Welcome to another chapter in my story. Not much that I can think about for me to put here at this time, so on to review responses.
ARSLOTHES: You'll just have to wait and find out... Mainly because I'm not 100% sure myself yet, who I'm pairing him with or if there is going to be just one pairing.
RayGaming: Yes, I do plan on going to Re;Birth 3 story after Re;Birth 2. And after 3 onto Mega Dimension. Eventually... once I reach that far.
blue555Nexus: The reason the gathering of ship parts was short was because, getting them in the game was very minimal. You go to two dungeons, go to a certain spot for event and leave. I just didn't see the need to waste time on that part. Glad you enjoy the story.
RedBurningDragon: I have not seen Hunter x Hunter, probably should at some point. I'll probably at least take a look at the ability to see what it is. So, thanks for the suggestion of a possible ability.
And now to the chapter.
The party woke up the next morning and begun to get ready to leave for Planeptune. Desmond made breakfast, pancakes and bacon. After eating they went back to their rooms to gather their things. Desmond opened the door to his room and saw 5pb. walking down the hallway, he waved her over. After she walked in the room he closed the door and turned to her. "Hey, Lyrica how are you doing this morning?"
"I'm doing good. What did you need?" she asked. They both sat on the bed.
He took a large sigh "Okay, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into and that you still want to do this. I want to make sure you're as safe as possible. We'll be going up against some tough opponents, we're going to be on the move a lot as well until we get the CPUs back, possibly longer and you'll be in danger throughout this time. Do you still want to go?"
It looked like she was taking in the information, thinking it over before looking back at the young man. Confidence in her eyes "Yes. This is something that I have to do."
Desmond just sat there for a few moments, his face broke into a large grin "I figured you'd say that. You can be surprisingly stubborn at times. I guess it's that idol side of you." He chuckled "Come here." He used one arm to pull her into a hug and placed the other on her head. "It's great to have you along." He let go of her "Now that you're coming, I must warn you that there is a chance that the group may or may not ask you questions. In your line of work, you'll probably be fine. Also, the short busty one named Red is… well… she likes women. So, be warry of her, she might try to do something. But, she is a kind person at least."
Lyrica nodded at the advice "Okay, that's all good. I'm just excited to be able to go out into the world and let more people her my songs."
Desmond smiled at the girl before standing up "Well, we need to get a move on. So, go ahead and get your things together." 5pb. got up and walked to the door. "See ya in a few."
"Okay." She waved and went back to her room. He closed the door and sat back on the bed for a few minutes before gathering his things.
The party gathered at the front door and said their goodbyes and then headed out. After walking through the streets for a bit Nepgear got a call on her N-Gear. "Oh, Histoire's calling me… Hello, this is Nepgear."
The call being put on speaker allowed everyone to hear "Greetings, Nepgear. Where are you right now?" Historie asked.
"Leanbox. We got the Mascots help, and we were about to head back to Planeptune." Nepgear answered.
"I see. I apologize for asking you to change your plans, but can you take a trip elsewhere first? The island off the west coast of Planeptune is currently under siege by ASIC troops." Histoire stated.
"That tiny island? Why would they attack there?" IF questioned.
"Is there some super-secret facility on it or something?" Red asked.
"It is merely my assumption, but I believe they plan to build a new base of operations there. If they do, it will become a very real threat against Planeptune and our Shares." Histoire responded.
"So typical. How annoying, nyu." Broccoli stated.
"I have someone dispatched to defend against their attacks, but I would like you to aid her." Histoire commented.
"Understood. We're on our way!" Nepgear shouted as the call ended.
"Okay, I have the coordinates to the island. Let's move." IF stated as the party took off.
The party arrived at the island and made their way further and further into the island, coming across a town.
"According to the info Histoire gave me there should be a town nearby." Desmond stated as he looked at his phone.
"Oh, isn't that it? Look! I see houses and town-y things!" Red exclaimed while pointing to the buildings.
"You're right. Let's check it out." Nepgear said, as the party moved quickly to the town. A girl stood in their way.
"Back for more, are we!? Just like before, you'll learn that nobody gets past me!" The girl with short red hair said as she jumped forward and attacked the group.
Desmond quickly moved up front, materializing his beam saber blocking the attack. "What the goodness!?" Nepgear shouted out of confusion.
Desmond pushed back the girl "Hmm. You're stronger than you look…" He mentally facepalmed as he saw who the attacker was. "Put your sword down Falcom. Histoire called us out here to back you up."
She hesitated for a second before taking a good look at the group "Oh, it's you all from Lastation. Oops. Egg on my face! I had no idea you'd be my backup. Caught me totally off-guard, haha! So how have your travels been treating you? I hope you weren't in a big rush or-"
"Um, Falcom, could you at least not point your sword at us now?" Nepgear asked.
"Yeah, already mentioned that you should put it down." Desmond commented.
"Whoops. My bad. With all the recent battles, it's sort of become a bad habit." Falcom stated.
"I know what that can feel like." Desmond added.
"You were fighting off the enemy all alone, Miss Falcom? Why?" Compa asked.
"This is my homeland. They just happened to attack while I was here visiting friends." Falcom answered.
"That's amazing… You protected an entire island by yourself… You must be a very strong girl…" 5pb. stated.
"I never thought about it like that. I've only ever beaten up whatever threatens the things I love. Honestly, if you all didn't come, it would only be a matter of time before this place fell." Falcom responded.
"Meaning there's hope now?" IF asked.
"Of course, there is, now that I'm here…" Desmond started before receiving a slap to the back of the head, from IF.
"Try to be serious for a little bit, would ya!" IF shouted, before turning toward Falcom "Were you about to say something?"
