Chapter 9: Don't Sweat
"So, what's the plan?" Tails inquired while following his teammate downtown.
"Before we do anything.." Espio turned to face the fox. "I need a drink."
Ah man, I thought we were actually going to do something about this situation..."
"No complaining, now. I said we do this my way...so wait out here."
The chameleon turned around and entered a liquor store, leaving the fox outside on the sidewalk. Tails paced back and forth for a few minutes, occasionally glancing at his phone to check the time. 15 minutes had passed by the time Espio finally exited the store, empty handed.
"They didn't have my drink, lets keep looking.." The chameleon walked past the fox and continued on.
"Hey, I'm not sitting out here all night, you drunk! Cream could be getting KILLED!"
"Easy, kid...(sigh) I'll make do with what they have here and we'll get to it."
After returning to the liquor store and a drink break, the guys got to work on Espio's plan. Tails fought the urge to go off by himself again and continued on while Espio polished off the first bottle, then went over the details.
"We don't want to chase them, just in case we get stuck in a trap like earlier. Instead, we draw them out and in large numbers." Espio explained.
"And how do we do that?"
"We piss them off."
"Ah yeah, the same way you guys got me and Sonic to fall for your stupid pranks."
The chameleon popped open the second bottle. "It worked, didn't it..."
"iT wOrKeD dIdN't It?..." Tails mocked in an annoyed tone.
The duo entered a painting supply store on the west end of town, pushing past customers and walking into the spray paint isle. Espio grabbed a cardboard box and held it up while Tails filled it with red and black spray paint cans. A store clerk walked to the back of the store and a minute later the store manager came out. Tails and Espio then walked toward the front door to leave but the manager yelled for them to stop.
"You're those Skyline punks I keep seein' on TV!" The over weight manager called out.
"Yes, we put dangerous criminals away and yet we're still the scum of this city." Espio said in between sips. "The media never fails to flip the narrative..."
""If you're so noble, what the hell are you doing stealing from my shop?"
"Hey pal, nobody here claimed to be a hero," Tails signalled for Espio to leave. "We just needed some supplies to help us take down some more criminals, so that you can rest easier. I promise Team Skyline will pay this back. Eventually."
Everyone inside the store immediately called the police, which forced the duo to be twice as vigilant now that law enforcement was hot on their trail. Espio watched Tails' back as he sprayed various messages over his previous tags on gang-controlled buildings. The fox flew through a notorious townhouse complex and laid SKYLINE tags over CATHCART logos, angering the thugs who occupied the homes. He and Espio were long gone before they could be caught.
"How was that, think it'll be enough to piss 'em off?" Tails asked as he tossed an empty can away.
"Not bad, kid. I think they'll get the message.."
The chameleon and fox looked over the city from their vantage point on a mountainside, then heard police sirens blaring in the distance which told them they were attracting attention. The cops arrived and read the spray painted images on the houses. SKYLINE was written in red and outlined in black on two houses and a Chaos emerald was drawn in red next to it. Another house had the CATHCART logo circled and a bullseye sprayed on it. Kilo and his men drove around town in a dark van, then passed the townhouse complex. They slowed down to read Tails' not-so friendly messages left for them.
"I'm getting a piece of that fox myself before I hand him over to the boss." Kilo said as he punched the van wall.
The large wolf heard his phone ringing so he answered it.
"Did you get him, yet?" Harvey asked.
"No, they're sneaky bastards.."
"Find them now! If you're not here in an hour with the fox.."
"Nothing to worry about, boss. I'll have him by then."
Harvey slammed his cell phone on the floor and kicked an old bookshelf while Cream laughed.
"Somebody's triggered. Tails is pretty good at getting a reaction." She said, while Harvey faced her.
"I'm glad you find this real funny. When my boys have him here opened up, I'd like to hear you laugh then. I can't wait for that."
"I can't wait until my friends come here and kick your ass, you pathetic old man."
"Is that what I am to you? A pathetic old man?" Harvey stepped closer to her. "I built a crime family up in my lifetime. What have you done? Better yet, who do you have? A love sick fox and a drunk chameleon? I call that pathetic..."
Cream looked at the wolf, now angered. "I'd rather have them over a city full of gang bangers and hired killers any day. Some family you've got..."
Harvey snickered to himself. "You know, I've got a son.. reminds me of you. Teenaged, rebellious, disrespectful...I brought him up hard because he needed to be tough, and I'd put my money on him against you three."
