Traveler 24 - Loose Ends (Patreon)

It was amazing how easy it was dismantle an international drug smuggling operation with access to a Wiki powered by ravenous fans. Addresses, names, pictures, dates, and every detail that Ben could possibly need was online for him to reference.

He was done two hours later.

There was one issue that came up while he was busy. He had almost missed a few important plot points during his jaunts between realms. Saving Frank and his family took place on the fourth April of 2015, twenty-four days before the start of Age of Ultron. Ben wanted to handle that before he forgot.

Hydra Base
Unknown Wilderness, Sokovia – April 4th 2015

Ben appeared in the forest outside of the Hydra base. He stalked the area near the road looking for a target. A trio of soldiers patrolled the area. His invisibility made it easy for him to sneak up on one. It took a little bit of waiting to find someone that was his size. A soldier split from the others to handle a biological need. The great thing about Hydra was that they were basically Nazis. Who didn't want to kill a Nazi? There were entire franchises built around the premise.

He appeared behind the soldier before they could unzip. A firm hand grasped the base of the Hydra goon's neck. He applied pressure until he felt the bones snap. The soldier went limp in his grasp. Ben absorbed the patrol routes, access codes, and the names of the squad from the touch. He did his best not to look too deep into the memories.

A burst of super-speed had him dressed in the uniform. Then swapped his eye color to match. The majority of his face was covered to protect from the cold with only a strip exposed. Ctirad, the soldier, had put his goggles around his neck. They fogged up constantly on patrol. Some sort of technology kept them clean once the alarms went off. He adjusted the way he walked as he returned to the squad.

<You have the bladder of an old woman> Bohdan jibed.

<Does it still burn?> Dalibor added.

Ben shook his head, <It only burns after I fuck your mother.>

The other soldiers burst into laughter while Dalibor glared. They had their goggles up as they walked. No alarms had been tripped. Dalibor punched him on the shoulder. The jacket was puffy enough to stop the punch from breaking bones.

They argued and insulted each other until they got closer to the base. The patrol paused to put their goggles on before anyone inside could report them.

<I gotta piss.> Ben muttered.

<Grandma's bladder.> Bohdan jabbed.

Ben moved through the base headed for the bathroom. No one looked twice as he split off deeper into the compound.

"Who are you?" An accented voice spoke from nearby.

Ben looked over his shoulder and came face to face with Wanda Maximoff. A moment of panic flashed in her eyes as their gaze met. Her hands were in motion before she could register the threat. Ben flicked her on the forehead. It would bruise but she would live. She went limp as she lost consciousness then caught her before she could fall. A bit of godly influence would keep her asleep for a couple of hours. He looked at her for a moment. The air shifted. Ben extended one hand, catching Pietro by the throat. The mutant let out a grunt as he was able to come to a stop before impaling himself on his arm.

"I understand that you're angry," Ben spoke perfectly in Slovakian. "Rightfully so. You're aiming at the wrong target. That tech was stolen and sold by arms dealers, not Stark."

Pietro struggled in my grasp, "How would you know?"

Ben met Pietro's desperate glare. He let the tiniest sliver of godly power loose. It manifested for a scant moment in the form of a bright, iridescent flash. A compressed, and slightly edited, version of The Age of Ultron settled into Pietro's mind.

"Show that to your sister once you're both awake," Ben said.

Pietro furrowed his brow at the statement only to feel something connected with his forehead. Ben didn't have to worry about this one falling. He was already holding Pietro aloft. Gently, he set the twins against the wall propped up to be as comfortable as they could.

The sound of boots on cement grew in volume. He scanned the ceiling to see quite a few cameras spaced out to cover the entire compound. It was time to stop playing around. A burst of super speed got him to the lab where the scepter was being held. The protective barrier didn't slow him down in the least as he punched through. He had the scepter and was out of the base before the first shot had been fired.

CUBE
Outside of Space and Time

Ben studied the scepter. It had the Soul Stone in it. Removing the scepter from the board lowered the chances of Ultron coming into being. Stark might possibly still try with his Iron Legion, but it wouldn't be controlled by a genocidal robot.

This was the second Infinity Stone he had encountered now. The Reality Stone was in another dimension and now this one was in his possession. He didn't really know what to do with that information. A problem for another time. He had a family to check on.

