~NRK~
The night following the Limiter + Pandora exercises, 'sponsored' by Naruto Uzumaki, Mark Spencer stood in the middle of a room with his daughter and her Limiter at his sides.
"It's all prepared," he said to them as they looked around at the four corners of the room.
Four large generator-like machines whirled as they began to glow blue.
Moments later, Citroen hit his knees as a force settled over the area, Charles's eyes widening.
"F-Father?!" She quickly went to her Limiter's aide, the French boy gasping for breath as his forehead became covered in sweat and he collapsed.
Mark pressed a button and the effects stopped as Citroen kept gasping for air, Charles administering CPR as quickly as he could breathe.
"The power of the Anti-Limiter Generators work as such. The idea is to isolate the Limiters," Mark said without a care thrown Citroen's way. "Pandora aren't affected. In this situation, Naruto Uzumaki will be left helpless by the trap," he said to Charles who looked up at her father with a nervous nod.
'Isn't this enough?' Some traitorous part of her mind said as she swallowed. "Understood, father…" Something built within her core as she helped Citroen onto her shoulder, the Limiter's eyes trembling as he gasped for breath.
'W-What was that?' Something was wrong with this trap, something… "S-Sir, remind me again, how do these work?" He asked, a sense of urgency filling his blood.
"?" Mark raised a brow before shrugging. "The idea was Anti-Freezing fields, to nullify the Nova, we at HQ were considering the project for Pandora. As much as it pains me, we want to include Dr. Kamui on the project so he could make easily carryable Anti-Freezing."
Charles rather liked the idea but the tightening of Citroen's hand on her shoulder had her stopping, looking at the still gasping Limiter.
The horrified look that it seemed even he didn't understand, the way his heart thundered against her chest.
Something was wrong… something was horribly wrong.
And yet… Charles held her tongue as she led him out. "W-We'll take our leave, father," she said with as much conviction she could muster.
"You're dismissed. Remember tomorrow night."
They left that odd training room that wasn't even that far from the others but it was sectioned off well enough for isolation of targets.
Or the isolation of Naruto Uzumaki.
As she carried Citroen back to their rooms, she bit her lip, mouth opening but closing once more as he shook his head with a tremble.
When they reached, the Limiter pushed away before stripping himself of his clothes, shocking and embarrassing the girl, before he ran into the shower, the confusion and worry settling in just as quick.
"C-Citroen? What's wrong?" She walked and knocked on the door thrice. "... the generators? D-Did something happen to you?"
"It's wrong!" The boy said as slammed his fists into the wall, startling her. "I-I don't know what it is!" The boy choked a bit.
She opened the door and hurried in, de-materializing her uniform to sit in the shower next to him.
Charles didn't feel a lick of embarrassment as she observed the naked state of Citroen, the boy looked horrified.
"S-Something about that… i-it can't be used, Charles," he said with a slight panic as she flinched at the horror in his eyes. "There has to be another way, t-that wasn't…" Enough, fucked-up as it was.
His body as a medium wasn't ENOUGH and Citroen didn't understand what that MEANT.
For what? What had happened when the Anti-Freezing had been enabled?
Why couldn't he remember the past twenty minutes? W-What was wrong?!
He gripped his head and Charles hugged him from the side, that feeling in her core growing once more.
'We… w-we can't use it?' Citroen was utterly terrified and, even with his feelings of camaraderie for his fellow blonde Limiter set aside, he was saying. "... C-Citroen, please," she held his face with focus. "You have to tell me, what happened?" Charles asked, concerned beyond understanding.
"I-I don't remember," he whispered as her eyes widened. "I-I don't remember what happened when the generators came on. My mind disappeared and I don't know where."
Charles felt ice in her veins as she tried to speak to him but a lump slammed into her throat and she was forced into silence by her own body.
What the hell had happened to him?
~NRK~
The morning following the event wasn't much better.
Citroen looked drained, pale, and a bit sickly, to the point that she was currently heading towards the cafeteria to grab him something to eat, telling him to stay in their room.
As she did, she replayed their entire 'conversation' and was left feeling a bit ill herself.
'What happened to him during those twenty seconds?' She didn't understand.
Intrinsically, Limiter and Pandora were connected. Why was Citroen taking all this 'feedback' or whatever and she couldn't feel a thing?
'It's all his fault,' her mind said… weakly. 'It has to be, father isn't normally like this. This isn't the man who saved me all those years ago, right?' Of course, it wasn't, her father had done his damnedest to never let her near the Pandora Project, why would he do something unscrupulous now?
He wanted to save humanity, that was the truth, so where were these doubts coming from-
"Yo, Charlie?" Charles blinked as she found Roxanne in front of her, the more buxom Pandora looking concerned to the point that she flinched. "... you alright? Where's Citroen?" Roxanne asked.
"H-He's feeling a bit ill, maybe those exercises from yesterday were too rough," she jerked back into that explanation despite how much she didn't feel it, knowing FAR better what was actually going on.
"Hm, I wanted to play games," Shi-Jing said, looking a bit disappointed and Charles looked away. "We don't usually get to meet in person."
Because you were on other sides of the world, caring friends… had Citroen had such a friendship with Shi-Jing Hong?
"He's simply not feeling well today, I'm sure he'll feel better tomorrow," she said, actually feeling a bit guilty. "For now, just go and eat, I need to go and bring him food," Charles said as she walked over to the food before finding the biggest reason for her situation there.
"I keep telling you, the cheese ones somehow keep winning, Kazu, it's scary," Naruto Uzumaki said as he spoke with Kazuya Aoi, the two holding two trays each with food of similar types per person. "Now, one more and we'll take 'em-Oh, hey, Charles-senpai," the male blonde began to say something before noticing her.
The Frenchwoman froze, prepared.
"... you cool?" Naruto asked her as she blinked, confused. "Uh, yo, senpai?" He said again as Kazuya leaned around his friend's shoulder.
"Charles-senpai?" He spoke as well and Charles grimaced before regaining her composure.
"I-It's nothing, whatever, good morning," she said abruptly as she picked up a pair of trays from a nearby stack. "Hmph, I need to get some food."
"Is Citroen-senpai alright?" Kazuya asked as she flinched. 'I hope he's not sick.'
Naruto nodded. "He cool?"
"He's just a bit… under the weather," Charles said with a vulnerable look. "I'm getting him food after telling him to stay in our room."
"Hmm, I get it, he should get some oranges!" Naruto grinned as Kazuya chuckled.
"Lemon works as well, senpai," he said as Naruto nodded before they left. "Take care, send our regards."
Charles was left there, dumbfounded for some reason… then that feeling returned.
Guilt? She was guilty? W-What?
Her eyes shrunk and she hurriedly picked up random things before looking at a nearby steaming kettle…
~NRK~
Citroen smiled softly as he drank some of the tea, a half-eaten orange on his plate while the other food was barely touched.
Her guilt arose once more, something within her flickering like a cold shower that left her feeling a bit numb.
'... did we really-'
"Need to do all this?" Citroen finished for her, Charles flinching as she looked up at his sad smile, flinching once more before leaning over.
Their lips met for the barest of moments but her shoulders relaxed as she sat back down, looking away from him as he nursed his drink.
"... Charlie," he said as she blushed a bit but looked at him, Citroen's face scrunched up in distaste. "We… we can't let Naruto go through that experience," Citroen said seriously as she blinked.
"Do you remember?"
"... no, not necessarily memories," he said with a frown. "Something's wrong with those Anti-Freezing fields, t-there's something in them that I don't think should be roused again."
Something that might be awakened? "W-What do you mean?"
"... it felt like I wasn't good enough for that feeling of something… on the edge of my senses," he frowned.
"What? Anything more?" Perhaps they could convince her father?
"I… it was dangerous," he said simply. "And I wasn't a good enough… medium," Citroen covered his mouth as his eyes narrowed. "I… I wasn't a good enough medium for whatever that feeling is. And, without a doubt," his eyes locked with her. "Naruto will be."
She froze before clenching her fists and getting up. "... I'll go and talk with my father," she said, only for his hand to catch her wrist.
"We're going to go and talk to your father."
~NRK~
They waited until the afternoon after Citroen felt better and more prepared with his thoughts and feelings.
Back in their school uniforms, they rode up the elevator towards Mark's office.
As it came to a stop, the two blinked as the doors opened to reveal two long lines of Pandora.
'Huh?' Charles blinked as they left the elevator and walked down towards her father's office. "... What are you all doing here? I know for a fact that every door needs only one Chevalier Pandora stationed there."
