Chapter 2

It was a rough day for Compa at work, as a nurse, it was her job to deal with all the quest takers and hunters that suffered injuries during their travels. She took the same path to work every day, waking up from her small home isolated in the outskirts of Planeptune. She would put on her usual outfit and Heart shaped pursed around her neck, riding her bike for an hour-long trip, passing various lakes, hills, and fauna. When she arrived at work, she did the usual check in and greeted her co-workers. The manager of the clinic she worked at asked her to come over for a "special patient".

"Well Compa, let's just say that this person shouldn't exactly be alive"

"What? Why's that"

"She suffered multiple stabs wounds, bruises to her arms and legs, and a gunshot wound to the knee and chest"

"That's brutal, when did this happen?"

"We found her flowing down a lake, we barely pulled her out before she could end up further downstream. She refuses to say who was responsible for this."

"What's her name?"

"Neptune, that's what she told us"

"You sure I'm the best person for this?"

"You're a good kid Compa, you've also got a nice heart"

"Thank for noticing my purse"

"Not that you dolt, I think you can help empathize with patient, she's a young one also."

"Oh, poor kid. Well as my Grandpa always said, better reckless but young instead of ignorant and old"

Compa was impressed but also concerned about the patient hurried to infirmary to find this hard-boiled survivor. She expected some grizzled hardcore veteran hunter or adventurer. Only she found a small girl no taller than 4 feet and 8 inches. She had short frilly hair that was complimented by two d-pads on her head and wore a Planeptune hoodie and nothing else except bandages on places where she was injured. With an N marked on a small emblem that was used as a zipper. Her Hood strings looked like game plugs and wore a lace choker on her neck with a small N symbol on it, not different to the one on the zipper. The Mysterious Survivor turned to Compa and greeted her quite flirtatiously.

"Was poppin hot stuff~"

Compa was flattered by the statement, but knew she had a job to focus on. So she merely responded with a simple question.

"Are you feeling alright miss Neptune?"

"Whelp I got my ass kicked and I can barely move."

"Oh my, what happened?"

"Let's just say I'm going to be handicapped for a while"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do to help?"

Compa lost track of how many times she had to repeat this phrase to every patient that suffered more than just basic injuries. In reality it had no effect or solace. It was almost a kneejerk response at this point.

"You could get me out of here."

"I'm not really able to do that, my manager would probably fire me. Besides, aren't you in some real pain? I've heard your injuries, no one casually survives an attack like that."

"Nah, I'll be fine. I more concerned about you, you look absolutely dead inside"

Compa turned to look at the nearby mirror to see her horrendous eyebags and unkept hair.

"Right, I woke up late and had to rush my way to the clinic, I live an hour away, so I get tired just getting here"

"An hour-long ride? That sounds awful Compa!"

"Yeah, but I'd rather not live in the city, it's too crowded and messy. There's also all the noise and ramblings, its really not good for the mind. I like to live in peace and quiet. I remember a phrase my grandpa used to say, 'if you can't live peacefully, don't live at all."

"Right…"

"So, are you sure you aren't feeling any pain what-so ever?"

"Nada, sorry to disappoint"

"Not at all, please continue to get better. If you need anything, here's my personal number."

Compa left the patients room to speak with the manager about this mysterious girl.

"She seemed perfectly fine, physically at-least"

"We were surprised too, we're thinking that maybe she is some superhuman or goddess"

"Oh please, why would a goddess end up at here of all places"

"Hell if I know, I want you to keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't do anything crazy."

"No problem boss"

Neptune, formerly purple heart, gazed at the window to the outside world. She didn't see much except for a couple trees and a small body of water.

"I hope Nepgear's okay."

Her younger sister, who ironically was taller than her, was Planeptune's CPU candidate. While not as strong as the leading CPU, she's able to lead the country fairly well and handle trivial matters with the country's oracle, Histoire. The oracle of a country managed how the CPU used their shares, the status of public relations, and negotiations with foreign countries.

"How'd I screw things up this badly?"

The job was suspicious at first, Histoire detected a spike in share readings in the celestian ruins. Purple Heart was desperate to increase Planeptune's standing in Gamindustri. Nepgear and Histoire begged her to not go. But Neptune was stubborn and desperate.

"I need to call home."

