pepper and Leia walk out of the portal, the first thing they see is The Platinum Star.
"So, this is what it's like outside... This place is pretty! The sky is so blue, and the trees blow beautifully in the wind!" Leia said, excited to see the world.
"Leia... I know you wanna explore and everything, but can we see my girls first? I need to check on them." pepper said, hoping she'd understand.
"Girls?" Leia said, feeling confused.
"Yeah, come with me and you can meet them." pepper said, taking Leia's hand and walking into The Platinum Star.
pepper opened the door to his room, and immediately was jumped on by Kumo.
"Daddy!" Kumo cried out. "I missed you so much, what happened?" Kumo said, looking up at pepper with puppy-dog eyes.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Kumo, I got a little caught up in some fights." pepper said, giving Kumo a head pat.
"Ugh, and you HAD to bring home another one!" Niku said, walking to the door way. "This room is already crowded enough." Niku continued.
"Yeah... I'm gonna try and get us a two bedroom room here soon." pepper said, agreeing with Niku.
"Come on, Daddy, you must be tired." Mae said, trying to pull pepper into the room.
"You're calling me Daddy now too?" pepper said, with a sigh. Mae brought pepper and Leia to the foot of the bed.
"Fuhuhu! Come on, Daddy... You know you like it." Muma said, sitting on the bed.
"Daddy?" Leia questioned.
"Kehehe! It's a nickname I made up for him!" Kumo laughed, proudly.
"Nickname? I thought we were being a little kinky." Muma said, genuinely thinking that way.
"Ugh, you would think that, jeez..." Niku said, tired of everyone's random shit.
"Um... D-Daddy..." Utsu stuttered, walking up to pepper.
"Yes, Utsu?" pepper questioned, wondering what she wanted.
Utsu hugged pepper. "I-I missed you..." Utsu said, hugging pepper tight. pepper smiled.
"Why can't we, like, be more like that? Wholesome and whatever. But no we have to be lewd, I'm looking at you, Kumo, and Muma too, especially Muma!" Niku said, looking at both Kumo and Muma.
"Keheheee!" Kumo laughed.
"Fuhuhu..." Muma chuckled.
Polly closed the book about Zeus. "I think we should all allow Daddy to get rest, we can meet this girl tomorrow, it seems they both are tired." Polly said, trying to get everyone to calm down.
"Yeah, you're right. Everyone get ready for bed." Niku demanded.
"Yes, Sir!" Kumo said, putting her hand up in a salute.
"God, you're all children, I swear..." Niku said, with a sigh.
"Tehe... Soon... You'll be all mine, pepper. All. Mine." A girl with red hair said, quietly, standing outside of pepper's door.
'Zues' siblings... Poseidon, Hades...' pepper thought, reading his book in his head. Niku stood at the foot of the bed and looked at pepper. 'Hestia...' pepper continued, then looking up to notice Niku. "What's wrong?" pepper asked, feeling extremely confused.
"Ugh. Whatever." Niku said, as she walked to the hotel room's door.
"Where are you going?" pepper asked, wondering why she's leaving.
"I'm just getting some fresh air, I'll be outside the hotel lobby." Niku said, opening the door.
"W-Wait, Niku!" Utsu said, rushing, with her eyes closed, over to the door where Niku is.
"Yeah? What?" Niku said, turning around as if she's already bothered.
"Aw!" Both Utsu and Niku said.
"Are you two okay?" pepper said, leaning up to see them past the wall.
"Ugh, what's your freakin' problem?!" Niku yelled, at Utsu.
"I-I'm sorry..." Utsu said, looking like she's about to cry.
"It's fine." Niku said, standing up and brushing herself off. "Anyway, what did you, like, want?" Niku said, looking at Utsu as if she doesn't actually care.
"U-Um... I... wanted to kn-know..." Utsu paused, trying to think about her words.
"Come on, spit it out." Niku said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Uh... I wanted to know... if I c-could come... with y-you?" Utsu said, finishing her sentence even though she was scared to ask.
"Yeah, sure, I don't care. Come on." Niku said, walking away. Utsu closed the door and stumbled as she tried to catch up with Niku.
"S-So... What are we gonna do...?" Utsu asked, mostly trying to remove the silence.
