CHAPTER 10: SOULLESS
Rouge was stirring in her sleep again, but this time Knuckles tried wake her. "Rouge, Rouge wake up." He said softly into her ear.
Rouge's eyes slowly opened and were met by Knuckle's violet ones. "What happened?" She asked with a weak voice.
"Shh you're okay now, everythings goanna be okay." He said as he softly stroked the side of her face.
Rouge was a bit surprised by how comforting Knuckles was being, but then again Knuckles had been acting pretty strange ever senses they first ran into each other and she saved him from those robots. At the moment Shadow was walking into the cave. He sat the food in front of Knuckles and then left to sit on a rock on the dark side of the cave. Rouge sat up and leaned against the cave wall as Knuckles handed her a piece of fruit from the bag. Rouge quickly devoured it. Loire walked into the cave a few minutes after she wasn't quite as fast as Shadow as a mater of fact not even close. She just took a seat next to Ying as he handed her a piece of the fruit from the bag. Ying looked over at Shadow who didn't return the glare his eyes were closed and it looked as if he were sleeping. The others soon followed his example and were fast asleep.
Broken glass covered the floor as F46 walked the dark dreary halls of G.U.N's old base. He had gotten conformation that Nack had been hiding out in one of the old G.U.N bases and he was checking it out. He turned down another long corridor. Then F46 herd a sound it was the sound of a trigger being cocked. He turned to see Nack pointing his gun right at him. "Don't move wolf boy or I'll shoot." Nack said as he smirked evilly at F46. "Now what's your name and what are you doing in my hide out?" Nack asked as he continued to stare at the intruder.
"My master desires an audience with you." F46 began to walk toward Nack.
"Don't take another step." Nack demanded.
F46 suddenly disappeared; Nack looked around quickly but didn't see him. "Hey where did he-" he was cut off when F46 appeared in front of him and bent the tip of his gun down. "And as for my name itsF46 but you will call me Falcon." "Now you can come with me of your own free will or you can come bloody and beaten to near death there's your choice."
"I'll take the first one." Nack said as he waved his hands in front of F46 showing there was no need for violence.
It was now 6: 30 in the morning, and Shadow was pushing on Knuckles shoulder, Knuckles slowly opened his eyes and saw it was Shadow who was shaking him. "Come on Knuckles you need to get up, as I recall you wanted to get an early start." Shadow said as he walked over to Loire and started shaking her.
Knuckles sat up and rubbed the back of his neck and then making it pop. He turned to Rouge who was few feet away. He softly shook her. "Rouge come on we gotta go." He said in a soft voice.
Rouge's eyes flickered as she opened them. She yawned as she as stood up and stretched. "What time is it?"
"Its 6: 30" Shadow answered her question as he shook Loire.
"Wha, what?" Loire asked as she slowly began to open her eyes, only to Shadow in her face. "Ahh do you have to do that?" She asked as she watched Shadow rise from the ground.
"If it'll wake you then yes." Shadow answered.
Loire looked next to her to see Ying sleeping peacefully, for a moment she stared at his sleeping form before shaking her head and coming back to reality. She scooted closer to him and gently ran her hand across his forehead. "Ying come on wake up." She said softly. Ying slowly opened his eyes to see Loire looking at him with a smile on her face. He sat up still staring at her the two didn't even noticed that Loire's hand was laying on top of Ying's. Loire blushed slightly as she removed her hand and stood up and headed for the opening of the cave. Ying sat there watching her exit the cave as a smile found its way on to his face.
"Ying come on we're outa here." Knuckles yelled form the outside of the cave.
Falcon walked down the hallways of his master's command center followed by Nack who was in ah at what he saw as he looked around at all the black echidna robots working and training. But Nack soon grew curious about his new surroundings, and began to question Falcon. "Hey wolf boy who exactly is this boss of yours who wants to see me?"
"He requires your services and he will make it quite worth your while." He answered.
