Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition
Midgame (pt. 1)
"Aaarrrgggh! We are so lost!" Dr. Eggman yelled in frustration as his purple spaceship flew further in space while being hundreds if not thousands of miles away from Sonic and his friends.
"Doctor, you had said that for the tenth time today. We know already that we're lost. So just calm down," Decoe replied calmly yet tiredly with an annoyed look on his face as he rested his left elbow on the control panel and perched his head up on his left hand.
"I can't calm down! We've spent weeks trying to find some planets that have the Chaos Emeralds in them, and we had found none! Not to mention, we can't even track down the Blue Typhoon and follow Sonic and his friends again! We're just too far away from them! In other words, we're stuck in the middle of space!" Dr. Eggman yelled in frustration as he gripped his head with his hands and grimaced deeply.
"Well, maybe if we didn't fly far away from Sonic and his friends in the first place, then we wouldn't have gotten lost. We could have followed them not too far behind and let them find the Chaos Emeralds for us. That's a better plan than the one you come up with, Doctor," Bocue replied calmly yet tiredly with an annoyed look too while being a bit sarcastic as he had his hands on his cheeks.
"Oh, as if your plan is any better! I had genuinely believed that we could've secured the rest of the Chaos Emeralds for ourselves before Sonic and his meddlesome friends do! It was a foolproof plan! We get the last three Chaos Emeralds, and then, we coerce Sonic and his friends to give us their Chaos Emeralds! It could've worked!" Dr. Eggman yelled in frustration as he frowned deeply while pointing at Bocue.
"But look at what your plan had led us, Doctor. Out in the middle of nowhere," Bocue replied calmly yet tiredly in annoyance as he stared at his boss with lowered eyelids.
"Yeah. So much for a foolproof plan. It turned out to be more foolhardy than we thought," Decoe added in a mocking tone with lowered eyelids as he stared at his boss too in annoyance.
"Grrrrrr! I know that! Don't make me dismantle you two! If you make one more comment about my setbacks and my lack of foresight, then I'll make you wish that you couldn't talk! Understand?!" Dr. Eggman yelled in anger as he frowned deeply while growling a bit. He pointed at Decoe and Bocue for emphasis as he yelled that.
"Ack! Sorry, sir! We'll be quiet, sir!" Decoe and Bocue exclaimed in shock and in worry as they looked alarmed when Dr. Eggman threatened them.
"Good! Now, keep searching! We need to find some sort of lead here! Finding the Blue Typhoon is probably the best option here! So search for that!" Dr. Eggman commanded assertively with a frown as he crossed his arms while looking impatient.
"Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" Decoe and Bocue exclaimed quickly as they nodded their head before typing into the computers again.
Tch...Idiots...Shadow thought in annoyance as he stared at Dr. Eggman, Decoe, and Bocue in the distance while having his arms crossed. He soon saw Dr. Eggman looking at him and had quirked an eyebrow at him in confusion.
"You know, Shadow...If there's one thing that I like about you...it's that you're quiet. My loyal robots could learn a lot from you. You're quite the role model, you know," Dr. Eggman said calmly with a frown as he complimented Shadow.
"Hmph...Whatever..." Shadow muttered calmly yet quietly in a bored tone as he frowned and rolled his eyes while looking away from the doctor. It's not that I'm quiet. I just think you three idiots are too loud. That's the real issue here. Shadow brooded with an unamused look on his face.
"...You're also pretty blunt too," Dr. Eggman added with a frown as his eyebrows were furrowed upwards in sheepishness.
"..." Shadow was silent as he stared quietly at the stars again.
"...Right...Anyways, I just hope that we can find the Chaos Emeralds or something. Because I swear, if we're going to have another day without making any progress, then I'm going to-Gack! What the-?! What's going on now?!" Dr. Eggman said calmly with a frown as he looked ahead of him instead of Shadow before he exclaimed in shock when a bright flash of light appeared in front of his spaceship. He cringed and blocked the bright light with his arm.
"Ah! Not again!" Decoe and Bocue yelled in panic as they blocked the bright light with their arms too.
"Hmm?" Shadow mused curiously as he blocked the bright light too with his arm. Where did that bright light come from? It just appeared out of nowhere...Hmm...This is very strange...Shadow pondered calmly in confusion and in curiosity as he blocked the bright light with his arm. The light soon enveloped Dr. Eggman's purple ship and had soon made it disappear.
PING!
…
…
…
PING!
"Uggggh...What was that?" Dr. Eggman muttered tiredly with a groan as he lowered his arm when he saw the bright light disappearing.
"I think that...we've teleported to a new location again," Decoe answered calmly as he lowered his arm and looked around.
What? "Teleported"? What are they talking about? Shadow pondered in confusion as he lowered his arm and frowned at Decoe and Bocue.
"He's right, Doctor. Remember that one time when we saw a bright flash of light and then got teleported to that dry planet? Yeah, I think that it had happened again," Bocue agreed as he lowered his arm and looked at Dr. Eggman.
"Oh, great! Now, we're even more lost than before! Can this day get any worse?!" Dr. Eggman yelled in exasperation as he looked frustrated again since he had gripped his head again.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"H-Huh?! What's this?! Could it be what I think it is?!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed in surprise as he looked down at the emerald radar on his control panel. His eyes soon widened when he saw two blips on the emerald radar.
"...! It is! Yes! We finally found more Chaos Emeralds! That means we're not lost anymore! Talk about a miracle! I thought that I was going to lose my mind due to how long we've been lost in space! But no! We're free! Free I tell you! Freeee! Yipee!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed in joy with a loud gasp and a huge smile as he pumped his fists into the air.
"...He may say that he was going to lose his mind, but we both know that he already lost his mind a long time ago," Decoe whispered calmly with an annoyed look on his face as he leant his head onto his left hand.
"Yeah, and it looks like he's going to go even deeper into insanity. Should we stop him?" Bocue whispered back calmly with an annoyed look too as he leant his head onto his right hand.
"Even if we wanted to, we can't. It's impossible to stop him," Decoe whispered back calmly in annoyance.
"Ditto that," Bocue whispered back calmly in annoyance as he nodded.
"Hey, you two! Stop whispering to each other and listen up! We've struck gold here since we found two Chaos Emeralds! Two!" Dr. Eggman yelled irritably with a frown as he gripped his control panel and looked down at Decoe and Bocue. He even raised two fingers up for emphasis when he said the word "two".
