Chapter 21: Startling discovery
The Chaotix crew continued to cruise through space. Espio and Vector were playing Go Fish while Charmy was humming happily and playing a handheld video game.
"Got any threes?" Espio asked.
Vector was about to answer when static came onto their screen. Vector whirled around and looked at the large screen. In a matter of seconds, Vector's old buddy Tails came into focus.
"Uh, go fish." Vector said, not paying attention.
While Vector was walking away, Espio looked at his cards. There, in his hand, was a three.
"Lousy liar." Espio muttered, but Vector didn't hear him.
"Guys! Guys! I found some interesting things on our new enemies, the Dragonoids." Tails said, urgently.
Vector put on a small communicator and said, "Fire away."
"Remember that time when the Black Arms came here and then suddenly disappeared?" Tails asked.
"Yeah. That was devastating…" Vector started, but Tails cut him off.
"I just found out that Shadow didn't wipe them all out. It was another species. I think it was the Dragonoids."
"What?" Espio asked suddenly and somewhat impatiently.
Vector's jaw dropped, Espio turned very pale, and Charmy was so stunned by this that he lost the game he was playing.
"They're THAT strong?" Vector asked in disbelief.
"Yes. However, this destruction is nothing compared to what you guys found out. It makes it all the better that you find Link and Sonic before they do." Tails said, still very urgently.
Vector regained his look of confidence and said, "Don't worry. We'll find them no matter how much they move around."
"Good luck, Vector. Tails out." Tails said just before his face vanished into the static.
Vector thought for a while and then began to fumble with the controls of the ship.
"Vector, now's not exactly the time to go online here." Charmy said, his arms crossed.
"Charmy, that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm going to see if I can widen the range on our communicator for an old friend…"
Universes away, in Hyrule, Fox was patrolling the castle. This was the month that Zelda and Krystal were scheduled to have the babies and security around them had tightened since that Dragonoid attacked them.
As Fox was on his shift on the hall, his communicator got a weak signal. He put up his own communicator and activated his wristband.
"Hello? Is someone out there?" He asked.
With a crackle of static, Vector's head came into picture and Fox almost fell backward in surprise.
"Hey, Fox. Long time no see, huh?" Vector said, cheerily.
"Vector? Have you been messing with Tails' technology?" Fox accused.
"NO…yes." Vector said quietly.
"Uh, yeah. Anything else you want to tell me, you klutz?" Fox asked, remembering Vector's antics.
"Actually, yes. It has to do with the Dragonoids." Vector said, immediately catching Fox's attention, "Have there been any short-term invasions during the past year?" Vector asked.
Fox dipped his head in thought and tried to think quickly so that he wouldn't lose his connection. Then, rather suddenly, it hit him.
"Now that I think about it, yes. A few years ago, my team and I beat a race of aliens called the Aparoids. However, shortly after we returned from Hyrule, we learned that the leader of these creatures' physical form may have been destroyed, but her psyche lived on. This psyche lived on in some kind of crystal orb the size of an asteroid and it hung over Corneria for about two months. Every few weeks, this orb would create aparoids and attack the main attack fleets of the planet." Fox told his "friend".
"Yeah, that sounds tough. Reminds me of the time I…" Vector began, but Fox continued over him and the klutzy croc was forced to listen again.
"Anyway, these aparoids devastated Corneria for weeks until the same kind of crystal orb crashed into Corneria, but it no longer seemed…alive. In fact, it had streaks of carbonization all over it." Fox continued.
"Carbonization?" Vector asked as he scratched his head.
"The orb was BURNED, Vector. However, it wasn't likely those flames appeared from nowhere. These blasts of fire were precise and AIMED. At first, I thought it could be nothing. But now that you're telling me about these Dragonoids, I have reason to believe that THEY did this." Fox filled in.
"WHAT?! The Dragonoids destroyed THOSE THINGS?!" Vector asked in disbelief.
"I don't see why they wouldn't. They're certainly strong enough." Fox said.
"That makes this mission all the more dangerous. I've got to find L…BZZZZT" Vector's communication came to an end.
"Vector? VECTOR!" Fox said into his own communicator, but it was no use.
Back aboard the spaceship, Vector turned on his seat and turned to Espio and Charmy. They had heard everything and they were just standing there with their mouths agape.
"Amazing, huh?" Vector asked in pure shock.
"THEY destroyed the Black Arms AND those Aparoid thingies?" Charmy asked in fright.
"And I thought Black Doom was destructive…" Espio said, not even knowing that he said it.
"That makes it all the more important to find Link and Sonic. We've got to find them or we'll end up like the Black Arms and those…things." Vector said as he took the pilot's seat and followed Link and Sonic's signal.