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Chapter Ten: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Part Two

The sun shined down on the burning station, no longer seemingly changing its mind the sun wished to no longer devour the prison. Due to the action of the rebellion, the station now stayed in a stable orbit. Floating above the sun, sun reflecting over the metal that covered the sun facing windows.

Matthew sat down on his chair as he looked at his plated dinner, it was what seemed to be some sort of plastic like fudge that the cook had somehow worked up. While they had control over the prison base and they had the loyalty of the prisoners. It was strange, they were located in one location for once. Sitting in the base he spooned his food and shoveled it in his mouth.

It felt strange, the food felt strange it wasn't like the sand pasted crap he was eating before. Putting it his mouth, he almost swore that he missed the feeling sand crunching in his teeth. Looking forward Wallace and Mike seemed to be enjoying their share of soup but Basil seemed to be having the same problem as him. They were sitting at a nice table, they were facing the sun and enjoyed it heats from the much more stable orbit.

"King there appears to be an object speeding past this base, we believe it to be either a mini-rock or a xenomorph, shall we take action?" One of the scouts said as he walked up to the table and did the whole formal bow, by this point it seemed to be more for shits and giggles than impressing him. Matthew took another sip of his soup and thought about what to do.

"Give enough power to the force-layer, magic thing to protect us." Matthew said as he tried to think of the jargon that Basil would us to describe it. For a second he tried to think of something of his own but he looked up to the hybridtrooper shark who was currently trying to chew his soup.

"Forcefield, King Matthew means to place enough power into the forcefield, place on full charge and concreate in the area of impact." Basil said seeming bored, but with the right stuff and right technical jargon and technobabble to make it seem like he knew what he was talking about. The scout bowed again and ran towards the computer system.

"Well done Basil, so we've been here for about a week; why don't you ah give me a progress report?" Matthew asked, the only thing of significance that had happened with in the previous week was finding an abandoned station and connecting it with theirs. Matthew took another sip of soupy soup and looked out.

"Same as always, the only major event is finding broken down Prime Station Solar Helios and integrating her parts with our own and activating the cloaking beacon on the ship in order to prevent further discovery." Basil said seemingly off memory as he stood up and saluted Matthew. His eyes opened as he looked out into space. "King what the hell is that?"

"What do you mean?" Matthew said as he stood up and turned towards the way Basil was facing. Suddenly his teeth grated as a massive red spacecraft started to fly towards them. A forcefield was raised over the station and the craft seemed to make no effort to stop moving.

"Everyone move, I can try to stop it but if it hits us we'll be sent flying!" Mike said as he grabbed onto the table and quickly Matthew did as well. He could see what was going to happen, the ship would crash into them and instead of imparting its energy through the side, it would spin them around like a top.

"Someone warn the prisoners!" Matthew yelled as he saw Wallace stand up and find the nearby comms system. Pressing down on the button to the side, the station was elevated into red alert as the familiar red layer of light was phased over them and alarms sounded.

Matthew felt relieved as he heard the sound of prisoners moving around and trying to get out of the way. The ship started to slow down but it seemed it pilot was either knocked or wanted to crash into them which Matthew wouldn't put past either empire in doing.

And then the ship crashed, the group of four was knocked around as the ship crashed into their forcefield. Matthew felt knocked out and he tried to stand up but was stuck. The ship started to slow down as its internal systems started and worked their magic to slow down the ship's rotation.

Matthew stood up and leaned against the table as he saw all the ship. Right in front of them the ship had punctured through the shield and was currently halfway through. The wolf rubbed his head as he wondered who the hell was crazy or drunk enough to crash their ship into a fully visible station. The pod's lid opened and Matthew groaned as he realized who they were dealing with.

"Ingram, what the hell are you doing!" Matthew yelled as he got the attention of Basil with his statement. Basil stood up, his wings spreading out into the air as he looked forward. The Dragon Komodo looked forward at Ingram as he floated around in empty space. He hated his ability to breath in space.

"Do you want me to take care of him, I might be able to get one right through his head, we'd have to deal with a vacuum but you know different strokes for different folks." Basil said as he put his hand forward and he took a look a Matthew for some agreement on his part, he was disappointed to hear the wolf say nothing. There was that face again, the face that would believe anything he told him.