"Whoa! Really?! Two?!" Decoe and Bocue exclaimed in shock as their eyes went wide while staring at Dr. Eggman. Shadow immediately looked interested as he stared at Dr. Eggman too while placing a hand on his hip.
"That's right, guys. With these two emeralds, it'll be enough to convince Sonic and his friends to surrender their Chaos Emeralds to us. Which means if we get these two emeralds, then we've basically won!" Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet brightly with an evil grin as he sat back into his seat while staring at his robots.
"For once, Doctor...I have to say that this is your most reasonable plan yet. I mean. After all, four out of seven is an immediate victory. Especially since Sonic and his friends have three Chaos Emeralds now," Decoe replied calmly with a nod before turning around and raised his fingers up for emphasis.
"Do you really think that they have three Chaos Emeralds now?" Bocue asked calmly as he turned around and looked at Decoe.
"Bocue, this is Sonic we're talking here. He and his friends get Chaos Emeralds more frequently than we do. I wouldn't be surprised if they do have three Chaos Emeralds now. Besides, they're better at finding the emeralds than the Doctor is," Decoe answered calmly with an annoyed look on his face as his eyelids went down halfway.
"Hey! I heard that!" Dr. Eggman yelled in irritation as he frowned a lot while glaring at Decoe.
"Eep! Sorry, sir!" Decoe yelled in panic as he looked worried while looking at Dr. Eggman. Bocue just shrugged at that.
"Whatever. Nevertheless, we finally have our target set onto the two emeralds, and once we acquire them, it's going to be all mine. Heheheheh...That's right. All mine," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a frown before smiling deviously as he chuckled evilly and rubbed his hands together.
"You mean ours, right, Doctor?" Rouge asked coyly with a smirk as she flew behind Dr. Eggman's seat.
"Ack! Where did you come from?!" Dr. Eggman yelled in shock as he quickly looked behind himself and stared at Rouge.
"From the elevator. Duh," Rouge replied calmly yet coyly with a smirk as she had her arms crossed.
"Oh...Well, don't sneak up behind me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Dr. Eggman muttered awkwardly before he yelled in irritation as he frowned deeply at Rouge.
"But that just shows how good I am," Rouge replied calmly yet playfully with a haughty smirk.
"Grrrrrr..." Dr. Eggman growled in frustration as he glared coldly at Rouge. Meanwhile, Bokkun stood behind Dr. Eggman's chair while looking dejected as he stared at the floor.
"Oooh...Why do I have to be her lap dog?" Bokkun muttered in despair with a sad look on his face.
"So, anyways, Doctor, is it really true that you had located two Chaos Emeralds? I'd say that I'm rather impressed. I didn't think that you'd be able to find more emeralds for m-I mean-for us. You're full of surprises, Doctor. I'll give you that," Rouge replied calmly with a coy look on her face as she looked at the emerald radar. Shadow stared at Rouge silently while looking suspicious of her. I don't like that coy look on that bat's face. I don't know what she's up to or what her deal is, but it's definitely suspicious. I better keep my eye on her. Shadow pondered calmly with a solemn frown as he stared at Rouge and at Dr. Eggman.
"Errr...Well...Yes but let me be clear here and say that I've only just discovered that there are two emeralds. That doesn't mean that I know where they are," Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet awkwardly with a frown while holding his head a bit and looking away from Rouge.
"Even if we don't know, that doesn't mean that we can't follow its source. Isn't that the point of your emerald radar? Tracking down chaos energy?" Rouge replied calmly with a smile and a shrug before pointing at the emerald radar on Dr. Eggman's control panel.
"Uhh...Yes...I suppose that we can do that...Hmmm..." Dr. Eggman muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a frown as he stared at the emerald radar more closely.
"Well, Doctor? I'm waiting. Where shall we go to find our precious emeralds?" Rouge replied calmly yet coyly with a smirk as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes while moving her head away from Dr. Eggman.
"To put it simply, it's just up north from here," Dr. Eggman answered calmly as he stared at the emerald radar screen while adjusting his glasses.
"See? Now, that wasn't so hard," Rouge replied calmly yet condescendingly with a smirk. Dr. Eggman looked annoyed at that remark and was about to yell at Rouge again before he and Rouge heard the emerald radar beeping again.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Huh?! What now?! …Ah! Three more Chaos Emeralds?!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed in shock as he looked back at the emerald radar and had his jaw dropped when he saw three more blips on screen.
"Seriously?!" Rouge exclaimed in surprise as she opened her eyes and stared at the radar screen too.
"Really?! Three more emeralds?!" Decoe and Bocue exclaimed in shock at the same time as they stared at Dr. Eggman with wide eyes. Shadow was also surprised as his eyebrows were raised quickly and had looked intrigued already. Hmmm...Interesting...Shadow thought calmly with a frown as he stared curiously at Dr. Eggman and Rouge.
"Yes, guys, there are more Chaos Emeralds here, and it appears that these three emeralds are coming from the eastern side and are heading towards north," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a solemn frown as he kept staring at the radar screen.
"But why on Earth did those three Chaos Emeralds showed up so suddenly? Is there any reason?" Rouge asked curiously with a confused look on her face.
"There is only one reason, Rouge, and that is Sonic. He and his friends got the third emerald already," Dr. Eggman answered calmly yet grimly with a deep frown as he looked annoyed. Why am I not surprised? My archenemy beating me in the race for the Chaos Emeralds? It's just a Friday at this point. Dr. Eggman brooded with a deep frown on his annoyed face.
"Ha! See? I told you that they had gotten three emeralds now," Decoe commented calmly in amusement as he looked at Bocue.
"I guess you were right, Decoe. Dr. Eggman does suck at finding the emeralds himself. Maybe he should rely on Sonic to help him find the emeralds and then steal them from him when he least expects it," Bocue replied calmly yet playfully with a shrug and with an amused face.
"Grrrr! Will you two shut your-! Ah!" Dr. Eggman yelled in frustration as he growled a bit before he exclaimed in shock when an idea came into his head.
"Hmm? What is it, Doctor? Penny for your thoughts?" Rouge asked calmly yet curiously as she stared at Dr. Eggman's shocked face.
"..." Dr. Eggman was silent as he still looked shocked. Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! Dr. Eggman thought in shock before he grinned widely yet evilly.
"For once, Bocue, I'm going to let your mocking comments slide. Because you had given me the most brilliant idea ever. And honestly, I think that it works well along with my original plan. Let's just say that this new, updated plan is a...collaboration of some kind," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with an evil grin as he stared at Bocue and Decoe.
