All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this piece of fiction except my OCs and the story itself.
In the underground labs of Negadimension...
"Are you ready for your first field test, DIO?" Dr. Hazard asked the enhanced vampire as he stood with his arms by his side.
The scientist had documented most of the vampire's abilities from any tests that he took within their subterranean facility, granting many different results, from what he was exceedingly proficient in, to what could use some work.
That being said, it even extended into a mental evaluation as well as an examination of his intelligence, the latter being exceedingly well done and the former...
Let's not talk about the former, for now. DIO was rather... Unhinged after absorbing a certain bloodline.
"..." DIO remained silent, reflecting over the last few hours that tested his abilities.
They had vastly improved over such a simple procedure, it baffled even him. To be stronger was always a welcomed change, but such unnatural means to his temple of a body made him uneasy.
The technology of the world he was forcibly ripped into hopelessly outclassed Earth's, by hundreds if not thousands of years!
He felt as if he thought about this somewhere before, but he couldn't help himself now that he had gotten something beneficial due to the tests and procedures he went through.
The vampire then snapped back to reality as he looked down at the scientist.
"It matters not to me. I will pass with ease just like all those before." The blonde played off as he remained stoic. He couldn't dare show any emotion to those he thought below him.
"Good. Excellent. Well, to brief you on your assignment, the higher-ups have ordered me to send one of my experiments, or what you would refer to as 'champions' to exterminate these persons."
SWITCH ON!
Dr. Hazard motioned to a screen that turned on within his laboratory.
DIO directed his gaze to the large monitor.
It showed the images of Nebula, Gris, AL, and Domio.
They were all damaged to different degrees, as the images were taken from the perspective of Citadel when he came to retrieve Vhestora, through unknown means to him.
The vampire's facial features contorted from stoicism to intrigue as he stared and took in each of the faces of his targets, a well-defined brow raising.
"You can get rid of them in any which way you so choose, as long as it results in their certain death." The doctor told the vampire.
"In a short while, I will open up a portal as you will be transported into a random area where they will be occupying nearby. The decision to raise all hell or to go with the silent assassination is up to you." Dr. Hazard finished as DIO looked back towards the manlet.
"Hmph. Will the path I take in killing these gnats impact my standing with your 'higher ups'?" The vampire asked.
He knew he was being tested by these fools, and he had to maintain an excellent performance to faster gain their trust to use them in the long run.
"Indubitably." Was his intelligent answer.
"Thought so." DIO crossed his arms.
"Whatever path you take, you've been properly equipped. Your original clothes have been modified to resist more damage, as well as blend into and traverse the shadows as a form of silent travel. Your initial exposure to the fear injector has also awakened more of your vampiric nature, such as night vision, morphing into a bat, and increased power output." The doctor explained as DIO absorbed the information told to him.
He looked down at his clothes, as he was currently wearing his jacket, with it now being black, as his tank top had been changed from its regular black to a deep purple.
His chaps changed to royal purple and his belt changed to the darker tone of red as well. His circlet that he donned on his head would also be wine red as his knee guards followed the same color coordination as his pointed shoes were also royal purple as he matched that with his chaps.
Even his manly lipstick would now be royal purple due to the change that the fear energy imbued into his being ensued.
"I see." The enhanced vampire heeded.
A swirling portal appeared in front of the two. Instead of its standard red, it had the hue of acid green. It still transported the person who used it to Gamindustri however.
"And there it is! Earlier than what I expected, as well. This, DIO, is your path to Gamindustri." Dr. Hazard informed the vampire as Vyrus moved to the two from the room next to them.
She opened the portal with the complex dimensional machinery that was situated within that room as she exited it, and stood next to the doctor.
"The portal has been opened, Doctor." The female assistant alerted as the DPU thanked her.
"Yes, we know. Thank you, dear." Dr. Hazard told the woman as she nodded.
DIO simply gave her a gaze of recognition before facing the portal.
"Before you go, I have a final gift for you," Vyrus told the vampire as he looked back at her.
"Gift? What for" He raised a brow.
"Last night." She brought it up. As she looked away with a slight blush. Her hand then dug into her lab coat pocket as she fished from the item.
DIO then put on a smirk that was pleased with himself for doing so well that it garnered a gift for his exquisite bedroom ability.
The Willy Wonka never failed him on Earth.
Why would it here?-
She then took out something from her lab coat.
It was a knife pouch. But the knives inside weren't normal at all.
"This is a pouch of neverending obsidian knives. Their sharpness is known to even cut something as small as the DNA in a cell. They have also been chemically altered to increase their durability as well, with some of our fear energy to also strike fear into the hearts of your enemies." The assistant explained as she handed the pouch to DIO.
The silver-haired vampire had a face of contentment and satisfaction as he took the pouch from her.
The man always favored his throwing knives for any ranged attack ever since he awoken and made use of them, but to hear that the effectiveness of his go-to weapon had been increased to such an extent only brought him nothing but maleficent glee.
"The thought is appreciated." DIO acknowledged as he bagged the useful item to be used in the upcoming confrontation.
"And knife and man are reunited once more. Cross their hearts and let them die." The doctor mused the silver-haired vampire.
"The portal will open once your mission is completed. If you fail, you will be brought back for sanctions and further experimentation." Dr. Hazard's voice dropped to a jarringly low tone when he mentioned failure.
FEAR ENERGY!!!
The fear then began to roll off of his body as DIO faced the full brunt of his impending fate if he failed him.
'Tch! This feeling...!' DIO's features morphed into anxiety and anger, the former from the doctor's influence, and the latter from falling to its effects.
"Do you understand, DIO." The scientist asked him in a flat and deep tone. DIO snarled before answering him.
"..." The vampire remained silent, trying to resist the waves of fear.
"I said... DO YOU. UNDERSTANNNNNND!? " Dr. Hazard asked with an obnoxiously loud voice, that forced the vampire to respond in a cold sweat.
"I understand!" DIO angrily croaked.
Vyrus had to hold back her amusement at the scene before her.
She knew that Dr. Hazard had done some research on the origin of the dimension that DIO came from, and was dropping references from people that worked under him.
"Naisu. Now, go forth and bring me my results!" The doctor pointed as DIO briskly walked towards the portal, gathering his bearings as he walked into the portal.
But right before he went through the portal, his terrified gaze turned into one of seething ire.
