The liberation of Iceberg was starting strong for the crew of the Eden's Zero. Rebecca, Happy, and Homura already infiltrated the factory, where of the cores they needed to deactivate was hidden within. They traversed the area carefully. "It's warm in here…" Homura pointed this out. It was getting a little hot for her, if only because of the insulated scarf she was wearing.
Before Rebecca answered, she looked around some more. She and Homura stopped at a corner, and Rebecca peered her head around. She could see some human workers pushing along some mechanical parts in floating carts. "I think I see why. Those guys are being forced to transport something…" As Rebecca said this, she saw two androids forcing the humans along.
"I see the issue now myself." Homura peered around the corner over Rebecca. "We run the risk of being spotted, but it would be in our best interest to evacuate this facility."
"I agree." Rebecca held her Happy Blasters up. "I'll set them up."
"And I'll follow right behind you." Homura said with a firm nod and a slight smile.
Rebecca moved out first, rounding the corner while taking some pot shots to get the android's attention. "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size!"
"Hey! How did you get in here!?" The androids asked, taking battle ready stances. Rebecca already shot at them, so they knew she had malicious intent.
"If you're not here to work, then get out!" The other android said.
"It's time for your eviction notice!" Rebecca winked and pointed her twin blasters forward, shooting at the robots to force them onto the defensive. When she saw her opening, she used Cat Leaper to speed past them and in front of the confused people. "Get out of here! I got this!"
"O-Okay?" The workers had no idea what was going on. But they saw humans taking a stand against the androids that enslaved them, and they weren't going to complain about it. So they quickly dropped the tasks they were doing to run.
"Hey! Get back here!" The skeleton androids exclaimed, preparing to rush towards Rebecca since she was the one that told the humans to run. Before they could get too far, Homura emerged from behind them with her sword raised.
"Hyah!" Homura cut down both androids in a single slash. They never saw it coming and they collapsed to the ground. Homura landed and let out a small breath. "I see we have quite the task ahead of us. But I'm sure we can do this."
"Of course!" Rebecca winked. "We just have to get to the heart of the factory…and it's just now hitting me that I should've asked those guys where it was." Her expression suddenly fell. That would've saved them a lot of time.
"There is no cause for alarm." Homura walked past Rebecca, gesturing to the carts the workers abandoned. "I believe if we follow these, it will take us to where we want to go. If we encounter anymore workers, we can tell them to leave."
"Good idea, Homura!" Rebecca smiled. "C'mon then, we don't have a lot of time to lose!" The two women nodded to each other and took off down a path that led to the core of the factory.
As they took off. The android in charge of the factory was watching them. A subtle smile appeared on his lips and he tipped his gaudy crown for a second. "So, that's their plan, hm? Alright, I'll see how far they can get…but after seeing them in action, this looks like an extremely intriguing find…"
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In the town, Kleene was preparing to use herself as a diversion. She used her wind to float above the buildings to get a bird's eye view of the area. She spotted the transportation vehicle coming their way and she planned to make sure it stayed that way. Landing on a building, Kleene drew her arm back, before throwing it forward. "Apologies for this, but it must be done." Green lines appeared along her face and a fierce current of wind blew forward, striking the backside of the car.
"What was that!?" One of the skeleton robots asked.
The other one looked around, spotting Kleene on the rooftops. It was precisely what she wanted. "Up there! There's someone here!" The skeleton robot pointed out.
Kleene just waved to the skeleton robots with a slight smile, then used her wind to strike the back of the vehicle once again. She jumped down from the building, pursuing the transportation from behind. "I'm going to ask to you to release the people within that car."
"We don't have time for this!" One of the robots said, putting the pedal to the medal. The car sped up, leaving Kleene in the dust.
Kleene didn't have any hope of catching up to the car after that, but she stopped because she also didn't need to. Instead, she just smiled as the car sped ahead. "I did my part…"
"Tch, looks like those intruders are here already…" The robot driving muttered.
