Invasion
"So how do we get there?"
Her eagerness was very understandable, and it made her cousin smile. His blue eyes locked on her frame, as that insane smile of his grew back onto his lips. Truly, their relationship was a different one. Trust between cousins should be natural, and loving. But not between them. Only pushed on by respect, and urgency.
But he had her with this.
"Do you really want to go, my dearest cousin?" he asked, "Do you really wish to go up to that space station?"
"Of course I do!" she answered, stepping forward, "And I'd love it if we went now!"
"Now, now, Maria dear!" Ivo said, snickering, "We can't be too rambunctious here! We have lots of plans to make! Lots of things to design!"
"Not now, Ivo!" she yelled, "Hurry up! I wanna go to Ark now!"
"No can do, Maria," he responded, spinning around so he could meet the screen before him, "We just aren't prepared for such... Exploration measures. I may be a genius, but I still lack the ability to travel through space."
"That's bull crap, and you know it!" Maria yelled, jabbing forth her finger, "Dammit, Ivo, why can't we leave!?"
"Because Space Colony Ark is guarded by the greatest defense system in the universe," he remarked, spinning toward her, "It's guarded by space and G.U.N. If we just try to waltz on in there, we'll be shot to death, yes, even you. And with your whole betrayal, I'm sure they have that place so heavily guarded, we'll be stricken down on the spot."
"I don't care!" Maria yelled, "Ivo, we have two Chaos Emeralds, and I know how to use Chaos Control! I can get us in without a problem."
"Oh please, Maria," he answered, shaking his head, "You barely know how to use that, Chaos Control, and when you do, you warp without your clothes," his comments made her wilt, "So you expect me to just trust you? To just, warp to space with you? Whose to say you won't bring us in the middle of space, where the vacuum will kill us both? Or trap us in that dimensional gap you travel through when you use Chaos Control?"
"Okay, okay," Maria remarked, staring off in the distance, while her arms were crossed, "I see your point, Ivo. But you didn't bring up Ark for no reason. How do you intend on us getting there?"
"Easy," he snickered, evilly, "From the plans I retrieved from Ark thanks to my brilliant hacking, and of course, yours too, Maria, I have found one, sure shot way to get to the Space Colony."
"And how's that?" the blonde agent responded.
"G.U.N. has a personal teleporter, that can get anyone to Ark, in record times. We'll just have to get there."
"Great..." Maria remarked, sarcastically, "And where is this teleporter, dare I ask?"
"Why, in Prison Island, of course."
"Of course!" she barked, "Of freaking course! It's always there! You have the plans, don't you Ivo? Can't you just... I don't know, build one?"
"Oh no, no, Maria dear," he answered, "Such a device would take much to long for me to create. Our only way to get inside, would be to invade Prison Island, again, and use their on hand teleporter to get inside."
"Ivo, that's the stupidest plan you ever could have come up with. G.U.N. will have that place on such high security measures, not even I will be able to get through!"
"Are you sure?" Ivo remarked, "Because if we don't get in, we'll never get to the Emerald on the Ark..."
Curse Ivo and his insidious ways. He knew Maria wanted to get to Ark, at any means necessary, but he also knew her want to not face anymore G.U.N. operatives. She may have been a dishonored agent now, but she still held feelings toward her old allies. To just jump in, and start killing, would be a horrible one. And he saw this, in her eyes. Despite what she did the other day, at Empire City, how she killed the guards on hand, she still felt wrong about it.
"Remember, Maria..." Ivo whispered, "Remember what G.U.N. did to you..."
The call made her eyes snap to him. For a brief moment, he saw red tinge her eyes, before returning to their blue. Her grief filled face transformed into one of stoic anger, as she faced her cousin full frontal.
"When do we leave...?" she asked.
The question made him smile.
…
To sleep is a beautiful thing. That's what Maria was doing currently. She laid on her cot of a bed, her face inside the pillows and sheets. She wasn't wearing much, just a night-shirt, and her panties. In the corner of the room, rolled up in a little ball, the newly christened Orbot. Her friend, Jeeves.
He was silent for the time being. She was silent for the time being. All was silent.
Save for him.
"Why are you like this?"
His question served only to irk her more, which it did so very easily. She opened her beautiful blue orbs, and immediately squinted in the direction of the voice. He floated there, ever so mysteriously, looking at her.
