The trio drove on, the plains bumping them somewhat as they drove "I hope the city is okay" said Plutia hanging onto Terra "that is if it's not too ruined"
"Well from that NPC guy that came" said Neptune hanging on to the passenger car "it sounds like for now the rogue bots have been given the play-pen treatment"
"Still...we don't have know how...umm...kitted out these robots are" said Terra "They must be somewhat strong for the soldiers to barely contain them"
"Well we can transform if we have to " said Plutia "and the best part is we go hit them as hard as we want...and not feeling guilty about them hurting them"
"That sounded a little dark" said Neptune "but you are right. As for you Terra...you'd better go to Purple Mode from the get go"
"Yeah I know" Terra then looked on "I'll make sure I won't lose again...because if that happens they'll be no coming back"
They group came to see Lastation in view, two plumes of smoke leaking from the right side of the town with plenty of noise sounding. Terra drove into the town itself, a crowd of citizens looking on the chaos while streams of citizens ran out aided by Lastation soldiers along with Cybercon and Marvelous. Marvelous had in her arms a little girl, jumping down from a roof before handing her to her mother "Cybercon...Marvelous" the trio got off the scooter
"hey guys...you got here just in time" said Cybercon a little anxious "some big, and I mean big, machines are currently shooting up the place"
"We're helping with the evacuation effort" said Marvelous "but it won't be long until the machines break out"
"What about Noire...have you seen her?" asked Plutia
"About ten minutes ago" said Cybercon pointing "you guys go on ahead and leave the innocents to us"
"You two are just great aren't you?" said Neptune "come on you two...let's boogy" running against the thinning panicked crowd they headed to where they need to go.
Going through the street they saw a line of soldiers, with laser guns at the ready, guarding 10ft tall metal walls with the sounds of bangs and whirring coming from the other side of it. The soldiers looked rather panicked "Well this is where we need to be" Terra said who brought out his sword "So let's get to it"
"Everyone let us through" called Neptune who changed to Purple Heart "your world's favourite protag is here to help"
"Yeah...we're here to destroy the mean-machines" Plutia added
"It's the CPU's of Planeptune!?" "have they come to help!?" "Black Heart did say so!"
"You two take a hand" said Neptune flying taking one of Terra's and Plutia's "let's go" Neptune air-lifted the pair over the soldiers...and over the wall to see the machines on the other side.
The area enclosed was a large complex with two roads to the left and forward. Machines of three sizes looked to be running rampant. The most common were Rusty yellow, small compressed spherical robots, with oval red dots, were darting about firing red lasers at walls and buildings or charging into windows.
About fair in number were the sized bi-ped robots, with piston like legs, stood at seven foot tall. They were most green, the torsos however black with simple circle face of two red eyes and a line. Its right hand was a machine gun of black and it's other hand a metal sharp pincer. It also seemed to fire rockets from a back-pack of sorts attached to its back with it's face just a red eye.
In view only one large robot was visible standing over 12ft. It was on four dark green legs, the body a lighter green and resembled the body-shape of a crab. It had jointed steel limbs, a dome very dark green head and two long rusty blue swaying arms. Behind the dome head it had black towers and red cannon perched on its head.
Neptune put both Plutia and Terra down "Alright I'll admit it...this is a little worse than I imagined" Terra remarked
"Wooooww...look at all the rooobbottts" Plutia said lightly in awe as upon seeing them two small robots zipped right towards them
"No you don't" Neptune came in and with two slices of her sword cleaved the small robots into two before they turned to data-dust "No spacing out you two, it's best we get things going from the start"
"If you say so"
Terra concentrated, summoned his power and once more his hair changed to purple in colour with a cowlick springing up "Wooowww...your hair turned purple" Plutia said before feeling through it "but it doesn't feel like a wig"
"Attention forward Plutia" Neptune said "Come on...and I can't believe I'm saying this but you'd best transform too"
"But...would that be okay? I might go a bit...wild or something and you won't be able to blame me"
"Well...these are machines, they don't feel pain" said Terra trying to coerce her "so you could hit them as hard as you like and not hear any complaint"
As if on Terra's last word, Plutia shifted to Iris Heart "Oh my...so what you're saying is...I can deal with these delicate tin-men with any way I desire?"
