Chapter 6: Storm

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In the Forbidden Zone, the dark cloud produced by Knuckles' transformation lingered on. But instead of dissipating, it swirled and rolled and became a murderous thunderstorm that stabbed the barren landscape with lightning.

Slasher stood looking out the door of the little building until Metal Sonic tapped her on the tail and requested that she return inside.

"These storms are frequent and hazardous," explained the robot as the velociraptor nosed the door shut. "They are a local phenomenon, and it is unwise to linger outdoors."

"I've never seen a storm like this before," replied Slasher, stepping to the one window and peering out. "Look at the clouds. They're moving so fast ..." She stood entranced, watching. Her left wing was set in a splint and bound against her side. Her eye had recovered once the robot helped her clean it.

Metal Sonic stood and stared at her, but his sensors were focused on the electrical levels around them. If their shelter was struck by lightning, the charge in the air could harm his equipment.

There came a bright flash and a peal of thunder that shook the building to its foundations. Slasher backed away from the window, curving her tail so as not to strike the wall. "Mecha," she said in a low voice, "there's things in those clouds."

"Negative," replied the robot. "Sensors detect no lifeforms within five hundred meters."

"But I saw them," said Slasher, crouching down. "Monsters. What would you call them? Chaotic convolutions of aerial energy?"

"Precisely," said Metal Sonic. "I would also call them the byproduct of an organic imagination."

Another rumble of thunder, followed by a crack like a gunshot. The robot and dinosaur sat motionless, listening to the storm break around them. Wind tossed the trees outside, tearing loose leaves and twigs and flinging them at the walls. As it went on, it seemed to Slasher that she heard claws scratching at stone. She cowered lower, her wings clasped tightly to her body. It had been some time since she had been so afraid. She wanted to go home, and get out of this cursed land with its blight of evil.

Then it began to rain, and the storm's rage abated. It ceased to be a mass of angry chaos energy and became a normal thunderstorm. Slasher relaxed and opened the door again, and sniffed the clean rain- scent. Something eased within her--the presence of evil had been withdrawn for now. But she still wanted to go home.

It was night now, and the world outside was cloaked in rainy darkness. Part of Slasher wanted to slip out and hunt for small, warm-blooded things that were venturing out after the storm. But Metal Sonic had informed her that he would put several lasers in her back if she tried to escape. With a sigh the dinosaur stepped back into the cold stone room. "How long are you going to keep me here?"

"Until I receive word back from my contacts," droned the robot. His red eyes focused on her. "I still desire information on the approaching Chaos Flux. I require more data than the sketchy information you provided, although news of a black hedgehog is fascinating."

"Do you think it's Shadow?" Slasher asked, laying down on the floor and curling her limbs under her.

Metal Sonic turned away and toyed with the instruments on his stone table. "Shadow," he purred. "I had not thought of him. Possibly. But there are other black hedgehogs in this world." He was silent a moment, then added, "Negative. Shadow is dead. Even had he survived his confrontation with the Biolizard, he could not have recovered in so short a time."

Slasher rested her hand on her forepaws, dog-like. Once in a while Mecha's mood changed and he would talk to her at length. Then his mood or programming would shift and he would become silent and unresponsive. At the moment he was feeling chatty, so she figured she ought to keep him talking. "How do you know so much about Shadow?"

"Doctor Robotnik," replied Mecha. "He was there and informed me afterward." His tone condemned her for asking such a foolish question. When she said nothing, he went on, "Shadow was powerful, yes, but he had the Hedgehog against him. It is no wonder he ceased to function."

"Sonic didn't kill him," said Slasher. "It was an accident."

"Accident or no, it would not have happened had he not been there," said Mecha, turning and focusing his red eyes on her. "It is a pity I never met him, myself. I would know for certain who Shadow was and what his body was composed of. There was rumor that he was inorganic, like Mecha Bot Five."

"He was organic," Slasher replied, half-closing her eyes. "Sonic was certain of it. And Shadow had a chao who was fanatically loyal to him. Chao don't bond with robots like that."

"Point conceded," said Mecha, after a moment's consideration. "These chao creatures have uncanny powers of observation. I have studied them and they always detected my identity within ten minutes."

Slasher drew back her lips in a smile. "Good for them."

There was a moment of silence.

"Shadow had a chao?" Mecha inquired. "What became of it?"

"Nobody knows," said Slasher. She yawned. "He flew off and we never saw him again. He hasn't been returned to the chao gardens. We think he's dead, too."

"Pity," said the robot quietly. "He may have been useful."

