The door opened.

Light flooded the room.

And the dark figure walked in.

Ronnie Anne stared blankly.

Bobby's jaw dropped.

Rick raised an eyebrow.

"I...I don't believe it." Bobby said.

Charlie cautiously put his gun down.

...

The figure came into view, as everyone's eyes adjusted.

"Lincoln?" Ronnie Anne said, her eyes filled with tears.

"Hi." Said Lincoln, with a nervous smile.

Ronnie Anne rushed over and wrapped her arms around her dear friend in a warm hug.

Lincoln smiled and hugged her back.

"H-how is this possible?" Bobby asked. "Y-you should be dead."

"Well." Said Lincoln, breaking his hug with Ronnie Anne. "They uh... they did this new experimental treatment on me, and it worked. I'm completely cured."

Technically what he said was true. What Alex Mercer did, to bring Lincoln back, could be considered experimental. Furthermore, he was entirely cured of his cancer.

"But I saw your body." Said Ronnie Anne. "I was at your funeral."

"Yeah they uh." Lincoln said, rubbing the back o his head. "They thought I was dead, but really I was just in a coma. I woke up a few days later."

"So you're Lincoln Loud." Said Rick Sanchez. "I'm Rick, and I will need to ask you some questions at some point." He looked at his watch. "Now however, I need to go take care of something."

Rick then left the room, and Charlie fallowed.

Lori then walked into the room.

"Lincoln?" Lori said.

"Care to explain this Babe?" Bobby said, pointing at Lincoln.

"Yeah why didn't you tell us he was alive." Ronnie Anne demanded.

"Well you guys have been through so much," Lori explained. "I thought this might be a bit much for you."

"Guys please don't fight." Said Lincoln.

"He's right." Said Lori, "Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, but." Bobby said. "Rick and that cop said Pariah may be in the building."

"Yeah I know." Said Lori. "I think I saw him. Or at least someone who might be him."

"Lincoln Loud I presume." Came a voice from behind them. Chills moved up and down Lincoln's spine when he heard that voice.

Lincoln turned around to see the ominous figure standing in the door way. The man walked into the room, revealing his face.

"Pariah?" Lincoln said.

"Lincoln Loud," Said Pariah, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."

Everyone in the room backed away.

"Lincoln, if you could." Pariah started, "Tell our mutual friend to meet me on the roof so we can have a chat."

Lincoln gulped.

"Mutual friend?" said Ronnie Anne.

Pariah then turned and left the room.

"What do you think he meant by mutual friend?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"Well." Said Lincoln. "It was probably..."

"He means me." Said Bobby. "It has to be me. He wants to finish me off. I have to face him." Bobby got up, and put his street clothes on, got a pair of crutches, and limped to the door.

"Uh Bobby?" Said Lincoln.

"Bobby, don't do this!" Said Lori. "This isn't what you think it is."

"Babe." Said Bobby. "I have to do this."

"Then at least take Lincoln with you!" Said Lori.

"NO!" Said Bobby, "I don't want him, or you, or anyone else to get hurt."

"Bobby you don't understand." Said Lincoln. "You need to listen to us!"

"Lincoln, bro I..." Said Bobby. "I thought I lost you once, I don't want to lose you again. And Lori, I would never be able to live with myself if anything had ever happened to you. I have to do this alone, I'm sorry."

Bobby limped out of the door.

"BOBBY YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Lori screamed.

...

Bobby's heart raced as he rode that elevator up to the roof, for his showdown with Pariah.

He took out his phone and sent a text to Lori.

Lori picked up her phone and read her text.

"Lori I am so sorry to do this to you, and I am sorry to tell you this over a text message.

But by the time you read this, you will understand why it couldn't be face to face.

I might not make it back Babe. If I don't make it back, if I die up here.

Just know that from the moment I met you, every second with you was the best time of my life.

Lori Loud. I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for you.

You've inspired me so much, thanks babe.

But I feel confident I will see you again because..."

...

The door opened, and Bobby stepped out on the roof.

The roof was empty, stars shined in the night sky. The city lights on the town almost looked like fire.

In the middle of the roof, Pariah stood.

"Bobby?" Said Pariah.

"You wanted me mother fucker." Said Bobby, "Well here I am."

