All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this piece of fiction except my OCs and the story itself.
SPRINT!
Underling ran with an uncooperative yet placated Rom as they would have entered the Lowee Global Expo.
The facility appeared to be a frozen factory of sorts, with ice covering most of the machinery, including the floor. The temperature was just as cold, if not colder than the outside as ice formations could be seen within the giant building, ranging from stalactites and stalagmites made from ice.
Snow occupied the edges of walkways and monsters roamed about the confines of the frostbitten factory. And obviously, they all had a colorful ice theme that seemed kid-friendly on the surface.
Underling quickly stopped as the group had lost sight of them. She panted to get back her breath as she stagnated.
"...Ok, I should be safe here..." The green-haired side villain panted as she told herself as Rom began to squirm and sniffle as she was still in a bad mood about being kidnapped.
Rom silently cried as she took in the situation she was currently in.
Underling quickly became annoyed at the constant sounds of grief that Rom made up to that point in fleeing from the group of goody two shoe girls, so she turned to her before snapping.
"Ugh, shut up and stop your crying, brat! Damnit! I need to ditch this deadweight damsel!'' Underling thought as she tried to find somewhere to dispose of Rom after shutting her up.
FOOTSTEPS...!
But she had her train of thought interrupted by Nisa.
"Halt!" The heroine defiantly yelled.
"Already?! Come on!" Underling complained.
"If you let that kid go, you can walk away unharmed." IF attempted to negotiate with the green-haired grunt.
"No way! This kid's my ticket out of here! Unless you want to fight when I've got a little kid-sized human shield?" Underling taunted, knowing that the group wouldn't stoop to her level.
"Um... We, uh..." Nepgear faltered.
"How will the heroines solve this conundrum?" Nisa asked the group, the reader, and herself all at the same time.
How self-aware.
...
...
...
"I don't think we thought that far ahead," Compa told the others.
"..." IF remained silent.
"..." Underling stayed silent.
"..." Nepgear kept quiet.
...
...
...
The silence was only be broken by Rom as she pleaded for help.
"P-Please help me...!" Rom stuttered as she sobbed for help.
"Hahahahaha! What a bunch of idiots! Waltzing in here without a plan! Give me a break already!" Underling cackled as she realized the failure on the heroines' part. "For me though, I think I packed one... Yeah, come on out!"
SUMMON!
She shouted as she threw another monster disc onto the floor. A decent-level monster scaled to the girls' power would be released.
"That's your opponent for the day. Just remember which one of us has the upper hand this time!" Underling gloated before laughing some more.
"What the goodness should we do! This looks really bad, doesn't it?!" Nepgear panicked as she was no closer to saving the little girl that Underling had hostage.
"Yeah. I can't believe I ran in there without thinking of a plan. What an amateur move." IF berated herself as she ran right into a sticky situation.
Rookie moves at important places. Tsk tsk tsk.
"We can't fight Miss Underling if she has Miss Hostage, can we? Should we just run away?" Compa wondered as no other options seemed viable at the moment.
"Unacceptable! If we escape, we can't dave this citizen from evil's clutches!" Nisa protested as she stayed put.
Underling just laughed as she continued to gloat.
"This situation is such a joke! I'll be the one you hear laughing as life fades from your bodies!" Underling predicted with assurance as she got ready to sick her monster on the girls.
But a piercing voice that belonged to only Ram would interrupt that notion.
CRASH!
"Let Rom go, NOW!" The twin roared in a different form as she crashed through the ceiling.
"From above?!" Underling asked as she looked up just in time, to get clobbered by the CPU Candidate's staff.
SLAM!
"Blaaaaaaargh!" Underling cried out.
WHISTLE!
IMPACT!
"Yelp!" The monster would yelp before dying.
PIXELATE!
She was slammed into her monster as the sheer force that she was tossed would make the monster pixelate on contact with Underling, breaking the ASIC grunt's catapult at the cost of it's life.
"Rom?! Are you ok?" Ram, who had pink hair that went to her shoulders as a lock went over her shoulder and had some now cyan irises with the white power symbols, donned a white bodysuit with pink accents as a one-piece with a section in her midriff that showed her stomach in a tinted window fabric.
Her gloves reached to her upper arms with the same white and pink fashion as her shoulders were exposed. Her legs were also be covered by some futuristic boots that went up to her thighs as they followed the same color palette and design, with the bottom heels being pink. She had a serious expression as she would be facing her now freed sister.
"Ram! Raaaaaaam!!!" Rom cried in relief after seeing her sister.
"No freaking way, another CPU?!" Underling was taken aback by the presence of yet another goddess.
She might have PTSD from all these deities coming up to her to harm-
"How dare you take Rom and make her play hostage and make her cry! You'll pay, dummy!" Rom accused loudly as she then turned to her sister.
"You transform into HDD too, Rom! Let's beat this jerk all the way to last week!" Rom encouraged her twin sister as she nodded.
"Uh-huh..."
TRANSFORM!
PILLAR!
Rom sniffled before she was enveloped in the same white light all CPUs were as they transformed. When she emerged, her appearance would be a mirror to Ram's, except for her hair being light blue and her irises being pink with the signature glowing power symbols.
Underling, now feeling overwhelmed as she once again had the short end of the stick when it came to luck.
"What in the holy crap!? TWO CPUs?! This is not my day!" She grumbled angrily.
"When is it your day, Miss Underling?" Compa asked.
"Shaddup!'' Was the simple response.
"It appears vigilant justice prevails!" Nisa nodded in acceptance and relief as she was elated for the CPU Candidates' appearance.
"Those must be the CPU Candidates of Lowee." Nepgear identified the obvious.
"Nothing's holding us back now. Let's show Underling who's boss!" IF rallied as they went for the attack.
FLY!
The battle would start with Ram continuing her assault on Underling.
SWING!-
CLANG!
She closed the small gap as the CPU Candidate whacked the grunt who barely parried the blow with her pipe.
DENT!
Underling slid from the force of the attack as her pipe gained a small dent.
GUST!
ROLL!
She soon stopped her sliding as she had had to roll out of the way to dodge a wind spell from Rom.
"Whoa!"
Underling dodged, only to be struck by Nepgear, who delivered five high-speed slashes as she was caught in the attack.
"Haaa!"
SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE!
The Candidate yelled before executing her attacks.
TUMBLE...!
"Damn it!" Underling yelled as she took damage.
CLANG!
CLING!
She was then knocked away as she tumbled, only to get up and barely swing her pipe in time to connect with IF's Qatars.
THWACK!
Underling was given no rest, as she then contended with IF as she and the Guild Agent clashed with their weapons. Underling blocked a swipe and a follow-up, to smack IF right across the face.
"Oof!" IF grunted in pain as hot pain was blasted across her jaw.
SMACK!
"Iffy!" Compa yelled as she ran up to Underling and slapped the ASIC grunt. (Yes, that is an actual attack.)
"Ow! What the hell?!" Underling asked as her head would snap to the right as pain spread over her face.
bonk.mp3!
She then turned back and bonked the nurse on the head with her weapon.
"Owie!"
Compa held her head as she was wide open for another attack from the green-haired grunt.
SLASH!
But before Underling was able to do so, she was hit by the blades that belonged to the heroine of justice herself.
SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE SLICESLICESLICESLICESLICESLICE!!!
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" Nisa roared a meme format unknowingly as she followed up with her attacks as she sliced and diced with speed and flow, staggering the grunt as she was caught off guard by the torrent of slashes.
"Ice Coffin!"
FREEZE!
They all caused Underling to stumble back as she was hit by the many slashes and was knocked back to Ram, who used one of her skills.
SHATTER!...
Underling was then flashing frozen as her entire body was coated from head to toe in ice. The ice soon cracked and shattered, as Underling was launched into the air from the attack.
"Aaaah!" Underling cried out as she was blasted into the air.
"Slash Wave!"
WAVE!
BOOM!!!
