Chapter 4: The New Allies
31 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING VACE BEACH
Knuckles uses his spiked gloves to chop down thick branches and long, wet leaves in his way through the swamp lands outside of the Neon lit City.
Starr tests out her elemental powers on local wildlife to clear a path. Magenta purple energy flows from her hands as she blasts down entire trees.
"Why don'tcha take it easy on the trees, kid. No need to kill off the natural life around here" Knuckles says
"Well, apart from your ugly face, there's nothing else around here to shoot" The teenager replies with a smile "Unless, you want me to blast you, cuz I can if you want.."
"You do, and you get pimp slapped. I do NOT care that you're a girl"
Duncan comes in next "Touchy, aren't you"
Knuckles punches the red hedgehog in the gut and he falls to the ground in pain.
"Nah, not at all. Things have gone EXACTLY like I wanted them to go, you little prick. I'm in a great mood..."
AJ looks up ahead and sees the terrain begin to change from wet grass to sand, and notices wooden platforms that gradually rise.
"Hey, guys, I think we're coming up on someone's property-"
Duncan jumps up and interrupts "You know what, Knuckles? Fuck you! I've had it with all this 'you're just a kid' bullshit! I can handle myself, I don't need you!"
"Great, then get the fuck outta here! You're nothing but a pain in my ass, and I'm sure these guys feel the same way!" Knuckles responds
AJ turns to face the guys "Yo, dipshits! We're on-"
Knuckles pushes past him "I got you idiots out of the city, now you don't need me. Go! Get lost! Go be assholes somewhere away from me!..."
AJ, Starr and Duncan stop in their tracks and look behind Knuckles, prompting him to turn around.
He can't react fast enough to avoid being hit by a masked individual swinging by a rope. A metal shield CLANGS off of Knuckles' face and he's knocked off his feet.
As he flies backwards, another individual swings by, grabs his shirt collar and throws him higher into the air.
Knuckles can't do a thing as he's volleyballed thru the air by several masked thugs, most likely residents of this area.
Starr laughs hysterically as the echidna bounces around comically through the air
"Holy shit, he did a backflip that time!" AJ says
"Kick him in the face!" Duncan shouts
Finally, one last thug jumps off the rope, double foot stomps his back and slams him face-first into the sand.
Starr and Duncan give a round of applause for the "show" and laugh at Knuckles.
The thug standing on top of Knuckles takes off her mask and drops her knee in between his shoulder blades, causing him to groan slightly
"Who are you?! Who sent you here?!" She demands, practically screaming it
When nobody answers, the thug pulls out a knife and holds it to the echidna's throat
"Tell me now! Or your friend dies first!"
"Yeah, he's not really our friend. He's actually a drunken piece of shit, so that threat means nothing to us. Go right ahead" Duncan says
"Ok, then-"
Knuckles growls angrily and pushes her off his back, then uppercuts the next thug so hard, blood shoots from his mouth and nose. His fists fly out faster than anyone can react, knocking everyone in his way off their feet.
Starr uses her telekinetic powers to push the female thug against a tree, while AJ and Duncan fight the incoming reinforcements.
"ENOUGH!" A different female voice shouts
Everyone's attention is shifted upwards at the highest wooden platform. A brown female hedgehog walks out of a small wooden hut, flanked by 2 large guards on both sides.
She looks down at the group and recognizes two of them
"Jonathan? Enerjak? What are you doing here?" She asks
Knuckles releases a thug and looks at the hedgehog
"..Maggie Bloodmoon. Great.."
AJ glares at her "That ain't my name, you bitch! I'm not a psycho!"
Bloodmoon's two guards aim their weapons at the giant echidna "You don't talk to her like that!"
She grabs both gun barrels and points them down "It's alright. I think the kid deserves that one... you're not with Angel, or G.U.N. So who are you with?"
