A long chapter because we got lots of stuff to cover.

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract

An Invasion from the Sea

Machias opened his eyes. The realization of that took a moment to settle in.

He was alive.

And inside the Spawn Room.

Instead of Histoire's office, clean and tidy, he was now surrounded by dirty bricks and poorly placed mortar. Alongside that were benches, lockers full of random stuff and a resupply cabinet. Machias knew it was a Spawn Room by mere instinct.

And the Re;Spawn he was hooked up to could only belong to one person.

"Oh no…" He whispered, fear and anxiety consuming his mind. If he respawned that meant he was where Miss Pauling wanted him. The leader of the faction he involuntarily betrayed and ran away from. Now he was where they knew he was, and he was alone.

Thoughts of what they'll do to him flooded his consciousness, images of tortue and beatings made him hyperventilate.

"Looks like it-"

Machias didn't wait, nor did he think about his actions. His hand snapped to the source of the voice and his finger pressed the trigger. It didn't occur to him that he Re;Spawned with a gun in his hand, he just shot on reflex. Memories of his fight with Falcom and fear of being captured by Miss Pauling weighing heavily on his actions.

Though his aim could've been better.

Engineer froze, as the bullet went way past his head and struck the wall. He stared at the smoking barrel of the Enforcer, then at the man's frantic eyes, before turning around to spot the bullet hole in the wall. "Well, that was rude." The merc said, and Machias realized what he has done.

He took a step back, putting himself outside melee range. He corrected his gun, making sure that the next bullet will hit their mark. "Where am I?" Machias asked.

"The Resupply room, son." Engineer answered. "Histoire said to hook you up to our Re;Spawn, so I did."

A second, then two, finally three. Once Engineer's words sunk in, and he recalled why Samantha even sent him here in the first place, Machias's eyes slightly widened in realization. "Oh, you're one of Histoire's mercs. Samantha told me about you." He pocketed his gun and extended his hand. "Sorry, I was kinda caught in a moment. My name is Machias."

Engineer didn't seem to be bothered by the fact Machias almost shot him. Without hesitation the merc grabbed Machias's hand and shook it. "You can call me Engineer, pleasure to meet you."

Engineer's grip was strong, but his hand felt wrong. Machias however did not say anything about it, he had a much better question to ask. "There was a blue-haired girl with me, where is she?"

"Medbay, Compa is working on getting her back onto her feet. Here, lemme guide you there."

Engineer walked out of the resupply room and Machias followed behind him. Relief washed over him. He was in Planeptune, accepted by Histoire and one of her mercenaries, hopefully the rest of them will be as hospitable as well. He and 5pb were alive… maybe it wouldn't be as big of a disaster as he thought it was.

But of course the moment Machias let down his guard, life gave him a beating for having hope.

Because when they reached a new room; some sort of lobby with lots of chairs, Machias was met with the rest of the team, and some girls, rushing towards them. Histoire was with them too.

No greetings, no pleasantries, not even a word was spoken. His hard-hatted guide took a short look at the expression his teammates had, and that was enough for him to turn back to Machias. "Sorry pardner, but I gotta go. Duty calls."

"Huh?" Machias blinked but Engineer was already leaving, following his team back to the Resupply Room for… something. Machias didn't know what. He turned towards the Oracle of Planeptune for answers. "What's going on?"

The Oracle of Planeptune has seen better days. There was a thin screw sticking through her head, which would've been very concerning except she didn't seem to even notice it; she was also pale and disheveled, and there was a look in her eye, one of hopelessness and despair. Compared to the Histoire he has seen just a moment ago, she was devastated.

"Planeptune is being invaded."

.

The Carrier Tanks traveled through the ocean, unimpeded and uncaring of the endless water surrounding them. Their target was close, and it must be destroyed.

The authorities at the port have noticed the threat well before it appeared on the horizon. However all attempts of contacting the Government have failed. Hilda Gehaburn has already spurred the nation into chaos, Gray Mann's army was here to finish the job.

With the government unresponsive, the leadership fell to local authority. At one officer's command the defenses were raised. Below the seawater countless of tough and unyielding pillars were raised. Those were enough to stop even the mightiest ships or sea monsters from reaching the nation.

But when they got reports of the pillars being destroyed, the officer in charge realized the threat won't be stopped that easily. Drastic measures had to be made, as the procedure dictated.

The port was closed and the evacuations began. Lockdown was initiated and an invasion warning sent to the Basilicom, awaiting Histoire's response.

Guild members on site prepared to defend. Anti-tank and Anti-personnel nests were manned by the security personnel. Barricades and covers were raised, the whole area fortified. Every second bought meant one more life saved. Every second bought allowed the CPU to get here faster.

They were the shield, awaiting the enemy's strike. The sword will come second.

Walls rose to block the port from the ocean - their last line of defense before the enemy could enter the nation proper. Thick reinforced metal blocked the defenders' vision, but it also denied the sole way of entry.

Planeptune had only one enormous port, the rest of the coast was a massive wall. While it slowed down the sea trade a bit, it made it up for it with safety. Every bit of resource could be spent to defend this one chokepoint.

The invaders were getting closer, setting off proximity mine after proximity mine, not by getting near them, but by shooting them from a distance.

And then the tanks were right outside the port, just behind the closed metal gate. The gate didn't last long, cut apart by lasers to free the entrance. The structure fell into the water, causing a wave that washed over the port. A few unlucky men were caught in the tide and knocked off their feet.

The rest bore witness to giant tanks parking inside their own port, way sooner than they expected. Shots were fired, but they only bounced off their thick armor, even AP rounds had trouble punching through. A few melee-oriented defenders hid behind whatever cover they could find and bided their time, others eagerly shared their ammunition with the enemy.

The tanks stopped, crushing boats that stood in their path, and small slots opened on their noses. A moment later blue beams of light killed the defenders. Quickly, abruptly. That was how their life was taken.

With surgical precision defenders fell one by one, as the automated defenses of the Carrier Tanks secured the zone for deployment. The light show was as beautiful and awe-inspiring as it was deadly, the defenders didn't have much time to enjoy it. Some didn't even have time to scream.

As bodies hit the floor, the returning fire ceased to be. The morale was shattered and the survivors were fearful. The realization of their approaching demise hit them hard. They could only hope that a CPU would come here to save them.

