Prologue

The Missing Piece

Novermber

It's taken me a lot longer to get here than it should have really, but I'm here now at least. I'm standing in front of the residence of the renowned hero of Mobius. It's nothing impressive, just modest sized house that looks like one of those that you find in a small town. A brick country house with rough, thick paint work making it the palest of blue like a shining beacon on top of the coastal cliffs with slick, flint roof tiles, two chimneys and a vanished wooden door.

You would not expect the faker to live out so close to his greatest fears, whenever we had been in a brawl or a race for a lengthly and happened to be close to a sizeable body of water, he would be quite insistent about taking our contest to a different location. Because I'm on a cliff, I'm an a huge stretch of grass that goes on through most of the landscape, lining up with the cliffs edge and the wide sandy beaches. I walk up some stone steps that are the porch. Theres no fences or anything surrounding the house, even letters, a shiny red thing, was right next to the front door, as if there trying to get outsiders to go inside. I suppose that sounds just like them. There is a potted plant out here next to the porch steps that seems oddly familiar to me, but I can't place it for the life of me.

Considering how the pass few weeks have been for me, Someone would have probably screamed at me to come here at the very beginning of my investigation. When you're dealing with companions who would travel to the other side of the world on a daily basis, Finding them in there main abode in the middle of the day becomes improbable. This is more of a last resort or me. With that knowledge, being here right now is quite disconcerting.

There is still the chance that Miles will have remained here to work on a nameless project in his fabled laboratory. There is no way of seeing if anyone is home, there is no smoke from the chimneys or visible light source through the windows. I'm going to assume that they keep there planes in an underground hanger being as they is not hint of a runway where I'm standing and there isn't a clear indication as to how one would get to them. It may be that you can only access those places someway through the house, more questions that I don't want to have to answer. There is still one thing to confirm.

Beside the dark wooden door, there is a small white button, obviously a buzzer. I press it and a series of things take place. There is some muffled shuffling that is coming from deep within the house, accompanied by an inaudible callout that has acknowledged my presence at the front door. That is quickly followed by the sound of something being tumbled over, with a comically flustered fox kit. Then the patting of tennis shoes starts getting clearer on its approach to the door. Right on the other side there is the sounds of locks being unlocked and unfastened.

The door Opens by a skiver with a blue eye that inspects me briefly before it reveals the entire yellow furred body that I recognise well.

Thank Choas this wasn't a wasted effort.

"Shadow, I was expect you. How did find my house?" I can see him trying to hide the perplexity in his face.

"Fox" I look past him briefly, hoping to catch the sight of those familiar blue quills.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah, Sonic is away right now so I'm holding down the fort for a while. Come on in!"

He retreats back inside, I follow closely behind. Thankfully he doesn't as me to take of my shoes off as I don't plan on staying long. Even though it is my first time in here, the seems quite narrow to me, the reasoning quite evident. There as well as along the corridor, there are devices as well as machine parts that are stacked along the walls, standing as tall as me. The interior seems as the house would suggest on the outside, a very traditional feel all around with the cream painted walls with some framed photos of Sonic Tails and their various encounters dotted about the walls. Some hanging lamps and wooden beams of the ceiling, oak laminated wood on the floor with the odd carpet here and there. There are some doorways on the sides of the corridors going to various rooms that you would traditionally fined in a home, I don't focus on it's content however as I'm more focused on following where the fox kit is leading me.

As we go deeper, the floor we are or seems the veer downward and this is the ground floor, meaning that they did expand down into the cliff. As we go on, we leave behind the painted walls and the typically homely feel for walls lined with cold metal panels and basic lighting sand wiring. This must be what he uses as a laboratory. At the end of the corridor, the floor levels out and expand into an actual room. It must by the size of the entire ground floor. In the very centre of the room there is a metal table with an unrecognisable object that seems to have not been completely assembled. Thats probably what the fox kit was working on before I arrived. On a far corner to the left, there is a desk with multiple monitors. All around the you see more of those piles of spare parts as well as boxes which I presume are nuts and bolts. There is the odd tool lying about as well as more incomplete machinery from vehicle engineering to weapons computers and some devices that I can't even name. The faker praises this kid's prowess of being a 'young genius' but if Gerald were alive to see the state of this, he would be appalled.

There are some stools on the either side of the table. Miles sits himself on the far side of the table and seamlessly fall back into the assembly of his small project. I take the opposite stool, facing him. The conversation seems to take off from there.

"So how can I help you today Shadow. Is there something you got that needs a quick fix?" He speaks casually, like I wasn't a disruption to his work in the first place. I did want sonic but maybe I can work at a different angle right now. Compared to sonic, the maturity this kit can show a long with the careful analysis he gives to a subject, I might get more beneficial information from him than from sonic.

"How much do you know about Eggmans recent attacks?" He doesn't miss a beat when he answers. Eyes still trained on his work.

"I know that he's hit up some of his old factories, mostly for radioactive substances, I also know that he got some of your warehouses pretty bad, G.U.N. must be seething." You have know Idea.

"Do you have any idea what it is that he is searching in these location?"

