Endgame: This Broken Jaw of Our Lost Kingdoms; Part One

[animusmods]

Characters: open to those trapped in cells
Setting: the cells
Format: any
Summary: Those left abandoned in the Tower have some time to speak to each other. In the middle of the room, a clock counts down...
Warnings: general animus endgame warnings

Comments

[slightlyoblivious]

[This was not what Yukiko had been expecting to wake up to after passing out the way she had. The best-case scenario had been 'waking up at home with everyone with me', and the worst-case that she'd been able to think of in the moment she lost consciousness had been never waking up at all.

Somehow it's worse, being caged up like this, than it had ever been before.]

- can anyone hear me?

[fionnuisce]

I can hear you, Yukiko. [This was no time to sound so calm and be smoking like a chimney, but Waver really never changed.]

We shouldn't start panicking--not yet, at least.

[witchoftheweek]

[If she hadn't seen everyone else around her faint at the same time, Patchouli would have guessed that she had simply fainted because of pain and lack of breath.

That hadn't been the case, apparently.

The 'walls' of the cell, as they are, don't feel like something that's safe to lean against, and she needs that much, given the injuries she's taken. As it stands, she's lying on one side, breathing a little harder - if it can be called breathing at all in a wire frame - than she should be.]

[septette]

...Patchy? [ her voice is oddly scared. unbefitting, really, even after everything that's happened. ]

[fionnuisce]

This is some fucking bullshit.

[Frowning, Waver lit a cigarette--thankfully he still had that, at least. His voice was lacking much in the way of anger; though Waver was annoyed, he mostly sounded worn down and exhausted.]

Someone's a sore goddamned loser.

[miseris_socios]

I'd... like to not be stuck in a cell again.

[Ken's sprawled out on the floor of his cell. It's just barely big enough for him to do that comfortably so he might as well take advantage of it.]

Considering the last time I got vivisected and turned into an eldritch abomination, unless I've suppressed some memories. Being stuck in the dorm rooms doesn't count.

[bloodyashes]

[So. Someone was asleep when the whole thing with Riki went down, because they waited until they absolutely had to sleep in their dorm.

Someone woke up just in time to pass out again when Ruana did whatever the hell she did.

Someone is in a cell and not very happy. Well, lots of someones, but Asch has a particular kind of displeased that comes from not having the faintest idea what just went down. And he is expressing it quite vocally.]

Okay, what the hell did you idiots do to piss her off while I was out?

[He can't take you guys anywhere. For anyone who can manage to look in, Asch is sitting with his knees propped up in almost the exact center of his cell, arms folded, annoyance radiating off him in waves, but from the way he keeps glancing from side to side - it's clear he thinks something awful is going to happen here any minute.]

[notachickenhawk]

[There's a very quiet voice that calls out to Asch. He keeps it private for now, if only because he doesn't want other people to hear how bad he feels.]

<... Asch?>

[notachickenhawk]

[Shit. Tobias hunkers down in his cell - there's not enough room to fly, barely enough room for him not to lose his mind, and he does not like what the 'walls' look like. He tries to keep his 'voice' calm as he calls out, but there's strain and fear obvious in it.]

<Hey! Who else is here? We have to... we have to figure out how to get out of here.>

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[A young voice sounds off in the darkness, young and female and possibly familiar.]

< Tobias, right? It's Veronica. I'm here. >

[She sounded almost as fearful as he did.]

[bowandblade]

[Gilgamesh frowns to himself when he awakens, instantly alert; he's aware enough to remember the fight that had been occurring, but to suddenly be knocked out...

Perhaps he shouldn't be surprised, where the administrators were concerned. However many administrators still remained.

He pushes himself to his feet and immediately tries to open a gate. When that fails, he scoffs.]

Really. Dismissing all illusions of control, aren't we?

[neverbeamemory]

Hmph, Not that there was much of one to be dismissed in the first place.

[Sephiroth has settled down some in the last few minutes, and is sat with his back against the side-barrier of his cell, looking out around the other cells that he can see and it just so happens Gilgamesh is within that particular line of sight.]

[attheclocktower]

[When Xion wakes up, she gasps and sits upright immediately, eyes wide as her heart races. It takes a moment to take in her surroundings, but already she can feel a pit forming in her stomach. She didn't like the looks of this.

She tries to push herself into a standing position, but the pain in her knee flares sharply and she falls back to the ground with a sharp cry of pain. Well. She hadn't died then, at whatever Ruana had done. She lifts a hand to try and gather healing energy, but nothing comes.

Great. So she was stuck like this.

