Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Epilogue: One Last Thing to Do
It was a familiar sight.
The scorching sun that threatened to burn everything shone above them - relentlessly baking the arid ground with heat. No plants could be seen, everything was just sand and stone. A vast and empty space filled with nothing but hills and dunes in sight. A hostile land prepared to claim unprepared lives.
Welcome to the Badlands - a middle of nowhere in New Mexico.
Sniper took it all in, wondering when was the last time he had felt this heat. The scorching sand shifting beneath his boots brought back now faded memories, the dry and hot air was just as familiar as it had been.
But his amazement had to come to an end. They had a job to do, but this weather wouldn't allow them to do it. He turned back, and saw Histoire and the rest of his team watching. The merc shook his head. Histoire's brows furrowed.
"This ain't a good time to walk, lads." He told them. "Too hot. We'll die out there."
And with his declaration came a sudden end of their incursion. The only thing in the distance were the mountains. The portal opened on an empty desert plain - nothing around. Literally nothing on the horizon!
It was a literal desert. At noon. When the sun was at its hottest and brightest. It was not a good moment to travel. They will have to wait.
An additional threat was the open space itself. There was nowhere to hide. Nothing to protect them in case of an attack. What would they do if the negotiations failed and the Administrator learned where the portal was?
But in any case, here it was - Earth. The homeplanet of the Mercenaries. One massive step towards reuniting them with their families.
They set up a camp in Virtua Forest. Making plans and preparations for nightfall, gathering supplies for a short visit. IF took Compa, Neptune and Nepgear back to Planeptune to purchase supplies. They would not be back until afternoon.
Histoire now had something to think about. The portal was in a desert, but in a desert where? Where was the nearest city? Could they quickly get there without alerting the Administrator?
Would the Administrator know if they reach that place?
She asked the mercenaries if they knew anything… and they actually gave her a map! That was exactly what Histoire needed.
…Until she actually looked at it.
The map was… weird. There were barely any details on that map, nor anything to measure the distance. The only thing it did show were some notable landmarks, but goodness knows how far away they were from each other.
Demoman snuck up on her while she was reading. "You wouldn't have a better map, right?" She asked him.
"Nope." He put a bottle to his lips and sat besides the wall of Histoire's tent. "That's the best we got."
"Well, it's not really helpful."
According to Sniper, those giant mountains on the horizon were the "Thunder Mountain". And thanks to the sun he also managed to triangulate their rough position on the map.
They were right in between "Badwater Basin" and "Teufort." One was known as a "Death Valley", while the other was one of the very few towns in the region.
Sniper said that it would take them at least a day to reach Teufort. They were at least a day's worth of march to the nearest civilization.
A proper map wouldn't make her rely on at least.
Saxton Hale, who Histoire called in, already went there to check up on his company. Yes, it was too hot for them to traverse but Saxton Hale was Saxton Hale, he wasn't held back by such rules.
…Histoire hoped that he would uphold his end of the bargain and contract the Administrator.
"So we wait for him to finish? Hale, I mean."
"That would be for the best."
The more Histoire studied this map, the more she was annoyed by the shoddy work. There was almost nothing to study here. That 'Thunder Mountain', which was the most northern thing on the map, was just a hill among other hills.
And each hill had literally the same drawing. There was nothing differentiating a small hill from a big one. Histoire was surprised to see that they even bothered with a compass, at least Histoire knew where 'North' was!
Did a child draw this map?
"I can't." Histoire said. "I'm sorry, but I can't look at this map."
Unhelpful, shoddy and poorly made. Having Nepgear fly around and look for landmarks would be a better way.
Demoman found enjoyment in her agony. "Yer ain't the first, whole place is just sand and gravel. Not ta many people want ta venture out and draw."
"And you spent years fighting for it."
"Fightin' for someone tha wanted this pile of gravel, yah."
Demoman raised his bottle to her, and then began to drink - taking big swigs of alcohol. "We would still be fightin' if the damn machines didn't take over."
The Gravel War. Histoire struggled to comprehend the amazing stupidity of this whole thing. An over-century war for what was practically a useless stretch of land. "What's so important about this land? It can't just be for the gravel, right?"
"I dunno. That was a wee bit above my paycheck."
Unfortunate, but reasonable. Their employer paid them to fight, not to ask questions.
Eh. Maybe the reasons for that whole thing didn't matter. Both brothers were now dead, and their group of mercenaries was now working for her. If anything, that pointless war gave them experience that Histoire needed to stand up against ASIC.
"Ma' will be pissed when I return." Demo laughed, and Histoire realized that she was lost in thought. "She will say to not scare her so much."
He was thinking about his family, wasn't he? "I think she will be glad."
He didn't say it in a way that made Histoire think he was serious, but the Oracle said it anyway. Not many parents wouldn't be glad to see their child well and alive, especially if they were informed about their death.
"Yup, that she will." He smiled. "Then she will say that I didn't work hard enough to come back faster."
