Okay, Lesson one...threats do wonders for society. Lesson two, however...ask for directions.
"I think we're lost" Neptune declared. How did she become a goddess again?
"Yes, Neptune, I know we're lost" Noire sighed.
"This is really your fault, Joshua" Vert added.
"None of you decided to ask either" I retorted.
"That's because you were doing just fine" Blanc said.
"This place is wonderful" Nepgear's inventory is most likely full as a result of the city's attempts at killing us (she's taking too much machine parts).
"Did you hit your head, Nepgear?" Uni asked. Long story short, her and her sister are not talking. I wasn't paying attention at all to their argument earlier in Gameindustri, but Noire had asked Uni to stay behind...to which she refused. The fight somehow escalated while I was-
"You mean I was beating that Centurion" Rei pointed out. Good point...
-she was fighting that Centurion-
"Thank you" she said.
Can you let me finish?
"s-sorry Joshua" she said, embarrassed.
"No I didn't hit my head, Uni" Nepgear inadvertently interrupted my thoughts "You know how much I like machines"
I sighed. That was an understatement.
I'm not going to bother finishing that portion of my thoughts; better to focus on the task at hand, and that was getting out of here.
Speaking of which-
"Joshua, I think this is an elevator" Noire pointed to the elevator. Yes, Noire that is an elevator.
"So who wants to try it?" I asked, looking at the CPUs. No one seemed inclined for whatever reason.
"Fine" I sighed "I'll try it, and if I see anything interesting, I'll come back for you"
"I'll go with you!" Neptune volunteered "This'll be fun"
"Neptune, try not to break the elevator while you both are gone" Blanc warned.
"Aww, does little Blanny fear for Joshie's life" Neptune mocked. Joshie? She didn't.
Before I could stop her, Neptune pulled the lever...that was the wrong lever Neptune.
"Neptune, Wait!" I yelled, but too late.
Dwarven Balistiae and Centurions appeared seemingly out of nowhere and attacked Nepgear and the others while Neptune and I went up the self activating elevator.
"I didn't touch anything else" Neptune looked at me with worry.
We ascended said elevator and ended up in a room I did recognize. It was the bottom of the boiler control room for the reading room above. I don't remember an elevator being down here, but then again...there was a tower at the bottom in-game.
"I actually didn't think you'd fall for that" the Dark Elf chuckled "Or is that little girl really stupid"
"Hey, that's not a nice thing to say to a lady" Neptune defended.
The Reaver Lord stared at us from the bottom two control pedestals above us. That wasn't good.
"You-a lady?" he chuckled some more "Please...I've seen younger shrews look older than you and try twice as hard to act like a 'lady'"
"I'll have you know that thousands of fans think otherwise" Neptune bragged "I am a proper woman"
"Your breast size is a little lacking and you're dressed to be easy access" he waved his hand "If I didn't know any better, that man next to you has-"
"Oh, you didn't just go there mister!" Neptune held up a finger "I happen to be one hundred percent Nep-pure and that means-"
Okay,why are we even discussing this?
"Maybe it's what highwaymen do?" Rei suggested.
"-fact that I can see your underpants from here speaks volumes girly" the Reaver Lord finished, smug.
"You-you" Neptune pointed her finger shakily "You poophead!"
Are they in love or something?
"You can always ask her" Rei said.
"You know Neptune" I sighed "He has a point-at least when it comes to you and Nepgear's choice of dress"
Seriously, if I was a pervert, I would stare at those forbidden things all day.
"That is being a pervert, Joshua" Rei pouted.
"Good to know" I said, scratching my head.
"You know what!" Neptune transformed "You both have really ticked me off" Purple Heart brandished her sword "You're lucky we're on the same side, Joshua"
And that was the first time I heard her say my name.
Purple Heart launched herself at the Reaver Lord before I could even think about stopping her.
"I'd think twice before you attack me" he said just as she was about to swing her sword "One press of this button and your friends drown" he was referring to the pedestal that he had a cube hovering over.
"You have talked about forbidden things long enough, bad guy" even in HDD she still says childish things; albeit with a maturer voice and a serious expression. She really is cute in that form.
"Neptune, stop his hands" I screamed-and too late.
Water started flowing out of the pipes above us. I ran to the ramp, even as the water filled the place up faster than I remembered.
"This'll stop you!" the Reaver Lord declared, and a dozen Dwarven Spheres appeared out of a little sister looking pipe (yeah, Bethesda modeled them after those iconic Bioshock things).
I summoned my staff as Purple Heart rushed to save me.
"Joshua, watch out!" She attacked the automations behind me; but my attention was on the Reaver Lord currently escaping.
"Neptune, can you handle these?" I asked quickly.
She looked at me and smiled.
"Go and get that panty watching pervert" Purple Heart turned to the automations "I'll handle these, and try not to drown"
"Thanks" and I ran after that idiot elf.
Fortunately I was faster than he was, and jumped to the elevator. He pulled out a sword from his waist and kicked the lever on the elevator.
We exchanged blows as the elevator went up, each being able to parry the others attacks. I held back because I wanted answers from this inconvenient moron, and he tried to make the blasted fight interesting.
