SONIC HEROES: THE SERIES
Armand the Tiger © SupergamerGreg79
Emily Leot © Emily Blue Paw
Chapter Eighty-Three: Cat Fight
The scene returns to the Australian outback, which seemed to become a big attraction for an assortment of wildlife. As the predators prowled the plains for food, they were careful to avoid a specific place in the plains. Hidden behind the tall grass was a small clearing that supplied plenty of fruit from the trees and a crystal clear watering hole. The kangaroos were dominant in this territory, but only because of their protector. Armand the Tiger was leaning back on one of the curved trees, somewhat playing with his watch.
"Come on!" Armand moaned. "How can you not get cell phone service out here?!" He fell back and covered his eyes with his paw. "Well, I guess Chinese is out."
Not much has happened to Armand since his departure from Eastern Island with the rest of the Heroes. Besides becoming an official Sonic Hero, things have been very dull around these parts – Armand was considering psychology. Suddenly, a twig was snapped somewhere in the tall grass and the kangaroos heard it. Armand only noticed there was imminent trouble when his charges started twitching agitatedly. The tiger flipped backwards into the tree and of sight. It was common for him to ward off predators – they never seemed to learn their lesson. He could hear the animal crouching lowly behind the tall grass. After a moment or two of waiting, the creature pounced and so did Armand. The tiger of the future captured the creature by surprise and tumbled into the grass while the kangaroos stood back to watch. Armand had to admit that this beast was unusually strong compared to the others as they tumbled across the plain. Then, without warning, he something hit at his lower region – HARD!
"Why is it always there?" Armand squeaked painfully.
"I know that squeal anywhere." A soft, growling voice said. "Armand, is that you?"
"Emily?" Armand grunted.
Though painfully, Armand forced himself to sit up and glance at the stranger He could never forget that glistening ocean-blue fur, those soft green eyes, or the sound of her angelic voice. If you haven't figured it out by now, Armand was deeply in love. Emily Leot crouch to Armand's level and rested a delicate paw on his maw, caressing it softly.
"Wow, I really didn't expect to see you here." Emily giggled. "Sorry about giving your kids a migraine."
"I'm used to it by now." Armand groaned as he slowly stood up. "You would be surprise at how many women do that."
"And why would they?" Emily glared suspiciously.
"Uh...no reason." Armand answered shiftily.
As they walked back to the watering hole, Armand could feel Emily's gaze piercing through the back of his skull. Once situating themselves comfortably and filed their stomachs with fruit, they went in depth about their lives after Hybrid's tournament. Apparently, Emily's life was much more exiting than Armand had expected. The young cheetah was apparently on a hunt for some man call Lunar, who seemed to hold an unknown connection to her. She never specified if she found him or not, but Armand had to guess that he had not succeeded.
"Sounds like you've lived an interesting life." Armand commented. "The most excitement we get around here is a two minute stampede."
"I thought you would have been doing research on your father." Emily said. "You sounded like you really wanted to know everything about him during the tournament."
"I know everything I need to." Armand shrugged, watching the flowing leaves above. "My father and Eggman Nega were archenemies until Silver showed up. When there was nothing left to do, he came back to the past and met my mother. He was partners with Naga the Snake and created the watch before he learned what Naga wanted to use it for." He stared at his wrist for said device. "My dad never told me what it was originally used for and I never found out. He went back to the future one last time and ended up in some apocalyptic version. He was killed by a monster named Iblis."
"I'm sorry, Armand." Emily said apologetically.
"There's nothing to apologize for." Armand shrugged. "That's the past. "Right now, I'm more concerned for the future."
"And what exactly do you have planned?" Emily asked with her brow raised.
"I'm thinking of quitting this hero life and settling down." Armand stated. "I might explore the world for a few more years, meet some girl, get married, and have a couple of children. I would prefer one of each for variety's sake."
"You've really thought ahead." Emily smirked, nudging closer to the tiger. "So...any requirements you looking for in a woman?"
"Eh, I guess she would have to be strong." Armand answered, unknown to Emily's movements. "She would need to know how to take care of herself in case I'm not there to help her. Very smart and very beautiful."
"Anything else?" Emily asked seductively, pushing close to Armand's chest.
"Well..." Armand said flustered. "My favorite color has always been blue."
