Disclaimer- Still don't.
A/N- Woo! An update! And I did it in under a month this time XD I'm gettin' a hang of this college thing…kinda…
But anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 28- More mistakes were made
Pain.
Pain.
And wow…even more pain.
But it's okay. Pain was good, great even.
Pain meant that he was alive.
And given what he had already been through, this new burning pain was welcomed with open arms.
Rogue had regained consciousness in steps. First, he felt the sizzling on his raw skin, the unforgiving muzzle strapped around his head, the rope and cuffs restraining his arms and legs, and the blood dripping out of barely healed gashes he had received from Penumbra before the hedgehog had knocked him out.
Second, he heard nature around him. That was new. Usually, the only sounds he was graced with were the buzzing of overhead lights and the occasional footsteps. Presently…he heard leaves rustling and insects chirping. And now that he knew that he wasn't where he usually was, he recognized that the flooring was different as well. It was rough and not as cold as the ground he was used to.
The third step was him opening his eyes.
He saw the sky. There were a couple of clouds in it, them colored a light orange because of the slowly setting sun. Teal orbs just stared for a moment, wide with disbelief.
He was outside.
He was outside.
A broad smile grew on his muzzle. The movement stung and he was sure that he had reopened a small wound, but he didn't care; he was outside.
Rogue's elation waned when he had to remind himself that he was still tied and cuffed. Espio could be watching him right now. Was this just a new setting for him to get attacked? Rogue's wing wasn't broken anymore – Penumbra had healed it and not managed to break it again – so he could just fly away. However…how long would it be before Penumbra would just pounce on him?
The bat let out a breathy laugh as wind blew across him, agitating his mysterious burns and making the pain from his oozing gashes more unbearable.
Then again, if he wasn't totally free, he had more chances of weirding the chameleon out and seeing him squirm. And he was going to get his hands loose again eventually…he couldn't wait to see Espio's life leave his eyes, choking on his own blood.
With that image circulating around in his mind, Rogue's focus drifted from the sky above to the trees and plants around him. Then he turned his head – disregarding the agonizing sting as he did so – to take in the clearing he was at the edge of.
Rogue's breath hitched at what he saw, not sure to let joy or terror flow through his system. Silver was closest to him. The psychic was more red than white, burns blistering his exposed skin and laying in his own pool of blood. He was blindfolded and cuffed, both objects stained copper. Silver wasn't moving, and Rogue was about to panic until he saw the minute rise and fall of the hedgehog's chest.
While he was still worried about his friend, what he saw beyond the psychic made him worry even more. He didn't know what to make of the scene. There had been a fight obviously. What exactly happened though? What led up to this?
Espio, Omega, and Penumbra were laid out and injured, but…there were also two Sonic's in the same condition.
Rogue suspected that the chameleon had drugged him with something to make him see double. Or was he just dreaming? Nah. The pain told him otherwise; he didn't need to pinch himself.
The white Mobian groaned as he sat up, the muzzle cradling his jaw only allowing his mouth to move so much. A lot of things pulled painfully, but the bat didn't let that deter him from testing his wings out. They moved jerkily, muscle and skin damaged enough to prevent fluid movement.
Rogue bit his lip as he rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen up everything back there. Taking a deep breath, he flapped them once and the downward wind helped him up to his cuffed feet, the pain emitting from his wings sending shocks throughout his system. But he wasn't going to let that stop him. He had to check out the situation.
No pain, no gain, right?
Inhaling deeply again, the bat swiftly moved his appendages once more, becoming airborne. He knew that he was doing more damage to them, but he had to get around somehow. That was his goal, anyway. And when he attempted to achieve said goal, he crashed to the ground, barely moving a foot from his starting position.
Upon landing, Rogue immediately knew that something in his chest wasn't right. If it wasn't for the sharp pain, the blood he spat out really would've tipped him off.
"This…blows…" he rasped out, flapping his wounded wings again to get off the ground. The bat remained in the air for a bit, making sure that his wings wouldn't give out on him again, before making his way over to Silver, examining his unconscious friend.
Taking in all of the cuts and bruises Silver had on him, Rogue could surely say that them both had it pretty rough in that lab. Well, it was lucky then that Sonic somehow found and rescued them. Rogue glanced over to said hedgehog and his not-really-real twin.
Wishing that he could wipe away the blood drippling down his chin and promptly pushing that thought to the back of his head, Rogue flew over to the first Sonic, the hero laying face-down in the grass. There were major burns on some spots of his body, blue quills singed. Rogue lowered himself as far as he could go and perked his ears, listening. The sounds of breathing were faint, but still there.
