[Multiverse2] Ch: 15 [No escape]

In the dark recesses of Brainiac's vast mind, there were few moments where he felt genuine concern. Calculation, precision, and foresight were his greatest assets. Yet as he watched the image of Alex Wilson vanish from the desert and reappear in front of his colossal ship in deep space, there was a split-second flicker of unease.

"Intruder detected," one of his drones chirped, but it was unnecessary. Brainiac was already aware. His eyes locked on the figure of Alex floating effortlessly, surrounded by the void spheres that shimmered ominously.

"Impossible..." Brainiac muttered. He had calculated for every variable, but the idea that Alex could detect his surveillance, trace his signal across the void of space, and teleport directly to his ship was beyond his expectations.

The ship's alarms blared, and the drones dispatched for containment were instantly rerouted to defensive positions. But Brainiac knew they would be of little use. The Void energy swirling around Alex was potent—more than capable of wiping them out in mere moments.

"Initiate teleportation," Brainiac commanded calmly, his voice synthesized but carrying a trace of urgency. The system responded immediately, the massive engines of his skull-shaped ship roaring to life as they began to charge for a dimensional jump.

Alex wasted no time. With a simple flick of his hand, the spheres of Void energy multiplied and shot forward, each one aimed at a critical point in Brainiac's ship. The energy surged toward the vessel, their destructive force palpable. The ship trembled under the onslaught as pieces of the hull disintegrated into nothingness.

The layers of the most advanced technology seemed like paper before the dark flames.

Inside, Brainiac moved quickly, his mind already calculating new strategies. The teleportation was nearly complete, but he could sense the damage his ship was taking. Systems were failing, sections of the ship were gone, swallowed by the Void flames, and more were falling by the second. He watched through his central display as Alex floated closer, the remnants of his ship dissolving around him. The destructive force of the Void was terrifying in its efficiency—no matter the material or shield, it ate away at everything.

Alex just stood there with a cold gaze, looking at the onslaught.

"You fucker dare to spoil my sweet time with my wife? Now die," Alex's voice echoed through telepathy. His voice reverberated in Brainiac’s mind, a chilling reminder of how powerful his opponent truly was to be able to breach his defenses and speak directly inside his mind.

Brainiac’s eyes flashed with curiosity thinking just how powerful this new enemy was. Now, he wants to have that human even more than before.

His ship may have been compromised, but his greatest asset wasn’t brute strength—it was knowledge. He had collected artifacts, technologies, and powers far beyond mortal comprehension. If he could just escape into his pocket dimension, he could regroup, analyze, and adapt. Alex Wilson might be powerful, but Brainiac was eternal.

"Teleportation complete," the system informed.

The world around Brainiac shifted as the ship began to disappear from normal space. But Alex wasn’t done. As the skull-shaped ship shimmered, phasing into the pocket dimension, Alex’s eyes narrowed.

"Oh no, you don’t."

With a wave of his hand, the concentrated spheres of Void energy multiplied further, surging forward. He wasn’t aiming for the ship this time—he was aiming for the fabric of reality itself. At the maximum level of his void mastery, he gained the power to rip apart space. It could reach beyond dimensions, tearing them apart as easily as it did the physical world.

Brainiac's ship flickered as it entered the pocket dimension, but the Void energy followed, its tendrils stretching across the dimensional barrier, latching onto the ship. For a moment, it seemed like the entire dimension itself would collapse. He did multiple random dimension jumps, before stopping.

Inside the pocket dimension, Brainiac felt the disturbance immediately. The ship, once stable in its new environment, began to tremble again as Alex’s power threatened to breach the walls of this safe haven. He had never encountered anything like it.

"Impossible," Brainiac whispered, his mechanical hands tightening into fists. He had calculated for everything, but this level of power was beyond reason.

But even in the face of potential destruction, his mind raced. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out.

"Activate containment protocols," he ordered, rerouting all remaining power into the ship’s defensive systems. "Seal the dimensional rift."