Alright, Histoire will not comment on that. She didn't want to argue, or get any sort of negative bias about his family. That was actually the first time she heard them speak about their families. "I…see. Well, I must tend to other issues." Like figuring out how to scout out the nearby area as best as they could. "Goodbye Demo." Maybe she should really get Nepgear to handle it.
"Hey wait."
Historie was about to leave, but she stopped. Demoman wanted to say something.
"Thanks for recruitin' us, lass." Histoire did not expect that. "We would be in a tight spot if yer didn't take us in."
And in what state would the world be if Histoire didn't do it. Would the ASIC really try to recruit them? Would the lack of funds and means of sustaining themselves push these mercs into some desperate actions? Would they return to Miss Pauling and become an even bigger problem than anything else Histoire has faced?
"That is no problem. Thank you for helping Planeptune and Gamindustri deal with the ASIC, and the other threats to Gamindustri too. Oh, and tell your mother I said hi."
That put a grin on his face. "I will, cheers!"
And then Demoman went back to drinking. A part of her wondered how, among all of this, they didn't really change much. Demoman continued to drink. Pyro was still a pyromaniac with an unknown identity. Soldier was still… Soldier. She didn't even interact a lot with other mercenaries such as Heavy. But they were all mostly as during their first day. Was it because they were all adults and pretty much set in their ways? Because nothing really forced them to change? They were the same as when Histoire met them. A bit nicer to her, but still the same.
Maybe that was for the best. At least a small part of them was predictable.
A small buzz in her mind notified Histoire that she received a message. A quick check revealed the sender to be Vert - giving her an urgent message. A message that drained all cheer and joy Histoire felt, replacing it with cold ice.
Sam escaped. He suddenly ripped her weapon out of the wall and teleported.
There was only one reason why she escaped. And that message was all of the warning Histoire would receive.
A thunderbolt struck the middle of the camp, momentarily blinding everyone nearby and then Samantha Neikan stood in its place - the woman that liked to butt her head into everything.
The mercenaries grabbed their guns and prepared for battle. Dengekiko stared at the woman in shock and quickly backed away. Histoire herself channeled and prepared to use her spells to defend herself.
Samantha, her Fury drawn and ready, did not move a finger.
But she was not happy.
"Well. Consider me surprised." She said casually, the gems on her sword glowing brightly. Fay was with her and she was ready to fight. "I had a feeling that it would be you, but I never thought you would actually DO THIS!" She waved her hand towards the portal to Earth.
Nepgear ran out to the front, the Holy Sword already. A feeling of nervousness started to creep within her as Samantha's gaze turned to her, and then onto the blade she was using. Histoire was mentally cheering as the Overseer began recalculating her odds.
Samantha could easily kill the mercenaries. She has the raw stats, skills and mentality to do it. But Histoire, Dengekiko and Nepgear were different. Magnavox wouldn't allow Samantha to just attack them without cause… And even then Nepgear just needed one good hit. The ex-Gehaburn and its invincibility-piercing properties will do the rest.
Histoire hovered forward. "If you want someone to blame, blame me. I did most of the work here."
Samantha glared back at her, and she glared in return. They both glared at each other. "Of course." Samantha nodded, irritated. "Of course it was you… And do you know what you've done? You goddamn moron?!"
Histoire brushed off the insult. "I did what I wanted to, and I wanted to let the mercenaries visit their families and have the option to return here."
"You gave me and my boss a lot of work to do. You could've at least warned us next time, so we could be more prepared!"
Oh, so she came here because she was annoyed over some extra work. "And why would we?"
"Because that stunt almost killed all of us! Gamindustri and Earth! Did no one warn you about Engine Failure?"
A what? "No." The Bombinomicon didn't say anything about that. "What is it?"
"The Engine Failure." Samantha repeated. "Basically the universe just wasn't prepared for an outside influence, breaks and fucking dies." Uh oh. "And that was what you did there. Almost fucking killed everyone. Look, there's a difference between leaving through a door, and blowing up a hole in a wall. Yes, you can leave through both, but one has a tiny chance of bringing the whole building down."
She looked around, ignoring the guns pointed at her. "So, no more of whatever the fuck you used to make this. Alright?"
Yeah, no. Histoire was already sick of her. "We wouldn't have to do this, if you didn't force us."
Samantha shrugged. "That decision was out of my hands." She sighed and turned towards the mercenaries. "Look. I know you want to see you families but-"
The sound of a spun up minigun drowned out her next words. "Leave!" Heavy ordered her. "You're not welcome here."
But Samantha did not leave. She jabbed her finger towards Heavy and began shouting. "This almost killed your sisters!"
Then a volley of bullets struck her chest, each one bouncing off her chest. Green flashes signified that this barely scratched her and that she was still full of energy. But for a moment Samantha was silent. They waited for what she would do now.
"You done?"
She simply asked with a deadly calm voice.
Heavy kept his minigun spinning and aimed at her, but he did not fire again - Not with another figure approaching Samantha from behind. "Hello there~" he placed his massive hand on her shoulder. Samantha looked back and saw the face of Saxton Hale grinning at her. "Let's fight!"
