CLOSED MAIN STORY The Evrensel Conflict: Prologue -- The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday -- UTOPIA (OLD)

[Wade Von Doom]

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie:

Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
-Wilfred Owen​

One minute, you're home. Perhaps you are doing something of great importance, like saving the world from a great evil, or stopping some super-villain from destroying it, or even catching a robber before they can escape justice. Or maybe you have finished your quest, finally finding peace from just a long journey and preparing to kick up your feet. Maybe you are on the verge of death, avenging the loss of a loved one to some vicious brute or sadist. Maybe you are beginning that journey that will forever change you. Whatever your tale is, or was, it will now become forever altered.

For in the next minute, the sound of thunder can be heard. The air around you suddenly feels strange, and your body is covered in static electricity. Your skin begins to tingle, while your feet no longer feel planted firmly against the ground, as though gravity is beginning to lighten. And before you can do anything to stop it, a flash of light blinds you. Any onlookers who saw what happened would see a bolt of lightning strike where you stood, leaving no trace of yourself besides burn marks against the ground.

You feel like you're falling through the air; so fast you can't even open your eyes without them stinging by both the g-force of your flight and blinding lights around you. Whatever you can see is faint, but you can just about notice the passing of stars, planets, supernovas, even black holes. Space is passing you by at the speed of light, but why is a mystery. Your center of gravity is completely gone, and all you can do is be thrown around by the incredible force that flings you across the galaxy.

All of reality blasts by you, and when it feels like your body is about to be ripped apart… darkness. You don't know what happened after. But you feel a sense of euphoria. Peace and comfort like you're asleep on a puffy cloud in the sky. Your mind becomes filled with happy dreams, or memories of better times. It's a calm and warmth you never thought possible. Unaware of where you actually are. Until,

'Wake up,'

a voice echoes around you. You feel it try to pull you from the dream. Free you from the euphoric trance you're stuck in.

'Wake up,'

it says again louder. It's a voice you don't recognize, but it's giving you clarity of the world around you.

'WAKE UP,'

it says one more time, shattering the dream and pulling your mind back to reality. From here, your journey begins.

---

​

Those awoken by the voice would find themselves strapped into machines as their hazy minds slowly returned to consciousness. Some were trapped inside large pods filled with bluish liquid, which felt as thick as jello to move around in, yet somehow could breath in the stuff like it was air. Others were locked into operating tables, either floating motionless in the air by thanks of anti-gravity, or locked into place by specific limbs with large mechanical arms waiting to cut into their skin like they were cattle in a slaughter house. All of them were stripped down to just underwear, with no sign of who was speaking to them, or where all their things were.

DOUGLAS RAMSEY -- CYPHER
Played by @Gawwyt

The mutant omnilinguist, upon being awoken by the voice, would find himself face down on an operating table of some kind. His head, arms and feet were locked in place, yet he felt a strange numbness across his entire back and neck like he was injected with anesthetic. He would feel more hazy upon waking up than the others, as whatever drug was inside his body hadn't worn off yet. More worryingly, there were mechanical operating arms moving around him like they were scanning where to begin their insertion of tools into his skin. But, someone was looing out for him, as he would feel his restrains unlock around his entire body. He was free to move before they could cut him up.

OLIVER
Played by @BazusoTheGrey

The Fifth Grade Fixer was in a similar situation as Ramsey. Except for him, he was facing upwards to the ceiling on his operating table, and could see exactly the mechanical operating arms were analzying his cybernetic body to pull apart and dismantle to study him further. Like Ramsey, his restraints were unlocked too before they could start pulling out his screws.

DAVID CADDEL -- CHICAGO
Played by @PolyesterH

The heister awoke in one of the pods, floating in the bluish goo with several needles attached to tubes stuck in his skin across his legs, arms, chest and neck. With the voice awakening him, his pod would slowly moved down to the floor and begin draining all the fluids inside; the latch opening once completely empty. While the fluid wouldn't drown him, as it somehow felt like breathing air while stuck inside the pod, he would unfortunately start vomiting up the stuff once he could actually breath air again.

EDWARD ELRIC
Played by @Raffia Kiryuin

Ed would find himself trapped inside a rotating gyro device, with his head held in place by a body brace. Needles were poking out of his human arm and leg, but whoever kidnapped him was more interested in his automail limbs. Small mechanical arms were trying to dismantle them carefully, starting at were his arm and leg met his actual humab body to detatch them safely. Ed would wake up before the arms could do that, but they were already starting to undo several screws. There was also no sign of Al. He could see the others as they began to be freed from their confines, but whether his brother was taken or not remained a mystery. The latches connecting him to the gyro was opened, allowing him to break free before the arms could mess with his automail further.

NATANAEL HERRERA
Played by @Valkan

The young priest was also trapped inside a gyro like Edward, but his perdicament was different. Two machines that looked like giant speakers were in front and behind him. They glowed a soft yellow color against his skin, and he could feel they were doing something to him. His strength and spiritual power felt weakened, like his soul was trying to be pushed out of his body. The machines were syphoning his energy, leaving him unable to channel his flow. Yet, like Ed, his hands and legs were freed so he could make his escape.

