Gadget fought the urge to bite his claws while his hands glided over Dr. Fukurokov's keyboard. The lines of code in the owl's system were of a programming language he wasn't greatly versed in, but he was managing. He'd made it past the initial security and gained access to files on the surface level, which mostly consisted of slated upgrades for exosuits, walkers, hoverpods, and general weapons. Remi was hooked up to the tower, copying over the information that the wolf browsed through. Soon, there was nothing more significant that they could glean from that layer.
"Time to mine for higher tier content," he said aloud, bringing up the command window on the monitor once again as he clicked on a more restricted folder.
The code that came up was even stranger than what he'd seen thus far. Not only did it consist of the usual characters and symbols, but there were ones he wasn't even sure how to replicate with a standard key layout. A lot of them seemed to resemble the Badniks and the face of that one fellow, Dr. Robotnik, interspersed with lines that, in any other case, would've made zero sense.
"So weird," Gadget mumbled as he scratched his head, "all this gibberish, and yet it still compiles just fine. Let's see..."
The vermillion wolf fiddled around with keys, seeing if any of the functions would alter the characters he typed. After a few minutes, he managed to roughly figure out the basic conversions and slowly, almost painfully, started to input an override. Two attempts failed, and it appeared as though the system was ready to lock him out if he messed up again. He gulped back his anxiety and gave it one last college try, a finger hovering over the return key before pressing it down. A beep of confirmation met his ears, and he let his shoulders sag as he let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you making good progress?" Espio asked him from right behind the chair.
The wolf nearly leapt out of his seat, as he hadn't heard the chameleon walk up to him. "Agh, don't do that!"
"My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you," the reptile said as he offered a light bow of the head.
Gadget steadied his breathing, gently patting a hand against his chest over his heart. "I-It's okay. Anyway, to answer your question, I just got past the second safeguard, and Remi's been storing every bit of data so far."
Espio nodded and went back to watching the door. The bigger Animal opened up the folder that he tried to access before, having no issues now. In there, he found the blueprints to many of the numerous Badniks that he had seen and fought against alongside his friends, as well as more that hadn't seen action. The wolf also came across the design for the now-scrapped Mecha Golem Mark VII, plastered with notes on how to improve it for the next version. Additional constructs included the vicious Auto Arachnid, the Mega Octus submarine mech, and the hovercraft that Dr. Robotnik had been using, dubbed the "Flying Egg". All of this information would certainly be useful for coming up with countermeasures in the event of a future attack by the Empire.
However, there was another task that needed to be done. Just as Miles had instructed him, and once Remi was done copying the second set of data, Gadget began poring through the files for any details regarding the Kukkus' prisoners. Surely, the old owl would be privy to such a thing, considering the sorts of methods he was known to employ. But right as it seemed that the wolf found what he was looking for, the command window came up as he tried to open the contents. Almost all of the lines were flooded with that strange Badnik code, leaving him with more of a headache than before.
"Stupid nonsense code. This'll take forever if I tackle it the way I did before," he grumbled, casting a glance over at his robot companion, "Remi, have you made heads or tails of all of this?" Upon receiving a bark and a wag of that thin tail, the bespectacled canine allowed himself a smile. "Okay then, execute decryption protocol 092295."
Remi's eyes glowed an electric blue, the mess on screen slowly transforming into something legible. Once it was no longer hard on the wolf's eyes, and had stopped irking what he knew about programming, he resumed his own efforts. It was much easier to figure out what needed to be input with the robot's help, and within a couple of minutes, the two of them bypassed the third level of security.
That was when Gadget realized he hadn't merely stumbled upon the prisoner logs. It was the schematics for the Battle Moon, as well as the original design it was based off of. Everything was noted, from its size, mass, the number of bodies that could be stationed there, the location of prison facilities, and the firepower. As he scanned over the lattermost of these, one detail made the wolf gasp in alarm and readjust his glasses to make sure he was reading it right.
"What's wrong?" Espio asked, coming to the other's side.
Gadget moved his head so that the chameleon could see for himself. "It's this thing..."
It further worried the wolf when he saw the nearly constant stoic expression on the other male's face morph into genuine shock and concern. As he looked back at the Battle Moon's ultimate weapon, as well as the target that had been painted for it, a cold shiver ran down his back.
Speedy made the first move, jumping high into the air and diving at Miles in a flash, aiming to deliver a powerful kick. The fox leapt to the side and crouched down, revving up a Spin Dash and shooting forward. The prince raised both arms to shield his torso and face before he was sent flying back, managing to mitigate most of the potential damage. He flipped and caught himself against the wall behind him with his boots, boosting off of it and going for a superman punch. The amber teen ducked low, his two tails grabbing onto his opponent's legs like fluffy tendrils as he passed overhead. He twirled them around so that he didn't completely kill the other's momentum, using the force to slam the heir into the ground on his back. He released the bird out of his appendages and lunged in to stomp him, but Speedy rolled out of the way and hopped to his feet.
Not wanting to give his foe breathing room, Miles closed in with a quick flick of his back limbs, swinging his own fist at the prince's face. Speedy weaved his head so that the knuckles only brushed his cheek, using the opening to knee the fox in the gut, forcing the wind out of him. Miles stumbled back from the blow, one arm around his stomach while the other fended off a chop from the avian speedster. That moment was enough for him to recover and distance himself by taking flight, though he wasn't alone in the air for long. Speedy followed him up, darting his way with his beak at the front and going into a spin, effectively becoming an aerial drill. The fox swerved, though not fast enough to entirely avoid the blow, feeling that keratin point cut him across his chest and drew some blood as it flew by. The moment he winced was enough for Speedy to come out of his twisting motion, using the built up force to kick his rival in the side above his waist.
Miles was whipped to one side from the strike, nearly falling back to the ground, but stopping himself before he could collide with it. The teen righted himself and touched down just in time to avoid an oncoming tackle from his nemesis. Speedy landed and spun around in a crouch, then sprinted full tilt at the fox, hands pressed to his sides. Once he was in range, he thrusted his palms forward with his fingers outstretched towards that amber neck. Miles answered in kind and laced the digits of his gloves with the other's, holding tight and wrestling against the bird's attempts to force him over. Given that he was both taller and more physically robust, the vulpine soon found himself pushing the prince back and down himself.
