Chapter 109: Neptune's Meltdown
We are still in this hellish nightmare right now, with us trying to stop Neptune from using her deadly doomsday device in this nightmare of ours, the thing is though, we are in the third and final mission which is to stop the usage of that device itself, and I feel ever so tense as I feel as though it all comes down to this.
I still keep thinking about this and it plagues my mind so much, with the worry of failing, the worry of us losing everything we love and have fought for, including each other, our people and our lands, and the worry of Neptune having this for real, and not just in her nightmare with which to challenge us with.
This worries me because of how I'm uncertain if we can stop such a device with what we have in Lastation right now, even with the most advanced technology, I can only hope so though it is sad that it's hoping rather than being certain. Then there's also how doing this will not be easy and I'm concerned about how Neptune may have a trick up her sleeve, though even so I refuse to give in to her, and I will keep on fighting no matter what just as we always do and no matter the stakes, no matter the concerns, we cannot worry about failure, about what will happen our end, not least the shame of losing and falling to the likes of her.
And so with these thoughts we just keep on going, preparing ourselves mentally for what may lie ahead, as we look at each other and smile and nod, confident that we'll succeed, confident that we'll stop Neptune and her bomb, after all we mustn't show fear to the pathetic Planeptune CPewww for the sake of our pride, for the sake of our allies and our lands.
Rather than feeling tense and concerned we should be happy, happy to be able to get our hands on Neptune, and happy that we will defeat her once again, and even if she intends to return and fight us again, that's fine by all of us as one mere defeat of her, one mere prevention of her plan will not satisfy us for what she has done. She not only must pay, but pay dearly for all she has done in the past, what's she doing now in the present and what she intends to do in the future.
While I realise that we don't exactly know what to expect apart from how I'm certain they'll be a significant number of them there, we know that all we can do is our best and we hope that it's enough.
Fortunately for us, our thoughts of concerns about failing, and concerns about Neptune having a nuke for real, are now replaced with determination for us to succeed and do well, as well as looking forward to seeing the look on Neptune's face when we annihilate her and disarm her precious bomb, as I'm certain she'll be there which will be very interesting considering her original intentions.
My guess is that even though she cannot escape, the next best thing is to die protecting the bomb and to stop us personally. Though even if it were to go off despite the circumstances I doubt that it would kill her, but even though the same could be said to us by that logic, I don't think that we would survive because of it being Neptune's nightmare. That's the frustrating thing is that the purple haired moron can fail all the nightmares we face but as long as she wins just one, and only one we're done for. Tragic how we have to win every one and Neptune only needs one, but even if that is the case I won't let that stop me and I'm certain my friends are aware of this and will apply the same principle.
Speaking of which I must admit this has been a long nightmare, the longest I've seen though I'm certain this applies to our allies as well, but at least we're at the final part and perhaps after this nightmare, we'll probably finally get to find out about what really happened regarding the Arfoire incident. I have a theory but I think it's best to wait and see what happens.
Hmmm I must admit that this journey of getting to the final mission in which currently we're in the van is taking too long for our liking, as I want to get this over with, I want to end this nightmare, and to end Neptune's scheme and I know that my allies do as well. Perhaps this is deliberate so that we become too enraged with how long it's taken, so that we end up letting our guard down and we fall to her. Instead we must adopt the mind-set that Neptune's merely postponing the inevitable, having it such that if we wait us owning Neptune will be much, much sweeter.
Maybe this is the calm before the storm and perhaps we will have to defeat the enemies before we get to the chopper, or worse that we will end up fighting the enemies and the chopper was just a ruse so we can get ambushed being as how we're at the dreaded villain's whim, regarding where to go in stopping this bomb. In any case we'll just fight our way through like we always do, and we are confident that we won't lose any of our allies right now, though when we face our purple haired nemesis, will perhaps be a different story.
"Just to let you know everyone, I can see the chopper parked just up ahead. The thing is though I can't see anyone there." Ram informed us only for us to then thank her for what she has said.
A chopper but no one there? This is most odd. I really would have thought that Neptune would place guards there, so instead she intends for us to take the chopper without a fight? Hmmm most odd, unless of course the lack of magnetic visions in this nightmare of ours means that they are actually there, it's just that we cannot see them at all.
