15strangers | EPILOGUE: WARRIORS OF JUSTICE

WARRIORS OF JUSTICE

Conversion is complete...but the virus-

Probably just it's shell. Quick! Reverse the polarity and turn everyone back to normal size! We need to ask them how they did it - and try and stabilize the girl genius!

[Another bright light, but this time, also, the feeling of being squished by gravity as your ears pop. Soon enough, the forms become much clearer - and smaller. Soon enough, the sensation stops - and shouting from vaarious doctors and soldiers can be heard outside of the EPCOT and Diatron-15.]

The virus--!!

Look at the size of that thing!

Stand back, stand back! Let the micronauts have air!

[The shorter of the two men steps forward, and begins to wave their arm.]

Diatron-15! Welcome back! It appears you brought that nasty illness with you, but it can't harm anyone else now, at least! However, we need to find another way to stabilize the girl genius - you took so long her organs began to fail!

Don't worry, though, we will compensate you as promised! Please, please come out so we can put you through a check-up and decontamination! Then we can take this virus in for study!

[Ha. Ha. Hahahaha...

Well, congratulations. You are alive and back to normal size.

Also, those who have powers from before this journey will find they are back.

...

So, what now?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's. Squinting.]

How many of the rest of us were in this "space jail?"

Only three of you were in Space Jail before this. Why?

Oh, no reason.

[He just may want to meet with one of them at a later time, to see about sending a message to whoever put them in there!! That's all!!]

But I don't believe you ever told me what was so important about the "Girl Genius" that you'd be willing to compensate us so handsomely.... Actually, aren't you wasting valuable time squabbling with those fools right now? You must go and save her, rather than argue about virus children.

[There, see, he can help with the Halley Effort too, though he doesn't really give a shit.]

The girl genius!!

She operates our defense system! Without her, our Star Wars fleet and all of Earth would be defenseless against invaders and disasters!!

That’s the stupidest thing imaginable! To put all of your security hopes into a single person... have you never heard of backups or failsafes?!

One person?

[Jonathan read the entries concerning this from Halley's point of view. He knows this already. But hearing it in person is entirely different.

Hello wrath. Hello rage. He's... not really missed you all that much, but... right now you're good friends.]

You put all that on ONE PERSON?!

Of course, her computer brain is unique!

Question:

[ Akira, don't fucking raise your hand for this. ]

Is everyone on your team as stupid as you guys?

What?!

Well technically everyone isn’t smart compared to the girl genius...

[ ... Second guy is a tiny bit more difficult to hate, for some reason. Akira sighs and then speaks to that guy, directly. ]

Just FYI? Our memories were messed with, in there. What was my price?

Yours was aid against...Noise, was it? Also, should we find the main cause, we will place him in Space Jail!

I see. [No, he does not. That sounds incredibly stupid.]

...Even I am starting to believe that is a fate you may deserve.

[recordscratch.mp3]

You have...one girl...as your entire defense.

[…]

You people are idiots.

Fleet? Wait, you basically just drafted us! I don't take kindly to that as an American!

You volunteered!

Edited 2018-08-18 23:17 (UTC)

The first strike is important, yes, but you should always have a second blade! Pinning something that important all on one person is ridiculous, and I'm sure if Ivy-san is as smart as you say, she told you that herself!

According to Halley's journal entries she did.

[BOY OH BOY THEY'RE BOTH DOING THE BLOODFURY THING AT THE SAME TIME AREN'T THEY]

Then these people are doubly stupid for not even listening to their 'girl genius'! It's like--

[They are, but nagisa's surges like powerful muscle bound by scales, coiling around his prey with crushing force.]

It's like they don't even see Ivy-san as a person at all.

Edited 2018-08-18 23:21 (UTC)

[And Jonathan can sense that uncanny constriction, and suddenly he's pretty sure he knows how Charlotte must have felt, approaching the Castle that first time... and meeting Brauner... and God, he owes her a hug when he gets back, being surrounded by that kind of aura constantly must be awful....]

I'm starting to think "Not thinking of people as people" is the real problem with this place.

Edited 2018-08-18 23:30 (UTC)

I'm going to kill them.

[He doesn't mean it literally. He's just....angry. A righteous kind of anger, at injustice and the trampling of those who can't fight. Anger at people who only see others as tools to their own ends.]

I'm going to kill them.

(no subject)

backuphero - 2018-08-18 23:44 (UTC) - Expand

theserpentsmiles - 2018-08-19 00:10 (UTC) - Expand

But she was all we needed!

And what if we'd failed? What if she got into an accident and no one reached her in time? What if she just didn't want to anymore?

If you have only one thing you rely on, then you're screwed if you lose it. Unless you're ready to roll over and die at the first sign of trouble, always have a backup!

Thank you.

[See even Halley agrees]

He's right. What if one rogue agent infiltrated things and she didn't catch it?

[ Like for real. ]

I have a Darwin Award for you right here...

No wonder you drafted all of us to do the job for you, you literally do not have the brain capacity to comprehend how stupid you are.