Alrighty then. I hope you all like this chapter, because I know I do. It has more Knuckles, and a phone-in from Rouge. And Sonic, but I don't really care about him so don't get your hopes up for any heroics. Anyway, we hear more of the Egg Guilder, and some other stuff I forgot because I started this a while ago and only just finished it. Heh heh heh, yeah. So, I hope you all like it!
Miles 'Tails' Prower, Rouge the Bat, Knuckles, and all other characters expect the names of Miles's family, belong to SEGA.
I can't say Sonic hasn't done this kinda thing before, because he does it almost regularly. Maybe he knows I'm too curious not to find out what he wants, or maybe he just thinks I'm loyal, either way I always end up coming. But I'm not going to hurry, I've been good about that lately. It used to be I'd be there the minute my phone rang, but I've been breaking that habit, and I'm glad for it.
Nothing he calls about is that important, in fact he's called me for the stupidest stuff. One time he said it was urgent, when it turned out he had just found a shiny rock at the Casino. And no, it wasn't like one of the Emeralds, it was just a piece of sparkly cement. Strangely enough, I can't bring myself to get mad at him; he's got this weird magnetism that makes it almost impossible for anybody to get angry with him. Maybe that's a part of why I admire Dr. Robotnik, he got mad at Sonic tons of times, without even seeming to try.
Still though, I guess it's a classic case of 'curiosity killed the fox', because I'm already on the street and waiting for a cab.
Just as I climb into the taxi and tell the drive to head for Sonic's hotel (the Emerald, which stands right on the beach), my back pocket starts to ring. I reluctantly take out my cell phone, and look at the small, lit up screen. Strangely enough, it's Rouge.
"Hello?" Rouge has next to never called me, she's always away plotting or traveling.
"Miles, hi," She sounds like she's thinking about something. Rouge always does sound that way, but this time it's different. Now she seems to be wondering if something is true. Never a good sign. "Listen, I just got a message from Sonic, and I was wondering if you know anything about it?" Sonic doesn't have Rouge's number, she only gave it to Vector, Knuckles, and me. She, no doubt, suspects that I gave Sonic her number.
"Sorry, I only just got a call from him myself. 'Something big' turned up is all I know." Rouge makes a thoughtful noise on the other end of the line.
"Alright… are you going?" There's a real surprise. Rouge always does what she wants, regardless of what everyone else thinks. Why would she ask something like that?
"Yeah, but if nothing interesting happens, I'm goin' home." She laughs lightly, and I find myself snickering as well.
"Alright then, I might drop in. But if not call me and give me a full report, will you?" Classic Rouge.
"Can do, see you there then?"
"Perhaps, bye." The phone clicks on the other end, and her voice is gone. I hand up, and pay the driver as he pulls up at the Emerald.
Inside the marble lobby, past the stairs and hat-check and the two elevators, you call see Sonic out on the beach. I walk through the automatic glass doors, and out into the sunny pool. I take a good look at the water, but it's just the way it's always been; flat, sapphire blue, and peaceful. It used to be that I'd come out here with Sonic, and he'd teach me to surf (I wasn't good at it) but now I prefer to stay in the city. Peaceful and pretty as the ocean is, I just don't feel right around it.
And whenever I think out here, my head goes straight to the Egg Guilder.
"Tails!"
I wish they hadn't sunk it. I mean, all that machinery and technological advances, now the home to sea slugs and barnacles. It makes me shudder just thinking about it…
"Taaaaails!"
I wonder what I could've done with all that stuff. My planes would be beyond comparison, I could make a generator to power the whole city. I could do anything with that ship…
"Miles!" I hear Knuckles call, and a firm hand falls on my shoulder. I look quickly around, and it's Knuckles.
"Huh?"
"I was callin' ya buddy!" Oh great, Sonic. Knuckles and me look over at the Hedgehog and I see that his belly has reseeded a bit. Needless to say, that's a surprise.
"What's going on?" I cut to the chase. Hey, he took away from my vegging time!
"Yeah! Why'd you call you us the hell out here?!" Knuckles barks his hand still on my shoulder. Sonic smiles, his eyes getting an all too familiar shine.
"I was walkin' around here, and I found something in the sand—"
"I'm leaving." I turn and start back towards the Emerald. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Knuckles is following suit.
