Revelation: The Coming Storm

by Stormsurge-Vaireheim

A story about a mongoose journeying across the planet of Verona in search of a special group of Veronians that are the next of a powerful race. NOTE: Chapter 1 is a prologue, but still considered a chapter. FF won't let me save it as Chapter I/ Prologue.

13. Chapter XIII

Revelation

XIII: The Blind Gunman

The chief of police in Verona Isle sat twiddling a pencil in his hand waiting for the recruiter to make his monthly report. "How long does it take to print out a list of names?" He said flicking the pencil back into its cup. There was a knock at the door as the chief reclined back in his chair. "Come in Travis." A light tan cat opened the door carrying a manila folder under his arm. "Good morning Mordecai. I have the list ready." The German shepherd sat upright before replying. "That's sir to you Travis; now what about this list of recruits?" Travis handed the folder to Mordecai for him to look over. He bent the metal tabs back to lift the flap up and pull out the piece of paper inside. "There's one name on this paper Travis. Please tell me this is some printing error or the printer ran out of ink." Travis shook his head, "It's no error, sir. I personally went to interview him myself and he was willing to lend a hand. His talents are simply amazing. That and nobody else was interested in joining the police force due to the problem at hand." Mordecai placed his left hand over his eyes massaging the sides of his head. "You're telling me that we only have one new officer and he's from out on the Western Flats?" "Yes, but it's not just that. He arrived this morning and is waiting outside to see you." The chief waved his free hand. "Very well, bring him in here." Travis quickly walked over to the mottled glass door and opened it. "He'll see you now Mr. Icirrus." "Thank you." A figure stood up behind the glass and followed Travis into Mordecai's office. "Chief, this is the one who agreed to take the job." The white ferret looked at the German shepherd with his hand outstretched and his clouded eyes looking at Mordecai. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir. My name is Smoke Iccirus." Mordecai was astonished when he shook Smoke's hand. "I don't mean it in a bad way, but how can you see me? You are blind, right?" "I am blind, yes, but I was born that way, along with a way to see the things around me." Travis added, "Sir, it's no joke. Smoke showed me the skills he has, and anyone that says otherwise will lose any accusations saying it's impossible for someone, who is blind, to use a gun." Mordecai returned to reclining back in his chair. "How about you give me a small demonstration of your skill set Mr. Iccirus?" "It would be my pleasure, sir." Smoke picked up the pencil Mordecai was twiddling earlier along with a small note card. "Travis, if you'll hold this paper up and step over there, I'll stick that note card with this pencil into the corkboard behind it." Smoke drew a small circle on the note card before handing it to Travis. Travis took the paper and stepped to where smoke indicated and held it out to his side. "I'll also get the pencil inside the circle I drew." Mordecai watched Smoke draw his hand back ready to throw the pencil. Right before Smoke was about to throw the pencil Travis tossed the note card in the air and took a step back to allow room for the note card to fall. Smoke threw the pencil and there was a thud as the pencil hit the paper sticking it in the top part of the corkboard. The circle was visible around the pencil that didn't go through the paper. Mordecai sat there with his mouth hanging open. "Incredible! You stuck it where you said you would ever when Travis tossed it in the air!" Smoke retrieved the pencil and paper from the board before returning them to the chief's desk. "We'll have to schedule a test run for you later today Smoke, since most of the force is out patrolling the city." "Patrolling for what, sir?" Before Mordecai could reply the radio on his belt began to ring signaling a call from one of the patrols. "This is Northstar calling Foundation, come in Foundation!" The German shepherd grabbed the radio from the pocket and held the side button down. "This is Foundation. What is it Northstar?" There was a pause before gun fire came on through the radio. "We've located an Infector in the downtown area sir! We need back up for this one. Our weapons have no affect on it." "I'm sending the other local patrols to aid you Northstar. I'm on my way with the capture squad." Mordecai opened the channel to the patrols within Northstar's region. "Attention all squads, this is Foundation. Northstar needs back up with an Infector downtown. Duskfalcon, Edenfire, and Burstlight. Abandon your current patrol routes and aid them. Everyone else set up a perimeter." There were several acknowledgements from the patrols as Mordecai put the radio back in the belt pouch. "Mr. Icirrus, you may have to wait a little longer for that demonstration. Travis, round up the capture squad." The cat saluted as the chief walked out of his office leaving both of them standing there. Travis turned to Smoke as the door shut. "I'm sorry Smoke. It's been like this the past couple of weeks. I'll make sure to remind him when things calm down." The white ferret placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need Travis. I'll go and give him a demonstration right now. I'll just follow the sirens." Smoke then walked out to go to his motorcycle out front.

