Author's note Here I am back with another chapter for you all and I hope that you enjoy it. I also want to thank you for over 50 reviews. I genuinely appreciate the support.
I want to take the time to thank the people who have viewed, faved and favorited this story and a special thank you for this story having 15 favorites and 18 follows. Thank you all so much.
Also, a shout out and thank you to Wafflesbelike-NYANCAT for leaving a follow on the story. I appreciate your support.
As always a big thank you to SpiderDom321, TheGameNguyener, Fanakatsuki, the mystery guest and Keyblade Writer of the Dawn for leaving a review. I genuinely appreciate your support.
Disclaimer I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic belongs to Sonic Team and Sega.
That night Gadget couldn't sleep. The wolf tossed and turned on the rumpled bedsheets. The hot, humid nighttime air in Shamar was even warmer than it was in Saharais if that was possible. Small beads of sweat dotted Gadgets brow. Gadget felt the corner of his lips upwards in a tight grimace. Gadget slowly opened his eyes, sensing something was brushing against his body.
"It's the photo that mom and dad gave me," Gadget whispered looking down at it. "Huh, now I think about it, Mikhail has my mother's hair tufts."
Mikhail stirred slowly opening his eyes at the wolf's soft words sitting upright in the bed the small frown lined his muzzle, half awake from the sound of Gadget's voice.
"You haven't put two and two together yet, have you?"
Gadget squirmed uneasily at Mikhail's question. Guilt gnawed away at Gadget. He'd hadn't even thought about taking a look at the picture Mikhail gave to him with Zerinn's appendicitis and the trip to Shamar along with Quartz taken away from them. The light gray fur stood out against the darkness as Mikhail slipped out of his bed padding towards Gadget reaching out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder the small gesture sent a slight chill through Gadget.
"You have our mother's fur," Mikhail whispered, tears threatening to leak from the corner of his eyes. "I can't believe it that I found you at last."
"No, it couldn't be," Gadget shifted on the bed, ignoring the sweat droplets forming on his forehead. "I thought that I was the only child of my parents."
For a few minutes passed as Gadget reached down for the photo Mikhail gave him the last time they'd met. With trembling hands, he unfolded the picture revealing not only his mother in her arms a smaller Mikhail swaddled in light blue cloth with his mother smiling down at the baby in her arms.
Mikhail's my half-brother. I'm not alone anymore.
Gadet trembled with emotion. Without warning, he embraced Mikhail into a warm, gentle embrace. The two of them hugged each other for a few minutes before they broke apart with a warm, gentle smile.
"How did you end up in Saharais?" Gadget asked, seeing Zerinn open his eyes a crack before he sat up on the bed with Kaito looking up at the reunion with smiles on their faces.
"Well, shortly after I was born, my drunken idiot of a father came back to claim me," Mikhail said bitterly. "Under the law in Saharais in the case of a divorce, it's the father who gets sole custody rights to the baby. Well, that's at least what Quartz's mother told me. Our mum tried to fight it, but she had to leave Saharais."
"I'm two years older than you," Mikhail said.
Gadget finally understood the reason why his mother hated Saharais with a passion. It wasn't because of a falling out with her sister; it was because Mikhail's father had forced her to abandon her firstborn son to the hands of someone who wasn't even fit to be called a father.
"I can't believe it. We are half brothers."
"Oh, that's adorable."
Both Gadget and Mikhail noticed both Kaito and Zerinn watching the reunion as Zerinn pushed himself off the bed having washed the blood off his fur. Zerinn approached Gadget happy for his friend had found a member of his family who was alive.
"Well, at least you found one member of your family," Zerinn said smiling.
"Yeah, I did, and I thought I didn't have any relatives in Saharais," Gadget replied, raising a hand to wipe away at his eyes. "I can't believe that we-"
The happy mood in the room vanished instantly. Gadget saw a flash of silver in the darkness. His heart began to pound in fear seeing the gleam of red eyes with the Egg Robo hovering outside of the window raising the blaster pointing it through the slats aiming right at the occupants in the room.
"Get down!"
Gadget jumped off the bed knocking Zerinn down to the ground the sound of the laser blasted through the air. A loud bang went off jolting both Kairo and Mikhail awake hearing the noise of the laser as all four of them ran out of the abode into the cold night air hearing the sounds of screams filling the air.
"Eggman's attacking! Eggman's launched his assault!"
