Warning:
A very graphic scene's coming near the end. Read at your own risk, or simply skip it.
It had been a few days since the last mission in Leanbox. Fortunately, she was able to quickly recover from her last fight with the giant ASIC figure thanks to Compa's nursing skills and her divine powers, which made her get up on her feet in no time. Being a CPU comes with a few bonuses that no human possesses. Sadly, it does not come with invincibility, despite her being immortal.
Something she was very aware of.
She was grateful that Histoire didn't chew her out like last time and let her off the hook this time, which made her feel a wash of relief and remorse. She didn't want to put Histoire through this but it was her duty and the tome seems to be slowly accepting this fact.
Earlier, she had received news from her friend, Cave. She reassured her that Chika was being looked after back in Lastation earlier.
The Original...
This name echoed in Nepgear's head and it stuck to her like a bad smell.
Little is known about her. It made her a very dangerous and unpredictable foe. Kei tried to look for any records of her but she came up with nothing. No records of hers were found anywhere. Criminal records, ASIC records, nothing... Nothing matches her description. She's very good at covering her tracks. It's almost like she's a ghost or something.
That original seems to greatly underestimate her, which could mean that she's either too arrogant or too strong—maybe both. And not to mention that she's working with ASIC—all the reasons to stop her.
She's also after the cursed sword. In response to that, Nepgear doubled the security of the cursed sword. It's stored in the safest place in the whole Gamindustri, an underground bunker located directly under the Basilicom. No one is allowed in or out and it was equipped with many safe locks and dangerous traps and it's under constant 24/7 watch.
It is safe to say that no one will be able to break in easily.
On a brighter note, today was the day she and Compa would go into the city to do some shopping so she could prepare for dinner tonight that they had planned. She only wished all of her friends could come but most of them were either busy or had disappeared, like Gust and Nisa.
Nepgear prepared herself and double-checked everything for the trip before she met up with her friend.
"Are you ready to head out, Ge-Ge?" Compa adjusted her handbag.
"Yeah, I think so." Nepgear nodded before she looked around. "Hey, is IF back yet from her mission?"
"No... weird." The nurse put a finger on her chin. "Iffy said she'd be back in a few days but she hasn't returned yet... Do you think maybe?"
Nepgear shook her head. "No, IF is tough and a fully trained agent. She can handle herself. She probably got caught up with something and she'll be back as soon as she's done. She is not the kind of person to leave unfinished business, you know."
"Okay..." Compa's eyes darted to the floor, as she couldn't shake off that sinking feeling. "I hope she comes back before she misses tonight's dinner."
"She won't." Nepgear put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "She knows how much it means to you. Come on, let's go before it gets late."
"Y-Yeah, you're right, Ge-Ge." Compa sighed before she returned to her usual cheerful self.
Nepgear checked her N-Watch. "Come on, we should head out now so we can get back before it gets late."
"Okay! Let's go." The two friends headed out of the building and took public transport to downtown via a trolley. The two enjoyed the ride in silence as they took in the sight of the moving city.
It didn't take them long to reach their destination. The two hopped off and went to the bustling streets on foot, while Compa held her hand as they walked. She allowed herself to be dragged by her friend to check out the many shops that the city had to offer.
They spent most of their time window shopping rather than buying what they needed from the shops they encountered on their way. Compa was interested in clothing and food shops and the discounts and sales they were having, while Nepgear's eyes were on gadget and phone shops to buy parts for her projects and keep up with the latest pieces of technology that hit the market recently.
They bought sweets and snacks and helped themselves for a while as they walked. They enjoyed the atmosphere of the city and how lively it was. The streets were clean and they saw street performers on their way.
Sadly, it wasn't all sunshine, as Nepgear noticed a lot of shops and stores were closed down and were up for sale. Many businesses were shutting down due to the current state of the economy. Many lost their jobs and had a hard time looking for one, especially the people who escaped from Leanbox. They were the ones who had it hard here.
Many people complained online, mostly chirper, about the current high prices and the increase in housing prices. It seems like each was worse than the other. People have no choice but to just accept it and they have to work long shifts and sometimes work two jobs or more to provide.
They then went to the bustling market and bought vegetables and meat. The smell of various species tickled her nose and her hair, mixed with the sounds of people chattering among shopkeepers that were trying to sell their goods.
