EVERYONE HATES TIME TRAVEL PART ONE

[capitalm]

Who: Anybody stepping out of the TIME HOLE into present-day LA, anybody who wants to witness this going down – or to intervene
Where: Downtown LA
When: August 2nd (now!)
What: A bunch of time travellers arrive in the present to try to fix their dystopian future. See here for more details!
Warnings: time travel. everyone hates time travel.

It's late at night when the portal opens, an undulating patch of wrongness hanging in the warm summer air just a few inches above the street, bordered by shimmering multicoloured light.

A car swerves to avoid it. There's a scream or two, and people start to clear the area, eager to put some distance between themselves and the potential scene of some kind of Incident – others stay put, cell phone cameras at the ready.

If anything, though, when people start to step out of the portal, the onlookers calm down a little – this is, at least, not going to be another dinosaur incident. Cameras flash anyway. Another person screams, presumably because they're just on a roll with screaming at this point.

More than one person has called the Alpha Force hotline by now – but they might well not be the first heroes to arrive on the scene...


______________________
Everyone is cordially encouraged to make multiple threads here for either time-travellers, present-day people, or both. Feel free to NPC passersby etc. as well!
Remember that villains from the future who are following the good guys through are probably going to come through at a slight delay.

Comments

"ALPHA FORCE"

[hellacold]

Jon is the first one to step out of the time portal. At age 29, his hair and his coat are both much longer than they had been the last time he was in 2014. He also, somehow, has scars on his face. Once safely out of the portal he grimly surveys the scene while he waits for the rest of his team to transition into the past.

[robotarms]

CHRIS IS HERE.

He stumbles out just after Jon and smooths down his (v stylish, time has been good to both Chris' face and his wardrobe) leather jacket as if to imply that he didn't stumble at all, and he is in fact a very cool and serious person.

He's squinting almost directly at the moon, and the look on his face may suggest that the moon has wronged him in some way.

"Should've worn sunglasses."

(He might have a bit of a hangover.)

[notahobby]

Maxxie steps out just behind Chris. He primarily goes by Max now, and although he's not any taller, he's noticeably wider through his shoulders. This is exemplified, of course, by his cool leather jacket, which doesn't match Chris' leather jacket. They're friends, but come on, right?

Anyway, he follows Chris out of the portal (without stumbling) and frowns at his friend before surveying past LA.

"Shouldn't've had all rum last night," he tells Chris. Seriously, everyone knows you don't time travel hungover.

[pullingamiko]

"Got only yourself to blame, dude."

Miko miiight have pushed past a couple people to get through faster, because she's impatient and has no boundaries.

Apparently she has been involved in a lot of crud in the last ten years, if the eyepatch, metal arm, and assortment of scars are anything to go by. She also has a black leather jacket, because apparently it's some kind of requirement for dystopian future rebels, but hers has the sleeves ripped off. Where these people are getting all these leather jackets can only be guessed at.

[wreckerscombine]

Rotorstorm strolls out of the portal next, holding a big assault rifle in both hands. Her visor's been replaced with aviators, there's at least one noticeable scar on her face, and...yes, she's chewing on a toothpick. Basically, she looks like she's posing for the cover of Hot Fuzz. No matching jacket though. Sorry guys.

She glances around at the screaming crowds and flashing lights from the cameras. "What do they think this is? A rock concert?."

SOLUS PRIME/ARCEE

[deadpartners]

When the first group of time travelers pours through the portal, there's an Autobot among them. She stands at about ten feet tall -- not very big for a Cybertronian, but her presence is tremendous, a gravity to it that seems to come from eons of accumulated wisdom. Her plating, black and blue streaked with silver, tinged with pink in places, is reminiscent of battle armor, an impression only enforced by the giant hammer strapped to her back. Any Cybertronian would recognize it as the Forge of Solus Prime.

She steps away from the portal with slow, measured steps, glancing around at the commotion surrounding their arrival -- not at all a surprise, but she carefully steps out of the way of any human passersby, not wanting to risk harming anyone, but it's pretty clear from the way she moves that she, like the others, are coming here with a purpose.

"There's no need to panic," she assures the crowd in level tones. Her voice carries the same kind of gravity as her presence, one that seems to resonate through the air around her. "We're here to help."

Re: SOLUS PRIME/ARCEE

[worstprime]

Rodimus and Drift arrive on the scene in an uncharacteristically timely manner. Okay, uncharacteristically timely for Rodimus.

However, when they do arrive, Rodimus isn't sure what to make of what's going on - although the humans sure seem upset about it. He swiftly transforms back to robot mode, still a reasonable distance away from the as-yet-unidentified mystery vortex, but plenty close enough to see that there's a gaggle of humans in matching outfits in front of it.

"Who's that," he asks Drift, pointing to the lone Cybertronian who's arrived. He doesn't recognise her, but she has a strong air of importance.