"Yeah. I know exactly where that ASIC crew is trying to set up their headquarters. Nip them in the bud, and we'll stop their invasion attempt for good." Falcom answered.
"I like simple, nyu." Broccoli commented.
"Still, I have to protect this town, so would you mind helping me out by hitting the enemy's HQ?" Falcom asked.
"I'm game, let's go bust some heads." Desmond stated cracking his knuckles.
"Leave that to us. You helped us the last time, so now it's our turn to return the favor." Nepgear responded.
Falcom told the party that ASIC was trying to construct a base in the dungeon called Severed Dimension.
After reaching the dungeon and battling through the place to reach its depths. Suddenly the party heard yelling, as they got closer they recognized the voice to be Underling's. If spoke first "Wow. You again? This is starting to get old."
"I know that bored, tomboy voice… It's you broads! Quit stalking me!" Underling shouted.
"Yeah… we're not stalking you that's for sure. You just happen to be everywhere, we are needed." Desmond commented.
"Miss Underling, did you get a promotion? Wow, congratulations!" Compa stated.
"Aw, that stinks. If she gets promoted, we can't keep calling her Underling…" Red said.
"But it's her name, so this makes for some nice irony, nyu." Broccoli added.
"I know I won't call her anything different. Even if she got promoted she's still an underling." Desmond stated.
"It'd be silly if her underlings called her Underling, wouldn't it? Captain Underling? Underleader…?" Nepgear said.
"Grrr… Stop joking, dammit! You broads know just how to piss me off. Time to face the music!" Underling yelled, as she summoned a dragon to fight for her.
"This pattern really needs something new to keep it fresh. Let's just get rid of her and her idiot followers." IF stated.
"Already on it." Desmond said as he stepped forward and materialized his pistols. He then fired a barrage of shots at the beast. The dragon shot a blast of fire in retaliation, Desmond created an electric shield that surrounded the group. After the fire died down he spoke up "Give me a minute, I want to try something." The others nodded. IF, Nepgear, and Red took the front, while 5pb. and Compa stood near Desmond. He started to focus his energy, trying to concentrate it even more than before, trying to increase its power. He picked up a nearby rock and held it in his left palm. The color of his electricity changed from yellow to a deep blue. The dragon was charging for another breath attack, when Desmond yelled at the others "Get back!" The others dashed back away from the dragon and the path of the young man. He held his arms in front of him, left palm open, with the rock laying on it. His right, formed into a fist, behind the rock. He finished the build-up of energy and brought all of it to his arms, while simultaneously hitting the rock. Causing it to fly multiple times the speed of sound, creating a massive sonic boom, hitting the dragon in the head, annihilating it. After the dragon disappeared into data, Desmond nearly fell over and was breathing rather heavily.
"Are you okay?" Compa asked.
"I'm fine… just a lot more energy being let out at once then I'm used to. I just need a few minutes." He responded.
"Am I the only one who noticed the change in Desmond's attack?" IF questioned.
"The change in color, I saw that too. What's up with that?" Nepgear asked the man.
"Well, I charged up my power, trying to condense it so more it could become more powerful. And because of that, I think that's why it happened. Almost like a power up or something." He responded.
Red ran around for a moment "Score, we won! Uh, wait… Where'd Underling go?"
"Um, I…I think I saw her running away while we were fighting…" 5pb. answered.
"Maybe her promotion let her add more skill points to her agility." IF commented.
"Skill point distribution aside, the island must be safe now. Let's go back and see Falcom." Nepgear said. And the party left the dungeon and went back to the small town.
After reaching the town outer limits, the saw Falcom run to them "So, you all really did it?" Falcom asked.
"I doubt they'll try another siege without a lot of planning." IF stated.
"That's great news. Thanks for the help." Falcom responded.
"No problem. We did what needed to be done." Nepgear said.
"What will you do now, Miss Falcom?" Compa asked.
"I wonder. Maybe wander around on a new adventure? Although, this may not be the best time for that… With all the damage ASIC ended up causing, I should stay here and rebuild the town first." Falcom answered.
"That sounds like a start, I hope it all gets done quick." Desmond commented.
"Okay. Good luck. We'll do our best to keep the bad guys out of your back yard!" Nepgear exclaimed.
"Sounds good. Thanks again. If you need help, you be sure to give me a holler, okay?" Falcom stated.
The party left the island and headed back for the mainland, for the main city of Planeptune. Once inside the basilicom, Nepgear greeted Histoire. "We're home, Histoire."
"Welcome back, all of you. That must have been quite the adventure for you." Histoire responded.
"Wow, this is Planeptune's basilicom? The other ones were nice, but this is definitely the coolest of all." Red exclaimed.
"I wonder how many people would be able to fit in this giant place if I held a concert here…" 5pb. questioned.
"You two should stop hanging around with your mouths hanging open. You look like country bumpkins, nyu." Broccoli stated.
IF ignored the others and continued the conversation with Histoire "Just like you asked, we've secured the help of all the nations' Mascots."
"So I can sense. Also, with the Shares you have regained, we have been creating a new Sharicite." Histoire responded.
"Once that's made…" IF started.
"Correct. We can once again attempt to rescue the CPUs." Histoire interjected.
"Yippee-Skippee!" Compa cheered.
"Finally… It's been so long." Desmond said as he gazed upward with a thoughtful look.
"We're saving the older CPUs? Dude, I can't wait to see my more mature wifeys…!" Red shouted.
"I might get the chance to perform in front of all four CPUs…!" 5pb. thought out loud.
"One small step for us, one slightly bigger step toward world peace, nyu." Broccoli stated.
"This time, I won't fail…" IF said.
"Yeah, that means we all go together. Unlike last time." Desmond stated and glared a little at her.
"Sorry about that… you were taking so long and we couldn't wait" IF responded with scratching the back of her head.
