Miles slowly blinked awake, rubbing blearily at his eyes. He looked over at the only window in the hotel room the twins had taken him and Sonic back to, the street lights creeping through the blinds. The hedgehog in question was curled up and facing away from him on one of the two beds, using his two tails as a makeshift blanket. Gadget and Gizmo were both on the other bed, their backs to each other as they slept soundly. Charmy and his associates had also joined them a bit later during the night, the bee sprawled out on the couch along with Vector. Espio used the two chairs set up near the small table as his own bed; it didn't look at all comfortable, but the chameleon didn't seem to mind.
The fox reached over to fetch the Miles Electric from the nearby nightstand and powered it on, keeping the light low as he checked the time.
'0345. Well, I got a decent amount of sleep,' he thought, 'it's still dark out, but not for too much longer. Better take advantage of it while we can.'
Much as he hated to disturb his friends and his siblings, Miles knew that they had little time before assaulting the Battle Fortress became all the more difficult. When he went to push himself to sit up, he felt a hard and familiar shape against his other palm. It was the cyan Chaos Emerald, which he'd apparently been holding onto since before he awakened.
'Weird, I don't recall going to bed with it,' the teen mused with some confusion.
He shrugged and put the matter aside for the time being. It wouldn't be the first time it ended up happening, anyway. He got up, frowning sympathetically as Sonic shivered when he moved his tails. The fox leaned over and gently shook his friend's shoulder.
"Hey, kid," Miles whispered, "get up."
The hoglet tossed and turned for a moment, then stretched out his arms and legs, letting out a loud yawn. The two pairs of wolf ears perked up at the boy's noisemaking, and Miles soon saw orange eyes peering over at him.
"Mm, what time is it?" Gadget mumbled, feeling around for his glasses on the other nightstand.
"A little before oh-four-hundred," Gizmo replied just as sleepily while she checked her comm, "guess we're getting up. Better break out the breakfast bars."
Miles let them dig out the rations they'd purchased last night as he went to wake the others. Espio had apparently woken up shortly after the fox, and nearly startled him when those golden eyes opened so suddenly as he drew near. Charmy took a few pokes to get going, though the moment he was, his wings buzzed to life and lifted him into the air like always, even while still half-asleep. It was an ordeal to rouse Vector, though. Gentle words, light slaps and shrugs, and attempts to move him were all unsuccessful. In the end, both of his colleagues had plugged his snout and scared him awake from the temporary lack of air, something he obviously didn't appreciate.
As the teal wolf had suggested, the lot of them snacked on dried food bars which, while not the most appetizing, would at least tide them over. At the same time, Miles brought his multitool over to Remi and fiddled behind the robot's ears, flipping open a panel and drawing a wire out of it. He connected his two creations together, tapping at the Miles Electric a few times and causing the little robot's optics to light up. It projected a 3D image into the center of the room, one large enough that everyone could clearly make out the details. From what the others could tell, it was some kind of map, and they had an idea of what exactly.
"That is the inside of the Battle Fortress?" Espio asked, voicing the question they'd all pondered.
Miles nodded affirmatively. "I'm not sure how much it's changed since I last infiltrated the place, if at all, but yes."
"Huh. It's not as big on the inside as it looks on the outside," Charmy observed, "must be all the armor plating and stuff."
The fox smirked after hearing that. Indeed, he'd been rather surprised at how compact the ship's interior was when he got hold of the schematics. It had only seemed huge when walking around due to the many layers of defense he'd had to get around and contend with. The fox had also been younger and smaller back then, and he didn't have the support for that mission that he did now.
"So, what's the plan, big guy?" Sonic inquired, ready to get down to brass tacks.
The teen tapped at the Miles Electric, snipping three portions of the map away from the whole. He then zoomed and enhanced the projected images, bits of data appearing to hover next to them.
"A bit more hastily thought up than I'd like," he admitted, stifling another yawn, "but as things stand, we're pressed for time, so it can't be helped." He gestured to the display trifecta he'd set up. "I'll try and keep it short. We'll split up into three teams, each with a different objective."
The topmost of the images blew up larger than the others. It had a simplistic design that consisted of a few floors that decreased in size the further up they went, save for the one at the very peak. Out of the three schematics, it also appeared to have the smallest amount of ground to cover.
"Team 1 will be Sonic and I," Miles continued, "our job is to get to the bridge, make our way to the command room, bring down Fifteenth, and then shut down the Battle Fortress. We'll wait to make our final move until Teams 2 and 3 complete their own tasks."
He cycled through to the next one, which was a series of access shafts that twisted down into the depths of the fortress. At the end of them, there was a compact room that contained an even more intimate space beneath it.
"Team 2 will consist of Espio, Gadget, and Remi," the fox announced, "and what you'll be doing is gathering all the information you can about what projects and plans the Empire has been working on. Anything meant only for Dr. Fukurokov's eyes would be especially useful, so your target is his personal console."
The teen moved on to the last slide, which displayed a similar layout to the previous one, though with significantly less twists and turns. It was also further up than the doctor's lab, and the target area had quite a number of rooms that were stationed along a few parallel hallways.
"And lastly, Charmy, Gizmo, and Vector will make up Team 3," Miles decided, "which will be in charge of rescuing prisoners and getting them to safety. There should be some lifeboats and escape pods you can use in the lower decks, as well as the main hangar."