His grip on her shoulder was so strong it already drained her barrier - Dark, healthy green turned fainter, slowly shifting into yellow. Histoire and the mercenaries had the pleasure of seeing Samantha visibly freak out at Mr. Hale's appearance.
The effect was immediate.
She jabbed the Fury into his bare leg, and Hale's eyebrows shot up as the blade pierced his skin. His hand immediately lashed out, throwing Samantha away. He jumped to follow after her, only to be blasted away by a lightning bolt.
The magic exploded, throwing Saxton Hale off his course. Samantha's Fury was already shifting, turning into a Sniper Rifle that was already zeroing-in on his eyes. Crippling him would only take a moment.
The mercenaries fired, Histoire casted spells, but Samantha ignored both. Their attacks only slightly chipped her barrier. Saxton Hale was the biggest threat and she prioritized that, but there was one more threat she couldn't ignore - Nepgear.
When she charged at her, Samantha had to abandon trying to finish off Hale to protect herself. Nepgear came at her swinging. Fast and skilled swings poked at Samantha's defenses, but Sam was faster and more skilled, blocking all of the attacks. She did, however, willingly yielded ground to Nepgear - backing away at every opportunity, trying to distance herself from the others and isolate the Candidate from the rest.
She did not fall for it.
"Sam!" Fay warned.
Samantha jumped to the side, dodging a massive boulder that was about to hit her.
Then she jumped over another massive boulder.
Saxton Hale was just a little worse for wear. A small cut near his knee cap, a little burn on his shoulder. Despite Samantha having enough strength to bleed through Hale's enormous defense, it would still take more than that to truly hurt him.
He was the shield to Nepgear's sword.
"Oh ho ho ho." The Australian laughed slowly, a grin plastered on his face saying that he did enjoy this brief exchange. "Is that all you got?"
Sam weighed her chances, and the pros and cons. "So that's how you want this to go, huh." She asked Histoire.
By this point, everyone realized that shooting or casting spells won't even distract Samantha. She was laser focused on the true threats, and knew everyone's capabilities well enough to know who could do what.
"I won't let you close this gate." Nepgear said. "Please, we just want them to see their families again."
"You misunderstand. I'm not here to close this gate, I'm here because you dumbasses almost killed us all."
She jabbed her finger at the Bombinomicon. "I literally locked that book in a chest before all of this, how the fuck did you find it? You have hundreds of these chests!"
"Hey hey, screw you! I'm free now to blow stuff up!"
Samantha did not rise to the taunt, but it was clear she was frustrated with the situation. The Bombinomicon however kept creating small miniature bombs and launching them into the air - letting them harmlessly blow up mid-air. This happened for a few seconds before Histoire had enough.
"Stop that."
The Bombinomicon stopped, not because he wanted to. But because Histoire dispelled his magic. Samantha looked at the Oracle and muttered a quick and quiet "Thank you."
"If you're not here to close this portal, then you don't have a reason to stay here. I don't plan on opening new gates anyway."
"Good, thanks." Samantha nodded. "Well," She turned to mercenaries "you guys did it. You got your way back to your families."
"Thanks, now leave."
The mercenaries however weren't in the mood for pleasantries. She wasn't welcome here. Not when she could, at any time, go back onto her word and close the portal. Sam left without a fuss, and the thunder that blinded her eyes felt like weight dropping off Histoire's shoulders.
It went better than she expected. Way better. "Thank you for your help." The Oracle told Saxton Hale. "It's appreciated."
"A deal's a deal." He shrugged. "She will be back, though."
Will she? Histoire had no intention to open another gate, especially now knowing the risk that a certain book conveniently left out. "We know. Still, it's nice to chase her out." Histoire said. "In any case, how did it go?" Saxton Hale gave her a letter. She took it, and saw that it was already signed to her. "Is this her reply?" Histoire wondered how and why the Administrator had a letter already prepared for her. It wasn't even a full day, merely a few hours.
…Saxton Hale didn't go very far did he?
"Well, we talked." Hale said. His expression changed though. He wasn't happy, but not angry either. Somber, Histoire would call it. "But our talk was… weird."
That did not sound good. "What happened?"
"Well, she didn't sound like herself. Like, I haven't seen her this moody yet. Funny because usually I cannot read her at all."
"Moody?" Histoire was already opening the letter with her magic. She sensed another set of trouble coming towards them. Not just Samantha, but also the Administrator. For the past few months nothing came easy to them, and this was probably no exception.
"Yeah, moody."
Inside the envelope was a piece of paper. On it there was a set of coordinates written and a set of simple instructions.
Histoire.
Bring the mercenaries, and the one now called Samantha. Come armed.
-The Administrator
It wasn't just an invitation. It was a challenge.
If it wasn't one problem, it was another.
Dengekiko looked around.
After that scary woman left things relatively returned to normal. Histoire was studying the map of the alien planet, the mercenaries were talking among themselves. The CPUs and their friends went back home to prepare for the journey.
Dengekiko was left alone.
And she. Was. Writing.
