Chapter 13: Baka Baka! Blazing Bullets
While the tall, looming trees shaded Uni from the blazing sun, their casting shadows and the orange sunset glow meant that darkness would soon be upon her. Autumn leaves fell as Uni's side updos fluttered in the wind. Her fingers gripped around the stock of her rifle, as though the forest itself would jump out at her.
Though alert of her surroundings, flashbacks of the previous battle wouldn't leave her head alone. The strange and disturbing aura given off by the monsters they had fought chilled her to the bone during their fight, as they spilled hatred and bloodlust into their every attack. Just what happened to those monsters? Viral disease doesn't bolster that much strength. There was much more than just a palette swap at hand.
"Uniiiii." A very aloof voice called out.
"GAH! P-p-plutia!" Uni gasped nervously as the blue-haired airhead strolled towards her.
"I'm so glad I found you. I was getting lonely. What happened? You look pale." Plutia smiled.
"I-it's I've… you know… I've been lost for hours in whatever just happened. You were there Plutia. Don't you remember? We were fighting those monsters…" Uni replied, the two began walking along side by side.
"Oh yeeeaaah. What did happen? All I remember is a light coming out of Noire's bum-bum and then boink. Here we aaarrree." The words rolled off Plutie's tongue so casually that Uni could not tell if it was her words or the carefree tone that made her mouth gape.
"WHAT?! Her bum?! Plutie, were you perving over my sister?! Lights just don't come out of people's behinds like that."
"They dooon't? You mean… You've never pooped out light before, Uni?"
"Wha-NO! What kind of question is that?!" Uni retorted; her eyes squinted in frustration as a slight hint of blush ran across her face. Plutie changed the subject, inquiring about where they were as they passed a small statue of a snake which sat by a tree. "I don't know. In fact, I don't think we're in Gamindustri anymore. I can't transform."
"Oh? Maybe… I can try to transform?" Plutia stroked her chin slowly, her eyes wandering. Uni protested, waving her arms rapidly, Plutie's head then turning slowly towards Uni's direction. "Aaaww. You're such a meanie, Uni."
Uni raised an eyebrow as Plutia let her arms loose, turning around in circles with a nonchalant smile on her face. "Um, where are you looking?"
"Such an interesting bird!" Plutia said, not making eye contact with Uni. "Hey! Wait up, birdie!" Not paying attention, Plutia ran into Uni knocking both of them over when a loud 'boom' grazed the back of her head. "Uum. What was that?"
"Plutie!" Quickly grabbing onto Plutia, Uni rolled over as another shot was taken in the spot they were just at. Jumping to her feet and holding Plutie by the hand, they ducked behind a tree, before another bullet knocked some bark off of it.
"Someone's shooting at us. But why?" Plutie worriedly frowned.
"Plutie! Stay here. I'm going to see if I can find the sniper!" Uni unlocked the safety for her rifle, tension in her muscles building as she dashed from tree to tree. Her back pinned to a black pine and the stock on her shoulder, she peeked her head out for just a second. Within that split second, a small tear opened up, the blood rushing to the surface just above her cheek bone where the bullet skimmed across her face. Uni gritted her teeth, raising her rifle up, She quickly faked coming out, initiating another shot from the sniper, jumping up above to where the tree trunk split, and sending her own shot despite not knowing the exact direction of her enemy. Another shot hit the tree bark, knocking her off as wooden shards battered her face.
Uni frantically looked through her ammo before deciding to load a clip of exploding bullets into the chamber. Quickly peeking out, she fired a few rounds, creating a series of explosions before running past and leaping behind another tree, which was smaller than the other, allowing her to more easily climb up to it's thick branches. Uni ducked back down, several more shots came, nearly hitting her.
From behind her tree, Plutie watched as Uni was under fire. "Uuuhh… What should I do? Uni's in trouble." Plutia bit her nails, frantically looking around. "Ooooh. I have an idea." Reaching down, she grabbed one of her stuffed animals and threw it into the crossfire.
As the plushie went flying, the fire stopped for a moment before the sniper shot it, giving Uni a chance. "So that's where you are." Uni took pulled the trigger, firing an explosive bullet in the general direction of the sniper.
Bark flew as a body dropped. Uni jumped down from her tree to see a Brunette with long twin-tails and a torn up, black school uniform struggling to her feet. Groaning, the girl got to her feet, only to look up to Uni's rifle in her face. Uni glared into the girl's heterochromatic eyes, "Don't move! Now start talking!"
The girl smirked despite her heavy breathing. "I'm not taking orders from you... Shinobi Transformation." Uni stepped back as a bright light engulfed the girl, stripping her of her shredded school uniform to adorn herself in a long, black and white dress with a red overcoat and an ammo belt around her waist. All of a sudden, Uni found a bolt-action sniper rifle pointed at her.
