Sleepy. Also, writing this was took a serious amount of effort.
Ant: Welcome to Gamindustri, where nobody really ever dies, except for those people that are unlucky and are involved in the plot. Or in someone's backstory.
Ligoya: That particular fact will be rather relevant later. Not now, and not anytime soon, but it will eventually be relevant.
Draxinus: But of course!
Derpenkampfwagen: Sadly, Neptune isn't quite here yet. I look forward to the day when she is.
Etokaiten: Optimal, we are not.
Okay. Panic time. We all run for back to cover, still carrying the boxes.
"Okay. What was that?" whispers IF, face turned towards me. "You seemed to know what that was…"
I take a steadying breath. "That… Well…"
What can I even say? I rub my face, trying to block everything out. How the hell do we get past this? My heart's pounding as I try to make sense of it all.
"Okay… so if we rush in, we might be able to make it past the guards… But then we have the whole camp… But it's getting worse… Fuck!" I'm thinking out loud, but it's not helping.
"DEREK!" shouts IF, poking me. "What's going on?"
I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "That… If I'm right… That was the thing keeping the Killachines inactive breaking."
The girls are silent, with nought but the far-too-close screeching of metal grinding to life to be heard. We're running out of time.
"That barrier thing. We need to… We have to..." I begin, before I glance back towards the main camp. Another tremor fills the air, yet it seems that not too many guards have been woken just yet. Or they could be, but they're still waking up... We just don't have enough TIME! "Shit! Following my gut here! We need to make the run right now! We won't get another chance!"
There's a cry of alarm from behind me, but I'm not stopping. If we act, we could potentially be screwed, but if we don't, we're going to be DEFINITELY screwed.
It's a gamble, but it's the only choice we've got. The rumbling is only getting louder, as more and more of the machines begin to boot up.
From a ground level perspective, the maze of tents is not only thick, but seemingly impassable. I don't hear anyone (besides IF still cussing me out in the distance) drawing attention towards me as I sprint straight through the hornet's nest, so maybe they're all distracted by the activating Killachines? Hopefully? The engineers who were on the drill seem to be gone as well, meaning that the drill thing is mostly unguarded. Better for us, I suppose.
Shit, I think we might need to grab that too, on the way out. Valuable or not, I don't think them being able to use it to pop open the door again once we fix the damn Mascot would be a good thing for us. Plus, I want to know what the hell was able to do that in the first place.
Needless to say, I sprint through the now-open door. Please be lightly guarded… please be lightly guarded…
Through the door, I'm greeted by a small room, aaaand…
Fuck. Fourteen ASICs, some of whom are tinkering with something on the floor. So this is where they all went.
Footsteps from behind me. I whirl around, blades in hand. I'm not getting flanked. Not here.
"What the hell, Derek? Are you completely nuts? What if someone saw you?" hisses IF as she steps into sight. The other girls sprint into the room shortly thereafter, short of breath. Good, then they made it in here too. I was nearly expecting more guards.
I gesture back towards the previous room. "You heard the noise: do you think they'll be able to keep sleeping through THAT if it keeps going? We need to grab the seal as quickly as we can, and get out."
Compa shakes her head. "That was really risky though… what if they had seen us?"
"Then we'd fail." I state, teeth gritted. "If we failed, then we'd have failed. But we still have a chance, and so I'm taking it while I still can."
Marvy shakes her head at me, but says nothing. The guards in front of us are still busy, loosely clustered around something. Hopefully it's the Mascot. If it isn't, then there's no way through this mess.
"Fourteen. A bit more than I hoped for, but we've got Nepgear this time, right?" The smile on my face is fake, but I just can't shake it. It's less of a mark of joy, and more of just a pained grimace. I'm about to do something really, really stupid.
IF sees my face and quickly places an arm upon my shoulder. "We need a plan. We shouldn't try to do this without one."
"We don't have time for a plan." I shake my head, as I brush away the arm. "Hell, I wish we had a plan too. But now's not the time. Now's do or die. And who knows? If the stars align, we might make it out of here in one piece."
I begin to draw Seamus, but stop midway through, instead selecting my crowbar. They're about the same range, but right now, I'd rather hit harder, even if the crowbar is slower.
And with that, I charge directly towards the nearest soldier.
My opening strike into the group is a flat-edge baseball swing aimed at the head level. It's a horrifying strike that'd probably flat-out kill someone, back in my world. But it's not my world.
