Chapter 10: Citadel/Duel
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The three grenadier battlebirds eyed each other with apprehension. Unlike the mech drivers, they lacked heavy layers of protective armor shielding them from the world. Instead they possessed speed, innate or artificially imbued, and copious amounts of explosives. Their job was to guard one of the many passages inside Polly Mountain and until five days ago, they believed it had been the easiest assignment ever.
Five days ago, one of the other patrols had reported enemy contact, shortly before vanishing. Since then, more than fifty such patrols had met similar fates. Worst of all, they had no practical way to counter such a threat. The radio interference saturating the air waves only allowed short range communications, which meant that contacting their main base could take several minutes, as the message had to be passed from team to team many times. Even then, leading a large strike team through the narrow, crisscrossing tunnels and crags was as futile as emptying the sea with a leaky spoon. Any aggressors would have ample opportunity to hide, evade them or set an ambush.
Therefore, the same reasons that made their main outpost resistant to a large scale military attack, also made it vulnerable to a single aggressor armed with determination, Chaos powers and guerrilla tactics.
Not that most battlebird grunts believed their attacker to be a mere mortal, not any more…
"It's finally here," squeaked one of the birds, a wingless parrot, his hands trembling so much they almost dropped the currently mute communicator he had been holding. "Squad 55 was lost. We are alone!"
The other two, a male and a female sparrow, made a show out of rolling their eyes. "Big deal," responded the female. "No way is anything going to pass by us."
The third soldier nodded, making a show out of brushing his feathers. "We are guarding a long narrow tunnel and, between the three of us, we have enough explosives to bring down half the mountain."
The parrot was hardly consoled. "It's not enough! Do you think the monster picking us one by one can be stopped with a few grenades? It won't even feel them on its hide."
The male sparrow sighed. "Oh please. We don't even know what that 'monster' of yours is. I say it's just a GUN commando with a chip on his shoulder. Good enough, sure, but hardly grenade-proof," he replied, prompting the female battlebird to giggle.
The terrified troop shook his head frantically. "We do have descriptions of it," he corrected them. "They say it casts a shadow twenty meters long! Its eyes burn with sapphire flames! It moves faster than a bullet! Its four tails are six meters long each! It has claws and fangs the size of daggers!"
The female sparrow bobbed him on his helmet to stop his babbling. "That's superstitions, not descriptions," she snapped, getting very annoyed. Much as she wanted to disregard such rumors, hearing them again and again had succeeded in making her uneasy. "Casts a shadow twenty meters long, my sumptuous feathered ass. An egg can cast such a shadow if the light is right!"
The ensuing laugher, uneasy from the parrot, hearty from the other sparrow, was cut very short when their portable life detector beeped, indicating something alive was close. Their reaction was spasmodic rather than reflexive. Each lobbed a trio of grenades, followed by long bullet bursts from their rifles, never mind seeing a target.
The rock tunnel surprisingly endured the onslaught instead of collapsing on them and the sole reason they stopped firing was the need to reload.
"Did we get it?" asked one of the sparrows, embarrassed he had completely lost his cool. The passage ahead was filled with smoke, of course, but apart from the occasional sound of falling pebbles, everything was silent.
Until a deceptively harmless item rolled towards them slowly. They tensed at first, but then blinked in confusion as the black sphere stopped by them lazily.
"What could that…?"
Miles' remote bomb exploded, forever muting the speaker.
The small fox emerged from the tunnel, snorting dust out of his nostrils and glaring at the trio's remains. He didn't stop to think about it, but his demeanor had changed many times during the last days. He would often go from feeling horrible about his actions, to feeling satisfied, to not caring at all, to feeling horrible once more. Battle after battle had started taking its toll, on his mind rather than on his Chaos-powered body.
Currently, he was feeling angry. "These… these idiots have to get in my way," he groused, annoyed that he didn't know of any real insults. "I wouldn't be killing them if they had stayed in their nests."
Shaking his head in resignation, he reached a fork, where the tunnel split into four, and picked a way at random. That was another problem. Polly Mountain had proven to be a natural labyrinth of rock, plants and soil and he only had a faint idea of where he was supposed to go to reach the top. Flying there was out of the question, both because of the strong air drafts and because, according to the Kukku walker's data, the outpost on Mt. Polly sported formidable anti-air defenses.
