Nepgear's party had just left 5pb's concert, now with Excel and Cave in towe too. After some time of walking, Red asked Cave a question.
"So I was wondering... You were at that idol's concert. Are you her fan or something?" She asked.
"I hope so." Excel said. "I don't know anyone who doesn't like 5pb. And that includes you girls.
"It is part of my mission." Cave answered. "My task was to act as her security force to during her performance."
"Celebrity bodyguard duty doesn't sound like a special task force's job at all, nyu." Broccoli said.
"Well, the idol, stage name 5pb, is an outspoken member of our cause." Cave replied. "Her songs raise morale and open the eyes of those blinded by the eyes of ASIC. Thus, she is always targeted. Due to the threats against her life, we are constantly deployed to act as her security detail."
"To be honest, all that stuff I didn't know about. Like, at all." Excel admitted.
"Goodness, I suppose there are a lot of ways to fight oppression." Nepgear added.
"I hope to see the day where she can sing, not for a cause, but because she loves to perform." Cave said. "For that to occur, order must be restored to Leanbox as soon as possible." Red stated.
"I'm with you there!" Excel said in agreement. "I'm the only CPU in charge right now, and all this ASIC stuff is really sorta bumming me out."
"Speaking of which..." Nepgear said. "Excel, do you know if Miss Chika's back at the basilicom yet?"
"Wait, you want my help?" Excel asked excitedly.
"Of course!" Nepgear said happily. "Since you're the CPU Candidate, surely you can help us in finding out what's wrong with your Oracle."
"Awesome! Hell yeah I'll help you out! Anything for you, Nepgear! You're the boss after all! I look up to you!" Excel excitedly rambled.
"Uh... We should probably get going to find this Oracle." IF said, confused by Excel's enthusiasm.
"Oh yeah, right!" Excel said. "This way, peeps!"
Nepgear and her friends followed Excel back to the basilicom, where Chika was already there.
"Yuck. I gotta spend my day in this disguise again..." She lamented. "I hate this kind of crap..."
"Hello? Is Miss Chika here?" Nepgear asked, entering the basilicom, following Excel while being followed by the other girls.
"Crap!" Chika said, realizing she had to act the part again. "Er, uh... A-Ahem... Yes, I'm right over here."
"Good, about time." IF said. "We haven't been able to find you since beating up that monster. Thought you ran away."
"Wh-Wh-What?" Chika asked, shocked. "Me, r-run away? I would never..."
"She's got a point, Chika. Also, I was in here earlier and couldn't find you." Excel added. "I mean, you never leave this place. You practically live here."
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about..." Chika said defensively.
"Oh right." Red said, realizing something. "You said you'd tell us about the mascot once we got back. So how was it?"
"Did you guys ask about the mascot? Huh, I honestly forgot about that." Excel said. "Must have been too much dialogue. Or maybe been before I met you guys, I dunno."
"Ohhhhhhhh, right..." Chika said. "Well, we're investigating it right now, and...uh..."
"Wait, hold up, something ain't right here..." Excel said, realizing something was up.
"Huh? W-What are you babbling on about?" Chika asked.
"Do any of you believe this stuff?" Excel asked the group. "I mean, did she seriously trick all you guys before?"
"Ugh. I'm really ashamed of myself right now." IF said embarrassed.
"Wait, I got an idea. Sorta reverse psychology. Follow my lead." Excel declared. "Oh man, I really hope this impresses Nepgear..."
He walked up to Chika and addressed her.
"Oops, my mistake. I did meet with you a while back, didn't I, Chika?" Excel asked.
"Oh, what? Really?" Chika asked in response. "Man, I've been getting sick with amnesia or something..."
"I don't blame you, chief." Excel responded. "I mean, who'd wanna remember getting beaten up for trying to disrupt a 5pb concert?"
"Like hell I'd ever forget that!" Chika said angrily. "The embarrassment of getting pummeled by you brats was-"
"Aha! Caught you!" Excel exclaimed.
Realizing her cover had been blown, Chika, or should I say, Underling, gasped, knowing full-well her cover she was busted.
"Is that you, Miss Underling?" Compa asked.
"That's so amazing, Excel!" Nepgear said happily. "How did you break her down?"
"Thank you, Nepgear! I've always wanted to impress you!" Excel said cheerfully. "Also, I thought she wasn't Chika because of the stuff she was saying. And again, she allowed worship of Arfoire. I mean, I may be a bit of an idiot, but I'm not stupid."
"I failed to see through her..." IF lamented. "Good-bye, my hard-earned credentials."