Here, it only ragdolls the unlucky goon that I hit. She barely has enough time to let out a cry before she falls limp.
And then, there were thirteen.
I can see four of the remaining ASICs turn towards me, pointing fingers and drawing weapons. A hatchet, a machete, a monkey wrench, and a mini sledge.
In a blink, they're on me.
The soldier with a machete is the first one to close the gap, with a crossward slash of her weapon. I can't get out of the way, so blocking's the only option.
I wince as the strike halts against my crowbar, sending a shock straight through my arms. I kick the girl backwards off -
I gasp as something solid slams into my ribs. Can barely breathe: the skin around the impact is burning. Weirdly enough, it feels more like someone slugged me with a metal baseball bat, rather than chopping me with a hatchet. Suppose it's for the best, but seriously, this hurts!
I nearly dry-heave as I stumble backwards, head still a mess. The rest of the group, save for the two in the back, are all alert now, armed and ready for a fight. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the girls moving into position, with Purple Sister taking lead. They can handle the rest no problem… I just need to distract these ones.
"I… WILL NOT FALL!" I croak, straightening my back and raising my weapon once more. The reactions from my opponents vary between amused and confused, but at least the ones closest to me are all facing towards me now.
Of course, all of this attention isn't exactly a good thing. They start attacking almost immediately.
I'm glanced by an incoming strike from the mini-sledge, but make them pay for it. I seize the opportunity to lunge forward in response, catching an unprepared goon in the chest and forcing them back. Not a killshot, but that's not what I'm going for.
Still, they're coming closer, and I've definitely bitten off more than I can chew. I inch backwards, but meet nothing but solid stone wall. A corner. I lean against the wall, doing what little I can to catch my breath.
One of the guards smirks at me, hefting her weapon, and sneers, "Not so tough are ya now, punk? How'd you even get in here in the first place?"
Behind her, I can see Nepgear whack a different thug over the head with her saber, toppling them like a domino. There's only three still standing, and they're all facing towards me.
"I've... already won." I smirk, as I stumble forward to launch one more attack.
I swing my crowbar, toe first, in an downwards cross slash, but blink as it only catches upon the clothing of my target. I mean, I was hoping to distract her, or I don't know, shred her sweater and mess up her aim, but really?
I mean, she definitely felt the attack, but man, are clothes indestructible here, too? They must save a fortune on wear and tear!
"Hey! Leggo! Gerroff!" shouts my victim, trying, but failing to escape my accidental hold. In the struggle to do so, she drops her weapon, which clatters to the ground. The bar's hook is wrapped around her shoulder, and from the way she's standing…
Hehe.
I yank the bar backwards and down with all my might, causing my victim to stumble towards me, directly into a rising knee to the face. The crunch is definitely real, if the winces of the other two are any indication.
I let my now-unconscious opponent drop to the ground. "Surrender." I pant, eyes locked in a distant gaze.
The last two are stare at me for a moment, and while they definitely don't seem intimidated by me, they quickly follow my unfocused gaze to behind them. Needless to say, while I might not be very threatening, having a transformed CPU Candidate pop out from behind them is a whole different story.
They quickly surrender.
As I pass my tape to IF to tie the two up, my legs finally give out, and I collapse to the ground in a heap.
God. That was dumb. What was I thinking? I place my hand upon my new injury, but remove it the instant I make contact. Still sore, still burns upon the touch.
"Derek! You all right?" questions Compa, coming closer with her bandages in hand.
"Just… great..." I murmur, eyes half-lidded. "Next time… I'll let you girls tank the shots…"
I feel like I was beaten with a sack full of bricks. I don't think anything is broken, but I'll definitely be feeling this in the morning.
"Wait… This is the Mascot!" shouts Nepgear, from somewhere close by. Good, she found it. "But… what's this thing on it?"
Thing? What thing?
I try to force myself back to my feet, but my arms are stiff and unresponsive. Effectively, I accomplish nothing besides face-planting into the stone… concrete… thingy below. "Wait, Derek! Hold still! Let me heal you first!"
Right, Compa…
I pause, just long enough for her to wrap her bandages around me. The burning subsides slightly, but my skin is still tender, if my itchiness is any indication.
"Umm… Compa?" I ask, poking the tender skin with a finger. "It didn't heal me all the way…"
Compa rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. "I'm… well, I'm out of bandages."
My gaze is of course directly on the roll in her hands, which even now, she is rolling back up to reuse.