"I need to find her, Vortex," he muttered to said tail. "Vertigo has been a prisoner for over seven days. She might be able to take care of herself, but I'm getting worried…"
He smelled and heard another battlebird team close by and sighed. Despite how callous it sounded to him, the whole situation was getting tedious.
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"Another squad is down, sir," announced one of the operators, his squeaky vice laced with fear. Commander Kukku the 16th also known as Speedy, supposed it was a natural reaction. If his father had been there instead, the operator's chances of survival would barely rival a snowball cast in hell. Imperial Battle Kukku the 15th hated bad news with a passion and had never quite mastered the concept of refraining from shooting the messenger.
Speedy frowned at the screen the operator was sitting before. The three-dimensional map of Mt. Polly was littered with red dots, each of them signifying a lost patrol. Worst of all, there didn't seem to be rhythm or reason to the path the intruder was taking, except for a tendency of heading upwards.
"Our enemy is either very cunning or very lost," he muttered, caressing a small metal container hanging by his belt. His father was worried about fame, power and treasure and he supposed all three were nice, but Speedy was in for the challenge. The unknown intruder, lost or not, was good. The battlebird was certain said intruder was a Chaos adept, just like Ren, or rather Vertigo, as she called herself these days..
Speedy sighed forlornly as his mind drifted to the vixen. He was fond of her, perhaps too fond, and their duel amidst the forest had been the highlight of his year. Of course, she wanted nothing to do with him, but perhaps with time…
Shaking his head and pushing such thoughts at the back of his consciousness, he eyed the map again, concocting a plan. He knew he would have to deal with the enemy personally and he had the leisure to pick his own arena.
"I want demolition squads here and here," he ordered, indicating two locations on the map. "They are to wait for me to pass, then bring down these tunnels. Seal them completely. Make sure they use triple the explosives. Some rocks are so saturated with Chaos energy, they are hard as diamonds."
The operator eyed him hesitantly, taking some time to gather the courage to speak. "But sir, that way you and every unit beneath that point will be cut off. The only way up will be through…"
"Through the Grand Gorge," confirmed Speedy gleefully. "Our troops will just have to bare the inconvenience of being isolated for a while. They carry rations for that very reason after all."
"But why there, sir?" inquired the operator, not without a tone of dread. Speedy felt it was appropriate. The Grand Gorge, as the soldiers called it, was a deep natural shaft, starting from the heart of the mountain and extending all the way to the top, right next to the battlebird outpost. A combination of jagged rocks, loose boulders and powerful air drafts made it a deathtrap for climbers and flyers alike.
"Why not?" responded Speedy nonchalantly. "It's a nice place for a duel," he went on simply, causing the feathers of every listener to shudder.
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Miles yelped as yet another burst of wind threatened to steal him off the ground. Grasping the largest boulder he could get his paws on, he had to wait for a few seconds before the air subsided. Sighing in relief, he resumed walking on the narrow ledge.
"I thought getting out of the caverns even for a while would be neat, Hurricane, but I never imagined there would be such turbulence up here." His tail failed to respond, yet he was hardly deterred. "If we try to fly here, these winds will splatter us all over the rocks. At least no battlebirds are crazy enough to attack us here." His face darkened a bit. "Although that collapsed tunnel was intentional. Perhaps we are being herded…", he concluded, absently playing with the tip of his other tail.
Another wind burst came suddenly and he was caught off guard, with no more boulders to grab on. Thinking fast, he started spinning his tails in reverse, forcing his body close to the ground, with the rest of his limbs digging in the hard soil.
Time almost crawled to a halt for him as he seemed to be buffeted from all directions, then the winds calmed down just enough for him to clear the last section of the outdoors path and scurry inside the mountain via another cave.
"That… was… close," he panted, tilting his head and emptying his large ears from the inevitable amount of accumulated dust. Five minutes later, he had also managed to even his lush fur, in order to avoid looking like a stick of cotton candy caught in a storm.
The new tunnel proved to be a long one and when he reached the end, he wasn't quite outdoors again.
"How interesting," he marveled. He seemed to be at the bottom of a very deep pit. The sky was barely visible, almost lost amidst hundreds of rock spires and narrow ledges. Even at its lower point, he could feel strong drafts wrecking the ravine's length.
