I don't know why I'm releasing this story so close to another story, but I had the beginnings, so I thought I would put it out there and see what you readers think! unlike Ex-aid, Build has a large focus on the variety of bottles e has at his disposal and how they can be interchanged, so you can expect a lot of bottle changes to happen, which means you're going to see 'are you ready!?' a lot. Just a little warning before we begin. ANyway, let's go!
Super hero time!
Bauen: Building up some tension, aren't you? Takumi, fight for those by your side!
Takumi: Henshin! Kamen rider Build, fight for your sins!
Bauen: I have few regrets, but those I hold weigh heavily upon me.
Takumi: Then we'll have to make sure you can earn forgiveness!
B + T: Rider once more! The story begins!
Gamindustri - a world of digital heaven. There, gamers live in tandem with peace and sanity. With technological advancements unheard of, the art of gaming has become a science, producing only the greatest for the people to play. Split into five countries known as Landmasses, the people were free to travel s they wished, enjoying every aspect of life, though many naturally chose to have a staying ground in which to settle in.
They were ruled by five CPUs, four at first to match the original four landmasses before the fifth was created. Planeptune, the land of Purple Progress, was ruled over by the goddess Purple Heart, a cheerful leader who, even in few times of arrogance, has proven herself to be a dependable leader. Lastation, the land of Black Regality, was watched over by the CPU named Black Heart, a strict but caring goddess who let nought get in the way of her people's safety. Lowee, the land of White Serenity, was ruled by the goddess White Heart, a calm intelligent character that held the ferocity of a lion when it came to protecting her people. Leanbox had the CPU Green heart, a mature individual with great talent and the kindness few could boast of.
And then there was Genmeer, the land of Midnight Majesty. It had not been there originally, but that didn't make it any less of a revolutionary place. Ruled over by the lone male CPU, the god Game Heart, it was a place where one could easily shed their affiliations to a certain console and embrace them all – by not producing a console of their own, they shared their games with all over landmasses and were loved for it. It had been a rather recent arrival in comparison to the others, the leader known as Game Heart not born into the role, but rather, a paediatrician turned CPU.
The reason for such a change being that he was no ordinary maker, like the others that filled the lands. He held a special power granted to him by games themselves, holding an entirely different power to anything else in Gamindustri. With the Gashats, game cartridges that held a special virus within them, and the gamer driver that came with them, he could become a kamen rider, defending the world with the power of videogames.
Things had been peaceful in time, lord Game Heart being able to hang up the gamer driver as there was little need to fight with it; any distractions from monsters needed only a small amount of power to overcome. The landmasses came together and all was happy.
But not for long.
Shops became boarded up, creators starved and were overworked and death loomed over the majority of the residents, but the CPUs refused to let it be game over for their lands. They had thought themselves severed from the chaotic, lawless lands, but ever since the advent of the cruel ASIC - the Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime – morality had seemingly disappeared. A vast majority of the people had come to worship an entirely different being to their goddesses and god, known as Arfoire, and those who would turn them away remained silent, choosing instead to let it fester and grow. There was only a small amount of people who would care about the issue, doing all they could to prevent those who didn't fall for the false deity from entering the cruel place… the Gamindustri Graveyard.
It was home to those who tired of the corrupt world they lived in, unable to reach the small bastion of safety in the various landmasses, a place of madness and chaos for those who wished to remove themselves from it. That is where we pick up our tale, in a hell for those who wanted heaven….
The burning sky rumbled as it lashed out, bolts of lightning dancing around above the hell as if to taunt all those who were forced into its vile clutches. Random junk lay scattered around, streams of lava providing the only proper light with which to see the masses of rubbish and the small amounts of crimson foot ground. Two pairs of feet crunched against the metal, pushing aside the precariously stacked pieces as they looked around. It appeared safe; they could afford to take a break, somewhat.
"As its name implies, this is the home to those whose time has passed on, resting for the rest of eternity. All things you see in this place were inhabitants of Gamindustri proper." A light voice explained to the two travellers, their main guide in the calamity that was the Gamindustri Graveyard. Her name was Histoire, the oracle of Planeptune, a tome that could take a physical form and had helped the growth of both the Landmass and its goddess.
