All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this piece of fiction with the exception of my OCs and the story itself.
"Taleia?!" The group members repeated incredulously the woman nodded.
She had biscotti yellow orbs and raven black hair tied in a ponytail with her own hair, as her left side would have some hair down as the other would not. Her ears were pointed at the ends but not elongated, meaning that she was descended from elves most likely.
Her body had very appealing curves and would have an alluring appearance to most eyes. Taleia's garbs consisted of a dark grey top that covered most of her neck and would stop to reveal her flawless midsection. There was a light cyan line that went from the top of her neck hole to the base of the mouth of the top that then went around the end of the clothing piece.
There also was a biscotti colored band around her waist right under her breasts. Speaking of which, her E cups were within a light grey section of the top that also had the same cyan highlights on the edges separating the greys as the pressed themselves into Nebula.
uWu-
Her sleeves were a faded white as there would be some aegean blue bands on her biceps as her gloves would be dark grey that would go up to her palms but only cover her middle fingers with aegean cuffs. Her waist was tied with an aegean sash that had some fabric with cyan accents that went down to her ankles, and also held two futuristic waist guards that held onto her sides, although they reduced the midriff.
Her legs weee fitted with the same dark grey skin tight fabric with the same accents with some sections of her pants being light grey and led to her shoes that would be flat for maximum mobility. She also had two pairs of the biscotti colored bands on her upper and lower thighs.
Man, that was a long ass description-
"Yes. That's me. Isn't that right, Nebby?" She snuggled into him.
"Leia, it's been awhile! You sure look different." Nebula, now filled with some newfound happiness with a pang of nostalgia would hug back his friend.
HUG!*
"Eeeeeee!"
Taleia squealed in delight from the action as Gris looked on in a flabbergasted state.
"This is Taleia? She's an elf?" Domio raised a brow as he was amazed by her appearance.
"Yep. Technically half-elf, but its not too uncommon to mistake her for one by being distracted by her abnormal beauty." AL explained as Domio nodded to his elder party member.
"This is the woman that could hold her own against me. Pfft." Gris laughed at her demeanor towards his former target as she snuggled.
'Taleia looks different in the past, bloody hell.' Vergo looked at the woman with retrospective eyes as she let go of her friend.
"It's been so long since I last saw you! You got taller! Didja miss me?" She looked him up and down, staying almost a bit too long in a certain area as her eyes half lidded at his crotch before gaining some red on her cheeks as she reestablished eye contact, brushing her hair to the side a bit with mild embarrassment.
"Of course! 3 years is a long time. You look different too. More womanly... And more militant. What happened after you moved to Leanbox?" The blue god asked. Taleia responded to his question almost immediately.
"After I left Planeptune with my parents, we settled down here. Then the goddesses disappeared about a week after we migrated. Things really went downhill from there with how crime steadily rose, and my parents weren't really fighters. So to keep them safe and deal with the all these bad things happening, I joined the Leanbox Army. I picked up the way of the sword and quickly rose through the ranks. Before I knew it, I became apart of the elite RRoD." The lady explained as her mellow expression dropped for something more serious.
"Why the army?" AL asked. "Couldn't you have just joined the police?"
"They're corrupt to an extent. Especially over a few hours ago. I don't understand why they're so rowdy now." Was the reasoning his childhood friend gave him with a slight grimace.
"Oh." AL responded.
"R-RRoD? What does that stand for?" Domio asked with a confused head tilt. He got another glare from Gris as the assassin himself anwsered his question.
"The Regal Regiment of Defense for the Leanbox Special Missions Team." Gris stated.
"You got it word for word..." Taleia told the assassin as he folded his arms and hummed like the edgelord he was.
"Hmph." The stock sound effect escaped his mouth.
"I feel like there's a joke with the acronym being a reference to red rings of death in Leambox consoles, but I'll ignore it for the lingering irony. Sample text." Nebula told the group which got him dull glare from Vergo.
"Anyways, you guys caught me on break. You had a question, didn't you?" She looked towards Vergo.
"I did. It was about where the Basilicom was." The blonde reminded.
"The Basilicom? Just go down the road and take a left, then a right. I can show you if you want." Taleia offered. She also wanted to tag along to catch up with her friends as well, so guiding them there would be favorable.
"It would be appreciated." Vergo smiled. He got to talk with his sensei's wife again, and his impromptu mother figure besides Future Histoire in some instances.
"Well what are we waiting for?" She hooked her arm around Nebula's, like back in high school. She then betan to walk as the god would keep up with her pace.
GRAB!
"Let's go, guys." She told the others as they would follow their friend and his apparent first time.
WALK...!
They began to walk. Obvious exposition is obvious.
"So. What are your names, you four?" She would ask as the 6 moved on the sidewalk.
"Vergo." The blonde time traveller anwsered.
"Domio." The preteen responded.
"Gris." The assassin spat.
"AL." The afro wielding warrior mentioned.
"AL?!" Taleia became surprised.
"The one and only." The afro head sniggered.
"The only man who's syphilis story lived longer than he has." Gris smirked in contempt.
"You be quiet!" The dark skinned fighter snapped.
"AL got syphilis!?" Taleia widened her eyes.
"I ALMOST got it." He specified.
"Oh boy." Nebula gained a slight grin as they had a much to cover as they walked.
Taleia learned much in those short 20 minutes.
She learnt that AL slept around like a master key and almost caught an STD that made him commit to abstinence, for now. But on the bright side he gained a hot ability and joined an adventure with Nebula across Gamindustri to gather something called Mascots and that Leanbox was the last place to look.
Domio had been the nephew of an abusive and powerful gang leader in Lowee and had suffered many forms of abuse, suffering from trauma that they were currently being roundabout to fix, but was somehow slowly reducing in severity like his active attempt to supress his stuttering. He also was adopted by Nebula, making him his common law son.
Somehow.
Gris had tried to kill Nebula only a few days ago and only spared him due to the fact that they had an apparent common enemy, evil destroyer deities called VPUs that rival or even surpass the CPUs in power are planning to invade and have invaded at some point, the group meeting them on different occasions.
Then there was the fact that Vergo was a time traveling CPU Candidate from a destroyed Leanbox, from a ruined Gamindustri 20 years in the future and came back to sharpen up his skills to be able to help the present when the VPUs would fully invade. He was also the sister of Vert and technically her superior at that, which made her have some mixed feelings about a mysterious handsome curly haired blonde being the one to inherit the country.
Could have been worse.
And that Nebula had been transformed into a CPU alongside Gris as the first 2 male CPUs in Gamindustrian history as they helped the CPU Canditate of Planeptune free the trapped CPUs in the imfamous Gamindustri Graveyard rid the world of the influence of ASIC and stop the revival of a powerful being called the Deity of Sin.
"You... You guys have a lot on your plate." Taleia was at a loss for words as she was walking alongsidethe prescense of three gods, one being her childhood friend, the other her future foster son, and the other a hired killer that trained her future foster son, as well as a boy that Future Nebula adopted, and her childhood friend AL that had managed to dodge himself a case of syphilis which was the least jarring thing about the entire conversation.
"Tell me about it. Atleast seeing you again made the load a bit easier to carry." Nebula grinned as he dropped a smooth move.
"Oh, you." Taleia swatted him away with a gesture as she gained some pink on her cheeks.
"Talk about lovebirds. You guys have barely been around each other and are already acting like you've been dating for months." AL jabbed.
