(AN: Oh my goodness, talk about something I REALLY should have gotten out sooner. I'm sorry guys, this whole pandemic and my internship has set aside things like this fic for me HARD. I had this done for a few days but I've been feeling blegh overall. Don't worry, I'm not gonna die, just kinda done with life's bs. So much for 5 days before my birthday eh?
Regardless, I hope you all are staying safe during this pandemic! And if you'll excuse me, we have a special announcement before we begin Chapter 7, so hang tight while I relay the message.)
Egg Robo stood by his lonesone with a spotlight shining above him, smiling.
"Good afternoon, readers! As I'm sure you're very much aware, Despair Hill Zone is almost finished! But what should be a happy time is instead ruined by that stupid Despair disease you real people call "COVID-19" or "Coronavirus". I don't get it! How is it that I'm so close to finally causing despair amongst my remaining students, and instead of you all feeling despair from that, the thing that fuels you with despair is some stupid disease! Maybe I SHOULD GIVE IT TO THEM NEXT!"
He took a deep breath and sighed. "I understand that many of you are 'afraid', but since I'm an egg and a robot, I can say, 'Screw you, I'll still be alive once you got the plauge!'. But for the rest of you, since I want you all to feel better and full of despair once you see how this story ends, let Egg Robo tell you the top ways to make sure to stay safe during this pandemic!"
The robot brought out a sink from his pocket, smashing it next to him. "The first tip is to ALWAYS make sure you wash your hands! Wash your hands after you use the bathroom, wash your hands before and after eating, wash your hands if you're outside and you touched a surface you know multiple people touched, and ESPECIALLY after touching any part of your body! After all, seeing as how you're on the M-rated section of the Sonic fanfiction archive, I frankly don't even WANNA know where YOUR filthy hands have been!" he laughed.
"The next kinda goes very similar to that! Seeing as how you're reading this on a computer or a phone, make sure to disinfect them whenever you have the chance! Washing your hands is one thing, but disinfecting them is another! Now, I'm sure you're probably now like, 'Gosh, Egg Robo, I came here to read about murders and stuff, not to get another useless PSA!' Well too bad, I'm goin' on without you!"
Next, the robot brought out a hoola hoop and put it around his body. "For your third piece of advice, make sure you continue practicing social distancing, staying 6 feet away from people! Of course, since you're reading Sonic fanfiction, I already know you all don't go outside, so maybe you don't need to listen to my advice! Nyo ho ho ho hoooo!"
He coughed into his hand from laughing too hard, proceeding to panic. "Uh oh! Coughed into my hand! If you need to cough, do it on your elbow or a part of your body you know won't touch most surfaces! Heck, do it on your ear! It works for me! And finally, most important, don't use this virus as an excuse to be hateful. No matter who or where it came from, the most important thing is that you humans look out for one another, not looking for scapegoats! After all, I'm the only one who's supposed to be causing despair here, not the real world! So there you are, five tips to keep you all safe! Just follow them and we'll get through with this! Anyway, enjoy your crappy murder Sonic fanfiction."
The light turned off, darkening the room Egg Robo stood in.
"Charmy, I need yer help. Not just yer help, but the help of everyone here. Just gimme some more time, I can find the identity of the mastermind."
"…the identity of the other Ultimate Despair."
"I think Infinite was an Ultimate Despair, just not in the way we think he was. I think there is the TRUE Ultimate Despair, the original Ultimate Despair."
"Someone or somethin'… with enough power to start The Great Calamity?"
"The individual or group who instigated The Great Calamity, no doubt, they're the ones who trapped us all here."
"D'ya understand everythin' so far, Charmy?"
"Then ya understand that they're the true mastermind, and our enemy."
The Ultimate Despair…
The one who caused The Great Calamity…
Could that someone or… something, be the same one who created this killing game for the world to see?
How twisted must one individual be to create a game such as this?
Could the identity of the mastermind be hidden behind so much bloodshed and horror?
This wasn't the time for despair anymore. Now was the golden opportunity for us to take on the mastermind, for us to reveal the truth, and for us to leave!
"But first…" Vector commented. "We need to get outta here."
I nodded in response. "Yeah, totally. I don't think I can lift you so we can fly outta here. Besides, my wings are a little hurt."
"Then we got one more thing we can use."
Vector pulled out the chao key and started making his way towards the door at the top of the stairs.
"That's it!" I said, following him behind. "I was trying to open that door earlier, but I knew the chao key would open it!"
"Well, let's give it a shot."
Reaching the top of the stairs, Vector placed the key into the keyhole and turned it. I heard a click sound as Vector turned the doorknob, the creek of the door screeching our ears.
"C'mon, let's go," the crocodile said as we both headed inside. I took a deep breath, glad to be out of the garbage pit.
But this was one deep breath I knew I could only savor for a little bit. Because once we shut the door behind us, we knew that the true fight began…
TheHunterPersian presents…
Despair Hill Zone
Chapter 7:
Despair Hill Zone Act 3
DEADLY LIFE
From the narrow hallway, we followed the trail through empty and dark corridors all the way to a lone steel ladder. I could see a little bit of light from above, but it was too far for me to notice.
"I wonder if I can fly to see if the coast is clear?" I asked. I tried to flap my wings, but it still hurt. I hissed as I stop flapping them.
"Dun hurt yerself more than yeh already are," Vector warned me. "C'mon, let's climb."
"I don't even think I've climbed a ladder this tall…"
"Just as long as ya don't look down, yeh should be fine. C'mon."
With Vector grabbing the bars of the ladder, I followed behind, heeding his advice about not looking down. We continued to climb for seconds, which became minutes. After a moment, I started to feel my hands ache, and my vision became more obscured as we continued to climb into darkness.
"How far does this go?" I asked Vector.
"Dun get…" Vector replied, grunting as he swished his tail. "…distracted now. If ya slip, I can't catch ya."
"But I think I'm okay to fly now!"
"Dun test that."
But as he said that, it only made me MORE nervous.
