WTF, UPDATE. Did this entire chapter in two days.
Characters (C) Respected Owners
Ch. 22: Countdown pt.1
I still couldn't believe what had happened to me so far. Throughout my entire life, I seriously thought I would stay a detective with the Chaotix. There would be no Babylon Rogues, no Raine, no anybody that I met so far.
Because of Rodrigo, I met them, but he stole my Chaotix. My father, Vector, and my brother, Espio. I suppose you can say that Rodrigo stole Madam Vanilla away from me as well since she was like a surrogate mother. Through my years from being with the Babylon Rogues, I found Cream to be more of a sister than a love interest. Heh, I suppose those earlier feelings were just confusion and a boyish crush combined.
Rodrigo stole them all from me. All of them. Two years ago when I originally joined the Babylon Rogues, the Sonic Heroes detested my decision, mostly Tails. Tails thought I was being a pushover from that "orphan" insult, and the way I treated Cream and him.
But now it was my turn to steal something from him: His life.
Rodrigo suddenly launched a Gravity Dive at me, so I copied. We collided with a fist to my face, launching me backwards. Rodrigo rushed at me again with a Gravity Beam that I skillfully avoided by using my Master Ark to create a large black hole to jump inside. The black hole teleported me to Rodrigo's backside where I stung him in the back. Yelping, the sinister crow glared at me while I childishly laughed. Of course, laughing proved to be a mistake when Rodrigo raised his hands together.
"Compressed Babylon!" he shouted as his eyes glew an ugly lime. A large ball of black energy swirled into his hands until he released it. The ball was actually slow, and I knew slow from my Extreme Gear training. With ease, I flew out of the way, but I failed to comprehend that the energy ball was starting to come after me at a quicker pace. Desperately, I attempted to fly out of the way, but each time I dodged it just came at me faster and faster. Sort of like a heat-seeking missile in my mind.
It was than I felt something smash against me from behind and hurtle me into the ground. Rodrigo had snuck up behind me and backfisted me into the ground. Groaning, I managed to pull myself together, but failed to see the Compressed Babylon attack come at me.
"How pathetic! To think I wasted my energy on you!" Rodrigo roared with laughter, thinking he had won.
"Think so huh?" I questioned, fluttering up completely unharmed from the attack. In my hand was a shield. The shield came from my GoldenHive Colony badge that could transform into a shield my size. It was very lightweight, which is good since I'm actually pretty weak strength-wise.
Rodrigo's eyes widened mildly in surprise, staying that green color. He attempted another Compressed Babylon, but I charged at him straight on with my shield knocking his hands away before the energy could formulate. Cursing under his breathe, Rodrigo launched a Gravity Beam at me that I blocked with my own. It began a sudden test of power as we both flew off the ground with the attacks intact. Grunting as the strain started to become too much, I was pushed back as his attack suddenly became stronger than mine and overwhelmed as two of three more Gravity Beams struck me. Thankfully, I was able to block one of the beams with my shield when the two others nicked my shoulders.
"Not so tough now, are you, Prince?" Rodrigo cooed wickedly, hovering down over to me.
"Don't...count me out...just yet," I wheezed. Seriously, I was only eight at them time when I battled him. Couldn't I get a break at the least?
"You're panting, a sign of weakness. Would you like a tissue in case you cry?" Rodrigo gave a sense of false sincerity and sarcasm.
"How's about I kick you in the balls?!" I shouted back, tired from his idiocy.
Seemingly offended by my statement, Rodrigo frowned for a few moments. The frown turned upside-down when he snapped his fingers. A swarm of demonic birds suddenly launched over my head and out the door. Watching them fly by, I cringed mentally at their incessant screeches for death.
"W-where are they going?" I stammered, shivering from their ferocity even though it wasn't aimed for me.
"Before Cannon's existance in this life was finished, he reported to me that the other supposed "heroes" had consolidated on the first floor, the foyer." An icy glaze appeared in his eyes as he smirked. "I just decided that it was time for my servants to be fed."
"Monster!"
"Thank you."
Adrenaline pumped through me, reviving my once lost spirit. I snatched a small, red kunai knife from my jacket pocket. Rodrigo stared at it for a moment, bewildered and howled with laughter. Until the kunai turned into a short sword. Rodrigo paused, and I smirked. When I first killed Rodrigo, I sliced his head clean off, and boy, was it fun.
