Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract

"WAR, MEN! WE'RE GOING TO WAR!"


Noire was sweating.

Exhausted and tired, able to move only through sheer determination and the knowledge that if she failed... If she arrived too late… Then Gray Mann's army will invade Planeptune. Not only will countless civilians die, but the relationship between the two nations will be irreparably broken. This could even spark the second Console War.

She had to do it. Failure wasn't an option.

Kei's voice buzzed into her ear. "I'm trying to contact Histoire and warn her, but no one is picking up."

Noire frowned at the news. This made matters worse, as Planeptune would be completely unprepared for the upcoming invasion. This gave Noire even more reasons to stop them before they reached land.

But why couldn't they contact Histoire? Were the communications cut off? Was something blocking all signals going to Planeptune, trying to cut it off from the rest of the world? Was Gray Mann's technology even capable of doing something like this?

"I'm looking through the internet… And apparently someone has just stormed their Basilicom. The whole place was evacuated."

...or the Basilicom was completely empty.

Noire dreaded to think who would be strong enough to push Histoire into evacuating the entire Basilicom. It was also a horrible timing as now they couldn't warn them about their robots going AWOL and approaching their shores.

Damnit Histoire, you could at least take your phone with you!

...Wait. Hold on.

"Someone? Just one person?"

Kei didn't use plural, so that meant one person… but that would be crazy. Only a CPU would be powerful enough to storm a building as vital and well-protected as the Basilicom.

A CPU… or an equal. Samantha Neikan could break into Vert's Basilicom and leave without any difficulty. Vert lost to her as well. She was one of the few that could push Histoire into evacuating the whole building.

But why would she do that? Histoire told her Samantha was helping her, it wouldn't make sense for Samantha to suddenly attack her.

Was it someone else then?

"Uhh… All of the news sources I checked say that a blue-haired woman started to fight the security detail with a sword. So yes, it's a safe bet to assume Planeptune's Basilicom was attacked by one person." Kei said to her. "...Do you think it's Samantha?"

No. In fact this cleared Samantha of suspicion.

"I doubt it, Samantha doesn't have blue hair."

But if not Samantha, then who else? Who had blue hair and was powerful enough to storm the Basilicom? Noire didn't have the answer to that.

...There was someone in Planeptune that was as dangerous and strong as Samantha Neikan. The more news she heard the less Noire liked the situation in Planeptune.

"...We don't have enough intel to figure out who. I'll look for alternative ways to contact Histoire… nevermind, it's too late by now."

Huh?

Kei's words flooded Noire's mind with surprise and terror. Terror that she has failed. Surprise that she has failed so quickly. "H-Huh?! What do you mean?"

"The machines have already reached Planeptune… and begun their invasion."

Her body became weaker, her determination shattered. She failed to save Planeptune from an invasion, and Lastation from becoming a monster. Noire knew it would be a tiring, unsuccessful journey. But it was something she felt she needed to do.

All of it was for naught, though. The machines have reached the land.

Time for Plan B, then.

"...Keep trying to contact Histoire. Explain the situation and tell her that I'm coming to help them."

If she can't achieve the best case scenario, then the next thing should be trying to salvage whatever she could. Save as many people as she can, assist Planeptune in defenses… and then deal with Histoire and Neptune by herself.

The responsibility was hers… as the CPU of Lastation.

So Noire pushed her weary body further, until she could see Planeptune on the horizon. Noire could see the only port Planeptune had, and the smoke that rose out of it. Black fumes flew over the nation, hovering around it like a physical manifestation of terror. Noire wasn't just a little too late. Gray Mann's army has already done damage - pouring their forces into the nation like venom. Destroying lives everywhere they went.


Noire's feet touched the ground and her eyes spotted the Carrier Tanks… or at least what was left of them.

Wrecks. Only wrecks of them remained.

The once mighty vehicles of war were now reduced into scrap metal, bent and mangled to the point of uselessness. Some of the pieces looked like they were ripped apart, others were blown to pieces. The rest were lying on the bottom of the ocean.

Who could've achieved such a thing Noire didn't know, but she was both relieved and scared. Relieved that Gray Mann's forces were defeated before she got here… scared about what would happen next.

And what happened next was a punch to the face.

She didn't see who or what it was. All she saw a blur appearing in front of her, before an instant later she felt something collide with her face. The blow was so strong the CPU was taken off her feet. For a split second she was mid air. Her legs went up while her head went down, her world was spinning.

Then her attacker struck her again, sending Noire across the room and into the wall.

There was no time to react nor to even process what happened. It all happened instantaneously. If Noire was a human, or even a CPU Candidate, her head would be taken off by just the initial blow. It was thanks to her immortality that she was alive.

Though she almost wished it didn't, as the pain finally caught up to her. But Noire didn't have time to indulge herself with her wounds, as a hand grasped her throat. For the first time she could finally see who attacked her.

Silver eyes watched her with great interest, his short black hair wild from the sheer speed he had achieved. This person was also wearing a familiar lab coat and red gloves.

She was staring at one of Histoire's mercenaries.

"W-Wait!" She managed to croak out as the hand squeezed tighter. Noire was surprised at how much force this man could put into just one hand. "I-I'm a friend!"

The mercenary didn't let her go, instead he stared at her with a barely contained excitement. He lifted her up, using just a single hand to do so. Noire tried not to struggle, both because she knew he couldn't hurt her like that, and because she didn't want to harm him.

"Ohoho! Another CPU, und one I haven't seen yet!" Medic's face got close, his eyes inspected her features with a critical gaze. For a moment Noire considered actually getting rough with him, only to free herself, but she feared the diplomatic troubles this would bring. Damage was already done, Noire didn't want to make her situation worse.

