Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Not Your Guardian Angel
A bit earlier…
Samantha's vision turned into stars as Magnavox's palm collided with her cheek. The blow was so powerful it immediately broke through her barrier and left her sprawled on the ground.
Fay was next in line, and Magnavox hit her twice. The fairy never stood a chance against the True Goddess's strength, and like Samantha she was on the floor again. Anger still controlled Magnavox's actions, so she slapped the third person - Medic… Who hasn't done anything bad as of yet. The blow was considerably weaker than the previous ones, yet it still left questions to be asked.
"Vhy me?"
Magnavox calmed down in an instant, realizing her mistake. "I was still mad." She patted him on the shoulder, hoping this would appease him. "You've done your work well. Your contract has been fulfilled."
If the circumstances were different, Magnavox would've let him run wild for a while more. However, she was simply in no mood for such whims. A madman with even a fraction of her power put too much at risk, especially with no supervision. And right now she needed to place her attention elsewhere, Specifically, on an old man who was utterly failing at his job.
She stripped Medic of every bit of her that she gave him - snatching the silver gem from his very soul. Then she sent him back without looking at his face, not wanting to gaze at the shock and betrayal Medic felt in that moment.
Instead she put all of her attention on her hired help, who was now recovering from her blow. The moment of sympathy towards Medic left with him, and now she glared down at the targets of her ire, allowing her hostility to seep through her normally divine composure. This was serious, and she needed the two of them to know that.
"Do you understand how much trouble you've caused?"
Samantha looked at her, rubbing her cheek but saying nothing.
"The dimension I put you in charge of is falling apart. People that aren't supposed to die are dead, while people that aren't supposed to be here are running rampant. My children are dying because of you and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all of Gamindustri is on the brink of collapse. NEO Hyper Dimension is but a few steps away from losing one of the pillars keeping it together, and it's your fault."
Samantha stared at her. Silent. Ashamed. She wasn't saying anything, nor moving. She knew how badly she had screwed up. Magnavox was just getting started though.
"The Vile God asked me to give you back a moment ago. He found out what your girlfriend has been doing on your last mission."
Now Samantha was reacting. One mention of her master and full blown terror appeared on her face. Fay, too, reacted the same way. Both of them were afraid that they had been brought here to be passed back to the Vile God.
Magnavox turned around and put her arms behind her, walking from side to side like an angry instructor or a drill sergeant.
"Now, at first I wanted to not do that, because I had faith that you might succeed in our deal. Then I really had a good thinking about what's been happening."
She left a dramatic pause there, looking at the panicked expression that Samantha and Fay were having.
"At first it was funny, all the chaos your little outworlder psychopaths caused. Then Cave got murdered, and I was upset, but I could forgive one or two missteps. Then Nepgear was taken by the Gehaburn, another mess you failed to control, but fine, she wasn't dead and could be recovered. Then you let Histoire get kidnapped by the outsiders, and I started to get impatient. Oh, you didn't even know that, did you?" The True Goddess glared at her servants' widened gazes, "She is still alive, and that is the only reason I sat back and allowed you to continue the course. Then Kei died."
The shock and guilt on the Overseer and her partner's faces brought Magnavox little solace. "That's right. Miss Pauling is in Lastation's Basilicom, Old Man. That woman that you allowed in, that mortal that you failed to hunt, has killed Kei and is now walking around wearing her face. One of the Oracles, one of the people that under absolutely no circumstances should die, is now DEAD, and she died slowly and painfully as well. Do you know in how many dimensions has an Oracle been killed like that? None. None until now! That alone should be grounds to terminate our deal and give you back to the Vile God for whatever punishment he has in store for you two."
Her children, creations she spent so much time perfecting, killed not by design but by incompetence. Sometimes a tragedy made for interesting development, but this trainwreck had gone on for long enough.
Her words were having an effect on Samantha. He and Fay knew that their fate lay in Magnavox's hands. "I…" Samantha's words caught themselves in her throat. "Please give me another chance."
Pleas and begging was all Samantha had in the face of an angered celestial. The centuries of conditioning, beaten into her skull day in and out. All that power she wielded… Completely useless against her angry master.
Magnavox allowed the beaten Overseer to grovel in tense silence for a moment longer before she walked up to Samantha and pulled her up by a handful of her hair, forcing the Old Man up to meet her gaze at face level.
