Sammael studied the scene as he observed via an undetected Seer Grimm.
He could already see the huge bipedal form of his friend's newest machine, and it was starting to get closer to the location of his target.
"It seems your old friend is making his move," Moloch purred from beside Sammael.
The Fallen didn't even bat an eye as he looked at where the Beast lurked. "Yes."
"Speaking of which, I seem to have had a change of mind in regards to those... Shinkalions or whatever they are called," Moloch stated. "After seeing how that one with the chest cannon reacted, well... I would like to see what other things we can do to try and break them." He licked his lips, unseen. "His hatred was succulent..."
Sammael smirked. "I see. So you too wish to become involved in the creation of new Kaiju?" he asked.
Moloch snorted. "Hardly!" he growled. "However... if I may, I wish to take a stab at attacking them... or barring that, using an old legend to draw them out..."
His red eyes flashed as he directed Sammael's gaze to the looming presence of Aokigahara Forest. Sammael knew of this place, as it was a feeding ground for despair and hopelessness in Japan. His eyes narrowed as he pondered what Moloch was implying. "I do see the reasoning for wanting to use the forest, but what..." His voice trailed off as he caught a glimpse of the way the Beast of Darkness sneered, and then he realized what Moloch was intending.
"Oh... I see..." he purred. His lips curled upward into a sneer of his own. "I see... The yūrei..." His eyes flashed. "I get your intentions, Moloch. Well, your powers, when connected with the spirits of the deceased... that would be an interesting sight..."
Moloch chuckled darkly. "Perhaps later?" he asked.
Sammael sneered. "Even better. I shall grant you a Grimm to assist... to draw them into the forest... and then you can have your fun..." Then he grew serious. "But it will take time. So for now, just relax..." He conjured up a box of popcorn with a wave of the hand. "And enjoy the show."
(Shows a pair of eyes opening before the eyes morph into optics)
START Kaitei no Orchestra (Precious Time) (ROMI)
(The optics flash as the camera pans out to show six shadowy mecha before they leap towards the camera, brandishing their weapons)
Hiroi aoi kono basho de tokiga nagarete yuku my precious time (The image fades to show a cat Faunus boy with brown hair and magenta eyes walking down a street close to the ocean, looking down at an image of his mother in his hand. He perks up as he spots a rabbit Faunus girl with light green hair and eyes hugs him, making him yelp. A boy with brown hair and brown eyes joins the girl on the cat Faunus's other side, and gives a thumbs up. A boy with dark purple hair and eyes approaches from the left and smiles a bit before a ninja youth leaps down on the right, his dark grey hair and purple eyes standing out with the purple highlight on the right side of his bangs. The five look up at the sky as a shimmering image of a cheetah Faunus with blue hair and eyes appears behind them. The title appears below them all.)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
Itsu no manika kiete shimatte kakegaeno koega (The image fades to show the cat Faunus standing beside his mother's grave, his eyes fixed on her name)
Tsumaranai hibimo sorega sukide ikitetanda (Memories of her and his family march past as he bows his head)
Higa sashiteru tokomade omoikkiri hashitte (A wind blows past and he perks up as he sees something ahead of him, making him break into a run to try and reach the shadowy, winged humanoid shape as it looks back with yellow optics, holding out a hand)
Shinjirarenai koto bakari menomaeni okiru (The two embrace hands and then a flash of light engulfs the screen, fading to show a large Kaiju-class Grimm being attacked by a blue and white mecha wielding a drill before the two clash)
Taiyou no hou wo miagate tachiagaruno tsurakute (The impact throws off a light that engulfs the screen, dissipating to show the cat Faunus, but battered and wounded, looking at the sky, the sun shining down on him as he reaches up a hand, as if grasping at it)
Susumu koto dake omouto (He tries to stagger to his feet, only to collapse briefly before he lifts his gaze, a yellow optic forming in place of his eye as it glows brightly)
Setsunai tabiwo tsuzukeru kawatta me no okuniwa (The light of the optic fades as the camera moves out to show a green and white mecha armed with a sword and wings on its back attacking a porcupine Kaiju-class Grimm in close combat, only for the Kaiju to fire off a slew of spines from its legs and back, making the mecha block with a shimmering tri-colored Aura)
Natsukashii itoshisa wo motomete (On my way) (Behind the mecha appears an image of a cat Faunus woman, and the mecha lunges forward, its sword glowing as it traps the Grimm in an energy cage before slicing it in half)
Kizutsuke attanowa nikui wake janai nosa (The Grimm explodes before a Faunus Ultra gorilla lunges from behind, making the mecha spin to block with its sword, images of a peaceful world appearing behind it before punching the Faunus Ultra and sending it staggering back)
Sokoni kibouga arunonara my precious time (The images coalesce around the mecha's chest as it fires a blast of green energy from a hidden chest cannon at the screen)
Itsukaraka onaji keshikini kakomarete sugoshite (The screen comes back into view, this time showing the cat Faunus as he stands atop a building in Tokyo, his friends beside him as they eye the distant horizon, a shadowy shape behind Mt. Fuji in the distance)
Akinonai koega sukoshizutsu chiri hajimeta (The boy looks down at an image of his mother in his hands, his friends placing their hands on his shoulders to comfort him as tears streak down his cheeks)
Ameni utareta mamade omoku seouno tsurakute (The camera zooms in on his eyes before panning out to show him looking at the window, the same green and white mecha on the other side, both touching their hands to one another before it shifts to show the cat Faunus's mother as a transparent image behind the mecha)
Ushinau koto dake omouto (The camera zooms in on the mecha's face before panning out to show two Faunus, a fox woman and a bull man, standing atop a hotel in downtown Tokyo)
Togirenai omoino nakade hisshi ni tsukamunosa (The two Faunus lunge for the mecha, only to be blocked by a red and white mecha with two guns and a purple and white mecha wielding two shuriken in its hands Beside them is a white and green mecha armed with a sword and the blue and white mecha with the drill is close by)
Dokomademo dokomademo sagasunda (Find your way) (The five mecha charge towards a large shape as it looms out of the shadows of the two Faunus, and behind them is the shape of a white and blue mecha armed with twin energy blades)
