Chapter 7:
Need For Speed
Zephyra scanned the halls desperately, tears lightly going down his face, after thinking of what he got himself into. He stopped by a door to his right, and slammed his back against it, feeling pain hurt him greatly. He slouched down to the ground, clinching his hands, and putting his arms on his knees and head on his arms, and sobbed endlessly.
FLASHBACK:
Topaz came running inside Zephyra's room, his face covered in tears and scratches bleeding on his face, bruises on his cheeks and arms, and clinched to Zephyra tightly. Zephyra quickly slammed his door shut and grasped his brother tightly, seeing his face with great distress.
He stared down at his brother with worry, "Topaz! W-What happened?"
"He's gonna kill me!" The blue hedgehog cried, "He's going to kill me and beat you up! I don't want to die!"
Zephyra stared towards the door, then back to Topaz, "No. He can't mean it."
Topaz nodded, his tears dripping onto Zephyra's arms, "I saw him, he grabbed his rifle, he's coming for me!"
Zephyra's door banged, the sound of the fist making it powerful and attempting to break down the door, "Zephyra! If you don't open this god damn door, you're mother's going to pay also! Now get this mother-fucker door open, now!"
Zephyra spun to Topaz, "Which rifle?"
"The one he uses for trespassers!" Topaz cried.
Another male voice then was heard by the two, and the banging stopped.
"Hurrier! You fucking ass-hole!" Another male voice snarled, "You put that damn gun now! He's your son!"
"And I'm gonna kill him!" The other male voice snapped, "And how dare you come to me and call me an ass-hole!"
Zephyra spun to Topaz, "What did you do?"
Topaz shook his head, "I didn't do anythin'! I did nothin'! And he accused me of breaking his win'sheild."
Zephyra growled slightly, "Not the Judge was it?"
Topaz nodded.
"Darren!" Hurrier snarled, "You get your fucking ass out of my way!"
"Over our dead bodies." Another male voice snapped, "You're a madman! Now put that gun down!"
The two brothers could hear their father's snarl through the door, "You listen to me you two. Both of you! If you don't get your asses out of my way, I'll shoot you both down!"
Zephyra then quickly dragged Topaz towards his window, "Come on! I know where we can go!"
Two shots then boomed, startling the two both, and two holes in Zephyra's door were broken out by the rifle's shots. The two brothers quickly leaped from the window, barely escaping as a third shot went over Zephyra's head.
END FLASHBACK
"Zephyra." A dark voice called his name, "Zephyra. Look up damn it."
The blue hedgehog glared upwards, seeing his rival kneeling in front of him.
Zephyra growled lowly, "You…"
Mince sighed slightly, seeing the violet eyes turn red with fury, "Your father…"
"What about him?" he growled.
"You shouldn't be thinking about him." The chameleon advised, "You were so damn lucky to escape that last shot. But you don't need to think about the past."
Zephyra glared at the chameleon, "Means you were friends with my mother doesn't give you any right to bud into my family business. So you know."
Mince growled lowly, "Quit it. We need to get going."
Zephyra lowered his head, "why should we?"
The chameleon glared deathly at the demon-hog, "Cause if we don't, we'll lose our prey while they get away in their cars."
"Speaking of which." Zephyra glared up, "Where's yours?"
------
Misty and Anna bust through the door with great speed, both in a slight panic as they tried getting into the room. Behind them, the mutants were charging at them with their claws clicking against the floor, chasing them as fast as they could Quickly Conore and Shadow threw up their guns, thinking it was an enemy.
"Don't shoot!" Misty cried.
"Close the door! Close the door!" Sonic cried out, seeing the mutants within feet of them.
Just as the two girls moved from the door, Knuckles quickly ran over and bashed the door, attempting to close it, only the door crashing into one of the mutants that tried getting in. The mutant seen the echidna's feet, tried snapping at it, Knuckles yelped slightly as the mutant snapped it just inches away. Conore swiftly pointed his gun towards the mutant, yanked the trigger, and penetrated the creature's skull, kicking it out from the doorway as it bled fresh blood.
"Son of a biacth!" Tails cried
Misty collapsed into one of the chairs available, "No shit."
Sonic then spun around to the two with a stunned expression on his face, "How'd you two escape?"
Anna shrugged, "Kinda complicated."
Rouge turned to Conore and Sonic, "So, how are we going to get out?"
The two glanced at one another with question.
"Well," Aaron spoke, "Unless we have unlimited ammo, we're not getting out alive."
"Fucking A though." Shadow complained, "One of those things neary bit me."
"One did with me." Sonic growled, looking at his hand, "It's been healing very funny too. And making my hand a bit weird."
Samiria lay back in her chair and stared out the window where the mutants were at, "We need to fgure out how to stop them though, and extremely soon."