'You will rule the day you treat me like a plaything. BLASTED MANLET!' His inner voice raged within his mind.
He menacingly walked through the portal as the infamous sound effect was visually shown for both comedic and dramatic effects.
ドドドドドド!!!
"Fly slower!" Chika demanded. She was already be taken aback by the fact that these brutish muscleheads were CPUs, and even more so that Vergo had processors while lacking the transformation, but what pissed her off most was the constant feeling that he might pull a butterfingers and drop her from thousands of feet in the air, especially with how he was talking to her.
"We'll be left behind, you charlie horse!" Vergo argued back. He didn't remember Chika whining and complaining so incessantly about falling. Then again, he never carried her, for the fear
"But I don't want to fall to my death because of your clumsiness!" She stated with a concerned tone.
"I'm not even that clumsy! And I don't want to be left alone with a Blight Witch like you! Bloody hell!" The CPU Candidate yelled in exasperation.
"How dare you!" The grenette Oracle gawked with offense.
'I traded dying for this...?' Vergo asked himself as he carried the Leanbox Oracle through the night sky as she held onto him tightly, to not fall below as the group flew back to Leanbox.
"We're almost back to Leanbox, so bear with it a bit longer, Chika," Taleia told her Oracle as the black-haired swordswoman was in the arms of Brave Heart.
"Yeah, Vergo. Just ignore her. She'll stop talking to you eventually." The blue CPU himself snorted as Vergo laughed, causing Chika to shoot him a heated glare.
"And just what are you laughing at?!" The devoted Oracle of Vert asked with attitude.
"Hm..? I thought I heard something. Guess not." Vergo shrugged.
"Listen to me, you dolt! Don't just act like I ceased to exist just because someone told you to!" Chika warned.
"Hey Gris, You hear something?" He asked the edge lord deity.
"No comment." The CPU smartly stayed out of the commotion.
"How about you, AL?" Vergo asked the flame man.
"I hear the wind in my ears. Does that count?" He played along.
"Ah shite. Looks like I dropped her, Nebula." Vergo told the blue CPU. "What am I going to tell the people at the Basilicom?" He made his voice wobble to come off as genuine, which only caused everyone around him, sans a Chika who was bubbling in fury and an uninterested Edge Heart to become amused.
"But she's right there-" Domio tried to tell the blonde through some giggles, but would be shushed by AL.
"Shh. Let this play out." AL smiled with mirth as he quieted down the boy.
"When we get down from here I am going to make you pay for this!" Chika gritted her teeth as she seethed at the blonde god.
Vergo just looked down into her small and dilating pupils and smiled.
"Yep. I totally traded dying for this shite..." He muttered, which made Chika raised a brow as she asked him about it.
"What was that?" She narrowed her eyes.
"I said I should have left you dying instead of this shite." His face fell to a deadpan.
"URGH!" She huffed.
"Those two bicker like an old married couple." AL pointed out as he chortled at the scenario.
"What amuses me more about the situation, is the fact that she is taking our existence as CPUs well." Edge Heart told the flame user.
"That is true. Is it just normal now?" Domio asked the gods.
"Nah, she's too focused on arguing with Vergo to notice. Kind of sad if you think about it, but thinking makes people angry, so let's not." Brave Heart responded with a dumb look as Edge Heart gave a flat look.
"She'll realize it once she's not afraid of falling to her doom. But I know you won't drop me. My soul would haunt you for eternity." Taleia gave the blue god a sure look.
"Oh no, Taleia will haunt me by playing ethereal tunes and doing my dishes as she paranormally files my taxes. You'd just end up being the most helpful haunting of all time." Brave Heart sniggered at the idea.
"Well!... That's...! Er..." The swordswoman struggled to come up with a comeback.
"Her only regret would be never again getting to sit on his big, fat, throbbing-"
"AL!" Taleia yelled at the fire user, who cackled at the reaction as Brave Heart joined him as the two laughed.
"What was he gonna say, Mr. Gris?" Domio turned towards the scythe god.
"Were you not raised in a strip club/bar?" The CPU asked back.
"Oh, yeah. Wait- you two did the... Oh, that makes sense." The ice kiddo realized with raised brows and slightly widened eyes.
This realization caused Taleia to look away as she blushed crimson, not expecting a question from someone like Domio, the kid of the group.
Brave Heart gave his friend a dull glare before shifting his mouth into a smile as his eyebrows wiggled, making the half-elf turn even redder.
"AND DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM, NEBULA!'' She voraciously chided.
"So you're saying you didn't like when we were a thing?" Nebula raised a brow.
"I-I never said that, I just don't want you to approve of his rambunctious behavior!" Taleia justified looking away from him before shifting her gaze to AL with a finger pointed at him.
"I've been rowdy since I was a tyke, and NOW you try to discourage me? You're just using that as a scapegoat because you don't wanna admit you miss the se-"
"STOP TALKING!" Taleia screeched with a deep crimson visage before she buried her face into her former high-school sweetheart's chest.
"Don't you think that's a bit much teasing, AL?" Domio asked, concerned.
"AL's just projecting how he misses the union of carnal flesh because he's abstaining." The CPU rolled his eyes as he explained to his foster son, cradling the flustered woman as he tried to calm her down.
"Damn kids." The fire user grumbled with a smirk, looking back ahead.
"You're around their age." Edge Heart deadpanned.
"Actually, AL is a year older than you and Nebula, mate." Vergo clarified.
"Really now. Too bad he acts like half his age at times." The scythe deity complained.
"What did you do at twelve, then?" Inquired the swordswoman.
"Murder the scum of society as a twisted vigilante." The god responded.
...
...
...
"Dark." The ice child looked down in morbidity.
"Don't you mean edgy?" AL looked behind him with a questioning tone.
"He did say, vigilante." Vergo justified. "So it's technically chunni." An alternative stigma was given.
"But he also said he killed people and that he was twisted!" Chika pointed out.
"You'd be twisted too if the same people that killed your mother in cold blood were plotting to sexually assault her mutilated corpse days before the funeral." The CPU stated, emotionless.
"I-... Wow." Chika blanched at the thought.
"Okay, that's pretty dark." AL shifted his gaze uncomfortably.
"Yeah, I remember you telling me that... Ah shite, this just brings back sour memories." Vergo hissed.
"What... Happened to them?" Domio hesitated to ask.
