Consumption vs Assimilation.

The Virus vs The Hive Mind.

Alex Mercer vs The Thing.

The Thing's imitations surrounded Alex Mercer.

The imitation of a man named Ryan walked up to Alex. He aimed some futuristic gun at Alex, and shot a blast of blue flames at the shapeshifting anti-hero.

Alex quickly created a shield with his powers and blocked the flames.

The shield was scorched by the blue flames. Alex let the shield absorb back into his body. He then activated his Blade power in one hand, and claws in the other.

"Oh you're right." The Ryan imitation said. "We are very similar indeed. Maybe we should get coffee."

"Yeah" said Alex as he slashed at the Ryan imitation. "I hear there's a nice coffee place in Hell. Just send me the bill."

Ryan morphed his arm into a sword as well, and blocked Alex's blade.

"And when you meet a guy named Pariah down there." Alex said, as he and the alien creature locked swords. "Tell him Alex Mercer sends his regards."

The two fighters backed away.

"You know the human who used to wear this face used plasma based weapons to fight me." Said the Ryan imitation. "I wonder if they work as good on you as they did on me.

Imitation Ryan then threw a couple of plasma grenades at Alex Mercer. They exploded in a blinding flash, sending Alex tumbling backward.

Alex landed on his feet. The plasma blast singed his skin, but his powers quickly healed his wounds.

"You're tough" Said imitation Ryan. "But are you tough enough to beat this?"

Then the huge gorilla t-rex hybrid thrust its paw onto Alex's head, to crush him.

Alex however dodged the beast's massive claws, and grabbed onto its arm. He then ran up the monster's arm and onto its head. Alex then clawed the monster's right eye out, then its left.

He then ran down the creature's back, as he ran he used his massive blade to slice off each of its unimaginably thick tentacles.

Alex then leapt high into the air, he shot downward like a bullet, striking the monster in the back of the head. He then found himself inside the monster's brain.

He could hear a deep "Thump thump, thump thump," as the monsters heart beat.

Tentacles then shot out of Mercer's body, filling the monsters head. Alex then started to consume the beast from the inside out.

Within seconds the monster was no more.

Normally after consuming a living organism, Alex Mercer could see all of its memories, and know everything it knew. But this Thing, was a hive mind. This monster was only part of a larger whole.

Alex was able to see a small fraction of The Things mind, a fraction of what seemed like eternity.

"Very impressive." Said Imitation Ryan. He then pointed his hands in Alex's direction, signaling two other imitations to attack him.

The Imitation of Luna Loud came up to Alex, holding a demonic looking base guitar.

"I feel a base solo coming on bro!" It said. Then it struck the guitar sending a shockwave that launched Alex Mercer 10 feet back.

Then the imitation of Luan Loud walked up to him. "gee Alex Mercer." It said. "You seem to be causing quite a ruckus. So ALEX you to leave. Ha ha get it?"

Alex looked puzzled for a moment. "No" He said.

"See it's a play on 'I'll ask you to leave'" Imitation Luan explained.

"Wow." Said Alex. "You're an even worse comedian than the REAL Luan. Didn't think that was possible."

"Eh." Said Imitation Luan. "Everyone's a critic." Then its arms turned into blades that started spinning around its body like a top.

The Luan imitation walked toward Alex with its spinning blade arms, and Imitation Luna sent another shockwave at Alex.

Imitation Luna kept playing its guitar pushing Alex back.

Alex shot a couple of spikes at imitation Luna, but the sound waves sent the light weight spikes the other way.

Dangit Alex thought. If I'm gonna kill this bitch, I need to throw something a little heavier at her.

Then he looked at Imitation Luan. And I think I found just the Thing. ha ha, now that's a pun.

He shot a couple of spikes at Imitation Luan, chopping off each of its arms. Then he grabbed the creature and infected it with a bio bomb. He then chucked the infected Luan imitation at Imitation Luna. As the two creatures collided they exploded into a mass of viral tentacles.

A pair of hands reached out from an abandoned building behind Alex, grabbed him and dragged him in.

The man had cupped Alex's mouth with his hand.

"If you wanna live you need to do exactly as I say." Said the man.

Alex pulled the man's hands from his mouth. "If you wanna live, I suggest you let me go." The man let Alex go.