Still... there has to be something she can do. She shuffles towards the front - or at least she thinks it's the front - of her cell, getting as close to the barrier as she can, trying to peer through it. Her voice his high and worried. She calls the names she knows first, from the group that went down.]

Riku? Minato? Enoch? Who else is here?

[Anybody?]

[oathshackledbird]

Xion, what's wrong?

[That cry of pain has Diarmuid rushing to the front of his cell and again trying to examine it to find a way out.]

I'm here.

[Not that being stuck in a cell lets him help her if she is hurt, but at least he can let her know she's not alone.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[The events transpiring were only worsening. The sudden burst of light, and light-headedness, had been the last thing Veronica expected to happen during the fighting.

Rising slowly, she dusted herself off as her eyes adjusted to the light of the cell she found herself in. She immediately tried the exit to the cell, no dice of course.

She hugged her arms, it was cold, and dark. Something was going to happen soon.]

Is anyone there? [She called.] Anyone at all.

[warriorscribe]

*The answer comes from elsewhere in the room of cells.*

There are many of us, I think.

[warriorscribe]

*For a long time when he opens his eyes, Enoch doesn't move. The emotional whirlwind he'd been pulled through at the end, from battle rage, to numb, to anger and pain, and now...

He sits up, looks down at his armorless wireframe. His soul isn't contained to its spherical form. But he can't summon his armor all the same. His Arch is beside him. It won't activate, of course. He stands, attaches it to the back of his jeans, and paces the back of his cell a couple of times. Frustration is brewing inside him, like a scream he's holding back.

It comes out, not in a scream, but in words, not shouted but his voice is raised.*

What don't we understand? We've seen nearly everything. We know your games and Jason's experiments mimic what you had to go through. Many of us have seen your loneliness. And I- *His voice falters.* ...I got to see a part of your madness. I suggested a way out, so why-...why...

*He trails off as he begins testing the walls, the floor. Eventually, he crosses to the front of his cell and slides down against the wall, making a scraping sound as his Arch drags over it, and puts his head in his hands. Though he hadn't addressed them, he'd registered the presence of other people in other cells.*

Everyone, I'm sorry.

*They had to try to restore the worlds, and now...how many weren't here? How many were left to protect Aria and Zo?*

[myblueskies]

Romeo was exhausted, he had tried to be as useful as possible in the battle and that had involved a lot of running around. He had seen people take Riki into the elevator and after that it had been a bit calmer, he had ran about looking for his friends. But it had only been a little while before he had felt light headed and ended up here.

Pinocchio was on his head and they both watched Enoch as he shouted. "It's not your fault, sir." He said softly as he apologised. "I think Ruana is too sad, too many people hurt her before so even if everyone here tried to be her friend... it would be hard."

He smiled softly, "It was good that you tried though, even if she is still being bad I don't think she will forget that you were kind to her."

[keepscalm]

[England had been trying to help with the injured once Riki had been lured away from the hidden floor, but that didn't last very long.

When he finally comes around, he doesn't have a coherent thought in his mind, at first trying to determine where he is with bleary eyes. It's dreadfully small, and, of course, contained. Without thinking, he mumbles to himself.] Guess it worked. [It has to have worked, for Ruana to be angry enough to lock them up like this.

He sits up, wiping at his face with his palms. It's not particularly encouraging for the first thing he sees properly to be the clock in the middle of the room, blinking the five hours they have left. Something in his chest clenches. So little time, and they're all stuck here in these tiny boxes. He reaches out to touch the forcefields that hold them in. When nothing happens, he can't help but eye up the container in consideration. If Ruana made these cells, he doubts there's any escaping them. But he won't give in to that "learned helplessness" routine.

So he takes a step back and then throws himself bodily against one of the walls with all of his might. It quickly becomes evident that his suspicions were correct; for his efforts, the forcefield gives him a violent electrical shock, and thank god he'd had a worse one from the elevator because it would be terribly embarrassing to cry out from it.

After a few moments spent crumpled on the ground, recovering from the current, England sighs and calls out, shakily.] ...America. Zelda, Sealand. And— anyone else. [That he'd be worried about, anyway.] Are we all in here?

[hoasen]

[There was a sudden sound of something colliding with a surface. But she wasn't sure what happened. It was the tone in England's voice that made her wonder if he had anything to do with that.]

Vietnam is here, England. But are you alright?

[prayerless]

[Aqua stirs with no small amount of confusion. Last she knew, people were fighting Riki, and...well, she doesn't really know how they did it. She's not even sure if they won; whatever happened, they're imprisoned now. She can't be sure whose doing it is.