"I already said, we're gonna, like, get fresh air. You do breathe, right?" Niku said, starting to regret letting Utsu tag along.
"Y-Yes, I b-breathe..." Utsu said, thinking it was a genuine question.
"Whatever, let's just sit on the bench and, like, relax, or something." Niku said, as she sat on the bench and put her arms behind her head.
"R-Right." Utsu said, sitting on the bench and trying to figure out how to relax.
"Hey, you two girls." A nerdy looking boy said, holding an expensive camera.
Niku opened her left eye and glared at the boy. "Get lost." Niku said, bluntly, trying not to deal with anyone.
"I just wanted to know what character you're cosplaying as, that's all." The boy said, getting ready to take a picture.
Niku's face grew angry. "I'm not cosplaying, weirdo! Get that stupid camera away from me, creep!" Niku yelled, snapping at the boy.
Footsteps could be heard, faintly, walking near Utsu. "N-Niku..." Utsu mumbled.
"Not now, Utsu! Just stay quiet." Niku yelled, not looking at Utsu.
"Hey, now. Just calm down and tell me who you're cosplaying as... No normal person dresses like that." The boy said, holding his hands up to his chest. "You can't sit here and tell me that you're not cosplaying anyone and have gray skin!" The boy said, growing impatient.
"I already freakin' told you. I'm not cosplaying, you little shit." Niku said, standing up and reaching into her back pocket and pulling out something metal and about the size of a stick of chapstick.
"Watch you mouth, kids shouldn't talk like that!" The boy said, thinking Niku is a child.
"That's it! I have had it with being called a child!" Niku yelled, as she pressed a button on the small metal object she held, causing it to expand into a big metal rod, that's the size of a yard stick.
"Oh, I get it, you're in character. Bravo, well done!" The boy said, smiling at Niku. Niku looked at him with anger, charged back, and slammed the metal rod into his stomach. The boy's smile left his face, and blood left his mouth as he got sent flying backwards. Niku pressed the botton on the metal rod again and it retracted to its smaller form.
"Jeez... What a pain..." Niku mumbled, to herself. "Anyway, what did you, like, want, Utsu?" Niku said, looking over to where Utsu was sitting. Niku's eyes went wide. "Utsu?!" Niku shouted, as she noticed Utsu was missing.
Niku bursted through the door to the hotel room.
"Oh?" Muma said, looking over at the door.
"Daddy!" Niku shouted, trying to get pepper's attention.
pepper leaned over and looked at Niku. "What's wrong?" pepper said, as he noticed Utsu wasn't with her. "Where's Utsu?" pepper said, with a serious and worried face. Niku stood there, trying to piece together a sentence. "Where is she?!" pepper yelled, beginning to worry even more.
Niku looked into pepper's eyes. "I-I... I messed up..." Niku said, beginning to cry.
pepper immediately calmed himself. "Hey, Niku." pepper said, jumping off the bed and walking closer to Niku. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, alright? Just tell me what happened." pepper said, calmly, hugging Niku as she cried.
"I see... So you think she was kidnapped?" pepper said, still hugging Niku. Niku nodded.
"Utsu is small, and she's vulnerable. Likely a good target for a predator... If I had to guess, I'd say they've had their eye on her for at least a few days." pepper said, not feeling too worried about this.
"What makes you say that?" Kumo said, walking up to pepper and Niku.
"Well, assuming it is a predator that took Utsu while Niku was distracted. Predators usually stalk their prey. They choose their target, they'll look for the weak ones that are an easy steal." pepper said, explaining his thought process.
"I understand, that does make sense." Polly said, joining the conversation. "But, how do you intend to find her?" Polly asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, isn't that obvious? If I focus on our connection, I'll find her in no time." pepper said, walking to the door.
"Yeah! Go get em' Daddy!" Kumo said, cheering pepper on.
"Nobody is to leave, got it? Not for any reason, unless the building is burning down or something." pepper said, closing and locking the door behind him.
'Jeez... I just want to finish that damned book so I can get to the next ones...' pepper thought, walking through the hotel lobby. 'Come to think of it, I wonder how much Leia knows? She is a God after all.' pepper continued thinking, leaving The Platinum Star.
"It's weird..." pepper said, thinking out loud. 'I can sense her around here... but I don't see her...' pepper thought, looking around.
