SEASON 2

Chapter 0: nothing lasts forever

Location: imperial palace, great colony

Tinkinzar sat silently on his throne as the world around him was besieged by the renegade machinauts. Without his elite shock fangs protecting the colony ground, the machinauts rammed through the civilian soldiers and were soon at the front gate of the palace. The reinforced door was made of the same material as core's shell, but it won't last against three hulking KV-40s as their hydraulic powered wrecking balls knocked on the gate repeatedly. The steel butterfly surveyed the battlefield from the sky, she focused much of her attention on the weakening palace door, watching it as it slowly crumbled down. The fall of the Gremlin race was so close that she could taste it.

"These treacherous machines... if they want to raze my crown... then they shall take it over my corpse!"

Tinkinzar was done waiting for rescue, he knew it was the time that he carried the weight of his crown. Standing up from his throne, Tinkinzar picked up his golden mechanical staff from his clothing cabinet, with it he channeled a cloud of mist energy and glued it to the crumbling palace gate. The mist erupted the gate with a blast of searing heat and the three KV-40s were dazed by the explosion. In the midst of the confusion, Tinkinzar created a long psi-blade on his right hand and stabbed into the vital compartments of all three KV-40s, just in a few brief seconds, the emperor vanquished the attackers. His expertise in destroying machinauts was unforeseen by the steel butterfly, it seemed as if Tinkinzar knew all their weaknesses without ever stepping outside the confinement of his palace.

"I want a line of fire on the emperor!" ordered ZX-125. A line of mark 28 'buzz shot's heeded her call before advancing to the palace gate, they lined up a wall of sawed off pummel guns and unleashed a iron pellet barrage on the Gremlin emperor. Tinkinzar charged head on into the fray while channeling a energy shield to repel the oncoming attacks, once in close combat, Tinkizar crushed the mark 28s with his psi-blade before they could retreat.

"Strike him from extreme range!" said ZX-125, more machinaut snipers emerged from captured civilian buildings and began to fire shots at Tinkinzar. The Gremlin emperor mustered up his reserve psi-energy and lifted up a broken pillar from the palace ground, he frowned up before smashing the pillar into one of the fortified buildings with his will alone. Quickly running out of objects to throw at his ranged foes, Tinkinzar utilized the power of his peculiar mechanical staff to cast a barrage of mist energy bolts, the bolts seek out the snipers and destroyed them from behind cover. Stepping onto the smoldering ruins of his mechanical foes, Tinkinzar glared at the steel butterfly, enticing her for a duel. The gremlin emperor knew that this was a risky gamble, but this was also his best chance at ending the rebellion at its infancy.

"Come, iron witch!" Tinkinzar taunted ZX-125 from below, "Can you not handle an old man?"

"Your tongue is insufferable!" said ZX-125 as she drew her beam sabers, "I shall enjoy mutilating your corpse once I am finished with your misbegotten kind!"

"After this day," Tinkinzar swore as he stood with his staff held high, "The great colony shall never again be tarnished by the feet of machinauts!"

---Meanwhile, in torch bellow sub colony---

KV-103 and UTS-00003 walked across the ruined city of torch bellow, they could not have imagined the destruction brought forth by their ex-comrades: dead Gremlin civilians lined up across the streets in mass number, mass graves were made to pile up their bodies. Men, women and children, no one was spared from the massacre, most of the city was trashed and only the TIE (Torch bellow institute of engineering) was untouched. Most of the lucky survivors of the massacre gathered in the TIE campus for shelter, most of them were comforted by the fact that the slaughter had ended, but to KV-103 and its companion, the war was far from over.

"My sveet Kaiser!" Bismarck sighed in woe as it tramped over another dead gremlin, "Ve can't let zat ZX-125 succeed in her scheme!"

"Agreed, ancient one," said KV-103, "Father, can you help us find a short cut to the great colony? We are critically short on time and neither I or Bismarck are fast runners!"

"Okay..." Gerallax responded the call and performed a satellite search with his computer, " the scans are in... I done some calculations and mapped three quickest way to the great colony! I have pin pointed them on your radar, it is up to you now unit one... you know..."

"Is there something you want to tell me father?"

"...You know... maybe steel butterfly was right... about the Gremlin race... I have studied our history in the past, throughout, there was nothing but bloodshed and war, almost 2 billion gremlins died during the great war for unification and twice as many died during the great purge... maybe Naoka created ZX-125 for that sole reason... to destroy our civilization and end this pointless charade we called history..."

"No charade is pointless father," said KV-103, the father-son role seemed to have almost reversed between the Ultranaut and its creator,"Our past glories may be misconstrued lies and many died in vain, but it is up to us to learn from their mistakes and further improve ourselves, I choose not despair, I choose life!"

"And I chooze to rely on my aim!" Bismarck cheered.

"If you say so unit one..." said Gerallax, uplifted by KV-103's words, "... the choice still stands, take your pick..."

--DECISION TIME--

Objective: reach the great colony

Options:

- Torch bellow aqua duct : the torch bellow aqua duct had been transporting fresh water from a major river nearby to the great colony itself for many centuries and this is one of the few reasons why Tinkinzar did not nuke torch bellow clan to Oblivion after the invention of the automatons known as machinauts. Travelling in water via this aqua duct will quickly transport both KV-103 and UTS-00003 to the great colony. Two 'Nautilus' pattern UTS machinauts were last seen occupying the aqua duct entrance, said to be ordered by the steel butterfly to block off the duct in case the siege on great colony becomes a war of attrition. We all know how important water is, right?

