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]

[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.]

[fujibayashi]

[Sheena watches him quietly, a little surprised at his control slipping. But what she sees underneath the mask doesn't scare her away. He's diving right back into the guilt and self-hatred, and though she's still shell-shocked from the destruction herself, she can always spare a thought for her friend.

She's not as selfish as she used to be. When she was freaking out, it was Zelos who pulled her back. Without hesitation, she places her good hand on his lower arm.]

It's okay.

[She looks at him.]

Look, we don't know all the details. They've had the opportunity to stop us before, but they didn't. I think there's a lot more going on than we're aware of.

Wanting to leave isn't a selfish thing. [She didn't even /know/ he wanted to go home.] From the beginning, we've only been told what they want us to know. And only if it's convenient. So of course it'd seem like someone else's problem. It's not far-fetched to think they were lying about most of it. [A surprisingly pessimistic remark coming from Sheena.] I still don't want to trust them all the way...

Even if you had a different attitude going into this, it wouldn't have changed anything. You can't save a whole world by yourself and you shouldn't have to.

[wilder]

[He'll pause in his little freak out when he feels her hand on his arm. Her talk does calm him down a little, consoles him a little, and he remembers to actually breath through his nose. But...]

[He can't bring himself to agree with it entirely]

...Whether the Initiative's trustworthy or not, I don't think it would've affected how I felt. I wanted out the moment they...woke me up. [that's a good word choice, right? He's getting that talking about being dead upsets her] Never thought about saving any worlds.

[He sighs and shakes his head, putting the palm of his hand to his forehead and resting it there. It's really hard to express his words and he doesn't want to make it all about his problems]

Sorry, didn't mean to lose my cool- I should get you a sling.

[fujibayashi]

It's your life. I don't care if they had a hand in it. [She flicks him in the temple.] You don't have to fight if you don't want to.

[She lets go of him and holds her arm instead. Despite her words, her expression is gentle.]

Yeah, well... I'm glad you said something rather than hiding stuff.

[wilder]

[he makes a small little ow noise and rubs his forehead] Hey, I never said I felt like I owed them anything for that!

[He notices that gentle expression and makes a small scoffing sound at the words]

Yeah well, guess it's only fair after I re-broke your arm and everything.

[fujibayashi]

[That actually gets her to laugh. It's surprising after everything they've went through and kind of cathartic, and kind of embarrassing. She turns a little red and shuts up.

Right. That sling.]

[wilder]

[Oh hey did he actually get her to laugh? It's almost an alien sound, not because he's never heard her laugh before, but considering everything that's been going on he wasn't expecting it. Still, it was a really nice sound and...]

[Oh! Right! The sling! Gotta get that! He'll quickly get up and be so focused on that sling and not her laugh or how she looks when she's blushing and-]

[- and totally forget there was a coffee table there and runs his foot right into it's leg. There's a squawk from him as he pinwheels his arms to keep from tripping. Luckily, he'll recover even if it looks like his dignity wants to find a rock to crawl under and die]

Ahahaha...

[Yep, so walking quickly out of this room so he can get that sling and pretend that never happened, yep yep]

[fujibayashi]

[Sheena looks... puzzled, to say the least. She's expecting to get made fun of, not... Well, whatever, he's probably still upset and shocked at the world ending thing.

She waits until he leaves, then wonders aloud:]

... What was that all about?

[wilder]

[Oh nothing, just the dance of his people. Complete clumsiness. ]

[Either way, he's gone for a few minutes, but eventually he'll come back with an arm sling as well as a couple pairs of clothes to change into. They're nothing fancy, just some scrubs he managed to find, but you know when they are both caked in blood, dirt and who knows what else- yeah]

[Also completely pretending that little failure didn't happen, so he'll sit back down suavely. ]

Okay! Found a sling and some clothes if you feel like changing!

[...probably not with him around, but hey worth a shot]

[fujibayashi]

[Sheena gives him a blank look. She takes the clothes with her good hand.]

I'll change in the bathroom, thanks.

[wilder]

Man, way to dash a guy's dreams.

[SIGH. What okay it's been far too long without a pervy comment. But he'll sit back down again and pick up the sling as he sets the clothes on the coffee table]

Okay, lemme see your arm.