Post-Exit

[cassiefuckingcage]

From the Bar to the armory to Group HQ is about a five minute walk at a regular pace. Cassie makes it there in three, with a fat dossier full of notes, pictures, and other intel cradled underneath her arm.

"I need to see General Blade. I have urgent information for her. And before you stop to tell me whatever it is she's doing right now, it is at least a thousand times more important than that."

The guard at the door crosses his arms. "If you've got new intel, you can take it up with -"

"No. The General needs to hear this herself."

He scowls.

"Look, Gomez," Cassie says. "You know how it is. If I'm wrong, it's my ass, not yours. Just let me in, alright?"

He shrugs. "Suit yourself, Cage."

Comments

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie nods. Sonya might notice her relax her stance, a little. If she squints.

"It's...important news. About the nature of the realms. Something's just happened. About five minutes and a month ago."

She deposits the dossier on her desk. And then, proceeds to tell her everything of Milliways. How she came there, the realms it links to, the magic that runs it, even her discussions with Sergeant-Major Shephard. Everything except one thing.

She's hoping that this Sonya will give her that.

[lt_blade]

Sonya eyed the file a moment before taking it. Much as she appreciated her daughter taking the initiative, she normally wasn't the sort to go this into detail about a case-whatever was in the papers must've been serious.

She skimmed the pages while listening to her talk. A sort of 'way station..tavern' in between realms? "This is..strange..and you record that the door appears whenever it wants, or some location.."

That in and of itself couldn't be real. One of their many sensors would've caught on, or Raiden would've noted it. Even if the reports read right and it was a nuetral realm, such an area would be a good place to put recovering troops or hold emergency supplies.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie nods. "Yes, General. It's also possible to return by choice if you bring an item from the inside back with you. Everything else is in there - new species, new realms, rules, Earthrealm variants, photos - but I didn't discover that last fact until I was leaving."

Because you told me.

Cassie looks down at her hands. They're shaking now, even coupled together in front of her. She hadn't heard a word from her. Time to break the news.

"...There's one more thing."

She swallows, deeply.

"You were there."

[lt_blade]

If she didn't say a word, it was because Sonya was too busy skimming through the file: different Earthrealms, the rules, photos. The more she looked, the more she had a funny feeling she'd heard of this place before.

Cassandra's next statement made her look up. "What'd you mean...I was there?"

She couldn't have been there..she'd remember such a place, but why was she suddenly getting traces of what felt like dreams?

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie exhales through her nostrils. Her lips tighten. She's been practicing explaining this for a while now. Doesn't make it easy, but it does make it easier.

"I ran into a younger version of you. You - she - had just come in from Outworld. During the second tournament."

She gives this sentence just enough time to breathe, but no more than that.

"I thought maybe it was just a version of you from another Earthrealm. I mean, you would've told people about it if you'd been there. But every time I tried to warn the other you about Shao Kahn's invasion - about everything that was about to happen - I got a dizzying migraine and lost my concentration. Like the universe was stopping my brain from telling you.

"I was hoping you just had a really good reason to keep a secret. Now I don't know what to think."

Cassie is doing her level best to present this as a strictly temporal dilemma with no personal element whatsoever. Again, she's had a lot of time to think this through.

[lt_blade]

Her jaw stiffened when she heard this. She recalled a talk with Jax and Raiden during the OUtworld invasion-could there be multiple timelines?

The more Cassie spoke, the more the visions seemed to come up. On the one hand, atleast Cassie wasn't trying to pull something from her ass, but on the other-how could she have been some place and not even recall it.

"We need to show this to Raiden. This isn't the first time the reality of multiple timelines has come up.." She looked at her again. "You said you got migraines whenever you tried to explain what happened? This place sounds like a sort of Nexxus, so maybe some timelines don't mesh if they're too close together."

Was the only way she could make sense of it.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie shrugs. "It's possible."

Her stance finally relaxes, a little. "He definitely needs to see this. If anyone can get to the bottom of it, it's him. And even if he cant...he needs to hear it anyway."

[lt_blade]

"What interests me are the rules stated-the no violence rule especially. If anyone could show up in this dimension, it seems practical enough. From your observations, these rules are followed."

Having rules was one thing, but for them to be followed, that was other.

