THE GREAT ADVENTURE 3: THE FLAMES OF SOLARIS
by Jason de L'Épée
Sonic and other characters is copyrighted to SEGA and Sonic Team © 1991-2009.
Additional supporting characters are copyrighted to the author.
Original game concept and scenario copyrighted to SEGA, Sonic Team, CriWare, HaVOK and Kynogon © 2006, released through Microsoft® XBox 360 and Sony® PlayStation 3.
Foreword: Yet another ambitious adapt for a Sonic the Hedgehog game, however, this time, it'll be more controlled and manageable then it was for "Operation: Firestorm" and "Shadows of Doom." This game is based off of the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 release, Sonic the Hedgehog. Despite its many technological problems, it presented a unique and good-enough storyline to get my interest in writing a fanfiction work on it.
There will be several changes though to keep it into the continuity I have established, and these will be referenced in the story, although some may require explanations.
Various other mediums have contributed into the making of this story, by inspiration only. Some of these include Fullmetal Alchemist, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda and some others. See if you can find where they inspire.
All in all, I hope you enjoy my rendition of the graphically-beautiful, but gameplay-deficient game, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Since I'm writing this out of chronological order of the fics, I will explain a few things as well as a few things worth knowing.
1.) This fic takes place about nine months after the Black Arm invasion, which means it takes place sometime in November. In the Black Arm invasion, Shadow the Hedgehog, with the seven Chaos Emeralds and the aid of the bounty hunter Viper, successfully defeated Black Doom, and annihilated the Black Comet, with the aid of the Eclipse Cannon, although nearly perishing himself. Shadow was hospitalized but disappeared soon after admission. His whereabouts are unknown currently, but whether he took off or was taken, one of the Chaos Emeralds was taken as well. Sonic had tried looking for him but failed, after confronting Metal-Sonic mildly who persuaded him to let Shadow be, letting on that Shadow was probably alive but would never say so directly. Viper was presumed dead.
2.) Tails had built a new version of the Tornado, codenaming it the X-Tornado, which could handle space travel on a small scale. Yes, it is the X-Tornado from Sonic X.
3.) The shady character, Mephiles, had supposedly perished; however, evil does not die THAT easily...
4.) Psychokinesis is not limited to telekinesis; it can also include alchemy, going through walls, psychic reading, and other abilities. I will utilize a few of those if I see fit.
5.) In the not-yet-written Shadow adapt, Cream's mother, Vanilla, finally comes out and is reunited with Cream. Happy
PRELUDE:--
Deep in the ice-sealed mountains of the north, deep in the rocky caves of unknown origin of the subterran lands of Tundras was a chamber, and empty cold heart of the cursed country.
This heartless world has seen little life, and all life that was there was horribly initiated into the services of the dark power that resides in the chamber. Anyone who has managed to master the Tundran labyrinths and find this dark place would describe the place as colder then the very depths of space, but the drops of sweat that he shed would testify that it was suppressing as the heat of a lava flow. That was the power of the sensation and the influence of those who would manage to resist the terrible darkness, leaking and poisoning the life-giving planet.
That power was the power of a stone, black as darkness and just as cold. No one knew how this fell creation came to be, but what was known was its power over the will of anyone. It's power resided in the desires of the beholder, twisting them and changing them until it became greed, desire for what one wants, regardless of who or what is in their way. In the end, that power would consume him and destroy his soul.
Many times this power was attempted to be contained and sealed away from all life, but its power was too much for simple vaults or locks to contain. It would reach out for anyone, anything, distorting his mind, poisoning his thoughts until he or she lost his or her mind.
The last beholders were simple, mindless creatures, but this powerful gem knew nothing of differences between those with will and without. It quickly poisoned their very mind, distorting them emotionally and physically until they became physical abominations of God's creations, ruined beyond repair.
Eventually, it destroyed them in one shape or form, and it fell deep into the labyrinths of Tundran, and as it lay, it seeped its malice and will throughout the rocks and the land, twisting them evilly, until the Black Mountains of the North turned from a simple mountain range into a fortress of darkness, and still the poison spread.