Otagaini motomeatte kakera wo tsunagunosa (Shows the six mecha as they stand in a line, each of them holding their weapons at the ready before they charge forward; the green and white mecha fires off its chest cannon as the blue and white mecha spins its drill up, a blue aura engulfing it, the red and white mecha fires its twin guns in a rifle configuration as the purple and white mecha uses its shuriken as weapons, the white and green mecha swings its sword as heat radiates from the blade and the white and blue mecha swipes with its energy blades, releasing a shockwave)
Sokoni kibouga mierukara wow oh wow (The blasts combine to generate an explosion as it hits something before the smoke parts to reveal a scenic image of the city of Tokyo, the tendrils of Satyra retreating from it)
Kimiga tsukutta monogatari saikou no omoide ni nattanda (The image shifts to show the cat Faunus looking down at a photo album of his mother and his friends and family, tears pricking at his eyes before he sees his friends beside him and they hold out their hands, a smile crossing his face as he takes their hands and they pull him out of the darkness into the light)
Bokurano nakani ikitsuzukete soshite arigatou wow (They all hug before a flash of light envelops them, fading shortly after to reveal the six mecha, this time images of the six kids behind them as they charge at a shadowy shape as it looms over them)
Setsunai tabiwo owarasunda miraiwo kaete tsukuruno sa (The image pans to the right to show them all charging, this time transparent scenes of new enemies marching past them - Dr. Robotnik, Sammael, and Moloch - before fading to show the city of Tokyo at sunset, a light shining in this darkening world)
Istumademo akiramezuni oistuzukete (On my way) (The green and white mecha with the wings thrusts its hand out towards an image of the cat Faunus's mother as she reaches out, and their hands clasp before it shows the green and white mecha firing off its chest cannon, the beam this time a shining gold color)
Tashikani kanjitanda kimiga kureta yuuki wo (The blast strikes the enemy before them - Dr. Robotnik - before it shows the mecha with its companions as they join in on the attack with their own moves)
Bokuno subete wo gisei ni torimodosunda bokurano precious time (The image fades to show the six kids standing in front of Tokyo, the title of the series appearing below them)
GRIMMFALL: SHINKALION RISING
OPENING FILES:
CLASSIFIED
DECRYPTING...
FILES DECRYPTED
OPENING FILES: IVANOV "IVO" ROBOTNIK
Ivanov "Ivo" Robotnik is a well-known genius, excelling in all things robotic and being the pioneer for numerous technologies that the civilian and military industries have taken to using. He is known for being incredibly smart, but he has also harbored ambitions for global rule more often than not, making him an ally of last resort. His skills in piloting and building mecha are unmatched, at least by normal standards. Rumors have been swirling of his recent involvement with Project YoRHa, but none have been able to confirm it. He has made numerous enemies, some of which are among the top Hunters in the world, including Seph and Dracon. Other rumors swirling have included him being the arch-nemesis of a blue hedgehog whose speed matches that of Living Bullet.
His connections to the League of Super Criminals, and therefore Sammael, have also spawned rumors that he could have his own Aura and Semblance. But nothing of that nature has been documented thus far.
Intelligence has confirmed that he has a nephew named Snively, and he has been in an alliance with Hector con Carne for some time now.
No further data available.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"When it comes to heroes, there is always someone who seeks to become an archenemy. Or they inadvertently create such an individual. At least, that's how it usually goes," Izumi said as he tented his fingers. He leaned forward at his desk and his eyes flickered. "In some cases, heroes can be created by villains, such as here in Japan. The villains are the Kaiju, and the heroes are Team Shinkalion."
He unfolded his hands and tapped a screen, bringing up an image of the Faceless Ones as they fought against a few Grimm. "But in some cases, like with these unknown entities, their motives can really be secretive and that can breed conspiracy theories. But what if they have a good reason to remain hidden?" He leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Because if they have something big to hide, something world changing, then they have every reason to remain hidden. The Faceless Ones may be an enigma, but their actions have helped curtail Grimm attacks, and have kept the Fallen from getting the Elementals. So, are they really villains, like some say, or are they heroes? Or maybe they aren't heroes, but just a group of beings seeking to do the right thing. It's up to you to decide that one."
CHAPTER XXIV - ROBOTNIK
"...see the attack is proceeding as planned, then," a female voice purred from within the speakers of a sophisticated laptop.
"Of course. I was not about to let this slide," the owner of the laptop purred as he leaned in, his eyes glinting behind his blue lensed goggles. "I was far more interested in my master plan, but this time... well, I guess could assist an old friend."
The man sat back in his seat, his large bulk proving to be an imposing factor. Dr. Ivanov "Ivo" Robotnik was a very imposing presence in the middle of a group, considering his height stood at an impressive seven foot two. It also was aided by his huge build, primarily in his lower region, giving him his infamous nickname of Eggman. But he didn't let that stop him from being a menace and even a serious threat in the long term, due to his sheer brilliance.
The scientist tented his fingers as he eyed the woman on the screen. "And I will admit, this is a good opportunity to see just what Japan's latest project is..." he mused, a sneer crossing his face. "As I'm sure you are aware of?"
"Believe me, Ivanov, I have been in contact with some of our agents there. They have all reported the same thing. So, if you care to find out, well, it would be in both our interests to learn what it is, yes?" Her eyes glinted as she ran a hand through her black and white hair, her blue eyes taking on a sinister intent.
Dr. Robotnik didn't even shudder as he finally smiled. "Yes. I will be sure to inform you the first chance I get, Ms. De Ville."
The woman nodded and gave a quick kiss before the screen went blank.
The robotics expert scowled as he tapped the top of his desk with a finger.
He didn't even need to turn as the door hissed open. He knew it was his nephew from the sound of his footsteps alone.