I shook my head. I HAD to keep going, no matter how much it hurt or how much it scared me!
As we continued to climb, a couple of seconds later, I began to despise the emptiness and silence of the climb, and thought that maybe talking would help to pass the time.
"Hey, Vector?" I asked. "There's something I wanted to ask. What was working at your detective agency like?"
"What it was like? Well, plenty of words I could use to describe that. I come from a long line of detectives, and yeh could say Chaotix was our pride and glory."
"That means you must be proud to be the head honcho, right?"
"No. If anything, we're at the bottom of the barrel in terms of detectives."
"But you just said-"
"Because unlike the others, we took pride in what we did, not caring about stuff like money or the like. To be a detective, one must understand the balance of right and wrong, black and white, good or evil. To find truth, one must not bind themselves in the belief that they're a hero, but also that they're not a villain. In a world that cares a lot about bein' a hero, us detectives are neutral to the situation. Why should we contribute to a society who sees us as nothin' remarkable? Who would you rather fight your battles? An amazing hedgehog with superpowers, or a lowly croc detective like me?"
I thought back to how limited my information of Vector was before I came to Green Hills. Could it really be that Vector's family was so well hidden that unlike the others, I didn't know a single clue about him?
"So, you didn't come to Green Hills to become a hero?"
"…normally, our family would see Green Hills as nothing more than a sham. How could a school create heroes like that as if they were going to matter to society?"
"You sure are going on a lot about society…"
"Nah, I ain't gonna become depressin' yet. What I'm tryin' to say is, the people care about heroes sure, but what about the old ones once they fall out of favor? Who cares about old graduates once they're rendered obsoluete? No one, that's who. Besides, a detective isn't a superhero."
"Sure they can be! They can be like-"
"Ya think that, but people care about the flashy, the media cares about how much destruction there is so they can debate about Green Hills fer hours. A detective? That ain't gonna bring much attention."
"So, that still doesn't answer my question. Why then, are you here at Green Hills?"
"I think you of all people would know that answer."
It only took me a few seconds to realize why.
"It's your… uncle. You wanted to reconnect, right?"
Vector was silent for a few seconds before speaking up.
"…reconnect? Ha, if I knew yeh weren't kiddin', I'd laugh at that."
"Huh?"
"Ya heard me."
"B-But, you've been gone from him for so long! You probably had-"
"Dun even finish that. We had NOTHING in common, nothing even REMOTELY to talk 'bout. I only came to Green Hills in the first place to tell him one thing."
I wasn't liking where this was going. "What was it?"
"…to tell him how much I hate him."
I was shocked when I heard that and almost fell off. "What?!"
"At the same time mah uncle left, he was the current head of Chaotix. Little did I know that he was doin' that and bein' the headmaster of Green Hills. In fact, he preferred his work at Green Hills then bein' a detective. So, he got up one day and left, leavin' me to fend on mah own."
"Y-You? Then, that means?!"
"I had no family? Yeah. Dad had already died, and mom? Pfft, she left after I was born. Ya could say mah uncle was kinda stuck with havin' a next heir to the Chaotix early on. He didn't wanna be stuck doin' detective work fer all his life."
"I mean, I get that, but like, wouldn't it be better if he just left the agency instead?"
"The Chaotix is a one-man team. Sometimes there'll be new recruits, but it's not the case. If he left, then that would spell the end of the agency. That's why he left once he saw that I was old enough to take care of mahself. Tch, more like when he felt it was time to get rid of me. That's why, alongside tellin' him that I hate him, there's one more thing I gotta do."
"What's that?"
"To thank him. Thank him fer abadonin' me. To thank him for teachin' me to take pride in what I do, and to not run with mah tail in between mah legs. To thank him fer showin' me how far I've become as a detective, and that runnin' a zone like Green Hills means nothin'."
I was speechless the entire time Vector talked. Had he really been going through all of this? All this time, all his anger, his annoyance with others, it all stemmed from the issue of his uncle leaving him? Now that I thought about it, it did explain a lot about how he was as a person…
But did he internalize all of this? Or right now… was he… sad?
"On that note, Charmy, I wanna apologize."
I was a bit taken aback when he said this.
"Huh? For what?"
"For how I treated ya when we first arrived to this zone. Askin' yer question 'bout me bein' a detective and gettin' defensive 'bout it, it… it reminded me too much of mah uncle and I kinda had to go into instinct mode. And yet, I did that at the cost of treatin' ya bad. So fer that… I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Vector. I mean, you didn't know me, and I probably shouldn't expect everyone to be so kind and friendly, especially in a place like this. Besides, you went on to prove to yourself you're a reliable person. I can't say the for some of our deceased friends."
"…reliable? Huh, that seems funny."
"Funny?"
"Since mah uncle left, the only family I do have treat me like I'm a child and coddle me as if I've never grown up. I'm tired of bein' seen that way. It's almost like even so much time after he's left, he continues to torment mah life. I'm not seen as unreliable; I'm seen as a burden to pity. I've done mah time of bein' sad cause mah uncle left me, but it's like only me wants to move on. Besides, he's probably forgotten 'bout me, so why should it bother him that I want him gone forever."
"B-But he's still your family!"
"Charmy, doncha realize that just because they're family doesn't mean ya can allow them to manipulate yer life? Ya aren't obligated to forgive family if ya aren't connected by heart and soul."
You aren't obligated to forgive family if you aren't connected by heart and soul…
I'll be honest, this is the first time I've EVER heard of anything like that. I always assumed that even if your family hurts you, it's still okay to forgive them because you're their family. But was it okay to accept that family can't change and to leave them out of your life?
I never thought about it before, and for the rest of the time we spent going up, I continued to dwell on it.
Only a minute or two after our final words, I watched as Vector began to press his hand on the ceiling, moving something up and down a few times before finally lifting it out of the way. Light faded into the dark room as we made our way up. Vector held out his arm for me to grab as I held on tight, the crocodile letting me go and pushing the lid to a large manhole back in place.