All from one stone it poured, but what will dominates this trinket? Some say it is the will of the Evil One, or some alien race seeking to destroy the planet by degrees. But whatever this evil originates from, it seeks to destroy, and it is doubtful it will stop with this world...
It still lies, coldly and harshly on the stone floor of the chamber: a single black stone, no bigger then a large rodent, continually leaking out a mist of darkness, continually intoxicating everything that remains good.
Haha, what fools! Did they think they could destroy the Great Darkness? Him, he who controlled the thoughts of those he touched, controlling time itself!? Nay, no one could stop him. His goal would be achieved. Once again would he be reunited with his embodiment, no longer would he be darkness, but burning flames of time. It was coming, the uniting, the flames of disaster, the eternal darkness...
The end of the world...
- - - - -
A young girl rose from her place, among the large water lilies floating in a still pool of water untouched by filth. She had come many times to this very pond, gazing deep into the depths of the waters. She had the gift of foresight, bestowed upon her by the Eternal Divinity, and these pools were her looking glass. She had treaded these waters and lands for over 2000 years, although it seemed like both an eternity and barely a blink of an eye; through the waters around she had witnessed many things. Before her eyes, new empires rose and fell; new wars sprang up almost one right after the other. She even witnessed different worlds end. She could not bear watching as beautiful planets soon became crumbling rocks in space, bathed by the cold light of each its own dying suns. However, she even saw new worlds born before her eyes...
Despite her ageless years, she appeared only a young girl, dressed in the garb of her ancient culture. She touched the jewel on her headband, remembering the time she was in a different place, a great city of stone, but lived in harmony with the jungles around. That time was both joyous and despairing, as the world nearly ended as she was only 13.
She had narrowly saved it by giving her soul to the Eternal Divinity in exchange. In return, the divine one would not destroy the world by those means.
A tear ran down her cheek. The same world she saved before was being threatened by the darkness. Time was of no issue, but that same world had nearly ended several times, if it weren't for the heroes of the world. A number of heroes, guardians you might say, from various races have played a part to keep the world safe from invasion and total destruction.
She stepped towards a small stone shrine, overlooking the lily-covered waters. She kneeled before a large green stone, and began to pray. She prayed for the salvation of this world, this one world she once called home.
Möbius.
Chapter 1: First Call
--
"Yo, Tails! Catch!" Sonic threw a glittering stone towards a young two-tailed kitsune.
"Got it!" Tails leapt up in the air, but unfortunately not high enough. The stone flew overhead and into the bushes. "Darn!"
"My bad. Had a little too much power behind it, I guess," Sonic smiled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Good thing that it glows, or else we'd never find it in the dark," Tails said as he dug in a shrub, finally grasping a glowing white gem. "Found it!"
Tails gave it a heave; the blue hedgehog leapt into the air, snatching down the precious trinket.
"Nice toss," Sonic cried several meters away. "It was almost too fast for me...almost!"
Tails didn't answer, but just stood there rubbing his eyes. "Gosh, what time is it?"
Sonic was already midway through another toss when Tails sighed wearily. He relaxed and checked the wrist communicator, the one that Tails gave him as a birthday present three years before. It doubled as a homing beacon as well as being protected from high levels of Chaos energy and water (although Sonic has sworn up and down that Tails didn't have to waterproof it since he rarely ventures near water). In this case, it served as a simple watch.
"Wow, that late already? This time change has me screwed. It's about 10."
"Whoa!" Tails straightened. "I'd better hit the sack; don't you remember what we're supposed to do tomorrow?"
Sonic stood against a tree, tossing the White Emerald up and down in his free hand. "Like what?"
"The Floating Island, remember? There was a dike breach sometime ago and Knuckles had been too busy cleaning up after the Black Arm invasion to deal with it. Mushroom Hill is overflowing and has already washed away a little of the land around Marble Gardens--"
Sonic sighed, ceasing to toss the Emerald, "Oh yeah, I remember now. Just my luck..."