This one's real… The bat soared to where the second Sonic was, and could see clearly that he was breathing, this hero knocked-out on his back. Rogue furrowed his brow at the blistering on the hedgehog's belly before getting closer and nudging the rodent with one of his chained feet. Solid.
"Man… What kind of…drugs did he…put me on…?" Rogue muttered to himself, confused as all hell.
He refrained from coughing as his chest painfully restricted. The bat shifted his attention from the twin to Omega who had apparently collapsed away from the doubles. From what he could see, the bot was missing both of his arms – the two limbs sitting pretty a little distance behind the mech – and some of his parts were melted. He could easily be still functional.
Unfortunately.
Dull irises then locked onto Penumbra, who was splayed out, unconscious like the rest of them. Quills were fried, skin was burnt, a leg was broken, and parts of his gloves – Rogue thought it was hilarious that Espio decided to clothe the dude – were completely missing.
He looked around the clearing again, trying to piece together what the heck happened. From the injuries he'd seen, and from the charred grasses he was flying over, the only thing he could think of was that an explosion had went off somehow. Something more than that bulky robot could whip up, that's for sure.
He'd solve the mystery soon enough though. First, he had a reptile all to himself, and his lips instantly curled up at that thought.
Rogue flew until he was right above the unknowing chameleon. That bat plopped down onto the ground, easy straddling Espio. The ninja's stuttering exhales were loud and clear. Rogue cocked his head when he noticed that there were no wrappings around the other's left eye anymore. He then glanced askance at Penumbra across the way, fingers clenching in slight agitation.
Espio should not get any relief. He didn't deserve it. No. Not with all the stuff that had happened in the past, and definitely not with all the torture he had put Rogue through.
Something glinted in the sun's rays, and Rogue glanced over to see a metallic object sticking out of the cuff of the ninja's glove. He barely stifled a laugh.
Actually, he was kinda glad that Espio had put him through that ordeal. If he hadn't, Rogue wouldn't have hated him nearly enough to do what he was about to do.
Turning his torso, the bat leaned over just enough so his cuffed hands could gingerly remove the kunai from the cloth, fingers slightly trembling as they grasped it. Rogue grinned when he finally had the weapon completely in his grip. He then stuck his tongue out in concentration – accidentally tasting some of the blood he had spit out before – as he blindly flipped the kunai around behind his back so he could try to get his arms loose. Because of the way they were bound, he had to get through the cuffs before he could slice through the rope.
Hopefully the weapon was sharp enough to cut through small chain links.
As his fingers worked, Rogue repositioned himself so that his knees were trapping the other's arms against the ground, preventing them from moving.
Rogue couldn't help but cough as he smirked, the thick liquid running down his neck. "You'll see…what it…feels like…to die…at least…once…" Feeling the chain snap, a chuckle escaped his stained lips. "You're lucky dude… Unlike me…who was practically dying…every time you gave…a command, you just…have to go through it…a single time." The rope was ripping now, and teal orbs sharpened. "Lucky bastard."
White furred ears perked when they heard groaning. Rogue paused in his actions to look over and see Penumbra writhing on the ground, slowly but surely waking up. He had limited time now to do what he wanted. The bat quickly went back to work, picking up the pace.
When the last of the rope was cut, Rogue rubbed his abused limbs, seeing the redness and marks left by the restraints.
However, hearing how the groaning was getting louder and stronger, that bat swiftly aimed at his target. Both of his hands were clenched around the handle of the kunai, the weapon ready to plunge and destroy.
Rogue grinned.
Now this…this was what the chameleon deserved.
Screams of agony pierced the air as the bat stabbed, slicing through like a hot knife through butter. Laughter soon joined with the sounds of torture, Rogue pulling the kunai out and bringing it back down.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The bat threw the bloodied metal away when the left side of Espio's face was mangled enough for him, mush floating around in the socket where an eyeball should have been. The chameleon was barely moving underneath him, paralyzed with the pain. His mouth was moving, but nothing intelligent was coming out. A single amber orb was staring at Rogue, swirling with many emotions, the most prominent one was fear.
Of course. Rogue wouldn't want it any other way.
The white Mobian gave a twitchy smile before wrapping his dirty hands around the reptile's throat. He leaned forward so Espio didn't have anywhere to look but at him.
Rogue flashed his stained teeth, his smirk anything but friendly. "Hey man…you alright? It's just…pain… If you can't...handle it, well…" Espio began to shake his head, but Rogue ignored it, beginning to squeeze. "Fortunately for you…it'll be over soon…yeah…?"
