I guess adventure stories don't get reviewed much... not that I blame anyone,
as I only read the humor and romance sections of most categories anyway.
Here's chapter 3 (4 if you include the prologue) of West Island Chaos,
which covers a very familiar part of the game. Read on to find out
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WEST ISLAND CHAOS Chapter 3 - Showdown: The Fast and Furious Battle
Ugh, how nice...
The water on the ancient stone walkway rippled gently as the pair of black sneakers stepped slowly on the crumbled path. A squishing noise could be heard from the sneakers as they slowly absorbed the thin coating of water covering the rock structure, much to the annoyance of the sneakers' owner. The structure itself stood upon a large lake, supported by the tall and thick columns stretching from the bottom of the structure to the depths of the water body. Despite its size, the walkway was relatively stable, and quite able to hold the weight of a large green hedgehog.
Nevertheless, uneasiness could be sensed from the hedgehog as he slowly made his way through the hanging green foliage whilst stepping across the walkway. He looked at his surroundings for a bit, which included peering into the deep, murky water.
Steady... as long as you are careful, the water won't be a problem... just be careful. With a light sigh, the hedgehog continued on the walkway, paying special attention to different areas of the stone. He had twice already nearly caused his own demise by stepping on an unstable area of the rock, and made sure to avoid making the same mistake again.
Two hours had passed since he reached the ruins. They were relatively close to the Emerald Hills, so the trip hadn't been much of a problem. However, the entire time here had been spent on water covered stone structures and in dilapidated, ruined edifices. And there was still no sign of the emerald.
The abnormal operation of the Emerald radar didn't help the least bit.
At the outskirts of the ruins, he had taken out the radar, anticipating a swift recovery of the emerald, only to be treated to an empty screen upon powering up the device. Impossible... it was clear there was an emerald in this area when we passed by. Or maybe Eggman was-- The sound of the radar interrupted his thoughts by displaying the location of an emerald. Or maybe not. I knew that-- As sudden as the emerald had appeared, it disappeared, only to reappear in a completely different spot on the radar. What the heck is going on here? Puzzled, the green hedgehog began to search the ruins in hopes of getting a consistent reading. He had not been successful as of yet though.
Darn it. Eggman's stupid device isn't working! How am I going to find these emeralds if-- He was interrupted by another noise, this time by the bracelet in his left wrist. Ugh, I don't have time for this. Then again... I don't think I'll be finding this emerald any time soon. He pressed a small button on the inside of the bracelet, and was then greeted to a slightly energetic voice, slightly mangled by small traces of static.
"Dash... Da... can you hear... Dash!"
How nice, the hedgehog thought sarcastically as he adjusted the sound using a small dial on the inside of the bracelet. He found a spot in the house to sit down in and began to listen intently.
That hedgehog should be here shortly. And when he comes, I'll be ready for him. Dr. Eggman looked into the horizon, still piloting his drill tank and flanked by the four yellow-eyed robots. After the green hedgehog left, Eggman piloted himself into a large clearing, away from any noticeable rock formations and with few trees. The location provided very good terrain for his drill tank to maneuver in.
That blasted fool shouldn't have gotten past my army of robot hornets. Now I actually have to do this myself, just like before... Eggman's mind wandered as he recollected an interesting statement made to him earlier.
"Perhaps you didn't see the bigger threat."
Eggman went over the statement multiple times. Perhaps he knows something that I don't. But the only way that could happen is if he was watching the battle somehow. But afterward he talked as if he didn't know Sonic had come. That doesn't make any sense. What could-- The sound of crashing metal and fiery explosions filled his ears, startling Eggman and interrupting any deliberations he had. He looked behind him to find the remains of his four robots surrounding the unscathed blue hedgehog.
"I suppose you're just going to sit there all day while I beat the living crap out of you and your robots," Sonic stated with his trademark smirk, "You're just as careless and stupid as before."
He noticed a bandage wrap around Sonic's two legs. "So, it seems the hornets were successful in hitting you."
"Yes, that was quite clever of you. Even though I was hit in the arm, the blast was specifically designed to cripple my legs, and therefore my speed. But it seems your plan didn't work out the way it was supposed to."
Eggman knew that already. He was able to destroy my robots with ease, faster than I was able to notice. He shouldn't be able to do that after being hit like that. "Mind telling me what the problem with my strategy was?"