I looked around to see a large gate behind us, across a large pit with a furnace in the distance. No doubt, we were back in… the trash room.
"This brings back memories," I said.
"How does the trash room bring back memories?" Vector asked.
"I was here with Big during our first case. This was when I found Tails' fur by the furnace as well as his glove piece."
"Really now?"
"Yeah. It's… so weird. It's like I remember everything like it was yesterday, yet heaven knows how long its been since Tails and Big died."
"I guess I see whacha mean," Vector flicked his hands. "Ouch, goin' up that ladder was a bitch."
"Yeah, my hands aren't feeling any better either. Regardless, it was the only way we could have gotten out, so thank you."
"Just returnin' the favor."
"So, what's the plan now? The mastermind thinks I'm dead. And yet…"
I turned around to face the security camera. "They can see me clearly. And… and you helped me too? Couldn't that mean you're an accomplice to-"
"Why are ya worried?"
"Huh?"
"Ya heard me. If ya dun wanna be worried, let's ask Egg Robo ourselves."
My heart dropped when he said that. "WHAT?!"
"Even if we try to hide, it's only a matter of time before the mastermind finds us. With so many cameras everywhere, there's no real one place fer us to hide."
"So what, give up then?"
"I ain't sayin' to give up. Ya think Egg Robo is gonna kill ya once ya encounter him. But didja forget that the mastermind is the one trapped, not us?"
"You talked about that earlier. Something about the mastermind being the one who's trapped. What did you mean?"
"During the investigation into Infinite's death, the mastermind was completely exposed. Did ya catch the moment where they let their guard down?"
"The time I said that Infinite appearing out of nowhere was weird?"
Vector nodded. "And that's why if we talk to Egg Robo, we can confirm it. Better fer us to go to him directly than huntin' him down."
I felt like I was seconds away from a heart attack as my face fell with each passing moment.
"Vector, clutch my heart," I said.
"Yeh'll be fine, I swear on mah heart."
"I feel super uneasy about this."
"I dun blame ya. We dun have much of a choice though."
"Where do you think Egg Robo would be? We can't call him, can we?"
"Let's try to go somewhere open ended. The gym might work."
I nodded as I flapped my wings. Thankfully, they weren't in pain like they were earlier, so I was able to start flying. However, the closer I got to the gym, the more I kept breathing heavily. I felt like all the veins in my body were wrapping around my heart, ready to squeeze it to cause me to keel over and die. My eyes were wide as I soon became so scared, I wrapped my arms around Vector's left wrist.
"Yer actin' like a kid, Charmy," he said.
"Look… I'm… I'm too scared!" I said. "Everything before was perfectly fine, even my execution wasn't that bad now knowing that Ditz was about to save me but this time… there's no Ditz to save me, and hell, there's only so much you can do!"
"I know that. But what did I tell you 'bout bein' afraid?"
I took my hands off Vector's wrist, staring at my feet. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"Good."
I stared down at the floor as we continued to make our way from the garbage room to the gym. No one was anywhere in the hall, and all I heard was the faint sound of buzzing from the lights. Soon enough, despite all my objections, we finally reached the gym as Vector grabbed the handle and opened the door. Through the main hall, into the lobby, and finally into the gym itself, we only took a few new steps before we heard.
"HEY! HEY HEY HEY HEY!"
Him.
Egg Robo appeared in front of us, boiling with anger.
"Vector… while I hate seeing your mug, I don't mind that you're here because you're supposed to be. But YOU, Charmy! You supposed to be 60 feet underground and DEAD! Who gave YOU permission to come back to the world of the living?!"
Just as I expected him to react.
"What, was my FIRST punishment not enough?! Did Vector help you or something? I KNEW he had something to do with it!"
"And? What of it?" Vector asked. Egg Robo growled.
"Never mind! I'll deal with you later! For right now, I think Charmy needs to learn what happens to someone who can't learn how to stay DEAD! You were exposed as the killer, which means I must properly punish you! Don't expect me to give you a light one either! I'll give you my worst, most PAINFUL punishment ever! I'll put you in a cycle of turning you into a zombie and make it drag on for months on end, only giving you a vague "Eh" answer when you ask me when you're done!"
Egg Robo brought out a blender from somewhere in his coat, opening it up and turning it on. "Now you better be a good boy and GET in, we gotta start sometime! Or… should I force you in there?"
"V-Vector!" I cried out, holding my hand towards him. The crocodile looked at the robot, then at me, then at Egg Robo.
"Go ahead, do whatever you want," he said.
"How could you say that?!"
"But… lemme just say one thing: kill Charmy right here, and ya lost. Not that it matters to ya, right?"
Egg Robo turned his head to the side. "I'd… lose? You better start talking too, croc!"
Vector walked up to the blender and… kicked it to the ground. It shattered on impact; glass shards strewn about around our feet. "Lemme spell it out in a way even someone playin' dumb like yerself can understand. Ya set up this last class trial yerself. I got in yer way, and ya wanted me dead, so ya used the trial as your legal way to kill me. I was supposed to be the blackened originally."
"That's still not an explanation!"
"But ya knew I was lyin'. Ya knew that Charmy overlooked mah lie, and once ya saw that, yer plan came crashin' down. Ya didn't think Charmy would go so far as to protect another. So, what was the next best plan fer ya? Well, kill Charmy naturally. That's why he became the blackened, because of yer desperation. After all, he HAS been gettin' in yer way too, right?"
Egg Robo growled, his fists shaking.
"But there was one more thing ya didn't expect. Ya thought your executions were perfect creations designed without flaws that can't be destroyed on the outside. But what would happen if someone hacked into it on the inside?"
"That's what Ditz did," I said.
"Ya thought all this time that ya had destroyed Ditz and that Charmy was gonna die fer real. And yet, like everythin' else, yer wrong. Now, I'm not gonna speak to this robot shell, I'm gonna say this directly to the mastermind, who I KNOW is listenin' to me," Vector pointed in between Egg Robo's eyes. "Charmy never killed Infinite. I never killed Infinite. It was YOU, the mastermind, who did."
