Dark Meetings
The stories of Fox, Knuckles, Sonic and Mario were all separate. That was up until now when their friends and loved ones had been kidnapped. And they had all been kidnapped by the same people. Well not the same people in person but the same people, working together.
Wolf and his team piloted their Wolfens through the sky. The sky was black with night and some cloud cover fogged their view
"ETA in 3." Panther said on his radio.
"I can't see a thing in this fog." Leon grumbled.
"I can see plenty from here." Panther cast a glance over his shoulder where he saw Krystal their prisoner tied up. "And I'm enjoying the view."
"Geez, do you ever shut up!" Leon said to him.
"Calm yourselves, both of you. "Wolf commanded. Right at that moment the fog cleared and the trio found what they were looking for." We're here." The three continued to fly their ships towards a dark, deserted looking castle jolting out of the mountainside. The place looked abandoned and out of it's own time.
They landed their ships on the flattest ground they could manage and then disembarked. Panther held Krystal over his shoulder and with Wolf leading the way they entered into the castle.
The halls were dark and without light. The only way they could see was the natural light of the moon shining in from the stain glass windows. The place was made entirely of stone but void of anything in the castle itself. There were cobwebs all around the corners and time itself had taken a sledgehammer to more than one spot in this place.
The trio continued forward taking a right at the corner into another long hallway. Wolf casually reached into his pocket to pull out his cigar and lighter. But as he did that his ears twitched. He heard something, a faint tapping sound. He slowed down his pace which would have alerted Leon and Panther if they hadn't heard it already themselves. Someone else was in there with them. His mechanical eye scanned the darkness for whoever it was.
Wolf pulled out his cigar and put it in his mouth. Then he produced the flame in his lighter, allowing for some more light in his general area. He brought it to the cigar and took one puff. And then right as he exhaled he dropped the lighter to the ground and everything became dark.
In the shadows the sounds of grunting and scuffling could be heard. Then all at once the lights turned on and Star Wolf found that they were three of the six now in this hallway.
Leon was eye to eye with Sly Cooper. The Raccoon managing to have a pin Leon's left hand to the wall, good for him because it was holding a gun. But it was bad for Sly since Leon also had a knife in his right hand and it was pointing at Sly's throat.
Panther had been hoisted into the air by Murray. But both man held extra baggage with Panther holding Krystal and Murray holding Julie-Su over his right shoulder.
And lastly Wolf had his blaster sitting right in-between Bentley's eyes. The turtle shook with fright in his wheelchair, while strapped behind him was Carmelita. The turtle gulped down his fear as Wolf took a step back and put his pistol away.
"What are you doing here?" Wolf asked.
Muray put Panther back on the ground and Sly and Leon lowered their guard.
"Completing a job." Sly responded. He slung his cane over his shoulder." And I'd say we did it in record time."
"We said we'd handle everything." Wolf said.
"And don't get cocky." Leon said poking Sly in the chest." We got here first."
"Wrong." Said a voice from behind them. They all turned around and there was Solid Snake. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, next to him was the door to the next room.
"I got here before all of you." He looked to Panther who held Krystal, then Murray and Bentley who had Julie-Su and Carmelita." And I did alone what you all needed a team to do." Wolf and Sly glared their aggression at him. But then another voice broke in, a female voice.
"Let's save this contest for later." Said Gruntilda as she pushed her way from behind Murray then past Panther." We have another issue to address." Then she walked past Snake and into the next room. Everyone followed after her saying nothing but glancing with aggression at the each other.
Gruntilda led them to an open room. Unlike other parts of the castle this place had some decoration to it with tapestries on the wall with paintings of battles in a time long past. And on the floor was a red rug that spanned nearly the entire length of the room. And above three short, small steps was a throne of stone. And someone was in it.
It was Ganondorf the Dark Wizard and owner of the Triforce of Power. It was he who was the ring-leader of this entire operation. He would master-minded the whole thing and hired the necessary help of those to complete it.
The Witch Gruntilda stood at the head of the group and spoke to him.
"We've done as you asked." She turned back." Four women. And this." She turned back to him and showcased the Artifact that Sly Cooper had stolen.
"Excellent." He hissed back. He rose from his chair and walked down to her. She in turn handed the book off to him and he handled it delicately as if what he held was a new born baby. Carefully he unwrapped it and there in his hands was an old leather book.
"A book?" Sly said with a raised brow." You had us steal a book?"
"This is no ordinary book, boy." Ganondorf said as he turned to the raccoon, twirling his cape behind him as he did." It contains Ancient secrets of the past. And will help us achieve our 'united' goal." He chuckled darkly at the end.
