Chapter 10

In Crash Bandicoot

Leaning against a wall, C.C. watched as her boyfriend and a certain bandicoot were fighting a very tall and muscular koala named Koala Kong. The koala was using his immense strength to throw large boulders at Naruto and Crash. Unfortunately for the koala, he was not very intelligent and like any gym rat, he was very proud.

Whenever the koala had a chance, he would stop and puff his chest and start shaking his pecks. The koala even saw C.C. and smirked at her before flexing his muscles in an attempt to impress her.

Seeing this, Naruto looked at one of the boulders and picked it before Crash spun it into him.

Crash then watched Naruto with a confused look on his face. Where he then saw Naruto jump over the path of lava while carrying the giant boulder over his head.

"Crash, what is he doing?" Aku Aku asked.

Crash just shrugged in confusion before watching as Naruto approached Koala Kong with the rock. Crash covered his eyes as he expected the worst, only to move his fingers so he could peek.

As for Koala Kong, he stopped flexing and glared at Naruto. The Koala reeled back his fist only for Naruto to jump into the air and slammed the boulder on top of him. A second later, Koala Kong managed to push the rock off of his body to reveal that he was as flat as a pancake.

"Hey Crash, you wanna play ball?" Naruto asked.

Crash shrugged again before nodding and getting ready. Aku Aku even disappeared and returned wearing an umpire mask as he got behind Crash.

Naruto smirked at Koala Kong before squishing his body into a spherical shape like a ball. Once ready, Naruto reeled his arm back and threw Koala Kong straight at Crash who spun and reflected the koala through the ceiling.

"Homerun!" Aku Aku exclaimed.

C.C. snickered before rolling her eyes, "I didn't know you were the jealous type."

"I'm not, I just hate jocks." Naruto said, trying to deny his jealousy.

Naruto then managed to jump over the lava path without being harmed. Once there, C.C. walked up to him and leaned close enough to whisper into his ear.

"It's okay, I like men with more than three functioning brain cells." She said, making him look away in embarrassment.

"Let's just go." Naruto said as he took her hand.

As the couple exited the cavern Aku Aku and Crash gave each other a look before following their friends out.

"Teenage romance is so strange. Imagine how your sister Coco will be when she grows up." Aku Aku said, making Crash pale.

His sister may be a young intellectual now, but Crash didn't want to imagine the insanity that comes with a girl growing into a teenager.

'I'm not ready to raise a teen! I was just born, or reborn, I don't know! Cortex didn't build me to raise angsty teens!' Crash thought as he panicked.

With B

B was still struggling with the surgery. It was bad enough that the way to handle the surgery made things tricky. However, the real pain came in the form of the odd substances that made Bob's heart difficult to remove.

'I think I need a chainsaw or a lightsaber. It's like a freaking fungus made from gum is keeping things stuck together.' B thought.

At this stage, B felt like he was stuck scraping hardened gum out of a fuse box. Biology and technology were two different things for B and the latter was his speciality. Yet, B found himself thinking he might have to try and get creative as he does with technology.

And that's when B realized he was overthinking. He was trying to figure out if he could tamper with the patient's body and maybe do something to make things easier. When he remembered that he had a variety of tools on both sides of the operating table.

'Maybe I can make a battery for that laser and attach it to the drill. Then again, I could just end up breaking some things.' B thought as he looked at what he could work with.

Regardless, the worst thing B could receive in the end was a bad score. So after grabbing some tape and feeding the place apart to look for a battery. B put together a few tools including a battery operated laser from the drill.

B then started blasting the black sticky material. He adjusted the laser's heat and made it so the material would take longer to grow back.

'I can't remove it all at once. I gotta do this quickly.' B thought.

B wasn't sure if he could remove the moss or whatever was growing inside of Bob. He also wondered if this would affect the score or even Bob's health but didn't dwell on it. All he could do was open temporary gaps so he could remove the heart.

B worked quickly before grabbing a scalpel with one of his hands. He burned through the lumps and wires long enough so they wouldn't grow back quickly enough for him to remove the heart.

'He better not turn into a mutant or reject the heart!' B thought as he began prying out the heart.

When B did remove it, he heard a loud snap and it made him pale. Luckily for B, all it did was remove several of the black leads… and a few pieces of the rib cage. He didn't know how the ribs even got stuck there. B looked around before tossing the rotten heart aside and grabbing the good heart.

Only to repeat the same process but taking up more time to burn out the black lumps and substances. Forcing himself through the tedious task of making a good enough gap to put the heart inside. Lucky for B, he didn't have to reattach anything and passed once the heart was inside.

Final Blood Level: 1710 ml

Surgery Time: 12:33.00

Grade: C

B expected much worse but settled with a barely average grade level. He didn't want to mentally hurt himself any more than he needed to with this anomaly.

However, after B left the operating room, he didn't notice the black lumps and other substances disappear as the new heart started pumping. Meaning Bob would recover from the strange anomaly. Not that it mattered because Bob was the patient for 98% of the game's surgeries.

With Crimson

In New York, Crimson was walking through an alleyway while holding an ax in one of her hands. She was strolling around these cramped corners while dressed like the Hell Spawn, but like the other games. Crimson wasn't alone despite how awkward it was that she was also Spawn.

Regardless, Crimson was containing her excitement as to what she was about to see.

'I can hear Al in the distance. I must have taken a safe route. How disappointing.' Crimson thought.

However, that was when a giant wave of flames appeared and blocked her path. Crimson poked the wall with her ax and saw that there was no physical way past it. It didn't take too much thought power to know how to get through this.

"Time to get my hands dirty." Crimson said as she turned around.

A moment later, a dozen of imps and imps with wings appeared. The monsters of Hell growled at Crimson before charging towards her.

The first thing Crimson did was unleash her chains and began ripping apart the first three imps that came too close. She then saw an imp fly towards her only for her to jump and decapitated it with ease. Then a lucky imp jumped onto Crimson's back and started clawing at her until she slammed her back into the wall.

'If I can't handle a few otherworldly monsters. I wouldn't have passed the first grade.' Crimson thought dryly.

Crimson then slashed at another pair of Imps that charged at her. Where she then focused on another floating imp that tried to shoot fire at her. Crimson dodged the attack and caught it with her chain before pulling it close enough for her to bisect. Once that was done, she drew a sawed off shotgun and killed the remaining imps.

Once done, the wall of fire had disappeared and allowed her to continue on with her journey. Eventually leading her to a warehouse where she saw multiple monsters waiting for her. After dealing with them, Crimson came across Spawn who finished off a few more imps and a couple of Berserkers.

"You made it." Spawn said.

"Traffic." Crimson replied dryly.

Spawn looked away and focused his attention on a locked pair of doors. He slashed at the locks and broke them open before heading inside.

"The presence I felt, it must be close. It seems familiar." Spawn said.