"Orders by your father, ma'am," one said as Citroen's eyes narrowed.
'What? Why?' The plan for Naruto wasn't even until tonight! "H-Hm, hmm," he smiled. "Did Secretary Spencer say why?" He asked and the woman simply kept shut. 'Why? All of a sudden he can't trust me?'
Something was wrong here.
As they hurried to Spencer's office, Citroen noted in relief that the women weren't closing in on them and, seemingly, were only doing as they should have. Stay stationed outside the rooms with the other board within.
He held onto Charles's wrist as his eyes widened. "W-Wait-"
"There you are," came Mark's voice, getting a flinch out of both teens as they turned to see the man coming out of another office, a pair of Pandora coming out to stand outside the room like the others. "You said you needed to speak with me, you two?"
"Y-Yes, can we do it in your office?" Citroen asked with a fake smile that Mark nodded at.
"Come in."
They entered and noted with more relief that the office was empty save for the three of them.
Mark moved to his desk and sat down, gesturing to the seats in front of him.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked, eyebrows raised, as they took the offered seats.
"... sir, those generators… T-There's something off about them," Citroen said as he shivered, the man frowning but still curious.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something that feels like it's on the edge when it hit me… and whatever that was, found me inadequate," the boy explained as Spencer frowned once more. "I don't even remember going into the room after it happened. It's like my mind was taken somewhere it wasn't supposed to go and met something that shouldn't be interacted with."
Mark leaned back in complete confusion. "Something?"
"Yes," Charles explained with a grimace. "Is there another method we could use on Naruto Uzumaki? If this is as Citroen said, father, this might not be a good idea."
Mark sighed as he ran his hand down his face. "We only need him to be contained, Charles, Citroen. It's not like we'll be using those machines in such an open space," their eyes widened. "We'll need to keep his abilities de-stabilized while we re-educate him."
Citroen flinched while Charles's cheek twitched.
'You mean torture,' they thought in unison, the Pandora feeling more horror at her own thoughts than her Limiter. 'This… this has gone on for too long,' they realized.
A mental connection formed without meaning to, one not from Freezing but something just as deep.
"... Father," Charles clenched her hands around her skirt. "I'll always believe in our cause, in humanity, sacrifices are always necessary, but this… this feels like something's going to happen that we can't plan for."
Mark's eyes narrowed as he leaned to the side in his seat.
"That feeling," Citroen backed her up. "I know for a fact… if I wasn't good enough, Naruto is. Sir, with all due respect, that can't be allowed to happen! What happens if this is some kind of Nova signal?" He offered as Charles and Mark flinched. "You said it's Anti-Freezing but what happens if that's not what we think it is?"
Mark hesitated. 'A Nova signal?' Would that even be possible? 'Of course, they know the true nature of stigmata.'
Naruto Uzumaki had several self-realized stigmata in his body, ones that had matured on their own and were becoming increasingly more complete from the notes.
'If it's a proper medium,' then Citroen was right.
Because Naruto Uzumaki's body was riddled with powerfully mature stigmata and that'd be more than perfect compared to the other Limiter's paltry one… His eyes narrowed.
"If we can harness this power," he said out loud as the two teens looked at him in utter disbelief. "... we'll be continuing the plan," Mark declared.
"F-Father?! Y-You know about the true nature of things! What happens if this-"
"That's enough," Mark declared as Charles flinched. "Not a single word about all of this will get out, do you both understand?"
They both flinched as the man sighed before sitting back down.
"Stand down, you'll do your jobs as we planned, am I clear?"
"Y-Yes, sir," they said, full of a wicked amount of shame.
They left after that, Mark's eyes narrowed on their backs the entire way.
He pressed a button on his collar. "I want four Pandora on Charles and her Limiter for the remainder of the day."
-Yes, sir-
The night would be a victory.
Mark would ensure that if he had to become the devil, himself.
~NRK~
They kept quiet the whole way down.
As soon as they exited the elevator, Citroen pulled out his phone and his thumb blurred across its surface before he sent the email, shocking Charles as he nodded to her.
"I won't… I can't allow such a tragedy to pass," he admitted with some guilt. "I'm sorry, Charles."
Her heart beat and she blinked, eyes of uncertainty cleared away as she held him close, their lips meeting.
Three seconds later, they parted and she smiled for him, a smile only reserved for Citroen and no one else.
"I'm proud you're my Limiter."
He blinked in shock before smiling, embracing her tightly as she melted into his embrace.
"I don't think I could have been luckier to meet you."
~NRK~
Shi-Jing's eyes narrowed as he looked at his phone after he finished taking his shower.
I need to speak with Naruto privately, somehow.
-Done-
~NRK~
Naruto frowned as he sat in Roxanne's room with not Rana but Chiffon, the two in their school uniforms.
Roxanne frowned in her bathrobe, looking at Shi-Jing as he turned attached an HDMI cable from his Switch to his TV, the screen on it surprising them.
He typed into it.
-We're all here. Roxanne, myself, Naruto, and Chiffon Fairchild-
"You know, you could just write 'Chiffon'," Chiffon said as Roxanne snorted. "Everyone keeps acting like I'm some exotic animal when they say my name like that."
Shi-Jing grinned nervously. "Understood," Naruto chuckled.
The screen of the Switch, a chat mod he and Citroen had on theirs, wrote.
Naruto, you're in danger. Citroen wrote instantly.
All humor was sapped out of the room at that. "Excuse me?" Roxanne frowned.
This can't stay up for long so listen. Secretary Mark Spencer is planning on luring Naruto into a trap in a farther training room.
Chiffon's eyes cracked open, narrow gaze brimming with cold fury. "Is that so?"
And that's not everything. The game's the coolest thing ever-
Their eyes widened as Shi-Jing Hong almost replied in confusion only to stop.
"He's being watched," he realized as a knock came on their door. "Fuck," he cursed.
"Naruto-kun, this way," Chiffon gestured to the bathroom.
They hurried in, turning on the shower, as Roxanne answered.
Shi-Jing had already deleted the conversation before turning around with a smile at the Chevalier Pandora at their door.
Sweet holy hell, this… t-this was ridiculous!
'What the hell is going on?'
Meanwhile, in the shoulder, Naruto barely held up a protective Freezing barrier against the hot water, Chiffon pressed to his chest with a frown.
She tapped his nose and opened her eyes before pointing at them.
He established a connection immediately.
'The hell is going on?' Naruto frowned as Chiffon felt the signature at Roxanne's door through Naruto. 'This is… he's going to try and trap me?!'
'I don't like it either,' Chiffon's eyes narrowed as she enhanced her ears.
"We'd like to know what this odd communication between you and Limiter Citroen is." The Chevalier Pandora.
"Huh? You mean our Switches?" Shi-Jing Hong.
"Hm? That's the item?"
"Yes, it has internet capabilities." Roxanne.
"What was this odd intermission we received from between the two 'Switches', you called it.
'Bullshit,' Naruto and Chiffon called out as the American and Chinese explained the fake situation.
'I don't like this, Chiffon-nee, they're listening in on Citroen-senpai now?' Naruto thought with a frown as Chiffon sighed.
'I'll get into contact with Obito-nii, this is really getting out of hand-'
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a shower to take, ma'am," Roxanne's voice said as a door closed before she entered the bathroom, Naruto and Chiffon peeking out to see her frown.
He extended his fields and Roxanne blinked before nodding.
'I don't like this, not one bit,' she said as they agreed.
'Yeah and, word to the wise? That lady's hiding down the hallway,' Naruto said as the redhead nodded. 'Now, us getting out of here? That's a whole new problem.'
'Hmm,' Chiffon considered an idea before grinning. 'Not necessarily. Roxanne, switch places with us, we're getting out of here,' she said as she and Naruto got out, completely dry, before Naruto closed his eyes.
Roxanne snickered as she disrobed without hesitation and stepped right in. "Thanks~."
"... she's in, right?"
"Hm, hm, yep."
"... Chiffon, I know that that's the worst tone to give me."
"Alright, alright, she's in," Chiffon chuckled as Naruto nodded, removing his hands and just looking at her. "I oughta feel offended."
"But you won't," Naruto said as she grinned without remorse, Roxanne's laughter getting a roll of the eyes out of him. "Alright, what's your idea?"
"Focus on Rana-chan and expand your field to only reach her or one of our friends in their rooms. Kazuya-kun and Satella-chan are in theirs, Elizabeth's talking with Amelia, and Andre's currently in the gym while Rana-chan is in your room. Focus on one of them but most definitely Rana-chan."