NBC Sitcom Dimension
Central Perk, New York City, New York, USA – 2015

The Castle family wasn't in the café when he arrived. It made sense. Hanging out in a café for two hours with nothing to do would be incredibly boring. The problem now was finding them. It would have been easy to hop into the sky for a better look. He didn't think that was a good idea considering the current dimension. Introducing a super-powered being only to vanish would cause a lot of chaos.

Ben stepped out into the street. He closed his eyes and listened. The city melded into a cacophony of noise before it coalesced into a melody. He was able to pick out Frank's voice. They were having a proper picnic in Central Park now.

He took his time as he made his way toward their location. They deserved a nice day in the park. This world was strange. It was close enough to his old one with a few subtle differences. Being over ten years in the past didn't help things. It was like visiting a childhood home after someone else had moved in. The living room was still the living room, but it wasn't right.

Ben made it to the park. It was a nice day for a stroll. Certain dimensions rarely had bad weather unless it was part of the plot. Sitcoms, romantic comedies, and Lifetime Movies were great for resource gathering and places to rest. They were also good to hit a few banks without issue.

He found them by the carousel in a spot closer to where they had been in their native dimension. It was a nice scene. He would have liked to give them more time to enjoy their day. Frank was too aware for that. The man could feel eyes on him. Ben waved before approaching. Frank crossed the majority of the space to keep distance from the others.

"Is it done?" Frank asked.

Ben nodded.

"How?" Frank pressed.

Ben shrugged, "People have a hard time smuggling drugs and assassinating targets without a head."

"You killed them?" Frank asked.

Ben nodded once more, "It was the best way to make sure things were safer for you to return."

Frank didn't seem all that bothered.

"Ready to go home?" Ben asked.

"Give us a minutes," Frank replied. "We didn't get to finish our picnic."

CUBE
Outside Space and Time

He dropped the Castle family back in their dimension before he returned to his cube. The MCU was great, but he didn't want to get too deep right now. He had spent nearly forty years in the Mojave. Yes, he wanted somewhere with modern amenities, but he didn't want to be bored.

Ben floated, lounging in the air as his mind wondered.

Modern.

Something fun. An adventure. Save the cozy life for later.

Modern.

Where did he want to go that was modern? He wanted to go to Thundercats eventually. Not modern though, especially the reboot a while ago. He-Man wasn't interesting to him as a kid. He hadn't been to the DCU yet. The Arrow-Verse and the Cinematic-Verse were two separate dimension. That also meant that the alternate timelines created in the Flash movie were real too.

The DCU was on the list once he wanted to explore superpowers again. There were enough movies and shows that were different enough to be another dimension. It got even more complicated when the animated stuff was added to the mix.

Fighting monsters sounded fun. Modern monsters. Most zombie movies were out. Those settings were post-apocalypse. There was one place he could think of that was contemporary enough with plenty of monsters to fight.

Resident Evil.

He could not begin to think about how many hours he spent playing those games. The hard part was deciding which version he wanted to visit. He had no desire to explore the mansion from the first game or deal with that horrible movie from 2021. The couple movies with Milla Jovovich weren't bad. They got progressively worse after that. The animated movies were too confusing to think about for long. That left the games. If he was going to do Resident Evil, then there was only one true experience he could go with.

The Raccoon City Outbreak.

Nemesis and Resident Evil 2 took place at the same time. There were a couple of other games set during the events as well. Outbreak and Resistance were multiplayer games that Ben knew about but had never played. It would be interesting to see if they impacted the overarching plot. Operation Raccoon City was an alternate universe rather than canon.

He wouldn't need to apply a template beyond a that of an athletic human. It was tempting to go in with an enhanced avatar, but that felt like cheating.

Resident Evil Dimension
Raccoon City Outskirts, Colorado, USA - September 1998

Ben went with some jeans, a long-sleeved grey shirt, and a brown leather jacket. This time he would be going without accessing the superpowers. Colorado in September required a jacket and helped with protection without looking out of place. He had a few days to prepare before things truly went to shit. The capsule bike stayed in his Cube this time. It wouldn't be all that helpful in the middle of the city. He could always grab it from the Cube if that changed.