"I'm impressed..." A girl's voice said, quietly, behind pepper. pepper quickly turned around.
"You followed the connection all the way here, you didn't fall for the trap." The girl said, making pretty eyes at pepper.
"What trap?" pepper asked, not realizing there even was a trap. pepper looked at the girl, he focused and felt a connection, he realized she's another female pepper, but he thought it was odd.
"You were supposed to follow the signal into the sewer... But you didn't. There was an ambush waiting for you there." The girl explained.
"I knew she couldn't be in the sewer because Utsu is terrified of dark places, I'd feel her connection be full of irrational fear, rather than her usual scared of everything fear." pepper said, explaining why he didn't travel into the sewer.
"I see... You know your girls well. You must care for them deeply." The girl said, moving her right hand a little.
"What's your name?" pepper asked, interested in this girl. 'She's different than the others, her eyes are light blue, like Leia's but... this girl's hair...' pepper thought, trying to understand what's wrong with her hair.
The girl gasped. "Are you interested in me?!" The girl said, her facing lighting up in excitement.
"Yes, I am. You're different than the others." pepper said, looking at the girl more. Her eyes were light blue, just like Leia's, and her hair was completely red, aside from one spot coming down her forehead, mixed in with the red hair, and two other spots coming off the sides of her head that were pink. She wore a black schoolgirl outfit with a blue four-in-hand knot tie, and a red, plaid skirt that was slighlt darker than her hair. She also had on legging under the skirt, and bright pink shoes that matched the two parts of her hair that were pink.
"My name is Kure. And you're right, I am different. In fact, I'm the most beautiful of all the female peppers!" Kure said, giving herself a lot of credit.
"Hmm..." pepper mumbled, observing Kure. "I wouldn't say you're the most beautiful. From the female peppers I've seen, I'd say Kumo is the most beautiful." pepper said, feeling sure about his decision.
"Ah... Is that so..." Kure said, her eye twitching.
'I should have taken that one rather than the scared little bitch!' Kure thought, feeling very jealous. "Well, I assure you, pepper. I am the most beautiful. I have been rejected by male peppers soooo many times!" Kure said, proudly.
"Right..." pepper said, thinking she's a little crazy. "And how does that make you the most beautiful?" pepper asked, trying to get four from two plus three.
"Well, since they rejected me, it obviously means I'm too good for them. Right?!" Kure shouted, at the end of her sentence, making an extremely angry face.
"Yeah, yeah, of course, how could I have been so stupid!" pepper said, quickly, trying to say what she wants to hear. 'Is she insane?' pepper thought to himself.
"So, since I'm the most beautiful... and you're said to be the strongest... I think we can make something work here..." Kure said, slowly, looking at pepper oddly.
'I'm said to be the strongest?' pepper though, questioning what she said. "What do you mean 'I'm the strongest'?" pepper asked, trying to get an answer.
"You don't know? You have a bounty of fifty thousand. The other's say you're the strongest cause you have multiple female peppers, it's pretty unheard of." Kure said, explaining why she said he's the strongest.
"Why is my bounty fifty thousand?" pepper said, not even understanding why he has a bounty in the first place.
"Apparently you've been world hopping or something, The Universal Government doesn't seem to like that very much." Kure said, giving pepper more questions.
"The Universal... what...?" pepper whispered under his breathe. "Has someone been stalking me?" pepper asked, mostly asking himself.
Kure's eyes went wide. "You know I've been stalking you?" Kure said, with an insane look on her face.
pepper stood still, feeling a little frozen. "...No... I didn't know that... But now I do." pepper said, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Oh." Kure said, switching back to a smile. pepper decided to ignore that. "Anywayyy..." Kure said, stretching the word. "So, you're gonna abandon all your other girls and come with me, right? Right? Right?!" Kure said, getting a little louder with every 'right'.
pepper looked at Kure with a little confusion. "No, I'd never just abandon them, not even one of them." pepper said, with a serious face.
"...Tehe... hehe... Even the strongest..." Kure muttered, to herself.
"Kure?" pepper said, worried about her.
"I'm too good... even for the strongest! Wow!" Kure shouted, her right palm on her forehead, and a look of pain on her face.
"H-Hey..." pepper said, not sure what to do.
