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

OPEN

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa's had her doubts about the Initiative. But the destruction of another Transport's home is not something she'll sit idly by and allow to happen. She isn't very skilled in anything beyond swordplay and she has no crossbow or recurve to use... But she will fight. There's no question.

A)

Warden stamina is good for something, at least. Just when it seems like Elissa's going to run out of energy, she's back up and fighting, using her skills as an assassin and shadow to pick their enemies off one by one. It's tedious and takes too long, but she can thin them out before they get close enough for hand-to-hand. More than once, she's there to cut through them when they get too close to fleeing civilians. And more often than not, there's little she can do; no matter who she attempts to protect, they still manage to cut them down with alarming efficiency and cruelty.

She buries her sword into one of her enemies and swipes off their head. And then she ducks back behind some debris before she can be shot full of holes. She really isn't used to this sort of combat.

B)

When Elissa crosses through the portal back into Exsilium, it's clear she's not well. Blood stains her armor and, alas, it's her own. She's already clawing at the straps of her leathers to shove them aside and assess the damage, which is a good, clean cut into her ribs. It hurts to breathe and to move too much, and so she settles somewhere until a medic can deal with her.

She's a mess, red hair out of its tie and sticky with blood, but she's alive. That's what matters, right?]

A)

[goinbust]

"Darlin! Keep yer head down!"

As she ducks into some debris from another pile of rubble pops up a large powered armor that may look like a metal Shale, plastron down as it sprays bullets in the direction of the UE troops chasing her.

[ladyspitfire]

Elissa hears the voice and does as they say, though she looks up as she hears the gunfire. For a moment, all she sees is the bulk, but then she realizes it's an armored soldier covered from head to toe in steel. Taking a moment to reorient herself, she ducks back down and goes for whatever traps and poisons she's managed to grab before leaving Exsilium.

She finds one and tosses it in the direction of their enemies. It should do little except disorient them for a short time. "Don't worry about me, just keep them back!"

[goinbust]

"Hey, leavin people behind is bad karma. Just move!"

The figure continues firing, armor taking a few shots as the man inside grunts and ducks behind cover long enough to change magazines.

[ladyspitfire]

She waits until they're focused on him before leaping out of her hiding spot. A few soldiers turn their attentions to her but too late to stop her from tossing two of her knives into their helmets and ending their lives. She gets behind another stronger piece of debris to refocus.

At length, she manages a moment to set a trap in the ground and then she's off and running once more, getting their attention so he can pick more off.

[goinbust]

Jim rolls the cigar in his mouth from one side to the other and keeps firing. Melee fighters always seemed a bit off to him, but the Protoss did good work and who was he to judge. When the line of fire changed directions he reminded the troops he was still there by firing a rain of bullets into their sides.

"Hey kids, don't ferget about the target with the assault cannon!"

B

[bloodyantivan]

Elissa! [Zevran spots her across the crows returning, and he immediately is overcome with it - what is that emotion called - oh, right. Crushing guilt. He should have been by her side, but they'd been herded through the gates before he could find her, and then it was time to get busy fighting for his life.

He's a little worse for wear himself - some burns and cuts, including one on his face, although he's hoping that will eventually result in a scar that gives him rugged appeal - as well as limping a little.

He snags a first-aid kit from some startled-looking runner and crouches next to her, immediately beginning to clean the wound before even saying hello. With a task to focus on, the obvious worry in his face disappears, masked with studious concentration.]

Tsk, tsk. This is what happens when you attend a party without me, you know.

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa looks up the moment she hears her name, eyes wide and relief evident enough on her face. The fatigue is gone for just a moment, replaced with raw emotion that she hardly dares to show to anyone except for a few.]

Zevran.

[Maker, he's alive and he's all right. The moment he's close enough, her hand goes out to his shoulder, eyes searching his body for wounds. She sees the cut on his face and the few burns that are visible on his arms, and she bites her lip in frustration. A wince follows suit from his cleaning.]

I know. Always rushing out in front. I keep forgetting I'm not equipped for that anymore. [She should have been a warrior but she's too quick, too resourceful to simply run in blindly. But sometimes she takes the helm too fast and she forgets where her skillsets are.] You're hurt.

[bloodyantivan]

Ah, this is not so bad. I am not nearly so courageous and brave as you, my dear. [Zevran finishes bandaging her - it is a fine enough battlefield dressing, and the healers can have a look at her when other matters are less pressing. He slyly presses a kiss to the bandage before taking a seat next to her, gently placing his undamaged cheek on her shoulder.]

I should have been by your side, that wound should have been mine. I broke my vow to you. Forgive me?

[He is very, very quietly asking this.]

[ladyspitfire]

You mean stubborn and bullheaded.

[Her smile is wry as he kisses beneath her breast, at her ribs, and she's all too glad for him to slide closer and lean against her. Elissa rests her head gently against his, not wanting to hurt him, and she puts her hand on his knee. It's less affectionate so much as protective, angered that he was hurt and she was not at his side.

She shakes her head.]

There's nothing to forgive. We're both safe and that's all that matters to me. We had little choice when they shoved us off. [She closes her eyes briefly.] If you broke your vow, then so did I.

