AU Hell: The Second

[forgetbeam]

Who: Post-Apocalyptic Grizzled Men and YOU
What: One day a rift appeared and so did two guys and a monster
When: July 12-???
Where: Clock Tower and... beyond??
Warnings: Too much manpain



Things sure had been getting kind of weird at Smash Academy lately, hadn't they? Gosh, it sure would be a shame if something weirder happened, like... magical sourceless lightning hitting the clock tower.

Oh, it was fine. It gonged three times, but only because it happened to be three in the afternoon. The tower still stood tall and proud, completely unchanged. However, there were disturbances both inside and out. On the inside, two battle-scarred young men, full of adrenaline and confusion - they had just been in a life-or-death struggle in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, like, two seconds ago. On the outside, one Greap, equally confused and twice as angry that its prey had seemingly disappeared and been replaced by a shiny new clock tower. It decided to take its aggression out on the solid walls instead, and it brought its scythes down hard.

Comments

the one where fite monstars

[shatteredcompass]

The clock tower was in one piece again. That was weird. Kiyotaka stared at the walls for a long second, holding his breath and wondering if he had died.

The walls shook with the impact of the Greap's strike, steel scraping unpleasantly along brick as sharp pointed ends of metal tore through the wall, stopping inches away from his face. It jolted him quite literally out of his daze and he tightened his grip on his sword, because whatever the hell just happened, it did nothing to get rid of the threat. That was the more immediate concern right now.

He grit his teeth, heading for the door. "Let's get it while it's stuck!"

[firegonedire]

There hadn't been any flash of light, or chill down his spine, or hairs standing on end to indicate some monumental shift. All he knew was the physical transformation that popped into reality before his eyes: solid walls and a complete, sturdy building. A lot of weird things happened in this city, sure, but these days generally didn't include things getting fixed spontaneously.

Hajime only had a moment to be disconcerted, as Kiyotaka jerked him out of bewilderment. Whatever had happened, it didn't change that an angry, mindless weapon was after them. He was half a step behind the other man as they burst out the door--

Where there was grass. Fresh-mowed, green grass, in a well maintained quad that less than sixty seconds prior had been buried by years of rubble and debris. The sky, still broken but clearer than it had been in a decade, lit the Smash campus, whole and mild.

Though Hajime could have gaped at the scene for hours--days, probably--but the looming mass a scant few feet to the side didn't seem inclined to wait.

[shatteredcompass]

Grass, blue visible in the sky instead of a hazy purple-black smog, a breeze that carried the long-forgotten scents of summer and life instead of smog and rotting flesh--

Kiyotaka's heart skipped a beat as he saw the building in the distance. The school he had, only minutes ago, wanted nothing to do with because it was such a mess of dirt and rubble and buried bodies and shadow bugs, was now just as it was the day he arrived in the city. Hell, the city itself could have been in just as pristine condition. What if...

The creaking of spinning wheels behind him reminded him that no, he couldn't spare any time even for this. The sooner they killed this thing the sooner they could change focus to what was happening.

The Greap had nearly freed its arms, and as risky as his timing was, Kiyotaka took a running leap onto the monster's round back and slashed at the back of its head.

SIE SIND DAS ESSEN UND WIR SIND DIE JAEGER

[punchtheflute]

Huh. So, there were a couple of new guys fighting a really weird monster thing.

Sonny was unsure about approaching and helping out because he'd never seen either of these guys before and had no idea if the monster was possibly a student? Were they sparring? It was always best to ask first before just outright punching someone in the face. (Except for Dedede. Screw that guy.)

"Hey! Do you guys need any help?" he called from a small distance away. He was eating an apple. It was a good apple.

[firegonedire]

The Greap's steel skull rattled as it took hits from the bladed attacks, the creature rumbling in anger and pain, but still plenty of percentage energy left. With one last great wrenching of steel, the blades dislodged from the wall, mortar and grit scattering over the otherwise rubble-free turf.

The call made Hajime stagger as he landed. He cast a glance over his shoulder and, my god, it was a person. A well fed person. With, oh god. Oh god, that was fruit, he was eating fruit, and looking for all the world like fruit was just a thing people ate.

"I--ahh, I--" This was not the time this was so not the time, he had to focus on what he knew before he got distracted. He reaffirmed his grip on his sword before darting around the Greap again, waiting for another moment.

"Can you--you can fight, right?" The man looked familiar. It had been a long time ago, he was sure, but... hadn't they met?

