Sonic burst through the doors of the building. Zik wasn't surprised but the hedgehog was too late. The earth was on the brink of destruction. "Watch as your world ends, Hedgehog." He didn't turn from the screen.
"Is this all worth it to you? For one girl?"
"You don't understand. This isn't just for 'one girl' this is for family."
"Why? I don't understand it, Zik, you're destroying and killing millions of lives!"
Zik turned to him. Patient anger, is what he always told his pupils and sometimes, even Jade reminded him.
Patient anger, isn't that what you always told me, Master. Patient anger makes your opponent angrier and it even makes them mess up so badly that they lose. Patient Anger, Big Brother. Patient anger. Patient anger…
Her voice sang in his head. He needed that voice. Zavok needed that voice. Everybody needed her voice. And he also didn't want to lose that contagious smile.
"It's all worth it. This is just the cycle of life. It will all grow back."
"When?" Sonic demanded. "It's possible that we can save her!"
"But you are unsure." Sonic froze in his explanation when Zik interrupted. "Tails told us even he was unsure that it would work. We know for sure this will. We've seen the evidence. If you're still that determined, Hedgehog, then fight me."
Sonic didn't want to fight him. He wanted all of this to end. "If that's what it takes." He said reluctantly and he attacked him.
It started to rain again. The rain was so thick that Jade almost couldn't see. She used her senses and her memory of the forest to find her way back to the garden. She searched around the garden, there must have been something Zik kept here. Wasn't there a journal?
She reached into his favorite tree where a bird once laid her eggs. Underneath the molding nest was a piece of paper. She unfolded it inside the tree and looked at it. It looked like instructions for a machine but not it's location.
She groaned and kicked the tree. "Where is it?" Jade yelled in the sky.
The rain was cold against her skin and she felt the ground come from underneath her, however instead of hitting the ground her head rested on something very warm. Her eyelids felt heavy.
What does my hair look like right now, I wonder?
No why does that matter? Focus! Focus!
I see a light…what is it?
No! Don't go near it! Don't even look at it!
But it's so warm.
Jade felt her eyes open but it still didn't feel open. "Where am I?" she wondered aloud. When she looked around she realized where she was. It was the Hex.
At her feet was a little baby being held by half a man. It should have been horrifying to see but it seemed familiar and she almost felt happy. Jade watched the story unfold before her eyes. In the distance she saw a middle aged Zeti approached. His beard was just turning white and his back was hunched over only slightly.
"I should leave you here to die." He told the baby as he scooped her up. "But there's something about you. Maybe it's time to take in a pupil. Someone needs to take over the Deadly Six, after all. Maybe that'll be you." The Zeti laughed as he walked away. "Or maybe you'll be eaten before that time comes."
She recognized the laugh. It was Master Zik.
A wind seemed to blow from nowhere, transporting her to a different place in time. This was when she was four and just being introduced to Big Brother.
"Zavok, this is Jade. She'll be training with us."
Zavok was small, at the time Jade didn't believe he would have been the biggest member. Jade pointed and looked up at Zik. "Big Brother?"
"No!" Zavok snapped at her. "Za! Vok!"
The young Jade didn't understand. Her eyes just lit up. "Big Brother!" she ran to hug him. He made a roar that sounded like a monster. She hid behind Zik.
Zik hit him on the head.
Another wind blew but this time all was black. It wasn't her time yet.
The hedgehog was finally defeated. After fighting for several minutes. The earth started to collapse in on itself.
The doors opened from behind and Zavok came in holding Jade. She was having a hard time breathing. Zeena dragged in Knuckles who was badly beat up and bruise. Her strength surprised Sonic.
Zavok set down Jade while Zik checked her pulse. "It's still strong." He said. "But it'll fade soon."
They were too close to the lever. He couldn't get to it.
Knuckles stood up. "Come on! I'm not done!" He yelled but it was obvious he was done. He stumbled a little in his walk.
"You can't even stand on two feet!" Zeena observed with a small laugh. "But alright, if you want."
Sonic pulled himself up too. "Come on, Zavok! Just you and me!" He challenged.
"You have a death wish." Zavok stood and moved next to Zeena, in front of Sonic.
One punch and Sonic was flown to the wall. Zeena was taunting Knuckles, with every punch she got out of the way. She took it almost like a game. Zavok picked up the hedgehog, lifted a fist, Sonic closed his eyes, but the punch never came. All he heard was a shout from an old man and a machine switching gears.
He opened his eyes and saw the weak human girl. She breathed heavily as if she had just run a marathon. "No more…"