Sonic continued to stand up, confidence in his presence. "You didn't count on the world's fastest hedgehog being able to recover fast enough, now did you?"
He merely recovered? Impossible, I made absolutely sure the effect would last for at least a few days. "Well then, it seems I underestimated you. But do you honestly think you can defeat my powerful drill tank?"
"I've seen worse from you Eggman. I honestly expected something more impressive from someone so intent on killing me. Or maybe you just don't have what it takes."
Eggman's rage was building up quickly. I can't let him think I'm worried. "There's more to me than you think hedgehog. And I'll be sure to make you regret ever toying with the great and powerful Eggman." Eggman pressed a button on his control panel, causing the huge drill in the front of the machine to spin rapidly. I'm at a huge disadvantage since the paralyzing effect hasn't worked on him. Still, if I play my cards right I can still stop him from interfering with me further.
Well, Sonic thought, he really does want to play. I hope this works... Sonic stood there confidently, watching Eggman's every move. The drill tank began moving towards Sonic quickly. He continued standing despite the shrinking distance between him and the mammoth machine. When the drill tank neared Sonic, it suddenly veered to the right of him and passed him. The blue hedgehog continued unmoving though.
Could he have anticipated that move? He just stands there, as if he knows I was going to try and fake him out. Well, no matter, he won't get lucky again. Eggman quickly turned the vehicle around and headed straight towards Sonic again. Sonic reposition himself to face the drill tank face- to-face, confidently staring at Eggman in a taunting fashion. The drill tank veered to its left as it approached Sonic, and Eggman watched in annoyance as Sonic continued to stand in the same spot, surrounded by the robots' remains.
Again? He couldn't have predicted my movements again, could he have? Thoroughly annoyed, Eggman turned the drill tank around and headed straight towards Sonic in a mad dash. Let's see if he'll predict a straight-out rush... Surely he won't think I'd go straight for him. The machine accelerated rapidly as it approached Sonic. It came closer and closer while Sonic showed no intentions of moving from that spot. I have you now Sonic! The back of the machine suddenly let out a huge explosion as its speed went into a quick and steady decline, then suddenly tilted on its side, brushing against the ground and coming to a complete stop approximately 50 feet away from the hedgehog.
"What?!" Eggman began hysterically, "But how... you didn't... you're not THAT fast."
You'd be right about that," Sonic replied confidently, suddenly falling onto the ground while massaging his legs, "In fact, I'm not really that fast at all at this point."
"But... that means... you were paralyzed by the shot."
"Heh, of course. Pretty good strategy, though it would've been easier to just kill me rather than paralyze me. Seems your ego has gotten the best of you again, hey Egghead?"
"Darn... you... SONIC!" Eggman was furious at the insult hurled at him. He was too angry to even think about how he had been defeated in the first place.
"Tails!" Sonic yelled, "You can come out now Tails!" Sonic looked up and saw a red plane flying through the sky with Tails at the helm.
"Worked like a charm," the fox said to himself, "I guess this wasn't such a bad idea after all..."
"Umm, Sonic?" Tails began nervously, "Are you sure this is going to work? I mean, can't we just wait until your legs get better?"
"I don't know. We'll just have to see I guess." Sonic replied, not a hint of doubt showing in his confident face. He moved his head to face Tails. "What, are you worried?"
What kind of question is that? Tails thought, becoming slightly annoyed at the hedgehog. "Well... what am I supposed to say? If something goes wrong, than you..." Tails struggled to get the words out of his mouth, but despite his best efforts he was unable to finish the thought.
"I see. Then you're afraid."
Tails felt a chill go through his back. He recalled the many times had he heard those words spoken to him. "I'm not afraid!" Tails exclaimed, though his demeanor seemed to show otherwise. "I'm never afraid!"
"Liar," Sonic said calmly as he turned his head towards the waterfall, still smiling as if there weren't a problem in the world for him.
Tails was puzzled at Sonic, and was unable to counter his accusation, instead bowing his head towards the ground. After all I did, after how excited I was to be able to help him... but how can he suggest something so crazy? How can he take that risk?
Tails felt a warm presence on his left shoulder. Peering at it, he noticed Sonic's hand rested firmly on it, then looked up to see his blue face smiling at him. "It's okay to be afraid," Sonic said, "as long being afraid doesn't mean holding back from what you need to do. If something is important to you, then whether you're afraid or not really shouldn't make any difference."