"Just...as long as you don't get us" Terra said a little nervous "but yeah. We'll be counting on your strength Plutia"
"Oh...could you repeat that again?" Plutia said with hand over ear and leaning towards them
"Hmmm...we'll be counting on you...Plutia...please?" she made a soft chuckle of mischief
"Hmm...not quite what I wanted but still very polite nonetheless"
Plutia looked out onto the three roads "For now its best we split up. There's only so much...of a session a single person can deliver. I'll go North, Neppy will go right...and you little Terra will go left"
"Take...care of yourself Plutia and you Neptune" said Terra to them both to which earned him a gentle head-rub form Plutia
"Such a polite boy...just no getting yourself hurt okay? But should you do...either of you I'll make extra sure you're attended to"
"We'll...keep that in mind" said Neptune a little nervous as Plutia headed off.
For a minute they watched as Plutia made a bee-line to the large robot which upon seeing her fired rockets from it's towers upon its head. Plutia in dance like motions twirled to dodge them before going to his right legs. With her blade in hand she sliced through the 'knee' joints of the legs...rolling to avoid it's stomps.
As she came away the robot looked uneasy on it's legs "Oh my...it seems toys are not as well made as they used to" suddenly from the head-cannon a beam of light shot out at Plutia, who crossed her sword over herself to block "and that new features have been added in my absence. Hmmm...ahhh it seems the little toys want to play rough" before she swung out her sword to deflect the beam away "Alright then...if that's what you want"
Plutia flew in, slicing through rockets sent at her, before she made strong slices at the robot's body each with electric cracks seeping out. Then rising up above it "Now...to perform the feminine touch" she raised her sword, separating it into fragments, before thrusting it forward to extend it and stab the dome head. Then with a evil smile, purple lightning flow along the blade, shocking the entire machine before it exploded into fire and dust. Plutia then just retracted her blade, scoffed and flew on.
Terra felt a little anxious "Note to self...keep on Plutia's good side, until I die or go home"
"I share...a similar sentiment" said Neptune before perking up "Well let's get to work, be careful Terra"
"You too" Terra ran to the left, sword in hand cleaving through two small bots that charged at him "Don't worry...I'll make these tin-cans don't get the best of me. I won't lose like last time..." memories of a loss against a beast with red eyes, and against the Fenrir appeared in his mind "not ever again"
Terra made to a corner, turning round only to see several small bots and medium sized ones. He saw the small ones fly to him, though never floating higher or lower, and with his spare hand shot energy pulses at the robots. He destroyed two on his first shot, but the third resisted and charged forward firing a small laser that hit Terra with light effect.
Terra shrugged it off and cut through the robot with no effort "What...happened? Why did my blasts hit two but...no it doesn't matter. I have to charge on" blitzing through what small machines until he came to two medium ones. Both opened fire with their guns, Terra deflecting the bullets and dodging others, before slicing through the legs of one robot finishing it with a burst of energy.
As Terra went to the next one, he first fired forth a beam of energy which the machine tried to block with his gun. The beam did destroy the gun arm but left the robot undamaged "Huh...that didn't work? Guess you're sturdier than you look. Fine I'll let my blade do the damage" he charged forward and was going to slice...but his body experienced a brief state of weakness "what's going on...my body...stopped?" this led a brief hesitation and painful blunder.
The machine, with its closed pincer hand, struck forward hitting hard into Terra's chest to knock him away to the floor before firing multiple rockets out of its 'back-pack' hitting Terra and shrouding him in smoke. As the smoke briefly dispersed Terra was revealed with arms crossed, and not too badly damaged...and if anything winded.
Terra picked himself up, cringing a little as the machine ran forward. In frustration and biting his lip, he stab down his sword down and thrusting both hands forward fired a moderate beam of energy to pierce a hole through the machine destroying it into dust. Terra picked back up his sword, rubbing his belly "What happened there? It felt as if...my power dropped just then and my attacks...don't feel as strong. Is something wrong with me?" he though shook his head "I can't think like that. It'll only drag me down. There's too many machines here...and I can't afford to be weak here unless I want to get pegged. I won't lose again...not again"
Elsewhere in Lastation Noire was cleaving through the machines the best she could. The small ones proved to be no problem, but the medium ones looked to wearing her down for the light hits they scored upon her be it a rocket or machine bullet blast. She cleared out the area breathing out in light fatigue "Jeez...I was warned about making so many of these things"
"Noire...Noire!" she turned to see Neptune (Purple Heart) flying right to her
"Neptune! What are you doing here?"