"D-damn your dense bones and muscles!" Speedy cursed.
He tried to wrench his hands away, but the bigger Animal's grip was too strong. While preoccupied doing that, Miles growled down at him and reeled his head back. The heir's eyes widened as he recognized too late what his foe intended to do, redoubling his efforts to free himself. They came to naught as the fox slammed the thickest part of his forehead into the thinnest section of Speedy's, causing the latter to gawk from the pain as his pupils narrowed to pinpricks. Blood flew from his nostrils as his enemy took advantage of his off-kilter moment and suddenly let go, taking his head in both hands and driving home another hard headbutt.
"Stop making excuses!" Miles shot back, "you're the one who wanted this fight!"
He released his grip, only to slide his tails up and grab Speedy by his wrists. He hefted him above his head and slammed him into the floor once more, the heir coughing up a bit of red as he felt his spine smack into the cold steel below. He shook off the momentary dizziness and kicked away from the fox, spitting to the side and gnashing his teeth. Seeing Miles give him the time he needed to regain his footing, he backed away and thought about his approach.
'Size, reach, land speed, number of limbs, overall physical prowess,' he listed off in his head, 'he's got me beat in every one of those categories. My only real chance at victory is maintaining a dogfight. This place is too confined to make full use of my flight, though.'
Speedy eyed up the viewing window on the front of the bridge, considering it for a moment. The fox was caught off-guard when the bird ran over to one of the consoles in the room and grabbed a microphone.
"Attention all troops, cease pursuit of the intruders!" he announced, "disable interior and exterior weapon systems! Do not disregard; this is a direct order from your prince!"
Miles was further taken aback when once more took flight, but rather than charging at him, he retreated and smashed through the glass of the windows. The prince allowed himself a smirk as the fox followed him out the hole he made, the two of them now fluttering high above the outer deck. Miles took the initiative that time, zooming through the whipping winds in a zig-zag pattern to try and throw his opponent off balance. Speedy wasn't concerned as his red eyes easily followed along, ready to rise or dive at a moment's notice. He watched as the fox rose above his head and went for a Drop Attack, backing up out of the way before the amber sphere could hit him. But, just as Miles was about level with where the bird's head had just been, he uncurled and pointed both tails directly behind him, shooting forward at an even faster clip. Speedy realized too late that the Drop Attack, much like the earlier maneuvers, had also been a ploy.
"What!?" he just managed to get out before he was decked in the face by a mean hook from Miles.
He rebalanced himself and descended to avoid a second attack, then rose up and seized one of the fox's legs, hurling him at the bridge. Speedy bolted after him, flipped forward, and brought out one leg in a dive kick, planting his boot right into Miles' torso. He didn't stop after the impact, continuing to drive his foe down in the direction of the solid steel some meters away. The fox flipped away before he could get pinned between the bird's boot and the bridge, leaving his rival to make an enormous dent in the metal. Speedy himself was no worse for wear, jetting up after Miles once he wrenched his foot free from the plating.
Sonic watched intently as the two continued to exchange blows and attempt to knock one another out of the air. He kept calm as his partner sometimes took a hit, though he also refrained from cheering him on when he returned his foe's strikes in kind. It was exciting to see a battle play out like the kinds he'd seen on TV and in comics, but he knew how serious the situation was, too. And, honestly, he wasn't planning on sticking to the deal between them if Miles did end up losing, and he was pretty sure the fox was aware of that. He wouldn't have agreed so readily if he wasn't confident he could win, or that the kid could pick up the slack, right? The kid wasn't the one beholden to the proposition they'd made, anyway; he'd just silently decided not to get between them.
'It's weird, though,' he thought as he looked on, seeing Miles block a straight from Speedy and break off, 'I feel like I'm taking this more seriously than the big guy. Then again, he said something about the Emeralds making people stronger. After how much he used it yesterday, I wonder...'
Sonic was brought out of his musing by the familiar tone of the Miles Electric being hailed. He shuffled through the pockets of the fox's utility belt until he found the multitool, seeing that it was indeed being contacted, specifically by Remi. Having seen his partner use it enough times, the hedgehog tapped on the button to accept, seeing a window pop up that indicated it was audio only.
"Team 1, this is Team 2," came Gadget's voice, sounding even more frantic than he did when the Battle Moon launched, "please respond!"
Sonic frowned at the clear fear he was hearing. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good, and considering they'd already gotten bad news from Team 3, he was starting to feel a little worried.
"What's up, Team 2?" the hoglet asked, "the big guy's fighting Speedy at the moment, so he can't talk."
"Miles assumed correctly about the captives being moved to the Battle Moon," Espio answered.
The clatter of metallic feet and boots filled the background audio, indicating that the three were on the move. The hedgehog figured that they accomplished what they set out to do and were on the way to meet up with them.
"They're going to be Converted en masse within the hour, but that's not the worst part!" the red wolf went on.
A second window popped up on the screen of the Miles Electric, briefly disrupting the call. As he'd done with the first, Sonic let it through, being met with Gizmo's face when he did.
"Team 1, this is Team 3," the teal twin reported, "what the heck is going on? Why did the Kukkus stop trying to come after us?"
"I dunno why, but Speedy told them to," Sonic replied, "anyway, I've got the others on the line here. What were you saying before, Gadget?"
There was a bit of a pause, eventually broken by a pointed clearing of the throat.
"The Battle Moon is being fed energy from the Chaos Emeralds the Empire obtained," Espio continued for the wolf, sounding rather unnerved himself, "with five of them, its strongest weapon, dubbed the 'Grand Kukku Cannon', will have sufficient power to destroy a large island in its entirety." He hesitated, which drew curious and concerned looks from Charmy and Vector on the other display. "Your old home is slated to be its first target, Charmy."
"Are you serious!?" the bee shouted incredulously, "we've got to find a ride up there right away!"
A low whine came from Team 2's end.