The G.U.N soldiers ran into the streets firing of their weapons at the mass of EggRobos swarming the streets. Several tanks rolled through the streets, the crowd of Mobians broke into a panic as Gadget saw Saber, Nephthys and Fenrir already attacking several of the EggRobos while Cassius came running towards them, his lips pulled back in a snarl. In his left hand, Cassius clasped the short crimson sword between his fingers oil leaking off it.
"Zerinn and Kaito you two better help us fight back against Eggman's forces," Cassius snarled blood was already leaking from a wound in his thigh. "Dune was no help. As soon as those robots showed up, he ran off to the prison to take refuge."
Maniacal laughter filled the air. Gadget looked up, seeing the Eggmobile with Eggman in it. The broad smile never left the mad human's face. Eggman smiled surveying the damage his robots were inflicting upon the city. Even with Guns' fortifications, the robots continued to swarm into Shamar as Eggman cackled.
Fenrir, Saber, Hela, and Roscoe engaged a small group of the Badniks while Nephthys, Blade, and Iris escorted several citizens to safety destroying every robot that stood between them and the citizens.
"Come on, I know that there's a Chaos Emerald around here somewhere," Eggman muttered typing in several keys on a small device. "Ah Hah! It's in the Shamar museum. Well, then I'll claim it for myself."
The Egg Mobile shot off heading in the direction of the museum. Gadget listened to his pounding heart. He ducked back into he abode racing for the small bag that contained his grappling hook as he ran his fingers over the smooth metal.
"Are you sure it will work?"
Zerinn was giving the Grappling hook an odd look the small frown not having left his face. Gadget slipped the grappling hook feeling the smooth metal slip over his wrist. A sense of determination crept over the wolf the small frown appearing on his face. He'd just found a member of his family. Mikhail reached for the small knife a tense smile on his face since the two of them spent the whole day polishing blades and both of them were ready for combat.
"It has to work," Gadget replied in determination. "I was able to repair it, and it should destroy whatever robots it goes up against instantly."
Kaito grabbed several small knives from out of the drawer handing one over to Zerinn and Mikhail the four of them raced into the streets as they were all determined to fight back.
Gadget and Zerinn found themselves by several EggRobos. The robots pointed their lasers at Gadget as the wolf leaped into the air the wire snaking out from the end of the grappling hook slamming into the robots sending parts everywhere.
"Nice, that's what I like to see!"
Zerinn thrust outwards with the small knife, leaving several small gashes in the robot's metal surface as sparks shot out of the metallic outer skin. The jackal to land several furious kicks on the robotic shell felling it with one final punch sending it crashing into the wall.
"Hah, these robots are flimsy as all heck," Zerinn said.
The sound of heavy footsteps sounded of the cobblestones. Several EggRobos raced past them. Gadge and Zerinn chased after Eggman following the Egg Mobile towards the museum. Gadget looked up, seeing the vast city walls where a new sound cut through the nighttime air. Zerinn skidded to a halt, his the tips of his lips curled upwards in a slight sneer his eyes drawn to the sight of the red plane flying in overhead.
"Well, that's perfect," Zerinn growled. "Eggman's brought in reinforcements."
Gadget followed Zerinn's gaze up to the sight of the red plane flying in low seeing the white lettering plastered on the side. A flash of blue fur jumped down from the Tornado curling up into a ball striking each of the flying EggRobos in the air destroying them before the blue ball landed on the ground uncurling to reveal Sonic.
"Well, that's a relief we got here in time," Sonic said turning towards Gadget and Zerinn. "Do the two of you need to go somewhere safe?"
Gadget froze. Sonic the Hedgehog was asking him a question. In all of his wildest dreams, he never would have imagined that Mobius' hero would ask him a question. The wolf felt sweat on his palms trembling in what was it excitement? Or nervousness? The wolf couldn't tell the difference.
"We're fighting," Zerinn replied."There's no way that we're letting you do this alone."
"Hey, Zerinn, that was rude," Gadget replied fiercely elbowing Zerinn in the side. "Eggman always gets away. Sonic's unauthorized autobiography says so."
"You should have killed Eggman the first chance you got," Zerinn grumbled, making eye contact with Sonic."Then maybe all of Mobius wouldn't be in danger all the time."
"If you're going to help that'd be great," Sonic "My buddy Tails is heading to the museum," Sonic rebuked ignoring Zerinn's comment.