"No don't let him in, he is going to destroy this station from the inside out and you know that so don't act so stupid." Basil said hoping that his noble words from Pesto would convince Matthew that letting in Ingram would be a stupid idea. At this point Ingram was waving his hands as if he didn't notice them. Basil gave him a disapproving look.

"Wallace tell the airlock man to open up and Pesto I appreciate your ideas in this situation but please do shut the hell up and let Cilantro speak. By the way notice his fusion stone is glowing!" Matthew said as he walked through the halls of the added Prime Helios station back towards the red tinted prison section and then towards the airlock.

"Please don't be so mean towards them they only mean the best and are only trying to give you their best advice." Basil himself said as he followed Matthew down the stairs and toward the airlock section of the base. Wallace and Mike followed behind them and they passed by, as they passed through the center of the prison section they got hoots from people.

The more dangerous prisoners were left in their cages, they didn't want a riot or any glass breaking. They still fed them and made sure they could talk with other people and that they were being treated ok. Walking down another flight of stairs and through a docking node, they walked downwards from their perspective and towards the bottom of the base, also from their perspective.

Ingram floated down towards them, seemingly flying through space as he pushed himself through the area between the station and the forcefield. Ingram approached the airlock and the worker seemingly in disbelief of someone floating outside and looked at Ingram.

"If you may open the airlock and let him in?" Matthew asked of the attendant as the outside doors opened and Ingram allowed himself be sucked into the docking port. Ingram landed as the airlock closed behind him and the artificial gravity activated. Ingram landed on the ground and walked forward, his fusion necklace was glowing if Matthew was right he wouldn't have much time.

Ingram walked forward, through the second gate and landed in the environment of the station. He stumbled a bit but landed on the grand, he bowed in the near symbol of allegiance to Matthew. Matthew felt humbled, somehow he had changed Ingram for the better and somehow he did that. He bowed back to Ingram and as the Dragon Komodo stood up his necklace was glowing brightly.

"Are you two all right, your necklace is glowing really bright, nearly as Bright as mine when I underwent a defusion crisis." Basil said as he leaned forward and grabbed the fusion stone. He suddenly felt a shock in body and backed up. Ingram tried to walked forward putting his hand on Matthew's chest. The hybridtrooper started to breath heavily.

"Matthew listen, I forgot... I forgot to...I forgot to turn off the bea..." And before he could finish his important sentence, Ingram fell to the ground as he passed out. His body started to glow and Matthew knew what this meant, he and Wallace bent down and they picked Ingram up as he stabilized for a second.

"Get them two beds, if he defuses badly then he might injure himself or any injuries might show." Basil said as he stood up, feeling the show as Ingram sent him a "diagnostic" report from his own fusion stone. He looked at Ingram being taken away and knew he was going to need help.

...

The prisoners with doctoral experience had gathered in the medical room and as Ingram was shuttled in a medical bed they looked in confusion at the Dragon Komodo who was glowing with energy as his process to defuse started. They backed up as a second bed was wheeled they looked confused.

"Stay careful, he has a lot of energy and he is going to split into two people you need to stay valiant around him." Basil said as he walked into the infirmary, keeping Matthew out and trying to make sure that the doctors wouldn't do anything stupid to him.

Ingram groaned and Basil felt that feeling again, it was guilt or indigestion, that soup did taste pretty funny. Either way, maybe some old feelings of trust resurfaced with in him. Ingram didn't tell on him to Grand Asher Drake, either that or he was so lazy and didn't care but having the surprise was what let him escape, so maybe he did feel a bit like he owed Ingram one.

"Ok, everyone this is the big moment, stay back and cover your eyes." Basil said as he watched Ingram groan in pain one last time. Suddenly a rift formed in his body and split him into two sections. The doctors looked in fear and amazement at the miracle of science that was happening in front of them.

Ingram suddenly split into two differently shaped bodies; two individuals that were now back in the real world. As their bodies cooled down and reformed from energy, Basil looked at what had changed in about five years. The original Ingram, just a dragon looked a bit taller and his wings spread out further. Meanwhile Bill seemed to age a bit, gaining some wrinkles and some greys while getting some scruff on his chin.

