Chapter Fourteen – Captives
The Platypus exploded in excitement. The console and read-outs were giving the exact data he wanted, and he was unable to contain himself. He quickly moved from one to the other, rapidly typing into the console. Sukko smirked. Up to this point the Hedgehog had not spoken a word. Not made a single sound, and yet the Resistance was fully up to date. This was the power of the Psychic Link, and what made the twins so dangerous. Especially Sukko, who knew exactly how to take full advantage of this powerful connection. Dr. Starline had absolutely no idea.
Dr. Starline was clearly oblivious to Sukko's true nature. It was obvious that Eggman hadn't shared everything with the Platypus before he died. Even hacking the Eggnet afterwards may not have shed much light on the Chaos Sorcery or the Magic Slayers, because his plan didn't work. Well, not in Sonic, anyway. As as for Sukko's explosion as Sunset City, it did look very similar to Chaos Control. Sukko sighed and wondered if this was just a simple case that Dr. Starline just didn't believe. He was the last of his kind, after all. Sukko himself remembered that people had to believe he existed first, before they believed in him.
But he was surprised. That such an intelligent Doctor would make such a mistake in judgement. Sukko was the King of Stealth, keeping hidden was something he'd been very good at, but not in recent months. Not since Eggman's death. He was now beginning to wonder just how long Dr. Starline had been down here. Wherever here was. He sighed. He was determined to find out. The surveyed the Control Room he was in. The dim light made it difficult to see, which he believed was the point. He heaved. No night vision. Would have been useful. He could use Magic to light up the room, but would have given him away.
The he growled, eyes narrowing. The weird feeling of a presence that Sukko felt at the Restoration, was back, except here, significantly stronger. Still angry and keeping one eye on Dr. Starline, he gently expanded his Telepathy into the room and felt a
second person. Someone had been following him. He concentrated on that second mind. Whoever it was, was very good at hiding. Maybe too good. He could not see them at all through the darkness. There were outlines of several robots in the room, stood completely still. Offline. Calm. Otherwise nothing. Sukko's anger really flared. Dr. Starline was enough to deal with, right at this moment. This second person, Sukko wanted them gone. Time to scare them off.
Sukko concentrated the Chaos Sorcery and pushed it right to his Telepathy. He remained completely still, and his eye began to glow. He was about to do something he knew would get in serious trouble with Sonic. He didn't like doing it himself. He valued freedom, having had very little of it, and therefore hated removing it from someone else.
Mind-control. The ultimate peak of Telepathic skill.
He concentrated again on that second mind and dived for it. He felt it jump as Sukko charged in, and tried to fight back. Sukko realised the mind belonged to a unusual creature, who like him, may be one of a kind. A creature Sukko had never met before. He felt inside his mind that he was a Mercenary, an Infiltrator and an Assassin, but ultimately prized his own life above anything else, even to the point of betrayal to save his own skin. Sukko growled again. In other words, a coward.
Sukko pushed the Telepathy still further and to his delight, felt fear as the mind began to loose control. Going even deeper, Sukko found out how he was able to hide from him, and now the Telepathy him showed who, what and exactly where he was. He'd been working for Dr. Starline, who had him tasked to keep an eye on Sukko. He huffed. Not any more. Sukko gritted his teeth.
'I...see...you...Shapeshifter!' He spoke, inside his victim's mind, to a silent scream of absolute terror, desperate to get away. Sukko tightened his grip on him, pushing the fear still further until he found exactly what he was looking for. He then forced his ultimate control and triggered it. Suddenly, by the corner of the Control Room, near a door, underneath a light, one of still robot immediately came to life as it shape-shifted back to it's true form. Mimic was terrified. He hadn't done that. Sukko did. He'd never felt such enormous Chaos Power before and quickly realised that this was way out of his league. He was an Octopus with purple skin, a beak-like mouth, black eyes with white pupils, suction-cups on his hands and feet and tentacles for hair. His beak had wrinkles around the lips and what looks like a nasal bone on top of it. He wore a black, tattered poncho and coverings on his arms and legs.
