Chapter 3 - Arrival
The plane landed on a runway that was located in the Mystic Ruins. As soon as it taxied to the yellow line, the group exited the plane through the rear bay, taking their luggage with them. Anthony noticed they were at Tails's workshop, and that there were two other planes on the premises, including what looked like a scaled down F-15E Strike Eagle and...
"Hey...isn't this the Tornado Three?" Anthony asked, looking at a single passenger jet plane colored sky blue.
"Yes, it is," Tails said. "Hang on...I'm going to see if someone's here." He then ran into the main hanger of the workshop.
"Hope you don't mind if I join you," Ryan said, rejoining the group after making sure the plane had finally shut down. "I have a couple of buds here I want to say hi to...in fact, it's the same guys you'll be shacking up with."
"Who?" Anthony said, curious.
"A couple of buds of mine, both Freedom Fighters from my dad's regiment here in the South Islands," Sonic said. "After Buttnik's defeat, they decided to keep the old HQ as their home."
"Where is it located?" Anthony asked.
"Below the hotel in Station Square," Sally said. "They even have the top floor of the hotel reserved for whenever anyone visits."
Tails walked out of the hanger looking a bit depressed. "They aren't here. Looks like I'll have to call them later."
"Well, we'd better get moving," Knuckles said, looking towards the train station. "Looks like the train to Station Square just arrived."
The group then ran up to the train, and the train sped off after everyone had boarded.
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The train ride was uneventful...and long. Though Anthony knew the trip was shortened for the game, he realized the actual trip would be much longer.
"I can't wait to get to the hotel," Julie-Su said. "After that plane trip and this train ride, I could just collapse in a warm bed right about now."
"Yeah...well, I'm glad the locals didn't treat me like a VIP," Anthony said. "I was hoping this place would get me away from that."
"It isn't going to happen, Anthony..." Amy said, looking out of the window. "Look."
Anthony did so, and groaned when he saw the reception that was gathered near the exit of the train inside the station. He also saw one familiar face amongst the crowd...
"Wait...isn't that Sara?" Anthony asked.
Sonic looked where Anthony was looking and said, "Whoa...you're right! What's the president's daughter doing here...and did you know who she was?"
"She's probably here to welcome us..." Anthony suggested. "As for how I knew her...she's in the anime."
"Ugh, I SAW that anime..." Tails said, somewhat disgusted. "Whoever did the English dub made me sound like a demented six year old!"
As soon as the train stopped, Anthony's group began to file out. The group that been waiting then walked up to Anthony's group and Sara walked up to Anthony.
"Gamemaster?" Sara asked, prompting Anthony to nod. "My name is Sara, daughter to the president of South Island." She then extended a hand towards Anthony and said, "Welcome to Station Square."
"Thank you, Sara," Anthony said, shaking Sara's hand, "and please, call me Anthony."
"Of course, Anthony," Sara said. Anthony then noticed Sara blushed slightly before she turned to welcome the others. After the pleasantries were exchanged, Anthony's group then headed out of the train station and headed for the hotel.
"Anth, you sly dog!" Ryan piped up as they exited the station. "I think the president's daughter is sweet on you!"
"You noticed that too, huh?" Anthony said. "I think it just might be a small crush. If she's like she was in the anime, she's like a female version of Brock..."
"...and if Mario heard you, he'd say 'NO A POKEMON REFS!'" Sonic remarked.
"Well, let's just get to the hotel," Amy said. "We can debate about Anthony's girlfriend later..."
"She NOT my girlfriend, Ames...sheesh..." Anthony said, as the group began to laugh.
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"Rooms for Sonic and company?" Anthony asked the hotel clerk.
"Of course...the usual rooms have been reserved on the 40th floor," the clerk said, handing Anthony a pack of room keycards. "Have a pleasant stay."
After getting the keys, the group entered an elevator and headed up to the top floor of the hotel. Anthony noticed just a single door on the floor, and upon opening it found one of the largest hotel rooms he's ever seen.
"What the HELL is this?!?" Anthony said. "This isn't a hotel room, it's a luxury condominium!"
"Well, with six bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms, and even a private terrace, you're not too far off," Sally remarked as she placed her luggage in one of the rooms.