The chameleon's only response was a labored wheezing.
Rogue pushed harder, inwardly snickering.
The guys are so gonna worship me for this.
Shadow woke up to blood curdling screams.
Red eyes flew open as he was torn away from the state between being unconscious and awake. For a swift moment, he was confused about where he was and how he got there, but then the memories crashed back into him, making the Ultimate Lifeform quickly sit up.
Shadow hissed under his breath when his body protested that movement, and he glanced down to see burns all over his front. Not only that, but his whole system was sore as well. He frowned as he remembered the flash of heat and pain that came with that unexpected Chaos Blast. He should've checked if Penumbra was fully out, not just assume. Dammit…if the emeralds hadn't been at only half power, who knew what kind of damage his twin would've done.
Only when the screams cut off was when Shadow recalled that they had woken him up in first place.
The Ultimate Lifeform whipped his head around, trying to pinpoint the cause of the choked wheezes filling the clearing now. When he found it, he just stared, like his brain had trouble comprehending what he was seeing. Rogue was sitting on top of Espio, strangling him. And the ninja's eye was…was gone.
At the sight of the bat's cruel smile, Shadow's mind kicked into gear.
The striped hedgehog began to get up, but a very sharp pain in his leg sent him straight back to the ground, jaw clenched in agony. Shadow looked at his limb and cursed under his breath at the condition of it, his calf bent at a slight angle.
He definitely wasn't skating over there. Feeling the cyan Chaos emerald that had miraculously stayed tucked in his quills, Shadow pulled on its little energy and focused hard on where he wanted to go. The next second, he was kneeling right beside the bat and chameleon.
Surprised teal orbs barely had time to meet with heated rubies before Shadow threw a hasty punch, smashing the winged one's cheek. Rogue went sprawling before rolling and stopping, out cold. Shadow didn't have time to focus on the bat at the moment, for spluttering coughs gained his attention.
Espio was heaving on the ground, face pale as he took in the oxygen he desperately needed. He was staring straight up, face twisted in pain. Shadow had no idea what the ninja was going through, seeing juices run down the left side of Espio's face.
The reptile was panting hard, and Shadow barely heard it when he spoke. "…H-Help…"
Shadow gave him a sharp nod, unsure whether or not the other could actually see him do it, before carefully crawling closer to him. He knew immediately that there was no way to save the eye. Shadow took a deep breath as he placed his fingers around the eye socket. "Just stay still, chameleon." All he could do was heal the flesh under the former organ.
Espio said nothing in response; Shadow could feel him trembling underneath his fingertips.
It was silent in the clearing now. The Ultimate Lifeform went slow so he didn't make any mistakes, and so he could make the most out of the limit energy the emerald could give him for this kind of injury.
Shadow's gaze flickered over at the still Rogue, whose breaths were visibly ragged. He knew that he should be mad, furious even. But he couldn't bring himself to that, because if he had been in Rogue's position…he would've done the exact same. The chameleon would've been dead.
He just didn't know if the others would share his opinion.
Shadow's ears twitched when they heard shuffling behind them, followed by low moans. He turned his head to see both Sonic and Boom rousing from their forced sleep.
Sonic cautiously pushed himself up to his knees, rubbing his head as he blinked his eyes open. "Jeez…" he sighed out. "What hit me?" The hero experimentally touched different parts of his body, wincing. "Or should I say burned me?"
"What do you effing think?" Boom bit out as he gently got to his feet, keeping his hands off himself. "That damn pet blasted us! I swear when I see that asshole again…both of them…!"
Sonic nodded as he stood up, softly brushing some burned hairs off of his body. "Yeah…"
Shadow returned his gaze to Espio as they kept talking.
"Hey…did you hear screaming earlier? Or was I imagining it?"
"You heard that too? Damn. It…" There was a pause, and Shadow figured that Boom had finally saw him. "Stripes?"
The Ultimate Lifeform peered over his shoulder to see the duo jogging over. When they got close enough to notice the damage, Sonic nearly gagged while Boom gritted his teeth.
"What…What happened?" Sonic asked after forcing back down what threatened to come up.
"Did that blast drop your fucking IQ?" Boom growled, gesturing violently at the downed reptile. "Penumbra must've did it! The little shit didn't think that surprising us was enough!"
"Well sorry for asking!" Sonic retorted with a weak glare, complexion still a bit green.
Shadow shook his head, feeling the warmth flow from his fingers to the horrid wound. "You're wrong. Penumbra didn't do it."