"Well then here we go again." Basil said as he bent down and felt the two now different beings. They were separate; they had the original fusions stones. It was strange when he saw Ingram alone he saw a lazy bum with no knowledge, but when split they were Riftwalker extraordinaire and his creator. How the hell did that work.

They started to cool off and the "doctors" gathered around the two as they started to monitor both looking at both and trying to see if any of them were injured or such. In a second as they waved lights, used arm cuffs and other doctor stuff. Basil watched as they swarmed around him and disappeared into the hallway behind him.

"So guys it's been a while, how's it hanging with you two?" Basil asked as he finally found someone besides Pesto and Cilantro from his childhood. As the two groaned and he got a good look at the two he suddenly wished that Zero would be here to destroy them, at least his conjoined childhood would have felt better.

"Yeah well seems that deep space radiation got you and the people looking at your ship have told us you two might have been in a little less oxygen than your brain cells needed so enjoy that fact." Basil said as he talked to both Ingram and Bill. Both of them looked worn out and neither of them seemed able to comprehend what Basil was telling them.

"Oh god Basil where has the time gone, I told you we need to install the self-thinking room into the fusion stones, that way we could talk without interrupting the fused beings processes." Ingram said as he leaned over and slapped Bill with little force. Bill groaned seemingly tired and bored with his surroundings.

"Please that was literally the second to last conversation we've had." Bill said as he thought back to all the time they wasted, five years of his life gone down the drain as Ingram. They never did anything of self-worth, only acting stupid and working for Grand Asher Drake and his army. "We never got to refine our system, we never got to make an army of hybridtroopers."

"Well I am glad about that, we had enough trouble just dealing with you. Thank goodness that Drake didn't have the sense to send out Zero. For now we should just all act thankful that nothing stupid happened, no the stupid is going to happen later." Basil said as he stood up and looked around the room. The two looked harmless enough de-fused and their necklace was still glowing.

The dragon shark walked out of the room, passing through the advanced medical sliding doors and looked at Matthew who was sitting down in a chair, reading magazines and seemingly waiting for Basil to step out. Matthew stood up and looked around.

"So can we trust him? I mean them, can we trust them?" Matthew said, fixing his mistake as he got his looked at Ingram and Bill. Basil honestly raised his shoulders and looked at Matthew, he wanted to trust Ingram's components but so many times they've been betrayed by the two and he was wondering how long they could trust him.

"I'm not sure, you know all they've done but I also know how much he has done. I know that Bill doesn't regret forming the hybridtroopers, but neither do I and in this game well we need to know everything. So do we trust Ingram that is the question of the day?" Basil said as he put his hand into his duster's pocket and wondered. If they refused and got rid of Ingram's less attractive features then he could be an amazing fighter and help with Terraona Prime.

"I not sure, whatever we do we should step carefully and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid and what not." Matthew said as they agreed on something. Basil moved Matthew out of the way and grabbed the magazine taking his stop and saying to monitor the two and make sure they didn't try to kill the station, kill themselves or kill each other.

...

And thus Matthew returned back to his soup, he saw no reason to stay at the infirmary if Basil was going to guard it. As he picked up the thin but strangely soupy soup, he placed it in his mouth and thought back to the food he ate in the desert and he realized he was doing it again.

"Ok, come on we have to talk, I need someone to distract me from this soupy soup." Matthew said to Mike and Wallace, they must have been using their twin mind powers or something to leave him out of the conversation. They turned towards him and both of them, probably using their mind powers, turned towards him and gave him the "you're crazy" look.

"Oh come on, don't be so two dimensional don't you have any opinions on Ingram, anything you want to say anything that you believe he can do, any information on him from the empire, give me something!" Matthew said seemingly begging for contact from people.

"Well if Ingram will fight for us I think we can trust him." Wallace said as Mike looked at him. Suddenly they both started to give each other looks as if arguing over Ingram and his loyalty in their mind. It was at that point, Matthew realized that the two were going to be tied to each other's minds for a while.