Paragraphs upon paragraphs of notes. In a ravenous fury she poured her rabid thoughts upon the paper. She just saw a scrap of an alien planet. She was about to venture deeper into what are possibly alien and hostile lands.
"Guys." She called out to the mercs. "Anything I should know before we go?"
Like… What was their culture? What should she avoid doing when going out there?
…Why were they looking at her like that?
"You're coming?"
What do you mean 'You're coming?' "Yeah!?" Dengekiko almost screamed. "You expect me to not wanna go to an alien planet? I want to make some pictures for a follow-up!"
Getting the first look on an alien planet would be something… that quite honestly no one in Gamindustri has ever done. The amount of people that would read this story…!
Dengekiko salivated at the ad revenue and ratings.
"It will be dangerous, you could get shot."
"I mean… you would protect me, would you?"
"We will be in a fight." Spy stressed. "And we will be shot at. We won't be able to protect you."
Well… crap. If he put it that way. "...Fine, just could you bring me some souvenirs, alright?" If they would be actually fighting, as in a very shooty and lethally fighting, then Dengekiko wouldn't be able to join. Too dangerous for her.
Cash and fame were fine, but Dengekiko didn't want to risk her life for them.
Spy huffed in amusement. "Well, I will see about getting some pictures."
At least she will still get some pics.
Dengekiko was already imagining what sort of sights she would miss. The great alien cities, the food, the history. All of this she wouldn't get to experience and show to her readers.
A part of her wanted to say 'fuck it' and just go anyway, but there was a limit to how much she was allowed to peek and prod… And active combat was a big no no for a lot of reasons. Getting caught in a crossfire would be… traumatizing, even in the best case. Dengekiko, while she knew some self-defense stuff, she wasn't really a tough and fearless fighter all things considered. That little commotion just now already had her heart pounding with fear.
She could also get kidnapped. And who knows what would happen to a young and beautiful woman?
"Thanks, Spy." Dengekiko said. "Besides, the portal's here to stay, I'm sure I can visit again some other time."
"Maybe, but later. Our job comes first." Spy left, and returned to his team.
They were all waiting by a campfire, taking this opportunity to cook up some sausages over the open fire.
"That's our journaliste taken care of." Spy told them.
"That's for the best." Engineer said. "Well, what about other girls? We bring 'em? They ain't exactly ranged fighters."
"The CPUs are invincible." Sniper said, his eyes not leaving the meat. "Kinda hard to beat that."
"They won't have Shares to power them. We needed Samantha to-" to power them, Engineer wanted to say but stopped. They couldn't ask Samantha for help, but there was someone else who could fulfill her role. "...We need Falcom here."
"Falcom?" Sniper thought for a moment. "Yup, I can see why. But she will be a sittin' duck in a shootout!"
"Then let's not get her into a shootout." Spy said. "Between us, Neptune and Nepgear we will have enough people to protect a handful of supporters. Also Falcom does have some combat experience. I'm more worried about Frau IF."
"Schme amphher." Pyro mumbled. "Llehnmmph!"
"Well, alright." Engineer nodded. "If she can get a drop on them, fine. But what about open field? It's a desert out there, kinda hard to hide in a desert."
"Controlling and summoning fire can be useful, though." Spy argued and pointed his thumb at Pyro. "Especially when paired with our friend there. I think we will take her too."
No one had any more arguments to that. IF was going with them.
"Alright. Umm, Compa?"
"Yes." A firm reply came. Compa was coming with them no matter what. A second medic was invaluable.
So in the end, they will bring everyone that could help… because they could help. Even Nepgear would come, as Histoire felt bad about leaving her alone - especially with Samantha dealt with, for now.
Getting Falcom here was easy, as she was just one phone call and a short teleporter trip away. But after she arrived here, there was a complication.
Her sight.
"I'm still kinda readjusting to this thing here."
Because her eye couldn't heal, Medic had to do an alternative: Take out the old eye, and replace it with a new one. And it turned out that getting used to a new eye takes a long time, even longer due to the fact the eye was slightly different. Falcom's natural eye color was orange. This one was dark blue.
A bit too similar to Hilda's color.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Medic shrugged. "Zhe eye works, yes?"
Falcom paused. "It's a bit blurry."
Besides the eye colors, the sight in the other eye felt different. It wasn't just a 'bit' blurry. It was like the eye wouldn't readjust, or at least it readjusted slower.
Still, Medic had made a quick check-up, and he found that nothing was wrong with the eye itself. It was healthy and undamaged, just different. "Just give it some more time. Your brain simply has no idea how zhat eye works."
Falcom huffed in annoyance. "It's been weeks!" She cried.
"Lass, some people don't get to have a second eye." Demoman pointed at his eye patch. "Be happy that doc even gave you one."
Medic started counting down in his head. By the time he got to one, Falcom gave a question that people always ask. "Why didn't you give him one?"
"Oh, trust me. I have tried. Zhe results were… bad."
"Really? What happened?"
"It attacks us."
"…What?"
Medic gave her a cheery smile. "Every halloween." And he refused to elaborate on that.
