(I do not own Sonic, Sonic X, Sonic heroes or any Sega game. Yuji Naka is the big guy, not me. "Averts lowly eyes".) I do own the fic itself though.)
Sorry this took so long
S.O.N.I.C Go!
S.O.N.I.C Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go! Let's Go!
Episode 51: Egg Fleet Rising
"Ok, we're in." Espio declared, his fingers running over the keyboard. The access codes they had downloaded from the hidden depot had indeed, as their client told them, allowed them to gain access to the Eggman Empire's computer systems. Now back at their agency headquarters, Espio currently was in the process of skimming through the files to see if he could locate anything that would give them a clue to their client's whereabouts. Vector was urging him to work faster, every moment that went by without cash in his hands he got more edgy. Espio however requested absolute silence from both of his comrades. This was extremely delicate work, and he didn't want to trip any alarm programs built into the system to detect hackers.
Silence of course, was not one of Charmee's favourite things.
"I'm bored." He said out load, hovering in the air over Vector's head. Espio nearly slipped a key, possibly entering a command that may have alerted his presence in the system.
"Be quiet!" Vector snarled, clamping a hand over the bee's mouth and dragging him down into a head lock. Espio, despite the outburst managed to keep going. A sense of urgency grew amongst them as time passed in silence, Espio typing with delicate finger work, Vector's hand held over the bee's mouth and Charmee struggling to breath with a glove in the way.
"Almost there." The chameleon said quietly. Charmee and Vector leaned in closer in curiosity, then closer still. Espio stopped typing long enough to look back at them, peering over his shoulder, the end of Vector's snout nearly pressing against the plasma screen. "Do you mind?" He asked, shoving the large scaly nose backward. Their client hadn't been in contact with them for over twenty four hours now and Vector was starting to get slightly agitated. Their promised giant pay check was on the line.
"Ok, I've found him!" Espio announced, smacking his palm down on the table side.
"YES!" Vector and Charmee declared high fiving and then doing some kind of bizarre victory dance.
"Uh oh." The Chameleon added loudly. Vector and Charmee paused in mid prance, quickly reassuming their positions at his side.
"Uh oh? Uh Oh what? Is that a good Uh oh or a bad Uh oh?" Vector asked, looking slightly worried. Espio was silent, his lips pressed together.
"Apparently our client's being transferred to something called Operation Final Egg." He put in, leaning closer to see if he'd done something wrong. "I'll see if I can find out what that actually…." He paused, pulling up the information he requested. He read on in silence for a moment. "Oh crap!" He added sharply, backing away from the screen.
"What now?" Vector asked in exasperation, leaning over Espio's shoulder. Espio swallowed hard, slouching back into his chair, his gaze locked onto the screen.
"Operation Final Egg is a massive Air fleet, about the size of the entire world's culminated air force. Eggman's deploying as part of his main attack force." Charmee flew in front of their faces, hovering in front of the screen, staring the diagrams Espio had brought up, full of blue prints for the Egg Fleet. Massive ships twice the size of anything the military currently had.
"When?" Vector asked. Espio looked back, his eyes wide.
"Five minutes ago." As if on cue, whatever light was coming in through the blinds on the window disappeared, leaving them in near complete darkness. A low rumble began to make itself heard, growing in volume and pitch with each passing moment. Loud, frightened shouts could instantly be heard coming from outside. Espio and the others looked up, as if expecting the answer to come from the ceiling. "What's going on?" They asked each other, before having the sense to step outside and look up for themselves. Outside, people were standing around, pointing up at the darkened sky, yelling to each other. Mothers grabbed their children and headed for the nearest building, cards swerved to a stop, colliding into each other, policemen running with the crowds in a chaotic rush. Blanking out the sun was the Whale Shark Flag ship of the Egg Fleet, it was like the sky had just been replaced by a metal fish, possibly rivalling the city with its size.
Smaller ships, but large in their own right flew underneath in their thousands. Each one made to look exactly like a fish, giving the impression of a gigantic school flying overhead.
"Holy mother of…" Large doors on each side of each ship were opening and thousands more Eggpawns were parachuting out of them. Adding to the escalating and dangerous sitation was the fact that these Eggpawns were the upgraded versions, as larger as any of Eggman's robots and made from steel. Each clad in tight fitting steal armour, wielding a large spiking hammer. Like spitting rain they descended toward the streets, landing with a loud thud, shaking the ground and crushing cars beneath them. This was exactly what Eggman had promised. People ran in terror, tripping over each others in a vain attempt to get away. Cars swerved in a U turn, but ended up smashing into other on coming cars and trucks.