The squad, Northstar, had a blockade set up around the perimeter the Infector was located. "We're going to need to distract that thing until the backup arrives! Just keep suppressing it, and taking down the ones that pop up." A Red Panda down the line looked through the barrier crack and saw one of the Spawns running towards him. "Come get some you black creatures!" He swung his shotgun up and as the black hound lunged, it was greeted with a blast from the Red Panda's gun. With slugs in each cartridge he pumped the handle back and shot at a few in the distance. A panther set up a gunning station with a heavy machine gun on a bipod. "Keep your eyes open Shen. Never know when those things will jump up." With a quick pull of the bolt she began unloading as many rounds into the Infector and a couple Spawns. "You just shoot your own Sasha, and I'll shoot mine." There was a sound of something speeding by and hitting a Spawn right in the head, ricocheting off the ground, and hitting another in its abdomen. Through their headsets they heard a voice come through. "Boom; headshot." In a distant building a Snow Leopard had his eye to a scope and putting another bullet into the rifle. "Boris! I told you to watch where you point that thing!" "Don't worry; I've got everything under control, Sasha." He pushed the bolt forward and let another shot go. The Infector grabbed a nearby car and absorbed the metal to repair areas damaged by the attacks. With a loud roar it changed its hand into a Gatling gun and started suppressing Northstar's members. "Why isn't that thing dying like the others? Surely it can't be that different." Shen said as bullets were deflected off of the concrete barricade. "Just keep firing. The other squads will be here soon. Edenfire has the Railshot with them. That should keep that thing busy." Boris set his normal rifle aside and picked up his anti-tank rifle. "Cover your ears!" The Snow Leopard loaded in a cartridge and bolted the first round into the chamber. Boris pointed the barrel at the Infector and pulled the trigger. A deep boom came from the building shattering the windows around the shooter. There was a low hum through the air accompanied with the sound of a heavy object falling straight towards the behemoth. With a loud explosion the bullet exploded causing the Infector to cry out from the impact of the explosive round and the suppressing fire stopped. "Open fire!" Sasha yelled out.

The small convoy of the three squads saw the smoke from Boris' rifle from their path towards the Infector. A blue jay looked at the behemoth in front of them. "There's the target; she's all yours Oliver." "Alright! I finally get to use the Railshot on an actual target!" The tan porcupine slid his chair back to the lift, and went towards the roof of their vehicle. The hatch slid open and Oliver looked around them. "I'm beginning to doubt your eyesight again Rolan. I don't see the- oh wait. There it is." The panels in front of him retracted and a long, four barreled item rose out. "Bring it on tar pit!" The first barrel of the Railshot began glowing with a form of electricity inside its clear barrel and with a muffled electronic boom, an arc of energy shot out towards the Infector. The shot was rewarded with a flash and smoke curling off of the Infector's body. The black creature turned towards the origin of the blast. "You've got its attention Oliver, now what?" Rolan said through the headset. "We give Northstar an opening. I think I can contact them, since I saw the shot from Boris' ATR. Boris! Edenfire is here with Duskfalcon and Burstlight. Prepare to give the Infector everything you've got!" "Roger that Oliver." "Switching to Gatling mode!" Oliver pulled back a handle and held down the trigger. Several shots fired in repetition colliding with the Infector sending its screeches into the air with the new weapon.

Boris saw the impacts from the Railshot and loaded in another cartridge of ammunition. "That's Edenfire! They're giving us an opening to attack while it's distracted so light it up!" In quick succession more anti-tank rounds sailed through the air towards the Infector. "You heard Boris; move up people!" Sasha retracted the bipod and hopped over the concrete barrier with the machine gun still firing at the Spawns. "It's about time I get up close and personal with these buggers!" Shen quickly hopped over and ran into the spread out group with his shotgun ready.

