Chapter 22
A/N: Heyo! I'm back with a new chapter! For this one, the Doom Slayer has arrived at the Edge of Tomorrow, and you wouldn't want to see him when he's pushed to the edge...haha...get it? Anyway, please enjoy! Remember that I own nothing!
...
William Cage leapt over a sand dune at a speed that was impossible for any human to achieve, his Jacket enhancing his physicality to superhuman levels. The powered exoskeleton provided much more than additional protection in combat, and for that, Cage was extremely thankful. Any human that thought it could take on a Mimic without a Jacket was kidding themselves.
Ahead, Cage saw a wild disturbance in the sand, something getting ready to burst from beneath the surface.
Speaking of Mimics…
With an otherworldly shriek, the alien broke through the surface, already moving at speeds nearly too quick to follow. Fortunately for Cage, he had spent countless days-or rather, the amount of time equivalent to that-training to fight against them. He also had the luxury of surprise, as the Mimic had not known that he was there. In contrast, Cage had memorized that Mimic's location almost a lifetime ago.
Using the superior athleticism awarded by his Jacket once more, Cage jumped high into the air, using the momentum awarded to him upon landing to crush the creature with his armored fist. The Mimic died immediately, its corpse shriveling up and hardening in an almost concreate-like nature. Its tentacles all shivered wildly and pointed to the dark grey sky as it died, a sight not dissimilar to most insects when they were found dead on the windowsill.
Despite the relative expediency of the kill, Cage took no time to revel in his achievement. Knowing his luck, he'd have to kill that exact same Mimic indefinitely, or at least until he completed his mission. Right now, that mission was to get the hell off this godforsaken beach.
Turning his head, Cage saw Rita Vrataski, the "Angel of Verdun", set upon another Mimic with similar success, swinging her short sword expertly to fend off any piercing attacks the Mimic threw at her. The creature's movement seemed unpredictable to the naked eye, but to one who had witnessed them in action countless times, there were subtle 'tells' that gave away a Mimic's next move before they made it, similar to how a boxer could see a quick jab coming before their opponent even began the motion. Ducking under one of the creature's thrusting tentacles, Rita swung her sword in a wide arc, cleaving the Mimic in two. The weapon itself was overtly large and was much heavier than any standard sword. It had been made from an aircraft wing, though Cage had not bothered to ask the details of its creation to her. It should have been unwieldy given its size and weight, but Rita wielded it with no trouble, a perk awarded to her by the Jacket that she was also adorned in.
All around them, humans fought and died wearing the exact same suits, not having the countless hours of training and experience that Cage and Rita did. Cage pushed them from his mind, knowing that they would continue to live and die over and over again just as he did, his curse making sure of that every time. How many times had he reset now? Hundreds? Thousands, maybe?
Cage turned away from his thoughts and waited a beat, remembering that the next Mimic always had a delayed entry by a few seconds. Rita turned as well and engaged another hostile, keeping to the choreography that the two of them had practiced over and over the day before. Cage paused for a moment more, then raised his right arm, aiming the mounted assault rifle at a spot in the sand as it began to move. Squeezing the trigger, the rifle kicked and spewed a barrage of bullets into the sand, the Mimic yowling in surprise as it began to take damage before completely surfacing. The wounded alien desperately attempting to claw its way out, but Cage kept the weapon trained on it, continuing to pump rounds into the writhing creature. After a few prolonged seconds, the Mimic died, as Cage had already seen it do a million times. Whirling around once more, Cage burst into a sprint and tackled another Mimic as it made for an unaware soldier in a Jacket.
Driving with the weight of the suit, Cage landed hard on top of the creature and pounded on it with his armored fists, silencing its piercing shrills. In a flash, Rita was at his side, her breathing labored as her body struggled to keep up with the exertion of battle. Cage understood; he was breathing hard too. The Jacket was perfect for enhancing the user's strength, but it still required effort to operate. Unfortunately for Cage, he was not able to build up stamina over the course of his resets, giving him the exact same poor physicality he'd possessed as an officer each time he went into battle.
"What's next?" Rita asked through labored gasps, her eyes darting urgently over to him. Cage took a moment to catch his breath, then gestured tiredly to the ground as it rose upward in an incline before them, remembering what came next in the repeated sequence of this battle.
"There's a Mimic buried up the hill," he said. "But it doesn't surface until we get close. You flank left, while I draw its fire with…"
Cage abruptly cut off, frowning as he saw something appear in the sky. It was a massive fireball, and it was heading straight for the hill in front of them.
"Cage?" Rita asked, shaking his shoulder as the sounds of war continued around them. "What is it?"
Cage stared, his eyes fixated on the fireball as it came closer.