The wolf put up his hand and he started his powers, he was getting more control over them. He could summon the energy at will and now he was beginning to push how far he could give it too. Someone told him that a miner on Deierina was healed one day. If Ingram could be healed then he'd be loyal.

It was strange loyalty to the king whether him or his father was the only requirement to be healed and then he could heal as many people as he wanted and to any level. Looking out into the sky, he tried to find the planets in the night sky. He traced his finger along the set of stars and found a tiny little dot.

It was amazing to think that he was so far from home, everything that he ever did do and everything that he will do happened on that little dot. That little dot was Terraona Prime and that was his little empire, a little dot in the sky. He placed his finger over it and it felt like he could crush it, his dreams of removing everyone bad from the planet he once ruled over.

Matthew backed away from the planet and looked back. He took a breath and suddenly he looked back. A few bright explosions happened around his planet, it was a warp gate. A white line burned through the sky for a few seconds before they ended. Matthew knew those were empire ships and he wondered where they were going.

...

Ingram groaned but he finally felt that he had to stand up, for once he felt different. Anyone could be a Riftwalker, in fact only the experience of traveling between universes practically qualified any non-Kagen life from to be one. And now feeling that genetic mutation, such pureness in his DNA, for once to him it felt wrong. He didn't like being completely Riftwalker, he felt too high and mighty, too big for his own britches.

Bill was next to him and he wasn't sure what to say, what the normal, mortal scientist would think of him after all these years. On one hand he hated when he was fused, he was just a horrible asshole and he had no idea what aspect of his personality that came from. On the other hand, he loved being fused being next to Bill forever and working together.

"So what are we going to do?" Bill asked him as he leaned forward and sat in indian position, as he the Komodo Dragon fixed up his position and tried faced Ingram. The dragon did the same and looked into Bill's eyes, they were the same eyes that he had always seen and always loved. He couldn't say no or ignore those eyes one bit.

"Oh god, I don't know everything is going wrong this universe was never supposed to end up this way, you might have made the hybridtroopers but I made the hybridtroopers." Ingram said stressing the made in his sentence. Bill pondered over that and what Ingram was trying to say. "You've got no idea what I'm saying do you?"

"No, just explain. You don't need to use riddles or puzzles just tell me your feelings and all of this will become so much easier, just do that for me." Bill said as he looked into Ingram's eyes and Ingram had to do as he said, he couldn't say no to that look of compassion and urge to find knowledge. Ingram sighed.

"None of this should have happened, Basil shouldn't have happened, Zero shouldn't have happened. We shouldn't have happened, this was a singular timeline and I intended to never intervene and intended to leave but then I fell in love." Ingram said as he sighed a bit hoping that his story of falling in love might convince Bill of his plight, he didn't know what to say or what to do.

"This timeline would have proceeded like it should have but me and the creation of the hybrid trooper everything threw it off like sticking a massive wrench in a collection of spinning gears." Ingram said as he tried to explain what was happening, he knew he could barely understand universe progression but he knew he at least needed to make an effort to explain.

"Well that's a shame; I guess we'll just have to figure out another way to win. Too bad, I like throwing wrenches into spinning gears. I'd call that real science." Bill said getting a laugh from Ingram, calling back to the many sleepless nights they had discussing what they should have done and if what they were doing was real science.

"Oh look at us, we've gotten old; years fly by. You're starting to rock the salt and pepper; my scales are starting to wear away, where have the all these years gone to?" Ingram said exasperated as he grabbed Bill and they bounced foreheads giving each other a telekinetic message.

"I ask myself that every day, when we wake up am I going to let myself continue to be that crazy man who does what he wants and seemingly makes no progress, or am I going to do something with science change some people's lives and do something for the greater good." Bill said.

"I don't know but this Ingram guy he certainly seems to be throwing a wrench into our gear set and maybe later it can be just you and me, we'll try to act appropriate for our age and do nothing stupid." Ingram said as he flirted with the idea of doing science again but together with a mentally superior mind.

"So much time lost, how did we together act so stupid; we should have been using the power of our brains together to make the world a better place or at least find a way to decorate the inside of our minds." Bill said joking as he got a laugh out of Ingram. The dragon put out his wings spreading them open and pulling them together on the bed. Suddenly the two beds separated and they fell on the floor.