When I was in the Purgatory, Espio gave the knife to me as rememberance of himself. It brought back sweet memories of him and I when I was younger: Annoying him, getting eaten by him one time, good times, good times.
...Well, not really, but I still love the guy.
Cracking his knuckles, Rodrigo created a black hole with the Arks once more, so I did the same. From our combined holes, we had created an entirely new area: a grey hole. Oh, so original! Pale, dull streaks of energy flailed across the wall. Just the place I'd want to be in, right? If you agreed, I'll come to your house and beat you over the head with whatever I get my hands on.
Rodrigo glanced over to the new area. A feeling of calmness surronded him as he shifted his weight lazily. The traitorous Rogue overlooked me in a quiet manner before glancing down back to me. "I suppose we'll settle this conquest here. Who lives, and who dies will be decided...now!" Raising his hand up towards me and a pulse of black energy started to form.
"Compressed Babylon won't work again!" I shouted, charging at him with my sword ready.
"Babylon Pulse!" Rodrigo launched a stream of white thunder from his hand, surprising me enough that I stupidly stopped and stared while the blast hit me.
On contact with me, the lightning turned an eerie black as I cried out in pain. Tumbling to the ground, my shield had actually snapped it half from the blast. Staring horrically at my once-prized badge, my pupils dialated. That was my family's. It belonged to me. My prized posession: Gone.
My fantasy snapped, and reality snuck in like a crashing, rough wave. It was too much to bare so I just lied, splayed on the ground as Rodrigo descended towards me with a victorious grin on his face.
"Goodbye, my worthy, yet puny and moronic adversary," Rodrigo said, taking my sword from me. "Any last words before I do unto you as you done unto me?"
I knew what he meant: He was planning to slice my head off. The premonition from the Master Emerald swarmed my mind, and I was ready to pass out. To give up and admit defeat.
"GET THE UP, CHARMY, OR NO MORE GAMEBOY!!" a voice in the back of my mind screamed.
Lurching to my feet, I shrieked, "DON'T KILL ME! I'M UP, UP I SAY!" My fit of disturbance had actually caused me to uppercut Rodrigo in his beak. Adrenaline flowing, I snatched my sword back from Rodrigo and aimed it at him.
"Those...were strange words," Rodrigo pointed out, sweat-dropping comically. "Are you in drugs?"
"I had this white stuff from some guy before," I replied smiling. "It was sugar, and it was good! Vector said I can't have it anymore though."
Tired of the humorous banter, Rodrigo sneered wickedly. "Alright, no more fooling around, it's time for you to die!"
"Bring it on, crow! I'll make you pay for destroying my badge!"
Rodrigo raised all four Arks that were on his wrists towards me, shooting twin Gravity Beams. Both were larger than before, but I just grinned. Raising my Master Ark, I conjured up a black hole in front of me, sending the beams in there. Another black hole, courtesy of me, reflected back to Rodrigo, and one jammed him directly in his back; Rodrigo was able to avoid the second. Usually, I would politely wait until my opponent stood, but this time it was personal. Charing at him while he rolled away, I managed to nick his shoulder with my short sword, leaving a small gash. Rodrigo winced, lashing at me with his foot in a barbaric sort of way, but I was still in flight, giving me the advantage. Instead of dodging, I slashed wildy at his boot, slicing his material off. With help from his Arks, Rodrigo flew away, kicking his boots off.
Even though I had known Rodrigo for so long, I never looked at his ankles. A pair of white flames were there, matching his wrists. I wondered about them. A symbol of resistance towards the Babylon Rogues, the outcasts of the ancient society?
However, I never asked him. Why? I didn't want to even think about what he did in his past, and what still creeps me out is that his descendant is Wave. I guess I know now where that swallow gets her fine brain.
Rodrigo growled at me, his eyes changing back to a normal violet. His irises had vanished entirely, and light didn't shine his orbs anylonger. Rodrigo's face was the epitome of rage. "I've had enough. Bean!"
The dynamite-loving duck ushered out, still dawning his white flamed wrists. "Yeah, what, Lord Rodrigo?" His tone was less than pleasant, having that same nasially after affect.
"Bring the girls," he ordered with a smirk.
"...No."
I stared over to Bean in shock. He's going to disobey Rodrigo? I thought, wide-eyed. But why?
"Excuse me?" Rodrigo stared bug-eyed like myself. Seething, he demanded, "Just what the hell do you mean?!"