Naruto chuckled at that, eyes closed. "Alright," he focused.
Find Rana, reach out to her connection to him, and latch on.
~NRK~
Rana blinked as she stopped mid-push-up, looking at an orange hexagon below her chest.
"Huh?" She stopped and sat up, looking around and not sensing Naruto anywhere near her. 'Is he trying something new?' Maybe it'd be interesting.
~NRK~
"Alright, got her."
"Alright now expand a field around me and you," Chiffon said with an eager grin as he did. "Okay, hopefully, this works," she said as she hugged him. "We'll talk later, Roxy!"
And then they vanished in the familiar haze of glowing hexagons that were left by Chiffon's Illusion Turn.
"Huh, I guess it's the interaction between techniques."
Well, since she was now alone with her beau.
"Shi-Ji! GET YOUR NICE ASS IN HERE!"
~NRK~
So, this was Illusion Turn?
Naruto blinked as he and Chiffon flew through… what felt like dimensions and yet wasn't?
He didn't know, all he did know was that it lasted for a mere two seconds before they were in his room in front of Rana.
"Holy cow!" Naruto's mouth fell as Rana waved. "T-That's insane!" He said even as Chiffon grinned from within their on-the-floor embrace. "So, uh, bad news."
An hour later, they were brainstorming when the door had two knocks on it.
"Huh? Kazu?" Naruto stood up before going over to open the door. "Yo, dude, what's up?"
Standing there in a pair of black shorts, white sneakers, and a blue shirt, Kazuya nodded.
"I was going to head to the gym with Andre-senpai and Eugene-senpai, wanna come?" He asked.
"Sure!" Naruto said without thinking as Chiffon and Rana laughed.
"Go on, we'll hold down the fort," Rana said with a smile and wave as Naruto chuckled bashfully.
"Thanks!" He hurried about, tossing his blazer and pants, leaving him in a black shirt and boxers.
He moved around in a blur, soon having on blue shorts before slipping on some shoes.
"Alright, be back, don't hesitate to call," he said to Chiffon and Rana.
Kiss, kiss.
"Later!"
He ran out of the room without hesitation, leaving a gobsmacked Chiffon who held her kissed cheek with a blush and a raucously laughing Rana.
Kazuya's mouth fell before he ran after his friend. 'How does he do it?!' Maybe he just needed to work out?
Kazuya knew the world didn't make sense right now.
~NRK~
Naruto frowned at dinner, the gathered groups wearing their usual uniforms.
As he ate, Naruto also did his best to ignore Chiffon's grin.
He'd made an abrupt and easily possible mistake and… kissed her on the cheek.
And neither she nor Rana were the least bit upset about it.
What the actual hell?
He raised a brow. 'I haven't seen Arthur since this morning,' then again, he hadn't seen Genessa either since then. '...' Naruto schooled his expression as he ate.
"So, it's just three more days and we'll be leaving," Satellizer said as most of the group nodded. 'I wonder where she is,' she thought, remembering the text that Genessa had sent her earlier.
Something about being busy with Arthur in a special space in the Alaska base.
"It seems so," Amelia said but she smiled. "But with our funding, we'll be a recognized space, we'll get better and Dr. Ohara even said that we could travel between the Genetics to learn more!" She grinned as Rana did while Chiffon hummed.
"Hmm, you all will get to develop those Volt Graph skills more and you could see how you fare against regular Pandora," she smiled as Jina nodded, bumping shoulders with a chuckling Eugene.
"Well, all things considered, all's well that ends well," Eugene explained as Naruto nodded. "I've been speaking with some of the other Limiters and they're excited about tomorrow's lesson," he chuckled as the blonde rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I hope so. It's going to be fun!"
As they chatted, laughed, or ate, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling that something was gonna go wrong.
He could feel it.
~NRK~
Obito frowned as he listened in on the head mechanic's conversation with one of the Chevalier Pandora.
"Keep away from the northern sector, you all are allowed to turn in early," the woman said to the man who huffed.
"Fine, fine, I know when I'm not needed. Alright, boys, pack up, we're turning in!" The man declared to the four mechanics with him, Obito included. "Geez," he muttered as they left the lower mechanics area for one of the farther sections of the Alaska Base.
As they left, Obito's eyes narrowed as he trailed at the back of the group.
"All preparations… we have them…" He barely heard as he left along with the others.
'Not good,' he thought as he double-tapped his mic.
Two small beeps got a nod out of him.
~NRK~
That night, Naruto frowned with a growl as he stood in the bathroom, half-naked in some orange shorts, with his phone on his counter with a long text on it.
Come meet with Arthur Crypton and Genessa Roland if you wish for them to remain unharmed. Tell NO ONE or we'll be forced to use more brutal methods.
He wiped his mirror with a frown, looking at powerful blue eyes with a new set of slit pupils.
'Mark Spencer, you son of a bitch,' that wasn't nice.
His mother wasn't the person he wanted to punch in the face!
'If he's got Arthur and Genessa, what about Citroen?' He hadn't seen the older blonde recently, not even at lunch and dinner… 'Damn it,' Naruto would have to apologize to Citroen.
Because he was about to willingly walk into a trap-
There was a knock on the bathroom door and Naruto blinked.
"Rana-chan?" He leaned off the counter before going over to open the door. "What's-"
She hugged him in her usual nightclothes, stuffing her face into his neck, surprising and confusing him.
"R-Rana? What's going on? What's-"
"You're going to go and do something, aren't you?" She asked him directly, getting a flinch out of the blonde whose eyes narrowed but softened in the same breath, embracing his girl back.
"... yes," he admitted fully and truthfully. "..." Naruto noted the bugs in the room, likely put there during dinner.
A pair of orange hexagons formed between his and Rana's chests.
'They've got Arthur and Genessa,' she flinched. 'Right now, I need to go and make sure they're safe, Rana. I don't like this, Mark-teme is currently hurting my favorite people for the sake of making a point that I'm not sure about.'
'And what happens if they catch you?' She asked back, nuzzling his upper chest. 'If things go south? It's a trap after all.'
'It is but I can't let them get hurt, you know. And that's also why you're going to go and grab Chiffon-nee,' she looked up at him, confused. 'If you two want to break me out of whatever happens, you'll need the two of you to do it. Not saying that you guys aren't already ahead of the curve but it is Chevalier Pandora.'
"... alright," she nodded, pecking him on the lips before they let go. "I guess you're heading out?" Rana said rigidly as Naruto snorted before chuckling, bumping shoulders with her.
"Yep, I don't know how long I'll be, I have to, uhhh… go see someone, it's nothing serious," he said as he put on a black shirt and his black ninja sandals. "Alright, I'll be back."
He kissed her one last time before heading out, Rana nodding as he did before going to their bed and laying down.
She then closed her eyes and… focused.
She'd be damned if she didn't immediately prepare for his rescue if things got that bad.
~NRK~
Naruto frowned as he walked down the hallways at 11 pm, the scarce number of individuals, mostly staff, around making the whole trip even more concerning.
'Why?' He thought as he walked to the intersection of buildings, following the map on his phone. 'Why?! What's the point of all of this?!' Naruto thought with a growing rage, the air around him throbbing for only a moment. 'Dammit, you old bastard, Arthur, Genessa, your daughter's own Limiter?! What ISN'T enough for you?!' Calm down, calm down.
The blonde stopped and breathed in, his own Volt Lines calming down from his arms, cheeks, and chest.
'I won't get anywhere by being angry,' he told himself. 'I just need to approach this my way.'
~NRK~
Scarlett looked over the new pill theory she'd written up.
"If Spencer OKs it, this might make things perfect," she smiled as she put down several files in a manilla envelope, copies of the files she sent the Secretary officer. "No more experimental drugs, no worrying experiments, just pure-"
The door to her office opened and she blinked, turning around to find none other than Mark there in the flesh, a familiar manilla file folder in his hands.
"Sir?" She stood up from her desk, blinking as Mark came in with a quartet of Chevalier Pandora behind him. "Is something wrong?"
"No, in fact, things are better than ever," the man shrugged and she relaxed a bit. "I'm here to talk to you about your latest theory."
Time to pitch. "Yes, well, I've been considering it for a time," she said. "I won't lie, I repurposed some theorycrafting from Dr. Kamui," Scarlett admitted with less venom than even she expected. "Hmph, if we can improve the faculties of the human body, we could open up the application between stigmata technology and-"
"You've put a lot of thought into this," he interrupted as she blinked before nodding.
