Chapter 6: Cops and Robbers
"What?" said Sonic angrily when Knuckles told him why Rouge and Zachary were with them.
"Sonic, the world might be destroyed here!" stated Knuckles in frustration again. "Some things are more important than sticking to an evil routine! Zach has power, and Rouge is the best treasure hunter around, something we could find useful in the battle against Wechnia. They already had an Emerald, and we can utilise it if they're helping us."
"So, what exactly happened where you were?" asked Sonic, a scowl etched onto his face. It was bad enough that Shadow was already there... even if it wasn't the same evil Shadow.
"We'd tracked down the purple Emerald, and I'd gone to collect it when Wechnia showed up..." Knuckles recounted the full story of how Wechnia had tried to kill Tikal, taken the Emerald, telling them that he'd already obtained one previously, how they, Zachary and Rouge had formed an alliance after Wech's departure, and how they got one Emerald in the end.
"So, four to two," said Sonic. "We have the upper hand, but Wechnia has a good chance of getting the Master Emerald. He's fast, even by my standards."
"I don't think so," said Knuckles. "Tikal's locating the Master Emerald now. She's got the Control Emerald scanning for it. If you didn't know, the Emeralds all act like magnets. They can find each other."
"Heh, pretty cool," Sonic admitted. "We might stand a chance after all. Where is she?"
"Downstairs. Don't disturb her. She won't let us down."
"She'd better not. The fate of Mobius depends on it."
"Sonic! Couldn't you be more encouraging?"
"What? She can't hear us from down there."
"You'd be surprised..."
~* * * *~
On the remote Carnival Island, a part of the continent of Angelas, a bright light appeared above the Botanic Base Zone. Five individuals emerged from a warp in space; the Omni Viewer. The five who had just arrived on Mobius were the Chaotix Crew, the guardians of the Special Zone, an odd parallel dimension that could be reached via Star Posts, giant gold rings that popped up from time to time, or the gateways created back in the days of the echidna race.
The leader of Chaotix was Vector, a scaly green crocodile with a yellow front and red ridges on his broad back. He had sharp teeth lining his large mouth. He was a computer wizard and highly intelligent, but loved nothing more than to chill to music. Therefore, Vector never went anywhere without his headphones and walkman.
Mighty the Armadillo was a sturdy figure with red armour plating covering his head and back. His body was black, apart from his belly, muzzle and arms, which were flesh coloured. His sneakers looked very much like Sonic's, only the white stripe didn't reach the soles. Within this guy's arms was the strength of the mountains, therefore he acted as the muscle in most cases, fighting the good fight.
Espio the Chameleon had the ability to blend in with any background, rendering him invisible to enemy sights, therefore he was primarily involved in stealth operations. His normal colour was purple. Fixed upon his head was a yellow horn, often used as a weapon when he charged down foes. His nature was very self-centred and often led him into trouble. He didn't care much for others, but had a discipline that kept him cool in the heat of battle, though it is often his hot-headedness that gets him into those scrapes. He often competed with Mighty to see who could take out the most enemies.
Charmy was a tiny little bee who always wore a flying helmet. He had clear wings that were often fluttering so fast you could barely see them. His sting was a threatening implement, but he barely used it. This kid tended to wind up the others, especially Espio, who Charmy constantly reminded about manners, but he was good at following clues and hunches.
The final member was a yellow flying squirrel called Ray. Attached to his underarms were large flaps that allowed him to catch the air and glide. Ray's tail was large and bushy, and he used it in flight to help direct his body. He was the diplomat of Chaotix, using his reasoning and techniques with words to get them what they need. Failing that, he'd use his swiftness to snatch it instead. He walked with silent footsteps.
In a way, the Omni Viewer was part of the crew as well, having always aided them in transportation. Omni was a self aware system who was able travel through time or provide instantaneous transport to anywhere in the galaxy. His workspace occupied a new frame designed by Vector. He knew much about the history of Mobius, almost everything, but didn't really look at the future because it always seemed to be changing. He was more concerned about the present, though didn't always check things right away, which proved apparent now...
"What's up with Omni?" asked Espio.
Omni's frame was taken up by a blank white screen instead of the usual pale face. It hadn't known about the effect Wechnia had on computerised systems, even intelligent, self-reliant ones.
