Hyperdimension Neptunia is owned by Sega, Compile Heart and Idea Factory and everyone else who worked on it.

Chapter 18

"Please, relax." The leader told 5pb. and motioned to a chair that she could have sworn wasn't there before. The leader walked away from 5pb., causing the idol to let loose a small sigh of relief. "I understand that I am... Unsettling to people. Before you ask, no, I will not show you my face and no, it's not because I'm scarred or disfigured, I just do not wish to show my face is all."

"I guess..." 5pb. said with uncertainty in her voice. "I..."

"Are totally confused about how things are going, correct?" The leader asked and 5pb. nodded. "It's common to be confused when a major change happens in your life. When you're forced to change how you live because of factors beyond your control. You want to know if something could have been done to stop it, if maybe there's someone to blame, or maybe question the leaders you've had faith in before, am I right?"

"Yes!" 5pb. nodded at the question. "I've seen so many people who are hurting. Rent went up across the nation, there are people living in the streets. Bless Lady Vert, she's ordered lots of buildings to be built to meet the needs and even asked citizens who could chip in to make temporary shelters for the homeless people, but even now, there's so many still suffering."

The leader nodded and sat down on a chair that 5pb. knew wasn't there a moment ago. "...Is something wrong?"

"I'd ask where you got these chairs from, but I suspect you had them in your inventory." 5pb. said and walked over to the other chair and sat down on it and found it suprisingly comfortable.

"Indeed. So I must ask, do you know where the new arrivals come from?" The leader asked and when 5pb. explained about another world, he nodded. "Indeed. In fact, many of us in the RMCP come from that other world. Some of us come from this world. Others come from the other dimension that's connected to this one."

"Ultradimension..." 5pb. muttered softly, remembering the years she spent there with Cave, MAGES., Broccoli and the others helping Neptune, Plutia and the other CPUs against the Seven Sages.

"Ah, you've been there, so that makes things easier then." The leader said to her. "Tell me, what did you think of the CPUs of that world?"

"Well, they were pretty similar to the ones of this world." 5pb. pointed out, though she knew that there were differences in attitude and habits. "Why do you ask?"

The leader sighed softly. "Do you think that the Divine Beings that rule these worlds deserve to rule them?" 5pb. looked at the leader in shock. "Please, calm, that was too harsh, I admit. Forgive me, stress with dealing with a failure from my underlings that ended up with in an unfortunate situation has left me acting and speaking harshly."

"I see..." The idol nodded to the leader. "...Do they deserve to rule? I think so..."

"But with their unilateral decision to allow people who aren't part of your nation. People who don't share your culture, your values or even care about your way of life..." The leader continued on for her and 5pb. had a look of trepidation on her face as she slowly nodded. "You wonder, don't you? You wonder if maybe they're wrong and you'd be better off if they had made a different decision?"

"But then Planeptune would suffer..." 5pb. said softly. "I couldn't ask that Lady Purple Heart..."

"Why not?" The leader asked her. "She brought this upon herself. Was it not her selfish decision to rid Gamworld of its CPUs that lead to its destruction? Was it not her selfish decision to bring all of the people from Gamworld to this world that's causing the current crisis?"

5pb. glared at the leader. "Lady Purple Heart would never allow people to suffer and die if she could help it! I've seen her! Sure, she can be lazy, spoiled, a bit of a brat, a perverted girl and many other things, but deep down, she's got what it takes to not only be a Goddess, but also a hero!"

"Heroes are meant to die young so they're only remembered as a hero." The leader pointed out. "Is that what you want for her?" 5pb. seemingly deflated and shook her head. "Allow me to ask this then, would you like to be freed of the choices that the CPUs have made?" 5pb. jerked in surprise, her eyes widening in shock. "I already know what you're thinking, and no, I do not wish to destroy Gamindustri. Nor do I wish to destroy the Goddesses, what happened in Gamworld with the Voids should be more than enough proof as to what happens if all of the Goddesses of the world are destroyed rapidly."

"...The ASIC tried this more than a decade ago." 5pb. pointed out to the leader. "To get people to abandon the CPUs and follow her as she sold them pirated stuff and weakened Gamindustri and then the Deity of Sin revived and nearly destroyed the world."

"That's not remotely what I want to do." The leader admonished 5pb.. "What I want is to merely free people, to give the people the ability and choice to modify their lives in any way they see fit. The Goddesses can remain, should they wish to live in peace with us, but unfortunately, my underlings... Shall we say, are a bit hasty and foolish and have angered the CPUs."

5pb. watched as the leader held their arms up with the palms facing upwards. "Angered the CPUs?"

"A mere misunderstanding, I'm afraid. I've already dealt punishment to the ones who stepped out of line." The leader told her. "Don't you think that we could all live better off with our own world and people?"

