dappledleaves | THE WORLD: PSL LIFE

[ There's something wrong. Sinclair doesn't know what it is, but everyone seems to know something he doesn't. It leaves him unsettled, unsure. He can barely keep up with the business talk, Faust leading the discussions with her usual calm mien while Sinclair offers up translations here and there for Dante]

'... that's not acceptable. Limbus Company can't accept such terms.'

[His brow furrows. Since when was Dante this aggressive in anything?

And Kayser Corp, with Samjo leading his team...]

[ They're really at odds with one another. Perhaps the Severines and Limbus Company couldn't really connect much at all. Despite that, Oria had an inkling, since he's been the one dealing with them personally. He just didn't think they would be this aggressive about lowering the ethical standard right in front of his dad. It's not like his father is on the moral high horse either, but he tries and is actually successful.

"It seems Limbus Company and I can't come to an agreement. You both have the ideas, but can you realize them?"

He talks civilly, courteously, and calmly.

"What do you think, Mr. Samjo?"

While it's true that the funding is important, the group could just refuse to give it and turn around to aid Kayser Corp's rivals instead. And they can't have that.

The tension thickens. ]

[ "I think that, should we can't come to an agreement, a different benefactor may be in order."

There's a flurry of signs and movement from the other side of the room and Sinclair turns white.

What...?]

Dante...Ms. Faust...what are you saying?

[ Go with the next plan, where]

No, we can't...

[ And behind them, more Kayser bodyguards file in]

[ He doesn't like these bodyguards coming in. Where are theirs? He jams the emergency button in his pocket, but they don't come. Why?

There's no time. He grabs his father's hand and books it for the other exit where the bodyguards aren't coming out of. This isn't good. His father is here and he himself is here, and they're both being targeted. Oria's thoughts are running a million per second. He and his father are eventually separated when they split up after meeting some of their own bodyguards. They were being blocked by Kayser Corp's because of course they were.

Oria considers jumping out the window, but he'll only consider it as a last ditch effort to escape. In the meantime, he is running. ]

[ There's chaos, screaming and shouting. Sinclair doesn't understand. He stands there frozen, as the whispers reach him.

"Severine will stand in their way."

"Eliminate all witnesses".

"Limbus Co. will support Kayser in..."

No. Nonononono. Not him. Not Oria. He presses a hand to his mouth to muffle a scream and there's a hand in his hair that chills him.

"It's for the best Sinclair. They're not the good guys either."

It didn't matter. None of that mattered. He twists, sees a dead bodyguard on the floor and grabs his gun.

"Sinclair?"

Then he runs.]

[ As Sinclair runs, he'll see a dead bodyguard occasionally like a bread crumb trail. The cause of death for all of them is a single clean shot to their heads. The trail doesn't last long, but it's enough for Sinclair to find Oria.

There is a Kayser Corp employee strangling him against the wall and every breath he tries to take really hurts. He's been trying to struggle, but to no avail. ]

--Oria!

[Ah.

It seems so simple now.

Why was he scared of doing this before?

That man was hurting Oria. And so

A still target like this was easy.

There's a loud bang. And the bodyguard pinning Oria by the throat slumps, dropping him. Sinclair stares vacantly when the body hits the ground, his gaze fixed the brain matter and blood splattered on the ground.

Oh. Even now. This is his first time... His hands shake hard enough as everything catches up to him.. ]

[ Oria coughs after he's let go and he immediately goes to where Sinclair is. He can see him shaking and tries to focus his attention on him. ]

Emil, snap out of it. Not now. You'll get hurt.

[ Even if Sinclair is from the company that opposed his side, Sinclair will always be the exception that he can trust. Merely breathing is painful, but he lightly taps Sinclair's cheek. Don't look at the corpse. ]

[Sinclair is drawn back to reality when Oria touches his cheek. Oria shouldn't even be looking at him like that, not after what his company had just done. He blinks, staring at the red marks around Oria's neck and his hands still. Focus. Focus]

...I...I'm okay. That man, he had a keycard--I think it had a higher security clearance than the others.

[It's fine. He has searched corpses before. He sets the gun down as he rolls the corpse over. It's fine. It's fine.]

You need to get out of here no matter what.

... Right.

[ Oria goes to loot the corpse for a key card and easily gets it from one of the pockets. No hesitation. Life or death situations have him tossing all hesitation out the window, but moreover, Sinclair shouldn't have to do this again. ]

I got it. Are you running away with me?

[ Or will he go back to the company? This isn't an ultimatum, but it definitely seems like it. Oria has always respected Sinclair's choices, and he's not about to stop now. ]

[His choice was made, when everyone had lost their minds in that meeting room, he thinks. Or maybe long before that too. He lets Oria take the lead in looting the corpse, glad, for a moment, he doesn't have to do it again. ]

...I'm staying by your side. No matter what.

[But there's no illusion what the others will see a betrayal like that to be. Approaching footsteps catch his attention and he tenses, gun at the ready]

[ Keycard and extra gun get. His own ran out of bullets a while ago.