"You?" Said Pariah. "Fuck man, I don't want you."

"You don't?"

"No. The fuck would I want with a goddamn wannabe cop, who can't hold a job, with the IQ of a rodent?"

"Ok ouch." Said Bobby. "But if you're not here to finish me off, why are you here, at THIS hospital."

"Because this is where Alex Mercer works." Pariah simply replied.

"Who's Alex Mercer?" Bobby asked.

"HOLY FUCK!" Pariah yelled, "This is to damn perfect! You actually thought that I was here for a looser like you. That this was going to be some big final confrontation between you and me. But it turns out, the guy I'm REALLY after, you never even heard of! Ahahahahahahahaaaaaa!" Pariah laughed. "Damn you must be fucking dense dude! I mean look at you, you're fucking dying, you can barely even walk!"

Bobby's cheeks started to turn red.

Bobby ran toward Pariah, intending to tackle him.

Pariah smacked Bobby in the face so hard, he went flying backward, slamming into the door he got out of.

"Oh let me guess." Said Pariah. "You've convinced yourself that you're doing this for that little lady friend you got, or for your family. You've convinced yourself you're doing this to protect your family and loved ones. That you're some kind of selfless hero."

Bobby got to his knees and spat out some blood.

"No Bobby." Said Pariah. "You're no hero. If you wanted to protect your girlfriend, sister, and that little white haired brat. You should have just gathered them up, and got the fuck out of here. But no no no. This isn't an act of heroism, how do you think Lori is going to feel after I rip your guts out HUH? No this is a selfish show of how much of a bad ass you are. BIG BAD BOBBY SANTIAGO! This is just you stroking your ego. Just getting some lotion, pulling up some dirty pictures on your laptop, grabbing onto your ego with both hands AND STROKING IT!"

Pariah then shook his fists in front of his groin in a jerking off motion.

Bobby started to laugh. "Your right about one thing." Said Bobby. "I'm not here to be a hero, I'm even here to protect Lori, or anyone else. But..." He spat up more blood. "I'm not here to stroke my ego either, as you so eloquently put it. I'm here... as a distraction!"

"Uh..." Pariah said confused. "Come again."

Just then a bolt of energy blasted Pariah in the back of his head, blowing half of his head clean off. Pariah fell to the ground, revealing Rick Sanchez standing behind him, holding a smoking lazar gun.

Pariah got back up, and turned toward Rick, as his head grew back, even his hat somehow grew back.

"YOU!" Pariah screamed, his eyes glowing red with rage. Pariah activated his claw power and walked toward Rick.

Before he could reach Rick however, a couple of steal tethers shot out of the ground, piercing Pariah's back.

...

Lori continued reading the text from Bobby.

"I feel confident that I will see you again Babe, Because I am not going to fight Pariah. Rick Sanchez is. He planned this all out from the moment he heard Pariah was in the building.

I couldn't tell you in person because I couldn't risk Pariah hearing about the plan.

All I needed was to get him to the roof, and distract him long enough for Rick to set up his traps.

After that, Rick has the equipment to capture Pariah, then I'm coming right back to you Babe.

Then we are getting Ronnie Anne, Lincoln, Lynn, and the rest, and getting the hell out of here."

"Huh..." Said Lori, "Well I'll be darned."

...

Pariah snarled like a rabid animal, as he struggled against the tethers holding him down.

"The real Pariah at last." Said Rick. "Let's see what you got."

Pariah then turned his arm into a blade, and sliced through the steel cables.

Pariah lunged toward Rick.

Rick used his portal gun to create a portal in the ground, allowing him to teleport behind Pariah.

Pariah turned around. "Portals?" Pariah said. "Impressive, tell me, is it just to move in our 3-dimensional realm, or is it more?" Pariah slashed at rick with his claws, but rick dodged and portaled himself behind Pariah once again. This time, as rick came out of the portal he fired at Pariah with his lazar gun, blasting a couple holes in Pariah's body.

The holes quickly closed up.

"My my." Said Rick. "You have a few tricks up your own sleeve don't you? So you some sort of shape shifter or something."

"That's not all I can do." Said Pariah. Then Pariah's eye started to glow red, and lazars shot out of them.

