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Ford sighs, shuffling through a packed security checkpoint for the dismal science dimension. What would’ve been simple back on Earth, visiting science labs with permission granted, is practically a nightmare of hoping he’s qualified enough to enter for a dimension entirely based on science.
It finds him losing all of his initial excitement for realizing such a dimension existed when he has to hide his face as much as possible once he notices the wanted board on the way to the guards doing the security checkpoint business.
Of course the notices came all the way out here.
Not even science is safe from the likes of Bill.
But he knows that already, the portal tickling the back of his mind as he reaches the checkpoint.
“Uh, hi, I’m… St… Steven,” Ford panics in front of the armor-clad guard, wishing he’d picked a better cover name that didn’t sound so human or even just kinda start the same as his own as the alien looks at him oddly with all five of his eyes, “I… I was hoping I’d be able to… see the labs… and everything… here, I have… paperwork… the ones you gave me to fill out?”
The guard looks him over. Back to the paperwork Ford handed to him. Then back to him.
He squints.
Ford instinctively holds his hood closer to his face.
“It says you’re from… Dimension 46’\?” The guard inquires to Ford’s careful nod, “I see. Come with me.”
Ford gulps, this isn’t the same procedure he’d observed with the other beings trying to enter.
Not a good sign.
Unless it’s very strict and he’s the only one actually going in.
But he’s not so stupid as to put all his hopes on that as the only odd one out here. His cranium isn’t nearly as large as the majority of the beings here, not to mention he has not that many eyes. The only thing he really shares is a love of science, seeing the others have practical tears in their eyes at the sight of the nearest science-themed city.
There’s no way this is normal for those every day people, being guided to a room off to the side right after the paperwork was handed over rather than simply being turned away or let right in.
Ford’s heart skips a beat when he realizes he might be found out as a criminal, but it’s far too late. He’s in the dark room that looks suspiciously like an interrogation room and the door is locked behind him. So fight it is.
He raises his fists, hoping for an opening, when he’s grabbed by a strange glowing purple force and shoved into a painful kneel, arms held behind his back. His wriggles and protests are no match for the restraints or the person holding him this way, the remote just out of reach in the guard’s hand. A mouse in a mousetrap.
There’s only one card Ford has left to play, and he just has to hope that the guard will buy it.
“What are you doing?! I’m on regular business! My name is Steven, like I already told you!” Ford cries indignantly, “Your scientists will hear about this and they won’t be happy! They’re… they’re waiting for me!”
The guard scoffs.
Ford’s heart drops as the guard kneels down in front of him to grab his chin and look him directly in the eyes. His discerning gaze bears into Ford’s soul and reads it just like that. Ford doesn’t have to hear it from the man. He knows.
Now he really is screwed.
“I know who you are,” The guard states confidently and sharply, a certain derision in his tone that makes Ford’s heart sink faster than it already has been, “You’re a criminal. You’re coming here to steal something. Something big.”
Ford’s heart practically stops. He really was about to steal something, but… he was going to phrase it as ‘borrowing’ despite knowing he’ll never find a way back to this dimension once he leaves on his mission. The guard squints deeper at him to the point of almost closing his eyes, then slaps him on the face.
“I bet you think you’re real smart coming here, but if you ask me, you’re stupid for thinking you’d get past security,” The guard snides, slapping him again before the sting of the previous one has a chance to abate, “You know what’s gonna happen now, don’t you?”
Ford sighs, sinking deeper to the ground in his uncomfortable kneel, and answers.
“You’re going to detain me,” Ford states, disheartened, “And I’ll be locked up for a long time.”
“That’s if you’re lucky,” The guard slaps him again, this time way harder for no discernible reason outside of enjoying the pain on his face, “With your history, I wouldn’t be surprised if they jump to execution.”
“What?” Ford asks, unable to hide his stunned reaction to such news, though he tries to reign it back into impassiveness as he asks for explanation, “I mean, what would my crimes have done that warrants such a thing? I’m trying to save the universe here.”
“You’ve stolen countless valuable scientific devices across the multiverse, there’s no temporary prison sentence that will properly punish you for that,” the guard states all matter of fact that it makes Ford furious more than anything, “Just cooperate, it won’t be painful or long like your home dimension does executions.”
“No!” Ford struggles and fights for a freedom he’s not sure he’ll ever have again but must gain, “I’m trying to save that dimension!”
“From that dimension destroying portal you built, yes?” The guard asks with a little smirk, earning a horrified shock from Ford’s face, “Yes, I know about your folly. You thought breaking a hole in the multiverse was a good idea, but your mess is bigger than just your dimension. Another reason for executing you.”
Ford’s gut swims with guilt, unwilling to fight as much as he had been before. Why should he, when the guard is right?
There’s just one problem.
“Okay… yeah, I get it,” Ford can’t stop the defeat from slipping out of his tongue, not even bothering to catch it this time as the energy beams holding him down make his body ache with pain, “But could I just… fix my mistake first? I… I don’t care if I’m executed after I do that, but… I just need to do that one thing and… that requires parts I don’t have just yet. Don’t you want that menace gone?”
The guard doesn’t respond, just glares. There’s a slight confusion in his brow that he wipes off before finally making a sound.
“I do, but I’m not letting some vigilante go around stealing shit to do so, especially not one as high profile as you,” The guard says severely, poking his glasses back up his non-existent nose, “You’re wanted by the triangle. That means you’re in way over your head and won’t be of any use to us in our efforts. It’s better if you’re out of the picture.”
Ford growls at the audacity from the man, fighting to be in a pose less humiliating than this stupid kneel and failing. He hates how he knows his captor’s last sentence feels the most correct out of anything else. He really is better off dead, isn’t he? He just wishes he could finish his goal of destroying Bill before this problem gets resolved. It would certainly make things feel more tied up, with minimal loose ends.
But Ford sees that he has little choice right now, not unless he finds an opening. These restraints are much more sophisticated than he’s seen so far.
It’s hopeless right now.
So Ford just hangs his head with a weak nod, waiting for some sort of opening but not holding out too much hope for one.
I’m not getting out of this, am I?
That’s okay.
At least I tried.