Chapter 28: Neon Genesis Helengelion
"Well guys," Chuck said as he put his van into park, "we're here!"
"Oh great, finally!" Amy complained as she opened one of the side doors. "It was starting to get stuffy in there! You should really fix the air conditioning!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's on the list," Chuck replied as he took a final hit of his marijuana before putting it out, securing the unused portion in his cup holder.
"Doesn't help that it's so hot today!" Tails commented as he slipped out of the main passenger seat, closing the door behind him and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Peering up, the orange fox observed the sun lighting up the sky, making the cement parking lot even warmer than before.
"I'm feeling pretty chill myself!" Sonic commented as he jumped off the roof of the van.
"Well yeah," Helen replied as she rolled from the handicap accessible door, "illegally riding up there on the interstate can do that!"
"Heh, the cops'll have to catch me first!" Sonic gloated as he gave his signature thumbs up.
"Shhhhh…" Amy brought a finger to her lips and tilted her head toward Cream, Bokkun, and Cheese, who were filing out from the other side of the van.
"Heh, me and my big mouth." Sonic approached the trio of youngsters. He bent his knees to address the kids. "What I meant to say is that you should totally follow all the laws…exceptwhenyouwannagofast, ehem…"
"What was that, Sonic?" Amy questioned.
"Oh, nothin', nothin'…" Sonic ran a gloved hand through his blue quills before twirling around. "Say, let's go get registered before we're late!"
"Agreed!" Tails replied, giving his big brother a thumbs up. The fox turned to Helen, who was rolling alongside. "You feel ready?"
"Yep!" Helen replied with a cheerful smile. "I've been practicing after school every day! I feel like the mech is now an extension of my body!"
"Like Evangelion, right?" The orange fox giggled. "Like…Helengelion?" Tails grinned widely, sharing a reference now known to both as the two binged the entirety of the show the night before.
"Exactly!" Helen cheered. "Maybe without the world-ending catastrophes, though."
"Mmhmm," Tails nodded. "Agreed."
The gang slowly made their way to the entrance of the Diamond Stadium, the home of Station Square's premier baseball field but repurposed for the First Annual Chaos Emerald Tournament. The outer perimeter of the stadium was full of street vendors selling fried foods and souvenirs, and as they got closer to the entrance, the crowd thickened.
Sonic was stopped as a group of teenage girls twice his height pulled him by the arm.
"Oh my god, it's Sonic!" One of them called.
"It's true!" Another said.
"He's much cuter in person!" The entire group of girls, clad in their private high school uniforms despite attending the non-academic event on a weekend, were blushing hard as all gave an iteration of the UwU face.
"I dunno if I'm cute," Sonic replied as he gave the girls a grin, "but I know I'm way past cool!" The blue hedgehog proceeded to jump in the air, rolling into his spherical form to bounce a few times before unfurling mid-flight, performing a few backflips before landing perfectly on his feet. Giving the girls another smirk, a sparkle glistened in his teeth as he revealed the sunglasses he swiftly put on while in a ball. To top off his display of coolness, he pointed to the girls with his gloved fingers. "Ayyyeeee."
"He's cute and cool!" The girls cheered and screamed simultaneously.
"Listen here, homewreckers!" The girls turned around to find Amy stomping toward them, her Piko Piko Hammer at the ready. The pink hedgehog grabbed Sonic by the other arm. "This handsome hunk is already taken by yours truly." She turned around and gave the high schoolers a menacing glare, fire filling her eyes. "If I see any of you lay a finger on my boyfriend again, I'll make sure you'll regret it!"
The girls, now screaming for a different reason, fell over in intimidation before crawling away rapidly.
"Ya know you didn't have to go that far, Ames," Sonic replied. Amy stopped and turned to the blue hedgehog.
"Yeah, maybe I got a little carried away," she replied, putting away her hammer and running a gloved hand through her pink hair.
