Monday, December 6th, 9:52am, Rouge's Livingroom
"Do we really need to find the last Chaos Emerald?" Amy asks, earning strange looks from her companions. She's tempted to curl up and ask them to forget she said anything, but... "It's just, if we're going to be using the Master Emerald to control them anyway, then why not let Robotnik and Shadow spend their energy finding it?"
"That's not a bad idea," Sonic says after a moment of stunned silence. "We can dedicate our energy to finding the Master Emerald, and then..." he trails off, unsure where to go from there.
"Convince Shadow or Robotnik to come for us with their Emeralds," Silver offers, as if it's as simple as that.
"And how are we going to manage that?" Blaze asks.
"We could 'accidentally' let slip that we're hiding out there," Amy suggests, using finger quotes for extra emphasis.
"And how are we going to manage that?" Sonic repeats, and Amy deflates.
"I, ah. I have no idea," she admits.
"Even if they come, why would they bring their Emeralds?" Blaze asks.
Amy considers for a moment, but when the answer comes, it seems obvious. "To bring all seven together? They probably believe they can overpower us easily, and then they could do... whatever it is they want to do."
"If we have four Emeralds, they'll have to bring three to overpower us," Rouge points out. "Especially if they think Sonic knows how to use the Emeralds."
Sonic blinks at that. "What do you mean 'if they think'? I do know how to use them."
Rouge gives him an almost patronizing look. "You teleported once and were knocked out for the better part of an hour. Shadow was literally designed to use the Emeralds and has probably been training those abilities while we've been twiddling our thumbs."
"We haven't been twiddling our thumbs!" Sonic protests, surging to his feet. "Tails and I have been looking for the others!"
"And we've been volunteering with Cream and her mum," Silver joins in, gesturing between himself and Blaze.
Rouge raises an eyebrow at the outburst. "So touchy," she drawls. "Well, regardless, that's still time that Shadow's had to train and we haven't."
No one has any arguments for that.
"Do we really want to bring all seven Emeralds together?" Cream asks after a few moments of tense silence. "I thought we were just trying to keep them from getting all seven?"
"My son does not stop when he has a mind goal," Aziza replies, earning a twitch from Sonic. "Just keeping away from him will fail eventually."
"He's not your son," the track star mutters, but Aziza either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge it. Louder he says, "We need to gather the Emeralds so that we can stop 'Buttnik."
The G.U.N. agents that have been sitting in on the meeting exchange a look, and one of them finally speaks up. "The Commander will be here tonight, I still think we should wait for him before making any plans."
Aziza scowls. "I will not trust him. Not for these. He has hated my son since first I met him, he is too close to this. He will use these children as pawns for his anger."
The soldiers exchange a glance before the woman from last night speaks up. "You've met the Commander?" she asks.
Aziza nods. "Some times. He was very against my son being let alive, and has tried for his destruction at every chance."
The woman gives Aziza a sympathetic look. "If Project Shadow has been compromised, that may be our only chance. I know you love him, but—"
"He is my son," Aziza cuts in, voice firm.
There's silence for a moment, awkward and tense. Finally, Amy decides to break it. "Why does the Commander hate Shadow?"
"He blames my son for Maria," Aziza replies, and Amy starts.
"You mean the girl from Shadow's nightmares?"
"Yes, she—"
"Not that this isn't all very interesting," Sonic cuts in, "but it doesn't matter. What matters is finding the last Emerald and stopping 'Buttnik."
Amy wants to be angry at Sonic for the interruption, but he's right. "We do need to figure out a plan," she agrees. Sonic gives her a grateful smile, one that would've sent Amy's heart racing a month ago. Now it leaves her feeling hollow, because how can they stop Robotnik without hurting Shadow? How can they make him see reason?
"So, what should we do?" Silver asks.
Aziza frowns. "I think Sonic will fight Robotnik. Alone."
That seems to catch everyone's attention, earning a chorus of 'what's and 'why's.
"Few people can use the Emeralds, and we lack time to be finding another. It is a, um... miracle that Sonic and Amy survived the try. I would advise different actions, if I knew that plan."
