The following story contains details featured in:
The Shadow Conspiracy
Dark Deceptions
CreditsScenario: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn
Writer: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn
Editors: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn
Treasure in the Pyramid CreditsScenario: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Writer: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Editors: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn, Polyman
The halls were quiet, odd for this time of day. Crimson eyes scanned the concrete facade of the main building before entering the secret elevator in the back of the complex. He inserted his key, and a console appeared where he typed his passcode. A sigh escaped his lips, another mission down and no closer to finding out what GUN was up to. Ever since he came to be, Shadow wondered what GUN had planned for him and why he was created. Maria's death still weighed heavy on his mind and he had yet to find anything of means.
It was clear they were using him, as evident as the nose on his muzzle. Yet, they were good at scrubbing files and erasing anything not useful to the public. Each one of his mission dossiers was heavily sanitized for an agent of his caliber. Even with the top clearance, he didn't have access to everything. The lower levels of the facility were quite suspicious and his mind raced with what they were hiding from him. He couldn't go down there yet, not until he was sure, but he was certain whatever was in there held answers to his origins and to why Maria was left to her fate.
Shadow entered the debriefing room, shook Commander Tower's hand, and took his seat. A stack of paperwork was placed in front of him and he began writing down his mission statement. Of course, most of the work he did at this moment in time was merely babysitting the Freedom Fighters, a task he found fun at best and taxing at worst. Sonic and the others sometimes frustrated him. Even if they were on amicable terms, he could feel the tension when they interacted due to his status.
A frown creased his brow as he shut the folder and handed off his report, only to see another classified folder beneath it. Another mission? He had a feeling they were trying to keep him away from the base… They must know something... Shadow thought as he read the latest files for his next mission. It seemed as though he'd been assigned a team for this one. Rouge the Bat, someone who appeared to have been of interest for undisclosed reasons, and E-123 Omega, a repurposed Eggman Elite Series (E-Series) robot.
"Shadow, this mission is recon-only; you and Rouge will be infiltrating Prototype Pyramid, an old Eggman facility that had been left abandoned for an extended period after Sonic chased Dr. Eggman out of the South-West United States. His Egg Pawns are not exactly tactful in a panic, as you may be aware. We have reason to believe Eggman and his forces may have left behind information of value to GUN. Find anything useful and bring it back here." Commander Tower turned towards the desk at the back of the room. "You'll be taking Rouge and Omega with you, just in case Eggman has left a security detail."
"I can handle it."
"It's not a question of if you can handle it; it's a matter of having the proper team, as per GUN protocol and procedure. I've given you our best. Make good use of them. Dismissed."
Shadow saluted and walked out of the briefing room towards the bay hangar that housed the vehicles. He was expected to leave within the hour with his newly-appointed team. Red eyes looked around and landed on his bike, a white bat in GUN agent elite uniform stood next to a large gunmetal gray-painted robot. Her large ears twitched at the sound of his motions as she turned around with a smile.
"You must be Shadow."
"Yes," he sighed before starting the bike and hopping on. "Let's move out. You can brief me when we get to Prototype Pyramid."
"What? Nothing else? How about we get to know each other a bit before heading out?" She teased, only to be met with silence. "All business, I can see why you're GUN's golden boy."
Shadow growled under his breath. He hated being called that. It was bad enough getting it from a rag-tag group of so-called "Freedom Fighters", irresponsible children that he was made to babysit because GUN needed to keep an eye on Eggman's activities. Yes, they could be an asset at times, but it was still frustrating to do his job when they outright destroyed the things he needed to bring back. Out of all the missions he'd been sent on, he'd only managed to successfully recover assets a small number of times, and only when Sonic wasn't present to destroy them on some seemingly-obsessive impulse.
While Shadow understood why Sonic did what he did, it didn't make his job to "blend" in with GUN for the time being any easier. How could he prove himself, to his own ends, if he couldn't deliver the goods? He couldn't tell Sonic any of this, since GUN monitors all of their officials with camera and audio, so interactions needed to be kept to a minimum. They claimed it was for accountability to the public, but Shadow knew it was to keep their agents in line and not speak of the internal workings of GUN, lest be tried for treason against the government.
He handed a helmet to Rouge as she swiftly hopped onto the bike behind him. Omega fitted himself in a sidecar specifically designed for the large machine, and they left the hanger in record time. Even though he had another 40 minutes to prepare, he wanted to see the outside of the base and collect information on his two compatriots before entering. The bike growled and rumbled beneath him as he kicked it into gear and they started down the road to the abandoned base.
Shadow's mind raced, wondering what they would find, especially since he'd found some rare unsanitized files in the back area where Maria was kept. The rest of the disk was encrypted. The flash drive he always kept on his person might be the key, but he didn't know for sure. In the area he would run to, all the computer equipment was bricked. He couldn't risk taking the disk off-site in case there was a tracker on it. It would remain a mystery for now.
The abandoned base started to come into view, the shape of the grand pyramid pressed against the horizon, growing closer with each passing mile. Its sand-blown surface caused the tan paint to peel away, revealing the silver layer. This massive facility had been abandoned for quite some time, and Shadow questioned what could be so important in a place that was obviously showing signs of wear.
He pulled towards the exit a good distance away to contemplate how they would tackle the operation. There was no activity on the outside, and it appeared that nature was reclaiming the great structure. Parking the bike, he dismounted and turned to his compatriots. Rouge dismounted as well, but Omega remained in his compartment for the time being
"I've studied the file." Shadow began, "Prototype Pyramid appears to be fully decommissioned, from what we know. We should be able to find a side entrance. Thoughts, Rouge?"
"Well, if the sides are metallic, climbing will be tricky. That isn't even mentioning the graininess of the surface-area from all of that sand. We don't want to make too much noise, boys. Eggman does keep a security system in place for each base."
"You can fly, yes?"
"These wings aren't for show, even if they are delicate and eye-catching," she lifted herself off of the ground briefly with an elegant flap of the wings and spun in the air, showing off, "you wouldn't be an issue to carry, but Omega's a bit of an ask, don't you think?"