"Atleast he has a woman. Where's your girlfriend?" Gris jabbed in return. Taleia blushed at the implications since she and Nebula were a thing at one point.
"I don't need no whamen to make me happy. I'm a strong, independent, self sufficient man who has slayed dem guts time and time again. This is just an extended refractory period." AL clarified with a confident tone.
"Keep telling yourself that," the godly trio would say in sync."
"All of you can go suck a pixelated pocky. And you don't have any room to talk, ya virgin." AL grumbled as he turned to Vergo.
Vergo raised a brow.
...
...
...
"No." AL could not believe it.
"I'm kidding. Being jailbait is immoral." The blonde waved off.
"So why do you want to get to the Basilicom?" The raven haired swordswoman asked the blue god with a questioning tone as the blush faded away.
"It's for Vergo. He wants to link with the Sharicite to see if that will return his ability to transform." Nebula informed Taleia.
"I see. But I don't think Chika will just accept that a random person's claims to be the CPU Candidate, who's a man at that, to get in contact, let alone view something as heavily protected and sacred as the Sharicite without dire reasoning." The female elite soldier told the god.
"We have ways of making her comply." Gris darkly attempted to convince the woman.
"I don't like what Mr. Gris is implying." Domio told the group.
"Me neither." AL seconded.
"We're just gonna transform in front of her. What did you people think I was going to do?" Gris would raise a brow.
"Torture." AL gave an option.
"R-word." Vergo censored. That got a comcerned look from Taleia,and a dull glare from Gris.
"Telling her that she looks like a hefier." Domio opted. Nebula had to stifle a laugh with that one.
Taleia was disturbed by what her acquaintances thought that the hitman would do to her Oracle as she would instinctively finger her katana while making eye contact with Nebula to not seem suspicious to the assassin.
Too bad he saw the gesture anyway as he put his hand on his hidden gun. He was shooting the woman a suspicious glare as she looked back at him.
"I sense some tension between you two." Vergo pointed out as he tried to prevent animosity between two people that were important to him in the future.
"Like the sexual tension between you and Ch-" AL was cut off.
"I swear to Celestia." Vergo instantly cut off the comparison.
"To who?" Taleia asked.
"To no one. It's not a person. It's a place." Vergo clarified.
"Oh. Where is it?" The RRoD member asked.
Vergo simply pointed up.
"So it's the afterlife?" AL asked.
"Not exactly. Think more of an actual place than the afterlife. It used to be a place where the original goddesses used to wage the Console Wars before coming down for a more grounded approach. It's also an option for them to go when they retire, and an entire seperate dimension. I'm pretty sure everything up there is exalted, most likely, since I've heard a lot of holy, flying and soul based objects since some souls hang put there too." The green god explained.
"So it's more like the Aether?" Nebula gave a similar realm.
"I believe that's what Histoire told me was similar to it. Except floating landmasses and rainbow walkways and a big heavenly castle somewhere up there, alongside some other things from what I've been told. Maybe after we beat the Deity of Sin, we'll take a peek up there somehow." Vergo cupped his chin as he looked up.
"Somehow." Gris repeated.
"But besides the exposition dump of foreshadowing, shouldn't we be near the Basilicom by now?" Nebula asked the long time lady friend clinging onto his shoulder.
"We are here." Taleia giggled. "Didn't you notice that we stopped?"
"W-Wait ahem Wait, wha?" Domio questioned.
The boys looked to their side and saw the building that was their interest. It was a similar interiot to past Basilicoms they've seen before, except the exterior was in the form of a very pristine building, akin to a mansion. The appearance was familiar to Vergo, and even the path to get there seem something to reminisce about, but because 20 years was a long time for things to change, he was unsure.
"We've been talking when we were in front the building the whole time?" AL questioned.
"What the hell, author?!" The afro man yelled.
I got carried away with foreshadowing. My bad. (; ~_~)
"Moving on from the fourth wall break. Shall we?'' Gris motioned as they entered the building as they were greeted by some Basilicom staff members.
"Good day to you all." The doorman greeted.
"Sup." Nebula greeted.
"Yo." AL acknowledged.
"I like turtles." Domio blurted.
"Good day." Gris monotoned.
"Hello!'' Vergo pleasantly greeted.
"Salutations." Taleia curtly nodded to a familiar.
The doorman was confused with why the woman would be holding on to a random man's arm, but it wasn't his buisness so he went back to being the useful NPC he was.
They then see a person who was standing around that looked near identical to how Vergo described Future Chika, except much younger, likely in her early 20s.
She was nervously looking around as she tried to act natural.
"I-Is ahem- Is that Chika?" Domio asked as he pointed.
"Yep." Vergo Taleia anwsered. "And don't point, Domio. It's rude." She told the boy.
"Oops." He realized and lowered his hand.
"Chika!" Taleia called out to the Oracle as she jumped at the call of her name.
She quickly turned to whoever had called her as her eyes rested upon the group of 6.
Her eyes widened as she saw the party members present that were AL, Domio, Gris and Nebula, but would cough into her fist as she tried to show a calm posture.
"Hey, Chika. How are you doing today?" The soldier greeted her Oracle. Taleia finally latched off of Nebula's arm as her tone became more refined and professional.
LET GO!
"I-I'm doing well. What brings you here?" Chika stuttered as she closed her eyes and gave a smile that looked very forced.
"We came here for some clearance to view the Sharicite. It's for an important purpose." Vergo explained to the greenette as she would open her eyes and look towards him.
"Important? W-What kind of important purpose?" She stuttered for a second time as Gris' eyes began to slightly narrow as she responded.
"It's for the safety of Gamindustri as a whole. We need your permission to view it to be able to help Leanbox in its state of crime. Please, Chika!" Vergo pleaded as he bowed.
"U-Uhm..." 'Chika' was stuck. She wouldn't have forseen the friends of those broads to arrive before them. But it was expected since they passed them in the raft. And on top of that, she didn't know where the Sharicite was to show it to them as she was simultaneously attracting the suspicion of the one guy that wanted to kill her in Lowee.
She was sweating as she struggled to come up with a response.
"Hm." Gris would hum. The group would turn to him. "Taleia, Vergo. Correct me if I'm wrong, but does Chika stutter every sentence, akin to Domio?" The assassin asked as 'Chika's' eyes would shrink.
"Not that I know about." Vergo responded, as he thought back to the time he unwillingly spent with Chika.
"Not really." Taleia anwsered as she then looked back to Chika, who looked to her quickly before looking to Gris with some fear in her eyes.
"And does she jump when you call out to her, like a shy girl archetype in one of those dating sims?" The assassin further questioned.
"Definitely not." Vergo Taleia responded in sync.
"Are you implying that this Chika is an imposter?" AL raised a brow.
"Imply means I don't have evidence." Gris responded.
"Then show us your evidence." Nebula challenged. "You can't just jump to conclusions so quickly." The blue god deadpanned.
"I can, and with the right incentive, will. And gladly." Gris obliged as the Basilicom staff was now be interested in the conversation.
"Chika, an imposter?" A staff member gasped.
"It can't be!" A butler reeled.
"Impossible! Don't you dare speak of out oracle in such a pretentious manner!" A maid denied.
'Chika' would be looking around very nervously as she would anwser the CPU god.
"T-That's preposterous." She stuttered once more.