Amy wants to be mad at Sonic all over again for his recklessness, but one look at him quells her rage. His eyes are as wide as saucers, and as she watches him he visibly swallows. He meets her gaze, and she has no idea what his face is trying to say. Time was she could read him like a book, but that was before... before. Also, if she's being completely honest with herself, she was probably projecting a lot of it.
Finally, Sonic gives a decisive nod. "So, what, we're going to take control of them with the Master Emerald, and then I harness the energy of the Emeralds and... uh... throw it at 'Buttnik?"
Rouge nods. "A single concentrated blast at Robotnik and his robots would be best. With all seven Emeralds, we can rely on raw power over any actual ability on your part, which will hopefully make up for your lack of training."
"What about Shadow?" Sonic asks.
"He's not actually on Robotnik's side," Amy says before anyone else can reply. Eleven sets of eyes turn their attention to her and she shrinks back. However, she has to make them understand. "Robotnik has information he wants, that's all. If we beat him, Shadow has no reason to fight us!" There's silence for a moment before Sonic mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'Stockholm Syndrome'.
"What was that?" Amy demands, heat suffusing her cheeks.
Sonic meets her eyes and squares his shoulders. "Amy, you know I love you, but do you honestly expect me to believe you're not just seeing what you want to see? I mean, given your track record..."
The heat inside Amy rises, filling more than just her face until all of her skin is flushed. "I'm sorry?" she asks, and she's pleased to find it's getting easier to put the same ice in her voice that Shadow uses to keep the world at bay.
Sonic scoffs. "Don't play dumb. We all know you were dating Shadow before he turned traitor, and then you stayed in the lair with him for days, giving him plenty of time to whisper lies into your ears. Face it, Amy. You're letting your feelings cloud your judgment; you're biased, and you can't be trusted on this."
With every word, Amy bristles more and more. "You're the one who's biased," she spits, ice forgotten and replaced with molten rage. "You're the one letting your feelings cloud your judgment! Just because Robotnik killed your brother, doesn't mean you get to blame Shadow!" Even as the words come out, Amy wishes she can take them back. She watches the colour drain from Sonic's face, watches as he makes a series of choked half words. Manic wasn't just Sonic's brother, he was his twin! The two of them shared a bond that Amy can't even begin to understand. Sonic probably felt when Manic died. How could she bring it up so dismissively? 'Oh, sorry your brother died, get over it.' "I'm sorry!" she squeaks. The angry tears forming in Sonic's eyes make guilty tears form in her own. "That was a low blow! I shouldn't have—I'm sorry!"
Sonic takes a deep breath, then another. He clenches his fists in his lap, but Amy can see his hands shaking. "Get out," he says in a voice devoid of emotion. Amy flinches, because Sonic is never devoid of emotions.
"Sonic, I—"
"Out," he repeats, anger seeping into his voice.
Amy opens her mouth to protest, but a glance around the room shuts her up. No one will look at her, and she can't really blame them. When given the option to lounge around, comfortable and safe with her boyfriend, Amy had taken it. And then after being 'rescued' from a prison she'd chosen, she goes and throws Manic's death in their face as if he was nothing! And he wasn't nothing; how could she ever speak so callously of him? He was Manic, Manic! He was the one that kept everything lighthearted, kept everyone optimistic and happy. He was their glue, and now he's gone. Amy rushes from the room with tears in her eyes, hating the person she's becoming. She's not fit to save anyone, she's not fit to be a fighter like the others, and she's not even fit to be a friend. No matter what Shadow says to the contrary, she's just a burden.
In Rouge's room Amy collapses on the bed, and for the first time since the night Manic died, Amy lets herself cry. She cries about her friends, and her parents, and her city. She cries for the self she lost and this new, angry person she's becoming. And when she's done crying, and the tears won't come anymore, she sleeps.
...