After Anthony placed his duffel in another of the rooms, he joined the rest of the group that had gathered in the sitting area. They were presently putting their feet up and talking.
"So, you planning on staying, Ryan?" Knuckles asked. "We'd be glad to put you up..."
"Actually, I have my own place down the road," Ryan said. "After I say hi to the guys here, I was going to split."
"Well, at least stay for dinner," Amy suggested. "You and Knuckles haven't seen each other for a while, and I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."
"Speaking of the others..." Anthony said, getting the group's attention, "how do we get to them?"
"Just watch, Anth..." Sonic said, and walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall. He then removed his glove and pressed his paw against part of it, and the rest of the wall slid away, revealing an elevator.
"Nice..." Anthony said, as the group filed into the elevator. "Though I'm expecting to see Miss Moneypenny and Q at the bottom of this thing..."
After the door to the elevator closed, the elevator then felt like it was dropping quickly down the shaft. Soon, it slowed down and opened, and Anthony noticed the floor appeared to be filled with a lot of computer equipment.
"Welcome to SSFFHQ...or Station Square Freedom Fighter HQ," Sally said.
Anthony began to look around as the group filed out. As he did so, he noticed a familiar face approaching the group...a yellow furred, purple haired mongoose wearing a black tank top, green padded elbow-length gloves, green boots, and tan shorts.
"Mina!" Anthony said. "So THIS is where you've been hiding!"
"Well, not hiding really..." Mina said. "I live here with my boyfriend. It's great to see you all again." She then walked forward to give friendly hugs to all present, save for Anthony as she just shook his hand.
"Speaking of your boyfriend..." Ryan said, "are the boys here?"
"Yeah, they were waiting for you all to arrive," Mina said. "Come on, they're in the meeting room."
The group followed Mina through several corridors and the group ended up entering a room with several chairs and a large table. Anthony noticed three of the chairs were occupied by three red quilled hedgehogs.
One of them was a male with black eyes who had a scar over the left eyebrow, and who was wearing a black denim jacket, blue and black sneakers, black fingerless gloves, and a blue bandanna around his neck. The other male had a V shaped patch of fur on his head and wore gloves that were spiked at the wrist and appeared white, but were a light shade of blue. Next to him was a female with a similar V shaped patch of fur, but more curved, and who was wearing a white t-shirt, baggy pants, and sandals.
Anthony's eyes widened as he saw them. Because he knew them, respectively, as Red Sonic, Lazer, and Rebecca Coriander. He even showed his knowledge of who they were with a cry of, "What the...Red Sonic? Lazer? Rebecca?"
"Whoa..." Red Sonic said. "I knew the new Gamemaster was a master psionicist, but to figure out our names..."
"I don't think it's that, Red," Sonic said, and then turned towards Anthony. "You recognize them, Anth?"
"Indeed I do, Sonic," Anthony said, and then walked forward to shake the paws of the three, still confused, red hedgehogs in greeting. "A pleasure to meet all of you."
"Same here," Lazer said. "Though I am somewhat confused...how did you recognize us?"
"Well, Lazer," Anthony said. "You and Red are what are known as SIFFs."
"You've got to be kidding...them TOO?!?" Tails said.
"What's a SIFF?" Red Sonic asked.
Anthony briefly explained what he had explained to Ryan on route to South Island, and both Red and Lazer were surprised at what Anthony was explaining. After the explanation, everyone sat down to talk.
"So, I hear that you're here on a badly needed vacation," Rebecca said.
"Yeah..." Anthony said in response. "After what happened with Alec and later Lupe, Sonic figured this was the best way to get my mind off things. Personally...I think it's a great idea. I haven't had a real vacation in a long time, what with everything that's happened in Arcadia lately."
"Same thing with Knuckles here," Julie-Su quipped.
"Yeah, I heard the last time the guy relaxed it was because of a Dark Legion attack," Lazer said. "You have GOT to ease up a bit, Knux."
"Look who's talking, Mr. 'became a Freedom Fighter for revenge'," Knuckles shot back. "So, what HAVE you guys been doing now that Buttnik is out of the picture."