Rick rolled to avoid Pariah's eye lazars. "So what are you, some sort of evil superman?" Rick asked with a smug voice.

Pariah looked at Rick, his eyes glowing red, and his mouth stretched out in a psychotic smile.

"So now I assume you're gonna give me some long winded, pretentious speech about how you are mankind's reckoning, or some bullshit like that." Said Rick.

"Nope." Said Pariah. "No speeches, just killing."

"Right to the point, I like it." Said Rick. "You know I've given myself a few upgrades as well." Then a metallic sword slid out of Ricks arm.

"Oh so you're a cyborg huh?" Said Pariah.

"I guess you could say that. I'm the smartest man in the universe, I know a few things about advanced prosthetics." Rick explained. Rick swung his sword at Pariah, who then blocked it with his blade.

Rick backed away, he then shot a taser out of his arm at Pariah.

Pariah flinched as the taser hit him. Then he smiled. "Electricity may have been able to hurt me when I was younger." Said Pariah. "But I am too strong for that to work now."

"Well I'm sure this will work." Said Rick. Then a large ray gun emerged from Rick's arm. A huge yellow beam burst from the futuristic arm cannon and created a gaping hole in Pariah's chest about a foot wide.

Within seconds the whole in Pariah's chest closed.

"Or maybe not." Said Rick. "Geeze what's it take to kill this guy?"

Pariah morphed his Blade into his whipfist (Tantacle like appendage lined with serrated blades)

He threw his whipfist at Rick. Rick jumped out of the way, and created a portal behind him.

The blade of the whipfist flew into the portal, and came out of another portal behind Pariah, striking Pariah in the back, skewering him.

"Grraaaahhhh!!!!" Pariah screamed as he was impaled by his own power. He looked at Rick and his eyes started to glow. "Drop, the portal gun."

Rick was about to tell Pariah to go fuck himself, but somehow he couldn't talk. His arm shook as he tried to resist Pariah's power.

But it was too much, and Rick dropped the portal gun.

"Now" said Pariah. "Walk off this roof"

Rick turned around, and started walking to the edge of the roof.

Pariah moaned in pain as he yanked the Whipfist from his flesh.

Pariah turned his arms back to normal, and he picked up Rick's portal gun.

"RICK!" Bobby screamed as he tackled Rick just before he could leap to his death.

"Ah what the fuck was that." Said Rick. "Some kind of mind control" Rick's eyes widened. "Oh shit, he's got the portal gun."

Pariah looked at the gun in his hand. He opened his mouth wide, his teeth turned into fangs and he bit down on the portal gun.

Glowing green goo oozed out of the portal gun, into Pariah's mouth and down his chin.

Green lightning burst from the gun, and a green energy surged through Pariah's body.

His hands became engulfed in green fire. His eyes then started to glow green, and green smoke rose from his body.

Pariah dropped the now destroyed portal gun, and stared at Rick and Bobby with a twisted smile.

Just then, Alex Mercer flew in, doing a super hero landing on the roof (even if that is bad for your knees).

Alex slowly stood up, and faced Pariah once again.

"Pariah." Alex said, his eyes glowing red. "After all these years we finally meet again."

Pariah then shot a blast of green energy from his hand at Alex Mercer.

The blast sent Alex Mercer flying ten feet in the air. Before Alex could react, a green portal opened up below him.

Alex fell into the portal, and it closed behind him.

"Hehehehehehehe." Pariah started to laugh. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"

Pariah's eyes turned back to red. "This." He said. "This is just what I need." He then stuck up his hand. His eyes glowed green, and he fired another portal into a nearby wall. "Let's see what the multiverse has in store for me."

Pariah then stepped though the portal, which then closed behind him.

"Great." Said Rick. "Now I have to make another fucking portal gun."

"What the heck just happened?" Said Bobby.

"Seems our dear friend Pariah, has gained my ability to travel to other dimensions."

"Other dimensions?"

"Yeah. But I think the-urp-Multiverse has a few surprises even Pariah can't handle." Said Rick.

...

Alex Mercer landed on the cold hard ground. He had no idea where he was.

Where the fuck am I? He thought. Did I fall into some other reality or something?

Wherever he was, it was cold, and snowing hard (good thing he was wearing a leather jacket, and a hoodie). He could barely see in front of him.

