exsiliumlogs | Other Worlds: V 2.0

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Other Worlds: V 2.0

Date & Time: May 21st, beginning at 0900.
Location: The Initiative Hold and all throughout Elmer's world
Characters: Anyone participating in the fighting, anyone staying behind.
Summary: Elmer's world is fought for and lost.
Warnings: Violence, death.

They reopen the portal at 0900, May 21st. The first scientist who stepped through was killed within thirty seconds; the rest who followed made it back through to Exsilium, albeit not unscathed. The portal was shut again by a panicked operator, although a second operator knew to keep the coordinates locked.

Within ten minutes, the alert had been sent out. There's no time to wait for the Transports to gather en masse; as soon as they have a sizable enough force to stand a chance at fighting through and clearing their gateway's location, the door is opened again.

Immediately inside the door is a desolate, grim scene. What had previously been the coast of Japan is now scorched earth, blasted sand, and little else. As the first point of contact for this world, it has undoubtedly suffered the worst. Here, the UE didn't stop at governments, financial centers, and capitols — the UE destroyed everything in sight. There are enough UE soldiers remaining in the broken country to give the Transports a difficult battle, although by now the bulk of their forces have moved on.

The Initiative will soon realize the necessity of opening more gateways, just as the UE had done. Transports will be deployed to London, Berlin, Paris, DC Washington, Moscow, Beijing, New York City, Hong Kong, Madrid. Through each of these windows, the destruction is staggering. Buildings are more husks than structures, everything that can burn is alight, and the death toll is off the charts. Blackened bodies seem to line every street, while pieces litter the ground among the rubble. There's no doubt that the UE has no need of the people of this world. They're after resources only, and anything and anyone already here is to be removed.

You can find UE soldiers everywhere. They move in coordinated squadrons of 20, and each of them carries a small arsenal. Even without their incredibly advanced and destructive weaponry, they're fearfully formidable. Each soldier, while still only human, is a genetically perfect clone, further enhanced by technological implants. They're all highly trained in physical combat. Even if you can disarm one of them, don't count on close-range attacks being any easier to handle. They've brought along cannons, small flying craft, and lightweight tanks. Each of these is the top of the line in terms of technology, geared toward destroying as much as it can, as quickly as it can. The United Earth is here to destroy, and they won't stop to wonder why their targets go from being civilians and scrambling, off-guard, comparatively primitive militaries, to trained and powered Transports.

For anyone staying at home, they'll find that any Initiative presence has withdrawn fully to the Hold. All Initiative employees are needed, and most of them in the med bays. The majority of the Initiative focus is on recalling and resurrecting fallen Transports, but attention is still needed for the living-but-wounded. Any Transports who stay in Exsilium and offer their help will have it immediately accepted; they'll be put to work in the medical wings, runnings supplies, or simply set at a machine and told to keep an eye on the numbers: Transport vitals, UE movements, and maps upon maps of changing statistics and colors.

At 1500, the Initiative will recall all Transport soldiers back to Exsilium and seal shut the gateway. The UE numbers are too great, their soldiers too powerful, and Elmer's world is lost.

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[To which Jesse responds with one of his infuriating shrugs and starts idly messing around with the stuff on Saul's desk.]

Are you stuck in here 'til this is over?

[At that point, Saul's settled for ~~standing~~ pacing by her bedside. The medics shooed him away and tried to get him to leave, but he's stubborn, so he stayed. Waited. Watched. Brushed some hair from her face, too, when no one was looking.

For a few seconds, yeah, he's mad. Beyond mad, but not at her. Exhaustion rides in on that same wave, though, so it's only a matter of seconds before he just looks tired.]

Yeah, that's about the same reaction I had.

[It's like something out of a video game, except the sight and sound of destruction are accompanied by the smell and the heat. It's like that day when the space ship crashed, except right now, nobody seems to have any hope. There is debris lying around nearby, street signs with words he recognizes from having read it for all his life. They weren't lying. This is Japan. This is a Japan or something similar to it, and it was on the brink of destruction.]

[a]
[His first thought: this is too dangerous. He hasn't been able to keep track of how many close calls he's had with death so far, adrenaline one of the only things keeping him from falling on his ass right then and there. But somehow he's still moving. There's a building nearby from which he can hear people screaming and crying -- would they be safer inside, he wonders, before he realizes the building isn't stable anymore at all.

He turns to the person nearest without really thinking] Hey! Help me move some of that debris! [and immediately runs toward the building. For that moment he forgets that he could be shot at or blown up, and he doesn't really check if anyone heard or followed him either.] There are people in there!

[b]
[Maybe those people were safely rescued or it was too late. Shintaro's got some cuts and bruises by the third or fourth hour, and he's exhausted from running around, not really being able to fight and barely avoiding getting killed. That happens when you live in your room for two straight years, really. He's stuck in the vicinity of the Dan the entire time, keeping an eye on them but trying not to get into a cluster with them because groups get targeted.

Really, though, he's got to rest for a second. He's got a stitch in his side and a shin split in one of his legs, and he grabs hold of something to keep himself on his feet as he pauses in the running, wiping sweat from his brow and gasping to get air in his lungs. Breathe. He needs to breathe.]