With that, he returned the three images to the overall map, then highlighted two different sections. As he'd done with the previous projections, he snipped them out and increased the level of detail.
"There's a passage from the outer layer of the Battle Fortress that allows submarine access to a well-hidden entrance," Miles explained, pointing to a tiny spot, "the Sea Fox should be able to take Team 2 there. As for the rest of us..." He stroked his chin while bringing the second image into focus. "...Charmy and I should be able to carry everyone across to the top deck access. After that, we split up and do what we have to."
The fox turned the projection off and unhooked the Miles Electric from Remi. But just as he was about to ask if everyone understood the plan, a low and ominous rumble spread beneath their feet. As it filled their ears, Sonic, Miles, and the wolves all recognized the sound as one they'd heard before, less than a day ago.
"Are they launching already?" Gadget wondered, his eyes wide and his hands trembling anxiously, "it's barely even astronomical dawn!"
Instead of speculating, the group of eight rushed outside to see for themselves. Indeed, just as the red wolf had said, they could see in the east that the Battle Fortress was rising from its place in the bay. Were it not for the noise and the lights over the massive aircraft, it would have been invisible against the still dark sky. Miles cursed their timing, as it now rendered their initial plan to approach effectively useless. But the fox soon learned that that was the least of their worries as a shaking of even greater magnitude accompanied the first. And when the source revealed itself, almost everyone in the group could only stare in utter disbelief.
It was a gargantuan oblong spheroid, one that was a smidge taller than it was wide, giving it a slight egg shape. It was a dull metallic gray all over, save for a band of black and red near the center and around the bottom, along with numerous matching lights. The front of it was decorated with the white rooster skull of the Empire, the eye sockets concave and the comb and waddle a proud red. It far outclassed the Battle Fortress in terms of size. In fact, Miles surmised that it was so large, it was bigger than a significant chunk of West Side Island. And even more intimidating was the prospect that, if the Kukkus were true to their reputation, this colossal thing was armed to the teeth.
Unlike the Battle Fortress, which steadily drifted away from the island, the new problem the heroes faced continued to rise higher into the atmosphere. Miles concluded that such a move could only mean it was meant to be an orbital station. With the Chaos Emeralds powering it, and that idea of a position, the Kukkus could feasibly strike at any point on the planet. Things had just gotten even more complicated, and he was already feeling a headache coming on.
"Well, it's not often I'm blindsided like this, but here we are," the fox commented bitterly.
Sonic kept up his usual brave face, even when confronted with something of this magnitude. "Hey, don't worry, guys. It's just another giant egg for us to crack!"
"I wish I shared your confidence," Gizmo remarked, gesturing with two upturned palms at the giant object, "but the Kukkus have a combat-ready space station the size of an asteroid! How are we supposed to bring that bloody thing down!?"
Vector tilted his head up high as the Empire's new trump card continued to ascend to the heavens. "I just wonder how we're gonna get up there."
"Maybe there's a shuttle or something on the Battle Fortress?" Charmy theorized, "I mean, someone important is probably still there. They would know, right?"
Espio bowed his head and folded his arms, humming in thought. "We have a new dilemma, however, and I do not merely refer to the station."
After a moment of parsing, Miles caught on to what the chameleon was getting at. The Sea Fox could only accommodate so many, and he and Charmy only had so much stamina. At the pace the Battle Fortress was retreating, they wouldn't be able to catch up without another form of aerial transport to carry the remainder. The young hedgehog, reliable as he'd usually proven to be, was there to provide an answer.
"Miles, the Tornado!" he suggested, "she could catch up to that big old bird!"
The fox's eyes widened and he slapped one palm with his other fist. "You're right, Sonic! The approach may have changed, and a couple new steps may have been added, but the overall plan is intact!" He turned to his creation. "Remi, engage Sea Fox form in jet mode on the double!"
The little likeness of the teen did as instructed, and no sooner had he finished transforming than the vulpine hopped into the front seat. He pulled Sonic up behind his seat, then turned to the others.
"We'll be back as soon as possible," he told them, "we're going to get something special for this. We'll send Remi ahead of us once we grab it, which should give you enough time to form up with us for the attack."
He swiftly shut the dome over the cockpit and directed the Sea Fox into the air, turning them westward. With the flip of a switch and a few button presses, the flying minisub blasted off at full speed in the direction of the western coast. As the other Animals watched him go, Vector turned to the she-wolf.
"Where's the fox off to?" he asked, a bit of a scowl on his face, "he better not be running away!"
Gizmo scoffed at that. "My little brother's no coward." She tilted her head thoughtfully, resting her chin in one hand. "I'm not sure what he's up to, but I trust him. The last thing he'd do is leave us stranded."
She couldn't help but be nervous, though. And the wolf knew that despite the relatively calm and high spirits shown by her companions, they probably felt the same. What was going on right now was bigger than anything they had dealt with or could have foreseen. She hoped that they could pull this off.