"Guys wait!" I pause and look back, Knuckles just keeps walk.
"What?" I get irriated quickly when I'm tried, and I don't mean to sound so mad.
"I found this little black box, ya know, in the sand."
A shadow falls over me, and I can just tell that it's Knuckles. I guess me and him share the need for adventure. I don't even need to look to know he's mad.
"And it looks like something from Eggman's old ship…the uh… Egg Gulper?"
"Guilder." I'm thankful that at least I have the nature to remember things like that. Else ways, the memory of Dr. Robotnik would consist only of Egg Gulpers.
I see Knuckles smirk, and I break into a smile myself. It takes a lot to make him smile, but if you get him at the right moment, you can even make him laugh. It's true, I tell you, I've seen him laugh! I think it had something to do with Shadow being really drunk, because I can remember him singing the theme of an old TV show. It sounded something like 'Lord Bravery'. I really don't know where he got it, but we all laughed until we thought we were gonna die!
"Whatever," my brain throbs as Sonic says it. I hate it when he does that, it gives me such a headache. Sonic could never appreciate the marvels of machines. "I found this box, and it looks like a little radio."
He pulls a black, metal square out of his jacket, and tosses it to Knuckles. My head hurts again as the small thing flies through the air. Some of Robotnik's older inventions were reallyfragile, and this looks like one of those.
Luckily, Knuckles catches it gingerly and immediately passes it tome.
I take the box and nod my thanks. Turning the little black thing around in my hands, I find there's next to no weight to it. I can just see that there's some tiny holes on one side, just like a radio has, and the white sigil that marked everything Dr. Robotnik used to make. On the opposite side to the holes there's what feels like cold glass, but I can make out anything on that side.
Knuckles shifts a little, letting some of the sun hit the black box. The light gleams off the back thing, and I can just tell that there's a screen. I try my luck, and tap it gingerly.
"Password?" My ears flick up, and the box vibrates the slightest bit. Knuckles leans in a bit closer, and Sonic doesn't seem to have noticed the little computerized voice. I tap the screen, and a feeble light comes on through the glass.
"Password?" the box says again. Sonic is now right beside me, and he grabs the little machine and makes my head hurt.
"This'll be easy as pie!" he says to us. The box makes a small 'wrrrrrrrrrrrrl' sound, and the voice comes on again.
"Incorrect password."
Knuckles shakes his head, and I bite the inside of my lip.
Sonic glares at Knuckles, before turning to the box.
"Egg." He says matter-of-factly.
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
Sonic looks angrily at the box, and looks at me like I made it say that.
"This thing's gotta be wrong! Why wouldn't the password be 'egg'?!" Knuckles takes a moment to keep himself from decking Sonic, before he speaks.
"Maybe because Doctor Robotnik had a little thing called 'self esteem'?" Sonic wrinkles up his nose at this, and throws the box at Knuckles.
"Then you figure it out, smart guy!" Knuckles catches the machine easily, and he looks at it for a minute. He glances from Sonic to me, before focusing on the box.
"Password?"
He glances at me again, before saying it a low voice;
"Robotnik?"
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Oh yeah, like that would do anything!"
"Sonic, shut the hell up!" Knuckles hands the machine down to me, and steps towards the Hedgehog, fists up.
"Password?" the box says to me, barely loud enough to be heard over Sonic and Knuckles's arguing. I look over at them, and take a few steps away so the noise won't be so much of a problem. "Password?" I can't think of anything to say…. Maybe it's the Doctor's first name…or his mother's birthday….or the code to a safe…or the name of his first friend….. I always end up thinking that he would think like I do, that he would be so sentimental….
I look over my shoulder at Sonic and Knuckles. Knuckles has Sonic in a headlock.
"Heart attack."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Lemmego ya knuckleshead!"
"You ain't goin' nothing, blue boy!"
I can hear some scrabbling, but I've become desensitized to that kinda noise for a while now.
"Password?" the box says a moment later.
"Dead."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Geroffame ya little—"
"Leggo o' my shoes ya stupid red—"
"Password?"