Nepgear followed suit as she jumped high enough to match her altitude before firing a Slash Wave downwards towards Underling.
Nepgear yelled out as she sent the wave of energy that would hit a sprawling Underling.
"Ice Coffin!"
FREEZE!
Underling wouldn't even have time to scream in pain as she was soon encapsulated in Ice once again by an Ice Coffin from Rom.
Rom cast the spell once again, this time with some more confidence as she was trapped underling in some ice.
"La Delphinus!"
PILLAR!
And to add some more spice, IF would have recovered and would have used her skill as well.
Underling was released from the coffin as the temperature would be changed from subzero to piping hot.
"DAAAAMIT!!!" Underling yelled out as she was damaged even further.
The battle raged on for a few more words because at this point, Underling's goose was cooked.
The result consisted of a combined attack from Rom and Ram as they would stand side by side.
"Let's have fun, Rom!" Ram said as her sister would nod in compliance.
"Uh-huh! We'll play together!" Rom responded as they would get ready.
Rom would then turn to Ram and... Kiss her on the forehead?!
0_o. Dafuq-
MAGIC CIRCLE!
Ram was then engulfed in energy as she summoned a magic circle with her staff as she winded it back.
ZOOM!
"You're in our way, dummy! Bye-bye now!" Ram bid farewell with a happy yet determined look as she released the magic that was built up within the circle as a pink ball with magic circles on every side flew towards a damaged Underling.
Underling was too injured to move as her eyes widened. She only had time to put her pipe up defensively as the circle made contact.
EXPLOSION!!!
RUMBLE!
The explosion rocked the expo as a big cloud that resembled a mushroom cloud appeared as Underling was blasted through the wall and out of the battle as she was effectively too damaged to recover.
CRASH THROUGH!
"Why you brats! I'll get you next tiiiiiiiime...!!! I can't believe I'm blasting off again!..." She screamed as she was blasted away, the wall having her image carved from her departure.
...
The fight ended as the two cheered and high five as they had won.
"Oh yeah, we're the best!" Ram cheered.
"The bestest...!" Rom agreed wholesomely. Compa was next to speak.
"Everyone's done, it seems." The Nurse-In-Training noticed.
"Wow, that was incredibly cool. CPU twins, a dohble-dose of divine righteousness!" The superheroine smiled.
"Wait, who are these people?" Ram asked.
"They... Tried to help me..." Rom explained, Ram's interpretation was rather harsh as a result.
"Oh, really? But they sucked at it, didn't they? Bug fat failures, huh?'' Ram critiqued, coming off as insulting.
"Hard to argue with the pure logic of a kid." IF remarked with a tired tone as she closed her eyes.
"Excuse me, but are you two the CPU Candidates of Lowee?" Nepgear outright asked. As if their power symbols in their eyes weren't proof enough.
"Yep! I'm Ram, and this is Rom. We're the CPU's awesome twin sisters!" Ram introduced the group to her and Rom.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh!" Rom nodded.
"I'm so happy we ran into each other. I'm Nepgear! Um, I'm a CPU Candidate too. My sister is Neptune, and..." Nepgear went to explain the reason why she was here but would be interrupted by Ram.
"Neptune? She was from... Uhm..." Ram struggled to remember.
"Planeptune." Rom helped her sibling.
"Oh, I knew that! That means you're a Planeptune CPU!" Ram brushed off.
"I'm trying to save all our sisters, and so..." Nepgear continued.
"That also means you're my enemy!" Ram jumped to conclusions like an athlete with an aggressive look.
"Enemy, enemy!" Rom chanted with her sister on the bandwagon. Nepgear had the comical rings in her eyes as she would begin to sweat comically as well, trying to clear up the situation.
"Huh?! N-No, not at all! Why am I your enemy?" The CPU Candidate asked, concerned.
"You're a CPU from really far away, so you must've come here to take away all our shares!" Ram assumed as she looked at Nepgear with some nerve.
"Some CPUs do that... I read it... In a book!" Rom justified her sister's assumptions with some factual evidence. Can't even make the argument of illegitimate info like the internet.
Nepgear was now trying her hardest to convince the children that she was not trying to do what they thought she would. Too bad it fell on deaf ears.
"No, no. I'd never do that. Please, just listen to--" Nepgear was interrupted yet again.
"I'm gonna go all out, you dummy!" Ram shouted as she got ready to fight.
"Wait, no!" Nepgear screamed in hesitation as she would not be compliant with fighting her potential allies.
BOOM!!!
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
But just as Ram began to dash to Nepgear, the ceiling would be crashed from above as three figures broke through.
"What now?!" IF asked, surprised.
"Eek!" Compa reacted.
"Huh?!" Nepgear asked as she looked up.
"What the blazes!!" Nisa gasped as she looked up.
"Eep!" Rom responded, startled.
"What the...?!" Ram held back the last part, as her sister told her not to say those type of words.
LAND!...
Their reactions were different yet relevant as the ceiling would come down a second time as the three figures landed on the ground.
The snowy mist covered them as the girls looked to see who the newcomers were.
The scene cleared itself up as it would be revealed to be Brave Heart, Edge Heart, and AL in Burning Fever as they stood there.
"So these were the ladies you were referring to. They're... Interesting to say the least." The god responded as he scanned their appearances with his eyes.
His power symbol pupils.
"Yep. I know all of them except for those two tykes over there. If I had to make a bet, I'd say that those were the CPU Candidates of Lowee." The blue-clad god guestimated.
"It looks like we interrupted a skirmish." AL pointed out with his finger as he raised a brow.
"Who the heck are these guys?!" Ram asked as she was surprised and confused.
"Nebula?! AL?!" Nepgear called out, surprised.
"And... er..." She faltered at Edge Heart. She was slightly surprised to see that he had power signals in his eyes, which meant he was a CPU as well.
Where were all these pretty boy gods coming from?!
"Who is that scary man?" Compa asked, her initial shock still present. The contrast to the two members was stark in Compa's perspective as he stood there, neutral and calculative.
"I am Edge Heart. We haven't met before, but there are more pressing matters to deal with than meager introductions." The god stated his epithet in his regal and masculine voice as he stood tall.
"How serious," Nisa commented.
"Edge Heart... Wait, you're a CPU?" Nepgear questioned.
She thought for some contrived reason that he was a CPU Candidate, but the 'Heart' title proved that he was his deity, akin to Nebula and her sister.
"Correct." The god responded. "I'm fond of intellectuals." He commented.
"Not one, but two CPU gods?!'' IF asked. "Where do these guys keep popping up from? Some kind of CPU bargain sale?" She incredulously theorized.
"What if I told you that you're not that far off the ball.'' AL turned his flaming head. "I'd believe that, to be honest."
"But then that means that Neb-Neb's not the only CPU that's a boy anymore..!" Compa pointed out.
"I'm afraid I'm not, Comps. I have to share my godly limelight with him now. Better than me being a lone god Gary Stu power fantasy, anyway." The blue god shrugged, content with others like him.
"And who... Are those two..?" Rom asked as she looked to Brave Heart and AL.
"I'm Brave Heart, neighborhood meme-, and this is my scorching friend AL!" He introduced with some life as AL deadpanned at the god.
"Ha ha," AL responded as he gave a fake laugh to the terrible pun.
"Well, we're in the middle of something here! Go somewhere else!" Ram shooed.
"Shoo!" Rom echoed.
"If it involves my friends, it involves me, little girls." Brave notified as he cracked his knuckles.
"And when it involves me, it involves me punching people. And these are rated E for everyone." Brave Heart finished as he put up his fists.
Edge Heart and AL were looking at him with some wary faces.
"Uhm, do you understand what you are implying, Nebula? You are plotting to fight children." Edge Heart explained.
"I know." Brave Heart answered with a neutral face.
"And you're ok with it?!" AL asked.
"E is for everyone, AL. Weren't you listening?" Brave Heart reminded his friend.