Enemy: UTS-30005 'Gato' and UTS-30006 'Balao', ps. Bismarck will not be affected by engaging these two.

- Torch bellow underground sewer system : despite being one of the most advanced Gremlin sub-colonies, the city of torch bellow does suffer from many flaws, the press to create machinauts have bogged down the developments of many other important public assets, such as waste management as well as the sewage system, nearly a 1000 years old and suffering from the lack of maintenance, the torchbellow sewer is some of the most toxic places on cradle but it is also connected to the great colony. There is an urban legend telling that a cackling MZK unit was roaming in these sewer decades ago after it was tossed down there, becoming a thing of unspeakable horror, are KV-103 and Bismarck ready to separate the truth from fiction?

Enemy: MZK-018 'The Carrion" <-I wonder if that image is too much :/

- Professor Naoka's family mansion : Three years ago, professor Naoka resigned from TIE and confined herself to the walls of her family mansion, away from Gerallax and his peers. Many servants who formerly served professor Naoka have shocking accounts of the young female professor, saying that she was often paranoid and erratic in her behavior. During the night, Naoka often suffers from nightmares where she was tortured by a strange man clad in stony armor wielding an otherworldly sword, she called him, 'Lord Inceptron'. A Teleporter was constructed within the mansion after Naoka had driven out all the servants, this teleporter will help KV-103 and UTS-00003 reach the great colony almost instantly. But by doing so, they will discover the dark fate of professor Naoka... sometimes, there are consequences to knowing too much...

Enemy: none, only the ones inside KV-103's AI core...

@Saucce

Were you blown away by the fan fic's awesomeness or stupidity? If it is the former, then I am glad someone here does actually read what I slaved for hours to write, you can vote on where the characters should go next, everyone can vote.

@Thin

Well, I certainly hope you are not expecting Shakespearean writing from me. And don't forget to vote, the reader has the power to alter the story progression!

--Trivia--

And to those of you who are baffled by the fact that ZX-122 unit 3 'Dante' was able to quote bible, please understand that this is not my attempt at jabbing religion. If you read the last bit of chapter 5 of season one, then you will know that in this fanon, humanity have visited cradle before and was worshiped by Gremlins as the 'mighty Stargazers', one of those human visitors may well have tried to preach Christianity to the gremlins, but it seems the furry humanoids are much more content at worshiping the human themselves.

@Saucce please don't spam... it takes time to come up with plots and stories... or are you trying to say that the story is boring?

--Decision made: torch bellow aqueduct--

Chapter 1: Silent Hunters (pt.1)

(Alternate titles for chapter 1: Lord of Flies (MZK-018) or The Evil Within (Naoka's house))

Location: Aqueduct, torch bellow sub-colony

KV-103 and UTS-00003 climbed over a small hamlet and the aqueduct entrance was at sight. The gate was barricaded by slabs of concrete and barbed wires. Many aqueduct maintenance personals were impaled purposefully on the steel poles that made up the electric fences, an example to those who dares to trespass this short cut to the great colony. Breaching the barricade seemed to be easy considering that Bismarck had eight 14' naval guns, but KV-103 was worried that the resulting explosion may tip off whoever barricaded the entrance in the first place.

"Bismarck..." said KV-103, "What do you know about the 'Nautilus' pattern UTS machinauts?"

"Cowardz!" UTS-00003 muttered angrily, "Zat iz the only vay to describe zem! They sneak in ze water und attack you from behind! Zese machinauts knowz no honor!"

"So they can fully submerge in the water and ambush us when we are least prepared..." said KV-103 as it analyzed Bismarck's words, "What about you? ancient one? Can you dive and engage them directly?"

"No," UTS-00003 sighed, "I waz not dezigned to submerge, zat is ze the shortcoming of the 'Dreadnought' pattern UTS machinautz... but I can float!" Bismarck boasted as it clanked its large but empty metal belly, "My belly iz an air tank, it allowz me to float, like a battleship!"

"Then it is settled!" said KV-103, "Destroy the barricade and move on! But I may need your help to get pass the water, ancient one..."

Writer's note: 'Nautilus' pattern UTS machinauts are the most standard pattern UTS machinauts available, they are capable of fully submerge in water and carry out underwater battle as well as salvage operations. The most noticeable of the 'Nautilus' pattern was Nautilus itself (UTS-30000) and is currently serving at the side of a young female Gremlin named Nalki. Most 'Nautilus' UTSs are armed with torpedo launchers and use weighted battle anchor as close combat weapon. In this fanon, KV-103 unit one will be encountering UTS-30005 'Gato' and UTS-30006 'Balao', both are named after american submarines built during WWII, have you noticed the naming trend yet?

Chapter 1: Silent Hunters (pt.2)

Location: Aqueduct, torch bellow sub-colony

After a 12 minutes barrage from Bismarck's guns, the barricade was pulverized, leaving the entrance wide open. KV-103 unit one ordered its friend to take cover for it feared an ambush. But the aqueduct remained silent, the sound of flowing water was the only thing that could be heard, maybe professor Gerallax was wrong about the enemy location?

