For True Story
He couldn't believe this was happening. The time was ticking, waning down. The fate of thousands, lay in his two hands. He could hear the motions of machines in the walls. The clanking of metal and gears bounced off of the walls, mixing in with the sound of the Chaos Emeralds being drained of power. All these things forced upon him the knowledge, that he was G.U.N.'s last hope. Their only hope. There would be no others after him, for the others would be dead. That gave him the energy to stand, something he did weakly.
Gazing forward, his heterochromatic eyes took in the sight of his beloved sister. Maria was walking forward, and ever so slowly. Her eyes were raging storms, so dark, so malicious, making it near impossible to tell what emotions lied within. Rage? Obviously, she made it clear earlier that she was angry. Regret? Doubtful, if she was regretful of what she did, or was about to do, she would have stopped all of this long ago. Hate? Did she hate him? He could understand. All her life on the Earth, he was told to never bring up the Ark, or what happened on the Ark. He believed she was under the same orders though. If he told her that, if he tried to make a plea, saying how he believed she too remembered, would she stop? Maybe not. The pain she was feeling, he knew, was impossible to be understood by anyone, but her.
But he couldn't let her get away with this. Her emotions were not worth the lives of innocents. Maybe G.U.N. did ruin her life, but there were agents and soldiers down there, who are just as in the dark of things as she was. They didn't deserve this. So, he stood up tall, and curled inwardly his fingers, making his hands form fists. If this stance was threatening or not, Maria wasn't bothered. She just continued walking forward, her feet making the metal floors echo out. It was like the footsteps of a monster, a behemoth, even. Every step she took, seemingly demanded respect and authority. She would have all eyes on her, and no one else. And there was only one person to hold this view.
Abraham raised his fists. The got close to his face, as he took this defensive, yet threatening stance. Maria stopped only a few feet away from him, before raising her fists as well. The air grew silent, save for the noise of Ark around them. Maria's fists tightened in even deeper, cracking bones within. That noise sent shivers down Abraham's spine, though he didn't show the fear within.
Was he really going to fight her? He knew everything about Maria, her strengths, her weaknesses, and it was easy to say, that her pros greatly out weighed her cons. And, as unfortunate as it was to say, he knew that Maria knew all of his strengths and weaknesses. And being the new agent he was, he knew that Maria's superior training greatly outperformed his short month of it. He was fighting an uphill battle, where he was armed with a stick, and his opponent was armed with a rocket launcher. Sure, he could win, but the chances of victory for him were so little, he might as well gave up.
But he wouldn't. He could just hear the calls of his fellow soldiers and agents, begging him to save them. No matter the case, or the odds, he would not give into his foes. Even if his foe was a woman he shared so much love for, and still did. If this was how she wanted it to end, then so be it. He would give her that feeling.
Cannon Countdown: 5 minutes, 35 seconds.
He took a step forward. It was a wrong move, it seemed. He watched Maria's face twitch briefly, while her eyes snapped down to his step. It seemed as if by a flash, her foot darted forward, and swiped his away. Her strike made him unbalanced, and he struggled to retain his footing. He almost fell, but he saved himself by moving his foot into position. Then his face met Maria's fist.
Abraham stepped back from the strike, his eyes in a frenzied daze. From the few glimpses he took of Maria, he saw her arm move back after the punch he delivered him. After ceasing his pained retreat, he moved his hand up to his face. Touching his nose, he felt intense pained surged through his face. He groaned at first, before those groans became growls. Snapping his eyes at Maria, he gave her the deadliest glare he could muster. At this point in time, he didn't care if she was his sister. She was his enemy.
He ran forward, arms stretched out. Maria's eyes squinted at the tactic, while her stance started to grow tenser. It was when he got to her, that he realized how foolish this was. He stopped right before he reached her, but it was too late. Maria reached forward and grabbed his shoulder as hard as she could. He could feel his skin scream from her touch. His eyes aimed forward, and he watched Maria's free hand pull back. Then it darted forward, and he felt her punch rage deep into his gut. His eyes bulged, as the attack shook through his body. Maria let go a moment later, and he struggled to keep his stance. He moved away a bit, while his body screamed from the pain. He was really happy he hadn't eaten any thing this evening now.
