Welcome back to another astounding episode of Charmy Rogues!
Tomo: You're not the narrator.
Hey! I open up every one of these chapters, so shut up Tomo!
Oh, and from now on, the story will take place at the start of Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity at the end.
Charmy, Storm, Knuckles, Ray and the Chaotix (C) TM Sega Sonic Team
Kiba and Tomo (C) TM Me, Kiba Sniper
Ch 13: Memories of Angel Island Part 2
Storm has a huge beak. Once Mighty asked about the Chaotix dissapearance, Storm just had to open his abnormally large beak and blurt everything out. Glaring back at Storm, I noticed that Mighty was absolutely horrified. The former Chaotix member was gaping, but in his eyes, I saw a strange rage that I had never seen. Rage was replaced with tenderness when he noticed my watery eyes.
"Charmy," Mighty cooed, enveloping me into another hug, "everything will be okay."
Just like what Cream said. I swear Mighty is the boy version of my crush. He cradled me like a mother would a child coming home from a scuffle. Mighty glanced over at Ray, who was just as shocked. When he turned to Knuckles, Knuckles closed his eyes. It was like he was pretending I didn't exist. He was the one that accused me of being a traitor to the Sonic Heroes. Man, I still have a problem with that name.
"What's wrong, Knuckles?" Mighty asked as he released me.
The echidna gave Storm and Kiba a sideways glare. "Nothing, but who's that panda?"
"Uh, my name's Kiba," Kiba muttered, aggrivation vivid in her tone.
Knuckles paid her no more attention. "Now Mighty, I know your upset, but-"
"Why didn't you help them?" Mighty demanded, venom coating his normally calm voice. "The Chaotix needed you! But you had to become so selfish and guard your post. Isn't that what Chaos and Tikal can do for you in your absence? I see no explanation why you left for the Ex. World Grand Prix, but you don't even check up on your friends?"
"Selfish?" Knuckles repeated. Cracking his trademarks fists, he walked towards Mighty. Mighty was slightly shorter than the M.E guardian by a couple inches.
Storm whispered something to Kiba, making her grin deviously. One of her sharp canines stuck out of her upper lip. They made their way over to the Master Emerald. I was oblivious to their actions because Knuckles and Mighty started a shouting contest. Ray and I tried valiantly to break them up, no avail however. Knuckles shoved Mighty backwards, a wrong move.
Mighty stood up, slightly angry. Mighty's muscles twitched under his eye. I remembered that clearly now: Mighty's only visible source of rage was whenever his muscles twitched or trembled. Noticing that Mighty's usual trainquil eyes were now itching for a good clean fight, I intervened.
"Guys, come on! Stop fight-"
Angel Island suddenly shook violently, like an earthquake struck. Ray clutched his tail and fell to the ground. Knuckles dashed up to the alter as Mighty helped his companion. Hesistantly, I followed Knuckles, but kept my distance; I didn't want to get squashed. Knuckles stopped at the top, shouting at Kiba and Storm. In Kiba's hand was a Chaos Emerald sized shard of the Master Emerald.
"Just following orders," Storm explained.
"Yeah, Jet wants about five of them for..." Kiba paused and scratched her head. She had no clue what Jet wanted them for, niether did Storm or I.
Knuckles didn't waste anytime for an answer. The echidna charged at Kiba, socking her right in the mouth. Her glasses flew off, and she tumbled down the other steps. The Master Emerald shard collapsed to the ground. Knuckles wasted no time collecting it. The echidna placed the shard back on the Master Emerald, making the island stop quaking.
Storm was paralyzed. "Y-you hit a g-girl..."
"Yeah," the echidna snapped, rubbing the Master Emerald. "and I'm going to do worse on you!"
"I hope you're ready for this!"
Flying between them, Knuckles grabbed me and shoved me out of the way. A flash of red, black and yellow streaked by. Before Knuckles or Storm could even gasp, both were picked up in the air by Mighty. Never had I been awed by Mighty's strength, only when I first met him a couple years back. That same adrenaline rush overcame me. That some feeling of adventure when I first met Mighty came over. I craved some action.
Storm had a look of awe. "H-how are you...?"
Mighty gave a cheery smile. "Came down to me from my ancient ancestors, starting with a man named Darwin."