"Training, mostly," Red Sonic said. "The city gives us jobs to do from time to time, so we try to keep in top shape. Lazer here is STILL trying to figure out that one sword technique..."
"You still haven't figured that out?" Anthony asked, addressing Lazer. "Maybe I can help you with that..."
"Cool..." Lazer said.
"So, Anthony," Mina said, "did you want a quick tour of the facilities?"
"Why not," Anthony said, getting up, and then following Mina outside of the room.
After Anthony had left, the rest of the group continued to talk. "So...is it true?" Red Sonic started. "Anth wants out of the hero business?"
"Yes..." Sally said. "The recent events involving Alec and Lupe hit him hard. We're hoping this vacation could help."
"He actually told me he wished Mobius wasn't real...just so what happened to us with Robotnik never happened," Ryan said.
"He told you that?" Amy said, now even more worried. "I had no idea..."
"I did..." Sonic said. "Anth said as much when he told me how guilty he felt enjoying the games, comics, cartoons, and fanfiction back on Earth."
"Can't say I blame him..." Lazer said. "I'd probably feel just as bad knowing the events in one of my favorite books was real...especially if it was a war novel. Though to be honest...I am curious to see some of those Earth games, especially the Sonic games."
"I can help with that," Tails said, getting up. "I brought my Gameboy Advance..."
"I don't believe it..." Julie-Su said. "You're STILL hooked on that Sonic Advance game from Earth?"
"What do you expect?" Tails said. "How often do get to play a game you star in?"
The others nodded in agreement as Tails went to get his Advance.
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"...and this is our training area," Mina said, finishing up the tour at an observation window which overlooked a couple of training areas. "We have two different courses down here...one for speed and one for combat. Sometimes we use the combat course for recon training as well."
"Nice," Anthony said. "I'm surprised you can actually place all this underground like this..."
"We had help from the Overlanders here," Mina said. "The public works department even diverted some of the sewers to help."
"Speaking of which...who are these Overlanders?" Anthony asked. "I mean...I didn't think there were humans native to Mobius."
"They're actually the descendants of humans that migrated to Mobius when the portals were still open 1000 years ago," Mina explained. "In fact, they came from both Earth and Neo-Earth."
"I see..." Anthony said, and then noticed the others arriving on the scene. Anthony then giggled slightly when he saw Lazer staring intently at a Gameboy Advance.
"Tails shouldn't have brought this," Rebecca said. "He'll be on this thing forever! I'm just glad he didn't bring a role-playing game for it..."
"Ah, an RPG lover like me. Glad I didn't bring my copy of Golden Sun then..." Anthony commented. "So, what are you all doing down here?"
"Well, figuring Mina would finish up here," Red Sonic remarked, "we were wondering if you wanted to run the combat course?"
Anthony looked at the course in question and asked, "Why?"
"We were curious to see the Gamemaster in action," Ryan said. "Julie-Su even offered to join you in the course to take care of the long range targets."
Anthony looked towards Julie-Su, who was currently checking a blaster pistol she was given, and rubbed his chin in thought. He then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Why not? What do I need to do?"
"Just get to the end of the course, taking out as many targets as possible," Rebecca explained.
"Alright...lead us to the entry point..." Anthony said, and Mina lead him and Julie-Su to an elevator shaft.
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STAGE 1 - FF Combat Training Course
CHARACTERS: Julie-Su/Anthony
MUSIC: "Distortions in the Void of Despair" from Valkyrie Profile
OBJECTIVE: Reach the end of the course!
The elevator opened at the bottom of the shaft and Julie-Su and Anthony stepped out, ready for battle. Anthony readied his lightsaber while looking around at the surrounding course. Julie-Su noticed this as he readied her blaster. "Scoping out the area, Anthony?"
"Yeah, looks like mostly target drones," Anthony said. "What can you tell me about them?"
"Well, you're the one with the Jedi weapon there...what do YOU think they'll act like?" Julie-Su said, ad-libbing.
Anthony smirked, remembering the Remotes Luke went against, and then the both of them heard Ryan's voice over the speaker. "Okay, guys...get ready..."
Anthony and Julie-Su readied themselves, and then ran into the course when Ryan said "GO!!"
