Chapter 37 - Awkwardness and Confessions!
It was once again silent in the aftermath of Nico's first 'real' DPU Transformation. The area was devoid of any sound after the revelation of Neptune's true identity. IF and Nico hummed to themselves, satisfied smirks on their faces as the truth they had figured out ages ago finally came to light. Compa gaped, her jaw unhinged as her eyeballs almost flew out of their sockets at the revelation. She tried to get her jaw back under control to speak, but sadly both her body and mind were resisting her at the moment.
As for Team RAIL, they didn't seem too surprised. They had seen the transformation and quickly put two and two together, Raven had her usual cold expression on as she fingered the hilt of her sheathed Katana. Aiden mindlessly fiddled with one of his combat Knives while Ivan shared the same look as their resident Nurse-In-Training.
Lucy meanwhile, was eyeing Neptune and Noire with an intense stare... a suspiciously intense stare at them. To be more specific, she was staring at their eyes, the power button symbols in them shining brightly. 'So... these are the CPUs...' she thought to herself. Honestly, she had a mybrid of emotions on right now, too many to properly process so she missed the looks that Nico, and her comrades, were sending her.
Back with the girls...
Neptune, or rather Purple Heart CPU of Planeptune, stared in disbelief at the serious Black Heart for a while, or at least what felt like a while to her, until she blinked several times to break herself out of her stupor. She looked around, expecting looks as if to say that she was joking, but all their looks pointed at the fact that she was telling the truth. Thus, Purple Heart looked back to her fellow CPU and came up with one response. "… Seriously?"
Compa eyed her friend's bewildered state, once she had gotten over her own shock, and once more stated the obvious. "Nep-Nep's in shock over her own self." She stated with a weak smile. Something in her feared that this situation could potentially spiral downhill if not handled with the perfect amount of tact. Though, it wasn't like anyone here had that tact in them, most of them, yes even Nico, were more blunt, direct ad serious.
Her words seemed to jumpstart Neptune out of her funk as she suddenly felt a powerful weight slam into her shoulders, metaphorically. Looking around, her eyes landed on IF and Neptune floated over to her with a quick questioning and a slight pleading in her tone. "Iffy, what should I do? Me? A CPU? Planeptune? Really?" her eyes shone with her disbelief, with a slight undertone of panic.
The male sighed mentally to himself. 'Well, I guess this was to be expected. This reaction... she seems to be in denial, slightly.' Nico supposed he could see where she was coming from. For so long, she had wondered who she was and what kind of stance she had on the world. But, hearing the answer from someone who knew her first hand... it wasn't what she expected it to be. She likely expected to be some form of Guild Agent or a soldier, an admit tingly childish soldier, but a soldier nonetheless. She did have a viable combat set, so it wouldn't be surprising if she was.
Though, the HDD was a big giveaway.
"Why don't you change back first?" IF suggested, gesturing to her form with a hand while she made to touch hr belt where she kept all her phones, but unfortunately, she remembered that they were all destroyed during her chrysalis mutation. She tried her best to hide the irritation she felt inside at having her beloved phones taken from her, hell, she was almost hysterical, however she was keeping focused on the task at hands so she wouldn't worry about it.
'Wait, why would you say that, IF?' Nico wondered in confusion as he glanced between the two. 'Wouldn't it be better if little Mrs CPU here remain in a form where she would be able to comprehend this information?' his point was that in HDD form, Neptune's personality switched from fun loving and easy going, to serious and determined, akin to a leader. Thus, he didn't understand why IF would suggest she change into human form. However, he remained silent since Purple Heart would likely give an answer.
"O-Okay." She stuttered, taking a breather and releasing it in one fell swoop. Her nerves were on shock right now, so she was feeling quite uncomfortable. This, unknowingly to her, answered Nico's queries as he mentally scolded himself for not realising that sooner. "I can't show my variety of expressions in this form anyway."
"Not like we're going to use your entire repertoire of expressions…"
Neptune was already in process of her transformation while IF spoke that with her usual snarky sarcasm. With a bright flash, Neptune took the place of CPU Purple Heart, making Black Heart the only one left who hadn't returned to human form, though she would likely not be returning to human form for a while yet. When everyone saw her features, they clearly knew what she was thinking about in relation to her being the ruler of an entire nation. She made a groan of distaste after this. "Uh, but really, is me… being me, okay with everyone?"
"Who expected you to be the CPU of Planeptune?" IF remarked with just as much dissatisfaction as Neptune felt. In all honesty, she had hoped it wasn't the case, that Neptune was just a girl with the ability to transform. However, fate had played a cruel hand in denying that possibility. She wondered how Planeptune had managed to stay strong for so long, knowing how this quirky girl was. In any case, it was a miracle that human organisations hadn't overthrown her yet.
Compa then brought up another point, one that confused her for a while now. "What is going on, though? All me and Ni-Ni did was see Nep-Nep fall from the…" her eyes widened in realisation. "The sky!"
IF nodded with a satisfied smirk forming on her lips, glad that Compa had figured it out. "Did you finally notice?" she remarked, a slight snarkiness entering her tone. "Everything around Nep isn't humanly possible." She explained before glancing to Nico who was contemplating some things in his mind. "Something tells me you have more things to point out, so just say a few, Nico."
Hearing her words and realising that they were being directed at him, Nico roused himself from his previous thoughts, before responding. "Well, the fact that Neptune's name is akin to her Nation is one, kinda fits with her slightly narcissistic quirks and large ego." He began, ignoring the indignant "Hey!" from said preteen. "Plus, it's not exactly common for someone to be able to transform like she can. Me, I'm an exception since I wasn't born with the abilities I now have."
Black Heart cut into the conversation after he said his piece, drawing their attention back to her. "For the record, falling from the skies isn't normal even for a Goddess…" of that she was sure, especially with how Neptune even got in that situation in the first place. She felt a stab of guilt hit her gut, but repressed it, knowing this wasn't the time for a pity party.
