episode 3: Infiltration
The sun was rising on Angel Island. Knuckle was always faithful to his post, standing in front of the mother emerald, resting by the light of the rising sun. It was a time of day he truly enjoyed. It reminded him of the advantages and benefits of being in contact with nature. In those moments, they were Zen and at one with the elements that surrounded him.
He had learned this communion with nature with Tikal. Indeed, since their fight against Chaos and the liberation of Tikal's spirit, and especially during their journey in the metarex space, during those long guards in the mother emerald room, the latter taught him everything he needed to know to be a good guardian, as in the golden age of his people. When he became a guardian, he should have learned the trade with his parents, themselves former guardians. But they died during an attack by Dr. Eggman on Angel Island. So he had learned everything from his uncle who raised him as his son. However, since he was not a guardian, he was only able to teach Knuckles the basics, including some fighting techniques and communication with the mother emerald, but nothing more. Since learning with Tikal, he has learned much more, and he is becoming a better guardian every day. She had taught him how to commune with nature, to be able to detect anomalies in it and to be able to react much more quickly, which he felt was the greatest lesson he could learn from all this.
Knuckles: "So I won't be fooled by Eggman or Red, the emerald is safe.
This thought was a great relief to him, allowing him to take more time to relax.
Tikal had also promised to teach him to communicate better with the emeralds, to read their desires, their wishes, and above all the signals they send, which make it possible to predict disasters. However, Tikal had not shown up in Knuckles since their return from the Metarex space. He had initially thought that she should be in a resting phase, her mind being in connection with the mother emerald, which suffered a lot during the attack against Dark Oak. But now the Mother Emerald is doing very well and she still hasn't returned.
The anxiety rose in Knuckles, as it did every time he came out of these meditations.
Knuckles: "But where could it be? What's happened to her?"
He was thinking about this, beginning to break his connection with the elements, when he felt two intruders approaching. His alertness increased, and he located them before breaking the link to prepare himself. He came from the west. Knuckles reopened his eyes and prepared to defend the emerald at all costs. He heard the brush moving westward. He was ready to pounce on the enemy. But he calmed down when he saw the nature of the two intruders; it was Sonic and Amy, who came to see him!
Knuckles: Ah, it's just you!
Amy seemed irritated to hear that from one of her friends:
Amy: What do you mean "just us"? What did you expect? We're not good enough for you, are we?!
Amy got angry, took out her hammer, and was about to run towards Knuckles, who was also about to defend himself. But Sonic is holding Amy by the shoulders, signaling her to calm down.
Sonic: Remember why we came. Don't get angry.
Amy put her hammer away, and took a deep breath.
Amy: Yes, you're right Sonic, let's focus on our goal.
Knuckles listened to them, and didn't like the mystery that this discussion left behind.
Knuckles: wait! What are you up to again!
Don't worry, we're not here to disturb your little peace and quiet or to steal your precious emerald.
To Sonic's great surprise, Knuckles calmed down immediately:
Knuckles: Okay, what do you want?
Sonic: Wait! Wait! Aren't you getting angry?
Knuckles: why would I get angry? The emerald is safe.
Amy became perplexed, too, when she saw that Knuckles seemed to have his mind elsewhere.
Amy: No, Sonic is right. You seem pensive, are you okay?
Knuckles felt unmasked. He hesitated to talk about Tikal's disappearance in front of them. Nothing was certain and, if he was wrong, he would be bothered for months, especially Sonic, who would not spare him. He did not prefer to think about it, thinking that it was better than humiliation. He returned to a more normal face, and turned to Amy:
Knuckles: No, nothing is happening. CLEAR. Eggman didn't even show up yesterday.
Amy and Sonic didn't seem quite satisfied with the answer, but he seemed to be content, obviously having other fish to fry, which was a relief to Knuckles. He lost his smile again when Amy spoke again.
Amy: Okay, I'll be brief. Tails is not going well at all. It's doubtful he can get over the crisis of Cosmo's death. We thought that Tikal might have a solution to bring her back, do you know where she is?
