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

[retraced]

[Seeing Oz actually do what he's requested, he sighs and lets his shoulders slump. The dull ache that he feels in his hand whenever Oz releases the seal that he'd long since put on the B Rabbit finally fades, and he flexes his fingers against Oz's shoulder before releasing him and taking a step back.]

I'm -

[But he doesn't have long to rest before the sound of something exploding nearby sounds. On instinct, Gilbert drapes himself over Oz to protect him, but it's far enough away that they don't get hit with debris.]

[velveteened]

( he starts to squirm almost as soon as he hears the explosion as well - going from obedience right back to being difficult in under a minute - shooting gil a fierce frown )

Stupid, that's -

( - the kind of thing gil's done a hundred times before, only here in this ruined city it's infinitely more alarming to watch him take risks like that, especially for oz's sake. )

- dangerous!

[retraced]

This whole mission is too dangerous! What were they thinking sending everyone here like this?!

[Even Pandora wouldn't have sent in a small army to fight this type of enemy so recklessly. Or at least, Gilbert assumes, given he hasn't seen a battle that he hasn't been able to win yet. The gravity of the situation is weighing on him now, though.]

Oz, we need to get you out of here. Where's Break?

[velveteened]

I don't know.

( said helplessly, with a look around as if anyone else they know might sudden appear from behind one of the larger pieces of rubble. )

And Elliot, he wouldn't have just ignored this.

( normally he'd echo what elliot might have to say and laugh, but - there's nothing funny about this. )

[retraced]

[In turn, Gilbert's expression drops into something that looks just as helpless as Oz's voice sounds. This is enough; they have to retreat out of this place before anyone else gets hurt. Unless someone stronger comes along, this really is pointless.

He grabs for Oz's wrist and attempts to drag him back down one of the ruined cobblestone streets, towards where they'd arrived.]

[velveteened]

( he stumbles at the unexpected pull on his hand, but follows behind gilbert. )

What are you doing?

( he doesn't think of the direction in which they're going yet, too unfamiliar still with this oddly familiar city. maybe gil saw something? )

[retraced]

I'm getting you out of here!

[Obviously. He's not even going to try and make up lies, leaving this world is all that's left to do now.]

[velveteened]

Wait, but -

( thoughts whiplash back around to their topic of conversation from just a moment ago, and he tugs ineffectually for his hand back. )

- what about the others?

[retraced]

I'll go back for them once you're safe!

[Fighting alongside each other, he'd accepted. But watching Oz use this much power while still being unsure of just what sort of burden it was putting on him isn't something that he's willing to continue to risk.]

[velveteened]

No!

( he can put up a bit of a fight and does, but at the end of the day gilbert has ten years of height and strength advantage, and they both know it. )

How can you expect me to just sit back and wait while you do that?

[retraced]

[Gilbert stops as they reach a street corner, but he doesn't let go of Oz's wrist, no matter how much of a fight he puts up. He doesn't grip hard enough to hurt him either, though.]

We can't stay here any longer!

[velveteened]

So, we can look together!

( he can't help but really miss how helpful sharon would be now, able to use eques to keep track of at least one of them, ferry them to one another. stopping when gil does is automatic, and too much of his focus is in the argument instead of their surroundings. )

[retraced]

No way! I won't let you put any more strain on your body!

[His voice cracks from screaming too loud, the sound echoing through a nearby alleyway. Probably not the smartest thing to do. It alerts soldiers on the other end of their conspicuous location.]

[velveteened]

( jerking at his caught hand pointlessly, his own voice raising in an equally unwise fashion. )

I'll be careful, I promise, so - !

( so it may be just as well he cuts off when he does - more from a plethora of ways to end that sentence than not knowing how - because one of them might catch a faint echo of footfalls.

or, they may continue to argue anyway. )

[retraced]

Just because you promise, that doesn't--

[The sound of running feet grows louder then, echoing against the edge of the alley, and Gilbert turns to look just as three soldiers run out and immediately point their weapons. Well, shit.]

[velveteened]

( winners, the both of them.

he doesn't react immediately, waiting to see first if gil can handle them. )

[retraced]

[Under normal circumstances, three against one might be a little too much for him unless said three enemies had worse reaction times than him. In this case, his luck is dependent on a lack of talent in the first shooter. The bullet grazes just past his ear as he steps in front of Oz, plants his feet, and fires off three shots.

Each one of the soldiers goes down, but two of them have only been hit in the armor. They're only stunned, not dead, but at least they're incapacitated enough to not fire back right away.

Gilbert grabs Oz's wrist again and starts to run again. More than likely, those soldiers will be calling in more of their friends now.]

Come on! This way!

[velveteened]

( stunned works well enough for the moment, and he hurries after gilbert, also running now. )

There's too many of them!

( it's utter, utter madness; much as he wants to believe they can still save this world, the overwhelming numbers and destructive power the ue has at its disposal is astonishing, and there's already so many dead. what were ordinary people supposed to do against soldiers like this? )

[retraced]

[He's hesitant to attempt to call on Raven. With all the strain that Oz has already put on his contract, calling out his own might put too much extra stress on the boy. But at the same time, Oz is right. There's too many chasing, getting ready to fire on them, and probably more surrounding them.

He raises his free hand, and a few large feathers materialize in the air. However, he doesn't have a chance to try and bring Raven out entirely as bullets hit the ground near their feet and distract him.]