"O-oh, really?" the pink haired girl remarked, playing awkwardly with the c shaped decoration on the brown hairband she wore. With a cream jumper reaching a tartan skirt, brown leggings meeting thigh high boots with pompoms decorating various places, Compa was certainly not the kind of girl you would expect to be, nor wish to be, suffering this sort of hell. Indeed, she was a nurse in training, but when it came to friends, there was little that would be able to stop her.
"Tch, you know, this is why I said it would okay if you stayed behind." Her companion spoke, holding up a waving finger. The brunette was IF, an adventurer from the guild who had been by the girl's side for a very long time. With a greatly oversized blue jacket over a tight black top and shorts, blue boots to finish, the girl seemingly tried to cut an imposing authoritive figure as her way of speaking would imply, only to add something that made her look somewhat like a child attempting to wear her father's coat.
"N-no way! I would never agree to that!" Compa objected passionately, drawing her arms in tight. "I want to help Nep-Nep, and Ge-Ge, and all of the others as well!"
"And so do I… it's hard to believe that they've been missing for three whole years now." IF sighed, folding her arms as she turned away. "I can't believe they would do something like this, making me worry about them like that…"
"All will be made right soon. They all shown signs of being alive." Histoire stated to the two. Resting from the safety of Planeptune, the small fairy like blonde was able to communicate with them through the powers she held, guiding them through places that a creature as small as she was would have no chance of surviving. "Even if they are seriously injured, as long as you hold the sharicite I prepared for you…"
"Sharicite, the crystallised form of the faith the people have in their goddesses and god…" IF recalled, taking out the glowing baby blue object in her hand. "If what you say is true, then your right. We should hurry up and find what we came for Compa."
"Okey-dokey! We'll carry them home if we have to!" the bubbly nurse in training promised, and they were off again into the depths of the Gamindustri Graveyard. It would be an arduous journey into the darkness with little over than the vague guidance Histoire was able to pull off, but they were quick to run towards the sound of a low moan, leaping over residents that were too far gone to ever be recovered, a quick prayer sent their way.
"There! It's Nep!" IF cried as she caught a glimpse of a toned body before them, turning the corner only to have Compa bump into her with a small cry, green and pink eyes respectively turning to the rather strange scene before them. The woman – Neptune - was a beautiful figure, one that many would find trouble torturing, with long flowing purple hair that glowed with regal ethereality like her eyes, the pupils replaced with a white power symbol. Her plug suit was broken in many places, patches of black torn away as dark tentacles writhed over her body, holding her tightly in place.
"I-Iffy…? Compa…" The Planeptune goddess weakly asked, a single eye breaking open with apparently all the strength her body could muster. Beside her, another girl was limp in her restraints, the black tentacles being the only thing that kept her aloft; as soon as they let go, she would fall gracelessly to the ground. She had a white suit instead, the cleavage exposed showing that she was slightly less endowed than the other, pink hair aglow even in her unconscious state. Nepgear, her name was, was not in a good state at all.
Vert, of Leanbox, was also struggling. Green hair was marred with dirt, the white suit she wore crinkled by the bondage. It dug deep into her figure, clearly the most blessed of them all, a silent scream of pain escaping her. Noire of Lastation beside her, long white hair falling limply upon her back, various armoured pieces of her own black body suit cracking at the seams, threatening to leave her exposed. There was also Blanc, of Lowee. The smallest of them all, the tentacles still did not relinquish their hold, wrapping around the white body suit and pulling at the light blue hair, crimson eyes alight with fury as one particularly strange tentacle gagged her.
"Who would restrain them like this?" Compa questioned fearfully, looking between the rulers and their unique ties, IF instead shaking the purple haired goddess by the shoulders.
"Hey Nep, snap out of it, would you!?" the agent cried, only to give up when little response came. "It's no good, she's still out cold."
"Iffy, I found Egi!" Compa suddenly cried, drawing the brunette's attention behind the girl were another resided, his arms seemingly wrapped in a cocoon like his legs to spread him eagle upon the floor. A low groan, the same one that had signalled them to their location like before rang out from him as the two went over looking in abstract horror.
