Power of the Hunter
The air in the hospital parking lot was charged with tension as three hunters faced off. To the observers they appeared as demonic figures from an eldritch nightmare, god's of death about to do battle. Sonic felt Amy hug him tightly, as Cosmo did the same with Tails. Knuckles tried to put up a strong front, but it was obvious he was fighting the urge to run. Shadow stood frozen his eye's darting between the three combatants as he gritted his teeth. Riggman and his two living officers were standing immobilized with fear, along with Eggman who was white as a sheet. Nature itself seemed to hold it's breath as a cloud covered the moon, and the breeze that had been blowing ceased.
Seconds ticked by like hours as the hunters stared each other down. Then as if some signal had been given, the one Kagen called a Keeper rushed forward. Using his cane like a fencer uses a foil he tried to stab Kagen with the weapon's sharpened tip. Dodging with only the smallest margin for error Kagen somersaulted back and to the side. Kagen seemed out of immediate danger but the instant he recovered he spun to the left, just in time to dodge a pair of bullets fired by the Keeper's partner. The errant projectiles struck the hospital's large sign blowing two fist sized holes through it, in a shower of sparks.
Jumping forward Kagen fired a shot at the Keeper with a pistol similar to the one the hunter of hunter's had, dodging to the side of the bullet's the Keeper was unable to escape as Kagen struck him with his blade. The Keeper was sent flying into an empty squad car putting a sizable dent in it's side, but his armor held. Not wasting time Kagen headed to finish him, only to abruptly change course. Kagen was making a beeline for the Hunter of Hunters, dodging her pistol shots as she futily attempted to stop him. Jumping over one of her shots Kagen struck with his sword slicing cleanly through the wrist of her left hand. Screeching in pain the maimed hunter struck with her saw bladed weapon. Kagen was just able to raise his sword to parry her strike, but it's force still sent him skidding back a pace or two. Jumping back the wounded hunter threw her blade into the air pulled a vial of red liquid from her belt; and jammed it into her leg before catching her weapon. Kagen was going to press the attack when he heard a loud "CHINK" followed by a whistling noise. Raising his blade by pure reflex Kagen managed to get the razor whip to wrap around his sword rather than his throat. Kagen heard another "CHINK" as the hunter of hunters altered her own weapon. Charging at Kagen she swung her extended saw blade at Kagen's sword arm. Kagen released his weapon, choosing the loss of his sword over the loss of a limb.
As Kagen drew his Chikage the Keeper embedded his Burial Blade into a nearby lamp post with a casual flick of his whip. Kagen had managed to stop the hunter of hunters from shooting for now, but her hand was already growing back. Kagen was down a weapon and outnumbered, and the longer he fought the more chance an innocent person would be hurt. Kagen reached into a pocket of his belt, touching the bone fragment within. Focusing his will Kagen saw his flesh become slightly transparent as if it was made of mist or smoke. Next Kagen sheathed Chikage, and holstered his pistol, placing his hand on a hidden razor in Chikage's sheath. Kagen cut his flesh allowing the blade to drink deep of his blood. Kagen watched as the hunter of hunters rushed him her blade held ready to cut him in two, the keeper hanging back for support. Kagen waited until his foe had committed herself to the attack, then struck. Turning to vapor Kagen shifted to the side of the blow. The saw blade struck with enough force to crack the asphalt apart and send fragment's hurtling in every direction shattering windows and embedding themselves in cars. Before his opponent could do more than blink Kagen hit her with a vicious overhead slash cleaving through armor, flesh, bone, and organs. Whirling around to face the Keeper Kagen's sword appeared longer, with half the blade made of crystalline blood. Flicking the blade to the side Kagen returned the sword to normal, as his bisected opponent's two halves fell in opposite directions. Sheathing his sword Kagen once more turned to mist, flowing past the keeper he reached the lamp post his other blade had been stuck in. Pulling it out Kagen yanked the odd bone contrivance on his back free, revealing it to be some kind of staff. Whirling the blade in his hand Kagen slammed it into place on the bone staff. The eye's of those present widened as they witnessed the second form of the Burial Blade, a bone handled scythe whose blade shimmered with a silver blue radiance for an instant before returning to normal. The Keeper staggered back in awe when he saw the weapon.