Then a grinding of gears, a whirring sound reached those few who remained. None dared to look, as they didn't want to stare death in the eye. The site was clear and so the hatches were lowered, the invaders free to walk the earth.

The defenders could finally see what was invading their nation. Robots. Machines carrying firearms, melee and explosives. Many were as big as men, but some were bigger, and eye contact with any of them was a fatal mistake. More screams followed, as the remaining defenders were given no quarter.

Mercy and empathy was a concept unknown to robots. The only thing they knew was brutal efficiency.

And without anyone defending the port, nothing stopped Gray Mann's army from venturing deeper into Planeptune. They were here with malicious intent.

Raze the town.

Salt the earth.

Destroy.

Everything.

.

The first to respond was Neptune herself. She has the least amount of equipment to prepare, meaning she could deploy the fastest. Purple Heart hurried to the port, flying at the speed of death itself. Despite her human form's personality, the recent events left her furious and frustrated, and the invading army looked like a good outlet for this destructive force.

"Alert! Monster invasion in process! Lockdown initiated!"

Even from here Neptune could hear the voice of the warning system. That was good news. The officer in charge has done his duty to warn the rest of the public, hopefully that gave her people plenty of a head start to reach the shelters.

But time was precious, every moment she wasted meant more lives gone.

"Please follow the signs to the nearest shelter, and then follow the Guild's orders."

All signs, billboards and ads were gone. In their place were arrows showing the direction of the nearest shelter. From below Purple Heart could already see masses of people slowly flocking into designated buildings, reinforced and fortified. They would be safe in there.

People noticed her passing by and watched as Purple Heart flew towards danger. Immediately she felt a small boost to her Shares. It was a small welcome gift from her people, one that would be handy in keeping them safe.

But the closer she got to the coast, the more dire the situation became. Finding where the robots were wasn't hard, gunshots, explosions and screams revealed their position. But their appearance spread panic. Those the closest to the fighting ran away in fright, knocking down one another in a frantic bid for survival.

They hid inside whatever hiding place they could find, hoping that the machines wouldn't find them and kill them. Most of the time they were found, as the machines were many and their search thorough. Those closest to the army stood no chance of survival, they were gunned down before they could react. Their blood stained Planeptune's soil and their bodies littered the streets.

It was a scene of massacre, and the robots haven't even been on the streets for long.

"If you're unable to reach a designated shelter, please hide inside other buildings. Don't be on the streets unless you're a qualified combatant."

Purple Heart reached the coast in a matter of minutes - way too slow for a situation like this. Neptune picked a random spot and threw a pre-built teleporter there, letting it slowly get ready for the others to reach her.

The robots were many, and they were all as big as humans. But there were also a few complete giants among their numbers. They were focused on her citizens, and their path was stained in blood and riddled with corpses. The bodies didn't slow their advance at all.

"Following these instructions will ensure your safety and save your life."

As the CPU flew down with the intention of crashing into the army, she noted that these robots looked disturbingly similar to the mercenaries. Both in appearance and in weaponry. It didn't dissuade Neptune in the slightest.

Her landing was violent, sending a shockwave that knocked down the nearest machines. Their eyes and guns snapped to her, but she was ready. Her sword moved, cutting through metal with ease, as she fluidly moved from one blow to another.

Then the machines opened fire, and the sheer volume of lead flying at her caused her to falter. Dozens of machines abandoned their objective in order to deal with the threat. Neptune was already buying her people time, but goodness it hurt so badly.

She'll live, thanks to her immortality. But she won't enjoy this battle.

And as she reached the mechanical Pyros, who didn't hesitate to launch their flames at her, Purple Heart grit her teeth and cut them down and advanced. Even when on fire, riddled with bullets and deaf from explosions, Neptune did not stop. The longer she fought the more people she saved, that was all that mattered. The robots' attention was solely on her, not a single machine was gunning down the civilians.

It was at that moment…

Her HDD turned off.

The light was blinding, the sensation confusing and the pain torturing. Without HDD's boost to stats Neptune was weaker, slower, and everything hurt more. But the adrenaline rush meant she just kept going.

Bullets were shrugged off, flames were ignored, explosions knocked her aside but Neptune got used to it. No matter in which state Neptune was, she was still fucking invincible, fueled by the desire to protect her nation, the frustration caused by Hilda Gehaburn, and most of all, her people's collective plea for salvation.

Demomen fired their grenades, a dozen or so explosives soared through the air towards her. Neptune leaned to the side, avoiding the projectiles and ran to the nearest machine. Her sword cut through its throat, embedding itself and disabling the robot.

That gave its friends a clean shot at her.

The pain was massive, but actual damage was zero. At worst it just ruined her hair style. Neptune ripped free her sword and underwent HDD.

It didn't work.

But despite that, Neptune continued to fight. And she will until everyone was safe.

.

While Neptune bought everyone time, the rest hurried to gather equipment.

Not their usual equipment though. Because of Hilda Gehaburn the mercenaries were already ready to fight. However since they're fighting Gray Mann again, that required them to pull all the stops and take out the special items.

"Welcome lambs... to the slaughter house! For lambs!"

"Shut up!"

Their… friends. Came as well.

IF snapped at Merasmus, who was the only one not doing anything. IF wasn't sure why he even came here, or how. Those questions however had to wait, they had their home to protect. She went to Scout's cooler and grabbed one of his Bonk! cans, giving him a smile and a nod as he stared at her.

"Hey, those are mine!" He complained but made no effort taking it back.

"I'll buy you a drink later." IF said, pocketing the can in her pocket. When was the last time she used this stuff? Back during their second fight with CFW Judge? Funny how that was only a few weeks ago, it felt like years.

Her stomach felt sick by just knowing that the can was near, but she could save someone's life with it. That would make all of this worth it.

On the far side of the room Spy was testing out the Grappling Hook, shooting it at the ceiling, dragging himself upwards and then falling off. Rinse and repeat to test the cable's integrity.

Those brave enough to fight with Mannpowers active would know that a Spy with a Grappling Hook was a nightmare to deal with. The unprecedented mobility it granted allowed Spy to be everywhere, strike fast and run away even faster. Spies were a terror of every Mannpower match, to the point where they went from support class to a fully blown offensive one.

If only he had access to the Plague power up, just for the full Mannpower experience.