How could an eye attack them every halloween? Did it, like, grow wings or something? Gained some time-traveling powers? Falcom wanted to ask Demoman for more information… but Nepgear was talking to him.
"A duel?"
Oh, this would be good.
"N-No, no." Aww. "I was just looking for someone to experiment more with Hilda's blade. After we went to Earth for the first time, I didn't really have many opportunities to use it."
Nepgear and Demoman clashed blades, the Eyelander and Holy Blade colliding again and again. A dance where both participants tried to hurt each other… and try to not go too far at the same time.
"Again!" The Eyelander roared, before Demoman thrusted the sword into Nepgear's chest. The blade went through her, but it didn't hit anything. The CPU Candidate turned into smoke.
"T-This still feels weird." Came Nepgear's voice, though she herself was invisible. "Also scary. That almost hit me!"
Dengekiko and Falcom were watching the duel, but each one for a different reason. Dengekiko watched the fight like a bystander watching a brawl - not sure what was going on, but enjoying the spectacle.
Falcom on the other hand was looking for any signs of Hilda. Anything that might hint at her influencing Nepgear. Any moment where Nepgear was not in total control of her own body.
So far, she hasn't found anything.
Eyelander was curious too, everyone that knew Hilda was curious. The sword was damaged beyond repair, but then Hilda actually sacrificed herself to save it. To save Nepgear at the last moment - finally gathering her willpower to resist Uzume's wish on her.
Now Nepgear wielded her memento, and the Eyelander was curious to see what it could do.
The CPU Candidate reappeared a few meters away from where she stood. The Holy Blade was sheathed, and instead in Nepgear's hands was… the Stickybomb Launcher. An obvious copy made out of magic, but its appearance was a surprise.
"Take that!"
She shot a single sticky bomb at Demoman, whose eye widened in fear. The little bomb flew closer and closer, until he swatted it away with the Eyelander.
Nepgear did not blow up the bomb until everyone were too far out of range. This duel wasn't to hurt each other, just to further test the capabilities of Nepgear's new weapon. And currently it was proving great.
Demoman charged forward, his movement speed enhanced by the Chargin' Targe strapped to his forearm. Nepgear made no move to avoid it. She just turned to smoke when the mercenary charged through her.
When Demoman stopped, Nepgear tapped him on the back with her pommel. In her other hand was a copy of Eyelander, excluding the ghost.
"...Do you think dual wielding swords would work?"
"No." The Eyelander said. "I'm too long for it to be effective."
Nepgear was silent for a short moment, then an idea struck her. She looked at Spy and copied his abilities. The copy of the Eyelander turned into a ghostly visage of a butterfly knife.
"...Would that work as a parrying dagger?" The Eyelander wondered.
Nepgear shrugged and shifted, raising the knife to defend herself. She was all but telling Demoman to hit her. The mercenary raised his blade, and swung at Nepgear with all his might. This was one moment where Nepgear felt a bit scared, because if the dagger wasn't solid then the Eyelander would go through and hit Nepgear in the face.
But it didn't. Demoman's sword clashed with the magic copy of Spy's knife, and stopped.
"It feels solid." The Eyelander said.
"Hey!" Falcom called out. "Try one of my skills!"
The knife disappeared, replaced by nothing. Instead the Holy Blade began to shine with icy SP energy. "Magic Sword Sorcarian!"
Nepgear swung the blade, aiming at the open field, and dozens of icicles shot out. Nepgear swung again, and even more projectiles appeared. The ground was being pelted with sharp ice, before being blown up by magic. Falcom whistled and grinned. Hilda's memento was proving itself to be nuts.
"W-Whoa!" Dengekiko cried out. "H-How sharp is it?"
At the question, Nepgear swung the blade at a nearby tree, cutting off a branch in one swing. "Wha-!" Cried out Dengekiko as the branch fell onto the ground.
The Eyelander inspected the cut. There was no sign of tear, it was neatly shaved off. "It is rather sharp." The ghost said in approval. "I think we could stop here. Good work, Nepgear."
The CPU Candidate beamed at the praise. Hilda left her a very powerful gift, and Nepgear will do her best to take care of it.
"Hiya! We're baaack~!"
The girls returned with bags full of everything they might need for the journey, ammo from the Guild included. The journey would be short, but they were a big group. And who knew what was waiting for them out there.
The Administrator wanted them in the Badwater Basin. Getting there would take two days. The girls bought enough supplies to last them a week.
Neptune ran up to them, basically bursting with excitement. She dumped her bags by a tree and asked "So, what did we miss?"
"Samantha was here." Histoire sighed.
The CPU nodded. "Uh-huh. Cool. Hey look at this." She showed her Hatty. The Blue Spycrab that Histoire has already seen. "He's back!"
Nepgear was carrying some firewood when she heard the news, and saw the Spycrab jump from Neptune's grasp and approach her.
"Wha- Hatty!"
Her hands were busy with firewood, so she couldn't resist when he suddenly started climbing her legs and then her back, before settling on her shoulder. "Why were you at the store?" She nuzzled his face, a relieved smile on her face.
The crab didn't answer her, for he couldn't speak. She was still relieved that they got him back. "Were you hungry?"
