Chapter 176 - 'Negotiating'... Right
When she had heard once from her hubby abput how these things tended to be whenever he embarked on Urgent Quests in the past, she remembered how he had described it as similar to a 'small black box that's every clustrophobiac's worst nightmare'. Like a 'black metallic cage with little ability to see into the outside, personifying the Spec Ops way of only focusing on what was truly important… as well as their narrow-minded philosophy'. Back then, she hadn't really believed him when he'd told her this, thinking that he had been overeaggerating these things since he tended to do that from time to time. Of course she would, why wouldn't she? After all, she hadn't seen the true world Spec Ops Agents live in every day, although she had a small taste of it whenever she fought against the versatile Abnormals. Plus, she never realy DID ask him what kind of life it was like in that stifling Program…
Whelp.
"I'm booooorreeeeed….! I wanna play some games, eat some pudding, anything to entertain myself!"
She should have listened to him.
One Neptune whined like th
is for what felt like the millionth time this week, kicking the air with her legs and flailing her arms above her head like a toddler not getting what they wanted from their parents/guardians. She sat on top of a metallic stool in one of the APC's, with her left side occupied by Compa and IF taking the other side, all whilst the two had their own reactions to the preteen's constant pestering. Compa, the angel (if slightly flawed) that she was kept a polite, mediating smile on her face as she awkwardsly scratched her left cheek with her matching hand, a couple sweat drops on her forehead with a light blush of embarrassment. Knowing how easily bored the preteen could get in her human form prepared her for this journey, but it wasn't the same for the one on the opposite side of things.
Perhaps the ride could have been a bit more pleasant for them all, if it weren't for the experience of having this loudmouth on board.
"For the last time, Nep, we GET IT!" IF yelled, scolding the amnesiac CPU whilst using a couple Tendrils to shut her up. "You've said this many times now since we began this journey, give it a rest already before I do something we'll regret!" Oh yeah, IF didn't have as much hesitation in using her powers in this situation. Inside the APC they rode were herself, the annoyingly noisy Neptune, and the mediator known as Compa, with Team RAIL sitting opposite them… well, three members and Theta, one of them had to move to a different car due to seating arrangements, and that person turned out to be Ivan. Mostly to do with his slightly perverse tendencies making the girls distrust him, even though they themselves admitted to him being FAR better than lets say those two maroon haired brothers they'd met earlier. However, if they had a choice, then they would rather it be someone whom they weren't close to be the one next to them instead of Ivan, since then they wouldn't have as many reservations about tearing out his heart or his manhood should he try anything.
Theta had only laughed awkwardly at this reasoning, commenting on just 'how well the girls and Nico fit together' and that he had 'influenced them' to a degree…
Not something they were willing to deny.
3 weeks had passed since their first encounter with the man after his rescuing them from those Abnormals, and in those three weeks that had been travelling like this non-stop, riding these APC's as part of a transport convoy throughout Lowee towards a HQ as Theta had called it, only taking short breaks to resupply in deserted towns, cities, etc. Noire, Vert, Ican and Cecil took another APC that was following right behind them, though the brunette BOW looked like she wished she were in that one so she didn't have to deal with the bratty CPU's whining. 'Ugh, I just HAD to be curious about Theta's connection to this whole thing, didn't I? Looks like I made my own bed in this situation…'
Back to the monologue. Fortunately, there were only a couple breaks a week, but they had to take a roundabout route in order to avoid the large hoards of Abnormals that populate the Landmass at the moment. At first, one might be curious on why this route took them so long, and when Compa had once asked them, Thera had revealed it to be due to a rather… shocking reason.
"Ah, well ladies, this is what happens when Abormals win the fight against humanity for planetary dominion. Ever since a few months ago, things have changed for the worse around here, I'm afraid, and I'm not just talking about Chaos changing Lowee's environment for their own amusement either. Across the whole of Lowee, you can find entire hoards of Abnormals clustered together, yet also scattered throughout, numbering in the hundreds. They came out of the woodworks en masse, completely catching everyone by surprise and stormed everything like an unending tidal wave. Lotta good boys died in the chaos that followed, worse still more are also appearing by the day, to the point where their numbers far surpass those of humanity." He had explained with a grim, grave tone as his eyes had darkened, memories of leading countless men into battle against these creatures and seeing the… horrific outcomes.
Neptune had been all like 'NEPU?!' and when the Party questioned him further, he'd told them how this had started months ago, when some sort of 'drastic shift in Loweee's management' had occurred and the whole Nation, which had all been about peace, fun and maximum enjoyment for young budding families, transformed overnight into this twisted 'den' filled with many hungry 'wolves and lions'. Many innocent civilians and good soldiers either got brutally torn to shreds or mysteriously vanished without a trace, but the end result had been the same nonetheless: the Abnormals became the dominant force on Lowee, and now run wild across its lands. Some reports had come in regarding sightings of these immense bird-like creatures with shimmering skin, wicked curved beaks and multi-coloured, spectrum-shattering wings. Though, these reports had been dubious at best, considering how who had been said to gave gazed upon these beings had eventually lost all shreds of sanity and reason, leading to them being mercy killed once it had been deemed that rehab was all but impossible.
Lucy's sole reaction: "That's messed up."
Theta's response: "Damn straight."
Back to the current conversation…
"But Iffyyyyy…!" Neptune whined some more, even with the Tendrils keeping her trap shut as she flailed about some more, forcing the brunette to restrain her further vial Tendrils wrapping around her limbs. Even with her lips sealed, Neptune still managed to keep going with her speech as she defiantly eyed her 'warden' of a Party Member. "Y'know me, I cannot go without fun for so long! I'm a giggly gal, I need laughter! Its my fuel! Its my life, the comedy gig!" Let it not be said that Neptune wasn't tenacious when it came to something that she wanted, especially when she felt in her childish mind that she had been without it for too long. Though, in spite of all this Nep bashing that the author was apparently fond of doing, in her defence she hadn't had the chance to have fun or play games for these entire three weeks. Everything had been oh so dark, twisted, moody and serious, with the worst part being that even SHE had been effected. HER! The queen of comedy! That was her schtick, and this dark atmosphere made it nearly impossible for her to get many good jokes and laughs out, it wasn't fair!
Watching all this, Compa could only smile weakly whilst the brunette struggled to hold the preteen up in the air in the middle of the APC, shaking her about like a child playng with a ragdoll. "Nep-Nep's almost like she's going through a withdrawl…" she mumbled to herself, so nobody heard, although IF heard her. She just didn't bother with the Spirit girl for the moment due to having more 'pressing' concerns on hand.
"Well, I find it amusing to see her like this…" Lucy remarked thoughtfully, one leg crossed over the other as she did the same with her arms, smirking in amusement with a few chuckles escaping. This also caused her shoulders to tremble slightly, until she felt a faint chill in the air which caused her to glance up at the preteen, only to see her having been frozen in a block of ice, head included. "Ah… guess the noise finally got to you, eh Ravey?" the crimson haired Goddess questioned with a slight smile, a sweat drop on the side of her forehead.
All the blackette beside her did, was simply remain silent… though the faint chilling aura around her pretty much said everything about her current emotional state for her.
Lucy mentally chuckled, this time at her Leader. 'Well, Ravey's always been a woman of few words…'
Speaking of the black haired, man hating samurai, Raven looked up from her previous positoon towards the oldest human in the Transport, a look hich showed she had been thinking about some sort of matter. "By the way, whilst we're here, there is something I would llike to inquire about with you, sir." She began to say.
"Well, take the sir away from my name and just call me Theta would be nice, but continue."
"… Very well." A twitch of her brow gave away how irked the woman felt at being interrupted, but her professionalism took the reins and kept them away, so she simply continued regardless. "… You claim to be a military man, but what then are you doing with standard Spec Ops issued gear? As the higher ups are a paranoid, cautious lot with particular empathesis on Leanbox and Lowee, therefore I find it difficult to believe that you managed to appropriate these so easily."