Hmm I hope they're not there because then there's a chance that not all 6 of us may survive before the mission itself, and even if we do then it will be time wasted, and that time wasted could mean the difference between being able to disarm the bomb and being too late. I cannot bear to think about that now, but we have no choice and in any case if we have to get through these enemies before we get to the moronic nemesis, even if it takes a good portion of time, then so be it.
Time that is something that goes through my mind as we head for the chopper waiting to see if there are any enemies. Oddly enough as I perhaps all of us begin to worry about running out of time from fighting these enemies, I soon wonder whether this is actually the case, that perhaps Neptune will only start the countdown when we are in the area. The thing is I know that she's not going to do this to be kind, but only so that she can humiliate us personally and see us fail and fall to her.
Yes something tells me that Neptune wants to defeat me rather badly, this pleases me because it shows how I can get under her wretched hideous skin. Then again the same is probably the inverse and perhaps the purple haired witch feels she can get under my skin, and perhaps the fact that she can threaten us with a nuke and put us through hoops so to speak is indication of this, but even so that doesn't bother me because I know that that is what she wants, for us to be upset and bothered by her.
But then again if anything, she must find us more frustrating than we do her, as so far we have foiled her every plans, and have defeated her when we've seen her which I'm confident we'll do again and again. All Neptune can do is to buy time for herself, because surely she must know that her defeat is inevitable as a sunrise and a sunset.
It is now after much thinking and wondering that we reach the chopper. We choose to drive towards it so that the Loweean twin sisters can see for themselves if there are any enemies around this place, and there doesn't seem to be any. I wouldn't be surprised if the helicopter is open, ready to go, and it will include sat nav to help us get to our destination, or even have valuable equipment inside for us to use against our vile enemies. That sounds ever so convenient but I know that Neptune wants us to be there, so that she can have another duel with us and her allies, with a doomsday device at stake which can wipe us out and do who knows what to our Lastation, which is a question I do not want to find out, despite the nuke being in a mere nightmare.
It is now we stop but rather than just head out for the chopper, we cautiously check to see if there are in fact no enemies around this area, and even so one by one we get out and head in the helicopter, which oddly enough is completely open for us to be able to get in there. This is all becoming ever so convenient, there's a chopper for us to go, it's open, unguarded and inside there is a sat nav with the location of the bomb for us just as I suspected, hmm perhaps it's Neptune just trying to give us a chance but merely so she can make our humiliation she desires all the more special, even though it is certainly not going to happen.
As Ram pilots the helicopter, starting the engine so that the blades spin very fast, making a nice pleasant familiar sound as we put on the helmets lying around, I can't help but wonder that since we'll be in the air won't Neptune just have a SAM site to shoot us down with, but then I realise that why would she do that considering her ego, but then again she could just do it for the laughs for us to get this far only for us to fall here.
My gut or at least my wishful thinking says that Neptune would not, that she would want to humiliate us personally but I'm having doubts, when has the dreaded Planeptune CPU ever been fair, considering how she is to her people to my friends in the series, or even using brainwashing and having these challenges in our nightmares such that if we fail them then we are all extinct.
It is rather unfortunate that we do not have the means to take out any enemy SAMs if there are any, and I can only hope that the mission will be like it was in that television program, where the mission started as soon as the helicopter landed and dropped us off, but unfortunately Rom and Ram only have enough fuel to take us to the location and drop us off, no more, so they'll have to park it and fight their way to the nearest van and use it to make their escape.
Not ideal conditions but this is what Neptune wants, us to be concerned and to be at her whim, but concerned we must not be, and brave and courageous and determined we must be, if we are to have a chance against her.
For now though all we can do is to rest for a short while as the noisy helicopter takes us to our destination. By this point it is now getting dark rather quickly, I'm not surprised with this after a long time of fighting, nor am I surprised not to see anything down there at all, no lights, nothing though I am certain that the location we need to get to will be well lit up.
