Out in a Blaze of Glory.... or Not?

[Dell Conagher]

It was the last wave. The tides of oncoming robots never seemed to end. The Engineer ran back and forth, working with his BLU counterpart to maintain dispensers and sentries along the defensive line, and to lend extra firepower where it was needed.

Then, it was over.

   The endless horde had met it's end in front of the smoking barrels of his and his companion's weapons. Cries of celebration were thrown to the sky, drinks were shared, hugs and high-fives were exchanged. It was finally over...


But it wasn't.


   Without warning, the robots swarmed the celebrating REDs and BLUs. Grey Mann had finally caught them off guard. The Engineer scrambled to his post, desperately trying to mount a defense. But it was too late. The ticking was already upon him. Around him. Sentry Busters. Giant bombs on fast-moving mechanical legs. The Engineer swore. "Dammit..." then the world went black as the giant bombs detonated.

   Waiting for the miraculous Respawn device he had created to bring him back from the dead, Dell Conagher wondered why everything was still dark. Usually he'd be able to glimpse the battlefield through the eyes of his teammates or cameras on the walls, but something was different this time.

   Then the silhouette appeared, and Dell heard the voice of the being.

My name is Omni. This is not the world you know. This is the Omniverse. You interest me, so I have made you part of it. The Omniverse is a place that reflects the wishes of those who are part of it. But! There are rules. I will explain them only once, so listen carefully.

   Dell wanted to ask this... Omni what in sam hill was going on, but he found that he couldn't speak, or move.

 “This is Omnilium. It’s what ties the Omniverse together. Without it, you are nothing. With it, anything you desire can be yours. But you will need more than this. If you desire it enough, you will find it. You will find that using it comes naturally. Just think of what you desire most."

   Dell immediately put any contemplation of how exactly this Omnilium was supposed to obey the laws of physics and yet be able to create anything. It'd save him a huge headache.

“You will not be alone in the Omniverse. There are others. Of course, they, too desire Omnilium. Do not fear death. For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn.

At least this part was familiar. Endlessly respawning to fight the same battles over and over had dulled the edge of death a long time ago.

“That’s all you need to know right now. You’ll figure out the rest soon enough. I’ll be watching … and waiting.” 

   And then Omni was gone, the blackness replaced with opulent white as far as Dell's eye could see. But his eyes could also see the remnants of a intense battle, even though the floor of the Nexus was patching itself back together. Dell sat up, rubbing the top of his head and looking around. The ruined fountain towered over his seated form as he gazed upon it, just barely staying upright. 

   Dell stood, dusting himself off and looking around. He decided to try out the miraculous powers of Omnilium by summoning the first thing he'd realized he didn't have when he arrived- his hat. He focused on it, and the orb formed in his hand. He gazed into the rainbow-colored orb, contemplating what had happened. He wondered what would happen to Mann Co and his co-workers... his friends.... now that he was gone. He'd zoned out in thought while the summoning had happened and when he came back to reality a white ten-gallon hat sat in his hand, black hatband included. "Well don't that beat all" The Engineer chuckled, adjusting the hat on his head and focusing on something else, something more.... useful, in case he might need it.

   Once the summoning was complete Dell picked up the red toolbox, comforted in the thought that he had a few familiar things in this unfamiliar world. Glancing around at the gates, the polished metal of the Coruscant gate held promise of modern (or as close to modern as one can get in the Omniverse) society, but the worn stone of the Endless Dunes gate bespoke of a much more lawless and wild experience. Deciding to risk his luck, Dell pulled his hat down and hefted his toolbox in his gloved hand, setting off towards the worn stone gateway.