The robot continued to stay silent.
"Go ahead, ya can kill Charmy if ya want, but that would be a violation of yer rules. And we all know how much of a sucker yeh are for them, right? Remember yer little rule 'bout the blackened?"
"And so what?!" Egg Robo continued, getting closer into Vector's face. "I lose?! Ha! You talk a lot of crap for someone who wants to blindly blame me. Lemme guess, you can prove this, RIGHT Mr. Detective?!"
"No."
"What do you mean no?!" I screamed.
Egg Robo grinned, only it was one filled with malice. "Aha! I KNEW you couldn't prove it! Your entire little theory goes out the door with you!"
"Oh, I might not have any right now," Vector continued. "But trust me when I say that discoverin' the truth ain't as hard as ya make it out to be. This zone has somethin' I can use against ya, I promise ya. Yeh can try to hide it as much as ya can, but like everythin' someone tries to hide, people WILL discover the truth."
"And NOW you're trying to act like some bigheaded hot shot! Lemme guess, gonna tell me to cry and pee my pants now?! Bah! I don't know who's more annoying: Sniveling crybaby Charmy or loudmouthed shitlord Vector!"
"Hey, that ain't a nice word. I much prefer donut lord."
Egg Robo screamed loudly.
"Scream all ya want, but there's one more thing that digs yer hole deeper. If Charmy WAS the killer, would he come to ya like this? Would that "sniveling crybaby" as ya put it be right here in front of yer face, not carin' 'bout whatever threat ya throw in his face, or would he be cowerin' in fear, afraid of whatever yeh'd throw in his face?"
"H-Hey now…" I said, embarrassed. "You don't have to word it like THAT…"
Vector ignored me. "But here we are, standin' in front of yeh, no longer afraid."
"And WHAT?" Egg Robo yelled. "That's your evidence? Hope? Judges, tell me: was that a convincing argument or what?! Oops, guess there's no judges because all of them left when you decided to do another friendship speech!"
"Pfft, yeh? In a million years, yeh'd deny it like every killer we've had here. No, I'm tryin' to convince yer little worldwide audience who would be most angry with you, wouldn't they?"
I gasped as Vector continued. "Imagine, ya kill Charmy. What would the audience think? Why, ya killed him BECAUSE he was right 'bout everythin' we said. And yer broadcastin' this to entertain, not to anger, right?"
Vector crouched onto the floor and grabbed Egg Robo's head.
"If it ain't fer that stupid rule of yers, I outta crack the hell outta that shell. So instead, lemme tell this to ya nice and close: Even in a world of despair, hope can never be exterminated."
Egg Robo growled.
"Of course, ya can say we're just stupid teenagers who dun know what we're talkin' 'bout. Ya sure liked to call us phone obsessed pacifists when we first arrived, but would they do anythin' like what we're doin'? Nah, cause even those same people know that yeh'd have no choice but to prove it. If ya wanna admit defeat, go ahead and kill Charmy. I won't budge in. I promise."
"GR-GRAHHH!" Egg Robo yelled, grabbing the side of his face.
"I'd be willin' to let ya earn the right to make us despair-filled of course. But ya can only do that if ya take my advice," Vector got up from the floor, took his hat off, and looked at Egg Robo. "Ya dig?"
"Now he's actin' like he's some kinda rapper…" Egg Robo growled under his breath. "Tell me, what's this advice of yours?"
"It's really simple: redo Infinite's trial. This time, no cheatin'. Charmy and I can follow the rules, but ya gotta commit to doin' the same. Agree to that…" Vector pointed at the robot. "…and our final showdown will begin, Hope vs Despair!"
I gasped. We were… finally coming to a closure on this horrific killing game. This last trial… meant everything.
Hope vs Despair…
Egg Robo wasn't going to let us off the hook easily. I knew the robot would do everything in his power to refute every claim, know everything like the back of his hand. In fact, I knew this was going to be our hardest trial yet.
But what about our investigation? Were we going to be given one last investigation? One last chance to prove not only Egg Robo's guilt?
So many questions were left unanswered, but I assume now wasn't the time to think about them.
"So, any objections?" Vector asked. Egg Robo looked at the crocodile intently. I bit my lip. I wasn't expecting Egg Robo to just agree. After all, if he lost, then that would mean… he'd die too? And besides, if we exposed everything, the mastermind's identity would be revealed to us, and certainly that's the last thing they want. Hell, I'd even argue that they'd say no and then execute me without another word.
The robot continued to stay silent until he began to chuckle.
"Keh heh heh heh… interesting! VERY interesting! I'm almost shaking in my shell just thinking about it!" he said.
"Shaking in your shell?" I asked.
"Well, in thinking about your offer, it's time I respond to your offer in Egg puns! Now, you all cracking into the secrets of everything? That sounds like an exciting sunnySIDE you all want to take. I think that me saying no to that offer makes me look like a scrambled mess!"
"Enough with the lame jokes and answer me," Vector said. "Are ya in or not?"
"I normally don't like doing what other people wanna do, because it's all about me! But, this WILL make you and the viewers happy, no? And it DOES makes me eggcited to see you all in complete despair… Okay! Then I shall accept your egg-cellent offer! Will hope or despair win? I couldn't know even if I fried to think about it! But one thing's for sure, I'm NOT gonna give up so easily! So, let's get at it! One final smackdown!"
I couldn't believe my ears. He… agreed! He gave us another chance!
"But lemme just say this: since I'm not gonna give up so easily, let's make this the goal of this new trial: you're not just gonna guess the identity of Infinite's killer. No, instead, you're gonna also have to find out the mystery of EVERYTHING that happened here! What, you thought it was gonna be that easy? Think again! I told you I wasn't gonna give up!"
I figured he'd tell us this…
"But if you manage to do all of that, then congratulations! You all can leave here while telling me, 'That's all, Yolks!'"
"Well, glad ya see it mah way," Vector said.
