A/N: Welcome to another chapter of my second story! As you've seen last chapter, the Freedom Fighters had locate yet another chaos emerald. However, they got more than they bargained for in the form of 3 E-100 units. Thankfully, Eggman paid the price for thinking he could trick the heroes with the same tactic. Now, all they need to do is find out where the Blue emerald was shipped, but they'll get sidetracked...
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC and its affiliates.
After their somewhat successful heist on the emerald, everyone was in the Sky Patrol's infirmary. All of them, besides Big and Cream, suffered some bruising at best and singed fur and slight scarring from explosive damage at worst, though Sally may have suffered the worst from having caught a little shrapnel from the bombs thrown at her. Right now, Rotor was carefully picking the pieces out with a tweezer. The only people that weren't in the room were Tails and Kor. Sonic had called earlier and felt he was ready to return, having mastered his transformation. As such, Tails took the Tornado to pick him up. Kor went to the armory as he claimed he had something that would help everyone.
When the two brothers returned, Sonic could already tell something happened based on how ruffled Tails' fur was. "Geez Tails...you said you guys were intact, but how much glue did it take?"
"Yer sympathy is astoundin' Sug..." Bunnie said tiredly.
"What happened?"
"Eggman-ow!" Sally yelped as another piece was pulled. "Sorry." Rotor responded. "The emerald was bait. Eggman ambushed us with three E-100 units..."
"THREE?!" Sonic exclaimed before sighing in frustration. "I should've been there..."
"You were ill, my friend. You needed help." Antoine pointed out.
"No 'Twan. I knew I was sick for a while and if I'd taken care of things sooner-" Sonic retorted.
"You'd run the risk of dying, same as the rest of us." Sally stated, slowly getting off the bed. She had bandages over where the shrapnel was pulled. "But what's worse, is that our information from Eggman's database is worthless now...we'll no longer have an edge."
True Blue shook his head. "No, I'm your edge, and I'm back. Have we ever needed more than that in the past?"
Sally took a moment to think. "...No?"
"Exactly. So Eggman got a win today, and the score is like, what? 1 to 100?"
Tails chuckled. "You've been keeping score?"
"Point is, we're a team, the best team on this jigsaw of a planet! And together, we'll make sure Eggman won't hold onto that emerald for long." Sonic boasted, raising the spirits of his comrades.
"And to reiterate, Eggman technically didn't get a full win." Kor said as he walked in the room, carrying an odd-looking contraption.
"How so?" Sonic asked.
"While Eggman did send 3 E-100 units to kill us, he won't be getting them back though." The engineer chuckled. "You guys took Kappa down, I shot Lambda to pieces after luring it away, and Iota was shot down by Hornet. I'm still giddy after watching mah gunship finally accomplish what I built it to do!" He smiled widely.
Bunnie gave a light chuckle. "Heh heh, ok settle down there gunslinger. But thank Hornet for me fer gettin' that flyin' feller off mah tail."
"What's that you're holding Kor?" Rotor asked.
"Oh, this is supposed to help ease the pain on you guys. In my world it's called the Quick Fix, heals ya real fast. It don't hurt or nothin', and it sure helps me when I'm exposed to explosives." The red fox switched the machine on before he used it on the heroes. Kor repeatedly flipped the lever as he trained the beam on everyone.
They each felt a wave of warmth wash over them, which helped them feel as if they got some much needed relaxation. Antoine felt good enough to the point he checked the wounds that were bandaged up, only to see there was just some scarring now. "Incroyable!
"If you had a healing device like this the whole time, why didn't you bring it up sooner?" The walrus asked.
"Because this thing is highly effective at healing almost anything, including robots when set properly. And that goes double for the stronger mediguns. I like to keep it hidden so no one unfavorable finds out about it, same with mah dispensers. Just imagine what Eggman could do if he got his hands on this kind of stuff." Kor explained.
"I'd hate to picture it...so Sonic, did you get the help you needed?" Amy asked.
"Yeah. I'm still changing at night, but I'm more than ready to get back in the game. I won't leave you guys hangin' again." The Blue Blur boasted.
"That's good to hear. Speaking of which, is there something on my back? I feel something back there but can't reach it..." Kor said, scratching his backside.