"I really don't know how you made a lot of people mad at you, Joshua" he said as we fought "But you're on a 'most wanted dead' list-in a way that I'll never be"
"To tell you the truth it's a long story" and I'm really not interested in just how many people I pissed off "But I'd say you went all out in ticking me off on a 'trying really hard not to kill you' list which actually has very few names written on it. Lately I've killed everyone who annoyed me as much as you" Except for Miraak and the dimension I threw him in-and Lady Lyrica who still garners sympathy in the eyes of the CPUs...and I suppose there is Hermaeus Mora who I really can't kill.
Okay, so I killed most of my enemies; happy now?
"Not really" Rei replied.
Well this douche Bag didn't need to know that.
We were fighting in the reading room now, which was kind of cool because this was one of my favorite parts in the Dragonborn DLC questline.
I pushed him back.
"It's over, Reaver Lord" I said, pointing his sword at him (I had disarmed him) "And now you're going to tell me what I want to know"
"You don't have anyone here to back you up on that" he laughed and the door to the outside opened up, bringing in about a dozen Reavers. The elevator activated as well, and went back down, presumably to bring more people up.
"I don't think it matters if you have a hundred guys with you" I transformed, letting Rei's power run through me "I'll kill every last one of them"
The funny thing is, the Reavers for the most part became scared when they saw me go HDD. I don't think I'll have to kill many of them before they leave me alone.
"That is an interesting ability you have there" he crossed his arms in victory "Sorry to say, though-you're out of luck"
"He's actually underestimating us" Rei said, manically "I think that's funny"
"I was never one to rely on luck" I said, getting ready to kill these guys.
"Well, ain't that a shame" he responded "Get'em boys"
And the Reavers attacked.
I mowed ten of them down before the others backed off. The Reaver Lord took the sword of the nearest minion and lunged at me as the elevator reached our level.
I parried his attack and went for a side swipe, which he had blocked with his sword's flat side. He went for a vertical attack and I kicked his knee out.
"Agghhh" he yelled "That hurts bad"
"You shouldn't have underestimated me" Rei said, and picked up the Reaver Lord.
"y-you sound l-like a girl" he tried to laugh.
"That's because you're not talking to Joshua anymore" Rei squeezed his neck "Now you will answer my questions and maybe I'll let you live"
"You're I-insane" he spurted.
"That light bulb just turned on?" she laughed, and my voice was mixed with hers "I thought you were a reckless idiot, but you just proved me wrong. Points for trying"
She slammed him on the floor, and the Reavers backed away even farther than before.
"First question" she said "How the hell do you know his name?"
"Whose?" he asked stupidly.
This might take awhile.
"You think?" I said "He might not even know who sent him"
Good point.
"You're playing stupid?" she broke his arm.
"Unnngggaahhh" he yelled "s-stop, I kn-know what you want"
"And I suggest you tell me then" Rei withdrew her other hand "I'm waiting"
"I-I was given a name a-and a-a image o-f-of you" he said "Th-they took m-me to a p-place with -metal walls an-and possessed d-d-oors"
"Wow, that sounds futuristic" Neptune said.
Rei-or I looked up and saw them (the point of view is hazy here).
"So the CPUs finally show up" Rei smiled my smile "I thought you had drowned or something"
"We almost did!" Noire said pointedly "If Neptune didn't come back for us, we might have"
"But that doesn't excuse the fact that she was mostly responsible for that situation" Blanc said "She needs to get her head out of her ass"
"I'm not even sure you can stick your head in your butt" Neptune retorted "And Joshua did tell me to pull the lever!"
"Actually I never said a word about the lever" I said, and sighed. I'm me again.
"I thought you said you weren't Joshua?" the Reaver Lord asked, momentarily forgetting his broken arm...which I have no idea how; his bone is literally sticking out of his skin.
"I do believe everyone forgot about getting information" Vert sighed.
"I didn't forget" Nepgear inputted.
"She wasn't talking about you, Nepgear" Uni said.
"Joshua is right" Noire said "You pulled the lever on your own power"
"B-But how was I to know that it was booby trapped" Neptune emphasized booby.
"Neptune...did you just say booby?" Nepgear inquired.
"And what's wrong with saying booby" Vert bounced her tits.
"Oh. Don't you start that crap again!" Blanc has the evil eye.
"Where is Plutia when you need her?" Uni put her head in her hands.
"Is it always like this?" the Reaver Lord asked.
"This is the first time their banter has interrupted an interrogation" I shrugged "I don't think they're always like this"
"I just think a little maturity should mix in with childish behavior every once in awhile" Vert bounced her breasts again.
"That's it" Blanc transformed "There isn't any Plutia to save you now!"
"I concur" Green Heart already transformed "Let's settle this"
"Guys" I said "If you fight in here, then you'll destroy our way home"
They didn't appear to have heard me. I turned back to the Reaver Lord.
"Next question" I cringed as the shock-wave of their fight hit me "Who sent you to find me?"
He hissed at his pain...so he remembered it, then?
"You better make it fast, if you want your minions to survive their fight" I said.
"I-It was a man named Admiral Tarnac" he cried.
"So who the hell is this Tarnac person?" Rei asked me.
I have no idea.
"So what do we do with him?" Noire asked me.
"We need them all gone from this place" I said "If they find a way, they'll stop us from getting out of here"
"Any idea as to who this admiral guy is?" Nepgear asked.
"I have no idea" I said "But it's safe to say he was expecting us"
That disembodied voice might have been behind this...I suppose it's something to think about.
