Author's note, Sorry this fic's been dead for a little over three months now, thanks to severe writers' block, but I've conquered it, and I'm going to see this story all the way through to the end. Another reason for this unfortunate delay was due to me being busy preparing for an upcoming trip which left me with barely any time to sit down and work on this story along with going back and editing previous chapters.
A shout out goes to Turquoise Triangle, Farris Yi, and Keyblade Writer of the Dawn for leaving a review, thank you so much for your support on the story. Also, I want to thank everyone else for being patient with me during this long delay.
Also, I wish to extend an apology to SpiderDom 321, for asking for his advice on whether or not to continue this story. Another reason for the lack of updates for the last few months I've been dealing with some stress, I'm feeling a little bit better now.
I also want to give everyone who either left a favorite or follow, or by even viewing this story for helping it reach over 5200 views a shout and thank you, for the support since after this chapter there will be three chapters left to this fic.
A shout out goes out to Farris Yi, for leaving a favorite and a follow on this story, thank you so much for the support.
Disclaimer I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega does. The only things I own are my original characters and the plot of the story.
In the middle of the night, a commotion caused Gadget to stir from a peaceful slumber. Gadget slipped out of bed hurrying down the stairs glancing up at the clock on the wall, which read two thirty am. The entered the kitchen towards the window pulling back the thin curtains from the window noticing some movement coming from outside.
Gadget pushed the curtains aside glimpsing the Jackal Squad silently walking past his home heading through the empty streets.
They're up to something. Gadget thought to himself; Maybe I should follow the Jackal squad and find out precisely what Zerinn's planning now.
Gadget silently reached for the utility belt slinging it over his head making sure it settled comfortably against his chest, but before he opened the door, a blast of arctic wind hit him in the face prompting Gadget to wrap his arms around himself shivering from the cold air.
The wolf silently left his home following the group of jackals for several city blocks until his boot knocked over a pair of empty glass bottles, the wolf winced hearing the bottles the sound alerted the jackals to turn around aiming fierce glares at the red wolf until Zerinn broke the silence.
"What are you doing up this late Gadget?" Zerinn asked keeping his tone steady.
"Zerinn, I know you're upset that Kaito got hurt and you feel like its all your fault," Gadget said pleadingly. "But please don't take it out on innocent people. Like with what you did with Russell, it's not his fault he was the victim of a robbery."
"He was a coward who can't even stand up for himself," Zerinn said with an edge to his voice."Besides he can't always rely on someone else to come and save him. If you were thinking of coming with us, you're more then welcome to, but stay out of our way."
To Gadget it sounded like Zerinn said the last sentence as a threat. The other jackals began to follow Zerinn silently continuing their trek in silence. Saber regarded Gadget stoically before following his leader.
A sense of dread began to build up in Gadget's stomach. The wolf paused looking over at the retreating forms of the jackals swallowed up by the darkness heading out to the grasslands surrounding Red Gate City. Gadget sprinted easily catching up with the jackals despite his lack of training, earning a scornful glare from Zerinn.
"Gadget, this isn't a game," Zerinn hissed. "If something happens to you, do you realize how furious Mikhail is going to be once he finds out you've bailed on him?"
"Mikhail was fast asleep when I left," Gadget said with resolve. "If he were here with me, he wouldn't agree with what you're doing; he would say you're an egotistical idiot."
Gadget ignored Zerinn's scoff crouching low in the grass following the hidden jackals moving silently through the long grass. Zerinn felt a small pit of dread forming in his stomach. Gadget shouldn't be out here with them he was too inexperienced, he'd never even killed a Mobians before. Zerinn was afraid - one wrong move, and his best friend in Mobius most likely would get himself killed.
The group climbed onto a small outcropping to be immediately greeted by a foul smell hitting them in the nostrils; The jackals covered their sensitive noses, their eyes watering from the foul odor. Gadget felt bile rising in his throat, fighting back the urge to vomit, before Zerinn pointed silently to the source of the odor: a group of three skunks stalking the grasslands, on high alert for any form of attack.
