Chapter 3: Right And Wrong Choices
Scourge sits on a large, rusted metal chair with his wrists taped to each arm of the chair. A long, heavy chain around his ankles keeps him from moving his legs. The green hedgehog has two black eyes curtesy of his captors, one of whom is a fan of Boxing.
"...You hit like a bitch, homeboy" Scourge says as he spits out blood
The first captor walks away from him and dips his bruised knuckles in a bowl of ice, while a second individual enters the dark room. He's wearing an apron and face mask, while his hands are covered by long rubber gloves.
He carries a gymbag in with him, most likely filled with sharp objects.
"Look at this slaughterhouse worker, next. What's that, gonna cut up some steak and feed it to me?" Scourge says sarcastically
"As skilled as Oscar is, blunt force trauma clearly isn't working well on you. I think a more direct approach is needed"
"Ah, yeah? Lets do it, Knife Man"
The masked individual opens the bag and reveals a dozen razor sharp knives, electric cattle prods and a few wet sanders. Scourge scoffs at this and leans back in the rusty chair.
"Ah, man, that's... do we have to go with those? I preferred Slugger's fists, he has some nice, gentle hands"
The masked individual leans in so he's face to face with Scourge
"These boys had wives, you piece of shit. Their children will grow up without their mothers because of you. The pain you're in is far more than what you deserve, because you get to live another day longer than those girls ever will"
Scourge looks at him "What're you talking about? I never killed any women! I might've capped a few wannabe badasses but I don't kill women or children! That's the code!"
Oscar runs up and sucker punches Scourge in the mouth, while the masked individual picks up a butcher knife.
"Get used to this, Scourge. This is your life from now on. Tied to that chair and in as much pain as you possibly can be"
He slices across Scourge's bare chest three times, causing him to shout in pain.
"AGH! God Damnit!"
The Knife Man draws blood from different areas of the green hedgehog's torso, even causing Oscar to wince a little.
Scourge takes deep breaths and groans in agony as the blade cuts through his flesh.
"Argh! Come on! OW! That felt good, lets go! Urghhh!"
Scourge eventually passes out due to blood loss, so Knife Man puts his tools down and takes a break.
"You see, Oscar, you put the pressure on guys like this and they show what cowards they are. They can give it but can't take it. That's the only way to deal with bastards like Scourge. No mercy"
The Boxer leans against the door and crosses his arms while his colleague wipes blood from his weapon and picks up a new one.
He slaps Scourge "Wake up, we're not even close to being finished"
"...you'd better kill me, motherfucker, because if I get loose, I'm coming after you first"
Knife Man plunges the razor into Scourge's abdomen "Like I said, you're dying in this chair... you'll just have to get used to this"
His pained screams echo throughout the entire facility, sending chills down the spines of everyone else around.
High above the streets, Tails flies an airplane while Manic sits in the seat behind him.
One of Simian's goons sits next to Tails, armed with two sub machine guns just in case the duo try anything.
"This ain't a bad gig, bro. Easy stuff, just fly to point A, wait for me to do the deal, then fly us to point B and so on" Manic says
"I can't believe we're smuggling drugs for this fat bastard..." Tails responds
"Ay, things could be worse, T. We're still alive, and you're not in that field getting the shit beat outta ya"
"Easy for you to say, you're up in his suite, kissing his ass and drinking wine all day! I bust my ass in this heat, dude!"
"Tails, bro, knock it down a few notches! Things will get better, I promise you, man! As long as we do this, we're good. Tell him, buddy" Manic looks at the armed guard
"Shut the fuck up"
"Alright, screw you then, pal. Tails, we're gonna be fine"
The Fox ignores him
"Aw, come on, don't be mad... 10 deals and we're done, we can leave"
"yeah, sure..."
Simian's guard looks at them "Can you ladies kiss and make up later? I just wanna get this over with"
"Look, buddy, I don't know what your problem is, or your goddamn name for that matter, but I don't like this anymore than you do. So, lets just be cool, alright?"
The guard exhales "...call me Handler"
"Handler, alright, lets be professional. And don't worry, you don't have to use the iron on us, we won't fight you"
"If we're being honest, I'm thinking of bailing outta this plane knowing there's only one parachute, and I don't need one to survive this fall" Tails says
"What'd you say?!"
Manic holds them back "Tails is just kidding, he wouldn't do that! It-it's just been a stressful couple of days for my friend, here, everything is good"
Handler sits back down in his seat "...you'd better watch yourself, kid, for real..."
"You fuckin' watch it, dickhead..."
Manic sighs and leans back in his seat as the trio wait for the trip to be over.
The fox lands the plane in a secured airstrip that's guarded by goons in camo gear and wielding assault rifles. Tails stays on board while Manic and Handler take two crates of drugs each. Tails watches the deal go down and starts up the plane once they make their way back, suitcase full of case in hand.
They get back in the air and Handler starts counting the money.
