Chapter 3: Clues to the Echidna
The next day, Maria and the twins are out of bed and having breakfast with their parents. Maria is eating slower than the others, and looks like she hasn't been able to get some sleep. Sonic and Sally look to see Maria looking down and isn't eating much of her food.
"Honey, is there something wrong?" Sally asks.
"Yes mom, there is something. I can't stop thinking about what Lien-Da told me yesterday. Yong-Ho is usually on time. It's not like him, to be late and hasn't said a word to any of us about it," Maria says.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a tough kid as much as you are. I'll be he'll call you soon enough," Sonic says.
Just then the video phone begins to ring.
"I'll get it," Sally says, getting up from her seat.
Maria and her family continue eat their breakfast.
They soon hear Sally's conversation, "Hello Lien-Da, how are you doing… No. I haven't seen Yong-Ho since yesterday… And you called his other friends and none of them are seen him either…. I'm sure he'll be around…. Don't worry, we'll find him….Yes we'll see you soon"
Hearing the conversation, Maria can tell that this is not a good sign.
Sally walks to the kitchen and sadly sighs.
"What's wrong, Sally?" Sonic asks.
"It's Yong-Ho he didn't came home last night, and no one seem to have seen him. Lien-Da and her family will be arriving soon. Knuckles and the others will arriving soon," Sally says.
"This is not a good idea," Sonic says.
"Yes. It isn't," Sonic says.
Maria becomes stunned to hear that Yong-Ho hasn't come home yet. She knows that something I'd definitely wrong.
Sleeping in her bed is Melody Prower. She is sleeping like nothing can disturb her, but it's disturbed by a phone call. Melody walks up from her sleep and tiredly walks to the video screen. Then turns it on to reveal Maria.
"Melody. Melody wake up!" Maria says.
"What is it?!" Melody asks with a yawn.
"Melody listen, Yong-Ho's missing," Maria says.
This shocks Melody, "He's what?!"
"He's missing. Listen, we need to call the others and you all meet me at the castle in an hour. Can you do that?" Maria informs.
"Right," Melody says.
"Thanks," Maria says. Then hangs up her video phone.
Maria becomes worried, "Yong-Ho, what happened to you? And… Where are you?"
Maria begins to grow very worried for her boyfriend and wonders what could have happen to him.
Still has his eyes closed, Yong-Ho begins to groan as he moves his head a little. Soon he begins to open his eyes a little. It's a little blurry, but he can see a table of some kind, full of tubes, and a few machines. When his vision begins clear, he can see that this strange place looks like a lab.
Yong-Ho feels his head hurting as he tries to remember, "What happened? The last thing I remember was fighting those strange hooded guys and… I think I fell through a ring of home kind."
Suddenly Yong-Ho remembers that he someone ends up getting hit from behind and lost consciousness.
"That's right. Someone else was in the room besides me and those hooded guys and zapped me from behind," Yong-Ho says to himself.
He then looks around to see the strange lab full of science type equipments and machines.
"What is this place? Whatever it is, I need to get out of here," Yong-Ho says.
When he tries to get up he feels something on his wrists and some kind of clanging sound. He looks at his feet to see his ankle are cuffed with chains attached the two close together. Then he turns his head to see his wrists are cuffed with the same shackle and chain to a pipe in the floor.
"What's going on?" Why did someone chained me up?" Yong-Hon asks himself in shock.
Yong-Ho begins to pull on his chains in hope of escape, but the shackles and chair are too tough for him to break. Not even his chaos energy has any affect.
"Calm yourself, you're not in really danger, but I do have to keep you here in case of resistance," A sinister voice speaks up.
Yong-Ho turns his head to see the source of the voice. He is shocked to see the white Echidna from a few days ago, Dr. Finitevus. The white Echidna then walks towards Yong-Ho with a smirk on his face.
"You're the guys I saw a few days ago," Yong-Ho says.
"Correct. I'm not too surprised that you remember," Finitevus says.
Yong-Ho firmly stares at him, and asks, "Dr. Finitevus was it? I want to know what's going on her here? I suspect that you're the ones who sent those hooded guys to attack me. What is this place? Why did you sent those guys after me? And why you want me for?"
Finitevus lets out a ghastly laugh giving Yong-Ho shivers down his spine.
"My dear boy, all of it will be revealed in good time. However, I can't give too much away," Finitevus says.
"And why not?" Yong-Ho asks.
"Let's just say that I'll tell you about it all later. I can reveal that I send my men to bring you to me," Finiveus says.
"Why would you that?" Yong-Ho asks.
Finitevus doesn't say a word at first. He kneels down to Yong-Ho and cuffs his chin with one hand.
He answers, "I needed you. There is an important goal I'm trying to accomplish, and it seems you're the one who can give it to me."
"A goal?" Yong-Ho asks, looking confused.
"Of course, that is something that I am unable to reveal right away. There are still some difficulties that needed to work out," Finitevus says.
He then brings out a small looking spray, "I'm afraid that our meeting will have to be cut short. Until then… Sweet dreams."
He sprays a kind of gas at Yong-Ho causing him to cough before he falls back to unconscious. Finitevus then makes a smirk on his face and then leaves to continue the work he plans to do. Unknown to the white Echidna, a small microphone is hanging on top of the ceiling, and is recording Finitevus and Yong-Ho's conversation.
Back in New Mobotropolis, Maria is in her bedroom with her friends. They are discussing about Yong-Ho's disappearance.
"Alright, all we know is that we have no clues that can lead to Yong-Ho's disappearance," Chomper says.
"It seems so. We can't find anything that could be realized to how he disappeared," Sugar adds.
Sonia says, "It's like he vanished into thin air."
"And we don't seem to have any leads," Mystic adds.
Maria thinks, "Maybe… Or maybe we do."
"What do you mean?" Twinkle asks.
"Didn't you all notice that Knuckles has been acting strange for the last few days. What's more, he seems to be aware of this Dr. Finitevus when the rest of us don't," Maria says.
"What are you saying?" Skye asks.
"I'm starting to think that Knuckles knows something about this Finitevus that we don't. Plus, Yong-Ho only saw him a few days ago, and he hadn't seen him since," Maria says.
Melody asks, "Are you suggesting that is strange white Echidna Dr. Finitevus has something to do with Yong-Ho's disappearance?"
"It's possible. But I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, Knuckles, Lien-Da, and Dimitri knows something about Dr. Finitevus, and I think it's about time we know what that is," Maria says.
"Still, are you sure they're going to tell us if we ask, especially Knuckles? He hasn't been in a good mood lately," Manic asks.
"We have to. It might be a link to Yong-Ho's disappearance. Any bit of information counts," Maria says.
Chomper says, "You know, it will be nice to have Dad, Espio, and Charmy to help us out with this case."
"Well they're not. They're both are away on an important case," Mystic says.
"You're right. They'll be gone for a while now," Twinkle says.
Maria sighs, "Like it or not, we need to talk to them."
"I suppose so. The chances that Knuckles, Lien-Da or Dimitri is going to answer our question is close to nothing," Melody says.
"We have to try," Sonia says.
"You're right. It seems to be our only chance to finding Yong-Ho," Mystic says.
"Then let's go," Skye says.
Everyone begins to leave the room, and head to the meeting room where Sonic and the others are most likely to be. Maria still can't help but worry about Yong-Ho. She hopes that she and the others could find her before something happens.
