#(he's a soldier in both codename and presentation - needs that order in his life without his sister around to keep him balanced out)

[morninkim]

Hayato's full civilian design is done!

[sasorikigai]

100 days of headcanons:

Day 32: Death

He is the only dead mortal even before the inception of Mortal Kombat, as Scorpion, the Spectre of the Netherrealm, previously Hanzo Hasashi, who was once a member of the Japanese Shirai Ryu ninja clan (a General, the second-in-command next to the Grandmaster in my headcanon). Given the name Scorpion for his blindingly fast and deadly fighting skill, his life was blessed with glorious kombat in the name of his Grandmaster. But when he, his family and his clan were brutally exterminated by Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei, Scorpion's existence became eternal torment (the first Shirai Ryu extinction). 

Resurrected by the malevolent necromancer Quan Chi, he entered the Mortal Kombat tournament to slay Sub-Zero and avenge the murders of his kin. Even after taking in the survivors of the Netherrealm War (which had him, as Scorpion, killed once again by Sindel), not only he would continuously relive the deaths of his family and his clan, but he would of his own as well when Forrest Fox gets corrupted by the Kamidogu blade, then poisons Hanzo with one of his own mixtures and bounds him by his own spear and chain, forcing him to relive his worst moments while Fox kills a majority of the Shirai Ryu (the second Shirai Ryu extinction). Hanzo hallucinates of his past during the Lin Kuei's massacre of the Shirai Ryu. Though he fights through the Lin Kuei with ease, Hanzo falls to his knees in grief when he happens upon the frozen bodies of his wife Harumi holding their infant son Satoshi.

Throughout this ordeal, Hanzo Hasashi fights with both desperation and sole paternal protectiveness towards Takeda, even subduing and overpowering Raiden in the process to steal the dagger and pursue the tracks of the culprit. Once Chaosrealm’s cleric Havik reveals that he was the one who corrupted Raiden, Sub-Zero, and Forrest Fox, and states Scorpion is the next to be corrupted without Takeda around to save him, Hanzo is Infuriated that Havik killed his clan simply to provoke him, He gives into his Scorpion persona and ruthlessly attacks the chaos cleric with hellfire covered kicks and punches, culminating in breaking Havik's neck before punching his head into bits of bone and burning flesh. 

His vengeance fulfilled, Scorpion begins to walk away when he whirls around in shock to see Havik staggering back up, burning and smoking but regenerating from his wounds before launching a counterattack that sends Scorpion flying through the chamber doors. Havik then reveals Takeda in a possessed Shujinko's grip, the Chaosrealm Kamidogu held at his throat as Havik threatens to make Hanzo's apprentice his slave. Havik reveals he desires Scorpion's "friendship" so that fire and blood will "liberate" the realms from order under the Elder Gods rule, saying he only wanted Takeda as leverage, not caring what Hanzo does with the boy once he gives into his true nature. 

Hanzo hesitates to act, allowing Havik to begin ruthlessly attacking him, unable to fight back without risking Takeda's life. As Havik demands to know how much farther he has to push Hanzo before Scorpion takes over, Hanzo tells him "All...the way", much to Havik's delight. Havik then begins ripping Hanzo's arms from their sockets, and while the Shirai Ryu nearly gives into his hellfire, he refuses, looking to Takeda with a single tear in his eye as he tells his apprentice that he will always have a choice. With that, Havik punches Hanzo in the chest with enough force to puncture his flesh and collapse both of his lungs. Hanzo collapse in a pool of his own blood, and Takeda rushes to his teacher's side. As Havik eagerly awaits Scorpion's rebirth, Hanzo uses the last of his strength to tell Takeda to run, before succumbing to his wounds, dying in his student's arms. To Havik's disappointment, Takeda reveals that Scorpion was never another personality within Hanzo and as such, the hellspawn will not be reborn. Hellfire may dwell within him, but his life is more than the infernal destruction of the Netherrealm’s essence as Hanzo refutes, for the fire is his heart beating. Proclaiming that he has something to live for, 

This is one of many recounts of such intimate relationship Hanzo has with death, also excruciatingly struggling with his own anger, residing in the demonic form of Scorpion, as there are recurrent thoughts that take over his subconscious. In MKX story ending, Hanzo wanted to commit hara-kiri because of his complicit role in resurrecting Shinnok with his vengeance and wrath. Guilt-driven anger has always been Hanzo’s pitfall ever since he was resurrected back to life in MKX, just before the events of the comics. Even as he has significantly matured and developed in MK11, it’s something he has to purposefully and consciously be mindful, because he knows his temperament will always gravitate towards plunging in the depths of infernal, everburning embers of Netherrealm’s hellfire. 

Once again, when Scorpion later arrives to confront his present counterpart (Grandmaster Hasashi), who was restored to his human form, after the latter defeats D'Vorah, who was torturing Kharon for refusing to assist Kronika. Scorpion believes that Kronika can restore the Shirai Ryu to their true potential and original bloodline, viewing the present Hanzo's Shirai Ryu as tainted and imperfect. The two Scorpions clash, resulting in the victory of the present Hanzo, who knows that his past self only sides with Kronika just to restore their wife Harumi, and their son Satoshi, not including other original Shirai-Ryu clansmen. Hanzo tells Scorpion that one of Kronika's goals would be to resurrect Shinnok, the very being responsible for their family and clan's demise. When Hanzo is ambushed by D'Vorah, who poisons him with her venom, Scorpion, convinced by Hanzo's words, slices off her pincers and forces her to retreat. Scorpion's poisoned counterpart tells him that the Shirai Ryu are defined by their heart, not blood, before dying in Scorpion's arms.

Death isn’t something Hanzo Hasashi fears, lest he feels the excruciating torment of pain and suffering. He knows, as long as the Netherrealm exists and the fire in his heart burns, he will always resurrect back. Scorpion (the inner demon inside him) had been long been defeated, and all he has to do is to let the eternal glow of his magnanimous sun bask the world as he would see the evil and darkness burn ablaze. 

In the past, Kuai Liang took on his brother's colors and codename, Sub-Zero, and fought his killer, Scorpion, in Shao Kahn's tournament in Outworld. Sub-Zero defeated Scorpion and was ordered by Shao Kahn to finish him. Kuai made it clear he would not kill for him, but for his brother and prepared to finish Scorpion when a group of cyborg Lin Kuei appeared around him. Sub-Zero screamed in defiance that he would not be turned but was captured and put through the cyborg process without his volition. Kuai eventually regained control of himself but was shortly killed there after by Sindel. When he next regained consciousness, he was in the Netherrealm before the arch-sorcerer Quan Chi. 

Sub-Zero was confused by the fact his friend Smoke was restraining him along with Jax Briggs and Quan Chi explained their souls belonged to the Netherrealm, as Kuai's now did as well. Quan Chi told Kuai his army needed resilient souls for the coming war, and while he defiantly declared he would not be his slave, Quan Chi retorted he would be his puppet and used his magic to lift Kuai into the air before destroying his cyborg body, freeing what little remained of his organic body and making him back to a mortal being, using his dark sorcery to regrow Kuai's human body, reviving him as one of his revenants and forcing him to serve the Netherrealm.

In the final hours of the Netherrealm War, Sub-Zero fought alongside fellow revenants Scorpion and Jax Briggs against a squad of Special Forces soldiers in Quan Chi's fortress. Sub-Zero was ordered by Scorpion to protect Quan Chi but was too late as Sonya Blade defeated the sorcerer, allowing Raiden to finish his incantation, knocking Kuai unconscious. He would awaken months later, confused and believing himself in another hell. When a voice called out to him, he lashed out in anger with an ice blast, but Raiden easily deflected it, telling Kuai he was safe in the Sky Temple. He was confused about being truly alive again and Raiden explained his restoration to life was due to his power combining with Quan Chi's and the thunder god welcomes Kuai back. Kuai expresses his deep remorse over the actions he committed under Quan Chi's control, asking Raiden how he could live with himself.

Shortly after this, Sub-Zero gets possessed by the Kamidogu, Kuai pleads his innocence to Hanzo in desperation as they battle for inevitable death of one another, but Scorpion refuses to listen, only kicking Sub-Zero back while following up with his swords, all the while mocking Kuai for blaming his actions on the Kamidogu before shattering his kori blades. Kuai declares that the dagger possessed him while firing an ice blast at Scorpion and kicking him over with a slide. Kuai promises to return with Scorpion to Raiden to explain his actions but Scorpion only rages about how Kuai's brother denied the Lin Kuei's involvement with the destruction of the Shirai Ryu. Angered by Hanzo's inability to let go of the past, Kuai shouts at him to move on and proclaims that there are no more Lin Kuei, revealing the cyborgs killed all those who would not convert, with Kuai claiming he is all that is left of his clan. 

Scorpion summons two demonic minions to hold an off-guard Sub-Zero in place, declaring they will finish their feud before impaling Kuai Liang with both of his swords. Spitting blood, Kuai weakly tells Hanzo he is not a monster and pleads with him to remember the horrible things they both did in Quan Chi's service and asks him to remember the agony of being controlled by an evil spirit. Left for dead by Hanzo, Kuai futilely tried to struggle to his feet when a voice called out to him, telling him to stop or he would bleed out faster while telling him to ask himself what his life has meant up to this point. The stranger then treats Kuai's wounds as Kuai explains his story up to that point, and tells the man who saved his life, Bo' Rai Cho, that he will never be free, saying he will always be forced to kneel before sorcerers and demigods. As Bo' Rai Cho helps Sub-Zero up, the cryomancer contemplates hara-kiri, but Bo' Rai Cho laughs this off and tells him Raiden owes him a favor, which confuses Kuai.

The honorable death is something he had sought after, specifically after the Kamidogu endeavor, but he continues and trudges on, eventually taking over the role of the Grandmaster and reforming the clan to get rid of the criminality and being complicit in involving themselves to bring about the Earthrealm’s extinction. His role always had been to make amends for his unwilling service, bidding evil’s deeds by serving as the solemn protector of the Earthrealm and reform the Lin Kuei. He relentlessly fights against the forces of evil, as in the events of MK11, never putting off his duties and responsibilities as Sub-Zero and his allies immediately goes to Netherrealm where Kronika’s Keep is, guided by Kharon, and joined by Earthrealm’s surviving armies of the Special Forces, the Shaolin and Kitana’s reformed Outworld army to thwart Kronika’s schemes. 

Numerous deaths Kuai Liang experienced only made him strong and optimistic, as his cryomancy burned hotter than the sun as he vowed as his enemies will fall like snow. Even as a half-human who has seen and threatened to be consumed under the mortality and rigidity of death multiple times against evil, Sub-Zero has always fought to ensure the Earthrealm’s safety and sustenance, and fight until his last breath. 

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: Strictly Dramione (Part 4)

Halloween 2018:

To Be A Morbid Muse by LittleMissEightySixed - M, one-shot - no summary

Incorporeal by ravenslight - not rated, 4 chapters - Hermione Granger wakes up the morning after the Snatchers appeared, destined to complete the same motions of her last day as a ghost for the rest of her existence with little memory of her last living years. When an old enemy interrupts the solitude of her death, Hermione is forced to confront the echoes of her past and learn the secrets she can't seem to face.

Benevolence by HaveCourageAndBeKind - M, one-shot - "After having children, life becomes about living beyond yourself; about being bigger and better." - Jaclyn SmithA story of how children can motivate you to become a better person, and even help you fall in love.

Illumination by In_Dreams - T, one-shot - As the full moon rises on Samhain, a desperate Hermione Granger seeks help from Draco Malfoy. But she may end up finding more than she's looking for.

A History in Chocolate by zoomzoomzuppa - G, one-shot - Draco, begrudgingly yet not at all against his wishes, ventures to a muggle supermarket to buy candy with Hermione for his first muggle Halloween.

Hero Worship by MykEsprit - T, one-shot - For Halloween, Scorpius dresses up as his hero...Harry Potter. Written for Strictly Dramione's Halloween Fest 2018.

Moments of Small Things by jalapeno_jazz - T, one-shot - Sometimes you don’t realize that what is already in front of you is exactly what you need.

