Disclaimer: Sonic and co. © Sega

Egglings © Blank the Nobody

Chapter Twenty

Evolution

10 Days and 10 Hours before Black Egg Armageddon

These things are really like animals. They eat, sleep, reproduce and now they . . . evolve.

She walked through the city streets, a bone chilling breeze flying by suddenly making the pink hedgehog zip up her new red jacket so she could protect herself against the cold. Amy wore a snug red jacket and long blue jeans that day since she was starting to find her normal red dress a bit childish. There was barely anyone else populating the city's sidewalks since most people were too scared to go out anymore. The sky was filled with dark gray clouds and the temperature seemed to be dropping day by day. The weather combined with the Eggling Invasion didn't mix well and everyone could feel death crawling forward.

A couple days after Cream had woken up, the hospital had released her and now the rabbit was back with her mother safe and sound. The rabbit was able to reveal some very disturbing news about Eggman as well, like the fact that he was seeing some self made apparition named Reise. At first it sounded like odd news, but after recounting all of the man's psychotic actions in the past, it actually seemed normal.

The day was crawling by slowly and since there was no one else on the streets, it felt like an eternity. She could hear the sound of gunfire in the distance, but after so long she was actually getting used to the scary sound. Tails seemed to be happier than ever and the fox was working twice as hard now. As if on response, Cream felt the sudden urge to help her love and now the young rabbit was in the lab acting as Tails' assistant. Knuckles was somewhere else probably somewhere else carrying on Rouge's legacy as a spy and watching the Eggling activity. Shadow however was nowhere to be seen, and everyone was starting to worry about him. Sonic on the other hand was just as elusive as Shadow and the blue hedgehog was nowhere to be found.

Amy sighed as she walked through the chilly streets. There was a lot of people she was worried about, but she was worried about Sonic the most. The pink hedgehog hasn't seen her blue love in so long and she really wanted to hug his cobalt body once more. The pink hedgehog burrowed her hand into her jacket pockets as she walked and in the back of her mind she wished she could be of more use to those around her. But she knew that the only thing she was good at was getting kidnapped by psychotic doctor and being held hostage.

She rounded around a corner, her thoughts still hovering over Sonic and the military. Apparently the government was studying the behavior and biologic layout of the Eggdomes, but so far they weren't really getting anywhere. From what Amy had heard from Tails they couldn't find any physical weakness on the monsters and the Eggling metabolism was stronger than most people's but any means of biological warfare wouldn't do much to them. There were so many theories and plans being thrown around, Amy felt lost in the middle. She wanted to help, but she had no idea how.

"Come on! Move your asses!" yelled a strict voice from the intersection ahead of Amy.

Up ahead, a group of six soldiers ran across the street, and from Amy's point of view she could tell that they meant business. A loud explosion rang throughout the streets and Amy looked up to see a large black pillar of smoke starting to rise up in the distance. Gunfire sounded off, this time louder since it was closer to her and Amy had no idea what to do. She had no real experience against Egglings and she couldn't decide whether she would help the soldiers or stay on the sidelines.

"I don't want to be useless." she thought.

Her subconscious was right, she didn't want to be useless anymore. She wanted to change how everyone looked at her and she no longer wanted to be the over obsessing fan-girl, and damsel in distress. Amy began to run toward the scene before taking out a small poll twice as long as a drum-stick. It was metal and half of the baton was pink in color and in the middle of it was a small red crystal. The pink hedgehog thumbed the rune, making gob of silver liquid ooze out of the tip. The merury-like substance formed into a round hammer-head and hardened, making an effective weapon.

This was a weapon that Tails had designed for Amy since hefting a large hammer around would be cumbersome. The hammerhead was made up of small nano bots that compacted together in order to deal damage and the fox proudly named it the Nano-Nano Hammer. At first Amy couldn't decide whether to get rid of her old hammer or use the new one, but after recounting all of the random Eggling attacks she knew that it would prove to be useful in the battlefield.

