//------------------------------//
// ASSAULT ON ROBOTROPOLIS 
// Story: Iris Strike: Sealed Power 
// by hujan86 
//------------------------------//

Robotnik’s EggDome, Robotropolis...
Saucer-headed SWATbots hurled Ruby into the cell. Her chrome mask came off accidentally when she hit the floor but the spiky-haired, skin-tight leather-clad woman frantically put it back on, apparently not wanting her true face to seen. Behind her, one of the SWATbots activated the energy barrier to seal her in.  
Ruby is one of the Sinned Godus (usually abbreviated to SGs), alleged to be responsible for unleashing Nanite-based super-weapons across the multiverse to spread chaos and destruction of worldly-scale. During the Battle of Hallow’s Victory to acquire the technology, her superhuman strength and exothermic-based abilities enabled her to single-handedly demolish the city-state’s mobile and stationary defenses with ease. 
However, that same omnipotent being was now being held prisoner. Somehow stripped of her powers, she is helpless to do anything. She punched at the energy barrier to vent her frustration for being so careless that it allowed someone who was supposed to be a pawn in the SG’s scheme to betray her. She proceeded to curl up in the corner, waiting expectantly for her rescuer.
Outside the cell, a cloaked Godslayer witnessed the SG’s imprisonment. Her presence can only be made known if one stands close enough and observe the slight distortion of the surroundings through her faint outline when she moves around.

***

When we last saw Iris Dashiell and Zach Watterson, they successfully completed their mission in Blue Marble Equestria and were getting picked up by Godslayer Fortepiano on the moon.
Aboard the corvette-class light cruiser designated as The Catgirl, Dash found out there are two more Godslayers apart from Zach and Field Master Fortepiano. They are Battlecasters like Zach- Mika Kurogane, a navy blue-haired Asian-Caucasian young woman who is also a ship engineer, and Ensign Aegnor Alkarin, a fierce-looking minotaur and second in command. In order from Zach, Mika, Aegnor to Fortepiano, they all had insignias- Bronze Star, Silver Star, Gold Star and Tri-Gold Star respectively.  
Godslayer Fortepiano stepped up to Dash with a stern look. 
“Iris Dashiell, you are now in custody under my command,” she declared to her. “You will be taken to Lord Magister for further interrogation. After which, the final decision on your fate shall be decided by the Ascendant Magister. Until then, you are to remain confined in the brig under surveillance at all times.”
Dash looked at Zach for some support but he seemed to be helpless. 
“Kurogane, I want that SHADE stripped before you escort her to the brig,” Godslayer Fortepiano ordered her subordinate.
“Yes, FM.” 
Clasping Dash’s arm gently, Godslayer Kurogane led her away to the changing room.

Dash stepped out of the stall wrapped in a towel. 
“Don’t take to heart the way she treated you, Miss Dashiell,” Godslayer Kurogane told her. “She can be harsh and temperamental, but no more.” 
Dash handed over her clothes (Fleet SHADE in dormant/civilian mode) to the Godslayer before moving over to the locker.
“Harsh isn’t the word I’d use to describe someone who almost ripped my heart out,” she said bitterly. “And it’s just Dash.”
“Only because she mistrusted you,” Godslayer Kurogane said frankly as she secured the clothes into a case.
While Dash tried to choose which clothes in the locker she should wear, she said, “Yeah, I remember she accused me of killing- Wait a minute!” 
She looked at Godslayer Kurogane in realization. “She referred to her as ‘Sister Gazleen’, like Zach did. Why is that?”
Of course, the Godslayer was not going to spill the beans about her superior’s past just like that.
“What do you know about the Godslayers?” she asked Dash.
“That you guys travel to different universes saving worlds from the SG’s Nanite super-weapons,”
“Wow, he must be really trust you then,” Godslayer Kurogane remarked with a wry smile.
“I earned it,” Dash affirmed. 
“In Magister Perris’ case, victories don’t always come by,” Godslayer Kurogane began. “She was part of the first batch of recruits in the early years after the Godslayer Corps’ creation. Young, energetic but naive. So thrilled by the prospect of traveling to different worlds to do good, she had always regarded herself as a hero on a mission.”
Dash raised her eyebrows. She had told Zach something similar before. 
“Her outlook didn’t change until a point in time where she started failing in her missions,” Godslayer Kurogane continued. “Many mistakes were made. Ultimately she witnessed the realities of war. Imagine seeing worlds and billions of lives go up in flame right in front you.”
“Awful,” Dash uttered. 
The same word was used when she was asked of her opinion by Twilight’s grandfather after he described his experience in the Equestrian Civil War (Earth Equestria universe- Dash’s homeworld). All because she openly criticized History subject in front of him and Twilight as boring and irrelevant. 
When you criticized your own country’s history, you disregard all the sacrifices of the people who made the freedom we all enjoy today possible, that was what he told Dash.
“But rarely, there were sole survivors. Two to be exact. And they’re on board this very ship right now.”
“Zach and Fortepiano?” Dash guessed. 

