The following 'epic' is based on characters created
by Sega, and also DIC "Sonic the Hedgehog" (SAT AM) Gearbox and "O" are the
copyrighted property of Dan Drazen. All
rights reserved.
Any
characters not based on the previously mentioned sources are sole property
of...hmm that would be me!!
Prelude
to Suffering
Mobius, 3184
"Sometimes I wonder how you can even look at yourself in the mirror."
the assassin said, stretching. 0445
hours, a long sleep. No matter though, it would be at least fifteen minutes before
anything took place. "Now let's see... silenced pistol or shriukens today? The
figure thought aloud, opening a closet to a large arsenal of weapons. A
persistent banging distracted the feline's concentration. "What is it,
already?!" the assassin called. "Maria, ¡Ven aquí! The Godfather called a meeting at 0500 today remember?" a voice called
from the other side of the door. "Okay Chino, wait for me!" she called back
grabbing the pistol. It seemed so much more lady-like.
"Maria,
you are fashionably late, as usual." The Godfather addressed. "Deadly accuracy
cannot be rushed, sir." She responded, taking her seat. "And you, Chino! What
makes you think you can come in here tardy?" the Godfather challenged, when
Chino took his seat. "Forgive me, Maxis, I was waiting on my sister."Chino
responded, sheepishly. "So better to keep us waiting, than her?" a large tiger
challenged. "No sir." The Godfather raised his hand. "That is enough Smite, you
know when it is your place to speak.
Pacianno, does your older sister need a reminder of where this hall is?"
Chino looked down. "Forgive me, Maxis, I asked him to wait for me." Maria said.
"Then you agree that he is not ready for a meeting such as this. Chino you are
dismissed." Chino looked sharply at Smite and then the Godfather. He left, chuckling to himself. "Smite would look a lot better with two
breathing holes." he thought to himself.
"I
don't trust him, sir" Smite said, when Chino
was out of sight. "He has a problem with authority. The last thing we
need is a loose cannon." "What do you think, Maria?" the Godfather addressed.
"I think that it's a shame that one as strong as Smite would be intimidated by
a mere 13 year old." She responded, smiling.
"I think I speak for all of us, when I say anyone sharing your genes
Maria is intimidating to say the least." Smite answered quickly."
"The meeting will come to order! Sir
Charles, since your younger brother is new to our way of buisness, I assume you
have brought him up to speed. Now, Maurice, do you have any questions that were
not answered in the manuals?" King Acorn addressed. Maurice stood. "Yes sir, I
went over all twelve manuals, and not one place did it have any policy of
social classes in terms of taxation, yet there are incrimidating differences
and many extra rules on how to police different statuses of your subjects. Why
is that?" Maurice frowned, hating to have to talk like a buisnessman. "With all
due respect, sire, I would personally like to comment on that subject matter."
Raoul deCoullette spoke aloud. "By all means, accountant, the floor is
yours." "Thank you, sire. Sherriff
Maurice, you are new to this social class, and it is high time that you
realized the advantages it has to offer. Some advantages, such as the one you
just addressed are better left unspoken, while others, such as the taxation
deal are added effect of a higher bank account. Taxes don't change just because
you work harder. It is not right that
the government take money from those that make more than others. A regulated
tax is ideal for our society which has so many opportunities to advance in
social standard. You, yourself are living proof of that, Sir Maurice." Maurice
stood, dumbfounded, then let out a chuckle. "What seems to be so humerous, Sir
Maurice?" King Acorn ventured. "Forgive me sir, it's just that I've never met
someone as shallow and stuck up as your accountant." He answered. "Of all the insulting..." "Raoul, let me ask
you a question. Since when was book keeping considered a harder job than
mining, or construction? Where do you get off saying that anyone can move up in
the social classes? When was the last time you saw a custodian wearing a silk
bath robe to sleep in his hole in the ground? King Acorn, it's no wonder there
is so much crime around the outer zones. And if the public knew about this, it
could mean revolution." "Well I believe
you just proved being a sheriff is harder than being a janitor, Sir Maurice."
Raoul said, indignantly. "Hmm...if this new sheriff stays this way, it might
just be that accountant I put on ice." Someone thought, from high above the
ceiling. Maria had been sent to
determine if the new sherrif would be any threat to the Mafia's cause. Now
Maria thought that he was fighting for it. There was something different about
this hedgehog's demeanor that fascinated Maria. Fascinating enough for her to
follow him home.