Monday, December 6th, 10:18am, Rouge's Livingroom
Aziza watches, conflicted, as Amy flees the room. She understands why the girl said what she did— Sonic is biased. But... she looks at him, still shaking. Aziza appreciates Amy standing up for her son, but bringing up someone's dead relation during an argument is never okay. That she realized this is good, but the damage is still done.
"Are you okay, hon'?" Vanilla, the only other parent in the room, asks.
Sonic swallows and shakes his head, tears threatening to spill over. "I wanted to hit her," he answers thickly. "Amy is my friend, we grew up together, I protect her, and I wanted to hit her."
No one has anything to say to that, and when it becomes clear that they're not even going to try, Aziza gets to her feet. She has some experience with moody teenage boys, after all. Everyone watches warily as she makes her way to Sonic, and that makes sense. He's been rude to her. He hates her son, wants to hurt him, and Aziza can't support that. They probably expect her to pick up where Amy left off, and the part of her that will always be protective of Shadow wants to. But, she can't watch a young man look so lost and alone and not offer comfort. He'd hate her for saying it, but he reminds her of her Shadow in a lot of ways.
Sonic lifts his head to look at her, and his eyes are hollow. In one smooth motion, Aziza slips in beside him and pulls him to her, resting his head on her shoulder and rubbing small circles into his back as she used to with Shadow when he was small and would still let her. Sonic's muscles tense in shock, then relax as he leans into the embrace. She feels sobs wrack his body and a part of her wishes she had the words to comfort him. When she comforts Shadow, it's always in the language of her home; a language she suspects Sonic doesn't speak. But that's okay, words aren't always necessary. Instead she makes soft noises of comfort, nearly cradling him. He lets her, and she can only assume that's a testament to how hopeless he's feeling.
Dimly, she's aware of Rouge herding the others out of the room, but she's too focused on Sonic to pay it any mind. So angry and sad and confused. So like her son. She holds him tighter and clenches her eyes shut, praying that Amy's words are the truth, that Shadow won't fight them if Robotnik is gone.
...
Wednesday, December 8th, 6:34pm, Angel Island hot springs
Three days after Amy's rescue, Shadow is sent to retrieve the next Chaos Emerald. The last one, if Rouge's claim that G.U.N. also has one is to be believed. According to Robotnik's scans, the last Emerald should be somewhere inside the natural cave system under Angel Island, just off the Emerald Coast. Shadow gives Robotnik a slight bow, reaches for Chaos, and when he straightens he's on Angel Island, in one of the few areas accessible to the public.
Last year, Shadow had come here for his grade's end-of-the-year trip. They'd come to enjoy the hot springs under the old temple, and while Shadow hadn't admitted it at the time, it had been his favourite school trip. Even Manic's incessant need to invade his personal space hadn't ruined it.
What Shadow wouldn't give to have Manic invading his space now. Instead he wanders the caverns alone, feeling the way his Emerald starts to resonate the closer he gets to the main pool. After circling the pool twice, it becomes clear that the resonance is coming from inside. He weighs his options. He doesn't really want to strip down, but he also doesn't relish the idea of reporting to Dr. Robotnik in sopping trousers. He deeply debates seeing if he can use Chaos to dry his clothing off, but ultimately decides that doing so might be a bit much. With a sigh, Shadow kicks off his shoes and strips to his underwear, then he wades into the pool, clutching his Emerald tight and feeling the resonance through it. He can practically hear Manic laughing in his ear as he makes his way to the metal grate at the centre of the pool. He pushes the memories back, then crouches down. Yes, the Emerald is definitely through there. Shadow sends a Chaos spear through the grate and the metal is torn away like a cobweb. The water of the hot spring is so crystal clear that Shadow can easily make out a crack in the ground where the grate was. It's big enough for a person to comfortably slip into.
He pushes a hand through his hair. He's never been claustrophobic before, not even crawling through the tunnels with everyone else, but this is different. Along with the dark, along with the enclosed space, there's the fact that he won't be able to breathe. If Shadow didn't have his Chaos Emerald, if he couldn't transport himself out at a moment's notice... he swallows. Once. Twice. And then he takes a deep breath and dives in head first, plunging himself past the waist deep pool and into the tunnel before he can think better of it. He clutches his Emerald in one hand and, as soon as he loses the momentum from his dive, begins pulling himself ever downward with the other.