"Hold on, let me see." Rotor said, taking a look. He didn't see anything so it was likely under Kor's fur. Parting it, he found a jagged piece of rock stuck in there. "Woah. There's a piece of earth in your back, and it looks like it's in there pretty deep. Did it hurt?"
"No. Probably happened when one of Lambda's bombs exploded near me when I was running from it. You don't exactly notice things like that when someone's chucking explosives at your face..."
"Well, I'm gonna need some plyers..." The captain stated, opening a nearby drawer.
"Hey Nicole, you got any leads about where another emerald might be?" Sonic asked.
"Actually, I was just about to bring it up." The holo-lynx smiled as she summoned a poster.
The poster read, "Casino Park Arena: Chaos Emerald championship", with a picture of the green emerald at the bottom. Apparently it's being hosted in a fighting tournament as the main prize for whoever is the last person standing in the ring over a series of matches. What surprised the heroes, was who was hosting it.
Sally groaned. "Oh no..."
"Breezie has an emerald?" Sonic exclaimed.
"Wait, what? OWW!" Kor yelped as Rotor pulled the rock from his back.
"You're lucky it just hit muscle, cause it was really close to your spine."
"Thanks...so Sonic, you have a history with her?" Kor asked as he used the Quick Fix on himself.
"It's a long story..." Sonic said sheepishly.
"Well we'll talk about it in the briefing room. I'm gonna have to make a call." Sally said as she walked out.
The others shrugged before making their way toward the room. Once they got there, Sally was already on the phone.
"Really? You couldn't just...ugh, fine, deal..." She hung up.
"So how'd it go." Bunnie asked.
"Breezie is so infuriating! How did you even meet her Sonic?" An irate Sally asked.
Sonic kicked his feet on the table. "Welp, it was years ago when I tangled with Eggman's 'Super Special' Sonic Search and Smash Squad. I was still a kid back then but those guys were such jokers. Anyway, Breezie faked being kidnapped so she could lure me into several traps. Even fought Silver Sonic at the time, still won, but that's how I met her."
"It still makes me mad she was working with Eggman from the beginning..." Tails grumbled.
"And why are we just hearing about this now?" Amy asked in irritation.
"Oh relax, it was years ago. Sides, I haven't told everyone all of my adventures, especially not the ones that go..." Sonic made a funny face as he did a fake accent. "Hey guys! Wanna hear about the time I got played for a chump?!"
Everyone shared a laugh about that. "I think I would like to here zose stories." Antoine grinned.
Sally gave a heartfelt laugh. "Heh heh, maybe later. Anyway, Breezie's come a long way from being a double-agent, especially since she runs Breeze Media, the largest media network on the planet. What I can't understand is why she's hosting a fighting tournament for the chaos emerald."
"Easy. She's bringing in money, and so people are distracted from the fact the planet is in pieces." Kor piped up.
"How do you know that?" Rotor asked.
"Remember a week ago when I told you guys I got bit by those Dark Gaia things? That job I was doing was escorting her back to her main hub in Casino Park. Main reason for that was due to the fact her security forces weren't prepared for the monsters since it was the first time they appeared. She owes me a favor now due to that."
"And you didn't zhink that would've been useful til now?" Antoine asked, a bit annoyed.
"Well, I didn't expect her to get her hands on an emerald, plus I doubt she'll just give it us."
"Right...that would explain why you're on the roster." Sally told him.
"Huh?!" The red fox asked, clearly shocked.
"I was talking with Breezie to see if I could get all of us spots on the roster, but she would only take you, Sonic, Tails, and Amy, and the registration deadline already passed."
Rotor grumbled. "Isn't she connected to a ton of shady business?"
"Yeah. She does business with Eggman since she uses many of his outdated badniks as employees." Kor informed him.
"So why can't we just take the emerald? We're trying to save the world here."
"Hmm, I do enjoy a more direct route..." Sonic said thoughtfully.
"Because we don't do that! Breezie isn't like Eggman, and it'd look like we'd be stealing from her." Amy retorted.
"Again, saving the world?" Rotor fired back.
"As much as I'd be up for just taking it, Breezie's security at Casino Park is top of the line, and I ain't lookin' to tangle with that..." Kor admitted.