The doors to the Resupply Room opened, revealing Engineer coming back from his trip to Lowee. In his hands was a Power Up Canteen, filled to the brim with Critical Hit Boost. On his belt was another Canteen, full of Building Upgrade mix.

It only took like… 50 chapters for those to finally see some action.

The author has not forgotten about them, and you can't tell otherwise.

Engineer gave the spare Canteen to Compa, who blinked at the gift. The merc started explaining to her what this gift was, how she should use it and how she could use it. Medic never taught Compa what these canteens were, and Compa never asked because she didn't know they were a piece of equipment.

The teleporter was used again and Blanc stepped into the Resupply Room, her muscles tense and her brows furrowed. "What's going on?" The CPU asked no one in particular. Rom and Ram teleported just shortly after. Everyone was here, just in time to fight.

"Planeptune is getting invaded." IF said. The twins' gasped in shock while Blanc swore. "Lastation probably, from the coast." The brunette continued.

Blanc nodded, understanding the situation. An invasion, by Noire's sister of all people. She turned around to her sisters look up at her, their staffs out. They wanted to help. Blanc didn't want them to.

"Go back home." She told them.

"But we can help!" Ram replied.

Blanc shook her head. "No, not in this battle." Ram complained again but Blanc wasn't having any of it. She grabbed Ram by the shoulders and out right dragged her to the teleporter. The Candidate resisted every bit of it.

"Hey! No! Let me go!"

Her screams were silenced as she was transported to Lowee. Once that was done the CPU of Lowee turned her gaze on Rom, who was already stepping away from her big sister.

She too was sent back to Lowee. And before either of them could return Blanc smashed the teleporter, destroying the connection between Lowee and Planeptune. The two nations were separated once more, just so their Candidates can remain safe.

"Crude, but effective." Spy remarked.

"Can't have 'em fight here." Blanc pulled out her phone and messaged Mina, telling her what was going on and to not let the twins leave their room. Blanc was satisfied after leaving 3 messages on Mina's phone, and getting her reply to show that she has understood the situation. Blanc could let Mina handle things on Lowee's end, she had a few debts to settle.

"I'm going there. Catch up when you're ready." Before anyone could get a word, the CPU of Lowee was already climbing the stairs. She hasn't realized that a teleporter would be set up in a few seconds, and she didn't give anyone a chance to tell her.

...Until she returned a second later, her gaze laser-focused on Merasmus. She marched towards him and the wizard felt chills running up his spine. Blanc reached towards him and the wizard flinched, thinking she'll strike him. Instead she grabbed the SP draining charm that was sticking to him, and she ripped it out. Immediately Merasmus felt his powers coming back to him.

"You are going to help us. No buts." Blanc said.

Merasmus stared at his hands, taking in the sensation of his powers returning to him. He could run away. He could curse them. He could send them to hell and gleefully watch them struggle to find a way back home.

"O-Okay."

Merasmus couldn't do any of those.

As he was just too terrified of Blanc.

The CPU of Lowee nodded "Good." She turned away and left, this time for good.

And yet again nobody told her that any second now the teleporter would be complete and they'll have immediate access to the frontlines. If Blanc waited just for a brief moment then she would see a new teleporter starting to spin, leading to where she was needed.

But alas, IF, Compa and the mercs will go without her.

They hopped onto the teleporter one by one, patiently waiting for their turn to move. By the time the last member entered the frontline the rest has already established the perimeter. The teleporter was on a small balcony area of a restaurant, granting them height advantage and a good view on the area.

...A good view on a rather disastrous situation.

The army was big, way bigger than even the infamous Wave 666. Not only the numbers were big but also the terrain was hard to defend, there were little to no chokepoints to set up a strong defense, and dozens of flanking routes for the machines to simply bypass the mercenaries or surround them.

It would be hard to defend this area even if the mercs had time to set up, but the final nail in the coffin was the fact that the robots have already overrun the area, and their spawn point was already surrounded. Some of the machines took notice of them standing on the balcony, and they turned to engage them.

Sniper, IF and Merasmus ducked as bullets started to fly, while Heavy and Soldier returned fire. Engineer moved the teleporter inside the building for a safer entry, the rest followed him.

Inside of the building was littered with corpses. Robots already came here and they killed everyone they found inside. People burnt to death, blown up or simply riddled with bullets.

The sight did not deter the battle-hardened mercenaries, but it told them a lot about the robots' objective.

The mercenaries ran down the stairs, knocking over tables and using them as cover. Even under the suppressive fire the machines quickly reached the patio, only for the first machines to be shot down by the rest of the team.

A Robo-Demoknight barreled through the window and Pyro pushed him out of the same window with an air blast. Two other Robo-Demoknight charged at the restaurant, only to trip over their comrade.

Robo-Scouts rained lead on everyone in the building, making them pay for each time someone decided to peek out of cover to shoot. Compa had her hands busy keeping everyone alive with the Crusader's Crossbow and the Medi-Gun.

Robo-Sniper watched the battle unfold through its scope, its bullet charging. The Robot let out the shot… and Soldier fell in the battle. The first casualty in the battle, one of many to come.

Robo-Sniper peeked through the scope once more, when out of sudden a knife found its way into the machine's back. The robot screamed and fell down, dead before it hit the ground. Spy quickly retreated using his Grappling Hook.

The Robots advanced on the mercs' position, overwhelming them with numbers and firepower. A few mercs fell in the battle, Compa unable to keep everyone alive. They had to retreat to the second floor, and even then the machines were gaining ground.

It all changed when Merasmus appeared among the machines, shining with green light.

"Mwhahaha! Rejoice mortals, MERASMUS has arrived!"

The wizard raised his staff, almost tapping the ceiling, and with a crack of lightning all robots were destroyed and the restaurant was empty. In a single moment the tide has been turned, the mercenaries went from being on the backfoot to having a chance to breathe.

More robots poured into the restaurant, already aiming at Merasmus with the intent to kill him.

But the wizard was faster.

"Shielserum Aronden!"

A bubble appeared around the wizard, red and transparent. The machines fired, however the bullets, rockets and even flames were stopped by the transparent screen. With a tap of his staff, Merasmus extended the bubble, making it grow in all directions, pushing robots away while letting the humans stay inside. The bubble covered the entire building, creating a safezone inside enemy territory.

