Nepgear blinks as she slowly regains her bearings. She let out a groin, the pain in her body came crashing down like a bad hangover. She tried to move, but her muscles were still stiff and unresponsive.
She tried moving but was unable to. She felt her hands were tied behind a wooden chair, which made her alarmed. She tried breaking free from the metal straps, but with little success. She was in an unfamiliar room. The place was spaciou and dim, with the only light source being emergency lights. There was also a large monitor sitting on the wall in front of her.
A series of memories came rushing through her head. Nepgear began looking around in panic for her friend but found no one. Suddenly, the monitor in front of her switched on by itself. A masked lady with a white helmet with a visor covering the front. The matte visor concealed her face featured. In it's place, two blue circles acted as eyes.
"Hello, Nepgear." The lady's voice was deep and distorted by the static made by the monitor.
"W-Who are you?" Nepgear managed to utter, her voice was weak. "What... do you want from me?"
"Don't worry. I simply wanted to talk."
"Egh... forgive me if I find this a bit hard to believe." Nepgear looked at the masked woman with suspicion. "Considering the welcome and hospitality that we just received," she then began looking around. "Where is my friend?"
"My apologies. I had to make sure my invitation wouldn't be turned down. I'm sure you understand."
"Wait... so you are the one who gave Cave the tip?"
"Of course. Well, I won't be able to tell you my name for obvious reasons. But you may call me the original."
The original?
"And your friend is alive along with the green-haired girl."
"Where are they?" Nepgear straightened up and glared at her. "Let them go."
"Of course, I'd be more happy to comply." She paused. "But before that, I need you to do something for me."
"What do you want?" Nepgear answered immediately.
"Oh, that's easy. I only want one thing."
"And that is?"
"Gehaburn." Those words sent shivers down her spine and triggered her trauma as she saw flashes in her eyes of those dark times. "No. I won't let you or anyone else have it."
There was a long silence after she gave her answer before the original let out a sigh. "I expected much. Well, then how about we make a deal, hm?"
"A deal?" She repeated slowly.
"I want to test your skills. If you can survive for a certain amount of time, I'll let you and your two friends go."
"And if I refused?" Nepgear asked, with a hint of challenge in her voice. "I don't exactly trust you."
Before she got her answer, the room was illuminated by multiple beam lights. ASIC members suddenly began surrounding the room and circling around her. The metal straps snapped open from her hands. Nepgear slowly got up, she felt muscles were still sore. She cautiously eyed the crowd forming around her.
"Sorry, but I kinda promise those people a good show, so I don't think they'll be very happy if you turn down the offer." She felt the original smirk under that stupid mask of hers.
Nepgear gritted her teeth, sensing that there's no way out of this. "Fine! I'll play along with this stupid game of yours."
"Excellent." She clapped her hands "Let the show commence. Try not to die too soon, okay?"
The crowd began cheering as the light was now focused on her. She shielded herself from the glaring light. Then a giant emerged from the crowd as they made way for him.
She was still a bit disoriented from the sleeping gas, but it slowly faded away as her eyes adjusted to the spotlight above her. She could hear the crowd cheering and shouting, demanding her blood.
Nepgear stretched out her limbs, trying to get the groggy feeling out of her system before she sized up the huge foe. He was much bigger and more muscular than her by a lot, and his physique told her he was no slouch either and would likely have a decent amount of experience and talent to back it up.
"Your opponent is Big Tony. You might wanna switch to your HDD, if I were you." The original advised her.
Suddenly, a tall, huge, muscular man entered in the opposite direction from where she stood. He wore a filter mask on his head and his breathing was audible.
Great, yet another oversized clown.
She wasted no time and transformed into her HDD.
"I always wanted to fight the CPU herself." He let out a chuckle. His voice was deep and muffed. He then loudly proclaimed and raised his hand to the crowd. "I came here to show the people a good fight and I don't plan to disappoint."
"Beat her down, Tony!"
"Crush her!"
"We want blood!"
What a surprise. Everyone is cheering against me.
"I'll let you have the first strike." The hulk chuckled before holding his hands open as if he's challenging a bull with a red carpet. "Take your best shot, CPU."
Nepgear gripped the gunblade, ready to fight. She was drowning in the sound of ASIC members who wanted to see her blood. The hulking figure before her, Tony, stood there with his arms open, inviting her to make the first move.
With a deep breath, she steadied her breath and cleared her mind. And even when she's in her HDD form now, she has to look up at him a little. His muscles were rippling underneath his vest.
