Chapter 6: The Hunt
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Mekion froze and lifted his head. He was on the hillside above Chaotix Central, watching the house in hopes that Sonic would return on his own. But suddenly his network was alive with trace signals. He consulted his radar and found Robo Knux's trail signature cutting across the island toward him. The survival test had begun.
First Mekion shut off his network hardware. He did not want to be traced, and if he used his powerful network scanner Robo Knux would pinpoint his location. Then he moved across the hills, watching for movement on the edges of his radar. If he couldn't detect Robo Knux, then Robo Knux couldn't detect him. He wished he had eaten something before Robo Knux arrived; his performance level was low.
To Mekion's chagrin, Sonic flashed down the trail Mekion had just been watching, and entered the house. He had been so close! If only he had stuck to his post one more minute! Oh well, there was nothing for it--self-preservation was the Third Law, and it took precedence over the mission.
As Mekion pushed deeper into the woods, seeking the thickest cover, Sonic burst into the house and yelled, "Robo Knux is here!"
Everyone looked up with a start. Knuckles jumped to his feet. "Robo Knux? You're sure?"
"Not totally," said Sonic. "All I saw was the light from his jets, but Metal Sonic's jet looks different."
Knuckles swore in Old Mobian and looked at Chimera, Zinc, Talon and Zephyer--four people whom he had to protect at all costs. Then he looked at the Chaotix, all of whom looked excited. "Guys, we can't stay here. Get your stuff, we're moving somewhere a robot can't go."
A flurry of activity erupted around him, and Knuckles stood in the midst of it, thinking of every secret cave and room on the island and trying to decide which was the closest and easiest to defend. Robo Knux was strong and had a fetish for large, deadly weapons. The place that came to mind the quickest was Hidden Palace, but there were no supplies there, and leaving Chimera and Zinc with the Super Emeralds was a bad idea. But underground they must go, and he thought of the salt cave. It was half a mile from Chaotix Central, had a narrow, defendable entrance, and had exits into the tunnel labyrinth in the heart of the island. Robo Knux could go underground and come up on them from within the tunnels, but it would take him two hours of hiking through winding passages, and by then they would have wind of him.
Sonic appeared at Knuckles's elbow with his backpack slung over one shoulder. "Knux," he said, "are we going underground?"
"Probably," said Knuckles. "The caves are the safest place I can think of."
"I can't go," said Sonic, a crazy light in his eyes. "I can't go back in a cave. Let me track Robo Knux for you."
"Who said anything about putting you underground?" said Knuckles. "I've got a girl, two chao and at least one kid to protect. Do you want to stow Tails away or have him help us?"
The relief on Sonic's face was replaced by worry. "Tails hasn't been around Robo Knux much ... maybe he should go with them and oversee defense. Yeah."
Knuckles watched his friends without seeing them. "What's Robo Knux doing here, anyway? Nobody's seen him since the thing with Leviathan."
"Maybe Mekion called for backup," said Sonic.
Knuckles's thoughts flew to the look of terror on Mekion's face. Backup, of course, call in big brother. "They're working together," he muttered.
"Robo Knux probably built Mekion," said Sonic. "But that's okay. I can fight both of them. Maybe this time I'll get a chance to shred RK."
"And he'll get a chance to shred you," said Knuckles. "Glad you're back, by the way."
Sonic smiled sheepishly.
Ten minutes later the little troop set out into the night, armed with flashlights, clubs, guns, and magnets. Knuckles had a large collection of magnets saved for just such an occasion, and everyone carried three with instructions to throw them at Robo Knux or Mekion if either appeared. But the night was quiet with a steady breeze from the north. Knuckles sniffed the air and worried about his island. He was still too far north, and these temperatures would kill the trees. Blast those interfering robots!
They arrived at the salt cave without incident. The entrance was a narrow fissure in the rock, and once a person squeezed inside they found themself in a glittering cavern of white crystals and powdery sand. It was perfectly dry, and crates of food supplies were stacked along the walls. A tunnel at the back led deeper underground.
Sonic refused to enter the cave, and stayed outside with the Chaotix to stand guard. But Knuckles, Zephyer, Talon, Tails, and the chao entered and shone their flashlights around at the flashing crystals. Knuckles showed them the stone slabs that could be rolled into position to cover the entrance and exits, and as the youngsters explored the cavern, Knuckles took Zephyer aside.
