janitorscloset | Day 1 | Carolina | S13 in the alien temple

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Day 1 | Carolina | S13 in the alien temple

[Stepping through the portal to find herself in the trial for the 'true warrior' and finding herself in a teleporter nexus wasn't exactly what she'd expected to see.

Although she hadn't actually been sure what she'd see, given that it seemed to vary from person to person.]

Epsilon, where the hell are we?

Epsilon, answer me.
[No response which had her tensing, fingers tightening on her gun as she looked aroumd. It seemed deserted, but better safe than sorry.]

Epsilon?

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[ He'd been expecting to enter Wyoming's fortress after he picked that lock, not to find himself among a bank of teleporters. Well, it was always possible Wyoming's fortress consisted of a bank of teleporters, but he'd been searching for over an hour and though Tex had entered ahead of him, she was nowhere to be found.

When he heard that devastatingly familiar voice, he had taken his helmet off to scrub his hand through his hair, and now he freezes in place, eyes wide. ]

Carolina?

[ He hastily put his helmet back on and brought his gun to the ready. He didn't know what kind of circumstances accounted for his being able to hear her voice, but he knew that the last time they had seen each other, they hadn't parted on good terms. ]

[Dead stop when that voice reached her ears and Carolina closes her eyes for a moment before she turned to look for the source.

Fuck that goddamn alien for doing this to her. She'd said goodbye to him, even if he'd been gone long before she'd done it and now.]

York?

[At least her voice is steady. It's just an illusion, it has to be. ]

[ He turns the corner, and there's a soldier in her signature armor color—the armor itself is a design he's never seen, but that's not all too surprising, he supposes. At least if this is really her. ]

You're still alive, after all.

[ If he sounds awed, well, it's been a long time since he gave up the hope that she'd survived that encounter at the cliff. ]

[ The armor and the voice are enough to have her fingers curling into her palms even if her gloves keep her nails from digging into the flesh and Carolina can't breathe for a moment, her voice caught in her throat. It's him, it has to be him but he's supposed to be dead.

So it's either some sort of sick joke or...

There's something else going on here.]

How are you... [Alive is how she wants to ends the question she takes a moment, her voice a little shakier than she'd like.] here?

Oh, I went through a portal. I don't think it led where it was supposed to. Sometimes things don't go the way we plan, you know?

[ Like being here, now, with her. With someone who most of the time these days he's become convinced she's dead. He takes a step closer, then another, before stopping. And he slings his weapon onto his back, just like he did in the elevator shaft. He's got no reason to quarrel with her. Not here, not now.

He tilts his head, just a bit. ]

Carolina? Tell me that's you.

[ He knows it's her, but there's something strange about this whole situation and he needs the reassurance. ]

Story of our lives. [It sounds like him and the armor is exactly right and Carolina lowers her gun slightly.]

Answer me one question first. What's the last thing I said to you?

[ It hurts to recall. But he utters the words, just to prove it's him—if that's what she needs. ]

You told me I can't trust you.

[There's a long moment of silence before she holsters the gun and then lifts her hands to remove her helmet so he could see her face.]

I had to be sure, York. I don't ...

I don't understand how this is possible.

[ He pauses to take the sight of her in before following suit. She looks older, more careworn, more weary. He does too, older than what he would have looked like when she last saw his face, anyway. At least by a couple of years. ]

I think it has to do with the portals. I came here through a portal—didn't end up where I was supposed to. And then you were here.

I just.. [Carolina cut herself off, shaking her head before she replaced her helmet.]

It doesn't matter. We should probably clear this place and then go from there. I didn't see anyone on my trackers. [Not that that meant anything to the people with invisibility equipment.]

And then we can find a place to talk.

There's no one here. I've been here wandering through the whole place for an hour. I wasn't sure that going back through the portal I came from was a good idea.

[ He shrugs with one shoulder and follows her example, replacing his helmet. ]

How about we go back through the one you came from?

We can try it. [Although she's not sure where it's going to lead to be honest. If they make it back to Chorus, would he still be with her or would it separate them.

