Violet Dreams
Part II
Chapter 37: Crusades, Part 4
"Be a light in a world that is so utterly becoming dark."
Location: GUN Central Command, Empire City
Electricity surged through the machines holding the twin hedgehogs, faintly lighting the room with a blue glow. A pained groan left Sonic, his eyes struggling to open as he awoke. Although the room was dark, Sonic used the light available to slowly get a hold of his surroundings. Everything seemed blurry in his mind. Finding it hard to focus on anything for more than a couple seconds, he shook his head gently to try and get a hold of himself. Stretching and moving his hands, he could tell there was no use in trying to escape being held up like he was.
"What did they do to me," Sonic thought to himself, unable to shake the heavy exhaustion he was feeling.
Light burst through the room from a door opening, nearly blinding the blue hero. Squinting through the sudden flash of light, Sonic made out a large figure who seemed very familiar to him.
Then the door shut, but before the light could disappear from the room, the fluorescent light bulbs above turned on, filling the place with a gentle hum. Blinking a couple times to get acquainted with the change of atmosphere, the blue hero glanced to his left, finding Shadow glaring ahead.
"Sup, Shads?" Sonic snickered, sounding as though he just woke up.
"So you two are finally awake. I was beginning to worry we had killed the both of you," the man who had just entered remarked with a grin.
Green eyes shot towards the source of the voice, finding it to be none other than the GUN Supreme Commander. Better known to them as Commander Shrike. Walking calmly towards the twins, the muscular buck gazed at them calculatingly. A chill ran up the blue hedgehog's spine while the man crept closer, his boots thudding against the floor amongst the hum of the lights.
"What's the meaning of this, Shrike?" Shadow spat venomously, golden energy darting along his arms.
It became clear to Sonic that even his comrade was struggling against their restraints. Something was definitely different about this Commander.
"Don't take it personally Shadow, but you should have seen it coming." Shrike crossed his arms, standing in front of the twins. "You see, with nuisances like you two running around, it makes business for GUN extremely slow. Justice should be in the hands of the organization whose primary purpose is to maintain it."
"Oh, please!" Sonic snapped back sarcastically. "If it weren't for Shadow and I, the planet would've been destroyed by the ARK!"
"But if it weren't for you two, the ARK wouldn't have fallen from its spot in orbit in the first place," Shrike retorted calmly. "You heroes cause a lot more problems than you're solving. Abraham may have respected you two, but as for myself, I think vigilantes are nothing but a bunch of kids trying to play Superman."
"Commander, I suggest you release me before the President is informed of your actions," the dark hedgehog growled. "I'm one of the most valuable agents to this military. If you kill me, you'd have a death wish!"
Shrike howled out in laughter, clutching his sides. Had he lost his mind?
"You're right, you are valuable, Shadow. But I wouldn't dare kill the primary schematic to my super soldier program!" Shrike announced. "Since our world is deprived of great Chaos Physicist's such as your creator, we need to study you"
"Just so you can build half-assed copies of people you're jealous of?" Sonic quipped with a weak smirk. "You better dig a deep hole to hide yourself, bud. Once I'm out of these things holding me -" Sonic tugged at the strange mechanical cuffs around his wrists and ankles, the blue threads of rope-like energy bouncing slightly from the movement, " I'll wipe the floor with that smug face of yours!"
"Bold words, hero," the buck replied maliciously. "That containment system was specially designed to withstand your individual powers. They're neutralizing the Chaos energy in your body, making you as weak as your every day person."
"So that's why I feel so tired," Sonic thought.
"Tell me, Shrike, how do you plan on recreating one of the finest pieces of technology known to this world?" Shadow questioned quietly. "Professor Gerald was one of a kind, do you really think the likes of you could replicate his work? Hell, Doctor Eggman couldn't even do it!"
A wide grin spread across the bucks features, as he chuckled to himself. "That's what you think, soldier. But since you two won't have any way to stop us, I find no sense in blabbing all our secrets."
Struggling against the restraints further, Sonic grunted as a pulse of electricity shot through his body. The blue hero shouted in pain, then hung limp groaning.
"What do you plan to do after your so called super soldier program?" Shadow remarked, his expression stone cold.