The Hallowe'en Truce by SibylHarkness - T, one-shot - The war rages on beyond the Battle of Hogwarts, both sides racing to take control of the remaining parts of Wizarding Britain. When the Order's soldiers and the younger Death Eaters come together one Halloween, a group of war-weary soldiers begin to reminisce and two star-crossed lovers are desperate to steal a few moments together.

Checkmate by PartyLines - E, one-shot - Harry Potter and George Weasley throw a Halloween bash after the battle. No one's without scars.

Pussy Patrol by LightofEvolution, MrBenzedrine89 - M, one-shot - Loved ones from Hermione and Draco’s lives go missing. Now it’s up to them to figure out where they’ve gone and what they’re up to. But will it bring them closer together in the process?

Why Draco Malfoy Hates Pumpkins by fandomfairytales - G, one-shot - A short, wacky Halloween tale that explains why Draco Malfoy hates a certain type of squash. Perhaps a giant man-eating pumpkin had something to do with it?

Haunter House by LittleTrooper99 - T, one-shot - Hermione, Draco, Harry and Ginny go to a Haunted House. But first Draco has to ask Hermione out.

Party With the Dead by Rosellaburgundy - M, 3 chapters -  A lonely tombstone on top of a gentle hill is all that's left of Hermione Granger. She died to save Draco Malfoy's life before he could confess his feelings for her and he's determined to have her back. Draco, Harry, and Theo step through the veil in an attempt to find her. They find themselves in the world of the dead, surrounded by old friends and family. They quickly discover that there's nobody better than the dead to throw a Halloween party, which will include sex, drinking, and action. Will they succeed in bringing Hermione back to life?

Common Ground by tofadeawayagain - G, one-shot - It’s the second time in her life that she finds herself attending Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington’s Deathday Party. She’s listening to musical saws in an ice-cold dungeon and avoiding a table covered in rotting food while surrounded by the dead. At least she brought a peacoat and mittens this time, but its not much of a bright side.

Pony Up by Kyonomiko - T, one-shot - She's an easy target and she knows it, the victim of various holiday tricks, bets, and wagers. This year, however, Draco Malfoy is the one knocking on Hermione Granger's door, and the old adage "pony up" takes on a new and rather literal meaning.

Past Promises by crochetaway - M, one-shot - Hermione and Draco have a past together and promises that were unkept.

Happy Halloween, Granger. by LadyKenz347 - M, one-shot - The sights and sounds of the Forbidden Forest on Halloween Night aren't all what they seem.

A Halloween to Die For - Part II by LaBelladoneX - E, one-shot - Her death would bring glory to Blaise Zabini, assuring him a seat at his Dark Lord's side. And Draco Malfoy would have to live with the knowledge that he'd just killed Hermione Granger, the love of his life. It was all going to plan for the Italian...... or was it?

Alone Together by AutumnLily - E, one-shot - Hermione and Draco have been using Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as an escape. As their rendezvous increase they find a peace within each others presence... until Halloween arrives. Rising lusts and ravenous urges sheds light on who each of them really are beneath the surface.

A Halloween Tradition by Snowflake_Dazzle - G, one-shot - Draco and Hermione have a specific tradition each Halloween. Why should this year be any different? All recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling.

Seirên by Sapphire Snowflake (annie15) - M, one-shot - There’s something different yet eerily familiar about the lagoon Draco Malfoy stumbled upon one day whilst looking for a place for refuge. He keeps coming back to this hidden paradise, not known to anyone but her. She looks forward to the day that he’ll never leave.

Yuletide Magic 2018:

Just This Year by PartyLines  - T, 3 chapters - Rose Weasley asks Santa for something special for Christmas.

Kiss Me Not by niffizzle - M, one-shot - As if being forced to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holiday wasn't already torture enough, it's even more aggravating when Draco considers that it means spending more time than usual with his co-Head, Hermione Granger. And to make matters worse, things get especially tricky once a piece of charmed mistletoe is involved.

Winter's Miracle by xxDustNight88 - T, one-shot - Draco and Hermione find themselves snowed in for the weekend, forcing them to miss their holiday party. Unhappy with this turn of events, Draco makes no effort to hide his feelings. In turn, Hermione decides to give him his gift early in order to lift his spirits.

All I Want For Christmas Is You by motherbearof3 - M, one-shot - Christmas is approaching and Hermione and Draco both want to make their son's first one special. Also, Hermione is feeling amorous and needs to convince Draco that pregnant sex is safe.

Codename: Frosty by MykEsprit - T, one-shot -   Draco and Hermione chase down a mythical monster and get stuck in the Arctic tundra.

Meet me under the Mistletoe by jalapeno_jazz - M, one-shot - Draco is a man with a plan...or so he thinks.

Christmas Cookies and Other Activities by Snowflake_Dazzle - M, one-shot - Hermione just wants help with Christmas cookies. Draco has other ideas. Disclaimer, I do not own these characters.

Victorious Secret by LaBelladoneX - E, one-shot - Place your bets! When will Malfoy and Granger stop verbally sparring and throw themselves at each other? And who will get the last word? Draco decides to teach Hermione a lesson about magic but they both end up learning something meaningful.

Malfoy's Christmas Carol by NeverNik - E, 8 chapters -  A Dramione Christmas Carol: legendary rich and foul-tempered Draco Malfoy gets richer and fouler every year. Especially around Christmas. Why is he so foul? And rich? Why doesn't he care that everyone fears and loathes him? It's up to three magical Christmas spirits to sort it out. Written for Strictly Dramione's Yuletide Magic 2018 Fest. E for bad language and sex scenes.    

Get There Fast and Then Take it Slow by GaeilgeRua - T, one-shot - Tired of feeling like the third wheel on their respective family vacations, two enemies-turned-friends run into each other in a most unlikely place.

I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future by fandomfairytales - E, 8 chapters - A Dramione Christmas Carol: legendary rich and foul-tempered Draco Malfoy gets richer and fouler every year. Especially around Christmas. Why is he so foul? And rich? Why doesn't he care that everyone fears and loathes him? It's up to three magical Christmas spirits to sort it out.

The Christmas Pimple by rennaissance_woman - G, one-shot - This work is written in repsonse to Strictly Dramione Yuletide Fest 2018. Prompt #48 "It's probably the only time you'll hear the words 'Wow, that's a big one Malfoy'

Feel The Magic by Rosella_Burgundy - M, one-shot -  Hermione gave up her magic. Harry blackmails Draco into helping him bring Hermione back into the Wizarding World. Will Draco succeed? *** “Did he get you on his mission to bring me back too? What does he have on you?” she asked with a little scoff, her fingers travelled to her hair to fidget with her locks. He nodded while chewing on another piece of biscuit. He magically poured some tea before he spoke, “He’s got stuff that could cost me a life in Azkaban.” “Doesn’t the Wizengamot already have all that? Have you ever paid for your actions during the war?” Hermione picked up her tea and gave Malfoy a little grin.  

Have Yourself A Muggle Little Christmas by LadyKenz347 - not rated, one-shot - Draco and Hermione travel to Hermione's parents home to celebrate their first Muggle Christmas together. Draco learns about her crazy Muggle traditions, all whilst trying to dodge Hermione's sneaky sexy advances under her parents roof.For Strictly Dramiones Yuletide Fest 2018 Prompt:Draco's first time celebration of Christmas in muggle world, Dramione being as an established couple, full of fluff and smut, Draco being good friends with Harry and if possible Ron.

Yuletide Seduction in the Tundra by AureliaBlack90 - M, one-shot - While on an auror mission in the freezing Siberian Tundra, Hermione and Draco get trapped in a magical ice storm and are forced to take shelter for the night in a tiny, one bedroom cabin. After spending the week getting reacquainted with Draco and working in close quarters with him, Hermione has decided that there's only one thing she wants for Christmas, and by Merlin is she going to get it!

Believe in Yourself by slytherindramaqueen - G, one-shot - A conversation between Draco and Hermione ensues while they travel to the North Pole through the Polar Express for an extraordinary ride.

The Christmas Punch by IRisEaGLeS - E, one-shot - A new holiday tradition began 15 years ago, and an affair bloomed. 15 years ago the first ever Christmas Punch that Wizarding Britain saw was created by two affluent wizards - Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. What has developed 15 years later is a one day per year affair that keeps them surviving another loveless year.

Obsidian Heart by sweetmusings - E, one-shot - Albus Dumbledore is corrupt to the core, hellbent on making Wizarding Britain an unsafe place for those who favour the Dark or prefer to remain neutral in troubled times. Hermione has watched him turn those who fight for the Light into puppets for his own gain. Draco is just sick of his shit. Together they conspire to fight the darkness in the light and, in doing so, find each other.

Mistletoe Woes by LovesBitca8 - E, 3 chapters - At the Ministry's Christmas Masquerade, the enchanted mistletoe branches are fun in theory.... A grumpy Hermione resigns herself to standing alone and un-harassed, watching Draco Malfoy enjoy himself, and decidedly NOT thinking about what an excellent shag he'd been.

Christmas Ghosts by Minervas_Revenge - G, one-shot - Draco Malfoy has returned to Britain after a five year absence and his sudden reappearance stirs Hermione Granger’s memories. (You need an account to read this fic)

Secret Santa by LittleTrooper99 - T, 7 chapters - Draco draws Hermione for his secret santa and couldn't be more happy. Will she like what he gives her or will she hate it when she finds out it is him that gave them. Mostly told from Draco's point of view.

A Christmas Carol at Malfoy Manor by SibylHarkness - not rated, 5 chapters -  The future of the Wizarding World rests on the shoulders of one selfish and self-absorbed Draco Malfoy. Can some unexpected guests force him to change his ways and save the world? 'Present' is set during the 6th year Christmas Holidays.

Tea Time by Sapphire Snowflake (annie15) - M, 3 chapters - Would you let yourself fall in love with someone even if you know it won’t last?Hermione is about to die. Draco knows it, but falls for her anyway.

Red and Green DO Look Good Together by MrsMast - T, one-shot - Hermione and Draco called their relationship quits. However, against Draco's wishes and an intervention; she is coming to the Manor for Christmas?

Tinsel in A Tangle by articcat621 - E, one-shot - Hermione always keeps up her end of a promise.

Rose's Request by MahallieMacKenzie - G, one-shot - Rose has a special request for Santa...

Snowed In by mrsaturtle - M, one-shot - Hermione has retreated to her cabin in Scotland for a little rest and relaxation before the holidays begin. Her boyfriend Draco Malfoy, couldn't make it up there to visit her, or so Hermione thinks. Draco actually has a big surprise planned for his favourite witch.

Santa for a Cause by crochetaway - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger manipulates Draco Malfoy into playing Santa Claus. What will Hermione do to get off Santa’s naughty list?

What We Do In The Shadows by Frumpologist - E, one-shot - Draco and Hermione are soulbound, but due to constraints of their marriage bonds they are unable to be together. They meet secretly in order to sate the incessant demand of their bond.

Her Christmas Light by Gholcomb924 - T, 5 chapters - Hermione has been damaged over the past year. Her light has faded and her heart is broken. Can Draco and her friends help remind her who she is during the Advent Celebration? Will a note found on Christmas Eve change everything?

All I Want for Christmas is You by MrsRen - M, one-shot - A loving daughter, wife, and mother. It was impossible to describe Hermione Malfoy in so few words, but there he sat in front of an epithet that attempted to do just that.

This fest is ongoing.

[ashrelfury]

Equivalent Exchange Part 2

(Hey guys...so...I did a thing. Enjoy.)

Equivalent Exchange Part 1: Human Transmutation 

Chapter One: We Meet Again

Alchemy.

The science of understanding, deconstructing, and reconstructing matter. However, it is not an all-powerful art. It is impossible to create something out of nothing, if one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given. This is the law of equivalent exchange, the basis of all Alchemy.

In accordance to this law, this is a taboo among Alchemists. Human Transmutation is strictly forbidden.

For what could equal the value of a human soul?

Neil was getting so damn sick of reading about alchemical rules and finding nothing.