Alex turned around to look at the man. He could sense that this man was still human. He looked to be about Alex's age.

He was a rugged looking man, with thick curly brown hair that reached his shoulders, and a thick brown beard. He was wearing a brown leather Jacket, green snow pants, combat boots, sunglasses, and a cowboy hat.

"Name's RJ Macready." The man said. "I saw you fighting that thing out there. I can tell you ain't exactly human, but you ain't that Thing either. So what are you."

"I am Alex Mercer." Said Alex. "I am sort of like a human virus. I'm a shapeshifter. The government has called creatures like me, runners. People who can control the virus that makes up my flesh, a virus now called the Mercer Virus. People like me are embodiments of the Mercer Virus, yet we still have free thought, we still have the consciousness of a human. While some use the term Runner to describe what I am, others use a term that I prefer, I am an Evolved. I really just prefer that term because it sounds cooler. Don't you think."

"Evolved?" Said RJ. "Yeah that does sound pretty cool. So you're an Evolved then. Now I assume if you wanted me dead, I would be dead already."

"That is correct." Said Alex.

"So is what that Thing said true. Are you from another world."

"Sort of." Said Alex. "I came from another universe. In my world I was in a battle against my mortal enemy, another evolved called Pariah. Unlike me, he was born with the virus, so his powers are even stronger than mine. Somehow he gained the ability to rip holes in the very fabric of space and time. He sent me through one of those holes, and that's how I ended up in this hellhole. No offense."

"None taken, this IS a hellhole." Said RJ.

"So what's your story?" Alex asked.

"Believe It or not. I was part of one of the teams that discovered this alien mother fucker." RJ explained. "Technically it was first discovered in Antarctica by a Norwegian science team. My team recovered what was left of the Norwegians. Soon this Thing had taken over our team. Taking the form of my team members and hiding amongst us. Soon a so called rescue team picked me up. And they also brought back the remains of that fucking thing. A helicopter containing the Thing crashed in this small town. From here it was able to spread and assimilate all life on earth. Tell me Alex. Where you come from, are there people. Regular human beings like me?"

"Why yes, plenty."

"Once we find a way to send you back, take me with you. I want out of this living nightmare."

"Alright, I give you my word." Said Alex.

RJ then took out a flame thrower. "Alright, let's go light these fuckers up."

Alex and RJ left the building. RJ immediately started engulfing the Imitations in yellow and red flames.

Alex activated his blade and cut an imitation in half and consumed it.

An Imitation of Leni Loud leapt onto Alex's back. Alex threw the creature off of him.

Then Imitation Leni turned its arms into long bony spikes. It then started to jab at Alex, who was able to dodge each attack.

An imitation of Lucy Loud swooped down, with large bat-like wings, and screeched.

RJ shot flames at Imitation Lucy but it was able to avoid it.

Imitation Ryan snuck up behind the duo and aimed his plasma gun at them, shooting out a wave of blue flames.

RJ blocked Ryan's blue flames by shooting his own yellow and red flames. The balls of fire clashed with each other, like a wand battle in Harry Potter.

Ryan's fire blast over powered RJ's and knocked him to the ground.

"RJ Macready!" Imitation Ryan said. "Haven't seen you since Antarctica. Been a long time, how've you been? Old friend."

"Alive." Said RJ. "No thanks to you, mother fucker!"

Imitation Lucy grabbed Alex Mercer with its arms that have morphed into bird talons. It then carried Alex into the sky.

Imitation Ryan took out a sword, which then became engulfed in blue flames.

Imitation Ryan swung his sword at RJ.

RJ dodged the sword. "What the fuck is that?" He said.

"The human that used to own this face." Said Imitation Ryan, "He had a lot of really cool, bad ass government issue weapons."

Imitation Lucy continued to carry Alex Mercer up into the clouds. Its claws dug into Alex's flesh, acid oozed from the creatures claws as it attempted to digest Alex Mercer.

"Trying to assimilate me huh?" Said Alex. "Well two can play at that game."

Then the tables turned. As The Thing oozed acid into Alex, and its tentacles dug into his flesh and started to spread through his system. Alex's body produced an even stronger acid. Soon Alex was now starting to digest The Thing. The tendrils that had burrowed into Alex were now starting to get dissolved themselves. Soon Alex Mercer's tentacles slithered from the wounds the Thing had created.