Large drops of sweat beaded on Knuckles' forehead, betraying his nervousness. Amy and Sonic couldn't escape it this time, which worried them both sincerely:
Sonic: You really don't look good Knuckles, are you okay?
Knuckles didn't know what to say; he didn't want to appear weak, but at the same time he had to tell them better, because lying now would be worse than anything else, and anyway he would end up discovering the truth. Besides, he found it hard to recognize it, he couldn't find it alone: he needed them. With this unpleasant thought, he turned to Sonic and Amy, took a deep breath, and spoke:
Knuckles: Okay, I haven't heard from Tikal since we returned to Mobius.
Amy and Sonic were stunned by the news, and looked at each other in amazement. Then they turned around and walked back to Knuckles.
Amy: Is it really gone, or is it just not coming?
Knuckles: I'm really starting to think it's gone. I didn't feel her presence even for a moment near the mother emerald, but I felt Chaos' presence, which was strangely quiet. Maybe that's what amazes me the most.
Sonic: she would then always control Chaos, which would mean that she is still here, somewhere, but that something prevents her from being near the mother emerald.
The three friends reflected together, and ended up looking at each other, as if they had found the solution:
Knuckles: She must have been kidnapped!
Amy: It's very likely, and the only two that are able to hold a spirit are Tails and Eggman.
Sonic: It can't be Tails! Even if he needed Tikal to try to bring Cosmo back, he would have let him free, he would never have prevented him from taking care of the Mother Emerald and Chaos.
Knuckles: then it's still Eggman's work!
Amy: Sure!
Sonic: Admit that you wouldn't have come up with this on your own.
Knuckles then looked at Sonic, angrily, but decided to remain calm, at least in his gestures.
Knuckles: What are you talking about! I didn't ask you! I could have figured it out on my own!
Amy stared at Sonic, waving at him that he should be ashamed, and she turned to Knuckles.
Amy: Calm down! He didn't mean that, did he?
She then turned to Sonic, and Sonic didn't need a word to understand that he had better apologize.
Sonic: I'm sorry Knuckles.
Knuckles: Well, okay, we have to find him. Where do we start: we don't know where Eggman is holed up?
Amy: Let's go to Tails! He'll know how to find it, and it'll take his mind off it.
Knuckles: that's a good idea, let's go.
The three friends left the clearing to go to Tails' lab. The lab seemed to be in turmoil at this very early hour of the morning. In fact, this effervescence had started the day before and had simply not stopped. Tails was bustling, tweaking the final details of his robot's program. Eventually he got up and wiped his forehead:
Tails: phew! Finally! mecha-Tails is finished. Eggman will see nothing but fire. Come on, let's see if it works.
He pressed a button on the robot's torso, and the robot's eyes lit up. He raised his head in the direction of Tails:
mecha-Tails : initialization in progress. Please wait.
He stayed like that for 1 minute, then he spoke to Tails:
mecha-Tails : hello master, what can I do for you?
Tails was thrilled: his robot worked sensational. He smiled and addressed him.
Tails: I will be gone for a few hours. I want you to replace me while I'm inside. Is that understood?
mecha-Tails: order record. May I ask where you are going?
Tails was not surprised by the question: even if the program remained rudimentary, it had already coded some basic characters today, because they are very important, and curiosity is part of it. He then looked at non-robot, and answered:
Tails: I'm going to rescue a friend from a crazy scientist, who is watching us and doesn't want me to come. So he has to think I'm at home, hence your orders.
mecha-Tails: recorded data. Thank you master.
Tails: Stop calling me master. Just call me Tails, okay.
mecha-Tails : ok Tails.
The little fox smiles, and gathers the necessary equipment: his communicator, his voice modifier, his signal jammer and a few other gadgets to enter Eggman's fortress. Then he went to a stolen trap door in the corner of the room and turned to his house one last time:
Tails: "Maybe this is the last time I'm coming here."