"Well, there is a way," Gadget informed them with less enthusiasm than they'd hoped, "but the problem is that there's only one craft onboard the Battle Fortress that's capable of making the journey, and it only fits one person. It's a one-way trip, too, since it's more like a pod than a proper shuttle or anything like that. My guess is that it's specially made for the commander of the Fortress to travel, or escape, to the Moon."
"That must've been what Speedy was talking about," Sonic deduced, his head turning to glance back at the throne in the command room, "I'll head down to the bottom of the bridge to meet you guys. Once Miles wins, we'll make for the space pod!"
Back in the air, Speedy growled as Miles fended off another swing of his, wincing as he felt the fox slam a fist into his navel. However, like all else he'd taken so far, there was something off about the hit. Given their physiological differences, not to mention the lack of proper armor, he'd expected to take more damage by now. Not only that, but it seemed his own attacks weren't winding his opponent as much as he thought.
Their previous fight back in the Mystic Cave Network came to mind. Miles had been more swift and efficient in combat, and had taken a few good hits in turn. Speedy had been on a similar level with the gem he'd had plugged into his suit. Or rather, he should've been technically superior, when other factors were brought into play. But, all things considered, he'd been beaten rather handily, even excluding the doctor's blunder. The idea that his greatest rival would be pulling punches during their climactic battle made him seethe more than the prospect of losing. Whether or not he was being mocked, he'd been taught that fighting at less than your best was disrespectful to your adversary, and he wasn't about to take that lying down.
He shot forward and drove a double ax hand into the fox's head, making him flip back several times before bracing against the roof of the bridge in a four-point landing. Miles rolled to the side as another dive kick came his way, puncturing a second hole in the metal. Speedy yelled and rushed again, hovering off the ground just enough to be at his foe's height and living up to his name as he let loose a blurry string of punches. The teen put his tails between himself and the oncoming fists, the thumps against them making it sound more like the bird was striking a brick wall than soft fluff. With his arms to support his tails, Miles repelled the prince, stunning him just long enough to follow up with a Tail Swipe. That one packed a bit more punch, but not as much as Speedy had been expecting, which caused him to grit his teeth angrily. There was no mistaking what was going on now.
"You told me to stop making excuses, but what about you?" he yelled over the roaring gale. He went in for a spinning kick towards the left side of the fox's head, only to have the mammal's arm block it. "Why are you limiting yourself? Am I not a worthy enough opponent for you!?"
Miles didn't seem entirely surprised at the presumption, going by the tense, but neutral expression he wore. Part of him had been hoping that the avian wouldn't notice, though he knew he couldn't fool someone as experienced as Speedy forever. Time to be straightforward.
"Every day, I've gotten stronger," he confessed, "most often, just by little bits. The Emerald I've had, that you didn't know about until yesterday, is the main reason. With how frequently and heavily I've used it and the others recently, the results have been much greater. I wanted to give you a fair fight, and to pace myself, since I don't know the extent of my current ability."
One of Speedy's eyes twitched, and he snapped his other leg at the fox, catching him near the ribs. Or at least, he thought he did, only to see one of those tails cushioning the blow. After pushing the boot aside, Miles and Speedy backed off a couple of meters from each other, the former maintaining a more defensive stance.
"So I was right?" the prince hissed, clearly not satisfied with the answer, "you're saying I'm not worth the effort to go all out on?"
Miles remained silent, though the stoic demeanor he was trying to maintain did shift to one that was more sympathetic.
"Don't you dare give me such a look!" Speedy shouted, "if you're so worried about being 'fair', let me ask you this: do you realize what will happen if you dawdle with me and don't deal with that?" He pointed up to the distant shape of the Battle Moon to clarify. "Do you care about your friends and family as much as you say you do?" His scowl deepened as he lowered an accusatory finger and leveled it at the fox. "Or is your 'righteous' anger just for show? Are you going to fail them like the Animals and the Critters from your little home four years ago? Like how you almost let that hedgehog boy down?"
He knew he'd touched a nerve when his questions were met with a straight between the eyes. His head tilted back from the force, the sudden sharp pain making him clutch at his face. It'd had more power behind it than any punch Miles had thrown so far in this fight, but Speedy wasn't given time to focus on it before finding himself being launched backwards by an even stronger smash. He opened his eyes to see an amber Spin Dash uncurling right in front of him, Miles flipping forward to spike the bird down with an overhead slam from both tails. No sooner had he hit the ground before he felt both the fox's hands grab onto his wrists and pull them above his head, raising the heir to his level. When he looked up, he was met with an icy glare from those cyan-blue eyes that caused him to involuntarily shudder. He didn't think anyone aside from his father could manage that until now, but he wouldn't let that fear keep hold.
"Since you put it that way," Miles told him in a cold tone that was barely audible above the wind around them, "why don't you save me the trouble, and just give up?"
The Kukku would've gawked at the suggestion if he wasn't so livid at the idea. Throwing in the towel wasn't an option; he had too much pride in himself to consider doing that. Besides, he wanted to know what the fox was capable of, if his words were indeed true.
"I refuse to yield before you show me how much you can really do, freak!" Speedy proclaimed, once again moving to attack, "I won't be satisfied until then, so stop holding back!"
Miles shook his head and sighed heavily. If there was no persuading him otherwise, then he may as well. He'd be lying if he said a big part of him didn't want to, anyway, after having such a sore point brought up.
"If you want that so badly, then fine," he said forebodingly while intensifying his grip, "don't say I didn't give you an out."
The Kukku snarled and fought against the hold, swinging his head to try and peck the other guy in the face. The fox moved his own head aside and let go, giving the bird the opportunity to go for a rising knee. Miles bent over backwards to avoid it, his left leg swinging up into a high kick that drove the ball of his shoe into Speedy's abdomen. The ace gasped and coughed up a bit more crimson, but grinded his teeth through the pain and repositioned himself as he tried to make some distance. A deafening boom sounded through the sky as the flying fox closed the gap in a blink, both hands clutching at the cuff of his rival's collar. Speedy let out a sharp cry as he was put on the receiving end of the same attack he tried to use just a moment ago, an unsettling crack reaching his ears. A fiery pain unlike any he'd felt spread through his gut, both arms nursing his ribs as he unsteadily tried to stay on his feet.
