Chapter Six
"Amy! Would you slow down! Cadmus and I aren't as fast as you!" Tails yelled ahead at Amy, flying as fast as he could. Suddenly, two police cars came whizzing down the road, and blocked their way. Out of each car stepped two officers, all human.
"Okay, you three…why aren't you indoors? This whole city is on lockdown!" one of the officers scolded.
Tails tried to explain. "Sorry, officer. We didn't know…and we're not from around here. Why is the whole place on lockdown?"
A second officer began to explain. "Project Shadow and a second hedgehog were spotted in a restaurant. They assaulted the police chief, and are now on the loose. They're considered to be very dangerous. We'll take you down to the main station. It's not far.
"Huh? Shadow? Attacking police officers?" Amy wondered out loud.
The first officer raised the brim of his hat. "Hey…you know Project Shadow? Then I'm sure the chief would love to get any information about him. Come with us."
Cadmus was not about to go so easily. "I'm not going to be just lugged to some jail and tossed in just because I know someone!"
"Your friend seems a bit cranky. We may have to restrain him…"
"Restrain me! No one restrains Cadmus the Echidna without a fight!"
Before Tails or Amy could do anything, three of the officers leapt upon the angered echidna and began to restrain him.
"Grah! Lemme go, you blue-clothed parasites!" Cadmus yelled as he struggled.
"Should we help him?" Amy asked Tails as she watched the policemen struggled to handle Cadmus, who was putting up no small fight.
"We're already in enough trouble as it is. He'll be fine." Tails replied. Eventually, Cadmus was bound hand and foot by heavy chains, but it didn't stop his mouth from railing on about them.
"No one does this! I'm an elite echidna warrior!" Cadmus cried as he was flung into one of the cars. Tails and Amy hastily followed the other two officers.
Vector held an ice pack to his head as he sat at his desk. Shadow's attack and successful escape would be disastrous to his record…but then again, it was the Mayor's most important target and an elusive one too. As he started writing down on some papers, his phone rang. He put the pen and picked up the phone.
"Yello?"
"Vector?"
"Mayor!"
"I hope the situation is under control."
"We lost Shadow and the other guy, but so far, everything's fine. I hope yer not mad, sir. We're searching high and low for those two."
Just then, the door opened. In came Amy, Tails and the four officers holding Cadmus, who had finally calmed down, but was still grumbling from indignation.
"Hang on…we got some people from off the street." He held his hand to the receiver and yelled, "Okay, bring em' in."
Vector's eyebrows rose when Amy, Tails and Cadmus were brought in. He stood up and looked them over.
"Well, ain't this a surprise! Amy Rose, Tails Prower and…nah, he's not Knuckles. It's been a while."
Tails was simply too stunned to say anything…the guy who murdered Cream…was chief of police. Eventually he summoned enough courage to talk to him.
"Vector! How did you get to be police chief? You murdered Cream!" Tails growled as he rose from his chair.
Vector chuckled in a slightly sinister manner. "I didn't know a fox could love a rabbit. But to clear things up…" With that he pressed a button, which turned on a large screen. There it showed a large, jet-black leather chair facing away from them.
Vector pressed a button on his phone base and spoke into it. "Boss…we're on video conference. There's some old 'friends' here to see you." He then turned the device toward them with a wry, toothy smile. The chair turned round, revealing none other than Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik!"
"Doctor Eggman!" Amy said with a tone of surprise and displeasure. "How did you…what's happened to everything?"
The doctor crossed his arms and legs, and leaned back in his chair. "That's Mayor to you, fool. I've been so relishing the moment to where I reveal all that I have done! Vector already knows, so don't expect any reactions from him."
"Just get on with it…no matter what, we'll find a way to reverse it!" Tails replied angrily.
"Hah! You wish!" the doctor mocked. "You see, I found this mysterious relic deep in the mountains. It held more ten times more power than the seven Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald combined! I intended to use it as my ultimate weapon, but then, Metal Sonic, of all things, conceived a devious plan to destroy and scatter you fools to the wind!"