[shatteredcompass]

Oh god, living people eating living fruit, what the hell. Kiyotaka was sure he looked familiar too, someone he was friendly with when the school was still standing-- which it was now, so what year was it even?

He stumbled as the Greap began to move, making sure to put distance between himself and the scythes. Ah, but with this newcomer on the scene, things got complicated - if he couldn't fight, then their priority would have to be protecting him. It wasn't anything new to have to rescue a civilian, but it wasn't anything new to fail that, either.

"If you can't, you need to run, understand?!"

Kiyotaka grit his teeth as the Greap targeted Hajime, arms drawn up to their zenith. Come on, come on, get out of the way!

[punchtheflute]

"Oh! I can fight! I'm actually pretty good at it!" Sonny called back before tucking the rest of his apple away in his face.

There was a flash of light and a Popping noise. Suddenly the man was no longer. In his place was...

[punchtheflute]

A Wild Pokémon! Appearing! And an awesome battle theme started to play in the background.

"Lax!" He exclaimed, ambling forward towards the Greap. It looked bigger than him, but mostly that was the big scythes. It was so weird! Like a scyther robot. Scytherobot.

Either way, he guessed he outweighed it. And that was all that really mattered.

He powered up a shadow ball attack and threw it at the monster, wondering what kind of damage it would do. If he could avoid those big blades, that would be super great!

"LAAAAX!"

[firegonedire]

Hajime grit his teeth and looked up to the blades, quivering at their peak. He was really pushing it, but so long as its sights were set on him-- he dodged just as the scythes started coming down. His jacket snagged, another rip in the hem, but he was clear of the attack as the turf split like butter under the blades.

It was close, but the Greap's attention had been properly drawn, leaving it stuck as the shadow ball struck. It roared in its echoing tin, dazed and unprepared for the full force that had struck it. Hajime, already having been closer than advisable, took one last leap in for the final blow as the beast struggled to pull its weapons free.

The wheels gave out from under it, and there was a great clatter as the Greap's corpse hit the ground, and immediately dissipated into shadow bugs. Hajime wheezed, catching his breath and staggering back. You'd think this sort of thing got easier. His gaze flickered to their newfound aid.

The Pokémon of FDC had mostly scampered off when things got bad, as did as many people as possible. Running across them, while not implausible, didn't come that often. This type, in particular, he had only known at school--here. Before it all had happened.

"It's... it's Sonny, isn't it?"

[shatteredcompass]

Even coming from an ally, the shadow ball made Kiyotaka's stomach churn. He spent the past ten years only seeing dark purple spheres linked to death and disaster, and technically, this was helping bring the same fate to the Greap. The Greap that came so close to dragging Hajime down with it. He was at his side in no time at all to offer him a shoulder to lean on, pretending that he didn't need the same right now. They'd both faced so much together and came out alive, but he couldn't help but fear the day their luck ran out. God, if he lost him...

He wasn't going to think about that. After all... all that was lost before could potentially be found right here.

As the bugs scattered and sank into the earth, Kiyotaka gave the Snorlax a better look. As Hajime uttered the name, the bells went off.

"Sonny Moe," he uttered, completely bewildered. Right... Right! He remembered! "But if you... what... how did this..."

Wait. This was Final Destination City.

...He really should have been asking how this didn't happen sooner.

[punchtheflute]

Sonny poofed back into being a Human and clapped his hands together.

"Alright! We did it, guys! High fives!"

He extended his hands to the pair, expecting hearty palm slaps of mutual victory!

"How do you guys know my name? Are you fans of Red's or something?"

He didn't recognize them, apparently. Well, to be fair, he hadn't spent huge amounts of time with Hajime yet. And the Kiyotaka he knew would never let his hair grow so long! What a disgrace!

[awakeningwill]

Magical sourceless lightning was certainly grounds for something that the one guy on security was obligated to check out. Zero could hear the sounds of battle from afar, but without a trans server, an operator and coordinates, he couldn't teleport from one end of the school to the other. It was hard enough responding to threats while trying to shake the Shadow Bugs that were intent on consuming his delicious, advanced machinery.

He could only go as fast as his dash would allow, and hope that he wasn't too late. Regardless of what had been summoned, if it posed a threat, Zero was prepared to cut it down.

