Re;birth Hacker

Reload: Sinful Nature

After a long and hard battle in the Gamindustri Graveyard, we have saved the four CPUs and returned to the Planeptune Basilicom with a warm welcoming from Histoire. "Well done, all of you. With the mission a success, the path to our victory can now be seen." Rom looks to Mina. "Where's Blanc...?" Ram nods. "Yeah, seriously! I wanted to brag about all the awesome stuff we've been up to!" Chika looks over to Histoire. "I agree! It has been three agonizing years. How dare you impede my alone time with my darling sister, Vert!" ~ "The CPUs require rest. Please be patient. After all, we will need their assistance as soon as they are able to provide it." Mina turns to Rom and Ram. "Now, now. Let your big sister get some rest, okay?" Kei looks to Chika. "Chika, don't act hysterical in front of the children. It's hardly befitting of an Oracle." ~ "Tch... I-I know that! I just have to wait a little bit longer, right?" Nepgear looks over to Histoire. "What should we do in the meantime, Histoire?" ~ "We wait. Once the CPUs have recovered, we will rid the world of ASIC in their entirety. In doing so, we will be preventing the revival of the Deity of Sin. Your efforts to collect Shares should have delayed the process, but even so... You all have earned this time to rest and recover, as well. Take some time off, and~..." The Basilicom suddenly starts shaking, throwing everyone off balance, except for the one person who decided to drill a tendril into the ground. Nepgear catches her balance and looks to Histoire. "Wh-What the goodness?!" ~ "The locus...appears to have been the Gamindustri Graveyard! What could be happening there?" The shaking stops, as Kei sweatdrops. "The shaking has subsided... It would be dishonest of me to say this isn't concerning..." Nepgear looks to Histoire. "Um... Want me to go check it out?" ~ "But...you need some time off to rest and recover, do you not?" Uni steps beside Nepgear. "Oh, come on. Waiting won't mend matters. I'd rather find out what caused that, myself." Ram looks over to Rom. "We're gonna go too, right, Rom?" ~ "I wanna go..." Chika looks to Histoire. "The CPU Candidates seem willing, so why should we stand in their way?" ~ "Very well... But please, use caution. There is no telling what awaits you." Dark Aura rises around me. "All aboard the suicide train."

(Meanwhile)

Deep in the depths of Gamindustri Graveyard, a very tired mouse slumps around, with the exhaustion of an Author who just wrote an eleven thousand word chapter and then spent his two days of break watching r/cursedcomments. "Chuuuu... I'm exhausted, man... Hanging out with the Underlings is like wearing a bad luck charm, chu... CFW Judge was defeated... I never noticed how...muscular my angelic Compa had become, chu..." 'CFW Judge doesn't have any feet...also, ew...' "Now she's like a star that I can only make a wish to..." The ground starts to shake, knocking the mouse off his feet. "Wh-Wh-What's going on?! I'm losing my balance!" Out from the mist, something approaches Warechu. "Whoa! Wh-Who are you, chu?" The figure stays silent and stares at Warechu. "Cat got yer tongue? Stay back! You're giving me the willies, chu!" ~ "Become...my vessel..." ~ "Huh? What'd you say? Stay back! I'm serious...! N-Noooo, chuuuu!" 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit...' The figure dives straight into Warechu, disappearing inside him. "It went right into me...? What...What is this powerful emotion? This strength...? Urrrrrrgh... Chuuuuuu!" Warechu becomes consumed in a deep mist as CFW Magic watches from afar. "While only a fragment, our goddess has revived. All that remains is to iron out the details..."

(Location Update: Gamindustri Graveyard)