"That…that shouldn't be there…"
Rita frowned and followed his gaze, her eyes squinting in confusion as the fireball seemed to be increasing its speed. In front of them on the hill, the sand began to shift, the Mimic finally making its appearance with a bloodthirsty shriek.
As it broke through, the fireball crashed directly into it, lifting both Cage and Rita off their feet as sand exploded from the impact point. Cage shielded his eyes with his arm as sand rained down around him, and he stared incredulously at the crash site when his vision cleared.
The hill had been completely leveled, the force of the meteor blasting away anything nearby and now rendering it into a massive crater. Looking down into the crevice, Cage frowned as a figure wreathed in smoke stood up, its silhouette bulky and jagged, but unmistakably human-like.
"I don't understand…" Cage mumbled to himself as the smoke cleared. "This hasn't happened before…"
The smoke dissipated, and Cage's confusion worsened as he made out details of the figure for the first time. Its humanoid stature was covered completely by a suit of dark green armor, and though it looked manmade, it did not match any combat gear that Cage recognized. The figure was appeared unarmed, and it looked about its surroundings with an air of slight disorientation.
"Cage!" Rita yelled, looking down into the crater beside him. "What is that? Why didn't you tell me about this?!"
"It's never happened before," Cage said, shaking his head in disbelief. He had repeated this sequence hundreds of times, and never before had this happened. The humanoid had never appeared to him before, not even in his visions.
Cage heard a commotion from the far edge of the crater, and he saw a large pack of Mimics gathering at the edge. The figure heard them as well and turned its visor in their direction. With an enraged shriek, the Mimics charged down into the crater with murderous intent, the figure being their only target.
Abruptly, the figure was in motion, producing a weapon that Cage did not recognize and dashing to meet its numerous foes. Glancing closer at the weapon, Cage saw that it vaguely resembled an assault rifle of some kind, the main difference being that there appeared to be a chainsaw in place of a standard bayonet. Cage saw Rita frown out of the corner of his eye.
The figure raised the weapon to its shoulder and fired as it ran, gaining speed even faster than one could in a Jacket. Was its strange suit some sort of variant that had just been released? Cage didn't see any similarities between the armor the figure wore and the standard issue Jackets adorned by Rita and himself.
Turning his attention back to the weapon the stranger carried, Cage saw that it was obviously of a high caliber, as entire chunks of Mimics came off when the figure fired upon them. The aliens in the front of the charge received the worst of it, stumbling and dying quickly. The others behind paid them no attention and trampled over their bodies in an effort to tear at the figure.
Shifting the weight of the weapon, the figure wrenched at a lever Cage couldn't see, and the chainsaw bayonet roared to life. As the first Mimics reached the figure, it swung the weapon and powerfully cleaved two of them apart. They both died immediately, and the figure drove forward again with the weapon, setting upon the other creatures with a vigor that quickly evolved into fury. And yet, as Cage looked on dumfounded, it seemed like the figure was tearing through the Mimic horde with barely any effort. One Mimic made it past the chainsaw bayonet's range, and as it thrusted outward with one of its tentacles, the figure instantly intercepted the piercing stab with a hand, grabbing the limb firmly and wrenching the Mimic towards him. The alien was obviously not strong enough to struggle, and it yowled as the figure pulled it from the ground and swung it like a large sack of nickels. The other Mimics clamored in response, and the figure swung their airborne comrade into them with enough force to knock them away while crushing several others.
The chainsaw instantaneously came back up as the figure let go of the Mimic, and the remaining creatures where quickly shredded into halves or thirds, the figure finishing off any that refused to die with an armored boot to their skulls. After a quick scan of the area, the figure turned and noticed Cage and Rita for the first time, the two of them crouching on the other edge of the crater and looking in. The figure then completely turned towards them and began walking in their direction, focusing its gaze on Cage with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.
"Wha-?"
Cage's question died in his throat as a Mimic ordinance arced through the air and pierced his neck, killing him instantly.
…
Cage startled awake, his hands once again in the cuffs that were a constant reminderof his reset. After the first ten times, he had gotten used to them being there when he woke up, but he didn't think he'd ever learn to enjoy them.
Sitting up, Cage's thoughts returned to what had happened before he reset. Just where had that figure come from? He had reset so many times, and never before had he encountered it. Was it a mimic? No, it had killed the Mimics…
Sitting up, Cage absently gazed out across the mass of soldiers that would die tomorrow again. The familiarity of the former Heathrow Airport comforting him, as his mind was still muddled by thoughts of that strange figure…
It was staring at him.
Cage's eyes snapped open at the sight, his body involuntarily flinching backward at the sight of the figure standing a few feet away. Its armor was clean, any trace of Mimic gone from its dark green surface. The chainsaw gun was gone too. Cage shook his head in disbelief. That thing had followed him through the reset somehow…
His mind racing, Cage was on his feet in a second, rushing toward the figure.
