Tear in the Megaverse WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors Series: 5]

PROLOGUE 1 - Terpolite Monitor Station, Intersection

The job was boring. Uneventful. Unchanging.

But it was the job.

Their Queen had ordered the Walls of Creation to be monitored at all times for the last year, something about an accidental attempt to fuse megaverses, and now it was time for the change in shifts.

Finn collapsed into a chair as Jordan pulled a bag over their shoulder, the two other monitors in their team having already left.

"Have fun," they said with a wink.

Finn rolled his head over the back of the chair. "Watching a bunch of Walls do nothing at all. Oh, yeah. Lots of fun."

Jordan laughed. "See you tomorrow, Finn."

Finn waited until they left before turning back to his screen, pointedly ignoring the interested looks he got from his two workmates. It was hardly a secret that he and Jordan had chemistry. Hell, Finn was just waiting until he built up the courage to ask them to dinner! Next time, he told himself.

He scanned the readings on his screen. Everything was normal, as per usual. Nothing changed. Not that they ever changed.

"Maybe I should start that book . . ."

"Might as well," Ali agreed, kicking her feet onto the desk. "Nothing will happen. Nothing ever happens."

"I'd be amazed if it did."

A groan from across the room. "Why do we have to do this?" Xen complained.

"Queen's orders," Ali answered, blowing a gum bubble. "Someone tried to fuse megaverses together last year. Apparently that's possible. Anyway, it's possible something might've happened to the Walls."

"This is the spot where several Walls meet," Finn continued, pulling a book from his workbag. "If anything were to happen—which it won't—it would be here or other places like it."

"Still," Xen said, "ten-hour shift for a thirty-hour day doing nothing but staring at shit—"

"Hey, we agreed to this." Ali blew and popped another bubble. "This is hard to read shit. We're some of the few people who can make heads or tails of it!"

"Doesn't make it any less boring."

* * * * * * * *

Two hours into the shift, Ali stretched and yawned. She rocked to her feet, walking the length of the room to get the feeling back in her numbed legs. Finn watched with a fond shake of the head, turning back to his book. Xen's eyes were glued to his phone. He was focused on some Earth group-matching game.

"Coffee," Ali announced. "I need coffee. You guys want coffee?"

"Sure," Finn said.

"Same for me!" Xen called with an enthusiastic raise of the hand.

Ali laughed. "Coffee all around! Be right back, boys."

As she walked to the door, Ali stopped suddenly, backtracking to her screen. She leaned in closer with a frown. "What in the worlds . . ."

Finn and Zen spun at her tone.

"What is it?" Finn asked.

"Something impossible." Ali moved into the chair, eyes scanning the screen with expert precision. "Something is happening."

"What?"

"Something very very bad!"

She typed furiously, copying the readings into a message and sending it to the Research Station back home on Terpola. The message sent in seconds—thank the Gods for inter-universal signal! Ali had titled the message "URGENT VERY URGENT ABSOULTEY AN EMERGENCY", there was no doubt the results would be sent to the Queen as soon as possible. Hopefully that was before anything actually happened.

Ali sat back and stared at the screen, the two men peering over her shoulders.

The readings were crazy! No longer the flat lines they watched each day. Now they had spikes at regular intervals. Strangely regular intervals. It was almost as though something was on the others side, pounding against the Walls from the Void itself, but that was impossible! Nothing lived in the Void. It was just energy. Except . . .

Another spike.

The Station shattered, the closest wall blowing in on itself from something outside, throwing the three across the room in an explosion of metal, concrete, wood and brick.

Ali threw up an air shield, allowing the three to survive the onslaught with little damage.

The same couldn't be said for the Station itself. It was in pieces, part of the roof having collapsed, and an entire wall and partial corner missing.

The shield lowered, the three taking up defensive positions. They summoned their respective powers as something broke through one of the Walls of the Worlds.

Tentacles slithered through the wreaked building, closely followed by a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. It pulled itself through the Wall into Creation, raising itself on the back of its strangely smooth almost-clear body. Everything it touched begun to disintegrate, being pulled into what lay beyond the Wall. Many dark eyes sat atop the creature's head.

"By the Gods . . ." Finn breathed.

Ali's eyes were firmly on the creature. "That's not possible. There's no way . . ."

Xen stared. "But how . . ."

The creature stared down at the three workers. They readied themselves, the colours of their power flaring at their hands, casting the remains of the Station in multi-coloured light.

The Void Beast roared and leapt forward.