She ran toward the commotion, the sounds of gunfire roaring through the air as loud explosions joined in. Sweat started to form on her brow, and trace down her face as she ran. Like anyone else, she was nervous and she wanted to do her best against the Egglings since it would be her first time fighting them. More gunfire sounded, then a small ground shaking explosion that made Amy fall forward. The hedgehog regained balance before hitting the ground and got back up. After reaching the corner she stopped abruptly and turned to see what was happening.

A small green pineapple-like object flew through the air and exploded near a small group of Egglings, casting off tiny pieces of hot shrapnel into the monsters, killing them instantly. Bullets whizzed by and smacked into the monsters' bodies, going in through one side and out the other. The creatures didn't mind the death of their comrades though and they continued to attack relentlessly.

As the bullets continued to fly, Amy didn't feel scared at all. Instead she was starting to get pumped. Sure it was brutal and bloody, and sure there was a chance she could've died, but she didn't feel that fear. With adrenaline pumping through her veins as she charged the Egglings and jumped up into the air, hammer raised above her head. She brought the heavy hammer crashing down onto an Eggling's head with a bone breaking snap. Another Eggling turned its attention onto the pink hedgehog and growled angrily, before leaping toward her.

Before the Eggling could come close to Amy, a single bullet entered the left side of its head and out the other, sending it flopping to the side. The body weight hit the ground with a thump, before the wound could start making a pool of blood underneath the Eggling's head. Amy looked to the right to find the squadron of soldiers with dead Eggling bodies surrounding them. A soldier leapt over the car he was taking cover behind and ran up to the hedgehog.

"Well, to think that the Damsel in Distress would come to help us." said the human soldier snidely as he approached the hedgehog.

The nickname angered her since she was trying to shake that title. "Do you want my help or not?" she asked in an irritated tone as she looked at the soldier.

The soldier wore a dark gray digital camo fatigues with an odd earpiece that seemed to extend in front of his eye like some sort of lens. Amy remembered the odd earpiece as some camera that the army could use to monitor their soldier's movements. The marvels of modern science were no aiding the brutal thing we call war and it was both a blessing and a curse. Small radio signals were transmitted from the earpiece and into the soldier's head as the person operating their mission gave them new orders.

"If you want to help, then here," said the sergeant as he motioned over to one of the soldiers to come forward. The soldier handed the sergeant an extra earpiece and then he gave to Amy. "Wear this during the mission, our operator will give out orders, but so far, our only mission for today is getting rid of the Eggdome on Lechandrite Hospital south of here." He said strictly, his eyes showing that didn't want any screw ups.

Amy put on the earpiece and nodded. "Lead the way." She stated.

In a matter of seconds the entire squad, including Amy, was moving. The hedgehog could easily keep up with the human soldiers as they ran and none of the spoke a word. It was awkward for the hedgehog since she was used to being so lively and filled to the brim with happiness, but now times were changing and happiness was the last of her concerns right now. The group took a left around a corner and a couple kilometers in front of them they could see the Eggling infested hospital.

A large fleshy growth grew off of the hospital building's side and the squadron could see the Egglings fighting with each other for a torn arm. Blood covered the mouths of the Eggling's like paint covering a child playing with finger paint. One of the Egglings bit onto the other, telling its counterpart that it really wanted the meat and the other responded by slashing its claws. Amy watched, a horrified and disgusted look on her face as she did. She had never seen an Eggling before, but everything that Knuckles had told her was true. They were like animals, relying on their basic skills and caring for no one else other then themselves. It was a horrid sight and yet at the same time she expected it.

"We're going to go around 'em, we want to avoid attracting too much attention." said the sergeant as he steered the squadron into an alleyway.

It was anticlimactic in a sense since Amy wanted to finally fight an Eggling, but she didn't mind it that much. She followed the soldiers move by move and made sure she made no mistakes. If they took cover, she would to, if they were quiet, then she would do the same. Amy wanted to stay as close as she could to the soldiers so she could learn how they operate against the animalistic creatures they called Egglings.

