Surpassing Expectations
... I've been falling through the sky for what feels like at least 8 hours now. So now is a good time as any, seeing how we aren't being monitored. We need to work together if we don't want to simply be a plaything for these deities, and especially to survive this "Flipside." So... wanna start talking? Segato waited, but there is no response back. No response back, my ass. You just said there is no response just now, but that is a response. In other words, you are ignoring me. Either that, or there are 2 separate entities that make up the narration.
[You're getting warmer on the subject, silly little Evelnoke.] It doesn't help that I am limited to narration most of the time, does it.
So you can do it, but not for long? Segato's energy was too limited for the narrator to intervene directly in the story. The limits do not seem to apply to his mind and soul.
That's actually useful information! Now then... to figure out when and how to land comfortably...
"Waaah!"
"Congratulations! It's a beautiful baby boy!" The nurse exclaimed while passing the newborn over to its mother. A loud CRASH noise could then be heard.
"What the hell was that?" A nearby brown haired boy grumbled out. He pulled out his two pistols, unintentionally scaring the nurse and the newborn's mother even further. "Both of you wait here. I will not let the prophecy be fulfilled." The boy yanked his grey hood over his hair and scuttled out the window. It didn't take him very long to find the source of the noise, due to the large impact in the ground. In the center of this was a man-- or perhaps boy, he couldn't tell the age-- with spiky, magenta colored hair. His eyes appear to possess glowing yellow crosses instead of pupil, and the rest of the eyes are a mesmerizing orange. He looks very lanky and malnourished. The last (and most troublesome) thing that the boy observes is that person seemingly arguing with somebody, but nobody was in sight.
"So I definitely think you could have given me a heads up on the entire thing. Dropping me out of the sky is a bit uncalled for! Granted you didn't do it, but you knew it was going to happen!"
The narration only covered the events as they were happening. To find a different form of communication became essential for Segato.
[In summary, get stronger, and I can do more for you, weakling.]
"You arrogant muther--" Segato paused once sensing a presence nearby and turns in its direction.
[Ahem. Although the boy had two handguns readied, he is too terrified to move towards this person and instead hides behind a trashcan. He is certain just now that the being in front of him sensed him, and that prickly feeling gave him a familiar fear like that of the powerful monsters that killed his parents. How could a human have this pressure? Then again, it wasn't as if the eyes and hair color of this creature were similar to anything of this world. So long as he stays hidden, he can think of a plan to help the rest of the hospital escape...] I quote in text for Segato to see.
"If I just read correctly, there is something irregular about my appearance and presence?" Segato asks aloud.
[It is unclear who he is talking to.]
"You really are a douche," he muttered under his breath. "Kid, come on out, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything." The grey-hooded child slowly came out, barely holding his pistols due to him shaking in place earlier. "I'm Segato Evelnoke... and I think I'm lost. Is this Flipside?" The boy vigorously nodded his head in fear of losing it. "I'm not a monster, kid. What the hell did you encounter to react this way to me?"
"Beings... human but not. Human monsters..." The boy looked ready to burst into tears, as he told Segato of his past, and how he came to this hospital to help.
"So in summary, it sounds like other beings were dropped into this universe, and they begun to wreak havoc rather than respect the natives?" Segato asked the boy.
"Yes... they were too strong for even our military forces to even scratch them. It didn't take long before every region was conquered by those human monsters. I can now sense that you are different from them after talking to you."
"Well yeah. I came from an ordinary universe, although I definitely wasn't as good looking as I am now." Segato chuckled while he looked at his reflection in a nearby puddle. The boy frowned. "What, something wrong?"
"Your body looks very drained, even if your face looks like it was crafted by deities. I'll take you somewhere safe where you can eat. My name is Ezrah Enkay, by the way," the boy said, now that he was feeling more comfortable around Segato.
"I'm Segato Evelnoke. Honestly, it is starting to come off as if most of the deities genuinely want me to die."
"We don't believe in deities here outside one, which is the Deity of Abnormalities."
"Ah! Hooligan, right?" Segato grinned at the thought of Hooligan being worshipped. He was always wondering what such a world would be like. He initially pictured this as a bunch of different beings doing a flash mob dance.
"Uh... If we are talking about the same being, he goes by a different name here," Ezrah sweatdropped as he slapped his forehead at the ridiculous imagery. "We call him Faelength."