Boom furrowed his brow. "The hell? Then who-" The Ultimate Lifeform simply bobbed his head over in Rogue's direction. The two pairs of emerald irises widened at the sight of the bloodied bat, arms free. Boom's voice was noticeably weaker when he spoke again. "Bat-face…?"
"He…Rogue did this?!" Sonic ran a hand down his face, highly distressed. "But…but why?"
"Think about it, Faker." Shadow's voice was sharp. "If you had been kidnapped by Espio, tortured by him, probably know nothing about this twin business, and finally get a chance to do something about him, I'm sure you would've done the same."
"I…wouldn't…"
"Liar," Boom instantly uttered, like he was expecting that answer. "You probably don't have the balls nor hate to do what Bat-face did, but you definitely would've tied him up or somethin'. You can't blame his ass."
"Wha…" Sonic took a have step back, glancing between Boom and Shadow. Rage then radiated from in him waves. "So are you two saying that it's okay that Espio just lost a freakin' eye?!"
Shadow glared at him. "That's not what I'm saying. It was a mistake, Faker."
"A mistake…" Sonic nodded, expression blank. "Well Shads, you losing against evil Espio in your little dream world was a mistake too, right? Look where we are now." The hero gestured to all over the carnage and blood everywhere before turning around and heading for the unconscious Silver.
Shadow watched him go, anger bubbling within. He then calmed himself down – as much as he could – so he didn't interfere with the energy flow. Boom, however, let his irritation show, quills beginning to bristle. "That jackass! If he thinks that you are sole reason for this, then he must've gotten hit on the head fucking hard. I should-"
"Do nothing." Shadow placated, and Boom scowled at him. The striped hedgie continued before the other could say anything. "Faker isn't used to this. He's not blaming me."
Boom derisively scoffed. "Yeah. Sure."
The striped hedgehog began to move his fingers in tiny circles, messaging the area. Espio slowly closed his other eye, breathing out lightly. Shadow ignored Boom's sarcastic reply. "He's angry, confused, and panicking. If you haven't noticed, things aren't going well for anyone here. Even Faker, the annoying optimist, can see that."
"So when life isn't all sunshine and effing rainbows for the hero, he starts pointing fingers." Boom deadpanned.
"No. He deals. Because it's not ideal to go for a run now to calm himself, and because his little friends aren't around to make him hold his tongue, he runs his mouth without thinking."
Boom just crossed his arms, gazing over at the hero carefully positioning the blindfolded psychic in his arms.
"He'll apologize once he comes back over here."
The blue rodent stifled a snort.
True to Shadow's words, when Sonic trotted back over to the trio, guilt was etched into his features. There was a ghost of a frown on his face. He adjusted Silver's limp body. "Sorry Shads…that was outta line…" Sonic glanced away, sighing. "This is just a lot, y'know? It's not your fault, it's just…"
"I get it, Faker." Shadow cut him off.
Sonic hesitated a bit before saying. "That's good I guess…" The hero then trained his emerald orbs on Espio's mutilated face. "So, how are you holdin' up, Es?"
The ninja didn't bother opening up his eye. "…I've…been better."
Sonic forced a chuckle. "Yeah…Yeah you have."
The conversation lulled as Shadow finished up. He leaned back and managed to sit all the way down without jarring his broken leg. After setting his leg with a subtle flinch, he began to work on himself. "I'm done, chameleon. Sit up if you can, and wipe the rest out. It shouldn't hurt."
"I'm going to get Bat-face," Boom muttered, turning away and going to gather up Rogue.
Shadow observed as Espio did what he was told, shifting to a shifting position and raising shaky fingers to dig out the remnants of his eye. The ninja was silent, an amber iris staring blankly at the ground as he performed the action, watching as the pulp puddled in the blackened grass. Sonic was following the clouds above with his eyes, obviously uncomfortable.
When he was done, he closed the empty socket and wobbly got to his feet. He then focused over to where Boom was getting Rogue.
Sonic saw this. "Are you…mad at him?"
Espio didn't answer immediately. "…No, I'm not. This all circles back to my twin, so I'll save all hostility for him. However, I am…concerned for Rogue."
The hero furrowed his brow. "You're concerned…for him? After what he just… Really?"
The reptile nodded, rubbing his throat lightly and coughing. "I started to slowly wake up when he pinned my arms. I could hear what he was saying. I was still mostly out of it, but I still could make out his words. Because of what he said and how he said it, I believe that whatever my twin did to him is substantial."