Sally decided to end it before things got heated. "Ok ok settle down guys. Amy's right, the world looks to use for hope, especially now. If we act like we're above the law, we're only creating trouble for ourselves later on."
"I'm always thinking about that..." Kor said uneasily.
"Regardless of whether Breezie is a criminal kingpin or a legit business woman, I did offer to buy the emerald. She wouldn't sell it."
Sonic gave a small laugh. "Is your dad cool with using the kingdom's treasury to bankroll us?"
"Well, daddy is a bit...pragmatic." Nicole gave a smirk at that. "Anyway! The tournament starts tomorrow. Good luck guys."
"Welp, guess we better get down there then." Kor said as he got out of his seat.
"Hmm...Breezie advertised this event everywhere right? We might be playing by the rules, but what's stopping Eggman from just invading Casino Park?"
"Well, considering Eggman's forces are too divided to do much outside of there own regions, Breezie's sass and forward thinking, and the fact Casino Park has tight security, Eggman isn't capable of doing such a thing. But it's possible he could steal the emerald." Kor explained.
"And how do you know that?" Tails asked.
The older fox shrugged. "Breezie told me. Anyway, what are we taking to get there? There isn't a landing strip at that money trap, and I don't want to have Hornet fly us."
The kit smirked. "Don't worry, I got that covered."
"You sure seem to know a lot about Breezie." Sonic smirked.
"If you're implying I have a thing for her, you're dead wrong. It's just from when we last conducted business."
The blue hedgehog just laughed. "That can mean a lot of things."
Kor started to blush when he realized that. "Oh shut up! I'm gonna get a few things before we leave..." He stormed off in irritation.
-On the Death Egg-
Eggman slouched in his chair with an irritated look as he stared at the screen in front of him, which had the symbol that meant 'call ended'. He just got off the line with Breezie after having a 'nice' discussion. By nice, I mean he threatened to blow her entire network and casino out of existence. Instead, Breezie just laughed it off knowing how thin his forces are currently before hanging up.
He growled before hitting the call button again, this time calling a certain team of misfits. "Yo. We just got to off the exit ramp. We'll be there in-" Nack replied before the doctor cut him off.
"Whatever, shut up and listen! Breezie thinks I'll play by her rules, but she's forgetting I'm running the show here! If you screw up in the tournament, disable the park's defenses!"
"Thanks for the confidence." The weasel replied sarcastically. "Alright, we can do that, but that's another job that requires some investment. After all, we're grabbing the emerald for you for free." He gave a toothy grin.
"You money-grubbing little...fine! But DO NOT fail me!" Eggman practically punched the 'end call' button. "I hate dealing with these idiots! I'll take a good robot any day over them..." He then called Metal Sonic.
The Metal doppelganger was in Apotos, holding an old man hostage. It seemed he had information he needed, but the man continued to feign innocence. Metal was about to stab the man when Eggman called him. Rolling its eyes at the interruption, he answered. "I have a target of interest concerning the Gaia Temples."
"Never mind that! I'm sending some coordinates! Get over there, NOW!" The doctor screamed.
A bit irate, but knowing better than to question its master, Metal Sonic dropped the man and took off. The old man breathed a sigh of relief before getting up with a determined look on his face. The Gaia Temples needed to be protected at all costs, especially if Eggman wanted them.
-Casino Park: Hours later-
Tails and Rotor spend a few hours finishing up on a suitable transport for the heroes that were to take part in the fighting tournament. Once finished, they had built a nice looking car that could also convert into a plane (similar to the car Sonic used in Sega All-star Racing). It took roughly another hour of flying before the group reached the main entrance to Casino Park. As the pulled up, there was already a crowd waiting for them, and standing at the door was none other than the CEO of Breeze Media herself.
Sonic couldn't help but grin. "Alright guys, show time!"
"Easy for you to say. I don't like having dozens of cameras flashing at my face..." Kor bemoaned as he squinted his eyes a bit.
Tails glared at an Egg Pawn that acted as the valet as he handed it the car keys. "Not a single scratch! I just built it!"
The robot shook its head before it took the car to the parking garage. The kit continued to glare until it was out of site before he joined the others.
