Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, Knuckles, Robotnik and all the rest. The plot of Sonic Adventure is also property of Sega. I only own the original characters, original locations, and original plots within this fanfiction. Yay!
Cue Sonic Unlimited Opening Theme: "Change The World" by ARTIST Dream
CHAPTER 9: Out on the Town
Mystic Ruins Zone/ Tails Workshop / 17:33 PM
Inside the dark and techno surrounded depths of Tails Workshop the next day where Sally and NICOLE had tried repeatedly to find traces of Robotnik and Chaos, to no avail, to where Sonic put the jukebox on just a little too loud and annoyed the hell out of everyone, and where Bunnie and Antoine had explored the surrounding area for clues on this clear day, Tails and Rotor were about to finish their substantial breakthrough.
The two each wore a typical white scientists cloak and both had their hands full, Tails having to keep the device steady so any chemical imbalances wouldn't backfire on them should the re-routed circuitry not work as to plan or his appointed safety rules.
Rotor had the delicate task of connecting wires and parts to other ones, and right now he held a thin twin piece of red and green wire in his big hands, "So we connect this part here to this one... and then... presto! I think we just nailed this new handy toy to a 'T'!" the walrus exclaimed abit too childishly for someone who'd worked for nearly a day, well half a day, give or take...
"Why are you talking like some jazzed up rapper Rotor...?" Tails quizzed, with a hunched up eyebrow that just said 'what the hell'.
"Oh sorry... Sonic's too much of a bad influence on me I guess ha-ha," Rotor laughed sheepishly, a slight blush of embarrassment across his cheekbones.
Truth be told much of the morning had been spent continuing to study the vial that contained a sample of Chaos' watery tissue, and using it to boost the capabilities of the original radar ten-fold. This had been done by merely using some of the sample in the radar itself, keeping it regulated with gases straight out of the air so that it didn't just die or dry out or anything, so in essence they had a half living radar.
But this one glowed fluorescently when in near contact with a Chaos Emerald, as Sonic had demonstrated many a time over the afternoon by making it glow and then not, rinse and repeat... Yea Sal wasn't that impressed, naturally...
She had been very proud of the both of them though, and very impressed with the radar and its capabilities.
It still bore the original GAMEBOY like design of before but in the middle there now rose a clear elliptical dome, filled with the familiar water form that had been... was a part of Chaos himself, which was a practical Chaos Emerald beacon. And the glass dome was partly permeable so this allowed gaseous exchange to take place naturally, keeping the sample alive and healthy.
"Guy's it's almost six a clock, we don't wanna be late for old Amy do we?" the unmistakeable exotic and strong voice of Bunnie hollered from the kitchen, where Antoine and Sonic had been put on cleaning duty to keep them out of trouble by the princess herself, much to their plain discontent that still stained their faces.
"You two better clean yourselves up too and do as you're told," laughed Sally as she walked past them both, giving them both a peck on the cheek to say thanks before being the first one out of the door. This left Sonic and Antoine to blush privately to their selves, leaving Bunnie to roll her eyes and be the next one out, but not before dragging sugah hog and 'twan out by the arms with her.
Though they still managed to hastily grab their black tie dinner jackets just before they were vamoosed away; Tails and Rotor were the last ones out, the scientist gowns rightfully ditched, and then they all slowly but surely made their way on the train line to Station Square and to a reunion with an old friend...
And Sonic was absolutely dreading it.
Station Square / Western Sector / 20:34 PM
So this is a city eh.
But what's so darn special about it?
The buildings are so tall, like giants live here or something, not tiny and puny humans... Why do it – do they want to feel bigger than they are or something?
They're so shiny too, all metallic constructs... It doesn't look as nice as anything made of stone and other more natural materials, no hard graft or nothing...
Spirals, twists and lines of light wiz around down below me, dancing an endless dance it seems - do they ever sleep I wonder?
Everything's so fast here... and always on the move...
Beep. Beep. Beep.
BEEP.
Man, can those horns just flaming shut up already?! I can't hear myself think here...
Beep. Beep. Beep.
BEEP.
GRR... I know where I wanna shove these horns...
Trees... wide spaces of open water... flowers... the flocking birds... the skittering of animals... the bloody essential aspects of nature... just where the hell are they?!
Maybe Sonic and that lot have too high an amount of respect for them like I figured... why else would they strike down those which give us the air that we all breathe, just what could be more important than life in all its shapes and forms?
Tunnels of white light and even many different coloured ones trailed across the black blanket of the night sky, partly see through unlike the ones back home... They even succeeded in blocking out even the stars and heavens...
And the lights were blinding, burning themselves into my eyes.
Was this what it was like to be blind?
This place... it's so unnatural, like shunning nature itself means nothing at all.
There is so much I'm still not used to, I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to it.
Do I even want to get used to it when I have my homeland and the Master Emerald?
And as if on cue a familiar humming and chorus of barely audible mantra began to ring, louder and louder in his head, like an ancient tide of wisdom from an unknown past. It was this seemingly unconscious and mysterious connection with the Master Emeralds as well as the others, that acted as a beacon in Knuckles' own mind, allowing him to locate the emeralds through superb mystical initiation.
But then what else would one expect from the Floating Island's guardian?
As for the signal itself, it was fairly weak regarding the Master Emerald fragment but it really could feel the presence of a Chaos Emerald somewhere nearby, and so he leaned over the wall and peered across the street.
He soon wished he'd hadn't as coming out of the casino across the said street was a trio of high heeled, short dress wearing and made up young girls no more than sixteen, and one of them soon spotted his staring at them, his mouth wide open...
"Oh my god guys – there's a pervert up there looking at us!" she'd screamed, pointing at him like vermin that she should squash under her heel.