"Is it? Then do you remember that you called Nepgear and her friends over to Leanbox?!" Gris pointed an accusing finger towards her.
"I what- I mean, Yes! I totally remember calling her. How could I forget?" She smiled as she tried to reassure the group.
"Right. Let's say that you remember, 'Chika'. Do you remember what you called her here for?" Gris moved on to the next question, pulling some papers out of his pocket, hitting them as he looked up, mimicking a certain lawyer.
"Come on, Gris. You're just making a-" The adventurer tried to make the hitman see reason.
But instead, he saw the hand.
"I-I... I called her here... For a monster slaying quest! There's a really annoying monster around here somewhere and I wanted her to slay it." 'Chika' reasoned.
"And pray tell, why, would you want someone as important and on an important quest as the CPU Candidate of Planeptune, to come all the way to Leanbox, for a simple monster slaying quest that could be done by one of your soldiers-" Gris gestured to Taleia, "-Or one of the adventures in the guild, as a simple issuing of a quest could have done the trick." Gris gave valid alternatives.
"Uh--" She faltered, as the assassin continued.
"But let's play into your narrative, 'Chika'. Do you know the monster in particular? Do you know its location? Do you have a reward for its defeat? An accurate idea of its combat capabilities? These are very simple prerequisites that any person would have thought up before issuing a quest. Do you know these things for your particular monster?" Gris pressured.
The group became deathly quiet as they awaited an anwser from the Oracle.
The same effect would be mirrored over the Basilicom staff.
"...I-It was... It was a... Er..." She stagnated.
"...Well?" Gris raised a brow.
"Uhm... It was a... Ah... It was a..." The Oracle would be struggling to come up with the monster she had in mind from the assassin's intimidating glare.
"Well it appears you cannot come up with the most basic of requirements for your quest, 'Chika'. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I have been told my gaze strikes fear into the hearts of men." Gris hyperboled, which got a groan from Nebula and AL.
"To you all who have made an audience," The hitman turned around as he looked at all the Basilicom members. "Is there anything noteworthy that Chika has done in the past few hours?" He asked as a receptionist anwsered him.
"She... She passed a law uplifting the ban for worshipping ASIC." The woman told Gris.
"Oh, really now?" Gris would turn back towards the on edge Oracle. "Why would an Oracle, someone who serves the motherfucking CPU of all people, would lift a ban that actively goes with the one organization that seeks the downfall and is directly responsible for the disappearance of your beloved CPU." Gris asked the crowd.
"Responsible?!" The staff members, including Taleia reeled as they absorbed the information, letting the word echo about the halls of the Basilicom.
"ASIC is responsible for the disappearance of our CPU?" The doorman asked.
"My word!" The maid was in disbelief.
"AMOGUS-"
The room of staff members went into a bustle of murmers as Gris let them speak as he stared at the mortified 'Chika'.
"H-How did they not know?" AL questioned.
"Because they don't wander into the most dangerous place in Gamindustri, AL." Nebula deadpanned.
"You've been to the Graveyard?!" Taleia squeaked at the two.
"Yeah." The males responded.
"I-... Well I guess my friends are gods amongst men." Taleia sighed.
"Well, actually-" Nebula began with a trolling smirk.
"Shush, you." Taleia said with a roll of her eyes. Vergo stifled a chortle.
"But wait!" Gris silenced the crowd. "There's more.'' Gris darkly grinned as he flicked the paper with his palm.
"What more could there possible be?!" Vergo asked as he was basically convinced as Gris looked towards him.
"Sense her energy." He told the KI users.
"Huh?" Taleia questioned.
"Dew it. I know who it is, but I want confirmation." Gris told the trio. He wanted to see the surprised faces of the non believers as they proved him right.
"Alright." AL obliged as he squinted his eyes as Chika. His eyes widened as he felt a familiar energy.
"Please don't tell me that it's..." Nebula would sense as he then facepalmed.
"Damn it!" He yelled as Gris sniggered.
"It dosen't feel like Chika. Who is it?" Vergo asked as Taleia gave a questioning glare to the man as well.
"That woman is not Chika." The assassin close his eyes. He walked all the way to the receptionist desk, before putting down the papers as he slammed his hand onto it, pointing at 'Chika' as he yelled with a shit eating grin that had so much certainty you were sure he actually ate shit.
SLAM!
POINT!
"YOU'RE UNDERLING! Gris roared as his pointed as his voice echoed through the Basilicom floor.
"I thought her name was Linda." Domio asked.
"Who in the four nations calls her that, anyway? Underling is funnier." AL corrected.
"You damn bastard!" Underling yelled out at her name's misconception being more popular. She immediately covered her mouth as she had just sold herself out, her voice chamge being a dead ringer.
"And I rest my case." Gris finished up as he folded his arms as plastered a satisfied look, taking back the papers and putting it back in his pocket.
"You imposter!" Taleia shouted out as she gripped the upper sword handle as she unsheathed it.
It had a dark blue hilt wrap with a cerulean diamond pattern with a spruce blue pommel, circular hilt and blade collar as the blade itself would be a ocean blue with a darker blue back for the blade. The edge pattern would be akin to a wave as it glistened in the light.
UNSHEATH!!!
"I find it highly ironic that when I give Chika a chance, she's an imposter." Vergo pointed out as he pulled out his bo staff.
EXTEND!
"You have nowhere to run, faker!" Nebula shook off the feeling of being wrong as he focused on the new plot point.
"Faker? You're not even good enough to be her faker!" AL continued as he got ready to chase the underling.
"I'll make you eat those words!'' Vergo finished the reference with an obnoxious shout as he grinned.
"Grr! I'm outta here!" Underling bolted deeper into the Basilicom as she was chased by the 6.
"Underling was the Imposter!" AL yelled as he went to chase the ASIC grunt, as the body and voice changing technology faltered.
"She's getting away!" Domio yelled.
"After her! I need my KD to rise!" Gris took the lead as he dashed after her.
Underling was now be evading pursuit as the group ran after her. They ran after the imposter Oracle as she shoved unknowing staff members who did not know of her true purpose as their downed persons would be a clear indicator to where she went.
"Why is she so fast?!" Taleia asked the group of males as they ran after her.
"Because thats all she does. Running is her EXE Drive." Nebula joked as he got a laugh from AL and Gris.
"That's sad." Vergo admitted.
"It's true. She and her accomplice, Warechu just run with their pumped up kicks. There she is!" Domio pointed as he saw the ASIC grunt take a hard left as her hair flapped in the wind behind her.
The group of 6 continued their chase scene as they did not let up as Underling led deeper and deeper into the building. She was cornering herself as she would descend the floors, having little to no grasp of the building's inner workings.
She did not stop until she ran into a room. It was a dead end, which was not good for her, but she stumbled upon an important item which would have been glowing a bright light green light.
"Damn!.. Wait a minute, this is-!" She realized right as the group of OCs cornered her as they busted through the door.
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" Vergo halted as he gripped his staff.
"We have you surrounded!" Taleia yelled as she got in an offensive stance.
"FAKER!" Nebula yelled.
"..." Gris kept quiet he looked around the room.
"...What is this place?" Domio asked as he looked around the cybernetic looking room.
"STOP RESISTING! STOP RESISTING!" AL blared out as his voice echoed in the room.
"I'm not even resisting!" Underling yelled back at him.