After they were done with shopping, they decided to head to the park, seeing as they had some spare time. Both friends were still holding hand. Compa's soft skin felt softer than that of any feather pillow. Her preformed scent was captivating like a spell. It was nice hanging out with her friends, it's one of the moments where Nepgear wished it could last forever.
Later, they bought wrapped crepe cones filled with cream and berries. The sweet taste of crepe mixed with the bittersweet taste of berries made her sweet tooth happy. The taste was like her mouth had ascended to heaven. Nepgear can't remember the last time she had something sweet but it was nice to treat herself every so often.
The two enjoyed the sweets as they took in the green scenery around them. The sound of a water fountain and the ducks and geese that were swimming on the lake were relaxing. The birds gathered around the people who were throwing breadcrumbs in the water to feed them.
The place was filled with many sights and activities that took place here. She saw people were walking and jogging on the path. Others were walking their pets and playing with them. Some were sitting and enjoying the weather, while others were feeding the birds and pigeons. Some sat up picnicking on the grass, others were reading or glued to their phones.
They reach the middle of the park, where a giant statue stands high. The figure was seen holding a katana in her hand with a determined look on her face in her HDD form.
Hello again, sis.
Her hand rested on a gold slap with engravings on a tall stone.
~ { In the memory of the CPU of Planeptune, Purple Heart, who lost her life while fighting the Deity of Sin. She'll be forever in our hearts and thoughts. } ~
Some people stopped to marvel at the status, while others stopped to pay their respects to their fallen CPU. The people were made to believe that their CPUs lost their lives in battle with the Deity of Sin to protect Gamindustri. Only she and a few others knew the bitter truth.
Both she and Compa stared in silence at the statue of her sister for a while before her friend suddenly spoke up with a sad smile on her face. "Do you think that Nep-Nep is looking at us from the sky?"
"I think... No, I know that she's looking down at us, smiling."
"Nep-Nep would be happy to see us doing our best and having fun, even without her."
"Yeah..." She snuck a quick last on her N-Watch. "Come on, we should head back now."
"M'kay. Bye, Nep-Nep." Compa waved as they left the statue. They took the train on their way back home this time. It was one of the projects she had built a few years ago to provide an easier way to travel around the city.
"We're back~" Compa announced once they were inside the Basilicom. The two sat the groceries in the kitchen before Histoire came to greet them.
"Welcome back, you two. Did you two have a great time?"
"Sure, did." Compa answered. "We went looking at different shops, then we went shopping at the market and finally we stopped at the park and bought delicious crepes."
"That reminds me, is IF back yet, Histoire?" Nepgear asked.
"No. She hasn't come to the Basilicom as far as I'm aware."
"What, really?"
"Iffy isn't back yet? I'm getting worried... What if something bad happened to her?"
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly." Histoire put a hand on her chin. "There must be a reason for her being late."
"I agreed." Nepgear nodded. "I got an idea. I'll try calling her."
Nepgear tried calling her on her N-Watch, but after a few moments, they heard a beep before their friend's voice came in.
"Hey, IF here. Sorry, can't come to the phone at the moment so leave a message or don't, I guess. Peace."
Alright, something is definitely wrong.
It was rare for their friends to not answer the phone, as she had them with her all the times. "I'm going to the guild and check on her. Histoire, call Kei and tell her to prepare a search team just in case."
Nepgear didn't wait for an answer before she bolted out.
(N)
Nepgear reached the guild and immediately saw a stranger approaching her in a hurry.
"Nepgear, Right?" The man suddenly asked.
"Uh... yes." She studied the stranger for a bit. "I'm sorry but do I know you from somewhere?"
"I'm the guy you saw talking with IF a few days ago, remember? My name's Tom."
"Oh, yeah... I remember now. Anyway, have you seen IF? She's not answering her phone."
Tom shook his head. "No. Last time I heard, she took on a quest earlier today but she hasn't come back yet, and she's not answering her phone? Yeah, something is very wrong here."
"Do you know what quest she took?"
"No and I doubt anyone knows as well. She went solo."
Nepgear cursed at her luck and it seems all her hopes were crushed until Tom spoke up again "But. I can try tracking the last place her phone was online."
"You... can track the last time she used her phone?" A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.
"Yeah, shouldn't be too hard. Just give me a few minutes..." Tom brought his device and began furiously typing. "Here, I've sent you the location of her phone's last appearance. You better hurry up. I have a feeling that our dear IF might have gotten herself into a bit of trouble."
She immediately heard a beep coming from her N-Watch. "I will, thanks."
