Nack had a colossal headache, that was, by his own admission, his own fault. He woke up laying in a gutter feeling terrible, and had gone down to the beach in order to get away from the noise of the city.
Hence he was very surprised to notice Sonic the hedgehog there. Nack had a vendetta against Sonic, ever since a botched job the hedgehog had caused and cost the weasel his reputation and had been the start of his downfall. Sure, Nack knew Sonic was a hero, but Nack either thought someone else would save the day with Sonic gone, or worse, Nack just didn't care. This wasn't about the whole world; this was about Nack and Nack's world.
"You don't even know who I am, do you?" Sonic smirked. The grin irritated the weasel. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, and I'm the fastest thing alive!"
"Then why haven't you run off then?" Nack said in frustration, "If you're so fast, and I'm stood here pointing my gun at you why aren't you already running?"
"I dunno," Sonic replied, "Why haven't you tried to fire when I'm just stood here asking for it?"
"Do you even know who I am?" the weasel asked, indignant to have been forgotten.
"Sorry buddy, don't recognise you." Sonic admitted.
"I'm Fang the Sniper," Nack said, "and you're the reason I lost everything ya blue jerk."
Sonic racked his brains for the name, but came up blank. "Well I can't believe I did something that would cost someone everything. The only person I ever cost anything is Eggman, and I always remember that. You sure you're not after Shadow. He's a shady government type and for some reason people often mix us up."
Nack shot at the sand beneath the hedgehog. "Shut up! You really talk too much."
"Would you believe I never talked when I was younger?"
Nack fired another shot. "I said shut up. I'm going to make you pay for what you did."
"I don't even really know what I did. Did I knock your car off the road, or did I borrow your snowboard and lose it in an avalanche or something?" Sonic said racking his brain for all the things it might be."
Nack fired a shot into the air as a warning, "Zip it hedgehog," he said as the next round entered the chamber, "Or the next one goes right through your eyes."
"I thought that was the plan anyway," the hedgehog mocked, before ducking as a bullet sailed overhead. "Now why don't you put your gun down?"
"Make me," Nack spat, "You still haven't explained why you haven't run off."
"Because I've learnt that sometimes you need to hear what the nutter with the weapons wants if you intend to stop them. Often clues you in on what important thing of theirs to attack."
"Nutter?" Nack yelled, "I'll show you who's a nutter." Nack fired wildly, one bullet missing the hedgehog, followed by clicks from his gun.
Sonic saw this as his chance. He sprinted from his position, and leapt at Nack, knocking the gun from his hand, and pinning the weasel to the ground.
"Other times," Sonic grinned, "you just have to taunt them 'til they run out of ammo. Now what did I do that made you want to take pot shots at me like that?"
Nack hesitated, before relenting, "We met once or twice before, I would never forget my encounters with you, the only guy who ever beat me in a duel."
"I beat you?" Sonic said, "Just what I need, another rival." With that Sonic got off the weasel but kept a close eye on him, wanting more answers.
"I ain't your rival hedgehog," Nack snarled back, "You're my nemesis."
"Sorry buddy," Sonic replied, "Got one of those already as well."
"Well ain't you popular?" Nack sarcastically asked, "But you don't get it do you? I don't do losses, not in my line of work. If you don't take someone out, you don't get another job." The weasel sat there on the beach, hat in his hands, still clutching his gun, no longer quite so willing to fight having once again been bested by the hedgehog.
"So because I beat you that time, that means you can't carry on?"
"Now you're gettin' it. And since you're such a world famous 'hog, I can't even pretend I succeeded. So I got two choices, take you out, or get taken out."
"There's a third option y'know," Sonic advised, "You could find another job."
"Pfft," Nack replied. "Not for me there ain't."
Sonic changed the subject. "So the robot," he asked, "Is that you're doing?"
"Hah, I wish." Nack replied, his fingers fiddling with his gun, "That thing's good, I'll give it that. But I can't afford something like that."
"Must be Eggman's then. Ah well, I'll smash it later."
Sonic looked to the weasel, still unable to recognise the face. It bothered him slightly that he couldn't remember the guy, especially if the weasel's claims were true. Still, Sonic knew his memory wasn't perfect, and didn't dwell on it too hard.
There was a crackling, piercing shriek of a noise as the sky briefly flickered to darkness. Both Sonic and Nack looked to the source, a swirling purple portal that had formed at the base of the cliff.
"What the heck?" Nack asked.
Sonic recognised it as the one he saw earlier. He looked intently at it, taking just half a second to decide whether or not it was a good idea to jump into it. Unfortunately for the hedgehog, this was one of the few times someone had been quicker than him, and no sooner had he made his decision than Nack had bolted upright. Shoving the hedgehog to the ground as hard as he could, the weasel gained just enough of an advantage to make it into the portal, disappearing right in front of the hedgehog's eyes with a blinding white flash.