Arriving back at the city was bad enough, but with an excruciating pain pulsing through his leg - it made the experience even worse.
Admittedly, he wasn't sure if Rouge had tied his bandage tight enough - but he felt if he complained about it, Rouge and Tangle might leave the mission for another day. He wouldn't let that happen as long as he could still fight. Gritting his teeth, he walked in silence - following Rouge through small alleyways and across rooftops. She said she knew the city like the back of her hand now, and it showed. The Rouge he knew was also keenly aware of all the nooks and crannies in almost every area - all useful information for a thief.
Finally, the trio made it to their destination. The building was predictably bland - just a metal, long rectangle - but much bigger than the previous factory he had been in when meeting Amy. Doing a quick observation of the outside, it was abandoned - as most of the city streets were.
"Tangle, you're staying out here as the lookout - as you wanted to be." Rouge told her. "You take care of any robots that try to come here."
Both of them waited on Tangle to respond, but her mind had seemingly wandered, as had her gaze - which was staring off into the distance.
Rouge cleared her throat.
"O-oh!" Tangle snapped back to reality with a shake of her head. "Yep! I'm doing the- the lookout job, yes that's right!"
Rouge rose a brow. "Make sure you're concentrating, yeah?"
"Haha, yep! Yes, ma'am!" Tangle gave a salute.
Rouge stared at her for a few brief seconds before smiling at Sonic. "Now that's settled, follow my lead."
Sonic grinned and nodded, but before doing anything - he made sure to give Tangle thumbs up - for good luck. Tangle gave a small smile and did some finger guns. Despite the initial awkwardness in their first meeting, he found he really liked the girl. She seemed so optimistic.
The hedgehog watched as Rouge flew up to the side of the building near the rough, there was a vent. He saw the bat pull out what appeared to be a screwdriver, but it did the trick - opening the vent door. "After you!" She called down to him. "Rough 'em up, yeah?"
"You got it!" Sonic smirked, running up the side of the wall and hopping right in the vent.
The crawl through the vent passage was a little agonising with his injured leg, but he pulled through - he had to pull through! As long as he didn't pay attention to it, the burning sensation could be ignored.
"Don't worry about me, alright? Focus on the fight, I'll be sneaking through and grabbing the limiters." She reminded him from right behind.
"Of course."
At the end of the vents, Sonic made a quick observation of the area down below. Egg Pawns were walking through the area, clipboards in their hands as they made notes of the goings on. Throughout the spacious room, there were huge open vats containing bright green, purple, and red liquids. They bubbled and fizzed, and a thin layer of smoke rose up from the surface of it. It must be some sort of acid - like what was found in Chemical Plant.
He had seen what he needed to, this fight wouldn't be difficult - even with a bleeding leg. He broke the door of the vent open with a kick and landed on the ground.
"INTRUDER ALE-" Sonic rammed into the bot with a homing attack.
He jumped from that Egg Pawn to the next, brutally smashing them as they all went down with a single hit. Taking out all the ones he could see, he stood and smirked - dusting off his hands.
Turns out it was a bit too soon to celebrate, the hedgehog found himself hopping and weaving between lasers raining down from the air. The hedgehog looked up and set his sight on the swarm of Buzz Bombers. They would be taken out in the same way - he leapt high into the air, then rolled himself into a ball - and shot himself between them like a mid-air pinball, making them explode upon impact.
Not letting himself get cocky this time, he paused - eyeing his surroundings. Everything was empty - all that could be heard was the faint bubbling of toxic acids. Sonic didn't take care of them as fast as he would have liked to - his leg was definitely slowing him down. Of course, any other pair of eyes wouldn't be able to notice a difference - he was all too inhumanly fast for most to even process his movements.
The hedgehog cracked his knuckles.
THUD.
Damn it. The hedgehog slowly turned around, unamused. A large purple Egg Hammer towered over him, raising its hammer and threatening to splat the hedgehog into a blue blob on the floor.