Once that was done Merasmus fell to his knee. "Merasmus… has not fully recovered his powers yet. But I've done my part. Go and return as you wish, Merasmus will keep this barrier up and rest."

The machines were still trying to get in, but they couldn't. As long as Merasmus was here he would keep the area safe. Otherwise Blanc will be angry at him again, and that was the last thing Merasmus wanted.

"Alright, thanks man." Engineer nodded. The texan didn't waste more time setting up his nest, building a Dispenser and Sentry Gun so he can move it later. Heavy stepped outside and started shooting robots from within the bubble, chuckling to himself as robots fruitlessly tried to harm him through the barrier.

"Alright then." Spy said, massaging his shoulder. Compa did a double take as he just… casually slid down the stairs, "Some plan, perhaps?" He turned his gaze onto IF, not giving any attention to what he just did.

Neither was IF. It wasn't time to be amazed. "Right. Histoire actually put countermeasures in case of a monster invasion. The whole district is probably already locked down, and people are gathering at shelters. We need to keep those people safe. Also uhh… finding Nep would be a good idea, she's here somewhere.

So their goal was to just fight the robots and minimize their spread, easy enough. "Alright, we have our goal. But what's the plan?"

IF froze.

Figuring out what to do was easy, figuring out how to do that was the hard part. They were surrounded, protected only by a barrier set up by Merasmus. Getting to the nearest shelter would be a daunting task, requiring resources and lives to be spent.

But IF saw no other option. While the shelters were fortified to handle a monster attack, those fortifications weren't actually tested in a real invasion. They need to make sure that people remain safe.

There were also more than one shelter in the area, each of them requiring their help.

"Search and destroy, men! We're going to walk aimlessly and shoot any lady-bot we meet!"

"We need to get to the nearest shelter and help defend it. Signs could lead us there, but it would be better if we took one of the secret exits. We'll also need to link with other shelters to help them too, teleporters will help." IF said, ignoring Soldier's 'orders.'

Attack/Defend then, with multiple points to defend at once. Just like Steel. Spy nodded and turned towards his teammate. "Engineer?"

The texan snapped his head towards Spy, only to see the Grappling Hook fly towards him. He caught it and looked at his teammate, puzzled and confused. "You'll need it more than me." Spy said and Engineer understood. Once they reach the first shelter, they would need to defend it while Engineer moved to another one to place a teleporter there, linking both shelters together. A task that required mobility and fast movement.

And a Grappling Hook was one of their best tools for getting around quickly.

With a gameplan ready, the mercenaries left the protective bubble, fighting their way to the nearest shelter.

.

People were dying. People were suffering. The invaders invaded this place for what? CFW Brave didn't like what he was seeing. This wasn't right. Things were not to be like this. CFW Brave had to stop this.

His feet left the ground, his thrusters carried him to battle, he called Samantha. She'll need to hear this.

It took her two rings to pick up. "Samantha here, what is it?" She said.

"Planeptune is being invaded by Gray Mann."

A moment of silence. Then two.

"W-What?!"

"Planeptune is getting-"

She cut him off, shouting "I know what you said! Look, you stayed behind on purpose, right? Well get to it, we're not really in a position to deal with it."

"Understood. Goodbye."

"Good luck."

They hung up, and with Samantha's notified CFW Brave could fight in earnest. This was the time to protect, and not to destroy. He would be everyone's shield, making sure everyone could still smile after this calamity.

Few robots noticed him nearing and opened fire. The guns those small bots were wielding barely scratched his armor, meanwhile two strokes of Burning Agony was enough to get rid of them and boost his power for later. The blazing sword glowed brighter while murder machines fell under his feet.

"Alert! Monster invasion in process!"

CFW Brave heard an announcement play somewhere in the background, but he was more focused on the reinforcements. More small machines rushed at him, but this time there was also a giant with a minigun. Unlike the small fry, the big one looked like he might actually do some damage. CFW Brave had to be careful with this one.

Good thing he has ranged options.

Slots in his armor opened and CFW Brave let out two missiles. The first one hit the ground underneath the giant and exploded in a shockwave, sending smaller bots flying and staggering the giant. The second one covered everything in a thick red cloud, hiding the charging CFW Brave.

Protected by smokescreen CFW Brave stabbed through its chest with Freezing Yasha, freezing the circuitry inside. Then he decapitated the machine with Burning Agony. The thermal shock combo was too much for the robot, and it shut down.

Its smaller friends were cut down even faster.

Once the area was clear, CFW Brave now had time to plan. He could either go to the nearest shelter and protect it, or move towards the port and destroy the source of this invasion. The former would protect lives, but prolong the danger. The latter would put a stop to invasion, at the cost of lives.

The choice was clear, CFW Brave followed the signs and moved towards a shelter. He could stop an invasion now, but all he would return to would be scorched earth and dead citizens.

What was once a beautiful, if not a bit loud, nation was now reduced to ruin. Carnage covered the streets; windows were broken and cars toppled over, Gray Mann's army destroyed everything in their path, methodically turning the place upside-down in a search for survivors. A good chunk of the army was following the signs, likely to assault the shelter and wipe out everyone inside.

Their goal was to destroy. Not to loot and rob, but to cause as many deaths as possible. They won't stop until one side died, be it them or Planeptune.

CFW Brave had to ignore the machines going into the buildings. Many of them were large and offered plenty of places to hide, but the shelter was different. It was a gathering place of everyone in need. When the sky turned dark and the danger came around, people were to hide in the nearest shelter. It was fortified and safe, but also vulnerable and an easy target. Gray Mann's army knew where they'd find people. CFW Brave had to get there first.

But as he flew above the streets of the once pristine nation, he heard a voice. A cry of despair, pain and panic. Someone was in dire need of help, and CFW Brave was the only one in a position to save them. But should he?

He had another choice, a more sadistic one. Should he go to save that person, potentially damning everyone else? Or should he keep going?

Logic dictated to keep moving forward, but his heart said to turn around.

So CFW Brave stopped, turned towards the voice and turned on the afterburners.

The voices came from inside a building, a large mall that was closed because of the invasion. Inside was a small group of people, merely 3 in total. But they were barricaded inside a shop with Adventurer's supplies, had guns to protect themselves and one of them even had magic.