"Oh, I castrated them before I murdered them. As I said, twisted vigilante. I like to believe I toned down the ways I kill people nowadays." Edge Heart revealed. "Less torture, more efficient." He conveyed.
"Naming you Edge Heart was NOT a mistake, fucking hell." Brave Heart sweatdropped.
"Why did you think I advocated for it? I was being truthful. You can at least add that to my repertoire of characteristics." The black-haired deity pointed out.
"The reason why you are not a monster right now still eludes me to this day." Brave Heart pondered the prospect.
"Vigilante," Vergo repeated.
"He has killed children before." AL deadpanned.
"He did WHAT?!" Chika, Taleia, and Domio screamed in horror.
"I do not condone many of the acts of my human self, but I do live with them, unfortunately. Domio, I will not harm you, for you are my ally. Understand?" The god stated his viewpoint on his actions as he looked back at the child on a serious note.
"Y-Y-... Yes, Mr. Gris!" Domio said in an air of fear and understanding.
"Now I definitely don't trust him," Taleia told Brave Heart as she softly said it to him.
"He's had our back in battle for now, and it would be unwise to suddenly turn on him because of tibids of his past surfacing. Even his HDD aspect doesn't like the shit his human form does, so he's even less likely to turn on us." Brave Heart explained.
"And he's pretty much a good person later, so that's basically a guarantee that he won't turn on us," Vergo stated.
"How would you know?" Chika asked the blonde.
"Because if someone like you can become Vert's Oracle, someone like him can change to at least not be an absolute piece of shit in his human form," Vergo responded, making the greater huff.
"I am nowhere as bad as he is." Chika defended herself.
"I'll just ask Vert when we rescue her," Vergo told the Oracle.
"And she'll be on my side, of course." She responded in a matter-of-fact tone.
As the 5 conversed, they flew back towards Leanbox, the city illuminating green lights from many of its buildings and streets and even suspended platforms and hotels built into the side of the nation as they approached.
The lights shined even in the sea as the vibrance of Leanbox could be seen, even in these troubling times of the CPU void nation.
On paper, there was an exception.
"We'll be arriving at Leanbox shortly, so cur your squat." Edge Heart notified as he looked ahead.
"It looks nice from up here..." Domio observed with some awe.
"It does. Vert sure likes green." Brave Heart commented.
"You think?" AL snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if she smokes that green, too." He chuckled.
"AL, no." Taleia held in a giggle.
"AL, yes!" The fire warrior responded with fervor.
"Don't speak about Vert in such a vulgar manner, you ruffian!" Chika snapped at the pyro warrior from her arms.
"Make me." Was the taunting answer she received.
Cue repressed screeching and hand spasms of Leanbox's Oracle.
But when it came to the not so dear brother of Vert...
"..." Vergo stayed silent as he took in the scene before him. He always took the place for granted but seeing it from up there... It hit him.
Hard.
It gave him another reason to make sure to protect it. Seeing it from the ground made him almost cry from nostalgic hope alone, but this...
This made him feel some type of way.
A protective way. Emotional tears of joy were withheld, due to Chika's presence but take what you can get at times.
He'd silently swear to protect the nation to his bitter end if he had to as they approached. He even vouched that seeing it from above at day would reaffirm his promise.
He took a deep breath, before closing and opening his eyes, as the group now flew over the city.
"Hello? I'm talking to you, blondie."
WAVE!
Chika waved her hand in front of the CPU Candidate.
"Isn't your CPU blonde." He made a conscious comeback.
"I... That's true." Chika thought about his words. She was then interrupted from below.
"WE'RE GONNA BOMB UP THE BASILICOM!" A shrill cry was heard as the group looked down to see a rally of ASIC members with bazookas as they were ready to cause collateral damage.
They surrounded the posh building they were armed and aggressive. The staff was held captive in rope as the guards were knocked out. The members were covered in a disturbing aura that reeked of a certain type of energy.
"Bruh. Why are the guards down? Are they that weak?" Brave Heart deadpanned.
"To be fair, they don't really do anything besides stand around and patrol beyond training," Taleia said with a sweatdropped as she looked down with concern.
"We left for 3 hours!" Vergo stressed with furrowed brows.
"This is terrible!" Domio shook in fear, clinging to his firey friend.
"It could be worse." Nebula looked on the bright side.
"How could this possibly get worse?" Taleia raised a slightly miffed brow.
"Underling could be present." The spiky-haired Lastation CPU gave an example.
"I'll get those damn bastards for what they did to me! Especially that white-haired pretty boy!" Underling seethed as she pointed her crowbar, rocket launcher in the other. She stood determined as she and Warechu were ready to ready to get revenge.
"... Now I know they'll lose." The blue god sweatdropped.
"How do you know? They have the Basilicom surrounded." Chika pointed out.
"She has never won a fight against us," AL explained. "Not once. She even lost to a Nepgear who didn't know how to transform." He continued.
"That still doesn't deescalate the threat level-" The Oracle was cut off.
"THEY'RE ABOVE US!" A goon shouted, bazookas aimed up before firing at the airborne party.
"FIRE!"
MISSILES!
Warechu yelled, under a sinister influence.
"Let's split." Vergo decided.
"Let's." Everyone who could fly responded as they outmaneuvered the rockets before they could reach them as they were in an intense situation.
DIO stood atop the Lean Box, the tallest structure in Leanbox as he brooded menacingly, his blazer and hair flowing in the wind as he awaited his targets.
ゴゴゴゴ...!
"Those fools dressed in black, yellow, and red who I used my hypnosis on are doing their task nicely." The vampire commented as he stood atop them all as he watched the ASIC grunts that he had found all over hypnotized and causing a commotion.
"That should draw the attention of those heroes, and when all is said and done and their guard is at their lowest, then I, DIO, shall strike." The ascended vampire monologued as he looked up, to see the group of flying individuals, with one that looked identical to the boy that he was shown.
"And there he is. If I presume, the fling one is also identical to the other I saw on the monitor. That leaves the other two. But if half of them are already present, it is only common sense to assume the other two will be nearby..."
FALL!
DIVE!
SHAPESHIFT!
FLY!
DIO maliciously smirked before jumping down from the Lean Box, and morphing into a bat, before flying towards the Basilicom.
AERIAL EXPLOSIONS!