Even at its maximum, it still took a considerable amount of the time for the Sea Fox to arrive in Emerald Hill. By the time they closed in, there was enough light in the sky that it, the sea, and land could now reasonably be discerned apart from each other. The fox and the hedgehog touched down as soon as they found a suitable clearing, hopping out of the craft without wasting any time. Like he'd done at the Refinery, Miles snagged his own utility belt, then punched in the commands for his companion to home in on his sister's comm signal and engage the autopilot function until it met back up with the others. Once Remi was out of there and little more than a dot in the distance, he and Sonic sprinted across the familiar grounds they'd raced each other on only a few days prior.
With haste they hadn't shown since they competed, the hero and his partner made their way to where the local forest met the southeastern beach. With Sonic leading the way, it only took them a couple of minutes to find the private airstrip and the hangar where the biplane was stored away. The runway had accumulated a bit of sand during the kid's absence, but he cleared it away in a matter of seconds. They rushed into the hangar, where the hoglet hopped into the pilot's seat while the fox opened the front door and pushed debris out of the aircraft's way. Its propeller began to slowly spin faster and faster as the powerful engine roared to life, and after checking the instruments twice over, Sonic gently eased it out of its resting place. Once the Tornado taxied out onto the stretch proper, Miles leapt up onto the middle of the top wing, kneeling down and bracing his feet against the metal while he held up his fists at the ready.
"Aw yeah, that looks awesome!" Sonic said to him, "I've gotta try wing riding sometime, maybe when I let you have a turn at the yoke!"
The teen felt his heart momentarily flutter at the thought of flying the Tornado. He quickly shook it off and flashed a grin at the blue boy.
"Sure thing, kid," he replied, thrusting one arm forward and pointing to where they'd come from, "now, let's go and save the world!"
The young pilot didn't need any more prompting than that. The Tornado steadily built up speed, pulling up before it reached the end of the runway and causing a few small waves as it soared just above the water. They climbed higher with each second, the boy directing his pride and joy to correct its course during the ascent. To his delight, Miles hadn't felt the need to steady himself further with the use of his hands, maintaining a cool profile as he surfed atop the wing. He must have been used to it, perhaps by riding on the Sea Fox when one of his siblings was controlling it.
By the time they returned to Metropolis, the sun had risen enough that there was no longer any need for artificial light to engage in some outdoor activity. Even so, it was still below the horizon, and it had proven a faster trip than the initial one with the Sea Fox. Speaking of, the transformed Remi pulled up alongside their left before long, sporting the same arrangements in and out of the cockpit as last night.
"You weren't kidding when you said something special!" Gizmo shouted over the wind, shaking her free hand excitedly while the other kept her still with the grappler, "I love your plane, Sonic!"
The hedgehog chuckled and rubbed the underside of his nose smugly. "Thanks! It's her first flight, but we're not dealing with guys who'll be gentle! Let's show 'em what she's made of!"
"Lord Speedy, our radar has detected the final two Chaos Emeralds on approach!" one of the combatants informed the Kukku heir.
The prince regarded the soldier, then turned his attention to the viewing screen. "Bring up visual confirmation on the signals."
The screen lit up, showing white clouds and the fading darkness of the retreating night in the west. Two dots steadily grew larger in the feed, one red and the other blue, which Speedy ordered greater focus on. As he'd expected, there was Miles, standing on the wing of a red biplane, with that blue hedgehog at the controls. He spotted the two wolves in and on the other craft, as well as a couple of faces that he didn't recognize. It seemed that the fox had found a few more allies in his fight against them.
"Our long-range cannons are primed, sir," another of the grunts said, standing by patiently.
Speedy held up a hand. "Hold fire on those."
"Milord?"
"We would just be wasting shots. Send out our aerial squadrons of Badniks and fighters to engage," the young adult avian commanded, "ready the anti-air batteries in case they get close."
The prince watched as his underlings went to work, and as Badniks flew out to meet his foes on a second monitor. He didn't actually expect the robots and fighter pilots to take down his rival, but he would be keeping a close eye on the action all the same.
The first to meet the oncoming group was a flock of four eagles, all seeking to ram into the plane and the minisub. The Sea Fox launched a missile that knocked out one of the metal birds, then weaved to the side to avoid a second. Miles threw the Boomering at the passing bogey, scoring a clean hit. The Tornado let loose with the 7.7mm machine gun built into the tip of its power plant, tearing through both the third and fourth Badniks. The two vehicles ducked and dodged around the cannon fire of a few egg-shaped robots, giving them back just as much in kind.
These were followed up by a model that the group hadn't yet encountered. It was technically two robots in one, both of which were modeled after turtles. The ones on the bottom had tired-looking expressions, possessing two jet engines instead of hind legs, as well as large green shells with yellow bellies and arrows stickers on both sides. They were controlled by smaller turtles that stood upright on two back feet that held onto a bar atop the bigger ones' backs. Despite their powerful setup, they were still as slow as their land-based inspirations, which only threw the invaders off for a moment.
Miles leapt off the top wing as the Tornado dipped down, slamming through one of the tinier reptilian robots and handily landing back on the plane as it rose up again. Espio tossed one of his kunai at the next one and struck it through the head, then drew it back with a rope he'd attached so that he didn't waste precious tools. Gizmo made to shoot an eagle with her firearm, though given the velocity of both her footing and the target, it was hard to get a bead. It just missed her with its own charge, but it was enough passing force that the she-wolf was knocked off her feet and made to tow behind the Sea Fox with her grappler. To the Kukkus' chagrin, she was able to tug herself back to the ship after taking a moment to reorient herself.
