Winds of Freedom

Chapter 47: What Came First, the Alien or the Egg?

{Pre A/N}

Last chapter of the year fellas, thank you all for reading this story so far!

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Chapter 47: What Came First, the Alien or the Egg?

Shang Tu Island - Egg Thermos Control Room, Night Hours

The clang of battle echoed relentlessly through the metal chamber of the Egg Thermos control room. Sparks rained down from severed wires hanging limply from the ceiling, while the floor was a chaotic mess of debris., the clash of Spade's explosive cards against Dail's own cutting through the mechanical hum of the facility.

Spade's eyes burned, a glimmer of hope still fighting to break through the desperation etched into his features. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled another card as it exploded just inches away from Dail.

"Dail!" Spade's voice cracked as he called out, his breath ragged and uneven. "Come on, man! Try and remember! Break through the brainwash, dammit!" He was running out of cards. Each throw brought his deck closer to depletion, and with it, his options grew slimmer.

Dail, however, was relentless. His crimson eyes glinted coldly under the room's harsh, flickering light. Unlike Spade's plea-filled face, his features were devoid of emotion. The only sign of wear came from the slight tension in his movements as his own deck began to run thin.

"I have nothing to remember!" Dail barked, his voice resonating with venom as he deflected another card with a sharp, calculated movement. "And nothing to say to a traitor like you!" The word "traitor" hissed from his lips, dripping with loathing.

Spade flinched at the venom in Dail's words, his grip tightening on his cards. "Dammit, Dail! I'm trying to save you!"

For a brief moment, Dail hesitated, a flicker of something crossing his features. But it was gone as quickly as it came. Instead of drawing another card, his hand moved deliberately to the hilt of his sword.

Dail let out a harsh laugh, cold and joyless. "Save me? I need no saving! Not with Lord Brevon leading Shuigang to victory!"

The two brothers circled each other, their gazes locked in an unyielding clash of wills. The tension in the room thickened, the faint rustle of their movement the only sound.

Spade's expression shifted. His eyes darted toward the blade, calculating the risk of his brother closing the distance. Yet beneath the adrenaline-fueled panic was a faint glimmer of something else-a thought he had buried but now resurfaced like an itch at the back of his mind.

A question Spade had silently asked himself the first time he saw that alien, Brevon, standing side by side with Robotnik.

How did those two even meet...?

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Avalice Archipelago - Shuigang Island

10 Days Ago

The icy winds screamed through the jagged peaks of Shuigang Island, their relentless chill biting into the rugged landscape. Towering above the frozen wilderness stood a colossal mountain, its icy surface concealing the secret stronghold. Inside, the buzz and hum of countless machines filled the air, clanging metal, and flashing lights as Badniks scurried about with mechanical precision. This was one of Robotnik's many bases.

Robotnik was seated in a grand chair as he oversaw the operation from a control room bathed in the glow of countless monitors. His gloved fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest as his plan played out in front of him.