Crisis of Ivory
Chapter 25: Industrial Invasion
Location: Tails' Workshop
"Hurry up, Tails! I don't think we can hold this up much longer," Sonic exclaimed.
"The computer has almost found their base, just give it a bit more time!" Tails replied.
Sonic, Tain, and Blaze found themselves in the center of the platform in front of the workshop, a group of Gizoids waiting there and studying them with a squad of the navy plated robots backing them up, many of them being modified MeteoTech robots and GUN sentries. Inside, Gemini, Tails, Alice, Marine, and Amy watched as Tails' computer backtracked the signal of the first few robots that attacked MeteoTech in his map program, moving over all sorts of landscapes. The workshop shook as Sonic's body smashed into the side, blue winds circling the Gizoid's wide blade that attacked him.
"Give me a break!" Sonic groaned, falling to the ground before ducking to the side as a Gizoid's fist smashed into the wall. "How could someone create so many of these crazy strong robots?!"
"Someone who was hell bent on destruction," Blaze answered before tossing her leg out and spinning around to knock a Gizoid through the air in a burst of fiery flames.
As they fell through the air Tain's arm magically formed into a Tattoo Gun which he fired at the falling Gizoid, destroying it. But another Gizoid's opal suddenly flashed before its arm turned into a Tattoo Gun as well, firing off an impressive barrage of bullets which Tain deflected with his own. But at that moment the other mechs fired their guns, which Tain responded to by forming another Tattoo Gun and using both to deflect the gunfire. At that moment a Gizoid's fist suddenly lit on fire as it launched at Tain from the backside, determined to take him out in one hit.
But Blaze moved in between them and unleashed her Fire Arts technique, unleashing a circling barrage of kicks that sent out arcs and waves of scorching fire that destroyed three of the Gizoids around her. Tain then relinquished one of his Tattoo Guns and tossed one of his short swords through the air, impaling the Gizoid in the head before he used his Tattoo Gun to destroy the mechs firing at him. A Gizoid rushed at Tain with their wide blade, but Sonic suddenly jumped in the way and smacked the Gizoid off the platform with a break dancing kick before curling into a Spin Dash and barreling through two more.
"It's nice to see that you two can keep up with me!" Tain grinned.
"Someone's a bit overconfident," Sonic responded. "You needed our help to get out of that sticky situation, after all!"
"Tell Tails he has to move faster," Blaze pleaded. "It's good to know we can all act tough but you know that we're all running out of energy."
"It's ready," Tails announced as the runway opened and the Aeolus emerged from the workshop with the heroes in it. "I know where the base is, but this won't be easy and could be very tricky."
"Sonic, let's provide the distraction!" Blaze offered.
The cerulean hedgehog nodded as he held his hand out in front of him, creating a massive cyan sphere of whirling blue winds, blades of wind rotating around it. The blue blur held the powerful Sonic Storm over his head before holding it out to his side where Blaze suddenly launched a Fireball at it. The flaming blast dispersed as it touched the attack and then the flames began to merge with the blades of wind, moving outwards from the blue sphere in the center of it all. The blue hedgehog slammed the Blazing Storm into the ground, sending bursts of wind and flame in all directions that destroyed all of the mechs and blew the Gizoids away from the platform.
"Let's move!" Sonic said, the heroes racing away from the multi-elemental explosion before they jumped into the Aeolus. By the time the Gizoids recovered the Aeolus was already speeding away over the ocean, to finally confront the source of the great corruption.
Location: Industry City
The Aeolus landed within the smog, lightning streaking through the thick mist of pollution as the heroes landed in the middle of the ruined forest. The trees were yellow and had no fruit or leaves, and the ground was a sickly pale color. Through the great mist in front of them massive factories rose out of the ground, mostly concealed by the smog's shadows. The heroes slowly got out of the Aeolus with clear gas masks on as it was the only way for anything organic to live in such an environment before the Aeolus flew off into the smog, as they did not want to be caught in such a place.
The thin red glow that spread along the machineries of the city stuck out among the smog, illuminating the entire area in an eerie glow that signaled the dangers that lied ahead. Through the smog the heroes could see the swarms of mechs that moved throughout the streets and the air, looking for any intruders through the labyrinth of factories, pipes, and old machinery. The heroes walked slowly through the poisonous forest, broken garbage and machinery littering the ground of the forest as they finally moved over a mound of garbage and to the city ahead which seemed to stretch even to the horizons.
"That's horrible!" Amy said.
The former metropolis was now just a shell of what it once was. At a certain point it was a great city, but once the industrial projects of the city got out of hand it slowly became a garbage dump for the world that was so disgusting that in time no organism could live there. And as such, machines were the only things left in the city, tirelessly performing their now useless functions until Xi corrupted them. The eerie red glow spread over the city's machinery and the robots now seemed to have a much more deadly purpose, searching through the smog for anything that could destroy their master's plan.
"This is gonna be interesting," Sonic said. "There's eight of us against all of them and we're going to be easily noticeable."