A trio of fighters closed in seconds later, two of them splitting off to focus on and get behind the minisub. The Sea Fox cut its acceleration for a brief moment, allowing the pursuers to fly right past it and put them in its sights. A smaller pair of torpedoes launched from ports in the front, destroying the turbines of the Kukku jets. Sonic cut off the third before it could make a similar move, tearing holes into one of the smaller plane's wings with its machine gun and causing it to spiral out of the air. Speedy wasn't worried for his men, however. Their vehicles had emergency systems in place for all manners of crashes and unfortunate scenarios, ones that ensured the survival of their pilots unless everything failed, which was a rare occurrence.
As the dogfighting went on, the number of Badniks and monoplanes steadily dwindled. Even with how badly things were going for his forces, Speedy was under no illusion that they would've been able to contend with the fox and his friends. Miles alone had been enough to neutralize them in the past, and that had been despite his young age and experience in combat and warfare. But even so, the prince knew he couldn't make things too easy for his rival.
'If I'd simply let them waltz in here, that would've raised alarms and gotten back to my father,' he thought, steepling his hands together and leaning forward in the commander's seat, "but this way, I can say some effort was put in. I expect you to get up here soon, Miles...then we can settle things.'
Several more minutes went by, and the sudden boom of cannons made it apparent the Badnik and fighter squadrons had been routed. The Tornado and the Sea Fox split off and approached the Fortress from two angles, the former from above, and the latter below. A gauntlet of guns awaited the minisub, along with a few brave Kukku soldiers that risked their lives to attempt to drop bombs with their own two hands. It amounted to little more than a few scuffs and dents on the thick blue armor, though, and all they got in return were more destroyed mounts and fleeing troops.
As they neared the port that would allow them access into the Fortress, the Tornado came in for a rough landing. It skidded and slid along the top of the flight deck, haphazardly unloading its machine gun into any guns nearby. Surprisingly, it suffered no major damage of its own despite being in the heart of so much flak, even whipping around so that it faced the direction they'd come from, as though ready for a quick escape. Peering between the two screens, one with the five Animals and Remi, the other with the fox and the hedgehog, the heir stood up and raised a fist charismatically.
"All hands on deck, engage the intruders!" he shouted, "I don't care how you handle the other pests, but bring the fox to me alive! Anyone who robs me of the chance to redeem myself through combat with my greatest foe will suffer a fate worse than anything the Emperor could devise!"
As the soldiers hurriedly filed out of the room to do as instructed, Speedy felt over the breast of his suit. His fingers brushed over the bump made by the device that Ivo had given him, making his thoughts turn towards the other possibility of his "destined" meeting with Miles.
'If I should lose, it will be nigh impossible to win back Father's respect,' he reminded himself, 'in which case..."
"Alright, I've got the map in my comm," Gizmo said as she unhooked her device from Remi's console.
The robot morphed into its Critter form, which trotted to the end of one passage. It turned back to Gadget and Espio, barking and tilting its head to follow.
"Let us reconvene at the bridge with Miles after we accomplish our objectives," Espio offered, which everyone quietly agreed to.
The lupine twins gave each other a brief hug, then a firm bump to their dominant fists. The two younger members of the budding detective agency saluted the chameleon, who simply nodded with a small smile. From there, both groups sought passage deeper into the ship, one through direct means, and the other via more roundabout methods.
Espio and Gadget shuffled their way down a dark passage lined with dull gray and purple details, finding an electrical barrier at the end of it. With his keen eyes, the chameleon spotted a switch in the ground, and after pressing down on it, the obstacle was deactivated. No sooner did they step through than blaster fire came their way, forcing the two to duck. A few Kukku marksmen had taken up positions in small divots in the raised floor in front of them, giving them cover while they shot at the intruders. Espio signaled for the wolf to wait, then used his Chroma Camouflage to turn invisible, slowly creeping atop the platform in front of them. The moment the grunts popped their heads up and saw nothing, they cautiously moved to stand up, only for two to be smacked down to the ground by an unseen chop to the throat. Another pair fired in a panic, hoping to hit the reptile, but he easily avoided their blind fire and summarily knocked them out as well.
With the path clear, the two Animals and the robot lowered themselves down a shaft in the floor at the end of the current hall, climbing up a ledge in the next room to access a fork that went up or down. Remi led them on the former route, using its propeller to scale over the top of the wall and hover above the next path down. It let out a few chirps of alarm as Espio and Gadget were about to descend, scanning its eyes over the panels just below the entrance to the next hall and shaking its head.
"Floor traps," the red wolf surmised, aiming his grappler at the opposite wall.
Espio used his species' natural climbing ability to get down low, then expertly jumped over to what Remi was outlining as safe ground. Gadget used his wire to descend and swing onto the same patch, where the three then came to a second gap and another opening. The robot once again warned them of bad panels below, but nudged them in the direction just past them, where they found a high and very thin outcropping. Keeping cautious for any more traps, Gadget went first this time, using his cable to shoot right up onto the space where he found not one, but two additional electrical force fields barring the way below. Checking behind him, the wolf found another of those floor switches from before on a platform against the wall.