Unlike the others, his suit was full covering, a helmet attached to his head. The chest piece over a navy bodysuit highlighted with white pulsing lines, held what appeared to be a game HUD, four buttons upon the right side in purple, green, black and white. The armour all seemed aglow with what appeared to be stars in its very fabric, knee caps of silver being revealed at the very top of the leg restraints. The helmet was an odd design, having three spikes jutting to the left with the visor styled to be a pair of goggles, bright cartoonish eyes painted upon the glass. the masterpiece was a green bel buckle upon his waist attached to black bands, a purple leer open to reveal the name of Gamer driver a screen where a navy character was shown as a silhouette, a thick navy cartridge filling both slots on the left hand side.
"I… apologise you two… I wasn't able to help them…" the armoured man whispered, obviously pushing through copious pain. A rhythmic beeping had them looking to the chest piece, the life bar upon it gradually depleting. "The Gamer Driver utilises bio energy to work, making it so like a video game, you'll stay mostly fine until it completely depletes and I die. I could've done more, but I got caught by this blasted thing…" the unsaid warning was present. As soon as that life bar hit zero, unlike the goddess who would be left perfectly fine until their release, he would die. "It wasn't meant to be kept being used for a consecutive three years…"
"Do not attempt to force them off by hand. Compa, please utilise the sharicite." Histoire instructed, the pink haired girl giving a nod as she did so, raising it up only to be interrupted by a grand roar.
"I won't let you do it!" the voice exclaimed, a primal tone that brought fear straight into their very bones.
"Who are you? You better not get in our way!" IF declared, pulling out two silver quatars. The beast facing them was a hulking titan of black, lines of green flowing through the armour as he gave a deep chuckle.
"For someone to be insane enough to come here… inconceivable!" the massive monster commented maniacally, with another laugh to match. "Three long years… I've been idle for too damn long. It's time to destroy!"
"I don't get his problem, but it looks like we have a fight on our hands. I'll handle him, so go and save the other CPUs Compa!" IF ordered, the nurse giving a nod as she ran over to the CPUs, holding the crystal aloft.
"Please… please just wake up!" Compa whispered desperately, the sharicite responding with an intense glow. Slowly, blue eyes opened, power symbols revealed after so long. The pink haired girl in the white body suit gently began to writhe, the waking motions of one trying to find their position with a few small moans.
"Ge-Ge! Are you back with us?" the nurse questioned, said girl turning her head towards the noise. She was Nepgear…? She had been… fighting, that was right…. And this was…
"Compa?" Nepgear questioned without strength, only getting a great big hug in response.
"Let me get the other CPUs too!" the nurse cried, only to flinch at IF's sudden agonised yell.
"Weak! You're so pathetically weak!" the black titan roared, clamouring back and forth with its armour to make a tremendous noise. "C'mon, make the fight more interesting for me! C'mon! CFW Judge is not to be left waiting!"
"IF?" Nepgear called out as the tentacles slivered away, leaving the girl standing free on her feet., dashing over to pull the girl up with white gloved hands.
"Gear? Well, I guess I'm a bit embarrassed to have you see me in such a sorry state…" IF awkwardly chuckled, Compa quick to join them. "If you want to help me take this guy on, be careful. He's freakishly strong!"
"Let me help out too!" the nurse requested, pulling out an enormous needle from out of nowhere. There was no sight of a particularly long needle, no, that would be too easy. Instead, it was a literal gigantically sized version of a syringe in Compa's hands, taller than the nurse and housing a strange purple liquid within its glass container. Many had tried to question what it was inside of that syringe, but only few could ever figure out more than a sixth of the items that went into the deadly brew. "We have to buy some time so everyone can wake up and regain their full strength!"
"I…I'll fight too!" Nepgear called out, pulling out what seemed to be only the handle of a sword done in white, a guard protecting her right hand from being severed. A quick flick had an energy beam shooting out though, the pink haired girl launching into the air towards the titan who happily laughed, CFW Judge ready to swing the massive energy weapon in his hand. Even then, he towered above all three girls, truly a giant to overcome if they ever wanted to become victorious. "Celestial Severance! MPBL limited deactivated!"
The blade was a blue in the air, flashing for a hundred strikes every second. A small change had it then turn into a gun, a barrage of bullets attempting to bite into the black armour that CFW Judge had. This pattern repeated for what appeared to be an infinite number of times, the girl showing no signs of stopping as the titan cried out numerous times.