The Infector looked back and forth at the two attackers taking advantage of its confusion. It decided to focus on the more dangerous foe and roared in the direction of Oliver and Rolan. A black tendril shot towards the vehicle aiming to absorb it. The van swerved to the side and dodged the tendril, but wasn't so lucky the second time. "Oliver! We're going to have to bale!" Rolan said as he opened the driver's side door to jump. "You go ahead Rolan! I have an idea that involves getting in close." The armored vehicle went into the air as the tendril returned to the main mass. Oliver had a detonation pack hooked up to the van with a remote control detonator. "I'll see you around some other time tar pit!" The porcupine climbed on top of the roof and jumped towards a building, crashing through one of the windows. He shook his head and stood back up to see the van beginning to be absorbed. Oliver yelled into the headset, "CLEAR!" With a quick press of the detonator the van exploded in and out of the Infector causing it to screech. Huge quantities of dead, black material flew off dissipating on impact with the ground. Rolan came on over the headset, "Bulls eye!" The Infector went down with a huge crater in its lower body crying out in pain. Duskfalcon and Brightlight were starting to set up the closing perimeter around the creature to contain it for the capture squad. "Looks like all we needed to do was give it something spicy." Oliver said as he made his way down the building through its stair well. "Just had to take the kill didn't you, you spiny urchin." Shen said as he was shooting the leftover Spawns. "Oh don't be such a spoil sport Shen. I was just preventing that thing from getting the Railshot. Figured it was a good way to get in a final blow and destroy the gun." The troopers from the police force were just about to finish the containment perimeter when the round started to rumble around them. "What's going on?" "Maybe it's a small earthquake." "Look out!" Several black spikes erupted from the ground sending the troopers and cement flying in all directions. The Infector was smaller now, but with the containment perimeter now shielding it, it could start recovering. "Get back! The Infector is attacking again!" Sasha said. Shen fired a couple rounds trying to land a hit, but the barricade the Infector set up blocked each one. "What is it with this one being so stubborn? Can't it just roll over and die already?" "I guess not." Boris started spraying the Infector with more ATR rounds trying to get it to weaken again. The Infector was using the leftover metal in its body to form metal plating as armor. With a loud roar it formed something similar to the Railshot with one exception- this was easily tripled in size. The barrels all started glowing in unison with red energy and with a loud boom the energy shot into the ground behind Northstar causing them to fly several yards in the opposite direction. Oliver stared in horror at how the creature was seemingly stronger than before even with taking such a huge explosion at close quarters. "This is not good. Not good at all."

Smoke exited the building oblivious to the severity of what was going on. "Well if it isn't my favorite buddy Smoke." The white ferret turned around getting an idea of who it was that said that. "Alexander?" "I told you my name is Axel!" The owner of the voice was a dingo dressed in mostly rugged gear consisting of an olive t-shirt, dark brown vest, khakis, a pair of hiking boots, and a hat with two sides of the brim folded up. He stamped his foot to the ground with his response. "I know that, but I'm not one for aliases, but I'll give it my best to call you Axel. What are you doing here anyways?" Axel recovered his composer and pushed back his hat. "I'm here on a job. It's a shame you didn't stick around to go treasure hunting with me. It pays well. I saw your bike parked out front, and knew you'd be close by." Smoke mounted his motorcycle and started up the engine. "Figures that you'd still be doing that. If you get in the wrong boat with someone, this job of yours is going to turn on you as fast as a dust storm out on the plains." Axel climbed on the back of the motorcycle and reclined against Smoke nonchalantly. "I'm careful, but I'm not doing anything right now. I'm still looking for a lead on something big in the area." Smoke was about to push his old friend off, but the reverberations from the Infector's charged shot shook him off. The sudden movement set off several of the alarms in the cars parked around them. Axel rubbed his head and readjusted his hat. "What was that?!" "I think I know what. Hop on Alexander; I may need someone to back me up." Smoke helped Axel up from the ground and waited for the dingo to get back on. He backed up quickly and with a roar from the engine they both disappeared on the motorcycle.

