Miles came to a stop at the border of the Chemical Plant Complex, where the clean streets and occasional foliage gave way to cold steel and iron ground. Pathways of blue and yellow stretched this way and that around massive monochrome silos, almost with no rhyme or reason. He saw many transparent tubes that snaked around the facility, some carrying thick blue sludge, while others pumped strange pink water. Most concerning of all, the land had been dug deeply on all sides, allowing the complex to spread into the earth. This meant he would have to use the numerous ramps, catwalks, and access roads to get around. He could simply fly over the area and across the vast gap, but the smog clouds billowing forth from high-rising pipes, as well as smoke from the earlier explosion both dissuaded him.
There was also the deal with Sonic, whom he found a few meters away, just looking around. Miles followed his gaze, and curiously saw no sign of the threat, or anyone else for that matter. Maybe they were deeper within the facility. But before he went off to investigate, the fox marched over to the hedgehog, a scowl etched in his features.
"You made it," Sonic greeted him in a chipper tone, "you ready to bust some bad guys, buddy?"
"I am, and you're not coming," the older boy replied succinctly.
"Aw, don't be like that, big guy," the cobalt kid said in a slightly teasing manner, "what's the worst that could happen?"
Miles didn't answer that, fixing a deliberate stare into the hedgehog's green eyes. He maintained it for a moment before he shook his head and moved on past the younger Animal. He didn't want to deal with this right now. But, he didn't go far before his ears picked up the patter of those smaller shoes on metal. Miles let out an annoyed and tilted his head to look back at Sonic.
"Stop following me and get to safety," he told him tersely.
The hoglet chuckled. "Nah, running away isn't my thing. Besides, the safest place right now would be with the hero, and that's you!"
"This isn't a game," the fox said, losing his patience, "most of these people won't hesitate to try and kill you."
"That doesn't mean we can't have fun while kicking butt!"
Miles exhaled a heavy sigh. Sonic was proving to be mighty stubborn. The fox knew that he could be a bit persistent himself, but this boy was decidedly more so. Maybe it would be easier for him to just relent, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it. That, or Sonic would run off ahead, and he really didn't want that. He stopped and turned around to fully face the other Animal.
"You're going to come along no matter what I say, aren't you?" the fox assumed.
Sonic smirked and wagged a finger at him. "You know it."
"Fine," the teen conceded, returning his attention to the way forward, "just stick close to me and don't do anything too reckless, okay?"
The hedgehog gave the okay signal and strolled up to his right side.
"Alright, let's do it to it!" he declared, prompting Miles to groan and roll his eyes.
As they ventured forth into the complex proper, Miles noticed that two paths rose and fell in alternating arches. As he gazed further ahead, he noted that one of them continued along the same elevation. The other descended deeper into the facility, crossing near one of the large clear pipelines. There was the need to hurry forward, to stay on the course that would get him through. The mechanic in him, however, couldn't help but be curious at taking a look at the inner workings.
Deciding to heed the inquisitive part of him, Miles took off down the lower path. It narrowed out at one point before plunging even further into the complex, bringing the pair to a sudden loop in the path. What was with the environment and the people when it came to these structural designs? There weren't any odd things like this back where he came from. The fox and hedgehog sped up and made it through, only to come to a sharp turn. The former drifted on his soles and steered with his tails to keep from crashing, while the latter leaned far into the turn. They ran up a ramp at the end of the way, stopping in their tracks at what they found.
There was a pair of robotic bird Animals that stood roughly the same height as Sonic. Miles recognised them as similar to the typical Kukku combatants, but the metallic sheen gave away that they weren't organic. He let out a low growl, knowing exactly what these were.
"Robo Kukkus," he muttered, putting himself between the hedgehog and the synthetic soldiers, "and it looks like they've been upgraded since the last time I saw them. They still seem kinda clunky, though."
Sonic rubbed the bottom of his nose with one finger and sneered at the metallic minions. "Then this should be no problem!"
The robots took to the air and just as quickly dove for the fox, prompting Miles to dodge back. Sonic attempted to approach them from behind, but one of them swiveled its head around and opened its beak, firing a white hot laser. The blue blur weaved out of the way and curled into a ball while still running, soon after crashing into the droid's back. The Robo Kukku flew forward from the force of the blow and collided with the hazard railing, which damaged its wings. Because of that, it went hurtling over the side and into the strange pink liquid below, where it summarily exploded.
"That was a Rolling Attack just now," Miles said as he sidestepped a lunge from the remaining Robo Kukku.
Sonic uncurled right back to his feet and gave the fox a puzzled look. "You know about it?"
"I can do it, too," the older Animal replied, then smirked, "but let me show you one better."