"But if you DON'T… well, I think you kiddies are smart to figure out what'll happen, right?"
"Execution…"
"Ho ho ho… I can barely contain my eggcitement! I wonder… when you all learn the truth, what level of despair will you be at? I hope it's at least top 3!"
"Oh, don't act all smug now. We're just as excited as yeh are. Because when we uncover the truth, what level of despair will YEH be at?! I hope it's beyond this world."
"Bah, stealing my lines, eh?"
"I dun care. Besides, before we start. I wanna ask ya one simple question. One of yer rules is that if a student kills another, a class trial is held. There's no kinda special rulin' there, right? It's exactly like ya put it on paper?"
"Oh, come on, Vector! You make it out like I'm some unreliable person who wants to pull the carpet from under your feet! Everything here in this zone is based on the rules, and Infinite's trial is no different!"
I felt a jolt when I heard that. Infinite's trial wasn't an exception? Then, that had to mean that whoever killed Infinite…
"It's a weird approach, I know, but think of it like this. As I'm sure you remember, this killing game began with 18 people: the new class of Green Hills, which would be what you two make up, Charmy and Vector. And of those people to take a step into Green Hills before this game began… were those same 18 people and no one else…"
"What?" I asked. Hearing that, I didn't know how to feel or what to make of it. No one else came into this zone before us, no one came in after us. It was always us and Egg Robo, no one else.
Myself, Vector, Silver, Amy, Wave, Tikal, Tails, Cream, Knuckles, Shadow, Jet, Sonic, Storm, Big, Blaze, Rouge, Espio, and Infinite…
What connection did either one of us have to Infinite's death?
"Are ya tellin' the truth?" Vector asked. Egg Robo however, stayed silent. I glared at him, not knowing why he suddenly went silent.
"Egg Robo?" I asked.
"Ho ho ho… HO HO HOOOO! NOW I'M ANGRY!" he yelled. "I'M DONE WITH YOU ALL, GO AWAY AND SHUT UP! GET LOST, SHOO SHOO!"
"What's wrong with you?!"
"I think he's unstable right now," Vector replied. "Not much we can do 'bout it. C'mon, let's go."
"I mean, is he really gonna let me go? Like, just like that?!"
Egg Robo blew a strong raspberry at me. "I don't even care anymore! Why should I bother anyway? I should be back in my office coming up with the best possible punishment for you all! Ho ho ho…. Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho hoooooo!"
"Alright, he's useless now. C'mon, Charmy. We're going."
Egg Robo continued to laugh as Vector grabbed my wrist, leading me out of the gym as the walls echoed with the robot's laugh. When we finally returned to the lobby, I took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.
"Charmy, whaddya doin'?" Vector asked.
"Needing a minute to catch my soul back to earth," I replied.
"Yer soul is fine."
"Physically yes. Emotionally and mentally? No."
"Look, ya still have yer life, doncha? Now c'mon, let's get up from the floor and do what we're supposed to do."
"Vector, I don't know how you do it sometimes. You get me out of these situations like they're not scary at all."
"Oh, trust me, they are. It's just I'm in better control of mah fears then yeh."
"How do I repay you in all these situations, man?"
"I'll tell ya how: get off the floor. We got work to do."
I sighed as I brought myself up onto the floor, flapping my wings as I began to fly.
"I'm telling you…" I said. "I'm shocked that the mastermind said yes."
"So am I. I didn't have much of a plan if they didn't accept mah proposal."
"Why do you think they agreed with it? There's nothing really to gain from this. If they win well, then they killed everyone in this zone. What exactly does that solve?"
"I dunno, but one thing is fer sure, they had no choice but to do so."
"Hm?"
"The moment they let their guard down, remember? Ya were there at the time, when they said they hijacked every broadcast signal to broadcast this killing game to the world, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"What didya think 'bout that?"
'What did I think? Well, I thought it's hard to do something like that. Wave even said so herself that there hasn't been a hijacking of that level since a few decades ago since everyone used analog TVs. But with satellites, it's almost impossible I'd imagine."
"I'm not surprised Wave knew 'bout that. Those hijackin's were high profile back then, likely why satellite TV is so encrypted nowadays. Yeh'd have to know a lot of technical prowess to hijack not just one broadcast, but multiple. And yet, the mastermind was able to do such a thing."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Think 'bout it this way: there had to have been a reason why the mastermind did something so difficult. It's like… like they wanted to show the world somethin'. No matter what the cost was, in this case, being us killin' each other."
"I still don't get it either. What's being broadcasted is nothing more than some snuff game, and yet, no one's tried to stop it. You THINK someone would stop something clearly illegal. And yet…"
"The way this game works as set up by the mastermind is that it wasn't so that Egg Robo would kill us all whenever he felt like it. It was about forcing us to kill each other. All the rules Egg Robo aligned fer us was based around the fact that he wanted us to kill each other."
"Yeah, you're right! If those stupid regulations didn't exist, we wouldn't have a reason to kill each other!"
"And there's those motives too… combine the regulations and the motives, then that proves that the mastermind's true motive was to force us to kill each other and broadcast it for the world to see."
"But now that begs our next question: Why?"
"To prove a point."
"Huh? What point?"
"Ya might not have known, but the students of Green Hills are known by society as "Secondary Students of Hope". So, what would happen if those same students of hope started killin' each other? Well, then they're no longer the Secondary Students of Hope. They're the Secondary Students of Despair. The mastermind wants this world to see that, that even the most hopeful people in the world like us can sink into a world of despair, pain, and sufferin'. That was their goal as the Ultimate Despair."
"That's what it means to be Ultimate Despair?..."
"It's exactly the kinda thing someone who is Ultimate Despair would think up of. That… thing's only purpose is to spread despair. Nothin' more, nothin' less. They dun care 'bout how they do it, or who they hurt."
"T-That's it?! No other reason or anything? Not even because they're hurt, or because they're lonely, but because-"
"Because nothin'. That's just what the Ultimate Despair is, Charmy. I know it makes ya angry, and yet… it's that motivation that exposed the mastermind's weakness."