At this, Theta looked on over towards her with a frown of his own for a moment, before it got replaced by an easygoing smirk seconds later. "Ah, so your one of THOSE types, I see…" he mused, before continuing without giving anyone the chance to question him about those words. "Well, if you MUST know, not too long after the whole coalition business, and seeing how one of your reps behaved, I became curious about you Spec Ops folk, wanted to see why they acted the way they did. As such, after a few deals and meetings with some people I would rather only see when absolutely necessary…" Just then, a chill ran down the man's spine when he shuddered, memories of some of the most uncomfortable times in his entire life. "I managed to square a bit of an agreement between us. Think of me as a close ascosciate of your group now, that's why I've got all these goodies here."
"I see…"
Over on the opposite side, Aiden then looked towards Theta who sat beside him, looking like he was taking a cap although the boy knew from the last few weeks that this was simply an act an act to make people think he was asleep when the opposite turned out to be the case. "Say, Theta…" he began, the man opening one eye to look over in his direction. "Requesting ETA for the arrival to our destination." Aiden requested with a military style salute."
Theta, hearing this, rubbed his forehead whilst letting out a mirth-filled chuckle. "Dear goddess, there's two of them…" he muttered, catching the look of confusion sent his way before he shook his head. "Nothing to worry your little head 'bout, kid, just reminded me of someone else. Anyways, don't worry, according to the reports I'm getting…" he took a pause, lifting his hand to showcase his Iphone. "We're about 30 or so minutes away from HQ, so no need to be too agitated for much longer. Thus, if someone could be so kind to let the young'un out of her little naughty step there, that would be very much appreciated."
After 30 more minutes, something which Neptune had kept track of by counting down by the seconds, the Party FINALLY arrived at a small city, one which seemed to be chock FULL of people unlike the supposed 'capital' that they had visited previously. Upon hearing it, Theta had facepalmed, telling them that the CPU in order to capture criminals, would create false illusions of her apital over destroyed towns to lure them in with a false sense of security, then capture them that way. Nobody would then see what would have happened to those people, but it sure as hell wasn't good, well that had been the man's own personal aopinion anyways, something which he didn't want to use very often since he preferred the facts and the logic.
Of course, the Party had to walk the rest of the way once they had passed the city's checkpoint, something which they had to erect in case Chaos Followers or those who wanted to do some… insidious stuff, stuff that Theta hadn't wanted to mention, tried to pull any funny business. More than a dew had tried this, marking this checkpoint business necessary. This had resulted in the Party finally getting to see what city life in Lowee had been like, and well, lets just say they weren't disappointed. The Streets showed strong liveliness, with people of all kinds of different backgrounds, workers, housewives, shopkeepers, all kinds of people who worked their daily lives and simply tried to make the best out of their situations respectively. Children happily chased one another with loud bursts of joyous laughter filling the streets, promoting this soothing feeling throughout the Party. It almost made them consider their prior experiences nothing but a bad dream, evebn though the crushing reality did NOT relent in reminding them of the horrific truth. For now, they ust had to appreciate the sight of happinjess, since they rarely got to see it anymore.
Though, despite having been released from her icy prison, Neptubne still needed to chillax (pun intended) in the form of IF restraining her from going out to explore the city. Fortunately, some quick 'pursuasion' from Compa (in that she simply gave a smile that looked so sicky sweet on the outside that it actually sent shivers of terror down the preteen's spine and ade her want to pray for her soul) managed to curb her for the time being.
Finally…
"Whelp, here we are, ladies and gents."
Theta spoke this as he gestured to the building in front of him that the Party had arrived at. The building itself, oddly enough resembled the Basilicom which they had entered before, something which REALLY set off their internal alarms. However, instead of ioutright demanding explanations from Theta preferably wth a few spikes near his nads, trhey soon noticed some stark differences… one of which being that it looked to be much smaller than the original one. Whereas the original looked rather large and grand, this one looked to be small, humble and casual… not to mention like it had been frantically made too. The whole thing looked plenty stable enough for a building the shape of a mushroom, but there was hardly that sense of grrandure about it thanks to the walls having bits and pieces chipped off like it hadn't been painted in weeks.
"This is your HQ, I presume?" Raven questioned Theta who stood beside Financier, arching a brow whilst gesturing to the Building with her hand. She did NOT look impressed, for in her mind she had expected this HQ to building to be more on the… militaristic side of things. The fact that it had any resemblance to the original Basilicom at ALL really made her want to draw out her Nodachi and rip this guy a new one, acquaintance of Nico ignored. Furthermore, she could sense it, and she bet that Lucy, the other CPUs, as well as Compa could sense it too (her thoughts being proven by the faint flickers of realization from each of them, even Neptune), there was this faint divine presence located inside, one which… now that she looked more into it felt FAR weaker than what she had expected. 'Moreover, this feeling… perhaops it can be possible…'
Having sensed her thoughts, or rather guessed them from looking into her eyes, the adult man nodded his head without any of his merriment lost. "Yep, and the person who told me to bring you here happens to be inside right now. Me and Financier here, we'll bring you in and guide you to her…" he began to say, before something else caught his attention, a humming sound escaping his lips as he looked to the side. "Oh, now HERE'S some slackers I have been wondering about, had been thinking you two went AWOL again." He cheerily called out, though his eyes also reflected a sense of a stern drill instructor.
When the Party glanced over to where he had been looking, tp their surprise (and hidden dismay with some projecting it out more than others) it turned out to be two very familiar brothers, hobbling forth whilst wearing brown hooded cloaks and carrying walking sticks. They looked positively dishevelled in comparison to when they'd last encountered these two, like they had gone through an experience similar to walking non-stop for over a thousand years. Their limbs trembled as they leaned on their sticks for support, looking feeble and weak.
Upon noticing Theta and Financier giving them disapproving looks, the two men groaned in unified dismay, looking like they had hoped to not encounter those two on their way here. Kind of reminded the more nurturing Party Members of two kids trying to hide something from their parents, only to be found out pretty much right away. Then, their eyes wandered off to the side, noticing the Party's presence and, like magic, the two men IMMEDIATELY perked up. They tossed off their cloaks, sticks and fixed themselves up, resuming the appearances they had seen them during their first encounter, sparkles around their forms like a certain vampire series and everything. "Ah, how fortunate we may yet be, younger brother! To encounter such fine mammories after such a long, hard fought journey!"
"Indeed, older brother! And that barbaric buffoon isn't here, either! Now we can-!"
"Whoopsie…"
BONK!
"Guh!" x2
Before the two could make a move on the Party, or to be more specific the ones with substantially large torsos, Theta just casually chucked a couple rocks at them… rocks the size of a human palm which he had just picked up… though from where became the question on everyone's minds, even as Financier just told them to roll with it for now. "Sorry boys but flirting with other men's girls isn't in the bro code, and besides, you two have some debriefing to do. Report to your supervisors, if you would, we have some business with the Leader." The man told them, clapping his hands together as if to say, 'chop chop!' or something.
This served to cut off any protests of which the two boys could have made, resulting in them lowering their heads like they were hanging, with resigned expressions on their faces as they soon trotted off. Though, the two did not miss the chance to wink at some of the girls, much to their annoyance so those girls simply ignored them as they left.
Once they were gone, a sharp decrease in tension could be felt in the atmosphere, the oldest looking male in the group turning back to them with a sheepish yet apologetic look to him. "Sorry 'bout them, those two have always been like this." He told them, rubbing the back of his head whilst dipping it slightly afterwards. It looked like he had done this way too many times in the past, given how smooth and 'practiced' his words sounded, too. "Got drafted into my troope thanks to their parents getting tired of their womanizing antics, wanted them to learn some responsibility for once. So far, its not going too well, but hey, not one to shy away from a challenge. But lets save the chit chat for later, cause we got a special appointment today, everyone."
"Excuse me… I bring our powerful allies."
"Way to announce us, Financier, but you should say 'guests' instead of allies… yet, hopefully."