The fox hunched low to the ground, and to the hedgehog's astonishment, he turned into an amber sphere that started to spin in place! A noise much like rubber tires screeching against pavement filled the air for a couple of seconds, and then the fox blasted forward. The yellow-orange ball smashed into the Robo Kukku with enough force to dismantle it on impact, sending scrap and shrapnel flying. Miles just as easily came out of the roll and whirled around to face Sonic, still wearing his grin.
"I call it the 'Spin Dash'," the teen declared as his chest fur puffed out a little, "I came up with it after testing a few different approaches to modifying the Rolling Attack."
"Way past cool!" the hedgehog exclaimed. He put his chin in the crook of one hand and stroked it thoughtfully. "I bet I could do that, too!"
Miles hummed and nodded his head. "With your speed and natural rolling ability, I can see you picking it up in no time." His face became serious once again, and he returned his attention to the way ahead. "Anyway, let's get going. There's no way those two Robo Kukkus were the only forces here."
The two of them carried on, and at the end of the path, one of those many large tubes from before was unblocked. Miles was hesitant to get any closer, but Sonic had no such compunction and all but tackled him into the pipe. The fox yelped as he found himself being jettisoned into the tight space, which forcibly balled him up into a Rolling Attack. They shot forward through the glass passage, then took a deep dive as it turned down, plunging further into the facility. The path hit another right angle, traveling parallel to a veritable lake of the pink water. The tube looped back up towards the complex, and at the end, the pair shot out of another opening and went sprawling until they came to rest on their backsides.
"Ow," Miles grumbled aloud, rubbing at his tails and glaring at the hedgehog, "thanks for the warning."
Sonic snickered and put his hands on his hips. "You're the one who said we had to get going. And that got us a lot deeper into this place, didn't it?"
The fox grunted his displeasure at the smart-alecky remarks, but said nothing. While the tubes were a rough way to get around, it did make some sense. The maze of catwalks and pathways would take a while to navigate even for the regulars. Installing an easier way to travel about the complex was common sense, though it was a little intense. It also made Miles wonder exactly where all the workers were. He and Sonic hadn't encountered another Animal apart from themselves since they got here. Had the Kukkus gotten to them, or did some manage to escape?
Miles noticed that their only way forward was back up, and so both fox and hedgehog took the nearest ramp. They passed along a small walkway with wire mesh on either side, presumably another sort of safety precaution. As the duo continued along the path, some of the blue sludge from before suddenly shot down an overhanging pipe, forcing them to jump back. Miles gasped as a little bit of goo got on his right glove, which he promptly took off and threw to the ground. Within seconds, the substance corroded through the material on the back of the hand, but fizzled out completely before it could eat into the palm on the other side.
"That's some boiling hot stuff," Sonic commented, earning him a pointed look from the older boy, to which he simply shrugged and grinned.
Once he was sure it was safe, Miles put the damaged glove back on and examined the flow of sludge closely. It took him a moment to notice the exact intervals, seizing the chance once the way was open. But, there was trouble waiting for them on the other side as three more Robo Kukkus swooped in from above. Miles dove forward into a Rolling Attack to dodge the robots' attempt to claw at him, then spun on his heel and swung his tails into the abdomen of the nearest one. Despite the soft and fluffy appearance, the appendages sliced through the metal like a hot knife through warm butter, bisecting the bot horizontally and rendering it nonfunctional.
Sonic ran up behind a second one and gave it a jump kick in the backside, which didn't damage it very much, but the hit certainly got its attention. The hedgehog zipped back towards the caustic blue goo and stuck his tongue out at the robot while also stretching one of his eyelids. While not programmed to feel offended, the Robo Kukku charged all the same towards its young target, talons extended. At the last second, Sonic leapfrogged over his incoming foe and kicked at the rear of its head. The strike sent it hurtling down into one of the tubes that was spewing the sludge, plugging up the end. Scant seconds later, the crackling of electricity and the groaning of warped metal could be heard as the pressure and acidity of the bubbling azure liquid seeped through the droid's head.
"And the score is now two-all!" Sonic declared as he took on the voice of a high-energy sports announcer.
As Miles contended with the last one, he reached into Remi's storage space. While he dodged his foe's talons left and right, he felt around for a moment until his fingers grasped what he'd been meaning to find. The fox pulled out a one-handed hammer with a yellow handle topped with a blue cylindrical head, sporting two larger yellow cylindrical faces on either end. It wasn't a huge tool, but Sonic did notice that it seemed a little too big to fit in the pack form of the robot companion. Miles kicked forward off the ground, his weapon relaxedly held at one side. The Robo Kukku made to slash him while he was in midair, but the fox twirled his tails just enough to delay his trajectory and avoid the attack. With his enemy now open, the teen flipped in the air, brought his tool's face over his head and down into the cranium of the synthetic bird...at least, that was what he meant to do.
