Chapter 7: Curiosity
"...you're gonna have to rephrase this for me, Scourge"
"Yeah, start from the beginning so that I know the whole story"
Sleet and Ox stand before the evil green hedgehog, now settled into his new luxury suite in downtown Metropolis.
He finishes a glass of Rum, slides it across the bar stand and a female bartender refills it.
"It's like this: you guys work for me and I'll let you keep your assets, but I get a piece of your action moving forward" Scourge says
Ox scoffs "I thought you said that. Well, I can tell you right now, I ain't giving you dick"
Sleet steps forward "I agree. You're not a boss. You're only allowed to operate because The Chambers are fond of your antics. If you weren't keeping the heat off of them, they'd have you clipped in an instant"
Scourge chuckles and pulls out the Jade, Crystal and Sapphire Medallions
"It seems like you guys aren't getting the point. Gimme your shit or you die"
Ox snarls "That's all I needed to fucking hear. You just started a war with Simian, you crazy, little shit!"
"WAIT-"
The Gems illuminate and Scourge fires a Tri-coloured Neon Beam at both gangsters. A blinding white light fills the room for a moment then it immediately disappears.
The only thing left of Sleet and Ox are their shoes.
Scourge puts the gems down and looks at his terrified bartender
"That's what happens if I don't get what I want, honey..."
He picks up his glass and takes a sip
"...So, no fuckups, alright?"
"Yes, sir"
"Good. Now, get big Simian on the phone for me. Then you can leave"
The female hedgehog pulls up Sargent Simian's number on a touchscreen device and calls it, then promptly heads out the door.
After 2 dial tones, the fat warlord picks up.
"Whaddya want, Scourge?" Simian asks
"Your guy just got smoked"
"OX?! I swear to Christ, if you-"
"I didn't touch him. Our mutual friends got to him on his way outta my building. Took baseball bats to him til he stopped breathing, the sick fucks...Those kids are fast"
Simian lets out a deep sigh, trying to keep his composure on the phone
"...Manic and Tails are fuckin' DEAD!"
"That's what we both can agree on. They gotta go in the ground. They won't stop... I want you to work with me. Like the old days in the Destructix. Before that bitch took it over"
"Ooh, I'd love to do Maggie Bloodmoon... but these assholes are up first. I'll come to you"
Scourge grins "Take your time... you probably won't believe me but, I'm sorry about your pal"
Simian clears his throat "Ox was a brother to me. He didn't deserve this... Manic and Tails are going to suffer ten times as much as he did"
"...see you soon"
The green hedgehog ends the call, puts his sunglasses on and takes his drink off the bar stand on his way out of his luxury suite.
All of his remaining men sit on a rooftop patio with the MMA girls who came with Sleet.
The sun shines off Scourge's aviator glasses and leather jacket as he joins the group
"Damn, it's nice out today. Perfect weather for a celebration, dont'cha think? I think so"
A tall MMA girl stands up "Where's Sleet?"
"...he's out of the picture. We came to an agreement that Sleet was too old and Ox, well, he's a sick bastard and his talents are needed for more dangerous assignments. So, I'd like to offer you girls a spot in my crew. We could use pretty faces like you"
"...are you serious?"
"100%"
"Why should we just drop everything and join you?"
"Well, ladies, because I just made the deal of the century. Me and Simian are merging our organizations, making this alliance the biggest, unchallenged syndicate in Metropolis... that means I own this town. I have everything I want"
The girls speak quietly while Scourge's men slowly realize they are going to be rich.
"...so what'll be, ladies?"
The leader of the girls picks up a bottle of Champagne "Let's party, Mr. Big Shot"
The guys cheer loudly and the girls pour drinks for everyone. A lackey plugs various speakers into a PA system and turns the volume all the way up
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard blares through the downtown streets from the patio
Citizens call in noise complaints from all over town, but Scourge pays the cops to ignore them altogether.
The Metropolis police are easily swayed by money, it seems.
Down in the suburban neighbourhood known as Grounder's Patch, Thompson finishes burying the coffin that Cassia is laid in. The group couldn't get a proper funeral arranged in a graveyard, so they found a park nearby.
Manic knows Cassia deserves better than a hole dug under an oak tree but this is the best he can do for her, now.
The tall hedgehog steps away from the grave to give Tails, B.B, Farrell, Mickie and Manic a chance to pay their respects.
The loud 80's Rock Music ruins the funeral for Manic as he mourns his friend. He looks up and can tell which high rise building Scourge is in, no doubt crawling with security.
Both hired guns and police officers.
Mickie looks up at him "...do you wanna say anything?"
"...she was confused, but she was one of the good ones"
With this, Manic leaves the park and walks back to Farrell's house to drink, the only copping mechanism he has.
Mickie makes eye contact with her ex boyfriend for a moment, then they both look away
Tails approaches Thompson "You and Mick still not talking?"
"It's her choice. I told her a million times I wasn't messing around on her, but whatever. Girls are weird, bro"
"...but, weren't you like, texting 2 other girls at the same time?"