"But that's..." She shook her head as the leader lowered their arms. "People can integrate and change! There's no need to treat people as different just because we're not all from the same place!"

The leader paused for some time as he listened to her and nodded. "If only it was that simple. Things are very peaceful here thanks to the CPUs and for that, I am grateful." The leader chuckled at 5pb.'s look of shock. "I am from this world. In fact, I followed the CPUs myself for many years. But I found myself questioning them over and over again. Why was it, during the ASIC incident, the Rei Ryghts incident and the CPU Shift, which has happened more than once, that faith in the Goddesses fell so much? What about the CPUs of the generation before this one?" The leader's eyes glowed. "I've looked into the history, it was not even fifty years ago when the CPU known as Uranus sacrificed herself to seal away the Deity of Sin. Yet, we, as humans forgot about her sacrifice, forgot about her... And we forgot about the current generation CPUs not once but twice and even the people of Planeptune, arguably the people who love their CPU the most, started to lose faith in her when she was sealed away, both during the ASIC incident and during the Rei Ryghts incident."

"...You're very well informed..." 5pb. muttered softly.

"I have my ways of getting information, my dear." The leader sighed. "Why is it that we forgot about the Goddesses that protect us? That fight against the evils of the world? Could it be, deep down, we desire to be free of the CPUs? Do not misunderstand, I know that humans need rules and someone to rule them."

"And that someone is you?" 5pb. asked the leader softly.

"Perhaps. After all, did not we follow humans who gained CPU-like powers not too long ago?" The leader put their hands on the arm rests of their chair and sighed. "Please, think on it for awhile. No matter your choice, I won't hold it against you. If you'll excuse me." The leader vanished in a flash of light, leaving 5pb. alone.

"...I don't know who's right." 5pb. whispered to herself softly. "...But... It's true that we forgot about the CPUs who do so much for us... Maybe we don't care for them as much as we think we do?"

Her own faith in Green Heart wasn't as strong as it used to be either.

"...What should I do?" 5pb. asked herself and hung her head. "Someone tell me. I don't know anymore."

(-)

In Leanbox...

Standing on top of a tall building, GBox grinned behind his mask as he looked at a street. Said street had lots of people crossing and driving over it. "Well, looks like..."

"What are you doing?" A voice interrupted GBox. Turning, the big man saw a small girl with blonde hair and blue eyes looking at him curiously. "Are you filming a movie?"

GBox shook his head. "No, not at all. Just looking at a bunch of rats scurrying about." He felt about the detonator in his hands as he glanced back at the people below.

The girl frowned at him. "That doesn't sound nice. There are nice people, not rats."

He shook his head. "I suppose that Gamworld's Green Sister would see them as people, huh?" The girl's eyes widened at him. "I was once one of Green Void's personal toys, Green Sister."

"Oh..." Peashy didn't know what to say to that. "...Do you hate Pea? Or Beru Beru?"

GBox put his hands into his pockets for a moment before pulling them out and shrugged. "I was attracted to Green Void, I admit to being sad when she was killed, as for you, no, I can't say that I hate you or Green Heart." Even with his mask on, Peashy could see that his eyes had a sad look in them. "But I can't say that I care much for her because of it."

"...Pea understands." Peashy nodded to him. "You can hate Pea, but please, don't hate big sister."

GBox was silent as she gave him a pleading look before sighing heavily. "I remember seeing you chained up and about to be executed, you looked so pathetic then. You're much stronger now. ...Can you transform?" Peashy nodded and stared as he suddenly shifted with his right foot forward and held his hands in front of him. "Then show me. Show me what you've gained since leaving Leanbox. Fight me."

Peashy frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"I'm curious. That's all." When Peashy hesitated, he snapped his right hand out and two glowing long blades snapped into reality, surrounding his hand and wrist while extending two feet from his hand. There was a gap in the center of the two blades that crackled with power. "If you don't fight me, Green Sister, then I'll exterminate a bunch of rats."

Peashy frowned before glowing brightly and transforming. Her eyes seemingly glowed as her gauntlets and claws formed over her wrists.

GBox looked over her outfit and nodded. "Surprisingly modest, even if it does nothing to hide your breasts."

"And what's wrong with showing off my boobs?" Green Sister asked as she bounced a couple of times.

GBox chuckled. "Nothing at all, I quite enjoy the view."

"I'm not letting you touch them." Green Sister told him and GBox laughed at her. "What?"

"I was trained by Green Void on how to pleasure women with big breasts, girl. If I touched them, you'd be orgasming before you know what hit you."

Green Sister blushed softly as he pointed his blades at her. "Are you going to fight or flirt with me?"

