Other Worlds: V 2.0

[initiates]

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.

Comments

[oncearanger]

[Billy's a little embarrassed by all the staring at his wounds. He feels the tips of his ears burn.

But wow, this is actually not too bad. The constant pain is wrapped in something cool, and he's aware of the muscle mending. The healing reminds him of a friend with a talent for water, actually---if he closes his eyes, he could imagine a familiar voice scolding him and a small hand flicking his nose.

But there was a question, right? He nods.]

Yeah. He saved me when I couldn't save myself.

Thank you [He mouths this to Jericho and catches his eye]

[wilder]

[He meanwhile keeps walking and leading, but still listening in on both the troops...and well Lenalee and Allen]

[Because seriously, what is a synchro rate? ]

[gunsling]

[ He does seem to brighten at the offer at least. ]

If you could lend me a hand for a moment or two that'd be dandy! I'm trying to make sure there aren't any people trapped under all this mess.

[5055034455]

And you'll do what? Investigate?

[He sounds more hostile than he feels.

It's a good cover-up for the sudden worry. Maybe.]

[alittlesweptup]

[He makes a low noise and half raises his hand in some kind of rebuff.] Alright, well said. [Slapping the square of gauze down over the seared place on his leg, Charlie starts to unstick the tape from his fingers and bind the gauze down.]

Having fun out there, pencil pusher?

[inafadingcrown]

And if the cause of your grief is shared with others?

[Her expression does not reveal much. She's too composed, too carefully controlled to show the world what she's feeling, at least openly. But she's quieter and something in her eyes is a bit softer, if one takes the time to notice.]

[hostage]

[Jesse shoots a glare at Saul.]

You know I been living here almost a year, right? I'll just check it out and come right back.

[debtor]

[Glances at her, then down at her boots; he hadn't really seen them in action before now.]

Like yours did.

[They're getting stronger. But as far as he's concerned, he's still not nearly strong enough. It's only a single step in the right direction.

He tries to pick up the pace, tries not to limp.]

What happened? [His gaze rises to the dark stain spreading across her side.]

[icy_heavens]

The grip on his blade was still firm, though he wasn't sure how much he could trust his fine motor skills right now. Kidou wasn't his preferred way to fight, and it would be more draining than purely physical combat for him, but it may be more reliable when it came to defense.

It occurred to him to just use shunpo. He may have been tired, but he could still manage it. There was only the question of whether his new companion could keep up with him; if the man were risking himself to get him out of here, it would be ungracious to leave him behind. Hitsugaya wasn't that much of an ass.

Only one way to find out. So as he started the retreat: "How fast can you move?"

[medicating]

Well hell, I'd feel better if you'd at least take a load off here while your body heals itself.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Right now, we need to get people out of here. This fight's doomed, and if we stay here, we're-

*"Targets!" "Get them!"*

- MOVE.

*And Pidonus was starting to run.*

[knightofcourage]

Yes, of course.

[Emil kneels down on one leg, so that he can keep an eye on what's going on inside but hopefully won't be caught off-guard should something happen.]

Are you ready to go?

[5055034455]

Big deal. What was that you said a minute ago? Oh, right. If you're going, I'm going. So let's go.

[His first few steps are hesitant, but he's quick to straighten his back and stride on ahead.]

no problem

[gevurah]

I don't -- [ She rips herself away from his hold and then towers above him. The boots give her an extra couple of inches, putting her at nearly 6'0". ]

You're going to get both of us killed!

[hostage]

[Jesse rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but he'll concede for now.]

At least let me lead. That thing's ridiculous.

[He jerks his head toward Saul's bulky-ass gun.]

[debtor]

[Allen disposes of another man's weapon, as he had the first, whacking the man in the head with the butt of his gun. A moment later, one that he'd disarmed rushes at him and Allen sends him stumbling back with a kick that probably won't leave a mark.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the wolf tear apart another— but he barely has time to protest (it's a gut reaction, that soldier's a person)— before laser fire from above begins tearing up the ground below. The ship's still a ways off, as it flattens the remains of a hotel building in a matter of seconds.]

Shit!

[Fffffffuck.

His heart's in his throat. He can't die here. He can't let Cat die here. One of the soldiers grabs his shoulder, and Allen spins to throw him off, claws tearing into something, cape whipping behind him.

Desperate, he lashes out at others with his Innocence, with ribbons and blasts of energy, ducking and weaving around any attack he can, yet it hardly seems to put a dent in their forces. Disarming five out of twenty is a meager accomplishment. They're still being fired upon, and the ship's still approaching, his head pounding with the sound of it. In a second, he finds himself flat on his back, a hand on his throat, as he struggles to push the man off with a choked-off shout.]

[5055034455]

If it'll make you happy, fine.

[But Saul's not going to hide how offended he is. He wrinkles his nose and holds his gun away from Jesse. Protectively.

To the gun:] It's okay. He didn't mean that.

[knightofcourage]

[Emil takes a moment to think over those descriptions, but unfortunately none of those seem familiar. He wishes he had - in this disaster, even being able to do someone a small favor would feel a lot better.]

No, I can't say I've seen them. I'm sorry.

[flightybookshrew]

As the spontanious thunder storm of death faded, Rose settled back onto her feet from where she had floated up a bit, and frowned at the pile of smoldering corpses, then over at Kanaya, then down at herself. A quick check over with her hands revealed that her injuries were gone, even her robe was fixed, and her eyes were a tad wide as she looked back at the rainbow drinker.

She'd realize how hurt Kanaya was in a minute, probably.

"...Well." A beat. "I can't say I was expecting it to work like that."

[anklets]

It's nothing, really.

[Lightly. She is trying so hard to build up a mask of composure, and it is transparent and tenuous like glass, but she isn't feeding him empty words. She is fine, truly. The hurt means she is still alive.

To Zelos, this time:] You said you could hear them?

[hostage]

[Really. Talking to the gun. Whatever. Jesse focuses on getting them to the entrance, taking the corners carefully. He feels kind of silly doing it after a while, because it's quiet. Then again, it's one of those too quiet situations. Was the building evacuated and somebody forgot to tell them?]

[anklets]

[No such luck, for Lenalee is dogged and pursues. She had always thought of it as "even if the real world were saved", but what she is living, with the fire all around them— her throat is all sealed up with the fear that she may just lose both this time.

Even if this real world is not necessarily hers to claim.]

I'm not going alone!

[Her words are distorted by gunfire, engines, ruin. Half a block away, a tank crushes the remains of a— car?— beneath its tread, and Lenalee swallows her heart.]

Oz, please-

[hejhej]

[Lisbeth furrows a brow as she tries to decipher what he's talking about. Then both brows goes up as she realizes exactly what he means.]

What's different about the first time than this time?

[wilder]

[Oh okay cryptic answers he can't make too much sense of, he'll figure it out later. At Lenalee's question there's a pause. That's right, she didn't know. Part of him feels compelled to hide his abilities, but...well, considering the situation they're in? His own desire for secrecy seemed pretty flimsy.]

[And so he nods]

My hearing's better than most people's.

They're a few blocks away from us, and if steady march says anything? They haven't spotted us yet. Let's hope it stays that way.

[moralperil]

[Mahdi nods, looking stricken, but then raises a finger, waiting for the sounds of soldiers outside to pass. He closes his eyes to get a better handle on their souls: such strange, monochrome things, all moving in one direction. He gives a final nod when he opens his eyes and speaks again.]

I don't think we're gonna win this one.

--And aren't you kind of young to be out here anyway? It's dangerous here! [Says the guy who looks all of about 15.]