"Well, it's not like we leaped to volunteer; Knuckles said he would've called the Chaotix to help, but they're somewhere in Santiago City helping with some police work. Don't know what..."
Sonic smirked. "It's not like I care either..."
"Hey, Knuckles needs our help. With the X-Tornado, it'll be easier."
"Whatever..." Sonic shrugged. "That reminds me, whatever did you do with the old Tornado? It's not like it's a dinosaur or anything..."
"I thought so too! Don't worry, Sonic; I still have it. I mostly use the X-Tornado for longer distance flights since it's more fuel-efficient."
Sonic smirked. "Yeah, those dang fuel prices. It almost costs an arm and a leg with the fuel now. I mean, what's up with that?" Sonic resumed tossing the Emerald.
"Beats me; I didn't think the planet was running out of crude petroleum or anything..."
"Don't bet heavily on that, kid; if I know people, there's probably a large reserve somewhere, just waiting to be pumped, but it's probably on private land so they have to buy that, and there's probably going to be some eco-geeks bawling like nuts, blah blah. Just shut the crap up and let us drive our fricken' cars, I say."
Tails laughed. "I can relate to that. I was thinking about making the old Tornado harness a different kind of fuel. I actually have already tried using hydrogen-dependent systems, but if I get into battle while flying, I'd be a living bomb. One hit in the right place..."
"...and it would be the 4th of July up close," Sonic finished.
"Right, so I'm thinking of using something else. I heard in the colonies, scientists are experimenting with something they call biofuel. I think they use some sort of alcohol from corn and wheat crops to make a fuel."
"What? They're going to make cars that run on booze? That'll sell..."
Tails laughed again.
Sonic continued, "And why stop there! Let's try using Coke, coffee or even...air! Imagine: a car that uses air to get places! Now that'll be something!"
Sonic and Tails shared another laugh in the darkness. Leave it to Sonic to come up with a crack or two with new developments. Tails began to wonder amidst his laughing what Sonic would've said during the invention of the wheel.
Sobering down a bit, Tails figured that he stayed up enough time tonight and that if he continued staying up, life would become a nightmare tomorrow.
"I'm going to bed now, Sonic. I'll see you tomorrow..."
"Gotcha, kid. I'll follow in a little bit..."
Tails waved and began to walk towards the hut where Sonic and Tails called home. Sonic sat down against the tree, continuing to toss the Chaos Emerald back and forth from one hand to the other. At one point, he let it rest in one hand, and it was then he noticed something.
"Hmm? Hello..."
He definitely wouldn't have noticed the different in broad daylight; at night though, there was a difference. The Chaos Emerald's light was pulsing.
By sheer instinct, the hedgehog dropped the Emerald and leapt away; one could never know what a Chaos Emerald could do if it did anything abnormal. It kept pulsing for a few minutes, then it slowed to its normal constant glow. Still, Sonic was reluctant to come close to the abandoned Emerald, but eventually crept up to it, slowly and carefully as if expecting a trap.
He picked it up and looked deeply into the Chaos Emerald, seeing if anything was going on. Knuckles had done research on the Chaos Emeralds over the past years and had found that each Emerald had its own unique power over all the others. If Sonic remembered right, the white one's power was wisdom and light; its power depended on the soul of the beholder. If his soul was caring, doing good for others, it would show the right path, like a light to the soul; if his soul was filled with conceit and evil, the Emerald would deceive the beholder, until it was too late.
Sonic concentrated his soul with the Emerald; Chaos powers responded to the soul's wishes; it was common knowledge of those who were familiar with them. Tikal taught them that nearly six years before. The more he concentrated, the more the Emerald was responded.
Sonic tossed the Emerald away again and sank to his knees. The end of the world? What was that all about? What was the Chaos Emerald telling him? He wasn't sure what he feeling, but was it getting cold out here? There wasn't any wind...
