Chapter 5 – Secret of the Aerobike
Sonic led the way as he piloted the Tornado Z while the rest of the team followed closely behind. Blaze rode on Cynder's back while Viper accompanied Sonic in the plane with Vector and Espio on board the wings. They were determined to stop Fang and capture, for they knew of the consequences that could happen if the Chaos Emerald were not safe and secure with them any longer. While making their way up the path, Sonic was keeping an eye on the Chaos Locator and noticed the Chaos Emeralds were within range, however they were still on the move.
"Fly faster, guys!" Sonic urged the dragons. "We cannot let that weasel disappear from the radar!"
"We're flying as fast as we can, Sonic," said Cynder while Blaze held on tightly. "Just have some patience. I know it is crucial that we stop Fang, but it is best we plan a strategy beforehand so that we won't come up short and he ends up having the advantage."
"Absolutely correct, my young apprentice," agreed Blaze. "I could sense that there's more to Fang than what meets the eye, since that popgun of his is the least of our worries. We should continue to follow him until he makes a stop someplace."
Sonic and Torden pouted as they wanted to intercept Fang as soon as they sighted him, but they knew Cynder and Blaze were right. At last, they could see the weasel riding his aerobike in the distance.
"There he is!" exclaimed Jakkin. "Let's catch up with him, but keep our distance so he won't notice that we're behind him!"
The group slightly picked up speed and followed as Jakkin had instructed, but soon Fang looked behind his shoulder and noticed them following that he sped up. Now the group knew they had no other choice but to hurry and chase after him.
"Freeze, sucker!" shouted Vector. "In the name of the law, you're under arrest!"
Fang continued to speed up. Espio decided to stop his aerobike by tossing rounds of shuriken at him, but they bounced off and barely did any damage to him.
"Shall we try to incinerate him?" asked Torden eagerly.
"No, that will not be necessary," said Espio. "We're trying to capture him, not roast him alive. I say we continue to follow him until he decides to stop."
"Or at least stall him long enough until Percival, Jeremy and the Nightriders arrive," said Blaze.
The team continue to pursue Fang until they arrived at a large lake known as Lake Biwa. Eventually, Fang pulled over his aerobike, and he turned around to face his pursuers. Cynder and Blaze could sense that he was up to something while the others thought that it was their opportunity to strike.
"Alright, polecat, the jig is up!" called Vector. "Come down quietly or I'll be forced to kick your punk ass like there is no tomorrow!"
"Not so fast, Vector," warned Blaze. "I've really got a bad feeling about this!"
"She seems to be right," said Espio. "There's no way Fang would stop unless he's got something up his sleeve."
"You troublesome lot are asking for this," said Fang as he smiled nastily. "I must warn you that you have no idea who you're messing with."
"If you're talking about shooting us down with your popgun, that's really not going to stop us!" said Torden. "All of us are ready to take you out!"
Fang sneered. "Oh really?" he asked. "Well, my popgun is the least of your worries, for I'm about to show you something which you don't know about my aerobike."
"What do you mean?" asked Charonus.
"So your curiosity has gotten the better of you," said Fang. "If you really want to see it, then I shall oblige, but remember, you're bringing the hurt onto yourself."
With that, Fang pushed a big red button, and the aerobike started to shake back and forth. The team wondered what was going on, but Blaze, Cynder and Espio could tell that it meant trouble for them. In an instant, the aerobike started to change shape as a couple of laser gun arms sprung out from the sides. Then, the underside of the vehicle opened revealing a deadly machine gun. At last, the aerobike inflated to appear bulkier and durable.
"Uh-oh," said Viper. "This is certainly not a good thing."
"What's the big deal?" snorted Torden. "I can blast that thing with my electric breath. Just watch me!"
Torden unleashed a stream of electric energy from his mouth directly towards the altered aerobike, but it did not even leave a scratch as it continued to float unscathed.
"Ha!" laughed Fang. "Do you think you could be able to damage my aerobike? You'll see that your attacks are rendered worthless in this form!"
"We shall see about that!" declared Sonic. "I'll give you a taste of my Super Spin Dash Attack!"
"No, Sonic, no!" shouted Blaze, but Sonic ignored her warning. He spun himself into a spiky ball, and charged towards Fang in an attempt to put a dent on the aerobike. Unfortunately for the hedgehog, it had no effect on it. Fang only smirked and pressed another button which caused the aerobike to deliver a violent push, forcing Sonic to be hurtled backwards and knocked out.
"Sonic, are you okay?" exclaimed Jakkin.
"I told him not to go straight for the attack," said Blaze indignantly. "Especially when we saw how it endured Torden's assault, and not even Espio's shuriken can be of any help."
Sonic only groaned as he laid face down in the dirt.
"Humph! Very foolish of him to try to come at me like that," said Fang. "So, who's next?"
"Oh, you!" hissed Vector. "You're gonna pay for what you did to Sonic and Torden! Mark my words, Fang, when backup comes and your operations are exposed, you're in for a lot of trouble!"
"Is that right?" asked Fang as he raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I shall gun you all down before you babble on about my business, starting with you!"
Fang aimed his machine straight at Vector, and just when he opened fire, the bullets stopped before they could reach the crocodile, and they started to glow while still floating in the air. Then, the bullets stopped glowing and they fell to the ground. Everyone was speechless.
"What just happened?" asked Jakkin.
Viper, Espio and Blaze quickly recognised the aura emitted by the bullets, and to their surprise as they looked around, they saw a tall silver-furred hedgehog with gloves and bracelets that had bright cyan markings. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit with a sturdy golden cuirass over it, and his footwear consisted of navy blue and white boots with cyan toe caps. Instantly, Viper, Espio and Blaze realised who the arrival was.
"Silver!" they exclaimed in shock.
Author's Note: So here we have another player in the fray, and it's Viper's lost partner Silver the Hedgehog! Could he be able to help out our heroes in dealing with Fang the Sniper? And what about Percival, Jeremy and the Nightriders? The final chapter is on its way!