"What do you mean?"
"All this time, the mastermind assumed all yer talk 'bout beatin' them was just a show. They thought we were all too cowardly to do anythin'. It's that arrogance that led them to revealin' that the killing game is bein' broadcast. More recently, they've been more… let's say, they've been a bit of a hardass on the rules lately. Ya see, if the mastermind just ignored the rules, this wouldn't be a game, but a one-sided slaughter. At least, I imagine that's what the viewers would think."
"So that's why Egg Robo can't kill us ourselves unless we threaten him?"
"Yup."
He didn't kill us because he wanted the game to be exciting, not for it to end like that…
I thought back to that movie I had mentioned to Tikal a few weeks back. That same movie was about a secondary zone class like mine being trapped on an island and forced to kill each other, but only one would survive. Even though the government was involved and even though there was a gamemaster, only in certain scenarios would they kill. And it was for the same reason…
In the movie, they didn't kill because the whole point of the killing game was to spread fear into the nation's citizens, telling them not to rebel. In our situation, Egg Robo didn't kill us because the whole point of his killing game was not only to spread fear by broadcasting a snuff game to the world, but to prove to the world that even the most hopeful people fall into despair.
But I couldn't fight back like the kids in the movie. I didn't know how to use a gun, how to hack computers, or basic survival instincts.
So now I had to ask… What could I do now?
"The mastermind can nag and moan all they want, but I ain't violatin' their rules. Unlike Rouge, who broke the rules and was punished, I can't be touched cause I didn't break anythin'."
Rouge…
How long has it been since I heard her name?
"And that was the trap. Making it seem like you killed Infinite so the mastermind can use a legal reason to kill you."
Vector nodded.
"Then do you think… do you think that maybe the people outside of this ring dimension knew that Egg Robo was lying about you being the mastermind?" I asked.
"I dun think so, and that's where Egg Robo messed up. He was so set on silencin' either me or yeh that he forgot what he was doing with the outside world. Sure enough, guess what ended up costin' him?"
"So adamant on this idea that despair rules over all that he forgot his own rules… And he even said yes thanks to you."
"Dun sell yerself short, yeh also are the reason he accepted as well. If ya exposed mah lie, we wouldn't have this second chance."
"But still, it's like you're… you're psychic or something!"
"What if I was?"
When he said that, I swore I saw Cream's face flash in her mind, and her whole "I'm psychic" line played back in my head.
"Sorry, that ain't mah line," the crocodile continued. "Regardless, I didn't really read his mind, more so relyin' on dumb luck. Had I been wrong well, it wouldda been a terrible effort. But, we lucked out, and this time, I was at least able to overcome Egg Robo just this once. Trust me, I might look calm now, but I was just as nervous as yeh. I didn't have any way of tellin' how this would end. Thankfully, somethin' I learned durin' mah time as detective is that ya need to show a stoic face as all time. Showin' any kinda emotion besides that would make things tense fer all parties involved."
Vector sighed. "Now that we're here, we can't waste any time. We dunno when this investigation will start, so we need to get started on our battle plan. We should find the others and let them know what's goin' on."
"You're… you're right! We all need to work together and defeat the mastermind: our true enemy!"
But as I said this, something in Vector's expression changed, almost as if… he was against the idea.
"Vector?"
"…is that possible?"
"What do you-"
"Never mind. Let's just go."
I was confused by the sudden change but… I guess it was best not to pry about it. He turned around to leave as I followed behind.
"Where do you think the others are?" I asked.
"Probably in the dorms or somewhere," Vector replied, the purple lights of the hall reflecting off his scales. We continued to make our way towards the exit and into the main dorms when I noticed the dining hall.
"Hey, everyone is usually in there, right?" I pointed.
"I guess we can search there," Vector nodded as we both headed towards the dining hall. When we arrived, I saw Tikal, Amy, Silver, and Wave all sitting at a table. I felt my heart flutter as I saw them. My… my friends…
I wanted to say hi first, but before I could do anything…
HE ruined the moment.
Egg Robo appeared suddenly in front of us, but when he spoke…
"SbAFSDbBlfdbljkfsabndjlklfdsahndfiosh23r8yu80923yh2goihbskljs!" he said, distortion coming from his speakers.
"Uh, excuse me?" I asked.
"HGNFNFNFN! FOKSNN3JU09UI90";'.;'L21=\\=S[AP-LPKLPK,SP[,APAMO! ASHURAJBNJKNJAKBNAJKBA!"
The robot soon left, leaving me confused.
"I think his emotional support systems are failin'," Vector said, arms crossed. It was then that I noticed that the four at the table were looking up at us. Tikal and Amy gasped loudly as Silver's mouth was wide open. Even Wave was looking at me with shock.
"Is that-?!" Amy asked.
"Yo, it can't be!" Silver said.
"CHARMY, IT'S YOU!" Tikal yelled as she and Amy ran up to me, both hugging me. The echidna began to cry.
"O-OH…" Tikal sobbed. "I-I THOGUHT YOU… YOU… YOU DIED!"
"SO DID I!" Amy added. "DON'T-DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"
"You guys…" I said, now starting to choke up myself.
"Look at you, a stubborn bug who refuses to die," Wave said, walking up to me. "Makes sense because you're a bee."
She then suddenly began to smile. But this time, it wasn't malicious or smug. This smile felt genuine, and especially what she said next almost knocked me out of my shoes.
"…glad to see you're alive, shorty."
I was taken aback. Here she was being… nice? This clearly wasn't the Wave I knew.
"It's so great to see you're okay!" Silver said. "But uhh… you aren't like a ghost are you? I just wanna make sure! You never know!"
"Ah, never change, Silver," I said. Suddenly, I heard the sound of Tikal sniffing.
"What's that smell?" she asked.
Amy looked to my side and sniffed me, and when she did, her face turned green.