"Listen to me!" he said imploringly. He was only a bit shorter than the figure, and the visor tilted down to look at him as he came close. "I don't know who or what you are, but you can help me!"
The figure said nothing, still fixing its gaze intently on Cage.
"Find Rita Vrataski!" he Cage said. "Tell her about what just happened, how we've just reset! I'll meet you later, you can help me…!"
"Fall in line before I bust your hole with my boot heel, maggot!"
Cage hustled to comply with the Sergeant's command, already in a hurry to get these first parts over with. He spared a final glance at the figure, then turned to meet Master Sergeant Farell as he approached.
…
The attitude in the rifle range was a somber one. Everyone present knew that the war against the Mimics was not going well. If one was to look to their left and their right, they would see the faces of men and women that would likely not be alive in twenty-four hours, themselves included.
The attitude suddenly shifted however as an unknown figure stomped onto the range, its visor looking at each person in turn before moving on. The figure was armored, but in a strange suit that looked nothing like the Jackets that most others on deck wore. A couple arrogant souls frowned and taunted the figure as it scanned over them, but it paid them no mind, seemingly on a mission to find someone specific.
Moving quickly, the figure gazed downrange, seemingly noticing the metallic arms extending down from the ceiling. The arms were programmed to emulate the movement patterns of Mimics, and a claw-like attachment at their ends spun freely in a Mimic-like fashion to add a visual aspect. For most soldiers, target practice involved standing behind the firing line with their Jacket and learning to predict the moves, but as the figure searched on, one woman was found downrange, seemingly meditating as the false Mimics darted back and forth around her.
Without hesitation, the armored suit stepped over the firing line, confused and awed bystanders gathering behind and watching on as the figure seemed to demonstrate no regard for its personal safety. The Mimic arms were still moving, some at speeds that would kill a man if he were to be in the way, but the figure seemingly paid them no mind, instead making straight for the woman, who opened her eyes at the figure's approach.
There was a shout of warning from a few of the bystanders as a false Mimic surged across the range directly towards the figure, its claws extended in a way that could shatter bone if it made contact. Without turning its helmeted head, the figure swung its arm and backhanded the approaching arm with a closed fist. The blow had seemed almost nonchalant to the figure, but it was enough to tear the claw from the arm itself, the metal screeching as it yielded to the stranger's will. Bystanders scattered as the claw landed behind the firing line, but the figure continued its march forward, only stopping when it stood in front of the woman, who stared back in disbelief.
"Hello, Sergeant Vrataski," came a voice from a speaker on the figure's helmet. "We have much to discuss."
…
Cage jogged into the meeting room, feeling slightly off his game. Rita hadn't been at the rifle range this reset, which meant that the figure had gotten to her before he did. He had needed to backtrack and get to the meeting room in time.
Inside stood Doctor Carter as well as Rita and the strange figure, and they all turned to him as he came in.
"You were at the beach, tomorrow!" Cage said windily, pointing to the stranger. "You're never on the beach! How did you do that? Where did you come from?"
"Nice to meet you too, Cage," Rita said sarcastically. Cage shot her a glance, then turned back to the figure.
"William Cage," came a voice from the helmet. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am VEGA, the Artificial Intelligence unit that is attached to this armor. The being inside the armor is the Doom Slayer."
Cage frowned as the A.I. explained that both it and the Doom Slayer had arrived in their timeline through a warping mechanism located in the stranger's suit. At first, Cage had been hesitant to believe such a wild story, but he then realized that he was really in no position to judge given that his own story involved the day resetting every time he died.
"Wait a minute," Cage said as VEGA finished speaking. "You're telling me that you came here from another dimension? Then why did you fall out of the sky like a giant meteor or something?"
"When we arrived," VEGA replied. "Our entrance point was approximately two hundred and fifty miles above Earth's surface. At the moment, we are currently unable to control our orientation when we arrive in a new universe, though we have been quite fortunate in the past to arrive on solid ground."
"So, you're saying that your destination is random every time you use your 'tether' thing?"
"That is correct."
Cage paused for a moment, absorbing all of this information. It was then that Doctor Carter spoke up, animatedly using his hands for emphasis.
"Hold on a moment! VEGA, Cage said that you arrived on the beach tomorrow. How is it possible that you jumped back through time with him? Your Doom Slayer friend doesn't have the same power that Cage does, and only the user's mind can jump through, so how did his armor and equipment all make it back to today as well?"
VEGA's voice was calm and showed not even a hint of annoyance as he responded.
"Though the UAC never achieved time travel, a common theory in chronology concerns a term called a 'temporal constant'. These constants dictate the flow of time in each dimension, and there exists at least one in each universe."