She could hear the crowd cheering and shouting, demanding her blood. Hearing the crowd jeering at her and cheering against her didn't help her focus, but she tried to switch off the noises from her head.
Nepgear's eyes locked onto the hulking figure of Tony, towering over her like a mountain. She began analyzing her opponent and looked for any weak points on his body. She was no stranger to foes that were bigger than her and dealt with bigger foes.
Nepgear felt a bit fatigued and felt herself unable to access any of her abilities and skills at the moment, which put her at a massive disadvantage.
Nepgear began to analyze her surroundings, looking for anything that could help her in the fight. She noticed barrels and crates scattered around the arena. She quickly dashed towards one of the barrels and jumped. With a spin dash, she launched herself in the hulk's direction and prepared to deliver a kick to his face.
Her attack was connected to the hulk's face, but it didn't faze him in the slightest. He remained standing and unmoving, which made her realize she screwed up big time as her eyes widen. He chuckled as he barely felt the impact. "Is that all you got, little CPU?" He taunted.
Before she could react, he grabbed her leg and flung her to the nearest wall, slamming her body against it and knocking the air out of her lung. She gasped as the impact sent waves of pain through her entire body.
She quickly got up and shook her head and blinked, trying to clear her blurry vision. She felt like flames were burning inside her body. As he cracked his neck, the hulk chuckled in admiration of her fortitude. "You're stronger than I thought, CPU. But sadly, not strong enough."
Nepgear slowly got up, wiping the blood on her lip. She was gritting her teeth as she felt the pain coursing through her body. Her legs were slightly trembling, but she refused to lay down.
She severely underestimated her opponent. She now knows that brute force wouldn't work against the hulk and that she was at a disadvantage in terms of strength and power.
She couldn't match the hulk's strength, but she had one thing that the hulk didn't—agility.
The hulk began to slowly approach her, taking long strides with his massive body. He raised his fist, preparing to strike. Acting on her reflexes, she rolled to the side, avoiding his fist and causing him to hit the wall instead. The impact of his punch caused a large dent in the wall, and pieces of debris fell to the ground.
The crowd cheered in excitement, eager to see more bloodshed.
"Stop running away, little CPU, and come fight." He taunted her as he removed his fist from the wall before attempting once again to deliver a punch. Nepgear quickly dove under, her quick reflexes saving her from a direct hit that could have ended her otherwise. She flung herself towards the crowd to create a distance between them. As her back bumped into the crowd, she was shoved back to the arena by one of them as they taunted her to do something or hit back.
The hulk's face twisted into a sneer. "You're fast. I'll give you that. But you can't keep dodging forever."
Nepgear felt her heart racing as sweat began forming on her face. She felt trapped, like a cornered rat.
He was right.
She simply couldn't keep dodging forever. She could use her speed and agility to her advantage, but she knew that the hulk would eventually catch up to her. She needed to find a way to take the hulk down before he could wear her down completely. She quickly looked around for anything that could give her an edge.
She noticed a few things: a loose pipe from the cracked wall, a hydrogen tank, and a hanging hook. She began calculating and forming numerous plans inside of her head using those tools in her disposal in a span of a millisecond.
She darted towards him, dodging and weaving around his slow but powerful attacks. She dove under one of his swings and jabbed her sword into his side. But the hulk seemed unfazed by the attacks.
She then switched to shooting him with energy shots from her gunblade. However, this attack was also ineffective. The foe blocked the shots with his huge arms. However, it agitated her even further. "You're starting to get on my nerves, little CPU." He growled before he charged towards her like a bull and swung his fist, aiming straight for her. Nepgear quickly dodged out of the way and jumped back, managing to evade the attack by a second. He then grabbed one of the wooden crates and hurled it at her.
She jumped at the way before the crates shattered on the wall from the impact. Without thinking, she dashed towards the nitrogen tank. She penetrated it with the tip of her blade, making the gas spur out. She immediately kicked it towards the hulk and shot it with her gunblade.
The tank exploded upon impact, coating him in a flammable substance. He roared in surprise and pain as flames spread across his body. The crowd gasped audibly, surprised by the turn of events.
While the hulk was stunned, Nepgear acted on impulse and darted towards one of the crates, using it as a stepping stone to jump and gain some height. She grabbed the metal hook above as a platform, swinging herself in the hulk's direction again. This time, she had momentum on her side, making her attack more forceful. She landed a powerful kick on the hulk's face, knocking him back a few steps. His mask was slightly shattered.