"I
don't enjoy his presence, Chucky. I wanted so much to deck him today! Aw, what
have I become?! A year ago, I would have clocked him without a second thought!"
Maurice complained. "So you believe that self control is a weakness then,
Maurice?" Charles asked, looking up from his paper. "I tell ya, it's a wonder
they even hired your pathetic hide." Maurice walked to the window and stared at
the stars. "It's funny. I can hardly
remember what's upsetting me every time I look at the stars." Charles joined
his younger brother, uninterested. "You are such a dreamer kid. That's gonna be
your downfall." Charles commented as he retired to his room. "Stars aren't only
for dreamers, sheriff." A voice from behind ventured. Maurice reached for his
club and spun around, not recognizing the voice. His mind raced, as he saw
nothing. "You might check your right leg." The voice suggested. Instantly,
Maurice's eyes focused on the infa-red dot on his knee. "Where are you?!" he
demanded, trying to shake the dot off, to no avail. "You…move so fast!" he
added, visibly as impressed as he was frightened. "When you're paid to save
lives, that's what you're good at. The only thing you're good at. When you're paid
to take them, it's the same thing." The dot moved to Maurice's chest. "And I
always get paid." Maurice thought fast. "Uh, m'aam, if you don't mind me saying
so, your voice is way too beautiful to sound intimidating. Whatever your issue
is with me, it's probably not serious enough to kill me over. Especially since
we haven't even met before." He offered, dropping the club. The light
disappeared and Maurice breathed a sigh of relief. "I give my targets a chance
to live a few extra hours if they score at least 4 points before I decide to
eliminate them. You've earned your 4th point just now." The voice
said. "Points?" "Your first point was caring about the real citizens of Mobius,
when you told off that soon to be deceased accountant. Your second point was grabbing
for your nightstick instead of your gun when you heard me. I value an animal
that would choose force over technology. Your third point was acknowledging
your helpless state. Every other male I know would have been in denial to the
end." Maurice scratched his head. "And my fourth point?" "Your fourth point was
your shameless flattery of me. I rather enjoyed it, shallow though it was."
Maurice grinned, and extended his arm. "Maurice Hedgehog." He ventured. A
gloved paw grabbed his paw and pulled him into darkness. "Maria Caliko." The
voice said in a warmer tone. Maurice hesitated. "THE Maria Caliko? The 'Ice
Cat' of the Mobian Mafia???" Maurice saw a flash of white as Maria grinned at
the mention of her nickname. "I didn't know my reputation was that big." She
admitted. "Likewise, I'm sure." Maurice answered. "I'm sorry, Ms. Caliko, but
I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you under arrest for violating virtually
every law under the Acornian Kingdom." The cat let go of Maurice's paw. "But
I'm not a subject of the Acornian Kingdom. Your rules do not apply to me." She
answered smugly. "Then you are trespassing on private property and violating
the restraining code 114 of the Acornian law which prohibits any citizens of
the Neo Green Hill zone to keep clear of the Acornian Kingdom, unless you have
the proper clearance. Visa, please, madam." Maria let out a loud laugh. "You're placing me under arrest, Maurice?
I'm the one with the weapon." She challenged. Maurice felt his belt for his
colt, but quickly felt it pressed against his chest. "I'm well aware of how
fast you can knock this out my hand, but you're well aware of how fast I can
pull a trigger, and you know that I would win. So get on your knees and put
your hands in the air." Maria ordered in her usual dry tone. Maurice did not
budge, however. "Madam, maybe I didn't make myself clear the first time. You're
under arrest. Do not resist me or live by the foolish notion that you can kill
me with an unloaded colt or a .33 with a cork in the silencer." "Touché." Maria replied, dropping the colt,
and reaching for her pistol again. Maurice sensed this and grabbed her wrist,
flipping the assassin over his shoulder into a restraining hold. After
stripping the feline of her weapons, which included a jagged edge dagger, a
silenced pistol, and a Z-30 pulse grenade, Maurice led Maria into the light so
he could get a glimpse of his attacker. He froze instantly when he saw the cat.