"You listen to me, and you listen well. If I were to throw all prudence to the wind I could still fix this mess myself, but this trainwreck is yours, and so YOU will clean it up. One last chance. I want Miss Pauling dead, and everyone else from her world that survives out of my world. I want Histoire brought back, Nepgear recovered and all of my remaining children kept alive. Gehaburn to be dealt with. I have no idea how you will achieve all of that, but you will do it, or you and your partner will enjoy a one-way trip back to the Vile God! Do you understand?"
No more failures. No more deaths. They will either pull their heads out of their asses or pack their things and go.
"Dismissed."
Without giving either of them a chance to speak, Magnavox shoved Samantha away and sent them back in a flash of lightning. Whether they'll get back their chance at a peaceful life, or go back to being slaves to beings like her, it was their trial to pass now, with the True Goddess as their arbiter.
By the end of today she will have the answer.
"Kill them!"
And here was another hurdle. Another disaster that threatened her and everyone's peace. The blinding light of multiple transformations prophesied a tragedy. All of the active CPUs, bar Rom and Ram, were under the effects of Neptulium - under control of a terrorist faction.
Not on her watch. Not when she was right there and able to do something.
"Fay!"
Samantha slammed her hands on the table and let out a shout, alerting the Fairy of danger. Her partner immediately returned to the Fury and Samantha wasted no time. She climbed on the table and smacked the blade against a still-transforming Neptune. The blow knocked her back, cancelling the transformation, but the danger was barely even mitigated.
"Run! Everyone! To the building!"
Gathering their attention, Samantha pointed her weapon at the lone structure in the area. Their, and Samantha's, only hope of protection. If they die, she failed. The most important thing was for them to hide where it was safer.
Compa, IF and Nisa acted like deers in the headlights, watching in shock and confusion as Uni turned towards them, cracking her knuckles in preparation. There was a smile on her face. An unnatural, creepy smile that sent chills to Nisa. "U-Uni?" The blue-haired heroine took a step back as the Candidate advanced upon them.
"Executing: Bind."
Shadows bound Uni's feet to the ground, preventing her from taking another step forward. But even immobilized Uni was still trying to reach out to them, and her expression showed that she was trying really hard to get her hands on them.
"U-Uni! It's me, Nisa! What happened to you?"
"Please die for me."
Uni was completely out of her mind. Her voice was calm as she asked her friend to die.
A bullet struck the area between them, creating a golden trail leading to the shooter. The sound of the bullet snapped Nisa and Compa out of their daze, and had them look to see whose bullet that was.
"Run!" Roared Samantha at both of them, holding Vert's spear as the CPU tried to stab her. Noire was helping her, slashing Samantha's leg.
Blanc however was ignoring Samantha in favor of the mercenaries, diving right into their ranks. What she struck was not the soft flesh of the mercenaries, or the dirty ground of Lastation - but rather the pink barrier belonging to CFW Magic.
The Felon felt smug as Blanc turned her glare on her.
"Could you fuck off with those damn shields?!"
Magic in fact did not fuck off with those damn shields. Instead she doubled down and locked Blanc in a tiny dome. This only pissed off the CPU even more. Magic casually turned towards the mercenaries. "Go hide in that building, take these three as well. We'll take it from here."
She pointed where they needed to go and sent them away. Soldier and Heavy had to drag Nisa with them.
While Blanc was shouting obscenities and trying to break free, Samantha was fighting for her life - trying to keep both Vert and Noire occupied while keeping her eye on Neptune - She was just standing in one spot with her sword in hand. What she was planning, no one knew.
"Terai Division!"
"Oh fuck off, Vert!"
Samantha audibly swore at Vert as she slowed her speed, reducing it to the point where it was possible for the CPUs to bypass her guard. Her weighted limbs couldn't keep up with the two CPUs, and their attacks poke through her defenses - reducing her barrier's integrity with each scratch.
And then Neptune transformed and joined the fray.
Fighting two CPUs with reduced speed was hard, fighting three just made Samantha turn tail and try to run. Swords and spear tried to pierce her back, making her barrier shine with a bright lime color - just a few blows away from turning yellow. Samantha bent her knees and jumped, getting away from the three girls that chased after her with no hesitation.
She locked her eyes with Magic, and the Felon knew what to do. She sprung up a barrier to catch them all, and then lock them into another dome.
The CPUs were contained. Time for Uni.
The spell holding the Candidate lost its power, allowing Uni to break free. Before she could do anything Samantha punched Uni in the face. The force put in it staggered the Candidate, and a kick knocked her onto the ground.
A pair of handcuffs appeared in Samantha's hands, specifically made to contain overpowered people. They were solid and tough, very hard to be broken through sheer force. These cuffs were too big for Uni's wrists, but after a few readjustments the CPU Candidate was not an issue.
