Heroes Don't Fear the Reaper

Story
A time portal opens as the Time Cycle flies out, and has a rough landing in the streets below. Ryder in his black leather jacket and Skurd climb out, them being disoriented.

Skurd: Surely you could’ve landed a bit better than that.

Ryder: Sorry. I’m still getting used to the controls of that thing. They’re very sensitive.

Skurd: So where are we now? Future? Past? Alien planet?

Ryder: If I did it right, we should be in the modern day.

Skurd: Oh, how boring! What are you going to do with that?

Ryder: Well…

Ryder takes off walking, as they approach a Mr. Smoothy’s.

Skurd: What is that?

Ryder: Mr. Smoothy’s. They’ve got the widest variety of smoothies on Earth. I’m in the mood for their watermelon and pistachio smoothie.

Skurd: First, I don’t understand the wide variety of foods you humans subject yourselves too.

Ryder: Says the one feeding off the dozens of DNA samples in my Omnitrix.

Skurd: And second, even by Earth standards that sounds unappealing.

Ryder: Mr. Smoothy has something for everyone.

Ryder reaches for the door to Mr. Smoothy’s, when it fades away, Ryder simply pushing on a wall. Ryder rubs his eyes to make sure they aren’t playing tricks on him, then he steps back freaked out.

Ryder: Uh, there was a door there a moment ago, right?

Skurd: (In astonishment) Yes. There was a building there as well.

Ryder steps back further, seeing that where the store once was is just a stone wall. A moment later, the Mr. Smoothy establishment returns.

Ryder: An alien tech Mr. Smoothy’s?

Skurd: There’s only one thing to do in this sort of situation.

Ryder: Yep.

Ryder lets out a battle cry as he charges through the door, entering the Mr. Smoothy’s. It looks like the inside of any regular Mr. Smoothy’s. The door closes behind them.

Ryder: Well, that was anti-climatic.

Skurd: A waste of time if you ask me.

Ryder: And it looks like it’s empty. No one at the register. Let’s just leave.

Ryder turns around and opens the door, a pinwheel aurora shining in through the dimensional travel. Ryder slams the door shut, sitting and leaning against the door.

Ryder: Okay. Dimension traveling Mr. Smoothy. Didn’t see that one coming.

Skurd: Surely this kind of thing is typical for you.

Ryder: You’d think so.

Ryder gets up, as an explosion sound occurs from the back room. Ryder walks over and through the door, finding Professor Hokestar trying to fix a machine, which is letting off smoke.

Ryder: Hokestar?

Hokestar: Whazza?

Hokestar pops his head up, spotting Ryder there.

Hokestar: Ryder! Hello my boy!

Skurd: You know this guy? He looks like a Merlinsapien.

Ryder: More like a con artist. What are you getting at this time?

Hokestar: Why, I am offended that you would think that I am not offering an appropriate and legitimate service! I am using this device here to travel to several dimensions to sell my smoothies, in order to maximize my profits!

Ryder: Yeah, that doesn’t sound suspicious at all.

The machine makes the sound of engine failure, as Hokestar frantically goes back to work on it. The machine flat out dies on him, as they feel the Mr. Smoothy’s land.

Hokestar: Welp, not much more to do but to survey our newest selling ground!

Hokestar heads out the door, ignoring Ryder and pushing past him. Ryder looks down at Skurd, who shrugs his shoulders. Ryder follows after Hokestar, bumping into him right outside the store.

Ryder: Ow! Hey, why’d you, whoa.

The Mr. Smoothy’s is on a canyon ground, it being a tanned color while the sky is purple. The grass is dried up and dead, while the nearby river resembles toxic sludge.

Skurd: I do not think we are in a respectable location anymore.

Hokestar: Surely no place where I can sell smoothies! Hmph! I’ll just try and fix my machine.

Hokestar heads back inside, as Ryder walks off, going deeper into the canyon.

Skurd: Ryder. I do not think this is the best idea.

Ryder: Relax. I have some experience in traveling to other dimensions. Maybe I’ll run into an alternate form of myself.

Ryder continues on, making it to a forest, the branches being silver spikes instead of having leaves.

Sweet Voice: Why, hello there little one. Are you lost?

Ryder looks around, not able to see the source of the sound. He then relaxes.

Ryder: Uh, yeah. First time here. We’re just exploring.

Sweet Voice: “We?” I don’t see a second soul there.

Ryder looks down his arm, seeing that Skurd has slinked up his jacket sleeve.

Ryder: (Mumbling) Coward. (Regular voice) I guess I lost him while traveling. I’m going to look for him.

Sweet Voice: Oh, come now. Don’t be shy. I’ll help you out with your search. I have lived here for quite some time and know the area well.

Ryder: Really? Uh thanks, but I’ll be fine.

The spike branches shift as the woman approaches, coming out into the open.