Storm looked envious. I would be, too. Mighty's awesome strength, I always believed, camed from years of hard labor, but he always had it? Who'da thunk it, not me anyway. Espio said that there was a mystery behind Mighty's strength, but I always believed that training made you stronger. Maybe you were born with what you had. Mighty was just blessed, I guess.
Knuckles was barking at my former Chaotix friend to release him. Mighty gave a coy glance to Storm than to Knuckles. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed Storm down on end of the temple and Knuckles the other end. Storm's scream could be heard for a while. Following another scream that I guessed was Kiba. That ensued between an arguement between those two. Ray timidly stood up and sauntered towards Mighty.
"Mighty," he asked shyly, "w-why were those two trying to steal the Master Emerald?"
"For stuff," I replied nonchalantly.
Ray lowered his eyelids, inspecting me. "What-what stuff?"
"I dunno. Jet just wants them."
"Wait, Jet?" Mighty asked, looking surprised. "You don't mean Jet the Hawk, leader of the Babylon Rogues...do you?"
I nodded eagerly. "Of course! Jet's the man. He-"
"YOU'RE A THIEF!" Mighty screamed. The armadillo scared me. Zooming down towards Storm and Kiba, I was blocked by Mighty suddenly snagging my wings. Crying out in defiance, I looked back at Mighty. He was definately angry. "Charmy, why?"
"They're my friends, Mighty." Rage consumed for a short time, making my outburst worse. "Hey! You shouldn't yell at Knuckles! He had to guard his post on Angel Island! In any case, you should've helped me. Not lookin' for some crybaby squirell."
Ray flinched. Tears formed in his black eyes. He began to sob quietly. Before I had the chance to apologize, even though Ray confirmed my crybaby statement, Mighty grasped my head tightly. Biting my lip, Mighty forced a tremondous pain on my head. He didn't hit me, just applied too much pressure for me to handle.
"Stop Mighty!" Knuckles shouted, climbing up from the stairs. He ran over, but didn't help Mighty off me. "Charmy, hate to admit, is right." Carefully, Knuckles dragged Mighty's hand off my head. Gently, he lifted me into his arms.
Guilt appeared like it absorbed Mighty like a sponge. He shook his head out of misery. "I'm sorry. Maybe you're right. After I found Ray, I, um, sorta forgot about you guys."
"Good job, knucklehead," I muttered to myself.
"Hey!" Knuckles squeezed me tightly.
"N-not you!"
"Oh." Knuckles gave an apologetic shrug and released me.
Flying above Mighty's reach, I noticed that he was shivering. Thinking he was cold, but I noticed that his normally black eyes had a tint of red. In fact, his eyes reminded me of Shadow's hate-filled eyes. But Mighty's...he's looked like long years of suffering. Mighty glanced over to Ray, who stopped sniffling. Bluntly, Mighty gave a sigh and smirked. Mighty patted Ray's head and comforted him for a second.
Storm and Kiba came jogging. Knuckles was ready to pound them, but I asked him to stay put. Surprisingly, Knuckles obliged. Maybe he was just seeing if Storm and Kiba could disobey Jet's order and do the right thing. Let me tell you something, I didn't want to steal the Master Emerald shards. Knuckles would get super mad and probably put a warrant on my head. Team Dynamite would instantly take that offer...
The panda knelt to the ground and feebly searched for her glasses. Storm picked them up for her and hooked them onto her forehead. Thanking Storm, Kiba adjusted her glasses to fit over her nose. Knuckles watched them attenively, never taking his violet eyes off his treasure. Well, Rouge came by every day to steal the emerald or just to hang out. I guess I would be a little paranoid, too.
Storm caught Knuckles' stare. "Fine," he muttered half-heartedly. "I'll tell Boss that..." He didn't want to say it. That we failed.
Funny because we didn't, In my jacket pocket, I managed to steal a tiny, tiny miniscule shard. Thankfully, the Master Emerald didn't seem to notice. I glanced over at Knuckles who seemed pretty confident that his emerald was still in one piece. The echidna smirked at the comment Storm made.
"Hah! Finally come to your senses?" Knuckles mocked.
"Shut the hell up, you red mutt," Kiba snarled, taking a step forward.
"What are you going to do about, girly?"
Cracking her knuckles, I noticed that whenever Kiba balled her hand into a fist, her left pinky always stood on end before recoiling into a fist. Maybe she was getting a little arthritis from cracking his knuckles. I bet Storm and Knuckles will get that when they are older. The panda and echidna glared at each other until Storm stepped between. The albatross didn't want a confrontation. Strange, ain't it?
