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

[fujibayashi]

[He is in no mood for her bullshit today. That surprises her too, and she lets out a wry little laugh, feeling strange and disconnected from the mayhem around her. She's too tired even for arguing.

Her grip on the world begins to slip, and she ends up sort of... tipping in his general direction.]

Ugh, hell. Sorry... need help getting up.

[wilder]

Tt- stupid Sheena.

[The annoyance is fake though, it's clear it comes out of concern more than anything. When she starts to tip, he'll move to support her weight. Or in other words, pretty much pick her up. But at the very least he'll give her some dignity and make it only a half carry- with her good arm around his shoulder and his around her waist]

How's that?

[fujibayashi]

[She's functional enough for that. It works. Even if it's embarrassing, it's the only way she'll be able to get out of here. It's either that or be carried princess style, and like hell she's letting Zelos get away with that.

She's not purposely leaning on him, honestly. But she doesn't complain about the hand around her waist, because it's pretty much the only thing keeping her upright.]

You're probably... never going to let me live this down, huh?

[wilder]

[He meanwhile is trying to haul her as quickly as he can. This area isn't safe, and the fact he's carrying her leaves them both wide open. They need to get to the gateway as quickly as possible]

[Though he'll still snark at her]

Oh never ever. I mean jeez Sheena, what kind of wimp can't take down the United Earth forces single-handedly?

[fujibayashi]

Can't say I didn't try. I've been... calling summons for hours.

[Zelos is /really/ warm. It's distracting. There is a part of her that wants to break away and keep fighting, but that part gets smaller by the minute. She's so tired, and Zelos is hauling her to safety.

Is it really safe, though? The fingers of her good hand tighten into the fabric of his coat.]

What if they follow us? They know we're fighting them. They know everything.

[wilder]

Seriously? Jeez, no wonder you're so wiped. You know you're supposed to do that sparingly.

[Not for hours, not be in places like this. Neither of them should be in this place. He's seen battles before...but nothing like this. It was shaking even him up]

[It really didn't help things when he felt her cling tighter and ask those words. But he'll swallow a little and attempt to be comforting, even if he doesn't know the true answer]

They won't. We'll be safe, okay?

[They just had to make it there]

[fujibayashi]

Yeah, well, this could've been...

[Their world. She doesn't say it, but the thought is there. She concentrates on putting one foot in front of the other. If she fucks up, she'll stumble and take him down with.

Not what she wants.]

... Yeah. We can hide if we need to. [A pause.] That looks... are we almost there?

[wilder]

[...Could've been their world. He can finish the sentence in his head and it makes him sick to think about. There was still a lot he hated about that world, but...he didn't want it to have this kind of fate. Even if he would never see it again]

[But he won't answer it, instead focusing on her inquiry]

Yeah, just a bit more and we'll home free. Just hang in there.

[fujibayashi]

[Sheena nods. Her grip on him doesn't loosen, as if he'll slip away and disappear at the first opportunity. She'd like to think that things have improved between them in these past few months, but maybe she's wrong. It's hard to tell with Zelos. He has good days and bad days, just like everyone else, but you tend to have more bad days when you're dead.

That's the Initiative gateway. She breathes a little sigh of relief. When she began falling back, she thought she was much further out than she actually was.]

--Thanks.

[wilder]

...Whatever.

[Nope still not sure how to handle thank yous. Besides, what else was he going to do? Just leave her out there? Jeez...]

[Either way, he'll be hauling them both through that gateway. The sounds of gunshots, screams and death are changed for the sounds of the Hold. Okay, sure there are some screams and death coming from the medical area- but all in all it's so much less terrifying than out there]

See? Safe. Now come on, let's get to the clinic.

[fujibayashi]

[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.

[wilder]

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]

[fujibayashi]

My life doesn't revolve around you, you know.

[There is a certain irony in this, considering she's depending on him right now. She falls silent as they pass the rows and rows of filled beds. This really is a war. She never had a doubt, considering what they've seen recently, but the shock of seeing an entire town leveled really hits home.

She gently detaches from him and sits on the couch, careful to cradle her arm and keep it from moving too much.]

I can wait. You should see if... there's anyone else you can save.

[wilder]

It doesn't have to revolve around to get a visit sometimes, you know.

[Nevermind the fact he likes to randomly be avoidant sometimes. But hey, details. And at her remark, he'll snort and sit down on the couch next on the side of her wounded arm]

My magic's nearly spent, I wouldn't do much good making another trip. Lemme see your arm.

[fujibayashi]

I'd feel bad if I didn't try to help or something. Maybe I'll deliver bandages.

[She really should drop by more often. Even if he can be insufferably at times, they're friends.

