SANBAN INDUSTRIES
FILE REPORT No. 13597-0-2A
The Black Dust has proven to be a mystery unlike any other.
Sure it has the ability to absorb energy, but who's to say that that's all it can do?
For all we know, perhaps there is a way to reverse this absorption process and project energy out in massive quantities. It could be considered the ultimate in energy sources! No longer would we need Dust, oil, coal, nuclear, or any other type we currently are bound to!
I must say, the idea is truly appealing.
However... there is a bit of a problem. As it is formed from the Dark Substance, we need to be extra careful in case it produces a Grimm based on the technology we use to draw out its latent power.
At least that is the current theory.
If we can prove that we can draw out its energies without it absorbing our tech and creating a new Grimm, we'd be one step closer to finally deciding our own victory in this war! Now let's see...
Ah, yes...
The G-Reactor. That is a perfect name...
(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: BLACK DUST
Black Dust is the most recent variant of Dust discovered.
It is, as its name implies, pitch black in color, and possesses very unusual properties.
Unlike many other types of Dust which augment speed, power, strength, or allow access to the elements of nature, Black Dust possesses the ability to nullify any types of energy or magic used against it. Research conducted by Professor Utonium of Townsville, Japan, has verified that it does have a limit as to how much energy it can contain, but as to what that limit is, no one can be sure. What is conclusively known, however, is that if it were to acquire more energy than its theoretical limits, it could explode.
More study is required to further understand this mysterious type of Dust.
CLOSING FILES
TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE
"When it comes to forbidden technology, magic, or weapons, no one can be sure as to what the effects of such things are without much study and experimentation. But what if that technology, weaponry, magic, or spell was even more dangerous than you know?" Izumi asked as he leaned back in his seat.
The man reached over and tapped a monitor, showing the crystal of Black Dust. "Black Dust, in this world, is a variant of the normal types, but due to the location where it was found, it's become forbidden due to this nature." On the screen, it showed the black crystal fragmenting and then becoming smaller pools of black ooze. "It's just like the Dark Substance in its origins. But when it is fused with organic life, it can give them incredible powers... as shown with the Powerpuff Girls. A stark contrast to the Dark Substance, which turns victims who fall into it into Fallen. That means that both have differing abilities to affect organics."
He tapped the screen and it went dark. "So, which is it? A variant of the Dark Substance? Or a new type of Dust? Well, only research can determine that."
CHAPTER XXV - BREACH
"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.
The form standing on the roof of the nearby building was imposing in build, with a pair of what appeared to be wings on its back, and it held in one hand a sword of some kind. A pair of yellow optics pulsed before the form was finally revealed.
Dracon's own optics widened as he realized that this newcomer was an alien, just like the three he had seen back at the Sanban Estate! But this one was primarily green and white with pink accents on his frame and helm, and golden claws on his feet for added traction, he guessed. The alien robot crouched and leapt off the building, his sword flashing as he lunged for the large mecha.
A barrage of gunfire came just as the green and white shinkansen mech's sword slammed into the huge mecha's chest plate, making it stagger back from the impact. The gunfire struck the massive robot's chassis, and within it, he could hear Robotnik hissing from the damage he was feeling, no doubt. The Gundam pivoted his head to look in the direction of the gunfire, and was surprised to see another alien train robot, this one being primarily red with white accents, landing atop a second building, the demonic goggles on its head covering its optics. The goggles flipped up, exposing yellow optics as they flashed briefly. The mecha lowered the guns in its hands and spoke. "Now, Haifu!" came the cry, and Dracon was briefly floored by the sound of this mech's voice. It was almost like Sebben's, just a bit higher pitched in tone. He looked to the direction of a white and green blur, and Dracon had to zoom his optics in on it, only to see it was a female alien robot, possessing the same alternate form as the green and white mech, but with purple accents instead of pink, and her clawed feet were more of an orange color.
Her sword flashed as she swung it, this time holding it aloft, and Dracon saw the symbol on its side flash.
Then, a glimmer of light appeared on either side of the big war machine, and the Gundam, along with Seph and Lobomon, gaped as the lights formed into what appeared to be an energy cage modeled after a turnstile in the station. Twin gates clamped shut on either end, trapping Robotnik's mecha within the cage. He turned, looking around at the energy cage and he clenched his machine's fists. "Nice try!" he cackled. "Not even Dracon could stop me!"
"Yeah? Then you're really in for it!" Esebu cried.
Robotnik's gaze snapped up as he heard that voice, and he pivoted around, trying to find the speaker. A flash of blue and white vaulted over the top of a nearby building, and Esebu's optics flared bright green as he thrust his drill forward, that blue Aura seething over his weapon, along with an icy glow. "WHEELSET KORI DRIVER!"
The lead Shinkalion's drill whirred loudly as he prepared to drive it into one of the joints of Robotnik's machine. However, the robotics expert cackled as he grabbed Esebu's arm in one massive metal hand, catching him off guard.