"Oh? Really? A collaboration? Uhh...Thank you, sir. You're...surprisingly kind," Bocue replied calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish look on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Don't get used to it. This is the only time that I'm being kind to you," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a smug grin.
"Ooooh...I knew that it was too good to be true," Bocue muttered weakly in disappointment as he looked down with his shoulders slumped.
"It's alright, Bocue. I'm here to support you," Decoe replied calmly in empathy as he patted Bocue's shoulder.
"Thanks, Decoe," Bocue muttered weakly with a sad look on his face.
Tch...How sappy...It makes me want to throw up...Shadow thought in annoyance and in disgust as he frowned deeply at Decoe and Bocue as they comforted each other.
"So, Doc, what's this new plan of yours?" Rouge asked curiously with a coy smile and with crossed arms as she looked interested already.
Dr. Eggman grinned even more evilly as his glasses shined across them when he answered coyly, "Oh, you'll find out".
-Meanwhile With Sonic And His Friends-
"Guys! I'm detecting strong chaos energy levels from the northwestern direction! Hang on, guys! I'm heading there right now!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he noticed two blips on the emerald radar on screen. As he said it, he quickly steered the Blue Typhoon a bit to the left.
"R-Really?! Wow! That was fast! I guess that the riddle is coming true after all!" Amy exclaimed in surprise as she was standing up while carrying the board game in her arms. She, Cosmo, and Sonic were standing next to Chris, Tails, and Cream respectively.
"Which means that the board game had sent Dr. Eggman here too with us. This does not bode well for us," Sonic added calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he had his arms crossed and had leant against Chris' seat.
"Ah! Is it true?! Did the board game brought Dr. Eggman here too?! I thought that he was miles away from us!" Chris exclaimed in shock as he stopped typing and stared at Sonic with wide eyes.
"The board game can do many things, Chris. Warping people suddenly to different places is probably something that it can do," Sonic replied calmly with a frown and a shrug as he looked at Chris.
"But...how?!" Chris exclaimed in confusion as he stared at Sonic with a baffled look on his face.
"Chris, do you really think that we know the answer to that question? All we know about the game is that it's mystical and that's it. What else could we tell you?" Sonic replied calmly with a frown and with lowered eyelids.
"I...Uhh...N-Never mind...I guess that I'm still not used to the board game yet. Even when you guys had played it for so long, I'm still baffled at what it can do. It seems...too powerful. Just what is it about that thing that can do whatever it wants? Even the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald aren't that powerful! Just..." Chris replied calmly with a frown on his confused face before he looked at the board game that Amy is holding and had muttered curiously, "...Just what IS that board game?".
Sonic shared Chris' sentiments as he stared at the board game in curiosity. Even he wants to know what that board game is about. If only we can figure out why the board game does what it does...Hmm...Maybe Cosmo can clue us in...Sonic pondered curiously with a frown as he stared at the board game before at Cosmo.
"Hey, Cosmo? Can I ask you a question?" Sonic asked calmly with a little frown.
"O-Oh! Huh? Y-Yeah. What is it, Sonic?" Cosmo replied calmly yet awkwardly as she looked surprise while staring at Sonic.
Sonic shrugged as he asked curiously, "Do you have idea what makes that cursed board game tick?".
"...Huh? What makes it...'tick'?" Cosmo asked in confusion as she looked baffled.
"You know...like how it does the things that it does? How it makes all of the riddles come true? And how it creates these game events for us within minutes? Just how was all of that possible? Do you know, Cosmo? You are the guide after all. Maybe you know how the board game works," Sonic clarified calmly with a curious look on his face as he scratches his chin.
"Oh! That! Uhhh...Umm...Hmm...I think that I do remember how it works...but...Umm..." Cosmo replied calmly yet awkwardly with a frown as she stared at Sonic.
"'But' what?" Sonic asked in curiosity as his eyebrows were raised.
"But...umm...I'm...I'm quite fuzzy on the details...I hadn't answered that question in a long time," Cosmo replied calmly yet awkwardly with a frown as she looked down a bit while having a hand on her chest.
"Oh...Well...It's okay. A hint or two is just as useful as well. Don't be shy, Cosmo. Tell us all about it," Sonic replied calmly with a little smile as he encouraged Cosmo to continue.
"Yeah, Cosmo. We're all curious about it. Right, guys?" Chris encouraged calmly with a smile as he nodded to Cosmo before looking at the others. Tails, Amy, and Cream smiled to Chris and nodded to him before looking at Cosmo.
"It's true, Cosmo. We'll take any sort of clue at this point. Any more knowledge of the board game will help us understand it better and help us be more prepared. Go ahead and tell us, Cosmo. We're listening," Tails encouraged gently with a calm smile and nod as the others nodded too.
"...! Ohh...Uhh...O-Okay then...If you guys insist, then I'll do my best to tell you. But first, let me gather my thoughts for a second. I just need to remember some things about how the board game works and then I'll tell you," Cosmo muttered quietly yet meekly with a gasp and a little smile as she stared at Tails.
"Take your time, Cosmo. We're waiting," Amy replied calmly with a smile and a shrug.
"Yeah! Relax, Cosmo! We'll be happy to wait for you until you're ready!" Cream exclaimed cheerfully with a bright smile as she stared at Cosmo.
"Just don't take too long now. There's no reason to keep us all in suspense you know," Sonic replied calmly with a smile and a shrug.
"Uhh...Sure. I get it...Well, anyways...Let me see...Hmmmm..." Cosmo replied calmly yet quietly with a little smile as she nodded to Sonic again before looking inquisitive as she put her fingers under her chin and looked down to the ground. She tried to recall some information about the board game, but suddenly, her eyes went wide and had gasped a bit when a horrific memory resurfaced in her mind.
"Do not speak of the contents of the game to anyone or else...you shall die...".
"...! Ahh...Ahh..." Cosmo gasped and muttered in shock while looking terrified. Her face turned pale and was sweating a lot after remembering that terrifying memory. Sonic and his friends took notice of this and looked concerned.
"Huh? What's wrong, Cosmo? Why are you looking afraid?" Sonic asked in worry as he looked concerned.
"Yeah, Cosmo. Tell us. Is there something terrible about the board game?" Tails added in worry as he looked concerned as well.
"...I'm...I'm sorry...But I can't tell you guys about the game...I'm sorry...Please forgive me...Please..." Cosmo whispered softly in sadness and in fear her eyes were shaky before she closed them.