"Espio, there are a couple of barriers in the way," he informed the chameleon, "the controls for one are right near me, but the other one's somewhere else."
"Perhaps the other way leads to it," the other Animal remarked.
The reptile and Remi doubled back to the previous fork and chose to cross over the gap this time. He kicked off the walls up to the next outcropping, briefly jogging down a confined passage until the robot once again alerted him to traps. At the end, there was only a space that Espio couldn't get through, even if he were to crawl on his belly. It was no problem for Remi, however, which hovered down and slipped in with little difficulty, soon dropping out of sight. The audible static coming from the barriers, which he could hear below his feet, lessened in intensity.
"Oh, you found it!" he heard Gadget call out at the same time Remi flew back up to rejoin him.
Espio went back and reunited with the wolf, and after disabling both barriers, they went down an even deeper access shaft. The three found the floor at the bottom was automated and pushed them away from the next ledge. Their tools and abilities allowed them to get past that complication, only to run into another one as they came into the proceeding room. There were several more Kukkus troops rushing into the space, as well as a few twin-barrel turrets mounted on the ceiling and the floor. And unlike the first place they'd encountered grunts like these, there was very little cover.
Gadget went for the rise in the floor and dropped so that his back and head were against it, fetching a shield projector from one pouch. Espio was quick to throw a flurry of shuriken, disarming each avian by either destroying their weapon or making them drop it. A few of them retreated, while the rest either fell back behind the guns or tried to retrieve what had been knocked out of their hands. The wolf tossed out the disc before the armaments could open fire, providing himself and his companions a wall that deflected the hail of rounds sent their way. The chameleon used the opportunity to once again fade from sight, dropping a few Kukkus before noticing the turrets turning on him. He was forced to roll and dodge as they came close to hitting him, seemingly locked onto his heat signature.
The wolf, knowing his protective device only had some charge after the punishment it took, vaulted over his cover and grappled the first bird he saw. Given the disparity in size, he easily tugged the grunt back his way, overpowering and knocking him out with the same fist that pulled him. As the remaining soldiers ran at him, Gadget brought out his lightning weapon and twisted it in the opposite direction from last night. The jagged electric "blade" became a solid beam of energy, making it more akin to a long club or a short staff. He stepped back away from a punch aimed at his waist, then brought down the lit-up end of his weapon down on the guy's neck. The bird spasmed for a hot second before flopping to the floor, unconscious and just a tad cooked, though he was just as quickly replaced by the next soldier.
This distraction allowed Espio to go after the machines that were persistently dogging him. A top spin shredded through one of the turrets, and a pinpoint flick sent a kunai down the barrel of another, causing it to backfire and explode. With less pressure on him, the chameleon moved in to intercept a minion that sought to gang up on Gadget while he was preoccupied with another. He noted that the automated weapons held their fire when he ducked behind the Kukku, using that to his advantage by grabbing the fellow and holding him up as he charged the last couple of placements. This spooked the others, as they were seeing one of their comrades floating in midair and being forced towards their weapons systems. Capitalizing on the confusion, Gadget jabbed the first guy in the gut, then fired his grappler around the legs of the second one to drag him near the force field. Just as he tapped the grunt in the temple with his baton, Espio used a Rolling Jump to wreck one turret, then used the momentum from the bounce to bash into the other one.
With those forces dispatched, they continued on for a few more minutes until they came to an open elevator car. Remi projected the map of their route, showing them that it would take them where they needed to go, although there was still a bit more ground to cover.
"We're just about halfway there," Gadget said as he deactivated and stowed his baton, "let's hope I can crack the doctor's security and get at his notes."
Espio folded his arms and shut his eyes. "Mm, Miles seems confident that we can do so." He hung his head slightly in what the wolf perceived to be shame. "I am embarrassed to admit that I am...less competent than I would like to be in the matters of technology. So, I will be relying on you for the final step."
"No pressure, then," the taller Animal mumbled with some uncertainty, "I wonder how the others are doing?"
The trio of the teal wolf, teenage bee, and kid crocodile trotted down a much more vibrantly garish gold and royal purple hallway. There were windows that allowed them to see the skies outside, but they weren't given time to enjoy the view, as they had a mission to accomplish. Right off the bat, there was a conveyor belt that was moving in their direction, going too rapidly for any of them to cross over on foot. Near it was a purple and gold top-shaped device with red and yellow lights that stood low on three legs, the bottom of it hooked into the floor. Glancing between it and the walkway, Gizmo knelt down and fetched a spanner from her utility belt, eyeing up the two conspicuous attachments on top of the machine that she could use it for. After a few seconds of experimentally screwing the knobs, the conveyor belt reversed its course, allowing them access to the shaft at the end of the passage.
Dropping down, they found an electrical barrier blocking the way, as well as a second conveyor belt with a couple of platforms above it that ended at the other corner of the chamber. Vector scanned around the area, rubbing the underside of his snout with his eyes narrowed, searching out every little detail he could. A moment later, he pointed towards the ceiling as though struck with a revelation.
"Charmy, go look around for the switch!" he commanded his insectoid associate, gesturing to the other side of the room, "I bet it's somewhere up in there!"
The bee gave a lazy salute. "Got it, 'boss', one flipped switch coming up!"