No one said anything as VEGA continued.
"From your files on these 'Mimic' creatures, I have deduced that the Omega you are searching for is a time constant, capable of altering the flow of time. However, when William Cage killed an Alpha, he absorbed the time constant into himself, granting him the abilities he now possesses."
"That still doesn't answer my question…" Doctor Carter mumbled.
"I will not go into the details, but I have theorized that when we came to this dimension, we began to exist in its time stream. However, when William Cage reset the day, there was nowhere for it to reset us, as we were not within this dimension a day ago. With nowhen to return to, the Doom Slayer was at risk of causing damage to the timeline as it tried to reset. As a solution we became anchored to the nearest temporal constant: William Cage."
Cage felt his brain frying behind his eyes, and a quick glance over to Rita showed a similar reaction. Even Doctor Carter appeared slightly miffed.
"If I were to give an example, I would tell you to imagine that everything in this universe has its own 'clock'," VEGA said. "A temporal constant is a clock that can control every clock but its own. So, if the temporal constant sends out a signal to all other clocks to turn back one day prior, all the clocks regress by twenty-four hours except for the temporal constant, allowing it to exist in a universe that is twenty-four hours behind it. This the phenomenon that occurs when you 'die', William Cage."
Cage nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around the theory.
"When the Doom Slayer and I arrived in this dimension, our own clock synchronized with all the others, but when a signal was sent out to regress twenty-four hours, our clock was unable to do so, as it didn't exist in this universe twenty-four hours ago. Therefore, our clock continued ticking, synchronizing itself with the time constant. We are now unable to 'reset' with the rest of the universe. Instead, we will continue ticking forward in the same you do, William Cage."
There was a beat of silence.
"So, you'll follow me every time I reset?" Cage asked.
"That is correct."
Cage's eyes darted to Doctor Carter, who shrugged his shoulders.
"I suppose it is possible…" he mumbled.
"I would like to discuss these visions of yours, William Cage," VEGA said, already changing the subject. "It is my understanding that your mission is to destroy this 'Omega' creature, which is responsible for the Mimic invasion as well as your ability to reset the day. As you are connected with the Omega and have been seeing visions of its possible location, the Doom Slayer and I will endeavor to the location and destroy it. Your only objective will to remain alive long enough to give us time. If you die before we reach it, then the Doom Slayer and I will need to start again."
Cage's mind raced. Instead of attacking, all he needed to do was hold out long enough for the Doom Slayer to kill the Omega? That sounded so much easier to do, and Cage found himself nodding in response.
"We know where it is. Curnera Dam, located in Switzerland."
"Very well," VEGA said. "We will depart immediately. If we encounter no resistance, we can expect to arrive in approximately thirteen hours. However, as the Mimic horde will likely attempt to slow our assault, I expect that time to double."
"Twenty-six hours is cutting it close," Cage said. "London is overrun with Mimics in twenty-five. The invasion inevitably fails in twenty-three. You have to be quick."
The Doom Slayer looked over at Cage, who looked back and saw the man behind the helmet nod steadfastly. He understood how close they were for time.
"I'll go with you, Cage," Rita said with a nod. "With my help, hopefully you can stay alive a little longer."
Cage looked over at her, wishing that he could take comfort in her words. He tried to will away the countless memories he had of watching her die as they surfaced, but he had seen it happen too many times in too many different ways to forget something so easily. How many more times could he bear it? How many more before he lost his mind?
…
Cage grunted and swung his Jacketed fist into the skull of a Mimic, silencing its alien screeching. To his left, Rita fended off another with her sword, keeping the creatures at bay with the reach afforded to her by the blade.
Looking around, Cage gave an annoyed grunt at the sight of hundreds of Mimics closing in on them. They had taken refuge in London in an effort to buy more time for the Slayer, but the morning had passed with nothing happening, and the Mimics were now upon them in full force. There had been so many, and with the invasion force already decimated, Cage and Rita were fighting against the entire Mimic army.
Damn it, Slayer, where the hell are you?
Cage slammed another magazine into his rifle and opened fire on the horde, but his bullets may as well have been made of paper for all the difference the made.
"Cage!" he heard Rita call from his left. "You have to run! You have to buy more ti—"
Her call was cut short as a Mimic bolt blasted through her chest, and before Cage could cry out to her, another one pierced his cranium.
With a start, Cage jolted awake, his cry finally coming through his lips as he bounced up from his prone position on the ground. Suddenly, strong and incredibly annoyed hands grabbed him by his collar and hauled him to his feet. The Doom Slayer's armor appeared in his vision, and before Cage could say anything, the Slayer dragged him away before the sergeant even had the chance to berate him.