Through the pain, he gazed up, seeing Maria. She was standing on one foot, while her other foot hung dangerously in this pose. His eyes widened, and Maria's foot darted forward. Her kick struck him across the face, knocking him onto the ground, back first. For a moment there, he could have sworn he lost his sight, for all he remembered after a while, was staring into the ceiling. It was operating as always, the lights beaming into his eyes. He gripped this nose briefly, before the the call of action echoed into his mind. He got back up, seeing Maria stand before him with her fists raised.
His mouth started to salivate for an unknown reason. He glanced down to the ground in an attempt to see his lips, while his arm moved across his mouth. When he pulled it away, he saw red. The sight of it made him growl, and he spat out the contents within his jaw. A read dart splattered on the ground. That only made him angrier, forcing his eyes to return to his sister. Maria stood, in that same domineering pose as before.
This was a foolish gesture. He should have never challenged Maria, not like this. She was superior in every way and form. A stone fortress, a variable goddess of war. And he? He was just so lowly soldier. He didn't even deserve to be in the same area as her. He should have just given up. At least then he could leave with his life. But to give in, was something he didn't believe in. Not even to her.
Cannon Countdown: 4 minutes, 49 seconds.
He ran forward again, but this time, he leaped back right when he got to Maria. He suspected she would strike at his toes again, and for a change, his judgment played out correctly. Maria's foot struck at the place where his toes should have been. The action of him leaping back made the blonde agent grow wide-eyed. He used that moment to strike. Wrong move.
Her hand caught his. He couldn't believe it. He should have had the upper hand. But, no, of course not Maria always had the upper hand. She pulled him back with a tug so mighty. He lost his footing again, and Maria used this opportunity to close line him. His neck was caught in his arm, and he could have sworn he heard a cracking noise. The next moment, he was on his back again, after a painful fall. He tried his hardest to lurch up, but the pain was just too much. He wanted to lay there, and just sleep it all off like some sick nightmare. It had all the makings of a nightmare. An opponent he could defeat, with a situation that was too dire to explain. It should have been a nightmare, but of course, it wasn't.
He struggled to his toes once more. Turning to Maria, he cracked a few bones in his neck, relieving some of the tension within. Once again, she stood with her fists raised in a pose so strong yet defensive. And slowly, he stepped forward. He was taking it slow this time, for he knew that rushing in would just speed up the inevitable. Maria was going to kick his ass. So, this time, he was going to be smarter about all of this. And his sister seemed to notice this, for she gave a slow, yet brief, nod. Maria's fists huddled closer to her face next, and her pose grew even more defensive.
Then he threw a jab, one aimed at her face. It was quick, and just tapped the outside of Maria's arms. Then again, he threw a punch, but this too, was blocked by her arms. Then another punch, only for another block. Maria's arms were too great to pry open. He just couldn't force it open. And what's worse, was her face. She didn't break her stoic visage, as her stormy blue eyes shot daggers into his face. It only made him angrier.
He suddenly dashed forth with his elbow forth. He knew an attack like that was sure to break her guard. Except it didn't. She swatted the attack out-of-the-way easily, and grew on the offensive. Her fist started dashing forward, peppering his face with these light jabs. With each strike, he felt his grow weaker.
"Put up your arms!" he heard Maria mumble.
His eyes widened, and he did just that. Lifting his arms, he blocked the oncoming attack, stopping her from striking him even more. He stepped away the next second, finding safety in the space between he and his foe. Maria's face was still hard, as she scanned the visage he was currently wearing. He was so hurt, and she could tell. The red lumps she gave him would take some time to heal, if he got the chance to do so. Could she kill him? Could she kill the man who she watched grow before her? As hard as it was to say, she still loved him. She still cared deeply for him. He was, after all, at one point in time, her brother. But dammit! She would not allow G.U.N. to get away with what they did! She wouldn't allow anyone to get in her way. Not even him.