"Indeed, very interesting," came the unexpected answer and he reflexively lobbed a bomb at its direction. The voice's owner dodged the blast equally fast, however.
The young vulpine's eyes went wide when the speaker appeared. "You!" he breathed, a bit uneasily. That was the same person that had reportedly defeated Vertigo, after all.
Speedy floated into full view, regarding the kit inquisitively. "I expected a commando or some mystical horror, not the same kid I saw in Ren's inn…" His voice was not disappointed but rather intrigued. "It seems your two tails are your least important feature, after all."
Miles assumed the most sever glare he could muster. "I'm here for Vertigo," he stated succinctly.
Speedy raised a brow. "Vertigo? You mean Ren! I see. You fancy yourself a fox in shinning armor then."
The fox frowned, not familiar with the reference. "Very few armor materials would offer me worthwhile protection without slowing me down with their bulk. Carbon fibers with adamantium infusion perhaps. And I'd take camouflage armor instead of shinning any day," he replied, nodding to himself.
The battlebird blinked, then grinned. "Impossibly smart and knowledgeable, yet quite ignorant in everyday stuff. "
Miles crossed his arms defensively. "Well, I'm only about four, after all," he revealed.
Speedy blinked in disbelief. "Out of the diapers and into the battlefield," he joked, wearily watching for another attack. The fox was tensed and in full alert, after all. "Vertigo gave you some awesome weapons. I didn't know she was so good at inventing."
The tiny vulpine frowned at that. "I'll have you know that I've made everything myself. It's not like I have any family that I know of. The only thing Vertigo gave me was a Chaos Emerald," he replied before wincing.
The battlebird's face lit up with glee at that. "Not so good at keeping secrets, are you?" he taunted.
The younger Chaos adept had had enough. "No matter. Either fight me or get out of my way," he spat, producing another bomb while glaring at the other.
Speedy sighed. "It doesn't have to be that way. Even though you are a fox, there is a place for your many talents with us. You said you are alone, after all. I'll even let Vertigo go," he added, although not very eagerly.
Miles raised a brow. "Even though she's such a good piece you can have fun with?" asked the fox naively, prompting the other to gape at him. "What? That's what one of your soldiers said. I think he was being polite."
"That little bastard!" snapped the older bird, blushing. "I would never…" Shaking his head and regaining his composure, he sighed again. "Yes, kid, even though she's such a good piece, as you put it."
The vulpine seriously considered the offer. The battlebirds had killed many people at Poloy and he had killed many of them in return. While he didn't really have a way to count bodies, it had been fair exchange in his mind. Also, Vertigo would not be in danger any more. On the other hand, he didn't really want to assist the battlebirds in any way and wasn't about to give away the two emeralds in his possession. In addition, a part of him could sense the Chaos energies inside the older bird's body and craved the challenge of fighting him, although Miles didn't really understand that particular urge.
"No," he decided at length. "I would otherwise accept, but Vertigo warned me against you. She also didn't want any of the Emeralds in your hands, not after what you did in Poloy."
Speedy nodded slowly, rising in the air. The fox noted he was using some kind of propulsion system embedded in his body, since evolution had deprived his breed of true wings. As it was, only few of the battlebirds had retained their ability to fly. "I understand, although I'm not sure how you could hope to defeat me," he responded. "Vertigo is at the top of this gorge and I have the advantage of flight," he added, ready to demonstrate that by preparing an aerial lunge.
Miles smiled mischievously. "You'd be surprised." When Speedy came at him, he was ready, leaping as high as his legs would take him, then spinning his tails to add to his altitude. As the very dumbfounded bird passed below him, he lobbed one of his bombs, scoring a glancing hit. While Speedy possessed the reflexes to dodge the worst of it, the blast had singed its fair amount of feathers.
Recovering his previous height and turning around, the battlebird regarded the still flying fox with eyes more akin to dinner plates. "How… how do you? Your tails are mechanical then," he deduced.
The vulpine shook his head. "Nuh-huh. While I love machines, I don't have any implants on me. That's all Chaos power."
A very smirking Speedy tried another lunge, this time taking into account his foe's new ability. "So special!" he shouted, metal claws taking a swipe at the fox as he passed him by. Miles tried to dodge again, but he didn't have enough time and the battlebird compensated for his movement. Instead, he waited until the last moment before kicking at Speedy's extended claws, mindful to avoid their sharp points. His spinning tails had instinctively sped up, given him abundant leverage to fling his opponent right on one of the ravine's walls.