Curiosity and interest left Medic's eyes, so did the light. For a moment Medic's eyes turned completely blank, like any shred of consciousness left them. This went away as quickly as it appeared. Medic blinked, confused, while the grip on her neck loosened.

"Oh, okay."

Noire hit the ground like a sack full of bricks, and she quickly put some distance between herself and the… strange man in front of her. Noire breathed heavily while Medic inspected his hands, knuckles and fingers. Noire couldn't know why he was looking at his own hand like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"So I can't fight zhe other CPUs… alright." He called out to someone. "Uh-huh, so zhat's her name."

Noire frowned. Was he speaking to himself? She couldn't see any microphone or headphones on his head, so if he had some communication devices then Noire couldn't see them.

"So where is she zhen?" Medic spoke again. "Oh, I see. Okay zhen."

He turned back towards Noire and raised his hand. Noire's muscles tensed, expecting him to strike her again. Instead all he did was give her a small wave. A sign of peacefulness.

"I'm sorry, Frau Noire. Zhat vas just a misunderstanding."

...If Noire was someone else, she would've died back there. Bone-breaking blows and strength capable of crushing human skulls, used because of something as simple as a misunderstanding.

What kind of monster was she staring at?

Silence fell between them, broken only by footsteps echoing through the port. Vibrant purple appeared behind Medic, something of which gathered Noire's attention.

"What in the world…"

Neptune was just as amazed as Noire was. What she couldn't defeat, Medic has destroyed within a moment. Planeptune was safe… all thanks to the plot-issued powerup that Medic has got.

Their presence didn't even register to Neptune until she found Medic standing near the wall, with Noire cowering before him. "N-Noire?" She shouted, before marching right towards them.

The CPU of Lastation couldn't really describe the mix of emotions plastered on Purple Heart's face. It was a little bit of everything. Shock, relief, disappointment… and anger.

Medic however was easy to read. Pure surprise. "You know her?"

His question fell on deaf ears. Neptune ignored him as she continued to stomp her way closer to them, her weapon in hand. Black Heart sighed out of relief, as she finally found someone she could talk with. "Oh, Neptune. Good thing that you're here. Listen, I've came here to-"

Words froze in her throat. Her thoughts ceased completely. Her mind stopped working.

Noire stared silently at the object thrust in front of her face. Very close to her. So close that she could bump it with her forehead.

It was Neptune's blade, pointed at her.

"What was the meaning of this?"

Purple Heart said in a cold tone.


In her haste, Noire hasn't considered one thing.

"N-Neptune?"

The robots came here from Lastation. An entire army suddenly showed up on Planeptune's doorsteps and started trashing the place. And here was the ruler of the nation that this army came from. How would this look like if not just validating that this wasn't an accident?

If only Kei has managed to send the message.

"You came here… with an army." Purple Heart stressed, the blade moving slightly towards Noire's face. "You came here… while my sister is in danger."

Her sister? What happened to Nepgear?

A sinking feeling appeared within Noire's stomach. Fear that Nepgear has in one way or another gotten injured within the invasion. If that were the case then Noire's job would become very hard, if not impossible.

The CPU of Lastation racked her brain for a way to calm her peer down. Neptune was mad, truly pissed off. An emotion that Noire never thought she would see within someone like Neptune.

"I came here to help."

Wrong words.

"A lot of help you did!" Neptune shouted, spreading her arms wide. Around them was death and destruction, Noire could see the dead sailors and workers around her. Bodies littered the port, a lot of bodies. Noire presumed they weren't the only tragic casualties.

Neptune had a good reason to be mad.

"A lot! Look around you, Noire!" The CPU shouted. "People lie dead in the streets because of you. How was that help?!"

She didn't know the truth, but of course she didn't. Kei couldn't contact them at all.

"We didn't send those robots!"

"Then who?!"

"They were hacked and sent here!" Noire explained. "We tried to warn you and Histoire, but Kei couldn't get through! So I came here to help you while Kei and Uni fix the problem. We may be rivals, Neptune, but I would never do THIS!" She gestured emphatically at the carnage around her.

There, she said her piece and explained the situation. Finally a start.

Neptune turned her gaze away from her, looking at Medic instead. Her expression didn't change through Noire's explanation, still bearing the cold, veiled rage and distrust. The CPU of Planeptune silently asked the mercenary what he was thinking, and Medic shrugged as a response.

"I am a man of many talents, but I'm not a lie detector." He said.

In other words he didn't want any of this, trusting Neptune to make the decision alone. Neptune looked at Noire for a long time, while Noire didn't say anything else. She said what she meant to say, if she said more she could just make things harder for herself.

Neptune sighed. Rage and anger left her body with the air from her lungs. She wasn't happy though, and no one blamed her for it.

"We will see what Histoire has to say about this."

Relief washed over Noire. A small, trifling victory… but a victory nonetheless. Maybe she would be able to actually explain themselves, and together they would move on and lick their wounds.

Medic got close to Neptune and whispered something into her ear. From where Noire stood, she could say this was about the robots but she couldn't understand any details.

"But first… if you claim that you've come here to help us."

Noire perked up, making sure to listen to the next part. Neptune was giving her a chance to prove herself, and Noire felt like she absolutely couldn't mess it up. She had only one chance to set things right.

"You will actually start to help."

Noire nodded, accepting the condition without arguing. After all she was ready to help the moment she departed.


Noire grit her teeth at what she saw.

An entire swarm of machines, more than she imagined that Gray Mann would bring, marched through the streets of Planeptune. If Noire were alone, she wouldn't hesitate to jump in… But apparently Neptune and Medic had a better idea than mindlessly engaging the enemy, so she followed them.