In spite of his pain, his reflexes allowed him to nimbly fly away from a second Tail Swipe, retreating many meters above the bridge. To his dismay, a second boom came from below, and an amber ball collided into the small of his back just above his green tail feathers. Speedy tumbled through the air several times until he managed to stop, wheeling around to face the fox, but finding nothing. Stars flooded his vision as the full force of a Drop Attack clocked him on the head, feeling the air rush up under him from his loss of balance and control on his flight. He fell for several seconds, managing to avoid the bridge during his spiral and regaining his bearings halfway above the deck.
He briefly gazed down, seeing the blue hedgehog and the twin wolves, along with the new faces he wasn't familiar with. Some of his troops were scattered about, holding fast to their positions just as he'd ordered. The ace peered up at where the fox had been, his vision suddenly filled with the white of a glove. Speedy just narrowly dove out of the way of Miles' grapple attempt, but was unprepared for a rebounding uppercut that socked him right below the base of his beak. This time, he only hurtled upwards for a couple of seconds before feeling the fox's arms slip up under his own. The bigger Animal locked him into an aerial full nelson, leaning in close so his muzzle was near the Kukku's face.
"You know, despite everything you've done, directly or otherwise," Miles uttered with a tinge of pity beneath the overlying contempt, "I still don't want to kill you, Speedy. You never got a proper second chance, after all."
Miles' grip tightened more, straining the prince's shoulders and causing them to creak. The prince felt like they were about to be dislocated if the agitated vulpine put on any more pressure. He could scarcely believe the two-tailed tyke he'd once met atop Mt. Pori Pori could overpower him like he was now. It embarrassed him that Miles had been playing until now. But, that the fox deigned to use his utmost effort, however briefly, got a smirk out of him.
"This time, though," the fox said forebodingly, "I need to make sure the message sinks in, like yours did with me."
Miles loosened his hold over Speedy, almost dropping him. At the last second, his hands yanked the Kukku back up and began rapidly spinning him around. The prince was coerced into a Rolling Attack, something he had never practically made use of before. It wasn't as refined as how he'd seen Miles team up with his friends, though. Those gloves were rough in the way they handled him, as though he were an amateur sculptor with his first major clay project. His feathers stood up as static ran through them, his eyes glued tight from the velocity of his form being tossed like pizza dough.
Speedy felt himself held in place even though he was spinning outside his control, a pit forming in his stomach as his nemesis just kept increasing his rotation. Or perhaps that was just the dizziness from being in a rolling motion for an extended duration, he wasn't certain. What he was sure of was that it was going to end soon. And the prince was proven right as he felt himself drop once again, both of the fox's legs coiling close to his body.
"Thunder Driver!" Miles bellowed, both shoes kicking down and out at the bird.
Speedy felt a shock travel through him, as though he'd been struck by the stunning shot from his exosuit. It was overshadowed by the sheer velocity of his form hurtling through the air, and the pain from his presumably broken ribs. He had no idea where he was headed, but he didn't have to wonder for long. Or rather, he was spared the suspense when he blacked out on impact with the steel of the bridge. Miles watched as Speedy caved the walls in where he ended up, his body spread eagle and unmoving in the center of the crater he'd formed.
The fox flew over and checked the vitals of his rival. He detected a slow, but steady pulse, and leaning in closer, his ears picked up faint breathing. Relieved that he hadn't gone too far, Miles gingerly lifted him out of the hole into a fireman's carry, then hovered down to meet the rest of the group. Sonic was the first to approach, flashing his usual thumbs-up.
"Good job, big guy!" he praised the teen. He glanced over at the unconscious ace and frowned at his beaten and bruised state. "A bit rough, though, don't ya think?"
Miles folded his arms and let out a puff of air through his nose. Maybe he did go a little overboard, but Speedy had asked for it. Still, he wasn't about to justify almost ending his archnemesis, even if unintentionally.
"Yeah," the fox said, not wanting to argue, "let's get him back on his feet."
Miles motioned to his utility belt that the hoglet still carried, who handed it over. He retrieved the cyan Emerald from its pouch and quickly healed over his relatively minor injuries, then held it over Speedy's chest. He closed his eyes and let his desire to mend the avian flow in concert with the energy. Aside from Sonic, he'd not attempted to try and fix up another with his gem before, but he was sure he could do it.
After a few seconds, Speedy's eyes opened and he started groaning. To his credit, he didn't attempt to strike Miles or thrash under him, but merely clenched his beak and fists as he rode out the process. The bitter look in his eyes told the fox that he knew trying anything untoward wouldn't be a wise move. He wasn't in the shape to do so anyway, not with the pain he was in and the fact that the fox had plenty of help. Not that he needed it, as he'd adequately demonstrated in the last several minutes.
Within a couple of minutes, Speedy was free of injury, although still a bit sore. Miles offered him a hand up, and the prince stared at it for a moment. It was the same gesture the fox had made after saving his life at the end of their first climactic battle aboard this Fortress. Back then, he'd refused it, going so far as to slap the glove away and walk on, barely muttering a thanks. This time, he reluctantly reached up and allowed his rival to help him to his feet. He pulled away the moment he was stable, which Miles didn't fight, though he did show a slight smile.
"Going to gloat now?" scoffed the prince.
"No, just hold you to our agreement," the teen replied cheekily.
Speedy rolled his eyes and gestured up at the top of the bridge. "You're free to grab the kill switch for yourself."
Miles shrugged and sprang upwards, flying to the broken viewing window. As he went in to grab the device, the Kukku was left in the company of the others. The chameleon had a keen eye fixed on him, but he was otherwise unreadable. The reptile's two companions plainly didn't care for him, although they had no personal beef. The same couldn't be said for the wolves, with Gadget keeping his baton in both hands while Gizmo had her gun pointed down, both of them glaring intensely at him. The only one showing any sense of amiability was the hedgehog, sporting a confident and empathetic smile.
It was all annoying, but Speedy chose not to comment on any of it, lest he get lip from one of the others. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to endure their scrutiny for long before Miles returned. The fox showed off the small black drive that would get the deed done, slipped it in his belt, then gave the ace his attention.
