Cyberchase: When Worlds Collide [On Hold]

The Cybersquad and their friends stood frozen, their breaths shallow as the pixelated man stared them down, his diamond sword still gleaming under the moonlight as he continued pointing it towards them. His square-shaped face remained unreadable, but his sharp, blocky eyes studied them carefully.

"I said, who the hell are you?" He repeated, his voice firm and unwavering.

Jackie swallowed hard before finally managing to respond. "W-We’re the Cybersquad!" She stammered, then took a deep breath to steady herself. "Who… who are you?"

The man lowered his sword slightly but remained cautious. "Name’s Steve," he said simply.

"Nice to meet you, Steve!" Martin said, stepping forward with a friendly grin and offering his hand.

Steve hesitated for a moment, then shook Martin’s hand with a firm grip. His tense expression eased slightly. "Likewise, I guess."

"Thanks for saving us!" Jackie said, relief evident in her voice. "We really appreciate it!"

Steve gave a small shrug. "It was nothing. But… If I might ask, what are you all doing out here in the middle of the night?"

Inez took a deep breath. "It’s kind of a long story, but… we need to get to the Farlands."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "The Farlands?" He sounded both wary and skeptical. "Why would you wanna go there? You do know that place isn’t exactly… normal, right?"

Martin stepped in. "We’re looking for four powerful crystals that control the multiverse."

"And we have to find them before Hacker and his band of villains do," Matt added.

Steve stared at them, his expression unreadable. "Before who does?"

Inez sighed. "Hacker. He’s this evil guy trying to take over the multiverse, and he’s teamed up with some other villains from our world and others to find the crystals before we do."

Steve ran a hand through his pixelated hair, trying to processing everything. "Alright. Look… I don’t know much about multiverse-hopping or magical crystals, but I do know the Farlands. And trust me, you’re not making it there alive without better gear."

Martin rubbed his arm, still rattled from their earlier encounter. "Yeah… we kind of figured that out already. We barely survived one night out here."

Steve sighed, then nodded to himself. "Alright. First things first—you need weapons, armor, and supplies. You won’t last long out here with just your bare hands."

"So, what do we do?" Matt asked.

Steve sheathed his sword and gestured toward the distance. "There’s a village not far from here," he said. "It’s safer there, and they’ve got supplies. Plus, you all look like you could use some rest."

"And we’re just supposed to trust you?" Stewie asked, folding his arms. "For all we know, you could be leading us straight into another death trap."

Steve smirked slightly. "Hey, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have saved you."

Stewie narrowed his eyes. "Fair point."

"Then let’s move," Steve said. His tone was still cautious, but there was something else now—an undercurrent of curiosity. Maybe even excitement.

The group exchanged glances before following Steve through the dark, blocky landscape. They didn’t know if they could fully trust him yet—but at this point, they didn’t have much of a choice.

....

As the first light of dawn painted the sky in warm hues of gold and pink, the group finally arrived at the village. But whatever beauty the sunrise brought was overshadowed by the devastation before them.