He was sat on the floor. Terrified, physically shaking with fear, and desperate to run for the door. So Sukko let him go. The Hedgehog watched the Octopus bolt out of the room so fast, that he could have given Sonic a run for his money. Sukko smirked, satisfied. He wasn't coming back. He turned back to Dr. Starline, and almost laughed. The Platypus had been so absorbed with his computer console, that he hadn't even noticed Sukko demonstrate his incredible skill in Telepathy. The Hedgehog wasn't surprised. He been incredibly subtle and absolutely silent, in his delivery. It was what made him so dangerous. He did also begin to feel guilty for scaring the Octopus so badly, but he needed to be alone with the Doctor. Sukko sighed. This was getting boring, but finally Dr. Starline turned round, and walked up to him. He brought a piece of paper with him, and appeared to be concentrating on it. He them looked up at Sukko.
"Hmmm." He announced. "It seemed your internal skeleton structure, schematics, energy levels and mental functions all seem to be working as expected." He stated. Sukko smirked. Those statistics were all faked. But Dr. Starline continued. "But I can't seem to change your programming. At least not with the computer." He huffed. He threw the piece of paper to the floor. "No matter." He leered. "I have other means." He hissed. Sukko's eyes widened, seriously wondering what these other means were.
Dr. Starline then raised his left hand right up to Sukko's eyes, and clawed his fingers. The golden-tipped fingertips began to glow white as he began dictating to Sukko that he worked for him now. Making sublumial suggestions and giving him orders. Sukko heavily scoffed a laugh, desperately trying to keep a straight face. It is physically impossible to hypnotise a Sorcerer. They are just too mentally strong, especially Sukko, or indeed anyone with psychic Chaos Powers such as Silver. Dr. Starline's efforts did absolutely nothing to him. But he still knew nothing of the missing people. Sukko smirked. Time to test his acting skills.
Still in full control, he allowed his eyes to glaze over, and bowed his head. He could feel Dr. Starline's delight as he believed his hypnotisation appeared to have worked. He immediately released Sukko, who perfectly landed on his feet. He stood slowly and deliberately, held his head completely straight, emotionless in the eyes. He'd changed his eye colour from emerald green to bright blue. It made the act even more convincing. Nice touch. Though it took some maintaining. It was normally why he didn't change his eye colour for long periods of time. He sighed as Dr. Starline ordered Sukko to follow him. He obeyed.
'I wonder where I going?' He thought, as he was taken through numerous doors and down even more corridors, all looking the same. They stopped outside a large door, different with red paint, of which the Platypus opened to screams on the inside. Sukko struggled to stay in character as he was taken into the room, and immediately spotted several people, locked in an heavily barred jail cell. The bars came halfway across the room, on one side stood Dr. Starline and Sukko, having just walked in, and the other approximately twenty people. It was very secure. Sukko stared as he immediately spotted people he knew from the Restoration. They called for him. He couldn't do anything to help them, not without breaking his cover. He carefully slide directly behind Dr. Starline, as the Platypus called for someone Sukko only noticed last minute.
"I found him. Fox." He spat triumphantly. "You thought you could hide your invention from me, but he's mine now." He added. Right at the back of the cell, a young, Fox cub stood with the unique mutation of two tails instead of one. He looked very thin, tired and bedraggled. He perked up upon seeing Sukko, but was immediately confused at the word 'invention'. Sukko swore in his head and instantly activated his Telepathy. There was simply no time to explain to Tails. He gulped.
'Sorry.' He heaved. 'Please forgive me.' He added and, without moving himself, he immediately dived for the Fox's mind, hard. So hard, in fact that he had complete control within a matter of seconds. He had full authority over the Fox's body and mouth, and quickly thought of a response to Dr. Starline.
"That invention was never meant for you!" Sukko spat with Tail's voice, indicating himself, causing murmurings around the cell. Dr. Starline growled, silencing everyone. He smirked.
"I've may not have been able to crack his code but I have him under my power by other means." He sniggered. Sukko made Tails' body growl in return and walk right up the the bars.