"Um… Please wait a moment!" Nepgear blurted out.
"What is it, Ge-Ge?" Compa asked.
"Um, the other CPU Candidates… Maybe we should have them come with us, too…" Nepgear answered.
"Was that not already part of the original plan?" Histoire questioned.
"They all refused. It'd be a waste of calories to traipse all over trying to get them to agree now." IF answered for Nepgear.
"I guess, but…" Nepgear started before a cell phone rang.
"Oh, hold on. It's one of my phones. "Intelligence Bureau Cutie" is calling me. Hey, what's up?" IF said before answering the cellular device. "Huh? You're kidding! Okay. Okay, sounds good. You be careful, too. Bye."
"What's with that name? Did you put that in or is that what they call them self? Because, if you made that up. It might raise some questions, or answer some." Desmond joked with a chuckle. IF shot him a glare, clearly not enjoying Desmond's joking in the situation.
"Not now Desmond." She shot back partly in anger.
"What is it, Iffy? You look like a sourpuss right now." Compa asked.
"Of course I do. ASIC activity in Lowee exploded. Over 90 percent of their Shares were stolen away." IF answered.
"That many!? Absurd… What could have happened there?" Histoire questioned.
"She didn't have that much intel. It really must've happened out of the blue." IF responded.
"Do you know if Rom and Ram are okay?" Nepgear asked.
"Weren't you listening? The Guild hardly has any info yet." IF shot back quickly.
"I cannot be certain, but if so many Shares were taken, the CPUs will present some serious side effects." Histoire stated.
"Oh, no…" Nepgear said quietly.
"This must take priority, despite it being a different nation. It may impact our overall strategy. Creating the Sharicite will take some time, so I ask that you all go and investigate this incident." Histoire commented.
"Okay, we will. I just hope those two are okay…" Nepgear responded.
5pb. looked at Desmond, who had his eyes closed, fists clenched, and teeth locked. Trying to do all he could not to explode from the new info. She moved a bit closer before speaking "Are you ok, Desmond…"
"No…" He answered through his teeth. The temperature of the room started to rise "No, no, no, no, no!" he yelled at the top of his lungs out of rage. Releasing a small burst of electricity around him. "What the hell are those bastards doing over there for this to happen! If either one of them are hurt, I'll skin those ASIC assholes alive!" He then started making his way toward the exit.
"Where are you going?" IF asked.
"You all get your things together. I'm making my way to Lowee. See ya there." Desmond answered before leaving the room.
"Man, I'm not sure if I've seen him that mad before. I wouldn't want to be anyone in ASIC right now." IF commented, as the other girls nodded in agreement. "We should hurry. I don't think we should leave him alone in that state for long."
Desmond, in his enraged mental state, made his way to Lowee on foot. Not thinking about the chance to use transport. As he made his way to the other country, he went through several dungeons. He slashed, shot, burned through any monster that stood in his way, most of the creatures dissolved into data. Leaving nothing in his wake.
Once he finally reached Lowee, he made his way to the basilicom. By then he had cooled down some. Once he reached the doors, he burst through and moved further in. Mina was the first to meet him "O-Oh, hello Desmond. Thank you for coming."
"Where are they?" He asked in haste.
"They're in their room." She answered.
"Thanks." He quickly moved to the twin's room. Before reaching it, the door opened. Ram stumbled out of it, breathing heavily. She looked weak, pale, and concerned.
"D-Desmond…?" Ram said quietly at first before stumbling over to the young man, embracing him. She started to cry softly as she spoke "H-Help… Rom. She can barely stay awake… whenever she does."
Desmond placed a hand on her head before using his other arm to hug her. "Of course, I will… I'll help both of you get back to normal." He let go of the young girl and walked into to the room and stood by the bed. He looked at Rom, in a coma like state. It ate at him from the inside, seeing them at such a weak point. He knelt and placed a hand on the sleeping girl's head. "We'll get you two fixed up… the other girls will be here soon… we'll make everything right again…" he then started to fall to the ground 'I used… to much…' he thought before blacking out.
Ram rushed to his side, shaking him "Get up, get up…! Desmond! Are you okay!? Get up, please! Not you too! Come on big brother get up!" she started to cry. Mina heard the commotion, and came in to see what was going on.
After seeing Desmond on the floor, she walked over to him and asked Ram who next to him "What happened?"
"H-He was… checking on Rom… and then just fell." She answered through fits of tears.
"It appears he overexerted himself. This isn't the first time he's done this. He'll be okay, just a few hours of rest. Knowing him he most likely blew up in a fit of fury when he heard that you two were in danger." Mina stated as she placed a hand on Ram's back calming her down.
"O-Okay." Ram responded as she started to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Let's go to the kitchen, I'll get you a snack." Mina said as she stood up.
"Thanks Mina." She said as she followed the Oracle.
About half an hour later the rest of the party arrived at the basilicom, and made their way through the doors. Nepgear the first to speak "Hello?"
"Oh, if it isn't you girls. I was just expecting Desmond to come by. So, what brings you back to Lowee?"
"What's the deal? You look like crap, nyu." Broccoli stated.
"I do? My apologies… I haven't been able to get much sleep these past few days." Mina responded.
"Are things that bad?" Compa asked.
"What about Rom and Ram? Are they doing okay?" Nepgear added.
"No…We're not, dummy…" Ram answered as she walked in.
"Oh, dear. She looks very sick…" 5pb. commented.
"Ram, where's your sister?" Nepgear asked.
"Sleeping. She's asleep more than she's awake, ever since that day." Ram responded.
""That" day? What day? What's going on here, exactly? Where's Desmond at? He left way before us, I expected him to be here already." IF questioned.