"WHAT!?"
The next thing he knew, he was thrown back - hard!
Esebu screamed as he was hurled through the air, right for an intersection outside Sanban Industries' main office complex and factory.
He slammed into the ground, creating a crater on impact.
Dracon winced. 'Ouch! That had to hurt!' he thought to himself.
Esebu groaned as he shook his helm, forcing the pain of his pounding processor aside. He grunted as he pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring the aching in his joints and systems. After all, he had taken worse.
"Okay... Didn't see that coming," he muttered.
A blur of white caught his optic and he watched as Nozoma burst through the air, his thrusters roaring as he drew back his fist, his Aura seething into the punch. He threw his fist forward, and his fist connected solidly with the massive war machine's lower torso, forcing it to stagger back from the impact. That was the cue for a pair of reddish orange buzzsaws to whip past his helm. Esebu placed a hand on the ground and slowly pushed himself to his feet, his limbs shaking from the impact with the ground. He watched as the shuriken struck the war machine's legs and arm, making it shudder as metal scraped against metal.
Fumikiri's hand lashed out and he snatched his weapons out of the air as they came back around. He lowered his arms and flipped his weapons back into kunai form, gazing at the mecha as it stood there, as if dead.
For a moment, Dracon wondered if Robotnik had been knocked out from the force of the impact from Nozoma, but then his reactor plunged to his feet as he heard that cackle come over the external speakers.
"Hahahahahahaha! You truly thought you had me?" he cackled. "I already told you I had planned for this! There is no way you have a chance at victory!"
"Says you!" the green and white mecha snarled, his optics flaring. He tensed his frame, but then Haifu placed a hand on him and shook her helm.
"No, Efu! Remember that it drains you completely," she cautioned. Dracon mentally arched an eyebrow, wondering if she meant some kind of attack.
But he brushed it from his mind before he glanced to Seph and Lobomon close by. "Think we should help?" Lobomon asked.
"No. These guys seem to know what they're doing," Seph mused as he narrowed his silver eyes.
"Somehow I doubt it," Dracon muttered. His optics narrowed as he watched the six aliens attack.
"You doubt them? Why?" Lobomon asked as he looked at the Gundam.
"It's not that I doubt their abilities, seeing as how I fought alongside three of them," Dracon clarified. "It's that I doubt they know what Robotnik is capable of, seeing as how he's a robotics expert." The Gundam shuddered a bit. "I remember a few years back when I was visiting the Vist Foundation for a routine upgrade a computer virus nearly shut down the whole system and almost downloaded data on my frame's construction and blueprints."
Seph's eyes hardened. "I take it the hackers failed?" he asked.
Dracon nodded. "Yeah... they did. But only because they couldn't get past the firewalls that were erected shortly after their breach."
Lobomon's eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze back towards the battling robots. "And you fear they may underestimate Robotnik?" he asked.
The Gundam was silent, but then nodded his head once. "It's something I don't wanna even think about, let alone consider," Dracon murmured. "That could lead to the worst case scenarios... And believe me, I do not wanna consider what's gonna happen if they lose!"
The Digimon wasn't too keen on that, but he ignored it as he turned to observe the fight.
As he watched, he could see that the robots were now going on the offense, charging towards the mecha.
And he was worried for them.
For his part, Esebu was also worried. They were just charging at this machine with no real plan. And from what he knew, they needed to gauge the capabilities of this machine before making any more moves.
He gripped his drill and charged in, watching as Robotnik's mecha gripped its machine gun and aimed it right for them. "SCATTER!" he shouted.
The team split up, with Fumikiri and Matagi dodging to the left, Efu and Haifu rolling to the sides and he and Nozoma sprang to the right just as the mecha opened fire with that gun. The shells barely missed the six Shinkalions as they dodged the gunfire. Esebu landed and skidded back, his optics pulsing as he glanced up at the huge machine. 'Okay. So from the looks of it, this machine is heavily armored and is meant for assaulting well defended positions. At least, that's what I'm guessing. The wings are problematic though. They shouldn't be able to support its weight... unless they were reinforced somehow, which would make sense, given who's driving it,' he thought.
He directed his attention to the frame of the mecha, his engineer's mind kicking into overdrive. 'Joints... heavily reinforced. That's an issue, too. Unable to get a hit on those means we'll need another plan of attack. Unless this thing has seams in its armor that are vulnerable...'
His musings were interrupted when he felt Nozoma slap him on the shoulder guard. "Hey! What's the plan?" Nozoma asked.
Esebu shook his helm and forced himself to focus on the situation at hand. He scanned over the mecha once more, and he scowled to himself. He directed his attention to his COMM system and activated it, communicating across the Team Shinkalion frequency. "Bad news, guys. This thing is heavily armored, and it looks to have been developed for siege warfare. So we need to try and learn its abilities before we can make a move," he said.
Efu's voice echoed in his head and he had to suppress a shudder. "So in other words, fight from a distance?" he asked.