"The Burial Blade?!" His voice was hollow and whispering as if it came from one already dead. "But that would mean. . ."
Kagen leapt into the air borne aloft by magic as he readied his strike, his body glowing with arcane energies.
"That I defeated Gherman." Kagen finished for his stunned opponent. Surging forward Kagen sliced the keeper in two at the waist, then spun the blade cutting him into quarters, next executing a brutal cross slash that cut him into sixths, before blasting him apart with a blow from Burial Blade's handle. Looking at the remains of his opponent Kagen separated and sheathed his weapon.
"I'll send him your regard's" Kagen said as he walked back into the hospital.
No one moved, no one spoke, they just stared at Kagen as he reentered the hospital. Returning a moment later Kagen held three glass bottles containing an orange liquid, a rag of old cloth stuck out of the top. Pulling a match out of a pouch Kagen lit the rag's on fire before tossing the bottles toward his fallen foes. A small explosion preceded a roaring inferno that consumed the remains of the two would be assassins. Looking up Kagen removed his helmet to answer the unspoken question.
"Their blood is too dangerous to leave lying around, so this is how we hunters perform a funeral." Turning to the burning corpses Kagen bowed his head. "As you lived by the blood, you die by the blood, return to the blood, and know peace." The prayer was simple and without preamble, but recited with great reverence. As the bodies were consumed fully by the flame Kagen returned his gaze to Sonic and his friend's. "Shall we finish our conversation?"
Rouge woke to the sun shining in an unfamiliar room, she felt groggy as she tried to get her bearings. "Uhh, what happened? I remember being in my apartment, Kagen took the emerald, then. . . . KAGEN!?" Rouge tried to rise only to cry out in pain and fall back into bed, her left arm and wing feeling like they were being dipped in lava. Rouge just had time to note the bandages on her body when Kagen burst through the door. Dressed in full armor except for his helmet, and brandishing a sword Kagen would have been terrifying to anyone else.
"What is. . ." Kagen stopped when he saw Rouge smiling at him, tear's in her eye's.
Dropping his weapon Kagen rushed to Rouge's side, his expression filled with concern. Falling to his knees Kagen bowed his head refusing to look her in the eye.
"What's the matter handsome? Aren't you going to say good morning?" Rouge asked lightheartedly as she wiped the tears from her face.
Kagen continued to remain with his head bowed, as tear's fell from his own eye's.
"Rouge I. . .I don't. . .I'm so sorry."
Rouge smirked.
"For what?"
Kagen was so surprised he actually raised his head to look at Rouge, confusion etched on his face.
"What do you mean 'For what?' I betrayed you!"
Rouge's smirk widened.
"You mean that little 'it's better this way' style performance you put on?" Kagen gawked at her. "Oh come on, I'm a thief and a spy, I wrote the book on reading people. Your voice may have been convincing but your eye's told me the real story."
Kagen stared at Rouge blankly for a few moment's before a smile crept onto his face.
"I guess I should have known better."
Rouge laughed for a moment wincing as she did so.
"Yes you should have, I only played along because I wanted to make sure you felt like a fool."
Kagen nodded as he regained his serious expression.
"Rouge, while you were out a lot has happened, but before we get into that there is something I have to say."
"Yes?" Rouge asked suddenly feeling her heart rate increase.
Kagen took a deep breath.