"You're out of bandages." I state, glancing at her with a flat expression.
"I mean, I'm not out of bandages, but I'm out of bandages, you know?" murmurs the Nurse.
Oh. She's out of SP. Yeah, that'd do it.
"Ah… Anyone got any SP boosters, then?" I state, as I bring myself back up to my feet. The pain's at least less now, enough that I can move around freely. I'm definitely not one hundred percent, though. "Or healing items, or something?"
Nothing but negatives. "Well, I guess that's one more thing to add to the shopping list, then." I remark. Eject buttons, healing items, and a rope. Or three ropes. Hell, possibly more. Rope is handy.
"Hey Derek, have you ever seen something like this?" states Nepgear, from behind me. Right, her doohickey.
Nepgear's still in her Sister form, but is holding something out towards me in one of her hands. It looks…
Well, honestly, it looks like those old disc burners. Bulky, boxy, and emitting the telltale rattle of grinding machinery. The only difference is this one doesn't seem to have a power supply.
Burners.
"The hell? Were they seriously trying to burn a copy of the Mascot?" I shout, glancing towards the apparatus before me. "Goddamn, even I wouldn't have thought of that."
The disc on the left is mostly unmarked, but is gleaming a dull white, while the disc on the right is emblazoned with the ASIC logo. That'd be the clone disc, then. Both discs are slowly spinning.
But where's the eject button?
"Hey Derek, do you see how to get the Mascot out of this thing?" asks Nepgear, flipping the machine over in her hand. "I've checked, but I don't see anything."
IF steps in, and takes a glance. "We'll just have to take the whole thing with us, then. We can't risk messing around with this thing in here: we have to get out of here before they get any of those Killachines active! Derek, are you well enough to get running?"
She pauses, before handing me back my roll of duct tape. It's about a third depleted, if I were to give it a guess.
I nod my head. "I'm fine, but we need to take the machine by the door too. If they used it to get into here once, then they'll be able to do it again."
"I'll carry the credit chips!~" chirps RED, still clutching our valuable loot. Good job, RED. Carry what really matters.
Leaving the subdued ASICs behind, we step back into the hallway towards the main room.
Unlike before, there's definitely activity now: from our place behind one of the destroyed walls, we can see dozens upon dozens of Soldiers, Engineers, and Rangers dashing around in the crate room, clutching pieces of Killachine plating. Amidst it all, a few forklifts laden with the larger crates are making their way through, delivering fresh weapons to the mechanical monstrosities. A few better-dressed members are shouting orders the entire way, probably attempting to direct the mad scramble unfolding before us.
The not-so distant rumbling of heavy machinery definitely isn't a reassuring sign of their progress.
The machine they used to get into here is plainly visible too, although it's been mostly discarded in favor of ferrying the heavy Killachine plating. I mean, there's still guards amidst the tents, but they seem to be either eating or on break, not actively guarding.
"Okay, the coast seems clear!" whispers Marvy, pointing dead ahead. "Derek, you and me pick up the machine?"
"I'll hold the Mascot." states IF, grunting as she receives the device with both hands. "Eugh. I keep forgetting how strong you are in that form, Gear. You made carrying this thing look easy!"
"Sorry." murmurs Nepgear, scratching the back of her neck. "I'll clear the way?"
Nods all around. Compa's not carrying anything, but no one is arguing.
Nepgear's the first out, hovering out towards the drill and straight-up uprooting the thing from the ground in a single, solid yank. I can practically see the metal buckle where she grasps it.
Power of a goddess, indeed.
She then disappears from sight, having turned the corner towards the main exit.
"Go!" shouts Marvy, and we're out in a blink. The machine's heavy, but there's two of us, so we barely even slow down as we grab the thing. I could probably manhandle the thing up myself, but it'd definitely slow me down.
The exit stairs come into view in the distance as we sprint around the corner, ignoring the shouts of alarm echoing around us in every possible direction. We're almost there! We're going to make it!
Suddenly, the scrape of grinding metal behind us is nearly deafening.
Oh god why did I just say that! I'd facepalm, but my hands are carrying this thing!
I spare a glance backwards, just in time to see a single Killachine, fully-repaired, rumble into sight. Its sensors seem to whirr for a moment, before it intones, in a deafening, but strangely childish and feminine voice, "Targets identified. Eliminating targets."
If we weren't running at full speed before, we are certainly are now.
