A/N: During the last chapter, Sonic and the others finally succeeded in convincing the 4 clans in the Dragon Kingdom to sever ties with the Iron Dominion. Now, with their support cut off, the 5 heroes make their way back to New Mobotropolis. However, one has to wonder how the other heroes have been faring in the last 2 days.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.
Over the ocean, the Tornado and Monkey Khan race to the east as quick as possible. All of them are eager to liberate their fair city, and to kick some legionnaire butts while doing it. Well, all of them except for Kor. He had been silent for the past 2 hours.
"Man I can't wait to give Queenie a taste of her own medicine!" Sonic boasted, stretching his legs in preparation.
"First, I need to deliver the message to the Yagyu ninjas stationed there. Back in the Dragon Kingdom word may travel fast, but in the West it's the opposite it seems...once they hear of their clan's departure they should leave without a fight." Ken explained.
"Then that should just leave the Dark Legion and the Iron King and Queen to deal with. And with Nicole on our side again we should be able to form a trap." Sally said thoughtfully.
Sonic glances over at Kor, who looked absent-minded. "You ok there engy? You seem worried about something."
The fox sighed. "Well...to be truthful guys, we won't have just them to worry about..."
Tails turned his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"...Couple nights back Nicole informed me that Hornet got captured...that bitch has been usin' it to find any other oppressors an' such and crush rebellions...I doubt we'll be able to bring back on our side so I opted to have it...destroyed..." Kor said the last word with bitterness.
"Wait, you sure there isn't any other way? I mean, when Ken was taken over he was brought back to his old self in no time flat." Sonic pointed out.
"Also, didn't you have explosives built into it incase it was compromised?" Tails asked.
"No, cause I was hoping for that gunship to be of use for the forseeable future...plus I didn't want it to accidentally blow itself up..." Kor paused. "However, after studying its features I found some chinks in its armor that I wasn't aware of before. They're small, but together they can pose a huge threat to it..."
"...If it has to be done, what do we need to do?" Ken asked.
"You guys will handle everyone else. I'll deal with the drone myself."
"You sure you're up for something like that Kor?" The blue blur asked.
"Anyone knows that the biggest threat for an aircraft is not from another, but from the ground..." Kor stated.
-New Mobotropolis-
Since they conquered the city, the Iron Dominion had been capturing any civilians they could find. With the dome still over the city, it was hard to tell the time of day, not that it mattered much. Some were lucky enough to be evacuated to Angel Island for the time being, but a majority of the population still remained. The remaining Freedom Fighters put up a tough defense, even getting some help from Geoffrey St. John, who recently came back after finishing a mission. However, due to their small numbers and overwhelming odds, they have been forced into hiding, especially since the Dominion employed the now mind-controlled Hornet to find any who remained free people.
Currently, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, and Geoffrey were hiding in a small bunker, trying to plot their next move. At least they weren't entirely alone however. Nicole informed them of her restoration the day prior.
"I still cannot believe ze one tool Kor made to help us iz now being used against us. I hope ze other made it out ok..." Antoine said, gripping his sword nervously.
"Oh Ah'm sure they're alright. If they were captured they would have been here by now." Bunnie assured him.
"Given the circumstances with Nicole, it's not surprising they pulled the same trick on that drone." Geoffrey stated.
"Even so, we have to do something. We can't just sit here waiting around while everyone else is being captured or worse..." Amy said with a sullen look on her face.
"As much as I agree with you Amy, there isn't much we can do. Also, it's been awhile since Nicole last gave us a report." The skunk pointed out. "However, I do worry on Rotor's condition. He hasn't returned yet..."
At that moment, Nicole had materialized in the middle of the room. "Hello everyone. Sorry for the late arrival...I didn't have the opportunity to disappear like I would have hoped to earlier..."
"Got any good news Sug?" Bunnie asked.
"Unfortunately no...anyone whose been captured is being moved to the coliseum for legionization..." The A.I. stated grimly.