As she speaks, she keeps getting stronger and stronger visions of her young self in this bar. "You said I was there..have you..do you have any references of people that knew me-what they looked like."

References, that's what she needed.

Sonya set the file down before taking out the gold device used to contact the thunder god. First thing was to see if he was even around.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie's lip quavers.

"Oliver de Bretagne. He's a medieval man-at-arms, from England via Syria. A really handsome guy - longish brown hair, gentle eyes. You described him as -"

Without prompting, the device flickers in Sonya's hand. An image of the God of Thunder appears above it.

"Sonya Blade. I would have word with you, if your duties permit."

[lt_blade]

Her jaw strains when she's given a discription: the name itself just vaguely rings a bell, but the characteristics.

A memory comes, stronger than could be called a dream: herself and the man Cassie was describing, talking over mugs of something. That, more then anything confirmed her daughter's story-also the need to sit down.

The device flickering in her hand got her attention, for the moment forgetting her own discomfort. "They'll permit. I need a word as well."

[cassiefuckingcage]

"Very well," Raiden says. "Then I shall begin with my concern. We at Sky Temple have sensed a small and brief but nonetheless intense rift in the fabric of Earthrealm, unlike any we have yet seen."

His expression somehow becomes even more grave than usual. "I sense that this breach was located very near to where your base now stands. It could well be nothing - a mere flutter in the balance of the realms. But I thought it best to inform you, and inquire as to your wellbeing."

Cassie steps into view of the hologram. "With respect, Lord Raiden, I think we can explain what you've just seen."

[lt_blade]

There's something of a smirk (or maybe the ghost of one) on Sonya's face. She lets Cassie say her piece before holding the file up so Raiden could see it.

"For once, Corporal Cage has one on you. She's known of this place for awhile and has collected a decent amount of intel on it. Atleast as much as viable."

As much as Sonya trusts Raiden as her daughter's mentor, even she couldn't deny that his meddling all those years ago did something to fuck up with the timelines. The point of the OIA was, after all, to put less dependence on the gods' protection and more in the hands of the realm itself. So any time one of her soldiers (her daughter especially) took such initiative onto herself-even Sonya couldn't hide that sense of pride from showing.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Raiden's brow furrows. He strokes his chin.

"Curious. We had believed this was a recent incursion."

Cassie steps forward. "It was, in a way. From the perspective of Earthrealm I wasn't gone for any time at all. But from my perspective I was away for about a month from the time the portal opened."

"I see. And where did this portal take you?"

"To a new realm called Milliways. It presents itself as a bar located at the end of time. It takes people from different universes - even alternate versions of Earthrealm. But as far as I can tell it's a neutral place. It doesn't mean us any harm."

"Very curious, indeed," Raiden says. He pauses, turning his gaze toward Sonya. "Hold one moment, Sonya Blade. It seems clear that this is a conversation best conducted in person."

A whiff of ozone fills the air as Raiden materializes beside them.

"Though I certainly do trust in your daughter's perception," he continues, "I must be absolutely certain that she has not encountered a new threat to the realm."

[lt_blade]

There were times Sonya wondered of Raiden was more paranoid than she was-the though process wasn't one she liked considering. For once though, she said nothing until the god appeared before them.

"All due respect, Raiden." She handed him the file. "Cage here's actually done a decent job in intel: not just observations, but photos and talking with other patrons." Between 'allies' she considered addressing Cassie by her full name, but for some odd reason, she felt the need to go professional, in the odd event that Raiden didn't feel her daughter's intel relevant. "Mine concern is that the 'no violence' rule manages to hold, and then there's the 'time space'-how long time feels there as opposed to time passing 'outside'."

[cassiefuckingcage]

Raiden grabs the file. He pages through it, nodding as he reads. "Yes. You have been dutiful and attentive, Cassandra Cage."

Cassie smiles - in part because of Raiden's praise, and also in part because for once she appreciates her mother's use of her surname, emphasizing the professional work she's done. But mostly it's because there's just something inherently amusing about watching the god of thunder leaf through paperwork.

"We share concerns, Sonya. We must know for certain that this Milliways can maintain the peace and neutrality it strives to uphold. And all warriors of Earthrealm know well of the significance of changes to the flow of time."

