It's been too long, but now it's finally time for the climax!
ON WITH THE SHOW!
Ho-Hum and the Alien Visitation
A Hyperdimension Neptunia Fan Fiction
by Derald Snyder
Chapter 57- Showdown in Cyberspace
*Lastation Basilicom, Server Room*
"Lady Noire, I've completed my search," Sistermon Ciel said from the monitor. "No trace of those evil Digimon here..."
"I didn't think they'd be that obvious, but thanks for checking anyway," Noire nodded. "Remain on standby for now." She and the other CPUs save Nepgear were gathered together in the room.
"But if they're not striking here, where would they strike at?" Uni pondered.
"Maybe the power grid?" Rom suggested.
"If that was true, the lights woulda gone out already," Neptune demurred. "Nah, that'd be too obvious..."
Just then, Vert's phone rang. "Hello?" she answered. "What? They're where?!" The others looked up at hearing this. "...okay, thank you so much." Hanging up, she told the others, "That was the 4GO game manager, she says she's pinpointed Diaboromon's virus signature at a military base to the west of here!"
"A military base? What, are they gonna try and hijack the tanks and planes or something?" Ram queried.
"More like try to launch a ton of missiles and turn this city into a smoldering crater!" Neptune exclaimed.
"Oh, HELL no!" Noire cried in dismay. Turning to a nearby NPC, she asked, "Can we hail that base?!"
"I'm on it, Lady Noire!" the NPC answered, typing furiously... soon a holo-screen appeared, showing an NPC in a colonel's uniform, though the picture was slightly fuzzy and distorted.
"Western base, this is Noire! What's the situation?!" Noire yelled.
"It's bad, Lady Noire!" the colonel replied, shaking his head. "This strange virus tore through all our firewalls like tissue paper! It's only a matter of time before they access the nuclear missile protocols!"
"Nuclear missiles?!" Neptune's eyes shrunk to circles. "Holy fish sticks, it's even worse than I thought!"
"Why the hell would you have nukes here in the city?!" Blanc demanded.
"They were supposed to be dismantled after the Deity of Sin was defeated!" Noire retorted with a blood vein visible. "They were only meant as a last resort! Why are they still active, Colonel?!"
"Well, bureaucracy, to put it simply," the colonel stammered.
"Can't you lock them down manually?" Vert inquired.
"We're working on that as fast we can, but at this rate at least two or three will get launched!" the colonel said in near-panic.
"Dammit!" Noire shook her head. "Technician, route an internet connection to the base through the game center! That should delay the virus from coming back to the Basilicom!"
"B-but what good will that do?!" the colonel said. "Or do you have an anti-virus program?!"
"Something like that," Noire nodded.
Just then, Haruhi reappeared holding some headgear in her hands. "Okay, here's the Nepulus Rift! Nepgear stayed at her workshop, she's going to send more help!"
"Just in time!" Neptune said, grabbing the Nepulus and promptly donning it, sitting before the monitor where Ciel was visible. "Hold on, Sistermon, I'm comin' to join ya! Dive in!" With that, Neptune's consciousness was transferred into the computer system, compiling into digital form beside the nun! "Ta-da!"
"Oh!" Ciel gasped in surprise. "So this is the Nepulus Rift Lady Noire spoke of!"
"Yep, now we stand a fighting chance!" Neptune smiled.
"Connection established!" the technician announced, a data port tunnel materializing nearby! "Lady Neptune, Sister Ciel, good luck!"
"Thank you," Ciel nodded. "Take my hand, Lady Neptune!"
"OK! Here we go!" Neptune did as told, the duo leaping into the tunnel... as several lights flashed by, Neptune closed her eyes to avert any chance of elliptical seizures... Soon, they arrived in the military base's data-scape! "Wow, what a ride!"
"You can transform in cyberspace, correct?" Ciel asked.
"Of course I can! Access!" Neptune intoned, promptly shifting into HDD. "It's not the first time I've done this, after all! But what about you? Will you be of any use against Diaboromon?"
"Not the main one, but it's copies I can handle... with a little trick I learned from watching footage of your Makers! Awakening!" A golden aura engulfed her as she transformed, her mouse hat shifting to cover her eyes, her bust growing slightly as her cleavage was exposed a little! "Behold! With this, I can now match an Ultimate-level easily!"
"That's quite clever," Purple Heart smirked. "Very well, let's be off!"
And so the two set off, Purple Heart flying while Ciel easily kept up on foot... Soon, however, they encountered an obstacle in the form of two Diaboromon copies! "You shall not pass!" they cried. "We shall stop you, and your world will be destroyed!"
"I don't think so! White Clover Horizontal Slash!" Ciel cried, slicing through the left copy faster than the eye could see, causing it to stagger! Purple Heart struck next, managing to catch the right copy off-guard and stab it through the mouth, deleting it! Meanwhile, the left copy went on the attack, only for Ciel to surprise it with knives attached to her feet, slashing it with a few kicks to the face! Purple Heart then ran it through from behind, finishing the virus! "Nicely done, Lady Neptune."