The two ran out into the course, and several drones trained their sights on them. Anthony activated his lightsaber to take out the two close drones while Julie-Su shot the two to the sides.
"So much for those..." Julie-Su said, and then the two of them continued down the course.
They reached a ladder and Anthony began to climb up it, and nearly fell when two laser blasts impacted the wall close to him. Anthony turned around and saw two target drones closing in on the two of them. Anthony sent a Force Blast towards them, scrapping them.
At the top of the ladder, the two of them saw several humanoid robots and a few target drones. Julie-Su took out the drones while Anthony went in close to the robots, slashing with his lightsaber and using it to deflect their laser blasts back towards them.
Red Sonic and Rebecca were surprised at how Anthony was fighting. Lazer even stopped playing the Gameboy Advance long enough to watch Anthony's skill with the lightsaber...though he couldn't help wonder if he was one of those "Jedi" he heard about from a movie series on Earth.
Finally, after downing several drones and robots, Julie-Su and Anthony reached the end of the course. Both were tired from the run, and they looked up towards the observation window. "How'd we do?" Anthony yelled up towards the window.
"You and I definitely need to practice swordplay together, Anthony!" Lazer remarked.
Anthony smirked at this remark, and then he and Julie-Su returned to the elevator. When they returned to the observation area, they saw Mina and Red Sonic waiting for them.
"We're next, Anthony," Mina said. "We figured you might want to see the speed course in action, so Red and I are going to run the course."
"Sure thing," Anthony said. "Would of thought Sonic would want to..."
"Yeah, but Mina here still needs the practice," Red Sonic commented. "She still has problems controlling her speed."
"Yeah, that WAS covered in Archie's comic series..." Anthony commented.
"It WAS?!?" Mina said, somewhat embarrassed. "Oh, man..."
"Hey, don't worry about it, Mina," Sonic said. "Not everyone can be me!" Sonic then got a weird look from Red Sonic. "Including you, Red. You said so yourself."
"True..." Red Sonic remarked, and then turned towards Mina. "Shall we?"
"We shall..." Mina said, and then the two of them entered the elevator.
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STAGE 2 - FF Speed Training Course
CHARACTERS: Mina/Red Sonic
MUSIC: That music in the Sonic Anime where Sonic and Tails are in the Land of Darkness, before they reach the Ancient Ruins
Objective: Reach the end of the course!
The elevator door opened and Mina and Red Sonic looked out on the course. Several loops, barriers, and other obstacles dotted the course. Mina and Red Sonic walked up to the start of the course, and Mina gave Red Sonic a quick peck on the cheek.
"For luck," Mina remarked.
"Ah...you didn't need to do that, Mina..." Red Sonic said. "Forget who I'm cloned from?"
"No...but I wanted to do it anyway..." Mina said.
"Hey...just having you with me is luck enough..." Red said, causing Mina to blush.
"If you two are done being lemony..." Anthony said from the observation window.
Red and Mina regained their composure and readied themselves to run. When Ryan said "GO!!", the two rocketed off down the course.
Anthony was surprised at how fast the two of them were moving, appearing as nothing more than a red blur and a purplish-green blur along the track. They even managed to move through several of the obstacles without needing to slow down. Well...almost...
Mina was still having trouble moving through the obstacles at top speed, and needed to right herself through many of them. Red Sonic noticed this and held himself back a bit so Mina could catch up.
Finally, the two of them saw the end of the course approach, and the two of them poured on the speed. A slight green glow seemed to encompass Red Sonic as he surged forward, evidence of exposure to Chaos Emerald energy. He ended up crossing the finish line first, and when he saw Mina trying to brake, positioned himself to catch her. After catching her, he drew her into a hug, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and said, "What kept you?"
"Traffic was bad..." Mina quipped.
Anthony was impressed by this display. "Daaaaaaaamn..."
"How are you guys feeling down there?" Lazer asked.
"Tired...and hungry," Red Sonic said. "And since it's close to dinnertime..."
"Sounds like a plan there, Red..." Sonic said. "Let's all meet up at the room."
The group then gathered near the hidden elevator, and headed up to the top floor of the hotel...