"I'm going to end it!" Nepgear called as she jumped away, a paralysing grenade exploding over CFW Judge. A quick second of silence was spent aiming, a grand amount of energy gathering at the barrel of the gun before a humongous beam shot out, slamming straight through the black giant.
"Damn you!... Tch, that's just getting boring." CFW Judge admitted, brushing off the smallest amount of dust that had gathered upon his being. "Why can't you put on a good fight!? Is that all of the strength you have!?"
"It may be theirs, but it certainly isn't all that's available." Another voice answered, a gravelly tone that spoke of age beyond wisdom. All conscious turned to the tones, a mountain of metal giving a platform to the speaker. Framed by the burning red sky, turning to reveal a shadowed face in the little sun that broke through, a gasp escaped IF as he ran a wrinkled hand through greying hair.
"It's you! You were meant to have disappeared after all of those terrible things you've done!" the agent accused, the elderly man, somewhat short and thin, giving a sigh as he answered.
"What I did, I did in the name of peace… and sanity." He answered darkly, placing a hand behind his back, pulling out a dark buckle that tied around his waist, a yellow belt springing from its sides.
"That's the belt that he used to destroy all of those buildings right?" Compa asked, IF shaking her head slowly.
"No, this is something different… t's something that seems way more powerful than what he used before…!"
"Who are you, mongrel!?" CFW Judge roared as he looked to the newcomer perched upon his mountain of death. "What gives you any idea of you being able to beat me!?" the response was silent, the elderly man scratching at a scraggly weak bear before pulling two more small objects from his back, shaking them thoroughly up and down before his thumbs flicked the tops, turning them like bottle lids.
"I suppose it makes sense… I had once thought it would be Rider no more… and yet here we go again… I hope the transformation is a bit more conspicuous this time!" the elderly man prayed as he gave a small motion of his hands, the two bottles sitting upside down as he thrusted them downward.
RABBIT!
TANK!
BEST MATCH!
A quick hand moved the black lever at the side, spinning it quickly before an elderly gaze hardened towards CFW Judge.
ARE YOU READY!?
"Rider once more! Henshin!"
HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBIT-TANK! YAY!
The large wheel upon the right hand side of the belt buckle whirled with every spin of the red handled lever at the side, two smaller silver gears connecting and rotating too. Out of those two gears, a pair of pipes flew out as the rhythmic sounds of metal colliding rung out, forming a strange rectangle around the old man upon the ground. The pipes moved skyward, forming strange pieces in the air, with red in front and blue behind, making various pieces as the elderly man was covered in a black body suit, the two halves in front and behind him coming together upon it to form diagonal strips upon his body.
His left hand was covered in blue armour to contrast the glowing crimson that covered his left. The opposite was true for his legs, with the addition of a white spiral around the red leg, the left. His chest piece was the same, with red being on top and blue underneath, but the helmet, covering a similar pattern was a small bit more interesting. Two compound eyes looked forward, the right in blue and the left in pink, but it was the shape that intrigued. While they both had antenna, the right had it in the shape of a tank barrel, while the other had the ear of a rabbit, a simple eye and nose added to the left eye just for fun.
"Well that wasn't very conspicuous at all!" the man complained, rubbing his hands against his head before turning to CFW Judge. "Anyway, it's time to deal with you. Let's begin the experiment!"
"This will just be a waste of my time! I'll finish you all off!" CFW judge roared, gathering all the energy he had at his disposal. Nepgear, left holding the remains of the sharicite, looked to the jewel, clutching it tightly.
"If I just use the rest of the sharicite's power, then maybe I could…" the girl spoke aloud, closing her eyes as her fist tightened as much as possible. "Please be enough…"
"Argh, my eyes! What is this light!?" the hulking mechanical titan roared, using the weapon in his hand to instead shield his eyes. "My eyes, my eyes, my eyes…!"
"I suppose it's my turn then!" the elderly man growled as he spun the lever of his belt buckle once more, the lights in the silver wheel swapping rapidly between blue and red as it spun, the music featuring the clanging metal returning.
READY!? GO! VORTEX FINISH! YAY!
Leaping into the air at the same time as a tired Nepgear fell to the ground, the twin coloured man launched a single foot forward, revealing the gear upon the bottom of a black boot as he soared through the air, smashing into CFW Judge as he let out a pained grunt.