"What the-? I'm no pervert!" he'd shouted back abruptly, in a swirl of confusion and anger. He'd held back what he'd really wanted to say to them but it wouldn't matter, for the other two with her had howled also soon after, covering themselves partly up before running out of sight, all still screaming blue murder.
Many people from below were boring their eyes into him now, even those with specs on this dark night, and they were making him feel quite uneasy, like he actually had something to be guilty of?
Grunting to himself Knuckles turned his back on the world below and began a shadowy ascent up and over the buildings once more, the prospect that another Chaos Emerald was across the street completely vacating his current strain of thought.
He just wanted out of there.
"Ugh... just what is up with all these girls wearing barely anything, do they not have any shame?!" he muttered under his breath, as he leant against a wall with his head low. "Even
echidna girls had more respect for their selves and class..." the condensing coldness of the air around him letting his breaths out in a small trail of airy smoke.
Wait did I just say that out loud...?
For true be told, he actually had no conscious idea at all at how echidna girls had dressed, for his memories were still far too hazy even after all this time, and now wasn't the time to anguish over a time he couldn't even remember or even without a shadow of a doubt place himself in. He was just here and himself, nothing else...
I probably just (rightly) assumed that my kind were above stuff like that, especially for all the inscriptions and depictions that I have found so far, that they left behind, he assured himself, shaking away the hazy non-sense making dreams and closing his eyes once more to 'see' where this Master Emerald piece was.
The glowing green hazed presence in his mind's eye was further on, far and away from where he was.
And just what was I going after before those 'women' interrupted me again...? He thought, abruptly grinding to a halt in mid stride.
Umm... Come on Knuckles think you plank-head! He continued, thumping himself in a bearable pain inducing manner in bleak frustration.
"Oh yeah, a Chaos Emerald! I'd sensed one right over there before they put me off," he realised with a start, jumping to his feet, a slight annoyed scowl leaving his lips over 'they'.
If only I'd brought my communicator with me, or burrowed some mobian money from the others last time I was with them... I'm sure they'd like to know where at least one Chaos Emerald is at, Knuckles thought rationally, having somewhat calmed down over the whole affair down below.
Breathe in and out... breath in and out... There, now onwards to restore the Master Emerald! The easily flustered echidna with a rock hard head thought and physically displayed, homing his guardian and hunter instincts once more before leaping off with determination into the dark recesses of the city, to put as much distance between the city folks and their burning lights as possible...
Having worked his way out of the overpopulated downtown area Knuckles reached the quieter sections of the city, away from the nightclubs he was now in a huge residential area with more of those towering buildings.
Compared to the metallic and shiny structures of before however they all had tiny window panes, dozens in fact all over, looking like a typhoon of spider eyes peering and staring at you. The building may have been tall but it looked small nevertheless.
A stampede of cars were lined up along the shot granite sidewalk, with two or three simple trees on each side, which made Knuckles feel a little bit better than earlier about humanity and its treatment of nature, but not by much.
The drawn curtains from most of the windows above and the subtle illuminative lights from under them suggested that their occupants were either out or otherwise busy, hopefully too busy not to hear or see me, he thought, preparing his next move.
For you see he'd already felt that the emerald piece was below him and nearer to the residential area of 'in plain view' then he would've liked.
The red echidna lightly let out his spiked glove in front of him, feeling for the air currents to check the balance, for he'd need it to be right to be able to glide well.
It was good enough he concluded after a time, and with a short run up he leaped into great bowels of air above the city and glided down to a building across the street. And with this Knuckles took the time to relish the exhilarating feeling of the wind in-between his dreadlocks as he became a master of air.
The landing was smooth and without incident, and with some wall hugging Knuckles shifted along the ledge and past some curtained covered windowpanes.
This is gonna be easier than I thought, the piece of the master emerald should be right up ahead... an increasingly joyful Knuckles thought, pressing on.
And around the next corner want do ya know? The radiating Master Emerald piece, whose mysterious mantra still resonated vaguely in Knuckles' head, was floating right ahead, in front of another windowpane.
"Thank the stars for that, now that's one piece down just a dozen more-" he began, his eyes closed as he confidently stepped forward to claim his prize.
But alias fate is a fickle mistress... or is that more so the careless hands of a child?
For you see in the next moment the window had been opened, swaying hands alike a the multi arms of an octopus flapping out, and a small boy's head, covered with a mop of brown hair then came peering out at the stars.
Of course in his erratic state he'd not noticed the glowing fragmented emerald piece that he'd knocked from the windowsill, but Knuckles sure had...
"Oh no! What did you did that for you... you-you silly boy! You knocked over the Master Emerald piece – do you know how important that is?!" the echidna cried hysterically, completely unaware that instead of bringing shame or even tears to the young boy's face, he'd only succeeded in getting a warm smile, the kind that a small child would get upon seeing one of their superheroes in action.
"Umm... are you even listening to me?" Knuckles whispered, having realised that he'd been getting no vocal response at all, all the while waving his gloved hand in front of the entranced boy's face.
Oh boy... just what have I got myself into here?
"... Are you a super hero sir?" the frail and wimpy boy's voice came, causing Knuckles to freeze on the spot, having never expected such a comment to apply to him, to Sonic and that lot maybe... but to him?
"... I wouldn't say that little guy. I'm just on the lookout for some things... that are very important to me... I'm just passing through. It's not like I'm saving anyone or anything is it?" Knuckles spoke, calmly, strongly yet reassuringly to the little lad, who must've been no more than seven years of age, sitting with one leg up and the other over the window ledge.
He turned to the boy in his last utterances, who noticed almost immediately the sheer prowess behind them, the vividness of purple and surprisingly still, even under all that, he thought he detected some lonely sadness deep within.