Voice: Don’t look in her eyes! Use the Vulpimancer Wildmutt!

Ryder is startled by this voice, turning and searching for it.

Ryder: That voice!

Sweet Voice: What voice? I’m right here.

Ryder turns to look back at the woman, when Skurd’s tendrils stretch along his head, forming Wildmutt’s head over the top of his head and his jaw. Ryder’s vision is now scent based, as his sense of smell creates a build of the woman. She has a large body, with her hair shifting and hissing like snakes.

Ryder: Whoa! A snake lady?

Voice: Specifically, Medusa.

Medusa: (Holding back irritation) Reaper. You have some nerve coming here.

A figure in a black cloak walks up next to Ryder, hood obscuring his face. Ryder turns his head towards him, sniffing him as well.

Ryder: It is you. What are you doing in this place? And where are we?

Skurd: You know this guy too?

Reaper: I’ll say it once, Medusa. Leave now or be destroyed again.

Medusa: Well. (Hisses) There’s nothing worse than this.

Medusa lunges towards Reaper and Ryder at a breakneck pace. Ryder raises his arm to activate the Omnitrix, Medusa scratching at the Omnitrix. Ryder is knocked to the ground from the impact, falling to his butt. The Omnitrix glows yellow from this as Medusa lunges at him again.

Reaper holds his arm out to the side, as a sparking light occurs. A long handled scythe forms in his hand, the scythe tip pointing at Medusa’s neck, her stopped inches away from it. On the end of the scythe is a keychain of a skull.

Medusa: (Hisses) He’ll have your head.

Reaper: I have some good connections. Don’t worry about me.

Reaper swings his scythe in the blink of an eye, decapitating Medusa and breaking her down into dust. He swings his scythe again, a random current of wind blowing through the area, scattering the dust into the forest.

Reaper: Okay, Skurd. You can revert now.

Skurd reverts, retracting the Wildmutt head off Ryder’s. Skurd comes out of Ryder’s sleeve, looking up at Reaper.

Skurd: How did you know my name?

Reaper: I keep a record on all creatures and beings that utilize the powers of the Omnitrix. Whether they be human or alien.

Ryder: You’re John, aren’t you? John Smith? I recognized your voice, and your scent.

Reaper sighs, and looks down towards the ground. Skurd looks up the hood, then back at Ryder.

Skurd: You sure this thing is human? I mean, he doesn’t even have a face.

Ryder: What? Let me see.

Ryder bends down and looks up the hood, gasping in surprise as he backs up.

Ryder: He doesn’t! But, you…

Reaper: The last person to see my face, was Puppet Master. This caused her to recognize me and seek me out when the dimensions broke, leading to the events that brought all the alternate counterparts together.

Skurd: Uh, what is he talking about?

Ryder: When various different versions of ourselves from other dimensions came together. Some good, some evil, some neutral. Then there was Puppet Master, who was just crazy.

Reaper: I decided to remove my face to avoid that sort of incident again.

Ryder: So what? You’re the Grim Reaper? (Gasps) Does that mean we’re in…

Reaper: The Underworld. More specifically, Tartarus.

Skurd: What does that mean?

Ryder: Uh, he lost me there a bit too. But we’re in the land of the dead.

Reaper: And where the most dangerous monsters are. You need to leave, now.

Ryder and Reaper run back to the Mr. Smoothy’s, which has a series of hellhounds and cyclops surrounding the building.

Reaper: You came here in a Mr. Smoothy’s? Man, it’s been an eternity since I’ve had that.

Skurd: We don’t have time for this!

Reaper: Get inside. I’ll hold them off.

Ryder slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Diamondhead. He fires crystal shards, destroying several hellhounds. The cyclops spot them and charge forward at them. Diamondhead slams his arms into the ground, a crystal tower shooting him into the air over the cyclops. A cyclops swings a fist at Reaper, who spins his scythe to deflect and destroy the cyclops. He spins and stabs a cyclops in the leg, it breaking down into dust.

Reaper: If you know the name of the Reaper, you shall flee now.

Drooping voice: I know the voice of the Reaper! You’re the one who pretended to by my father!

Reaper sighs, as he turns, spotting a cyclops larger than the others.

Reaper: Hello, Polyphemus. You’re looking well.

Polyphemus: Not after what you did to me! Prepare to die!

Polyphemus hammers both arms into Reaper, who uses his other arm to brace the scythe, it taking the full force of Polyphemus’ attack. Reaper is unable to push through, as he twists his foot. The ground shifts underneath him, moving him out of the way and causing Polyphemus to run past him. He strikes his leg with the scythe, though it only makes a cut.

Reaper: You always were a pain. Ryder! I’ll handle this guy! You get out of here!

Diamondhead stands with his back to the door, firing crystal shards to drive the cyclops off, though they all take the attacks with ease.