Glowing red, yellow, and orange tentacles started to wrap around The Thing's claws.

Imitation Lucy panicked and shrieked like a bird, as it tried to free itself from Alex Mercer's grasp. Within seconds Alex consumed Imitation Lucy, and fell back to the earth.

"Alex! Are you OK?" RJ yelled as Alex Mercer landed.

Alex got back up, and cracked his neck a bit. "Right as rain." He said.

Then a tentacle shot out of the snowy darkness and grabbed RJ and pulled him away.

"RJ!" Alex ran after RJ.

Soon he found RJ, with an Imitation of Lori Loud, in a military uniform holding him in a sleeper hold. Imitation Lori had its arm morphed in a long spike ready to thrust it into RJ.

"Take one more step, and Kurt Russell here gets it." Said Imitation Lori.

Alex looked at them for a second. Then he activated his whipfist power.

"I swear I will literally kill this guy." Said Imitation Lori. "I am literally not bluffing."

Then Alex threw his whipfist at the two of them.

The large razor sharp tip of the whipfist struck RJ Macready square in the face. Right between his eyes.

Alex then swiftly yanked RJ's head clean off.

"There." Said Alex. "Saved you the trouble."

Imitation Lori let RJ's body fall to the ground. Then it looked at Alex Mercer, with a look of shock, horror, and disgust.

"He...he..." Imitation Lori stuttered. "But he was literally your friend"

"Who the fuck told you that?" Alex said.

(When I said Alex Mercer was not going to be the villain of the story, I never said he would be a good guy.)

"Dude!" The voice of Imitation Ryan came from behind him. Alex turned to see Imitation Ryan with the same disgusted look.

"THAT IS FUCKED UP!" Said Imitation Ryan.

Alex shrugged. He then charged Imitation Ryan, while he was too stunned to react.

Alex dug his claws deep into Imitation Ryan's chest, and consumed it.

He picked up Imitation Ryan's plasma gun. Then he looked up to see another giant gorilla/t-rex hybrid with tentacles growing out of its back had appeared. This one was even bigger than the first one.

The monster was going to attack Alex Mercer and RJ Macready. Until it saw Alex kill RJ. Now this giant beast, had the same look of shock the other imitations had.

"What." Alex said calmly.

Then the monster threw up its hands, gave a defining, and terrified roar, turned around, and ran away.

Alex Mercer looked at the army of Thing Imitations around him. They all ran away screaming.

First Alex Mercer grabbed the Lori imitation, ripped its head off, and consumed it. Then he ran past the crowd of Thing imitations, and stopped when he got ahead of them.

He used the plasma gun to send a wave of blue flames into the crowd. A high pitched screeching came from the sea of blue fire as the Thing creatures burned to ashes.

Then Imitation Leni came up behind him, slashing its spike arms at him.

Alex grabbed the arm of the Leni Imitation just before it struck him. He then ripped the arm off, and shoved down Imitation Leni's throat.

He then took the plasma gun, and lit Imitation Leni up like a Christmas tree.

The imitations of Lola and Lana leapt onto Alex and started biting him. Alex Mercer quickly killed and consumed both of them.

Then an imitation of Lilly flew through the air at Alex. Alex then sliced the little creature in half with his blade, and consumed it.

Then an Imitation of Lisa came, and Alex stepped on it, squishing it like a bug, then consuming it.

An Imitation of Lynn came up, and swung a bat at Alex. Alex blocked the bat with his bare hands, causing it to shatter.

Imitation Lynn then grew claws and swiped at Alex Mercer. Alex grabbed Imitation Lynn's hand as it swung at him. He then punched Imitation Lynn in the face, with his regular fist.

Imitation Lynn then turned its head back to Alex. Alex's punch had dislodged Imitation Lynn's jaw, which then reattached itself. Imitation Lynn then grew large fangs and opened its mouth to try and bite Alex's face off.

However Alex grabbed onto both of Imitation Lynn's jaws, with each of his hands. He pulled the jaws apart until the top of the head came off. He then consumed the imitation.

Then the huge ape t-rex hybrid came up behind Alex and gave a thunderous roar.

Alex leapt into the monsters reptilian mouth as it roared, and down into its deep dark endless gullet.