"You're the most beautiful killer I've ever seen." Maurice thought aloud. Maria
blushed. "My, aren't you bold!" she answered, laughing. Maurice relaxed his
grip. "You'll leave Mobotropolis in the morning. In the meantime, I'd like to
take you out for dinner, if you don't mind. Ever eat chili dogs before?"
"Hey Chuck! Don't be skimpy
on the sauce next time! This is the lady's first time!" Maurice shouted to the
kitchen. Maria smiled to herself, but was careful not to let any emotions
escape her psyche. She picked up her second chilidog and watched as Maurice
devoured his sixth. "Do you ever breathe between gulps?!" Maurice smiled. "Ith
mwa swecet. I bweeth foo ma noze!" He said, mouth full of food. "Maurice!"
Charles scolded, coming out of the kitchen. "You're scaring our guest here with
your atrocious table manners! Now I don't mind making dinner, but I do mind a
barbarian at the dinner table!" Maria broke her silence with a loud laugh. "I
don't think I've ever met two sibling interact normally like this!" she
observed. "Where I come from…it's not like that." There was a hint of sadness
in Maria's voice. "Ah c'mon kiddo! Everyone thinks they're family lives are bad
compared to someone else's!" Charles answered, sitting at the head of the
table. "So do you have any siblings?" Maria smiled one of her rare smiles. "A
little brother. Two older brothers. One of them is dead. The other, he's in
jail… if he's still alive." Silence.
"A little bro, huh?" Maurice broke the ice. Maria
looked up from her dinner. "Yeah, he's 13. Pacciano. A real killer though."
Charles smirked. "Yeah, I'll bet." He thought. "So you know who I am, then?"
Maria asked him, noticing his smirk. Charles straightened up. "You're probably
not so bad. It's simply what you stand for that I hate. You despise localized
government and the kingdom that made your land breathable. You defy order, yet
you live by dictatorship. You get what you want through stealth and hatred. You
are the Mobian Mafia." Maurice gulped and Maria looked out the window. "I see
you memorized that article in the newspaper as well." She said in a
lighthearted tone. "No matter. I cannot force you to think how I think, or live
how I live. We choose our own paths, and the only way we can be judged is by
how we stick to our belief system. I cannot expect you to understand my was, as
you can't expect me to understand yours." With that, the feline assassin
excused herself from the table and vanished into the night. Maurice stared
soberly out the window. "Now there's someone you don't meet every day." Charles
commented. "A poetic killer!"
The night was unlike any other. Maurice's mind raced
as mixed emotions clouded his consciousness. Duty to protect. Duty to serve.
The vows and regulations of knighthood. A relationship that would cause nothing
but pain in the end. Even death? Even death. "But what about my duty to follow
my heart?" Maurice thought. He wasn't exactly the happy go lucky hedgehog
looking for love. He certainly didn't NEED it. He had a good career, a nice
transporter and everything he desired. He never stayed up night wondering what
was 'missing' in his life. And yet here he was, at 0345 hours sitting in his
bed wondering about the mysterious assassin that stole his heart. "How corny is
that?!" he thought. After another hour of tossing and turning, Maurice gave up
on trying to catch some z's and decided to take a walk.
The full moon gave Maurice enough light so he could
see where he was going as he ran. He had been born with an indescribable
physical endurance that allowed him to sprint for hours and not feel the
slightest hint of fatigue. Strangely, it was walking and hiking that zapped his
energy. After a few minutes of running with no destination in mind, Maurice
found himself at the south central border of the Green Hill zone. It was the
entrance to the Neo Green Hill zone, and territory of the Mobian Mafia, land
bought by the Godfather of the clan. "Hmm, I usually end up in the Great
Forest." He thought. "What am I doing here?" A now familiar voice spoke up
before Maurice could leave the scene. "I had a feeling you'd show up sooner or
later." Maria emerged from the darkness. Maurice scratched his head. "Hiya!" he
replied weakly. "Here's an idea. I don't believe in small talk, so let's get
down to why you came here." Maria answered, folding her arms. Maurice sat on a
small rock. "It seems we have each other at a stalemate." He began. "You risk
punishment for failing to eliminate me. I risk being hung for not arresting
you. And yet the only thing I can think of right now is how beautiful your
smile is…and how lovely your laugh sounds." At this, Maurice covered his mouth
in shock and embarrassment, realizing what he had just said. Maria looked at
her admirer, expressionless. "Look, I know how superficial I sound, but I've
never felt like this before and I need to know why I think you're the most
important thing on Mobius…and I also have to know why you feel the same about
me too." He added, gazing into Maria's cold stare. Maria looked away, relaxing
her guard slightly. "Infatuation is a dangerous poison." She replied, pulling
out her dagger. "I should slit your throat." She whispered, approaching the
hedgehog. Instead of flinching, Maurice knelt down, impromptu and looked into
Maria's dark eyes once more. " Maria, I think I love you, because this could be
anything else. I know every other emotion."