Ray gently grasped Knuckles's arm. "Knu-Knuckles, plea-please stop. There is no n-need to fight..."
Knuckles reeled his arm away. "She started it."
"Oh, how old are you? Five?" Kiba retorted.
"At least I'm not a fa-"
Before Knuckles could complete his statement, Kiba punched the Master Emerald guardian in the lip. Knuckles collapsed to the ground and turned over a few feet. He caught himself from fully falling down the steps of the alter.
"Oh, you are toast now!" Knuckles shouted as he staggered to his feet.
"Bring it, mole!"
"That's enough!" Mighty shouted, grabbing Knuckles' fist. He raised a hand to stop Kiba. The armadillo had a distressed look on his face. "Look, I am a pacifist. I disaprove of all and any kind of violence. I rarely fight anyone, but this is starting to tick me off."
"What's a pacifist?" Storm asked.
"He means he's a pansy," Knuckles muttered.
Ignoring the comment, Mighty gave a quick glance to me. "Charmy, what do you want to do with your life?"
"...What?" I asked, scratching my head.
"What do you want to do with your life?" Mighty repeatedly patiently.
I looked like a fish out of water. I felt stupid! I couldn't think of any plausible reason to give Mighty on what I craved to do with my life! Well, I wanted to create a beehive out of underwear a couple weeks ago when I was with the Chaotix. Espio caught me and scolded me. There was that time I tried to stalk Tails to get his secrets on fine dinning. Tails was ready to kill me as I continued to act like him. Marry Cream! That was my asipiration as I grew older, but dating comes first. If you're in an engagement set up by people you don't know, and you never met the bride, get the hell out of there. I should know by experience when I was younger, around three. My dad tried to have me married off to some Saffron girl. She was unsually perky which wasn't taste.
"I dunno," I replied after what felt like nine thousand years. I have to stop watching DragonBall Z with Jet. It hurts my brain! Yes, I have a brain! And it is not the size of a peanut. Or pea for that matter.
Mighty chuckled silently. Not the answer he was looking for. "Well, maybe you'll learn in time. Remember, Charmy, live your life the way you want to live. Keep up the good work."
What good work? What have I contributed? Adorableness? Well, I was the tracker of the Chaotix so I found most of the physical evidence, like knives from murders. The fact that I shot Nack brought back good times. I noticed that I was babied in the Babylon Rogues and Chaotix. It was like the didn't trust me. Well, I wouldn't trust me if I had sugar, aw, no.
Ray gave a weary smile at me. "He-he's right, Charmy, was it? If you don't die young-"
"Espio and Vector did," I thought miserably.
"-then life will continue to get riper with age," Ray finished.
"Great advice. Stupidest thing I have heard in my life," I thought, faking a grin.
I noticed that Ray looked like he achieved something. What he achieved, I had no idea. Maybe he was just proud of his statement. I wasn't. It was worse than Mighty's. Espio's advice wrung in my head. It was that advice on never giving up or complaining. That advice helped me to learn Extreme Gear with Wave. Except Wave's methods were painful.
"Uh, yeah, great advice guys," Kiba said, sarcasm coating her voice. "Can we leave now?"
"What, so soon?" Mighty asked, letting Knuckles' fist go.
Storm nodded. "We've got no more business here. Kiba, Charmy, let's go." Storm already strode off with Kiba following. He picked up our Gears and handed Kiba her's. He noticed I just hovered in the same spot. "What's wrong, Charmy?"
Shrugging, I glanced down at Mighty. "Um, can we stay a few more minutes?"
Before Storm or Kiba could reply, the Babylon Rogues' bird-shaped aircraft appeared over head. Knuckles growled, warning Mighty and Ray that these were my teammates. Mighty's face grew hard, like he had eaten some bad pasta. Ray hid behind his bushy tail, cowering. Storm whimpered to himself, worrying about his failure. Kiba bit her lower lip. Storm warned her that Jet had a harsh temper whenever a mission was incompleted. Not entirely since I still had my little diamond-sized shard. The ship landed a few yards away from the temple. The back opened, revealing Jet and Wave on Extreme Gear.
Jet's face was cold. "Where is it?" the hawk demanded to Storm and Kiba.
Never had I seen him to filled with rage. What overcame him? On his wrist, I noticed there was some sort of metal bracelet. It had a green hue around it that appeared three to five inches thick.