"Dammit! You managed to see through my disguise!" Underling said, now with her normal voice, but retaining Chika's appearance. "But it proves that a lot of you are dumb as rocks!"
"If you are an impostor, then where is the real Chika? Answer me!" Cave demanded.
"Actually, that's a good point... Hey, you kidnapped my Oracle, you douchebag!" Excel whined.
"Like hell I'm answering you!" Underling retorted. "I got all I needed from this place, so I'm outta here. Later, idiots!"
"Wait!" Red shouted. But it was too little, too late, as Underling had escaped...again.
"We must give Chase." Cave declared. "I need to extract Chika's location from her, at all costs."
"Yeah! And I need my Oracle back!" Excel added.
"Yes. That too." Cave responded.
"Agreed! Get back here!" Nepgear said angrily, chasing after Underling along with the others.
Eventually, they tracked her down to a nearby dungeon. Underling, was seen panting, seemingly out of breath. She was also back in her normal form.
"So tired..." She said. "But I think I put enough distance between us, so..."
"WAIT!" Suddenly, Red's voice was heard calling out to her, getting Underling's attention.
"Whoa! That's the most persistent broad of the bunch..." Underling said. "I gotta find something useful, fast..."
The others all found their way to the dungeon, but Underling was nowhere to be seen.
"I don't see Underling. Where did she go, nyu?" Broccoli asked.
"This is a one-way path, so I doubt we would've missed her." IF said.
"Be careful!" Cave warned. "Something is over there."
Suddenly, a herd of dogoos appeared, ready to battle the party.
"What the goodness!? A herd of dogoos!?" Nepgear asked in shock.
"Look at all the Mister Dogoos..." Compa said. "They're on the floor, the walls, and even the dungeon's ceiling."
"Oh, great." IF lamented. "They aren't strong, but this many is going to be nothing but trouble."
"No way, man." Excel said in disagreement. "You said it yourself, they're pushovers. Plus, you got Nepgear on your team. She could take out a thousand dogoos at once." He continued, sucking up to Nepgear yet again.
"Uh-oh! They're coming right for us!" Red said worriedly as the dogoos approached the team.
"No, please stay back...!" Nepgear said fearfully, as the dogoos approached some more.
Eventually, the dogoos began attacking the girls. Excel was the only one who wasn't attacked, and yet he didn't bother to help out.
"Wh-What do these slimeballs think they're doi-" IF said, until the dogoos attacked her. "Yikes! Hey, don't crawl on those!"
"Icky, yucky, ewwy!" Compa whined. "They're so slimy and slippery... My cute outfit is covered in goo!"
"Ahahahaha! S-Stop tickling me!" Red laughed. "Hahahaha, that's for wifeys only!"
"I taste very sour. I don't recommend eating me, nyu." Broccoli said.
"Tch! Such perverse oppurtunists...!" Cave said. "I hate experiencing such levels of embarrassment in front of others..."
"This is so wrong, dude..." Excel said disgusted. "Good thing these slimy things aren't touching me. Must be only interested in girls."
"S-Stoppit, that's my ticklish spot!" Nepgear whined. "Huh...? N-No, bad dogoo! Don't you dare try to wiggle there!"
"Tch... Damn you all..." IF said angrily. "My dragon eye will doom you all back to oblivion!"
"Uh-oh." Compa said, noticing IF's anger. "Iffy just snapped back into her childhood delusions something fierce..."
"I...I said stop...!" Nepgear pleaded. "Please, I can't... I can't take this anymore..."
Thankfully, IF released all the other girls from the dogoos' clutches.
"Stop letting yourselves sound like perverts and help us kill these stupid things!" IF demanded.
"I think I'm not gonna hang back and let you girls deal with these. I've never fought before..." Excel admitted.
"Suit yourself. That just leaves more butt kicking for us." IF replied.
Following this, all the girls banded together to defeat the dogoos. After the battle ended, Nepgear panted to catch her breath.
"Goodness..." She said. "That was really, really embarrassing..."
"Yeah, seemed like it." Excel said. "But hey, at least you beat them all up with your awesome powers..."
"I am amazed at the convenience that comes with such a swarm." Cave said. "One could do whatever one pleases."
"Aw, nuts." Red lamented. "Underling must've gotten away by now."
"If she ran directly here, then this is probably a secret ASIC hideout, nyu." Broccoli said.
"Wait, are we still in Leanbox?" Excel asked. "Because if so, I don't think I like the fact they have a hideout in my own nation."
"Makes sense." IF replied to Broccoli's statement. "I'm not going home empty-handed after that nonsense. Let's head further in."
"Yeah, okay." Excel said. "Also, Nepgear was totally awesome in that fight."