"EWWWW, HE'S GROSS!" the two girls yelled, pushing themselves away from me.
"Jeez, it's not my fault Egg Robo put me in a garbage pit!"
"EVEN MORE GROSS!"
"I guess we could add trashy to the number of adjectives we could use to describe you now," Wave said.
"Oh, come on!" I complained. "I was actually relishing being shocked that you were nice to me for once!"
"As amusin' as everythin' is, I think we need to get down to business," Vector said, putting his arm between us all.
"What kind of business?" Wave asked.
"And more importantly, is it okay for Charmy to be here?" Silver asked. "What if he catches him?"
"That's why we're gonna have this conversation now. Charmy, if yeh can begin?" Vector turned to look at me as I nodded.
"No worries. Everyone, we need to tell you about the last class trial," I began.
"The one where Egg Robo called you the killer, right?" Tikal asked.
"Yeah. We're redoing it."
"What do you mean?!"
"What's the point?! Charmy was already named the killer!" Silver said.
"I never did it. Vector didn't do it either. Our killer all this time was always the mastermind."
"So, the mastermind was the true killer? But then… why were you named the killer?"
"It has to do with the mastermind's trap," Vector said. "If ya remember, before Egg Robo suddenly stopped the trial, Charmy told all of yeh that there was somethin' wrong with the trial. Do ya remember? He spotted the trap in time and did everythin' he could to stop it. But it was that result that would lead to Egg Robo selectin' him to die."
"You… Shorty, you ACTUALLY uncovered the trap?!" Wave asked, sounding surprised that I did such a thing. She made it seem like this was easy…
"That's where Egg Robo made his mistake. Executin' Charmy who wasn't the blackened was against the rules HE made. The rules state that ONLY a blackened can be executed should they be caught. Since Charmy was never the blackened, that's how Egg Robo broke his rules. And because of that, I made a deal with him to redo that trial."
"And they said yes? So, they admitted it!" Amy replied.
"It was that TV broadcast they mentioned. Egg Robo does everything in his power to entertain his audience, and yet, our little audience knows that Egg Robo was lying. That's how you used it to your advantage, right?" Wave asked.
"Even when I'm not there, information just comes back to me, Wave," Vector replied, eyes shut.
"This is what you meant by the mastermind being cornered, didn't you?"
"Hey so uh, are you guys gonna slow down and explain this to me?!" Silver complained.
"Then ask Vector later. We don't have time to relay you information."
"So… what's our plan now?" Tikal asked, hands to her chest. "We know who killed Infinite, so now it's our job to expose him, right?"
"Wait. I have a feeling it's going to be much harder than that, pacifist girl."
"You're right…" I looked down at the floor. "Egg Robo gave us another task. Not only are we to prove he killed Infinite, but also he told us we had to expose the truth about everything in this zone."
"Everything?!" Tikal exclaimed. "But we've been here for so long and yet we still don't have any clues! Who put us here, why we're here, who the mastermind truly is, and more importantly… does this Great Calamity have something to do with it?"
"Then we better get started now," Vector said. "I figured yeh'd all know by now but… if we fail to complete our tasks, we all die."
I could see a visible joltish reaction from Tikal, Amy, and Silver, the latter whimpering upon hearing that. Wave even looked a little concerned but tried to hide it.
"I don't wish to die!" Tikal cried.
"H-Hey! I don't ever recall agreeing to this!" Amy complained. "I know we have to expose the mastermind but… what if we fail, huh?!"
"Would you rather take the chance, or be stuck here for the rest of your life? Your "precious" Sonic is dead, your split personality likes someone you normally don't like, you have no more of your hobbies, no more social life, no more ANYTHING. Is that the life you want, pinky?" Wave asked. The pink hedgehog seemed to shrink.
"W-Well… you didn't need to put it like that."
"At this point…" Vector said, ignoring the two. "The only way fer us to survive is to uncover the truth. "
"One final battle with the mastermind…" Wave said. "If only this was physical. I'd love to return the favor to them as revenge for Jet and Storm."
"There's a lot we'd need to do… Can we actually solve everything in such a short amount of time?" Tikal asked.
"It's taller than that time I ordered Meh Burger's Supreme King Xtreme, complete with sandpaper shavings as seasoning…" Silver groaned, hands on his hips.
"I know it seems impossible, but this trial is different. We're all working together for the same goal: stopping the mastermind. If all work at this, we can solve everything in no time flat! I guarantee we will!"
That's when Vector stopped me.
"No."
I looked at hjm, confused. "Huh?"
"I dun like the idea of workin' together."
"W-What are you saying, Vector?! We were given a second chance and a goal! We know what we need to do, and why we need to stop Egg Robo! We can solve everything quick and without any headache!"
"Sure, if ya look at it without thinkin' 'bout it. But that's until yeh remember what Egg Robo said."
I was confused what he meant until… I remembered it.
"What do you mean?" Wave asked.
"Egg Robo told us that eighteen people entered this zone, and no one else," I said. "All of us and the people who died here are the only ones."
"I see… then I think I understand why Vector is skeptical."
"Huh? Why?"
"We're all convinced that the mastermind is the one who killed Infinite, right? But, Egg Robo said that only 18 people came into this zone and no one else. That means the mastermind had to have been someone who stepped foot into this zone. Sure, Egg Robo could murder Infinite, but cleaning up the scene like that? Impossible for a robot. Only a living being could have done that. And yet, the only people who entered Green Hills were us: the eighteen students thrust into this killing game."
My blood ran cold when I heard that.
I realized what he meant now. I thought about it earlier, about the connection all of us had in connection to Infinite's murder. I thought it only meant that one of us killed Infinite, but… when I thought about it. It went deeper than that.
That would mean that one of us who stepped foot in this zone was truly the mastermind?
But how? Only us six were the only ones alive at this point. If we were the mastermind, we would be controlling Egg Robo, wouldn't we?
That's when a deeper fear hit me. If it turns out the mastermind wasn't one of us…
No… it couldn't be…
The Ultimate Despair was said to be more than one person. Infinite was clearly one of them and yet… There's supposed to be more? Who was working with him?