"I was just flying by...I see you're all finished here"
"Of course...what do you expect?" Noire said before looking at the ruined area including wrecked buildings, shattered class and knocked over light-posts "Ahhh...it's going to take a while to fix all this...but it seems to be nothing major"
Noire turned to Neptune "How's the city? That is in the areas you've been to?"
"Roughly the same as this" said Neptune "maybe minus one or two buildings pretty much...rubble it's not too bad" Noire groaned
"That's...the best I can hope for. Look there can't be too many machines left, so I think I can handle things from here. Go find Plutia...and maybe make sure she isn't wrecking the place"
"She's not that bad Noire" but as if jinxing it an explosion sounded in the distance "Or...never mind. We'll clean up what machines we find, then come help you" Neptune flew off in the direction of the explosion
"Won't need it...I'll be done before both of you even blink" it was then a more nearby explosion sounded "That sounded close...best go see what's wrong"
Terra was continuing his fight against the machines, but fatigue and frustration were wearing him done. He still had a few robots left, small and medium, some distance in-front of him "Come on...I've gotta keep going...I can't stop here" he darted forward, small robots zipping towards him.
Terra thrust several energy shots at the smallest robots, but his shots looked to miss and the ones that did hit the robots shrugged off and continued to charge "What?" he had to block one head-on and deflect it into a laser fired from a second "Aghhh...dammit. What's wrong with me?" in frustration he rapidly cleaved the second robot beating it into dust.
Terra clasped his blade in fustration "What's wrong with me? Why am I getting tired so easily? Before I could go for ages...and now I can't ever get anywhere with tin toys!" he saw two medium robots walking to them "Right...come on, bring it!" both their single eyes lit up red...making him sharply flinch and close his eyes before he felt countless bullets (Though of energy) pelt him through. Terra jumped out of the way before charging forward at the two machines. The first let loose a series of rockets which Terra did shoot down with energy blasts but he missed the last one forcing him to slide through it. With sword in hand he cut through the gun-arm and went to cut the other...but the robot caught his blade in its grip.
Terra struggled to free his blade "Hey...hey come on...get off! Get off!" just then the second robot approaching...a glowing gun barrel aimed at him "Where did!?" a small laser beam struck him, sending him into a heap on the floor upon his back.
He came back up, looking at the robot with his sword in its claw before it tossed it aside. Terra got back up "Aghhh...this isn't right. Why can't I beat you? Fine...I just need a bigger shot" he went to charge a shot in his hands and went to fire it forward but Terra felt his body stall once more and with a stronger effect forcing him to his knees.
Terra felt his power leave him, emphasized by his hair turning back to brown, looking to the machines that faced him "It can't end like this...it can't" rockets fired from the two bots, Terra shielding himself as they blew up around him before looking forward "I refuse...I...refuse"
"What are you doing!?" he saw Noire just landed in-front of him deflecting the rockets raining around him "Get your head in the game" flying through with her blade she cleaved through one before kicking one up with a back-flip to fly up and smash it back down.
Both bots vanished as Noire landed before Terra "What the heck is wrong with you? You shouldn't be pushed this hard"
"They just...caught me off-guard that's all" said Terra bitterly "It won't happen again"
"You should go home, you look hardly able to stand right now" it was then Noire felt an odd cold sensation in herself and swore she saw a dark smoke ebb round Terra's body
"I refuse...I refuse to lose here. Just watch...I only need a minute and I'll show these tin-men the way back to the scrapheap"
Noire wasn't quite sure what was happening but looked to Terra sighing "Terra...look at yourself before rushing back into it. I can't sense any power in you...you'd only be getting yourself hurt"
"As I told you...I refuse to lose here" he said back to her "I will win" a black vapour ebbed from his body
"Is winning here that important? What will it prove exactly? Especially if you get hurt and just lay there defenceless"
"It won't happen again. I'll prove I can do it. I won't lose again...not like before, not like last time" Noire now visibly saw black smoke rising from his body "Last time...I was helpless and weak, I couldn't do anything. Not then...or against that beast, the Fenrir"
Noire felt something fishy, her body tingling next to him "Terra...what are you saying here? You're making it look so bitter to be losing here"
"Of course it is!" he said back almost sternly "Look at you...you didn't get where you were by just crawling over and giving up"
"Maybe not...but at least I had the right line of thinking"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're making it look like a disgrace you're losing here...but you weren't like this against Arfoire" Terra flinched "Do you remember? She was much stronger than you, you were losing but you kept going. You didn't care if you were weak or losing...you fought her with everything you had to try some attempt at victory. Compared to how you were then, you're just been pathetic"
Terra looked now a bit lost for words, the memory of his battle against Arfoire now fresh in his mind "I was...weak against Arfoire, I...didn't stand a chance. So why is...I didn't feel like this...back then?"
