Back on track. Let's finish this! XD

-Chapter 105: High Ground 2-

Sonic hastily messaged Mina. 'Wherever you are, hide now!' He waited for her to respond. "Dammit." He peeked out from behind the library in his persisting wereform. The rest of the team searched high and low for the pop star, but she remained elusive. "Is she actually in town? Is she even awake?" He tried to call and was sent right to voicemail. His communicator received a response from Cream. "...'she's at my step-mom's cafe'. Good, they found her," Sonic sighed in relief and stealthily headed in that direction. He got a second message and read aloud, "It's packed in here. People are waiting for Mina to come out of the restroom now."

In the cafe restroom, Mina's shaking hand went through her bag for a spare charging block. "Glad I saw that text before this died. There you are," she said as she found a silicone covered, strawberry shaped, battery. She leaned against the stall door. The portable battery juiced up her phone quickly. "Bonnie said she wouldn't tell anyone I come here, what's the deal?"

In town, Sonic finally made it to the cafe. It was lined up out the door. "She wasn't kidding, I've never seen them this busy when it wasn't the night of the luau. I could go over there and scare them off, but that would be bad for business." He thought some more. "I got it," he said and sent messages off to the rest of the team.

The team, plus Cream, got into place.

He waited for the right moment. When the space allowed it, he said, "Now!", into his communicator.

Inside, Knuckles stood with his back to the crowd in front of the bathroom and effectively shielded Mina from the crowd. She activated the power of her borrowed Chaos Emerald. Knuckles leaned down and Mina used his back as a springboard. She leapt over the crowd with three tightly spun flips and landed with a skid a few feet from the door. Cream used an ear-powered gust of wind to slow her to a stop. Sonic's stretchy arm grabbed her from the doorway that was held open by Julie-Su and launched her into the air. Tails then grabbed both her arms and they flew a safe distance away.

People were confused and didn't know if that was really her or not. Mark defended his picture with a few more from different angles. "I'm not crazy! It was her! For real!" The crowd jabbered amongst themselves as Mark flashed image after image of her at the table.

Sonic clenched a fist and grinned wide, "Finally, something goes right."

Back at Eggman's lair, the doctor noticed the water level wasn't optimal. "Crap. Crap. Crap! Piece of junk! STOP!" He pounded the controls with heavy fingers and finally managed to fix the issue. "Ugh, that wasn't part of the plan."

"What happened, sir?" Orbot floated closer.

Dr. Eggman flopped down in to his chair. "The hydraulics we were going to use for launch, sprung a leak."

"Oh?"

"Yeah: Oh, is right. We took on too much water too quickly. I stopped it, but it's going to come rushing back."

Orbot gasped, "A tsunami?"

He nodded.

"I'll alert town hall rig-" The doctor silenced him with a hand up.

"No...don't. This was a natural disaster that none of us could have predicted. A lava chamber must have collapsed out at sea. We had nothing to do with it, so how could we know about it to warn anyone?"

"Excellent point, sir." Orbot shared a short laugh with his master.

"We will be there to help them out afterwards...aaafter they're done drying out."

Orbot raised a finger up, "I'll go get paper towel rolls to throw into the crowd to boost moral when we announce our disaster relief."

"Perfect idea. Common people do love their moral being boosted. Not to mention, I'm sure I can help all the displaced farmers out, after the seawater destroys their crops. You know, to help them get back on their feet, right away." He rotated a hand at the wrist as he condescendingly spoke.

Cubot feigned ignorance playfully, "With all the farm land bought out, I wonder how much your percent will go up...I'm kidding, I can calculate it in a jiffy." He made a ding noise. "Scratch that, half a jiffy. Seven percent."

Eggman rubbed his hands together menacingly. "Oooh, more than enough to be a mass share holder. This worked out after all." He leaned back in his swivel chair.

In town, on the way to Tails, Sonic calmed down and became his regular hedgehog self again. He flexed his arms and noticed more muscle tone. He rubbed his neck and the shoulder that helped throw Mina. "I think the work I do as a werehog carries over to me. I'm definitely more solid than before."

"We can arm wrestle if you want," Knuckles said and flexed his bicep.

Sonic chuckled nervously, "I don't want to bite off more than I can chew."

Knuckles laughed, "Suit yourself."

They made it to Tails house where Mina successfully escaped to and hid from the crowd.