[shatteredcompass]

The monster had fallen, thankfully, dissolving into the same creatures that plagued Zero now - hell, maybe they were the same individual bugs, too. But even with the threat gone and the mind-blowing realization that they were now in some reality where otherwordly monsters did not lurk around every corner (yet), Kiyotaka did not take well to an unidentified figure running towards him. His blade sure was seeing a lot of action today.

He drew it automatically, but at least he had the presence of mind to remind himself that he couldn't make the first move. Not here. Just in case.

[firegonedire]

Over the years, beings with no visible soul had gone from "aggravating but easy to ignore non-entities" to "mindless beasts ready to attack without reason." At least, instead of general prejudice, this shift was based on experience.

Based on such experiences, as well as fairly negative exposure to fast-approaching unknown figures, Hajime didn't need much reason to have his weapon out and muscles at the very edge of lauching into battle.

To someone who worked security, two shabby men with swords arriving with a bolt of lightning might not look great.

[awakeningwill]

Zero knew a little something about swords - the distinct advantages and disadvantages. And while he favoured using the Z-sabre to rush down his enemies, he still had other weapons at his disposal. When his opponents were two blade-wielders, the best strategy was probably to keep his distance.

The reploid stopped out of range and in one swift motion, loaded the hilt of his sword into his modified buster cannon. The crystal on his helmet pulsed with light as he charged the gun, ready for either of them to make a move.

Despite his caution, there was nothing in his eyes that suggested he would hold back simply because they were human. "Name and purpose, now."

[shatteredcompass]

Enemies with projectiles always were a bit of a problem. But finding ammo for projectiles in the dark future they came from was also a problem, which made swords the more practical choice overall. It just made these kinds of situations a little tricky.

Having their foe address them meant he wasn't a shadow creature, at least, and while Kiyotaka's first thought was bandit, he reminded himself that there was no reason for those groups to exist yet. Even if he knew not everyone at Smash Academy was friendly or safe even before the apocalypse, they at least weren't ruthless pillagers. This guy did seem familiar anyway...

He kept his blade at the ready nonetheless.

"Kiyotaka," was his curt response, having given up on proper introductions and family names long ago. "And Hajime." Their purpose... They did have to have a purpose in being brought back to this time. It was more than just random happenstance. What else could it be but creating a better future?

"We're not a threat."

[firegonedire]

Hajime lowered his blade none, but didn't move forward. Some of Subspace's legion had given them experience with long range attacks, but there was little desire to test their reflexes on the matter.

It seemed the three of them would keep at a standstill, unless they could talk their way down. Communication on the other's part was a good sign, but Hajime still eyed the soul-free figure with boiling suspicion. Sure, refusing to answer would only make things worse, but he still glanced over to Kiyotaka as he spoke. A purpose... that was something they needed to figure out.

"And you?"

He tried not to sound too demanding--it was simply good to know who they were dealing with, even with just a name.

[awakeningwill]

It didn't seem like the other side was about to let their guard down any time soon. In the time that it took to have this little stand-off, the helmet crystal had gone from a faint pulse to shining brightly. At the very least, having a fully charged buster in his hands gave Zero a an advantage if it came to the first blow. He could afford the risk of backing down - moreso than these two, anyway.

Slowly, he lowered his gun. His whole body was still tense, and every process running in his head strained to detect the instant these two showed violent intent, but his voice was low and calm when he answered, "Zero."

As for their claims... the facial recognition on Kiyotaka was correct, but there were far too many discrepancies for him to accept it without explanation. But if he was an impostor, surely he would've made a greater effort to match the student here.

"...I spoke with Kiyotaka a few weeks ago." The unspoken message being, you don't seem anything like him. Explain.

[butterbelieveamanspromise]

When Kiyotaka returned to his dorm room of ten years ago, he came in at a time when Mondo was unchanging was there. He glanced up from his Cycle World magazine to acknowledge Kiyotaka's entra-

Who was THAT. And WHY in FUCK'S NAME was he wearing HIS TOKKOUFUKU? Why was it so TRASHED?!

His face would have been frozen in shock had it not been for a few twitching muscles. A dazed sound spilled out from his throat. He pulled his stomach away from the bed to sit up and peer at this visitor some more. He looked disheveled and about as worn as the coat he was wearing, and like he hadn't seen a bathtub in centuries.

"Who... Hey, that my jacket? Jesus christ! What the hell've you done to it?"

His face bore an uncanny resemblance to the one person who should be able to open it... but it couldn't be, could it? Mondo would have started to look a little more indignant had he not been so confounded about this mystery man. He was more concerned about why he had his coat than what state it was in at this point. His face was more disturbed, confused.

