News Report: Week 1

[triggerhappytraitor]

The evening news report is hard to miss, with the giant TV screens on some of the larger buildings displaying the report so that even those without a TV or phone to watch on can stay informed. Anyone walking, stuck in traffic or taking the train will likely see the broadcast at least once, if not twice as they head home for the day.

"In tonight's top stories, the trend of bad luck in the mining sector continues as there was yet another explosion in the Quarry. Witnesses reported seeing men covered in black and white spandex wearing masks and ran for cover. Multiple explosions shook the area, but there were no reported casualties, and only minor injuries.

Officials are advising motorists to avoid central downtown and to take public transportation when at all possible as an excess amount of cars on the roads caused yet another major traffic jam. This was compounded by a scuffle between police and an unidentified man that witnesses claim was shooting acid from his hands. Other witnesses claim it was not a man, but a monster, but official police report state it was most likely someone in a costume.

In other news, Specialty Reconstruction Services Group reports that the damage caused by what was most likely a gas explosion on a filming studio lot has been mostly repaired. Overnight work will be required to finish the job, however, and residents in the area are advised to wear earplugs and blindfolds to avoid interrupted sleep.

Cafe owners are putting out a plea to local residents to place be careful when passing by their establishments. Multiple reports of plastic patio furniture being destroyed by what some have called overzealous neighborhood watch efforts have lead to some cafes giving up on outdoor serving all together.'


While the news broadcast may seem rather innocuous, there is one decidedly odd feature. In the upper right hand corner, the placard that shows the time and date seems... strange. The date itself is oddly unreadable, despite looking like it should be able to be read easily. In fact, most people seem to be able to read it just fine, but when they say it aloud, it simply can't be heard. Or at least, not by anyone who can't see the text on the screen....

Meanwhile, back at the Quarry, it would seem that the mooks who'd caused the day's explosion have returned, undeterred to finish the next stage in their big plan. What that plan is is anyone's guess, but whatever it is, it's not likely going to be good. In either definition of the word.

Comments

[kenzaki]

"After what?" Kenzaki asks.

Tachibana's not moving, and Kenzaki's concern begins to grow. He hustles him out of people's way, over to the side of a tree. He needs to go help those people, but he also needs to deal with whatever this is. He can take another minute. Perhaps two. He hasn't exactly always agreed with Tachibana, but the man is his senpai and his friend.

"Talk to me," he says firmly. "Tell me. What's happening? What do you need?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

Tachibana pressed his lips together. Hell of a question to ask of him, that.

"...to know if this is a dream or if I've finally lost my damned mind," he finally answered, not looking directly at Kenzaki.

[kenzaki]

“I’m pretty sure it’s real,” Kenzaki says encouragingly, and okay, he’s not always the smartest person on the planet but sometimes he asks reasonably smart questions.

“You, uh, you didn’t have grey hair when I saw you yesterday. Is that connected with why you’re not feeling so great?”

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Yest--" Tachibana can't even finish the word as he just--stares.

"The hell are you-- It's been 10 years since I saw you last...!"

[kenzaki]

“It has not,” Kenzaki says immediately, because that makes exactly no sense. “I saw you yesterday! Where the hell have I been for ten years?”

Except. His brain starts to tug at his mouth worriedly because his mouth is the one not making sense right now. Tachibana is visibly older.

[triggerhappytraitor]

"How the hell would I know?!" Tachibana's voice, as always, very much betrayed the emotion he was trying very hard and failing just as hard to keep hidden. "You left without even saying anything!"

The scant time between his return from nearly drowning and Kenzaki going off to end Joker's Victory had been far too short. Painfully short.

[kenzaki]

“Without saying anything?” Kenzaki repeats, dismayed but beginning to believe it. This isn’t okay. This is so far from okay. But it looks like he does what he’s intending to do, to save Hajime, and in doing so upsets the hell out of Tachibana.

“I’m sorry,” he says softly. “I haven’t done it yet. Whatever it is.”

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Like hell you haven't, you--" Tachibana broke off, realization finally hitting. That his phone hadn't been showing the year....

"...You... you haven't--"

The reason Kenzaki looked the same wasn't because of him being Undead, but--

He reached out to grip Kenzaki's shoulders. "...What year is it. You said you saw me yesterday, what--" His voice faltered. Had... had he somehow traveled back in time? It didn't make sense. None of this made any sense! But if somehow he had....

[kenzaki]

Hell.

How is any of this okay? He’s resolved to it, if it’s what he has to do. Saving the world isn’t that hard a choice. But if he hurts Tachibana this much just by leaving?

He’s not used to having friends.

Tachibana grips him firmly, and Kenzaki wonders for a moment if it’s to stop him from running. “Two thousand and four.”

