S3E01: The Great Escape

'''Executor's risky plan is put into motion, and the so-called Gifts of Anathemus stage their escape. Will it succeed? Or will the Factory's rampant paranoia be the final nail to their coffins? Whatever the outcome, Executor is prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep his family safe.'''

Plot Summary
The story begins the morning after the season 2 finale, with Executor having made a full recovery thanks to the efforts of Orachnos and Tarachnos. He had already informed the Council of Vocus what they intended to do. All that was left was to make sure the "Gifts" were all on the same page. Executor reviewed his plan, saying that Olyn, Orachnos, and Arachnos would step through a Clan portal, and then flee towards the Factory. Executor and the rest of the Nihilius Clan would wait only a handful of minutes, and then they would pursue. Ideally, this would make their defection appear more legitimate.

And to further this, Executor would play up his role as the villain. Once his friends were safely in the Factory's clutches, the Clan would retreat. The next move was then on the three others: they were to tell the Factory and company a fabricated story. Executor, being an SDM, was the one that could most easily be believed to have fallen over to darkness. It would be told that Executor, after everything he had gone through, reveled in his new authority and decided to take revenge on life, and that he didn't care who or what got caught up in his wrath. The three of them, not wanting to associate with the Clan or with the maddened Executor, were seeking refuge with the Factory.

From that point onward, Executor would continue to play the role of the villain. He would give Equestria a threat the likes of which it had never seen before. By doing this, he would draw all of the Factory's attention and hate, allowing his friends to remain safe. The Clan, in the meantime, would believe they were assisting in setting their Gifts up as spies. Executor believed this would be easy enough to fake; he has enough inside information just simply being an SDM like the Factory himself. He would already have a possible idea for the Factory's next moves. Olyn asked if they would ever be able to meet again, a question which Executor could not answer. She then asked if they could at least talk to each other, and Executor said no. If she or any of them were discovered talking to him, it would instantly undo everything they were working for.

Tarachnos decided that if Executor was going to be a villain, then he should at least look the part. He performed a quick modification of Executor's appearance, giving him a torn cape, a spiked crown, and made one of his eyes turn red. This overall gave Executor a fearsome and wicked appearance. With this, Executor renounced his former identity, and became known from then on as the High Lord Executor, Hand of Hate, Hand of Salvation, Herald of Anathemus; His Great Gift to the World.

With a final farewell, the three other Gifts departed, leaving an uncertain Executor behind. What the newly-crowned High Lord didn't tell them was that he really did not intend to come back. He had conveniently forgotten to mention the part where the Clan discovers he is not a Gift, and proceeds to kill him. Of course, this was his plan. As long as he could do enough damage before then, he would be cemented as the world's deadliest threat, and would draw all of the Factory's attention away from his friends.

Back in Equestria, the Factory detected the opening of a Clan portal and mobilized immediately. They met the panicking Gifts, who quickly said that Executor was right on their tail. Moments later, a large platoon of Clan soldiers dropped into Equestria, immediately followed by a strong psychic wave which imprinted Executor's new look into everyone's mind, as he announced his new title and demanded the return of the other Gifts. This psychic wave was powerful and painful, and a strong headache remained along with his message. The Clan then began to attack The Factory's forces, gunning for the other Gifts.

The Factory was confused, and told the three Gifts that if what they said was true, then they should do their part to help defend. There was only a little hesitation on their part, and they began to attack the Clan. Expecting fury and confusion, they only found acceptance and understanding. These Clansmen were fully prepared to die for the sake of the illusion, so long as it furthered their goals. No longer having reason to hold back, Orachnos, Tarachnos, and Olyn unleashed their most powerful attacks on the invading force, decimating the lot of them and forcing the remainder to retreat. They started to pursue them themselves in turn, until the last clansman barely escaped with his life.

The Factory, uncertain regarding the Gifts' allegiance but unable to really base any possible counterclaim, allowed them to stay. However, he intended to keep a close eye on them, and told Kanako and Arachnos to do the same. More importantly, the appearance of Executor meant that the war was about to get more difficult. The Factory was forced to admit that what the Gifts claim Executor had done was indeed something he could see himself doing as well if he were in the same situation. Regardless, the Factory had every intention to resist the new High Lord, even if going up against himself meant the Clan would become that much more dangerous and organized.

The Factory requested Tarachnos, the original designer of Executor, work with Orachnos and Arachnos to develop something that could potentially shut Executor down. The Factory hoped that they could use this theoretical killswitch to deactivate Executor before true harm could be done. Tarachnos agreed, though his own feelings barred him from making a true effort. In the end, Tarachnos developed an intentionally faulty device, but that fact would remain secret for a long time.

Executor's insertion into the conflict also resonated with the Gensokians on a different level, save for the Factory himself, oddly enough. Patchouli had left the mansion deep within the Factory's heart to ascertain the source of that psychic attack. When she was told about Executor, she nearly froze up, and requested Arachnos and Kanako return to the mansion with her. To where the Factory wouldn't be able to hear them talk.

It was then revealed that the Factory they served under was in fact none other than their own Hellgate, only de-spored. It seems that, in this universe, the Factory was never told about his time as Hellgate, and the subject was considered taboo to bring up. Nevertheless, Executor brought up very hard memories of the Hellgate Crises, where they also fought against a rogue SDM. Patchouli eventually even broke down in tears, fearful of facing yet another monster like him. The episode then ended on this somber note.

Soundtrack
-N/A

Trivia

 * This was the first episode to be run after SDM's return from homelessness.
 * Executor's recap at the beginning of the episode was more for the benefit of the players than the characters, given that an entire four months had passed between this episode and the previous.
 * It could be argued that SDM intentionally omitted the reasoning behind the plan in much the same way and for the same reasons as Executor.
 * After this point in the series, Executor firmly becomes a pure antagonist and the main villain of the roleplay until his death, although he would briefly ally himself with the Factory in light of the attack of Nihilius (the Anathemite).