" 'Legionization?' Is it something like roboticization?" Geoffrey asked.
"No...it's much worse...they're going to be turned into brainwashed cyborgs to be shipped out to other Dark Legion chapters..." Amy replied.
"Yeesh...things were this bad under the first Robotnik..." The field agent said in a somber tone.
"I-It's not that bad. Everything will work out when Sonic gets back. You'll see." The pink hedgehog assured him.
"That isn't the only piece of information I have...Rotor's been captured, and they're going to make an example out of him for the legionization process..." Nicole told them.
Everyone gasps in shock at this. Amy then grits her teeth, feeling herself overcome with newfound determination. "That's it! Let's get 'em!" She yelled as she summoned her hammer.
"Now hold on Amy. They outnumber us thirty-to-one! We'd be better served if we..." The skunk started.
"What? Go sneaking around like you do? They're going to ruin Rotor! At this point I'm tired of sitting here waiting for something good to happen. It's time we take matters into our own hands, and I'm gonna go save him with or without you!" Amy told him.
Everyone else looked at each other before coming to the same agreement. The longer they hide, the more harm it would do than good. With no clue when the other heroes may return, they were the only hope the city had to save as many as possible.
-New Mobotropolis Detention Center-
Several prisoners were being escorted out of the facility to the coliseum. Among them was Uncle Chuck, who had been captured during the early stages of the invasion. He had been put in a cell across from Eggman, who was also still in the facility. The still-insane doctor kept asking him about various things from over a decade ago, which grated on the old hedgehog's nerves. As he passed Eggman's cell, the doctor happily greeted him.
"Ah Sir Charles! How is the robot-sizer coming along?"
"Oh give it a rest Eggman! I have no time for your babbling nonsense!" The hedgehog shouted before being pushed out by a Yagyu guard.
Eggman became startled by the use of his nickname. He looks at the floor, then at his hands. "Someone used to tease me about that name...before I adopted it myself...I used to go by 'Julian,' but it's been ages since then, hasn't it?...I go by 'Robotnik' now, and sometimes...'Eggman'...of my Eggman Empire..." The doctor said to himself as he put his glasses back on.
He suddenly began to remember everything that's happened in the past decade. He even remembered all of his past defeats at the hands of Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he carefully plotted and executed, he could never seem to beat that hedgehog. But now, it finally dawned on him why. Now, he realized why Sonic had always managed to win, why he managed to bounce back despite being pushed to the brink. Everything that had been gnawing at him for years finally made sense!
Minutes later, Snively entered the facility. When asked why he bothered visiting Eggman due to his insanity, he replied that he just loved seeing the man in such a poor state. "I can't believe I actually used to fear that man." He chuckled to himself. He walked down the hall and reached his uncle's cell. "Hello uncle, how are you-" He stopped as he sees a very lucid Eggman towering over him from behind the glass. "t-t-today?" He finished timidly.
"Hello Snively. I've figured it all out." Eggman states with a grin.
"F-Figured what out s-sir?"
"Everything...I figured out why I can't maintain my empire and why Sonic is a constant problem." Eggman told him. "You see, in every experiment, in every scenario, there is the factor of chance. The unpredictable-the variant or mutation for which you cannot prepare. That hiccup on the quantum level that throws everything off. I'm talking about chaos, Snively. And who has been exposed to more Chaos Energy than Sonic? Don't you see? That's why I can't beat him! That's why I can't plan for him! Sonic is the embodiment of chaos! He is patently unpredictable! He is the constant inconsistency!" The doctor explained. "Now that I know of this, I can account for this issue to happen. Now, can you be so kind as to let me out so we can resume our plans?"
However, instead of complying with the mad man, Snively just bursts into laughter. "Even if you have managed to bring yourself back to your senses, you aren't getting out of that cell!" He laughed more.
"AND WHY NOT?!" Asked the enraged doctor, banging his fists on the glass.