"Are you really suggesting we split up again?" Tain moaned. "I mean, every time we've done something so far!"
"If we all stay together though, we'll get noticed so easily. I mean, look at all of the mechs around here, and I bet the Gizoids and Emerl are just making themselves less obvious," Amy added.
"True, but we would be a lot stronger if we stuck together. We're going to face a lot up ahead and it would be best if we could combined our strength for it, you know?" Tain argued. "Even I'll admit I wouldn't been dead back there without Blaze and Sonic."
"Yeah, cause I don't plan to get ambushed with only two or so people by my side," Gemini snorted. "I need more people to do the work for me."
"Actually, the fox is right," Alice said. "Besides, with eight of us the groups would be big enough. You guys can just split up and find your way to the source in different ways so that if one group gets caught the other still has a chance."
"Well, I'll take you, Blaze, and Marine while Sonic can take Tails, Amy, and Tain. That works out for everyone involved, right?" Gemini said. "Cause I'm tired of sitting here while crazy virus guy takes down every network in the whole world and makes his insane robot army that much bigger. You know, this means he has my Casino City network too, and I really can't afford to deal with that."
"Crikey, you sure do WHINE a lot," Marine snickered, earning herself a glare from the Rose hedgehog.
The two groups nodded to each other before they slid down the mountains of garbage and to the broken streets below. The two groups ran down the street when the mechs turned their backs as they head off into Industry City, to save the world from forces that they could barely comprehend.
Emerl the Gizoid stood atop a large metal chimney that rose up into the sky, smoke rising into the smog behind him as a new gray and blue cape was attached to his back, signifying his completely new alliance. The Gizoid looked down upon the mechs patrolling below, and felt something akin to true happiness-the plan was going flawless already, especially now that the heroes had found their way to their base. But at that moment a massive presence rushed through the air, however the Gizoid paid no mind to it, or at least he pretended that he didn't.
"I wondered when Ragnarok would get their evil hands in this," Emerl said, suddenly leaping off of the chimney as one of Aersus' blades smashed it to pieces in a burst of pressure and responding with a Fireball which destroyed what left of it and engulfed Aersus in scorching flames. "I just didn't think they would have only one agent take care of it all."
"Ragnarok isn't here to stop you. Besides, we're pretty sure your plans will fail," Aersus said, using a burst of pressure in all directions to knock away most of the flames before landing on the roof of a long factory.
"You have no way of knowing that. You claim your Master knows our plan but there is no way of him knowing that," Emerl said, landing on another pipe. "Anyhow, you're especially confident for one who has lost everything and is up against an army of robots. At a moment's notice they can swarm you and you'll be finished."
"I suppose you're right, but I could just warp away. And besides, the Lord of Ragnarok isn't just great because of his title...after all, he is a God. And not just in the sense of his power," Aersus said, pleasured at the terror on Emerl's face. "He knew what you planned to do before you even did it. He knows Xi is going to fail. He knows Ragnarok is going to succeed. He can already see your helpless demise, even when you can't. This ruthless demeanor you put up-it means nothing. You haven't changed."
"Shut up!" Emerl screamed, suddenly unleashing a crescent of fire at the jackal, who just leaped to another platform only for Emerl to unleash a burst of a pressure. Aersus held out his sword and strengthened it with a coating of kinetic energy which the pressure rolled off of. "You shouldn't talk. You act cool but Xi's been studying your heart the most...you might as well be tearing yourself apart on the inside. I have so much on me now that you cannot understand. Unless Xi and Metal succeed, me coming back to life will all be for nothing."
"None of that matters, all I'm here for is you, to test the potential of the Gizoid for the upcoming war," Aersus snarled before racing forward with both swords at the draw and bolts of pressure around it. Emerl launched up towards him with a Sonic Wind and the resulting clash of powers sent a massive shock wave out in all directions which blew out all of the windows of the factories within a block in every direction.
The battle was on.
"Let us out of here!" Luxi demanded, smashing a massive blade against the barrier of data only to get repelled back to the other end of their confined prison.
"I'm afraid we cannot do that now, not until the time is right," Xi said, data circling his body while Metal leaned against the wall, glaring at the Knuckles, Shade, Luxi, and Silver. "Otherwise you would just get in our way and we do need you to lead the other heroes here."
"They will stop you!" Silver called out, "They won't fall for any trap of yours!"
"It is not a trap," Xi said, attempting to truly smile but still faltering. "I merely require that they witness what I plan to do...so they can see the greatness of my vision, and you will too. I plan to become more than a body and soul...at any cost."
Metal simply said nothing, leaping out of the central factory and onto the roof, staring out through the smog to the sky shining above. Their plans were so close to fruition, every thing he has done in the past few years has been for this.
Gemini, Blaze, Alice, and Marine walked down a narrow speedway in the city, condensation forming on the clear surface of their translucent gas masks. The Rose hedgehog noticed this and wiped some of it off of his gas mask quickly before putting in back on. The pollution fog seemed to condense even more around the streets, the piercing red lights striking through the darkness it created as the group sneaked through one of the main roadways, sticking to the side and moving their way through the pipes.
