Crossover Earth '98

The vacation was finally over. Saber had had enough of One World Government Land. He wanted to go home to the fighting and the backstabbing and the mistrust of his own world. And he watched the technicians activate the Gate and watched Spectrum get ready to jump through, Saber reflected on his sojourn.

Saber couldn’t function very well without one of the identity cards, so he picked his Target in Los Angeles. He would have preferred his duplicate in this world, but this world’s Nathan Lee had classified blocks. So instead he found someone who resembled himself enough to pass casual inspection.

Killing the mark was simple It didn’t matter what world people came from, necks broke right just the right amount of pressure. Finding the acids to destroy the body took a little longer. But within a within a week, Nathan Lee could walk the streets in safety as Edward Cavanah.

Saber found that the general populace already knew about the Gates. So much more his desire to plunge this mixed up world into chaos. Junction City didn’t know the military base held a Gate, but Saber didn’t think leaking that information would do much damage.

Saber wanted to stir things up in this world, because he could feel something in the air. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. He felt stirring things up would do something, but he was worried about making it back to his world.

He found that this world had no supers and a low crime rate. The law enforcement was all WorldGov forces. With a unified law enforcement, any major chaos that Saber could deliver would be far too dangerous for his attempt to go home.

Punishment seems to range from fines to a temporary stint in government work camps. Saber failed to find out more. With his nose for secrets, Saber knew there was something going on. It felt like something was being hidden, like there was kind of tension among the public.

Worst of all, the whole reason Saber got stuck in the screwed up world, teleportation, seemed to be a fantasy. The only information he could find on the technology was actually a modified gate concept. A person would start in his world, "teleport" to a booth in this world, then "teleport" back to another point in his world. What a joke, Saber thought.

The only really useful thing Saber found from this world was that they were in Phase II with his world. Try as he might, Saber could not find out what Phase III was, but he could gather that Phase III would begin as soon as they felt they were safe from the other world.

During his month, Saber played the tourist, snapping pictures as he went. Military buildups, newspaper clippings, unknown technology. He figured it would make a great slide show to the right person. That and his general uneasiness in the world, could land him with a sweet deal. Perhaps, when he got home he should look up Agent Smiley.

But first Saber had to get home. He watched the technicians do their thing, and the room he remembered from a month ago appeared in the middle of the Gate. The courier, Spectrum and Saber all stepped through. Saber breathed a sigh of relief. He was home. Things could get back to normal. The filtered air smelled like home. But he wasn’t out of danger yet. The unknown factor of Spectrum was still a problem. Saber kept close to the other invisible man, determined to stop him if he tried anything funny.

The couriers exchanged banalities and documents again. Then Saber’s vision went fuzzy as the static from his visor tried to blind him. From what he could tell, Saber and everyone in the room had suffered from a localized electromagnetic pulse. The normal radio traffic Saber listened to turned to static. Luckily, his Chameleon field held.

He wasn’t sure, but he could guess. That bastard of a mutant did this. Spectrum would pay.

Saber headed for Spectrum at the same time as the guards, guns out, start combing the room. Saber pinned Spectrum in a choke hold, before Spectrum could let loose with energy blasts on the machinery.

Saber growled through clenched teeth, "You screwed with my life for a month, Spandex Boy, now you try to screw up a potential money train. You're going down."

Saber began to apply crushing pressure to Spectrum’s windpipe when the light based super reflexively went into defensive teleport mode. Saber was left holding a rainbow of air.

Seeing the rainbow flashes from the teleporting, the guards started to fill the air with lead. Saber took a round in the shoulder before ducking out of the line of fire. His armor protected him from all but the bruising the round gave him. Through his damaged sensors Saber saw Spectrum make his escape.

Another time, light boy, another time, Saber thought.

Then he too took his leave, before the guards wild fire slipped through his defenses.

Milton Howe, White House chief of security, returned to his humble D.C. home after a long day discussing security at the Dimensional Gate. He unlocked the door and wandered though the kitchen. He was starting to pour himself a drink, when he noticed the faint light in the living room. Howe never left his lights on. He drew his pistol and eased his way into the living room.

The reading light by his favorite chair shed light across the coffee table. Howe scanned the room, but saw no one. But someone had been there, for the coffee table contained a series of photos showing the Gate, Howe, the facility, and Howe’s friend on the other side of the gate. The pictures were grainy and looked damaged, but they were damning enough.

"Unless you want to try to keep your intestines from falling out of a shotgun hole in your gut, I suggest you drop the piece."

Howe tried to followed the voice to his chair. A man dressed in black and gold materialized holding a custom shotgun aimed at Howe. Howe paused only a moment before tossing his gun on the couch and raising his hands.

"Please, Milty, I’m not here to rob you, put your hands down and have a seat."

Howe complied. "So, Saber, is it? What are these supposed be?" motioning to the pictures.

Saber shifted in his seat, but the barrel of his weapon never wavered from Howe. "Milty, Milty, Milty. You wound me. Playing dumb isn’t your strong suit. We both know about the Gate, the alternate reality with the World Government, the technology exchange every month. Oh, and that little fiasco the other day with Spectrum? Can we cut the games now?"

Howe sighed, "Fine. How much is this going to cost me?"

There was a dangerous edge to Saber’s voice, "Mr. Howe, I said cut the games. I’m not a simple con man. I do not want your money. I want in on the action."

Saber pointed to the picture with the Other World’s military build up around their Gate. "Now, I know I may be a bit paranoid, but these troops could either be use for their protection or their invasion. All I’m asking is that if they do attack, I want to be in on the action."

Howe felt himself off the hook, "Done! How can contact you if it hits the fan?"

Saber shook his head. "Not so fast. I also want access to any portable technology you get from that place."

"Now come on! That’s a bit extreme. These pictures aren’t that good," the Chief of Security said.

Saber raised his hand to stop Howe, "In exchange, I’ll give you pointers on the holes in your security and the Other World’s security. You see, Mr. Howe, you just brought me on as an independent security contractor. A spy for hire. Don’t worry, I won’t abuse my position. Congratulations."

Grudgingly, Howe nodded. "But how - "

Saber interrupted. "Don’t worry I’ll be in touch."

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