"Understandable. Omega, did they update your hardware for this operation? Perhaps your past as one of Eggman's machines came with some leftover information about these old bases."
"MY HOVER JETS HAVE BEEN IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY AND THE PAINT JOB WAS MUCH-APPRECIATED. ACCORDING TO BLUEPRINTS RETAINED IN MY DATABANKS FROM THE EMPIRE, THERE IS A HATCH ON THE SOUTHERN WALL. THAT IS AN IDEAL INGRESS POINT. STAY OUT OF MY WAY AND LET ME DEAL WITH DR. EGGMAN'S INFERIOR MACHINES."
"This is a recon mission. We do not engage any targets unless they become hostile. Understood?"
"DISAPPOINTING, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED. UPDATING PARAMETERS," Omega stated, the E-Series robot's tone flat and low, "I WILL PROVIDE BACKUP EXCLUSIVELY. THIS MACHINE WAS NOT BUILT FOR STEALTH. THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT THEM."
"Alright, let's go. Omega, update the blueprints with the ingress point; Rouge and I will go on ahead."
"AFFIRMATIVE. UPDATED"
XXXxxx
"So, why GUN?"
"I have my reasons," Rouge shrugged as she looked up the side of the pyramid to see the opening on her tracker. "What about you, handsome?"
"It's all I've ever known," Shadow replied cryptically as Rouge lifted them to the opening and they started to make their way through the large vent shaft. However, coming to the edge of the structure, they realized that the shaft was actually a missile launch tube, the huge bay opening to a missile storage area where Egg Pawns would have loaded the missiles into the shaft before launching.
Looking up, there were several shafts going up the pyramid, following the angle in parallel to the ceiling. It seemed this base was inefficient at automation, further proving this to be one of Eggman's earlier structures. A few Egg Pawns lined the floor, but all seemed to be either decommissioned or in sleep mode. Shadow quietly moved around them, motioning Rouge to follow his lead. Exiting the weapons bay into a long corridor, it appeared most of the security systems had been smashed or taken offline.
Any remaining power to the base was kept operational by generators, the eerie red glow of security lights being their only form of illumination. Most of the security cameras were crushed or broken to pieces on the floor; Shadow was all too familiar with that kind of destruction, grimacing slightly at the thought of his blue parallel. The base was silent, almost hauntingly so, only the howling wind heard through the louvers at the top, sand tinking against the sides. Shadow stopped at the fork in the hall, his tracking lens telling him to go right. Pivoting, he turned and looked both ways before heading in the direction of whatever GUN wanted him to retrieve as marked by the blueprint display on his wristwatch.
The door swooshed open before shutting quickly, obviously broken, as it repeated the motion several times in moderate succession, over and over. Using his superior strength he grabbed the door and pushed it open, the motors caving under the pressure and ceasing function as a tiny bit of smoke exited the door jam. Rouge silently and slowly clapped with a smirk, on the other side of the door already. She had flown above Shadow as he held it open. Passing through the doorway, they entered a huge computer room. Several monitors were in idle mode behind a large console. The only clue that this base had been used recently was the remains of several new badniks smashed in the corner. Eggman had been here to retrieve something and Sonic chased him off. Again.
Shadow looked at each computer and saw damage of varying degrees. His crimson gaze landed on the most functional computer on the left hand side. Some buttons were missing and the chassis appeared slightly dented, but otherwise fine. With a sigh, he tapped a few keys and three screens in the middle popped on. The middle screen of the three flickered and wavered, obviously worse for wear, but it continued to display file names and some strange symbols.
Rouge walked up next to him and handed over a data drive so he could begin the copying process. It was odd to him how he didn't have to bypass the main system to even access these files. He figured since the whole base was running off of auxiliary power, a lot of the security measures were probably offline. That, or when Eggman tried to pull whatever he'd come to get and Sonic thwarted him before he could relock the system. Either way, it made his job that much easier.
"Big Blue had a lot of fun, didn't he? Maybe a little too much fun. I bet he left these computers working just for you, Shadow. What a sweetheart."
As she said this, a message appeared on the middle monitor, and alongside it was the likeness of the blue blur himself: "SONIC WAS HERE!" Shadow rolled his eyes, not surprised in the slightest. The hedgehog had a knack for showmanship. He inserted the drive into the console, and it automatically started the data stream and copy process. With a groan, he decided to check the other less fortunate consoles to see if anything could be salvaged. If not, he'd remove the drives manually. It was a risky and painstaking process, one he'd rather avoid.
Letting loose a sigh of relief, he witnessed the other monitors boot up from their respective consoles and display files. Rouge reached into her pouch and handed him four more data drives, one for each console, while he began the copying process. He wondered what GUN wanted with these files. Honestly What did they have to gain from this?
He noticed Rouge had walked over to the very last console and was focused on something, the screen had a filename that gave him pause. Shadow Android Proxies. Shadow Androids? Shadow was perplexed and intrigued. Without saying a word, he turned his body away from the console and covertly motioned for Rouge to do the same. She tried to say something, but he made the motion for her to keep silent.
Shadow reached inside his own pouch and pulled out a red data drive that he always kept on his person. Any file, anything that looked suspicious enough to warrant extra investigation, he copied himself. With his task complete, he pocketed the drive and mouthed the word, "Later" to Rouge. He couldn't risk her asking about these things and he hoped she'd keep it to herself.
"According to the mission statement, there's one more area we need to check."
"Lead the way."
Shadow exited the back of the computer room only to enter a small lab, everything was gone, even the table that had been bolted to the floor. Several dents were in the wall, curved dents, and he knew just who made those. With a sigh, it seemed the second location had been completely wiped clean. With nothing else to collect, their mission was complete.
"Time to go."
XXXxx
Exiting the structure, Omega was pacing back and forth with his guns drawn. If a robot could look impatient, Omega pulled it off well. His huge, clunking feet echoed off the pavement, crunching sand beneath his hulking frame. He turned to them as they approached. Omega felt cheated, his time wasted. He wanted to create carnage, not make tracks in the sand.
