A/N: Welcome to chapter 29. As you have read before, Kor has just about completed a robot that will replace his fallen gunship in the line of duty. Just how effective this weapon will be, time will tell. However, this isn't the only thing that will change.
Throughout the month, the heroes had plenty to keep themselves busy. Although there was still no sign from Eggman, Sonic and Rotor found something that caused some concern among the heroes. While helping the Arctic Freedom Fighters, they found the Dark Egg Legion had been constructing a large supply and refueling depot. What it would be used for remains unclear as they destroyed it before it was completed. At first, the Freedom Fighters dismissed it as they thought it would be a one time occurance. They were proved wrong as just days later, a local 'Freedom Fighter' group called the Sand Blasters of the Great Desert, reported the Legion guarding another refueling outpost. Also, other fuel depots were reported to be either under construction or have been built in other regions. Sonic and Bunnie dealt with Great Desert base, though it was a little complicated.
Firstly, the Sand Blasters were far from heroic. They were moreso a ragtag bunch that abused their rights to get what they want, forcing any wandering innocents to join them or otherwise. They even forced Sonic into helping them to a degree. Second, the Dark Egg Legion chapter in this region was headed by Beauregard Rabbot, Bunnie's uncle. He explained that this chapter formed due to the constant abuse from the Sand Blasters, all because half of them had been roboticized and forced against their will to work for Eggman. "Once a robian, always a robian" they said.
Beauregard said they would let them have the depot, but if they surrendered the chapter would likely face termination from either the Sand Blasters or Eggman himself. So, Bunnie and Sonic found a middle ground by rendering the whole facility inoperable whilst faking a fight (also Sonic's presence might cause the fat man to be more lenient). Kor amusingly said if he had time he would head there and teach the Blasters a thing or two about being heroes. Of course, Sally told him no because, as she said "I don't want you to just march on down there and murder them all. The populace may take it the wrong way..." The red fox just boasted they would have had it coming anyway.
Speaking of Kor, the engineer completed the trials for his newest robot, which he now dubs the 'Tarantula'. He made some additional modifications since first activating it, such as making the snout have a functional mouth that allowed the bot to crush anything it sunk its teeth into by applying a force of 900lbs per square inch. Due to the very short range, it's only useful in extreme melee distance. He also added gripping hooks to the parts of the legs that made contact with the ground (the bot had trouble walking through uneven terrain due to how the tips of the legs were designed). He also added more protocols and strategies the robot could use, as well as an hidden function no one knows about. To finish it off, he also gave it a regular paint scheme and added an icon on the top of its head.
A/N: Said color is how the tarantula typically appears in the series and the icon is the same used for the TF2 engineer class.
He presented it to the both the Acorn Council and top officials of the Royal Army, and while they were wary of it at first, they accepted it. However, unlike Hornet which had only one robot built (mainly due to time constraints), Kor built 4 more tarantulas. This task required dismantling 4 more of the walled sentries for parts, and with it certain that Eggman was planning something big, the engineer was going to work his ass off reinstalling 3 of them.
Tails and Kor were currently realigning a missile battery on the southern portion of the wall. The kit was hovering in the air whilst Kor stood on the snout of one of his tarantulas. The others were patrolling elsewhere in the city.
"Almost there...aaaannnnnd, done! Now we have 2 left." Tails smiled.
"Yeah..." Kor huffed. "Startin' to regret takin' these things apart..."
"Well if you didn't, you wouldn't have these cool-looking guys." Tails gestured to the robot. It gave a light chirp in response before carrying its master around the perimeter.
"Yeah, though we still don't know what Ol' Eggy is plannin'. Just what could he be makin' that requires megatons of fuel?" The engineer asked.
"If I had to guess, a doomsday weapon. He's done it before..." Tails inquired.
"Yeah that wouldn't surprise me. Speaking of which, where'd Sonic run off to now? Thought he was gonna stick around for this." The red fox asked. He gently tapped the robot's head to get it to stop. Next, he opened a spot in the wall where one sentry battery had previously been.