He quickly recovered from the attack and roared in rage. Not only was he strong, but he could also take hits like a tank. "Enough games."
He was like a raging bull, and she was waving a red cape as she began provoking him. "Come on, then. It will be embarrassing if you get your ass handed to you in front of all of your peers."
"Don't get to cocky, CPU." He growled. "I will make you slowly suffer."
Nepgear felt a rush of adrenaline go through her whole body as she watched the hulk charge towards her. A smirk formed on her face as she saw the red mist in the hulk. He lunged forward again, but she remained calm and waited for the right time. Once he got close, she slid underneath his feet as he swung his arms towards her. She then delivered a powerful and concentrated kick to his knee, which forced him to kneel. She then used this opportunity to jump on top of him.
The crowd gasped as they watched the CPU climb onto the hulk's back. They didn't expect the sudden turn-of-event.
The hulks tried to throw her off but Nepgear held on tight, using all of her strength to hold on. She tried to find a weak point on the hulk's body—any area that could be vulnerable. But the thick muscles and skin made it difficult to find one.
He tried to reach behind him to grab her, but Nepgear was too fast and nimble, dodging his every move. She held on tightly, struggling to keep him from shaking her off. She managed to cut a deep gash on his shoulder with her blade, causing him to roar out in pain.
Everyone winced at the sight and began cheering louder. Some were even cheering for her, they loved the unexpected turn of events, while others began making bets among themselves.
The beast managed to throw her off him, which caused her to let go of her weapon. Nepgear's body rolled on the floor multiple times before she managed to land on her feet.
It took her a few moments to realize that her weapon was on the floor, far away from where she was.
Oh, crap...
Nepgear mentally cursed her luck and before she could have the chance to retrieve it, the hulk crushed her weapon under his foot like it was a mere toothpick. she watched in horror as her only means of survival was shattered into tiny pieces, along with her hope of winning.
"Now... let's see how good you are without your little toy." He cracked his knuckles before he began approaching her
She was completely unarmed but she didn't let that deter. She looked around for anything she could use before her eyes laid on the wooden chair that she was strapped to earlier. She made a dash towards it before she grabbed it and smashed it with all her might on his head. Unfortunately, the hulk was unfazed yet again as the chair splintered to pieces on his head as he stood there and took the attack.
"Haha... You're going to have to do better than that." He then grabbed her before she could slip away. He raised her body above his head in the air as she wiggled her body to free herself from his strong grasp. "It's impressive that you lasted this long, but unfortunately, this is where it will end for you. You will pay for all the good men you've killed at the warehouse."
While the hulk was occupied with his speech, she noticed exposed electrical wires hanging from the ceiling.
He raised his knee as he prepared to break her back when he threw her. Everything went in slow motion in Nepgear's eyes. She extended her hand and yanked the exposed wires before putting them on his body. This caused a chain reaction, as electricity flared through his whole body, which caused the beast to howl in pain and launch her at the cold ground.
Her body slammed hard against the cold floor. She coughed and gasped for air from the sudden collision. She tried to push up with her templing hands. Nepgear gasped and quickly rolled to the side before the hulk foot was connected to her body. His foot slamming on the ground sent a shockwave through the arena. "Stop squirming around, little CPU."
She quickly recovered and used the wall behind her as support. She noticed the loose pipe from before on the cracked wall beside her. Behind her, the hulk stomped his way towards her, his footsteps shaking the ground with each step.
Without thinking, Nepgear quickly grabbed the loose pipe, ripping it off its bolts. In a flash, she turned around and aimed the pipe like a spear before she angled her body and threw the pipe, which impaled on his shoulder. He let out a loud roar of pain that drowned in the cheers of the crowd. Before any of them could make any more moves, their fights were interrupted by the person on the monitor.
"Alright, I think that's enough. I gotta say, that was an impressive fight." The original clapped her hands. "Alright, the rest of you, scarm, the show is over."
The ASIC crowd loudly complained, as they were eager to see the result of the fight. Despite that, they all complied and began leaving one by one. Nepgear was panting, silently thankful that the fight was called off since she was about to run out of juice in her HDD form.
Her eyes then fell on the hulk, who yanked the pipe from his shoulder as blood came gushing out, but she simply paid it no mind. "You fought well today, little CPU. But this fight is not over yet. We shall meet again, and we will settle the score once and for all. Next time, there won't be anyone to save you." The hulk then left with the rest of the crowd, leaving her alone with the original.