Were it not for the situation I'd perhaps enjoy this helicopter ride in the night, in the darkness with my friends, but it is not to be and though I try hardest to supress thoughts of concern like I always do, different thoughts keep coming back in my head. Perhaps it's due to stress as it's been a long day, or perhaps it's how I am or both. This time the thoughts are about curiosity with why our nemesis wishes for us to go to her location by helicopter, though perhaps the only reason is just because of how it was before, as surely she'd want to just defeat us rather than spoil us all then defeat us.
Perhaps that's it, to taunt us with how we have to make the most of our impending doom, and it reminds me of the sort of thing I suspect Plutia to do to her victims by giving them a bit of luxury, before humiliating them and harming them with it, especially considering how with us being in a helicopter, our first area will be on the roof, and no doubt she'll be down there and she'll enjoy taking us out even if we have the advantage of elevation.
Hah, that won't happen it will be Neptune who will get humiliated, when we annihilate her and is forced to watch the defusing of her bomb as she falls. I look forward to that; we all do, just as we all look forward to owning and humiliating the rest of her pathetic team. And with these thoughts, once again I do not feel doubtful now, I have no doubts whatsoever, just confidence and certainty, which is just as well. I among my brave allies refuse to show doubt and fear to the enemy.
As if on cue it is then that I see bright lights in the distance, which must be where the bomb is currently being held, our final mission.
Though it's quite difficult to see in the distance, the location is a building and it must be large. It looks like a large cube from where I can make out, and my gut feeling suggests that it's made of concrete, and the shade is purple. There's just so many lights from there and some of them are moving around like search lights, it's like a beacon and as we see the lights there it makes us even more determined to defeat them in there.
Soon though, we notice that we are very close and are preparing to land the helicopter on to the roof itself, and oddly enough not only are there no SAM sites, but even though there are numerous enemy troops patrolling the roof, despite the noise of our helicopter clearly alerting them, they are still patrolling. It's as if they intend to let us walk in, though I bet that the moment we do in fact touch down, they will attempt to stop us.
It's just that I can't stop thinking about how weird it is that Neptune will not shoot the helicopter down as we try and land, and my mind is also repeating itself about how it's not about chivalry or, how she doesn't want it to be easy, or how it's only down to practicality, but I must not think about it even if these thoughts do creep up, as I must focus, I must lead, I must lead my team to victory by taking out the enemies, disarming the bomb, and making sure that as few of us die as possible.
And so as we do get closer and closer to the ground, I find it something how the announcer has yet to announce that the game has begun, it will probably do that when we do reach the ground.
The thing is I know exactly the first thing that we need to do, and I say that to myself over and over again which is to head for the nearest hiding place and clear the roof, but I know that it needs to be done quickly or else the bomb will explode, and I am certain that Neptune has armed the bomb or at least is about to. The trouble is neither myself or my allies have any idea how long we have to defuse the bomb, but all we can do is to simply do our best and I am certain that it will be enough to pull us through like it's always been.
It is now that one by one we jump out of the helicopter landing without any problems, except for how the announcer is speaking.
"5….4…3…..2…..1…..Game commences." The announcer says.
So after all of this time of waiting for this round to happen, the final round which will determine the fate of us, though sadly if we survive it's merely so that we will have to fight another one like this, even though I believe it's more than worth it, it is finally started and I'm guessing that we don't have much time, and so with reasonable knowledge in regards my strategy, we head for the nearest hiding place and attack the enemy on the roof.
When we reach the nearest hiding place consisting of nothing but a wall of plenty of containers, already the enemy is trying to shoot us down and they're all over the place, and so we take cover with me and Uni using the shields, which are proving to be very useful because not only do the bullets not penetrate, but we can see through the shields thanks to the material that they're made of.
Just as I suspected though, not only is this place guarded by regular enemy troops who try to take us down, it's also guarded by Plutia who I can see in the distance trying to take us out, her face ever so determined that we must fall by her, and I guess it's to avenge her defeat in the first mission and I can tell how much she looks forward to defeating us followed by torturing us. I bet her mind also thinks about the bomb and how she must give it her all to defend that bomb, but try she might but she will not succeed in any of it, stopping us, defeating us or even avenging her defeat by taking out one of us.