Sasha propped herself up on her arm and coughed a bit to clear her throat of the dust. "Shen?" The Red Panda shifted a slab of the street off of himself. "Yeah I am. Looks like that thing somehow managed to survive that explosion and create a couple Railshots for itself." He went over to where his partner was and helped up out of the rubble. "Are you two alright? The building sustained a little damage, but mostly from debris." "Yeah we're alright Boris. I'm not sure about Edenfire or the others. They were clear from the blast, but the Infector may have turned around." "I'll see if I can get a visual." Boris looked into his pocket scope to confirm a sighting on Oliver and Rolan. The smoke began to clear and the Infector was shooting at Duskfalcon and Burstlight. Oliver was running from behind it with his Pistol out and shooting Spawns as he made his way towards the wreckage path and Rolan was with Burstlight. "Looks like everyone is okay; I'll let the chief know our status." Boris was about to start dialing in the code for the chief's channel when the sound of a gunshot and bullet whizzing by came through the air deafening the sounds around him.

Axel hand his fingers covering his ears as Smoke shot off another round from his rifle. "I don't understand it, but that rifle sure can pack a punch at times." He said. Smoke loaded another bullet into the chamber and waited for the area to the Infector cleared. "It's built with purpose rather than on an assembly line. We're getting closer to ground zero, so prepare yourself Alexander." "I'm always ready." "Good because you won't mind this then." Smoke turned the front tire to the left and used the front wheel brake to swing the back forward. Axel shot off like a clay pigeon from a skeet shoot while Smoke corrected his motorcycle and continued forward. "WAAAAAAH!" Axel pulled his metal bat from its loop at the sight of the Spawns getting closer to him. "Oh boys!" A couple spawns looked up from digging in the gravel for people to attack. Axel smashed his foot into the first one stopping his flight path and readily swung at the second one in line. The dingo turned around hitting another under its jaw while ducking one from behind. "Come on, you can surely do better than this."

Boris saw Axel land among the Spawns with utter confusion. "Who are these guys? One of them just threw the other into the middle of those things." Sasha looked behind the line to see Smoke coming towards her and Shen. "I don't know Boris, but whoever they are; they're doing something to that Infector." Another loud shot from Smoke's rifle rang through the air and hit its mark. The Infector screeched as another round hit its side creating a small crater. With a hard hit to the ground a wall of concrete shot up blocking the squad's fire on it; the black creature then turned its attention to where Smoke was on his motorcycle. "GET DOWN!" Sasha pulled Shen back behind the wall of rubble the Infector had first created. Several shots from the Railshot flew by over them. Axel lodged his bat under one of the spawns and chucked it towards the volley of shots, and was rewarded by a flash and a shriek. "Pop goes the weasel, and another one on the way!" The Infector continued to fire at Smoke as the white ferret kept swerving to avoid the attack. "Here we go." He turned to the side with both brakes going, and with a quick movement engaged the kickstand and jumped into the air. "Let's see how much you like these!" Smoke swung the rifle over his shoulder and pulled out the two revolvers belted to his sides. In quick succession the guns were fired at the Infector and causing it to screech from the bullets. The ferret landed next to Sasha and Shen and asked, "Are you two alright?" "Yeah we're fine." Shen said. Sasha looked at Smoke's eyes. "Why are your eyes that way?" She asked. Smoke looked at her with them. "They're that way because I'm blind. See if you can't find a safe spot or not. I'll try and keep this thing occupied." He then grabbed the edge of a larger concrete slab and climbed over it. Both of Northstar's members looked at each other. "He's blind?" "Who's blind?" Boris asked through the headsets. "That ferret." Sasha explained, "He's blind, can drive a motor cycle, and fire a bolt-action rifle while driving the motorcycle." "That's either some extreme skill or something isn't right with him. Like a ruse with those black creatures or something." Shen said. Boris watched the ferret firing at the Spawns landing each shot. "I don't think so Shen. He's killing them as we speak. He reminds me of those old gunslingers from the television shows as a kid; dressed in the same way as the actors." "You're right Boris; wait, how would you know? You don't seem to be the type of person to watch those." Sasha said. "I was a kid so sue me."