"Hardly," Haifu mused. "If I'm right, then we'll need to get in as well as fight from long range, right, Esebu?"
Esebu nodded. "Yeah. That's it, basically. And from what I've seen in this fight, it seems like this machine's meant to tangle with the best of the best. Robotnik is an engineer you don't wanna mess with..."
"And you can't come up with how to take this thing down?" Nozoma asked. "That's surprising, given your family's company."
"I'm not a robotics expert!" Esebu shot back.
"Enough!" Fumikiri butted in. "Let's focus and try and gather intel on this machine. Maybe even ask Shashot for some ideas on how to fight this man."
Esebu looked down as he thought, only for a loud whistling to reach his hearing. He glanced up and his engine leapt into his throat as he saw the mecha firing off the grenade launchers on its legs... sending the rounds right for them!
"MOVE!" he bellowed, both audibly and over the COMM system.
The six Shinkalions split up, going every which way to avoid the grenades as they impacted the ground and several buildings close by. Esebu rolled to a stop behind one of the buildings, holding his drill across his chest as he panted heavily, his shoulders heaving. "Geez! This guy isn't pulling any punches!" he muttered.
A grenade exploded too close to his hiding spot, making him flinch as shrapnel barely missed his armored shoulder. He decided to risk taking a peek out around the corner, and had he been human, his eyes would've widened at the carnage he was seeing.
The entire area around Sanban Industries was resembling a war zone the more time passed. Buildings with holes torn in their faces, cars and streets flooded with bodies, blood, oil and whatnot... craters lining the main streets, and rubble piling from the devastation. It was more like a scene out of a post-apoc film. Esebu shuddered and shook his helm to force the thoughts from his processor. He had other things to worry about, such as how to actually fight a man with a genius intellect.
For once, he began to worry that they were outmatched. Perhaps they were in over their heads...
"Esebu?! Are you there?" came Futaba's voice.
His helm snapped up at her exclamation and he pressed his free hand to his helm. "Yeah. What's up?" he asked.
"Esebu, this is not a casual thing!" Futaba scolded him. "From now on, you have to say 'I copy,' or something along those lines! Remember, your cover is that you are aliens from another world that was wracked by civil war! You have to start playing the part if it's to be believable!"
The Shinkalion winced, but nodded. "Understood," he said.
"Good. Now, give me a sitrep," Futaba ordered.
Esebu guessed that it meant situation report, at least from what he had learned during his mediocre Huntsman training.
He glanced back at Robotnik's mecha as it aimed its machine gun and fired at where he could see Matagi aiming his guns from. "To put it simply... bad. We're engaging this thing, and it's heavily armored," he replied. "The mecha has a pair of wings on its back that look like they can't hold its weight, but I have a suspicion they've been reinforced to take its massive weight. The joints appear to be reinforced so as to not be broken that easily. It's got what appears to be an axe on its rear skirt armor and it has grenade launchers on its legs. Its primary weapon is a heavy machine gun, and I'm guessing it has a few other weapons, too. But until we know more, we're only guessing."
Futaba was silent as she processed the data. "It seems like Robotnik has developed this mecha of his to be able to counter Dracon, Seph, and any of the stronger Huntsmen. But just as you have no idea about his capabilities, he has no idea about your capabilities either," she explained. "So you had best get the jump on him before he figures out how to fight you."
Esebu nodded. "Hai!" He let his hand drop from his helm as the COMM went dark. He turned back to the mecha as it grasped its machine gun and fired at him again, forcing him to move. As he ran, his optics darted around, trying to pick out any weaknesses in that mecha's frame. His efforts were interrupted when he heard a loud bellow, and his helm snapped up to stare in shock as Nozoma lunged up from behind the mecha, his thrusters roaring as he drew back a fist seething with Aura energy. He threw his arm forward, and his blow connected solidly with the mecha's massive metal cheek. The helm of the mecha whipped to the right before the white Shinkalion thrust his foot out in a side thrust kick, dealing some damage to its neck joint. Nozoma sprang back, doing a back flip before he landed on the ground, looking to Esebu. Esebu was baffled as to what he wanted him to do, before he saw it.
A faint sparking...
Coming from the neck joint Nozoma had damaged!
'That's it! The joints can't be damaged by a single attack! They have to be hit repeatedly in order to deal damage to them!' he thought as realization struck.
The lead Shinkalion nodded to Nozoma who returned it. Then he got on the team's COMM frequency. "Okay, guys! I think I got an idea on how to fight this thing now! Nozoma managed to deal some damage to its neck joint, so..."
Efu's voice was next on the frequency. "...I think I get what you're saying!" he remarked. "We have to hit the joints repeatedly, just like how a shinkansen hits all its stops on time!"
Esebu for a moment was baffled by the sudden comparison, but he chuckled as he realized what this meant. Hayato was starting to regain his confidence. It would be some time before the specific comparisons came back, but it was a step in the right direction.
