The Astonishing Adventures of Action Steve! This episode: "The Good, the Bad, and The Mighty Pine Cone!"

Lord Rudolf was only wearing trousers, no shoes, no shirt, but that's not the main reason he'd be asked to leave at many a local eating establishment. He was also easily 12 feet tall, had massive sharp claws, huge fangs, and was covered in green scales. He was also a killer of men, dragons, faries, gnomes, tiny robots named schmoo and anything else that had got in his way. Action Steve learned later that he used to be a wizard, but had been frail and unhealthy. He seemed pretty healthy now after having performed magical experiments on himself. He also had a severe mean streak. Lord Rudolf was currently backed up in a corner and surrounded by several Dragons, Sir Sarah The Knight and Former Warlord, The Wizard Neville The Great, Action Steve, and Action Raptor, and The Super Action Vehicle who had only recently come to life (Action Steve was going to have to ask somebody about that) and become the newest member of The Action Alliance.

"Please come with us peacefully. I can promise you'll finally get a fair trial Rudolf. Parius, King of the Dragons, will see to that," says Action Steve as he points his Action-lele directly at Lord Rudolf.

"I am grateful for the consideration," Lord Rudolf replied, "But you and I both know that even if I had a fair trial I'd be found guilty. Because, I am guilty!"

"We've got you surrounded. You can't escape," said Sir Sarah.

"Ah, but you see my lady, not one of you will make the first strike. I daresay you could all take me down and imprison me once again. But as before, you would not do so without," he grinned, "casualties." Just as Lord Rudolf was about to strike, The Mighty Pine Cone jumps down from the cliff, holding his lute like a club, this bearded man in animal fur strikes Lord Rudolf on the head. Sparks fly when the body of the lute hits the reptilian's head and Lord Rudolf falls unconscious to the ground.

Just behind the prone body of Lord Rudolf something the size and shape of two upright cars appears out of a waviness in the air! Chronotron The Chronobot has finally arrived!

"Well you took your sweet time!" complains Action Steve. Action Raptor was about to erupt with a dinosaur equivalent of "yeah!" but saw that everybody else besides The Mighty Pine Cone, Action Steve and himself, including Sir Sarah and Neville The Great, were bowing before Chronotron as if he were an object of worship.

"Huh?" asks Action Steve.

"Actually this is kind of embarrassing," answered Chronotron.

"Most people around here think of him as a god," explained The Mighty Pine Cone. "Perhaps it's best we speak of this in private." The Mighty Pine Cone turns his attention to the bowing Dragons and Humans, "I'm sure these fine humans and dragons can work together to keep a killer safely away from innocent people."

"Agreed," says Chrotron, and with that, Action Steve, Action Raptor, The Mighty Pine Cone, The Super Action Vehicle, and Chronotron The Chronobot shimmer away, leaving the dragons, humans, and the unconscious body of Lord Rudolf to deal with things on their own for now.

The group reappears in a warm room with a nice roaring fire, There is a dining table in the middle of the room, and shelves upon shelves of books on the walls. The fire bothers Action Steve's asthma a bit, but he doesn't comment. Instead he asks The Mighty Pine Cone, "Are we some kind of versions of each other?"

The Mighty Pine Cone is about to respond but Chronotron Interjects. "The question is irrelevant. You still speak as if you believe that continuity is real. That the past is real. You should know by now that the past is but a memory which happens to coincide with events in other universes which are other moments that you, The Action Steve of this moment, has never been to. You just believe you have."

"I'm sorry Chronotron but yes, I still do believe the past is real. I think there is a connection between one moment and the next, more than mere coincidence. If there is no past or future, just a series of moments that think they're connected, why do you try to do good? Why did you rescue us from The Mighty Pineapple? Why have you been helping The Mighty Pine Cone here?"

There was silence. But Action Steve could see that The Mighty Pine Cone and Action Raptor didn't really believe that there was no past or future. Their memories of the past were largely consistent with the memories of others and they experienced the future constantly becoming the present all the time.

"Because I, like The Intention, believe that doing good in one universe has an effect on the overall balance of justice, fairness, and peace in other universes. We are all trying to tip the balance."

Just what is The Intention? Find out in the next episode of The Astonishing Adventures of Acton Steve!