Cassie interjects. "And there's more to the time issue than just that."

[lt_blade]

Had she been able to read minds, Sonya would've agreed-there was something amusing about watching a god leaf through paperwork, especially from an NCO. Yet she couldn't bring herself to smile just yet: for all she was for being cautious, she wasn't going looking for enemies when there were none.

"Cage is correct..according to her time in the bar, she says she's ran into a younger version of myself." She looked to her. "And since talking about it, I can't help but feel she's right on one level. I've been getting..flashes of memory, of people I feel I should know. Corporal Cage actually met one of them and was able to match details verbatim."

[cassiefuckingcage]

"You remember him?"

Cassie's astonished question escapes before Raiden can say anything. She did not expect to hear this.

Raiden himself is more subdued. "This discovery grows ever more baffling. We know, of course, that the flow of time has shifted. I am the one who shifted it. Perhaps this is some unforseen consequence."

[lt_blade]

"Vaguely." Not the best answer to give, but the best she could come up with under these circumstances.

She'd been standing the entire time they were talking, but the mention of a flow of time had her sitting a little on the front of her desk, her arms folded over her chest. She remembered back to the Outworld invasion, recalled suggesting that there could be multiple futures. "What if there are different timelines, and the person Cage met was from another realty. You said so years ago that your visions were from the future, so that must mean there are multiple timelines and futures."

The idea sounded both crazy and logical. She'd done her own research on the idea of time and space, and what she could recall on the notes was that the theory of mutiple dimensions, multiple timelines. "I've a feeling this...Bar, is a sort of 'way station' in between dimension, it would explain the time difference once a person's inside."

Something like another grin crossed her face as an idea came to her. "As for the 'non violence'. Part of the dossier reads that people come and go to this place of their own will, through a certain 'door'. Maybe it's just my own experience, but if someone wants to go some place to unwind and have a drink, the last thing they want to do is start a fight."

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie frowns. "...Vaguely."

Yeah. This is going to need elaborating.

Raiden nods. "If what you speculate is true, and you do indeed hold visions of the experiences of your other self, then it would seem that your timelines are intimately linked. You are remembering things that, by your own words, you ought not to. Perhaps you possess some shared experiences of this place, which your memory has suppressed. Or perhaps I have not truly erased the future that I meant to avert.

"There is still much we must know. I thank you for bringing this to our attention, Cassandra Cage."

[lt_blade]

Sonya could only look at Raiden with a look that just barely contained doubt. The thundergod did his best with what he had of his visions, but there were times she wondered if he put too much stock into them and not enough in the present.

" The linked timelines make sense, but I doubt it's memory suppression. That usually implies unpleasant memories, not the vibe I'm getting." She took the file back from him. "Either way, we need more time and intel before jumping to conclusions."

That was one thing she learned of her time in the army. Impulsiveness had its place, but not when it came to exploring new territory. "Is there anything else we need to discuss, Raiden?"

[cassiefuckingcage]

"In the future, perhaps. A visit to Milliways is in order, in any event. For now, however, there is little to be gained from it. We toss guesses about in the absence of knowledge. Further meditation is needed. But first, I shall inform the Shaolin of the existence of Milliways. It would be prudent for them and the other defenders of Earthrealm to know of this."

He glances down at the dossier in his hand.

"You can make more copies of these, yes?"

He is not the God of Xerox Machines.

[lt_blade]

She nodded. "I'll have the copies for you sometime this evening." True, she had people to do paperwork for her, but with subject material this sensitive, she didn't trust people not to read it. "Otherwise, I'll say good evening."

She kept to herself that the thought of raiden visiting such a place was a funny one. Only he would see a 'magic tavern' as a threat.

Really though, she had something she wanted to talk with Cassie about, and whatever maternal feelings she let show through the Officer persona didn't want the Thunder god to be there to ruin it.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Raiden nods. "Very well. Your allies shall be informed. The application of the Reiko Accords I leave to your discretion. Good evening to you."

He vanishes in a clap of thunder.

"Well," Cassie says, "this was a fun day at the office."

She rubs her hand through her hair to battle the static frizz.

"So, um...permission to speak, General?"

[lt_blade]

Sonya didn't think the accords would be a problem: unlike some paranoid thundergod, she didn't see anything of a potential threat here. She was also just glad to see him go.