"But you are impersonating an important figurehead, as well as resisting arrest. Now where's the real Chika?!" Taleia interrogated.
"Like I'd tell you!" Underling spat.
Gris then took out his glock as he aimed it at 'Chika'.
"Start talking or I'll start blasting." Was the ultimatum for the ASIC grunt.
"Whoa! When did you get a gun?!" Underling widened her eyes as she would not have her weapon on her person.
"Speak your truth, before my gun speaks its own!" The assassin pressured as Underling backed up some more.
Too bad she was dragged forward instead by Nebula as he outstretched his hand and used Attraction to pull her towards the group.
ATTRACT!
"Woah!" Underling yelled as she would be pulled towards them.
"SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK." Gris said in a throaty voice as he cooked his gun as she approached.
Taleia's blade menacingly glistened as her eyes narrowed.
AL's fist caught ablaze.
Vergo tapped his pole on the ground as a force of wind came from the floor.
Domio had his fists up in a non threatening manner, but he still tried as he angrily pouted.
"We have ways of making you talk." The adventurer grinned, ready to unleash another gravitational torture mechanic.
ゴゴゴゴ!
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Underling cracked as she would suddenly stop moving.
"Talk." All of the members sans Domio would say in a synchronized tone.
"We took the Oracle and put her south from Leanbox. It's in the Underverse!" She spilt the beans as she closed her eyes in terror.
"Good to know." The assassin responded as Nebula dropper her on her behind. She was then held to the ground, unable to stand up as he increased her gravity to the point that she would find solace in a show about people who weighed 600 lbs.
DROP!
GRAVITY!!!
SMASH!
"Ack!" Underling yelled. She winced as she landed flat on her bum before looking up at the group, straining.
"Now what do we do?" Domio asked.
"We detain her and put her under custody. If she is apart of ASIC, whatever information she holds will be valuable to us." Taleia explained as she pointed a blade near her jugular as Underling was now held at gun and swordpoint.
Vergo then walked past the group as he then put his hand on the large green crystal with a power signal in the middle.
"This is the Sharicite Room! Now I can link with the Sharicite!" The blonde gushed as he looked towards the crystal.
"Neat. How plot convenient." Nebula nodded.
"Hey. No meta. This is an important moment." AL stopped the god from breaking the fourth wall anymore. It was cracked as it already stands.
Vergo then place his hand on the Sharicite.
TOUCH!
The giant crystal seemed to react to his touch as it fluctuated in brightness. It ganded and dimmed as the Sharicite that Nebula used all those chapters ago had.
The pulses would become more rapid ad time passed, and before any of the 7 persons in the room knew, it would be enveloped in a blinding light.
SHINE!!!
"!!!" Everyone reacted as they shielded their eyes.
Underling was facing away from the light, which gave her enough time to roll back before sprinting off. Added in the fact with a moment of weakness from Nebula granted her a moment of opportunity, she used it to escape.
CEASE...!
ROLL!
DASH!
"She's getting away- DAMMIT!" Gris yelled as he shut his eyes. He'd fire some shots in rage, but all that would do was waste energy and cause unnecessary noise.
The light subsided as the group of six would open their eyes.
The room still remained the same cybernetic green as it was prior to the event.
Vergo would still be placing his hand on the Sharicite as he faced towards it.
"Well, that flare let her get away. Fuckin' hell." Vergo stated as he sighed. "Sorry about that one, lads and lass. Let's track her down, mates." The CPU Candidate continued as his voice became much more accented.
"Vergo? You sound different." Nebula told the god.
"Like you stick your pinkie out when you drink tea." Taleia referenced.
"And you eat crumpets and biscuits and enjoy black tea." Gris put away his pistol.
"Piss off, Tals. bloody hell." The blonde turned around as they would react. The half elf raised her brows at the nickname.
She'd point it out, but...
"Y-Your eyes!" AL pointed out.
Vergo blinked upon the mention of his eyes. Instead of his normal dark blue hue, they would be identical to his HDD self, with the glowing power signal within his purple irises all but present. His hair was spiked, akin to his HDD state, but his hair was still golden blonde. His muscles were also buldged a bit.
"Hot damn! That looks sick!" Nebula complimented.
"It's like a hybrid state of some sort. He's not a god, but he's not 100% mortal either. Don't tell me it's something like you couldn't like with the damn crystal properly." Gris stated.
"Hm..." Vergo looked up in thought. "I feel a connection to the Sharicite, but it's not secure and constant like how I felt my sister's. Sorry Gris, mate. But your theory might be on the money." The CPU Candidate clarified.
"So you're some kind of demigod right now?" Taleia asked.
"I'd like to think this is what I am, rather than the term 'Incomplete Sharicite bond'." Vergo responded to the RRoD soldier.
"So now we have a CPU demigod, and the location of the Oracle. Let's go get the actual Oracle. Maybe beat up Underling on the way back." AL planned as the others agreed.
"Wait,'' Nebula halted the group. "If Vergo leaves like that, it'll be a Lowee situation all over again." The blue god remembered.
"Oh yeah." AL remembered alongside the trio that had been there.
"Anyone have sunglasses?" Gris asked. The group looked at Nebula, who shook his head.
"I'm using these, though. You'll have to ask someone else." He told the blonde.
"Why don't we use my goggles?" Domio asked.
"Too small." Was the response from his foster father as he patted his head.
PAT!
"Oh. Ok." Atleast the boy tried.
"I have some shades." AL fished the black Rule of Cool spectacles from his pocket.
"Thanks, bruv." Vergo took the shades as he put them on
"Let's blow this joint." Nebula told the group.
"Last time I did that, Gris almost killed me." AL laughed.
"Puff puff pussy boi." Was the edgelord's response.
The group reached outside of the nation as they would be running towards the cave that Underling mentioned. They were making ground, but the sun was close to setting.
"It's gong to get dark soon...!" Taleia told herself as she sprang in a zig zag pattern to cover more ground with her superhuman speed.
"You don't say, lass?" Sarcasm would be dripping from Vergo's voice as his HDD personality bled into his human state. He floated with his aerokinesis.
"The uncut sarcasm is strong in this one." Nebula commented as he flee near the ground with his gravity manipulation.
"Coming from you, that's ironic." AL pointed out.
"How?"
"Because sarcasm is just an extension of irony, and since you trained him in the future, it is indeed ironic." The afro warrior clarified as he boosted with his flames.
"Well said, matchstick. I didn't think you had the IQ for intellectual humor." Gris complimented as his white aura boosted his regular speed stat as he zoomed ahead.
"Go slip on an oil spill, Grease." Was AL's rebuttal.
"Why am I slower than everyone?" Domio asked as he lagged behind with his ice skating.
"Because the author hasn't developed your skillset- AHEM- I mean because you still have some room to grow, Domio." Nebula explained to the child as he nodded.
"..." Domio stayed quiet.
"We won't cover enough ground at this rate." Taleia made quick glance to the quiet boy as she then turned to the next person that spoke.
"Then let's transform. I hoped we could have saved some energy, but..." Nebula stopped mid air as he would see that the group did the same.
"Night monsters are the equivalent of nightmare mode. Right." AL finished for his best friend as he would then go into his Burning Fever state.
ABLAZE!
"So this is the Burning Fever you've been talking about. Spicy." Taleia commented with an appropriate adjective.
"Heh." AL rubbed under his nose.