"Why?" Mellony faced her mom.
"Cause if we don't." She explained, "Every time their tongues touch blood, they grow at a massive rate, and become a lower class version of the Mother Laborers."
Misty whimpered, "Nooooo."
They all stared at Sonic, seeing he was the first to be bit, and blood on his hand was dry.
Sonic stared at Samiria, "What happens if the prey still lives?"
Samiria shrugged, "Don't know, no one's ever lived to tell the tale."
A loud clank sound was made beneath them startling them, all quickly backing away as a platform beneath them was rising. All the guys quickly dawned their guns to the platform, and held their fingers on the trigger anxiously to shoot.
The platform crashed to the ground, and Espio quickly put up his hands, "NO! Wait!"
They all froze, seeing the chameleon's wounds and seen his shoulder bitten. The guys slowly lowered their guns, and stared at the chameleon.
"Espio?" Anna said in shock.
"I know how we can get out!" Espio mentioned, "But it leads to the first floor."
"The main floor." Samiria stated, "Good…"
------
They walked down the halls on a mission, glancing right and left for their prey as the footsteps lightly slapped the ground. The three were determined to get them back, even though one had his desire, another had her chance of truth, and the other, his moment alone.
Just ahead, a few IMA shooters came rolling in, their guns in hand, and quickly pointed to the three. The three froze in place, and stared at them with a bit of annoyance, the shooters standing in their way of a chase. Behind the shooters, another human entered, and the shooters moved aside as the human with blonde hair and shades approached the three.
He chuckled sinisterly, "Mince Marvelo, it's been a while since your works have been made."
Klaira and Zephyra stared at the chameleon with question.
Mince snorted as he glared lightly at the human, "What creation?"
The blonde one sneered, "The Mother Laborers. They've been a success, but abused."
Klaira then glared at Mince, "What did you do this time…"
The human started to walk forward, "Where is she?"
"Who?" The demon-hog growled.
"Misty." He snapped, "Where is she!"
"Like you need her." Klaira snapped back.
The blonde man eyed the hedgehog, and grinned, "You better keep that bitch on a tight leash, if you know what's good for you."
Mince also started walking towards the human slowly, spotting a patch on his arm that signified captain, "Korin, when did you become captain…"
The human stopped, "About three years ago. Ever since our prized possession passed, I've been after another for years to come, and finally…"
Mince stopped, and his eyes grew darker with a slight anger.
"Finally, I see now that Misty's the key." He said, his shades shining against the lights, "She is here, is she not?"
"Until you showed your face in my eyes," Mince growled lowly, "I was actually planning on handing her over. But now that I see you're in charge, fuck it."
The blonde's smile faded a little, "Thank god Huston shot your wife."
Both Klaira and Zephyra's teeth grinded, knowing what Korin was asking for. The two glanced at one another, Klaira waving Zephyra back, and both stepped away from Mince, seeing his anger get larger.
"And thank god he shot you." Korin continued, "I knew you were a fool from the start. You go and try to kill him, but instead, your heart and soul are taken, leaving you with only that useless body of yours."
Klaira waved Zephyra again, backing up farther as Mince's fists tightened, and his back pulsated. Mince could feel the tightness of his skin grow more, and his muscles bulging as his body demanded to be released from under the skin, and run wild with fury.
The blonde then took a few steps forward, "As we see eye to eye Mince. You could be in a bedroom making sweet love to your wife, or even cheat on her if you were desperate."
The chameleon's eyes flickered, but shifted back to normal, readying himself to attack if one more word was spoken from him.
Korin stepped even closer, and was now in Mince's reach to leap at him, "While you have a female behind you…"
Klaira glanced over to her left, seeing a hallway beside her, She turned her head slowly to Zephyra, and nudged her head to the left, telling the hedgehog to get ready to dive for the left. The blue demon-hog nodded, and both spun their head back in front.
Korin grinned evilly, "Why don't you entertain us a bit, and even make her a Mother Laborer."
Mince snarled loudly, and to Klaira and Zephyra's note, it was a signal to dive for the left. The chameleon's eyes shifted black with red slits, and he leaped onto the human, clinching him by the shoulders with his black claws, and sunk his fangs into his shoulder. Korin cried out as the fangs scraped the bone and pierced the muscle, blood rushing out as Mince drunk every drop of the blood that was drained from the human.
The shooters started to fire their guns at him, but the bullets strangely hit Korin's body and missed Mince. Zephyra glanced over to Klaira, seeing her fingers stretched out a little towards Mince and Korin, the bullets being telekinetically moved to hit Korin's body instead of Mince's.
"Klaira?" Zephyra questioned her.
She glanced over to Zephyra, her eyes dim, "I'd rather have Mince alive alone than Korin as a rival of his."