"What the heck was all of that?" Mina said as she ruffled her bangs in confusion and exasperation as she reeled. "I went in there to try the Mocha BG suggested to me earlier today and I was rushed. Like, seriously, I've never seen people gather that quickly and effectively, honestly, I'm kind of flattered. I got your text, my phone died right after I saw it and then I look up to see a group of five people, with one pointing in my direction. I had my hood up, so they had doubts about me, I think. I hid in the bathroom right away. Unless someone other than that Mark guy saw me, I think I'm still good." She finally took a breath. "Thank you." She gave a thumbs up.

"You're welcome," Sonic said with a surprised look. 'The Chaos emerald must have gotten her adrenaline pumping.'

Tails shrugged, "There's not a lot to do around here that's interesting; when a celebrity shows up, it's interesting."

"Fair point," Mina sighed, "As cool as it was to do that manoeuvre, I had to abandon my mocha," she said as her phone buzzed. She checked the alert to see that patrons had started an auction for the Mocha she left in the bathroom. "...nuts. There's even a close up of where my lip chap is on the cup. That's kinda gross folks, just sayin', uh, gross, don't treat it like a thumb print." She texted '...ew, invasion of privacy' to the initial poster from her fake account.

"I could get you another when the crowd dies down," Tails suggested, "Or, I have coffee in my workshop."

Mina nodded, "Coffee sounds great."

Team Sonic and Mina sat in the workshop and enjoyed an afternoon coffee.

In Sticks burrow, the ground shook enough to feel. Her precarious perch atop her nap-stick ended when it bowed out and she hit the ground. She was up once again in a second. "Raptors! No, not quite..." She got down on the ground and laid an ear flush with the soil. "...I hear...water? That's soothing..." She yawned and fell asleep to the sound of rushing water.

On the northern part of the island, the boat that contained Private Walker and Private Roater finally docked. The port was a block from Chaotix main base of operation. "It's later than what you told us," Shadow said with an unamused tone.

The hedgehog and walrus duo walked down the gang plank. They were the last off the boat.

Walker looked in bad shape and sounded tired. "My bad." He grimaced at the feeling of acid re-flux in his throat. "I thought we were only making one stop, but we had three other ports to visit before we got here." He rubbed his face and eyes with his hands.

Shadow stepped back out of their way. Walker didn't look well. "You look greener than usual."

"This motion sickness is killin' me." Walker rubbed his temples and complained, "Out on the water, the ocean, is fine, but docking, dude, so much bobbing up and down. And it sucks that weed's illegal here, otherwise, I'd be fine."

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "It isn't illegal. Who gave you that impression?"

Walker's eye twitched as he spun around and faced Roater, who now snickered like an idiot. "You said it-!"

"I know what I said! That's payback for tricking me into breaking into the major's apartment." Roater saluted his commanding officer. "Have I done well, sir?"

Shadow chuckled and smirked wryly, "Revenge achieved, at ease, soldier."

Walker groaned and walked over to the wall where a chrome drinking fountain stuck out. "I threw out my good pipe and everything with that. Shit." He took a few mouthfuls and then took a knee, "Ah, man, I shouldn't have yelled. Shouldn't have moved around so much either." He held the fountain with a hand. "In the past, I've been stabbed, shot, even got hit by a car once. But nausea? Nah, I'd go through all that stuff over again to make this feeling go away. It's so 'not cool'. At least I can brag about a bullet wound after the fact."

"Don't be such a baby," Roater went to hit him in the back playfully.

Shadow stopped him with an arm outstretched. "We don't have time to mess around. Hurry up and get on the truck."

"Yes, sir," Roater said with resolve and reluctance. "Come on, buddy. We'll find ya a spliff on the way there."

"I want a drink tonight, too. Rouge dumped me." He and his friend hopped up on the back of the green, hooded truck. Shadow went to the side compartment and looked for something.

"I hate to break it to you, buddy, but she dumped you two years ago. I thought you knew," he said and sat down across from him. His 'got ya' mindset still made him grin wide.

"Yeah, ass, I know. I mean, she put her foot down: No more chances. We're done. I think she found someone."

Roater clicked his tongue. "At least you didn't knock her up before hand."

Walked perked up, "That's right, I forgot you had a kid in these parts. I thought you'd be looking forward to a reunion. It's been a while."

"If he even remembers me." Roater huffed. "My boy is fine, but his mother...she's a handful. Always lining her pockets, but then always wanting a little more."