"Granted." She remained standing in front of her desk, only inwardly smirking at her daughter trying to control her frizzy hair (and mildly making it worse).

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie sighs and massages her temples.

"When I was in Miliways, you - she - fuck it, you described Oliver as being like a brother to you. As close as anyone. So when I described him to you, here, I thought you'd either remember all of that or none of it at all.

"So what do you mean when you say you remember him 'vaguely?' Did this happen to you or didn't it? It doesn't make any sense to me."

[lt_blade]

That they were talking about this now didn't surprise her: cassie was too smart not to catch on. She only didn't want to talk about it in front of Raiden.

"No, it didn't happen." That much deserved clarification. "When I said 'vaguely', I mean I saw what could be anything from memories or dreams,a scene where you're not sure it happened or not. I knew it had to be something because of how you described him, if it was just a dream I tripped up, you wouldn't have seen the man either."

That was the best way she could've described it. "The memory showed us being close..like how I am with your uncle Jax."

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie's brow furrows.

"So...like deja vu. But stronger. With images."

She shakes her head. "That's still insane. How can you remember things from another timeline at all? I mean, obviously, I believe you, but it all just raises even more questions than I had already."

[lt_blade]

"Maybe you arriving there triggered something." She's more calm than she feels at the moment, having had to control her emotions in the line of 'oh crap' for so long. Even so, inwardly she does have the urge to land a few face palms. "I can't tell you everything about that other personal, just, bits..like maybe I'm only getting the stronger memories-ones that would cross over if they make a strong impression."

Fuck, that didn't make sense it all. "There's a theory out there called something along the lines of a 'multiple universe' where, in some other dimension, there's another version of you existing if you'd made 'choice A' instead of 'choice B'. What if interacting in Milliways can make these dimensions 'cross wires'."

The whole thing sounded like something off of star trek, but like hell would she make that sort of reference and admit to liking the series at one point in time.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"Makes as much sense as anything else."

Cassie shrugs, throwing up her hands. "Shit, this probably is the kind of question we should leave to Raiden."

[lt_blade]

Without really meaning to, Sonya felt herself bristling. "Much as I appreciate Raiden's help, I don't like the idea of being dependent on him for these things. I'm all for being cautious, but from what I've read, most of what may concern a threat is 'outside' of this bar. Not the bar itself."

Now that he was gone, she felt she could speak more about this with Cage-someone who actually 'got' the military.

"There's also another reason I wanted him gone. I think it's time we had a talk, corporal." This time she went behind her desk.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"He is being pretty paranoid, even for him," Cassie says. "But I've gotta admit he knows his weird mystical hoo-hah shit better than I do. Including time travel."

Cassie stands a little straighter. They're back onto business.

"A talk, General?"

[soldier_blade]

She raised a good point, but even so, Sonya wanted to study the notes first before she made any such calls. All of this is pushed aside when she hears Cassie's response. There's a part of her that's both proud and dishearted at how quick she responds, but right now she needs to play the part-something she's done like clock work since Cassie was a little girl.

Sonya nodded and picked up another file, this one with Cassie's name and serial number. "I'll get to the point, I've been talking with some of your superiors over your performance these past few months. One of them signed in the paperwork for you to be promoted to sergeant, and up until the last.." She looked at the clock. "thirty or so minutes, I was still debating if I should sign my approval on it."

"Then you come in, on your own time and incentive, with a file on an unknown realm." Sonya allowed herself a small smile, both the mother and officer in her agreeing for once. "I think that shows someone's ready for the promotion to be signed-what'd you say, sergeant?"

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie returns the smile. It's rather broader than Sonya's.

"Yes. Thank you, General."

She manages to keep the exclamation marks out of her voice. Barely.

[soldier_blade]

"Keep in mind, it's not official yet." Sonya didn't want her jumping through the roof just yet-she wasn't sure which would take more damage, Cassie's head or the ceiling. "Even when I sign, it'll be twenty four hours for the promotion to be official, but...call it a matter of pride."

Yes, she was hard on her daughter, but that was only because she knew what Cassie was capable of. She knew this meant a lot to her, but if Cassie wanted to earn the respect that came with climbing the ranks, she'd have to earn it.