"Long story, but it don't matter. I'm not staying to tell it" Knuckles says "You dipshits can sit here with the queen bitch of drug runners. I'm leaving. And NOBODY follows me this time"
"I don't do that anymore, Jonathan" Maggie replies "...Angel made sure of that"
"Lotta things he made sure of. But unlike you, I'm gonna do something about it"
"Wait! Please, just hear me out"
"Why should I? You tried to have me killed last time we met! I should pay you back for that, but I ain't a piece of shit like you, who needs 20 guys to beat on someone before jumping in there, herself"
Maggie sighs before answering "Yeah, I used to do some bad stuff. But I left that life! Angel, and whoever is backing him up, took control of everything, not just my crew. Now that he turned rat, EVERYONE is getting picked up or killed off. I had to leave before I was next, Knuckles... Alright? That's my side of the story"
"..that's a very touching story, but it doesn't mean fuck all to me. I've already got a plan and I don't need anybody else dragging me down. Now, if you excuse me, I'll be on my way"
Bloodmoon talks in a different language and the female thug stands in Knuckles way, pointing a Dagger toward his heart
"Better get that blade away from me, lady. I ain't playing around" He warns
"I think there's a way we can help each other" Maggie says
"Not interested"
"You want Angel gone, so do I. But right now, we're both at a disadvantage. If we work together, I'm sure we could do better... it doesn't look like you've done much, by yourself, anyway. You need help on this one, Jonathan"
He sighs angrily "Fine"
The group walk up the wooden platforms and enter the largest hut in this woodland.
The teenagers take a seat on the comfy beanbag chairs around the room, while Knuckles stands at the front door and crosses his arms.
"We need to find out what Angel is involved in, whose protecting him. Once we know, we can target those areas and take him down" Maggie says
Duncan pulls out his cellphone "Well, according to the online news, Angel is a superstar in Vace Beach"
"What are you talking about?"
Duncan: ...the city's police force praise Angel Lefthand for his bravery on his mission to infiltrate the local crime syndicate and cripple them from within. His actions have saved the lives of thousands, and also shined a light on a surprising amount of unexpected criminals, including the executive director of Westcorp and Account manager for Opossum Inc.
Far from the city, Sonia sits in the passenger seat of Shadow's stolen car and reads the exact same article on her phone.
"This is all lies! I haven't done a thing wrong!" She protests "That Angel guy is a son of a bitch!"
"I know. That's why we're going to stop him. But in order to do that, I need this machine from your company. And once I use it, I'm going to destroy it"
"Why?"
"It can be used as a time bomb, and you definitely don't want Angel getting his hands on it"
"Oh.. Shadow, I read some pretty, uh - bad things about you, and what you did. Are those things true?" Sonia asks
"Most of those things have been taken out of context or are just not true. You think I've been shooting people since 1947? Impossible"
"..You read that file, too, huh"
"I keep an updated one in the glove box of every vehicle I commandeer. Saves time"
Sonia looks at the black hedgehog's right arm, his long sleeve shirt is sliced open, but no blood or scars are visible.
"You're not like, a terminator, are you? Crazy Robot running around killing for fun?" She asks
Shadow turns to face her "If I was a robot, I wouldn't have the emotional thought to break you out of police custody and get you to open this vault. I would've just killed everyone in the building and found a way inside"
"Fair enough"
"Anything else you want to ask me? Ask now. Won't be able to talk much once we get there"
"These Power Rings must mean a lot to you, if you're going through this much trouble to get them back"
"...I didn't hear a question"
"Is that ALL you care about? Killing your way to these Rings?"
The car comes to an abrupt stop, forcing Sonia to hold onto her seat as the car stops in the middle of this dirt road.
"Someone is depending on me, Sonia. They got locked away, tortured, starved, interrogated and held underground, probably haven't seen daylight in a decade. Yes. This is all I care about and I won't stop until I get these Rings back. It's the only way I can save them"
"By killing and stealing? Is that what this person wants you to do?" She asks, a little more edge in her voice
"You have no clue what someone like me will do unless YOU lose someone you care about, and someone else begs you for help. You could never understand, because all you know is how to live in $50 000 hotel suites, spend money on garbage and how to lie on your back for assholes like Knuckles"
"Fuck you Shadow"
"Yeah, get mad. You're gonna need that once we get there. And be fast. I won't wait all day for you"
"...let me out" Sonia says
"No"
"I said LET ME OUT!"
"You get out and you won't last 10 minutes"
"If going to jail means you won't get what you want, then I welcome it. Now pull over!"
Shadow opens his mouth to argue but he looks ahead and spots a massive individual walking through the parking Lot of Westcorp south wing.
