The wind grew harder as the army of foxes and mongeese waited, for who knows what the scientist had cooked up. Jazz had ran back to stay with the small armada, no doubt Shadow was probably wondering where he had disappeared to. But the green hedge-fox was not about to miss his chance to catch and turn his father.
The others around him were huddling nervously next to their weapons. They had seen what had come before, and were terrified. And before they knew it, IT had arrived. Bujin.
The creature was no longer even hedgehog anymore as it came to the gates, ramming against them with its head, blood smearing. It had so much machinery and extra cloned body parts from other creatures calling 'he' an 'it' was more appropriate. Besides, like Brove had said, Bujin was no longer the brains of the operation, nor did he seem to have any for that matter. Bujin was on chains, which lead into the woods, where a horrid clanking sound was loudening.
As the creature strained against the metal holding it back on it's legs, arms, and neck, it roared, saliva dripping from it's now dinosaur-like jaws. "Killll…. You…. Alllll…!!" It hissed and banged on the gates more.
Suddenly, what the monster was attached to became visible as it tore down the trees in its wake. It was a giant machine, much like the ones they had seen before, except this one was built like a tank, for war, not capture. And at the top of it, was Cobalt.
"How are you all today? I was just in for a lovely stroll in the woods… When I happen to come across you all? Let's say we play a little game?" The white two-tailed fox asked as he stopped his machine for a moment. Jazz looked around, his father suddenly appeared at the fox's right side, sneering. At the other, the strange ninja dog that he had seen only once before.
Now that it was in the 'light' or as light as it could get with the darkened sky, he could see that the ninja dog was blue, with a shocking green hair. He had a light red coat on, and shoes, but other then that, no armor or extra defenses at all. None was needed.
"This little game, it's quite fun! Oh have you met my… Well, Omar…" Cobalt gestured at the green hedgehog. "…Is more of a servant really… And…" The white fox nodded at the Ninja Dog "Kight is more of a hired hand. Now Bujin of course, he's definitely a pet to this point. Had to keep him from hurting himself, so I made some adjustments to his mind." The fox cackled in his laugh, apparently enjoying himself.
Jazz stared at the creature that used to be Bujin… Was that what was in store for his father if he continued to be controlled by the new crazed scientist? Sure the insane hedgehog that had tortured many others in a way deserved this, his own medicine… But Omar… The young green hedgehog looked up at him, his father's eyes seemed glazed, as if he wasn't really paying attention.
The fox interrupted Jazz's thoughts again. "But anyway, this talking is getting boring. Let's start the game shall we? Those who escape, are free to run another day… And those I catch…" Another machine like the previous bulk enslavers they had seen crushed the trees to be up beside the one the fox was standing on. The wires and utensils used for capturing clicked and whirred impatiently. "Can play some more with me in my lab!"
The two that had been standing next to the fox disappeared suddenly, and the time had come. "Fire! FIRE DAMMIT!" He heard Snicket yell, but it was late, far too late. Already Bujin had used his full strength to burst through the gates, allowing his master to follow through with the machines from hell.
As the battle began, Jazz knew something was up. Neither the ninja dog, nor his father had joined the fight. They were no where to be seen.
The foxes were putting up a gallant fight with the Organization to fight for their land. Cobalt's weapons were having difficulty getting through, the huge tanks were just barely being held back. The Quicktails warriors wielded everything from machine guns to armored buses loaded with missiles. They weren't doing much damage for the shields Cobalt had, but they were keeping him back.
As Jazz turned to go find out where the other two had gone to, a missile hit the crazed monster that once was Bujin. He was not protected, and within seconds, gone. The green hedge-fox nodded, a grim end for a grim and maniacal creature. He sped off.
Back at the main building, Shadow, Maria, Tails, Meiou and Flick waited, as Brove had instructed them to before leaving to lead his armada. "The white fox will have another plan other then just attacking… Stay and watch the palace, he may be after a royal official." The fox had said, and then was off.
"Awww… when are we going home daddy?" Maria asked Shadow.
"Soon I think." Shadow said, running a hand through her golden quills.
She giggled, then stopped and looking up to the ceiling, she waved. "Hi!"
The group went to look up but quickly stopped looking to instead shield themselves from the glass as it broke. The black hedgehog pulled his daughter close in his arms. No one was going to take her this time.
There were two thuds on either side of the group, Omar and Kight landing in the ballroom without flinching from the height of the jump. A few seconds later they were followed by a third, Jazz. It hadn't taken the hedge-fox long to spot them jumping from building to building with ease, heading for the castle.
Jazz joined his uncle and the rest, they would need all the help they could get if these two were after them, why else would the white fox had sent them here instead of the battle in the front?
"Give us the foxes… The rest of you may stay and await Cobalt's arrival." The ninja dog said, betraying no weakness in his voice.
"C'mon, don't ya wanta come with us? He promises ta be nice ta ya!" Omar said, his limbs twitching in a random sequence.