"You won't get away with this." He squealed. Dr. Starline bent down through the bars, almost touching nose to nose.
"I think you'll find I already have." He leered, then he turned to Sukko, as if to make a point.
"Guard them!" He spat, and immediately turned and left. Sukko obediently took his position by the door.
Tails had been both fascinated and terrified by what he was seeing. He was feeling his body move, hearing his own voice speak, but he was doing neither. Someone had grabbed hold of him so strong that he was instantly trapped inside his own mind. There was still huge confusion in the jail cell, as Tails being to cry. Sukko, still in Tails' head, tried to comfort him.
'Sorry about that.' He said, inside Tails mind. 'Please forgive me.' He asked again, ashamed, feeling very guilty. Tails recognised the voice as Sukko's, but both amazed at his sheer power and very confused as to what is going on. Upon feeling the confusion, Sukko immediately tells Tails everything, about how he'd be been kidnaped but replaced by a Replica. It was why no one had come looking for him, and how Dr. Starline's believes Sukko to be one of them, invented by him. Tails was desperate to talk back but couldn't so tried signal to Sukko to come over. He immediately stopped him.
'I can't.' He said, inside Tails' head. 'We are all on camera.' He added, having noticed it at the far end of the room. This Eggman base, wherever it was, was huge. It must have had a second Control Room to where all the camera feeds were sent, separate to the one where Sukko was kept. Dr. Starline might be watching, he might not. They had no way of knowing. Then upon Sukko feeling a spark of an idea in Tails' mind, he lets him go. The Fox staggers slightly upon getting back full control again, but dived straight for his two tails and pulls out a device, one that Sukko immediately recognised. The Psychic Device. Sukko smirked.
'He must have had it on him when he was kidnapped.' He thought. 'Clever Fox.' He praised, feeling proud. Sukko watches Tails carefully as he looks around at the camera and subtly moves around the jail cell looking for it's blind spot and then proceeded to stand in it. He then whirs the device into life, which goes straight across the Psychic link, causing Sukko to groan. Tails then put the device to his mouth and whispers into it.
"Sukko, can you hear me?" He asked, as quietly as he could. Even though the camera watching them was a security camera, and therefore had no microphone, it was still best not the attracted the attention of everyone else on the jail cell. To Sukko amazement, he can hear the Fox, perfectly clearly.
{Hi.} He said brightly. {How are you feeling?} He asked. Tails growled.
"I've just had a Hedgehog inside my head, how do you think I'm feeling." He spat, as quietly as he could. Sukko gulped, feeling yet more guilty. Tails stared at him.
"How are you able to stand so still?" He asked curiously. Sukko hadn't moved a muscle since Dr. Starline left. He giggled inside his head. That was easy. Use Magic to freeze his body into place and then relax. But there was also another reason.
{Three words, Tails.} Sukko smirked. {I'm not Sonic.} He giggled. That was true. The Blur Blur was very famous for not being able to stand still for more then thirty seconds. Tails suddenly thought. Speaking of Sonic...
"Where is he?" He desperately asked. Sukko sighed.
{He's not here. I'm alone. I got kidnapped the same as you, but I've managed to trick Dr. Starline. I'm in complete control here. I decided to along with his plan, in the hope of finding you guys. Getting Sonic here will be easy enough, as we have yet to reach the distance limit of our Psychic Link. However, I have yet to work out where here is.} He heaved. But Tails got excited.
"I think I can might be able to help you there. On my way here, I woke up, which I don't think I was supposed to happen. I remembered being driven here and going down an extremely steep incline in a truck. There may have been tow ropes involved. I caught a glimpse of driving past rows and rows of buildings. I don't think this is only one singular base, it's a complex, build by Eggman inside a deep ravine. Getting in seemed easy enough, getting out, however, might be significantly harder." Tails explained. Sukko was getting excited. Tails was incredible. A complex of Eggman's bases built inside a deep ravine. Sukko knew exactly who could find that. Jewel at the Restoration using the Resistance Intelligence Network he'd build.