"This place is just disgusting!" Amy whined. "It's so sticky and it smells!"
"Well, that's what most garbage dumps smell like Ames," Gemini said. "Except a hundred times over. You better be lucky you're wearing that gas mask or you might die of the smell."
"Did you just realize that you called her Ames, which is what Sonic calls her?" Alice smirked, causing Gemini to freeze on the spot. "He's really rubbing off on you, isn't he?"
"Please! My mind was wandering, and besides, no one like that so called glorified, scum of a hero scum would rub off on me," Gemini spat back. "Who do you think I am?"
"Whatever you say, Gemini. After all, you did say it," Amy giggled, causing the rosy and ebony hedgehog to fume in embarrassment.
"Guys, I can sense a few presences around here," Marine warned, holding up both of her palms and summoning green blasts of energy. "And none are friendly!"
"What are they?" Alice asked. "Can we know what we're up against?"
"There's a Ragnarok signature near us, full of rage. I think it's...a coyote?" Marine deduced.
"Aersus," Gemini said under his breath, hoping with everything he had that they did not run into the jackal in his current state.
"Then there's that Gizoid, Emerl, and that Eggman's robot that looks like Sonic," Marine continued. "Wait! There's another Gizoid, over there!"
As the raccoon pointed out the Gizoid from among the pipes, glaring at them with its red, corrupted eyes, the robot suddenly held its hand out to them as it turned into a large chain gun which it held with its other hand before firing. The maroon hedgehog repelled the first few shots with a Dark Cannon but found it to be mostly ineffective and leaped off the pipe after his comrades as the bullets ripped through everything. The group of four landed on a higher pipe but the Gizoid was already there, switching its arms back to normal and smashing Gemini in the stomach with a powerful kick before shooting off a Dark Cannon after him.
The maroon furred anthro split in two to avoid the battle before fusing both copies back together, tumbling across the broken roadway. As he got back up a blaring alarm sounded, the red glow becoming even brighter. The mechs patrolling the city around them suddenly focused on the heroes as they helped Gemini up, ready to unleash their firepower. The Gizoid also landed behind the group with a massive blue mech assimilated into him, with the Gizoid's body at the center.
"I got this!" Marine called to her teammates.
The raccoon suddenly jumped into the battle against the odds. He destroyed many of the mechs with blasts of green energy as she showed what she learned from her master Blaze, cartwheeling, flipping, and spinning in all directions to avoid the waves of gunfire that came down around them. The raccoon then sent a wave of green at the massive assimilating Gizoid, but the Gizoid raised its massive navy cannon and eliminate the wave of green with a few Dark Cannon shots before sending a hail of chain gun fire at the heroes.
"That mystical energy is outdated by thousands of years. It would have been powerful in the time of my creation but with my modern assimilation it is useless," the Gizoid said in a robotic tone. "It is a wonder people can still somehow inherit it."
"Mystical energy? I never knew that," Marine said idiotically, the heroes slapping their faces and groaning. "Nice to know what I'm actually using for now on!"
The heroes leaped out of the way of the chain gun bursts, but Gemini instead charged forward ahead on them before summoning his other body. The two Geminis weaved in and out of each other to avoid the chain gun shots and confused the enemy before they launched directly at the face of the Gizoid. Another Dark Cannon attack was sent at the face of the wealthy anthro but he quickly performed a dodge by having own body vault the other over the attack before having the other body merge into the vaulted body.
The Gizoid was completely vulnerable as he slowly turned around to meet the hedgehogs as they merged, black energy rushing and circling around him. Gemini's body was suddenly alight with black energy as a massive flaming ebony aura surrounded him. In an instant he disappeared underneath the energy as he launched off the ground at breakneck speeds like a missile of black energy. The Gizoid's body burst apart in waves of radiating black energy that shot out from the impact, Gemini landing on the other side as his Dark Comet destroyed even the remains of the assimilating Gizoid.
"And that's how it's done," Gemini boasted.
But the heroes were not done yet. As more mechs landed around them and more mechs filled the air the heroes raced forward, knowing if they just continued fighting they would never make it to stop Xi's plan. But on the roof of a factory far away, a massive mech unleashed a wave rockets, carpet bombing the roadway as the mechs that could fly spared themselves, firing bursts of gunfire into the great cloud of smoke as the heroes' fate was obscured.
To Be Continued...
A/N: And so there's the beginning of the conflicts that are to come in the race against time to find Xi and stop his plan in Industry City. Next chapter we'll deal with Sonic's group and Emerl's true purpose for joining Xi, as well as hyping up the great two parter that will conclude this story arc and deal with Xi and Metal's plan unfolding and what it will mean for the rest of the story, including the massive revelations of the halfway chapter, 30. Be sure to review every chapter, especially if you haven't reviewed some to let me know what you think, and hang tight for the things that will happen next.