The plane landed on a runway that was located in the Mystic Ruins. As soon as it taxied to the yellow line, the group exited the plane through the rear bay, taking their luggage with them. Anthony noticed they were at Tails's workshop, and that there were two other planes on the premises, including what looked like a scaled down F-15E Strike Eagle and...
"Hey...isn't this the Tornado Three?" Anthony asked, looking at a single passenger jet plane colored sky blue.
"Yes, it is," Tails said. "Hang on...I'm going to see if someone's here." He then ran into the main hanger of the workshop.
"Hope you don't mind if I join you," Ryan said, rejoining the group after making sure the plane had finally shut down. "I have a couple of buds here I want to say hi to...in fact, it's the same guys you'll be shacking up with."
"Who?" Anthony said, curious.
"A couple of buds of mine, both Freedom Fighters from my dad's regiment here in the South Islands," Sonic said. "After Buttnik's defeat, they decided to keep the old HQ as their home."
"Where is it located?" Anthony asked.
"Below the hotel in Station Square," Sally said. "They even have the top floor of the hotel reserved for whenever anyone visits."
Tails walked out of the hanger looking a bit depressed. "They aren't here. Looks like I'll have to call them later."
"Well, we'd better get moving," Knuckles said, looking towards the train station. "Looks like the train to Station Square just arrived."
The group then ran up to the train, and the train sped off after everyone had boarded.
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The train ride was uneventful...and long. Though Anthony knew the trip was shortened for the game, he realized the actual trip would be much longer.
"I can't wait to get to the hotel," Julie-Su said. "After that plane trip and this train ride, I could just collapse in a warm bed right about now."
"Yeah...well, I'm glad the locals didn't treat me like a VIP," Anthony said. "I was hoping this place would get me away from that."
"It isn't going to happen, Anthony..." Amy said, looking out of the window. "Look."
Anthony did so, and groaned when he saw the reception that was gathered near the exit of the train inside the station. He also saw one familiar face amongst the crowd...
"Wait...isn't that Sara?" Anthony asked.
Sonic looked where Anthony was looking and said, "Whoa...you're right! What's the president's daughter doing here...and did you know who she was?"
"She's probably here to welcome us..." Anthony suggested. "As for how I knew her...she's in the anime."
"Ugh, I SAW that anime..." Tails said, somewhat disgusted. "Whoever did the English dub made me sound like a demented six year old!"
As soon as the train stopped, Anthony's group began to file out. The group that been waiting then walked up to Anthony's group and Sara walked up to Anthony.
"Gamemaster?" Sara asked, prompting Anthony to nod. "My name is Sara, daughter to the president of South Island." She then extended a hand towards Anthony and said, "Welcome to Station Square."
"Thank you, Sara," Anthony said, shaking Sara's hand, "and please, call me Anthony."
"Of course, Anthony," Sara said. Anthony then noticed Sara blushed slightly before she turned to welcome the others. After the pleasantries were exchanged, Anthony's group then headed out of the train station and headed for the hotel.
"Anth, you sly dog!" Ryan piped up as they exited the station. "I think the president's daughter is sweet on you!"
"You noticed that too, huh?" Anthony said. "I think it just might be a small crush. If she's like she was in the anime, she's like a female version of Brock..."
"...and if Mario heard you, he'd say 'NO A POKEMON REFS!'" Sonic remarked.
"Well, let's just get to the hotel," Amy said. "We can debate about Anthony's girlfriend later..."
"She NOT my girlfriend, Ames...sheesh..." Anthony said, as the group began to laugh.
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"Rooms for Sonic and company?" Anthony asked the hotel clerk.
"Of course...the usual rooms have been reserved on the 40th floor," the clerk said, handing Anthony a pack of room keycards. "Have a pleasant stay."
After getting the keys, the group entered an elevator and headed up to the top floor of the hotel. Anthony noticed just a single door on the floor, and upon opening it found one of the largest hotel rooms he's ever seen.
"What the HELL is this?!?" Anthony said. "This isn't a hotel room, it's a luxury condominium!"
"Well, with six bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms, and even a private terrace, you're not too far off," Sally remarked as she placed her luggage in one of the rooms.
