Within the bullhead we left off last time, Winston glances over to Jason as he fiddles around with a pair of zip ties.

Jason: I know these exist for the sake of convenience, but why couldn't we use real handcuffs? These just seem boring.

Winston: Hey, I have a question.

Jason: No, we can't play cops and robbers.

Winston: That was my third question. No, what I want to know is this... How do you know the tall black guy? I've only known Him for an hour or so, but He seems like the kind of person that's outlived everybody he's met. And yet you two act like you have some history.

Jason: First off, tall black guy? Secondly, I'm immortal, you furry asshat. A few centuries ago when we first met, he was less of a smartass and a hell of a lot more serious and straight forward. Hell, he had a completely different look back then. We also tried to kill each other... So to speak.

Winston: Oh, story time! Tell me!

Jason: Well, we do have some time to murder. Why not?

Winston: Sweet!

Jason: let's see... I think it was three thousand years ago, I was tasked by the Reapers to investigate a strange burst of cosmic energy that was also involved in several dozen souls needing to be reaped suddenly disappearing at that time. At first I thought it was just a rogue Reaper, nothing I couldn't handle... You can probably tell that it wasn't a Reaper.

[3,000 years ago]

After arriving on the planet known as Remnant, I dispell the portal behind me I used to get here. Nothing but grass fields with the occasional hill a few miles out from what I can see. Sun high above me in the midday.

Jason: Alright, this is the closest I can get to whatever this anomaly is. With any luck, I'll be in and out before the end of the day.

Expanding my supernatural Reaper magic outward, I sense several mortal souls not far away. Along with one strangely powerful soul.

Jason: Huh, that was fast.

Finding my target, I take a stroll westward. Within an hour or so, I spot what appears to be a few smoke pillars rising behind a hill. The sound of distant screaming can barely be heard.

Jason: Hmm, sounds like someone is getting busy.

I pick up the pace and rush over the hill. Making to the top, spot a small village. Definitely the sound of people screaming bloody murder.

Jason: Whelp, time to play my favorite game of find the rogue Reaper in the chaos.

I make my way down and arrive at what looks like the front entrance to the village. Small wooden structures with the occasional hut scattered about. Most of which is on fire, along with dead bodies. Some look like they've been sliced in half, others seem to have been torn apart or bludgeoned.

I soon hear what sounds like someone  running close by. A few buildings down, a lone human rushes out and starts running down the streets. Soon spotting me not long after.

Human: RUN! You need to leave before it finds you too!

Before I could retort on this human's ignorance, a strange being suddenly leaps from behind the same building. Just as fast as it ascended, it comes crashing down on top of the survivor. Plunging an absurd looking blade into the poor soul's back. Stopping him on the spot as the sword pins him to the ground. Given the amount of blood pouring out, and the fact that he's not screaming in pain, implies that the human was killed instantly. But I could really care less about him. What catches my attention is what just killed him.

The beast that impaled the human soon stands to its full height. Now, I'm a fairly tall guy at 7 feet, this thing seems to be standing a full foot taller than me. Some insect-like humanoid with small beady yellow eyes, random spikes jutting from its arms and legs, with two warped blades in each hand. Overall, a very ugly motherfucker.

But I can safely say that this isn't a rogue Reaper, so there's that. That still leaves the missing souls, though.

As the human continues to be dead, I soon see what looks like his soul leaving his body. Just as it disconnects from the vessel, the soul is quickly absorbed by the beastly being. Answering my soul problem question.

I suddenly feel a strange force surround me for just a second before dissipating away, catching me off guard a little. The beast soon looks up at me. It lifts its kill, still attached to the sword, and flings it off the blade. Smashing it into the dirt.

You: ꋊꁲꂵꌅꐇ ꋖꂦ ꁴꁲꋊ ꋖꁲꌅꋊ ꍩꌅꂦ.

It speaks in a bizarre language that almost sounds like several people talking at once. I didn't understand a single word of it, though.

Jason: Uuuuugh... what?

The thing lets out what might be an annoyed sigh as it rolls its eyes at me.

You: Typical... I don't know what you are or what you want. Leave.

The thing speaks to me in a low gravelly voice. It turns around to leave with no fucks given.

Jason: Hold up there, Scyther! I'm here because I have a problem with you taking away my paycheck.

The thing stops in its tracks and glances over to me.

You: Your what?

Jason: The souls. I'm part of an organization that-

It raises up an arm and points one of its swords at me.

You: I do not care who you represent. Are you implying that ANYTHING in this world, my world, belongs to you?

