The Scorpio Ruins was supposedly the original Leanbox Basilicom. Yet one day, it was destroyed in some kind of battle. Now it's a historic monument that people visit to see the preserved artifacts of this ancient capital.

It is a decayed, obsidian colored, halfway blown to bits tower. It doesn't go higher than a three story building. In front of it is a dried up fountain that lost its statue. The gardens are still cared for by the people who run the tour. Yet a lot of plants have grown out of check. Because the tours are being halted.

Laying on the cracked front steps to the door are offerings. There are food, trinkets, and other possessions. "There is something inside the ruins and below us," Vert sensed. "Hey Compa, how much you wanna bet that Overlord Momus lives here?" Neptune said. "Bet, it's definitely here," Netherrealm interjected with his usual competitiveness. "It's not much of a bet if the answer is obvious," Noire reasoned.

"What's in there Vert?" Compa asked, she tuned out what everyone was talking about. "I have no definitive idea, but Overlord Momus is the most likely option," Vert replied. "Is it just some opportunist monster?" Noire asked Vert, something doesn't sit right. "Who the hell cares?" Netherrealm asked rhetorically. "No, It isn't some monster. Try sensing it for yourselves," Vert answered Noire, then looked at Neptune and Noire.

The two other CPUs closed their eyes and tried to sense other divine presences. Because they aren't in their home nation, they can only sense for the divine. It also has to be in close proximity. However, a CPU in her home nation can sense not only the divine, but other sources of energy anywhere in her sphere of influence.

"It's divine, but it's chaotic and wrong. It feels so thrown together. It's disgusting and unnatural," Noire described. "Yuppers, it's all kinds of whacked out," Neptune confirmed. "Hey Iffy, are you okay?" Compa asked her friend. Who has been silent.

IF meanwhile has noticed things. Not in the sense of danger. After the request of killing Neptune finally stopped repeating in her mind. She noticed tiny details in her environment. That slab would make for a good bludgeon. The flora could hide a body. That shard in the fountain could be made for a shank.

This has spiraled into more darker thoughts. How much time does she have to shoot Neptune in the head and run before she's captured? Maybe the debris IF could see inside the building could stage an accident to crush Neptune. IF felt disgusted with herself for even thinking about those options. A small part of her wanted to get it over with to save her parents and herself. The other parts of her oppose that.

IF doesn't know what to do. She doesn't want to be the person to betray a friend ever again. Now it's either betray the Multi-Platformers or betray her parents. If she doesn't do it, she'll be branded a criminal and be arrested. If she does it, she'll get to see Gust again. If she does it, she'll have saved her parents. If she doesn't, she'll keep the friends and girlfriend she gained.

"Iffy!" Vert exclaimed, snapping her fingers in front of IF. "Lady Vert!" IF screamed and jumped back, startled. "My my, what's wrong my darling?" Vert asked. IF shook her head and went foward into the ruins. Vert wants to help, but she wants to respect IF's privacy. Because they just started dating and haven't gone on any dates yet.

Vert had an idea, when they get back to the city. She'll take IF out for a date! She followed IF into the ruins. She heard the steps and small talk of the other Multi-Platformers behind her. Vert lead them through the ruins. All kinds of old computers in the place. Most of the furniture has decayed into nothing. Yet everyone could tell this was a place for work at the least.

"Iffy, perhaps when we get back to Leanbox. I can take you on a date?" Vert asked and IF looked at her. IF looked up at Vert, and Vert had a desire to embrace IF. IF looked so scared, like a gun is being held to her head. "Yeah..sure," IF said, her voice shaking and eyes bug eyed.

Vert then held out her hand, causing all the chatter to die down. Everyone got out their weapons. "We're getting closer," Vert said, pointing downwards at a hole. Netherrealm jumped downward, landing first. It was hard to see him, considering the lack of light and him predominantly black. Netherrealm put his mask over his face, entering Battle Mode. Now they really couldn't see him.

Vert jumped down second and like lemmings, the others followed suit. "Get into some type of formation," Noire whispered. IF held her hand out and a ball of fire appeared above her palm. Vert placed her spear in the magic fire. Making that spear a makeshift torch.