"You brain-washed, me, Stream, Sarge, and Cannon! Look what you put us through! I killed my precious Pokemon because I was so influenced by your trickery," Bean snarled, a bomb in his hand after snapping his fingers. "You hurt all of us, and you allowed Sarge and Cannon to die in vain!"
Sarge is dead? Then that must mean Wave won! A grin flew on my at the realization, but it instantly vanished when Cannon's deceased, brutally damaged body came to mind.
Emotionlessly, Rodrigo glowered down at Bean's hate-filled stature. Slowly descending, I was ready to strike when a sudden drop in gravity crashed down onto Bean and I. Rodrigo's four lower Arks glowed a black hue, each one bright, but Jet's green secondary Ark glowed the darkest. A slow aura of darkness enrolled around him until he casted the aura away back to his Arks.
"Bean, you're a fool," Rodrigo stated sinisterly. "If you listened to my commands and followed extraordinairly simplistic orders, you wouldn't have to die."
A shiver struck Bean's core from what I could tell as I struggled underneath the gravity pulsing on me. Bean growled, rolling the right-to-blow bomb at him with his beak like a bowling ball. Rodrigo stared down at it, smirking. Reeling his foot back, he kicked it back into the air, creating a massive explosion. Squeezing my eyes shut from the soot, I heard an immense cry of torture that continues to ring in my attenaes. Rodrigo's laughter filtered through the air as I coughed through the smog. I shouted for Bean.
The gravity suddenly wore off, and I raggedly fluttered up. Wiping my eyes, I looked around for Bean or Rodrigo. No one was there. It was that moment I found Bean's red bandana skewered on the ground.
"No...not Bean," I whispered, tears coming to my eyes. "Not him too, Rodrigo! You coward! Face me by yourself! Face me, you damned demon!"
"Charmy, remain calm," a new stoic voice in my head rang. It sounded oddly familar, like the first one, but where...?
Four bursts of light suddenly came in front of me, and I shielded my eyes from the powerful light. Wincing as I peered through squinted eyes, I couldn't believe who was standing in front of me: Vector, Espio, and Sonic.
All three were had ghostly effects by having a little spiral for feet, something Sonic detested since he was loved to run. Espio hung his head low, but Sonic and Vector smiled down at me, and I thought I had just died.
"So, I don't get a hello after so long?" Sonic asked playfully, smirking that trademark smile of his.
"Sonic! It's great to see you again!" I jeered, giving him a hug. "Wait, did I die or something?"
"No, silly," Vector pressed on, nudging me away from the heroic hedgehog.
Cocking my head, I stared at the trio on confusion. The fourth light shone brightly, and a tall wasp fluttered out. Staring at him, my mouth gaped open in realization: "King Stinger the Wasp?!"
My father smiled down at me, tears forming in his eyes. He was wearing a flourished crimson cape with white tuffs along the sides with a militaristic uniform on that was green. On his head was a helmet that matched mine with a crown. "Son, hello, you've grown to be such a good boy."
"Dad!" I flew over to him and suddenly burst into tears. Dad! My real royal blood-line father! Here holding me! Such a treat that I probably will never have again since he's dead, but still! I felt his tears splattered down on my face when I stared up at him. It was like re-meeting Vector again in Sadako's well, but this time it was slightly different. And that tiny difference changed everyone.
"Charmy..." Espio suddenly dragged my attention away from my father. Vector was shoving him towards me, while he glared back at the crocodile. Glancing over to Sonic for some kind of support, Sonic merely pointed a finger at me, stating that he "do it". Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and got down on one knee. "What I've done was the worst, dishonorable mistake in my afterlife. By joining Rodrigo, I've unleashed literal hell on Earth, and my doing has killed bushels of people." His voice wavered, and his eyes tightened, making small crinkles.
"Espio-" Before I could say anything, my father suddenly smacked Espio square in the jaw. "Dad, what the heck!?"
"Wait a second, you had a hand in my son's misfortune?!" Stinger demanded, glaring down at Espio. "I'll kill you!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sonic stepped between him and Espio while Vector and I helped the chameleon up. "Espio's trying to repent for his deeds! I don't really see any reason for you to be so angry!"
"He tried to kill my son previously!" Stinger urged, trying to fly around Sonic, but the hyper-sonic hero snatched his arm.
"Look, your highness, let Charmy decide," Sonic stated as Stinger yanked himself away.