"He's still there," said Vector, "but his software's crashed... I can't reboot!"
"Zippety zip!" squeaked Charmy, causing Espio to grimace. "What's up with this place?"
"It looks like it's dying..." said Ray quietly.
"Whoa! I think you're right..." spluttered Vector. The last time Chaotix had been on Mobius, it was a green place. Now though...
"Maybe what's happening here has had some effect on Omni?" suggested Mighty.
"You could be right... Darn, this makes things much more difficult," said Vector. "If Omni's crashed, we can't get off this island. I think we're on Carnival Island, but I don't know why. We need to get to the Metropolis Zone. Just... let me try something."
Vector strode over to the blank screen that was Omni Viewer. He put his hand into it to find that the warp through space was still open.
"Hey guys! I just think his screen's been disrupted. He still works... I hope. Omni, take us to South Island, Emerald Hill. I think we should speak with Sonic first..."
Vector's theory was correct. They came out of the Omni Viewer directly in front of Sonic's headquarters. The Zone around them was green still, but the weather set a grim scene. Vector knocked at the door and entered, followed by the rest of his crew. They saw a girl in the room ahead. She was holding a grey Chaos Emerald in her right hand and she had her eyes closed.
"Is that her, boss?" whispered Mighty to Vector.
"No," said Vector. "She looks like an echidna. We're looking for a bat. Come on, upstairs!"
They followed the command. Sonic was in the central room, still talking to Knuckles. Dr. Zachary, still in the room, looked around and saw the new arrivals.
"Sonic," said the old echidna.
Sonic noticed his old fighting buddies, as did Knuckles. "Heh," Sonic laughed. "Getting a bit crowded in here..."
"Sonic, good to see ya!" roared Vector in his booming voice. "What's up with Mobius? Everything's..."
"Some virus thing called Wechnia... I'll explain some other time. What do you want?"
Espio came forwards. "We're trailing a bat known as Rouge. Our sources tell us that she's here."
"Sources?"
"That would be Omni Viewer," explained Espio, indicating the blank screen. "Anyway, we need to... er... speak with her. We understand she can lead us to Nack the Weasel. The New Tek police want him."
"Don't the police want you?"
"They did, but we're working for them now. We cleared up that... misunderstanding, and then they hired us as detectives."
"I won't ask what you did... I don't think I wanna know," muttered Sonic, knowing only too well about the crazy world of Planet Meridian and New Tek City.
Espio frowned, but Mighty grinned. The chameleon dealt his rival a sniping glance and started to advance towards him. Vector, sensing trouble raised his voice.
"So, any ideas about Rouge, Sonic?"
Sonic considered this for a second. After all, Rouge was somewhere in the base, probably just in the next room. He remembered Knuckles' advice about her skills as a treasure hunter, and thought about how useful it may be in the battle that lay ahead.
"Nah, ain't seen her. Bye!" he blurted, desperate for Chaotix to leave.
"Hmmm, well, thanks for the trouble," and with that, the team turned to leave. They whirled around again at the sound of a door opening. Rouge and Shadow had just emerged from the rear room where Porker, Amy, Tekno and Kintobor still were, attempting to rebuild the entire Kintobor system. Ashura was currently absent, but nobody knew where.
"That's her!" exclaimed Ray. "I'd recognise her anywhere!"
Rouge had a puzzled expression carved into her face. "Who's looking, boys?"
Vector drew himself to full height. "We're the Chaotix Crew, detectives from the Special Zone. I think you and me need to have a little talk," he said, smiling with glee having found his prey.
"Detectives from the Special Zone?" Rouge repeated, still gazing blankly around the room, as though desperate for an escape route to just materialise in the walls.
"That's right," said Mighty. "You've been to New Tek City enough times. Surely you know why we're here?"
"Not really," mumbled the bat, looking nervous.
The Chaotix just laughed, except for Ray and Charmy.
"Who's the squirrel guy?" Sonic butted in. "Unless I'm just stupid, he wasn't with the Crew before."
"New recruit," said Espio impatiently. "Ray. He's great at his job. He's one of Mighty's old friends. Let us do our job, Sonic."
That tiny distraction had done it. Rouge made a bolt for the stairs, but was grabbed by Vector who flung her to the floor. This look on her face told the story of defeat.