With some light, they entered a tunnel in front of them. "Where's Netty?" Compa asked. "He'll be fine, he's Netty after all," Neptune replied. The rocky tunnels began to become metallic as they ventured on. The walls now had small blue LEDs. It was a large, empty, sterile and circular room. There was a door at the end. However there was something guarding it.

It was monstrous, a purple, orange and red beast. It has four legs that connected to a abdomen with a mouth like object on the front. Like some malformed spider. The abomination has four arms in the upper body. Along with four orange, bat-like wings.

It has a face that looks like an upside down controller. The center of which has a red eye and an orange crown surrounded by three blue circles. On top of this monstrosity is a humanoid connected to the abdomen. It has no legs and is rabbit like. With its ears being light purple wings.

The humanoid was bent foward and limp. The monster was still like a statue. It didn't breath, or made any sign of movement. "What is that...?" IF asked and the three CPUs confirmed that this was the large divine presence. Everything about it is wrong. It's an affront to life itself.

"So you've made it..." A voice said over an unseen intercom. "Arfoire!" Neptune exclaimed, she remembered that voice from their encounter in the collapsed caves. "Neptune, you've successfully recruited Vert and Noire. Despite you telling me how 'weak' and 'pathetic' they are on multiple occasions," Arfoire said.

"Hey, Arfy, can I call you that? I heard from the voice in my head that we were friends at one point. What happened?" Neptune asked and Arfoire was silent for a few seconds. "I was one of your liasons down in Gamindustri. We never met in person until now. Only over phones and video screens have we talked. I did assignments for you and listen to you rant."

"I was a nobody witch. All I wanted to do was serve 'my goddess'. I dirtied my hands for you time and again. Then one day I found the truth of this world. About how little control we have. Then I told the three CPUs to kick you out of Celestia after I spent years integrating myself under personas. Then White Heart kicked the other two off. Marking Lowee as the place where I truly began enacting my goals," Arfoire explained to Neptune.

"So you've killed so many people, and you were the one to cause me to lose my memories? You caused Netty's little bro to go off the deep end, all for some takeover plan?" Neptune said, and Arfoire laughed. "Didn't you kill Netty's friends? They had nothing to do with your plan!" Compa exclaimed.

"The Black Dragons? Yes, it wouldn't have changed anything if I spared or killed them. I killed them because I wanted to show Lowee what happens when they defy me. I killed them because I could, because this world is mine. I am the dragon, and the wheels have been turning for far too long to stop it."

We're all puppets, but I can see the strings and the puppet master. She's listening, she's sleeping, and when she wakes. I'll kill her, with your help. Overlord Momus! Wake up and tear these fools asunder!" Arfoire finished and the intercom shut off.

The rabbit straightened up with its bones cracking. The legs of the monster shook as its body woke up. The mouth opened and it screamed. Causing the entirety of the Scorpio Ruins to vibrate. The four arms wriggled their sharpened fingers. The large red eye focused on Neptune.

Overlord Momus

The red eye glowed and fired a spiraling beam at Neptune. She jumped to the side and IF dashed foward. She cut at one of the legs, and as it tried to stomp on her, Vert pulled her out of the way. From the ceiling and the shadows, Netherrealm fell and stabbed his wakazashi into its eye. The mouth howled in agony.

It began to stamp and shake to throw Netherrealm off it. Noire appeared in front of it in a flash of blue lightning. She dashed around and chipped away at it. It flailed it's arms blindly and Compa caught one of the arms. She dug in her heels and with a yell, she lifted the entire damn thing up. Then she threw it into the air.

IF created a green magic circle where it's falling down. "La Delphinus!" IF exclaimed as a beam of light erupted from the circle. Burning the the monster with holy light. It impacted the ground and Netherrealm landed next to IF. His solid white eyes locked with hers. Then he turned back to Overlord Momus. It screamed and howled, it crawled onto its feet. It twitched and cried as the mouth let loose beams of darkness.

Everyone moved as the beams fired in all directions. It was like a child throwing a tantrum. "32 Bit Mega Blade!" Neptune exclaimed as digital, purple swords manifested above her. She fired them at the horrid beast. It began to bleed oil like blood.

