At the Crossroads (an Origin Story, Part III)

At the Crossroads (an Origin Story, Part III)
Crossroads, PID 11004

In the aftermath of the incident with The Leprechaun, Allyson put in her application to join BADGE.  She was accepted and began her training immediately back at BADGE HQ. With help and advice from the robots, trainers, active heroes who passed through the facility on an irregular basis, and even her alternate universe counterparts, Allyson grew in power quickly.

She learned that she had many abilities related to her dimensional powers as well as some that seemed to have connection whatsoever. For example, her access to the energies inherent in the multiversal dimensional barrier allowed near instantaneous travel to anywhere she could clearly picture (BADGE did discover there was a small delay between leaving one location and arriving at another), she had enhanced resistance to energy damage, enhanced strength and endurance, and was even starting to be able to harness dimensional energies as an attack.

But other abilities she discovered she had made less sense. She could summon a swarm of angry hornets, fling gaily wrapped presents at an opponent, or materialize a large stone fist and send it flying at a target.  Where these things came from and where they went afterwards, she, as well as the scientists at BADGE, have no idea!

She found she was able to access many of the skills that her alternates possessed, just as Allyson had told her she would.  She discovered she loved being able to pilot helicopters and planes, drive like a stuntman and racecar driver, pick locks (although not anywhere close to the skill Chase possessed), and even play piano and cook like a master chef!

Allyson also discovered there were things she could do that she decided she would avoid at all costs, like anything to do with blood. She didn’t know it before, but she is very squeamish at the sight of blood, she doesn’t faint, but her stomach definitely makes its displeasure known. She also knows and understands the mechanics of tightrope walking, but is unable to do it herself. She is not afraid of falling; she just doesn’t have the balance for it.

In conversations with her alternates about these problems, they told her everyone is different and that some of the problems can be overcome with training and practice, after all, that’s how they acquired most of these skills.  Allison, the tightrope walker, told her that if she ever needed to do it for real, just ask and she would trade places with her to get her across the rope.

Which brought up another ability she doesn’t understand. She can allow one of her alternates from another universe to physically take her place for a limited amount of time.  The time limit is due to the fact that they don’t belong in this universe and the universe eventually forces them out to maintain balance. The weird aspect of it is that she doesn’t appear in the alternate universe like she thought she would. Allyson occupies a strange “nothing” universe – blank and grey – while switched.  She is completely aware of what the alternate is doing, essentially hearing and seeing what they do, and she can take return whenever she chooses.  All the alternates assure her that it is the same for them when they request a switch and that the grey universe is her personal waiting room while switched.

While all this learning and training was fun and something BADGE would do for any rookie hero, what wasn’t fun were all the questions BADGE had for her. In light of her ability to communicate with alternate versions of herself from multiple universes, Director Nova, Dr. Stone, Krystal Fae, and many others grill her on a daily basis, trying to find out anything they can about the histories in other universes.  Especially any information about Jinn and the Mythics.

Unfortunately, while it seems like something that should be simple, it was far from easy. She could really only hold one conversation with an alternate at a time, unless she was able to arrange for a mass meeting.  These mass meetings took place in that grey nothing universe and were not easy to arrange since it required an agreement from several alternates to link their grey universes together to provide the meeting place. She was only able to speak to about 15 of her alternates so far, although she was assured that would change with time as her power grew. Anyway, it was a long process and for the most part, they just didn’t have the information Nova needed.
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A few months have passed and things had really been hopping around BADGE HQ. Really hopping!  The Easter Bunny arrived, causing all sorts of chaos and problems.  It was frustrating, but really how could you stay mad at someone who was so sincere and cute? Annoying and frustrating, yes!  But sincere and cute and not a mean bone is his furry little body.

But then, the real problems started. Allyson and the rest of the heroes were all looking for the “Lost Mythic” trying to stop Jinn in his plan to gain more power.  She tried to gather as much information she had about what the Jinn was doing and anything about the Lost Mythic from her alternates, but they were either at similar points in their universes with no different information, or they had never heard of Jinn or Mythics.