The bat flapped his wings as he blended into the darkness, making sure to take the scenic yet stealth-like approach when he neared the Basilicom. He even glanced up ever so often to see the explosions of rocket launchers and the shouts of attacks from above.
"Mom, get the camera!" An ASIC goon shouted.
"ENEMY AC130 ABOVE!"
MISSILE!
Another yelled as a rocket blasted into the air.
"Don't let up until they're blasted out of the sky!" Underling commanded for once in her life, too bad she was under mind control though.
"Such imbeciles..."
LAND!
SHAPESHIFT!...
DIO sniggered like a bat before he flew into the empty Basilicom, through an open window. Once inside, he morphed back into his human form.
ゴゴゴゴ...
His face would be covered in darkness as red dots were visible from his eyes.
The vampire looked around the room. It was very dark, probably nothing but dark sans the moonlight and explosions from the outside from the fight as he walked into the darkness.
His nose picked up on some... Rather inappropriate scents as he looked down at a body pillow with a busty blonde woman he had no recollection of.
"I seem to be in some kind of sex dungeon." DIO assumed as he laughed to himself.
"No matter. It is time to use my new powers."
SURFACE!...
He grinned before sinking into the darkness, his glowing eyes and shining fangs being the last thing to be seen before he moved to the next room.
In his place, a replica of the vampire was set, to a T pose in his place, smiling mockingly as he folded his arms, acting as a watchdog and an obstacle to his targets.
"..." The shadowy figure remained silent.
As DIO moved around the interior of the Basilicom, he strategically placed shadow clones of himself in the nooks and crannies of the Basilicom, using the shadows to avoid those gizmos that looked like they monitored his movement.
The former blonde then found himself in the room of said blonde he saw on the pillow.
There was a plentiful amount of homoerotic statues, being lit up by the outside explosion to be seen with the naked eye before dying down, as well as a masterful computer setup system that was currently shut down.
He also saw some pictures of the woman in question, as he was also faced with... More homo-erotic material in the form of promotional pictures for BL games.
"I know I have no problem with the idea of a naked man but this... This is a bit much." The vampire's face was contorted as he looked around. "I do have to admit though, they are in immaculate shape. And is that a whip with a ball gag- Moving on.'' He was getting sidetracked.
SURFACE!...
SWIVEL!
DIO placed yet another shadow clone sitting on the gaming chair of the room as he swiveled around, before placing a foot on his knee as he crossed his fingers together in a plotting fashion.
SWING OPEN!
"Good. And that should do it. Now that I've set up my doppelgangers around the premises, I can become transparent and await my time to strike-"
The door was swung open by a scared and disoriented staff member that was trying to find a way to escape the building and call for the authorities. She had escaped the capture outside, only to be face to face with a much worse fate.
ゴゴゴゴ!
She was stopped in her tracks as she saw the two figures with glowing red eyes stare her down, their intimidating statures paralyzing her with fear.
YANK!
The staff member was suddenly pulled by The World, unbeknownst to her, as she propelled towards the two figures. DIO outstretched his hand until she was in his clutches as his hand was around her entire head.
GRAB!
DIG IN!
MUFFLE!
"!" The shirt of the staff member was pulled as she headed towards the vampire. Her head was clutched immediately after, the creature of the night's fingers then digging into her skull.
"MMMMMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!"
SUCK!
DRAIN!
The agonizing screams of the staff member were muffled by both DIO's and The World's hand as she slowly lost body mass, The fingers of DIO sucking the sustenance, and therefore blood through his fingertips as she became more and more of a shell of her former self.
The Leanbox staff woman was reduced to a drained and bony corpse as her last sight was that of a stoic vampire and his sniggering assailant before she left the mortal plane.
DROP!
SINK...!
DIO wasted no time in disposing of her corpse as she was dropped into the shadows, where her body along with the blood from the wound was absorbed, leaving no trace or evidence to be found.
With the body hidden and the witness dispatched, DIO could resume his monologue as he leaned on the wall, arms folded.
"That settles that nuisance, Now we set the mood." He smiled before he sank into the wall, leaving the shadow clone to sit in silence.
SINK!
He appeared underneath the Basilicom, and after murdering some hiding staff members, he found himself in front of the electricity room for the building itself.
He wasn't as well versed in electronics of this futuristic caliber, but what he did know about them was that to disrupt an entire electronic layout, one had to cut off the main power source, being the generator.
KICK!
VOOM!
CRASH!
BOOM!
So DIO kicked the metal door down, sending it crashing into a backup generator, making it explode as the auxiliary power supply was already taken out of the equation.
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
JET!
And to put another ability into action, DIO used electronics' nemesis to take out the main generator in a throwback move.
BOOM!
EXPLOSION!
CRASH!
SHATTER!
BREAK!
Highly pressurized water shot from his eyes as he bore a large hole through the generator before moving his head from side to side, making sure not a single piece of equipment that could be used to repair or salvage was left.
SHUT DOWN!!!
DARKEN!
Once that was said and done, the power in the entire Basilicom had been cut off entirely, drowning the building and its surroundings in darkness, and giving DIO an exponentially significant advantage in his plan.
SINK!...
The red pupils of DIO shone through as many more clones surfaced in the room, 10 to be exact, as they spread out as they sank into the ground.
DIO smiled with mirth as he executed the next stage of his plot. The fighting was starting to die down from the outside, as he advanced further in his setup.
"Now I wait."
SINK...!
The vampire reached the next step in his calculative plotting as he sank into the shadows himself, his position becoming unknown.
"I take back what I said. This is bad." Nebula looked around as he was scratching the back of his head as he looked around, back in his human form.
Scorched earth and darkness were what surrounded the Basilicom staff, and the party members as they piled up all the unconscious ASIC members, Underling, and Warechu at the top of the pile.
The aura had faded away from their bodies as they were now out cold.
The problem lied in the fact that no one knew why ASIC had decided to attack, why their phone service was cut off, and why there was no power at the Basilicom. Worse off, a member of the staff had already gone missing within its confines.
"Who could have done something like this?" Domio asked.
"Who else?! It was definitely ASIC. Their henchmen are piled up right there.'' Chika pointed.
"That might be the most logical conclusion, but something was off about them." Vergo voiced his opinion.
"What do you mean?" AL questioned the blonde CPU Candidate.