Noire and Vert became streaks of dark blue and bright green light respectively. They dashed around, slicing the monster at every opportunity. Compa stabbed her needle inside it's gums. Injecting the thing with poison. IF fired her pistol at the rabbit humanoid. It snapped backwards with each bullet impacting it.

Vert twirled her spear and pointed it at Overlord Momus. "Sylhet Spear!" She said, and a magic circle appeared behind her and a large branch shot out of it. Piercing the demon through the mouth. The branch exploded and Overlord Momus stumbled back. The jaw torn off and teeth turned to shrapnel.

Netherrealm and IF jumped onto a leg on either side of the monster. They sliced a leg off, downing Overlord Momus on its hind legs. Compa hopped onto the abdomen, and pulled off an arm. The three humans jumped off Overlord Momus as Neptune's sword(wood, that Netherrealm gifted) glowed purple. "Cross Combination!" She exclaimed and ran foward.

She sliced at it a few times. Then sent it upwards with a slash. Neptune jumped up and slashed it downwards. It impacted the ground, on its literal and metaphorical last legs. Noire called a lightning strike down onto Overlord Momus. Turning it into a charred, crumbling mess. Compa finished it off by pulling the rabbit humanoid out of the main body. Overlord Momus turned into pixels.

The Multi-Platformers walked to the door Overlord Momus was guarding. Everyone was frozen in place at what they saw. A shaved, naked man is strung up in an apparatus. A cage neck brace grafted onto him. His eyes forcibly kept open by clamps. Inside his mouth and going into his body are large tubes. On his chest, surgically attached is a Key Fragment.

The poor man looked at Vert, tears falling down his eyes. Vert immediately ran up to him, she began feeling up the apparatus and frantically looking around. Trying to find a way to release the prisoner. IF looked at a screen that had a silhouette of Overlord Momus slowly being filled by color.

"There's nothing, no switch or button to release him," Vert muttered. Her bleeding heart aching at seeing an innocent man in constant agony. "He wasn't meant to be released," Noire said matter of factly. "This is sick and cruel. There has to be a way," Vert said.

"Compa, Netty, maybe you guys could help?" Neptune asked her friends. With their combined strength and Compa's healing. They could surgically pull the man free. So they began to get him free. With Vert tapping her foot in concern over the man.

Once one part of the apparatus was removed. The screen with Overlord Momus deactivated. "He was Momus," IF put it together and Vert looked at IF. Hoping what IF means isn't true. Yet sadly, that is the reality. Arfoire had captured this man, strung him up using magic and machines, and used the Key Fragment as a power source.

They were able to free the man and remove the Key Fragment. Yet he's unresponsive and in shock. He needs to be taken to a hospital soon. So Vert asked IF to give the man her coat. Which IF obliged, and Vert wrapped the coat around shaking man. She then hugged him and rocked back and forth. Vert hummed and shushed him, trying to comfort him.

They reached Leanbox and were able to get the man to a hospital. While he'll survive, the psychological damage he'd sustained meant that he'll have to live in a psych ward permanently. Vert sat in the lobby of the hospital, mulling over what she'd saw. Arfoire will pay for this, Vert will not allow her to get off scot free for this.

"Excuse me?" A girl about fifteen came up to Vert. She has long blue hair and magenta eyes. A leather jacket with purple music notes on the sleeves. Shorts that hugged her legs and black heeled boots. "You were the one who rescued my Dad," she said with a grateful smile. "I'm so sorry, that I couldn't get there sooner," Vert said and the girl shook her head.

"I'm just, happy that he's safe. Thank you," the girl sniffled. "What's your name?" Vert asked. "I'm Lyrica, and I won't forget this. If you need anything from me or my mom, we'll be there," Lyrica said and went off to visit her father. Vert left the hospital with a bittersweet feeling.

She met up with IF, who was outside the hospital. "Where'd you want to go?" IF asked and Vert realized she was talking about their date. "Let's go out for some dinner, I need to get my mind off of this," Vert said, holding her forehead like she had a headache. The two walked down Leanbox to look for a restaurant for their first ever date.