We all hate her guts and it will be our pleasure to take her out and do so every time we see her, it will be like a running gag of a programme.
"You won't get Neptune or the bomb; my pets hah are you hiding behind that barricade in fear? No matter I will enjoy hurting you all for my satisfaction. Don't think that you can defeat me even if you feel the only way is for all of you to be ganging up on me." Plutia calls out in her lame flirting tone.
She's one to talk.
"Hah says the one who had to rely on your two other stooges and all those enemies to try and take me on, only for you to have failed, I suppose it's only fitting being as how the only people you can take on by yourself, are the defenceless children who you love to abuse in all sorts of horrific manners. You're going down with Neptune and your insane fantasies." I say to her in defiance.
This remark angers her very much, perhaps because she knows it's true and though both herself and her grunts do a lot of firing towards us, they hit mostly our shields with some of the bullets hitting the barricade. This is good as perhaps we have a chance to take her down. It is then that we all aim at her and as soon as we have aimed our rifles at her, we open fire and the amount of shots in the stomach which cause numerous holes for her blood to gush out, are unbelievable as she screams in such agony as well as in frustration, that we have all taken her down without her being able to shoot any of us.
Excellent most excellent, hopefully now we'll feel more keen to move forward as we need to do this as soon as possible, if we are to defuse the bomb. It is then that Stealth moves forward to a hiding place near here to the front, only for him to get shot down quickly as he arrives there.
"Yoo hoo, so you shot my adorable Plutia, well that is a very naughty thing to do, you will pay for that." Anonydeath the pathetic excuse of a person yells from a platform.
Oh so he's back for more is he, if he couldn't even ambush me without his big mouth letting him down, what makes him think he'll succeed with all of us against him, aware of his presence? Eh I'd be happy to get rid of him again, he's such a dreadful creepazoid stalker as well as nothing but trouble, and I'm certain that Noire has the exact same urge as I do to put plenty of bullets in him for the crimes he's done, the nerve trying to ruin people's lives by hacking.
In any case he tries to shoot at us from the distance, but we open fire and we get him in the head as he screams in agony and frustration as blood quickly leaves his body. This is great stuff, we've only lost one but we've taken out two of them, this is fantastic stuff. I like to think that it's just regular enemies on the roof now, though who's to say that they won't just send in more of their own friends to try and deal with us.
Just as I suspected though, Histoire yells in anger for how we've taken out her two allies but the thing is she gets taken out really quickly, and like the other two she screams in frustration from being shot, as well as being disgusted at the sight of her own blood pouring out. Excellent nice to take out the oracle who does nothing to stop her antics in the series once again. This is getting even better, as now I feel that the bomb is as good as defused, but even if we are doing well right now, we cannot drop our guard because we could fall just as easily as they have, and we must continue to press on with the advantage that we have.
I then see a few of the grunts approach us firing their rifles at us, only for me to come charging out with my shield and taking a few of them down with me, before I then hide behind a bunch of containers stacked together.
I can't help but wonder if there are any more enemies on the roof, no one is shooting at us anymore. I guess there's nothing for it but for me to yell for my team to advance on my position, as quickly as possible before time runs out, which my team does as soon as they can.
I guess that the roof was meant to be easy for us even if there was 3 of them up there, and something tells me that downstairs will be more difficult, and I fear that we'll suffer more casualties than just Stealth up here. I feel bad for him as he has done well in the first mission even if he got killed by the mine, but then in the second and third ones he dies fairly quickly, what a shame but his sacrifice will not be in vain. That's one thing I wonder is that if the mission does get completed, will we all be revived and awake? I hope so but I can't be sure but in any case I have no time to worry about that now, as this mission needs to be done, and I have no idea of the time or of how many enemies there are in the next area. There's only one way to find out.
We then see a door which must lead to where we need to go, and carefully one of us opens it while the rest of us enter the building cautiously, as there is bound to be enemies waiting for us there. Oh hold on a minute, there doesn't seem to be anyone there at all.
The room appears to be small with purple walls and there doesn't seem to be much there except for containers and a spiral staircase, oh dear I can just sense that there'll be a bunch of enemies down at the bottom, but down the stairs we must go, and we will go down carefully so that they won't be able to get any of us. I have a feeling that the bomb will be somewhere down there, and with it Neptune who will no doubt guard it with her life which I'm confident will be in vein.
