6 – Lone Wolf

[Kingdom Valley – Sonic 2006 soundtrack
/watch?v=_UW4s6i-JlM ]

He could feel his blood rushing, his head pulsing and throbbing. As he dashed on all fours, his hands and feet ached with each step. Every step was another knife in his paws. No time to think, can only run. Don't think, just go. Every breath he took in stung. It was getting harder to breath as his nostrils and mouth burned. His throat was getting tighter and tighter. Don't think, just go. His mouth filled with the taste of blood and iron. His muscles ached and tore and his heart was ready to burst, but he couldn't stop, not even for a second. His body flashed, glowing and fading rapidly as he raced under each light that filled the hallway. Don't think, just go. Now his irritated eyes began to burn, weakening his vision as they filled with salt and water. He was brought to the verge of shutting his eyes, but he fought to keep them open. He would not blink, not once. Just have to keep pushing on. Great as it was, this pain was just temporary. Death was eternal. If he closed his eyes now, he'd never open them again. The sound of jet engines was not far behind, but he could do this. Freedom was not far away. Having come so close, he wasn't about to lose it all now. He kept moving. A dead end. There was only a glass wall before him. He couldn't turn back, not now. Don't think, just go. He threw his arms back as he began to run on just his hind legs. He covered his face and pushed forward, smashing into wall, feeling it crumble before him. As it did, everything began to slow to a halt. With his next footstep, he felt his foot plunge into nothingness. For a moment, he just floated there, surrounded by countless pieces of twirling, glimmering crystals. However, he soon found his body helpless as the Earth's gravity began to rip him from the starry sky. With every split second, the Earth pulled him down, faster, harder, more viscously, desperately waiting to swallow him whole. He kept shielding his face, protecting it from spotlights below that burned it, shielding it from the maddening sight of Death. In this one moment, this ever so brief moment, his life was gambled. Don't think, just go… He barely had enough time to brace himself…

Just go… Just go… Just…

[Overture – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy sountrack
/watch?v=b8OELzmpgZo ]

He sat in the corner of the cell, his back against the cold wall as a blanket of darkness covered him. He slowly lifted his head up at the sound of churning gears. His rage-filled yellow-green eyes glowed in the dark as he waited patiently. It was almost time. The words of his neighbor in the next cell echoed in his mind… "Please… Please tell her…" The wolf didn't give a damn for anyone. He only cared for himself, as he had seen the worst life had to offer. He had been to hell and back. So why? Why did this man leave an impression on him when no one else did? There was no more time to ponder, as now was the time to act. He said he wouldn't hesitate to escape once the time had come, but before he left, he couldn't help but look back.
"… You won't be forgotten…"

[Arrival – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy soundtrack
/watch?v=ibZJ0Yqh2Ng ]

He laid there in the dark, heavily breathing, surrounded by garbage. As the sound of the machines rose and faded away, the garbage bin creaked open, the wolf slipping out and smacking the hard ground. Laying on the floor, covered in sludge and trash. The feeling was familiar. "Maybe I should just die here…" he half joked. Shaky, he slugged his way back on both his feet before limping his way into the night. The journey was not over yet.

He had made it into the Outer Ring. He swiftly jogged around the corner of one building, hiding in an alleyway as the mechanical troops jetted by not far behind. He waited until he could hear them no more.
"… Idiots…"
He looked down, seeing his clothes. A simple orange jumpsuit, and yet, a symbol of his slavery, a reminder that he was no more than property. The burning anger that had been building within for so many years began to seep out again. In a fit, he shredded his top before trying to catch his breath, destroying the mark of the cursed. His back hit the cold wall and he tried to support himself. His breathing hadn't eased since he left the Inner Ring. He looked out to the street. Behind him, far out in the distance, Metallix's tower stood tall. The obelisk pierced the cloudy night sky as it glowed its usual bright aqua color. He knew it was out there, and it sickened him. For the moment, however, he needed to rest. His back slowly slid down against the wall until he hit the floor and his head dropped. He consumed the air in gulps. Then his mind faded away.