"And how will you do that?" Snake asked. Now the entire group was interested in this gambit. They'd each been promised a payment upon delivering both the artifact and the women. No questions were asked by any party because either their own personal reasons drove them forward or the reward at the end did.
Ganondorf opened to the first page of the book.
"Inside this book there is a spell. A spell that can-"
"Wait, wait wait." Said Sly shaking his hand." A Spell? You had us go around for some magic, hocus-pokus nonsense." Ganondorf cast a cold glare his way.
"Be careful what you say boy."
"I have to agree." Said Gruntilda. "You haven't been upfront with many of the details here."Ganondorf glanced at her and then the others, all crowded around him in a semi-circle.
"You will be soon enough. The spell is complex, I will need time to study it." He turned straightened himself out, acting ready to leave.
"What'll we do with them?" Gruntilda said getting his attention. She pointed to the captives Krystal, Julie-Su, Carmelita and Peach.
"Keep them safe. They'll be needed later." And without further explanation Ganondorf turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared from sight.
The Jungle was dense. But not nothing Sonic wasn't used too. If he didn't have his super speed he might have lost the trail by now, even with Mario slowing him down.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Asked the plumber as he trailed behind him.
"Of course I'm sure." Sonic said right away." I"ve been trailing Egg-Head's machines for years. I know how to track them."
"I don't remember the Toads saying anything about a machine."
"He has to traveling in something to have come this far. I don't remembering seeing anything beyond this jungle on any maps."
"Maybe if we had your friend the Echidna, we'd be-Oaf!" He let out as Sonic suddenly reached back and pushed a hand into his face. The sudden act caused Mario's hat to fall over his eyes. He readjusted himseld before answering." What was that-" But he was cut off as Sonic slapped hand to his face. Angered he turned to the Hedgehog ready to slap the hand from his face and demand an explanation.
But the dire look on Sonic's face along with the single finger at his lips revealed his answer. He then turned that finger and pointed up and over the tall brush around them. Mario shifted in place and listened.
He could hear something. Or someone, several someones. There was a band of people on the other side. And immediatly the first thing that came to mind is who would be out in the middle of this dense jungle in the middle of nowhere.
The Plumber looked to the Hedgehog and in that moment they shared a single mind. Together they would bound over the hedge and confront whoever this might be. And if anything it might at least lead them to the whereabouts of Peach.
Sonic did the count. Starting with that same single figner .Then adding a second. The Third wouldn't be necessary. Both knew what was required of them. Together they jumped over and crashed down onto the opposite trail.
Sonic rolled into a ball and shot for the first thing he could. He hit something and bounced right off it, then bounced off a tree and into the battle, flattening someone else.
Mario put both hands forward and shot a fireball at someone. But he found only a puff of smoke before him. His fireball had been snuffed out. When the smoke cleared Mario saw a red figure before him.
"Knuckles?!" He let out shocked.
"KNUCKLES!" Sonic let out." What are you doing here?!" He let out with a chuckle.
"Uh Sonic." coughed a voice beneath him. Sonic looked down to see the person he'd flattened was Espio. Glancing around he saw the other people he'd hit had been the rest of the Chaotix.
"Oh." He chucled nervously. "Sorry." He jumped off Espio then helped him to his feet.
"Funny." Mario said. "We were just talking about you." Knuckles found it hard to believe anything that would lead someone into the middle of nowhere would be funny.
"I guess it is a small world afterall." Sonic said as he walked up behind the Guardian. Moving in and putting an arm around his shoulders. "So what brings you out here, Knux? Lose the Master Emerald again?" He finished with a chuckle.
"Shut up!" Knuckles yelled as he covered Sonic's face with his big, gloved hand. In the hopes of shutting the Hedgehog up, but he failed.
"I take that as a yes." Sonic answered for himself. Knuckls rolled his eyes and marched away.
"Someone took his girl." Vector told as he stepped up to Sonic's side.
"Is that right?" He acknowledged.
"And his ex." Mighty added as he appeared on Sonic's left. The Hedgehog raised an eyebrow at him.
"It's complicated." Espio admitted.
"Oh I'll bet." Sonic said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"It's some coincidence." Mario said." Your girlfriend gets kidnapped at the same time mine does."
"You think he'd be used to this sort of thing." Vector commented.
"I know right!" Sonic let out.
"You think there's a connection?" Knuckles asked.
"We are heading the same direction." Mario pointed out. It was hard not to believe so specific an event was more then common coincidence."Who are you looking for?"
"Four of them." Knuckles told." A raccoon, a hippo, a turtle and a woman. A green woman."
"We're looking for one." Mario admitted.