"So maybe if or when we refuse you can take the charge more often, all we've done and here I feel that I've just been sticking to a tiny aspect of my mind that works, I want to get out of my comfort zone and I want you to take me out of there." Ingram said as he reflected on everything just the asshole portion of his mind did, maybe they were comfortable but he hated being that person and after this he couldn't comfortable as Asshole Ingram again.

"Oh please its fine, we still did stuff and we certainly had fun." Bill said as they laughed again.

"No I don't think it is, we've been doing this for so long, and here I've been thinking that you wouldn't care but really I took your name, and I took your body, and I didn't even let your personality shine like it should have." Ingram said as they laughed, it was funny, here he was having a laugh over something he thought was serious.

"Oh please Ingram, I've been fine. I've always been fine; you are a hoot to be around and that is why I love you, you make my life fun and not boring and while their might have been a few cringe worthy moments or two, I've always just been along for the ride." Bill said as he grabbed Ingram and pulled him into a kiss, it must have been their first or second because they both were sloppy kissers.

The fusion necklaces stopped their glowing and as the two kissed they started to floated and then to morph into energy. Their bodies glowed and clashed as they started to fuse into one being again. And then the formation in one massive glow they combined into one and the hybridtrooper was back again.

Basil looked over as he saw the bright light coming from the hospital room, standing up and putting the magazine in his hand down he walked over knowing that this was his cue. Covering his eyes he waited for Ingram to cool off and he hoped to greet the improved fusion.

Ingram looked amazing, he looked more mature, better, smarter, more two sided and three dimensional. He looked older and he looked like he had matured. His horns now encircled the back of his head before transforming into a crown of horns. He had a definite beard and his wings were magnificent, beautiful and ready to glide through the air.

"Well then Benji, it looks like I am ready." Ingram said as he floated down to the ground and folded his wings back into his body. He was wearing something more akin to armored jacket and pants. Walking forward he exited out of the magical automatic doors and stepped out into the hallway.

"Hello Ingram how do you feel now?" Basil asked, somehow Ingram seemed like he was towering over him. Even as they beasts compared to man towered over the scouts that walked by. Ingram had a smile on his face but it was the kind of face you have when you know an era is over, when their will be something you miss but you won't be afraid to let go.

"I feel pretty good now, except for that name. Ingram was always my name, I shouldn't have done that. How about we call myself Ephraim, I like that has a much more mystical and more joined sense then Ingram." The Dragon Komodo said as he decided to change his name and now called himself Ephraim.

"Well then Ephraim, it's good to have you on board now. You need to prove your loyalty; I believe you know what you're going to have to do." Basil said as he stuck out his hand and quickly the Dragon Komodo extended his hand back and shook it as well. They nodded and quickly made their way towards the gathering hall.

Suddenly there was a series of events; Basil suddenly received a call from his mobile device.

...

"Sir we were bringing in Ingram's ship and we found something, it appears to be some sort of beacon device, we've disabled it but we're not sure who was receiving it." A scout said to Basil over the phone as he looked at the seemingly attached blinking beacon.

...

"Ingram, Ephraim, whatever, your ship had a beacon on it, did you turn it off before the warp gate, if you turned it off they can only get a general direction of where we are and we might still be safe. Please just tell me you turned the beacon off." Basil said as he started to beg with Ephraim, if the empire discovered them before they had ample resources to defend against an attack then they might not make it.

"Basil, I'm sorry I didn't know they had a beacon but we can elevate the station to a different orbit and both of us can defeat whatever they send to us." Ephraim said and in was in that when Basil knew that the Dragon Komodo was loyal and it didn't matter in all his years he never heard Ingram truly apologize but now that had changed.

"I believe you, and so long as you fight with me and fight for the king then I trust you and I put my faith into you." Basil said as he took a breath and then Matthew ran up behind them. He looked worried and Basil didn't like that, he was holding a radar device.

"Basil, Ingram..."

"I'm Ephraim now."

