One day, Miu was typing away at the supercomputer on Aelita's antivirus, but no matter what she tried, it always came up as a failure.
"Ugh… I am complete garbage at this!" Miu said as the elevator opened to reveal Francisca and Sachiko.
"Bonjam, Miu." Francisca said.
"You look awfully down today. Is something wrong?" Sachiko asked.
"Jeremie and I have been spinning our wheels for days now on Aelita's antivirus program and trying to code Franz Hopper's diary, but even with our combined brain power, nothing seems to be working." Miu said. "Even with everything we got from Sector 5 while Mayumi and the others were in Viperia, we still haven't made any progress."
"O-okay. I think I know someone who needs to air out her neurons a little." Francisca said. "And here's how we do it. Tonight, Odd's gonna be screening his short film."
"Did anyone see any of it?" Miu asked.
"No, he wouldn't let us. He said he didn't want us to spoil it to the others." Sachiko said.
"Do we know who's in it at least?" Miu asked.
"Uh...we do. It's sorta of a...monster movie...with Sissi as the monster." Francisca said.
"Haha! Yep, that sounds about fitting." Miu said.
Sachiko then looks up. "Nu… I just hope you're okay."
"Is she that last prisoner from Viperia? Viperia is already kicked to the curb, so whoever that person is, they don't really have much to worry about." Miu said.
In the woods, running through the forest was a strange robotic looking woman.
"What...is happening with me? I've been...acting strange since arriving in this new world. Is it...some sort of virus...or...what could it be?" She pondered before seeing lights up ahead. "Lights. Civilization." She said. "Maybe someone can help me figure out what's going on."
She made her way through before arriving at the school.
"A school? This is...fortunate. I could gain insight as to what this world is and perhaps find a way home." She said. "And hopefully know something about Pandora."
She then looked around before seeing someone with his back turned.
"Is that..?" she said before smiling ear to ear. "Ragnaaaaaa!"
"Huh?" Hope asked turning around.
"Ragna, I finally found you! Nu's so happy to see you!" The girl said as her voice changed from stoic and serious to cheerful.
"Uh… I think you've got the wrong guy, Ma'am, my name's Hope… Hope the Victor." Hope said.
"Oh, Nu is sorry Hope. But Nu is glad to see someone else here after escaping that horrible Viperia place with Eze, Sachiko, and Leafa." Nu said smiling.
"Anyway… why'd you say I was some guy named Ragna?" Hope asked.
"Nu is ...confused by strange new emotions within her. Has been occurring since arrival in this strange new world." she said.
"That explains a lot." Hope said. "Anyway, can you change into something more appropriate? You're kinda giving me the wrong crowd, and I don't wanna be the one to have the wrong idea about."
"Oh, is Nu's combat mode not necessary here?" Nu asked.
"Nu… that's your name, right?" Hope asked.
"Yes. Nu 13. It's nice to meet you." Nu said as she glowed and in her place was a girl with a red visored eyepatch over her left eye, a ragged cloak, and a bodysuit that went past her shoulders and above her knees. "Is this better?"
"Better, much. We'll get you some shoes later." Hope said noting Nu's body suit didn't cover her feet.
"Okay, thank you Hope!" Nu said happily as she hugged Hope. "Nu is glad to have a new friend!"
"Well, you're definitely an energetic one." Hope said. "And you're in luck. I think I can get you in to Odd's movie screening… if you act as my date."
"Date? But… Nu is destined to be with Ragna…" Nu said.
"Who the heck is Ragna?" Hope asked.
"Ragna the Bloodedge." Illuma said. "I've heard of him. A renegade swordsman."
:Oh, I think I know him. He's the man with the Power of Chaos, carrying the power of the Black Beast. Why's Nu so obsessed with him?" Hope asked.
"Because the Black Beast is Nu's enemy, but I don't want to hurt Ragna because of it. And ever since I met that Yo-Kai Pandora, Nu has been...experiencing strange emotions and is feeling weird." Nu said.
"Pandora? She brought you here?" Hope asked.
"Yes, Nu was brought here and found herself in a cell in a place called Viperia and met new yet strange people who were Eze, Sachiko, and Leafa." Nu said.
"Oh yeah! We met those three earlier. Don't worry. They're all safe on the ship." Hope said.
"Oh, Nu is glad, can you take Nu to them, please?" Nu asked.
"Sure. Right after the movie." Hope said before an ambulance was seen blaring towards the campus as people ran in. "The heck? What happened?"
"One student inside is in need of dire medical attention and is to be taken to the hospital." One of the paramedics said as Sissi was carried out into the ambulance.
"Hope, something happened to Sissi and she's speaking backwards all of the sudden. I think it might be XANA's work." Mari said as she approached.