* * *

Sonic explored the underground bunker while his three human captors worked on their computer program. He didn't find much. The room where he had been interrogated was stacked with boxes of food supplies, and several of computer equipment. A door opened off that into an even smaller room with a gas stove, and a narrow staircase leading upwards. The door at the top was locked.

They had fed him dehydrated something or other that was both flavorless and colorless. While sustaining, it had not been Sonic's idea of a meal, so he helped himself to the boxes of food. He was thinking of chilidogs, but the closest ingredients he found were strips of jerky, cans of chili beans, and crackers. Chilidogs were out of the question, then, but maybe he could make some tolerable chili.

Twenty minutes later, Micare, Jordan and Andrew piled into the 'kitchen', sniffing the air. "What's that smell? Are you burning something?" demanded Micare, then spotted the pot on the stove. The blue-haired human helped himself to a spoonful and his eyes widened. "Hey guys, this Mobian can cook!"

"You should see me on a rail," said Sonic, as the other two grabbed spoons and dipped into the pot. "Hey, it's not ready yet!"

"That's the best stuff I've had in ages," said Jordan. "And I'm our cook."

"I vote we elect Sonic the new cook," said Micare. "Call me when that stuff's ready!" He ducked back into the computer room.

Andrew and Jordan were not interested in work when there was hot food at hand. They lolled about or sat on the steps, waiting for the chili to boil. "Micare would go in there and work," lisped Jordan with a smirk. "That program is his baby."

"Like totally," replied Andrew, leaning against the wall and crossing his legs. "He's got more degrees than a thermometer. The guy like loves computers."

"Why are you guys studying Chaos Fields, anyway?" said Sonic, looking at the humans three feet above him.

"GUN needed to know about them," said Jordan. "They're the biggest remaining military force the human colonies have anymore, and they could only afford a team of three."

"I, like, got snapped up three weeks after I graduated Starlight University," added Andrew. "We're not even soldiers."

"I had some combat training, so I know which end of a weapon to point at someone," said Jordan, grinning. "Micare was working on his Master's when they shipped him out here."

"What's that mean?" asked Sonic, who was unfamiliar with the inner workings of human education.

"That means he's a certified nerd," replied Jordan. "Is that stuff ready yet?"

Sonic and his amiable captors were spooning the steaming red chili into plastic bowls when Micare yelled from the computer room, "You guys! Come quick, you gotta see this!"

The three rushed in and found Micare standing before one of the screens, which displayed a line chart. Even from a distance, Sonic could see that the line had just spiked off the top of the screen. Andrew and Jordan exclaimed and rushed up, careful not to spill their chili. "Good Nights, that's more than three thousand gims!" Jordan said. "And it was barely an hour ago!"

"Hold on, I'm going to call in," said Micare, bolting out of the room. "Something really big just happened!"

Sonic stood against the wall to avoid being trampled, staring at the screen. An hour ago. When they had made him See, he had seen Knuckles absorb obscene amounts of power and go out of his head. He hadn't known when it would happen. Could Knuckles have caused that energy spike? Sonic was somehow certain that he could. He wondered bitterly if Twilight had sent him an enigmatic warning about that, too.

* * *

At night, Tails was escorted back to the room where he had been held prisoner, and locked inside until morning. He slept on the grimy floor, curled into a ball with his tails covering his body like a blanket. But this night, the young fox was shaken from the black gust of darkness that had swept over, and couldn't find a comfortable spot on the cement.

He sat beside the door, chin on his knees, suffering from fear and homesickness. Twilight was creeping him out more and more, and Tails missed Sonic and Sally and the gang back at home. Why, oh why had he ventured down to Riverbase that day? He still hadn't got the ruined Cyclone part replaced, which meant that the little craft was stuck in Walker form. It was parked in a corner of the factory under a tarp, awaiting him. But aside from a preliminary glance, Twilight never let Tails go near it.

He was too old to cry, he told himself. And if you do cry, those two will hear you and laugh at you. But these thoughts could not stop the growing hot lump in his throat. He wanted to go home. More than anything he wanted to go home. His ears flattened and he buried his head in his arms, his silent despair overwhelming him.

Ten minutes later he was curled up on the floor, worn out with tears and wanting only to fall asleep. He was drifting off when he heard footsteps outside his door. His ears twitched a little. Twilight and Beast were passing by, and Twilight was saying softly, "... color of the last one. It appears white is next ..." He passed out of earshot.

Perhaps it was his semi-conscious state that made Tails' mind so clear. Suddenly he understood the bizarre occurrences as clearly as Twilight did, and sat up, eyes wide.

It was not one flux. It was seven.

Suddenly Tails was desperate to get home, but for a new reason. He vowed that somehow, he would get a message through to the Freedom Fighters.