Down he goes, into the abyss. He's not sure if the heat makes it better or worse. He suspects it makes it worse for him, regardless of his own feelings on the matter. Down he goes, and the resonance gets stronger, thrumming in time with his Emerald and his heart and his veins. His Emerald glows, and by its light he can dimly see good hand holds. Down he goes, and the walls start closing in on him. Then the tunnel slopes, forks. His lungs are starting to burn. One path goes back up, the other continues down. Down is where he needs to go, but the one that goes up could have an air pocket, and that decides it for him.
The walls are tight in the crack that goes up, and turning at such a sharp degree with only one free hand isn't easy, but Shadow manages it. Then he starts climbing up, kicking off whatever he can. He doesn't want to teleport back if he doesn't have to, and so he pushes himself. Stays even though his body is beginning to panic. He kicks again, and again. His vision starts dimming at the edge. He gathers himself to leave, though the thoughts are coming slow. And then his hand breaks the surface. He follows a second after, gasping and choking and desperate to breathe. He thinks back to the blackened crater at the back of Manic's neck, wonders again if it'd cut off essential organ controls without actually killing him directly, wonders if he'd felt the same way as his lungs failed to get enough air to keep him alive. And then he's crying, choking on his sobs and the water he's barely able to stay out of. He scrabbles for grip on the wall and finds a small ledge, about half a foot up, which he pulls himself half onto. He spits and hacks and coughs and clings to the ledge as thoughts of Manic wash over him again, as if he hasn't cried enough, as if Manic's death hasn't been consuming him since the moment it happened.
Eventually breathing becomes easier, and the grief that had gripped Shadow so thoroughly fades back to a dull ache in the back of his heart. Something he can ignore, can pretend never happened. Being alone in the dark had been tense before, but he's glad for the solitude, glad Amy isn't here to fuss over his near-drowning and his tears. He's not sure he could handle that kind of attention right now.
While he recuperates, Shadow looks up. The crevice he's in stretches seemingly endlessly, so far that he can't see the top. He looks at the Emerald in his hand, its glow softly pulsing in tune with the other Emerald deep in the caverns. He can almost feel it, somewhere beneath him. Finally, Shadow decides he's waited long enough and takes a deep breath before plunging back underwater. He manages to turn around, but it's tight and he nearly gets stuck. Then he resumes his downward journey. Past the fork he goes, continuing down until the path slants, levels out, and then forks again. Again his lungs are straining, but the Emerald is getting closer the further he travels. He checks for resonance and then takes the path to the left. It starts sloping back down again, then up, twisting and turning and winding. Again, Shadow begins suffocating, but he's so close. And then an idea occurs to him. Shadow focuses on Chaos, focuses on changing reality to match his will. He takes the time inside his body and twists. And then his lungs are full again, as if he'd just taken a large breath, and the darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision recedes. The experience is a little disorienting, but it's also a relief.
With renewed energy, Shadow continues swimming. He refills his lungs twice more along the way, and each time leaves him dizzier than before. But that's fine, he's the ultimate lifeform; there won't be any lasting damage. Even if there is, it doesn't matter in the face of what he gains if he manages to gather all the Emeralds. As the dizziness grows he swears he can hear his mother telling him he's being reckless, so when the path forks a third time he takes the branch that angles up. His lungs are burning again and so he resets once more. Manic urges him to go back, but he can't. Not yet. The energy needed to reset his body is too much, he only has one more reset in him. Manic should understand this, but he doesn't. Shadow wishes he could open his mouth to say something, but he's too far underwater. He keeps swimming, and all too soon the familiar burning reaches his lungs. Another body reset and Amy joins Manic's efforts of urging Shadow back, but he's so close—
Finally, the tunnel opens into a cavern. The relief Shadow feels when his head breaks the surface and he can breathe something other than his own recycled oxygen is so deep that he lacks the words to capture it. He drags himself into the shallow part of the pool and collapses, choking down deep lungfuls of stale air and feeling like he's breathing for the first time in his life. As the Chaos in his body blends with the fresh air in his system, confused thoughts and half heard voices start clearing up and the dizziness passes. A cold clarity washes over him; maybe recycling his air like that wasn't his best choice. What if the confusion had never cleared up? Not that it matters, it worked and he's here and he can breathe.