"Maybe." Knuckles mused." Maybe not." It became clear that whatever their different end goals the two groups were heading the same way at least for now. Or maybe farther then that." Just save the Green one for me." Knuckles told him.
"Green one?" Sonic nodded." Knuckles am I guessing you'd hit a lady." He said with mock surprise. But Knuckles was in no mood for jokes.
"Hey!" Mario cut in." We're wasting time here. If we're all on the same side, then let's Go!" He turned and led the way.
Sly Cooper, Murray, and Bentley sat on one side of a table while Leon Powalski and Panther Carso sat on the other. A stack of poker chips in between them and in the hands of Leon, Panther, Sly and Murray were cards.
Sly sat resting one hand in chin, tapping his index finger against the side of his face. He glanced up to see Leon and Panther both looking at their cards. With a devilish smirk Sly dug into his left sleeve and pulled out the Ace of spades and traded it with his two of hearts. Now his hand was complete with a full house made of three aces and two tens.
"HaHa!" he laughed." I win again!" He slammed the cards onto the table. Leon and Panther looked down defeated, resting their cards down." Better luck next time!" They'd been playing with their share of the reward money. And although they'd been given none yet it seemed Sly would be having it all soon.
Sitting nearby in the corner was Wolf O'Donnell and Solid Snake. Both being mercenaries they'd heard of the other and now given the situation were sitting down and discussing different jobs they'd done and different weaponry they used.
Snake held his signature Beretta in his hands and showcased it to Wolf.
"My weapon of choice." He told him." It's not too heavy, not too big. And it's always just" He motioned back at his hip, where he kept the gun." Right there when I need it." Wolf held out his hand and Snake handed it over to him.
"My pistol of choice." Replied Wolf handing Snake back his gun and reaching under his left arm. Then he pulled out his blaster pistol. Twice the size of Snake's gun that shot a lazer, with a 2 inch bayonet at the end." Bigger blaster, better effectives." Snake nodded, impressed by the size of Wolf's weapon.
"What do you have for close quarters?" Snake asked. Wolf held up a tightened fist up, giving his answer.
"No I mean knives."
"My answers the same."
"You'd bring a fist to a knife fight."
"My fists have never failed me." Wolf answered." A knife has." Snake sat back and acknowledged that. He himself was more comfortable with his weapons since that's how he was trained. He looked at Wolf as he put a cigar in his mouth and lit it. Now he felt like asking a question that was on his mind since they first sat down.
"So you've fought Fox McCloud before?"
"Hm." Wolf answered nodding his head." For nearly the past decade of my life." He puffed smoke into the air. "And I've heard you've had a run in with him as well, I've heard." Snake nodded his head.
"Yes." Snake nodded." Several years ago. When I -" The two suddenly turned their attention from their conversation when a commotion broke out at the table next to them.
"I win again!" Sly announced. But apparently Leon had had enough. He jumped up and with a knife in his hand slammed it into the table between Sly's hands.
"I say your cheating!" he announced.
The Sorcerer supreme was where he said he'd be. He stood in the center of the room, a dark lean shadow with the light of a candle to help his reading. He seemed so intrigued with his reading that he did not notice Gruntilda's arrival.
She was cautious at first, peeking around the corner until she turned around it completely.
"So this is it?" she asked." The Book of Ultimate Power you spoke of."
"It is." He said keeping his eyes on the book due to his reading. Once he was finished he turned to face her but was surprised to see her gone. But to his surprise she appeared in front of him.
Jumping up from between his arms and gazing down at the book herself. As a witch and magic user in her own right she come across a lot of ancient texts. But this one was completely new to her.
"I cannot understand the words." She said.
"It's an ancient language." He told." Nearly forgotten and only alive in those who can read it."
"Meaning you?" she turned her head, her black hair twirling about and running across his face. Then she turned and looked down at the strange writings in the book." Can you teach me?"
He moved his right hand from the edge of the book and placed it over her's. Then guiding her he moved along the book.
"This letter is a 'T'." he told." That one's an 'H'." As he spoke he leaned closer into her until the black of her dress blended into the black of his armor, and his cape wrapped around her shoulders. It was such a warm feeling and she loved every second of it. She plopped her head back onto his shoulder as he continued reading to her." An 'E'" his deep voice hummed in her ear.
"What do you plan on using this for?" she tilted her head around to view him fully.
"Should the spell be used properly." He answered." And maidens of pure heart are sacrificed then power untold will be granted to the one who cast the spell." She turned around even more, wrapping herself in his cape even more.
"And what about the rest of them?" He leaned in putting his right arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight.
"I'm not worried about them." And he moved in pressing his lips tightly against her's.