"Why, that should be obvious, Shadow! I'm going to get rid of anyone trying to enforce justice who isn't in allegiance with GUN!" A wild look suddenly filled the Commanders face. "Once the world is free of scum like Sonic, I'll enforce supreme rule over the country!"
"You've really went off the deep end, haven't you?" Came Sonic's weak reply.
"It's people like you, Sonic, that make GUNs authority seem diluted!" he barked. "Once I get rid of you, I'll show the world that they need me - that they need GUN!"
"The job of GUN is to protect, that is unless you're completely oblivious to what the acronym stands for, Commander!" Shadow sneered.
"The heroes steal our job," Shrike growled. "After I overthrow the President, and by that I mean, kill the poor bastard, I'll enforce a law to outlaw any acts of vigilantism. With anyone formerly labelled a hero out of the way, I'll form a military run government! Everything will be all that much easier after I form a peace treaty with that organization we've been encountering!"
"You really think you'll get away with it?" Sonic retorted with a defiant smirk. "Gee, how'd a creep like you ever get into power!"
"Shut up you vermin!" Shrike shouted, his voice bellowing through the room. He then turned his attention to Shadow and sneered. "I have plans for you, too, Shadow."
Each of the hedgehogs remained silent, watching as the Commander snorted and left them in the dark once more. Although they had many things to say at the current time, they remained silent. The weight of everything happening simply becoming too much for them to fully comprehend.
Location: Dusk Hideout
"Get your hands off me, you creep!"
The young huntress scowled, fighting her captors grip. Though blindfolded, her acute sense of hearing allowed to her to move efficiently, just as though she could see. However it proved to be worthless if she couldn't move on her own. With a swift blow to her back, the bat fell to the ground only to find a foot firmly planted on her head, pinning her face to the dirt. Galaxy leaned down, a wicked snarl present on his features.
"I suggest you stop your struggling and start following orders. Unless you need some motivation?"
Feeling a tight grip around her wrists once again, the GUN agent sighed and stood up. Although unable to figure where exactly she had been taken, she did know, however, they were in a cave of some sort. The further they walked through the cave, the more she could feel the rush of fresh air. Was she being led back outside? Soon they encountered a stair case, and after several minutes of ascending, they stopped. Finally the blind fold around her head was removed, allowing her to see.
In front of her, a giant statue stood tall. Although she was unsure of who it was, it creeped her out all the same. Arched walls rose upwards to form a dome like structure, but they stopped short of forming a completed roof, allowing one to see the night sky. Rouge knew that there was a reason to the design after all her run ins with creepy terrorist organizations. Galaxy walked past her, catching her attention. Sea foam coloured eyes followed the royal cat as he walked towards the statue. The young bat gasped, as a throne suddenly materialized out black energy, allowing the cat to sit down on it and stare at her intently.
"Why did you bring me here!" she shouted angrily, jumping to her feet again.
"You're at the Dusk hideout, dear," Galaxy replied sinisterly, and adjusted in his seat. "It's about time we found a suitable sacrifice to awaken the next tool in Dusk's plan!"
"S-sacrifice...?" Rouge repeated quietly, her eyes wide. "Why would you need a sacrifice?"
The defiant and fearsome attitude Rouge once adorned had now faded away with the cold realization of the situation she was in. She stared at the ground quietly, paying no attention to the howling laughter coming from the man on the throne. Right now the best she could do was hope for someone to come rescue her. She knew just by looking at this man that she would be no match for him if she were to try and escape. For now, the best possible option that she saw fitting was to wait.
But would she run out of time, she wondered?
"Galaxy," a voice called out from behind Rouge. "It seems your craving for power is ever growing."
The huntress turned her head slightly, watching as a taller cloaked figure walked past. However, as he walked ahead, the cloak surrounding his form burnt away, revealing himself. His fur was a mixture of black, blue and white, however it was hardly visible due to his clothing. Adjusting the necklace around his neck, Havoc unzipped the black vest he wore, and walked past Rouge.
A long tail swished behind him, dancing with each step. Finding nothing more to do than remain quiet, Rouge watched on.
Piercing yellow eyes landed on Galaxy. "You know, he's not too happy that I had to go out and get these keys for you."
The royal soldier gulped as he jumped from his seat, immediately showing his respect for Havoc. "Send him my apologies, but it was only to benefit the mission of my phase!"