Can heroes too get lonely sometimes?
"Maybe not right now, but I'm sure you must do usually. Why else would you be able to fly?"
This lil guy is too sickeningly kind and sweet for his own good...I guess this must what Tails and Rotor said that one time about Amy Rose...
This must be some form of hero worship. But then I'm no hero am I? And I can't fly, not without the Master Emerald's help anyway...
He took his time in answering the puppy dog eyed by's question, as he didn't want to bring the boy's hopes and dreams to a standstill in the revelation that he wasn't a hero at least in his own mind, so he responded as truthfully as he could be.
"Well little guy I can actually only really glide and as for being a hero I do-"
"What's gliding?" the boy innocently injected.
"Gliding is... Gliding is way of floating and travelling the air for those without wings like myself. My dreadlocks here catch the wind as I fall and allow me to rid eit and any currents in my way. So without any strong wind in the air I wouldn't be able to 'fly' at all, least not without any additional help..." Knuckles slowly explained, trying to 'dumb' it down enough so the boy would understand the basics at least.
"Oh what help? And what about being a hero?"
Did that just fly over his head or did he actually understand it that quickly?
Maybe humans aren't as horrible as Robotnik is or as thick headed after all, maybe, he thought with a growing smile.
"Never mind about the extra help buddy, it doesn't matter. But as for being a hero... well I do know some heroes that you may know of... Have you ever heard of the Freedom Fighters? Or Sonic the Hedgehog even?" Knuckles continued softly, calmly deflecting the question about the 'additional help' away and instead trying to focus the boy's mind on what real heroes were, ones that definitely weren't him.
The boy paused for about thirty seconds as he thought back, "Nope, I can't say that I have..."
"Although... I did see a blue hedgehog and some other animals, talking ones, in town yesterday – are those who you mean?" the continually innocent but obviously brilliant minded boy who seemed to know exactly what to say, said.
"You did? In this city yesterday?! Oh my god... that's them. It just has to be. But why would they be-" Knuckles exclaimed in excited surprise at learning this, almost completely unlike his normal subdued and calm self, but which seemed to make the boy smile even more anyway.
What an amazing coincidence...
No... They must be looking for the Chaos Emeralds too, but why?
I guess that's just something I'll have to find out if and when I run into them, the echidna thought, his blood already boiling with rivalry excitement as seeing Sonic again, and also just seeing them all again. It had been too long since he'd last been about...
"Wow, you didn't know? So you're their hero helper and friend...?" the
"Yea... I guess I am little guy. Cool eh?" Knuckles replied with a cool whisper, and a minute or two of stargazing silence followed, both of them at ease with the world.
"You know for such a little boy you do ask a lot of questions!" Knuckles then mildly joked, keeping back a laugh so as to keep his presence hidden although that was really out of the window by now I'd have imagined, don't ya think?.
"My mommy said it'd do me good to, something to do with later on down the road or something. I wasn't really listening," the boy said warily, finishing with a shrug of typical childlike proportions, a small grin etched on his lips.
"Heh heh, well your mum sounds pretty knowledgeable and good to me. You'd best hind and listen to her in the future, okay?" the warm voice of Knuckles replied, now having gotten to his feet, eager to leave before too long pasted and his mission was jeopardised in anyway.
"I will mister...?"
"It's Knuckles, the names Knuckles kid," the echidna said, crocking one last wink at the kid before swiftly thrusting his spiked knuckles into the next portion of the giant wall, where no window ledges lay below, preparing to wall grapple his way down.
"Goodbye Knuckles, take care!" the boy squealed just a little too loudly, causing Knuckles to say goodbye in return, frantically waving one loose arm for him to go in and be quiet whilst the other kept him attached to the wall, so as to not fall to his doom.
He listened for the windowpane thud to indicate its shutting before knuckle boring and clambering his way down below, to where thankfully the Master Emerald piece was in a place well and away from the human error of opening windows and the like, much to his relief.
It'd fallen down to a ledge below, with a wider outward width, and was just floating there merrily away like nothing had happened. Intriguing resistant to breakage the emeralds were due to the chaos energy embedded within their core, it was quite fascinating.
Though the boy had reawakened something within him tonight, he wasn't sure what, maybe a recall of something from before... but it made him feel warm and happier than usual, and that could only be good.
What a nice little guy, clumsy and abit erratic but nice all the same.
Hopefully this doesn't mean that I'm going as soft as Sonic! Knuckles joked in the private recesses of his mind, before grabbing the tall, diamond shaped emerald piece in his hand.
It glowed subtly and then wildly, causing Knuckles to have to cover his eyes as whiteness devoured him and then nothing.
And the little boy from his window perked up abit, from his bed, at the sudden burst of light coming from below his window, hoping for nothing but good wishes on Knuckles way on whatever he needed to get back before falling to excited slumber.
Unknown Location / Unknown Time
--Play Sonic Adventure - Flashback--
The curtain of white washed over him like the many strokes of a paintbrush and then receded just as quickly, and the world being all wishy washy for a couple of moments, before realigning to the visible plane of reality. Or at least, Knuckles hoped...
Despite the recent tumble of craziness he found to his surprise that his head and body didn't hurt at all and in fact felt somewhat soothed and relaxed in this place, wherever here was anyway...
"Just where in the world am I?"
His eyes mistook it for something else for a moment before coming back to reality; vast blooming greenery, tall strong palm trees, a flourishing moat of water, large burning pot lamps and ancient temple structures could be found all over if you knew where to look after all.
If definitely wasn't anywhere he'd been before, and odder still then his sudden relocation was that other than the increasing tempo of his own heart and of the ancient blood through his body, he could hear nothing, there was no wind, no birds chirping...
"Even so this looks familiar somehow..."