Instead, Sonic came out of his right blindspot and performed a Rolling Jump, sending the robot tumbling into a nearby wall. Miles clenched his teeth as his hammer slammed into the much thicker metal of the floor and sent a dull ache up his arm, nearly making him drop his tool. He spun about to see the young hedgehog repeating his attack from before, this time driving himself into the top of the Robo Kukku. Much as the fox had intended, Sonic crushed the thing's head, making it drop to the ground in a sparking heap. He whooped and pumped a fist into the air, looking quite pleased with his handiwork.
"Alright, that brings it up three to two!" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth and mimicking a roaring crowd.
Miles, however, was not so content.
"I had that!" he protested indignantly, "and I told you not to do anything too reckless! I almost caved your head in!"
"Yeah," Sonic retorted with a cocky smirk, "but you didn't."
The fox clutched his bangs with his free hand and sucked in a breath. As fun as it had been to race this guy and build the Tornado with him, he sure could be grating. But, he couldn't let it get to him, not when he had to focus on the situation.
'Calm down, Miles,' he thought, 'it's because things are going well that he can be like this. Be thankful nothing's gone seriously awry yet, earlier explosion notwithstanding.'
Miles grunted and let go of his hair, then stowed his hammer away.
"Look," he said in a patient tone, "if I need your help, I'll say it. Please don't cut into my fights unless I ask, okay?"
Sonic nodded up to him and flashed a thumbs-up. He hoped that the hedgehog really did understand, otherwise he'd be...well, frustrated might not be strong enough of a word.
With that out of the way, Miles and Sonic contended with more open pipelines releasing the corrosive sludge, watching their steps as they went. They came into another open area and took the opportunity to briefly speed up to make up for some lost time. The two shot through another of those oddly placed loops that seemed prevalent in this island's geography and architecture, then at the end of the path, they bumped into a quartet of yellow and blue cubes. The objects reacted to their touch, rising up into a simple staircase, albeit one that required them to jump to climb it rather than step. Miles and Sonic proceeded down a slope, but just before they got to the ramp at the end of it, they felt the floor give way beneath their feet.
The hedgehog reached for the fox, who reflexively brought him close in a bridal carry as his two tails began to spin. He was surprised that the kid was a fair bit heavier than he looked, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Fortunately, he'd had enough time to react so that they could painlessly hover down to the floor below. After a couple of seconds, Miles put Sonic back on his feet and peered back up towards where they'd come from. The floor hadn't so much as collapsed as the panels had rotated beneath them at precisely the wrong moment. That was when he also discovered that they were very close to the bottom of the facility, as the tainted water was only a handful of meters below now. They could fly back up, but it would be easier to find another way forward from where they were.
He only made it a few steps before his ears alerted him to the fact that his young charge wasn't following. Miles glanced back to see that Sonic was staring at him.
"What?" the fox asked, a bit weirded out.
Sonic pointed to his tails and cocked his head, a broad grin on his face. "You can fly?"
Ah, right. Miles recalled that Sonic had seen him use his appendages to give himself a turbo boost, but the kid hadn't witnessed him utilize their true talent.
"Yeah," he responded, rubbing one of his arms with the other hand, "ever since I was really young, I've been able to." He wasn't sure why he felt the need to share that, but it was out in the open now.
Sonic took a moment to digest that.
"That sounds just like my speed," he said in an oddly contemplative tone, though he soon returned to his usual chipper self, "but that's radical, big guy! Don't get me wrong, I love running and going fast. But I wish I could fly without help, and that I could sw–" He suddenly clamped his mouth shut before he could complete the sentence.
Miles cocked one side of his brow and tilted his head. "Could what?"
"Nothing," Sonic replied as he quickly walked to catch up with the teen.
The fox watched him pass by, then let his lips curl up into a grin.
"Is there something you don't want me to know?" he inquired teasingly.
"Let's just go," the spiny boy insisted, "there's more of those guys, right?"
Miles snickered to himself, leaving it at that. He'd have plenty of time later to pester the hedgehog about whatever it was he was hung up on. He felt the kid deserved it after all the sass.
They proceeded carefully, avoiding burns and worse as they ducked away from sludge that was now firing in arcs from tube to tube. From there, it was a fairly long stretch for the both of them, one that ended up leading them back up into the main complex. They came across another of those transport pipes, and since they were ready and knew what to expect this time, Miles leapt into it without pause. He once again became an amber sphere, riding with Sonic through the tube and quickly gaining more altitude in the place. Once they left through the other end, the duo found more of those stair cubes from before. This set went down instead, connecting with a ramp that evened out into another long straightaway. From here, the boys picked up some speed, coming closer to what seemed to be the center of the plant.
