Chapter 6! Seriously though, I never thought I'd see FntS become more than a one-shot, let alone become my first series!
I want to thank Luna Stellanova, Mnicknack, OddSakura, kharmachaos and Outis aka nobody for the continuing support.
Anyway, time for the legal stuff: I only own the OC's, everything else belongs to SEGA and the Sonic Team.
Now, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
Knuckles paced fitfully around the Master Emerald shrine. His minds eye was swimming with images of what happened throughout the day. He stopped suddenly as a ball of bright red light flew in front of him.
"You're restless Knuckles, what is the matter?" The spirit Tikal hovered uncertainly before the guardian.
"If you could change, become whatever you wanted. What would you be?" His voice was almost a whisper drifting on the wind. Tikal slowly shifted into her echidna form. Their eyes met and she knew what he meant.
"You're not happy are you." Knuckles looked away from the shrine to the night sky.
"I've questioned my duty before, but today I was given a taste of what a normal life was like. A job with friends and co-workers." He turned suddenly and faced her, excitement glistening in his eyes. "Today I met a cat who isn't afraid of Shadow, and finds out how people have died! People smiled at me when I walked past, and Rouge..." He trailed off as he remembered Rouge and her teary eyes apology. Tikal watched on with sorrow coursing through her as the once proud echidna slowly slumped down onto the cold stone steps.
"I'm sorry Knuckles." She said quietly.
"It's not fair..." She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Knuckles laid his head on her shoulder as tears slowly burnt their track down his muzzle.
Tikal held him like this until his eyelids grew heavy and sleep took him. She gently laid the guardian down, her own eye glistening with tears.
"If only we could do something." She said to the open sky around her. A thought quickly came to her, her eyes darted to the Master Emerald. She nodded her head, a smile creeping across her lips.
She clambered into the silent ventilation shaft and stifled a yawn. Rouge hated these long operations deep in enemy territory, there was never anywhere comfortable to sleep.
She had traversed quietly deep into the bowels of Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg, finding little in the way of obstacles or resistance. Now she was tired. And if her watch was anything to go by, the rest of Station Square would be fast asleep by now.
After setting up an early warning system in the form of an infrared trip beam over the entrance, the white bat settled down for an uncomfortable night and dreams of a certain red echidna.
A wicked smile graced his features as he watched his prey huddle down for the night. His thin fingers ran gently up and down the slender blade of his knife. The flat of the blade had small scratches tallying up the number of lives that its wielder had taken with it. Upon the hilt was a small silver engraving of a talon.
His orders were to watch the bat, his prey, and keep her from the core of the downed space station by any means necessary.
His scales hissed silently across the metallic floor. His tongue darted out from between his fangs, tasting the cold, stale air. Easily avoiding the crude laser wire he edged closer, closer. Now mere inches away from her, he smiled his wicked smile.
He had enjoyed tracking her, hunting her through this robotic graveyard, but now the hunt was over. He held his knife lightly in his left hand as he hovered over her peacefully sleeping form.
He inhaled her scent deeply, tasting her fear, her anxiety. His knife point drifted towards her throat as she sighed in her sleep. He could almost hear her blood coursing through her veins, could see the minute flickers of her eyes beneath their eyelids as she dreamed her inconsequential dreams.
He licked his dry lips as he tensed, ready to pierce his prey's throat and end her pitiful existence.
A buzzing in his ears forestalled him.
Glaring down at the beautiful face of his helpless victim, he silently slid away from her, past the infrared beam and back into the darkness. His hunt would have to go on.
He glided into the dimly lit round chamber.
"The fact we yet remain in your employment is being discussed in great detail by the other Grand Talons." Three others were in the room. A grey fox, the fat insane human sitting in a large chair, and a seven foot tall, armour clad killing machine which acted as the human's bodyguard.
"I was under the impression that you would continue to serve me until Sonic was eliminated." Said the human with a sneer. The grey fox bristled with annoyance.
"Dr. Robotnik. The payment you offered the Talon order was only enough to warrant the use of a single assassin. Brother Telak failed, and he paid for that failure with his life. Brother Seniva only remains as a good will token." The corner of Seniva's lip twitched upwards at the mention of his rival's death.
"Do not toy with me!" Shouted Robotnik, rising swiftly to his feet. The robot readied its weapon. The grey fox took a step back from the chair. "Like you assassins, I have eyes and ears everywhere." Dr. Robotnik slowly lowered himself back into his seat and motioned the robot to stand down.
"I know the true reason behind Telak's failure, these so called Shadowbane." The human pushed a button on one of the chair arms, and a large computer screen flickered to life. "I also know that they have accepted a contract placed on my head. So tell me, dear Eethan, do you truly believe that I require your protection?"
Seniva's eyes drifted to the images showing on the flickering on screen. Sonic the Hedgehog, the target of Telak's failed hunt. And a nameless brown eagle.
"I'm sure you recognise both of these individuals." Said Robotnik, his voice echoing around the suddenly silent room. "The hedgehog I hired you to take care of and the very Shadowbane who killed your dear brother Telak. In return for disposing of that pesky Sonic, I will expose this Shadowbane for you to take your revenge."
"Although taking revenge on the Shadowbane is indeed something we all wish for, we will not provide a second assassin. One payment, one Talon. That is the code, and we must abide. Fair well Dr. Robotnik. I hereby sever our deal. You are on your own." Eethan turned curtly on his heel and marched towards the door.
He never made it. The gunshot rang loudly within the small room. The grey fox fell to his knees; a smoking exit wound in his chest, and slumped forwards onto the floor.
"Now, Seniva wasn't it?" The crimson and yellow serpent looked up from the cooling body of his former Talon master into the red pupils of Dr. Robotnik. "I have a proposition for you. Either you put aside your allegiance to the Talon's and join me, or you can share the same fate as your friend there."
The robot took a thudding step forwards, the barrel of its gun still smoking slightly. Seniva licked his dry lips.
"I think that under the circumstances, I can see the logic behind your actions. My blade is yours Dr. Robotnik." He bowed his head as his new master laughed manically, the reverberations amplifying the madness that thundered from the humans' lungs.
Woken by the loud crack of gunfire, Rouge laid as still as she could, hardly daring to breathe let alone move. Slowly she deactivated her early warning system and stowed it away. She carefully clambered down, her feet touching silently to the floor.
Her heart was pounding beneath her breast, her breath, although shallow was ragged and came in short gasps. Her ears swivelled, catching the echoes of crazed laughter close by. Her right hand went to the compact pistol at her waist as she edged forwards, towards the laughter.
She darted into the shadows as two figures came through a dimly backlit doorway. Two Eggman robots marched past, carrying something. Rouge's breath caught in her throat when she saw the lifelessness in the eyes of the grey fox. She stayed hidden for more than fifty heartbeats, listening intently to the murmured conversation through the door. She couldn't quite hear what was being said, and fear kept her from attempting to get any closer.
She quickly decided that this was all the information she needed to present to her Commander and silently began to retrace her steps back towards sky, fresh air and freedom.
Looks like Rouge has already outstayed her welcome.
I enjoyed writing this chapter maybe a little too much.
Till next time, Corrupt TE is outta here!