He picked up the Emerald again and walked towards his hut; perhaps he was just sleepier then he thought, but he thought about asking Knux about this later.
- - - - -
Shadow and flame. This land was filled with it.
A lone creature stood over a dark and fiery land, his white fur and gold banded gloves and boots clashing with the dark earth and fire of this place. He stood on the brink of an old building, looking down into a pit of boiling lava over a hundred feet down.
As far as he could remember, this sorrowful land was all he knew, and the people always lived in the idea that they might not survive another day. This whole world was aflame, and he didn't know why...at first.
He had asked different people the reason, but no one would ever answer him directly, but they always pointed below...to the flames. He went out several times to look over the lava flames, and it was then one time, he encountered...
Several tongues of flame leapt up before him, towering above him hundreds of feet. "No, you don't!" he screamed, throwing his hand forward. Opening his fist, a glowing blue circle was revealed, igniting the whole hand into a bluish glow. Waves of energy swept forth, extinguishing the flames before him. The lava returned to its normal state.
That flame, that...thing was the being that destroyed this world. The very flame seemed to represent the white hedgehog's anger. What was even worse was that this demon seemed to be invincible to death itself! No matter how many times this thing died, it would come up again sometime later stronger and more dangerous. It was a beast, and it must be utterly destroyed at any cost, he knew, but how?
The same blue glow enveloped him and he lifted up off the ground and drifted away from this sorry place. He was blessed with the power of psychokinesis, the power to do physically impossible things with his mind. To fly, all he had to do was think about it.
He flew towards a destroyed building among a thousand. Lowering into the bowels of the wreckage, he floated to a crevice, extinguishing the glow and ventured inwards. Wandering the tunnels, he came to a large cavern what he and fellow surviving creatures called home. Their would-be homes were destroyed long before. The group was of assorted species: hedgehogs, echidnas, foxes, cats, dogs, even a human or two, but all are the same; they were alive, and had worked to be so.
The white hedgehog trumped to a place where lay a tent canvas and a sleeping bag strewn inside, partially outside. He sat down in front of the canvas, dwelling in his own thoughts.
He found himself either doing this, or looking for the appropriately named Flames of Disaster, known as Iblis, and it lived up to that name. The hedgehog didn't know much about mythical nomenclature, but he was told by different people here that Iblis literally meant "devil." Makes perfect sense.
The only real blessing about fighting Iblis was that the beast was soulless and mindless. It was just a demon, attacking only on instinct with no real strategy. It was commonly wondered what would've happened if Iblis really had a soul, and the idea was the same:
They all would've been dead ages ago if that were so.
Ever since Iblis came to be during the Day of Disaster--although no one knew the date itself--anyone who had the power to fight back always met the same thing the young hedgehog had met: they couldn't truly defeat Iblis. Former soldiers, alchemists, nothing could be done about Iblis. Only the alchemists ever found a weakness in Iblis' fiery core.
The hedgehog's father was also an alchemist, and when he discovered the younger's power, he quickly saw this an opportunity to defeat Iblis for good. Because of his power, the younger could perform moderate levels of alchemy without a transmutation circle. Anything detailed, the circle would be needed.
When the father perished in another battle with Iblis, the younger took up his father's creed and committed to use his given power to defeat Iblis, regardless of the price. The young hedgehog was the only one capable to use Iblis' own attacks against it, and it has proven effective, but again, no true victory could be earned.
"Silver!"
The hedgehog, Silver, looked up from his roosting place and saw a cat running towards him in full stride. This she-cat, purple fur and garbed with even deeper purple, was a friend of Silver's, the friendship built during the battles with Iblis. Her name was Blaze the Cat.
"Blaze?" Silver leapt up. "What's wrong?"
"It's him!" Blaze skidded to a halt. "He's appeared again!"
"Where!?"
"On the southern edge of the city! He's heading this way!"