"Searching wouldn't be my word for it, It's more like he's gathering materials. With the rate that Eggman is going with these attacks, It's safe to say that he already knows what he is wanting to achieve, He just hasn't got the materials for it yet."

"Any Idea what 'it' might be?"

"Regrettably no, I haven't a clue as to what his end game is. I don't know what the stolen tech is or at least I don't know what it does and If I don't know what it does then I don't know what it's for. Obviously G.U.N. never lets any information about what it holds be public knowledge and as much as I would like to hack in their information bureau to find out, I don't want to risk it back firing against my brother with federal arrest. Actually now that i said that I hope that won't get me into trouble."

He says it was a humoured over tone, obviously trying to tenderise whilst sincerely asking me to not report him. Don't worry yourself fox, that's the least of my concern today. Still, this means that besides not knowing about any confidential information, the kit knows just about as much on this as we do. This is not reassuring in the latest, that probably means that sonic doesn't know a great deal either.

"I Suppose that hedgehog won't know anymore about the matter at hand."

"I wouldn't say so"

"How do you mean?"

"Well he's been really preoccupied with this matter as of late. I guess he's probably worried that this whole thing will turn into another rapture incident."

"Rapture incident?"

"It's a long story, don't worry about it." He pauses for a moment, looking a bit confused. "So is that all you want?"

"Not all but it will half to do, It seems I'm still going to need to find that hedgehog after."

"Find him."

"Yes, I have been instructed by my superiors to bring him back to Head Quarters for questioning about the matter, being as he is a witness, he is potentially the only person who knows Ivo's actual goal." The Fox's demeanour becomes stiff, I might have just lost his full corporation in this.

"Oh um, Sonic is going away for a little while, I'm sorry, you probably wasted quite a bit of time comi-"

"Do you know when he will returning."

"He might be back in March or April." That's nearly 4 months.

"What is the nature of his absence?" The mood of are exchange has changed drastically, I've gone from discussing matters with a individual close to my age to asking a child why there are cookies missing from their respective jar.

"I-It's a private matter." He's started to stutter and be more hesitant with his words, Is he lying? "It's that yearly thing you know."

He looks to me expectantly as if I knew what he meant.

"You do know right, every winter?"

"I'm afraid not Fox." At this point he seems to have lost interest in his work. His face then adopts a curious expression. "Do you get any time off work during wintertide?" Not quite sure of the relevance this holds but if it will get me answers.

"As the ultimate life for and most powerful asset under G.U.N's duristiction I have no need for such superfluous things. I hardly see the relevance."

"I guess you got more black arms in you than hedgehog." Miles lets the remark fly off of his tongue without thought. I know he meant nothing by it but even a brief mention of that part of my heritage still rubs me the wrong way. He notices that my expression has hardened and tries to take it back. "Well that's to say-"

"I see" I managed to make the fox pause. He seems to become more unsure the more this conversation goes on. It's like he's wanting to be relieved by my words but he is second guessing himself "I going to have to bring the imbecile to me." I lift myself up to stand, giving the kit the visual sign that I was through with these games. The fox kit however starts to protest about this, like I'm about to take his favourite toy away.

"Look Shadow you gotta understand, Sonic just needs some space right now, besides it's foolish to travel so close to wintertide, even your going to have a hard time with this." The whole time he was talking, his eyes followed me as I round the table to his side. "I'm sure Sonic will help with whatever G.U.N. needs you two to do, you just gotta give time, I swear-"

"Miles!" I try and address him with assertion in my voice that won't cause the boy to retreat himself out of sudden panic. Without thinking about it consciously, I found myself kneeling on one knee, in real close range of the fox. This stools and the table are not all that table so it gives him the same stature as when his is stood, This makes our eye level uneven by only a few inches or so, with his above mine. As he realises this, he averts his vision like a child who has been count, I won't give him anymore room for excuses.

"I'm working on a deadline as it is. I'm sure your aware of Ivo Robotniks proactivity recently and although you and that blue quilled nuisance who you call a brother are assured that this development won't have dire consequence in the near future, the rest of the world is not. G.U.N. has ordered me to bring him back for questioning about the matter and they won't accept that I let have one of his escapades before he comes back to do his duty to the worl-" "It's not like that!" That was quite the outburst. He's really not going to budge unless if I appeal to him. Dam these brats, they always bring out the more pitiful side of me.

"We're not going to hurt him Miles, G.U.N. honestly just want to ask him some questions. As of right now, sonic may be the only one who can help us address the situation properly so that we can solve the issue." I still haven't convinced him fully yet. "If what he is doing right now is so important that he cannot return on the immediate then I'll help him. I'll help him with whatever it is that he is dealing with presently and when I bring to G.U.N. I'll make sure that no harm will come to him through the entire procedure, I'll bring him to you the same as when you last saw him." He eyes are to an invisible horizon as he ponders over my words before him finally looks me in the eye. "Do you really mean that?"

Sometimes, when I look into the eyes of children his age, I can see her… if not myself when I was that age. For the first time in many weeks, I can let a sincere smile accommodate itself on my face. "You have my word young kit."

