Hello all, Corrupt TE here with another chapter of FntS.
Not much more to say so enjoy.
"Where are we going exactly?" Cassie asked as she drove them out of the multi-story car park in her banged-up Ford Fiesta.
"There's three people that I can think of who might be able to help out." Replied Knuckles. He was trying to figure out how to make the passenger seat move back to give himself more leg room.
"First there's Amy. She's always been a people person, able to bring out the best in others you know? Even if she does have a bit of a temper. Then there's Tikal, who's the smartest woman I know, and probably the kindest. I've known her the longest and she's like a sister to me." Cassie glanced sidelong at the echidna as he continued to fidget in his seat.
"Finally there's Vanilla. Now if she can't help us, no-one can."
"I think I've read a file or two on Amy, but the other two don't ring a bell."
"Well, Vanilla is a single mother who lives with her young daughter and a couple of chao."
"Those things are so cute!" Cassie interrupted. "With their tiny wings and little baby faces."
"I've never seen the attraction with them to be honest." Knuckles admitted with a shrug.
"Well that's because you're a man." Said Cassie curtly. Knuckles was about to retort when his searching fingers found a switch which sent his seat sliding suddenly into the reclining position.
The lavender hedgehog behind the wheel burst out laughing, and it wasn't too long before Knuckles joined in from his laid-back position.
Once they had finished and Knuckles had gotten his seat how he wanted it, he gave her the directions to the house of Amy Rose, the closest of the three living on the outskirts of the city.
The metal door was sent flying across the room as they blasted in. Stepping through the still smoking doorway, Shadow dusted his hands and glared around. He and Sonic found themselves standing in what used to be one of Dr. Robotnik's many swat-bot assembly rooms, now little more than twisted metal and broken glass.
"Whoa! Talk about clean up on isle seven!" Exclaimed the cobalt hedgehog, kicking the head of a scraped robot across the room. "So uh... Any idea where to find her?"
Shadow looked around at the various exits along the walls. "No idea."
"Oh great! So why don't we just run around until we find something, just like old times?"
"Because this isn't like 'old times'." Shadow walked towards the only door with a dim light coming through it, checking the number of rounds left in his weapon.
"What d'ya mean 'not like old times'? Robuttnik's behind this, a friend has been kidnapped and it's up to us to save the day! What's different?"
"What's different is that Robotnik hasn't issued any threats or demands for the Chaos emeralds, and he's been off the grid for too long."
"So he took a vacation! Doesn't mean he's any more of a pushover than he usually is." Shadow stopped in his tracks and turned to his counterpart.
"Don't underestimate him!" Sonic stepped back in surprise. "He's already captured Rouge, and Chaos knows what he's got cooked up in that demented brain of his!"
"Who cares?" The cobalt hero exclaimed, throwing his arms up for emphasis. "I've lost count how many times we've scrambled that Egghead! This times gonna be no different!"
Shadow grabbed Sonic and pulled the startled hedgehog up close and personal.
"Never, expect things to be simple! Those who do are both foolish, and destined for an early grave!" Sonic tried to pull away, but Shadow's hold was firm.
"Let go Shadow!"
"Not until you swear you will not do anything to put Rouge's, or our own lives in danger!" His voice was a deep growl, his penetrating crimson eyes gleaming with barely contained rage.
"Alright Shadz, you've made your point." Sonic twisted out of Shadow's grip and stepped out of reach. "So what do you propose we do?"
The ebony hedgehog turned away and looked through the nearby doorway, down the long dark corridor to who knows where.
"I'm not sure. This mission isn't as clear cut as all my others." Sonic tapped him on the shoulder as he walked past.
"Then we do as I've always done, make it up as we go along." The teenage hero picked up his pace and ran through the door. Shadow shook his head before giving chase.
Seniva slid through the door and silently made his way to stand beside his new master.
"You summoned me master." He hissed, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. If Dr. Robotnik was startled by the sudden appearance of the assassin, he didn't show it.
"It is time to prove your usefulness, Seniva." Dr. Robotnik was slouched over a worktable focussing on the intricate wirings of an object hidden behind his bulk. The serpent folded his arms and glared at the back of the human's head.
"What would you have me do?" He hissed. Robotnik leaned back from his work and half turned his head towards the assassin.
"Your chance to succeed where your fellow assassin's have failed has arrived." Robotnik pressed a button on his wrist device which switched on a large cracked viewing screen above their heads.
"It seems Sonic the Hedgehog has decided to pay us a little visit." The fizzing screen showed the blurry image from a security camera. As Seniva watched, two hedgehog's past by, one was unmistakably the same hedgehog which Telak had been hired to kill. The other one was very similar, except for his fur colour and for the red streaks that ran through his quills.
"What of the other one?"
"Shadow has always been an enigma, even to me. But nonetheless he is dangerous. Deal with him as you see fit." Robotnik went back to his work without a second glance at the assassin.
Seniva bowed in silence before leaving his master to his work.
Rouge stumbled out of her holding cell and wrapped her arms around herself. Through his methods, her torturer had systematically stripped her of her entire outfit and had left it lying in a small pile in to corner of the metallic chamber.
Despite the fact that she was still bleeding from several of her cuts, and the pain of moving was immense, she had managed to pull on her black suit and her white boots with pink hearts adorning the toe, although both were now speckled with the dark crimson of her own blood.
Hissing against the pain racking her body, she slowly headed down the corridor, using the wall as support while her brain tried to figure out how she was going to escape. She had no weapons, was badly injured and was stuck somewhere in the bowels of the Death Egg with little hope of escaping with her life.
She bit back the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes and pressed onwards. She was certain that her distress call had been heard, and she figured it wouldn't be long until a whole division of G.U.N soldiers and Agents were smashing their way through Robotnik's defences to finally to find her.
"What's the use?" She muttered to herself. She slid slow down the wall and tucked her knees up against her chest, allowing the tears slowly run down her face.
Today was meant to have been different. Today she should have filled out a number of reports and gone to lunch with Knuckles. Chaos only knew what could've happened if her day had gone as she planned.
"Knuckles..."
She remembered all the times she had teased him, flirted with him, and even fought with him over the Master emerald. Every time she saw him she had wanted to ask him if he wanted to go for a drink or even on a date with her. But she had always gotten nervous as soon as she laid eyes on him, and instantly reverted to the protection of her flirtatious personality.
She never though he could share the same feelings for her. That he actually came to see her at G.U.N headquarters...
She struggled back to her feet, renewed passion in her step. If there was one reason to get out of there, it was to see Knuckles again, and take him up on his offer.
She slowly made her way further down the corridor, towards freedom, towards safety, towards Knuckles.
Don't worry, the sappiness will end shortly and we can get back to the violence!
Saying that, there might not be an update next weekend.
I'm knee deep in course work and I want to dig myself out before it gets any worse.
So, from Corrupt TE this is ciao for now.