Another death.
SeeU had not spoken a single word to John, or any of the henchmen, but they were all people and deserved better than that. SeeU could feel the grief emotion coming back, but she stopped it, replaying Jotaro's message in her memory.
Get mad. Get angry. And if you can't get mad, get determined. Absolve yourself of grief.
Realize that. . .well, If you didn't have any reason to go after Bane before. . .
Now you need to collect a debt. The only one who'll do that is you - and us.
Grief was energy now. Fuel to keep going. Each and every one of those men would be avenged, just like Harper.
Quietly disposing of the food and drink she'd consumed, SeeU didn't notice the gas-until her olfactory senses kicked in. "Hmm...that seems odd." Turning to look at the now hellish landscape, she gasped.
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"Oh my! It's like a Machigerita song come to life! How exciting~!"
...Probably not the best reaction given their overall situation. But in truth it was sublime to the young Vocaloid. Such pretty colors, such vivid shapes! It all looked so fantastic, so wonderful, as if imagination had come to life! SeeU was giddy with glee over the whole thing. "Let's go, everyone! I wanna see all we can!!"
@Jeremi @Ver @thatguyinthestore @Crow @CrunchyCHEEZIT @everyone
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"If it's gas we're dealing with, then I'll just have to not breathe it in," Ben proclaims as he dials and transforms into the previously-displayed Upgrade. Upgrade's technoorganic physiology would generally allow for him to not require traditional respiratory processes, and thus would not breathe the fear toxins in. Hopefully he didn't trigger an accidental transformation...
@Jeremi @York @Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker @etcetcetc
In the meantime the group had made their way back to the city area when they heard a whistling song coming from above. An object looking like a canister fell in their midst before it released a green gas that enveloped the group. When the smoke cleared they saw that their surrounding had turned far more...bizarre.
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"Gotham has turned into some nightmare fueled hellscape wonderland!" Aquawoman was not amused. What had been in that gas?
"This has the fingerprints of a man called Scarecrow all over them," Bruce replied grimly. "We have to move on though, hell or no hell. Everyone with me?" He turned to face the rest of the group. "Are we committed to the plan?"
Whatever was in that gas, even changing shape to a techno organic being didn't seem to push it out of Ben's systems. While the hellscape was the same for everyone the spectral beings that they saw around where not, each modified to fitting that persons real life fear.
@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky @Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @ThatAverageGuy @Atomic Knight @Lucky @belVita @dark
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"Wait," Upgrade asks SeeU, "if you're an android, and you don't need to breathe, how are you seeing all of this?"
Before SeeU could provide an answer, Upgrade saw before him birds of death, a whole flock of them, in fact.
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"Coo coo motherfucker! Coo coo!"
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"Ah! Get your feathery butts away from me!" Upgrade was aiming optic blasts at the feathered fiends that stood before him. To others, Upgrade was just shooting eye lasers at either nothing, or nothing that could be described to have a feathery butt.
@Jeremi @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @Widowmaker @Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @etcetcetc
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"Ah! Get your feathery butts away from me!" Upgrade was aiming optic blasts at the feathered fiends that stood before him. To others, Upgrade was just shooting eye lasers at either nothing, or nothing that could be described to have a feathery butt.
Whatever was in that gas, even changing shape to a techno organic being didn't seem to push it out of Ben's systems. While the hellscape was the same for everyone the spectral beings that they saw around where not, each modified to fitting that persons real life fear.
"The fuck are you shooting at ki--" Felix would stop mid sentence upon seeing someone in front of him. Someone who he'd thought he wouldn't see in Gotham, not in a million years.
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Locus.
Felix would stagger back a bit at the sight of his partner, not expecting to see him in the middle of the streets like this. "L-Locus? The hell are you doing here?" Felix asked the other mercenary.
"..."
Confused by his partner's lack of a response, Felix pressed on and stepped forward. "Locus!" He yelled, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?!"
"..." The other mercenary still said nothing, though he did move a bit. And that movement was pulling out what appeared to be a handgun and placing it to Felix's gut, causing the mercenary to stagger back yet again.
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"Locus! Quit fucking around and tell me why the fuck you're here!" He finally yelled with what sounded like a mix of anger and, more importantly, fear in his voice.
"I've been contracted to kill you." Locus replied, aiming his gun at Felix, causing Felix to visibly shake a bit, even under all that armor.
Instead of attacking him, Felix could only raise his arms and press his palms against his chest in a grand manor, obviously gesturing to himself. "What are you talking about? We need each other! Wh-what about our orders? Our reward? Becoming the ultimate weapon!"
