Chapter 12: Breakout

Breakout is the twelfth chapter of The Mazkertis Paradox. In this chapter:


 * Akoran Zicks, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Government, formally announces his intention to dissolve the government in the wake of Kong's death.
 * Captain Eurobeat, Strika, Niflheim, and Levi interrupt the 3784th Assembly of the Reverie to ask the attending delegates for help against Mazkertis.
 * Boltman and the YONBOTS attack the Kamabakka Kingdom and engage in a fierce battle with its ruler, Emporio Ivankov.
 * In Hell, Mephistroth holds a meeting between the demon lords to discuss whether to join Mazkertis.
 * In deep space, Garfielf eats a planet meant for Galactus, bringing him into conflict with the Silver Surfer.

Plot
On Day 56, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Galactic Government, a former admiral named Akoran Zicks, awakens in his bedroom on the planet Mariejois, apparently still mourning the death of his close friend and collaborator Kong. At Kong's funeral a few weeks prior, Zicks had met Klak, who had lectured Zicks on the hardships of death and encouraged him to move forward, but Zicks silently rejected Klak's advice, deciding that it would be best if the Galactic Government was dissolved.

Half an hour later, Zicks attends the 3784th Assembly of the Reverie, a meeting of the Reverie which is being broadcast live across the universe by GGNews. Zicks begins the meeting by thanking the delegates for attending and eulogizing Kong until his speech is interrupted by Captain Eurobeat, Strika, Niflheim, and Levi, who arrive through a portal that is able to bypass the room's incredibly high security due to Eurobeat's User powers and cause a communications blackout. The representative of Naboo is quick to declare that their arrival is an invasion, but Zicks shuts him down and allows the aliens to introduce themselves. Taking center stage, Levi warns the gathered delegates about the existence of Mazkertis and his plan to rewrite the universe's timeline, asking for their help in stopping him. However, the delegates dismiss Levi's story, and Zicks quickly gets everyone's attention again by announcing that he will use his new authority as Commander-in-Chief to dissolve the Galactic Government and sell off its assets; for example, by selling the Supermax prisons to the Blackwatch Corporation. Zicks's announcement causes uproar, and many of the delegates begin to verbally attack each other, including the President of Space India, whose nation joined the Galactic Government after their attempt to join the Cooperative was rejected.

As Captain Eurobeat and co. prepare to leave empty-handed, they are unexpectedly approached by the representative of Earth: the Affluent Man. Having previously met Mazkertis in person, the Affluent Man assures them of his belief that Mazkertis is a threat and offers to lend them the assistance of three of Earth's best assassins to put an end to the wizard. The only problem: all three of the assassins are currently imprisoned in Supermax 282, with the Affluent Man being unable to negotiate their release. After being given photos with the prisoners' names and identification numbers, Captain Eurobeat and co. leave immediately through a portal to Supermax 282.

News of the Galactic Government's dissolution reaches many places across the universe, including the Kamabakka Kingdom, where many prominent members of the Revolutionary Army have gathered to celebrate the news. The kingdom's ruler, Emporio Ivankov, delights in celebrating along with Dragon D. Monkey, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. However, the celebration is interrupted by the arrival of Boltman and the YONBOTS, who begin attacking the kingdom with the weapons they gained from Peacock and Double. Dragon moves to attack a YONBOT, but it burns a hole straight through his chest, killing him. Ivankov attempts to escape, but is confronted by Boltman, whom Ivankov recognizes from the drawing of Boltman's face that Boltman left at the scene of Kong's murder. Ivankov engages Boltman in combat, attempting to convert him into a woman by injecting him with supercharged female hormones, but the hormones have no effect on Boltman due to his inhuman nature, and he gains the upper hand and kills Ivankov. The YONBOTS make light work of the rest of the island's inhabitants and plant explosive charges around the island which they then detonate as they leave the planet, letting the Kamabakka Kingdom sink into the oceans of Momoiro.

Meanwhile, Captain Eurobeat, Strika, Niflheim, and Levi arrive on Supermax 282 in the office of its warden, Lemongrab, who is raging over the news that his prison will be sold to the Blackwatch Corporation. Lemongrab reacts similarly negatively to the arrival of the aliens, alerting security and creating a skirmish. After silencing Lemongrab with a punch - which also causes his head to explode - Strika transforms into her alternate mode, a tank, which carries the others through the prison towards the cell block where the assassins are being held. Upon arriving in Cell Block D, Strika is temporarily immobilized by an EMP grenade from the prison's security forces, leaving Captain Eurobeat, Nif, and Levi to battle the guards alone. Captain Eurobeat uses his Stand, I Came Here To Laugh At You, to demoralize the guards into surrendering and to destroy most of their boxguards. After recovering, Strika finds the cell of the first prisoner, Agent 47, who informs her that the only way to open the adamantium-sealed cell doors is to destroy a power box. Strika does as requested, opening all of the cells in the block and causing the prisoners to rush for the exits. Captain Eurobeat encounters one prisoner named Chad who emanates a huge amount of pressure and mocks him before teleporting away. Eurobeat eventually catches up to Nif, Levi, Strika, and Agent 47, the latter of whom takes them to meet the second assassin on their list: Seeldier. The third assassin, the Joker, has escaped along with the other prisoners, which Agent 47 says is for the best due to the Joker's unreliability.

Chad falls through interdimensional space until he arrives in Hell, landing near a meeting that is being held by Mephistroth between the various demonic rulers of the Infernal Planes. Chad overhears that the purpose of the meeting is to decide whether to lend support to Mazkertis following a request made by Raziel when he visited Hell a week prior. Chad interrupts the meeting by telling the demon lords to "stop trying to control everything and just let go", much to Mephistroth's disdain; Mephistroth and Chad have apparently met before. As Mephistroth prepares to turf Chad out of the meeting, the Heckumvirate suddenly emerges from a portal before splitting into its component beings, the Heckler and the Heller. The Heller discovers that he can swear again following the death of Stardust, to his excitement. When Chad asks who the Heller is, the Heller responds with one of Chad's own lines, which enrages Chad and causes him to attack the Heller. Mephistroth banishes them both by throwing them into the portal while the Heckler walks away.

In a desolate area of space, the Silver Surfer arrives at the site of the planet JL-511 to prepare it to be consumed by Galactus. However, instead of a planet, the Silver Surfer finds only what appears to be an ordinary house cat. The cat, who introduces itself as Garfielf, claims that it has eaten the planet due to its incredible hunger. When the Silver Surfer orders Garfielf to declare its power, Garfielf responds by consuming the Silver Surfer before wrapping himself up in a blanket, awaiting his next meal.

Characters

 * Agent 47
 * Akoran Zicks
 * Boltman
 * Captain Eurobeat
 * Chad
 * Donald J. Trump ("The Affluent Man")
 * Dragon D. Monkey
 * Emporio Ivankov
 * Garfielf
 * The Heckler
 * The Heckumvirate
 * The Heller
 * Lemongrab
 * Leviathan
 * Mephistroth
 * Niflheim
 * President of Space India
 * Seeldier
 * Silver Surfer
 * Strika

Trivia

 * This chapter is titled "Breakout" because, in addition to the major breakout in the Supermax 282 prison, it also features the breakout appearance of Chad. The title was also inspired by the Cryoshell song Breakout, which was created for the Hero Factory story of the same name (which Kon has not seen). Funnily enough, that story also centers around a prison breakout.