…
What do you mean it isn't there?!" Doctor Carter asked impatiently as they all stood in the meeting room. Their meeting time had been far earlier than usual, as the Doom Slayer had irritably hauled everyone into the room as soon as the reset happened. Now he stood with his fists clenched at his sides, obviously fuming.
"We arrived at the dam with ample time before the invasion began," VEGA said. "But there were no readings to indicate that the Omega was present. We scanned the interior, but there was a Mimic ambush waiting for us. An Alpha was present. We made certain not to kill the Alpha, but the Mimics knew we were coming. It is my belief that they were expecting William Cage to arrive so that they could ambush him and reclaim his power, but we arrived instead."
"So, that's it then…" Doctor Carter said, gesturing to Cage. "They know who you are now, and they're trying to get their power back, and we have no way of finding out where the Omega is."
"That's not true," Rita said, gesturing to an object on the table. Cage frowned and leaned forward to get a closer look, noticing that the object was of complex metal design with numerous smaller pieces that served some sort of purpose.
"No," Doctor Carter said with a sigh. "That device doesn't work. I can't get it to work, no matter how hard I try."
"You built a prototype at Whitehall," Rita said.
"Yes, I did," Doctor Carter said with another sigh. "And it got me fired, thank you very much!"
Walking forward, Cage curiously hefted the item in his hand.
"What is it?"
"It's a transponder. You stick it into an Alpha and it taps into the signal connecting it to the Omega. Or at least, that's the idea anyway. But I can't get it to work! Not with the equipment I have here!"
"Doctor Carter," VEGA chimed in. "What do you need to complete it?"
"Well, that's the thing. I was able to build a functioning one at Whitehall, and I was even ready to test it, but when I told my superiors about it, I lost my job. They thought I was insane!"
Cage shared a glance with Rita, then looked over to the Doom Slayer, who seemed to pick up on his thought process.
"So, all we need to do is go to Whitehall, then?"
"You'd be arrested as soon as you got within a hundred feet!" Doctor Carter exclaimed. "You'd need a small army to get inside!"
…
General Brigham looked over preparation reports behind his desk, double checking that everything was in order for the invasion tomorrow. So far, everything looked to be in place and ready. If they could hit the Mimic force quick and hard, then they just might have a chance at breaking through their lines and retaking Europe.
A commotion suddenly came from outside, and Brigham looked up inquisitively at the noise. A muffled yell reached his ears, and the general barely had any time to set his papers back on the desk before the double doors to his office burst inward with a loud crack. The wood splintered and fell, and Brigham's eyes shot open wide as a figure in dark green armor stepped through, Major William Cage and Sergeant Rita Vrataski flanking it on either side.
General Brigham stared at them both incredulously before gazing at the scene in the room beyond his office. Guards and MPs lay unconscious on the ground, with furniture overturned every which way and papers strewn everywhere. His eyes turned back to the armored figure just before it pushed him down into his desk chair. To its left, Sergeant Vrataski leveled a pistol to Brigham's head.
"Sit down, General," she said forcefully, even though Brigham had just been forced back into his seat. The general eyed the three of them, then decided to focus on Cage, who stepped forward and took a seat on the edge of his desk.
"I have to hand it to you, Major. When you left my office no less than twelve hours ago, I'd have never expected that you'd be back…"
Brigham's eyes flickered towards Sergeant Vrataski.
"…let alone with my most decorated soldier, and…?"
Brigham frowned in the direction of the armored figure.
"I'm afraid that introductions will have to wait, General Brigham," came a calm and reserved voice from the figure. "Right now, we need you to tell us what you have done with the Mimic transponder that Doctor Carter created. It is the same device that cost him is position on the UDF's Mimic Research Division.
Unconsciously, Brigham's eyes flitted to his personal safe on the wall. He stopped himself before he completely gave it away, but despite his best efforts, his eyes still moved a millimeter in the safe's direction.
The figure picked up on the gesture as though Brigham had pointed to the damn thing, and in an instant, the suit of armor crossed the room and ripped open the reinforced door to the safe. There was a brief pause, then the figure reached in and pulled out the transponder. Looking over and frowning once more, Brigham was finding himself more and more perplexed by this figure. Certainly, it was wearing some form of Jacket?
"Let me ask you Major," Brigham said, looking back towards Cage. "You obviously desire that thing enough that you're willing to break in here and assault my staff, but what good does that device do you? Doctor Carter informed me that it requires a live Mimic to work. Is there something you're not telling me?"
As Brigham spoke, the figure crossed the room again and activated a lever on the side of the device, causing multiple syringes nearly as long as a toothpick to extend from the front of it. Without a word, the figure jammed the syringes deep into Cage's leg, and the Major barely had time to cry out in pain before his eyes suddenly became an inky black. His cry died in his throat, and his vison suddenly became more focused, as though he was seeing something in the void that the rest of them could not. Brigham shot Sergeant Vrataski an inquisitive glance, but she had turned her attention from him and was now eying Cage with increasing curiosity.