"Of course, those girls deserve the most chances we can give them. If we can find safer methods-"
"That's not your job anymore, Dr. Ohara."
Scarlett froze as she looked at him in total confusion.
"W-What? I believe I might have misheard you."
"You didn't," he said as he came forward and put her file down on the table. "... you invited a troublesome individual into our facility, he's essentially taken over the project and you're not bothered in the slightest?"
'The fuck is he on about?' Scarlett looked more and more baffled. "Sir? Naruto Uzumaki has helped bolster our project, why would his involvement cause issues?"
"Because he's one boy with power we don't understand, Scarlett, how do we even know if he's even human?" He asked as she flinched. "He's an insubordinate child who's taken his position in the world for granted and we'll be rectifying that in thirty minutes," Scarlett's eyes widened.
"W-What the hell are you saying?! Mark, you're implying-"
"That I'll be reigning in the newest chink in Chevalier's armor? Yes."
"You know that's not what that is! He's a boy, you said so yourself, and you want to torture him?!"
"..." His eyes narrowed as she gasped, being surrounded by Chevalier Pandora. "That's why you're being removed. You're an incredible mind with high potential but you've compromised yourself with your feelings and we can't have that. Humanity's work will require sacrifices," Mark said to her as he turned around. "With the advent of the approval of the E-Pandora Project, we'll be accepting new hires in the coming week," her eyes widened.
"No! Wait, Mark, think about this! I'm the one who made the project what it was!" She struggled. "How can you throw me off it!?"
"Because we have all your files, your knowledge, your history, and your work, reverse-engineering it won't be too difficult with a team of less emotionally-sensitive scientists about," she paled as he frowned. "With that, we'll be continuing the Mark medicine and ensure that the E-Pandora remember who they work for."
No… no?!
All her work? All her effort? The E-Pandora and their efforts?!
They'd all be dashed for the sake of one man's fucking ego?!
'There has to be something, anythi…' Her eyes widened as Mark huffed.
"You're discharged-"
"N-No I'm not," she interrupted him, getting a glare her way but her shaky grin displayed in defiance. "Stop all of this, Mark, I can give you something greater than just some medicine… just leave the girls and the boy out of this."
She'd already prepared to protect them… and now was the time to play her card.
"Mmm?" He raised a brow at the restrained scientist. "What could you possibly offer to make such an agreement?"
"DNA maps of Maria Lancelot."
The offending group's eyes widened at her grin, Dr. Ohara smirking the entire way.
"I've been dabbling with those on the backburner for the sake of ensuring my project. If you go to Examination Lab 1, you'll find an invisible back door with a hidden DNA-sequence lock. If you leave them be, they're all yours."
"..." Mark's eyes narrowed in interest. "Bring her, we'll see if this is true or not," he said to his women.
As they left the room, faking an amicable relationship, Scarlett sighed in relief.
They traveled for a mere six minutes before arriving and going into Laboratory 1.
Going to that specific part of the wall, she pressed her hand against it to reveal that, yes, she had been telling the truth.
And the beings inside? Mark nearly salivated at the sight of them.
Ten perfectly copied Maria clones floating in individual pods filled with a luminescent liquid, each one more valuable than the LAST!
Scarlett wore an apathetic expression as she was released by the Chevalier Pandora in full, all of them too shocked to do otherwise.
This was the truth, she'd done something no one else could and that meant things.
Worrisome things.
"There, take them and leave the kids out of all of this, Mark," Scarlett said simply as the man stopped his awe before frowning, back to her.
'Drop it all now?' But he had to get these transported and away from the Alaska Base before anyone came close with their snooping. "Tsk…" Mark schooled his expression as he turned to face her. "You're right about your value, go and grab some coverings for the pods," Mark said to his Pandora who nodded before leaving the room in a hurry. "You've done well, Dr. Ohara, I'm sure we'll find more use for you."
Scarlett sighed in relief. "I hope-ZZZZZZZZ!" Her body trembled from numerous electrical shocks, the stun gun in Spencer's hands dropped by her shoulder as he left.
"Get some rest, it'll all be over by tomorrow."
~NRK~
Naruto found himself, twenty minutes away from his room, by a set of doors that hissed open so he could see a familiar pair of his friends.
The two looked drugged out of their minds, sitting in a spacious cell and in the air, the sight of them getting a frown but relieved sigh out of the spiky-haired blonde.
Still… the door behind him closed and Naruto looked up as eight Chevalier Pandora descended from the corners of the ceiling, in full Chevalier gear with an additional piece of black visor headwear that hid their faces.
"..." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked around. 'Be on the lookout for anything-'
Then the four sloped corners of the room vibrated, confusing him until he felt it.
His body shuddered as his eyes widened, blue pupils flashing brighter and dimmer in random intervals before Naruto gripped his head.
"Hrrggkk!" The blonde wheezed a bit as he hit his knees. "W-What the hell?!" Naruto growled as one of the women came close. "!" His eyes narrowed and he tackled her off her feet.
"Ah! G-Get him!" She shouted as he brought her down before Naruto grabbed her head.
Three slams into the ground were all he could get before he was thrown off her by another Pandora, a kick to his side sending him slamming into one of the walls in the room and getting a hiss out of him.
'I-I feel like my body's on fire!' He thought as he dodged out of the way of a metal-denting foot, rolling to a stop even as every part of his body felt like it was throbbing constantly for some reason-"
Then he saw 'it'.
Blue eyes widened as the world around him froze in time, the darkness of space tinting everything in his vision before he turned around.
Naruto blinked before he reached another plane.
One composed of blue colors, darker hues beneath his astral form's feet, and lighter blue above like a normal sky, the horizon being a split between the two colors.
Yet, it wasn't normal, circuit-like marks seemed to spread all over the world he was in, fading in and out of focus before flashing or dimming randomly.
"What the hell?" He blinked as he looked around more. "Where am I?" Naruto frowned before blinking as something 'bounced' against his senses… no, wait.
His back.
"Huh?" He turned around to the horizon behind him, a shining light seemingly emanating from the very center, one that grew brighter the longer he looked at it. "... what is that?"
Then, as if summoned by his inquiry, memories, feelings, and visions rammed into his head.
Nova?
Darkness or, really, dark emotions.
And uncertainty…?
What in the world had he just been hit with? Why was he seeing all of these things?
"What?" He frowned as that light seemed to 'transport' him towards it, the boy quickly landing after a flash of white before looking up at something he wasn't sure of how to interpret.
An orb of light blue light that seemed to sprout all the circuitry from the ground to the air to the world to the words even Naruto spoke.
"What… are you?" He looked at it, confused something fierce.
It throbbed and his eyes widened for the umpteenth time… but this was DIFFERENT.
After all, wasn't this the Transcendent Will?
~NRK~
"... I see," Chiffon's eyes narrowed as she put on her black spats over her white panties. "I'm glad he has such faith in me… but, Rana-chan," she spoke kindly but hesitantly. "You realize, we'll be completely going against Chevalier from here on, right?"
Rana finished putting on some tight black short shorts before nodding with a fierce look.
"I'm well aware-de arimasu," she said. "Naruto-kun's way of protecting us eventually got through to me, there are dangers I can't possibly fathom when we do something directly. It doesn't show often," Chiffon smirked. "But Naruto-kun is more aware of a situation than most would believe."
"Don't I know it," Chiffon said as she pulled on a long-sleeved white top, feet already covered by a pair of blue ninja sandals. "Honestly, these feel kinda nice," she giggled as she wiggled her toes, Rana smirking as she did a dark blue tube top on.
"It takes some getting used to but they're downright great, nee-chan."
"Mm-hmm, so, I know Naruto-kun said that we should keep this small but I think I need to be sure of something, Rana-chan. I need to be sure that you can truly go forward," she said, confusing the younger hybrid.
Yes, hybrid, Chiffon wasn't a fool to think the newly set power within Rana was anything different.
She'd gained more power in a way that almost made her otherworldly but that was it, almost. Rana was still mostly human but it was… emphasized, almost, by this new 'part' of her.
Chiffon wanted to truly see the extent to which she'd go.
"Come on, the training rooms are always-"
There was a knock on Chiffon's door, the hybrid nodding.
"Eugene?"
"No, it's me, Chiffon."
"Roxanne?"
~NRK~
The Number 2 blinked at the side of the training arena in a pair of black cargos, a red shirt, and a white coat, her boot-covered feet clacking against the floor as Shi-Jing Han stood next to her in black sweats, his nervous boot-covered feet clicking around a bit.