"Children. You are going to assault prepubescent girls." Edge Heart deadpanned, trying to seek reason within the god's mindset.
"We literally walked in on them about to assault my friends. If they can't take the heat, they have to get out of the kitchen. Screw the social ramifications of my actions. Once it's for the better of me, my friends, and the world in the grand scheme of things, then that's all there is to it." Brave Heart said as he faced the Lowee CPU Candidates.
"True, but still they can't be that strong-!" AL tried to rationalize.
"They're CPU Candidates, AL. And even so, that is why I say some discipline is in order. Entertainment and education. What more could you want in a kid-friendly place?..." Edge Heart agreed with Brave Heart as he didn't feel like arguing anymore.
"I can't believe this." AL shook his head as he sighed.
"Well, we're not gonna go down so easy, you dummies!" Ram shouted at the newly arrived males.
"The two of us will beat you all black and blue!" She unknowingly punned based on the color scheme of the gods, which got AL to laugh.
"Ok, maybe a bit of discipline is necessary. If she has the audacity to talk that crazy, that is." Some of his apprehensive nature melted after hearing the line.
This only angered Ram as a result.
"Be quiet!" She fumed.
"We'll defeat you...!" Rom told the trio, and by extension with the same determined look.
FLOAT!...
ZOOM!
The male CPUs flew over to the heroines as AL dashed in a flurry of flames, becoming a fiery line before slowing down and becoming visible again.
The three reappeared within the ranks of the girls, their positions being the vanguard next to Nepgear for Brave Heart, the center by IF and Compa for Edge Heart, and the flank next to Nisa for AL.
"I'll beat you in a single attack. And as a bonus, I'll even let you go first." Brave Heart pointed to himself, before pointing to the two of them as he let his hands fall as he shrugged with a smug look.
"Don't underestimate us just because we're small!" Ram shouted at the god, heated.
"Yeah!" Rom said with some fire in her eyes.
"Are you crazy?! You're just gonna downplay them like that? And why don't you just try to reason with them like Nepgear?" IF asked, flabbergasted.
"They're not to be taken lightly, Nebula. They showed their skills quite well against Underling." Nepgear warned.
"Underling is the benchmark for CPUs, NepG. If you can't beat her, you're lacking severely." Brave Heart bluntly admitted, which got Edge Heart to cup his chin in thought.
He then saw the hole in the wall that showed her outline, taking in that they were above baseline.
"And besides, IF. The only way to defeat super-powered children is by beating them at their own game. They won't respect you if you lose, but also won't like you if you win. The only way is through sheer undeniable victory, so they'll dislike you out of begrudging respect that they can, in fact, do nothing else but that. Kind of sad when you think about it." The blue CPU explained as AL turned his head in confusion.
"What? That doesn't even make any-" IF was cut off.
"Sounds about right." Nisa agreed with the statement about beating Underling, with how she was manhandled every time she fought the group.
AL looked down as he just accepted the fact that he was about to witness two kids get finessed out of their wits.
"But still, Neb-Neb! You should do your best and not hold back...! Let us help you!" Compa tried to persuade.
"Comps, it'll be fine. Besides, I need to get these muscles in action for their daily exercise." The god reasoned he rolled his shoulder as he stepped forward. He activated his Repulsion barrier as he stepped forward.
"Baronic Barrier!"
BARRIER!...
He muttered below his breath, almost going unheard as the edgy CPU and Nepgear were able to pick up his words as they shifted their gaze to him.
'I'll do it just to be safe. Riling them up should make them sloppy, but you never know when they might luck out. I'm called Brave Heart, not Stupid Vital Organ.' Brave Heart thought to himself with a serious expression before returning to his jokester snigger.
"Well then." He said as he stopped walking forward. He then gestured with a 'come hither' of two fingers as he stopped. "You said you didn't wanna be underestimated? Well now's your chance!" He said with some flair at the end to get them hyped.
"Come on, Rom! Let's show this guy what we're made of!" Ram said as her sister nodded.
"Uh-huh!"
FLY!
FLY!
She responded as they quickly flew towards the god.
FLAME!
GUST!
They launched combinations of fire and wind spells right at Brave Heart for starters as they opened up with something simple for the start of the battle.
MIX!
FWOOSH!
But Brave Heart simply stood there as the attacks connected. The fire aspect was strengthened by the wind as a torrent of flame crashed onto the god. in a bright explosion.
"Nebula!" The party of canon- I mean, girls yelled.
"Oh, relax," AL said as he looked on. "He's gonna be fine."
"He just got spit-roasted!'' IF pointed out.
"Did he now?" Edge Heart asked again, as the smoke cleared up, showing a perfectly stationary and unharmed Brave Heart.
"Chop chop, girlies. Time's a wasting." The god reminded as he looked at his nonexistent watch.
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM BOOM!!!
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!
RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE!...
His response was being pelted with a flurry of fire and wind spells by Rom and Ram.
The explosions would be rapid and combustive as Brave Heart formed the façade of blocking as he increased increase the intensity of his repulsion shield as the explosions became multiplicative as the resulting explosion actually shook the ground from the energy output.
'Their SP pool is large for their age, that's for sure...Even if they are CPU Candidates!' Brave Heart thought as he blocked.
CLEAR...!
The smoke cleared as he would be standing there, with an even wider grin as his eyes practically screamed at the twins: 'IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!-'
"Grrr...! Come on Rom, let's chill this guy out!" Ram commanded as her sister nodded.
They then used SP Skill which was a combined effort.
"Ice Coffin!"
FREEZE!!!
The duo would yell as they encased Brave Heart within the large ice structure. His face was still the same trollish grin as his eyes were staring right at the goddesses.
"Woah...!" AL reacted in a surprised fashionas witnessed the size of the icicle.
"It's so... Big!" Nepgear said, not knowing how AL could twist that sentence as a smile formed on his face.
But he didn't.
Because IF would probably nag him about it as she gave him the stink eye, prompting him to remain silent.
"And pretty!" Compa remarked as she admired the structure. She shook her head as she remembered one of her friends was in the thing.
"That est what she uttered." Edge Heart coughed into his fist before AL had to hold in a laugh as IF gave him a very suspicious glance before focusing on the fight.
"The twin goddesses really know how to use magic, wouldn't you say?" Nisa observed.
"Indeed. My word." Edge Heart commented, moving past his concealed attempt of humor as he looked at the area it took up.
"Is it usually this big?" Compa asked one of the ladies.
"That'swhatshesaid."
FIST BUMP!
AL could resist no longer as he said it with a stifled smile. Edge Heart gave him a fist bump as AL was teetering on exploding with laughter
This caused IF to look at him with a deadpan as he looked away, before breaking into a chuckle. The others just looked downright confused.
"I don't get it," Nepgear told the Guild Agent, confused.
"Me neither." Compa and Nisa admitted as well in between the conversation. IF then waved it away before telling them not to focus on it.
She turned to Edge Heart.
"I wouldn't know. But I'd since the both of them are using the attack in sync, it would grow to be this big as a result of their attacks being combined." IF told the listening god.
AL opened his mouth for another 'she said' joke, but a stern glare from IF would let him know that pain would ensue if he followed through.
Man. No rest for the shitposter.
"Now for the finisher!"
CRACK...!
...
CRACK!...
Ram yelled out as she and Rom cast another spell that made the icicle crack.
CRACK!
CRACK!..
CRACK!!
CRACK..!
The icicle was slow to crack as it was the size of a house, but it did its work as the cracks would race closer and closer to Brave Heart's position.
Brave Heart was unmoving as the cracks neared him. But it wasn't because he was flash-frozen like Underling.
His gravity shield had actually managed to shield the attack completely, the most happening to him was feeling a chilling temperature around him as he stood in place, completely unaffected. Mostly unaffected.
That shit was cold, fam-.
'It seemed cooler from the outside in. Now the only problem I have is ice-olation. Wow, that was shit, even for me.' Brave facepalmed internally as he stayed still.
EXPAND!