She lets out a little breath, and it's like all her bravery deflates. Now that she's off the battlefield, the exhaustion is kicking in ten times as strong as it was before.]

Mm. Okay.

[She turns a little toward him and moves her hand so that he can get a good look. It's been twisted, all right-- and then used to throw her down. She has some deep cuts and bruises aside from that, but the blood has stopped so it's not a big deal.]

[wilder]

Do whatever you like. Most nights the nightshift is boring.

[That's right, it's boredom that makes him want her to come by. That's all it is. Yep yep]

[But he'll look at the arm, grimacing slightly. That really isn't a pretty break.]

I'll have to set it back correctly before any healing can be done. It's probably gonna hurt a lot, you ready?

[fujibayashi]

[That's his reason, huh? Well, she'll think about it. She won't promise anything more than that.

That grimace is really telling. She's a big girl though, she hasn't shed a single tear over how much it fucking hurts... even though it fucking hurts.

She takes a moment to brace herself, then looks away.]

I'll be fine. I tr... trust you.

1/2

[wilder]

[He freezes at those last words. Did she really just say what he thought she said? That she-]

[No. No one trusted him. He was a mistake, one that couldn't do anything right. No one should trust someone like that. And yet...]

[wilder]

[He'll clear his throat and try to pretend that few second freeze never happened. She's probably just saying it because she's so tired and freaked out? Right? Right.]

Yeah, sure. Anyway-

One...two...three!

[And he'll move to reset the arm. He can do it with ease (if anything, he has to be careful not to TEAR OFF the limb), though the fact that his hands are shaking slightly makes it a bit more difficult. Either way, he'll get it done as quickly as he can]

[fujibayashi]

[... She said that out loud, didn't she?

Shit. Fuck. Well, whatever, they can talk about that later. Or never. When she feels his grip change, she tenses. It's the only warning she gets before he snaps her arm back into place.

She bites down on her glove and screams. As quickly as it began, it's over. Thank the goddess. She spits out her glove and wipes at her eyes. Nope, still not crying. Good. She clears her throat.]

Told you I'd be fine.

[wilder]

[Oh how he loves the sound of screaming his ear, though he gets it. Who wouldn't scream over that? He'll force out a chuckle at her exclamation]

Yeah yeah, you're seriously tough.

[He'll start focusing on healing the arm. He wasn't kidding about his magic being mostly drained, so it seems to be a weaker first aid spell. He'll probably have to get a sling for her soon, finish healing it up after he's had some more rest. ]

[Meanwhile overhead they seem to be announcing something over the intercom. A call for retreat, a call for people in the other world to come back]

[fujibayashi]

[It's better than nothing. Only now does she have the guts to look at her elbow. It'll heal up in its own time, but she'll need a sling for that.]

Thanks.

[She's going to say more, but she's interrupted by the intercom. Sheena goes silent and wide-eyed, looking at the ceiling as if they've just been informed that the roof is going to fall in.]

That's... Someone's going to lose their world.

[She frowns and bows her head.]

It's too awful.

[wilder]

[he also froze when he decided to pay enough attention to the intercom. It's not a normal look on Zelos, the look of shock. Then again, what normal circumstances were these? He just heard that they had lost an entire world]

All those...

[They weren't going to leave survivors, he saw that in how they attacked. Millions upon millions would die, if they weren't already dead. They'd failed them. They brought this problem to them because people wanted to go home, and now millions of people were...]

[Part of him had known it was impossible the second he walked through that portal and saw the destruction, and yet- and yet he couldn't bring himself to accept it as destiny.]

Dammit...!

[fujibayashi]

[Sheena's dirty hand wrinkles the hem of her tunic.]

We fought so hard. Everyone fought so hard, but it... just wasn't enough.

[This is true defeat. This is worse than when they fucked up and got captured in the Tower of Salvation. She's shaking, and she doesn't realize how much it affects her until her voice starts to go.]

We can go back in time, right? We can go back and make sure this doesn't happen, right?

[wilder]

[He shakes his head]

I don't know. What would we even change to stop it? I-

[He takes a second to pull himself together, swallowing. He can hear Sheena's voice go, her shaking. He's not sure he's much better]

This happened because we cared more about leaving than fighting, that's what the experiment was about. So many of us wanted out we pushed for this. If we went back in time and stopped this experiment from ever happening, there'd just be another one.

[His voice cracks slightly and the confession starts pouring out before he can stop himself]

I'd push for another! I wanted this to work so I could run off to another world and away from problems! I didn't even think-!

[That this could happen. No. He wasn't stupid- he didn't care to think about what could happen. That it could lead to so much pain and death for so many people. He only thought of himself.]