He clasped her cold mechanical hands in his own and peered into her face, gathering the courage to ask her to do something important. She looked at him steadily. "I hope you're not going to propose again, because the answer is still no."
He chuckled. "No, it's not that. Zephyer ... the island has to keep moving south or these temperatures will kill it. I need you to try to use the Master Emerald for me."
She stared at him. "But it'll fry me. You know what power emeralds do to machinery."
"I wrapped it up," he said, reaching into the knapsack he had carried. He pulled out the Master Emerald miniature, which glowed a muted green through a handkerchief. "I can still use it through this," he said. "Here, take it. It shouldn't hurt you."
Zephyer hesitated, then held out her hands. Knuckles placed the emerald in her hands, and she flinched. He caught her elbow. "You okay?"
"Yes," she panted. "I thought it would shock me." She gazed at the emerald in her robot hands, and to Knuckles's surprise, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm touching the Master Emerald," she whispered. "And I can--I can feel it! Which way is south?" Knuckles pointed, and Zephyer faced that direction and extended one arm with the emerald. The two echidnas felt the island move.
Zephyer laughed and wiped her eyes. "It knows me, Knuckles! I'm an echidna! I can do this!" She looked at him, her eyes bright with unbridled hope.
Knuckles felt a surge of love twist his heart, and suddenly there was a lump in his throat. Only a guardian and the mate of a guardian could command the Master Emerald, and he knew Zephyer had lost all hope of using a power gem. But for one wild instant she dared to hope, and it transformed her.
He left her standing with the emerald in hand, gave instructions for Tails and Talon to barricade the entrance, and left the cave. A flood of emotions had upset his levelheaded cool, and he was struggling to get a grip on reality. He had to go out and hunt for robots, but his heart was back in the cave with Zephyer. There was irony in the fact that the Master Emerald had matched them up. He had to persuade her to marry him somehow. If she didn't ... the alternative left him sick with horror. She was linked to the island whether she liked it or not, and if she fell into Robotnik's hands, that link could be twisted into destroying the island and everything on it. This was the reason Knuckles's father lived in hiding, because he knew things that must not fall into the wrong hands. No, Knuckles had to marry Zephyer if only to protect her from herself.
"You're awful quiet, boss," said Vector the crocodile. The group had been walking in silence for ten minutes, and Knuckles was so deep in thought he had not noticed. He roused himself and looked around. "What? Oh yeah. We need to split up and start circling Chaotix Central. Spiral outward. Sonic, you go with Charmy and Mighty. Espio and Vector, come with me."
Issuing commands brought him back to earth, and he focused on the dark masses of trees and rocks around them, straining his senses for a hostile presence. He shut down the part of himself that was boiling with emotions. He didn't need that now--everyone on the island was depending on him, and what good were strong feelings when Robo Knux might jump him any minute?
They walked without speaking, only using their lights when they were unsure of their footing. Espio the chameleon changed his skin to blend with the darkness and roamed ahead and to either side, scouting for danger.
Hours slipped by. The island floated south, and Knuckles found no sign of Mekion or Robo Knux. Odd. The Mecha-bots possessed state-of-the-art scanning technology. Even if the islanders were unable to find them, the robots could find the islanders. But this was Robo Knux they were dealing with. Robo Knux's motives were always evolving according to his present humor, and if he had come for a fight, they should have seen him before now. Of course, Sonic could have been mistaken, but Knuckles trusted Sonic to recognize the Mechas when he saw them. Sonic had dealt with them dozens of times.
At midnight a weary Knuckles led his two companions back to the salt cave entrance, and found Sonic, Mighty and Charmy waiting for him. "Nothing," said Sonic, spines drooping. "Except--well, it's kind of funny, but somebody broke into your house, ate all the leftovers, and cleaned up the kitchen."
Knuckles laughed out loud. It was late and he was loopy from the stress of the past few hours. "Vector, what have I told you about midnight snacks?"
The six of them burst out laughing. It wasn't funny, but in their current state they were ready to laugh at anything.
There was a scraping sound from inside the cave entrance, and Tails's voice said, "Guys, is that you? Why are you making so much noise?"