The shooters stopped with their fire, seeing Korin's body lay on the ground penetrated, Mince grasping the body with claws that sank into the skin. The chameleon's mouth dripped with human blood, his back arched, and his breathing deep, his back continuing to pulsate, and his muscles began to grow slightly larger with each passing second. Mince's head slowly rose, and glared at the shooters, his tail whipping back and forth as the shooters started to back off a little, passing the hallway they came from.
Mince snarled, and charged at the shooters, in return the shooters tried firing their guns, only to have the guns click with nothingness. The wild chameleon leaped onto one shooter, slicing his neck open, turning to the side, and slashed another's face as the one he was one fell to the ground. He leaped off of the shooter, and kicked a short shooter in the head with a high kick, spinning and grasped a fatter shooter by the clothes, and slashed his stomach open through the armor he wore. Two came charging at him with the butt of their guns raised, Mince flipped backwards and made the shooters miss, grasped their heads, and clashed them together where both skulls were crushed, and blood quickly ran out o their heads.
The chameleon stopped on one of the bodies, his body shifting his structure as he grew larger from head to toe, quills starting to poke out from his back, making the chameleon screech as the pain bounced around in him. More shooters then appeared from behind, and pointed their guns towards the mutant, already starting to fire at their first sight. The bullets hit the chameleon, but it seemed as if the bullets were glass, they shattered, and didn't lay a scratch on Mince's body that grew and grew. The chameleon spun his body around, and charged at them on all fours, the bullets only poking at him like dull pencils, the shooters quickly demolished as his claws struck into their bodies, and ripped their bloodied hearts out.
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Sonic poked his head through the door that said DO NOT ENTER, and glanced around to see humans right and left walking around, minding their own business. He quickly tucked his head back away from the door, and spun to the others.
"Apparently they're everywhere." Sonic stated.
"The cameras are fixed," Espio growled lowly, "I seen some of those humans put up some new ones just as I got here."
Aaron nodded, "I guess the only way out is to get ourselves caught."
Anna also agreed with the wolf, "Yep, and we're gonna have to run."
A loud screech was heard from behind them, startling them slightly as the screech bounced around in between the walls. Their heads turned towards the screech, wondering what was it that made it.
Samiria's face turned instantly pale, "Run! Just stay together and get to the cars in front!"
Knuckles bolted out first, the door slamming into the wall and stunning some of the humans that were nearby. Hurriedly they ran out from the door staying as close as they could as they ran past humans right and left. The running didn't seem to last long, with a huge mob of humans standing in their way, practically filling the entire main room with people and their pamphlets. Everyone was forced to stop, and search through the humans, seeing if there was a way to get through without much nonsense.
"What do we do?" Tails cried.
They all stood with desperation, hoping one of the stupid humans heard Tails. Sonic spun his head around to glance behind him, staring past the others, and seen Klaira and Zephyra running around a corner straight at them.
Sonic spun around and charged into the crowd, "Just shove and go!"
Sonic shoved himself between a few humans, grasping Tails' hand and dragging him with him. Quickly Everyone else followed, grasping each other's hand as they shoved their way through the crowd of people, with Sonic leading them to the door. Zephyra and Klaira stopped as the humans regained their spot, and watched as their enemy were cloaked by the humans.
"Now what?" Zephyra faced Klaira.
"The back!" She quickly announced, "Let's head there!"
Sonic bust the doors open with his foot, the glass door whipping around and smacking some people to the side. The string of friends slithered out of the mob and out into the cloudy and breezy outside. Ahead of them were five cars of different types, a black Corvette, a yellow and black Celica, black and white Gallardo, a red Challenger, and a white Ford Mustang sitting across from the block.
Samiria spun around to them, "Mel, in the Corvette! Anna and Tails, you ride with Conore, Rouge with Aaron, Shadow and Espio with Knuckles, and Sonic with Misty! NOW!"
Quickly they scattered to each car, Sammy and Mel into the Corvette, Tails, Anna, and Conore in the Celica, Knux, Shad, and Espio in the Challenger, Aaron and Rouge slipped into the Gallardo, and Misty and Sonic leaped into the Mustang. Everyone floored on the gas, their tires screeching against the pavement, and sprinted off down the street. After a few blocks, they all split into different directions, and kept in contact with their intercoms.
"Everyone!" Samiria called into the intercom, "Head to the Ilola Mall! And we'll meet in the parking lot below. Hurry though!"
"Got it, Misty and Sonic out." Misty stated, turning off the intercom.
Sonic quickly flicked his head to her, "Shouldn't we keep in touch?"
"If it's a race to the mall, hell no." Misty stated, "There's certain timings that the mall underground parking lot opens and closes, if we don't make it there in time, we're screwed."