"Huh, there's not that many members in a group called the Skunk Squad," Ace commented observing them. "Boss, maybe we should fall back, in case we're outnumbered, I'm sure Kaito should be well enough to fight alongside us now, and we can send Gadget home."
"I'm not doing that, I refuse to be weak and order a retreat," Zerinn said stoically. "Besides we outnumber them five to three, and we have the element of surprise."
Zerinn's eyes were watering; he gestured for the group to head back down the hill away from the foul odor. Gadget stumbled nearly crashing into Nephthys who glared at him briefly before heading down the grassy slope. Gadget's ears pricked at the sounds of something rustling through the long grass. Gadget felt Saber tapping him lightly on the shoulder standing next to Zerinn.
"A client's willing to pay us good money if we wipe out every single member of the Skunk Squad," Saber said. "If I were you Gadget, I would suggest that you turn back now. Imagine if Mikhail wakes up and realizes his half-brother ran off without telling him where he went he's going to be worried sick about you."
"Is money the only thing Zerinn cares about now?" Gadget said fiercely. "No, If I can speak with Zerinn, this attack isn't necessary."
Zerinn fell back hearing the conversation between Gadget and Saber his expression fierce running back to shake Gadget by the shoulder roughly in barely suppressed frustration at Gadget's stubbornness to go back home.
"Not everyone in the world is a good citizen Gadget," Zerinn said fiercely "Have you forgotten about those three bullies who used to attack you when you were growing up in the refugee camp? If I recall, correctly they were going to kill you at one point, because you loved working on machines."
Gadget fell silent; his brain struggled to come up with an appropriate response. "I haven't forgotten I nearly died at Chad's hands, but you stuck up for me back then. I still want to believe there's still some good in you."
Zerinn scowled ignoring Gadget's plea stalking towards Nephthys speaking to her in low tones; the female jackal folded her ears back. Grumbling, she handed Zerinn a small dagger. The wolf barely had time to register the blade being placed in the palm of his hand feeling Zerin leaning close to him his breath tickling the wolf's ear.
"If you want to prove you can be one of us, you have to go in for the kill," Zerinn whispered. "Unless you want to turn around now. The situation we're in now at any moment could become a life or-"
Before Zerinn could finish his sentence, a pair of skunks erupted out of the grass, one of them tackled Ace knocking him off his feet and sending the two of them crashing to the ground. Ace fought back slashing with his katana, drawing a line along the arm of the skunk, who fell back with a pained howl before Ace quickly got to his feet tackling the skunk to the ground stabbing the skunk in the throat then wrenching his sword free leaving a blood trail staining the ground.
"Damn it!" Ace cried out "We've walked straight into an ambush!"
Ace's shout carried over the breeze. Gadget saw Zerinn racing towards another skunk who was pinning Saber to the ground. Zerinn drove his sword into the skunk's back, and another pained scream filled the air as the skunk toppled to the ground clutching his back before Saber and Zerinnb made short work dispatching the skunk, lying still on the ground, all around Gadget a fierce battle raged around him.
More skunks erupted from the grass, their leader sauntered forward a sinister smile on her face, eying up the jackals fighting for their lives. Clad in khaki clothing, the pale-furred skunk turned her attention towards Zerinn who dispatched another skunk although the wide smile never left her face. Gadget met her gaze and the skunk charged for him roughly shoving him down to the ground and placing a foot in the small of Gadget's back, holding him down along with a small dagger pressed to his neck.
IU the Ultimate Mercenary fell for the oldest trick in the book," The skunk sneered. "The name's Mari, kid and if your friend doesn't stop fighting right now, you are toast."
Upon hearing their leader's shout, everyone ceased fighting; three skunks lay dead on the ground blood flowing from their wounds into the grassy ground staining the grass tips red. Zerinn shoved another skunk away from him, his muzzle splattered with blood a crazed look was in Zerinn's eyes, his gaze fixating on the small dagger in Gadget's hands.
"Let him go, skunk!" Zerinn's shout carried across the air. "He's not a member of our squad; he's just a random nobody who got caught up in this whole mess by pure accidental chance!"