"Uh...a little late with that." Hope said pointing to the ambulance.
"Hmm… I don't think this is XANA's doing. If it was, she would've attacked everyone in the auditorium." David said.
"David's got a point. Something's not right here." Ross said.
Sachiko then spotted Hope and Nu. "Nu! Thank goodness you're safe!"
"Same to you, Sachiko." Nu said.
"Guys...I think we should follow the ambulance to the hospital. Unless you think that's a bad idea." Hope said.
"Nope, it's a good idea. We should go just in case." Al said as they ran to the hospital.
"Hey, wait for me!" Zexi said running with Harumi and Leonis.
"Why drag us into this? I have no clue." Leonis said sighing.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the hospital.
"She's in that room. But please be mindful. She's sharing with another patient." The nurse said.
"(I think we know who.)" Harumi thought.
"It's that idiot huh?" Saki whispered.
They arrived to the room where Sissi was and not surprising Flux was in the same room, both seemingly sharing a conversation.
"Look...I have no clue where that jerk of a father is. He went into hiding ten years ago." They heard Flux say.
"How is Flux able to understand her if she's talking backwards?" Al asked as she peeked her head through the doorway with Harumi.
"It doesn't matter anyway. He was a crappy father anyway. Yeah...that's always been true. I don't even care if he ends up kicking the bucket. After what happened...I can never forgive that man." Flux said.
"What did happen exactly? That's what we want to know." Harumi whispered softly.
"Yeah, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk to our archenemy." Al whispered back.
"He's just Jexi's...or so I've heard." Harumi said.
"Look...unless you have something I want. I won't do anything. Same goes for you eavesdroppers by the door." Flux said.
"He noticed?" Harumi asked.
"I wasn't born yesterday. For god's sake, your halfway through the door, Hopeless!" Flux said.
"Oh...Uh...hi." Hope said.
"I'll be blunt...I don't plan on helping you." Flux said.
"We kinda figured as much." Roy said.
Sissi then said something to Flux as he turned to her. "Okay, so what do I have to do?" He said.
"Ask the nurse if she can get some fresh air. Also… how do you understand her backwards speech?" Hope asked.
"It's not backwards. It's electronically encrypted language. What, you can't understand her?" Flux asked.
"Because some of us thought she was talking backwards, idiot." Saki said.
"You didn't understand her or whoever is using her body at all. So I think you would be the idiot." Flux pointed out.
"What was that?! Oh I am so gonna tear your-mmmph!" Saki said before Saaya grabbed her and covered her mouth.
"Let's all calm down Saki, no need to get violent!" Saaya said.
David then got a sense. "Harumi… Get Sissi to the factory, now."
"Got it." Harumi said as she got Sissi on a wheelchair and headed out.
"Ishihara...knowing you well...I would like you to stay out of what comes next." Flux said. "Same with the rest of you."
"What? Are you out of your…" Hope said as the doorknob shook as a nurse entered with the eye of XANA in her eyes.
"And that's our cue to blow this joint." Takeshi said.
"Good idea. RUN!" Al yelled as she casted Hastega on everyone and immediately zipped out.
"Cowards." Flux said as the nurse got close to him. "Sorry...but I'll be leaving with them...just need to take care of...you!" Flux said as he used his IV to wrap it around the nurse's neck as she started to choke. "I know most of you XANA zombies can phase through solid objects by shifting molecules with electricity. Sadly...the IV I'm using is made of plastic. You can't escape so easily." He said before the nurse collapsed. "I doubt you'll be out for long so tell the doctor I'll send him a check." He said before jumping out the window.
"Son of a…." Hope said as they saw him land.
"Ah...now those are the skills I should be using more. Now...let's be off elsewhere." Flux said.
"Hopefully, Harumi's got Sissi to the factory by now. Let's hurry before Doctor Doom wakes up again." David said.
"Oh we're not going to the factory. We'll be needed somewhere more important." Flux said as he headed in the direction of Kadic.
"Flux...what's going on? Tell us...now." Hope said.
"And why should…" Flux said before a sword was pointing at his throat by David. "Very well. The being possessing the girl isn't XANA...it's Franz Hopper."
"We kind of figured that." David said putting his sword back.
"Franz Hopper? He possessed Sissi? Why?" Hope asked.
"To make contact with you...and for me to try and send a helping message later on."
"A message?" Al asked.
"Since you are well versed...we'll be heading for the woods. Bring shovels." Flux said.
"Shovels? Why would we need those?" Hope said.
"Nu doesn't understand either." Nu admitted.
"Shovels mean that he wants us to help him dig something up." David said.