"He said he was needed to help Geoffrey on some mission to get a chaos emerald, why you ask?"
"Well, it ain't that I don't trust Geoff, well actually I kinda don't anyway given his history, but has he been kinda...off to you lately?"
"He has been on lots of mission's lately, so I think he's probably just stressed. Speaking of which, no one's seen his wife Hershey in a long time." The kit pointed out.
"Same here, but it's just that look in his eyes...last time I looked at 'im I swore it reminded me that look when there was a BLU spah dressed my teammates..." Kor said as he bolted in a launcher and ammo storage for one of the sentries.
"You don't think he's gonna betray us do you?" Tails asked. The older fox just shrugged.
"He might, I ain't sure but I'm just wary of him..."
"Riiiight...so when will you finally get the guts to confess to her?" The Kit asked, a smirk growing on his face.
"To who now?"
"Dumb play dumb with me Kor. Being around Sonic most of the time I've picked up some cues when a guy's in love. It's been about a month now and all you two do is make small talk." Tails said.
"Well it's been a busy month you know..."
"You said that last time I asked. So what's your excuse now?"
"Ugh...fine. I just haven't gotten around to ask her out since 1) I'm nervous and 2) can't exactly take her to a place to eat since she technically can't eat anything..." Kor said, giving the kid an annoyed look.
"Well, you guys can go for a stroll. I've seen Sonic and Sally beginning to do that. Still surprised she managed to get him to slow down...by the way, this trigger goes here right?" Tails asked.
"Yeah, and what were they like before then?"
"Not really my place to tell you, but I can help you if you're so nervous." The young genious said.
"Thanks Tails but-"
"NICOLE! KOR WANTS TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!" Tails yelled before the engineer could finish.
Within an instant, the A.I. had materialized next to them. Kor turned to give the kit a piece of his mind, but found he had vanished. Glaring at the empty space next to him, his face softened when he turned to Nicole.
"So...um...how you been?"
"I've been doing...alright. I had just finished sending Sonic and Geoffrey St. John to the Special Zone so they may retrieve an emerald. Is there something wrong?" The holo-lynx asked.
"Well...not really but...since you're here, I wanted to ask if..." He lost his voice momentarily. Kor started to berate himself. He can handle more dangerous situations, yet he can't talk to a girl? He took a deep breath, "You wanna go on date later?" He spat very fast.
Nicole looked at him questionably, not understanding what he just said. "Could you repeat that please?"
"I said...you...you wanna go on a date later?...Like on a walk or something?"
Nicole paused for a moment. "If I'm not busy with anything later, I'd like to." She smiled.
-The Special Zone-
If one were to describe the Special Zone: weird, unfathomable, or just outright insane would come to mind. This realm of existence is where the chaos emeralds reside. The emeralds were sent here so anyone undesirable wouldn't be able to obtain them easily. They were also protected by a powerful demi-god known as Feist. This zone used to be called the Zone of Silence, but Feist used the chaos emeralds to turn it into a place of his liking. He only allows 'mortals' to take one emerald if they complete his challenges (which are unbearably hard), or because of something hilarious they do. Upon exiting from the Star Posts, Sonic and Geoffrey found themselves standing on a small planetoid.
"Man this place brings back crazy memories..." Sonic said as chills went down his spine.
"Losing your nerve already Hedgehog?" Geoffrey taunted.
"Pfff, I'd like to see you have to come here multiple times just to get an emerald." The Blue Blur retorted with a smirk.
The two were suddenly floored as the planetoid they stood on was raised upward. Looking up, the meet the pupil-less eyes of one large panda.
"Feist is not in the mood for an infestation of mortals..."
"Hey hey hey easy there big guy! It's me Sonic remember?! The guy who gave you a little bit of fun for an emerald some time ago?" Sonic said quickly.