The alleyway stank of decay and death as Amy passed a large dumpster swarming with flies. As the silently ran by, Amy could peer in through the dirty windows of stores and see the dusty and old goods that they used to sell, like food, furniture and toys. It was a sad sight, but Amy had to push those thoughts behind because her goal was only a couple feet away. She looked forward to see that the alleyway lead right Eggdome's doorway and lucky for her, it was unguarded.

"Alright, guess those geeks back at HQ know what they're doing," spat the sergeant as he led the squad down the alleyway and toward the Eggdome. "If this all goes according to plan, then we'll be in and out in no time." he said cockily.

All of them reach the Eggdome's doorway and they all looked around, checking for anyone or anything that could halter their mission's progression. None of them could find anything suspicious and the sergeant pried the door open with his bare hands, allowing all of his troops to get inside, including Amy. Once inside, Amy could feel that it was tremendously humid inside of the dome and that everything was a shade of orange now. She looked around to find the translucent pods that held the innocent people who were to be turned into the monstrosities that confined them in the first place. Her mouth dropped open with shock as she gazed at the ugly sight.

"Wh- what's happening to them?" she asked as she walked up to one of the pods.

The sergeant walked over to the main pillar of the Eggdome and withdrew two sticks of C4 from his pouch. He stuck them onto the pillar, right next to the Heart and tinkered with it. "The fluids inside of those pods change the genetic makeup of whoever's inside of it. In short, they're becoming Egglings, Ms. Rose." he said plainly as he attached a wire to the plastic explosive.

She gazed at the people, floating silently in the greenish liquid that surrounded them. Like any other normal person, Amy felt bad for them, but when she looked around, it looked like the soldiers didn't care at all. It was shocking at first, but she came to the conclusion that the soldiers have done this so many times that they were starting to lose interest. The sound of clicking and buzzing could be heard as the sergeant adjusted the bomb's wires and setting, making sure that it would receive the signal from his detonator.

Amy continued to look around, her expression a saddened one as she gazed at the civilians soon to be turned into monsters. As she did so a soldier looked up, a confused look on his face and his plight attracted attention as some of the soldiers began to look up at the ceiling of the Eggdome.

"Sergeant, uhhh, I don't remember the briefing telling us anything about vents." said the soldier, his statement peaking the sergeant's curiosity.

Both Amy and the sergeant looked up to find that the every epicenter of the dome was nothing but a round opening allowing them to see the gray clouds outside. Amy knew that all Eggdomes were supposed to be a perfect dome and this hole seemed strange to her. The sergeant stared up at the opening, a confused look on his face. Before anyone could say anything else a loud screeching noise erupted into the air, making everyone clutch their hands over their ears.

As the screeching continued, shadows moved around on the ground and the sounds of wings beating joined in. Amy tilted her head to the side, to see one of the soldiers get plucked off of the ground suddenly. All around her the soldier were being picked up one by one and they were taken to their untimely deaths. The hedgehog looked up to see dark figures flying through the air and in her head she knew that they were the source of the screeching. One of the shadows dove down toward the sergeant and Amy tackled the soldier to make sure he wasn't taken.

"We need to get out of here!" yelled Amy over the loud death-screech.

The sergeant nodded and the two got to their feet. Amy looked behind her, there was no one else left other then guns and body parts littering the floor where the soldiers should have been. Instead of mourning over their deaths, Amy turned to the sergeant who was already holding the door open.

"Come on!" yelled the Sergeant as he struggled to hold the door open.

Both of them hurried out of the Eggdome, the screeching still ringing through the air. As they ran away from the horrific structure the Sergeant pressed the button on the detonator since he knew that he wouldn't have any time later on. A loud explosion engulfed the entire Eggdome and the shockwave pushed both the Sergeant and Amy off of their feet, causing them to fall flat on their faces. Amy rolled onto her back to see black smoke rising into the air as it mixed with a small flock of winged creatures flying circles around her. The screeching had stopped and she brought herself to her feet. All around her she could see the winged creatures, a horrible mix of Mobian with gruesome, fleshy wings that seemed to grow out of their backs. These, new Eggling, had slimmer body types instead of bulky frames like the normal ones.

