Chapter 4: Otherworldly Monster
"...so, you wanna give me something I can use, or should we go another round?"
Warwick stood over The Chamber's foot soldier he took to the precinct. After making him sit for an hour inside the interrogation room and another 60 minutes of listening to gibberish, things heated up once the agent removed his perp's handcuffs and attempted to "speed up the process." His fists were bruised and swollen due to the thug initiating a fight, one which the agent easily won.
"You can beat me here and now, but you won't stop 'em!"
Warwick grasped the thug's collar and looked into his eyes. "Enough pissing around and spit it out!"
"Allman Grey! You won't get past his guns! You ain't got the men to match him! They're coming for you, scum, and-"
The sound of fist meeting flesh rang out like hammer to nail. The agent continued raining down blows until his perp finally relented.
"THIRD GATE CITY! LIBERATION BUILDING!"
Warwick released the thug and turned to the mirrored glass. "You get that?"
Sage, Tails' vigilante android, played back the address given and his eyes flickered once before he answered. "Got it, sending the address out to the rest of the squad."
As the A.I bot glided across the floor toward the exit, Warwick helped the thug back up to his chair and let two policemen take him back to his cell.
"You did the right thing, bud. Shame you chose to go bad cop route."
"Eat shit, pig!"
"Enjoy your stay." Warwick said as he cracked his knuckles. "Of all the cities in the world, they choose a small hick town..."
BADLANDS WESTERN PORT - 74 MINUTES LATER
The journey to Labyrinth Zone was equally as exciting for O'nux, Rouge and Dogg due in part to the contract for the assassin's life. The trio had barely gotten 3 hours of rest before immediately being set upon once they drove off Anti-Knuckles' compound. Espio had left the armoured convoy long before the trio hopped in, however it could only stand up to so much firepower before it was ditched. They'd fought off attempts from every Chamber's killer in the western port of Mobius all throughout the shadowy roads of the Badlands, but fatigue was setting in for the echidna and bat.
"Dogg, I can't keep fighting!" Rouge exclaimed. "It's never-ending and I'm exhausted!..."
The massive hitman kept his pace and quipped, "Welcome to the shit show that's been my life for a year."
"I'm not moving another foot. I need a break."
"Stay here, then. You'll be scooped up and thrown into whatever hell these crazies have."
O'nux grasped his shoulder from behind. "You need us to keep you alive. We're resting before we go any further."
Dogg pulled away from the echidna and led them to an abandoned building so that they could rest while staying out of sight. The power of his steel toed boot kicking the metal door nearly knocked it off it's hinges, and the trio walked inside.
"Tell me we're almost there."
"We're almost there," Dogg said to Rouge.
"Now say it like you mean it-"
"I don't know how to please you, batgirl. You nag and bitch and whine and complain, I can't win with you."
"Would you rather be dead?"
"I dunno, death seems like the more viable option if this is the alternative."
"Relax," O'nux said as he stood between them. "We'll get you to your allies, but let's not waste energy fighting near-insurmountable odds around every corner."
"So, you want to go wimpy kid and run away from the danger?"
"I want to proceed."
"Conflict happens, get used to it."
"I've done pretty well avoiding altercations up 'til this point, I think you should consider trying it, yourself."
Dogg faced Anti-Knuckles and frowned. "I can't back down. I won't. That's like asking princess here to not sell her ass for money-"
Dogg anticipated the knife slash aimed at his throat and caught her wrist without looking down at her. "You wanna take a crack at a $10 million dollar contract? Bring it on."
She pulled away and headed for the door, stopping in her tracks upon seeing Scourge and Maggie Bloodmoon in the doorway.
"What the hell?"
The green hedgehog lowered his aviators to check her out. "Oh, snap! He brought in the BIG guns!"
As he passed the bat, Scourge's ally Bloodmoon shrugged at Rouge. "Unfortunately, he's a guy we have to get used to interacting with."
"You two are early," Dogg said. "I told you to wait 'til the allotted time."
Rouge thought back to the names Dogg dropped back at O'nux' compound and realized the assassin lied.
"Scott and Margret, yeah fuck you!" She yelled before pointing up at Dogg. "You just wanted us to bring you to your junkie loser friends!"
"That was uncalled for, but fine. It's out there, now." Bloodmoon quipped.
Scourge outstretched his arms and approached the bat. "Someone needs a hug, here let me put my love into you, b-"
A swift kick to the groin followed by an elbow strike knocked the hedgehog face-first to the floorboards.
"ROUGE! How could I mistake you for anyone else in this god-forsaken place!" Scourge said as he sat up. "A little more swing in those hips and that might've actually hurt."
"You're a gross piece of filth, and YOU are a murdering liar whose going straight to hell!" Rouge fired back. "But I don't know you,"
"Maggs will be your best friend by the end of this, believe you-me."
The bat did her best to ignore Scourge and look toward their blonde ally.
Bloodmoon smiled. "Okay, you got me. I took over The Destructix once these two ran for their lives."
"Y'know, back when Dogg had a family. And you know what yours truly went down for."
"I remember you, now," Rouge said. "Vace Beach, Angel Lefthand. You were at the centre of it all!"
"Great, so we're all caught up-"
Rouge turned to Dogg. "These are the idiots we came ALL the way down here for?!"