"Hey guys," said Shadow who had so far remained silent. "I don't think that's how you treat a lady." The dark hedgehog stepped forwards, scowling at the five members of Chaotix.
"And who the heck're you?" inquired Espio, feigning a tone of respect.
"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, if you must know," said Shadow sounding offhand. "You guys better leave her alone, or you'll regret it," he said as Rouge rose, brushing the dust from her clothes.
Espio turned to get support from his comrades. Due to fear imposed by Shadow's mean glare, they hesitated, but then Mighty stepped forwards.
"Y'know guys," interjected Knuckles, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to fight in here."
"Yeah," said Sonic catching the thread instantly. "We're trying to fix this place up right now."
Their words remained unheeded.
Shadow stood proud at the opposite end of the room, the sense of confidence radiating from him like a nuclear reactor of sorts. Espio and Mighty nodded at each other and began the charge. Espio lowered his head, pointing the horn directly at Shadow, who just stood as though waiting for the arrival of a bus. Mighty raised his fists as he ran, preparing to deliver an immense blow. A fraction of a second before contact, Shadow bounded into the air and flipped over the two members of Chaotix trying to ambush him. Espio crashed into one of the consoles, impaling his horn upon it, and Mighty made impact with another, showering sparks across the room. Vector joined the fray, licking his lips. He took a huge crunch at the black hedgehog, who promptly dodged it, only to be grabbed by Ray from behind.
"Guys, I got him!" shouted out Ray.
Espio released himself and charged at Shadow, now captive to the squirrel. The rampage was this time successful, ramming into Shadow with such force that Ray lost his grip on him. Shadow cried out in pain and fell back, but quickly scrambled to his feet, ready to go another round. He curled up, charged his spin attack, and released, slamming into each of the Chaotix except for Charmy who was watching, confused (he had a very short attention span). Everyone else in the room was also observing; Zachary with mild amusement on his face, Rouge with a frown, and Knuckles and Sonic with sheer horror on their faces.
Sonic stood up and bellowed across the smoking room, "STOP!" The combatants turned to him, looking slightly guilty for trashing the base. Sonic continued, "You only want to find Nack, right?" he asked Vector.
"Uh... yeah."
"Well, why the heck are you fighting? I'm sure Rouge would give you the information you need. She's helping us out at the moment because we need to find the Chaos Emeralds."
"Oh," said Rouge softly. "That's why you want to talk to me. You want me to lead you to the weasel."
"That's right," grumbled Espio. "So, you gonna tell us where to go?"
"I guess I could, but that depends on my profit."
"Wha...?"
"Come on now, boys. You can't seriously expect that I'd lead you to the weasel for free now?"
Ray spoke, being the typical ambassador. "We'll give you five thousand Mobian credits. Is that enough?"
"I think that's a good price for a bit of information. Alright, Nack's in the Metropolis Zone, right in the Central Square. He's set up his base of operations in an old abandoned warehouse."
"Well, that was easy enough," said Vector. "Mighty, Espio, I'd like you both to go and collect Nack and bring him back to the Special Zone with you. I don't think you need the rest of us."
"Roger," said the chameleon and the armadillo. Going on a mission with each other was a great excuse for a bit of competition.
"Maybe I should come with you?" suggested Rouge. "I know my way around his base, something which might be useful for you both."
Espio and Mighty looked at Vector for his reply.
"Yeah, I think you should," the crocodile agreed. "I'll see you all no later than tomorrow. Omni, if you're still listening, take them to Metropolis and the rest of us home."
Omni viewer tilted his frame to indicate his comprehension of the situation, and allowed the Chaotix to leap inside the screen. Rouge was about to do the same, when she was stopped by Sonic.
"We need you," he said.
"Don't worry," said Rouge, a sparkle in her turquoise eyes. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She followed her current employers into the Omni Viewer, who disappeared with a bright flash.
"Great," muttered Sonic to Shadow. "I've got a trashed base and one team member down."
Amy and Kintobor rushed into the chamber to see what had just taken place. They gazed at the wreckage, words escaping them.
"We had visitors," said Knuckles.
"I... see..." spluttered Kintobor.
There was another moment where they stood in silence, listening to the drumming of the rain. Sonic turned to stare out of the window, the anger bubbling up inside him.