Neptune soon asked again, this time her anxious, nervous expression was increasing and there was a tightness in her gut that made her increasingly uncomfortable. "Um, just to make sure. Are you SURE I'm okay as CPU of Planeptune?" she asked, shifting in discomfort. she held her right arm with her hand wrapped around the bicep, in an attempt to stem the shaking she was under. This was most unlike her, but come on, give her some slack! She had just found out her life was far more important than she ever imagined. How could she NOT be a little shaken?
"Not "I'm okay", you ARE the CPU of Planeptune. Don't worry. We won't fight now. I need to first rebuild Lastation."
Later that night, the party was once again in a hotel akin to the one that Nico had bought for them when they first arrived here. They had decided to hold up there for the rest of the day to rest and recover from their ordeal. Noire wasn't with them though, as she had immediately set off to help with the repairs to Lastation's Southern District, cleaning up the undead monsters as well as organising the funeral for those that had perished in this attack.
Like they had suspected deep down, Avenir had a cover story that kept them out of the heat, much to their fury and annoyance. Their cover story was that one of their competitors, a company that they had been dealing with since before their arrival, stole one of their weapons and made it go rouge to blame them for the disaster. What they didn't expect was that robot to set off some chemicals in a chemical shop that was destroyed during the attack which combined into a toxin that spread throughout the district, turning the civilians into undead.
Their little attack had been planned and helped them on their path to ruling Lastation.
What they didn't foresee was that Team RAIL had posted footage of Noire in Black Heart form having appeared to help destroy the robot and help the civilians that were still alive, several random pockets having been found along the clean-up. Thus, Noire would have some degree of faith back from the citizens, which she was more than happy for according to her.
Speaking of Team RAIL, they had decided to hold off on returning to Planeptune, for a variety of reasons. One of them was that they didn't feel like proper Agents if they left this land in shambles, that wasn't their intent. Normally thy wouldn't care, but this was a foreign nation so they had to act cordial for the people. Although that didn't stop Raven from nearly castrating a few males that tried looking at her funny while Lucy just gave them her 'stare' that kept them men away from her.
Aiden and Ivan were the restrains though, so no injuries were life threatening.
In addition, it had been a while since they last met each other, so they wanted to catch up and maybe have a few spars to keep their muscles primed and fit for duty. Active sparring was both effective and highly encouraged within the Spec Ops community, as it focused their efforts on keeping their skills to tip-top shape as well as built bonds of comradery within their ranks. It built bonds of respect for each other's Skills as an Agent, and helped them understand one another when words failed.
Chian had managed to secure a temporary hotel for her when she would be released from the hospital. Her injuries were moderate thanks to Nico and Compa's medical treatment, but she would have to remain there for the next few days. Nico had made a mental note to keep a Recon Drone nearby in case Avenir tried anything again. Even if they weren't in the red they were still under investigation from the authorities, although those authorities worked for them so it was just a formality.
Right now, Nico was sitting in the hotel's main room, the living room, on his Laptop as he repeatedly typed keys and mashed the mouse he had attached to it. The male was playing some more StarCraft 2 against some random player online. They were good, but like he said to LadyGH, the reaper always finds it target. However, his mind wasn't fully focused on the game, not enough to impact his performance, but enough to be noted by someone else in the room.
That person soon noticed and took a seat next to him.
"Penny for your thoughts?" the familiar, tomboyish voice that he knew reached his ears, making Nico blink owlishly to return to the real world as he just finished off the enemy play with an Ultralisk and Hydralisk Rush. Turning to his left, he saw that it was IF, having just crossed one leg over the other while looking at one of her new phones. One of the things that he had done after the battle was to get her phones replaced with the most updated ones he could find. So, while there were the same number of phones on her belt, IF had a lot of work to do to get them back to what her previous ones were. A job that took most of her time today.
Finally, he spoke after staring at her for a few seconds. "Not much, just going over what happened today…" he responded trailing off as he remembered everything that had happened on this very day. From the abandoned factory, to the last battle with that Killachine, he remembered it all. Nico was surprised he wasn't tired yet, but then again, he had a lot on his mind and excess energy to burn off.
IF looked up at the ceiling, those same events playing in her mind. "Yeah, I hear ya. Woke up this morning prepping for another job, did not see this coming." She remarked, chuckling to herself as she remembered her infection and transformation into a BOW. That was the most crucial thing on her mind right now. Now that all the hectic stuff was dealt with, IF had begun to realise the true gravity of her situation. She was the first BOW with her humanity intact, ever. That was likely to turn more than a few heads when they got back to Planeptune. This right here was not the break that the Party was taking, not that would be reserved for when they left for Planeptune where they didn't have to worry about any assassination attempts from corrupt organisations.
Shaking those thoughts aside, IF turned her head to look at him, seeing how deeply concentrated his face was. "Still, I must admit, you did a good job in saving me, so I guess I should thank you for that."
Hearing her say that, Nico looked up to face her as well, his eyes were filled with conflicting emotions, ones that made IF frown in realisation. "You're feeling guilty, aren't you? Guilty about me, I mean." It was more of a statement than a question, but this didn't make her words less impactful.
Nico hummed as he looked down at his Laptop, the screen showing the match results and the cursor hovering over the orangish coloured box that said to play again. "Yeah, you caught me. I know Histoire helped me save you from becoming a mindless monster, but still, a part of me can't help but regret not being able to stop Ganache in the first place. You should have remained a human and lived a happy, peaceful life. Now, you'll likely be upgraded to a Spec Ops Agent on necessity, not actual achievement. Us Spec Ops, we pride ourselves on our abilities, they make us different from the common masses, they make us the beings that we are. Having been made one by necessity wouldn't give you any points in their books, as it makes you look like you're desperate, which is a big no-no in their book."