"Yes...a set of video tapes made by my father." Flux said.
"Videotapes from Cretaceous…." Hope said. "Okay, we'll help."
"Hold it. We're not doing this for free. We want something." Leonis said.
"The summoner boy. I already know what you want." Flux said pulling out a map.
"What is it?" Mari asked.
"This? The map to the remaining Smash Scrolls. All in one spot in this town." Flux said.
"This isn't a trick is it?" Aluche asked.
"When it comes to his father, I don't think he'd have a reason to lie." David said.
"You're doing this so you can have your father's secrets. That's what Pandora agreed to in that deal, right?" Hope asked.
"Yes. Help me get the tapes...and the map is yours." Flux said.
"Jamblasted… Very well, we'll do it." Francisca said.
"Excellent." Flux said.
It wasn't long before they arrived in the woods as each person started digging.
"Do not stop until you hit a wooden box." Flux said.
"I think I got something!" Papelne called out.
They soon dug up a small wooden box as Flux opened it to see some video tapes. "Excellent. Thank you." Flux said.
"A...pleasure, I guess." David said.
"Look, I know you guys are still a little bitter at me about the whole titans thing…" Flux said.
"A little? Heh. Understatement of the decade." David said.
"Hey, not my fault some guy fed me faulty info." Flux said. "He told me opening that temple would get me control of the Olympos XII."
"Well, not exactly the case. You're just lucky we've got something to fight them with." David said.
"The Masakado, a Godslaying blade. Ah yes, they'd be scared of something like that." Flux said.
"I even used it to chop one of their arms off. Though he still got away." David said.
"The Titans… they seem dangerous. They'd destroy the world… and Ragna and Nu won't be together." Nu said.
"All the more reason to fight them, huh Nu?" David asked. "Good thing we've got a countermeasure." He said as he takes out Ceresmon's fruit. "According to Ceresmon, anyone who eats these fruits will be able to fight them on equal ground."
"What's… eating?" Nu asked.
"What, you havent really eaten anything in your life before?" Hope asked.
"Makes sense, since she's an android." Makoto said.
"Well, unless we have other countermeasures, this is what most of us went with." David said.
"Seems like the best option for right now. And the titans are going to have hell to pay for what they're doing." Simon said.
"Alright, alright. Enough with the needless passion. You're making Ishihara seem tame." Flux said.
"And that's saying something." David said as Leonis was handed the map.
"Wait...there's something else I wanna know!" Hope said. "You said your father did something unforgivable. What did he do?"
Flux stood there silently with the box for a moment before looking back. "He cost me my older brother." Flux said before leaving.
"Older...brother?" Damien said.
"Damn… That's deep. And that's coming from me." David said.
"I know…" Hope said. "So uh… Nu. You want to help us with the Titans?"
"Of course I do. Nu wants to be with Ragna… so that we can reunite… and kill each other. Only Nu is the one for Ragna. We'll be together forever…. In our bloody love." Nu swooned.
"O...kay. Hope, can Sachiko and I talk to you for a moment?" David said.
"Yeah?" Hope said as they went elsewhere. "Is this about Nu and her… thing?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I'm not sure how we'd be able to handle her once we meet this...Ragna." David said.
"She may have emotions now, but… I'm still a little worried about her." Sachiko said. "She was created as a killing machine and doesn't know how to channel her emotions right now. She needs a positive influence in her life."
"You're looking at him." Hope said. "If she joins my team, I'm sure we can work around her Yandere problem. Besides, when are we even gonna see Ragna?"
"Probably not for a long while. But if the Multiverse Ex Grand Prix is of any indication, it's basically a flip of a coin if he actually ends up going there." David said.
"You're right. But I know that I can handle Nu." Hope said. "This isn't the first time I've handled psychopaths and oddballs. Sides… I like Nu a lot. She's pretty cheery."
"When she's not in her psychotic tendencies, at least." David said. "And knowing you, it probably won't be the last time dealing with those kinds of people either."
"Nope. But Nu's a good fit for me. I mean… where else would I find someone as unique as a girl that was born a robot?" Hope said.
"Not a lot of places, I'll admit." David said.
"But still, we're counting you to pull off a miracle here." Sachiko said.
"I'll be fine guys, really." Hope said.
"I sure hope so. Now come on, let's get back to the others before they get suspicious." David said.
They headed back as Hope went back to Nu.
"Okay Nu, since you don't have anywhere else to go, I've decided that you're going to join my group. I'm no Ragna, but you can definitely count on me as a friend." Hope said.
"We better be prepared for the worse here." Ross whispered.
"Yeah...no kidding. But I still can't help wondering...what message was Flux thinking of?" Leonis pondered.