Before Crimson questioned him, she felt the warehouse shake and saw a monstrous creature land in the center of the room.

"Spawnie, we meet again." The demon said.

"Violator." Crimson said, recognizing the demon.

Violator, a demon that usually took the form of an overweight man named Clown, is an enemy of Spawn. By the looks of it, Violator was looking forward to starting trouble and possibly killing Spawn who looked displeased to see his foe.

"I thought we had a deal that you and your master would never return." Spawn told Violator.

Violator chuckled, "Things change, Spawnie. Not only does my master have his eyes set here, but some other dark forces want in on this action."

"Other forces? What are you talking about?" Spawn asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Violator said with a big grin.

"Then be my guest. You have a two for one deal for an ass beating." Spawn said.

Violator looked at Crimson and narrowed his eyes before shaking his head.

"Three's a crowd, Spawnie. I already have something planned for your new friend." Violator said.

At that moment, the glass on the ceiling shattered and a figure with a black cloak and skull shaped mask appeared. Crimson got her ax ready as she saw the figure stand up and draw a gun on her.

"What are you? The Poser Patrol?" Crimson asked, thinking the costume figure was some punk.

"You're nothing but a fake. Now, you will face someone with real power." the masked figure said in a menacing voice.

However, Crimson and Spawn were anything but threatened. Even Violator felt like his temporary teammate was cranking up the edgy behavior by 11. However, that didn't mean the figure was any less dangerous as Crimson.

"You can have him, Crimson." Spawn said, making Crimson sigh.

She wanted to fight the actual demon, not some punk who suddenly appeared.

However, this downside style of thinking never made Crimson consider who this was. Were they another glitch? Was it the mysterious enemy tampering with the games again? Crimson didn't think about it too much as she started moving.

Within three seconds, seven gunshots rang out in the entire room. They were the loudest things heard in the warehouse before Spawn and Violator began exchanging blows. Three more seconds after that, Crimson dodged six of the bullets. Then either by bad luck or bad form, Crimson gut nicked across the cheek making her jump across the railing.

"This is real power! Real strength! Let your fear carve one name into your brain!" the figure said before firing two more shots.

Crimson jumped around and avoided the first bullet but got hit in the shoulder. She ended up rolling near the masked man just as he prepared to shoot again.

"Fear the name that this gun and I share! Death Gun!" he shouted as smoke escaped his mask.

The smoke created a large smokescreen that obscured his presence. It didn't stop Crimson from jumping inside and swinging her ax within. Leaving Spawn to focus his attention on Violator who was trying to claw at him.

"That man put too much effort on theatrics." Spawn said before avoiding another swipe.

"Forget about him, I'm your opponent!" Violator yelled.

Back with Crimson, the goth girl continued to swing around within the smokescreen before hearing another round of gunshots. She was able to avoid them and didn't stop her attack. When the smokescreen disappeared, she saw Death Gun was missing but some blood was leaking from her ax.

"Hm, coward." Crimson muttered.

"Are you sure I'm the coward?" Death Gun asked, appearing behind Crimson with the gun.

Death Gun fired another bullet and bullet and completely missed as Crimson dashed to the side. He then tried to back up only to get slashed across the chest and grabbed by Crimson's chains. Where he was then slammed against the railing and then thrown across the catwalk.

"You don't get to argue when you're talking like an edge lord and moving around like a magician." Crimson said as Death Gun struggled to his feet.

He then tried to reach for another weapon only to rapidly dodge multiple ax strikes from Crimson. He was fortunate that this wasn't Bayonetta because the goth girl would have treated him like a beach ball before kicking him into the moon with that level of speed. For now, Death Gun only had her slow but ferocious strikes to avoid.

"I'm just the reaper and these are my scythes." Death Gun said before pulling out a sniper rifle.

Crimson then ducked down as she avoided a shot towards her head. She then jumped into the air and bounced onto a nearby wall before avoiding another bullet.

'Its like Taskmaster from Marvel took up poetry from a jazz club run by emos.' Crimson thought as she avoided each shot.

"Gun control is necessary as it delays the horror that comes with death." Death Gun said before landing a shot on Crimson's leg.

Crimson then started to fall and nearly fell into the center of the room where Violator was. It didn't help that Violator did something to the floor to make it look less than habitable. Luckily for Crimson, she managed to grab onto the railing with one arm but saw Death Gun approach her slowly while drawing a revolver.

"Now face the judgement of–"

Crimson rolled her eyes under her mask and shot a chain around Death Gun's mask. She then squeezed his throat tightly enough to make him drop the gun. Where she then proceeded to slam his head against the metal railing as hard as she could.

"ACK!" Death Gun cried out in pain.

Crimson then leaped back onto the catwalk and proceeded to slash at Death Gun who began to leak with a lot of blood. She didn't let up or slow down like she was a villain who needed to monologue. Instead of arrogantly flaunting how helpless her foe was or trying to interrogate him with the risk of being attacked in return. Crimson dug her ax into Death Gun's shoulder and then kneed him in the mask, cracking it as a result.

"Pro tip, bullets don't believe in friendly fire. Why? Because even a dumbass can use guns." Crimsons said before shooting Death Gun in the gut with his own revolver.

Death Gun grunted as he fell to his knees and clutched his wound. He began to pant as he reached for another weapon under his cloak only for Crimson to kick him across the catwalk. He tried to recover again, but heard Crimson approach very quickly.

'Damn, this psycho girl is more hardcore than I thought. I better make a run for it.' Death Gun thought as he looked around.

Death Gun then looked back at Violator who struggled to fight Spawn who continued to attack him from a distance. So he quickly dug into his cloak and threw several grenades his way. Watching as the resulting explosion released a powerful flash that blinded Spawn lung enough for Violator to swipe at him.

"Oh shoot, Al!" Crimson cried out as she started shooting at Violator.

Violator then turned his attention onto Crimson and slammed his palm down onto her.

"Thanks for the backup, new guy." Violator said before noticing Death Gun jumping through a window. "What the!? Get back here you wimpey ass edge lord!"

Death Gun ignored Violator before throwing a smoke grenade to lose any potential chasers. Leaving him to return to wherever he came from.

"Damn, that's what I get for accepting free service." Violator said.

Then suddenly, Spawn came gliding back and started shooting at Violator, getting his attention again. He then started slashing away at his head, causing the demon to cry out in pain.

"Damn it Spawnie! That's a cheap shot!" Violator complained.

"Last time I checked, even worthless demons don't have honor." Spawn said as Violator snarled.

Spawn then jumped away as Violator tried to swing at him. When Crimson quickly recovered and started filling Violator with a lot of bullets. This back and forth fighting for Violator was frustrating to the point he was too injured and exhausted.

"Spawnie, how could you?" Violator asked.

"Easy, because you're my bitch." Spawn snapped back.