Didn't even... have time to grab water...

[c]
[This is especially if you're one of the Dan. But if you've been around him for any more than an hour, he's noticed you nearby. Maybe you ended up ducking behind the same building. Shintaro tears his eyes away from the enemy -- he's pale, he's shaking, obviously scared but somehow still functioning, it's probably adrenaline -- and looks at you to ask]

You're okay, still?

Edited 2013-05-22 04:49 (UTC)

[ Soldiers are circling, trying to surround the truck, trying to surround Aurican, with his wicked teeth and his dull, ash-colored scales.

He hears the voice but so caught up in his own shock and fear at the soldiers, he at first thought it was his own mind being cruel to him. The soldiers coming closer, Aurican coils his legs underneath him, ready to pounce once more. But he sees a stranger with black armor and a red slit for eyes and he speaks again, this time he sounds mocking.

Aurican is really in no mood to be jesting. Or talking, really. He wants to hide within himself, desperately so, while he breathes out fire and break skin with his claws when anything comes before him with a rifle.

As one soldier dies beneath the iron man's blow, another jumps into the soldier's place, this time aiming for Aurican's head. But the golden wyrmling is quicker and a jet of flame surrounds the man, the fire's roar unable to hide the soldier's shrieks. Other soldiers scramble out of the way but Aurican uses his Weapon - a fast click, and his scales turn from ashen-gray to brilliant gold to a searing, blinding light of the sun. Knowing the light will not last long, Aurican climbed over to the top of the truck, setting fire on much soldiers as he possibly can.

Giving the mocking man an ugly look - as though saying, Is this whimpering to you? - he jumps off the truck, landing on the burning soldiers, fire not harming the dragon of fire. ]

Japan, 0925

[Dragon is laughing, dark and amused, in his ear as he slips on the Hurricane Dragon ring and summons up a windstorm powerful enough to propel himself into the air alongside the Driver's call of Blow, blow, blow!. He is a green whirling torpedo with wide silver wings as he sends rubble and soldiers alike flying. He's more than happy to throw in an assist where he can, though whether that's with a well-placed magical bullet, or a kick, or even just a sudden swing of his magical familiars as a momentary distraction varies. He's keeping a rough eye on Nitoh, though it's with the rusty unfamiliarity of someone used to fighting alone. He's careful with the wings he's barely used to, though not quite so much with the deceptively small, strong tornadoes he sends spinning off of his sword in trios, as they're harder to aim by their very nature.]

Hong Kong, 1300

[He'd only left Japan behind when it became clear that the city couldn't be saved, but that others could, and even then, only because Dragon had started in on wondering at length what his Japan might look like, this way. He's changed styles, for the bright red Flame Dragon, and while the time he's spent out today might suggest he should be conserving his mana, he fights wildly, fire following along his limbs as he burns soldiers away from buildings. There are people here still alive, if the screaming is any indication. People he can try to save.]

Edited 2013-05-22 04:48 (UTC)

[It's really not surprising at all, given their situation. Zelos just nods]

Yeah well, I'll be holding you to that. Just keep us covered.

[At least it seems like this person has a heartbeat again. He'll start working on healing magic for her]

[At least they're not being actively shot at anymore. His fairly cold response doesn't upset her. She's just happy he even bothered. The fact that he's not tormenting her about it is pretty good, too. Sometimes she really gets him, and sometimes she's trying to read Angelic upside down.]

This way, right? Don't think I've... actually been there before.

[He shakes his head.]

Who is it? You have to go. Tell the Initiative, they'll know where he is.

Some gear. Can't take anything living, though.

Been grabbing what I can, though. With the Magnificent Mansion, I've got a lot of space I can fill with stuff. Media, electronics - I'll have to learn how to use 'em of course, but it's not like I sleep much.

That's a good thing, too - this...

It wasn't much space, but it was enough - and now that he knew it was coming, he managed to grit his teeth and NOT react beyond a twitch as she hit the ticklish spot at his ribs. Quickly, he snatched the gun and fumbled with it for a moment. It was so much smaller than the one he was used to, and for a moment, he wasn't sure his finger would even fit inside the trigger guard - damn tiny teenagers and their ridiculously efficient unsolicited modifications to perfectly fine, tried-and-tested Warehouse tech ...

"Okay, got it."

He wrapped his free arm around the ladder, just to be sure against whatever recoil the modifications might have granted, took aim, and fired. The first of the soldiers went down in a stream of bright blue lightning.

"One down! A little help would be nice...!"

But losing a home isn't like losing a pen! That's not something a person just gets over.

[There's an incredulous glance for a moment before she shakes her head, gaining her composure back as she folds her arms.]

That guy tends to smiles a lot, so he'd probably just grin and bear it like usual.

[That makes her open her eyes to look at him, frowning as she eases herself up, because she realizes that he's in here with the rest of everyone being revived, and while it's possible it's a coincidence, she doesn't really believe in those.]

Why are you here?

[What happened?]

A very amateurish one by Sheryl Nome's standards.