Now came the bigger problem.
"Sir. The CPUs have failed."
"Okay. Plan B."
They had a moment of breather, but Samantha didn't rest. She couldn't afford to rest.
"Magic, they're here. Our target. Go out there, find them, do your thing. This is our chance."
They might've surprised her, but this actually gave Samantha hope of victory. There will be some silver lining out of this mess. Samantha thought they were done for, only for her target to come straight to her. They were here. The situation wasn't as bleak as she believed.
CFW Magic nodded "Okay" and took off like a bird of prey - about to look for her next snack. Samantha looked at the CPUs, wondering how she could break them out of Neptulium. They've been under its effects in the past, so there must've been a way.
Nepgear, when they were fighting CFW Judge, threw herself into a fire. Blanc meanwhile, during the fight with CFW Trick, had been stabbed by Falcom.
Magnavox had explicitly ordered that no one were to die anymore… but she never said anything about injury. The Overseer was quite confident she would be forgiven for doing what she must to free the CPUs from the control of outworlders. ...Probably.
Literally burning the mind control away might be overzealous, but stabbing… Samantha didn't have anything that could reliably injure them. The only thing that worked so far was either Neptulium-coated weapons or Gehaburn. And Samantha didn't have either of them.
...There was that bar of Neptulium still sitting on the table.
The Overseer turned around to grab it, trusting CFW Magic to uphold the barrier while scanning through the forest. She was competent, she wouldn't fail her like this. Right?
Right?
Samantha felt like she just triggered some kind of flag.
She reached the table but before she could actually grab the damn Neptulium, someone threw another wrench into her plans - as suddenly she felt her SP go into havoc. Dizziness and exhaustion soon followed, hitting the Overseer like a bag of bricks. The world spun and the vertigo made Samantha feel nauseous. It got so bad that the brunette would've fallen to the ground if Fay hadn't quickly left the Fury to catch her.
She just had to jinx herself.
And to make matters worse, the barrier containing the CPUs broke.
The sound of glass shattering was the worst sound she could've heard at this moment. The CPUs became free while Samantha had other problems affecting her, one small silver lining was the fact they were as confused as she was. They spent precious few moments examining themselves instead charging head first onto Samantha.
Samantha felt like throwing up. She couldn't fight like this.
Fencers become tired when low on SP, and exhausted when completely dry. For Samantha to feel this bad so quickly there must've been some fuckity going on here. Some BS Miss Pauling's men pulled out just to counter her.
And it worked. Splendidly. She struggled to keep her meal inside her. Fighting was out of question. Samantha gave out one last command before she collapsed entirely.
"Take… Over."
It became too much for her to bear with, and Samantha finally passed out. Fay gently laid her down on her side, so that if she did barf she wouldn't suffocate because of it.
"Okay. Get better quick."
Fay glanced at her hands and tested her magic. Whatever affected her partner affected her too, as she couldn't channel electricity to her limbs, nor she could use any other skills. It was almost as if everyone in the area were unable to use SP.
The Hammer Space still worked fine though, but Fay was fine with that. There was a trick she learned before, back when she was separated from Sam, a very handy trick. She summoned her shield and walked up to the CPUs. With just a shield, without any weapon.
The CPUs were also confused, but as Fay got closer that confusion was giving way to violence. They were once again gearing up for battle.
It wouldn't hurt to ask. "Will you… Surrender?"
The CPUs charged at her, and as Fay blocked Noire's opening blow the blonde Fairy realized these girls actually weren't pushovers. Noire completely broke through Fay's guard - her sword pushing the shield aside - and Fay had to retreat before Neptune and Vert skewered her.
But there was Blanc already waiting, cutting off Fay's escape. Split seconds separated Fay from the world of hurt, and Fay had to dash away to avoid the axe.
Showing off her acrobatic abilities, Fay transitioned from a combat roll into a cartwheel - placing a proximity mine on the ground between them, and throwing another explosive behind her - It landed near Samantha.
Noire either didn't see the mine or didn't care about it, as she walked into its range without any hesitation.
Unfortunately the explosion did not deter Lady Black Heart, and she cut off the whole tree while trying to decapitate Fay. That gave Fay an opportunity to brush her fingers against the guard of her sword.
The next attack Noire did was with nothing. The sword was no longer in her hands.
It was in Fay's hands, deflecting Neptune's attacks while the shield protected her from Vert.
Samantha and Fay could put new items into their Hammerspace by a mere touch. If they can carry it, they can store it. While it never occured to Samantha, Fay quickly found out that the Hammer Space has potential to do some shenanigans.