The ground shook above the underground laboratory covered in dust and cobwebs causing some dust from the aging concrete to fall through the air. The machines were incredibly outdated since the passing of time and the decline of care for the facility. The ceiling cracked a little and a chunk of the concrete fell down and hit a glass tube filled with a black substance. The impact caused the chamber to break open a little and the air from inside let out a quick hiss from the sudden depressurization. The substance shifted a little and two white orbs opened up and shifted as they looked through the glass tube into the desolate laboratory. "H-Hugh?" The tube creature shifted through the small opening and out onto the ground. At first, it moved slowly, but with time it began to take a form and walked around the dark laboratory. It stopped at each station remembering how it was yesterday. "Why did Hugh let this get so dirty; and in one day too." It said picking up a beaker veiled in dust. After returning it to the space left untouched by dust the creature walked back to the broken tube where it was. "Hugh…" On the plate next to the tube was a paper with the words "Project REP-R" inscribed with a pen that were starting to fade with the yellowing paper. "I am REP-R." REP-R remembered the computer that Hugh recorded things and turned around to where it was within sight of the tube. REP-R stepped back in shock upon looking at the desk. There was a skeleton sitting in the chair sitting back. A ragged lab coat was draped around its shoulders and down its legs. REP-R shifted towards the body. "Hugh?" There was no response from the cold bones that had lain there for years. The black creature went down and pressed the button Hugh used to activate this computer thing. There were a few seconds of silence before the low hum from the fans kicked in and the words on the screen showed up. REP-R watched them scroll across the screen and finally stop when the main desktop appeared. There were several sticky notes attached to the monitor, but most of them had fallen off; one of them had a piece of paper under it with REP-R written on its surface. He pulled the paper off and flipped it over to begin reading.

Dear REP-R,

By the time you read this I will most likely be dead. Years ago I put you in stasis so that you wouldn't be claimed by the black creatures called the sil'lis. I have prepared a video for you located on the desktop. All you need to do is click the folder in the top right corner and begin watching. I'm sorry that I did this to you, but I was grateful for the friend I made while doing so.

Your friend,

Professor Hugh Malivick

REP-R set the note down and moved the mouse over the folder and began the first video left for him.

A tan hedgehog, gray with age, moved back from the camera and sat in the chair. "If you're seeing this REP-R, you must have been awakened somehow or by someone. I am most likely dead from being trapped down here by those things. The same things that are what you are, but they are mindless pawns where you are free thinking. The screeching and banging has stopped, but I know they're out there waiting for me. I just wanted to have a way to say goodbye rather than what I did so many years ago. I know you are confused by what is going on, but I want to share something with you. While I was doing research on what you were and how you'd work against the sil'lis, I found something extraordinary about who you are. You are indeed a sil'lis like the ones I mentioned, but you aren't the same. If my calculations are correct, you are the first prototyped sil'lis that Seraphus created. You are invincible to all of the other sil'lis and can't be killed by them. It requires work, but you are the only cure to this plague. I would have never been able to derive a cure from you, and use it against them myself. I must ask you, REP-R; do this not for me, but for everyone affected by the sil'lis. Rid Verona of this plague. I'm not sure how far along you've developed while in your sleep, but you may use the machine I set up to allow your brain functions to catch up with your age. May you have a peaceful life among others. Goodbye old friend."