"Well if you think that's cool, then check it!" Nebula told the woman as he gave a quick glance to Gris. The assassin rolled his eyes before both of them yelled out the phrase.
"Access!"
PILLARS!
TRANSFORM!!!
The white pillars with green digital numbers circling them appeared. When they returned, they were Brave Heart and Edge Heart.
"Yare yare daze. It's ya boi. Check it, dawg my kit is fly, ya'll. Ya'll ain't got shit on me, I'll fold yo asses on the spot." The blue god talked in lingo.
"Your ebonics can use some sharpening, but yes, we are in the prescense of you all." The edgy god spoke in his deep, regal tone.
"Gris really did have more hair in the past. He even has his extra bang!" Vergo pointed out.
"I would truly appreciate if you did not speak of my future hair problems, Vergo." Edge Heart chided through gritted teeth.
"Look on the bright side. Atleast your hairline didn't recede like somebody's 45 year old dad." Brave Heart told his fellow god.
"You are not helping, Nebula. Not one bit." The gravity defying hair deity grumbled.
"So this is what your god forms look like! They're so..." Taleia looked on in awe and slight arousal as she looked at their more powerful and attractive forms.
"Ripped? Yeah, that happens. If the goddesses get more attractive when they do it, then we look physically stronger and more aesthetically pleasing when we do it." Brave Heart explained.
"Well, there is another difference but it's not important to the situation we're in. So who is going to carry Domio Taleia as we fly?" The scythe god asked.
"Nah, mate. I like flying unhindered." Vergo told the group as he summoned his flight processors.
SUMMON!
"Oop. And looks like my processors are here." The green demigod was occupied with looking at his wings.
"I'll have to agree with Vergo on that one. Plus I might burn someone with my hands." AL gave a poor excuse as he really just wanted to use his hands to fly faster.
"Huh. Well Gris, you feel like carrying Ta-" Brave Heart was cut short.
"Hah. No." The edgelord god responded.
"Then it's-" Once again, he was cut off.
"Nope."
"Then what was the point of you transforming?!" The blue god asked.
"To make you assume you were going to get assistance, only to let you carry everyone."
''Man, that's foul." Brave Heart grimaced as he looked away.
"Also so that you could eat my dust." Edge Heart offered a different reason.
"You're not helping Gris. Not one bit." The long haired god responded with a facepalm. The Regal god gave a satisfied smirk.
"I can just walk-" Taleia tried to play mediator.
"Then us transforming had no purpose, and we've been wasting time. C'mere." The god told his friend.
"OK?" The RRoD member raised a brow as she approached him. He then scooped her up into a princess carry as she reacted accordingly.
CARRY!
"H-Hey! What are you doing?!" She asked. Her face reddened a bit from the action. She held onto his neck as he then crounched.
"Carrying the team. Hop on, Domio." Nebula told the boy as he hopped onto the back of the deity that knelt for him.
KNEEL...!
JUMP!
"Beam me up, Scotty!" The boy referenced as he jumped on the back of his foster father.
Brave Heart then stood as he was under the weight of two persons.
"I am the Enterprise." The god unapologetically referenced as he stood tall. He then summoned his flight processors ad he began to levitate.
SUMMON!
LEVITATE!
Taleia instinctively held on tighter, mimicking Domio as the trio raised off the ground.
"It went from lovebirds to family road trip." AL chuckled as he levitate with his flames.
BOOST!
And Edge Heart followed suit as his flight processors manifested as he summoned them and began to lift of the ground as well.
SUMMON!
FLY!
"Squadala! We are off!" Brave Heart yelled as he would fly up as Taleia would waerily look down as the ground became further and further away.
"Promise you won't drop me?" She asked sincerely as she looked back towards him. Her eyes showed a crack of fear and uncertainty.
All she would get in response is a troll face.
"You bastard-"
FLY!!!
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" She screamed as Domio held on as tightly as he could as the others zoomed after them.
BOOST!!!
ZOOM!!!
FLY!!!
The group of 6 approached at the Underverse in record time as the sun had just set when they had reached the entrance by Vergo sensing the Oracle's energy when they were near the area that Underling told them she was held captive.
"There's the entrance!" Vergo yelled as he descended.
Edge Heart shot past him and crashed onto the ground first before he raised up as the first person to reach the hideout entrance.
ZOOM!
CRASH!
Vergo landed with some air cushions as he then flipped into a crouch. He stood up as he landed next to the white winged god.
CUSHION!
FLIP!
LAND!
AL shot down before using his thrusters to dramatically slow the fall before plopping down as his feet touched the floor.
BOOST!
THRUST!!!
LAND!
And finally, Brave Heart slowly descended, purposefully being shaky with Taleia like the troll he was, making her both fearful and annoyed as she held onto to him tighter, a flushed face ever present mixed with blatant annoyance.
He was eventually be told off by Domio.
"C'mon Nebula, everyone's waiting on us!" The boy told his foster father as he stopped playing around with the paranoid soldier.
"And stop trying to drop me already!" Taleia screamed as she did all but look directly down.
"Fine, fine." Brave Heart complied as he vanished before reappearing at the ground with the two on his person.
VANISH!
REAPPEAR!
Domio let go from his father's neck as he dropped to the ground and walked to the group.
Taleia was placed down as she then hopped up and attempted to slam down her fist on his head. His instincts took over, and he blocked the slow attack to his perception.
HOP!
SWING!
BLOCK!
"Hey! You can't block that!" She complained.
"Why not?" Brave Heart asked.
"It's a trope! And you deserve it." She justified as she landed.
LAND!
"Well you had your chance. You can just hit me twice the next time I do something stupid. If you can." The god shrugged as he let out a taunting remark.
"You're even more of an ass in this form." She sighed.
"Well, I noticed that his troll personality magnifies in that form, so you'll have to bear with it." AL told the whamen as she looked towards him.
"In the future, the bloke's personalities become more indistinguishable from each other." Vergo added to the conversation.
"I would not be surprised in the slightest." Edge Heart commented.
"Could we all stop talking shit about my mannerisms and save a captured person already?" Brave Heart deadpanned as he gave the group an annoyed look.
"And you shut up with your future balding." The god pointed at Edge Heart.
"It was one bang!" The edgy deity said. If only he knew he had nape length hair.
The group entered the facility after the transformed persons sans Vergo reverted, as he simply put away his flight processors with a thought, and ran inside.
REVERT!
REVERT!
EXTINGUISH!
It was grey with green outlines as there would be some wide areas as monsters lurked around as they squandered the area. The group halted as they were confronted.
They would be some Red Babyvaders, and would be in groups of 3 and 4 as they wandered around the hideout. They were be reddish pink and possessed yellow antennae as their faces would be hollow and rectangular as it hey all had neutral expressions.
"Lets clear out the area." Taleia directed as she unsheathed her blue blade.
"Already ahead of ya, lass." Vergo took out his pole as it lengthened to his staff.
"A-Alrigtht! Ahem- Let's do this!" Domio yelled as he materialized his gauntlets.
"Been awhile since I punched a mob!" Nebula earnestly stated.
"Bullets go brrrrrr." Gris memed unironically.
After saying their sample text, the fighters would get the jump on the mobs.