"WHAT AM I? THE SEGA 32X?"
Shadow motioned for them to follow back to the vehicle so they could return to base. His mind continued to race at what he'd found, the implications of it. He hoped the files weren't overly encrypted so he could see them. Whatever report he'd get from GUN, if he even got one at all, likely would be heavily sanitized. Shadow wanted the unbiased version. He also knew that Rouge was going to ask him a lot of questions when they returned to headquarters, questions he didn't yet have answers to.
He didn't quite trust her yet. Who knew if she was sent simply to monitor him, or if she would be a legitimate asset. Time would tell. As they made their way back, Shadow almost thought he caught sight of footsteps in the sand. Footsteps that weren't his own, nor Rouge and Omega's. He shook his head, paying no mind to them. He had other concerns. Rouge, however, took one glance at the footprints and smirked wide with pride, knowing full well the events she had set into motion. Omega didn't care about footprints enough to notice. You can't blow up footprints after making them beg for mercy, after all.
A Bat in the Hand CreditsScenario: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Writer: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Editors: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn
The mission briefing went as expected. Shadow filled out his report alongside Rouge. He handed off his body cam footage, data drives, and watched Commander Tower put them in a chute to be taken to evidence storage and containment.
"I have no new missions for you as of yet, Agent Shadow. Please, get some rest. I'll call you back here if anything new comes in. Good work."
"Of course, Commander." Shadow walked out, followed by Rouge. Commander Tower always made Shadow uneasy and even slightly bitter at times, especially when they made eye contact. While he never showed it outwardly, there was a sense of resentment he felt towards those in the higher rungs, those who hid information from him, his colleagues, and the public. Those who knew of things that were never spoken of but should have been a long time ago. His thoughts were broken as Rouge grabbed his arm after they exited the briefing room and pulled him along into a separate room. She glared at him momentarily, then at the door they came through.
"I didn't say anything because I know GUN is up to something, but what was that back there?" Rouge tapped her booted foot on the tile while she waited for an answer. Shadow looked at her and decided he didn't want to talk about it just yet.
"I don't have time for this."
"Make time," she pushed the door shut after he tried to open it. "I can't keep a secret if I don't know what it is, now can I? So spill it."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't."
"Not here," Shadow sighed, his mission needed to stay secret.
"Fine, but it'd better be soon," Rouge opened the door and walked away. Shadow watched her leave and went the opposite direction to his quarters. He wasn't stupid; he knew GUN searched his room while he was away. Nothing was private or sacred. He could smell them; his senses were that acute. This day was no different. Everything looked neat and orderly, but that was a facade. They may be "smart" but he was definitely sharper. He didn't choose his room on a whim. It was Maria's old room before her sickness took over completely. She had told him about the old ruins.
Governments always try to keep things under wraps, and what Shadow was digging for required precision, care, and decisiveness. It was going to be a slow, painstaking process, but it would be worth it to finally gain the answers he needed. What GUN didn't know was that underneath the bed they'd bolted in was a chamber. The area was old, older than any of the current schematics they had. To get to it, Shadow had to lift the mattress and then the carpet and door beneath.
Concrete stairs led to dark hallways, a job for his flashlight. This section of the complex hadn't had power in ages. Just to the left was a room where he kept all of his own personal belongings, ones he didn't want GUN to find. Even though there was no power, he had taken a generator brick from one of Eggman's bases. An ingenious invention, the power near limitless. He plugged in a laptop, booted it up, and began downloading the new information from his personal data drive.
Shadow Android Proxies
To his extreme luck, the file wasn't encrypted. However, it appeared there were some missing things to the file scans. The documents were scanned hardcopies and contained the official GUN letterhead, some pages were burnt with only some areas beyond recognition. The actual files were something new, but they were built off of a GUN project. Addiotionally, they were dated to a time months after Prototype Pyramid had been decommissioned. This seemed to be a paradoxical oddity. It didn't help that the evidence of Eggman's presence at Prototype Pyramid right before their arrival was circumstantial at best.
Shadow wondered why Eggman would've kept this information at a decommissioned base. Information that was extremely important and fairly recent. Did he think that no one would go there since it wasn't being used? Was he storing it there to move it later? Shadow knew that Sonic had a habit of destroying active bases; the damage the structure sustained was a testament to that fact. Inactive bases definitely made it easier to store information under the blue blur's prying eyes.
Sonic seemed to be more focused on where Eggman was currently doing his deeds, not where he once did them. It seemed plausible that Eggman would, indeed, keep files in defunct areas to keep them away from Sonic and his pals. Though he didn't count on GUN doing the opposite. With a huff, Shadow pushed those thoughts aside and continued to scan through the blueprints the Doctor had created, filling any gaps with technology.
Then, something disturbed him. Some of this seemed familiar, and he recalled a memory of Maria talking about her grandfather and his plans for creating something. Red eyes widened, their ruby depths shining in the darkness as he realized something important. This was Gerald's original research, and Eggman had gotten a hold of it. A piece of it, at least. Enough to attempt his own bootlegged version. He'd have to dig deeper into this later.
The onyx hedgehog left his "room" and entered his quarters, deciding he'd been down there long enough. It was time to get a shower and then find Rouge. The hour was late enough that he could take her somewhere private for them to talk. She basically had him boxed in a corner, and he had to trust her. He hadn't been able to tell anyone else of his findings and he was going stir crazy not being able to make heads or tails of anything else.
XXXxxx
Rouge was waiting for him in the hallway by the mess hall, arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the wall. She was wearing a variation of the standard off-duty uniform. Shadow looked at her briefly and motioned for her to follow him with a momentary tilt of his head. He picked up a few items to eat. Since he was mostly energy, he didn't need much. A sandwich and soup would be enough to sustain him for a while. He took a seat across from Rouge and started to explain.
