The sound of gunshots far off in the distance snapped Okabe back into his new reality. Reading Steiner had activated, and he had not a clue as to why. The D mail he sent couldn't have been significant enough to hop him out of the perfect world line.
"Pondering won't help this situation, I need to figure out how I'm going to get out of this world line."
He anxiously paced back and forth, with each step from his rumbling sticks for legs sending a nerve racking signal to his brain.
-Zrt-
-Come in-
-Okabe Rintaro-
A familiar voice from the communicator on his hip started relaying a message for him, as he rushed for a safe place to answer.
"Daru, is that you?"
"Okabe, Get out of that zone as soon as possible, CERN has labeled that area as a target for bombing, if you don't hurry now, you'll be caught in the explosion."
Iced bullets of sweat shoot down from Okabe's forehead, as he hears the sound of airplane engines roaring closer.
"Cant you get a squad for me? or someone to help be get out to a safe place?"
the panicked tone in Okabes voice unnerved Daru, as he'd never heard such a prideful person ever show cowardice in the face of death.
"No, the nearest squad is 5 kilometers away from you, and they're currently engaging in combat."
The sweat continues to irritate Okabe as he sprints out the building heading towards an underpass to hide in.
"I'll give you a rendezvous point for your extraction once the nearest squad finishes their fight."
Okabe can finally breathe a sigh of relief in this stressful hell hole of former Japan.
The squad Daru was sending over contained Faris and Lukako, hopefully intact from their shootout with CERN agents.
Three Hours Have Passed
There's still no sign of help for Okabe. The dehydrated body of the mad scientist groans for sustenance. Okabe starts searching for whatever liquid he can drink before moving to the assigned extraction point.
He stumbles upon a small canister of water, quickly drinking all of it before receiving the signal for extraction.
Okabe rushes over to the bombarded wasteland, finally catching a glimmer of humanity.
"That isn't Lukako..."
"Or Faris..."
His heart quickens, as the fear he'll be kidnapped, tortured, or even killed bares upon him.
The soldiers off in the distance spot Okabe, and start rushing towards him.
Okabe runs as fast as he possibly can, hoping he can make it out of here alive.
The large gap between the soldiers and Okabe slowly tightened and tightened until Okabe was in killing range of their guns.
Okabe takes a leap into the overpass as his last resort of escape.
*Thud*
The platoon of CERN soldiers started firing upon Okabe the second he jumped into the overpass, but only one bullet managed to land a hit.
Okabe hits the ground, immediately losing consciousness, but the only thing he can feel is the warm flowing blood from his shoulder.
CERN searched for Okabes body for days, although it's unclear as to how they couldn't find him, he was presumed dead, and they went along to the next target.
The soft sensation of the moonlight on Okabes face, forced his consciousness back into place, realizing he was still alive he attempted to get up to no avail.
Okabe would watch the Moon slowly set as the Sun began to rise over his bloody malnourished body. Until finally he summoned enough strength to stand up and walk. He got out of the overpass, before walking the streets of the once beloved city of Akihabara. The sight of gun downed corpses on the sidewalk sickened Okabe, but before his body could throw up, he could hear a drone coming closer to his location.
Okabe swiftly moved to cover, observing the drone and its weaponry. One mistake can mean his death in this dystopian world line, he needs to find a way back.
"ARGHHHAHHH"
The pained screams of Okabe as he remembers the sight of his friends dying shook the air of the desolate city. The images of Mayuri being shot and run over, brought him to his knees.
"I can't..."
"I just can't go back..."
"If I try to fix this world line..."
"She will die... Again.. and Again, and Again..."
"I can't go back..."
"I can't..."
Okabe collapses to the solid concrete floor.
"Okarin!"
"Okarin!"
"Okarin!"
He hears a voice calling out to him from the deep darkness of his mind.
It can only be Mayuri calling out to him.
"Keep Going"
"Keep Go"
"Keep"
Okabe awakens, laying down on a table, within a large hangar.
"Where am I?"
"I'm sorry we couldn't get you sooner Okarin, but CERN's forces were preventing us from searching longer."
The still soft and beautiful voice of Lukako resonates within Okabes heart, soothing him, comforting him...
But he's a guy.
"Luckily for you Okabe, we found you just before they destroyed the rest of Akihabara."
Daru, the optimist even in a situation of complete dread.
Okabe Jumps up and shakes Daru, Demanding
"Daru, I need you to get the phonewave."
"The phonewave was destroyed years ago, even if I were to rebuild it from scratch, the electromagnetic frequencies could be easily detected by CERN."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take."
Everyone was shocked by Okabes cold words.
"No, Okabe you don't understand, this resistance movement is too important for the fate of our civilization, I can't sacrifice it just for some off chance you can make a miracle."
"There are no such things are miracles Daru."
Daru shoves Okabe onto the wall
"OKABE WAKE UP"
"MAYURI IS DEAD"
"NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT"
"I won't let you destroy this resistance just to bring back one life, even if that life is a beloved friend."
The shock from Dari's words paralyzed Okabe.
If Mayuri is already dead, then what of Kurisu?
Suzuha said in a previous world line Kurisu worked for CERN... Could that be the case in this world line aswell?
All that Okabe knew was, if he wanted to reach Steins;Gate, he needed to convince Daru to build the phonewave ASAP.
"Trust me Daru, if you remake the phonewave, Operation Jörmungandr will go underway."
Daru Flabbergasted that Okabe would dare play the character of Hououin Kyouma ticked him off. But it didn't mean he wouldn't trust his best friend.
After a long silence Daru made his decision
"I'll do it."
Within the next week the phonewave was completed, and Operation Jörmungadr could commence.
With one click of the send button, an electronegative pulse radiated from their location, alerting CERN. But before CERN could kill them all.
Okabe crossed over the Divergence.