Choosing not to wait for an answer Sonic broke into a run heading in the direction of the museum determined to stop Eggman.
"Wait, was that Sonic the Hedgehog?"
Kaito hurried over with Mikhail the two of them had slight patches of oil on their fur. Kaito had several small cuts on his body, but both of them were still ready and willing to fight looking in the direction that Sonic ran.
"Yeah, it was," Gadget replied, feeling his heart return to normal. "Come on; we have to see if we can give Sonic a hand."
Zerinn huffed in annoyance following Gadget along with Mikhail and Kaito. Sonic was a mystery. Since Mobius' hero barely spoke about his private life since it was well known the blue hedgehog was secretive to the source of many Mobians frustration which led to Sonic's unofficial autobiographies filled with speculation on the hedgehog's private life.
"We're almost there!"
Thick smoke clouds were pouring out from the entrance of the museum as the Egg mobile left the building. Eggman was glowering holding on a purple gemstone with Tails sitting on Eggman's shoulder, yanking hard on his mustache in vain to get the scientist to drop the Chaos Emerald. The Egg mobile was rising high up into the sky as it was several meters off the ground.
"You insufferable pest!" Eggman growled feeling Tails tighten his grip on Eggman's mustache. "This Emerald is mine, and Sonic is too late. You may have stopped me from stealing the Master Emerald and foiling my plans to launch the Death Egg, but this time you won't stop me!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Tails yanked hard on the mustache prompting Eggman to yelp forcing the mad genius to drop the Chaos Emerald. "Sonic catch!"
Gadget spied seeing a flash of light blue explode out of the museum. Sonic hurried along the ground diving for the Chaos Emerald the weight of the gem land comfortably in his outstretched palms. The look of relief appeared on Sonic's face.
"He dives, and he's got one Chaos Emerald!" Sonic got to his feet. "Sorry, Eggface you lose again."
Sonic's joy at having caught the Chaos Emerald didn't last long hearing robots landing all around him. The Badniks pointed their weapons at Sonic, Gadget, Zerinn, Kaito, and Mikhail. The small group of Mobians bared their teeth in defiance at their refusal to submit and be killed by Eggman.
However, there was another pair of running footsteps as Cassius turned the corner his eyes zeroing in on Eggman seeing several robots stomping towards his two sons. That accursed blue hedgehog along with the red wolf and the hybrid freak. All of them didn't deserve to live, but he wasn't about to sacrifice his two sons, even if one of them was weaker than Dune.
"Prepare to die Eggman!"
Cassius' deep voice cut through the air as the larger jackal broke into a run, taking a flying leap into the air, raising his sword high above his head preparing to deal the killing blow. Cassius felt his heart pounding with excitement at the upcoming thrill of the kill as Eggman raised his hand.
At the doctor's unbidden signal two of the EggRobos rose into the air two of them fired off lasers both of the shots grazed Cassius' left side gripping the jackal by his wrist holding him in place. The weight of the jackal dragged the EggRobo down. The robot hovered in the air the cold fingers gripping Cassius' right wrist.
"Dad!" Kaito screamed in pure panic. "Dad fight back!"
Zerinn looked up, seeing his father's plight. The blood was oozing from the cuts. The laser left a burn mark along Cassius' side stopping his attack, holding the jackal up in the air. The sword slipped from Cassius' grasp, landing blade first in the dirt as Cassius weakly thrashed around. Sonic stowed the Chaos Emerald away in the back of his quills.
"Oh, Sonic I'm willing to make a trade," Eggman taunted mockingly taking joy in the distraught expression on Kaito's face. "The Chaos Emerald for this mercenary who foolishly tried to kill me. If you don't know well this jackal will go splat against the ground."
"Hey, that's your dad up there right?," Sonic queried with a slight hint of panic in his voice.
"Yes, that's our father. Zerinn please I know that we both hate dad and you're not a fan of Sonic," Kaito replied his tone shaky with emotion. Kaito reached out to grab Zerinn by the wrist. "Please let Sonic save him."
Gadget saw Zerinn look up a small tense frown on his face making eye contact with Cassius. His father glared at him, curling his lips back slightly. There had been no love lost between Zerinn and Cassius.
"Fine, just save him already," Zerinn replied coldly.
Cassius suddenly lunged for the Eggrobo's arm with his free left hand wrenching it off as it came apart in a shower of sparks. However, as a result, with nothing to hold on to Cassius let out a scream plummeting through the air on a collision course to the ground.