In particular, this ability made stealing an enemy's weapon hilariously easy. By just touching it Fay could disarm her opponent and use their weapon against them. Not only that, but it was also permanently registered into their Hammer Space, so even if they got their weapon back Fay could steal it again whenever she wished.
The sheer surprise plastered on Noire's face was hilarious to see, especially when Fay blocked Neptune's next attack, and returned the sword to the storage - making Neptune trip and collide her blade with Vert's spear. This would've been a perfect opportunity to disarm Neptune and Vert... If it wasn't for Blanc dropkicking Fay in the back.
A grenade spawned in her hands. A grenade that already had the pin pulled off.
Fay threw it and it exploded in a blinding light and deafening thunder, giving her an opportunity to recover and blast Blanc's face with a quadruple-barreled shotgun.
The blast staggered Blanc - stopping her in her tracks, the perfect opportunity to steal her weapon too. However Blanc started blindly swinging her weapon, so Fay had to keep her distance. This gave her and other CPUs time to recover - now they were back at square one. Or in video game terms, they were back to neutral.
She could've stayed there and continued her attempts at disarming them, she might've even succeeded given enough time. But Samantha still hasn't recovered and all it would take was one of them to forget about her and go for the easier target.
The shield went away, and an SMG went in. A couple of shots were enough to force the CPUs to close the distance. They ran after her while Fay turned her tail and ran, going deeper into the forest and away from Samantha.
The fight was chaotic, but nothing Fay wasn't prepared for. She was weaker than them in terms of physical prowess, but she made it up with experience and the fact she had her Hammer Space. Fay was confident in her chances of winning.
Fay aimed behind her and blindly tapped the trigger. She wasn't sure if these bullets hit anything, but the more she made them flinch, the slower they'll be. Fay allowed herself a quick glance behind her-
They weren't there, she was shooting air.
They were above!
"Shit-!"
The CPUs of course were capable of flight, and they were quite good at it. Weaving around the trees was nothing for them. Vert's claw barely brushed Fay's back as she jumped, suddenly going in a different direction.
Fay summoned another explosive and broke into running, this time not running in a straight line. The CPUs flew in circles around her, like a predator hunting for food. They dashed at her, and she dodged - moving in a different direction. They cut down trees in her path, trying to lock her in and slow her down, but Fay was proficient in climbing and parkour. Her agile body jumped over the obstacles with ease.
Her green cloak and red scarf became stained with dirt and grass, but she didn't care. She just needed to get out. That was a bad position to be in.
Where was CFW Magic?!
Fay abruptly stopped in her tracks, turning around to shoot at Blanc. Couple of the bullets hit her for no damage, but the CPU still hid behind the tree… In order to make it fall onto her. Fay dropped another explosive and ran out of the tree's way.
The bark creaked and the leaves rustled as Blanc's foot dug into the tree, pushing with enough force to completely unroot the whole plant. Fay wasn't squished but she wasn't free of danger yet, as other CPUs have decided to dive onto her like a predator.
She ducked underneath Noire's kick before attempting to parry Neptune's sword, which struck her shield and threw her onto the ground, from where she had to roll immediately lest she be skewered by Vert's thrown weapon.
The spear was buried in the dirt, but not before it pierced Fay's scarf. She felt a tug, not only around her neck but also in her heart. The one memento she had now had one more scar. And Fay wasn't happy about that.
Still, that restraint was mutual. With Vert's spear stuck to the ground, all it took was one touch and it was gone. Vert no longer had a weapon, and Fay's scarf was now free.
But the loss of her weapon didn't deter Vert. She tried to dive-kick down on her fellow blonde's head, missing as Fay rolled away into a sprint, before attempting to rush after her, kicking up dust with her feet, only to be stopped by a scythe wrapping itself around her throat.
CFW Magic pulled her weapon back, taking Vert with it. The CPU tripped and fell while the Felon put herself in front of Fay, protecting her from the rest.
"I can't find them. My magic's gone, I can't do anything without it."
The loss of SP affected her as well, stopping Samantha's plan from fruition. To find Miss Pauling's HQ they needed CFW Magic to be in a top-shape, and currently her abilities were inhibited. Purple Heart approached them, and CFW Magic swung her scythe - hitting Neptune in the head.
"Can't even make a barrier." The felon huffed. "Any ideas?"
With invisibility watches and the trees all around, Miss Pauling's goons could be literally anywhere. CFW Magic had a way to deal with the invisibility, but not now. Now when they couldn't use SP. She was as blind as anyone else.