"I've got everything I want now, uncle. I have power, I have authority, and I've found love. Love, you fat fool! Why would I want to go back to being your toady? Sonic's been chased out of the city, I'm with Regina and I've never been happier. Why on Mobius would I want that to change?"
Now it was Eggman's turn to laugh. "HAAAAAH HAH HAH! Regina? Regina Ferrum? The Iron Queen?"
"Y-Yes. We're in love." Snively replied meekly.
"Ha-ha-ha. You deluded little twerp. She doesn't love you. She's a manipulator. She played you for a sap, and you? You can't love! The only person you care about is yourself. You'll save your own skin before even thinking about her. She's just a stepping stone for you, and you've only fooled yourself into thinking otherwise." Eggman told him as he rolled on the floor laughing.
Snively wasn't amused. "N-no! Y, you're wrong! Our love is real, and you can stay here and rot!" He yelled at his uncle before storming away.
"Oh you'll be back Snively! You'll be back." The doctor told him.
-Half an hour later-
Amy, Antoine, and Geoffrey arrive at the coliseum. Bunnie had to stay behind due to being vulnerable to technomagic. The stadium dawned banners with the Iron Dominion's insignia on them, a common sign to show who ruled the area. As the 3 stared from an exit, they saw the stadium was packed with captured citizens with the Iron King and Queen sitting on throne chairs in the middle of the arena. Nearby, Snively was inspecting robotic parts on a table. Next to him, Dark Legion surgeons stood ready near an operating table while a Yagu ninja stood guard next to a Egg Prison pod. Above the stadium, they could see Hornet mindlessly patrolling the area. Several other guards were patrolling about the stadium.
"Would the small man hurry? I do not wish to have to watch him play 'mad doctor' while a rebellion is still going on in our city!" Jun Kun stated.
"Patience Jun. We are not here to merely watch some mobians be converted. While the rebels have been oddly successful as of late, I surmised they may have hacked into our communications network. This public display is to merely draw them out." Regina assured him.
Jun muses at the fact their enemies will now come to them. "Hmm, very well."
Once Snively finished, he motioned for the guard to open the pod. Out of the several prisoners inside, they bring out Rotor. "Ah Rotor Walrus. He should make a fine legionnaire. Bring him to the table."
As the guards drag the walrus to the table, Rotor glares at Snively. "You used to be on our Brain Trust team back in the day Snively..."
"Ah yes. It was good for a few laughs, but it was all in good times. That is in the past now however." The overlander sneered.
"Yes it was...but that was also during the time I was an active Freedom Fighter." Rotor smirked before breaking free from the guard's grip. He disables them before moving in on Snively. The short man is overcome with fear about what's going to happen to him. However, before Rotor could strike him, his injured back flares up, causing him to kneel in pain. Other legionnaires take the opportunity to subdue him.
Snively manages to regain his composure once Rotor is restrained. "H-Hah! It appears you've lost your touch!"
Amy glares at the scene. "Alright, let's go." She said. Before she could move out from their hiding spot, Geoffrey holds her back.
"I still don't think this is a good idea. We're vastly outnumbered, they have a gunship up there, maybe if we can try to pick them off one-by-one..." He stopped as he looked at the unamused stares from Antoine and Amy.
"Do as you want, Commander. We are going to save our comrade." Antoine told him.
The skunk sighs. "Always wanted to go out in a blaze of glory anyway..." He mused.
The 3 then charge into the field. Amy runs in and smashes the operating table, causing the surgeons and Snively to scatter. Geoffrey moves to fend off the numerous legionnaires and ninjas while Antoine makes his way to the prison pod. The coyote quickly cuts it open.
"Quickly! Run for ze exits!" He tells the now free mobians. They waste no time and immediately run for it.
"Sonic must've lost his touch if he lost to these guys. I expected them to be more difficult to deal with." Geoffrey smirked as he fired several electric bolts at the soldiers. Some hit their mark and disable them. However, he soon loses his confidence as a large shadow looms over him. Before he could turn, Geoffrey was hit by the Iron King's Tremor Mace, tossing him across the field.