The video went to black and REP-R gripped the edge of the metal table bending it slightly. "Hugh…" The memories started coming back of how Hugh had first found him. Hugh brought him back to this lab and began examining him, but would never do anything unless he had permission from REP-R to do so. Over time, REP-R began to grow attached to Hugh. Every morning they would see each other and say goodnight when Hugh had to leave. That was when he had a more open chamber to move about. It was that one time where he was put in the tube and into stasis that he was in a confined space. REP-R saw the machine in the corner and looked at the skeleton of Hugh. "I will have to leave, but I'm not going to leave you here to be lost. I am the cure, but you are its creator. REP-R touched the left shoulder blade and began forming around the bones and in the empty space. After a couple minutes, REP-R shifted a bit to get used to the body form. In the place of the skeleton stood a black and gray hedgehog with a white symbol down his forehead and white highlights on his spines. A blue steel shirt, light tan pants, a lab coat, and black shoes appeared on him as well from taking on the form of Hugh. REP-R was now a younger Hugh Malivick, but was colored completely different than the real one. Another tremor shook the laboratory bringing his attention to the matter at hand that the room could collapse at anytime. "I must use the machine Hugh has left for me. Afterwards, I will take all of his research with me, so that he won't be forgotten." He ran to the machine and removed his lab coat before stepping in and closing the door. A few minutes passed as the machine influenced REP-R's mind to catch up with the age he was to function properly. There was a short chime and REP-R stepped out. "This is much better. I must locate the computer's memory banks in order to retrieve the stored data." He quickly located an old hard drive and backed the computer's settings and information to it. After checking to make sure he had everything, REP-R wiped the computer and stored the hard drive in his pants pocket. He looked to the door, but it had rusted shut after so many years leaving no direct exit for the black hedgehog to use. REP-R looked towards the ceiling and felt a sharp twinge in his head causing him to hold it with his hands. He could feel something above the concrete; something that was similar to him. There was another feeling, too. REP-R held his hands out and a dark mist wafted up in long curling wisps. "What is this…power?" He relaxed and felt the power wash over him leaving behind a faint black smoke cloud spinning in the dust. REP-R looked in monitor to see that his face had changed. There was a bone-like structure on his head and muzzle. He cast no shadow over his fur, but what scared him the most were his eyes. The whites were now a dark grey, and the light steel blue irises were now a light yellow around a grey pupil. "I can feel that presence better now. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't seem like a person." He concentrated on the feeling and more memories surfaced. He remembered what the sil'lis looked and felt like: dark, cold and malicious. This presence was the same as the sil'lis'. REP-R's eyes showed the anger for the sil'lis that had trapped Hugh down here to die. "I am the cure that will end this plague just as Hugh said to me." He understood his powers; the same shadow ones that the sil'lis contained, but more advanced and deadly than theirs. With a quick movement he jumped into the ceiling and disappeared leaving behind the home that he knew.

Smoke and Axel were retreating through the new rubble the Infector had created. "This wasn't a good idea Smoke! That thing is angry; along with its pets or whatever they're called." "I didn't think this thing would be this way." The two of them continued to run while the police of Verona Isle set up a line, far out of range, where they treated the injured squad members. "Mordecai, this one is much different than the others we've faced. Nothing we do does any damage to it. Even that ferret and dingo couldn't do anything." The German shepherd tilted his head to one side. "Ferret and dingo? What are you going on about Shen?" "Those two guys that just appeared out of nowhere; the ferret was dressed in western clothes and the other looked to be an explorer or something. The ferret could shoot a rifle while driving a motorcycle blind!" "OUT OF THE WAAAAAAY!" The small group parted and Axel dove over the wall into a roll. Smoke followed close behind, but volleyed himself over it instead. The Infector roared out having lost its targets and started moving towards the line. "Sorry about that mister. Just coming through; seeing the sights, and all that." Mordecai looked at the dingo curiously. "What's your name?" Axel held out his gloved hand with his metal bat in the other. "Axel Timber; I'm a friend of Smoke's." Smoke returned his revolvers to their respectful holsters. "His full name is Alexander, but he prefers people to call him Axel, sir." "Smoke, what are you doing here?!" Sasha stepped in between the two. "Sir, if Smoke hadn't started a firefight with the Infector, Shen and I may not be here. A lot of us couldn't be here. Somehow his shots managed to do some damage, but the creature adapted to the new opponent." Mordecai looked at Smoke over Sasha's shoulder. "As that may be, I don't want civilian casualties. Smoke isn't, technically, part of the force. I don't like losing other people from the force, but they've already agreed knowing what could possibly happen. Smoke hasn't done that, he's just a citizen lending a hand." "I understand sir; under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be helping. I've had a grudge with these things ever since they ransacked the farm I lived on. No one was killed, but we lost what we had. That's why I've come here for the job. I'll do what I must to stop these creatures from causing anymore harm to people." Boris was busy recording the distance the Infector had moved when he saw something moving in the rubble. "Hey guys, I think there is still someone out there." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to where Boris was pointing.

REP-R winced at the bright light from the afternoon sun as he rose from the ground leaving curls of black smoke beneath his feet. After his eyes adjusted to the light, REP-R looked down the street at the Infector. He called out loudly, "So you are a one of the sil'lis in the plague I am here to rid from this land!" The creature responded with a roar. "Prepare to breath your last!" REP-R raised his arm out and his hand disappeared into a small rift. When he withdrew it, he had a long wooden pole with a blue piece of cloth tied around the top. With a few swings, REP-R had the top behind him in his right hand. The Infector felt the presence of another sil'lis entering its territory and hissed loudly. The Spawns drew their attention to REP-R and hissed as well. "Let's see what you've got." The Infector held its mouth open and red dots began forming on the sides of its throat as it charged up energy. With a thunderous boom the red energy shot straight out and swallowing REP-R.

