$(&%^£* chapter..!
Sorry for the late posting but I just couldn't get my head around writting this one.
But enough complaining, it's up now.
As usual read and enjoy.
The two smartly dressed anthro walked with purpose through the white tiled foyer. They past by several bustling groups of both anthro and humans, as they made their way to the front desk. The receptionist, a raccoon who looked to be in her mid-thirties looked up from her computer.
"Welcome to GUN. Have you got an appointment?" The purple hedgehog gazed around the small room, surveying what was happening around him. His accomplice, a light green rabbit leaned forwards.
"I'm here to see my brother. I want to hear what he's done this time." Her eyes were cold and hard, slightly unnerving the receptionist.
"Okay, what's your name please?"
"Andria Metha'as. My brother is Paul Metha'as." The raccoon type the name into the database and scanned through the file which popped up.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but he's not aloud any visitors." Again she flinched back as the rabbit glared at her.
"I knew you'd say something like that, and that's why I brought my lawyer! Mr Acklesfield, if you please." The purple hedgehog stepped up to the desk and pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase.
"We have here an order from High Judge McCrowly, allowing my client to see her brother whenever she desires." Her hands shaking and her mind reeling, the raccoon receptionist took the signed order form and looked it over. She gulped, her throat suddenly very dry.
"Everything seems to be in order, if you would wait just over there, an Agent will be along shortly to escort you to your brothers holding cell." The lawyer nodded curtly and led the rabbit over to the chairs. The receptionist slumped back in her chair, distinctly relieved that they weren't her problem anymore. She reached for the phone and dialled for the person in charge of the case Paul Metha'as was involved with.
When they had sat down, the purple hedgehog reopened his briefcase and examined the contents.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked the rabbit in a hushed voice. "Brother Menaer has long been a trusted and loyal Talon. He wouldn't betray us."
"It is, unfortunate that this has happened, especially to one such as Menaer. But he must be silenced. You know this, and he knows this." The rabbit's fingers fiddled with the ring on her right middle finger. The hedgehog stared at the simple single diamond gold band, sorrow clouding his every thought.
"I understand, but I can't help but feel that I am the one responsible for-"
"You are!" The rabbit snapped, causing the hedgehog to flinch behind his briefcase. "By your actions we have lost three fellow Talon's! Your obsession with safeguarding the secrecy of our order has jeopardised it! By rights, you should be dead along with them!"
He looked down at his feet in shame, knowing that what she said was the truth. But that did little to stave off the sting of her words.
"But that is not my place to decide. The Grand Talon's will decide what is to be done with you. In the mean time, we do what we can to clean up your mess."
She stood up suddenly, regarding the approaching Agent with contempt. The purple hedgehog closed his briefcase and stood, regret and trepidation slowing his every movement.
The thick-billed raven observed the explosion through his sniper scope. The huge plume of dust and smoke that was thrown up obscured his telescopic assisted viewpoint. Pulling away from the scope he looked at the dust cloud in the distance with his naked eye.
In a series of swift hand signals, he sent a message back to the waiting force of Agents. The answer came in a roaring of motors and frenzied footsteps as two half-track troop transports, an all-terrain jeep and two dozen armed soldiers charged over the ridge behind him.
The raven and his two fellow snipers were already well ahead of the charging force.
Shadow ducked under the heavy metal fist and struck back with a reversed roundhouse kick. His eyes stung from the dust, unwanted tears blurred his vision. He had been lucky enough to destroy one if the attack droids with a chaos spear and a lucky head shot as it jumped.
He knew that every moment he wasted battling, was another moment closer to losing Rouge and failing the mission. And he wasn't prepared to fail.
The buzzing in his ear told him that he was still in the radio dead zone, so he couldn't call for backup from the forces the Commander has promised were waiting.
He rolled away from another wild swing, taking a surmountable amount of concentration to ignore the throbbing pain of his left shoulder.
The ebony hedgehog called upon his innate connection to the powers of Chaos and summoned a bright bolt of energy in the palm of his hand. He launched the bolt of energy, manipulating it in mid-flight to detonate in a short electromagnetic pulse. The assault droid began sparking as portions of its programming and memories were fried.