"Hehe... T-Thank you." Nepgear giggled at the praise again, before changing her expression from embarrassed to worrysome and curious. "But why didn't you want to help us fight off the dogoos? I remember you saying before that you don't go out and fight alongside Vert. Why is that? You're a CPU. So don't you have a HDD form?"
"Honestly? No." Excel answered. "I mean, I do have a HDD form, but I've never fought before, is what I meant to say. And to be honest, I've never gone HDD before either. I know you and the others can transform and look so cute and awesome, but I'm kinda scared to do that stuff. So... Yeah."
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." Nepgear said sadly.
"Yeah..." Excel responded, also in a bit of a sad and ashamed tone, before soon after changing it into a positive, determined and enthusiastic tone. "Alright, let's go save Chika from wherever the heck that Underling lady took her, yeah?"
"Understood. Let's save Miss Chika!" Nepgear said, also in a determined tone.
After this, the 2 CPU Candidates rejoined the rest of Nepgear's group as they ventured deeper within the dungeon. Eventually, the group stopped once more, as Red noticed something in the distance.
"I spy someone trapped over there!" Red said, pointing to the direction she was facing. Excel and Cave both immediately knew who it was.
"That's Chika!" Excel and Cave said in unison. They both ran over to the Oracle to see if she was alright.
"Are you alright, Chika?" Cave asked.
"Oh... Mmm... Cave...?" Chika responded weakly.
"Chika!" Excel exclaimed, shedding tears of joy, proceeding to hug the Oracle tightly. "Oh thank the heavens!"
"Excel...?" She asked, still weakly.
"Pull yourself together, Excel." Cave said to Excel, who released the hug he had on Chika, before Cave changed her attention to the Oracle. "Come with me, Chika. I'll help you escape from here."
"No, don't worry about me..." Chika said weakly, and somewhat overdramatically. "The flame of life within me is about to be snuffed out..."
"Come on, Chika, don't be like that." Excel said, in a somewhat deadpan way.
"Yes... My only regret...is that I was unable to see my darling Vert before my untimely demise..." She continued, pretty much milking it now.
"Goodness, no! You can't die now!" Nepgear said worriedly.
"Don't worry, Nepgear!" Excel said to his hero. "Chika's just using her pretty convincing talent of BS-ing us right now. It's her greatest power."
"E-Excuse me!? How heartless!" Chika exclaimed offended. "I...I am your Oracle, and I really am on the verge of death here... Uh..."
She fake coughed to prove her point. No one was buying it.
"The verge of death? Really?" IF asked. "Doesn't look that way to me."
"Still, she must be very weak and malnourished." Compa said. "We should carry her out to someplace safe and sunny."
"I agree with that." Excel agreed. "As the acting CPU of Leanbox, I would like to have Chika taken back to the basilicom, pronto."
"There's no use, I'm telling you..." Chika acted again. "I can't move a single finger. Just leave me behind, and-"
"Enough already, or else we really will leave you here to die." Cave interrupted, possibly having enough of Chika's BS'ing.
"You can be such a party pooper, Cave." Chika responded, finally stopping the charade.
The group returned to the basilicom, where Chika addressed the group
"Sorry about making a scene earlier." Chika said, as she properly introduced herself to the rest of the girls, while Excel stood next to her. "I'm Chika Hakozaki, the Oracle of Leanbox. And don't you forget it!"
"Yeah, seriously, don't forget it." Excel said. "She is the Oracle of this place, so she's kind of a big deal."
"Her personality did a 180." IF said in response to Chika's introduction.
"Please ignore it." Cave said in response. "This is just...who she is."
Excel nodded in agreement with Cave's comment. Nepgear then addressed Chika.
"Miss Chika, were you the one who called me here, or was it the fake's doing?" Nepgear asked.
"It was me." Chika confessed. "Excel told me a CPU was gathering shares, and we thought it would benefit us to bring you here. And admittedly, he wouldn't stop asking me until I actually did it."
Her expression then quickly turned serious.
"But more importantly, you know my darling Vert, right?" Chika asked. "Where is she? What happened? Come on! Speak!"
"Uh, um... C-Could you please try to calm down a little?" Nepgear asked nervously. "You're acting a bit creepy..."
"Never mind how YOU feel!" Chika responded angrily. "Are you withholding information because you want something from me!?"
"G-Goodness..." Nepgear said, still nervously.
"Chill out, Chika! I know where Vert is!" Excel said, doing his best to calm Chika down. "Big sis is still in the Gamindustri Graveyard with the other CPUs!"
"Yes. That's why we're looking for the Mascots." Nepgear explained. "We need their help to save the captive CPUs."