"Nah, it's cool," Sonic said as he brought Amy's hand up to his lips, giving it a light kiss. "You're just protecting what's yours is all." The blue hedgehog gave her a wink.
Amy froze at the sudden, unexpected romantic gesture, falling back as her heart pounded through her chest.
"Amy!" Sonic approached the pink hedgehog, lifting her head up and kneeling before her. "You okay? Did I do anything wrong?"
"Oh, not at all!" Amy replied, quickly pulling herself up and dusting herself off. "Sometimes I forget that we're a couple for real." She grabbed Sonic's hand once more, giving it a kiss as he did moments before. "C'mon, let's go get registered!"
"Right." Nodding in agreement, the two hedgehogs led the pack into the stadium. The central lobby was packed, mostly with spectators but also some tournament staff.
"Hey, look at that," Helen observed, pointing at a large sign. "It says for tournament competitors to meet in the fighter rest building." The sign showed a map depicting a pop-up structure on the opposite side of the fighting arena planted in the middle of the turf.
"Oh man," Chuck said as he placed a palm on his forehead, "I bet the stadiums' groundskeeper went nuts when they decided to host the tournament here."
"Why is that?" Cream asked from the professor's side, Bokkun and Cheese following alongside.
"Well, you see," Chuck replied, "the Diamond Baseball Stadium is home to the world's most beautiful baseball turf. Teams from across the world love competing here, some even preferring our home field to their own!"
As the group emerged onto the turf, Cream removed her glove, bent her knees, and slowly ran her palm across the individual blades of grass. "Yeah, you're right!" Cream replied cheerfully as she slipped her glove back on. "The grass here is beautiful! Bokky and I could have the best tea party here!"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese agreed, flying around the young bunny.
"I'd love to share some tea with you in the grass," Bokkun replied, a blush appearing across his face.
"It's not that common that the field is open to the public, though," Chuck added as the group continued their trek across the newly constructed ring. "The stadium staff want to keep the field as pristine as possible for the primetime baseball games."
"That's a shame," Cream replied with a downcast face."
"Chao, chao," Cheese agreed, the pompom affixed to their head drooping as well.
"Not to fret, though!" Chuck said as he raised a finger to the air. "We can always enjoy tea in the yard at home, or even at my lab in the outskirts!"
"Yeah, you're right!" Cream replied before sniffing the air. "In speaking of tea…" The bunny followed the scent to the competitor's rest building, leading the pack inside to find a spacious area with a table full of complementary beverages and light snacks, including a boiling pot of tea. "Well don't mind if I do!" The bunny approached the table, but she accidentally ran into a boy who was occupying the kettle. The human was unfazed, but Cream fell back. Peering up, her pupils dilated, and her mouth went agape, as the boy before her turned around, giving the young bunny a maniacal grin.
"Oh look, it's one of those freaks, fancy seeing you here…" Chris dusted off his pants. "You just made my jeans wrinkled. I should have my legal team sue you for everything you're worth."
"Leave her alone, Chris!" The rich kid peered down at Tails, who was already assisting Cream up from the floor. The rest of the party soon joined them.
"A festival of aliens," Chris laughed as he took a sip of his tea before spitting it out in disgust, throwing his cup over his shoulder and splashing the pastries in the process. "The tea here is rather dreadful. I should've had my personal maid Ella set up a personal kitchen here just for me, but alas…" Chris shrugged his shoulders. "Live and learn, I guess."
"What are you even doing here anyway?" Helen asked.
"First the cruise ship, and now this?"[1] Sonic added, placing his hands on his hips. "Just how obsessed are you with trolling us anyway?"
"None of your damn business, rodent," Chris replied as he clapped his hands in the air, summoning Tanaka from seemingly out of nowhere. "Butler, get me a bubble tea from across town, A.S.A.P. The usual."
"Yes, Mister Thorndyke!" Tanaka bowed multiple times in succession before running out of the building.