"We're scaring away the robots," said Sonic, and the group roared with laughter. One by one they squeezed into the cave, still chuckling, and grabbed sleeping bags from a pile in the corner.
Knuckles found Zephyer where he had left her. She was stretched out on the floor, sound asleep, her emerald-holding hand still extended south. Knuckles threw a sleeping bag over her and dared to kiss her forehead as he took the emerald from her hand. Then he crawled into his own sleeping bag, held his arm south the way Zephyer had done, and fell asleep that way.
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Robo Knux had detected Mekion's presence as soon as he reached the island, and flew straight toward his location without landing. To his surprise, Mekion went offline. How could he do that? Network hardware was essential to operation! Well, if he was offline, he must be lying on the ground somewhere.
Robo Knux arrived at Mekion's last charted location and landed on all fours, scans sweeping the area. It was a rocky hillside dotted with trees. No cover, and no Mekion. Of course! Mekion was half-organic. Shutting down parts of his robot half would not impair his functions. For a moment the red robot crouched among the rocks like a green-eyed wasp, rethinking his strategy. Mekion had been trained in stealth, so he knew every trick to staying undercover. He might also have some of those Zen-like instruments that Robo Knux had heard about ... 'instincts'. He lifted his head and looked at the hilly landscape around him. Mekion could be anywhere.
"So, hide and seek is the game of the evening," Robo Knux muttered aloud. "All right. I'll play. Because I'll win in the end." He stood and walked across the hillside, instruments on full power, his mood becoming calm excitement. This was more entertaining than hanging around the lab. By killing Mekion he would annoy Metal Sonic, which was the point.
As the night went on Robo Knux crept up on both sets of Mobians, checking to see if Mekion was among them. He would have loved to play with the Mobians, stalking them through the darkness, but he wanted to find Mekion more. As the hours passed and the night grew old, Robo Knux realized that Mekion was good at concealing himself. But Mekion could not hide forever--his organic half would drive him into the open to eat or drink, and Robo Knux would find him.
Mekion knew this, but didn't care. He kept low, sometimes crawling on his belly through leaves and brush, once in a while pausing to check Robo Knux's position. He could see the robot across the valley by zooming in his mechanical eye. Stupid Robo Knux, he left his eye-lights on. Mekion tracked him visually, keeping a mile and a half between them, just outside the range of a scanner. When Robo Knux moved, Mekion moved, and when Robo Knux stopped, Mekion stopped.
After a while Robo Knux moved further up the hills, and Mekion followed him. Chaotix Central lay across his path, and it was too big of a temptation to pass up. He entered the house, ate whatever smelled good, tidied up his mess, and resumed tracking Robo Knux, feeling much better for the food.
As morning neared, Mekion began looking for a place to sleep that his enemy could not reach. He remembered the crevice in the rocks where he had hidden from the robot during training, and kept an eye out for something similar. He needed a place where a ranged weapon couldn't reach him. Something like a cave with a narrow entrance.
He found one at the foot of a low cliff. The entrance was so narrow he had to exhale to squeeze in, and it opened up in a little alcove. The entrance narrowed fifteen feet above to a crack, which meant he was protected from above. Satisfied that his hiding place was secure, he curled into a ball against the rear wall and was asleep at once, for his organic side was tired and full of food.
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Sonic awoke in pitch darkness and wondered where he was. He rolled over, and his movement echoed enough to remind him that he was in the salt cave. He felt a rush of panic at the idea of being underground, but fought it back and checked his watch. Its phosphorescent hands informed him that it was nine o'clock. "Nine what?" he wondered. Morning? Evening? In the timeless darkness he couldn't tell. After thinking a moment he decided that it must be morning, because he didn't think he had slept twenty-one hours.
He sat up, felt around for his flashlight, and flicked it on. Blinking in the sudden glare, he saw everyone distributed around the floor in dark lumps against the white floor. The lump that was Knuckles had a green glowing thing clutched in his fist. He even looked after the Master Emerald while asleep! Now that was devotion.
Sonic pointed his light at the ceiling and glanced at the crystals above his head. They looked closer than he remembered. In fact, the whole cave was smaller than he remembered. And it was hard to breathe--
He needed to get out. Now.