Boris watched as the Infector killed the figure. "He-he's gone. The hedgehog is gone!" The crowd removed what they were wearing on their heads to honor the death of the unknown hedgehog. Boris went back to looking through his scope to track the Infector, but noticed that the blast of energy wasn't moving straight forward. Something was inside causing it to mold around. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm going to need a long vacation after today sir. I think the fighting has finally gotten to me. Take a look." The snow leopard handed the scope to Mordecai for him to see what he was seeing.

The energy dissipated and REP-R stood, as he was before, with the staff of wood held behind his back. "It's my turn now." A black blade of an axe formed from the curve in the wood and left a small group of shadow curls to wisp into the air. The blade had no shine or shimmer, but held the darkest black in a solid form. Spawns began running towards REP-R to take him down themselves. The sable hedgehog started walking forward with his halberd still behind him. The first Spawn leaped into the air to knock REP-R down, but was killed by the midnight blade created from the shadows. "I am the cure to your plague. NOTHING WILL STOP ME!" He began spinning and swinging through the horde of Spawns leaving behind the dissipating bodies of each one felled by the halberd's blade. The Spawns stopped rushing the attacker and began hesitating on whether they should keep going or not. The Infector behind them screeched out at them, but only some kept moving forward. REP-R slew the last Spawn and looked at the others running back to the Infector. "No one escapes judgment." He threw his halberd, striking a Spawn down, and moved his hands to form black cards. In quick succession the cards were thrown hitting the Spawns further away. "I deal out your fates as I see fit, and you all do not deserve to live." REP-R watched the last Spawn fall and started walking forward. The Infector watched as the black hedgehog advanced toward it without a scratch on him. REP-R pulled his halberd from the road and allowed it to vanish with a curl of smoke. The Infector stared at REP-R with scarlet eyes and let out a screech. To his surprise the sound turned into a voice. "How can one dressed in the overlander's clothing, not be harmed by my children?" "I am the solution to your plague in this world. I will cleanse Verona for the sake of my friend Hugh Malivick; the one who saved me from death." "Then you must know that you are the same as I." REP-R looked at the Infector with a stunned look. "Explain." He said sharply. "You share the same powers that flowed into me. You are one of us, but at the same time, not one of us. Your appearance is that of a sil'lis, but inside you, there is something different. You're an abomination to the name, yet you have powers that surpass Kull and even more than those of the one we know as Ragha." REP-R looked at his reflection in the pool of water, from a pipe. He did look like the sil'lis that stood in front of him. "I may look like you, but that doesn't mean I am the same as you. You're kind killed the Professor and so many others that have you've encountered." Wisps of shadows started to roll from REP-R's wrists and his feet. "I am here to put an end to this!" A tremor went through the air from the primary expansion of air from around REP-R. The shadows formed around him in a type of bubble; they were swirling around as if they were plumes of smoke in a vacuum. "Your time has come; and it is time to die." REP-R let out a roar and the sphere of shadows expanded sending stronger tremors of expansion outwards. The sil'lis held its arms up in front of its face. "NOOOOOOO!" The creature started to tear apart with the force from REP-R's attack and eventually disappeared into the air. Shadows rolled off of REP-R as he returned to his normal self, and he breathed in deeply from the sudden burn off of energy. After a few seconds, he stood up and started walking away with his hand holding the hard drive with the memories of Hugh.

The crowd of the police force dropped anything that they were holding before the Infector was destroyed. "Did anyone else, see that?" Boris said. Mordecai motioned for the clean up team to start removing the debris from the area. "I saw that, but I don't believe it. What kind of weapon was that?" Smoke had a slight twinge in his chest before saying, "I don't think that was a weapon, sir." Axel looked at his friend. "What do you mean it wasn't a weapon Smoke? What could ever generate that kind of power without a weapon?" The pain went away from Smoke's chest after a few seconds. "I don't know how that could work Alexander, but I'm sure that it wasn't a weapon that generated that power. I felt the power through the air, and it all seemed to resonate with that figure." Mordecai helped the medics get the officers, that were wounded, into the trucks to be taken back to headquarters. "If what you're saying is true, Smoke, we have a bigger issue at hand then. If that guy decides to turn on the city, we need options to plan against such an event. They may even be more out there that have that kind of power at their finger tips. Let's get back to home base and I'll see to your enlistment with the force." Axel jumped into the back of the truck while Smoke made sure that his motorcycle was secured in another one before climbing in with his friend. The smoke from the dust started to settle as the area was reopened where people could travel safely.