He walked up to a familiar gas station and stepped inside. The bell dinged as he entered. A tired looking clerk gave him a half-heart greeting before going back to whatever they were doing. He made his way to the newspaper rack to check out the headlines.

An uptick on home invasions along the forest edge. Pets were going missing in record numbers, he hoped they were fleeing and not getting eaten. Arrests for violent crimes as well as drunk-and-disorderly were at an all-time high. Hospitals were packed, the police were spread thin, and the touted STARS team was in tatters.

He didn't have a gun on him at the moment. Walking around a city while visibly armed was a good way to draw unwanted attention. The police were already on edge with the building chaos. His previous weapons were ready to go in his Cube. The pockets on his jeans were linked to the storage area. He didn't have a backpack this time.

Ben froze in front of the candy aisle. There was a package of what looked like a native version of Red Vines. His eyebrow twitched, part of him wanted to try them while another part of him wanted to set them all on fire just to be safe. He tried to keep his hand steady as he grabbed one of the boxes.

Ruby Ropes.

They looked like Red Vines. He opened the package. They smelled like Red Vines. Cosmetically, they were longer and had a ridged design rather than a swirl.

"You have to buy those," The clerk said in an automatic tone.

Ben nodded as he grabbed an entire stack and put them on the counter, "Give me a minute."

The clerk shrugged. It was just another shift for them. They had probably seen stranger things than a guy that liked candy. Ben added another two stacks just to be sure. The clerk started to ring up the purchases without commenting. Things went smoothly until he paid.

"That's a weird looking twenty," The clerk held the bill up next to one that had been in the register.

The designs were different. Andrew Jackson was much larger on the new bill.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Freaked me out at first too. I just got in from New York. Finding a normal twenty impossible."

The clerk swiped the 'fraud' marker across the bill. It came out legit and that was the end of it. They didn't get paid enough to ask more questions. Clerk looked out the window to the pumps.

"No gas?" The clerk asked likely paying attention for the first time.

Ben shook his head, "I spent the last couple of days on a bus. Stretching my legs sounds great."

"Be careful out there," The clerk said. "A bunch of weird shit has been going down."

Ben gave the clerk a welcoming smile, "Thanks, I will."

The finished bag of Ruby Ropes was packed to the brim. He vanished them into his Cube once the bag was out of sight. The clerk did a double-take. He was out of the shop before they could say anything.

Claire would arrive at this gas station in a couple of days. Right now, the parking lot is mostly empty. Jill was about to have a hard day. The city became a dumpster fire after a couple of days if canon stayed on course.

He preferred RE2 over Nemesis. Not only was there more content in the game, but it had some awesome features. He had purchased the first release, then gave one of the discs to his friend. They played the Claire and Leon storylines then switched to the other character. It was awesome at the time. That was one of the best gaming memories of his previous life. The second being that he played the first Halo entirely in couch co-op on the original Xbox. Oddly enough, he didn't have any desire to visit the Halo Dimension. It wouldn't be the same without his friend.

Ben walked along the side of the road with his thumb out. Hitchhiking as a mortal was never a good idea. For some reason, it was common enough in the 1990s. The process was looked down upon, and possibly illegal, but that didn't stop the desperate from sticking out their thumb.

The noises from the forest sounded fine as he walked. Animals called, twigs and leaves cracked in the distance, and bugs were screaming their heads off. Traffic was light with more people leaving than heading into the city. Things were doing fine until the world around him went utterly silent.

Ben kept walking. There was a new smell in the air that he recognized from The Walking Dead which meant that there were zombies nearby. They had a sickly-sweet edge rather than the backed dead in the other dimension. Colorado in the fall was a different world compared to Georgia in the summer. The T-Virus probably had a hand in that as well.

He was starting to think that maybe he should have brought a weapon. Events were going to ramp up in the next couple of days. A gun would help him stay alive long enough to potentially help Leon, Claire, or Jill. Hopefully, he could interact with all three. He could reach into the Cube via his pockets as long as they could fit through the opening. Pulling an LMG out of his pants wasn't going to happen.

The plan had made sense on paper. He wouldn't be able to use a vehicle once he got into the city. Starting at the gas station outside of town meant he could check on the local news without accidentally being caught unaware. Now, walking beside the forest on an empty road as the sun set, it didn't seem like such a good idea. He should have at least planned to have some sort of weapon. A large knife, a club, or snub-nose revolver even if it would make hitchhiking nearly impossible. He knew he could move items from one dimension to another, but instinct told him he wasn't ready for something as big and complex as a vehicle. The Capsule Bike was treated as a magical item.