Pausing only long enough to buckle on his shoes, Sonic hurried to the slab that blocked the cave entrance and heaved on the rope that rolled it aside. It usually took two people to do this, but Sonic was so frantic that he managed it alone. A shaft of daylight streamed into the cavern with a rush of spring-like fresh air. Sonic knotted the rope around its hook and ran for the entrance--
He stopped dead.
Curled up in the cave entrance was a black and white spiny ball. Sonic stared at it, claustrophobia forgotten. It moved as it breathed, and he realized it was a hedgehog, half robot, half real. Its fur and spines were dirty white, and its robot hull was painted dull black. It had to be Mekion, who Knuckles acted so weird about.
Sonic watched him, wondering what to do. Poke the guy and wake him up? Throw a rock at him? What if he came into the cave and attacked everybody? He saw why Knuckles didn't want to hurt him. How did you smash up a robot that was alive?
As Sonic looked at him, he gradually noticed other things. The rumpled, careless look of the white fur, as if Mekion didn't know how to groom himself. The way his head spines twisted outward in unruly masses, and the faint orange stripes along their tops like a bleached-out stain. The horrendous scar around his wrist ... wait a second ...
Sonic shook his head. White spines that once had red markings on them ... a scarred wrist ... his back was to Sonic, but Sonic could see part of his face. It was wretchedly thin, but his eye was the right shape, and--
Sonic tiptoed closer without realizing he was moving. He had to see Mekion's face to make sure. He had to know. If this was Shadow--if it was--all the parts fit--Gingerly, cautiously, he leaned over the sleeping android.
Mekion's eyes opened, and for an instant the two hedgehogs were nose to nose.
Then Mekion exploded, knocking Sonic against the wall and fleeing into the open. Sonic jumped up and tore after him, yelling, "Shadow! Shadow, come back!"
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Mekion had awakened with the unpleasant sensation of being watched--and there stood Sonic, close enough to grab him. Mekion lashed out and was running before he realized what had happened. Horrors! Sonic was pursuing him and catching up. Frightened and disoriented, he turned to his robot mind for help, which screamed, "Hide!"
Another part of his mental hardware went crazy with trace signals. His network hardware had come on with the rest of his equipment, and Robo Knux had spotted him. A transmission arrived. "Olli olli oxen-free." He shut down his hardware, but it was too late. He was caught in the open, in daylight, with Sonic and Robo Knux converging on him. They would reach him at the same time. So much for stealth--he would have to fight.
He crouched beside a boulder, robot-side out, claws ready. They were pitiful weapons against opponents such as Sonic and Robo Knux, but they were all he had. He was made for stealth, not fighting.
They came at him at the same time, and he turned to face Robo Knux, sensing that Robo Knux would do him the most damage. At the last second he ducked and the robot flew over him, claws raking at Mekion's spines. His momentum carried him past Mekion, and as he slowed and turned around, Sonic arrived and looked from Mekion to Robo Knux and back. "Shadow!" he said.
Then Robo Knux hit Mekion in the ribs with a mace-like fist. His speed crushed Mekion against the boulder, and Robo Knux held him there, forcing his claws through Mekion's metal skin and into his machinery, trying to puncture his internal organs.
Sonic hit Robo Knux in a spindash that knocked the red robot ten feet and left his right arm hanging by a few wires. "Leave Shadow alone!" Sonic screamed idiotically, backing up to spindash again.
Robo Knux jumped to his feet and roared away, jets spluttering. "He works for us now!" he flung over his shoulder.
Sonic chased him into the trees, then returned to Mekion. The cyborg was kneeling beside the boulder, one hand pressed to the holes in his robot side. As Sonic approached Mekion crouched and curled his robot fingers into claws, baring his teeth.
Sonic stopped. "Whoa Shadow, I'm not gonna hurt you. Are you okay?"
Mekion didn't answer or relax. A clear fluid was trickling from the holes in his side.
"I'm your friend," said Sonic. "Don't you remember the ARK and Nox and everything?"
Mekion watched him, his face expressionless. Sonic stepped forward, and Mekion drew back his claws threateningly.
Sonic stopped. "Look Mekion, your name was Shadow before they made you into a robot. Remember the Ultimate Lifeform stuff and Chaos Control? Talk to me, man!"
"Get away, enemy," whispered Mekion.
Sonic's ears flattened. He lowered his head and retreated twenty feet, and Mekion limped past him into the trees. Sonic made no move to follow him.
