CHAPTER 7

HAO'S RAGE! TORI'S SACRIFICE!

Spike glared at the gray remote that the blue wolf had in his hands. He figured he was using the remote to control the robot. His eyes traveled over to Tori who was struggling in the robot's grip. His eyes flashed over to Hao once again as anger fueled him. "Hao! You let her go right now!"

The wolf formed an evil smirk at the hedgehog with his finger on the joystick of his remote. "Sure! I'll let her go...right after I break every bone in her body!"

As he moved the joystick to the remote, Spike could hear Tori's screams once again. He could tell he was making the robot crush her body more and more. "Stop it!"

The blue wolf arched an eyebrow at his poor attempt to rescue Tori. "Stop it? Why? What are you going to do if I don't stop?" He began to laugh as Spike tried to think long and hard about how to save Tori. "One false move and I'll crush her like a tin can!"

Spike gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he thought about how to save her until he heard her call out to him.

"Why? Why are you thinking so much...just to...try to...save me?" She asked in an exhausted tone.

He looked up at her in worry, "Tori..."

"Just forget about me..." She clawed her fingertips into the robot's metallic hand which was holding her body. "...With a brain like yours...heh you'll never save me."

The ebony hedgehog growled as his eyes angrily focused on Tori. "Shut up will you! I'm trying to think of a way to rescue you! So zip it!"

The bird's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe that Spike was actually trying to think of a way to save her from Hao. "What?" She murmured softly. "You...you actually...want to save me?"

"No shit I do! If I didn't give a damn about you, would I still be here?"

After hearing his reply to her, she couldn't help but to stare at the black hedgehog in surprise. She couldn't help but to form a warm smile towards him, "Spike the...Hedgehog..."

"Okay! Okay!" Hao shouted in annoyance. "Enough of this soft shit!" He looked over to the blue bird with an evil smile, "Ready to go bye-bye, my dear?"

Tori sent the same expression back at him, "Not quite."

"What?" Hao's eyes widened in confusion as the hand of his robot had fell from the wrist making it release Tori from its grip.

As Tori fell from the sky, she took out her light blue Extreme Gear and used that to land safely on the ground beside Spike.

Hao's mouth dropped as he saw her standing safely beside Spike. "What? Impossible! But...but how?"

Tori looked back at Hao and held up a small laser gun. "While you were yapping, I used this to slowly melt away the hand from the arm of that robot."

The wolf crossed his arms in frustration, "Smart bitch", he muttered under his breath.

As Hao pouted, Spike turned to Tori full of questions. "Wha-what? Why didn't you do that at first? You could've saved yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah, but I just wanted to see what you would come up with as an effort to save me and that was...completely pointless."

"Shut it! You didn't give me a chance to think!"

She made a small giggle, "Hm, it wouldn't be very long anyway."

Spike began to swing his fists around her once again. "Why you!"

"Enough!" An angered Hao had shouted to make them stop yelling at each other. "I had enough of your games! It's officially your time to die!"

As Spike saw the robot's other hand form into a fist towards them, he quickly took Tori in his arms and leapt to another side of the damaged road.

Spike and Tori watched as the robotic fist smashed down onto the pavement and was glad that it was not them.

Hao punched his clenched fist into the palm of his hand in frustration. "Damn it!" He looked over to the robot angrily. "How could you have missed? He doesn't even have super speed like his father for crying out loud!"

Tori loosened her tight grip upon Spike's black and red coat and looked up at him with a small blush on her face, while Spike had his attention on Hao. 'He's...he's kinda...cute...', she thought. She began to panic as Spike looked back to her.

"Tori", he called in a soft voice. "Are you all right?"

She didn't want him to see her calm expression so she began to struggle in his grip as he held her in his arms so he would let her go. "Why do you care, you idiot?"

The ebony hedgehog stared at her in confusion. "Wha?"

She began to clench her fists and punch him lightly in the chest multiple times. "Put me down! Put me down right now!"

Spike's confused expression then turned into a calm one as he smiled towards her. He thought she was acting that way to show him her appreciation.

She saw the smile he was giving her and tried not make the same expression. "Didn't you hear me? I demand you to..." Her eyes widened as she fell to the ground with a thud. She sent the hedgehog her usual annoyed glare after Spike had literally dropped her body on the ground. "Why you..."

The hedgehog shrugged at her irritated glare. "You wanted me to put you down so..."

They were then both startled by Hao's growling. They turned and saw Hao shaking his fists around in anger.

"You two think it's all fun and games, but you are so wrong!" Once he placed his fingers on the trigger to the remote, the robot again moved towards them. "Kill them!"

As the robot raised and slammed its fist down onto the ground, Hao just knew the two were done for. "Yes! Yes! One stupid hedgehog down! One stupid hedgehog to go!" He began to laugh in triumph, until he saw the entire robot's arm drop from its body. His mouth hung open in shock, "What!" He looked down and saw the light blue bird holding a wrench in her hand while Spike was behind her with his hands glowing light blue. "But how?"

Tori formed an evil smirk, "It's nothing really. Just unscrewed a few bolts..."

"...And pulled out some wires", Spike added.

Hao knew the two of them learned to work together and thought it was all over for him. He bit his lip anxiously, "Oh shit", he murmured. "I'm screwed..."

Spike turned to Tori with a smirk, "Let's take this thing apart!"

She made a nod as she agreed with him, "Yeah!"

Hao watched in disappointment as Spike and Tori charged towards the robot and began taking it apart from bottom to top. The wolf sighed as he went down to the ground with the robot. "Life's not fair." He then yelled in fear as his body dropped from the robot and fell to the ground. As he lied there on the ground, Spike and Tori came up to him with vengeful looks. He looked up to them as he rubbed his head and held his sides in pain from the fall. "Oh shit!"

"Gotcha!" Tori spoke as she tossed the wrench in and out of her hand.

"You're done for!" Spike added. "Give it up!" He was suddenly startled when he heard the wolf laugh deeply. "What's so funny?"

Hao looked up at the ebony hedgehog with an evil smirk, "Heh, you think you've won?"

Tori's eyes widened as she saw him reaching for something in his coat pocket while glaring at Spike. "Spike!"

The ebony hedgehog watched in horror as Tori shoved him out of the way as a needle containing a purple liquid stabbed her in her side. "Tori!"

Hao's eyes widened at Tori's sudden sacrifice for him. "Oh shit! Damn you, girl! I shall...well...what am I saying? The poison will take its toll on you sooner or later anyway. So I don't have to worry about you anymore."

Spike held the barely conscious Tori in his arm and removed the needle from her side. He turned to Hao in anger, "Poison? You poisoned her?"

The wolf then revealed a jet pack from his backpack, "Looks like I better hit the road." He made a salute towards the hedgehog. "Until next time...Spike the Hedgehog!"

"Hao!" Before he could stop him, Hao had already flown into the sky with his jet pack. "Damn it!" He then felt a hand on his cheek. He looked down at the weak woman in his arms.

"Spike..." She spoke weakly.

"Tori", he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"You...you're such an...idiot."

In devastation, Spike watched in horror as Tori fell completely unconscious. "Tori?" He called. "Tori? Tori!"

A/N:

Deminse: The Gate To New Life...

Takashi: Wha-what? Who are you?

Odori: Who am I? I...I can't remember!

Spike: Come on, Tori! Don't die on me!