There was always a limit to information, always a barrier he couldn’t break through in the end, because the military controlled it. Even his five or so months in Xing didn’t leave him with much to show for it, though he had a very complex understanding of Chi, or better known as ‘The Dragon’s Pulse’.

Alkahestry was interesting, and for a few moments, he actually believed it would hold some sort of key to getting Andrew’s soul from beyond the Gate.

False hope.

Despite Alkahestrists being capable of higher levels of medical transmutation than Amestrian Alchemy, there was no method of seeking out souls who have already passed beyond the Gate. He’d hit a brick wall in Xingese Alkahestry, and found himself back in Amestris.

Learning about the Philosopher Stone was merely coincidental.

He’d been in Liore for a few months, following rumors of a man who could bring the dead back to life, and he’d been there when Edward and Alphonse Elric had torn the holy man from his pedestal and disproved all of the religious faith.

Another brick wall. It was time to move on.

He wasn’t fast enough though.

He came face to face with the Elric brother’s again at the train station.

“Oh hey! I know you!”

“Brother, wait!”

Neil heard their voices, but he didn’t stop.

“Wait! Hang on! You’re the kid with the cool arrays right! N-Neil? Neil!”

Ed’s voice came again, and Neil faltered. That little hitch in his step was enough for the short blond Alchemist to catch up.

“That’s right! Neil!”

Neil turned, only to see the Fullmetal Alchemist barreling towards him at full speed.

“Brother!”

Neil opened his mouth to yell, and stopped, closing it again just as Ed ran passed him. He watched the blond go by, confusion on his face as Ed skid to a stop and made his way back at a slower jog. The clunking sound of a large suit of armor came from Neil’s left and he looked over to see Alphonse.

“Neil! Hey! I wanted to talk to you, it’s been nearly a full two years since the last time we’ve seen you. Where’s Andrew? I wanted to ask about that array on his… Neil?”

He couldn’t answer. Couldn’t speak, couldn’t communicate unless…

Neill took a breath, and lifted his hands.

‘Hello, Ed’ Neil signed.

Ed’s face twisted in confusion, and just as fast, suspicion.

“Brother.” Al spoke, having finally caught up and sidled beside Ed, looking at Neil. “I think he is mute.” With careful metal hands, Alphonse pulled out a small notebook and pencil from Ed’s coat pocket, handing the two to Neil without another word.

Neil smiled tightly, opening to a clear page without trying to go through any of the pages already filled with coded writing. He didn’t have enough time to crack the codes there anyways, despite the fact that he was sure they would have more information on the Philosopher Stone than he did.

‘I am mute. Andrew is gone. I’m afraid I committed the same mistakes you two have in the past.’ Neil didn’t really have a reason to lie at this point. His words would make it clear that, though Ed and Al could detain him for committing the ultimate taboo, Neil had knowledge of their sins too. Equivalent exchange. Neil inwardly smiled at his ironic thought.

When he passed the notebook back and waited for the brothers to read, he thought about the Andrew’s Knuckles in his pocket. He thought about the mass of… something that had been left when Neil had attempted to bring him back. The thought about the vial of Andrew’s blood he still had tucked against his chest on a string for when he would try it again. He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the brother’s reactions until Edward had an automail fist around his collar, and his back was pressed against a brick wall.

“How do you know?! What did you do?! Neil!” Ed raged, voice low but harsh.

“Brother, don’t.” Alphonse tried, his own hands holding onto the arm that Ed had cocked back to punch Neil in the face.

Neil’s hands rose again, and he started signing rapidly.

‘Andrew. I would give anything. I would do anything. He is all I have left, you should know that feeling, you should understand that pain. I would do it again, I would do it a million times. There is no price too high.’ Neil was kind of glad that neither of the brother’s understood sign language, because he was sure all of the things he was attempting to say wouldn’t get very good reactions from either of them.

Ed growled low in his throat and finally released Neil, shoving the notebook and pencil back into his hands.

“Explain.”

Neil sighed, and made the decision to try.

Ed had more knowledge than he did. They’d both seen the Gate, they both have the knowledge, but Ed has had years of this search, and Neil was only just starting out. It didn’t matter what it took, Neil would pay the price, and if that price was telling these two brothers the truth, so be it.

So Neil wrote.

‘My father killed Andrew. I sacrificed my father in return and tried to bring Andrew back. It didn’t work. I lost my voice. I’ve been looking for a way to-‘ Neil paused. He knew, almost instinctively, that if he were to tell Edward and Alphonse that he was going to try again, they wouldn’t help him. They would tell him it was a hopeless endeavor, a fool’s wish. So what to say instead? ‘I’ve been looking for a way to get my voice back.’

He wasn’t expecting anything from his admission.

He didn’t ever expect anything from anyone.

And he definitely wasn’t expecting Edward Elric to say what he had said right after reading Neil’s stilted explanation.

With hard, determined gold eyes, Edward looked at Neil and took a deep breath. “Come with us. I’ll sponsor your examination. Become a State Alchemist.”

Well…

Why not?

--

The Bare-Knuckle Alchemist.

Andrew would laugh if he’d seen the codename Neil had garnered.

Without his voice, Neil knew that the chances of him actually becoming a State Alchemist were low at best. Soldiers had to be able to communicate, had to be able to take orders and give them should the situation dictate it. So he’d known going in that his exam had to be spectacular if he wanted to pass the practical part at all.

With that in mind, he’d spent the whole train ride with the Elric brothers deep in thought and contemplating what would be best to present and what would be better off hidden.

He had, much like Edward, mastered the art of Alchemy without an array. But it wasn’t his favorite way to fight, unlike the eldest Elric brother who had a habit of transmuting mid-battle in a bid for weapons, and in the end that was what mattered.

While in Xing, he had picked up on their martial arts as a way of feeling closer to Andrew, who enjoyed hand-to-hand fighting more than anyone Neil had ever met before. He’d been the one to teach Neil most of what he knew, and in Xing, Neil had picked up the style change quickly, beating his teacher every 2 out of 5 fights.

He’d taken to using Andrew’s Knuckles, and so that was what he decided to use.

Presented with nothing but an open space and surrounded by military personnel, Neil stood there and waited for a signal to begin. He didn’t get one.

“Do you need a bit of chalk, or paint or something?” One of the uniforms asked kindly, though he was the only one who looked kindly. Everyone else in the pit was giving him bored and disdainful expressions, and Neil couldn’t really see the other personnel up in the balconies. Still, he shook his head to the kind man and turned his back on them, deciding to start without a signal.

Neil had clapped his hands, and used a mix of Amestrian Alchemy and Xingese Alkakestry to create eight stone pillars at random points throughout the room. His little display had garnered whispers, but he ignored it and focused. The whispers were mainly coming from the surprised soldiers behind him anyways.

Pulling the Knuckles from his pocket, he slipped them on and took a deep breath.

It would be the first time he tried this little experiment. It would be the first time he activated any of the array’s since Andrew’s death and he wasn’t sure how it would interact with his knew knowledge. With more understanding of the mathematical elements and physics to each array, would they be more powerful, or would it ultimately fail since he was not Andrew with his eidetic memory.

With the Knuckles in place, he reached for every array, each of them feeling more and more like Andrew’s distinctive Alchemy and Neil wanted to cry.

Alkahestry, unlike Amestrian Alchemy, had the potential to strike at a distance from the body, mainly because of Alkahestry’s innate connection to the earth and its natural forces. The projection of such arrays had been the hardest part of learning the art. It would have taken anyone else years to learn, but Neil had been desperate and had nothing else to do, and he also had the knowledge ‘gifted’ to him by the Gate. Endless days of training and studying and fighting for some mild chance of seeing Andrew again had resulted in a proficiency with a completely different discipline of Alchemy that Neil had gotten into the habit of incorporating in nearly everything he did.

This would be no exception.

When he moved, he moved fast.

The first two stone pillars were taken down at a distance, with the wind array that had been of Andrew’s own making, both fists shot out at an angle, and as he activated the array, the sharp sound of breaking rocks echoed in the exam area making the whispers grow in volume as well. The next two had been with a shock of lighting so strong it broke the rock in seconds, especially since Neil had only activated the array upon contact with the obstacle in question, now it wasn’t just whispers. Some people were yelling out words Neil couldn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. He continued.

The next two were taken out with the kinetic blasts that made Neil’s punches seem far more powerful than they really were, something akin to the Armstrong’s level of strength, and Neil could hear the man exclaim loudly in delight. Neil hoped never to meet the man again, he hadn’t liked being bear-hugged as soon as Edward had introduced them. The last two wouldn’t work as they should. There was no blood to reverse, no liquid to work with which the array on the weapon’s third knuckle be activated, so Neil improvised.

A clap and then a touch and the pillars crumbled in seconds, not like breaking… but like disintegrating. Something never before seen by alchemists. It caused a hush to fall over the crowd that had once been so loud before.

It was only afterwards that Edward had come up to him and asked what he’d done to the last two pillars, but Neil wasn’t willing to tell the blond.

Alchemy worked in three stages. From construction, to deconstruction, and then to reconstruction. Every alchemist knows that to create, something must first be destroyed, but they are all always so focused on the ‘reconstruction’ part of the equation that they forget what the first two really mean. Andrew had been the one to figure out that you could stop the alchemical reaction in the middle.

Neil would hold that little secret close for now.

Collecting his uniform and his new rank as Major along with the infamous silver pocket watch, Neil made his way to the office of his new Commanding Officer.

General Wymack worked in Central, which was lucky because it was were the best libraries in Amestris were located, and with enough wiggle room, he’d be able to do all the research he wanted to. Too bad for him, that wasn’t how things worked out.

[ssnakey-b]

FF8 Translarison, part 2: The field exam

Whoa! The first part was a lot more successful than I expected. Good to see as this what makes it all worth it. Welcome back everyone, and let’s get started!

I did originally intend to check the BGU rules as @aurenare requested but unfortunately, I forgot that we don’t actually get to look around Garden before the exam so that’ll have to wait. For now, let’s meet Quistis in the main Hall.

There actually isn’t much different in this scene but it does provide us with an example of the tiny ways in which I find the French translation to be more subtle than the English one.

You may remember than in the English version, Quistis calls Zell “Lively” and Squall replies “he’s just loud.” But in the French one, he instead says something along the lines of “try overexcited!”. Again, it’s not very different, but I feel like the French version makes Squall sound slightly less dismissive.

Also, if I may go on a bit of a tangent, checking the English and French screenshots side by side made me realize that the text on the map in the background doesn’t look exactly the same, meaning that even in a shot like this where you can’t actually make out the text, they went out of their way to make sure it still look consistent with previous shots! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the attention to detail is incredible.

Anyway, the scene is pretty much the same in both versions, complete with Quistis burning Seifer by wishing him good luck, then Cid arrives.

And oh boy, speaking of subtle changes that make a world of difference, the French version of his speech is a lot more eloquent in my book. I’m actually gonna have to transcribe both versions here to make my point.

Alright, so the English one goes:

“It’s been a while, everyone. How’s everyone doing? This exam will involve 12 members from Squads A through D... You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are for real.

Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace... each of these go hand in hand. There’s only one way or the other. How ‘bout it? Are you still up for it?

You will be accompanied by 9 SeeD members. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do. Well, that’s one less worry on your mind.”

The rest of the speech is almost identical so there’s no need to bring it up. Anyway, yeah, between the overly casual tone and him focusing mainly on how there’s no need for the cadets to worry about getting killed because we’ve got replacements who can make up for you thoughtlessly dying, it’s not very inspiring, to say the least. Also, Cid, do you know what “go hand in hand” means? Because things can’t both go hand in hand AND be mutually exclusive.

Now let’s take a look at the French version:

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? How are you, today? These tests concern the 12 members of teams A, B, C, and D. You will join a genuine battlefied. The weapons and fights will therefore be real.

It is in situations like these that one shows their true value. I trust you to do BGU proud! Questions? Any doubt at all?

9 Seed members will be accompanying you. In case of error, they will replace you. Therefore, we lower the risks of failure.”