Shadow tested his leg when he thought that he was done. There was no pain, from the break at least, so he got back up to his feet. He digested what Espio said. "What did he say?" he asked, looking at the topic of conversation when Boom rejoined them, bat thrown over his shoulder.
"That he was going to let me experience the pain of death at least once." Everyone was staring at the bat know, a multitude of thoughts running through their minds. Espio continued. "And that he basically had many near death experiences because of my twin's commands. He has been through much…possibly too much."
"So you're sayin' that he's crazy or something?" Boom rolled his eyes. "Bull to the shit. Just because-"
"He was laughing the whole time." Espio interrupted him, and the semi-hero's mouth slowly closed. "It was deranged. He may be dangerous." The chameleon then took in Silver's red and white form. "And if Silver has been given the same treatment…"
"A homicidal psychic, huh?" Sonic repositioned Silver, mindful of his own burns. "Not the first time I heard that…"
"We don't know for sure." Shadow pointed out, not wanting anyone to jump to conclusions.
Espio gave a minute nod. "I just wanted to put it out there, so there wouldn't be any more mishaps."
Shadow met the single-eyed gaze. There was another similarity between the doubles now. They would have to prevent any more mix ups. "There won't be." He began to walk away. "Come gather around Omega so we can go back. I'll heal your minor wounds later."
Sonic watched Shadow check over his teammate once the Ultimate Lifeform had gotten over there. Shadow didn't seem too stressed about Omega's condition, so the bot had to be okay. Or could go back to being okay soon, at least.
When Boom went to follow the striped hedgehog, Sonic didn't move for a moment, eying Espio. He took in the injuries the chameleon shared with everyone else, and then lingered on the closed eyelid hiding emptiness.
"We should go before he gets too impatient," Espio said, taking a step forward.
"Wait a sec." The reptile paused midstride, looking back at Sonic with a raised brow. The hero's expression was solemn. "Are you okay?" Espio opened his mouth, but Sonic didn't let him say a word. "Like…are you really okay?"
The ninja's lips closed again, and no words were exchanged for a moment. Sonic couldn't read the other's expression. "I…I'll be fine. It's something…to get used to." A single finger – the slight tremble still noticeable – brushed the left side of the ninja's face. "But for the others, I'm sure that they will be the complete opposite of fine."
Sonic pictured the rest of the group – especially the rest of the Chaotix – finding out what happened, and what he saw wasn't pretty. "Hey, if they get too upset, we can just tell them take you'd make a great pirate for when Halloween rolls around!"
Espio just stared. Then he turned forward, and Sonic believed that the sudden glossiness of the other's eye was nothing but a trick of the light. The ninja began to walk away. "Yeah. We could."
Sonic tried to interpret that weird tone as he followed the chameleon, but he soon gave up as other thoughts troubled his mind.
Yeah, this whole attack thing will go over pretty badly, but telling them about Cream will be even worse. And there's no way that I can lighten up that situation…
The azure speedster inwardly sighed.
And with the Master Emerald…I just hope that no one gets hurt when Knuckles starts swinging.
Mephiles couldn't believe that he was actually doing this. Yes, he knew that it was to basically save the lives of two innocent – well, one not so much – Mobians, but he still couldn't wrap his head around the insanity of it. If it had been anyone else playing the hero, he wouldn't have thought twice about it, but it was him doing the acting. Not even a month ago, Mephy had been living in the streets getting beat up, and now he was on a risky and extremely dangerous rescue mission?
His past self would've thought that it was a really funny joke.
But as he gazed out from the shadow he was submerged in, silently watching as Penumbra maneuvered his way through the trees, Mephiles knew that this was no joke. This was reality. He was going to save Nummy. He was going to save this world's Cream… He had no choice but to. He refused to let another bunny die. Not again.
Their surroundings were almost a blur as they went. Mephy stayed completely out of sight the whole time, afraid that Penumbra would sniff him out as soon as the tips of his ears met the open air again. He'd seen what the striped hedgehog could do. Thinking about the group that he had left behind made him cringe. That blast looked catastrophic. If Mephiles hadn't been biding his time at the edge of the clearing, he surely would've been right in the middle of that massive heat…
He forced himself to relax. They would be alright. No one looked…dead before he left. They're fine.
Oh Chaos, let them be fine…
Mephiles was thrown out of his musings when Penumbra began to drastically slow down. The other decreased to a walking pace right before moving a thick tree branch out of the way. Once the leaves on the limb were pushed to the side, Espio, Eggman, and Metal were revealed, just gathered together amongst the trees. Were they all waiting for Penumbra? They cared that much about him to do so?
