LOG-013.
"TURN LEFT!"
If one were to observe the UCF from a distance, they'd either see a rallying or horrifying sight, depending on the observer.
"I'M TRYING TO!"
Namely because if my guess was correct, anyone watching right now would see half of the damned facility cracked open, exposed to the weird energies of Unspace as an immense streak of silver and white light poured out through the crack, a comet of pure power that swiftly fled the prison while screaming its lungs out.
"HUP HUP HUP!"
Screaming, of course, because I was that comet, and not only was I that comet, but I was actively regretting my life choices while trying to figure out just how in the hell the army I had sprung loose had convinced me to go along with this so-called plan of theirs.
"I KNOW! IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, THIS ISN'T EXACTLY EASY FOR ME!"
Six major cellblocks. Twenty four lesser cellblocks. Thousands of prisoners. All easily joining the ever expanding cape of light that hung from my shoulders as I'd rampaged throughout their prison, and which were currently yelling advice at me in thousands of voices, most of them coming out in the form of Hups.
"HUP HUUUUUP!"
My original plan had been to hijack a second airship and just cruise on out of the place, but someone had evidently been on the ball after realising that the Silver Warden had gone rogue, because by the time I'd gotten to the docks, the Guards there had sabotaged every available vessel, half of them in flames with the other half listing off into space, their saboteurs ready to make a last stand.
"WE'RE GONNA DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"
I'd made sure to reward their bravery with silver lasers, before fleeing elsewhere, searching for alternatives.
"HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP!"
From there…well, the logic of course had been fairly simple, at least according to the more scientifically inclined of my passengers.
Unspace, while treacherous to unprotected human beings, was easily traversable by the energy-based lifeforms of Chaos. And any danger posed directly to myself was mitigated by my stolen Silver Warden badge, the suit it generated protecting me from silly things like hostile environments and a distinct lack of air.
Really nifty tech, honestly. It made stealing it feel like that much smarter of a decision.
"DO A FLIP!"
Anyway, the issue (because of course there would be another issue) arose when I actually cracked open an isolated part of the UCF that had been barren of personnel (damn near all of them had clustered around the docks after someone had gotten comms back up, and I didn't exactly want any murder charges stuck on my head, now did I?) and allowed myself to be sucked out into the void.
"DO NOT DO A FLIP!"
Because while the Gamma Legionnaires riding across my back could propel us, I still remained the anchor, and thus had to navigate while using that incredibly violent propulsion.
"HUUUUUUUP!"
Fun fact, I did not know how to manually navigate Unspace, and as a result was now rocketing uncontrollably throughout the multicoloured void even as Warden airships and interceptors desperately tried and failed to get a bead on me.
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP AND FOCUS! WE NEED A PORTAL TO EARTH! NOW!"
Which was rather quite hard, I'd imagine. Because if I didn't know where I was going, then they sure as hell didn't either.
Still, I'd managed to…somewhat, level out after nearly ramming into and through an airship that had just translated into the incredibly colourful dimension. And more importantly, the vessel had left behind a distinct trail, the view of a beautiful city skyline gracing my vision seconds before the immense portal had snapped shut.
But it didn't matter, because I had a cape literally made of Chaos, and if Chaos knew anything…well, it was how to traverse dimensions. And we'd just been given directions to the nearest material realm.
"THERE! SEND US THERE!"
On instinct, my gloved hand outstretched, fingers grasping where the portal had been even as that white light began to pour forth from around me, glowing tendrils grasping the empty Unspace and beginning to pull.
Out of habit more than anything else, I roared as reality itself began to bend to the will of the Legion.
"CAVALRY STANCE: SILVER STAR INVADER!"
—
They hadn't been able to afford waiting to try and stop Knightmare thanks to all the attacks, and now the Animus itself hung above the sky like an omen of devastation, while beneath it, one of the greatest battles since the days of the legendary Defenders raged.
"AAAARGH! JUST! STOP! DODGING!"
Red, as per standard Warden protocol in response to a Gamma Legionnaire telling one to stop dodging, stubbornly continued to dodge, crimson form practically blurring through the air in order to avoid the green blasts of radioactive evil that were being hurled at him.
All around the young man, his friends were also fighting, desperately trying to hold the tide as a veritable…well, legion of Grunts sought to overwhelm them. Or worse, get past them.
"There's too many of them! Doesn't help that the Generals are out in force too-gah!"
"Shut it you husband stealer! We're getting those parts and there's nothing you can do to stop us!"
Wincing as Green was sent flying by a particularly vengeful thwack of Lovelace's strings, Red moved to launch a flying kick at the obsessive harlequin, only to be forced to duck as a flaming foot passed the air right where he'd been standing.
"GRUNTS! WITH ME!"
General Infernus didn't take long to recover from the missed attack however, the living bonfire sweeping an arm outwards and warding away a dozen Guards that had been closing in, leaving a distinct space undefended towards what the Wardens had finally learned to be the Legion's true goal.