"Hmm...Feist does recognize the blue hedgehog, yet you remind me of another pest I had to deal with not too long ago..." The giant being spoke, cracking the planetoid a bit from his rage. However, he calms himself. "Feist assumes you are here for yet another emerald. You shall be rewarded, if you can complete Feist's challenge." The panda smirked. "But be warned: if you attempt to defy Feist like the others have, you will be punished..."
"Riiight. Wonder who else's been poking around here." Sonic said with his arms crossed.
"So Feist, you like games correct?" Geoffrey asked.
"Indeed..."
"Then why don't we raise the stakes a little? You pit me and Sonic against each other, to see who can reach the emerald first." The skunk grinned.
"Hmm...should be interesting. Feist accepts your request."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Sonic asks, giving the agent an unamused look.
"It'll be easy Sonic. Doesn't matter which one of us reaches the emerald. Oh, and I'm going to reach it first." Geoffrey smirks.
"Hah, in your dreams stinky." Sonic taunts.
In front of them, a narrow, winding path forms. It has plenty of obstacles that would likely kill anyone not skilled enough to surpass it, or if you weren't Sonic.
"May the best super-speedy hedgehog win!" Sonic said before taking off like a bullet. However, Geoffrey just stood there with a stoic face. As the Blue Blur reached the emerald, the agent pulls out a dart and inserts it into his wrist-mounted crossbow. Sonic returns no less than a few seconds later.
"Aw you're no fun John. You didn't even try!" Sonic laughed, turning his back to him as he tossed the purple emerald in his hands.
"I didn't need to." Geoffrey said with an evil grin before shooting Sonic in the back. Sonic flinches from the impact, then finds himself unable to move.
"What...what are you doing Geoffrey?!"
"Simple: I just let you do all the hard work, while I go and do what's right!" The skunk said before booting the immobilized hedgehog off the planetoid, sending him into the abyss below. Sonic screamed until he was no longer within hearing range. Feist watched the whole ordeal and couldn't help but find the treachery amusing. He was so busy laughing that he didn't even bother to stop Geoffrey as he picked up the emerald and exited the zone via portal.
-Meanwhile: New Mobotropolis-
Kor and Nicole strolled through the streets of the city as the sun had begun to set. They chatted amicably for the last hour or so, discussing things from a scientific level to just cracking jokes. Nicole was still working on her humor though.
"And so I told Sonic to go left, he said right, then I said 'no, left', he said right again, but I kept telling him left and he got confused for 2 seconds." Nicole told him, giggling from that memory.
Kor chuckled. "Least he wasn't lost. I remember this one time myself, Heavy, and Spah had to go to court due to accidentally blowing up a store. Don't ask how it happened...anyway, Soldier was our lawyer and-"
"Wait, he's actually familiar with the legal system?" The A.I. asked.
"Nah, but his roommate was a wizard so anythin' was possible. Anyway, so the second he came in, all of us were doomed from the start cause knwoing how dumb he was. He ended up gettin' into a fight (literally) with the prosecuter, and sent the guy to the hospital at the end of the day. But the whole thing was just stupid because the town realized they couldn't hang us on false charges, but we had to pay for that guy's hospital bill..."
"...I'm...not sure if that was supposed to be funny." Nicole said questionably.
"Yeah...I suck at telling jokes."
"The last one you told was quite funny actually."
"Well, sometimes." Kor smirked. They spied one of the Tarantulas crossing the street ahead of them. It was on its usual patrol, though they were still new the people as they gave them odd glances or sometimes just backed away out of fear. In some instances Nicole had caught some people eyeing her critically, but she initially dismissed it.
"Now that it crosses my CPU...what kind of thought process do these defense robots have since there are 5 units?" The holo-lynx asked.
"Well, since I had time to build more than one, I wanted them to develop a pack mentality. In a battle against a small group they could force them into a corner or an ambush, that way they could unleash the full brunt of their firepower on the enemy from multiple angles. In defensive situations, they could attack from several directions or form a single line and send a barrage of lasers down range. Haven't seen it yet, but they're capable of doing it. Along with that, the grunts and roars they make is their way of communicating in their own coded language. You helped in that department." The engineer explained.