"Well well well, if it isn't the stars of the show!" Breezie greeted.
"Been a long time Breezie. Seems you're doing well for yourself." Sonic said with charisma.
"You as well, Mr. World-Wide Hero. And if it isn't my personal Knight in Shining Armor!"
"Hah, you wish. Still, that was a generous sum you gave me." Kor replied.
"True, but I feel as if that wasn't enough. After all, you did actually save my life." Breezie said before popping a soft kiss on Kor's cheek, causing several more cameras to flash. The fox's face went red either from blushing or embarrassment. Sonic and Amy couldn't tell but it seemed to be the latter as Kor sighed in annoyance.
"Um, didn't she try to get you and Tails killed once?" Amy reminded Sonic.
"Yeah, but she's a classy lady. Fight fire with fire right?" Sonic replied.
"Fight? You've done nothing but help actually. Paid programming ordered have trippled since it was announced you 4 would be contending!" Breezie said with joy as they walked into the main lobby. "Anyway, in order to accommodate your stay, you have full access to all facilities, unlimited trips to the buffet and so on. There's also a stack of chips for each of you on the counter. Don't worry, it's on the house."
"Eh, I'm not much of a gambler." Kor declined.
"Aw what's the matter Kory? Not confident enough to make a bet?" Breezie teased.
The engineer glared at the CEO. "Ok first off, don't call me 'Kory' or I'll actually hurt you. Second, I don't make bets on things I'm likely to lose..."
The green hedgehog pretended to be hurt. "Aww Kory, you hurt my feelings."
"Whatever. Is there a catch to all of this?"
"Naturally. Once things get started, there's to be no fighting outside of the ring-save it for the cameras. You can't help your buddies in the ring, and lastly, show up in time for your matches." Breezie looked at Sonic. "Did you get all of that or was I too fast for you?"
The Blue Blur smirked. "Nah, one rule of my own: don't schedule me at night."
"Oh ho ho! Unfortunately for you Sonic, you don't make the rules. I do, and you're prime time all the way."
Sonic shrugged. "Welp, guess I'm out then. I know these 3 can handle things without me. Later!" He started walked towards the exit.
Though she didn't want to show it, Breezie grew pissed. You could see it in her eyes despite the fact she kept her smile. It wasn't the fact Sonic denied her request, it's moreso that she didn't like having to abide by someone else's rules. If Sonic left, ratings would surely drop and that also meant less money would be made. "Wait! Daytime it is!"
Sonic turned with a confident smirk. "Pleasure doing business with you Breezie." He said before he and the rest of his friends walked off.
"Don't forget Sonic: if you try to beat the house, the house beats you..." She muttered under her breath before walking to who knows where.
Kor chuckled inwardly. "Heh, someone's mad."
"If looks could kill." Tails agreed, trying to keep his own set of giggles down.
"Seriously. I'd feel bad if she wasn't profiting from all of this. Thanks for making sure she didn't knife me in the back Amy." Sonic told her, though he didn't get an immediate response. Looking around, both Sonic and Tails lost sight of her.
"Where'd she go?" Tails asked.
"Over there talking with who I think is Honey the Cat, though I'm actually surprised she's here." Kor pointed out.
Indeed, Amy was talking with the famous fashion diva. One could see that Honey's outfit was much like Amy's except it had additional frills attached to the skirt along with a black stripe in the middle. You could assume that this is the person where Amy gets her clothing from, especially when they both said "Cause if you don't look sweet, you're not wearing Honey!"
Sonic chuckled. "What's terrifying is that I know they didn't rehearse that."
"Tell me about it." Kor agreed.
Honey looked over Amy's outfit. "Hmm...this is from my old 'Dream Casters' line."
The pink hedgehog nodded. "Yep! I love it! I practically wear nothing else!"
"Someone needs to be more diverse." Kor muttered to the two boys, and all of them shared a laugh.
"So, what's a fashion diva like you doing here?" Sonic asked.
"I'm competing!" Honey announced. "It's all about self-promotion, and the events don't any bigger than this! What about you 4?"
"We're here for the emerald. We need it in order to put world back in order." Kor explained.