"Ok. Basil, Ephraim; there is a mini-destroyer class ship and three transporters coming to this location, and I believe this will be the test of your character, Basil do you trust him?" Matthew said as he held up the radar and the ships in warp flight. There were flashes of light and suddenly the three warping ships arrived.

"Ephraim you don't have to fight then if you don't feel up to it, you still might be injured I can handle this." Basil said as him and the Dragon Komodo turned away from the window and walked towards the stairs, both of them were intent on going to the airlock and fighting.

"No you'll need all he fighters you need, as for my injuries, I feel better. However, King I believe you can help me with that. My loyalty is yours." Ephraim said as he turned towards Matthew and got down onto his knee, placing his arm on his chest and giving his respect and loyalty to Matthew. The king felt humbled and knew what he had to do.

Raising his hand he activated his powers, he knighted Ephraim.

"In the name of Piecewise, Terra Nova and all the stars; I name you royal guard to my planet, where ever it might be located and who ever might lead it." Matthew said as he placed his glowing hand on Ephraim's right shoulder and then left shoulder, with a swipe down his body. Ephraim glowed and proved to who his loyalty were located with.

"Well then welcome to the club Ephraim, now then I believe we have some ships to deal with." Basil said as he swung around the stairwell and started his journey towards the airlock. Matthew waved them bye and knew that he would have his trust in the two. Ephraim and Basil shuttled themselves down the stairs and knew that the shield around the station wouldn't last long.

"Ok, Asher will probably want to speak to you, so you take the middle ship and I'll take the side ships. Running out of the stairwell they arrived at the airlock and Basil looked at the airlock attendant and nodded. He needed to protect himself and placed a layer of energy over his body.

"Good idea, try not to blow up the ships we can still use them in the future, do everything you can to save them." Ephraim said as he nodded and green energy layered over his body. They both placed out their wings and walked forward, barely able to fit through the glass box as their wings hit they went inside the airlock and waited for the door to close.

"Good luck." Ephraim said as he save a two finger salute to Basil and focused on the four arriving ships. The ship that seemed to be warping, was large having a massive circular wing around it that allowed it to bend space and time. Three other ships arrived and they started to do their lap around the station.

The airlock opened and they were pulled out into the cold empty void of space. It wasn't a danger to them their fusion stones, protecting their lungs and other organs from being sucked out. Both of them started to fly away, they easily passed through the forcefield and were truly in space.

With one last nod Ephraim flew forward towards the center ship and knew he'd have to face Asher. He approached the ship and it seemed to be preparing missiles. They fired out and Ephraim put his hands forward, the missiles all stopped in place as Ingram held them.

Spreading his arms out, he redirected the missiles and they flew off in any direction, probably all going to fall into the sun at one point or another. Ephraim smiled it felt good to be back in battle, putting his fingers forward he fired green blasts of energy. Manipulating the energy he led them all towards the ship.

And then right as they were going to hit the ship, he slid his fingers across and ensphered the ship with his energy. The ship stayed trapped as Ingram walked forward and passing in between his energy circle he approached the ship. There was an airlock on the ship and Ephraim made his move.

The Dragon Komodo put his fingers between the doors and pulled them apart. He flew into the airlock and the door slammed shut behind him. Ingram walked forward and pulled the second set of doors apart. He walked forward and knew what was happening.

As soon as Ephraim he twisted into the hallway facing forward and saw two Primetroopers pointing their guns at him. Smiling, he raised his hand and fired another beam. The two beam fired out and the Primetroopers fell to the ground as their armor was destroyed.

Ephraim didn't feel anyone else in the ship and walked forward towards the bridge of the ship. He walked forward and arriving in, he sat down and seemingly in reaction a hologram projector active. Ephraim heard the sound of a satellite dish turning towards where Terraona Prime would be, and then the hyper-luminal transmission began.

"Well then Ingram I didn't expect you to complete this that quickly, well you look different. I like the horns, well then everything has been building up to this and oh wait I've said this before." Asher said as his hologram formed and he stood in front of Ephraim.

"Sorry it seems you can't figure out I'm Ephraim now and I'm sorry but you're going to going to be cut off early and watch out we're coming for you." Ingram said as he slammed his hand into the control panel and then like that, Asher disappeared.