TheShamanMaster presents...
Tail's Predicament
Story & Script by TheShamanMaster
Sonic & Friends © SEGA & Sonic Team
Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic...
Chapter 7: The Final Set
Sonic made his way back to the Chaotix, thinking about later on, hoping that he would win the Battle of the Bands. He'd had better tell Vector and the others, since they were the band in the first place. What he didn't notice was a familiar stranger just around the corner...
"Master Sonic, I'll be leaving you again. Are you sure you don't need anything else sir? Because I'll have it delievered right away." Jeffrey's voice was concerned after what he had witnessed Sonic getting himself into. Even if the fight was fake.
"Hmm." Sonic thought for a brief second, before replying with a request. "Yes, actually. Could you possibly set up some sercurity for when me and the others head towards the Station Square Arena this evening? Along with that, could I also request that anything from the tabloids involving me or Scourge not be published? That means all the newspapers..."
"I'll have a word with the press, sir. As for your sercurity, it will be here at 7 o'clock sharp ready to escort you to the arena on time. Will there be anything else?"
"No, that will be all thank you."
"Good." Jeffrey got back in the limo. "Good afternoon to you then, Master Sonic." He drove off, leaving Sonic by himself. He was about to re-enter the building when he was stopped by the stranger.
"Geez, I'd thought he'd never leave. Besides, I can't believe Scourge set all that up, I knew something was wrong." The voice that spoke was soft, kind, and one Sonic hadn't heard for awhile. He looked around to see none other than Blaze the Cat.
"Blaze? Hey, good to see ya! Whatcha doing here?" Both friends gave one another a hug, smiling at one another while doing so.
"Keeping an eye out on you. I've had my eye on you ever since you've been having that strand of good luck this morning." Sonic eyes trailed up and down Blaze and noticed how beautiful she looked. She wore her usual lilac attire, apart from the fingerless gloves and a sleeveless top which were an addition.
"Really?" Sonic grinned. "I'd say you have a thing for me, am I right?"
The cat blushed. "Well...I guess I do..." Trying to hid her red cheeks, she shook her head, and coughed. "Anyway like I was saying, I can't believe Scourge planned that. I thought there he was gonna actually kill you!"
"Too true." Sonic responded, before noticing something odd about Blaze. "Wait, how do you know about him? You're from a different dimension..."
"News gets around." She shuffled her feet on the pavement. "I heard that he actually tried to break through my world using the Chaos Emeralds, but that was 2 years back."
"Years after the diamond robbery..." The hedgehog placed his hand across his face, and tapped his fingers. "You think the incidents are related?"
"Possibly."
"Anyway." Sonic said wanting to change the discussion. "Let's go inside, I have a band to work with.."
"So, I heard, Who are they?" Both entered the building as Sonic led the way.
"Well, they're the Chaotix Detective Agency."
"Wait, THE Chaotix?" Blaze was surprised at who he had mentioned. "Aren't they suppose to be solving cases?"
"Yeah, but Vector had this crazy idea of becoming a rockstar and now Espio & Charmy just love the idea."
Blaze laughed. "Sounds like you're having a blast."
"Too right." Sonic said happily. As both entered the room, the Chaotix looked up to see Sonic still alive, with an accomplice.
"Welcome back Sonic!" Charmy buzzed over to him. "Did you teach that meanie who's boss?"
"Easy on him, Charmy!" Vector ordered him. "So, yeah what happened?" He noticed Blaze. "And who is this pretty lady?"
"You've never met? I'm sure you've seen her with Silver...This is Blaze."
Blaze bowed slowly. "I'm pleased to make your acquantince. It's an honor to meet such fine detectives such as yourselfs."
The crocodile went red. "Well..we do our best...the honor's all mine, Miss Blaze..." He got on one knee and kissed her gloved paw. Espio and Mighty looked at one another and coughed loudly to get Vector's attention away from her.
"Ahem!"
"Oh yes, sorry." Vector cleared his throat. "I'm Vector." Pointing to the others he introduced them. "This is Espio, Charmy and Mighty."
"Hiya!" Charmy squealed in delight.
"Yo." Mighty said.
"Charmed." Espio said politly.
"It's nice to meet all of you." Blaze said smiling. "Sonic tells me you guys are starting a band."
"Damn right!" Mighty shouted. "We're the best around."
"By the way." Espio began ignoring the armadillo's outburst. "How did the thing with Scourge go?"