Wait a second, his mind interjected, what's that up in the distance?
The focus of the scene seemed to widen with his uttered thoughts as he became more greatly aware than before, the ancient structure was a huge temple, and bustling around it were many echidnas, most if not all of them with tribal markings all over.
Echidnas...?! There's so many of them... But how?!
He was about to make a run for a group of them, to shout out to them with cries of joy; now that he wasn't gonna be alone anymore!
But before he could make any contact a high pitched chorus of incoherent voices, like chanting, drowned out his thoughts then, and all he wanted to do was get away from here but for some reason his legs appeared to have a mind of their own as they slowly trekked towards the temple.
It was there that the apparitions in his mind stopped speaking and took on several visual and stable forms at the temples base, which contorted and finally formed two recognisable bodies.
The first and bulkiest of the figures was a male, who was quite old from the grey colours of his fuzzy beard, eyebrows and the rest. His fur was a deep maroon and was covered mostly by various tribal gear, such as a grassy necklace, a brown 'dress' decorated with golden ancient symbols fitted with a grassy shim at the bottom, and cyan sandals. Ancient symbols and lines were also embedded skin deep across his large and muscular body, and he wielded a dark wooden staff with a blue upward crescent shaped spike on its tip.
The other was a young teenage girl, with orangey peach coloured fur, the typical long-snouted peach skin muzzle, and kind yet troubled cobalt eyes. And she had an ethereal look about her, which was complimented perfectly by her attire; which consisted of a silky white tank top-like garment which covered her chest, with her lower half being covered by a tribal dress with beige, green, and red triangular patterns, and fringed along the bottom hem. A long, flowing strap of green-bordered beige fabric, similar to a long wedding dress, started right above her small bent tail.
Her sandals were of the clay hued variety which allowed her small feet room to breathe, with a sequence of white straps going around her feet and up her legs. She also had large and thick, shiny cobalt blue bracelets adorn her wrists, white gloves, and a golden tiara-like band with an elliptical sapphire in its centre; it embraces her forehead, a large portion of which is covered by her quills. A golden arm brace also rests on her upper right arm, with white fur markings around many of her quills and on her lower left arm.
The two were enthralled in an argument of some kind, though I couldn't hear it coherently for it sounded as though I was underwater and it was being spoken backwards or something. What stood out for me were the piercing, cold blue eyes that the old man bore at the girl, whose own cerulean eyes were filled with a pure kind of courage and kindness, the kind I'd rarely if ever seen before, and yet they were on the verge of tears, and soon I feared all would be lost for her.
And yet her face still looks so radiant...
And as the girl fall to her knees, as though in prayer, the scene turned to a violent haze of red and the man was walking slowly up to her, his spear raised, and his eyes a maddening malevolent dark blue, with red flickers of flame dancing across them.
The chorus of incoherent voices now become intelligible and resonated within my head as loud as the bell of Station Square's Clock Tower had done so before:
Father, please don't!
Inaudible, the seven Emeralds are essential to our survival.
It is for the good of all our people.
How can I make you understand?
Attacking other countries, stealing and killing... can't be the right path to peace!
No one has the right to take their holy grounds!
I beg you, father!
I could feel my heart sinking and my body shiver in a cold sweat as the scene ahead dispersed into watery ripples and the world fell away into white waters, akin to soft feathery flowers, before swallowing me whole despite my resistance.
No... Don't take me back – Not now!
I want to stay! I need to help her!
My voice did not echo... I didn't even hear it out loud myself in the void. It seemed that it was only my conscious thoughts reflecting back and forth to me, like a ripple on a grand stretch of water, growing fainter and fainter with time.
And just as soon as I'd come into this dream land of make-believe, or something called 'Oz' as one of the girls probably would've called it, there was nothing.
I could see nothing.
I could not feel my body, and so all that I had was my conscious thoughts, the likes of which were in a redux cube like situation regarding what'd just witnessed, for I felt it had so many layers of confusion, blank gaps and mystique to it; this seemingly random event had left me with more questions than ever before...
The first being... just who was that girl?
And then all trace of consciousness left him, wandering like sheep on a field, far and away...
Station Square / Southern Sector / 21:15 PM
I can't recall when or how I found myself there, I just was.
The vision from before still as clear and crisp as my island homeland, and was swimming freely about in my mind. I don't think I'd ever forget about it... about her...
The splatter of water was all I could feel against my body, soothing, cooling waters raining down on me from above...
Was it raining?
It sure feels like it... he reached out with his right hand to check it so.
But when his eyes managed to awaken from their dreamy slumber and refocus he was bewildered to see the cocoon he was actually in, separated from the world and yet not. For you see, Knuckles, the self appointed guardian of the Floating Island, was currently erect and arm gesturing amidst a water fountain!
After recovering from the potentially rep destroying scenario of having young kids point him out to their bewildered mothers and fathers as some kind of typical 'cute' animal they could play with, it was then that he realised he was in a park somewhere in the city.
Having trekked for awhile across Mobius by himself some time ago he was caught up on the term he wasn't that dim-witted when it came to the modern world, and it was one that was highly welcome as it was a mild attempt at keeping part of the natural world intact, within such an unnatural metropolis.
Yet despite the one or three chirps of nearby roosting birds or the quacks of the lake borne ducks or the squeals of innocents playing the intrusion of the greater outside world could not be prevented, and soon all that really surrounded him was the noise and bustle of the city once more.
But he still held a small light of hope his anyway in his hand, that being one diamond shaped fragment of the Master Emerald, so he knew he'd be ok and that the paranoia's that swept him in these cityscapes would come to pass.