"I remember seventeen of us in that main hall when we first arrived. Myself, my darling Sonic, all of you standing here, and… everyone else who died," Amy said. "Add in Infinite and that's a perfect eighteen. That would mean…"
"The mastermind is one of us. Either one of us standing here, or, someone…"
Wave's gaze lowered. "Someone we thought had died is still alive."
Tikal and Amy gasped, Silver grabbed his quills and bemoaned, and I tried to keep my shocked face hidden, but couldn't.
"Wait, we have no proof of that!" I said. "Wouldn't it be likely that Egg Robo would say that to confuse us?"
"It's a possibility," Vector said. "But it's one of many possibilities. Couldn'tcha argue that the mastermind bein' one of us is a possibility?"
"And we can't just ignore that," Wave added.
"Ultimate Despair…" Amy said. "That must mean they were a part of the same zone as us! It's not really IMPOSSIBLE…"
"But if one of us was the mastermind, we'd be controlling Egg Robo right now, wouldn't we?" I asked. "Was anyone acting suspicious when Egg Robo was active?"
"Not that I can think of but maybe they snuck off and controlled him?"
"That would be impossible! Someone would surely notice!" Tikal said.
"Maybe Egg Robo is automated!" Silver said. "Someone who knew exactly what he'd do would preload him with commands, and he'd just do it!"
"No way!" I said. "There's no way Egg Robo could have done that knowing that we've had so many back and forth conversations with him. It just isn't possible for something automated to do that!"
Wave shook her head. "If they directed the flow of conversations, it isn't impossible. Do you ever notice that he would spout off on strange things? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a way to confuse you."
"Sure but…"
That's when a bell from the monitor interrupted us. All of us stood up when we heard the bell, turning to face the monitor. It turned on by itself, displayed the zone crest, and Egg Robo appeared on screen.
"This is a zone announcement!" he said. "You all probably know this by now, but the killing game has now commenced, and you have all entered the special stage mode! Congratulations on collecting 50 rings and getting your key! Thanks to this mode, I have now unlocked the doors to EVERY room in this zone! To solve this mystery, you'll need to look EVERYWHERE! Ho ho ho! You better look good, as I can't WAIT to see what you'll come up with during the trial! HO HO HO HOOOOOO!"
The monitor turned off as Vector turned around. "Ha, look at how nice he is. Openin' all the rooms fer us."
"Enough with talking. I think our investigation begins now," Wave said. I tried to interrupt her, but she held up her hand in front of my face. "I planned to work alone in the beginning. For me to make a strong argument, for me to get revenge not only in the name of Jet and Storm, but the entire Babylon race, I will get that putrid robot. I have no time to worry about what you all need to do. It's your responsibility after all. Goodbye."
Wave left as we all watched her walk off.
"She's right… maybe… maybe it's time I actually find stuff for myself," Amy said. "I'm… I'm done with being afraid. I'm gonna search as much as I can! I'm gonna do it for my darling Sonic!"
Amy ran off afterwards, leaving us behind.
"And she's gone too," Silver said. "Lemme guess, you too, Vector?"
He nodded in return.
"So, it's just us four. Uh… you know… I know I've been kinda useless in these investigations but… when I heard Wave just now, I realized that I too am helping you all uncover the truth. I don't wanna be lazy or just leave it up to you all cause I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but… I wanna help you all! I'm done with being clueless about everything! I don't know why but… ever since I arrived, I felt like I've been losing myself more. I haven't used my powers ever since I lost them after the first trial, I feel like I've been holding people back-"
"What do you mean your powers?" I asked.
"My ESP! I strangely can't use them anymore… I don't why but… I hope this investigation will help me on the track to getting them back!"
"That's inspirational, Silver…" Tikal said. "Do whatever you need to help us."
"That's right, Tikal! I'm on it!"
Silver ran out, leaving us behind.
"Everyone's gone off by themselves. All I've done is protect bodies or pray over others. How can I be expected to help you all?" the orange echidna asked.
"Do whatever you feel is best. Look around, take note of what's around you. Even if you see something you don't like, you're doing it for a good cause," I said.
"You're… you're right. Grandma always taught me that in the face of adversity, even when all seems hopeless, you need to be a voice that breaks the mold. It was this line that inspired me to make a speech when I was three when we got a letter about our local government using the lake by my Grandma's house as a landfill for garbage. No one dared to go against him, and yet… Grandma inspired me to take a stand against that. That's why… That's why you're right, Charmy! I am doing this for a good cause! Maybe I can find something that'll help you all, and when I do… I know I've done my job to help us all escape. Okay, I'll take my leave."
Tikal took out her prayer beads from her pocket and held them in her hand. "I'm praying for us all. Please, let us solve this mystery…"
She turned around and left, leaving Vector and me in the dining hall.
"Vector?"
"Before ya ask, I would prefer ya do yer own investigation. However, dun think I'm against us workin' together. That goes fer all of us."
It seemed weird for Vector to say that, especially since he was against the idea. But seeing that we would all be doing our own stuff means that we would find the answer quicker. Thinking about it like that… heh, I was dumb for thinking that we would be split up completely.
"Anyway, I gotta get goin'. So much to check, so little time," the crocodile stomped off, his tail swishing. "Ya better look in places ya wouldn't think to look. Since all the doors opened, there's a lot to check. But remember, no matter what, we have to uncover the truth."
Before he left, Vector put his hand on the wall. "Just remember. Yer a good detective. Please… dun let us down."
The reptile left, leaving me in the dining hall. He was right… I couldn't let everyone down.
But everything in my mind was just rushing forward. The mastermind being one of us, having to uncover every memory, I felt like I was going to crash into a wall of spikes at lightning speed.
But I knew it wasn't one of us. I had to expose their identity, expose the truth of this zone, I just had to! Because we ALL must leave here alive! And no one was going to stop us!
INVESTIGATION
BEGIN!