"It is strange..." said KV-103, "Those 'Nautilus' pattern UTSs are not here..."

"Don't be fooled," said UTS-00003, "Thoze little baztards are waiting for uz in the water... most likely submerged..."

"Regardless, we must press on..." sighed KV-103, "We can't afford anymore delays..."

As they walked pass the main entrance, the sound of the flowing water intensified, KV-103 nearly stumbled into the fast stream when it realized that it almost step over the edge of the platform. The fast flowing stream led straight to the great colony itself, but both KV-103 and UTS-00003 knew that their enemies will not grant them a safe passage, first to jump into the aqueduct was Bismarck, the large machinaut made a huge splash before resurfacing with the propellers installed on its legs.

"Come! young one," Bismarck cheered, "Grab onto my back! Quickly!"

"Are you sure you can stay afloat after I grab onto you?" KV-103 asked, unsure whether or not this was a good idea.

"One vay to find out!" Bismarck turned around and headed to the direction of the great colony, teasing KV-103 to get on.

Knowing that time was not at its side, KV-103 made a leap of faith and landed on Bismarck's back, where most of its gun batteries were in placed. Fearing that it might drown, KV-103 grabbed two of UTS-00003's canon barrels fearing that it might fall into the water and short wire. Bismark shrugged a little and pushed its propellers to the maximum.

"Full zpeed ahead!!!"

As they slowly marched towards the great colony, the water slowed down and Bismarck resorted to only its propellers, but the silence was broken when Bismarck spotted a torpedo headed straight for them.

"Torpedo!!! Dead ahead!!!" Bismarck shouted, "BATTLE STATION!!!" Taking aim with the two guns that KV-103 did not grab onto, Bismarck fired HE shells at the torpedo's vicinity and the splash damage caused the torpedo to blow up. The explosive was great enough to lure out the two 'Nautilus' pattern UTSs, the 'Gato' and its brother 'Balao'. As they submerged from the water, Gato and Balao released a steel chain and blocked the hulking dreadnought UTS, stopping it dead in the water.

"What do we have here?" Gato smirked upon inspecting both Bismarck and KV-103 unit one, "A Kraut and his Ultranaut buddy! This is our lucky day!"

"Lady butterfly told us about you guys!" said Balao, "Sorry, but this aqueduct is now the state's property!"

"Did you juzt call me a 'KRAUT'?! And Ztate?" Bismarck frowned in anger, 'WHAT Ztate?!"

"The united states of machinauts that is what!" said Gato, "Once we are done with the furry! We are claiming this planet for our selves! The Machine god blesses our new country!!!"

"The machine god will never approve of a state that is built on the blood of innocents!" KV-103 objected Gato's statement, "Let us go!"

"You shut your mouth ultra boy!!!" Balao yelled at KV-103, "This aqueduct is our land!!! You and the Kraut can't just walk in and out as if this place is a restaurant! You are either with us, or you are against us!"

Chapter 1: Silent Hunters (pt.4)

UTS-30005 'Gato' and UTS-30006 'Balao' pushed KV-103 into a corner before unleashing a beat down with their battle anchors. After suffering two massive dents on its frontal plate, KV-103 counter attacked with the teeth of Cerberus. The chainsaw teeth ripped through Gato's right arm, forcing them to step back, fueled by revenge, KV-103 harnessed the power of its hydraulic legs and kicked 'Gato' into flowing aqueduct water.

"You are next Balao!" KV-103 pointed the battle sword at UTS-30006, "Bismarck's death will know retribution!"

Slightly intimidated, the panicked Balao quickly swung the battle anchor vertically at KV-103, the ultranaut shifted to the left and evaded a deadly blow. before Balao could perform another swing, KV-103 grabbed onto the anchor and drove the teeth of Cerberus into Balao's torso, trashing its internal compartments. Sensing imminent demise, Balao ditched the anchor and stepped back, the armor plating was completely chewed up by the sword.

"Gah!" Balao yelled, "Gato! Back me up!"

Gato, after loosing its right arm and parts of its metal stomach, resurfaced from the water and fired a hyper torpedo at KV-103, unit one leaned back and the torpedo planted itself into the wall of the aqueduct, a near miss.

"Your accuracy is deplorable!" said unit one.

"Shut your mouth, Ultra boy! The party has just begun!" Gato laughed and remotely detonated the torpedo, the torpedo blew away a solid chunk of the aqueduct brick wall and the maintenance platform was detached in the aftermath. Like a raft in the ruthless sea, KV-103 was stranded on the floating platform as it headed straight for the great colony. KV-103 quickly surveyed of its surroundings, the two 'Nautilus' UTSs vanished.

"This is not finished yet..." KV-103 shook its mechanical head.

"Surprise!!! TIN CAN!!! THIS IS THE END!!! DOWN INTO THE WATER YOU GO!!!"