Sonic ran up the side of the bot, and when he reached its hand - he wrestled to grab hold of the handle of the hammer it was holding. Despite the robot's hand being about the same size as the hedgehog himself, he managed to pry the hammer out of its hand and land down on the ground in front of it.
The hammer was about 5 times the tiny hedgehog's size, and his arms shook with the strain as he held it. This was why he left the heavy lifting to Knuckles...
"Heh, what's wrong? Can't attack without your hammer?" Sonic quipped as the robot blankly stared at him, not moving an inch - as if it truly were confused as to what it was supposed to do now without its weapon.
"Too bad!" With all of his might, and a lot of speed - Sonic took a gigantic swing at the robot - smashing it to the ground. One half of the robot was now completely damaged with exposed circuits and electricity sparking off of it. With the Egg Hammer finally taken out, Sonic could drop the hammer and gasp for breath.
He waited.
That was the end of the danger. Sonic allowed a smile to form on his face. He knew he could do it, even with his leg in the state it was.
"Look at you, hotshot~" Rouge said from the other end of the room. She had a small sack over her shoulder. "You got this whole place cleared out before any of these tin cans could alert the head honchos. Good work."
"Heh," Sonic brushed a finger over his nose confidently. "I assume you got what you're after?"
"Yeah - not as much of a haul as I would have liked but it's more than enough for now." Rouge said.
"Cool, I guess we're heading out-?"
Rouge held up a finger. "Not yet. I wanna check out what this weird acid is..."
"Oh, fair enough." The blue one shrugged.
The two headed up some stairs that lead them to a long grid platform they could walk along that was at the same level as the top of the vats. It allowed them to peer right into them, and inspect them closely. Sonic leaned forward a bit too far and almost fell in himself, but he straightened himself up before Rouge could notice. They could really have done with some railings here...
"I don't get it..." Rouge let out, pressing her knuckles to her cheek in thought. "What's the purpose for all of this?"
Sonic didn't know himself. "Maybe... acid weapons? I dunno-" He tried to be helpful.
He fought back a grunt, shit - the pain was throbbing now. The mission was done so there was no harm in asking for a tightened bandage. "Hey uh, Rouge? I think my bandage is a little loose - mind tightening it?"
"I'll give you a new one, that one's soaked in blood already." She bent down and did just that. Just like last time, he was numb for the most part as Rouge applied the bandage - it looked tighter this time, what a relief.
"Thanks, Rouge." Sonic smiled gratefully. "We might not know what that acid stuff is yet, but our plan went off without a hitch!" As he would do with his own teammates, he held up a hand.
Rouge stared at it for a moment, narrowing her eyes before the corners of her mouth upturned. "I guess so." She returned the high five. Sonic gasped - her hand was so cold and hard... like steel.
"I- uh- Rouge?" Sonic blinked rapidly as Rouge was tilting her head in confusion. It was metal... her hand was metal! "I uh- your hand, is it-?"
"Ohhhh," Rouge's eyes widened in realisation. "Yeah, it's metal - this whole arm is actually." She removed her right glove, revealing the shining metal underneath that made up her hand. She also rolled up the sleeve of her catsuit - and her arm matched her hand.
The hedgehog was stunned, he couldn't find the proper words to say. "How did it-?"
"How else? I got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time - right in the midst of the Empire's first attack. It was a big laser - arm came right off." Rouge shrugged it off as though it were nothing. For a moment, an image of the Rouge he knew flashed in his brain - he saw her screaming in terror and agony on the ground, her arm lost - tears flooding from her eyes. Sonic fought the sudden urge he felt to hug the woman in front of him.
Sonic wanted nothing more than to run to wherever Eggman was hiding and tear him a God damn new one. It was more important than ever for Sonic to bring back the old timeline - where Rouge would never have experienced such a horrifying tragedy. Since the Empire had succeeded, she had suffered a terrible fate - it showed how dangerous the man truly could be.