"Yeah. Just like that," he said.
Haifu let out a soft cough. "So, what's the plan, Esebu?" she asked.
The lead Shinkalion looked at the mecha as it loomed over them, holstering its machine gun and going for the axe attached to its skirt armor, pulling it free and then hefting it in a fighting stance. Esebu hissed through his vents as he eyed the weapon critically. Its blade began to heat up, and a jolt of terror raced through his frame. "Oh, shit...!" he swore. "That axe's got a heated blade! Which means it could slice through our frames if we're not careful!"
"Dammit! That's bad!" Fumikiri snarled.
"I take it we have to avoid it then?" Nozoma asked sarcastically.
Esebu nodded. "Yeah."
Their conversation was interrupted as the huge war machine ran towards Nozoma and Esebu, swinging that massive axe and forcing them to dodge to the side. Esebu's optics picked out Matagi as he crouched atop a building, his guns in their cannon form as he charged up his move, that red Aura seething around his frame and into his guns. Esebu smirked in his thoughts as the red and white Shinkalion made his move. "FUMIKIRI BARRAGE!"
Matagi's cannons roared, sending their blazing red payload right for the mecha's back.
The helm jerked up as the attack drew closer, splitting into numerous smaller shots that struck its back, arms, and legs. The optic flashed as Robotnik's scream of pain came over the external speakers. The huge machine staggered forward, losing its balance and toppling to the ground like a huge metallic tree. Esebu and Nozoma dodged the impact, landing further back, holding their weapons at the ready.
Silence filled the entire battlefield, the Shinkalions unaware of what was happening inside Sanban Industries even as they fought.
SANBAN INDUSTRIES
MAINTENANCE ENTRANCE
Snivley Robotnik was not too thrilled about this, but he felt it was necessary in the long term for his own ambitions.
The young scientist disengaged the cloaking armor he wore and landed lightly on the ground after detaching from the ceiling, having managed to sneak in under the cover of the battle. It had taken some time, but he managed to evade detection long enough to slip into the maintenance tunnels that ran throughout the complex. Some of them, according to the maps he had procured through...poking around...the company database, actually ran right through the labs in which they studied Dust and its different applications.
And he was in one such tunnel.
He glanced at the map on the visor of his armor, a small dot signifying his location. An arrow was beeping, showing him where to go to get to the target, represented by a small dark blob on his HUD.
Snivley gulped before he moved on, creeping past a deserted intersection that had a camera over it. He raised a hand and with a flick of his wrist, a jammer was launched onto the camera. It latched on and a signal was sent to initiate a feedback loop of the last five minutes prior to his entrance into the intersection. He waited a few minutes before he confirmed the loop was in effect. With that taken care of, he continued on his way.
He wandered throughout the hallways, every now and then having to grip the walls to keep himself from toppling over as the building shuddered under the explosions raging outside. He shot a glance at the timer as it ticked down on the side of his HUD; he had been given an hour and a half to acquire the Black Dust crystal before the head of the company caught wind of the theft. He did not want to face the fearsome Demon Blade of the East, that was for sure!
Snivley's radar beeped and he came to a stop, seeing that the arrow on his HUD was pointing straight at a pair of doors marked on the map. He glanced up at the Japanese characters, and he knew what they said, thanks to the translator installed in his armor's helmet.
ほこり研究所13
Dust Research Lab 13
He pressed the button to engage his armor's cloaking function, and within seconds he was hidden from sight and camera.
Slowly he made his way to the keypad and grasped a small wire as it extended from his armor's forearm. He jabbed it into the keypad's USB port and the decoder in his suit went to work. It took a mere minute to break through the code and the door hissed open, exposing the interior of the lab to him.
Inside the lab lay hundreds of work stations, each grouped according to different experiments and Dust types. Some, he noted, were heavily shielded to deal with the effects of radioactive Dust, or even the mutagenic variety that was used by Rattlesnake Jake. Others were more open and some even looked like they were shaped to take explosions against them.
He ignored these though as his HUD was flashing. He made his way through the various research stations until he came to one space that looked to be enclosed within a blast-proof bunker. The door was thick steel, and viewports allowed one to see inside. Snivley inched closer to one of the viewports and peered inside.
He could barely see it, but it was there.
The Black Dust crystal.
Now came the hard part...
SANBAN INDUSTRIES BATTLESPACE
Esebu grunted as he rolled to the side, barely dodging the heat axe as it swung his way.
Robotnik's machine was proving to be more dangerous than he had anticipated.
Especially given its immense strength.
The Shinkalion leader glanced to his friends as they skidded to a stop beside him, each one bearing some form of minor damage.
Nozoma clenched his fists as his energy blades hummed hungrily. "Okay... we know how to hit it and where, but Robotnik's not letting us!" he muttered.
"Yeah... It's almost like he's just toying with us..." Esebu mused, his optics dimming a shade. Something just seemed wrong here...
But what was it?