"If you absolutely must know," Chris sighed, "I was rather bored and thought the world could see me kick some ass in this tournament. I would win a Chaos Emerald, show off my incredible muscles," the boy displayed his noodle arms in a flexing pose, "and, most importantly…" He approached the orange fox, bent his knees, and flicked his black nose. "…stomp you freaks into the ground where you belong."
"Oh, puleeeze," Sonic scoffed. "What sort of fighting experience do you even have anyway?"
"I wouldn't suppose lesser beings such as yourselves would remember," Chris replied with a grin, "but back on the ship, I explained that my karate skills were unmatched. I was, indeed, trained in the martial arts by Tanaka himself. HIIYAAAAH!" Chris randomly kicked the wall of the popup building, but there was no discernable damage. "That was only a warmup!" The boy brought his hands to his hips and laughed. "You've only seen two percent of my ultimate power!"
"Yeah, sure…" Sonic squeezed his nose. "I can smell his ultimate power from here guys, better move to the other side of the room before we start reeking too!"
Everybody laughed, save for Helen and Cream.
"I'll have you know," Chris replied, raising a finger to the blue hedgehog, "that I use only the finest body wash. I don't smell of anything putrid as you're implying, whereas you smell of yesterday's trash!"
"Oh boy, I'm so insulted!" Sonic raised a hand to the air. "Look out guys, we've got a badass over here!"
"Sonic!" Amy yelled. "Language in front of the youngins!"
"Oop, sorry Ames!" The blue hedgehog ran a hand through his quills once more.
"Oh my god, that's riiiich!" Chris laughed uncontrollably. "You let that pink brat boss you around? That's not very masculine of you."
"I'll have you know," Sonic approached the rich kid, grabbing him by the shirt collar and pulling him closer in, "that I don't appreciate your tone. Amy isn't a brat; she has a million times more grace, dignity, intelligence, and fighting skills than you'll ever have."
"Get off me you brute!" Chris pulled himself away from Sonic's grip. "If I see one loose thread on my shirt, I will sue your ass so hard you'll be forced to be my servant until the end of your miserable, pathetic life!"
"Working for you?" Sonic rubbed the base of his nose. "I'd rather drown in your pool."
"Don't waste your time, Sonic."
"Huh?" The blue hedgehog turned to face Knuckles, who was leaning against the wall. "Oh, hey Knucklehead! Long time, no see."
"It's only been a week," Knuckles replied, "but as I was saying: best not waste your time trying to reason with idiots like that kid."
"Hey, who are you calling an idiot!?" Chris complained, approaching the red echidna. Knuckles was unfazed however, pretending as if the young boy wasn't even in the room.
"Have you been training hard or just taking it easy like usual?" Knuckles asked, approaching the blue hedgehog and stepping by Chris as if he were a ghost.
"Hey, you know me!" Sonic replied, giving him a thumbs up. "If running counts as training, then I've been gearing up all week!" He pointed at the red echidna. "How 'bout you? You smash any boulders or somethin'?"
"Perhaps a few," Knuckles replied as he folded his arms, "but training includes more than just exercising your muscles. It requires discipline and mental fortitude. I spent several days straight meditating to prepare both my body and my mind for the challenges ahead."
"Did anyone ever tell you that you're takin' this a lil' too seriously?" Sonic placed his hands on his hips.
"Given the stakes," Knuckles replied, "I'd say that vigorous preparation is well worth getting the Chaos Emerald back."
"STOP IGNORING MEEE!" Chris screeched, but everyone had since drowned out his voice; Sonic and Knuckles were still bantering as Tails, Cream, Cheese, Bokkun, and Helen were enjoying a cup of tea. Chuck was enjoying coffee as well.
"I won't ignore you, senpai," Danny said, returning from the restroom.
"Shut up, Danny," Chris said, scoffing at the classmate he previously paid to be his friend.[2] "Remember, you're still fired, but if you manage to do well enough in this tournament, and even knock out a few of those freaks, I'll consider rehiring you. You'd be back on the gravy train, and your parents could quit their jobs at K-Mart."