Afterwards, Theta and Financier guided the party inside, escorting them from the front up to the room in which this 'leader' turned out to be residing in. At first, the Party collectively found it strange, and more than a little suspicious, that they had to go so far just to meet with this leader, however considering the overall situation about Lowee their level of caution still remained understandably large. Regardless of that, turned out that they had been brought to a small, yet surprisingly modest, well kept room which had a mix of a bedroom and library feel to it. The bedroom had a crimson fluffy carpet on its floor, with white walls which had blue support pillars on it, the room itself having a cube-shaped design to its structure. The ceiling itself had a sky-blue colour to it, whilst the room also possessed shelves upon shelves of different books, lined up around the walls so only bits and pieces of those walls could be seen. There were all sorts of different books, from fictional to factual ones, stories of many different genres (predominantly romance ones), With some being historical and scientific ones.
All in all, it looked like a pretty decently comfortable room, with an air of sophistication but nothing too grand that it would become overbearing, not unlike a true Basilicom such as the one they had entered previously.
And at the back of the room, there lay a simple looking bed, one aligned horizontally against the back wall. It looked similar to the one back in that other Basilicom, however this one had its curtains open, revealing a sight which took a majority of the Party by surprise…
"I'm busy now. I'm sorry, but could you lead them out."
"?!"
There, lying on top of her bed belly first whilst having answered the two speakers with a lazy yet firm voice, turned out to be Lady White Heart herself. The brunette looked to be surrounded by books too, two piles on her left side and a couple on her ritht, with one in her hands that looked to be half open, showcasing that she had been reading it when they had interrupted her. She also wore the same clothes as before, only her hat seemed to be close to her top left flank and her coat seemed to be more of a makeshift blanket, although to experienced veterans like Team RAIL, IF, Noire and Vert, her layout showcased a hidden sense of readiness. The kind that, the moment an emergency situation came up, would allow her to get ready in record time whilst still providing leisurely comfort to their user. The way that she looked at them with a blank monotone, not to mention the slight signs of annoyance the black-haired Samurai themed Spec Ops Agent picked up…
However, it looked like the two had been prepared for this response, if their 'saw this coming' like expressions were any sort of indication. "Ah, but they came all this way here for us, so wouldn't it be rude for us to just send them off like that?" Financier questioned back, although there was a pressing intensity to her voice that pretty much stated her opinion on the girl's words.
"Agreeing with Mrs Financier here, Lady Blanc. Might as well hear them out especially with what they've gone through just to get here." Theta added on, arms crossed behind his back with a gaze as stern as a brick wall being hard. Ompletely unlike the mix of disciplined and chilled posture that he had been adopting up till this point, the Party had noticed, which proved for certain that this girl was of higher rank in the leadership scale than him. "They went through Abnormal hoards and almost got lynched on multiple accounts by the enemy just to get here."
Meanwhile, as the three had this little miniature tug of war on seeing the Party…
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What the?! Wait, what?! What's-What's Lady White Heart doing over here?!"
Neptune had been the one to shout that out whilst flailing her arms about to keep herself from falling onto her backside. She barely managed to do so whilst she recalled the last time that she had seen this figure, back in that Basilicom. Thinking about it, something which she didn't do all that often she'd admit, Neptune soon began noticing some stark differences between this Blanc and the other one:
One, the divinity inside of her, it felt…. Different compared to the other one before, not as twisted or corrupted, plus there seemed to be something… off to it, as well.
Two, there seemed to be something… else, inside of her, since Neptune got a similar feeling from her that she did from Noire, Vert and Nico somehow, although for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.
Three, and the most glaringly obvious one, was their demeanors. The Blanc from before felt completely unlike this one, as she had felt… large, haughty, almost suffocatingly so, like a poised, refined blade about to stab into them. Which she had indeed done so by springing that trap on their behinds. As for this Blanc, like the small home she apparently inhavited, she felt small, humble and less… distant, for lack of a better word.
Neptune couldn't continue her thoughts further though, as her words had ended up drawing the attention of LadyWhite Heart, or rather 'Blanc' as Theta had called her, to both herself as wel as all her Party Members, the brunette's eyes shining with a gaze practically shouting, 'are you serious?' to them. A hard edge started forming in her words when she spoke again. "Why wouldn't I be? This is MY room, after all." She questioned rhetorically, though it seemed as though the combination of this with the pleading gaze of Financiet, as well as Theta's knowing look, that resulted in her finally giving in. A sigh soon escaped her lips as she promptly put her coat and hat on, whilst putting her books to one side, all before stepping off her bed to stand upright before them.
When she did so, Financier then introduced her with a weak, awkward and nervous smile on her face whilst standing off to the side, becoming a neutral party in this conversation alongside the beanie-wearing man. "This here, everyone, is the Leader of our resistance, and the CPU of Lowee, Lady White Heart."
"Wha-Whaaaaaaa?"
"This is so confusing that Nep-Nep is struggling to figure out what to do…"
Neptune's face pretty much looked like what those of Gamindustri's local 'Pixlevaders', a species that had been declared endangered thanks to the Abnormals, looked like right now, which Compa commented about whilst smiling weakly. A sweat drop formed over the Nurse-In-Training's mind as she herself tried to figure out the situation going on here… though, considering how she wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, she had about as much success as the Planeptune CPU.
Hearing their words, Blanc aimed an irritated frown that got supported by a piercing gaze towards them. "Be quiet." She stated with a tone just below a whisper, yet the softness of her voice did NOT hide the edge she had to it any. "If you're going to cause a ruckus, do it outside."
When she saw this and heard Bland's response, something seemed to click inside Vert's mind, something which caused her eyes to shine with realization and understanding, a matching smile on her lips which betrayed the relief she felt inside. "Ah, now I understand. I see what is going on, you're the REAL Blanc, are you not?" she questioned, and when she did so she distinctly remembered their resident redhead DPU saying something about a Faker before. 'My in-game hubby… did you figure this out, before us? It wouldn't surprise me if you had, my dear…' she thought, mentally frowning in sadness since she had been missing him for a while now. 'Oh my, seeing as I'm reacting like this even after such a short time apart…'
Since she kept these emotions and thoughts to herself, the others only focused on the words that had escaped her mouth, with Noire glancing over to her with a look of mild surprise. "Wait, it took you THIS long to see it, Vert? Geez, how can you call yourself a CPU if you failed to pick up THIS much?" she commented haughtily, huffing whilst lifting her nose up.
"My, but weren't you confused just like the rest of us, Noire? I distinctly remember you constantly thinking about it on the way here, so much so that your face turned red and steam-"
"Ugh, no time for that right now!"
"Guys! Couldya PLEASE quit with the cut and paste banter and tell us all what's the deal here?!"
Jus as Vert made to begin teasing the black haired tsundere, Neptune quickly barged in to form a rare display of wanting answers MORE than some comedy. Must go to show just how curious she felt inside to know what's going on with this situation, huh? In any case, the Compa and Cecil nodded together in unison as the trio crowded around the blonde CPU, whom as a former sut-in otaku began to sweat nervously from the pressure suddenly being placed on top of her shoulders.
Fortunately for her, Raven took charge of the conversation when she had seen this happening, releasing an annoyed groan whilst Lucy smirked beside her in substatia amusement, similar with Ivan, and as for Aiden he just looked on blankly. "She's meaning that the White Heart we saw previously was a fake, a fraud pretending to be her, and the White Heart in front of us is the real one." She declared, getting a collective cry of surprise from the others, whilst Vert aimed a look of gratitude towards her, something which Raven returned with a nod of acknowledgement. "If I have your permission, I would like to suggest a theory as to how this all came to be, may I?"
"Sure."