The monster then exploded as Alex consumed it from the inside out.

Alex landed in a super hero landing. He got up.

Standing in front of him, was the imitation of Lincoln Loud. The last imitation in town (though there were still billions of the creatures world wide.)

At this point Alex Mercer had almost consumed enough of The Thing's flesh to be able to consume its hive mind.

"You think you can save this world." Said Imitation Lincoln. "I already told you, I have assimilated all life on this planet. And when I assimilate someone, it's not just simple mind control. I completely destroy their entire body and mind, then I replace them. You still think you're the hero Alex, you think you can still save this world? Face it, Alex Mercer. There's nothing left to save."

Alex stood silent for a few seconds.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Alex burst out laughing. "HERO?!?!? SAVE?!?!?!?! Bahahahahahahahah!!!! What are you fuckin' insane? You actually think I'm trying to save this dead world. Bitch I ain't trying to save shit!"

"Then what are you doing?"

"Every living being I consume makes me stronger. Imagine how strong I will become after consuming you!" Alex explained. "I am after a guy who is way more powerful than myself. Consuming you I think, is more than enough to even the playing field. And guess what... I have almost consumed enough of your flesh to be able to consume your mind, I will be able to consume the very conciseness that is The Thing. After that there will be nothing left of you, nothing to regenerate from. I consume this form. This little white haired boy, and you will be dead."

At this moment, The Thing felt something it had never felt before.

The Thing felt fear. Not just a little creeped out, like when Alex killed RJ, but honest and intense fear for its life.

Imitation Lincoln then turned and ran as fast as it could.

But Alex was faster. He ran in front of The Thing, and swiped at it with his blade.

Imitation Lincoln dodged Alex Mercer's blade, and jumped on his back, and started biting him.

Alex threw Imitation Lincoln off of him. He attempted to smash Imitation Lincoln with his hammerfist, but imitation Lincoln rolled out of the way.

Alex Mercer shot a couple of spikes at Imitation Lincoln. Imitation Lincoln was able to dodge a few of the spike, but a couple of them got it in the chest, and one in the eye.

Alex then knocked Imitation Lincoln to the ground, and dug his claws into its eyes.

"You know." Said Alex as The Thing squirmed in pain. "You may look like Lincoln Loud, but you're not Lincoln Loud, and you will never be Lincoln Loud. You will never be able to imitate his personality, his laugh, his smile, you know all that mushy bullshit. You're nothing, you're just a cheap imitation."

The Thing started to laugh. "Ahahaha." The Thing laughed. "You know. The real Lincoln Loud... He...He said that exact same thing to me once, but it was about Luna. Yeah, he said it....... moments before I killed him."

"Nice try." Said Alex. "But I've seen enough of your memory to know that your universe's version of Lincoln Loud, was killed In an explosion."

Alex then consumed the imitation of Lincoln Loud.

That was it, he was finally able to access the Thing's hive mind, all of its knowlage pouring into Alex Mercer's mind.

Alex stood up, and tentacles erupted from his body.

Alex Mercer's tentacles grew and stretched, and wrapped around the entire globe, consuming every last bit of The Thing.

At the same time, every single being in the cosmos that was assimilated into The Thing completely dissolved into nothing.

The tentacles then receded back into Alex Mercer, leaving the earth a barren waste land, completely devoid of life.

Intense energy surged through Alex Mercer. Consuming and digesting that much flesh at once had created more energy within Alex Mercer's body, than was in an atom bomb.

Alex gave a mighty roar. He looked up to the sky, his eyes started to glow a brighter and brighter red, eventually glowing white. Then huge beams of energy burst out of Alex Mercer's eyes releasing all the excess energy into the cosmos.

He looked around.

"Now" He said to himself. "how the fuck do I get out of here?"

Just then a green portal opened up behind him.

Alex turned around expecting to see either Pariah, or Rick Sanchez step out of the portal.

Instead someone else stepped out.

He was a man Alex had not met before.

This man was dark skinned, bald, had a brown leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and combat boots.

"ALEX MERCER!" The man yelled.

"And just who the fuck are you?" Alex asked.

"My name." Said the man. "Is Sgt. James Heller, and I've been looking for you!"

"You got a bone to pick with me or something." Asked Alex.

