Greetings yall! Joe Stalin here with Part 2 of 'The Legion'! First though, let me take the opportunity to reply to your fantastic reviews!-
Cyberguy- Thanks very much for the review, and it'll get more suspenseful, insightful and economical as it progresses!
captain deoxys- I love that line too, and I will actually be using it! Thanks for the idea!
Maverick87- It's great to be back, and it was no problem putting 'Breach of Faith' in my favourites. It's a fantastic story!
Titan- Thanks, and I'm so glad you've jumped on the bandwagon! I'll try not to disappoint.
Okay, now that I've done that...lets fire this baby up!
The Legion
'The Vault'
The motorcade made its way along the deserted highway without resistance. At the front, the giant Mack truck's headlights flashed demonically as it thundered across the tarmac. Behind the Mack, a sleek convertible was bathed in the glare of the trucks rear lights, casting red shadows over its black bodywork.
The Mack took a sudden turn to the left, taking it off the highway and onto a deserted dirt road. Behind it, the convertible followed, and both vehicles thundered down the road, their headlights the only source of light. Two minutes later, both vehicles ground to a halt, seemingly at random. Seconds later, the truck driver and Roland stepped down from the cab, and approached the convertible. The door slid open, and a single figure stepped out, black boots crunching on the gravel underfoot. In the convertibles headlight glare, the figures white fur shimmered.
Roland approached the figure, a smile spread across his face. He extended a hand to the individual, as the Mack driver walked to the other side of the truck.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Roland"
The figure glanced down at his extended hand, and flicked it aside "Lets just get this over with, with less of the formalities" the voice was female, and clearly agitated.
Roland cleared his throat, clearly embarassed, and gestured towards the truck. After a pause, the female figure walked towards the trailer, where the driver had appeared from around the corner, carrying a small device in his hand. He hooked it up to Roland's cellphone which he removed from his jacket, and pressed in a series of numbers.
There was a sudden mechanical grating noise,and the gravel they were standing on began to vibrate violently. Then, they began to sink into the ground. The female figure looked around in amazement, as the gravel drained away to reveal them standing on a black metal surface, 30 meters by 15 meters, which was descending rapidly downwards.
"It's an elevator!" the female said "Will it take us to this 'Vault' of yours?"
Roland nodded "Yep" he replied, as they continued downwards. All three figures, as well as the Mack truck and the convertible slowly descended into the darkness below. They continued their descent, until 100 metres below the surface the lift ground to a halt. In the darkness, the female turned to the sound of the driver tapping in another series of codes on the device in his palm.
Lights came on high above them, andshe looked upwards at the high black metal ceiling, four stories above them. Then she looked back down, and gasped in amazement. They stood in a vast chamber, hexagonal in shape, the walls grey concrete inlaid with support beams of the same glossy black metal. Along the left wall was a long row of silver garage door's, each two stories high. To the left was a massive command centre, with enough consoles for a hundred personnel. A massive display screen was attached to the wall above the control area.
Roland lifted his arm "Welcome to 'The Vault', Miss Rouge"
And all Rouge the bat could do at that moment...was stare.
The late night drumming of the crowd was hurting his ears, as the plump individual took another long swig of amber liquid from the glass in front of him. Sat on his own, he squinted through the thick cigarette smoke at the throng of drinkers and other such individuals crowded around the bar and surrounding tables.
"So this is where I end up, huh?" Doctor Eggman muttered to himself bitterly, eying forlornly the near empty glass still in his grip. It was his fourth that night, and it sure wouldn't be the last.
This was his routine, and it had been for the last two months. Not that he usually minded. After five or six downings of whisky tonic, his mind was usually clear. But tonight was different, and the only thing that continued to run through his head was the same grotesque image of the one who had put him i this position in the first place. That cocky smirk, those eyes full of malice and infuriating lack of care. That slender neck that he jsut wished he could grip and throttle the life out of.
Who else could it be, but Sonic the hedgehog.
Eggman let out a growl, and downed the last of his glass before slamming it back down on the table. Sonic, that infuriating little creature. The bane of his existence. What he wouldn't have given at that moment to squeeze the life out of the blue hedgehog that had caused him nothing but grief from day one. No matter what he did, no matter what scheme he attempted and planned meticulously, it was always the same outcome. Defeat. Humiliating defeat. And it had gotten to the stage that he was no longer even bothering to try anymore.
"What would be the point?" he thought to himself bitterly. "He would only stop me, and humiliate me again! I've tried everything, and nothing has worked!"
Eggman looked round with distain at the drunken louts he had come to commune with recently. None of them had given him a second glance, not even when he had first started trudging through Station Squares bars after yet another crushing defeat. Even Decoe and Bokko had finally had enough, and had left as quickly as their metal legs could take them. And right at that moment, he couldn't blame them. No one wanted to be around a washed up mad scientist like him.