"We're unsure, ourselves. We only know that we suddenly lost a great deal of Shares, leading to this. And Desmond did arrive earlier, but… he won't be getting up for a while." Mina answered.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Red asked.
"It appears that he overworked himself to the point of exhaustion, and passed out after arriving. He is currently in his room." She replied.
"Got it. At least we know he's safe. We should investigate the cause of the drop in Shares first, and then…" IF started before getting interrupted.
"Please slow down, IF. Rom and Ram's health comes first." Nepgear stated. Ram was caught off guard at the mention of the help.
"How can we help sick CPUs?" Red asked.
"By getting their Shares back. If we do that, the two of them should get better, I think…" Nepgear said.
"Get ready to rinse and repeat if the Shares are stolen away again, nyu." Broccoli commented.
"I know, but… Hmm, Miss Mina? Do you have the equipment needed to craft Sharicite here?" Nepgear questioned.
"Y-Yes, all basilicoms do. I know the method to make it, but why do you ask?" she replied.
"If we recover some Shares, can you make it into Sharicite immediately? Is it possible in small amounts?" Nepgear asked.
"Fine. Not like you'd change your mind, anyway…" IF scoffed.
"Can you really save Rom…?" Ram asked.
"Not just her. You, too. I'll go get some Shares right away, okay?" she responded.
"W-Wait a moment, please! I appreciate this, but we couldn't possibly ask for your help again…" Mina stated.
"Don't worry. We want to help." Nepgear replied.
"But someone not from Lowee helping in our affairs puts us at a global disadvantage, and…" Mina started.
"So are you saying we should sit back and watch those two suffer!?" Nepgear questioned.
"N-No, I'd love your help, but as an Oracle, I must consider the political implications, so…" she started again.
"Don't force your kindness. Honor their decision, nyu." Broccoli said.
"Honor their decision? But then, what choice do we have left?" Nepgear asked.
"Compromise and negotiate a deal that both parties can agree on, nyu." She answered.
"Negotiate, huh? Okay, I get it! Miss Mina, we'd like to help Rom and Ram. But in turn, I ask that you have both CPU Candidates assist us in our journey." Nepgear said.
"Is that really a good deal for you? It sounds like I'd be the only one to benefit from that." Mina responded before Ram cut in.
"Accept it! C'mon, stop talking and save Rom! Please!"
"Ram, you mustn't agree on something that us adults need to discuss!" Mina stated.
"All right, it's a deal, then. I'll go get some Shares, I promise!" Nepgear exclaimed before heading for the exit.
"She really muscled her way through that deal, didn't she? Perhaps I'm not fit to be an Oracle…" Mina said to herself.
"She's definitely gotten stronger, and she knows it. Acting a bit too big for her britches, if you ask me. Anyway, how is it any different if we help you compared to Desmond? He's not exactly from around here." IF asked.
"W-Well, Desmond is a bit of an exception… More like I couldn't get rid of him even if I wanted too. But it's not bad, he's helped us countless times, so it's all fine." Mina responded.
"Okay, I understand. I'll be right back." IF walked towards and into Desmond's room. She then moved over to the bed, a damp rag on his forehead. "You idiot…" she sat on the bed "Running off like that and then making us do all the work… and making us worry about you over it to boot." She placed a hand on his shoulder "Get better soon… hopefully before we get back." IF then stood back up and left to catch up with the others.
After a few hours of working quests and other small jobs, they had gained a few Shares. "We got some Shares back. I just hope it's enough…" Nepgear commented.
"Hard to say, but we should go and make it into Sharicite before we lose them again, nyu." Broccoli recommended.
"Speaking of losing them again, we have no idea what caused this yet, do we?" 5pb. questioned.
"Behind something bad like this could only be… someone bad!" Red added.
Compa noticed something in the distance "Hmm? Mister Mouse? What's he doing out here?"
"I knew I smelled a rat. I just didn't think we'd find one in the literal sense." IF stated.
The party tailed the rat into an alley, where he was handing out illegal items to civilians. And then telling them to spread the word.
"Ah-ha. That explains it." IF said.
"Those emulation chips must have been spread far and wide here…" 5pb. added.
"Let's bust 'em before they can take any more Shares away!" Red exclaimed.
"Stop right there! Bad Mister Mouse!" Compa shouted at the rodent.
"Huh? Whoooooa, my sweet Compa!" Warechu said, after getting caught off guard. "Am I dreaming? Has my angelic Compa come to buy a chip from little ol' me…?"
"Absotively, posolutely not! I'm gonna stomp them and break them and stuff!" Compa angrily stated, or at least as angry as Compa could get.
"Y-You'll what!? I can't let that happen! B-But if it makes my sweet Compa happy, then… maybe…chu… N-No, no way! These are a real bitch to manufacture. I can't let that happen, not even for you, chu!" The rat stated before running off.
"Hey! Get back here! C'mon, stop doing this already!" Red shouted.
"We'll chase him down. We definitely cannot allow him to distribute any more of those!" Nepgear said as the party started to chase the rat.
The party chased the rat to the dungeon Iris Field. Once the rat started to slow down and the party caught up, Compa spoke up. "Please give us those chips, Mister Mouse!"
"I'm so sorry, my dear… I cannot do that, chu." Warechu responded.
"Then I'm going to have to poke you with my syringe and take them by force!" Compa stated.
"I'd rather not raise a hand against my beloved angel, but my work is my life, chu…" the rat said with slight sadness in his tone. "If my angelic Compa won't love me, then… I'll love my work more than anything and anyone else, chu!"
The battle started, Warechu ran forward with his fist raised. Compa stabbed him with her syringe. Warechu fell, defeated.
"I lost my love, and my work, chu…" The rat said as he fell.
"Y'know Compa, if you acted a bit more seductive, you probably could've had the rat change teams." IF commented.