"What the hell!? Her jugs just got bigger!" Uni shouted.
"Take a good look at em, Pancakes." The brunette said with sass coating her voice, Uni reinforcing the position of her own rifle. "Now I want you to tell me what YOU are doing on Hebijo grounds."
"You do realize you have a gun pointed at you too! I'd watch your words more carefully if I were you." Uni's fingers shook, dread blanketing over her as she stared the other girl down, neither willing to give an inch. She's no ordinary warrior. One wrong move and it's all over.
"Heeeyyy. Wait uuup." An airy voice called out, Uni noticed the girl glancing quickly back and forth between her and the approaching Plutia, who giggled, "No need for all the stickups. I noticed your flatties just inflated."
"Wh-what about it!? Who is this idiot anyways?!" The brunette barked, holding her rifle's position.
"She's… an… er… Aaaally." Uni stuttered, making sure her gun didn't stray.
"Aaw. Don't be a meanie. I just saw your bubbles go boing and I wanted to know if you're a CPU." Plutia folded her hands, rocking them at her waist with an open smile like a child waiting for a hug from mom.
"Look, airhead. Shut it! And you." She turned her gaze back to Uni. "You are both trespassing on Hebijo grounds! And I can't let you live." Uni gulped, a short growl could be heard from Plutia's direction. "What's her deal?" the brunette asked.
"I don't like your attitude. It's making me angry." Plutia's smile turned upside down.
"P-plutia I can handle this!" Uni stuttered.
"Baka, baka-… I mean idiot, idiot, idiot, dumb! I'm through with your stupid farce! If it wasn't for you," she shouted, pointing at Uni, "I'd shoot this retard on the spot."
"RAAUGH!" Plutia scrunched her face, standing high on her tip-toes, but nothing happened as her growl trailed off into silence. Her eyes went white. "Hm? I can't transform either."
"Is this blockhead trying to shit herself?" the brunette sweatdropped. Suddenly Uni heard someone calling in the brunette's direction, whom she figured was named Ryobi. They looked over to see a short-haired blonde running over. "Ryona?! The hell are you doin' here?"
"We had some technical difficulties in the code room. Miyabi wanted me to tell you to not kill them, but capture them." Ryona said.
"Then why don't you fuckin' help me instead of standing there all dimwitted, you dumbass pig?" Ryobi growled.
Ryona squealed in ecstasy "That's what I was doing anyways, but I wanted to hear that from you, Ryobi! I love you, sister!"
"Yeah, well fuck you too, bitch." Ryobi replied.
Uni sweatdropped. These two are sisters? Uni looked over to see Plutia with pulsating hearts around her head. "Ryona, huh? She's sooo cute."
"What? Are you ogling my sister, airhead?" Ryobi asked.
"OOOH! Yes, ogle me. Undress me with your eyes!" Ryona moaned, her tongue sticking out.
A shade of darkness shadowed Plutie's eyes, which gave off a sinister reflection. "Hehehe. My only regret is that I can't transform for you."
"Get your lecherous eyes off of her, you…" Ryobi began to yell at Plutie when Uni moved the rifle closer to Ryobi's neck.
"Don't. Move. Now, miss CPU. Tell me which nation you run, what kind of share energy are you using, and where in Gamindustri are we!?" Uni demanded.
"What the hell are you talkin about?! Did you just walk out of a video game or somethin'?!" Ryobi glared into Uni's eyes with an aggressive flare.
"Well, you seem to have your hands full, Ryobi. Soooo." Ryona then jumped onto Plutia, tackling both of them down a hill as they rolled like a sushi.
"Get back here you big dolt! Rrrgh!" Ryobi growled, before turning back to Uni. The girls' arms began to tire, holding their guns on each other the entire time. "Anyways, to continue from where we left off, I don't know who you think you are, but get that rifle out of my face."
"You first." Uni glared, her fingers beginning to tremble in their grip as sweat accumulated, dripping onto the trigger and forestock.
"As you wish." Ryobi slowly lifted her rifle barrel upward, keeping eyes on Uni. The moment her rifle was completely up, Ryobi quickly swung the axe-head on her stock, knocking Uni's rifle from it's position. Caught off guard, Uni held her gun fast, just barely blocking Ryobi, who swung her gun around like a staff. At the first opportunity she had Uni leapt backwards up into a tree, firing five explosive rounds in succession, which tore at Ryobi's dress as she leapt backwards herself, with identical timing to Uni.