After Anthony placed his duffel in another of the rooms, he joined the rest of the group that had gathered in the sitting area. They were presently putting their feet up and talking.
"So, you planning on staying, Ryan?" Knuckles asked. "We'd be glad to put you up..."
"Actually, I have my own place down the road," Ryan said. "After I say hi to the guys here, I was going to split."
"Well, at least stay for dinner," Amy suggested. "You and Knuckles haven't seen each other for a while, and I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."
"Speaking of the others..." Anthony said, getting the group's attention, "how do we get to them?"
"Just watch, Anth..." Sonic said, and walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall. He then removed his glove and pressed his paw against part of it, and the rest of the wall slid away, revealing an elevator.
"Nice..." Anthony said, as the group filed into the elevator. "Though I'm expecting to see Miss Moneypenny and Q at the bottom of this thing..."
After the door to the elevator closed, the elevator then felt like it was dropping quickly down the shaft. Soon, it slowed down and opened, and Anthony noticed the floor appeared to be filled with a lot of computer equipment.
"Welcome to SSFFHQ...or Station Square Freedom Fighter HQ," Sally said.
Anthony began to look around as the group filed out. As he did so, he noticed a familiar face approaching the group...a yellow furred, purple haired mongoose wearing a black tank top, green padded elbow-length gloves, green boots, and tan shorts.
"Mina!" Anthony said. "So THIS is where you've been hiding!"
"Well, not hiding really..." Mina said. "I live here with my boyfriend. It's great to see you all again." She then walked forward to give friendly hugs to all present, save for Anthony as she just shook his hand.
"Speaking of your boyfriend..." Ryan said, "are the boys here?"
"Yeah, they were waiting for you all to arrive," Mina said. "Come on, they're in the meeting room."
The group followed Mina through several corridors and the group ended up entering a room with several chairs and a large table. Anthony noticed three of the chairs were occupied by three red quilled hedgehogs.
One of them was a male with black eyes who had a scar over the left eyebrow, and who was wearing a black denim jacket, blue and black sneakers, black fingerless gloves, and a blue bandanna around his neck. The other male had a V shaped patch of fur on his head and wore gloves that were spiked at the wrist and appeared white, but were a light shade of blue. Next to him was a female with a similar V shaped patch of fur, but more curved, and who was wearing a white t-shirt, baggy pants, and sandals.
Anthony's eyes widened as he saw them. Because he knew them, respectively, as Red Sonic, Lazer, and Rebecca Coriander. He even showed his knowledge of who they were with a cry of, "What the...Red Sonic? Lazer? Rebecca?"
"Whoa..." Red Sonic said. "I knew the new Gamemaster was a master psionicist, but to figure out our names..."
"I don't think it's that, Red," Sonic said, and then turned towards Anthony. "You recognize them, Anth?"
"Indeed I do, Sonic," Anthony said, and then walked forward to shake the paws of the three, still confused, red hedgehogs in greeting. "A pleasure to meet all of you."
"Same here," Lazer said. "Though I am somewhat confused...how did you recognize us?"
"Well, Lazer," Anthony said. "You and Red are what are known as SIFFs."
"You've got to be kidding...them TOO?!?" Tails said.
"What's a SIFF?" Red Sonic asked.
Anthony briefly explained what he had explained to Ryan on route to South Island, and both Red and Lazer were surprised at what Anthony was explaining. After the explanation, everyone sat down to talk.
"So, I hear that you're here on a badly needed vacation," Rebecca said.
"Yeah..." Anthony said in response. "After what happened with Alec and later Lupe, Sonic figured this was the best way to get my mind off things. Personally...I think it's a great idea. I haven't had a real vacation in a long time, what with everything that's happened in Arcadia lately."
"Same thing with Knuckles here," Julie-Su quipped.
"Yeah, I heard the last time the guy relaxed it was because of a Dark Legion attack," Lazer said. "You have GOT to ease up a bit, Knux."
"Look who's talking, Mr. 'became a Freedom Fighter for revenge'," Knuckles shot back. "So, what HAVE you guys been doing now that Buttnik is out of the picture."