She quickly transformed as soon as she left the building. She flew and broke the speed of the sound as she headed out to the marked location on her N-Watch.
Hang on, IF. I'm coming.
She reached a huge field filled with grass and a creek. There was no sign of her friend anywhere, so she began shouting on top of her lungs. "IF! CAN YOU HEAR ME! WHERE ARE YOU!"
She looked everywhere for a while and finished off every monster she encountered along the way. Soon, the sun was about to set and she was getting more worried by the minute. It would be near impossible to look for her in the dark but she wasn't going to give up yet.
"IF! PLEASE ANSWER ME!"
Nepgear waited for a few moments, She was met with silence until suddenly she heard a couple of gunshots coming near a boulder.
To her relief, she heard a faint voice. "O-Over, here..."
There was no doubt that was the voice of her friend. Nepgear immediately rushed to where she was. "I'm coming, IF!"
Nepgear managed to find her friend at last, but she was met with a horrifying sight. One of IF's legs was trapped and crushed under the boulder. There was a pool of blood under it.
"IF! IF, Are you okay?" Nepgear rushed to her side.
"N-Nep... Gear? Is that... you?" IF managed to say that she had a hard time staying awake due to the blood loss. "S-Shit... My leg is..."
"Don't speak. I'll try getting the boulder moving off. Just hang on, okay?" Nepgear put both her hands on the giant rock and started pushing with all her might.
She felt her heart pumping more blood into her body as a rush of adrenaline filled her veins as she gritted her teeth and released a scream. She felt her hand turn white but she kept pushing despite the blood coming from her hand. She then added her shoulder and began pushing. Slowly but surely, she felt the rock begin to move but it was still not enough.
Suddenly, her Planeptune ring began mysteriously glowing and she felt her strength overflow for a bit. She began challenging energy in her hands and with a final push, she was able to lift the boulder just enoghu so her friend could squirm her leg out. As soon as her friend was free, she let go of the rock, which caused a shockwave.
"Y-You did it..." IF winced from the excruciating pain in her leg. She put her hands on her leg and began applying pressure to the wound. She felt her body go into shock after the physical trauma. "My leg... I-I can't feel it..."
"Hold still, okay?" Nepgear began applying pressure to the wound for a bit. She looked around for anything she could use to stop the bleeding before her friend spoke up. "U-Use my belt to stop the bleeding... quick."
"O-Okay..." Nepgear began to undo her belt jacket before she wrapped it around the wound and tightened it, which caused IF to let out a scream in pain. "There, that should stop the bleeding."
"I'm having a hard time staying awake..." Her friend gasped.
"Hold on, I'm taking you back to the Basilicom." Nepgear went down and carefully lifted from her torso onto her shoulder. She made sure not to go anywhere near her injured leg. "I got you... Just stay with me, okay?"
Nepgear flew with her friend on her shoulder, making sure to go at a steady pace. She activated the voice recognized on her N-Watch by yelling, "N-Watch, call Histoire."
The small device took a moment to register her voice before automatically initiating the call a few moments later.
"Nepgear? Hello? I've prepared a search team like you—"
"Histoire, I have IF with me and she requires medical attention. Tell Compa to be ready and prepare the equipment. I'm heading on my way as we speak."
"H-Huh? I-I mean... yes, of course. It shall be done."
Histoire ended the call soon after. Nepgear quickly checked on her friend. "IF? Are you still with me?"
"Y-Yeah, Agh." IF was holding on to her like a child grabbing onto their parents. "Everything feels like hell. I feel like I'm slipping in and out of conciseness."
"We're almost there. Try to stay awake, you hear me?"
"I-I'll try but... it's getting hard."
"What happened? W-Who did this to you?" The CPU asked.
"I-It was that woman... Rei..."
"Wait... You mean Rei. Ryghts?! The same missing woman we've been searching for?"
"Y-Yes, her." The bruntee's breathing was getting ragged and weaker but she tried getting the words out despite the agonizing pain. "I-I was casually strolling until... I saw her. Ugh, when I went to confront her... s-she started attacking me. B-Bitch lifted a damn boulder like it was nothing. I wasn't fast enough to dodge it and my leg ended up being crushed under it... Hah."
"That doesn't sound Rei. at all..." She muttered but she pushed those thoughts aside, as her priority was her friend's safety. She saw the city appear on the horizon, which made her increase her speed. "We're almost there, IF. Don't give up on us yet."
