SuperHuman200: Thank you very much. What about Netherrealm's personality do you like?
IsekaiFanBoi: Thank you for the reviews man.
Thirteen year old Netherrealm coughed and limped through the snowy streets of Lowee. Everyone in his gang, the Black Dragons are dead. 'Fucking idiots, what the hell were they thinking?!' Netherrealm cursed them beyond the grave.
His clothes are scratched and stained with blood. His left eye is swollen shut. His lip is busted and ankle is sprained. He clutched his stomach with one hand. There is a slash wound, some of his innards are peaking through.
Netherrealm went into an alleyway, and slid down onto his ass. 'I hate this place. White Heart, she killed them all! Sorry little bro, but I ain't coming back,' He thought about his ten year old brother. Who's waiting for him at the shelter.
His breathing began to slow as dark spots clouded Netherrealm's vision. His fathers, Toby and Edward, he'll be joining them soon. The Black Dragons were such a thorn in the nation's side that they were all hunted down. He looked up at the night sky and snowflakes melted on his face.
Hello...
"Huh?" Netherrealm gasped out, sharply looking in front of him. He heard a voice, it's a woman's. The voice came from all directions, no, it's in his head. The voice is groggy and staticky, like something is interfering it from even speaking. Shrouded by darkness, or actually might be darkness itself. There is a silhouette of a woman in front of him.
How can I help you?
"Help me? Sorry, but i'm a bit too far gone for that," Netherrealm replied, trying to save face with a smirk. The shoulders of the woman moved, like she's chuckling. Yet there was no noise.
You have a problem.
"No shit! Are you mocking me?!" Netherrealm hissed, before coughing again. He sniffled as his ears began to ring. The woman crossed her arms. She shook her head condescendingly.
If you die here, your brother will not survive the night.
Netherrealm snarled and tried to stand up. He was too weak to stand up. The pain in his body is beginning to numb as his body is further shutting down. "Hurry up and get to the fucking point!" Netherealm exclaimed in anger.
This world treats you like garbage.
Your so called friends lived like idiots and died like idiots.
Now you're bleeding to death in an alleyway, forgotten and uncared for.
The CPUs do not care about any of you.
"Okay! No more riddle speak! Who the hell are you?!" Netherrealm demanded. He fully lost feeling in his lower body. his eyelids are getting heavier. He's wasting life just to keep up with the conversation. The woman put one hand on her hip. The other arm lazily hanging by her side.
Someone who understands...
"What are offering?" Netherrealm asked, finding no other options available. The woman did another silent chuckle. It further ticked him off. Then the woman held her hand out to him.
I can help you like no one else can.
Drudging up the last vestiges of energy. Netherrealm forced his hand to grab hers. "Whats the catch?" Netherrealm asked. The woman titled her head, before kneeling down. She rubbed his lips with her thumb.
Only that you let me in...
"Huh?" Netherrealm asked deliriously, incapable of hearing anything else other than her voice. She used her thumb to part his lips. This woman creeps him the fuck out. Whatever she's about to do. It had better be quick.
So that I may be let out...
Dark tendrils jutted from the shadows in front of him. Stabbing into his body. Netherrealm gasped and whimpered. The tendrils, like worms, began to push themselves into his body. The woman melded with the shadows as tendrils filled his mouth. He was encased in the darkness.
Netherrealm's yes shot open. He sat up and rubbed his head. He held his hand out and dark mist left his body for a second. That night has been burned into his head. It's the night he got his powers after all.
Netherrealm got up and got dressed. Heading to the dining room. Compa put down pancakes and bacon for him, Neptune and her. "How'd you sleep Netty?" Compa asked. Netherrealm picked at his food. In a somber mood, thinking about the night his gang was massacred. The night Netherrealm got his powers.
Yes, he did say that he had always had his powers, but that was a lie. To him, there is no way anybody would believe where he got his powers. Breaking out of the trance. Netherrealm just grunted and ate. "Where's Iffy?" Neptune asked.