"This can not end well." Vector muttered.
The arrival of the massive fleet on the south eastern shores of the United States was being documented around the world by satellite surveillance. The Eggman Empire had assembled the largest fleet the world had ever seen and every Government around the world was watching it, learning to their horror that Eggman had not been bluffing. The President was already on the phone at the White House, yelling down the phone to mobilise the military to combat the threat at once. Already, thousands of the new robotic soldiers and the larger combat walkers were pouring out of Area 99, set on an intercept course.
"This is some kind of joke right?" Chris asked, staring in horror and awe at the Egg fleet as the X tornado soured toward it.
"I'm not laughing." Tails replied, his face set into a frown. All on board, apart from Big whose only concern was rescuing his little buddy, were feeling insignificantly small. Sonic could see the magnitude of the task ahead of him. Never before had he seen such a culmination of the Empires strength. Every other thought, even the strange and miraculous appearance of the black and red Hedgehog Shadow was blotted out. There were literally thousands of ships, far more than he could ever hope to destroy alone. Thankfully, he was not alone.
"You up for this Knuckles?" He asked the red Echidna, two was standing on the outside of the X tornado with him. The Echidna didn't reply for a moment. His gaze was locked onto the massive Whale shark flag ship.
"There's only one thing powerful to keep that monster up in the air." He stated.
"The Master emerald!" The blue hedgehog added, catching on. A smile crossed his face. "Ok, then all we need to do with find that big gem of ours and remove it."
"I doubt it's going to be that easy." Amy managed to mutter, her hammer poised on her knee. This new metal one inflicted far more damage than her previous wooden one did. "But we've got the rough outline of a plan and I suppose that's better than nothing."
"Ok, Amy, you Tails and Chris go find Cheese." Sonic shouted down, the wind picking up outside, nearly browning out his voice. "Knuckles and I'll try to get the Master Emerald back."
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Vector pulled himself, and the rest of Chaotix who were clinging onto his back for dear life up and over the edge of the Flag ship, out of breath having climbed so far. It had been Charmee who'd managed to fly them up to the battleship itself, straining his small wings but Vector, with his strength had had to do the rest as the bee couldn't fly them any further. It had taken them a full ten minutes just to scale the sheer bulk of the ship, evading attention by the Gun turrets. In the distance, they could see the air force moving to intercept the fleet and the Army below attemping flush the Large Egg pawns out of the city. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about fighting the Eggman Empire. They were here for one thing and one thing only, to rescue their client and then run like crazy.
"You ok Vector?" Espio asked giving the Vector a once over look. The crocodile was on his hands and knees, breathing hard. "You look kinda flush." Vector groaned and heaved himself to his feet, trying to display some strength.
"Never better!" He said with a laugh, his hands on his hips, large beads of sweat sliding down his face. "Besides, I don't have time to rest now. Once we start a job, we finish a job. That's our policy."
"There's that 'P' word again." Espio remarked, surveying their surroundings. The Flag ship, in a true sense, did not have a deck. Rather, short platforms that stood on the top of it's segmented sectors, made up it's skin. Just below them lay a sheer drop, down toward the river below. A ravine between two canyons walls of dark steel, wires and pipes running across the void before them. Large bridges of twisted metal ran out in each direction, each one having a different destination. Large building like structures jutted out here and there, some with gun turrets on the top of them. From larger platforms some distance away, more and more of the Egg Fleet's small battleships were being launched, blaring overhead with regular two second intervals. Everywhere it seemed; the Doctor's facial insignia was placed on large yellow emblems.
"Likes the look of his own face doesn't he?" Charmee remarked.
"Enough talk boys." Vector stepped in, looking around at the colossal size of the vessel that he now stood upon, now realizing the magnitude of the task that lay ahead of them. "Our clients somewhere aboard this flying tub, so let's go find him!"
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The Egg fleet spanned for miles, like a school of metal fish swimming through enthral water. The battleship, surrounded by the fighters was colossal. The fins acting as rudders to steer themselves through the air. The blue battleships where the largest, shadowing the others as they flew overhead. Down each of their fronts of was a large platform, each carrying large gun emplacements on each side, creating the impression of a Sawfish. There were about ten in all, each leading a squadron of smaller ships onward.