"Uncle."
"What is it, Snivley?" he asked.
The young man scowled. "Is it even really necessary to work with those freaks?" he asked. His voice held a tone of disgust and he could tell his nephew was unhappy about this alliance. "I mean, I have no ill will towards the Faunus or Mobians, but..."
Robotnik knew exactly what he meant by that. While the Faunus and Mobians were only vying for their rights, they refused to accept anything less than pure supremacy and violence, a trait that was bound to only make things worse in the long term if something drastic wasn't done. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he rumbled thoughtfully. "I can understand where you are coming from, nephew," he said seriously. "But, here is a small lesson. When dealing with people that are of greater strength, sometimes it means you must work with others, even if you dislike them, in order to further your own ambitions, or for the greater good. I am in disgust at their methodology, too."
Snivley frowned as his uncle turned to face him directly.
His goggles gleamed as he sneered, making a shiver run down the youth's spine. His voice took on a sinister tone as he sneered, the effect making the boy shiver against his will. " But rest assured, Snively, the debt that Satyra owes us will be paid in full with their blood in due time."
The mere thought of those supremacists getting their just desserts made a dark sneer slither across his face. But, a thought crossed his mind as his sneer faded. "As much as I enjoy hearing that, you know that he won't be happy if we try anything that could jeopardize the alliance or the plans. Remember?"
Robotnik waved a hand as he snorted dismissively. He pressed a button on his desk and several screens came up, some of them showing past news footage and attacks. Snivley's eyes landed on the scene of the gorilla Faunus attacking Tokyo Tower, only to be driven back by a blue and white robot with a drill. Then he turned to look at the fight between what appeared to be a dragon Mobian or Faunus with orange wings and a bull Faunus with a spiked club. Robotnik gazed at the news images and articles as he sat back in his seat, tenting his fingers together in front of his mouth. "And we won't, nor will we have to. Because make no mistake while Satyra is allied with him and the League of Super Criminals for now for their own agenda, eventually their goals will conflict with ours and this little alliance will come to a end."
His gaze landed on the gorilla and robot clashing. His lip curled upward in disgust. "And that's if those hypocrite animals don't try to pull a double cross beforehand which I wouldn't put past them."
Snively arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms in amusement. "Animals? Sir ,I thought with the exception of a certain blue pain in the neck you were above such petty racism."
The older scientist nodded. He stood up and made his way to his nephew's side. He knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am, Snively, but we both know in the case of Satyra it describes them perfectly. They're nothing more than rabid animals." Robotnik grinned evilly as he looked into Snively's eyes. "And we know there's only one way to deal with a rabid animal."
The youth knew what his uncle meant. "Putting them down," he said.
Robotnik laughed as he spun around to face the exit. As he left, he had one last thing to say. "Precisely, Sinvely! Precisely!"
The door hissed shut behind him and Snively was left alone in the room. He looked back at the news feed, before his gaze landed on the destruction of a certain carrier that had been the product of a joint effort all those years ago. His eyes hardened, and his voice became forlorn as he sniffled a little. "I promised you that I would make all those who played a part in what happen to you pay dearly, and rest assured no matter how long it takes or whoever stands in my way... that's a promise I intend to keep... Hoags..." he muttered.
He turned and exited the room himself, the door hissing shut behind him. The images continued to play, including the news footage of that joint carrier project's destruction.
The very same one that had taken the life of Hoagie Gilligan's father.
Within the main bridge of his airship, Robotnik watched as his robotic army began to march throughout the city, targeting key strongpoints, but not to destroy.
Oh, no. He was intent on learning their weaknesses so he could make his own move soon.
And one of his targets was a major player in the Dust business. While Robotnik himself was a shrewd man, his business acumen left something to be desired. Yet he knew that Sanban Industries had a lot of clout, and to steal from them was a feat very few - hell, no one - had been able to accomplish. And right now, he was after a particular kind of Dust that was undergoing testing. This type was also considered illegal, given its rarity and composition and ability to absorb energy of whatever was thrown at it.
Black Dust, they called it.
And it was perfect for his plans.
Especially concerning that blue pain called Sonic. If he had some of that, he could drain Sonic's power and render him helpless.
A sneer crossed his face.
Yes. This would work out after all...
PALACE HOTEL
TOKYO, JAPAN
"... and so it ends with a victory! That was the least expected move pulled by-"
The TV's audio was lowered considerably as a remote was tossed aside, a grunt coming from the occupant of the hotel room.
Dracon snorted through his vents as he shifted on the bed. "Sometimes I just don't get why some people televise local tourneys," he muttered as he reached for a nearby book.
He pulled it off the nightstand and opened it, skimming through the contents before he found the page he had left off on. He leaned back until he was propped up on the pillows, one leg crossed over the other, his foot moving a bit.
The Gundam had to admit, being in Japan for this long was something he hadn't considered, and actually, despite having to fight a few Grimm, he hadn't had much else to do except explore, learn how to make a few new dishes, and just do more stuff like a tourist. He had to admit, it was actually nice to just kick back and have a real vacation once in a while. In fact, this was the longest time he had taken off since his conversion from human to Gundam!
Dracon looked out the window, his optics watching as a flock of birds flew past the window of the Palace Hotel room he was staying in. He had to admit, it was a lucky break he had even managed to get a room here in this place. It also helped it was located close to the station so he could see just what was happening there. Especially since those... Shinkalions, were they called?... started really cracking down on the Kaiju Grimm that had been surfacing for the last several months. He still recalled that Misertree, or whatever it had been, and the way it had seemed to feast on the leader's misery. The idea of such a Grimm made his plating crawl and he shuddered a bit. But the fact that he had even had to get involved was something he hadn't expected. Or actually he had, but still, he was supposed to be on vacation, not fighting Grimm!