As soon as those words leave my mouth, the kit stands up and b lines for a pile of boxes his far left. He starts remerging through several of them, Inspecting large pieces of paper and putting them back one by one until he returns to the table with one that satisfies his judgement. He puts it flat on the table after clearing it of the incomplete creation and odd bric-a-brac. He grabs a red marker the was on the table and starts putting in marks in a specific areas. It's a map.

"He's in the Great Forest." The fox finally say's.

I remember New Mobotropolis, an important location for Mobians involved in the great war. I'd be more accurate to call it a refuge for them. It is also considered the capital city of the Acorn kingdom, One of the few Mobian Kingdoms who are not influenced by human ruling. I also remember hearing that Sonic was involved quite closely with the crowned princess of the region, some would say romantically. Something in me wants to laugh at the thought of the pink hedgehog being vexed by this.

"Does he have business in New Mobotropolis? In a courtship with the princess perhaps?" He saw through my meaning.

"No, those two called it of a long time ago, too different paths in life you know. Anyway he's not there, it would me too crowded for him right now. The place where he is staying right now is close to Knothole, that was a small village where we stayed and grew up together along with the other freedom fights, Sally was there too but it's deserted right now so that probably the best place for you to camp at as your home base."

With the marker he points to another location he has marked on the map a little north east of the supposed Knothole. "You'll need to look for Sonic around this area, that's where he is staying." Thats in the middle of nowhere. It's not surprising of him but it seems a bit more out there for him.

"Winter is pretty harsh out there so to get there quickly and safely it best if you follow this route." On the map there is a squared point, which I'm assuming is our present location. Going north go it is a dotted root that seasons to go across the sea, and for a few 100 km too. I have no mode of transport and my Chaos Control won't carry me that far.

" How am I supposed to get across the ocean from here?"

"Come with me?" He Grabs the map off of the table and takes me through a door at the back of the Kit's work shop. We come to a set of stairs that lead downwards. We leave the metal panels behind as see more of the cliff's nature rock walls as we go down. I'm also surprise by the fact that there seems to be more natural light coming from bellow us and what I see really surpasses my expectations.

Turns out I was right, they did have a hanger under the cliff. The cliff entrance was open to the ocean beyond with no kind of door to seal up the place. There are platforms of multiple levels on either side of the hanger, connected by metal steps and walk ways between them. Some of them seem to have more of those piles that the fox is harbouring. In the centre of the hanger is an aisle that is wide enough for more than one air craft. The only plane to be seen here this room is the famous X tornado, It sits of the water like a Wipaire, sawing lazily to the motion of the see. I hear the Hedgehog mention that it's the foxes prized possession. Surely he isn't suggesting-

"Do you have any piloting experience Shadow?"

"I have been trained in piloting during my time with G.U.N. and I'm pretty adaptable when it comes to figuring out the controls of most planes."

"Alright good" He comes to me with some flight equipment. This consists of flight goggles, a fight hat and a parachute pack along with the map he has modified for me.

"I don't do this often but I trust that your responsible, as an agent that is. Plus when your going into Acorn territory, they can be a bit funny about outsiders that they don't know going in unannounced, When they see this plane, not even the air patrol will bother you so the journey should be straight forward." He's really pulling out all the stocks for me. "Thanks Tails." He smiles graciously.

For the next 3 hours, he sits me in the plane and explains to me the controls and functionality of the buttons. It's not too bad, a bit techy but I'll remember it no problem. After that he performs an inspection of the vehicles and turns the front towards the cliff's entrance with a chain that keeps the plane front drifting out of the hanger. Meanwhile, I take my time to study the map, wearing the equipment he gave me prior. This was being done till late in the night so we take break, whilst I left the fox have his rest for the night.

Then when the light of morning breams out of the horizon, It's finally time.

I sit myself in the pilots seat, preparing the plane for take off. I start the plane, The large propellor as well as the smaller propellors at the back of the floats starts spinning in the water, It's a soft gentle push being as the plane is still being held by the chain. At this point miles is on a suspending plat form in the middle of the hanger. He presses the button on a hand held remote device which cause the chain to release the plane. Now the plane starts moving forward. I see some small lights being emitted from underwater at the centre of the aisle, turning it into a runway, They seem to go to the out of the hanger as well.

Tails gives me a small salut before he starts beckoning me to move forward gentle with a pair of hand held orange beacons that shine in the early dawn. Finally the plane reaches the entrance and I apply A lot more force. After a few secs the plane starts to jet out onto the oceans. The wind wipe the plane mercilessly ,the salty winds invading my nostrils, The only sounds my ears can discern are roaring heart of an engine within this thing, the unrelenting gush of air resistance and the waves slapping the floats of the plane. At this time I'm sure that I've picked up enough speed. I pull the control leaver and the plane mounts up on my command.

I am Airborne.

for a while I only see the smearing of clouds across the sky slowly being lit aflame by the morning sun, being I level out the X Tornado towards its goal. Do this reminds me of the feeling I used to have before being the humans tool,

Being above everything,

Being the Ultimate.

But enough of that, I'll finally end this stupid goose chase and Find that blue fucker in The Great Forest.

Awake in Wintertide