That needed to be fixed. This whole fight would be meaningless if they can't get the location of their HQ now. Considering the stakes, they might as well lose if they don't manage to destroy their Re;spawn System today.
They can beat the CPUs all day. They might even knock them out of the Neptulium daze. None of that would matter. Miss Pauling would still get someone killed and then Magnavox would kick them out. Everything needed to be perfect here and now.
And the answer was right on Noire.
"Get the belt."
The belt that Samantha gave her. The Battle Scanners inside were a perfect counter that didn't require SP. In hindsight giving out all of their supply wasn't the best idea, but at least it wasn't lost.
CFW Magic nodded and… simply walked up to a disarmed Noire and whacked her until she was down. Even without SP she was still stronger than any of them, and nothing could prevent her from just taking the Battle Scanners.
Nothing but a Molotov cocktail.
"What are you doing?!"
"I had to, sir! She had anti-cloaking gear!"
Magic saw the bottle and on instinct she smashed it with her scythe.
Bad idea.
The gasoline inside came into the contact with the burning rag, creating a blazing fireball that engulfed everything around, including Noire... and the belt she was wearing.
Noire screamed from the heat, Fay watching an image of a squirming, screaming woman completely engulfed in flames. CFW Magic ripped the belt off but she felt a crunch around her fingers, caused by her applying too much force when ripping off the fabric.
The belt disappeared from CFW Magic's hands, and moved to Fay's. The blonde fairy quickly extinguished the flames and scattered its content on the ground. Only broken pieces fell, with one Battle Scanner left.
"...Shit."
Fay was staring at the pieces with a pained expression, hurt not because of Magic destroying their chance, but because that was their only chance. They had one Battle Scanner for the whole forest. These rats weren't making finding them easy. And felt Fay was a bit pissed off now.
Magic rushed to the spot where the bottle had been thrown. She cursed as a man fell from behind the tree. Already dead. Already being taken by the Re;Spawn System. One useless corpse and no leads on finding the cause. Their abilities were limited and the CPUs were still hostile.
The silver lining was the fact CFW Magic knew what to look for.
ASIC had some BITs that were rigged to prevent anyone nearby from using SP, originally designed for use against the CPUs. That must've been what Miss Pauling's faction was blocking their magic with. They had their hands in the ASIC ranks, they could've gotten some of them - or at least blueprints to create their own. The originals had no cloaking capabilities, so it would just be a matter of finding them, but chances weren't low that they've been modded...
The other CPUs recovered. Neptune, Blanc and Vert stood up while Noire lay unconscious.
They could fight them. Magic would beat them, but what's next? "Any ideas?"
Fay looked at Magic for a moment, before a pink mist appeared in her palm, revealing a device. A device known as "The Detonator."
"One."
She had a way to snap the CPUs out of the Neptulium's effects, but now she felt like this would've been a good way to get Miss Pauling too. Fay turned off the safety and Magic just saw that there were explosives scattered around - left by Fay.
For two reasons. One: Being burnt to a crisp was one way they could free the CPUs.
Two: Invisibility watches had one weakness. Fire.
"Burn down this forest."
Fay pressed the button and the whole forest went up in flames.
The explosives Fay scattered were cluster charges filled with incendiary compounds. One infernal explosion sent more explosives, which then turned into even more explosives. She had laid them around as a backup plan against the CPUs, to cleanse them in fire should things come down to that… but that fire could cleanse Miss Pauling's men as well.
With the press of a button, every single bomb Fay had laid erupted into an inferno, and within a blink of an eye the scenery had changed. Dark, chilly forest turned to a seething orange hellscape. The darkness disappeared, the air was heated, Magic felt warmth envelop her while a shockwave slammed against her body - caused by one of the bombs exploding near them.
Despite the all-consuming blaze around them, Fay wasn't afraid. The CPUs are immortal, unkillable save for the most exceptional means. While not immortal in the same way, something so mundane can't even scratch Magic. Fay will only die if Sam does, and Sam was protected by her personal barrier, and now warded by a ring of impenetrable flame around their campsite. They will be fine.
But Miss Pauling's men?
Magic realized her plan, still she had to say something. "That was extreme."
"Says the one that committed a massacre because we were gone for a few minutes. The forest can be regrown. Now focus, we're not done."
Fay stepped forward, summoning her shield and sword. She then bashed the shell-shocked Neptune in the head and kicked her into the flames.
"Just throw them into the fire. Once they pass out they should snap out of it… I think."
"You're not sure?"