...Or rather, Neptune followed her. The CPU of Planeptune was flying behind her, making sure that Noire would never leave her sight. Medic meanwhile didn't know how to fly, so he had to rely on other means.

"Vooooooo!"

Like standing on her back, using the CPU like a skateboard.

Air resistance was apparently not a thing for him, as the wind didn't even ruffle his hair. Balance was also not an issue, even if Noire suddenly moved Medic would find a way to keep himself stabilized… She was both amazed and freaked out that he could do something like that, without any fear of falling.

While Medic enjoyed himself Noire spotted their destination, that and the machines.

From her high vantage point Noire saw a demolished building, with the machines climbing the rubble. Then a flash of gunfire and those machines fell, bullets and explosions taking them apart. She saw red, not blood but clothing peeking out of the window, before darting back as the machines fired back.

These people were still there, entrenched inside buildings and fighting for their lives. However they were surrounded. Probably wouldn't be able to last long.

Oh, and that white blur must've been Blanc. The CPU of Lowee was like a goddess of warfare, scattering their foes, keeping their focus on herself and destroying anyone in her path. Wherever she went, she controlled the battlefield.

"Here?" Noire presumed it was the place, but it didn't hurt to confirm.

"Yes, now dive."

And dive they did.

At Neptune's command she turned her face towards the ground and descended. Just like before, Medic seemingly glued himself to her back, using her body like a surfboard. The CPU of Lastation took a brief moment to check on him and instead of a terrified expression she found a smile, a wide grin that screamed of enjoyment and excitement he was feeling.

Noire looked back and tightened the grip on her sword. Her eyes laser-focused on her target - a giant machine painted white, with a healing beam hooked on another giant robot.

While the common courtesy prohibited attacking medics, this kindness didn't extend to machines. Take out their support, and the rest will crumple like paper.

Their speed broke the sound barrier, and both Neptune and Noire crashed into the army like meteors, about to bring upon an armageddon on them all. Noire's sword cut through the Giant's chassis like a hot knife through butter, destroying the machinery within. Neptune meanwhile decided to crash into the earth itself, sending a shockwave that demolished smaller machines.

A surprise attack like that would leave others shocked and awed, but the machines didn't know the emotion of surprise. Within a single moment Neptune and Noire had barrels pointed at them.

"Velp, have fun zhere!" Medic jumped off of Noire's back and disappeared. Noire turned towards him, tried to grab him and shield him from harm but he… just wasn't there anymore.

Whatever, he could handle himself.

As bullets started to fly, they pelted Noire's body and face. The CPU was forced to forget about her passenger and start fighting. She charged at the group and cut them down, inwardly laughing at how easy they were to fall. Their weapons were nothing but an inconvenience, not capable of giving her any lasting harm. The machines didn't bother retreating or even dodging her attacks, instead they charged right at her… as if wishing for death.

A very simple AI for something that could be so dangerous.

Purple Heart danced on the field with grace and ferocity of Fenrir, defeating one enemy after another. With mercenaries supporting them the CPU of Planeptune could allow herself to be lost in battle… until it came to bite her.

The next machine she fell had something strapped to its back. Neptune saw it but couldn't make out what it was. Her instincts still screamed that something was wrong.

"Get away from there!"

Blanc saw what it was and shouted a warning to Neptune, but it came too late. Underneath Neptune's feet laid a bomb… a bomb that was about to explode. The bomb carrier detonated himself, sending the CPU of Planeptune into the sky screaming.

Blanc's gaze followed the launched CPU and sighed, clicking her tongue. Nothing could be done about that, so she dashed at the next group. Noire appeared behind her, wanting to assist with the destruction.

One swing, and three machines were down. The CPU of Lowee glared at her Lastation counterpart. "You have some real gall showing yourself here, Noire. The hell were you thinking?"

Blanc's axe didn't cut so much as it tore through the metal. Each swing was powerful, ripping and tearing the steel with ease. Brutal and powerful, each of her strikes carried a large amount of force behind them.

Noire didn't say anything yet, as she was focused on defeating a Giant.

In comparison Noire was fluid. She moved from one machine to another, her sword never ceasing as the CPU of Lastation moved from one strike to another. Elegance and swiftness, unbroken even by the retaliatory fire or metal chassis.

"These robots went AWOL, we didn't send them." Noire said. "Kei couldn't contact-" A powerful bullet struck her back, staggering her and stopping her dance. It didn't however stop Noire from speaking. "-you, so I came here to help."

Another bullet struck Blanc, and she didn't even flinch from impact. It did, however, work wonders in making her mad. "Are you goddamn kidding me! That shit again!?"

The Deputy wasn't done with them. Even with a single hand missing, and his skull fractured, the bolted behemoth still worked tirelessly to make their lives hell.

Blanc set her gaze on the Giant machine that was now taking fire from the mercenaries. It ignored them in favor of the bigger threat - the CPUs. Blanc charged without hesitation, confident that once she gets her hands on the Deputy the giant won't annoy her and anyone else ever again.

A bullet struck her from an unexpected angle. Her head was thrown back and her focus eliminated, just in time for the Deputy to whack the CPU with the butt of its gun. The force that she used to propel herself now worked against her, as the Giant Engineer grabbed and flung her right into Heavy's fire.

The minigun's fire was painful, bruising Blanc's skin and crashing against her processor. Heavy quickly ceased fire once he realized he was shooting one of his own. The sheer volume of lead was enough to stop Blanc from impacting against the wall, but that wasn't mercy by any means.

"You hafta do better tha' that." The Deputy said.

Noire charged to help Blanc, only to be struck by a Giant Demoknight. The shield that crashed into her face was hard and tough, and the sword sharp and long. Noire tried to disengage and help Blanc but the Demoknight was much more eager to play.