"I'm so sorry..." Sonic sighed.
"Huh? Don't be. Not like you were the one who took it off." Surely she wasn't this nonchalant about the matter. Rouge was always good at concealing her true emotions, that much he knew.
"Still... no one should have to go through that." He clenched his fists.
"Yeah, you're right. But that's the Empire for you."
It was a bit too awkward for them to look at each other, so they both resigned to staring down at the bright green liquid.
"Exactly why we need to talk them down." Sonic said, determined.
"Cute words - coming from a mole."
"... Huh?"
"Nighty-NIGHT!" Something silver flashed in the corner of his eye.
His attempt to sidestep and bend out of the way failed for the most part due to the shooting ache in his leg . He felt a dagger pierce his abdomen.
"GAH-!" Sonic stumbled back, pain shooting through the hedgehog's body before everything became numb.
"Robotnik thought he could outsmart me again?" Slipping out of consciousness, he could only just make out the wild smirk on her face. "Haha! Oh, what a fool..." She lifted her leg up, slamming her foot on the hedgehog's chest and sending him flying off the platform.
The hedgehog helplessly fell, plummeting straight towards the bubbling acid.
Miles, after inputting at least ten passcodes and five eye scanners, realised why Robotnik often complained about 'excessive security' - it was an absolute bore and a pain to do but Miles had insisted on its importance - especially here. The battery couldn't afford to be compromised - if something were to happen, the whole Empire would begin to collapse.
Once finally getting into the Battery Room, the young two-tailed fox found himself carefully stepping over and walking around thick cables and wires. It was like an electronical jungle, difficult to navigate if you didn't know what you were looking for.
Miles did, and peaking out from a mass of wires - he found it.
"Hello, Project Shadow."
He stepped closer to the capsule that held a black and red hedgehog. The thing looked even more weak and pathetic since the last visit. A metal strap over each limb kept him tied to the capsule, unable to move. His head had drooped down however, and his eyes were closed. Miles didn't doubt that the experiment likely didn't have enough strength to keep his own head up.
Project Shadow took a few moments before finally acknowledge the fox's greeting - and it was merely by opening his eyes. The hedgehog might not have been able to express much, but the resentment was potent in his eyes.
"You need some time to recharge, don't you?" Miles continued on. He inputted another code to the keypad beside the capsule, and watched as the door would slowly slide up as a result - and Project Shadow didn't react in the slightest.
It made Miles' job easier - opening up a small box to the side containing two inhibitor rings. Holding them in his hands, he then flicked off a switch next to the box. Any crackles of power across the wires ceased in an instant. The hedgehog took in a gasp of air.
Miles approached close to the hedgehog so that he could put the rings on the hedgehog's wrists. "Such a shame we can't keep you running all the time... it's quite the oversight in your design. I find it very odd that Gerald did not try to find a way that would allow you to utilise your full power without wearing your own body down... inhibitor rings are all well and good but... they're such a waste... preventing you from reaching your true potential..." He was mostly talking to himself, he didn't expect a response from the 'hedgehog' as he was regaining his strength. "Thankfully though, I definitely have found a way to prolong your resistance - or your body wouldn't last as a battery for more than five minutes!"
"Is it not a joy to be able to continue serving the Robotnik family?" Miles then asked.
To the surprise of the fox, Project Shadow managed to choke out a raspy response. "He is a disgrace... to the Robotnik... name." He broke out into an unfortunate fit of coughs. Oh, how far had the Ultimate Life Form fallen? Once a super weapon, now nothing more than a worn out battery. Miles knew that the hedgehog-alien was immortal, but all of the strain the hedgehog had endured definitely looked as if it added on a couple of decades to his face.
