"We must hurry back, now that we know that Omar has been turned, and that they have more hostages then we thought. We have to warn the colonies." Meiou said to the ebon hedgehog, Shadow.
Shadow glanced at the rabbit, then looked back at Snicket, the ermine they had hired for protection. The white creature was packing a few bags onto a rather interesting hovercraft that had emerged from his dome house. He went into the building and returned with a large machine gun and attached it to the center of the floor of the craft.
"Unless Omar decided to go and raid at this moment, even that may not be enough to stop him, though it may slow him down." Shadow replied.
Meiou didn't reply right away, he just gazed into the 'forest'. After a few minutes he turned back.
"The colonies aren't prepared for anything like this. We can't defend ourself against one of our own when they've teamed with Bujin. The scientist will know all our defenses and weakness' now. We won't stand a chance unless… We go back. But even that's risky." He said.
"No. We cannot move back to the human world! You know what they would do to us if they found us all. We'd be even more vulnerable there. We have to rescue the others from the lab. And capture Omar." Said the hedgehog.
The rabbit shook his head. "Most likely Omar is gathering the forces to attack with Bujin. While we'd be rescuing them, Bujin would be attacking the colonies and gathering more hostages, and killing the ones he found uninteresting or useless. We must return, to at least defend as best we can. With Omar's memories, the first place the scientist would go is to the children."
Snicket, who had been listening to the conversation the entire time, came over, apparently he had finished loading up. He looked at them with concern, this job was not going to be easy.
"If this sounds as bad as it is, I believe we'll require more forces. For a little higher price, I have… connections as I can put it lightly I do, have connections that is." He said to them, his brown tail-tip twitching.
The hedgehog and rabbit looked at him, then each other. They nodded. The ermine pulled out a communication device that appeared to be a cross between a cell phone and walkie-talkie.
Within the hour they were on their way again, this time, as a small army. The ermine had his contacts, or as can be said, he lived with them. The dome upon the hill had been only a doorway to an underground structure, not as big as the colonies, but an organization of warriors and mercenaries ready to go at the moments notice. The fee he had mention being higher was astronomical, but well worth it, with the numerous battle tanks, gun-speeders, and armored terrain vehicles. All of them piloted by either an ermine, mongoose, or weasel of varying colors. Everyone of them had the marks of battle and the looks of long, hard fights in the past.
Shadow, Snicket and Meiou rode on the front hover craft that had originally came from the base first. They could only hope that they were in time to stop the scientist from attacking.
"What are you looking at that for?" Shadow asked Meiou, as Snicket was busy piloting the craft and talking on his phone. The rabbit had apparently picked up the suit Omar had been wearing that looked like Shade, and was examining with a strange look on his face.
Meiou didn't answer, he seemed to interested in the suit, flipping it inside out, this way and that. Shadow nudged him with his shoe and he finally turned.
"Hmmm? Oh. It's nothing… Nothing… I'll deal with it later..." He muttered distractedly.
"What do you mean it's nothing? It looks like something to me."
"Not many people can make suits this well, not anyone with us certainly besides myself. Not for a long time have I seen a suit this perfect before…"
"Really? That's all that has you worried?" The ebon hedgehog asked.
"You underestimate the power of such deception. Think of it. You couldn't tell that wasn't Shade could you? As twisted as he's become, Omar knew both of you well enough to pull it off without hardly any flaw. Though he couldn't have possibly made this suit himself. I only know of one other… And he left years ago." Meiou told him, putting the suit in his bag and zipping it shut.
Shadow halted his speaking. The rabbit was right. He had been unable to tell that it hadn't been his son. He had thought perhaps he couldn't tell because his son had changed from their time apart, but the green hedgehog had fooled not only him, but Meiou, Atlantis upon saying goodbye before the trip, and all the others as well. Bujin had worked impossibly fast, changing the once good hearted hedgehog within minutes. The short time Shade had disappeared after the attack had been when the scientist had made the switch.
"You see. With this kind of power, nearly all of us are suspects. We have no way of trusting each other." Said the rabbit.
"And you believe it's this one person that's helping Bujin? How so?" Shadow questioned.
"I used to know this creature very well. Too well in fact. He used to work with me, an apprentice you may call it… We had an argument, in which he left on bad terms. I never saw him again. I didn't expect him to turn this way though. He knows about many of my machines, creating suits and masks, and acting." The bunny continued.