Instantly, the knife dropped.
2 months later
"Maria, ven aqui!" The Godfather ordered, as the
silent feline strode by his office. There was something about his tone that
made Maria's heart skip a beat. Sheepishly, the assassin obeyed. "Close the
door and sit in my chair, Ms. Caliko." Maria complied. "I've always thought of
you as my daughter, and treated you like a princess, Maria." Maria braced
herself, feeling the knots in her stomach tighten." You have, Maxis, always."
She replied. "But lately, you've been acting like a teenage daughter, as you
should, I suppose…you're only 19..." Maria remained silent knowing exactly what
was coming next. "I trusted you before when you told me your reasons why you
did not eliminate the sheriff and I still trust you now." The Godfather started
to pace. "But the random concealed blood tests came back today…you're pregnant.
Maria lowered her eyes, ashamed…not because she was pregnant and unwed, but
that she had hid this from the Godfather. "Now I know he is the father, Maria,"
Maxis continued. "And I know that you fully understand the code of the Mafia
which applies even to you. So now is the time for you to make your decision…him
or us." There was hint of sadness in the Godfather's voice that tugged at
Maria's soul. Ever since she was a child, Maxis had been her role model even
more so than her own father. She stood up, thoughtfully and faced the door.
"Mobotropolis is no place for a someone like me, Maxis. Even with Clause 332
that guarantees my pardon, if I go I'd never learn to live among the…fragile."
"You too are fragile, Maria." The Godfather tried, but Maria raised her hand.
"I will remain an assassin. That is what I am and always will be." The feline
suddenly declared, leaving the room. The Godfather's heart sunk. "I had rather
hoped you would have been stronger than this, Maria." He thought aloud.
"Now you know that once this is done, I can't change
it back, right?" Maria nodded, as she finished numbing her body with a
hypodermic needle. "Look we went over this before Zeke, and you agreed. Don't
chicken out on me now!" The doctor frowned. "I told you I hate that expression!
And call me 'doctor'!" Maria sighed. "Okay 'doctor', but could you hurry up
with this before someone finds out? I'm not about to let a war start over my
baby, so let's get this done." Maria answered, opening a case of DNA samplings.
"If my child is not a hedgehog, there will be no case against me, and he won't
be seized by the Acornian government. So if we alter the genetic pattern of the
fetus, everything will work out, right?" The doctor shrugged. "Theoretically,
yes, but I've told you this is a risky procedure. You're aware of the risks
this operation poses to your child and the potential dangers that could come to
you, right?" "I'm not worried about that, Zeke...err, doctor." "But I am! If
anything happens to you, the Godfather will rip my lungs out!" Maria laughed.
"He's gone to counseling since that incident, he's better now. I want this
one." She gave the doctor a vial labeled 'panther hybrid'. Doctor Zeke looked
at it alarmed. "You had to pick the most complicated strand, didn't you? Okay,
once the sedative kick in, I'll begin the procedure."
Begin recording 1539 hours.
The procedure I am about to perform has only been
recorded twice in medical history to the best of my knowledge and each attempt
was a failure. Due to circumstance beyond my comprehension, my client has
elected to remain a member of the Mobian Mafia and raise her soon to be born
child without the father, an outsider…a knight of the kingdom of Acorn. To
insure that she can keep the child, Maria has elected to conceal the baby's
identity by altering the fetus's DNA structure, changing the male dominant
hedgehog gene into a recessive hybrid, combined with externally injected
panther hybrid DNA, which will make the blood type 90% feline, and mask the
hedgehog blood in the child, making it impossible for blood tests to show that
the father really is the father. Maria's blood will then become dominant, and
the baby will be born as a cat species. Possible crises…probable crises include
severe mental retardation of the child or Maria's blood rejecting the panther
DNA and/or the child being born as a tri breed with unlimited physical power,
but zero self-control. Ideally, what will happen is the child is born a
seemingly normal kitten with the best of all three worlds. Injection starting
at 1543 hours
The next evening, 2303 hours
"Hello?"