Jason: Your world? Listen, bud, the souls here are to be brought over to the immaterial realm where they will be processed into the next world and blah blah blah, anyway, you eating them is a no no.

You: Mmrgh. You make it sound as though these mortals deserve better. A salvation, perhaps? Allow me to enlighten your ignorance, boy. These pests deserve far worse than what I am doing to them. They kill over the smallest things, take without understanding why, and desecrate the very home they live in. Mine. And that is barely the beginning of what they'll do.

Jason: Yeah, I could care less if they're inbred child murderers. I'm gonna have to ask you to stop whatever you're doing indefinitely, or else I will have to remove you.

You:..... Was that a threat?

Jason: It can be if you-

The thing lunges at me with blades at the ready. I quickly step out of the way before they could hit me. I dodge the swords, but the foot that followed afterwards got me in the side. Sending me flying out of the village and over to a grass field leading to a nearby forest. A distant mountain just beyond that.

Jason: "cough" Hah! I love it when they put up a fight!

Getting to my feet, I turn to the village and see the thing rush at me in break neck speed. Thinking fast, I shoot my hand out and summon one of my many scythes. A double edged scythe with dark coloring and overly detailed. Every edgy teen's dream weapon.

Taking a charge as well, we meet halfway with blades at the ready. I counter one swing and block another, bashing the bastard in the face with the handle. Only for the thing to clamp its teeth on it, a bit of drool dripping out.

Jason: Gross. WOAH!

With a hard pull, it swings me around by the scythe while trying to get a stab at me. I squirm and dodge out of the way as best I can. A few cuts catching my sides, nothing fatal. Mostly annoying.

I jump up and plant both feet on its chest and kick hard. Launching me back and freeing my weapon from its jaw. As I land, I'm not given a moment to breathe as the beast charges at me. Once again, I manage to counter its attacks. No problem. What is a problem is that the twitchy bastard manages to parry one of my attacks upward and buries one of its elbow spikes into my chest in a split second.

It uses my shock to its advantage and stabs one of the blades into my stomach. Lifting me up, it soon tosses me aside like a ragdoll. Landing on my back, knocking the wind out of me, this bastard jumps and lunges at me with both swords at the ready to stab. Thinking fast, I launch a foot up and kick it back, forcing it to stumble backwards.

Quickly getting back up, I bum rush the thing and start slashing away with my scythe. It blocks most of my attacks, but I get a few hits in when it gets slow at times. Jumping back, I throw my scythe forward, quickly dashing at it as well. As expected, it deflects my weapon out of the air. Not having enough time to stop me from drop kicking the son of a bitch as I catch my weapon midair.

Before I land, my entire form soon becomes engulfed in my own energy. Cloaking me in nothing but shadows. As I finally land, I replace my badass scythe with a simple combat knife.

You know, to keep it fair.

Lifting up a shadow engulfed arm, I point my combat knife at the slightly confused bug monster.

Jason: Let's get a little more serious.

We charge each other at full speed. It goes for a swing for my neck, I raise my combat knife and intercept it. My combat knife slices its sword in half. One blade now useless, it tries for another strike. I duck under the swing and slash its midsection followed by a stab in its thigh as I dash around. It goes for a wide swing around with its remaining sword. Once again, I reduce the other sword to scrap with my combat knife. How? Magic.

The beast tosses the useless handle aside and goes full fisticuffs. It goes for a hard jab only for me to dodge and stab its arm a few times, followed with a hard stab in the ribs. Quickly dragging the knife across its side, it lets out a roar in either pain or annoyance.

Before I could stab it in the butt, I get successfully backhanded and sent back several feet. Shrugging off the hit, I charge again with the knife at the ready. My little shank attack is countered by the bastard GRABBING THE KNIFE AS IT PUNCTURES THE PALM OF ITS HAND, grabbing the rest of my hand in a tight grip. Wasting no time, I throw a punch at its face. Only for my fist to be caught as well.

Both hands in its grasp, it suddenly digs its fingers into the flesh of my fists. All of a sudden, my hands go from sharp pain to numbingly cold. Then just outright numb--It's leeching my fucking powers!

I panic and jump to plant both my feet to its face with a devastating kick, dislodging my trapped hands along with the combat knife. I'm launched back several yards as my opponent grabs its head after my attack.

I concentrate all my power into one fist, my hand glowing brighter and brighter. As the beast shakes off my stun attack, I rush at it at break neck speed and go for the head. The moment it regains its bearings, I rescatter them by sucker punching the bastard across the jaw.