"...!" Everyone gasped in shock of this answer. They soon looked even more concerned for Cosmo when they can tell that making her remember anything about her past or the board game itself is hurting her. Oh no...I think that we just triggered more of her bad memories...Tails brooded in sadness as he looked very concerned for Cosmo as he watched her hold herself in fear.
"It's...It's okay, Cosmo. You don't have to apologize to us. We understand completely. You couldn't answer those questions because it brought up more of your bad memories, right?" Tails replied calmly yet gently in concern with a frown.
"Ah! …...Umm...Y-Yes...That's right..." Cosmo muttered quietly yet awkwardly with a sad frown as she looked back up to Tails. Tails frowned even deeper at this, and the others shared the same expression as well.
"I...I see then..." Tails muttered quietly with a sad frown.
"Sorry, Cosmo...I...I didn't mean to make you remember your bad past...I just...I just wanted to know about-" Sonic apologized gently with a sad frown on his face as he stared at Cosmo.
"It's fine, Sonic. It's not your fault. There's...There's no way for you to know about that...I understand your reasonings for asking me that...It's alright..." Cosmo replied calmly yet gently with a little frown as she stared at Sonic.
"Hmmm...Okay...If you say so..." Sonic muttered calmly yet slowly with a sad frown as he wasn't convinced that Cosmo is okay.
"Hmmm..." Cosmo mused quietly with a frown as she stared at Sonic for a bit before looking at the ground again. Soon, it became rather quiet and awkward for a few moments.
…
…
…
"Guys! Guys! You won't believe it! We've found-! ...Huh? Oh...Uhhh...Did I come in at a bad time?" Knuckles exclaimed in shock as he ran inside the bridge before stopping and muttered in awkwardness when he saw that all of his acquaintances were sad and silent.
"..." Everyone didn't say anything to that but just looked sad instead. Knuckles stared at his acquaintances with an awkward look on his face as a sweat drop fell on his head. He then pondered calmly in awkwardness.
...You know what? I'm just going to wait this out for a couple of minutes. It seems that...something happened while I wasn't here...
-10 Minutes Later With Dr. Eggman-
"So...Uhh...What's the plan, Doctor? How are we going to find the Chaos Emeralds in that...that...huge, glowing, green, sphere-like, space fortress?" Decoe asked curiously as Dr. Eggman's purple spaceship flew behind a meteorite.
"It's easy. All we have to do is just let Sonic and his friends find the Chaos Emeralds for us!" Dr. Eggman answered calmly yet confidently with an evil grin.
"What?! You're going to let them find the emeralds for us?! Why?!" Decoe exclaimed in shock as he and Bocue stared back at Dr. Eggman.
"Because two idiots always tell me up front that I suck at finding the emeralds. That's why," Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet deviously with a smug grin as he looked down at Decoe and Bocue.
"(Gulp)…P-Please forgive us, sir. Have mercy..." Decoe muttered awkwardly with a sad yet worried look on his face as he gulped and looked down to the ground.
"Yeah, like we had said before, we're sorry," Bocue muttered sadly with a worried look as he looked down to the ground too.
"All will be forgiven once we snatch the last two emeralds after having Sonic and his friends find them for us. Yep. That's the plan, ladies and gentlemen. It's the old 'Use them and lose them' plan. Now, this is a foolproof plan if I do say so myself!" Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet brightly with an evil grin as he leant back into his seat while putting his hands behind his head.
"Oh, it's a foolproof plan, Doctor, however, there is just one problem with it," Rouge commented casually with a smirk as she stared at the space fortress with her arms crossed.
"Oh? And what's that, Rouge?" Dr. Eggman asked calmly with a frown as he looked at her.
"I'm talking about the Metarex. You can mess with Sonic and his gullible friends all you want, but if you don't take down the Metarex's defenses first, then the Metarex are going to mess with you instead. And you don't want that now, right?" Rouge answered calmly with a smirk as she kept staring at the space fortress.
Dr. Eggman frowned a lot as he saw that Rouge had a point in that. If he was ever going to succeed in this, he needs to take out the Metarex first before he can start his diabolical plan. Grrr...Why does she have to poke holes into my plans? It's very aggravating! Unfortunately, it's true. If I don't act fast, then the Metarex will destroy us all, and I'll never achieve my goals for universal domination. But I don't know how I can kill two birds with one stone! ...Unless...Dr. Eggman brooded with a frown as he kept staring harshly at the view in front of him. But when he was in the middle of his thoughts, the Blue Typhoon flew ahead of his spaceship while hiding behind a meteorite. When he saw that, he grinned a lot in deviousness as another wicked idea came into his head.
...Unless I adapt my plan to make things easier for myself...Dr. Eggman thought evilly with a devious grin.
"No, I don't, Rouge. However, I think that you had underestimated my plan just a bit. It will work out quite perfectly well. Let's just say that the 'Use them and lose them' plan is more flexible than you think. Especially in the situation that we're all in right now," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with an evil grin as he kept staring at the Blue Typhoon.
Rouge stared at Dr. Eggman for a moment before at the Blue Typhoon and had smirked even more as she saw where he's getting at here. She replied calmly with a smirk, "I guess that I did underestimate you, Doc. You're more clever than I thought".
"Ohohoho! You have no idea," Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet deviously with a smirk as he chuckled a bit.
-Meanwhile With Sonic and Friends-
"What are we doing standing around here for?! I just said that there are two Chaos Emeralds that we can get! And they're in that fortress! So, let's go in!" Knuckles exclaimed solemnly with a frown as he stared at Tails.
"Knuckles! This fortress isn't anything like Dr. Eggman's previous fortresses! It's completely loaded with laser weapons of all kinds! And we nearly got killed by one of its weapons five minutes earlier! Haven't you forgotten what we're fighting against here?! It's space poachers for crying out loud! They know how kill others ruthlessly and effortlessly like the back of their hand! So, no! We are not going to run in there willy-nilly and get ourselves killed!" Tails exclaimed back solemnly with a frown.
"But Tails! That was just a lousy shot! The Metarex missed us by hitting the meteorite instead! With that kind of bad aim, we can easily sneak in there and grab the emeralds!" Knuckles argued back with a solemn frown and with clenched fists as he looked determined. Sonic was just standing next to Knuckles while having his arms crossed and looking solemn too. Geez...And you blame me for being rash and impatient at times. Well, look in the mirror, Knucklehead. You're just as rash and impatient as me. Sonic pondered calmly in annoyance as he frowned at Knuckles.