"Maria, it's me!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! I told this line isn't
safe! What do you want?"
"To see you…we have spoken since that night…Are you upset with me?"
"No! I…look, meet me at the border at 0215 hours.
It's too dangerous now. Someone might pick up this frequency. I'm out."
A wicked smile came across the face of an
eavesdropping radio controller. "How appropriate you would bring him here to
die, Maria." Smite thought to himself as he loaded his sniper rifle.
0218 hours Northwest borderline of Neo Green Hill
zone
"You're late." Maurice smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, um…
I thought you meant the OTHER northwest border. Heh heh!" Maria yawned. "Look,
I called you over here just so I could see you one last time. There
are…complications that you can never understand. We come from different worlds
as you said, and it would take us losing everything we know and have to make
this work." Maurice felt the lump in his throat grow larger. "Let's be honest
with ourselves. That will never happen." Maria continued. "So if you really
love me, you'll just leave and forget about us. It's better for you. And it's
better for me. It was good while it lasted…" Maria stopped in mid sentence.
Without another word, she disappeared into the darkness. "Blinded by his own
tears and sorrow, Maurice did not notice the red dot that appeared on his
chest. Suddenly, a bullet from the concealed sniper rifle pierced Maurice's
chest. The only sound made was the blood squirting from the wound to the soft
grass. As the depressed Maria made her way back to her home, Maurice's
assailant waited until she was out of sight. When the coast was clear, the
sniper emerged from the shadows, eyes gleaming. Smite walked up to the fallen
hedgehog, knelt down and extracted the bullet from him. As quickly as he
entered, the tiger exited the scene, leaving his victim to slowly perish from
loss of blood. But another Mafioso had other plans for Maurice. As soon as he
could no longer sense Smite's presence, Chino abandoned his hiding place. "Man
what a mess!" He thought, examining Maurice's blood washed quills. "I can't
even see the wound now." Chino carefully lifted Maurice up and started off to
the nearest hospital in the Aquatic Ruin Zone.
"Operating hours 6am-9pm. For 24 hour emergency
service, hit "9, 9" and ring." Chino read the sign on the hospital door out
loud. It was translated into four different languages, since the Aquatic Ruin
Zone was home to over eight different nomadic tribes. Chino looked at his
watch. 0235. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice." He said to his dying,
would-be brother in law. "Besides, your quills are killing me!" he added
setting Maurice down on the stoop. "Lessee…9, 9, bell."
BEEOOP!!!
Lights came on everywhere, and Chino could hear an
emergency generator humming to life. "Looks like you're gonna be in good hands
now, so I'll be seeing ya." Chino called to Maurice as he hid himself in the
jungle. Suddenly, the front door opened to the dome and an attractive young
hedgehog peaked out, and discovered Maurice. She took him into the dome and the
doors shut. "Bueno suerte, amigo." Chino thought as he trekked back home.
"Doctor Ghesan, is he going to be okay?" "Hard to
say. I give him a 50-50 chance; pending he makes it to the morning. In the
meantime Salina, please check his clothing for some kind of identification.
Judging by the Acorn brand on his right arm, he's gotta be someone important.
I'll finish the IV and prep him for a blood transfusion." Okay, doctor. Gee, I
hope he gets better. He looks so...young."
The nurse examined her patient's jacket and found
some personal items. A yo-yo, an old headband and a wallet. She opened the
wallet that revealed a badge of some kind. Not familiar with the stranger's
coat of arms, the nurse could not decipher what the symbols on the badge meant.
"So his name is Maurice, huh?" Salina thought, reading his ID card. She could
read a little royal text, but the language was seldom used in the Aquatic
Ruins. Salina sat at the examination table, exhausted. She wasn't the most
alert at 0245 hours, even with a mysterious patient.
"Wake up, Salina." The nurse yawned and slowly
opened her eyes. "Huh? I must have dozed off. What time is it?!" Salina noticed
that Dr. Ghesan was now wearing civilian clothes, as his lab coat was probably
covered in blood from the patient. "The patient!" She thought. "How is he???"
she demanded, pushing past the doctor. "He's stable but still unconscious.