"Yippee!" Danny cheered.
"So then I said 'those jewels cost how much?'" Rouge said to Topaz as the two entered the building. "Needless to say," she continued, "I didn't actually purchase the gems, if you catch my drift."
"Do I need to report you to the authorities?" Topaz asked unimpressed, folding her arms judgmentally.
"In a way," Rouge replied, giving her human counterpart a wink, "I already am." The bat placed her hands on her hips. "The last time I checked, though, your jurisdiction doesn't extend across dimensions."
"That's fair," Topaz replied with a wink of her own, seemingly more comfortable with her girlfriend sharing her stories of Mobian plunder illicitly obtained.
"Heya Rouge!" Sonic waved. "And Topaz, too!" The group approached the two newcomers, all carrying their hot beverages. "Ready to duke it out?"
"I certainly am," Rouge replied. "I just hope to go one-on-one with Topaz again. Our last battle ended a bit prematurely."
"Yeah, when my reinforcements arrived to arrest you," Topaz replied, folding her arms. "I still don't understand how your arrest ultimately led to the President hiring you as a secret agent!"[3]
"Attention competitors!" Everyone peered at the man in the center of the room wielding a megaphone. "The First Annual Chaos Emerald Tournament will be commencing soon! Before we can begin, we will need everyone to draw a number to determine the order." The group gathered around the announcer, who was dressed in a suit, had long, parted yellow hair, and a stylish set of sunglasses.
"They even brought in the fabled tournament announcer," Chuck whispered to the orange kitsune.
"Is he famous?"
"Famous? He has refereed the most high-profile fights of the last few decades. He travels the world in search of these sorts of events, so it's no surprise that he found himself in the government's employ."
"Now then…" The announcer gestured at a table next to him. A tall box was sitting in its center. "When I call your name, please approach the table, and pull a ball from this box. Each ball contains a number that will determine the order of the tournament."
"First up…" He carefully studied his clipboard. "…is Helen!"
"That's me!" The young girl approached the table.
"Ummm…are you sure it's okay to fight in your condition?" He tilted his head in concern as he observed her wheelchair.
"Oh, I've been training all week!" Helen replied with a bright smile. "Plus…" she whispered to the announcer, who brought his ear closer. "…my wheelchair has some hidden surprises."
"Here are the documents in case there are any questions," Tails added as he pulled out a thick binder from his namesakes. "Medical waivers as well as schematics for Helen's wheelchair are all included, signed and approved by the tournament's governing body. She has been cleared to compete with all the equipment included with her wheelchair." The young kitsune handed the documents to the announcer, who nearly fumbled at the unexpected weight of the paperwork.
"I'll just…take you at your word." He chuckled nervously, a sweat droplet appearing across his forehead. Dropping the documents on the table with a thud, he proceeded towipe the sweat away with his pocket handkerchief.
"All right! Helen will pull the first lot!" The announcer stepped away to give the group a decent view. The girl reached her hand into the box and pulled out a sphere with a black "1" label.
"Helen has drawn the number one lot!" The announcer approached a tall, dry erase board and wrote her name in the appropriate bracket. "Next is Cream the Rabbit!"
"Right here!" Cream happily pulled out the #5 ball.
"Next is the one, the only, President Michael Kennedy!"
"Thank you, announcer," Michael replied as he stepped into the building, secret service agents surrounding the commander-in-chief as he approached the table. He reached his hand into the box and pulled out the #4 ball."
"Now it's Knuckles the Echidna's turn!"
Knuckles' hand wouldn't fit into the hole, so he jammed his fist inside, making the hole wider in the process. He plucked the #10 sphere from the box.
"O-ohhhkay…" The announcer regained his composure. "Now it's Tanaka's turn!"
"Coming, coming!" The butler just made it back, panting heavily with two bubble teas in either hand. He gave the beverages to Chris before approaching the table. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the #15 ball.