(Your last warning to turn away...)
Nepgear rammed into the door of the building and rushed through the Basilicom while still holding her friend on her shoulder. "I NEED HELP HERE!"
"Over here, Nepgear." She saw Histoire standing at one of the doors. She wasted no time and headed straight to the room. The fairy-sized girl covered a gasp of horror in her hand as she saw the state of the agent. "Dear... heavens. Q-Quick, bring her inside."
Inside the room, there was a makeshift bed with medical equipment. Compa was already inside as she finished setting up the bed, which had a table filled with her med-kit and giant syringe. "Set Iffy down on the bed, Ge-Ge."
Nepgear gently laid IF on the bed, which caused her to let out a loud groan of pain. She had gotten too weak to form words and she felt herself slowly drifting away.
"W-What happened to Iffy?" Compa felt her whole blood run cold as her body wouldn't stop shaking at the horrifying sight of her childhood friend.
"Her leg got crushed under a boulder... Can you treat her?"
Compa snapped out of her shock state and went into her serious nurse mode. She gave a determined nod. "Of course. I'll do my best."
The nurse began examining the wound and came to the soul-crushing realization of how severe the situation was. "The wound is badly infected... I-It needs to be amputated."
"What...?" Nepgear whispered as if she were not believing what came from her friend's mouth.
"We need to send her to the hospital quickly or send a surgical doctor." Histoire, seeing the seriousness of the situation, suggested the best course of action. However, Compa simply shook her head. "We don't have time. Iffy is losing too much blood and her wound is badly infected. We have to perform the surgery right now or Iffy won't make it."
"But you're only a nurse, not a trained surgeon." Histoire asked as she locked eyes with the girl. "You are not qualified to perform this type of operation."
"No, but I've seen it performed a couple of times during my work. I'll try micking what I've seen."
"Are you certain that you can perform the surgery, Compa? I'm not sure this is wise."
"I'll have to try." The nurse gave her a firm look and, without saying anything, put her on a pair of gloves and a face mask. "We don't have much time, Histy."
The tome sighed. "I suppose you are right. We don't have a choice at the moment. Very well, just tell us what you need and how we can be of assistance."
"Okay... first, I need a saw, an empty bucket, and a bottle of liquor if you have any." The nurse listed with her fingers.
"I have a saw inside my toolbox at my lab." Nepgear quickly answered, ignoring how her stomach wanted to empty itself.
"Alright. I shall send someone to bring the saw and the blood bags post haste." Histoire nodded before she left, leaving the two alone with their patient. Compa then turned to her. "Nepgear, I need you to help me with this."
"H-Huh?" Nepgear almost snapped her head when she turned to her. "R-Right. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll try my best not to mess it up."
"We're not going to have to apply local anaesthesia... I'm sorry, Iffy, but you're going to have to endure it." She tried reassuring her by gently caressing her cheeks.
"W-What... what do you say?" The brunette's voice was above that of a whisperer.
"I brought the stuff you asked." The flying book girl came back with the stuff. IF lifted her head, and she felt as if her soul left her body for a second as soon as her eyes laid on the large saw. Her instinct kicked off and she tried to run away but due to her current state, she only thrashed around as if she'd had a seizure.
Compa managed to hold her in place, along with Nepgear, who kept her pinned to the bed."Please calm down, Iffy—"
"T-The hell do you mean... calm down?! Y-You're going to c-cut my leg!"
"We have to." Nepgear chimed in a firm tone. "The wound is too infected. If we don't, then you'll die. We don't have much time."
"Please, Iffy, it's for your own good." Compa grabbed the saw.
"O-Okay, okay, okay... fuck!" IF mind was going through all kinds of emotions at once. Her body was screaming at her not to do it, but she knew she had to in the end. It's better to endure a lot of pain and lose a limb than to die. She had to stay awake during the whole procedure, which will be as if she were cooked alive in hell if she were to imagine.
"J-Just make it quick, o-o-kay!" IF's attempt to mask her fear was betrayed by her temering voice and her erratic breathing.
"Here, drink this." Nepgear helped her friend drink the bottle down her throat to help with the pain.
"Ge-Ge. I need you to hold Iffy and keep her in place. Never let her go, no matter what."
"Okay." Nepgear slowly nodded as she held both her friend's shoulders. The room's atmosphere felt heavy and the tension was palpable. A sense of dread began filling them as Compa began cleaning the saw. She grabbed one of the chairs and sat the bucket next to her before hesitating for a bit as she looked at her childhood friend. "Are you ready... Iffy?"