"Thank you, but these were just the vanguard," Purple Heart said grimly. "We'll likely end up facing many more of these, so we need to pace ourselves. Even digital beings can overextend themselves..."
"I understand," Ciel nodded. "Let's go!" The two proceeded onward, only stopping to check a file directory to see where the missile launch protocols were located.
A little further along, they encountered a group of four Diaboromon clones, stopping to take their fighting stances... only for one of them to be abruptly run through from behind! "Surpriiiiise!" A high-pitched voice taunted, the clone fading to reveal a familiar face(kind of).
"L-Lady Nepgear?!" Sistermon Ciel gasped.
"Not quite," Purple Heart smirked as she went on the attack. Having been caught off guard, the remaining clone viruses were swiftly dispatched. "It's good to see you, Nepgya," the CPU acknowledged once the battle was over.
"Nep...gya?" Ciel asked in confusion, noting the new arrival's funny face.
"Yep! I'm a robot duplicate based off Nepgear's funny-face components!" Nepgya introduced herself. "My physical body may be undergoing repairs, but my AI is fully operational! All Master had to do was modify me to substantiate in a battle-ready form for the digital plane!"
"Good old Nep Jr.," Neptune smiled. "Your assistance will be a great help, especially your healing skills."
"My sword arm's not too bad either!" Nepgya briefly lifted her laser blade. "Now, let's go delete some viruses!" The other two agreed, going off together...
*Missile Launch Protocols*
"Holy goodness, there's like, a swarm of them!" Nepgya gasped in disbelief.
"There must be at least a hundred!" Sistermon Ciel added grimly.
"So, you have arrived, Goddess Purple Heart," Diaboromon's voice echoed throughout the cyberspace. "But you are too late! In three minutes thirty seconds, the missiles will launch and your planet shall be obliterated! The real world will fade away, and only the cyberspace shall remain, where Mother and I shall rule forever!"
("...wait, what?! NO! You fool!")
"Not on our watch!" Purple Heart vowed. "Now behold my true power, demon!" Raising a hand upward, she intoned, "I call upon the power of the Hyper Share Crystal! Access NEXT Form!"
"Fire! Do not let her transform!" Diaboromon's voice reverberated, the clones promptly blasting at Neptune with their Catastrophe Cannons, but the blasts only bounced away with no effect!
"You never learn, do you?" NEXT Purple sighed as her transformation completed. She promptly charged forward, knocking down six clones with a single swing of her sword!
"Slash Wave!" Nepgya cried, the grounded wave knocking two Diaboromon shades down on one knee, the funny-face then following up with a Panzer Blade combination! Ciel hurled a few knives at the other one, leaping over it's retaliatory claw slash and running it through from behind! Several more clones tried to leap on the duo, who barely escaped with their agility! Said clones were then scattered by a 32-bit Mega Blade from NEXT Purple!
"Two minutes until launch," a computerized voice intoned.
"We need to step things up!" the CPU exclaimed, assuming her fighter-jet form and firing several missiles at the Diaboromon copies! Despite their attempts to evade, at least twelve of them were obliterated!
"Nice work, Neptune!" Nepgya complimented, leaping away from another claw swipe! "My turn! Bits Combination!" She materialized two drones which blasted the clones with several laser beams, the AI herself then rushing forward and stabbing one who survived through the jaw, deleting it!
"Ugh!" Sistermon Ciel grunted as she slid under another virus' slash, then thrusting upward, her White Clover Blade piercing it's chest gem and killing it! "Another one down! But not nearly enough!"
"One minute to launch."
"We're not gonna make it!" Nepgya cried in panic, being forced to flee as more clones tried to gang up on her!
"EMPRESS EMBLAZE!"
The trio stopped and looked on in disbelief as a massive demonic hand arose, which slammed down and destroyed about thirty of the viruses! The clones instinctively attacked the new threat, only for said hand to clench into a fist and punch, deleting twenty more!
"Lilithmon?!" Ciel gasped in shock and surprise, seeing the Demon Lord floating high above!
"Phantom Pain!" Lilithmon intoned, the blast killing another ten copies! "...What are you fools gawking at?! Finish them before we all die in nuclear fire!"
"Understood! Blast them, laser bits!" Nepgya cried, the twin drones firing on the remaining Diaboromon copies! Sistermon Ciel and Neptune then teamed up and cut down the ones that survived the barrage!
"Thirty seconds to launch."
"Why have you turned on me, Mother?!" Diaboromon's voice echoed, a few clones launching themselves at Lilithmon, the succubus slicing through one with her Nazar Nail, then roundhouse kicking the others away! NEXT Purple quickly flew up and chopped them down before they could recover.
"Twenty seconds to launch."
"We've almost got 'em!" Nepgya said as she ran through another virus, then backflipped to avoid a cannon blast, coming down on the copy's head and ramming her laser blade through it's skull!
"Ten seconds to launch."