Tails was transfixed at Sonic. It feels weird. I don't think I've ever had someone care for me like this, at least since... He peered down into the swaying grass and watched a small red bird pass by. He recognized the animal as the same bird that Eggman had placed into the robot hornet. It stared at him for a moment, recognizing him as the one who'd saved him. Tails saw the bird fly away, and a few seconds later made up his mind. "I'll do it." he said, a slight amount of confidence coming back into his voice. "I asked to let you help me and you agreed. I have to fulfill my part of the bargain..." he smiled at Sonic gleefully, "no matter how crazy and stupid your tactics may be."
"Heh," Sonic muttered, "Is that so. I would be lying if I said no one's told me that one before. Now." Sonic stumbled onto the ground, holding his legs firmly, "think you can help me onto the plane? We don't have any time to waste."
By now Tails was a confident as he was when he started working on the plane earlier, before Sonic had talked to him about his crazy plan.
Tails landed safely on the ground next to the wreckage, than made his way to the stumbling Sonic. "Are you all right?" He asked, attempting to support the hedgehog on his shoulder.
"No problem kid," Sonic replied quickly, "you were right on target. I guess this thing isn't as rusty as I thought it was." Sonic put his arm up, revealing a small bracelet around his left wrist.
"I heard you loud and clear in the plane, so no problems there."
Eggman listened to the short conversation angrily. "You... little brats..."
"Ah, Eggman, I almost forgot," Sonic said, sticking his tongue out at the fat man, angering him further. "Thanks for swerving around for me; I got to get a good look at your engine. I knew exactly where to aim for, and after the way Tails destroyed your stupid robots with the guns on the plane, I was sure he would hit." Eggman became even more furious, realizing that he had been made a fool of. "Oh, and before I forget, how about that chaos emerald you have with you? You can't escape, so you really don't have a choice."
Eggman looked at his foe, filled with rage, until his words reminded him of something he had neglected. He looked at the front of his machine, and then, with as much strength as he could, pushed his rage down to a manageable level. "Well hedgehog," he began, "It seems you've beaten me again. I guess I have no choice but to give you the emerald." Sonic started to frown slightly at those words, and then went into a state of shock when he heard the next set. "At least, that's what you think..." Eggman lifted a small cover on his control panel and pressed a large red button, which triggered the large drill in front to start spinning as it had earlier. The difference now was that it had dislodged itself from the rest of the machine and went straight for Sonic and Tails.
In a split second, the area where Sonic had been was covered in a large cloud of smoke and rubble as the drill hit the ground with incredible force. Very quickly afterwards, Eggman pulled a switch on his control panel, causing the wheels and wreckage of the machine to dislodge itself, revealing the heart of the machine: the floating machine he had used in the ills earlier! With high speed, the machine lifted into the air and flew away from the wreckage, distancing itself from the cloud of smoke.
"What?! But the radar's never had problems like this before? Are you sure you're using it right?
"Of course, I'm not stupid. I've been searching here for two hours, and so far the radar hasn't helped at all."
The bracelet went silent for a moment, with Dash the hedgehog listening intently for a reply. "That's very odd. I bet that stupid Egg- what's-his-name messed with it somehow."
"His name's Eggman moron... and I suggest you don't go around calling our employer names."
"How can you kiss up to that big idiot? I know you're better than that Dash. I don't care how much he's going to pay us--"
"You do care. You have to care, this may be the only chance we get to finally get off good and I don't want to blow it because of matters of personal pride."
"Don't give me that bullcrap. You feel just like I do, and whether you admit it or not you can't say I'm lying."
No, I can't. "Well... stop complaining. You may not want to listen to Eggman, but you will listen to me. Understood?"
"Of course. Where is that moron anyway?"
"Dealing with... the other hedgehog."
"Still? I thought you and him would've finished him off already."
"Yeah, except, I didn't fight him."
"What?"
"I merely wanted to observe Sonic to see if any of the strategies we practiced could be countered and..."
It was silent for a moment. "And what?"
"We have a problem, one that we didn't anticipate. It seems that Sonic has a friend with him, a flying two-tailed fox. I can probably take care of Sonic, but with that fox helping him it's not worth it to take the chance."