The two ran for a solid minute before they felt the path start to dip down. The descent became very steep, so the fox took advantage of the slope by curling up into a Rolling Attack, with the hedgehog following suit. They continued to build up speed, watching the environment around them start to blur from his rising velocity. The route suddenly came to another ramp at the bottom, making the pair shoot up high into the air. The teen spun around to catch the younger boy while he put his two tails into action. Just before they started to come back down, Miles used them to fly over the guardrails of a nearby outcropping, where a second ramp awaited them.
They spotted two platforms that rotated along an automated belt, leading up to another ledge. Up there, Miles and Sonic found another transport tube, hopping inside after determining there was no other place that they could go. They ascended further up into the facility, and after they came out of the other end of the pipe, found themselves nearly as high up as they'd been a minute ago. A third ramp brought the fox and hedgehog to another yellow and blue path that turned down in the other direction, the one they'd used before now visible on the opposite side. The layout was rather perplexing, but they followed it all the same, once again using the Rolling Attack to ride the slope. Their speed allowed them to easily clear a loop, and they were delivered up yet another incline to a second tube. This one brought them just below where he had started, which was beginning to rather annoy Miles. Sonic, on the other hand, was having fun with all these twists and turns.
This third decline sent the pair through one loop, which turned sharply down onto a new path that put them even closer to the pink water. They didn't have time to gawk at his proximity, as they were shuttled through a second loop along the way, and again came to a sharp upward turn. The two flew through the air once more to find his path blocked by more of those cubes from earlier. However, they began to rotate even before they approached, showing that there was more to explore beyond the makeshift wall. Miles waited until the time was right before he jumped on top of one of the cubes, riding it until it brought him to the other side. Once Sonic joined him, they moved on and found a small hump in the path and a loop just past it. This led to a second one, and after they passed through that, the two went sailing over a large gap to another suspended pathway that nearly touched the pink water.
Looking above, he spotted two platforms that were moving along a belt on another stretch above. Rather than continue on where he was going, Miles flew up and headed along the path up there in the direction he came from. This turned out to be a wise decision on his part, as he found the tainted fluids below began to rise, until the level stopped just below the moving platforms he passed. The fox narrowly avoided more of those panels that switched under his feet, and ascended up onto another walkway that rose and fell. Two more loops awaited him, directing him down near the higher water and across another gap to a ramp. He flew across a wide crevice in the path, touching down on the other side and running along another open stretch.
This kept up for a few seconds, even at the pace they were going. Miles could see that they were coming near the source of the explosion from earlier. But, just as the two of them made their way into that section, a blast door slammed down behind them, as did another one a bit further ahead. That tainted water was now just below the floor, giving the fox a very bad feeling. The true threat, however, he soon discovered was not below, but above.
A bulky, tarantula-like spider mech dropped down, its weight causing the platform to buckle and nearly topple the boys over. The lower half of its legs and its body had a red trim, and its abdomen was mostly black aside from some gold accents around where the spinnerets would be. Its mandibles were a combination of those three colors, while its four pairs of electronic eyes were a neon green. Miles may not have had a phobia of creepy crawlies, but he could concede it was an intimidating design.
"Need my help with this one?" Sonic asked him cheekily.
The fox eyed up the robot, then briefly shifted his gaze to the hedgehog. "I think I'd appreciate it, yes."
"Hoo hoo hoo! If it isn't Miles Prower!" came a voice from the spider.
The optics of the machine projected a light down onto the floor a few meters away from the duo. It shifted into the form of an elderly owl that the fox was all too familiar with, a devious grin on his beak. Sonic was intrigued by this development, while Miles could only give a deadpan look at the hologram.
"And my, how you've grown!" the bird remarked with a cackle, "how the years can change someone!"
"Not for the better in your case, Dr. Foolkurokov," the fox answered snarkily.
"It's Fukurokov!" the owl interjected, ineffectively stomping a foot in anger, "Fu-ku-ro-kov!"
"Oh, I know how it's pronounced," Miles replied impertinently, "and I know how much it aggravates you when people say it incorrectly."
The sound of grinding teeth could be heard over the audio transmission.
"Ooh, you're more impudent than the last time we crossed paths!" Dr. Fukurokov growled as his feathers ruffled up.
Miles laughed at the ridiculous sight of the hologram. "You mean the time you went behind the Empire's back and tried to capture me along with two buddies of mine?" He had a mocking grin on his face as he recalled the incident. "I bet Fifteenth was royally livid with you after that catastrophic screw-up."
"Your victory was a fluke, you fetid freak of a fox!" the old bird screeched furiously, "bah, enough! I'll dissolve you and your little friend with my Auto Arachnid's caustic chemicals!"