Shadow jumped up on the back of the truck and handed keys to Roater. "You drive."

"Uh, yeah-yes, sir," he said and got out of the back and into the front.

He waited till Roater was out of earshot and extended a biscuit wrapped in a napkin to private Walker. "Here. This might help."

"A cookie," Walker said with confusion. "Never took you to be the 'sweet tooth' kind of guy, Major."

"It's necessity." He sat down across from Walker as the truck fired up. "The hivemind is quiet when I'm like this."

Walker bit into the cookie and through chewing said, "The screaming alien demons in your head like sugar?" He tasted something off in what he ate. "...is there something else in this?" he asked as he held up the cookie.

"Yes. Stop complaining and listen."

Roater fired up the truck.

"Go for it, I'm all ears, sir," Walker said as he looked pleasantly surprised at the news he'd received. "I can't believe you had an edible. I'm totally...ju-wh-wow," he said gleefully.

Shadow cringed, "First, you're to call me by name. As far as the town counsel is convinced, the military isn't involved. Second, the cover Rouge and I are using is that of geologists. You two still work together, keep it professional but not militaristic."

Walker didn't look surprised, "Rouge has a degree for that sort of thing. Can't remember what it's called. Gemologist? Nah, that sounds to, on the nose."

"Third..."

"...third?"

Shadow sat back, "I can't remember. When I remember, I'll tell you," he said and shut his eyes.

"...sir-Shadow...any chance you can call me by my first name?"

With closed eyes, "...sure."

"...say it."

"What?"

"Say my name."

"..."

"...you forgot it?"

"...no...I don't need to say it right now, is all."

Walker slapped both his hands on his thighs, "You're just gonna look it up later!"

"...no I'm not." Shadow snickered.

"What is it!?"

"Your behaviour...this attitude...is kind of 'manic', don't you think?"

"There it is! Never thought I'd see your sense of humour more than once." Manic folded his arms and looked bothered that he didn't realize Shadow was messing with him.

Shadow continued to snicker but now, with tightly folded arms as well. "You remind me of someone I've known a long time. I think it's why I can put up with you."

"Me? You have another person in your life that reminds you of me? And you willingly put up with them? Geez, I'm learning all kinds of stuff about you today."

"The difference between you is big, but it's how you are in your delivery."

Manic nodded thoughtfully with closed eyes. "I think I understand: You categorise people by how much they annoy you." He looked at his commanding officer again, "Amirite?"

Shadow opened a single eye and silenced him with a glare. "Either way, you'll be working with him and the rest of his team. They're all vetted. Each member has been trustworthy and helpful for the entirety of this mission. Their leader is also expecting two children with his partner in the near future, which is why I suggested we recruit you two for additional help. As a result of the misuse of magic, his partner, Amy, is now frozen with Chaos magic. That's why we..." Shadow suddenly remembered, "Right, third thing, I can no longer teleport until further notice."

Manic laughed a bit and finished the delightfully tainted treat. "Memory lapses are killer."

"Indeed. We should reach Hedgehog Village by sundown."

Manic put his feet up on the bench and laid out. "Sounds good to me. I'm gonna rest my eyes and hope this nausea goes away."

Roater turned into the jungle's dirt road and hit a big bump the nearly sent Manic off his seat.

He caught himself with a hand on the truck bed in time. "Hmm..." He grabbed the long cushion off the bench and took up a spot behind the driver, "I'll rest over here, instead. If I'm less 'directly over the wheel', should be calmer." He rested his weary, queasy self on the floor of the truck on a displaced bench cushion.

They had entered the unkempt jungle road. Branches whipped and bent as they zoomed past. Shadow looked at Manic as he tried to doze off. '...they even look similar,' he offhandedly thought. He recalled one of Amy's messages that he and Rouge found difficult to translate. 'Beware the green hedgehog scourge,' he repeated in his mind.

Back on the far shore of Hedgehog village, a disgruntled second in command extended her arm to the slowly receding ocean, "See? The hedgehog with the power of Gaia has brought upon the end of days! The Gogo'Ba tribe must make this right again!"

The eight former worshipers of the werehog stood in silence while some dropped to their knees in guilt. "We're sorry."

"Please forgive us, Gaia!"

"We were wrong to praise a false idol!"

They bawled and begged for change.

"I shall end him the night the village unabashedly sells out our land again. Everyone will see him fall," Sheera said and tightly clenched her fist.

O_O