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"...No, I'm sorry. Please continue."
"Both of us are needed so we can fight them fair and square. And even then, I want to take a look at this tactics before I go around trying to challenge him."
"You're the one so intent on getting paid. If we wait too long they might stop us. Heck, Sonic wasn't even supposed to be here. At least Eggman was smart enough to tell us about him in case he did come."
Dash smirked. "I don't remember you thinking that. If I recall you said something about that being a 'moronic waste of time.'"
"Shut up! It was a long shot after all."
"I know. I just love messing with you."
"Whatever. Did you tell Eggman about the fox?"
"Are you crazy? When I talked to you from the battle site I was supposed to be meeting Eggman. If he found out I wasted his time by watching Sonic, he might've called the whole deal off."
"...So he doesn't know."
"Let him deal with them by himself. I just want to find this stupid emerald, but your stupid emerald radar is crapping out on me."
A sigh was heard from the bracelet. "Shut up about the radar. If you're so mad about it, bring it here and I'll look at it for you."
"How kind of you," Dash said with a hint of sarcasm. Pressing the button on the inside of his bracelet, he placed his arm on his side and left the ruined quarters, returning to the watery stone walkway. "Stupid water," he muttered under his breath as he began his exit from the ruins.
Next chapter: Metropolis. A sprawling center of trade and industry filled to the brim with denizens in all shapes and sizes of the Western Island. Among the inhabitants is a group of people who run the industrial giant Mega Muck Inc. and who've been on the butt end of ridicule from the city council for overly excessive emissions. Yet, the chilling secrets of the company are unknown to even the most prominent of city officials, especially regarding a certain factory that hasn't been in use for the last six years. The story continues in Chapter 4: Field Trip: A Visit to the Chemical Plant.
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Don't you hate it when there's something in a previous chapter that you didn't really make that clear, meaning you have to explain it in a later chapter to avoid the screams of 'PLOTHOLE' by various readers even though such an explanation really does ruin the flow of the story? I do, and I hope not to have to do it again when I write this story, though I'm pretty sure I will. BTW, give a shout out to vegitadias, my loyal friend and reviewer. I try not to make the story sound too mechanical, but you know me and my writing style . Oh well, people seem to like it so I must be doing something right. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and stay tuned for another wonderful chapter in the future.
WEST ISLAND CHAOS Chapter 3 - Showdown: The Fast and Furious Battle
Ugh, how nice...
The water on the ancient stone walkway rippled gently as the pair of black sneakers stepped slowly on the crumbled path. A squishing noise could be heard from the sneakers as they slowly absorbed the thin coating of water covering the rock structure, much to the annoyance of the sneakers' owner. The structure itself stood upon a large lake, supported by the tall and thick columns stretching from the bottom of the structure to the depths of the water body. Despite its size, the walkway was relatively stable, and quite able to hold the weight of a large green hedgehog.
Nevertheless, uneasiness could be sensed from the hedgehog as he slowly made his way through the hanging green foliage whilst stepping across the walkway. He looked at his surroundings for a bit, which included peering into the deep, murky water.
Steady... as long as you are careful, the water won't be a problem... just be careful. With a light sigh, the hedgehog continued on the walkway, paying special attention to different areas of the stone. He had twice already nearly caused his own demise by stepping on an unstable area of the rock, and made sure to avoid making the same mistake again.
Two hours had passed since he reached the ruins. They were relatively close to the Emerald Hills, so the trip hadn't been much of a problem. However, the entire time here had been spent on water covered stone structures and in dilapidated, ruined edifices. And there was still no sign of the emerald.
The abnormal operation of the Emerald radar didn't help the least bit.
At the outskirts of the ruins, he had taken out the radar, anticipating a swift recovery of the emerald, only to be treated to an empty screen upon powering up the device. Impossible... it was clear there was an emerald in this area when we passed by. Or maybe Eggman was-- The sound of the radar interrupted his thoughts by displaying the location of an emerald. Or maybe not. I knew that-- As sudden as the emerald had appeared, it disappeared, only to reappear in a completely different spot on the radar. What the heck is going on here? Puzzled, the green hedgehog began to search the ruins in hopes of getting a consistent reading. He had not been successful as of yet though.