And another Demoknight approached her from behind, further making her unable to assist.

More machines marched into the area, coming to aid their falling brethren. However this wave was different. In this wave everyone had a bomb attached to them. In this wave everyone possessed all of the upgrades that came with the bomb, and each machine blew themselves up without hesitation.

It was a wave of suicide bombers.

Raze the town, salt the earth. Destroy everything. That was their objective.

And the machines will achieve that no matter the cost. Each machine carried a bomb capable of leveling the building. They were all a threat to the nation named Planeptune, and its defenders were spread thin. Blanc was fighting the menace that plagued the mercenaries through the entire battle. Noire had to fight multiple Giants simultaneously. Neptune was forced out of the battlefield. The mercenaries by themselves wouldn't be enough.

And then time went to a standstill.


The state of his allies was… acceptable, considering the circumstances.

Scout, Sniper and IF were injured, but not dead. Most likely due to them being forced to hide away, not giving Compa a chance to heal them. The rest was kept in peak condition. His apprentice hid herself in the corner, prefering to heal the injured with the Crusader's Crossbow instead of the Medi-Gun. Considering what kind of machine they were fighting this entire time, Medic wasn't surprised. Hiding was a good call.

Compa spotted him walking towards her, and his apprentice immediately brightened upon seeing him.

"Mr. Medic! Where have you been!"

Her eyes widened after she said it, expecting a bullet to strike her at any moment. Adorable, but unnecessary. As long as he was here, with powers given to him by the Goddess herself, he wouldn't allow harm upon his assistant and Magnavox's favorite project.

"I vent to become a God, my assistant." Medic told her, giving her a pat on the head. Compa froze upon contact, and became flustered. "Good job on keeping zhese fools alive."

She offered him his Medi-Gun back, but he denied the request. She was capable with it, so Medic trusted her to continue her job. Instead Medic went towards the windows, where his teammate built bridges connecting the buildings.

Compa reached out to him, but she stopped herself. If she died then the rest of the team would die with her. "M-Mr. Medic, that's dangerous!"

He waved to her as a response, wishing her goodbye as the German doctor stepped onto the plank.

These bridges… were death traps. It would be too easy for robots to gun down anyone that tried to pass through them. It would be too easy for anyone to fall onto the road below, and then face the horde surrounding them. Probably that's why his team avoided using them unless it was absolutely necessary.

However Medic wasn't like them anymore. He had ascended.

And as the machines spotted his white lab coat he became their priority target, as within their database he was their enemy's medic - therefore he had to be removed ASAP.

So the army shot him. Achieving nothing.

"Hahaha…"

Chuckling at the bullets, rockets and grenades flying towards him, Medic spread his arms and awaited his incoming demise. His teammates stared and wondered what he was going to do. Compa aimed the crossbow at him, making a last desperate effort to save his life. The CPUs continued to fight - unaware that Medic will soon wipe out everything.

The time went to a standstill.

A bullet was a mere hair's width away from his forehead, sent by one of the Robo-Snipers. Medic stared at the wall of firepower in front of him. Bullets so densely packed they might strike one another, rockets and grenades so close to him he could read off their serial numbers.

With just a single thought Medic deleted those projectiles. Bullets, rockets, grenades and fire. All gone. Reduced to atoms.

The power of Magnavox was beyond comparison, and yet it was just a fraction of what she had. The whole Gamindustri was at Medic's fingertips. How strong was Samantha to warrant such a powerup?

Then, with a snap of his fingers, Medic removed the machines.

With a simple command Medic dealt 99999 damage to every robot in Planeptune. Within an instant the machines, once an entity capable of interacting with the world, became a mere ragdoll.

Chaos turned into silence, as everyone stared in awe. The CPUs realized it first, the mercenaries later. Machines fell onto the ground, broken beyond repair. Shock and surprise surged among everyone, sprinkled with fear. Eyes moved from the destroyed machines onto Medic, the culprit of that miracle.

"Zhat… vas very neat." Their lord and savior said, smiling like a goof.

"Uh… Doc?" Scout said, his voice soft and small. Like a terrified creature afraid of the predator that could kill him. Not only the machines on their battlefield were destroyed. Every machine on the horizon stopped moving, possibly even in the whole nation. "What- What did ya do?"

Medic looked at him, smiling brightly. It only helped to terrify his teammates further. "I," Medic raised his finger. "have turned myself into zhe God."


They've returned home, teleporters working hard to transport everyone back to the Hotel.

Noire showed amazement as she was instantly brought to the Hotel, never having seen such a small yet powerful device. Instantaneous transportation was something she hasn't seen before, even in her own nation.

Then the next person teleported, and amazement turned into fright… and pain.

"W-Wah?" The CPU yelped, as by some mysterious force she was launched into the ceiling. Her head bounced off the upper wall, and she richotected into the wall in front of her. Spy withheld an amused snort at the display, as Noire fell to the ground.

"Next time, please step off the teleporter." The merc advised her. Noire could only groan as her body needed time to recover.

More people came into the Hotel. This time Neptune, who has switched back into her smaller, more lively form. "Alright then-"

She saw Noire sprawled on the ground, groaning. The CPU crouched beside her and poked her in the cheek. "Erm, Noire? You okay there?"

The black-haired woman swatted away the finger, groaning "Yeah…"

Spy offered her a hand, helping her to her feet. Noire nursed her aching head while the rest of the gang was brought in. Neptune looked at both of them from the sidelines, smiling devilishly. The image of both of them, holding hands together, brought some indecent thoughts into her head.

"Aww… look at you both. Alrighty then, onward to the Basilicom!"