She wished he would go away. She remembered everything now. Her life aboard the Ark, his life aboard the Ark, how both was taken from them by a selfish army. Then why, why was he still haunting her like this? Why did he gaze upon her, with his shimmering red orbs, making her feel this knot in her chest.
Making her feel like this was all wrong.
"So, what?" he whispered, "You're going up to the Ark? To do what, Maria? Find the Chaos Emeralds?"
"Shut... up..." she whispered, "Shadow, I've made my decision, just go away."
"But... I can't help but to feel as if that decision is..."
"What... Wrong?" she answered for him.
"Yes..." he answered, "Wrong... oh so very wrong..."
"Well I don't care," she answered, turning away from him, "I've made it, and its mine... I'm going back to the Ark. And that's final..." she dug her face closer into her pillow, while her eyes closed, "Now go away. I have a lot to do in the morning..."
"I would love too," he answered, "But... I'm here for a reason, Maria."
Suddenly, a blue light entered the room. Maria gazed off into the corner, only to see Orbot rise and rise. His eyes gave light to the room, while he spun around constantly.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" he yelled, "Madame Maria! We have intruders!"
The blonde agent stared at the spinning robot, while she roared out wildly. Turning to face the door, she quickly zipped out of her cot, and to the only wardrobe that lied in her room. Tearing it open, she gazed to the clothes she called her own. As her hands picked and withdrew various articles of clothing, her eyes aimed out of the window.
Over the horizon, it was coming. Closer and closer, the grey ships that could destroy and kill so many in such a little amount of time. For a moment, it went silent against the night-time sky, but upon further inspection, one could see them. And they were ready. The Air Fleet. G.U.N.'s primary assault of the skies. Funny, really. She wasn't expecting this sort of assault. They must really want her.
"Jeeves!" she called out, taking her favorite skirt from the wardrobe, "Warn Ivo!"
"I shall, Madame Maria! And you!"
"I said go warn Ivo, don't worry about me!"
The floating machine with the forever smile nodded at her command. But upon turning around, he made his way to the door, and exited the room without a second thought.
Maria shifted her gaze to the clothing in hand, and quickly started to change. And once she was ready, in her usual attire of blue vest, the white shirt, the blue and white skirt, and great blue combat boots, she was ready to evict the invaders from her current residence. Just one thing.
She moved to the side of her bed, and lifted the pistol that sat on it. And of course, her coveted blue band, which she slid on her head. Now she was ready.
She took to the hallways of Scrap Brain Zone quickly, holding her pistol close. The alarms were blaring loudly, much to her anger. But it served to remind her how important her mission was. She picked up the pace, her footsteps bringing her further down the halls. Every now and then, she would pass a window, and upon doing so, she would scan how close the fleet was to their position. They were beyond them, flying high in the sky. Jets were scattered about to, and bullets were ultimately rained down. But this didn't last long.
Fire was returned to the skies, striking the G.U.N. fleet and their jets. Some were knocked down, while others continued their scramble of rockets and bullets. One explosion knocked Maria off her feet, which only caused her to growl.
She got to her feet after a few seconds, her blue eyes still trained on the halls at hand. This little invasion was going to hamper her and Ivo's plans, but knowing him, he probably had an extra base or two, stationed somewhere on this planet. He was a genius, after all.
"Maria!" she suddenly got a call, stemming from the radio around her waist.
"I'm here, Ivo!" she answered, arriving at the part of their base, where the command center was held, "Where are you?"
"I'm making my way to the jet bay," he answered, growling, "I can't believe G.U.N.!"
"Madame Maria!" Orbot called through the radio, "We are ready to make our leave! I recommend you hurry!"
"No, no!" Ivo yelled, still growling, "Maria G.U.N. has this place surrounded. If we are to make our escape, you'll have to turn on our defenses. My Badniks can only do but so much!"
"But, Lord Ivo," Orbot pleaded, "What if Maria can't-"
"Don't worry about me, Jeeves..." she whispered, facing down one of Scrap Brain's many halls, "I'll be there in a heart beat. Just get to safety..."
"But... Madame Maria..." he answered, dishearteningly.