"So, I was right that we went to their room first," he said as Roxanne nodded. "If Naruto willingly fell into the trap, he's prepared to suffer for a bit," the Limiter grimaced as she frowned. "I can tell even after only knowing him for so little, he's clearly prepared to handle this situation on his own. He's that sort."
"Yes, it's sadly something I could see myself doing," Roxanne sighed as he nodded. "Still," she growled. "Mark Spencer not only put Charles and Citroen under house arrest, but he also abducted Arthur Crypton and Genessa Roland while preparing to likely do worse to Naruto Uzumaki. Does he honestly think this is going to end well?"
"I don't think he's thinking by this point. Why is he so obsessed with Naruto? What did he do? What didn't he do? Mark seems to currently be running on the basis of possible detraction? I-I don't get it."
She didn't either, which made this whole situation more worrying.
"Senpai, I won't hold back," Rana said. "I'm going to prove myself here and now. What's the win condition-de arimasu?"
"One minute," Chiffon answered, confusing the other Pandora. "I'm not going to hesitate, Rana-chan, I'm not holding back," she said as she pretended to stretch.
Rana's eyes widened as Chiffon's fingers stretched into her hair towards the back of her head.
The air grew powerful tense out of nowhere.
'T-This is…' It felt like her own Volt Textures were vibrating as Chiffon removed her hands from her limiter. 'It doesn't increase her strength,' that she knew. 'But it releases all her Volt Textures, her Soul Energy.'
Which meant her reinforcement would be greater… sounds like a blast!
Rana looked down at her hand before focusing inward with closed eyes.
She'd be pushing into a new power now, she knew, but she also knew that this would be another step to always standing alongside her friend, her fated one, her lover, Naruto.
"Alright, let's see what the difference is," she said as Chiffon perked up.
"What do you mean?" She asked as Rana grinned.
"Senpai, do you remember what we told you all about what Naruto's parents said?" She asked as Chiffon's eyes slowly widened. "With how things have changed between us, I think there's more beyond my current level," Rana smirked as the air around her distorted.
'W-Wait?!' Did she mean… oh no…
FASCINATING!
"Bring it, give me your all, Rana-chan," Chiffon grinned as Rana nodded before raising her fists.
She slammed them together at chest level and the changes were immediate.
Heat distorted the air around the newly altered Volt Weapons of Rana Linchen.
The gauntlets had seemingly just… switched out? Or, really, the 'material' had been? It was odd, residing on Rana's forearms and fists seemed to be pale-gray, fingerless, leather gauntlets with tight black material covering up to her biceps beneath them, the armaments looking simple and even light with low durability that came with flame-like patterns on the back of them. Her greaves, meanwhile, had changed considerably.
They reached up to her knees now with black cloth, tights-like, coverings over her hips down to her toes. The bottom of the grieves now sported bulky-looking toe armor that seemed… almost animalistic in design with flame-like marks on the sides.
Shi-Jing blinked while Roxanne tilted her head.
'Wait… those aren't Rana Linchen's…' Those weren't her Volt Weapons, right? Rana's weren't so intricately designed…
What had happened?
"I see… this is a side-effect-de arimasu," Rana said as she looked down at her new and improved Volt Weapons before clenching her fists. "Nee-chan, this may be new to me, too," she grinned in apology as Chiffon grinned before fully calling on her Volt Weapons.
The giant clawed gauntlets sprung to life and Chiffon grinned a lot more wildly as her Volt Textures erupted around her, the marks forming all the way up her legs, arms, core, and chest before it ran down her Volt Weapons.
This was likely it, for the most part, this was the 'Pandora' Chiffon Fairchild in full.
Rana breathed in and out before clenching her fists.
A similar phenomenon took place but with powerful golden Volt Textures that lit-up Rana like sparking lava before the Tibetan got into her favored stance.
"..." Her eyes narrowed as Chiffon raised her weapons and widened her stance.
"..." The older hybrid hummed as Roxanne grinned nervously.
"Um… start-?" She began to say, waving an imaginary flag, before jumping as her hair shot back from a pair of blows. "Whoa!" Roxanne blinked as Shi-Jing's eyes widened.
Rana's form erupted into gold on contact, her six wings sprouting from her back like hexagonal feathers before swung low and up.
A downward-facing palm stopped it before Chiffon pulled the younger girl in and kneed her-Rana's afterimage in the stomach?
"Tempest Turn?" Roxanne blinked before Shi-Jing tilted his head with a frown. "Don't think so, hon?"
"... no, I don't think it is… I think that's almost like a mix between Accel Turn and Tempest Turn but it's favoring the latter more? I don't know, it's odd," he said.
Chiffon's gauntlets shot up to guard against a series of punches that rocked the air and the wall behind the third-year.
Each punch seemed to dent the wall through Chiffon's block as Rana's form blurred before she was skipping around the stationary Chiffon.
"Hmph."
Illusion Turn-
The two on the sidelines choked in utter disbelief as Rana Linchen slammed her fist into Chiffon Fairchild's STOMACH?!
"She-"
"Saw her?!"
Chiffon grunted from the blow before her eyes widened as heat built up.
"Ryuuenga."
Then the two's eyes widened as blue flames licked out from contact before Rana brought Chiffon up and down into the ground before the floor erupted into a display of blue flames for but a moment.
But that insanity was all they needed to see. "... is she even a Pandora anymore?" Shi-Jing Hong asked in awe and disbelief as Roxanne looked on at the coughing Chiffon who got up on a slightly shaky leg. "... Roxy…"
"I know, this is… is this the combination between Volt Graphs and her Enga?" The Number 2 Third Year asked him and the Chinese boy cupped his chin.
"We can assume?"
Rana looked at the floor in shock before looking at her hand and flexing it a bit.
Miniscule blue flames trailed up her arm before she shivered at the feeling.
"T-That's going to need training," she said as Chiffon nodded-
Rana choked on her tongue as Chiffon's fist slammed into her stomach.
Chiffon then proceeded to copy the younger girl's former move, without all the actual fire but with far more destructive force.
Roxanne and Shi-Jing winced at the horribly large crater Rana was put into before Chiffon was sent flying out of nowhere, Rana's raised fist hissing as she got up on shaky feet.
"O-Okay, that hurt!" She squealed before tucking in, ducking low, and charging Chiffon who grinned.
A powerful swing of her arm had Rana jumping over it, the three copies the Tibetan had tried to attack with destroyed along a large groove in the ground. The Tibetan landed on the outstretched limb before her leg snapped out, getting a dodging head from Chiffon who rotated and threw down.
Rana jumped off in time but stumbled from trying to bleed off the momentum, leaving her open for Chiffon only for the older female to balk as Rana stomped down with 'three feet', steadying herself before snapping her fist across the older hybrid's face, sending her flying.
Shi-Jing simply blinked as the two fought like demi-gods.
~NRK~
Naruto frowned before he blinked at a feeling on his head.
Looking up, he saw the tips of a pair of horns and ears, the blonde blinking before he looked behind him to see a large fox tail as well.
"I'm not even surprised, this is probably how I look in this world," he said as he crossed his arms. "... what are you? Why are you doing all of this?"
It throbbed and Naruto leaned forward with interest only to balk as his form buzzed, fidgeting like an error-based program.
"W-What?! Hold on! What did you say?!"
It pulsed again and he tried to hear but all he got was-
He vanished.
[Other… Negative… Coming.]
Naruto gasped as he grit his teeth, on all fours with a grimace and sweat running down his brow.
Then he grunted as a boot slammed into his chin, sending him flipping onto his back, the boy grimacing as he tasted copper in his mouth.
He spat it out onto her shoes before grunting time and time again from descending boots.
"Haa… haa… target acquired," the one he spat on hissed out through an earpiece as she gave his stomach one more kick. "We'll be moving him to the chambers."
-I'll be there-
~NRK~
Naruto growled in his chains, sat in a chair in an observation that sported several more of those disrupters.
Those Anti-Freezing generators!
'I should have figured that out, though,' he realized.
There weren't exactly a lot of 'Anti-' things that could be used for a trap, after all.
"Dammit, Mark! You think this is the way to do things?!" Naruto shouted at the observation deck where the man in question stood, his eyes resolute as Naruto's narrowed. "You're just as much of a monster as I thought-"
There was a buzz and the Uzumaki grit his teeth as electricity tore across his body.
"Hmph!" Naruto closed his eyes as he rode it out, the shock vanishing moments later before he opened steely blues. "So this is your idea of a 'hello'?"
