Masks 2

"I think Emily thought I'd want to see the community, which I did, and could, so yay! It's already worth it. Free trip to Switzerland, seeing you in a bright shirt, meeting these other people." She leaned in a bit. "There are so many we-. Unique, people here." She said, conspireringly.

<Surely we didn't die in all possible universes, though. Is it that clear cut? I mean, what if it's just, say, half and half? Should we step up and do double duty?>
<And is there a point where it's like. 'This is so different it isn't even related to Our Earth or Our Garden, and doesn't matter'?>
<But looking at it the other way>
<What if there's one that's almost exactly like this universe>
<But we failed somehow>
<What if a universe forked from OUR lives>

"Yep," the Red Reaper said to her. "There sure are."

***

Desmond ordered a criminal amount of food, alongside a gallon of iced water and a glass of orange juice.

Emily took a while to cook the food, but once it came out, it was all prepared and cooked to perfection.

***

"Even if we die in half of all universes? That's half of near infinity. We can't do anything about those," he told Lex. "We can barely cover the ground we have, once again. What would you do if you had to fight that dimension that nearly ate the Garden without Kohne and the other Princes? And how would you get there? You'd need to conscript Theraea."

Desmond devoured the food.

IT WAS VERY GOOD.

He washed it down as he went with the water and then finished with the orange juice. He looked very pleased.

"That... Was needed."

Desmond was about as full as humanly possible from all that.

"Oh, anytime! It was no problem. I'm honestly surprised you could eat all that," she said to him.

Desmond chuckled.

"Yeah well, its been a while since I could eat like that. Normally I've been too careful not to draw attention to myself, I forgot how to live. Good news is it meant I've been healthy long enough I can take the occasional hit like this."

<No...I know...it just...it still doesn't sit right with me...>

"That is good news!" Emily agreed. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it in any event. Is that your favorite kind of food?"

***

"Nor me, but that's how the universe was designed. That said, I have to wonder...are there numerous afterlives? Or are all the various multiversal versions of ourselves all hanging out in the same place?"

"Kind of, yeah. I'm a very meat and potatoes kind of guy. I'll try most things, but my preferences are pretty plain."

She frowned, placing the empty glass upside down on the bar beside her with a clunk. <...Do you think they're watching us, or some more interesting version of us?>

Emily nodded as a woman in black came up to sit at the restaurant counter, ordering "nachos that aren't crap". She was one of the cowboy's friends. Darkmagic or something?

***

"I'm pretty sure the people that knew you in life are watching you. The others? Who could say?"

"Hey," Desmond said. "I take it that guy was the new Lone Star I saw you land with?"

"New Lone Star? God no," she said, turning to look at Desmond. "I can't tell you what he calls himself, though, because he goes by like thirty different names. So go ask him yourself. The other one is Black Star. I'm Darkmagic."

<...I have an idea> she said, after a moment. Lux nodded firmly, and then waited for a lull in the conversation.

"Tlaloc! We need to have a fight," she announced, decisively.

Tlaloc looked up from the bar.

"...why?" he asked her.

"Darkmagic? So what is it you can do?"

"I shoot guns that make magic," she told him as her nachos popped up on the counter. She turned to each a chip, thanking Emily.

"Heh, how do you mean? What kind of magic?" Raven asked.

"For the spectacle, of course. How many Luxes get to beat you twice? From different universes! Make it good!" She hopped off the counter, looking very happy with her plan.

"Em! Can you give us a platform over the pool?" she said, under the belief that Tlaloc had water powers. And it had a nice central location, so everyone could watch!

And then every ghost watching THOSE heroes would also see the fight! (Like and subscribe for more!)

"Sure! Don't hurt anybody watching though!" Emily warned them.

"Thanks Emily. Powers or no powers, Lux?" Tlaloc asked her, standing up. He seemed kind of excited for a fight, honestly.

A platform was made over the pool for them to fight on. Tlaloc stepped up the stairs onto it and waited for her.

***

Darkmagic sighed, took a pistol out of one of her holsters, and fired it at a nearby wall. Except instead of shooting a bullet, it projected a large, thick magic shield that completely resembled the shields traditionally used by arcane wizards. When she released the trigger the shield disappeared, a bullet casing ejected from the chamber, and she went back to eating her nachos.

Raven just... stared at the part of the wall where the shield was manifested.

"What."

"Magic," Darkmagic said, as if one would say duh.

"Yes I just..." Raven look down for a moment, thinking. "Excuse me for a second, would you?"

He then went over to Nick and Demon.

"Hey, can I get a second opinion over here?"

"Oh wow, er! What?!" Orla looked at the spectacle beginning. "Speaking of not-weird people, is that Lux! I need to get her autograph later. What's happening?"

"Oh, let's start powerless and ramp it up slowly. I won't cut you in half if you don't shove water directly into my lungs, and all that!"

She manifested a hard light greatsword (with a dull edge), and cast an illusion over it to add some extra glowing nonsense runes as she stepped up the stairs. It looked Pretty Rad.