"Sure, make your jokes now. When you don't even know the full picture." Violator said.

"You know something and I don't like it." Spawn said, sounding annoyed.

Violator laughed, "Poor Spawnie, you hate being in the dark don't you. All you need to know is we got a partnership now like you. Now, we're finding a weapon."

"A weapon? What are you up to!?" Spawn demanded.

Violator didn't bother to reply as a magic circle appeared under him and began to drag him back to hell. Violator cursed Spawn one more time before being banished from this world. Leaving Spawn to look at Crimson as if to expect some detail from her point of view.

"It sounds like Malbolgia or someone wants to torture you and the city." Crimson said, trying to sound vague.

Spawn narrowed his eyes, "I can see that, but what happened to the man in the mask?"

Crimson sighed, "That edge lord went on about power and deciding who dies. You can guess how that turned out."

"Another man with a big mouth." Spawn said before he looked over at the broken window and shook his head, "I'm guessing this partnership involves that man."

"That or someone he's working for. I doubt he's that smart." Crimson replied as she crossed her arms.

"Regardless, we have a long night to prepare for." Spawn said before breaking the locks to the next door.

Just as Crimson prepared to follow him, she saw the doorway back to reality. Signifying that it was time to return to reality. It was only soon after that Crimson considered how strange Death Gun's sudden appearance was.

The next day, in Ashford

Right now would be a perfect time to joke about sounding like superheroes. With how the group are ordinary students by day and working to save the world by night. Then again, Seras wasn't sure if their work counted as saving the world but then she remembered that they did stop that invasion from the game world.

Regardless, like any ordinary game night, everyone had to wake up and continue with their normal lives once the sun rose up. Luckily their high school wasn't the typical setting where the school acts like its rundown and full of problems like fights and pointless drama. However, that didn't mean the rich kids didn't like harassing or teasing the lower class.

"I forgot those jerks existed." Naruto said as he saw some wealthy students walk by him.

"Don't worry about them. They live in comfort because their ancestors actually had to put in the effort." C.C. said.

"I guess, but now I'm getting vibes from the Great Gatsby. My English teacher made me study that "old money" and "new money" thing. How do rich people go to war with each other?" Naruto asked as he began walking.

"Conflict is human nature. Everyone has a reason to fight." C.C. said as she walked close to him.

As they walked, they came across some posters advertising something called "Spirit Week". It was yet another attempt to improve school spirit as well as make the atmosphere more fun.

Naruto wasn't sure if this was Milly's doing but he doubted even that girl had the energy to frequently spread events like these ones out. Then again, Milly would occasionally flip the school upside down with whatever random nonsense would go on.

"Oh joy, maybe this will put a pause on the conflicts." C.C. said sarcastically.

"I wonder what the gimmick is going to be for this one." Naruto said before hearing someone call out to him.

"Hey, Naruto!" Milly called out.

Naruto turned to see Milly waving at him as she was followed closely by Shirley. Both of whom were carrying posters regarding the Spirit Week event.

"Hey Milly, hey Shirley, what's this event about?" Naruto asked.

"Well, seeing as how the school turns gloomy every few hours. At least according to certain faculty." Milly began to say.

Naruto sighed and knew the faculty were to blame. Not all teachers are people who are tired with life and lack the patience to handle the careers they chose. However, like movie executives, they didn't always know what the people really wanted. Even when they did, they would grant the exact opposite and annoy their target audience.

"So, starting at the beginning of next month. We have a gimmick planned for everyday until Friday, ending with a special festival being set up." Milly finished.

"I'm guessing you won't clue me in on specifics, will you?" Naruto asked, hearing the girl laugh.

"I'm going to need some motivation if you want a hint." Milly joked.

"Trust me Naruto, you won't believe what crazy ideas Milly has planned." Shirley said with a sigh.

"Then we can assume it won't be so dull once the week arrives." C.C. said.

Milly probably was the only one the faculty and staff could depend on to make this upcoming event remotely fun. Then again, it would depend on the resources she's given and how much they reign her in.

Naruto remembered hearing a story about Valentine's Day where all the students were wearing heart shaped hats. He heard that the girls and boys would exchange hats or something weird like that as a sign of love. He didn't know the details, but Milly cranked up the craziness by adding a special prize. Which was where one of her council members, Lelouch, would date the girl who stole his hat.

Naruto didn't interact with Lelouch but felt like the boy was what Sasuke would be if he had some charisma and didn't scowl at everything. He also appeared to be smart but had a horrific physique with poor stamina. Still, he was considered the best looking and it got the girls to chase after him.

"And it won't be quiet either." Shirley added, earning a playful bump from Milly.

"Good, I hate quiet." Naruto said.

"Then prepare for an eventful spirit week." Milly said before going on her way with Shirley.

After they left, C.C. leaned against Naruto's shoulder, "Since we don't have a club meeting tomorrow. Do you want to go on another date?"

"Sure, but I'm picking this time." Naruto said firmly.

C.C. nodded before heading to class.

That afternoon

Since Ennui was basically the only one who wasn't in on the dreams. The group had to be more careful with how open they were about talking about their dreams. However, that didn't stop C.C. from wondering when they would tell him.

It wasn't that she had this secret sense of morality and thought it would be fair to tell a friend. Rather, she felt like the goth boy would somehow get involved. C.C. wondered if being trapped in the dreams was purely random or if it required being close for a gamer for too long. The green haired girl didn't think much about it and just did what Seras and the others said.

At the same time, Crimson sent messages to Seras regarding Death Gun. With B doing something similar regarding the strange surgery. Obviously for the latter, Seras chalked it of as glitching in the Gameverse, but told B to continue giving updates if things get more intense. As for Crimson, she had to get more details and started typing up a report for Integra to receive.

'Really now, could it be another Gamer? Maybe one from a different branch appeared and mistook Crimson for an enemy? It could be a new Gamer but they had a good grasp of everything.' Seras thought.

Seras sighed and knew things would get more intense. Her fear was that another invasion or something on equal proportion was about to occur soon. For now, all she could do was focus on her present work and pretend to be a club advisor. Which was significantly easier due to her kind and optimistic nature.

"So, is anyone excited about Spirit Week?" Seras asked, trying to hype up her students.

"I am very eager." Ennui said in a monotone voice.

Sears sweat dropped, she couldn't tell if Ennui was being sarcastic or actually had some interest, but lacked the ability to show it. She would be very shocked if Ennui did get excited to see how a school event would make him happy. Then she remembered the horror show that he and Crimson caused at the Homecoming Dance. Even now, the goth couple are no longer being harassed by other students into hanging out with them.

"Haha, that reminds me of that Valentine's event in middle school." Naruto said, getting Seras' interest.

"What happened?" Seras asked.

"Basically, the school did this dumb thing where everyone got a paper heart with a number on it. So you were supposed to find your "true love" by finding the person with the same number." Naruto explained.