The shock slammed into him again but this time, he was prepared for it.
He never broke gaze with Spencer as the rather meager, he'd been hit with WAY worse in his past, shocks died down.
"Are you ready to listen?"
"Are you?"
"AGAIN."
The shocks hit but Naruto snorted.
"You pathetic man, you won't 'save' anyone with an attitude like that. Stop fooling yourself."
Up above, Spencer's eyes narrowed as his hands clenched into fists.
"Up the voltage," he said simply to one of the technicians who frowned but did as told.
No change, Naruto Uzumaki looked at him like he was looking down on him?!
Mark sneered. "Again."
They upped it, no change.
"AGAIN."
Once more a dial went from 5 to 6 out of a 12-gauge knob and besides a small hiss, that's all they received.
"Sir, he's clearly just being stubborn, we're literally using Pandora-levels-"
"Again," Mark declared with a frown as they turned to 7 but besides a hitching breath, no other response was given. "Douse him."
Down below, Naruto winced a bit at some of the electricity before blinking as something opened above.
"... Mark, you bitch," was all he said as water came crashing down, shocking him through its conductive nature and setting him up for more, huh? 'Just focus,' don't give him what he wanted.
When the electricity came on, the water doubled the pain and effectiveness but Naruto breathed in slowly before closing his eyes.
Mark growled. "Activate the Anti-Freezing generators."
They did and the pulsing waves seemed to stun the blonde for a moment before he grit his teeth and closed his eyes once more.
"Increase the intensity, no healing will take place down below until he listens."
One of the men turned up the disrupting waves and the blonde boy choked, cheek twitching.
"Shock him again."
The shock didn't reward them with a scream, still, and that picked at Mark's patience.
Time and time again, they proceeded with the current level of shocks and disrupters for maybe half an hour before he growled.
"You're doing nothing but torturing yourself," he said through a speaker.
The boy laughed at him and Mark's eyes narrowed.
"Are you retarded?" Naruto asked him, seemingly snapped out of the pain he'd felt. "You have no idea what you're doing. You keep thinking you're going to do something worthwhile when better people than you exist," Mark's forehead throbbed. "The more I see of a guy like you, the more glad I am that Gengo-jiji's leading the charge, not an insect like MARK SPENCER."
"All the way up!" Mark slammed his hands down on the console. "I don't care how much we damage his brain, he. Will. LEARN!"
The technicians looked uneasy as his glare swept past them.
They turned all levels to their highest settings.
And then the room turned blue with sparks of Volt Textures?
Naruto was thrust out of his body like a ghost, landing on the floor of the next plane with rapid huffs and gasps.
There was a throbbing by his side and he closed his eyes as It spoke.
[...]
"No, don't… I-I know how this l-looks," the Uzumaki hissed at his sternum, the growing shocks making his lungs burn. "Ggggrrrrr," he growled, fangs and sharp teeth becoming pronounced. "Don't do it," Naruto growled out as the Will throbbed in… was that sympathy?
Pity? Understanding? He didn't know.
All he knew was that this was bad.
He pulled himself back into the present as the colors of the room shifted back to normal.
"You need… to stop… before it's too late," Naruto grunted out as Mark's eyes narrowed.
"Will you cooperate?"
"No, never with a man like you but you can stop this before you pull a Nova here."
All eyes in the observation deck widened at his words.
"W-What?" One of the technicians gasped. "W-What are you saying?!"
"Hmph, your generators… they're not doing what you think they're doing, not on purpose," Naruto said as Mark frowned deeply.
"Speak, boy, don't waste my time," he grunted.
"Those aren't waves to disturb a Limiter's skills… you're throwing our minds somewhere else… somewhere dangerous," he explained as Mark's hands tightened as he remembered Citroen's words. "You need to stop using them before YOUR EGO brings down a Nova Clash, Mark Spencer."
"It all stops when your ridiculous defiance does."
Naruto let out a sigh of pity at him.
"You dumbass, you're going to kill everyone."
"Turn on everything again."
~NRK~
The doors to the training room opened as Rana and Chiffon kept fighting.
Elizabeth Mably frowned as she, Andre, Satella, and Kazuya entered with grim expressions, all in their combat uniforms.
"Ah, you made it!" Chiffon said as she grappled Rana to the ground. "One moment, ten more seconds!" She declared as palmed the younger woman down.
The ground beneath Rana cracked and cratered but the Tibetan's eyes narrowed with their gold-burning pupils, a Tempest Turn forearm holding back Chiffon's attack.
"Chiffon, this isn't the time for games!" Elizabeth growled as the two fighters stopped before nodding, untangling themselves, and walking over with no more than a slight stumble for both of them. "W-What the hell were you doing?! If what you said is true-!"
"We know, I need to ensure everything is in place," she said to the heiress who frowned before grimacing.
"We've called our families already," Satella said as Rana blinked. "They're on the fastest express flights as of two hours ago."
"W-Wait, when did you…?" She turned to the smiling Chiffon who sighed in relief as one more person came into the room in her combat uniform.
"WHERE IS HE?!" She roared at the gathered group. "W-Where's Naruto?!"
"Not here but I know we can find him," Chiffon said before frowning. "I'll say it all again, right now, at this very moment, Naruto is very likely being tortured," she declared simply and seriously as most of the group flinched. "He went into a trap placed by Mark Spencer who is currently holding onto Arthur and Genessa."
All eyes widened at that as Rana frowned grimly with a nod.
"He sent a text to Naruto-kun about where to find them, he went ahead and told me to inform Chiffon-nee but I didn't think you'd tell them," Rana said with a small frown as Chiffon shook her head.
"Right now, if what is happening is true, this isn't some small event. Three students from West Genetics have been unrightfully detained by the Secretary Officer of Chevalier. Arthur and Genessa are notable individuals in wealth but Naruto?" She frowned deeper. "He's just come to the center stage of the world. He is a new resource that most of the Chevalier bases would want to teach at their locations, it's not wrong to say, he's likely one of the most valuable people in the world right now and he's being tortured on no grounds or evidence. That's why I had you all call your families, this will require evidence from some of the most notable families in the world to destroy Mark's position and place of power."
"Then we should go," Kazuya said with a frown. "It's been, what, half an hour since he's left? We can't-"
"Haa… Haa… I'm coming," came a voice from the door, the group all turned in surprise to see none other than Charles Bonaparte standing there, wounded. "I'll be damned if I let this happen," she said as Roxanne hurried over with a concerned look. "Don't… don't look at me like that… I'm fine."
"You're hurt, Charles," Roxanne frowned. "... go on ahead, we'll take care of Charles as best we can right now and catch up with you."
Shi-Jing nodded to Andre and Kazuya. "Help him, this is unacceptable of Chevalier and much more because of who this is happening to," he frowned before hurrying over to a medical closet near the door of the training room.
"Follow me," Rana said as her eyes glowed bright gold. 'Where are you?' She thought as she closed her eyes.
Spread out your senses, find his signature thread…
Rana grimaced as that normally warm soul flickered randomly, eyebrows furrowed as she stomped out of the room.
"Let's go."
~NRK~
"Hmm… she really called them," Louis said as he and Holly Rose were hurried via helicopter towards the Alaska Base. "... this isn't good," he realized which was rich coming from him, no pun intended.
He had a lot to make up for, people to still apologize to and a man's promise to keep.
'Dammit, Kazuya Aoi, you better be fine after all of this.'
~NRK~
Su-Na frowned as she flew the helicopter over the oceans between Asia and the US.
"Hmph," she looked behind her at the well-concealed Teslad.
Wearing a sleek black, skin-tight, full-body suit, she had on a pair white mantle over her shoulders while an opaque helmet sat on her head, hiding her face from view.
"Don't act unless the situation calls for it," Su-Na said, wearing her Obito-custom Chevalier uniform.
The outfit wasn't too dissimilar to the regular uniform but opted for a sleeveless black coat over the tights, a set of armor padding for her knees and thighs, and a familiar, new-mini form, plasma allocator on her wrist.
'Obito-kun, you've been silent for some time, what happened?' She thought worriedly.
~NRK~
Obito frowned as he watched from one of the slopes of the lands outside of the Alaska Base, wearing a pair of white insulated cargo pants, similar socks, black ninja sandals, white-colored sweater, and a similarly colored cloak, the Uchiha grimaced as he focused more with his binoculars.
"What the hell are they moving?" He asked himself as he saw the nine pods being transported, each one denoted with a number as they were pedaled by Chevalier Pandora. "Tsk, this isn't goo…" Obito's skin paled as his Sharingan activated and he looked up.