He's not sure how long he lays there, half submerged in the pool, droplets from the cave ceiling falling on him, but eventually he sits up and looks around. On the far side of the cavern is a small opening. Reluctant to dive back into the pool sooner than he has to, Shadow decides to investigate the tunnel. It angles down, and Shadow decides to follow it in case it leads where he wants to go. Better to avoid going back into the water if he can help it. He seriously considers teleporting back for his clothes first, even if he is Chaos weary, but ultimately decides to conserve his energy in case he needs it. And so, damp and mostly nude, Shadow ventures back into the abyss.
The slope of the tunnel is steep enough to be a treacherous walk, but not so steep that it'd be better to climb, which is a pain. As Shadow follows the path his Emerald starts pulsing with the resonance. He's close now, which is more of a relief than he cares to admit. Still, he has to be careful if he doesn't want to—
A crumbling sound echoes around Shadow as his foot slips through the ground, and before he has time to react, the rest of him follows. Through darkness he falls, just long enough to realize he's falling before something hard and wet slams into his back, shocking him into dropping his Emerald. As he slides he tries to catch the glowing gem, but it slips out of his grip and the properties that normally keep it aloft cause it to drift slower than him in the underground rapids. Shadow tries to gather the residual Chaos in his body, but between his exhaustion and the excess of stimulus around him, it's impossible. He's being washed towards the other Emerald, though, so maybe—
An involuntary shout rips out of him as he's washed over the edge of an underground waterfall, and then he's falling again.
And then he isn't. Again.
Rocks bite into Shadow's skin, scraping up his ribcage until he's thoroughly wedged in place, until either the rocks or his ribs will have to give in order for him to be free. For a moment he's too stunned to react. He's the ultimate lifeform, this isn't right. He's powerful, immortal. He should be invincible, but with nowhere else to go the waterfall is pooling around him. He should be invincible, and he's going to drown. He tries to brace his hands on the walls to pull himself out of the hole, but they're so slippery, and the force of the waterfall is more powerful than bio-engineered limbs ever could be. He kicks his legs out in every direction, hoping to find something to give him leverage, but there's nothing. Just open air and a slight trickle of water making it past his body, slowing his inevitable death, but not stopping it. As the realization sets in, panic follows, and soon Shadow is thrashing. The water is past his head now, and he can do nothing else. Desperately he gathers the Chaos inside himself, reaching out for any latent energy in the air and walls and water around him. If he can gather enough energy to shift to the open area beneath him, then he'll be free. Is shifting blind a good idea? No, but shifting further up the waterfall would just delay his drowning, and he can't see himself managing a jump further than four, maybe five feet. He strains, but it's no good. Again the darkness creeps at the edges of his vision. He exhales what little air he has left in an effort to halt his body's natural response to excess carbon, but it only delays the inevitable. Already, he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, slowly drifting closer as his consciousness fades. Closer and closer until it gently bumps into his face and he feels a surge of energy. Deadly instinct and a will to live kicks in.
In an instant more fleeting than a heartbeat, Shadow transcends time and space, exists simultaneously trapped in a hole in the middle of a waterfall and floating way above a faintly glowing cavern, and then the universe re-orients itself and he's only in one place again, plummeting through the cavern into the pool below.