"Huh? You want me to be more sexy? Does that mean I should make lots of kissy faces, or…?" Compa started but was cut off by IF.
"Actually, you're fine just the way you are. Forget I said it. Let's smash these chips, okay?"
"Yay! Dibs on smashing!" Red shouted as she moved toward the chips.
"Crunch, nyu." Broccoli said with a dangerous glint in her eyes as she broke the chips.
"That should prevent any more loss of Shares in Lowee." Nepgear stated.
"Yeah. Let's have the Oracle make some Sharicite next." IF said before the group left for the basilicom.
After a short trip, the party made it safely back to the basilicom. After going inside the building, they met up with Mina and told her what was the cause of the drop in Shares. "A new Arfoire chip? So that was the cause…"
"Don't sweat it! Me and my wifeys stomped on them till they turned into electronic dust piles!" Red exclaimed.
"We think your Shares are safe for now." Compa commented.
"Yeah, okay, but what about Rom? What's gonna happen to her?" Ram cut in asking her question.
"Calm down, Ram. Albeit small, I can make a piece of Sharicite to treat her with these Shares." Mina stated.
"So… she's gonna get better?" Ram questioned.
"Yes. I'm sure she'll be fine." Nepgear answered.
"Oh… Man, what a relief…" Ram said.
"H-How is Desmond doing?" 5pb. asked.
"He is doing better. He's awake, but not at one hundred percent." Mina responded.
"Where is he?" IF questioned.
"He was in our room checking on Rom." Ram answered.
"Thanks. I'll be back in a minute." IF stated, before walking to the twins' room. After she opened the door, she saw Desmond sitting in a chair at the side of the bed. His head down, hands in his face. "Hey… you're awake this time round. How are you holding up?"
He didn't look up, just moved his hands from his face, folded them together and placed them under his chin. "Not at my best… I come all this way here to save these two, and the first thing I do is freaking collapse on the ground. Sure, I might not have made my way over her in the smartest of most efficient of ways, but it doesn't matter. I still let them down… These two… they're… they're like sisters to me. If I lost them…" He buried his face back into his hands. "I just don't want to think about that…"
IF walked up and hugged him from behind "Don't get all depressed on me. It's too weird. All the time I've known you, you've tried your best to save and help everyone and to do it with a smile on your face. Kinda like Nep, always finding some silver lining to make a joke out of a situation. Everything is going to be fine, okay. The others and I went out, grabbed some Shares and destroyed the source of the Share loss. Mina is making the Sharicite now, everything is fine."
He lifted his head up a bit "Thanks, all of you girls. Thank you so much." He broke a small smile and put a hand on IF's arm. "I really like the hug and all, but on the way over some of those monsters got me from the back, it's not that smart trying to take on dungeon after dungeon in an unfocused rage. Point is that my back is not fully healed, and the pressure stings a bit."
She moved off him "Sorry, didn't know." She then started to get curious and lifted the back of his shirt to look at his back. At least a dozen of cuts riddled his back, ranging from deep gashes to small cuts. "Desmond, what the hell!? Why didn't you say something about this? I should get Compa in here." She put down his shirt and was about to move toward the door before getting grabbed.
"Don't, I'll be fine. The girls are probably keeping Ram occupied, she needs any distraction she can get until the Sharicite is done and both are better. Also, I don't want my lungs crushed by Compa trying to wrap me up." He chuckled a little at the end of his remark.
"Are you sure it looks serious?" she asked him, glaring at him with a questioning look.
"Like I said, I'll be fine. I'm stubborn, so usually I push through the pain. Just give it time and it'll heal." The young man stood up and hugged the girl. If he were to look down he'd see a reddened face. "Thanks for coming in here and cheering me up. You really are a great friend." He kissed the top of her head, which caused IF to freeze "We should head out there and see what's going on. Maybe Mina is done by now." He let go of the girl and started toward the door. After opening it he turned around, seeing IF at the same spot she was at. "You comin'?"
IF's mind sprung back to life "H-Huh? W-Wha… O-Oh, yeah. Sorry, just thinking about something." She then made her way out of the room and followed Desmond back to where everyone else was at. If they stayed in the room a little longer they might have seen an underling at the window.
"Hey everyone." The young man said to the group of people.
The group turned around to look at the owner of the voice. "Desmond!" Ram shouted as she ran to him as fast as she could and hugged him. "Mina is working on the Sharicite to help Rom."
"I heard, I just wish it could be done faster. But I'm just glad it's getting done." He responded while patting her head.
"Hi Dez, I heard that you weren't feeling well. Do you want me to give you a checkup?" Compa asked.
"N-No, no. I'm fine, just needed a little rest." Desmond said while sweat dropping a little.
"How ya doin' partner?" Red questioned, raising up an arm.
"I'm doing better." He said as he gave her a high five.
Nepgear walked up to him "I'm glad you're doing better Desmond."
"Me too. I'm also happy to see you girls doing some nice work while I was out." He commented with a smile.
"H-Hey Desmond. N-Nice to see you." 5pb. said with a smile. "Is she one of the twins, that you're always talking about?"
"Yeah, they're like my sisters. So, that was the reason I stormed over here. Please don't think I was mad at you back at Planeptune." He said.
"I know you weren't, so don't worry." She responded.
"C'mon, hurry it up, Mina! You're slow like a grandma!" Ram shouted.
"Now, now. This process cannot be rushed… It's nearly ready… Aaaaand, there we go. Done." Mina stated.
"Yay! Finally!" Ram yelled.
"Whew. While it's small, I feel it should have enough power to help her recover." Mina commented.
"Let's hurry to Rom's side, and…" Nepgear started, before a loud crash was heard.