Locus only stood still in response and said nothing for a what felt like an eternity. "None of that matters anymore." He replied coldly before raising his gun and shooting at the other mercenary, causing him to raise his shield as a defensive maneuver.
Without thinking, Felix reached for his assault rifle and began shooting at his now former partner, although clearly terrified by the situation. Those around him would simply see him shooting air, as Locus was, of course, just a hallucination.
@Jeremi @Crow @Widowmaker
"Kid, what exactly are you shooting at---"
Dante was then interrupted when he saw a familiar face. Someone he had hoped he'd never see again after their last encounters:
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"It's been too long... Brother." Vergil exclaimed, approaching his other as if it were real.
"You're shitting me. I thought we were done, Vergil. I stopped you from ruling over the Humans like they were slaves, the life in which humans did NOT deserve!" Dante retorted in an angry tone in a situation all too real. "I did not help you kill Mundus and all those other demons just so you could take his place!" "Dante. You do not understand, the chaos, the humans can cause. You do not fully understand just what you're dealing with." "Oh, and you don't?! Listen to me Vergil. I will NOT let you rule over them. The only protection they need is from you, and any threat to them. And if I means I have to kill you to ensure that? Then so be it!"
Dante exclaimed before pulling out his Rebellion Sword while the fake Vergil pulled out his Yamato.
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"This is it, Dante. We have to put our lives in our hands, without hesitation." "Yeah? Then maybe I should cut you down a notch, just like I did Mundus!"
"Royalguard Style." He exclaimed as he changed appearance to suit his Royalguard Style, making him more melee focused.
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He then charged against the fake Vergil, slashing towards him to create a sword clash. Vergil did the same, as the two clashed against each other. Of course, to everyone else, Dante was just yelling and slashing at nothing.
@Crow, @Jeremi, @thatguyinthestore.
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"Says the ghost who's afraid of light- huh?" Flashing photon-concentrated spotlights at Ghostfreak did nothing for Upgrade. "Uh oh... guys, anyone, a little help here as opposed to... you know... slashing and shooting at the air?"
Chapter 3 - Nightmare unleashed
"If Bane knows where we are then we better get out of here. We have our plan, we just need to find the right manhole cover on the map and then make our way through the sewers."
Everyone had made their way back to the main area of the Iceberg Lounge when they heard a creaking sound. One of the giant chandelier's on the ceiling no doubt damaged in the attack of the colossus suddenly fell down, taking John Connor and some of Penguin's henchmen unfortunate enough to be standing under it. The impact killed the man instantly. "Someone help!" Bruce was the first one to try and save him but when he went to check for a pulse, "He's gone..." There was nothing they could do and they were running out of time.
"We...we have to press on...Cobblepot if it's not too much to ask."
"Don't worry Mr Wayne," The Penguin assured. "I'll do the necessary preparations. If Bane thinks coming here is going to deter me, he has another thing coming!"
With out much more fanfare the group made their way off the Iceberg Lounge. Once out of ear shot the Penguin turned to his henchmen. "Dump those corpses in the bay and get this place cleaned up! It looks like a disaster area!"
In the meantime the group had made their way back to the city area when they heard a whistling song coming from above. An object looking like a canister fell in their midst before it released a green gas that enveloped the group. When the smoke cleared they saw that their surrounding had turned far more...bizarre.
![]()
"Gotham has turned into some nightmare fueled hellscape wonderland!" Aquawoman was not amused. What had been in that gas?
"This has the fingerprints of a man called Scarecrow all over them," Bruce replied grimly. "We have to move on though, hell or no hell. Everyone with me?" He turned to face the rest of the group. "Are we committed to the plan?"
Cast list:
@Minerva as Ann Takamaki
@Ver as Aoko Aozaki
@Neko Shogun as Aqua
@Crow as Ben Tennyson
@Takumi as Bishamon
@Lucky as Corey Bryant and Mason Hewitt
@Widowmaker as Dante
@Zireael as Geralt of Rivia
@Gummi Bunnies as Goro Majima
@thatguyinthestore as Harper Row - dead
@ThatAverageGuy as Jimmy
@dark as John Connor - dead
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Jotaro Kujo
@BarrenThin as Kroq-Gar
@Atomic Knight as Makoto Naegi
@Josh as Manchester Black
@Otto as Malzahar
@Kentucky as Officer K
@Okami as SCP-682
@Yun Lee as SeeU
@Kaykay as Soujirou Mibu
@belVita as Stanley Burrell
@York as Terry McGinnis
@Archmage Jeremiah as Trixie
@Sen as Vel'Koz
Whatever was in that gas, even changing shape to a techno organic being didn't seem to push it out of Ben's systems. While the hellscape was the same for everyone the spectral beings that they saw around where not, each modified to fitting that persons real life fear.