"Aw, that's cute. Is that the day Ennui and Crimson fell in love?" Seras asked, thinking there was a secret romance story.

"Uh… I think they got together like a week earlier." Naruto said.

"A month." Crimson corrected, making Seras frown.

"Anyways, the funny thing started off with them both getting the number nine." Naruto continued.

"And what's funny about that?" Seras asked, wondering where this story was going.

"In Japanese culture, nine means suffering. So after they got together and did their photo. I think some guy spiked these special cakes. Everyone started having stomach issues." Naruto said as he began to snicker.

Seras frowned, "I'm guessing the day is a metaphor for suffering then."

B began to laugh at this point as he remembered how spontaneous the event was. It looked horrific at first, but he remembered a lot of people having diarrhea among other things. Then again, all the details were fuzzy and he remembered no one faced any long term harm after that day.

"I guess, B and I got out okay because he recovered from a stomach bug and I didn't like the cake flavor." Naruto continued.

"Please don't tell me that you're the one that spiked the cake." Seras pleaded.

"Of course not! I mean, I probably would do something like that, but not on that scale. Besides, I think some people tried to say the cakes were already bad." Naruto replied.

Seras just sighed while C.C. rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. The latter now has to keep an eye out for any trouble Naruto might cause.

"Well at least it sounds like a cute yet simple story. Right before the sickness part. How bad was it anyways?" Seras asked.

B decided to answer this question by sending Seras a link to the online news article regarding his middle school. Along with a link from an online medical clinic going over the symptoms that the sick students felt. Which naturally got Seras to cringe at the thought of what happened to everyone.

'I guess it could be worse. At least the boys aren't actively out to hurt anyone.' Seras thought, trying to maintain a positive outlook.

Elsewhere

In Sugou's company building, Sasuke was preparing for another test phase of the VR equipment. When he saw one of the other boys looking hurt despite not showing any injury. Sasuke recognized people who fake injuries to get out of class or to scare some money out of someone like a con artist. Only now, he could see this person was in real pain.

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asked, caring very little.

The boy, a boy named Kyouji, grunted and moved past Sasuke. Sasuke could also tell when someone was mad and trying to hide any pain or embarrassment. He wasn't a mind reader but it was something he picked up from his older brother as well as having experienced similar feelings at some point.

"Stupid goth girl." Kyouji muttered.

Sasuke didn't pry but could only assume one thing.

'He probably got cocky and attacked one of those other "Gamers" that we were told about.' Sasuke thought as he prepared for another testing session.

As for Kyouji, he tried to hide how pissed he looked. He remembered Crimson and how he went by the alias "Death Gun" when he confronted her in Spawn Armageddon. He thought he could have ended things quickly and easily with minor issues. Instead, Crimson pushed through the few attacks he landed on her and kicked his ass.

'I'm going to get her next time! It's not going to end the same way!' Kyouji thought bitterly.

Like the other Gamers, Kyouji felt the exhaustion and soreness that came from entering the Gameverse. Only he felt a lot worse given how Crimson was repeatedly cutting him up and slamming him around. It was fortunate enough for the arrogant boy that the injuries in the Gameverse didn't completely reflect onto him. Otherwise he would have cracked ribs and a lot of scars on his chest.

'Tonight, I'm going to find her again tonight and get my revenge!' Kyouji thought bitterly.

Ironically, Sasuke had similar thoughts as he explored some of the other game worlds. Only unlike Kyouji who got too eager and lost his fights. Sasuke was trying to get a good feeling of the Gameverse before risking a one sided beatdown from someone more experienced in that realm.

'I'm surprised that loser is in that world. I don't know what's really going on and I don't care. I'm going to hit him with my own dose of reality.' Sasuke thought as he began the game testing.

The next day after school

C.C. may act like robots raised her, but she was still capable of emotion. Albeit, she was slow to react in certain cases or didn't have the energy to express herself loudly enough for others. Which explains that C.C. looked surprised by Naruto's skills at a claw machine game.

Initially, the two went out for smoothies and other desserts. However, the shop Naruto had chosen also had a mini arcade on the side. So after getting some drinks and snacks, Naruto decided to try his hand at a claw machine. Likely to test out some dating tropes he heard about or try to understand C.C. by using this gesture. So while Naruto was a good gamer, C.C. wasn't initially impressed at first.

Naturally, being good at a crane game was good enough to win the heart of some dumb girl. With the guy in the scenario being either very lucky or has very few impressive skills outside of gaming. Instead, C.C. felt like she was watching someone out conning a con man.

"Outside of not being the "best" at claw machines. One of the reasons I don't go for big prizes like a smartwatch or smartphone is how illegitimate the prizes are." Naruto said as he ignored going for the expensive prizes in the claw machine.

The claw machine wasn't a typical one with only stuffed animals or regular toys. It was a bit pricey and had bigger stuffed animals along with a few electronics. Typical things that would be worth over a hundred dollars. Except Naruto made a point about those prizes as they weren't actual boxes holding them.

"My dad learned this the hard way and my godfather had to teach me how to avoid these scams. In these cases, you bring a ticket or sheet to claim your prize, but they're going to make an excuse to say why you can't have it. They do this all the time in children's arcades." Naruto explained as he grabbed a large stuffed animal.

"My faith in humanity is no less small than it was before." C.C. said dryly.

This didn't stop her from noticing how awkward Naruto moved the claw machine. With him grabbing what looked like a mascot by the edge of the cloth. However, the claw machine lost its grip and C.C. went back to feeling uncaring.

"I see your skills do not match your–"

Naruto raised a finger to her lips and gestured for her to be quiet.

"$1.50 for a chance of any one thing here. Instead, I'll gamble $3.00 for the price of a set." Naruto said before playing again.

C.C. held back a sigh as she saw Naruto quickly aim for the bottom of the stuffed toy's leg. Only to miss and grab a smaller toy. As she held back from saying something condescending, she saw a trick Naruto performed. She witnessed her boyfriend grab two mini toys while simultaneously knocking over the larger stuffed animal.

"Like I said, a whole set." Naruto told her.

C.C. then bent down and grabbed the large stuffed toy along with the two smaller once. Only to then see another large stuffed toy fall down as well.

"Whoops, gravity." Naruto said, playing innocent.

C.C. realized that Naruto either tipped the machine over slightly or subtly kicked it with enough force to drop an extra one.

"This is your only free pass for cheating." she said.

"If this feels wrong, do you want to return the stuffed toys?" Naruto asked with a small smirk.

C.C. gave a rare pout, "My compensation."

"Is that what you call those?" Naruto asked.

C.C. gave Naruto the two small toys, "Give these to your siblings. I'll keep Cheese-Kun and his wife."