"Hahaha!!! It's so amazing to be this good!" Kure shouted, with tears coming from her eyes. "If I'm so good... then why does it hurt so much!" Kure shouted, using both hands and squeezing them into her forehead.
"Kure! Calm down!" pepper said, worried about Kure. Kure took her right and and held it out infront of pepper. "What are you-?" pepper said, getting cut off by an odd feeling. pepper moved his head back, quickly, he saw a large knife fly right where his head was and land into Kure's hand.
"Tehehe! I'm impressed!" Kure said, her face dripping tears. "If I can't love you... then no one can..." Kure said, looking up at pepper, with anger in her eyes.
"W-Wait, Kure! I didn't say you can't love me, I said I won't leave them!" pepper said, trying to get her to listen. 'Damn... she's in a blind rage... I doubt she can even hear me...' pepper thought, trying to think of what to do.
"Love me... Just me... Love me. Love me. Love me! Love me! LOVE ME! LOVE ME!!! ME! ME! ME! LOVE... MEEEE!!!" Kure screamed, as she jumped towards pepper, not noticing that pepper had already moved. "Tahaha! I'm impressed! You predicted my move! It's a shame... that you've got to die..." Kure said, running at pepper, she's so fast that pepper can barely keep up with her movements.
"Kure, stop!" pepper said, dodging her knife swings, but just barely. pepper looked at her to see a smile of blood lust. 'Kure...' pepper thought, feeling bad for how she's been turned down so many times. "You've probably had it very rough... I can tell you've never had a male pepper protect you... That's why you're so skilled, you had to protect yourself." pepper said, still dodging her attacks.
"I'm impressed! I'm impressed! I'm impressed!" Kure screamed, as she cried with a crazy smile on her face. pepper caught her right arm as she was swinging aimlessly, and pulled her close to him.
"Kure... you poor girl... You don't need to keep swinging that knife." pepper said, using all of his strength to hold her arm still. "You said you wanted me because I am apparently strong, and you also said the reason I am strong is because I have multiple female peppers at my side. If I were to abandon them for you, I'd be weak again. You'd be stronger than me, Kure!" pepper said, trying to make Kure understand. Kure stopped trying to move her arm. "You don't need to be the most beautiful, you don't need to be strong, you just need to be you, that's all I want." pepper said, letting go of her arm.
"B-But... my hair... it's red..." Kure said, trembling against pepper.
"So? You hair color doesn't matter to me, I think red is a really pretty color." pepper said, making sure he sounds genuine.
"B-But... B-But-" Kure said, being cut off by pepper.
"No buts, just stay with me, okay? You won't regret it, I promise." pepper said, trying to get her to calm down.
"Y-You'll... love me... even though you have others... that have blue hair...?" Kure asked, dropping her knife.
"Of course, I actually think you look really cool, Kure, I wouldn't want you to be any other way." pepper said, still holding Kure close.
"I've never been this close to a male pepper before... At least, not with consent..." Kure said, smiling.
"Well, I'm glad to be your first, Kure." pepper said, letting go of his tight hold that was pessing the two together.
"I'm sorry... that I tried to kill you..." Kure said, feeling bad for what she did.
"As long as you're sorry then it's forgiven." pepper said, looking at Kure.
"I'll bring the Doll back too." Kure said, talking about Utsu.
"Thank you. Where was she?" pepper asked, following Kure.
"Right here." Kure said, as she grabbed what looked like air, but turned out to be an invisible cloak. It revealed Utsu, and a man holding her mouth shut. "Remove yourself from her." Kure demanded.
"Where's the money?" The man snarled.
"Here." Kure said, taking out two thousand dollars and handing it to the man. The man left, and took his invisible cloak with him.
"Utsu!" pepper said, rushing to her.
"D-D... D-D..." Utsu stuttered, unable to finish her word, tears fell from her eyes and she was shaking as if she was left in the cold.
"It's okay, you're gonna be fine." pepper said, hugging Utsu. "Think you can walk?" pepper asked, Utsu. Utsu slowly nodded her head left and right. "Alright, I'll carry you." pepper said, picking Utsu up, and holding her over his shoulder.
"You lifted her with ease..." Kure said, feeling impressed.
"Well, she is a Doll, she's rather light." pepper said, walking back to The Platinum Star, with Kure.