[Outlands – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy sountrack
/watch?v=k7D5Sy8XfJE ]

The wolf jolted awake. He needed to get inside. He was certain this was the place. He recalled his elder brother's words.
You ever come to your wits, you'll know where to find me…
He took the fire escape up to the top floor of the building.
"This should be the place…" he said under his breath as he hurried up the flight of stairs.
When he finally got to the top floor, his mouth gaped open at the site before him. The entire right half of the floor had been destroyed.
"They've been here…" his low, gruff voice whispered.
He leaped in and searched the left half. He searched the room desperately. Nothing.
He's gone… He always had his lucky coin on him and that's gone too…
Slowly, he dug through a dresser, pulling out some clothes as he stared into nothingness. He threw off the bottom of his orange jumpsuit and slipped into some faded jeans and a pair of brown, steel-toed boots. He pulled out a brown jacket and took a long look at it.
I'm sorry I doubted you, brother. You were right about Metallix. You were right to leave. Chances are that you're dead now, and it's all my fault. If I had been there with you, maybe…
With a sigh, he finally threw the jacket on. He walked out into the open right-half of the floor and looked to the moon, which was almost engulfed by the great tower. He scowled at the all-consuming empire as he firmly pulled on some black, fingerless gloves. He returned to the left side of the room, slipping under a bed and pulling out an old, chipped chest. From it, he grabbed a large rifle and some ammo. He had what he needed, bar shelter. He could not stay, unfortunately. If they had been here before, they would surely find him. Before he took his leave, he gave the tower one last glance.
Machine or not, Metallix, I swear to God, I will be the first one to make you scream!
He loaded his gun and left the building the same way he entered.
Just as my family suffered, so will you…
As he reached the streets, he began to walk. He was unsure of where to go, but so long as the Inner Ring was behind him, it didn't matter. And he walked, as far as his worn body could possibly take him.

[Nocturne – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy sountrack
/watch?v=bv66O1aGrjI ]

After what felt like years of walking, he finally had reached the outskirts of the city and could go no further. He stood before the shores and looked out to the sea. Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Endless waters and clouds of black. Hiding in the city was too dangerous. He was unfamiliar with the great labyrinth called the Outer Ring, and his brother's home was no longer a safe haven. The recent patrols of the city were of no help, either. He looked back at the luminous city, then faced the darkness before him again. Perhaps he could walk along the rim of the city? No, it was too risky. The longer he stayed near the city, the more likely he was to be recaptured. He had no other options. He had to keep pushing forward. He grabbed a nearby log and began to swim. The force of the waves and the weight of his weakened body pushed him back, but he kept pushing forward. Don't think, just go. His torn muscles held him back, but he fought the urge to rest. Don't think, just go. He would soon return to fulfill his promise, but until then, he would find shelter outside the city and prepare. And so he vanished into the night, traveling to a destination unknown. Fate would bring him somewhere. To where, he didn't question. He just held on to faith and kept moving forward. Don't think, just go…

He hung onto the log, eyes closed and mouth open. He winced when sprinkled by the gentle waves. He had drifted for so long, he couldn't remember how long it had been. It was still night. The night seemed to never end. He wondered when he would cross land. All he knew was that the illuminating city was far behind him. He wondered… then he was struck. With a crash, he was thrown off his support and into the dark waters. After some time, he burst out of the water, flailing and choking. It took a moment for him to collect himself. What unseen obstruction had he clashed with? Before him was a building. It was strange, a structure far out at sea. Either way, he was just relieved to have found new shelter. But he could not stop yet. What if this was some hidden factory for Metallix's troops? And what was it that struck him? There was still some good distance between him and the building. He swam a little closer and reached out, feeling around for something. His hand soon brushed something. As it did, a ring of energy tickled his fingertips before spreading out, following some sort of dome-shaped contour around the building. He quickly retracted his hand. He was unharmed, but clearly there was some sort of barrier before him. He squinted, looking around slower, closer. Hints of reflecting light here and there revealed a series of hexagonal shapes. A forcefield, perhaps? There had to be a way inside. He plunged back into the water, searching for some kind of opening. From there, he saw the bottom of the structure, secured to the ocean floor by numerous poles. And he saw a square hole at the center of the building's underside, pierced by a faint light. He also found the creases of the forcefield to be more visible underwater. He swam along the barrier, sliding his hand along it until he felt his hand fly off into nothing. He stopped to see that one of the hexagonal-forms was missing, replaced by small surges of occasional electricity. With the right timing, the wolf torpedoed forward, speeding through the opening and slipping passed all the silver poles. At the square entrance, he found there to be another forcefield, but this one only held the water back as he was able to simply press through it. Shelter…