Lower down in size where the red ones, nowhere near as large as the others, but what they lacked in size they made up for with fire power and sheer numbers. They were the main bulk of the fleet, a near endless sea of them flying forward.
And finally the smallest ships, no bigger than an ordinary truck, piloted by a single Eggpawn. Each ship was carrying a good dozen of them, ready to be deployed in a battle situation.
None of them compared in size to the flag ship, the largest vessel Eggman had ever conceived, a giant so large that its shadow placed miles of ground underneath it in darkness. Its skin was laden with large gun turrets, capable to blasting an opponent from any direction. Its giant sweeping wings covering a distance of at least a mile in both directions, an inconceivable metal mass that put Station Square in its shadow. Shadow was not interested in it's, admittedly, impressive size. Eggman was here somewhere, he would find him and if necessary beat the answers he desired out of him. The interior of the Flag ship, as he expected was a maze of corridors leading this way and that, riddled with doors. Some leading to interior rooms, others into thin air, the bottomless voids between the ships' segmented parts. Eggman, he observed, was a self important person and so logic dictated that he would find him in the control room. Only question was, where was it? Omega was already off topside, smashing his way through Thousands of Egg pawns and thoroughly enjoying himself. Judging by the large explosions that were coming from somewhere above, followed quickly by a loud scream of...
"Exterminate!"
Rouge and the other military forces were, somewhere doing, something. But their endeavours disinterested him. They could do whatever they wanted; carry on with their pointless little war if they so wished.
Shadow stopped when he came to a large shaft at the entrance of the passageway, leading upward into the darkness. Since he'd entered from the bottom level and checked all the rooms here, he supposed he'd have to scale it. The sides however were completely smooth, without a single crevice to hold onto to. Yet, somehow, he didn't see this was much of an obstacle. Something in side him, an instinctive feeling told him to simply step forth and fly up. Obeying this feeling without so much as thinking for a moment. He stepped forward and instantly, small jets on the underside of each foot came to life, propelling him upwards. As soon as he gained sufficient momentum, placing his feet against the side of the wall and began skating up it, swinging his body from side to side. He supposed, thinking about it now, that this should surprise him but it felt so natural it felt odd to question it. Finally, light began peering at him, coming closer and closer as he went on. Then, he rushed forward, gaining sufficient speed to break through the grating at the top of the shaft, throwing himself out into new surroundings.
This new chamber was somewhere the middle of the ship, he guessed, seeing as show a row of windows, presumable made out of bullet proof glass ran along the outside walls. The floor was completely flat and the walls arched, the only entrance to the room it seemed being the grate in the floor and a small metal door on the far side of the room. Several large fans were rotating around him; just side the entrances to large pipes running out from regular intervals around the walls. Obviously this place was some sort of exhaust port, where the fumes created by the engines were sent to be expelled.
Well, as least he was getting somewhere now. But he had some distance to go before he got the surface, which was still a long way up. From there he should be able to locate Eggman without too much difficulty. His anxious need for answer was still eating away at him. He needed to know, was he the real Shadow or not? He could not live without knowing.
"Intruder!" Shouted a voice, Shadow shout around as a large Eggpawn burst in through a side door hidden partially behind a large pipe. It was about the size of the large updated models, but was armed with the traditional spear and round shield, engraved with large spikes. Its armour was a bright gold in colour and outlined with a red highlight. A large curved spike ran from it's forward, curving upward. It was hovered just above the floor by using two large spikes on it's back, jets on the under side.
Printed in big white letters on it's chest plate was E106: Egg Emperor prototype.
It flew forward, lance held ready in a slashing position. Shadow simply slid to the side, then again as it rebounded for a second attack.
"So you came to play?" He said casually, a smirk spreading over his lips. "Then let's play!" (Line from Vegeta in DBZ, sorry)
The X tornado couldn't get close enough to the Flag ship for Sonic and Knuckles to jump on, so they'd had to double back and try somewhere else. There simply too many bullets flying around for Tails to keep the X tornado in an upright position long enough. Eventually, they managed ton find a relatively peaceful area just behind one of the larger swordfish like ships.
No one really notice Big jump off at that point.
A loud yell of ..."FROGGY!" Floated in the air briefly after he disappeared.
Sonic and Knuckles looked down. They'd have to jump from ship to ship, but they get to the Flag ship from here.