"And now we have The Dark Knight!"
"The what now?" Sonic asked as he tilted his head in confusion. The group observed as this mysterious competitor made his way to the table; a knight clad in armor, complete with a long sword, reached his hand into the box and pulled out the #7 lot.
"Danny is up next!"
Chris' classmate approached the table, pulling out the #3 lot. A feeling of dread filled the young boy as he realized that he'd need to fight the president himself. He gulped as he stepped away from the box and the announcer wrote his name on the board.
"Christopher Thorndyke is up next!"
"That's Mister Christopher Thorndyke to you!" Chris protested before stomping angrily toward the table, pulling out his lot." Gripping the sphere, he laughed maniacally before turning to face Helen, proudly displaying the #2 ball he pulled.
Helen gasped.
"Oh boy," Sonic commented, "looks like you'll be sending him packing right from the get-go." The blue hedgehog punched his open palm with his other hand. "I'm kinda jealous, to be honest. I would've wanted to show that brat a lesson or two…"
"I don't know how I feel…" Helen peered down at her knees. "We've had our differences, and we've known each other for years, but I still feel that, maybe…just maybe…there's some good left inside of him…" The young girl observed as Chris flexed his muscles once more, even kissing his noodle arm as a show of intimidation. She nearly vomited. "Actually…never mind. Let's kick his butt."
"That's the spirit, Helen!" Tails cheered from her side.
The next several minutes were spent drawing the remaining lots. After writing the final name on the board, the announcer brought everyone to attention once more.
"Now, let us confirm the tournament roster. Round 1 will be Helen vs. Mr. Christopher Thorndyke. Second will be Danny vs. President Michael K. Third will be Cream vs. Topaz. Fourth will be The Dark Knight vs. Amy Rose. The fifth round will be Rouge vs. Knuckles."
"You wouldn't hit a girl, would ya?" Rouge asked the red echidna playfully.
"If it's to recover the Chaos Emeralds…" Knuckles folded his arms, focusing intently on the tournament announcer. "…then I will do what I must."
"Not the romantic type are ya?" Rouge returned to Topaz, wrapping her hands around her leg. "Unlike my new girlfriend here. She'd never raise a fist to me."
"I would only punch you if it meant winning the Chaos Emerald," Topaz promised.
"Well, okay, I can respect that at least," Rouge replied with a grin. "I would do the same, to be honest."
"Ehem…" The announcer cleared his throat as the party turned their attention to the jewel thief. A sheepish grin covered her muzzle.
"Excuse me, just having a private conversation. Feel free to continue." The bat proceeded to inspect her nails.
"Anyway, as I was saying…" The announcer returned to the board. "The sixth round will be between Chuck and Bokkun. The seventh will be Sonic vs. Cheese, and the eighth round will be Tanaka the Butler vs. Tails the Fox! That concludes the reading of the tournament roster!"[4]
"You will be given thirty minutes to rest until the first match starts! Be sure to get your stretches in, drink plenty of water, and take some time to relax before the competition!" With that, the announcer left the building, pulling the portable microphone from the inner pocket of his suit jacket to address the crowd, leaving the fighters alone.
Helen quietly observed Chris, who was arguing with Tanaka about the flavor of his bubble teas before throwing the beverages at his face.
"Are…you sure you're good, Helen?" Tails tilted his head in concern as he studied the young girl.
She reached into the zipped compartment of her wheelchair, pulling out her Nintendo Switch Pro controller. The young girl gripped the controller, placing her fingers on the trigger buttons as she furrowed her brow.
"Yes." Helen nodded her head. "I am ready."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer cried into his microphone in the center of the fighting arena. All the seats were full of spectators, many of whom were wearing knockoff hats and shirts depicting their favorite Mobians. The crowd was a rainbow of color representing Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and the rest of the heroes. "The First Annual Chaos Emerald Tournament is about to commence! Are you ready to see some thrilling action!?"