And so we cautiously head down the stairs with me and Uni first holding our shields high, making sure that there are no enemies, only to find that there aren't any. This is odd surely this would be the perfect place to ambush the remaining five of us, what are they playing at it's like they're not even trying to take us down. Perhaps that is the point of all this, for us to drop our guard so that when we least expect it, we get ambushed and killed, that we must not allow to happen.
Soon afterwards and without incident, we are all at the bottom of the stairs and it is then that a few grunts come charging in trying to shoot us down, but we are much too quick for them. Ah I guess that's the ambush on the stairs that Neptune has meant for us, but the thing is that it's failed miserably. Still it's great for us as there's 5 of us and we're inside the building now, but how long can this good fortune for us be kept up?
Then it hits me, I have almost forgotten about the serum and the box, and my guess was that that was Neptune's intention for us to go in there forgetting about it, and dying due to the exposure to the potential radiation that it has, but where is the box and serum? I then alert the others to see if we can find a box containing the serum so it can protect us from the radiation poisoning; though the thing is what concerns me is how long will it last a minute, just a minute to defuse the bomb and to extract the core? That's not much time for it to be done, and I can't help but wonder that we actually have even less time to defuse the bomb. Well I guess this it, but we need to find that box first, and find it ASAP.
I order my loyal brave friends to find the box while I help them, and though it takes a bit too much time to my liking due to the urgency of the situation, I know it cannot be helped and I'm pleased to have found it.
We then open the case only to find instructions, a syringe, gloves and the box with which to put the core in. All the instructions say is that the serum lasts for two minutes, well it's better than one minute but not much better, still we need to inject the serum into each of us before we can go any further, and defuse that bomb and annihilate Neptune personally.
While we each get injected and this happens frequently, I worry about the time and how I feel that two minutes will just pass very quickly.
During the time of looking for a box, we did notice a way out of this area which is the same as the top only bigger, and with metal boxes and plenty of them, the way out is stairs leading to the bottom though rather than being curved ones, these stairs are straight.
Down there the bomb is sure to be close but my gut tells me that we don't have much time to defuse the bomb, and I know that Neptune will be there personally to stop us defusing it, I know that we have the serum, the box, the gloves and the instructions to help us in our task, but we still need the keys and I can only hope that these keys are easily found and the disarming of the bomb is fairly easy to do.
There's no time to lose and so cautiously we head down the stairs with me and Uni first with our shields up, but when we reach the bottom of the stairs we notice that to our right is a door which must be to where the bomb is. We quickly enter through it only to find that we have to go through some thick plastic flaps, which remind me of the ones in factories. After heading through there, the others follow me only to see that the place is full of large pipes all over the place, as well as gears to turn them, there are also containers and crates, as well as what looks like a large door which I'm guessing is the doomsday device itself.
I must admit it's a bit odd that Neptune is nowhere to be seen, though that doesn't mean that she won't pop up to defend her precious bomb. Our plan is as follows, for myself and Noire and Blanc to defend, while Uni and White defuse the bomb, though not before I give them the instruction that I have, come on let's do this.
Come on Neptune you don't want us to defuse your bomb do you; it's going to be at the rate we're going. I thought you'd want to avenge your humiliation to eat up the chance of defeating us and blowing us up sky high. Come on Neptune or do you not actually have the guts to face us, I don't blame you've failed to beat us before, what makes you think you'll do it this time.
"Good news, I've managed to open the outside door but the inside door is locked, argh nuts!" White calls out.
Oh no, this doesn't look good, I can only imagine that the door can only be unlocked by the keys but the thing is that they need to be unlocked in the correct sequence but where are the keys with which to do it. I'm certain that my youngest sister and my Loweean counterpart will be looking for them now, but will they have enough time to do it, I don't know though and it worries me about the lack of time there is to defuse the bomb. What's more is that my HUD now tells me the time and oh dear, oh dear do we not have much time left. 50, 49, 48, 47. No this is what she wants, us to be panicking but I would have thought that she wants to engage and attack us, or is she waiting for the right moment, it will make no difference.
