1.11 Outsider Part 12

“So you won’t need any help back in your home dimension?” asks Sam as we see Fiona off.

The portal she is using is already open in one of the lower levels of the base. It turns out the old League had a interdimensional portal device stored away.

I wish I had known about this sooner, I think, I could have used it to help Narszara get back home. Why didn’t think to look for it before now?

Fiona is in her costume with two containers of Sentinel Tech.

“Thanks for the help guys,” says Fiona with a wave goodbye to us before stepping through the portal of swirling multi-coloured energy.

I hesitate for a moment before deciding on a course of action.

“I need to ask Fiona something,” I tell the others before going through after her.

I look around as I arrive in another world, on top of a mountain. This is my first time in another dimension, I realise as I spot Fiona at the mountain edge. I follow her trail of sight, looking at the American town below that the mountain presides over.

She puts the containers down and sits down, her legs dangling over the edge.

“May I join you for a moment?” I ask Fiona as I walk up to her.

She turns her head and stares for a moment, before saying, “Sure.”

“Thanks,” I say and I sit down next to her.

“I assume there is a reason you followed me through?” says Fiona.

“Yeah,” I reply, “I wanted to ask you something, but it slipped my mind until the last moment.”

“What is it?”

“When you first arrived, you said you came to my universe because something unusually there stood out to you. I was wondering if you could explain what is was in greater detail?”

Fiona thinks for a moment before replying.

“There is a interdimensional phenomenon called Outsiders,”  Fiona answers, “It occurs when one isn’t connected to a universe and as result, become immune to effects that would change that reality at its core. Usually when someone ends up in a foreign universe or they end up travelling between dimensions. Because we’re from outside that reality, when it changes internally, we’re not affected because the local stuff doesn’t apply to us. So say someone travels to another dimension and settles there. They would be an Outsider. Then someone goes back in time and changes something. Everybody else would act if the change had always happened because for them, it had. But the Outsider would remember before the change and would be able to act on them, because as foreign element, the internal changes wouldn’t be part of them. This makes a settled Outsider a *&@#”£ to fight as they wouldn’t be affect by time travel, reality warping or other stuff like that. Plus the vast majority of Outsiders are tough and dangerous as they had to struggle to survive and end up very good at surviving and adapting to rapidly changing situations.”

“So a settled Outsider in my universe and that is what drew your attention?” I say.

“One that’s particularly unusually,” replies Fiona, “You should know something about Outsiders. When they’re in a universe, it can’t split into alternate realities that occur when different paths are taken. This is because you can’t get alternate version of an Outsider. While you can get alternates that both end up as Outsiders, an Outsider won’t form any more alternate of themselves. This means that any changes to that reality are permanent and proper. So time travel or reality warping would usually create an alternate version of a reality, but if it has Outsider it won’t happened because that would form alternate of that Outsider.”

“So what you’re saying is that my universe is particularly vulnerable to internal changes?” I say.

“That’s one aspect of it,” agrees Fiona, “But you should be aware that people can leave their reality and return as Outsider like I am. And not always after the same amount of time has passed. For example, it has only been two years for my reality since I left, but it’s been six years and a half from my perspective. Over three times longer for me.”

“Thanks for that information,” I reply, “It might come in handy someday. Call for advice if you need it. I’ll also send you some spare costumes once you inform me where you want them to appear in this dimension.”

“Goodbye Sentinel,” says Fiona as I get up.

“It’s just Daniel Griffin,” I reply, “I’m not in my armour. And goodbye Flashblast.”

I walk back through the portal where Narszara is waiting.

“Milord,” says Narszara as I deactivate the portal, “I wish to ask you something.”

“Ask away,” I reply with a wave of my hand.

“You have technology that can be used to communicate with those in other parts of the Multiverse?” inquires Narszara.

“Correct,” I tell her.

“Excellent,” says Narszara happily and begins to walk away.

Wait a moment…

“Narszara,” I say and the Norgardian comes to a halt, “Do you know what an Outsider is?”

“Aye Verigar,” replies Narszara.

“Are you an Outsider,” I ask her.

“Yes I am,” answers Narszara, “I do fit the criteria.”

“That is all,” I say and she leaves the room.

Narszara is an Outsider. If my suspicions are correct, it was her presence that got Fiona’s attention.

I’m also relieved at the idea of the League having an Outsider as a member, especially one as powerful as Narszara. Even if someone does alter reality, Narszara would still be around to stop them even if those changes got rid of the League.