He didn't stick around to listen to the reptile's grumbling about him hearing the quotes being used in his title. Charmy flew up to the first platform, finding nothing of note. The second one had an identical machine to the one Gizmo messed with a couple minutes ago, but given his flight, there was no need to change the track below him. He came to a narrow shaft and flew upwards, where he spotted a peculiar blue switch at the end of the confined space, which he flew over to and pressed. The field dissipated soon after, and the bee rejoined the other two Animals, who gave him a thumbs-up.
"Good job, buddy," Gizmo praised him as she vaulted up to the now-unguarded opening.
The young croc puffed out his chest and nodded sagely. "Nice going, Charmy. Of course, I knew where to send you because the answer was obvious."
"You can say that again," the wolf quipped, giggling a bit upon receiving a growl from the kid.
The three of them carried on over a couple of gaps to yet another belt with a second barrier on the other side. A quick gander showed them a more narrow shaft that went down, one that only the smallest member of their team could fit through. Charmy dutifully descended and navigated the short passage to an open area with a similar entrance opposite to his. However, there was also a Robo Kukku in the room with him, as well as a couple of blue bat robots with black eyes, small mouths with fangs, metallic gray wings, claws, and little engines on their backs.
"Aww, they're kind of cute," Charmy said, humming a bit as he brandished his stinger and his fists, "too bad I have to bust 'em!"
The two Badniks were the first to fly out to meet him, intent on delivering a bite with their mechanical fangs. The bee simply listed out of the way, then lunged into the back of one of them with his stinger. The Robo Kukku let loose an energy blast from its beak, only to have it strike the other Badnik and dismantle it on impact. Charmy stuck out his tongue at the mishap, and he could've sworn he saw a flash of irritation in the machine's features. It was just as quickly out of mind, though, as he closed in on his foe, rolling, flipping, and dipping around each shot it tried to hit him with. At the end of the day, all the robot earned for its troubles was a kick to the head and a subsequent stinger strike, putting it out of its misery.
"Well, that was easy," he chirped as he carried on to the other tunnel, "I can see how Miles was able to do this the first time!"
He buzzed down the passage and hit the switch at the end of it, opening the way forward. When he returned, Gizmo had altered the belt's rotation and made it so they could ride to the next room without effort. From there, they found an access corridor so deep, the wolf and the chameleon had to make use of their respective tools and abilities to get down. Once they reached the bottom, the group moved through the short hallway they found there to a door that appeared to be well hidden, judging from how all but its handle was effectively camouflaged. Maybe this was meant to be some kind of hidden access point?
That seemed to be the case, as the moment the trio stepped out, they found themselves in a more wide and open space that was wholly bare, save for an elevator on one end and a set of three widely spaced hallways on the other. Gizmo squinted down at her comm as she checked the coordinates she copied from Remi's memory, determining that those were the places they were looking for. Expecting resistance, the she-wolf drew her sidearm and turned down the intensity so that it wouldn't be fatal for any organics she blasted, yet would still be able to pack a punch against anything mechanical.
"Well, there are three hallways and three of us," she mentioned, a bit of concern making its way onto her face, "but going alone for each one might be too risky. At the same time, we do have ground to cover and people to save, so the less time spent, the better."
Charmy knew what his old friend was getting at and gave her a cheeky smirk while bopping Vector on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Gizmo. Either of us is more than enough for these guys, but I'll keep an eye on the kid for you!"
"Who're you calling a kid, pipsqueak!?" Vector said in an offended tone, holding up a meaty fist.
"Just the croc that's less than half my age," the bee answered smartly.
Gizmo rolled her eyes and left the two of them to it as she proceeded down the left hall. As expected, she found a number of Kukku guards that were stationed every few meters between golden doors etched into the purple walls. She got the drop on the first one, knocking him out with a quick zap to the torso, rendering his flak gear useless as he thudded to the floor. Alerted to her presence, the others laid down suppressive fire, forcing her to duck behind the frame of the hallway entrance and take potshots at the lot. A couple more troops were downed, leaving her with a good opening to kneel down into position. Like her vulpine sibling, she became a teal sphere that screeched against the metal below, revving up for a moment before careening into the group of grunts. The Spin Dash knocked down most in Gizmo's path, leaving a few to deal with her as she uncurled from the attack. The wolf grappled one bird and hurled him into another, then followed up with a zap to the third remaining Kukku, grinning as she heard the smack of its body against the floor. It felt good to get out some frustration after the embarrassing loss against Speedy the previous day.
In the adjacent hallway, one very unfortunate cadet was petrified at his predicament. Being faced down with a more physically intimidating foe was one thing, even if they were young. It was another entirely to be balled up in the jaws of said enemy and have deadly crocodilian teeth poking into you. He didn't want to imagine this was how he would go, but he was too afraid to move and find out. Mercifully, he was given his answer in the next moment as Vector reared his head back while facing down more of the combatant's comrades.
"Ptooey!" the croc spat, both figuratively and genuinely.
The soldier was sent sending the grunt sailing like a ball at a carnival game, knocking over others as though they were the bottles. Those left over attempted to shoot him and Charmy down, but the bee was too nimble for them to find purchase, and Vector's hide was thick, letting him shrug off most of the blasts. The former zoomed in to deliver one Drop Attack after another, while the latter showed off his muscle by seizing energy rifles and either snapping them like twigs or bending them like pretzels. The Robo Kukkus and Badniks sent to help didn't fare much better, reduced to piles of scrap thanks to a sharp sting here and a powerful punch there.