He thought nostalgically of all the moments he had lived here in his studio. He also thought about the fact that, in a few hours perhaps, he would be standing here, with those friends he might never see again, and Cosmo. This thought invigorated him: he took a deep breath and turned to bad-Tails:
Tails: I'm going! Keep the place for me until I come back and don't go out. If someone comes in, you take my voice, put you in my room and find an excuse, is that understood?
Mecha-Tails: Included Tails !
He then began to get busy, going here and there to repair objects, to put them away, ...
Tails: "in any case, mécha is well operational".
He finally turns to the hatch and opens it. This one gave on a long ladder. He descended it for two or three minutes, and then he arrived on a platform overlooking a gigantic shed. But the hangar was not empty: proudly standing in all its splendor, but above all its mass, was the Typhoon Blue, a slender spaceship, with a protruding top that served as a cockpit in the back, and two rows of palm trees in the front, reminding him of his lab on Earth. This spacecraft meant a lot to him: the fruit of long months of work, it reminded him of his time on Earth, which had transformed him and his friends. But most of all, it reminded him of Cosmo, because it was on it that they traveled together for weeks. But he was also the one who killed Cosmo. But Tails drove away this dark idea quickly, so as not to lose focus on his goal: saving Cosmo. He walked along the platform, which itself ran along the entire hangar and overlooked the main entrance, which opened 200m from his home.
Tails: "From there, the drone won't be able to spot me, nor will it be able to trace my calls, and I could call the Chaotix".
He continued to walk energetically towards the exit, with only one thought in mind: the success of his rescue mission.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Green Hill forest, Chaotix detectives were busy. Finally, if you can call sitting around waiting for a client "doing something". At least that's what Vector was doing, a well-built crocodile wearing a gold chain and a leather jacket. He was lamenting their situation:
Vector: Why are we not receiving any customers?
A little bee was circling above him, unable to stop going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...
?: I can't hold on anymore, I have to get out, I need action, I want to have fun!
Vector: Calm down Charmy. You can't go out because a customer may come in, and we have to be ready, because the customer is always king in our house. What would happen to our reputation if we couldn't receive a customer because of a member's absence? it would be closure.
?: Especially since we don't have a penny!
Charmy: Espio! So, still no mail?
Espio: Alas no, still nothing since Eggman has been keeping quiet
Vector: Don't worry, I can feel a deal coming up!
Charmy: It's true that when it comes to money, you always have a nose for it!
Vector: Yes, I know, and this one is infallible.
All of a sudden, the phone rang. The three Chaotix turned to the handset.
Vector: You see! What did I tell you, he's certainly a customer! Let's not keep him waiting.
Vector walked to the handset and then picked up the phone.
Vector: Hello, Chaotix Detective Agency, I'm listening
?: Hello, I have a job for you. It's well paid, but I would ask you not to ask me any questions.
Espio looked at Vector and nodded his head to refuse:
Espio: Refusal, it smells like a real prank!
Vector covered the handset, and turned towards Espio:
Vector: You are crazy! It's a great opportunity to make a name for this agency and to earn a nice little bundle. You can't turn it down.
He didn't even give him time to respond that he was talking to his client again.
Vector: Got it, no questions asked.
?: All right. It's a simple job: One of my acquaintances has disappeared. I haven't heard from him for a few days and I'm worried. The last time we spoke was east of Angel Island, but we haven't seen each other since.
Vector: Don't worry! The Chaotix are on the case! We will have your friend back in no time.
?: Thank you gentlemen. I knew I could count on your help. I will leave you now. Thanks again.
Vector: You're welcome, it's our duty. Goodbye, Vector.
The customer hung up, then it was Vector's turn. Espio looked at him, his eyes full of reproaches.
Vector: What? What did I do wrong!
Espio: I'm saying that this story smells like a joke! Between the ban on asking questions, the mystery of identity and the altered voice, I think it's suspicious!
Vector: You're paranoid! Me, I think it's just someone who wants to know if his girlfriend hasn't disappeared, while avoiding to worry openly! classic strategy! Trust me!
Espio was not convinced, but he resigned himself:
Espio: Well, you're the boss!