The ground's a blur beneath us as Marvy and I hustle forwards, knuckles white from panic. Behind us, the Killachine's slowly gaining on us. Why is it fast? There's no reason a monster this big should be this fast!
Compa, the furthest back, lets out a shriek as a massive axe obliterates the area where she was but a moment ago. At least Nepgear's on the ball: she just barely managed to push her out of way. With a choking gasp, Compa sprints forward at nearly triple speed, narrowly passing us. Nepgear remains behind.
Nepgear stops herself before the machine, takes a bracing breath, and then slashes towards it, blade in hand. It doesn't even damage the thing, but at least it stops.
"Re-evaluating threat. Eliminating greatest threat." states the Killachine, before it turns towards Nepgear, weapons ready.
Nepgear can't hold that thing off forever…
We've just hit the stairs, and are thundering up them, two at a time. In the distance, the distant sunrise is just visible through the lip of the entryway. We're nearly there!
A clash of metal draws my vision back behind me. Nepgear blocks a massive axe, but is forced into the wall, grunting in pain. She lets out a small whimper upon peeling herself out and colliding with the ground, but gazes towards us, before defiantly drawing her weapon once more. She can't survive this, Goddess or not!
The wall behind her is permanently scarred with her imprint…
Wait…
If it worked once, it's working again.
"I'M DOING THE EXPO!" I shout down to the Candidate, who nods to the sound of my voice. "Compa. Grab the machine! I need to set this up!"
Marvy stares at me confusedly, wondering why I've stopped. "What?"
"No time! Nepgear needs help! Compa! Grab this thing and get it out of here!"
Compa blinks, before she rushes towards me, grabs my end of the machine, and continues outwards from the complex with Marvy. "Be careful!" she states, as she recedes from view.
I grab my tape and several handfuls of explosive as I dash back down the steps, towards the killer robot. As carefully as I can, I tape together the sticks of dynamite, three a cluster, before attaching them to the walls with even more tape. Three roof, three wall, three wall. Three roof, three wall, three wall.
Nine groups, twenty seven sticks. It should be enough. It has to be enough: Nepgear's still holding off the machine, but is losing steam fast.
"NEPGEAR! LET'S GET OUT!" I shout, as I prepare the final bundle.
With a relieved nod, Nepgear dodges out of a swing, and rockets towards me. I hold my breath as I light the bundle, and throw it towards the lowest three sets. I can see the Killachine follow her at a breakneck pace, but it's not fast enough.
It definitely is disorienting to be moving as fast as I am, and near a massive explosion, at that, but between the near deafening chain of kabooms, the crash of stone collapsing, and the whoosh of the wind around me, I can barely experience anything.
I mean, besides the feeling of being near a massive amount of heat. I definitely feel that. Oh, and the urge to vomit. That too.
This sensation continues for a good second or two, before suddenly, everything's cold again, and the feeling of nausea begins to subside.
Wait no, nevermind.
I shakily climb to my feet, totter over to the side, and void the contents of my stomach into the snow beside me.
I kick some clean snow overtop of it, before I stumble back towards the group, still clutching my head. Perhaps the ringing might stop some time later tonight. Time to admire my handiwork.
Huh.
The entrance is just gone.
I mean, compared to the entrance we had come in from, it's a massive difference. Rather than an eye-gougingly bad color scheme overtop a cave entrance straight out of Minecraft, it now resembles a sinkhole.
Actually no, it looks more like a Skittles Sundae.
Actually, yeah, it definitely looks like a half-eaten Skittles Sundae: randomly colored chunks of something, with a whole bunch of cold white stuff in between it all.
Man, I'm hungry. What time is it, anyway?
Oh god my head hurts…
I collapse into the snow, which definitely cushions my fall. Amusingly enough, I find myself face-to-face with a now-sleeping Nepgear, who must've transformed back the moment we got out. She's snoring, as she's wont to do, completely dead to the world. I think I might join her in a bit: I'm so tired that even the snow seems like a comforting place to sleep. Too bad we don't have a blanket.
"We're alive…" I murmur, turning myself skywards. "Somehow… we're alive…"
IF responds from my left, from where she's braced against the Mascot's case. "Yeah… That was close, wasn't it."
"But we got out, right?" states Compa, who is sitting against the drill.
"That was fun!~" smirks RED. "But I wouldn't want to do it again…~"
"HEY! IT'S THOSE MEANIES AGAIN!" screams a sleepy voice from somewhere nearby.
It takes actual effort to lift my hand to facepalm. "Never mind, we're dead."