"Now, you said you had a way to get up to the Battle Moon," he said, reminding Speedy of the second part of their deal.
The green bird grumbled and folded his arms. "Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten about it. I'll escort you–"
"We don't need your help!" Gizmo interjected, both hands tightly squeezing her gun.
Gadget rested a glove on Remi's head as he scowled at the prince. "We already know where to find it, thanks. Sis is right, Miles, we don't need him, and honestly, we can't trust him."
"But if we leave him here, he could call his goons or something!" Vector argued, "at least if he's with us, we can keep an eye on him!"
Espio hummed in thought as his eyes went between Speedy and the rest. "I cannot speak for his character, but I have concerns in either scenario."
"Well, I'm with Vector!" Charmy declared, giving the twins an apologetic look, "sorry, guys, I just think it's less risky to keep him close than to leave him be."
Miles weighed their words together. Two wanted Speedy to stay behind, two wanted to bring him along, and one was wary of both options, thus technically undecided. He turned to Sonic, who simply shrugged and smirked at him.
"Doesn't matter to me," he said honestly, "it's up to you, big guy."
Much as Miles wanted to consider and respect everyone's view, he didn't have the time. If Speedy was being earnest, they had to get to the Battle Moon as soon as they possibly could.
"Speedy knows this place by heart," he reasoned, "it'd be faster to just follow him, even if we have the coordinates."
The wolves didn't look at all happy with that decision, but they didn't try to argue. Everyone else went along just as quietly, leaving the fox to turn to the prince and motion for him to lead the way. Speedy grunted in affirmation and began sprinting into the bridge, everyone else closely following. Along the way, they updated Miles on the situation with the Battle Moon. They were also stopped a few times by soldiers that, reasonably, assumed their commander was hostage to the big group of non-avians. He waved them away and guided the others down a couple of twists and turns to the main elevator, where they all crammed in and rode down to the main hangar.
They passed by a number of walkers, hoverpods, and planes before coming to something that didn't resemble any of those. It was a tall and thin, silvery egg-shaped vessel with a tiny circular window, locked into place by several steel prongs atop a raised platform. There was a tunnel above it that went up into the Fortress, which Miles presumed to be its launch tube. A chrome console stood nearby, which Speedy went over to without needing any prompting, his fingers clicking on the keys as the wolf twins watched him closely. The front of the pod opened, and just as Gadget had informed everyone, there really was only room for one inside, and as it was built more for someone like the Kukku prince, it would be a tight fit.
"Looks like I'll have to hunch down to get in," Miles remarked, stroking his chin as he looked over his group of friends, "I could get Remi in pack form and wear him on my front, and you could tag along in flight mode, Charmy."
The bee chuckled and put his hands on Vector and Espio's shoulders. "I'd love to, buddy, but I've gotta make sure these two get off this clunker in one piece. If anything happens to our ride, I'm the only one that can carry them the rest of the way!"
The chameleon slyly smiled while the crocodile grumbled at the insect boy's implication that they needed his help. Remi came over and shifted into his storage state, which the fox lifted into both arms and shouldered over his chest. Sonic strolled up to him and held out a fist, which Miles bumped without even needing to ask why it was offered. It made him feel just that little bit more assured that the hoglet had such faith in him.
"Hey, Miles?" he asked, which made the teen perk his ears, "sorry I can't be there with you and get that front row seat to Big Bird's buttkicking like I said."
Miles laughed heartily and clapped a hand on the blue boy's shoulder. "That's okay, Sonic. I'll be sure to get Remi to record it for you."
"I'd be down to watch that on repeat," Gizmo quipped, not caring that the prince glared at her for making such a statement, "go get him, little brother!"
"Be sure to get all those civilians back to safety, too!" Gadget amended.
The fox nodded to everyone and gave them the peace sign, then walked into the pod. He was right about it being a tight fit, as even bending down a few inches, he could just get himself into the blasted thing. It felt more like a steel coffin than a proper transport, if he were being honest. But just as he was about to let the door come down, Speedy pointed at him and narrowed his red eyes.
"Miles Prower!" he shouted, making the others tense up and prepare to make a move. Contrary to all their expectations, he gave his longtime rival and arch nemesis the traditional Battle Kukku Empire salute and nodded his head respectfully. "We will meet again, and I won't be content until I defeat you!"
Miles smirked and returned the gesture. "I look forward to another go, Speedy!"
He then ducked back into the pod and let the door come down. The prongs around the egg-like craft released themselves, the platform whirring loudly as it rose towards the tunnel above. Once it had been fully lodged into place, Speedy twisted another couple of knobs and then slammed a fist onto a big red button on the console. An immense BANG echoed throughout the hangar and the airspace around the Battle Fortress as a cannon port near the end of the upper deck blasted the pod straight up. While it screamed towards the Battle Moon, Miles steeled himself and watched the blue sky quickly darken and soon fade to black.
"You better be ready for Round 2, Fifteenth!" he proclaimed aloud, Remi barking in support.
Aboard the Battle Moon, the Great Battle Kukku peered over the blue marble that was their world. That is, the world that he believed rightfully belonged to the birds. Vast as it was, it appeared so much smaller from his current vantage point. His vision of an empire beyond this planet, one that extended to the stars, seemed all the more possible now. In it, Earth would be but another pearl in his eventual galactic crown. Best of all, that blasted fox would be out of his feathers for good, once everything was fully operational.
"Your Majesty!" reported a grunt as he rushed into the room and hastily saluted, "the preparations for your worldwide address have been completed! The doctor and the broadcasting crew await your presence!"
The big boss bird straightened his coat and put on his best winning smile. "Excellent. Let's not keep my new subjects waiting."
The GBK peered over at the Chaos Generator, taking in the powerful glow of the five stones. Very soon, he would get to see their new ultimate weapon in action, righting a wrong that had been plaguing them for years. Anyone else that dared to stand against the Empire would be presented with the same fate, but would mercifully be given a chance to rescind their foolish behavior. And once the remaining two Emeralds were in their grasp, there was no chance of anyone being able to assail this place. Perhaps then, they could extend their reach out to the stars.