Sonic and Blaze looked at one another, before letting out a hefty sigh. "Scourge set up a duel. We were going to have a shootout, and it turned be a hoax all along! He even used fake bullets to psyche me out! Now, he said he wanted to challenge us at the Battle of the Bands. Team Destructix vs. Us-"
"D-d-d-d-destructix!?" Charmy stuttered.
"You mean them?" Vector added.
"Uh huh. Apparently, Scourge is so tempted to beat me he'll do anything. What's up, you sound like you know them?" Sonic raised an inquest. Espio shook his head.
"Believe it or not." He frowned. "Destructix is one of the reasons why some of our cases aren't solved nowadays."
"How is that?" The purple cat asked.
"Since the whole Diamond Robbery, we were asked to aid the police, but we could never find anything. Soom, rumours started going round that we were in on the job as well. After that, we started to lose customers. We're luckly if we even get at least 5 cases a month. It used to be hundreds, now look at us. We're not as popular as we used to be. People go to the police and even the FBI more than they do us."
"Yeah!" The hyperactive bee cried in anguish. "And it's all their fault!"
All the Chaotix looked misreable at this point.
"Don't sweat it." Sonic said with a cheery attitude. "Tonight is where all of us and I mean ALL OF US, show the Destructix that you don't mess with Sonic or the Chaotix! Now, shall we rock?"
"Hell yeah!" The Chaotix cried in unison. Feeling left out, Blaze spoke up.
"Wait! What can I do for you?" She asked curiously. Sonic looked at Vector, then he pondered something.
"Back-up vocalist? Percussion?" Espio suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea." Vector commented.
"Great! Let's start!"
The rest of the time that afternoon for Sonic, Blaze and the Chaotix was spent doing a lot of work. Song writing, rehersing, experimentings, trying out different vocal styles. The group were happy on the decision they had all made with one another. During breaks, they would all talk about past adventures and funny stories. Blaze was enjoying her time with Sonic and vice-versa. As the time to the event drew nearer, the gang packed up all their equipment, and waited for their transportation. Finally at seven o'clock, a knock came on the door. It was none other than Jeffrey, with two large sercurity guards along with sound guys and pr firms.
"Master Sonic, are you and your company all set for this evening?"
"Yes. You have transportation?" Jeffrey stepped out of Sonic's view to show him a long white truck embossed with the 'Team Sonic' and 'Team Chaotix' logos on the side. Though the artist had done the job of combining the logos to make it look like a grungy, grafiiti type piece of artwork.
"Wow! That's awesome." Equipment was packed, members were in the limo as they were driven to the arena. This was going to be the night of their lives.
Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Rouge had left the beach earlier on to get some dinner before the show. Tails breathed a sigh of relief that the day was almost over and that this madness would end soon. Dr. Eggman, however, had remained at the beach to watch the sunset. At the restaurant, the group sat eating.
"Funny, I never knew villians took a day off." Knuckles said.
"If superheroes get one, then it's logic." Rouge replied.
"Logic?" Tails snorted. "Please, more like total rubbish! It's obvious that was a fluke just to throw us off! I bet tonight at the arena he's going to kill everyone!"
"Don't be so paranoid." The echidna slurped some asparagus soup. "Admit it, the hot sun's fried your brain and now you're the one who's going to do the killing."
"Me, kill? Never. I would never stoop to Shadow's level."
"I'd be meaning to ask." Rouge said as she picked some corn to eat. "Was that really him?"
"He said Shadow was dead, and he was 'a lot happier'. He's onto something I know it..."
At a warehouse, Joker organised his minions.
"Tonight boys, we hit the big one! Namely the arena. I'll make myself known in a public appearance, then all of Mobius will fear me!"
"Boss, what about the fox?" One of them spoke up.
"Him?" Joker cackled. "Leave him to me. But what I need you to do is extract a certain hedgehog for me...She'll be part of the fox's demise. Now, let's move out."
Around an hour later, the four had left and made their way to the arena. The inside was around three-quarters of the size of the Yankee Stadium in New York, with the place already filled to the brim with thousands of fans. Bright lights shone everywhere, TV cameras set up at every angle possible to make the viewing experience more realistic. Tails had managed to find them some seats around the front of the stage, where he thought he would feel the adrenaline and sweat of the rockstars. Looking at the program guide they had been given, they were shocked at what name came up on the list of bands.
"Sonic AND the Chaotix!? No freaking way! That's where he's been all day?" Knuckles exclaimed.