Mephy wasn't sure, because it seemed like a conversation between the chameleon and the blue bot had cut off right as Nummy showed himself, and he didn't know what that meant.
Espio looked the striped hedgehog up and down as the rodent crawled closer, ears folded, head down, being as submissive as possible. An amber iris zoned in on the nasty bruise on his head. "What happened to you?"
A clawed hand gently touched the dark splotch, a hiss escaping the hedgie's lips. "Attacked," he answered.
Espio cocked his head a bit before gazing at the area behind Nummy, seeming to look for something. "Shadow and the others are gone, right? You're not being followed?" Penumbra dipped his head in a nod, and Espio grinned. "Good. Now Cream gets to live to see another day." The reptile, who was still standing in the same hovercraft that Eggman was, patted the human on the shoulder, his other hand on the Master Emerald propped up on the flying vehicle. "It's time for us to go." He glanced over to Metal. "Remember the plan."
"Are you implying that I would forget? I will not stand for such insults to my intelligence," the not-Sonic replied, red opticals flashing.
"Calm down." Espio rolled his eye. "You're always ready to fight, like a blue hedgehog I know."
"Do not compare me to any Sonics." Metal's voice could easily be interpreted as a growl. "Do it again, and you shall meet your end."
"See? You just proved my point even more." The chameleon gave a smirk before nodding at the doctor, and the two flew out of sight.
Mephiles began to panic.
Why are they all splitting up? Where in the world are Espio and Eggman going? Are they going back to where Cream is? Am I messing this whole thing up already?!
Before Mephy started to hyperventilate, Penumbra's voice rung out. "Where…?"
"They are going to the new base. We are going back to the old one." Metal Sonic turned his back to Nummy as he continued to speak. "No more questions. Just follow me." The mech activated his jet pack and zoomed off. A second barely passed before Penumbra kicked up dust, easily catching and keeping up with the jetting robot.
Still positioned in the hedgehog's shadow, Mephiles' heart rate was slowly decreasing back to normal. Everything was good. Metal was taking them back to the 'old base', so that meant the one that they had come from…hopefully. And if Penumbra was going there, then Cream had to be trapped there. They wouldn't put two captives in different bases right? Right. That would be stupid.
Mephiles doubted his thoughts all the way the whole trip.
During most of their journey, they were surrounded by so much green that it was a severe shock to the system when they burst out of the woods and headed straight for an obviously abandoned city. Buildings were crumbling, asphalt was ruined, and vines were constricted many of the man-made structures.
Mephy made sure to absorb as much as he could as they entered the city's limits, Metal leading the way to the mysterious base.
The shadow 'hog had been expecting some kind of grand and shiny structure that screamed 'I'm filled with science and evil', so when Metal Sonic turned right into a nearly collapsed skyscraper, Mephiles was thrown for another loop.
As Metal opened up a trap door in the floor, Mephy realized that he had forgotten that he was dealing with a doctor, a very sentient robot, and an evil mastermind. What a team.
Well, at least two-thirds of that team weren't there…at the moment. That was reassuring.
As they descended down a narrow corridor with stairs, Mephiles could see that there was a metallic door coming up with a keypad to the side of it. Thinking that this whole rescuing thing might not be so hard after all, he watched as Metal put in a ten-digit code, the door sliding open afterwards. 07734-77345. He committed those numbers to memory.
The shadow 'hog looked around as they traversed the halls of the underground lab, taking in the tiled floors and metal walls and knowing already that this place would be a maze for an outsider like himself.
It wasn't long before they came to a door that Penumbra seemed to recognize. The hedgehog was eager to go inside while Metal scanned his hand on the panel… Wait. Scanned his hand? Mephiles swallowed thickly at the sight of the device, thinking that he had just horribly jinxed himself. Just how in the heck was he going to get the scanner to accept his hand?
That question remained unanswered as the door opened, and Penumbra bounded forward without any hesitation. Mephiles, inside the somewhat small room as well, would've frozen if he had control of his own movements at the sight of the evil Omega sitting right there in the middle of the floor, his gun pointing at something. The hedgehog's breath hitched when he saw the mech's target.
It was the other Cream. Mephiles' heart went out to the bunny as she cowered against the far wall, trembling badly. Her wide chocolate irises were filled with terror as her whimpers filled the air. She didn't deserve this. No one deserved this.