With that single reply from Blanc, who looked simply disinterested about what was going on, Raven began to explain her theory. "Whilst what I said remains a fact, I believe that this so-called 'switch' didn't happen without the use of force, as otherwise your divine aura would be at least equal to that of the other CPUs, therefore it must have been some sort of betrayal that you suffered which reduced you to this state. One hypothetical solution is that she waited for the golden opportunity, earning your trust and that of your people in the meantime, until thatmoment came where she either caught you unawares or gradually took over without you even realizing it. I'm aiming for the former considering that in the latter's case your so-called 'resistance' would likely end up smaller than it actually is."
…
…
…
In that moment, silence reined over the atmosphere, one which Raven stared directly into Theta's eyes whilst waiting for his response. However, she hadn't said everything relating to what she had discovered, oh no, she still wanted to have some hidden trump cards in case things went awry, something she didn't doubt would happen given the… nature that Lowee's CPU was known for. These cards actually revolved around her, or to be more specific the soul within her… the soul which had a 'heroic' feel to it as it connected with Blanc's main soul in a manner similar to Noire and Vert's.
…
…
"…Well, you're not that wrong on that front." After that moment of tense silence passed, a surprised and dumbfounded Theta couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief about Raven's surprisingly detailed theory, especially when he recognized some similarities between the rather brutal theorizing based off evidence. 'Its almost like back when we fought together against the Coalition…' the male thought, thinking back to a certain time with a certain redhead. "Since you pretty much nailed this situation; I'll give you the official rundown. That fake Lady Blanc you all had the sad pleasure of meeting? Yeah, she was once one of ours called Conversation."
Now THIS got everyone's attention, as shown when each of the Party gave surprised sounds and stunned expressions, something which Theta nodded to himself at. "Ah, looks like you all are familiar with her judging by those faces you're making… makes things easier then. Apparently, she's got some weird mojo stuff that lets her steal and/or copy another's abilities, which she used to take Lady Blanc by surprise, of which she seemed to have intended to steal her powers completely. She's pretty much been one of our most trusted officials, so she had a lot of influence over Lowee, she must have used that to her advantage and caught us completely with our pants down. However, events unfolded, and Lady Blanc managed to escape with only her powers copied instead, the rest of things… well, you've seen it yourself."
"Don't remind me of her!" All of a sudden, Blanc snarled as a flash of anger erupted within her eyes, her face contorting into one of sheer fury. The brown-haired CPU looked like she wanted to smash something at that moment, and for an instance she looked like she would do just that… however, she instead just released a frustrated huff instead, crossing her arms in front of her chest whilst looking to the side, angrily muttering under her breath. "I trusted her, and this is the thanks I get…"
This had the result of her missing a flash of darkness pass through Neptune's eyes… though, to be fair so did the rest of the Party.
After it passed before it could be discovered, Vert then stepped forwards with an understanding smile on her face. "Simply put, you formed this little resistance with what few followers you still had, in order to return things to normal again, is that right?" she questioned.
For a moment, seeing the blonde CPU caused Lowee's one to sport multiple veins on her forehead, especially when she noticed the slight jiggle that her… bust made from her short movement, however Blanc simply pushed that aside, favouring answering the question aimed at her. "Yeah… you could say that." She replied, before her gaze turned sharper with a strong edge to it. "Though what I want to know, is why the hell are the CPUs of Lastation, Leanbox AND that midget from Planeptune here in MY Nation?" she questioned, pointing at the trio of CPUs with an accusing finger pointing action. "If you think that I'll just fold over in the Console War with Lowee in its present state, then you all have another thing coming." She added on with the same arm then being thrown to the side.
Again, nobody noticed the flash of darkness that appeared in Neptune's eyes as she briefly clenched a fist, before she relaxed a couple seconds later which turned out to be slightly longer than the first instance. Meanwhile, Noire shook her head as she stepped forth, her aura proud and mighty just like how she usually portrayed herself as she gave her reply. "Please, that's not why we're here, Blanc, and you'd know it. If we WERE here for that reason, do you REALLY think that we would be standing here talking like civilised people?" she retorted, and as much as she would have liked to put some of her irritated feelings on the assumptions made about her, Noire kept them sealed in favour of getting Blanc's trust. She couldn't afford to mess this up, since doing so would negatively impact multiple Nations, not just her own. Worse still, was that she had much experience with this CPU and her short temperament back in Celestia, and from the looks of things not much had changed about her. She had thought once when she'd seen the abode Blanc had holed herself up in that she would have learned SOME manners when addressing others, but sadly it seemed that wasn't the case one bit. Thus, it meant that not only would negotiations be a big pain in the backside but thigs could spiral even from the simplest of mistakes. "Anyways, if you MUST know, we came to see if we can help out with things here, to summarize everything." She added on after a short time of staring the smaller CPU down.
Each member of the Party nodded their heads in agreement with the black-haired CPU's words.
"Lady Blanc, they do seem like powerful and impressive allies, don't they?" Financier began to say when she noticed the way Blanc had closed her eyes as if she were thinking about something. She, like the other CPUs, had experience with Blanc's temperament, as well as her stubborn streak that would put most military and business leaders to shame, therefore she held no illusions that convincing Blanc to let them help wouldn't be a difficult venture to accomplish. "if you think about it, their powers will be most effective in dealing with the enemies scurrying around our doorstep. We can't keep this up forever."
A small silence passed once again, before Blanc finally gave a response. "…True. I couldn't have asked for better allies than these." She spoke, and for a second everyone wondered if she would agree to this situation. Though, there were exceptions to this consensus, those being Raven whose lips remained flat lined, Lucy who started to frown as she started foretelling something uinfavourable about to happen, and the two CPUs Noire and Vert who had expectant looks on their faces. Just like those few predicted, those hopes got dashed thanks to the words that followed. "But this is Lowee's issue, nobody else's. I can't have other CPUs helping me, otherwise we'll look like we're chumps who can't solve our own problems." Blanc stated as she started to turn away and head back to her bed, the light taps of her sandals repeatedly clashing with the ground beneath her small feet. When she approached it, Blanc turned herself around so she could sit on it, crossing one leg over the other as she did the same with her arms, looking upwards towards them with a steely gaze in her eye."I'll figure out a way to solve everything… just like it always has been, and will always be."
"Lady Blanc…"
Financier began to try and say something, only for Theta to place his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention so he could shake his head at her, pretty much telling her not to try it. Her eyes screamed how much she wanted to protest against that plan of action, but seeing the gaze he directed at her pretty much doused those rebellious flames of hers... worse still, was that Theta could still understand her internal frustration. He felt it too, and so did the rest of the Party (he could tell IF, Compa and Cecil did anyways, the rest had looks of either expectations met or disapproving notions).
Yet he had somewhat predicted something like this being the outcome, especially since he had tried numerous times himself to persuade Blanc to accept help from outside sources, though at that time there hadn't been that Barrier covering Lowee. When they had finally discovered that situation when some idiots went AWOL to try and escape the island, the barrier having pretty much disintegrated them without mercy or remorse in a torrent of Demonic Power, Theta had concluded right then and there that they were well and truly on their own. He didn't know the full scope of that Barrier's abilities, but he did know the human heart very well, he didn't think many people would care too much about Lowee outside of its resources, not to mention each Nation likely had their own issues to sort out, so they'll be too preoccupied on that front. Worse sill, the higher ups at the Spec Ops Program wouldn't carelessly sacrifice the few strongest Agents they had to try and temporarily break through this barrier, not when their forces had their attention on their own monster problems.
Despite the severity of this situation, something which he had seen way too many times to count, Lowee's CPU still didn't see reason and pretty much retained her pride in refusing to ask for help, retaining her stubbornness like a little brat, something which he'd grown used to seeing from SO many people at this point. It well and truly made him question on whether or not the Coalition had truly been in the wrong back then, although even now the man rationalized that even if they had won the little civil war they'd launched, they'd still be filled with arguing asshats with nothing being done. If these new arrivals couldn't do what so many before them have tried to do: convince the CPU to accept their help, then Lowee was pretty much doomed.
"Oh no... what shall we do, guys? If Lady Blanc doesn't want us around, then...?"