Naruto raised a brow and wondered if that's what C.C. named the stuffed animals. Unbeknownst to him, those stuffed toys were part of an old pizza promotion. They were discontinued a few years ago, but C.C. managed to recognize them. Which only got her excited deep down as she seemed to enjoy her new gifts.

"Okay, fine. Anything else I can do to redeem myself?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"Buy me another smoothie?" C.C. asked.

"Sure." Naruto answered.

C.C. smiled and got her drink before leaving with Naruto. On the way there, the green haired girl thought about her boyfriend and what he could be subconsciously hiding. For her, C.C. didn't really like opening up with just anyone but she could see Naruto was similar. Not in the sense that she thought he was hiding secrets or his personality was a facade. She thought he might have some hidden talents or knowledge that he doesn't typically show.

'He knows how to combat a con man, that's for sure.' C.C. thought.

"Hey C.C., I just remembered something. Didn't Seras say you would be allowed to try a game world on your own soon?" Naruto asked, makingher pause.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if I'm capable of individual work." C.C. said, sounding unsure.

"Seriously?" Naruto asked, sounding surprised.

"Believe it or not, I prefer being assisted or participating with groups in such delicate situations." C.C. said.

Naruto sighed, "I know it's technically not mandatory, but it would help if you get started on your own. Not that I mind your company. In fact, B and Crimson like having you around."

C.C. looked away as she slurped her drink. Not sure how to respond to that. She really hated these rare moments of anxiety, but couldn't help it.

"I understand that, but forgive me if I'm not comfortable yet." C.C. said.

"That's fine, you can hang out with me or the others until then." Naruto said, making C.C. feel a bit more relieved.

C.C. nodded before walking close to him.

'I annoy the crap out of him and he still has a sense of compassion. Any other boy would have just gotten mad.' C.C. thought, feeling happy to have someone empathetic in her life.

That night

B woke up in Surgeon Simulator again only to find C.C. standing in front of him wearing hospital scrubs and a surgical mask while holding a clipboard. B made a gesture showing confusion before C.C. showed him the clipboard and gave him the answers he needed.

'Oh right, co-op. I must be slipping today.' B thought as he rubbed his face.

C.C. then led B to the operating room where they would meet with Bob. Luckily for the green haired girl, nothing too gorey appeared to be going on with how silly the game world looked. However, the slightest bit of concern she had was aimed towards the tools she would use.

"This is eye surgery, is it not?" C.C. asked as B nodded. "So why do we have an 8-Ball in the jar with the eyes?"

B turned his head and saw the jar filled with the liquid holding the eyes needed for the eye transplant. He noticed a bunch of normal eyes, but there was also an 8-ball which belonged in a pool table along with an eye that looked like it belonged in a Halloween store. So he just shrugged at C.C. and gestured for her to help him.

C.C. was then given the basic instructions on what to do first. However, C.C. initially struggled to understand what was asked of her. She thought she just struggled to know what B said due to him being mostly silent. However, she soon realized that she didn't understand because of the absurdity of the first step.

Which was to loosen the eyes by blunt force trauma.

"You want me to basically hit him on the side of the head?" C.C. Asked with a straight face.

B nodded.

C.C. proceeded to remove the eye mask before slapping the side of Bob's head with a lot of force. B did the same thing by hitting the other side of his head. However, this did very little and thus required more force.

"Maybe this will help." C.C. said, reaching for a hammer.

Before B could utter a sound, C.C. proceeded to tap the hammer against the side of the patient's head. Unfortunately, despite how delicate she made the procedure look. The green haired nurse was still using a large hammer that was likely breaking Bob's skull to the point blood would squirt out.

'And she thinks I'm nuts?' B thought as he reached for the green syringe.

Once C.C. finished with her work, she saw Bob's left eye was bugged out. She then turned to B who was barely finishing up with the other eye.

"What do we do now?" C.C. Asked.

B sighed before going through the explanation that they needed to basically scoop out Bob's eyes. Then remove them from the optic nerve before beginning the actual transplant.

"I suppose only the second half is the easy part, but the whole thing is straightforward." C.C. Said as her hand hovered over the tools.

B decided to take a delicate approach despite how barbaric the procedure may be to some. He grabbed a plastic spoon and tried to pry out the right eye and hopefully avoid increasing the bleeding. Only to see C.C. jamming two scalpels into the corners of the eye sockets.

"There we go. This is quite fun after all." C.C. Said, almost sounding like a psychopath as she spoke.

B shook his head and tried to ignore it. He kept the green syringe close to stop the bleeding once he got the eyeball loose. Although by the time he did sever the connection from the optic nerve. B realized he had run out of the syringe's liquid.

'That's fine, C.C. should be done by now.' B thought before looking at C.C. again.

Who was still struggling with cutting off the optic nerve. B looked at C.C. who looked like she was struggling with the nerve. Causing her to tug on it as she tried to cut it free. After a few seconds of watching this uncomfortable sight, B pulled out the laser and sliced it off from a distance.

"What?" C.C. asked before noticing the laser.

She looked at B for a moment before tossing the eyeball away. She then pulled out two fresh eyes from the jar and placed them inside of the sockets.

"Is that it?" C.C. asked.

Her answer came in the form of the game's results.

Final Blood Level: 3927 ml

Surgery Time: 4:42.00

Grade: B

"That's nice." C.C. said, making B nod.

After that, the two went back to the main desk and selected another surgery for the night.

With Naruto

If a gamer were to pop in a video game made in Japan and complain because it's too wacky, then it means one of two things. One, the gamer is either an idiot that can't enjoy video games or needs a reason to complain because they forgot they were playing a stereotypical Japanese game. Two, way too much fan service to the point it feels like they legally bought sex related products.

Then again, very few sane people can wrap their minds around weird games like Yakuza or Shenmue.

As for Naruto, he was no such person as he found himself in a situation that he didn't find weird after thinking it over. The situation being that he was in a fighting tournament and his current opponent was a happy go lucky high school junior named Xiaoyu.

'Wait, how is this weird? I'm a teenager too!' Naruto thought as he ducked from a kick.

Then again, despite being a teenager right now, it didn't make the situation any less silly or intense. However, Tekken was far from crazy as the previously mentioned games.

"Don't hold back on me!" Xiaoyu demanded as tried to sweep his legs.

Naruto jumped over her kick and tried to throw one of his own which got blocked. He threw a couple of palm strikes at Xiaoyu who spun 180 degrees to avoid his attacks. At the same time, her fluid motions allowed her to continue throwing punches even when her back was turned.

However, that did nothing as Naruto managed to sweep her leg and knocked her down. He then tried to kick her where she lied but the girl quickly rolled to the side.

Xiaoyu quickly recovered and flashed a smile before running towards him again. She threw a high kick that Naruto narrowly dodged before throwing a quick punch followed by a heavy palm to his chest. The impact sent Naruto flying about three feet away before he skidded to a halt and got to his feet. Xiaoyu ran towards him again before doing a cartwheel and launching herself into the air to deliver another kick.