So yeah, yet again, only slight differences but man, the French version sounds a lot more motivating doesn’t it? The second paragraph is especially telling as rather than pseudo-philosophical nonsense and self-contradiction, we get a much more meaningful talk about proving one’s worth and reminding them that they’ve been chosen to represent the elite.

That sounds more like the kind of things people going to a real battlefield for the first time need to hear, and even the mention of being replaced comes across better as it focuses more on how they have the support of veterans, who will remove them from danger should things get too hairy.

And yeah, I guess that’s what he means in the English version as well but after his ranting about life and death, he really sounded like a doomsday prophet.

Next, we skip ahead to the scene of Zell sexually harassing Squall to whip out his “gunblade.” Yes, we must.

It’s still not very different, but once again there is an interesting detail. There’s a running gag in these early stages of the game where Quistis finishes Squall’s sentences as a way to poke fun at how predictable his behaviour can be. It is still present in the French version (although she usually guesses slightly different versions what Squall was about to say), but here, rather than saying “nothing” at the same time as Squall, she loudly clears her throat instead.

As much as I like the running gag, I love this idea as clearing her throat to get students to stop bickering is something a teacher would absolutely do, so it’s fitting and makes Quistis look more professional and assertive. Is Instructor Trepe gonna have to whip a bitch (you’re not allowed to answer that, Irvine, you’re not even in the game yet).

But on top of that, I also like the idea that she wouldn’t pull pranks on Squall like that during a test, both because she doesn’t want to look childish in front of other cadets, but also to avoid making Squall uncomfortable.

It’s also a clever use of body language, as we see Quistis bring her hand to her mouth and shake a bit. Now, I’m pretty sure it was indeed intended to be her giggling, but without sound, it can absolutely be interpreted as her clearing her throat. I know that it’s almost certainly the translator taking liberties, but they did it in a way that added a lot to the scene. Love that!

But I know what you all really want to know: what does French Seifer call Zell instead of “chicken-wuss”? Well, drumroll, please...

Which translates to “hedgehog-head,” obviously as a reference to Zell’s hair. Anyway, now that the really important stuff is out of the way, we get to the ship and meet Xu. Or as we like to call her in France, Shu. Yeah, it was probably just to make her name easier to pronounce.

One very minor change is that Dollet is a kingdom rather than a dukedom here. And I don’t know if it being a dukedom was just a quirk of the English translation, but I kind of wish the French one had kept it because it was a bit different compared to the usual kingdoms and empires (and maybe republics if we’re getting wild).

This is also the first use of the term G-Army in the English version of the game so I’ll bring it up: there is no equivalent in the French version, they usually use terms like “Galbadia’s army” or “the Galbadians”.

One last detail, and probably the most obscure one I’ll bring up in this entire playthrough; in the English version, Xu says that they’re landing at Lapin Beach, but the French one changed it to Zuma Beach. I don’t know why they changed it but if I had to hazard a guess, it’s probably because “Lapin” is already a French word (meaning “rabbit”) and Zuma sounds similar to codenames from the Normandy landing like Utah beach. Also, there’s a Zuma Beach in Los Angeles. It’s probably a coincidence.

Meanwhile, Seifer is whining because it’s what he does best and one particularly weird thing about is that in the English version, he complains about doing Dollet’s “little, dirty work” whereas in the French version, he jokes about “eliminating the slower Seeds”. O-kaaayyyy, guess there are some exceptions to my claim about the French version being more subtle.

And that’s it for the briefing scene. There unfortunately aren’t any interesting differences in what the characters say if you speak to them (meaning I sacrificed SeeD ranks for nothing, dammit!) so let’s get to the action!

We head downtown and I guess Seifer is the one thing where the French translator has decided to make him more over-the-top than he already was in the English one because whereas in the English one, he rather sensibly tells Squall & Zell to scout for enemies, in the French one, he dismissively calls them lackeys.

He is also hurls childish insults at Galbadian soldiers which aren’t present in the English text and generally acts like a brat. What a deep and layered character.

The rest of the scene goes similarly to the English one until Zell questions Seifer’s decision to follow the Galbadians to the tower. For starters, in the French version, he explicitly says they can’t disobey Quistis, rather than just that they can’t disobey orders. But more importantly, when Zell asks Squall to back him up, the French version once again goes in a completely different direction than the English one.

Here’s the English version

And now, the French one.

(Note: Tumblr was blurring out the pictures to the point it was unreadable so I replaced them with links)

Wow! That’s quite possibly even more of a departure than the stuff with Quistis last time! Squall went from siding with Seifer (well, at least half-heartedly accepting to obey his orders) and Zell getting angry that he’s the only one who wants to stick to the orders coming from higher-up, to not only siding with Zell, but borderline threatening Seifer over it!

In the end, the conclusion is the same though, with Squall telling Seifer that if he’s going to insist they do this, he makes his decision quickly.

So they all chill out and head to the tower. Not much different until Selphie appears, which brings us to Seifer’s infamous line about telling Squall about his romantic dream. Ha ha! What a weirdo! Surely the French version isn’t gonna do something as silly and accidentally homoerotic, right?

“One day, I’ll tell you about my intimate dreams!”

DAMMIT SEIFER!! Stop enabling Shippers!

Anyway, time to get to the tower. There’s another minor change that works slightly better in French in my opinion, as Wedge reports to Biggs that a “strange beast” has been spotted in the area, unlike his English counterpart, who says that a “monster-shaped shadow” has been spotted on top of the tower, which is just... awkward.

Nothing of note at the top of tower, but we do get Siren, or should I say...

Ondine?! Well, it’s gonna make meeting the mad scientist weird. Or is it? I ain’t telling, that would spoil future parts.

The chase scene with the giant machine isn’t very dialogue-heavy for obvious reasons, but it’s interesting to point out that instead of the serial-number thing, the French translation renamed it Goliath.

And that’s something that carries on to every machine in the game. The French version gave them all what sounds more like codenames. I know the Japanese version uses the serial numbers too so I know for a fact that this is a quirk of the French script, though i wonder if other localizations use their own names as well.

We make it back to Balamb City, where I took a look around to see if there was anything interesting with NPCs. Only two really grabbed my attention. First is this photographer lady who is hitting on Squall to get him to become her spotlight technician, because the poor guy hasn’t been sexually harassed enough today:

“Hey, you’ve got it where it counts...”

She does that in either version but what’s interesting about her is that in the English version, she eventually tells Squall to forget about it, but in the French version, she asks Squall if he’s interested and... doesn’t follow up on that, which makes the whole thing a bit odd.

Either way, now I really want to read the “what if?” story of Squall’s wacky adventures as a spotlight technician. Get on that AU, fan fic writers!

But now, get ready for another incredible bombshell. keep children and pets away from the screen because the revelation may put you in a coma!

The French Queen of Cards... has a name!! She is named Ishtar, because when you think card games, you of course think of the Babylonian goddess of love, war and sex. Well, we did get war and sex, so I guess it’s not entirely inappropriate (unlike my jokes).

Now, for the survivors, let’s continue. One thing I regret is that while I was playing in English, I managed to trigger a cutscene in Zell’s Ma’s house where she was talking with her neighbour, which I had never seen before. I don’t know what caused it to occur and unfortunately, I couldn’t get it to happen while going through the French version, so I can’t give you a comparison. But if somebody knows how to make it happen, I’d be happy to give it another try.

Back in Balamb Garden University, we see Xu, Cid and Quistis discussing the mission, and they now refer to Dollet as a county. Which is it, guys? Make up your mind. This is also where we find another weird difference in translations, as we can talk to Cid, who asks Squall how he felt on the battlefield.

In the English language, the third option is, of course “whatever”, at which point Cid seems to have a minor breakdown as he goes “Whatever? That’s great! Whatever!” but in the French version, Squall’s answer is changed to “nothing special” (although it switches to “as usual” when Squall actually answers) and Cid’s response is the much more sensible “As usual? My God! What must your daily life be like, Squall?”

Well, I started my day getting my forehead sliced open by a lunatic asshole, then I fought a lava demon, and all that was before being sent to battle, so you tell me. Anyway, things go on pretty much the same in both versions. One notable moment is when Quistis and Xu come to talk to Seifer.

In the English version, he taunts Quistis by calling her a “mediocre instructor” but in the French one, he explicitly says she is a “fired former teacher,” dropping the bomb that Quistis has lost her position as an instructor, and it’s heavily implied that the disciplinary committee had something to do with it.

The graduation goes similarly in both languages (and I love how Zell can’ t quite stay still. The use of body language in this game is amazing), the only real difference being that Cid doesn’t whisper his comments to each graduate. Also, in the French version, after he’s given you the Battle Meter, he gives you more info on it instead of doing this:

Goddammit, Cid. He’s young enough to be your son.

Well, that’s where we’re going to end it for today as Squall goes back to his room, where Selphie tells him to put on his SeeD uniform, and I do love the implication that she and Squall are roommates (or at least neighbours). Oh the potential for comedy if we got to see more of that! Again, get on it, fan fic writers!

See you next time for the graduation ball and Squall being about as good as talking to girls as... well, a socially awkward 17-years-old boy.

[mabel-but-slytherin]

The Solace System: A Gundam 00 / Gravity Falls Crossover

Happy birthday @sapphireswimming! Sorry for posting so late in the day but I’ve been working on this like literally all day and for a month so hope it’s worth it! Huge thanks to @durinswizardwheezes for beta-ing and general Gundam consulting.

Set after Gundam S1E11 and during Gravity Falls Weirdmageddon. I’m not putting external links for tagging purposes but this fic is available under the same author name on ffn and ao3.

A new threat appears in Oregon, one that Gundam can't just destroy or even begin to understand. How is Celestial Being supposed to end all war if they can't dispel the fear that justifies nations' armament in the first place?

August 2307.

The world was changing too fast. Summer's ending and the world is changing too fast.

Mabel Pines just wanted to hold on to her life and keep it close forever. But as she dug through Dipper's backpack without looking and felt the device Blendin was looking for she knew she had to make a choice and let one of them go. Lose either her brother or a secret he hadn't told her yet. It wasn't some other difficult, world-ending choice, was it?

It didn't occur to Mabel as she held out the rift that once again she was at a crossroads between clinging to the world she knew and trusting fate enough to let go. It didn't occur to her until the unnatural smile crossed Blendin's face that this time letting go was the same as hitting the button before Grunkle Ford arrived, that this time it was letting go that halted fate and shutting all of time down. The irony didn't strike Mabel until after the rift shattered on the ground that this time it was letting go that was the wrong choice.

Union Department of Defense

"Mr. Secretary of Defense, sir!" The Secretary paused at his desk and looked up at the harried looking soldier who just barged into his office and lingered in the doorway. His schedule was still cleared for a call with the President that had ended early, whatever news would risk interrupting that had the man's attention.

"Yes?" He said after the soldier paused to take a breath, still standing at full attention.

The soldier dropped his arm and quickly stepped towards the desk, "We have urgent reports coming in from state police and national guard on the western coast. A giant dome seems has appeared covering about 20 square miles in central Oregon, no vehicle or communication can get in or out."

The Secretary couldn't help but stare at the lower officer. "A giant dome? In Oregon?"

"Yes sir. Local officials have begun investigations but no one knows what to make of it. We haven't heard anything from the inside and the civilians on the scene have been cautious in approaching." He paused, as if unsure how to phrase what he had to say to the General. "It's… glowing, sir."

That got a start out of the Secretary. "Glowing?!" At the soldier's affirming nod he flinched back and turned to bark at his secretary's side office, "Get me visual on this now!"

The hologram projector on his desk immediately flickered to life, a 2D satellite image quickly resolving itself in the air but still remaining fairly fuzzy on the holo-screen. Sure enough, carving out the cliffs and woods of the Pacific Northwest wilderness was a giant dome of unnaturally shifting colors. Oranges, purples and greens made up the majority of the swirling surface, casting the surrounding scene of police cars and curious civilian onlookers in the shades of a demented sunrise.