Silver didn't hesitate. Bolstering up his power, he charged upwards through even the rocks, his power proving invaluable again. Blaze turned tail and ran back up the passageway, her feet carrying her quickly.
- - - - -
In the jungles of Mystic Ruins sat a base, abandoned by its creator many years before. Time and time again, new residents moved in and out of its dark halls. This time, three creatures were residing in its dark core. One was a black hedgehog, marked with red on his spines and limbs and also bearing a white diamond-shaped piece of hair on his chest. His face showed years of bitterness towards many and turmoil of a long and terrible past. His name was Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog. He was the ultimate life-form, created on the abandoned space colony ARK so many years ago. His commission was to protect mankind from danger. It was because of this that he was a special force under the GUN command. Despite being a dog of the military, Shadow was not a force to be against even on his own side. It was because of this, GUN never stepped in on Shadow's missions or tasks.
Another resident was a biotech android, blue of color and seemed to carry a constant glare much like Shadow, but more stiff and masked. He too had experienced his share of turmoil on his own, and before he was free to roam he was under the command of Dr. Ivo Robotnik as a special assassin robot. His red eyes seemed to literally kill anything it fixed onto almost. The only being to ever defy such a glare was his organic counterpart, Sonic the Hedgehog, the supersonic hedgehog that defeated the android over and over, and was ultimately beaten down on that fateful night in the midst of the Egg Fleet. His name was Metal-Sonic, although he would likely slash anyone who referred him as such; to prevent such, he made it perfectly clear that he would be called Mecha, a shortened version of his full codename, Mecha-Bot Two.
The third and final inhabitant was, contrary to the other two, a human. At 6'2" and a background of melee and weapon combats, he was just a threat to an enemy as the other two. His venom-yellow eyes seemed to inflict a paralyzing toxin into a weaker creature. Armed to the teeth at all times as well as bearing scars, his reputation as the most successful bounty hunter floated before him like a poisonous mist. Like Shadow, he was an experiment in a lab. As a result, his neural impulses were quicker then a normal humans, as well as his awareness for his surroundings. His given name was never relinquished to any living mortal, but he did have an alias: Viper; it was well-given.
These three did not see each other as friends at all; more like common acquaintances. They played active roles in the Egg Fleet battle as well as the Black Arm invasion. They have gotten used to each other's company, but lately they have gotten antsy, fidgety, which definitely conflicted with their normal cool and moody personalities.
"I can't get over the feeling that something is wrong," Viper mused. "Normally, I can feel if something is wrong and can do something about it; this time, however, there is something very wrong."
"I don't like to admit it, Viper, but I think you're right," Shadow responded. Last night, I had one of our Emeralds and it started pulsing its energy. I didn't understand what was happening; as long as I have had exposure to the Chaos Emeralds, I have never seen anything like that."
Mecha cut in, "Despite my very limited knowledge of inner-Chaos-Emerald-energy currents and workings, I do have a hypothesis. Chaos Emeralds respond either to the soul of a beholder or changes within the global Chaos field. Shadow, do you recall if the other Emerald we have was reacting the same way?"
"If I had known or even had that Emerald, I would've told you before now..."
Viper side-eyed Shadow a moment, then regarded Mecha. "Continue..."
"Without the knowledge of the Sky Blue Emerald was reacting in a similar nature, my hypothesis remains weak and unsupported. If it was just the Green Emerald reacting, it could mean anything; a small flux within the global field, or Shadow properly awoke its power unconsciously."
"And if the other Emerald was reacting similarly..."
"Then the odds of a global Chaos energy build-up increase significantly. I do not know what to expect if the energy gets too great for the planet to bear. Anything could happen; Chaos energy is strange in its nature, manipulating even the time-space continuum itself."
Shadow turned fully towards the human and android. "If all seven Emeralds react this way, could it possibly tear the continuum itself?"
"Perhaps, or it could eradicate the planet until it is just burning rock. Shadow, did the Emerald stop after some time?"
"Yes, after several minutes, it returned to a constant glow."