She briefly touches the forcefields in an attempt to discern if they're of magical nature, but she can't reach her own magic, or even her Keyblade. So she lets her hands fall. There are others around, at least, visible through the cell walls. Is everyone here? Did those who went to fight Riki make it back all right? She hopes so, given that Xion was among those who Aqua doesn't recall returning to the hidden room before they all passed out.]

Hey. Is everyone okay?

[attheclocktower]

[That's a familiar voice that makes her head snap up and around.]

Aqua? I... I think so. You too?

[How many people were here?]

[sageprincess]

[Her waking is slow - her body oddly grateful for the rest brought on by Ruana's forced unconsciousness - but even through the confusion of half-consciousness, it doesn't take long to realize something is wrong. As soon as her eye focus enough to allow it, Zelda scrambles to her feet and goes through the motion of aiming a magical blast at the walls confining her.

Of course, nothing comes. No protection from Nayru, no fire from Din, no swiftness from Farore, no power from her own bloodline. With a slow sigh, she falls back into a kneel, glancing at the clock so morbidly on display.

Five hours. They've fought so hard for so long, and now--

No. Don't think like that. There must be something...

... It's hard to tell just how many are down here (wherever 'here' is), but she notes at least two of their number unaccounted for as people call out for one another.]

I do not suppose anyone saw what happened to Zo or Aria, did they.

[greyerrant]

[ He rests within his armor, barely able to move without the enhancements of the Astartes. His own second skin, slowly crushing him to death by inches. Zelda's voice seems to awaken him, and he husks out through his never-repaired helm. ]

I did not, but I was upstairs for the last bit. I have not seen them here.

[justabignobody]

[Riku isn't sure where he's expected to wake up after Ruana's little tantrum – back home; or some twisted version of it maybe, though he hadn't been here then, he knows from Naminé that this has happened before – but some cell without his powers? Yeah, that hadn't been quite even near the top of the list.

He groans faintly as he rolls to his side, wincing – he still can feel the phantoms of the pain the light had caused racing along his nerves – and grimacing as he sits up and flexes his right hand experimentally. He is in good shape overall, hasn't carried away any more serious injuries from the fight with Riki anyway, but the tingle of the Keyblade is gone from beneath his palm and and a second's concentration confirms that he can't sense the currents of Light and Darkness in the air.

Alright then... trapped alone in a cell without his abilities and weapon. Of course, because if he had those things would be too easy and Ruana would never want that, would she? Lovely. He snorts.]

Is this 'showing us', Ruana? I'm not impressed.

[He really isn't. And yeah, maybe calling her on this, isn't all that smart right now, but by now Riku falls squarely into the group of people who are 'out of fucks to give'.

He blinks when there's suddenly a weight dropping on his shoulder, Highwind whining lowly as he rubs his body against his cheek in an attempt to comfort him and Riku sighs while lifting his hand to pet his Dream Eater. At least one good thing remains for how ever short they have until the end... in whatever form that might come.]

[pitiedthefool]

Riku.

[There's a hint of something resembling a not of gratefulness for a friend being alright in his tired voice (whether it's out of 'no fucks to give' or simply waking up with the others in cells is up for debate). One friend was still alive, and that was enough for him for now. Though, with what he said...]

I take it she got him, too.

[#therewasanattempt]

[keybearer]

...Ruana got Riki.

[It's the first thing that comes out of Riku's mouth, as he's spent several minutes quietly listening. Everything flew by far too fast. Riki's death. The doors slamming shut. That crunching sound, followed by him stupidly opening a corridor and nearly killing everyone in the room...

His voice caries a flat and dry tone, barely wavering in pitch. There are too many thoughts racing through his head. Too many emotions swirling inside him...]

I don't know what's gonna happen to us, but if we somehow manage to get out of here, we're gonna have to stay sharp. If she can control the whole tower...

[He can't even bring himself to finish that thought.]

[neverbeamemory]

...

[Sephiroth doesn't know anything about what went on other than the obvious fact that something had swept up to the very top of the Tower - undoubtedly after that Hidden Floor. Inevitable, really.

But sitting and minding his own business while others talk around him -it sounds as if there are a significant number of them in this prison- launching the nano-film equivalent of a Materia orb up into the air and catching it repeated times as something to keep him occupied. It's important not to lose focus now.]

...If she wanted us dead, she wouldn't have gone to such great effort to keep us in existence. It all depends exactly what she has in mind to show us.

[hoasen]

[In her case, she hasn't been here long enough for her to be not surprised anymore. So Vietnam was when she woke up.]