"Heh, well we can do what we do best, eh Compa? I mean, lets face it: Killing Abnormals is pretty much our specialty, so I'm all for going around using my Tendrils to tear those fuckers limb from limb. What do you think, Nep... uhhh… Nep? You doing ok?"
"Nep-Nep...? Something wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Compa and IF had begun to discuss what they could do next, seeing as how they likely wouldn't be able to talk to Lowee's CPU on even grounds, for the second time since their arrival too. After everything they had gone through to get here, this outcome made frustration and outrage swell up inside them like a muscle expanding outwards, though in the end it remained a fact that there likely wasn't much they could do outside of killing Abnormals like they did in Leanbox for training. Just as they had looked to their leader for clarification however, something... off, registered to them.
The moment that they saw how Neptune remained quiet, with her head lowered to let her bangs shadow her eyes, her lips pursed as her fists trembled violently, all whilst they clenched so much that any harder and she might start bleeding despite her healing abilities... concern and worry started to swell inside of the two girls. It only got worse when they felt the energies within their leader swirling like a chaotic whirlpool in response to the raw FURY rolling off her shoulders like a thick miasma. It didn't take long for the others to notice this change either, as well as show similar reactions to the first two. "... Are you...?"
"Ah don't worry guys, I'm cool..."
FWOOSH!
When Neptune responded to their worries, looking up at them with a sickly sweet smile that even serial killers would flinch at whilst dark shadows appeared over her eyes, their feelings became more and more well-founded. Before any of them could say anything though, Neptune suddenly blurred forth towards Lowee's CPU, appearing before her to which the brunette CPU looked stunned, completely caught off guard. Before Blanc could react though, Neptune's arm shot out and grabbed her by the top of her head, instantly smashing it into the ground between them with enough force to create a miniature crater. The brown haired CPUs' legs flailed upwards from the force, with some pieces of the floor being launched out and into their surroundings, scraping over the ground around the two before halting.
"?!"
"Just gonna teach this a certain blockhead here, just what a truly pathetic existence she's reduced herself to."
Not waiting for anyone to respond, Neptune then chucked the brunette over to the middle of the room, watching as Blanc rolled across the floor till she halted, using the momentum to get herself back onto her feet. Just as she was about to summon her weapon with a livid look in her eyes, Neptune's own scowl formed on her previously smiling features. "Now look here, ya little brat." She began to say, her voice low, dark, and carrying NONE of her usual zeal as Blanc jumped at her, swinging a hammer exactly like the one she'd seen from the fake Blanc before. However, with a simple hand raised, Neptune clutched it by its tip when it came down on her, stopping it in motion effortlessly. This resulted in a gasp of shock to escape the brunette, though Neptune just continued like nothing had happened. "Do you even SEE yourself right now? How can you even call yourself a CPU when all you do is sit on your lazy, FUCKING pasty ass and read damn BOOKS all day?!"
"Y-Yikes!" at the end, Neptune had raised her voice so much that it sounded like an earthquake, causing Compa to nearly jump out her skin. Although she DID feel like her heart had been one step away from jumping out her chest. "Nep-Nep's gone berserk! Why has she gone berserk?!"
IF, staring dumbly at everything whilst for the first time being absolutely speechless regarding anything related to the preteen, felt the same as their resident Spirit. "Wow, I've never like, heard Neptune swear, or seen her like, this mad... EVER..." she muttered, yet the rest of them still heard. Idly, she glanced to the side and noticed Theta about to draw something from his coat, likely a weapon so the brunette acted first. She threw an arm out and had it morph into her Tentacles, which succeeded in not only stopping the guy from drawing but also restrained him from doing anything similar. "Whoa there, best not do anything too rash, lest you end up getting caught in the crossfire there." She gently chided, with a stern intent underneath.
Whilst IF restrained and tried to persuade Theta and Financier against doing anything reckless, Neptune continued her charade, either unknowing or uncaring of what her Party was doing... which, if one thought about it, was actually a first for her. Currently, all she felt inside translated into utter fury, loathing with a strong swirling vortex of malice in her gut. Strong enough to cause her latent Demonic Powers to react. Even so, she didn't give a damn, instead she just continued her verbal barrage against the suppressed CPU before her. "You say you have everything under control, you think that just STAYING IN HERE will change things?!" She barked into Blanc's face, throwing her arm to the side and forcefully disarming the brunette, tossing away her weapon before she grabbed her by the neck, holding her close so her eyes could bear into Blanc's own stunned ones. "Well news flash for ya Blanny, but that's utter GARBAGE! Whilst you stay here and prioritise some darned dignity, people in your country are DYING! Fathers, husbands, children, mothers, you name it, they're dying, and you think that some measly PRIDE is more important than that?! The you're in no way shape OR form worthy of being called a CPU! No, you're just some disgusting MAGGOT who can't see the bigger picture!"
"W-WHAT DO YOU KNOW, YOU BRAT?!" Once her initial shock (and slight fear, not like she'd admit it) wore off, rebellious anger erupted within Blanc's being after Neptune tossed her onto her backside. She used the momentum to get back to her feet, utter hatred blazing behind her eyes as her Hammer returned to her waiting hand. In her mind, she couldn't believe the freaking gall that Neptune showed just now, her, HER of all people, lecturing her about how to run a Nation. Someone whom she considered to be less than a brat trying to tell her how she should be acting as a CPU, was something that the brunette could not stand one bit, hence her outraged comments. "FOR SOMEONE WHO JUST RUNS AWAY FROM LEADING HER NATION INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS, YOU SURE YOU CAN TAKE THE HIGH GROUND HERE?! SOMEONE WHO HASN'T EVEN ONCE SHOWN THE SLIGHTEST CARE FOR THOSE AROUND HER AND INSTEAD LIVES TO FIGHT LIKE A DUMBASS BRUTE?!" She retorted, gripping her hammer with the strength of 1000 men. Good thing this Hammer had been made with her strength in mind, otherwise it might have snapped from this force, not like Blanc cared in her current state. "WHY, OH SO EXPERIECED AND WISE LEADER, WHY DON'T WE DUKE IT OUT RIGHT NOW?! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR ARROGANT BITCH ASS ANYWAYS, SO KICKING YOUR ASS TO THE CURB WILL BE SOME GREAT STRESS RELIEVER! THEN I'LL MAKE SURE TO PERSONALLY KICK YOU OUT OF LOWEE FOR GOOD!"
In her current state, she did not manage to notice the downright devilish smile which Neptune suddenly sported, her eyes briefly flashing with a sinister, demonic crimson light, before these things vanished right after. Nobody else saw this, save for Raven and Aiden, who each offered furrowed, confused brows. However, they couldn't ponder on it too much, since Neptune chuckled eagerly, her tone spiteful and mocking. "Sure, that sounds like fun, and if I win we get to stay and help, whilst you yourself admit your true powerlessness."
"HAH, LIKE YOU CAN SAY THAT TO ME, FUCKER!"
Blanc only saw red right now, hence she charged in whilst transforming into her HDD Self, White Heart, along the way. In her HDD Form, Blanc's eyes turned into a crimson red with white power button symbols, whilst she sported the standard fair skin colour. Her hair became a sky-blue colour, being kept mostly free with its short length, barring her bangs which reached down to her stomach. As for her attire, it consisted of a tight, white battle-suit with minor touches of blue lining. The suit itself appeared as a swimsuit-like armour, with the sleeves detached whilst reaching all the way to her shoulders, with a pair of gauntlets being equipped on both of them, and mechanical like devices connecting the joint (elbow-forearm) of the sleeves. Over her legs, she wore similarly coloured stockings, with her feet being mechanical looking boots that sported some low heels. Floating behind her, looked to be two large cube-shaped white pauldron-like wings, whilst similar ones floated over her hips. As for her weapon... well, the massive blue and white futuristic-looking Axe looked like it could split the heavens themselves... Not something which could be boasted about lightly.