"What was that? It sounded like something happened in me and Rom's bedroom…" Ram said.
Desmond's eyes widened "No…" he whispered, before running toward the room.
"Hey wait for us!" IF shouted at him.
When everyone arrived at the room, they could see broken pieces in the roof. Ram shouted as they arrived "Rom! Are you okay?"
"Here comes the broad brigade, right on cue. Frickin' chore…" Underling stated.
"What are you doing here? Get away from Rom, now!" Nepgear commanded.
"Yeah, okay. Feel free to convince her to leave my side, chumps." Underling said as Rom hugged the underling.
"Rom, what're you doing!? Don't hug our enemy, dummy!" Ram shouted.
"Enemy, huh? Let's test her out… Hey, brat. Everyone wants to see you beat the crap out of your enemy." Underling said.
"'kay…" was all that Rom said before hitting Ram.
"Ow! Stoppit Rom, don't hit me!" Ram exclaimed.
"Hahaha! Looks like the twerp sees you as her enemy now!" Underling shouted.
"What'd you do this time?" IF questioned.
"Brainwashing, duh. The brat was so weak without any Shares, it took hold right away." Underling replied.
"Brainwashing!? Corrupting the mind of a CPU is a capital offense!" Mina stated.
"Hell if I care! Time for me to go and get the rest of your stupid nation's Shares. C'mon, brat!" Underling shouted as Rom complied.
"Wait! Rom! Rooooom!" Ram screamed.
Desmond started to power up an attack, but after only a couple of seconds of charging. He fell to a knee, grabbing his side. "Dammit!" he cliched his teeth and punched the ground. "If I wasn't acting so stupid before, I would have had enough freaking power to fry the damn underling!" He continued to punch the ground clearly frustrated.
IF grabbed Ram before she could run off "Whoa, don't run after them, kid. Nothing we can do by chasing them without a plan."
"Shut up! I gotta get Rom back! Lemme go!" Ram yelled.
"What should we do? How can we get her back?" Nepgear questioned.
"I'm not sure. No records exist of a CPU being breainwashed…" Mina answered.
"Maybe good ol' Prince Red needs to give her young princess a kiss, like in all those stories?" Red stated.
"Red, I know you're you and all. But try to be serious, I'm not entertaining that thought." Desmond stated, standing back up.
"No! If you try to do something icky like that, I'll kick you!" Ram shouted.
"It's hard to express with words, but what if we tried to awaken her from the soul, outward…?" 5pb. stated.
"Underling said it was easy to do because of the lack of Shares, nyu." Broccoli added.
"So, get more Shares to her. Yeah, that seems like it'd work." Desmond said.
"Shares, huh? Do you think the Sharicite would work?" Nepgear asked.
"It should." Desmond stated.
"I wouldn't trust anything that idiot told us." IF commented.
"It's just a hypothesis, nyu." Broccoli said.
"We've no other options right now. It may be worth a shot." Mina stated.
"Okay, then we're done talking! C'mon, let's hurry up and find her!" Ram shouted.
"Chill out, jeez. It's too late to give chase, and they'll make their move soon. Let's gather info, okay?" IF said.
Desmond let out a slight growl, he spoke with his eyes closed "I'm with Ram on this one. I'd rather just go and get Rom back. But…" He opened his eyes, as he sighed "I know you're right on this one. Let's go find out what's going on." He walked up to Compa "Do you have some healing medicine, like Nep bull, or something?"
"Yessy, it's in my bag." She responded as she pulled a bottle out of the bag and handed it to the boy.
"Thanks, this will help a lot." He said before opening the container.
After some searching Mina found something related to the situation. "I have information! Or, not really. But I did receive a request for aid to stop a rampaging CPU in town."
"They didn't wait at all, huh? Everyone ready?" IF asked.
"Yes, absolutely." Nepgear said.
"Those dummies won't get away with what they did to Rom! Never, ever!" Ram yelled.
The party then left the basilicom to find Rom and Underling.
They made their way to the central part of the city. After arriving they could see Underling and Rom. Rom was destroying the area while Underling just stood back and laughed. Once the party were close enough Nepgear spoke "There you are!"
"Ugh, it's the peanut gallery. Just when I was enjoying myself… Read the atmosphere, you idiots!" Underling shouted.
"How could you say that you enjoy seeing this destruction?" 5pb. asked.
"Gimme back Rom, or else!" Ram commanded.
"Or else, what? You'll fight me? Okay, do your worst, shortstack." Underling mocked. "Just know that this kid is gonna act as my shield as soon as you try anything!"
"You're cheating! Fight us like the underling you are, Underling!" Red yelled.
"Don't try to piss her off. You ready, Gear?" IF told Red.
"Yes. Taaaaake Thiiiis!" Nepgear shouted as she initiated the Sharicite, causing a small light to emit from the crystal.
"Oh shit, that's bright! Not. It was just a sparkle. Is that really all you got?" Underling mocked.
"Please come back, Rom!" Nepgear pleaded.
"Rom!" Desmond shouted with authority, trying his best to stay calm. He wasn't sure in his current state if he could be quick enough to get around Rom and just hit Underling.
"Tch! That was a bluff? You think you can reverse the brainwashing with a little pleading?" Underling questioned.
Rom grabbed her head as she groaned in pain.
"Huh? Why're you screaming? Oh, come on. Don't tell me this is the "trying to comeback" cliché!" Underling said in an annoyed tone.
"It's working, but it needs one more push, nyu." Broccoli commented.
Ram moved a little bit closer before talking again "It's me, Rom! Your super awesome twin sister, Ram! Say my name!"
"R-Ram…" Rom said quietly.
Underling looked shocked "C-Crap. If she snaps out of it, the boss is gonna have my head… H-Hey, we're leaving, brat! Hurry it up"
Rom fell back into the influence of the brainwashing "Urrgh… 'Kay…" The two then ran off.