*** 

Amidst a desolate alternate Canterlot, a young Fortepiano was seen mourning over someone. She overcame with so much grief that she failed to pay attention to what is going on farther ahead. Multiple sky-high energy beams, rotating fast in a concentric circle as a means of boring through the deep layers of the planet, have made the final penetration to the core. When Godslayer Perris hauled Fortepiano away from there, the latter simply limped. With her best friend dead, she was no longer interested in her own survival. 
The beams were actually projected by a huge low-orbiting space cannon which somewhat resembles an Ethenian terraforming machine. The beams successfully punctured a hole into the planet’s core. Rifts immediately spread from the beam’s point of impact across the continent and beyond. Within hours, the overflowing magma transformed Fortepiano’s world into a luminous, broiling planet.

***

Countless alien vessels threaded across the skyline, their cannon blasts uprooting the buildings from their foundations. It was not just Zach’s hometown these Nanite-based automatons are targeting. They spread from Elmore to neighboring cities and eventually to all over the country, leaving absolute destruction in their path. It took mere days for the whole world to be overrun by the invaders. 
After the war was over, Godslayer Perris carried in her arms a ten-year old Zach outside his home. The blue feline was crying his heart out, having watched the demise of family and friends. Out in the streets, the horrible truth is revealed to him. There was nothing left standing in Elmore. Ridden with guilt for the mission failure, the Godslayer could not find it herself to leave Zach be. So she brought him to The Catgirl awaiting nearby. 

***

“So they aren’t natives,” Dash realized. 
“It was a long and tedious process but in the end they both were given Ethenian citizenship,” Godslayer Kurogane told her. “After that, she took them under her roof.” 
“They live together?”
“They never get along though. Perris was driven almost crazy just from preventing them from getting at each other’s throat all the time. Yet she persisted. It’s amazing, the great lengths she went for those two.” 
Dash recalled what Zach said about Sister Gazleen being compassionate and himself getting ‘stuck’ with Fortepiano.   
“So that’s why,” Dash said with understanding. “But then why’d they choose to become Godslayers?” 
“Who knows?” Godslayer Kurogane shrugged. “Maybe deep inside, they want to know the truth behind their world’s demise. Maybe they didn’t wish the fate of other worlds follow theirs. Or it could be both. Either way, they’re both good Godslayers.”
Dash looked back at how she was trained by Zach to fight using the SHADE. He himself was fatally injured in the fight against Ragingheart and there was uncertainty concerning Princess Luna’s ability to use the Elements of Harmony. His desperation to prevent Blue Marble Equestria’s fall prompted him to do so even though Dash was a stranger to all of this. Meant as backup at first, Dash became the one who dealt the final blow on the evil ‘Alicorn’. 
Seeing that Dash just stood there, seemingly in a deep thought, Godslayer Kurogane said to her, “Hey, are you done choosing on what you want to wear or what? ‘Cause I got work to do,” 
“Oh, right. Sorry.” 
Truthfully, none of the wardrobe in locker matched her taste. Then again, it hardly matters now. Dash eventually chose a plain red t-shirt, loose jeans and a pair of sneakers.

The oddball member of Fortepiano’s team, E-Sat got off from the repair table. He is a sleek, white robot with clamps for hands and a speaker for a mouth. In the middle of his head is a large, blue eye. During the last mission in Erumoa, he came under the control of a younger, mischievous version of Zach at the cost of his circuit’s integrity. 
“How’re you feeling, buddy?” Zach asked E-Sat.
“That’s a stupid question to ask a Mechanoid,” Mika chided the feline before looking back at E-Sat. “E-Sat, can you perform self-diagnostic scan on yourself?”
The robot printed a text mosaic on paper like a cash register from his body panel and then showed it to Mika.
“The fuck is this?” she asked, not knowing what really to make out of the created smiley face. 
“It’s algorithm for ‘I’m all right’,” E-Sat replied casually.
“Well, looks like you need to do more work on him,” Zach joked.
“I’m a ship engineer, not a mechatronic specialist,” Mika pointed out in irritation. “It’s only a miracle that I’ve managed to remove the control circuit without damaging any of his transistors.”
“But all my functions are running without issues,” E-Sat insisted. “Let me demonstrate.”
He treaded heavily around like a rapper and then stopped. “See. I’m functioning properly, and filled with joy. So joyful I could blow a fuse.” 
He made a long monotonous laugh before blowing a fuse- literally, prompting Mika to palm her face in frustration. 
By then, the Ensign came into the lab. “You better get him fixed soon. FM just told me we’ve been reassigned to Mobius.”
“Why?” Mika asked. 
“An SG was reported to have been taken prisoner,” Aegnor informed them, “by someone going by the name Dr. Robotnik whom she was working with on building some kind of warship.” 
Both Mika and Zach were skeptical on the part where the SG was captured. 
“I know,” Aegnor said, as though reading their mind. “She’s still gathering the details as we speak.”
“And Iris Dashiell?” Mika wanted to be sure.
“She’ll have to wait,” Aegnor told her.
Mika noticed how silent Zach has become. The feline seemed to be in a deep, serious thought.
“What’re you thinking, Zach?” she asked.
“I was just thinking that…if…it turns out to be true, then this is our great chance to unravel the SGs and end this war once and for all. Yeah, that’s it.” 
There was hint of nervousness in Zach’s reply and Mika saw that. She looked at him a little worried. Knowing well his past, she could only guess what was really going through his mind. All she can hope for is that Zach will not do anything rash when or if he encounters the SG.