As long as he had the Master Emerald and its subordinate Chaos Emeralds, and the Floating Island, then he was bound to the world. The Freedom Fighters were also gaining steadfast heart from the guardian, but he wasn't ready to let them into his full out-spoken confidence, not yet...
Knuckles also had a churning feeling in his stomach now, a yearning familiar yet alien regarding the vision he'd bared witness to just minutes ? before.
Maybe... the stars of aurora are finally beginning to shine down on me. And fate never plays out its entire hand all at once... so in time, maybe I'll get some answers.
But for now... I continue on, with my quest and restore my home.
And with a leap into the rising northern wind above Knuckles glided onwards and upwards, following his own inner instincts as to where the next emerald fragment could be, and still was all completely unaware of the small floating ball of white pinkish light that had been behind him this whole time, and which now followed him into the deep black curtain of the night, this ball of white guiding light...
Station Square / Western Sector / 20:36 PM
Just around the corner and below in the street that Knuckles had previously been in, the five-some that were the Freedom Fighters walked diligently onward, one now filled with a sense of direction and purpose, completely the opposite of their arrival and first day in the city.
Their bellies and hearts were full, having just had a small dinner with an old friend and with three of her sub frequent new friends. And whilst it was tempting to have just handed in the towel and rested, they wanted to do this, and with haste.
They needed to get at least one Chaos Emerald before Robotnik did, they just had to...
The ever 'brave-heart' that was Antoine followed Sally like her own personal shadow with Bunnie opting to lay back with the other guys. The Princess of Acorn herself wore dark blue heeled shoes alike her typical boots in shoe form and a simple non-sleeved dark green night dress that came all the way down to the ground, her short auburn hair combed to a nice lavish finish.
Bunnie opted for a similar look, except she was garbed in a lavender dress, which in turn covered up the fact she was still wearing nothing on her feet! Having been used to walking about on nothing but her feet for many years, she wasn't that bothered by shoes yet, if ever. As for the guys, they had been made to at least comb through their hairs once or twice and don a black tie dinner jacket, which they had, and even Sally was trying hard not to blush at a certain hedgehog's mature outer shell...
"So are ya sure that our pretty lil emerald is about here Tails sweetie? I mean... this part of the city sure seems classier than what we've seen so far?" Bunnie cheerfully chimed; looking astounded at all the lights, the glamour and bustling noise.
It didn't occur to her that this may have proved slightly offensive should their present company had included another certain city girl, but Sally didn't touch upon it, that was just
the way her best female friend was at times, completely outspoken and one who didn't always think her choice of words through.
But no matter, they had business to attend to, one far more important than focusing on what ifs, mannerisms and looking at the scenery.
"Yeah I'm definitely sure Aunt Bunnie, the Chaos Emerald Radar has been blinking and humming louder and louder with every step we take up this street, it has to be near. In fact there are... lots of small signals going off nearby too-"
He never got a chance to finish his sentence as thrice a cry came booming their way, shouting "Pervert! There's a pervert on the loose!" and then the three skimpy clad clothed girls from Knuckles' story came charging past them, looking like their wailing heads would explode from their erratic bimbo-ness at any given moment...
The taller one, the brunette bashed into and past Bunnie without nothing of an apology with the other two 'ruining' Antoine's fair hair and stepping across Tails' twin tails respectively, before charging off into the darkness like headless chickens once more.
"Hmph... Well that was hardly lady like was it sally girl?" Bunnie muttered, dusting some sparkly, grimy glitter off of her dress, and looking mildly pissed off.
"I totally and humbly agree with you there Bunnie, they should've had more manners but what were they on about I wonder? I mean should we be wary?" replied the ever diligent strong female, subtle urging caution in her whispered tone.
"I needn't don't think so Sally. I mean look up ahead, do you see any prowler of any kind?" the cool and laid back Rotor replied, who was known and loved for being one traditionalist who still looked at situations with logic in this rising Aquarian age of technology. Not that Sally didn't use other decision making means than NICOLE, because she did, it was just nice to get another perspective firsthand.
With hand on chin and eyes narrowed she replied, "Nope I definitely can't... Other than that lizard guy entering the casino over there, he looks like a real slime ball to me if nothing else! Ugh..." she shivered on the last note as a ghostly chill ran down her back and front, like swarming hands, touching... feeling...
It was enough also to make one vomit she'd have told you.
"Heh heh, good one Sal," Sonic rang out, with an approving snide grin barred her way, before feeling a slight tug on his arm from behind.
"Hey Sonic... what's a pervert?" Tails suddenly asked innocently, cocking his head to the side as he did so.
"I... umm... SAL?" the now nervous and fidgety hedgehog began.
"Sorry, you'll have no help from me on this one," she teased.
Rotor had to try hard not to laugh at the ensuring chaos, leaving Antoine too to fret and fidget stubbornly in mock impatience.
The true blue's face was certainly a picture now, decorated with a scowl in the princesses' direction, before turning to one last port of call "Bunnie...?"
"Sorry sugah hog. This isn't really the time or place ya get me?" the southern belle replied, firmly but gently, patting his shoulder as she continued onward.
"Thanks a bunch guys..." the deflated hedgehog groaned, before turning to Tails and sheepishly telling him that it was one of those things that he'd probably learn about 'when he was older'.
The subject, to no one's real surprise, was abruptly dropped from then on, especially since Tails hadn't enquired any further, with the icy silence being broken by Sonic himself.
"So what was that about other smaller signals buddy?"
Tails pointed out a dozen or so smaller dots in and outside of the city on the radar system, "Yea just look at all of them, they definitely can't be Chaos Emeralds I'd say, but probably something similar in power. They're an enigma to me though..."
"Hmm well I'm sure they can't be that important..." Sonic said flatly, shrugging them off as some other highly powered device.