Darn it. Eggman's stupid device isn't working! How am I going to find these emeralds if-- He was interrupted by another noise, this time by the bracelet in his left wrist. Ugh, I don't have time for this. Then again... I don't think I'll be finding this emerald any time soon. He pressed a small button on the inside of the bracelet, and was then greeted to a slightly energetic voice, slightly mangled by small traces of static.
"Dash... Da... can you hear... Dash!"
How nice, the hedgehog thought sarcastically as he adjusted the sound using a small dial on the inside of the bracelet. He found a spot in the house to sit down in and began to listen intently.
That hedgehog should be here shortly. And when he comes, I'll be ready for him. Dr. Eggman looked into the horizon, still piloting his drill tank and flanked by the four yellow-eyed robots. After the green hedgehog left, Eggman piloted himself into a large clearing, away from any noticeable rock formations and with few trees. The location provided very good terrain for his drill tank to maneuver in.
That blasted fool shouldn't have gotten past my army of robot hornets. Now I actually have to do this myself, just like before... Eggman's mind wandered as he recollected an interesting statement made to him earlier.
"Perhaps you didn't see the bigger threat."
Eggman went over the statement multiple times. Perhaps he knows something that I don't. But the only way that could happen is if he was watching the battle somehow. But afterward he talked as if he didn't know Sonic had come. That doesn't make any sense. What could-- The sound of crashing metal and fiery explosions filled his ears, startling Eggman and interrupting any deliberations he had. He looked behind him to find the remains of his four robots surrounding the unscathed blue hedgehog.
"I suppose you're just going to sit there all day while I beat the living crap out of you and your robots," Sonic stated with his trademark smirk, "You're just as careless and stupid as before."
He noticed a bandage wrap around Sonic's two legs. "So, it seems the hornets were successful in hitting you."
"Yes, that was quite clever of you. Even though I was hit in the arm, the blast was specifically designed to cripple my legs, and therefore my speed. But it seems your plan didn't work out the way it was supposed to."
Eggman knew that already. He was able to destroy my robots with ease, faster than I was able to notice. He shouldn't be able to do that after being hit like that. "Mind telling me what the problem with my strategy was?"
Sonic continued to stand up, confidence in his presence. "You didn't count on the world's fastest hedgehog being able to recover fast enough, now did you?"
He merely recovered? Impossible, I made absolutely sure the effect would last for at least a few days. "Well then, it seems I underestimated you. But do you honestly think you can defeat my powerful drill tank?"
"I've seen worse from you Eggman. I honestly expected something more impressive from someone so intent on killing me. Or maybe you just don't have what it takes."
Eggman's rage was building up quickly. I can't let him think I'm worried. "There's more to me than you think hedgehog. And I'll be sure to make you regret ever toying with the great and powerful Eggman." Eggman pressed a button on his control panel, causing the huge drill in the front of the machine to spin rapidly. I'm at a huge disadvantage since the paralyzing effect hasn't worked on him. Still, if I play my cards right I can still stop him from interfering with me further.
Well, Sonic thought, he really does want to play. I hope this works... Sonic stood there confidently, watching Eggman's every move. The drill tank began moving towards Sonic quickly. He continued standing despite the shrinking distance between him and the mammoth machine. When the drill tank neared Sonic, it suddenly veered to the right of him and passed him. The blue hedgehog continued unmoving though.
Could he have anticipated that move? He just stands there, as if he knows I was going to try and fake him out. Well, no matter, he won't get lucky again. Eggman quickly turned the vehicle around and headed straight towards Sonic again. Sonic reposition himself to face the drill tank face- to-face, confidently staring at Eggman in a taunting fashion. The drill tank veered to its left as it approached Sonic, and Eggman watched in annoyance as Sonic continued to stand in the same spot, surrounded by the robots' remains.
Again? He couldn't have predicted my movements again, could he have? Thoroughly annoyed, Eggman turned the drill tank around and headed straight towards Sonic in a mad dash. Let's see if he'll predict a straight-out rush... Surely he won't think I'd go straight for him. The machine accelerated rapidly as it approached Sonic. It came closer and closer while Sonic showed no intentions of moving from that spot. I have you now Sonic! The back of the machine suddenly let out a huge explosion as its speed went into a quick and steady decline, then suddenly tilted on its side, brushing against the ground and coming to a complete stop approximately 50 feet away from the hedgehog.