Ben was about to reach into his jacket pocket to grab one of the short-swords he had picked up in Asgard when he heard the sound of a car. He looked over his shoulder to see a classic Crown Victoria that so many Police Departments loved.

It slowed down as it came up beside him.

"Evening," The police officer said.

Ben looked over but didn't recognize the guy. That made sense. The only local cops he would recognize was that mostly-dead guy in the station and Leon. This officer had thinning brown hair and a bushy mustache. He was desperately trying to look like Magnum PI, but his genetics worked against him.

"Evening, officer," Ben said keeping his hands away from his pockets. "Nice night for a walk, eh?"

The cop shook his head, "No, it's been dangerous out here. Haven't you been watching the news?"

"I'm not from around here," Ben shrugged.

The cop sighed, "Get in the car. The front seat. I'll overlook the hitchhiking this once."

"Thank you, sir," Ben got into the front seat.

The officer shook their head, "Tell me you're at least armed."

"No," Ben chuckled. "It's not every day a cop wants a person to have a weapon."

The cop sighed again, "Like I said, it's dangerous out on the edge of town."

Ben nodded.

"What brings you to our little slice of Colorado?" The cop asked.

Ben clicked his seatbelt, "I felt like taking a walk."

"Hm," The cop put the car into gear. "I haven't passed any cars in nearly five minutes. There weren't any extra cars at the gas station. That's quite a walk."

Ben nodded, "I had a lot to think about."

The cop stared at him for a long moment. Silence as a wonderful tactic to get someone to talk. Most people were nervous when it got quiet. They wanted to fill the emptiness which led to them saying things they didn't intend. Ben thought he was beyond such tactics.

"Have you ever tried Ruby Ropes?" Ben asked.

The cop furrowed his brow, "The licorice?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "I love the stuff. Hard to find though. Probably a good thing. My self-control isn't robust enough to resist."

The cop spoke slowly, "You came from parts unknown to buy candy?"

"Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery," Ben smiled.

Silence settled in the cab of the car once more. This time it was filled with confusion. Filling the silence with something other than the information they wanted could help move things along. It helped if there was a direct topic or thread to follow. A real train of thought worked better than rambling, which could be maneuvered to the real information they wanted.

"The newspapers said there was some trouble brewing," Ben offered the officer an out.

The cop nodded, "A lot of strange stuff has been happening. It started with missing pets. A couple here and there is normal. Having an entire neighborhood reporting their outside pets are missing is worrying." The guy shook his head. "Then it was the hikers and campers. There were search parties at first. Too many of them went missing too. The area is popular this time of the year. People plan to get out for the one last trip before winter hits. Locals and tourists fill the local campgrounds and rental cabins." He went silent for a moment. "I shouldn't be telling you this."

"I'm easy to talk to," Ben replied. "It sounds like you've been busy."

The cop let out a single laugh, "Busy doesn't even begin to cover it. We've got a rookie coming in this week. Poor guy is getting tossed to the wolves on his first day."

Ben stifled a laugh. If they only knew. Leon was the rookie in question. Being tossed to the wolves would have been a blessing compared to what he was really going to face.

"Do you often suggest strangers walk around strapped?" Ben teased.

The cop shrugged slightly, "We're in Colorado. Everyone is armed. Teachers leave their rifles in the car when they go to work."

Ben let that thought sink in for a moment. The 1990s was a different time. People living in the mountains of Colorado would definitely have a rifle or shotgun at least. Hunting, varmint population control, and ranchers defending their land meant that firearms were a part of the local traditions. No doubt that videogame logic had influenced this dimension. It wasn't a perfect one-to-one conversion, but it was close enough to recognize. There were a few plot points that would play out differently, or not at all, once it became a real world.

He didn't bother to try to continue the conversation. Raccoon City emerged as the car crested a hill. It had no reason for being there. The city was one that belonged on the East Coast with access to the ocean. It was like someone had transplanted the entire thing. The mountains around it created a single  point of entry via a bridge that could easily be blocked off. It would be practically impossible to escape the area without using the bridge. Walking through the mountains was incredibly dangerous before adding in the possibility of zombies and mutated animals.