There is no internal bleeding, but he's too weak to move. You're going to have
to go to Neo GH for some blood, as we're fresh out of hedgehog plasma at the
moment. " Doctor Ghesan spoke calmly. "The mafia? You want me to go to the
mafia and as them for some blood? The trip alone would take too long and they
aren't famous for doing favors for outsiders, ya know!" Salina protested. "I
see. And I'm assuming that you know that I'm already aware of this." The doctor
responded, smiling. Salina grabbed her arm. "So you're suggesting I donate a
few pints, huh?" She hated needles. "Yeah. I'll need three pints from you and
I'll get whatever's left of the blood I have stored into the patient. But we've
got to work fast." The two walked into Maurice's room. "He's an incredible
specimen. It seems he took a shot at point blank range to the chest, and
someone took out the bullet. It's a miracle he's even alive now." Salina
produced Maurice's wallet. "Maurice. His name is Maurice, doctor." Doctor Ghesan examined the wallet and
noticed the badge. He read it intently. "It says here 'Sheriff of Mobius'. Kind
of arrogant of King Acorn, don't you think? Oh well, maybe when we're done with
him, the king will give us a grant to upgrade our facilities."
After giving three pints of blood, Salina was hooked
to a respirator to recover, as three pints was a large amount for her size. The
transfusion went well, and Maurice soon regained consciousness.
"You gave us quite a scare!" Doctor Ghesan addressed his patient warmly.
Maurice blinked a few times and inhaled. Antiseptics, ointments, sterile air
and a few candles. The smells relaxed him slightly, though he was in unfamiliar
territory. He sat up and waited a bit for his eyes to focus. A curious looking
badger in a lab coat was at the foot of his bed. " My name is Dr. Vinc Ghesan.
I assume you are known as 'Maurice'". Maurice closed his eyes, trying to recall
the language the badger was speaking. Suddenly, it hit him. Swergic! But that
would mean he was in the Aquatic Ruins someplace…How did he get here?! He
couldn't remember anything from last night except it being cold. And then he
saw Maria. Maria! Maurice gritted his teeth. "I see you're not fond of
speaking, friend." Maurice's thoughts turned to the badger. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm
a bit disoriented…" Maurice answered in the doctor's native tongue. He was quite pleased with himself, as he
hadn't used Swergic in years. "Correct me if I'm wrong sir, but isn't this the
Aquatic Ruin Zone?" "You are correct.
You must have gathered that by my language. You're obviously not from around
here, sheriff, but we found you at our door last night…err early this morning.
Whoever dropped you off obviously had excellent taste in physicians." The
doctor replied, grinning. Maurice smiled until he looked down. His chest was
bandaged heavily, and he had an IV going through his arm. "What happened to
me?!" he gasped, unaware of his near death experience. Doctor Ghesan frowned. "
I was hoping you could shed some light on that topic. You and I only go back
until about 0230 hours. It appears that you've been shot, but someone messily
extracted the bullet and brought you here in a hurry." Maurice closed his eyes,
trying to remember last night. "If you really love me, you'll leave…"
Then there was a sharp pain. Then nothing. Maurice's jaw dropped. Maria shot
him! He turned his head and noticed a young female hedgehog on a respirator
across the room. "Who…" "That would be Salina, my nurse and step daughter. She
enjoys long walks on the beach, gymnastics and music. She's also single!"
Maurice looked blankly at the doctor. "Oops. Well, she's on the respirator
because you lost so much blood that we need to do an emergency transfusion.
Problem was the only blood I had that fit your type was a half pint of panther
plasma, and Salina had your blood type as well, so she donated three pints for
you. However, she's so small and that's a lot of blood, so I put her on a
respirator just in case. She'll wake up tonight sometime. Maurice stared at
Salina. "You two don't even know me and you've gone through all this trouble
for me. I don't know how to ever repay you, but here's a start at least."
Maurice reached into his jeans and pulled out a pocket organizer type device.
He turned to the doctor. "Do you know the destination number of this place?"
"The coordinates are… 61, 75, 22, 01, 872. Why?" Maurice typed on the organizer
for a bit. "There." He said before long. "There?" Maurice grinned. "I've
deposited 500,000 credits into your establishment, do you need any more?" Dr.