"Probably because you weren't so absorbed in yourself" Noire said harshly before bonking Terra on the head quite hard t "To be confident is one thing...to be self-arrogant is another"
"Why...what would you know about that?" Noire was about to answer, but paused before dodging the question
"I've...learnt a thing or two but I'll put it like this. Right now you're fighting only for yourself; and that isn't the person you want to be. Is it!?" it was there that Noire felt the cold sensation simply stop
"No...it's not" and the black smoke disperse "I want to...help people not for...my...own...ego"
Terra seemed to be lost in thought before sighing "Sorry about that Noire" Terra said a bit ashamed "I guess...I got lost in my own frustration"
"What are you so frustrated with?" asked Noire or more demanding
"I'll tell you later...we don't have the time for it. We do need to clear out the rest of these machines before they break through and somebody gets hurt"
"I'm not quite sure...this is just normal stupidity or ego. Something else is wrong with him, so I'll let him off easy"
"Sorry to be a pain...Noire and...thanks for the save"
"It's no problem...but don't expect me to keep bailing you out" Terra saw above her rockets raining down
"Noire!" literally on instinct he dove into Noire, saving her from the rockets, before flipping forward on his feet holding her into his arms.
Terra turned right to see several mid-sized robots in a line of which primed "Jeez...we've got company! Oh and sorry" he said putting Noire down who shrugged it off as nonchalant
"I'll...forgive you this time" said Noire "Not that I didn't notice it...but you saved me the trouble. Now you stand back...and leave these to me" Noire stepped forward while Terra looked at his closing hand
"Noire listen, I want to help you. I'm sorry about before but I'm ready now. I want to help you fight"
"Are you sure?" Terra nodded with new fervor "yeah you're ready but do you even have the power left?"
"We'll find out won't we? I'll try not to get in your way and should I not have any power...I'll just go home" Noire just sighed
"I doubt you'll be THAT much of an inconvenience"
"Huh?"
"Doesn't matter. Here...Muscle memory!" like before a red coating appearing over Terra's body "Now you won't be that helpless...curtesy of Lastation's CPU"
"Then...I'll make use of it. Just give me a second to retrieve my sword"
As Noire handed off into the fray, bullets blazing at her, Terra made a bee-line for his sword picking it up in his hand. As he ran forward, he looked at his face in the sword's metal "I had it wrong...Master. I slipped again. Not any more" Noire began by swiping at two medium machines, defeating them both with clean swipes. As she saw the third and fourth zip right towards her "Fierce Edge!" an yellow energy wave, riding the ground, struck the third one to knock it over before Terra came in to double-kick the fourth.
Terra rolled through the air, the machine he kicked knocked over "Now...to try this again" sheathing his sword he put his hands to his fore-head "Hadou-dan!" he fired an electric yellow beam to strike the machine turning it to data-dust. As Terra landed he seemed surprise "Hey...I did it! I...beat him"
"Of course you did" said Noire flicking her hair "I did give you my power didn't I? Now come on...or I'll be doing it all myself" Terra took this with added confidence and zipped right into the fray.
Terra with sword in hand sliced clean through the body of another machine before shooting it with an energy blast. Noire came to one "Lace Ribbons" to kick it in the air, spin-kick it twice before back-slicing it into the ground with a smash. Only one mid-sized robot which Terra was dealing with, by darting right towards it.
Multiple rockets came towards him, along with several small robots. With simple sword swings and energy blasts, he destroyed the small ones and avoided the rockets. He zeroed in on the machine, which tried to punch at him "Send it to me Terra" Noire said behind to which he jumped smoothly flipped forward to double-kick it's back sending it...right into Noire as she flew at it, dealt forth a single slice to cleave it into two...defeating it into dust.