"Sonic."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Oi! I'm trying to think over here!" I shout, turning on Sonic and Knuckles. Sonic's got Knuckles by the wrists, but Knux has him by the throat. They both look over at me, surprised…well, Sonic is, Knuckles just looks mad. "Jesus," It takes a heck of a lot to make me swear in Jesus's name, my Mama made sure of that. "Do you two know how hard it is to think with you making all that racket?! If you need to beat the hell out of each other at least do away from me!" I'm breathing heavily, and me face is hot. I swear I feel like I'm about to beat-up the both of them!
There's a long and really awkward pause. My anger drains away as fast as it came, and I can't help feeling stupid. I hate it when I snap like that.
Knuckles is first to move. He drops Sonic in the sand, and moves over to me with his eyes turning kinda dark. To be honest he seriously freaks me out when he does that, but I don't let him see that. I promised myself never to look scared around the Team anymore. I'm past that part of my life now.
He's towering over me now, and staring at me with this weird and almost lifeless look. I try my best to get our eyes locked, but most of my brain is telling me to make a break for. It's the stupid and prideful parts that are keeping me looking at him. I focus on keeping my fur from bristling, and have some success in that, so all isn't totally lost.
I can just see Sonic looking at us like we're really scaring him, but I don't care at this point.
"I ain't gonna treat you no different." Knuckles growls.
"I never asked you to." I snarl back. Mark this day down in history; June 17, 2008; I have never been so terrified in my life.
"Sonic," Knuckles turns just enough so that Sonic can see his face. I don't dare to move, both from fear and for the sake of my own pride. "Get the hell outta here. I don't want you to see this." Mom, Dad, Auntie Liz, Grandpapa, Joey, Sara, little Ike, I love you all.
Sonic, in a showing some real character, jumps up and runs for the hotel. What a two-faced jerk.
Knuckles turns back to me, after a moment, and his eyes are strange. Like, they're…normal. He looks at me, and behind him again, and starts to laugh. He's got this weird laugh, like it's just about to be wheezy, but it can't quite get there.
"I can't believe he fell for that!" Wait, what?
"What?"
Knuckles looks at me with the same expression of someone who's got to explain a really good joke. He notices that I don't look half as happy as he does. No, my expression would be better categorized as horrified.
"Look, it's like this. We both know Sonic ain't gonna think for more than five seconds about that thing," he points to the box in may hand. "so I figured it'd be best if I just got him outta here instead of dealing with hours of painful stupidity." He looked at me and I realized that I had been hoping to avoid just that. Please understand, one can only deal with so ignorance at a time.
There's a pause, and I hope to God that I don't look as freaked out as I feel. I really hate looking like I don't understand something. It's a problem I have, to the point that I would make stuff up, when we were fighting Dr. Robotnik, on the spot to keep from seeming incompetent.
"So…what'd ya think the password is, then?" It's the best I cans come up with.
"Nah, nothing I'd seriously try." Knuckles says, taking a step closer and robbing the back of his head.
Ten minutes or so later, we're still standing on the beach trying to figure out the password. I've been writing down our passwords, and the list has taken up three pages in my pocket notebook.
"Password?"
Knuckles glances at the list in my hand, before trying.
"Omega."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Damn."
We wait a moment for the box to reload, and I try.
"Guilder."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
We look at each other, it seems we were both thinking that would be the password.
"Password?" I can't take much more of this. I'll try something new.
"Leeches."
"What?"
"Leeches."
"Leeches?"
"Yeah, the little worms that suck blood. Leeches."
"Oh…alright then."
"Password?"
"Leeches." I say matter-of-factly.
Wrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
"Dammit. I really thought that would work too."
"Why?" Knuckles gives me his trademarked, I don't understand but I know this isn't going to be pleasant look.
"I—I dunno. Well…remember, one of his ships had these huge fish tanks, and some of the fish looked like leeches."
"Oh…hey yeah! I'd forgotten that!"
I think for a little, and something comes to me.
"Hey, didn't the Doctor used to put those little animals in his inventions?"
"Uhh…yeah I think he did."
"Then why would he have fish in tanks, you know like pets, if he put other animals in those horrible machines?"
"I—I don't know." Knuckles looks like he's having an epiphany.
We look at each other for a long moment.
"Password?"
"Animals."
Wrrrrrrrrrrl.
"Incorrect password."
OOOOOOOOH! Cliffhanger! Agian! HAHA! Take that plot! Anyway, hope you liked it, I'll get back with the next chapter soon as I can, loves.