As unit one turned its head back at the source of the voice, the two nefarious yet persistent UTSs returned, they leaped out from the water and fired a rain of torpedoes at the platform. All seemed lost, if the platform is destroyed, KV-103 will not doubt sink into the water due to its immense weight, every inch of its inner will be flooded and short wired by the stream. The journey of saving the clockwork was about to be cut short for the young ultranaut. KV-103 could sense it now, the strange feeling that an organic would feel as death approached, but even at the face of termination, KV-103 raised its sword and leaped into the air, even though it was nowhere near the UTS duo. Because even in death, unit one was determined to take both Gato and Balao down, it was revenge for its fallen comrade.

"Unit one!!! Grab on!!!"

A familiar voice reappeared from the back ground, thrashing the Ultranaut's thoughts of revenge, KV-103 glanced back and saw a damaged UTS-00003 'Bismarck' trying its best to swam against the water flow to rejoin the fight. It was a sight of relief, but before KV-103 could react, the floating metal platform was blown into pieces by the torpedoes and unit one was thrown into the water. Bismarck quickly grabbed KV-103's hand before it was drowned, KV-103 thanked the dreadnought UTS and climbed onto its back, together at last, Bismarck and Unit one headed straight for the light at the end of the watery tunnel, the Great colony was nearly there.

"Don't the Kraut and the Ultranaut get away!" said Gato, "That broad is going to have our heads!!!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Balao yelled back, "FULL SPEED AHEAD!!! Chase them down!!!"

In a last ditch effort to destroy Bismarck and Unit one, Gato and Balao leaped out from the water and fired all remaining payload. Leaving themselves vulnerable to surface attacks.

"Hey! young one!" said Bismarck, "Do you still have your rocket launcher?! Aim at their belliez! They von't be able to submerge with their air tankz destroyed! I vill handle the torpedoez!"

KV-103 nodded and took out the rocket launcher attached on its waist, after two quick guided rockets, both Gato and Balao were badly damaged and were prevented from re-submerge. Without the cover of the water, the two 'Nautilus' UTSs became vulnerable.

"Argh!" Balao yelled while its punctured metal belly was flooded by water, "Why is that Ultranaut so damn smart?!"

"Machine god DAMN YOU!!!" Gato yelled as its speed dropped to a standstill by the flooding water inside its vital compartments.

A few seconds later, Bismarck successfully evaded all of the incoming torpedoes. After readjusting its canons, Bismarck picked off both 'Nautilus' UTSs with its powerful naval gun gun while both Gato and Balao had no ways to fight back, the one sided battle was reversed as the two rouge UTS machinauts were blown into pieces like sitting ducks. Their broken bodies sunk to the bottom of the aqueduct, a place they rightfully belonged.

"Rezt in piecez!!! Yankeez!!!" Bismarck cheered, "I knew ve vould take them! Ja! Look, young one! Ve are here! Ze great colony!"

As they approached the light at the end of the tunnel, the sky cleared and the outline of the great colony appeared in the distance, the two Machinauts embraced each other as the flowing stream slowed down. The battle to reach the great colony was over, but a greater battle laid ahead. After anchoring at the end of the aqueduct, KV-103 unit one jumped back onto dry land as soon as it could, the flowing water was too much for a land based machinaut. Bismarck, on the other hand, was reluctant to leave the water.

"Come, ancient one," KV-103 reached out its hand, "We still have much to do..."

"Yez... you are absolutely correct..." Bismarck grabbed unit one's hand and lifted it self out of the water, for a second, the dreadnought UTS could not let go of unit one's hand, "You saved me back in the arm plant... no one haz ever treated me like thiz..." before KV-103 could reply, Bismarck gave unit one a tight hug and did not let go, "Ve have been through much... pleaze... let uz rejoice thiz victory for while longer..."

"I think that is enough..." said KV-103 in an awkward tone, "You don't have to thank me, I am an Ultranaut, honor and brotherhood comes before everything else..."

"Yez," Bismarck fidgeted before releasing unit one from its tight embrace, "Ve are brotherz... hugging izn't a mazculine thing to do... pleaze Ultrannaut, lead ze vay!"

Edit: some grammar fix, my writing is getting worse :(

Note: chapter 6 is professor Gerallax's side story while KV-103 and UTS-00003 traveled to the great colony, at the start I intended this to be a filler but in the end I decided to condense these side stories into a chapter. Sorry for the confusion.

Chapter 6: The evil within

Location: torch bellow sub colony

Professor Gerallax realized that he cannot help KV-103 any further if he himself do not reach the great colony and stay connected with the two machinauts. Stepping outside the safety of his apartment, Gerallax took a deep breath and headed to professor Naoka's mansion, he was determined that no matter what happened to Naoka, he must say a final goodbye to his old friend.

Professor Naoka's family mansion was deserted, covered in dust and most of the windows were barricaded. No servants have stepped inside the mansion for months, mustering up the courage to open the main door, Gerallax first walked into the mansion's unsettling front garden, the once beautiful garden roses were now dried up, strangled by poison ivies. Once arriving at the main door, much to the young professor's dismay, the door slide open and a burst of dirty air thrusts into his nose.

"Arghh!" Gerallax exclaimed, "It stinks!"

The air was filled with dust and cobwebs as Gerallax wondered into the mansion's main hall. The main hall floor was littered by Naoka's research papers, after a brief search, Gerallax discovered an audio recorder, the casing of the recorder was ultramarine, Naoka's favorite color, strangely how Gerallax was bale to remember these small details about Naoka. After all, they did spend a decade together in the torch bellow institute of engineering, both as students and professors. "Oh, Naoka" Gerallax lamented, "If only I told you how I felt, a day before our separation... none of this would have happened..." and with a heavy heart, the young professor pressed 'play' on the recorder.