"We weren't flirting or anything, man! I've known these girls since I was a kid, if anything, they're like sisters, or close relatives to me!"
"That's still kinda shady"
"Whatever, screw you Tails, I don't gotta explain shit!"
The fox shrugs and walks over to the tiny Blue Crow B.B, and the older Grey hedgehog Farrell.
"Does he always drink away the pain?" Tails asks
Farrell sighs "Since he was 15. Manny's tough, but even a guy like him can't hide his feelings. He chooses to get tanked and listen to music all night... this girl was special to him, I know that. He's hurtin'..."
B.B looks at them "Should uh - should we go see him?"
"I wouldn't"
"Give him a day or two. That boy's gotta get his anger out, and you wouldn't wanna be around for that"
The group leave the park and head out in different directions. Tails sticks with Thompson, while B.B hangs with Mickie, and Farrell heads back to his house.
The smell of alcohol lingers through the 2 storey house, but the old hedgehog is used to this.
It's only been 5 minutes and Manic has already drunk 4 beers.
"Case is low. Better order another one" Farrell says as he picks up his home phone from the wall port
"Order some Whiskey. I really, really can't stand beer right now..." Manic says in a low voice
"Alright then. Might as well order a couple boxes of pizza, too"
"Thank you, Pops..."
Manic's father figure orders the alcohol, then the food and then opens the last two cans of beer. He hands one to the green hedgehog and sits at the table with him.
Just before sunset, Simian arrives to Scourge's penthouse and gets patted down by two equally large security guards. They confiscate his pistol and he walks in.
The fat warlord makes his way through a crowded hallway as the underlings party with the MMA girls and their friends. The music has gone from 80's hair metal to 90's gangsta rap.
Simian reaches Scourge's patio "This is how you're fishing out Manic and Tails? Throwing a fucking party?!"
"Relax, dude. My boys worked hard to get here, I'm just showing my appreciation. I have a plan"
"Care to explain it to me?"
The green hedgehog snaps his fingers and Bark the Polar Bear grudgingly walks to his side
"Hey fat ass! Go find the dipshit duo and tell them to come to this address" Scourge says
A female hedgehog gives Bark a small envelope and he puts it in his coat pocket.
He steps away to leave but Scourge whistles at him to turn around
"..and I want you to make a stop at the Fry Stand. Get us some food, fat boy! Try not to eat it all!"
"But, ain't there'a restaurant on the main floor, 'ere? Wha's wrong with that?"
Scourge glares at the Polar Bear, so he puts his hands up defensively and leaves the party.
"...god, I hate when pricks like that try to get smart. Like, if I tell you to do something, just do it! It's not that hard!..." Scourge complains
"You should watch the way you treat your guys. Never know when they'll turn on ya" Simian says "That's why my men never tried shit with me, I treat 'em good"
"Yeah, well, if anybody fucks with me, I'll send their ass straight to hell in a second. I'm not playing around with these bad boys" Scourge says as he shows off the three stolen Medallions
"Your crew is looking a lot smaller than the last time I saw you. Say, where's that black haired chick you were banging?"
Scourge takes another big drink "Cassia, ugh... she turned out to be a backstabbing bitch. Lied to me for almost a year, was best friends with Manic, tried to steal one of my Medallions, and set me up. See these scars? Her friends did this to me"
Simian looks at the three large scars across Scourge' chest "They sliced your ass up, damn"
"She put a hole through my chest, bro! The Medallions were the only thing that kept me alive. Then this slaughterhouse pussy cut me up... she came back and killed him, but I knew the score. I had to get her back. So I waited. And pretended to love her and all that shit, so she would trust me. When I got my chance, I put a hole through her, Sim. Tossed that garbage back to Manic when I was done"
"You know how fucked up that is?"
"One of my greatest accomplishments, in my opinion"
"Whatever, man.. so what's your plan?"
"Since my first crew couldn't do it, I'm sending a few elite guns in to cap Manic and Tails, while we sit back and drink our asses off. Go ahead, grab a drink and a girl. These bitches will do anything you want, bro"
Simian shrugs this off "No, I'M gonna be the one to kill those little shits. Where is the setup?"
Down on the streets, Bark searches for The Green Hedgehog and Teenage Fox.
He doesn't find them, but he bumps into B.B and Mickie, instantly recognizing them
"Aye! You're Manic's friends, init? I got something for 'em" Bark says
He takes the envelope and reads it
"What's this? Dinner date?" B.B asks sarcastically
"Nah, but Scourge wants him to meet up 'ere"
"...it's a setup, isn't it?" Mickie asks
"...at dis' point, I don't even care. Scourge is sending them into a trap and plans to kill 'em both. I ain't got nothing to do with it, lady. I just wanna go home"
"Yeah, right, fatty! You were part of Hazard, you're obviously part of Scourge's gang! You bad guys never change!" B.B shouts
Bark looks away and turns around to leave when Mickie calls out to him
"You don't have to be part of this life if you don't want to. You can change everything for the better"
"...I wish it were that simple, lady. I really do"
Mickie looks back at the address, then looks at the tiny crow
"Its a trap. Should we tell him anyway?" She asks
"...you know he won't stop either way. Let's go back"
The sun is still setting when Tails closes the blinds inside Thompson's living room and lays down on a long black leather couch.
