Ch.4: A Bat Visit

Rouge didn't really know why G.U.N. should get involved. What did they have to gain from scavenging parts from one of Eggman's machines? Something screwy seemed to be going on inside of headquarters lately. The bat could feel it in her bones.

Of course, Rouge couldn't tell if one of her partners felt the same. Shadow was as cool and as distant as always, while Omega was getting a tad impatient in order to annihilate someone. There hadn't been any new missions for them for a while now, and before Rouge could reflect on just how strange that was, her wrist monitor beeped, signaling that the Commander was calling them over to the briefing room.

Soon enough, all of the members of Team Dark were gathered, and waited patiently as their boss took a deep breath before he informed.

"Alright" the Commander said " I guess you're all wondering why we are using some of our resources to dissect Eggman's machine."

"The thought did catch my attention," said Rouge.

"Yes, well" said the Commander " We've been noticing how deadly the Doctor had been lately. This dragon machine had caused massive destruction and chaos. We think Eggman may have been receiving a helping hand, some who is helping 'improve' his designs."

"Makes sense" said Shadow " but the Doctor doesn't allow anyone just under his roof."

"I know" said the Commander " but whoever he did let in could prove to be a serious threat to the world. Also, some of our researchers suspect that some important information they found on the Ark could relate to all this."

"Ark?" said Shadow surprised.

Rouge didn't blame him. She was pretty stunned as well.

A couple of years ago, one of her first missions was to investigate the mystery of the Ultimate Lifeform on the Space Colony Ark. The mission had almost ended up as a complete disaster as Eggman's grandfather, the late Gerald Robotnik, reprogrammed the space colony to crash and shatter the planet once all seven chaos emeralds were in place.

The Commander just nodded at Shadow's surprise, before retrieving a piece of paper from the desk.

"This was brought to my attention a little while ago," said the Commander, handing the form over for Team Dark to read.

"It was filed deep in the Ark's database under 'Highly Classified'" he continued " We're having difficultly translating most of it. Maybe there's something you could tell me."

Rouge didn't know what to make of the form. Some parts were in English, while the rest was written in tongue she really didn't know. What she did notice right away, is that the form kept talking about some tribe, a tribe that had special powers and interested Gerald to do more research.

"I have yet to unlock the mysteries of that great, big stone."

"Hold on a minute" said Rouge, starting to get the point here " is this about…,"

"The Master Emerald?" Shadow finished for her.

The Commander nodded, and Shadow looked back at the form, reflecting back on the last adventure he had had on the Ark.

Come to think of it, he did remember the core looking just like the shrine, not the ruins it was now, but when it looked whole and new. He never considered that Angel Island held any importance to his past, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he should have thought about the whole connection more.

"If this really is connected to Eggman" said Rouge " then we're going to need Knuckles help on this."

"Hmph, good luck" said Shadow " you really think you can get him to leave that island of his?"

"If he can take break once and awhile to help Sonic save the world I don't see why not" said Rouge " You just wait. By the end of the day, I guarantee Knuckles will join us."

Moments later, Rouge was flying out to Angel Island to see if she could convince Knuckles to help them out on the case. Shadow suggested for a moment that maybe it was better they all go. He knew how Rouge and Knuckles acted around each other, and if they got into an argument, the chances of the echidna stepping in and helping was literally zero percent.

Rouge took offense to that suggestion, and reported that everything would be fine. Though, on the inside, she shared some of Shadow's doubt as well.

Knuckles was dedicated to his duty, and nothing short of world-shattering crisis could make him ever pull away. But that didn't mean that she couldn't try, and Rouge smiled at the thought of the challenge.

Meanwhile, on his position at the altar, Knuckles was just sitting and enjoying some fruit, when he noticed bat girl flying in overhead.

"Oh not now," he thought. He really wasn't in the mood.

No doubt Rouge was here to try to take away the Master Emerald again. That jewel thief just didn't know when to quit. Almost monthly, the bat would make various trips out to his island. They'd banter, they'd fight, and then she would leave with empty pockets claiming that she would get the jewel next time.

"Maybe if I end this quickly she'll go away," thought Knuckles in his head.

"Hiya Handsome," called Rouge as she landed on the ground.

"What do you want Rouge?" growled Knuckles, showing that he was not in the mood.

"Why Knuckie, I'm hurt" said Rouge " I assure that I only came on business,"

"Yeah right!" scoffed Knuckles, not believing a word.

"It's true" said Rouge " GUN has insisted that you help us with a case."

That caught Knuckles off guard.

"The military wanted me?" he thought " No, it can't be! It's a trick!"

"I assure it's quite serious" said Rouge, as if she could read the echidna's thoughts. " Now will you help us out or not?"

"No" said Knuckles, after a few seconds of silent tension " I'm not leaving Angel Island…ever again."

Now it was Rouge's turn to be taken off guard, totally surprised by the deep depression in the echidna's tone. What had happened up here? His eyes were hurt! As if everything he had ever known was slowly crumbling to an end.

"Why?" asked Rouge, her voice laced with concern.

Knuckles didn't answer.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Eggman" sighed Knuckles " I believed him and almost destroyed my team. They're better off without me now. I'll just stay here, alone."

"Pathetic," said Rouge " How is that different from the rest of your life? You really think if you just stay up here that your friends won't run the risk of being killed? Sonic runs into danger all of the time. You'll never hear him saying 'No'."

"Sonic almost died because of me!" yelled Knuckles, surprising Rouge with his words. "I'm the one who fell for Eggman's tricks! I'm the one responsible for making the whole village burn! My gullibility is a threat that everyone takes advantage of. They don't need a danger like that on their team."

"Well, will wonders never cease," thought Rouge. Knuckles finally realized how gullible he is, and it hurt her to see the revelation was causing him so much pain.

"Hey that's…," Rouge started to say, but was interrupted by Knuckles.

"You didn't see their eyes Rouge" said Knuckles softly, his gaze cast down. " They hated me."

At that statement Rouge felt rage boiling up in her blood. After this case was over, she would have to stop by and Sonic and his gang a stern talking, but right now she had a moody echidna to cheer up.

"Listen Knux" said Rouge, stepping up by the echidna " you may be gullible, but it's not your fault. And at least you're not easily distracted by flattery. If Sonic and his friends don't want you around, that's their choice, but hiding up here from them is the coward's way. And I know you to well for you to think like that."

"Come work with us" she continued " if only to clear your mind. Help us find out who has been helping out building Eggman's machines. And by the way, we have something else for you to see. We think that it may be related to the echidnas."

"Echidnas?" said Knuckles, his interest suddenly peaked.

Rouge nodded.

"There were some files found on board the Ark" she explained " it seems like Professor Gerald did some deep research on the echidna culture, and you're the only expert around who could possibly know about that."

"Professor Gerald," thought Knuckles, remembering his adventure on board of the Space Colony Ark.

The core did look a lot like the shrine. It was almost a perfect recreation of his visions with Tikal. Knuckles had been amazed when he had seen it. How did the mad scientist know?

"If I help them maybe I can find out" thought Knuckles " but that will mean confronting Eggman too."

A vision of Sonic's broken body filled his mind.

"I need to redeem myself," he cringed.

"Okay, I'll do it" he said to Rouge " but I need to put the Master Emerald away somewhere first."

A chance of redemption had been dropped upon him, and there was no way he could pass that up. Maybe, by the end, they could be friends again, and hatred would be erased from their glares.