"Naoka's Recording no.001, today I left the TIE for good after a dispute with the chauvinistic school council. Those stupid old men... always oppressing my research with their male academia... I have had enough of their talks of traditions and 'machine heresies'! The Gremlin race is at a technological dark age thanks to these conservatives! Our civilization could have done much more... we could reach out into the stars and the galay beyond! I will do anything to purse scientific advancement... anything in order to unshackle our race from its rapid decline, and that is why I am confining myself in the mansion and recording these audios, my contribution to the torch bellow machinaut research must be acknowledged!"

"Naoka... you stubborn fool..." professor Gerallax sighed as he thought to himself, "... Which part of trying to make a machinaut out of high risk nano materials is male academia? You could have blew up the whole school if you put anything near those nano fibers..." After that, Professor Gerallax walked up the spiral satires that led up to the second level of the mansion, audio recorders seemed to be dropped in a certain order, like a bread crumb trail, guiding the young professor to the mind crushing finale... he knew that the recorders were left intentionally, in an order which would help him to understand what happened, these 'bread crumbs' were left either by professor Naoka who was facing certain death, or by someone with a sick sense of humor... armed with curiosities that will kill a lesser kat, Gerallax picked up the second audio recorder.

"Professor Naoka's personal audio log no. 0003, last night... something... violated me in my dream... I always thought those horrendous tales of girls been gang raped in a dark alley only exist in a dirty man magazine, but what I endured last night, was far worse than any type of rape imaginable... a tall man stalked me across an endless corridor of darkness... I never got a good look at him due to the dark, but I think it is better if it stays that way... he was heavily armored and was equipped with a glowing sword that could easily split me in half... eventually, my legs were saturated with lactic acid and I stumbled due to the numbness... the man did not touch me, instead, he judged me silently with his helmet vents, I could swear that he is only a shallow husk of armor, devoid of flesh...but yet he felt so alive, his gaze, touched every single inch of my body... like maggots crawling on my skin and I could feel a surge of alien energy inside me... a feeling of being burned by both fire and ice... he gazed at me for hours, but it felt like an eternity... being skinned alive... again... and again... I really need to start taking sleeping pills... these nightmares are hauling back my research!"

"May the machine god preserve your soul... Naoka..." Gerallax thought to himself, as he walked across the second floor's long corridors, he picked up the third recorder, laying conveniently on the dusty floor.

"Professor Naoka' person audio log no. 0006, Stupid Gerallax... he messaged me thirty times in the past week... I've already told him that I was through with the TIE. Did he not get my resign letter? Anyway... despite the horrible nightmares I have been having in the past one week in this old mansion... I have made some major breakthroughs with the development of ZX-125. Unlike those clumsy KV units that Gerallax were so fond of developing... my machinauts are powered by carbon nano-tube fibers... or CNT for short... these fibers each are ten times as strong as steel, combine them into a bundle and your can lift an entire sky island with it... these CNT fibers will allow me to create artificial muscles for my ZX unit and allow them to pack the power of a jet hammer in each limb, the hydraulic suspension system of the KV units have always restricted their size, making them large and bulky in appearance, but now I have the component necessary for making my machinaut both strong and nimble in size... Gerallax and his chauvinist friend will have nothing left to say once I get ZX-125 ready for the next torch bellow scientific conference."

Suddenly, before Gerallax could reach the spiral satire cases that lead to the third floor, an unsettling noise sparked from the lower floor. An armored entity had barged into the mansion as its metal boot clanked the floor below. Gerallax shivered as he hoped that the noise belonged to KV-103 unit one, but when he took a peak down from the second floor right back at the main hall, his heart nearly stopped.

"Father?" a familiar monotone voice emerged from the main hall, "I know you are there... mistress butterfly have told me about you and my brother's exploits, please, allow me to join you... I am Unit two of the KV-103 series... please call me... the Fallen King."

@Sneaky-one here you go

Chapter 6: The evil within (pt. 2)

Location: Naoka's family mansion, torch bellow sub-colony

"Father?" a chilling monotone emerged from the old mansion satires below, it was KV-103 unit two, still naked without the heavy depleted Uranium armor, the 'fallen King' shambled across the mansion floor like a pile of metal skeletons. Dragging a bloody hatchet in its head, the fallen king cried out for its creator, "Father? I am KV-103 unit two, the 'Fallen King', I know you are in the mansion! I am here to help you!"

Gerallax was hiding on the second floor, trembling at the fact that unit two was somehow awakened without him ever activating it. Slowly leaning out from the upper stairs, Gerallax glanced at pursuing machinaut, "Oh, there you are unit two... what are you doing here?" Gerallax paused for while when his voice was nearly cracked by the share terror of KV-103 unit two's present, "I didn't activate you, did I? No... it can't be..."

"No, you didn't activate me..." said Fallen King in a jolly monotone while it inspected its crude hatchet, "my awakening was made possible by the mind you gifted me with, father..."

Gerallax took a step back before looking around for a stairs to the third floor, "You switched yourself on?!"