[bloodyantivan]

[Zevran places his hand over hers, weaving their fingers.] Let's lay the blame on the Initiative, then.

I saw a city that would have been beautiful if it weren't so... on fire and full of dead and dying people.

They spoke Antivan.

[ladyspitfire]

[Briefly nodding, she squeezes his hand.] Deal.

[As much as she knows Zevran takes his oaths seriously, and that this probably has upset him more than he lets on, Elissa's too tired to do little else but bask in the relief of seeing him alive and mostly unharmed. They can discuss the rest of it later.

She turns her head, though, and looks at him with wide eyes.]

They spoke-- Oh, Zev, I'm sorry.

A-A?

[chronologistics]

[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.]

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa turns and is surprised to see someone else there. He's not a soldier and so he simply gets a brief nod as well while she fishes around in her belt for some supplies. She pulls out a flask of some purple liquid, giving it a mild glance.]

So long as it gives me a few seconds of reprieve, that's fine. But you can't stay here for long.

[It's too out in the open.]

If I draw them away, you can check the other buildings for a bit of safety.

[chronologistics]

Wow, okay -- [His free hand shakes through his hair, sending dust flying.] -- the concern is flattering, but I'm not some damsel in distress here. No hidden towers and evil stepmothers for me.

[Good luck convincing him to let this be a thing that happens.]

[ladyspitfire]

And yet you show the same concern for me?

[She's the one in armor, buddy.]

[chronologistics]

[Another spray of bullets interrupts whatever he was going to say, and Dave makes a sound that is somewhere between a startled gasp, and an aggravated groan.]

We can sit here and argue semantics all night long, but I'm pretty sure it's just going to result in us looking like Swiss cheese.

[Behind the shades, his brow furrows, and he glances to the side. There's an empty alleyway behind what looks like the back exit to a restaraunt. The issue is finding a distraction that would be long enough for them both to take cover.

Oh, right. His sword. His fingers tighten around the hilt of the sword, and he tips it very slightly, looking into the reflection of the blade.]

... which is gross, by the way.

B

[inafadingcrown]

[Elissa, oh no, Elissa. Dreadful as a healer's job may be, it is always harder when the patient is a friend. The instant Galadriel spots her, she makes her way over, bending down to examine the wound for herself before even bothering to speak.]

You were lucky, my friend, though it may be some time before you feel it.

[ladyspitfire]

[She looks up as Galadriel approaches, a beacon of light amidst the scuffle of panic and the memories of the carnage she's seen. With a swallow, she nods.]

I'm already feeling it, not to worry.

[But Galadriel looks unharmed, thank the Maker.]

Did you stay here?

[inafadingcrown]

[She nods, already reaching into her bag of herbs and salves.]

I am of more use here. I can wield a blade, to be certain, but my skill in healing is far greater.

[ladyspitfire]

You remind me of someone.

[The thought comes unbidden in her haze of pain, but now she thinks on Galadriel and remembers Wynne. And remembers, too, that she is very possibly dead thanks to Anders.

Maker, what a mess.]

[inafadingcrown]

Do I?

[She looks up, offering an apologetic glance as she applies one of the salves. It will sting, she knows, and the pressure she's putting on the wound will hurt. But it is what it is.]

That is not something I hear often.

A

[sharpe]

[ Just as Elissa ducks backwards, there's a series of loud, heavy shots. Three shots, coming in rapid succession. The smell of sulphur starts to permeate the air. Rotten eggs, really. Then Sharpe leaps over the edge of what used to be a wall, his rifle in one hand, his sword barely cresting over the debris as he drops down next to her. There's a strange weapon slung over his shoulder. ]

Close combat's a little difficult against these bastards. [ Stating the obvious. He glances over, and smiles. ] G'day, Miss Elissa. I picked up some trash on the way here. [ He half-shrugs, and the weapon slips from his shoulder in front of Elissa. ] I can't make head or tails 'bout how ta use it; you want ta give it a try?

[ A second after the weapon drops to the ground, Sharpe turns away from her. He ducks down under the half-wall, reloading his gun just once before he leans up and fires off three rapid shots. More sulphur, and not a little bit of ash floats the air. His face might just be a little black. ]

[ladyspitfire]

[She sighs softly, relief, when she sees that it's Sharpe.]

Close combat is all I have without a bow or a recurve. It's not so difficult if you move quickly.

[Warden stamina can keep her going and give her an advantage. It's only a slight one, however, and not always enough. She hasn't been gutted yet, though. That, at least, is a good sign.]

I'm not so familiar with firearms. [She glances at the weapon he's holding.] But I can give it a try and see how it works. A hand goes to her mouth and she coughs quietly.] Maker, what is all of that?

[sharpe]

[ He flashes her an apologetic smile. ]

Apologies. It's me powder, Miss. [ He shrugs. ] Smells like rotten eggs and soots all men's faces. Burns the throat too, but it sends balls flying into men's throats well 'nough, so I ain't complaining.

[ He reloads again and pushes himself up above the debris, shooting another three times. Drops back down, and reloads. ]

They're stubborn bastards. [ Peers. ] Looks like they're heading fer a cannon. [ And okay, he can't help but make a low whistle at that. ]