The battle began with Gris enhancing his gun as it glowed white as he then fired some shots at the nearby enemies. The bullets from his gun were enhanced to move at speeds rivaling his maximum speed, so one could only calculate how hard those bullets hit those monsters.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The shots flew as they sounded more like explosions than gunshots. It was safe to say that those Babyvaders had been one shotted into oblivion as the bullets connected, their remains pixelating immediately after.
PIXELATE!
PIXELATE!
PIXELATE!
Next would be Vergo who twirled his bo staff before striking an incoming Babyvader with a swift side sweep.
THWACK!!!
He continued as he used his free hand to pull back the mob by pulling back his index and middle fingers as the mob was yanked towards him. He then rammed his staff into the monster before sending him up.
GESTURE!
YANK!
RAM!!!
THROW!
He then hurles his bo staff as he used the air around it to make it fly faster before the weapon would impale the enemy as it shortly pixelated thereafter.
CRASH!
IMPALE!!!
PIXELATE!
Another enemy tried to ambush the green god, but he turned around just in time to send a glare that knocked the enemy into a wall, only to then use his aerokinesis to yank down his weapon to impale it as well, instakilling it.
GLARE!
WINDWAVE!!!
CRASH!
ZOOM!
IMPALE!!!
PIXELATE!
The other two Babyvaders nearby would shoot some mini tornadoes at the CPU Candidate, but were canceled out as he pulled out an SP Skill.
MINI TORNADO!
"Gallant Gale!"
GUST!!!
PUSH!!!
The strong winds were ejected from his staff as it rotated incredibly quickly, canceling out and overpowering the opposing winds as the monsters would be blown away as Gris shot the other two that were blown away.
BOOM!
BOOM!
"Oi! Get your own mobs, ya bellend!" Vergo yelled as he reached out for his staff and grabbed the approaching item as it rushed towards him.
"Psshaw." Was the assassin's response.
Moving on to Taleia, as she sprinted towards an enemy as her grip on her blade tightened as her other hand would be in front of her steadying her movement as her index and middle fingers would be rigid.
She then slashed at a nearby Babyvader as her blade left a watery and foamy trail as she attacked. The foe was knocked back as she continued her assault as her eyes narrowed.
SLASH!
SLASH!
STAB!
COUNTER SLASH!
ASCENDING SLASH!
Her attacks flowed as she made one attack lead into the other in one constant movement, and kept the mob from attack as her attacks were graceful, yet crashing like a powerful river.
She finished off the Babyvader as she let down her blade as she yelled out a roar as she called out her SP Skill.
"Crescent Waterfall!"
The blade then glowed a soft cerulean blue as the trail of water that came forth from her blade as her katana would slam into the monster as she sliced into the body of the mob as it would be sliced in half as the sound of a crashing waterfall could be heard.
SLICE!!!
PIXELATE!
The monster pixelated as the soldier then turned to her flank just in time to side kick another Babyvader as she would then spring towards the kicked opponent before laterally slicing the mob as it would then be counter slashed before being stabbed into the wall as it cracked from the pressure.
KICK!!!
DASH!
SLICE!
COUNTER SLASH!
PIERCING STAB!
The mob was further cut with a flurry of slashes before it was run through with the katana as it pixelated shortly after as the raven haired swordswoman moved on.
SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE!
IMPLAE!!!
PIXELATE!
The swordswoman leapt into the air as she twirled before descending upon the final enemy as she yelled out another SP Skill as she cooked back her blade hand.
"Crashing Waves!"
Taleia then repeatedly stabbed in the direction of the Red Babyvader as blue blades of water that were projected from her sword and rained down upon the enemy as it would be hit repeatedly by the aquatic attack as it would be caught by surprise.
STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB!
SPLASH!!!!!!
The sword user then finished off the monster as she landed on the mob, clasping both hands on the blade before stabbing into it as she landed. A large splash of water would be seen coming from the impact as she ended the monster.
STAB!!!
SPLASH!
PIXELATE!
Nebula ran past his childhood friend as he leapt into the air before dropkicking the nearest Babyvader as it was knocked back.
DROP KICK!
The male then outstretched his hand towards another Pixelmator as he moved his palm down as the mob would be crushed under a tremendous force of gravity as it would pixelate almost instantly.
CRUSH!!!
PIXELATE!
The blue adventurer immediately back stepped after the dispatching of the enemy to avoid a charge from the Babyvader he kicked prior as he countered with a KI attack, slamming the blast into its flank before it exploded in a bright explosion.
BACK STEP!
BLAST!
SLAM!!!
EXPLOSION!!!
PIXELATE!
Nebula then vanished as he reappeared next to another adjacent Babyvader as he had his first cooked back. He then coated his fist in gravity and clocked the mob as he then vanished and reappeared and delivered a gravity kick, and would repeat the process with an gravity elbow, gravity headbutt, then into a gravity knee before jumping into the air and clasping his arms before smashing it into the ground as it pixelated shortly after.
PHASE!-
PUNCH!
PHASE!-
KICK!
PHASE!-
ELBOW!
PHASE!-
HEADBUTT!
PHASE!-
KNEE!
LEAP!
SLEDGEHAMMER!!!
CRASH!
PIXELATE!
Dust shot up from the ground as AL burst forth from the puffy cloud as he skidded from a group of Red Babyvaders as they decided to attack him as a group.
SKID!!!
The flame user stuck his arms out as he fired flame enhanced KI blasts at the group of monsters. They exploded in some of the monsters as the smoke cloud was spread out as the fight continued.
BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST!!!
EXPLOSIONS!
Nebula looked down from his position as he would see his friend dealing with the mobs as he would lend his aid. He outstretched his arm as he then lowered his palm with the monsters would be restrained as they sank into the ground, the ground itself depressing with them.
GRAVITY!!!
CRUSH!
DEPRESS!
AL smiled as an opportunity opened up for him as he then manifested a large fireball blast as he yelled out his SP Skill before firing it.
"Flaring Blazer!"
BLAST!!!
EXPLOSION!!!
He fired the blast as it then exploded upon the group of mobs before throwing another skill to finish the job with certainty that the group of enemies had fallen.
"Overheated Assault!"
DOUBLE FLARE!
DOUBLE BURN!
The streaks of flames would land on the initial blast zone, before blowing up as the monsters finally pixelated, and would fist pump in success.
KA-BOOM!
"Yes!" AL rejoiced as he fist pumped in the direction of his friend, who gave him a thumbs up in return.
Switch to Domio, with his gauntlets active as he would be evenly matched with the Babyvader currently fighting him.
BLOCK!
PUNCH!
BLOCK!
ROLL!
LUNGE!
LEFT HOOK!
Domio punched, blocked and rolled as he slowly learnt from what he observed from his foster father, AL, and even something that Gris told him.
He then ducked another lunge from the Babyvader as he would dodge the attack before rolling forward and got up before turning around.
DUCK!
"Yikes!" Domio ducked as he dodged another attack from the mob. He the repositioned himself as he fired an SP attack at the monster.
"Cold Bolt!"
ICE BOLT!
IMPACT!
The attack flew from his gauntlet as it smashed into the Pixelmator as it would be knocked back. He knew that one wouldn't be enough from his experience with the Killachines, so he fired the other.
ICE BOLT!
IMPACT!
The bolt struck the Babyvader once more as he then saw that its movements would become slower as a side effect of his bolts hitting it. He manifested his gauntlets again before firing more ice bolts as it approached.
MANIFEST!
ICE BOLT!
ICE BOLT!
MANIFEST!