"Um, um..." Storm looked at Kiba for some help. Kiba shrugged and pointed at me.
"Uh, why look at me?" I asked, shrugging.
"JET THE HAAAAWK!" Mighty shouted charging at the hawk.
Jet glanced over at Mighty and gasped. "Oh, crap! It's that freaky armadillo that went with me to grade school, and I stole his lunch money! You said you wouldn't hold a grudge...um..." The hawk zoomed away on his Extreme Gear, apparantly forgetting Mighty's name.
Wave sighed and slammed her wrench onto Mighty's skull. She gasped when Mighty didn't even flinch. Mighty just stood there dully like he was pondering on a really troublesome question. Mighty glanced up at her, and his mouth dropped. Backing away a few steps, Mighty looked totally flustered. His face was a like rosesbushes bloomed on his face.
"Fair maiden!" Mighty cried after a moment of awkward silence. "You are absolutely a diamond in the sky! A treasure in the desert! The light in the foreign darkness of oblivion! Will you go out with me? I will protect you with my life!"
Basically, Storm, Kiba, Ray, Knuckles, and I sweatdropped, face-faulted, and I think Knuckles and Storm started to laugh. There was a moment of WTFness for Wave, but Jet looked like his head was about to implode. Looking knightly, Jet tapped Mighty on the shoulder. Mighty glanced around and was met with a fist between his eyes. Staggering backwards, Mighty was assualted by Jet's fearsome blows.
"Get...the hell...away...from my...girlfriend!" Jet shouted as he nailed a feeble Mighty in the face with a kick.
Mighty caught Jet's punch and smirked. "Sorry, didn't know you two were dating." Mighty growled at Jet, tightening his grip. "Could've warned me."
Flinching from his powerful grip, Jet cried out. The hawk attempted to break free, but Mighty was resisilant to any type of attack Jet now threw. Before Jet knew it, Mighty picked him up with one hand. Fortune shone on Jet because Storm managed to stop snickering and grab Mighty's other arm. Mighty grunted as Storm was ready to break his wrist. Storm threatened Mighty that he would break both wrists unless he placed Jet on the ground. Obliging diligently, Mighty put Jet on the ground on his bottom. Rubbing his head, Jet growled at his former schoolmate.
Wave stalked over to Mighty and hovered over his shoulder. She grabbed the poor, defenseless armadillo and continued the fight. There was cracks of bones snapping and a scream of a three-year-old girl. Kiba covered mine and Ray's eyes so we wouldn't get brain damage.
"Is-is it over?" Ray asked, horror vivid.
Kiba removed her hands. I gaped: Mighty's arm was being twisted by Wave.
"Say it!" Wave growled.
"Okay! Okay! UNCLE!" Mighty shrieked in a very feminine.
Wave released her prey, happy with the outcome. She placed a hand on her hip as she and the avians hovered over Mighty. "Looooser," she taunted.
Grumbling, Mighty stoppd up and brushed himself off. He faced Knuckles, asking if he still needed some help guarding the Master Emerald. Before Knuckles replied, the island starting rumbling again.
"Charmy!" Knuckles shouted, running over to me. He grabbed me and dug through my coat pocket. Out came the inch taller shard. "I'll get you later..." Knuckles chucked it to Ray, who flew up and placed it on the Master Emerald.
"How'd you know I did it?" I asked as Knuckles glared at me.
"Because you were too quiet!" Knuckles shouted.
"You should learn how to keep your trap shut."
Knuckes pouted at that. I was right; Knuckles' mouth usually led him into bad situations, sort of like Vector. Vector would always open his snout and shout something irrevelvant. Usually about that damn computer room. Knuckles answered Mighty with a nod.
"So, we will be stayin' here I guess," Mighty said, shaking his head. Mighty faced me. "Come back soon, k'?"
"Sure, Mighty!" I replied joyously. Hugging Mighty, he enveloped me with another bonebreaking hug. But this time my back actually cracked. Once Mighty let me go, I couldn't fly anymore. I just dropped to the ground, twitching.
Storm picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. "Good job, kid. Get your back broken."
"Blame Mighty..." I muttered before falling unconsious.
---
Next: The Ark of the Cosmos
Well, I wanted to have Charmy experience some sort of major adventure with the Rogues so I decided to make it a slight tie-in with Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. The plot will be different, but some converstations will change drastically.
Kiba Sniper