Mecha pondered this, and then responded. "It also could be nothing, but it could just be a first call for something more and as for me, I don't want to know what the event will be."
Viper sat back, cracking his knuckles as he pondered the possibility of a global Chaos flux. He was not used to the idea of a potential disaster and he couldn't do a thing about it and it made him cross.
Shadow spoke first, "The blue hedgehog carries three of the other Emeralds."
The implication was felt by all, and did not need to be said. None of the three had friendly relations to the Sonic, although the latter would probably think differently. Mecha always hated the blue hedgehog due to a programmed hatred that evolved into his present hatred, although he found it unjustified; still that didn't stop it. Shadow saw Sonic as a slightly annoying rival, and the two never could get along fully, but never did anything out of spite to each other. Viper saw the hedgehog as an annoying teen that had a mouth faster then his feet.
"I'm not too fond of the idea, but what point are feelings when we're looking at a crisis?" Viper said, growling slightly, tapping the hilt of a weapon on his belt crossly. "How do we get in touch with that hedgehog? His nature demands that he not rest in one place for very long."
Mecha spoke, "He is usually in one of three places. He resides in the small village of Knothole, north of the ruins of Robotropolis in the Great Forest. Angel Island is the place of his friend Knuckles the Echidna, and the hedgehog is fond of harassing him. Sapphire City close by is also a place he frequents ever since the water creature Chaos attacked it."
Viper finished, "One of us will have to go to each place and look I take it. I'm the slower on foot of us so I suppose I'll hit the coast. Perhaps I'll smack him in the head while I'm there."
Mecha spoke next. "I don't enjoy the idea, but I will take Knothole. I don't know the current location of Angel Island. During the months before winter, it moves thousands of miles south into the tropics, and its normal territory range is over two million square miles."
"That's leaves me the Island then," Shadow finished, "although the idea of using a Chaos Emerald for Chaos Control with its unusual behavior disturbs me."
"That's a risk we'll have to take." Viper strapped on his back holster, containing his favorite long-range weapon, the armor-piercing Battle Rifle. "It's better for you, Shadow, since the Guardian of the Island should have knowledge about the Chaos Emeralds; he was practically born in whatever crypt keeps the Master Emerald safe.
"I'm taking the Sky Blue Chaos Emerald with me, by the way; I dare not leave it here. It's not like our mutual friend, Eggman, doesn't know what we have."
"Concurred. It can also be monitored as well. Any change in energy behavior must be detected and reported." Mecha said.
Viper tromped out of the room to fetch the gem, while Mecha and Shadow remained in the room.
"I'm feeling the same as the human," Shadow started. "I made a promise to protect this planet, and the whole idea that even me as the ultimate life-form being helpless to save it from yet another danger makes me uncomfortable."
"It is against any living organism's nature to accept a potential doom; it is understandable."
"True, but that doesn't settle things. For once, I don't want to know the end result of this..."
Mecha did not respond, but his eyes said everything; he too felt that this wasn't the right time, just after the world was recovering from another world disaster.
- - - - -
"Not so tight!"
A young bee was at a medical center, getting his hand wrapped up; by the wounds, it looked as if he had been burned.
A tall crocodile sporting headphones and a gold-colored chain about his large neck was there as well. "You had to reach in to see what it was; you couldn't just leave well enough alone, could you!?" The reptile seemed to be hot-blooded, despite his reptilian nature.
"I'm sorry, Vector!"
"Sorry doesn't make the burns on your hand disappear. Ever heard of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' Charmy?"
"How was I supposed to know you stashed that thing in there!?" Charmy, the bee, was very cross understandably.
"You just should have!" Vector retaliated, his own crossness trying to outmatch the little insect's own.
"For the love of Chaos, knock it off you two," said a voice.
Both creatures looked up to see a bulky armadillo striding into the room, his red "shell" making him larger then he really was.
"You two are making enough noise to make babies cry out there."