SHATTER!
BOOM!
The cracks were mere centimeters away when he expanded his shield, pushing it away as the icicle was shattered from the interior.
Everyone sans Edge Heart since he was too badass (edgy), shielded themselves as the icicle was broken. Especially concerned about the spell breaking were Rom and Ram since they conjured the spell.
"What happened, Rom?!" She asked her sister for an explanation as she looked at the icy mist that had formed.
"I dunno, Ram!" Rom responded as she peered through the ice.
And the heroes would be looking through the icy mist as well, to see if anything could be made out.
"Has our friend fallen from the attack?" Nisa dramatically asked the group.
"It would be highly interesting if he did." Edge Heart would be the one to respond.
"That was morbidly curious for you." IF raised a brow at the new CPU God.
KILLING INTENT!
AL was about to tell IF that he was the assassin that tried to kill Nebula when he shut his trap at the killing intent sent his way.
'Meep!' The martial artist internally reeled.
The mist cleared as a distinct sound could be heard.
HOP!
HOP!
HOP!
HOP!
The hopping belonged to a sidestepping Brave Heart, as he shifted from one foot to the other as he shuffled in a boxing manner.
"That's it, kiddies? And here I thought that the frost would bite. Guess that attack was like a pine tree. All bark." He punned mercilessly as he cracked his elbows.
"He's punning aggressively!" Edge Heart diligently observed. "A sure sign that he is indeed, alive." The god recomposed himself, albeit slightly worn from the puns.
"Neb-Neb!" Compa cheered in delight as the god survived.
"Wow. He took an attack like that without a scratch...?" Nepgear questioned with interest. She then questioned how much stronger the CPU really was than what he was letting on if he effortlessly shrugged off an attack like that.
"He's still standing?" Ram couldn't believe it, her exasperated voice a testament to the fact.
"Come on, it was literally one attack." Brave Heart stopped shuffling from foot to foot as he deadpanned.
"Wuh..?" Rom was confused as a cute sound escaped her.
The contending god then sighed.
Ah, kids.
"It's time for a lesson." Nebula said as his face would turn from joking to serious.
"A lesson?" Rom would ask.
"What are you talking about, dummy!" Ram was getting irritated with how Brave Heart took the battle casually and treated them like the 9 to 10-year-olds they most likely were.
They wouldn't be able to say anything more as they were suddenly raised into the air after Brave Heart stretched out his arms and tensed his hands as they raised, them raising along with the appendages. The two were then suspended in the air as they looked at the god with different expressions.
Rom for one, was surprised and not expecting to be lifted, so she was rather startled and unsure of what to do in the situation.
"Uwoah!" Rom shouted as she became suspended in the air as she tried to struggle.
Ram, on the other hand squirmed as if her life depended on it (Which she thought it did, to be honest), and demanded that Brave Heart let her and Rom down as she struggled.
"Let us down, you big dummy!" Ram screamed as she furiously wiggled to no avail.
"Put some respeck on my name! And besides, is dummy the only word you have in your vocabulary?" Brave Heart asked in a mocking tone with a raised brow.
"I know some others, but Blanc and Mina won't let me say them!" Ram explained as she fidgeted in the air.
"Well then, I'll teach you some manners since you run that mouth of yours so much!" Brave Heart snarked as he twirled his index finger, which caused Ram to spin in a circle at hig speeds.
SPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPIN SPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPIN SPINSPIN!!!!!...
"Dizzy Discipline!" The god trollishly yelled as he twirled the CPU Candidate at a high speed.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Ram squealed as she rotated incredibly quickly.
"Ram!" Rom called to her twin sister.
Brave Heart would then turn his attention to her as she then made a terrified "Meep!" sounds as the god would turn to her.
"And you! Always following your sister, even with her stupidity!" He went in on Rom as he then took his other hand as the others would gasp.
"What medieval torture is he going to do with that hand!" Nisa asked in suspense and fright for the (mostly) innocent Rom.
"C'mon man, she didn't even do much!" AL tried to save the girl from her fate, but Brave Heart was determined.
"That might be true, but because she was going to attack my friends also, she has to bite the bullet, also. And the fact that if I hone in on Ram alone, it could be seen as unfair even if she's cute as all living hell. Sorry, kiddo."
VIBRATE!!!!!!
R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-REVERB!!!!!!
Even Brave Heart felt a little remorse for what he was about to do as he then shifted his hand from side to side at incredible speed as Rom began to shake intensely as she had her voice reverberating as she spoke.
"U-w-w-w-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-h-h-h!!!!!!" Rom yelled in fright as she was literally shaken up.
"Vindictive Vibration!"
"You are coming up with this on a whim, aren't you?" Edge Heart sweatdropped after hearing the comical yet impressive names.
"You bet!" Brave Heart shouted back as the girls shrieked at the receiving end of the punishment.
"That one can be taken out of context, so don't use it too much, dude." AL sweat dropped alongside the Laststion born deity as the CPU silently nodded.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! I'm gonna raaaaalph! "Ram cried out as she would be spinning for a solid 2 minutes.
"P-P-P-l-e-a-s-e-s-t-o-p-h-u-r-t-i-n-g-us-!!!" Rom said in between shakes as she would begin to tear up.
"What? How am I even hurting you guys, your health bar is practically full. You buggin." The god tsked as he kept up the heat.
"Just stop, already! We can't talk to them if they're too disoriented to speak, Nebula!" Nepgear desperately asked her fellow CPU to cease his disciplinary action as he contemplated.
"Hm... Err... Alright." Nebula gave in as he ceased all movement from his hands, which caused the girls to remain stationary within the air.
"Now, are you sorry for attacking my friends?" Brave Heart raised with an expecting gaze.
Rom was sniffling again, but now for an entirely different reason as Ram began to look a little green as she was sweating from the urge to hold down her lunch with her eyes becoming wet.
"...Let us down...!" The blue-haired candidate was on the verge of tears.
"N-No w-way, you dummies! We'll get y-you for m-making R-Rom cry!" Ram stuttered as she was still dizzy and still had some fight in her left.
But Brave Heart quickly curb-stomped that dumpster truck of hopes.
"What's that? You guys wanna go again?! I thought for sure you'd have enough the first time, but..." He lead on with mock disappointment.
"W-Wait! Ok, ok! W-We really are sorry!" Ram admitted.
"Sorry, Mister Brave Heart..." Rom apologized.
"Good deity children. Now I'm going to put you down." He turned to the group. "Compa, Edge Heart. Mind taking care of these kids. Leaving them to go by themselves would be child abuse at this point." He finally said with definitive remorse.
"Like the last two minutes weren't already sauntering onto that territory-" The best friend smartly commented.
"AL." Brave Heart interrupt.
"What, Nebula!?" AL asked, irked.
"Shut." Brave Heart warned.
"... What...?" AL questioned, confused and concerned, along with the miffed faces of the group adding extra confusion support.
FLOAT!
FLOAT!
"Exactly. Now shut up before your whining draws out CPS." He looked back to the two floating children as he would lower the girls slowly.
They were let down as Compa would tend to a queasy Ram, and Edge Heart to a shaken Rom.
"Drink some water, Ram. It'll help." The Nurse-In-Training handed the child a bottle of water from her purse. Ram drank the water as her nausea slowly started to leave her.
.
Brave Heart questioned the physics and biology in that but promptly moved on as CPUs most likely worked differently to humans.
Edge Heart said nothing as he would sigh and heal the shaken Rom. Well, there was nothing really to heal other than the mental effect that was placed upon Rom from that experience, but he left her physically how she was before the entire ordeal, while still knowing what punishment was doled out to her.
HEAL...!
REVERT!
REVERT!
They then reverted back as they lost all their energy enduring Brave Heart's tor- disciplining them.
The twins were now in their human forms as they would no longer be able to fly away as they had originally thought, their SP sapped.
"We're not transformed anymore?!" Ram said as she finished drinking the water.