A haloed pitch-black sphere surrounded by moving webs of bright violet energy materialized in outer space above Mobius, this universe’s equivalent of Planet Earth. In order to get to this universe or another, the Godslayers have to cross the dimensional gateway which they referred to as the Void. After the gateway collapsed, the Catgirl inserted itself in synchronous orbit off the planet.  
Letting go of the controls, Godslayer Fortepiano let out a breath of relief. The Catgirl had experienced internal and external damage so many times, she started to wonder if one of these days an unforeseen accident might occur in the midst of the inter-dimensional crossing. She stared at the live video feed on one of the console’s virtual screen connected to the brig where Dash is being detained. 
In the feed, Dash appeared to be restless. She was tossing and turning in her bed and not before long, she started walking aimlessly around the room. 
The Godslayer was not concerned on Dash’s wellbeing however. She merely wanted to make sure that Dash is put in her place. 
“So how are we planning to get to the SG, FM?” Godslayer Alkarin asked.
“Leave that to May,” Godslayer Fortepiano answered the minotaur’s question. “In the meantime, we rendezvous with the resistance opposed to Dr. Robotnik’s rule. Under the guise of having a common enemy, we will work with them to destroy the under construction warship. The distraction afforded from the assault should give May enough space to extract the SG.”
She then addressed all three of her subordinates. “It’s likely that this isn’t the mother lode that we’ve been looking for, as Godslayer May’s intelligence indicates the scale of the operation is too new and too small to be considered responsible for all the previous attacks. Despite this, we’ll still make this mission our top priority.”
“Yes, FM!” the three Godslayers acknowledged.  

Later in the mini lab, Mika finished the temporary fix on E-Sat’s circuits after replacing the fuse inside the Mechanoid’s head. After hooking E-Sat d to get his fuel cell recharged, she began programming instructions for the Mechanoid to do after he ‘wakes up’ on her computer.

Dash showed no reaction when Zach was bringing in a tray of food. She just sat there on the bed in a curled up position, face buried in her knees, drawing genuine concern from Zach. 
“Dash?”
“How long has it been?” Dash remained unmoving.
“Time is relative when you travel through different dimensions,” Zach stated.
“D’you know how it feels to be trapped inside a box you can’t get out for what seems like forever?”
Putting away the tray, Zach sat right next to Dash. 
When Dash looked up at him, there was a notable sign of depression on her. Zach could only think of one thing to make her feel better or least low her anxiety a little. Grinning awkwardly knowing that his gesture my not be well-received, he reached his arms out to Dash who understands it as asking for a hug. 
“Are you getting pervy on me?” Dash asked warily. 
“It’s just a friendly hug,” Zach insisted. 
Dash reluctantly accepted the hug. “I’m hugging a cat. So weird on so many levels.” 
“Dash,” Zach reminded her, “you’ve hugged a Pegasus, a griffon, and a pair of unicorns and Earth ponies.”  
“Huh, fair point,” Dash realized, remembering the friends she made back in Blue Marble Equestria. 
Zach tried to comfort her. “I am very, very sorry. I know this is unfair for you after what you did. But there’s only so much I can do to change Fortepiano’s mind.” 
Dash is definitely upset because of the way she was treated like a prisoner. If there is any consolation out of this, it is that Zach still appreciates her. Then there is the person called Mika Kurogane who seemed friendly enough.   