Just like that, and here we are. [She ran her hands closely over the walls, not quite touching, as she tried to search this cell. What was next, they were meant to escape this?]

What happened? And what now?

[greyerrant]

[ Loken strains against the weight of his own armor, the power-disabling making him unable to control it and somehow, barely, manages to remove the helm before sinking to the floor. He lies there, slowly being crushed by his armor, watching the clock. ]

This wasn't quite the ending for myself I'd imagined, or hoped for. But it will do as an end.

[neverbeamemory]

Some hero.

[It really couldn't be helped, the comment is bitter and intended to sting deeply. There really is no reason for Sephiroth to continue to pay partly-curious lip service, as a facade to the rest of them anymore. It would be just a waste of time.

And after Loken had spoken so proudly of all his heroic adventures on his now-dead World. Pathetic.]

[miseris_socios]

[Ken is quiet as he wakes up, realizing where he is. Another cage. Memories flood back, but he's revisited them so many times it's hard to be in shock. Instead he just flops back down, turning his head so he can see who else is here.]

She could have at least been creative.

[He's tired. He spent too much energy in the initial rush, and he's had too little sleep. At least nothing can get in. Probably.]

[pitiedthefool]

I know, right?

[He answers dryly, sighing. One would think she'd at least have a bit more in the imagination department...]

Guess she wanted to make it a trip down memory lane.

[There's an unspoken question in his tone as he attempts to gauge Ken's reaction. Is he alright as one could be in this situation? Tired was something he could understand - they all were at this point - but he can't ask it. Really, no one was okay at this point. "Alive for now" was good enough for him.]

1 hour in I guess

[savedbyasong]

Sleep paralysis was nothing new to Shion sadly but it still filled him with terror and probably the sight of him motionless in a cell, his face a look of pain and fear, for a hour did the same to those around him.

Eventually he could move and he rolled slightly to the side, opening his eyes and sitting up, confused, when he realised he wasn't in his bed. Confusion led to panic as he realised he was in a cell. It took a moment for him to see that there were others in similar situations. "Xion? Reno?" His voice caught as he remembered the last he had seen them, Reno being chased by Riki and Xion...

Xion his little sister bursting through to save Reno. He felt a well of pride just remembering, but it was shadowed by fear. What had Riki done to them? He peered out, trying to pick out faces, who was here? Why were they here? What were Ruana and Riki planning next?

[attheclocktower]

That caught her attention quickly - those two particular names, spoken by a voice she knew better than almost anyone's in the Tower.

"Shion!" she called back, clambering over as best she was able to in the direction she thought she'd heard his voice come from. Sweeping her eyes across the room, she wasn't quite able to pin down which cell was his though. "I'm here. Where are you?"

One of her family was here. The first of her family she'd heard from since she woke up.

[evokingfool]

[Minato woke up with a start. The memories of battling Riki, Riki's death, the painful light and Ruana's appearance flooded his mind. He said nothing, yet, but if anyone listens carefully... they might hear his heavy breathing. And then his deep breaths in order to calm himself down, before sheer exhaustion almost seemed to sink in.

However long he slept, it got most of his tiredness out from his body. Which left just his own mind, as he took a moment to mentally catch up and reconfirm the situation.

...He's in a cell, and it felt even more worrying than before. And he heard voices and despite himself, he's relieved to hear some familiar voices among them.]

Minato Arisato here. [Of SEES, he almost add. But he's been the only Minato for so long, he stopped. He continued, tired and reporting.] Mostly intact and just tired.

[No permanent damage, as far as he can tell. But he can't hear his Personas.

Of course he can't, that would means Ruana allowing them to keep their powers inside their cells. But it's incredibly frustrating without their familiar presence at the back of his head.]

How's everyone?

[slightlyoblivious]

I'm holding up all right. How are you, Minato-kun?

[She can't hear her Persona, either. That's more worrying than she'll let on, at least at first.]

[neverbeamemory]

["Just wait--just wait! I'll show you."

As if that engulfing white and single, total reverberation hadn't been ominous enough. At least the retrievals he'd been monitoring had bleached out into white as well, the problem being everything else had as well just before consciousness was snapped away.

Perhaps similar to a few others, Sephiroth instantly got to his feet as soon as he came to. To the barrier right away to peer around whatever details, and whomever else, he could make out on the other side. They weren't on the cell-floor of the Tower, that much was obvious. With a grunt, he gingerly touched at the barrier, noting that it didn't seem to be charged or anything, before backing up right to the back wall of his cell and -then coming around to the fact that his powers were off, again- launched a heavy kick at the door regardless.