Falcon opened the door to the dark room he pushed Nack in and then followed in behind him. Falcon shut the door and the room was now completely dark and Falcon disappeared from behind Nack. A small spot light highlighted Nack, and then he heard the dark voice speak.
"Nack isn't it?" The dark voice asked.
"That depends who wants to know?" Nack answered as he crossed his arms and sifted his eyes around the room trying to see where the voice was coming from.
"You should know your place half breed." A voice said harshly but it was the voice a Falcon this time.
"Oh come on we're not going to make this a racial issue are we?" Nack asked as he looked around for Falcon.
"Falcon has a point, you are a mixed breed but we're willing to over look that considering your gift." The dark voice announced.
"My gift?" Nack said questionably.
"Yes you have a gift for shall we say taking things without asking and never returning them." The dark voice answered.
"Well I am the greatest thief this side of the well the planet." Nack said as he put on a smug face.
"Yes quite, now I am in need of your special talents."
"Okay but what's in it for me?" Nack asked as he crossed his arms and wore a serious face, Nack wasn't the most manly of creatures but he always got his fair share out of any job.
"Ah I see you are quite attentive when it comes to your reward." "Well I can make it quite worth your while Nack."
"Oh really, you have my attention." Nack answered.
A spotlight lit up the front of the desk although whoever was sitting there remained in the shadows only a few outlines and a pair of evil solid white eyes could be seen. The figure sitting behind the desk slapped a brief case on top of it. "Take a look Nack." The voice commanded.
Nack took a few steps toward the desk and stopped in front of it and stared at the brief case a moment before opening it. He unbuckled the locks on each side and then opened the brief case to see it was filled with money. Nack practically started to drool at the mouth as he stared at the money. He picked up a hand full of the money and flipped through it. "Wow I didn't even know they made thousand dollar bills." Nack stated as he continued to admire the money.
"This is only a portion of your reward if you complete this task for me." The voice claimed as the pair of white eyes watched Nack.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"
Falcon ran through the dark alleys of the city as he darted his vision back and forth he was on his third job now he had retrieved the two robots his master asked for and now all he had to do was find the last person his master had requested. Suddenly he stopped. His ears perked as he heard something move. He turned to a dark corner in the ally. There he saw two emerald green eyes staring at him. They were really the sort of eyes that when you see them you run or back away very slowly, those eyes were cold as black night and filled with hate for the world.
"You're the one I've been looking for." He stated as he walked toward the pair of emerald eyes.
"And why have you been looking for me, I have no corral with you." A female's voice retorted obviously coming from the owner of the green eyes.
"No but my master demands your presences and my master always gets what he wants." Falcon answered as he continued to walk toward her.
The figure in the Shadow stepped into the light. "Well sorry, but it an't goanna be that easy." The girl was none other than Amy.
"I don't want to have to hurt you, my master wants you alive, and so I will appeal to your desires." "There's an impressive compensation in store for you if you serve my master, and you might just get your cut of shall we say the world."
"Sounds tempting, I'll go peacefully with you… this time." She answered as she walked toward him.
"Excellent now follow me." He began to run down the alleys again this time followed by the girl.
Knuckles and Rouge led the rest of the group as they continued north. Temperatures still dropping and getting colder with every passing minute. The others followed, with Shadow bring up the rear he had decided to come along seeing as how he had nothing else to do and his so called home had basically died, and he wanted to end this cold weather so he could get back to his normal lonely life. Shadow just stuck in the back and didn't bother to speak. Loire and Ying were walking close together Ying keeping an eye on Shadow he still didn't trust this suspicious looking black hedgehog. The group was now drawing ever closer to Yang they had now reached the city that Falcon had been in previously. They were wondering the streets has they drew closer to the other side of the city. They decided to stop just on the out skirts of the city for the night.
"Yes civilization!" Rouge blurted out as she ran to the nearest fast food place and quickly ordered a large fire and a soda.
She quickly began to scarf them down she walked next to Knuckles and offered him some. He gladly accepted and took hand full. The rest of them weren't hungry or anything so they followed along in silence.