Terra saw the area was now empty, and felt the brief enhancement now worn off "It seems...I still had plenty in me after all"
"I suppose it helps when I share my natural genius" said Noire landing on her feet "or that you're actually given some helpful advice. With Neptune as your nation's Goddess...I'm surprised you're even semi-competent"
"Thank you...I think? Then if I grew up in Lastation...I'd be smarter?"
"No doubt about that. I would be your nation's Goddess after all, not an air-head, so I'd leave a better example" Terra did wonder but shrugged his arms
"Bit late now I guess...but I wouldn't have minded being a Lastation citizen"
"There you are you see"
Terra felt thankful for Noire's help and sighed "Right...let's get it over with. I do owe you one"
"What do you mean now?" asked Noire
"Your HDD form...I'd like to give my opinion if you want it" Noire seemed to grin a little folding her arms after flicking her hair "Proceed"
"I guess its fair. Your silver suit compliments your natural curves, and fair bust-size, allowing your femininity to shine through the vibe you exhude. You seem well refined...though not egoistic on appearance and ready to fight" Noire seemed a little lost but by her smile really liked what he said
"Now...that's an Opinion I think measures me accurately"
"As for your hair..." he said with a slight blush "It shows...you really look after yourself and the colour...reminds me of clean untrodden snow"
Noire seemed rather appreciate his opinion "So...you like what you see do you? That is...my regal beauty?" Terra just nodded "Of course you do...it's only natural for a human boy as yourself. Though why did you make that remark about my chest size?"
"Hmm...no real reason" said Terra awkwardly "I just prefer...the...way you look"
"In what regard?"
"Well you're not very hmmm...look let's leave this for later" he said trying to get back on track "there are still machines on the loose" another explosion sounded in the distance
"Yeah you're right. It's obvious that Neptune and Plutia can't handle things"
Noire soared high into the air, getting a birds-eye view of the nation to determine where the explosion was. Following the smoke she saw nearby a large machine before flying back down "Another large mech is left. That must be the one causing the destruction"
"Well...Plutia shouldn't have any problems" Terra said "I mean she took one out on her own...or she could be really tired"
"That might be case...because admit it with the number of robots neither of us are completely fresh are we?" Terra shook his head "Right...this is where it gets serious. As you are...I doubt you'll even hurt that big mech, can you go to your purple mode? You might actually be of use then"
"I can try...let's see"
Terra tried before, and summoned his inner power. Compared to before he found it rising and building until...he reached his peak and transformed...though now quite different. His hair was now longer, about under chin-length and had two long strands of hair going down his back. His hair was now black, leaning towards dark blue, and looked bushy but neat. Noire looked quite intrigued "Your hair...its black!"
"It is?" Terra said before feeling his hair "And it's bushier too...and I've got...quills? Or is it tails?"
"It sort of reminds me of my hair tone...but why did it change to black? I thought it went purple because of Neptune's influence?"
"Well...I am in your Nation now and maybe I feel more faith in you at this moment I don't know" her ego soared straight up at his words
"So...what you're saying is...I've converted you? Or you respect me more?"
"I...can't be certain, since this has never happened before. But you are the only outside Planeptune CPU I've met"
"Don't think too much on it...you're only hurt yourself"
Noire's ego served to boost her confidence "Right that's enough waiting around...let's get going"
"Oh...right!" Terra said nodding "You lead the way...and I'll follow" Noire nodded and flew on with Terra behind her. Noire's eyes peeked backwards to see Terra run rather quickly, until he got to her side. Noire picked up a little bit of speed, Terra still keeping up before she went almost as fast she could. Terra sprinted behind her, arms behind him, to keep up with her...if a tad slower
"Hmm...I wonder if I could get used to this"
END OF CHAPTER
"And there you have it...Chapter done. Theodore here to sign you off to the next one. Now without spoiling it what you read in this chapter keep in mind, you know for future reference. Won't say anything more. What I will say is the Next chapter will be a sort of two-step story...you'll see what I mean at the time. For now...its over to Cyberconnect 2 with the Preview"
Cybercon bows and waves "Pleasure to meet you everyone, and call me Cybercon. I'm here to post the Preview...and here it is for you. Next time on Nepunia's LC MK 2. Terra and co head to the last of the machines, though with mixed response, Terra demonstrating some altered powers and a formation skill. Whether they beat up the machines or not...Histoire hears news that gives her reason for concern. So Stay tuned for Chapter 15: To the Source. See you all next time"