[G.U.N. Fortress – Shadow the Hedgehog soundtrack
/watch?v=Axj3Y5_DN0E ]

Once inside, he found himself in what looked to be a storage room, filled with boxed and only partially lit. He began to search around before his ears perked at the rising sound of footsteps. With that, he dived behind some boxes and cloaked himself in shadow. The source of the sound carried with it a light. At a peek, the wolf saw a red hedgehog descending down a flight of stairs, holding a ball of fire. His nose twitched. He had sensed something was amiss. The wolf pressed up against the corner closest to him and held his breath. The hedgehog looked around, sniffed his armpit, shrugged, and began to walk away. The wolf sighed.
"What a bloody moron-"
An explosion knocked him back. He rolled back to his feet and pulled out his rifle. He pulled the trigger and the gun clicked, but nothing happened.
"Agh, damn thing's jammed!"
"Here, lemmie fix it for ya!"
His hand burned as a ball of fire knocked the gun out of his grasp. The wolf was then suddenly slammed to the floor, pinned down by the hedgehog. The hedgehog's fist was ready and ablaze.
"I really don't think you're here to help the cause. M'right or wrong?"
"The hell are you talking about?"
"Guess I'm right then."
The hedgehog's fist blasted forward. The wolf winced and a crack was heard, but nothing happened. He opened one eye to see the fist beside his head, having left cracks in the floor.
"… Why didn't you just kill me?"
"Your punishment must be more severe…" the hedgehog mumbled with one hand covering his muzzle.
"… Why are you doing that?"
"Sorry. Just saw a movie. Seriously though, you ain't a bot, so I can't say whether you work for the Recyclable King or what."
"Recyclable King? You mean Metallix?"
"Yeah, whatever. Now common, you're gonna see the boss…"

[Egg Dealer – Shadow the Hedgehog soundtrack
/watch?v=jXhGB1R7L38 ]

The wolf stood before a shadowed group, their leader at the front and staring him down, arms folded.
"… Who are you, and why are you here?"
"Jason Storms. Death Row inmate and experiment number 7-2-4-6. Escaped the Death Row Zone for… obvious reasons. Left the city to find refuge."
"How did you find this place?"
"I was brought here on chance. Your defenses could use some fixing."
"… Scan him."
A holographic line swept his body.
"He's telling the truth. And there's nothing else on him besides ammo." a female voice from behind the leader spoke up.
"… Do you know who we are?"
"Well, you aren't working for that metal bastard, that's for sure."
"Many of those who are familiar with us simply know us as 'The Resistance'. Some have called us 'The Freedom Fighters'."
"That's you guys, huh? So that would make you…"
The leader stepped into the light.
"… My name is Shadow."
"So you're the one who's got Metallix so on edge. Word has it that you're the reason for the recent sweeps though the Outer Ring."
"Unfortunately."
"Got God-knows-how-many people killed, and Metallix is still on his throne. Doesn't sound like you're doing a great jo-"
Shadow slammed Jason against the wall.
"What are you going to do that I haven't already been through?" the wolf laughed. Shadow ignored the comment.
"Look, if you want to stay here, fine. So long as you help the cause, you can stay as long as you want. But if you're just going to criticize, then you can leave the same way you came."
"Give me a day to prepare for my attack and I'll gladly leave."
"Attack? You, a single person, honestly think you can take him alone when we as a group have failed time and time again?"
"Well, maybe I'm not as dense as you are."
Shadow immediately dropped Jason and walked away.
"He gets one night…" he growled as he passed Miley.