The others, especially Tails and Rotor didn't look convinced but then this mystery wasn't their current priority, and so they continued to the end of the busy street.
"The signal ends here Aunt Sally; the emerald must be inside..." the fox boy said with a note of serious finality, putting away the radar into his dinner jacket breast pocket.
"Je, I guess that est so..." the French tongued Antoine responded to no one in particular, all but in awe of the dazzling and colourful building in front of them.
The front had a huge circular display of tube lighting, of no particular colour, and coloured red and yellow letters in its centre spelt out the place's name, which was CASINOPOLIS. And the rest of the outer structure was mostly the same, except with different shaped arrangements of blue, yellow and red lights, like elliptical, in a bow, rectangular etc; and its top was decorated with golden yellow shooting stars.
It was one of Station Square's renowned 'pleasure' zones, and that was one of the core reasons why Sally wanted in and out of this place ASAP... Goodness knows what horrors could befall Tails and them in here...
Drugs, strippers, gambling addicts...
We simply can't hang about here, she thought with steadfast determination, worry .
We need to trend carefully on this dangerous ground...
And as Sonic lead the way ahead and through the entrance doors, she knew that she'd need to keep a close watch on the reckless blue wonder...
CASINOPOLIS / Station Square / Western Sector / 20:42 PM
--Play Sonic Adventure's Casinopolis and / or Sonic 2's Casino Night Zone Music--
They'd thought the inside portion would be huge but they were wrong... It was MASSIVE, and this was only the entrance sign up hall...
There were two stretched sign up booths on either side of the gang, with long trailing cues being served only by two business suit garbed blonde male and female.
The ceiling was almost dome like and seemed to rise up and up forever, with the giant sized golden statue of some former president or the like in the entrance hall's centre, which was in turn surrounded by a small water moat with floating lilies, holding the place stably together.
Off to the side of the main hall were seven smaller casino halls, each named after a various poker or card term, such as Joker, Hearts, Spades and Diamonds etc.
Whilst Bunnie and Antoine kept an eye open for any Robotnik activity that could blow their cover he did rule over the Casino Night Zone after all..., Rotor subtly whispered as to which hall the Chaos Emerald was currently located in to his shorter partner in scientific crime, Tails, who told him that it was in the Diamond vault in front of them.
Sonic without prior warning neatly tucked in his tie, puffed up his bow tie and took his place in the sign up line.
"Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog, is there anyone at home?" Sally was cursing quietly, trying to get the big headed hedgehog's attention.
"Oh hey Sal, what's up?" he coolly replied.
"... What's 'up' is why in blazes did you go to sign up without any discussion with me and everyone else? This isn't your show alone you know..." she continued, arms folded and voice stern.
"Hey I know what I'm doing Sally, I played the game many a time with my old uncle. This will be a smooth done deal in no time. Trust me for once 'kay," came the reassuring reply, still sprinkled a tad with some ego.
Sighs "Okay Sonic, I'll give you this chance but try not to land us in too much hot water okay? We can't afford to lose this one or end up in some pointless bar brawl," the princess warily, having given up trying to turn the guy's head around for tonight.
"Pointless bar brawl...? When was the last time I ever got us into such a mess?" the dumbfounded hedgehog replied.
"May I refer you back to the day we first infiltrated the Casino Night Zone... You had a go at those three brothers at the bar and got slightly leery-" she responded, with a roll of her eyes.
"They dissed my shoes, no one gets away with that! And all I'd wanted was bottle or two of coke cola..."
"Yeah while you and Tails were on an assigned missionary role, you left him alone outside..."
"I was just gonna get some drinks and get right back to him and the mission at hand! I didn't want him to see the inside of that place," the now reared up hedgehog spat out his team leader.
"And besides... didn't they turn out to be some of Robotnik's lackeys anyway?"
"..."
"You still risked our cover for a bottle of icky soft drink Sonic, and left a minor and young kid out on his own. Anything could have happened!" she roared in his direction, her fiery auburn toned hair now taking on a whole new meaning altogether...
"Maybe I did but nothing happened did it..."
"That's not the point and you know it," she said in a huff of finality.
This was indefinitely one of those 'the truth hurts' scenario as Sonic did feel abit bad for that, as after his squabble with the Marxio Brothers the whole bar had erupted into a random brawl and had poured outside, almost getting poor Tails involved and tossed around too.
He knew he was in the wrong then but did he really need to be reminded of his past failures of judgement all the time by others when he could do it enough and more for all of them?
Couldn't Sally just trust him for a change and mellow out...
He liked her better when they got on, and when they talked on an equal base. Maybe... one day he'd let her know just how much.
"Don't worry Sal, I'll get that Chaos Emerald, then we can beat Robotnik and Chaos and go home. All of us, together," Sonic spoke in a heartfelt gentle tone, hugging Sally briefly as a non-vocal way of 'making up'.
"Yeah... You go get them Sonic," she said, giving him the thumbs up and nudged him back into the line before it was now his turn to sign up.
"Name please?" droned a flat voice from within.
"The names Sonic... Sonic Bond," the hedgehog said in his cheesy way, striking a familiar spy ridden-pose to the unimpressed female receptionist, before being dealt his poker essentials and being shooed along by those still in line.
Oh brother, that has to be the silliest code name in the world... Sally inwardly groaned, but a warm subtle smile still lurked on the side of her downward face before following the rest into the Diamond vault play area.
It was inside this smaller but still pretty sizable Diamond inspired play area of six to eight medium sized poker tables and roulette wheels that the whereabouts of the Chaos Emerald was easily seen, as it was around the neck of the lizard man from earlier, who looked to be dealing some serious dough from the way the crowd was gathered around his latest game conquest.