Tactically, finding out was probably the best option but a part of her balks at the idea of losing him again so soon after seeing him. Her attention shifts from the portal to him and then back befor she walks over to him. ]

York, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you that day on the ship. If I hadn't been so blinded by my own stupid pride, maybe things would have gone differently.

I just... I needed to say that in case things go badly when we do this.

[ He can't respond. Not at first. That was just so baldly laid out there, and with such a lack of excuses or pride, that he can hardly believe it or understand. ]

Hey, it's all right. It'll be all right. Let's go through here, and then we'll talk. I promise you.

I'll see you on the other side, York. [It's as normal as she can manage at the moment and Carolina stands there for a moment, just looking at him before she takes a breath and then walks through the portal. He doesn't know, doesn't understand and she gets it, she'd be confused too, in his shoes, but it needed to be said.

And once she steps out into the temple, she turns, her attention locking on the portal. ]

[ He pops out right behind her, in a quiet place, a place where he's never been. No one else is here. He turns toward her, and when he speaks there's a smile evident in his voice. ]

What'd I tell you, huh? I knew it'd be okay.

[Seeing him come through the portal and standing there is enough to have her frozen, because she hadn't expected it to work, to hear his voice again, much less see him there alive. Her hands are shaking a little but she at least remembers to check her trackers before she walks toward him.]

I didn't think it'd let you come through with me. I mean... [And suddenly she can't quite breathe for a moment, yanking her helmet off and dropping it on the temple floor before she crosses to him, her hand pressing against the chestpiece of his armor.]

You're really here. [And she's smiling, at least, as she speaks.] I didn't think it'd actually let you come with me. York...I...

[ He covers her hand with both of his, cupping her fingers. He can understand the feeling she had, the feeling that it just wouldn't work out, but it's one he always avoids giving into. There were too many things that went wrong during the Project, too many missed chances and ruined opportunities, and he had been careful not to let that experience crush him. ]

It's not a dream, and it's not fake. It's real, and I'm here, and if you'll have me I promise not to leave.

[And he's solid and real and the words take a minute to sink in and Carolina makes a quiet choked sound before she finds her voice. Out of everything, his loss had hit her the hardest, even if her revenge had been tied to all of them. Her team, her friends and Epsilon.

Who was still missing, come to think of it, not that she minded if he was gone for a few more moments. She managed a slight nod though before taking a slow shuddering breath.]

I'm not sure I'll be able to let you out of my sight for a while. I...there's a lot we still need to talk to about but we can do that when we get to Armonia.

You know this place? [ He glances around for a moment. ] If you feel like we need to wait, we can wait.

Yeah, there's lot to cover from the time you and Tex went after Wyoming till now. For the moment, though. we're on a planet named Chorus and it's currently in the middle of war. Armonia's the capital city and where the actual inhabitants of the planet are.

What's left of them. Also the guys we're fighting use cloaking equipment so we should probably move. [As much as she wanted to stay put and explain everything, getting him to a safe place was her first priority.

Then they'd talk.]

[ He releases her hand so she can replace her helmet. ]

Oh...you know about that?

[ Weird, he didn't think there would be anyone to tell if the portals caused him to time travel. Unless— ]

Wait, did Tex tell you about it?

No. I heard through other sources. Tex was already gone by the time I'd picked up on it. [And North and South too.]

Well, that version of her, anyway.

[ He gives a one-shouldered shrug, gesturing at her with his hand. ]

Sounds like you're going to tell me we've been sucked into some kid of multiverse thing. Like in a sci-fi movie or something.

[That actually gets a laugh before she shakes her head.]

She was an AI, York. The first one Alpha purged, the only one he purged without the Director's interference. So she came back a few times, >or so I've been told.

[There's a moment where she's hesitating before she just comes out with it.]

It's been a few years since you teamed up with her to take down Wyoming. A lot's happened.

Yeah, of course she was. She was Allison. The one all the AIs were screaming about that day.

[ Well...she was an Allison, anyway. He knows it's a bit more complicated than that.

In any case, they're not supposed to be standing here gabbing according to what she'd said earlier, so he turns and comes alongside her. ]

Where are we headed?

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Day 1 | Carolina | S13 in the alien temple

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