"I'm going to give some information to you tonight about a few things I've found. Meet me in the lower levels after dark."
"Is this…"
"Not here. Even though we're not under direct observation, that doesn't mean we're still in the clear."
"Alright," she conceded. "This better be good. I'm a girl who loves gossip."
Shadow nodded once before leaving the table and exiting the cafeteria. He honestly hoped that he wasn't being too trusting. Rouge's appearance was out of the blue. What was she really doing here and why? He'd have to look into it before he met her tonight to find out if she could be trusted.
The Futility of Lies CreditsScenario: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Writer: OnyxCrimsonBlur
Editors: OnyxCrimsonBlur, Titus Dunn
The computer whirred and clicked, the old system trying to boot from years of inactivity. Shadow wondered how many more rooms were like this. Sealed away. Forgotten relics of a bygone age. He figured these systems were at least 30 years previous, the government often having tech that the public didn't even have knowledge of. Back then, it was definitely revolutionary, and Shadow could see how well they were made even then.
In all honesty, Shadow wondered how GUN's files didn't leak more often when they left relics like this behind. He figured that anyone who used to know about this part of the building was fired long ago, the area sealed off, and the blueprints to the base reformatted to reveal nothing. Most of the people who worked for GUN didn't go snooping, and he could understand why. They were just normal people who could be fired whenever GUN felt the need.
Shadow didn't feel above them, but he did know how to sneak around. The computer finally finished its sequence, opening to the main menu for GUN's database. It was an older version, but he figured it would be easy enough to bypass the lockout and get into the main system. Shadow had a passing thought that GUN would regret teaching him so much about their systems and how to hack into outside sources. With a shake of his head to clear it, he began the process. Pressing a few keys, a green menu popped up, the screen almost matrix-like and he entered a sequence of codes that opened up the GUN mainframe.
Since the computer he was working from had no tracer number anymore, it was easy to get in and out undetected. He searched out his new partner, only to find her file was completely sanitized. It gave a basic outline on all but her previous credentials. Age, height, weight, but nothing more. Even where she lived before GUN was erased. Rouge was almost like a completely new person. Crimson eyes blinked tiredly at the screen. Even he had a bigger file than this, and he'd only been around for about a year.
GUN was, again, hiding information from prying eyes, but what was so important about the bat that needed to be sanitized to this degree? Witness protection? Crimes? Espionage? It made no sense. Was she a tool, as he was? Shadow spun each possibility in his head until it made him dizzy. With a sigh, he flipped off the ancient computer and headed out of the area. Rouge would be waiting for him on the bottom floor and he didn't want her spilling what she'd seen to the commander.
XXXxxx
Rouge, as he predicted, was right there waiting for him. If anything, she was definitely punctual. Shadow went over the pros and cons about telling her of his findings once more on his approach. Given the fact of what he'd found, or not found, earlier he wondered still if he could trust her. Ever since Maria had passed and the subsequent missions GUN had sent him on, Shadow had trouble trusting anyone. A product of his environment, surely.
"I was honestly thinking you would stand me up," she smirked as he stopped in front of her. "That would have been a shame."
Red eyes rolled as he moved towards the back end of the hall and pushed aside the soda machine that hid a secret entrance. She followed him diligently until they reached the room he would either regret showing her or not.
"Nice place. Come here on your days off?"
"These are the old ruins of a defunct lab. From what I understand of some old GUN blueprints, most of GUN's top-secret project wings get sealed off after failure or completion. There are a lot of wings like this," Shadow began, "It explains why most hallways cut off in random places."
"So, why are we here?"
"It's the best place to talk without prying eyes. Most, if not all, of the employees that ever were around here were fired long ago."
Rouge just looked at him for a moment as he pulled out a journal from one of the drawers.
"What do you know of Project Maria?"
"That there was a young girl here, Gerald's granddaughter, who had a very rare disease. GUN set out to cure it, but it didn't go anywhere," Rouge answered dutifully.
"That's the sanitized version," Shadow opened the journal and pushed it towards the bat. "Project Maria was a coverup. They never intended to cure her. I have a feeling that whatever Gerald was researching before his death had something to do with me. At the moment, I'm scavenging whatever I can find through heavily sanitized files and I have several data drives and disks that have heavy encryptions. Whatever GUN is up to Maria paid the ultimate price for."
"So you want to expose the truth?" She asked, a tinge of earnestness present that wasn't there before. Rouge was certainly disgusted by this revelation, though tried her best to maintain her front in front of Shadow for the time being.
"I want GUN to answer for the death of an innocent. I want to know why Gerald ignored the plight of his granddaughter, and I want to know why I was created. I can't just be GUN's poster-boy, their puppet."
Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, "Going after Gerald isn't going to win you any favors, you know?"
"I'm aware. But don't you think the truth is more important?"
"What was it that you picked up from Eggman's base?"
"He had files from GUN. Not complete ones, but something on Project Shadow. Me. I remember Maria telling me how Gerald had a bevy of research projects, from Chaos to the Biolizard. He died before realizing his life's work. However, I had yet to come across unsanitized GUN files. Somehow Eggman came across those files before they were heavily modified by GUN." Shadow unfolded his arms before closing the journal and leading Rouge out of the ruins. "There were still some things missing, half of the pages were burnt. I have a feeling that Eggman tried to replicate it without key information and did what he does best: Make robots."
~ Theatrical Revelations ~Featuring an Ever-Fabulous Special Guest!
CreditsScenario: Titus Dunn
Writer: Titus Dunn
Editors: Titus Dunn, OnyxCrimsonBlur
The glistening sands of Mirage Saloon shone themselves brightly in the high noon sun, West Side Island in an uproar at the reemergence of some old threats to the peace and balance that had been fought for constantly not a year ago. Some things may never change, but there are certainly some who wished they would. Flying the Tornado—a red-painted biplane with enhanced Hyper-go-on energized engines—to the scene is Sonic The Hedgehog. Sure, he may be known for running to where he needs to be, but this distress signal appeared when he was an island away. What do you expect him to do, run on water?!