The non-lethal shock was still a shock nonetheless, painful tingling rushing up his leg and causing him to retreat on shaking steps backwards away from it. Once his refusal to crumple under the shock had won out, Sephiroth stepped back to the door and levelled a death stare at the countdown in the middle of the room as the seconds ticked away.]

I'm assuming that didn't exactly go to plan, either-

[Bitter much, oh yes. But at least the comment was to no one in particular.]

[myblueskies]

I think we made her scared. [Guess who is next door to you Sephiroth. That's right. Romeo scoots closer to the glass that separates them.] So she locked us up.

[doctor_dismemberment]

[He's in a cell. Again.

The last time he was locked up like this, he'd had all his limbs disabled by (dead, dead, blissfully dead) Jason while he was being carried down, and then he'd been accosted by ethereal children with no sense of personal space. It's a putrid memory.

As soon as Richtofen comes to, he does what he's always done best: starts screaming.]

Augh! They have locked the doctor away! Shut up!

[Sitting on the ground, he kicks out at the cell's barrier, which sends an electric jolt of pain through his body. He yelps and scrambles backward until his back is pressed against the wall, glaring at the barrier with a fierce intensity.]

[neverbeamemory]

[Except the difference between this time and that time is that Sephiroth has been put within closer earshot to the Doctor. All the more impossible to turn off from hearing him whine.

Though Sephiroth's displeasure is somewhat blunted by the shock-and-yelp as Richtofen obviously tried to attack the barrier as well. Despite the fact that he also had attempted the same, it brings a thin smile to his face.]

You might not want to do that.

[silencetoreason]

[France awakes with a jolt. He immediately finds himself breathless. The memories come flooding back - hours spent cradling Pierre and trying to reassure him (Tout ira bien, nous serons tous d'accord, ne vous inquiétez pas, mon cher...), the pacing, the lack of sleep, hearing awful sounds and trying to tune them out, cursing himself for not being able to join the fight, but what good would he be? Then the screaming, the bright light, and--

Now he's here.

He crawls on his knees toward the barrier, breaths ragged in his ears. He hears people talking. Cautiously, he lifts his hands and touches them to the barrier. When nothing happens, he presses his palms against it.]

H-Hello? What is this? [He's speaking entirely in French, but at least the Tower's translation system is still working.] Where am I?

[hoasen]

[When she heard that voice, part of her was relieved that France was fine too. The other, however, sunk when she heard how his voice was quivering. He was speaking in French too. This gets her every time, to hear her fabulous former guardian be in fear.

So she calls out to him, replying back in French.]

Cells, apparently. France, how are you feeling?

[ninjainviolet]

[ Sheena awakes with a start, having been pulled back to consciousness by the voices around her. For a moment, she lays there disoriented as she tries to figure out where she is.

Which--she thinks--is definitely not the last place she was: in the hidden room with--

Bolting upright in panic, she begins looking around frantically, searching, calling out to her friends. ]

Colette? Zelos? Are you guys here?

[ Pleasepleaseplease. ]

Is everyone all right?

[cursedchosen]

[Zelos woke up with a pretty bad headache; he wasn't sure how or when, but apparently he'd been moved from the hidden room to this cell. Great.]

[He has to bite back a bit of worry at first, but hearing Sheena's voice clears away part of his concern.]

Peachy. Glad they decided to spring for the luxury cells, I'd hate to see what a downgrade would look like.

[He's pretty mad at the entire ordeal, but trying to at least put up some sort of facade.]

[bydefacto]

[Sealand lies still for several minutes before moving after he wakes up. Is it over yet? He just wants it to be over. As he sits up, pulling himself onto his knees, his eyes wander to the clock in the middle of the room. Not over, not over at all. When will they get home?

He crawls to the edge of his cell, taking in his surroundings. His has his sword, which he holds tightly.]

Hello? Eng- [He stops himself. He... He doesn't need his stupid brother. He doesn't.] Can - Can anyone hear me?

[notagiraffe]

Sealand? Is... sorry is that you? [Taiki was still curled up but he looked around trying to find the voice. He might not know Sealand all that well but he had been kind to Taiki when they were stuck in a room together.]

[puppy_lancer]

[When Lancer realizes he's been thrown into a cell, his first instinct is to kick at the barrier. The resulting zap leaves him sprawled on the ground. Realizing that physical force isn't the solution, he crawls up, making sure not to put too much weight on his still hurting leg.]

Hey, who else is stuck here?

[oathshackledbird]

It has quite the kick, doesn't it?

[Diarmuid's slightly amused voice comes from somewhere nearby.]

I'm glad you're here, brother. Not everyone is.