Looked up at the oddly twisting lights in the far-off sky.
"Oh fuck."
~NRK~
Mark left the rehabilitation chamber with a grimace, briskly walking down the hall before frowning as he got a call through his collar radio.
He answered. "What happened?"
-Sir! The students, Chiffon Fairchild, Rana Linchen, Satellizer El Bridgette, Elizabeth Mably, Kazuya Aoi, and Andre Francious are currently rampaging towards your location!-
His eyes widened before he growled loudly. "How?! We were monitoring them!"
-They somehow met in the training room before heading here! They coordinated somehow!-
Mark grimaced as he growled before looking back at Naruto's rehabilitation room.
'There's not enough time! The boy's will hasn't been broken!' They needed more time and/or deterrents. "Inform Charles, Julia Munberk, and all other Pandora in the facility! We have traitors in our midst and I want them terminated!"
The call back was immediate and he sighed but there wasn't much relief in it.
If Chiffon Fairchild was on the opposing force, he's on borrowed time no matter what happened.
"If we could have worked on the Anti-Pandora generator…" But there'd be no time if they wanted to capture Naruto Uzumaki. "Tsk, that damn boy," this was all his fault.
All he had to do was follow their law and this wouldn't be happening!
He hurried back to the rehabilitation chamber as he heard the intercom.
All Pandora personnel, alert, all Pandora personnel to come to the main building west hall. Several student Pandora have gone rogue and are up for termination!
He grinned grimly.
Time. Time to do something that'd have Naruto Uzumaki coerced… or to enhance some of their Pandora to the point that they couldn't be contested…
"I want a Pandora up here, stat, we'll find a way to handle this," he said with a smirk. "Also, grab the injured members from our medical wing from the fight with Roland and Crypton."
~NRK~
They heard it as they tore through another series of Chevalier Pandora.
"Tsk!" Amelia grimaced as they went down a hallway. "Damn you, Spencer."
"This is all ridiculous," Andre frowned. "Why? What does he honestly think is going to happen if we didn't do this today? Did he honestly not realize a few calls and he'd be out of the organization regardless?" He grimaced as Kazuya frowned.
"... if I could guess, he's trying to accomplish this before the week's up. I guess because Naruto would be here only for this week? Why not do this before? What changed?" The Aoi frowned. "You said it, senpai, this doesn't make sense."
"If it's for his ego… it might," Satella frowned. "I mean, when you think about it, Naruto's the reason the E-Pandora Project even got off the ground."
The group realized that with a frown.
"I can't imagine how someone could have that much of an ego," Elizabeth sneered. "It's uncouth and unacceptable for such a member of Chevalier to act like this!"
"That's why we're here," Amelia's eyes narrowed as they glowed with only the slightest hint of gold. "Rana!"
"To the right-de arimasu!" Rana declared as they turned a corner. "Right-Dodge!"
The group dodged out of the way of several slicing distortions in the air, a very familiar Pandora in the middle of the hallway with a series of Chevalier Pandora right behind her.
Indigo-colored hair set into a messy ponytail with two long bangs, fair skin, and amber-colored eyes peered back at the group with a sort of distaste she likely reserved only for trash.
Wearing a grayish-blue skirt, an untucked dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, a grayish-blue blazer, a choker around her neck, and a pair of brown loafers, the one before them was obvious to most of the group.
"Julia Munberk," Chiffon said simply as the German Pandora's Volt Weapons, a pair of currently-floating curved sickle blades. "The Number 3 of all Third Years in the world."
"Chiffon Fairchild," Julia spoke. "Bring this nonsensical rebellion to an end here and now. You don't need to side with a bunch of traitors."
"Hmm? I believe you're mistaken," Chiffon smiled as Julia frowned. "There was never any treachery down here, it's all in another building, working under Mark Spencer," she said as Julia's frown deepened.
"And what proof do you have?"
"Go and find Naruto Uzumaki down there currently being… hmm, I suppose he'd call it a 'rehabilitation' room."
"Hmph," the other third-best third year shook her head. "You'll say anything to get out of this, won't you?"
"It's the truth!" Rana hissed as the German's eyes narrowed at her. "Don't stand between me and my fated one!"
Gold and amber flashed before the air erupted into small explosions that surprised the younger Pandora.
'She can see them?' She'd matched her blows? '... no,' Julia's eyes flickered to the area where their attacks had clashed.
Sharp cuts in the metal were still there, even if the groove wasn't to her standard, so her attacks were still better.
"Last chance-"
"FREEZING!" Came a call from the back of the hall, the Chevalier Pandora all frozen as Eugene came into view. "W-What the heck is going on?!" He asked the group as Jina appeared at his side, the two in their combat gear.
"Amelia?!" Jina spoke as her friend smiled.
"I'm glad you're alright," the redhead said before her eyes narrowed. "We need to go!" Amelia said to the group who nodded only for Rana to hold up her hands.
"Her Volt Weapon-de arimasu… it can still attack from here, right?" Rana asked the third year whose eyes narrowed with more intent.
"Ah, yes, it's also an SSS-Type, hehe~" Chiffon grinned in embarrassment as Satella's eyebrow twitched.
"M-Ma'am!" She said as the Monster of the West grinned while Rana rolled her eyes with a smirk.
"We need to just break through," she said as the group prepared themselves.
For no reason as it turned out.
Julia's eyes widened as the sound of dispersed air echoed behind her along with the sounds of dropping bodies.
The Freezing around her broke as her Limiter frowned at her back.
"Reiner," Julia let out a breath as he nodded, the two of them turning around to see-
Her eyes slowly widened as she felt a finger on her cheek. 'How?!' Her eyes snapped ahead to see Cassie Lockheart standing in front of the group, Kyouichi coming up behind the group with a grin.
"Are you guys alright?" He asked them before sweatdropping at the smiling Chiffon.
"I'm doing fine!"
"O-Of course, yes, Chiffon-senpai is here."
"Even you, Cassie Lockheart? Do you also plan on siding with these rebels?" Julia asked the Godspeed who crossed her arms.
"I haven't known them for long, God knows we've met for, at best, a couple of days," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head, but she grinned regardless. "But they saved my life, they helped me without too much hassle, it's only fair that I help them back in return. Besides, I know for a fact that they're good people, there's got to be something about this situation that we're missing, Julia-san."
Julia's expression slipped for a mere moment, a fraction of a second, before it replaced itself as her Limiter sighed.
"Whether that's true or not isn't the point. You all do realize you're on TERMINATE ON SIGHT, don't you?" Reiner, a slicked-back-haired blonde young man with green eyes and an angular chin, said. "See reason, this doesn't need to happen!"
"Would you let us pass?" Andre asked his fellow Limiter who grimaced. "This about more than just some different feelings, Reiner, this is about what's right."
"... no other way we can convince you?"
"There is, just come with us," Andre countered as Elizabeth smiled, the pair blinking. "If you do, you'll see everything we're trying to tell you."
"Denied, our job isn't to be peeking into Chevalier matters beyond our understanding," Julia said as Andre sighed. "If something is wrong, the upper-brass will be informed and then items of interest will be solved."
"... sorry but that's not happening," Kazuya said with a frown. "If our friend is being hurt, right now, there's no time for waiting."
The area grew silent as Julia's eyes narrowed slowly.
Then four of the gathered group moved, Kazuya's eyes narrowing as he set down a Freezing field on his left, away from the group, that pulled down the ridiculously speedy projectile he could have seen but had a feeling was coming away from them.
Cassie's arm rested around Julia's, pulling the other offending limb back and keeping her other attack off-target.
Satella's eyes narrowed as she stood behind the Number 3 Third Year, blade at her throat.
"Let's go," Rana said as she, Amelia, Chiffon, Elizabeth, and Andre moved. "... we'll see you all when you're done-de arimasu."
"Got it." Those left behind declared as Julia's eyes narrowed while Reiner grimaced.
"My lady," he whispered as her gaze softened as it went to him before they regained their steel. "Don't become distressed," Reiner said calmly as her eyes closed before they narrowed as they opened.
It was too late, though, as Rana's 'personal' group disappeared already.
"Hmph. Termination will commence," her eyes glowed.
~NRK~
Mark grimaced as they did this mish-mash work.
"I-I have to be honest, sir, this seems unwise," a scientist said as one of the Pandora spasmed at the applied part. "S-Sir, it's clearly rejecting her!"