Espio re-emerged on the second floor looking out a window. "He brought you here to take the heat while his friends help him steal the loot."
Rouge and O'nux stared at the chameleon before turning to face Dogg, who only shrugged.
"What can I say? I'm a bad man."
Espio signalled for the bat and echidna to duck just before bullets riddled the front door and windows. Scourge and Bloodmoon glared at the ninja for not warning them as well, while Dogg groaned as blood poured out of 11 new wounds in his chest. He walked through the firestorm of lead and blocked the door with a metal desk.
Espio dodged gunfire while hopping over the balcony railing and reuniting with Rouge and O'nux.
"Were you following us this entire time?"
Espio answered but wouldn't make eye contact. "My suspicions were confirmed. He would've betrayed you regardless if Anti-Knuckles had the loot or not."
O'nux growled quietly. "I've been doing this long enough, I should've seen that coming! (sigh) Espio, I'm sorry, I listened to Dogg and-"
"It's done. Worry about surviving the ambush."
Rouge and O'nux joined the ninja's glance toward Dogg's group and everyone waited to see what the others would do.
Scourge leaned against the assassin and whispered, "Twisted Metal is around the corner. Whaddya say we ditch team no-balls and head back for that loot?"
"That was the plan, guy."
Twisted Metal was the name for Dogg's modified and armoured utility truck he loaned to Scourge. The assassin worked in the blistering heat and freezing cold to ensure his ride could take on the barrage in his path.
O'nux watched the trio head out a side door and within 5 seconds, were inside the getaway car. Scourge put up the middle finger and laughed as Twisted Metal tore through the gravel and raced into the darkness.
Rouge grasped Espio's arm. "Please tell me you have a ride, as well."
The ninja took both O'nux and Rouge by the wrists and guided them through the abandoned building just as gunmen entered the front door. Using his heightened senses, Espio helped them dodge gunfire, knock shelving in the way and finally smash through the back window. They hopped up from the concrete and ran down an alleyway to escape the howling gunmen.
"There's a passage coming up on the left!" O'nux called out while sprinting. "It'll be crowded but we can lose whoever might be following!..."
A red laser cut through the brick wall just before Anti-Knuckles rounded the corner. Espio pulled his grey uniform back just before a beam burned his head. The ninja practically lifted O'nux and Rouge into the air as another beam went by low to the ground. Redd's cackling echoed throughout the neighborhood, causing panic and alarms to blare.
He shoved the duo forward and turned to face the threat. "You've traversed these streets the most. Take her."
"You're coming too, Espio, so don't start the king's speech-"
He finally faced Rouge knowing this would be the final chance to speak his mind. "Feelings will get in your way. Never grow attached, right."
O'nux whisked her toward the passage before she could reply. Her mind flashed back to when she flirted with the idea of dating the ninja, all those months and drinks ago.
Espio turned invisible and dodged The Chamber's gunmen on his trail, then reappeared under an LED Poncho's sign so Slayton's general could see him.
Redd licked her lips and teleported from street level to the rooftop her awaiting opponent stood upon. She didn't sense fear, only nervousness.
"You came here for Dogg, Scourge and Bloodmoon, yet they've already escaped. Do you have a quarrel with me?"
"I heard a couple of cool kids were helping them stay one step ahead of us," Redd answered with a smirk. "That's my problem with you."
"You're mistaken-"
"...Dogg was last seen in the western port area alongside quote 'Knuckles' clone, some bitch and (fake gasp) government enforcement agent Espio the Chameleon!' Now, how could that be? Hmm?"
With no response, Espio tossed six morning stars her way and camouflaged himself, while Redd simply teleported to the next rooftop. She ordered her men to chase down O'nux & Rouge and then she engaged the ninja.
"Let's play, little man!"
She fired lasers from the crimson chaos emerald while teleporting around the urban battleground. Espio dodged the lethal beams but he couldn't keep up with Redd for long. He was a split second late to avoid a beam that immediately severed three fingers off his left hand.
"Ooh, that looked like it hurt!" Redd called out upon hearing his pained groan. "I hope those weren't too important to you!"
Christ, Espio thought, she's too fast with Shadow's gear. Where the hell did she even get it from?
He ducked another beam as it went by his face, then threw more morning stars toward her in response. She used the power rings around her wrists to deflect them, but one star she missed cut her forearm.
"Ha-HA! Good throw, buddy! (inhales sharply)...enough foreplay, let's get rough!"
Redd began firing beams erratically in all directions, some striking unlucky civilians in their homes. Espio knew she wouldn't stop so he stepped out from cover and faced the barrage head on. The burning pain was immense and he crumbled down, signalling the end of the fight.
His breaths were laboured and quick, which made the crimson hedgehog smirk as she leaned over to look at the broken chameleon. The entire left side of his body was charred black, and smaller holes burned into his chest sizzled. She put the chaos emerald away and picked Espio up by his collar.
"You were never gonna win that one, little man. Your heart was in the right place, though. I'm keeping you alive because you're one of Warwick's and he's going to see what happens to narcs."
The chameleon couldn't form coherent sentences, let alone stop the gang members from scooping him up and putting him inside their truck. He watched Redd teleport out of the area and leave him to her men.
O'nux and Rouge were already in pursuit of the gang car, waiting for the right moment to strike and save their ally from more torment.