Taking advantage of the malfunctioning droid, Shadow leapt towards it a drove his foot into its chest. As it staggered back, the ebony hedgehog whipped out his personalised hand gun and fired a bullet right between its lifeless red eyes.
Upon hearing the shot, Sonic spun around to face the direction it came from. In a split-second he saw a pair of bright yellow eyes and the flash of steel. His survival instincts kicked in immediately. He dodged to the left a moment too late. As he twisted, the steel blade bit deep into his chest.
Crying out in pain he pulled away, the knife tearing though his flesh, carving through muscle and sinew. Staggering back, the cobalt hero stared down at the bloody gash to his chest. With each heartbeat, hot, thick blood pumped from the ugly wound.
He collapsed to his knees, his breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. He looked up, straight into the pair of bright yellow eyes.
Shadow dashed towards Sonic's cry. He saw a dark silhouette through the settling dust which was clearly not a hedgehog.
Aiming his gun, he squeezed the trigger. A snarl of satisfaction escaped his lips when he saw the figure go down.
As the dust finally settled, clearing the air, he saw a sight which chilled him to the core.
Sonic the Hedgehog, his rival and one of his closest friends knelt in the dust, thick crimson blood coursing down his chest, soaking deep into the ground. His face was pale; the bright gleam in his eyes was gone, his chest barely moving as he struggled to breath.
"Sonic!" Shadow rushed to the side of his beleaguered friend, who looked up, pain written across his face.
"Hey Shadz." He said weakly, a small pained smile on his lips.
"You're gonna be alright. Don't you dare give up on me Faker!" Shadow's voice cracked on uttering the last word as he fought back his sorrow. He was answered with the same weak smile.
A hiss from behind and Shadow turned his head to see the figure he had shot, climb back to its feet and brandish a knife red with blood. The ebony hedgehog grabbed his gun in his left hand and fired at their attacker, grunting in pain as the recoil did little to help his already injured shoulder. The shot went wide of his target.
The serpent charged, flipping its knife to suite a backhanded sweep.
Shadow aimed and squeezed the trigger again.
Click.
His eyes widened in horror. He hadn't kept count of the bullets he had fired! His finger squeezed the trigger again and again on reflex as the assailant got closer.
It was like time slowed down. Each stride the serpent made seemed impossibly slow. Every detail stood out in perfect clarity. The scowl on his face, the glistening sweat on his brow, the globe of blood which fell from the tip of the knife.
Shadow looked past the snake and saw Rouge struggling to her feet, she was shouting something which was lost to the steady pounding of his heartbeat.
Looking down at the hedgehog he held, he saw pain in his eyes, but also a sadness and longing as the cobalt hedgehog stared into the distance.
Shadow looked back up. The snake was closer now, murder flashing in his eyes. Shadow let his weapon fall from his numb fingers. He closed his eyes and awaited death.
A high velocity shot barked loudly, causing Shadow's eyes to snap open.
The serpent was flying sideways through the air, his knife spinning from his hand, the murderous gleam gone from his eyes and visceral blood erupting from the side of his head.
All of a sudden time sped back up. The snake thudded to the floor and twitched feebly in the dirt. The gun shot echoed around him, as well as other sounds, other gunshots and the revs of engines.
A sudden commotion and before he knew it, they were surrounded by GUN soldiers.
An intense feeling of relief flowed over the ebony hedgehog. He sat back as fire teams took charge, medics rushed forward. He stared as they began to care for both Sonic and Rouge.
A hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked up, into the rugged face of Agent Murtis the thick-billed raven. The master sniper smiled down at the top Agent.
Shadow turned his gaze back to the bulbous metallic monstrosity of the Death Egg. Something didn't feel right.
Just then something erupted from the top of the space station.
"Commander, we have missile launch. Repeat, we have missile launch!" Shadow stared at the pillar of flame that rose into the sky.
Whatever it was, it could only mean one thing. Trouble.
Blarg... Now that's over I can get back to whatever it is that's wasting my time.
Oh wait! That's life...
No chapter next weekend as I'm trekking over half the country.
Hope you've enjoyed FntS so far.
Corrupt TE, collapsing on a bed and snoring his head off!
Till next time.