"Good, good, Maria!" Ivo said, possibly smiling on the end of the radio, "Now the defense systems I have set up, are the greatest in the world! All you have to do, is set them up. The on switch is in the heart of the city."
"Fine... I'm on my way, Ivo..."
"And don't worry Maria," he added, snickering, "I have the Emeralds, they won't be falling into G.U.N. hands any time soon..."
"Fantastic..." she sarcastically replied, "Maria out..."
The radio snapped off a moment later, and Maria returned it to her waist. Increasing the grip she held on her pistol, she started running down the hall at her front. A sudden rumble made her loose her footing, however, where she slipped up. The wall suddenly exploded then, sending pounds of tempered steel flying every which way.
When the blonde agent brought her eyes up, she saw G.U.N. agents. All were wearing heavy armor, and all were scanning the area around them, with heavy artillery. Thanks to the smog created from the explosion, she was well hidden, taking refuge behind a construct as she thought up a plan. She laid her pistol to the side of her head, as she thought hard on what to do next.
The heavy footsteps of the soldiers reminded her how urgent things were. If she and Ivo were caught here, then this would be the end of their operations. She would never figure out who she once was, or why G.U.N. attacked. She would never get the answers she was rightfully endowed. She would never get her revenge.
Revenge. The word spurned her, angered her, enticed her. It made her move.
She peered around the corner. The group of four soldiers were in their star formation. Diamond shaped, a soldier at front, two on the sides, one at the back. Good for defense, not so good when it came to fighting, for they had to scramble over one another to fire one target. And that target, just happened to be her.
She quickly spun around to the corner, revealing herself to them. The guard at front froze up when he saw her. She aimed her gun toward him, and fired. The bullet struck him in the chest, forcing him back while he growled. His men immediately shifted their attention towards her, ready to end the agent here and now. It would be impossible, however. In a blue blur, she zipped up to them. One guard met her fist, the other, her foot. Her powerful strikes knocked them down with one hit, ending their attacks. The last guard was so terrified by this action, he just stared at her.
Maybe it was pity that fueled her next movement, instead of rage. She took the rifle from his hands, smiled at it, then struck him upside the head, knocking him out cold. It could have been worse. She could have shot him.
With four guards down, she knew there would be more to take their place. She needed to hurry, the agent did. So, she started running again, her feet taking her down the halls at quick speeds. One hall lead to another, which lead to another, which lead to a fork in the wall path, which lead, yet another, hall. Everything was getting so maze like in such a quick amount of time, it angered her. Curse Ivo and his constructive ways! She did have to admit, though. For a base, it was a good one. All these pathways would make it hard for intruders to get in.
But not hard for G.U.N.
The agent suddenly dropped down to her feet, bullets screaming over her head as she did so. Scurrying over to metal box like object, she hid behind it. The area she sat in appeared to be a loading bay, or a construction line. Metal boxes sat on conveyor belts, while robots were being slowly built over with time. It made her wonder how Ivo had the time to build all this.
But that didn't matter. More bullets rang over head, making her duck down. She heard calls be given by the leader of whatever group was upon her, making her growl. Holding forth the automatic rifle in her hands, she just waited for the attackers to get closer. With every footstep they took, she heard the sound bounce over the walls. She aimed her eyes over the corner, seeing many folds of gun soldiers. Taking them down would be hard, and she was sure she'd be shot from it. So, she decided to be sneaky.
Away from the metal box she deftly moved, making her way to a shaded area in the room. The soldiers seemed to not notice her escape, as they were still eying the play she once was. The blonde agent's face grew harder at the sight, before she slithered her way over to the conveyor belt. As the boxes atop them moved, she moved with them, keeping her footsteps silent, and body hidden. The soldiers seemed to not notice, as she sneaked her way past, still holding that rifle in her hands. If this kept on, then she'd be able to sneak past the area without so much as a gunshot. But of course, it wouldn't be this easy.
The agent looked forward. Staring back, one of those golden G.U.N. Beetles. The sight of it made the girl lock up. Before she could deal with it, the beetle disappeared. The next thing she knew, gun fire was raining upon her position.
"She's here men!" a call was given, "Get her!"