Watching his subordinate calmly, Havoc finally sighed and scratched his head. "You know I'm not the strict or bossy type, Galaxy," the man admitted, and waved his hand in the air. From four small portals came four differently coloured orbs. "But I do have to follow orders. You're on thin ice, and if you mess up..."
The orbs hovered to the ground in front of the royal cat. Quickly realizing them as the Twilight Keys, Rouge caught her breath in shock.
"I'm the one he's ordered to take care of any messes you leave behind. And if it turns out you're apart of the mess, then I won't hesitate to do my job." Havoc glared at the cat, his attitude completely transforming. "We are but a single group of trees amongst a forest – remember that."
Before the young leader could reply, Havoc disappeared through a portal, leaving Rouge alone with the insane soldier once more. Quietly collecting the small orbs into his arms, Galaxy walked back to the strange statue behind him, placing them into the holes meant to hold the orbs. A flash of light coursed through the statue, causing it to crumble slightly. However the sudden surge of power quickly dispersed, and after uncovering her eyes from the flash, Rouge found five figures kneeling before Galaxy.
"Are we going to be getting Athana back, sir?" Gaia asked quietly, biting his lip. "We can't just let the bad guys have her!"
"She shouldn't have allowed herself to get caught!" Gantz shouted at his comrade. "If she couldn't handle the job, then she deserves to be held captive."
"Silence!" Galaxy hissed, slamming his fist on the once again formed throne. "GUN has one of the keys, so I'm sending one of you to go get it. If the opportunity presents itself, bring Athana back. In the mean time, it's time to start our invasion!"
Galaxy's deadly eyes fell on Rouge, and a wide smirk crept onto his face. "As for you, I suggest you start saying your good byes."
Location: GUN Central Command, Empire City
Sighing for almost the one hundredth time since they awoke, Sonic weakly pulled against his restraints. They had been stuck in the dark for who knows how long now. Turning his green eyes to his left, Sonic searched for Shadow in the dark, fighting to acquaint himself with the lack of light.
"Hey, Shadow," Sonic asked quietly, trying to gain his attention.
"What?" the dark hedgehog replied gruffly – clearly he too was unimpressed with their situation.
"How are we gonna deal with this?" the blue hero questioned.
"What do you mean we?"
"You know, like as a team, or whatever."
"We are in no way a team, moron," Shadow huffed. "Didn't I make it clear that you were to stay out of this?"
"Yeah, well your plan of keeping the emeralds in a safe place didn't work out as you thought, now did it?" Sonic remarked, mocking his comrades gruff voice.
"And you could have done better?" Shadow retorted with annoyance.
Quieting down, Sonic calmed himself and took in a breath of the stale air they had been forced to endure. "Listen, we both know that if someone doesn't do something then there won't be much to protect in too long. If the idea of team work is so touchy, what do you plan to do?"
"Stopping Shrike is priority right now, I hope you realize that," Shadow replied. "If he succeeds, then we're all shit out of luck."
"Yeah..." Sonic answered, looking at the ground. "Do you think he's working for Dusk?"
"Who?"
"That group - they're called Dusk. Or that's what that man we met on the beach called it, anyway."
Pondering the question, Shadow knew it was likely, but he also knew his supreme Commander too well for him to even think about sharing his power and leadership. "No, he has too much pride to do something like that," he responded. "But I do know he's planning something once he meets with them. I don't think he's realized that this group are just pawns."
"Wait...What?" Sonic remarked in shock, darting his attention to Shadow's direction. "There's more of them?"
"C'mon, you can't really expect me to believe you haven't realized it yet, either," Shadow grumbled. "They operate through a military system. I find it highly unlikely that Galaxy, or even the man we saw on the beach, to be the leaders. They may be smart, but they aren't organized enough to direct an operation of this size."
"So you think Shrike should be stopped before he tries to strike an allegiance with them?"
"Shrike needs to be put out of the equation as soon as possible, before he gains the lead because of your incompetence."
"Why are you blaming me?" Sonic retorted swiftly.
"You're not exactly helping to protect people by jumping into a fight each time you meet with those crooks, moron!" Shadow growled, his vibrant crimson eyes locked onto Sonic. "If you haven't noticed by now, there would be a lot less damage if you'd take some time to think things through. This isn't Eggman we're up against! They're not in this just to cause trouble – they're after something much, much bigger."
