Disclaimer: I do not own RE: Creators, or any of the crossover titles that will be involved in this fanfic
Chapter 2: Where is Itami?
Two Hours Earlier
At a back ally of a certain maid cafe in Akiba, a cafe employee was dragging out the establishment's trash to a waiting pile of trash bags when she was startled to find a person lying sprawled among them. The person was stark naked. Her body was also sleekly covered in some slimy residue that the made maid want to gag.
"Who is she? Some sexually assaulted victim?" the maid wondered, a growing worry creasing her features.
The person in question was a girl in her early teens and had very long black hair that must have been lustrous and straight if it weren't in such a gunky state.
"I-I must tell the master about-"
Suddenly the naked girl began to stir, her pursed lips uttering a moan.
"She's alive!" Still not entirely unwary, she leaned close to get a better look a the rousing girl. She did not dare touch her yet. "Hey, miss, are you alright?"
The girl's eyelids in turn flutter open, revealing crimson weary eyes which turn large when they spy the leaning girl. On reflex she tried to move, sit up in fact, but her awkward position among the trash bags and her slime-covered body only afford her to stagger and sprawl back in a heap.
"I-It's alright. You're safe now." She should really call on help to deal with this episode she thought.
The sprawled girl gave in in getting up and allowed herself to lie where she was, spread eagle. Raising her head, she looked at the other girl and asked her one the most likely questions. "Where am I?"
The question was normal, for someone who must have gone through a lot to end up thrown in the trash, naked, thought the female employee. "Fanta-Z Cafe." she stammered a bit. "Or at least around its side where we throw the garbage to be picked up by the collectors."
Now that she mentioned it the lying girl was made aware of the foul order coming from her surroundings besides from her own person. "Fanta-Z Cafe?" she pondered while wrinkling her nose over the rotting smell permeating. "No, I mean what city is this? And what country?" Though looking around it was beginning to dawn on her on where she was. Her eyes went wide however when she got a good look of the person before her for the first time. The concerned-looking girl wore a lolita-style black frilly, short skirted costume with red trimmings; a prominent ribbon of similar design crowned her long straight black hair. Why is she dressed like me?"
"Why this is Akihabara." the girl answered, regardless if she found the question from the naked girl rather queer. "And you're in Japan." She had the sudden thought, that this situation was turning out to one of those visitors from another world cliches coming from manga and anime. Really now, this couldn't be one of those things, could it?
The naked girl facepalmed. Of course, I should have known from the language the girl spoke, that it was Japanese. So that means, she looked up at the strange yet somewhat familiar buildings and skyline. This is definitely the other world, beyond the Gate. But, her face became troubled. How did I get here? Why am I here in the first place? Last thing I remembered I fell, getting separated from Itami and Yao. And then...She shivered in remembrance of being eaten by a minotaur of the Arrun Labyrinth while finding a cure to the Crety Epedimic, of which Lelei, the wizardress, fell victim to. She remembered the brute tearing her clothes to shreds and eventually ending up within its belly. My beautiful priestess robes. That pervert! She looked at the clothed girl again. "That dress, where did you get that?" She tried sitting up, slowly and carefully this time.
"This?" The girl looked down at her gaudy outfit. "This was tailored made for me by the manger of the cafe I work in. The present theme we go for is being the girls of the GATE: And Thus the JSDF Fought There. I get to play Rory Mercury due to my size. But I may not look it, but I'm actually sixteen."
Indeed, in spite of their slightly different looks, both could pass as looking like Rory Mercury. Did she say she's sixteen? She does look thirteenish or fourteen though. Well it takes all kinds she guess. Regardless there is only one true Rory Mercury and that's her, who is presently lacking her signature outfit and this girl has it.
Naked Rory has heard of this charade while with Itami and the others during their time in the other world, Japan. She believes it was called cosplay, where people dress up as fictional characters that they idolize. Characters who are extraordinary in many ways like being beautiful or handsome, and possessing powers and abilities the defy the mundane. Of course that is all for show, to entice people by flaunting themselves for entertainment sake as well as for fame or recognition. Though she never thought of anybody would do a cosplay of her.
"Say...what is your name?" Rory asked, with hint of mischievousness.
"Natsumi, Natsumi Ayu." she gulped, noticing the weird look the strange girl was giving her.
"Hmm, as I understand it, you people call yourselves by your last name, correct? If so can I call you Ayu?"
"W-Why? I barely know. Anyway, you need help. I'll get the master and the othe-" Having properly stood up, Rory stopped her from leaving by grabbing her arm. The grip felt unusually strong from someone like her that it hurt.
"Oh, you can help me right now,, Ayu. By letting me borrow your clothes."
"Huh?"
"Also, I'll be needing a bath." Rory purred.