To become a Spec Ops was something that required hard work and determination. Their exams were so difficult, even the CPUs would break a sweat to pass them. Those that did succeed in becoming Spec Ops were proven to be truly unique and spectacular among their peers. One might think they would become too arrogant and full of themselves, however, the Exams took care of that possibility by absolutely grinding harsh lessons into their minds, bodies and souls. The most important lesson was that arrogance and cockiness will get you killed, and if a candidate did get those qualities, they would not be helped if they were to get themselves in trouble.
Yet, there was still arrogance inside the Spec Ops Programme, and that was not on the Examiners. Instead, it was the fault of the rich politicians and Noblemen, who would strong arm the higher ups to let their children become Spec Ops without worry about the Exam. Being one of their ranks was seen as a high privilege, no matter the Nation you look at, so naturally people try to claw their way into them for glory and prestige. These dirty dealings weren't normally uncovered, and even if they were, they were each too well woven leaving nothing that could be done.
In IF's case, she would be joining in without passing the exams, since she would be a BOW. This will likely incite resentment and mockery from the other Agents, who are aware of how those snobby types got into their ranks. They will see her as someone who wasn't here for anything but her own reputation, to seek prestige for being a Spec Ops Agent. Maybe it would be lighter if he was the one recommending her, but there will still be discrimination against her. Plus, Nico wouldn't be able to do much, since it would be a show of favouritism and pity, which wasn't part of the Spec Ops way.
Sometimes, humanity can be worse than the monsters...
IF took this all in, and had to admit that he had a point. She would have liked to join their ranks from achievement alone, but necessity was something as well. She couldn't help that, but she could see where he was coming from. She knew that Spec Ops Agents respect skill above anything else, so she would have a lot of work ahead of her if she wanted to earn their respect. It wasn't that she cared about what they, a bunch of strangers, would think of her, but it would make things easier in the long run.
"Well, I do admit you have a point there…" she began to say as Nico's eyes became further downcast. "However!" to her satisfaction they returned, surprise showing within them, to her eye level once again, allowing her to continue. "It still doesn't change the fact that you saved my hide, Nico, I'll always be grateful for that instead of blaming you. Don't think about it too hard, I'll get by, it's what I've done for a long time." She told him.
Her smirk widened into a broad grin. "Plus, being a BOW isn't all that bad, feels kinda awesome… especially the lack of being a mindless beast part." She mused as she looked down at her hands. She could see veins moving cross it into places she wanted them too, and it felt quite cool. The fact that she had the ability to control her body down to the molecular level, as that was what she had concluded about her mutation, was something that many would be jealous of.
She had been experimenting with her new abilities during the clean-up process today, seeing what she could do, and had concluded that her mutation allowed her to shapeshift and control her body down to the very Cells that made up her being. One time, she managed to stretch her arms to insane lengths, almost like they were Tendrils themselves, to reach for a piece of wood for house repairs... from over 20 feet away. Another instance would be how she managed to catch a falling piece of debris by enlarging her right hand to the correct size to catch it.
The brunette had to admit, she was liking these powers, even though Avenir was partially responsible for her changing.
At this, Nico slightly upturned his lips into a small smirk. Much of his conflicting emotions was now gone, replaced with a mounting relief that IF didn't blame him for what had happened to her, nor did she seem that mad about it. It rose his spirits back to normal as a light laugh escaped his lips. "Hahaha, thanks IF, I really needed that. Glad that you don't blame me for what happened." He then turned serious and looked at IF directly in the eye. "If you need a sparring partner, let me know and I'll happily oblige."
"Geez what's with you so suddenly?" IF remarked, turning her head away from him. She felt a little caught off guard by the sudden changes in Nico's mood and it was starting to wear her down. "First you seem so depressed ten you're happy and now you're super serious what are you, bipolar? You have multi personality disorder or something?"
'You have no idea, IF, no idea…' Nico thought, chuckling as he knew she was saying this in good humour. She really did have no clue about how right on the money she was just now, and it was best that she didn't. After all, some secrets were meant to be kept hidden for a reason.
The two shared a brief laugh together, and with his spirits risen, Nico started a new game for his StarCraft, before deciding to start another conversation while he was waiting for the next player to be found and the next game to be loaded. "Say, while we're on the topic of today, I was thinking."
IF couldn't help but jab at him lightly with her next words. "Oh, is this another prank on Nep I hear?" she teased him, making the teen roll his eyes. She had learned of what Nico had done when he woke up with Neptune sleeping on top of him and the song he played, and she had to admit it was a hilarious thing to imagine. There have been sometimes afterwards where he would prank Neptune again, mostly to get her motivated to do stuff since she was a lazy bum who liked lounging around playing videogames. She did try to prank him back, but those often ended in failure or she would end up caught in her own pranks.
Dude was a prank radar.
Hearing her words, Nico chuckled while shaking his head. "Nope, not this time, although I have been meaning to test that new Duct tape that's been advertised…" at the look that the brunette had given him, Nico quickly rose his hands and shook them in front of himself as if to say, 'stay back!' "No, no, I'm not… #SIGH# anyways," he sighed and went on to explain what he was thinking. "I was wondering what I should call myself in DPU Form."
"Eh?" IF blinked, momentarily surprised by his words. While she had expected that prank remark, she didn't expect him to be thinking about that as well. "Now that I think about it, Nep and Noire both have alternate names for their CPU forms, huh. Well, I guess with the personality changes it would be appropriate." Yeah, the CPUs did experience personality shifts, she remembered. Oh, how she remembered. The more prominent of the two was Neptune, and even now she still had a little trouble believing that they were the same person.
Nico nodded his head in agreement with his fellow agent, as he glanced at their game for a brief instance to see that it was still searching for players, before his gaze returned to the partner of his conversation. "Quite. Now, I was thinking something that fits the demonic theme my DPU self exhibits, yet something that's the opposite of the CPU's Divine's opposite is demonic after all."