But before that, the people of the world needed to know who was going to be in charge now. He followed the combatant down a gunmetal gray and gold hall adjacent to the main chamber. It took them less than a couple of minutes to come to a room that was wholly isolated, save for the one door leading in. Inside, there was a stage with a green screen behind it, and several cameras and lights set up. On the screens of the feed, he could see a wonderful view of Earth superimposed over the background, perfect for the contents of his speech.
"Wonderful," he murmured, stepping into the center and turning to face the lenses in him, "and Dmitri?"
"Present, Your Grace," Dr. Fukurokov called from a monitor opposite of him, hung up out of the way of the cameras, "preparations are underway for the first act of today's entertainment."
Things were going smoothly, but he knew not to get complacent this time. Yesterday had been a time where he'd let his good fortune go to his head, only to have various complications crop up. That was why he'd insisted on getting everything done as soon as possible for the final step. Last he'd heard, the fox had engaged and managed to board the Battle Fortress with his friends, which was disappointing news. But with the progress up to now, he felt he didn't have to worry.
'As long as Speedy keeps them busy, even if he ultimately loses, we shall win,' he thought happily, 'I shall be glad to be rid of the stress this plot has caused me. If he does well enough, I may even reconsider the severity of Speedy's discipline following our victory. He won't be entirely pardoned, but perhaps I've been a little too harsh on the boy.'
"My Emperor, we're ready to go live whenever you are," one of the troops told him as he and more of the smaller birds saluted him.
The Emperor adjusted his specs and gave the recording crew a glinting grin full of his crooked teeth. But just as they were about to go on, the chamber was cast in a crimson light and the alarm began blaring. His malicious smile audibly creaked into a strained one as his grunts secured the area and contacted other teams regarding the situation. Dr. Fukurokov appeared just as flustered, squawking orders at his own helpers while glancing back at his leader every so often with mounting trepidation.
"Status report!" the GBK demanded, about ready to storm over to his soldiers.
"There's a mass break in the prison block!" one of them answered.
"Majority of non-avian converts have suddenly revolted and started freeing POWs!" another revealed, "they're quickly outnumbering and outgunning our other forces!"
Their boss's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, showing them to be a deep red like those of his son as his glasses tilted down his beak. He glared at the old owl engineer, who was just as baffled as he was, from what his face was showing.
"You assured me that you had perfected the Conversion Therapy process for other species!" roared the Emperor.
The elderly bird chirped indignantly. "My calculations are never wrong! This shouldn't be happening, so clearly, this is some manner of sabotage!"
While his chief engineer went off into a rant about how this situation was an impossible one, the GBK stomped over to the console and grabbed one of the microphones.
"All hands on deck, execute these treasonous worms!" he thundered, "recapture all the prisoners and bring them to the Conversion Hall!"
Meanwhile, near the place where many had been recently contained, the mutinous chaos waged on, and one fellow was making his escape. Said fellow was a black and orange cross fox with deep brown eyes and fairly typical coat patterns. He was dressed in a gray collared shirt and a black pair of slacks, with a set of brown explorer's boots to complete the look of an avid field researcher. He ducked into open cells as he dodged the view of rushing troops, moving on when he was sure nobody was coming from either direction.
'Ah, the gods smile on me once again,' he mused excitedly as he came near the end of the hall, 'this is sure to make for another exuberant tale to add to my chronicles! And to think, just a couple of days prior, I was starting to get bored with how things were going! How many can say they've escaped from the warmongering descendents of the Babylonians?' He paused his contemplations to hum softly. 'Well, I suppose everyone that also manages to get out of here today.'
He waited until he heard the boot steps of Kukku grunts pass him by, then made a break for it. The cross fox bolted down the narrow hallway, trotting some distance to the containment cubicle at the end of the stretch and hiding once again. When certain it was safe to continue, he broke away to the right when he came to the first fork. His boots screeched against the floor from backpedaling the moment he realized this was unwise, as there was a trio of combatants right there! Lady Luck was kind to him when he opted to retreat in the other direction, as the soldiers apparently couldn't aim worth a damn. He was a good might bigger than those birds, sure, but he wasn't about to go at them with his claws and fangs when they had energy rifles!
As he hopped and skipped out of the way of stray shots, he eyed another split in the labyrinthine complex that was...wherever he'd been brought. His tall ears detected yet more footsteps to the right, so he headed left, his intuition proven sound when the hail of additional gunfire came his way from behind. Had he been more confident, he would've taunted their marksmanship, but all was going as well as it could have, so he didn't deign to try. His longer legs and greater stamina afforded him the chance to put more meters between him and his pursuing party, but without a clear direction, it was only a matter of time until they cornered him in territory that they knew far better than he did.
It seemed exactly that case when he rounded what must have been the umpteenth corner when he ran into a real behemoth of a person. Specifically, it was a human male with olive toned flesh, ocean blue eyes, and curly, jet black hair that came down to his shoulders with lush, matching facial hair that dropped just as far. He had a powerful, but not overly muscular build that was hidden beneath blue and black Kukku fatigues that covered all but his neck up to his face. The fox couldn't help gawking at his size; he must have easily stood over two meters tall, and probably weighed over 150 kilos. Such a figure was massive, and quite so even among humans, which already towered over and outweighed most Animals in general.
The man brought up one of the rifles that the Kukkus were toting, suggesting that he'd been Converted and was working with them to apprehend the escapees. Instinctively, the cross fox bowed low and hit the deck, waiting for the paralyzing shots to hit him from either direction. They came, but not in the way that he had been anticipating. The human unleashed several measured, evenly spaced blasts from his firearm, all of which sailed well over the vulpine's head, and likely would have missed him even if he were still standing. Just as many cries rang out, followed by an equal number of thuds to the floor, which prompted the fox to check the situation. Every last one of the birds that had been chasing him were laid out, but still very much alive, scorch marks present in non-lethal areas over their bodies. He turned to the man, who signaled for him to get to his feet and follow. Wary though he was of this seeming ally, the Animal did as the other mammal suggested and soon joined him.