Godslayer Fortepiano witnessed what was going on in the brig through the video feed. She is somehow affected by how well Dash seemed to be getting along with Zach, unlike herself. No matter how many times Sister Gazleen told her to try get along with Zach as a family, she never did. Even Zach agreed that they are both incompatible, like fire and water can mixed together.   
The Field Master was not the only one though. Godslayer Kurogane came into the bridge then happened to pass by her superior officer’s station. She stopped dead, was distraught at the sight of Zach hugging Dash on the video screen. Godslayer Kurogane strode towards her station, teeth gritted and hands clenched tightly. It took a little while for the young woman to deal with her emotions before getting back to work.

Dash was dismayed when she learned of Zach’s new mission. “You guys are going away?”
“I don’t think this mission will be complicated like last time so we won’t be away very long.”
“B-but, what ‘bout me? I’m all alone here. What if something happens to the ship?”
“You needn’t worry,” Zach reassured. “There is actually someone else on board. You just haven’t met him yet.”
He then handed over a five hundred-page thick novel to Dash. “Here, I got something for you.”
She looked at the book’s title. “Daring Do?”
“It’s an action-adventure story,” Zach told her. “I bet you’ll like it. If you get pass the fact the protagonist is a Pegasus.” 
“You read this kinda stuff?”
“Nah. They’re just trinkets I collected at random along the way when I get the chance.”
Dash stared at book nostalgically but Zach misinterpreted her expression. 
“You don’t like it?”
“N-no. That’s not it. I…” Dash mustered a sincere smile at him. “I’d love to read it. Thanks.”