Throughout their whole fight, Robotnik had never even made a move to overtly harm them, least of all harming the civilians as they were ushered into safety. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it was like he was luring them away from Sanban Industries... Away from their target...!
Esebu's helm snapped up as realization flooded his processor. "Oh... shit...!" he whispered. "He's trying to distract us!"
"Huh?" Efu looked at his superior like he was nuts. "You got a screw loose?!" he blurted.
"No. I'm not!" the lead Shinkalion snapped. "Think about it, Efu! This is Robotnik we're dealing with here! He's no doubt got something planned, and he needs to keep us away from Sanban Industries while it's being carried out! Which makes me think that he's got an inside man... or barring that, someone infiltrated the company's Dust research labs!"
That was enough to get everyone's attention. Fumikiri was silent, but the way his hands went slack indicated he was shocked. Haifu's hands flew to her faceplate as she squeaked and Matagi's fists clenched. Nozoma snarled lowly in his chest at that while Efu slowly looked back at the building in shock.
"You mean... we've been played?" he whispered.
Esebu nodded grimly as he hefted his drill. "Which means we'll need to take this fight seriously now." He looked up, his optics locking onto the mecha as it hefted that heat axe in both hands. "Shashot, got any ideas?"
"I happen to have a few scenarios that could work in your favor, but they have to be carried out just right," the AI replied.
"Then give it to us!" Esebu ordered. "Whichever one offers the best chance of success with little loss of life!"
"Affirmative," Shashot said. "The scenario that offers the best chance of success with little loss of life is to lure it to the CIS, which is about to be activated. The facility can contain Robotnik while the rest of you try to stop his ally from escaping with the target."
"We'll need to split up," Nozoma noted.
Esebu nodded, a plan already in place. "Yeah. So here's the group layout. Nozoma, you, Haifu, and Fumikiri keep his ally from escaping with the target. Me, Efu, and Matagi will deal with Robotnik himself."
"Because you three have unlocked your special moves, right?" Haifu asked.
Esebu just gave a curt nod at her question. "Yeah. Simply put."
Fumikiri could see the point to his choices. As he and the other two had yet to unlock their special moves, it made sense to have the three most powerful deal with the mecha. Or...
"Actually, Esebu, I think maybe it would be best to reverse the order," he suggested. He then gestured to Haifu, Matagi and Efu. "Those three are the fastest of us all, so I think it would be best to have them chase down the thief, while the rest of us deal with Robotnik."
Now that he thought about it, Esebu realized that his friend had a good point. He looked at the three, and then at the large mecha as Robotnik cackled. "So, trying to come up with a plan? Then let's see just what kind of plan you tin cans have!" he cackled.
Esebu glanced to Fumikiri, then the three fastest Shinkalions. His optics flickered before he nodded. "All right! The sooner the better!" He turned to the three directly.
"Change of plans!" he remarked. "Haifu, Efu, and Matagi, you three are the fastest of us, so you should be the ones to deal with catching that thief. The rest of us will handle Robotnik!"
Efu squeaked at that as Matagi's optics flickered a little. Haifu nodded once. "Hai!" she said.
The leader then directed his attention to Fumikiri and Nozoma. "You two, get ready!" he ordered.
Nozoma was silent, but nodded as Fumikiri summoned his shuriken to his hands in response.
Esebu finally directed his attention to Robotnik. "Okay, roboman! Time to show you just what you're dealing with!" he growled, trying to play the role of an alien robot perfectly.
"As if! You alien robots are all the same!" Robotnik giggled.
"Huh?" Esebu's helm snapped up in confusion at that. "Whaddya mean by that?!" he growled.
"I mean what I said! The last ones that tried to attack me years ago were no match for my genius intellect!" the robotics expert sneered. "I believe they could transform into... what was it, again... Oh, yes! A Lamborghini, I believe it was. Yellow and red, I think. The red one was foolish to attack me head on. So I offed it as easily as I could do to you." He then paused, chuckling a bit. "Of course, I did decide to use the schematics of the red one to further enhance my machine to counter the hybrid and Dracon. A decision that has proven itself, as you have seen, I am sure."
The lead Shinkalion began to get a bad feeling in his gut. He knew Robotnik was a genius, but to actually use a corpse of an advanced alien to augment his mecha?
He felt sick to his nonexistent stomach. He ducked his helm, bowing his head as his optics became shrouded in shadow.
He gripped his drill in his hand, clenching his fingers around the grip so tight he swore he would break it. "You..." His shoulders shook, not with rage or grief, like Robotnik was no doubt assuming, but disgust at his actions. He knew the man was callous at times, but this... this was... just... wrong... on so many levels.
And the worst part? He knew it was wrong, and he still did it anyway.
Esebu felt a low growl building in his vocalizer as he slowly lifted his helm, and he swore he saw the huge war machine jerk back a little. His optics were burning an intense green -yellow color, and he let out an enraged bellow as he charged in, his treads whirring as he aimed his drill at the robot's leg joint.
