It was dark, the only light illuminating the room was the light coming out from behind the nearby curtains. The only sound that protruded the darkness of the room was that of the consistent beeping of a heart monitor to my left.
My head ached, and my vision was also slightly wonky, the room a bit fuzzy, and things upclose were slightly distorted. I'm not sure if it was some kind of drug the doctors gave me, or if it was just the re-awakened concussion I had gone and restarted up again.
I let out a sigh, before the door to my room opened up, no extra light entering, as a nurse walked up to the medical devices to my left and checked a few things, before leaving the room.
This was how things had been for the past 5 days. Well, for me it's felt more like 2 hours. I was asleep for most of it, I think I went into a coma or something. I was unsure.
The seconds turned into minutes, before once again turning into hours, and so on. I lost track.
Eventually, I was given the clear to be allowed bright lights and other such things.
It was at this point that IF made an appearance.
She walked into the room, a neutral face on. I gave her a passive look, before looking down at the bedsheets I've been living under for the past week or so.
"...I don't think I need to tell you that there isn't much hope with keeping things the way they are." Said IF. "After what you did last week, Histoire is reconsidering her choice on the matter."
I felt my hands curl around the comforter. It wasn't doing a good job at comforting me right now.
"...Why did you come here?" Asked IF. "I know it was to help… but why? What reason did you have? For all intents and purposes, you hate Vert, and you don't really care about Noire or Blanc. Nep is the only one I can sort of see as a reason, but even then…"
"...Is it so hard to believe I just wanted to help?" I finally asked, not looking at her. "That I may have wanted to make sure they were safe? That MAYBE this was my way of trying to show that I wasn't a sack of sh*t anymore? Or does that not matter? After all, I left the basilicom and fought a battle that I had basically done nothing that helped with you guys achieving victory…"
I sighed, laying back down as I stared at the ceiling.
"...The goddesses are going to be talking about your sentence following these events tomorrow. Your fate is now in their hands." Said IF.
As she reached the door, she turned to face me.
"...I'll see you tomorrow." Said IF, leaving the room.
I waited as the door closed before silently letting the tears in my eyes fall.
The next day, a few nurse's walked into the room, bringing a wheelchair along with them.
"If you'll take a seat." Said one of them, helping me into the chair.
They quickly brought me out of the room, as they wheeled me down the hallways. I looked to my right to see Neptune, Vert, Blanc, Noire and IF waiting inside of a room with the door open.
I felt a sudden confusion as to why I wasn't heading there, as we passed the corridor.
We quickly reached an empty surgery room, and I looked back to see one of the nurses lock the door.
I quickly looked around from my spot on the wheelchair, finding one of the nurses picking up an exacto knife looking thingy. Next to her, was some of those things doctors hold transplant organs in.
I felt myself quickly picked up, as I was dropped onto the surgery table.
"What…?" I asked in confusion, still slightly out of it.
I then felt my legs get restrained to the table, as quickly realized that something was wrong.
"What the f*ck are you doing!?" I exclaimed, feeling myself get more and more restrained as the head nurse of the group just smirked behind her surgery mask.
"What does it look like?" She asked. "See, we've heard some pretty interesting things about you, patient."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, struggling against the restraints. "And I've gathered you aren't really nurses or doctors…"
"We know enough." Said the head nurse. "See, we've heard a rumor running around Gamindustri that YOU are perhaps, a player."
I felt my eyes widen in fear as I struggled more against the restraints.
"And since there has NEVER been one of your kind walking amongst US… Well, there are some people who would pay a large sum of money to have a player's heart, or his lungs."
The nurse twirled her scalpel looking blade, as she pointed it at my chest.
"Now then, sedate him please." Said the nurse.
One of the other nurses in question grabbed a needle out from her pack, as she injected me with something.
"Now we wait for it to run it's course and get to it." Said the nurse, as I felt myself start to slowly close my eyes.
As my eyes finally closed, it was calm for a few seconds, before I felt my chest flair in pain as my eyes shot open, letting out the loudest scream of pain I have ever let out."