"We have investigative forces on their way but so far there's no sign of an escalation or further attack. No country or terrorist organization has claimed responsibility. What-"

The Secretary cut him off with a hard look. "No group has claimed responsibility? They haven't had the chance!" A glance at the suddenly sweating man in front of him made the General pause and his voice go cold. "How long did this thing take to appear and when did it start?"

The soldier looked uncomfortable, "We-we're not sure, sir. Again, the affected area is seemingly random, just a small town deep in the woods. Satellite imaging suggests sometime late afternoon yesterday and-"

"Yesterday!" The General slammed his fist on his desk and glared at the now quivering soldier. "And I'm just hearing about a direct threat to the United States homeland now?!"

"We-we've just become fully aware of the situation, Mr. Secretary sir. Again, there are no military outposts or even affiliated communication devices inside the dome and all civilian contact has been halted. It was only a series of several civilian truck driver calls that convinced state police to investigate a possible hoax and call the national guard. This is even one of the first clear visuals we've received and we had to use a far-distance satellite, it appears that somehow it's messing with any external communication signals in the direct vicinity as well as all near and mid-range imaging devices."

The Secretary lowered his head as a half-dozen more officers entered the room carrying information no doubt about the crisis. "What should we do, sir?"

"Send a team of our top researchers to investigate the site. Call up Ralph Eifman to head the off-site analysis. Get a team of flag ships protecting all personnel but instruct them not to move from formation without an initiated conflict, just in case this is a trap. We can't start opening fire on our own soil without verifying there aren't other countries involved first.

"And get me back on the line with the President. He needs to be briefed on the threat and begin strategizing a retaliation against the perpetrators immediately."

The initial informant nodded as the secondary team scattered to implement the orders before catching at the last statement and staring at his superior wide-eyed. "Do you really know who's behind this, sir?"

The Secretary of Defense let out a huff and leaned back in his seat before giving the younger soldier in front of him a look. "Seemingly solid glowing light appears out of nowhere and all of our communications system nearby are inexplicably jammed. Isn't it obvious who the people are behind it?"

The Union's top general stared at his staff and gave the one word diagnosis he would later echo to the President: "Gundam."

Japan

"And now, for some urgent breaking news:"

Setsuna F. Seiei slowed down in his walk towards his apartment building. He often preferred to watch the news from the safety and privacy of his home, but a Gundam was always aware and informed, and if it meant catching a potentially vital news story it was worth lingering near the small crowd already gathering to watch the TV news through the electronics store window.

"Reports are coming in of a mysterious dome appearing deep in the wilderness of the northwest United States. It appears to be centered on a small town with no obvious military or political significance. All civilian movement near the area has been halted, but there is no current word on the status of those already present include any potential casualties or evacuations. The Union has yet to make an official statement regarding the event, but anonymous leaks within the government have suggested that whatever actions are behind this are unauthorized.

"Scientists and political strategists have been quick to speculate about the cause of the anomaly, with the clearest current imaging onscreen. Some have raised concerns linking the semi-solid projection technology to Celestial Being, but the paramilitary organization has yet to make a statement either claiming or denying the association."

Setsuna turned on his foot and walked to the side of the crowd where he could just make out the grainy image of a dome of light on one of the many screens. Piecing together what he saw with what he knew of GN particles Setsuna doubted they were the same technology, but he couldn't deny the similarities.

He would've heard about another mission operation taking place, however, and it was idiotic for these reporters to assume that Celestial Being had any need to run tests or set up a base among Union civilians. Letting out a scoff that could almost be called a laugh Setsuna turned to mull over what could really be behind this on the rest of the walk back to his apartment.

"Hey, Setsuna! Is that you?"

Setsuna froze slightly in shock of hearing someone shout his codename in the streets and turned his head to see a boy waving to him as he shoved his way out of the still riveted onlookers. Taking in the familiar face Setsuna nodded as the boy approached.

"Saji Crossroad, yes?"

Said boy's face lit up in a smile as he nodded back. "Yeah! Glad to see you remembered!" His arm seemed to move as if he was going to ask to shake Setsuna's hand again before he remembered that it was occupied by a box of pizza that miraculously hadn't been spilled as he pushed through the busy street. He looked at the box and his expressive face fell into a frown for a second before trying to hide it as he looked back to Setsuna.

"Did you see the news just now? Pretty crazy stuff going on in the Union right now, huh?"

"Yeah." Setsuna said as he turned to keep walking towards their shared apartment building. No sense in wasting time if they were both heading in the same direction.

"Actually… hey!" Saji called out as he seemed to realize Setsuna was leaving. The latter stopped at the call to give an empty look to the younger boy who ran the few meters between them.

"Well, uh-" Saji started after he caught up and started walking enthusiastically next to the more sedate Setsuna. "I just got off work and grabbed some pizza for my sister and I, but I guess with a story this big they're probably going to keep her late at the station to investigate further leads. She texted me saying her boss thinks the Union might be trying to successfully replicate Gundam technology!"

"The Union is making their own Gundam…?"

Saji continued on without hearing Setsuna's muttering, "And my sister's one of the investigators working mostly on Celestial Being, so she'll probably be in all night again. Louise is out with her mother tonight or else I'd call her over, but maybe you would… like to come to my place and share some pizza? We always keep the news on while we're eating at my place so you can stay up to date on stuff, and we did promise to share some neighborly meals sometime…" Saji trailed off at the invitation and looked over to see Setsuna staring hard into the distance as he walked, obviously deep in thought.

Whether or not the Union is trying to build their own Gundam, it is possible that the similarity to the particles is due to it being some kind of prototype. And to appear in a perfect dome without supports… could it be... related to Gundam or God? I need to look into it, and Celestial Being needs to know…

In a split second Setsuna pivoted in the street and started in the opposite direction, back on the way out of the city.

"-Setsuna?" Saji called out.

"I'm not going to my apartment right now." Setsuna stated without pausing or turning his head. "Maybe some other time."

He was agile enough not to slow from his fast pace while passing the new crowd of people milling by the electronics store, just as he was too well-trained a soldier to speed to a run or do anything that might draw unwanted attention. He is a Gundam meister of Celestial Being, and it's his job to chase down anything that might lead to war or Gundam.

"And now an update on our top story tonight. The Human Reform League has issued a statement denouncing the Union over the incident as an attempt to replicate and test Gundam technology in little supervised areas of its own territory. Political reactions are mixed given recent events in their own territory, with many dismissing the claims as an attempt to justify their own illegal experimentation on civilian super soldiers uncovered just a few weeks ago.

"Investigative journalists have begun to note the connection between the affected area, Gravity Falls, with significant scientific grants from the Union dating back over the last thirty years and apparently tied to a major police investigation earlier this summer. As of yet there is no firm military ties to any of the research grants, but our own investigative team and the rest of the world is hard at work digging for the truth behind the continuing incident."

Deep Space

"Miss Sumeragi, what do you make of this?" Christina piped up from the deck as a camera image of Gravity Falls and the surrounding dome appeared on screen.

Sumeragi Lee Noriega took a step back in shock at the picture as she made her way towards her chair in the bridge and quickly took a seat. "What is this?"

"A twenty-five-mile dome that materialized out of nowhere over Union territory in the Northwest United States at an undetermined time yesterday." Feldt said without looking up from her continued research onscreen. "Our sources are reporting that they had no awareness of the Union planning this, but some unofficial news reports are calling it a successful test run of Gundam particle technology."

Sumeragi leaned in closer to the image as if it would help her make out more. "Those aren't GN particles, and if Professor Eifman has succeeding in creating GN particles on his own then the Union wouldn't be showing it off to the world in such a flagrant and tactically useless way." She chewed on her lip as she tried to examine the random pattern of colors across its surface. "And Billy would've told me…

"So what else do we know about the situation?"

Christina jumped out of the latest report she was reading. "There's only rumors at this point, Miss Sumeragi. Most media outlets seem to be calling it as a direct attack on the Union by Celestial Being and are questioning if it's part of an intervention."

Lichty chose that moment to run into the bridge and head over to his work station. "I just heard an update on the news! The Human Reform League says it has intel that the area inside dome is a Union supersoldier institute!"

"I'd expect them to say sometime along those lines regardless of if it's true, but looking into it on our end won't hurt." Sumeragi remarked. "Feldt, contact Wang Liu Mei and ask if she or her sources have any information on what's behind the dome."

"Will do."

Zooming in the image even more Sumeragi cursed the lack of resolution. "And when you're done see if we can get any better eyes on what's going on. Christina, make sure all the meisters know they are not to take any direct action. We've already had enough close calls and this looks too suspicious to risk action not related to our main objective-"

"Speaking of that," Christina interrupted. "We have activity from Gundam Exia!"

"Exia?" Miss Sumeragi paused to look over the projected flight path of Exia from Japan towards the United States. "I thought if we had to deal with problems from one meister it would've been-" Another dotted line quickly joined the map.

"Now Kyrios is online as well!"

"Damn," Sumeragi swore. "I need a drink."

"Trouble with the other meisters again?" Tieria floated into the bridge and folded his arms as he took in the situation. "Veda detected strange but ultimately irrelevant activity and I figured you may be struggling."

Sumeragi sighed and looked over to the criticizing pilot. "The dome seems to be giving off a strong enough interference that we won't be able to communicate with the Gundams from this distance. I suppose we'll need someone to drag back those two and make sure this doesn't escalate into a fight without permission for intervention. Perhaps the odds would look better if Virtue was involved…"

Tieria raised an eyebrow and didn't move. "And turn this into a four-Gundam conflict?" At Sumeragi's look he smirked, "Lockon is making his way to Dynames for a retrieval mission as we speak. Just run by the mission overview and strategy when he reaches out to you, unless you need my assistance with that as well."

He turned and started walking back towards his capsule, or more likely Veda's, before pausing after a step. "It's appearing as if you're dangerously close to losing your touch. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't the best course of action for Celestial Being to start looking to find itself another strategist."

Christina jumped out of her seat at the accusation. "Hey! Miss Sumeragi is doing her best right now to analyze the situation and her strategies have been nearly flawless throughout every operation! Which is more than you or any of the meisters are doing right now!"

"Nearly isn't good enough if we're to follow through on our mission to stop all war." Tieria muttered before starting to leave again. "And I'm going to consult Veda, which is the best allocation of resources when analyzing an unfamiliar situation. As to the other meisters, I never said Celestial Being shouldn't be looking to replace them too."

The doors closed behind him to Christina still fuming as she returned to her station, "Ugh, his ego!"

"It's okay, Christina." Sumeragi spoke up, "Having another person consulting Veda will be helpful in this situation." Even though I doubt even Veda will be able to fully analyze this. Sumeragi was tempted to voice her skepticism of Tieria's actions, but knew better than to potentially worry the crew.

Because she had to admit that the initial readings, and every new piece of analysis their systems read in to her monitor, were worrying. It couldn't be GN particles, not in that number and configuration, but even Sumeragi couldn't deny that on the surface they appeared to share similar properties. But a dome of that size and endurance, without any obvious sourcing was an enigma, especially since it was solid enough to apparently be impassible.

The biggest question was the status of the town inside. Depending on their resources, if the barrier doesn't dissipate soon it may raise question of sustainability, particularly of air and water. Not to mention if the dome's source was something inside, and how much energy it was using to surround that area…

She squinted at the latest hacked intelligence report and had to steel herself to not gasp. A basic scouting report found an undisturbed river near the perimeter, and believed it may pass through the boundary but were holding off further investigation until they had assistance. That…

That would be enough to start making Sumeragi question her view on the possibility of it all.

She shook her head. There was nothing in the world that couldn't be explained by science, Professor Eifman taught her that. Even GN particles, which seemed near magical when she first entered Celestial Being, had a firm explanation behind their origins and limits, and how to best strategize their use in battle.

It's just a mystery we haven't figured out yet, and from how the Union's acting they don't understand it yet either.

Even though it was her job as a strategist, Sumeragi couldn't consider the possibility that this was something other than a Union blunder or a trap.

Some possibilities were too improbable to entertain.

She tried to push back the haunting voice that sounded like Tieria accusing that as a sign that she was losing her touch.