"The aura. Before we defeated them, they each had a dark and fearful aura akin to what we felt with... Them." The hitman hinted, getting raised brows from Nebula, Domio, and AL.
"Them?!" The trio reeled.
"Them? Who are they?" Taleia asked.
"The VPUs." Nebula named.
"Who?" Chika made a confused face. The staff members were just as miffed as their Oracle.
"A group of twisted and demented deities named the VPUs, short for Viral Purger Units. A foul and disgraceful mockery of the CPUs in every shape and form. They invade dimensions to cause pandemonium and destruction for the sake of their sustenance and ambitions. They stop at nothing to reach their goals and are nigh impossible to put down." Vergo explained forebodingly.
"What would a group like that be doing in Gamindustri? Especially at a time like this!?" Taleia asked with slight fear and major concern, mirroring the expression of Chika and the Basilicom staff members.
"I've been trying to figure that out since they appeared way back in Lastation. They told me it was something called a CPU Memory I picked up that allowed me to become a CPU." Nebula gave a reason.
"There's an item that can make you a CPU?" Chika raised a brow in skepticism.
"Not anymore. We used it." Gris answered.
"There was more than one?!" Taleia exclaimed. It just seemed to become more and more unbelievable the more information she became aware of.
The staff members murmured amongst themselves at the information they were hearing as they all surrounded AL, who was a source of light for the group as his Burning Fever made a very bright light source that lit up some of the areas.
"We don't have time for all the specifics, but what we can tell you is that whatever is in the Basilicom right now is a danger to not only this group here, but all of Leanbox, and all of Gamindustri as a whole. If we can't subdue and contain whatever lies within this building, ASIC will be the least of our concerns." Vergo got the party back on track as he looked towards the doors of the Basilicom.
"The surfer blonde is right. If whatever is in there is set loose it could spell an early end for all of us. We have to deal with this now." Gris made a summarized and more direct approach to the problem at hand.
"Then what should we do?" Domio asked the assassin.
"Someone... Someone has to go in there and deal with whatever abomination lies within...!" A security guard of the Basilicom pointed as he shakily directed his finger to the doors.
"True. But who's going in?" AL finally asked.
BREEZE!...
Silence ensued as a cold breeze blew from the question being asked.
"AL, you stay here." Nebula told the fighter. "You can provide heat and light for the citizens, and since you're comparable to us, you can fend them from most dangers outside of probably what's in there." The CPU continued.
"Roger roger." The pyro warrior mock saluted. The real part was what he was going to do after.
Which was effectively doing what the guards did while being paid.
Nothing exciting.
"I'll be going in by default, due to how things are heading so far, and it would probably feel odd if I stayed behind or something. Gris? You feel like staying behind?" Nebula turned towards the silver-haired assassin.
"Hell no. If something in their worth killing awaits, be it far from me to decline. Murder is my job after all. Especially, if I get to see you suffer first."
TIP!
He sniggered before tipping down his hat so that one sole silver eye was visible.
"OK, edge lord-"
BIFF!
The pseudo protagonist received an invisible punch to the side from the assassin as he glowed and dimmed for a fraction of a second.
"FFFFFFFFFFFiddlesticks." Nebula held all his M-rated curses for the sake of Domio and Taleia, mostly because he'd scar one further and be attacked again by the other.
"I'll go too, boss man. I feel like I'm obligated to deal with whatever VPU bastard is lurking within the confines of Leanbox's most important building. I'll batista bomb their bloody nan if they do anything to anyone in there. Especially that missing lass." The CPU Candidate clenched his fist as he walked toward the other two CPUs.
"I'll go with you three. It'd be better if more people went in since we don't know what we're dealing with right now. We don't have the luxury of sending in scouts." Taleia vouched for her admission into the investigation. "I hope you gentlemen don't mind my presence all that much." She continued.
"Not at all, Tals." Vergo nodded, sunglasses flashing from AL's flame.
"Come forth." Gris motioned with a come hither motion.
"Hey, baby!" Nebula snapped his fingers, as he grinned with the dramatic star of charm bouncing from his smile.
"I... I wanna come too!" Domio offered.
...
...
...
"You?" Chika asked, baffled by the mannerisms the boy had already shown, now wanting to go on an unfathomably dangerous mission.
"I have to help my dad somehow. If I stay here, I'll be of no more help than AL!" The boy made a point.
"Oh wow, thanks Domio." AL deadpanned ad he snorted some smoke in a very animated huff.
"Domio, I think you should sit this one out." Nebula gave the child a painful look. "The last time you fought a VPU she tried to solicit you for underage sex." He continued.
"She tried to WHAT?!" Taleia freaked out.
Taleia swiveled with an appalling look to Nebula as Chika gave a disturbed one to the CPU.
The staff members reeled with many questions as they got back to murmuring amongst themselves.
"So that's why Domio always advocated about consent in those cringe anti-sexual assault PSAs..." Vergo told himself as Gris struggled to keep in a chortle, holding down the top of his hat as he shook slightly from the sheer irony.
"Uh, I can explain-" Nebula tried to deescalate.
"Domio, you're staying. The last thing I want for you is to get hurt or worse in there. AL should be good enough company in the meanwhile. If you really want to help, then stay here." The soldier made it abundantly clear her viewpoint on the boy coming into the Basilicom.
"D'aww..." The boy looked down before he sulked towards AL, who patted the down child on the back.
PAT!
PAT!
"Look, Dom. I'll teach you some stuff about fighting while we wait. It won't be that bad." The flame warrior tried to cheer up the boy.
"Thanks, AL." He sighed before looking back at the group of four.
"Anyone else feeling lucky?" Gris calmed down, as he looked toward all the other staff members. No one looked brave enough to even contemplate going to a place with something that can bring ruin to Gamindustri as a whole.
Besides...
"I can't let that ruffian tarnish Lady Vert's place of rest without at least an effort to drive them away. It's my duty as an Oracle to do that for someone as important and great as my darling Vert." Chika took it upon herself to enter her place of residence as she brandished her spear, the same variation as the one in Vergo's future.
She walked up to the group of four as the now five members of the investigation team were assembled.
But AL picked up on another person trying to get away as he felt a KI signature rise.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!" AL wailed as he pointed an accusing finger at Underling, who was currently trying to escape.
SLAM!
"Gah!" The green-haired ASIC grunt yelped before running right into a wall due to moving in a direction that AL was not in out of instinct rather than thought.