"Look at that vocal work! Someone will DEFINITELY pay extra for those lungs!" Said the nurse, as she moved the blade down, cutting open my chest.
"Uh, ma'am, isn't he supposed to be passed out?" Asked another nurse as she looked around worriedly.
"His file reads that there is a longer delay on the sedatives working on him than others, something about his immune system processing them differently." Said the third Nurse.
I felt myself struggle against the restraints, before finally my right arm was freed.
"What!? I thought you restrained him!?" Asked the first nurse in shock as I grabbed the scalpel and ripped it out of my chest.
"I did! I swear!" Said the second as I let my right arm free, and then did the same for my legs, my chest bleed profusely.
I fell limp off the surgery table, as I slowly crawled away towards the door.
"Oh no you don't!" Said one of the nurses, as they grabbed my by the hair and lifted me up.
"LET GO!" I shouted, kicking her knee.
Her knee buckled, and I was dropped to the ground. I quickly grabbed ahold of the nurse's head, before slamming it into my knee.
"Get him!" Shouted the second nurse as they charged at me.
I dodged one of the nurses attacks, tripping her, before slamming my fist into her face, slamming her body onto the ground.
I felt myself wobble, as I hit the ground, my would still bleeding.
"You couldn't have made this easy, could you?" Asked the remaining nurse, as she walked overtop of me.
At this moment, I quickly pushed myself up, rearing back my fist, as I swung it upwards.
An old memory with a friend of mine started to play in my head right before my fist connected.
I was playing Overwatch with my friend G1, he was leaving for RIT in the morning, so this was a bit of a last farewell of sorts.
"So Johnny, Storm and I were having a talk with her, and of course we had to ask." G1 began. "Does it actually hurt to get punched there?"
"Let me guess, yes?" I asked.
"Oh yeah, about as badly as it does for us." Said G1.
"Ooh…" I winced. "That sounds downright terrible."
"Yeah, I'm thinking of adding it to one of my stories but don't know how or where…" G1 said.
"Well, IRL isn't exactly fight heavy, and We're really doing this again has too overpowered characters for them to even think of trying it." I said. "...This is actually sorta tricky…"
"...I just got the most brilliant name for the move." Said G1 suddenly.
"And that is?" I asked.
"Upperc*nt!" I exclaimed, slamming my fist into the Nurse's crotch with the last of my strength, limping onto the floor soon after.
The Nurse flew into the air, letting out a scream of pain, before hitting the ground on her back.
She stood up, just grabbed her groin, as she winced in pain, hobbling away from me. "YOU D*CK!" She shouted in anger.
"F*ck you to…" I said, feeling my vision start to go fuzzy.
Just as it started to, I heard the locked door behind me being slammed open, as I heard the sound of the nurse cursing and someone rolling me so I was looking at the ceiling.
"Sh*t! He needs immediate help. We need to sow the wound shut and provide a blood transfusion." Said one of the doctors that was checking me over as I felt myself getting lifted up.
"Come on, stay with us…" Said the doctor as I felt my eyes start to close.
I awoke a few hours later to the sight of an empty room.
"...What? Did I…?" I just looked around confused, before gasping in pain as I put my hand to my chest. I pulled the hospital gown a bit down, as I saw the sight of fresh stitching in place over my chest.
"...Gamindustri sure does love to try and make me commit suicide huh?" I said to myself, looking at the ceiling.
"...What do you mean we can't see him!?" I heard the muffled voice of someone saying outside, as I rotated my head to look at the door.
"He's just gotten out of surgery, and he's most likely sleeping." Said the doctor in a calm voice.
"But we're the CPU Candidates!" Said a different voice, as I felt my eyes widen at this.
"The candidates?" I asked myself, my voice barely above a whisper as I shook my head. "It's just my mind playing tricks on me."
A few seconds later I heard the doctor sigh. "Alright, but no more than a few minutes…"
I turned my head back towards the door as it opened up. Nepgear, Uni, Rom and Ram entering quietly as if they hadn't noticed I was awake.