They sprinted down the passage ahead, only coming upon minimal resistance, which was promptly dealt with by the bigger of the pair. The two traveled through several more twists and turns until they came to an immense chamber dominated by more of the dull colorations that had been reserved for the floor. All around, there were immense, chrome egg-shaped transports connected to tunnels and shafts that went deeper into the Battle Moon. Many Animals and humans alike were filing into them, most wearing civilian clothing while the rest wore the uniforms of the Empire. The pods were equipped with many white with black straps and belts to keep passengers down, and a simple console near the doors presumably for operating them. Every few seconds, one of them sealed up and shot down a tube, leaving less and less vessels for those still around.
"Go," the man told him in a deep and commanding, but also fatherly, bass voice, "all of the Children have nearly arrived."
The fox wasn't about to refuse the offer, but he couldn't help wondering about his mysterious ally. "Thank you, good sir. If I may have your name before we part?" He held out one of his hands for a shake. "I'm a bit of a writer, you see, and I'd like to tell this story properly once I return. It'd be quite unjust not to include the man that helped me to freedom."
The huge man regarded him for a moment, looking down at the offered paw. After a moment, the slightest ghost of a smile crossed his lips and he took the much smaller guy's hand with a few of his fingers.
"Gil," the fellow replied simply.
The cross fox let out a soft chuckle. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gil. Most people know me as 'J'."
"Well then, safe journeys, J," Gil bid him as he dropped the rifle he'd been using and went down a pathway opposite to the one they'd entered through.
J watched him disappear, then took up a position close to the console of a nearby pod. He waited until there was only one seat close to it left, then pulled a red lever, which quickly shut the doors. He ran over and strapped himself in tightly, just in time for the sensation of falling to overtake him, turning his stomach over a bit. The craft rocked and shook as it descended, though just as soon as it had started, the turbulence came to an end. The feeling of gravity, however, was still present, and when he peered outside the port window, J could scarcely believe what he was seeing.
'We're in space!' he marveled internally, observing the stars as they dropped towards the blue marble they all came from, 'I've always wanted to go see the stars up close! That's one thing I can cross off my bucket list!'
After getting over his initial thrill, J found himself puzzled by a seemingly minor point, at least compared to all that he'd come across so far. What exactly had Gil meant when he used the word "Children" with that sort of emphasis? It sounded familiar to something he'd heard before, but he couldn't quite place where. Perhaps he could look into it once this was all said and done.
Back with the GBK, his temper only continued to soar to new heights as news came in regarding the catastrophe. Almost every POW had gotten away and hijacked most of the escape vessels meant for him and his troops! And as if that wasn't bad enough, his forces on the planet had reported his son's loss to the fox and his friends! But the absolute worst bit of information that came his way...he wasn't just furious about it, he was absolutely appalled!
"My own flesh, feathers, and blood, providing aid to our worst enemy!" he screeched, kicking down the door to the studio that they'd set up and stomping back the way he came, "had he fought to the last or been taken hostage, that would be forgivable. But this!? I'll show him what happens to those that turn against the Empire; after I skin that fox, of course!"
As he continued to rant and rave, a small crew followed with equipment they managed to scrounge before their leader dismantled all of it. Their plans to get the formal address out may have been dashed, but they planned to get footage out in spite of their setbacks. All the while, Dr. Fukurokov's face jumped from display to display as he tried to keep up and get through to his leader. A couple of minutes went by before he was given the time of day, and the shadows on the Emperor's face made him wish he had just left him well enough alone.
"Dmitri," the big bird said with a dangerous calm, his enraged frown replaced with an eerie grin, "there is one thing I need you to get for me."
The old owl was puzzled at first. However, once he recognized what the GBK was getting at, he slowly started sporting his own twisted smile. In the event that everything appeared to be crashing down around them, and the fox managed to make it aboard the Battle Moon, there was one final trump card they could bring out. Even if their nemesis did acquire all of the mystical minerals, the engineer was confident he still wouldn't be able to contend with it.
"Of course, My Liege," he replied eagerly, "it shall be ready for action, just in time for your destined showdown with Miles Prower!"
Miles felt the pod soon slow and lock into place, a similar interior to the Battle Fortress visible through the viewing window. The door to the craft hissed and swung open, showing him a chamber that was barren aside from the platform, a control console, and a single mechanical door. It also exposed his sensitive ears to the klaxon that had apparently been going off before he even arrived, and it was then that he also noticed the hazard lights flashing.
'Either they already know I'm here, or something else is going on,' Miles theorized, 'it could also be both. Whatever the case, I've got to get to the Chaos Generator before they unleash that weapon on Cocoa Island! Once I stop it and the Emperor, I'll focus on saving the captives, then find some way to bring this place down!'
Whipping out the Miles Electric, the fox overlaid the Emerald Radar atop the map of the Battle Moon that Remi downloaded, quickly determining where the other five stones were. What made him pause and not immediately run off to their location was the presence of an eighth signal aboard the station. Unlike the interference from the rings in Casino Night, this was a clear and concise reading, although physically larger than what the gems were giving off. Most peculiarly, it was moving in the direction of the gems from what the schematics labeled the prison ward. Had the Kukkus managed to create an artificial Emerald so that they wouldn't need his in order to power the Generator?
Not wanting to find out the hard way, Miles rushed to intercept whatever it was before it reached its destination. He shrugged Remi off his shoulders and allowed him to change to his Critter form, the little robot immediately tucking in its legs and following behind with its propeller. Through the door, he found himself in a narrow corridor surrounded by light blue and golden brown walls, stars and other celestial objects whizzing past in a nearby window. Further down, he could see that magnificent blue spheroid that was his home world, as well as the many lands that dotted its surface. Even at an accelerated pace, it took a few minutes of traveling down nearly identical paths and passages before he started to close in on the location of the Chaos Generator. The fox had a bit of a sinking feeling as the aberrant signature he'd detected had planted itself in his direct path. Moreover, it had been sitting there, unmoving and in close proximity to the Emeralds, as though waiting for him at the end of this final stretch to his destination. There was a large room that was featureless aside from the next corridor, which led directly to the other five minerals, and a small silver shutter, presumably for viewing.