Besides the satisfying crunching noise, the resulting power from my punch causes the beast to fly back with enough speed and force to travel all the way to the distant mountain in the forest. The earth shakes a little as a plume of dust rises up from the base of the mountain. I wait for several seconds before letting out the breath I've been holding.

Jason: That thing consumes energy...? Well, at least it's dead. Now the Reapers can get back to collecting this world's dea--Oh crap.

I return my gaze to the distant mountain as I suddenly sense a spike in power.

Jason: How the hell is that possible!? It didn't even take that much before I kicked it away! Unless..... Aw shit.

*bamf*

I swiftly spin around and jab my combat knife at my returning opponent, only for my hand to be immediately grabbed by a gauntlet. Looking up, the beast no longer has the appearance of some insect abomination. Now it appears to be a heavily armored behemoth with a somewhat skull-like face.

Its grip on my hand soon grows tighter and tighter with each passing moment. The sound of bones snapping is heard as it just stares me down.

Jason:...... Ow.

My whole arm is soon twisted as this armored bastard reels back a fist, ready to return the favor. Before I can react, its fist launches directly to my face and sends me flying back, releasing me form its death grip.

As I'm doing involuntary somersaults, this thing teleports behind me and quickly slams me to the ground with both fists. Successfully knocking the black (aura) right off of me. I get a mouthful of dirt as I lie prone in the grass.

Jason: Eeyup. Something just popped.

I get my arms under me and try to push myself up, only to feel a giant foot gently bash my head back down into the dirt with a loud thud. Pressure is soon added as my face is now halfway in the dirt. My mind rushes at a million miles an hour to figure something out.

If I actually die, more Reapers will come. And if this thing gets its hands on even one of them, absorbs their powers, it could spell disaster for the whole multiverse. But more importantly, I die!

Jason: "groan" Wait, wait! If you kill me, more will come!

You: If you represent the finest of what they have to offer, I don't see a problem.

Just like its appearance, its voice changed from a gravelly tone to that of someone talking through a metal cone and with a large Adam's apple. More pressure is added to my head.

Jason: No! I mean, uh, they would pose as a major distraction to... whatever it is you're doing! Yeah! Not only that, all sorts of supernatural creepy crawlies might find thi--I mean; YOUR world interesting to take! And-

Even more force is pressed in.

Jason: I CAN KEEP THEM AWAY FOR YOU!!!

It stops pressing its foot down, but the foot doesn't move afterwards. Leaving the same amount of pressure in place.

Jason: "Pleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework."

The foot finally comes off as my head is relieved of the pressure. I'm not given time to sigh in relief before I'm grabbed by the scruff of my neck and lifted in the air. Now looking my adversary in the hollow eye sockets.

You: If you return with the same intentions of disturbing me again, I will kill you.

Jason: Nope, yeah. Totally get it! Mess with the big shot, get the boot. Got it!

With that said, I'm tossed aside as the thing that almost killed me just walks away. I get to my feet and place a hand to my throbbing head.

Jason: "sigh" Shit. How the hell am I gonna explain this to the other Reapers?

I wave my hand out and open up a portal to get the hell out of here. Not wanting to overstay my unwanted welcome.

[Now]

Jason: Afterwards, I started working two jobs as both a Reaper and a glorified pest control for this dimension's borders... I haven't slept for fifteen hundred years.

Winston: Waitwaitwait. So what did he do with your powers anyway? If he only took a little, how did he get strong enough to whoop your ass?

Jason: After I felt that increase in power, I had a guess that he is capable of siphoning energy, refurbish it into his own, and somehow increase its potency tenfold. I don't know how the hell he does it, but if he ever manages to acquire more energy from another being of higher power, I fear of what he's capable of doing if he set his sights beyond this dimension..... Over time I learned he already knew this. I pretty much saved a lot of people's lives with that little deal.

Winston: Well, that's foreboding.

Jason: You've no idea... By the way, what the hell was your second question?

Winston: Hmm? Oh! My second question was whether or not we should have secret code phrases for when we're balls deep back in Four Kingdoms territory! You know, for secret spy stuff and stuff.

Jason:..... How long is this flight?

----

Warlider, Regret, and p0zi0ner all stand just on the edge of a large smoldering crater. The mechanized warmonger looks at the data chip in his hand, then back to the hole that used to be an entire fortress.

Warlider:... Do you think we went a little-

p0zi0ner: Nope.

Regret: Nuh uh.

Warlider: Yeah, I thought it was a dumb question.