"What?!" Eggman began hysterically, "But how... you didn't... you're not THAT fast."
You'd be right about that," Sonic replied confidently, suddenly falling onto the ground while massaging his legs, "In fact, I'm not really that fast at all at this point."
"But... that means... you were paralyzed by the shot."
"Heh, of course. Pretty good strategy, though it would've been easier to just kill me rather than paralyze me. Seems your ego has gotten the best of you again, hey Egghead?"
"Darn... you... SONIC!" Eggman was furious at the insult hurled at him. He was too angry to even think about how he had been defeated in the first place.
"Tails!" Sonic yelled, "You can come out now Tails!" Sonic looked up and saw a red plane flying through the sky with Tails at the helm.
"Worked like a charm," the fox said to himself, "I guess this wasn't such a bad idea after all..."
"Umm, Sonic?" Tails began nervously, "Are you sure this is going to work? I mean, can't we just wait until your legs get better?"
"I don't know. We'll just have to see I guess." Sonic replied, not a hint of doubt showing in his confident face. He moved his head to face Tails. "What, are you worried?"
What kind of question is that? Tails thought, becoming slightly annoyed at the hedgehog. "Well... what am I supposed to say? If something goes wrong, than you..." Tails struggled to get the words out of his mouth, but despite his best efforts he was unable to finish the thought.
"I see. Then you're afraid."
Tails felt a chill go through his back. He recalled the many times had he heard those words spoken to him. "I'm not afraid!" Tails exclaimed, though his demeanor seemed to show otherwise. "I'm never afraid!"
"Liar," Sonic said calmly as he turned his head towards the waterfall, still smiling as if there weren't a problem in the world for him.
Tails was puzzled at Sonic, and was unable to counter his accusation, instead bowing his head towards the ground. After all I did, after how excited I was to be able to help him... but how can he suggest something so crazy? How can he take that risk?
Tails felt a warm presence on his left shoulder. Peering at it, he noticed Sonic's hand rested firmly on it, then looked up to see his blue face smiling at him. "It's okay to be afraid," Sonic said, "as long being afraid doesn't mean holding back from what you need to do. If something is important to you, then whether you're afraid or not really shouldn't make any difference."
Tails was transfixed at Sonic. It feels weird. I don't think I've ever had someone care for me like this, at least since... He peered down into the swaying grass and watched a small red bird pass by. He recognized the animal as the same bird that Eggman had placed into the robot hornet. It stared at him for a moment, recognizing him as the one who'd saved him. Tails saw the bird fly away, and a few seconds later made up his mind. "I'll do it." he said, a slight amount of confidence coming back into his voice. "I asked to let you help me and you agreed. I have to fulfill my part of the bargain..." he smiled at Sonic gleefully, "no matter how crazy and stupid your tactics may be."
"Heh," Sonic muttered, "Is that so. I would be lying if I said no one's told me that one before. Now." Sonic stumbled onto the ground, holding his legs firmly, "think you can help me onto the plane? We don't have any time to waste."
By now Tails was a confident as he was when he started working on the plane earlier, before Sonic had talked to him about his crazy plan.
Tails landed safely on the ground next to the wreckage, than made his way to the stumbling Sonic. "Are you all right?" He asked, attempting to support the hedgehog on his shoulder.
"No problem kid," Sonic replied quickly, "you were right on target. I guess this thing isn't as rusty as I thought it was." Sonic put his arm up, revealing a small bracelet around his left wrist.
"I heard you loud and clear in the plane, so no problems there."
Eggman listened to the short conversation angrily. "You... little brats..."
"Ah, Eggman, I almost forgot," Sonic said, sticking his tongue out at the fat man, angering him further. "Thanks for swerving around for me; I got to get a good look at your engine. I knew exactly where to aim for, and after the way Tails destroyed your stupid robots with the guns on the plane, I was sure he would hit." Eggman became even more furious, realizing that he had been made a fool of. "Oh, and before I forget, how about that chaos emerald you have with you? You can't escape, so you really don't have a choice."
Eggman looked at his foe, filled with rage, until his words reminded him of something he had neglected. He looked at the front of his machine, and then, with as much strength as he could, pushed his rage down to a manageable level. "Well hedgehog," he began, "It seems you've beaten me again. I guess I have no choice but to give you the emerald." Sonic started to frown slightly at those words, and then went into a state of shock when he heard the next set. "At least, that's what you think..." Eggman lifted a small cover on his control panel and pressed a large red button, which triggered the large drill in front to start spinning as it had earlier. The difference now was that it had dislodged itself from the rest of the machine and went straight for Sonic and Tails.