"Don't worry, Nepgear! We'll do you proud!" Excel said excitedly. "Chika here knows where the Leanbox Mascot is. Don't you, Chika?"
"Do you doubt my breadth of knowledge and expertise?" She asked to Excel, before answering Nepgear. "Of course I...used to...know where it was."
"Did you forget?" Compa asked.
"Well, right before I was caught by that repulsive ASIC crew, the Mascot was also taken captive." Chika explained.
"Okay, I swear I didn't know about that at all." Excel said defensively, hoping that Nepgear wouldn't be disappointed with him, even though he did nothing wrong. "I don't even know where the Mascot is."
"Do you think they already destroyed it then?" Red asked. "Like they did back in Lowee?"
"All Nepgear needs is a fragment for it to be repaired, nyu." Broccoli said.
"No, that seems unlikely." Chika disagreed. "Had it been destroyed, we would have seen significant changes around here."
"We would've?" Excel asked. "Like what? We wouldn't been overrun with dogoos, would we?"
"Eek! P-Please don't say dogoos!" Nepgear whimpered, still remembering the horrors of being attacked by dogoos earlier.
"Sorry. Nepgear!" Excel said worriedly. "Please don't hate me!"
"Why would they hold off on destroying it?" Compa asked Chika.
"What am I, a mind reader?" Chika asked sarcastically.
"Kinda." Excel answered, also sarcastically.
"Quiet, Excel. Don't you be a party pooper too." Chika pouted. "Anyway, with how scattered ASIC's priorities are, it's hard to guess their actions. All I can sense is that they have not destroyed it yet. Meaning, we have a chance to recover it."
"Alright! We got a game plan!" Excel said happily.
"That's the best news we've heard in a while..." Nepgear added. "We have to find it, and quick."
"First, we need to find some leads." IF added. "Specifically, we need to find Underling and beat some leads out of her."
"Man, you girls are violent..." Excel said.
"If she is as fishy as you describe, then she will surely stand out." Cave said. "I will gather the information needed to locate her."
"But won't you need any help?" Nepgear asked.
"My thanks, but I will not require assistance." Cave said. "I will inform you as soon as I obtain her whereabouts."
She left, leaving everyone else alone in the basilicom.
"Are you sure she's gonna be alright?" Nepgear asked worriedly.
"Oh yeah, definitely." Excel said assuringly. "I mean, Cave's a badass special agent. She can take care of herself. Of course, she's nowehre near as badass as you, Nepgear. But she's still pretty badass."
"And yet, she failed to catch Underling back at the concert." IF said.
"We don't talk about that." Excel said. He then turned his attention towards Nepgear, with an excited smile on his face. "Oh yeah, by the way, are you and your buddies staying here, Nepgear?"
"Oh, goodness..." Nepgear said embarrassed. "I couldn't possibly do that. I'm not sure if the basilicom will be able to fit five people."
"No way! Anything for you!" Excel said reassuringly. "Besides, ever since Vert disappeared, Chika's been sleeping in her room ever since."
"Only I am worthy of sleeping in the bed of my darling Vert!" Chika said angrily.
"Yeah... So, since her room's free, you can sleep in Chika's room if you want." Excel offered.
"Are you sure Miss Chika will allow that?" Compa asked.
"Sure." Excel said. "I mean, if she's gonna be sleeping in Vert's room, her own room is free. It's practically a guest room.
"Okay!" Nepgear said cheerfully, before happily hugging Excel, extrememely grateful for being helped by him, and also for being allowed to stay here. This clearly made him very happy, even though she didn't know it. "Thank you, Excel!"
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Excel said excitedly, fanboying internally on the inside. Eventually, Nepgear released the hug.
"Goodness... Are you okay?" Nepgear said, once again in a worried tone. "Your face is flushed."
"Hehe... Sorry." Excel said awkwardly. "It's just, I've never been hugged by any of my heroes before. Well, except for Vert, but she's also my sister, so I guess there's a difference there."
"Okay, I understand..." Nepgear said. "Anyway, thanks for letting us stay here."
"Don't mention it." Excel said happily. "It was an honor working with you, Nepgear. I'll take these lessons on board. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go to sleep. Chika will take care of everything. Goodnight, Nepgear!"
"Goodnight!" Nepgear said politely towards her fanboy as he left.
With that, Excel went upstairs to go to bed, ready to start tomorrow's adeventure with Nepgear and the others.
Alright. Next part will involve Excel meeting the other 3 candidates. Thanks to discussions with a friend on Discord, I have a funny idea for Uni and Ram's intitial opinions for Excel. It'll be a surprise until the part is actually uploaded.