Author's Note:

Again, don't really have much to say. That will probably be the case for the next few chapters as they really speak for themselves - not like you care about the A/N anyway. It is the last stretch so hang on! And remember,

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Still a Need for Heroes

Chapter 25: Running from a Trained Assassin

As Espio began walking through the main lobby of one of the U.F. intelligence buildings, he already was beginning to get a weird feeling about his 'meeting' with McCoy. "Hello?" He shouted out to the vacant building but only got his own words, reverberating from the empty walls, as a response. 'I don't like this.' He thought as he cautiously moved forward toward the elevators. 'Well he did say I wouldn't have any trouble getting up to his office.'

As he hit the appropriate button to the floor of McCoy's office and as the elevator doors were closing, something fell over him. He wasn't quite sure what but something was amiss about the whole situation. He looked up at the camera poised in the corner of the elevator's ceiling. The rhythmatic pulsing of the single red dot underneath the lens was like a watchful eye. Being of the secret type, cameras, and having to stand still in front of one for an extended period of time, made the chameleon feel even more uncomfortable. What was McCoy really doing requesting his presence? He was fully convinced he did not want any information Espio had from the day of the First Soleanna Convention. So what was he after? He somehow knew he was there; did he think he was with the enemy? No – he even thanked him for saving his life. All the questions he had were about to be answered anyway as the light ring of the floor counter sounded signifying that he had made it to the appointed level. The doors slowly slid open and he walked out.

The elevator was at the end of a hallway. Though there were different branches and offices to the side of the hallways, his destination was apparent by the door at the opposite end of the hallway as it was cracked open and a solid light emulated from behind it. He approached it slowly and gently pushed the door open as he came up to it. Inside he could see Mr. McCoy standing behind a beautiful cherry wood desk, staring out of the large window that lay across from the passage Espio had just entered through.

"Ah. Right on time." The mystery man turned around to face the Mobian in his presence. As he did, it was revealed he held a small glass of brandy in hand and casually took a sip at this time. He lowered the glass down from his lips and placed it gently on the desk corner.

"So you say you want me to give you some information but we both know that's not why you wanted me here." The purple chameleon stated pretty sternly.

"Still very keen I see. Very good." He slowly stepped around the desk and stopped in front of it, leaning back and using it as half a seat. "Before I continue, I must ask. How much do you trust me?" He said with a slight and nerve-racking sneer.

"In all honesty. Not much."

"Ah, not enough for you leave your knives and stars at home but enough to not have any component of that cybernetic lynx with you to document anything that may… go awry here tonight." Espio gave him a weird look. "Do not fret. I have seen stranger love. Besides, she is a wonderful person and a Mobian in nearly every sense but one. And for that is a shame for she deserves it well. I know that is why you two have kept it secret for so long but as I said earlier, your secret is safe with me." He let out a more sincere smile this time.

"Why is any of this necessary?" Espio squinted, getting all the more unsure about the situation.

"Well, you tell me. You have clearly realized it is for me to show my awareness of even the most discrete affairs you are involved in. But the motive? Is it to convince you I am a friend, or as a warning to not mess around with me." He let there be a small pause before continuing. "Either way it simply boils down to the fact that I do not wish you to take any aggressive action in our encounter." He leaned back a bit further and extended his arm, grabbed his glass of brandy and took another sip before setting it back down on the desk, this time a bit more in reach.

"Enough talk, let's get on with why I'm really here."

"Patience. I am actually waiting on one more visitor." McCoy then casually looked down at his watch. "Ah. And it seems only a few more minutes before he arrives. I guess we should take our places then."

'Places?' Espio thought but before he could do much more than think, he was grabbed on the shoulders by McCoy and slammed into the wall behind him. "What the–"

"Quiet." McCoy looked the Mobian straight in the eye with ferocity. "You will do exactly as I say otherwise all this will be for naught."

"Not very convincing." The chameleon pushed his back against the wall behind him, brought his legs in his chest, then kicked McCoy off of him. "Whose side are you on?!" But he froze. "Oh…" Suddenly Espio was looking down the barrel of a 45mm pistol.