Sleuth Dogg looks up at the speeding car, looks into Shadow's eyes, and spots Sonia in the passenger seat
"Look at that"
Before the Black hedgehog can pull out a weapon, Dogg raises his Revolver and shoots Shadow in the face.
His head slumps over the steering wheel, while Sonia shrieks in terror.
Dogg side-steps away from the speeding car just before it hits him and he watches the vehicle crash into a street light post. The Hitman rips open the passenger side door, picks Sonia up and fires 4 more shots into Shadow's body, just to make sure he's not getting up.
"LET ME GO!" She screams
"I'm doing you a favor, honey. This guy would've put a slug in you once you were no longer useful to him. It's for the best he dies" Dogg says through gritted teeth
As the large hitman carries Sonia over his shoulder, Dogg pulls the pin out of a grenade, throws it inside the car and quickly escapes the blast radius.
Sonia watches as the inside of Shadow's car explodes and fire engulfs the entire vehicle.
Dogg rests her on a bench and keeps his weapons visible, intimidating the Pink hedgehog into staying in her seat
"...you're Sleuth Dogg, aren't you"
"In the flesh, babe"
"What do you want from me?"
"Same as that piece of shit wanted you for. To get you to open that vault inside. But we're gonna have to move this along because the fire department, and police, will be here in 7 minutes. So, please - after you"
Dogg signals for Sonia to go inside first, to which she complies. She looks back at the fire but the hitman nudges her inside and orders her to keep her attention forwards.
Sonia presses her hand to every security scanner and the metal doors are opened for them. It's not problem to reach the vault room, but by now police sirens are heard getting closer to their location.
"What are you going to do to me after I get you into the vault?" She asks
"Probably eat you"
Sonia gasps and Dogg grins
"Just kidding. I only eat what I take-out. Know what I mean"
"Are you going to kill me? Just tell me, asshole!"
"Kill someone like you? Nah. I like you. You're tough. And I respected your brother... Sonic, not Manic. That kids' a punk"
"Then, what are you going to do to me after this?"
"I have no other uses for you, so I'll probably just let ya go. Just don't tell anyone about our little meeting. Now, open this vault"
Sonia presses her hand on the last scanner and a 12 foot tall door slides open.
Dogg walks into the vault room and opens the first metal crate he finds, and stares at an electronic machine with Chrome linings.
Seeing her chance to escape, Sonia grabs the tall vault door handle and pushes it towards the locking mechanism, attempting to lock Dogg inside.
The hitman thrusts his arm in the way and the door slams against the muscle of his forearm, but he seemingly doesn't feel any pain.
"Not cool, pink. Don't make me angry" Dogg says
He pushes the giant titanium steel door open and out of nowhere, Shadow tackles him into the vault room.
"What the fuck?!"
The Black hedgehog's right eyeball is completely black, apart from a blinking Red Light in the center. His clothing is burned but his body isn't.
Dogg quickly punches him three times but Shadow doesn't feel them, while he throws a powerful kick to the hitman's gut and he drops to one knee.
The pink hedgehog slams the vault door shut, trapping Shadow and Dogg inside.
"Sonia, we need to leave" Shadow says calmly
"What the hell are you?!" Sonia responds
Dogg chuckles as he stands up "..Ah, you didn't tell her"
"Tell me what?"
"I've told you everything, he's trying to agrivate you" Shadow says
"Liar!"
"We have no time for this, open the door"
"You guys want that machine, you can keep it! But I'm getting out of here!"
Just as Sonia steps away from the vault, loud hollering and metal clanging echoes through the building. The first responders start swearing and taunting the trio to come out.
"That's not the police-"
"It's Angel's Flock. They're here to kill us. Sonia, open this door NOW, or you're going to die" Shadow orders
The Pink hedgehog slams her hand on the electronic security scanner and the vault door swings open. Shadow pushes her behind the giant door just as The Flock open fire. Three gunmen stand at the end of this white hallway with automatic weapons.
She shrieks as the bullets start to cut through the titanium steel, indicating these are armour piercing rounds.
Shadow runs down the hall to disarm the shooters.
"Shoot him!" A thug shouts
"I am, the bullets aren't doing anything!" another responds frantically
The Black hedgehog is shot dozens of times but he still reaches the shooters. He starts by ripping the barrels off their machine guns and spin kicking the leader in the chest, knocking him to the floor.
