The Quartet enters the small factory. Inside the 'lobby' is a bar, some tattered couches, a radio and jukebox. It has a cozy and homely vibe to it. Noire is seen talking to a girl.
She has short blue hair with goggles on her head. Golden eyes and a bandage on her right cheek. She wears a black tube top and an open, red mechanic's jacket. A short white scarf tied around her neck, and oil stained, red mechanic's pants.
She saw the Quartet and stopped talking with Noire. She went to them and smiled. "Nice to meet you all in person. I saw all my requests were completed by a four-man party," She greeted them.
"Wait, you were our client? All of those requests were yours?" IF asked. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, it ripped a huge hole in my savings. It was worth it, because my carriages and train cars can move again. I'll make it back in no time," She replied.
"Oh shit, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Chian, this is Passe, my little factory," Chian introduced herself. Noire explained that Chian helped shelter Noire and they are both conspiring to take down Avenir. "So you're Seiryū's older brother that he talked about?" Chian asked Netherrealm.
"How'd you know that?" Netherrealm asked with narrowed eyes. "I can see the family resemblance. Both of you have the same eyes, and similar faces," Chian answered. "How the hell did you know Seiryū?" Netherrealm asked.
Chian looked down in bitter nostalgia. "We dated while in school. He wasn't naturally gifted like everyone else and was the youngest in our class. Seiryū had more dedication than the entire class combined. I found that hot, I like hard working men."
"So we tried romance out, and it worked. He even talked about you. How he wanted to match your strength. How he wanted to be a 'dragon'. From what it sounded like, things weren't easy," Chian explained with a small smile and light blush. Netherrealm crossed his arms as he processed that knowledge.
Suddenly, the door to Passe opened. A guy about the height of Noire walked in, fluffy black hair going down almost to his collarbone and covering his left eye. Light blue eyes, a black unzipped hoodie, and striped sweatpants. Slung over his back is a rifle. "Hey Chian, the usual. Actually it can wait, this looks important." Zero walked over and sat on a stool.
Neptune sat down next to him. "Nice to meet ya, I'm Neptune," she introduced herself and Zero shook her hand. Neptune gets a chill vibe from him. They began to make small talk. With Zero recounting some funny stories at the bars he goes to.
"So, where ya from?" Neptune asked. "Planeptune, born and raised," Zero replied and Neptune smiled brightly. "Well so am I! What a coinkydink!" Neptune said and Zero chuckled at Neptune being Neptune.
With the rest, they continued their conversation. "A dragon? What did he mean by that?" Compa asked. "He wants to be at the top of the world. Because a lot of the most ancient and deadliest monsters are dragons. I heard not even CPUs could contend with them. Yet, dragons are prideful and despise competition. There can only be one dragon after all," Netherrealm explained, it was a philosophy he inherited from his adopted fathers.
"Back to you and Seiryū. What else?" Netherrealm steered the conversation back. "Well he made friends with a fellow classmate named Ganache and an alumni named Singe. Then they created Avenir later down the line," Chian replied, then she bit her lip. "Singe and Ganache disappeared four years ago. After Avenir won the Technology Expo," she said.
"They were never found, and they're probably dead. When Seiryū came home, he was different. He looked haunted and I didn't understand at the time. Now I figured he murdered Ganache and Singe. It's too late to reopen that case. Avenir became the 'ruler' of Lastation."
"Every company that tried to fight was swallowed whole. People disappeared and that allowed Seiryū to buy their company. Pollution and living conditions have gotten worse. He claims to care about the people in spite of the CPUs. He's become just like the so-called tyrants he said he's despised," Chian explained, her tone got angry and bitter.
"Shut the fuck up! You're wrong!" Netherrealm shouted. Chian shook her head in annoyance. "Netty, I didn't want to say this, but when we met Seiryū. He seemed too nice. Especially because he has an entire secret police force at his beck and call. Just accept it, your brother is doing more harm than good to Lastation," IF said, placing her hand on Netherrealm's shoulder.
Netherrealm shrugged off IF's hand, shaking his head repeatedly. "That's not true, it's not true. The CPUs have done nothing but fight each other for too long. We were left in the dust, and Seiryū's just trying to save Lastation!" Netherrealm defended his brother vehemently.