"Major?" Brigham ventured.
"I…I see it," Cage whispered. "It's in the Louvre. Paris…"
Brigham's frown deepened. He was not following the man's words at all.
"It's under the museum!" Cage said as the figure removed the device from his leg. "It's in the Louvre, under the museum!"
"I am thankful to hear it," came the voice once more from the suit of armor. "We will make for it immediately after this reset."
"Wait, after this reset?" Cage asked quizzically. He turned his confused gaze to the figure, and the last thing the general saw was the figure level a rather menacing-looking shotgun to the major's head.
…
Cage opened his eyes and frowned. Did the Doom Slayer really just shoot him? Sitting up annoyedly, Cage was about to make a rude gesture to the armored man when he saw that he was alone. The Doom Slayer had already left after getting the information that he needed. No doubt he was making his way to Paris to deal with the Omega. With a frown, Cage remembered that the Louvre was probably the most well-guarded Mimic stronghold on the planet if the Omega was there. He should have insisted that he bring backup, as the Slayer was but one man…
"ON YOUR FEET, MAGGOT!"
Cage sighed, remembering that he still needed to survive the next twenty-four hours if the Doom Slayer was going to succeed in his mission.
…
The sun had gone down by the time the Louvre came into view, lengthening the Slayer's shadow as he marched forward through the rubble that had once been known as Paris. The building itself was easily identified by the glass pyramid that sat at its entrance. Inside his helmet, VEGA spoke.
"According to what few historical databases remain, the history of this Earth is identical to that of the Earth from our original dimension, the two histories diverging of course with the Mimic invasion. The Louvre we see now is likely identical to the one back on our Earth."
The Slayer cared little for that information, as it was of no importance to his current mission.
"I am detecting multiple heat signatures inside the structure, as well as one very large energy spike from within its depths. The Omega is most likely inside."
Now that was information the Slayer paid attention to, and he nodded for VEGA's benefit as he continued forward. His armor allowing him to walk easily among the rubble. The entire city had been destroyed, giving it a look that he had seen many times when he'd traveled worlds consumed by Hell. The thought alone made him angry, and the Slayer's grip tightened on the shotgun in his hands.
Suddenly, the air came alive with ordinance as thousands of Mimics burst from the walls, each one hurling their explosive spikes in his direction. But they may as well have been in slow motion, as the Slayer easily dodged their ranged attacks. He charged forward, pumping a new shell into his shotgun as Mimics poured down from the walls of the Louvre, each shrieking in their hostile and bloodcurdling tones.
These creatures were not nearly strong enough to bring him down with the numbers they possessed. Far stronger and far more numerous hordes had tried and failed before them, but this time was different. Mimics did not need to bring him down to win, they just needed to last until Cage was killed, then the Slayer would reset, and he would be forced to try again. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't allow that to happen. As the first Mimics lunged for him, the Slayer opened fire with his shotgun, and the foul creatures were sent flying as he bulldozed into the horde.
…
Cage stood on top of a building overlooking the Thames, his Jacket on and ready. Rita stood next to him, her sword resting easily over the top of her shoulder. Slowly, the sun was beginning to rise in the East, signaling the dawn of the new day. Cage had forgotten the number of times he had watched that exact sunrise, and he always knew that there was only an hour of it before the clouds rolled in, casting the country of England in a dull grey light.
A dismal weather for a dismal day, Cage thought to himself. To his left, the city of London sat, its citizens woefully unaware that they were about to be attacked by the greatest enemy they'd ever faced. The clock tower tolled its bell as Cage watched, signaling the top of the hour. They didn't have much time until the invasion force was overrun, and Cage silently clenched his fists and looked out to the East towards Paris. He could only hope that the Doom Slayer would reach the Louvre soon.
…
Another Mimic died as the Slayer crushed its head underneath his boot, its body shriveling up like the hundreds of others that he had already killed. Currently, he was using his Lancer for a combination of firepower and melee prowess, shearing through any Mimics that got to close while disposing of those that were far away with the high caliber rounds that the weapon fired. Despite his carnage, however, the creatures continued to pour from the inner depths of the Louvre, their darkened and writhing bodies covering the ground in a sea of murderous intent. The replaced their fallen comrades almost as quickly as the Doom Slayer could kill them.