"Oh I got a HUGE mother fucking bone to pick with you!" Said James. "But thing is I already picked that fucking bone with you, you emo ass mother fucker. See in my world, you gave me a bit of your crazy ass, fucking virus, shapeshifting abilities, and I used them to kill your sorry ass."

"What'd you do that for?"

"BECAUSE YOU WERE A HUGE FUCKING DICK! THAT'S WHY!" Said James.

"How do you know THIS version of me isn't a huge fucking dick?" Alex pointed out.

"Oh you a dick alright!" Said James. "You perhaps the biggest fucking dick on this planet."

Alex looked around at the waste land that surrounded him.

"Recon I'm the ONLY fucking dick on this planet." Alex again pointed out.

"Yeah." Said James. "But somewhere out there is a dick so huge, he makes you look like a pussy. Mother fucker who goes by the name Pariah."

"Oh that guy?" Said Alex. "yeah, he's a HUGE fucking dick!"

"So I figure." Said James. "I find you, and we team up, to go kick this fucking dick, in the fucking ass. You in?"

"Hell yeah I'm in." Said Alex. "let's go fuck this dick up."

"Ok, but first, I'm gonna have to return a favor to you, and give you my dimension traveling powers, like you gave me your shapeshifting powers." Said James.

"Yeah, how did you get those powers again?" Said Alex.

"Well after I consumed the uh... other version of you." Said James. "I gained all your vast knowlage. Then I took an interest in science. Started doing research, becoming one of the smartest mother fuckers around. I even got a doctorate in quantum physics. So I guess you can call me Doctor, Sergeant, James Heller. But really James is fine. Anyway, one day I figure out the secret to interdimensional travel. So I start traveling to other universes. Eventually I find, I'm not the only one with this gift. I come across this group of people, they call themselves the council of Ricks. An entire society of infinite versions of just one mother fucker, and his grandkid, can you imagine that? And they appointed me in charge of protecting the multiverse from the Mercer Virus. With the virus in my system I was able to absorb some of that portal energy and mix it into my DNA."

"That's... cool" Said Alex.

James Heller lifted his hand. James's hand and eyes glowed green with energy. He placed a finger on Alex Mercer's forehead.

Green energy channeled from James Heller, to Alex Mercer.

Alex Mercer now had the ability to travel to other universes.

"So" Said Alex. "Any Idea where in the multiverse Pariah is? Tell me a bit about your trevels"

"Well." Said James. "There are many realities in the multiverse. Some of these realities are fun, and child friendly. These universes are full of things like say, little Mexican girls exploring things and talking to animals, Or talking sponges that work as fry cooks, and fish for jellyfish."

"Oh those realities sound really pleasant." Alex said with a smile. "I'd like to see some of those."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Said James. "I always wanted to try out one of those Krabby Patties. But it's not all fun and games. There are much darker universes too. Universes full of zombies, and psychopaths in leather jacket wielding baseball bats."

"Sounds... familiar." Said Alex.

"Yeah and other ones, with science teachers that become drug dealers, and pal around with an ex-student as a side kick."

"Sounds like that would make an intriguing story, with five really good seasons and a kind of meh, spin off."

"As well as worlds of nights, and dragons, and zombies and Peter Dinklage."

"Again with the zombies." Alex noticed.

"Yeah seems a bit overdone, if you ask me." Said James. "And there is a legend among dimension travelers like us. A legend of one central dimension. A dimension of god-like beings, beings that created each of the other dimensions. These beings then sit and watch the dimensions for entertainment. Usually on a couch of some sort, drinking bear and eating chips."

"now that sounds crazy." Said Alex with a laugh. "So where do we think Pariah is?"

"Well I got a good idea where he might be heading." Said James. "You might get a kick out of this."

"Oh."

"See you and Pariah have been living in the Loud House dimension. Well technically not the REAL Loud House dimension, more like some twisted version of that, but That's beside the point. You and Pariah have been in the Loud House dimension. You got sent to this weird crossover dimension of The Loud House and John Carpenter's The Thing, which by the way I don't know what type of crazy ass mother fucker thought it would be a good idea to put those two together, someone with a dark and twisted mind that's for sure. But Pariah, now he... the dimension he went to, not far off from where he started..."

"Wait you don't mean..." Said Alex.

James Heller gave Alex Mercer a mischievous smile.