ICE BOLT!
The Babyvader slowed down to an even greater extent as it neared the boy. He wouldn't want to be attacked as he summoned more ranged attacks, so he summoned his gauntlets and ran up to the Babyvader before clocking it with his gauntlet, the weapon shattering on impact as it would be knocked back.
MANIFEST!
RUN!!!
UPPERCUT!
Domio then fired Ice Bolts from both of his hands as the bolts combined, before they struck the Babyvader dead on, completely freezing it as it would be in a block of ice.
DOUBLE ICE BOLT!
FREEZE!
The boy manifested a single gauntlet, giving up a second one for a bigger size, before slamming the weapon into the ice block, shattering it and inadvertently the Babyvader as it pixelated into data shortly after.
MANIFEST!
"Rah!" He yelled.
STRONG PUNCH!
SHATTER!
PIXELATE!
"I-I... I did it!" Domio cheered. He had done it! He killed a monster! He smiled as he finally fended for himself.
He did not however, notice another enemy that was sneaking up on him as he celebrated. And would be caught in a mini tornadoes that send him flying up as he would be caught off guard.
MINI TORNADO!
"W-Waugh!" Domio screamed as he was pelted into the air by the tornado, not being aware of the sneak attack as he was sent flying.
FLY!-
GRAB!
He was caught by a floating Nebula however, as he was grabbed by the back of his vest.
"Got'cha!" Nebula yelled as he caught his son. He then vanished with him before reappearing on the ground.
VANISH!*
REAPPEAR!*
LAND!*
"You alright?" He asked the kid.
"Y-Yeah. Shaken, not stirred." Was Domio's response to his foster father.
"Good. You can't afford to drop your guard, Domio. It that was a Killachine, you'd be toast. Keep your guard up." The god told his adoptive son as he put him down.
"R-Right ahem- Right... Thanks, Nebula!" Domio took the advice to heart as he dropped.
LAND!
He then ran towards the Babyvader that invaded him, his foster father close behind as he watched the boy's movements for any blindside attempts.
The ice boy then materialized both ice gauntlets as he would deck the mob in its backside, before following up with a counter punch. Both gauntlets shattered are Domio continue to punch the Babyvader as he was currently feeling the power of a father son bond that had been totally established over the course of a few days.
SHATTER!
SHATTER!
PUNCH!
PUNCH!
PUNCH!
PUNCH!
PUNCH!
PUNCH!
"Left, right, left, right, left, right, STRAIGHT!" Nebula coached as Domio then piledrived his fist into the flank of the enemy as he sent it tumbling, a testament to his slowly developing and sharpening power.
STRAIGHT!
TUMBLE!
"Don't let up, it's still alive!" Nebula yelled before he roundhouse kicked a Babyvader that tried to attack him from behind. He enhanced his foot with gravity for a one hit as it pixelated shortly after.
ROUNDHOUSE KICK!
PIXELATE!
Domio then blasted two Cold Bolts simultaneously as he yelled out the SP Skill, the dual bolts slamming into another monster, sending it tumbling further away.
MANIFEST!
"Cold Bolt!"
ICE BOLT!
ICE BOLT!
The Babyvader was slammed into a wall as it would not be able to regain its bearings as Domio was relentless with his attack. Speaking of his attack, it was coming to an end as he repeatedly blasted some ice spells into the wall.
BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST BLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLASTBLAST!!!
Ice spells were hurled in droves at the Babyvader as it would buckle under the intensity before Domio manifested a bigger ice gauntlet once more before firing another Cold Bolt that would freeze the monster solid before the ice would be shattered by another ice spell, pixelating it.
MANIFEST!
"Cold Bolt!"
ICE BOLT!
FREEZE!
BLAST!
SHATTER!
PIXELATE!
"That was something, Domio. Now c'mon! We got some more enemies to fillet!" The blue haired man told his son as they continued to battle through the corridors.
After slaughtering rounds of monsters, the group made it to a hole that was in the side of a wall.
Well, you could call it an alternative route, but a hole was still a hole.
They carefully peered inside of the opening to see that it lead into a lava cave on the other side.
"They built their hideout in a lava cave?" Vergo asked.
"Seems so. I sense someone's energy within the depths though. Let's keep going." AL told the blonde as the group kept moving.
They quickly disposed of the mobs nearby as they approached the signal.
They neared it and neared it until they saw a figure that was trapped in a cliché box cage. She would be identical to the description that Vergo gave them on Chika with the exception that she was much younger, and would be grabbing the bars as she had a tired expression on her face.
"There's a person inside that cage!" Domio yelled. He would still be feeling the rush from fighting all those monsters.
"Is that... Chika?" Nebula asked. His question was automatically anwsered when he listened in on her murmurs.
"How could I... Let myself get captured... Like this..." She let out softly as she looked down, dejected.
"That's her alright." Taleia confirmed for everyone there. She moved towards her as the rest if the group followed.
The Oracle turned her head towards the people coming towards her as she assumed it was that rat and green haired punk again that put her here in the first place. But to her surprise, she instead saw 5 strangers and a familiar face.
"What...? Who are you people?... Taleia?" She asked question after question in her confused state.
"This is Leanbox's Oracle? How pitiful." Gris looked at her state as he folded his arms.
"Well she has been trapped here for a while. A few hours to a few days at most. I can't imagine her being here longer than that. She might be exhausted from being captured for a few hours or suffering from Vitamin D deficit if its a few days." Vergo guessed as he cupped his chin.
"How do you know medical terms?" AL asked.
"The Internep." Was the anwser the fire user received.
"Anyways, are you alright Chika?" Taleia looked at the confined Oracle through her prison.
"Leave me... It's already too late for me... My only regret was not being able to see my *
darling Vert..." Chika croaked as she acted as if she were in her final moments, going into a premeditated coughing fit.
"Right..." Nebula accepted with a skeptical look. He knew what dying breaths looked like, and this wasn't it, chief. Take it from him, with experience from all those fights we was in when he almost died time and time again.
Off screen. Well page, but who's going to care enough to say anything?
"Come on, Chika! We have to go!" The swordswoman tried to get the Oracle to get out of her 'melancholy', but she was committed to her act.
"You have... To go on...! Do it... For me..." The greenette motion as she coughed and gagged some more.
"Well, mates. Looks like she's dying on us. Let's go back to Leanbox and tell the people the bad news." Vergo shrugged as he began to walk away from the cage.
"Bummer." Nebula obliged as he turned around, a trolling grin on his face.
"What a waste of time." Gris left as well. He would have a hint of playfulness in his voice, although it would only be noticeable to those who had been around him for a while.
"And here I thought she wanted to see if Vert was alive or not. We could have told her, but meh. Atleast she was hot." AL commented as he left with the boys.
"Is the lady gonna be alright?" Domio asked with naïve concern.
"Nope. She's a dead woman standing. Let her rest in peace. C'mon Taleia!" Nebula yelled as he turned back to her with a devilish smile.
Her face would be confused for a second before it clicked. Her face morphed into one of playfulness as well as she sheathed her sword.
"Condolences, Chika." She solemnly lowered her head.
"WAIT! ALRIGHT! I was kidding! Don't go!'' Chika screamed at the group as they all would stop and give her an amused look.
"So you don't wanna die?" AL asked.
"I... I was just kidding!" The Oracle justified.