Charmy: Yeah! We can finally have some fun!
The little bee made his way towards the entrance at full speed, followed by Vector, and finally Espio who walked much more calmly. They left the agency and took the direction of Angel Island, carried by Charmy.
Tails was observing the scene with binoculars from a nearby hill. When he saw them leave, he put them away with his communicator. He smiled at the thought that everything was going as planned. He knew that Vector would be sufficiently interested in the payoff not to ask any questions. All that was left to do was to follow them and go a little way with them. When they came close to the radar field, he would give them a bit of a head start, then pass by a bit later, hoping that Eggman would not notice the few seconds Tails was on the screen. So he flew away and took over from the Chaotix.
Vector and Espio clung to Charmy, and all three were now flying over the turquoise sea. They had already been flying like this for a good twenty minutes, and Charmy was not tired.
Vector: Well! I knew you were flying well, but now you amaze me, you've been carrying us for 20 minutes and you're not even tired!
Charmy looked a little embarrassed. He was not used to being complimented:
Charmy: Thank you! But anyway, as long as I can have a little fun, there's no stopping me.
Vector: Nice mindset! That's how you become a good detective, with good determination.
Espio: But that's not enough, you also need a great calm and self-control! which you don't have yet and you're not ready to have!
Vector: Stop Espio! He is still young! Give him time to have fun! he will have plenty of time to become as moody and cold as you are later on.
Espio: Me! Morose and cold!
The two friends were laughing out loud while Espio was visibly trying to calm down, closing his eyes and breathing in.
There was silence again, but it was not complete this time. A distant sound of blades could be heard. Except that this noise could only be heard on Earth, with their famous "helicopter". The only two cases where it could be heard here were from the eggmobile or Tails.
Vector: Do you hear that noise?
Charmy: Yes! and I even hear screams!
Charmy then made a stationary U-turn, and all three Tails approached them, calling out to them.
Charmy: Tails!
Tails: Hi guys! What are you doing here?
Charmy: We are on a mission for a secret sponsor!
Espio: Shut up!
Vector: Yes Charmy! Do you think that's why the sponsor wanted to stay secret? If we break the secret, we break the contract, and this one is worth gold!
Tails took advantage of the open discussion to dispel suspicions about his visit to Angel Island:
Tails: Oh, and what did he promise you?
Vector: Well ...
Espio: He just promised us a "nice reward" without any more precision! It smells like a scam.
Vector: Shut up Espio! When it comes to money, I have an infallible flair! I'm sure there's a nice reward at stake.
Tails: I don't doubt it.
Indeed, if it was successful, he would be so happy that he would offer them a reward that would meet their expectations! He couldn't help but have a little smile at the thought. But Espio noticed it.
Espio: You seem to be well informed, where are you going?
Tails was unmasked. He tried to keep calm, otherwise the mission was doomed to failure. But big drops were beading along his forehead. He didn't know what to answer:
Tails: well, ... I ...
It was cooked. But, all of a sudden, Vector took the floor again, for Espio's attention:
Vector: But leave it! You can see that he doesn't want to tell us. I'm sure he's on his way to a meeting, trust my detective flair!
Espio looked at Vector, then at Tails, perplexed. Not wanting to betray himself, Tails decided to acquiesce:
Tails: Yes! Yes! That's it! You guessed right Vector! I didn't dare to say it.
Vector and Charmy looked convinced, but not Espio, who always looked at him suspiciously. Fortunately, we arrived at the border of Eggman's radar: his detector was beeping. He now had to stay away for a few seconds, until they entered and activated the alarm in Eggman's base. At least, that's what he was hoping for. He took his leave of the Three Detectives, looking at his tablet, looking like he was reading a message:
Tails: I have to go. I got a message saying I have an appointment in East Angel Island. Good luck with your investigation!
Vector: And you, good luck with your date!
Tails blushes a little, both with shame because he had lied to them, but paradoxically also because, in a way, this is reality. But, again, Espio noticed him and gave him an icy look. He noticed him and blushed more. He turned to them one last time:
Tails: Thank you.
