The storm had for the most part calmed down, for now anyway. Cruising down the windy main road of crystal valley. Its streets winding and bending in and out of caves, were Tangle and Whisper. They were barely able to escape the Spiral Hill and it was hard to get Tangle to abandon her home town, but there wasn't much of a choice. Driving past a sign that reads Welcome to Neptune ville! Neptune ville was a small town near the edge of the Crystal Valley. They didn't mean to drive here, but they couldn't go back now. Pulling into a gas station, Tangle pulls the handbrake and lets out a tired sigh.
"It's too late to go back, we can't drive though a thunderstorm at night." Tangle said, struggling to stay awake. The sun had a long set and the only real reason they were still awake is because they couldn't just pull off to the side of the road and rest for the night. Tangle wanted to reach a town at the very least, before she got some rest. Whisper grabbed her Wisp-Rifle, mask and a hoodie. She knew the cold was deadly, especially when you underestimated it. It was always better to be safe than sorry. Opening the sliding door of the Microbus she jumps, closing the door behind her.
Raising her rifle she carefully made her way to the gas station convenience store. Opening the door she scoped out the store. The power was out across the town, but this was the only building they had seen so far with some semblance of electricity. With the door closed and the rain muffled she could easily hear the sound of a generator. Someone was clearly still using the building, whether or not they were friendly was a completely different story. Even with this knowledge they weren't in the room at the moment and had most likely not heard her enter as the building weirdly didn't have a door chime.
Walking up to the caned food isle she scopes out for the most sustainable food out of the options. Looking over to one of the racks she sees a few remaining cans of beans. Grabbing three she quickly makes her silent exit. Walking back to the Microbus she opens the door and climbs in. Shutting the door she sets the cans down on one of the seats." I'm back." Whisper said lightly kicking Tangles chair. The lemur flinches up before shaking her head." I thought you would've taken longer." Tangle said chuckling lightly. Whisper simply grins. As Tangle turns the bus on and begins to slowly drive down the road the two have a talk about everything that's been happening.
" I just- never thought we'd be in a situation like this, first the Metal virus and now not even a year later this?" Tangle rambled weakly still barely awake.
" Disaster waits for no one." Whisper said solemnly. Tangle looks around the streets and houses around them. It was unusually quiet, no civilians running around, no Restoration members fighting against the Eggman army, nothing.
" Wonder why everyone left in such a hurry?" Tangle asked driving through the streets looking for any kind of shelter that might keep them hidden, in case anything was here.
"Most have been evacuated." Whisper guessed." There was a lot of radio traffic."
Tangle looked back at Whisper.
" Radio traffic?"
"A lot of people are asking for assistance."
"Don't think the Eggman had anything to do with that?"
"He definitely plays a part."
Tangle looked back at the road ahead.
" Maybe Eggman caused this." She proposed." Again, he definitely plays a part in it." Whisper responded. Tangle eventually found a building she thought was suitable as a resting place. It was a parking garage with three floors. Other than several abandoned vehicles it was mostly normal. Driving in they maneuver the Microbus around the several hastily parked vehicles and pull into a spot.
Pulling up the handbrake Tangle sighs in relief. Pulling a lever she quickly swings her chair down, turning it into a sort of bed." Well! I'm going to sleep. You can patrol if you want, but I doubt anyone else is here." the lemur said already dosing off. Whisper didn't respond, looking out the window she quickly scopes the parking lot. While she wasn't at her sharpest, she was still able to make sure nothing was there. Her scoping is interrupted however by the loudest snore she had heard in months. Looking forward she sees Tangle fast asleep. Despite its volume, she was bothered by it. Standing up Whisper makes her way to the back of the bus. Lying down on the back seat she takes a few moments to herself.
Something was off about this town and she could feel it, everything was quiet and from what she learned nothing is ever truly quiet, only waiting in silence. She mostly shrugs the thought off. Not everything has to be out to kill you. The town might've just evacuated and that's just it. Holding onto that thought she doses off. The town once again was left in silence. Several hours pass and the two rest peacefully, until-
Whisper hears a loud *thunk* coming from something nearby, the sound was loud enough to awaken her. Getting up she looks around trying to see where the sound came from. She got her answer. Parked not too far down was a truck, the side of painted with the all too familiar Eggman logo.
It was a pear of his mercenaries. Whisper let out a sigh. Keeping her head down she overhears their conversation.
"I still can't believe you got us lost!" A female voice said. Peaking out the glass she sees the two, the women a white fox with a black bodysuit, red jacket and boots, Eggman's logo on the clothes confirming that she is an Eggman mercenary.
" Who was the one holding the map?" The other mercenary asked bluntly. He was a tan hedgehog with a similar suit to the fox minus the jacket.
Whisper silently reached back, grabbing her Wisp-Rifle and aiming it at the hedgehog's head.
" Okay! We're both equally at fault. Let's just head back, the storm isn't too bad we should be able to group up with the rest of our company." The fox said looking back at the truck. The hedgehog sighed." Trace, do you really want that?" He was exhausted.
" What are you talking about? Of course." Trace asked confused.
" Really? We have no contact with Eggman so we don't even know if he's still helping us win this stupid war, we have no pay, we have no supplies that are useful in for this stupid storm he made, may I go on?" The hedgehog asked.
" Okay, I understand, but you don't have to cry about it. We will be paid if we do the job he sent our company to do." Trace reassured." Yeah, yeah capture that lemur and wolf girl. Where are we going to find them anyway?" The hedgehog asked annoyed." I'd say look behind you." Whisper said her rifle inches away from his head." What the-" is all Trace could say before being knocked out by Tangle." Whoa whoa whoa!" The hedgehog yelled raising his arms in surrender." Look I'm not going to fight you! No need to be violent!" He said almost cowering." Eh sorry, but we're not taking that risk!" Tangle said before kicking the hedgehog in the face, sending to the ground unconscious.
"So. What do we do with them?" Tangle asked to stretch her legs.
" I think we keep them for now, and it could be useful to learn information about all of this." Whisper said. Nodding at each other, Tangle and Whisper proceed with this plan.