Umbrella chose a great location. One way in and natural barriers made it easy to lock down the town. They could effectively cut the city off from the outside world. Even the cell towers could be disabled without setting foot in the area.

"You could drop me off right up here," Ben said motioning to a hotel at the edge of town.

The car didn't slow. Ben looked over at the officer.

"We're going to the station," The cop said.

"Am I under arrest?" Ben asked cautiously. "Strange for me to be in the front."

The cop shook his head, "The station is in the middle of the city. It's safer than the edge of town."

That was debatable. Things would be a lot worse in the next few days.

Ben shrugged, "I'll have to take your word on it." He chuckled. "I guess I don't need to worry about getting a gun now."

"I didn't say that at all," The cop said.

Ben raised an eyebrow, "Ok. Where would you suggest?"

"Kendo is good," The cop replied. "Close to the station too. It's only a few blocks away."

"Are they open at this time at night?" Ben asked.

"No," The cop tapped the digital clock on the dashboard. "Most of the city is shuddered by now. We had to implement a curfew at midnight. Things get worse after dark."

It was a little after one in the morning. Ben began to pay more attention to the street outside. They were completely empty aside from a random person or two. Ben was surprised to see that the streets were clear of vehicles. The opening cinematic in the game had wrecks clogging the roads. Even the Resident Evil: Nemesis had the city looking rough. Their drunken movements made them sway from the unlit portions of the sidewalk. The brief flashes when they stumbled into the light exposed fresh wounds that looked suspiciously like bites and scratches.

Ben didn't miss the way the cop gripped the wheel tighter. The guy was consciously not looking at the infected when they did appear. There were only a few of them out currently.

"It doesn't look like they are following curfew," Ben motioned to the next injured person he saw.

The cop didn't answer, simply speeding up in a silent reply. Ben shrugged, turning his attention back to the city around them. It was impossible to miss the constant placement of the Umbrella logo. Businesses, payphones, newspaper boxes, and the stick in the corner of the windshield. It shouldn't surprise him that the company funded the local police. Ben wouldn't be surprised if there were more officers in Umbrella's pocket.

Ben stopped paying attention to the streets once the Raccoon City Police Station came into view. He had to hand it to Umbrella; they loved fancy architecture. Every important civil building looked like something out of a book of classic design. He had seen it a lot when he played the original games and even more when the Remakes were released. Still, seeing it in person was completely different. For lack of a better word, the building was majestic. He knew how the building would look in a couple of days, but it still gave off a sense of security. No wonder people flocked to the building. They took a side road that circled around behind the police station. Then down a ramp into the underground parking area.

The cop got out first then walked around to the other side of the car. He opened the door for Ben to get out. It was a little odd, but he didn't think about it. At least, he didn't give it another thought until the cop spun him around and snapped on cuffs. The cop went through his pockets. He didn't find anything. No wallet, loose money, or sign of identification.

"You said I wasn't under arrest," Ben said as the cop led him into the station.

"No," The cop replied. "You asked. I never said you were. You are going to holding for breaking curfew. We'll let you go in the morning as long as you don't have any outstanding warrants."

Ben shook his head, "I guess that solves where I'm sleeping tonight."

He didn't bother resisting as he was led through the station. There were more cops milling around the interior than he expected. It looked like the curfew wasn't just for the citizens. He took that to mean that it was set by Umbrella, not the local police. The cop led him into the holding cells. His cuffs were removed once the door locked behind him.

Ben looked around the cell. He hadn't spent time in a cell, aside from the one in the Galactic Senate when he had killed Palpatine. A cot, a toilet, and nothing else. It looked big enough to hold at least twenty people comfortably, likely double that if pressed. He had no idea how he was alone. There should have been a few drunks at least.

He settled onto the cot and closed his eyes. There were a couple of minor issues to fix.

Monster-Verse
New York City, New York, USA - 1998

Ben strolled down the street as Godzilla rampage the streets. Soldiers and emergency services scattered everywhere. He needed to get appropriate cash for the era. There were a lot of supplies that he needed to purchase, and merchants weren't keen to take potentially fake money.