"Uh oh..." Rom voiced their thoughts as she realized the situation they were in.
"All that punishment you girls had to go through must have basically drained all of your powers away." AL deduced.
"My, the twins have reverted! How quaint. Nisa commented as her demeanor became taken aback.
"It was a somewhat better alternative to fighting them," Nepgear remarked.
"I guess you're right. We have to head back to the Oracle, still." IF reminded the group.
"The Oracle? You mean Mina?" Ram asked.
"Mina..." Rom clarified with a single word.
"So that's her name..." Compa thought about it after the twins revealed the Oracle's name.
"She... Takes care of us..." Rom explained.
"She's an Oracle and a babysitter. Tough luck since she has to take care of some rowdy kids." Brave Heart hummed.
"Hey, we're not rowdy you-"
ゴゴゴゴ!...
Brave raised his finger as a menacing aura came off of him as he closed his eye and tsked, his finger rippling the space around it.
"Tsk tsk tsk."
Ram gulped as she remained silent after her retort died in her throat.
"Right...Well, I assume we should head back to Lowee?" Edge Heart is an educated guess as he asked IF.
"Yoy assume right. You two can walk on your own?" IF asked the children.
"Uh-huh," Rom responded.
"Sure," Ram answered.
"If it's the same to everyone-"
REVERT!
Brave Heart paused as he reverted to his human form.
"Then let's go!" He finished as Nebula appeared back in his winter clothes.
"You look different." Nisa pointed out.
"It's cold, Nisa. You gotta dress for the occasion." AL explained. "I'm in new clothes too." The fire user pointed out himself.
"So art I."
REVERT!
Edge Heart referenced himself as he reverted to Gris in his winter clothes as well.
"Now let's go. We've wasted enough time here." Gris gruffed in his signature edgy tone as he walked away.
"He's serious." Nepgear slightly cowered
"And edgy." Compa remarked.
"I HEARD THAT!" Gris yelled as the Nurse-In-Training and the twins yelped.
"Let's go." IF told the group.
The party of nine soon began traveling back to Lowee, with some conversations of how Blanc was doing in the Gamindustri Graveyard between Rom, Ram, and Nepgear.
"So where is Blanc?" Ram asked as she almost demanded an answer from Nepgear.
"Where is she...?" Rom asked with her sister as well.
"She's still trapped in the Gamindustri Graveyard with the other CPUs," Nepgear responded.
"I miss her..." Rom told the CPU Candidate as she sounded dejected, close to crying again.
"So it's all your fault that she's gone, huh?!" Ram leapt to blaming Nepgear.
"But I'm trying to fix it! I'm traveling across Gamindustri and trying to get enough help to save our sisters!" Nepgear tried to justify her failure to save Blanc to the super-powered tykes.
"Don't entertain her blame game." Gris told the apologetic Candidate as he hung in the back. "You'll just give her more fuel to accuse you." He advised.
"What do you know?! Your sister wasn't gone for three years!" Ram snapped at the assassin.
"It gets lonely without her..." Rom cooed as she really did miss her sister.
"And we're trying to save your sister, you annoying runt. I really am dealing with children." Gris grumbled as he put his hands in his pockets.
"At least he didn't snap at them." Nebula looked on the bright side.
"For the most, more like." AL mumbled.
"Just put in a way they'll understand." Compa gave the CPU Candidate some advice.
"Good luck." IF told the goddess girl.
"I'll give it a try.'' Nepgear would say as she would then talk to the children.
"I know how you feel Rom, Ram. My sister is trapped there too, and it feels really lonely not having her with me like she always used to." Nepgear started off as the twins would listen to her, with Rom stopping her sniffling and Ram stopping her blaming.
...
...
"I feel really bad for letting her and the other CPUs get captured, which is why I want to do all I can to help them and free them. And I need your help too." Nepgear explained.
"Our help? You just tried to take all our shares!" Ram accused the straightforward notion of being overcome by her stubbornness.
"Help?" Rom repeated as she tilted her head. She had a faint idea what Nepgear meant, but decided that it was bad based on the reaction of her sister.
Gris and IF both sighed as the latter facepalmed. AL shook his head as Compa and Nisa were thinking of a way to explain it to the kids when Nebula decided to try something.
"Ram, if we came here to take your shares, you'd be dead right now." Nebula said with a deadpanned expression.
"Oh yeah... Wait, WHAT?!" Ram would remember, before exclaiming.
"Oh!..." Rom would be shocked as she realized that was what happened when a CPU lost all its shares. But they didn't lose all their shares from the fight.
"And are you dead?" Nebula asked with a raised brow.
"No..." The two candidates answered.
"Right! So since you're not dead, it means that we're here to help." Nebula simplified it to the point of fundamentals.
"But you tried to fight us!" Ram brought it up.
"Actually, you two tried to fight my friends first. I did what I had to do to help them. And that's what you should do to help your sister." Nebula told the little girl.
"What does that have to do with Blanc?" The pink-clad CPU Candidate asked.
"Our sister...?" Rom thought about it.
"Would Blanc want you to fight with the people who are trying to save her? Would Mina?" Nebula appealed to their role models and caretaker figures as that would have the twins thinking.
...
...
...
"Nuh-uh..." Rom for once was the first to answer.
"...I guess not," Ram told the god after some reflection.
"I think they wouldn't. And the longer you argue and bicker with us, is the longer your sister is gonna be trapped in the Gamindustri Graveyard, not being with you. So can we finally just be cool and save your sister, the CPUs, and the world by extension?" Nebula asked as the twins would fall silent, raising his arms as he referenced.
"Promise not to take our Shares?" Ram made him promise, still unsure.
"Promise?" Rom questioned.
"On AL's life." The male would answer.
"Why MY life?!" AL queried, flabbergasted. Why, the gall!
"Because." Gris seamlessly explained as he shrugged with his eyes closed.
"I hate it here." AL voiced his opinion with suppressed humor as he looked away. "But yeah, we won't take your Shares." AL reinforced. "You have our word."
"You hear that, you two? We're your friends." Nepgear added her support with a happy expression.
"Friends...!" Rom agreed as her tears were now gone as she finally began to feel somewhat accustomed with the group of realized allies.
"Well, I'll keep my eye on you." Ram would say as she looked at Nepgear and Nebula.
"But if you say you'll keep your promise, then I'll be nicer to you people." The twin Candidate would finally open up a bit.
"Yay!" Compa let out a cheer.
"Finally." IF breathed out as the god had managed to convince the twins.
"I never knew that Nebula was surprisingly fit to deal with children." Nisa commented.
"Still wouldn't trust him with his own kids if he has them." AL voiced as he walked.
"..." Gris grunted in an edgy manner as the situation had been resolved.
The go to for responses for the brooding badass of any group-
The group finally returned to Lowee after some more backtracking and would be in the Basilicom after some time to become more accustomed during the trek back.
They were now within the large castle in the center of the nation, and the group would have gotten a lot of off stares and wary looks that were questioned by the heroines, but the twins and the males feigned ignorance.
"Isn't that...?"
"It's them...!"
"With the Candidates?!..."
The voices were different yet had almost identical reactions.
"What's all that murmuring about?" IF became suspicious.
"Probably surprised that guys are in a party. Kind of sexist if you ask me." Nebula brushed past the truth as he made an otherwise somewhat true lie. Or in other words, a half-truth.
"I second that." Gris sighed. He then remembered they were in a CGDGT franchise before continuing as he kept his mouth shut.
For now.
"October 23rd." AL also agreed.
They were within the entrance chambers of the building when they would be met with the Oracle.
"We finally made it. Hello? Anyone here?" Nepgear asked as the group would be waiting.
"Mina!" Ram called for her caregiver.
"Where is she...?" Rom asked.
"I'm right here, children." A feminine voice rang out from the other side of the room as the Lowee Oracle known as Mina, or rather her full name being Mina Nishizawa appeared from one of the doorways.