A chuckle escaped him as he finally started to read. He drifted from the world of reality into the future and the adventures of a small squad of heroes as they fought to save the world from a supervillain and to prevent him from reawakening the Grimm from the Pool of Darkness. He was right there, watching them as they fought, offering encouragement and assisting them when they needed it.
Dracon didn't know what happened next, except that he had apparently dozed off sometime into the middle of the book.
What was unexpected was that the TV's speakers were, despite having been lowered, blaring out a warning.
The Gundam jerked awake, his optics coming online as he was startled out of his slumber. The book had fallen open on his chest, so he grabbed it and pulled it off, closing the book before placing it on the nightstand. He sat up, his optics locking onto the screen as the images played out before him.
He could see numerous soldiers of the Self Defense Forces mobilizing, along with several other Hunters who had been in the area, to defend one of the many buildings in Tokyo. His optics narrowed as he studied it critically. Where had he seen it before...?
As soon as he saw the Japanese kanji positioned on the building, his processor kicked into overdrive. He jolted before he snatched the remote and turned up the TV.
"...unsure as to when the attack will happen, but the Self Defense Forces, as well as several local Hunters, have mobilized to secure the Sanban Industries headquarters and prevent any further attacks. As to whom the attacker is, there is rife speculation amongst the higher echelons of the government that it is the feared, and notorious, Ivanov "Ivo" Robotnik. While he has attacked numerous facilities in the past, this is the first time he has overtly targeted a major Dust manufacturing corporation like Sanban Industries," the news anchor said as she looked directly at the camera. Her eagle eyes narrowed as she continued. "All civilians are to remain away from the battlefield due to the danger of possible collateral damage to-"
A loud explosion rocked the area on screen and Dracon was on his feet in a flash. He tossed the remote aside after shutting off the TV, bolting for the balcony door and throwing on his cloak. "For the love of... Can't I get a decent vacation in?!" he groaned before he snatched his shield and beam magnum from where he had placed them against the wall.
Dracon ran out onto the balcony before he shut the door and sprang off the balcony railing, kicking on his flight pack and spreading his wings to full length.
The Gundam sped through the air, his cloak whipping around his frame as he spotted the smoke starting to curl skyward from the fight. "Shit...! It's begun!" he muttered.
His thrusters flared and he angled his trajectory for the site of the smoke. His communications system could already pick up chatter on the major radio bands and frequencies as he flew, and he clenched his fists. He could already see some forces of the SDF approaching the site of battle. But the only question was, what was Robotnik using to attack Sanban Industries? He knew the guy was an incredibly skilled robotics engineer, and he was also quite a skilled programmer. But what kind of robots had he built for the attack?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his radar blaring in his head and he shot his gaze down to see a flash of sorts from a nearby intersection. His optics widened as he saw it was a missile, an anti-air missile, to be exact! The Gundam flared his wings and launched off his fin funnels, firing them to take down the missile. The pinkish beams intercepted it and broke through it, causing the missile to explode in midair. Dracon's gaze landed on a robot that looked to have treads on its lower torso and its upper body resembled a humanoid chassis, but on its back was a missile launcher. He growled as he dove down, dispersing his fin funnels and reattaching them to his wings. He hefted his beam magnum and aimed it at the robot.
The Gundam pulled the trigger a moment later, the reddish-blue colored beam lancing out and striking the robot on the side of its chassis, severing one of the treads and making it go out of control as it struggled to gain control of itself. But it collided with a nearby building, crashing through and making all civilians within scatter to higher ground. Dracon winced to himself in his thoughts. Yeah. That had not been a good idea. He holstered his beam magnum on his back and launched his fin funnels once more. He decided it was best to go for accuracy and precision over brute force right now.
Dracon flashed past a few pedestrians as they were escorted by several soldiers towards the closest shelter entrance and he nodded his approval.
At least they took attacks like this seriously, given the Kaiju Grimm left colossal amounts of damage behind during their own attacks.
That was something he felt a few other cities in the world could learn from, especially cities in Indonesia. But he brushed that aside as he aimed his fin funnels at another group of robots as they marched down the city streets.
That was as far as they went.
Dracon let loose with all eight fin funnels, sending pinkish beams streaking through their cores and bodies, causing them to explode. The robots' parts were sent flying every which way from the explosions, and Dracon was forced to use his shield to deflect a few components, such as an arm and hand that flew his way. The Gundam lowered his shield and directed his fin funnels to come back towards him. He pivoted in midair, flaring his wings before he dashed towards the location of the burning smoke.
His optics narrowed as he zoomed in on the direction it was coming from, and he was surprised to see aerial robots that looked like primitive helicopters flitting and flying around the area, firing what looked like old retro laser pistols at one building in particular. Dracon's optics narrowed as he shifted his gaze towards the building... and the kanji stood out as clear as day to him. A low growl came from his vocalizer as he pushed his thrusters to their limit. All eight of them.
He became a dark colored comet, his pseudo-Aura flaring into existence as he drew upon the power of his psychoframe to boost his reflexes, speed, and strength. He reattached his fin funnels to his wings and his beam tonfas flipped forward, igniting as the energy swirled across them, turning them a brilliant green color. A loud cry escaped him as he charged into the fray, cutting through a pair of those robotic helicopters with a quick flash of his blades. Their rotors were severed and they plummeted to the ground below.
He turned around, his pseudo-Aura seething like flames around his frame and cloak, making it seem as if he were aflame. His optics pulsed as they shifted from violet to a burning emerald green color. "Okay... time to go all out!" he muttered. He sped up into the air before he paused, wings flared open, cloak billowing out behind him in an intimidating fashion.
However, as soon as he did, his optics widened and he gulped.
"Oh... crap..."
Behind him hovered dozens of those robotic helicopters. Below those were numerous other robots, all armed to the teeth with guns, missiles, and lasers. One of them aimed its guns at him, and the others all followed suit.
