Just a little to finish up, and a little something to set up the sequal.
You're not getting rid of me that easily.
As the days dragged past, things began to return to normal.
Shadow and Cassie were now working a case of a shooting at a night club in the Casino Nights zone of Station Square and with Rouge and Sheba back and working with them, they were making progress, and fast.
Rouge finally got her date with Knuckles, but it was overshadowed by what had happened to both of them over the past few days. When they left the restaurant, they left, not as a couple, but as the best of friends.
Although Knuckles was now a fully fledged GUN Agent and part of Shadow's crime-solving team, he spent much of his time on the newly dubbed Albion, home of the echidnas. There he worked with the Brotherhood of Guardians and the liberated Nocturne, assisting in rebuilding what would become New Echidnaopolis. The guardian Thunderhawk and the Nocturne officer Remington had taken command of the building effort and many seemed to be looking to them for leadership, which suited Knuckles just fine as he returned to the Master Emerald shrine.
There he found the reason why the Master Emerald had felt different; it was but a single piece of a larger Emerald. Guardian Hawking explained that this larger shard had appeared the same time that Albion had returned to Mobius, reasoning that the Emerald itself had protected the island from the natural and unpredictable forces of the Twilight Cage. Knuckles had also been shown an ancient control room built in the bowels of the Master Emerald pyramid, and from what they could deduce from the hieroglyphics and innate stone carvings, this room could be used to control the island itself, whether it would rise or fall in the sky, where it would fly and what appeared to be Chaos powered defence systems. But both agreed that it would be best for all if Albion remained grounded unless absolutely necessary.
The sisters Shade and Julie-Su split their responsibilities, with Shade taking on the mantle of training a local defence and policing force from volunteers, often with the assistance of the Chaotix, while her younger sister went to work in what used to be Doctor Zachary's laboratory in an attempt to understand his technological marvels. Progress was unfortunately slow as only Zachary's eccentric brain understood how anything worked, and although GUN had offered some of its more technical minded to assist them, Knuckles had refused immediately, stating that the only outside help he'd accept would be from Tails Prower.
Many other echidnas had left their island home, setting off to other areas of the planet, exploring or simply seeking a new life.
Tails spent another week in New Mobotropolis helping to coordinate the rebuilding effort with Sally Acorn. There was a short period of time where someone used the current unrest to commit several murders, but this was stopped swiftly and in such a way as to leave many questions unanswered. Tails left shortly afterwards, flying over the sea and into Mercia to rendezvous with the Forth Engineers and his new girlfriend leaving a frustrated Sally behind trying to make heads or tails with what little information she could gather about the investigation.
Sonic was discharged into Amy's care after two more days in hospital, on the proviso that he would not put himself under any undue stress or overwork himself too swiftly, a proviso which Amy happily emphasised with the threat of her ever trustworthy Piko-Hammer.
Cream, her faithful chao Cheese came home from their holiday with Vanilla to find out that so much had changed. Sonic and Amy were now all but officially a couple, Shadow had his own girlfriend and was happy, which made Cream extremely excited, although she was upset that Tails had left on his own nothing could dampen her spirit.
As for the Imperator and Nocturne still loyal to Grand Master Karagok, there was no trace. Despite a pair of high speed GUN interceptor aircraft giving chase, the advanced alien technology proved faster and seemingly vanished over the ocean. The pilots however did report something blocking their long-range radar equipment but again this was put down to unknown technological interference. As such all field Agents were put on high alert for several days, but when nothing came to light all but a few were stood down.
-0-
The winds whistled sharp and cold as the snow poured down from the heavens. Lien-Da flexed her new and unfamiliar cybernetic arm and glared across the snow covered mountain pass. The clank and hiss of Eggman robots clattered around carrying large crates and materials and constructing what would become the joint base of operations for Dr. Robotnik and the remaining Nocturne under Grand Master Karagok's leadership.
They had landed here under Robotnik's instructions finding an empty research facility in disrepair waiting for them with masses of residential space carved into the mountains and buried deep underground. Lien-Da and the remaining Praetorians were given the task of housing the few hundreds that remained and set about restoring the facility to full power. A slow and arduous task but one which the echidnas set too with unbidden enthusiasm, the forced exodus from their home still burning brightly in their minds.