"We were just lucky, Knuckles! We could've been in danger due to their sudden attacks! And we don't know when they're going to attack again! We have to stay back for now until we can figure out a way to lower the Metarex's defenses!" Tails argued back with a solemn frown on his determined face.
"But that'll take too much time!" Knuckles exclaimed in irritation as he gritted his teeth at that.
"Now, you know how I feel, Knucklehead," Sonic commented casually with an annoyed look on his face as he lowered his eyelids at Knuckles.
"Grrr...Shut it, Sonic," Knuckles muttered lowly in irritation as he growled a bit while glancing at Sonic with a grimace.
"Look, Knuckles. I want to get the last two Chaos Emeralds as much as you do, but I'm not risking anybody's lives here by charging into the fortress with guns a blazing. Remember, Knuckles. We're all playing a game here, and in said game, you need to come up with well-thought-out strategies and battle tactics to survive. Especially since we're being hunted down by strong, space poachers called the Metarex. And let this be a reminder to you that these poachers had hunted down innocent prey for years and had gained plenty of experience by doing that. They know how they can catch us off guard and counterattack us. Running into their own fortress blindly is the stupidest move that you can ever make in a game like this. In other words, Knuckles, the answer is no!" Tails argued back calmly with a frown as he relaxed a little to calm himself down.
"I...Ugggh! ...Fine! I just thought that it was a good idea! No need to make a speech about it! Sheesh!" Knuckles exclaimed tiredly in annoyance as he grimaced and crossed his arms while looking away from Tails and Sonic.
"'A good idea'? Pfft! Yeah, right," Sonic commented in amusement with a smirk as he stared at Knuckles.
"...Don't...start," Knuckles grumbled through gritted teeth as he glared at Sonic. Sonic just shrugged at that in slight amusement.
He then walked in front of Knuckles and replied calmly with a smile, "Anyways, Tails is right, Knuckles. We need to take our time and come up with a plan to outwit those poachers. With all of us together, we can use our heads and create a brilliant plan that even Eggman could admit that it's clever! We got this!".
"Pfft! As if you half-wits could come up with a plan that sounds even remotely clever! My astounding genius is much larger than all of your puny minds combined! Why waste your time coming up with a brilliant idea when I already come up with one instead?! Curious to know as to what it is?" Dr. Eggman spoke out loud through the screen above Sonic and Knuckles. Everyone looked up at the screen to see Dr. Eggman communicating through it. They all gasped in shock when they heard him speaking suddenly. Sonic and Knuckles stared solemnly at Dr. Eggman while feeling anxious and on-guard right now.
Anything that Eggman comes up with will always end with something going wrong. And who's to say that he has a trap for us? I bet one hundred percent that he does have a trap for us. Sonic and Knuckles pondered at the same time with solemn frowns on their faces.
After a brief silence, Sonic spoke up and replied calmly with a frown, "...To be honest, Eggman, no, I'm not curious. But I'll ask for the sake of it. What is your brilliant plan then?".
"It's rather simple. We just team up and take down the Metarex together. Think of this as a brief truce between us," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a smile as he saw that he has Sonic's attention.
"Say what?! A truce?!" Sonic exclaimed in surprise as his eyes went wide and as his mouth gaped. Didn't see that one coming! Sonic thought while looking shocked and confused. Meanwhile, the others were just as shocked and confused as Sonic was when Dr. Eggman mentioned a truce.
Is he serious?! A truce?! No way! Everyone besides Sonic thought in shock and in confusion.
"Oh, now, I see what you had meant when you said that your plan is flexible, and honestly, I don't mind it one bit. We can all use some extra muscle every once in a while, and this is the perfect time for that. You're quite brilliant, Doctor. I'm impressed," Rouge said calmly with a coy smile as she looked at Dr. Eggman while having her arms crossed.
"Hmph. I know. Anyways, what do you say, Sonic? Truce or no truce?" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a smirk as he glanced at Rouge before talking to Sonic again.
"How about no?" Sonic asked with an annoyed frown as he stared at Dr. Eggman.
"That might've been the smartest thing that you had said, Sonic, and I agree completely. No truce," Knuckles added calmly with a solemn frown as he looked at Sonic before looking back up at Dr. Eggman.
"Aww, come on, you guys. Don't be like that. Haven't you forgotten about that one time on Space Colony Ark when we had set aside our differences to save the world? We had worked together at that time, and we did it perfectly well. Can't we just do it again except with the Metarex instead? Pretty please?" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a sheepish look on his face.
"No," Sonic and Knuckles answered at the same time with solemn frowns on their faces.
"Are you guys really sure that you don't want to work together with me? I know that I'm your enemy and all but just hear me out on this one. We both know that the Metarex wants to have all the Chaos Emeralds to themselves, and we can't have that. Those emeralds technically belong to us, and if we let these dumb poachers get all of the Chaos Emeralds, then we're basically screwed. Not just us, but the entire universe as we know it. Sure, I may be the bad guy here since I want all of the Chaos Emeralds, but in this scenario, I'm the lesser of the two evils. I'm not sure at what the Metarex are planning, but I'm willing to bet that their diabolical plan is way worse than mine. Are you with me so far, Sonic?" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a sheepish smile as he reasoned to Sonic and the others.
"..." Sonic and Knuckles were silent at that. The hardest part about this is that Dr. Eggman has a point. They have no clue as to what the poachers' plan is about really. Not only that, but they just knew that they can't let the Metarex gather all the Chaos Emeralds together. Nothing good could ever come to that if it ever happens. So, despite how much they don't trust Dr. Eggman, they do know that when he's right, he's right.
Sonic then looked even more solemn as he replied calmly, "...I am, Doctor. Carry on then".
"Very well. Since you now realize what the consequences are if the Metarex get the emeralds, we must work fast to put a stop to their plans. Which is why I suggest that we work together. We're basically saving ourselves from the poachers if we do this. If we're going to survive, then we need to set aside our differences for now until we're safe again. So then...do we have a truce or not?" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a confident smile.
Sonic frowned a bit at that since he's still uncertain. So, he replied calmly with, "...Give us a few minutes to talk about it. I'll answer back to you when we're done with our discussion".
"Okay. I understand then. I'll let you guys discuss to yourselves and ponder upon my suggestion. Ta-ta!" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a bright smile and a nod before he turned off the transmission. Sonic sighed a bit tiredly before he turned around and walked towards the center of the bridge.
"Alright, guys. Huddle!" Sonic said calmly with a solemn frown as he waved his hands towards himself for emphasis. Everyone looked at Sonic and nodded in agreement as they gathered around Sonic to discuss what they just heard from Dr. Eggman. They all looked solemn yet anxious since they were worried about what Dr. Eggman is planning. The first one to speak up was Cream.