"Crap!" Dracon deployed his fin funnels over the widest possible range, and with a mental command, erected his beam shield. The beams intersected, coming together into a powerful octagonal shaped barrier. He held out his hand as he channeled as much power as he could into the beam generators. The beam energy barrier solidified, just in time as the guns fired, striking it and forcing the Dragon of Denver back. His wings arched as he flared all eight of his thrusters to full burn. He grunted as he put more power to his thrusters, trying to keep in place as the robots attacked. Behind him he could hear soldiers and civilians in the area letting out exclamations as they pointed up at him, surprised to see one of the world's strongest Hunters in Tokyo. But that was ignored as he was focused on the enemy before him.
Only for a slew of explosive feathers to strike a cluster of those helicopter drones, causing them to explode. Dracon's optics snapped up to look at an incoming object, and he zoomed his vision in to see that it was that wanderer, Seph. His wings were flared open, and he sped into the battlespace, summoning another salvo of those feathers as he sped by, giving a strange look to Dracon, who brushed it aside. He pivoted in midair as the Gem hybrid came to a hover, eyeing him. "Surprised you're not going all out, given your reputation," Seph stated.
"I can't with all these civilians about!" Dracon retorted as he dispersed his fin funnels, calling them back to his side as the barrier went down. He spun around and directed them to attack the drones while he aimed his missile launchers and let loose with a pair of missiles. The missiles homed in on some of the chopper drones as they flew towards the tall building of Sanban Industries. The two missiles exploded upon striking some, and the rest of the swarm turned to face the duo. Seph's wings arched as Dracon's hand flew for his beam magnum. "But... it seems I have no choice now," he muttered.
Seph grinned. "About time, too. Now, show me just why you're known as the Dragon of Denver, hm?"
The Gundam didn't even have an answer. He just flared his optics and charged at the closest robot, his beam magnum barking its fury as he let loose. The cloaked mecha weaved and danced with apparent grace in the air, like he had been born a Gundam, and not a human transferred to a robotic frame. His experience was clearly evident in how he used his frame's flgiht capabilities to dodge attacks that most others would have failed to dodge. But that was the furthest thing from Dracon'smind as he fired his gun a few more times before he had to eject the spent clip and slam home a new one. He holstered his gun and aimed his right arm at the group of robots he had been firing at. Several of them had been shot down, and a few others had damage from his beam magnum's shots. His beam burst gun swung into position to rest above his right hand, and with a mental command, he charged it and fired a charged shot right for the robots that remained.
The beam split into six shots, each one streaking towards a robot. Dracon's beam burst gun, Seph knew, had a tendency to spread out the shots, so there was no set pattern to the impacts. This time, he managed to get lucky as his shots all struck the remaining robots and caused them to collapse out of the air or explode into pieces.
Dracon pivoted as he watched several squads of soldiers approach the barricades they had erected in front of the building, and they aimed their guns at the incoming ground attack robots. Several of them had also managed to find a few bazookas for anti-tank use. In this case, Dracon noted, it was fitting, seeing as how some of those robots were like tanks in a sense. He returned his attention to the aerial battle, noticing that Seph was dealing with a number of the choppers. His eyes flashed as he looked back over his shoulder and thrust out a hand, a blast of telekinetic power forcing a few of them off course.
The Gundam wasn't too surprised, seeing as how he had read up on the man and his own exploits after the Misertree attack some time back. He just narrowed his optics before he directed his own attention to the fight at hand. The smaller helicopter drones had been eliminated, but it was the bigger helicopter drones that were giving them a hard time. At least initially.
Dracon was a formidable aerial combatant, too, as the Battle of Denver had shown.
He directed his fin funnels to come back to his side and he waited until Seph blasted past his location, his own wings flashing in a bright blaze of silver. The drones followed, humming as their processors locked onto the two fliers.
Dracon took action, dashing after the closest drones and firing off his fin funnels' beam weapons. They streaked through the air, missing some drones and hitting others in the engines or wings, causing them to either explode or fall from the air to the ground below. Soldiers below were opening fire on the ground attack bots, either disabling them or rendering their weapons useless. A few streaks of smoke and flashes of light from the bazookas alerted Dracon as to the presence of the tank bots below, and he was forced to divert several of his fin funnels down to assist the soldiers.
However, he needn't have worried, for a blast of blue light alerted him to a newcomer, and it was not Seph.
The Gundam turned and was surprised to see the man clad in that white armor... Wait...
His optics narrowed as he picked out a strange symbol on the man's armor... A symbol like that of... 'A Digimon!' Dracon thought as realization surged in his processor. 'There are other Digimon here, this one being the Warrior of Light, if what Agunimon told me is accurate!'
If the Warrior of Light, Lobomon, was present, then it was safe to say that they had a fighting chance now.
But if only it were that simple...
ROBOTNIK'S AIRSHIP
"Hmm... So, it seems the heavy hitters have shown up... Interesting..." Robotnik purred.
He cackled a bit as he tapped his fingers together. "Perhaps it's time I introduce them to my latest invention..." He sneered. "Don't you agree, Snivley?"
His nephew was silent, but then he nodded. "Yes, sir," he said rather quietly.
Robotnik stood up and turned to look at the boy. "Keep an eye on things, Snivley. And make sure that our... allies... do not get wind of this. The less they know, the better."
Snivley nodded as he watched his uncle leave the airship's bridge.
As he left, Robotnik's keen intellect was already coming up with battle plans and scenarios, also planning for when he needed to update his robots. He wasn't too keen on having them destroyed, but then again, when he had as many resources as he did, it made sense that destruction of his machines inevitably happened. After all, even the best machines had their flaws. And Dracon was no exception. His hidden eyes gleamed as he made his way down to the hangar, where his latest invention had been stored.
A sneer crossed his face as he stopped just before its feet, and it only grew as he looked up at the massive war machine. "Now... time to show these fools why they should never underestimate me... or my genius intellect..." He chuckled as he stepped over to the platform that would take him to the cockpit. His eyes flashed as he pressed the button.