"You know what's weird?" Vector wondered as he decked another trooper, "I thought there'd be more guards here. Isn't this supposed to be their main base?"
The bee checked through the grates at the top of each door they came across when he wasn't dealing with a Kukku. His normally happy expression became more worrisome with every spot he searched.
"That's what all the stories say," he replied, "but maybe most of them got moved to that new space station deal? I haven't–"
"Guys!"
The two boys turned to see Gizmo sprinting in their direction. As she came to a stop in front of them, she began rapidly tapping at her comm. They could see she was just as concerned as Charmy was.
"What's wrong, Giz?" The smaller, but older of the two inquired.
"I went up and down the other halls twice over, but I couldn't find anyone in any of the cells!" She explained with a frantic tone, "please tell me you had better luck!" When Charmy shook his head in the negative, the she-wolf hung her head. "Then our part in this plan is a bust! We've got to let Miles and the others know right away!"
Miles drove the Pikkon Hammer into the joints of a Kukku Walker's legs, causing it to double over. A Spin Dash into the back carriage courtesy of Sonic made it crumple to the ground, leaving its pair of pilots to tumble out. They didn't stop to knock them out before moving on, and there wasn't much need when they were willing to flee. A number of the smaller models and hoverpods laid in likewise broken states around the entrance to the bridge, some as a result of their rough landing. Just as the two moved inside the command structure, the fox heard the Miles Electric going off and answered it promptly.
"Team 1, this is Team 3," Gizmo hailed, "we've got a big problem: the prisoner ward is empty!"
Miles growled and turned his gaze upward to the top of the bridge. "They must have been moved to the station. Regroup with Team 2, and then rendezvous with Sonic and I up on the bridge after we take care of things." With them in mind, the fox remotely connected to Remi, using its own audio receptors and output as though it were a comm. "Come in, Team 2. What's your status?"
"Whoa! Heh, I forgot he could do that," came the slightly startled tone of his older lupine brother, "we just reached Dr. Fukurokov's lab. Espio's going to keep an eye out while I try my hand at his computer."
The fox nodded. "See if you can dig up the prisoner logs. Team 3 said the cells are barren, so I need you to find out. Sorry for putting more on your plate."
"I'll do my best," the red wolf replied, "okay, I'm booting it up now. I'll call you when I've got an update on the info."
They ended the call, leaving him with Sonic once more. The hedgehog looked eager and ready to go, though without the usual boyish spirit that seemed to fuel such gestures.
"Sounds like we've got to step it up and hurry," the speedster said.
Miles agreed, wasting no more time on small talk. The two of them ran forward, the fox utilizing his multitool to direct them around a bend and nearly into an electric barrier. The problem was that the means to shut it off also appeared to be on the other side of it. Spotting a vent up above that his friend could fit through, Miles boosted Sonic up into it and had him crawl to the end of it. Sure enough, the teen saw him drop down on the other side of the force field and hit the switch, deactivating it and allowing them to join back up. They went up several meters further, riding along a couple of conveyor belts and coming to a confined area with only one clear way to go. Just as they reached the edge of it, the fox turned back around and inspected the floor less than half a meter below them. A brief touch with the tip of his glove caused it to fall away, then be just as quickly replaced by a "block" that seemingly materialized from nowhere.
"I remember these old floor traps," Miles reminisced, "hang tight, Sonic."
He hoisted the hoglet onto his shoulders and then put his two tails to use. They flew up a wall and came to a dead end, only for them to drop below a floor trap and start tumbling towards a bed of spikes. Miles had been anticipating this and stopped them well before they could be impaled, carrying the two of them over a couple of platforms. The pair continued high into this chamber, momentarily dipping beneath one low-hanging pipe and then rising over another platform to eventually land on an outcropping in the top corner. This tunnel brought them to a more open shaft, where Miles took them even further up, expecting to have to deal with another switch puzzle to get past the last barrier. Yet, there was nothing there, leaving them unhindered and free to access the imposing gold and orange elevator, lit up by the bright skies in the background viewing windows.
'We haven't encountered any combatants since we got inside the bridge,' he mused with suspicion, 'there are plenty of them outside and running around other levels, from the sound of it, but not in here. What are you playing at, Kukku?'
"Big guy?" Sonic asked as he prodded his side, "you okay?"
Miles shook himself out of his thoughts and frowned a bit. "I just have a weird feeling, kid. The last time I took this passage, it was crawling with elite troopers, Robo Kukkus, and gun placements. But now, it's like a ghost town, as though whoever is controlling this big bird wants us to go this way."
"So you think it could be a trap?" the young Animal postulated.
The fox moved his head from side to side. "A setup, maybe, but not necessarily a trap. It won't do us any good to sit here and speculate though, right?"
"Whatever they've got planned, we can take it!" the boy commented confidently.
Miles gave the hedgehog an equally assuring smile. It was different now than when he'd taken on the Empire at first. He had friends this time, one of which had helped him more than he'd initially believed. There had been some bumpy moments along the way, sure, but now they were in sync on what needed to be done. He found himself agreeing with the sheer confidence of his partner, despite his own reservations.