Then he flew away as fast as he could.
Espio found all of these elements of suspicious behavior. Why this stress and distance? He had pretended to be on a date, and Vector and Charmy had fallen for it. But they were the only ones who could fall for it. He was not fooled. Cosmo hadn't been gone long enough, he couldn't have forgotten him and replaced him so quickly. He spoke to his comrades, while watching the little fox:
Espio: Did you really believe his stories?
Charmy: What do you mean, of course! Hein Vect ...
He stopped short when he saw Vector, who was also looking in the direction of Tails, looking serious:
Vector: Well, this may surprise you, but I don't believe it either. He's hiding something from us, you're right Espio. But what?
Espio was greatly surprised by this reaction, and Charmy even more so. But he could only agree.
Espio: I think Tails is not unknown to this announcement. Maybe even ...
Charmy: You mean he might be the sponsor!
Vector smiles: Charmy is a good student and learns quickly, even if he is a bit turbulent.
Vector: Yes, that's exactly it!
Charmy laughed, happy to have been able to understand exactly what's going on for once. Espio raised his head towards Vector:
Espio: What do we do then, we follow him?
Vector: Let's wait a few minutes to find out exactly where he's going. In the meantime, let's just stay normal.
They continued on their way in the original direction, keeping an eye on Tails. But this one did not see them doing so. He could only see that they had just entered the field of Eggman's radar. The time had come. Now, either they had activated the alarm, in which case Eggman would lose focus long enough to jam him, or he would have to rely on the fact that he didn't have time to see him. But, without hesitation, he crossed the border of the field, because he would do anything to save Cosmo this time, he had to try for everything. He couldn't know if his plan had worked. He just hoped that, if it had failed, he just hoped that Eggman wouldn't kill her, and would go after him instead. He stormed towards the coordinates of Eggman's base, without looking back. So he did not see the Chaotix trio, which had changed course and was now heading in his direction.
Meanwhile, Tails' three friends arrived at his house. Sonic was at the head of the procession, and arrived in a bush in front of his house.
Sonic: Look, he's still working.
Amy: Oh no, he hasn't slept all night yet!
Knuckles: Ah, those damn Metarex! It's their fault!
Amy and Sonic were surprised at Knuckles' reaction:
Amy: So, what's going on Knux, are you worried about other people now?
Amy took a sarcastic tone when talking to Knuckles, which she didn't like:
Knuckles: It's not what you think! I'm just saying it's their fault that I can't be at peace on my island! and don't call me Knux!
Amy: But it's not YOUR Knux Island, it doesn't have your name on it.
This time, he was fulminating, he was about to jump on Amy, but Sonic held him back at the last moment.
Sonic: Okay, stop! This is not the time. We have more important things to do. You too Amy okay!
He was then turned towards Amy, who passed a hand through thorns and smiled:
Amy: Thank you Sonic for helping me.
Amy and Sonic both blushed. There was a heavy silence. Knuckles, who could no longer bear the embarrassment, began to scream:
Knuckles: well, we won't spend the night!
the two hedgehogs turned their eyes away from Knuckles, and they were as if awake.
Sonic: Yes, you're right. Let's go see Tails.
They headed towards Tails' laboratory, when Knuckles stopped, blocking the advance of the other two.
Amy: What is it?
Without giving further explanation, he pushed the two hedgehogs into the bush where he came from, and he went to hide in turn.
Sonic: But you want to tell us what's going on with you.
Knuckles turned to Sonic, took his head, turned it towards the lab, and pointed an object at him:
Knuckles: this is what I have!
he showed a flying mechanical insect, which was making rounds around the house, scanning the interior. He looked through all the windows, blurred, what was going on inside. We could see inside the silhouette of Tails, busy in his lab.
Sonic: Oh no! It's awful, Eggman is holding Tails hostage! He has to force him to work for him, let's go save him!