Taking a grenade from his inventory, the Doom Slayer hurled it into a gasoline truck nearby, sending a blast of heat and fire across the sea of Mimics as they relentlessly attacked him. The explosion caused their advance to falter, and it bought the Slayer just enough time to change tactics. With an audible clanking noise, the Doom Slayer switched weapons. The chaingun appeared in his hands, and before the Mimics could renew their assault, the Doom Slayer activated the mobile turret mode on the weapon, splitting the continuous barrel into three smaller ones, tripling the speed of the already astounding fire rate of the weapon.
With a squeeze of the trigger, bullets gushed from the mobile turret, shredding into any and all Mimics nearby as brass spewed from the ejection port. With the capacity to fire 3,600 rounds per minute, the chaingun effectively walled off any further advancement by the Mimics, giving them the option to retreat or to be shredded to pieces by the weapon. As the horde faltered, the Doom Slayer switched weapons yet again. It was time to press the advantage…
…
Cage felt his stomach drop as he saw the river frothing with Mimics. Their time had come. The invasion force dead and gone, and the Mimics were now attacking London. They were still on the far side of the city, but Cage knew it was only a matter of minutes before they reached him. He shook his head and readied his weapons, sending a silent prayer to whoever was listening that the Slayer was almost there.
…
The plasma rifle let out a loud hiss, and a wave of searing heat burst from the weapon, knocking back the closest Mimics and completely burning their flesh away. Ignoring their agonized cries, the Slayer leapt over the dying aliens and dropped down into the Louvre itself, falling through a cracked section of concrete and down into an area with little visible light. The Mimic drones were likely to follow soon, but their advance had been slowed by the Slayer, as the combination of their reduced forces and their own bodies acting as obstacles would mean that they needed time to regroup and give chase. But that time only amounted to a minute at most. It was small, but it was all he needed.
To his left, the Slayer registered a different reading on his P.K.E. scanner, something more than the Mimics he had been fighting just now. Looking over, he spied what appeared to be a larger version of a Mimic. The creature stood as tall as a Baron of Hell, and it was almost as big. Its physical form pulsed with a dark blue color under its skin instead of the bright orange that normal Mimics possessed. And as the Slayer took it in, the creature slowly closed the distance between them, walking with a gait reserved for a predator stalking its prey.
"That is an Alpha," VEGA reminded him. "It is imperative that we do not kill it, as it will cause a reset that we will be unaware of, giving the Mimics an upper hand."
The Slayer nodded, surreptitiously pulling a device from his belt as he did so. The Alpha stopped a few feet away, and after a split second of stillness, it charged forward with blinding speed, its tentacles thrusting towards the Slayer.
It was fast, but he was faster. The item left his hand and burst against the Alpha's skin, and the creature collapsed as a charged ionic field leeched its very life force from its body. The Slayer knew it was not enough to kill it, and that it would only down the monster for a few moments.
"Interesting," VEGA mused as the Alpha struggled to right itself. "Though these creatures are not composed of Argent Energy, the siphon grenade still appears to have similar effects on them. It is unfortunate that I will be unable to study this phenomenon further."
The Slayer said nothing and looked to his right. An opening in the concrete sat nearby, dropping into a water-filled chasm below. Looking down into the chasm, the Slayer saw it. The Omega sat at the bottom, its body consisting of a spherical core that rotated and pulsed in the middle of an organic cradle of some kind.
"We will need to ensure its death," VEGA said, taking note of the pulsing mass at the bottom of the chasm. "Leaving anything to chance would be a grievous error on our part. I believe the best suitable term to use would be 'overkill'."
The Slayer nodded. Overkill was what he did best.
…
Cage activated his shoulder-mounted weapons and opened fire, giving both himself and Rita the chance to regroup against the approaching tide. Mimics swarmed over the ground towards them, the monstrous creatures climbing up the building they were currently holding out on. The advantage of the high ground would not last long however, as Mimics would soon have them surrounded on all four sides. Cage could hear the sound of concrete and glass being crushed as the creatures rushed up the walls, and he leaned over and fired a barrage of ordinance from his mounted arm cannon to help stem the assault.
"Cage!" Rita said from behind him, and Cage turned just in time to see Mimics crest the opposite ledge and charge towards them.
Cage growled deep in his throat and moved to stand back to back with Rita as the Mimics reached the top of their building and swarmed from all four sides. This was it. They would have to reset. There was no way they could hold out any longer.
The air suddenly rippled, as though a massive bubble had expanded through it, and each and every Mimic suddenly fell to the ground, writhing and seizing up as their bodies hardened and froze.
Cage stared in disbelief. They were dying. All of them. Looking out over the city, Cage saw the swarms of Mimics as reacting similarly, the entire sea of them suddenly halting and dying simultaneously.
He did it.
The Slayer had pulled it off. The Omega was dead.
"Cage…" Rita said, looking in his direction, her eyes seemed almost disbelieving, like she was hesitant to accept the scene before her.