The crowd cheered in response, waving their foam hands while guzzling down copious amounts of beer.
"The first fight features the world-renown, world-famous heir of the Thorndyke family: give it up for Christopher Thorndy—"
"Umm, excuse me!?" The boy yanked the microphone from the announcer's hands, bringing it to his lips. "It's actually Mr. Christopher Thorndyke. If you don't get my name right next time, I'll make sure you go from hosting internationally broadcasted fighting tournaments to bingo nights at the old folks' home."
"Yikes…" The announcer whispered under his breath as the rich kid handed him back the microphone. "Ohh, ummm, excuse me: Mr. Christopher Thorndyke here will be facing off against one of his classmates. What are the odds!?" He gestured to Helen, who was sitting patiently on the opposite end of the ring. "Give it up for Helen!"
The crowd cheered as she waved back, a blush appearing across her face.
"Not used to the world's affection, aye?" Chris asked with a smug grin, rubbing his chin with his hand. "You know, this isn't even going to be a fair fight! I've been training for years under my totally kickass butler…while you've been sitting in that chair studying like a bookworm." The boy laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "What hope do you have of even defeating me anyway? You gonna roll all over me?"
"I think you're in for a little surprise," Helen replied with a confident grin.
"The offer is still on the table, my sweet Helen," Chris replied. "If you throw the fight and agree to be my girlfriend, I'll have the top doctors in the world care for your every medical need."
"You know, there's a term for people like you."
"Oh yeah? What is it? Lemme guess: charming? Daring? Charismatic? Brave? Tenacious?"
"Nope!" Helen replied, pointing at the young boy. "More like…simp. Cringe. Spoiled."
"What did you just say?!" Chris' face turned red with anger, a vein appearing across his forehead.
"Cope! Seethe! Mald! L + Ratio!" Helen swiftly pulled her Switch Pro controller from the zipped compartment of her wheelchair.
"A videogame controller? Is this a joke?" Chris asked, laughing in place once more. "By the time we're finished with this fight, it is you who will be coping, seething, and L + Ratioing!"
"Oh, I don't think so…" Her grin widened as she pressed a button on her right armrest. Chris was frozen, his mouth agape, as he watched Helen's wheelchair transform into a large mech before his eyes.
"But, but, but, but…how!?" Chris turned to the announcer. "This can't be legal! I demand Helen be immediately disqualified for pulling such a stunt."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chris Thorndyke," he replied, flipping through the pages of the binder Tails gave him during the check-in, "but Helen's mech suit was fully approved by the tournament's governing body." The announcer faced the crowd. "The fight will start in three…two…one…and BEGIN!"
A gong signified the start of the fight.
Helen took a fighting stance, bending the knees of her mech as she trained her focus on the young boy below. "What's wrong, Chris? Where's that bravery you were boasting about? Here…" The young girl took a knee. "I'll even give you a free shot! Put your karate skills to good use and cut through my leg." She pointed at her metal appendage. "You can't miss it. C'mon and get your free first shot while it's fresh!"
"That conniving little piece of…" Chris muttered under his breath. "Fine, if you're stupid enough to let your defenses down and offer me the first blow, then I will happily oblige!" The young boy ran toward the girl's mech, screaming as he jumped up, raising his arm in preparation for a brutal chop. "SUPER MEGA ULTRA KARATE CHOP OF DOOOOOOM!"
Chris' attack landed, but there was no discernable damage to the leg. Seconds later, his arm stuck in mid-chop, the boy's hand ballooned in size, turning red from the impact.
"Owwwoowowowowowowow!" He blew on his pulsating hand as he ran around the ring.
"Now that you've had your free shot," Helen said as she attached the Switch controller to her central console, "I'm going to go ahead and finish this quickly." The young girl maneuvered her mechanical arm so that its palm was hovering over Chris, who cowered as he shook in fear. She pinched the collar of his shirt, picking him up and allowing him to dangle from her metal fingers.