"I was expected more from someone who claims to be a 'special soldier'...you disappoint me skunk." Jun stated.
Amy witnessed this and moves to intercept him. However, she hears a familiar chopping sound in the air, and looks up to see Hornet looming 50 feet above her. The drone, now alerted to their presence, spins up its gun before sending a hail of fire at her. Amy quickly dodges to the side, and Antoine, who was busy fighting off some ninjas is forced to dodge as well. The bullets do nothing but tear holes into the ground.
Amy, while keeping a mental note to avoid any further attacks from the gunship, intercepts Jun's mace right as he was about to strike a disoriented Geoffrey. The 2 trade blows with neither side backing down. Geoffrey shakes his head, trying to right himself from the sudden attack. He sees Antoine being overwhelmed and moves to help him, only for the ground itself to suddenly form hands and pin him down. The same happens to any of the mobians trying to flee the area.
Regina laughs at them all. "Did you dearies forget this city is comprised of nanites? Every single thing here has the potential to be used as a weapon by me, and you already saw an example by your so-called A.I. earlier. Not only do I have control of the city, but I also have the combined forces of the 4 clans and the Dark Legion under my command, and added to that picture, this well-built yet mindless drone floating over your heads. So tell me 'Freedom Fighters', how could you possibly hope to win now?" She taunted them.
Right at that moment, lightning burst through the section of the dome above the stadium, allowing sunlight to flow into the coliseum. Everyone looks up, with mixed emotions spread among the crowd. The rest of the heroes had finally returned.
"Alright Iron Queen! You've had your fun long enough, so it's time to give you your eviction notice!" Sonic boasted.
"Well, it seems the cavalry has arrived. It'd be best if you pack it in Iron Queen." Geoffrey smirked at her.
Regina only scoffed. "It was rather foolish of you to show yourself Sonic, especially when we have the tactical advantage now." She then summoned Iron Nicole. "Be a dear and blast those insects out of the sky."
Instead, a devious smile grew on the A.I.'s face as she traps Regina in an orb. "I've been free from your control for quite some time now, and I've updated my defenses against your Magitek..." Nicole stated coldly as she reconfigured her appearance to her normal self.
"You can't play me for a fool! You're just a program! You're a tool! A thing!" Regina yelled as she glared at the A.I.
"Once, perhaps. But my friends have helped me grow into something more than my original programming. Something you cannot and will not control." Nicole retorted.
"Fine! If you won't control them for me, I'll just do it myself!" Regina told as she began to use the nanites of the orb and the surrounding area to reform the orb into a tank. However, Nicole asserts her control to prevent more nanites from being misused.
When Kor gets a better look at Hornet, he can see the robot is laced with ancient symbols, showing how much control the Iron Queen had over it. "What has she done with mah poor drone?...Alright Tails, bring 'er lower so I can jump out."
The kit nods and flys low enough so the engineer could get off without harm. Kor then unstraps his toolbox and begins to set up his new sentry. At that moment, Sonic quickly rushes to Amy's aid and knocks the Iron King to the ground. Naturally, the pink hedgehog hugs him on sight. Sally then corners Snively, who was trying to sneak away from the scene.
Above the stadium, Ken conjures lightning to gather everyone's attention. "Attention people of New Mobotropolis! Today, I am not here just as King of the Free People, but as a humble messenger! Yagyu, I have met with your leaders in the Dragon Kingdom, and by my word of honor, your ties with the Iron Dominion have been severed. You are free!"
The ninjas act in surprise while the Dark Legion is just confused. "Do they really think someone's 'word of honor' will be enough to end this fight?" Lien-Da scoffed. However, to her surprise, the ninjas cease conflict.
"Come fellow Yagyu! We are going home." A Yagyu Lord stated.
Lien-Da grabs the lord by the arm. "Wait wait wait! You can seriously believe the word of just one monkey! They could be lying for all we know!" She said angrily.