Considering he was fighting Saxton Hale, Histoire wasn't surprised. Still, she watched how Neptune tried to pat the crab on its head and, predictably, got pinched in the process. "Ow! Why?! You were so docile just a few minutes ago!"
"I'm starting to wonder why actually."
Whenever Nepgear was in his sight, Hatty always went to her. And if anyone else tried to pick him up, there was a good chance he would try to resist.
"Maybe he is in love with you?"
Love? A spycrab loving her? That… That thought made Nepgear feel warm. She looked at him and found him looking at her.
"I love you like a friend." Nepgear reached out and scratched him. Gently scratches made Hatty feel nice, but Nepgear's words cut deep.
If Hatty could talk to her, he would scream.
"In any case," Histoire interrupted. "Will you be taking Hatty with you?"
Bringing Hatty was probably a good idea, as he could rival Saxton Hale, but he was ultimately Nepgear's pet. It would be her decision to make.
"Hmm. I don't know." Nepgear said. "I think it will be too dangerous for him to go actually."
…Did she know that this thing was just as strong as Saxton Hale? "Alright." But it was ultimately Nepgear's decision. What they have here was already enough to handle pretty much anything Earth could throw at them.
The sun was settling down, and there were only a few final hours left before they embarked. They prepared as best as they could before it was time to leave.
But just as the mercenaries were gearing up to leave, so did Histoire. Much to everyone's surprise.
"You're coming too, ma'am?" Engineer asked, watching Histoire levitate her own share of supplies using magic.
"I want to meet with the Administrator again." Histoire admitted. "There are questions I still need to ask, and I have a feeling she wants to talk to me too."
Not that Histoire knew her well. They only spoke for a brief moment. But considering how much effort the woman put into trying to kill them all last time, it's strange that she would issue them a direct challenge like this now. One would expect a civil invitation, whether it be sincere or a trap. Why tell them to come armed and prepared instead? Something more's going on here. "Don't worry about my safety, I can defend myself and I've packed SP recovering items."
Hilda defeated her only because she remembered how Histoire fought, and because Hilda could just vanish. Histoire was confident that Earth didn't have anyone else like that.
Neptune grinned at the news. Histoire at the frontline? Now that was a rare sight! "Wow, Histy! First time leaving your desk in how many years?"
"After everything that happened, I guess I do deserve a little vacation on an alien planet."
Of course this wouldn't be an actual vacation. They were about to meet with someone that could only be described as the secret ruler of the world. An encounter where they'll be expected to need weapons.
There was also the matter with Saxton Hale. He refused to fight Helen."I know you won't join us in fighting the Administrator." Histoire said. "But if you could at least look over this place for a few days? Make sure that Samantha won't lock us out."
Histoire doubted she would actually do that, but she couldn't be too careful. That rift was their lifeline. If it was closed… they would be stuck.
Saxton Hale considered this. "Yer throwing me a tough one, lass. On one hand, I'm curious what that old smoker's got up her sleeve, but on the other hand I really want another go at that girl."
"I will tell you everything I learn once we return." Histoire said. "I will also throw in a small monetary bonus if we manage to return."
"Alright, you got a deal. I will see if I can set up a little picnic around here."
That was Hale dealt with. Now came the other girls. IF, Falcom and Compa were coming with them. They could use the extra hands, and Falcom's Share Aura she inherited from all her time around Magnavox was necessary for Neptune and Nepgear to transform.
But there was also Noire and Uni, who helped Neptune with shopping, and Histoire didn't know what they would do.
Upon meeting her gaze, Noire shook her head. "As much as I would like to help you, someone needs to keep Lastation afloat." They still didn't have an Oracle, after all. "And if you're going, you will also need me to keep your nation standing."
Histoire already delegated some staff to handle her matters while she was gone, but if Noire helped them then Histoire truly didn't need to worry now. Planeptune will be still standing once they return.
"Thank you." Histoire nodded. "I appreciate the help."
"Just be sure to help me out someday, okay?"
Yes, Histoire would do that.
Vert and Blanc were already in their own respective nations. Histoire didn't need to worry about them. "I guess, we're going." She said.
"Going to our deaths, you mean." Spy deadpanned. Histoire wanted to argue, but Spy didn't let her. "In any case; Thank you, Frau Histoire." Spy gave his employer a curt bow. "It was a pleasure working for you."
"Likewise." Histoire smiled. "Even if some of you have been constantly giving me a headache."
Spy snorted. "Well, tough luck."
The desert at night was… cold. Incredibly cold. Now Histoire realized why the mercenaries had them buy coats. But the sand was the worst: Coarse, rough. It was getting everywhere, including places Histoire didn't want sand to go to.
It was dark but the moon gave out a bit of light, just enough to see where they were going. Sniper was leading the way, while Neptune or Nepgear were watching over them from the sky - switching every hour or so.