Not losing a second, Miles started ascending as fast as he could, determined to reach the gorge's top before Speedy could recover. It was not to be, though. Not even a minute later, Speedy teasingly passed him by, flying like a jet to Miles' helicopter.
"You didn't think I was down already, did you?" taunted the bird, casually folding his arms behind his head and inclining a bit, as if he was sitting on a comfy beach chair instead of plain air.
Miles' intended response would have been a bomb, if not for a sudden draft of air catching them both unaware. Speedy lost his smugness at once, yelping as the currents pushed him upwards and trying his best to avoid the many jagged protrusions above him. Miles also yipped in astonishment, although his flight technique allowed for better maneuverability. They were still unable to dodge some of the hazards and when the drafts subsided, they half-winced half-laughed at themselves. The many bruises on their bodies, that would have been broken bones were it not for their Chaos powers, were more severe than the harm they had managed to inflict on each other.
"When you picked the battlefield, did you expect this to happen?" asked Miles inquisitively, landing on a wide ledge and rubbing some of his most painful bumps.
Speedy landed close by, glaring at him. "Alright, I underestimated the place. I didn't think I'd have to do any serious flying," he groused.
The fox smiled a bit, producing another bomb and spinning it in his grasp teasingly. The battlebird also smiled wickedly, just before taking a deep breath and rushing at his foe. The bomb was thrown and sidestepped. A metallic hand sped forward, claws extended. A hardened tail intercepted it, knocking it to the side. A second tail rushed under the first, sharpened to a fine edge, scoring a glancing hit and drawing blood.
Speedy flew away, putting some distance between himself and his much younger opponent. He eyed the shallow cut, just below his ribcage, then one of Miles' tails, whose tip had been stained red. If his skin hadn't been reinforced by both Chaos and technology, his innards would have been decorating the ground below him.
"Flyer, bomber and shredder. You're a cute kid, fox," he remarked amused. "At least you seem to be enjoying this as much as I do."
The vulpine blinked in confusion. "I'm not enjoying this," he claimed honestly. "I'd rather not hurt anyone."
That answer prompted gales of laughter. "Sure you do. That's why you were smiling before. That's why your tails are wagging excitedly behind you even now. I know you can feel it, kid."
Miles gulped a bit, suddenly unnerved. The bird's observations were true, after all, even though he hadn't consciously noticed before.
Speedy was quick to enlighten him. "It's your powers kid. Chaos adepts are hardly mere batteries. The power has sentience. The power wants to be used. The power is glad to be used. And in turn we embrace the challenge. Defying danger and death is what makes us feel alive. Many adepts try to ignore it and some might even go insane by denying it. As for myself, I choose to embrace it. What will you do?"
The fox prodigy closed his eyes for a while, not caring about being attacked. When he opened them again, his glare was determined. "I will do what I have to," he replied plainly, retrieving a power ring from his pouch and letting its energy sing inside his veins.
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End of chapter 10
And so I have resumed this story with the first half of a boss battle and ended it with a cliffhanger. It came a bit late, I know, but that's erratic update times for you. No worries, the next chapter is ready and only needs some polishing.
Some will probably be astonished by the sheer amount of death in this story, even if it's just grunts for now, but I'm keeping true to the game, at least in that aspect. Tails is lobbing high grade explosives at them, strong enough to break rock and demolish armor. The battlebirds' bodies fall off the screen charred and stupefied. The game of course is quite cartoony about it all, but they still die.
As for Tails himself, he is just following what he thinks is right. His naivety makes for some rather callous behavior. While all beings have a natural aversion to killing their own species (or at least similar as in sentient), conditioning (such as having many armed people trying to kill you) compensates for that. Being a Chaos adept means he won't fall apart easily(physically or mentally), but he'll still have to deal with all this later. I plan to use that to make him a bit more like the Tails from the newer games.
In other news, I have tried to give Speedy some semblance of personality instead of making him some sort of chaotic evil villain. I hope it's working. The chaotic evil monster will be his father instead. I'll also add some background about how Speedy and Vertigo know each other, although it's hard with Tails as the main character.
If you have time, leave a review and tell me what you think.