Without a word but with a smile, Oria grabs Sinclair's hand and makes a break for it. He thinks he saw the emergency exit over this way when he was being led to the meeting room. He seems pretty decisive about this. ]

I guess they didn't tell you about this part, huh?

[ About the possibility of turning against the Severines. ]

No. [Sinclair frowns, trying to go through every conversation they had. Their dealings with Kayser Corp had been seemingly brought on by a whim to begin with; an offer for high grade equipment they desperately needed because--] I don't understand - it's not like them either. [a pause, uncertain as they make it to the emergency exit. He doubts they'll be able to go down directly all the way, but they can at least make it down a few levels]

It shouldn't have been like this at all.

[But maybe that was his naivety talking; a price other people were willing to accept that he couldn't fathom]

I wonder if someone got to them when you weren't looking. After all, you're closely tied with us now.

[ To the point that Sinclair's "betrayal" shouldn't be a surprise either.

The second floor's exit is blocked off by guards, but Oria effortlessly shoots them all on the head or neck, which makes his gun run out of bullets again. He clicks his tongue as he puts it away. One more bluff for the road.

But the one who guards the first floor... looks strange. ]

I wasn't looking for two months. [He murmurs, watching as the guards fall to th ground. But the next one...He moves a little closer to Oria and passes him the gun he had stolen earlier. It's clear who can handle it better between the two of them

And he still has his baton]

...that man...what's he wearing?

[Or rather, what was under his skin...? Just behind his neck, there was a strange lump...]

Edited 2023-12-20 12:24 (UTC)

[ Oria just thinks the lump is a strange tumor, and doesn't hesitate to try and shoot the man's head as he did before. It certainly is strange, but he doesn't have time to think about it right now.

Out of the way!! ]

[Before the bullet can hit, the guard looks up at them. But the guard doesn't even so much as stagger, something flashes, melting the bullet through.

"Code 5. Activating..."]

...ah. This is...

[Green goo oozes out of the lump, splattering to the ground, coating the guard with a strange, viscous liquid. The man groans,]

...that's not--that's one of their suits. Kayser Corp's...they managed to use it after all.

What...?

[ It's like a scene right out of a horror movie. Either way, the thing has protection against bullets and Oria tries to think if it's worth trying to get past this entity or to retreat to the second floor.

But it doesn't matter, because the guards catch up from the above floors. They're surrounded. The attackers are shooting to kill, so Oria has no hesitation in shooting his gun to kill actual humans.

Is this really where it ends? There doesn't seem to an end to these guards either. ]

[They were prepared for this. Sinclair swallows as he takes out his baton, waiting for a moment]

...Oria, the exit is there. All you need to do is run for it. Okay?

[His hands shake a little, before they grip a little tighter. It's that lump at the back of the guard's neck. He knows how it goes.

And without another word, he charges down the last few steps, smacking his baton into the sloshing mess's head as hard as he can. Goo splatters across his skin, burning him and he cries out. But it's enough. The guard seems focused on him now]

Now! While I've got him distracted--

[ Oria would have no qualms in ditching someone to save his own skin. Normally, he would leave them behind without a second thought.

But this is Sinclair. He's different. ]

No! You're coming with me!

[ Oria is absolutely vehement about this. He wouldn't throw away his life for anything, so that's why his intent is never that when he goes to try and grab Sinclair. They're going to make it out. Both of them. They're going to— ]

I can't. You need to--Oria--run!

[It's a slither of movement. Green vicious mucous-like substance, bubbling away at concrete, bending metal. It's not something Sinclair would have noticed normally. But he does. So he does the only thing he can do. He shoves Oria as hard as he can, as a pillar comes crashing down, sending up debris and dust.

By the time it clears, Sinclair is laying underneath the debris. Acid has burned away at arms and back, leaving it raw and bloody. And a rebar pins him in place, skewering him right through]

[ Oria should have left before the smoke cleared, but his feet wouldn't move. Logically, he should have. Sinclair was trying to save him in exchange for his life. So it should be reasonable for him to run, right? So that his sacrifice isn't wasted.

Sinclair... he's...

...

He grits his teeth. Oria should have been prepared, but this feels like such a freak incident that it shouldn't have counted. ]

Emil...

[ Is he just cursed to never have a long term relationship? There's no chance for Sinclair to return from that. But he at least wants to be by his side as he dies.

But he's not even allowed that much. Backup finally comes for Oria, storming the first floor. SWAT is even here. There's bound to be more casualties, but they start dragging Oria away. ]

Save him too! Emil! Emil—

[ He screams. ]

[ It hurts. It hurts so much. But a numbness spreads soon after, as a chill sinks into his body. He hears Oria's voice, screaming his name. But he can't lift his heavy limbs or say anything reassuring.

He's sorry. He's sorry. He's sorry.

But he can't move or speak. This isn't Fragment. This isn't a game. There are no last words or actions.

And then Oria is gone, leaving him in the dark while that thing slithered behind him. He had been careful for so long. But now--

There's nothing he can do but give up]

THE WORLD: PSL LIFE

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