She was an adult woman of the stature 5'01", with long sky blue hair worn in low pigtails along with a red graduate hat with two white tassels on two corners of the hat.
Her eyes were a nice cerulean were accompanied by a pair of red glasses as she wore a short white dress under a red, long jacket-like robe worn open with gold lining and buttons.
Her sleeves puffed below her elbows and had long cuffs, while at her neck is a collar and red bow with a golden badge. Her legwear consisted of red heels that match her robe and hat as she stood perfectly stable on said footwear. Her cup size was a respectable and modest C as she would be walking towards the group professionally and briskly.
"Hello, girls. Oh, I see you've brought guests with you." Mina would realize as the two girls would have 7 other members with them. She also recognized Nepgear within the ranks as her attention was diverted.
"Forgive my presumption, but are you Planeptune's CPU Candidate?" The Oracle asked Nepgear.
"Why yes. I'm Nepgear, and we're here today because we came to ask for your assistance." The CPU Candidate of Planeptune explained with a polite smile.
"For a CPU Candidate to come all this way, must mean that there must be very important information to discuss." Mina deduced.
"Well, yeah." Gris stated the blatantly obvious. "If it wasn't important, we wouldn't be here. But continue." The god allowed for the presumed ignorant statement.
"Pardon my manners. I am Mina Nishizawa, the Oracle of Lowee. How may I be of service?" The Oracle formally introduced herself as she bowed.
"They need our Mascot!" Ram told her caretaker.
"Our Mascot..." Rom echoed as she nodded her head, agreeing with her sister.
"More specifically..." Nepgear started as she explained to Mina why exactly they needed Lowee's Mascot.
But even after her exposition...
"I see. But unfortunately, Lowee's Mascot is on a very important mission, all details surrounding it being strictly classified." Mina told the group with a serious tone.
"Is that so." IF's brows were furrowed with a serious look.
"Darn." AL censored himself for once in the presence of impressionable children in the Land of the Lolis.
"Well, that was what we needed to hear." Gris mouthed sarcastically.
"Halt! Surely you realize that the forces of evil are also after the Mascot. If they get there first, it might be destroyed!" Nisa tried to justify.
"C'mon Mina! Tell them!" Ram told the Oracle.
"What she said..." Rom pleaded alongside her twin, agreeing. with Nisa's point.
"I'm sorry, girls. But it is for the sake of Lowee." The Oracle put her foot down.
"Then I guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way. With a lot of baseless expedition." Nebula chalked it up to that as he prepped himself for some more exploring.
Good thing he was an adventurer, or all the dungeon crawling would've made him go mad.
"I trust that you will have no harm come to the Mascot if you find it, so I have no reason to stop you," Mina told the group as a result.
"Okay..." Compa muttered.
"If they find it, Mina." Ram specified.
"What if someone bad... Finds it first...?" The older sibling brought up Nisa's point.
"Well, it won't come to that." Nebula would tell the twins. "Because good has the impeccable habit of always coming on top." He remembered as Gris rolled his eyes at how worn the sentiment was.
"Sounds about right." AL backed up. "I guess we should leave." The flame user put his hands in his pockets.
"It would be ill-mannered of me to let such well-traveled guests leave without giving you something. Would you like to hear about the lore regarding the Deity of Sin- Arfoire?'' The Oracle queried politely.
"Lore?" Gris raised an intrigued brow.
"It... means backstory..." Rom explained.
"I know what it means, Rom. No need to explain." Gris sweatdropped, keeping his tone somewhat passive to avoid unwanted conflict from the annoyance with child immunity that was Ram.
"I've never heard any stories." Nepgear said in earnest.
"Arfoire is believed to have originated from Lowee. Before I continue, do you all know what the Deity of Sin is?" Mina asked the group.
"A primordial force?" AL guessed.
"A dummy?" Ram asked.
"An endboss?" Nebula guessed as well.
"A pain in the rear." Gris conseored flatly.
"A... big meanie?" Rom gave her option.
"An ancient evil?" Compa suggested.
"A powerful villain?" Nisa valiantly opted
"I haven't really thought about it, actually," Nepgear admitted.
IF went next.
"Well... I figured since ASIC is trying to revive it, it would be some kind of god that would bestow their power." The Guild Agent answered.
"No. Such a convenient god does not exist in this world. In fact, calling it a 'deity' is hardly an adequate descriptor. The Deity of Sin solely exists to bring destruction and chaos... No mortal can control its power. It is even said that Gamindustri was on the brink of disaster when the Deity of Sin was born." Mina explained.
"So it's like a god of destruction. Ha! I was right." AL fist pumped in success.
"You do know that's bad, right?" Gris deadpanned.
"Let me have this, shoujo character." AL waved away as he basked in being correct. Gris clenched his fist in withheld aggression like a certain aardvark as a result.
"Then how come that Ass-sick group wants to resurrect an evil being bent on destroying the entire world?" Nisa asked Mina with her hands on her hips with concern.
"Wouldn't that be bad for them, too?" Compa added, the point of view making sense.
"ASIC doesn't truly wish to revive it. It is a ploy, a tool being used to increase their organization's clout." Mina explained.
"If they had done proper research on the Deity of Sin, they wouldn't be spreading its word amongst the public." The Oracle continued.
"So basically they're clout chasing into their graves. How ironic." Gris pieced together as he felt some twisted amusement.
"Maybe the lower-ranking members of ASIC are possibly being used by them." IF theorized.
"If so, I question their leader's sanity. It would cause their downfall as well as the world's." Mina told the Guild Agent.
"It's almost as if they want to be destroyed." Nebula cupped his chin in thought.
"I doubt ASIC is that devoted, but I wouldn't put it past them." AL discussed. He then whispered into Nebula's ear. "I mean they tried to hire Gris just to snuff you out."
"True..." Nebula agreed as they thought about it.
"A being that harbingers destruction. Arfoire... The being that ASIC worships..." Nepgear told herself warily.
"There sure are a lot of Arfoire related terms going around now. It could taint even the purest hearts of justice." Nisa put into perspective.
"Just remember that we have to beat the snot out of anything with Arfoire in its name." IF responded.
"Ah, a ray of hope pierces the clouds of doubt! You are indeed wise!" Nisa complemented with a bright smile.
"Well, let's head out." AL decided as he unpocketed his hands. "We can decide on what to do from there." The flame user said as he would inform the group.
"Yeah, let's go save our sister!" Ram cheered.
"Save... Blanc...!'' Rom said with some determination.
"Now hold on, girls. You want to go along with them?" Mina faced the twins.
"Duh! We want to help save our sister too!" Ram told Mina excitedly.
"We want to help!..." Rom relayed to the Oracle.
"We actually asked them for help as well and they accepted, albeit with a little breaking down," Nepgear reported as Mina processed the information.
"Well Nepgear, as their guardian, I must vehemently refuse that request. As you can see, they are still children." The Oracle explained. This caused Ram and Rom to have faces of annoyance and sadness respectively.
"But if they wanted to assist you as fellow CPU Candidates, perhaps I could make an exception." Mina gave a possible solution, which caused their expression to change.
"Of course, we want to help!" Ram pushed their decision. "We're trying to save Blanc!" She exasperated.
"Let us help!" Ram agreed with her sister.
"They seem adamant." Nebula noted.
"Ooh, that's a smart word." AL pointed out. "Indubitably." He mimicked with a posh tone.
"Great, now we know you're both idiots. Now let's move on." Gris shut the two up.
"Well, since the decision was voluntary, if they want to help, I have no reason to stop them," Mina said as she let the twins cheer in success.
"Yay! We get to save our sister!" Ram cheered.
"Yay...!" Rom followed.
"LET'S. GET. MOVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" Nebula quoted.
"Before you all leave, I must warn you. Lowee has had a recent uptick in crime. Rumors have begun that it has even marked the beginning of something unprecedented. Do be careful and make sure the twins are safe." Mina asked of them.
"Don't worry, we will. I hope we meet again soon." Nepgear waved off.