"I knew there was something fishy with that relic!" Tails said, slapping himself in the face, realizing his error.
Robotnik continued to reveal the plan. "The relic also radiates an energy that warps the mind and makes its possessor want to keep it above all else. So I set it so Sonic and Knuckles would find it. I knew they would fight over it, and possibly destroy each other, and destroy the rest of their friends in the process!"
"But we're still here, Eggman…you failed at that!" Amy retorted.
"Yes…but those two did scatter you to the winds, didn't they? And I've even rubbed out those brats Cream and Charmy, as well as that blundering cat, Big.As you can already see, I'vewon Vector here over to my side. And to top it all off, my weapons division is starting relations with both the hedgehog and echidna tribes. Those two races will blow themselves to pieces, and then I can use their land for my ultimate plan!"
"Which is?" Cadmus finally chimed in.
The maniacal Eggman laughed again. "You meddlers take me for a fool? Wild horses couldn't force that out of me! Vector, have Amy and Tails transported to my facility tomorrow, and have the echidna locked away in solitary until further notice!"
"With pleasure, boss," Vector said with a sinister grimace.
"Vector! You don't have to listen to him! He's nuts!" Tails pleaded to the crocodile.
"Even if he is an evil genius, he's made me rich and powerful!" Vector replied loudly. He whipped out a small handgun and fired it at Tails and Amy. A jolt of electricity coursed through them, knocking them out.
"Amy! Tails!" Cadmus cried. "You monster! I'll make you pay for that!"
Vector cackled deeply. "No way…I already got nailed twice today. Not happening again." With that, he snapped his fingers, and six robots, obviously made by the doctor, came in, picked up the three and carried them away.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"This is great…just frick'n great!" Cadmus mumbled to himself, as he still struggled with his bonds. "First I lose my prisoner…and then I'm made a prisoner myself! I hate this type of irony."
"Don't worry, Cadmus. We'll get out somehow." Amy replied. "If I could just transform again…but something's keeping me from doing it…"
"Quiet in there." the guard robot said mechanically.
"Ah, shove it, you bucket of scrap," Tails muttered
The robot did not answer. Moments later, the door opened, and two pairs of metal feet came clomping leisurely down the hall. Quickly Amy's expression changed from despair to anger when he saw them…Metal Sonic and Omega.
"Greetings," Metal Sonic said in a somewhat mocking tone. "It seems you two miscreants are finally where you belong."
Amy rushed up against the bars in a rage, but took a strong shock that sent her reeling. She wasn't harmed significantly, though.
"Chance of escape is less than nothing, hedgehog," Omega replied with little emotion. "Resistance is not recommended."
"If only I were as blissfully mindless as you, Omega." Metal Sonic sighed as only a robot could. "But then again, you can enjoy the suffering of your victims."
"Cold-hearted as always, eh, Metal?" Tails said sardonically. "I'm surprised you haven't turned on Eggman yet. Besides, this was entirely your plan."
"Yes. It was. Thank you for complimenting me, fox." Metal Sonic replied. "I'd smile at you if I could. Come, Omega, let's observe the last prisoner and gather data."
"Affirmative."
The two robots walked down the hall toward Cadmus' cell. When they reached the door, Omega inserted his arm into the special lock and twisted it about. The door clanked when it unlocked.
"Commencing scan of new life form," Omega said as his eyes changed from yellow to white. He whirred for a minute.
"Scan complete. Name…Cadmus. Species…Echidna. Brain scans indicate turbulent personality…"
Cadmus was incensed. "When I get out of these chains, you mechanical monsters, I'll show YOU a turbulent personality!"
Omega ignored this, but Metal Sonic seemed amused. Omega continued. "Fighting capability is equivalent to 3 R-91B Mjolnoids. Threat level is 7…fairly dangerous. Handle with caution when subject is not restrained.
"Well, we won't be having that problem, eh, Omega?" Metal Sonic chimed in.