"W-What's going on back there?" One of the humans in the back asked.
"Stay quiet! You're working in the factory today, so don't ask questions and just do your job." The robot barked to the humans. Due to the fear they felt, the humans instantly froze up and went quiet.
"Always talking…" The robot driving grumbled. He was focusing on the road ahead, but then something happened. The snow in the town began to pick up, soon becoming a blizzard. "What the…? We're not due for a blizzard just yet! What's going on?" This made driving difficult and forced him to slow down. In the next instant, a robotic fist punched through the front glass, slamming into the face of the driver. "Gah!?"
"What the…!?" The android in the passenger's seat gasped as the driver was knocked out cold. Since he was on the break, the vehicle slowed to a halt and the blizzard cleared.
The robot fist returned to Jinn. He, Pino, Weisz, and Laguna were standing in front of the transport vehicle, while Kleene was coming up behind them to surround them. "Step away from the vehicle. We're liberating this planet from your clutches."
"It would be in your best interest to give up." Weisz said with a wide grin. "We've got you surrounded."
The conscious android looked around…before grinning. "Is that really the case? We just received word that your crew was here, and we prepared for this." The android then snapped his fingers, and a number of humans emerged from the buildings all around them. They were holding weapons shakily, but those guns were all pointed at the members of the Eden's Zero.
"What the…!?" Laguna glanced around. "You're using the humans as weapons?"
"It's a fitting use for the future galaxy ruled by robots, just like Ziggy wishes." The android said with a menacing grin. It was clear as day that the humans were being threatened to do this. Some of them had never even used guns, their arms were quaking, and their expressions read nothing but fear. The skeleton army ruled this planet with an iron fist. "If they make any sudden moves, shoot them all down!"
"We're sorry…but we have to do this…" A man spoke, his eyes shaking. There were tears forming in his eyes at the thought of having to take another human life, but…he had no choice…
Laguna looked around, carefully reading all of their expressions. The humans of this planet didn't want this. The idea of being forced into this role was too much for them. "I understand, but don't worry. You won't have to do a thing you don't want to after today. So let your tears fall." In that instant, all of the surrounding humans turned into puddles of water before they could even react.
"What…!?" The android gasped at how fast the ambush was disassembled. It was a good plan, but it couldn't even get off the ground.
The moment Laguna turned the humans into tears, Jinn leapt into action. He pushed forward, his left palm enshrouded in wind. "Skymech Ninjutsu Attack: Windstorm Palm Strike!" Jinn thrust his palm forward, slamming it into the android's chest. A cyclone erupted from his palm, consuming and blowing the enemy android through at least two buildings before it stopped.
"Nice work, Laguna! Brother!" Kleene clasped her hands together happily. "Um…but isn't it bad to turn those people to tears when there's a lot of snow around?"
"They don't be absorbed into the snow or anything, don't worry." Laguna reassured Kleene. He snapped his fingers and those that were turned into tears returned to normal, however they were unconscious. "We should work on moving them back inside. Even if they're native to this planet, being out in the cold like this is no good for them…or for my makeup."
Weisz was approaching the vehicle with a widening grin. "Once I let these guys out, we can check in with…"
The android that Jinn knocked unconscious suddenly woke up in a panic. "Wh…huh!?" In their fit of panic, they pressed the gas and suddenly sped up, nearly running Weisz over in the process.
"Oh shit, hey! Get back here!" Weisz grunted and leapt onto the car before it got too far. There were still people in side and they were understandably confused and afraid at the sudden change in speed. Because of this, Weisz was carried off out of the town, while the others were left behind.
"Weisz!" Pino shouted in worry as Weisz was carried off.