"So you're a loser criminal AND a shitty father. Gotcha."
Harvey didn't have a comeback so he just nodded and smirked, then left the rabbit to sit alone in the dark room.
Tails and Espio moved on from vandalism and now stood up in a junkyard with items they'd just stolen from a weapons cashe. The chameleon crafted a molotov cocktail while the fox stacked the firearms in a pile. The molotov was thrown and weapons burst into flames immediately.
"This'll make 'em shit their pants, man" Tails said as the fire grew.
"You're damn right they will. I'll go scope out more spots, keep your phone on just in case, too." Espio quickly jumped over a fence. "Stay focused and don't forget the plan."
Tails nodded and watched the chameleon turn invisible to camouflage himself. The fox threw his cans of spray paint away propelled himself down the dark road. He adjusted his hat and put his hands in his pockets as he landed on the sidewalk. The headlights of an on coming vehicle got brighter and brighter, then they shut off. Tails walked down a side street to avoid anyone seeing him. He looked back one more time at the van as it sat idle in the middle of the road, then he was knocked to the ground.
Four members of The Cathcarts attacked him, and Tails noticed this was the same crew from earlier in the night who abducted Cream. The fox fought them off and went to fly away, knowing he was out numbered. He got six feet off the ground when he was pulled back down. He was slammed on a patch of grass and when he looked up, he saw the beast Kilo growling at him.
"...hi."
Tails ate a left hand to the face and fell backward only to be pushed forwards by the surrounding gang members. Kilo hit the fox with a crippling gut shot, dropping Tails to one knee. The Fox tried to open his back pack to grab a Chaos emerald but his wrist was grabbed by the strong grip of the huge wolf.
Your little gem ain't gonna save you from this ass whooping!" Kilo twisted Tails' wrist back further.
Tails desperately kicked at the giant wolf's thick legs but this did to help, so the fox had to fight dirty. He lifted his knee up to the wolf's groin and run away but was caught by the gang. They dog piled on him, getting in their shots on the fox while Kilo recovered from the cheap shot. The Cathcarts held him still and Kilo shoulder tackled Tails, sending him crashing into a light post. The van pulled up beside the fight and two back doors swung open. Kilo punched the fox in the head and disoriented him then the wolf picked him up by his tails. When everyone ducked into the van, Kilo threw Tails inside and shut the door. Tails head was spinning around and a sharp pain shot through the rest of his body.
"Give me the chain! Pass his bag.."
The voices were muffled and Tails was defenceless. Kilo took his metal chain and grinned at his captive. The fox reached over to a window and tried to open it, but Kilo knocked him down.
Tails' phone vibrated, so Kilo snatched it from his pocket and answered.
"Prower, keep an eye out for a grey van circling the streets, I think it's a Cathcart posse." Espio warned.
Kilo put the phone to his ear and listened.
"Tails?"
Realizing Tails had been picked up, Espio shut his phone off and looked around.
"Shit.."
The chameleon cloaked himself with invisibility and ran along the rooftops.
Kilo heard the line go dead so he crushed Tails' cell phone with one hand and threw it out a window, then lit up a cigarette.
"...I had a contract on that."
With his last bit of strength, Tails reached for the back door handle so he could escape. He was hit one more time in the side of the head, putting him to sleep. The gang van zoomed down the streets at top speed, heading back to Harvey.
The tall wolf got a phone call so he answered his phone, he listened for a few seconds and a grin crossed his face. He hung up and smirked at Cream, then walked into a small office. Harvey sat back in a big stool as Kilo and his men entered the building, dragging Tails inside another dimly lit room.
Cream tried to pull away from the large shipping container she was cuffed to when she saw Tails being slammed against a metal support beam. A back pack slid across the floor and at Harvey's feet, putting a bigger grin on his face. He reached in and pulled out two more Chaos emeralds.
"Lock him up to that post." Kilo ordered.
The gang members leaned Tails against the beam and put his hands above his head, then locked them in place with the steel chain and a pad lock. Kilo hooked the key to a small chain necklace and wore it around his neck.
Harvey threw his friend a bottle of water. "Wake him up."
The giant wolf splashed Tails then took a drink of it. The fox came to, frantically looking around the room. He saw Cream in the room opposite from him handcuffed to the container, then he realized he was chained up as well. Harvey walked in the room laughing while Tails glared at him.