"Don't worry about Rouge," Zachary told Sonic. "She can look after herself."
"Yeah, I bet she can," snapped Sonic. "Obviously she doesn't care about Mobius."
"If it gets Chaotix off our backs..."
"Just leave me alone."
Sonic sped out of the building, greeted by the torrents of water. The Emerald Valley, which he could make out vaguely in the distance, was full of water. Wechnia's storm was creating total havoc in the world around. Soon, there might not be any part of Emerald Hill left...
Mud sprayed skywards as Sonic belted across the sodden terrain. He wondered where Wechnia was at the moment, and whether he had managed to locate the Master Emerald... whether he was heading for it at that second...
"That creature has brought the end... I know it this time..." he said to himself faintly. He had thought the same about Chaos, yet succeeded that time, but even his luck would have to run out some day. This was that day. Even Chaos hadn't managed to create so much destruction...
He noticed something odd happening... he stopped running to look at the meadows of Emerald Hill. The grass was turning grey... just like it had at Jade Hill! Wechnia was clearly in the Zone, and close to his own location, he realised.
"Show yourself!" he bellowed.
Almost as soon as the words had escaped his mouth, Wech showed up, with the usual cheerless smile.
"You know me so well..."
"Shut it! What're you doing in my homeland?"
"Don't you realise anything...?" droned Wechnia. "I am spreading my effect of death over the whole of Mobius... I was bound to come here sooner or later..."
"You're coming no further into this place!" Sonic used his spin attack against the virus, but was swatted away like a fly.
"Brave words... I pity your foolishness..."
Sonic was sprawled in the sludgy mud that was once the lush grass of his home. His fury was about to explode...
"As much as I would love to kill you, it would be straying from my task... I sense the Chaos Emeralds... They are in the Zone." Wechnia raised his snout as though trying to sniff them. "Yes..."
He rocketed away, in the direction of Sonic's base.
"NO!"
Sonic was speeding along, trying to keep up with the airborne echidna. It was hopeless though... Wechnia was far too swift, and the slippery terrain did not help at all. The ground below Wechnia's path was turning to grey dust as always, spoiling even further the once beautiful landscape. With a lifeless laugh, Wechnia picked up the pace, leaving Sonic trailing.
In about a minute, Wechnia was upon the Emerald Hill base, sensing the Chaos Energy emanating from the vicinity. This was it; he was about to claim four more Emeralds...
He entered by breaking the glass roof. The fragments scattered everywhere. He recognised the scientist from his birthplace, who happened to be cowering on the floor, like most of the others in the room. Only Knuckles, Zachary and Shadow remained standing while Kintobor, Amy, Tekno, Porker and Tails had hit the deck. Tikal was still downstairs.
"I see you managed to escape the island..." he said to Kintobor, who raised his head. The doctor remained unspoken.
Shadow came up to Wechnia.
"Get out," said the black hedgehog.
"I'd think carefully before ordering me about..."
Wechnia's punch sent Shadow soaring into the wall, and slump over into a heap on the glass-caked floor.
"I want the Chaos Emeralds..." commanded Wechnia.
"I'd think carefully before ordering us about."
Wechnia turned to see Ashura framed in the doorway. The green hedgehog had returned at last. He had brought Tikal upstairs with him. "You again..." sighed Wechnia.
"Yeah, me again," said Ashura, glaring in fury at the creature.
"I defeated you before, and I can do it again..."
"You won't get the chance. I know how powerful you are, and I'm not stupid enough to fight you." He grabbed the grey Control Emerald from Tikal and raced around the room, picking up each of the other three gems that they had salvaged. He pulled everyone together and before Wechnia could react, he screamed, "CHAOS CONTROL!"
In a bright burst of alternating hues, the entire group vanished, just as Sonic came into the room.
"They have eluded me..." said Wechnia, ignoring the blue hedgehog. "I will still find them..."
"What happened?" said Sonic.
"The green one used the Chaos Control..."
"Well, as long as you didn't get your hands on our Emeralds, I guess things are all okay," Sonic said. The hedgehog raced outside again, leaving Wechnia to wallow in his failure.
"Ashura was lucky this time," Sonic said to himself. "I don't know how long we can rely on luck though... that was one close call. Now, all I need to do is find where Ashura took everybody to..."