"Like I said. You will do exactly as I say." McCoy was as solid as a rock. Espio knew there wasn't much choice so he slowly brought his hands up in the air. "Good." The man continued to look straight into Espio's eyes and didn't even blink. "At about your two o'clock there is a furnace heater. It's actually quite nice. I had it installed for this very occasion." The way he was practically monotone the entire time just threw off Espio even more. "You will move over to it and sit down in front of it. You may get a little hot but trust me, you won't mind. Now move."

Just at his request, Espio slowly sidestepped to the furnace. Once he was in front of it, he slowly lowered himself and sat down. He could already feel the heat radiating from the device and had to make sure he did not relax his tail enough for it to make contact with the hot surface.

"Now. For the sake of your own life, you will go invisible and you will stay invisible for the duration of this meeting. You will not move, you will not make a sound, and you will not reveal yourself under ANY circumstances. Understood?"

As Espio sat, still looking up to the gun pointed in his face, he could only sneer. "For how long."

"It will be apparent when you will be free to move. Like I said however, if you chose to disregard this warning of mine, you will most certainly die." Steady as a statue, McCoy stood in his stance for a few more seconds until he pulled back the pistol. "This is where I wish you would have said you trusted me a little more." Even though McCoy pulled back the gun, his face had not yet changed expressions. "Our guest is almost here. You best go invisible now." And finally he stepped away. Even more, turned his back to Espio. He walked back up to his desk and turned off the lamp that was the sole source of the light in the room. He grabbed his brandy and took another sip. He placed the gun back on the desk and let out a heavy sigh.

At this time Espio took the man's advice and went invisible. It was dark and still now in the room. It gave a cold appearance but Espio was already feeling the heat building up from sitting so close to that damn furnace. But suddenly, he heard the small ring of the elevator down the hall. Who could possibly be coming to meet with McCoy as well? Only a few more seconds before it was revealed.

And behold, just as cautious as Espio had a couple minutes prior, the assassin Espio had met on the rooftops of Soleanna walked into the office. His head slowly turned and scanned the room, searching for something. The two red dots glanced over toward Espio and he froze. McCoy brought Espio so the assassin could do him it! Did he know he could see heat traces with those goggles of his? How could he. But just as quick as those red dots scanned over Espio, they were gone and back on McCoy. It was then the chameleon realized; the furnace and the light. His heat signature was melded with the immense heat coming from the furnace to the point of ambiguity and without any light there was practically no chance of his invisible outline being spotted even by the keenest eye. Now all he had to do was exactly what McCoy told him to do.

"You knew I was coming yet you decided not to bring anyone to help save yourself." The course voice of the assassin sounded as he stood staring at the man in front of him.

"Why put other lives in danger? This is between us is it not?" McCoy said taking the final sip of his brandy. He noticed this and casually got up to an end table which held the original bottle of the drink and poured himself another glass.

"I guess it is." The assassin stepped forward but quickly stopped as McCoy began speaking again.

"You know I'm not very surprised Team Dark ran into you earlier today." The man took a small sip of his drink once more.

"My father says you are very smart and are really good with puzzles. I guess that's why he originally had me try to kill you in Soleanna." He simply stated.

McCoy let out a light huff. "Well tell your father I am quite complimented for him to think I am so important that he needs to kill me." The assassin was standing there and didn't know how really to take it. "I guess that is why also you tried to take the data record from that ancient human bunker then. If I had access to that information I would surely be able to crack the code and figure out what dastardly deeds was about to unfold at your father's hands."

"He knew you would eventually come to realize, with the little information the U.F. and the gross Mobian nations had obtained, that the answer may lie buried in that place. He sent me to destroy any kind of history recorded in that complex's database. It's a shame your Team Dark was able to make it out alive. They truly are G.U.N.'s best. But at least you did not retrieve the files stored at that place." The assassin's course voice rumbled in their conversation.

"Oh dear boy." McCoy gave a quick chuckle before bringing his drink back up to his lips. After a quick swig he lowered it again and continued. "But like you said, Team Dark is G.U.N.'s best and they principally do not like to fail when it comes to missions. Shadow in particular. In my years of service I have found no matter how good someone is at espionage, forgotten details always come back to haunt you. Shadow remembered the last time he was in that facility and recalled that Isaac had stored memories of the history between the Xorda attack on ancient Earth and the present day. Though he was destroyed, some of those memory files were kept intact. He was able to retrieve Isaac's memory bank and give them to me. I have studied them and they are quite interesting I might add. It seems either you or your father forgot about the rotting robot in the room you had your little clash in." The assassin stood silent for he too did not like to fail a mission and just came to realize he did just that. "Which, I warn you about Shadow. He has a very strong connection with an overland girl who is a relative of his creator. When you attacked G.U.N. today he nearly went berserk for fear that she was harmed. He is a very dangerous being when provoked."