Abraham lifted his fists again. His eyes grew into a squint, and he started moving forth. She also started moving forth.
Cannon Countdown: 3 minutes, 15 seconds.
She struck with a left. Her punch weaved through the air, as he darted to dodge the strike. Quickly, he countered with an uppercut, but Maria moved back, making his attack pointless. She suddenly struck him with a kick, hitting him in the side. He bent from the attack, but wasn't defeated by it. Instead, he struck back with the back-end of his fist. And, you know what, the oddest thing happened. He actually hit Maria.
The blonde let out a gasp, as her head was knocked away. She stepped back a few feet next, but not as far as he would have. Abraham was so shocked by this, he actually locked up in confusion. Maria gripped her chin, and rubbed it tenderly, before her face moved back to meet his. She mumbled something under her breath, while her stormy eyes aimed back to meet him. And, oddest of all, she smirked.
"Good job..." she whispered, "But do you think this is over yet?"
Abraham swallowed his spit.
"It's never that easy..." he whispered.
…
"And... There we have it!"
Orbot pulled his arms away, while Ivo continued to growl. His arm was now slung in a white cloth, with extra cushioning placed on his bullet wound. For an impromptu bullet removal, it was just as uncomfortable as he figured it would. The mad doctor was gazing around the room, while he thought on what just happened. He should have known his plan would blow up in his face like this. It seemed as if all of his plans were doomed to end this way. Utter failure.
Then again, it wasn't really his plans fault. It was fool-proof, he just made the slight miscalculation of thinking Maria was stupider than she actually was. He should have known her intelligence. She is, after all, a Robotnik.
He gazed briefly out of the window. He should have been on his way to Earth right now, but he wasn't stupid. If he left now, he would be in the direct firing range of the Eclipse Cannon. Sure, he could have shifted his course somewhere else, and made it safely to the great blue planet, but there was no way he was going to miss out on the firing of this great laser. One day, it would be him on the other end of the gun, firing upon the defenseless masses of the planet. It filled him with so much giddy and happiness, he couldn't help but to grin.
A door to the docking bay opened. He lurched up from his Egg Walker, so he could see the intruder. It was one of his E-100s, E-103 Delta, in fact. The blue machine marched up to his creator, and his red eyes gazed to the ground.
"Eggman..." the robot's cold voice echoed out.
"What is it, Delta?" the doctor said, rubbing his wound.
"I have found something you may find interesting." Delta answered.
"If you say..." Ivo remarked whilst squinting, "Show it forward, Delta."
The machine reached forward his hand, revealing a series of disks held within. Ivo grabbed all of them in his good arm, and eyed them closely. There were five of them, and each one had a different label of the same events upon them. He raised an eyebrow at the sight. They looked important, and almost as if they would only work with computers on the Ark's mainframe. Turning away, he faced one of these many computers, and walked up to it. It was a great machine, and was used to check ships moving into the Ark's docking bays. But it held slots on the side which were used to upload various amounts of information. He wondered.
Cannon Countdown: 2 minutes, 19 seconds.
Slowly, he slid the five disks in hand into the machine. The screen overhead beamed to life.
…
He didn't even want to move any more. Every bit of his body quaked, and ached, with pain. He stared toward the ceiling, finding solace with the cold light fixtures overhead. His eyes closed shut, then reopened slowly. Maria was before him suddenly, her blue eyes red. She reached forward, grabbing a hold of his collar. With her superior strength, she pulled him up, dangling him in the air. He coughed briefly, and a bit of his blood seeped from his lips. He could barely see now, for the pain was making it too hard to even focus. But that didn't stop him from glaring into Maria's eyes. Those crimson orbs that had replaced the stormy blue ones, were still filled with so much pain, hurt, and malice. It was also filled with purpose, oddest of all.