He barely has time to catch the Emerald he teleported with and take a gasp of breath before plunging into the steaming pool beneath him. It only takes a moment for him to break the surface, and if the air was sweet the last time he'd nearly drowned, it's all the sweeter now for how much closer death had been. He relaxes and just floats, breathing the humid cave air. As he floats, he looks around. The whole cavern is dimly lit by a golden glow, emanating from an island in the middle of the chamber, along with the green light of his Emerald. The walls are smoother than nature should allow, and waterfalls pour from cracks in the ceiling. Plants have overgrown the glowing island, and when Shadow glances at the water around him, he's surprised by how clear it is. The bottom is a ways off, and yet he can easily see it, along with the fish and snails that live down there.
For longer than intended, Shadow relaxes and breathes, letting the warmth of the water soothe his weary soul. Along with observing the cavern itself, Shadow takes time to hold his Emerald up in front of him, watching the way it pulses in harmony with the other Emerald. Watching the way the red streak on the outside of his forearm seems to catch the Emerald's glow. It runs from his elbow to midway down his hand, a physical manifestation of the Chaos thrumming in his veins. Shadow wonders if it will fade if he goes long enough without using Chaos, or if it's permanent, like his hair and eyes. Not that it matters; he can never go back to how things were before. School was boring enough when Shadow couldn't manipulate time and space. It would be nice to go back to tutoring Amy, though. To have a normal relationship with her, to go on dates and invite her to prom. Shadow's stomach clenches at the thought. He'd never wanted that stuff before, but now... He takes a deep breath and fully submerges before coming back up, like a sort of mental reset. He goes under the water filled with longing and regret, and when he surfaces, the spell of the cavern is broken. Shadow has made his choice and there's no going back. He pushes down everything but his determination and swims to the glowing island to retrieve the final Chaos Emerald.
...
Wednesday, December 8th, 12:03am, Rouge's Livingroom
Rouge is a light sleeper, has been since her life disintegrated in the ball of fire that consumed her world with its light. There was a time when she slept deeply, untroubled by anything, but now even the slightest of noises wakes her up, often for a while. So when her pager goes off in the night, she's up. This is the second time Shadow has actually contacted her, the first being to make sure Amy was safe after her rescue. This one is just as short and demanding as the last, but she figures Robotnik probably has them tapped so she can't be too salty about it. Plus, typing on them is actually incredibly irritating.
FOUND 7TH EMERALD.
MEET ME PARK NOON TO DISCUSS OTHERS.
She chews her lip as she re-reads the message for a third time. If they found that Emerald, then it's only a matter of time before they locate the three that are here, which means they can't waste any more time. She weighs her options and, in the end, decides to wake the others. As much as she doesn't want to betray Shadow's trust, she'd rather not give the rest of the Emeralds to Robotnik. Besides, once they're gathered, Shadow will come back around.
Once everyone is up—well, almost everyone. Cream, Vanilla, Aziza, and the G.U.N. agents have been left to sleep—Rouge tells them that Shadow has found the seventh Emerald.
"But, how do you know Shadow has it?" Tails asks.
Rouge shifts uncomfortably. "He told me," she admits after a moment.
"He... told you?" Amy echoes, brow furrowed.
"Yes."
"You've been keeping in contact with him," Sonic accuses.
Rouge shifts again. "Yes, I have."
"But how?" Tails asks.
"With this," Rouge answers, pulling out her pager. Amy gasps, and Rouge's eyes lock with hers.
"So you're the one who—" she starts, only to cut herself off. Rouge isn't prepared for the hurt that blossoms in her expression before she breaks eye contact.
"What else?" Blaze asks, drawing Rouge's attention from Amy.
"What do you mean, what else?" she asks with feigned innocence.
Blaze gives Rouge a look. "If you were just concerned about Shadow having the Emeralds now you would have included everyone in this meeting, so what are you keeping from us?"
Rouge sighs. "He wants me to meet him at noon, to discuss the location of our Emeralds."
Sonic snarls. "Have you been feeding him information?"
Rouge stiffens, mind working on overdrive so that she can spin this in her favour. "Once, to gain his trust," she says, "and you should be glad for it. If I hadn't, we'd have no way of luring him into our trap."
"What the fuck, Rouge?" Sonic demands before she's fully finished speaking, and then everyone is staring at him, shocked. Even Sonic looks a little stunned.