Zero frowned at Netherrealm's rising temper. "Actually, why is he surprised with a bigshot CEO being fucked up?" Zero wondered aloud. "They're brothers," Neptune replied. She looked at Netherrealm with a sad expression.
Noire scoffed at this stubbornness. "How pathetic, you can't accept reality. I mean, you're supposed to be strong, but I see a child throwing a tantrum. Seiryū is the enemy of Lastation. Things seem good now, but if this continues. Lastation will crumble, even if he has the best intentions in mind. It doesn't matter if he's causing pain for everyone," Noire tore at Netherrealm arrogantly. She smirked that her supposed assassin is speechless.
He can't refute that, conditions are slowly worsening. The streets and homes are already too cramped. There's hardly any plant life. The people have to breathe in smog everyday. Netherrealm just sat at the bar, not saying a word. Noire felt both catharsis and guilt.
Noire wants to be honorable, yet she chose revenge. She took the low hanging fruit, and that's supposedly beneath her. She hates that she lost to The Quartet and wanted some revenge. 'No point in apologizing, he should've expected this,' Noire thought.
Neptune rubbed her arm anxiously. After the Batting Center Brawl, after everything has died down. Neptune has been thinking about what Noire told her. Neptune killed her older sister, Uranus. Why? Why would she do that? She doesn't understand, she wants to know why. She understands Netherrealm, finding out something you hate and wanting to ignore it. She'll talk with Noire later.
The door opened and two people entered. Both were girls, IF's eyes widened at one of them, because Nisa was there. Someone IF didn't want to face. So IF slunk next to Neptune to try and blend in. "Hey cuz!" Nisa exclaimed to Chian.
The other girl has orange hair and eyes. With white pupils in the shape of music notes. She wears a revealing school girl outfit to show off her large breasts. The largest anyone has seen. "We almost got caught, but we got the data!" the other girl cheered.
She tossed a USB to Noire and she opened up a laptop. After putting it in she began to survey the data. "Finally, Project YingLong," Noire said with a smile. "So who are these new characters? Flatty and Chest Fatty?" Neptune wondered out loud and IF slammed her head on the bar in second hand embarrassment. Zero was suddenly glad he didn't have his drink yet, the current sip would've come right out of his mouth.
"Excuse me!? Plumment calling the Dogoo 'monster'?!" Nisa cried out indignantly. "Whoopsie doopsie, I was thinking out loud," Neptune replied and Nisa pouted cutely.
"Sorry about Nep-Nep, she's a special needs child," Compa apologized in her chipper manner. While also insulting Neptune for her behavior. Neptune wasn't listening, instead accepting a high-five from Zero.
"Now you know what's it's like to be judged Nep-Nep," Compa replied and Neptune stuck her tongue out at Compa. "Okay, this is my cousin, Nisa and our resident ninja, Marvy," Chian introduced the two girls. "Ooooh, now we have two ninjas," Neptune commented. Marvy perked up, her ginormous breasts jiggled.
Netherrealm somehow got the alcohol and glasses, and is drinking out of a shot glass. A melancholic look on his face as he mulls over Noire's words. He's not paying attention as he just sits there in silence.
"Is he okay?" Marvy asked in concern. Neptune and Compa looked at eachother, both having a silent conversation. Their mouths scrunching up and eyes twitching and glancing at Netherrealm. They turned back to Nisa. "Netty's life hasn't been all that great," Compa sugar coated it.
Marvy understood and decided to drop it. Noire called for everyone's attention and she stood up. "Everyone, next week is the Technology Expo. Where Avenir will debut their secret project, YingLong and their Killachines for the world to see."
"The Killachines are supposedly for Lastation's defense, with YingLong at the helm. YingLong is the ultimate Killachine, and I don't think we could beat it. It's designed to kill CPUs and blow up entire nations," Noire explained and Netherrealm flinched when he heard what YingLong was capable of. He downed another shot and scoffed.
"Green Heart's Mommy Milkers! The hell is Seiryū thinking?!" Chian exclaimed. "Total control of Gamindustri, and Lastation winning the Console Wars. YingLong can hit any of the nations and wipe them out. This will keep rebels in line. With it, he'll be at the top, or as Netherrealm explained it, a true dragon," Noire answered.