Naruto avoided the kick and got behind Xiaoyu who tried to elbow him in the face. He quickly tried to counter with a punch of her own but Xiaoyu blocked it. She blocked the next two blows before catching the third and kicking him in the gut.

'Okay, she's more quick to react compared to Jin.' Naruto thought as he stumbled backwards.

Xiaoyu then performed another flip and tried to deliver another chop. But Naruto was quick to understand her move set and tried countering her again. The two traded and blocked blows before Naruto managed to chop at her neck, stunning her for a second. While exposed, Xiaoyu was not able to respond to Naruto punching her in the cheek followed by kneeing her in the chest.

'This guy is good. I'm lucky his speed was off until now.' Xiaoyu thought before getting punched in the gut again.

"Sorry lady, no hard feelings." Naruto said as he continued his assault.

Before Xiaoyu could try and react. Naruto uppercutted her in the stomach then hit her four more times again. With each hit, Xiaoyu rose into the air slightly before taking a knee to the face, sending her flying across the arena and hitting a nearby pillar.

Naruto slowly walked up to her and saw Xiaoyu struggle to get up before collapsing.

"Winner!" A voice cried out.

Naruto let out a sigh before approaching Xiaoyu and extending a hand. The girl was confused at first but quickly accepted the hand and stood up.

"Wow, you're really tough. I guess I didn't train hard enough this year." Xiaoyu said.

"You have a lot of skill. I mean, you weren't super strong but you knew how to deal with me. So that's something." Naruto said, cheering her up.

But then Xiaoyu pouted, "Thanks, but now I won't be able to find a friend of mine."

"Sorry, what?" Naruto asked.

"Um, nothing! I'm just speaking out loud!" Xiaoyu said, trying not to reveal too much of her personal mission.

This was a rare moment for Naruto as he didn't remember the stories of each Tekken character in each game. He didn't remember, at least at this moment, that Xiaoyu's motivation in this game was to seek out Jin. Meaning she was keeping the topic to herself and didn't think it was a good idea to share that topic.

"Well, whatever you're looking for. I hope you end up finding it." Naruto told her.

Xiaoyu gave him a bright smile, "Thanks and congratulations. You're a good fighter."

Naruto nodded at her and made his way out of the arena which appeared to be a mall or something. Naruto didn't get a good look despite having to come here himself. Regardless, Naruto thought it might be a good time to try and check in on Jin unless he had to exit the game already.

'He's going to face his dad soon. I wonder if we're going to end up facing off before then.' Naruto thought as he exited the building.

Naruto then lost any sense of relaxation and rolled to the side as he heard metal hitting the ground behind him. He looked back and saw multiple weapons covered in purple flames on the ground. Naruto didn't think twice before dashing towards cover as he heard more weapons hitting the surrounding environment.

'What is this? Tekken Force? A ninja cosplayer? Did Taki from Soul Calibur somehow sneak into the game?' Naruto wondered as he slid across the ground.

Then, it seemed like the attacker ran out of weapons. Naruto got a moment of respite before watching a shadowy figure in what looked like samurai armor styled like a ninja appear. Naruto could only see a pair of onyx colored eyes that turned red for a moment.

"Nice eyes, Spooky." Naruto taunted.

Naruto then avoided several shuriken and a sharp tipped chain that almost took out his head. He then used his agility to avoid another chain strike before running towards his foe and kicking him across the sidewalk.

"Do you have a name or are you conveniently anti-social?" Naruto asked, annoying his attacker.

His attacker glared behind his mask and started running towards him. He threw various blows that Naruto struggled to block before throwing a heavy sideways kick. He saw Naruto let down his guard a moment later and threw a punch to his face.

Naruto seemingly began to go down only to quickly throw a kick as he fell. The kick hit the attacker in the chin and sent him into the air. Naruto quickly recovered and delivered the same combo he used to finish Xioayu. Where he punched his foe four times before delivering a heavy knee strike to the face, sending him onto the other side of the road.

'Damn it, this loser is actually good.' The attacker thought angrily as he got up.

Naruto then quickly jumped across the road and tried to body slam him. Only to miss as the attacker got up and threw a few quick punches that Naruto tried blocking. Naruto quickly tried to counter with a kick but his attacker grabbed his leg and pulled him onto his back.

'Okay, this guy is taking me seriously.' Naruto thought as he grunted.

But once he got up, his attacker threw a spin kick that sent him skidding into a pole. Where Naruto was then barraged with multiple hits across the face and cut before being slammed onto his back again. Naruto then tried to throw a few kicks while he was down but were all blocked until he jumped up to his feet again.

'I gotta move faster.' Naruto thought as he ducked under a heavy punch.

Naruto threw a couple more punches and kicks while parrying a few from his foe. He then threw another punch but got his fist caught and dragged into an angle that made him take a knee. Naruto then got kicked in the face twice before skidding back. Only to recover and throw another heavy kick only to get his leg parried.

Naruto's struggle came to an end as Naruto managed to tackle the man down and quickly rolled up to launch him into the air. Naruto then found himself avoiding two more kunai before his attacker came close again and threw a few more punches before palming him in the cheek and almost sending him flying back. Only for Naruto to grab his foe's arm tightly and pull him in close before swinging him to the side.

'Damn! I can't get an advantage!' the attacker thought as he regained his footing.

However, Naruto surprised him by slashing at him with one of the kunai. He surprised his foe who stumbled around the bladed strikes. Leaving him open to a couple of kicks to the side followed by an uppercut that briefly stunned him. Naruto then punched him twice in the chest before delivering a strong palm to the chest, sending the man down the entryway to a subway.

Naruto chased after his foe but saw a cartoon-like transition. He witnessed his foe hitting the rail of the stairway a few times before hitting a sign on the wall followed by crashing through a bathroom.

'Okay, this suddenly became Injustice. Or did Mortal Kombat do this first?' Naruto wondered as those games had similar transitions.

Regardless, Naruto snapped back into reality as he heard some crashing from the bathroom. Where he heard a large explosion of water come from the bathroom and saw his attacker flying through a wall and landed on the subway platform.

"Are you done yet? Or do I need to hit you harder before I get some answers?" Naruto asked as he approached his foe.

His foe snarled and stood up and drew a ninjato. He ran up to Naruto and slashed at him a few times and missed most of his strikes. Naruto felt his blood draw a couple of times as his shirt tore in a few areas before he kicked the man in the chest.

"Seriously, what the hell are you? Are you a glitch? Are you one of Mishima's men or something?" Naruto asked.

'Damn you, how the hell are you this strong?' the attacker angrily thought.