Working out in Training Simulator #1 with some of her teammates in Red Guard, the league that adopted her early on in her training, Allyson was trying to mesh her powers with that of Cadaverdog and Azure Archangel. Azure was guiding them through the tactics of support and enhancement of their team mates abilities in a battle situation. Since Cadaverdog’s power of teleportation was quite different from Allyson’s dimensional skipping, it was proving to be a challenge.

Suddenly, Allyson’s BADGE communicator went off. So did Cadaver’s and Azure’s.  Startled because it’s never gone off before, she gingerly pressed the receive button.

Nova’s voice roared out at her. “Crossroads, Azure Archangel, and Cadaverdog, Lord Dragon is rampaging in Naha City. Get to Okinawa ASAP and help divert him from the city!  Do not engage if you can help it!  Just divert him from the city.  We have a plan! Nova out!”

Azure instantly took charge, “CD, focus on Gamma, he was with Lord Dragon and teleport to his vicinity. Be careful and quickly scout out a travel site for Crossroads. Send a picture of it as soon as you have it! “
Cadaverdog just nodded and faded out as Azure finished his instructions.
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Cadaverdog materialized near the First Makishi Public Market, or at least near what was left of it. Still invisible and transparent, he scouted the area for the ninja hero called Gamma.  Looking at the destruction of the stalls and carts in the remains of the market, he heaved a deep sigh.

“That’s sad...they had the best fresh mahi-mahi here...” he mourned.

Spying a figure flitting from rooftop to rooftop to the east of the market, and deducing it was, indeed, Gamma, he teleported to his projected location about 100 meters ahead of Gamma’s current location. Appearing there just as Gamma arrived, Cadaverdog became visible and solid.

“Gamma, I’m Cadaverdog.  Can you give me a quick situation report?” asked Cadaverdog.

Gamma didn’t even blink at the sudden arrival of the rookie hero. “I know who you are. I have been aware of your presence since you arrived at the market. The situation is this...” the ninja pointed to the northeast section of the city. Cadaverdog look and saw a massive golden dragon breathing flames at, hopefully, empty buildings.

“He is in an area full of schools, luckily we have that entire portion of Naha evacuated and we’re trying to minimize the damage to the structures. We’re going to try and force him towards the Shuri Castle in the east.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to break through his madness there.  Have your team stationed at Shuri Sakiyama Park and get ready to try and redirect him back to the Shuri Palace.”

Gamma faded away into the shadows without another word. Cadaverdog watched him go and teleported to the park.  Luckily, had been to Okinawa several times and knew the park well, enough to teleport to an area that you could clearly see the castle from.  Taking a quick picture with his communicator, he sent it to Crossorads.

Moments later, Crossroads and Azure Archangel appeared in the spot he had taken the picture from. Quickly, Cadaverdog briefed the others on what he was told by Gamma. In the distance, they could see that Lord Dragon was being swarmed by several flying heroes, each taking a huge risk in diverting the Mythic from destroying the city.

Suddenly the air was filled with arriving heroes, each heading straight for Shuri Castle and each holding a fragment of a large pearl. At the same time they could see the dragon turn and head straight for the Castle.  Heroes, trying to guide and prevent Lord Dragon from leaving, were battered and bruised by Lord Dragon’s attacks, but they persevered.

Crossroads and the others headed for the castle. Both she and Azure Archangel projected energy barriers to prevent the flames of Lord Dragon from injuring the heroes or damaging the historic castle. Then the majestic and fierce dragon stopped attacking and landed in the courtyard. Crossroads was too far outside the castle to see what took place next, but she could hear the wail of a man in deepest sorrow and grief. Her heart broke for Lord Dragon and she grieved with him.

Little did she know that, soon, they would all be grieving for one of their own.