"Urgh..."
PICK UP!
She groaned before shaking her head, only to be carried by Vergo back towards the light.
"O-Oi! Put me down!" Underling demanded, slightly embarrassed as she was carried like a child back to the group.
DROP!
Vergo dropped her in front of the circle as the group's attention was now on her.
"Argh!" Ther ASIC grunt grunted.
"You're awake," Gris told Underling. "Didn't expect someone so weak to recover that fast." He continued.
"Why you!" Underling snarled at being called what she unfortunately was.
"Should we just lock her up? She did spearhead the attack on the Basilicom.'' Domio consulted with the others.
"I concur. She should be punished for her transgressions against my darling Vert!" Chika agreed to the thought of imprisoning Underling.
"But I think I might have a better alternative." Nebula stated, getting the group to look at him.
"Which is?" AL questioned.
"We carry her in with us." The adventurer revealed.
"WHAT?!" The group members, plus Chika and the staff members all exclaimed.
"Why?!" Taleia asked her childhood friend with exasperation.
"Because it would take too long to get the proper authorities to detain her, we can't even call them because of the power outage, and if we leave here unattended, whatever the hell is in there will be surely set loose upon all of Leanbox. Not to mention she'll bolt at the sign of a blind eye." Nebula listed as he looked towards Underling.
"What? What are you talking about?" The ASIC grunt was now confused.
"To cut it short, you go in there with us and live, we let you live. You run, and I will hunt you down and skin you alive."
ゴゴゴゴ...!
Gris made it very clear as his sole eye became a red dot his face was now in darkness.
"Yikes!" Underling reeled as she weighed her options. She tried to get away as soon as possible, but with all these people here, and especially the CPUs surrounding her, it looked virtually hopeless.
Not to mention the damned rat was still unconscious.
Whatever was behind that door, though... It kind of scared her a bit, but it wasn't like they were gonna let her go if she declined...
She didn't even have her pipe on her, so she couldn't even fight her way out, albeit that option was definitely hopeless at this point.
It was either she accepted or...
She looked at Gris.
"So what will it be?'' He asked, still using the intimidating stare.
She didn't want to find out.
"Fine. I'll come. But where's my pipe?" Underling finally decided to join the group of five, as she got up from the ground, dusting herself off.
WOOSH!
GRAB!
Vergo outstretched his hand and grabbed the pipe of the ASIC member with his wind affinity before handing it to her.
"Here." The shades-wearing CPU Candidate handed her the pipe. She snatched it from him before walking away from him, a dismissive look on her face.
"Tch." She spat as she retrieved her trusty pipe.
The six members were now assembled. They walked toward the large doors of the Basilicom and tensions were replaced by suspense as they approached the doors.
"Are you guys ready?" The blue-haired adventurer asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be, boss man," Vergo told the past version of his teacher. He clenched his pole, turning it into his staff.
CLENCH!
EXPAND!
"Indubitably."
GRASP!
Taleia gripped the hilt of her sword.
TWIRL!
"For my darling Vert, I'll always be ready." Chika twirled her spear.
PUMP!
"My Glock will do something productive about this problem. By filling it with holes." Gris smirked as he took out and cocked his gun.
"Since all that's been said and done, let's venture into the darkness! Because I have nothing better to do!" Nebula raised his fist as the others sweatdropped.
"That's your reason?" They deadpanned.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go inside this crappy haunted house or whatever." Underling rolled her bright red eyes.
"You be quiet, you mook!" Chika snapped.
"Oh shut up, ya big fangirl!" Underling barked back.
"Ladies, ladies, you both suck. Now let's go already."
KICK!
SLAM OPEN!!!
Gris interrupted the beginning of a spat as he walked up to the door, before blasting the doors open with a strong kick.
MENACING LAUGHTER!
ドドドド!!!
As the assassin opened the way for the others, a peal of extremely foreboding laughter echoed from within as more voices, higher and lower-pitched mimicked the mannerisms of the original.
The staff members and Domio were petrified by the amount of laughter sounding from just opening the door. Whatever was inside was truly a force to be reckoned with if the mere challenge of entering was met with hysterical and villainous cackles.
Fears were stowed as the six passed through the darkened building entrance.
SHUT!
As they entered the ground floor of the Basilicom, the doors immediately slammed behind them shutting them from the outside world.
"Unholy shit!" AL cursed as he slightly shielded himself from the force thr dor was closed at.
"A-Aie!"
FREEZE!
Domo jumped as he was snapped out of his petrification, freezing his legs to stay in place.
The staff members were blown to the ground before getting back up and out of their fear-induced stupor as they were now shocked by how the door closed on its own.
Unconscious bodies were now scattered all over, Warechu being buried instead of being thrown on top of the other members like how he was last time.
"The doors closed their own!"
STRUGGLE!
AL observed as he went up and tried to force them open.
Tried as he might, even with the power of Burning Fever, the doors did not budge.
"It's like a supernatural force is holding them shut!" The flame warrior voiced his perspective.
Domio then saw something leak from the door. It was the same aura the ASIC members were covered in.
"AL, look!" Domio pointed as the afro warrior ceased his struggle. He stepped back as he saw it.
Not only the doors but the entire Basilicom itself was covered by the fear energy aura!
'Shit really hit the fan as soon as they entered, huh?' AL thought to himself, before shaking his head.
'No, they're still in the frying pan for now... But when they jump into the fire, it'll be all our geese becoming cooked.' The afro warrior decide upon as he then turned around, to see something struggling beneath some knocked out ASIC soldiers...
SHUT!
"Eek!"
GRAB!
Chika squealed as she latched on to the nearest person, which happened to be Vergo.
"Oi!" Vergo lurched as he felt the bodyweight of Chika glomp onto him.
"The door!" Taleia looked back.
STRUGGLE!
She ran up and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Damnit!"
GRASP!
She grunted before taking her sword to try to slash the door open.
FEAR AURA!
But before she could slash the door down, it was coated in a purple evil aura.
"!!!" The group reached the door bursting to life with the dreaded energy source. Taleia flicked her sword hilt, raising it from its sheath, but was halted by Nebula as he grabbed her hand.
"Don't bother." Nebula shook his head. "Fear energy negates anything weaker than it. Especially physical attacks." He stated.
