Time for the thrilling conclusion!

Neptunia Guild Files: Fate/book one

A Hyperdimension Neptunia Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

Section 35: Black Berserker

*Back outside the house...*

"HELP! HELP!" IF screamed as she ran from the monster, who was faster on his feet than he seemed!

"IF's in trouble! We gotta do something, mikon!" Tamamo cried as she, Archer and Rider looked down from above on Bellerophon.

"You're the one with magic!" Rider pointed out.

"Let's see if we can distract that thing long enough for IF to escape!" Archer said as he traced his bow and arrow. Taking aim, he fired and managed to strike the monster in the back! Not wanting to burn her fellow agents, Tamamo resorted to firing ice spikes down at the creature instead. Fortunately it did the trick, IF managing to flee into the woods. But then the creature turned and fired lightning at Bellerophon, cutting off the ignition!

"Shit! We're going down!" Rider cried as they fell, Tamamo and Archer bailing, managing to roll on the ground and avert major damage. The two watched as the wounded hover-bike crashed into the brush nearby... then a roar caught their attention, fear seizing them both!

"Gwoooaarrr!" The creature roared with hands upraised as it advanced on Tamamo!

"Tamamo, run!" Archer cried.

But the kitsune was too paralyzed with fear to even try to defend herself! "SOMEONE SAVE MEEEE!" she screamed as she curled into a fetal position...

"Leave her alone!" another voice called out, a fire wave suddenly engulfing the creature! The undead man cried out in agony as it flailed around, trying to put out the flames...

"Nero!" Tamamo gasped, seeing her friend standing a short distance away with another woman.

"Tamamo, get clear!" Nero ordered. This time, Tamamo was able to muster up the will to right herself and flee!

Meanwhile, the monster had gotten his burning jacket off, turning to look at its attacker... and doing a double-take upon seeing Fran standing there. Roaring in apparent rage, the creature raised its hands and lashed out with its lightning once more...

Only for Fran to step in front of Nero, the lightning being absorbed by the brass horn on her head, her body briefly crackling with electricity! She thrust her hands forward, shooting the lightning she'd absorbed back at the other creature!

"GAAAHHHH!" the green man cried as he was shocked, his body sparking and jerking erratically! Fran then rushed forward and tackled the creature to the ground, before lifting him up and over her head! "WAHHH! Put me down! Put me down!"

"Did he just talk?!" Archer realized.

"GRRAAAAAOOOOOHHHH!" Fran roared as he she hurled the creature through the air with all her might, the man smashing into the side of the house, splintering the wood! He then smashed into the ground and was still, only a groan of pain indicating he was still alive.

"Oh, my..." Nero looked on in awe. "Nice job, Fran... you certainly showed him a thing or two, didn't you?"

"Th-that was amazing, mikon!" Tamamo said as she ran up to Nero's side.

"But who is she?" IF said as she walked up with Rider, the latter's arm over her shoulder.

"Well, um..." Nero hesitated. "Y-you see, I, um, found her in the basement in pieces... so I, um, put her back together..."

"You WHAT?!" Rider screeched in disbelief.

"Wait, so this girl is the experiment Dr. Victor was working on?!" Archer deduced.

"But, if she's the experiment, then who's that, mikon?!" Tamamo pointed at the fallen creature.

"Only one way to find out!" Nero resolved, marching up to the green man... crouching by his head, she grabbed at the hair and pulled-

-and the mask suddenly popped off, revealing a bald head with a small mustache!

"Francis Victor!" the group cried in recognition.

"Grrrrrr!" Fran growled at her creator...

*And so...*

"Wait, so you're saying Dr. Victor dressed himself as an undead creature?!" the NPC policeman asked. "But why?!"

"It was to scare away anybody who came snooping, while he worked on his secret project," IF began. "We searched his laboratory after the fact and discovered a chemical compound that, when inhaled, elicits irrational feelings of fear in the victim... Most likely he carried some in a pouch in the breast pocket of his jacket."

"Which was destroyed when Nero burned off his jacket!" Rider realized. "That's why my fear suddenly seemed to vanish..."

"Right, and his creature mask was designed to plug his nose so he himself wouldn't be affected," IF added with a nod. "Also, he used his knowledge of electronics to create high-powered tasers embedded in the hands of his monster suit, in case his appearance alone wasn't enough to scare people off..."

"But why go to all the trouble making poor Fran here, and then tearing her into pieces?" Nero inquired, standing beside the homunculus in question. "Did she not perform to his liking, perhaps?"

"She's a failure, is what she is!" Francis Victor yelled from the back of the police car, his hands cuffed and head bandaged. "She has the intelligence of a dumb mutt, and she can't even talk!"