"I do not care about some weak animal or any overlander that sympathizes with those creatures." The assassin angrily spat.

"My, you really have some fascinating hatred toward Mobians. I guess that is why you and Hook are planning to rid them of this world. That IS why you are planning to kill them all off right?" McCoy casually took another drink.

"You don't know what you are talking about."

The whole time Espio sat quietly observing the conversation. He was really starting to bake from the heat of the furnace but knew that comfort was not a luxury at this time; his life was. So he sat still, breathed quietly, and continued to listen.

"Oh but I know exactly what I am talking about." McCoy replied. "And the biggest tip off was not the files recovered from Isaac. That was just the confirmation. Tell me, how have your father's studies progressed without the sought out research behind Project Glass?" He inquired.

"Not being able to obtain the research behind Project Glass was a major setback. That echidna woman was strong in the fact that she never gave us any information toward it. It's unfortunate because if she had, my father would have finished his research much sooner. But it doesn't matter now. My father had to start from scratch with some regeneratives he had me steal from a cargo train a few months back."

McCoy didn't feel the necessity to mention that he knew already about the stolen regenerative materials. It may disrupt his plan for their conversation was for an audience and he didn't want anything to go wrong.

The assassin child continued to speak. "With those regeneratives and the studies done on old Eggman's robotocizers, he was able to get past that roadblock." He let out a small child-like laugh. "So delayed a little but my father's work is done none the less and we are ready to initiate our final plan within the next few days."

McCoy looked pretty disheartened by this fact. "It seems one of my plans did not work as I had wanted."

"What do you mean old man?"

"Well you see." He took a hefty gulp of his drink and threw his jaw to the side from the bite before continuing. "I really had hoped that by stealing the research behind Project Glass myself, your father would have been stopped and not just delayed. But I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"You stole the Project Glass research? Impossible." He quickly dismissed it. "All our information pointed to Lien da."

"Which is what I planned. I did not plan for her to be captured at your hands but I am glad the Freedom Fighters got her out before you did her in. It's a good thing you thought she did have it otherwise you surely wouldn't have kept her alive, correct?"

The assassin was baffled. "I don't understand."

"Do you wish for me to explain?"

The assassin stood just as motionless as he had the entire encounter but this time in suspended thought. "Go on."

"I have known about Hook, your father, for quite some time now. Not personally but as a hobby of mine, I like to track threats – even minor ones – to make sure they do not turn into larger ones. It is hard for someone to just 'quit' their profession when retirement comes. So I had discovered your father had tried to take the research behind Project Glass once before. This must be before you had completed your training because you were not in the picture. But low and behold, he did not succeed. Did a very good job in covering it up though; it seems I am the only one that picked up his trail. Anyway, knowing how dangerous Project Glass could be in the wrong hands, I personally stole the research and destroyed it. Not long after Lien da went for it. I made it seem like she had stolen it which caused G.U.N. to come after her. Once we had her in our possession I would have intervened so that she would not be charged with the crimes of stealing Project Glass. We tracked her to Security Outpost 057 after an undercover agent of mine in Lien da's cartel party, Frankie, went MIA on a mission. It seems Lien da revealed you had killed him in when you took her captive."

If he was not wearing so much concealment, mask and goggles, the assassin would have quite a distressful expression for he was beginning to realize that him and Hook may not have been as 'under the radar' as they expected. But he did not let that show. "Very good. You are a good puzzle solver."

"I have solved many other puzzles if you are interested in hearing about them." He tried to keep the assassin engaged so that he would not complete his mission until everything was all explained, for Espio's case. "You don't have much friendly interaction do you. You can take a seat if you want. I'd offer you a drink but it seems you are too young for one."

"I prefer to stand." He coarsely proclaimed.

