Chapter 15 - The 2nd stage

Regulus and Overdrive run into the arena. The smoke slowly disappears. After a few seconds they realize it's the Malicious, and he has Hero on his shoulder! He pushes both Regulus and Overdrive away with a an energy shield, then he makes a big one beneath him and he proceeds to stand on it. He creates an energy shield around him, and lets the one beneath him explode, causing it to shoot him up to the roof. He looks down before he runs away. Both Regulus and Overdrive are dazed, but unharmed by the explosion. The bounty hunter Bass was lucky. The explosion simply didn't get to him. The Malicious probably didn't want to blow up the arena. But why? He doesn't care about who gets killed normally. The audience is still okay. Regulus and Overdrive run outside, to chase The Malicious. But he's already gone. After that they both go to Amy, who didn't went to the finals, and explain what happened. Then they take off to Evolutia. Maybe Lexer can help them.

Meanwhile The Malicious is already out of town, heading towards his base. He's running hard. As hard as he can at least. A blue flash passes him. The Malicious just keeps on running. After a few seconds Sonic is running next to him. He looks to his side now.

Malicious: "What do you want?"

Sonic: "What are you doing with my friend?"

Malicious: "Your friend, you say?"

Sonic: "Not really. But I gave him a ride once."

Malicious: "Why do you care about this guy anyway?"

Sonic: "Because i'm a hero. I can see that you're a bad guy just by looking at you."

Malicious: "Wow, i'm impressed by your guess. Here, let me reward you."

He puts up an energy shield around Sonic. Sonic can't move forward now, while The Malicious keeps on running."Hah, loser! Come back when you can harm me." Sonic suddenly starts running very fast. So fast, that he breaks out of the shield. He's gains up in no time with The Malicious, and he homing attacks him. The Malicious quickly puts up a shield, but Sonics homing attack breaks the shield, and Malicious falls to the ground and drops Hero. "You... you broke my shield?" The Malicious is quite amazed by that strength. "Huh, it was nothing! Come on, let's fight it out!" The Malicious stands up, and starts fighting Sonic. Though Sonic breaks his shields, he can't get through them. And The Malicious often lets them explode too. Their fight drags on for hours, and then... a black flash appears, and stops. The Malicious and Sonic are both exhausted now, and stop their fight to look at... Shadow. Shadow sees Hero on the ground, and he grabs him. "Sonic! If you wish to save him you'll fight me at the tournament. And his friend that hit me too." Shadow then quickly disappears in a flash as fast as he appeared. The Malicious takes his chance, and hits Sonic with an exploding shield. Sonic is knocked out by it. Then The Malicious runs into the direction that Shadow went, leaving Sonic alive. Apparently, getting Hero is more important than killing Sonic.

After a while, he catches up with Shadow. It's not because he's faster, because he's much slower than him. But because Shadow is fighting with Revenant, Jackal and Zero. Hero is lying on the ground. Shadow is holding his own very well against them. They can't hit him, but he can't attack them back either. The Malicious interrupts their fight, and hits Shadow with an exploding energy shield. He picks up Hero and orders his minions to keep Shadow busy for now.

His mission was to capture Hero. It was supposed to be an easy mission. But those blue and black-red hedgehogs caused a lot of trouble. Luckily he gets to the base without any further interruptions.

A few days later Regulus and Overdrive find Lexer in Evolutia. He wasn't hard to find at all. He has a big house that sells... gadgets. He earns tons of money with it. They step into the shop, and Lexer is standing at the counter. "Hey guys, you the others yet?"

Regulus: "We found Hero and Jody, but ah... they couldn't come."

Lexer: "Why not?"

Overdrive: "Malicious abducted Hero. And Summers his sister got beat up. She's recovering in Karodo."

Lexer: "What about Solar and Blade?"

Overdrive: "Nope, nothing on them. I wonder where they could've gone to?"

Lexer: "Don't worry about it! I've nearly finished an energy reader!

Regulus: "What does it do?"

Lexer: "Duh, it reads energies of course! Energies from those from another world, to be exactly."

Regulus: "Nice going, kid."

Lexer: "I'm older than you!"

Overdrive: "Hey foxhog, how did you get a house this big anyway?"

Lexer: "You'd be amazed how many rich hedgehogs are willing to pay for some simple inventions."

Regulus: "Man... when it was just Overdrive, Hero and me we could barely get money. And then I see Amy and you earning it so easily."

Overdrive: "Good times."

Regulus: "Shut up, you idiot. How can it be good while we were suffering!

They talk and argue a bit more, and then Lexer proceeds to work on the energy reader. The next day they leave the city. They follow the path where most readings are. There's 4 in the west, so that's where they go.

End of chapter