"…That's not good." Jinn grunted. He thought that blow would leave the robot unconscious for longer…
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Rebecca and Homura were quickly pushing through the factory. Whenever they came across skeleton androids, they were swiftly taken care of and they told any human workers to leave immediately. Naturally, the humans were pretty confused, but it looked like they were being helped and didn't ask question. Only after a little while did Rebecca and Homura reach the depths the factory, where the core they needed to shut down was. "We finally made it." Homura said, turning around and keeping an eye out for anyone following them.
Rebecca knelt down, pulling out and opening a laptop. "Rebecca here, connecting to core one!"
"That's perfect!" Hermit said. "Once Shiki connects to the core he's going for, we can shut this down."
"The second year of our liberation mission only just started and we already got a planet." Happy said with a grin. "If we keep this up, who knows how many we can liberate!"
"While I am happy that we are able to succeed in this, it is certainly growing more difficult. Last year we only needed to stop a single core." Homura frowned. "It appears as though Ziggy is intent on making things more difficult for us as time goes by."
"Yeah…if we don't find any clues on him, we might just be stuck in this loop." Rebecca frowned. With their connection complete, she put the laptop away and stood back up. "But this is all we can do for now, and it's better than doing nothing! We should head back and check in with the others."
"I believe we've cleared the factory at this rate. All skeleton soldiers have been defeated." Nodding, Homura glanced around. Her eyes landed on the remains of a red skeleton robot in the corner of a room. It was broken apart and scattered across the area. "…Oh…that's horrible." Even though Ziggy's skeleton army was their enemy, Homura could not imagine doing something so cruel to one of them.
"Ugh….who did this…" Rebecca felt a chill crawl up her spine, and her stomach dropped. It was a gruesome sight. "We should go…"
"I agree…" Happy said.
With that, the trio made their way back through the factory with Homura leading the way. There were no disturbances on the way…until they made it to the wide entrance. Homura suddenly stopped walking. "…."
"What's wrong, Homura?" Rebecca asked.
"…We're being watched again." Homura said, narrowing her eyes. She then turned around, her gaze tilting up towards the ceiling. On some pipes above, she could see a shadowy figure watching them. "I can see you."
Rebecca quickly turned around. "Someone's here!?"
The gaudily dressed android jumped down from above once he was spotted. He dusted himself off and grinned towards the trio. "Why hello there, my dear guests. Did you enjoy your trip throughout my factory?"
"Who the heck is this guy?" Happy pointed at the android. "And why does he dress like that!?"
"Who am I? A good question! My name is Waltz." The android formally introduced himself. "I am the master of this factory you three have ransacked so thoroughly. You looked like you had a lot of fun running out the humans and taking down the skeleton army here."
"So you're the one forcing the humans to work in this place against their will!" Homura immediately brandished a single Soul Blade, holding it within her hands, while Rebecca had Happy transform into the blasters once again. "This means you are the one in charge of the uprising on this planet!"
"I'm flattered you think that highly of me." Waltz said while slowly pacing around the two women. They kept their guard up, eying the android curiously. "But your slightly incorrect about the turn of events here. These humans were already enslaved by the skeleton army of Ziggy's before I got here…but I decided to take control."
"Take control?" Rebecca asked, her fingers prematurely squeezing the triggers of her blasters. The second this guy made any type of move, she would be on it.
"Didn't you see it? There was a skeleton robot in the depths of the factory. That was the original leader, but I made short work of him." Waltz said proudly, holding his arms up and apart in some sort of grand gesture. "So the planet of Iceberg soon came under my control! Farming resources with human labor has been quite an entertaining experience. They cower, fear, and respect my authority. And if you're wondering why Ziggy's army didn't attack me, it was because I took the chip from the former leader and downloaded it into my mainframe, so they think I'm supposed to be here. Even androids have flaws, especially when they're mass produced for war."
"You killed an android and took its programming!? You're sick!" Rebecca couldn't bear to listen to this anymore. Even if it was an enemy, this kind of behavior was deplorable. She fully clicked the triggers, sending numerous ether bullets towards Waltz.