Now that they were closer to their query the gang now could take in the slimy details around their poker opponent to be; he had sickly light to dark green scaly reptilian skin and wore a crisply cleaned brown business suit, which was knotted off with a vivid purple tie. But his most distinguishing feature, much to the girl's distaste was his whip length grimy tongue, which curled next to his lips like a snake preparing to lash and bite its next unfortunate victim...
As for the prize of this upcoming Poker roll and dice contest... The Chaos Emerald that hung like some typical 'bling-bling' around the guy's thick neck was the grey coloured emerald, which was usually always alluded to via mist and mystery like symbolisms and metaphors by those into that sort of thing, and thus not Sonic for one!.
"I'd like to take a shot at this guy," Sonic confidently spoke to the male supervising the poker table.
"Very well Mr...?"
"It's Sonic Bond man."
Cue half annoyed and amused facepalms from Sally and co
"Heh heh, you ever play poker little man?" the lizard man teased, his shiny yellow eyes observing and taking Sonic in.
"A couple of times lizard breath," was the snappy joyful reply.
"I see... Well you'll need more than beginner's luck to beat me, Max Gamble!" the lizard man boomed, laughing already at the novice-ness he assumed from Sonic's form and manner, the crisp and sweet smell of money already fluttering in his ears...
As the chips and dough were dished out, Max Gamble began to ponder something that was drilling into his mind from the moment he first saw the hedgehog he'd pretty much ignored his 'entourage', in that he seemed familiar from somewhere.
"... Say Mr. Bond, have I seen you anywhere before? You look familiar," Max Gamble subtly asked, being careful not to overplay his prying curiosity, and doing it just about right so as to not scare the individual off. But then again he'd never met someone like Sonic before...
Sally and the others tensed up, waiting to see what hand Sonic would play now to get out of this.
"Maybe you're seen a cousin or brother of mine about, we hedgehogs are quite a common mobian race ya know?" the cerulean hedgehog stated firmly, hoping that'd be enough to throw off his whole hero image onto an imaginary hedgehog individual.
"Yes... maybe I did. Thanks for the tip," was the lizard man's snide reply, who'd now decided to drop the subject i.e. he still wasn't convinced by Sonic's story and wanted nothing more than to wring his and his furry pals out to dry.
No one challenged Max Gamble in his esteemed casino pallor and lived to tell the tale...
"Say Max, how about we make this more interesting?" Sonic chimed in.
"Go on..."
"I bet here 2500 rings saved up from his mobian travels over the years and you bet your emerald necklace, whoever wins takes it all capiche?"
"Hmm," Max Gamble thought out loud, calculating the possibilities. The ring sum was measly and something someone of his stature and status could go without, but the hedgehog's obvious curiosity in his recent acquired emerald intrigued him.
Just what did this guy and his pals know about it and its worth?
It seemed as though his night had just got alot more interesting...
"Okie then Sonic Bond, let's play ball," came the tongue lashing reply.
It'd been just about quarter of an hour but the game was already heating up; Max Gamble was up X and down X, whereas Sonic was up X and down X.
The atmosphere was tenuous from Max Gamble's ever loyal blonde fan girls and rich pompous fan boys to the Freedom Fighters egging on their respective man. It was a delicate situation, and one that needed to be treaded carefully in order to come out on top.
Unfortunately for a certain Sally Acorn, the tension and worry of failure was just getting too much, and so she left the table, ignoring Bunnie's heartfelt plea to return.
Sonic however was too engrossed in his chess like match against Max Gamble, one of Casinopolis' top poker players, and even the cool blur was beginning to sweat a little.
If I just keep this defensive approach then I can get him when he least expects it!
It was then that behind his five piece cards that Max cocked a sly grin, before then down two Aces and reducing Sonic's cards into a minority.
Oh crap... Now what I'm I gonna do?
It was around this time that Sally had quietly slid her way back into the fold and was whispering her intended plan to Bunnie, who seemed to be in mild agreement considering how Sonic's last play had gone on down.
Antoine thought that anything that increased the cerulean hedgehog's ego was a bad thing, in his honest opinion, and the others were in reluctant agreement.
For the princesses daring plan was to magnetize NICOLE to the bottom of the table after subtly sticking her under the table and then magnetize the playing table, to allow them to control Sonic's dice to make him win out on top.
It's a risky procedure but one I feel is all we have left. I'm sorry Sonic...
She leaned over the table, gave Sonic a quick peck on the cheek and then used the ensuring red confusion to place NICOLE under the table.
What the... was that Sal? That was weird... the racing thoughts of Sonic uttered silently, his face still a light peach colour from his uncontrollable blush.
"Aww someone has you on a tight enough leash I see, she's a good pick!" Max Gamble teased, whilst his leery eyes wondered over Sally's form, and causing her to glare back at him and inwardly shudder with disgust.
Oh how I want to ring this perverted creep's neck right about now, she was thinking.
"What... she's not my girl man!" Sonic protested in a grumbled tone, his blush now gone and replaced with immature annoyance at Max's prying ways. "She's just a friend."
"Okie, okie then. Whatever you say Mr. Bond... Let's continue."
"Yeah... Let's."
I don't know what that was about but if you're up to something Sal I swear...
I'll find it out.
It was after the next round of their poker game extravaganza that Sally's game was rambled, at least by Sonic.
After Max's double ace victory in the least round, Sonic had prayed a little not too much as that just wouldn't be his style that the dice rolled a double six or near enough and what would ya know, he then rolled out a 6 and 4.
Wow that was pretty decent. Sweet...
It was only after the next two rolls, during which time Max Gamble had failed to move forward towards a victory and was at an obvious stalemate for the time being, that Sonic's luck still continued to roll, with him getting more sixes and a near enough high number.