Blanc and Vert charged at Fay, with the former roaring to the heavens. CFW Magic caught them both, and pushed their face against the burning grass.
They did not enjoy that.
Pink mist appeared around Fay's hand, revealing a book. A Histoire. "Yup. After CFW Judge was killed, Nepgear threw herself into the flames because of Neptulium and passed out, she was fine after she woke up."
CFW Magic… wasn't really paying attention to what happened after Judge died, so she couldn't recall Nepgear jumping into the fire. "If you say so then." The Reaper said nonchalantly while she continued keeping two CPUs pressed into the fire. "You know, between the raid in Leanbox and starting the greatest Lastation forest fire in history, you and Sam can go pretty far sometimes."
"You…" Fay growled as she struggled against Purple Heart. The CPU was slowly overpowering her but Fay had a good angle to keep her down. Her foot was also holding down her sword, preventing the CPU from using it. "wanted an idea."
Finally Purple Heart broke out, pushing Fay onto the same grass she was pushing Nep against. Neptune quickly grabbed her sword, got up and attempted to stab Fay.
But her weapon suddenly disappeared, so the only thing she swung with was air. The CPU's reward for resistance was getting her face bashed with a shield. The CPU staggered and Fay kicked her back into the flames. Neptune tripped, fell, got up and saw an open gasoline canister flying towards her face.
Another explosion occurred and the screams intensified - strengthening Magic's remark.
These two could go pretty far sometimes.
"S-Sir! The fire is spreading! We're losing men left and right to it!"
"Hide and try to avoid it."
"The CPUs are defeated."
"Where's our target?"
"Unknown, sir. Somewhere among the fire."
"Don't look for her. Go with plan C."
"What the fuck. What the fucking fuck you've done?!"
The CPUs were untransformed and not very happy. Blanc in particular was outright enraged. While the effects of Neptulium were gone, the general consensus of burning down most of the Lastation forest was… Shock and anger.
Noire was horrified, clutching her head as an inferno straight out of hell surrounded them. Smoke rose into the sky and the flames illuminated the night. The risk of inhaling smoke was great, but that risk wasn't for them. Noire wanted to pull out her phone and call dispatch, but her phone was broken - burnt and half-melted.
Not just their items. Their clothing as well. While their skin could survive incineration, and hair surprisingly too, that treatment didn't extend to the fabrics they wore. Their poor outfits were gone, and they were reduced to having Fay give them new outfits.
Which suspiciously looked similar to what they already wore, but with the wrong colors.
Blanc continued to berate Fay even when clutching her purple-colored jacket. Neptune was standing on the sidelines and watching, both the argument and CFW Magic clearing out the area so the flames won't annoy them. "You just burnt down a fucking forest, you bitch! The WHOLE THING!"
"Yes."
"Do you know how dangerous that shit is? It's gonna spread all over the place! People could die trying to fix all this shit you caused!"
"I know."
"Then why the fuck did you still do it!?"
"Because I had no other choice."
She couldn't stab them for multiple reasons. Mainly the fact she didn't have anything that would break past their skin. Incineration was simply the more accessible and less lethal option available.
The fact she and Sam were not immediately smited by Magnavox should mean that yes, anything short of death or permanent maiming was a fair game. Perhaps there were other options in hindsight, such as biological warfare, but then Vert would be a problem. She was immune to status effects. Other CPUs might be too, honestly.
Fiery treatment was a tried and true way.
Blanc was reaching out to strangle Fay. She didn't actually do it, but the feelings were there. "You. And that other bitch. Are fucking terrorists... Even worse than the mercs."
At the very least the mercenaries listened and weren't doing stuff like this.. Blanc had no idea how Lastation would handle this. If they even would be able handle this after their Oracle dying.
Vert perked up at that.
"So will you help me arrest them?"
"Later." Blanc huffed. "We have no weapon- Where are our weapons anyway?"
Pink mist appeared around Fay's hands, dropping the CPUs weapons onto the ground. Neptune looked briefly at the pile of weapons, and then the realization shocked her.
"You can craft our weapons too?!"
"We haven't tried, yet. I simply stole them from you."
Now Blanc was shocked as well. But unlike her counterpart she just closed her eyes and sighed, picking up her weapon. Another BS to the long list of BS she has witnessed recently. She might actually join Thunder Tits with hunting them down after this shit was sorted out. Once, if, they recovered at least. These two were simply going too far for her liking. "So what now? And give me some fucking glasses."
They were free from Neptulium. The forest was burning. And Miss Pauling is in the Basilicom. Ten-outta-ten situation.