XIVESTIAL LAHN
Played by @LenxKaitoYaoi

Like with David, Ziv would find himself awoken inside a pod, along with needles stuck into his skin. His pod would be opened next to David.

SEVESTRE ALBRIGHT
Played by @Otomos

Like Nat, Sevestre had machine arms with large speakers both front of and behind his body, syphoning his magical capabilities away with a yellow glow that encapsulated his body. Yet, once more, his body was freed to escape.

HAO ZHAN
Played by @GensokyoDreams

Yet again, Hao was stuck inside a gyro with his spirutal energy being syphoned away. He was stuck between Nat and Sev, yet unlike those two, he was the first be to noticed by whatever controlled these machines. The speakers behind and in front of his body increased their power to keep him trapped and weakened, while two more lowered down with needles to stick into his body. Anesthetic to put him back to sleep before he could escape.​

 

[Valkan]

Natanael Herrera/~~GM~~

With the rest of the trio following his advice, Natanael and company managed to exit the experimentation room, and so did everyone else. Upon hearing both Hao saying his name, and Oliver offering his, the priest quickly affirmed "Father Nat, or just Nat will do". That nickname is what younger people called him. He wasn't the biggest fan of it, but it did it's job faster.

It was one of those "out of the pan, into the fire" situation, however. As the chaos outside that hellish room was even greater. Amidst the hail of bullets that shredded many people attempting to escape to bits. Nat's own group was spared for the most part. Except they were ambushed by something more concerning. As machines surrounded them, and their apparent leader made them a terrible offer that many were quick to point out. And they were quick to prepare a counter against these forces. Nat was somewhat slower on the uptake, as what he was seeing infuriated him.

Full blown, cold, soulless mechanical abominations. Unlike Oliver, who held some traces of humanity inside his contradicting body. These were beyond absolving.

~~

The opposing forces jumped into action. Their leader taking some of the scattered away with him on the back of a speeding drone, as he made the bridge collapse. As for the ones not so lucky, they would be in free fall for a moment, along with the group of robotic grunts. While both David and Cypher managed to break their fall in style, the situation took a turn.

First, the turrets slowly came back to life as Cypher commanded them. Starting a hail of bullets aimed at their escaping foe. The turrets fired until they lost track of the machine leader, after which they promptly stopped firing once again, waiting for further instruction from either end. And then, the distant, yet perceivable noise of fried circuitry was the cue for the gravity in their vicinity to shift. Now it dragged all of the falling people, as well as the robots towards the nearest wall. The machines turrets then slowly took the new command, all the nearby turrets started firing at the wall, their fire closing in on everyone that fell there. While aimed at the grunts, them and the escapees were too close to each other for the turrets to hit the machines mixed in with the people.

The machines wasted no time. Paying no mind to the incoming bombardment from every direction, the three machines that lost an arm, or at the very minimum, their main weapon, grouped with still intact grunts. Leading the triple duo charge, one pair charged at Cypher and David, attempting to bash them with their shields first, while a rising slash from the exposed side covered the blind spot of the first strike. The second pair focused on Sevestre, using swift footwork on the slash to flank the magic user from his right, while keeping him busy avoiding the charge. The third duo did something similar to the second duo, opting for a horizontal slash to aid the bash. And finally, the last intact machine charged wildly at Natanael, covering its side with its shield, and attempting to skewer Natanael with a precise thrust of his blade aimed at his chest.

~~

Nat was shaken out of his silent rage when the bridge caved in. He attempted to cling to something, but he didn't find any ground to safely land on. He took a breath to fully focus on his bodily might and slow his fall. Lucky for him, the gravity shift made him land safely on the wall after a precise roll. Seeing as the group dispersed, he tried to regroup with them, but the abominations' charges kept them from doing so.

For now, the priest focused on the incoming thrust. His melancholic expression long gone, and replaced with an ice-cold death glare. Still, he was not blinded by his emotions, he was just donning his face as a Venator on the clock. Nat slid to a side of the thrust and vaulted over the machine's shield, turning around as he floated over and onto his back. Nat would then attempt to rip the head off the monster with a merciless reverse guillotine choke. Pulling back as much as he could while keeping his target immobilized with his legs.

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

There was a pit in Ziv's stomach when the sound of the bridge creaking reached him and he had a bad feeling- worse than he had so far. For good reason. The bridge collapsed and they began a free fall, which was apparently easier for others than it was for him. He was at least graced with the generosity of those with him as Oliver tossed a sword his way. He caught the blade easily enough, even if it proved a bit heavier than his usual sword, he could handle it well enough.

The landing was another problem. With sword in hand, his landing was left rather unpleasant. Atop one of the drones ass first. "Ugh… might've broke something…" He groaned. How irritating… But not important, as he forced himself to stand atop this thing with a wince. His attention was pulled by another generous companion that held out a sword to him. He was no dual wielder… but he'd be remiss to turn down the kindness. He wasn't against trying it again, anyway, so he took the handle with a knock against the other sword to knock the robot's arm off. "Thanks."

He gasped when gravity shifted though and they moved again. He tsk'd as the robots started grouping up to attack, and since he was the closest to Sevestre, he put his new blades to the test. With the blades crossed he tried to intercept the slash aimed at the astrologer and disarm the robots.