Hey all.
New chapter and uhh... kind of a slow one, more character and plot development then anything else.
Without any further ado, enjoy.
Rouge looked over to the gurney and its occupant. Sonic the Hedgehog laid in a state of unconsciousness, a mask covered his nose and mouth as a constant stream of air was pushed into his lungs, and bag of plasma hung from a hook in the helicopters low ceiling, slowly dripping its content down a tube and into the hedgehog's system. His face was deathly pale and the bandages covering his chest were slowly becoming saturated with his blood.
"Haven't we got his blood type on file!" Her large, sensitive ears swivelled as she focused her hearing on the two medics near the hedgehog.
"We should, but it says he refused to give a sample on the grounds that he was afraid of needles! Something about, not wanting to become a 'Needle Mouse', whatever that means."
"They're just gonna have to find out at the hospital aren't they!" Snapped the medic, turning back to Sonic's prone body.
"Ah bollocks! Some of his stitches have come loose!" Rouge's head jerked up.
"Shit! HEY, SPEED IT UP WILL YA!" The medic shouted, banging his fist against the wall. Rouge felt a slight vertigo as the helicopter pilot increased the throttle.
"ETA five minutes!" Came the tinny voice of the pilot over the com-system.
The two medics began unwrapping Sonic's bandages, their hands grabbing swaths of cloth, surgical thread and various other implements from the nearby medical cabinet and set to work.
All Rouge could do was watch their backs and hope that the cobalt hedgehog, who she had grown to know and trust, wouldn't give up. She clenched her hands together and gnawed at her lower lip as the aircraft sped its way into the airspace above Station Square.
Sally Acorn entered the bustling room. Her eyes scanned the area swiftly, taking in as much as she could in that short moment.
The room was a fair sized oval room, with large computer panels hanging from the walls which were currently flashing with various schematics, satellite images of the unknown missile and the blueprints of the hated Death Egg. The floor space was full of computer desks with Agents, both anthro and human running diagnostics, researching possible outcomes and various scenarios should the worst come to the worst. Some were trying to track the missile and predict its landing zone, while others were calculating how to best respond to this knew and unknown threat.
It was pandemonium. Agents rushed from screen to screen, the sound of all their voices at once was almost deafening. And standing at the very back of the room, staring intently at a still satellite image of the missile, blown up on one of the large screens, was the grey haired human Commander.
Sally weaved her way through the bustling throng of Agents and came to his side.
"Any idea what it is Sir?" The Commander rubbed at the stubble growing on his chin, his eyes narrowed on the thing at the head of the smoke line.
"It is possible that this is the Robotnik's final attempt at resistance before our troops capture him within the Death Egg." He half-turned away from the screen towards the squirrel, his eyes still staring at the screen. "It may also be an escape pod, but without the word from Agents Felsi, Mirtis or Karn, we cannot risk shooting it down!"
"Why not Sir? With all due respect, wouldn't it be best to get rid of Robotnik while we have the chance?" The Commander looked down at his former secretary, a stern look in his eyes.
"You know all too well that we cannot risk that! We can't be sure he hasn't set up a 'dead-mans trigger' system for his machines!" Sally took a step back and averted her eyes.
"You're right Sir, I didn't think of that." She looked back up into his grizzled, age worn face. "What would you have me do Sir?"
The Commander looked from her to the screen.
"Take over here Miss Acorn. Inform me immediately when-"
"Sir, we've pinpointed a landing zone!" A green hedgehog ran up to them carrying a miniature VI consol. She swiftly pressed a number of buttons and the image on the main screen changed to that of a very familiar sight.
"Are you sure?" Asked Sally, her heart suddenly in her throat.
"Yes Ma'am. With extreme deviations aside, all calculations point, there."
The bustling room suddenly went all silent, except for the beeps and clicks of the computer systems. On the screen was a clear picture of where all this had begun. Mobotropolis, the Capital of the Acorn Kingdom.
"We've got to warn them!" Sally exclaimed, panic welling up in her voice.
"I'll speak with the King personally. Miss Acorn, you're in charge here." With that, the Commander turned and marched out of the 'Panic Room', Agents darting out of his way as he went.
"But Sir, I-" The door slid closed before she could say anything else.
Steadily the Agents returned to work and the noise level rose substantially. The green hedgehog looked over at the silent squirrel.
"Hey Sal, it's going to be alright."
"I hope so Megan. Now tell me what we know." Sally shook off her moment of weakness and delved back into her work. She looked at the hedgehog.
Agent Megan was a carefree 18 year old who had been taken on as a part-time Agent, much like Rouge and Shadow thanks to the influence of her sister, Agent Dalila. Sally liked her, as her sassy, outgoing attitude reminded her of Sonic, before he had left the Freedom Fighters and became a wandering hero.