Neptune slowly raised herself out of bed and grabbed on to the I.V stand to support herself. She struggled to get to a nearby phone. Upon reaching one, she typed in a confidential number that issued a private line between Planeptune leaders on a cellular device.

"What was it again? Ah, 2, 2, 8, 8, 3, 5, 3, 5, 2, 2, call."

She knew she got the right number as a different jingle played instead of the usual dial up tone.

"Purple Heart! Where are you!"

"I got my ass kicked, I landed down on the edge of the city."

"I'll send Nepgear right away"

"Don't, it's not safe. Histoire, I don't how to tell you this, I lost my CPU form, I can't transform."

"What! It's not funny to joke around like that Neptune!"

"Its not, Black Heart Got ahold of some negative share energy- "

"Negative Share energy… that must have been what the reading was"

"She took my CPU core Histoire, I didn't even know that was possible!"

"Black Heart broke Gamindustri law! I'll have to speak to Lastation's oracle about this"

Gamindustri had some set-in-stone rules of combat and conquest, some implemented by the first goddess, some written by us. Black Heart had always been the shadiest of the bunch, she had very little to say about laws, and used loopholes and half-truths to manipulate things her way. Neptune knew this and realized that this predicament was not going to solve itself though diplomacy.

"Don't bother Histy, I'm going to take my form back"

"Neptune don't be so reckless, you can't fight if you're still injured"

"I'll work my way back up"

"Neptune, you were lucky enough to not perish during a battle against 3 CPUs"

Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere, Neptune hung up the call.

"Neptune are you listening to me? Don't han- "

"Sorry Histoire."

"Hey, you shouldn't be out of bed!"

Neptune realized that voice, it the same nurse that greeted her when after she woke up.

"Oh hey Compa, I was just making a call to a friend of mine"

"Clinic policy states that's you have to ask for assistance before going outside"

"Yeah, yeah whatever, I'll just go back to my roo- "

Neptune lost grip of the IV stand and fell down to the floor.

"Ah shit"

"Now look what happened miss Neptune, you hurt yourself!"

"I can see that you dolt!"

Compa lifted Neptune up and carried her to her room.

"I don't know what's going in your personal life, nor is it any of my business, but you need to focus on getting better, its my job to make sure that you rest up easy."

"I don't have time for this Compa! I need to leave"

"That can wait Neptu-"

A monstrous roar is hear from the main hall followed by the screaming, then silence. The sound caused an uproar among the patients in various rooms.

"What was that…"

Compa hurried to the door and looked out the small window to see the hallway covered in blood, a severed limb lay under the florescent light. Compa almost throws up, barely stopping herself.

"Compa! What's happening!"

A patient runs to the door, begging to get in.

"Let me in please! PLEASE! It's going to kill us all!

Only for a shadowy figure to appear behind him and insert a claw, decorated with human eyes, go through the back of his head, through his throat. He then got pinned down as the figure pulled and ripped him apart. Blood covered the lower part of the window as his screams of torture slowly dissipate.

Compa quickly grabs Neptune and cowers in fear in a corner that can't be seen from the window.

"Compa!"

Compa puts her hand on Neptune's Mouth as the door opens very slowly. A shadowy hand places itself on the edge of the door, then closes it.

Compa picks up her phone and calls for a friend.

"IF, please pick up!"

The only response would be a voicemail request.

"Sorry, I'm currently busy, please leave a message I won't read!"

"IF! You have to help, we need a ride far away from here!"

"Friend of yours?"

"She the only person I know that can get us out of here, my bike can't carry both of us."

Compa's phone rang again.

"Manager?"

"Compa, where are you?"

"I'm with Neptune in her room"

"Use the window to get out of here"

"What about you?"

"I grabbed a few patients and nurses, and barricaded ourselves into a room, but I don't think its going to hold for long!"

A crash is heard from the managers end of the phone call

"Oh god they're breaking in. Compa, get out of here now!"

Compa cries as she tries to respond

"I c-cc can't j-just leave you!"

Screams of fear from both patients and nurses echo from Compa's phone.

"I don't think… I don't think we're going to make it"

A louder crash is heard

"Compa please! Just grab Neptune and run!"

The same monstrous roar is heard again both from Compa's phone and from a distant room far from where she was.