REP-R walked down the sidewalk looking at the neon signs, new buildings, and floating vehicles. "Things sure have changed from what I remember seeing." The black hedgehog continued walking when he heard someone cry out, "HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU STREET URCHIN!" A gopher ran in front of him with the girl yelling from across the street. The gopher had a bag in one hand as he ran down the sidewalk. The traffic stopped and the girl managed to make it across, but stopped to look around. "Dang it, that bag had all my stuff in it." REP-R approached the light tan hedgehog. "Excuse me, but what happened?" She turned towards him, "That gopher made off with my handbag when I was reading a card. I have no idea where he went either." REP-R looked down the sidewalk the robber had run down. "I know where he is. Follow me." He started down the walk and left the girl behind before she realized what REP-R had said. "Hey wait up!" He continued to walk following the trail he could see that the robber left in the shadow realm. "How do you know where he went?" "I can see the trail he left behind." The tan hedgehog looked around to see if there really was a trail that she looked over. "Are you sure there's a trail? I don't see one." REP-R glanced at the hedgehog to see her looking around. "The trail is in the shadows. I'm able to see into that world and follow the trails of people that I wish to follow." "Are you one of those people that aren't completely together in their head?" "If you're implying that I'm crazy, I am not. I have the ability to look into this realm because I am part of it, yet I am also in this world." "Oh okay." REP-R turned down an alley and continued walking with the light tan hedgehog behind him. After a few feet REP-R stopped and looked around. "What's wrong?" "He managed to go straight up somehow. Ah here's how." The black hedgehog picked up a broken rung from a ladder. "The ladder he used broke and fell to pieces." "How are we going to get to the urchin then?" REP-R tossed the piece of wood to the side and held his hand out to her. "Take my hand and I will show you." She looked warily at his hand and at his face. "Trust me." The girl placed her hand in his and the two hedgehogs disappeared into the shadows and appeared on top of the roof behind a chimney. "WOAH!" She moved back a little as REP-R looked across the rooftops to relocate the trail. "There he is." The gopher was sitting on the edge of a building rooting through the bag. "I'll be back shortly." REP-R said before disappearing into the shadow again.

"Let's see; One, two, three…" The robber flipped the money from one side to the other counting it oblivious to the presence in front of him. "This was one of the best snatches I've had in awhile. Usually end up with emergency denture paste or mints." He placed the billfold back inside the bag and was about to get up when a shadow rose in front of him. "I'll be taking that back now." The gopher looked up to see a black hedgehog floating in front of him. "Oh yeah? Well listen buddy, I work hard to steal these. I'm not intimidated by some fancy looking floating hedgehog, so buzz off." "So be it." The gopher stood up but REP-R shot him backwards and skidding across the roof tops. "WOAH! OW! OOF!" The robber came to a stop, dazed, in front of the light tan hedgehog. REP-R made his way back over and picked up the bag. "Here is your bag back." The gopher groaned as the other hedgehog quickly took her bag and began checking for anything missing. "That seems to be all there. Where is that…oh no!" She set the bag down and rooted deeper through her bag. She let out a sigh of relief, "Phew. I'm glad this is still there." She had a small picture in her hands that looked pretty old and aged. "I don't know what I'd do without the picture of my grandpa. I remember him only when he was younger, but I remember the love he had being with me." The picture was of a tan hedgehog with a few streaks of grey with age. The girl looked back up at REP-R, who was looking for an easier way down, and noticed something. She looked back down at the photo and up again at REP-R. "Grandpa?" The black hedgehog looked at her. "What?" She stood up slowly and walked over to him looking directly into his blue steel irises. "You are the same as my Grandpa when he was younger—my grandpa Hugh." REP-R was stunned to hear the name of the Professor and asked her, "What is your name?" "Tanya, Tanya Malivick."