"J-Just do it already, damn it." IF gritted her teeth and looked away while her eyes were shut down. "G-Get it over with before I get scared again."
"Here, put this on your mouth." Histoire handed her a piece of thick rubber in her mouth. Soon, Compa firmly grasped her leg before she slowly lowered the saw until it made contact with the leg. She began cutting away the flesh by pushing and dragging the saw in a swift and deliberate motion.
IF's muffled scream filled the room as she bit hard on the rubber in her mouth due to the immense pain. Her body was jerking and thrashing but Nepgear held her in place as her friend instructed her. IF's eyes began tearing from the pain, and her hands gripped the sheet until her knuckle turned white. Histoire couldn't watch as she averted her eyes and covered her ears.
The sound of flesh being cut filled the room. Compa occasionally stops to wipe the sweat from her forehead and catch her breath before continuing with the operation. Blood began gushing out as she made her through the flesh with the saw. As a result, her clothes were spattered with her friend's blood.
She managed to cut through tissue and all that was left was the bone. Soon, the sound of bones being crushed was heard.
IF was breathing hard, and she cut her vocal string from screaming so much. The pain was agonizing, and it was slow. She felt like her body was set on fire and halfway through the operation, she passed out due to her body not being able to handle the extreme pain.
It was torture for Nepgear. She was forced to see her friend's anguish cry and the disguitsing sight of her leg being cut like buttered meat. She fought the urge to throw up. Despite her friend being passed out, she still continued to hold her, never letting go no matter what, like her friend instructed her earlier.
"Goodness..." Nepgear felt nauseous from the smell of the fresh blood and fought the need to cover her nose as her hands were occupied holding her friend.
After what felt like an eternity, Compa was able to successfully cut off the leg. She gently sat the leg on the empty bucket and sat down on the chair as she was out of breath.
"Is... she?" Nepgear slowly asked as she eyed her unmoving friend lying on the bed. Her friend shook her head before she discarded the gloves and the face and properly disposed of them.
"Iffy will be fine. She's just passed out from the pain and blood loss." Compa began performing first aid by applying bandages around the fresh-cut wound. "Poor iffy... I've done all I can but right now she needs real medical assistance. She needs a blood transfusion as soon as possible for the blood loss. Her type is AB+ but O+ would be fine too."
"Right. I've already called them the medical team. They've dispatched an ambulance." Histoire nodded. "Thank you, Compa, for all your help but we should let the professionals handle the rest."
"But I want to tag along with Iffy."
"I understand that but I'm afraid you'd get in the way. IF would be in good hands, so there is no reason to be worried, dear Compa."
"But I'm a nurse! I can assist them."
Histoire contemplated for a bit before she agreed. "Very, well. Me and Nepgear would take our leave now."
"You did a good job, Compa." Nepgear gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before she left with the oracle. As soon as they got out, Nepgear leaned on the wall for support as she felt her stomach turn and her legs couldn't support her weight any longer.
"Heavens, are you okay, Nepgear?" Histoire rushed to her side but she brushed it off.
"Yeah, yeah... I'll be fine. I just need a moment with myself." She limped away to the nearest bathroom before emptying the food she had consumed earlier today.
Author's Notes
Damn site DNS got broken, but it wasn't FFN's fault this time. I was in the middle of working on this chapter when the site suddenly went down. Talk about bad timing and luck. Thankfully, I backed up the chapter and resumed working on AO3 from there and I had to wait until the site was back before I posted this chapter.
Anyway, sh*t went from 0 to 100 real quick on this chapter. Really, putting the M in Mutaure. The story suddenly got dark and poor Iffy had to replace the role of Neptune when meeting with Rei., losing a leg in the process.(Not sorry). This is one of the changes I made to the game in the story. Oh, yeah, I figured out how to rearrange the chapters at last.
Anyway, we're only two chapters away, I'll try finishing them before the anniversary but I doubt that I will. This story is far from finished, but hey, at least we're having fun... mostly.
I hope I didn't traumatize too much. But if you think this is too dark, then wait till you see the other dark sh*t that I've planned for later. I'd say this one would be the tamest out of them, hehe.
Well, that's all, folks. Have a good one.
Next chapter: Red Ring of Death.
Nepgear gets a text from Chika telling her to meet her to discuss serious matters.