"Shut... up!" Fran suddenly yelled, causing her creator do to a double-take. "I... hate you...!"

"Wha...?!" Dr. Victor gawked in shock. "You- how come you never said anything before?!"

"Nothing... I wanted... to say... that I... thought... you would... understand..." Fran grunted out. She then took a deep breath before exclaiming, "And there still isn't!"

"D-don't you worry, Miss Fran," the policeman stepped into her line of sight. "Dr. Victor is going away for assaulting guild agents, and illegal human organ trafficking. You won't be seeing him again for a long time."

"Good!" Fran nodded curtly, Dr. Victor hanging his head in shame as the police car shifted into gear and drove away.

"So, um, what are we going to do with Fran, mikon?" Tamamo asked.

"Well, first, I need to check something..." IF said walking up to Fran... only to stop and take a step back as she growled menacingly! "W-whoa, easy there!"

"Fran, it's all right, she's a friend," Nero assured her. "She's not going to hurt you..."

"I- I just wanted to see your eyes, that's all," IF stammered.

"Well, here," Nero reached over and moved Fran's bangs so her gold and blue eyes were clearly visible. "But why the eyes?"

"Lt. Colonel Dan Ratcliff's eyes were cut out, remember?" Archer pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I remember hearing that he had blue eyes," Rider muttered.

"Right, just let me take a picture..." IF held up her mobile device, which made a 'click!' sound. "There! Now all I have to do is compare it to a picture of Lt. Colonel Ratcliff's face, and that should be decisive evidence to convict Francis Victor in court!"

"Uhh..." Fran made a pleased face.

"That doesn't solve the problem of what to do with her," Archer said.

"Yeah, somehow I doubt Professor Velvet's gonna appreciate another 'student' so soon..." Rider muttered.

"Wait, I have an idea!" Nero proclaimed.

"Uuuu?" Fran looked over at her new friend curiously...

*Oceanside Town, midnight*

Two ruffians made their way through the alleys, dragging a bound and gagged woman with them. "What's wrong?" the one thug asked his partner, who looked a bit jittery...

"I-I'm just worried about if that woman gets us," the nervous thug said.

"What, that Jeanne? Gimme a break, she's probably sleepin' right now," the first thug scoffed.

"N-not her! I'm talkin' about that Berserker girl!" the nervous thug grunted.

"Oh, come on! You mean the Black Berserker?! That's just an urban legend! Ya can't believe everythin' you hear!" the first thug shook his head. "Look, let's hurry up an' do this woman, before we whack 'er for seein' too much!"

"Mmmmm!" the bound woman tried to scream in terror as her dress was unbuttoned... but then, a low growling sound echoed through the night...

"Wh-what was that?!" the nervous thug looked around frantically.

"Probably just a dog," the first thug sighed. "Look, you want first go at her? Hurry an' get your pants down..."

"Stop!" a female voice cried out.

"Who's there?!" the nervous thug whipped out his handgun, which quaked in his hands... just then, a very tall woman with wild red hair and a horn on her head emerged from the shadows, wearing a black dress! "AHHH! It's her! The Black Berserker!" the ruffian screeched in terror, backing away! But before he could fire on the woman, she grabbed his right arm and twisted upward, a horrible crunch resounding, the thug screaming in pain as he dropped his gun and collapsed, the broken bone jutting out of his skin!

"Holy shit!" the first thug cried as he jumped to his feet- but the horned woman was already on him, easily lifting him over her head! "HELP! HELP! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"GRAAAHH!" Fran roared as she hurled the thug bodily into the brick wall of the alley, the man falling into a few trash cans, where he went still.

The bound woman tried to crawl away from the horrifying scene, only to feel a hand grasp her shoulder, looking upward- "Shhh, it's okay. You're all right," Jeanne said with a gentle smile. "She's with me. You're safe now..." With that, she undid the woman's gag...

"Oh... Oh, thank you! Thank you!" the woman sobbed in relief, hugging Jeanne tightly as soon as her bonds were undone. "I-I was so scared...! I thought I was gonna die...!"

"There, there... shhhh..." Jeanne said soothingly as she gently rocked the would-be victim. "Good work, Fran. I'm glad Red Saber sent you to me..."

"Uh!" Fran nodded with a happy smile.

"Stupid idiot..." the nervous thug groaned as he nursed his broken arm, looking over at his fallen partner... "You should have listened to me... Dammit it hurts..."

(Fran Arc- End)

Aw, looks like Fran got her happy ending! Next arc will likely be a flashback of sorts... anyway, review!