Battle for Resolving the Fate of the Universe (and also Dream Island Again)

Episode 19 - Remembering a Long Forgotten Past

This was definitely the *worst* possible place to have a reunion.

Despite being several dozen yards away from each other, Triangle and Neon immediately locked eyes as soon as they found each other amidst all the commotion of the night. Without even hesitating for a moment, Neon would lightly tap the soldier's shoulder. "Stay here and keep watch." He ordered, immediately proceeding to open the door. The soldier barely had any time to process the command before the sudden surge of cold air hit his face as Neon opened the door. "Wha-" He instinctively shivered at the breeze, as if he had just taken in the fresh air for the first time in years. "What're you-" He'd then notice Neon stepping out, venturing into what was essentially unknown and dangerous territory. Not having any time to think, he'd quickly grab Neon by the arm and would forcefully try to pull him back in. "Are you *mad*?" The soldier said with the anger of the shout, but with the volume of a mere whisper. "You literally just said-" "I know." Neon interrupted. "I know what I said, alright? And I also know what I'm doing." He briefly showed his gun to the soldier. "As soon as things go south, I'll head back here ASAP." He sighed and considered muttering a prayer. He wasn't particularly religious, especially after all he'd seen. The soldier groaned. "At least tell me *why* you've suddenly gotten so bold." He said. "I saw someone." Neon replied. "Someone... I know." With one last sigh, the soldier would let go, letting Neon go into his little suicide mission. Besides, if he ended up disappearing, the soldier could probably take control of the vehicle and make a quick escape.

His tight grip on the gun made Neon feel some vague illusion of safety. He very well knew the risks he was taking. He was all alone, and in the dark, no less. Pretty much everyone and their mother knows that that's the worst situation you could possibly be in. But he accepted the risk regardless. Whatever the outcome may be, spectacular failure or not, there would be at least one massive burden that's off him on the other side. Neon would hurry to make his way over to the scene, not wanting to miss the opportunity to... do something, I guess. He would anxiously look around as he marched on, trying to spot even the slightest hint of movement in the near-total darkness. As soon as he felt like he was reasonably safe, he fixed his eyes on the camper, where the familiar figure could be seen shaking ever so slightly. The man probably considered retreating back into the little structure behind him, and yet was frozen solid by Neon's appearance, which only confirmed his suspicions even more. He took a few deep breaths as he walked the final few yards towards the camper. He took one final glance around the area as he stepped into the area illuminated by the nearby complex, and kept the gun extremely close to him, anticipating a possible ambush. As the gap between the two shrunk to merely a few feet, Neon looked at the figure directly in the eyes, and took the final few steps in a more rigid, formal manner.

"...Sir?"

Seemingly in an instant, Neon became more loose. His arms retreated back to the side, his grip on the gun lessening a little. For a few seconds, Triangle and Neon could do nothing but stare at each other in awkward, painful silence. Before too long, however, they realized how dangerous the situation was, and immediately snapped back to reality. "...Sir." Neon repeated. "What are you doing here?" Triangle raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "...I should be asking you the same thing." He took a few steps closer to Neon, still wary of the whole encounter. "I'm merely doing as you asked, sir." Neon replied. "I've been spending the past few decades wandering the Earth, looking for... a sign, another person..." He sighed. "...Anything, really." Triangle frowned slightly. "...Looks like you finally got what you wanted." Another few tense seconds of silence followed. "...What is this place, anyway?" Neon asked. "Base? Settlement? Friendly or-" "Shh!" Triangle quickly interrupted him before he could ask any more questions. "I'll..." Triangle looked around and sighed. "...I'll explain everything later." He paused. Shortly afterwards, the thing Triangle had feared occurred. "Hey!" Another voice called out from a few feet away. He couldn't determine who it was, but whoever they were, they were nearby. Triangle quickly pushed Neon away. "You need to go. Now." He ordered. "But, sir-" "I'm not having any of it." Triangle continued. "Get out of here. Go." Neon frowned and raised an eyebrow. "...Where can we talk, then?" Footsteps started making their way over to them. People have clearly noticed what was going on.