Ghesan was shocked. "No, that's more than enough, thank you!" He managed to
stammer. Maurice reached into his pocket again and pulled out an orange flag
with the royal insignia on it. Putting it in Doctor Ghesan's paw, he explained
its purpose. "As long as you fly this flag outside your hospital, you are under
the protection of the Royal Army. I've got some things I've got to do, but I'd
like to thank your nurse when she wakes up." Maurice stood up and walked around
the room. "Say, why don't I repaint your walls why we wait?"
"Goodness, one day turned into one week so fast!"
Maurice commented as he and Salina finished retiling the roof of the hospital.
Salina smiled weakly, knowing her guest's intentions. She rarely received
visitors or had patients as well mannered, yet interesting as Maurice and she
enjoyed his company. Dr. Ghesan climbed a nearby tree to get a better look at
their work. Maurice smiled proudly. "So what's next?" he asked, beaming with
pride. The doctor climbed down from the tree and watched as Maurice jumped down
from the hospital, followed by Salina, quite the athlete herself. "The roof
looks excellent kids, thanks a lot! But Maurice, I'm afraid what's next is you
to go home before the soldiers start to look for you! I am not about to have an
international incident on my paws." Maurice frowned, not ready to face his own
reality again. "Yeah, you're right I've got to report in the morning and it's
getting dark. I'd better head off now while I can still see." Salina put her
hand on Maurice shoulder. "You've been a great deal of help to us, Maurice.
Please come back and see us anytime!" she offered. Maurice blushed and Dr.
Ghesan chuckled to himself. "Oh, you betcha!" Maurice managed to blurt out.
"Thanks again for everything!" he called as he took off for Mobotropolis. The
doctor and the nurse watched as Maurice disappeared into the forest. "An
incredible specimen." Dr. Ghesan remarked. "An incredible hedgehog."
Salina thought.
"Your pager was off, your tracking device
disabled…your transporter was found abandoned and you're late for check in!"
Kin Acorn greeted Maurice at the front gate. The sheriff's eyes wandered around
the palace, noticing that the king was alone. This was undeniably abnormal.
"But I'm glad you're back from wherever you went." The king continued. "We've
got a lot of work to do." Maurice sheepishly raised his hand. The king raised
an eyebrow. "Uh yeah, one question…where is everyone?!" The king looked at his
sheriff in disbelief. "Apparently they didn't have any radios wherever you were
for the past week. I've got a new job for you, Maurice." The young hedgehog
cocked his head. "New job?" "Reconnaissance, Maurice." The king answered,
entering the royal chambers. Maurice followed. "You mean the Royal Army Special
Forces?" "Is that a problem, sheriff?" " No, I… who's going to take the job I
have now?" King Max looked at Maurice. "There is no need for a sheriff in times
of war." He said, soberly. "…War, sir?" "Yuo Sape has united the foreigners and
the nomadic tribes of Mobius and has assembled at all our borders. Last night
they infiltrated the Great Forest." The king's eyes began to burn with rage.
"They burnt a third of it to the ground in a matter of hours. They haven't
revealed their leader or any reason for their attack, but intelligence tells us
that they are planning a raid on Mobotropolis very soon. I've heard that they
are mass producing "O" bots to do their dirty work." "O bots, sir?" "Optical
Robotic 'life' forms. They are programmed to kill with maximum force and
extreme prejudice. The Royal Army is our defense, our only defense.
Communications to the Floating Island have been severed due to the frequency
given off by the generator plants Yuo Sape is using to produce the bots. So we're
on our own." Maurice thought for a moment. "What about the Mobian Mafia. Where
do they stand?" he asked, hopefully. "They would prove to be a powerful ally,
but Maxis Derre has elected to remain neutral for the time being." "Maxis
Derre???" "The Godfather. He says he can only protect his own kind." "What a
selfish-" The king cut Max off. "No more selfish than my kingdom has become. I
reviewed all of the taxation figures you left for me and you were right. My
former counsel was way to strict and unfair with the commoners." Maurice
scratched his head. "Former counsel?" "They have been reassigned to fight
alongside the very ones they kept down all these years." The king answered,
grinning. Maurice turned to leave for his home. "One last thing." King Acorn added.
Maurice looked at the king. "I wouldn't go home if I were you. Charles claims
that you took 500,000 credits from his savings account, and he's none to
thrilled about that." Maurice smiled. "Thanks for the tip, sir!" He answered,
running off.