The attacker saw Naruto still had a lot of energy to fight, but he himself didn't. He was exhausted and felt sore in some areas. So at the price of his pride, the attacker grabbed a nearby civilian and threw them onto the rails just as a subway train came.

"What the heck!?" Naruto angrily asked.

The attacker then disappeared into the crowd before exiting the subway at great speed. Leaving Naruto gritting his teeth in anger before diving down to grab the civilian. Naruto quickly jumped back up to the subway platform just as the subway train arrived.

The crowd clapped just at Naruto's heroics while the blond boy in question caught his breath.

"It's all in a day's work everyone." Naruto said as the crowd continued to cheer for him.

As Naruto recovered from the sudden attack. He was left wondering why that happened. Unaware that he fought a familiar enemy who would return very often.

But for now, Naruto turned and saw the doorway leading back to reality behind him as the subway doors opened.

"Ain't that ironic." Naruto muttered as he left the Gameverse.

At the same time, his attacker looked back and removed his mask to reveal an angry Sasuke.

'Damn that loser, I'm not losing next time. I'm kicking his ass and everyone else that teams up with him as well.' Sasuke mentally promised as he escaped.

The next day

Friday was finally here and there were too few people who weren't happy for this day and were ready to enjoy the weekend. Even though some didn't really have plans, a lot of people were just happy to relax and forget exams and studies for just two days. Although that didn't stop anyone who had actual duties whether they be part time jobs, errands or just some personal business.

Not that it mattered for Naruto's group as their only work occurs during the night. The only real pains were mental exhaustion and the occasional feeling of being sore.

"Damn, that wannabe ninja bastard nicked me good." Naruto said as he rubbed his arms.

Naruto was perfectly fine but felt like he really did get cut across his arms and chest. Coupled with his mystery attacker and fighting Xiaoyu, Naruto felt like he went through an intense workout.

"Did your mom notice?" Crimson asked.

"Not really and that's a good thing. She would be ready to kick someone's ass if I looked injured." Naruto answered.

"I can imagine that." Crimson said, being able to predict Kushina's reaction to everything at this point. "I guess this means fighting games are probably going to be the most physically stressful."

"Yeah, you're right. I didn't feel this sore when I was in both Battlefront games. Do you think B went through this in Halo?" Naruto asked.

"Go ask him." Crimson suggested as she grabbed her backpack.

Naruto took Crimson's advice and walked towards B who was programming or something on his phone. Naruto could read B like a book, but didn't always understand what he was doing. It was like reading a book by Charles Dickens or Shakespeare when it came to his tech stuff.

"Hey B, working on something?" Naruto asked.

B gave him a so-so gesture, meaning it wasn't big and important but it did take some of his attention away. Once again, Naruto found himself avoiding any deep rabbit holes that B dug himself into with his research.

"Oka, so are you handling the Bleeding Effect?" Naruto asked.

There wasn't a specific name for the transfer of pain and increase of physique from the Gameverse. So Naruto and B settled on using the Bleeding Effect term from Assassin's Creed. Which basically forced the protagonist's game to experience what his ancestors experienced.

Back to the topic at hand, B let out a sigh but basically communicated that he feels more muscle growth but nothing else. Not a lot of time passed for him to notice anything except some weight loss due to his journey in the game world.

"Then you're probably doing better than me. I barely avoid getting my ass beat and I still feel the aches." Naruto replied with a chuckle.

B snickered and was about to actually say something when C.C. entered the room. B instantly looked a bit uncomfortable as the memory of C.C.'s reckless surgical actions were fresh on his mind. His friend's girlfriend wasn't exactly gentle to Bob when they tried a second surgery but at least he took the level seriously.

"Oh, hey C.C., are you ready to head out too?" Naruto asked.

"I am, I just wanted to check to see if you and B were still here." C.C. answered.

"We were just packing up." Naruto replied with B nodding. "Hey that reminds me, does your dad still need help at the store?"

B nodded as he started packing up his belongings.

"Seriously, I guess we can hang out next week then." Naruto said with a sigh.

B snickered again before gesturing to C.C. and communicating that they could spend time together. With B adding that they are a couple Joe and have to act like one. B left the room chuckling lightly before leaving the classroom with his bag.

"He may be silent but he knows how to point out the obvious." C.C. said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Naruto said as he grabbed his bag. "Come on, I guess I'm butung today. So that means I'm choosing."

"That's fair, I suppose." C.C. said, giving a rare pouty face.

"Hey, don't make that face. Now can you look sad and cute at the same time anyways?" Naruto asked.

"Because it means I can guilt trip my boyfriend." C.C. answered bluntly.

Naruto gently put a finger on her nose and smirked. A second later, C.C. actually felt disappointed in herself for failing for thinking Naruto would fall for such a trick.

'He says I'm not like other girls, but I forget he's not remotely like other boys.' C.C. thought.

Naruto pulled his finger back and took her hand, "Come on, I promise you'll like the place. They have extra side dishes you might like."

C.C. knew exactly where they were going and knew there would be lots of ramen involved. Despite acting emotionless, she didn't lack any empathy and decided to be fair.

'I always make him buy me pizza. I won't parish if I eat a bowl of ramen with him, will I?' C.C. thought as she decided to be nice.

Meanwhile in the Gameverse

As the Gamers were bound to show up in a few hours. Cortex and several others were working around the clock as they transitioned into the next stage Polygon Man's plan. Cortex was feeling the most stressed, not only because he was one of the most intelligent minds in this universe, but because he had to deal with Naruto and Crash now.

"I swear, we should have just pumped the higher tier minions with some kind of drug to strengthen them." Cortex said, referring to the bosses.

Cortex was fortunate enough that the Gamers can't transfer all of their power from previous games into the next ones. It was bad enough that they can retain some abilities and weapons from other games. Cortex himself would feel fortunate if his inevitable battle with Naruto doesn't lead to the boy turning into a dragon like he did in Spyro.

"And hopefully that giant crystal head monster can find more scientists and brilliant minds he can abuse. I really need a vacation." Cortex murmured, hoping that Polygon Man doesn't hear him.

Unfortunately, someone did hear Cortex but it wasn't Polygan Man or a personal servant of his.

"Hey, Big Head! I don't like takin' orders from some purple chandelier with a face but that don't mean that we got time to complain." Said a woman with a New York or New Jersey styled accent.

Cortex groaned to see Harley Quinn who was holding her hammer over her shoulder.

"And what is it that you want, Quinzel?" Cortex asked as he rolled his eyes.

"It's not what I want, it's what you're supposed to do. Apparently I'm playing messenger instead of being with Mistah J." Harley said before punching in some buttons on a computer.

A moment later, Suguo Nobuyuki appeared on the screen and Cortex immediately greeted him.

"Ah Nobuyuki-san, do you have a progress report?" Cortex asked, wondering if the human was fortunate with his own work.