The machines were trying to overrun them, while the spellcaster and one gunner tried to fend them off. The other gunner laid against the barricade, nursing an injury to the arm. CFW Brave barreled through the skylight like a wrecking ball, putting himself between the machines and the survivors. CFW Brave looked at them.

Two men and a blue-haired woman, wearing an interesting outfit and a staff. A magician of some sort. She was already preparing a small spell, most likely directed at him, when suddenly CFW Brave turned around and began attacking the other robots.

Those were all the weakest of small fry, fast and dangerous in groups, but next to nothing individually. Some were not even carrying a gun, but a baseball bat. Each of them was powerless to resist him. Now that he was here, their survival was assured. CFW Brave will make sure of it.

And as the invaders fell and the area was clear, he sheathed his swords and turned towards the survivors. The woman was treating the injured man, while the other person stared at him in awe and nervousness. Fearful that it was their turn to die.

"Be reassured, my friends. I've come to rescue you."

.

In hindsight, those signs were both a blessing and a curse.

They ensured that everyone knew where to evacuate in case of trouble, but it also told the machines where to find the most people.

While Histoire prepared to be attacked by mindless monsters, she hasn't considered that other nations could also become hostile. People despised war, and a CPU who instigated a war on another nation will quickly find herself losing shares. Sure, propaganda could sway the public's opinion on the matter, but soon those same people will despise the CPU for sending them onto the frontlines.

War… was a loss for everyone involved. The invaders, the defenders, everyone lost.

Unfortunately their invaders had a seemingly endless army of disposable machines, machines that had no emotions and therefore had no impact on the CPU's shares. They removed the penalty of war for one side, making it profitable to go to war.

And then came another grim realization - the mercenaries barely had any upgrades. Whatever bullet or explosive resistances they had wore off after the attack on Decoy. Every bullet they took, every rocket or grenade that hit them, it all dealt full damage. Even with the enhancements they wouldn't last for long.

Battles had to be picked, which wasted time. And they had to enter every battle with an upper hand. A fair fight was a loss, and being cornered was a disaster. They didn't even bother fighting the giant robots. It would take too many resources to destroy one, and usually they moved in groups.

Time was precious, but so were their lives. If they rushed straight to the nearest secret exit they would just die and that wouldn't get them anywhere. But if they tarry then the robots might overrun the safe zone and kill everyone.

It was a difficult game of balancing speed and safety. Be rash and they might be sent to square one. Take your time though, and they might find only blood and corpses.

Though IF knew they were close, just two buildings away from a secret entrance, they were forced to take a break to resupply and heal, meaning they had to spend their precious time looking for a good place to hide, let Compa treat the injured and Engineer to set up a dispenser.

The closer they got the more frequent the battles became. They found less routes to go around the machines, so more often than not they had to fight their way through. And each fight cost them health and ammunition.

If it wasn't for Compa and her Medi-Gun, this sort of thing would be basically impossible. And even with her it was hard. Medi-Gun healed slower than the Quick-Fix, therefore it was harder for her to keep everyone in high health during the fights. She has the Crusader's Crossbow for high bursts of healing, but one missed needle could mean a dead body. And with slower healing it took much longer to revive a mercenary with the Reanimator.

Goodness forbid Compa herself died in battle, it would be game over for their entire push. And with Compa's meager 100 hp… she was very easy to kill.

While Compa took a moment to get their team back in full IF decided to scout ahead. By that I meant she just looked out of a window, that was enough.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous."

In front of their path was an entire column of robots. The machines reached from one end of the street to the other. There was no gap in between them, and no path around them.

Fighting all of them would be risky, as Compa has already used her Electro Shield and couldn't charge another one yet. They could shoot them from here where they have height advantage, but they would only destroy a few bots before the rest stormed the building to get them. They would lock themselves in a tight situation if they did that. They needed a different route.

And IF had an idea.

"Hey, Engineer. How good are you with that grappling hook?"

Getting all of them through this army was hard, but one person might slip past by. Plus it was Engineer, who could make teleporters and grant the rest of his team a safe and fast passage.

"Pretty good. Why?" Engineer answered.

"Would it be possible for you to get through that building, go into one behind it, and put a teleporter somewhere inside? Because we're not getting through that anytime soon."

Engineer looked at the building across the street, measuring the distance and figuring out the best entry point.

At the same time, Soldier got triggered.

"You said what, lady? We're not fighting those robots?! Girl, I've seen bigger queues at the market during the butter sales. All we need is to hit them hard, and hit them fast! Come on men, let's show these-!?"

Soldier picked up his Cow Mangler and was about to expose himself to the robot army, Heavy and Sniper however managed to pull him back before he did anything stupid. "Unhand me, cowards! This is an assault against your commanding officer!"

Heavy snapped his neck and silence fell upon the group. The only sounds were Compa's medi-gun and a teleporter's entrance slowly building.

"Alrighty then, I'm off." Engineer opened a window and jumped out of the building, already shooting the hook towards the other building. The machines noticed him but he was gone before they could react.

A lot of them still gave chase though. A big chunk of enemy forces broke out of the column and chased the merc inside the building.

"You… uh… You think he'll be okay?" IF sweatdropped, observing the steady stream of robots forgetting about the shelter to chase Engineer.

"Yes?" Scout said. "I mean even if they got him, these bots don' really target teleporters." And even then, Engineer was only going through that building. The machines will waste time searching through the first building, only to realize their target wasn't there. Maybe there was even a fence between those buildings just to waste even more of their time.

Engineer would be fine.

"Okay." IF nodded and leaned against the wall, letting herself rest. This could be their last breather, as after that they would be defending the shelter from an invasion.

She heard a cloth shifting next to her and the brunette turned her head. Pyro sat next to her, its legs crossed and its eyes centered on her, the merc also sat too close for her liking.

"Uhh… Pyro?" IF said, shuffling herself away from the firebug.

"Mmph!" It said a word and pulled out its lighter. IF watched as Pyro flicked its thumb to ignite it, and then raised her eyebrow as the merc held out the flame to her. She had no idea what the merc wanted.

"What?"

"Mmph." Pyro said.

Fire? IF thought in confusion. Not knowing if she was right or if Pyro expected something else from her, IF summoned a small fireball. It was merely a spark, nothing that would actually give any heat or ignite anything. IF didn't want to undergo the Flame Awakening just to humor the mercenary, so that was all she would give to him.