"You won't be able to escape! Once my retinal systems are back online, I'll kill you all!" the titan of metal promised, writhing in the air.
"Wait, Gear's down!?" IF exclaimed, the elderly man falling down beside them. "This is bad… we won't be able to get the rest of the CPUs either!"
"The time has come to withdraw. There's nothing more we can do here." Histoire gravely ordered, IF turning to Compa in confidence.
"You heard her Compa! Let's get Gear and get out of this place!" the agent declared, pausing just as a cough came from behind her.
"I believe I'll be coming with you. I don't think this place has any more for me." The elderly man declared as he pulled out the two bottles from his belt buckle, replacing the fancy suit with a rugged dark green waistcoat and a distressed leather overcoat, both seemingly worn by time. It was a testament to the period he had spent in the hell that was the Gamindustri Graveyard, where many met their not at all peaceful end.
It was a moment of great choice for IF. On the one hand, he had just helped increase their chances of escape, but he had also earned a terrifying reputation as the one who had brought the end to many lives, perhaps even being a reason why some turned to Arfoire in the first place.
"…Fine, but you'll have to carry Gear." The agent eventually chose, handing the comatose girl to the elderly man. "By the way, we're going to need a proper name; we can't just keep calling you something like old man."
"…I haven't used my name in a long time." The elderly man wistfully reminisced, running a wrinkled hand through the silver peaks on the top of his head, moving to scratch at the scraggly beard. "Call me Bauen. Kamen rider… build."
They had been walking for a long time, trudging through the various piles of destruction and death. With Bauen leading the way, IF and Compa were left gasping, even without the weight that was Nepgear.
"Oh come on, you can't be tired!" the elderly man scolded, hoisting the girl in his arms better. He couldn't place her over his shoulders, a bandolier who knows how old draped over his left shoulder.
"Sorry… you walk… like this is nothing…" Compa wheezed out, IF looking only a slight bit better.
"I just can't believe that we could only save Gear… Not to mention…" the agent began, her gaze falling to the ground.
"The sharicite shattered to pieces when Ge-Ge used that light…" Compa concluded, looking at the girl in Bauen's hands. "There's no way we can help the CPUs without that…"
"There is no reason for you to be so hard on yourselves. Saving Nepgear was a critical achievement in and of its own right." Histoire praised. "You should return to Planeptune with Nepgear and Bauen. I'm sure you can recognise that we all have many questions for you."
"So you're Histoire hmm?" the man spoke aloud, looking around even as he knew there was no physical origin of the voice. "I suppose answering some questions would be easy enough. Whether you want to hear what happened is a completely different story."
"I would appreciate it anyway. Besides, I must learn what transpired three years ago, even if the memories are too painful for you or Nepgear to recall…" Histoire confirmed, Bauen giving a small nod.
"Well then you two. Lead the way."
When Nepgear awoke, she hesitantly rubbed her eyes, the very same hands that had failed her so miserably greeting her. Regardless, she slipped out of her bed in the Basilicom, jumping into her sailor outfit, making sure that the purple and yellow tie was properly secured, before heading out of the door. Making sure that the D-pad hairclip in her long violet strands was placed correctly as she moved, the girl let out a deep breath as she strode through the corridor, pausing when she heard the noises of people.
"Hey Gear! You're finally awake!" IF exclaimed, approaching the girl with a small hug as Nepgear let out a smile.
"G-good morning…" she answered, Compa stepping up behind the brunette.
"You were sleeping for so long, we were getting worried what a relief." The pink haired nurse in training sighed.
"And how do you feel?" Added a third voice, a small pixie like blonde on a floating tome, dressed in a purple piece with what appeared to be a maid's cap resting upon her hea,d wings of light forming upon her back.
"Oh, Histoire. Um, I think I'm fine now. But, um, so… I'm really sorry…" the girl stumbled to get out, bowing her head.
"If anyone should apologise, it is me. I was the one who sent the six of you into the battlefield." Histoire argued, placing a finger to her cheek.
"Huh!? N-no, I could never blame you! It all went south because… I wasn't strong enough…" the sailor dressed girl declared, stopping only at the scoff that sounded behind her.