"I'm coming with you Sonic! Tails stated one hand on the controls of the plane. Sonic was about to contradict him, but then he saw the seriousness in the young foxes eyes. He had after all said that he was with Sonic on this one.
"Alright then…" He said softly, before jumping off toward the fleet below.
"Chris take the controls." Tails said simply, preparing to follow.
"WHAT!" Chris yelled, but silenced himself as he had to jump over the seat in front to grab the controls as Tails flew after his old friend. "He didn't even ask if I know how to fly this thing!"
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It felt right. At least Sonic and Tails through it felt right, racing alongside one another, united together in the fight. Knuckles was to busy concentrated one much he was going to enjoy pounding Eggman into the ground for compromising the safety of the emerald.
They leapt from ship to ship, slipping in between streams of bullets and missile fire before they landed again, racing on. However, once they reached one of the larger blue ships they found their path was blocked by two of the large, updated Eggpawns, each towering above them like metallic guardians. The hammers resting on their shoulders, one fist curled around the handle.
"Destroy!" They both said at once, lifting their hammers up, preparing to swing them down.
"YeeHAAA!" A voice exclaimed over the radio in the X tornado and instantly, several fighter jets shot past them, assuming formation instantly and letting a torrent of machine gun fire tear into the Large Egg pawns, knocking them down. Sonic and the others took this opportunity to carry on, racing forward in a blur of blur, red and orange. "What, going to have all the fun without us?" The voice asked.
"This that who I think it is?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at the familiar voice. The leading plane curved around in a U bend and shot back, quickly followed by the others, doing a barrel roll before ploughing into the Egg fleet again, machine guns blazing. "There's only one guy I know besides Sonic who can move that fast." He added, looking out the window and getting a very brief glimpse of the pilot in the leading striker plane, whose face was hidden behind a visor, but give him a thumbs up. Chris knew exactly who it was instantly. "Uncle Sam!"
Each plane was blood red and snow white, each wing highlighted by a golden strip, underneath which was the S-Team logo. The President had just authorized the use of experimental new speed planes in order to combat the approaching Egg fleet. Sam himself preferred racing along the ground, it had some tradition in it, but up here wasn't as bad as he'd originally imagined.
"Hey there Chris, thought I might find you guys up here. Just leave these clunkers to me ok?" Sam replied over the radio, doing a loop the loop combined with a twirl just to show off.
The world around them a blur, Sonic and the others kept their target, the massive flag shi directly in front of them as they ran. Sonic wasn't exactly sure what they where going to do once they got there. Like most of his plans, he was making it up as he went. Suddenly, before his eyes he managed to glimpse a very familiar flash of red. He knew it at once.
"STOP!" Sonic cried, pushing his let foot forward, searching to a halt. Knuckles and Tails did the same. They were about to ask why they'd stopped, but the answer was very plain. Tails went completely white under his fur, his knees knocking. Knuckles paused only before a moment, before hatred began sinking into his face, burning in his eyes.
Standing directly in they're way was Metal Sonic, his arms were crossed and his eyes glowing bright red.
Sonic swallowed hard. There they where again, those glowing red eyes that somehow managed to strike fear into him. He didn't show it, remaining stead fast against their gaze.
"Access denied!" Metal Sonic stated, before descending into a fighting stance. Knuckles began to advanced, his fists clenched.
"No." Sonic said sharply. His two companions looked back at him, stunned. "Go on ahead, he's mine."
"Sonic, are you sure?" Tails asked; then he looked up toward the sky in expiration. "Right, of course you are." Knuckles, who fully intended to deal Metal Sonic one of his best punches from his own humiliating defeat was reluctant to leave, but eventually he and Tails began edging their way around Metal Sonic, whose attention was focused completely on the blue hedgehog. Once they had cleared a safe distance, they turned and began running as fast as they could go. Only Metal Sonic and Sonic were left there, chaos reigning around them
"Not interested in them I see." Sonic muttered. Metal Sonic shrugged.
"It's you I need. Surrender, let me copy your data and then I'll dispatch you mercifully quick."
"Tempting offer." Sonic said softly, trying to look like he was considering it. "Nah...I'll pass if it's all the same with you. I'd rather get right down to the nitty gritty." Metal Sonic's eyes glowed even brighter.
Commercial break
Flip Card 1: Egg emperor prototype
(Sorry if this doesn't read as well as I meant. As soon as I finish the fanfic, I'm going to revise it.)