[Adagio for TRON – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy sountrack
/watch?v=aFIXKXYfEy0 ]

Miley helped Jason up to his feet.
"You do know your chances of success are practically non-existent? Shadow's right."
"Well, I'll find out the day after tomorrow. If I don't wake up that day, then I'll have failed, but at least I will have died trying. What's with the impatience, though?"
"Because he's Batmaaan!" Flame yelled excitedly.
Jason stared at him.
"… Sorry… I lied. It was a movie marathon."
"… Is it just me or is that boy missing a mouth?" Jason whispered.
"Unintentional mutation. A side-effect of his creation process. Can't really explain it. It's a long story."
"That so? Hmm…"
Jason looked around before starring at Miley. He looked at her strangely, not looking away. She checked to make sure he was staring at her. He was surely looking at her, and he hadn't stopped squinting. She chuckled nervously.
"Umm… everything ok?"
"… Huh? Sorry, it's just… you look just like him."
"Him? Him who?"
"… What's your name?"
"Miley. Miley Prower. Why? Who are you talking about?"
"I have a message from someone you probably know. His name is Richard."
Miley froze.
"Uhh… you alright?"
"… My dad's alive…?" her voice quivered.
"He's your father?"
Her eyes reconnected with his.
"What did he say?!" she nearly cried as she shook him.
"What's with you people and attacking strangers?"
"What did he say?!"
"Calm down. He says he loves you and worries for you every day. He said that he fears he is to be executed soon, but that he doesn't want you to lose hope."
"He's in Death Row?"
"Been there for years. Didn't you know?"
"Of course I knew, it's just…"
She sat in the nearest seat and rested her head on her hands.
"… I thought he died long ago…"
She looked at Jason.
"Why didn't you save him?" she nearly wept.
"Look, the fact that I even did him a favor-"
She quickly sat up and stuck her fist out at him. In less than a second, bits and pieces of sleek metal extended out of the wrist of her glove. Before Jason even realized what had happened, a small canon had swallowed her fist and was aimed at his face, pointblank.
"Go on! Tell me what your excuse is!"
He looked at the weapon, then looked into her eyes, seeing years' worth of hurt, a hurt he was familiar with. There was this strange moment, a sensation of déjà vu, as the feeling of this encounter had echoed what he felt not too long ago, when talking to Richard. She had left an impression on him just has her father had.
What is it about this bloody family?
He slowly pushed her hand down.
"… I'm-… I'm sorry…" he struggled to say.
Tears ran as she breathed heavily.
"… Excuse me…" she coughed as she quickly walked out of the room.
Flame walked up, his eyes stuck on his fleeing friend.
"… Man… I haven't seen her like this in a long time."
He turned to Jason.
"Dude, why didn't you just save him?"
"I don't need your guilt…" he snarled.
The hedgehog shook his head before leaving. The wolf was alone again.

The wolf didn't get any sleep that night. He stayed up the whole night at a table, deconstructing and reconstructing his rifle.
Why didn't I save him? The same question could be asked about the mother in the next cell, or that one orphaned child, or those lovers in separate cells. Hundreds upon thousands of people I could have saved. Save one, and it's "I could have saved him too" or "I could have saved her as well". I don't need that on my conscience…
His hands then jerked to a stop. And he just sat there.
Why didn't you just save him?
He slammed his fist on the table.

The fox rushed into the lab. She quickly typed something into a computer. As she did, E-123 Omega, who stood near to the computer, came to life. His red eyes glowed.
"Omega, it's time to test out Project Exo."
"Warning. Project: Exo is still in beta stage and is not yet-"
"Override. We're doing this."

[Morning Dew – Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 sountrack
/watch?v=HyoZspjzaT8 ]

The next morning, Flame walked into the kitchen and began raiding the refrigerator. He slammed a gallon of milk on the table. Jason jumped awake at the sound, already loading his weapon.
"Woah! Chill! It's just breakfast."
Flame gestured at the gallon. He gulped all of its contents in a matter of seconds before he continued to speak. The action left Jason simply wide-eyed.
"You look out of it. Didja' even sleep? Wait… I didn't forget to show you where you're stayin', did I?"
"Doesn't matter now. I'll be leaving soon."
"Why not join the team? You want Tin-Head dead, we want Tin-Head dead…"
"I'd rather go it alone, handle things my way."
"Lone wolf, much?"
"Whatever."
"Say, that a British accent or sumthin'?"
"English."
"'Scuse me…"
Shadow ran into the room, out of breath.
"Miley's missing!"
The two stared at him for a moment before Flame finally said something.
"… Wait, you serious?"