Sleuth Dogg races toward the fight and soon they are back-to-back fighting Angel's Flock.
Shadow thrust-kicks the leader in the head so hard, his neck breaks, while Dogg stomps on the second shooter's face and bites onto the third's neck, drawing a lot of blood. They step away from the dead shooters, and Sonia slowly walks out from her hiding spot.
"Oh my god" She says upon seeing the three dead bodies
She covers her mouth and leans against the wall, now covered in blood splatter.
"You'll get used to it, pink" Dogg says as he wipes blood off his mouth
"I would rather not.."
"They'll send more. We need to move" Shadow orders
"Not without the machine" Dogg protests
"You're not keeping it"
"Neither are you"
"I'm not using it to kill civilians, Dogg"
"Yeah, how come I don't believe that? Oh yeah, cause you've already killed innocent civilians!"
"That last one survived"
"Oh, out of what, 15? Fuck off"
"You do the same thing"
"I don't shoot women and children. My contracts are always assholes like you"
"And that makes you a saint, doesn't it"
"Okay, stop!" Sonia shouts "Can we at least leave here before we continue this conversation?"
Dogg pulls another grenade out "I think it's best if no one gets their hands on this machine"
Shadow watches as the hitman throws the grenade inside the vault room and closes the door. The explosion rocks the entire building, then the trio leave through the a back exit.
Shadow leads them through a path of long pipelines that are hidden by giant trees and bushes, keeping them out of sight.
The sun begins to set be the time they reach an abandoned barn on a farm that hasn't been inhabited in years.
"Alright, now lets start from the beginning" Sonia says "Shadow, tell me the truth. What are you? You're certainly not like me"
"It doesn't matter"
"You just survived being shot in the face and you killed those shooters, I think it matters"
Dogg laughs to himself as he sits on an old bench
"...I'm an android"
"I knew it! Wait, from the future?" Sonia asks
"No. I was created by Dr. Robotnik. He had thousands of duplicates built in his factory, made by other machines"
Dogg reaches into his gear bag and pulls out a flask "This is pretty interesting, would you like a drink?"
Sonia waves off the offer and listens to Shadow's story.
"..he never intended to release just one android, he wanted to launch the entire army all at once. But he was captured before that could happen. A friend of mine accidentally released me from containment, you remind me of her. She's got that same take-no-shit attitude. Ever since then, I've been able to act on my own free will"
"So, where's the original Shadow?"
"...I needed that weapon to find out. It's destroyed now, so the original's location will remain unknown forever"
Sonia and Shadow turn to Sleuth Dogg, casually leaning back in his seat and drinking the alcohol in his flask.
"Oops"
"Why did you need it?" Sonia asks
"I was given a list of objects to find and bring to a warlord who claimed he known the location of the original. This weapon was one of them"
"So you were gonna hand over a WMD to a warlord? Wow. And you thought what I do was bad" Dogg says
"You are no more noble than me, Dogg. We are on the same grounds"
"That's where you're wrong. You see, I am a fully functioning, rational guy. You, are an emotionless psychopath. Yeah, I shoot people for a living, but only the ones who deserve it. You? You pull the trigger on anyone who gets in your way, including, but not limited to entire. fucking. families. We are not the same, robot. I don't murder for the fun of it and try to hold my moral compass above everyone else, like you. So don't compare yourself to me, got it?"
"You talk so much above families, what about you're own? The one you just left one day so you could be a contract killer. That family"
"You don't know shit about me, robot. You don't feel any emotion, what the fuck could you know about family? Nothing. So, get off your high horse and just accept that you're the bad guy"
Shadow walks up to Dogg, towering over him by almost a foot. They say nothing and face off in the middle of the barn, while Sonia tries to get reception on her cellphone.
"Hey pinky! Whose the asshole, now?" Dogg asks
"You both are. Are you happy, you both now know you're bad guys, just standing in an abandoned barn. That where you wanted to end up?..."
"I think I'm gonna go make a fire, it's gonna get cold as soon as the moon comes out"
"I'm going to find a vehicle. We're not going to accomplish anything here"
Dogg heads out towards the forrests and Shadow heads towards the nearest roads, while Sonia sits on an old metal box. She leans against a gate and closes her eyes, falling asleep for the first time since being in her mansion.