Time to message Sonic.
It took a long time for Sukko to get Sonic up to speed over the Psychic Link. He was stunned to find out that Tails had been replaced. But as soon as he had his orders, he was immediately out of Sunset City and speeding straight away to the Restoration. Sukko turned back to Tails.
{How many of you are here?} He asked, meaning the captives. Tails shrugged.
"I have no idea." He whispered. "I was brought straight to this cell. I never saw anyone else on the way. Same for everyone else in here." He added. Then he had an idea. "You have Telepathy. That means you can sense a person's mind. Can you expand it to find them?" He asked, excited. Sukko was stunned. Asking such a question like that after what he recently done to Fox, astonished him but he was honoured to answer. It was an extremely good idea, and one the Sorcerer had not thought of.
{Yes, it's called a Telepathic Scan.} He smiled, and with that he concentrated. He closed his eyes, and allowed the Telepathy of his Chaos Sorcery expand out into the world around him. Nothing could be seen as he open his eyes, them glowing bright blue. He expanded out the Magic further and further, as found significantly more levels to this base, both above and below. Then concentrating even more he found pockets of minds, coming through as blue beacons, in clusters of twenty or so scattered throughout the levels. They were all around him. As more and more clusters appeared, there were everywhere, Sukko realised that there were more people here then he realised. Dr. Starline monitor showing thousands of Replicas was no exaggeration. Sukko was horrified.
{I can see a huge number of clusters of minds, in groups of about twenty, like in here, scattered throughout the base.} He announced. Tails thought. They were obvious that these clusters were more people in jail cells, but as the Fox was beginning to understand, Sukko could only see the organic mind, not it's metallic surroundings. He couldn't create a map of the base. Only the beacons. Tails frowned.
"How many clusters can you see?" He asked, as quietly as he could. Sukko looked around and made a quick guess.
{About two hundred.} He stated. Tails swore as he did the quick calculation.
"That's at least four thousands people here." He stammered. Sukko gulped. That was far more people then he'd anticipated. Then as Sukko drifted across the Telepathic Scan, he spotted a mind, in one of the clusters who signature he immediately recognised, that instantly ignited his anger. He growled.
{Tangle!} He angered. Tails frowned.
"Tangle?" He asked. "What about her?" He shrugged. Sukko stared at Tails. How long had he been here? He heaved, letting go of the Telepathy.
{She's pregnant.} He spat. This was the last straw. As far as Sukko was concerned, Dr. Starline had definitely gone to far now. Tails was stunned.
"We're got to get everybody out." He spat. Sukko agreed but there a problem.
{How? These bases are built inside a deep ravine. Getting four thousand potentially sick and very underfed people out was going to be extremely difficult.} He growled. Tails sighed.
"Pity we can't just Chaos Control them out." He wondered. Sukko smirked, his sarcasm getting the better of him.
{Oh? Do you have seven Chaos Emeralds and my brother on you by any chance.} He giggled. Though Sonic not being there wasn't a problem. It was more a minor inconvenience. There wasn't a place on Mobius the King of Speed couldn't get to, and knew as soon as he'd found them, he'd come running. Tails sighed again.
"I was looking for the Chaos Emeralds when I got kidnaped. I'd located five out of the seven, but I don't know if the Restoration have located the rest." He admitted. The he looked up a Sukko. "Your powerful, aren't you. Like Chaos Emerald powerful. I felt in when you were inside my head. Could you use your Chaos Sorcery to get everybody out?" He asked. Sukko again felt guilty, and yes he was indeed that powerful, as for using Magic to get everybody out.
{Yes, Tails, I do have the core strength and power to get everyone out, but don't process the Magical technique to do it.} He sighed. {I can't Teleport.} He added. Then it hit him. A brainwave so large it just might work. But it would mean seriously asking a huge amount of someone he held incredibly dear, knowing full well he'd agree. He got extremely excited. {Tails, I can't Teleport using Magic, but Sonic can.} He said, to the very surprised Fox. Sukko rolled his eyes. {Long story, but let's just say our powers didn't divide equally when we were born. However, If we combine Chaos abilities, it just might work. Him with the technique, me with the power.} He panted. It had worked before, sort of, at the Mobian Authorities, but this was on a significantly larger scale. Tails smiled, also excited, and then there was a message down the Psychic Link. It was Sonic, he was panting.