Hugging Espio was what I was doing while those two were bickering. "Espio, I can always forgive you. At first, I thought that you were a betraying jerk, but hey, you pulled through. After all, I saw first hand with Howl, Armand, Whip, and those Wolf Pack guys that you trying to pummel Rodrigo back when Babylon Garden was still normal."
Espio smiled, eyes still closed. I could tell he was still ashamed, so I looked over to Vector and Sonic for support. Sonic told him that he made the right choice for apologizing. Vector, however, patted his best friend's shoulder, before conking him over the head. Espio collapsed over, holding his head in distraught.
"You're still an idiot, ya know," Vector growled, glaring down at his prey. "Once we get back to Sadako's well, I'll kick your butt!"
"Sadako's well?" I reitarated, staring confusedly at them. "Wait, does that mean...?"
Espio gave a slow nod. "Yes, Charmy, it means I may be able to come back to life. I've joined Vector and Sadako in her well." He gestured over to Sonic. "Once Rodrigo is finished, the higher class has allowed us to come back to life."
Sonic grinned, patting my shoulder. "Yeah, so just don't mess this up."
"Thanks for the confidence, hedgehog," I grunted, staring over to my father. "And you, Dad?"
Stinger closed his eyes. They matched my amber ones. "I'm sorry, Charmy, but I cannot."
"What?! Why?!" I demanded, thoroughly shocked that this "upper class" wouldn't allow him to come back.
"I've been dead for far too long," Stinger explained wryly. A hint of sadness was in his throat when I gazed up at him with large, unsobered eyes. "Flora, your mother, is in the Purgatory, and they may gave her a second chance for saving you. Charmy..." He knelt down by me, staring up at me. "...you've grown to be such a fine, young man. I believe you. Vector, Espio and Sonic, they trust in you. Besides, don't you have people to save?"
I gasped. "Cream, Bean and Raine!" I had nearly forgetten about them. "Where are they?!"
"Rodrigo has taken a severely injured Bean to the floor underneath his," Vector explained. "Cream and Raine are actually hidden in those cages underneath Rodrigo's throne. How come you didn't hear them when they called out?"
"...They did? Must've not heard them."
"Idiot..." Vector grumbled, earning him a bop on the head from my father. I thanked him afterwards. "Anyway," my former boss began, glaring over to the former king. "Charmy, it's time for us to vamoose."
"See you soon, kid," Sonic said, patting my head. "We trust you."
Espio nodded curtly. "When you win, I'll refurnish that short sword. How's that sound?" I nodded as a response.
Vector kneeled by me and hugged me. "I'll fill Sadako in because her TV is busted. You take care, and beat the living heck outta that creeptastic crow!"
"Do us a favor and never say that again," Stinger commander, shoving him away. He hugged me tightly, slipping something into my jacket pocket. "Good luck son, you're mother and I love you very much."
I sniffled, burying my face into his chest. "I love you guys, too, Dad."
I could still remember his warmth, the warmth I would never know again. The four vanished in that same bright light, leaving me back to Rodrigo's floor by myself. I smiled lightly, closing my eyes in their memories. I would avenge them, I had to!
The demonic crow stood by his throne, kicking Cream and Raine out. Both were still in their cages. Raine took sight of me and called out to me, taking me away from my thoughts. Cream was a sniveling mess as tears came down from her humongous chocolate eyes. She was embracing herself tightly like it was the last one she would ever recieve. Raine, on the other hand, looked mighty upset, clutching her bars with white-knuckled fists.
Kicking Raine's cage, Rodrigo smirked down at her. "Oh, stop belly-aching. You think Princy can save you?"
"He will, jerk," Raine quipped, glaring up at him. Her eyes burned with venomous hatred, something I had never seen from her. I recalled the ring-pop she gave me just before we left Babylon Garden the first time.
"I'm going to save them Rodrigo," I proclaimed. "I made a promise!"
Cream finally looked over at Raine and then to me. She smiled gently in my direction while Raine grinned at me. I still find both very attractive, by the way, but I'm no player. On the other hand, Shadow has had his share of girls if you know what I'm saying.
"If you can promise that you'll save them, than I'll promise you this: I will kill you," Rodrigo declared.
We had a glare-off, both of us unmoving. Me, fighting for my comrades and father while Rodrigo was driven purely by vengeance. The truth of the battle was to be exposed.
Now.
--
Meanwhile, back with the other heroes on the first floor, they had sucessful defeated the bird demons. Armand analyzed a feather of a deceased hawk-like demon through his watch.