The Amy stood in the dark corner of the room as she waited to meet Falcon's so called master. Falcon leaned against the wall next to his mastered door waiting for him to call the two in.
"Yes you are just what I need." The dark voice said as he circled Metal Sonic's metal shell. "You only need one more thing and you will be complete." He said as he opened the back of metal Sonic's head and placed a black and gold chip in to his electric wiring. "Now you're ready."
The dark figure turned behind him and a small spotlight drew attention to another metal body. This one was female and it was metal Amy. "Yes and as for you." "Most would find you weak and useless, because you do not possess fighting components and such as metal Sonic but you hold a very special purpose."
Metal Amy was in rather good condition, but the dark figure opened her chest and pulled out wires and circuits, pretty much destroying her systems.
He returned to metal Sonic and flipped Metal Sonic's power switch to on and then broke it off.
A small electric field slipped over Metal Sonic as he turned on. "What happened?" Metal Sonic asked as he shook his head.
"You are safe no need to worry yourself." The dark figure had receded from the light and was once again hidden in the arms of total darkness.
Metal Sonic quickly turned on his night scanners to look for the maker of the voice but he saw nor sensed anyone. "Why can't I see you my night vision is working at optimum efficiencies?"
"This is not the darkness of night, this is the darkness of heart, and night vision is useless when trapped in the blackness of an evil heart."
"What happened to me, and what do you want?" Metal Sonic asked.
"I only request your loyalty to me, I have many allies but you interest me and I wish to befriend you, and as for what had become of you as you remember you betray Dr. Eggman and before you could escape his base he had you shutdown."
"Sorry but I am my own master now." Metal Sonic replied.
"Oh but there is much to be gained by become my ally, I would not control you as Dr. Eggman tried to, and you shall get your fair share of rewards."
"Oh really, well what is it you are actually getting of this?"
"…The world..."
"Hum… this sounds like an exceptional alliance, but if I am going to work for you I want to know who you are I want to see your face."
"So be it then."
The figure stepped out of the darkness and into the spot light only to reveal Yang, Ying's evil brother and counter part. He to looked like Knuckles his fur was midnight black the crest on his chest was white as were his gloves, shoes and his eyes. His eyes were as Ying's only they were solid white not black like Ying's and held no emotion.
"You certainly look the part of the evil villain, I am satisfied for now." Metal Sonic clammed as he stared at Yang.
"Excellent, you are free to wonder around my base as you please."
Another spotlight highlighted the door, Metal Sonic began to walk towards it, when he noticed Metal Amy. He looked at her for moment then turned back to Yang. "Where did you get her?"
"She was salvaged at Eggman's old base, I have no use for her you are welcome to do with her as you please she was going to be thrown out anyway." Yang said as he began to back towards the shadows again.
"I think I will." Metal Sonic picked her up in his arms and began to head for the door again, and then left.
"Yes everything is going according to plan." Yang said in an evil tone. He walked over to his desk and pressed a button and spoke into the intercom. "Falcon bring her in."
Falcon stood up from the wall, he looked at Amy in the corner as if to motion her to come. Amy walked out of the shadows and toward the door.
As she entered she heard a voice speaking to her it was the dark and evil voice of Yang. "You do not look the way as I remember but you must be her, there's so much for me to explain to you." He said as he stared at her from the shadows of the darkness.
When she heard the voice she became tense every part of her body was filled with fear even if all she could see was the blackness of the dark, the feeling of darkness there was something in her mind that compelled her to fear this voice that sent shivers up her spin, she couldn't respond she just began to back towards the door. Amy didn't know why but just the sound of that voice made her blood boil and quiver at the same time, her face showed her pure hatred for him. "I don't care who you are or what you can tell me about anything, I am out of here." She ran for the door and she didn't stop there she continued to run down the hallways; until she finally reached the door she had come in through. She busted out of it and then into the forest.
"Shall I go after her master?" Falcon asked as he looked in Yang's direction.
"No let her go she will join us soon enough."