IF hummed as she cupped her chin, now having switched her position as she now was sitting up straight while she thought. "Hmmm… how about Crimson Soul? The Crimson part refers to your hellish-looking armour, while the 'soul' is the opposite of the 'heart' yet similar in a manner. Two sides of the same coin?" she suggested after remembering the image of Nico's DPU form. Well, it wasn't exactly something one could just forget in a night of drinking oneself into a mess.
The male blinked as he registered the name in his mind, mentally going over it. Seconds later, Nico began testing the name on his lips, running a finger over his chin in thought. "HMMM… Crimson Soul… hmmm… well, I like it. feels badass and rolls off the tongue." He finalised after a few moments. "Plus, it seems like the opposite of the four Goddesses who have 'heart' in their HDD names. Makes sense since these powers are opposites to each other.
At this point, a sound came from his computer to say that the players have been matched and that the game was loading. Nico looked down at the screen and it showed his username with his signature Zerg against a Protoss player. 'Tch, these guys. They're an annoyance to deal with, but hell, the reaper always finds its prey.' Nico thought to himself, cracking his knuckles as he made himself ready.
His screen had one other onlooker, and that happened to be IF, whom he momentarily forgot about. "Hey, isn't this StarCraft, a Leanbox based game?" she asked him in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be a player." She remarked, looking at his username. The Pic and the username he had one with sent chills down her spine for some reason, as well as the urge to never let herself be on the opposite side of the battlefield against him. She almost felt sorry for the poor sod on the other side, as she knew Nico, and she knew he'd incorporate his Skills in real life into gaming. That sounded like his character, to her.
Once the game loaded up and begun, she soon realised how right she was.
"Okay dude, that was SO overkill."
"Well, that's how the reaper takes his prey."
After seeing one of the most brutal gaming styles she'd seen to date, IF had lost most of her facial colour and looked to Nico in almost mortification. Said male was just calmly leaning back and scratching his nails, polishing them and briefly blowing on them on occasion as he made the pose of someone who had class. The screen showed the Zerg symbol and a large VICTORY in the centre, but everywhere else there was just nothing but Zerg creatures. Poor Protoss never stood a chance. "Yeah well, I got my rep as the 'gaming reaper' to protect. Shame though, while the player was skilled, he didn't even last long enough for me to unveil my hidden Scythe."
"Hidden Scythe?"
"Yeah!" Nico replied happily, moving the cursor to the top right corner of the screen which said, 'slaughter mode'. The sight of it didn't help IF's nerves at all. "You see, with the Scale Mod you get double the unit spawn counts, Units that you can only encounter in the campaigns otherwise, and an experience that totally makes you rethink your perceptions of the StarCraft Universe. These benefits apply to both players on the battlefield, but it takes a real reaper to manifest the Zerg the way I do. My 'Hidden Scythe' is my best unit: the Leviathan, with maxed out abilities and buffs, combined with its imposing form and ability to spawn Mutas. Makes it a complete monster."
IF sweat dropped when she saw the image of a Leviathan on the Laptop screen after Nico did a search on Google. She saw the image of a leviathan. and had to admit that it's grotesque appearance, which was reminiscent of multiple Zerg creatures with their abilities rolled into one being, made her shudder. "Remind me to make a note to never encounter you on the opposite side on the battlefield, please?"
"No promises, hehehehehehe!" Nico laughed, hiding it behind his hand with a creepy gaze in his eyes. The way he looked right now made IF slightly scared, although she wouldn't admit that for the world. Her, scared? Hah, that'd be the day!
... Why did she get the feeling she had just condemned herself?
"Creepy laugh aside, I'd say you have the reaper thing down pat. Anyways, could you do me a favour?" When she asked him this, Nico looked at her in curiosity, stopping his mildly disturbing evil laughter. It would have sounded even worse if he had his DEATHSTROKE armour on, but luckily for her that wasn't the case. "Could ya look for Nep, please? She went out to get some more pudding after I sopped her trying to steal credits again, but that was an hour ago. I'd look for her myself but I gotta stay here to protect Compa."
Something about that didn't seem right, something told Nico that wasn't the sole reason why IF wanted him to go, and it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she had seen him as the gaming reaper. Nevertheless, Neptune being out alone didn't sit well with him, to the point where he pushed his questions aside and shut his Laptop down, placing it back into his Void Storage with the other gear he had out for it. "Alright, I'll head out and find her, she can't have gotten too far." IF nodded with relief as she watched him leave through the door to go look for Neptune.
Tracking down the preteen CPU was not as difficult as it was the last time that he had to do so when they first arrived in Lastation. For one, there weren't as many people right now, they were either in the shelters still till their homes would be repaired or they were in their still intact homes trying to forget about what had happened. Though, that'd be a bit difficult with how much indication was outside. This hell, this tragedy caused by Avenir, would be remembered for a LONG ass time.
The night sky was slightly shrouded by dark clouds, but if one looked hard enough the moon and the stars could still be visible. The sounds of construction work, which had been running throughout the city for the entirety of the afternoon, was now eerily silent. The workers had taken the night off, exhausted after the events of the day to do night work. Noire had let them go so that they could rest their weary bodies... and perhaps mourn for those they lost to this tragedy.
He had used the Holomap of the City to track Neptune down, and in moments he came to a hilltop that was beside a river, the fresh smell of water reaching his nostrils. He hummed in approval, finding it much more relaxing than standing in the midst of human crowds. Nico never did like crowded places, it drove his instincts wild. It also made retaining his 'condition' that much harder, a it was only through sheer effort and determination that Nico had kept it a secret for so long. He feared the day when he would have no choice but to unveil his true self, his true nature as the apex monster of this world. The CPUs, they thought they were on top of the food chain, but no, there was one Abnormal species that fit that bill way better than they ever could.