The agent quickly rolled out-of-the-way, dodging gun shots with her deft movements. Hiding behind another metal box, she knew there was very little she could do in the way of escape. Those guards would keep moving, and eventually, get to her. The urgency of the situation made her slam her head against the box in anger. The act of doing so, made the box open. Rolling out, a Badnik. But not just any kind, a Motobug. The girl smiled, as her finger tapped the button on the side of the machine. The eyes of the ladybug like machine zipped on, as its antenna began to twitch. Maria only pointed her fingers forward to the guards coming near. The Motobug quickly zipped onto its one wheel, before dashing off toward his foes.
Maria peered over, once the gunshots ended. One soldier was swiped off his feet, by the rolling Motobug, and the others took their attention of the agent, to deal with the Badnik. They didn't do to well, as one by one, they were knocked off their toes and sent crashing to the earth. Maria hopped up in giddiness, as she watched the machine take them down. Then she got a thinking.
One by one, she opened the metal boxes, freeing and turning on the Motobugs that held within. All of them started zipping by, taking down G.U.N. soldiers left and right. And once the room was cleared of them, thanks to their current unconsciousness, those same Motobugs started zipping through the halls.
Maria followed them too, though she failed to keep up, surprisingly. It seemed that her cousin had given them a number of upgrades. One Motobug stayed by her side though, following each one of her movements. Once the agent stopped, the Motobug stopped too. They were in a forked path, once again, but this one was worse. Three pathways they could have chosen from, and the agent was unsure which one to take.
"Hey..." she called to the Motobug beside her, "Do you know where the defense systems are at?"
The Motobug's blue eyes suddenly shined, when it took to their immediate left. Maria chuckled lightly, and her eyes turned red. She dashed off toward the Motobug with her meta-human gene, keeping up with it at similar speeds. They dashed up and through halls, blowing past everything at speeds barely noticeable. The war zone that was Scrap Brain Zone hadn't loosened though, for the two could still hear the cacophonous sounds of gunfire roaring outside.
Then the Motobug stopped, with Maria skidding to one a few moments later. They stood before this great door, one that easily dwarfed the blonde agent in size. Feeling no love for it, however, she forced her hands to pry open the door, making it scream out as it dragged against the metal floors.
"Maria!" Ivo screamed through the radio "What is taking so long!? We can't stand here forever!"
"Oh shut up, Ivo!" she barked back, "I'm working here! I've gotten to the defense systems, I'm about to turn them on."
"Really?" Ivo said, earnestly surprised, "Perfect! Get them online, then get over here!"
She didn't bother to sign off, as her feet brought her into the darkened room. Stepping in, she felt a swarm of cold take her. Those blue eyes of hers scanned the room around them, seeing offline screens staring back. She slowly made her way to the screen at the forefront, the one that lay in the direct center. She peered down to the command console attached to the screen, and started to dance her fingers alongside it. The screen snapped on suddenly, bringing light to this room. One by one, the screens around the room zapped on, showing the war that was being waged outside. She continued tapping on the console, coming to various files as she did so. She turned on all of them, and upon doing so, a new sound was given.
All around the base, secret slots were opened up. Poking out of these secret slots, gun barrels of course. The blonde agent heard gun fire tear through the air, and surely, tearing through skin and flesh as well as metal and steel. The thought of it, killing her fellow soldiers, pained her. But, that's right, they aren't her soldiers, not any more. She needed to remember that.
"Good job, Maria..." Ivo snickered through the radio, "Those G.U.N. dorks don't know what hit them now!"
"What now, Ivo?" she asked.
"Get out, of course! We're leaving, Maria." he answered.
"On my way..."
There was this sudden explosion. A blast struck the girl in her back, sending her crashing forward. Her head bashed against the screen at her front, before she fell to the ground. She growled with animalistic rage, as she rubbed her head. Bringing her fingers down, she saw her forehead was bleeding. That only made her angrier. She got to her toes weakly, before turning around to face her attacker.
Warden Coffee the rabbit. His brown eyes peered through the cold room, to the girl before him. He looked, different though. Taller, it seemed. More robotic, as well.
"Coffee...?" the blonde agent responded.
"Metal... Coffee..." he answered, his arm cannon aiming at her.