It was at this point in time that he realized death was near. There was nothing he could do to stop it, other than wait. How would Maria kill him? Quick and painless, or slow and painful? However it ended, he knew it was with the knowledge that he failed. His death, was just the first in a list of thousands Maria would wrought upon the Earth. And that's not taking into account all those who would die thanks to the lack of G.U.N. afterward. Anarchy would reign, and everyone would fall.
Shadow, my son...
Where did that voice come from? Abraham glanced up and around them, and so did Maria. Her face turned to one of confusion, and so did his. A moment later, his red eyes returned to their blue color. That voice was familiar. She knew it, and he knew it.
"Gerald?" they said in unison.
If you're listening to this then the worst has happened... you need to know the truth.
These screens in the area descended all around them, floating in the air, as if by magic. On these screens, Gerald, sitting in this chair, with various machinery around him.
The government plans to shut down this research facility. The government plans to cease all of our research... and imprison all who know about you.
The recording stopped for a moment thanks to a glitch, and that minor action made Maria drop Abraham to the ground. Her eyes never left the screen however.
I made a terrible mistake, Shadow, the recording continued, It's all my fault... making contact with that comet. Now listen very carefully...
"Listen to what!?" Maria questioned, "Grandpa! What is it you're trying to tell me? Or, Shadow!?"
The video glitched again, making a loud static noise. Maria's blood froze up in fear, for she thought it would never move again. But after a few seconds, and of course buffering, the recording began playing once more.
In 50 years, the Black Comet will return... they plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet!The only way to stop them... was to develop a way to use the very power they intended to use against them.
Maria just didn't understand though. What Black Comet? Harness what power? Who wants to destroy the planet? And use what against them? So many questions, and no answers whatsoever. It was driving her mad.
Shadow... it's up to YOU and only You can stop them!
"STOP WHO!?" she barked.
I developed the Eclipse Cannon... it's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope... to save mankind as we know it...
Maria closed her eyes, as faint tears escaped her eyes. Shaking her head, she started growling again, though she was still crying.
"Shadow's dead, Grandpa! He can't save us..."
The future of this planet depends on... YOU!
"I CAN'T!"
And then, something odd happened. She watched this young blonde haired girl, in a blue dress, with the biggest of blue eyes, step into frame. She had this smile on her lips, and was so happy. She grabbed a Gerald, bringing his eyes away from the screen recording him. Maria couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was, herself, only as a twelve-year-old.
Don't worry, grandfather, her young self said through the recording, Shadow and I will protect this planet.
Then she looked at the screen. Not herself now, her twelve-year-old self in the recording.
Right, Shadow?
And that was it. The screens rose away, vanishing into the ceiling from which they came. Maria found herself staring doe eyed up, as tears roamed down her face. She didn't know what to do now, honestly. That screen, was the last she had to hear from her grandfather, as well as herself. And the sight of it all shook her to her core. Especially her childhood. Did she really look like that? She was an angel. And her voice was so serene. She never thought, in a million years, she ever sounded like that. All these years of working for G.U.N. had taken away that which she had to herself, and only herself. Her identity. And watching that video, it felt like her identity had been returned to her.
Finally...
She closed her eyes, and her head tipped down to the ground. She breathed in and out slowly, as this myriad of emotions ran in her head. Swallowing her spit, she started to sob. These invisible shackles that held her down, had finally been removed, leaving her with this new, alien question.
What now?
Cannon Countdown: 45 seconds...
"No..." Abraham croaked from behind.
Maria glanced up. The Eclipse Cannon was reaching its fine point, and soon, it would fire, killing thousands. Could she do it? Could she fire upon them all and kill them? Odd. Before, she was perfectly willing with massacring thousands, but now, she felt as if she should stop it. As if they were needed. She found her feet moving away, and with a mighty leap, she returned to the second floor. The countdown was whittling down now, and would soon reach its end. But her hand met the cannon's command console, and she started typing away.
