It was like waking up from a never ending sleep. Which it was, basically. They were waking up in their bodies. Their real bodies. They were waking up from their death.
All that had happened seemed like a dream. A very vivid one at that.
But there was a change. A very noticeable one. Despite being in their spacesuits, the surroundings had changed as well. They were inside a ship. Their ship. The Interstellar Traveller.
"Siri, can you believe this?!" Jayden exulted in glee!
"I can't! B-but," she choked on her breath. "We are here! We are back! We are finally back!" Her face was the pinnacle of joy. She looked all around her. Everyone was waking up, slowly getting up to a sitting position. Their ship was back on, running with power. The Gods had restored it. She ran to the nearest window and took a peek outside. The planetoid where they had been executed still dominated their view. She thought of the robots. It saddened her. She couldn't see them anywhere on the surface.
"Hey, Marky?" she called.
"Yes Siri?" Markus got up and came her way.
"Do you think the robots are still where we left them?" Her eyes glistened as she said the words.
"I'm in the same spot as you. But where could have they gone? Unless, of course the Gods came for them." He regretted saying that. He tried to add something more when Drio alerted them.
"We have bigger things to worry about now," he said, clearly panicking. "Juvo is here too! There! That's his ship. An-and it's coming right towards us!" He scurried across the room and went to Sanduo. "Sir we must do something!"
"But, we can't!" Sanduo squeaked.
"Why?! What are you saying?" Sharlotte flabbergasted.
"Well. We haven't yet got that upgrade. Our ship has no weapons. If we ought to fight him, we are left with no choice but to do that hand to hand, face to face."
"And that's a serious problem," Lily pointed towards the ship. They got what she meant. With the imperial class ship that Juvo had, they were no match for it. They will die as soon as they left their ship.
"It's already taking aim. Sir! We-"
"We need to leave. Now!" Markus said, cutting off Lily. Then he hurried away. "Strap yourselves in somewhere!" Markus said, running towards the control room. A smile befell his mien. An entity was still there. It was Zestor. Markus hollered, "Wake up buddy!"
Zestor did not respond. "Ah of course, how foolish of me." He went to him and pulled open a panel from Zestor's neck. There was a button. He pressed it long. And Zestor came back to life! After long periods of no commands or operations to follow, the robots shut themselves down to conserve power, when their charging stations became inactive; which was the case! While the Gods had dragged Sharlotte from their ship, they saw it black out. Probably after all this time, the power came back on.
"Hey Markus! How was your trip?" Zestor displayed a smiley face.
Markus snickered. "It was quite a trip indeed. But right now, I need you take us to some place far. Far from here. And I mean this instant!" he pointed towards Juvo's ship which was almost ready to fire.
"Oh, of course, sir." Zestor did some maneuvres and clicked a switch. "We are going to our last set destination."
Markus' face lit up. "How fitting." He smiled.
The Interstellar Traveller initiated its warp drive and soon, shot forth into the void; space a bubble around it.
__________
"Ugh! They are fleeing!" Juvo slammed the armrest of his throne. He stood up. "They don't get to flee like this after what they have done to me! My dreams, my ambition..." he pulled his fingers in a fist. His veins stuck out prominently. "Follow them! Go after them at once. I want to execute them myself. By hand." He was panting heavily. "How dare they. First on NCC8, then again here." He had never anticipated their intrusion. He didn't think any obstructions would come his way after he had attained the godly power. "Where did they even come from?"
The engines started. Of what was left of Juvo's followers, took their seats and strapped themselves in. Their warp drive kicked in soon after.
"I was so close. So very close. I should have pushed through. How could they defeat me..." he continued to blabber to himself, clearly in disbelief to what had transpired. But one thing was prominent in what he felt in that moment. It was Rage. He was going to get at them. He had no choice the last time. He was under the Galactic Patrol's attack. But this time, none could interfere. Because it had all occured in isolation.
Now, only one thing could put an end to how Juvo was feeling right now. It was revenge. He was immortal. They were bound to die.
His ship shot forward in the same direction the IMG had escaped in. They could never escape him. He was superior in every way.
__________
The Interstellar Traveller jumped before a green planet. A huge smile stretched to the sides of Markus' face.
"Markus! Markus! Where have you taken us?" Sanduo came hastily through the hallway. When he looked ahead, he found the answer to his question. He stood in silence for a moment. Then he said, "Is that your plan?" It was disbelief that was most prevalent in that question.
"Yep. It is. But... there is still something unaccounted for." His expression soured. "How do we get him out of his ship?"
"Leave that to me," they heard Jarka say. "I have that covered."
__________
"Huh. What have those fools been planning?" Juvo said, eyeing the planet ahead. "I need you to bring them to my feet. Just keep them alive. They are to die by my hand." He instructed to everyone. His ship was a few kilometres away from the IMG's. They orbited the green superearth.
The robots were about to commence with the orders, but there was a sudden intrusion. It was a message. The IMG were transmitting.
"Play it," he commanded.
The driver bot did as instructed. All the members of the IMG came into view. There was the multiversal criminal as well. But what shocked him the most was who was speaking. It was Jarka.
"Look at your condition," he looked at him from top to bottom. "Pathetic," he spat. "You see, Juvo, its always this way with extremists. They are always fated." For the first time, Juvo heard him speak to him condescendingly. His anger boiled. He went under his physical transformation, looking as menacing as an unleashed beast.
"I know how you are, Juvo. From all the time I spent in your prison, I have understood your person."
"How did you get out?" His tone was underlined with rage.
"Is that really so important now? Just accept it. You have been negligent. You have made improper judgements. That ship. It's not even yours to keep. I know who you are. I know what you feel. You won't need your ship to get us."
Juvo couldn't contain his anger anymore. "Prepare my spacesuit."
"My Lord, are you su-"
"JUST DO IT!"
They didn't argue any longer and went to prepare for his dispatch.
"I will show you who I truly am. You don't have the right to meddle with my dreams. What should have beem the glorious future of the multiverse. I am meant for a higher purpose."
"Well, keep dreaming, then." Jarka snickered.
Juvo groaned. Then he hastily made his way towards the airlock. He was going to make them pay for what they had done. This needed an end. It was not an end he had planned. But it was the best he could do to cover the wounds left on his morale. The IMG were going to die. And he would make it painful. He would make them feel how he had felt on the inside. Only, it won't be a mental pain. He was not afraid to have blood on his hands.
Or maybe he simply didn't care anymore.