Thinking on the black hedgehog's words, Sonic quickly became quiet. But, the silence was soon interrupted by a loud crash, and then, the power died out. The duo each dropped roughly to the ground, thankful to finally be free. However, they were equally curious as to what happened that freed them. As if running off of one mind, the twins smashed through the door, witnessing a figure launch past them in a streak of white. Taking it as their sign, the duo raced after the figure.
Within seconds, they found themselves in the main conference room, where the door had already been broken down. Within, a group of soldiers had surrounded the massive table in the center of the room, each of their sights aimed at the cloaked figure in the middle. In the corner, Shadow noticed that Athana was still tied up and her mouth taped. Shadow turned his attention to Shrike, who stood confidently on the ground in front of the hooded intruder.
"So he sent one of his lackeys, did he?" the buck remarked with amusement. "Or are you the real leader?"
"I've been sent to retrieve the Twilight Key that you are in possession of," the figure explained. "Surrender it, or I'll be forced to exterminate this entire building."
"Wait, I know that voice." The cloaked figure turned his attention to Sonic, his dark crimson eyes glaring at the hero.
"So you are here," the figure mused with interest. "My loathsome copy."
Location: Space Colony ARK
"I thought you said you knew how to control that thing, Espio?" Vector moaned, leaning against the wall.
"I'm gonna be sick..." Charmy murmured, holding a hand over his mouth.
The purple chameleon simply lifted his nose to the air in embarrassment, walking ahead of his sickly team mates. Charmy groaned and held his stomach, trying to regain himself after their near death experience. The dully lit hallway of the ARK was filled with the gentle hum of the lights above, providing the team with little distractions. After their moment to recuperate, the Chaotix regrouped at the end of the hallway leading from the hangar.
"This place is creepy," the young bee stammered, his eyes darting around to every shadow he came across.
"Charmy, there's no one up here," Espio sighed. "This place has been left untouched since Shadow defeated Black Doom."
Traversing the corridors, the trio found themselves walking deeper into the darkness of the colony. The hallways started growing larger, as well as an increased number of emergency lock-down doors. Finally they reached the upper decks of the facility, which had been marked as the living quarters on the directory. Charmy stared curiously at the posters on the elevator they were riding in, amused by the 1950's art sported on it. The lights flickered within the elevator car, and then the door slid open to reveal a wide open room. Cautiously the trio walked out into the darkness, only to have a dozen floor lights flash to life, illuminating the brilliant observatory. Around them they could see the depths of space, and the blue planet they fought so desperately to save.
"It's beautiful," Vector mumbled in awe with Charmy perched on his shoulder.
However, Espio took it upon himself to find a way into the next section of the colony, and eagerly beckoned them over. With a couple last glances at the sight, the trio made their way into the next hallway, allowing the lights in the observatory to turn off, and the lights in the hallway to turn on.
A feeling of dread washed over them as they walked past the blood stains left behind from the killed scientists. Doors leading into rooms had been busted down, allowing passage into dark rooms – something Charmy had no desire to explore.
"I guess that whole conspiracy about Project Shadow was true," Vector remarked just before they walked through another door.
As before, the lights turned on, this time presenting them with a laboratory of sorts. The ceiling had to be nearly ten feet high, and although the room was heavily lit, there still seemed to be a sense of darkness at the far end of the lab. The trio walked deeper into the room quietly, drawn towards a gentle hum in the distance.
In front of them they found five dimly lit capsules. From their distance, however, it was impossible to tell what was inside, urging them closer to investigate what exactly was within the room besides them. The closer they crept, the more they could see the five sleeping beings within their respective prison. In awe, Charmy hovered forward, eager to get a better look.
"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," a voice called out from behind them, causing the trio to spin around.
Once they got a clear look at the man, Vector realized who he was. "How'd you get up here?" he bellowed, jabbing a finger out at the man.
Simply dawning a grin, the jackal ran his fingers through his messy, silvery hair. "See those capsules behind you? Well I've been ordered to watch over them from time to time. You may think that I'm some fiend or...somethin', but really I'm just paying my debts. What I should really be asking is why you three are up here?"