"Ma-Ri-A..."
The countdown froze up.
Cannon Countdown: 7 seconds.
She groaned, while her gaze moved elsewhere. Her hands slithered away from the console, and she turned off. The countdown faded a way some time later, and the green and red Chaos Emeralds stopped having their powers sapped from them. Slid her fingers upon the rocks briefly, but stopped when she reached the walkway. She gazed over the edge, and down to Abraham beneath. He wasn't moving, though he wasn't dead. She leaped over the edge a moment later, and walked up to his body.
"Maria...?" he croaked out in pain.
The next moment, he was up, for she was holding him, bridal style. He was to battered to put up any kind of resistance, so he didn't. He just let her carry him wherever she pleased. They left the Eclipse Cannon command a few moments later, and started walking down the halls.
"You're... not killing me?" Abraham asked with a cough.
"Are you dead?" she asked.
"No..."
"Then, no..." she chuckled, "I'm not going to kill you, Abraham..."
He grew silent briefly, as he eyed the halls around him.
"And... you aren't going to destroy Prison Island" he asked next.
She shook her head.
"No... not today, Abraham... not today..." she stated.
His eyes closed, while a smile formed on his lips. Then he said something that made Maria raise an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, "I was just... following orders..."
This door opened before them, and he attempted glancing around to see where they were. But he found his eyes locking on Maria's face.
"Following orders, huh? Story of my life..."
She laid him down on a circular disk on the ground, before moving over to a console. He tried to see what she was doing, but he just couldn't from where he was sitting.
"Maria!" he called, weakly, something that made her giggle.
"You sound so childish..." she whispered, "Sorta like a kid, Abraham..." she then looked at him as her typing on the command console stopped, "What have I told you time and time before? You're a man now, not a kid anymore..."
He looked up to her, before dragging his eyes down to the ground. Suddenly, things started to shine. She brought him to a teleporter.
"Promise me..." Maria called out, "You'll be a good man, Abraham. Get married, have children, have grandchildren, and... listen to your heart, okay? You promise?"
The lights from the disk were growing blinding, making it hard to see Maria. But he could see her smile, and that made her smile.
"Yeah..." he whispered, "I promise..."
The light from the disk covered him. The teleporter made a great mechanical noise, as the machine began to shake. Then it all stopped. The light, the noise, the machine. And with said light gone, it showed that Abraham was gone as well. Maria let out a held in sigh, as her hand dragged back some of her blonde hair.
She figured it should be her turn to get on the teleporter. Warp back to Earth, and try to figure out what to do next with her life. But there was one thing left to finish. She exited the room, and started roaming down the halls. G.U.N. would come sooner or later to see if she was still there. Of course it would be too late, for she would be long gone. Still...
She returned to the command room of the Eclipse Cannon. Things were rapidly beginning to silence thanks to her ceasing of the cannon's charge. But, there was something different in the room. In the sockets where the Emeralds were held, one Emerald was missing. The red one. Only the green Chaos Emerald remained, right beside a note. She snapped the note away, and read it with a questioning glance.
You owe me!
- Ivo
She chuckled as she crumbled the note up, and threw it away. That just left the green Chaos Emerald. Taking that Emerald, she slid it carefully into her blue vest.
And now things were over. She stared up at the ceiling briefly, as her mind pondered loose thoughts. She had nothing to do now. She couldn't leave with Ivo, he was probably gone by now, and she couldn't return to G.U.N., so she was left with little purpose. Well, she had an idea.
For the second time in her life, she was going to say goodbye to the Ark. But not in unhappiness, but with a new sense. A, happier one, it seemed. Maybe her emotions were getting the best of her. She thought that, as this silly smile came to her lips. Turning toward the exit, she began walking off, her mouth letting out a random hum.
The lights of the Ark slowly died out.