Despite how frightened the rabbit was, she unexpectedly brightened up at the sight of Penumbra. Mephiles watched in slight confusion as Nummy bounded over and wrapped his arms around Cream, comforting her. Mephy couldn't believe it. He understood that the red striped hedgehog was sorry about attack Shadow and the others…but to have this other side to him? It was completely opposite of what he saw before!
Hidden reptilian green irises drifted over to the two bots, hating them and that chameleon even more knowing that they had been manipulating Shadow's twin. He would hate Eggman too if it didn't seem like he was nothing but another tool for Espio to use.
"I TAKE IT THAT THE MISSION WAS A SUCCESS?"
"Your guess is correct," Metal Sonic responded to Omega, gesturing to the latter's arm. "You can put that away now. We have other things to accomplish."
"WHERE IS MASTER ESPIO?" Omega asked, the gun disappearing only to be replaced with metallic fingers.
"I will tell you later." Metal turned toward the door. "The less the captives know, the better."
"IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THEY KNOW. THEY CANNOT INTERFERE."
Mephy could feel the annoyance radiating off the blue bot. "Just follow me before I dismantle you."
"I WOULD LIKE YOU SEE YOU TRY."Omega marched his way toward the exit, brushing past Metal. "YOU WILL BE A PILE OF SCRAPS ON THE GROUND."
The Sonic lookalike watched him leave before gazing back at Penumbra, not reacting to the low warning growl he received. "We will come back for you later." He then left, the door sliding closed.
Mephiles strained his hearing, the footsteps fading away in the background. Alright, they were gone. He then searched all around the room they were in, wondering if there were any cameras in there. He didn't see anything, so he was hoping for the best.
"What happened to you Mr. Penumbra?"
Blinking in shock, Mephy focused on the now separated duo. Cream was peering at the bruise on the hedgehog's head, gaze overflowing with concern. Mephiles could instantly spot the differences between the Creams, this one's voice being softer and more emotional. Especially the latter when Nummy winced when the bunny brushed over the injury, and her eyes started to fill up with tears.
She was more a child than her counterpart, and that made this situation all the worse.
In response to the girl's question, Penumbra's face fell and he looked away, saying nothing.
"Tell me, please?" Cream begged, brown orbs moistening up. "Was it…Was it them? Are the bad guys hurting you?" Nummy didn't respond again, just looking down at the tiled floor. However, at the sound of sniffing, maroon eyes snapped back up to Cream, who was rubbing her now wet face. "I-I want…" She let out a choked sob. "I want to g-go home…"
Penumbra gathered the bunny up in his arms again, hugging her as she cried on his shoulder. Mephiles just watched in sadness as she dug her face into the crook of his neck. Nummy's voice was quiet and soothing. "No cry, please?" He gently pushed her head up so he could wipe away her streaming tears. "You say Sonic is get…getting us. Believe. Okay?"
Cream sniffed again before nodding. "I do think that he's coming but…but he's t-taking a long time…"
Guilt etched into Nummy's features as he answered, "Patient."
The bunny just bobbed her head again before leaning on the striped hedgehog a second time. Penumbra got comfortable, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head, gazing in sorrow at the far wall.
Mephiles had to take a moment to grieve those two poor souls. Along with Silver and Rogue, they had been victims of that corrupted chameleon's scheme. That was going to end right here and right now.
He wasn't Sonic, but he didn't think that they would care.
As subtly as possible, Mephiles detached himself from Nummy's shadow and slowly crept over to put a respectable distance between him and the duo. He didn't want to scare them (and if Penumbra decided to be unpredictable, then he had time to melt back into the ground).
After mentally preparing himself, the shadow 'hog cautiously lifted his body out of the darkness, keeping his eyes on the ones before him. At first, Penumbra didn't notice him, but when all of his upper half appeared, Nummy's shocked gaze met his.
Mephiles smiled sheepishly as he finally stepped fully out, hoping that his expression was innocent enough and that the other hedgehog remembered him. Nummy's body was tense, and Mephy couldn't tell what he was thinking.
It was when Mephiles gave a small wave that Penumbra cocked his head, recognition shining in those maroon orbs. He was cautious at first. "…Friend?" Cream had pulled herself away from him to gaze up at Nummy in confusion – not knowing about Mephiles yet – but the wilder hedgehog's attention never left the newcomer.
Thinking that he was meant to answer the question thrown at him, Mephy's grin widened as he nodded.
Penumbra blinked before smiling in glee. "Friend!" He finally glanced down to a perplexed rabbit and pointed over to Mephiles. "Cream! Friend! He come!"