Sonic wore his signature goggles, a bright and outstanding yellow in color alongside yellow, laceless boots to match. He was headbanging to Jet Set Radio, which is definitely what you should be doing while piloting a vehicle. At least, that's what Sonic thinks, clearly. His flying wasn't the definition of "steady", but he was by himself, so he didn't necessarily need to be considerate. He was getting to the good part of Let Mom Sleep, but his groove was cut short by a ping-like jingle; the Chaos Emerald was nearby!
"It's been fun, Professor, but I gotta bounce!"
He set the Tornado to autopilot and leaped out, running across the wing and diving off. He had no parachute, but he did have a little gadget from Tails that made things far more enjoyable. He did a flip that would make any athlete-and most Italian plumbers-jealous and pulled out a small, gachapon-like capsule. When he was about to reach the ground, he popped open the capsule and threw what was contained inside. A spring-like object, inflatable in nature, landed on the ground and used claw-like appendages on the back to dig itself firmly into the ground, propping itself up for usage.
Sonic then spun into a ball in the air and aimed for the bright star symbol that was its center point, the half-sphere serving as both a cushion and propulsion as he applied pressure and sprung himself at about a fifty-degree angle. He did a few more tricks in the air before spinning into a ball once again and rolling through the sand, passing by some scant barrels before coming to a stop. He shook his body rapidly, the movement barely visible, sand flying out of his quills. A sour expression flitted across his face before a small smirk appeared, the action happening within the blink of an eye.
"This is why I don't roll around at the speed of sound in the sand, or roll at all in the sand for that matter. At least these goggles will keep my eyes from being covered in sand. Why am I here, anyway?"
He squinted his eyes and facepalmed.
"Right, right. Chaos Emerald. I almost forgot... OK, I did forget, but only for about twenty seconds. Focus, Sonic. It's shiny, shoots lasers, and does things only Tails and Eggman can understand. Keyword being 'lasers'... and 'Eggman', I guess. Why am I even reminding myself? I pretty much see them biweekly."
He then moved the cuff of his yellow glove aside and activated the tracker for the Chaos Emerald that came equipped with his Miles Electric wristwatch. It wouldn't be totally accurate because of the chaotic and unpredictable energies emitted from the jewels, but he would at the very least, have a general idea of its vicinity. Making his way across the rolling dunes and eyeing the out-of-date wanted posters of the ghost town, he made his way to a grand stage area. OK, "grand" might be a slight overselling of it, but it was more than quaint, at least. Given that Mirage Saloon was built by Eggman for his dedicated crime syndicate that was going to strike fear into the hearts of West Side Islanders, having this sort of show-boaty theater was fitting.
The Chaos Emerald was conspicuously at center stage. This was almost too perfect! Then again, Sonic always considered himself the protagonist of the universe, so his end goal of being at the literal center stage made sense to him. He ran down the center island, ready to grab it when suddenly a figure swooped in front of him and nabbed it at the last second. The Blue Blur jumped back and got ready to fight for the jewel, but what was revealed to him from a spotlight to the left was none other than Rouge the Bat. Her back was turned to Sonic, but she gave a glare at the hedgehog.
"Slow on the draw, Blue?" She cooed. Her tone was actually quite unusual as far as Sonic was concerned. Sonic may not understand the first thing about social cues and romance, but even he could tell that her overly-sensual tone was off. Another thing: She definitely knew where that spotlight was going to be. What's the deal with that? It's like she knew Sonic was going to show up! Even he isn't that much of a showoff... most of the time. His suspicion was heightened.
"You could say that, Rouge. I figured if there was a jewel to be found, you'd be around! So, out for GUN, are ya? Always a diligent agent, getting what they ask of you!" Sonic smirked lightly. If this was the real Rouge, he'd know exactly how she'd respond to such an assumption. Rouge caressed the emerald in her grasp, fluttering her eyes in a flirtatious manner. This caused Sonic to glare with slightly more suspicion than previously.
"You know me all too well, Sonic," she began, only for Sonic to immediately go in for an attack! The now-evidently fake Rouge swiftly dodged, only to get a heel to the back of the head, being flung to center stage where the emerald previously laid. Sonic quickly turned around, only to see the visage of Rouge The Bat... but again! He grinned and bowed as the bat applauded his deductive skills with a slow clap.
"You truly do know me all too well, Sonic. Knowing I'd only keep the finest of jewelry for myself? Impressive," the bat's tone far less of a seductress and far and away more sharp and sassy.
"What can I say? They don't call me the fifth-smartest Freedom Fighter for nothing!"
"'Fifth'?"
"Well, when Tails isn't around, at least."
"Thought so. Any idea who the dopple-faker is?"
"I have an idea, alright! It's time for your grand reveal, Heavy Magician!"
The cheap imitation Rouge gets up, their facade fading quickly to reveal an egg-shaped robot with cylindrical eyes that glowed a crimson red. She wore a bright, orange tuxedo and red-rimmed top hat, a large, red bowtie-like accessory to accompany the eyes. They turn, Chaos Emerald in cartoonishly-gloved hand. They then put the Chaos Emerald under their top hat, an almost cosmic aura emerging. They finally speak, but not before facepalming.
"Sonic T. Hedgehog! Don't you know that a 'grand reveal' doesn't work if you reveal it before said reveal can actually be revealed?! Honestly, I don't even know why I bother with the theatrics beyond my passion, given you can't seem to improvise worth an Egg Pawn! That really boils my bolts, you know!" The grandiose and definitely feminine voice of one Heavy Magician would erupt, exasperated and fuming it would seem at the hedgehog's poor form. She points to Rouge with indignation and dramatic flare, roaring in almost flabbergasted outrage. "And you! You... you heathen! Trying to upstage my performance? I scoff at your outfit! I scoff at your wings! I scoff at your government-mandated 401K!"
"Jokes on you, sister. I don't get a 401K," Rouge mocked.
"You don't?!" Sonic turned to Rouge, baffled.
