Act I: AWARE
Chapter XXIII: Creeping Death
Central City Stadium, Sunday 1:45 AM
Sonic and Tails trudged through the flooded city streets the best they could.
They ditched the car a block away, because as they were driving, they could see the ocean water barreling through the streets behind them.
Sonic stepped carefully in the water, looking up as paramedics, cops cars, and SWAT vans lined the outside of the stadium. Citizens were rushing to the roadblocks begging to evacuate – but as Mephiles said…
Evacuation wasn't possible.
The hedgehog had sealed their fates – either fight to survive - or drown trying.
He effectively destroyed Central City.
As the floodwaters continued to rush in, he showed his badge at the door, the police letting him in ahead of the large crowd of citizens that were waiting to get into the stadium.
"The city's only safe-place."
Sonic and Tails met with the entire group.
Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Sally, the D'Coolette's, the SWAT division.
They were all here, as Knuckles was giving the entire team of police officers that were there instructions.
"We have an active hostage situation. We need to sweep the building for explosives, keep all the citizens in organized groups, and get the mayor-elect outta here now," Knuckles commanded.
"We're here!" Tails exclaimed, causing Knuckles and Amy to turn around.
"Thank Gaia! Where were you guys?!" Amy exclaimed.
Sonic caught his breath. "We – went back to Mephiles's apartment. HE told me something else was coming. We discovered his plan but – by that time it was too late."
Sonic had failed again.
Sally sighed, putting her hand on Sonic's shoulder. "You did what you could. Now you're here – so let's try to make the most right out of this that we can!"
Tails nodded, his eyes meeting Cosmo as they shared a brief smile.
"We gotta get Knuckles to the mayor and get her outta here. Charmy and Mighty – lead the sweep on explosives!" Vector commanded.
Mighty and Charmy nodded fervently.
"Whisper and Tangle, you take Cosmo, Bunnie and Antoine to start getting civilians situated. If that flood-water smashes through the doors we do not want any citizens in the path!" Knuckles added.
Vector turned to the others. "Espio, Sonic, Tails, Knux, Amy and Sally – you all come with us to get the mayor. We all set?"
With a nod and affirmations, the group began to break – heading out into the stadium floor.
It was pandemonium. Citizens were afraid, officers were trying to calm the shivering people down. Mighty and Charmy broke off with a group to one side of the stadium, Whisper and Tangle's group breaking off to the other side, while Knuckles led Sonic and the others down through the center, pushing past any citizens and officers that were standing through the path.
Pushing onto the mayor's stage and behind the curtains, Knuckles found Shade speaking with other officers.
Sonic's eyes met that of former-mayor Mammoth Mogul's family, his son looking at him with worry.
Sonic sighed shakingly.
He remembered that feeling.
Knuckles and Vector walked up towards Shade, shaking her hands as they introduced themselves to their new boss.
"Alright m'am, we gotta get you out of here," Knuckles began.
"I thought this was the shelter of last resort?" Shade asked, furrowing her brow.
"For a storm – but not if the entire seawall comes down. In any minute, that floodwater could smash through this stadium and trap everyone inside," Vector responded.
"I'm not going to let those people die out there. I'm going to go address the crowd," Shade stated, starting towards the stage as Amy stopped her.
"M'am, we must get you out of here. It's not safe for you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Shade stated, hands on her hips.
"M'am, we're under attack," Knuckles retorted.
"Right! That's the issue with this city. It always has been. Everyone is afraid to stand up and do what's right. I'm not – so excuse me," Shade said, side-stepping Amy as she charged onto the stage.
She sighed, giving a look to Knuckles as they surrounded the curtain – watching Shade take the stand, the orange echidna tapping the microphone.
Sonic smiled. He enjoyed the initiative she took.
In a way, she reminded him of Tikal – despite the obvious physical resemblance.
"Everyone! Everyone, if I could have your attention!"
The crowd didn't respond to their mayor, opting to continue panicking loudly.
"Everyone, please if I could just get your-" Shade stopped, her eyes moving up towards the catwalks that were above her, her muzzle paling.
Her eyes met a man in a hoodie, pointing a sniper-rifle directly at her.
Her eyes moved, seeing that it was not just one man…
But an entire group of hoodie-cladded assassins.
"What is she looking at?" Amy asked, eyes wide.
Shade started to take a step back, before a shot rang out – as a bullet struck her in the stomach.
The crowd screamed, a frenzy beginning as multiple shots began firing, the screams now coupled with the sound of sniper-rifles firing off.
Knuckles and Amy cursed, rushing onto the stage as Knuckles lifted Shade up, beginning to drag her off stage as the men continued to fire at them – barely missing as the bullets caused the confetti on the stage to dance in the air momentarily.
Knuckles managed to drag her behind the curtains, holding her up as she wheezed in pain, clutching her stomach.