Mark looked away from him to a monitor at his side that showed the injured Pandora's bodily image with their 'new parts' flashing in a bright red compared to the rest of their bodies' dark blue.
"It's slowly meshing, that's all we need. They'll endure, it's their job."
The other scientists looked nervous at that but did their jobs, messing with the amputated body of the Maria clone with some green on their faces.
"I want an update on the situation," Mark said to his collar mic.
-There's no sight on Roxanne or Charles of the Top Five but Cassie Lockheart has sided with the rebels-
Mark's eyes strained, a vein throbbing on his forehead. 'Every one of them?!' Where would this traitorous madness end?!
All for ONE BOY?! Had Uzumaki truly infected them with some form of terrifying leadership?
"Tsk," he switched frequencies. "What's the result on the boy?"
-N-Nothing, sir, he's not budging, he just keeps… staring at us- The nervous technician said over the line. -I-It's not normal! Anyone, Pandora included, would have at least screamed some more but… he's just stopped and keeps locking gaze with us. His eyes are very much alert-
It was all falling down! Damn him!
Damn Naruto Uzumaki!
"... then we'll simply have to cut our losses with him. Kill the boy."
~NRK~
Those in the observation deck grimaced in unison.
"S-Sir, surely, there's more we could do."
-We don't have the time, the other samples of the DNA clones have gone to Chevalier headquarters already, there are certainly more helicopter carriers but we'd never make it. DO IT-
The technician sighed as the three Pandora in the room headed out into the area below.
As they waited for them to go, the technician frowned as he looked down at the boy who'd gained favor like no other in only a matter of months.
At a young man who'd developed new skills in their war and now they were to snuff out the source?
What kinda madness had he been hired int-
There was a flash of something on an observing monitor, something confusing.
"Huh?" He stared at the stigmatic tissues within his body. "... they're covering him in full?" The man blinked as he zoomed in on every part of Naruto's diagram to find that, yes, it WAS completely covering every part of his body. 'Why? What?' He blinked at the sea of red film that had covered the room before the 'hazmat'-covered Pandora went in-
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" They dropped as one, all eyes widening in shock.
"W-What happened?! You three, respond! What's-?!"
"S-Something's coming in! It's coming! It's coming!" One of them roared as she clawed at bulging biceps.
"Get them out of here!" Naruto shouted at the flinching men and women in the upper deck. "They can't stay in here for too long! They'll become Nova!"
Faces paled before half of the technicians ran out of the room in horror.
"W-What's going on?! What is actually going on?!" He asked over the speaker, hoping for some kind of answer.
Unfortunately, he got one.
"I told you already," Naruto said ominously. "And now, that bastard just made things stupid. Nova are coming and we're all fighting right now. That idiot's going to get everyone hurt for his own damn pride."
Right then, the running scientists inched into the room cautiously before pulling out the groaning Pandora, their eyes going to the women's arms where disfigurement had started.
"W-What in the world is going to happen to them?" One of them asked Naruto who stared at him before shaking his head.
"I don't know."
~NRK~
Roxanne frowned as she and Shi-Jing helped Charles, all three in thick coats, to the outside where a familiar Limiter waited.
"Charlie?!" Citroen hurried over, wearing a large black, furred, coat. "... D-Dammit," he grit his teeth and clenched his fist. "I… I should have spoken up about this earlier," he grimaced but Shi-Jing shook his head.
"With how everything is going? I can't believe that it'd have mattered, Citroen," he said kindly as the brighter-haired young man turned away.
"We're a part of this, Shi, how can you say that?"
"Because I'd like to think my gaming partner is someone who takes some time before figuring things out, I know you, this isn't what you would have wanted. Right now, we're all on the right side-"
"You all!" Came a voice that had the four on guard as Obito landed on the landing port. "You need to go inside, NOW!" Obito warned them as Roxanne blinked.
"Um… do we know you?" She asked with suspicious intent.
"That's not important, everyone get your combat uniforms," they frowned. "We're running out of time!"
"If you mean about the rebels," Shi-Jing began to say before Obito frowned.
"Rebels?" He asked them and they blinked. "No, that's not important! We need to prepare for the coming Nova!" He said before rushing past the shocked teens.
"W-What?" Charles balked before Citroen scrambled.
"W-Wait, he… NO!" He choked as the group looked at him with concern. "T-The Anti-Freezing generators… they caused this," Citroen whispered in horror.
Charles's soul shattered at what he'd said.
"... what do you mean, young man?" Obito asked with a frown. "What kind of generators?"
-Obito-kun- A spark on his collar reached them as he pulled it up, surprising the group.
"W-Wait, you're not with the Alaska Base?" Charles asked in disbelief as he sighed.
"Speak, Su-Na," they all choked as their eyes widened. "What's going on?"
-We're already on our way- He blinked at her words. -Naruto-kun apparently warned Chiffon-chan and she had us, the El Bridgette, and the Mably family mobilizing on the Alaska Base-
They all blinked before it really hit.
"T-There's going to be a-" Shi-Jing began to say, the four teens paler than before, before they went stark-white.
Why? The large number of explosions behind them that came with a familiar quintet of towering figures.
"... Su-Na, the 11th Nova Clash has begun," Obito said as there was scrambling over the line.
-WHAT?!- Teslad and Su-Na's voices shouted.
"Tsk," Obito pulled out a special button before pressing it.
~NRK~
The group had dispatched any Chevalier Pandora that had approached them, Rana's senses leading them to Naruto's location.
And then the lights in the hallways flashed red, the group's charge coming to a slow, horrifying, crawl.
ALERT! ALERT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ALL PERSONNEL IS TO SUIT-UP AND GET TO THE APPROPRIATE AREAS! THERE HAVE BEEN SIGHTINGS OF A NOVA!
"What?!" The group choked as one, looking up in horror.
"W-Wait! What?! Why?! W-What's…" Chiffon looked completely caught off-guard. 'This… this isn't what mother saw, is it?' No… but Chiffon had known there'd be an attack on this base.
The visions had been shared between them all, the future's recent 'muddling' had been something Chiffon knew Naruto was connected to but she'd known about this.
And yet it shouldn't have been like this, this wasn't normal, this wasn't the Will's 'schedule' of sorts.
What the hell had happened?!
"We need to grab Naruto and get up top!" Elizabeth suggested as the group was snapped out of their horror. "Once we're all together, we'll fight through it like always."
"... she's right," Amelia said. "We still have a job to do," she declared as they all nodded before continuing past the last set of doors that'd lead into the high-security hallway-
Before they all screeched to a halt as five figures stood at the end of it.
Chevalier Pandora… but ones with horribly altered forms.
"... W-What has he done?" Chiffon flinched as they all stepped back.
The arms of two of the normal Pandora were replaced, seemingly, by glowing white ones that seemed to bear powerful-looking claws that looked familiar to anyone that knew Chiffon's Volt Weapons.
The legs of the others seemed of similar nature but applied to the lower halves, their dragonic-like appendages' talons carving into the ground without much resistance.
Finally, the last one, the Chevalier Pandora that looked the most cognizant, grimaced as her dark brown hair was slowly turning a familiar pale blonde. In her chest, a powerfully pulsing heart-like organ rested and spread white nerve-like appendages throughout her body.
"Lancelot Force," she spoke as the group of woman's bar-like eyes peered at the students, veins pulsing up their cheeks and down their limbs. "Terminate the traitors."
~NRK~
So… like, two parts, you might not realize it but those were total last-minute inspiration. Originally, I was going to have the Maria clone be the signal for the oncoming Nova Clash by having Mark's men experimenting by trying to make stigmata out of them but that completely changed when I realized that Mark would prepare to shut down Naruto's power and skills.
That's where the Anti-Freezing generators come in and, yes, it's basically the Busters' version but in powerful machines instead of Maria-level stigmata. With this, there are lots of changes that will take place.
Back on track, I made Naruto the reason why the Nova came and it's not as cut-and-dry as you might think. He spoke with the Will interpretation I repurposed from the Obito x Cassandra Omake but he can't figure out its TRUE reasoning due to pain, the negative emotion rushing through, and Will's own hesitance with him as a being… but the Will recognizes him and his feelings and… well, it'll be explained in the coming chapters so I'll leave it with that.
Next, the last bit with the grafting of Maria parts is both on-the-spot inspiration and, also, a little Elden Ring inspiration with Godrick. Grafting parts of the Maria clones onto a Pandora's body makes sense in Mark's fucked up mind. It's basically excess power, ya know?
That'll certainly trail out into… interesting implications.
Alright, ciao.
~NRK Out~