"Now what's with all of this yapping so early in the morning?" the elderly man from before, Bauen, asked aloud, making a point of exaggerating his yawn. "If you keep saying you're the one who's wrong for one little reason, then we'll all be apologising for the rest of our lives."
"Ah, I'm sor- Um… who are you?" Nepgear asked, a small cry having her cover her mouth before speaking the question.
"Bauen."
"…"
"…"
"Okay then. Now, it may be sudden, but I must ask you to recount what happened back then, what occurred three years ago at the Gamindustri Graveyard." Histoire coughed as soon as it was properly revealed that there was going to be an awkward silence.
"Of course…" Nepgear whispered, closing her eyes. It was certainly not going to be a fun experience.
"What? That's absolutely insane! You're telling me that all of you managed to lose to one single opponent!?" IF questioned indignantly, Compa just as shocked beside her.
"How could ever CPU lose…? That's way too hard to believe…" the nurse in training fretted, hands close to her mouth as she spoke. Sure, she was out of the graveyard, but it was still fresh in her mind.
"Might I ask a question now…?" Nepgear interrupted, meekly holding up a single hand. "What happened to Gamindustri after we fell in battle? You said it's been three years, so…"
"Chaos. Insanity. There are more words to describe it, but I can't be bothered to list them." Compared to the gathered girl's Bauen's tones were harsh, born through time spent in hell and surviving. "There's that little group isn't there, messing about and trying to take over the place."
"Yes, ASIC, under the assumed control of Arfoire." Histoire elaborated, a finger to her cheek in thought. "It already controls much of the world."
"Disc burning, disc copying… even kids now see piracy as normal and have put their faith in it." IF stated, the agent more than aware of the effects of such things. As an agent, she had been sent to break up numerous meetings, but not all gatherings had been spotted and the effects weren't exactly positive.
"In other words, everyone believes in ASIC, so the faith that powers the CPU has grown weak…" Compa concluded, Nepgear giving a soundless nod. It explained why Egi had been defeated so soundly. Without any sort of faith, of shares, his most powerful gashats had been weakened, their effects made useless in the face of such a powerful enemy.
"I'm assuming then that making that sharicite crystal of yours took a very long time?" Bauen interrupted, scratching at his beard again. "If the shares were low, then you couldn't afford to siphon too much away, lest you doom the CPUs by your own hand."
"Well with the CPUs absent from their own nations, it's no surprise. We failed to save them…" shuffling her feet dejectedly, IF grabbed her other sleeve, pulling at it limply.
"We have also come to learn that ASIC's goal is to revive the Deity of Sin." Histoire added, the fairy solemn in her speech. "And at the rate our world appears to be declining, they might very well reach that goal."
"But… isn't there anything we can do to stop them?" Nepgear questioned, leaning forward on the balls of her feet in hope. Perhaps there was a chance to still save her sister; that's what Neptune would say, right? That there's always a way to save the heroes, which will start off your main quest line?
"Yes, there's one way that still exists." Histoire confirmed, floating to meet the eyes of the lilac haired girl. "And that way is you, Nepgear. Along with the other CPUs' younger siblings – your fellow CPU candidates!"
"Wait… me? And I'm not the only CPU candidate?" Bauen had to give a scoff at that, pausing in his little ministrations to the small empty bottle in his hand, turning to Nepgear with the face of a man scolding a child.
"Did you really believe it would just be you? That just Planeptune would have a backup plan in vase their CPU falls?" the old man questioned in return.
"As you know, the CPUs and the CPU candidates are the only ones who are capable of collecting shares." Histoire went on to explain, floating backwards as she went on. "If a sufficient amount of shares are recovered, then Arfoire and ASIC, along with all of those affiliated with them, will weaken."
'They want me to collect shares in my sister's stead?' Nepgear mentally asked, her fingers subconsciously pushing into one another. 'I want to help Neptune… I want to help the world… But… there's no way I can beat such a strong opponent. I don't stand a chance…'
"Is there a chance you could choose something a bit faster? I'm fairly certain ASIC might be able to gather shares faster than you can." Bauen questioned, returning to his tinkering. When he had first pulled it out, he had been naturally questioned on what the odd black rimmed object was meant for, only to be met with secretive silence.
"There's also the fact that… those who probably would've believed in the CPUs know they've lost by now…" Compa added, leaving Histoire deep in thought.