"What?" said Sonic angrily when Knuckles told him why Rouge and Zachary were with them.
"Sonic, the world might be destroyed here!" stated Knuckles in frustration again. "Some things are more important than sticking to an evil routine! Zach has power, and Rouge is the best treasure hunter around, something we could find useful in the battle against Wechnia. They already had an Emerald, and we can utilise it if they're helping us."
"So, what exactly happened where you were?" asked Sonic, a scowl etched onto his face. It was bad enough that Shadow was already there... even if it wasn't the same evil Shadow.
"We'd tracked down the purple Emerald, and I'd gone to collect it when Wechnia showed up..." Knuckles recounted the full story of how Wechnia had tried to kill Tikal, taken the Emerald, telling them that he'd already obtained one previously, how they, Zachary and Rouge had formed an alliance after Wech's departure, and how they got one Emerald in the end.
"So, four to two," said Sonic. "We have the upper hand, but Wechnia has a good chance of getting the Master Emerald. He's fast, even by my standards."
"I don't think so," said Knuckles. "Tikal's locating the Master Emerald now. She's got the Control Emerald scanning for it. If you didn't know, the Emeralds all act like magnets. They can find each other."
"Heh, pretty cool," Sonic admitted. "We might stand a chance after all. Where is she?"
"Downstairs. Don't disturb her. She won't let us down."
"She'd better not. The fate of Mobius depends on it."
"Sonic! Couldn't you be more encouraging?"
"What? She can't hear us from down there."
"You'd be surprised..."
~* * * *~
On the remote Carnival Island, a part of the continent of Angelas, a bright light appeared above the Botanic Base Zone. Five individuals emerged from a warp in space; the Omni Viewer. The five who had just arrived on Mobius were the Chaotix Crew, the guardians of the Special Zone, an odd parallel dimension that could be reached via Star Posts, giant gold rings that popped up from time to time, or the gateways created back in the days of the echidna race.
The leader of Chaotix was Vector, a scaly green crocodile with a yellow front and red ridges on his broad back. He had sharp teeth lining his large mouth. He was a computer wizard and highly intelligent, but loved nothing more than to chill to music. Therefore, Vector never went anywhere without his headphones and walkman.
Mighty the Armadillo was a sturdy figure with red armour plating covering his head and back. His body was black, apart from his belly, muzzle and arms, which were flesh coloured. His sneakers looked very much like Sonic's, only the white stripe didn't reach the soles. Within this guy's arms was the strength of the mountains, therefore he acted as the muscle in most cases, fighting the good fight.
Espio the Chameleon had the ability to blend in with any background, rendering him invisible to enemy sights, therefore he was primarily involved in stealth operations. His normal colour was purple. Fixed upon his head was a yellow horn, often used as a weapon when he charged down foes. His nature was very self-centred and often led him into trouble. He didn't care much for others, but had a discipline that kept him cool in the heat of battle, though it is often his hot-headedness that gets him into those scrapes. He often competed with Mighty to see who could take out the most enemies.
Charmy was a tiny little bee who always wore a flying helmet. He had clear wings that were often fluttering so fast you could barely see them. His sting was a threatening implement, but he barely used it. This kid tended to wind up the others, especially Espio, who Charmy constantly reminded about manners, but he was good at following clues and hunches.
The final member was a yellow flying squirrel called Ray. Attached to his underarms were large flaps that allowed him to catch the air and glide. Ray's tail was large and bushy, and he used it in flight to help direct his body. He was the diplomat of Chaotix, using his reasoning and techniques with words to get them what they need. Failing that, he'd use his swiftness to snatch it instead. He walked with silent footsteps.
In a way, the Omni Viewer was part of the crew as well, having always aided them in transportation. Omni was a self aware system who was able travel through time or provide instantaneous transport to anywhere in the galaxy. His workspace occupied a new frame designed by Vector. He knew much about the history of Mobius, almost everything, but didn't really look at the future because it always seemed to be changing. He was more concerned about the present, though didn't always check things right away, which proved apparent now...
"What's up with Omni?" asked Espio.
Omni's frame was taken up by a blank white screen instead of the usual pale face. It hadn't known about the effect Wechnia had on computerised systems, even intelligent, self-reliant ones.
