Chapter 8: Scrap Metal


The DE-55 series robots were the robots the Freedom Fighters had come to try and prevent being manufactured. They arrived late though, or perhaps Robotnik finished earlier for obvious reasons, he was using the Ex-Earthlings to help him.

The three hulking robots spaced themselves across the floor. Then opened fire on the group of ex-earthlings.

"Team 1 get back this could get ugly!" Kevin shouted. 

Just as they did, the large gattlings of the DE-55’s began to whine and spin. 

"Get ready and brace yourselves!" Sotsu shouted as he conjured a shadow field about himself.


The group all conjured some form of a defense, then began to charge up for some powerful attacks.

The bullets of the gattlings spat out with a loud thumping sound. They hit the fields hard, each time causing the field to shake violently. The group knew they wouldn’t be able to hold out at this pace.

The group unleashed powerful attacks, each one meeting a blue bubble that appeared around the DE-55’s. The attacks were stopped and depleted long before they reached their initial target.

Sotsu and Remoan tried the psychic hold on the robots, but to now avail. They didn’t have muscles inside of them so it wouldn’t work correctly, and they didn’t know what the inside of the robots looked like either so they couldn’t rip them apart from the inside.

"This is not good," Sotsu said, sweat dripping from his face from the extraneous strain of having to hold the field up to the robots salvo of ongoing fire.

"Maybe if we can hold out long enough they’ll run out of ammo," Kevin suggested.

"It’s more likely they’ll have a backup weapon," Sotsu replied.

Team Two stood back a ways from the entrance of the room. They were able to hear the ongoing whining of the gattlings.

Sonic peeked about the corner to see the group struggling to keep up.

"We’ve gotta go help them!" Sonic exclaimed.

"We can’t those things are too much for us," Tails said.

"Yeah but we still have to try. They can’t stay up much longer," Sonic snapped back.

"Well we need to at least buy them some time," Sonic added, as he dashed out to the main of the room.

"Hey egg-heads! I betcha can’t get me!" Sonic shouted at the robots.

"That idiot," Sotsu said under his breath.

The robots turned and began chasing Sonic about with their gattlings.

"He’s bought us some time. Let’s not waste it," Kevin said as he began to hurl more assaults at the robots.

"Kevin’s right now let’s get through these guys," Zhi Wei added.

The group focused on a single robot. With much work, it paid off as it’s shield began to wear down, then eventually depleted. Then they finally managed to finish it with one more round of powerful attack, then it erupted in a bright blaze.

"Good job Sonic! I hope you can keep that up for another good ten minutes!" Sotsu said as he hurled another shadow blast at the open DE-55.

"I’ll do my best," Sonic said as he began to sweat and wheeze a little.


The group began toward the second robot. Sotsu figured that the robots must use some form of an undeveloped scanner, because they were just focusing on Sonic. Perhaps it’s that Robotnik made them to go after Sonic the most. 

The second DE-55 then got the idea, and trained one gattling on the group and one at Sonic.


The group held with their shields, and were forced to down-size their attacks.

"This won’t work," Remoan said.

"We need one person to hold the shield so the rest can attack with full power. Screw it I’ll do it!" Remoan added as he set up a shield around the group.

As the shield around the second one began to weaken, it’s top half spun around once and lifted. A large steel shaft had it still connected, but the shaft doubled as a weapon, as it held a series of missiles.

The missile barrage launched with a loud swoosh sound. Kevin saw the easy opportunity to end that robot along with the missile attack. He flung several ice arrows at the missiles just as they left their place of origin. 

The robot erupted in a large orange fireball. One was left now. That one trained all of it’s fire on the group of ex-earthlings. Remoan began to waver a little from exhaustion. Sotsu supported him with one arm and fired with the other.

"Come on man we’re almost through this. You can make it," Sotsu said as he popped of a quick round of shadow blades. 

"Bwa ha ha ha!," Robotnik began over the intercom," If you think that’s all I have, keep in mind that I’m producing the DE-55’s by almost hundreds per minute! Bwa ha ha ha!"

"Shit this is bad!" Sotsu shouted as they finally finished the last DE-55.

Sonic fell to the ground, sweating and wheezing harder then before. Remoan, who was almost equally exhausted, let the shield down.

"Come on guys let’s keep moving," Why Kit said, gesturing toward the door that the DE-55’s came out of.

"Hey Team Two, we’ll need you to help a little more okay?" Sotsu said as he and the rest of the group entered the door.

Sotsu was still helping Remoan walk and Sally was supporting Sonic.

"We have to keep moving. Despite our condition we cannot give up. The longer we take the more we have to fight," Sotsu said as he looked back at the oncoming group.