Gadget froze upon hearing the word 'nobody,' his lip began to tremble. Seeing the glance Ace, and Nephthys exchanged with each other in silent disbelief. The wolf started to shake with barely repressed emotions. Gadget glanced over at Zerinn a fighting back angry hot tears.
"So, I'm a nobody to you Zerinn?" Gadget asked hurt evident in his voice.
Gadget's question caught Zerinn by surprise, the jackal's eyes widened in shock, his mouth parted as though he wanted to say something, perhaps a small kernel of hope within Gadget hoped Zerinn would realize his mistake, tell the skunk they were friends
"We're here to wipe out your squad skunk," Zerinn said ignoring Gadget's question. "I told you before he's a nobody, that happened to get caught up in this whole mess, he shouldn't have even been out here, to begin with."
In an instant Gadget gripped the dagger driving it into Mari's barefoot causing her to scream in pain, releasing her grip on Gadget. In that instant, Zerinn seized his chance racing across the grass his blade raised striking at the skunk's exposed neck; crimson blood gushed into the air from the gaping wound in the skunk's throat. Mari shakily pressed a hand to the oozing blood her white glove quickly became saturated in blood.
"Skunk Squad as my last order, kill those jackals," Mari wheezed before her knees crumbled to the ground her whole body toppling over hitting the ground her last breath slipping out of her lips.
A dreadful silence hung in the air between them the silence broke by a shriek coming from a dark grey skunk hurrying over to where his leader lay stopping short upon seeing her sightless yellow eyes staring up at the sky.
"Mari! She's dead!"
"Jackal Squad we need to fall back now!" Zerinn's shout jolted Gadget out his stupor and running after the rest of the jackals broke into a run, Nephthys lashing out with her dagger stabbing the skunk closet to her in the chest before joining her fellow jackals running across the blood-soaked fields the angry shouts of the skunks right behind him.
A sharp yank sent Gadget tumbling down; the wolf turned his head to see one of the skunks grasping his ankle; beaming sinisterly at the terrified wolf. Gadget swiftly delivered a hard kick to the skunk's face forcing him to let go, rubbing at his nose, hearing the bones crack. Gadget's instincts screamed at him to keep running, up ahead he saw Sunset Heights appearing on the horizon hearing the pursuing skunks breaking off their pursuit a voice on the wind caught the wolf's attention.
"Tell your boss if he ever comes back to the Skunk Squad's territory again we'll kill him!"
The Jackal Squad didn't stop running until they reached the city's limits before finally coming to a stop bending over hands on their knees panting from the sudden exertion from their frantic chase. Zerinn looked up at Gadget the red wolf looked back at him in horror beginning to tremble, small tears falling from his eyes looking at Zerinn for the first time.
"You lied to me," Gadget whispered. "About not stealing those skunks were Mobains, they didn't deserve to die."
Gadget tore his gaze away from Zerinn not wanting to hear the jackal's excuses breaking into a fast walk seeing Quartz and Ace staring at the ground choosing to say nothing for a long time.
Zerinn hurried after Gadget; the wolf rubbed at his eyes, choosing to ignore Zerinn's shouts, the early morning light reflected off his glasses before a strong hand wrapped around Gadget's upper arm holding the wolf in place. Gadget winced feeling the claws digging slightly into the wolf's fur.
"Gadget, will you listen to me?" Zerinn asked. "I only said all that stuff about you being a nobody to deter her from killing you, idiot. Besides, if I told what the Jackal Squad did you wouldn't understand why we kill to survive. In this world, the strong survive, and the weak perish."
Gadget turned around to look at the rest of the Jackal Squad glaring back at him with dry blood staining their fur; they weren't the kind of Mobians Gadget wanted to befriend.
"Your father was right about you, you are weak," Gadget said unable to stop the words tumbling out of his mouth. "Not only that, you have a hot-headed ego in your drive to become the Ultimate Mecernary. All you do is kill innocent Mobians who had nothing to do with your ego fuelled killing spree."
"Take it back Gadget I'm not weak!"
Without warning, Zerinn lunged at Gadget punching him hard in the face. Gadget staggered back holding his eye unable to see an expression of shock appearing on Zerinn's face. A dull throbbing erupted around Gadget's left eye the wolf raised his head meeting Zerinn's gaze, before mentally weighing the pros and cons of landing a punch on Zerinn.