I closed my eyes, looking at the ceiling. You know how you feel certain things if they're right in front of your face even if your eyes are closed, you can sorta sense them? That was me right now, as I felt four eyes stare at what they thought was my unconscious form.
"...Why are you even here?" I finally asked, as the four candidates looked at me wide eyed as I turned my head to look at them. "Why? Last time I checked, I was personally hated by 3 out of four of you."
Nepgear shook her head. "What are you talking about? No one here hates you."
I looked at Rom and Ram. "I helped the perverted pedo Trick kidnap them, and did nothing as he 'Healed' them."
"And I sorta webbed you two to the floor and forced you to watch us take away those two." I said. "Honestly? I don't think I still even forgive myself for that, so I find it hard to believe that any of your four could…"
"...Why is that so hard to believe?" Asked Nepgear as I turned to look at her. "You've been living with us for a while now, and you've showed you want to make things right."
"Plus, being webbed in the face isn't as bad to someone's opinion of you as you'd think." Said Uni. "Honestly, I at least trust you have good intentions now."
I looked at Rom and Ram, both looking at me with their own different looks. Rom was a look of mild concern, while Ram was looking at me with mild uneasiness.
"And what about them?" I asked. "While you might be able to forgive and forget? How do you think those two could? I've basically helped TRAUMATISE them."
"...You put your life on the line to save Ms. Nepgear." Rom said, as I looked at her. "You did that for all of us."
"...I doubt I'm going to get much of an answer from you that understanding." I deadpanned at Ram, though it sounded a lot more shaky.
"...I still don't trust you, dummy!" Said Ram.
Rom just tugged on Ram's sleeve.
"But I'll give you one shot only because you tried to save us, no matter how unnecessary it was." Said Ram.
"...I… I don't…" I tried to get words out, but I couldn't find any.
I felt my eyes start watering, as my vision got a bit blurry.
"...Thank you…" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Though I am wondering what you are even doing here." Said Nepgear. "Your injuries weren't this bad when you passed out after the battle… We heard you went into surgery!"
"...Let's just say that I found myself victim to an attempted black market organ harvesting." I said, looking at the ceiling.
"Wait what!?" Ram asked in shock. "Why you though?"
I looked at the other four candidates and realized that they were never told who I was.
"...You don't know?" I asked, only to get nods in response. "...I'm… I'm a player, apparently."
The candidates in the room quickly looked at me with shock, while Ram quickly traded that look for one of suspicion.
"...That actually makes some sense." Said Nepgear. "For why you were living with us, I mean."
I nodded. "I'd at least think that you'd know…"
"Neptune never brought it up." Said Nepgear.
I just let out a small smile as I looked back at the ceiling.
It was then that the door to the room opened up again, and four more footsteps were made known.
"Jr?" Neptune asked.
"Rom, Ram?" Blanc asked.
"Uni?" Noire continued this line of questions.
"What are you four doing here?" Vert asked.
"We came to see Mr. Bryce." Said Rom.
"Bryce?" Asked Noire as she looked at me, I just turned to look at the four CPUs before turning to look away.
"...Hi…" Was all that came out of my mouth, a frown now on my face. I wasn't mad at them, just.. uncomfortable.
"...Can you four wait outside for us?" Asked Vert as I heard the sound of the candidates leaving the room. The CPUs on the other hand, not so much.
"...I'm surprised you aren't here with guards or something to take me to prison." I said, still not facing them.
"...Can you please look at us?" Asked Vert.
"Yeah, like my composure can handle that." I said, not having bothered wiping the away the tears from before.
"Bryce…" Neptune said.
"Look, I can honestly say that I know Neptune would have been in my favour though that's still JUST Neptune, and I KNOW that 'stunt' I pulled didn't help me much." I said, my tears now openly streaming, though I don't think anyone noticed my sobs though. "I know that Noire probably doesn't like the fact I got my hands, or wrists on another web shooter, not to mention the fact I stole the first two in the first place. Blanc probably still wishes to bash my head in for the kidnapping in Lowee, and I hate Vert for my own personal reasons, so just cut it with the sugar coating and tell me I'm going back to that jail cell…"
I just remained silent as I closed my eyes as I braced myself.