"Bye, Mina!" Ram bid goodbye.
"We'll be back...!" Rom waved as well.
"Farewell, children." The Oracle let the CPU Candidates go as she would let them leave.
As they left, the guard that had initially seen the males transform would now be back. "Lady Oracle! There has been an appearance of foreign CPUs!" The guard began.
"Oh, I have already gotten information on such matters. It is of no concern. " Mina waved off.
"Really? But the CPU Candidates, they informed me of them." He told her.
"And they are currently away." Mina relayed to the guard.
"Oh. Well, they were male, and they came to attack our nation earlier today!" The guard explained.
"Male CPUs? That is simply preposterous. No such thing has been stated other than theories and conspiracies." Mina told the guard. "And if they came to attack our nation, then why did you not come to inform me sooner?" Mina questioned the guard with a serious tone.
"We surely would have heard the news from more than one guard if that were the case, as well as reports of damage?" The Oracle continued as the guard responded.
"I...Had a bathroom emergency from the sheer shock." The guard honestly answered with some embarrassment.
Mina just shook her head before moving on.
"So where are they now?" The Oracle asked, going past the porcelain problem and back into serious business.
"They flew away, ma'am. " He responded.
"And they're a threat by what means?" Mina queried. "If they had done anything to endanger citizens had they returned, then I would classify it as an invasion, but no such thing has occurred." The Oracle deduced.
"I..." The guard was at a loss for words. He knew what he saw, but the circumstance looked to be inconceivable from any rational standpoint. He then decided to pull out his trump card.
"I'll call in a witness, ma'am!" The guard declared as he took out his radio and would call the guard who would have been patrolling with him.
"Cindy, get to the Basilicom! They think I'm lying again!" He whispered loudly, which got a tired sigh from the other end.
The group would have split up from there. Nepgear, IF, Compa, Ram and Rom were tailing Underling after overhearing her trying to sell a fierce looking statue to an old lady while the males consisting of Nebula, AL and Gris went on their small trio to find out any more information on the Deity of Sin.
They were heading to a nearby library as they walked down a fairly crowded area.
"So ASIC aren't even worshipping a being who'll help their cause?" Nebula asked as they walked down the snowy path. The appearance of the three reminded some citizens as they recognized the trio.
"Looks like it. Their goals and its ideal purpose clash very much. Too much to just be a coincidence." Gris compared as they gained the stares of the townspeople again.
"So what are you saying?" AL popped the question.
"I'm saying that they want the Deity of Sin to destroy everything. It would make sense as to why they've invested so many resources and manpower to getting Gamindustrian residents to worship the damn thing rather than outright wage a calamity of a war on the nations while their CPUs are gone to gain complete and utter control over all countries." Gris formulated as it would cause the other two to think as they moved.
"The nations are left with inexperienced Candidates, who don't even like each other for reference, not to mention that Leanbox doesn't even have a CPU Candidate. If they really were about world domination, you'd think Gamindustri would be enslaved or indoctrinated by now. But it hasn't, which means that something more sinister such as my first point may be afoot." The assassin finished.
Gris' words would cause the boys to be silent as they thought about his words as they walked.
It made sense for ASIC to scale a full-blown war since they were already powerful enough to capture four of the LITERAL guardian deities with Nepgear with ease.
STEPS!
But before they could respond, their focus was shifted when they suddenly heard footsteps from behind them rapidly approaching.
Nebula and AL used their KI sense to feel the direction that the person was approaching, but as they jumped to the side, they had no time to warn Gris as the person took out a curved, serrated dagger as they quickly put the blade on Gris' neck.
As the two looked, he was revealed to be a man of slightly average stature, 5"10' to be exactly as he had his head covered by a fur parka that was light brown with white fur, with a darker brown scarf as he had a white sweater underneath that was exposed with the emblem of a wolf on the center.
His pants were some baggy black pants with some brown snowshoes. He held him at knifepoint as he demanded cash. His gloves were black as they gripped tightly onto the weapon that was currently pressing onto the alert assassin's neck as he was shaking in what was observed as bubbling anger.
"Gimme all your FUCKING MONEY!" He shouted in a very distinct and strident voice.
Nebula and AL were taken aback by the sudden mugging that was currently taking place as it was literally taking place in broad daylight, but then again Mina did tell them so.
The sounds of panic and surprise of the nearby citizens would become apparent as they backed away as different voices were heard.
"Someone's getting mugged!" A man would yell.
"Get the guards!" A lady called over.
The screams of children would be heard.
But then the situation became direr as some more cronies emerged the shadows, all wearing brown winter coats with black pants and brown shoes with the wolf symbol on their backs as they would then use a plethora of means, either by magic from freezing the legs of the citizens or weapons by holding them at knife or gunpoint to hold up the nearby citizens as they would then be stopped in their tracks.
JAB!
"Ack...!"
FREEZE!
Two more guys came forward with them as one poked the barrel of an AK-47 behind Nebula's back, while the other froze AL up to his neck.
"Yo, that's cold as shit!" AL yelped as he would feel the brunt of frost magic.
"Shut up!" The goon barked at AL as the fire user snarled back.
Gris grumbled as his allies were now tied up as well as him as the panicking of citizens would be silenced by one of the higher-ranking bandits.
FREEZE!
AIM!
"All of you people shut the hell up before we blow your brains out!" The masculine voice yelled at the terrified people as they all shut up. A barrier of ice was then erected as they were effectively trapped within an icy prison, guns trained on them as they checked for anything suspicious within the crowd.
"Right. Now you and your friends gonna give us all of your shit, and you three are gonna come with us. I don't want any kind of struggling among you three or it's gonna get ugly." The apparent bandit leader warned as he took to the spotlight.
Gris remained silent as AL and Nebula followed suit.
'Man, I know Mina said something about a rising crime rate, but this is insane!' Nebula looked at the situation in retrospect as he put his hands in his pockets.
"How can I give you my money if you froze my hands, wise guy." AL deadpanned as he laughed at the dysfunctional hostage situation.
"Find a way before you find yourself in the afterlife." Was the simple response tis bandit goon.
MELT...!
"Retarded piece of shit..." AL muttered as he slowly started to melt the ice, which would not be noticeable from the outside but let him move within the case of solid water. It formed a water pocket within the case, which made it easier to move.
"And what if we don't," Gris asked/challenged the bandit leader.
"Then all these citizens die, shortly before we kill you three. So are we clear, shithead?" The leader queried as he motioned the knife, pressing it into his neck.
"..." Gris fell silent.
"Here." Nebula grabbed the goon situated by him their attention as he pretended to clutch his wallet.
ELBOW!-
"Guoh!"
The goon kept his firearm on him as he reached forward, only be swiftly elbowed as the maneuver was a feint.
"What?!" The leader snapped around as he heard the sound of combat behind him.
FLEX!
SHATTER!
GRAB!
"Wha-!"
SLAM!!!
AL then flexed out of the ice that he was in as he grabbed the off guard goon by the head before slamming it onto the ground in one swift maneuver, concussing him as he was taken out.
HEADBUTT!
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" The bandit leader cursed as he was silenced by the back of Gris' hea colliding with his nose in a reverse headbutt.
STAGGER!
"FUCK!-" The leader harshly swore as he staggered backward.
SKATE!
THUD!
Gris then spun around as he would then deliver a swift right hook as he would send the gang leader sliding on the snow as he then bumped into the ice wall.
"Boss!" One of the goons yelled in concern.
"You aight, boss?!" Another asked.
"FORGET THE PEOPLE! KILL THOSE FUCKERS! I WANT THEM FLASH FROZEN LOOKING LIKE SWISS CHEESE!" The leader would tell them. "ARRRRRGH...! I SWEAR TO LADY BLANC...!" He swore as he clutched his bloody nose.
Nothing more would need to be said as they unloaded, as the sounds of gunfire and ice spells would be racing to their positions.