The CPU of Planeptune jumped onto another teleporter. The one that led straight to her own home… And one that was currently turned off. It was a fact that Neptune has momentarily forgotten.

"...Oh."

Her way home was destroyed during Hilda's assault on the Basilicom. Engineer didn't have time to replace the teleporter as Gray Mann's machines invaded immediately afterwards.

Neptune would have to use legs to get to the Basilicom. Like some kind of peasant.

"Right..."

...Wait. Wasn't Histoire in this hotel when the invasion started? If they were lucky then Neptune wouldn't need to go all the way-

"Uh, fellas? Big problem."

Wat.

The group turned towards their Engineer, who went inside the mercs' Resupply Room. Which was unusually dark. Next to him was some kind of exposed circuitry, with the panel that would cover them lying on the floor. The panel ripped off its hinges, and the cables were severed. Colors drained from the faces of other mercenaries, while the girls were unsure of what exactly was the problem.

Engineer was quick to state the issue at hand. And then even they started to panic.

"Someone tampered with our Respawn."

The panel that Engineer was working on was a part of the Re;Spawn System. The circuitry, if you could even call them that, was completely destroyed. The cables were cut off and components had bullet holes in them. Engineer wouldn't be able to repair them without replacement parts - which they didn't have access to. The Re;Spawn System they placed here was made out of their spare parts.

Re;Spawn was no more.

"W-Wait, what?!" Scout said.

Their private property. Their headquarters. Their home.

"Some mother-hubbard was here."

It has been infiltrated.

His eyes briefly shifted onto Noire, Noire herself couldn't have done it. That didn't disperse the suspicion others had towards her. The CPU of Lastation gulped but said nothing, knowing that some of them thought that it was her fault. She could sense their stares on her back, especially Neptune's.

"There's a spy around here!" Soldier hefted his Rocket Launcher. Putting it back onto his shoulder. "Search the building, find that french maggot!"

IF and Compa glanced at Spy, thinking that Soldier was talking about him. However he pulled out his Revolver, while other mercenaries raised their own weapons. And together they walked upstairs into the lobby.

...before completely trashing the place.

The girls jumped as they heard a massive amount of gunshots, explosions and fire coming out of the area above them. The mercenaries shot wildly into every place a cloaked person could hide in, sweeping through the building with bullets and carnage.

Nothing was spared. No furniture, no wall, no object. The mercenaries will turn their whole house inside-out in order to find the infiltrator.

Noire was shocked, silent and confused. Eventually the curiosity won over.

"Is this… umm…" She didn't even know how she should voice her question. She didn't need to however, as IF still understood her.

"Yes, this is normal." The Guild agent responded with a nod. "Just leave them be."

The sounds of chaos grew louder as mercenaries became more and more aggressive with their search. Chairs and tables were flipped over before being shot. The poor counter that a Sentry Gun was hiding behind became a tragedy in making - shot at from every angle before burnt to a crisp. Sniper threw a jar at the doors. Pyro threw a can of gas into the corner, before setting the gasoline ablaze.

Noire's jaw opened as she heard the sound of glass shattering, and fire spreading. She turned around to judge the others' reaction and they were… indifferent. They were completely used to it.

And that smell. That awful smell that just appeared.

Noire felt really sorry for Histoire.

IF took a sniff of the air, and it smelled like ammonia. "Okay, no. This is too much even for them."

"You think?" Blanc said. The CPU of Lowee went up the stairs and leaned against the wall, making herself as small as she could. She peeked around the corner,witnessing the chaos that the mercenaries were causing. A moment later she had to hide as a bullet almost struck her in the head.

The girls tensed and stared at the very big bullet hole in the wall, probably left by Heavy. "I'm not going through there." Blanc said, conviction made clear and nobody dared to challenge. Especially after she said a rather disturbing fact. "Also are those doors fucking covered in piss?!"

Color left Noire's face, as she finally realized what that smell was.

None of them now wished to go, but they also needed to find Histoire. The mercenaries alone could deal with… their own problems. They didn't want to intervene.

"Don't worry girls, I know how we can get to the Basilicom!"

Neptune came to the rescue, a proud and smug grin plastered on her face as she had a plan. IF didn't like the sound of it, but at the same time they were out of options. "How?" The Guild agent asked.

"Well… first we need to end this scene."


"And now we're here!"

Spreading her arms, the CPU of Planeptune stopped in front of them. Her home was right behind her back, and she allowed them to bask in its glory. From the outside the ground level looked fine, but as Noire's gaze went further into the air she spotted broken windows. The evidence of the break-in.

IF stared down at Neptune, her eyes dull and expression passive. "Neptune… we just flew here. From the coast. You even carried me."

The two remaining teleporters led either back to the coastline, or to Lowee. Their only way to get back to the Basilicom would be from the coast, so the CPUs flew there together. IF rode in Neptune's arms, while Compa was put under Noire's care. Blanc made sure Noire wouldn't get any funny ideas.

Neptune put a finger to her mouth. "Shhh, they don't know that."

"Who?" IF asked.

"The readers!"

The public was kept out of the building by the Guild members and Basilicom security officers. All of the activities were suspended until the situation was stabilized, and depending on the circumstances, maybe even for longer. The Government was crippled in the chaos, and Noire felt like a part of it was her fault. Even if she knew that she played no part in this attack.

However this seemed like a good opportunity to ask the question. "I heard someone tried to attack your Basilicom."

She asked this casually, nonchalantly. Just in case it was still a sensitive topic.

"...Yeah it's pretty bad. But let's go see Histoire!" Neptune brushed over her question, and Noire didn't dare to ask further.