"Oh?" Miles questioned his response. "Growing delusional are we?" He shook his head with a sigh. "And here I thought you'd be ecstatic to know that the world was in the hands of a Robotnik. An intelligent bloodline that are the best suited to rule and judge-"
The hedgehog retorted through gritted teeth. "All I've heard coming out of your miserable, gloating mouth... is damn tales of oppression and murder, and you have the gall to ask me why I'm not proud of that?"
"It's necessary, mi amigo." Miles had a condescending tone, as though he were trying to brush off the worries of a small child. "Humanity, mobians... they are savage beasts... did you not learn that when everyone you loved was killed on the ARK?"
Project Shadow growled.
"But now order has been established-"
The alien hybrid practically cackled - Miles had to admit, there was something intimidating about the creature's laugh. "And you think you're better than them? You... Ivo... fueled by your own egos to kill and control as you please. This world needs to end. It's the only way this cycle of violence will stop. As long as you all live... you'll be selfish, fighting each other!" The fox could see the hedgehog trembling. Whether it was anger or the effort it took to yell, he didn't know. "Enjoy your Empire while it lasts Miles - because when I'm free from here - I will put an end to EVERYTHING ON THIS PATHETIC PLANET!"
Miles watched as Shadow tried to regain his breath after raising his voice. The fox's expression was apathetic. "Hm. Well, your threats might have had an affect on me if you weren't in your current predicament." He couldn't help but be smug. "Let me make one thing very clear to you, Project Shadow GRM45672 - you don't decide whether the world should get to live or die. You are nothing more than an object, built by the most intelligent brains in the world to be a tool. The crumb of sentience you have is an after thought - all people want you for is to use your power." Miles' voice became a whisper. "Which is why I suggest you forget your little revenge plot... and learn your place."
If his words had any affect, remarkably the hedgehog didn't show it. He just held his glare. "I suppose that's enough for today. You have more energy to keep you going for some time now..." Miles swiftly removed the rings from the alien hybrid's wrists, and pressed a button to allow the door to slide up again. Miles made sure to do everything quickly, not even giving him a slight chance to start breaking free. He flicked the switch back on and his ears flickered as the hedgehog let out an agonising yell, muffled by the glass. It always seemed to hurt him at first.
In no rush now, the fox placed the rings back in the box and left it on the table there next to the capsule. He heard Project Shadow's screams die down, and now knew the hedgehog was back to work pumping chaos energy throughout the Empire - powering every corner of the land.
Rouge could watch with nothing but pure satisfaction as she watched Sonic falling down towards the acid below. She simply couldn't help smiling, but something made it drop very quickly.
She almost stumbled backwards herself as something gray and fluffy shot through the air below and caught the hedgehog, wrapping his body in a thick mass of fur. Rouge whipped around.
"Tangle?!" The bat gasped. "What are you doing?!"
The girl was on the other end of the platform - her tail having stretched out far to catch the hedgehog. She was recoiling it back in, and when it was back to its orginal size she plopped it on the ground in front of her, pushing through the thick bush of a tail to seemingly get a look at Sonic's wounds. She winced. "I... Look, I couldn't just sit by while I let you kill a potentially innocent man!"
"UGH!" Rouge couldn't have let out a louder exclamation of frustration, giving a face palm. "The evidence is right there! I explained it to you!"
"A-and?! Project Shadow is a fast hedgehog... and Sonic here might have knew your name for seemingly no reason... but we have such limited information on Project Shadow even is! You're going off a quarter page of a document!"
"And he fits close to that description!"
"Who knows how many fast hedgehog's there are out there?! He could have heard your name in passing, you're kind of known around Station Square area! I-I don't know! But murdering him while going off of so little isn't right! What if we're wrong?!" Tangle's voice cracked with desperation, she unfolded her tail slightly so she could bend down and press her ear against the hedgehog's chest. Good, his heart was still beating... a bit fast though.
"What if we're wrong? So what if we're wrong?!" Rouge yelled back. "If we can kill him now - we don't put anyone's safety at risk!"