"Yeah, let's...do it to it!" he proclaimed with some hesitation still holding reservations about the saying.
Thankfully, Sonic either didn't notice or didn't care about his relative lack of enthusiasm around the phrase. The both of them boarded the car and braced themselves as it whirred to life beneath their feet. Several seconds went by as the platform ascended and slowly came to a stop, an otherwise solid wall opening up before them. Contrary to Miles' expectations, they found themselves in the command room itself, noting the lack of minions rushing about to maintain operations. In fact, the whole chamber was devoid of activity, save for a certain avian Animal sitting atop a throne nestled in the back of the place.
"Miles Prower, fox of the hour," Speedy announced with something of a mocking lilt, "as expected, you made it here, just as you did during the incident at Cocoa Island." He momentarily regarded Sonic and smirked. "How fortunate that your young friend survived our last confrontation."
The teen snarled and stomped for a couple of steps before pointing angrily at the bird. "If anyone is lucky, it's you, Speedy! If Sonic hadn't pulled through after what you did, I'd be wringing your neck like a wet rag right now!"
"It's good for us both it worked out, then," the heir retorted evenly, slowly getting up from his seat, "I wish to talk."
Miles was perplexed, and a bit taken aback, by what he was hearing. "Talk?"
He'd repeated the word as though he hadn't heard correctly, gritting his teeth. The fox really wasn't in the best mood, not after what this guy had participated in. He was prepared to remind Speedy full well what happened to those that messed with anyone he cared for. But just as he was about to make a move, the prince held up a hand, his face now lacking any prior mirth. Miles decided he would at least hear him out, if only to not come off as violent as his enemies.
"I've...given some thought to what you said the last time we met," the Kukku prince reluctantly told him, "about always having a choice."
Sonic confidently beamed at Miles and rubbed the underside of his nose. "You hear that, big guy? Sounds like you're getting through to him!"
"Quiet, you blue pincushion!" Speedy snapped, then took a moment to compose himself, "I brought it up because I want to present you with options, Prower."
Miles tilted his head curiously. "Choices for me?" His face quickly shifted to one that was unamused. "Let me guess, either I hand over the Chaos Emeralds, or we fight?"
"Got it in one," came the reply, along with a light chuckle, "although, it's a foregone conclusion which one you'll choose."
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the device he was given, then placed it in a compartment inside one of the throne's armrests. Miles eyed it up for a moment, then turned his attention back to the bird.
"What's that you just put down?" inquired the fox.
"A kill switch device for the Battle Moon's Chaos Generator," Speedy answered curtly, frowning while folding his arms.
Sonic laughed boyishly. "Oh wow, you guessed the name right, big guy!"
Miles wasn't entirely sure whether to feel proud about that or not. It was a rather predictable moniker, considering who devised it. He was more interested in why the bird would bring something like that out.
"Why would you show that to me?" The teen asked precariously.
To his surprise, his rival's expression became more fiery, and his hands fell to his side, bunched into fists. Had he unknowingly hit a nerve?
"To make a point that I am no coward," Speedy spat, letting out a sigh when the other Animal's confusion remained apparent, "if I lose this fight to you...I hate to admit it, but I would effectively be cast aside. The Emperor would likely seek to sire a new heir in light of my failure." He paused, a shakiness creeping into his voice. "I respect and honor him as a leader, and I love him as a father...I worked hard to gain his favor and prove myself a capable soldier in my own right."
Miles saw pain fill those red eyes and heard the flight suit's gloves groan from how hard the bird's fingers were curling in on the palms. Even though Speedy had been party to many heinous things, including nearly killing his new friend, the fox still felt some sympathy for him.
"However, I am afraid of him," the young adult went on, "of what he does to those that leave him wanting, of what else he may do if I fail...and honestly, what he will certainly do if he succeeds with this new weapon of ours." He fixed his gaze intently on Miles. "But, unlike before, I refuse to let that fear control me any longer!"
He held out one of his fists and pointed at the fox.
"I offer you this proposition, Prower," Speedy offered, "one last fight on even ground. No Chaos Emeralds, no exosuits, no tools, no weapons, no outside interference, no advantageous terrain. Just our natural-born abilities and the experience we've accumulated. If I win, I will take your Chaos Emeralds and give them to my father, for better or for worse."
The fox found himself unable to hide a small grin. "Does that mean you'll help me if I win?"
"I will give you the kill switch and provide you with a way to board the Battle Moon," the prince elaborated, his scowl deepening a little, "I will not raise my hand against my father, the doctor, or our troops, however; you're on your own with that."
"Fair enough."
Miles undid his utility belt and handed it off to Sonic, along with everything inside of them. Speedy did the same, stripping away the gauntlet and armor attachments on his suit, followed by his jetpack. The two crossed the room over to one another and gripped each others' gloves firmly, nodding to one another in understanding as they gave a respectful shake. After a moment, they both leapt back and took up a stance, each of them prepared to make a move. Sonic stood off to the side, looking like he wished he had a tub of popcorn for this.
"Well then, let's settle this, Battle Kukku the Sixteenth!" Miles declared, flexing and cracking his fingers.
"The feud between us will be decided here and now," Speedy agreed, mimicking his opponent, "come at me with everything you can muster, Miles Prower!"