"Knew it. Can't bullshit the bullshitter." Nebula rubbed the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes with a satisfied look.
"Can one of you let me out now?" She asked sincerely.
"Already on it." Taleia unsheathed her sword once again before slashing down the cage. It collapsed after one powerful strike.
SLICE!
BREAK!
Chika then walked out of the destroyed cage as she would now be free.
"Now let's get out of here. Its probably nightfall outside so we're gonna have to carry people." Nebul reminded.
"Great." Gris sighed.
"Carry?" Chika asked.
"They flew here with carrying me and that child, so that we didn't have to deal with the night monsters. Now we have to be carried back." Taleia explained to the Oracle.
"Fly?! These people can fly? And I have to get carried by one of them!?" Chika incredulously asked. She was happy that she had been freed, but she didn't want anyone besides her fair Lady Vert to carry her anywhere.
"Well, we could leave you here." Gris offered. "But that would resut in your recapture, hence redundancy. So yes, somebody is going to have to carry you. Not me~." The assassin finished with an ascending tone as he outed himself from carrying the dramatic woman. Nebula spoke next.
"Well, I could-" The blue god spoke.
"Ew. No." Chika turned her head away with a dismissive tone.
"...Ouch." He whispered under his breath as he looked away. He never knew instant rejection could hurt and anger him so much in a non romantic setting
"Hah. Guess it's up to ya boi-"
"Gross." The Oracle told him.
'...Well fuck you too, damn.' AL grimaced as he then looked to Domio. He hoped it wasn't because he was-
"I'll ride with you, Mister AL." Domio offered to cheer the elder up. He stopped his salty mull and looked down at the boy with an appreciative gaze.
"You're truly a ride or die, Domio." AL accepted.
"Well you have to pick someone." Taleia said to the oracle as she gave her boss an exasperated look.
Chika then turned to her final option. The man was was tall, like her darling Vert. He wore green and had golden blonde hair, like her darling Vert. His prescense even felt similar to her idealized goddess.
So it was only a matter of time before she decided.
"You." She pointed to the blonde god.
"Me?" Vergo asked as he pointed at himself. His eyes slightly widened as he internally groaned at the prospect of carrying *her*.
"Yes, you." Chika repeated.
The CPU Candidate closed his eyes as he sighed. He tried to get the Oracle to not pick him with an excuse.
"But I can't fly." He told her. He tried his best to make his voice monotone to hide his lie.
"Is that so?" She asked, slightly disappointed.
"He can fly." AL sold the blonde out, as the god sent a heated glare through his shades.
"You burning bastard...!" Vergo grumbled under his breath as the pyro warrior had successfully sold out the blonde bloke.
"Good. I can't believe you would lie to me like that." Chika folded her arms as Vergo groaned.
"Ugh... Let's just get this over with already." He told the Oracle as the group backtracked back to the entrance of the hideout, as they would go to carry the flightless from there.
"Brotem Pole!'' AL and Domio shouted together, as they were now ready to leave, the boy latching onto the tall man's back like his backpack.
"If you shake me while we're flying again, I'll tell your mother." Taleia pouted.
"Taleia, I'm a 20 year old man. What is my mom gonna do." The adventurer deadpanned.
"Something." She looked away as she pouted.
"You'll be doing something with all the turbulence you're gonna feel up there-"
BONK!
BONK!
"Got'cha! Now don't shake me." She tilted her head as Nebula had some steam coming from his head.
"Well played. Waited until I picked you up to execute an undodgeable. I'm proud of you." He smiled.
"Aww..." The swordswoman cooed.
Vergo looked over to the two groups before looking at Chika. She would be waiting with a dull glare as she looked at the blonde with some expectancy.
"I suppose I'll just carry you?" He raised a brow.
"I suppose so." She glared back.
Vergo internally groaned as he hoised up the Oracle as his face was marred with a scowl.
CARRY!
"And what's with that look. Of you're going to carry me, atleast do it with a pleasant face." Chika notices as she looked at the CPU Candidate.
Another internal groan, before Vergo fixed his features to a more natural look.
He then summoned his processors as the other CPUs outright transformed.
SUMMON!
"Access."
PILLARS!
TRANSFORM!
The three winged CPUs then rose to the skies as Chika did a double take at what she was taking in.
"Did they just-"
"Transform?" AL asked as he enterd Burning Fever.
ABLAZE!
"Yes, that was what I asked." Chika continued.
"Well then the anwser is yes, lass. They're CPUs." Vergo dropped the ball. It almost made her fall as she loosened her grip from surprise.
"What?!" The Oracle reeled as she started to slip.
SLIP!-
GRAB!
But Vergo acted quickly, collecting her as he reeled a bit to let her hang back onto him, with a squeak from the greenette as she now had a look of shock and slight fright from nearly falling from an ascending height.
"Oi! Make sure you hold on. Last thing I want is to explain to the Basilicom why you're a bloody mess. Literally." The blonde haired CPU Candidate explained as she held onto him again.
" Yeah, well, I wasn't going to fall anyway. You were going to drop me!" She passed the blame onto him.
"Ooo. Were you?" Brave Heart asked before giving a look that hid laughter.
"Premeditated murder is illegal." Edge Heart chided the CPU Candidate.
"You are the last person who should be telling me that, Gris. Nebula, shut up. And you, if I wanted to drop you, you'd be a splatter right now. Now csn we just GO ALREADY, for fuck sake." The irritated Vergo asked as agreed, before heading back to Leanbox.
"Les go!" Brave Heart memed as the others flew.
A/N:
Chapter completed! And we done some ahead of time, Luke saving Chika and reaching Leanbox. So I guess that means I'll have to add in some confusion to stretch out the arc.
Joy.
But besides that, this chapter wasn't too bad to write, considering all things. We had the introduction of the childhood friend archetype actually smashing, even if it's by default due to being the ONLY interest he had. At least Nebula did the deed, so props.
Another fun little segment was Gris exposing Underling. Granted there was a few references here and there to a certain attorney, but who knows. Also Underling withstanding 600 lbs is an accidental feat now that I think about it. Why do I keep upscaling her by proxy? And also, sus references. AMOGUS-
Also the incomplete Sharicite bond. I wonder if there's a reason for that. Hmm... Is it plot? Is it coincidence? Is it because I like giving my characters a hard time? Or is it because it could possibly be a new fo all CPUs can obtain? You'll be guessing for a while.
Finally, Chika being rescued. Well, that cuts a LOT of time out of canon, and paired with the fact that she now knows about the somewhat secret society that is the existence of Male CPUs, she'll hopefully be more understanding to the exalted fellows. And also talk about Vert for a bit.
Now onto some comments.
F14M3RZ - Nebula is rather busted from the start, I'll agree. Then again he DID defeat a Giant Dogoo that was 500 strong in base, after being spent from using the form. What does that tell you.
Him when it comes to maintaining share energy is kind of wonky, considering he doesn't generate and gain it the regular way the other CPUs do. It IS explained in later chapters though, even later than this one for a better explanation, so not to worry, all will be explained.
As I said above, I think my iteration of Linda is being upscale just by constantly fighting my characters. And oh boy, Nebula is actually lacking compared to later villains, and gets chucked and screwed over multiple times so, don't expect a 12 episode long isekai anime type deal.
His, and hopefully everyone else will justifiably gain their power.
These people will suffer for superiority.
That's it for now.
Arrivederci.
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