Nozoma and Fumikiri lunged in as well, leaving the other three Shinkalions behind. Matagi took the chance to take charge. "Okay, you guys. Be ready for when the thief comes out."
"But how will we expect the thief to emerge?" Haifu asked.
Efu looked around, his optics scanning for any sign of a getaway ship or something of that nature.
Then...
Robotnik grunted as the blue and white alien smashed his drill into the joint of Mecha Omega.
He could feel the dull throb, but he ignored it as his machine's joints had been enforced to deal with such blows.
He drew back a fist and slammed it into the ground, forcing the alien to back off as he dodged, flipping and landing on the ground, his optics burning a greenish-yellow color in his fury. And personally, Robotnik enjoyed seeing him in such a state. It was just what he needed to gather more data to perfect his next generation of AI programs. To emulate such emotions was top-quality programming. Whichever advanced ancient alien race crafted these robots had programming techniques he'd kill to get his hands on.
But for now, he'd settle with just observing and making his own notes and experimenting.
He drew back his metallic fist and flexed it as he reached for the knife on his machine's chest.
"Uncle!"
His head perked up as he heard the voice of his nephew. "Hm?" A quick thought and a screen appeared in the left hand corner of his vision. "What is it, Snivley?" he asked.
The boy's face was flushed, but he looked triumphant as he held up a box that was coated in the darkest black possible. "I have it!" he remarked. "I got the package."
Robotnik hummed as he used his machine's scanners to find the boy and his cargo. A scan of the box confirmed his suspicions.
It was the Black Dust crystal the company had been studying.
A grin crossed his face. "Excellent! Take your ship and head back to the rendezvous! I'll meet you there once I take care of these pests..."
Snivley nodded. "Yes, sir." The window shut down and Robotnik sneered as he hefted his axe in one hand, his other pulling the machine gun free from its holster on his back.
"Now... shall we dance...?"
Matagi and the other two Shinkalions were surprised to hear the sound of what appeared to be a small airship taking off from behind the building.
"Oh, Glob...!" Haifu swore. "The thief's making their getaway!"
The small aircraft lifted off the ground, its engines flaring as it dashed ahead, accelerating to a respectable speed of 260 kilometers per hour. He dimmed his optics a shade. "Now I see why Fumikiri chose us for the pursuit," he mused.
"Then let's move!" Efu exclaimed.
"Hold it! We need to be on rail lines to give chase!" Matagi pointed out.
"Yeah, but what about those Rails of Light?" Efu shot back. "We can use those!"
Matagi fell silent, realizing that Efu did have a good point. But there was the issue of how long they could remain materialized. No one knew for sure how long the Rails of Light could remain in existence, since they were still new technology. But at the same time, they needed them for the moment. And the only way to test the limits was to use them for as long as possible.
"All right..." he muttered, sighing heavily. "But if things start to go wrong with them, we go on foot."
Efu nodded, feeling it was a perfect compromise. "Right."
Matagi pressed a hand to his helm. "Futaba? You get that?"
"Yes. I'm engaging the Rails now. You have only a short window of time to get on them though!" she said.
"All right." He lowered his hand and glanced to his friends. "Let's move!"
The trio broke into a run as they neared the train tracks that ran by the Sanban Industries facilities. Efu was the first one to transform into his shinkansen form, followed by Haifu and Matagi. As they engaged their engines and revved them, Efu saw a track switch ahead of them shift and the rails locked into place, the Rails of Light forming and extending out from said tracks. He was the first one to shift over to them, and then came Matagi and Haifu. The rails expanded out into a trio of parallel tracks, allowing them to drive beside one another.
Overhead, the airship kept going, this time making a beeline for some place further inland, Matagi noticed.
"It looks like it's heading inland," he relayed to the others over his commo system.
"I wonder why," Haifu mused.
"Not sure, but we gotta get that Black Dust back before someone gets their hands on it!" Efu exclaimed.
And Matagi knew he was right.
He gunned his engine. "Right. Let's go!"
"Hai!" came the reply.
Of course, things were about to take a turn for the worse... and no one knew it at the time.
Deep within the darkness of the sealed Pools, a sinister form stirred, feeling its Master calling to it.
But alas, the seals still pulsed, sending energy deep into the Pools to render all Grimm creation inert. It was an ancient magic, one that had lasted for over one thousand years. Bolstered by an extensive system of spells, magic, technology, and alchemic runes, the seal was able to self-sustain its power, keeping the Pools sealed for all time. However...
There was one weakness. As long as the mountain remained atop it, it would not be breached, but...
The beast rumbled threateningly as its Master soothed it, whispering into its essence with his own. Words he knew not entered his brain, and although he didn't understand them, he did understand the emotion behind them. And he waited...
Waited for his time to strike.
It was coming soon. He could feel it...
SANBAN INDUSTRIES BATTLE SITE
Esebu grunted as he leapt to the side, his drill held in his hand as Robotnik finished swinging that axe at him again.