…
The sun looked so pretty this setting evening. The sky was cascaded in a series of reds, ranging from orange, to crimson. The sun was gazing over this great city, as time slowly ran out, and night began to come. The aged man sitting behind his desk lowered and raised his pen over and over again. Sooner or later, that door would open up, giving him another set of papers to look, scan, pass, veto, you know the like. Such was the way of the president, however.
He gazed upon his great brown desk, and looking upon the many empty spaces laid. At times like this, he felt more like some kind of secretary, or businessman, instead of the president. Wasn't there a Cold War or something going on? Shouldn't he be speaking to the leaders of Adabat or Spagonia or something? Why was he sitting here, wasting time? He just wanted something to occupy his time, something that was meaningful.
Then the door opened. The president's eyebrow rose, as he gave a questioning glance toward the entryway. This man walked in, his age was comparable to the presidents, though his build was noticeably more built. This man was wearing a military attire, and had a badge on his chest with a very specific 'G' symbol within a star.
"Supervisor Chalmers..." the president called, "What news have you come to give me?"
Secretly, he was happy with the supervisor's interruption. It would finally give him something to do, other than sit around.
But there was something odd about Chalmers. His stance was all wrong, as he closed the door behind him, and his eyes never left the floor. That usual stoic bravado he held, which seemingly demanded respect, was replaced with this minute amounts of fear. He hid it well, but the president could still see it. He is, after all, the president.
"What's wrong, Supervisor?" he inquired.
Finally, Chalmers gazed forward, right into the president's eyes. Instead of speaking, he slid out a chair, and took a seat on the other side of the president's desk. The leader of the free world cocked his head in confusion as he stared into Chalmers' eyes. Usually, talking with G.U.N. forces like this was only held between him and the Commander himself. Why was Chalmers getting so personal all of a sudden?
"Chalmers?" the president whispered.
The supervisor gazed forward.
"Commander Samson is dead..." he stated.
The president leaned back in his chair. He could understand the supervisor's sudden lack of strength and shift in demeanor. It wasn't a statement he was expecting in the least bit. The G.U.N. Commander was dead? This was information he should have known immediately, no matter what! So why was he being told now, and in such a personal note.
"When did this happen?" he inquired.
"A few days ago..." Chalmers answered, glancing down.
"Where, and how?"
The supervisor stared forward, and his face became frail briefly. The president really didn't like that.
"He was... killed... on the Ark..." Chalmers gained the strength to say, though he still had not regained that level of authority he usually held.
Whatever the case of Chalmers' tone may be, it did little to alleviate the turmoil now going within the president's mind. Space Colony Ark may have happened twelve years ago, but the memories of the events were still fresh in his mind. He was Senator at the time of the events, and even though the facility was top-secret and very hush-hush, he still learned a good thing or two about it. And hearing that the commander of all of G.U.N. had been killed on that god forsaken space station, sent shivers of fear down his spine. But he started thinking. What was he doing on G.U.N., and who killed him.
"Who?" the president inquired.
"Maria Robotnik, sir..." Chalmers answered.
The president leaned back in his chair, fear gripping his face. He started thinking about this blonde haired girl, with the bluest of blue eyes. Maria Robotnik. That last name must have been a curse, to put it lightly. But that's not why he was so scared. He continued to visualize Maria, and the abilities she held within. Her blue eyes turned red.
"She knows, Mr. President..." Chalmers assured, closing his eyes, "She remembers how she got the powers, her life on Ark, everything. Samson wanted us to keep this a secret from you, for he knew how you would react. But now that the Commander is dead, I think its time we try to deal with the problem we created..."
Slowly, the president's head bent down, and he stared at the desk at his front. It was a decision he made years ago, but now it was coming to bite his ass. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. All suffer for their sins, sooner or later. But he was praying his was going to be later, much much later. Not so soon. Not now.
"What do we do now?" the supervisor inquired.
"Does she know of my involvement with her powers?" the president asked next.
"Not that we know of, sir..." Chalmers responded.
"Do you know of her location?"