"Yes, but hopefully your master finds it satisfactory." Suguo said, hiding his anxiety.

Harley rolled her eyes, "Listen here, Four Eyes. Unless you're in pain or know you're in pain. That's when you know that you did good because that's how Mistah J disciplines idiots."

Suguo sweat dropped and only understood half of that statement. He wasn't well versed with Batman or DC comics but could partially understand what Harley meant. It only made him feel slightly better knowing that he wasn't hurt yet.

"Yes, you see, I have successfully inducted several of my play testers. However, I feel that synchronicity rates may need to increase that or maybe just allow more time for them to get used to the game world." Sugou explained, hoping to appease them.

"I suppose that makes sense. Human consciousness has seemingly affected humans just a bit after a while." Cortex said, wondering if lack of experience was a factor.

However, Harley wasn't as patient or understanding as Cortex. She slammed her hammer down and startled Suguo and Cortex with the latter falling on his butt.

"Listen here, Glasses! You get those brats into shape! I don't care if you have to whip them or something! Because the big man isn't going to be happy if they signed up just to get beat up like Puddin's hired thugs!" Harley shouted angrily.

Suguo raised his hands, "I am trying, ma'am. I am just saying these things take time but they are working at a fast rate. We even managed to slow down the other players that you mentioned before."

"Yeah and they are still alive, so that's bad in my book." Harley said.

"But your opinion doesn't matter." Cortex pointed out.

"No, but you know whose opinion does? The big man and you can guess that he's not going to be patient and okay like you are!" Harley barked.

Suguo recoiled in fear and would have been hit by a continued verbal attack had Cortex not stepped in and shoved her aside.

"Enough, Clown Girl! We need him mentally sound!" Cortex exclaimed.

Harley glared before turning around and leaving in a huff. She had her own duties and would prepare for any potential gamers should they enter her territory.

Leaving Cortex to sigh as he looked back at Suguo and went over the current progress report. At the same time, Cortex hoped that Polygon Man wasn't going to be angry and impatient as Harley described. So once all the technical details were finished, Cortex decided to bring up some updates.

"That reminds me, apparently my master wants an increase of subordinates from your end. For now, it looks like you have enough to cover the quartet we're facing right now." Cortex explained.

Suguo sighed, "I will continue to provide more high quality recruits."

"Yes, unfortunately it looks like my master wants higher quantity over quality. I'm all for higher numbers rather than focusing on small bits at a time. Yet you can see that we're not making robots or trinkets." Cortex explained.

"I know, I'm well versed with cutting costs and taking risks." Suguo said. "However, I'll make the recruits strong enough to handle crossing over into your world."

Cortex nodded and was about to say something when he got an alert. He looked annoyed as he saw that Naruto was back and climbing up his tower with Crash by his side.

"Yes, keep up the good work and check in for my updates. I have two vermin to deal with." Cortex said before cutting off his connection.

Cortex then went to go deal with the boy and the bandicoot before they would try and reach him.

Leaving Suguou to sigh and think about the mess he got himself. Although he didn't think much about it as he was far from being a saint. That and he did see more benefits coming to his company now that he was working with Polygon Man.

With C.C.

The green haired girl looked over her texts with Naruto. After their brief dinner date, which she pretends that she didn't enjoy, they texted each other a bit. With Naruto trying to coach her on how to handle going into the Gameverse as she would be going in alone today.

'My solo act. I'm either going to be in some silly world like Naruto or in some nightmarish place.' C.C. thought as she put away her phone.

C.C. then laid down onto her bed and closed her eyes. Wondering when the transition would occur. Her only clue would be when she no longer heard the ambience of her room and would find herself in an unfamiliar place.

At first, it felt like an hour passed when nothing happened.

Yet, it felt like only a blink of an eye when she was no longer in her room…

…but in New York, where she was hanging upside down on a web.

'This is peculiar, but nothing disturbing is going on so far.' C.C. thought as she realized she was in front of a building.

C.C. looked at her reflection and saw that she was wearing some kind of black suit with a purple hue and a giant white spider emblem on her chest. She was no comic book expert but had a good idea as to where she was. Her next hint was the web she was hanging on.

"Is this Spider-Man? What does that make me? Spider-Girl? Is there such a thing?" C.C. asked as she was curious about her situation.

A moment later, C.C. heard some crashing and felt some danger going on nearby. C.C. instinctively let go of her web but before the thought of fear crossed her mind. She fired another web and swung towards the other side of the building. The thoughts of excitement and surprise were also about to cross her mind again, when she felt a bit of fear replacing it.

In front of C.C. was a massive mess of symbiote monsters that were destroying the city. The green haired looked around and saw multiple S.H.I.E.L.D. were being overrun by the monsters when she swung in and kicked one of the monsters in the back.

"Thanks Spider… you're not Spider-Man!" The agent exclaimed.

"I am not, but I am obligated to help." C.C. said before engaging the other symbiotes.

It took a little while for C.C. to get the hang of her new abilities. Luckily it was not too difficult as her experience in Bayonetta made it easier for her to move around easily. However, C.C. began to fight in ways that were similar to Bayonetta's own skill set. The downside of this was the fact that she started fighting in ways that looked sexual.

Such as ramming her butt into a symbiote's face and squeezing another symbiote's neck with her thighs. It was fortunate that everyone was too focused on containing the parasites to notice how odd her fighting style was.

At least until a certain web slinger arrived and helped combat the symbiotes and save an injured S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"Don't worry, I got you." Spider-Man told the agent.

However, as he began to swing away, he noticed C.C. fending off the remaining symbiotes in the area.

"What the!? Who is that and… is she dancing or something!?" Spider-Man asked.

Spider-Man quickly snapped out of his thoughts and got the agent to safety. When he came back, he landed on a wall near C.C. and decided to confront her.

"Hey, are you okay? The symbiote isn't making you go crazy, is it?" Spider-Man asked, acting cautiously.

C.C. looked at her palms and saw the alien suit on her body reacting to her and the hero.

"I believe I'm in the right state of mind." she told him.

Spider-Man narrowed his eyes behind the mask as he didn't trust the symbiote. He was going through his own issues regarding it in this game. So he was unsure about how someone who he assumed to be a normal civilian was handling it.

"Listen, we should get you to a nearby–"

Spider-Man was cut off by the sound of an explosion and saw a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft crash into a building. Followed by a familiar looking car pulling up nearby.

"Hold that thought and try to keep your head down!" Spider-Man said before swinging towards the car.

C.C. stared at Spider-Man's retreating form before deciding to swing after him.

'Perhaps this will be a fun experience.' C.C. thought as she subconsciously created a mask of her own with the symbiote.

Unaware of the dark forces that have also joined her in the game and was watching as the chaos unfolded in New York. Giving C.C. a chance to get a good grasp of the environment she is in before things become more difficult.

TO BE CONTINUED…