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Mekion froze and lifted his head. He was on the hillside above Chaotix Central, watching the house in hopes that Sonic would return on his own. But suddenly his network was alive with trace signals. He consulted his radar and found Robo Knux's trail signature cutting across the island toward him. The survival test had begun.
First Mekion shut off his network hardware. He did not want to be traced, and if he used his powerful network scanner Robo Knux would pinpoint his location. Then he moved across the hills, watching for movement on the edges of his radar. If he couldn't detect Robo Knux, then Robo Knux couldn't detect him. He wished he had eaten something before Robo Knux arrived; his performance level was low.
To Mekion's chagrin, Sonic flashed down the trail Mekion had just been watching, and entered the house. He had been so close! If only he had stuck to his post one more minute! Oh well, there was nothing for it--self-preservation was the Third Law, and it took precedence over the mission.
As Mekion pushed deeper into the woods, seeking the thickest cover, Sonic burst into the house and yelled, "Robo Knux is here!"
Everyone looked up with a start. Knuckles jumped to his feet. "Robo Knux? You're sure?"
"Not totally," said Sonic. "All I saw was the light from his jets, but Metal Sonic's jet looks different."
Knuckles swore in Old Mobian and looked at Chimera, Zinc, Talon and Zephyer--four people whom he had to protect at all costs. Then he looked at the Chaotix, all of whom looked excited. "Guys, we can't stay here. Get your stuff, we're moving somewhere a robot can't go."
A flurry of activity erupted around him, and Knuckles stood in the midst of it, thinking of every secret cave and room on the island and trying to decide which was the closest and easiest to defend. Robo Knux was strong and had a fetish for large, deadly weapons. The place that came to mind the quickest was Hidden Palace, but there were no supplies there, and leaving Chimera and Zinc with the Super Emeralds was a bad idea. But underground they must go, and he thought of the salt cave. It was half a mile from Chaotix Central, had a narrow, defendable entrance, and had exits into the tunnel labyrinth in the heart of the island. Robo Knux could go underground and come up on them from within the tunnels, but it would take him two hours of hiking through winding passages, and by then they would have wind of him.
Sonic appeared at Knuckles's elbow with his backpack slung over one shoulder. "Knux," he said, "are we going underground?"
"Probably," said Knuckles. "The caves are the safest place I can think of."
"I can't go," said Sonic, a crazy light in his eyes. "I can't go back in a cave. Let me track Robo Knux for you."
"Who said anything about putting you underground?" said Knuckles. "I've got a girl, two chao and at least one kid to protect. Do you want to stow Tails away or have him help us?"
The relief on Sonic's face was replaced by worry. "Tails hasn't been around Robo Knux much ... maybe he should go with them and oversee defense. Yeah."
Knuckles watched his friends without seeing them. "What's Robo Knux doing here, anyway? Nobody's seen him since the thing with Leviathan."
"Maybe Mekion called for backup," said Sonic.
Knuckles's thoughts flew to the look of terror on Mekion's face. Backup, of course, call in big brother. "They're working together," he muttered.
"Robo Knux probably built Mekion," said Sonic. "But that's okay. I can fight both of them. Maybe this time I'll get a chance to shred RK."
"And he'll get a chance to shred you," said Knuckles. "Glad you're back, by the way."
Sonic smiled sheepishly.
Ten minutes later the little troop set out into the night, armed with flashlights, clubs, guns, and magnets. Knuckles had a large collection of magnets saved for just such an occasion, and everyone carried three with instructions to throw them at Robo Knux or Mekion if either appeared. But the night was quiet with a steady breeze from the north. Knuckles sniffed the air and worried about his island. He was still too far north, and these temperatures would kill the trees. Blast those interfering robots!
They arrived at the salt cave without incident. The entrance was a narrow fissure in the rock, and once a person squeezed inside they found themself in a glittering cavern of white crystals and powdery sand. It was perfectly dry, and crates of food supplies were stacked along the walls. A tunnel at the back led deeper underground.
Sonic refused to enter the cave, and stayed outside with the Chaotix to stand guard. But Knuckles, Zephyer, Talon, Tails, and the chao entered and shone their flashlights around at the flashing crystals. Knuckles showed them the stone slabs that could be rolled into position to cover the entrance and exits, and as the youngsters explored the cavern, Knuckles took Zephyer aside.