"Noooo! Wait, Rom!" Ram yelled.
"It's on the verge of wearing off. We can't back down now!" IF stated.
The party ended up chasing Underling and Rom into the Atari Marsh dungeon. The party finally caught up by the time they were in the dungeon depths. When they got close they could hear Underling talking to herself "I totally forgot about it thanks to all that commotion. Now, where'd I stick it…?"
"How bout I stick it up your asshole, you asshole!" Desmond yelled, rather pissed off at this point.
"Don't move a muscle!" IF shouted.
"Jeez, already!?" Underling whined.
"Rom! Get a grip!" Ram tried to break the brainwashing.
"We're here to take you home." Nepgear added.
"Ram… Miss Nepgear…" Rom said as she tried to break free.
"Yeah, that's what you think! Brainwashing reinforcement, go! Check this thing out, twerp." Underling said as she pulled out an object and activated it. The object caused Rom to yell while holding her head.
"What's going on? She looks like she's in pain!" Compa stated.
"No… It's that light…!" 5pb. mentioned.
"Listen. Those broads are your enemies. Okay? En-e-mies. We kill our enemies. Got it?" Underling commanded.
"Stop doing weird things to my sister!" Ram shouted as she ran between Underling and Rom.
"Ram get back here!" Desmond shouted but it was too late. Ram ended up getting brainwashed as well.
"The hell!? Don't get between us, brat!" Underling yelled.
"Ram! Rom!" Nepgear yelled in concern.
"Well, it ran out of energy… The hell happened? Don't tell me I used it for nothing…" Underling said as she looked at the object. Before noticing that the twins were under her control. "Huh? Wait a sec… Maybe… Hey, brats. Call me "Boss Lady."" The twins complied.
"Uh-oh! Did it affect them both!?" Red questioned.
"It appears so." Desmond said rather annoyed.
"That really sucks, nyu." Broccoli commented.
"Hahahaha! This is comedy gold! The idiot practically brainwashed herself! I couldn't have asked for a better result. Go and kill those broads!" Underling stated.
"Yes, Boss Lady." The twins said simultaneously.
"Wh-What do we do now?" Compa asked.
"Forcing them into submission is our only choice now. Scrubbing their brains clean comes later!" IF answered.
"R-Right. It might hurt a little, but we promise this will help you in the end, Rom and Ram!" Nepgear stated.
"Sorry, Rom… Ram…" Desmond said quietly, before the battle started.
Rom and Ram fired ice shards toward the group, most of them dodged the ice, Desmond, Nepgear, and IF blocked the ice with their blades. IF ran and kicked Ram toward Rom, then quickly jumped back. Red used her yo-yo and grabbed the twins, holding them in place. Nepgear turned down the power on her beam saber and attacked the two, small whimpers could be heard from the twins. Desmond then held his hand forward and used low electric strikes, trying to bring down their guard.
"Sharicite! Now!" IF yelled.
"Got it. Come back to your senses!" Nepgear pleaded.
"Waaaah! Ooooof… Urrahh… Miss Nepgear…?" Rom said quietly.
"Do you recognize us, Rom?" Nepgear asked.
"Rom… Ram… are you okay? I'm sorry we had to do that…" Desmond spoke softly.
"Owwy… I get that you had to stop us, but did you have to be such a bully about it…?" Ram questioned.
"What a relief. They both seem back to normal." 5pb. commented.
"Okay, this sucks all of a sudden. Stay and get clawed to shreds, run and get chewed to pieces…" Underling said to herself.
"Who are you talking to? Get ready to feel our wrath!" Red shouted.
"You've made enough of a scene!" A voice rung out. A rather large robotic creature jumped in, just behind the twins.
"Whoa, here he comes! You broads are gonna answer to Sir CFW Trick now!" Underling exclaimed.
"Great, another weirdo. Or, wait… Isn't that…?" IF stated.
"Yes, he was among the enemies we originally faced in the Gamindustri Graveyard…" Nepgear answered.
"U-Um, so hey, boss… What happened here was like, you know, not my fault, so…" Underling started.
"I'll lap up your excuses later. There are more pressing matters for me to deal with first." Trick stated.
"Y-Yeah, totally. You're gonna clobber these dumb broads, right?" Underling asked.
"Haggard fiends! How dare you raise your wrinkly hands against these poor, defenseless cutie pies!?" Trick yelled.
"Cuite pies…?" Compa questioned.
Desmond went from anger to confusion, then to a sick feeling in his stomach 'Don't tell me…' he thought.
"It's your fault for using that brain cleaner thing!" Red exclaimed.
"Oooh…" Ram groaned.
"Ram… It hurts…" Rom said quietly.
"Ahh, my poor little puppies… Let me lick your wounds…" Trick said as he threw out his tounge, grabbing the twins. Also grossing everyone out.
"Huh!? Eww, gross me out!" Ram shouted.
"Yucky…! Don't…!" Rom exclaimed.
"What the hell are you doing, you psycho!?" IF yelled.
"What the freaking hell do you think you're doing with them! Let them go!" Desmond commanded.
Even Underling was grossed out "Yeah, boss! That's really frickin' weird!"
"But this is how you clean and heal wounds, is it not?" Trick questioned.
"S-Stoppit! Ugh, I'm gonna ralph…" Ram said.
"Ew… It feels so gross…" Rom stated.
'I can't throw an attack without the possibility of hitting Rom and Ram. Dammit! That bastard is basically holding them hostage!' Desmond thought as he clenched his teeth.
"Get that ridiculously large tongue away from them, nyu!" Broccoli shouted.
"Oh, another compact little cutie? Alas, I'm not enough of a man to care for three of you at once…" Trick stated.