While walking along the top of the hill, discreetly looking down at his Holomap floating atop his Bracer, and also glancing down the slope, the male saw the preteen at last. The moment he did though, Nico's instincts told him to be on high alert that something was wrong, very wrong, his feet immediately ceasing all movement as a tensity overcame his body.
He could sense it, his instincts could sense it, he could feel it the instant his eyes fell onto her frame. A small breeze blew through the area, and yet, Nico remained focused on Neptune's form, sitting on the side of the hill. She looked so… subdued, as she held her legs close to her chest and her eyes hidden by her stocking covered knees. She reminded him of a bird locked in a cage against its will, and was struggling to break out.
'What... what is going on here?' Nico wondered, his mouth becoming a thin line as no small amount of concern welled within his being. Neptune may be a pain in the ass to deal with, but that was something he found to be an endearing quality of hers. Especially with his previous conceptions of the CPUs. They had been slowly changing with the longer he knew them, changing for the better at least. So, seeing her like this just felt... wrong, abnormal even. 'Oh, how ironic, me using the word Abnormal to describe something that wasn't a Monster...' he thought with a small amused chuckle.
The male soon stopped his chuckling however, re-assuming his prior frown. Slowly, he proceeded to walk towards her, though it seemed that his attempts at being silent were for naught, as without looking up Neptune addressed him in a tone that matched the feeling he got from her. "Hey Nicky, …how's you?" she asked him.
Nico stood beside her, unsure as to what to say as he had no idea what was causing her to be like this. awkwardly, the male looked downwards to the side, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I'm good, but I'd be even better if you tell me what made you think coming out here was a good idea." He replied, his awkwardness giving away to his mounting concern as he lowered his hand and gave her the look. The look that one got when they were abut to et scolded by their parents unless they gave them a viable answer.
For a moment, more silence passed, and somehow this silence felt heavier than the last. There was this... foreign feeling in the air, which only seemed to intensify the silence's weight on his shoulders. When Neptune didn't respond, Nico got increasingly worried, he didn't like this side of Neptune, not one bit. Had it been here this whole time and none of them, not even himself, noticed? Or did this come out recently?
An idea popped into his head after that last thought, and a wave of embarrassment overcame him. How could he have forgotten that part of the day? When Neptune found out her identity as a Goddess? And he called himself observant… Nico felt humiliation course through his body as he mourned his ability to see the inner thoughts of others. It was obvious now that Neptune would have some gripes with what she was, just think about it. She was practically a 14 year old kid personality wise, wanting to go on adventure and generally have fun. So, realising that she had so much responsibility on her shoulders that's he had unknowing been bearing, well, kind of put a damper on her spirit.
Shaking his head, Nico sat down beside her, one leg raised to his chest with the other lying down the slope. He had one forearm on his raised leg, with the other touching the ground. "Lemme guess, it's the fact that you're a CPU?" He asked her although with how bluntly he stated it, it could hardly be called a question. Nico had a feeling that, if she heard his thoughts and somehow he figured she did using some meta trick, she would agree with him.
"Yeppers."
So, it was then, goddamnit. Sometimes Nico cursed his ability to be observant, for sometimes his words come out with a coldness that he didn't intend to put there. He partially blamed his Spec Ops lifestyle for this, as being cold an calculating was a major part of the course. It saved your skin from enemy attacks, as well as betrayals from within the ranks. It made for a poor approach to consoling distraught civilians, though. "Well… now that you know this, what do you think?" he asked her. Honestly this was some deep stuff, unknown territory and if his experiences taught him anything then, despite it not being within his comfort zone, it was best to handle those situations with as much tact as possible.
In any other circumstance, Nico would say it blunt, brutal and honest. In a sense, he was indeed a 'brute' as he had heard IF describe his mannerisms. It wasn't like Nico was dense to feelings of despair, in fact it was safe to say that he could sense despair much easier than most emotions, save for rage and jealousy. However, Nico had been in the life and mind-set of a soldier for so long that, well, it changed him, in more ways than one. But, this was not a normal circumstance, Neptune wasn't some distraught civilian, she was someone he called Comrade, and he valued that highly. If he hadn't joined the Guild and became a Spec Ops, retaining his childhood self, then Nico would more than likely would have clued into Neptune's despair much sooner than this.
Neptune slightly raised her head so that her eyes were visible as she stared down at the water below. They were darker than usual, a layer of depression having put itself over them as she gazed towards it. "Well… honestly it's a bit overwhelming… this Nep brain didn't expect this, and…" she tried to say, but she came up short every time. It was like she was trying to say something from the depths of her soul, but the words refused to form in her mouth. "Well, I guess its..."
Nevertheless, Nico understood, if the gaze he had in his eyes was any indication as he glanced at her hands. Hands that have held a sword for much longer than any human who walked this earth. "Yeah, I guess it does feel that way..." the male admitted thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to the water below as it became one of melancholy. "Suddenly finding out that you're not human but a Goddess, and ruler as well. Not something you'd see on the 24-hr news." He remarked, chuckling a little in an attempt to lighten the mood. Even in her depressed state, Neptune managed to have a chuckle, although hers was weak.
After a long silence, Neptune muttered something.
"I...n't...anna...a CPU..."
It was something that not even his senses could pick up completely, and because of IT they were heightened to the point where they could be considered animalistic. That was a testament to how low she had said those words. "What was that, Neptune? I could have sworn I heard you say something." He asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder, leaning closer so he could hear what she said again. Even if he didn't hear it, Nico was aware enough to hear something at all.
He was not prepared for what happened next.
The preteen looked up at him, and much to his disbelief, Nico saw something that had sent him into complete shock. He was literally flabbergasted at what he was seeing before him.
Neptune... was crying.
No, not just crying like a few teardrops in the corners of the eyes, but multiple streams of tears falling down her cheeks, her bottom lip in an upward arch too expose her lower teeth, and most importantly, her eyes a clear mirror to how much sorrow and anguish she was feeling. It was like looking into a whirlpool of emotions, so much turbulence in those deep lilac orbs that Nico could only compare it to the force of a raging hurricane. He could only imagine the chaos warring within her heart right now.