She never wore her G.U.N uniform, much to the annoyance of others, opting for the much more casual look of a white, single strapped cami, a pair of faded blue jeans with rips on the knees and a pair of red flip-flops, which somehow always managed to remain on her feet.
Megan grinned as she began to recount what they knew and what the gathered Agents were trying to find out. As she spoke, Sally turned her attention back to the image of her childhood home, anxiety bubbling within her.
They slowly made their way to the top of a small rocky outcropping in order to see what had changed more clearly. Knuckles led the way, his spurs gouging out hand and foot holds for those climbing behind him. Cassie followed behind him, although she wasn't entirely sure if she should even still be there. Below her were two flitting orbs of red light, slowly ascending under their own power.
'Lucky, bloody spirits with their floating orby thingies!' She growled in her head. She neared the top and Knuckles reached down a hand and hauled her up the rest of the way.
"Honestly, I'm not exactly dressed for this sort of thing!" She complained, dusting herself off. Looking up she gazed out at the horizon. "Well, that's something you don't see every day."
Looming out of the tree canopy on the left was a large obsidian fortress with grand spires reaching towards the sky, surrounded by vast amounts of what looked like alien technology. On the right was a different sight entirely. A huge peninsular of rocky pyramids reminiscent of the echidna ruins within deep within the Mystic Ruins, even at this distance she could make out the spiralling serpents carved into the sides, and the grand statues of echidna warriors, seemingly untouched by time, and at the very summit was the shrine of the Master Emerald.
Cassie looked over at her echidna companion, looking for his reaction. Knuckles' mouth was hanging slightly open, his eyes focussed, flickering from one view to the other.
The two orbs flitted around the stoic echidna before transforming back into their physical forms. Tikal rested a hand against the Guardian's shoulder, following his gaze.
"It's hardly changed at all." She said softly, a slight quiver in her voice. They all stood in silence, taking it all in for several minutes.
"Not meaning to interrupt this, rather emotional time, but I can see this doesn't concern me." Both echidna's were startled and looked over to the hedgehog.
"Oh I'm so sorry; you must have come for a reason." Said Tikal hurriedly. Knuckles turned his attention back to the two monuments on the horizon, a thousand questions speeding through his head.
"I think you're gonna have your hands full with him, so I'll just head out." Cassie replied, jerking her head in the direction they had come. "Although you wouldn't have a quicker way to get to Station Square would you?"
Tikal smiled and nodded. "Chaos, if you could be so kind?"
The blue creature stepped forwards and grabbed one of Cassie's arms.
"Hey! What are yo-" They vanished in a flash of light.
"-u doing!" She yanked her arm from Chaos' grasp and glared at the creature. In bowed its head silently before disappearing in a flash of light.
Cassie blinked a number of times before realising that she wasn't where she had been a moment ago. Spinning around, she swiftly took stock of where she was, Station Square.
"How the hell?" Just then her pocket began vibrating. Reaching in, she pulled out her phone. Looking at the screen she saw that she had five missed called, one from G.U.N and four from Shadow. Pressing the redial she placed the phone to her ear.
The phone in his hand started ringing. At first the ebony hedgehog simply stared at the small device, until his mind registered the caller Id. He pressed the answer button and raised the small black mobile to his ear.
"Cassie?"
"Hey Shadow. Sorry I didn't get your calls, the reception was terrible. What's up?" The lavender hedgehog asked, sitting down on a nearby bench.
"Um… hard too say." Cassie sat forward, listening intently.
"What do you mean Shadow?"
Shadow leaned back against the side of the helicopter, his head thumping against the metal. "I need someone to talk to."
"Well we're talking aren't we?" Shadow smiled.
"I mean in person. Could you meet me at Headquarters?"
Cassie twirled a finger through her hair. "Yeah, sure Shadow. You sure you're alright?"
"Honestly…? I don't know."
Shadow rubbed his face with the back of his hand. "I've been thinking. Thinking a lot, and…"
"It's alright Shadow. I'm getting the feeling you'd rather not talk over the phone. I'll meet you in your office, how about that?"
"Yeah, okay."
The streetlights nearby began to flicker to life.
"Don't go all morbid on me Shadz." She joked, hearing an amused snort on the other end. "I'll see you soon."
"Yeah… Yeah you will." His thumb pressed to hang-up and he looked out of the nearby window. A small smile eked itself onto his lips.
Cassie looked down at her phone for a moment before pocketing it. She sat there in thought for a moment, listening to the sounds of the city all around her, thinking hard on what Shadow might have to say to her.
I really wasn't sure how to portray a phone conversation so...
Ah who really cares.
Credit goes to flora222 for Megan and Dalila. Thanks Flo.
Anyway, all the characters are facing rapid change in their lives, as am I in real life.
That said, there might not be an update next week.
Hope you all enjoy.
-Corrupt TE-