"I don't get what you're doing, but can you hurry up and beat the snot outta our enemies!?" Underling asked.
"Yes, yes. I know I should, but… As a refined gentleman, I cannot watch these cuties writhe in pain." Trick answered, shortly after he placed them down.
"I…I'm fine! I'm totally cool! I mean, pain is the least of my worries right now…" Ram said.
"Slobber everywhere… My clothes are ruined… I think I'm mad…" Rom said quietly.
"Boss, look! You actually DID recover their health!" Underling exclaimed.
"Yes, well, it's unfair to fight at a clear advantage. But even at full strength, they are no match for me!" Trick stated.
"If you didn't introduce yourself as such a weirdo, that line would have made you seem chivalrous…" 5pb. commented.
"Yeah. Acting like a massive perv cancels out any coolness, nyu." Broccoli added.
"Disgusting trash. I think it's about time we send you back to the graveyard." Desmond stated.
"P-Please stay on your guard. He is certainly unique and rather deluded, but he looks quite strong!" Nepgear said.
"Playtime is over… Now I shall show my prowess to my cutie pies, you old hags, and the boy!" Trick exclaimed.
The battle started, Compa fired shots at Trick, Red threw her yo-yos at him. IF, Desmond, Nepgear ran toward the creature. Trick threw his tongue at the three, almost hitting them several times. Once they were in arms reach they all attacked at once, from the sides and front. After a few hits they jumped back when Trick spun around trying to hit them. After he stopped spinning, he shot his tongue at Nepgear. Catching her off guard, Desmond jumped in just in time to block it.
"Thanks Desmond." Nepgear stated.
"No problem, let's end it." He responded.
IF held her hand out and caused fire to erupt from underneath Trick. After that Desmond fired a few fire shots at the CFW, as the fire was reaching Trick Desmond brought a lightning attack down from the sky, striking Trick in the chest causing him to scream in pain.
"Wh-What!?" Trick was bewildered.
"No way! Boss, what gives?" Underling questioned.
"I'm gonna rip that tongue right outta your face, you pervert!" Ram shouted.
"No mercy…" Rom said in anger.
"I'll help you two, a creature like that doesn't deserve to live." Desmond said as he walked up behind the twins, cracking his knuckles.
"Ahh, as I feared, I cannot do my worst against such cuties. But… this was fun. Till next time!" Trick stated, before running off.
"Hey! Wait for me, boss!" Underling shouted as she followed Trick.
"No running! Ugh!" Ram yelled.
"They're gone... That was a difficult opponent…" 5pb. commented.
"Yeah, he was difficult to deal with in more ways than one." IF added.
"He wasn't that difficult. He was a little annoying with that tongue though." Desmond stated.
"I just want to know if you two are okay, Rom and Ram." Nepgear asked.
"Uh-huh… I can walk…" Rom answered.
"Goodie! The Sharicite worked." Compa exclaimed.
"Sorry… I caused a lot of trouble…" Rom said quietly.
"You didn't do it. It's all that pervert's fault!" Ram shouted.
"Yeah, don't worry about a thing." Red stated.
"All that we care about is that you two are safe okay." Desmond said with a smile.
"With that over, let's get back to the basilicom. I bet the Oracle is beside herself with worry." IF stated.
After that the party made their way back to the main city.
The party made it to the Lowee basilicom, when they walked in they we greeted by Mina "You're safe! Oh, thank heavens!"
"Sorry…" Rom said.
"All's well that ends well. We're all done here." IF stated.
"Words cannot express my gratitude." Mina said.
"Don't worry about it. You know I'd probably would've done it by myself if I had to. The girls just made it a bit easier." Desmond commented.
"There's no need. But about the deal we made…" Nepgear started. "Will you let Rom and Ram come with us?"
"About that… I'm hesitant. They are still quite young. And they've proven to be nothing but a handful for you all…"
"Meh! Not our fault! The bad guys were taking all our Shares!" Ram exclaimed. "Besides, it's me and Rom's choice."
"Uh-huh…" Rom agreed.
"Uggggh… As much as I don't want them to leave the basilicom. They are CPUs as well, and they should make the choice for themselves if they want to go save their sister with us." Desmond said with a hand to the back of his head.
"Yeah! We wanna make sure to beat up that gross perv with our own two hands! He brainwashed Rom, and licked us like a doggy! We aren't gonna forgive that, ever!" Ram shouted.
"L-Licked you…?" Mina questioned with a worried tone.
"Please don't ask." 5pb responded.
"Seriously, I don't want to accidently break something while thinking about it." Desmond added while closing his eyes.
"Miss Nepgear helped us again… I wanna help her this time…" Rom stated.
"Aww, Rom…" Nepgear said with a happy tone.
"Uh, maybe I could help her a little. But just a teeny-tiny bit, though." Ram commented.
"I see. Then you both have made up your minds about this." Mina stated.
"Yeah!" Ram responded.
"Uh-huh…" Rom agreed.
"Then I can do nothing to stop you. Please take care of them as if they were your own, Nepgear. Desmond, I know you already do." Mina stated.
"O-Okay, I will. They'll be a huge help, I know it." Nepgear responded.
"Be careful how you phrase that Mina, I treat them like I'm they're brother, not dad. Don't want any confusion." Desmond commented.
"We can do more than help, duh! Leave the magic stuff to us, right, Rom?" Ram said.
"I'll… do my best…" Rom added.
Desmond clapped his hands together "I'm glad everyone is getting along now, but I need to get some rest and let myself get back to full health. So, we can leave in the morning. Until then, I'm gonna pass out okay… okay, good." He gave the twins a quick hug before walking off toward his room.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of the story. Leave a review and let me know what you think. As always have a good day.