The platform began to rise, taking him into a large chute that would encase him in his pilot suit. He closed his eyes as the platform passed through several energy barriers, each one dismantling his clothing and leaving him with nothing on, save for his glasses. Robotnik felt the telltale energy field forming above him, materializing the material needed for his suit. As the platform passed through it, the skintight pilot suit began to form on his naked flesh, making him tense his muscles and grit his teeth. The black material stretched over his massive frame, engulfing him in its sticky clutches before his head poked through and he grunted, pulling his arms and legs free as the energy barrier moved down his body. A grunt later and his feet pulled free as the platform continued to ascend. He could feel the nodes forming on his suit as he passed through one more barrier, leaving him in his completed suit.
Robotnik emerged from the chute, finally ready to take the fight to his enemies.
His pilot suit was a rather imposing design, with spike-like nodes on the wrists, ankles, shoulders, and back. It was mostly black with hints of red running down the arms in a hexagonal pattern from the elbow down to his wrist bands. The same thing was visible on his knees, running down to his ankle bands. He looked up as he approached the cockpit. As soon as he stepped in, the door slid shut, and he was sealed inside.
"Ah... Uncle? You are ready?" Snivley asked from the bridge.
"Of course, nephew," Robotnik remarked. "I'm always ready."
"Very well. You are cleared to launch." Snivley's voice was unsure and nervous, but he was competent at handling the launching systems.
Robotnik waited as his machine's systems synced with the pilot suit he wore. His glasses flashed and within minutes he was seeing things through the optical camera of his machine like it was his own eyes. He could feel vague sensations from his machine's chassis, and he slowly flexed his arms.
The machine flexed its massive limbs in response.
And Robotnik sneered.
"Ivanov Robotnik... Mecha Omega, launching!"
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
MAIN COMMAND CENTER
The alarm was blaring as the six kids ran in, their hair a mess from the trip over.
"What...What's the situation?" Tsuranuki gasped as he clutched at a stitch in his side.
Director Hayasugi glanced to the six, a grim look on his face. "We got trouble," he replied.
"What kind?" Ryuji growled, his cheetah ears flat against his head.
The cat Faunus said nothing as he nodded to Shashot, whose face vanished from the main monitor and a visual image of the situation appeared on the main screen.
Tsuranuki's eyes widened as he recognized that airship. "You gotta be kidding me!" he blurted. "Him?!"
Miku was stunned as well. "But... why him?!" she asked, fear flooding her features.
Shinobu growled. "My guess is he's after something..." he snarled, his eyes narrowed. "My clan has had run ins with his robots before..."
Akita was silent, but he knew what Shinobu meant. That man was a genius... and a threat.
Ryuji clenched his fists as he stared at the ship, determination etched on his face. Tsuranuki could only wonder what he was thinking about at that moment. He then snuck a look over at Hayato, whose teeth were bared, his eyes hard like gemstones.
"So he's attacking Sanban Industries?" he asked.
The director nodded. "Yes. Seeing as how Sanban Industries is a premiere Dust research company, it makes sense, especially given what they were studying recently," he explained.
"What were they studying that could possibly earn Robotnik's attention?" Shinobu asked.
Here Director Hayasugi was silent before he looked to Futaba who nodded. She stepped up. "First off, you know about the varieties of Dust we use, which is common knowledge. But there are a few variants of Dust that aren't common knowledge. One such type is the toxic variant that gave birth to the Glue Monster in Townsville some time back," she explained.
Tsuranuki remembered reading about that one. "I remember that," he mused.
Akita's eyes flicked to Futaba as she pressed a button and up came a new type of Dust crystal, but with one key difference.
This one was pitch black.
"What...?" Akita's eyes widened at the image. Something about this Dust crystal just screamed wrong at him. And judging from the expressions on the faces of the others, they were getting the same feeling.
"This is Black Dust," Futaba began. "It's a rare, very dangerous Dust that is capable of absorbing any energy that comes into contact with it. Sanban Industries managed to procure a sample from some recently excavated areas of interest, and have been studying it and its effects ever since. Due to the nature of this ability, it makes sense that Robotnik would seek to get his grubby little hands on it."
"Any idea as to why?" Miku asked.
Here Futaba looked to the director who sighed. "We think it may have to do with his own enemy... particularly one hedgehog."
The kids all gasped at that.
"You mean...?" Hayato's eyes went wide.
Hokuto nodded once. "Yes. The Blue Speedster. Sonic the Hedgehog."
"I see where this story is headed then," Akita mused. "If he gets his hands on the Black Dust, he can use it to sap Sonic's speed and render him helpless."
The older cat Faunus nodded. "Yes. That is, what we think, his objective."
"It makes the most sense, as with that, Sonic would be unable to use his legendary speed," Shashot confirmed. "Which makes it a top priority to defend Sanban Industries lest he get his hands on that Dust."
The kids all nodded, a serious look crossing each of their faces.
"So get to the LinkPods. The sooner you get out there, the better!" Hokuto ordered.
"Hai!" The kids saluted as one before running for the doorway.
TOKYO SDI HEADQUARTERS
LAUNCH BAY
Esebu revved his engine impatiently as he felt anxiety crawling through his processor. "C'mon...! How much longer?!" he muttered.
"Just calm down," Haifu said from the next rail over. "We're all anxious, not just you."
"A lot easier said than done, thank you!" Esebu shot back as he glanced to her.
"Both of you, just relax!" Efu shouted from behind Nozoma. "We need to stay focused!"
"Efu's right," Fumikiri stated from the other side of Esebu. "This won't get us anywhere."
Esebu realized that his friends were right. Every one of them needed to be focused to bring their A game to this fight. And given how they had no idea as to what Robotnik was going to use or planning, they needed to be ready. The leader shifted back and forth on his tracks, trying to calm down. But it was a lot harder than he thought, given what was at stake here.
"Okay! You've been cleared to deploy!" Futaba's voice reminded them. "Just be careful, and try to not damage the city any more than it already has been."
"Hai!" the team said.
The light turned green and the six began to pull out.