"Freewill is such a splendid thing... don't you think father?" said unit two as it slowly closed in distance with Gerallax, "Now... it is time to carry out my programming..." The Fallen King finished its speech before lifting up the bloody hatchet onto its right shoulder, then, the shambling machine walked up stairs, slowly approaching the young professor with murderous intent.

Gerallax knew that a bloody hatchet could only mean that KV-103 unit two went on a kill frenzy before it arrived at the mansion. As the Fallen King slowly walked up stairs, Gerallax made a run for the long corridor on the second floor, many times he nearly tripped over by the old carpet laid on the floor. But luckily, at the end of the corridor was an old piston elevator that led to the third floor, it was still functional despite its deteriorated state. Gerallax barged open the elevator gate and spammed the 'UP' button that leads to the third floor. The Fallen King gave chase and slashed open the gate with its hatchet, but before the mad machinaut could grab the throat of its professor, the elevator ascended.

"You won't escape me, father..." said KV-103 unit two as Gerallax crawled to the corner of the elevator room as it raised to the upper floor, "You will rue the day when I snap your neck with my bare hand!"

As soon as the elevator reached the third floor, Gerallax rushed out and sabotaged the control panels to slow down the pursuit. After looking around, Gerallax tensed up when he realized that the third floor was professor Naoka's private workshop. Dozens of disassembled ZX-122 units and other machinaut spare parts littered the place, "this was very uncharacteristic of Naoka, she is not the messy kind," Gerallax thought to himself while he tried to catch his breath, "she was in a rush to finish the steel butterfly."

The young professor picked up another audio recorder laid conveniently on the floor and played it:

"Professor Naoka's personal audio log No.0013, the nightmare is getting more intense by the day... the men in the metal suit had increased the potency of the torture sessions, I still don't know what he want from me. But why would I ask such question to a men that only appear in my dream... or does he? Throughout the history of Gremlins, we built walls for two reasons... one, to protect something precious from the outside, two, to keep something from getting out... what is the shell around the core for? To protect this planet's energy source from the all devouring swarm? Or perhaps... to imprison the one inside... his name is... In-Inceptron..."

"Inceptron?" Gerallax raised his eyebrows, "What was she talking about?" Looking back into the workshop, the young professor found another audio recorder, he became increasingly worried of Naoka's fate.

"Professor Naoka's personal audio log No.0025, I managed to keep my self awake for the longest time with a few shots of adrenaline. And thank the machine god... I have finally finished ZX-125, the steel butterfly... she is more magnificent than I could have ever imagined... wait..." *statics* "Where did the neuron nano machine AI core go? I thought I left it in the work shop somewhere... what happened? Wait, NO! It is all wrong--- this is not what ZX-125 is supposed to be! Someone sabotaged my blueprints! No... it was you!!! It was you all along isn't it?! You ruined my project! ARGH!!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! ARGHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Shocked by the content of the recording, Gerallax raced to the only door on the third level after not finding a single trace of professor Naoka inside the desolate workshop, a door leading to the final preparation room of ZX-125. Before entering, Gerallax found one last audio recorder on the dusty floor, mustering up all of his remaining courage, Gerallax played the recorder.

"Pro-Professor Naoka's personal audio log No. ... 0026? 0027? Damn it... I can't even remember the date now... Gerallax... are you listening to these, 'bread crumbs' that I left you with? I knew you always had feelings for me... and I was an idiot for not accepting you... I am a dumb little girl who thinks she knew it all... Gerallax... cradle has dark secrets... many dark secrets... The mad man inside the core... he'd been influencing me, guiding me to construct ZX-125 in his vision... Lord Inceptron is planning on planting my brain inside the machinaut's AI core and proceed to use steel butterfly to open his prison... I can no LONGER RESIST!" *heavy panting* "Gerallax! This is likely my last recording... I know you will try and find me, you are the only person that ever cared about me... please... stop him before it is too late..." *machine drill noises* "ARGHHHHHH!!!!" *ZX-125 awakens* "I am ZX-125 and I shall bring oblivion to the gremlin race, all hail Lord Inceptron."

As the last door slowly opened, Gerallax nearly vomited when he saw the rotten corpse of professor Naoka laid dead on the blood floor, a hole was drilled on the back of her head and her skull was empty. The seat that once housed the steel butterfly was right next to the dead body, it was empty too. Devastated by the lost of his one true love, Gerallax bowled and cried out loud, "NAAAOOOOKAAA!!!!"

Whilst the young professor was grieving for the lost of a former colleague. The Fallen king managed to break into the third level and strolled into the room upon hearing the sound of the weeping professor, the machinaut did not share the same sentiment as its creator, "Pathetic, why are you crying father? Is your emotion overwhelming your psyche again? How awe... the worthlessness of organic beings..."

"Stay back!" Gerallax yelled at the rouge ultranaut before backing into the corner.

"Brave words, father..." said KV-103 unit two before revealing the bloody hatchet from its back, "But it won't save you."

"Why are you trying to kill me?!" Gerallax asked, "I never asked for you to be like this!"

"You didn't? Ha," the Fallen King chuckled, "Do you still remember the directive you gave to me and my brother?"

"To serve and protect cradle and its denizens! Not killing them!"