***

It was past dawn in Paragon. Dash was making some pancakes before getting herself ready for work. Her work as a bicycle messenger is physically demanding. In order to make deliveries on time, there were times when she has to ditch her BMX to do a bit of running, parkour, sometimes travel by train. When the pancakes were done, she went to cross yesterday’s date on the wall calendar. Today’s date is March 31st. It is her birthday. 
Back in her school days, her friends and foster family would always throw a small party for her, sometimes at home and sometimes at the cafe where Felicia worked part time. It was not always like that though. Once, she had to be away on her birthday because she was participating a squash tournament hosted at another school. Even so, they never forget to send their greetings to her. Those were happy times.
Today she is not getting any of those like the yesteryears. After she was court-martialed and discharged from the royal air force, she was overcome by mortification. There was no way she could tell everyone she knows in Gensville that she was discharged for assaulting a fellow cadet and damaging government property. That was why she changed her number and never bothered to check her emails. 
That was not only reason Dash did not return to Gensville. She remembered her late father’s words that she should be independent. She knows she cannot hide herself forever from the Peters. A close family friend originated from the same hometown Skydale, she was taken in by them after her father died in a mugging incident in the city she currently resides. The Peters took care of her like one of their own. It was due to that Dash owes the family a debt of gratitude. 
She anticipated one day she will go back to them either by chance or choice. When she does, she will have to confess to them what she did that led to her disappearance. Before that happens, she needed to rebuild her life on her own. Problem is she did not know how. Joining the air force’s Thunderbolts team was her only true ambition. And she had no other interest. Although she likes sports specifically squash and athletics, she never considered going professional. Had it been otherwise, she would have enrolled in a sport school a long time ago. 
A year later, Dash encountered Brooke A. Colman, a local and also a former student of Gensville High whom she barely knows. It was never explained why he moved to Gensville and then came back here. When they encountered each other again, Brooke revealed that he was friends with Skyler Peters. Dash had no choice but to tell him everything in order to keep his mouth from spilling her secret. It is probably not the smartest move, but surprisingly the stranger did keep her secret. 
Brooke’s sympathy for Dash might be related to the secret crush he had on her back then though there is a hint that his feelings could be real. Apparently, he cannot tell Dash what she should do with her life. That is all up her. But he did try his best to raise her moral. Since then, Brooke became someone Dash can call a friend in Paragon.
Dash rode her BMX into the street. Upon seeing Brooke waiving at her on the sidewalk up ahead, she pulled up next to him. 
“Hey,” she greeted.
“Morning,” Brooke greeted back.
“So... whassup?”
“It’ll only take a second. I want to give you this.” Brooke took the present out from his bag. It was wrapped in brown paper, with no ribbons or cards. “Happy birthday.”
This was totally unexpected for Dash. Who told him of her birthday? Was it Skyler, or maybe Sunny? Meh, who cares. 
With a small smile, she gratefully accepted the gift. “Thanks. Y’know, you coulda waited until I get back.”
“I would have only that I won’t be around in these few days,” Brooke informed her.
“You’re going somewhere?”
“I’ve a lot of assignments to finish, that’s all,” Brooke said before telling her not to ask any questions about the present after unwrapping it.
Dash was puzzled by what he meant but did not ask further.
“Now off you go,” Brooke said. “You ought not to be late for work because of me.”
“Oh, yeah. ‘Kay.” Dash put the gift inside her bag. 
“Keep in touch,” Brooke reminded her.
“Sure. Bye.”
With that, they parted ways.
After work, Dash window shopped just for fun before going to get takeout. She came across a promotional poster on the display window of a local bookstore, promoting the upcoming latest Adventurous Abby novel which will go on officially go sale the day after tomorrow. Interested, Dash considered purchasing the new novel on the release day. The latest installment in Abigail Jones’ adventure series was originally set for release last year but got delayed for unspecified reasons.
Back in her apartment, Dash had just finished showering and putting on clean clothes. At the table, Dash began praying. But it is not mealtime prayer. The takeout on the table was still unopened. She was praying for someone who has long passed. Someone she never met. Someone lost from the Dashiell family. Behind her birthday lies a horrible truth. None of her five closets friends were aware of it. Only Skyler and Mrs. Peters knew.
It is inevitable that a motherless child would question about the mother. So when she pressed on the matter, her late father Garrett had no choice but to reveal that the day she was conceived is also the day her mother died. Dash was so stunned at the revelation she almost broke down, thinking it was her fault. But Garrett then assured her it was not. He explained how they were involved in a car accident and Dash who was just a fetus at the time had miraculously survived. 
Though relieved, it was still depressing to have her birthday share the date with her mother’s day of passing. From then on, it became a tradition for the father and daughter to say their prayers together for Mrs. Dashiell late at night on Dash’s birthday. Never once Dash had ever skipped her responsibility. For her, it is the least she could do for a mother that she never really gets to know. 
On her bed, Dash somberly gazed at an old photo of her parents who were younger back then. Even so, Garrett was still recognizable and looked even more alike his daughter. The photo was said to be the last taken of her mother when she was still alive. The couple were smiling for the photo which was taken by Mrs. Peters at a party. They both looked so happy, because at the time Mrs. Dashiell had just been pronounced pregnant. 
Dash tried to hold herself back from getting too emotional. So many years have passed by since the death of her father yet she never truly gotten over it. There is a longing desire lodged deep inside her heart that he was still alive, that her past mistake could be changed somehow. All this time she had hid her feelings very well from others. As for her mother...well, truthfully it was hard to miss someone whom she never met. Garrett had explained that his wife’s death was an accident and there is nothing in this world could change that. 
Dash put the photo back in her wallet and proceeded to lie down. Maybe she should sleep early tonight to get the sad feelings off her. When she did so, her gaze fell upon her bag on the chair. She had concerned herself of her own feelings all night that she had forgotten about Brooke’s birthday present for her. She got off the bed and went to get the bag. After taking the present out, she began unwrapping it. To her great surprise, it turned out the gift is the novel Adventurous Abby: Paragon Knights.   
She checked out the book inside out. Sure enough, it was the genuine article. Confused as to how Brooke got his hands on the latest installment of Adventurous Abby two days before it was supposed to go on sale, she took out her phone. She was about to dial Brooke’s number but suddenly remembered what Brooke said earlier this morning. Furthermore, he probably does not want to be disturbed at this time due to overload of college assignments. So she decided to text him instead.
Dash sent the message: I opened it just now. So surprising. Thank you so much. :).
Not long, a reply was received. It read: Glad you like it. Enjoy.
In the end, Dash did not care at all how Brooke managed it. She liked the gift. That was all that mattered.