"I see." The A.I. noted. "Though what made you install a functioning mouth in them?"
"Well...it just came to me." Kor said nervously. "The thought of having it bite something as a last resort seemed fitting if someone got within ineffective gun range."
"Sounds like a decent idea...if anyone can ever manage to get that close to it." Nicole smirked. Kor chuckled and nodded in agreement. Their walk continued into the evening, the moon was full and it was a pretty clear night. They arrived at the Lake of Rings, which was now a chao garden. An incident involving Snively in a mech resulted in Vanilla and Cream's house being destroyed, forcing them and the chao that lived with them to relocate to the city. As the two sat, they could see some of the chao either playing or sleeping.
Kor watched them for a minute before looking at Nicole. He noticed the frown on her face as she stared at her reflection in the water. "Somethin' on your mind Nikki?"
"...Ever since the Iron Queen compromised my systems...I believe the people have begun to treat me differently...before, I could interact with them without question, and they would welcome my presence. But now...now it feels as if I can't show my face in public...they're starting to fear me...I built this city not only for them, but also so I could mingle with them, to live amongst them, to feel...alive...but it seems they are beginning to prefer that I don't...maybe I am too dangerous to be running this city..." She explained in a sullen tone. Tears were beginning to stream from her eyes.
Saying that Kor was shocked would be an understatement. The engineer couldn't believe that the population was starting to focus their angst on Nicole. Sure, she captured a good number of people for the Iron Dominion, but it wasn't like it was entirely her fault. It would explain why people had stopped passing judgment at him lately. He could handle the criticism pretty well (and fire insults back), but with Nicole...it was much different.
The fox gently grabbed her hand with his organic hand. "Nicole...from what you told me it seems you're going through the same thing I had went through just days after we drove the Dominion from our city...remember what you said to me that day? 'It wasn't my fault'...now I'm tellin' you the same thing. Don't blame yourself for being influenced by the queen. Yeah, both of us severely underestimated her and things went south...really south...but in the end we got you back, we got our city back, dismantled their power structure, and gave them an embarrassing defeat. That's a big comeback for all of us. In my opinion, the populace really need to get over themselves...they say your a threat to everyone, yet me, you, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters are the only ones capable of protecting them from the likes of Eggman. I can guarantee you, the second we leave and their exposed to that kind of evil they'll be beggin' us to come back. They just don't realize it. The fact they think you're a threat is just the fact they've become engrossed in their irrational fears..." The engineer explained. He could rant all day about it but he decided to stay on point.
"So don't say that you're a threat to us. You aren't, and if you were, you wouldn't have the friends you do now...and...I wouldn't have fallen for you..." Kor said the last part nervously while looking at the ground. When he looked back at Nicole, she was staring intently at him. In that instance, he began to realize how beautiful her emerald green eyes were under the moonlight. He could even see a small electrical current in them.
Nicole stared in the fox's blue eyes for what seemed like hours, though it was only for a moment. Bringing herself out of her daze, "I have for you as well...however, I couldn't find an appropriate response for it...or how to tell you..."
"Well, a certain lynx did peck mah cheek in the digital world. If that wasn't a sign then I'm lost." Kor chuckled, looking at the scenery.
The A.I. didn't have to search her memory logs as that moment was still fresh in her mind. She began to blush as a new idea formed in her head. "Well, if you're lost, I have another indication for you..." She giggled.
Now the engineer became confused. "What would that be?"
Instead of talking, she acted. Nicole brought a hand up to Kor's cheek to turn his head towards her and planted her lips onto his. The former mercenary was completely caught off guard and frozen for a few seconds before he began to kiss her back, pushing himself closer to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Any of the chao that were still awake watched with hearts floating on their heads, finding the scene to be cute. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long as Nicole suddenly got an urgent message.
Even though she didn't want to, the lynx pulled away. "Sorry Kor, but Sonic's requesting everyone to meet at Freedom HQ immediately. Something went wrong during his mission..."