"Training, mostly," Red Sonic said. "The city gives us jobs to do from time to time, so we try to keep in top shape. Lazer here is STILL trying to figure out that one sword technique..."
"You still haven't figured that out?" Anthony asked, addressing Lazer. "Maybe I can help you with that..."
"Cool..." Lazer said.
"So, Anthony," Mina said, "did you want a quick tour of the facilities?"
"Why not," Anthony said, getting up, and then following Mina outside of the room.
After Anthony had left, the rest of the group continued to talk. "So...is it true?" Red Sonic started. "Anth wants out of the hero business?"
"Yes..." Sally said. "The recent events involving Alec and Lupe hit him hard. We're hoping this vacation could help."
"He actually told me he wished Mobius wasn't real...just so what happened to us with Robotnik never happened," Ryan said.
"He told you that?" Amy said, now even more worried. "I had no idea..."
"I did..." Sonic said. "Anth said as much when he told me how guilty he felt enjoying the games, comics, cartoons, and fanfiction back on Earth."
"Can't say I blame him..." Lazer said. "I'd probably feel just as bad knowing the events in one of my favorite books was real...especially if it was a war novel. Though to be honest...I am curious to see some of those Earth games, especially the Sonic games."
"I can help with that," Tails said, getting up. "I brought my Gameboy Advance..."
"I don't believe it..." Julie-Su said. "You're STILL hooked on that Sonic Advance game from Earth?"
"What do you expect?" Tails said. "How often do get to play a game you star in?"
The others nodded in agreement as Tails went to get his Advance.
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"...and this is our training area," Mina said, finishing up the tour at an observation window which overlooked a couple of training areas. "We have two different courses down here...one for speed and one for combat. Sometimes we use the combat course for recon training as well."
"Nice," Anthony said. "I'm surprised you can actually place all this underground like this..."
"We had help from the Overlanders here," Mina said. "The public works department even diverted some of the sewers to help."
"Speaking of which...who are these Overlanders?" Anthony asked. "I mean...I didn't think there were humans native to Mobius."
"They're actually the descendants of humans that migrated to Mobius when the portals were still open 1000 years ago," Mina explained. "In fact, they came from both Earth and Neo-Earth."
"I see..." Anthony said, and then noticed the others arriving on the scene. Anthony then giggled slightly when he saw Lazer staring intently at a Gameboy Advance.
"Tails shouldn't have brought this," Rebecca said. "He'll be on this thing forever! I'm just glad he didn't bring a role-playing game for it..."
"Ah, an RPG lover like me. Glad I didn't bring my copy of Golden Sun then..." Anthony commented. "So, what are you all doing down here?"
"Well, figuring Mina would finish up here," Red Sonic remarked, "we were wondering if you wanted to run the combat course?"
Anthony looked at the course in question and asked, "Why?"
"We were curious to see the Gamemaster in action," Ryan said. "Julie-Su even offered to join you in the course to take care of the long range targets."
Anthony looked towards Julie-Su, who was currently checking a blaster pistol she was given, and rubbed his chin in thought. He then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Why not? What do I need to do?"
"Just get to the end of the course, taking out as many targets as possible," Rebecca explained.
"Alright...lead us to the entry point..." Anthony said, and Mina lead him and Julie-Su to an elevator shaft.
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STAGE 1 - FF Combat Training Course
CHARACTERS: Julie-Su/Anthony
MUSIC: "Distortions in the Void of Despair" from Valkyrie Profile
OBJECTIVE: Reach the end of the course!
The elevator opened at the bottom of the shaft and Julie-Su and Anthony stepped out, ready for battle. Anthony readied his lightsaber while looking around at the surrounding course. Julie-Su noticed this as he readied her blaster. "Scoping out the area, Anthony?"
"Yeah, looks like mostly target drones," Anthony said. "What can you tell me about them?"
"Well, you're the one with the Jedi weapon there...what do YOU think they'll act like?" Julie-Su said, ad-libbing.
Anthony smirked, remembering the Remotes Luke went against, and then the both of them heard Ryan's voice over the speaker. "Okay, guys...get ready..."
Anthony and Julie-Su readied themselves, and then ran into the course when Ryan said "GO!!"