The lilac-haired girl jogged to the guard. No one tried to stop her, as they recognized their own CPU. The guard snapped a salute as she got closer. "Lady Neptune, welcome back!

"Hiya!" Neptune waved to him. "Have you seen Histoire?"

The Guard dropped his salute. "No ma'am, she didn't come through here… maybe she went through the other entrance?"

He was referring to the teleporter, however it was destroyed. Histoire couldn't go through that way.

...Or he might be referring to other doors the Basilicom has. Neptune didn't know for sure. Chances are that Histoire still might've gone into the building.

"I see, still, mind if we come in?" Neptune asked.

"Not at all, welcome back Lady Neptune!"

Smiling at the permission and at his attitude, Neptune called the others into the building. They were fortunate enough to go through the reception that wasn't a victim of Hilda's attack, which spared them the sight of blood and death. Noire didn't know that though, and her mind started to think about how many victims could a single person take.

"Alrighty then, lets see where Histoire is."

The reception was empty. Completely. Not a soul was in the room. It was normal as the whole building had undergone an evacuation about an hour ago. Neptune nonchalantly went behind the desk and picked up the receptionist's phone, punching in Histoire's number.

The phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

...And rang.

But no one was picking up.

Neptune frowned as she waited for Histoire to answer. "Weird, she isn't picking up. Iffy, can you try?"

IF took out her own phone and dialed Histoire's number… And fruitlessly waited for her to pick up. Just like Neptune, her calls weren't going through, and eventually the call timed out and IF received an automatic message.

"The contacted number has turned off their phone, or is outside the service's range. Please contact the Administrator for more information."

Turned off her phone? Histoire? That couldn't be possible. Histoire was always ready to be called, even when she was off the clock. Histoire didn't have a phone, she was a phone. There was literally no way it could be turned off.

What was going on?

"Nope. Same thing here." IF shook her head.

"Maybe she's busy?" Compa suggested.

"No, that's not it. It's more like she has no signal. In Planeptune." IF said.

Compa was silent for a moment or two. Her mind slowly realized how big this was. "Oh."

You could not lose a signal in Planeptune. The whole city was structured in such a way you always had at least 2 bars, no matter where you were. Planeptune literally had zero blindspots when it came to phone service signals.

So what happened, then?

Neptune didn't allow that to dissuade her. Her fingers were already punching a different number. "Well, I'm sure someone has seen her. Yeah, hello? It's me, Neptune. Listen have you seen Histoire?"

She called one person. She called another person. The CPU of Planeptune called everyone she knew, however none of them has seen Histoire. Each time Neptune got a negative response, you could see her slowly becoming nervous. Fear and panic inches into her mind, sneaking like an assassin moving for a kill.

At first she has lost her little sister, now potentially Histoire was missing as well.

The final nail in the coffin came after the next call. It was not Neptune calling, but rather Kei called Noire.

It was so surprising that Neptune's head snapped towards Noire, while the CPU of Lastation picked it up without any thought. "Yes, Kei?"

"Histoire has been successfully captured, proceed as planned."

It was Kei that spoke through Noire's phone. Her voice was calm and normal, but the message was terrifying.

Histoire was captured. By Kei of all people. Noire's mind came into shock while others stared at her, because by some poor luck Kei's message came loudly and clearly enough for the rest of them to hear.

"W-What?"

"Histoire has been successfully captured, proceed as planned."

Noire was lost.

What plan? What capture?

This wasn't her mishearing things. Kei just admitted to kidnapping Planeptune's Oracle. When Noire was in front of Planeptune's CPU and her allies. When Noire came to help them deal with the invasion.

Kei hanged up with saying anything more, leaving Noire alone to deal with the fallout. Noire fingers immediately punched Kei's number, almost breaking the screen in the process. She called Kei again, but Kei denied the call.

"Captured, huh?"

IF's voice was dangerously low. Neptune spoke no words.

Noire had no idea what to say. But as soon as she was back to Lastation, she and Kei will have words.

With that one move Kei completely obliterated Noire's trust for her. It couldn't be an accident nor an act of incompetence. It was a clear malicious act against another nation, and she also pushed Noire under the bus.

Everyone was looking at Noire demanding answers, while the CPU of Lastation was fuming.

"Look, I have no idea what Kei is doing, but-"

THWACK

Blanc punched her.

Noire's vision was spinning as she recoiled from the punch. Blanc left her no time to recover, though. The brunette grabbed her neck and pushed her against the wall. "You fucking sent robots to invade, your Oracle just admitted to kidnapping and you say you have no idea what's going on?! Total bullshit! Where is Histoire!"

Blanc again slammed her against the wall. Noire grunted at the concussion before ripping Blanc's hand off and shoving her away. "Get away from me!"

The moment Blanc distances herself, a fireball blasted Noire in the face. The black-haired CPU jerked her head away as fire consumed her. She could neither see nor react to the next blow - Blanc coming in again, smashing her with a hammer.

Noire fell onto the floor, while IF and Blanc brandished their weapons.

Noire looked up and saw them; Blanc and IF (since when did IF have blonde hair?). They looked down at her with distrust and anger, as if she was the culprit of everything that happened here. But she wasn't, she was a victim just as much as they were.

It… it hurt to admit it, but the truth was clear.

"My nation betrayed me."

Lastation has abandoned her.

The nation she built has abandoned her.


Neptune looked at Noire, her gaze soft. Compa too looked less hostile.

Abandoned by her own nation and surrounded by enemies. Noire looked truly pitiful right now, unsure what to do next or what will happen to her now. Neptune could relate, she felt the same after Nepgear was… hurt. Kei saying that they've captured Histoire also sparked the same feelings.

One by one, her family was getting taken away. First her sister, now Histoire.