The robot aimed its abdomen in his direction and fired a small volley of the volatile sludge he'd come across before. The fox leapt out of the way and took flight, turning over in mid-air as the massive arachnid attempted to swiped at him with a couple legs. Sonic darted towards one of the walls, flipping around so that his feet would brace against it. He launched himself off of it into a Rolling Jump, narrowly avoiding a shot of blue slime sent his way and careening into the thing's abdomen. A loud clang sounded out as the blue blur bounced off of its carapace and uncurled from his ball form.
"Ow, what's that hunk of junk made of?" he complained as he rubbed at his head.
"Why, only the latest and greatest alloys and polymers devised by my brilliant mind!" the Kukku chief engineer boasted.
The kid had to weave to one side as the spider brought down a limb to try and skewer him, only to get it stuck in the floor. While it attempted to free itself, Miles dropped down on the other side and reached into Remi, pulling out a palm-sized metallic disc from the storage space. He dashed towards the Auto Arachnid, went into a slide, then slapped his device right on its belly before he came out from the other side of its legs. The moment the spider wrenched its leg free from the metal below, the fox pulled out his multitool and tapped one of the buttons on the front. An explosion rocked the robot, and while it wasn't seriously damaged, it was knocked off balance to the point it tumbled onto its side, leaving its belly exposed.
"So brilliant that you didn't think to apply them in even layers over the whole frame," Miles criticized as he shook his head disappointedly, "tsk tsk."
Sonic took the opportunity to attempt a Rolling Attack, ramming into the underside like a hammer. A few crackles and sparks indicated that it had been much more effective than his previous attack, proving the fox's point. The Kukku creation was soon back on its legs soon after that, focusing its optics on the boy. It dipped its mechanical fangs into the pink water and drew some of it into its over-sized body. As Sonic retreated back, it spat the fluid at him in tandem with the sludge from its rear blaster. The hoglet swerved this way and that, watching as the spider climbed up the opposite side of the chamber. Miles flew up towards him and went to deliver a strike with his twin appendages, but the big bot saw it coming and swung one of its legs at the amber teen. He was sent tumbling back through the air, but he used his tails to stop before he smacked into the wall. The robot took the moment to capitalize on his disorientation, launching more water at him.
Miles quickly lost altitude as he was hit and slammed into the wall behind him, then slid and fell towards the floor below. Luckily, he managed to right himself and slowed his descent until his feet were as high as Sonic's head. The spider attempted to fire more of its corrosive slop, but discovered that its tank was empty. It climbed further up the wall to one of the ceiling's corners, fixing itself to a pipe of the stuff and slowly restoring its reserves. Sensing an opportunity, Miles hovered over to Sonic.
"How high can you jump?" he asked the hedgehog.
The kid thumbed his nose confidently. "How high do you need me to jump?"
"High enough to hit that thing's underbelly," the teen answered.
Sonic's eyes glanced up and down from the floor to the refilling robot, then turned back to the fox. "Yeah, I can do that, I just need a little head start."
"Then I'll distract him and get you an opening."
The fox soared up after it, being wary to dodge its spitting as he closed in. It raised a leg and tried to bring it down on the teen, though Miles was ready this time. His form listed to the side at the last moment, tricking the robot into getting the appendage stuck in the wall.
"No surprise there, doc," he snidely remarked as he picked at one of his ears, "it's built to be tough, but it's obvious you're the one controlling it with how predictable it's acting. Why didn't you give this one A.I. like with the Robo Kukkus?" He dodged out of the way of more limb strikes as he kept it up. "And why the spider design? Your old Mecha Golem was based on a mole, too. I thought you guys were all about birds being the ones on top."
"Shut your damn mouth!" the owl yelled crossly through the transmission, "unlike most in the Empire, I am not so blinded by my avian pride as to be onenote!"
As the thing whirred and strained to get free once again, Sonic bolted for a second, then leapt high and spun into the underside again, causing the Auto Arachnid to spasm and jolt for a hot second. This, however, gave the mechanical menace the leverage it needed to remove its leg from the wall, prompting the paid to retreat back to the ground for the moment. The spider detached itself from its spot and slid down the metal surface, stopping itself just before the overhang above the blast door and using its rear four legs to anchor its form as it prepared another assault. The boy backed up as their foe unleashed a torrent of blue sludge at their feet, forcing Miles to grab him and retreat into the air, but it didn't stop there.
The spider whipped its head about, scattering its shot in a loose spread. Miles wheeled around to shield Sonic while also trying to avoid this change in tactics. He was able to dodge most of the volley, but some drops of the stuff did get onto his shoes and yellow-orange coat, making him cry out in pain and nearly drop Sonic due to it. The chemical hurt worse than all the times he accidentally splashed and burned himself, and it was in multiple spots to boot. Not only that, some of the material on his favorite kicks also suffered, which made Miles angry. His hands twitched as he felt the temptation to reach for the Chaos Emeralds and call upon their power to scrap this metal minion.