"Not at this time, sir..."
Slowly, the president lifted his hands, and slid his fingers alongside one another. Closing his eyes, he began thinking again. Maria could be anywhere, if Samson was killed days ago. And if she was learning of her past, then it would be only a short while before she learned of his involvement. And if she somehow went to the press with the information she held, she could single-handedly ruin all they were working for.
No more G.U.N., no more Super Soldier program, and no more presidency. But she wouldn't figure all of this out, right? Right? She may have been G.U.N.'s best trained agent, both on the field and in espionage, but she was just one girl. She wasn't as big a threat as they were making her out to be, right?
The phone began ringing. Both Chalmers and the president gazed to the brown, cord strapped phone. This wasn't something that usually happened. Normally, when one calls the White House, they must first speak to the secretary, and she would have to connect them to the president, not to mention all of the government agents who meticulously poke and prod the number. So who could call them, and now?
Slowly, the president slid his hand over to the phone. It was still ringing, as if begging to be lifted. Swallowing his spit, he gripped the object, and lifted it from its cord. Then he moved it over to his ear.
"Hello?" he whispered into it.
"President Hampton!" a woman's voice called on the other end, "Nice to speak to you again! Tell me, how is the presidency going?"
His eyes opened wide. He recognized the voice, despite the fact that he heard it only rarely. Staring forward, he peered into Chalmers' eyes.
"I know you're there, Supervisor Chalmers..." that woman's voice yelled with blatant rage, "Why don't you come over here and listen to what I have to say as well, huh?"
Chalmers lips opened.
"If you do anything, I will kill the both of you, you understand that, don't you?"
The supervisor's lips closed shut. Silence followed soon after.
"Say something why don't you?" her snickering voice commanded.
"Maria...?" Hampton murmured, glancing at his phone.
"The one and only..." she stated.
"WHERE ARE YOU MARIA!?" Chalmers suddenly barked, whilst slamming his hands down on the desk.
"Calm down, Supervisor, calm down..." she chuckled, "I guess it's too late for me to send in my resignation level, huh?" she chuckled again, but that quickly transformed into a full on cackle.
"What do you want, Maria?" the president inquired, "And how did you get that number?"
"So many questions, Mr. President, and absolutely no answers! Funny how the shoe gets on the other foot, huh? You want answers, and I'd be glad to give them to you, if I cared enough for it. I'm just here to put in my final two cents, and after that, you won't ever hear from me again..."
The president gazed at Chalmers. Chalmers gazed back. Could they trust Maria? Maybe, maybe not. But if she had them under her watchful eye, it would be foolish to try to do anything. So Chalmers slowly sat back down in his seat, and the president nodded.
"Speak then..." he ordered.
"Finally, some diplomacy..." Maria chuckled, "Okay then. This isn't a threat, just a warning. I'm not sure when, but there will be something that shall appear from the skies. A Black Comet, in fact. I don't know what will happen, or even when, I'm just saying we must be prepared. So, I won't be destroying G.U.N., not now, like I could have when I was aboard the Ark. You can thank me later for that, Chalmers. Just... get ready... and I'll stay out of your hair, understood?"
Silence.
"UNDERSTOOD!?"
"Yes, Maria..." Hampton answered, "Yes..."
"Good... Sayonara, Mr. President..."
The phone made a clicking noise. Slowly, President Hampton laid the phone in his hand back on its base. As Chalmers tensed up once more, he watched the president get up from his chair. Slowly, he strolled over to the windows behind him, and stopped. In pure silence, he gazed upon Central City, as night had already taken over.
"Now what, Mr. President?" Chalmers inquired.
He glanced over to him.
"How is Operation Hope, coming along?"
…
Knothole.
Maria laid the phone back onto its base. Turning around, she gazed out the phone booth she stood in, and toward the rain around her. For a countryside populated entirely by mobians, it would make a perfect little hiding spot. There would be no G.U.N. Agents to follow her or attack her, or to even know where she was. She was completely alone.