"He’s right. We have to keep moving, no two-ways about it," Kevin replied.

The reached the end of the metal corridor and opened the blast door on the other side. Inside the large room stood a good twenty SWATbots and one DE-55.

"Fire!" the lead SWATbot shouted. The oncoming barrage of lasers were diverted from a force wall put up by Kevin.

Sotsu helped Remoan stand and charged at the SWATbots along with Zhi Wei, Kevin and Why Kit. Team Two also helped fight the SWATbots. 

Sally set Sonic a ways into the corridor so he’d be safe. Then she went to help the rest of the group.

The DE-55 pelted down several SWATbots as it tried to hit the Freedom Fighters. A few of Geoffrey’s men were killed in the DE-55’s assault. Once the SWATbots were finished Team Two went into safety to let Kevin, Zhi Wei, Sotsu, Why Kit and Remoan handle the DE-55.

It shot around at the group as they jumped, ran and avoided the bullets as they zipped across the floor, tearing the tiling to shreds. The group fought with low-energy attacks until the thing was eventually open. Then they hacked away at it.

Finally it broke down. The ex-earthlings all stood tired from the fight, but they knew that they couldn’t rest. They had to keep moving, as with each minute their task got harder and harder.

"Come on," Sotsu said waving his hand. They headed to the next blastdoor, which led into a tunnel that began to slope down. 

The two groups keep as silent as possible. They had to fight a few number of Buzzbombers and SWATbots on the way… nothing much.

Then they finally reached a large open room. It had a few sentry turrets and a small squad of SWATbots.

"Sotsu and I will take the turrets the rest of you take the SWATbots!" Kevin shouted as they charged toward their targets. Team Two helped clear the room as well. It was an easy task… but they weren’t finished.

An overhead catwalk ran along side each side of the room. On the wall behind each catwalk was a set of doors. Those doors opened revealing a DE-55 in each. Four of the metal monsters stepped onto the catwalk, causing the thing to creak under the weight. They all trained their guns on the two groups below.

The loudspeakers came on again, "Hah! Give up Freedom Fighters you’re surrounded! No in second thought… just stand their and die!" Robotnik shouted.

The guns came to life. 

"I got this one guys," Zhi Wei shouted as he set up a field around the group. 

"Remoan we could use your Scout about now," Sotsu said quietly to his friend. 

Remoan didn’t understand at first, then he noticed the catwalks supports were bent a little under the stress caused from the heavy bodies of the DE-55’s.

"Right," Remoan said nodding his head. He quickly took up aim and in one fluid action he shot out the first and second supports of the catwalk. Then thing bent down a little more but not enough. 

"You guys could help him," Zhi Wei exclaimed as he began to wobble a little.

The rest of the group, including those of Team Two that had a gun, began to shoot toward the supports. There were several per catwalk. 

Finally one catwalk came down with an earth-shattering crash. The DE-55’s exploded when they hit the ground. The other pair got the idea and decided to try to take out their opponents faster by launching their missiles. 

The groups instantly saw this and hailed down on the oncoming projectiles. Most of their aim fell short, the missiles were half way to the group. Remoan finally shot at one of the missile salvos and they detonated simultaneously. The second salvo almost reached them, Kevin hit the missiles with a large ice ball. The bright orange explosion wavered right in front of the shield and Zhi Wei grunted as he was forced to put more energy to hold it up.

The group then focused on the supports again, finally it came down with a large crash. The orange blaze of the DE-55’s lit the room. 

"Ahah! Haven’t died yet I see!" Robotnik shouted over the loudspeaker," Just wait until you see what’s in the room ahead! This is grand! To think that all I had to do this whole time was to get myself a few ex-earthlings! See you in hell Freedom Fighters! You shall never make it out of here alive!"

The two teams headed for the door after a very short rest. It slid open, an empty corridor, at the end was the next blastdoor to the next room. The group ran to the blastdoor, it slid open.

Standing in a large open room were a dozen DE-55’s and front and center stood a short lizard. He wore a black button shirt and black pants, black shades rested on his nose, steel-toe boots covered his feet. Green spines went back in a spiky fashion, much like if a person had spiky hair that was combed back. His scales were a mid-tone green color that matched his spines. 

He eyed the group over his shades, a dark smile spread across his face. Sotsu had a guess that this might very well be another one of his friends from Earth. If it was who he thought about, then they were in grave danger. His insanity and mad mind would prove a truly formable opponent.

"Well hello Remoan, and… guy," the lizard said. 

"You think it’s him?" Remoan asked Sotsu.

"If he begins obsessing about toast and monkeys, then yes," Sotsu replied. The person who he was referring to always joked around by doing that. He’d always said that toast is the most important thing in the world, and other stupid stuff like that.