"I said I don't wanna be a CPU! I... I don't wanna be away from you, Iffy, or Compa! I don't want it if it means I've gotta leave and stop having fun with you all! No! No-no-no!" before Nico could react the preteen was enveloping him in a hug, the male's arms automatically wrapping around her frame.
If this were any other time and had different circumstances, Nico would be a blabbering mess with a crimson face right now. After all, his close contact experiences with girls like this was practically non-existent. However, his concern for the preteen on his chest outweighed his embarrassment. "Hey, hey! Come on now what's this about leaving? What makes you think we'll have to never see each other again?"
"Wh… When Noire told me that I was a CPU, I got flashbacks, short and brief though, of my past…" Neptune began as she buried her head into his shirt, clutching the sleeves of his Trench Coat. Nico could feel wetness staining his shirt, and he knew what that meant. Neptune's tears were going onto his outfit, and while this was the only outfit he wore for his Spec Ops duties, he couldn't find it within himself to care at this point. "They were pretty vague, and for a moment I didn't know what they were… but they came back later, with increased clarity. They were of fighting in the Celestia place… so much fighting… no friends, no happiness… that's just hell! It's lonely, it's not nice, its horrible! It's a wonder why I didn't leave sooner!"
'Oh goddess, this girl's been shaken roughly… has she been holding this in since that time?' Nico wondered, shock and horror filling him up as realisation dawned on him. He didn't even realise it until a few seconds later, but his hands had wound up clasping her shoulders. Damn, even if she acted like an idiot, a pain in the ass and an annoyance, or maybe even all three, Neptune still had a heart that can be hurt inside huh? She looked like someone who didn't get fazed by anything, she would just laugh it of and make meta jokes.
But, like anyone else, this was a Mask. A Mask she uses to hide her true feelings. Everyone wore Masks to hide who they truly were inside for fear of rejection, for fear of being ousted from society, like wolves banished from their packs. Humans were primarily socialistic creatures by nature, so it was only natural that they seek companionship, and fear what may happen if they lose it. It was comparable to walking along a long, thin tightrope with countless dangers from all sides, trying to get you to slip. When one slips, they find it almost impossible to keep their balance, and because of that, they plunge into an abyss known as 'hell' full of scorn or discrimination.
However, In Neptune's case, it was not to hide anything ugly. No, Neptune's Mask was more for hiding away her own pain, her own sorrow, anguish and rage at anything that hurt her. She hid it behind a smile and laugh, reinforcing it with Meta jokes. In her words, she was the 'comic relief' character, so she had to hide her own pain away, making herself out to be the martyr so others could be happy. Whenever she was hurt, she would hide that pain behind her Mask, laugh it off and move on, not bothering to empty the gauge, not even when she was alone.
In a sense, she would rather hurt herself than hurt others.
However, all that was rendered moot, as something bigger replaced those emotions as he looked down at the crying girl in his arms: respect. He respected her ability to keep it together for so long without even letting someone like Nico catch on to what she was feeling. He also respected her when her Mask broke like this, for it showed that even a CPU had the ability to feel like a human, that they weren't emotionless deities only concerned with their own agendas like a lot of Spec Ops Agents assume.
As he gazed down at Neptune, Nico pieced together what he had learned from both Neptune and Noire, though a part of him was a bit miffed at her for leaving Neptune with these unanswered questions, the rest of him argued that Noire likely was as fooled as they were by her Mask. If it could fool him, then it could fool just about anyone, huh? Eventually, he came up with a response, an honest opinion for the situation that they were in. The teen figured Neptune could use something like that right now. "Honestly Neptune, you don't have to worry about that."
"Huh?" When he saw her shift her head so she could look up at him, her eyes bloodshot from crying so much. Heck, he could spot a large wet stain on his shirt, but ignored that for the moment. "I mean, seriously you guys can come and go from Celestia, right? Noire being here is proof, you too. That means you guys have the option of living in the human world, likely at the Basilicom. Once we save Histoire and thus the world, it's not like you won't see us around, hell we could exchange numbers and keep having private conversations. I remember chatting with a fellow agent while battling a nest of Banshee's once…" Nico paused as he nearly lost himself in old war stories.
That mission was a fun one, if he recalled correctly. It was one that took place in Leanbox, and he was with a group of other Agents, Spec Ops obviously. With the exception of... one, the mission was quite intense, as the Banshees had them surrounded on all sides to make it a full on battle royal. One big ball of combat a fight for their very survival. It was one of the few times that Nico truly felt worried for the possibility of defeat. Death honestly didn't scare him, but the thought of leaving his life behind, of leaving Compa, his adoptive mother and his queries of te past behind, did.
By the time he realised what he had almost did, shook himself out of it, he found that Neptune was giggling with mirth, and she didn't try to hide it. heh, progress! "Ehehehe, and you say you're not overpowered…" she remarked slyly, getting a deadpanned stare and then a flick to the forehead from the male's index finger. "Ouchies!"
"Behave. Now, where was I? Oh right, anyways you wouldn't lose sight of us Neptune, you're a leader so whatever you say goes, you know. I'm pretty sure you'd be able to have lots of parties and the like with your friends when you're the leader of your own country. Who knows maybe you'll have a doting relative and a noisy secretary to make life more interesting, who's to say?" Nico realised that he was getting off track a little there, so he quickly got to the bottom line. "My point is, even when this adventure is done and dusted, it's not going to be the end for us. One journey's end is the start of another."
After saying this, the male softly smiled as he began patting her on the back of the head, ruffling it between his fingers. This little act of affection prompted Neptune to blush in a bashful manner, making her look adorable. If anyone were to look at them now from an outsider's point of view, they'd assume they were a couple. "So, don't worry about it Neptune, and stop with those damned tears! You're much to gorgeous to behaving these kinds of thoughts or these tears, damnit." He praised her and commanded her at the same time.