[Digital Dimension – Sonic Riders soundtrack
/watch?v=5uitXuWKzww ]

In the Outer Ring of the city, a single figure fought off wave after wave of robot troops, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. Slowly but surely, it carved its way into the Inner Ring. The three arrived in the transport, witnessing the chaos from above. Flame hung out from an opening, looking below with a pair of binoculars.
"What's going on down there?" Shadow called from the driver's seat.
"Omega's just wrecking everybody! Wait… is that- … Holy-…"
"Spit it out, man!" Jason yelled.
"Miley! It's Miley!"
It was Omega in form, but in place of the machine's head was Miley's own. For the most part, she managed to hold her own. Though the mechanical body was damaged, she still proved a capable fighter as she shot, punched, and tackled each and every troop before her. Shadow began to give commands.
"Jason, if you want to be useful, hold off the troops. Flame, try to slow down Miley. I'll try to bring her back."
Flame nodded and dived out of the vehicle. Jason hesitated before unloading his gun into the crowd. Flame spindashed as he fell, crashing into the floor unharmed. He then ran up behind Omega, fired a few quick burning punches to the back, rolled in front of the machine, and began shoving the robot back.
"Miley, this has to stop!"
"Get off! I have to do this!"
Shadow clicked away on a console just to his side.
"Keep her steady…"
With a last click, a wide green beam shot out from the bottom of the transport and covered the two below. They began to lift off the ground, but Miley fought back, engaging Omega's thrusters and securing herself to the ground by piercing one of Omega's claws into it. Omega's lower half was lifted into the air, but Miley persisted, using Omega's free hand to fire machine gun rounds into the cloud of troops. Flame lifted two hands up, preparing a large ball of fire.
"Sorry, Miley…" he sighed as he tossed the blast at Omega's grounded hand.
With that, she drifted back to the transport, reaching out towards the crowd, towards the Inner Ring. And she cried.

[Solar Sailer – Daft Punk – Tron Legacy sountrack
/watch?v=yRvVyMuWbpM ]

At the base, the fox sat alone in her room on her bed, curled up and head tucked away. The other three sat in the kitchen area. A returned-to-normal Omega stood nearby.
"Omega, what the hell was that out there?!" Shadow barked.
"Miley Prower was field-testing Project: Exo."
"Like hell, she was testing! And what's Project Exo?"
"Miley Prower has been modifying E-123 Omega to act as both a singular unit and a form of power armor."
"And why didn't she tell us about this?"
"I was not informed of your knowledge of the project."
"Maybe she was gonna surprise us with this 'secret project' before… you know…" Flame suggested.
"God forbid one little girl loses family. Not like there are thousands of others who've been through the same thing…" Jason muttered.
Flame's ear twitched at the sound. His face hardened and he got up and kicked the table over. "Listen here, punk!" he yelled with a burning palm aimed at Jason.
"Flame!"
Shadow's call brought Flame's senses back. He took a breath before storming out of the room. Shadow stood the table back up and sat down again, his eyes locking onto Jason's.
"I'll have you know that Flame is not easily angered, and Miley's behavior today was unlike anything she's ever done or would have done."
"Let me guess, you're going to blame me for this?"
"For his reaction, not hers. However, she could have very well died today, and had it not been her, it would have been you. Alone. And about to die."
"Really, now?"
"Can you prove me wrong?"
"And why are you assuming that would have been me?"
"Did you have any kind of plan? Do you have any tools besides a gun with only so much ammo?"
The wolf snorted.
"Alright then… what's your plan?"
"Are you going to help us?"
"If it means I get to rip Metallix's head off."
"We'll get Metallix however we can."
"Leave him functioning just enough so that I can be the last thing he sees and that'll be good enough for me."
"No promises. But if you're with us, you're playing by my rules."
"No promises."
Shadow shook his head. Jason smirked.
"So again, what's your plan?"
"Well, the first step is clear…"
Shadow pulled out a transparent Chaos Emerald. Jason looked at the gem, then back at Shadow.
"So, 'lone wolf'… you in?"
"… When do we start?" he grinned.