"When you said it was war, I thought you were serious. But look have I've got you and your little girlfriend. Like rats in a trap!"
"So you're the boss, huh? Big man standing over incapacitated teenagers." Tails spat more water on the floor. "What is this place?"
"The last place you'll ever see, you piece of shit!" Kilo shouted.
"Ah, It doesn't matter if he knows, he's a dead man anyway. This, my little friend is my construction facility." Harvey walked up to Tails. "I've got a question for you. Where's your ninja friend, and the other Chaos emeralds?"
"First, that was TWO questions, and second...he might as well be up at your momma's place."
The tall wolf nodded at Kilo and the massive wolf suddenly connected with two powerful strikes to the stomach, making Tails grunt in pain.
Harvey smirked and pulled two Chaos emeralds from the fox's back pack.
"Not so invincible without these...how about you try that again."
"Steak house? He might be hungry-"
The fox growled in pain as Kilo tee'd off on him, mixing up combinations to the body and head with efficiency. Cream could only sit and watch as kilo takes his time softening up Tails.
"STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The rabbit screamed from the other room.
Harvey and Kilo ignored her continue to beat the fox. Tails' head bounced off the support beam from the force of the blows he received, making the whole building shake and dust fall from the ceiling. When he started to spit out blood, Harvey signalled Kilo to stop and step back. The tall wolf walked up to Tails and pulled his head up so he could look him in the eye.
"He could do this all night." Harvey grinned with reassurance. "Ready to talk now?"
Tails tried to utter something but he couldn't get it out, then he spits out more blood. Harvey stepped back and waited for the fox to clear his throat.
"Come again?"
Tails looked up, his fur covered in blood. "I didn't forget the plan, buddy.."
"What plan?"
Harvey looked back towards Kilo for a response, but the wolf was tackled before he could say a word. Harvey ran out of sight from Tails, still coughing up blood. Espio delivered strong blows to Kilo, ripped the key chain off his neck and ran back to Tails. He unlocked the pad lock and Tails fell to the floor. Espio put one of the fox's arms on his shoulder and helped him over to Cream. Tails fell down again, and the rabbit knelt down beside him.
"You alright?" Espio asked.
"No, I just had my ribs tenderized..." Tails sat up and coughed. "Where'd that prick get to?.."
"Look - we're not out of this yet.." Espio told them while jumping back to his feet.
Kilo and his Cathcart squad surrounded the trio at the metal shipping container. Tails slowly got to his feet and readied himself to fight.
"Out of curiosity.. what was the rest of your plan when you got here?"
"I was gonna get in, grab you guys and haul ass out.."
The gang steps closer and closer.
"Guess that's not an option, now.."
"Well then.. there's only one last option left at this point."
"I hope you've got something left in the tank, this beating is gonna hurt."
Tails and Espio met the gang head-on and swung with everything they had, the chameleon doing better since he was relatively fresh. Tails was taken down first where he took punches and kicks from every direction. Espio tried to stand his ground but he was taken down as well. They couldn't do much as they are out numbered and viciously beaten. Tails waited for the knockout punch to come, but soon, the pressure was eased and fewer shots came in.
He opened one eye and watched thugs get knocked backwards, but can't tell who is doing it. Espio got to his feet and saw a dark brown raccoon in a blue hoodie swinging a metal pipe like a baseball bat. Tails crawled over to Cream to recover while Espio and the Raccoon fought ofd the Cathcarts. The chameleon used all his strength to pull the handcuffs from the shipping container and they broke apart, then looked back at their protector.
"Who the hell..?" Tails looked on in surprise.
Espio was grabbed by Kilo and thrown into another room, so the Raccoon ran after the two with the pipe. A loud roar of an engine blared from outside and the ground started to shake as if an earthquake was happening. Tails heard it coming from the left of where he and Cream were sitting so he pulled her out of the way. The wall was smashed down, ripping bricks and wires from it and sending them flying everywhere. A dark moss green bulldozer climbed up a hill and into the building, and Harvey was at the wheel.
"Don't think ANY of you are getting out of this alive!" The wolf shouted as he steered the machine.
"You're kidding me? THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Tails shouted up at the massive bulldozer towering over him and Cream.
They looked over and saw four Chaos emeralds sitting beside Harvey's seat, then Cream grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up as the machine got closer. Cream and Tails looked around for and exit, but there was only another brick wall. The bulldozer covered all the exits, leaving Team Skyline trapped against the back hall.