The low buzzing sensation was beginning to appear at the back of his head, a clear sign that he was close to achieving his clear mindedness. He lifted his arm up for service, and didn't look up as two men approached his table.
"Same again, please. And make it a double" he muttered into his empty glass.
"Doctor Eggman?" one of the men asked.
Eggman's head snapped up at the mention of his name. No one had addressed him by name in two months. He squinted up at the two men standing above him, his vision slightly blurred from the effects of the alcohol.
"Yes? How might I be of service, gentlemen?" he slurred.
The man who had addressed him smiled and shook his head "The correct question here Doctor, is what we can do for you"
Eggman frowned in confusion, and rubbed his eyes to try to get a better look at the two individuals. Both of them were dressed in black coats and gloves. One of them had short, white-blonde hair which was spiked up. The other man, or what Eggman assumed was a man, was wearing a wide brimmed hat tucked down so as to hide most of his face.
"How do you mean?" Eggman asked, shaking his head as his vision once more became fuzzy.
"We represent a consortium which requires your services, Doctor Eggman. We're here to escort you to our base of operations" the first man answered, his voice similar to the way a salesman would address a would-be customer.
"And what...consor...cons...business, is this?" Eggman asked, his mouth dry and the back of his throat feeling like sandpaper.
"All in good time, Doctor. Please would you come with us, and we'll explain all we can in the car" the man held out his hand to Eggman.
Eggman looked at the gloved for a few seconds, waiting for it to come into focus. Finally, he grasped it, and the man helped him to his feet. Once standing, Eggman was escorted by the two men, one on each side, towards the exit. Once outside, they escorted him over to a sleek black limosine parked in front of the bar. The hatted figure opened the door as Eggman was eased inside. Once all three were inside the limo, the engine was gunned, and the sleek machine glided away.
"Where are we going?" Eggman asked , sat inbetween the two men. The one wearing the hat lowered his brim further down his face, and settled down for what was clearly going to be a long drive. The other man smiled at Eggman.
"'The Vault', Doctor" he answered.
High above the dark clouds, gliding through the rolling darkness, a silver plane hurtled through the air.
In the cockpit, the two pilots were reclining in their chairs, the plane on autopilot for the duration of the flight. They would not be required for another two hours yet.
In the back of the plane, the flourescent lights flickering dimly, the tinted glass of a tubed shaped object glistened eerily, the lights illuminating it. Inside the tube, a single figure was strapped, metal coils holding his wrists, legs and neck to the back of the tube. The prisoners emerald eyes slowly lowered down towards one of his shackled wrists, and flexed his claws slowly. Grasping it into a fist, the prisoner began to tug against the restraint, testing its strength. After several minutes of this, the metal plating of the restraint began to bend. The prisoner smirked darkly, and applied more pressure against the shackle, the metal now beginning to bend alarmingly. With a crack, the restraint suddenly broke off, freeing the prisoners wrist. Without hesitation, the figure grasped his other wrist and snapped off the restraint with ease. Once his arms were free, the figure casually broke off the restraints fastened to his legs.
Suddenly the figure froze, as the sound of footsteps echoed through the rear of the plane. A few seconds later, a guard carrying a loaded rifle walked into the light, a steaming mug of coffee in his other hand and a newspaper under his arm. Without bothering to look at the tube, the guard sat down on a nearby chair, and flicked open his paper. Taking a sip of his coffee, the guard settled down as he became engrossed in his reading.
Mentally sighing with relief, the prisoner lay a paw against the glass in front of his face, and pressed against it. After a few seconds, a thin crack etched itself along the glass shield, which quickly widened until it reached the bottom of the tube. Taking a quick glance at the guard, who was still reading his paper, the prisoner applied his other paw on the glass, and applied pressure. The glass began to crack under his push.
The first sign of trouble that the guard experienced came a split second before a powerful blow impacted with the side of his neck. With a sickening crack, the guard slumped to the floor, his coffee mug tipping over and spilling its contents onto his paper. With a satisfied smirk, the figure trained his eyes to the cockpit door.
The two pilots were awakened with a jerk as the cockpit door was broken clean of its hinges, and crashed to the floor. Horrified, the two men could only stare as the prisoner stepped inside the cockpit, a grim smirk plastered on his face.
"Oh my God" one of the men stammered.
"Not quite" the figure grinned, before lifting up the guards rifle. The pilot just had time to raise his arms before a shower of red mist exploded from his neck. He slumped against the controls, very dead.
The second pilot cowered in terror as the prisoner lifted the rifle in his direction.
"No please, I've got a wife! Don't, I'm begging you!"