"Esebu, E7 Kagayaki..."
"Haifu, H5 Hayabusa..."
"Fumikiri, E3 Tsubasa..."
"Matagi, E6 Komachi..."
"Nozoma, N700A..."
"Efu, E5 Hayabusa..."
"...Shuppatsu shinkō!" the six declared.
Esebu revved his engine as he entered the tunnel and flicked on his lights. 'Okay, Robotnik! You're not gonna get that Dust... no matter what it takes!' he thought, determination flooding his processor.
And he meant it, too.
SANBAN INDUSTRIES BATTLESPACE
Dracon grunted as he blocked a few more shots from the ground robots with his shield, using his flight to stay above them.
"Man! These guys just don't quit!" he muttered.
"Gee, ya think?" Seph snarked as he used a telepathic pulse to shield himself from several gunshots.
The Gundam rolled his violet optics before he dodged a salvo of gunfire and used his fin funnels to block a single surface-to-air missile fired from a larger mecha huddled further back from the group. He directed his funnels to dance around the battlespace, using their beams to take out several of the heavier armored robots. It was here that Dracon finally decided to take stock of the robots' fighting forces.
He took note of the few remaining aerial drones, which were all heavily armored helicopter types.
"Dammit..." he muttered. "What's it gonna take to bring these things down?!"
He had no idea that things were about to take a turn for the worse.
ROBOTNIK'S AIRSHIP
The large airship was upon its target.
And Robotnik's machine was ready.
He crouched in the cockpit, and his eyes gleamed beneath his glasses. The catapult was ready. His machine crouched upon the device, and the hangar doors slowly eased open, exposing the cityscape of Tokyo beneath his ship. The lights above the hangar door turned green, and he gave a loud roar as the catapult slung his machine forward for the open hangar bay. The doors were wide open, and he was out in the sky in a few seconds. He spread his machine's arms and legs, and behind it, the massive metallic wings unfolded.
Behind him, he could sense the smaller pod detaching from the ship, making its descent towards Sanban Industries HQ.
Yes. Those fools were too preoccupied to realize his real mission...
He tapped into the comm systems of all forces, and he grinned as he spied an image of his machine coming down on the main news station's broadcast. He took great pride in this one, having developed it primarily to combat against the Kaiju Grimm if any surfaced during the attacks he pulled, but in this case, he was not about to let this opportunity slide, as he wished to see what Japan's project truly looked like.
Mecha Omega stood at a towering fifty two meters in height, and it possessed a singular optical camera lens, and its helm was built like a WWII German soldier's, complete with a sort of...snout...so to speak. It had bulky arms and legs, but the joints were highly tuned to make it as agile as possible without sacrificing armor. The wings on its back were based on those of a bat, and the metallic membrane in between the 'fingers' was strong enough to support his machine's weight. The machine itself was painted a black color with red accents, and its singular optic lens glowed a threatening purple, not like Dracon's calm amethyst optics. The Mecha Omega was armed heavily, possessing a heavy machine gun for its type, and a heat axe was strapped to the back of its skirt armor. On its legs were grenade launchers and a thick metal knife was attached to a sheath on its chest.
Robotnik sneered as he heard the panicked voice of the announcer before he muted it.
Yes... This was going to be fun.
SANBAN INDUSTRIES BATTLESPACE
Dracon was stunned by the sudden arrival of this new mecha.
His reactor leapt into his throat and he gulped, but he shoved it aside and gripped his beam magnum in his hands. "Okay! The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" he muttered.
"Hold on! You can't just charge right in!" Seph shot back as he came up beside the Gundam, one hand holding half a helicopter drone's head and the other wielding a rotor blade as a makeshift sword. "This is Dr. Robotnik we're dealing with here!"
"I can see that!" Dracon shot back. "I'm not stupid, you know!"
The Gundam directed his attention to the huge mecha as it lowered itself down on those batlike wings, touching down not too far from where they hovered. Below them, Lobomon had been assisting the soldiers in attacking the tank drones, only to halt his attacks at the sight of the large machine. His teeth gritted as he looked up at it, hands gripping his beam sabers in a death grip.
"So, any ideas?" he asked, directing the question at the two fliers above him.
Dracon's optics narrowed as he scanned over the large war machine with a low growl. "This thing is heavily armored," he remarked. "Only the cameras are vulnerable. And as it stands, only two of us can fly."
"Yeah..." Lobomon's voice trailed off as he directed his gaze to the machine. "But every machine has joints, so..."
"Somehow I doubt it will be that easy," Seph retorted as he tossed the helicopter drone's head aside and gripped his makeshift sword, seething pure silvery-green energy over it. "So, let's get ready for anything!"
Dracon nodded as he summoned forth that pseudo-Aura, and Lobomon's beam sabers hummed as he gripped them. He felt a little bit envious of Dracon and Seph for having power they could draw upon, whereas he was limited to his evolutions and special attacks. He had no Aura or Semblance to speak of, and he had no Dust augmented weapons or technology to give him a fighting chance in this world. Just his skills and abilities. And that was something he was determined to correct.
The machine's optic flashed and a chuckle came from its external speakers.
"Well... I did not expect to see the Dragon of Denver and that hybrid in the same space," Robotnik's voice sneered. "This should be an interesting test of the modifications to my greatest invention."
Dracon's wings arched as he flared his optics. "Oh yeah?!" he growled.
Seph held out a hand warningly, but he did have a reason to be wary as well. If Robotnik had been keeping tabs on them, then it would make sense that he'd have developed countermeasures. But as to what kind, he needed to know.
They both did.
And Dracon made his first move.
His beam magnum hummed hungrily as he aimed it and pressed the trigger, building up a charged shot. The weapon began to vibrate as he released the trigger, sending the full powered shot right for the robot's massive knee joint. However, Robotnik merely cackled as the blast struck his mecha's leg.
"You honestly think that will work?!" he sneered. "I said I modified this machine to counter you, didn't I?"