"I don't see why you're so upset!" Waltz said while elegantly leaping backwards, brandishing saber to deflect Rebecca's bullets. "It's technically none of your business. I think I made your job easier, after all, had the previous android in charge spotted you, you would've been ambushed and defeated, undoubtedly!"
"Do not speak like you did us a favor. You are a selfish android." Homura said while sliding into a battle ready stance.
"Selfish? Not at all! I do this for a reason, not just for myself." Waltz said while twirling his saber around, looking the two women over. His gaze fell on Homura, taking note of her Soul Blade. "Now that is an interesting find…this should turn a good profit. Yes, yes….things are going to be very interesting if I can capture you."
"You're not lying a hand on her!" Rebecca started shooting again, but Waltz was able to deflect these bullets.
Homura then jumped ahead, raising her sword over her head. She attempted to land an overhead slash on Waltz's body, but the gaudy android was able to block her strike and push her back. Homura landed on her feet. "I can already tell he is no easy opponent…"
Waltz grinned before pulling his sword back, an aura of fire appearing around the blade. "The androids on this planet are built to withstand the harsh environment. During my time here, I adapted some parts from this factory and incorporated them into my body. The skeleton army is a truly terrifying force…" The aura of fire on his sword intensified and he swung it vertically. "Incineration Wave!" A torrent of fire emerged from the sword, which forced Rebecca and Homura to dive in opposite directions. Part of the factory was toppled and set ablaze as a result from this mighty swing. The ground was completely scorched from this attack.
The fire and flames got to Homura and she started to sweat somewhat, panting heavily. "Tis hot…" But she was able to shake it off. She could endure this heat for as long as she needed to. "In his selfish bid to become stronger, he has taken some knowledge about Ziggy. If we can defeat this android…"
"We might get a clue about Ziggy…!" Rebecca finished that thought. It suddenly became worthwhile to engage in combat with Waltz. Their anger at the way he treated humans and androids was a good motivator in this as well.
Waltz slowly approached the two women with a grin. "I've been eager to face off against members of the Eden's Zero. Liberating planets? Don't you think you've taken off more than you can chew? This universe is far bigger than you two could ever imagine...but I'm eager to see how far this determination of yours will carry you."
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Ano was still stealthily making his way through the network of the Eden's Zero. Even though he slipped through their security with his Ether Gear and hacking skills, it was still an incredibly difficult task. There were so many encrypted files he had to sneak past. As much as he would've loved to try opening them, he knew the second he tried they would be onto him. As such he had to take many detours and skip out on otherwise valuable information. "Damn, this network is more airtight than I expected. Getting in was easy, but getting anything out of this isn't look so great…" Perhaps he was setting his sights too high…
"Ano, this is Casey. I'm closing in on the landing sight of the fragment." Casey reported via com link.
"Alright, I'm still keeping an eye on things…" Ano reported, his attention mostly on his hacking efforts. Instead of looking for the huge secrets, he tried a different tactic. Basic information about the crew, surely that would yield some results. "Let's see…crew dossier…here we go!" Now this was something he could sink his teeth into!
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Shiki arrived at the top of the mountain, a trail of defeated skeleton robots behind him. That was about as much of a warmup as he could ask for, and he made sure not to damage them too badly. Although, that was looking very unlikely for the android that was standing in front of him. A humanoid behemoth of an android that was as tall as a three story building, looming over Shiki, while standing protectively in front of the core. "Model: Sentry Alpha reporting for combat." The android said while staring at Shiki.
"So, you're the big boss here, huh?" Shiki said while slamming one fit into an open palm. His expression was serious as he stared up at his foe. The core was right behind it and that was his goal.
"Shiki? How are things on your end?" Hermit asked. "Rebecca and Homura have already linked up to the first core."
"I thought as much." Shiki had a slight smile, the green lines along his arms shining even brighter upon hearing that news. "Give me a few minutes. I have to take one of these androids down, but after that…the mission will be completed. It's time for the final push!"