Massive containment fields flared to life within the pocket dimension, designed to trap even the most powerful entities. These fields, powered by extradimensional energy, began to form a barrier between the ship and the Void energy that threatened to devour it.

For a moment, it seemed to work. The fields held, repelling the tendrils of Void energy as they reached across dimensions. The ship’s systems stabilized, and Brainiac’s mind began working through the next steps.

But Alex wasn't done with him. He knew that if he let that bastard escape, he'd return again and disturb his peaceful life. So, the best choice is to annihilate him with everything he has. He raised his hand, and the Void flames surged around him. He wasn’t just going to destroy Brainiac’s ship—he was going to collapse the entire pocket dimension. With a snap of his fingers, the Void energy expanded outward, its reach extending into the heart of the dimensional fabric.

Brainiac’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The pocket dimension wasn’t safe—it was a trap. Alex’s power was too great. If he didn’t act now, the entire dimension would be erased.

"Emergency protocol: dimensional escape!" Brainiac ordered.

The system responded immediately, but the Void energy was already tearing at the seams of the dimension. The ship began to shudder violently as the dimensional fabric unraveled, the containment fields buckling under the pressure.

In the final moments, Brainiac activated a failsafe, one he had never had to use before. His body flickered, his consciousness transferring to another body on a planet far away. The ship trembled, then exploded as the pocket dimension collapsed.

The last thing he saw was Alex Wilson's face, a cold smile playing across his lips as he destroyed Brainiac's home and his very being in one fell swoop.

...

[Planet 0121XXX]

As Brainiac's consciousness settled into his new body, a jolt of awareness struck him. The sensation was strange, an amalgamation of raw power coursing through a vessel far superior to his previous form. This new body, forged from Kryptonian and Kree genetics, was designed to surpass anything he had ever inhabited before. With it, he could bend the laws of physics more efficiently, manipulate energy with greater precision, and tap into untapped reserves of strength that even his vast intellect had never fully understood.

He opened his eyes. The room was sterile, illuminated by the soft glow of monitors that immediately began streaming data into his mind. He was in the command center of his hidden base, deep within an uninhabitable planet on the farthest edge of the universe. Here, in this place beyond reach, he had stored resources, technologies, and genetic materials from his countless conquests. It was a sanctuary, a failsafe in case of catastrophic loss.

The moment he fully connected to his systems, relief washed over him. He had survived. He had escaped.

"Status report," Brainiac commanded, his voice still synthesized but now laced with the organic power of his new form.

"Mind transfer successful. Dimensional collapse confirmed. All vital systems operational," the system responded, its tone cold and efficient.

He was safe. For now.

Brainiac’s mind worked at lightning speed, analyzing his current situation. The destruction of his ship, the collapse of his pocket dimension—it had been catastrophic, but not unexpected. Alex Wilson had proven himself to be a far more dangerous adversary than anticipated. But Brainiac had learned. He always learned.

"Begin reconstruction protocols," He ordered.

His mind raced to devise strategies to neutralize Alex. The Void energy was a problem, a power source that defied his calculations. But every force in the universe had a weakness. He just needed time to study it, to understand it, and to weaponize it against Alex. He already had ideas brewing—new weapons, new defenses, new plans.

But then, something strange happened. A sudden tremor rippled through the air. Brainiac frowned. Tremors on this barren planet were impossible. It had no tectonic activity, no atmosphere that could cause such an event.

"System, analyze anomaly," He said, his voice sharp with irritation. But before the system could respond, the tremor intensified.

The lights flickered, and the air around him began to distort. Brainiac turned his gaze upward as the roof of his base got disintegrated, and his breath caught. The sky above, black as void, began to ripple. The edges of reality itself were twisting, pulling apart like fabric stretched too thin.

"No..." Brainiac whispered, disbelief creeping into his voice. It couldn’t be. Not here. Not this soon.

But then, with a deafening roar, the sky itself tore open.

A jagged rip, like a wound in the fabric of space-time, appeared above him...