The room suddenly became very quiet, the bat could hear the quiet, shaky breaths of the lemur somehow - even with the distance between them. "So you're just saying we should kill him... just in case?"
Rouge looked over the lemur twice, three times - to make sure she was serious. "Y-yeah? Pretty much! Took a while for that brain of yours to click." She scoffed.
Tangle's mouth hung agape. "You can't be... serious..." She let out weak, breathy laugh of disbelief. "I'm no philosopher - I never studied ethics - but I think the one thing anyone with a heart should agree on is that- murder is- bad!" She fumbled for the right words. "If he's not Project Shadow... then you would have killed an innocent guy!"
"Oh, give me a break!" Rouge threw her hands up in the air. "He saves you once and suddenly you trust him like your life fucking depends on it!"
Tangle wrapped her tail tighter around the hedgehog. "You can't seriously think I'm wrong because I don't want to kill someone who might be innocent!" Rouge opened her mouth to interject but to her surprise, Tangle wasn't finished.
"I-if you have no empathy... for him - at least think that about how you might actually be trying to kill off a powerful ally if he's true about his intentions! He would be invaluable to you!" The lemur pointed out. The fact she even had to give this reasoning made her stomach churn - how could Rouge not care about what might be a good man's life?
Rouge stared, thinking of the correct way to respond to that. "You're willing to risk it despite knowing what happened to Mighty last time?"
It caused the lemur to shiver, looking down at the hedgehog bundled up in her tail with fear. Rouge fought back a smile, it was nice to see the girl coming back to her senses.
"N-no!" She looked up again, and Rouge frowned. The girl's cheeks were tinted red with fury. "That's a low blow! I'm trying to give this guy, who I believe to be innocent, a fair chance!" It all came off as desperate begging.
Arguing would seriously get her nowhere, huh? How did it come to this? Tangle never usually stood up for herself, and was happy to go along with orders. Rouge decided she wasn't a fan of being questioned - especially when the lemur's stubbornness potentially meant Rouge getting stabbed in her sleep by a hedgehog. "Your... damn funeral." She finally relented. "But if he attacks you, I'm not saving you."
"Fine by me." Tangle said firmly. The lemur stared closely at the bat - noted how her apathetic expression, lacking any sort of smile, matched the icy look that constantly lingered in her eyes.
"Now, I'm getting out of here." Tangle said. "My tail is applying pressure to his wounds - hopefully that should prevent too much blood loss until we can get him to a healer-"
"Tangle?"
"What?"
"It's never too late to change your mind on that decision. Remember that."
Tangle scoffed. "Doubt I will." She narrowed her eyes at the bat. She turned heel and headed out the way she came. Rouge waited for a moment, watching her leave and placing her hands on her hips. Damn her, damn it all - why did Tangle insist on making things far more difficult than they had to be?
INFIRNOGOJRGJK I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CHAPTER GOOD LORD.
Rouge and Miles are stinkerrrrs. Honestly one of the most intriguing aspects of writing this story has definitely been exploring the characters and what they would be like having not gone down the virtuous path with Sonic. The relationship between Rouge and Tangle appears to have taken a downward turn, and Miles is one smug ass devoted follower to Eggman - and Shadow's resentment for the planet is only building.
Shadow never got over wanting to destroy the world for the sake of Maria in this timelineee - uh oooh. But the Empire's kept him contained all this time - technically keeping everyone safe. However, what would happen if he were to escape...?
And Miles? Miles is what happens when the man that saved you from a life of torment is a Robotnik.
I listened to Instanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might be Giants for this chapter. This song is kind of a theme for Sonic's character, highlights how he's basically in a different world to the one he knew before.
We're just over 2000 views! That's insane, thank you so so much. As always, I love hearing any feedback and enjoy reading your speculations and theories - it makes my day :) So if you have the time, drop a review! Otherwise, thank you to all who have showed support so far. But for now, see ya later :) It's gettin spicyyyy from here on out