[triggerhappytraitor]

...That was the date he had been expecting to hear, but it still hit like a blow. His grip tightened a moment before he slowly nodded.

"When I left the office this afternoon, it was 2015," he explained. "Ten years since..." he took a long, slow, deep breath. "Since you stopped Joker's Victory... by creating a second Joker."

[kenzaki]

“That’s a long time,” Kenzaki says faintly. It would’ve been nice to know they’d found another solution after, oh, a week or two. Not that he’d really expected anything different. “No wonder you’re pissed at me.”

[triggerhappytraitor]

After such a serious, intense moment, Kenzaki's response...

Brings a faint smile to Tachibana's face, despite himself.

"Feels like it's been ten times longer than that," he admits, finally easing his grip on Kenzaki's shoulders. "I don't know which of us has somehow wound up in the other's time... but..." he hesitated a moment before looking up again.

"We need to find another way. I've-- been researching how to reverse the process," there was a bit of an awkward note to the admittance as he looked down for just a moment. "Trying to find a way that both Jokers can be granted the human life they deserve... But if we can find a way that this doesn't have to happen...!"

[kenzaki]

It’s good to see that hint of a smile. Really good.

“Maybe it’s more complicated than that,” Kenzaki says, beginning to worry further. Things were complicated enough already. “Some of what was on the news didn’t exactly sound like Undead.”

.......has he been working on this for ten years?

“That’s really good of you. I hope you’ve found time to enjoy life as well?”

He’s not sure they can find another way, and right now he doesn’t want to hurt Tachibana even more by talking about it.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Right. Right, the news. What--

"What did it say? My phone wasn't working right, so I didn't notice."

He's. Not. Gonna address that last question. There'll just be that... distant look for a moment before he forces himself to refocus on the present.

..Whatever time period the present actually was.

[kenzaki]

"Men in black and white in the quarry. Some kind of monster in the city, but it didn't sound like an Undead."

He has no idea what to make of the reports about the plastic furniture. Is it really that much of an epidemic that it was worth reporting? Has it happened that often?!

...no. He hasn't, has he. He hasn't done a damn thing for himself.

[triggerhappytraitor]

"The Searcher hasn't gone off," Tachibana confirmed with a faint frown, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. Even if the date was wrong, the updated Searcher App would still be functioning, he was sure...

[kenzaki]

"We'd better move anyway," Kenzaki said encouragingly. After this was all over, then he could pester the hell out of Tachibana ask Tachibana further questions. "You still have your Buckle, right?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Yeah," Tachibana nodded, reaching into his pocket to where it rested. "...Just in case," he added with a faint, tired smile. "We'll see how good this old man still is, when it comes to fighting," he quipped dryly.

[kenzaki]

"You're not that old," Kenzaki protested. "You can't have more than thirty years on me!"

Then a grin, because he was being a shit and he knew it.

"Let's go!"

He broke into a run.

[triggerhappytraitor]

There was a very faint huff at that return dig, but any response was cut off as Kenzaki started running. Instinct kicked in, and before he even had given it any thought, he was running after.

He's at least mostly able to keep pace like he used to, but he's feeling that last 10 years never really running outside of a treadmill. A treadmill didn't have hills. Or stairs. Or obstacles to jump over. It was a steady, even pace that he controlled while his mind wandered. Nothing at all like this.

But he wouldn't be him if he didn't push past that and didn't do his damndest to keep up.

[kenzaki]

Kenzaki's not going at full speed, but Tachibana catches up with him easily enough, and that's good. He gives the other man a genuinely concerned glance now and then. It's not that he's completely at ease with him in every single way in his own time; how can he be, when Tachibana doesn't entirely trust Hajime? But he likes him, and he knows he's decent.

There's a group of men in black and white in the quarry. Very retro outfits.

[triggerhappytraitor]

He's fine, he's fine, just. A little out of breath as they finally arrive and making multiple mental notes to switch his exercise routine to something abit more robust...

He pauses, blinking. "...The hell?"

Definitely not Undead. ... very likely just. Humans. In weird costumes. ... acting a lot like how the clone stamp army of Darkroaches had.

...he does not have a good feeling about this.

[kenzaki]

Can they even fight humans if they're not currently menacing other humans?!

"They're building something," Kenzaki says, pointing. "I think."

He's lost. This is not exactly inside the realm of 'things Kenzaki has any fucking idea how to deal with'.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Yeah, Tachibana similarly is at a loss. This was not a rampaging Undead. This was not a boasting Royal Undead. This was... Confusing.

"...Should we call the police?" he hazarded.

[kenzaki]

“I’ll find my ph-“

A bigger figure strides out in the middle of all the grunts. Wearing an elaborate headdress in blue and gold. “So called Heroes of Justice!” he bellows.