"Oh my god they've broke through, run Compa!"

Sounds of evisceration and blood flowing, complimented by screams of agony echo through the halls.

Compa, whose face was covered in tears as she cried in fear, was then slapped by Neptune who was on her knees with her hand pushing of the wall to support her.

"Compa, you heard her, we need to get out of here, and I need you to carry me."

"O-okay, I will. I'll get us out of here"

Compa carried Neptune over her shoulder and vaulted over the window. She ran across the field and over a fence that separated the clinic from the forest. Fog assimilated in Compa's vision as she started to get colder and tired.

"Faster Compa! We don't know if they're still onto us!

"I'm trying Nep, I really Am!"

The same monstrous roar is heard again. Galloping from a distance, a shadowy beast draws closer.

A ring from Compa's phone echoes through the night.

"I'll answer it Compa!"

Neptune pulled a pink flip-phone out of Compa's heart purse and puts the phone on speaker.

"Compa, did you call me earlier? What the hell was that message"

"Are you IF?"

"What the!? who's this?"

"Friend of Compa's! Hurry and bring your car down to-"

"Hold on, who are you?! Why do you have Compa's phone?"

"Please just drive to us, my phone's location should be on right now"

"Compa what the hell is happening!"

"Were running for our lives doofus, just drive to us."

The monster drew closer and closer to Neptune and Compa, its growling and stampeding only increasing in volume.

"I got an idea!"

Neptune switched to Compa's camera with the flash on and pointed it at the monster's direction

"Say cheese asshole!"

A bright flash covers the forest behind them and the monster screams in agony.

"Nice!"

The monster howls and runs faster towards them

"Not nice! Not nice!"

Compa looks forward and sees two bright lights in front of her.

"Oh goodness!"

She dives to her right, causing her and Neptune to fall to the side of the road, the car swerves and hits the monster, launching it far back.

"IF!"

Compa drags Neptune and puts her in the back seat and enters the passenger seat.

"Compa, what the hell was that!"

"Don't worry about it, get us out of here!"

IF smashes the gas and the car zooms forward, tires screeching across the paved road.

IF turns took Compa, sobbing in tears, her sweater covered in mud with scars across her legs.

"Compa, what the hell happened!"

Compa could barely compose herself, let alone respond. She was shaking intensely, and her pupils contracted. IF patted her back, in an attempt to calm her down.

"Who's she?"

"I'm Neptune, I was a patient at the Clinic, Compa talked to me shortly before the chaos started"

"What the hell happened in there?!"

"Some THING attacked the Clinic; my best bet is that a monster broke through the share barrier. The Clinic would probably be one of the first places since they're near the border"

"Dammit! I heard reports about monsters possibly being in the area, there's also reports of a missing guild team that headed out in this area. That's why I decided to patrol the outskirts. The barrier is starting to break, I need to get this news to the basilicom, chances are, the monsters aren't going to stop at the clinic, ALL of Planeptune is in danger."

IF continues to drive in the silent until a very similar galloping is heard again. Compa hears it first and starts to scream as she curls up.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE DAMMIT!"

"Compa what the hell!?"

The same monster caught up to the car and jumped onto the hood.

"Shit!"

IF's cursed and quickly ducked, dodging a devasting punch which shatters glass all over the driver seat. She punches the glove compartment and pulls out a handgun. Firing multiple rounds into the beast's chest, the beast slapped the gun out of IF's hand, Neptune managed to grab the gun just in time. The beast raised it body, as multiple human-like arms with teeth in palms of each hand, protruded from its chest. Each hand grabbed the side of the vehicle and lifted it into the air. The sight surely scarred Compa and IF. Luckily Neptune had already put her sights on the Monsters skull, firing three rounds to the right side of its head. The Monster flinched back and dropped the vehicle behind him, causing it to land up-side-down.

"Everyone get out now!"

IF carried Neptune as Compa ran along to the nearest form of civilization they could find.

Author's Note: Yeah yeah yeah, seems pretty un-neptune like to have all the chaos B.S go on. But I wanted to establish the struggles that the human characters such as IF and Compa deal with and how Neptune, formerly a goddess, now has to struggle with them. I didn't want Neptune to get her HDD form quickly as it would ruin both tension and character development even if it causes the first couple chapters to feel like a drag.