"She went back to the hotel she's staying at to get some more things. We'll meet at the docks and get our tickets," Compa explained. Once the three finished breakfast. The three left Compa's house and headed to the airdocks.
It's ludicrously crowded, people coming in and out of the nation for various reasons. There are ships, of varying sizes and shapes. The smallest being the size of a one story house. The biggest, most expensive one being the size of a skyscraper.
"Hey!" IF called out, and she jogged towards the three. "Heya Iffy! Didja get our tickets?" Neptune asked. "No Nep, you guys are buying your own tickets," IF replied. Neptune pouted and grumbled at not getting free travel. IF pointed them all to the ship.
It's one of the smaller ships. It's sleek and aerodynamic. It's hull is colored black with the Lastation symbol in the center. Along with letters near the front saying 'AVENIR'. Netherrealm's face hardened into a cold glare.
"What are we standing around here for? Let's get outta here," Netherrealm said briskly. After paying for the tickets and being screened. Netherrealm sat on the deck in a corner, while Compa, IF and Neptune went below deck.
Various people are mingling on the deck. What caught Netherrealm's eye was that many of the passengers glanced at him. Netherrealm didn't like those suspicious looks. Other passengers watched the other passangers spying on him, and on him. The intercom soon turned on, annoucing takeoff.
Once the ship left for Lastation. Two hours passed for the flight. Netherrealm is left with his thoughts. Sitting alone in the corner of the deck, not moving since he sat down. Some of the strange passengers kept an eye on him.
Lastation is one of the two nations Netherrealm never wanted to go back to. The other being Lowee, for obvious reasons. For years he ran away from the past. Now it's in his face, taunting him. Daring him to dig it back up.
It started with that lady, the killer of his fathers. Now he's heading to his estranged brother's current place of residence. Most likely he'll have to head to Lowee eventually. The place where the Black Dragons died.
Netherrealm was so absorbed in thought that he didn't notice Neptune sitting in front of him with a tray of food. IF had sat on Neptune's left and Compa sat on Neptune's right. Creating a sort of circle. "Hey Netty, what's Avenir?" Neptune asked, digging into the food.
Netherrealm snapped out of his thoughts. Compa had placed a tray of food in front of him. He put the tray on his lap before growling at the question. "What brought this on?" He asked, not wanting to talk about Avenir.
"Well, Nep-Nep has amnesia. I've been too busy with school. Iffy just travels around. So we're asking you," Compa explained. Netherrealm was silent for a minute.
"Avenir is a manufacturing company in Lastation. It was a dying company, but the founder of Avenir came in and turned that dying plant into a tree. It became a monopoly that controls the nation at this point."
"It's gotten so big that most of the nation is one large factory. It's also won the Tech Expo last time. So that just solidified it as a nationwide power," Netherrealm explained. Neptune, IF and Compa were in shock. Not expecting him to be that in the know about it.
"Wait, hold on, how do you know this much? Did you work there or something?" IF asked. "My little brother is the CEO and founder of Avenir," Netherrealm replied. "Bullshit!" IF exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Wowie! That means your brother can help us Netty," Compa said. "What a twist!" Neptune commented with a fake accent.
Netherrealm and IF had a staring contest. Netherrealm's face is uncharacteristically stoic. "Fine, i'll believe you for now," IF dropped it, still skeptic of course. "Still, what's the gameplan for finding the Key Fragment?" Netherrealm asked.
"Well, since the CPU's are the leaders of the nations. Maybe if we can get their help. We can find the fragments faster!" Neptune explained. Netherrealm let out a bitter and somewhat unhinged laugh. Compa frowned hugging her shoulders and curling up.
"The CPUs are busy in Celestia fighting the Console Wars. All to become the ruler of everything. They left their citizens to fend for themselves. What makes you think they'll help? Better yet, what makes you think they're walking the mortal plane with us?!" Netherrealm asked, pure vitriol filled every fiber of his being.
Netherrealm recalled the dead bodies of his friends. White Heart is one of two people he has sworn revenge on. Now he's heading to the domain of Black Heart. Someone he heard described as arrogant and callous.