"He's still there," said Vector, "but his software's crashed... I can't reboot!"
"Zippety zip!" squeaked Charmy, causing Espio to grimace. "What's up with this place?"
"It looks like it's dying..." said Ray quietly.
"Whoa! I think you're right..." spluttered Vector. The last time Chaotix had been on Mobius, it was a green place. Now though...
"Maybe what's happening here has had some effect on Omni?" suggested Mighty.
"You could be right... Darn, this makes things much more difficult," said Vector. "If Omni's crashed, we can't get off this island. I think we're on Carnival Island, but I don't know why. We need to get to the Metropolis Zone. Just... let me try something."
Vector strode over to the blank screen that was Omni Viewer. He put his hand into it to find that the warp through space was still open.
"Hey guys! I just think his screen's been disrupted. He still works... I hope. Omni, take us to South Island, Emerald Hill. I think we should speak with Sonic first..."
Vector's theory was correct. They came out of the Omni Viewer directly in front of Sonic's headquarters. The Zone around them was green still, but the weather set a grim scene. Vector knocked at the door and entered, followed by the rest of his crew. They saw a girl in the room ahead. She was holding a grey Chaos Emerald in her right hand and she had her eyes closed.
"Is that her, boss?" whispered Mighty to Vector.
"No," said Vector. "She looks like an echidna. We're looking for a bat. Come on, upstairs!"
They followed the command. Sonic was in the central room, still talking to Knuckles. Dr. Zachary, still in the room, looked around and saw the new arrivals.
"Sonic," said the old echidna.
Sonic noticed his old fighting buddies, as did Knuckles. "Heh," Sonic laughed. "Getting a bit crowded in here..."
"Sonic, good to see ya!" roared Vector in his booming voice. "What's up with Mobius? Everything's..."
"Some virus thing called Wechnia... I'll explain some other time. What do you want?"
Espio came forwards. "We're trailing a bat known as Rouge. Our sources tell us that she's here."
"Sources?"
"That would be Omni Viewer," explained Espio, indicating the blank screen. "Anyway, we need to... er... speak with her. We understand she can lead us to Nack the Weasel. The New Tek police want him."
"Don't the police want you?"
"They did, but we're working for them now. We cleared up that... misunderstanding, and then they hired us as detectives."
"I won't ask what you did... I don't think I wanna know," muttered Sonic, knowing only too well about the crazy world of Planet Meridian and New Tek City.
Espio frowned, but Mighty grinned. The chameleon dealt his rival a sniping glance and started to advance towards him. Vector, sensing trouble raised his voice.
"So, any ideas about Rouge, Sonic?"
Sonic considered this for a second. After all, Rouge was somewhere in the base, probably just in the next room. He remembered Knuckles' advice about her skills as a treasure hunter, and thought about how useful it may be in the battle that lay ahead.
"Nah, ain't seen her. Bye!" he blurted, desperate for Chaotix to leave.
"Hmmm, well, thanks for the trouble," and with that, the team turned to leave. They whirled around again at the sound of a door opening. Rouge and Shadow had just emerged from the rear room where Porker, Amy, Tekno and Kintobor still were, attempting to rebuild the entire Kintobor system. Ashura was currently absent, but nobody knew where.
"That's her!" exclaimed Ray. "I'd recognise her anywhere!"
Rouge had a puzzled expression carved into her face. "Who's looking, boys?"
Vector drew himself to full height. "We're the Chaotix Crew, detectives from the Special Zone. I think you and me need to have a little talk," he said, smiling with glee having found his prey.
"Detectives from the Special Zone?" Rouge repeated, still gazing blankly around the room, as though desperate for an escape route to just materialise in the walls.
"That's right," said Mighty. "You've been to New Tek City enough times. Surely you know why we're here?"
"Not really," mumbled the bat, looking nervous.
The Chaotix just laughed, except for Ray and Charmy.
"Who's the squirrel guy?" Sonic butted in. "Unless I'm just stupid, he wasn't with the Crew before."
"New recruit," said Espio impatiently. "Ray. He's great at his job. He's one of Mighty's old friends. Let us do our job, Sonic."
That tiny distraction had done it. Rouge made a bolt for the stairs, but was grabbed by Vector who flung her to the floor. This look on her face told the story of defeat.