"Hmm, is that a fact? Well, like I said, I'm just here to advertise. If I win, I'll hand over the gem to you guys. Deal?" She extended her hand.
"Deal!" Tails shook it.
"And in return, the Freedom Fighters will help promote my next line, riiiiiiiiight?" Honey added as she adorned a smug smile, which creeped out the kit.
"Um...I only wear shoes, socks, and gloves."
"You can accessorize."
Kor chuckled at the scene. Like Tails, he also wore much of the same, though in his earlier days he used to wear a shirt and pants before it became uncomfortable due to his thick fur (and after he realized he had enough fur that completely covered his junk unless he was in heat). Grabbing a bottle of beer off a tray a badnik was carrying, he took a sip while looking around. Chances are they'd see whoever else was competing, but what he didn't expect was meeting someone he didn't think he'd ever again.
About 30 feet from him was a pink echidna with a tuft of purple hair that sat at the top of her head. Some of her dreadlocks were adorned with several metallic rings, though one of them was entirely cybernetic. She also wore a green jacket with a black shirt underneath that showed her midriff, with black shorts to match and green boots. For anyone who can remember, this echidna, was Julie-Su.
Kor happened to catch sight of the pink echidna right as she looked in his direction, nearly spitting out his drink. The echidna immediately had an angry look on her face once she recognized the fox. "What are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing Julie...but if you must know, I'm here for the emerald." Kor growled.
"Right, and what would an idiot like you want with a powerful gem? Need it for one of your toys?" She taunted.
"No, dingas. I need it so Sonic and the others can fix the world with it!" He retorted.
"I hardly believe that from someone who prefers the company of machines than living people."
"It was under a series of circumstances!"
As the two got kept going further into their argument, they were approaching the point of thrashing one another. Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Honey all noticed, and naturally Sonic was the first to act.
"Woah woah woah time out here! What's with the shouting contest?" He asked.
"Just having a nice conversation with this 'lady'." Kor answered.
"Very funny. You aren't much of a 'gentleman' either pal!" Julie-Su retorted, clenching her fist.
"Um, Kor? Remember what Breezie said. You could get disqualified if you start fighting before the tournament starts." Tails noted.
"Is that a fact? Well then, I can't wait to cave your face in once we're in the ring." The echidna replied with a sinister look.
"Oh please. I'd crush you..." Kor fired back with venom in his voice. As if to prove his point, he unconsciously ended up crushing the bottle he was holding, not even caring at the fact he had some glass stuck in his hand. The two stared angrily at each other before Julie-Su walked off.
"So Kor, who was your 'friend' just now?" Honey asked.
The fox sighed and started pulling glass from his hand. "That...was Julie-Su...my ex-girlfriend..." The others were shocked upon learning this.
"I thought she looked familiar...last time I saw Julie-Su was on Angel Island when Knuckles was involved with that whole 'Brotherhood' deal. I thought she was sent back to the Twilight Zone..." Sonic said in thought.
"How did you two get together? I never expected that to happen..." Amy asked.
"Long story, and something I'd like to not discuss..." Kor said as he pulled the last piece from his hand.
"Well buddy, this is likely going to be eating at you until you do fess up, so spill." Sonic pointed out.
"Fine...we met somewhere in Eurish during the latter part of my first year on this planet. At the time I was doing a job to gather some intel on the main Egg Army base in the region so G.U.N. could plan an assault. However, she was also hired to do the same thing. She ended up getting paid whilst I didn't, so I was pissed about that. This turned us both into rivals competing for cash, though there was one job that both of us couldn't do alone. At the time Hornet's blueprints hadn't been drawn yet, and Terry wouldn't do given this was an interior job, so I asked her for help. Julie was hesitant at first, but she agreed. Let me tell you, she sure knows how to fight and she's an excellent sharpshooter, could give Nack a run for his money.
After that job, we split the reward, didn't see each other much but found we actually made a pretty good team. I provided the heavy firepower while she was more precise with her shots. Over time we grew closer and actually became an item...then about 6 months later we got into a massive fight about our previous mission as a couple things went wrong. To be honest, we would've killed each other had we not gotten another job right then. After that was done, we decided not to speak or see each other again..."