[shatteredcompass]

Kiyotaka knew Mondo had to be here, alive and well, in this place and at this time. He spent almost every minute since getting sucked through time and space thinking about their inevitable reunion and all the things he would tell him - all the things he couldn't, for one reason or another. How this would be a second chance to protect him... a third, really, and this time he would do it right or die trying, because there was no guaranteeing yet another after this.

He thought about the possibility of Mondo not believing anything he had to say, and rejecting him for being a smelly old post-apocalyptic hobo and turning him away. Kiyotaka told himself that he should be prepared for it and that he couldn't blame him if that was the case. He saw himself reflected in a hall window (real, intact windows!) and stared at his gaunt features for a long time, barely recognizing himself. There was no way in hell Mondo would.

His whole mind was clouded and preoccupied with thoughts of the Mondo he had lost, trying to remember the way he was before the invasion, the way he was going to find him.

He fully expected him to be in the dorm when he finally relocated and opened it, and yet he froze when he saw him, eyes wide in complete disbelief. So young and full of life, still sporting that stupid hairstyle...

...Still angrily shouting. Kiyotaka snapped out of his daze, clutching at the tattered jacket in question.

"Ah--"

For all the mental preparation he did, now that the time had come he found himself at a loss for what to say. He wanted to go up and touch him and make sure he was solid and real, but that would be creepy and weird and

wait, no, there he went. Gross.

[butterbelieveamanspromise]

As he approached, Mondo's muscles tensed, ready for a typical fight response if it came to that. But as he came closer, his urge to defend himself with whatever this guy intended to do dwindled. "What're you-" Too dumbstruck to strike. His eyes bulged and his mouth hung open as his hand made contact with his arm, like, how could this guy just waltz up and touch him out of nowhere like this? What spurred this on? There was more of a reason for his stunned reaction. From this proximity his features were near far easier to distinguish.

Those eyes... They made his throat feel like sand was coating it. He couldn't even swallow. That's why his voice came out so hoarse.

"What's... What's eaten you?"

To have him show up like he'd returned after being shipwrecked for years really did a number on his brain. He couldn't make sense of this turn of events at all. Mondo's irises darted around like lilac ping-pong balls in his search for it.

[shatteredcompass]

He was real. He was real and alive and Kiyotaka felt a bittersweet nostalgia wash over him. It had been in this very room that he saw Mondo come back from the dead years ago, so it was only fitting that his first reunion with him after witnessing him die again also be here. Even if the circumstances were not at all the same.

He seemed to recognize him, too. Kiyotaka tried to swallow back the growing lump in his throat, pulling his trembling fingers back from Mondo's arm.

"H-ha... Ha..."

Not at all the loud, booming laughter of his youth. Just a breathless noise of exhaustion and relief.

"It's-- It's been a long time." What a stupid way to open. Uh, crap, he should back up a little here. Find a better place to start. "What I mean to say is... I'm from the future. A future."

One he wanted to prevent. Yes.

"It's... good to see you again, Mondo."

[butterbelieveamanspromise]

He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to because it scared him. It made him feel like his skin was cold and his innards were squirming. But did he have a choice? What else would explain his aged, scraggy appearance? His long, unkempt hair? That pungent, earthy odor of caked dirt and sweat? All of his senses were screaming that this was actually happening. Even his memory of Yasuhiro coming back from the future with a child stamped this as a plausible occurrence. Especially in a city like Final Destination.
Could he mean... a future where he survived Hope's Peak, like that Ishida had done? That's sure as hell what it looked like. Was this what the 'outside world' had done to him?

"The... The future? Quit yankin' my chain..." he said in a breathy, irresolute way, shrugging the shoulder his hand rested on to buck it off. There was no point in feigning disbelief, but if he could just have one more opening to let it all be a sick joke...

[shatteredcompass]

"I'm obviously not from the present," he pointed out, crossing his arms in a way that very much mirrored the present-day alpha-timeline Kiyotaka Mondo knew. Not that he could blame Mondo for wanting to reject it. He wanted to each and every day.

[butterbelieveamanspromise]

"Yeah, you look all old now," he agreed, staring at him with the ping-pong irises again. There were too many questions you could ask somebody from the future, but they never formed because there were just too damn many. 'What's the future like?' Pff. He settled for what was bugging him most.

"So why are you wearing my jacket?"