A meteorite of Dark Aura crashes into the Gamindustri Graveyard, dropping off the group as the Dark Aura disperses, a small portion separating and reforming into a humanoid figure. Nepgear looks around the junkyard. "Nothing seems out of the ordinary." Ram sighs. "Meh! This is lame! Maybe all of Nepgear's worrying rubbed off on us." Uni looks around cautiously. "I'm always careful, but when the place is this deserted, what would we possibly expect to happen?" 5pb. stops everyone. "Hang on. I can hear it... The faint sound of trembling bass, coming from...over there." 'Always follow ominous music, kids!' Red looks to where 5pb. was pointing. "What, this way? Huh! I do see something off in the distance. What's that round thingy?" Broccoli deadpans. "It's coming this way, nyu." Compa looks over to where the creature was. "Is that...Mister Mouse?" IF sweatdrops. "If it is, does anyone else think it's getting way too big?" ~ "CHUUUU!" ~ "Watch out!" IF pushes Compa out of the path of the barreling mouse. "How in the hell did that rat grow to be so gigantic?" Overly calm Red is overly calm. "It's like one of those anime where the pilot drives a big robot version of itself!" 'Or an anime where giant naked men fight giant naked men...and smaller men...?' IF looks to Red. "I don't want to hear about some stupid parallels with a TV show! I want to know how it got that big!" The giant mouse continues its rampage through the Gamindustri Graveyard, paying no attention to us. Nepgear points to the mouse. "Isn't it heading straight for Gamindustri proper?" Shocked Uni is shocked. "You're kidding. If our nations get attacked by a giant mutant rat, it's going to be a disaster!" Compa nods. "In that case, we need to do our best to stop Mister Mouse before Gamindustri is put in danger!" Ram looks over to Rom. "How're we gonna do that?" ~ "I dunno..." Broccoli shakes her head. "No time to form a plan. We just have to do it, nyu." 5pb. looks to the others. "M-Maybe if we combine our powers, we can stop it...or not..." ~ "You will do no such thing." Dark Aura rises around me as several tendrils rise next to me. "You..." Uni looks over to me. "Wait, do you know her?" Nepgear turns to Uni. "We... My sister, the CPUs, and I... We fought against her, and lost..." ~ "To this one person?!" ~ "Dorian had come to save us...but not even he could defeat her." Uni looks over to me, shocked. "You lost?!" ~ "I wouldn't call it a loss... I'm immortal, after all. I fought for three years straight, but I could never deal even a scratch... After a while, she just vanished. Must've gotten bored... That's when IF and Compa arrived." The CFW in question smirks. "I must admit...you were the first person to put up a decent fight. I'll save your death for last." ~ "You killed me more than ten thousand times, do you really think I'll stay dead?" Ram looks to Rom. "We gotta beat her up and avenge our lost sister!" ~ "Blanc is sleeping...not dead..." CFW Magic looks to the Candidates. "The CPU Candidates, correct? You have been quite meddlesome, but that ends today. The creature you just saw holds within it a fragment of our revived goddess, the Deity of Sin." IF looks to CFW Magic. "Oh, really? I guess that cements our decision to stop it, then." Compa nods. "Yep! Please move out of our way, Miss Scary CPU-Beater-Upper." Red points at CFW Magic, phoenix wright style. "If you don't, we'll have to beat you up!" ~ "Empty, meaningless threats... You stand no chance against me. Surely these two here know that." Nepgear glares at CFW Magic with determination in her eyes. "We can defeat you." ~ "Oh?" ~ "We're different from what you've faced so far. We can beat you!" ~ "Do you think what you're saying makes you sound brave? Foolishness. You won't leave here alive." Uni summons her rifle. "Hmph! We'll see about that." Ram summons her staff. "I'll totally show you how tough I am!" Rom nods, summoning her staff as well. "We won't lose..." CFW Magic summons her scythe. "How sad. Children today lack the perspective to see how fragile they are. I will end your struggle." Dark Aura rises around me, as tendrils aim towards CFW Magic. I clap my hands together with the tops facing upwards and to the ground. "Alright, let's kill the hoe! S-H-I-T!" The tendrils launch off towards CFW Magic, who easily blocks them with her hand as the Candidates activate HDD, Purple Sister charging towards and slashing at CFW Magic. CFW Magic blocks Purple Sister's sword swings with her scythe, jumping in the air to avoid the White Sisters' Ice Coffin. Black Sister aims towards CFW Magic as she hangs in the air for a second. I teleport next to CFW Magic and let loose a wave of Dark Aura lit punches, which she blocks with her hand before slicing me in half vertically with her scythe. I reappear next to Purple Sister as Black Sister fires at CFW Magic, who catches the blast in her hand and launches it back towards Black Sister. I dive in front of the blast and absorb it into my body, vanishing and reappearing above CFW Magic, dropkicking her back to the ground. "Gotcha!" CFW Magic leaps back up from the dust and slashes me with her scythe. I reappear next to Purple Sister, punching the ground. "Dammit! Nepgear, got any plans?" ~ "Our attacks don't seem to hurt her..." Uni grits her teeth. "We took down that Judge guy easily, but we can't even touch her." ~ "Actually...about that." ~ "Huh?" The Candidates look to me as I raise my right arm. "I...was the one who killed Judge. With this." The strange symbols on the Cyatch+ were still present, except the screen wasn't lit. CFW Magic swings her scythe as she approaches. "Hmm. You swing your weapons with some semblance of skill, but it is nowhere near enough to faze me. As promised, allow me to end your miserable attempts to swim against the tides of fate..." ~ "We'll see about