"Miss Sumeragi, where are you going?" Christina was the first to ask after her as she rose from her seat.

"Don't mind me. I'm just going to get that drink."

Over the Pacific Ocean

There were some times that Allelujah Haptism wished he lived full time on the Ptolemios.

Granted, he probably wouldn't have been able to sneak out with Kyrios if he was currently on base, but it was definitely convenient to be able to drop in on the target when entering from orbit. Now, because he's on the surface he's stuck with a half the world commute.

It was hard to keep Hallelujah in check during the flight over. He kept whispering and laughing and screaming about how humans will always repeat their mistakes, how they needed to die, and that he's all too happy to take over if Allelujah is too weak to do it himself. Allelujah had to still his shaking hands to check the ETA on autopilot and felt a wave of relief at seeing it would only be a few more minutes.

"Just a few more minutes until we'll pay these Union bastards for daring to do the same the HRL did. Hahahahaha we'll kill them all and it'll be a mercy! A beautiful bloody mercy!"

"I'm not-" Allelujah winced as his voice came out too loud in response to the screaming in his head. "I'm not going to kill them this time! I'll make sure no one's in the way! I'll rescue them!" It was the only thought running through Allelujah's head since he saw the chilling news story. It was happening all over again, and so soon after he had started trying to wash off the fresh blood on his hands. He wouldn't let them keep doing this, but he wouldn't keep hurting the kids they experimented on, just like him. Even if sometimes he questioned whether this life, even for the goals of Celestial Being, was worth it, he'd be no better than the doctors and guards if he just killed indiscriminately without giving the latest batch of kids put through this hell a choice or thought.

"Rescue them? For what – life with no purpose but continuing on as a soldier? Going to fight and intervene in whatever wars they can find? Maybe coming to intervene against Celestial Being too? HahahaHAHA, the only real rescue is killing them! Destroying all of them and then killing the Union and HRL too!"

Allelujah saw the flash of a new incoming call from the Ptolemios on his screen and was tempted to answer it just for the distraction, but swore when he realized that Hallalujah would be all too happy to taunt him or show himself to them even if he answered. Flying Kyrios in stealth mode didn't turn off Celestial Being's ability to track him or attempt to communicate, but it did give him the option to send them to voicemail rather than take in their yelling at him to come back.

He knew it was reckless. He knew his actions were unauthorized and hasty. Hell, he even knew what he heard on the report was only a rumor, a straw he tried to cling through but kept seeping through his shaking fists whenever fury lapped at him again. It wasn't an official mission, but stopping any new Institutes from popping up was his mission, the only thing he had left to his name other than the curse of Hallelujah screaming in his head.

If he tried to deal with Sumeragi's frustration or Tieria's degrading monotone now he'd probably snap and give in to Hallelujah. Best to do it after this was taken care of and he'd hopefully taken care of the threat.

"Yes, that's the spirit! Hahaha take it all out on those Unions bastards! Or better yet, let me take it out for you! We're almost here, let me take over and I can do it right now!"

Sure enough there was green now flying underneath them, and there was a blemish growing on the horizon before them like a demented sunset. Kyrios's cameras quickly zoomed in on the object, and darted away, then dashed away again until Allelujah's annoyance showed itself in a slammed fist on the camera control to turn it off.

Using the manual settings to look in on the object had a better outcome, even if the output readings completely fried once the focus finally settled. The density alone when from 6.28 to -8 to simply the word 'ODD' before settling to a constant stream random string of characters and other symbols flying across his dash. Hallelujah found the event funny and inconsequential, but Allelujah figured either Ian or Miss Sumeragi would be interested in the malfunctioning readings and made sure to save them.

Allelujah had better luck once he got within range to see the dome with his naked eye. The thing was as huge as they said, really looking 25 miles wide and stretching in a perfect circle nearly up to the upper atmosphere or beyond. It looked sickly, the oranges, greens, and purples swirling internally from whatever its power source was like a living thing sucking off the Earth, and setting the scene like some apocalyptic hellscape. It was completely opaque, and remembering that there was a town and supposedly innocent civilians inside reignited the fury he knew Hallelujah was lurking in.

They were as trapped as he was on Quanqiu, if not worse. And the dome was too big for his pincers, without any obvious aerial weakness from where he was flying. Allelujah wasn't sure how the Union was doing this, but if they thought this shield would keep him from doing what he did there, from intervening as Celestial Being was meant to in its most just operations…

He'd prove them wrong! This time, he'd save them all!

Allelujah dug his nails into his palms through his gloves to focus himself and keep Hallelujah out as he set the radar and scanners to examine the ground perimeter below him and started a flight path around the circumference to look for weak spots. The equipment may break down when aimed directly at the dome and Allelujah noted that the persistent calls from the Ptolemios ceased once he got within sensing range of the abomination, but he hoped that the computer could at least try to pinpoint the above ground or underground entrance the Union soldiers had to be using to sneak in and out if he aimed it next to and not on the dome. The return of reasonable looking numbers reassured him even if they were slower than normal, and Allelujah set a path maintaining his altitude around the object.

The Union forces were measly, on the perimeter at least, since Allelujah had no way of knowing what was waiting just underneath that sinister surface. Most were national guard and civilian vans, and a number of people in white lab coats were scurrying about a few hundred yards from where the barrier touched the ground. Kyrios's sensors informed him that there were a number of tanks and a couple Flags in the distance, but they were mostly stationed on the highway and were turned towards the dome, as if they were more concerned with keeping something from escaping than eliminating an attacking threat.

Was this an ambush then? Allelujah nearly smacked himself for not considering the possibility earlier. He had no backup and was no longer able to get a signal to reach the Ptolemios, so he was stuck only with whatever backup Celestial Being had surely already sent. This wasn't good.

But he kept moving around the dome to see nothing but the now fearfully pointing researchers and a few machine gun operating soldiers guarding them in the fields. Whatever trap this was it should've sprung by now.

Allelujah would guess he was about three-quarters of the way around the sphere when he saw more commotion on the ground below, and then came around an edge to a sight even his paranoid state (and even more angry and paranoid personality) and not expecting.

Exia.

The other Gundam was just standing there in resting position, almost as if it were unoccupied if not for the steady stream of GN particles streaming out of the back and the confusion among the Union forces gathering a few hundred yards back. It made no move to acknowledge Kyrios's arrival as a human would, or maybe it was a reflection of how hyper-focused its meister could be, but Allelujah knew that Setsuna saw him arrive when a request to share communication frequencies appeared on his monitor.

"Did Sumeragi send you to call me back?" Setsuna cut right to the point and Allelujah couldn't quite stop the chuckle, though he did his best to keep the bit of madness of Hallelujah's roaring in his head from seeping in.

"Not quite. I'm not really authorized to be here myself. Then again you're not someone I would expect to break orders to go on an unauthorized rescue mission." And that led to the question of why Setsuna was parked in the middle of a hostile battle camp without an intervention. "What are you doing here?"

"They say the dome is Gundam, but it is not. I needed to know. The light and the particles act like it, but behave differently. I need to understand it all, what makes this different. I must know, if I am to become Gundam."

Allelujah never quite knew how to react to the youngest meister. "I didn't know you knew that much about particles to begin with."

Setsuna just let out a sound of acknowledgement and didn't say anything else. Allulejah couldn't help but feel frustrated after a minute of silence from his fellow meister told him he was being ignored.

"Our priority should be on rescuing the civilians, not analyzing the scene. Leave that part to Veda after. What have you done about breaking through the barrier?"

"Huh?" Setsuna's voice had an even more distant tone than it normally carried, as if he either hadn't thought of the possibility of forcing his way through or had discounted it to stare at the bubble and was now absently reconsidering. The empty tone only fueled Allelujah's tension.

"Your sword. It cuts right through GN particles, right?"

A pause. "Yeah." Another moment passed before Exia drew one of the swords from its shoulder and held it down at its side. Kyrios's detectors sensed more movement in the crowd and Allelujah guessed that the Union soldiers were aiming the machine guns at the Gundam, but no bullets were fired.

Not that it'd do them much good. Some trap this was.

"The makeup of the barrier is unknown, but analysis shows no material commonalities with Gundam particles. The odds of this working are unknown." Setsuna's voice was as even as ever, but from the armed Exia giving an analysis it really sounded as if the kid had become a part of the robot's computer system. Maybe that's what he really meant about becoming Gundam.

Hallelujah chortled at the notion that maybe he was the sane meister here.

"Let's see how this… compares to a Gundam." Exia raised the sword and in a flash swung it down on the barrier. Allelujah braced himself, expecting sparks either from a blocking force or an impending explosion.

None of that happened. Without fanfare the sword just passed through the barrier.

No, wait, it hadn't gone through, Allelujah thought as he leaned forward with a gasp. Both voices in his head stunned silent as he took in the incredible scene in front of him, the only sound that of Setsuna's strain echoing through the open communication system.

The sword had indented into the bubble, pressed several feet down until the blade was nearly parallel with the ground, but now was being cradled on all sides by the membrane that had caved around the weapon like water. And it seemed that the unnatural substance was pushing back like a rubber band, and even Gundam Exia was struggling to hold or pierce its way through.

Allelujah couldn't help but stare, "What the hell…?"

"Ugh!" Setsuna's continued strain kicked Allelujah into action. With the push of a button Kyrios's shield shifted in to claw form and stabbed right into the bubble. Like the Exia it sank in deep before being recoiled back enough to that it might have gone flying if not connected to the larger Gundam.

Within seconds the membrane flowed back together and filled in. Allelujah tried stabbing it from the air again and again, each time just getting the same results. "What the heck is this thing? Why isn't it breaking?"

Exia refused to pull back from its position, even as small sparks started flying from the base of the arm. It wasn't until Hallelujah's frustrations sent a chill down Allelujah's spine that he actually took the attention to notice it. Over the sound of him and Kyrios he hadn't even noticed that the other meister had gone silent.

"…Setsuna? Are you alright?"

Silence reigned for almost a full minute. "There's-there's," Setsuna took in a sharp intake of breath and went silent again. Allelujah thought he could hear the other meister curse.

"Setsuna!"

"There's a kid in there!" Setsuna growled as he suddenly pulled back Exia's sword as if it was sheathed in the bubble before turning on the force of recoil in an attempt to slice through the other side. Allelujah couldn't help but assist his companion even if he had no clue what the strategy was. Hallelujah bitterly echoed that that's just what soldiers do.

"What are you talking about? How can you see through there?"

Setsuna said nothing and just kept hacking at the barrier. However, a minute later Kyrios's control panel lit up with a coded file sent from Exia. A software upgrade for the Gundam cameras?

Allelujah couldn't make out anything but random nonsense from the code as it flickered across his screen. If anything, he would say it more resembled the readings he was ignoring from Kyrios's sensors whenever it tried to focus on the sphere.

And then suddenly those readings started to make sense. Allelujah was so focused on the numbers he almost missed the change to the camera screen until Hallelujah caught it out of the corner of his eye. A kaleidoscope of colors had spread across the digital image, moving and swirling in a way that made Allelujah thankful he didn't get seasick.

And then they finished resolving, or at least the colors started interfering with the dome. Because suddenly the impenetrable bubble looked entirely transparent.

There were still some woods on the other side, but it looks like a number of the trees were chopped down. Some of the areas were even cleared without a single sign as if every tree in that part of the forest had somehow got up and just walked away. Small buildings lining the town made their way out here, or at least they used to.

Allelujah couldn't get past how much of the scene was entirely rubble. For as far as he could make out (which wasn't much, apparently whatever auto-adjustments Setsuna had turned on weren't quick enough to pierce all the way through the swirling colors that seemed to fill the entire air inside) the town of Gravity Falls lay in ruin, with pieces of debris lying motionless in the road as if some fight had occurred.

A chilling fear when soaked through Allelujah as he remembered exactly why he was hoping to burst through the bubble in the first place. He had thought that this was another Institute, a weapons development facility where the Union was testing capabilities for future wars.

Then he remembered Setsuna's words and growled as he realized the situation was even worse. There were children in there! The Union was conducting some kind of weapon tests, whatever the hell this impenetrable abomination was, and was trapping children in there with no way out!

