> The portal was gone. The monster was gone. But peace? Yeah, peace didn't make it.
Zane lay on the cracked ground, eyes closed, trying to soak in the silence like it was healing energy.
Dex's voice shattered that silence like a brick through a window.
Dex (over comms): "Okay! Note to self: never label a death-button just 'button.' Also, who needs instructions? Instructions are for cowards."
Zane: "Dex, I'm going to duct tape you to a chair and throw that chair into the ocean."
Dex: "You'd have to catch me first! Which, let's be honest, with your legs right now... not likely. You looked like a wet sock being thrown at a wall."
Zane: "My ribs are literally humming. I might be vibrating."
Sera: "Technically, that's internal bleeding."
Zane: "Thanks, Doctor Doom."
Dex suddenly appeared in person—soaked in sweat, one glove missing, and carrying a... blender?
Dex: "Okay! Crisis averted, so I made a smoothie. It has electrolytes, caffeine, and possibly jalapeños."
Zane (squinting): "You're holding a smoothie in a grenade cup."
Dex: "Multi-purpose design! Drink or detonate—depends on the mood."
Sera: "Please tell me you didn't actually wire caffeine into an explosive."
Dex: "Define 'actually.'"
Zane: "We're all going to die, aren't we?"
Dex plopped down next to Zane and took a loud slurp.
Dex: "So! What's next? Save the world? Rob a bank? Maybe open a taco stand?"
Zane: "How are you this energetic? Did you drink an energy drink brewed in hell?"
Dex: "One: yes. Two: I licked the portal residue."
Zane and Sera (in unison): "YOU WHAT?!"
Dex (defensive): "It was glowing! Glowy things are meant to be tasted. Science!"
Zane: "If you mutate into a lizard again, I'm not shaving your scales this time."
Dex (winking): "No promises."
Suddenly, a weird siren started blaring from Dex's belt.
Dex (casually looking down): "Ah. Okay. Either I activated an interdimensional beacon... or the smoothie is angry."
Zane: "You built a sentient smoothie?"
Dex: "I prefer the term 'culinary consciousness.'"
Sera: "I swear, if we're invaded by liquid-based lifeforms again, I'm deleting myself."
They sat in silence for a second, watching Dex's smoothie vibrate.
Dex: "You guys think I can weaponize fruit?"
Zane: "You already did that last week. You turned a watermelon into a railgun."
Dex (proud): "Oh yeah! Forgot. That was so cool."
Suddenly, Dex's comms buzzed again.
Comms Voice (urgent): "Alert: unauthorized signal transmission detected. Potential wormhole activity nearby."
Dex: "Oops. Might've left a backup portal open in my backpack."
Zane: "Your backpack?!"
Dex (shrugging): "Travel size!"
Sera: "I'm going to run diagnostics on your brain."
Dex: "Bold of you to assume I have one."
Zane groaned, leaning back as the breeze finally picked up again. For now, they were safe. Mostly.
Zane: "If we survive this week, I'm retiring."
Dex: "To do what? Farm space goats?"
Zane: "Yes. And I'll name one of them Dex, so I can ignore him too."
Dex: "Aww, he likes me."
Sera: "I'm logging off. Wake me if we're on fire."
Dex: "That already happened!"
Zane: "Nope. Nap time. If I die in my sleep, do not revive me unless you've replaced Dex with a toaster."
Dex made a face.
Dex: "That's cold. Even for you."
Zane: "Exactly how I like my smoothies."