"Negative. Subject is bound by chains consisting of 67 steel, 32 synthetic diamond, 1 aluminum."
"You don't need to give every single damn statistic, Omega."
"Note recorded and saved." Omega replied. Metal Sonic slapped his clawed hand into his face.
Cadmus suddenly noticed something while looking between the robots' legs. From what he could tell, something else was moving inside Tail's cell. He heard a collapsing of metal, and saw Omega and Metal Sonic whirl around.
"Something's happened to the guard!" Metal Sonic cried.
"Coordinates of projectile launch were 16.251 feet north, 2.501 feet west. Source of projectile is not present at that spot." Omega chimed in.
"Try other spectrums, numbskull!"
As Metal Sonic began to look around, Cadmus felt his chains being released. He had no idea who his savior was, but he didn't care. He immediately sprang up and smashed his fist into Omega's back. With a great deal of satisfaction, the wrathful echidna ripped several wires and a circuit board out of the robot, and sparks flew everywhere. Omega collapsed, clattering on the floor.
"What the…This doesn't compute! How did you get free?" Metal Sonic said as he leapt away.
"Allow me to troubleshoot…" a deep, somewhat whispery voice said. Metal Sonic looked up and saw a purple chameleon hanging to the ceiling. In one hand the chameleon held a very impressive-looking katana. Before Metal Sonic could do anything, the chameleon came down and buried the katana in the robot's head.
"Espio!" Amy exclaimed. "Wow…didn't expect to see you here."
"There's no time. We need to get out of here, for I'm sure someone is coming." Espio shorted out the lasers, letting Amy go free.
"Thanks, Espio. I can take things from here." With a wry smile, Amy closed her eyes. The dust on the floor began to swirl around her as her body began to glow again. She closed her eyes, and again got the feeling of vertigo, and her hair flaired out. Her transformation had been far easier that time.
She grabbed the wreckage of Metal Sonic and Omega, one in each hand, and hovered a little. With a sudden burst of speed, she ran right through the steel wall, making a massive hole in the wall.
"Through here, guys. Espio, can you take us somewhere safe?"
Espio nodded with a small smirk. "I can do just that. Follow me." With that, he sped ahead, leading the others on. But as he did, he left a trail of a strange silvery powder. All the way, they heard blaring sirens, the sounds of choppers, yet none of them seemed to head in their direction.
It wasn't too long before the group was safely outside the city walls. The group settled down to rest for a little bit. Amy especially needed the rest, as her Super form wore her out.
Cadmus stood next to Espio, curious to what he was doing with his wristband. The band was decorated with small, clear crystals that Espio seemed to be rubbing in a strange order.
"Um…why are you rubbing that?" he inquired. "It seems kind of stupid to be worrying about the condition of your jewelry at a time like this."
The chameleon glanced at Cadmus, and then pointed his hand forward and uttered seemingly unintelligible words. The band began to glow, and then a small beam of light shot out of it. It stopped about 8 feet in front of them, and opened into a strange portal.
Cadmus was startled by the portal's sudden appearance, then nodded and smiled. "Heh. A warp portal…I guess I'm glad I asked…but why didn't you do it when we were in the jail?"
"I have my reasons. Hey, everyone, let's get a move on! Into the portal, now."
Amy and Tails turned around and saw the strange portal Espio had conjured. Their surprise seemed to know no bounds.
"Incredible! How did you produce this?" Tails asked emphatically. "I've worked years on a warp gate, and yet you seem to produce it as if by magic…"
Espio winked at him. "Exactly. Now come on, I won't be able to make another for 6 hours. You go in first."
Amy peered into the portal tensely, and then took a deep breath. Grabbing the nonfunctional Metal Sonic, she hoisted it onto her back, and with a great deal of effort, marched into the portal.
Tails was also apprehensive. He stood there for a minute or two. It would have been longer had Cadmus, impatient as always, not booted him in. He followed suit, hauling Omega on his back. Finally, Espio rubbed a few crystals and entered into the portal himself.