With her fury fuelling her mind right now, White Heart currently raised her Axe behind her for an overhead swing, smashing it down on Neptune's position. Since she had came at her at her full speed, White Heart didn't expect her to do anything too drastic, especially since her fast attack didn't allow for anyone to take the time to transform and block it. She remembered a few times when Neptune would struggle to try and overpower her back in the Console War in cases like this, only to fail every time. Out of the four of them, she had been the one who sported the most physical might, it had been her schtick that she took immense pride in, so as it fell down towards the waiting Neptune, whose expression she didn't chose to read, White Heart expected little from her...
So when Neptune simply raised her hand and caught her Axe within it, letting the force create a crater beneath them, White Heart understandably got a bit stunned. "WHAT?!"
"Hmph, lame. Seriously Blanny, that's so beyond lame that you might take Nowa's spot as Lame Heart."
Whilst she just dissed both White Heart AND Noire at the same time, ignoring the latter's reaction for the moment, Neptune thrusted her arm upwards resulting in White Heart's Axe being thrown back in a reverse overhead arc, which ended up throwing the Lowee CPU off balance. Neptune then noticed her try to use the momentum to launch a side kick to the right side of her head, to which the preteen responded by lifting an arm, grabbing the foot before it could reach its target, then with a harsh tug lifted the Lowee CPU up above her head.
Poor girl had only a couple seconds warning to catch her breath...
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-!
… Proceeding to literally smash her into the ground like she were wielding a human (or in this case a Goddess) club.
Poor girl didn't even get a chance to retaliate... worse still, Neptune decided to be a troll and went all "NEEEEPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-!NEEEPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-!NEEEPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-PUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPUPU-!" On her ass, and if White Heart could even see her right now due to her vision being pretty blurry from the beat down, she would see the silhouette of... something LARGE behind the preteen.
That silhouette may as well have been seen by the others though, just by seeing how absolutely horrified they looked right now. With Noire, Vert, Cecil, Compa, Theta (though he tried to mask his behind nervousness and concern) and Ivan looking like this whilst Aiden, Lucy and Raven kept neutral. For one, none of the Party had ever, EVER seen Neptune behaving like this, not with the way she seemed to be utterly wrecking White Heart's shit without giving her the chance to fight back, so seeing it just crop up like this all of a sudden provided a rather... bone-chilling experience.
"She looks... so much like a Demon Queen right now... rather than a Goddess..." Aiden muttered under his breath, whilst Ivan, Lucy and Raven heard what he had said anyways.
Seeing the look in his eyes, the Team RAIL Leader arched an eyebrow at him. "Something on your mind, FALCON? You see something we don't?"
"I may have good eyesight, Leader." the stoic male replied, as he put his Goggles on his face. "But even I cannot begin to understand how a Goddess would think, not even Lucy here is within my comprehension." Hearing that provided a small, amused smirk from the mentioned redhead, as well as filled her with a sense of pride which she left unsaid for the time being. "However, I think I can grasp what is going on with Mrs Neptune here."
This got Lucy's attention, as well as piqued her interest as evident by her gaze pretty much telling him to continue. But, for the sake of her companion, she decided to verbalize it as well. "Oh? Explain, then."
Aiden nodded, idly noting that the main Party had overheard their words and were now trying to 'discreetly' pay attention to his next response... and failing epically. Still, he continued regardless. "I cannot say with complete certainty, however I do feel that the current Neptune... may be the answer she's coming to in order to solve a number of problems at once. Remember, she's someone whose always trying to keep the merriment up high even when she herself is feeling down. Everyone must be happy, including herself, that's how she defines the role of a 'joke character'. However, perhaps its due to multiple problems recently, like separation from her loved one, the constant sight of despair all around her, and perhaps recent revelations, but the result is that she's trying to face those problems by changing herself... then again this is pretty much still a vague theory." he explained...
All whilst Neptune finally finished her little beatdown and tossed the now THOROUGHLY battered White Heart away from her. As she flew, she briefly flashed white, reverting back to her human form thanks to the beating being too much for her to bear. She bounced along the floor multiple times, before one final landing made her slide along the floor to a halt, her Hammer landing beside her afterwards. However, Blanc couldn't find the strength in her to reach for it, not with how utterly WASTED her body had become, being littered with bruises and cuts of various kinds and levels of depth. Heck, just a simple pinkie flex resulted in excruciating pain shooting up her system.
Yet, despite the pain making her brain scream at her not to, Blanc weakly lifted her head upwards when she heard the sound of boots clicking their heels against the ground then stop seconds later, allowing her to see the intimidating sight of Neptune hovering over her like a lord after 'disciplining' their unruly servants. Furthermore, Blanc swore that she saw her eyes briefly flash a crimson colour just now, but maybe that had to do with her blurry vision, which only now returned to full clarity? She wasn't sure, but regardless she had a much more important question on her mind.
One she made to say, when Neptune suddenly raised her foot and stomped onto her head, smashing it into the ground with the sounds of cracking bones filling the air. "NOW, do you see it? Any TRUE CPU would have been able to defend themselves from that. What I did was hardly anything, and right now you can't even move, let alone defend yourself. Calling you a CPU really is beyond the lamest of lames, y'know." She admonished her fellow Goddess, pressing her foot down harder when she felt some movement beneath it as a way of saying 'shut up and stay immobile, I'm not done yet' to her. "Geez, Blanny, this is just SAD at this point, and since its this 'brat' telling you this then you know it MUST be true. How the heck you were able to keep THIS many followers around you is just beyond me, and I'm not that good at being even a simple party Leader, most of the logical decisions is made through democracy and all that jazz."
"...Gack! … How..."
"Hm?"
"How are you... this strong...? You were... just so weak... back in Celestia…"
Whilst enduring that Verbal assault, Blanc coughed up a small amount of blood from her mouth, a result from the vicious, one-sided beatdown she had endured by Neptune's hand. On the onlookers side of things, Theta (who was still restrained by IF) and Financier would have tried to go assist their CPU when they saw this had it not been for the warning gazes directed at them by the others. As much as the Party and Team RAIL had reacted... rather visibly to Neptune's drastic change, hearing Aiden's theory helped them come to terms of it, thus they supported their Leader's decision on this matter. That, and seeing how someone as stubborn as Blanc had been getting the stuffing beaten out of her looked as satisfying as all hell.
But when they heard the Lowee CPU ask that question afterwards, everyone quickly paid extra attention, wanting to see what kind of response Neptune would give.
"How am I strong? Well, a lot of reasons, really, though I don't really recall my memories of the Console Wars very well, ask the others for proof, so I don't know if I was weak or not..."
Neptune started to speak, lessening the pressure her foot pressed onto Blanc's head to allow her to look up again. This allowed her to see the pondering expression Neptune had put onto her features, along with how she placed an index finger on her chin with her other hand on her hip. Now, under normal circumstances, Blanc would have attempted a fast sneak attack on her opponent, but considering the beatdown she had endured and her current condition, that option pretty much flew out the window.
"But, I can say the biggest reason of them, is..."
At that moment, Neptune's tone and demeanour pulled a complete 180, as she glanced down towards her defeated 'playmate'. In that instance, Blanc felt her entire body freeze. Her blood turned to solid ice as her eyes shrunk to the size of pupils, her jaw dropping down due to the loss of control over it by her brain which struggled to even BEGIN to process the sight before her. For instead of the preteen's usual liliac eyes, or even the eyes of her HDD Form Purple Heart looking down at her... she saw instead the hellish black and red pits of a... a DEMON, alongside the slitted power button symbols which made her want to flee from Neptune at once and never get near her OR her Nation ever again.
"... I simply MET and AWOKE to the MONSTER in ME."
Gone was the tone of the usually chirper, fun and pudding-loving Neptune that the others knew of, as well as the bratty narrow-minded CPU which Blanc had seen her as. Instead, standing in her place seemed to be someone whom.. honestly, they found it hard to even recognize her as the same person anymore. Not with the way her voice mirrored the way some of the Demons spoke, which combined with the sinister crimson aura of Demonic Energy radiating from her body really provided a rather... twisted image.