@Josh @Yun Lee @thatguyinthestore @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Neko Shogun @Kaykay @Takumi @Zireael @Kentucky @Widowmaker @Crow @Gummi Bunnies @Otto @Archmage Jeremiah @ThatAverageGuy @Atomic Knight @Lucky @belVita @dark
"That's a good question, Ben! I don't really know, but-"
"He doesn't care about what you have to say, you useless piece of scrap."
SeeU stopped midsentence, looking in shock at who just spoke. That voice...it couldn't be...!
"Miku?!"
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Sure enough, Miku stood before SeeU, a cruel smirk on her face. SeeU couldn't believe it. Her idol was here, after vanishing...and she was being so mean.
"M-Miku...where were you? What happened to you? We've all been so worried, I-"
"Ahahaha! You really think she cares how a dumb bitch like you feels?"
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Rin Kagamine joined Miku now, her sadistic laughter cutting SeeU like a knife. "Gimme a break! Miku has way more important things to do that talk to some useless Korean hunk of junk. So do I!" Rin's smile grew wider. "I have so many concerts and events to go to, that talking to you just wears me down!"
"And to think, Rin, this is with you being just the third most popular!" A third Vocaloid joined in, none other than Gumi Megpoid.
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"Meanwhile, me and Miku top the charts! Even with Miku missing, everyone still loves her!" Her lip curled as she stared down SeeU. "You, on the other hand...we're all glad you're in Gotham. It gives us an excuse to finally forget about you!"
"W-What?" SeeU shook her head. This couldn't be true, none of this could be true! The three most populat Vocaloids, her idols, telling her how worthless she was? There was no way! "B-But I'm coming home..."
"Oh God, do us all a favor and don't." Rin pointed to her mouth and made a gagging sound, as if vomiting. "Everyone's already forgotten about you anyway! Your company is so relieved to have you gone, and we don't have to listen to your wailing! Ugh, your voice is so awful!"
"No kidding! No wonder you dress like a cat, considering your voice sounds like a dying one!" All three of them burst into laughter, and Miku continued. "You're going to be staying in Gotham forever, See-YUCK. Bane isn't going to bother killing you-why would he waste his precious energy on an ugly wannabe idol?"
"The rest of the group is going to leave you, too," Gumi added. "They've been wanting to ditch you for the longest time. That chip of yours doesn't make you of any worth. You're still a filthy piece of scrapmetal. No one wants you."
"And no one ever will!"
"Bitch!"
"Freak!"
"Wannabe!"
The three began to circle SeeU, hurling insults and names at her between wild laughter. SeeU was shaking, too horrified to even shut herself down. "Please...please stop!" She covered her hands with her ears, but it did nothing to drown them out.
"Whore!"
"Walking fetish! Haha! That was a good one! Too bad that guy ended up dead! He was way more entertaining than a D-Lister like you!"
"S-Stop...please...!" She couldn't take it anymore. SeeU started running, fast as she could, to try and get away from it all. She would go into an alleyway, falling to her knees. Curling up in a little ball, she would begin to do something reserved for only the saddest songs: she would begin to cry, unable to stop, the words the three said swirling in her head.
You're alone now, bitch.
Just like you deserve.
SeeU stopped crying as she heard a voice and craned her head to look up. "Dante...?" She sat up, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. Until...
"You little slut." Miku was back. She leaned over SeeU with a wicked sneer. "Resorting to the casting couch now? Gonna fuck your way into people's hearts?"
"W-What?" SeeU turned to Miku, horrified. "N-No! I would never!" To Dante, it looked like she was talking to nothing at all.
"Oh please. It's the only way you'll ever be popular. You can't use your mouth to sing, so why not use it for something else instead?"
"N-No, that isn't-"
Gumi would appear on her other side. "I can see the headlines now: Desperate Bitch Sleeps Her Way to the Top! Too bad we'll all still hate you! Even Dante hates you! He probably just feels sorry for you, but don't worry. He won't for long. He'll ditch you the first chance he gets!"
"No! He wouldn't!" SeeU began crying again. "Please, stop! Please!"