"Harsh dude..." Was all Sonic could say.
"Why didn't you guys just end the argument by admitting fault?" Amy asked.
"Well, cause I'm as stubborn as a mule and she's about as hotheaded as Knuckles." Kor admitted. "So I guess it was a matter of time before it officially ended. But since then, I've developed my reasoning skills better and became a bit less stubborn."
"Do you believe you two might've still been together if you guys didn't get into that argument?" Tails asked.
"Maybe, who knows. Probably could've taken the time to get to know each other better and develop a better sense of infatuation...but that time has passed, especially since she wants to turn my face into a sinkhole." The fox frowned.
Sonic decided to look at the positive side of this. "Well Kor, sorry you ran into an old flame of yours, but you can handle her right? Know how she fights?"
"Yeah, though she likely picked up a few moves since I last saw her. But, so have I." He grinned.
Unknown to the heroes, the Hooligans had spotted them. Bean, knowing they wouldn't stand a chance against the Freedom Fighters, tried to call Eggman to say they would move straight to Plan B. However, Nack told him to keep quiet in order to preserve their pride, which Bean questioned if they had such a thing. Unbeknownst to this group, Espio was silently watching from behind. He, like the rest of the Chaotix, were still bitter about their last confrontation, so the chameleon immediately went to a nearby pay phone.
"Vector, it's me. This is my first report, but it'll be brief, I only have enough change for 60 seconds."
"What?! I gave you $5, what happened to that?!" The crocodile shouted into the phone.
Espio face-palemed. "...I'm pretty sure the slots here are rigged..."
"Tell me about it...anyway, whatcha got?"
"Both the Hooligans and Freedom Fighters are here and will be taking part. I'll do what I can to help the latter, but since I didn't know they'd arrive, I took some extra measures to ensure the emerald falls into the proper hands."
"Like what?"
"You'll see on the TV." Espio stated before hanging up.
Elsewhere in the casino, Knuckles was looking around searching for pieces of the Master Emerald. The reason for this was due to a Black Arms alien known as Eclipse the Darkling having landed on Angel Island. The alien was originally on another Black Comet that was headed for Mobius, but Team Dark and G.U.N. saw to it that it would never reach its destination (A/N: Not to be confused with the game Shadow the Hedgehog). However, Eclipse escaped and had plans to use the Master Emerald in order to gain more power. Under a set of unfortunate circumstances, Knuckles had to do the one thing he wished he didn't have to do: shatter the powerful gem.
Luckily, with the planet's crust still floating freely the island remained afloat, but if the Master Emerald wasn't restored before the planet was fixed, it'd fall to the earth, much like it had when Chaos was released almost a year ago. Which brings us to now, as the echidna sensed its presence nearby. He wasn't alone either. Flying around, adoring all the lights and festivities, was a small marooned creature known as Chip. While he couldn't remember it himself, Chip is actually known as Light Gaia, the polar opposite of the deity whose energy is running amok on the planet.
"Wow! I don't think I'd ever get tired of this place! The lights, the sounds, the smells! That sign even said "All you can eat buffet." Do they really mean it? Oh wait...I'm suppose to be helping you look for the missing shards...sorry Knuckles..."
"Relax. You leave the treasure hunting to me, and I can sense chaos energy in here somewhere..."
"You sure it's not from the chaos emerald?" Chip asked.
"No. It's definitely from the Master Emerald, and I think I know where it is." Knuckles said, looking towards a fancy eatery. However, he looked the opposite direction to do a double take. He could've been wrong, but he could've sworn he saw a pink echidna.
A/N: And I'll pause it here to leave the fighting for the next chapter. So now it's clear the heroes need to take part in a fighting tournament to win the emerald, especially from those who want to misuse it. Also, I finally revealed that a certain fan favorite echidna is also taking part in this story. It really sucks that this stupid Penders Lawsuit prevented Julie-Su from being in the new continuity, so why not do her some justice? It would also comfort Knuckles knowing he isn't the only echidna running around on Mobius.
I should also mention that since Julie-Su is from the Nocturnus in this continuity, the only part of her that's cybernetic is her one dreadlock. Before the reboot, her left arm was also cybernetic, but in this one, I decided to have her completely organic.