Where are the mercs?
"W-Where is Uni?"
Noire finally snapped out of her horror.
"We tied her up and left her. I have no idea if she's fine."
Blanc finally snapped and punched the woman. She was on the ground an instant later but it was worth seeing that blonde bitch shocked for a brief moment.
Three men clad in trench coats and fedoras stared down at a single, bound girl. Their minds were thinking the same thing: Perfect for Plan C. A single CPU, isolated and vulnerable. And no one was around to intervene.
A pair of cuffs bound her arms and legs, hindering her movement, but that was okay. "Hi there, little girl."
Uni tried to kick and punch them in their legs, still following the command to kill everyone. However her blows did nothing but mildly amuse the goons, as the Candidate was unable to get proper momentum to utilize her strength.
One of the men pulled out another bar of Neptulium, and Uni immediately stopped her attacks. "Stop struggling."
At their command, Uni ceased all of her movements. She barely even breathed. The man holding the Neptulium nodded to his colleagues. They pulled out Sappers and used them on the cuffs. The high-tech electric lock lasted a mere 10 seconds before falling apart, giving the Candidate freedom.
Uni didn't move, still following the goon's commands. She ignored everything they did to her and instead all this time stared at the Neptulium.
"If you want it, you will help us."
Uni got up onto her feet and nodded, accepting the conditions. The good pointed at the building in the distance, where the mercenaries and their allies took shelter to protect themselves.
"Take out everyone in that building. Don't hurt anyone with a trenchcoat and fedora."
Uni's eyes gazed at the location of her targets.
"Here. Look here."
She looked away towards where the goon was pointing at. The thing he was showing her was a stockpile of weapons and ammunition. Shotguns, SMGs, knives, pistols and explosives. All sorts of equipment necessary to carry out their will.
"Do it, and you'll get this." He shown Uni her reward - more Neptulium. More of that most beautiful PREciouS. Her feet moved, shambling towards the weapons. She began looking through the pile, picking up weapons, ammunition and belts and holsters to carry all of it.
The men disappeared, cloaking away into the thin air. But they were watching. They were preparing. They had someone to help. If their primary target wouldn't go down, they could at least get something out of the plan.
The mercenaries and their friends meanwhile hid out of the way so more powerful beings could fight.
"We ain't in some horror movie, right guys?"
There weren't many hiding places devoid of blood or bodies. The whole building was full of corpses or wrecks of Gray Mann's robots. "Blood? Bodies? Mysterious enemy that wants to kill us all? Come on, man. That's cheap."
"Zhey vere here for more zhan 24 hours, but zhey're not rotting yet." Medic commented. "But give zhem another day."
Scout faked gratitude over this fact. Bodies weren't rotting. Thank. God. "Oh good, for a moment I thought we could get some maggots here- what the hell happened here!?"
No place was safe. There was always a corpse. And now Scout and others had to drag them out into the hallway. This kind of job was mentally hard considering he was touching a person that was dead for god knows how long. They were familiar with killing, of course, but cleaning up after was… not exactly in their job description.
They… They also had nothing to clean the blood with. They had to be content with the blood-stained floor and walls.
At the very least they had a nice, clean view at the absolute hell that was outside. The whole forest was on fire, and the smoke covered the night sky. Pyro had a really pleasant time watching the inferno.
"'Hole forest will go up in smoke like that." Sniper commented.
They had no idea who or what started the fire. It might've been that girl Samantha or her partner. It might've been Magic. Hell, it could even be one of the CPUs. However the thing was surreal to watch and the fact they knew nothing of the state of their friends worried the more emotional members.
Compa gripped her Medi-Gun tighter as she watched the forest burn. "Will they be okay?" She asked.
"Probably." IF said. "Maybe." She sighed.
It sucked having to sit here and wait, but what could they do against their friends and Nep? Whoever that was took them by surprise.
"Hey so it's like… three v five out there? How do ya think it's going?" Scout asked.
"Ehhh, I think Magic takes it." Demoman said, taking a sip of whiskey. "Ain't that right, Nisa?"
The Heroine hated how she was being called out. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, hoping that Demoman will not speak to her ever again. Unfortunately, he did.
"Good to see ya again, lass. How are ye hanging?"
Nisa sighed and realized these murderers will keep bugging her. "I'm fine. Have you killed more people?"
Nisa casually killed all of the good mood and put the sour atmosphere in. Few eyebrows were raised at her question, and IF and Compa were staring at her. This sort of response wouldn't get her many friends, but Nisa didn't want to be their friend. She wanted those men to pay for their crimes.