It would be so much easier if he did that, but after a brief consideration, Miles chose to ignore this impulse, thinking it best to save the gems for a more desperate situation. For now, he looked around to see if that liquid had affected anything else like it had him. Sure enough, the corrosive substance had worn away part of the platform they had stood on, and bits of the wall he was hovering in front of. Miles began formulating a plan in his head as he considered this. He couldn't be sure the spider wasn't waterproof, but it didn't look like it was equipped to be amphibious. At the very least, he could slow it down if he could manage to get the thing even partially submerged. It just required a little time and ingenuity on his and Sonic's part, and exploitation of that weak belly.
Miles dropped the kid, making sure he landed well enough before flying further up towards the ceiling and turning to face away from the Auto Arachnid. It seemed confused, no doubt due to Dr. Fukurokov's direct input, which was perfect for his plan. He peeked over his shoulder at the thing and bent over more during flight, showing off his rump.
"Come on, old man owl," he jeered as he slapped his furry cheeks a couple times, "give it your best shot!"
To his amusement, the doctor took the bait, if the outraged squawk from the spider's speakers was any indication. The Auto Arachnid let loose another spray of blue sludge, intending to douse much of the area the fox was in. Miles had anticipated this, diving low to avoid the shots, but staying high enough that his companion wasn't in the line of fire.
"Go for the eyes, Sonic!" he shouted to the hedgehog.
Sonic knelt down and curled himself up, the spiky blue ball revving in place for a couple of seconds before he burst forward. He launched himself from the path into the eyes of the spider as he transferred the momentum to a Rolling Jump. Miles couldn't help gawking at the display.
'I know I said he'd pick it up in no time, but this is ridiculous!' he thought, 'I showed him the Spin Dash only a few minutes ago!'
The robot was out of sorts for a good few seconds from the hit, letting the fox refocus and get into position as he flew up the length of the undamaged wall above it.
"Bet you can't hit me up here, deadeye!" Miles taunted, one of his hands flashing a rather rude gesture its way.
Once again, it was goaded into firing a load of slime, this time straight up into the air towards the fox. He narrowed his form as he shot downward, watching as the fluid splattered along the wall the spider was fastened to. The Auto Arachnid was unharmed by the substance, but its hold on the wall began to slip as corrosion wore it down. It attempted to reestablish its hold, but found itself tumbling down as bits of the material flaked away. The floor panels below it broke off as the big bot crashed into them, its legs flailing about as it tried to grasp at its surroundings. Sonic wasted no time in hopping, skipping, and Roll Jumping into the spider's belly just as it broke the surface.
The chemicals in the water caused the arcs of electricity from the hit to flash all across the spider, making it writhe and convulse. It righted itself back onto the main platform after a short time, but not before taking another blow to the face, courtesy of the hoglet. It retaliated with a swipe of its front legs, and tried to bite the boy with its mandibles as well, but he was far too nimble. Miles whipped through the air and performed a double foot dive into the Badnik's abdomen, making it so the spinnerets were driven into the now jagged edge of the partly corroded platform. A horrific crack came from the spider's innards, and the acidic fluid started to leak profusely from its backside.
As the Auto Arachnid thrashed about from the doctor trying to free it, Sonic slid under its belly to avoid getting stomped by the wildly flailing legs. The hedgehog slammed up into the weak point with yet another Rolling Jump, causing the arachnid robot to once more fall back into the water. Seeing his chance, Miles whipped out his hammer and set his mind to dealing a decisive blow. He flew up as high as the room would allow before letting gravity take hold. He lifted his weapon above his head and brought it down right as he landed on the Auto Arachnid, delivering a pinpoint pounding to the spider's dented gut. It warped and buckled to the point much of the inner circuitry of the cephalothorax was revealed, giving more surface area for the thing to be shocked. And, much to the fox's satisfaction, the sensitive workings lacked resistance to the pink fluid and the torrid sludge now leaking over them.
Water bubbled and sparks flew as the terrible machine's legs folded in towards its body. Miles wrenched his hammer free and put it away, then ran over to heft Sonic onto his shoulders and put as much distance between them and the floor as he could. He knew where this was going.
"No, this...impossible!" he heard Dr. Fukurokov fuming through the speakers, the damage distorting the audio, "you...child! Don't think...yet–"
In short order, the fox was proven right as the Auto Arachnid sank below the surface and exploded seconds later. Much of the platform and support beneath the nearby blast door was destroyed, and a huge column of water erupted upwards like a geyser. The fox brought himself and Sonic back down once the spray dissipated and the water's tension had calmed. The hoglet whistled and clenched his fists excitedly.
"That was tight!" he said with exuberance, looking over to the teen with a glint of respect in his eyes, "you fight things like this all the time, big guy?"