The trio of albino echidna scientists followed the bloated human into the depths of the research facility and didn't emerge for hours or even days on end, saying little of what they had been shown or of what they were doing. Lien-Da had caught a glimpse of what appeared to be an ornate black stone sarcophagus before it was transported through the thick blast doors by the trio, led through by her Lord Karagok.
After several weeks had past, the facility was almost back to full operational status, with Gizoids and masses of bipedal and winged Eggman robots on constant patrol of the high, thick white walls which had been erected against the threat of intruders. Echidna soldiers marched through the courtyards and the facility itself, leaving the colder, harsher elements to be braved by emotionless robotic constructs.
Food and supplies were scarce, and they were forced to rely on Robotnik's sustenance replicator technology and what little food they could grow and hunt in this harsh environment.
Scout forces were sent out to find secluded areas more suitable to cultivation, locating vast stretches of green land and azure ocean beyond the mountain ranges but in sight of a grand city which erupted from the waters. Robotnik swiftly enforced the need to avoid contact with others for the time being.
A small farming colony was established to harvest the supplies that both field and ocean could provide, large enough to be self sufficient and yet small enough to go unnoticed by its larger neighbour.
The latest of supplies caught from the waves was arriving via one of the escape craft which had once ferried them here and was now nothing more than a supply runner. Unloaded under the watchful gaze of Praetorians, Lien-Da turned her attention elsewhere.
Two faces burned brightly in her minds eye, two echidnas who would one day feel her wrath, the traitor Shade and the Guardian Knuckles. She clenched hers fists, her left screeching with metal on metal. Till that day she would wait, and like the rest of those loyal to the Grand Master, she longed for the day that the world would tremble before the rising of the Dark Brotherhood.
-0-
Sealed far from the icy winds, within a small chamber settled deep within the mountainside worked the two albino echidnas Finticus and Zachary. Both were busying themselves with data readouts and scrawling information that bleeped at them from flashing screens. A single image dominated most of Zachary's screens, an image of a strange, floral-like sceptre which Robotnik had taken a feverish interest in.
In the centre of the chamber, dominating the room was an ornate black stone sarcophagus, its intricate engravings showing images of an armoured echidna warrior with energy leaping from his fingertips. Cables and wires twisted to and from connecting to several monitors and machines watched over carefully by Dr. Finticus. A single word was engraved on the lid. A name: Enerjak.
-0-
Cassie Rahna gently pushed the door open finding her partner snoozing with his feet propped up on his desk and chin resting on his white furred chest. The lavender hedgehog smiled; looking back at the door she reread the small sign hanging from the handle and decided to leave it there.
Letting the door swing closed she took her seat at her desk before glancing around what was now the office of Shadow's team. Four desks with accompanying chairs, a long glass wall currently covered with pictures, notes and scribbles about their current case.
She sat down at her desk across from Shadow and picked up the case file. A few weeks ago she had been one of those who put files like the one in her hands together for field Agents to read, she had been at the bottom of the GUN hierarchy, a grunt working in the large floor office with several others all doing the same thing. Wishing they would be given a chance to prove themselves out in the field.
Cassie had been given her chance, and to make matters even better it was in a case helping her greatest idol, the one who had saved her life during the Black Arms invasion, albeit unknowingly at the time.
And now here she was. A fully recognised field Agent, part of a team of handpicked Agents under the command of perhaps the greatest of all Agents that GUN had to hand. Not to mention that she was in a stable and happy relationship with said Agent. She looked over at the ebony hedgehog as he began to stir. With a stretch and a yawn Shadow woke.
"Enjoy your nap?" His crimson eyes focussed immediately on her and a smile eased onto his lips.
"You should try it sometime." He answered with another yawn before settling his feet back to the ground.
"Well I hope its left you energised, 'cause Sheba's latest autopsy report's here." Cassie waved the file in emphasis. Shadow stood and walked to her side.
"What's it say?" With another smile Cassie flipped open the file and they both began going through it together.
And as they did so, Shadow couldn't help but look down at the lavender beauty who had changed his life so dramatically. And at that moment, he understood what Maria had told him at the last, and nothing could've made him happier.
It feels strange to be ending this after so long.
I know I said my thank you's late chapter but once again, thanks to everyone for their support.
I couldn't have done this without you.
Thank you for reading.
-Corrupt TE-