"I don't like this one bit. Dr. Eggman is a meanie, and there is no doubt in my mind that he's going to trick us. We can't have a truce! (Chao Chao!)" Cream said calmly yet solemnly with a frown while holding onto the board game after Amy gave it to her. Cheese agreed with her after hearing her say that.
"Yeah, we all don't want to be a Knuckles here. Right, Knuckles?" Amy agreed calmly yet sternly with a solemn frown as she put her hands on her hips and as she glared a bit at Knuckles.
"Uhh...R-Right..." Knuckles muttered awkwardly with a little frown and with a sweat drop on his head. Hey! At least, I said "no" the first time after hearing the suggestion! Doesn't that count for something?! Knuckles pondered with a frown while looking awkward.
"Well, since we don't want to get used by Dr. Eggman, shouldn't we just deny his suggestion and come up with our own plan instead? That sounds like a safer option to me," Chris spoke up calmly with a solemn frown as he looked at Sonic and Tails.
"I agree, Chris. Maybe we will avoid falling into Eggman's trap if we do our own thing instead. As the captain here, I have to keep everyone safe," Tails agreed calmly with a solemn frown and a nod as he looked at Chris.
"I...I do want to be safe. Please everyone. Let's all agree to deny Eggman's suggestion. For all of our sakes," Cosmo spoke up softly with a little frown and with folded hands as she stood next to Tails.
"Hold up there, guys. Let's not completely dismiss Eggman's suggestion here. It actually sounds like a good idea to me," Sonic replied calmly with a little smile as he raised his hand up.
"What?! Are you nuts?!" Everyone besides Sonic exclaimed in shock while looking alarmed.
"Sonic! Don't be a Knuckles! You're better than that!" Amy yelled in frustration as she frowned a lot while pointing at Sonic.
"Yeah! Don't be like me! ...Hey!" Knuckles yelled in frustration with a deep frown as he glared at Sonic while putting a hand on his chest before glaring at Amy after realizing what she had meant.
"Seriously, Sonic! Do you really think that it's a good idea?! It has to be a trap!" Chris exclaimed in alarm as he frowned a lot in worry.
"Yeah, Sonic! We know Dr. Eggman's MMO at this point! He'll trick us just to get more Chaos Emeralds! It happened like three times already with Knuckles over here!" Tails exclaimed in alarm while frowning in worry too as he shrugged at Sonic.
"Again! Hey!" Knuckles yelled in frustration as he glared at Tails with a deep frown while having his fists up.
"Sonic, I know that you're desperate into getting all of the Chaos Emeralds! But I don't think that this is the right path to take! As your guide here, I say that the path you're treading on now is very dangerous! Please listen, Sonic! I know that you're smart and wise here, so listen to us when we say that this is not a good idea! It's a terrible idea! It's one that will end in disaster!" Cosmo exclaimed solemnly with a worried frown as she stared at Sonic pleadingly.
"It's true, Mr. Sonic! Unlike Mr. Knuckles over here, you have always listened to your friends! So don't do this, Sonic! Don't be an idiot! That's Mr. Knuckles' job! (Chao! Chao!)" Cream exclaimed solemnly with a frown as she looked serious while staring at Sonic. Cheese chipped seriously too with a frown and with crossed arms.
"Ugh! What is this?! 'Pick On Knuckles Day'?! Why do you guys keep ragging me on like this?! What did I do to deserve this?!" Knuckles yelled in shock as he frowned awkwardly while raising a fist at the others. After hearing Knuckles say that, everyone turned to look at Knuckles with annoyed looks on their faces. Knuckles stared back at them in confusion.
"...What? What did I say?" Knuckles asked in confusion as he frowned a little while sweating a bit again.
"...Knuckles...You know why we're doing this..." Amy muttered calmly yet tiredly with an annoyed frown and with lowered eyelids.
"I...I don't! I don't know what...O-Oh...Umm...J-Just stop rubbing it in...Please..." Knuckles exclaimed in confusion before he muttered quietly in awkwardness as he frowned a lot and looked down to the ground in embarrassment. Everyone just sighed and shook their heads at that before looking at each other in seriousness again.
"Anyways, Sonic, just please be reasonable here and don't go with Dr. Eggman's plan. Who knows how he's going to betray us again?" Amy said calmly yet solemnly with a frown as she stared at Sonic with hands on her hips.
"Guys, just settle down here. I know how worried you guys are when it comes to Dr. Eggman tricking us. But let me clarify here and say that I'm fully aware that Dr. Eggman is going to screw us over in the end. However, I still think that we should work together with him so that we can make progress into infiltrating that Metarex fortress. We still need to handle their defenses, right? So what are we going to do to counter that without Dr. Eggman's assistance?" Sonic replied calmly with a little smile as he waved his hands down for emphasis.
"Umm...Well...I...I'm not sure," Tails muttered slowly in confusion as he frowned a lot at that.
"Exactly. If we don't know how to counter their defenses, then the only way around it is ask Dr. Eggman for help. He, Shadow, and Rouge can help us out by getting us into that fortress safely without being attacked. I say that this is the best option to take," Sonic replied calmly with a smile and a nod.
"But are you sure that it's a good idea to trust Dr. Eggman, Sonic? He can still betray us at any moment," Chris replied calmly yet solemnly with a worried frown on his face as he stared at Sonic.
"Don't worry about that, Chris. Just because I do want to work together with him, that doesn't mean that I trust him. I think that it's best for all of us to stay on guard and be prepared for when he does betray us. Besides, we need to be the ones who gets the Chaos Emeralds in the end, and we all don't want Dr. Eggman to get them. So, in a way...we're going to be both cooperating and competing at the same time. Do you guys understand now? We're just to compete with Dr. Eggman while under the guise of cooperating with him. Understand?" Sonic replied calmly with a bright smile and with his hands out as he explained his reasonings. Everyone looked at each other curiously as they processed what Sonic had said, but soon they smiled a little as they understood what Sonic is planning here.
"You know what, Sonic? I think that is a great idea! Eggman wouldn't know the difference between us working with him or competing with him! Being prepared for his betrayal is probably the best way for us to handle him during our truce! Alright, Sonic! I've changed my mind! Let's form a temporary truce with him!" Tails replied calmly yet brightly with a smile and with clenched fists as he looked determined.
"Great! Anyone else?" Sonic replied calmly yet brightly with a huge smile and a nod as he looked at the others.