Following the armadillo was a magenta-shaded chameleon with a long ivory-colored horn protruding between his eyes. "Charmy, it would've saved you lots of trouble if you just asked in the first place instead of just grabbing for it. It would've saved us a lot of trouble by not taking you down here."
Charmy was about to reply with another inexcusable excuse, but Espio had a point. "Sorry, guys, I wasn't thinking. And I actually did know what was in there. I saw it's glow and took a wild guess..."
"Then why did you--!" Vector was silenced by glares from Mighty and Espio, the two bystanders.
"Is it REALLY okay to talk about it here?...it's kind of classified."
Several minutes later found the whole troop, known as the Chaotix Detectives, outside the medical center and under the shade of several coconut trees away from the early-afternoon hustle. Despite the fact it was November, it was still balmy in Santiago City. The lowest it ever got was 50 Fahrenheit, thanks to how close the city and bay were to 0 degrees latitude, the line known as the Zero Line, thus making this area of land habitable for cold-blooded creatures as well as warmer-blooded-inhabitants.
"Okay, Charmy, what's up?"
"It happened when you guys were out finishing the paperwork for the case we solved already. I waited at the hotel room for you guys until you got done with that boring stuff. The bag containing the Red Emerald was already out in the corner. I was just flipping through the channels on the TV--I think it was somewhere about 10 o'clock, I think--and in the corner of my eye, I saw this reddish light glowing bright, then dimming again!
"I dropped the remote and ran to the bag. I opened it a little bit and crap, it was hot! I shielded my face from the heat, but I could tell that the light was still pulsing, like a firefly!
"Eventually, it stopped doing that and it just sat there. It freaked me out for a while. I was going to take another look and that was when I burned myself; I accidentally touched the Emerald while opening the bag."
The rest of the group sat back and considered Charmy's story. Espio spoke first.
"I don't like it; a Chaos Emerald going through fluxing. An Emerald can be dangerous enough by itself."
"I'm not going to waste my breath in saying that we should all take this problem to Knuckles, since I'm sure you all know that he is the only one who has anything about these Emeralds," Mighty stated.
Espio and Vector side-eyed each other, both catching the weakly concealed irony in the armadillo's statement.
"I wonder if the other Emeralds have done the same thing."
"Why are we standing here chewing the flab then!?" Vector asked. "Mighty, set up the teleporter."
"Gotcha, chief. And F.Y.I., it's 'chewing the fat.'"
"I'm a croc! I can't chew anyway so does it matter!? Set up the danged teleporter already!"
The rest of the Chaotix were unsuccessfully trying to mask their amusement at Vector's outburst.
- - - - -
Viper was in position. Any passerby who happened to either be looking up in the right time or was actually looking for him would have seen him as a black gargoyle, far from any cathedral.
Viper had gained the reputation of a high-level threat from his bounty hunts. Overlanders and Möbians couldn't find themselves to trust the black-garbed human, and understandably so; the human if crossed would deliver swift retaliation.
He was here for a hunt, but not for neither bounty nor personal interest. He figured he would find the world-renown blue hedgehog, Sonic. He didn't like the idea at surface value; he didn't care for his "fun and fancy free" form of life, but it was the only thing that sounded good at the time, since Sonic seemed to have experience with the Emeralds since birth, permitting the exaggeration.
Anyone even with minimal knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds knew that any change in their behavior was to be marked as a possible peril, and Viper knew it, hence his reason to be here, despite his spite disliking for Sonic.
"Why, hello, big boy..."
Viper didn't move, for he knew that voice; a voice that seemed to suggest an underlying flirt with each syllable. Only one person would ever talk to someone, human or Möbian in that fashion.
Rouge the Bat.
"I didn't ask for you, Rouge," Viper said coldly; he wasn't comfortable around females; too unpredictable.
"Hmm, is that a way to treat a lady?"
Viper could hear the taps of her trademark high-heeled boots and could smell the expensive perfume, all telling the human she was coming closer. Still, the human didn't move.