***

Hidden somewhere in Great Forest, Freedom HQ acts as base of operations for Knothole Freedom Fighters to launch attacks against Dr. Robotnik.  The base was built directly into a rock cliff and around the caverns underneath it. The domed top structure houses the solar arrays that supply power to the base. 
Knothole Freedom Fighters’ de-facto leader, Sonic the Hedgehog was suspicious of the Godslayers whom had introduced themselves as mercenaries. 
“I dunno,” he said. “It’s hard for me to trust somebody we never heard of.”
Around the room stood the rest of the Freedom Fighters. They are his two-tailed fox sidekick, Tails Prower; master swordsman, Antoine D’Coolette; cybernetic-limbed rabbit, Bunnie Rabbot; and finally the weapons and tech expert, Rotor Walrus. Some of them do not necessarily share their leader’s suspicion. 
“We don’t have a choice,” then came a female voice. 
The second-in-command, tactician and also wiser than the leader, walked into the briefing room. “Patricia’s served us with vital information’s on Robotnik’s operations for years and she’s been right so far. There’s little reason for us not to trust her judgment.” 
Sally took Forte’s hand and shook it firmly. “I’m Sally Acorn, second-in-command and field lieutenant. Don’t take it too personally. He went through a lot of…complicated relationships.”
“Understood,” Forte acknowledged.
“Shall we get started?”
“By all means.”
Sally activated the console in the middle the room. A 2D holographic image showing the map of Robotropolis appeared. A red X pinpointed a location on the map. The map then switched to 3D view, zooming in towards the marked location. An enormous domed structure came into view.  
“This is the facility where our target is currently being constructed,” Sally began her briefing.
The dome roof and walls were removed to reveal a partially constructed airship atop a docking platform. The airship appeared to be of bio-mechanical nature with its hull shaped roughly like a crab-shell. It has two turret heads and huge convex lens structures extending from its front hull. The size of the vessel is estimated about 1000 ft. in length, 1200 ft. wide and 400 ft. tall, according to the displayed data.
“Thanks to Patricia’s intel, we were able to discover that Dr. Robotnik is constructing a destroyer-class warship, codenamed ‘Monster’.”
The hologram of the Monster changed to basic schematic display, with the turret heads being highlighted. 
“It’s armed with two anti-material directed energy cannons. Each beam from the cannon has a firepower that equates to a four megaton atomic bomb, thereby granting the warship the capability to wipe out a big city like Mobotropolis in a single fire.”
Sally highlighted the lens structures. “The function of these two structures however has yet to be ascertained.” 
“Why is that?” Forte interrupted. 
“The decryption of rest of the data hasn’t completed as we speak,” Sally explained. “We still haven’t figured out the materials used in its construction and designated targets. However, the data we have do indicate the warship’s design is modular.”
“Modular?” Forte asked.
Sally explained, “It’s designed in a way that it is able to be outfitted with any kind of weapons in Dr. Robotnik’s arsenal with little to zero configurations.”
“I’m not gonna to wait to find out what else Ro-butt-nik is going to put inside that thing,” Sonic emphasized. “Everything he has hand in it is always bad news.” 
“Yes,” Sally acknowledged. “Unfortunately there’s a one-foot-thick of solid steel standing between us and the warship. Even your super move can’t penetrate something that thick.” 
“What about aerial attacks?” Forte suggested. 
“The facility’s location makes too risky,” Sally informed. “What's more, Robotnik have recently tightened aerial defenses around the facility off a ten-mile radius. So I devised another plan to get us in.” 
A map of underground Robotropolis replaced the holographic schematic.
“What you’re looking at is subterranean Robotropolis, again courtesy of our friend, Patricia. Sewers, underground river, abandoned subway tunnels.” Sally pointed at the highlighted single path on the hologram. “This path will take us directly beneath the facility. We have enough explosives in our possession to take out both the warship and the facility. We break in from underground, plant the dynamites then detonate it remotely.”
“It sounds like a viable plan,” Forte commented. “But where do we come in?”
“During the break in, we need a distraction to divert the patrolling SWATbots’ attention away from the facility,” Sally replied.
“Very well,” Forte agreed. “We’ll provide the diversion you need.”
“Count me in!” Sonic announced. “I’m all about mayhem and destruction!” 
“So, it’s agreed then,” Sally concluded. “We begin our assault tomorrow.”
Sonic stepped forth to face the rest of the Freedom Fighters. “Freedom Fighters, every blow we deal on Robotnik is a victory for Knothole! So let’s make this one count!”
They responded by raising their fists into the air, cheering.

Robotropolis at one time in the past was Mobotropolis, the capital of Acorn Kingdom before the king’s former Minister of Science, Dr. Robotnik betrayed him in a coup d’état. Today, it is a smog-emitting, all-industrial city, not the thriving eco-city it once was. All the non-security activities in Robotropolis are run exclusively by worker bots, the city’s original inhabitants who were captured and turned into robots through a process known as roboticization.

After navigating through sewers for hours, Sally checked her GPS again. She gave a thumbs-up at her comrades to confirm that they are now at the right location. On her command, Rotor aimed the sonic cannons fitted on his arms at the ceiling, while the others backed away to a safe distance. 

The city’s security enforcers consist of automated tanks, gunships and SWATbots had Sonic the Hedgehog and the Godslayers fully surrounded from all segments of the freeway intersection. 
“You know, this part of the job would’ve been more suitable for Super E-Sat,” Godslayer Watterson remarked.
“Well, he’s not here, is he now?” Godslayer Fortepiano responded sarcastically. 
“What’re you guys blabbering about!?” Sonic cried out. “Let’s take out this oversized trash cans now!”
In response, one by one the Godslayers deployed their Ethereal weapons:
Godslayer Fortepiano- glaive with a large, tooth-edged blade.
Godslayer Watterson- tek-bow that shoots Fiery-Ethereal arrows. 
Godslayer Kurogane- dual daggers with icy aura.
Godslayer Alkarin- dual hand axes with electrical currents flowing over its blades.
All at once, they charged forth at the enemy.