Shadow pushed Maria towards Meiou, facing the dog. "Don't let anyone touch her…" He muttered to the rabbit.
Jazz faced his father, knowing full well this could end up with one or all of them dead. But it was the only way.
Tails moved forward to fight, but the ebon hedgehog shoved him back.
"It's you and Flick they want, stay put and out of the way." He said, eyeing his opponent. The dog stared at him, a lazy yet deadly air flowing about him.
"You aren't having them." Shadow said.
"Oh really? Guess we'll have to take them, always the hard way." Kight wasn't giving them a choice, he was waiting for them to make a move though.
"Well that's too bad. We aren't giving them to either of you." The hedgehog said. He could wait as long as the other.
"Well, I have a job to do." The dog had decided not to wait. He feinted a move, and Shadow fell for it. The hedgehog rushed at him, and missed, as was intended. It left an opening. Kight landed a blow to his head as he went by, then another as Shadow tried to turn to fight back.
Dazed for a moment, Shadow tried to aim a punch at his adversary, but already the dog was behind him, knocking him down with a flurry of kicks at his legs.
Omar chose to make his attack shortly after the dog's, speeding around and around the group with speed if not faster equal to Sonic the hedgehog's.
His son was the only one not effected by the dizzy spell of trying to follow the quick movements. Jazz moved closer to Tails and Flick, now that he knew what they were after. With Shadow now unconscious, they had lost a tactical advantage. A large one. And… The two had said if they gave up the foxes freely they would be allowed to go. Now that they had put up a fight, most likely they would take them all to the scientist.
Jazz waited, timing his aim. Suddenly he threw his leg out into his father's path of whirlwind running. The green-furred hedgehog tripped, the timing perfect. Omar fell to the floor, but his speed kept him going, and he sped in his slide as he hit the wall. He moved as if to get up, then fell back, out cold. Or at least Jazz hoped that was all.
Now, the hedge-fox turned to another attack. But as fast as he was he was too slow. A heavy weight landed upon his back, the ninja dog! "Ya're no special! Just as living as us…!" Jazz tried to get up, but Kight hit him down again.
"The floor is better for your health at the moment." The dog said as he turned to go after the foxes.
Jazz again tried to rise, but he couldn't and this time it wasn't because of his adversary. His leg had twisted and broken when he had put it in motion to stop his father. Now he couldn't even stand.
"No! Stop!" He yelled.
The dog didn't even look back. He just kept going. Until he saw Shade.
"What are YOU doing here? You were told to stay at the base!" He said. Something wasn't right. Not only was the hedgehog supposed to have stayed behind, he was mingling with the group he was after.
"Cobalt called for me to make sure you didn't screw things up. You seem to be doing a good job though, there wasn't no need for him to worry really." Shade the hedgehog said.
The dog didn't answer to that, but he didn't move either. Something really was wrong… He talked like Shade… Or the Shade after Cobalt had 'played' with him. But still…
The other's still didn't seem afraid of him, even after he said that. They were acting it, but he could tell that that's all it was. An act… And where was that red rabbit?! He had mysteriously disappeared as well, as the girl hedgehog had.
"Whatever." Kight said, acting convinced as he made his way to the foxes.
"I got it Uncle Meiou!"
Jazz watched as the dog turned to see Maria run up to Shade with a Chaos Emerald.
"Thank you sweetie. Now, go play with Uncle Tails for a while, please?" The ebon hedgehog said to the little girl.
"Okay." She skipped up to the foxes and stood with them, while 'Shade' smiled.
The hedgehog quickly pulled off the mask and became a rabbit, it was Meiou. He dropped the mask onto the floor, reaching behind him and undoing the zipper, pulled the suit of Shade off of him.
"My calculations were correct then, Shade has also been turned and is being controlled. Shadow will be unhappy to hear that." The rabbit looked at the still unconscious black hedgehog on the floor.
The dog wasn't listening to the rabbit, he was looking at the chaos emerald. A jewel with untapped energy. The beings who could use them would gain enormous unique powers, he had seen it before. This job had taken long enough already.
The dog did a sideways flip to the foxes, grabbing the one that was closest to him. Flick. The only reason the fox had sent two of them was to carry one apiece, he would leave with what was expected of him. Leaping higher then any normal creature his size should be able to, he bounced up off the walls and out the ceiling window from where he'd came.
Meiou went to follow, but Tails stopped him.
"You can't catch him. You know it. He's too fast. Besides, we have another to deal with." The orange fox pointed to Omar, who was beginning to stir.
"But Flick!" Jazz yelled, still on the floor.
"We can't catch him, and neither can you, with your leg like that. Besides… Flick isn't stupid. Learning from me, he has a tracker in him, and a built in phone on his ears and jaw. As long as Cobalt forgets to scan him, he'll be an insider. He wants us to be his aids anyway." Tails finished.
"That's still a big 'IF'." Meiou said.
"Let's hope that Flick made them less detectable then the last then."