"A little of both." GBox admitted and jumped at her, slashing at her, only to have her parry with her clawed gauntlets. Spinning around, GBox pointed his left hand at Green Sister as a strange gun with purple needles sticking out of the top appeared in his hand.

Green wings with a yellow underside formed on Green Sister's back as she flew back and up while using her gauntlets to cut through the needles that were fired at her. When each one destroyed left behind a miniature explosion, she gasped as the explosion was more powerful than she had anticipated and sent her flying backwards.

Crashing into a far building and her large breasts bouncing and jiggling uncontrollably, Green Sister groaned and sat up. "You two need to not bounce around so much." Her orange and gray eyes looked at GBox and she grinned as her claws started to glow. "I was told never to fight people, but if you're going to insist I fight you, then..." She suddenly zipped forward. "Yaaaaah!" She swung her clawed hands forward as GBox rushed at her and slashed forward.

There was a clanging of metal on metal and the two passed each other, standing a few feet apart with their backs facing each other.

GBox watched as his blade fell apart and to the ground, its glow subsided as the pieces bounced on the ground. "Not bad."

Green Sister turned her head and smirked at him. "See, I... AHHH!" She screamed as her butt literally exploded, sending her flying forward and crashing onto the roof of the building she was on with her face down and her butt fully exposed thanks to her damaged processor.

"Delayed explosive sticky grenade." GBox chuckled and turned to look at Green Sister. "Hmm, nice butt."

Green Sister blushed and growled as she got up and used her Shares to repair her outfit. "Darn you!" She watched as he snapped his right arm out again and another blade formed in it. "How many of those do you have?"

"As many as I need." He said calmly while pointing his needle gun at Green Sister, firing the purple, explosive needles at her. He continued to fire while aiming at where she was while she flew around in a circle. "You do realize that those needles will fly in an arc and hit things and explode when they stop, right?" The next thing he knew, she picked up her speed and zipped around him in a circle. "What the?" Turning as he heard a yell, he let out a cry of pain as Green Sister's foot crashed into his stomach, when she dive-kicked him, sending him along the top of the roof while she slid on top of him.

Glaring at GBox as her blonde hair fluttered in the wind, Green Sister got off of him and kicked the gun out of his left hand before stomping hard on his right hand to make him let go of the blade. "Now!" She bent over and looked him in the eyes while her large breasts swayed softly. "Did you get your answer?"

GBox was silent for a bit before chuckling. "Sort of, you wouldn't have fought so hard if you didn't care for Green Heart, I'll give you that... Also, thanks for the view of your boob window."

Green Sister scoffed at him. "If I didn't want people to look, I wouldn't have it." She stood up fully and got off of him after kicking the blade away from him. "You jerk. I hope Vert isn't going to be upset with me for fighting a human."

"Probably not." A new voice spoke up and both GBox and Green Sister stiffened and GBox quickly scrambled to his feet while Green Sister turned in an almost painfully slow manner while several black tendrils came out of a glowing black orb. "Data monopolization..."

"Glorious Leader?" GBox asked in surprise and looked at Green Sister as she glowed black and let out a scream of pain. "What are you doing?"

Chuckling, the leader of RMCP, said nothing as the black glow was sucked out of Green Sister, who reverted to Peashy and flopped to the ground, out cold. "There..." The black glow was absorbed into the crystal. "That's one." Turning, the leader put the crystal away. "Now..." A communication screen appeared in front of the leader.

"Hello, Leanbox Basilicom, how can I help you?" The voice on the other end spoke up.

"Yes, I'm a citizen of Leanbox that saw the CPU Candidate fighting on a rooftop not far away from the parks. Please send Green Heart to stop her. I saw her fighting a person on the roof."

"What?! Green Sister would never do that. But I'll send Lady Green Heart right away."

"Thank you." The leader said and turned off the console. Turning to GBox, a portal appeared beside the leader. "Did you think I'd leave her like this? I got what I wanted from her. Let's go."

GBox nodded. "Sure."

The two walked through the portal and it closed behind them.

A few seconds later, Green Heart flew overhead and gasped as she saw Peashy laying on a heavily damaged rooftop that showed obvious signs of combat. Dashing down, she grabbed Peashy. "Peashy! What happened?"

"Beru Beru?" Peashy groaned and opened her eyes. "I feel weird." She shivered as Green Heart hugged her tightly.

"Hang on, I'll get you back to the Basilicom and call Histoire to see if she can help you." Green Heart turned and flew to the Basilicom. She could figure out what happened later, her sister needed her help and she'd do that first. 'Cave can investigate what happened, Peashy needs me right now.'

To be continued...

GBox is GearBox and they worked on the Halo franchise, so... I was going to go with Borderlands, but when it was pointed out to me, I had to do it.