity,” James replied. He thought this was the true god of the Ichiban Ushiro no Daimao verse. A being which was the singular consciousness that governed the rules of all that exists there.

“You have traveled far, James Everheart,” she said. Her voice echoed not in his ears, but directly within his mind.

“How do you know me?” he asked. “Why did you bring me here?” he questioned.

“You have been travelling freely around,” she replied. “And every move makes a ripple,” she added. “And those ripples can be found,” she said.

James thought if she could find him, then others would as well.

The Law of Identity smiled. “They won't,” she responded. “We don't have much time,” she said.

“To answer your question, why I brought you here is because the worlds you traverse are shifting. While, there is a natural order to the corruption of realities, there is something else,” she said.

James steadied himself. “Shiftinng? I know there are differences from the original,” he responded. “What’s causing them?” he questioned.

“You are truly different, you know they are changes,” she replied. “A volatile confluence,” she replied as she waved a hand to reveal shimmering, distorted images of the multiverse. “Element 115 and Dark Energy are bleeding into the Ley lines of reality,” she said. “They are opening rifts, festering like wounds. Parts of the multiverse are being corrupted by forces that should not belong together,” she added.

“But did you not say, the natural order corrupted reality?” James asked.

“Indeed but everything requires a balance,” she responded.

James thought back. “The storm back there was that part of this corruption?” he asked.

“No,” she clarified calmly. “That was merely a freak event,” she added. “However there will be more of those storms there,” she said with a smile. “Your presence has already caused the timeline to divert so significantly that reality will ripple,” she added.

“If it’s this bad, why don't you just stop it?” James asked as he crossed his arms. “Are you not the law?” he asked.

“The multiverse has its own antibodies,” she explained. “It deals with most threats naturally. However, when the anomalies outnumber the defenses, it causes complications,” she said. “Too many corrupted timelines will lead to a collapse. Some will naturally end, but others will spread,” she added. She turned her gaze toward him. Her eyes hold the depth of an entire cosmos.

“So you are asking me to deal with these anomalies?” he asked.

The Law of Identity smiled. “No, I simply will want to watch what you will do,” she simply replied.

“If I make the wrong moves would the multiverse not collapse?” he asked.

“It has died countless times and been reborn countless times,” she replied. “The natural order will mean it will never fail, however how it will be reborn is questionable,” she said.

Jame thought that was true. He thought about the DC Universe where there was Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis and there was Flashpoint, Convergence and Dark Nights Metal & Death Metal which he could think of off the top of his head.

The Law of Identity looked at him and smiled. “Those and more, many more,” she remarked.

“How would I even know about the anomalies?” James asked.

“Your future companion is the builder of a multiverse and that on your wrist will show all,” she responded.

“Sage?” James questioned. He thought she was known as the builder of the multiverse.

“Indeed, she is one of the many,” she replied.

James thought this was getting complicated. However he also thought there could be opportunities. He thought a hunt across the multiverse sounded like a bit of fun. He had plans to travel more anyway but he had to fulfill his promises first to his girl. “Fine. But I have questions,” he asked.

The Law of Identity started at him.

He thought he would ask. “How did Reiner, Marcel, Aladdin and Yuuki get there? Are they part of this?” he asked. “And are there more?” he questioned. He thought about Drowned as well.

The Law of Identity paused, a flicker of something unreadable crossed her face. “I do not know. There is another power at work,” she responded.

“Monty?” James pressed. He thought of the puppeteer behind the scenes.

She offered no response. “The instability and them are related but also not related,” she finally said. “But you should know, James, you already carry the blessing of a higher being,” she added.

James thought for a second. He thought related but not related. James thought there was another group travelling the multiverse like them. He thought no. He thought this was of a higher being but who. He thought Monty had a motive since James had gotten involved with his world. He also thought of a higher being. He wondered what could be above The Law of Identity.

“I do want to see you come to my verse at some point,” she said.

Suddenly, James had a vision. He thought of a horrific, dusty landscape. He saw a subterranean city, buried.