There were lights on the horizon. The Badwater Basin. Their goal. The place where the Administrator told them to go. As the hour of meeting drew closer, Histoire's mind turned towards her last encounter with the enigmatic woman, and one particular thing that woman had said to her. 'Be careful of what you wish for'. A common enough saying, but one the Administrator had emphasized for some reason, and specifically to her. Why? Well… What did Histoire wish for? She wished for world peace, but she knew it wouldn't come so easily. She also wished to pay the mercs back for what they did for Gamindustri.
Was the Administrator somehow warning her about this? Be careful of letting the mercenaries return to their families? That couldn't be right. Be careful of trying to compromise with the Administrator? That didn't require a warning. No, it was probably something else…
Either way, this invitation was likely a trap. The Administrator didn't seem like someone who'd let a grudge go easily, and she would try to finish the job this time. She almost succeeded once, but this time… This time Histoire felt confident. They had the mercenaries who knew how her goons fought. They had Neptune who was invincible. Nepgear with the powers of the reborn Gehaburn. IF, who harnessed the element of fire. Compa whose medical skills were matched only by Medic himself.
And her. Histoire. The Oracle of Planeptune. A tome that has recorded the entire history of Gamindustri, including all forms of arcane knowledge.
…And Falcom. Falcom was just tagging along to act as a battery for Nepgear and Neptune.
The same trick would not work twice. If this really was meant to be a trap, then the Administrator is about to learn that Gamindustri is not to be trifled with.
And as they neared the compound, someone was already waiting for them. Illuminated by a floodlight was a young man in a blue shirt. He was armed with a Scattergun, but it loosely hung from his belt. He was armed, but not immediately hostile.
"Finally! We were gettin' bored!"
Coming closer to him, Histoire had to blink a couple of times. This man sounded familiar, and he was wearing a familiar cap and headphones.
He looked uncannily similar to Scout.
…
What the goodness? He was Scout! Just wearing blue instead of red!
IF blinked as well, confused. Scout never said anything about having a twin brother. Well, maybe it's just a coincidence? People are allowed to look similar. She turned to the mercenaries to see their reaction. "H-Hey guys. Do you know this guy? Is he friendly?"
The RED team said nothing. They expected to encounter more of the Administrator's men, maybe even Gray Mann's machines. But to see their old rivals from the Gravel War… this was how nostalgia felt like.
"You." Soldier snarled, who we shall now refer as RED Soldier to avoid confusion. "So she sent just you?!" He almost began to chuckle. "Your tiny ass won't know what hit you."
"Nope." The guy answered, popping an 'e' at the end of the word. "Don't roll out that tent, the gang's all here! And, heh, we have those fancy upgrades we were usin' to fight the bots with. So you chuckleheads don't stand a chance now!"
His voice was so uncannily similar to Scout IF was going nuts. "Okay! Okay! Seriously!" IF shouted, "Who are you?"
"Me?" The blue-clad man pointed at himself. "Well sweetcheeks, I'm Scout!"
IF brushed over the 'sweetcheeks' remark. "Scout?!" She looked at their own Scout. "Is he like a twin brother or something? He looks just like you!" She told him. The Blue Scout was practically a carbon copy of their Scout! She could overlook the appearances at first, but his voice, mannerisms, and even job are the same!
And to IF's further surprise, both Scouts took offense to her words. "What? No he doesn't!" RED Scout replied. "I'm more handsome!"
"No, I'm more handsome!" The Blue Scout retorted. "You look like a dummy, moron!"
RED Scout pointed a finger at his counterpart. "No, you look like a dummy!"
And BLU Scout pointed back "No, you look like a dummy!"
"No, you do!"
"No, you do…!"
"No, you!"
"No, you!"
And so on. Both Scouts argued and hurled insults at each other. IF and Histoire were freaking out on the sidelines. Unable to comprehend the situation.
"...Scout doesn't have a twin, does he?" Histoire asked.
Spy just looked at her. "Now that's rude." He told her. "But no. He has many brothers, but none of them are his twin."
Then how. Then how were two Scouts here? Why did they look so similar?! Why were the mercenaries themselves nor remotely surprised?! They even sound like they know each other! Histoire wanted to get answers to that, but she had to reel herself in.
This was the location the Administrator wanted them to go to. This was where they were to come armed.
And they encountered a clone of the mercenaries - and he said that more were nearby. Worse than that, they had Mann Co. Upgrades. The temporary tweaks and boosts to their stats that allowed them to stand up against the hordes of machines.
The RED Team for the most part did not have them. They had Medic's shield and a two-way teleporter, but every other upgrade has worn off a long time ago. And with only Reanimators to bring them back, the blues were at an advantage.
That is, if they were fighting just the mercenaries.
"Call girls here." Heavy told Histoire. "There will be trouble."
The CPUs were already circling this place like hawks. Watching and waiting with Falcom to dive in and ambush their opponents. They were their trump card, and Histoire could send a signal right here and now to call them.
In the meantime, the two Scouts were just finishing their argument.
"Ugh, screw this, man." The BLU Scout finally got sick of the back-and-forth first, resulting in a triumphant cheer from the RED Scout.
"Hah! I win! I'm more handsome!"
"Like hell you are!"