"Did you just—" Amy begins, wide-eyed. Rouge can't blame her, in all her years of knowing him, Sonic has never said anything more profane than 'hell'.
"We trusted you," Sonic continues after he gathers himself. "How could you betray us?"
Rouge bristles. "I didn't betray anyone, I was building trust to keep everyone safe. Shadow will come back around."
"You told him where an Emerald was!" Sonic argues. "A little warning would have been nice!"
Rouge rolls her eyes. "I thought you'd get there first," she replies. It's not really the truth, but if it'll make him feel better, she doesn't see the harm. "Besides, hasn't the information I gathered been useful?"
Sonic looks like he wants to argue, but Tails places a soothing hand on his arm. "The maps and robot schematics she brought us have been very useful," he points out.
Sonic sighs. "They were more useful when there wasn't a price tag attached," he mutters.
Rouge huffs. "Look, like it or not, this is exactly the opportunity we've been hoping for. Shadow trusts me. I can tell him where we're taking the Emeralds and influence him to bring his own Emeralds. We have this."
"Do we even know where we're taking the Emeralds?" Blaze asks.
"We do, actually!" Tails replies.
Knuckles nods. "We were going to wait until morning to tell everyone, but I remembered something my grandpa said about the Mystic Ruins, and then Tails scanned the area, and—"
"And there it was!" Tails cuts in.
"But, how are we gonna get there?" Amy wonders. "I mean, last I checked we can't really leave the city."
"Actually, I think I have that figured out, too," Tails answers with a grin. "See, it only took a little while to make a radar detecting wavelengths similar to the Emeralds, then it was just a matter of setting it to auto scan for us. Obviously I needed to be in the room while it was going in case it picked anything up, but I didn't actually have anything to do, so I figured I might as well see if I could make a small engine powered by the Emeralds. I mean, to leave the city we need to be fast—like, ignore the usual constraints of physics fast—but if you consider that the power required to keep a commercial aircraft flying at a constant altitude and speed is 7.2 × 106 watts, it's easy enough to adjust for the rate of fuel burn necessary for the engines to produce enough power to keep our smaller plane flying, and extrapolate from there for an estimate of the rate of fuel burn we'd be facing if we were to double or triple a jet's standard speed. From there it becomes clear that the biggest issue facing us if we want to make it is a lack of, well, everything. Fuel, power, parts, et cetera. But, if we can tap into the Emeralds, we should be able to circumvent the fuel issue entirely and overclock our engines, allowing unparalleled speed for at least a few seconds without too many catastrophic reactions." He pauses to gauge reactions.
Everyone just stares, and Tails' grin turns sheepish.
"We can use our Emeralds to super-charge an aircraft and make it past Robotnik's perimeter," he clarifies. "We just need to get an aircraft big enough for a group of us." He glances at Rouge expectantly and she splutters.
"What are you looking at me for?"
"Doesn't your dad own a private chartering company?"
She blinks at that. "I mean, he does, but how do you know that?"
Tails shrugs awkwardly. "Rouge Dubois? Dubois Flights? It's, ah, kinda obvious."
"I suppose it is," Rouge concedes. Most people she meets don't pay attention to chartering companies, but it makes sense for someone who builds their own planes to be more informed. "How long will it take you to make the engines Chaos capable?"
Another shrug. "Two or three days? Maybe less..."
After that a rough plan comes together. In the morning, Rouge will ask her dad for permission to borrow a jet, then Tails and Sonic will head over and get to work while Rouge and the others convince G.U.N. to go along with their scheme. Rouge will then meet with Shadow at noon, and... well, hopefully things go as expected. But for now, everyone heads back to bed. They have a busy few days coming up, and they need all the sleep they can get.
Things are ramping up, now. We're in the home stretch. That being said, things have been utterly crazy for me. I'm hoping to have the next chapter ready in two weeks, but realistically it will probably be three or four. We'll see, though.
As always, please consider reviewing. Comments and constructive criticism help me grow as a writer, and praise warms my heart in these trying times.