An image which seemed ESPECIALLY twisted to Blanc herself, the sight sparking more than a FEW unpleasant memories within her mind.
BOOM!
"?!"
But before she could speak her thoughts, a loud rumble shook the Basilicom, as if an explosion had sounded off in the distance and what they had just felt were merely the aftershocks. The sudden rumbling did indeed snap Neptune out of her previous state of being though, the proof being how she suddenly gasped as she flailed her arms about whilst staying on one foot to try and not lose her balance. "Whoa, wha-what the heck, what's this about?!" she exclaimed, sighing in relief after the rumbling stopped and she managed to retain her balance.
Having two feet on the ground again never felt so relieving than in that moment...
"That Tremor..." Theta, whom had finally given up escaping from IF's Tentacles, muttered as he turned his head as best he could to the room's entrance. "Sounded like it came from outside..." If he could, he would have got his walkie talkie out to radio his men outside for answers, however thanks to his current... predicament, he found himself unable to so do. Therefore, he sharply turned his head to the one restraining him, and spoke with a polite, easy going smile. "Um, IF? If you would please be so kind to let me go, so I can ask the boys what's going on out there..."
He trailed off upon noticing the stern look the brunette sported, a heavy scowl accompanying that expression. "No need, I can already guess who it is out there... doesn't seem like they're alone either." she told him, getting wide eyes from the rest of the Party as those who could sense energies confirmed her words for themselves. "Plus, one of them feels like a mix between Divine and Demonic... my guess, our little fraud's here to pay us an unwelcome visit." she stated further.
Hearing that caused Theta to go wide eyed briefly as his restraints let him go, retreating back to their mistress's side and reforming into her arm, before his gaze turned serious. Financier matched this, whilst Blanc's face morphed into one of fury just like before... only, it wasn't aimed at Neptune this time. "Damn that bitch..." she muttered under her breath, about to try and get up by her lonesome so she could project an aura of strength to her people... only for a certain preteen to grab her by he legs and hoist her up onto her shoulder, effectively manhandling her by carrying her fireman style. "Wha-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU''RE-"
BUTT-SLAP!
"Hush you. You're too injured to be moving still, so let this be another incentive to ask others for help when you obviously need it."
After slapping Blanc's ass with a Demonic Energy-enhanced smack, Neptune and the Party (Compa summoning GABRIEL after assuming her Spirit form to Blanc's shock in order to start the healing process) proceeded to walk outside to see what the heck was going on.
Outside...
Things looking grim could be considered an understatement.
The once peaceful looking city filled with joyous laughter, now looked to be a burning ruin, with many buildings riddled with holes that released streams of smoke into the upper atmosphere. These streams came from the fires within those holes, whilst the frantic sounds of soldiers evacuating civilians to shelters could be heard throughout.
This was the scene that greeted the Party when they'd exited, with Theta quickly co-ordinating the evac efforts from his walkie talkie since he couldn't actually be there for his men at the moment... since the new unwelcome arrivals likely wouldn't let him escape to meet with them.
Said new arrivals indeed consisted of a hoard of monsters similar to the ones which Nico himself had taken on back at the other city, although the girls weren't aware of that part. They numbered at least in the hundreds, and had seemingly surrounded the entire front half of the Basilicom, with their yellow cat-like eyes bearing down on them like alley cats in the shadows. Some of them showed how 'long' their tongues were, somewhat reminiscent of a certain sleazy Spec Ops Agent who died not long after his introduction via trying to prove he was 'more of a man' to the girls than current company... failing of course. Some of them held their mouths open, drool escaping from their corners as they licked their lips as if they were ravenous lions eyeing a whole banquet filled to the brim with nothing but meat ripe for the taking. A couple dozen were winged types, and they filled the skies above to lock down the skies above, cutting off any escape through that route.
Looked like their mistress had taken their previous escape to heart, then...
But that wasn't important at the moment. What was? Whelp, the moment that they saw those creatures looked in all their grotesque glory, Compa couldn't help but scrunch her face up in disgust. "Ewwwwww… gross me out!" She exclaimed, almost gagging at them, which served to tick some of them off judging by how a few started sporting twitching brows. Others though just released perverted, bloodthirsty chuckles as if they were a mix between dirty old men as well as twisted psychopaths. Not a nice combination... anywho. "What the heck are THOSE?!"
"Never seen them before in my life..." IF muttered under her breath, frowning as her eyes narrowed at the creatures. As much as she shared her friend's disgust with these things, something so much more... troubling, came to her mind. "But, I don't like this feeling of familiarity I'm getting from them..."
Whilst the rest had similar sentiments, it turned out to be Theta who gave them the answers they both wanted, and didn't want, at the same time. "Ah, these little buggars… they're called Yoma, with those flying variants being rarer breeds. Haven't been around that long, but they're an incredible nuisance. Lost a lot of good boys to them since they appeared shortly after the near-successful theft attempt on Lady Blanc's powers." he explained, scowling as memories of watching live feeds of his men being ripped to shreds by these creatures returned to the forefront of his mind. Speaking of his CPU, the man then glanced over to Blanc's direction, noting to his relief that she wasn't being manhandled by Neptune anymore... though, she didn't look like she had returned to 100% yet. "You okay there, my Lady? You're still looking pretty pale..." he questioned in worry.
"I'm fine!" Yelled Blanc, although she coughed right afterwards, nearly falling onto one knee had it not been for the surge of emotions within her keeping her adrenaline high, allowing her to focus more on the events taking place. Thanks to a combination of things, the most prominent being Neptune's little beatdown earlier, she did NOT look fine at all. If anything, she looked like she would hardly last a single battle let alone a prolonged war like this. "I just... have to keep it together...!" she muttered under her breath.
However, as she tried to step forwards, she suddenly lost all strength in her legs, and as a result nearly wound up losing her balance to trip herself over. However, an arm wrapped around her waist from behind, allowing her to retain her balance and get her strength back. "Now-now, there's no need for that, is there Lady Blanc?" Looking to the source of the voice, Blanc saw that it had been Compa whom had helped her... well, was still helping her sounded more accurate. She's kept on playing the BARD OF HEALING from her GABRIEL, the shining Astral Dress somewhat rendering Blanc unable to see her.
However, that turned out to be the least of their worries in a couple seconds, when the army of Yoma then parted down the middle, allowing someone to walk through. Someone VERY familiar... to all parties involved.
"You!"
Despite her weakened state, Blanc still found the strength within her to shout that out, her yell being filled with all the fury and vengeful wrath she could muster. Standing before the group who yelled out in unison, each displaying varying levels of emotion, stood the fake Blanc... or rather, Conversation disguised as her. The said woman stood proudly, her face regal and calm although the Party could just SMELL the smug arrogance oozing beneath, eager to pop out onto the surface had it not been for her current form requiring her to hide it. "Finally came out of hiding, have you now, faker?" she questioned, using the same kind of vocal tone and demeanour that Blanc herself usually sported.
Not like it would fool any of the Party members though.
"I'll... I'll send those words... right back at you..." Blanc retorted, her weakness resulting in her breathing behind laboured... although the look in her eyes showed PLENTY of what she felt inside upon seeing this fraud called Conversation wearing her face.
Said woman simply rolled her eyes at the real Blanc's words. "Hah, talking tough as usual?" She then glanced behind her, at the crowd of assembled Spec Ops Agents and CPUs, a derisive look entering her gaze. "No matter, I will dispose of you shortly, along with those heretics behind you."