"No, not all the time," Miles replied honestly, then grunted in pain and hunched over, putting his hands on his knees.
Now that the adrenaline had worn off, the burning and stinging from the earlier chemical splash attack came back. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but it hurt more than he'd expected. He took in steady breaths and stood upright, grimacing as the action sent another hot shock down his spine.
"Hey, you alright?" Sonic asked him with a tinge of concern in his voice.
He walked around the fox and gasped at what he saw. Small patches of fur were eaten away, leaving sore red spots and a bit of blood staining the surrounding amber coat. In fact, Sonic noticed fresh drops were slowly pooling from the wounds.
"We gotta get you to a doctor!" he exclaimed worriedly, taking hold of one of the teen's arms in his hands.
Miles lightly shrugged the hedgehog off of him and shook his head. "No, we're not done here yet."
His eyes scanned and went to the sight of the smoke and fire that was still present in their part of the complex. It was spreading from a handful of ruined platforms and silos, and the water below did nothing to slow it down. He'd nearly forgotten about it thanks to the heated battle. Sonic followed his gaze and upon seeing what he meant, he sprung into action.
"Take a breather, big guy," he told the fox, "I'll find a way to put it out!"
After the boy ran through the opening in the blast door, Miles slowly took flight, his eyes darting around to see if he could find some sort of control room. He spotted an isolated chamber in the middle of the pink lake with two walkways that connected it to the rest of the area. He made his way over and landed on one side, going to one of the doors to test it. To his luck, it was unlocked, and he rushed inside, shutting it behind him. Inside were several consoles with dozens of buttons, switches, and standard keyboards, with many more monitors above them, most of which had footage that comprised the majority of the facility.
He had to take care of the fire, but with the pain and blood loss, he knew he'd have trouble focusing. Miles shrugged Remi off of his back and put it down, then brought out the cyan Emerald before the robot subsequently changed into its Critter state.
"Remi, pull up surveillance," he commanded his companion as he sat down against one of the walls and cupped the stone in one hand, "search the past half hour for suspicious activity, then determine if there are any civilians or Kukkus still in the complex."
The robot barked affirmatively and strolled up to the console next to its master. It located the necessary data port, then extended a wire with the proper fitting from the back of its head, plugging it into the slot. While that was happening, Miles ran his other hand over part of his back. He cringed at the sting of his gloves touching raw patches and the obvious lack of fur in some spots, then shuddered a little when he brought it back in front of him. The material was splashed with quite a bit of light and dark red, not good.
The fox slowed his breathing and shut his eyes as he focused on the warmth of his gem. His thoughts centered on the energy flowing into him, and he projected his need to recover. He hissed as the hot pain flared up again for a moment, only to groan in relief as an icy sensation washed over it. It was as strange as it was pleasant, for he could feel his wounds closing and fur slowly sprouting back where it had been burned away. In a few moments, Miles noted that every bit of prior discomfort had faded. He once again felt over his back with his free hand, fresh hairs brushing his fingers that hadn't been there seconds ago. With that, he put the Emerald away, got to his feet, and went over to another of the consoles.
Miles typed away at the keys and navigated the basic layout of the OS to the emergency systems. A prompt for an administrative login came up, but the fox brought up the command window rather than enter any info. All too easily, his fingers flew across the keyboard, streams of code filled the window, and after several seconds, he executed it all. With that, he bypassed the login and gained direct access, wasting no time in going for the fire contingencies. As was standard for large places like this, he saw that there were safety measures in place for each class of fire. Given that it was explosive in origin, the best approach was to smother it. He clacked away a few more times and ran the program he found.
The fox covered his ears as a loud klaxon rang throughout the facility, which was followed up by white clouds coming down on the flames and pretty much everywhere else outside the room he was in. It was a specialized chemical foam backed by pressurized nitrogen, serving to not only cover up the fire, but rob it of its heat as well. The streams of the agent kept up for a minute or so before Miles deemed it safe to shut them down. Once the view was clear again, he was pleased to see that the blaze had been extinguished, though there was a lot of residue coating the place as a result.
A few moments later, Sonic arrived with bits of foam sticking to him, but had a beaming face despite how he appeared. The fox couldn't help but chuckle softly at how silly, and somewhat cute, the kid looked like that.
"Just couldn't sit still, huh?" he asked, dusting some of the substance off of himself and taking a peek at the older guy's spine. His eyes widened at the lack of wounds. "Wow, you heal pretty fast, big guy! You've got some white patches back there now, though."
"Perhaps that chemical went deep into the follicles and bleached the roots," Miles theorized as he went over to check on Remi's progress, "either that, or it's the result of scarring. I'll most likely know by the time my winter coat comes in."