[positiveenergy]

Drift follows suit and transforms beside his friend - following his gaze towards the Cybertronian. "I dunno, don't ask me. Do I seem like the kind of guy who knows everyone?"

He's about to write it off, except...Should he know her? He feels like he should. In fact, he feels like he does, but he sure as heck doesn't recognize her. If it is someone he's met before, then they must've undergone a few major modifications.

"Let's get a bit closer, I can't even make out a badge from back here."

[worstprime]

"Right." Rodimus replies, and in one fluid motion transforms, driving another few dozens yards closer. As he resumes robot mode once again, they're close enough to see there's something odd about the humans - besides just their matching outfits. They seem a bit......dirty. Yeah, definitely dirty.

They're only about a hundred feet away or so now and Rodimus is visibly relieved when he sees the flash of red in the unknown bot. He grins turning to his friend.

"An Autobot! She's an Autobot," Rodimus says excitedly to Drift. Maybe they were finally getting those much-needed reinforcements (although that doesn't explain the humans). This time he raises his voice to be heard by the newcomer, all sense of caution abandoned. "Hey! You're an Autobot!"

[deadpartners]

Solus hears the call and she directs her gaze at the both of them, feeling a pang deep in her spark as she looks at both their faces, faces she hasn't seen in a long time.

She takes a look at the assembled humans and apparently judges the situation more or less under control, because she moves toward Rodimus and Drift, careful to step around the humans. She moves with relative ease and grace despite the massive fucking hammer strapped to her back.

"I am," she says, optics dimming slightly. "We're on the same side. I'm working with the others who emerged through the portal. I can only help you'll be willing to help us, too."

She's not sure she should reveal her former identity to them just yet, if they haven't picked up on it by now -- she's hesitant to tell them what becomes of them in the future, not when they're hardly prepared to hear it.

[metabee]

After waiting an excruciatingly long time for new medaparts to get shipped to CONDOR, Metabee was finally cleared for active duty. Again. Just in time for some sort of major fiasco to blow up downtown by the looks of it.

Metabee had made a point to be amongst the first responders to the incident, but now that he was there it was pretty clear things might not be as action packed as he'd hoped. Judging by the fact that it seemed to mostly be a bunch of folks standing around a portal. Metabee had been inching closer and dodging behind cars with gun barrels locked on the group, but the closer he got the more eerily familiar the motly crew started looking.

"Ok, what the heck is going on here? Longclaw?" He yelled accusingly, leaning out from stopped coupe, finally close enough to the glowing portal to recognize specific faces. Like, a bunch of Trailblazers for one thing.

[hellacold]

Jon is relieved (and a little amused) that the first past incarnation of a friend he sees isn't evil or dead in his own timeline (just much larger). He gives Metabee a little wave and steps forward. Up close, Metabee can clearly see he has aged a few years and has some scars on his face that weren't there before. His hair is also down to his shoulders, and he's wearing a different coat. The crystal raven that usually hides in his messenger bag is now perched proudly on his shoulder.

"Metabee classic," he says wryly. "I forgot how small you used to be. "

[metabee]

"'Used to be'? What, are you from the future or something?"

Metabee isn't the best at estimating human age, but it's pretty clear something is radically different about Jon. His eyes widen a bit as it dawns on him that time travel may not be terribly farfetched given the circumstances. He keeps glancing from Jon to the portal and back.

"Dude, what happened to you? What happened to you face?" He asked, gesturing to his own faceplate in an approximate mirroring of Longclaw's new scars.

[hellacold]

Jon snorts when Metabee asks him if he's from the future, but his face clouds when he asks him about his scars.

"Long story," he says darkly. "It's all part of what we're here to stop."

FOR MEGATRON & STARSCREAM

[deadpartners]

Solus needs to speak to Optimus -- it's his help they'll need most of all, she thinks, if only to rally the troops -- but he'll know she's coming, provided Drift and Rodimus tell him. But right now she has a more pressing concern, even more than talking to Optimus. They don't know where Wyoming is coming from, or when he'll arrive -- the resistance's information is limited to everyone's memory of that day, those of them that do remember, and there's only so much they can divine. They're prepared to defend Celestia at the opening ceremony if needed, but if they can somehow derail him sooner and prevent the entire thing...well, that'd be preferable.

So she's scouting out the area around the city, securing the perimeter in the hopes she'll see any trace of Wyoming, anything to give away where he must be hiding out. Solus drives around in her alt mode -- no longer the sporty motorcycle from her past life, her vehicle mode is now a compact but nonetheless formidable-looking armored vehicle whose tires churn through the sand with ease.

[bigfuckinggun]

The Decepticons have been keeping an eye on her signature since it came through the portal. In the middle of the city, it was far too crowded to seriously investigate – but here, now, it's all too easy.

She'll probably detect them coming before they land, but there's only so much she can do before Megatron's ridiculous feet are throwing up sand right in front of her.