"A good detective always sees any lead he has through. And this," Vector commented, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "This is our lead."
"Well said, croc. But you know, I think it's only fair to warn you that your efforts are pretty much useless." Havoc sighed, sitting on a table with his feet propped on a rickety chair. "Really, what do you three expect to do even if you did find something out up here? Those aren't the real threat right now, and from the way I see it, your world is in more danger than you realize. We're a peaceful group, not a terrorist organization. If we wanted to destroy the world, wouldn't we have done it already? Don't you think there's more?"
Remaining quiet, Vector absorbed the jackals words. Perhaps they were looking in the wrong direction? Noticing a concerned look from his comrades, Vector shook his thoughts away until later, when he had the time to sort out what was really going on. Right now, he had to focus on what was in front of him. It was clear that if this man had wanted to escape, or kill them, he could easily do so. But there had to be a reason that jackal was sticking around. And it definitely wasn't for petty conversation.
"Who do you work for then?" the detective asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I've realized now that you aren't the leader of everything going on down there."
With a snicker, Havoc clapped his hands together, showing that he was pleased with the question Vector had asked. "Very good, although I had hoped you realize it sooner. Anyway, I'm a part of a much larger piece of this puzzle. That group down on your home, we call them Phase 1. They're the underlings. Our fodder, basically. Essentially, I work for the people. I'm not here to cause trouble, or anything like that. Like you, I dream of a peaceful world, rid of war and chaos. I'm just helping a group with a common interest achieve that goal."
"Work for the people? You sure are a bit delusional! How can you say that when you endorse killing and endangering innocent lives!" Espio retorted. "If you meant what you said, you'd work with us and stop all this. Ever since you people have shown up, there's nothing but conflict and strife!"
"That may be true, but have you stopped to ask yourself where the strife comes from?" The question came so quickly, and so simply, that Espio wasn't sure what to say. "I'm the right hand man of the man who's seeing everything through. Since he's not around right now to do things himself, it's become my job to make sure everything goes according to plan. Although our goal is for peace, I've realized that some within our group seek otherwise. But no matter, they won't get far."
"You're talking about this ... Phase 1, aren't you?" Vector pondered. "If you guys have a hierarchy, who's the leader of this first group?"
"That would be Galaxy Sieryu. Son of the great Darius the XIV and brother to the famous – or infamous, depending on how you look at it – Hex Sieryu. I have no doubt in my mind you and your friends can handle him."
"Why are ya' helpin' us if you're with the bad guys?" Charmy wondered curiously.
"Maybe we're not the bad guys you should be fighting, kid," Havoc replied with a sincere smile. "Although we have the same goal, we're just following it through in different ways."
With a quick glance at the capsules behind the Chaotix, the jackal leaped off of the table and stretched his arms. "Is that why you're helping us?" The mysterious jackal pondered Vectors question for a moment, staring into space as he did so.
"I believe you three will become a big part in this battle of ideals. It'll be interesting to see how things play out with you guys snooping around," Havoc replied, hardly answering the question. "But I have to go, and like I said, you three are searching in the wrong spot right now. I'm sure we'll meet again, unfortunately, it won't always be friendly conversation."
"What's your name?" Vector called out quickly.
To this, the jackal stopped before the door, the light from it opening casting a long shadow behind him. "I guess you deserve as much. My name is Havoc," he responded, then walked through the door waving his hand. "Ciao."
"So what now, Vec?" Charmy asked with a heavy sigh. "I really thought we'd be the heroes and end everything up here...guess not."
"I guess the best thing to do now is to keep searching. Maybe there's some sort of message from Eggman up here, like the one we saw down by Capital?" Espio piped up. "Let's look for the computer room!"
With a chuckle, Vector agreed, and the trio made their way back through the massive space colony. But they couldn't but feel the five figures they saw in the capsules they had found would turn into a problem later on.
"Our ideals are only as strong as our will." ~ Agatha Robotnik – Wife to Gerald Robotnik/Chaos Physicist, 1945
To be Continued
Authors Note~ A lot of talking this chapter...But, things are nicely being set out for us! Anyone catch the little joke I made with Vector? As usual, leave your comments, tips and theories in a review! Thanks, and see you all next time!