[Her response is simple, yet serene. Either way, she retrieves the items and gives him a quick nod of approval.]

Thank you, by the way.

[A]
[Fighting is easy. Thinking is the hard part.

Emil doesn't know this world, but every time he thinks about what he sees around him he sees more lives gone and a warning: This could be your world too. And he knows that what's going on here is important, but right now they need to save this world and fast. So he fights as quickly and brutally as he can, concentrating on the enemies before him and hoping desperately that all of it will be enough to at least save part of this land.

Unfortunately, for all the time he's spent at training he's not all that used to real fights without Marta and her healing spells at his side. Thanks to this and the pace he's trying to keep, Emil is now running out of energy and he's up against way too many UE soldiers for him to handle by himself. He's going to need a little help.]

Damn...

[B]
[Emil doesn't really have spells the way normal people do, but he does have one trick up his sleeve - Ain Soph Aur, a blast of concentrated mana good for clustered enemies (and he doesn't even know how that works here, but it works so he doesn't care). It takes a lot out of him and he's not much fond of using it anymore, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So if you're cornered yourself, you might see a white-purple light from another direction knocking down some of your opponents and a voice calling out to see if you're okay.]

Rose didn't say anything when Dave sat down, just glanced at him for a moment and then when back to sitting, watching the people rushing about still, listening to the shouts of pain, of panic. It was strange how haunting it all was, how she could barely even find the energy to keep her eyes open, let alone care.

After a few minutes, without saying anything, she closed the small space between them, her back still against the wall as her hood-covered head settled against his shoulder.

All right, all right, let me take a look here.

[Patients bickering with their family/friends about whether or not they're really hurt is a common thing to him, so he just gets to work scanning Artie with his tricorder.]

She's right. Go ahead and take your jacket off for me.

[She has no taste for announcing herself— not now, not with everything like- this— and chooses instead to cut this chase short, Allen's figure and poise too keenly felt. The UE soldier her target, Lenalee takes a leap of faith and lands heels-first on his shoulders (they snap, audible, near as audible as his shriek, the turn of her stomach in her ears). They both go down, but she is on top, she is always on top, and her lips are a grim slash set in a very pale face.

(Allen's arm, he—)

Stinging, with her chin jerking up:] Get him out of here!

I don't think you have. Not even to visit me, how cruel!

[It's best to try to keep things light, though it's clear his joking demeanor isn't reaching his eyes. It's been too long, these past hours. She's already seen the ruins of one city, and the message possibly hits home by how even when they reach the clinic, it's a very long walk as they find all the beds are taken with other wounded.]

[He opts to take her to the breakroom, still pretty empty as people focus on the main room. But hey, at least there's a couch to put her on]

The Initiative beamed you back. They're monitoring you guys out there and sending the injured back here. So let's cut the crap and you tell me where you got hurt.

I will. [She nods, smile dropping.] I promise.

[She goes back to keeping watch on their surroundings, once again on guard but incredibly tense. This almost feels like it isn't happening at all, despite knowing the opposite is true.]

Oh, well, maybe you're bad luck.

[ It's a jest, of course, not said with as much gravity as the situation actually calls for. ]

Was it another Earth?

Efficient being the key word in that wonderfully complimentary bitch fest right there. She couldn't help but grin as she heard the Tesla fire. Artie could complain all he wanted, it worked, didn't it?!

Claudia stammered, verbally keymashing a bit as she tries to say too many things at once, "Artie! I can either get you out of the hole or I can drive this thing. I can't. Do. Both!" Seriously, dude, she's good but she's not that good.

[There's not much to mess with: his mug, which is currently (protectively) held between his hands; a cup of writing utensils; a notepad...

Saul rolls his eyes at the question.]

I'm not stuck. This is a choice. I mean, I could just screw off and do whatever, but that would mean leaving this place in charge of someone else. And now is a really bad time for that. You don't have to stay the whole time.

[The pile of debris she is ducking behind is currently occupied by a kid in red hero jammies and a bloodied sword. His face is smudged with dirt (and a little blood trickling from the corner of his mouth) and his hair is dusty -- but the shades over his eyes are still in tact and he looks, for the most part, pretty calm, save for the way his shoulders rise as a spray of bullets sends chips of rock and debris flying in every direction.

He gives a slight nod in her direction -- a greeting -- and tries to shake some of the dust out of his hair.]

... hidey-hole ain't very hidey when the mobs see you hide in it.

[Contrary to his choice in words, he isn't particularly put off by it.]

Edited 2013-05-22 05:00 (UTC)

Baby?! Oh! Oh, yes, because a baby would totally jump in front of a --

[and then the medic scans him with - with something, and he realizes that ~~resistance is futile~~ there's no point in trying to argue. with a huff of a sigh, he starts shrugging out of his jacket, stiffly.

he might need a little help with that. not that he's going to ask for it.]

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Page 24 of 157

Other Worlds: V 2.0

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DAMN IT

that thing that was Japan; open

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OPEN | JAPAN, HONG KONG

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does that mean you dont like it?

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Three, two, one...jaaaam.

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A-A?

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