Kor sighed, a little annoyed. "Alright. I'll meet ya over there. It was nice spending time together though..." He said, his face was still heated from the kiss.
"Likewise..." She smiled before dissipating.
Kor walked for a brief moment before whistling into his fingers. A Tarantula that was nearby heard it and walked toward it's creator. "Hey pardner, need a lift to the HQ." The robot knelt its head, allowing him to climb on before it stomped off in a quick pace.
-Elsewhere: Casino Night Resort-
Mammoth Mogul was busy looking at the profits his casino was raking in. Ever since its creation, people from all over the world, be it mobian, overlander, or otherwise, couldn't resist the temptation to win big or lose all their money in the span of 3 minutes. As he continued to type on his computer, the doors to his office were suddenly kicked open. Geoffrey stepped in, carrying a battered Coconuts.
"Y-y-your eleven o'clock is here, s-sir..." The robot monkey said as Geoffrey dropped him in a heap.
"Hmm, Commander St. John, is it? And with a Chaos Emerald, no less. I'm not sure if we have enough chips to exchange for that." Mogul said as he gave the skunk his undivided attention.
"I'm not here to gamble Mogul, but rather, I have a proposition to make." Geoffrey smirked.
"If you are asking me to cause unfathomable chaos, you are out of luck. I have retired from daily antagonism and malevolence, and I certainly have no need for a second chaos emerald." The mammoth told him.
"The emerald isn't for you, but it is required for my mission, and you have the last thing I need."
"And what kind of mission are you on this time?..." Mogul said in a bored tone.
"Simple: To restore the true king to the throne." Geoffrey said as he gestured to a figure chained to the wall several feet from them.
The being, was Ixis Naugus. Once a powerful wizard, Naugus was from an old faction known as the Order of Ixis who sought to control all aspects of life. In the past, Naugus allied himself with Mogul in hopes of becoming as powerful as the old mobian. However, he was moreso used as a meat-shield. When both were captured by Eggman, Mogul used Naugus as this to protect himself from the effects of the Egg Grapes, which left the old wizard as nothing more than an idiotic beast who couldn't tell what was going on.
"And why exactly would I allow you to restore that buffoon's sanity? The reason I had him up here was to not cause unrest in my place of business." Mogul asked.
"You shouldn't have to worry about him Mogul. You're already stronger than him anyway, even if he does have an emerald. I assure you, the price for Naugus is sure to bring an upheaval in New Mobotropolis. The citizens will likely look for a means to escape their troubles at home, which could increase business for you."
The mammoth gave Geoffrey's proposal some thought. While it would be good to ring in more business for his night club, it could also have an extra side effect of making a certain hedgehog miserable knowing his past with the greedy wizard. Plus, he could finally get Naugus out of his office. It was a win-win. "Very well. You may use him, as I myself have grown tiresome of his presence. But, you have to promise your 'mission' will make Sonic's life miserable..." He chuckled darkly.
"Done and done." The skunk replied and the two shook hands, confirming their deal.
Geoffrey then approached Naugus. The Ixis wizard was well out of focus and constantly hissing at nothing in particular.
"My master, I have something that you will need dearly. With this emerald, not only will you regain your powers, but your sanity. Take it." Geoffrey told him.
Naugus curiously snatched the emerald from the agent. Within an instant, he was overcome with a surge of energy. His eyes refocused, his strength returned, and his memories came back to him all within the span of a minute. The Ixis Wizard cackled darkly as he broke the chains restraining him, and encased the emerald in a newly-crafted staff.
"Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no one look to the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed for those who witness the return of IXIS NAUGUS!"
A/N: And that all for this chapter. It seems Kor and Nicole finally got closer than before (he should thank Tails later), though with the Ixis Naugus taking the stage, what kind of 'magical' adventures will the heroes have. And let's not forget Eggman, whose probably getting close to finishing his project.
Also, before anyone says otherwise: Friendship is stupid magic.