He clasped her cold mechanical hands in his own and peered into her face, gathering the courage to ask her to do something important. She looked at him steadily. "I hope you're not going to propose again, because the answer is still no."
He chuckled. "No, it's not that. Zephyer ... the island has to keep moving south or these temperatures will kill it. I need you to try to use the Master Emerald for me."
She stared at him. "But it'll fry me. You know what power emeralds do to machinery."
"I wrapped it up," he said, reaching into the knapsack he had carried. He pulled out the Master Emerald miniature, which glowed a muted green through a handkerchief. "I can still use it through this," he said. "Here, take it. It shouldn't hurt you."
Zephyer hesitated, then held out her hands. Knuckles placed the emerald in her hands, and she flinched. He caught her elbow. "You okay?"
"Yes," she panted. "I thought it would shock me." She gazed at the emerald in her robot hands, and to Knuckles's surprise, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm touching the Master Emerald," she whispered. "And I can--I can feel it! Which way is south?" Knuckles pointed, and Zephyer faced that direction and extended one arm with the emerald. The two echidnas felt the island move.
Zephyer laughed and wiped her eyes. "It knows me, Knuckles! I'm an echidna! I can do this!" She looked at him, her eyes bright with unbridled hope.
Knuckles felt a surge of love twist his heart, and suddenly there was a lump in his throat. Only a guardian and the mate of a guardian could command the Master Emerald, and he knew Zephyer had lost all hope of using a power gem. But for one wild instant she dared to hope, and it transformed her.
He left her standing with the emerald in hand, gave instructions for Tails and Talon to barricade the entrance, and left the cave. A flood of emotions had upset his levelheaded cool, and he was struggling to get a grip on reality. He had to go out and hunt for robots, but his heart was back in the cave with Zephyer. There was irony in the fact that the Master Emerald had matched them up. He had to persuade her to marry him somehow. If she didn't ... the alternative left him sick with horror. She was linked to the island whether she liked it or not, and if she fell into Robotnik's hands, that link could be twisted into destroying the island and everything on it. This was the reason Knuckles's father lived in hiding, because he knew things that must not fall into the wrong hands. No, Knuckles had to marry Zephyer if only to protect her from herself.
"You're awful quiet, boss," said Vector the crocodile. The group had been walking in silence for ten minutes, and Knuckles was so deep in thought he had not noticed. He roused himself and looked around. "What? Oh yeah. We need to split up and start circling Chaotix Central. Spiral outward. Sonic, you go with Charmy and Mighty. Espio and Vector, come with me."
Issuing commands brought him back to earth, and he focused on the dark masses of trees and rocks around them, straining his senses for a hostile presence. He shut down the part of himself that was boiling with emotions. He didn't need that now--everyone on the island was depending on him, and what good were strong feelings when Robo Knux might jump him any minute?
They walked without speaking, only using their lights when they were unsure of their footing. Espio the chameleon changed his skin to blend with the darkness and roamed ahead and to either side, scouting for danger.
Hours slipped by. The island floated south, and Knuckles found no sign of Mekion or Robo Knux. Odd. The Mecha-bots possessed state-of-the-art scanning technology. Even if the islanders were unable to find them, the robots could find the islanders. But this was Robo Knux they were dealing with. Robo Knux's motives were always evolving according to his present humor, and if he had come for a fight, they should have seen him before now. Of course, Sonic could have been mistaken, but Knuckles trusted Sonic to recognize the Mechas when he saw them. Sonic had dealt with them dozens of times.
At midnight a weary Knuckles led his two companions back to the salt cave entrance, and found Sonic, Mighty and Charmy waiting for him. "Nothing," said Sonic, spines drooping. "Except--well, it's kind of funny, but somebody broke into your house, ate all the leftovers, and cleaned up the kitchen."
Knuckles laughed out loud. It was late and he was loopy from the stress of the past few hours. "Vector, what have I told you about midnight snacks?"
The six of them burst out laughing. It wasn't funny, but in their current state they were ready to laugh at anything.
There was a scraping sound from inside the cave entrance, and Tails's voice said, "Guys, is that you? Why are you making so much noise?"
"We're scaring away the robots," said Sonic, and the group roared with laughter. One by one they squeezed into the cave, still chuckling, and grabbed sleeping bags from a pile in the corner.