The rest of the news was a little messier. "You'll be given a squad of three under your command, you already know Specialist Briggs, the other two are a Mr. Takashi, Takeda, and Kung Jin." Sonya reached into a draw under her desk and pulled out the paperwork. "Might as well read up on them."

She set the manilla folders on top of her desk. "Oh, and our friend Secretary Blake...he's requested and been granted that the one in charge of directing your squad will be Mr. Cage."

The last part was said just through barely gritted teeth. As much as Sonya wanted..hell, encouraged Cage and their daughter to spend time with eachother-was this really the way to go about it? Yes, Johnny assisted them a lot in past wars, but he wasn't military, and she still suffered nightmares of loosing Cassie..did Johnny have to throw himself into this, like he thought this was joining up for a soccer team?

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie doesn't frown. Promotions come with new duties, and in this unit most of them tended to be new and singular ones. She was, however, surprised to be hearing

She tries to keep her surprise worded in military terms.

"We'll be taking on civilians?"

[soldier_blade]

Sonya had to give her credit for keeping professional.

"When the civilians were essential in the previous other world wars-yes." They needed the help, and Johnny was no slacker in that area, but after the mess of the divorce-she wasn't sure she could open old wounds like that. They both had different goals and for all she couldn't deny enjoying those years they had together, she also couldn't deny that they seemed to work better as a team than as a married couple. "They offered him an honorary commission a long while, but, he refused. He'll be on as a consultant."

In a sense, Sonya was glad that it happened, it meant Cassie could have one parent that was reliable-one that didn't hold the same baggage as her. She still hoped.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"I'm guessing this unit was his idea, then?"

He had often complained about qualified non-military personnel being left out of managing the defense of Earthrealm. It needed to be an international effort, he said.

[soldier_blade]

"Well, yes and no. There was always talk of creating a unit and Secretary Blake and your father are good friends. When he heard of its creation, I'm told he jumped at the chance. Can't fault him for that, he's experienced and it's just four person squad."

That goes up against otherworld assignments, possibly enemies. Briefly the professional veneer vanished, leaving a woman pained from both memories and future implications. "He wants a chance to oversee your training and career, to spend time with you, and it's not in me to say no."

Much as she doesn't like the idea, her personal opinion is overrulled 3-1. Moments like these, she's had to shut up the maternal side of her so hard and so long-she wondered if it went into a coma.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie nods. She can read between the lines here. Dad and Blake had finally been able to browbeat the rest of the military establishment into letting them field test their new unit concept. And she's been trusted to lead this experiment.

She can tell Mom doesn't like it. Probably because she worries. Worrying is as close as Sonya Blade usually gets to hugging.

"You won't regret this. I promise."

[soldier_blade]

The sad thing was, Sonya knew she was being honest. For all her joking and 'devil may care manner', Cassie took her career as seriously as she did at that age.

"Just..don't do anything stupid." 'Stupid' in Sonya's book always meant 'getting yourself killed. "You get yourself killed doing something stupid, I'll personally find a way to cross the afterlife just to tear you a new one."

She could've been joking but for how serious her voice was. She dedicated her life to keeping her daughter safe, to not have her be involved in the messy parts of her career-now that move proved useless, the best she could do was hope for her safety.

By now, the maternal side of her had woken up, and this was one of the few times both sides agreed.

[cassiefuckingcage]

"I promise."

Her tone is sincere. She'd made the same promise to the other Sonya. And that Sonya hadn't even given birth to her; hadn't spent years doing what she'd freely admit was a not-particularly-stellar job of raising her; hadn't almost lost her on Shang Tsung's Island.

But Cassie can't convey earnest vulnerability for that long. She always wriggles out with the usual method.

"I know you wouldn't let me get off that easy."

[soldier_blade]

Inspite of herself, or maybe because she's herself, Sonya felt herself smirking.

"Damn right I wouldn't." And if that sort of fear was what kept her nose out of trouble, Sonya didn't care how she felt about it.

She took a deep breath, going back to being an officer instead of a mother. "That'll be all, Sergeant Cage. Dismissed."

Fuck if the promotion wasn't official yet, she still called it.

[cassiefuckingcage]

Cassie stands straight and salutes.

"Thank you, General."

She'll be walking a little taller the rest of the day.