Cage felt his face split into a grin. "He did it. Rita, he did it!"
Cage raised a Jacketed fist into the air triumphantly.
…
The Slayer stared down into the Chasm, the Omega's blood saturating the water and turning it into a deep purple. The creature was dead, and that in turn had decimated the Mimic horde, killing every Alpha and drone. His mission was complete. He began to raise his gauntleted fist, but VEGA's voice stayed his hand.
"If I may, I would like to examine the Omega's essence, as it bears a striking similarity to Argent Energy."
The Doom Slayer was hesitant. He had seen enough of what happened when someone meddled in what they couldn't control.
"If I can jack into the Omega's abilities, I may be able to save the invasion force." VEGA said simply.
The Slayer looked down into the bloodied water, then stepped forward and jumped down into the chasm.
…
Cage jolted awake, and his eyes instantly frowned in confusion. What happened? Did he just reset? He didn't remember dying, as the last thing to go through his mind was joy that the Mimics had been defeated. What just happened?
Looking around wildly, Cage saw that he was back in the meeting room. Rita and Doctor Carter stood across from him, and one glance told Cage that Rita was just as confused as he was.
"Rita?" he said tentatively. "Do you…?"
"I remember," she said, looking around. "What happened? I thought we won. Then we just reset to here."
"That is correct, Sergeant Vrataski," came a familiar voice from the console in front of them, and all three of them jumped at the sudden entrance of the voice. The holographic console suddenly changed, and a symbol appeared, hovering easily over the table. Cage didn't recognize the symbol itself, but the voice…
"VEGA?"
"Indeed."
"Where are you?" Doctor Carter asked, glancing around and trying to discern how VEGA was accessing the table.
"The Doom Slayer and I are currently still in the Louvre. We were able to access a wireless modem, so I am currently speaking to you from Paris."
"Did you find the Omega?" Rita asked, leaning forward and placing her hands on the table.
"Yes, and the Omega has been terminated thanks to the Doom Slayer's efforts."
"So, it really happened…" Cage mumbled. He then frowned. "Wait a minute, if you really killed the Omega, then why did we reset? Shouldn't the loop have ended with its death?"
"Initially, yes. However, after examining the Omega's essence after it was destroyed, I discovered that it bears a remarkable resemblance to Argent Energy, a power source from our home dimension. Using my knowledge and the nature of the Doom Slayer's Praetor Suit, I was able to temporarily hijack the temporal constant and reset the day, only without the Mimics. Doing so will ensure that the invasion force will not be decimated, thus saving thousands of lives in the process."
"Wait a minute," Doctor Carter said. "That shouldn't be possible. How could you reset everyone else but the Mimics? I thought the temporal constant had to reset every 'clock' except its own to the same time."
"That was my hypothesis as well, Doctor Carter. But upon further study, I discovered that with a fine level of control, I am able to affect clocks individually, allowing me to reset everyone else while the Mimics stay dead. I believe General Brigham will be making a statement shortly on the matter."
Suddenly, the television on the wall spurted to life, and General Brigham's face appeared on the screen in what appeared to be a press conference.
Just after sunrise this morning, a large surge of energy was detected in Paris," the general said.
"We do not know exactly what this signifies. But the result appears to be a total collapse of the enemy's capacity to fight."
Cage glanced over to the symbol floating patiently over the table, then turned back to the television.
"Russian and Chinese troops are now moving across Europe without resistance. Tomorrow, we advance on the western front. We believe we are marching to claim victory for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our countrymen, and for the entire human race."
Applause began from the audience, and VEGA them remotely muted the television before speaking again.
"Now that the danger has passed, the Doom Slayer and I must move on. Our own world suffers just like this one has. If we do not find our way home soon, I'm afraid we can expect the worst."
Cage shook his head, an overwhelming gratefulness building within him.
"VEGA, I—thank you. For everything. Both you and the Doom Slayer. I don't think we can ever repay you for what you've done."
"You are likely correct, but do not despair William Cage. Perhaps we will meet again someday."
With that, the symbol disappeared, and VEGA signed off.
A/N: There! Chapter 22 is in the books! At this time I'd like to say that I found it EXTREMELY difficult to choose between the movie and the novel for this chapter. for those of you who aren't aware, the movie Edge of Tomorrow was loosely based on a novel called All you need is Kill. If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend everyone to read it, as it is very different from the movie in a multitude of ways. The reason I chose the movie for this chapter is because of how time travel works in the film vs the novel. I wanted things to play out a certain way, and the movie was closer to what I was thinking. That being said, I love both the novel and the movie despite how different they are, as they both tell an amazing narrative with awesome characters and storylines.
As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review telling me how much you loved/hated the chapter, and I'll see all of you next time! Bye!
-ImpulsiveWeaver