"When I first agreed to be your partner I just thought it would be a temporary arrangement. I figured we would work together until I understood this world, then I would move on." Kagen looked into Rouges eye's with an intensity that was almost frightening. "But as we trained and worked together I gradually came to value your company. You became my friend, something I have not had in a very, very, long time. You made me remember what it felt like to be happy, and to have a life beyond the hunt. You saved my life at the risk of your own, then you saved my sanity and my soul. What I owe you can never be repaid, but if you will allow me to stay at your side, then I will spend the rest of my life trying."
Rouge's face felt like it was going to burst into flames. No one had ever made her a promise like that before. Kagen's word's were sincere pure, and from the heart. Looking into his eye's Rouge could see the admiration and caring in them. Rouge turned away trying to hide her reaction, as she spoke.
"H-hey it's fine, no need to repay me, you don't have to stay if you don't want to." Rouge said, suddenly finding the wall to her right very interesting. Kagen was about to reply when someone cleared their throat behind him.
"Sorry to interrupt your soap opera, but don't we have more important thing's to discuss?" Knuckles asked.
Knuckles was focused on Kagen so he missed the glare of death Rouge gave him. Rising to his feet Kagen felt a slight urge to put Knuckles head through a wall. Before Kagen could do anything however, the rest of the gang came inside. Everyone gathered around Rouge to see how she was doing distracting her from her desire to kill Knuckles. Kagen gave an irritated sigh.
"Your a real class act Knuckles." Kagen stated sarcastically.
"What did I do?" Knuckles asked.
Turning back to Rouge Kagen waited for things to settle down before he brought Rouge up to speed. Starting with Shadow taking them to a hospital, he explained the event's that had transpired the night before.
"Sound's like you had a busy night, what happened after the battle ended?"
"Well after all that, I invited Eggman, and Riggman to sit in, and told them what was going on. Riggman, promised the police would stop chasing us, and Eggman fainted, his robot's showed up to drag him home a few hours ago."
Rouge giggled slightly before the pain in her chest forced her to stop.
"Bet that's gonna bruise eggy's ego." Rouge said with a smile.
Kagen nodded, grinning as he recalled the event, before switching to a more serious tone.
"Rouge last night's attack proves that I am no longer the only hunter in town. It also proves that the Great Ones are very interested in Mobius, and want me out of the way, we need to know why. I want you to tell me exactly where to find the temple you got the blood crystal sphere from, can you do that?"
Rouge gave Kagen a look of mock annoyance.
"What do you mean 'can I do it?' have you forgotten who your talking to? I'm Rouge The Bat, premier treasure hunter." She stated proudly.
"Premier thief is more like it." Knuckles muttered under his breath.
Rouge and Kagen glared venomously at Knuckles.
"I heard that Knuckles!" They remarked in perfect unison.
Knuckles pretended to examine the ceiling, to hide his expression of nervous embarrassment. Deciding to let it go Rouge returned her focus to the matter at hand.
"In my apartment is a flash drive with all the information you need. All you have to do is go pick it up and bring it here along with my laptop. The drive is hidden under the statue on my coffee table, and the laptop is on my desk."
Shadow raised the chaos emerald above his head and was about to teleport when Rouge stopped him.
"Hold it Shadow, sorry but I'm not letting you run around my apartment unsupervised."
Shadow folded his arms giving Rouge a look of mild irritation.
"And who exactly do you have in mind to supervise me?" He asked sarcastically.
Rouge smirked.
"Why my knight in shining armor Kagen, of course." She stated as though it should have been obvious.
Before Shadow could protest Kagen voiced his own complaint.
"My place is at your side Rouge, surely Shadow can be trusted with this on his own."
Rouge rolled her eyes.
"Kagen the security system in my apartment will lock down everything unless someone I designate as authorized is present. Your currently the only one who qualifies other than me. Besides I'm sure Sonic and Knuckles can stand in for you for twenty minutes."
Kagen wanted to disagree, but he could tell from Rouge's tone that her mind was made up.
"Very well."
Nodding Shadow placed his hand on Kagen.
"CHAOS CONTROLL!" Shadow shouted, causing them to vanish in a flash of light.