that!" I raise my right arm just like before...but nothing happens. I tap on the Cyatch+ screen, the numbers not changing. "What the hell? This thing was working earlier..." ~ "It's not over yet!" Purple Heart lands in front of us and blocks CFW Magic's scythe swing with her sword. CFW Magic smirks. "Ahh, the CPUs themselves. You should have remained in your prison of slumber." Black Heart looks over to CFW Magic. "Sucks for you, but it's not really my thing to accept defeat." Green Heart nods. "Plus, one must exercise to retain one's youthful figure. Come, let us dance on the field of battle." White Heart summons her axe. "Screw these intros! I'm gonna pay you back for the crap you put me through!" IF sighs. "Dammit... Nep and them always take the spotlight in the end..." Compa nods. "Maybe, but they did turn the tables on Miss Scary Lady!" CFW Magic smirks. "Interesting. If you wish to cling onto life that desperately, I will allow it...for now." Black Heart looks to CFW Magic. "Wow, gee, thanks. You're trying to sound cool, but you're just running away, you know?" ~ "No. Destroying the CPUs is not a part of my mission. That pleasure belongs to our goddess. Besides, you stopping even a fragment of her power is the greatest farce of our time." Red looks back to the rat getting further away in the distance. "Oops, she's right! We don't have time to fight her!" Broccoli nods. "The big rat is on its way, nyu." Purple Heart looks towards the giant rat off in the distance. "Big rat? You mean to say that a portion of the Deity of Sin is within it?" CFW Magic looks to the group. "The choice is yours. Face me if you wish. It would be my pleasure to see you all keeled over in pain again." With that, she disappears. Purple Heart sighs. "She's gone." Black Heart looks to Purple Heart. "Maybe now isn't the time to settle the score with her. Well, anyway..." Green Heart looks to the other CPUs. "That imminent threat is gone, so shall we return to our human forms?" White Heart nods. "If she did fight us, it would've spelled trouble. I don't have much juice left, so to speak." The CPUs drop out of HDD, Neptune stretching out her arms. "Phewwwww. Uh-huh, this form feels the best, no doubts 'bout dat." Noire looks to Neptune. "Try to maintain a regal air, would you? Human form or not, we're still CPUs." Vert looks to Noire. "Heavens, I would say you are always a bit too tensed up. Try and relax that puffed-out chest, Noire." I look to the CPUs. "Yeah, you don't need to worry about that, it's just us." Noire looks at me. "...Who are you?" ~ "...Yeah, I expected as much..." Neptune looks to Noire. "You don't remember him? It's him, the bodyguard!" 'Oh, we're back to that, eh?' Noire shakes her head. "Nothing you're saying is making sense." Neptune looks back to me. "Oh, yeah. Where's your sword?" ~ "Left it on Celestia. And if I'm right about this...there is a chance it found its way into this world..." Neptune goes up to Nepgear. "Sweet babycakes, Nep Jr.! You did a dandyjob holding the fort for me or whatever!" ~ "No, I didn't do all that much... If you didn't come just now, then I would've..." ~ "Blah, blah, emo garbage. Don't talk like that, okay? We scratch each other's backs!" ~ "Yeah, but..." IF looks to the two. "I'm gonna stop you there. We don't have time to talk through our emotions right now." Neptune deadpans. "Blachhh, more work... I was trying to act like a big sister for at least this scene..." ~ "It can wait, okay?! C'mon, we have to get back to the mainland, stat!" We start walking back to the area we entered from, IF turns to Neptune. "While we're walking, uh... How're you holding up, Nep?" ~ "Me? Fine like candy, sour dandy! I slept like a log, so I'm ready to roll!" Noire sighs. "Jeez... I wish my brain could keep things so simple." Vert nods. "Indeed. I am giving my all to remain calm, to be honest." Uni looks to Noire. "Noire, aren't you tired?" ~ "Not physically, but I'm mentally drained due to the lack of Shares. It's really limiting my strength." Compa looks to the CPUs. "It just so happens that Planeptune was affected by ASIC the least, and Ge-Ge helped out sooo much." Ram looks to Compa. "Hey! Why're you praising her and not us? We did tons, too!" Rom looks to Blanc. "Blanc... Can you...fight...?" ~ "Not right now. I need us to get more Lowee Shares." Noire sighs. "I really hate to admit it, but as things stand, we're all dead weight to you girls." I look to the CPUs. "You're not dead weight, there's still one thing you can do." Noire looks to me. "And what's that?" ~ "You can be meat shields. Sacrifices for the greater good, you know? I vote Vert be the first, then Noire, then Blanc...yeah, that should do." ~ "Why the hell do we have to be meat shields?! And why isn't Neptune in that list?!" ~ "That would defeat the whole purpose." ~ "And that is...?!" ~ "To protect Neptune. Get on it." Neptune looks to me. "Aww, are you done being my personal bodyguard?" ~ "No way, it's just that I've grown tired over the last few years, when I left on this journey, I was seventeen... Now, I'm twenty four." Nepgear looks to me. "But you look like you're fifteen...?" ~ "Ah, I love the perks of being a CPU..." The silence after that was priceless, up until everyone, except for Neptune, yelled out. "WHAT?!" I take a bow on one knee in front of them. "CPU Cyan Heart at your service. Neptune's service. Not yours." Uni looks to me. "Can you transform?" ~ "N-No..." Ram looks over to me. "What kind of power do you have?" ~ "Electricity. But mostly useless without my gun." Rom looks to me. "Favourite cereal?" ~ "Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What does that have to do with me being a CPU...?" Noire turns to the rest of us. "We don't have time for this!" ~ "Right. Right. Gather 'round." Dark Aura surrounds us as we teleport out of there.