"Hey guys," said Shadow who had so far remained silent. "I don't think that's how you treat a lady." The dark hedgehog stepped forwards, scowling at the five members of Chaotix.
"And who the heck're you?" inquired Espio, feigning a tone of respect.
"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, if you must know," said Shadow sounding offhand. "You guys better leave her alone, or you'll regret it," he said as Rouge rose, brushing the dust from her clothes.
Espio turned to get support from his comrades. Due to fear imposed by Shadow's mean glare, they hesitated, but then Mighty stepped forwards.
"Y'know guys," interjected Knuckles, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to fight in here."
"Yeah," said Sonic catching the thread instantly. "We're trying to fix this place up right now."
Their words remained unheeded.
Shadow stood proud at the opposite end of the room, the sense of confidence radiating from him like a nuclear reactor of sorts. Espio and Mighty nodded at each other and began the charge. Espio lowered his head, pointing the horn directly at Shadow, who just stood as though waiting for the arrival of a bus. Mighty raised his fists as he ran, preparing to deliver an immense blow. A fraction of a second before contact, Shadow bounded into the air and flipped over the two members of Chaotix trying to ambush him. Espio crashed into one of the consoles, impaling his horn upon it, and Mighty made impact with another, showering sparks across the room. Vector joined the fray, licking his lips. He took a huge crunch at the black hedgehog, who promptly dodged it, only to be grabbed by Ray from behind.
"Guys, I got him!" shouted out Ray.
Espio released himself and charged at Shadow, now captive to the squirrel. The rampage was this time successful, ramming into Shadow with such force that Ray lost his grip on him. Shadow cried out in pain and fell back, but quickly scrambled to his feet, ready to go another round. He curled up, charged his spin attack, and released, slamming into each of the Chaotix except for Charmy who was watching, confused (he had a very short attention span). Everyone else in the room was also observing; Zachary with mild amusement on his face, Rouge with a frown, and Knuckles and Sonic with sheer horror on their faces.
Sonic stood up and bellowed across the smoking room, "STOP!" The combatants turned to him, looking slightly guilty for trashing the base. Sonic continued, "You only want to find Nack, right?" he asked Vector.
"Uh... yeah."
"Well, why the heck are you fighting? I'm sure Rouge would give you the information you need. She's helping us out at the moment because we need to find the Chaos Emeralds."
"Oh," said Rouge softly. "That's why you want to talk to me. You want me to lead you to the weasel."
"That's right," grumbled Espio. "So, you gonna tell us where to go?"
"I guess I could, but that depends on my profit."
"Wha...?"
"Come on now, boys. You can't seriously expect that I'd lead you to the weasel for free now?"
Ray spoke, being the typical ambassador. "We'll give you five thousand Mobian credits. Is that enough?"
"I think that's a good price for a bit of information. Alright, Nack's in the Metropolis Zone, right in the Central Square. He's set up his base of operations in an old abandoned warehouse."
"Well, that was easy enough," said Vector. "Mighty, Espio, I'd like you both to go and collect Nack and bring him back to the Special Zone with you. I don't think you need the rest of us."
"Roger," said the chameleon and the armadillo. Going on a mission with each other was a great excuse for a bit of competition.
"Maybe I should come with you?" suggested Rouge. "I know my way around his base, something which might be useful for you both."
Espio and Mighty looked at Vector for his reply.
"Yeah, I think you should," the crocodile agreed. "I'll see you all no later than tomorrow. Omni, if you're still listening, take them to Metropolis and the rest of us home."
Omni viewer tilted his frame to indicate his comprehension of the situation, and allowed the Chaotix to leap inside the screen. Rouge was about to do the same, when she was stopped by Sonic.
"We need you," he said.
"Don't worry," said Rouge, a sparkle in her turquoise eyes. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She followed her current employers into the Omni Viewer, who disappeared with a bright flash.
"Great," muttered Sonic to Shadow. "I've got a trashed base and one team member down."
Amy and Kintobor rushed into the chamber to see what had just taken place. They gazed at the wreckage, words escaping them.
"We had visitors," said Knuckles.
"I... see..." spluttered Kintobor.
There was another moment where they stood in silence, listening to the drumming of the rain. Sonic turned to stare out of the window, the anger bubbling up inside him.