Opening up the Phone booth, she stepped out into the rain slicked grasslands outside. Lifting her hand, she showed a hat she was holding. Slowly, she placed it upon her head, stopping the water droplets from drenching her hair and face. A cackle of thunder echoed over head, brightening up the empty fields. Everyone was probably on their way home, or was already home. Only she remained. It would take her a while to get to the place she would start calling home soon, but she didn't mind. She would use this time to think on what would happen in the future.
A Black Comet, which will harness some unknown power, to attack the world. It was like something out of a science fiction book. Rubbing her head, she pondered the thoughts. She wondered what this Black Comet looked like, and what would happen when it landed. And, most importantly, would she be able to stop it? Her grandfather made it pretty known that he expected Shadow to stop it, and from what her twelve-year-old self said, she expected herself to stop it as well. Now, she just had to carry the strength of two people within her.
It wouldn't be too hard. She was, Maria Robotnik, after all. If anyone could save this planet, it was her, no matter what. Reaching into her great over coat, she pulled out the green Chaos Emerald within. The sight of it made her chuckle inwardly. She started tossing the Emerald up and down, as she trekked through the small forest of Knothole, eventually disappearing into the many trees it held.
She had a lot of waiting to do. A hell of a lot of waiting. But she would be ready. She would be.
Fin
And so ends yet another story by me. All I can say, is FIIIIIIINAAAAAAAALLLYYYYY!
This is, by far, the longest its ever taken for me to finish a story, and for those who sat through it all, I have to say, sorry! Normally when I start a story, I finish it, no exceptions! But with this, I got sidetracked with one story, then another, then another, and now I have just finished writing this. It racks at my brain. But I promised I would finish this story, and so I have!
First things first, of course. Thanks to my favoriters, my followers, and my reviews. Specifically, thanks to lydiathetigeropean and Slightlysleepy, and darkthehedgehog. I wasn't expecting many people to review on this, but I'm so happy you guys did. I love reviews, and that's what spurns me to write most of the time! I think the reason why I stopped writing this so many times, is because of the lack of reviews, but whatever the case may be, we're here now, at the end.
Well, let me explain some things before my sign off! Me personally, I love this story. I like the over arching mystery of who Maria is, and what happened to her, as well as how the world was different thanks to Shadow's death. I even gave many questions in the end, like what is Operation Hope, what did the President have to do with everything, what's going to happen in the future when the Black Arms attack? Why did I leave you with so many questions? I always do this when I write a story. Any who.
Writing this story, I was playing way too much Perfect Dark. You know, that old game on the N64 that's super good? Yeah, a lot of that inspired this story, specifically chapter 10, Showtime. That was based around the stage in Perfect Dark called Chicago Stealth. You know, all the rain, the darkness, the sneaking around, it was a very intense stage.
Honestly, one of my favorite parts of this story, is Ivo. I enjoy writing about him in his younger self since its something that rarely happens. I tried to make him the same, while different. I also tried to give him some love toward his cousin Maria. Sure, its a messed up relationship, but its one nonetheless. I wonder why there aren't many stories between Maria and Robotnik. They are relatives, after all. I tried to show that.
And one things I've always been commented on about my story, is my treatment of Maria. I made her this super bad-ass agent and stuff. I know its kind of crazy, but lets see it this way. Of all the fanfics we've all read, is this really the craziest you've seen a character. I tried to make her this way thanks to the mystery of the story. She wasn't just some ass kicker for no reason, there was an actual plot behind it. In fact, it was the main plot. What happened to Maria, and how did she end up this way? It was mystery I worked hard to keep.
Huh, I wish I had a lot more to say on this story, but I really don't. I can say that, its surprisingly, a very much read story of mine, ranking in the top five. Odd, right? That being said, I have other things to do, ya'know? And what of you? What will you do now that this is over? I guess we'll have to just wait and see, huh?
Until the next time!
Maverick Kay Prime