"Good evening, Autobot," he says as he straightens up, grinning like a panther. "What brings you here, I wonder?"

[starscheme]

Naturally, Starscream is right behind him, though his landing is considerably more dainty in nature. With a much lighter thud he touches down to Megatron's left and puts on his best 'menacing lackey' face, cycling out his blasters and flaring his wings dramatically.

He appraises the vehicle through narrowed optics but keeps his mouth shut. For now.

[deadpartners]

Solus comes to a stop as Megatron and Starscream descend, not quite skidding but kicking up sand anyway, and she transforms right away, rising to her not-very-impressive height of ten feet, but the giant fucking hammer strapped to her back helps. Where was the forge when she was in vehicle mode? I don't fucking know, don't think too hard about it

She looks up at the two of them, her optics shifting from Megatron to Starscraem, seeming strangely unintimidated by them. She certainly doesn't back down from their menacing stares. Kind of hard to be too threatened by them right this moment when what's become of them in the future is fresh in her memory. The fact that she stands a much better chance of measuring up to Megatron in a fight these days doesn't hurt.

"My mission has nothing to do with you," she intones, her gaze shifting back to Megatron. "I'm not interested in a confrontation."

OPEN, BUT SPECIFICALLY KARKAT

[nitrodamus]

He doesn't hide himself, after arriving. He gave up on hiding a long time ago.

Sollux tours the city out in the open, in a blaze of red and blue as he flies. It's oddly nostalgic, now. He used to think of it as something as foreign and weird, but now he's lived on Earth almost as long as he loved on Alternia. He doesn't necessarily think of this as memories of a better time, though. Just memories of when he was more naive.

He honestly doesn't know what he's going to do yet. He figures that this iteration of himself is probably going to stop existing, for better or for worse, so there's really nothing to worry about anymore. Just maybe an impact before the timeline resets.

He figures his present self will be with the Decepticons, but his path towards that is slow. Part of him hopes that CONDOR will show up, if he lingers around obviously enough. It fell apart years ago from his perspective, and he'd enjoy one more chance to put them in their place.

So he lingers obnoxiously in the city, ignoring the citizens that react with alarm. Trying to accommodate others was the worst mistake he ever made.

[10thingsihateaboutme]

Citizens reacting with alarm is something that, as technically a superhero, Karkat's supposed to react to, especially with all this time travel shit going on. He's kind of apprehensive about the idea of getting himself caught up in any of that – he feels like having to deal with any future Karkats is probably best avoided – but he figures he should at least check it out so he can call for backup or something, if he has to.

What he isn't expecting is that flare of familiar red and blue light.

He assumes it's just regular Sollux at first, and he's about to run forward to tell him to chill the fuck out before something happens when he realises that while it's definitely Sollux, it's not the one he's anticipating.

He hangs back, apprehensive and alarmed.

[nitrodamus]

It's hard to miss Karkat, among all these humans. Sollux turns to look at him slowly, and after a wary pause, initially reacts with only a faint scoff.

"Typical," he says in English, with much better pronunciation than present Sollux ever could have managed. The age he has on his present self is obvious - he has all the markings of an adult troll, including the more threatening sub-vocalizations. He wheels on Karkat fully, and there is an anger there that just doesn't exist with normal Sollux - a type of barely suppressed hostility.

This Sollux has been obviously marred with further cybernetic additions - lights that are dimmed by his own psionic aura.

"It's been a while," he says in Alternian now, regarding the younger troll.

[10thingsihateaboutme]

"Holy shit," says Karkat, staring up at him, round-eyed. He backs up a little, not quite conscious of doing so. "You're – shit. You're from the future."

[metabee]

After getting a quick summary of events from Jon, Metabee had gone straight on patrol to help keep an eye out for any future villains or even people trying to take advantage of the chaos to do some crime. So far he hadn't run into anything, but the night was still young.

He'd originally dismissed the flickering red and blue light emanating from down one of the side streets as a police car, but with the increased shouting coming from that direction he decided it would probably be worth checking out. Rounding the corner, it was easy to see what the disturbance was, and it was pretty recognizable.

"Sollux?! What're you doing here? Haven't seen you in ages, dude." He asked, running over to where the alternian was hovering.

[nitrodamus]

Sollux's eyes snap over to Metabee, and it's immediately clear that there is something different. Even biological differences, aside, he's sporting considerably more hardware than ever before.

"More than you think," he growls.

[metabee]

"Oooohhhhh boy. You're Future Sollux." He slid to a stop a safe distance away. He was perfectly aware of what present Sollux was capable of, and judging by the light show going on right now he wasn't too keen to wind up on the bad side of this one.

Longclaw had given him a really quick summary of things, but Metabee wasn't sure what to make of his claim that Sollux being some sort of terrorist. Afterall, last time he'd seen the guy he'd been too skittish to leave the building most of the time, let alone lead a group of anarchists.

"So, uh. What're ya doing here?"