Nonetheless Pyro seemed… happy. So happy that it clapped its hands and stared at the spark as it danced around IF's palm. The Guild agent played with the spark for a moment longer before she killed the flame.

Pyro's shoulders dropped, its head was now staring at IF. She just turned around and tried to forget that Pyro was there, hoping that it won't get any bright ideas. She wished that Engineer would hurry up and they could move on. They were so close after all. Just a little longer and they would be inside the shelter.

Where everyone would be gathering, both the innocent and the invaders.

.

The shelter wasn't just a single building. It was a giant dome with multiple buildings inside. The walls were as thick as two people standing on each other, and the dome easily reached twenty floors. The buildings inside were built to last, and were also full of supplies necessary to last a siege. There was only one entrance to this place, a thin corridor spiralling around the dome - designed to be easily defensible while also removing the strength of numbers. An elite squad could easily hold their own against an endless army.

It was Planeptune's last hope. A bastion protecting everyone's lives in case everything else failed, able to withstand even an Ancient Dragon's attack.

It was also completely surrounded by the machines, all of them trying to get in.

But to CFW Brave, one of the leaders of ASIC, an army of cannon fodder wasn't that much of a problem. And with support of his recently-made friends, they were even less of a concern.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

They were hovering right above the dome's entrance, high enough to not be noticed by the invading army. They would drop-in and run, fighting their way inside. They could handle it, they were armed and had CFW Brave on their side. He could save them.

One of his rescuees, a blue-haired, self-proclaimed "Mad Magician" going by the name MAGES. started to chuckle. A low and slow laugh that was thick with anticipation. "Yes~! A true battle against the Organization, let the Operation Revelation commence at any moment!"

Whatever tension Brave felt evaporated. Operation Revelation? They named this? When? "...Okay then." The ex-felon deadpanned. MAGES. was weird, but she could take care of herself and CFW Brave wouldn't have to deal with her for much longer. They were about to land. "Brace yourself!"

CFW Brave announced their landing with two rockets. One pushed away the machines while the other covered them in smoke. They were now invisible and their enemies were confused.

It was time for MAGES. She jumped onto the ground and shifted into a melodramatic pose, tapping into her EXE Drive to finish their entrance.

"Behold! The ultimate combination of science and magic!"

Dark projectiles fell onto the shelter's entrance, clearing out the rest of the machines with a magical carpet bombing. The survivors of the assault started to recover, but MAGES. wasn't worried. CFW Brave grabbed her before they could shoot, and the ex-felon ran into the shelter. The robots shot at them, but the bullets bounced off CFW Brave's armor.

MAGES. was in his hand and the other two clutched his back. That left CFW Brave with only one hand to wield the Burning Agony, and a hundred more robots habitating the shelter's tunnel.

He stomped on them, he slashed them open, he let MAGES. deal with them. But most importantly CFW Brave kept running. Inside that curved corridor was their salvation, the one true safe zone inside the hellish battlefield that Planeptune has became.

A lot of these robots didn't notice them approaching before it was too late. They had one noticeable weakness that they could exploit. A severe and often lethal case of tunnel vision. These machines could focus only on one objective at a time, and at what was in front of them.

The stomping giant that was CFW Brave could practically run through the whole army without anyone reacting, especially since the giants hadn't arrived yet.

Panic and fear that the survivors once felt has diminished. Now it has been turned into hope as they got closer to the shelter's proper entrance.

And as they finally reached their destination…

The doors to the shelter were already forced open.

And that hope they felt was dashed away.

.

"I've also set up another teleporter leading to our spawn, so we can get here quickly once we die."

"That's helpful."

On the other side of the teleporter… was a colorful room. Bright pink walls, toys and even a bed fit for a toddler. IF took in her surroundings, confused as to why Engineer had to set up the teleporters here of all places.

But one look at the broken down doors, and seeing blood on the hallway, made IF think twice before asking. This family was close to the shelter, they must've evacuated. Someone else died here and that was the only answer IF was going to accept, she wouldn't be able to keep herself together otherwise.

"So, where now?" Spy asked and looked out of the window. "And please hurry, we're surrounded.

"Down in the basement, let's go!" IF waved for everyone to follow her, and then ran out of the room. She conveniently ignored dead bodies and a bloody trail as she left the flat, taking the stairs down.

Robots crossed her path and they opened fire. Compa activated the Energy Shield and protected them all, IF then melted the machines with her SP. The robots were destroyed and the whole encounter took less than 10 seconds. A quick skirmish, but when every second was precious… a waste of time.

They descended, nearing the bottom as quickly as they could. They were close to their objective, just a little more and they would be there.

Then Sniper saw a blue dot on Compa's head - a sharpshooter's mark of death. He was too far away to reach her, the bullet would be quicker... and they would be left without a medic. The worst case scenario for the group, and the people hiding inside.

Sniper raised his own rifle and said a quick prayer.

He took a shot, his bullet flying right in between the group's heads. The spark was small but Sniper noticed it and his heart froze, as Compa screamed and clutched her head - injured but alive. He shot down a sniper's bullet with his own, saving Compa's life in the process.

IF and the others instantly zipped around to check on her. Sniper quickly reloaded his rifle and shot down the Robo-Sniper. "Sniper was about to get her." He told his team. "Got 'im."

Outside he was cool and composed, but inside he was screaming from joy that he pulled that one trick once more. First to save Histoire's life, and then Compa's.

He was an MVP, and nobody could tell Sniper otherwise.

Once making sure Compa was okay to walk, they reached the basement. It looked similar to the basement in their own hotel - brick and mortar walls and concrete floor. But instead of one room, it was a collection of rooms connected with a corridor.

IF led them to the room right at the end. While other rooms had doors made out of wood, this one was metal. Immediately it clued them that this room was important. But the room was empty. Completely empty. No windows, no furniture, only a small bulb giving them light.

That didn't discourage IF however, who waved them inside. "In here, close the doors."

They filled in and Soldier locked the doors. They all could barely fit inside, but the team gave IF some space as she was pushing and pulling out bricks in an order - another clue that this was the place. It only took IF a moment to open the doors, with the wall collapsing and revealing a tunnel - long, straight and… with people running towards them?