Netherrealm slammed the shot glass down and it shattered. "Fuck off with that, no way, no fucking way," Netherrealm denied it with a shaking voice. "Looks like this edgelord thinks he has to go all the way and kill Seiryū," Zero said with a smirk. "What the fuck did you call me?!" Netherrealm demanded. "That reply confirms it, guys like you give people who wear black a shitty reputation," Zero snarked. Netherrealm got up and threw his roped kunai, attempting to pull Zero closer to beat his ass.
The second the kunai got within a meter of Zero, it was suddenly flying in the opposite direction, barely missing Netherrealm and embedding in a wall. Everyone was shocked, Zero hadn't moved, hadn't even lifted a finger, a purely bored look on his face. "Okay! I don't care if Lady Noire invited you! You will not fight in my shop!" Chian scolded Netherrealm, about to throw him out herself.
"Wait, the edgelord needs to cool off. Besides, I kinda started it," Zero said casually. Chian reluctantly backed off. Netherrealm clenched his fists in anger, anger at having been embarrassed so effortlessly. A small bit of black electricity sparked along Netherrealm's fists. Zero alone noticed it and raised an eyebrow at him, curious. Netherrealm pulled the kunai out of the wall and stormed out of Passe.
"How do we stop YingLong?" Nisa asked with a determined glare. "Chian will enter the Technology Expo with Marvy and Nisa as assistants. They will debut a special project, and it will have a program created by my Mole. This virus will cause YingLong to self destruct. However, while hacking it remotely is possible. It's too long and we could be tracked."
"As such, it will be an ambush. When YingLong activates, that's the moment we strike. However, there are also the other Killachines. Neptune and I will handle them," Noire explained the plan. This left everyone to their own devices.
Neptune stood in front of Noire to Noire who was sitting at a laptop. "Hey Noire? Can we talk?" Neptune asked. "Not now Neptune," Noire replied and Neptune closed Noire's laptop. "Hey!" Noire cried out and Neptune winked teasingly. "C'mon Noire, acting like this is why you have no friends," Neptune commented and checked her nails.
Noire huffed and stood up. "Fine! Let's go!" Noire said and dragged Neptune outside. The two sat on a rock. Looking at the wasteland in front of them. The sun setting and no one but them to witness a historically important moment. The first time in so long that two CPUs had a one on one conversation without violence.
Neptune asked about being a CPU. Allowing Noire to go on one of her tangets. You know, Hard Drive Divinity, the essence of the people's faith, Shares. You've played the games, you should know this by now. So as Neptune absorbed this information. She asked a very important question.
"How did we end up back in Gamindustri if we were in Celestia for so long? I know I fell, but that's about it," Neptune asked. Noire looked away in shame. "We, ganged up on you. Sent you hurtling, you were a monster Neptune. That's why it was so easy for us to be duped. You and your predecessors caused too much suffering to be taken lightly," Noire explained.
"Jeez, even if I don't remember what I did. I'm sorry, to all of you," Neptune apologized for something she didn't understand. "What about Uranus? What was she like?" Neptune asked. Noire shrugged and hugged her legs close to her chest.
"My older sister and the others apparently had a cease fire after a Beast intent on extinguishing all life appeared. Then, Uranus was the only one to return after they sealed The Beast at the bottom of the ocean below us," Noire explained.
"The Beast?" Neptune raised a brow at the name. "Well, it was also known as the Deity of Sin, I don't know it's true name. That was all my sister wrote about," Noire said. Neptune asked what Noire's older sister was like. Noire had no idea, she never met her older sister. She died before Noire was born. Noire has no attachment to her late older sister.
"So, what about Uranus. What happened between us?" Neptune asked Noire looked at the darkened sky. The first stars began to twinkle. "Uranus retired and you took her place. Uranus wanted peace, but you killed her completely take control of Planeptune and keep the Console Wars going. That's what you said, directly to us," Noire explained.
Neptune didn't say a word. She sat there in silence, in guilt for an event she doesn't remember. She wants to remember so she could atone. "Noire, when this is over. I'll get Compa to make some delicious pudding. Then we can all eat it for a pudding party!" Neptune promised. Noire chuckled, yet there was one question that Noire purposefully left unanswered.
How did the other three CPUs end up back in Gamindustri?