The two ran out into the course, and several drones trained their sights on them. Anthony activated his lightsaber to take out the two close drones while Julie-Su shot the two to the sides.
"So much for those..." Julie-Su said, and then the two of them continued down the course.
They reached a ladder and Anthony began to climb up it, and nearly fell when two laser blasts impacted the wall close to him. Anthony turned around and saw two target drones closing in on the two of them. Anthony sent a Force Blast towards them, scrapping them.
At the top of the ladder, the two of them saw several humanoid robots and a few target drones. Julie-Su took out the drones while Anthony went in close to the robots, slashing with his lightsaber and using it to deflect their laser blasts back towards them.
Red Sonic and Rebecca were surprised at how Anthony was fighting. Lazer even stopped playing the Gameboy Advance long enough to watch Anthony's skill with the lightsaber...though he couldn't help wonder if he was one of those "Jedi" he heard about from a movie series on Earth.
Finally, after downing several drones and robots, Julie-Su and Anthony reached the end of the course. Both were tired from the run, and they looked up towards the observation window. "How'd we do?" Anthony yelled up towards the window.
"You and I definitely need to practice swordplay together, Anthony!" Lazer remarked.
Anthony smirked at this remark, and then he and Julie-Su returned to the elevator. When they returned to the observation area, they saw Mina and Red Sonic waiting for them.
"We're next, Anthony," Mina said. "We figured you might want to see the speed course in action, so Red and I are going to run the course."
"Sure thing," Anthony said. "Would of thought Sonic would want to..."
"Yeah, but Mina here still needs the practice," Red Sonic commented. "She still has problems controlling her speed."
"Yeah, that WAS covered in Archie's comic series..." Anthony commented.
"It WAS?!?" Mina said, somewhat embarrassed. "Oh, man..."
"Hey, don't worry about it, Mina," Sonic said. "Not everyone can be me!" Sonic then got a weird look from Red Sonic. "Including you, Red. You said so yourself."
"True..." Red Sonic remarked, and then turned towards Mina. "Shall we?"
"We shall..." Mina said, and then the two of them entered the elevator.
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STAGE 2 - FF Speed Training Course
CHARACTERS: Mina/Red Sonic
MUSIC: That music in the Sonic Anime where Sonic and Tails are in the Land of Darkness, before they reach the Ancient Ruins
Objective: Reach the end of the course!
The elevator door opened and Mina and Red Sonic looked out on the course. Several loops, barriers, and other obstacles dotted the course. Mina and Red Sonic walked up to the start of the course, and Mina gave Red Sonic a quick peck on the cheek.
"For luck," Mina remarked.
"Ah...you didn't need to do that, Mina..." Red Sonic said. "Forget who I'm cloned from?"
"No...but I wanted to do it anyway..." Mina said.
"Hey...just having you with me is luck enough..." Red said, causing Mina to blush.
"If you two are done being lemony..." Anthony said from the observation window.
Red and Mina regained their composure and readied themselves to run. When Ryan said "GO!!", the two rocketed off down the course.
Anthony was surprised at how fast the two of them were moving, appearing as nothing more than a red blur and a purplish-green blur along the track. They even managed to move through several of the obstacles without needing to slow down. Well...almost...
Mina was still having trouble moving through the obstacles at top speed, and needed to right herself through many of them. Red Sonic noticed this and held himself back a bit so Mina could catch up.
Finally, the two of them saw the end of the course approach, and the two of them poured on the speed. A slight green glow seemed to encompass Red Sonic as he surged forward, evidence of exposure to Chaos Emerald energy. He ended up crossing the finish line first, and when he saw Mina trying to brake, positioned himself to catch her. After catching her, he drew her into a hug, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and said, "What kept you?"
"Traffic was bad..." Mina quipped.
Anthony was impressed by this display. "Daaaaaaaamn..."
"How are you guys feeling down there?" Lazer asked.
"Tired...and hungry," Red Sonic said. "And since it's close to dinnertime..."
"Sounds like a plan there, Red..." Sonic said. "Let's all meet up at the room."
The group then gathered near the hidden elevator, and headed up to the top floor of the hotel...