He closes his eyes for about a minute before his phone vibrates
Manic texts him
I'm going down to a trap, if you're coming then let's go. If not, I understand.
I'm ending this shit tonight.
-M
"Ah, shit" Tails says
He jumps to his feet, grabs his A.I Hacking program and races out the door. He finds a very drunken Manic stumbling down the suburban streets carrying a bottle of Whiskey
"Manic, Hey! Stop!" Tails shouts
"Bro, I gotta end him. This is too much, Tails. I'm-I'm doing it, for real. Don't know why it took so long but I'm gonna kill Scourge. And that fat fuck Simian. And that rat piece of shit Sleet, and anybody else whose backing Scourge up!"
"Manic, you're way too drunk to do any of what you just said"
"Yeah, so what? I'll still beat their asses!"
"No, man, they'll kill you.."
"Then, fuck it! Let 'em do it! I'll go out fighting! Heard everybody wants me dead, lets do it! I don't care!"
"Manic, just chill out. I'll go with you, but you have to sober up first. That's the only way we'll beat Scourge"
The green hedgehog finishes the bottle of Whiskey, throws it on the street and burps
"Fine. I'll get some sleep. But I'm serious, bro, I'm finishing him"
"I know"
Tails walks Manic back to Thompson's house, puts the him on a second couch and he lays back down on the first one.
An hour and a half goes by when Manic wakes up the fox
"I'm straight, let's go"
"What? No way you're sober already!"
Manic drinks a glass of water and punches a hole in the drywall
"I said I'm good. Now, lets move"
Tails shakes his head and joins the green hedgehog. They walk from the quiet neighbourhood to the bright neon lit downtown. Manic pushes others out of his way while Tails apologizes for him as they make their way through the crowds.
They reach the address, a meat packaging plant, and both take deep breaths before entering.
"Come on out, slimeball!" Manic calls out
He and Tails are surprised when Sargent Simian pushes back the plastic curtains and faces them.
"Everybody's been trying to kill you little shits but nobody can do it... I will"
The front doors are slammed shut and remotely locks them in.
"I thought there were no hard feelings, Sim. Just business, remember" Manic says
"It stopped being about business when you two shitheads killed Ox"
"Okay, hold on, now. That's the second time we've been blamed for shit we didn't even do!"
"Don't you lie to my face! At least have the balls to admit it!"
"We're telling you the truth, Simian! We didn't kill Ox!" Tails shouts
"SHUT UP! You're both dying right now!"
The massive Warthog runs at the duo so they jump around the meat packaging plant to avoid him.
Manic kicks off the white brick wall, spins around and thrusts his left foot into Simian but he blocks this attack. Tails runs in with a flying knee strike to the side of Simian's kneecap, bending it slightly upon impact.
The Warthog groans and throws a back hand at the fox but he ducks down to avoid being hit.
Manic throws a furious combination of punches that strike the fat warlord's face, but he shrugs the pain off. Manic ducks a punch but doesn't expect a spinning backfist to hit him, knocking him backwards and crashing into a metal cart.
Simian swings at the fox so he jumps into the air to fly away, but the Warthog grabs one of his tails and slams him on the concrete floor.
Tails barely gets his hands up to block the three powerful punches Simian throws down at him
Manic kicks Simian in face to get his attention, only to be dropped by an equally powerful left handed punch. The hedgehog starts seeing stars from how hard this punch was, leaving him venerable to attack.
Tails smashes a metal pole off the back of Simian's head, only angering the giant.
He dodges the first punch, but Tails gets dropped by a powerful backhand square across his jaw.
"...I told Scourge you little shits were gonna suffer before I kill you-"
He throws Manic against the white tile wall and blood spills out of a wound on his head
"...and I intend on keeping my word"
Tails gets to all fours but Simian boots him as hard as he can in the stomach, causing the teenage fox to groan loudly
He punches Tails twice more, then Manic jumps up to save his friend,
Until Simian beats him back down to the floor with powerful punches to the face
"...you two think you're men? You're just boys going against a man! And THIS is what happens!"
Simian stomps on Manic's chest and grins his boot heel while punching Tails across the face once more. By now, Manic and Tails are bleeding and already starting to bruise up.
"...I already called in my boys, they got a couple blow torches and razor wire coming. You guys'll like what I got for ya's"
Manic coughs up blood and is too weak to stand, while Tails reaches into his pocket and pulls out his artifice intelligence device
"No, no, no, we ain't doing that"
Simian stomps on his wrist, causing him to scream in pain and release the SAGE program
"...you little fuckers aren't getting outta this one"
He knocks Tails out with a stomp to the head and kicks Manic in the body as he tries to stand up.
Car doors are shut just outside and other voices are heard getting closer
"In here boys!" Simian laughs
Manic's heart beats fast as he tries with everything he's got to get up, but his muscles just won't work.
The next few minutes are going to be the most painful for him and Tails.