"Because they do care. I think they fought because they wanted what's best for their nation. If someone is trying to hurt their nation. They'll come running to help. I feel it in my jellies!" Neptune rebuttled. Netherrealm scoffed and remained silent. The sky began to darken and turn gray. The faint sounds of churning machinery is distant. "Here we are," He sighed.
The four left the ship and were immediately assaulted by how different Lastation is. Unlike the clean white, and inviting Planeptune. Lastation is oppressive, factories everywhere in their immediate sight. The color scheme is dark and the area is cramped.
IF, Compa and Neptune coughed as the polluted air invaded their lungs. while Netherrealm stared at the Basilicom in the distance, unaffected. It's a tower made up of many different metals. It looks like a cobbled together tower that looms over the nation. This place is one large, mechanical predator; it coils around them, until they are all strangled.
"Onward noble compatriots! To Lady Black Heart!" Neptune declared in a faux chivalrous tone. She pointed in a random direction to try and seem cool. "Neptune?" Netherrealm spoke up. "Yeah Netty?" Neptune asked leaving her pose. "Is it possible for you to shut up for five minutes?" He asked with a sour look. Neptune contemplated that for a second. "Hehehe, nope!" She replied with a cheeky smile.
An hour passes, and they all still haven't reached the Basilicom. "Hey Iffy, do you know where we're supposed to go?" Neptune asked the resident world traveler. "That's odd... I'm pretty sure it was in this direction. Hey Netherrealm, do you know where we're supposed to go?" IF asked the resident underground kombatant. "Downwind, I haven't been in Lastation since I was six. Hey Compa, do you know where we're supposed to go?" Netherrealm asked the resident nurse in training. "Uhhh, sorry Netty, I haven't been to Lastation before. Hey Nep-Nep, do you know where we're supposed to go?" Compa asked the resident heroine.
"Sorry guys I haven't been to Lastation be- hey wait a minute! We got caught in a looping gag!" Neptune realized, using her meta commentary for good for once. "Of course author, as the main heroine, I will not allow myself to be tricked like that!" Neptune bragged.
After a moment of silence. Netherrealm smacked Neptune upside the head. "Owww!!! I thought your character developed past this aggressiveness last arc!" Neptune whined. "I'll do more than just a momentary character regression if you don't shut the hell up!" He exclaimed. Someone cleared their throat to get their attention.
She's got red hair in a ponytail, tied up in a white bow. An aqua scarf and a crop top with a red jacket. Her orange eyes were of caution. "Are you guys good?" She asked. "Hahaha, Ignore them, we want to meet Lady Black Heart. Do you know where we can meet her? Hahaha," IF asked, embarrassed.
"Lady Black Heart? Oh, you mean Lady Noire. Well, just head down this path, take a right, and you'll find the Basilicom," She pointed down in the direction the four are supposed to go. "Black Heart, my second least favorite goddess," Netherrealm grumbled. Not looking foward to this eventual encounter
"Looks like the general direction was correct. Thank you," IF thanked the girl. "Got to help eachother in need, right?" The girl asked rhetorically. "Well, since we've met, do you mind if I ask you your name? My name is Neptune! This here is Compa, Iffy and Netty," Neptune asked, introducing the party.
"My name is Falcom. I'm a newbie adventurer. If you're in a pickle and you need help, just give me a holler," Falcom introduced herself. "Really?!" Neptune asked excitedly at making a new ally. "Thanks. Oh, we're in a hurry, so we have to run. Hope we meet again soon," IF said goodbye.
When IF, Compa and Neptune were ahead of Netherrealm. He turned back to Falcom. "Word of advice newbie, this is a lesson I learned the hard way. Don't trust the CPUs, they don't care about you. Human lives are nothing to them. My friends were killed because of that," He advised bitterly.
Falcom raised an eyebrow as Netherrealm followed his party. "The heck happened to him?" Falcom wondered.
I'm quite proud of that 'do you know where we're supposed to go?' gag. It just came to me while I was doing some transcribing.