"If you wish." McCoy took another sip. "But I do have a few questions which though if you would be so kind as to answer some of them." Of course many of the questions he had in mind he already knew the answer to but that was not the point. There were still a few however he sincerely did not know.

"I think I can do that seeing as you are about to die."

McCoy let a small grin escape his face. "I appreciate it. First off, you have been tampering with U.F. infrastructure for quite some time. Much of it seemed a little unnecessary in regards to your intents."

"Most of it was to cover our trail. My father's research involved many intricate procedures and if at any point he was discovered, all would have been for nothing."

"I see. Then why the sudden bombing at Albion?"

"The Echidna Nation was not playing into our plan and was remaining neutral even after we had dispersed the notes to your nations' leaders."

"So the notes were intended to incite suspicion of your actions so that the countries could be brought forth about the matter. Is that why you have been subtly inciting civil uprising between Mobians and Overlanders?"

"Yes. If you know so much then you know it would be beneficial for there to be distrust and conflict between us and those mongrels when the bombs go off."

'Bombs?' Espio was taken back a bit. Why is it taking so slow for them to get to the point? He thought to himself. But there was nothing he could do but sit in anxiety waiting for him to finally come out of concealment.

"I will have to say," McCoy began. "I am impressed with your fathers intelligence as I feel it rivals my own. With all the unrest amongst the species, the populace would do have your work for you. And it was working too when the ERA took claims to your attack on G.U.N."

"My father was quite angry that the Chaotix had stopped the ERA but he is always prepared and has many contingencies."

"As I can tell. Was it a contingency when the Chaotix stumbled upon the Mercian facility and found the information that led to Security Outpost 057?" He quizzed

"It was a contingency we had planned for. If anyone would have gone to the facility they would have thought that that was where our stronghold was and hopefully would have been buried in rubble – never knowing about Security Outpost 057."

"Ah, but that was not the case was it." The assassin was getting flustered again but he still remained as still as a statue, a looming gargoyle that lurked in the darkness of the room. "So then you did not expect the Freedom Fighters or Team Dark at Security Outpost 057?"

"We did not expect the Freedom Fighters to come by. It seems when the Chaotix escaped the collapse of the Mercian facility, they managed to pick up some extra information. But we knew G.U.N. had sent Team Dark in and we were monitoring their movements waiting to do them in as well. It seems the presence of the Freedom Fighters was a wild card that saved Team Dark that day. But that doesn't matter now since they'll die with the rest of those furballs."

"Remarkable. And from there, we stand now. Simply remarkable." McCoy marveled at the whole scheme. He may be against Hook's plot but he had to respect how well conceived it was. "One last thing, the shutdown of the reactor–"

The assassin was getting tired of this babbling so he finished McCoy's thought. "The fuel lines were shut down and a sample was diverted to us so my father could replicate the energy ring power. As you can imagine it takes a lot of power to conduct all the research my father has done."

"So everything was part of the plan. The shutdown, Mercia being a trap to keep Security Outpost 057 a secret. The 'notes' to bring forth the nations. Capturing Lien da in an attempt to get your hands on the research of Project Glass and using her to lure Team Dark to take them out. Using propaganda and hysteria to bring civil unrest between Mobians and Overlanders. Bombing Albion to get them involved in the whole affair and using psychological warfare to get the ERA to attack the U.F. Placing the satchel charges near the roboticizer in the third facility to make Acorn think they destroyed your biggest threat when it actuality wasn't even your plot to use the roboticizer past research. Tampering with U.F. infrastructure and destroying the fourth facility to further cover your tracks. And making open attacks on the largest nations of the world to bury them in the clouds of war and destruction… Brilliant." He had to make sure that the third party in the room would understand everything as he had.

"You are very smart. But I think your intelligence rivals my father's instead of the other way around like you previously said."

"Yet that is why you tried to kill me off. That's why you tried to stop me from getting the information from the ancient human complex. So that I wouldn't find out about any of this. So that I wouldn't connect the dots of your grand plan. This Research Affair. All the information of ancient Earth and the Xorda attacks, the studies in genetics and regeneratives, the study of roboticizing and legionizing and how it alters anatomy and DNA, you and your father's twisted hatred toward Mobians and your belief in Overlander superiority. All this to rid the planet of Mobians. The summit of your father's plan: a reverse Gene Bomb."