Just before a new round of insults were about to begin, a sound came out of the speakers. A long, annoyed groan that irritated everyone's ears. "Ugh, please. If you fools are quite finished, it's time for the match to begin." The Administrator said. She was here, or at least she was watching them.
"You wanted us to come here." Histoire called out to the old woman. "Can we please just talk this out?"
"No." The Administrator replied. "I wanted you and Sam, but I see that the memo arrived a bit too late for that."
"Unfortunately, Samantha is in prison. She cannot come." Rather, Samantha was in prison but she wouldn't tell the Administrator that. She was good at collecting information, but there was no way she was that good.
"Oh no, I'm fairly certain that she escaped just a few hours ago. You just chased her away from interfering."
…How did she know that?
"In any case, having you here is plenty."
That woman knew what happened to such miniscule detail?! There are several possibilities that could explain why she knew this, and Histoire liked none of it. Best case scenario was Saxton Hale pulling a double agent and was reporting their movements to the Administrator remotely, as unlikely as that seemed. The worst case scenario involved the Administrator personally spying on them through secret cameras set up… somewhere. They were in the middle of the woods for crying out loud.
In any case, Histoire just learned that she was not prepared and she vastly underestimated the Administrator's ability to gain intelligence.
Now, do they know about Nepgear and Neptune in the sky?
"You're surprised." The Administrator pointed out. "I think you should already know who you're dealing with."
Histoire took a deep breath, then another. But it was not her who answered. "What are your terms?" Spy said. "You wouldn't call us here if you didn't want something."
"Yes. You lot are going to do one last job for me." The Administrator said. "You will fight your way through the BLU team and reach your old Resupply Room. It will be open. There's a secret door there. I want only Histoire to go inside, while the rest of you keep out.
"And if we refuse…?"
"Your families are still alive." The Administrator told them. "It wasn't worth the effort to remove them. I can change that. They will be dead before you even reach the airport."
Heavy grit his teeth at the threat, now staring intensely at BLU Scout. One more battle, against someone they've already fought countless times. They fight, who knows what will happen. They don't… well. Not fighting wasn't an option anymore.
It was a trap. An obvious trap that they just willingly walked into. And it was a trap that they will fight their way out of.
That was all the Administrator had to say. The next moment an alarm rang out, and Histoire could hear someone shouting in the distance - rallying their friends to defend.
The Blue Scout laughed and jumped back, already pulling out his guns. The next moment he was on the ground, Purple Heart pinning him down.
"H-Hey! Lemme- oh wow." He whistled at the CPU. "Hello beautiful~"
"Scout?" She blinked, then looked up and saw the RED Scout. Confusion ensued. "Iffy, what's going on?"
"Short version: Two scouts." IF explained. "It sounds like they have an entire team of clones or whatever they are. Point is, those in blue are bad, and we have to fight them."
Purple Heart looked at BLU Scout again, who now held a pistol in his hand. "Sorry sweetheart, but there's only one woman in my heart."
He pulled the trigger and the gun fired bullets at Purple Heart's face. The bullets left the gun faster than they should, as the weapon was fully upgraded. It fired faster and had a bigger magazine capacity, each kill would also significantly heal him.
On the other hand… Neptune was a CPU. So the point-blank fire only annoyed her. She kicked BLU Scout away, and a rocket hit his body. Soldier was already reloading his rocker launcher.
"That was excessive." Purple Heart deadpanned.
The BLU Scout landed onto his feet, looking practically untouched by that.
"Scratch that, that was not excessive enough."
"Blast Resistance, pal." The merc explained. "All three points! And also health regen! I'm invincible!"
He ran away, avoiding bullets and explosives sent to him by the RED team. He was fast and jumped high, his abilities further enhanced by the MvM Upgrades.
But while he was faster than RED Scout, he could not outrun Nepgear.
The CPU Candidate blindsided him, and before the merc could react Nepgear took off his head. It was a clean kill. A single blow to the neck.
Because while they were able to increase their resistance to fire, explosives or bullets, there were no such upgrades against melee weapons - Making them woefully vulnerable to the CPU's choice of combat.
Histoire felt someone poke her. Falcom was trying to get her, and everyone else away from the action. "Let them handle this." The Adventurer said, dragging the group into the Resupply Room.
Now there was only Nepgear and Neptune. Two sisters against an entire squad of mercenaries.
"This feels… weird." Nepgear stated.
"I agree." Purple Heart nodded. "But if they're clones, or something similar. I'm sure they have the same Re;Spawn technology too."
"I really don't want to do this. Imagine having to kill a clone of IF or Compa!"
A bullet whizzed past, and Nepgear raised her blade to deflect another projectile. Both sisters moved to cover while the BLU Team charged at them.
"We don't have an option anymore Nep Jr.!" Purple Heart shouted. "If we want our mercs to see their families, we will have to get through them first!"
"Right!"
With her doubts resolved and a plan in mind, Nepgear gripped the Holy Blade and vanished, her body turning into flames and disappearing.
She apologized for every wound and death she caused.
Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Epilogue: One Last Thing to Do