The blue one then glanced at his side mirror, and quickly started to poke her, "Ack! We're being chased!!"
Misty took a quick glance up into her rear view mirror, and spotted a black Nissan Skyline, and a blue 350Z, and floored the gas to the floor of the car.
------
"So you're the Racing Beauty?" Zephyra questioned Klaira over the intercom.
"Have been and always will be." Klaira replied, "But I ain't going back to where I used to race, I'd be shot the moment I was seen."
"Did you see that car though?" Zephyra asked, "The black muscle car shaped like a Stang, only bigger, black with a white stripe on each side?"
Klaira then laughed slightly, "Yeah, but I ain't telling you."
Zephyra snorted, "Fine, later. But how are we gonna catch these guys?"
"With luck." Klaira stated, following the Mustang as it whipped through traffic wildly, "All we need is a road block."
The Mustang whipped around between lanes and cars, its paint nearly missed by an inch from the other cars and trucks, with the Nissans behind them following their every move. Misty quickly slammed the brake, spinning the wheel to te right, forcing the muscle car to slide and turn right. Swiftly Klaira and Zephyra did the same, just yards away from the muscle. Three taxis were nearly missed as Misty floored the gas again, the diesel trucks slamming their brakes and swerving their trucks to create a road block in the street. The Nissans were able to slip under the trailer that one of the trucks carried, and continued to trail the Mustang.
Sonic glared at Misty, "Now'd be a good time to call for help."
Misty's mouth slightly dropped as she slammed on the brakes, "Too late!"
Straight ahead, an Olds 442 lashed from a street block ahead, its left wheels almost lifting from the pavement, and straightened to face the Mustang. Just a second later, police cars followed it in waves, their lights and sirens flaring around, and the cars around them started pulling over.
"Shit!" Misty cried out, swerving the Stang to the left, and entered an alley.
Sonic stared back at Misty, "You'd rather beat the crap out of this than face the police?"
"With Mince?" Misty glared, "An Olds 442 is nothing to mess with!"
The Stang started to bounce as it hit trash on the ground in the alley way, the narrow path making something to dodge harder than needed. More cops then appeared in front of them, while the Olds and the police following it boxed them in.
"Now we're screwed!" Sonic cried out.
"No we're not!" Misty said, spotting a huge glass window to the right.
She immediately turned the wheel to the right, the Stang busting through the glass window into a Martial Arts room. The humans in there speedily scattered to avoid the wild Mustang, and barely took a glance as it swerved more to the right, crashing through another window that lead back into the same busy street they left behind. The white cars then swung around to the left, missing a McLaren by a second, and Misty pressed the gas again, getting only about two seconds ahead when the Olds popped out from behind again.
"Fuck! We can't shake him!" Sonic cried.
"We'll try the interstate." Misty said grinning, "I lose everyone when racing on the interstate."
"You'd better lose Mince if you know what's good for us both!" Sonic cried to her, "I don't need to be impregnated again!"
"Well then hang on tight." Misty warned, "It's usually a busy interstate at this time."
The Stang and Olds raced through the streets, with the cars and trucks around honking their horns as they passed them or nearly hit them within inches of each other. The tires continued to screech against the pavement as both muscle cars whipped back and forth in lanes, Misty hoping to find the interstate soon. She swung the wheel right, getting into a four lane street, and ahead, a large bridge hovered over it, with a road on the right leading up into the interstate. She swerved once more, getting onto the road, and caught up with traffic, the Olds closely following behind.
To Misty's surprise, the traffic on the interstate wasn't busy, and there was plenty of space to maneuver through. Both cars weaved through the traffic, the Olds mimicking the Stang's movements or better, slowly getting closer as the white muscle tried to gain distance. Misty glanced into her rearview mirror once more, seeing the Olds just feet away from the back bumper. The Olds then moved to Misty's left, quickly gaining speed as it drew closer to the side.
From Sonic's right, a black car then shot like a bullet from behind, getting ahead of the two muscles, and slowed up, moving in front of the Olds, brake lights flashing on, and tires screeching to stop the car. The olds quickly slammed on its brakes, backing away from the Stang, which swerved to miss the black car for safety. The black car then sped up beside the white car, and jolted right, scaring Misty slightly and swerved right into a turn off from the highway. Both took one last glance at the black, car, seeing it was a black Gallardo fending off the Olds on the highway.
"Darren!" Sonic commented.
"Thank god too." Misty stated.
"Now let's head to that parking lot." Sonic reminded, "I don't think we're that far."
Misty pressed the gas lightly, speeding up gradually and headed to the mall, which was just a football field away, where the others waited for them.
lmao! I couldn't think of any other title for this chapter.
btw, those little mutants are gonna get alot worse as this proceeds onward, and I mean ALOT worse.
enjoy X3