IF glowered at the enemy before her, shaking a fist in her direction as she growled out under her breath. "You know, I'd never thought I'd say this, but this hags really making me want to knock her freaking lights out... more so than normal." As a BOW whom prided herself on being an Apex Predator compared to humanity, IF really didn't take too kindly to others thinking they were better than her. Gave her the urge to shove her Claws down their throats then use their innards as decorations for the surroundings. It wasn't just her who believed this either, since the rest of the Party had similar thoughts, if the gathered killing intent in the air was any indication. Just then, she realized something and glanced over to the real Blanc, whom had been giving her a look since, technically, she was also calling the real Blanc a hag since she had been dissing her form just then. "I'm talking 'bout the fake Blanc over there, Lady Blanc... geez, this naming business will be getting annoying real fast, won't it?"
"Whatever you say won't matter pretty shortly, heretic." The fake Blanc scoffed, not letting her words get to her whilst clicking her fingers, allowing the various Yoma behind her to hiss as they bunched up like felines would when trying to assume an intimidation posture, causing the others to respond in similar mannerisms. "Anyways, lets get down to business. Go, my Yoma, along with some backup..." she said, causing some momentary confusion as she clicked her fingers again, this time an... enemy Disk appearing in her hands. "Come, my Killachine!" She declared, tossing the Disk to the ground beside her.
Upon seeing this, each of the Party members, even the less intelligent ones, quickly came to a conclusion instead of just reacting to the reveal of such an item with shock. "So, Lowee WAS the source of the Enemy Disks..." Lucy remarked, scowling as she held her Cleavers at the ready. Raven said nothing along with the rest of the Team scowled along with their second in command. None of them had that much surprise about the revelation of the Enemy Disks' origins at this point, considering the kind of work that they did on a daily basis. It'd be a hard ass thing to surprise them anymore actually. Then, as what looked like a larger, blue and black version of a Killachine appeared before them, hovering over the Yoma like a towering goliath, Lucy recalled the time they'd fought two of them in Lastation, and a look of eagerness started appearing on her face. "Whatevs, I've been waiting for an opportunity to pay this fuckface back for back then anyways." Yeah, let it not be said that Lucy enjoyed being paralyzed like the rest of her comrades back then. She liked being in control over her actions, damnit! She's the dominant one here!
"Now, go my minions! Tear these foolish heretics apart for me, city and civilians and all!"
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...
...
...
...
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!
The moment that those words left the fake Blanc's mouth, everyone suddenly froze, their eyes widening and their postures becoming stiff as her words repeated themselves in their minds, like an annoying echo. However, the more they heard it, the more disbelieving that they became... until an instant eruption of killing intent, mixed with Demonic Power ROARED to life. It came from each of the three CPUs primarily, however some also came from IF who could handle that energy herself as well, though it did the job of sending the Yoma into a surprised, stunned stupor judging by their frenzied howls and hisses. The Killachine, a machine unable to sense this danger, simply struck forth with one of its weapons, only for a strike to be launched at it so quickly that it couldn't react in time, and got sent flying across the Battlefield.
"... Holy smokes, those girls look mad as hell..." Theta mumbled under his breath, shock and more than a little bit of fear in his voice when he saw how each of the girls, and the two males, had their hair shadowing their eyes whilst radiating nothing but this... this twisted MALICE towards the enemy. Beside him, Financier felt it as well, and could only nod her head in agreement with him. "... Not like I'll blame them, I'm mad too but these guys..."
"Theta."
"... I'll shut up, my Lady."
"Thanks."
A few one-word statements from Blanc shut the man up effectively, especially the deadly tone that they were accompanied by. As much as the fury inside of her made her want to shout and rage like no tomorrow against this faker who dared try to attack the citizens under her care, Blanc wanted to try and see if she could fight her alone... something which she soon found impossible considering A: her own injured state curtesy of Neptune and her lack of shares not helping matters, B: the sheer WRATH which pumped through the air thanks to the others.
Glancing to Compa and ignoring the warning bells in her mind ratting like mad, Blanc then questioned her. "... Would I be able to fight? In this state, I mean..."
Without giving her any look, the young Spirit Girl aimed her METATRON's pillars at the enemy, intending for an aerial bombardment. However, she did spare the time to offer a verbal response to the Lowee CPU's question. "Only in human form, feels like your HDD self which took the brunt of Nep-Nep's punishment is still weak. But Nurse Compa strongly recommends that you keep back... not just for your own sake..." she said, and just when Blanc made to hotly deny her that, she soon tensed upon getting a 'glance' from her.
A glance which allowed Blanc to see the absolute MURDER inside Compa's eyes.
'...Holy shit, just what kind of people has that brat found?'
That had been her sole thought as Blanc, now utterly ROBBED of her ability to fight in this battle, stepped backwards reluctantly, letting GABRIEL's BARD OF HEALING continue its job.
(Play Fairy Tail OST - Natsu vs Gajeel Theme)
With that out of the way, Compa turned her gaze back to the Yoma, fists trembling violently as the urge to just go buck wild roared furiously within her. The Astral Dress she wore fluttered and rustled n the breeze generated by the force her energy was making around her, all whilst she made sure to keep her gaze level with her future opponents.
Now, the fact that this city was in danger wasn't actually the FULL reason why she felt so mad, in fact it felt more like the final straw than anything. Most of her rage came from a number of things, things which now resulted in her emotions EXPLODING everywhere just like the rest of them. If it weren't for this fake Blanc, she wouldn't have had to be separated from her man before, which resulted in her worrying and fretting over his safety ever since. Where was he? Was he ok? Would he becoming back? Such questions had filled her being and constantly taunted her, reminding her of how helpless she would be if she attempted to fly out there to find him. Especially if what Theta had said about the Nation's state of affairs was any indicator, and she did not believe that he would lie in that situation. It didn't help that only recently had she heard the confession that her Ni-Ni had admitted to, something which she had NEVER thought she would have heard from him. Ever.
That honesty had been something that made her want to love him even more.
But... but this fake CPU...
This... this BITCH...
She dared try to separate him from them, from HER!
THAT WOULD NOT STAND!
There were few times where Compa recalled getting mad in her lifetime...
What she felt now? It wasn't anger she felt... it felt like RAGE. Murderous, violent, savage and BLOODTHIRSTY rage.
She wanted to make these... these FUCKS pay most DEARLY for what they have done, for daring to try to take Nico away from her, for daring to think they stood a chance at denying her what she wanted... but most important of all, she had a LOT of pent up aggression inside since the separation, and they would serve as her 'stress relievers' as Lucy sometimes mentioned her past exploits as. In her heart, she believed that the others felt the same, especially Neptune who'd shown just a BIT of that rage herself before.
Compa's feelings of righteous anger resonated with her Angels, causing them to shine brightly in a display that almost seemed blinding, as her eyes shone like two searchlights whilst she glared bloody murder at the Monsters before her. Similar expressions and actions overcame the rest of the Party too, whom shared similar sentiments to their resident Nurse-In-Training.
Finally, the battle began when the Killachine rose back up from its resting place, swinging its weapons about before launching some missile at them.
Chapter End!
Here we go, the second to last chapter of this arc, DONE!
Now tell me, who among you suspected Neptune to go and do all that? Hehehehe, I found writing all that to be quite enjoyable, plus it showcases the effect that everything that had happened to her had on her personality. Neptune's still the same old jokester we know, but thanks to the reality that dominated Gamindustri, along with events that happened within it, have taken their toll on her as Aiden described in his theory. She actually reminds me of a female Oda Nobunaga somehow, only with swords instead of guns... since she IS trying to unite Gamindustri by befriending the other Goddesses in a way. It may not be her primary goal, but it is so nonetheless.
Plus, its not like she's alone in her feelings either, as Compa and the others demonstrated at the end there.
Lastly, the next chapter should be the last one for this arc, and there will be three more before the Lowee Arc is concluded. The next one might be seen as a filler arc to many, but if you ask me I'd say that as long as they are done well and have a 'presence' throughout the story, filler arcs can be quite good. I especially like what Bleach's anime did with this since they built up the lore and exposition around the way things worked in that universe. Once this arc's concluded, I'll likely start the next arc of one of my other fics, just like have been doing.
Hope you like, and I'll see you in the next chapter.
Peace Out!