"You're alright, you're alright – I got you, I got you," Knuckles stated hurriedly, fumbling for his handgun.
Sonic cursed, he and Tails diving in front of them as they too whipped out their handguns, pointing it through the curtains as they pointed them at the assailants.
They began firing back, but to no avail. They were too far, and the ranges of their handguns were not going to make contact.
However, their firing stopped as the men began firing at the glass-ceiling.
Knuckles furrowed his brow.
"What the hell are they firing at?" Vector asked.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the top of the stadium, the glass shattering as both Silver and Blaze dropped through the glass ceiling, landing on the catwalk.
Sonic hollered celebratorily, Tails smirking.
Knuckles coughed, standing up roughly. "Alright – we gotta get up there! Let's help them as much as we can!"
With a nod, Sonic and Tails followed the trio as they began rushing towards the staircases that led them to the top of the catwalks.
The assailants whipped around at Silver and Blaze, their gauntlets glowing as the pair nodded to each other, before hopping apart as bullets began whizzing towards them.
Putting his hands up, Silver lifted two assailants into the air, throwing them back as they thudded into two other assailants, the four falling from the catwalks.
Blaze put a pyro shield up as bullets flew at her, pushing the gunmen back with barriers of flames as they were as well discarded.
As rounds were fired at Silver, he put a barrier up – the energy catching the bullets as he sent them back – striking into the gunmen.
From behind Blaze, a gunmen kicked her in the back, the cat yelping before she slung a fireball into their stomach, turning over her shoulder as Silver flung two gunmen towards her, the cat hopping in the air as her heels ignited with flames, kicking them in the stomach as they fell towards the crowds below.
Sonic and Tails began darting over, shooting at gunmen as rapidly as they possibly could, the four now working in synchronization as they began routinely taking down gunmen.
Knuckles and Amy had positioned on opposite ends, firing off rounds at any gunmen that were in their aim, Silver and Blaze using their powers to continue discarding them.
"How many of these guys are there?!" Sonic exclaimed over the noise, continuing to fire.
"They'll keep coming, and we'll keep handling it!" Silver cried out, blasting assailants back.
"I'm not sure how much of a handle we'll have if we don't get some backup up here!" Knuckles exclaimed.
As if their prayer was answered, another explosion rattled the catwalk – causing the group to lose their footing.
As Sonic stirred, the smoke was billowing atop the catwalks, the assailants all pointing their guns toward it as they approached it slowly.
Out of the smoke, Bark lept, tackling a gunman before he landed a punch into another one.
Jet followed, cocking his rifle as Wave and Storm followed behind him. Jet let out a loud cackle, rearing his head back.
"Hooo, boy! Now this is the most action we've gotten in a while!"
Storm chuckled – firing his shotgun into two gunmen. "Nothin' like a good ol' shootout!"
Shadow and Rouge were the last two to follow from the smoke, each strapped with weaponry and battle-suits.
Shadow nodded towards Sonic, before he darted forward, jamming a knife into the necks of two gunmen.
Rouge nodded, flying up as she roundhouse kicked two other assailants, flinging their bodies over the catwalk.
Wave whipped out dual-wield automatic pistols, firing them off with a wicked grin on her face at the masked assailants, as the police members – along with Silver and Blaze – joined in, continuing their assault.
Sonic hopped up, firing off rounds while Silver and Blaze slung energy-attacks towards the gunmen. It was an all-out brawl for control of this arena.
Another explosive went off, rattling them, Knuckles growling as gunmen began taking out grenades.
"Explosives!" Wave exclaimed, as Blaze rushed forward.
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
Flicking her shield on, Blaze slammed her foot in the ground, a pyrokinetic wave omitting from beneath her feet.
The assailants flew back, though 3 grenades flung forward, exploding in the air above them.
The explosion managed to slice two wires, the catwalk slightly tipping as everyone held onto the railing.
"Gaia!" Amy exclaimed, Rouge grabbing her hand as she growled.
"Don't worry pink – I gotcha!"
Knuckles began firing back, watching as Jet and Storm reloaded their assault rifles, before unloading another round through the haze.
Suddenly, the arena shook – everyone losing their footing again before whipping their heads at the entrance.
"Everyone outside is running!" Tails exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Oh, good Gaia…" Sonic muttered.
In a sudden instant, the floodwater smashed through the doors and windows, shattering it as the ocean waves barreled into the stadium, everyone in its path jumping out of the way for cover as the flooding pummeled through the stadium.
In what felt like a second, the floor of the arena was submerged in water, cop-cars and vans carried into the stadium in the water.
The waves crashed into Shade's election stage, the lights and screens sparking as the stage collapsed, wires hanging with loose sparks omitting towards the water – causing even more pandemonium.
Sonic growled; his eyes glazed over with rage.
Something had to be done.
Or else…everyone inside this stadium was going to die.