"Well, what's it say, slave?" Carnage demanded, holding the leash in hand, prepared to get his "slave" back.
The purple tiger growled at him. "You know, I have a name: Armand No-"
"We do not care," Carnage interjected rudely, waving his hand in his face. "Get back to work."
Whip leaned closer to Tails, whispering, "I predict Armand will rant about his dad. You?"
"I think he'll punch Carnage in the face," the fox replied through a mutter.
Armand cracked his knuckles, a vien popping his forehead. "Do you even know who my dad is?!"
"Totally called that," Whip murmured to Tails, whom pouted in distress.
"Tobias Novak the Tiger!" Armand proclaimed happily with his eyes closed and a broad grin on his face. He ignored everyone else's groaning because they were jealous that their parents weren't legendary heroes.
Carnage blinked, thoroughly confused. "...Who?"
"...What'd you say?" Armand stared at Carnage with wide-eyes in utter distraught. "Y-you don't know my father?"
"We don't get out much." Carnage gave a quick shrug. "So, we really don't care about "heroes" or whatever. So, what's your watch say?"
Armand stared at him before jabbing him on the nose. Firing back up his watch, he brought up a mini holographic screen that showed Rodrigo in the past. "Watch this, everyone. From that bird feather, it gave me some very valuable data about Rodrigo."
"What's he doing?" Rector asked, cocking his head at Rodrigo. "Some sort of weird Babylonian ritual?"
"How about you shut the hell up and watch instead of opening your big yap?" Nack questioned, glancing over to the dark rose hedgehog.
"Why you-!"
"Hey, shut up!" Rouge commanded, silencing the bickering mammals. "Rodrigo's speaking."
On the screen showed Rodrigo and a group of other avians working together. "Finally," Rodrigo spoke in Babylonian. Thankfully, Armand included English subtitles. "the Arks of the Cosmos have been completed. With this, gravity is under my control!"
"Your control?" a parrot repeated. "You said we would recieve glory!"
Rodrigo smirked, snatching the Master Ark. "Well, I lied. Goodbye." Rodrigo unleashed a powerful stream of gravity at the his cohorts, killing them instantly with the beam. He checked their pulses, grinning sadistically when he found them to be deceased. Rodrigo snatched the Arks, dashing to the engine room of Babylon Garden.
Rodrigo smashed the door open. No one was inside, so Rodrigo crept inside slowly. He took out a laser pen and crafted the engine open in a simplistic manner. Grunting by his lack of physical strength, Rodrigo yanked the power source, the Control Box, right out of the engine and chucked it to the floor. Placing all five Arks in a a small square with the Master Ark in the middle, he clapped his hands together and a pulse of black Babylonian magic came glowed in the palms of his hands. He raised his hands over his creations, gently letting the power flew into his Arks.
"Rodrigo!" a voice shouted. A blue hawk with a scar over his eye wearing a black vest with a dark blue set of tattooes on his wrists with a pair of black pants with shoulder pads stormed through the door. He was Stolen the Hawk, thirteenth leader of the Babylon Rogues. "Just what are you doing?!"
"What does it look like? I've finally invested my time to make the Arks of the Cosmos, while you and the stupid Babylonian council refused to listen to my ingenious ideas! The Magic Carpet, the Arks, the Heartless..." Rodrigo trailed off and a devious gleam appeared in his eyes. "Now'll get my revenge!"
"How?" Stolen demanded, rushing at him with a fist.
Rodrigo dashed out of the way as Stolen's fist collided with the engine. "Everyone will die, except me! Even if you kill me, I've already channeled my soul in the Arks! Goodbye, Stolen!" Suddenly, Rodrigo's voilet eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed into the engine. Dead.
Stolen swore, but the subtitles only showed the stars marks. Nack moaned, wanting to know more curses until Tomo and Bark bopped him over the head. Stolen, however, was too late to warn anyone and the spaceship crashed onto Earth.
Suddenly, the hologram went back into Armand's watch, and he sighed. "That's it."
"So, Rodrigo was a restless spirit that can revive himself with the Arks," Amy concluded with a satisfied grin.
"Exactly," Kiba said with a nod. "so what do we do now?"
"Wait," Howl stated simply. "because we still can't get through those doors."
Mighty nodded. "Than all we can do now is have faith in Charmy."
--
Next: Countdown pt. 2