IF and Blanc weren't so easily persuaded though. They looked ready to continue beating Noire until she told them what they wanted. "Oh yeah? And how can we trust you?" IF said. The Guild agent, now transformed into her Flame Awakening form, held another fireball in her palm - ready to throw.

Blanc raised her hammer. "Tell us where you took Histoire, and we will go easy."

Against four of them Noire wouldn't last a chance. One CPU against two, and their friends. Not only that but Blanc and IF will surely get first hits before Noire could do anything. She didn't even have a sword in her hand.

So Neptune put her hand on the hammer, stopping it from moving.

"I trust her."

They turned towards her, and they saw a smile on her face. She was smiling not at them, but at Noire, becoming her only ally in this place.

The others weren't so forgiving.

Blanc ripped her weapon out of Neptune's grasp "Are you goddamn serious?" She said. "They just said they've kidnapped Histoire. You couldn't find her so that wasn't a joke… not that Noire would joke about that."

"Yes, so that's why Noire is innocent." Neptune responded.

Right after Kei made her announcement, Neptune saw the confusion and panic that overtook Noire. She saw terror rising within her eyes once the message sunk in. She saw her arms shaking as the black-haired CPU frantically tried to dial Kei back.

To Neptune that was enough proof that Noire was innocent.

These emotions couldn't lie. Noire had no idea what was going on. Neptune was mad, yes. Neptune was sad, yes. But Noire wasn't at fault here, and if Neptune won't protect her then who else? She would be alone just like her.

"Nep, be serious. They invaded us!" IF shouted.

"Lastation did." Neptune said, stressing the word. "Noire came here to help us, and she played nice so far. She didn't resist the arrest and she helped us fight the bots with the mercs."

"You're playing into her hands. What if she's trying to decieve us?"

"But why would she do that?"

They froze, not because of it being a good argument but because Neptune's stupidity and stubbornness didn't show signs of relenting. She was serious about this matter, much to Blanc's and IF's anger.

Neptune stepped forward, brushing off IF's hand as she tried to stop her. The CPU of Planeptune crouched by Noire… and offered her a hand. A gesture of acceptance, of peace and a pact of friendship. 'I trust you.' Neptune said both with her words, and through her actions.

Noire grasped the hand and Neptune helped her stand up. She stood in front of her as an ally and protector, shielding her from her more distrusting friends. "You're forgiving her too easily, Nep." IF said.

"You're not looking at the real enemy here, Iffy." Neptune responded.

"Oh, yeah? Who is it then?" The Guild agent said.

"Whoever sent these robots, of course! Well, Noire? Who do you think sent them?"

Neptune asked her a question, and the attention was right back on Noire. IF and Blanc glared at her with hostility, Compa was neutral, only Neptune looked at her with a kind gaze - silently cheering her on and encouraging her.

Then a thought occurred.

All of it suited Miss Pauling's modus operandi.

Gray Mann had told her that the Administrator controlled everything from the shadows. Manipulation and sabotage… kidnapping Histoire and then framing another CPU would be right up her alley, and that of her greatest agent. Who else would know how to hack Gray Mann's army or target the mercs' Re;spawn?

What if Kei and Lastation didn't actually betray her?

What if this was Miss Pauling's work?

Another possibility appeared within her mind. One that was much easier to think about.

But no matter what happened, Kei's action just now was weird. No matter how easy it would be, Noire couldn't deny that something was wrong with Kei. Otherwise she wouldn't announce that they've kidnapped Histoire.

"I'm… I'm not sure now. I have two suspects, but..."

Now either option could be correct. She was already miffed with Kei for working with Gray Mann without her knowledge or approval, but Miss Pauling was a legitimate threat as well.

The only way to find out… would be to go back to Lastation.

The other girls still stared at her, and Noire was unsure what they were thinking. Did they trust her word? Or did they still think that she was the culprit? Neptune however… she trusted Noire with all of her heart. The black-haired CPU was both amazed and glad that she was.

"Okay, fair enough." Neptune said. Not a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"...You know what. It doesn't really matter if it was you or Kei." Blanc said. Noire was confused about what she meant by that, but Blanc continued before Noire could say anything. "After all, we're still pretty much at war with Lastation now. So that's where we go next."

"And you go with us." IF added, pointing her finger at Noire. "Don't even think about escaping. Neptune might trust you… but I'm still skeptical."

Both of them had their doubts, but they weren't openly hostile. Noire felt like this would be the best she could get. At the very least she could trust Neptune for help.

A hand fell on her shoulder, prompting Noire to look to her right. Compa was looking at her, a small smile was on her face.

"I'm with you, too."

It appeared that Noire had another ally on her side. That made it two of them. Against the rest of Planeptune.

"Heh eh eh eh." Neptune's slow and smug laugh brought the attention of everyone. The CPU was stroking her chin while a proud grin unconsciously annoyed people around her. Her smug aura mocked them all.

"Then let's close this scene and-"


"-see what the mercs are doing!"

They were back in the hotel… needing to use their wings to bypass the shocked folk and traffic. The mercs were doing fine. Too fine actually. All of the chaos and destruction from before was completely removed, the lobby looked as if nothing happened just half-an-hour ago.

The air was full of cleaning detergents and wax, mixed with some air fresheners. Broken furniture were replaced and the walls were fixed. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was spooky.

The only thing that was different was Soldier standing in the middle of the room, carrying some wrecks of the machines. He saw them entering and smiled. "Hello ladies, Histoire got captured!" He announced.

How did he learn, the girls didn't know. Neptune gasped in fright and covered her mouth. "Histoire got captured?!"

IF bonked her on the head. "You already know that!" The Guild agent snapped, before turning her attention back to the mercenary. "And we know. We're going to Lastation."