Why no one else other than him, especially Max Gamble himself hadn't noticed the oddness of it all was beyond Sonic's thinking, for it was beginning to bother him...
I remember being alright at this game but not this kind of alright...
Is there some kind of dice hungry gum stuck under the table or something...?
No way... She didn't...
From a weird random thought about dice hungry bubble gum which we'll just put down to Sonic being abit peckish 'kay?, Sonic had felt under his portion of the poker table and had felt a familiar form, a rectangular NICOLE like contraption in fact.
God darn you Sally... I thought you said you'd trust me on this one! And now it seems that you're been cheating my way using your omnipotent computer, cue a sarcastic roll of the eyes like moment, in his thoughts.
"Is there a problem Sonic?" Max injected, startling the hedgehog out of his thoughts for a moment but with haste he regained his composure and replied cheekily.
"No problem at all Max, none at all... Let's play ball," in which time he'd pricked NICOLE off the tables underside and subtly stowed it away in his dinner suit's breast pocket under the table and then gave an annoyed glare over in Sally's direction, who being a remarkably smart lass put two and two together and looked away.
Yeah you better feel bad about it Sal... But for now I have this lizard dude's ass to kick and a Chaos Emerald to retrieve. I'll be having words with you later...
The two poker battlers were now near or less even and to break the tie as per the strong suggestion of the table keeper, they were now going for one last make or break round where the highest rolled throw and card amount would determine the winner.
Sonic was abit nervous now he'd admit, for the primary reason of what the consequence of failure would bring mostly anyway, he also liked to win after all, but he wasn't going to rely on a cheap win, no way, that wasn't his style. Good old luck and skill were still just as jamming and great as technical knowhow in his opinion.
"Well good luck to you hedgehog..." Max Gamble snidely spoke, a glimmer of malice apparent in his yellow and black eyes.
I'll be sure to crush the life out of you should you make a mockery of me.
"Right back at ya man," Sonic smirked with no malice behind his words, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous gambler and gangster he was facing off with.
The scheming lizard then took a fast roll, ending up with a four and five, before placing his remaining cards face up on the table grid, which were 2 Aces, a Joker, an 8 of Spades and a Queen respectively.
"Grr dammit!" the lizard man roared, his temper finally flaring, before stomping the table with his right fist, which nearly flung all of his laid cards, randomly laid poker chips and the dice off of the table and into any one of the gathered crowd's eyes.
Come on Sonic, you do it... Sally was thinking, her fists tensed and the world around her seeming to slow down in anticipation.
"You go get him sugah hog!" Bunnie threw in excitedly.
And so on forth...
Sonic left the room on a tense thread but hesitating on purpose with a clear unreadable face before smirking a sly and happy grin, flipping each of his winning card deck in turn, which was an 3 Aces, a Queen and King.
The princess almost fainted from the exhaustion the hedgehog's rollercoaster like game had wrought, with Bunnie catching her in her arms to prevent such a fall, before the gang bursts into a joyous celebration even Antoine, grudgingly
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?"
But Max Gamble wasn't, he was furious, and smashed the thick glass of the poker table down with one almighty fist, his eyes bloodshot.
"You..." the gangster roared out venomously, striking a slight blood covered finger in Sonic's direction.
"I knew I recognised you from somewhere... Sonic the Hedgehog!" he boomed, announcing it like some high overlord to the entire present establishment, that sharp tongue of his cocking up Max's own grin.
The crowd gasped, most in confusion as word of Sonic and co's adventures and plight had not fully made it this far, yet with some even applauding the blue hedgehog's amazing victory over the much disliked gambler with an iron fist.
"You are those rogue criminals that Robotnik is ever so keen to get his fifthly hands on... Ha-ha. I'd get a pretty penny for you lot... " the villain smirked, which wasn't intimidating Sonic and the rest at all, who were already in battle stances.
Deciding not to stick around for the ensuring rumble ahead, with some of the crowd quickly dispersed back into the main hall, with some leaving the casino immediately, having seen or been at the end of a gang attack or turf war before.
"So you're heard of us then, well for you slime breath but were outta here. Ciao!" Sonic stated simply, the blue emerald steely grasped in his hand.
"Oh no you don't!" the slippery villain shrieked, aiming a punch at the cerulean hedgehog's face.
However, unfortunately for him, a swift kick to the head, courtesy of Miss Bunnie Rabbot, rendered the notorious Max Gamble unconscious to the world and then the joyous cheers returned from outside and in.
Laughter was thrown about too as Max Gamble's ever loyal and steadfast blonde females and some males dragged him out of the backdoor in a comedic hurry.
The freedom fighters were even offered a private party by the manager himself, who'd always been scared witless by Max Gamble's baseless threats, but they declined and offered it over to the casino's paying guests.
And with an excited a roar that the crowd gave off in response, how could you say no?
Outside CASINOPOLIS / Station Square / Western Sector / 22:12 PM
Through the glass entrance doors they came out and onto the granite paved streets which were dimly lit by the black night's stars, and so, with the grey Chaos Emerald still in Sonic's steely grasp, he and the gang transverse their way back to their friend's place and rest for the coming day's trials.
They were one emerald down, and now only five remained... The race was indefinitely ON.
Cue Sonic Unlimited Ending Theme: "My Will" by ARTIST Dream
And thus ends the ninth chapter of this story arc!
Note I have no real idea of how real poker is played i.e. without the use of cards, so I went for the easier option here, so sue me!
It's not like they were playing for anything other than the Chaos Emerald anyway, the rings were just there as an extra bonus and means of temptation after all.
I hope you enjoyed this, and the chapters so far, any comments or ratings would be nice and appreciated! -
'Reuniting with Friends' is the next chapter, starring Amy Rose and the Freedom Fighters.
Take care ya'll smiley face