"You guys take the Freedom Fighters. Sotsu is mine," the lizard said.

"Yes sir!" the DE-55’s rang out in semi-unison.

"Heh. This’ll be fun," the ex-earthling said with a slight pitch at the end. He spread his hands out in front of him as he conjured a set of metal claws.

"Yep it’s him," Sotsu said as he charged forward. The rest of the group followed Sotsu and the DE-55’s opened fire.

"Leave no survivors! They must all die!" the lizard yelled as he charged for Sotsu.

Sotsu conjured his bo just in time to meet a double strike from the lizard.

"So the least you can do is tell me what you changed your name to," Sotsu said, as the pair struggled against the others strength.

"Evi-Tanoted!" shouted the lizard. It was his friend, he remembered how his friend always used those names.

"Fine then Evi! Lemme show you what it means to be in pain!" Sotsu exclaimed as he tried to use the psychic hold on him. Nothing happened though.

"How stupid of you! Don’t you know that I can do the same thing, I can easily cancel you out then," Evi-Tanoted said.

He lifted his claws back then began a flurry of swipes and slashes. Sotsu was forced back. The sound of battle rang in his ears as the Freedom Fighters took combat with the DE-55’s.

"Monkey!" Evi-Tanoted screamed as he charged forward toward Sotsu. 

Sotsu flung shadow needles at him, he easily went under them without slowing down.

"Arg! You’re to short!" Sotsu yelled as prepared his bo. 

"Shut up and butter my toast!" Evi-Tanoted yelled as he hacked at Sotsu. Sotsu blocked with his bo, only for it to snap with a loud crack. 

Sotsu quickly conjured his 3-Section Staff, a replica of the one he had at home. He began to swing it about as soon as it came into his hands. 

Evi-Tanoted blocked the striking segment that was aimed for his head, then he came in with a slash and ripped part of Sotsu’s suit, not deep enough to draw blood though.

"You jerk that’s my suit!" Sotsu shouted as he grabbed hold of the center segment and began to alternatively strike with the two other ends in a circular fashion. 

"Grrrr… cheese!" Evi-Tanoted cried as he hacked at the segments as they flew toward his sides.

Then the lizard timed it so he caught both segments and jerked the weapon out of Sotsu’s hands. The weapon quickly disappeared and Evi-Tanoted conjured throwing stars and flung them at Sotsu.

Sotsu grounded himself as the metal projectiles flew over head. He saw Evi-Tanoted coming down on him quickly. The lizard hacked his claws at Sotsu’s face. Sotsu jerked his head side to side, the metal tiles below getting vicious claw marks on them.

Sotsu jammed his fist into Evi-Tanoted’s jaw causing him to fall back a ways. Sotsu began to charge some shadow blades. The lizard quickly got up and began to charge the echidna again. He found several blades of black material flying toward him and with blazing speed and amazing agility jumped, flipped and somersaulted about them. 

"Fear the blue baboons!" Evi-Tanoted shouted as he conjured and threw several more throwing stars at Sotsu. 

Sotsu dived to his right, one of the metal projectiles nicked his left arm. 

"Enough of this!" Evi-Tanoted shouted in a surprisingly serious tone. His claws spin around and formed into a pair of silver pistols in Evi-Tanoted’s hands.

"Oh crud!" Sotsu said quickly getting up as several shots danced about him. Evi-Tanoted didn’t stop for a second as he pulled the trigger with an uncontrollable rage. 

"Just die!" Evi-Tanoted shouted, frustrated as his target dashed to his left.

"Watch out!" Sotsu shouted as a huge flaming ball of metal flew toward Evi-Tanoted from behind. It was the remains of one of the DE-55’s that Kevin probably took out. At that… it was the last of the DE-55’s that were in the room. 

The lizard turned just in time to see the flaming robot scrap before it ran into him. Evi-Tanoted got caught in it and was stuck as the flaming scrap headed toward Sotsu. Sotsu dived to the side before he got caught into it as well, and he watched as it crashed through the wall and fell out of the building with a loud rumble. 

Sotsu looked around. It was quiet. The fighting was over. Sotsu got up and looked behind him to see the group all standing, though they’d been through a lot. Most were hardly able to support themselves. 

"Do you think he’s…?" Remoan trailed off, as he looked though the smoking hole in the wall. 

"I don’t know. But if I remember correctly… there should be a rest place near. If we hurry we can make it there and seal the entrances before any more enforcement’s arrive," Sotsu said.

The group headed for the door, they might actually make it though this alive. But Evi-Tanoted could still be alive, then there was also the remaining ex-earthling they have to deal with, if he’s any stronger then Evi-Tanoted, then there in for it.

-Nicholas D. Wolfwood-