She glared at the doors before giving Nebula a look of understanding before sheathing back her sword. They were effectively trapped within the confines of the Basilicom.
"So now what." Underling asked, not happy with their situation. "I can't see anything in this damn place." She complained.
"I can fix that," Vergo said as he focused a green ball of KI within his palm, making the room glow a soft green.
"I'll help you out with that." Nebula opted as he made a ball of KI of his own, the room being further illuminated as he made another light source.
"Hmph." Gris looked at his hand before grabbing his wrist and sending a surge across it, making a ball of white Toki, that crackled with electricity from time to time as the room had basically become somewhat visible.
"That's much better." Taleia looked around as she could now see more clearly.
"Kickass! I can finally use my eyes!" Underling fist pumped in relief.
"That's better. And get off of me, you pervert!"
PUSH!
She pushed Vergo away from her.
"Oh, you blasted slag! You latched onto me! " Vergo fumed.
"I don't want to hear it from a degenerate like you."Chika twisted her head.
"... So where should we go?" The CPU Candidate asked Nebula, ignoring Chika completely.
"Straight ahead. We'll split if there's a fork." The blue-haired CPU answered.
"Fair enough." Vergo answered.
The six walked through the darkness with their light sources on the outside as the weapon users remained on the inside of the group.
"So could anyone tell us what could possibly lead to the Basilicom losing all of its power?" The assassin questioned the Leanboxians.
"When it comes to the inner workings of the Basilicom, I'm as ignorant as you are in that field. But if I had to make an educated guess I'd say it would have something to do with the main power being cut." Taleia guessed.
"The generators on the basement level are what's most likely the cause of all this. Usually, if one generator was decommissioned, another backup would take its place, but since there's no power in the Basilicom at all, something must have happened to all of them." Chika theorized.
"So someone or something jacked the power?" Nebula asked.
"Exactly,'' Chika answered.
"But what could it be?" Vergo rubbed his chin.
"What else? It's definitely whatever the hell is lurking in here." Underling answered the CPU Candidate.
"All the more reason to find out what it is." Taleia reaffirmed their goal as they trekked deeper into the Basilicom.
They continued to explore the Basilicom until they were unfortunately met with a fork not much later. A three-way fork at that.
A path to the left led further down, to the basement level of the Basilicom, where all the mechanical and utility resources lay within.
Another to the right led to the backyard of the Basilicom, where the training grounds for some of the guards and the gardens the staff attended to were.
And straight ahead was a staircase with a red and green carpet with yellow accents on the flight of stairs to exude an air of lux, leading up to the living quarters of both Chika and Vert, as well as the living quarters of the staff members.
"Looks like we have a fork, mates." Vergo adjusted his sunglasses.
"We gotta split up again. So who's going with who." Nebula turned around.
"Well someone who can conjure a type of light has to be in a pair by themselves."
"Why a pair?" Chika asked.
"Because there's three paths, you muppet." Vergo harshly answered.
"I am not a puppet!" Chika defended herself.
"I'll go with..." Nebula looked between the three. He was tempted to pick Underling to mess with her, but unfortunately, he was already spoken for.
"Me." Taleia wrapped her arm around his own as she pressed her bust into his arm.
"We already paired up before, so why change now?" She continued.
"Variety is the spice of life." Nebula gave a reason.
"Happy wife, happy life." Taleia retorted.
"But we're not married." The CPU deadpanned.
"We dated at one point, so that counts." She justified.
"I-It doesn't-" Nebula gave his childhood friend a dull glare as he sweatdropped.
"Nebula, I'll drag you if I have to." She narrowed her eyes.
"I can make myself thousands of tonnes heavy. If I wanted to stay, I would. Trust me." Nebula gave her a raised brow.
"You can, but you won't." Taleia closed her eyes.
"Why?" The adventurer asked, expecting a complicated and mind massaging answer.
"Because you love me, but as a friend." She winked.
"...True." Nebula reluctantly agreed. "Fine, we're a pair, Tals." What about you, Gris, Vergo?" Nebula switched his attention as Taliea let go of his arm.
"I pick Underling." Gris immediately pointed to the girl in question as she reeled.
"M-Me? Why me?" She frantically questioned, paling.
"Because," The silver-eyed assassin paused. "You annoy me. And I want to see you piss yourself in fear. You green-haired, punk girl, tomboy imitation, mini-boss reject gremlin." He stated simply, in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Y-Y-You shut up! There's no way I'm going with an asshole like you!" She shook her pipe dangerously.
"Well, I guess you are scared. I'll get you a vandalism charge if you urinate on government property. Underling? More like Under the age of 5. " Gris taunted as he looked away, a smug look on his face.
"I ain't scared! Come here, ya damn bastard." Underling grabbed the wrist of Gris as they were now a pair. Her face was a mix of anger and embarrassment, yearning to shut the man up.
"You should be. Because I wanna know who the hell do you think you're talking to. "
AIM!
Gris regained his red eye as Underling paled from fear once more as he broke free of her grip before pointing the gun right at her head.
"Uhh..." To the point that she forgot how to speak for a bit.
"Well, that leaves me and... Chika." Vergo drawled as he facepalmed with the pole. So he facepalmed.
"You act like I want to be in a group with some lecherous, barbaric, pervert that cops a feel if something that only Vert can have access to if she wishes." Chika didn't hesitate to stay her problems with the team-up.
"I... I wanna go alone." Vergo honestly voiced his option to the others.
"I don't blame you." Gris sympathized for once.
"Hey, now. Sticking together in pairs is more functional and practical. You don't even have to talk to Chika that much. Just pretend she's a stranger and you'll be fine?" Nebula tried to ease the situation.
"And try not to grope me anywhere." The Oracle added.
Vergo inhaled heavily, before exhaling hard.
'I said I forgave her before but... I might be starting to regret that decision.' The blonde shook his head.
"And you try not to expel any more unimportant drivel from your pie hole, lass." Vergo rebutted as he picked up his staff. "That should be everyone, right?" He did a check for the pairs.
"Affirmative." The assassin nodded. "Now let's cover some ground. The longer we stay here, the more time whatever the hell is in here gets to settle." Gris motioned as he walked towards the left path, Underling scrambling to follow him.
"Hey! W-Wait up!" She yelled as she dashed behind him.
"Well, let's get right to it." Nebula smirked as he walked towards the right.