"I see, so he was too busy learning rock and roll to help anyone out? What a jerk indeed!" Amy huffed violently, before becoming calm again. Grasping on to Tails' arm, she snuggled to him gently. The fox sighed, then smiled happily at her.
"Chaotix...probably another one of Vector's hair-brain schemes to get rich quick I suppose..." The bat pondered to her boyfriend. Knuckles nodded. Waiting for the event to start, Amy got up and decided to take a walk.
"Where you going, Ames?" Tails asked.
"I'm just gonna go sort something out. I'll be right back."
"Okay, don't be too long. It's about to start."
Amy exited the area and walked around to the stadium bathrooms. Entering, she approached the sink, and began washing her face and hands. Tails is so cute when he's nervous... She thought out the back of her mind. Grabbing a towel off the side to dry her face, she looked up in the mirror to see a hideous looking face standing behind her.
"Y-!" Before she could even scream, the person held a knife to her throat, and covered her mouth with a gloved hand.
"Utter even a single vowel, and you will die. Understand?" He spoke in a sinister voice.
All she could do was nod.
"Good." He forced her forward, not letting go of the blade. "Now, come with me. We're going to play a little game, and you are the main star of it, pretty girl."
Moments later the event had already started. The stadium was soon filled with insane drums, thrash riffing and spectacular special effects that made the acts powerful forces to be reckon with. The kitsune sat looking worried. Amy had been gone a long time, and this wasn't like her.
"Gee, she's taking a long time..."
"I'm sure it's nothing." Knuckles cheered on as the drums got heavier and extreme. Tails looked round for her, not before noticing something was out the picture. The sercurity guards he had noticed before the start of the show standing around the exits weren't there. Instead, there were policemen wearing strange white masks carrying shotguns.
Wait...that's not right...Hold on..
"if you really want to stop him before he strikes again, then figure out where he'll be.." He remembered Eggman's words.
He's here...He said he wanted to show the world he was to be reckoned with...He then came on to something. Amy!
"Knuckles." He spoke calmly. "I want you to keep an eye on those policemen by the exits. I have a feeling he's here..."
"What? You can't be serious?"
"That has to be it. I'm going to find Amy. Make sure no one gets hurt."
The echidna nodded as Tails headed towards the exit. One of the masked men stopped him, and gave him a card with writing on it. The message on it was sprayed with ink, and the letters were cut out from newspaper. It stated:
I HAVE YOUR GIRL. LET'S SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
JOKER.
The fox growled in anger. "Take me to him. Now." Two of the men grabbed him by the wrists and marched him out of the arena, all the way around the back of the area. It was a small truck depot which delievered goods. The men stopped, and opened the garage doors. As they slowly opened, Tails looked down to see Amy Rose, unconscious on the floor. His mind went racing, and his feet felt numb as he saw her strapped up to a certain device.
"Amy!" He cried out rushing over to her. Picking her up, he checked for a pulse, and she was still breathing. He was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"I woudn't handle her too much if I were you..."
Tails spun round to see none other then Joker.
"Joker." He said bitterly. "What's she got to do with this? It's between me and you! What have you done with her?"
"Me?" He pointed to himself. "Well, let's just say we're gonna play a little game, and she'll be the prize afterwards. See that little package strapped around her waist? That's a little thing I like to call a flare bomb. It's quite ingenius if I say so myself."
"What!?" Tails roared.
"Ah, ah ah." Joker wagged his finger mockingly. "Let me finish. I have an hourglass behind me. We're gonna duel. If you can beat me before the sand in the glass runs out, then you might be able to save her. If not, then KABOOM! It's fireworks tonight, Prower!"
The kitsune clenched his fist. His eyes narrowed directly into Joker's crimson ones. "I won't forgive you. You're gonna pay for all of this." He said darkly. Noticing the tall hourglass behind him, Tails discovered that time had already begun.
Joker laughed. "Well, you're very optimistic aren't you? Very well...Pass the swords." One of his minions produced a long case with two katanas in them. Joker picked up one as did Tails.
"Now, we're going to settle this once and for all! Draw!" Without a second to blink, Joker lurched forward and striked Tails. The fox quickly though blocked the attack just before it reached him. Sparks appeared from the grinding blades.
"We're in for one wild night! Bwahahahahahaha!!"
To be Continued...
Chapter 7 is here! Just to let you all know this will finish with 10 Chapters!
Next time, Joker and Tails duel it out, but will Tails save Amy in time? On the main stage, Sonic and Scourge also face off, but who will be the winner? All this and next time in Chapter 8: Tails vs. Joker, Round 2