exsilium | First Duel

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First Duel

*There's a very sour looking man with a scar from some sort of blade running down his face on the screen, looking somewhere between unimpressed and outright disappointed.*

So, this is the city the Initiative operates out of. If that's the case, then it's truly no wonder they feel the need to outsource to other worlds. That is, assuming their words are true. But I should hope that having been here longer, it isn't too much to presume at least some of you have seen evidence either supporting or refuting their claims about this so-called United Earth. If that is, indeed, the case, I want to hear what information is available from direct observation. But if you've just mindlessly accepted their words as true and have no personal experience to prove one way or the other, don't waste my time.

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[Hey Margulis. Here's a familiar looking face even though he won't recognize you since...reasons.]

Well, our so-called enemies managed to bomb us a while ago and while we were dealing with recovery efforts, we got one of those assigned missions only to come back to monsters attacking here.

That and also some people were able to get some info and discovered the President's not even a living being. He's some type of artificial intelligence who the public never sees.

*He looks pretty startled at that face for a moment but isn't one to let it derail him.*

I see. So at the very least, we are at war with a highly aggressive and opportunistic force. Have all of the monsters been eliminated?

As of now, yes, the monsters have been eliminated.

[Of course Tenjou notices that look.]

...Is there something wrong? I would've thought the non-humanoid Transports would've shocked people more than me.

You look familiar, that's all. Are you...familiar with a woman by the name of Saori Nakagawa?

[Well that got him to sit up and grab the tablet.]

How do you know about Saori?

This isn't the only world out there that draws people in from their homes. Saori and I were both unwilling visitors to another such reality and worked together in attempting to oppose our captors.

I...see. So you know who I am then?

[He sits back down, hand to his face. Damn it, so much for that.]

If you're here but she's not that means she's still there. How is she, by the way. Strange she was still with me back home before I got pulled here.

*He nods.*

She's settled in well enough. As for your memories, given that world's ability to draw people in from different time periods, it would hardly be unbelievable that they can return them to the same time that they left.

I see, though I don't know your name unfortunately.

Well, I really shouldn't have to worry about her but, I can't help it sometimes. She's a lot stronger than she lets on. Yes, I can see that could be possible as well. Not to mention we don't know how time flows between my world and this other world Saori is in.

It's Margulis.

From what I've seen, she's more than capable of handling herself. In fact, I'm rather disappointed that I was pulled out of that world before I had a chance to face her myself.

Nice to meet you, Margulis. Well, if you gained Saori's trust then you have mine as well.

A chance to spar with her, I'm guessing. You can't get a better partner than her, that's for sure.

Likewise, I trust that you wouldn't have gotten nearly as close to her as you have without at least being somewhat respectable.

[Somewhat? The hell was that suppose to mean?]

True. My only regret with her is that I should have proposed to her much earlier. It was a miracle she stayed by me for so long. She does have what it takes to be a god.

*It means he has high standards and low expectations.*

Her attitude about it certainly does seem far better than most would have.

[Alright then. Bring it.]

Yeah. She's definitely got some patience and I do plan on making it up to her whenever we're back home.

Then I suppose you'll be giving the fight against the United Earth all of your effort.

I plan to. I'm not going to lose her and my world to them.

An admirable answer. And one that I hope is indicative of the common attitude of our allies.

Hey, I've seen worse.

[Hello Margulis, meet Eddie and his glorious mutton chops.]

Ever been to Jersey?

*Eh, he's used to odd looking people. Just don't ask if his hair is dyed.*

No. While I have spent some amount of time on the planet in question, at least assuming you're speaking of the location in the United States, it was entirely on an island in a different area of the country.

Though if it is somehow worse than this, perhaps I should be glad I never got the opportunity to visit other areas.

Yeah, that's the one. I haven't been back there in a long time, been too busy helping a human resistance free itself from being controlled by freaky BDSM demons.

*That's...a new one even on him.*

I suspect that the versions of Lo- Earth that we know are distinctly different. While the one I've spent the past several months on has its share of supernatural difficulties, they were of a far more subtle nature than blatant domination by succubi.

Subtle like what? So you're used to this whole going through time and space thing?

Out of sight of the normal civilians and, indeed, impossible for them to even perceive. As for travelling between time and dimensions, I don't claim to be used to it, but it has happened before.

Sounds like you got the short stick in the universe, dude. Got any friends or family here?

*You don't know the half of it, Eddie.*

As far as I'm aware, I'm the only representative of both my own native universe and my previous prison.

Maybe you can go home and see them once we deal with these United Earth assholes.

Hmph...perhaps I will end up returning to Prospero when all is said and done with here. I do have unfinished business there that I would prefer to complete as a matter of principal, even if I hold no great fondness for the world.

The United Earth did indeed initiate an air raid when they were made aware of our presence here in Exsilium. Their reasons were at least twofold - to crush the resistance efforts and attempt to reclaim the time-travel technology that the Initiative stole from them.

They were, as is probably obvious, unsuccessful.

*There's a brief flicker of surprise on his face.*

Edgeworth?

*But he quickly goes back to all business. Yes, there's no mistaking that person, but he seems younger. Which makes it pretty obvious that he won't know him.*

In other words, the Initiative is at the very least in a position of opposition against a power that is able and willing to retaliate with force against a population that includes unarmed civilians.

That's correct. More than able and willing, they already have. [ A beat, and then -- it's too strange to not question -- ]

Apologies, but have we met?

In a way. My previous residence was in another world with a habit of drawing in outsiders. The version of you I met there, however, was noticeably older.

[ Well. That's certainly not the first time he's heard that. ] What was this place called? [ And more importantly: how many versions of him are there, across all these different realities? ]

The island we arrived on was known as Prospero.

[ That's not... either of the places he's heard of so far. He thinks. Only one of them has been named, he recalls. ]

Was this island also on Earth? [ How ridiculous it is that his life has come to necessitate asking that question. ]

[There's Alice, leaning against a wall casually as her video starts up.]

You seem cheerful.

[Obvious sarcasm.]

They bombed us not long after the last batch of Transports got here, sent ground troops in. There were some pretty nasty chemicals in the air too, when they were bombing.

Of course, whether we accepted what they said or not without proof, it doesn't change the fact that we're here and we don't have the know-how to get ourselves home.

It does, however, change whether we consider the Initiative our allies or our enemies. I'm not interested in fighting for a false cause.

I'm considering them allies for now. They've given us money and places to stay in exchange for us helping them. Which is a hell of a lot more than anything United Earth has done, that I've seen.

Hell, I've only been here a month though.

Considering it sounds as if the United Earth has done nothing but attempt to exterminate the people here, I'm leaning in the same direction myself. Particularly if the Initiative isn't exaggerating the situation in this world.

That's pretty much all I've seen or heard about them so far. It's better to stick with these people for now, until you learn enough through your own experiences.

That's my own inclination as well. While I don't particularly approve of their recruitment methods, their desperation appears justified.

I can't disagree with that.

Anything else you want to know?

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First Duel

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