Ryobi jumped to her feet running for cover as Uni loaded a new magazine. Taking several shots, Uni had Ryobi on the run before she ducked behind the small snake statue. Uni continued holding down the trigger, damage the statue as Ryobi curled up tight, sweating bullets as they flew past her, ripping up her dress even more. Grabbing a smoke bomb, she engulfed her surroundings in smoke. Expecting her to run one direction or another, Uni waited, taking aim.
"Hehe. Eat this, bitch. Ricochet Prelude." Ryobi, still in the smokescreen, aimed for the general direction of the tree base. An explosion. The next thing Uni knew, she was holding onto the branch of a falling tree, as Ryobi reloaded her gun, aiming to fire.
Uni landed on her feet before taking a shot to the side of the leg from Ryobi. She quickly leapt over the side of the fallen tree as Ryobi took four more shots. Uni whimpered, holding her leg in pain but quickly looked through her ammo. She's fast. I'm gonna have to slow her down, but I only have 7 rounds of poison bullets. I'll have to make em count.
Ryobi walked slowly over to the fallen tree, gripping the forestock of her rifle, cautiously advancing. Ryobi poked the barrel over the fallen trunk before taking a peek, herself. Suddenly Uni emitted a yelling jump, slamming her rifle sideways into Ryobi's, causing her to fire off a buckshot round into the air.
Uni had the element of surprise, catching Ryobi off guard as she tried to bash her with her gun. Despite a few hits to the face, Ryobi's melee experience soon had her parrying Uni's strikes while returning several of her own. Uni was near ragdolled, crying out as she took one hit after another, to the right of her face, then to the left, to the head and then to the stomach, knocking her down behind the fallen tree. Ryobi leapt up, aiming to come down with her axe head when Uni delivered a double kick to her stomach, knocking her back.
Ryobi yelped, before jumping back onto her feet, A poison bullet then scraping her thigh. Grunting, she backed behind another tree. "You're really starting to PISS ME OFF, You black-haired skank!"
"Then make this easy for the both of us. Come out here and just die so we can get it over with!" Uni called.
Ryobi's breath weighed down on her, rage beginning to seethe through gritted teeth. "That's my line. You STUPID WHORE!" Ryobi leapt out from behind her tree, firing a round of six shots at Uni, who ducked behind the fallen tree. "Damn it!" Ryobi screamed, running for cover as Uni came back up, taking another three shots, but missing.
Time to use this. Uni pulled out a white magazine that looked much like a normal one, except for a pair of glowing blue lines running down one side and up the other. Ryobi began to rapidly reload her rifle when she heard Uni shout "EX Multi-Blaster!" as a bright blue light could be seen from behind the tree.
Ryobi peered her head out from behind, "What the f-… aaAAAAAUUUGGHH!" the bright blue laser blasted through the tree that Ryobi sat behind, engulfing her body in a painful light. Ryobi screamed as she was stripped completely naked, her pale arms and legs open, taking in the full blast. Losing energy, her bouncy balloons deflated back to normal before she hit the ground.
Uni walked over slowly with her rifle out, Ryobi's body sprawled out on a bed of multi-colored leaves. Uni squinted as she got closer. Suddenly Ryobi's eyes opened wide and orange ethereal circles summoned mines all around her. "8-MINUET!"
Adrenaline hit Uni as she turned to leap backwards. One second too late. Uni found herself flying back, knocking her head against the downed log as the explosions ripped parts of her outfit. "Hehe… let your guard down…uuh." Ryobi dropped her head, passing out.
Uni groaned, barely lifting her body up to get on her knees as she heard a swarm of approaching footsteps. Before she knew it, masked foes of various clothes and sizes surrounded her area. Uni stopped in her tracks as a red blade came beside her neck. Her eyes looked up to see a woman in short, white hair, clad in old warlord attire, who addressed Uni in a deep voice. "Don't move, intruder."
"Ryobi!" Ryona cried out, grabbing onto her sister before calling a few medical shinobi to help her carry her.
"You… what did you… do… to Plutia?" Uni panted, hardly staying conscious.
"Oh, that one? She essssckilled! I killed her." Ryona grinned, rocking her hands behind her back.
"Ryona. I sent you to tell your sister not to kill them, and what do you do?" the white-haired woman replied with an eye roll, whom Uni suspected was their leader.
"I know, Miyabi! I messed up, so I deserve to be punished." Ryobi flashed her longing eyes at Miyabi in a sing-song voice.
"Forget I asked." Miyabi face-palmed, "At least we still have this one. We can question her."
Plutia… dead? No, she can't be! There's no way Plutia could lose this easily! Uni then looked up to see Ryona glaring at her face with heterochromatic eyes. "You can hurt me all you want… but next time… don't you dare hurt my sister!" Uni's vision faded to black as Ryona struck her on the back of the head with the blunt end of her double-sided pistol.