As promised, the spearhead arrives at the hangar to find a welcome party of a hundred robots waiting for them. However, instead of landing and jumping straight into the fight, Milla flies Kujacker into the hangar and unleashes an Electric Surge, discharging potent lightning in all directions. The brutal attack scorches the inside of the hangar, but it's effective: the circuitry of the entire welcome party is fried in seconds, leaving only carcasses emitting thin blue smoke.
"Clear!" Milla reports as she lands.
Carol is in next, closely followed by the Scarves. Lilac is last in, leaping off the Holodragon's head and into the hangar to allow Pangu to terminate the projection and enter.
With everyone on board, they take a few moments to check for any unnoticed injuries.
"Aw, my dress is all tatty," Maria sighs, picking at a few of the several dozen small tears in her teal skater.
"I'm no better," Tai remarks, her white razorback tank top and blue leggings equally littered with small tears. "Picked up a few nicks too," she adds, noticing her top is also sporting a few small bloodstains.
"And you're both doing a lot better than me," Sally laments, noticing her black tank top and capris are badly shredded. "I'm surprised these are still on me."
Danny removes his navy‑blue vest and hands it to Sally. "It's got a few holes, but it's in much better condition."
"Are you sure this isn't just an excuse to show off those abs?" Sally flirts as she takes the vest and slips it on over her tank top.
"We're here to take down a villain who's threatening the future of our world, and you're all obsessed with fashion and muscles," Spade complains, ignoring the fact his own clothes are also damaged.
"Spade, any more from you, and I'm shutting you up personally," Carol chides.
"I'm just saying‑" Spade begins.
"Nothing," Carol commands. "You're saying nothing unless it's directly related to completing your mission. Understood?"
Spade remains silent.
"Good." Carol breathes deeply, then turns to the other Scarves. "Everyone OK?"
"Just a few cuts, nothing serious," Danny assures. "That new fabric's working well for you; it looks like you just put it on."
"Still got a few cuts on exposed parts," Lilac informs, showing several shallow gashes on her arms.
Suddenly, the ship tannoy bursts into life. "You have twenty minutes," Corazon announces. "Best of luck," she adds before shutting off the tannoy.
"Then we better get moving," Carol decides.
With no further words, the two teams separate and begin their assigned missions, Team Avalice heading towards the bridge, and the Red Scarves heading rearwards towards the engines and the ship's computer banks.
On the bridge, Corazon watches the two groups leave the hangar. "You're in luck, greasemonkey: the Scarves are heading your way," she informs. "Kill them, and you might just redeem yourself."
"Aye‑aye, b‑b‑b‑boss!"
Corazon closes the connection and opens one to Merga. "They're on their way. And remember, leave Carol to me: I will deal with her personally."
"I can take her out," Merga informs.
"You had your chance, and you blew it," Corazon reminds. "You don't get a second. Leave Carol to me."
Merga terminates the connection without replying.
How rude. Corazon turns her attention back to her screens.
Team Avalice are the first to meet opposition: a squad of twenty robots, all armed with razor‑sharp blades, and as with all the greasemonkey's creations, all sporting the same vacant face that is both cute and disturbing. But that doesn't slow the girls down: they're straight into the fight, working together properly as a team for the first time since Corazon appeared in Shang Mu.
In stark contrast to their first attempt to storm the Sigwada, Lilac charges with her friends as a unit, unleashing a grounded Cyclone at the last moment to break into the enemy formation and provide a path in for Carol and Milla. Once in the centre of the squad, the three girls stand back‑to‑back and stand firm against the robots surrounding them. To an outsider, such a tactic would appear foolhardy at best. However, the tactic works: together, the girls eliminate the squad of twenty in just twenty seconds.
"Now that's more like it!" Carol exclaims as she Wild Claws the last robot open before allowing the sparking carcass to fall to the floor.
"Why didn't we try that last time?" Lilac asks.
"Because you were being a cocky sh‑" Carol begins.
"Point taken," Lilac interrupts.
"The faces still creep me out," Milla comments, idly cleaving any unbroken robot face she finds in two with her energised piandao.
"Me too," Carol admits. "But now's not the time to dwell on that."
"Agreed. Where to next?" Lilac asks.
"This way," Carol answers, leading her friends down the corridor.
As Team Avalice resumes their hunt, the Red Scarves encounter their first robot squad. Maria and Tai draw their ninjato and charge, supported by covering fire from Sally and Spade. The combined fire brings down five of the thirty robots before the felines engage, at which point the gunners holster their pistols and follow Danny into close‑quarters combat. The felines continue their charge right through the squad, leaving a trail of sliced robots behind them, then turn and attack the rear as Sally, Danny, and Spade engage the front.
Pinned between the two fronts, the robots stand no chance: in less than a minute, all thirty lie broken and sparking on the floor.
As Maria skewers the last robot, it sprays her in the face with hydraulic fluid. Spluttering, the lynx stumbles backwards, trips, and lands hard on her tail. "Dumb mean robot," she mutters, wiping fluid out of her eyes.
"Are you OK?" Tai asks, rushing to help Maria to her feet.
"Yeah," Maria assures, blinking furiously to wash the last of the hydraulic fluid out of her eyes. "I hope that wasn't poisonous; some went in my mouth."
"If you didn't swallow, it'll be fine," Sally assures. "I've been sprayed by hydraulics before," she adds as explanation. "Just be thankful it wasn't a high‑pressure system. I used to know an engineer who got hit by a leak from one of those; it was ugly."
"How badly was he hurt?" Danny asks.
"You don't want to know," Sally answers. "Let's just say his funeral was strictly closed‑casket. He was a good man too…"
"…and now I'm scared of hydraulics," Maria admits.
"Sorry," Sally apologises. "Don't worry though: systems that run that much pressure are very rare. Tends to only be heavy industry or research."
"Heavy industry like the factory I was in four months ago?" Maria asks.
"…I'm going to shut up before I make this worse," Sally decides.
"Good," Spade interjects. "Now, if we're all done being cute, can we proceed?"
"Real morale booster today, you are," Sally remarks sarcastically.
"I am your superior," Spade reminds. "Try showing some damn respect."
"When you've earned it," Sally replies.
Spade is about to retort when he feels Danny's hand on his shoulder. The cavy looks to see the badger shaking his head, discouraging Spade from continuing the argument.
"You should teach your girlfriend some discipline," Spade recommends quietly.
"She's ex‑military," Danny counters. "You're just sore you have to earn her respect."
Spade shrugs off Danny's hand and leads the group down the corridor. As the others follow, Sally falls in beside Danny. "What's his problem?" she whispers.
"I think this whole Corazon situation has him rattled," Danny guesses.
"Should I cut him some slack?" Sally asks.
"Not one bit," Danny answers.
"Fifteen minutes," Corazon announces over the tannoy.
Five minutes later, the Scarves reach their target: the engineering decks at the rear of the ship.
"Danny, Sally, you take out the computer banks," Spade instructs. "Maria, Tai, you're with me on the engines."
As the Scarves split into their assigned groups, the floor suddenly opens. Taken completely by surprise, the Scarves drop into a net suspended in the hold below, collecting in a tangled heap in the centre.
"Well, this is comfortable," Sally comments sarcastically, pinned at the bottom of the heap.
"I'd move, but I have a Spade on me," Maria replies.
"Luckily, I'm on top," Tai assures. "I'll cut us free."
"I'd wait if I were you," Sally cautions. "We're about twenty feet up."
"And about ten feet from the ceiling," Danny adds.
Maria's right ear twitches. "Someone's coming."
The Scarves all scramble to get a look at what is entering the room.
"We're fucked," Sally realises.