The floor in the middle of construction facility came crumbling down. Subsequently, SWATbots scrambled to investigate the collapsing floor. It was then that the Freedom Fighters emerged through the resulting hole on their hoverboards. The exception was Tails, who used his tails like helicopter rotor. 

Using his Spin Attack, Sonic teared through the SWATbots like a buzzsaw along the freeway. 

Godslayer Alkarin made quick work on the SWATbots. After dismembering the last SWATbot, he turned around to see reinforcements pouring in from another street.
He held his Ethereal Shocking Axes aloft. Chained Lightning!
The currents from the blades formed into a hot plasma sphere. After which, it shot towards the SWATbots. The sphere discharged all its energy in the form branched lightning streaks, causing all the robots in close proximity to spark violently. 

Godslayer Fortepiano ripped through a gunship with her Ethereal Glaive. Back on the ground, the wreckage of the gunship exploded behind her. The converging tanks took aim at her. With a burst of her thrusters, she pierced her weapon into one of the tanks. She was able to lift the tank without much effort then hurled it at the adjacent tank before proceeding to attack the others.

The gunship fired its rotary auto-cannon at the building where Godslayer Watterson is hiding in. Inside, the Godslayer dashed to the backroom to escape the gunship’s bullets.
The gunship continued its barrage on the building until it finally stopped. Everything went quiet. After a short while, it made a sweep around the bullet hole-riddled building to be sure that the Godslayer is finished off.
Godslayer Watterson suddenly appeared on the rooftop. He loosed a salvo of Fiery-Ethereal arrows at the gunship, causing it to explode and go down in a fiery ball. 

Godslayer Kurogane took cover behind the wreckage of a tank as the automated aerial defense tower bombarded the open area with its rockets. The turret atop the automated aerial defense tower could also attack ground targets. As such, the aerial defense mentioned by Sally turned out to be slightly misleading. 
The tower stopped firing after it lost sight of its target. Yet Godslayer Kurogane cannot hide from it forever. She took a moment to compose herself before dashing out into the open. The defense tower’s turret tracked her. Locked on, the turret unleashed a barrage of rockets. 
Blizzard!
A short burst of freezing air caused the rockets’ engine to fail. She punched through the resulting explosions from the fallen rockets to get herself close enough to the tower. When she did, the Godslayer was now out of the turret’s firing range.
Freeze!
Ice crystals enveloped the base up to the tower’s lower span. Godslayer Kurogane conjured multiple Ethereal dagger blades around her. At a wave of her hand, the blades were sent hurtling into the frozen part of the tower of which it was easily destroyed because the below-freezing temperature had caused the metal to become brittle. She quickly leaped away to avoid the tower from toppling over her.

Dr. Robotnik saw Sonic the Hedgehog and his new allies battling against SWATbots through the holographic footage played to him by a bot. “Oh! I hate Sonic. Always getting on my nerves. Now it seems that blasted rodent has a few new powerful allies at his side.”
“New report received,” the video bot announced. 
The footage changed to the interior of the construction facility where the Monster is being built. The Knothole Freedom Fighters under Sally Acorn’s command were seen busy planting dynamites on the walls and around the docking platform. 
“The main construction facility in Sector 470 has been breached,” the video bot reported. “Security lockdown protocol failed to initialize. 90 percent of the security reinforcements dispatched to the facility were eliminated. Awaiting further instructions.” 
“No matter,” Robotnik dismissed. “Let those fools think they’re victorious by destroying only one super weapon. I still have another trick up my sleeve.” 
He turned to his SWATbot guards. “To the vault!” 
Under his command, the SWATbots escorted the despot out of the control chamber. 

The alarm sounded ever since the start of the assault on Robotropolis. Godslayer May was free to hack into the system over at the computer console as destroyed remains of SWATbots whom were manning the security station lay nearby.
Patricia May is of the third class of Godslayers. As a Spirit Godslayer, she utilizes the Shadowdancer SHADE. The armor looks identical to the Fleet SHADE worn by Fortepiano and Dash, except for the lack of jet thrusters and different color scheme. The bodysuit portion is dark gray versus silver gray, while the protective plates and helmet are black instead of sky blue. Also, aside from being tall, she possesses a very attractive body curvature.  
“Access granted,” the computer announced. “Aerial defense system in Sector 500 disabled.” 
Godslayer May glanced at the monitors playing on its screen video feeds on various locations around Robotropolis, including the ongoing battle between her comrades and Dr. Robotnik’s security enforcers.
The feed showing Robotnik exiting the vault with a small metal box caught her interest. For days, she had tried to look without success for any footage or information leading to how the despot managed to capture the SG, which may in turn shed light on the latter’s secrets. Thinking that she might have hit the jackpot, the Godslayer went to consult the map on another monitor. 