"I'm in!(Chao! Chao!)" Cream exclaimed brightly with a happy smile as Cheese agreed as well.
"I'm in!" Amy exclaimed brightly as well with a calm smile and a nod.
"Count me in too," Chris replied calmly with a smile and a nod.
"Yeah, I'm in too," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile and a nod as well.
"...Umm...O-Okay. Me too. I...I hope that this plan will turn out okay," Cosmo replied calmly yet meekly with a little, worried frown as she nodded her head too.
"No problem, Cosmo! It will!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin as he gave her a thumbs-up for encouragement. Cosmo smiled a little at that as she's happy that Sonic is cheering her up with his optimism. Oh, what am I worried about? This is Sonic who we're talking here. He knows what he's doing, and I should...trust him. After all...he's my friend...and so is everyone else...My friends will keep me safe in the end. I just know it! Cosmo pondered calmly yet brightly with a little smile as she placed her hand on her chest.
"Well now, since everybody's onboard, I guess that there is one last thing that we need to do! …Yo! Egghead! I've finally made up my mind!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a smile as he looked at everyone before looking up at the blank, static screen. Everyone also looked up at the screen too. Soon, Dr. Eggman turned on the transmission again when he heard Sonic calling out to him.
"Oh, really then? So what's your answer? Truce or no truce?" Dr. Eggman asked calmly yet curiously with a bright grin.
Sonic then smirked as he answered confidently yet brightly with a thumbs up, "It's truce, Eggman! We're in!".
"Ah! Marvelous! I'm so glad that you see things my way for a change, Sonic! If only you can do that more often!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed brightly with a huge grin.
"Ha! In your dreams, Eggman!" Sonic exclaimed brightly yet cockily in amusement as he smirked at Dr. Eggman. Dr. Eggman frowned a lot in annoyance after hearing Sonic say that. Chris decided to ignore that and had spoken to Dr. Eggman next.
"Alright, Eggman. Now that we're in a team, what should we do with that huge Metarex fortress? Should we all attack it together with all of our weapons?" Chris said calmly yet solemnly with a frown.
Dr. Eggman soon smiled again as he calmly yet enthusiastically replied, "My goodness! No! What kind of barbaric mindset are you on right now, Chris? Did Knuckles over there rub off his stubborn, barbaric nature onto you? Cause it seems like it did!".
"Okay! Does everyone want to pick on me today?! What did I do to deserve this?!" Knuckles yelled in frustration as he looked irritated while having his fists clenched and while looking at everyone.
"Nobody cares, Knuckles," Everyone including Eggman replied calmly in unison with either smiles or frowns as they looked at Knuckles. Knuckles frowned a lot in annoyance as he put his arms in front of him and bent forward while having a sweat drop on his head.
"...You guys are the worst..." Knuckles muttered quietly in annoyance as he frowned deeply and as he had half-lidded eyes.
"...(A-hem!)...Anyways, to answer your question, Chris, we're going to do this the easy way and let Shadow and Rouge sneak in there in order to deactivate the weapons on the inside. That will get things moving smoothly if we do that," Dr. Eggman said calmly with a smile after clearing his throat a bit to get everyone's attention again. Everyone soon looked surprised when Dr. Eggman had that as a plan. They soon saw Shadow on screen for emphasis on his point.
"Oh! That makes perfect sense! With Shadow's Chaos Control powers and Rouge's sneaking skills, they can infiltrate the fortress without being detected! You really do have this all planned out, sir! Your genius shows no bounds!" Decoe exclaimed brightly with an understanding look on his face.
"Hard to believe that he came up with it just minutes ago! He's more crafty than I had expected! And I don't expect much from him anyway!" Bocue exclaimed brightly with an amazed look on his face as he stared at Decoe.
"I told you that my genius mind is greater than all of yours combined! Hopefully, all of you will respect me a lot more after this!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed brightly with a proud grin on his face.
"I don't know about that, Doc. Since Shadow and me can get in just fine, then what's the point into teaming up with Sonic and his friends? We could just steal the Chaos Emeralds that way and leave Sonic and the others in the dust. Why take the more complicated route when there's a simpler route instead?" Rouge replied calmly with a little frown as she turned her body around to look at Dr. Eggman.
"Because nothing about me is simple, Rouge. I'm just as an enigma as you are, and my crafty ideas go beyond simplicity. They are always complex thanks to my brilliance," Dr. Eggman answered calmly with a grin as his glasses shined across them again.
"Well, Doc, that might be the only truthful thing that you had ever said about yourself. Everything else is just lies," Rouge replied coyly with a smirk and with crossed arms as she looked back at the screen.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a liar. But whatever. That's not important right now. What is important is our first step in our infiltration plan," Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet casually with a smile and a handwave before switching on the map tracker on his ship. He switched it to show the fortress's layout on screen. While the screen showed all parts of the fortress on the inside, Dr. Eggman continued by saying calmly, "Alright, folks. Here's the full plan. First, Shadow and Rouge will sneak into the fortress and find the main computer that controls the entire fortress. Once they find it, they will hack into it and force it to shut down its defenses. That's the first part of the plan. The second part of the plan will start when we sneak into the fortress undetected without getting attacked by the fortress's weapons. And the last part of the plan, which is the obvious, we'll just race towards the center of the fortress and take the Chaos Emeralds for ourselves".
"Oh, so it's a race, huh? I'm down with that," Sonic said calmly with a smile as he stared at the map on screen. Heh. Looks like I had made the right call into making this as a cooperative effort and a competition at the same time. It seems that even Eggman sees it that way too. Sonic pondered calmly with a smile.
"I'm curious though. If either of us gets to emeralds first, then should we split them since we're working together? Or do we take them all since we're competing each other? You did say that we'll race, right? So what will it be at that point? A cooperation or a competition?" Knuckles asked calmly with a solemn frown as he stared up at the screen too.
"Think of this as a friendly competition. Once you find the emeralds, you can keep them without giving them to us. Sure, we may be working together to enter the fortress to begin with, but when it's all said and done, we can have some fun and have a friendly race instead! Besides, you guys are playing that board game for crying out loud! Don't tell me that you don't feel any sort of competitiveness within you whenever you play that game. Even when you guys work together, you'll always have a bit of a competitive spirit within you. So, in other words, what we're doing now is no different. Any objections?" Dr. Eggman answered calmly yet brightly with a smile as he stared back at the group after turning off the map.