Knuckles found Zephyer where he had left her. She was stretched out on the floor, sound asleep, her emerald-holding hand still extended south. Knuckles threw a sleeping bag over her and dared to kiss her forehead as he took the emerald from her hand. Then he crawled into his own sleeping bag, held his arm south the way Zephyer had done, and fell asleep that way.
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Robo Knux had detected Mekion's presence as soon as he reached the island, and flew straight toward his location without landing. To his surprise, Mekion went offline. How could he do that? Network hardware was essential to operation! Well, if he was offline, he must be lying on the ground somewhere.
Robo Knux arrived at Mekion's last charted location and landed on all fours, scans sweeping the area. It was a rocky hillside dotted with trees. No cover, and no Mekion. Of course! Mekion was half-organic. Shutting down parts of his robot half would not impair his functions. For a moment the red robot crouched among the rocks like a green-eyed wasp, rethinking his strategy. Mekion had been trained in stealth, so he knew every trick to staying undercover. He might also have some of those Zen-like instruments that Robo Knux had heard about ... 'instincts'. He lifted his head and looked at the hilly landscape around him. Mekion could be anywhere.
"So, hide and seek is the game of the evening," Robo Knux muttered aloud. "All right. I'll play. Because I'll win in the end." He stood and walked across the hillside, instruments on full power, his mood becoming calm excitement. This was more entertaining than hanging around the lab. By killing Mekion he would annoy Metal Sonic, which was the point.
As the night went on Robo Knux crept up on both sets of Mobians, checking to see if Mekion was among them. He would have loved to play with the Mobians, stalking them through the darkness, but he wanted to find Mekion more. As the hours passed and the night grew old, Robo Knux realized that Mekion was good at concealing himself. But Mekion could not hide forever--his organic half would drive him into the open to eat or drink, and Robo Knux would find him.
Mekion knew this, but didn't care. He kept low, sometimes crawling on his belly through leaves and brush, once in a while pausing to check Robo Knux's position. He could see the robot across the valley by zooming in his mechanical eye. Stupid Robo Knux, he left his eye-lights on. Mekion tracked him visually, keeping a mile and a half between them, just outside the range of a scanner. When Robo Knux moved, Mekion moved, and when Robo Knux stopped, Mekion stopped.
After a while Robo Knux moved further up the hills, and Mekion followed him. Chaotix Central lay across his path, and it was too big of a temptation to pass up. He entered the house, ate whatever smelled good, tidied up his mess, and resumed tracking Robo Knux, feeling much better for the food.
As morning neared, Mekion began looking for a place to sleep that his enemy could not reach. He remembered the crevice in the rocks where he had hidden from the robot during training, and kept an eye out for something similar. He needed a place where a ranged weapon couldn't reach him. Something like a cave with a narrow entrance.
He found one at the foot of a low cliff. The entrance was so narrow he had to exhale to squeeze in, and it opened up in a little alcove. The entrance narrowed fifteen feet above to a crack, which meant he was protected from above. Satisfied that his hiding place was secure, he curled into a ball against the rear wall and was asleep at once, for his organic side was tired and full of food.
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Sonic awoke in pitch darkness and wondered where he was. He rolled over, and his movement echoed enough to remind him that he was in the salt cave. He felt a rush of panic at the idea of being underground, but fought it back and checked his watch. Its phosphorescent hands informed him that it was nine o'clock. "Nine what?" he wondered. Morning? Evening? In the timeless darkness he couldn't tell. After thinking a moment he decided that it must be morning, because he didn't think he had slept twenty-one hours.
He sat up, felt around for his flashlight, and flicked it on. Blinking in the sudden glare, he saw everyone distributed around the floor in dark lumps against the white floor. The lump that was Knuckles had a green glowing thing clutched in his fist. He even looked after the Master Emerald while asleep! Now that was devotion.
Sonic pointed his light at the ceiling and glanced at the crystals above his head. They looked closer than he remembered. In fact, the whole cave was smaller than he remembered. And it was hard to breathe--
He needed to get out. Now.
