-Chess-

"I think this mission's cursed," I mumble to myself. From the minute we set out, things have been going wrong. First off, Sonic was captured, which is kind of the whole point of all this, but even so, it counts. Then Shadow seems to've gone crazy, and I don't know what in the world is wrong with him. Blaze is even quieter than usual, and Crossfire has this funny set look to his face, like he's decided this is his last fight and he's going to make it a good one. And Amy, she's not acting right, either. It's partly Sonic being caught, but I think it's mostly Shadow. She's always been our leader, always been the strong, capable one, always given us hope and a goal and told us what to do, but now she seems like she's only faking it, and she doesn't know what she's doing any more!

Well, okay, so she does know what she's doing. But what she's doing is chasing Shadow around through this place! We don't know where we are or where we're going, and we haven't even stopped to try and find out! Until now, anyway, and that's only because Shadow and Tails have got so far on ahead we can't see or hear them any more!

Amy looks over her shoulder at me. She's standing at a console, frowning as she tries to access Eggman's systems. Tails ought to be here; that's what he's good at!

"What was that?"

"Uh, nothing... nothing at all," I answer. We're in enough trouble as it is... I know I don't need to make it any worse. Amy's got to be able to think straight to get us out of here, right? And Sonic, too. All of us, and Sonic. So long as we keep our heads, we should be fine, right?

But something makes me glance to my right... and I see Blaze, looking right at me. Those blue eyes hold such an ancient sadness that it shocks me to the core. I stare straight at him for once, and he stares back, and I can't look away. He knows, knows I was right when I said this mission was cursed, knows something is going to happen – and he's not going to do a single thing to stop it! I've never believed him when he said he always knew how things were going to happen, but now I do, and I bet he knows a whole lot more besides! I bet he could get us out of this!

And his brother... what does that make him? I force myself to look away from Blaze and turn my head left instead to see Crossfire, back to the wall by the corner of the junction just behind us so he can see down all the corridors and make sure nothing's sneaking up on us. His eyes are the opposite to Blaze's, even if they are the same colour. I bet whatever one of them can do, the other one can as well. They're not normal, really, are they? Neither one of them.

Okay, so like any of us are normal. But even for us, they're not normal, are they?

"Blaze, Crossfire?" I've gotta talk with them. Now! Crossfire turns to face me and walks over, leaving Knuckles and Rouge to watch our backs as I move to the opposite wall to give Amy a little breathing space. Blaze, though... when I look back at him, he hasn't budged, and his expression is almost pleading.

"Chess, please – not now. Not yet."

I've had it up to here with mystery and prophecy and foreseeing the future, and all that other stuff! I'm not gonna let him put me off, not now!

"Why not? Isn't the time exactly right, do you want me to wait another five seconds? I've got to talk to you!" I'm trying to keep my voice quiet because Amy's trying to concentrate, but it's kind of loud for a whisper. And angry, too. I'm practically hissing at him. He gives me a funny sad look and walks over.

"I did try..."

His voice is all mournful. I wonder what he's talking about? Well, it's time for me to find out now!

"Try what? Look, everyone knows you think you can see what's going to happen! You and Crossfire, you're even stranger than the rest of us, and we're in trouble, and I bet you can get us out of it! So why don't you? I need some answers here!"

Crossfire's silent, and I can't read his expression, beyond that it's cold. Blaze still looks so sad... but resigned, as well. I vaguely notice that Knuckles and Rouge have turned to watch us, too.

"I've always done the best thing I can do. I've always done everything I can to make the right thing happen," Blaze says. That's not an answer!

"That's not an answer, Blaze! I don't know just what it is about you, but you could get us all out of here in the time it takes to walk down the end of the corridor! I'm sure of it! You and Crossfire – there's nothing you can't do, is there!"

"There are things we can't do," he says. He sounds sad, so, so sad that if I thought for one minute he was the ordinary kid I used to believe he was, it'd break my heart. "And there are things we can do now for which the price could never be worth paying."

I stare at him. What's he saying? Sure... I know they've got strange powers... I know now, just looking at them, that they can do things that ought to be impossible, and I don't know why I never saw it before. Honestly, I don't think it was there before, nowhere near this strong.

"But most of all, Chess," he continues, "there are things we can't do. Please believe me. And... and please, remember that I tried..."

That's not the Blaze I used to know talking. It's as if something that's been happening has slowly stripped everything but whatever this strange power is away from him, or maybe that it's drowned everything else about him as it grew. But the last sentence is so very sad...

"Robots!"

That's Crossfire's voice, snapping out a cold word that shocks me and probably everyone else back into the reality of where we are. I look up and down the corridor, searching for them, but I can't see a thing – then they turn a corner, coming the same way we came from, across the intersection. Used to be I'd have put that down to his hearing, but I honestly think he just knew they were coming. With a shout, I bring up my gun and shoot at them! I'm not that great a shot, but I don't have to be, 'cause they're all over the corridor. Crossfire and Blaze shoot, too, hitting something every time like they always do, and Knuckles and Rouge dodge into one of the side corridors so they can stay out of the way of the shots 'til the robots get a bit closer. Amy's ducked behind her console, shooting around the side of it when she can, and I step back a couple of paces as I realise that Blaze and Crossfire and I don't have any cover! I'm going to have to try and dodge lasers and bullets and stuff! I'm not that fast! But if I can just get across to that terminal and hide there with Amy...