Amy tightened her grip on her hammer as the sergeant jumped to his feet, gun at the ready. With a mighty gust of wind one of the Avian Egglings landed in front of them. To Amy, she could tell that these Egglings were much different than the others. These Egglings were much more controlled and they didn't roar and grunt like animals. Amy watched as the Avian Eggling slowly flapped its wings so it could stay a couple inches off of the ground. Its bloodshot eyes seemed to be watching every move and Amy could see the angered smirk on the creatures face.

"What the hell are these things?" asked the sergeant, his voice a whisper.

"I don't know." replied Amy nervously.

Other Avian Egglings landed next to the first and from first glance, Amy could see one similarity between all of the flying Egglings. All of them appeared to be women at one point. Small, ragged earrings hung from some of the Egglings' and Amy could easily see the blood encrusted wedding rings that adorned some of their fingers. They all seemed to wear torn clothing and for some nothing but torn lingerie. It was a horrible sight that left questions buzzing around in Amy's head. Why did the women change?

Before another question could come into Amy's head, the Eggling's emitted their loud screech once again as they charged the two. The sergeant fired off five rounds, two felling two Egglings and the three others merely scratching the other Avians that flew forward. One Eggling brought its arm above its head, ready to cleave the sergeant in two, but before it could, a large hammer smashed into the side of its head, sending it flying to the sideways. Amy had saved the Sergeant's life and the soldier thanked her with a nod.

"HQ this is Alpha Bravo, I need some air support right now!" yelled the Sergeant into his radio.

Amy smashed her hammer into another Eggling as the Sergeant called for help. She looked up to find an entire flock of the creatures flying around above them and they all seemed to be screeching and cawing at the same time. Amy looked over her shoulder, a worried look on her face.

"Hurry up!" she yelled frantically before a trio of Avian Egglings swooped down on her.

"Alright Alpha Bravo, ETA two minutes. We're sending out the best." said the operator on the other end in an assuring tone.

The sergeant cursed silently before raising his gun into the air. He began to release short bursts of fire, every shot hitting its intended target and sending a dead Eggling spiraling down to the ground. Four Egglings dived down and Amy swung her hammer hitting one. She then rolled to the side to avoid the three sharp talons from the other Egglings before they flew back upwards to join their friends. Despite their best efforts, the swarm of Egglings didn't seem to deteriorate and the two were starting to get tired.

A loud clicking started to come from the Sergeant's machine gun and the human cursed loudly. He removed the used clip and searched his body for another one. After searching for thirty seconds, the Sergeant got tired of looking and simply threw his weapon aside before taking out his pistol. Loud pops entered the air as the soldier fired upwards with great accuracy. Every single one of his bullets smashing into an Eggling's skull. Using his military training, the Sergeant remembered the capacity of a single clip of bullets and dropped the clip, knowing that it had no more bullets in it. He then withdrew another clip of bullets from his hip pocket and rammed it into place before firing again. He fired a trio of shots before he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked to his side to find an Avian Eggling digging its talons into him and the Sergeant screamed in pain as the Eggling began to pull him upwards.

Amy turned around to find the Sergeant struggling to get free from the Avian Eggling's grip and he fired his pistol up at the bird. Another Avian dove downwards and took hold of the Sergeant's other arm and it dug its claws into the soldier's arm, making him drop his pistol. Amy ran toward the Sergeant, an angered look on her face.

"Let him go!" yelled Amy angrily as she charged.

She swung her hammer, hitting one Eggling in the back of its heading, killing it instantly, but the other one managed to lift the struggling Sergeant into the air and out of Amy's reach.

"Get the hell off!" yelled the Sergeant as he began to punch the Egglings.

Another one of the Egglings grabbed the arm he was punching with and began to pull, making the soldier scream out in pain. Then another Eggling grabbed his leg and began to pull. All of the other Egglings knew what was happening and each of them grabbed one of the soldier's limbs and began to pull in opposite directions.