"We… still need to go through the actual meeting. We were distracted with the attempted organ harvesting." Said Vert. "Your room's security is better for now, so you shouldn't have any more incidents like that."
I refused to face them as I heard no sudden movements, before everyone left the room.
I just stared at the ceiling as I silently cried.
A few hours later, a few guards and a doctor walked into a room, accompanied by a wheelchair.
"We're here to take you to the Goddesses." Said the Doctor, as the Leanbox Guards nodded.
I nodded, as I was helped out of the bed and into the wheelchair.
I was then quickly escorted towards the room that I was SUPPOSED to have been going before. Outside, I saw that Nepgear, Uni, Rom and Ram were waiting outside.
They looked at me as I was wheeled in, and all I could give them was a sad smile of regret, as the door closed behind us.
I was left at a table at the opposite side of the CPUs, who were now in their HDD forms, wearing business attire… for some reason.
Purple Heart looked me in the eyes, as I felt the pressure in my chest start to build.
"Bryce Bridged. We have spent the past few hours going over all we have known about you, and our interactions." Said Purple Heart. "All to come to a conclusion on whether or not to change your current arrangements."
"These talks have not been easy." Said Green Heart. "You've given us a lot of information that puts you on both sides of the scale."
"There have been many times we have come to a conclusion, only to be reminded of another event and be brought back into these talks." Said White Heart.
"However, after much talk, we have come to an agreement." Said Black Heart.
"Bryce Bridged." Purple Heart. "We will be changing your prison arrangement."
These words hit me heavily, I felt the stitches in my chest cut open, as I felt a pain ablaze in my chest.
However, just as Purple Heart uttered these words, the door to the room slammed open!
"You can't send Bryce back to jail!" Nepgear shouted, as the other candidates entered the room along with her.
"Nepgear? Uni? Rom? Ram?" I asked, turning around in my wheelchair as I looked at them in shock. "What…? But… Why are you...?"
I was at a lose of words, here they were, the CPU candidates of Gamindustri, four kids who I honestly though hated me, or at least didn't like me, were now standing up for me in what I could basically call a courtroom.
It sure felt like one, as I swear some Ace Attorney music started playing in my head as a chibi Nepgear stood up behind the defence's desk.
"The defense is ready, your honor." Said Mini-Gear. "I hope…"
The quick daydream flashed back to normal, as the candidates looked at me like I was mildly stupid for asking that.
"Did we not just tell you this a few hours ago?" Asked Uni. "We all trust that you're trying to do good things."
"Mhm…" Rom said.
"He get's one chance from me!" Said Ram as I turned to Nepgear.
"We trust you." Said Nepgear. "We're not going to just let you go to jail without our input."
"...I…" I began, tears back in my eyes. "...I don't know what to say…"
"How about you just let those tears say it for you." Said Purple Heart. "You didn't let us explain the new arrangement.
I turned back to the CPUs, as Purple Heart looked at me with a slight smile on her face.
"We have talked, and have all agreed that while you do need to have some form of punishment, I don't think I'd even call it that." Said Purple Heart.
"The terms are, you'll continue living in Planeptune with Neptune and Nepgear, and you'll help Vert out with her research on Cause and Effect." Said Black Heart.
I looked at Green Heart in uneasy-ness, though the tears in my eyes were betraying me right now.
Green Heart looked down at the table. "I feel… responsible for your being here. And after everything Gamindustri has put you through, I want to make amends."
She looked up at me, determination in her eyes. "I'm hoping that studying what brought you here, could help us find you a way back."
"...And… that's it…?" I asked, looking over the CPUs. "Thats… I'm…?"
At the lack of anything else added on, I felt the tears grow heavy as I just started crying again.
The only difference, was that this time it was tears of joy, and I was surrounded by those I could call family.