"I never was one for mercy" the prisoner smirked demonically, before squeezing the trigger. The pilot was hit three times in the chest, and keeled over in his seat hanging only by his safety belt.
Satisfied that the two men were dead, the prisoner discarded the rifle and walked over the the controls. Unbuckling the pilot's safety belt, the prisoner discarded the blood covered body onto the floor. Looking back at the dead man, the prisoner leant down and removed the pilot's hat, and placed it on his own head. Sitting down in the seat, the prisoner flicked the switches in front of him, disconnecting the auto-pilot. Grabbing the radio, the prisoner switched it on.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your new pilot speaking. We will shortly be making a detour in our planned route, and will be landing shortly. Thank you for choosing Con Air, and we hope you had a pleasant flight!" he laughed sadistically, before flinging the radio aside, and jamming on the controls.
The plane made a sharp nose dive and thundered out of the cloud screen. Once down by several thousand feet, the bright lights of Station Square gleamed through the night, a brilliant light show twinkling in the darkness.
Once the plane was only a few hundred feet above the ground, the prisoner lowered the landing gear. The plane shot down towards an abandoned stretch of tarmac, and within seconds touched down with a bump. The prisoner was jolted in his seat, his eyes blazing and his teeth glistening through his smirk. Applying the brakes, the plane began to slow down. Once the plane had come to a complete stop, the prisoner erupted in crazed laughter, his face alight with triumph. Tapping his pilot's hat, he climbed out of the chair and towards the exit door. Grasping it tightly, he gave it a tug and felt it slide open. Cold air blew against his fur as the door opened completely, and the prisoner inhaled deeply.
"Freedom" the figure whispered in triumph, as he lowered the stairs down to the ground. His footsteps clanging against the metal, the prisoner walked down the stairs and jumped once he reached the bottom stair onto the ground. His feet crunched on the gravel, and he began to chuckle.
His smile vanished from his face immediately as he saw a black car parked right in front of him, and two men standing to attention. He gulped uncertainly.
"This could be a problem" he muttered, now wishing he hadn't discarded the rifle from before. Making sure not to make any sudden moves, he began to walk towards the car.
The two men stood to attention as he approached the car, both of them dressed in black suits and shades. The prisoner smiled faintly as they approached him.
"Mr Amendes?" one of the men, incredibly muscular and intense looking, asked him.
The prisoner blinked "Yes? How do you know my name?"
The man laughed "How could I not know the name of the dog whose reputation is known the world over?"
Amendes thought over this for a second, and then smiled calmly "Thanks. Now...whats all this about?"
The man waved his hand dismissively "All in good time sir. We're here to escort you to your next destination. And don't worry. We're not cops, if thats what your afraid of"
Still unsure, Amendes nevertheless allowed himself to be escorted towards the waiting car. Climbing inside, Amendes sat down as the two men sat on either side of him. A few seconds later, the car pulled away from the airfield, and shot away through the night.
Mindlessly picking at the fur on one of his paws, a force of habit, Amendes looked sideways at the man sat on his left.
"Where are we going? And how did you know where I was going to land?" he asked, a faint trace of annoyance at being put out in his voice.
The man smiled at the albino dog "To answer your first question, we're going to 'The Vault'. To answer your second question...we'll let Mobius answer it for you"
Amendes frowned in puzzlement "Who?"
But his question went unanswered, as the man settled down in his seat and relaxed. Amendes blew upwards in annoyance, causing the tuft of fur on top of his head to flutter, and folded his arms. Whoever this Mobius was, Amendes had a few questions he wanted answered. And he was damned sure that they would get answered.
"Holy cow!" Amendes exclaimed as the lift ground to a halt, and he got his first look at 'The Vault'.
The first man, for the other was still inside the car, gestured for the mutt to step forwards. The two of them walked towards the huge display screen mounted on the far wall, where two other figures were stood. One was a plump, balding man in a red jacket and black trousers, who was staggering drunkenly and leaning against the wall for balance. The other was a white furred female bat wearing a pink tank-top and black pants. Amendes scowled as he approached.
"What the hell is this? Alcoholics anonymous?" he cast his eyes towards the fat man, who looked as if he was about to collapse from the sheer effort of staying on his feet.
"I want answers too! the bat demanded, looking the albino dog up and down with her eyes, and clearly unimpressed.
The black suited man smiled and raised his hands "And you shall have them. Sir?"
"Thank you Nyder, I'll take it from here" the ventilator-esque voice buzzed, causing all three of them to spin round and look up at the monitor screen. On the screen, thick shadows hiding his face, sat a slight figure with eyes that appeared to glow through the darkness.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mobius, and I'd like to welcome you all to...'The Vault'"
End of Part 2
Tell me what you all think and R&R! Part 3 coming soon!
Joe.