Both eyes roamed around what he could make of the scene, Allelujah and Hallelujah teaming up to try to find where she was to save her, arguments of threat levels and killing dashed from his mind in favor of getting revenge on whatever brought this on.

There! A flash of movement against one of the walls of a ruined gas station. A lithe figure jumped up, dove around the corner, and settled against the building to catch a breath while she examined the situation. She wore a green flannel shirt around her waist and a white tank top that showed signs of exertion. Long red hair was unkempt and flying around her head as she checked her surroundings before finally settling as she took a calming sigh. Allelujah was just about to try zooming in for a closer look when she opened her eyes and looked dead on into the eyes of his Gundam.

She really was just a kid. A kid with a survivor's eyes. Allelujah started shaking uncontrollably and unconsciously mirrored her gasp of shock and probing stare with his own.

Her eyes were too calculating for a kid's. Her clothes were too beat up for a citizen the Union had a duty to protect. Her hand was too familiar with the axe she held in it for a civilian, and the way she instinctually raised it over her shoulder defensively as she turned to look at a sound Allelujah couldn't hear showed that she was way more familiar with the prospect of using it in combat than a teenage girl should ever be.

She was a soldier, but clearly not by choice. The hesitation in her actions, the way her head expertly but indecisively surveyed the terrain before sprinting thick into the trees told of a child forced into a test where she was struggling to survive. The Union's experiments were what turned her into a warrior.

The Gundam meister couldn't help but scream as she disappeared into the brush. Kyrios's spear was raised in an instant, and slashed and stabbed and pierced at the barrier as hard and quickly as he could.

"I will save them all!"

Gravity Falls, Oregon

Wendy Corduroy had been making a break for it ever since the Weirdness started. She had dealt with enough strange shit this summer to know both remain unfazed by whatever happened and to know she needed to keep on her feet. Both were getting harder every day.

From what she could gather this had something to do with that triangle thing who possessed Dipper over the summer, the one both the twins and their great uncle had been worrying about. As soon as he started sending out monsters and petrifying her friends Wendy knew that being caught in the open was bad news. She needed to regroup with other survivors, preferably the Pines, and come up with a plan.

But as patrols of those bat-eye things started taking up covering more and more of the town square and practically had the Shack on lockdown, Wendy realized she needed to take to the woods while they searched the town and hope she could double back and find a hideout later. So as soon as she had a clearing the young lumberjack sprinted to the trees and hoped she'd have the home-field advantage in her element.

Maybe she'd even find that old apocalypse bunker they once explored, even if she shivered at the thought of the shapeshifter still frozen down there. If there was a time to hide in a bunker it'd be now, and if someone could've predicted this it'd be Ford. Maybe this was what he'd built the bunker for after all…

Wendy was lost enough in thought that long-ingrained survival habits and apocalypse survival training took over, and she found herself looking to the sky for navigational help from the sun or stars before remembering that whatever happened somehow turned the horizon into what could best be described as a death metal album cover. Squinting up at it the thought that Ford was a scientist and might want to know about it flashed through Wendy's head, and after climbing up a tree it looked like there was an end where the apocalyptic sky reached the horizon.

Well, it wasn't hiding out in a comfortable apocalypse bunker, but then again, she wouldn't be stuck staring at the really creepy form the shapeshifter got frozen in. Also, Dad always said to never back yourself into a corner during an apocalypse, and if that demon guy really had been in Ford's head at some point then moving in the wilderness was safer than being a sitting duck in some dusty tree trunk.

Wendy felt her phone still in her flannel pocket and resolved herself to start running towards the closest point where it looked like the woods met the false horizon. She was a Corduroy, and like hell was she going to let fear of the end of the world stop her from a recon mission that might help save her friends!

Wendy had seen the curved edge of the bubble from a distance as she got closer. She had seen the small bubbles littering the open horizon by the cliffs and deemed that all of Gravity Falls must somehow be in a bigger one. The only question was whether or not the world outside of it was continuing on as normal, and whether there was some way she could get herself and other survivors out.

Regardless, she knew it this was just one leg of the journey. Her friends were back there, as was the monster that took Robbie, Tambry, and the others. Wendy wasn't just going to run away without going back and getting revenge.

Then the sky started falling in front of her.

It didn't crumble apart, or crash into the ground as Wendy's both worried and hoped it might. Instead it appeared as if the atmosphere caved in around something for a few hundred feet and held itself just above some of the tallest treetops. After a few seconds of everything hanging there Wendy pushed herself to start sprinting towards that part of the barrier as quickly as possible. She needed to know whatever was going on outside!

As Wendy was running another indent pierced into the sky, again bending it without puncturing. This one disappeared nearly as quickly as it came, but soon more and more of the long thin structures started coming and going. Was it a rescue attempt or just another sign of something worse?

She was darting through the last of the trees towards the gas station on the highway leaving town, now completely in rubble from one of those giant waves, when she made out what was causing the only pervasive canyon in the sky and gasped in awe. It was a mobile suit, like the kind she saw in military recruiting pamphlets or on the news. But this one looked bigger, fancier, and familiar.

Wendy found herself stopping when she saw it, and had to push herself to keep running, to always keep moving.

It was a Gundam.

Celestial Being was here?

It took a second of trying to rationalize her terror for the idea to bring Wendy relief. If Celestial Being was focusing on a small place like Gravity Falls then surely the rest of the world couldn't be that bad? Granted, Wendy knew for certain that whatever was happening was centered in town, and was sure Dipper and Mabel could say more about the cause, but a Gundam wouldn't be sent here this quickly if they were busy intervening elsewhere, at least not if Wendy was remember what she heard about the group on the news correctly.

She darted out from the edge of the treeline and pushed herself up against a part of the broken gas station wall, shooting her head around to make sure there were no eye bats on the perimeter and to check if there was a better vantage point to pull out her phone for a picture. Wendy wasn't stupid enough to try to run through a barrier a Gundam was actively trying to cut through, and seeing that thing's giant sword being held up in the air made her pretty confident she and her axe wouldn't be able to break through.

Seeing nothing better she took a sigh and started to search through her pockets. She cursed at not feeling a phone in her jacket and through her eyes open, thinking she would pull it off and search, when she saw a sight that made her heart jump again.

A second Gundam was standing right in front of her, blade raised behind the bubble, and staring straight at her.

Wendy couldn't help but rake her eyes over the view. Even though she wasn't a big politics person and considered herself more in line with nature than technology, don't get her wrong, giant fighting robots were pretty cool. Up close the machine was even more intimidating as it was in the blurry pictures on the news, and Wendy soaked in every detail she knew you couldn't find on the internet. In almost seemed as if it was observing her in turn.

She had gotten too focused on the robot, she noted with a shutter as she heard the flapping and wailing sound that signified an eye bat steadily making its way over in her direction. Cursing she looked around to reorient herself and calculate the fastest route in the woods that would take her to the Shack. If there were Gundam outside, then Ford definitely needed to know!

Then again she wasn't certain that Ford or any of the Pines would be at the Shack, or even that they were guaranteed to be safe (though Wendy didn't dare consider otherwise), but she remembered Mabel mentioning the unicorn hair was for some kind of barrier and it was her best bet. If she could get in. If not, she figured the best she could do was get back to the town center to try to hide out.

The Gundam went back to action as soon as she started moving, hacking and slashing at the bubble as if it was trying to reach through and stab her. Wendy just used the fear and competition to fuel her motivation to run faster.

She was halfway to the trees when she heard a blast that made her turn her head and run even faster. A light flashed across that piece of the horizon, then another. After she was well hidden within the tree line Wendy paused to examine the spot they were hitting. Just after the flash an object seemed to fall down along the dome, like a shotgun shell hitting the ground. Wendy paled as she remembered Dipper gleefully rambling to her once about a sniper Gundam.

If there were three of them here things might be even worse than she thought.

The familiar breathing exercises she had practiced to deal with general anxiety helped. She was a Corduroy, she could do this. The world was ending and the Pines needed her help.

Phrasing it like that, it wasn't even the weirdest thing that had happened this summer.

Allelujah didn't calm down until Lockon's third shot hit the barrier, this time dangerously close to Kyrios's spear.

"I have to say, Alellujah, there are easier ways of taking out your anger. For instance, next time you feel like punching a wall, I suggest you do it without your Gundam?" Alellujah could hear the smirk in Lockon's voice. "Or perhaps we could skip the entire army of Union soldier spectators?"

"Shut up Lockon!" Allelujah spat. "They have children in there!"

Allelujah could feel the impact his words had in Lockon's lack of response.

After a moment Lockon finally found words, his voice turned ice. "And you think that justifies running off without a plan? This easily could've been a trap."

Setsuna cut in before Allelujah could yell. "They need Gundam in there. I am Gundam." The meister made it sound like the logic really was that simple.

"Miss Sumeragi needs all of us at the Ptolemios." Lockon seemed to remain unmoved, but Allelujah could read the most easygoing meister well enough to tell that he was as affected as all of them. "Veda has an update on the situation. It also predicted you may have information on this barrier, and we believe that with it they may be able to find a way to bring it down."

There was no mistaking the steel in his words. "I know you don't want to leave civilians now, but standing here cutting at it isn't doing anything but reducing Celestial Being's standing in the eyes of the rest of the world. We're lucky as it is that the Union seems to be as unnerved by the situation we are and didn't bring any of those custom Flags as soon as you arrived."

Allelujah looked back at the enhanced view of the barrier and scanned the area for the girl, only to see that the redhead had vanished. Dammit, hang on just a little longer.

Despite both himself and Hallelujah screaming at him to keep fighting, to push through the bubble or turn his anger on the Union scientists now continuing to gather data in the growing twilight, Allelujah Haptism bit his lip and transformed into flight mode. With one final look the soldier cast a look at the bubbled battlefield and growled, before switching off the camera modification and taking off for the Ptolemios.

They'd be back, and once that barrier came down whoever did this would have hell to pay.

Kingdom of Azadistan, Royal Palace

"What is happening out there?" Princess Marina Ismail wondered aloud once her latest attendant left with the most recent update on the mysterious light in the United States. Two, maybe even three Gundams spotted attacking the barrier to no avail and Union soldiers just standing by not intervening. The whole world was in uproar, with all three major powers trading threats and accusations as scholars and figureheads tried to assuage the fear that more of these could spread. Some blamed the Union, some linked it to Celestial Being, and then neither group released a statement but instead silently met on the battlefield.

Normally the rest of the world was a guide for the Princess, a number of role models and examples she studied and lived by in her quest of seeking peace for Azadistan. And while Celestial Being had always been more of a wildcard, there ideology was usually fairly easy to follow, wasn't it? What was she supposed to make of this?

"Why is this happening?" Marina couldn't help but voice her thoughts.

"Why isn't what you should be concerned with right now, Princess." Shirin scolded her from her position across the room. "That can be speculated and dealt with by the rest of the world. Your duty must be how this impacts our current situation, and how you need to use this information to benefit the people of Azadistan."

Marina's head turned to her advisor at the mention of her country. "How does this effect Azadistan?"

Shirin stared straight into her charge's eye. "You need to keep in mind, Princess, that everything effects Azadistan, especially when a major power or Celestial Being are involved. Whatever is behind this doesn't matter. What matters is that both the Union and Celestial Being are unpredictable, and scared. What strategic reason do either group have to face off in a battlefield without engaging?"

Marina looked at her clasped hands in thought. "I- I don't know. Maybe they were examining the situation?"

Shirin looked to her for more before nodding. "That is likely correct. But the fact that Celestial Being needed to go into the field to look, and that multiple Gundam were unable to bypass the barrier despite apparent frustration, show limitations to their abilities that the world has not seen before, and their standing will change accordingly. Furthermore, the Union formally blamed Celestial Being for the dome, but avoided any confrontation or ambush when they appeared, even when they proved they were not behind it and were ineffective in bringing it down. That position may have allowed them to analyze the situation, but it also revealed just how little control or understanding they have over their own territory, and does nothing to dismiss accusations that they're behind this.