"More accurately, they don't offer pension. Pretty sure they don't want to reward what is, in essence, community service," she shrugged. Sonic nodded, pretending to understand what she was saying. You simply cannot expect someone with his lack of financial responsibility to understand this kind of thing.
"Enough of this overly-comedic, showman-sidelining dialogue, you flow-breaking, scene-stalling, stage-stealing hacks!" Heavy Magician was now mildly upset at Sonic and Rouge's antics. She stretches her rubber-like hat over her form and POOF! Suddenly, Shadow The Hedgehog stood before them! She, in his form, of course, threw a Chaos Spear and broke apart parts of the stage, splinters flying out. "Haha! You pitiful insults to entertainment weren't ready for this! With the power of the Chaos Emerald, I can-"
"'Replicate Shadow's abilities far more accurately'?" Sonic interrupted, folding his arms. Heavy Magician couldn't help but sputter slightly. How dare he interrupt her exposition?! Even worse than that: He explained it himself! It was heinous, disgusting, even!
"If you're going to be so horrendous at promptless improv, I'll give you one, short instruction: Stand still and die... in a dramatic fashion, please. The other Heavies are watching from home via that camera, and they deserve your all. I will allow a single fourth-wall break if you desire to bow to our viewing audience before your demise."
"Only one? One fourth-wall break isn't nearly enough! Speaking of, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list!" The blue hedgehog winked to the camera. Heavy Magician then began tossing spears haphazardly with various exclamations of enthusiasm. Sonic and Rouge evade them, attempting to escape from the stage for a better game plan, but they're halted by an invisible wall! "What in the world?"
Sonic spun into the wall, but he bounced back like the wall was made of rubber. Heavy Magician cackled flamboyantly, throwing more spears at them and making a quick approach. Rouge preps herself for an attack, but the dastardly queen of theater skirts by them, as if to prolong her performance. She does a twirl in the air, hovering via the boots she replicated from Shadow that were powered by Chaos energies.
"Ohohoho~! You fools! Haven't you heard the phrase 'the show must go on'? Until this show is over, you cannot exit, whether via stage left, right, center or otherwise! Even the elusive bat's flight will only be met by a ceiling of crushed hopes and dreams! However, I mustn't be too cocky, otherwise-" THONK! Another interruption by Sonic, this time of the violent variety! The form of the dark-furred hedgehog is flung into the invisible wall. The form itself does not fade, however.
"Sonic, what's the deal with this wall?" Rouge attempted to kick at the wall, only to be repelled. Sonic was putting his hands to the wall like a mime ina box, only he was much, much more talkative.
"Isn't it obvious? Magic. I won't go into the deats, but let's just say that she's got some talents now that she didn't when she was made by Eggman."
"I'll admit, wrapping my head around this gimmick is a bit difficult."
"Don't bother trying to suspend your disbelief; she does a decent enough job of that on her own!" Sonic readied himself for the next fantastical feat of this magically mechanical machination, Rouge taking flight behind him. "Good idea. You cover the sky, I cover the ground! I'm not sure what this will accomplish, but we might as well cover our bases."
"Who's ready for a little game?" The dastardly magician teased, an unnerving grin on the face she stole from Shadow. Sonic couldn't help but wince in discomfort and nearly gag as the grin widened. Shadow would never smile like that! The jet-black fake fades back into her true form, and with a snap of her fingers Sonic is trapped under a giant cup-shaped object and moved to the center of the stage. The magician then transforms into Sonic himself and also hides under a cup. Whatever complaints Sonic may have had under the cup, they were tuned out. Sonic's voice then boomed out over the stage. "Find the real deal and I'll relinquish the emerald! If you choose poorly, your fates are sealed! Isn't this so exciting?"
"If you really wanted that emerald, you could just deal with us nice and quick, right?" Rouge moved herself in front of the massive solo cup-like objects, glaring at them intently.
"That's where you're mistaken! I don't want the emerald. You couldn't possibly get more cliche than that! No, no, Rouge! I want a great show! Besides, Sonic tends to find his way out of these head-to-head fights so easily. A fight of the mind is where I can really get things heated up! Get ready now! It's time for the grand debut of Sonic Shuffle!"
With that cue, the cups start to switch and swap, lightning-fast in their shuffle. Rouge assumed the reason she was chosen as the grand decision-maker over Sonic was because Sonic's eyes could likely keep up with this. It would be far too easy. The show is all about tension and dramatics. Eventually, the cups lift themselves to reveal both Sonic-looking hedgehogs, both of which were seemingly unaffected by the intense switcheroo.
"Oh, please. You think this is going to be hard for Rouge to figure out? My personality is so distinct that she'd be able to catch it instantly!" The Sonic on the left folds his arms, rolling his eyes and glaring at the other Sonic.
"I'm way more sarcastic and annoying than that! You gotta really get into that obnoxious, early-90s mascot mood." The other taps his foot with impatience, giving a toothy smirk.
"See, you're obviously fake because your delivery is much more 'preachy sentimental' than 'excited, quick-witted teen'."
"Don't you dare criticize my line delivery! You act like a mascot!"
"I am a mascot! Y'know, this reminds of that time I discovered myself. In the literal sense. It was way back in-"
"Will you two shut up? I'll give Heavy Magician credit: She definitely has Sonic down to a science... Or would it technically be 'down to a method'? Either way, I already know how to solve this trick." Rouge eyed the two blue hedgehogs, who seemed to be locked in place under the objects they were shuffled in. Both Sonics looked at her with equal curiosity, occasionally trading glances and snarky looks at each other.
"Your shoes are untied." The right one points out.
"Where?"
"On your feet."
"Oh, right. I forget those are there sometimes."
"Pay attention for more than five seconds!" Rouge clapped her hands, starting to wonder if this was some elaborate ruse between Sonic and Heavy Magician just to prank her. It wouldn't be the first time Sonic cooperated with an enemy for sake of a practical joke and nothing else. Not from the stories she'd heard, at least. "Tell me, Sonic and Sonic... What did we do on our date? The real Sonic will be able to answer me."