"I don't know how things work here, but where we are from, one's 'word of honor' is sacred." The lord retorted, yanking his arm away from her before leaving.
The cybernetic echidna watches as the ninjas leave the stadium, but then notices that the Iron King and Queen are busy fighting the heroes. Deciding it would be a good opportunity to rise to power, she orders the legion to fall back to her. "Fall back legionnaires! The Eggman Empire is in my hands now!"
However, Regina overheard her, and grew quite furious. She slammed the tip of her staff on the ground, temporarily disrupting nanites around her and even Nicole. Her eyes glowed green out of rage. "THE LEGION IS NOT YOURS TO COMMAND! THEY ARE MINE!"
Lien-Da keeps a smug grin on her face. "You're trying to control me with the neural chips you had distributed among the legion aren't you? You see, I was smart enough to have mine modified so I would continue to have free will! The legion is mine to command! Looks like you've been played again!" She laughed.
Regina glared at her before smirking. "It seems you've forgotten about the explosions that were implanted in your cybernetics. And you forget I can manually set them off!"
With a snap of her fingers, the explosives in Lien-Da's cybernetics detonated, engulfing her in flames. Regina then remembered about the drone still watching from above, so she ordered it to attack.
The legionnaires now stood in confusion. Last thing they remembered was an order to regroup. Then, to their horror, they see what's left of their grandmaster. One runs up to Snively, who managed to sneak away from Sally while she was distracted. "Sir! The situation is getting out of hand! What are our orders?!"
However, after witnessing everything he helped build crumble around him, Snively only had one thought in mind: run. He squealed and took off for an exit. The soldier looked flabbergasted. "...Gather up what's left off the grandmaster and fall back to the Eggdome!"
With that, the Dark Legion took their leave, not that anyone else noticed. They were still busy fighting the Iron King and Queen, and the compromised gunship. The heroes were having a hard time fighting Jun Kun. His immense strength was something to behold. He managed to keep the heroes at bay for awhile, until Espio arrived with the legendary Fan of Fen Xing, the same weapon that was used to defeat him before. Using the fan, Ken was able to literally blow the Ox well beyond the city's borders.
With Kor, his newly deployed sentry used its added mobility to draw the attention of the gunship before engaging it. Both sides shot cannon and rockets at each other, but the fast and small sentry was easily able to avoid the larger robot's attacks. After 5 minutes of constant shooting, the Hornet showed sighs of trouble just to keep itself in the air. Just a minute earlier, Kor targeted its gun with a missile shot, which blew it clean off. Now it was relying on its rockets and missiles targeting both the sentry and its master.
Kor just barely avoided getting blasted to pieces as he commanded the sentry to shoot its underside and wings. He really did not want to destroy a weapon he spend months creating, but he had no say in the matter. With the Queen's control on it solid, they couldn't just turn it back to normal. As 25mm bullets pierced the underside, smoke and sparks erupted from the drone. At this point, both weapons bays were exposed, which gave Kor an idea. Using the wrangler, he targeted the side. 5 seconds after launch, the missiles hit the weapons mounted on the drone's sides, causing a chain reaction before the robot was engulfed in flames.
Right then and there, the flaming wreck of the drone fell to the ground, falling right on top of the thrones the King and Queen sat on earlier, causing a near defeating explosion. Kor stood there, gripping his wrangler tightly lifted his googles. Getting a good look at the drone's grave site, small tears formed in his eyes. The sentry just looked at where the rest of the fight was going on. Everyone had been momentarily distracted by the explosion.
To the heroes, this meant the battle is nearly won, but to Regina, this signaled that she was alone now. All of her allies had fled or retreated, leaving her to face the brunt of the heroes. She was cornered.
"All of your forces have left you behind Iron Queen. If you surrender now, no harm will come to you." Sally told her.
"Did you agree to this?" Antoine whispered to Ken.
"She convinced me justice was more important than revenge. Well, mostly." He replied.