Off to his side, Nozoma flipped and Fumikiri sprang back, both Shinkalions landing close to Esebu, their weapons held at the ready.
"Dammit...! This thing's not giving us a chance to get in close!" Nozoma growled.
"Then we'll have to think and outwit him," Fumikiri mused. "But seeing as how he's a genius..."
Esebu, however, was silent as he eyed the machine before them. His optics had already picked out several key weak points, but the question was how to get at them. The primary one was the optical sensor in the head. That was without a doubt. Another weakness was the wing joints on the back. And the last two were located in the knees. Although reinforced, there was a gap that exposed the wiring for the hydraulics and systems within those massive limbs.
"...could be ready to anticipate us," Fumikiri finished.
"Yeah... But not entirely," Esebu said seriously.
"Huh?" Nozoma looked to the blue and white Shinkalion leader. "You got a plan then? If so, it had better not rely on luck!"
"Hardly!" Esebu shot back. He glanced to the other two, then to Robotnik's mecha. "This thing has several weaknesses, and one of 'em is located right on the back of the knee joints!"
"Hold on. How can you be certain?" Fumikiri asked.
Here Esebu lowered his drill a bit. "When that mecha started to swing that axe at us, I noticed there was a discrepancy in its joints as it pivoted to attack us," he explained. "Robotnik claimed this thing was built to tangle with the likes of Dracon and Seph, and perhaps Major Glory, too. Or even E-Male. But... if that were the case, then why would its joints be so reinforced? Dracon's got fin funnels that can attack accurately, and Seph has those explosive feathers. Not to mention Major Glory can use his heat vision to sever them. And then there's E-Male. He may be the fastest man in Japan, and have control over some electronic devices, but even he would have trouble with this thing."
"So?" Fumikiri was confused. "What does this have to do with how reinforced the joints are?"
"Think about it!" Esebu remarked. "Those joints are supposed to be impossible to hit, right? Well, during that last pivot, I happened to see that one of them was sparking."
Nozoma's optics flashed as he eyed the lead Shinkalion. "Wait. Are you saying that...?"
Esebu nodded. "Its joints can't handle that massive weight!" he stated. "And that's why they're so heavily reinforced, to make sure that no one can sever them! The reinforcement is a means to keep the weight supported. That thing may be built tough, but if someone has the right equipment-" Here he hefted his drill. "-then they can break those joints wide open and it will collapse!"
Now Nozoma and Fumikiri understood what he was getting at.
"So here's the plan. Fumikiri, can you use your ninjutsu to create copies of me?" Esebu asked.
"Hai. I can," the ninja Shinkalion said.
"Good." Esebu then turned to Nozoma. "How long can ya distract him from the front?"
Nozoma raised his mechanical hands and mimicked cracking his knuckles. "As long as you need!" he said.
Esebu nodded. "Okay. I'm sure you get the idea then?"
The two nodded as one.
"Then let's do this!" Esebu shouted.
"Hai!" came the cry.
The trio burst into action, with Esebu leading the charge.
Esebu glanced to Fumikiri who held up his hands and with a quick hand sign, cast his ninjutsu. Esebu's frame glowed an orangish white before he seemed to split into numerous copies. Esebu ran ahead with the copies, and Robotnik's voice echoed over the battlespace.
"Oh? So you have a few ninja tricks, do you? Nice try! But I can easily pick out which one is the real!" he sneered.
'As if!' Fumikiri thought as he eyed one supposed clone moving behind him as he started to circle. It had taken him some time, but a quick Aura Clone Jutsu was enough to mimic Esebu's signature enough to delude him into believing the real one was up front, when in reality he was behind the war machine.
He held up a hand and gave another hand sign. The clones dispersed, and smoke filled the battlefield.
Robotnik recoiled. "WHAT?!"
Nozoma lunged out of the smoke, his energy blades humming as he thrust them forward, his optics flaring bight blue. "HAH!"
The mecha reached out and made to grab Nozoma, but the white Shinkalion ignited his jets, using them to spring over the massive hand as he lashed out with his right energy blade, driving it into the thick metal to act as a handhold of sorts. He tensed his frame before he did the same with the other one, wrapping his legs around the arm, keeping himself locked in place.
And Esebu smirked to himself in his thoughts.
With Robotnik distracted by Nozoma, he was unable to even counter the attack from behind.
He lunged forward.
Esebu's engine was now racing in his chest as he thrust his drill forward, hoping against hope that Robotnik wouldn't notice him.
Surprisingly, Nozoma's efforts to garner his attention were working. The large machine was trying to pull the Shinkalion off its arm, but wasn't succeeding, given that Nozoma was firmly planted on there. He actually had to stifle a chuckle at how stupid Robotnik looked trying to pull the smaller mecha off himself.