That is massively different from what I expected, Segato thought to himself.
"Follow me, I'll guide you to the best restaurant in the entire town," Ezrah eagerly proclaimed. As they walked through the town, Segato couldn't help but absorb in the desolate wasteland before him. Plenty of people were wounded, and only a small handful (primarily of the younger generation) were carefully carrying resources from one building to the next. The community seemed to be very closely bound to one another in responsibility. The negativity that oozed throughout the land left a bitter taste in Segato's mouth. For somebody to do this to another's homeland ticked him off. Unfortunately, as things currently were, he couldn't do much for these people. This caused Segato to briefly frown, and that didn't go unnoticed by Ezrah. "You don't have to feel guilty. It isn't like you caused this, and we've regrettably been in this state for years."
"A good child like you shouldn't have to grow up in a warzone, though." Ezrah narrowed his eyes at the mention of the word "child."
He replied back through gritted teeth, "I'm actually twenty-three years old. I am just older than I look."
"Oops. My apologies for the offense," Segato hurriedly squeaked out.
"A lot of us 'natives' in this universe are on the shorter side, so try to not mistake children for adults with your assumptions," Ezrah spits out.
If it's like this, how the hell do they evade pedophilia scenarios?
[You are quite rude with your imagination. Let's hope your little tour guide doesn't notice the stiff expression you just made on your face.]
Come to think of it, I've been more emotional since I've gotten here...
"We are at the location I was speaking of earlier to you about," Ezrah snapped while looking away from Segato.
He totally saw my expression and read my thoughts from it, didn't he?
[The real reason why Ezrah looked in the other direction is related to a person inside the diner in front of them, but how could Segato know?]
Okay, okay, don't rub it in.
The two entered the diner and sat down at a booth to their left.
"It's very busy here at these hours, so we have time to talk some more while we wait. I answered a lot of your questions earlier. Hopefully you can answer two more of mine. The first is that I'm wondering what you will choose to do, now that you know the truth."
"I'll kill them. Your human monsters." The entire diner seemed to halt for a brief moment.
"You shouldn't casually say such a thing. They are stronger than anything you've ever encountered," Ezrah lazily groaned. As if that was the signal, the hustle and bustle slowly resumed in the diner. He added, "especially out loud. There are some people suspected to be snitches for them in the vicinity." Segato smirked, worrying Ezrah even further.
"Yeah, I'll need to get stronger first, but then I'll rip their heads off."
"That's not what I meant..." Before Ezrah could explain, a brunette ponytail was whipped in the air right in front of their faces. Segato's chaotic orange eyes shifted their gaze off of the dead black eyes of Ezrah, and now scrutinized the narrow eye slits of the woman before him.
"Hello, I am Dinah, your waitress for today. What do you fine looking gentlemen want to order?" She inquires, ignoring the hostility projected towards her.
"Infinite hotcakes for him and I'll take my usual," Ezrah quickly intervened after he got the hint.
"Coming up fast!" Dinah excitedly chirped before bolting to the kitchen area. Segato slowly started to relax upon seeing her leave.
"So I did notice that there is lots of food for a place being torn apart by outsiders. How is that possible?" Segato inquires.
"It's replication and hyperspace 3d printing technology. It's common around here," Ezrah casually replies.
"So how does it work, then?"
"I can't tell you because I didn't invent it."
"Do you expect me to believe something way more advanced and unrealistic than what this universe's era feels like is invented by somebody native to here?" Segato's face deadpanned. Ezrah nods with his eyes closed.
"You guys never thought of using the technology for anything else?"
"Nope. Not once."
"What about the Outsiders?"
"They aren't from here, so they can't use it. It's locked by dimensional aura and DNA. Not that I understand how the former works."
At this point, Segato was holding his head in agony. Nobody questioned the inner workings of this universe, and this didn't make sense to him in the slightest. It still benefited him to realize that logic and common sense from one universe doesn't seem to apply to all universes.
... That's actually a valid point, "narrator.' I guess how it is used and that it can be used is way more important than how it works.
"Hmmm. You suddenly got more calm and quiet out of nowhere," Ezrah notices.
"I decided that you are right. No need to overthink things." For now, anyhow. I have a feeling that some of the attacks by Outsiders could be related to this.