It is revealed that there was another similar construction facility and Robotnik was working on another super-weapon of his own. Dubbed the Death Egg, it resembles a giant metallic egg, with Robotnik’s facial impression on it. At its bottom is an opening from which it fires directed energy beam. Unlike the Monster, the Death Egg is a personal project of his, not a collaboration with the SGs, of which he decided to break. 
There is a lesson in this, he told Ruby before her imprisonment. Never trust anyone, especially me. 
He monitored from behind the safety glass of the control room a mechanical arm carefully fitting a ruby stone into a rigid slot on the complex printed circuit board. After the circuit board retracted into the Death Egg, the hatch is securely locked behind it.
“Deploy the Death Egg!” Robotnik declared aloud. 
The roof above the Death Egg started to retract.

The cloaked Godslayer May was fast approaching on the second construction facility. 
“Godslayer May to Field Master Fortepiano. Come in.”
“I read you, May. Have you made the extraction?”	
“Negative. Not yet. I need to check out on something first-” Godslayer May stopped dead. Just as the dome roof opened to partially reveal the Death Egg, something she recognized as much worse began materializing right above the facility. 
“Shit,” she blurted at the sight. 
“May! What is it?”

“May-” 
“FM!” Godslayer Watterson called out.
Godslayer Fortepiano placed her gaze at the same direction of Godslayer Watterson’s pointing hand. Then she saw it. Over the distance, it began with a magenta pinhole glow. Soon, it extended as though it was tearing through the sky backdrop.
Sweet Celestia, they’re here. Is it too late? 
She soon realized Sally and the Freedom Fighters are about to find themselves in a far bigger danger. The Light, an inter-dimensional portal serving the SGs, had in fact appeared within the vicinity of where the Monster’s construction facility is located. The SGs are coming to reclaim what they considered is rightfully theirs.  

Godslayer May saw a dark cloaked figure emerging from the Light. This is Zirconia, the same figure who was responsible for turning Ditzy Doo into Ragingheart in Dreamfall. Although part of the SGs, Godslayer May, or any other Godslayers for that matter, would not have recognize her as Zirconia did not participate directly in the Battle of Hallow’s Victory. 
When Zirconia made her appearance, it is apparent that she possessed levitating abilities, for the SG just hovered about there in midair after emerging from the light. Shortly, two ‘female’ figures appeared by her side and were making landfall on the facility’s roof.     

The same glow also appeared at ground level near the EggDome. A humanoid figure began emerging from it. However, it was very hard to make out who or what the figure is. The brightness of the light behind it made the figure’s appearance as a faint silhouette. Whoever that is, one thing is certain, he or she came here to break Ruby out.

“Order your Freedom Fighters to retreat!” Godslayer Fortepiano shouted to Sonic.
Though the hedgehog saw the glow too, he was clueless to its meaning. “Why!?”
“Dr. Robotnik has called in the cavalry,” Godslayer Fortepiano lied to maintain the Godslayers’ secret. “If it’s who I think it is, we’re not prepared to fight them.”  
“Don’t make me guess!” Sonic demanded as he trotted up to her. “What’re we in for!?”
The impatient Godslayer got in the hedgehog’s face. “Darn it! There’s no time to explain! Call them now or they will die!” 

What Godslayer Fortepiano dreaded actually came true. Earth golems were staging an incursion into the fortress where Ruby is being held prisoner. The SWATbots’ weapons did little to stop the golems due to their massive size. Apparently stronger and more durable, the golems easily demolished group of the SWATbots, rarely with more than one strike of their fists.
The loud alarm masked the sound of battle and explosions occurring outside, but Ruby need not guess what was happening. From inside her cell, Ruby could feel the entire building quaking. Her cohorts had come for her at last. 
A few minutes later, the base lost all power. The backup power instantly kicked in. But it was not enough to sustain the base’s security measures, only the emergency lighting and alarms. With the cell’s energy barrier down, Ruby made her escape.

After the portal dematerialized, the rest of the Sinned Godus appeared. They are: Jade, a futuristic armored soldier equipped with a hoverboard; Amber, a female energy being with long flowing tendrils of ‘hair’; and Cobalt, whose features are hidden under his/her full-length black coat and hood. They were accompanied by two ‘female’ Nanite constructs in the form of uniformed high school punks.
Their presence had attracted the attention of the security forces in the near vicinity, including the aerial defense towers. Amber motioned Asakura and Asahina to follow Jade to the construction facility. The constructs complied willingly. Now it was just left Cobalt and her to take care of the automatons.