The weapon started to glow a brilliant white, before a blue fireball was fired. Maria quickly leaped up, dodging the attack barely. The scorching blaze created a black patch on the ground, damaging its clean reflection. Maria peered back up to the roboticized hare, as he moved slowly forward. He continued firing at her with his arm cannon, destroying everything it came across. Maria continued dodging however, trying her hardest to find cover in the empty room. Eventually, she started returning fire, making her rifle scream at the robotic mobian. Coffee merely raised his other hand, causing it to produce a shield, one that blocked her bullets. He continued to fire though, and with each blast, he got closer.
"C'mon, Maria!" he taunted, "Show me that bravado you've always held! I want to know all of you, before I kill you!"
"Fine then!" Maria said, eyes closing, "I'll let you see that, bravado!"
Her eyes opened once again, the blue orbs now replaced with these fiery red ones. In lieu of a firing upon Coffee, she instead punched the ground. The metal floor split in too, driving toward the robotic hare. Coffee quickly leaped up, dodging her attack. When his robotic brown eyes returned to Maria, the agent was dashing toward him. She slammed into him, and eventually, the two crashed into a screen. Sparks and glass flew around them, as Maria pulled her fist back. She drove it forward, hitting the steel of Coffee's roboticized body. It produced a dent, and made Coffee growl.
"That was stupid of you, Coffee!" the agent roared, "Roboticizing yourself! What will Vanilla think when her father comes back as a robot!"
"I will be seen as a hero!" he yelled, grabbing the agent by the shoulders, "Willing to do whatever it takes to take down my foes!"
"You're a madman, Coffee!" Maria retorted, "And a dead one! You shouldn't have come to me! I'm going to end you!"
He pulled his head back, and suddenly struck the agent with it. Maria stepped back, but countered with a kick to the chest. The strike hit Coffee in the side of his body, making him bend with the attack. His arm cannon aimed forth though, firing wildly as he recoiled from the hit. His fireballs started destroying the screens around them, setting fire to the area.
Maria started to juke back, as Coffee struck at her with his free hand. After delivering a kick, she stopped the strike, and grabbed him. With the fire still around them, she started spinning him around. Faster and faster, the two twirled, before she released the hold she held on him. He went flying into the distance, before crashing into another screen, destroying that one too. He wobbled a bit, once he fell to the ground, and was prepared to continue the fight. But the screen suddenly landed atop him, crushing him whole.
Maria was sure that wasn't the end of the fire, but it was getting hard to tell things after the strike she suffered earlier. Dragging her fingers across his forehead, she found blood to still be seeping from the earlier wound. It made her angry.
"MARIA!" Ivo yelled, "I am not waiting here any more! Hurry up!"
"I'm coming!" she growled back.
Instead of continuing the fight, like she wanted too, she instead dashed off. She zipped up and down halls, running past the bodies of G.U.N. soldiers and Badniks. She didn't care though, for her mission was set on getting out of here. She eventually made her way free of the halls, and to the hangar Ivo spoke off. Stepping in, she saw the great machine her cousin was sitting in.
"FINALLY!" he yelled, once her frame stepped into his blue sight.
"Just shut up, Ivo..." she mumbled, running up, "And get this thing move!"
The side of the vehicle opened up, revealing a happy Jeeves on the other end. He stretched his arms out for her to run in, but stopped suddenly. The sight made the agent cock her head in confusion, before turning around. At the doorway of this hangar, was Coffee, and a series of G.U.N. mechs. They didn't look to happy, either.
"Give it up, Maria..." the metal hare said, staring forth.
"Dammit, Coffee!" she yelled, "Just go away!"
The jet behind her suddenly started hovering.
"It's over, Maria!" Coffee growled.
"Maria, get into this thing right now!" Ivo yelled, "I'm not staying any longer!"
She faced her madman of a cousin.
"Just go, Ivo... I'll hold them off..."
"Don't have to tell me twice..." he answered, closing the door.
"But! Madame Maria!" Jeeves called, before the jet sealed them in.
Ivo's jet floated higher and higher, before lasers from its cannons destroyed the steel door at their front. The next moment, the jet was screaming, blowing wind, sound, and objects everywhere. The jet disappeared the next moment, flying over the horizon at amazing speeds.
Maria watched it fly away, before turning over. The various gun mechs aimed their weapons at her, Coffee included. To show she wasn't scared, she rose her rifle as well, prepared to meet whatever they were giving. But her eyesight never left Coffee's robotic one.
Shots were fired.