LEAP!-
ROLL!-
HOP!-
RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATTAATATATATATATATAT!!!
ICE BLASTS!
Gris leaped out of the way as Nebula rolled to the right and AL hopped to the left as bullets and ice spikes littered their previous spots moments later.
The trio dodged as they advanced as they weaved the bullets as they evaded some ice spells as they closed the gap between them and the bandits.
"I like ya cut, G-"
SLAP!
TUMBLE!
CRASH!!!
AL arrived at a goon first as he engulfed his hand in fire as he landed a flaming slap across the back of the head of the bandit mage as his body was flung away with an unsightly tumble into a wall of a store nearby.
EVADE!-
ABLAZE!!!
ZOOM!
He then quickly dodged the rounds of bullets as he dodged past some more bullets as he activated Burning Fever to close the gap faster as he zoomed towards the goon gunman.
WALL RUN!
LEAP!
THRUST!
HEELKICK!
"Oof!"
SLAM!!...
AL soon appeared at the side of the thug as he ran up the ice wall as the goon repositioned his aim. But just before he could fire, the fighter jumped off the wall and boosted before ramming his foot into the face of the goon, causing instant unconsciousness as a slam that caused some snow to spread.
BIFF!
SLAM!
CRACK!!!
He then reverted as he ducked an ice spell from a bandit mage as he drove drive his fist into the mage's face as it cracked the wall, to the fear of the citizens as his limp body slammed the wall.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" A voice would be heard.
ABLAZE!
RATATATATA!
CROUCH!
SWEEPKICK!
"Shit!"
AL swiveled around just in time to duck right when the AK-47 fired, entering his Burning Fever mode once more as he dropped, successfully dodging the bullets as he dropped out of the form as he sweep kicked the mook, making him trip.
BOOST!
SWEEPKICK!
CRACK!
The goon then be felled as he was kicked in the head subsequently by a double sweep kick as AL put some extra boost with another sweep kick, his heel blasting some propulsion flames.
ROLL!
GRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!
The impact caused the bandit to fall unconscious with a fractured skull as AL attempted to get back up but then rolled forward as he narrowly missed the gunfire that whizzed past his position.
STRIKE!
KNEE!
BACK PUNCH!
ELBOW!
CHOP!
He rolled past Gris, who had his aura activated as he would be giving furiously fast strikes to the head, neck, armpit, shoulder blade, and knee cap of his opponent.
UPPERCUT!!!
...
THUD!
He uppercutted a goon with an invisible hand due to his speed as he was flung onto the air before landing on his back as he crumpled to the floor.
ROUNDHOUSE KICK!
SPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPINSPIN!
He soon ducked under some gunfire as he roundhouse kicked another goon on the side of the face, his foot becoming invisible as he caused the goon to spin like a top as he twirled away in a humorously morbid fashion.
CLUTCH!
ELBOW!
"AGH!"
JAB!!!
He then saw a goon with an ice fist rushing him as he grabbed the forearm of the low rank, stopping his charge as he raised the icy appendage before elbowing him in the armpit, causing the arm to go numb as he then jabbed him with another invisible fist.
HOP!
RATATATATATA!!!-
ELBOW!
"AUGH!"
He then sidestepped as the bullets of another goon, sailing across the air and through the ice as all the hostages were ducking, missing Gris but filling his buddy with holes with some blood gushing out as he then rushed towards him before yelling as the hitman raised his elbow and slam it into the shoulder blade of a nearby goon as he cried in pain as he was thrown to the ground.
DROPKICK!
CRACK!!!!
"WHYYYY!"
The goon was shook as the assassin approached him. He made another turn as he would now be on the opposite side of the ice wall as he dropkicked the kneecaps of the gun mook as he roared in pain.
"I'd say that's the way the cookie crumbles... But it looks like your knees went the way of milk's favorite cookie."
As Gris finished his comparison, he began to assault the goon with rapid blows, Nebula would be walking backward from a squad of about 4 goons as they would each have their hands glowing blue with ice magic as he would have his own hands covered with KI as he dealt some hand to hand beat downs.
BLOCK!
CHOP!-
COUNTER!
BLOCK!
KNEE!-
REDIRECT!
SHOULDER!-
He blocked and redirect blows from the goons as he dished out successful counters as he gut punched, kneed, and chopped the bandits as they landed no successful blows.
ROLL!
"Guys, NO-"
FREEZE!!!
He then shouldered a goon to the ground, rolling right before the other three mages would flash freeze their buddy, which counted them one down.
LEAP!
KNEE!
"Unh!'
THUD!
Nebula quickly spring back up as he then leapt into to the air as he kneed an adjacent goon, causing them to be floored and slide through the snow a bit.
He landed as he then ducked as the icicle and ice blast of the remaining two bandit mages as they would realize they missed as their attacks clashed.
DUCK!
ICE COLLISION!
JUMP!
"!-"
DOUBLE KICK!
LAND!
They were miffed as Nebula jumped back into the air before outstretched his legs and kicking both of them in the face simultaneously as they would then be sent sprawling as their skills would face the brunt of Nebula's soles in a well placed split kick.
THUD!
CRACK!!!
"terrified shrieks.mp3"
Nebula landed as he got back on his feet. AL was seen throwing a goon into the wall, which caused it to crack more as the citizens shrieked.
All who was left would be the leader himself as he looked at the three in awe and slight fear.
"Who the hell ARE these guys...?!" The leader questioned their origin under his breath.
"How the hell did they beat my undertrained, stock fodder goons?" He further questioned, before realizing what he said and internally facepalming.
He then try to rush a distracted AL, who had now switched his focus to melting the ice barrier with his flame powers as he was in Burning Fever.
"Don't worry peeps. Just give me a minute to free you guys." AL reassured as he began to melt the ice wall as they stopped cowering.
A little girl turned to the bandit leader as she pointed him out to AL.
"Watch out, mister!" She told him. AL turned to see the bandit leader with his curved dagger approaching him.
PHASE!
PUNCH!!!
"Damn!" AL semi censored as he was about to stop melting the wall to defend himself when Gris had suddenly materialized from some lines and a speedy blur and clocked him.
TUMBLE!-
STAB!
SKID!!!..
"MOTHERFUCKER!" The bandit leader let out another extremity as he was flung, but this time stabbed his blade into the ground as he got onto his feet by the time he stopped skidding.
He was soon met with the stature of a menacing Gris cracking his knuckles as he approached. His eyes were covered as red twinkles shined where his eyes were.
ゴゴゴゴ!!!
"It's been a while since I've killed someone barehanded." The assassin muttered for the leader alone to hear as he approached.
TURN!
DASH!
"And you'll have to wait some more because I'm out this bitch!" The leader spoke as he swiveled his direction as he hauled ass.
"NIGERUNDAIYO!" The leader bolted as he comically ran as Gris wasted no time beginning to give chase.
"You can't run from me! I'm fast as fucc, BOI!" Gris threatened as he sped after the gang leader and would deactivate his aura, as to make the chase more adrenaline pumping.
A/N:
Heya there, reader!
If you're seeing this, this is a rewrite of the chapter, just to correct some repetition, fix some spelling errors, and improve the spelling quality, especially in the earlier chapters.
So remember, italics and bold is going for gold.
And another chapter has been finished.
And we are formally in the Lowee Arc.
With the addition of almost being mugged and retroactively letting citizens be executed, and Nebula's equivalent of a gravitational spin cycle on Rom and Ram.
Speaking of which, He did flex on the Candidate twins, didn't he? Well, at least he took them somewhat seriously, so he's not a complete troll. Yet-
Also, Ram and Rom are in the group. Not avoiding them in canon due to Ram's prejudice, because Nebula literally shook her up to make her stop. Now, it's only to not let Blanc know once she's freed.
And now we have a bandit leader to smite. Well, capture but with who's chasing him, I'd be pretty sure to bet that he won't live if our grey-haired assassin gets a grip of him.
Arrivederci.
Read and Review!