Pausing only long enough to buckle on his shoes, Sonic hurried to the slab that blocked the cave entrance and heaved on the rope that rolled it aside. It usually took two people to do this, but Sonic was so frantic that he managed it alone. A shaft of daylight streamed into the cavern with a rush of spring-like fresh air. Sonic knotted the rope around its hook and ran for the entrance--
He stopped dead.
Curled up in the cave entrance was a black and white spiny ball. Sonic stared at it, claustrophobia forgotten. It moved as it breathed, and he realized it was a hedgehog, half robot, half real. Its fur and spines were dirty white, and its robot hull was painted dull black. It had to be Mekion, who Knuckles acted so weird about.
Sonic watched him, wondering what to do. Poke the guy and wake him up? Throw a rock at him? What if he came into the cave and attacked everybody? He saw why Knuckles didn't want to hurt him. How did you smash up a robot that was alive?
As Sonic looked at him, he gradually noticed other things. The rumpled, careless look of the white fur, as if Mekion didn't know how to groom himself. The way his head spines twisted outward in unruly masses, and the faint orange stripes along their tops like a bleached-out stain. The horrendous scar around his wrist ... wait a second ...
Sonic shook his head. White spines that once had red markings on them ... a scarred wrist ... his back was to Sonic, but Sonic could see part of his face. It was wretchedly thin, but his eye was the right shape, and--
Sonic tiptoed closer without realizing he was moving. He had to see Mekion's face to make sure. He had to know. If this was Shadow--if it was--all the parts fit--Gingerly, cautiously, he leaned over the sleeping android.
Mekion's eyes opened, and for an instant the two hedgehogs were nose to nose.
Then Mekion exploded, knocking Sonic against the wall and fleeing into the open. Sonic jumped up and tore after him, yelling, "Shadow! Shadow, come back!"
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Mekion had awakened with the unpleasant sensation of being watched--and there stood Sonic, close enough to grab him. Mekion lashed out and was running before he realized what had happened. Horrors! Sonic was pursuing him and catching up. Frightened and disoriented, he turned to his robot mind for help, which screamed, "Hide!"
Another part of his mental hardware went crazy with trace signals. His network hardware had come on with the rest of his equipment, and Robo Knux had spotted him. A transmission arrived. "Olli olli oxen-free." He shut down his hardware, but it was too late. He was caught in the open, in daylight, with Sonic and Robo Knux converging on him. They would reach him at the same time. So much for stealth--he would have to fight.
He crouched beside a boulder, robot-side out, claws ready. They were pitiful weapons against opponents such as Sonic and Robo Knux, but they were all he had. He was made for stealth, not fighting.
They came at him at the same time, and he turned to face Robo Knux, sensing that Robo Knux would do him the most damage. At the last second he ducked and the robot flew over him, claws raking at Mekion's spines. His momentum carried him past Mekion, and as he slowed and turned around, Sonic arrived and looked from Mekion to Robo Knux and back. "Shadow!" he said.
Then Robo Knux hit Mekion in the ribs with a mace-like fist. His speed crushed Mekion against the boulder, and Robo Knux held him there, forcing his claws through Mekion's metal skin and into his machinery, trying to puncture his internal organs.
Sonic hit Robo Knux in a spindash that knocked the red robot ten feet and left his right arm hanging by a few wires. "Leave Shadow alone!" Sonic screamed idiotically, backing up to spindash again.
Robo Knux jumped to his feet and roared away, jets spluttering. "He works for us now!" he flung over his shoulder.
Sonic chased him into the trees, then returned to Mekion. The cyborg was kneeling beside the boulder, one hand pressed to the holes in his robot side. As Sonic approached Mekion crouched and curled his robot fingers into claws, baring his teeth.
Sonic stopped. "Whoa Shadow, I'm not gonna hurt you. Are you okay?"
Mekion didn't answer or relax. A clear fluid was trickling from the holes in his side.
"I'm your friend," said Sonic. "Don't you remember the ARK and Nox and everything?"
Mekion watched him, his face expressionless. Sonic stepped forward, and Mekion drew back his claws threateningly.
Sonic stopped. "Look Mekion, your name was Shadow before they made you into a robot. Remember the Ultimate Lifeform stuff and Chaos Control? Talk to me, man!"
"Get away, enemy," whispered Mekion.
Sonic's ears flattened. He lowered his head and retreated twenty feet, and Mekion limped past him into the trees. Sonic made no move to follow him.