"Everything go as planned?" Tails asks
"We're good"
Manic looks down at one of the sub machine guns Handler has in his holster
"...have any of Simian's customers ever tried to rob him?"
Handler turns around to face Manic "Actually, an ex-Destructix member tried his luck one time-"
Manic headbutts Handler, takes one machine gun from him and aims at his head.
He ducks just in time to avoid the shots, while Manic opens his door as quickly as possible
"BAIL THE FUCK OUT, T, LETS GO!"
Handler pulls the second gun out and fires at the fox, but Tails is a second faster and dives out his door.
He kicks the throttle just as he leaps, sending the plane into a nose-dive down to the streets below.
"You sons of BITCHES!" Handler screams as he fires
Manic shouts as one bullet strikes his right bicep, while Tails reaches out
"Grab my hand!"
Manic reaches with his left arm and the duo grab each other's forearms. The Fox uses all his strength to hold Manic up, spin his two tails and slowly float back down.
Handler scrambles to find the parachute on board, throwing crates out of the way frantically. Absolute terror strains over his face once he realizes there is no parachute to grab.
Manic and Tails watch the plane fly down at max speed, then eventually exploding upon impact in a field of grass that surrounds the nearest ocean.
"...there never was a parachute on board, was there"
"As a pilot, that's the first thing you look for when preparing to fly. I left the 'chute back at the Hangar and planned this escape hours ago"
"So, now you've killed a man"
"A man who threaten to kill us, yes! ...I don't feel so good, now that I think about it..."
"Ah, don't sweat it, T. One less evil bastard in this world, I say"
"Yeah. I guess... so, where are we going, now?"
Manic feels a tingling sensation jolt throughout his entire body, as if something is trying to guide him.
"Manic?"
"West, go that way"
"What's out west?"
"Please, just - do it, I can feel an energy coming from that way"
Cassia packs the rest of her clothes into a large carrying case, then she locks the apartment door behind her. She doesn't feel too safe being around the gang of someone she set up the night before.
Cassia walks down the staircase and exits through the back door, only to be confronted by Scourge's right hand man Sleet.
"I can't believe we actually bought that bullshit story you fed us"
"What're you talking about, Sleet?" Cassia asks
"Even right now, trying to cover up your lies. Bold move"
"Look, I don't have time for your shit, get out of my way"
"Chavele Anders? Really? Fake name if I ever heard one"
Cassia's hands start shaking uncontrollably once she realizes Sleet knows the truth
"...you were the last one with Scourge before he went missing. I find it Interesting that you aren't missing, as well"
In a flash, Cassia uses the Gem's energy to knock Sleet down and she races out of the area as fast as she can.
The only thing the wolf sees of her is the Neon Pink trail left behind, until it dissolves
"You just confirmed it, bitch" Sleet says as he stands up and opens his phone "...everyone, listen up! Chavele Anders is the target. Now, that's obviously not her real name, and I know she has some of our cash on her. So, I want search parties all over town with stun guns. She's got the Boss' Medallion and she knows how to use it. Take her down, but keep her alive. She knows what happened to the boss and where we'll find him. Now move"
Cassia makes it all the way across town in a matter of seconds thanks to the enhanced speed boost Manic's Gem gives her. She stops to catch her breath and leans against a brick wall.
She hears two sets of feet walking towards her location, so she waits behind the wall to surprise them.
Manic is flipped onto his back and Cassia punches him twice, then realizes who it is.
"Manic?! Tails?! What're you guys doing here?!"
"We're not out here to get our asses kicked, jesus, girl!" Manic says as he spits out blood
"I'm sorry, I thought you guys were part of The Destructix"
She helps Manic back to his feet and gives him a hug. She lets go and embraces Tails next.
"You guys look like shit"
"Oh, thanks. We've been kept against our will in a labour camp, so excuse us if we're still adjusting to the outside world" Manic says
"Don't forget the part where I actually did the manual labour while you sat back with the guy who runs the show" Tails points out
"Hey, I got us this job and gave us this escape route so it was better that I shot the shit with Simian"
Cassia looks confused "What? Guys, I literally stopped Scourge from killing anyone else and I took the Sapphire Medallion from him last night!"
"Yeah, I can see you have my Medallions... you gonna hand 'em over, anytime soon?"
A long awkward silence grows over the trio, making Manic's heartbeat faster
"Come on, Cass"
"Okay, fine!..."
She hands over the Jade, Crystal and Sapphire Medallions and Manic grins. All of his veins illuminate Jade Green right as he touches his Medallion.
"Ahhh... it feels good to have this baby back"
Tails looks across the street because he notices a few teenagers staring and pointing at the trio. He sees one pull out a cellphone and slowly come towards the group.
"Guys, I think we just got made"
"By who?" Manic asks
The teenager hangs up and pulls out a pistol, while whistling out to his gang.