Sonic was about to run, as usual, to destroy the badnik and enter the house. Amy followed him with her hammer, and Knuckles followed the two hedgehogs. But it wasn't even worth it. Sonic was already in front of the badnik, ready to attack. He stood in front of him and spoke to him:
Sonic: You have no right to take it out on my buddy! You'll see! Then he dasha, and suddenly reduced the robot to a pile of spare parts.
Then the three friends walked to the lab door, which was open. They entered and instead of seeing Tails, they saw a robot that looked strangely like him.
Amy: Oh no! Eggman still has us them, just like with Metal Sonic!
Knuckles: But why does he give so much trouble? What does he want from Tails so badly? and what does he want to do with him?
Sonic was in a dark rage. Tails had been touched. His best friend, with whom he had had many adventures. The one he considered as his little brother.
Sonic: All I know is that Eggman will end up boiled if he touches a hair of Tails! But first I'm going to make that robot regret it!
he was going to run into the robot, but Amy held him back.
Amy: Calm down! There's no point in attacking this one. He looks non-aggressive. Who says, maybe Tails would like to use him when it's all over. It would do him good to think of something else when he reprograms him. Remember with Emerl! All we have to do is lock him in here and he won't move! It's obvious that he's just a decoy.
Sonic was always angry. He turned to Amy, then to the robot, and calmed down.
Sonic: OK! but I'm going to make Eggman pay!
Knuckles: By the way, do you know where his base is?
Amy: We have no idea where she is.
Sonic: It doesn't matter, we'll ask Master Emerald.
Knuckles: Um ... that can work.
Amy: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get in the Tornado and let's go!
The three friends went to the Tails hangar, where a beautiful red plane was stored, flanked by the Tails mark: its two tails, of which he was proud. Sonic climbed into the cockpit, Knuckles opened the hangar, and joined Amy on the roof.
Sonic: Hang on!
He then started the plane. It roared, then its blades began to rotate. The plane started to move forward, and accelerated as it left the hangar along two rows of palm trees. Then, at the end of the airstrip, the plane rose into the air, heading towards Angel Island in the distance.
Meanwhile, in its base, Eggman was irritated. He arrived dressed, but with a night cap on his head, and screamed into the room:
Eggman: What the hell is this circus! Decoe, Bocoe!
Both robots exited the control room and moved towards the center of the room.
Decoe: Sorry boss, but the intruder alarm has been activated.
Eggman: It must be someone going to the temple to see Knuckles! Couldn't you turn the radar off when I ...
Bocoe: But, sir, the signal is heading here.
Eggman: what! Was there any news about Tails' house?
Decoe: well, that's just it...
Eggman: What?
Bokkun: Sonic's friends arrived and destroyed the spyboy. They know about Tails
Eggman: What?! Well, I'm surprised. I thought he cared more than that about his beloved plant. Well, bring me Cosmo, a promise is a ...
Bocoe: there is something else.
Eggman: But you're going to stop interrupting me all the time. It's annoying in the end!
Bocoe: Sorry doctor.
Eggman: Good. You better hope that this time it's not bad news. Otherwise, it'll be scrapped.
Decoe: Well, there were four of them counting Tails, and there are only three on the radar.
Eggman: What!?
The two robots were scared, but to their surprise, he did not go wild on them. On the contrary, he was thinking. He was thinking about the logic of this whole circus.
Eggman: I know! Tails must have jammed his signal. He may even be above us right now. Decoe!
Decoe: Uh, yes doctor?
will place a camera near the main hatch! and make sure it is discreet.
Decoe walked towards the large hatch at the top of the dome. Eggman then turned to his other robots:
Eggman: You two! Call him back!
Bocoe: But Sonic and his friends could see it!
Eggman: Yes, I know. Ask him to make a detour, to be as discreet as possible.
Bokkun: Okay doctor.
Eggman turned to Cosmo and Tikal and laughed:
Eggman: Well, it looks like my leverage comes directly here, how convenient.
He continued to laugh out loud, while Cosmo turned his eyes to the ground, worried.
Tikal: Don't worry. I know Tails, he won't be fooled.