"Well, that was most certainly entertaining to watch. You still have a long way to go but you managed to adapt fairly quick."
"So do you mean to tell me that you set up this fight so you could be entertained!?" Nepgear spat with spite.
"You could say that." The original shrugged. "I've been bored out of my mind. My intention was never to kill you. Otherwise, I would have done it when you were unconscious, don't you think?"
"Then why didn't you?" Nepgear repeated, her glare was still present on her face.
"You're simply not worth it, and I have other important things to do." The original cleared her throat. "Well, a deal is a deal. Your friends are on the top floor in the control room. Well, this certainly has been fun, but I think this will be the last time we see each other. I'll be sure to remember our short time together." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Wait!" Nepgear called her out before she left, as she hoped she could squeeze more information out of her. She glared at the screen and began interrogating her. "Just what is your plan? Why are you working with ASIC? Answer me."
"Heh, you think just because you said that, I'll tell you my plans? You're in position to order me, dear. I will suggest you run along before those ASIC people change their minds and come back to finish you off." Her tone shifted to a more serious tone. "And words of advice: don't trust anyone. You don't know who might stab you in the back."
The screen then switched off.
Nepgear felt a nerve go off. She was gone before she had the chance to give her a piece of mind. For now, she has other important matters at the moment. She limbed on and slowly made her way up the stairs to where her friends were being kept.
"Cave, are you okay?" Nepgear asked her friend, who was being tied up in a chair.
"Yes, I'm fine." Cave replied as she watched her cut the ropes. "Though I should be the one to ask you that. I have seen you take quite the beating down there with that brute."
"I'll live." Nepgear winced as she tried to ignore the pain surging through her body before she managed to cut the ropes.
"Much obliged. So, who was that on the screen?" Cave asked.
"Someone call themselves the original. She's working with ASIC Remnants." Nepgear explained.
"That is not good. There is no possible way they will simply let us walk away scout-free. They must be planning something."
"I know. For now, let's get Chika to safety first. We'll worry about ASIC and this original later."
"Yes, come. Chika is in the other room." Nepgear followed Cave. The two headed to the other room and found Chika unconscious on the floor. Cave quickly ran to her side and checked her pulse. After confirming she was alive, she began shaking her awake. "Chika, Chika, are you alright?"
"Ugh... where am I?" Chika let out an audible groin as she was beginning to regain consciousness. "Is that you, Cave? Did you come to rescue me?"
Cave let out a sigh of relief before a smile formed on her face. "You know, something about this feels awfully familiar."
"Yeah?" Chika managed to form a weak smile and laugh. "Would you believe me if I said I was actually dying this time? Ow, everything hurts."
"Don't die just yet, woman. We still need you." Cave helped her get up on her feet.
"Of course." Chika clutched her teeth and let out a pained grunt. "And by the way, what's with the clothes your wearing anyway? You look awful in them. Don't tell me you got your sense of fashioned all messed up after all those years."
"We haven't seen each other for many years, and that's the first thing you ask?" Cave shook her head with an amused smile. "Hmhm, I'm glad to see that you're still the same as before. You have not changed one bit."
"Of course not, ugh!" Chika finally took notice of Nepgear, who didn't say a single word and avoided eye contact when she looked at her. "I see that you brought her with you as well."
"Nepgear here came to help me rescue you. It's best that you set your differences for now. We need to get you to safety and treat you're injuries post-haste."
"Yeah, okay. I won't argue with that."
Nepgear watched the reunited scene unfold before her.
"Nepgear." Cave grabbed her attention. "Can you call someone to escort us out of leanbox?"
"Oh, yes, give me a minute." Nepgear called the oracle using her N-Watch.
"Good, you picked up. Your lack of response almost led me to assume the worst."
"I'm fine, Kei. We managed to secure Chika. Can you send a boat to us as quick as you can?"
"You actually found Chika? Well, that is very good news. Good work. I'll send a helpboat right away."
"Thanks Kei." She hung up the call and turned to the two women. "I notified Kei. She said she'd prepare the transport right away."
"Thank you once again, Nepgear." Cave gave her a nod. "I'll make sure to take Chika where it's safe. Are you able to walk?"
"Don't mention it. And don't worry, I'll manage. Let's make sure Chika gets there safely first."
