Author's note: … If you don't like my battle scenes, Nail Strafer, why don't you write them yourself? I know I privately e-mailed you about what you said, but I'm not sure it helped very much.
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Chapter 21: Sorry, All Out of Feather Puns
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The door into Tails' lab swung open, and the two of us stepped inside. "So," I asked, "do you think you can finish that project now?"
"Absolutely," Tails explained. "This'll only take a moment. Could you pass that electricity capsule to me?"
I calmly searched my wing for the capsule and pitched it to Tails. "Thanks," he called. "This won't take long."
As Tails worked on his experimenting, we traded stories about what'd happened since I'd first arrived in Emerald Town. I told him in more detail about what'd happened in the pyramid and Nack's mine, then Tails told me in just as much detail about Metal Sonic's attack on him, then I told him in a good amount of detail about the Cave of Aqua incident.
"By the way," I finally asked, "I never thought of asking you about this before, but … just what relation do you have, if any, to this Water Tails guy? It seems a little odd."
Tails showed a little hesitancy in responding, but he gave a quick answer. "Well, he's actually … he's my brother."
I nearly fainted. "Brother? You never told me you had a brother. Why didn't you mention it before?"
"It's a subject I don't like to discuss," Tails explained. "I'm not exactly on good terms with him. Can we drop the subject?"
"But-"
"Drop the subject, Leo. Shut your beak."
Getting the message, I fell silent until Tails was done. We followed through with a familiar procedure, as I held out my right arm as Tails instructed, and he draped a chemical-soaked towel over it.
I lost myself in thought as I waited. Let's see. The lantern oil for the Flame Feathers, the glowing seashell for the Light Feathers, the blessed air for the Wind Feathers … guess this one has something to do with electricity. Man, this is no surprise anymore …
"Okay, Leo."
Tails took the towel away from me, and I examined my arm. The feathers were a bright yellow color. "Electric feathers?"
"Yellow feathers," Tails replied without thinking. "Er- well, I mean, yes, electric feathers. Bolt Feathers, if I may. They're used for-"
"For energizing electric devices and giving enemies electric shocks," I interrupted. "Yes, yes, I know."
"Man, Leo, you just can't be surprised anymore, can you?"
I casually withdrew one of my new feathers and shot it at the lab's fusebox. Tails and I had to avert my eyes as electricity sparked around the fusebox, finally ceasing when one of the circuit breakers flipped and cut the power.
Tails' head was in his hands. "Ugh. Leo, I know you like to test out your new feathers, but next time, how about doing it in a way that won't deactivate my entire lab?"
"Sorry, Tails," I replied as Tails fiddled with the fusebox until he restored power to the lab. "Are you done with your experiments?"
"I think I am," Tails confirmed. "You should be more than ready to face Eggman and Metal Sonic now, so it's a good thing."
"Right then," I agreed. "Any idea where they are?"
"I can't say for sure. How about rechecking that pyramid you first saw them in?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea. I'm going right away."
Leaving those words in the air, I proudly strode back to the exit door. My wings got caught on the door frame again, though, and I fell back and hit the floor again. Well, I would have, but Tails saw me in time to rush forward and catch me.
I laughed a little. "Thanks for that, Tails. You'd think I wouldn't make the same mistake twice."
Getting up, I shut my wings before exiting the building.
By now, the time was around six in the afternoon. Emerald Town looked amazing at this time of day. I paused to look around before progressing to the desert area.
The metallic cover that blocked the pyramid's secondary exit was gone. As I perched on the ledge and looked at the hole, I remembered how I'd escaped Metal Sonic's clutches the previous day by flying up this shaft and dropping the cover on his head.
As soon as I landed at the bottom of the shaft, I saw that Metal Sonic had been waiting for me. "So you've come," he began. "I've been waiting for you here."
"I see that," I muttered. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Merely since yesterday. Hmm … Scan of subject 'Leo' complete."
"Scan of-? What's that supposed to mean?"
"That does not concern you. It's time for me to eliminate you."
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It's as good a way to end a chapter as any, I suppose.
Next chapter: "VS Metal Sonic, Round 2"
Quote of the Chapter:
"… that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing… oh, sorry."
-Narrator, Leo's Brain Drain, Ch. 3