Demoman shrugged and looked into his bottle. "Nah. Blanc didn' like when we did that, so we stopped."
"So it took the word of a CPU to make you stop. And those you killed before? What of them?"
She didn't care that she was alone. She didn't care that she was hurting their feelings. They didn't care that they were making widows and orphans. At least some verbal assault was justified, push them towards doing better than that.
IF put a hand on her shoulder, but Nisa brushed it off immediately. Nisa jabbed her finger towards IF's very not amused face. "And you and Histoire allowed them to do that, IF."
"Nisa, you better calm down. You're not helping."
"Or what?"
"I'll not fight you, but this isn't time to be throwing a tantrum."
"Tantrum? They killed, IF. Tons of people. And you helped them! They had families and kids. Where's justice?"
These mercenaries should be put in prison and rehabilitated. Make them do something productive instead ruining more lives.
Spy threw a finished cigarette out of the window. He seemed… amused to Nisa's utmost frustration. "The world is unjust, Frau Nisa. We've just done what we're paid to do, we're not at fault.
"Just following orders is a crap justification. Here you're obliged to decline any illegal orders."
If a Guild master told their employees to do something bad, a whistleblower will quickly report the whole thing and have them arrested. Employees couldn't be punished for not doing an illegal task, but they can be held liable if they did it.
The "following orders" defense is BS in Gamindustri.
Spy shrugged and went back to watching the forest. Nisa scowled at his lack of respect and congratulated herself for winning the argument.
The merc looked at the forest for solid 3 seconds before he saw a figure approaching. "Someone is coming."
His warning was followed with an object being thrown through the window. Said object was a grenade. Spy grabbed it and threw it back as everyone else panicked. The explosive blew up a moment later - but no one was hurt.
"We're under attack!" Soldier yelled, hefting his weapon. "To arms!"
The mercenaries scrambled to grab their weapons and equipment, while Nisa bolted to see what was attacking them. She saw familiar black hair among the flames and a face of a friend, but she was wearing a creepy smile on her face, she was wielding a shotgun - and she was aiming right at her.
Heavy grabbed Nisa's back and dragged her away - ultimately saving her as buckshot flew into the room. The open windows meant the bullets avoided the glass, but also allowed Uni to throw more projectiles in.
Heavy threw Nisa onto the ground. "Don't lean over or you'll be-"
He was silenced by a bullet hitting his skull, killing him instantly. However that bullet couldn't come from Uni, it came from a different angle.
"Heavy down!"
Medic and Compa hid behind the wall, with the latter already working on bringing their fallen back.
"Gentlemen, we have a problem. We're being attacked by a CPU… and she has help."
Hidden behind the trees Spy could see dozens silhouettes watching them, all armed and waiting. He couldn't see their features, but he knew Uni was with them… and she just entered the building they were hiding in.
They were surrounded. Put between two forces wanting their demise. Uni was sent here to eliminate and flush them out, while others waited to take out the escapees.
Plan C has begun.
Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Not Your Guardian Angel
Fun fact: You fill the bottle with gasoline, not alcohol, to create a proper molotov cocktail. If you fill it with alcohol it won't explode like it should. You use alcohol only to soak the fabric (and even then there are safer versions that don't use cloth at all.)
Anyway. This battle actually went through some significant changes. At first it was pure Samantha v CPUs fight with her kicking their ass - there was even Samantha transforming like Fencers do in Fairy Fencer F… but then I decided that other people (like Fay) need more spotlight - So Samantha got completely incapitated by the SP blockage.
That weakness was already shown in Samantha vs Vert fight btw.
In the first draft of Fay vs CPUs, Fay actually fought them with a chainsaw, just because I wanted something absurd. (And I know chainsaws are not good melee weapons) Then I switched it to her burning down the forest because I realized I might be able to use that.
And finally I have an opportunity to do something with that whole 'Nisa hates the mercs' thing. If I end up not doing it I'll hate myself.
In this chapter I've said that 'fairies die only when their partner dies' and that's true. I don't think Fairy Fencer F had a fairy die on their own - only when their Fencer died. Before you ask "then how was Samantha and Fay separated." The answer is; "A being equal to Magnavox decided to do it for shits and giggles."
Let me be clear, it wasn't Magnavox that separated them. It was someone else that is of equal standing. No this is not foreshadowing that some other celestial like Magnavox will appear in this story.
Responses:
- Smashgunner
Then you can reread the whole thing and tell me how it's holding up.
- MysteriousNuclearBirbs
k, bye.
- Harmless Orange.