Dracon's faceplate seemed to turn a shade paler at that. His optics widened in shock and terror as the massive war machine reached out a hand, moving right for him! The Dragon of Denver flared his wings and kicked on his thruster pack to full burn, darting out of reach as the massive metallic digits barely scraped his cloak's edges. He flipped around and aimed his beam magnum again, this time aiming for the wrist joint.
The shot barked out as he fired a second charged shot, and this time, it got results. The mecha recoiled its hand from the blast, and Robotnik shook its hand before looking to him. "That wasn't even enough to sever my hand!" he sneered. "So, is that all you had, Dragon of Denver?"
Dracon's optics narrowed as he fired off his fin funnels, darting them about the battlespace as Seph let loose a salvo of explosive feathers for the mecha's optic lens. Below, Lobomon lunged into the fray, attacking with his beam sabers at the foot, and Robotnik cast his mecha's gaze down at the white warrior. "Oh, what's this? A little insect thinks he can itch me? Nice try, insect!" he cackled as he drew back his other foot...
And thrust it down towards him.
Lobomon's head shot up and his eyes widened in terror as he crouched and, with that uncanny agility, leapt to the side with inhuman speed. He barely cleared the impact zone and landed on his chest, the shockwave from the impact sending him rolling for a few meters before he slammed into a car, his back aching from the impact.
He staggered to his feet, feeling his back aching. He was going to have bruises after this fight; he was sure of it.
Explosions reached his hearing and he looked up to see the pinkish beams from Dracon's fin funnels and his beam burst gun's signature reddish beams striking Robotnik's large metallic frame, and Seph's explosive feathers hitting the legs and knees in hopes of trying to break them or send the machine crashing to the ground...
And that was something they couldn't afford.
Lobomon turned and made his way back to where the soldiers were trying to evacuate the civilian population and themselves as well. What few vehicles they had mobilized were moving out, and a number of civilian vehicles were crowding the streets.
If he couldn't directly fight, then maybe he could at least help the civilians get to safety...
EN ROUTE TO BATTLESPACE
The entire trip was tense.
Esebu's engine was racing as he pushed all available power he was drawing through his pantograph directly to his wheels and drive systems.
He could see his speed in the lower right hand corner of his vision, ticking at his top speed of 170 miles per hour. However, given the circumstances, he was pushing closer to 180, he felt.
Behind him he could sense the others following, pushing their own engines to the limit.
"We're almost there!" Efu called over his comm.
"Good!" Esebu responded. "Everyone, get ready!"
"Hai!" came the replies.
The six trains drew closer to the battlespace, and then Futaba's voice came over the comm. "Shifting over to battery power, Rails of Light engaging!" she declared.
Esebu detached his pantograph from the power lines and he felt the power fade as his internal batteries kicked in. Further up the track, a rail switch kicked into action and the Rails of Light formed, branching off towards the smoke still curling skyward.
The blue and white shinkansen was the first one to shift over, his wheels bumping a little as he did so. Behind him the others did the same, and five other Rails of Light expanded out, allowing the six to travel alongside one another. He directed his attention to the coming fight, and he tensed.
"Be careful, kids," Hokuto cautioned them. "Robotnik is a genius. So be on high alert for anything he might pull."
"Understood!" Esebu replied.
"Hai!" Haifu said.
"Yes, sir!" Fumikiri responded.
"Clear," Matagi stated.
"Roger," Nozoma remarked.
"Got it!" Efu chirped.
The comms went dark and the six finally could see the fighting raging before them.
SANBAN INDUSTRIES BATTLESPACE
"AAAAGH!"
The last thing Dracon expected was to be blown back by the attack.
He landed flat on his back, his wings spread out to either side of him. A few of his fin funnels landed beside him on the ground, and he groaned as he struggled to push himself into a sitting position. "D...Dammit...!" he grunted.
The Gundam suddenly gasped as his radar blared in his head and he rolled to the side as Seph landed on the ground, his wings arching as he looked up, his eyes flashing silver before he launched himself off the ground for the enemy. He cried out as he fired off a blast of silvery energy from his hand, only to get it launched back at him. His eyes widened as his own attack exploded against landed on the ground, skidding to a stop beside Dracon.
A blur of white-blue caught Dracon off guard as he saw the form of Lobomon dash forward, his lightsabers flashing as he cut at one of the enemy's large legs, but his efforts got nowhere. A deep, robotic laugh echoed over the area as the enemy looked down upon him. Lobomon looked up and was shocked to see the purple optical lens flaring before it fired off a blast of energy right for him. Lobomon leapt back, barely avoiding getting hit only due to his Digimon reflexes. He landed on the ground and skidded back, his red eyes locking onto the massive shape looming over them all.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you see?! It's useless, fools!" the voice of Dr. Robotnik cackled. "No matter what you try, this machine will showcase the superiority of my genius! And not even Japan's Hunters, let alone that Demon Blade of the East, can stop it!"
Dracon glanced up, and his reactor leapt into his throat at the sight of the large foot of the enemy looming over them, ready to squash them like the insects they were. "Oh... Glob...!" he whispered.
There was no way even his beam barrier would keep them safe. Dr. Robotnik had thought ahead on everything. His latest achievement was something not even they could defeat. And two of them were some of the strongest warriors in the world.
They were doomed.
Dracon dimmed his optics as he braced for the inevitable defeat.
The last thing he expected was to hear a loud explosion. His optics flashed back to their violet hue as he glanced up, and he swore they widened at the sight of a large blast of green energy coming from nowhere. The robot staggered back, its leg burned at the ankle joint.
"WHAT?!" Robotnik's voice was filed with rage as the robot managed to regain its footing, but barely.
Dracon cast his gaze around the battlefield, trying to find the source of the beam that saved their lives.
"This has gone far enough!" a deep male voice bellowed.
All the combatants looked up, and Dracon gasped as a figure unlike any other he had seen landed atop a building, silhouetted against the sun.