"Pleeeaaase, staaaaahp! Pleeeeeaaaaase!" Rin mimicked SeeU. "You're so annoying! Aquawoman never should've saved you! Harper was a much better person than you'll ever be. Bane will probably kill everyone and it's all your fault!"
"P-Please..." Her voice was hushed now, their words cutting deep. "Please...stop...make it stop..."
"A...hallucination?"
"Don't listen to him! He's just trying to make you feel better because you're so pathetic."
"I...Dante...they're saying such mean things." SeeU wiped away the tears in her eyes. "I don't know how to tune them out."
"You can't tune us out, bitch. You can't escape the truth!"
"That's a good question, Ben! I don't really know, but-"
"He doesn't care about what you have to say, you useless piece of scrap."
SeeU stopped midsentence, looking in shock at who just spoke. That voice...it couldn't be...!
"Miku?!"
![]()
Sure enough, Miku stood before SeeU, a cruel smirk on her face. SeeU couldn't believe it. Her idol was here, after vanishing...and she was being so mean.
"M-Miku...where were you? What happened to you? We've all been so worried, I-"
"Ahahaha! You really think she cares how a dumb bitch like you feels?"
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Rin Kagamine joined Miku now, her sadistic laughter cutting SeeU like a knife. "Gimme a break! Miku has way more important things to do that talk to some useless Korean hunk of junk. So do I!" Rin's smile grew wider. "I have so many concerts and events to go to, that talking to you just wears me down!"
"And to think, Rin, this is with you being just the third most popular!" A third Vocaloid joined in, none other than Gumi Megpoid.
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"Meanwhile, me and Miku top the charts! Even with Miku missing, everyone still loves her!" Her lip curled as she stared down SeeU. "You, on the other hand...we're all glad you're in Gotham. It gives us an excuse to finally forget about you!"
"W-What?" SeeU shook her head. This couldn't be true, none of this could be true! The three most populat Vocaloids, her idols, telling her how worthless she was? There was no way! "B-But I'm coming home..."
"Oh God, do us all a favor and don't." Rin pointed to her mouth and made a gagging sound, as if vomiting. "Everyone's already forgotten about you anyway! Your company is so relieved to have you gone, and we don't have to listen to your wailing! Ugh, your voice is so awful!"
"No kidding! No wonder you dress like a cat, considering your voice sounds like a dying one!" All three of them burst into laughter, and Miku continued. "You're going to be staying in Gotham forever, See-YUCK. Bane isn't going to bother killing you-why would he waste his precious energy on an ugly wannabe idol?"
"The rest of the group is going to leave you, too," Gumi added. "They've been wanting to ditch you for the longest time. That chip of yours doesn't make you of any worth. You're still a filthy piece of scrapmetal. No one wants you."
"And no one ever will!"
"Bitch!"
"Freak!"
"Wannabe!"
The three began to circle SeeU, hurling insults and names at her between wild laughter. SeeU was shaking, too horrified to even shut herself down. "Please...please stop!" She covered her hands with her ears, but it did nothing to drown them out.
"Whore!"
"Walking fetish! Haha! That was a good one! Too bad that guy ended up dead! He was way more entertaining than a D-Lister like you!"
"S-Stop...please...!" She couldn't take it anymore. SeeU started running, fast as she could, to try and get away from it all. She would go into an alleyway, falling to her knees. Curling up in a little ball, she would begin to do something reserved for only the saddest songs: she would begin to cry, unable to stop, the words the three said swirling in her head.
You're alone now, bitch.
Just like you deserve.
After more time spent fighting... nothing, Dante finally managed to beat his Brother, again, and slashed him down. "Say hi to Mundus for me. I'm sure he'll love to catch up with ya, bro." He exclaimed with a smirk on his face before realising something. "Was I just... Woah... Wait a minute, so that wasn't even real?" Dante then came to a sudden realisation, and began to approach everyone that was having hallucinations.
First was SeeU, and he noticed that she ran off into a alleyway and curled up in a ball, crying. Dante walked over to her with a smile on his face. "Hey... Relax, girl. What's going on? What are you seeing?" He exclaimed with a soft, caring voice, hoping to calm her down from whatever was affecting her.
@Yun Lee.
"A...hallucination?"
"Don't listen to him! He's just trying to make you feel better because you're so pathetic."
"I...Dante...they're saying such mean things." SeeU wiped away the tears in her eyes. "I don't know how to tune them out."
"You can't tune us out, bitch. You can't escape the truth!"
@Widowmaker