"No, I see how it is," Gadget said quietly, "I can take a hint, you're jealous that I've found some new friends, you're scared that I'm going to choose them over you. I'm sorry for calling you weak, but there are different ways about obtaining personal strength, but you're going about it the wrong way."
Ace, Saber, and Nephthys held their breaths in stunned disbelief at Gadget's statement, several pairs of scared eyes turned towards Zerinn twitching with barely suppressed rage before letting a tense sigh escaping his lips reaching up with a clawed hand fiddling with the scarf from around his neck before a low, tired sigh escaped his lips.
"Fine, I see how it is," Zerinn said icily. "I'll back off and give you some space. I only said those things to save your life, but it doesn't matter you go and cry to your new friends for all I care."
The sound of footsteps echoed off the cobblestones; Gadget remained still not even wanting to risk looking back at Zerinn, walking away with his squad, none of them looked back at the wolf. For several minutes, Gadget sprinted down the path leading back to his home ignoring the pain from his black eye after hearing Zerinn calling him a nobody and lying to him all this time.
The door creaked open; Gadget paused listening for any signs his older half-brother would be awake making breakfast, setting down some pancakes talking with his younger half-brother encouraging him to follow his dreams. The door to the hallway remained dark; Gadget forlornly walked up the stairs his tail dragging behind him.
A soft gasp drew his attention to Mikhail standing at the bottom of the stairs his gaze drawn to the purple bruise on Gadget's left eye staring at him from behind slightly cracked glasses.
"Gadget what happened to your eye?"
"Zerinn gave me a black eye, "Gadget said hoarsely. "Please, don't tell mum and dad about this."
"Sit down on the step; I'll go get you an ice pack."
Mikhail limped on his crutches to the kitchen retrieving an icepack passing it to his younger half-brother who muttered a thank you pressing it to his eye. Mikhail draped an arm around Gadget's shoulder. Gadget told Mikhail the whole story how he'd noticed the Jackal Squad slipping away in the dead of night having followed them, about the encounter with the Skunk Squad.
"And then I called Zerinn weak, and he punched me," Gadget finished his story. "Mikhail, I should've realized Zerinn had been lying to me all this time. I don't know what to do anymore; I thought we were friends. I trusted him."
"I trusted him too," Mikhail said solemnly. "We should've known better than to trust any of them. From now on we're both going to keep our distance from them, I don't want to see you getting hurt Gadget."
"I'll stay away from the Jackal Squad," Gadget said. "Mikhail, I know you're angry with Zerinn, but please don't do anything rash."
"I promise you I won't do anything rash Gadget, if you need to cry, then do so."
Gadget said nothing instead choosing to sob softly into Mikhail's shoulder. Mikhail silently rubbed soothing circles on Gadget's back whispering soothing words that everything was going to be okay stroking his shoulder. Deep down a small spark aimed at Zerinn grew in Mikhail's heart.
I'll find a way to pay you back Zerinn. No one messes with Gadget and gets away with it. Mikhail vowed to himself clenching his fist feeling his hand trembling from the repressed anger. Mikhail didn't care what the consequences of his action would be; he would do everything in his power to protect Gadget no matter what happened to him.
Author's note With the events of this chapter it's the beginning of the end of the friendship between Gadget and Zerinn. However, this fic is not quite yet over, since Zerinn was more in the wrong when it came to the argument due to having lied to Gadget about what the Jackal Squad did. It won't be the last time Gadget, and Zerinn will interact with each other since there is going to be more angst coming their way soon.
Mikhail will become Gadget's confidant and closet friend in Gadget's time of need. He is far from happy upon learning Zerinn has attacked Gadget because Mikhail is protective of his younger half-brother. Sooner or later Mikhail is going to go after Zerinn to give him some payback which will result in the consequences of his actions.
As per usual thoughts/constructive criticism/ any accidental errors I need to go back and fix, and reviews are welcomed and appreciated as always. I'll talk to you guys with the next chapter hopefully sometime within the new year.