The vehicle suddenly lurched, it's brakes slamming on and it ground to a halt quickly, along with the rest of the small armada. Meiou and Shadow were thrown backwards without warning, but were able to grab hold before they fell off.
"What the HELL?!" Shadow yelled at Snicket, who was quickly climbing off the craft.
He returned, carrying a small, two tailed fox, whom Shadow instantly recognized as Tails. Another weasel came aboard as well, holding up two more animals, a gray fox and a tan rabbit.
Shadow hurried to them. This wasn't the first time he had seen any of them. And from the looks of it, it was obvious where they had just come from. The gray fox was Flick, and the new rabbit, Cream. Her chao companion wasn't in sight. Shadow knew they wouldn't part unless one of them had died. Shadow knew that Bujin was most likely responsible for that.
"Tails!" Meiou exclaimed, helping the new passengers up.
"You know him?" Shadow asked.
Before the rabbit could reply, the fox looked up, though ragged and bruised, he was still conscious, unlike his companions.
"It was him, it was him, Meiou…! He's not under… control… He's gone… mad…! Colbalt…"
With that, the fox fell back to the darkness, and though they tried, he wouldn't wake up, he had too much. They put him down and let him sleep with the others as they continued toward the colonies.
"What was Tails babbling about, what's going on rabbit?!" Shadow asked Meiou. The ebon hedgehog was getting frustrated, though the bunny had told him a lot, he knew that he'd also kept a great deal secret as well.
"Colbalt… My old assistant. I was teaching him about what I do many years back… As I said before, I had an argument with him, I caught him using the masking technique to continuously steal, and destroy others lives. It got to the point where he killed some of the members of his clan, and he wouldn't stop. I confronted him, and he left. He had sworn not to kill again, though his previous time was an accident… But this…" Meiou stopped as the colonies came into view.
The only reason they hadn't seen the smoke in the sky from the great flames, was because of the already dark clouds, but now the buildings were not to be seen. Only enormous machines, machines that were picking up the helpless and collecting them into giant bubbles that were attached to the bellies of the crafts. The mechanical limbs seemed almost dainty as they chose which to retrieve next, they had all the time and help they needed, for there were nearly fifty arms on each beast aside from the thick, clawed legs used for walking.
Atop the largest of the machines, stood a two tailed white fox, remarkably similar to Tails, if the fox had ever been pure evil. He laughed maniacally, dancing about on his ride, giving orders and controls through a communication device similar to the ones Organization 0 used.
The now tiny appearing armada of mercenaries for hire slowed down, shocked at the scene. They had seen many things, but nothing such as this.
They came within range of the machines, and though they pulled out guns and bombs, didn't dare use them in fear of harming the captives. They could now here what the crazed fox was saying.
"My oh my what a sight!
How lovely these flames are tonight!
Such wailing such screaming,
my it is pleasing!
Come with me oh unfortunate ones,
I'll show you a new world!
Oh why do you run?
It hurts so much less if you work for us willingly!
The rain the rain,
it cannot put out our flames!
Allow the mutilation!
See how the planet fights,
Yet even it cannot defeat us!
You are all ours! Hahahaha!"
"Colbalt… You insane bastard… You'll never learn." Shadow heard Meiou saying to himself as they held on for their lives.
Dodging and weaving though the debris and machines, as skilled as they were, they couldn't do it forever, and one by one, slowly, they began to either crash, break down, or the inhabitants were captured by the machines until there were only about seven of the Organization left. Tanks that were unable to move, be picked clean, or torn apart seemed a grave for the flames closing in on them.
The seven surviving craft veered away from the destruction, toward a bunker that, strangely, wasn't being attacked. It was several miles from the fire, and though they suspected that it could be used to get into the caverns undetected, they also knew that the enemy had to be using it as well.
Parking the hover machines outside, the now drenched crews left them, a few of them carrying the surviving captives they had found along the way. A mongoose with black hair led the way, leading them carefully into the bunker with a large gun drawn. It seemed clear, until they reached the hangar that was between the entrances above and below ground.
The mongoose with black hair, whose name was Ash, moved to fire, but was stopped by Snicket. If he had allowed it, Omar most likely would have pulled the stick out of the grenade he was holding near his captives. The green hedgehog looked even worse then before, he had blood running down the left side of his face, and his fur had become even more tangled then before, if even possible. He had retrieved his jacket, but had torn the sleeve halfway up the left arm.