"Don't worry about Rouge," Zachary told Sonic. "She can look after herself."
"Yeah, I bet she can," snapped Sonic. "Obviously she doesn't care about Mobius."
"If it gets Chaotix off our backs..."
"Just leave me alone."
Sonic sped out of the building, greeted by the torrents of water. The Emerald Valley, which he could make out vaguely in the distance, was full of water. Wechnia's storm was creating total havoc in the world around. Soon, there might not be any part of Emerald Hill left...
Mud sprayed skywards as Sonic belted across the sodden terrain. He wondered where Wechnia was at the moment, and whether he had managed to locate the Master Emerald... whether he was heading for it at that second...
"That creature has brought the end... I know it this time..." he said to himself faintly. He had thought the same about Chaos, yet succeeded that time, but even his luck would have to run out some day. This was that day. Even Chaos hadn't managed to create so much destruction...
He noticed something odd happening... he stopped running to look at the meadows of Emerald Hill. The grass was turning grey... just like it had at Jade Hill! Wechnia was clearly in the Zone, and close to his own location, he realised.
"Show yourself!" he bellowed.
Almost as soon as the words had escaped his mouth, Wech showed up, with the usual cheerless smile.
"You know me so well..."
"Shut it! What're you doing in my homeland?"
"Don't you realise anything...?" droned Wechnia. "I am spreading my effect of death over the whole of Mobius... I was bound to come here sooner or later..."
"You're coming no further into this place!" Sonic used his spin attack against the virus, but was swatted away like a fly.
"Brave words... I pity your foolishness..."
Sonic was sprawled in the sludgy mud that was once the lush grass of his home. His fury was about to explode...
"As much as I would love to kill you, it would be straying from my task... I sense the Chaos Emeralds... They are in the Zone." Wechnia raised his snout as though trying to sniff them. "Yes..."
He rocketed away, in the direction of Sonic's base.
"NO!"
Sonic was speeding along, trying to keep up with the airborne echidna. It was hopeless though... Wechnia was far too swift, and the slippery terrain did not help at all. The ground below Wechnia's path was turning to grey dust as always, spoiling even further the once beautiful landscape. With a lifeless laugh, Wechnia picked up the pace, leaving Sonic trailing.
In about a minute, Wechnia was upon the Emerald Hill base, sensing the Chaos Energy emanating from the vicinity. This was it; he was about to claim four more Emeralds...
He entered by breaking the glass roof. The fragments scattered everywhere. He recognised the scientist from his birthplace, who happened to be cowering on the floor, like most of the others in the room. Only Knuckles, Zachary and Shadow remained standing while Kintobor, Amy, Tekno, Porker and Tails had hit the deck. Tikal was still downstairs.
"I see you managed to escape the island..." he said to Kintobor, who raised his head. The doctor remained unspoken.
Shadow came up to Wechnia.
"Get out," said the black hedgehog.
"I'd think carefully before ordering me about..."
Wechnia's punch sent Shadow soaring into the wall, and slump over into a heap on the glass-caked floor.
"I want the Chaos Emeralds..." commanded Wechnia.
"I'd think carefully before ordering us about."
Wechnia turned to see Ashura framed in the doorway. The green hedgehog had returned at last. He had brought Tikal upstairs with him. "You again..." sighed Wechnia.
"Yeah, me again," said Ashura, glaring in fury at the creature.
"I defeated you before, and I can do it again..."
"You won't get the chance. I know how powerful you are, and I'm not stupid enough to fight you." He grabbed the grey Control Emerald from Tikal and raced around the room, picking up each of the other three gems that they had salvaged. He pulled everyone together and before Wechnia could react, he screamed, "CHAOS CONTROL!"
In a bright burst of alternating hues, the entire group vanished, just as Sonic came into the room.
"They have eluded me..." said Wechnia, ignoring the blue hedgehog. "I will still find them..."
"What happened?" said Sonic.
"The green one used the Chaos Control..."
"Well, as long as you didn't get your hands on our Emeralds, I guess things are all okay," Sonic said. The hedgehog raced outside again, leaving Wechnia to wallow in his failure.
"Ashura was lucky this time," Sonic said to himself. "I don't know how long we can rely on luck though... that was one close call. Now, all I need to do is find where Ashura took everybody to..."