"It's perfectly meaningless as well as moronic to even have the notion I would be courteous. A hunter never kills with manners; aggression is the means."
Viper saw the bat in the corner of his eye, espying her in suspicion. He can see that she too was suspicious of him, armed with her steel-edged boots, perfect for slicing metal, and had a small handgun. The only thing out of the ordinary was that she bore a small back-bag. Now doubt where Rouge kept her jewel-heisting equipment. How typical...
"Hmph, you and your male behavior."
Viper ignored the stereotypical comment.
"We know each other well enough, my dear Viper, for you to be so cold to little ol' me..."
"One year too much..." Viper breathed. They had first met in the Black Mountain Ranges before Dr. Robotnik, or really Metal-Sonic, released the Egg Fleet on a task to destroy the humans...one year ago.
Rouge seemed to pout. "Aw, don't be so mean..."
Viper was disgusted at her flirty behavior, and didn't answer.
Rouge seemed to give up. "Oh well, bad boy, I seem to be winning no points with you." She sighed, "I guess I'm going to have to go someone else about the Chaos Emerald, but who knows where anybody--"
"The Chaos Emerald?" Viper suddenly blurted out, and quickly had a feeling he should've shut up.
Rouge seemed not to hear him. "--is to tell me what could be going on. I saw last night it was all glittery and flashing like a police car light. It was pretty though, wouldn't you think? Oh I forgot, you're a man and wouldn't care."
Viper grew impatient. "Rouge, cut the crap and talk; you seem to be up to it..."
Rouge eyed the human, eyes fluttering some. "Is that an apology?"
The human tapped the hilt of his Desert Eagle threateningly; Rouge had witnessed the damage potential of such a firearm before.
"I'll take that as a yes then..." Rouge fluttered. "Yes, the Chaos Emerald was acting strange last night. I'm here trying to find out where the Floating Island is."
"The Guardian there would never let you even within a hundred meters of the shores cliffs, let alone step foot on its soil."
"Leave that to me, handsome..."
Viper's left index finger twitched in annoyance.
"May I ask what a man like you is doing here?"
"My business is always my business."
"Secrets already."
Viper wondered if he would feel any remorse if he shot her...probably none at all.
"It's not like you to wonder into a populated area without some reason, handsome, and seemed you expressed some great interested in my beautiful Chaos Emerald..."
His feelings were right; he should've shut up. Rouge was no fool...
"...it must be something about the Chaos Emeralds. Am I right?"
Viper just side-eyed the bat, but his cross expression said everything. His somewhat-bruised pride however wouldn't let him admit it.
"Oh, of course it must be. I knew you had a Chaos Emerald at least, and it's with you right now." Rouge waved a small circular device, which resembled a glorified stopwatch.
"Yes, it is. Your point being what?" Viper growled.
"Why so mad? We have the same mission now; we can just work together."
God forbid, thought the human. "I'm not planning to go to the Island."
"Hmm, you seem to make this so difficult. Who else besides the Echidna would know enough about the Chaos Emeralds?"
"The hedgehog seems to know enough about them..."
"You mean Sonic? I don't think so."
"As if you would know..."
Rouge ignored him. "Sonic just uses the Emeralds in crises, as Shadow does. Knuckles was practically raised with them. He'd know..."
"And you have a way on getting both of us onto the Island, you claim?"
"You know I can always find us one, handsome..."
I'd rather fall into the ocean. "Hmm, my needs do not effect your needs. Do as you will..."
Viper rose to his full height, and Rouge's gaze followed Viper's ascension; she kept forgetting this human was very tall.
"I work alone."
Turning away, the human rose his left arm out, bearing his grappling claw-shot mechanism underneath it. By seemingly unseen force, the claw shot out downwards, lodged fast into an object and Viper swung away.
Rouge smiled. Viper was uncomfortable around her and she knew it. "Have it your way, big boy, but you'll come back...like last time..."
Rouge folded out her wings and leapt off the building, gliding down towards the streets below.