"'Date'?" The right one questioned.
"Yeah, what date…? Wait, wait, wait! I remember! Cue the flashback!"
XXXxxx
It was the day after I beat Dr. Eggman for the last time until next week, where I'd have to do it again. You know, as usual. I was making my rounds around South Island, busting up any Badniks Eggman might've deployed while I was distracted dealing with his latest tactically tacky takeovers. We've all been to South island, so we all know about the ever-beautiful green hills of... Green Hill, and the glorious marbline structure of... Marble.
Boy, King Acorn really tried hard with these names, huh?
Anyways, I'm getting off track. Tails and I had just met up after my rounds. Surprisingly, no Badniks showed up, so I didn't have to put too much work in aside from running a lot, which wasn't exactly an issue for me. After all, I'm Sonic The Hedgehog. Running is the thing I am second-most known for, the first-most known thing about me being that I'm blue... Or was it that I was a hedgehog? That would make sense. Me and him... Excuse me, him and I were discussing the things Tails had salvaged from his base.
A while ago, we figured it'd be better to nab whatever important tech and info we could from Eggman, instead of destroying it outright or leaving it to be discovered by others. Not only would it allow us to see into the future, to see what Eggman was hatching for his next scheme, but it also allowed us to keep that information out of the hands of people who could exploit it… So basically just to spite and inconvenience GUN. No offense to Rouge, but GUN was the main motivation behind taking the information for ourselves. Sure, we'd rather Neo Metal Sonic and his cronies not get it either, but Neo's a bit of a dunce in terms of practical usage of his resources.
Little did he and I know that we had quite the interesting bit of info on our hands. See, it turns out the good ol' Eggster had some very pretty sweet data on an acquaintance of us all: Shadow The Hedgehog, and all on a nifty hard drive! See, I used to assume Shadow was devised by aliens in order to eventually lead an invasion to conquer the planet in the distant future, which isn't too far-fetched if you think about it hard enough... OK, maybe it is a little bit presumptuous. That was just my theory, that I may or may not have tipped off to a tabloid at one point or another for some easy cash.
However, I was off base with my totally-plausible, if slightly unbelievable theory. It turns out Shadow was actually the creation of two guys using the research of some guy named Gerald Robotnik, and Eggman's so out of his mind that he believes he's his grandson. Gerald, that is. Unless he actually is his grandson. Jury's out on that one. That's only half of the story, though! It gets twice as annoyingly convoluted if you can believe it.
XXXxxx
"Can you get on with it? I'm getting bored out of my mind." The Sonic on the right groaned.
"Do not interrupt! This is where it gets good, I swear."
XXXxxx
As it turns out, Eggman was trying for a while to replicate Shadow for himself. He had the research for it, but discovered that replicating it would take way too much effort with his limited resources. I don't know what happened, but it turns out his empire was crippled by some extreme circumstances even he refused to document! My guess is that he didn't want it acknowledged for sake of his pride. I mean, come on. Eggman and pride are like similes... Synonyms, not similes. Sorry, words are hard. Rouge knows this already, but I'm going to repeat it so she knows I know it: Dr. Eggman is devising to create android replicas of Shadow, because he's too lazy to make the real deal. As a plus, they'd be easier to mass produce. Eggman loves mass production!
Being the great friend and clever savant I am, I decided to completely circumvent talking to Shadow directly and instead got in contact with Rouge, who was recently taken in by GUN due to paying for some illegal operations that affected her situation. While Shadow and Rouge are both heavily-monitored figures at GUN for the most part, Rouge has the advantage of not being literal government property and being infinitely sneakier. Her and I could devise some way to get the information to Shadow, who deserved to know Eggman had this info, without GUN getting in his way and censoring the info in question, since he was likely not informed by GUN. After all, when has GUN ever been courteous enough to inform anyone of anything outside of their international stranglehold? Sorry, that's rude. International "authority". Heavy emphasis on the quotation marks.
Rouge requested that I plant the information where their first mission would be at when they were to be assigned together, or at least their first mission involving one of Eggman's operations. I told her I'd be able to do that. After all, I am the fastest thing alive, or at the very least faster than most. My Uncle Jules claims he could totally beat me in a race, but every time I challenge him he's too busy doing "adult things", and while I don't take him to be a liar, he's probably making excuses. For now, I simply had to wait for Rouge to give me a call with the Miles Electric we gave her. Granted, her Miles Electric is still the Freedom Fighters' according to the proprietary clause, but she's a friend.
I got the call from Rouge the next day outlining where I'd need to drop off the hard drive and when. Granted, at that point, I had completely forgotten about the hard drive that contained the information being in my possession! Don't judge, OK? Not all of us have a photographic memory, and some of us can get a little preoccupied getting our quills styled... Which I definitely do not do. Nope. Perish the thought. The dropoff location I was sent was Prototype Pyramid, a structure in the Nevada desert that I pretty much had zero interest in. I got in, I got out, and boom. It was done.
XXXxxx
"Actually, wait! Rouge, why would GUN be interested in some old pyramid?" The right Sonic questioned, seemingly invested in this story.
"Simple. They got a tip-off." The bat folded her arms, smirking.
"Where do you think the tip-off came from?" The story-telling Sonic came from.
"Let's just say a fly on the wall may have planted some suspicions, gotten some coordinates, and devised a place convenient-enough to travel without escort to to allow both parties to meet." Her head swayed from side to side coyly.
"This only makes me wonder... Rouge, why did you take such an interest with Shadow to begin with?" The one on the right couldn't help but ponder. The left looked at her curiously as well.
"It's simple, really. The reason I work under GUN now is because I was attempting to steal from them. They had a Chaos Emerald, one of the finest jewels on Planet Freedom. When snooping around the place and looking for information on where it could be, I was caught. Totally amateur, I know. Before they hauled me off in order to make a 'deal', I happened upon information about Shadow. Frankly, I pitied him, stuck being GUN's mascot, born into that position. I may be a ruthless treasure hunter and thief, but I like to think I'm at least a little compassionate."