He returned his focus to his enemy's knee joints and activated his drill. He pressed the trigger three times and the Dust dispensers slid open as he channeled his Aura into it. The drill began to spin up until it was a blur of silvery color and a gleaming icy sheen. A loud roar escaped his vocalizer as he jabbed it into one of the joints, right into its barely visible gap. "WHEELSET KORI DRIVER!"
The machine seemed to gasp, dropping its arms as the start of ice forming caught Robotnik's attention. Esebu glanced to the joint, and he smirked in his thoughts as his engine purred happily in his chest.
Ice was coating the joint, and spreading out towards the rest of the limb.
A grunt escaped him as he pulled his drill out, leaving sparking metal and icy wires behind. He jumped back as the large machine's weight finally took its toll on the joint and the leg caved in, collapsing under its own weight. Robotnik cried in anger as he glanced back, his machine's optic burning a deep purple color. "You... You space scum! You will pay for this!" he howled, grabbing the machine gun on his back with his free hand. Nozoma took his chance to pull his energy blades free and leap off, using his thrusters to burn the huge machine's arm as he flipped back. He landed on the ground and brandished them as Fumikiri touched down, snapping his shuriken open in one hand, preparing for the throw.
Esebu revved his treads and sped around to join them, holding his drill at the ready, ice Dust still spilling from its Dust dispensers.
"You think you can still take us on?" he asked, flashing his optics. "Especially since we know your machine's weakness now?"
For his part, Robotnik had been sure that no one could penetrate the joints of his machine.
And yet, these space aliens had not only managed to distract him, but also find its weakness.
While he was a competent robotics engineer and expert, he was not able to overcome every weakness in his machines. Sure he could do his best, but even he had limits. And this was one such occasion.
He growled as he glanced down at his knee, noticing how the circuits on his pilot suit were glowing bright blue and red, indicating ice damage to the joint. He looked up, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "I will admit, I have underestimated you. But never again! Especially seeing as how my mission is already completed..."
A sneer crossed his face as he noticed the leader perk up and he turned to his two comrades, no doubt using whatever language they spoke to communicate in private.
Just as his COMM system beeped.
A small screen appeared in his window of sight and he noticed his nephew looked a bit more stressed, if not exhausted. He had a small grin on his face. "Uncle... it is done. I was able to evade the three that gave chase."
"Excellent. You must tell me how you did it after we rendezvous. Are you at the airship?" the robotics expert asked.
"Yes. I managed to sneak around and rejoin it shortly after they left." The boy held up the box with the Black Dust. "Are you coming too?"
"Yes. Let me finish up here... I have a big surprise in store..." Robotnik cackled as the boy gulped a bit. "But rest assured, it will do no harm to the populace... as long as they stay out of the fight."
Snivley nodded before he closed down the COMM system and Robotnik stood his machine up, using the axe as a crutch.
"You fools thought you had me, didn't you? Your plan was brilliant, but not enough to overcome me!" he sneered.
Esebu was by now stunned. They had been played for fools!
"You bastard!" he roared, lunging towards the mecha, his drill revving up to full power.
Beside him, Fumikiri and Nozoma ran, their own weapons held at the ready.
The large machine stood up, using its axe as a crutch. "You really are fools! My plan was not to stop you, but to keep you distracted! And it has paid off! Now, time to finish you, once and for all!"
The optical sensor flashed as the mecha's chest began to shift and change, opening up to expose a large missile launcher, a warhead already armed and aimed at them!
Esebu's engine seemed to plummet to the ground as he saw it. "Oh... kuso...!" he swore. "That... is not good...!"
And how right he was.
Robotnik cackled as the engine of the missile wound up, flames belching from its rear as the warhead sped out of its launcher, right for the trio of Shinkalions. Esebu shouted an order. "SCATTER!" he bellowed.
The missile streaked past them... and right for Sanban Industries HQ... only to bypass it as something slammed into it, revealing itself to be the Dragon of Denver!
"Not on my watch!" he bellowed in rage.
However... no one knew that his move exposed the missile to a more tempting target...
And with it, a new threat.
The presence sensed something coming. He had no idea as to what it was, but it was drawing closer.
The entire area suddenly shook as the strange force slammed into it with enough kinetic energy to shatter the very mountain face above. The seal flickered and held, but the presence could sense that something was happening.
He listened.
Silence reigned at first...
And then he heard it.
A faint crack.
A trickle of dust... and then light. Pure, untarnished sunlight, not like the energy seal and runes that kept him imprisoned for so long.
The crackle grew louder as the debris from the kinetic impact sloughed down into the chambers, denting the ancient machinery left behind by the Ancients and their mages to maintain the seal. The first of the old mechanisms finally exploded, and the barrier flickered as the entire system went into overload.
Sensing freedom for the first time in over a thousand years, he stretched his muscles. The Dark Substance had kept him from succumbing to muscle atrophy, and he, though he knew it not, was grateful for its abilities and properties.
A large eye snapped open, and a bladed hand thrust itself out of the seal...
And into the sunlight.