The Ogacihc city airport. Specifically the airshop docks, which even now existed as a perpetual warzone as hundreds of Guards and Grunts clashed for control of the landing zones, while Wardens and Generals dueled on the tarmac with enough firepower being thrown around to level buildings.
"We can't keep this up Red! Look!"
Snapping his head around at Blue's warning, the Warden internally cursed at the sight of several several Commanders fleeing one of the flaming airships with their various inhuman arms full of vital components, chief among them an interdimensional breacher.
Yellow and Pink were doing their best to stop them, but such a thing had evidently been planned for, with Lieutenants pouring out of the woodwork to delay the duo.
"This is a bit of an escalation over just one General! Don't you think Armageddon!!?"
Three blazing green eyes narrowed at his question, before the symbol adorning the Legion Lord's chest glowed, prompting Red to pale beneath the safety of his helmet.
"I'M! GONNA! RETIREEEEEE!"
The subsequent chest beam was too fast to dodge, and too powerful to block.
"AAAGHHHHH-!"
He was going to need radiation treatment after this, he just knew it. But in the meantime, it appeared he'd crashed through several walls, the interior of a hangar greeting his eyes as he groaned in pain, activating his comm link with a flex of will.
"P-Professor, what's the ETA on those reinforcements again?"
"My Mecha-Wardens are on the way, my boy! Prototypes they may be, but I'd say this should certainly prove a good stress test for their frames! Just hold on for another thirty seconds! The Steel Armada will be with you soon!"
Grumbling out a weary affirmative, the team leader slowly rose back to his feet, swaying back and forth with a sick feeling bubbling up somewhere deep in his bones before he began to stagger forward.
Yep, he definitely was going to need treatment once this was all over-
Numbness.
Red tried to move, but couldn't. And it was with a sinking feeling that he noticed the chitinous arm currently wrapped around his chest, alongside the rapidly fading sensation of fangs that had just pierced his neck.
"Forgot about little old me, jailer? Hmph, that'll teach you to ignore the great General Chrysalis!"
Red grunted, because words seemed to be something his insensate throat was currently incapable of, even as the buggy niece of Carapace shoved him to the side, allowing him to fall on his side as she strode toward the hole leading out of the hangar with a sway of her armoured hips.
"Ooooh Armageddon~! I do believe I just got the Red-what the!?"
Well, right before a steel fist reached through the opening, before wrapping around the General's horn and yanking her outside.
"No! Let go of me you-not the hair! NOT THE HAAAIIRRRR-!"
Gritting his teeth, Red rose to a knee, badge enhanced body already beginning to fight off the venom and radiation no doubt coursing through his system. Then he stood up, and began to slowly trudge forward.
Escaping the darkness of the hangar allowed him to witness a sight that could have brought tears to the hero's eyes.
"WHAT ARE THESE THINGS!?"
"DAMNED TIN CANS! SCRAP EM!"
"NO! RETREAT! THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM!"
All around the airport, hundreds of armoured figures were descending upon the ground. Fruits of Professor Korbin's labours, the Mecha-Wardens moved as an unstoppable, colour coded tide, overwhelming the now outnumbered Grunts and serving as an excellent steel-formed vanguard for the newly rejuvenated Guards.
The Animus was beginning to move away as well, and Red could see the familiar forms of Shellshock and Chandelierra making a desperate last stand around the smoking form of the now damaged dimensional breacher, the two commanders surrounded by Guards, robots, and a vengeful Warden Green.
But despite that, something felt off, and it was with instincts honed over years of battling evil that Red slowly brought a hand just above his visor, using it to add a little extra shielding to his eyes as he glanced up and beheld…
Silver light, brightening the darkening sky as an immense portal ripped the horizon asunder.
"What the…"
Those who could also pause did so, even as others were forced to continue battling thanks to the desperate nature of the Legionnaires, and the uncompromising programming of the Mecha-Wardens.
But as a comet of pure silver streaked past the closing portal, Red could only stare as dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of shards of what must have been light began to break off from the immense tail that had been stuck to the anomaly, each individual piece carried along by the wind and sent scattering across both the airport, and perhaps even the city beyond.
But what took the cake was the comet itself, as it slammed into the very midst of the battle, just a few paces in front of him actually, kicking up dust and shattered tarmac, smoke wafting up dramatically from around it as the silhouette of a humanoid figure rose from within.
Red braced himself for combat, only to grin beneath his helmet as the sight of a star shaped visor drew gasps from everyone who witnessed it.
From nearby, he saw Lovelace visibly slump in the midst of her halted duel with Pink, even as he stumbled forward, extending a hand.
"Warden Silver! Man you're a sight for sore eyes! Come on, help us clean up the rest of the Legion and we can finally deal with-"
Anything else he might have said was, alas, interrupted as that same visor flashed, right before a silver gloved fist shot forward and promptly punched him right in the damned mouth, his entire world tilting as he fell to the ground yet again, stunned.
"GAMMA LEGION! YOUR KNIGHTMARE HAS RETURNED!"
…Buh?