Both Nepgear and Cave went out of the factory, with Cave putting her hand around Chika to offer her support as they walked. Nepgear went ahead and made sure that the way was clear and to cover the two if they ran into trouble. Thankfully, they didn't run into trouble on their way back. Once on the shore, they saw the boat waiting for them.
"There's our transport." Nepgear pointed with her finger.
"You have my deepest gratitude, Nepgear. I will take it from here. You should head back and tend to those injuries of yours as well."
"I will. Good luck to you, Cave."
Both went their separate ways. Cave took Chika to the boat, while Nepgear flew back to her nation. As she neared the city, she felt all of her powers get drained, which automatically transformed her back into her human form. And now she was forced to continue on foot.
Ugh, just my luck.
She continued to push her body past its limits. It took awhile, but she finally reached the Basilicom. Upon entering, both Compa and Histoire rushed to her side upon seeing her state. Her clothes were ragged and she looked like she was beaten up to a pulp.
"Heavens, Nepgear!"
"Ge-Ge!"
"Heavens, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine—"
"No, you're not fine!" Compa interrupted with a glare. "You're hurt. Let me treat your wounds. I won't take no as an answer."
"I strongly agree with Compa. You simply can't ignore this and shrug it off. Let her tend to your injuries for heaven's sake."
"Okay, okay..." Nepgear didn't argue further and submitted herself. She lets herself get dragged by her nurse friend, who then sat her down on one of the chairs before she went and grabbed her med kit.
"How are you feeling, Ge-Ge?" Compa asked as she sat down.
"Everything hurts if that's what you mean."
"I have a feeling that this is going to be a recurring thing." Histoire sighed. "Each time it keeps getting worse."
"Don't say that, Histoire. Everything will be—ow!" Nepgear winced as Compa applied wiping alcohol to one of her open wounds on her face. Compa muttered an apology while continuing to treat her other wounds.
"So, what was it this time?" Histoire asked.
"Me and Cave walked into a trap, then I was forced to fight one of ASIC's big brutes. In the end, we managed to grab Chika and get out."
"You can tell me the details later, but for now, you should focus on recovering and getting some rest. I'll leave the rest to you, Compa."
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Ge-Ge, Histy." Compa smiled. Histoire nodded before she left to let the nurse do her job and not disturb them.
"Um, this might hurt a little." She gave a heads-up before she took a medical stapler and began applying a surgical staple to an open wound that was on her arm. Nepgear clenched her hand as she felt a tiny, sharp pain each time she pressed the staple on her skin. Thankfully, the process was quick and didn't hurt too much. Nepgear sat in silence while her friend continued to treat her.
"So, where is IF?" Nepgear initiated a conversation with her friend to help pass the time.
"Oh, Iffy went on a mission earlier. She said the guild needed to do a quest. She won't be gone for long."
"I see."
"I'm going to head out to buy some ingredients for my cooking. Let's go together once you feel better."
"Okay. Heh, I don't remember the last time I went on a shopping trip."
"Oh, it'll be fun. Oh, we'll buy snacks on the way. I remember always bringing them whenever I visit the Basilicom for Nep-Nep." Compa chuckled at the memory. "She'd always be happy to see me when I bring her the snacks."
"Yeah, I remember as well. She would play her favourite video games while eating her favorite snacks. She used to say, 'I'm not lazy, I'm just in energy-saving mode.'" The two shared a laugh with themselves at the memory.
"Phew, all done." Compa wiped her brow.
"Thank you, Compa." Nepgear thanked her as her friend was done wrapping the last bandages.
"No, problem, Ge-Ge... Here, drink this." She then took out a healing potion and made her drink it, which relieved her pain. "Now, make sure to get plenty of rest to let those injuries properly heal."
"I will." She nodded as she got up. "Thank you again, Compa. You're a lifesaver."
"No problem! Don't move too much, or you'll strain your injuries or risk them being open." She called out her friend as she was leaving.
"Okay!" Nepgear called out before stopping for a moment. She took a small sniff of herself and almost gagged. Her smell was reeking. She should change out of the disguise quickly and wash off the odor.
Well, a nice hot bath does sound nice now.
Author's Notes
Well, we're nearing the end of the prologue and should start at Act 1 of the story very soon.
With that said, I'm going to take a short break and rewrite the older chapters since my knowledge of the game and characters keeps evolving the more I play, and I want to nail the essence of writing those characters and improve my writing as well.
Next Chapter: Flesh for Dinner
Nepgear accompanies Compa to town to buy groceries in preparation for tonight's dinner.