In a split second, the area where Sonic had been was covered in a large cloud of smoke and rubble as the drill hit the ground with incredible force. Very quickly afterwards, Eggman pulled a switch on his control panel, causing the wheels and wreckage of the machine to dislodge itself, revealing the heart of the machine: the floating machine he had used in the ills earlier! With high speed, the machine lifted into the air and flew away from the wreckage, distancing itself from the cloud of smoke.
"What?! But the radar's never had problems like this before? Are you sure you're using it right?
"Of course, I'm not stupid. I've been searching here for two hours, and so far the radar hasn't helped at all."
The bracelet went silent for a moment, with Dash the hedgehog listening intently for a reply. "That's very odd. I bet that stupid Egg- what's-his-name messed with it somehow."
"His name's Eggman moron... and I suggest you don't go around calling our employer names."
"How can you kiss up to that big idiot? I know you're better than that Dash. I don't care how much he's going to pay us--"
"You do care. You have to care, this may be the only chance we get to finally get off good and I don't want to blow it because of matters of personal pride."
"Don't give me that bullcrap. You feel just like I do, and whether you admit it or not you can't say I'm lying."
No, I can't. "Well... stop complaining. You may not want to listen to Eggman, but you will listen to me. Understood?"
"Of course. Where is that moron anyway?"
"Dealing with... the other hedgehog."
"Still? I thought you and him would've finished him off already."
"Yeah, except, I didn't fight him."
"What?"
"I merely wanted to observe Sonic to see if any of the strategies we practiced could be countered and..."
It was silent for a moment. "And what?"
"We have a problem, one that we didn't anticipate. It seems that Sonic has a friend with him, a flying two-tailed fox. I can probably take care of Sonic, but with that fox helping him it's not worth it to take the chance."
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"...No, I'm sorry. Please continue."
"Both of us are needed so we can fight them fair and square. And even then, I want to take a look at this tactics before I go around trying to challenge him."
"You're the one so intent on getting paid. If we wait too long they might stop us. Heck, Sonic wasn't even supposed to be here. At least Eggman was smart enough to tell us about him in case he did come."
Dash smirked. "I don't remember you thinking that. If I recall you said something about that being a 'moronic waste of time.'"
"Shut up! It was a long shot after all."
"I know. I just love messing with you."
"Whatever. Did you tell Eggman about the fox?"
"Are you crazy? When I talked to you from the battle site I was supposed to be meeting Eggman. If he found out I wasted his time by watching Sonic, he might've called the whole deal off."
"...So he doesn't know."
"Let him deal with them by himself. I just want to find this stupid emerald, but your stupid emerald radar is crapping out on me."
A sigh was heard from the bracelet. "Shut up about the radar. If you're so mad about it, bring it here and I'll look at it for you."
"How kind of you," Dash said with a hint of sarcasm. Pressing the button on the inside of his bracelet, he placed his arm on his side and left the ruined quarters, returning to the watery stone walkway. "Stupid water," he muttered under his breath as he began his exit from the ruins.
Next chapter: Metropolis. A sprawling center of trade and industry filled to the brim with denizens in all shapes and sizes of the Western Island. Among the inhabitants is a group of people who run the industrial giant Mega Muck Inc. and who've been on the butt end of ridicule from the city council for overly excessive emissions. Yet, the chilling secrets of the company are unknown to even the most prominent of city officials, especially regarding a certain factory that hasn't been in use for the last six years. The story continues in Chapter 4: Field Trip: A Visit to the Chemical Plant.
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Don't you hate it when there's something in a previous chapter that you didn't really make that clear, meaning you have to explain it in a later chapter to avoid the screams of 'PLOTHOLE' by various readers even though such an explanation really does ruin the flow of the story? I do, and I hope not to have to do it again when I write this story, though I'm pretty sure I will. BTW, give a shout out to vegitadias, my loyal friend and reviewer. I try not to make the story sound too mechanical, but you know me and my writing style . Oh well, people seem to like it so I must be doing something right. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and stay tuned for another wonderful chapter in the future.