"Looks like we're on the move again, come on!" Manic orders
The trio take off running around the corner but 20 more gang members cut off this exit, forcing them to retreat. Manic kicks open the locked side door of an apartment building and fires Jade bolts of energy at the gang.
Cassia goes in first, then Tails and finally Manic follows, using his Medallions energy to weld the door shut.
"What's the plan, now?" Cassia asks
"Gonna have to jump across these rooftops while we still got the chance, it won't take long for these guys to get inside through another entrance" Manic says
Tails grabs Manic and Cassia's wrists and he flies them up the flight of stairs at top speed. They reach the rooftop access door and break it down, causing the fire alarm to go off. The trio race across the roof and jump at the same time, while Tails flies them over to the next rooftop.
"Hurry up, T, they see us!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!"
They touchdown, run across this roof and fly into the air once more. The gang try to follow them but the trio are too fast for them.
After escaping the gang, Tails lands the trio down into a secluded part of Casinopolis so they can rest.
"...that kid pulled a gun on us, man! What's the deal with that shit?!"
Cassia looks at him "There's something big going on behind the scenes, I can feel it. It goes past Scourge, he was just the hired gun. There's something else, guys..."
"Something worse than Scourge?" Tails asks
"I don't care, that prick suckered me, I'm gonna return the favor!" Manic shouts
"It's not him, Manic! His gang knows something nobody else does!... That asshole Sleet, he needs Scourge for something, that's why he's looking for him"
"...does Sleet need Scourge or do you?"
The female hedgehog looks at Manic intently
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cassia asks
"Alright, somebody's gotta say it: I think you're falling in love with this murdering bastard!" Manic says "...and you can't let him go"
"He isn't the problem, the gang he works for is! And since when has my love life been anyone's business but my own? I can see anyone I want to! What, did you think we were gonna hook up at some point? Let me tell you something: You're not as special as you think you are, Manic! You're a killer, just like him!"
"I'd like to think I'm still higher up on the food chain than Scourge. We're nothing alike, me and him!"
"...one of you seem to know right from wrong, and it's obviously not you"
"Cass, I understand you're hurting, and you're confused, so I'll let that go. But you need to understand something: Scourge is one of the bad guys, always has been, always will be. He's not someone you can change, you can't redeem yourself after the shit he's done"
"How do you know? Huh? Have you done the terrible things he has? Is that what gives you the right to judge anyone? You don't know that for sure, Manic! You don't!"
He grasps her shoulder "I know you're making a mistake if you try to save him"
Cassia looks down at his hand, all his veins glowing Jade Green now, while Tails hears police and fire truck sirens coming from all around town
"Guys? We need to leave this area" The Fox says
"...Manic, you're hurting me"
He lets go of Cassia's shoulder and looks down at the ground
In an instant, she grabs the Crystal Medallion from his hands and speeds away from the duo.
"Oh, FUCK SAKES! GET BACK HERE!"
Tails stops him "Manic, just let her go! She's not going to stop, anyway"
"Yeah, no shit, that's why I have to go after her!"
"What about our deal? Come on!"
"This is way more important, Tails!"
The Fox stands in his way "Bullshit, you gave me your word we'd go right back to save everyone down there! So keep your word, Manic!"
"Tails, you don't understand, man! I can't keep losing these Medallions! You know how long it took to find this last one?! Do you?!"
"...we can trust Cassia with it, we can't trust Simian. Do you understand that?"
Manic looks away from the teenage Fox, letting Tails know his decision
Tails shakes his head "Fine. I'll go back myself. You know where to find me if you ever start giving a shit again.."
The Fox leaves Manic in the middle of the street and heads back to New Genocide City, where he will undoubtedly be outnumbered and taken back down to The Brig.
The Green Hedgehog begins his search for Cassia, using the remaining two Gem's to help him locate the third. He tries to block out all negative thoughts but everything floods his mind all at once.
"...ah, son of a bitch..."
He turns around and goes after his friend, instead. Things will get a little rough in Simian's stronghold now that they've killed Handler, but Manic knows Tails is going to need all the help he can get.
Meanwhile, Scourge grows weak from losing so much blood and he has a new set of Scars all over his body. Knife Man and his partner Oscar are about to leave and let two new henchmen take over for the rest of the day.
"How ya feeling? Doing alright?" Knife Man asks
Scourge can only manage to groan quietly to respond
"Yeah, I didn't think so"
"...I never meant ...to kill anyone who didn't deserve it-"
"Well, you did and they're not coming back"
"I'm... sorry"
"And that's supposed to make it all better? An apology that's about 5 years too late? Right... you're pathetic, Scourge"
The Green Hedgehog doesn't say another word, just leans back in his chair and shuts his eyes. The room smells of dried blood and wet concrete, while Scourge looks like death is closing in.
After a small nap, Scourge hears the door creak as it's pushed open. His heartbeat gets faster knowing what's coming next.
"...hi"
Scourge opens his eyes and watches Cassia walk through the door
"...Oh...hey.."