"Well in that case, we could request assistance from the mascots of each nation." The blonde fairy declared, all attention turned to her in confusion.
"Wait, Game mascots?" IF asked, instead turning to the sharp tap of a pacing foot upon the Basilicom's floor, Bauen's arms folded as he moved.
"Born from ancient divinity, they oversee the world in a passive manner, maintaining the balance." The grizzly man slowly explained, turning to Histoire with a curious look. "That is to say, they ensure prosperity in their nation and remain neutral to all else, correct?"
"Yes. When needed, they will stand by the CPUs and rid the world of evil's influence." The oracle of Planeptune confirmed, Compa tilting her head cutely.
"I didn't even know they existed…" the nurse remarked, a short bark escaping Bauen.
"I had to go deep into the history books to find that piece alone out. If you were expecting to find it on the casual internep, then you're clearly wrong." The man stated as he pulled upon his leather jacket, the same beaten affair that he had worn in the graveyard. They had attempted to get him out of it, only for Bauen to pointedly ignore them.
"Indeed, not even I am aware of their precise locations." Histoire declared. "I have been searching tirelessly for where the mascot of Planeptune resides, but to no avail… I will inform you once I find something of note. In the meantime, please regain Planeptune's shares. This will also serve to rehabilitate Nepgear's combat abilities."
"That does make sense. I mean, Gear didn't even move much in the past three years, let alone fight." IF agreed, though her energy faded slightly as Nepgear stood in silence, her eyes as closed to the world as her mind. "Hey, did you hear that Gear?"
"Huh? Oh, um, yes."
"Very well then. Allow me to grant you this." With barely a second's waiting time, a small black gaming device was in Nepgear's hands, glowing with life in a black shell. There were purple buttons on either side, one holding the traditional letter buttons and the other holding the direction pad, though no analogue sticks were included. "This is the N-gear. It houses a variety of different functions that may prove to be invaluable to you."
"Well, I hope you all have fun with that." A small cough had Bauen pausing in his movements, turning to where Histoire, who would no doubt be tapping her foot if she was able to reach the floor, was waiting with her own arms folded.
"And where do you believe you're going?" the blonde questioned, Bauen rolling his arm as he gave an answer.
"Well if I recall correctly, you and many people were the ones who didn't want me to walk the street anymore." The old man answered, ready to walk back into his own given room until two tiny hands gripped onto the back of his coat, the tome floating before his face.
"While that may be so, we still have yet to be able to place a punishment for you in accordance to your actions, namely because you had disappeared by the time any of us would've been able to capture you." Histoire replied, her voice even despite the slight shaking that had overtaken her body. "You went and killed numerous people without ever hesitating, the least you could do is accompany Nepgear and her friends. It's not as if she would be strong enough on her own to oppose you if you did decide to turn on her anyway."
"But with her friends by the side, they would be able to contain me if I did try anything…" Bauen finished, giving a small sigh as he weighed up the choices. It wasn't as if he didn't want to walk the streets, but it was clear what he would have to do if he did go out there. He had already promised to only use it until his job was done and that was until he went into the Gamindustri Graveyard. The fact that he had to jury rig his own belt in order to help the CPUs out was entirely different though…
"I'm assuming you want me to go through some sort of rehabilitation journey and have Nepgear and the other two try and help me out, right?" the old man remarked with a small scoff, jerking his head in the trio's direction, Histoire giving a small sharp nod. "Well, I still don't think it's fair for you to judge me like this even when you don't know the truth of the story, but considering that I'm not feeling like explaining the whole story yet, I suppose I can go with them. I just have on request."
With a firm stride, empty bottle in hand, Bauen did something none of them had been expecting, Nepgear giving a small moan as he jabbed the bottle directly into her stomach, the lid and casing turning lilac as the casing began to warp, finalising as soon as enough liquid had filled it. The man held up the newly remodelled bottle, looking to the front of the lid where the letters G and H were displayed proudly.
"I see, so it's a cog… no, this is the… Gear full bottle."
And for now, that's it! Well, it would be if it weren't for the second chapter ready for you already. What do you think of this start? Like Ex-aid, there's going to be a difference in the way the bottles are collected and I'll be adding in some more, so let's get this story off to a good start!
Super hero time! See you next time ime!