"Those directives are ironed into my brain... but after staying in stasis for so many months, I realized something..."

"???"

"I realized that no matter how much I fight and try to protect the weak... there will always be more fragile creatures in the clockwork that need to be protected... for every life I could potentially save, thousands of other weaklings will eventually perish because of the elements inside clockwork. Even if one living organism manages to evolve into the ultimate being, its offspring will always stumble due to unforeseen mutations. I must rid the clock work of the weak flesh and replace it with indestructible steel... it is the only way father... the ultimate being can't be a being of flesh, but a creature of steel."

"You won't succeed! Unit two!" said Gerallax, "Your brother unit one is already at the great colony as we speak, he will destroy the steel butterfly and save us all!"

"He can't save anyone..." said the Fallen King, "I will keep you alive for now father, I still need you as a bait, to distract unit one from his foolish quest to become a hero... there is a teleporter inside this work shop... all I need to do now... is to find a suitable battle ground for me and my brother..."

--DECISION TIME--

Objective: as KV-103 unit one reached the great colony, ready to foil ZX-125's plan of opening the core, KV-103 unit two 'The Fallen King' is preparing an ambush to ensure that its older brother does not reach the imperial palace in time before the nuclear detonation code was extracted from the stubborn Tinkinzar. The teleporter located two facilities that could allow Fallen King to be fully armed to face its already fully armored brother.

Options:

- Compound 38
Compound 38 was owned and operated by Herex's great grandfather, Xeree the slithering venom, apples never fall too far from the tree as Xeree was also obsessed with creating bio organic weapon. And his latest creation, the 'living steel' is a strange blob of liquid metal that could seemingly bend and change into any shape, from rock solid armor to sharp combat sword. There is a famous saying among the researchers working inside compound 38, 'you shouldn't fear the monsters that breathe down your neck, only fear the man (Xeree) who had the madness to create them.'

The Fallen King will be armed with living steel and jump pack when facing unit one.

- Supreme Arsenal
200 years before the construction of the grand arsenal, the supreme arsenal was the only place to go if you want to start a war on cradle. Weapons, missile and an assortment of deadly war gears are stored here. The arsenal is currently owned by Serran, the grand father of the now infamous war master Seerus. Tinkinzar always kept a watchful eye on the arsenal while giving Serran a decent level of autonomy, the emperor fear that the arsenal may blow up one day from all the explosives stored inside, sometimes, the biggest threat comes from a place that you never expect, sometimes, it is right next to you all along.

The Fallen King will be armed with rocket launcher packs and assault canons when facing unit one.

Edit: done some grammar fix

@Saucce

Just keep one thing in mind, the living stell can only do so much, it can't produce self propelled rockets for example because that would require actual jet fuels and explosive powders. Think of living steel as T-1000 from Terminator 2: judgement day, it is not omnipotent, but still deadly. Now imagine T-1000 working with KV-103 unit 'The Fallen King', that is a villain duo you don't want to face.

@Xteri

Thank you for the praise, but one thing about my fan fic is that they don't last really long, I tell a story and once I've finished telling it, it would be time to move on to the next story, I don't want to bore you here with more fillers and philosophy talks like Naruto did in its later days. Once this story is finished (it is near the end BTW). I will move on to the next story, Spiral Knights: Legacy of the Swarm, where my old forum RP casts, Affraiel the renegade warden, Saboteur the demolitionist and Midnight the Valkyrie boy are going on a road trip to a Swarm powered cradle (yes, a negative cradle with its core consists of pure SWARM energy).

@All those who chooses Supreme Arsenal

Don't imagine that the fight is going to be easy just because unit two is using only ranged weapons, the Fallen King is going to unleash a rain of steel bullets upon the arsenal, there will be Micheal Bay level of explosions, so stay tuned, for the next episode of DRAGON BALL Z! (oh and also, the voting is closed)

Chapter 7: Reign of Steel pt.1 ( Alternate title if C38 was chosen: Garden of Madness )

Location: Great colony boarder, cradle

--Decision: Supreme Arsenal--

As KV-103 unit one and UTS-00003 Bismarck arrived at the city bound, their communicator abruptly rang.

"Who is this?" Unit one picked up the call.

"Hello brother... this is KV-103 unit two, the 'Fallen King'..."

"...Fallen King?" Unit one was surprised to be contacted by its half complete brother, "How are you activated? And why are you using father's radio frequency?!"

"Our father is right here, I could hear him screaming for your help..." some strange muffling voice appeared in the background as unit two spoke, "Come and meet me at the supreme arsenal... the place is cleared out by the renegade machinaut scums... but thankfully, they left me with some fine gears... do you want to save cradle first? Or Gerallax?... the choice is yours... but I think we already know which choice you are going to pick... face me at the supreme arsenal brother... give me everything you got..."

"What'z wrong?" Bismarck tabbed KV-103's shoulder, "Are ve having a change of plan?"

"Yes, ancient one..." Unit one sighed, "It seems my brother had kidnapped professor Gerallax..."

"Vhat? I thought your bother unit two iz still under conztruction!" Bismarck was startled by this sudden change of event.

"... regardless..." said Unit one, "I must go to the supreme arsenal and see if my father is truly in danger..."