Diamondhead: That isn’t as easy as you make it sound!

Diamondhead punches a cyclops, sending it flying into another one. The cyclops dog pile onto Diamondhead, who pushes them off, panting.

Diamondhead: They’re as strong as I am!

Skurd: Why don’t you ask for my help?! I have an idea.

Diamondhead: (Firing crystal shards) Listening.

Skurd: When Medusa attacked, it unlocked a new DNA sample! If we couldn’t look at her…

Diamondhead: Then maybe they can’t! Dial it in for me!

Skurd stretches his tendrils, twisting the Omnitrix symbol. He slaps it down, as Ryder transforms into Toepick, his weight dropping to his stomach. He looks at himself, confused.

Toepick: Okay. How do I use this guy?

Skurd: Try opening the helmet!

Toepick: Helmet? (He reaches up, touching the helmet) Oh!

The helmet hisses as it opens, the sound of women screaming as it does. Wails and tortured moans occur, as the helmet finishes opening. The cyclops all stare at his face, them turning white as ghosts. They yell in fear and panic, as they all break away into dust, forming piles on the ground.

Toepick: Whoa! Now, let’s handle the big guy.

Polyphemus goes to kick Reaper, who jumps and seemingly floats over the kick. Reaper impales his scythe into his leg, stuck to it and sitting sideways on his leg. Polyphemus flails his leg, trying to shake him off.

Polyphemus: Get off me and die like a man!

Reaper: Surely you’ve learned. Men doesn’t die easily. You want proof? Take a look at the other guy.

Polyphemus: Huh?

Polyphemus turns around, looking straight at Toepick’s face. The way that Reaper is sitting on Polyphemus’ leg, he is facing away from Toepick. Polyphemus turns white as he howls in distress, breaking into dust. Reaper stays airborne, as he reorients himself and lands on his feet.

Reaper: Not bad. You can close the mask now.

Toepick: Oh, uh, right.

The mask closes, as Toepick reverts.

Ryder: Whoo! That was something.

Hokestar screams as he runs out of the Mr. Smoothy’s, a hellhound chasing him. Reaper appears and destroys the hellhound, as Hokestar hides behind Ryder.

Hokestar: (Hysteric) That, that, that’s a beast of the dead! We’re in hell! I never thought it existed!

Ryder: How’d that repair go?

Hokestar: No good! We’re stuck! We’re stuck in hell!

Ryder: Okay. Let me fix it. It’ll be nothing for Jury Rigg.

Hokestar: You can fix it?! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?! Get to already lad!

Hokestar drags Ryder along, going past Reaper.

Ryder: John…

Reaper: John has been dead for a long time now. It’s Reaper now. Hurry up. I’m already in violation of my contract by saving you. Last thing I want is for you to die.

Ryder: Thanks.

Hokestar takes Ryder inside, who turns into Jury Rigg. He repairs the machine at a breakneck speed, as the Mr. Smoothy transports itself out of Tartarus. Reaper nods in approval, and fades away. End Scene

Hokestar is at a meeting in a large museum like exhibit, with Collectimus at the other end of the table. They are drafting up a deal, Collectimus signing it.

Collectimus: Thank you, Hokestar. (Snorts) I’ll be sure to treat your dimension traveling Mr. Smoothy with prestige.

Hokestar: Forget prestige! You’re the only person willing to pay for this stupid thing! I just want it gone, and you have fulfilled my wish! Now good day!

Hokestar rushes out of the office, as Collectimus waits until Hokestar is out of range. Collectimus lets out a scream for joy, bouncing off the walls.

Collectimus: I’ve got it! The ultimate collector’s piece! My very own Mr. Smoothy’s! The location that John Smith went to all the time! And the fact that it can travel across dimensions, DOUBLE BONUS! I can go back to collecting memorabilia from not only John Smith, but Jane and Megaman and every other variant of John Smith! My collection will finally expand past Ryder memorabilia!

Characters

 * Ryder
 * Skurd
 * Professor Hokestar
 * Reaper

Villains

 * Medusa
 * Polyphemus
 * Hellhounds
 * Cyclops

By Ryder

 * Diamondhead
 * Toepick (first chronological appearance)
 * Jury Rigg (cameo)

By Skurd

 * Wildmutt (head only)

Trivia

 * This episode shows how Collectimus obtained the dimension traveling Mr. Smoothy's.
 * Reaper makes his first return, as well as the first time he has been credited in appearing.
 * Reaper references the episode where he kills Puppet Master, as well as the Battle of the Omnitrices.
 * Toepick was unlocked by Medusa scratching the Omnitrix, the same way it was unlocked in the John Smith 10 saga.
 * Ryder meets with Reaper due to the dimension hopping Mr. Smoothy entering the Underworld of John Smith's dimension.