Though the timer is counting down at a fair pace, at least I can hear the distinctive sound of clicking, which must be an indication of them turning the keys, this is good, and I'm assuming that they have found the keys to unlock the bomb and they already have the codes so they can be unlocked in the correct sequence, but will this be enough, especially with how the timer has gone past 30.
"You didn't think I'd just let you defuse that bomb did you, oh aren't you silly. That's no fair defusing that bomb without my permission, don't you know that bomb needs to go off so that I can get rid of all of those ungrateful people for not supporting me despite all I do for them, and don't you lot know that the bomb also needs to go off so that I can feel better after what you've done to my friends? Not to mention it needs to go off more so because of what you've done to my fuel supply? Honestly forcing me to be here when the bomb goes off that's kinda the opposite to my plan you know?" The pathetic Neptune yells in her childish tone.
I find myself disgusted with what she said; how she feels she needs to punish her people, even though we both know….argh I'm better off telling her what's on my mind.
"No I didn't, which is just as well because you're going to die with it, and the thing is don't you know that in order for the people to be grateful, you have to work hard for them, you have to listen to their problems, you know feed them and not just keep all of the food to yourself, and you also need to provide them with shelter, electricity, clean water, sanitation, medication, all that stuff.
You don't do anything for them at all you lazy bum, oh sure maybe you'll defeat enemies harassing them for you, but you know as well as I do that it's purely for glory and to satisfy your own ego, you just want their respect but you are not prepared to earn it or work for it. And as for your friends, what have we done to them, what about what you've done to my friends, or have tried to do both in your stupid series and in the past, not to mention all the innocents you and your buddies have harmed.
It's so funny how you claim my friends are villains, jokes and are weak when you're the real villain who cries and moans, just because you got defeated by my friends that's what it's all about isn't it, just admit that's why you've written the first game as it was isn't it, oh the poor Neptune got beaten by Noire and Blanc, even though you were trying to do the exact same thing, you're a hypocrite criticising us for what we've done to you, which is merely defeated you so badly yet you tried to do the exact same thing.
But you know what I'm glad you decided to show yourself here because honestly we enjoy defeating you, making you pay for what you've done and humiliating you, ending your pathetic schemes and it will be our pleasure to take you and your bomb down with that fuel of yours, which meant that you couldn't get away when the bomb goes off which works for all of us, as we like to see you fall with it and even in the odd chance it goes off, you'll have to take the biscuit along with the rest of us." I say to her with aggression and emotion, as well as eagerness to defeat her once again.
Neptune then screams in anger because of how clear it is that I've got under her skin, and this is when she shows herself and just stands there firing her gun at us in anger, but the thing is that she doesn't hit anything, and when we return fire each and every one of our bullets hit her, and down she goes in a pool of her own blood as she screams in pain and frustration, even saying the following.
"Urgh this wouldn't happen…if I am the main character…..I should be…..main character." Neptune struggles to speak as she falls to the ground. She's clearly shaken about how she's failed to stop us.
"Hah you don't deserve to be main character, not after how you abuse your position and mistreat everyone else bar yourself and your limited friends." I say to her in response.
Well whatever happens now it's good to see Neptune fall and I turn to see Noire and Blanc smile at me, before we give high fives to celebrate our victory, and how we've both taken her down. That's a lot of fun to see her get shot down here in her nightmare, while we try and defuse that bomb, it's even more fun how the three of us shot her down, which I think it's very appropriate for what she's done, not least to Noire and Blanc so I don't blame them at all for smiling.
I know she'll come back but the concept of defeating her again and again, ah it never gets old but alas even the dreaded purple haired witch is dead, she could still win this if we don't defuse this bomb, and what's tragic is that I don't want to know what will happen if it goes off, probably our extinction and worst of all I don't like how it's ever so close to ending, and I have no idea of whether Uni and White are close to defusing that bomb, they must be as I can occasionally hear a key turning.
I cannot even bear to watch as the timer counts down, 5….4….3…goodbye everyone, it was fun fighting with you too bad I can't say much about how much I enjoyed this….2…1…..