"No objections from me, Your Honor!" Sonic exclaimed brightly yet playfully with a smirk and a thumbs-up.
"Well then, since you guys are onboard with this competition, I suppose that now would be a good time to create teams for our sides. You can create your team on your own. But as for my side...it be Shadow and Rouge! Anyways, Eggman out!" Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a smile before he turned off the transmission again.
"Who says that we have to be on your side? We can be on Sonic's side for a change!" Rouge protested with a frown as she stared at Dr. Eggman sadly. Besides, I want to see Knuckles again! It's been so long since I've messed with his head! Being on Dr. Eggman's side is such a drag! How annoying! Rouge pondered in frustration and in disappointment as she frowned a lot.
"You're on my side because you had infiltrated into my ship. Think of this as a punishment for doing that in the first place. Let this be a reminder to you, Rouge. Mess with me, and you'll be messed with right back," Dr. Eggman replied calmly with a mischievous grin as he looked back at Rouge.
"Ah! …Grrr...Hmph! Fine! I'll be on your side! You're lucky that I'm doing this for the emeralds. I wouldn't have agreed to this if it wasn't for that," Rouge replied in annoyance with a growl as she looked irritated while looking away from Dr. Eggman with her arms crossed. Sheesh, Eggman can be a real pain in butt sometimes, but then again, I just might have a chance to get two Chaos Emeralds for myself. So, maybe I can forgive him a little for making me go into the fortress first. It will be like a head start for me. Rouge pondered calmly with a frown and with narrowed eyelids before she smiled mischievously as she got an idea.
"Well then, I hope that this will teach you a lesson into breaking into my ship. Because now, you're going to break into that fortress. That's an order!" Dr. Eggman replied calmly yet sternly with a frown.
"Oh, don't worry, Egghead. I'll do as I'm told. After all, that's what teammates do, right?" Rouge replied calmly with a smile as she looked back at Dr. Eggman.
Dr. Eggman smiled broadly as he replied calmly yet cheerfully, "That's the spirit, Rouge! Cooperation is the key to victory, you know! And this victory will soon be ours before you know it!".
-Meanwhile With Sonic and Friends-
"You know what, guys? I think that I'm having second thoughts about this truce we're having right now. Dr. Eggman is totally going to cheat the moment the race starts. Why did we agree to work with him anyhow? He's a dirty cheater!" Amy complained with a deep frown and with hands on her hips. Tails stood between Amy and Knuckles while looking worried.
He then replied calmly with a concerned frown and with a sweat drop on his head, "Amy, we all know that he's going to betray us, but we're doing this just so that we can get inside safely. We have to rely on Dr. Eggman, Shadow, and Rouge right now. There's nothing that we can do for now".
"But do we really have to rely on them? We have two lying thieves and an apathetic hedgehog here. This plan is going to end in disaster with them getting the Chaos Emeralds first," Knuckles replied calmly with a solemn frown and with closed eyes as he had his arms crossed.
"Well, like Mr. Sonic had said, we can just be on our guard and keep an eye out for them so that we can be ready for when either of them betrays us. So, someone should join with Shadow and Rouge to make sure they don't do any funny stuff while they do their mission," Cream replied calmly with a little frown as she stood next to Knuckles and looked at him and the others.
"Well, I'm not going because Shadow is not Sonic!" Amy objected with a deep frown and with closed eyes.
"And I'm not going because Rouge ticks me off!" Knuckles objected with an annoyed frown and with closed eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised to hear you two say that," Cream replied calmly with a sad frown while still holding onto the board game.
"(Sigh)...Neither am I," Tails muttered calmly yet tiredly with a sigh and with slumped shoulders.
"Well, since no one had volunteered yet, I suppose that I'll be the one to do it. Besides, I don't want to be useless for the entire two-parter anyway (A/N And by two-parter, I meant the episodes. Not chapters)," Chris replied calmly with a solemn frown as he stepped up towards the gang.
"So, you really are going to be a spy for us, huh? Do you have any cool gadgets with you?" Amy asked calmly yet curiously with an intrigued look on her face.
"Uhh...No," Chris answered awkwardly with a frown and a headshake.
"Wow, you're like the worst spy ever!" Amy exclaimed brightly in amusement as she smiled a lot at that.
"Look, I'm just here to be a hero. I didn't ask to be mocked," Chris muttered calmly yet tiredly in annoyance as he frowned a lot and slumped forward his shoulders while sweating a lot.
"Well, if you're going to be a spy, then you should at least have some cool gadgets with you. If you don't have that, then you'll immediately get mocked by others. Spies are inherently cool, you know, and if you don't do what spies do, then you're not going to be cool. You're just going to be a nerd," Sonic teased playfully with a smirk and with lowered eyelids as he stared at Chris while having his hands on his hips.
"Oh, thank you very much for that informative tip, Sonic. You really do know how to help me out when I need it. Thanks," Chris replied sarcastically with an annoyed frown and with lowered eyelids as he stared back at Sonic.
"You're very welcome! Heheheh!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin and with a thumbs-up as he chuckled a little.
Chris sighed tiredly and shook his head before smiling a little as he pondered to himself. Oh, well. It doesn't matter. What matters here is that I will have the chance to meet Shadow again. I don't know if Shadow does remember me, but...I hope that he will. After all, I...I just want to be remembered...
"Chris?" Cosmo asked calmly as she stood next to Chris and looked up at him.
"O-Oh! Y-Yeah?" Chris muttered awkwardly in surprise since Cosmo brought him out of his thoughts.
"Just...Just be safe while you go with Shadow and Rouge. We don't want you to be hurt," Cosmo replied calmly in concern as she frowned a little while looking at Chris.
Chris nodded to her as he replied calmly with a little frown, "Don't worry, Cosmo. Shadow and Rouge will look out for me. I just know that they will".
Soon, the screen turned on again, and it showed Dr. Eggman, Rouge, and Shadow again. But mostly at Shadow. The others looked back up at the screen after hearing it being turned again. Chris stared solemnly at Shadow with a determined look on his face.
Shadow...I don't know what's on your mind right now. But I have to know what you think of us now...Especially...how you think of me...It's finally time for us to meet at last...Chris pondered calmly with a solemn frown on his face as he stared at Shadow. He then mused one last time with this thought as he looked even more determined than ever.
...And I just hope that you had changed for the better...Just like I did...
Oh, man! Part one is done! And things are about to get exciting as the Midgame continues! Thanks for your support and patience as the story goes on! Especially when part two comes out soon! But for now, back to homework and stuff! I hope that you had enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in part two!