"Isn't that a coincidence?" Emily grinned.
Armand could feel the heat radiating from his face – he was sure there was steam escaping from his ears. The sapphire cheetah pushed herself closer so that she was resting out the male's chest and inched herself closer to his face. If memory served, every time the felines would get close, something would always interrupt them. But being deserted in the middle of nowhere, what were the chances of that happening? Very good, in fact. As they were so wrapped up in the moment, they failed to notice the kangaroos hopping away frantically. However, just were they were a few centimeters away, Emily's ear twitched and the cheetah dragged Armand to the ground. And not a moment too soon as tree was suddenly incinerated by a blue laser.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Armand whined.
"I don't often kid, my feline friend." A cold and familiar voice laughed.
At the sound, the duo snapped their heads to the sky, where they found a familiar character flying in an unusual craft. They almost mistook him for Eggman before noticing the differences. His attire consisted of a black/yellow coat, his mustache was an elderly grey, and his wicked smile showed cruelty and vindictiveness. Armand knew him straight away.
"Eggman Nega!" Armand exclaimed.
"It's been a while, Armand." Nega cackled wickedly.
"You know this Eggman wannabe?" Emily questioned.
"That's Eggman Nega – the guy I told you about." Armand explained. "He and my dad were enemies for a long time before Silver took over the show. Last time I saw him was during the tournament."
"It's so nice to see that you remember so much." Nega grinned. "I had almost thought you had forgotten."
"What are you doing here?" Armand sneered.
"Well, I actually didn't have a choice." Nega explained. "After being banished by that insufferable echidna and that genetic freak of nature, I decided to make my own attempts to take over the world. But when I learned of threats such as Nazo and my own creation, Metal Sonic, I realized I couldn't win. The only way I would be able to take the world for my own is if the other competition never existed. And that leads me to you."
"Why me?" Armand asked.
"You never knew why Naga wanted to build that device." Nega sniggered darkly. "It's true that it is a powerful weapon, but it has a far greater function. That watch of yours can map out the timeline and open access portals that lead directly to that time. Your father used a prototype to travel between the past and future. But something malfunctioned and he suffered a grueling demise."
"That watch is a map of time?" Emily said amazed.
"Yes, but unfortunately, Tobias thought it was too powerful for one man to handle." Nega scowled spitefully. "He placed an inhibitor chip inside the watch to make sure only those who knew the combination could access it. It will take some time, but once I unlock its secrets, I will travel back in time and eliminate Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"What's Sonic got to do with this?" Emily questioned.
"He's the source of everything." Nega proclaimed. "It was because of his foolishness that allowed Nazo to escape from his prison. And it was through his DNA that Metal Sonic was created. And worst of all, Silver is his only descendent. With Sonic out of the picture, my dear ancestor, Dr. Eggman, will have no trouble conquering the world. And the, one day, the Eggman Empire will belong to me!"
"You're a few screws loose." Armand commented. "There is no way I'm going to hand over the watch."
"Of course not." Nega grinned wickedly. "Where's the fun in that. I plan to rip it from your dead carcass!"
The maniacal doctor slammed him fist onto a button in his machine, shortly followed by a tremendous earthquake. Animals scurried and scattered as the land began to fracture while Emily and Armand struggled to remain standing. With a cackling laugh, Eggman Nega landed his craft at the head of his machine. It was a large, purple, mechanized creature with four extendable claws on its sides and a lashing tail at the bottom.
"You're time is at an end, Armand!" Nega proclaimed. "Nothing can defeat the invisible Nega-Geddon!"
"Nega-Geddon?" Emily repeated, muffling her laughs. "Is this guy serious?" A mechanical claw stabbed directly between the two. "What do you know, he is serious."
"And out of line." Armand glared. "This time, I'm going to finish what my dad started."
"Then come, Armand!" Nega challenged. "Let's match wits with each other and prove who is superior!"