"Today's conflict was a major blunder on both sides, and as a Princess it's your duty to be aware of that and learn from it to take smarter actions."

Marina nodded. "I think I understand, but what am I supposed to do about it? Azadistan has no direct involvement in the situation."

"That may be true, but Azadistan is more than familiar with domestic instability and confusion. You are meeting with the UN ambassador tonight to make an appeal for their aid, yes?" Shirin smiled at Marina's nod. "Take this chance to show that him that the instability he worries about is not unique to Azadistan, and that it is in the best interest of the world that our country be prepared to provide information and assistance should something like that happen here."

Marina Ismael looked up with a gasp, "Do you think something like that might happen here?"

Shirin shook her head. "Whether or not it may doesn't matter as much as it does that you proclaim Azadistan's willingness to cooperate with the rest of the world if it does. If our country wants to have access to solar power and be a part of the world order, we need to be a participant in more than just our own internal turmoil."

"I know," Marina sighed, "But there's just so much fighting and trouble here."

"And that should be your focus, Princess, but ignoring the rest of the world until Azadistan is stable would be making the same mistake that put us in this situation in the first place." Shirin sat down on the couch next to Marina and smiled softly at the young princess. "You are doing admirably, Princess, and remember that no one is or needs to be perfect. If anything, the Union and Celestial Being proved that today. It seems that even the Gundam meisters are people who can choose to disobey orders and make mistakes."

Shirin's words triggered a memory to Marina, and her eyes looked up from her lap to gaze out the window and into the distance over the capital. The image of the young Krugish boy came to the forefront of her mind.

"My codename is Setsuna F. Seiei. I am a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being. If the conflict doesn't end, we will go to Azadistan."

The words terrified her to this day, the idea not only that a boy so young was fighting in so many wars, but that someone could unilaterally come in and decide her country's fate so simply, so offhandedly. He was a child and he must have suffered so much, but he didn't show it, or even acknowledge that he felt her pain. Marina wanted to help him, wanted to pity him, but at the same time he seemed so remorseless for the actions of Celestial Being that she wasn't sure she could while protecting Azadistan.

Were you there today, Setsuna? Were you one of the ones who stayed behind or rushed to get involved?

Marina felt rather than saw Shirin stand up from the couch and make her way to the door, clearly trying to organize for tonight's dinner in a way that left the princess the most time to think over her situation. Marina wanted to acknowledge and thank her, but she was still focused too focus on the Gundam pilot to do so.

What makes a Gundam pilot decide when one situation is worth intervening in, or investigating, more than others? Was it just the attacks the media was making on Celestial Being's reputation? Could Celestial Being really be that selfish? Or was it really just a mistake like Shirin said? Can Gundam meisters even make that kind of mistake, have any form of regrets?

And if they can… Setsuna, do you regret any of the things you said to me?

Deep Space: A few hours earlier

Tieria Erde floated along the halls of the Ptolemios and sighed at yet another perfectly avoidable situation. Why the other Gundam meisters had to keep getting caught up in dilemmas that had nothing to do with their overall goal, and why Sumeragi couldn't do better at predicting both their and their enemies' actions, was completely beyond him.

Still, he would do his best to salvage the situation for the sake of Celestial Being, and in order to do that he needed to consult Veda. Sumeragi had looked confused at best, which while worrying for her position as strategist, did nothing but confirm Tieria's conviction that Veda's assistance would be a welcome answer that would help them figure this out. Whatever is causing that dome must clearly be a relative of the GN particle technology, obviously Veda will have considered the alternate possibility and have prepared means of utilizing or stopping it.

He reached the room containing Veda's terminal and paused to collect his thoughts. Interacting with Veda was calming, especially when he had a firm purpose in going there are questions to ask.

It made him feel useful, and competent. Two things he couldn't say for the rest of the meisters right now.

Except maybe Lockon Stratos…

Tieria shook his head and strode into the room. He held his hands out to the monitor and closed his eyes as he felt the familiar glow pass over him as Veda confirmed his biometrics for security clearances. He opened them to focus on the black and white world of text in front of him, and had just finished typing a query for the readings Veda took from the dome this afternoon when a grating voice seemed to echo from all around him.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here? Looks like someone's pretty interested in Gravity Falls!"

Tieria turned around but saw nothing. "Who are you? You are not authorized to be here! Show yourself!"

A triangle seemed to form itself onto the white wall on the side of the room, and even though the voice still echoed Tieria deduced it most likely came from there. "Hey, don't mind me! I'm just trying to help! Figured you'd need some assistance after your methods don't get you anywhere."

Tieria felt the insult to Veda. "You don't know what you're talking about! There is nothing in the world that Veda doesn't know about."

The voice just laughed. "Nothing in the world, huh? Why don't you see what it has to say?"

The Gundam meister snorted and looked back to the monitor in front of him. Sure enough, it had finished processing the information from the satellite imaging, and hundreds of lines of data were flooding the screen. Scrolling through to read the summary, Tieria found his smirk fading, and then slipping into a frown.

Contradictory readings detected. Data inconclusive. Material: unknown. Density: unknown. Origin: unknown. Weaknesses: unknown.

Tieria shook his head and turned to the triangle on the wall. "The data is simply inconclusive, there must have been a problem with the sensors. This means nothing."

"This means you're dealing with Gravity Falls, and unless you have thirty years you won't be getting anywhere without some extra help. Lucky for you I enjoy inspiring brilliant minds, and I must admit I'm quite the expert on Gravity Falls!"

"That doesn't explain how you're here, or why you decided to help us out now. Who are you and what business do you have with Celestial Being?"

"Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on you," The room seemed to literally shake with the voice's laugh, "and I've always been pretty impressed by the results of your interventions! And now that we have something of mutual interest I thought that we could make a deal!

"I give you all you need to know to start looking into Gravity Falls, figure out everything that caused it, and hopefully do your best to bring down that bubble. We both just want to make sure everyone inside can get out safe!"

Tieria couldn't help but be suspicious, "and the catch?"

"No catch, that's the deal! You see, I even think I have a way to get rid of this thing, but the problem is that what I need to do it is a large amount of computing power, and it just happens that you have that in excess! You see, there's this equation…"

[thelegendaryhawkman]

Post-Flashpoint Bio: Carter Hall

Age: 31 Codename: Hawkman Occupation: Vigilante, Time-travelling legend Sexuality: Pansexaul Species: “Demi-god” Status: Hero

Past: Over 4000 years ago Prince Khufu was once one of the finest warriors in the Middle Kingdom, and heir to his father’s rule over Egypt. Arrogant and prideful as he was, there was one thing that managed to temper him - a woman by the name of Chay’ara. She was a priestess of Horus, and the only one capable of humbling the overly prideful Khufu, and gradually the two fell in love. However, a priest and adviser to the King by the name of Hath’set was jealous of Khufu, and obsessed with Chay’ara himself. Upon discovering their affair, he struck both of them down in a jealous rage, and as they lay dying together to the two lovers prayed to Horus to guide and protect them into the next life, so that they may find each other again.

On that night, meteors had rained from the sky, and the strange power they carried within them had gifted Khufu and Chay’ara with the power of reincarnation. Over thousands of years, they were reborn as different people, at first remembering none of their past until they would awaken, seemingly at random, and retain their memories of each other - and the abilities that the meteor shower had granted them. They were able to fly, with wings appearing as if by magic. In some lives they met early, and were able to spend many years together, in others they unfortunately never crossed paths. But an unfortunate truth, in every lifetime, was that Hath’set would find them, wherever they hid, and kill them. The same gift that had granted them their powers had unfortunately also made their murderer immortal, and capable of strengthening himself by stealing their life forces.

After 207 deaths, one of Khufu’s reincarnations, Carter Hall, had discovered his memories and powers without Kendra’s presence. The memory of losing his love so many times, to a man he had come to despise above all others, tore him apart and made him callous and impatient. He found Chay’ara’s reincarnation, Kendra, and attempted to make her remember him. Despite his efforts, she seemed to remember little even after gaining her powers, and due to his own desperation, he distanced her even further with his abrasiveness and disregard for people other than the two of them. When The Flash and Green Arrow offered to help Carter and Kendra to defeat their killer, now going by the name Vandal Savage, he cared far more about doing so than if it was putting the two men and the rest of their allies at risk.

Carter and Kendra moved to St. Roch after they defeated Savage with the help of the others, trying to move on and start a new life while also using their powers to help others. Though their relationship had improved somewhat over training and living together in St. Roch, Kendra still grew frustrated with Carter and his attempts at convincing her they were ‘soulmates’ because of their past. Matters weren’t helped when they were contacted by Rip Hunter, a Time Master, who claimed that they had not actually been able to defeat Savage and that in the future he was able to destroy the world as they knew it and ruled over it instead.

Joining Rip’s team aboard the Waverider, Carter and Kendra were supposed to be instrumental to his defeat, as the only two capable of permanently killing Savage due to the bond created through the vicious cycle of their deaths and rebirths. They confronted him in the 1970s, Carter believing he was capable of killing Savage, but even after seemingly defeating the man in combat, he was overpowered, and killed once more by his greatest enemy.

He reincarnated multiple times in the following years, remembering only briefly of his lives before until Savage inevitably found him and killed him. With Kendra removed from the timeline, still on the Waverider, Carter spent those remaining lifetimes completely alone, destined it seemed forever to never be again with the woman he loved. However, there was one lifetime in which he did not regain his memories, and when Savage found him, for once he refrained from killing and instead saw an opportunity to use Carter - now Scythian Torvill - against his former allies.

Savage conditioned the man into the perfect soldier - obedient to his will and enjoying the cruelty demanded of him. Savage revealed what he had done to Kendra, using Scythian’s identity to manipulate her into letting him live and giving an opportunity for him to strike the Legends. Scythian very nearly killed his former self’s teammates, but Kendra managed to awaken some of his memories and abilities just in time for him to stop and turn on Savage. Though he remembered very little of his past - beyond that he knew who Kendra was, and hated Savage - he joined the Legends in a final battle to defeat Savage once and for all, finally putting an end to his tyranny across the timeline.

Present: Scythian, ashamed by what he had done as Savage’s soldier, chose to adopt the name of his past self and once again become Carter Hall. He returned with Kendra and the other Legends to the year 2016, and chose to leave the team with Kendra to once again try and restart their lives in St. Roch. However, despite knowing that Kendra meant something to him, Carter was still deeply afraid of how he had been capable of hurting her under Savage’s control, and was worried further by the gaps in his memory that still refused to surface. Without telling Kendra where he was going, he returned to Central City, hoping that the place he had first met Kendra in his past life would help him regain memories of his time from at least one life.

Kendra soon followed him, and though they were both still struggling with their memories, over time some of the pieces began to come together in Central. They both decided to remain in the city, living separately to avoid the awkwardness that had grown between them in St. Roch while still making sure they kept in regular contact to continue their recovery. Over time, Carter slowly began to remember how he had felt about Kendra in the past, and started to harbour those feelings again, but he knew from what others had told him that he had been insufferable and demanding in his past incarnation when he had tried to get into a relationship with her. They both agreed to try and just be friends for a time, though they discovered later that they had both been harbouring feelings for each other yet hiding it, not knowing what the other wanted from their relationship. Currently, they have just started dating, trying to get to know who they both are in this lifetime, rather than focusing on who they were and how they were together in the past.

Carter is currently searching for some meaning in his life, now that with Savage gone he can finally build a life instead of spend it running from his killer. He befriended a few of the people from his past, and some he had never known before, in order to settle himself into Central City and seek advice when he needed it. At his heart, he knows whatever he does he wants to make sure it helps people, especially those he cares for - and has considered rejoining the Legends aboard the Waverider to stop any potential time aberrations in the absence of the Time Masters.

Positive Traits: Brave, passionate, noble Negative Traits: Impatient, arrogant, stubborn

Major Connections Kendra Saunders - Girlfriend Team Legends - Friends Laurel Lance - Best Friend Kara Danvers - Friend Team Arrow/Team Flash - Friends

@centralcitysfinest-rp