"What…?" Cream peered over her shoulder to follow the rodent's finger, and gasped when her gaze landed on the shadow 'hog. She hopped out of Penumbra's grip, expression cautious but hopeful. "H-Hi!" She quickly wiped the rest of her tears away; her eyes were still red. "Who a-are you?"
Mephiles automatically held out a hand, but paused in his action when his brain caught up. He warily glanced over at Penumbra, who may be protective, and only saw an expectant expression on his face. Nothing dangerous, so he held his hand out fully.
Cream hesitated for a second before approaching him and putting her hand in his. He smiled reassuringly at her before making her palm face up. With a finger, he traced out, "M-e-p-h-i-l-e-s."
"Meph…iles?" she tested out, and he nodded in affirmation. Her hand slipped out of Mephy's as she looked at the other striped hedgie. "Mr. Penumbra, he's your friend?"
"Yes!" he beamed, "Meph…Mephiles is friend!"
A smile began to grow on Cream's muzzle. She faced the shadow 'hog again. "I-I'm glad that you two know each other! But…" The expression waned a bit, her brow subtly furrowing. "But why are you here Mr. Mephiles? Did…Did they catch you too?"
Chaos, she doesn't need to be in the middle of this. She needs to be home. I need to get her and Penumbra out of here as soon as possible, Mephy thought before shaking his head. Hoping that she would understand, he mouthed out, "Save you."
Cream pursed her lips as the gears turned in her head. "Save…you…?" Then her face lit up like a light. "Save you? Like save me? Save us?" Mephiles didn't get a chance to respond before the bunny was jumping up and down. "You're going to save us! Mr. Penumbra, he's going to save us!"
Said hedgehog looked like he wanted to be just as happy as Cream, but he seemed confused. "…Save?"
She smiled at him. "Get us out! He's going to get us out!"
"Get out?" Apparently Penumbra finally understood because he clapped his hands in joy. Mephiles couldn't say that he was used to all of that striped hedgehog's smiles. Shadow was almost the complete opposite of his twin (almost because they both could be scary when they wanted to), and he doubted that any of Shadow's friends had seen him smile.
All signs of sadness on the little bunny were gone by this point. "Do you like hugs Mr. Mephiles?"
The shadow hedgie's mind reeled, not expecting that question at all. At a loss, he just shrugged, nodding a bit. Then – again, unexpectedly – Cream jumped up and gave him a tight hug, arms wrapped around his neck.
"I'm so happy!" She laughed in his ear as Mephiles hugged her back if only to keep her from falling to the ground. He soon started to silently chuckle as well, her mirth extremely contagious. It wasn't long before Penumbra came over and joined in, arms around both hedgehog and rabbit. His laughs were foreign to Mephy's ears.
"Thank you," Nummy whispered, sincerity clear in his tone.
Mephiles smiled, and knew that he definitely couldn't mess this up now.
Penumbra eventually pulled away, and Cream dropped back down. "So how are you going to do it?" the latter asked, eyes glistening.
Mephy tapped his chin before pointing over to the door. Then he mouthed, "Password."
"Door? And password?" Cream repeated slowly. "You're going to find a password for the door?" He communicated a yes, and she was ready to celebrate, but a thought came to her. "Wait, how are you going to get out? And…how did you get in?"
Mephiles held up a finger before melting into a shadow and quickly making circles around the two. When he reappeared, Cream's jaw was basically on the floor. "That's so amazing! You can go anywhere!"
Mostly…but yeah. The blue striped hedgehog gazed at the door, took a deep breath, and made his way towards it.
"Be careful, okay?" Cream called to him. Mephiles nodded at her. He was planning to be.
"Back soon?" Penumbra asked, and the shadow 'hog gave him a brief thumb's up.
Nummy frowned up at that action until Cream said, "That means that he will!" Then the red and black mammal was happy again, giving him a thumb's up back.
Mephiles snickered before facing the sliding piece of metal. Utilizing his ability, he slithered under the door and came back together on the other side when he saw that the coast was clear. He heard the duo talking excitedly inside and he couldn't help the elation that filled him. He was doing something, unlike…unlike last time. He wasn't going to stand on the sidelines anymore.
Confidence growing, Mephy examined the scanner just in case there was a part on it where he could put in a code. Unfortunately, there wasn't. Maybe…Maybe there was somewhere he could make his hand recognizable. An office? Or something like that? That was the only plan he had, and he was putting it into action. He glanced both ways down the hall before choosing one path. He phased into the tiles and wished himself luck.
Because he sure needed it.
Next chapter…tensions are high!
