Chapter 1
Inside of a small wild west themed room, a humanoid and black colored praying mantis with four arms sat on a chair with his insectoid digitigrade legs resting on top of the desk in front of him. On those strange 'feet' of his were a pair of custom-made cowboy boots.
In one of his surprisingly human hands of his upper right arm, he held a whiskey glass filled halfway up with some strange purple liquid. Directly behind him was a poster of Arthur Morgan placed neatly on the wall, framed, surrounded by candles and the skulls of various lifeforms, looking very similar to an altar.
In his upper left arm, he held a Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, which he promptly started to swing around in a dangerous but casual way, and started to yell to what seemed like thin air in a heavy southern accent.
"I don't deserve this shit right here! I ain't done nothin wrong!" Even though he was clearly alone in this small room, an elegent voice that seemed both male and female replied back to him.
"You destroyed half of the EchoMist Empire, and killed their ruler." The unknown voice was as if the speaker was both close, but far. Loud, yet quiet.
"Oh please darlin, I killed maybe one or two. As for the other guy, well, he was clearly in the wrong! I asked all nice and polite for that gun, and he spit in my face, and that my dear, was cause for a reckonin." Finished speaking, he took a sip of the purple liquid, his inhuman face squinting in pleasure.
The voice waited for a few seconds before speaking.
"Please refrain from using that backwater tone of speech. You are an interdimensional being with the power to wipe out a universe if you put your mind to it, I would advise to behave like it. As for the damages, you destroyed 3 galaxies, thousands of solar systems, tens of thousands of civilized worlds, with the casualties being around 231 quadrillion, and that's only counting the sapient ones." Ignoring the displeasure of the voice, the cowboy mantis seemed a little stunned.
"Well I'll be! That ain't too shabby! Might even be cause for a little celebration with sweet Lazzuxei. Still, I don't see how that means I gotta be put in time out like some damn child! For 10,000 years no less!"
As the mantis started getting irritated, the space around him started warping, the gun in his hand and the cowboy hat on his head erupted into beautiful green flames. Before he could lash out, the voice returned with enough cold water to put out whatever flame he could conjure.
"If you perform even a single error during your current punishment, you will terminated and sent to the Void Zero Dimension for all eternity."
At the speed of light the green fire was put out, the space returned to normal, the mantis put his feet down, threw away the whiskey glass and the gun to parts unknown, and straightened his back.
The Void Zero Dimension was a 'prison' that held some of the greatest criminals and evil doers who threatened their organization. The prisoner would be placed in a tiny pitch black cell and left there to rot forever.
No longer could they enjoy the wind blowing through their tentacles, or the delicious food going down their gullet. And for the mantis, who loved life and it's infinite pleasures, that fate would be worse than death itself.
"Now now sweet cakes, no need to get bent outta shape." After clearing his throat, he continued.
"So, what are the bosses lookin for me to do?"
"You have a plethora of tasks to complete. First, you are to deliver a Tower Core to Dimension 4-BBAY36 for testing, before its requisite opening to other Dimensions. You have been limited in designing the Core to the bare basic, thankfully."
"Huh? So you tellin me I can't even make good ole Wild West Tower? Tell me I can at least give it a little lovin of knowledge."
"You have been permitted to give a certain amount of 'lovin' to the Core. Please act with discretion, for too much will be seen as an error." After the voice stopped speaking, a rip in space appeared in front of the mantis.
The tear in space was only slightly larger than an adult human's torso. The cowboy insect shoved his upper right arm into the rift, acting as though he was looking around for something. Finding what he needed, he pulled out a transparent gem, and inside, it was as if a galaxy was swirling. Countless 'stars' could be seen, traveling at a slow pace.
"Ooo yee, never fails to impress. Wish I had me one, but things are got damn expensive." After admiring the Core for a few more seconds, a familiar green fire erupted from between his hands, covering the Core.
Strangely, the Core was unharmed. The only noticeable difference that could been seen were the stars both multiplying in number, and moving at a quickening speed. A few minutes had passed when he suddenly stopped.
"Ain't oscar worthy, but it'll do."
With that done the mantis stood up and teleported to the middle of the room. Suddenly, a custom-made baseball glove appeared in his upper left hand. He stood in silence for but a brief moment, before slowly making his move.
In all seriousness, he put the glove carrying the Core behind his back, and slowly bent forward. He stared at empty space, as if facing his greatest opponent, before he suddenly made a powerful move! In an instant he threw the Core, faster than light, straight at the wall! Before the Core shattered into pieces another tear in space opened in front of it, disappearing to the Dimension it was chosen for.
"Phewwy, damned if I'm not good! It's a shame, hell, a tragedy the multiverse has never seen before, that not one livin soul got to watch somethin so darn beautiful. Make a grown man cry. Anyway, what's next pumpkin?"
"Your next task is to return the Mark IV Mist Laser Revolver you stole, in person, to the current EchoMist Emperor. Who just so happens to be the son of the previous Emperor you murdered." After hearing such dreadful news, the cowboy was stunned for a second before erupting in rage.
"FUCK!" Finished putting his tracheal systems through torture, he seemed to realize something.
"Darlin, why you sound like that. Almost, happy?"
"You are imagining things, 'sir'."