Huh?

"Run!" One of them cried out. "The machines are here!"

Huh?!

"W-What?!" Compa exclaimed.

"They're coming!" They shouted, finally getting close enough for the mercs to get a good look at them. Terrified eyes, tears staining their cheeks and panic spreading across their faces. They allowed them to pass, and the escapees collapsed right underneath their feet. Some of them sobbing.

"What happened?" IF asked. Compa started checking them for injuries and healing them if they found any. Meanwhile the mercenaries gathered at the secret entrance, in case anyone else was following them. They also split to defend the way they came through, as Gray Mann's machines were still roaming around the area.

One of the escapees was a small child, Spy remembered her as one that went to deliver Histoire the fixed mascot. Broccoli, he believed.

She was shaken, as any person would, but she kept herself better than the others. "The shelter is overrun, nyu. Robots broke through the gate, nyu." The girl said.

That was the worst news they could've gotten. They were too late. The shelter was overrun and now they had no idea what to do.

And the news got worse. Sniper took a shot into the tunnel, taking out a machine coming from the tunnel. "'Bots at the tunnel!" He announced, taking another shot. A moment later they heard gunfire from behind them as well.

"Oh god! They're here too!" Scout shouted, taking out a Robo-Soldier with the help of his teammates. More machines took their place.

Gray Mann's army cut them off and surrounded them, and they had civilians to protect.

.

This was a bad day for Samantha.

First her seal was acting up, and now Planeptune was getting invaded? The world was ending. "What?!"

"Planeptune is getting-"

She knew what CFW Brave said, she heard it clearly. Yet she could not comprehend that Planeptune was getting invaded. Why?! How?! What the hell was Lastation doing? Samantha had many questions to ask right now, but she knew it was time to act. Good thing they left CFW Brave there.

"I know what you said!" The brunette shouted, cutting him off. "Look, you stayed behind on purpose, right? Well get to it, we're not really in a position to deal with it." Not when they were so close to Miss Pauling. Unfortunately they couldn't stop now to help.

"Understood. Goodbye." CFW Brave said.

"Good luck." Samantha said before hanging up.

Gray Mann picked one hell of a time, making his move right when Samantha was too busy to react.

Unfortunately for him, CFW Brave was there to help.

CFW Magic sized a building, looking at the windows, doors and the area outside. No one was there, which she found suspicious. "Is this the place?" She asked Fay, who was doing the same thing.

"Evidence says yes, but my gut says it's a trap." The fairy said. "Not a patrol in sight." She summoned a Battle Scope and peered through the window. "I'm not seeing anyone inside either."

They found… a building. A house right in the middle of nowhere. No sign as to how or why it was built deep inside a monster-infested forest, with a road that could only be traveled on foot. If that wasn't suspicious enough there was a large satellite attached to the roof. The dish was pointed west, towards Planeptune.

"Well then… I'm gonna take a quick look." CFW Magic said, waiting just long enough for Fay to summon a scoped assault rifle. The ASIC's leader took to the skies while Fay kept her eyes on the building, alert for any activity.

Even as CFW Magic quite obviously neared the building, no one moved from the inside. Fay had a bad feeling about this.

Samantha crouched next to her, Fury in her hands as a sniper rifle. Long and wide barrel allowing big caliber bullets to fire. "What are we seeing?" The Overseer asked.

"A building, no activity inside nor clue why it's even there. You said people usually keep themselves to cities, right?" Fay said.

"Yup. So it's weird to see brick and mortar here, and that satellite." The satellite dish was enormous, and its purpose unknown. Though if it's necessary Samantha and Fay carried enough explosives to blow it up from here. "You think it's a trap?" Samantha asked.

"Either that or we got led to some weird hillbilly's house." Fay shrugged.

"How do you think they would react to Magic?" Samantha chuckled. While her tone was jesting and casual, her eyes were sharp and alert. While Fay watched over Magic, Samantha watched over them.

"If it's a hillbilly?" Fay said. "Probably catcalling, rude flirting and trying to goad her into sleeping with him. She's going there half-naked after all… Now I'm actually wishing that actually happened, it would be hilarious."

"Well, once we have some free time we can actually arrange something. Send her to some stranger's house and see what happens." Samantha joked. "How do you think it would end?"

"With her confused and asking what that was about."

They laughed loudly, dropping their guard. It was just a ploy though, if there was someone watching them they would strike now, and they would be ready.

Nothing of such happened though. Either the area was clear or their stalkers were content with just observing them. In either case they didn't need to fear as much.

"You guys are so loud…" CFW Magic said, landing almost on top of them. Samantha actually had to lean away or else she would become Magic's heel. "What was so funny?"

"Just cracking some jokes at your expense." Samantha shrugged, Magic didn't react. "So how did your scouting go?"

It was Magic's turn to shrug. "They're all dead."

Huh?

"What?" Fay said.

"The whole building is full of corpses, no one is alive. There are robots inside too, all destroyed."

Now it was getting stranger. A building in a middle of nowhere, full of corpses. Perfect scenario of a horror movie. "Okay then…" Samantha deadpanned. "That's disturbing, terrifying, and we'll need to investigate that. Great." People did not die for no reason, especially not entire groups of people.

If it was a monster attack then the surrounding area would be trashed, but instead it was pristinely clean. Almost disturbingly so, knowing what was hiding inside. And instead of acting like a smart man and walking away, they marched right towards it. Because the evidence of Miss Pauling led them there, and inside that building they would find their answers or another clue.

The front porch was untouched, no signs of any disturbance. It looked like someone was taking care of it quite well. The doors were made out of steel; solid, weird and yet understandable. This house was inside a monster-infested forest after all. A good barrier between the outside and inside was a necessity. Same logic also explained steel grates protecting the windows.

Samantha put her hand on the door's handle, steeling her gut for what was inside. The doors were unlocked, and Samantha opened them.

Inside was a massacre.

"Gross." Fay said. The other shared their sentiments. Even so Samantha stepped inside.

"This is wrong." She said.

"Yes, I agree." CFW Magic nodded.

Just like CFW Magic has said, bodies littered the ground. But she hasn't said in what state they were. Lastation soldiers, mangled and brutalized. Someone had fun with their bodies, twisting them into their most disturbing state. Their blood stained the walls.