{Sukko, we've found you. I'm with Jewel at the Restoration. She's a whizz on the computer. Your not very far from Echo Mine. The sheer cliffs the mine is build into, leads out and extends out into the deep ravine that those bases are built into. Looks like it was originally as mine processing plant, rather then a prison.} He added. That made sense to Sukko. The jails cells the captives were being held in were originally storage rooms. That explained the large quantity of them. But Sukko was impatient.
{Can you get here?} He spat. Sonic sounded surprised.
{Yeah. Why? But what about the others?} He asked. It sounded like he was putting together a rescue party. Sukko heaved.
{No time.} He spat. {I have an idea.} He pressed, and immediately told Sonic what he'd found out and the plan. Sonic didn't need any persuasion, as Sukko suspected, and immediately took off from the Restoration towards them at full speed. They didn't have much time, Sukko knew that Echo Mine wasn't that far from the Restoration and knew that Sonic, at full speed, would be there within the hour. Sukko then wondered what to do next when coincidentally his answer came at the door behind him just moments later.
The door opened and Dr. Starline reappeared beside him. He looked Sukko up and down, very satisfied at his new servant. He obviously had been closely watching the camera, and having seen Sukko not move a muscle, obediently watching the captives, was very pleased. Oh, how little he knew. He walked past the Hedgehog and walked up the up towards the bars.
"Come with me Fox!" He spat. "Time for another session!" He leered indicating his left hand with the Tricore, the golden tips of his fingers glowing white again. Sukko immediately recognised it. Hypnotisation. On Tails? It sounded like they had had multiple sessions and the Fox didn't have the Sorcerer's immunity. He looked scared. Sukko anger flared again and seriously this time, enough was enough. Tangle, now Tails. This definitely was now too far, and Sukko outright lost his temper.
Sukko immediately broke his cover and walked up behind Dr. Starline. He taps the Platypus on the shoulder, causing the Doctor to turn around in confusion. Sukko had decided to go 'to hell with the Magic', and had closed his right fist. He then shakes his head at Dr. Starline, and then as quickly as he could and with as much might as he could muster, he punches Dr. Starline in the face, right across the beak. The Platypus is thrown back again the bars, and then slides down them to fall to the floor, unconscious. Completely out cold. Sukko is left growling in temper but knew he still had a job to do, and the captives were left staring. They had never seen a Blue Hedgehog hurt someone like that before, and were shocked.
But Sukko didn't care, and raising one of his hands, a simple flick of the wrist, wielded his Magical Telekinesis to instantly open the jail cell door. Nobody moved, but Tails, who was so relieved to get out, immediately ran out of jail cell door, over Dr. Starline, and hugged a stunned Sukko around the middle. This broke his temper. Tails was still reeling, and said what everyone was thinking.
"I can't believe you did that!" He panted. He'd never seen Sonic do it. Hit someone unconscious. It didn't even hurt the Hedgehog's hand. Sukko giggled, now speaking aloud for the first time since his arrival.
"I told you. I'm not Sonic." He smirked. He then looked down at Dr. Starline. "Plus, He's a bad guy." He sighed. "Need's must." He heaved, then got deadly serious as his own combat mode kicked in. "Look, you need to get out. I'll stay here and open all the doors and guide you as best I can. You need to congregate in a clearing or similar for the Teleportation to work. We don't have much time before Sonic gets here." He spat. That was true. There best chance of combining their power was going to be at the exact point of Sonic's arrival. He would be already be fully pumped up to the max with the Super-speed, meaning he'd in the correct mindset and ready to withstand Sukko's Magic. Timing would be everything. Sukko then stood firm, cross his hands in front of him and pushed them out sideways sending plumbs and slivers of blue vaporous luminescent Magic through the walls and out of the doors.