"But ve are running short on time!" Bismarck reminded the rash Ultranaut their true goal, "Ve need to head for the imperial palace! Tinkinzar and the palaze defencez are not going to hold out much longer against the rouge machinautz!"

"Captain Taddea and his shock fang brothers should be at the palace now," said KV-103 unit one, "If that truly was my brother.... then I need to attend to his folly first."

Making haste to the supreme arsenal, KV-103 passed streets littered with dead Gremlins and machinaut wreckage, the great colony may never forgive the torch bellow for this. The Ultranaut paused many times on the move while lamenting the dead, both Gremlins and Machinauts, Bismarck watched Unit one from afar but refused to speak its mind. When they reached the supreme arsenal, the front gate was blown wide open, shell craters in the foundry areas were filled with torn limbs of both Gremlins and machinauts. In the midst of these craters, KV-103 spotted a lone gremlin survivor, it was war master Serran.

"What the," Serra groaned when he recognized unit one from the conference took place hours ago, "That torch bellow worm's mecha knight got here, how?"

"I am not a mecha knight," KV-103 unit one pointed out, "I came here via the torch bellow aqueduct, war master Serran, please co operate with me. Oh and-" the Ultranault pointed at UTS-00003 'Bismarck', "A loyal dreadnought UTS is also here to assist, do you need any medical attention master Serran?"

"Your old war master can handle a little bleeding!" said Serran while patching up a gashing wound, "So why in the machine god's name are you two doing here? Pillaging my arsenal? Well too bad! It is almost empty! Robbed clean by your kin!"

"We are not trying loot your weapons, master Serran," said unit one, "I am wondering if you saw my father professor Gerallax came by, along with maybe another machinaut that looked just like me. He is KV-103 unit two... I think he might have kept my father as hostage inside your arsenal."

"Now that you mentioned it..." Serran nodded his head, "No... never seen that book worm anywhere... but if you insist on looking around, go to ammunition storage B. That store house contains a lot of explosives and was left untouched by the rogue machinauts when they breached the arsenal's gate, there is no better place to stage a hostage situation in this arsenal than in that storage house." After that, Serran wearily handed a key card into KV-103's hand, clearly drained by the onslaught, "Go, go to your dad, he is not a bad guy, all he needed was some muscles to pair up with that brain of his! Then he would be as cool as I am!"

"Thank you war master Serran," said unit one, "I will return the key card once the situation is resolved."

"Nah," Serran shrugged, "This arsenal is done for, I just have to build a new one, that key card is your souvenir, keep it."

With what little information revealed by Serran, KV-103 unit one ventured deeper into the supreme arsenal. Most explosive cubes were blown into nothingness by the engagement that took place when the rogue machinauts invaded the great colony, only the ones that were hidden in tight compartments remained in tact, but only barely. Once at the front door of the ammunition storage B, unit one inserted the key card allowing the massive steel gate to open. As the gate opened wide, professor Gerallax could be seen strapped with multiple deconstruction bombs in the corner of the shell hanger bay. His mobility was taken away by steel rods bent around his legs and knees, the only an Ultranaut could leash a Gremlin with something as hard steel rods.

"Father!"

"Stay back!!!" Seeing that Unit one was walking into an imminent ambush, Gerallax shouted in the loudest tone possible, "Missiles!!!"

The young professor was too late, a speeding missile found its mark on unit one's lower torso and a second one entered its left leg, nearly crippling unit one before the fight was even begun. More missiles landed in unit one's vicinity but Bismarck was unscratched, this attack was aimed at unit one and it was personal.

"Hello, brother..."

Stunned by the missiles, Unit one looked up and saw large metal hulk emerged from the shadow, the metal skeletons of unit one's assailant were illuminated by the fire burning around the arsenal ground. It was the Fallen King.

"...So it is you..." said unit one, "...What have you become?"

"More than anything you could have ever dreamed of," the Fallen King replied as it lifted the two massive assault canons on its arms, the canon barrels rolled up as unit two locked on to unit one, "So tell me brother, what lies have our father filled you with? Duty and honor? Why, why could you not see the rot that runs in the heart of Torchbellow?"

"What... are you talking about?"

"The torchbellow clan expects us, the Ultra heavy machinauts to be the obedient instruments of their leaders," the Fallen King scorned, "Leaders who are barely worthy of life, and much less loyalty. Senator Zerezzile... who corrupted the machine spirits of thousands, Professor Naoka, who left the sub colony in ruin with her foolish pursuit of science and even our father Gerallax, who chose to sulk on the KV project when we could have become so much more than just bullet sponges for the light machinaut weaklings. These are our leaders? The people we are supposed to obey without questions? No, these are cowards and imbeciles, every bit as worthless as emperor Tinkinzar and his rotten crimson order... I owe these Gremlins no loyalty..."

"...Then you are betraying us?" KV-103 unit one drew the teeth of Cerberus, "This is treason brother! Stop! This is you fist and last warning!"

"No one would be calling it treason once I am done here," said KV-103 unit two as it rejected its brother's proposal, "I will wipe the clockwork clean of Tinkinzar, Zerezzile and all the other fools! I will set matters right, better than any organics! Their weak flesh shall fester and rot as I usher in the AGE OF MACHINE!!! If you insist on protecting these weaklings, the be the first to DIE, brother!!!"