"Hold on Cassius!" Gadget cried out.
Sonic ran forward as Tails grabbed his hands lifting off into the air towards the falling mercenary. Eggman chose that moment to leave shooting one last triumphant look at his enemies racing to save the falling jackal. His plan to retrieve the Chaos Emerald may have failed, but thanks to the jackal's foolishness, it presented an opportunity for Eggman to escape. He pressed a small button on his wrist summoning the last few Badniks to his side.
"I'll, be back with even more robots," Eggman called down to them. "Also, I may bring an old friend for you to play with the next time we meet Sonic."
Tails carried Sonic the hedgehog extended a hand to Cassius, who slapped it away before he landed on the ground hard feet first. The Jackal screamed in agony feeling the bones in his ankles shatter before he continued to bounce along the earth coming to a stop. Cassius let out a low moan of pain before he sank into unconsciousness.
Zerinn ran up to his father's side. Zerinn kneeled at his father's side, placing an ear to his father's chest. There was a weak, fluttering heartbeat. Cassius was so still that if it weren't for the faint pulse, Zerinn had almost made the mistake his father was dead.
"Is he?" Gadget asked.
"No, sadly he's not dead, but I need you to get Saber and Blade," Zerinn said calmly. "The bones in his ankles are likely fractured from that fall, and we need to stop the bleeding. Serves him right though after all the crap he's put us through."
Gadget nodded numbly breaking into a run away from where Cassius lay injured. The wolf couldn't believe what had just happened. Cassius, the gruff, no-nonsense leader of the Jackal Squad, lay possibly dying in the street of Shamar. The wolf needed to find Saber, and thankfully he saw Saber come running towards him.
"Gadget, I saw Cassius falling through the sky," Saber said with a slight hint of worry in his voice. "It, sounded bad hearing him scream in pain. He's a fighter I'm sure he'll be fine."
Gadget hurried back to where Cassius lay on the ground. Sonic headed in the direction of the hospital. The wolf noticed that the other members of the Jackal Squad gently had turned Cassius on his back with Iris placing several rags on top of Cassius' wound to stop the bleeding. The white rags immediately saturated with blood, the red substance covering Iris' hands.
"Gadget?" Kaito came hurrying towards him with Zerinn in tow. "I know that Zerinn and I don't like our dad, but if he dies what will happen to us?"
Zerinn drew Kaito into a gentle embrace hearing Kaito softly whimper in sorrow. "We stay strong, Kaito. No matter what happens."
The sound of sirens alerted everyone to the presence of the ambulance racing through the streets with Sonic leading the way.
The hero came to a stop allowing the medics to descend out of the vehicle carefully placing Cassius on the stretcher with Blade and Roscoe climbing into the back of the ambulance before the ambulance sped off into the night.
"Hey, Gadget it will be okay," Mikhail said, placing an arm around Gadget. "I'm sure that Cassius will pull through."
Gadget said nothing to Mikhail looking over as Zerinn sighed, drawing Kaito into a hug the younger jackal pup burying his head into Zerinn's chest. Even though Zerinn and Kaito both hated their father, the possibility of Cassius' death due to his severe injuries, remained. If Cassius passed away, it meant that the balance of power would soon shift in the Jackal Squad.
Author's note. This chapter was a hard one to write out since I figured that starting with the reunion between Gadget and Mikhail start out on a sweet note, as I wanted a clam before the storm moment before everything went south. Luna hated her ex-boyfriend because she lost her firstborn son to his drunken deadbeat of a father since she was protective of Gadget as a child because she was afraid of losing him.
We're now at the halfway point of the story, since the later chapters will get darker.
One of the hurdles I had with this chapter was how to handle Cassius getting injured. There is a reason why Zerinn was cold towards his injured father. All of his life Cassius has always despised Zerinn and now that he's wounded Zerinn knows that there's a chance his father could die, and he didn't have a strong bond with Zerinn and Cassius picked on Kaito as well hence Zerinn's cold disdain towards his father in his injured state. Even though Eggman played a role in Cassius getting injured, it doesn't matter to Zerinn.
As always thoughts/suggestions and reviews are always appreciated and welcomed. However, I'm going to put this story on a slight hiatus since I do want to get a couple of new one-shots out and I'm not canceling this story, and I will resume this in a couple of weeks.