The captives immediately left, following the Magic, but as Tails left, he caught Sukko's eye, he looked worried.
"Tangle?" He said, Sukko nodded. "Don't worry. I'll find her." Tails smiled and then disappeared. Sukko was alone. Dr. Starline was out cold. He wouldn't be coming round for hours, and by that point, hopefully they'd be long gone. Sukko extended both his Telepathy and Telekinesis out into the base, and quickly found the other clusters of captives. Sukko couldn't see the locks on their jail cell door's, he had to feel for them, and this delicate but powerful Magic pushed Sukko very hard. Soon he'd opened all two hundred doors, and saw the captives through his Telepathy moving through the base, to congregate outside, a mass of blue beacons. The base was eerily silent, so Sukko reckoned there were no Badniks. One thing Sukko learned about Eggman's robots, they were not quiet. This place really was abandoned.
Soon everyone was in one place, after chasing all the stragglers, and the sound barrier breaking the distance told Sukko that it was finally his turn to leave. He left the jail cell, to be hit by a complex maze of identical rooms and corridors. No wonder people were getting lost. Sukko growled. He didn't have time for this. So running through the corridors, he used his Telekinesis to punch through holes in the walls directly ahead of him, until he hit an outside wall and fresh air. He then jumped out and immediately began using his Magic to hover as he was several stories up off the ground. He then flew around the base, looking for the congregation of captives. His ability to fly generally had improved greatly since he cracked Super-Flight.
Soon he found them ahead of him, but also spotted his brother running vertically straight down the steep ravine to meet them. He did a last minute Telepathic scan to check everyone was there, and soon the brothers eyes met. They nodded. They had discuss the plan, they both knew what to do. Then both the twins dived for the crowd, and clashed about three metres above them. Sukko immediately grabbed Sonic around the middle from behind, poured as much Chaos Sorcery into him as he could. Sonic, with both his hands free, quickly got overwhelmed, but used his own gutsy determination to control the hugely wild Magic.
Instead of Sukko controlling the Magic inside Sonic, it was Sonic's turn, to control it inside Sukko, and wow, he really was powerful. But Sonic had no time to marvel, as he used his hands to expand the Magic out to include themselves and everyone below. He felt the presence of everyone there and using Sukko immense power, he locked onto every single one of them. He screamed as he pushed himself hard to activate his one and only cast, Teleportation, as he thought of location to send everyone. Soon a blinding pale blue light completely engulfed everyone, and whoosh...they vanished.
With Sukko's incredible power, Sonic believed he could teleport anyone anywhere, and thought of a place to send them, where they could get help immediately. Aiming for the Restoration, he missed and coming up short, he ended up landing everyone in a empty field halfway between the Restoration and Echo Mine. Not ideal, but a lot better then where they were. There was a road, near the field, to at least cars and vehicles, could at least park up and help.
Sonic landed on his feet but collapsed. But someone caught him, and stopped him from hitting the ground.
{Sonikku!} He said. {I've got you.} He smirked, looking around. {Nicely done, by the way.} He added, holding him close. Sukko was severely heaving with the drain, but was nowhere near as bad as Sonic. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. Sukko put his hand on his chest, and tried to remove as much of the drain from his brother as possible on to himself. The blue luminescent hue shone brightly, and very quickly Sonic was wide awake and raring to go. He looked confused. He looked at his brother, scared, who was now swaying very badly.
{Look.} Sukko spat, down the Psychic Link. {I can take the drain, you can't. Now go, and take her with you!} He heaved, indicating Tangle behind him. She was in a very bad way, and much further along in her pregnancy that either of them remembered. Sonic saw her and agreed, picking her up and carrying her straight to the Restoration at full speed, and to also send help back. Soon Tails and Charmy Bee soon found Sukko amongst the crowd.
They stared at each other. The captives were free. Help was on the way. They had succeeded. But they still had no idea of what Dr. Starline's next move would be or how the Replicas came into it. But there was one thing for certain. This fight was only half over.