by Nowhereman
Arnold Julius Reiner turned in his chair and repeated, "I've been expecting you!"
Jack Nasty laughed. "Did I just step into a fucking James Bond film?"
"Nah," said Captain Howdy, "I just think ol' Arnie is a Robbie Williams fan!"
"Cut it out, guys!" said Nowhereman.
"You three never change," said AJR. "The world is falling down around you, reality is totally outta whack, and you idiots joke around!"
"Excuse me arsehole, but do we fucking know you?" demanded Howdy.
AJR laughed. "Know me? No! Be me, yes!"
"What the hell is that s'posed to mean?" asked Jack.
"It's obvious," said Nowhereman. "He's another one of me... uhh... us!"
"Close, but not quite in the way you think!" said AJR. "See, I know more about you than even you know yourself!"
Howdy said, "Well, how would you like to spill the beans, arseface, or would you like me to spill your guts?"
"Okay, I will explain..." began Arnold Julius Reiner. "For a long time, you three have thought you were all manifestations of one single being."
AJR gestured toward Nowhereman. "But you are all wrong!"
"Hold on a second," said Nowhereman. "These two both split from me!"
"Or so it would seem," continued AJR, "but the truth is they are not a part of you. All three of you are part of a reality-wide force that has been dubbed the Nowhereforce. Each of you was a possessor of the Nowhereforce power in your own realms!"
"What ya mean realms?" asked Howdy.
AJR continued, "All of you come from a different reality, with Nowhereman's reality being the prime reality. There is only supposed to be one Nowhereman, whatever name he goes under in any reality at one time, but due to a strange twist of fate, Mister Nowhereman hadn't died before the current Nowhereman gained his powers!"
"He was believed dead for years, but then he came back!" Nowhereman explained.
"Exactly," said AJR. "When he was trapped in the void, the Nowhereforce lost its connection to him, and -- assuming he had died -- it gave power to you, but when Mister Nowhereman escaped, the balance caused a strange anomaly where you were able to connect mentally with Nowheremen from other realities. When both Captain Howdy's and Jack's realities were destroyed, they were able to channel through you to end up in your reality!"
"Holy shit!" said Jack.