"Where's the last one?!" Ciel looked about frantically... then saw Diaboromon clinging to the wall above. "There it is! Byakusai!" She promptly launched her knives at Diaboromon, who easily dodged by leaping off the wall-
But then had to twist it's body to dodge another Mega Blade! "Got you!" NEXT Purple declared. "Delta Slash!" She slashed twice, unleashing two energy waves which hit and trapped the Mega-level Digimon in a virtual cube, Neptune then slashing one final time, creating a Greek delta symbol, which promptly detonated, Diaboromon screaming in agony! "Victory is mine!"
"No..." Diaboromon rasped as it's body began to digitize into 1s and 0s. "Mother... why...?" it rasped before disintegrating completely.
*Back in reality...*
"We've got control back!" the technician yelled.
"Hurry and stop the countdown!" the colonel ordered, the technician typing frantically at the keyboard...
(Missile 01: ABORTED)
(Missile 02: LAUNCH)
"NO! We're too late!" the NPC cried, the staff looking in terror as the last nuclear missile launched and left the base... But as it rose into the sky, a laser suddenly pierced through it, damaging the navigational systems! The failsafe promptly triggered, blowing the missile into so many pieces of shrapnel, the nuclear warhead not having armed due to not passing boost phase.
"Bulls-eye! As usual!" Black Sister raised up her rifle with a triumphant smile. "Like I was gonna let Neptune and Nepgear do all the work!"
"It's Lady Uni! She stopped the missile!" The soldiers and staff immediately broke into a cheer of victory, raising their hands in jubilation!
*Cyberspace*
"Whoo-hoo!" Nepgya cheered at seeing the missile's destruction on a holo-screen. "Way to go, Uni! No wonder Master loves you!"
"Don't say that to her face," NEXT Purple chuckled.
"But, I don't understand! Why did you help us, Lilithmon?!" Sistermon Ciel demanded.
"Because that fool went too far!" the Demon Lord growled in response. "You think I wanted to destroy such a useful pawn?! I ordered him to wreak havoc, but clearly I wasn't specific enough! And given that time was of the essence, I had no other option! After all, how can I rule this world if nothing remains but an irradiated wasteland?! Not to mention Diaboromon would have likely destroyed us as well!"
"So it was self-preservation," Neptune deadpanned. "And now comes the part here you say this is only the beginning and you'll destroy us next time, right?"
Lilithmon faltered and sweat-dropped at this. "Nnngghh... Well, yes, I was going to say something along those lines... we shall indeed meet again, another day!" With that, her body transmogrified into the word LOGOUT before vanishing.
"Well, I suppose that's that," Neptune sighed as she reverted to normal. "So, Sister Ciel, can ya bring me back to the Basilicom Mainframe so I can dive out?"
"Of course, Lady Neptune," Ciel nodded as she reverted her Awakening as well.
"Yeah, and I should get back to Planeptune," Nepgya nodded. "See you in real space!" With that, she turned into the word LOGOUT and vanished as well.
*Lastation Basilicom*
"Nicely done, Uni," Noire nodded in satisfaction. Looking down at the holo-screen, she then said, "I don't suppose I need to tell you what your highest priority should be now, colonel?"
"Y-yes, Lady Noire! We'll start on dismantling those nuclear warheads ASAP!" the colonel nodded vigorously.
"Maybe Big Sis can help you smash them to pieces, to they can't be used again!" Ram suggested.
"I don't think you can just smash them like that..." Vert sighed.
"Yeah, wouldn't they go off if you tried to smash them?" G Gundam pointed out.
"Actually, no," Wing Gundam shook his head. "It's a very specific process to detonate a nuclear device. Smashing it would actually ruin it for good... but it might still cause a radiation leak."
"Th-that's not good..." Rom spoke up.
"Either way, I'll be coming by personally to make sure you're actually dismantling them this time!" Noire warned.
"Y-yes ma'am! Understood, Lady Noire!" the colonel saluted. "Western Base, out!"
*Outside the base...*
"I can't believe it..."
One last Diaboromon materialized, panting heavily, one claw braced on the wall for support. "To think Mother turned against me... but at least I live to fight another day..."
"Not on my watch," a female voice spoke up, Diaboromon raising its head to see Haruhi standing there, wearing her seven-eyed mask. "I said I wouldn't interfere, but there's no way I'm letting this episode turn into a re-run of itself..."
"You... you won't stop me!" Diaboromon roared, attempting to slash at the brunette, only for her to catch it's claw by a finger, twisting painfully! "Gahhh...! What are you?!"
"Your doom," Haruhi replied in a low tone. "To borrow from the local lexicon... your game is over." She raised up her right hand with the thumb folded in... "Hakai."
Diaboromon screamed as it's body flashed, before disintegrating into white light from the head down, with nothing remaining behind!
Haruhi lowered her hand, her mask vanishing as she stared stoically at the spot where the virus had been standing a moment longer, just to confirm it was gone for good. "...okay, all conflicts resolved! Now we can finish our tour without any more annoyances!" With that, she teleported away...
*To be concluded...*
Whoo! Diaboromon is dead and Lilithmon is sent packing! And now for the epilogue chapters to wrap things up! Stay tuned!