After Nothingness, the Fifth Layer (Multiverse Project - F)

Prologue: Voided Death

Yang feels her aura break as she falls of the edge of the platform; the light made from the portals fading as she plunges into the darkness. She can see a black ribbon reaching for her, but just out of reach. Not that it matters, since Yang closes her eyes waiting for the inevitable. Then, there was nothing...

"INCORRECT" a mechanical voice calls out.
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Carole Pepper wakes up in a crumbled city... a more destroyed version of where she was before. As she stands up she feels, different, stronger even. However, Carole notices that she's alone. Mei is gone, and so is her squad-mate. Not even the boy Joyce was around.

Before she can figure out what's going on, something crashes into the building next to her. Running over in hopes of either something to fight or someone who can tell her what's going on, Carole sees a blonde haired white lady with a yellow metal arm buried underneath a small amount of rubble.

"H-how..." the woman starts, but Carole cuts her off.
"Who are you, and are you okay?"
"Yang." The now named Yang responds, "I, I thought I died..."

Carole's gauntlets manifest themselves and she starts removing the rubble from Yang. Once done Yang struggles for a second before standing up.

"Thank you..."
"Carole." says Carole as she extends her arm for a handshake. Her gauntlets fade from reality. Yang extends her right arm and they shake them.
"Well, that's nice to see," a new voice interjects, "two people who are lost helping each other."

Yang's wristband changes into a gauntlet-gun while her mechanical arm does the same. Carole follows suit as her gauntlets reappear next to her. Walking down the street towards them is a woman in a black tank top and torn black sweatpants with dark gray skin. Her hair fade from purple at the top of her head to green as it travels down and bright blue tips. Blue veins travel up her arms and legs, which turn into purple by the time they reach her face, which has eyes that are an emerald green.

"Please don't point your weapons at me," the woman says as she raises her hands, "I don't think you know what's going on, do you?"
"Who are you, and where are we!?" Carole shouts.
"Yeah, and where's my team?!" Yang's adds.

The woman lowers her hands as she reaches for something on her back, and pulls out a damaged yet modified silver rapier and a broken black sword with what looks like an engine piece near the handle. She then points the rapier at Yang and a purple beam fires from the end. Yang dodges out of the way while Carole looks distraught.

"That's Weiss's...!"
"Senpai's sword... Honkai energy?"

"I'm Talia," the mystery woman says, "this place is called the Scrap Yard, and your teammates are likely dead."
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Raechel opens her eyes and sees a sunless grey sky, yet it was still somehow obviously midday. As she stands up and looks around, the destroyed terrain of Vale is in sight. Then it hit her; Calamitas showed up at the Fall, and killed her.

"Why am I still here?" She asks the nothingness. "I failed them, is this my personal hell?"

"No, if it were I wouldn't be here."

Turning around, Raechel spots a man with red crystalline hair and matching red eyes, though the eyes are a crimson while the hair is scarlet. She immediately notices how his hair looks exactly like Corrupted Xenomite. But Corrupted Xenomite can't infect people, unless...

"You were infected then corrupted?" Raechel asks the man, "Do you work for Girus?"

"Ha! Girus was never here to begin with," the man starts, "if I had to guess, you are the sole survivor of your version of that world."

He extends his left hand towards Raechel, who notices that his nails have yet another red crystalline appearance to them.

"Name's Crys," he says, "and welcome to the scrapyard. Or, if you want it's proper name; Dormitabis."