Amy screamed at the sight and knew what was going to happen unless she did something about it. Before she could do anything, she felt her arm getting restricted. She looked to her side to find that another Avian Eggling had its talons around one of her arms and was now beginning to pull her up into the air along with the sergeant. She swung her hammer at it, but found that she had dropped her weapon and now it was out of reach. As the Eggling began to pull the pink hedgehog into the air, the other Egglings began to claw at her. She screamed as their talons scratched her body and she wished that her hero would come to her rescue.

"Looks like we got here just in time." said a familiar voice from her earpiece.

A loud, rapid thumping noise entered the air and it conquered over the loud screeching. Amy could hear wet thumps sounding besides her and she looked to find that the Eggling lifting her off of the ground was now filled with a dozen bullet holes. The pink hedgehog plummeted down to the earth, but luckily she landed on her feet thanks to her feminine grace. Loud thumps could be heard around her as more and more Avian Egglings hit the ground, their carcasses smoking with hot lead.

Another loud thump was heard, "Ow!" groaned the Sergeant as he rubbed his butt.

Amy ran over to the Sergeant and looked up to find that the Sergeant was covered with some fresh cuts and bruises. Instead of worrying about his wounds, the Sergeant pointed at the sky to see that they had both been saved. Avian Egglings flew around frantically as streaks of rapid-fire bullets smashed into them. A large silver helicopter joined the flying Egglings and the chopper's five turrets rang as they fired into the flock. The large helicopter had a large rotor and two wings that seemed to extend a couple of meters. Two turrets were welded to the bottom of each wing and there was on large bulge on the bottom of the chopper that had a large rotating barrel extending out of it. This larger turret seemed to pound out rounds of bullets and Amy could tell that whoever was firing this turret must have been very skilled.

Other helicopters joined in before the rest of the flock dispersed in different directions. The rest of the helicopters flew after them, but the larger one lowered down and landed in front of them. Amy raised an eyebrow as she looked at the insignia on the chopper. It wasn't G.U.N.'s symbol, and it appeared to be two familiar looking tails. She couldn't believe and for a second she thought it was just a hallucination. The door slid open and standing in the middle of the helicopter was a very familiar golden fox.

"Tails?" asked Amy in a confused tone.

Before Tails could reply a brown rabbit walked up behind him and smiled at the pink hedgehog as a light blue chao rested on the rabbit's shoulder. "Cream to!" piped the rabbit sweetly.

The sight confused Amy even more. Her head filled with more and more question that would probably take months to answer. The Sergeant however didn't look surprised at all and instead he crossed his arms as if he was expecting to see the fox. There was one question that just kept on nagging at Amy. She just couldn't figure out why Cream was with Tails. Sure she knew that the rabbit was helping Tails with some experiments, but why inside of a helicopter.

Tails waved his hand for Amy and the Sergeant to get in. "Come on, we need to report your findings." he said.

Without another word, Amy and the Sergeant ran for the helicopter and got in. The Sergeant sat in the back, while Amy sat in the front with Tail. Cream seemed to disappear somewhere in the helicopter, but Amy didn't ask any questions until they were in the air.

"Since when did you work for the army as a pilot?" asked the hedgehog as they flew back to base.

"Three days ago, I built this thing to combat anything, earth, air, and sea." answered the fox smartly.

"Okay, but what about Cream? Why is she with you?" she asked.

She was fine with Tails flying for the army, but so far she couldn't find any reason why Cream had to be involved. The rabbit had just come out of a coma a couple of days ago, the fact that she was on an armored, flying, killing machine just baffled Amy. Tails chuckled slightly before flipping a couple switches on the helicopter's dashboard. After he did a large circular door on the floor slid open behind Amy and Tails, and Cream seemed to rise out of the door. She was seated in some circular chair with two triggers in front of her and the pod she was sitting in seemed to be made of a strong type of glass. Amy then saw the long familiar gun barrel extending out of the dome. The rabbit smiled sweetly as Amy slowly started to piece the facts together.

Tails scratched the back of his head before answering the question. "Ehhhh, I don't know how to tell you this, but she's my gunner."

Just because Cream operates a large weapon doesn't mean she's changed. I'll try to make her OOC because of her new job, but just you wait. Just because I change a job doesn't mean I have to change someone's personality completely.

Review please!