"So you set yourself up to help him after your plans fell through and you were roped into their scheme. That's so clever! Not to mention kind! Way to go!" The left hedgehog gave a thumbs up and grinning. Rouge waved off the compliments silently, not dropping her sly demeanor. Sniffling was soon heard, which drew the attention of the bat and the hedgehog to the other hedgehog, who seemed on the verge of tears. Soon, the waterworks began and they fell to their knees, a dramatic hand raised.
"Such compassion! Such wonderful friendship! Such a riveting tale! I'm glad I have the eyes to convey the emotions I'm feeling! The tears simply won't stop! Bravo! Bravo!" The fake hedgehog soon faded back into her original form and applauded, applauded, applauded! She was moved, enthralled, and fulfilled! She tipped her hat down and took the Chaos Emerald off of her head, placing it on the stage. "I am a simple showman who only desired an entertaining show, and your stories shall suffice! Take the emerald and go about your day! Oh, I simply must create a screenplay based on these events. I feel inspired!"
"Wait, but what about Rouge solving which one of us was the real one to get the emerald?" Sonic questioned.
"Well, I can tell you the exact moment I figured out which one of you was the real Sonic." Rouge teased a little, placing her palms to her hips.
"When, exactly?" Sonic smirked widely. He figured that that entire story would have sufficed, or even just half of it. Though, he knew deep down what the actual answer would be. It was clear as day to the two of them, and they locked eyes, nodding to each other once.
"The moment I knew which one was real was the moment Heavy Magician started crying. Lady, Sonic does not cry. Ever." Heavy Magician gasped and facepalmed, groaning to herself. She had forgotten the basics of the portrayal! Shame on her!
"Blast! You may not be able to see it, but I am blushing with the utmost of embarrassment. I promise to work on my performance, I swear it! For now, I bid you adieu!" The magician floats upward and the camera follows suit, following her with what appeared to be no strings attached. Sonic and Rouge stared at the Chaos Emerald after she departed, then at each other.
"Wait... Hold on. I just realized: How'd you know a Chaos Emerald was here?" Sonic glared at her. "Were you following me?"
"Not at all. I used the Miles Electric you gave me to track the emerald here, linking with yours and Tails' to get a more distinct triangulation of the coordinates." Rouge lifted her glove a tad to reveal her Miles Electric. Sonic had absolutely no idea what half of that meant. Triangles? "I got it, but that crazed robot caught me off-guard and tied me up backstage while waiting for you to show up. She's really got your number if she knew you'd be after it."
"Go figure. Her and I go way back, so she likely wanted another encore. She could have just invited me over instead of trying to get the jump on me."
"Wouldn't that ruin the... what's the word? 'Theatrics'?" She fluttered her wings.
"Point taken." Sonic kneeled down and picked up the Chaos Emerald, staring at it. He seemed distracted by its mesmerizing glow, but also had a ponderous look on his face. He looked up at Rouge and outreached his hand, offering her the emerald with a smile. "You're a stand-up act, Rouge. You earned it fair and square for what you pulled off, both on and off stage."
"Not a chance, Big Blue."
"Wait, what? I figured you'd be all about getting a free emerald."
"As much as I appreciate the gesture, and as much as I'd accept any other kind of gem, this beautiful baby could power any number of dangerous tools for GUN's own ends. I may work under them, but I don't respect them one bit. Especially after some information Shadow gave me about a certain incident from less than a year ago. I'd sooner give up all my jewels than let GUN have that one." Her tone shifted to a coldness. This wasn't exactly the most comfortable subject-matter, but she saw this information as an asset. She knew Sonic was an extremely motivated person, and this could only serve to motivate him further against GUN.
"'Incident'? What're you talking about? What did GUN do, exactly?" Sonic recognized her more subdued tone and understood that this was likely far more serious than anything he could guess. After a moment of hesitation, Rouge spoke firmly, looking Sonic dead in the eyes.
"GUN covered up the sickness of a young girl. Her name was Maria Robotnik, granddaughter of Professor Gerald Robotnik. Instead of prioritizing her health and finding a cure, they preferred to leave her isolated until her disease slowly ate her life away from her. She died at around thirteen to fifteen, but the files are so sanitized that we don't even have a concrete date of birth anymore. Shadow shared this with me as a matter of trust, so I can only assume he takes it personally for some reason or another. Needless to say, I'm not willfully letting a Chaos Emerald within a thousand miles of GUN, let alone potentially delivering it right to their headquarters."
Rouge took a deep breath after that explanation. Sonic couldn't help but stare at her silently, his inquisitive, neutral expression slowly transforming into one of sharp and undeniable-yet-restrained hatred and resentment, before settling on one of pure, unfiltered determination. He was perhaps the most disgusted and emotionally-sobered he'd ever been in his entire life, realizing just how far GUN would go to sweep this kind of thing under the rug and shirk responsibility. He knew they were oppressors, keeping the majority of the world under their foot for sake of "security and peace". His sense of justice was pulling his heart in the most intense way possible. He turned away, keeping his composure steady and focusing on how to proceed with this information; to Sonic, getting upset wasn't as important as seeking justice.
"Good to know. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks, Rouge." He said in a flat tone. He then ran off, making his way to the Tornado. Rouge folded her arms and watched him run off stage, grimacing to herself. Sonic called the Tornado via his Miles Electric's proximity signal and it flew to him after a few moments. He jumped in and took control, flying back to South Island. He contacted Tails shortly after reaching an ideal altitude, taking a breath to calm his overstimulated nerves.
GUN is gonna get what it's earned one of these days.
"What's going on, Sonic? Your signal was jammed for twenty minutes or so." Tails was working in his lab. Sonic chuckled and smiled reassuringly.
"Not much. Just another encounter with one of the Hard-Boiled Heavies. I got the emerald. I'll explain everything when I get back. There's a lot going on. Signing off for now."