The small robot yapped to get their attention, its gray eyes glowing an electric blue. On the screen above its position, footage showed the Auto Arachnid had made its way into the facility from the depths of the chemical waters. Huh, so it had been waterproof and somewhat amphibious, at least until its innards were exposed. On the monitor to the right of it, a detailed plan of the complex was pulled out, where Remi had outlined an immense pipeline that went under much of West Side Island to the Oil Ocean Refinery built off the eastern coast. Another camera displayed a handful of Robo Kukkus entering the place from above, having used the darkening sky to their advantage.
At first, Miles had been confused as to why such a small force would be used to attack a considerably large installation like this one. However, he soon discovered the reason when additional video showed that those had turned out to be a diversion from another sinister operation. Kukku combatants had swept through the complex while their automatons and the remote-controlled spider wreaked havoc, taking bird Animals prisoner, and capturing Flickies as well as eagle Critters known as Lockies. In a matter of minutes, they'd rounded up dozens of such individuals and loaded them into compact submersible transports that they'd also snuck in through the Oil Ocean Pipeline. From what Miles could tell, the squads of soldiers had left with their captives not long after he and Sonic had confronted Fukurokov's creation. They had just missed the chance to save them!
"We've got to move!" the fox exclaimed, Remi morphing back into its portable form upon recognizing the urgency in its master's voice and body language. Just as he slung the robot onto his shoulders, Miles felt the events of the day catch up to him at that moment and put a hand against his head. The Emeralds may have healed his physical wounds and discomfort, but they hadn't replenished his stamina, and using their power to perform tasks like mending himself could be taxing in that regard.
"Maybe we should rest first," Sonic suggested, once again taking him by the arm, "then we can go after them first thing tomorrow morning!"
Miles thought about pushing him away a second time and moving on until he fell asleep against a tree under the starry sky. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that, but he knew that the hedgehog was right. He'd need a full night's rest to best recuperate from the strain his body had gone through, especially after using the Emeralds' power. At least that way, he'd be ready for the next day with a clear mind, and just a wee bit more strength than he woke up with previously.
Thus, the fox went along with Sonic and eventually found themselves a relatively affordable hotel that was willing to let anyone stay so long as they could pay. The room was pretty bare aside from the essentials, but that suited them just fine, aside from the fact that there was only one bed. Miles went to sleep on the couch and offered Sonic the large mattress, but the hedgehog got the idea that he could sleep under the covers while Miles slept on top. Since he had so much fur as a fox, as well as two big fluffy tails, he could more easily keep himself warm. Too tired to argue, the teen capitulated to this arrangement and let his head sink back into one of the pillows. Remi climbed up onto the sheets and "slept" at the foot of the bed like a dog Critter would, thankfully spaced enough so that the two Animals wouldn't feel crowded.
Before Miles could nod off, though, he found the younger boy looking his way with a curious expression.
"Hey, Miles?" the hoglet inquired, which surprised the teen a little. It had been the first time he'd heard Sonic actually use his name.
"What's up, Sonic?" he replied, turning his head to face the smaller Animal.
The blue boy hesitated a moment before speaking again. "Earlier, you said that 'we' had to go." He chuckled softly. "I thought you were against me tagging along or being your partner."
"Well," the fox tried to search for a reason, then recalled something his companion had said, "you'd claimed the safest place was by my side. And," he continued with a sigh of reluctance, but also had a soft smile on his muzzle, "after seeing what you can do today, you're probably right. We'd stand a better chance if we stuck together, at least for the time being." He held up a finger just as Sonic began to say something. "But, this doesn't make us partners."
The hedgehog snickered at that specific addition. "Sure, whatever you say, big guy."
"Ugh, I'm going to sleep now," the fox groaned as he rolled himself over to the opposite side and slipped one hand under his pillow to help support his head, "good night, kid."
"Good night."
And almost like a light, the spiny tyke was out. But Miles stayed up a little longer, his thoughts occupied by several things. There was the matter that the Battle Kukku Empire really was back, and that they were willing to take bird species from both Animals and Critters as prisoners. The latter point was something they'd previously done, but they appeared more aggressive this time, and with West Side Island's larger population compared to his home, there were far more potential targets.
'Not to mention the Chaos Emeralds,' he considered, 'the Empire likely has at least one of them by now. And if Sonic's going to continue accompanying me...'
Miles hummed and shut his eyes. He knew that, as hesitant as he'd been before about disclosing the nature of the stones to the kid, he'd have to sooner than later. That also meant he'd have to explain just who the Empire was and what they'd done in the past, which would involve divulging his own origins. And then, what to do after this ordeal was over? Part ways with Sonic and go back home for a while? Bring the kid along with him to whatever new adventure awaited at a future destination?
For now, he'd sleep on all that and figure out what to do after he was refreshed.