His grin, which had turned mischievous and teasing, softened to an affectionate smile, kindness shining in his eyes as he put an index finger on the tip of her nose. "Also, stop putting up this Mask you've been using to hide it from us, your sadness that is." Her eyes widened and a muffled gasped escaped her lips. He saw in her eyes her curiosity and shock, mixed with bewilderment and disbelief. He could tell she was wondering how he saw this, and thus decided to answer. "You should know I've got a LOT of experience with wearing Masks. Hell, you've SEEN me wear one myself. So I can see past your petty little Mask like it was childsplay." he remarked with a lopsided chuckle, remembering his beloved Mask which was still in his Void Storage, actually. "We're all going to be here for you, and if you don't believe that, then believe in ME. You can keep it up I you feel like you have to be this goddamn 'comic relief' shit or whatever, but when we're alone, its okay to drop the Mask and let your feelings come out. I'll listen to every one of them, you have my word as DEATHSTROKE."
Boy, how did the guy not realise he was making smooth moves here? The dude practically gave his word, something that was practically sacred to him, that he would be there for this girl when she needed to vent. If that wasn't some loyalty to her, then I don't know what is. Anyways, if she was blushing before, then she was red faced now. "Y—you're serious? Y-You really mean that? And you just called me p-p-pretty, ya know. Are you trying to make me fall for you, mister?" she started bashfully, before switching to a teasing tone as her usual cheery gleam returned to her lilac irises.
Though it was at his expense as Nico turned his head to look away from her, trying to stop her from seeing his reddening face. Now that she was getting better, Nico was more conscious of the fact that he was holding beautiful girl in his arms, something he had little experience with until this journey of theirs began. "W-well of course, I mean have you looked in the mirror lately? Oh wait, no, forget I said that- I-uh-ahhh-um-bleh-blah-bloh- bluh!"
Soon enough, Nico's tongue got tied up as he tried to formulate words, but the hormones within weren't letting that happen, no sir! Even if he hated things perverted, his body had the reactions of a healthy young male his age. Plus, with the way that the situation was, and the position they were in, only made his hormones harder to repress. Seeing him acting like this made Neptune laugh even more, turning into a merry laugh that he could feel from the depths of her chest, what with their chests being so close together and all. "Hahahahaha! Aw, don't be so shy, Nicky! You're just as much fun to tease as Noire!" she remarked with her troll face on.
Wisely, Nico chose not to rise to that obvious provocation. "All right, all right, let's get back on topic here before you make me faint. Seriously, that can happen. You feeling better now? Now that you got some teasing in?" he asked her as they sat up, Neptune sitting on his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her still, her hands resting on his shoulders.
The preteen nodded as she nuzzled the crook of his neck with her face, her hug almost superhumanly tight, which wasn't a surprise considering who and what she was. "I feel tons better now, thanks." She replied softly, but she didn't need to. He could feel the gratitude oozing off her aura and relaxed posture in waves.
A satisfied smile escaped his lips "Don't worry about it, I'd do anything to get you smiling Nep... just glad you came back to your old self before I resorted to tickling you to death, I'm sure that Compa has told you of those times where I had to 'discipline' her, yes?" Neptune paled and Nico grinned devilishly, remembering those times with fondness. Yeah, he could be sadistic when he wanted to be.
"One last thing before I forget." Blinking as her face regained its colour, Neptune listened to what he had to say. "Don't confuse yourself, yeah sure you're a Goddess but you're still Neptune either way. You might work me ad IF's nerves every now and then but I bet you that she'll agree with me when I say that we wouldn't change you for anything."
Afterwards, the male made to get up, knowing that it was late and they needed to get back. But before he could though…
Chu!
Neptune's lips quickly found themselves on his own for the briefest of moments, although to Nico it felt like an eternity. His eyes shot open wide and his form went completely still. He didn't say a word or even think a thought, he had literally blue-screened himself when Neptune gave his lips that kiss. He couldn't escape even if he could move his body, for Neptune's arms had secured themselves around him, holding him in place. By the Goddesses, she had a strong grip. Kind of ironic, considering what she was, huh?
Pulling back, Neptune looked at him and laughed at how much of a fish he resembled right now, although her face was rosy red as well. "Ehehehe, making my heart go all fluttery like that, suffer you smooth talker, you! You just earned yourself another maiden, Nicky! Stuck with Neppy for lifey now, hubby!"
Nico took nearly 5 minutes to regain his bearings, his mind rebooting as he looked down at the grinning preteen who soon shot tot her feet with the energy she usually possessed. "Aaaaaalllrighty then!" she bellowed to the heavens above, before walking up the slope like a soldier would as she made her way back to the Hotel. "Let's a go, hubby! We gotta get back to Compa and the others for some Nep-action, baby!" she cheered, making Nico yell "Oi, Hubby?!" in dismay which added to her laugh.
Yet, that laugh felt much lighter and happier than he had ever heard her laugh before. It was almost like... she had let herself go. Like she was allowing herself to be free. That thought made Nico decide against pranking her for this, and instead formed a slight smirk as he began to chase after her.
Oh geez, my heart can't stop pounding!
Mou! That Nicky, pulling all those moves out of his behind like that!
Now I get why Aidy and Ivy have such reactions to him unknowingly being a ladies man.
Such a smooth talker he is, he knew just what to say to cheer me up.
First he assures me that things will work out between us as i'm apparently a Goddess.
Then, he goes further by breaking through my 'comic relief' character trait to what I really feel inside!
He even warms that up with his words, too!
This Nep can't even resist, at this point!
Guess this is what those magazines I saw on the internet call 'love' huh?
Guess this is also what I've been feeling for him for a while now. I wonder where it first began?