He ignored the various yells directed toward him. Ben found a bank nearby that was missing the front wall. The glass crunched under his feet as he went deeper into the lobby. He kicked away rubble along the way. The soldiers forgot him the moment he was out of sight.

The vault door squealed as he ripped it from the wall. It screamed, dragging a trench through the floor. Stacks of bills lined the shelves. He grabbed one automatically sending it to his Cube. Prices in the 1990s weren't as bad, but he would still need a lot. Ben grabbed a few extra just in case he needed them for another dimension in the future. He noted that it would be a good idea to go around to pick up currency from different countries and time periods. Gold and silver were a good idea to grab too.

Resident Evil Dimension
Raccoon City Police Department, Colorado, USA - September 1998

Ben woke up on the jail cell cot. He grumbled. His spine popped every step of the way. It had been a long time since he had been a standard human. Even in Fallout he had been augmented. The beds were more comfortable than they should have been. It helped that Sunny was there to cuddle most nights for forty years. Today was the first time in years that he woke up sore. There was a novelty to it.

Another cop was there to let him out in the morning. He didn't bother talking to anyone as he left the station. Without a doubt, the cop had saved his life last night. The infected were already wondering the streets in small numbers. It wouldn't take long before there was a population boom. Then the streets would be swarming with the infected. Umbrella would let a few Bio Organic Weapons out for a test run. Lickers, Mister X, mutated bugs, mutated animals from the zoo, and Hunters. If he was deeply unlucky there was a chance he could run into William Birkin, Nemesis, or even a rogue Tyrant.

He didn't think it was a good idea to ask for directions to Kendo's. Visiting a gun store after being released from a holding cell would raise some concerns. He scanned the streets along the way. There were a few skittish people out, mostly in groups. A few obviously infected people stumbled along still fighting to stay human. It didn't look like anyone had been attacked yet. Cars were out on the street unlike last night. Everyone claimed their city had the worst drivers. Those going through the early stages of infection struggled to keep the cars on the street. Their speed was random, dangerously fast mingled with vehicles that crawled along.

Kendo's was five blocks away. It was quite the trek in the game when the city was in disarray. There was a steady stream of customers, though most came back out without a purchase. Once inside he found an overworked clerk moving from one customer to the next. The poor guy answered the same question in quick string from three different people.

Ben took his time looking over the selection. He needed something with a weapon that would have plenty of ammo. It felt like cheating to use the guns he had used in the Mojave. That and they weren't the best quality. They would do in a pinch if the situation called for it. The ammo however was fair game. He had a surplus of 9mm thanks to the habits of the people in the Mojave.

"What are you looking for?" The clerk, Kendo maybe, asked.

Ben nodded, "9mm Glock. I'll pay extra if I can walk out with it."

Kendo gave him a flat look.

"Cash," Ben added.

Kendo grabbed a case from under the counter. It made a satisfying click when it opened.

"Glock 17," Kendo presented the pistol. "Chambered in 9mm. Like the name says, seventeen rounds. Two magazines. I'll throw in a holster to get you out of here faster."

Ben nodded. He took out a wad of bills from his pocket in the proper style and set the cash on the counter. Kendo clicked the case shut.

"Be safe out there," Kendo plucked the cash from the counter then moved to help another customer.

Ben arranged the holster on his belt before he stepped outside. He put the pistol in the holster then adjusted his shirt to hide it. Back on the street he found a nearby restaurant. The outdoor tables were tucked against the front with the chairs stacked on top. He was greeted by a nervous waitress that kept checking that the door was closed. There was only one other person in the seating area.

The shortstack of pancakes, some crispy bacon, and a cup of coffee were well worth the three-hundred-dollar tip. It also made them more willing to deal with his strange habits.

Ben put the two magazines on the table. He carefully loaded both of them then slid one of them into place.

"Sorry about that," Ben gave a nervous smile.

"It had to be done," The waitress shrugged. "Are you sure about that tip?"

Ben nodded, "Cash doesn't mean anything if I'm not around to spend it."

She sighed as she slipped the bills into her pocket. He hoped they could use the extra cash to get out of the city. The window to leave would be closing in the next day. Two at the most. He moved on down the street picking things up as he found them. The place had a lot of locally owned shops. Thanks to Umbrella the city economy was alive and well.