"Careful now, there. My fingers just may… Slip? That would be a pity, to have my own bloodline destroyed, but I can always run and make another one. Though this one turned out decent I think, even though they're filthy half-breeds. They may still be of use." He held the grenade and motioned for the two hedgefoxs behind him to get one of the Black Arms ships that was in the hanger.
"Uncle Shadow!" said the purple hedgefox, for she was Julie, and the other Jazz. She moved to run to him but Omar grabbed her by her neck from behind.
"Now, now there little missy! What did I just tell you before they got here? No running over to the filth I'm threatening, even if they are what you may call family. Heh, who needs family anyway? Now be a good little girl, and get on daddy's spaceship, and perhaps Uncle Colbalt and Bujin will be more lenient with your pain and training." The green hedgehog said with a sneer.
Jazz took this opportunity to grab the grenade in his changed father's hand. With the speed that he had inherited, he had thrown it far out of reach, and was facing the older hedgehog, ready to fight.
Shadow and the rest watched, amazed. It had been years since the ebon hedgehog had seen his nephew, and it was apparent that the child he had once cared for was now in his teens, as was Julie. And he was much stronger.
"Uncles meh ass! And as for yaself, ya are no longer considered meh father. Though ya may have allowed at meh request to bury meh mother, I knew full well, it was yaself that killed her. And in turn, it shall be meh, who destroys ya, treacherous bastard!" Jazz said. He glanced at Julie, nodding as she got out of the hover craft. He sped between her and Omar as she moved to join Shadow across the room.
Though Jazz was now older, Shadow knew that he had changed little. He was still wearing the black jacket, but now had glasses to match it, and his tails had grown out more. His accent had changed slightly, but not much. It was easy to tell, that he was now an adult in their species, if not completely physically, mentally.
The two green hedgehog circled each other, Omar no longer smiling. His grin had turned to a frown, and his eyes became darker it seemed.
"You think you can win, boy? It was I who spawned you, I can easily take you out as well. And you don't have the guts to murder your own father, even when I did kill your mother. She was asking for it. Whining, always wanting me to forget the past. And after I changed for the better, she decided to start the waterworks. All the way to the end. 'Oh Omar, how could you?! How could he do this to you? Please come back to me, go back! Please don't take Jazz and Julie!'" The elder hedgehog said in a mocking voice, imitating Foxbeast.
"STOP IT! Ya disgrace her by even speaking of her!" Jazz yelled at him, starting to tremble.
"Awww… What's the matter? Miss Mommy?" Omar jested.
"I said… STOP!" Jazz charged at him, pulling a Chaos Emerald out of his pocket and moving as if to make a punch to his opponents face. His fist had become a charged ball of green energy from the emerald.
Omar disappeared just as the fist was about to make contact with him, now smiling again. He reappeared in the ship's doorway., laughing.
"You can't catch me, let alone hit me! I have your blood, and all your abilities. Unfortunately, I no longer have hostages thanks to you. Oh well, at least I have all those others to play with, if Colbalt did his job correctly. Bujin will be pleased that the mission was a success. Though I wish I could have taken you both…"
Jazz charged again, this time without saying a word. The door closed moments before he got to it, but strangely enough, it didn't seem to anger the young hedgehog. Instead of despairing, he reached into his pocket. Pulling out a small circular device, he pressed it on the hull of the ship as it fired up its engines. The blast from the exhaust ports knocked him to the floor, but the device stayed in place as the gunship sped out of the hangar and into the night sky above.
The hangar roof closed as Jazz stood, a grim, but satisfied look on his face. The others finally came up to him, now that the confrontation had passed.
"Try to hide now… Father…" Jazz turned to Shadow after saying this, trying to hide his pain behind a small, fake smile. "Hiya, Uncle."
Shadow put a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "You did all you could." The ebon hedgehog turned to the waiting mercenaries. "There is no time for grief… We must save those that they haven't reached yet. We must go to the caverns." The shock of what had truly happened had not yet hit the hedgehog, he knew what had happened, but he forced his mind away, not willing to except it yet. There was still time, there was always time… She was still alive certainly, Omar wouldn't have killed her. Jazz was mistaken.