"Hey, put me down! Put me down!" He wiggled his feet about.
"Oh, so you want me to drop you? From this height?" Helen grinned.
"Whaa?" Chris peered down, his eyes bulging from their sockets as he found himself a few dozen feet away from the arena. "A-actually, just s-set me down g-gently."
"If you insist…" Helen carefully dangled the young boy within feet of the ground and loosened her metal fingers.
Chris fell into the grass just outside the ring.
"The winner of the first match is Helen!" The announcer exclaimed.
The crowd roared in applause as the young girl waved at the onlookers with her mechanical arm before reverting the mech back into its standard wheelchair form.
"Helen!" Tails ran into the ring. "That was incredible!" He grabbed her hands in joy, the two laughing wholesomely. "And you've mastered the sensitive controls, too! If you tried picking Chris up like that on the first day of training, you would've squashed him like a bug!"
"Yeah, that would've been such a tragedy," Sonic sarcastically added, joining the two in the arena.
"Thanks!" Helen replied. "I didn't want to humiliate Chris in front of the world, but I've got to admit…" The three turned their attention to the young boy, who was rolling in the grass crying, flailing his arms about. "It did feel a bit cathartic."
"Congratulations, Helen!" The announcer said into his mic as he approached the young girl. "Tell me, what do you call this thing? Does your mech have a cool name?"
"A name?" Helen placed a hand on her chin in thought until she remembered the conversation she had with Tails outside the stadium.
"Ummmm…Helen…gelion?" She tilted her head as if unsure, but still christening the official name of her final form all the same.
"You heard it here, folks!" The announcer roared. "The Helengelion is a force to be reckoned with! I feel sorry for all the tournament competitors who will have to go toe-to-toe with her unstoppable mech!"
The crowd cheered once more.
"We will begin the next round in a few minutes, so don't go anywhere, folks!"
"Thanks for that cool name, by the way," Helen said to Tails as the trio returned to the competitor rest building.
"No problem at all, Helen," Tails replied with a thumbs up. "I'm flattered you took it up!"
Helen, Sonic, and Tails returned to their friends, who quickly circled the young girl, offering their praises for her first victory. They were interrupted, however, by President Michael K., accompanied by his bodyguards.
"Congratulations, Helen." Michael said as he lowered his arm, allowing her to shake his hand. The entire group started clapping.
"Congratulations," Tails said.
"Congratulations," Sonic added.
"Congratulations," Cream cheered.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese added.
"Congratulations!" Bokkun said.
"Congratulations," Knuckles said.
"Congratulations," Amy said.
"Congratulations," Chuck added.
"Congratulations," Rouge said.
"Congratulations," Topaz added to her side.
"Oh wow, everyone saying 'congratulations' back-to-back while clapping?" Helen laughed. "This really is like Evangelion, isn't it?"
"More like…Helengelion!" Sonic replied, earning a laugh from the entire group.
The President turned to face Danny, who was stuffing his pockets with pastries to return to his parents. "So, you must be Danny." The President offered his hand to the young boy as well. After wiping the crumbs from his palms, he shook the commander-in-chief's hand.
"It'shth nishthe taa meetch yuuu," Danny said through a mouth full of food.
"Likewise!" The president ended the handshake before straightening his tie. "All right, ready to head out to the arena?"
"Sure!" Danny replied, sneaking a few extra snacks into his pockets before following the President out to the crowd.
Helen proved to be triumphant over Chris in the first round of the Chaos Emerald Tournament, but how will the rest of the gang fare in their fights? Find out in the next episode of Sonic. X….uhhh…Z!
**Insert Epic Guitar Solo Here**
Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be action packed with fighting and a bit of shenanigans, so stay tuned!
1: See Chapters 25-26.
2: See Chapter 16.
3: See Chapter 12.
4: If you want to follow along with the tournament roster, let me know in the comments or the PMs so I can send you a roster I generated! I also posted it on the Sonic Fanfiction Discord server.