"Nebula, stop." Taleia shook her head.
"What? That was good." Nebula defended his joke.
"No, it wasn't." Gris' voice echoed.
"Nobody asked you!" Nebula shook a clenched fist in annoyance.
"Nobody wanted to hear that terrible pun." The assassin's voice retorted.
"Damnit!" The adventurer shouted before he sighed. "That didn't go... Too right- "
"FUCKING HELL NEBULA!"
"Yes!" The confidence returned to the CPU as the swordswoman laughed in contempt.
"Alright, that one was rather humorous," Taleia admitted. The two walked to the right as they wandered down the correspondence hall.
"And that leaves us. Alright, Hakozaki. You go first." Vergo motioned.
"Oh, so you're finally learning some manners by letting me go first?" Chika questioned the CPU Candidate slyly.
"No, it's because in horror movies, the person in the front dies first." Vergo nodded. The Oracle paled at the tibit.
"I-I could say the same about the person in the back!" Chika retorted.
"Yeah, but I can actually tussle with the eldritch abomination. So, you're the only one at risk. Keep that in mind the next time you want to be a cunt to me." Vergo stated his viewpoint on the situation.
"..." Chika remained silent as she walked up the flight of stairs. Vergo followed closely behind as to not impair her vision too much.
"It's also so that I can keep an eye on you, alright. So don't wander off too far-" The blonde's sentence was cut off as he received a very inappropriate sight.
"Don't worry. I'm much smarter than to wander off at a time like this-... What's the matter?" Chika turned around as she stopped walking up the stairs.
Vergo's pupils became constricted as his face reddened at the sight.
A laced black thong was within his sights as his sunglasses were of no help in hiding the fact.
It was the opposite actually, the light being dimmed by it just enough to get the perfect view.
'She even wore panties like that now?... Lass was a freak.' Interest blossomed in the godling's mind.
"Y-You...!" Chika's eyes shrunk as a crimson blush was etched across her visage. She gained a sense of feminine fury e quickly twisted around to give the CPU Candidate a fitting punishment for his accidental peek.
"PERVERT!"
KICK!
VOOM!
LAND!...
She shrieked as she kicked the time traveler, the share deity barely being able to block the kick before being pushed by the force all the way back to the ground.
"Shite!" Vergo cursed as he skidded. He came to a stop as he saw an angry Chika approach him.
"You disgusting creep!" Chika accused as she approached him with her spear.
"Oi! I didn't mean to look! You were literally right in front of me! It's not my fault you wear such a short skirt!" The blonde tried to defend himself, only adding to the Oracle's ire.
"Blame your wardrobe! How am I supposed to watch you if I have to look down like an uncomfortable high schooler walking up the stairs?!" Further words were used to describe the logic.
"MY FASHION CHOICES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LECHEROUS TENDENCIES!" The Oracle defended herself as she pointed an accusing finger at the CPU Candidate.
"You say that, but I couldn't accidentally look if you wore a longer skirt. And to boot, you wear a thong. So I don't know what you do in your spare time, but if you're wearing that, Chika... Just don't let a love session with the dakimakura accidentally show up on the hub-"
Chika moved as a blur as she grabbed the blonde by the vest, their faces inches away as she looked at him with deathly suspicion.
"How do you even know about that." She interrogated, eyes darkened as they stared into the Candidate's soul.
"I-" The blonde was cut off.
"Who doesn't?" An echoey voice rang around the room, its reverberation only being magnified by the walls.
"After all, I could still smell the sex fluids all over your precious Lady Vert body pillow." The voice continued as Chika let go of Vergo as he hit his head on the ground.
THUD!
"Argh! Bloody hell...!" Vergo groaned as he got up and dusted himself off before brandishing his staff.
"Who are you! And how do YOU know about that!" Chika, still with some slight embarrassment, aimed her staff as she looked for the origin of the voice.
"I know of whatever is shrouded in the darkness. Which happens to be this entire compound. Tell me. Are you afraid?" The voice asked.
"Nope." Vergo twisted his staff as he scanned the area.
"Not by a longshot," Chika responded with a haughty tone.
"Is that so? Well then. That answer is going to change very soon if I have anything to say about it."
RISE...!
RISE...!
The voice held some mirth within as two shadowy figures, clones of DIO rose from the ground.
Their red eyes were piercing into the eyes of the pair
"What the...? What are these amalgamations?" Vergo questioned.
"Meet my creations. Copies of me, meant to murder you in cold blood. This won't take long. And if you manage to survive such an ordeal, you'll be met with a surprise. I bid you adieu." The voice bid farewell before descending into a fit of fading chuckles.
LAUGHTER!
ECHO!...
"Come back here! I still have to get you for blathering about my body pillow!" Chika screeched.
"Chika, everyone here knows about your dakimakura. Even the clones know." Vergo motioned his hand as the clones sniggered and chuckled at the Oracle.
"That's it! For my honor, and the honor of my darling Vert, it's time to put an end to you!" Chika gripped her spear before getting in an offensive position.
"That's what I'm talking about. Alright. I hope these clones don't know how to truly take the piss, or Chika might very well be the first person to kill darkness incarnate." The CPU Candidate sweatdropped as the Oracle gritted her teeth towards one of the clones that gestured 'Come hither with a finger.
"But who said that was a bad thing."
GAZE!
WINDWAVE!
Vergo closed his eyes before opening them again, making a gust of wind be blown towards the clones with his SP Skill.
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 are going for gold.
And another chapter done. Thongs- I mean, things are beginning to build up! Sorry, Chika-
And with the ever eccentric DIO somehow still pulling strings, even in an alternative dimension, the playing board is both unfair AND unknown. Even staging the spontaneous attack on the Basilicom to draw the attention away from himself, and setting up the battlefield beforehand like a true villain.
And with his terrifying powers and abilities rolled up his prada sleeve, not much can stop him from fulfilling his mission of despising our good boys. Well, good enough boys.
But luckily, our heroes (and Underling) have come to investigate the foreboding phantom. And being trapped inside, they have no choice but ot play his deadly game.
And with the group split up into pairs, the Leanboxians have already encountered the mastermind and are faced with his dark creations, with Vergo taking the first shot.
Will they persevere? Or will the malevolent creature of the night dispose of his first victims? Find out the next chapter!
Arrivederci.
Read and Review!