"Understood! We also found these."

He let the machines fall onto the floor, allowing the girls a closer look. These machines weren't like anything they've seen during the invasion. Following the usual trend of the machines imitating the mercenaries, these two bots would be Robo-Spies.

"We found them in the Medbay. Nepgear and that other girl are still in their beds."

Good, at least something turned out fine today, IF thought. Wait, if Nepgear and 5pb are fine… where's Samantha Neikan's friend?

"How's the Medbay?" Compa asked.

"Trashed. There was a fight there."

A fight and a missing person, sounds like another kidnapping then. At least they left the others alone… Probably because carrying corpses wasn't worth it. And now they have two missing, one their Oracle and one unknown - sent here by Samantha Neikan herself. IF's eyes narrowed. "What are the chances Machias helped them break in?"

Considering that Samantha only helped them so far, the probability was low. But IF still needed to ask. Their Mysterious Benefactor was a mystery, and her actions contradictory. Who knows what she is planning?

Soldier shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. "Who?"

They knew Machias for a short time, not even having time to introduce themselves properly. He just came here and they were already in the middle of an invasion.

"Our Mysterious Benefactor sent two guys here, 5pb and Machias. Machias is the one with the trench coat." IF explained.

"...Who?"

However Soldier still wasn't getting it. IF dropped the issue with "Nevermind, then." If he did anything then it would come up later, and then they would be free to question him. Right now they should focus on the matters at hand. And since the Hotel was clear, safe and secured the next order of business would be to...

"Okay, man. Gather your team, we're going to war!" Neptune cheered.

...Prepare aid.

"What about our citizens?" IF asked.

Neptune's response was confident. Very sure of herself. "Our Basilicom can take it, even with Histoire gone she grilled the workers so much they know how to handle it."

Histoire knew that there would be time where she couldn't do her job, so she trained the staff to uphold the efficiency even if she was gone. Histoire did everything she could to make sure that Planeptune won't collapse overnight, even with a crippled government.

So Neptune was confident that they could start moving to Lastation immediately before they could prepare themselves. The Basilicom Staff can handle things here, Neptune just needed to give them a quick call.

In front of them the mercenary fell silent, his hands shaking. "W-War? A-Are we going to war? W-Will war break out? I-Is this my chance?!"

Soldier's breath was heavy. Not out of fear, but anticipation. This mercs' wildest dreams were manifesting. An opportunity for him to join the military and (officially) participate in a war has finally appeared before him.

He couldn't let this chance go to waste.

"W-War? Did you say w-w-war, ma-am?" His voice was soft, afraid of the chance that he might have misheard her.

Neptune put her hands on her hips. "Yeah. This is war."

That did it.

"WAR, MEN! WE'RE GOING TO WAR!"

As Soldier's cheerful cries outshadowed all, the other girls looked at her. The once lazy and cheerful girl, now vowing war on the nation that wronged her. That Neptune in front of them felt different. She looked the same but the stress of the past events was gnawing on her mental state.

A small fact just registered within Neptune's mind. A small, crucial fact. They were reaching the climax of the story. Beat Lastation, beat Hilda Gehaburn, beat Miss Pauling and their happy ending was achieved.

They needed to beat three bosses for this story to end.

And they will have to do that without Re;Spawn.

That one thing that kept everyone alive from death was gone. Their safety net was removed. No more could they cheese battles by throwing endless numbers at the enemy, they needed to git gud or face the consequences.

Death finally became a threat. The stakes were higher than ever.

Neptune stood silent as the realization came upon her, not wishing to jinx anything more than that. She didn't need to raise more death flags than she currently raised.

...At least they still have the Reanimators.


Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract

"WAR, MEN! WE'RE GOING TO WAR!"


And so ends the Planeptune invasion, and starts the final battle.

Tell me your thoughts about this chapter. Did you like it? Were you surprised by the fact that Re;Spawn is gone? Did you found it weird that Histoire got kidnapped, and then funny how she also got kidnapped in Re;Birth 2?

Also I'm pretty sure some of you might say that Neptune is being a bit OOC, and… well, you're kinda right. But it's not without a reason, though. I'll remind you that Neptune has: Lost her sister, got her nation invaded, saw her citizen die, was in constant pain during the fight with Gray Mann's army, and finally her Oracle was kidnapped by an enemy nation.

All within the single day. Not even full 24 hours.

It's been a rough time for her.

And considering they'll be facing Lastation, Miss Pauling and Hilda, there will be a lot of opportunities for the whole situation to go even more FUBAR.

There's also Samantha in Lastation, which Medic has been ordered to hunt down. So not only 3 story bosses but also a powerful bonus boss to go with it.

Seems fun, eh? Their first face-to-face meeting with their Mysterious Benefactor will become a fight because Medic decided to ascend into godhood.

I await your thoughts.

Responses:

- Guest

Everyone is fucked, yes. But the Mercs are also fucked.

- Mad Android

At first I was planning to do a more normal MvM, maybe similar to one in the episode 1. But then I looked back and thought "This... this is just going to be the same thing over and over and over again." So then I decided to add some variety using Halloween :)

The Deputy's fighting style was based on Crash Maul's "Meet the Rabid Heavy Taming Engineer" video. It's less aimbot and more ridiculous ricochets.

Not gonna lie, writing this battle was hard and even then I'm feeling dissatisfied with the result. Bloodshed on the Holy Grounds was definitely way better than this.

Hopefully I'll make it up with the next battles.

As for Maxie and Linda... I legit forgot they exist lol. It's too late to squeeze them for a finale, but perhaps I'll be able to make a scene or two with them in the epilogues.

- Harmless Orange