Immediately upon stepping into the chamber, it was plainly obvious that he wasn't alone. Miles expected a new prototype machine to stand before him, maybe a combatant with a Chaos-powered firearm, or even the GBK himself wielding some strange power source slotted in an exosuit of his own. What he most certainly did not expect was a man that stood more than half again his height and probably weighed several times what he did. The human stood over what appeared to be a crude and, frankly, insulting mechanical replica of himself, reduced to little more than dismembered scraps scattered at the bigger mammal's feet. Remi was rather calm around this figure, even though he should've been going crazy, by Miles' estimates.
'According to the Miles Electric, he is the source of the abnormal Chaos Energy reading,' he concluded as he glanced between his creation and the figure, 'what is he, a living Chaos Emerald?'
"Kitsune," the man murmured in as much fascination as the Animal observing him, "or perhaps not? Regardless...beyond here lies the five brethren of the Chaos in your possession."
While thankful that the man didn't seem hostile, Miles was slightly annoyed by the obscurity of his words. He knew that "kitsune" was a word from the Japanese language, one that both meant "fox", and also referred to the mystical beings from Shinto lore; foxes, like himself, with multiple tails. He knew what "the Chaos" meant without having anyone to spell it out for him, at least. Those aside, there remained the obvious question for the teenage Animal.
"Who are you?" he wondered. He waved the Miles Electric back and forth, seeing no change in the position of the signal he was getting.
The man bowed his head. "I am Gil, but that is unimportant right now. The Children are safe, so do not worry for them. Focus only on the descendant of Babylon's king, who awaits you just past this door." Before he could be questioned further, Gil waved a hand dismissively and walked past the amber fox. "We shall cross paths again in due time, kitsune. May you maintain your grasp in the trial to come, and stay true to yourself."
Miles could do little more than blink as the unusual human disappeared down the halls, leaving him to digest what he'd heard.
'Well,' he concluded after some rumination, 'that sounds ominous. I haven't had that enigmatic of an encounter since the end of my ordeal on Little Planet. At least he gave me a little encouragement, whoever he was.'
Putting those thoughts aside, Miles and Remi proceeded past the shutters. It was yet another long hall with a view of space beside them, though unlike the rest, it wasn't lit up, leaving the pair illuminated only by the ambiance. At the end of it was a positively immense room with an equally large window that was divided by roughly cylindrical supports every couple of meters or so. The fox estimated the chamber to possibly be bigger than the whole of the Battle Fortress' bridge, though he couldn't tell from the low light. Opposite of the starry canvas was a sight that made him smile from ear to ear: the telltale glow of the other Chaos Emeralds. They were slotted in some sort of module that reminded him of the nests that the Flickies built back on Cocoa Island, something that gave him a rather mixed bag of feelings. More concerning, there was a prismatic energy barrier around the bed that contained the gems themselves, meaning he couldn't just reach in and grab them.
'Although, if the force field is also powered by the Chaos Generator,' he surmised, 'then the kill switch should deactivate that as well.'
The room was flooded with light before he could make a move, his hands moving to cover his eyes from the sudden stimulation. At the same time, the alarms finally died, and his ears perked up at a raucous, crowing bout of laughter. It was a distinctive cry he knew all too well.
"Welcome, Miles Prower!" greeted the Great Battle Kukku, dark mirth beneath the veneer of politeness. His voice sounded like it was coming from in front of him, albeit through some sort of speaker. "I've been waiting for you!"
Miles blinked a few times as he slowly parted his fingers and got a look at his surroundings. The walls and floor were all gold and silver, though not quite as vibrant or gaudy of tints as he'd come to expect, with deep red lights beaming down from the high and dark ceiling. He was inside a three-tiered green and gold cubic framework that covered much of the area, the top of it open while the four faces on the sides were sealed in with a light blue energy shield. The Chaos Generator was now on the other side of what would be the southern wall, if cardinal directions worked the same way they did in space.
With what stood before him, however, that was the least of his concerns. It was an enormous robot that was at least ten times his size, and likely hundreds, if not thousands, of times as heavy. It was modeled closely after the Great Battle Kukku himself, from his coat to his pants, his high-heeled shoes and his gauntlets; even his pince-nez had been figured in. Its tail feathers were razor sharp, however, and its bottom half had a much denser chassis compared to the actual fellow's figure. The shoes appeared to have wheels installed under the toes and the spikes, its arms were bulkier and more proportionate to its giant fists than the bird's, and it sported a silver jetpack consisting of two huge barrel-shaped thrusters.
Miles' jaw just about dropped, and for the first time since he'd started his journey on West Side Island, he was genuinely uncertain about his chances. But, he knew that he couldn't allow doubt to creep into his mind, not at such a critical time. He wordlessly commanded Remi to shift to his pack form and put him on, keeping him and all of his other tools close as he stared down his old enemy.
"I've got to hand it to you guys," the fox remarked, raising his fists, "between that ugly thing and this space station, you've made some real mechanical marvels."
Once more, that grating laugh rang out. "You've only seen what they look like, boy. But soon enough, you and everyone else shall see the power of the Battle Moon in action, as well as Dr. Fukurokov's greatest combat machine: the Grand Kukku Mobile Suit!" There was a brief pause after more chortling, followed by the mech holding up a hand as though placing it near a non-existent ear. "By the way, Dmitri, how long until the Grand Kukku Cannon is ready to erase the brat's home?"
"Just five more minutes, milord!" the owl announced, "I trust you've acclimated to the suit's functionality?"
"Naturally! I am pleased with how intuitive you made the controls," the Emperor praised him, "it feels like an extension of my own body. Yes, this shall make grinding the kit into dust all the more satisfying!"
Miles stiffened and showed his fangs as he growled, his fur bristling all over. He already knew about the plan to destroy Cocoa Island, but he didn't realize he had so little time left before it was carried out!
"One more thing," the GBK droned out with malicious glee, "this final confrontation of ours will be televised for a live audience, as well as key regions of the sky to make sure nobody misses a moment of the action! What better way to crush any hope of resistance against us than by disposing of the best chance against us for everyone to see?" The mobile suit creaked and bent down to gaze menacingly at the fox. The grin behind its sneering shell was all too easy to feel, even if it couldn't be seen. "Now then, roll the cameras!"