It was not the work of an assassin, but a butcher.

The machines were a bit better, reduced to pieces but more bearing to look at. If only because they had no intestines and spilling guts.

"N-No, I mean. Someone did this after they all died! They didn't die like that!" Samantha said. It was hard to imagine a group of assassins, who were most likely carrying small weapons for the sake of concealment, be capable of mutalitating all of these bodies. Not possible during a fight.

Not even the robots were carrying anything amazing. In fact, all of these machines were Robo-Engineers, at most they would have a shotgun.

"They arranged it to be like that… Gross." Fay shuddered. This was even worse, as it meant that whoever they were dealing with chose to mutilate corpses like that, it was by their own choice.

"So what do we do?" CFW Magic asked.

"Search the place, but don't split up." Samantha said, but she raised her hand when Fay and CFW Magic tried to proceed. Pink haze surrounded Samantha's palm as she accessed her Hammer Space, and once it cleared she was holding a small object. A white sphere with blue detailing. It looked futuristic, sci-fi even.

Her thumb pressed a button and she chucked it in front of her. The object flew through a doorway, bounced off a wall and landed on the ground, rolling for a brief moment before stopping.

CFW Magic was curious about the purpose of this device, when it suddenly released a pulse. A visible blue pulse of light that went along the walls and themselves, for purpose unknown to her.

The brunette put her finger on her lips, telling them to be quiet. Then she pulled out her scroll and started typing, her fingers a blur. Once Samantha was done she turned the screen towards her teammates, letting them see her message.

Battle Scanner revealed 1 guy, armed and uncloaked. Surround and take him down, non-lethal.

After that came other orders. Samantha and Fay will surround him and try to take him out by themselves, with CFW Magic standing outside as Plan B. Samantha was confident that either of them could easily take out one person by themselves, but it wasn't combat she was afraid about, she was afraid they would run away.

.

The plan was made, the people in position, their target unaware. A perfect opportunity to strike.

They moved to their position like shadows, not making the tiniest noise. Even people with superior senses would be fooled. But once Samantha gave her mark, they pounced. Violently and abruptly, catching even the most alert people off-guard.

It was hilariously easy taking out that person. Samantha tackled him to the ground, hitting his body like a bullet. She apprehended and immobilized him, made him vulnerable for Fay to put cloth on his face. A cloth full of chloroform.

He struggled, but Samantha with the strength of a Fencer overpowered him. She took note of his clothing, and she was confused to see that he was wearing the outfit of a Lastation soldier. The same outfits that other bodies were wearing.

Then more confusion, as he had blood bags strapped to his chest. Their purpose unknown and their existence weird.

Finally panic overshadowed all, as underneath those blood bags were explosives. They just tackled a suicide bomber, and the detonator was still in his hand.

"He has a-!"

That was all Samantha managed to say before the charges went off. The powerful explosion did not kill them, thanks to them being a Fairy and Fencer, but it did knock them away from the man… who was reduced to a mere splatter of blood, all disappearing into Re;Spawn System.

Fay hit the wall and then fell into a red puddle, Samantha was left rolling and sliding on the floor. After the explosion a total silence occured, as both Samantha and Fay were stunned and needed time to get their bearings.

The Overseer groaned and turned her body to her left. She saw Fay lying on the floor, fighting the shock left by the bomb. She also saw CFW Magic looking at her from the outside.

The pink-haired reaper broke the window and entered inside, helping Samantha get back on her feet. "Thanks." The Overseer said. "This guy strapped bombs to his chest… and blood bags." Samantha looked down and saw her outfit totally ruined, drenched in blood, grime and whatever else these bodies released. It wasn't just her outfit through, some of that even got onto her face and hair.

Fay was in a similar vein, dirty and in dire need of a long shower.

"We got a problem." CFW Magic said. Her words gave Samantha an urge to scream 'Not now!' "I saw the Lastation candidate approaching here."

Samantha really wanted to scream. A suicide bomber was bad enough, having a Lastation candidate here just made things worse.

The brunette didn't have time to question why Uni was even here, because she could already see the white-haired CPU Candidate from the same window CFW Magic just came through. Uni was already in her HDD and her eyes were locked onto them.

It was hard to say if she was horrified or surprised to see them here. A blood-covered terrorist and a former leader of a criminal organization… surrounded by destroyed bodies of Gray Mann's robots and corpses of Lastation soldiers.

Oh crap.

Samantha just realized the entire point of all of this. Miss Pauling led them here, to a scene of massacre. She left a suicide bomber to either take them out or frame them, and then called the CPU here.

She knew she was being followed so she set up a trap. Lead them to a scene of a crime, frame them and then call the authorities. Have fun talking your way out of this one.

Miss Pauling played Samantha like a damn fiddle.

"Oh, you bitch." Samantha whispered. They expected it to be a trap and yet they still fell for it, now there was a CPU Candidate in front of them.

"Let's talk about this, okay?" Samantha said, making a show of dropping her weapon. A show of submission because she didn't feel like making the situation worse. They would just have a little chat, explain everything and Samantha won't be forced to kick Uni's ass.

After all, it was 1v3. What could Uni do against CFW Magic and Samantha with Fay. Uni just has to do a reasonable thing and either run or start talking like Samantha wanted her though.

However when Uni's answer was to shoot first, ask questions later Samantha knew a peaceful resolution would be hard to achieve. The first bullet Uni shot hit Samanta right in the chest, the Fencer didn't even flinch at the impact. The second bullet was blocked by CFW Magic's barrier.

"Seriously?" Samantha deadpanned. CFW Magic could take 4 CPUs and win, Samantha with Fay were also ridiculously powerful. Uni was lucky Samantha didn't wish to fight.

But things changed when Nisa dropkicked Samantha from behind and the Overseer fell down once more.

Peace was never an option, and those brats will soon learn to not bully the stronger party.

Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract

An Invasion from the Sea

Writing this chapter was surprisingly hard. In fact I had to rewrite half of the chapter, because I realized one small detail that absolutely broke everything I've written so far.

Hopefully you'll be pleased with the result.

Responses:

- YORCHspartan117

You bring few interesting theories onto the table, but I'll say to hold your horses. What I have planned is more shocking than that. The battle against Gray Mann army isn't going to be the end of the story, after all we still have Hilda Gehaburn to deal with.