Bah, I can think of that later.
Well, good thing this isn't cannon, but fanfiction, so I can go ahead and claim him for myself!
Nicky, you don't know what you've unleashed, boi!
This Nep's playing for keeps!
'... Oh boy, you can tell this is going to end badly...'
This wasn't good.
So, so not good.
Nico could hardly believe what he was seeing, and it was all he could do to repress a groan as he held his nose's bridge with his right hand's index finger and thumb. This was one thing even he didn't see coming, and it was likely going to bite him in the ass later on. He just knew it. What was he doing, wasn't he supposed to keep people away from him so he could keep his secret safe? Yet, he's been doing the exact opposite, helping girls with their problems and cheering them up. Nevertheless, he couldn't back out now, so he had no choice but to see this through. Hopefully, things wouldn't be too crazy... oh, who was he kidding? This was Neptune they were talking about.
He'll be pranking her after all!
"So yeah, he's my Hubby now, we're at the hip!" Neptune cheerfully proclaimed to the others when they finally returned to the hotel room. Nico followed her, heaving slightly as he held himself up by having his hand on the door frame for support. Neptune had gotten impatient partway through the journey back and had all but pulled him along with her to the Hotel. He felt more exhausted than he did after his first 'true' transformation, and that was saying something.
Unfortunately for him, things predictably did get worse, as Neptune had spent one second in the room before boldly proclaiming them to be 'Hubby' and 'Wifey' whatever that meant. It seemed that the girls knew however, and they had the shock of their lives. "WHAT?!" IF was gaping at them, her jaw unhinged from her mouth which was wide open, same with her eyes. It was obvious that she planned for Nico to cheer Neptune up, but it was also obvious that she didn't expect this outcome.
Compa, oh Compa, she looked a mix between shocked and devastated. For some reason, Nico felt that this was more hurtful to her than the brunette. Said brunette would only feel a blow to her pride as a tactician, while Compa… well, for some reason she acted like this was a personal blow to the gut. She looked like she was going to break into a rage and cry at the same time, not a nice look on her, seriously. He didn't like that expression she was making, not one bit, however Nico had no idea what to do to solve it. "Hey, it's not like that, I have no clue where Neptune's got this stuff from, I swear!" he tried to say, holding his hands up defensively.
Unfortunately, trouble wasn't letting him go that easy, as it's champion hooked her arms around his right one with a beaming grin on her face. "Aw, don't be silly, Nicky!" Neptune cheerfully chirped patting Nico on the back. She knew it wouldn't have the same affect that it would on her girlfriends, as unlike them, Nico somehow had the ability to endure her superhuman strength, whereas she had to tone it down for Compa and IF. "Nicky here was a knight in shining armour, saving the beautiful maiden from the beast that is depression! Now we're gonna become hubby and wifey, the meta gods deem it so! Ehehehe, wonder what I should wear for our M rated scene."
While Neptune lost herself into her fantasies and Nico nearly fainted at the things she was mumbling out loud, IF looked to Compa and saw her state. She could tell that this wasn't easy for her, and saw she looked like she was ready to have a breakdown. Walking over, IF raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder, getting her attention as Compa turned her head to look at her. "Hey, you gonna let this slide? Nep there's making a move on your man, so are you gonna cave in or are you gonna defend your territory?" she asked her with a cheerful, knowing smile.
Compa blinked a moment, momentarily caught off guard by what she was saying, until a wave of determination fell onto her shoulders and she nodded resolutely. Memories of her childhood spent with Nico played in her mind, furthering her resolve. "Your right, iffy, I'm not gonna take this lying down!" she huffed, pumping her fists in front of her chest like it was some sort of preparation for battle.
Turning, Compa lowered her head, hair shadowing her eyes as she walked forwards towards the male, who only noticed her when she was within a few paces from him. "Huh… Compa? Uhhh, what's wrong, it's not like I did anything, I swear I'm innocent!" he tried to justify himself, thinking that she would hit him. Not like it would hurt physically, but it would emotionally.
"Ni-Ni… I've decided that I'm gonna defend it…" she told him, not moving her head. When Nico tilted his head with a confused "huh?" she raised her head and almost knocked him back with how determined she looked. "I'm gonna defend my turf!" she proclaimed getting Neptune's attention just as she went and kissed him… on the lips!
Goddamnit, this was the second time!
'Whoa, what the hell?!' Nico shrieked in his mind since his lips were caught in the kiss that Compa gave him. IF nodded her head in approval, grinning as Neptune strolled over and pulled them apart, a look of childish anger over her as she and Compa declared war over the confused Spec Ops Agent. 'What the fuck is HAPPENING?!'
Chapter end!
By GODS, this chapter took a while to edit.
Seriously, I have a whole new respect for those who take a while to upload their content. There was just so much I wanted to add to this word count that it's insane.
Now, I say that this is a Harem fanfic, but what I don't like seeing is the same cliché stereotypical bullshit in harem animes. the relationships are developed too fast for my opinion, and I sometimes don't get why some girls like this one guy. Plus, there isn't much reason for the male harem protagonist to be likable, they're either dense or overly perverted. (looking at you infinite stratos Ichika and Issei from Highschool DXD) Although I do admit they have their redeeming qualities.
What I want to make is a harem fanfic that tries something rarely used in harem anime, something Highschool DXD's protag touched upon briefly, though I won't elaborate for those who haven't seen it. But basically it's psychological in nature, and that's what I want to see more of. What the male protagonist is thinking, how things affect him psychologically and emotionally.
Also, I try to develop the romance SLOWLY, like there's a foundation for it before things kick off. That is why the romance between Neptune, Nico and Compa only truly starts 36 chapters in. This relationship, as well as the others, are going to have character development and fleshed out traits for them, I can promise you that.
Now, hope you all have a great day.
PM me if you have any questions, if not just leave a review, follow or fav!
peace out!