As his eyes adjusted he could see what looked like the ruins of what used to be Royal Woods. The place looked as though it had been nuked.

"Hey mister?" Came a sad voice from behind him.

Alex turned around and saw Lincoln Loud limping toward him. His cloths were torn, he was only wearing his classic orange t-shirt and jeans, even though it was freezing outside. He was shivering like crazy, he had tears running down his face, and he seemed to be missing an arm.

"I...I..." He cried. "I lost my family, my parents, my sisters." He started to sob. "Can you help me find them, please. I'm cold, I'm hungry, and... and I'm scared. Please help me!"

Right away Mercer sensed something off about Lincoln Loud. Alex Mercer could sense the Mercer Virus. Those infected seemed to have a certain glow to them.

If it was the Mercer Virus he sensed in Lincoln, Alex would not be surprised. After all, he himself had given Lincoln the Mercer Virus.

But what he sensed in this boy, was not the virus. And it definitely wasn't human. Whatever it was, it felt dark, cold, and alien.

"What the fuck are you?" Alex said, in a dark stern voice.

"I...I..." Lincoln stammered. "I don't understand sir, I'm just a scared child looking for my family. My... my name is Lincoln, Please I'm so... I'm so cold." Lincoln looked at Alex with big sad eyes, holding himself tightly, tears running down his face.

"No no no." Said Alex. "I know Lincoln Loud, you are not him. You ain't even human. Well... neither is he at the moment. But you're not the non-human he is. You're a different not human. You're... not human but also not the creature Lincoln is."

Lincoln's face turned into a scowel. He let his arm, and what was left of his other arm fall to his side. "Gee." He said. "You're not very friendly are you."

"No." Said Alex Mercer with a chuckle. "No I am not."

"You're not gullible either." Said Lincoln. "You know I thought I had assimilated everything on the god forsaken rock. Guess I was wrong. Seems I can't trick you. So we're going to have to do this the hard way."

Then Lincoln's other arm grew back. His eyes turned black and his teeth sharpened to a point.

The imitation Lincoln leaped onto Alex Mercer, and started biting into his arm.

Alex shook Imitation Lincoln off in one swift flick of the wrist. Alex looked at his arm. The deep bite marks the creature had left healed instantly.

"Man." Said Imitation Lincoln. "You're strong for a human."

"Human?" Alex said with a smile. "ha ha, You think I'm human?"

Imitation Lincoln then through back his head and gave an unearthly screech. Mist poured out of his mouth as he howled that inhuman noise.

Soon Imitation Lincoln was surrounded by Imitations of his sister, his parents, and the rest of the Royal woods citizens. (And for some reason an imitation of Bill Nye the Science guy was there too)

And in the middle of the crowd stood a man wearing some sort of spec ops suit. The man, Who Alex could only assume was an imitation as well. Was a rather good looking man, with wavy brown hair, and a five o clock shadow, though like the others his eyes were pitch black and empty.

He had a name tag that read "Agent, Ryan."

"You ask me what I am" the entire crowd said in unison, as if they were one. "But I in turn ask what you are. I am an ancient hive mind from another word. The citizens of this planet have taken to calling me The Thing. I have assimilated every living thing on this planet, from the humans on the street, to the birds in the sky, to the fish in the sea. The grass, the trees, even every little microbe in existence is all one. All are me, and I am all. But not you stranger, you are still unique, you still have free thought. Like me you are not of this world. Who are you?"

"Who am I?" Said Alex with a smirk. "My name is Alex Mercer. You and I are not so different. In my world I created a virus. I became infected with this virus. The Virus changed me, gave me powers. I HAVE MOVED BYOND THE MEANS OF LIFE AND DEATH! I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF DEATH ITSELF!"

"Alex Mercer?" Said the hive mind known as The Thing. "You will be assimilated."

"Not if I consume you first!" Said Alex Mercer.

"Resistance is futile."

"Well" Said Alex. "Bring... it..... ON!"

Then came a series of defining thumping noises. A HUGE beast came into view, that resembled a cross between a gorilla, and a t-rex, with large tentacles growing out of its back.

The monster gave a thunderous roar, that shook the earth.

Alex Mercer gave a sinister smile...