If he was not invisible, Espio's eyes would have attracted moths, they were so big and bright. How could he not see it before? How could anyone not see it before! Despite being placed so close to the furnace for so long, he started to get immense chills. Fear struck him like no other. The legendary Days of Fury, brought by the destruction of an alien species that tried to kill off the planet twice now. The Gene Bomb: A weapon of mass destruction beyond anyone's imagination, used to completely eradicate human life, and human life alone, on ancient Earth now being turned toward Mobians – to kill off Mobian life, and Mobian life alone. Espio felt his heart beating so fast, he was fearful that the rapid thumping would give his position away.

"Congratulations. But it doesn't do you any good now does it? Now that you are on the verge of death. It's a shame no one else will know." He said unsuspectingly.

"It is a shame indeed." McCoy dropped to near depression, playing his part well as the assassin couldn't tell McCoy's plight for a doomed race was a ruse. "I would try to reason with you and your father at this time but I do not see that that would do any good."

"No. It won't."

"Well." He took one more sip of his brandy, leaving only a little bit left as he swirled it around in his hand. "I will say this. I can tell you have been robbed of your innocence. You were born and bred to be the assassin you are today do that your father could use you for his plans. But your lack of social interaction is something you are not aware of and you are fascinated by talk, I can tell." The assassin still remained motionless as everything McCoy was saying was in fact true. "You're smart. Very smart for your age and have amazing skill. But like you said to Shadow when you encountered him at that complex, you hardly get face time and conversing with your targets isn't healthy. That is your weakness."

For the first time since he arrived, the assassin moved. Slightly budging forward but catching himself. It was hard to tell why when you can't see any expression but he was angry. "I have no weakness."

"Yes you do. We all have weaknesses. When you talk to your targets, you feel something. It gets personal. Trust me, I know. Many times I've had to kill and talking makes it harder, even if only slightly. See, even in your past encounters – your few failures have occurred because of some kind of interaction right? When you converse," He brought his drink back up to his mouth and kicked back his head, downing the rest of the substance. "It cuts into that 'instinct' of yours."

Just then, the assassin lunged forward with speed so swift no one could possibly react to and sliced McCoy's throat with a blade hidden in each of his sleeves. He flipped back as McCoy's limp body slowly let physics take over and slumped down off his desk until falling to the floor. The glass he held in his hand slipped out and shattered as it hit the floor. Blood was running down his neck like a river and his eyes were blank and cold. He was gone.

Espio began to silently panic. 'you will not reveal yourself under any circumstances' he remembered McCoy saying just a few minutes prior. 'It will be apparent when you will be free to move.' But it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. The shock of the reverse Gene Bombs and Hook's plot to kill off the Mobians, now witnessing the slaughter of McCoy right in front of his eyes – it was a lot to take in. But he had to stay calm. He had to stay hidden otherwise not only would he be killed by the assassin as well but all of McCoy's efforts to secretly reveal Hook's plot to him would be for naught and Hook's revealed plan dies in that room. Even as he felt the blood from McCoy's neck as it pooled near Espios legs, He. Had. To. Stay. Calm.

"Foolish man." The assassin said as he turned to leave the room. "Three days before commencement is a little late for your revelation." He chuckled and slowly left the room.

Espio still did not move until he heard the doors close in the elevator. When he did, he jumped up in anxiety. He cared not to concentrate on his camouflage anymore as quivers were taking over his body. "G-gene B-b-bombs." He said in complete distress. He moved away from the furnace but only got colder as the chills that were ensnaring him were tremendous. He looked over at McCoys lifeless body with his head barely clinging to his shoulders as only a few strings and tendons were left to keep it attach. He felt his stomach twist and he regurgitated from the apprehension of the entire situation. He could feel some of McCoy's blood still clinging to his leg and once he let it all out and stopped vomiting, he grabbed a nearby garb to wipe it off.

His breathes were still heavy and his heart rate was so rapid he felt like it would burst. He was dizzy and lightheaded but he could feel himself coming down from the shock from the combination of the revelation and magnitude of Hook's plan and the horrid sight of McCoy's throat getting slit. He knew he had to get out of there and tell the world what kinds of terrors are upon them. 'Three days' he heard the assassin say in his head. "That's not a lot of time."