"And if ya dont, I'll turn ya into nothin' but a red stain on the ground, and I got every reason to..." Kor stated, glaring at the Queen. His sentry had its guns pointed at her.
However, Regina merely laughed at the notion of surrender. "As if I would willingly hand myself over to you fools! I still have one last thing to fall back on!" She boasted.
The Queen then used the nanites around the area to form a massive, mechanical dragon. She fired back at the heroes, forcing them to disperse.
"Nicole! Can you out a stop to this?" Sally asked.
"It's taking up all my resources to prevent her from using anymore of the city's nanites, so unfortunately my hands are tied..." Nicole stated.
"Well then, looks like we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way!" Sonic smirked. "You Tails! Think you can distract it?"
"On it Sonic!" The kit replied. Still circling above the stadium in the Tornado, he dove toward the dragon, strafing it with bullets.
Angrily, Regina turned her attention toward the fox and chased after him. The allowed Ken to move in from behind and cast a powerful bolt at the beast. The blast forced the dragon to crash into the ground, allowing Amy to deal a hefty blow with her hammer. Seeing that she's taking too much damage, Regina spotted the hole the heroes made earlier and flew upwards to escape. However, everyone else had other plans. Kor aimed the sentry and shot missiles at the wings, damaging them to slow her ascent. Then, Sonic used this opportunity to run up the back of the robot before jumping several feet above it. He then performed his signature move, splitting the beast down its back in two and finished it for good.
As Regina fel,l Ken caught her using another magic cloud just feet off the ground, before unharmoniously dropping her. Antoine immediately places handcuffs on her before Geoffrey takes her away.
"Nicole? Damage report." Sally ordered.
"My systems are still coming online but so far everything appears to be stable. There are no signs of the Legion or Yagyu in the city." Nicole told her.
"Well, I guess that's it then." Sonic said, stretching.
"Think a celebration is in order?" Amy asked.
"We still have to clean up first Amy...and I ain't in the mood for any party..." Kor said as he gazed at the still burning wreck of his former robot. While the fire on the thrones of the former Iron Dominion seemed fitting, someone needed to put it out before the fire spread.
Meanwhile, during the fighting Snively took a nearby Dark Legion saucer and sped right toward the Detention Center. With the Iron Dominion on the verge of collapse, he knew he needed to get out of the city before the heroes caught up with him. God knows what they'll do if they get their hands on him. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed his uncle right now. He was the only one who would have a plan ready to strike back at the Freedom Fighters. Snively flew faster as he saw the Iron King fly out of the city overhead.
Once he reached the prison, he punched in the code to open a cell door. Minutes later, Eggman stepped through the door, grinning at his subordinate. "It's about time Snively."
"Everything's ruined! The Yagyu are gone! The Dark Legion is retreating! Lein-Da exploded! I just saw the Iron King get blown somewhere! And I...I..." The short man stammered.
"And what of your oh-so-precious Regina?" Eggman questioned with a chuckle.
"No time! Must escape! New plan! Don't let them get me!" Snively yelled as he tugged Eggman's jacket.
"That's the Snively I know." The doctor laughed. "Let's go."
Eggman pilots the saucer as the two escape from the city while the heroes continue to battle what remained of the Iron Dominion. Snively looks back as they leave and sees the iron dome that once closed the city to world begin to disintegrate. The rest of the city was beginning to be reshaped back to its former glory. "M-Maybe while they're recovering, w-we can go back and rescue R-Regina." He suggested.
"No." Eggman said simply.
"B-B-But s-sir-"
"I said no. Now that I'm well rested, recharged, and ready to get back to work, Sonic won't know what hit him!" The doctor said before breaking out into a laugh. The two then disappeared into the forest, heading back towards the Eggdome.
A/N: Again, sorry for the late update. Things are getting busy since college will start up soon. But we shall rejoice! The heroes have finally beaten the Iron Dominion and have retaken their city, but with Eggman back to his senses and he escaped, what will happen?