At that, Armand touched his watch and called his signature laser blade from the Realm of Nothingness. At the same time, the gem in Emily's navel glowed and formed into energy claws around her hands – she was not going to miss out on this. Nega commanded two of the claws to strike at their positions, but the feline duo had already jumped into the air. Armand landed on one of the claws that were stabbed into the ground and slashed his blades across them, only to discover it was perfectly intact. Emily tried the same thing with her energy claws and couldn't even produce a scratch. When she wasn't looking, a second claw appeared to the left and slammed against the back of Emily's head. The action sent the cheetah flailing into Armand and landed both of them in the watering hole. Emily hissed from the contact and started slashing at everything in sight until she could carry herself to the ground. Armand emerged a moment later while stitching his ear back to his head.
"Next time, give a person a little warning." Armand requested dully.
"Sorry." Emily said sheepishly. "Cats hate water, you know."
"I know." Armand said monotonously.
"Ah, I see you took notice to my silicon carbide-based armor." Nega sniggered. "The Nega-Geddon is indestructible from any outside forces! I have created the ultimate weapon!"
"Outside forces?" Armand questioned interestingly. "Only outside, not inside?"
"Seems like a pretty big flaw, eh?" Emily smirked.
"I...Uh...ooh." Nega groaned at his mistake.
"That's the one thing you got to love about him." Armand sniggered. "He's a good source of information."
Nega slammed his fists on the console in frustration – the claw began spinning like saw-blades. The feline duo dived away as they tornado of blades slashed across the landscape, cutting the grass to a perfect size. Unfortunately, this left Emily without cover when she accidentally tripped on a rock. She slashed her energy claws to keep the blades away, but knew perfectly that she was pinned in a corner. Just as the Nega-Geddon swiped its blades downwards over the cheetah until a red laser formed out of nowhere and burned against the machine's chest. There was no mark indicating that any damage had been done, but it did push him back far enough away from Emily. Nega growled and redirected his attention to Armand, whose watch was smoking from overheating.
"Not a very smart move, boy." Nega sniggered. "That attack depletes your watches power for an hour. You're defenseless."
"I learned a few things while I was here." Armand proclaimed. He moved into a stance that could be recognized at Tiger-Style Martial Arts. "It's good to have a friend that is obsessed with fighting."
"You think you can defeat the Nega-Geddon with your bare hands!" Nega laughed maniacally.
"Not really." Armand murmured silently. "But I don't have much of a choice."
"Oh, this is just too easy." Nega chuckled.
Once again, the elderly scientist commanded the Nega-Geddon to strike with its rotating blades. It was fortunate that Armand was exceptionally fit as he was forced to duck and dive away from the blades. When he found the opportunity, he slipped past the blades and grasped one of the arms. He learned from Rector that using the weight of an opponent can easily turn the tide of battle. Gathering what energy he could, Armand forced the arm over his shoulder and, miraculously, flipped the Nega-Geddon overhead. Upon landing, one of the machine's claws stabbed through its chest, leaving a gaping hole in its place.
"So, it can be pierced by only itself." Armand noted.
"Stupid machine!" Nega roared. "You insufferable piece of scrap!!"
"Hey, watch it, Nega." Armand laughed. "Machines have feelings, too."
"I've had enough of this!" Nega shouted furiously. The Nega-Geddon took off into the air, forming a cloud of dust in its wake. "I have grown tired of this endless squabble! The self-destruction sequence will eliminate everything within a fifty mile radius!"
"But' you'll kill yourself!" Armand exclaimed.
"Die, Armand the Tiger!!" Nega screamed, ignoring the feline.
The deranged scientist activated a secret sequence to the Nega-Geddon, which swiftly curled its limbs back into its body. The purple armor slowly simmered into a boiling red color as the heat of the atmosphere began to intensify. Armand was fruitlessly trying to activate his watch again, but knew it was useless when the device automatically recharged. The Nega-Geddon's armor reached a metallic-gold color and seemed ready to blow. Then all of a sudden, the heat died down and the machine returned to its standard violet shade. Eggman Nega seemed just as confused as Armand as the machine dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.
"What is the matter with this piece of junk?" Nega snarled.
Out of nowhere, a sky-blue claw ripped through the controls and expended to reveal Emil hiding behind the wires.
"This is what you would call an inside job." Emily smirked.
Nega raised his fist to punch the cheetah, but Armand appeared overhead and kicked the doctor in the forehead. As the round doctor tumbled into the grass, Armand began ripping away at the machine until there was a hole large enough for Emily to slip through. Eggman Nega decided it was the best time to slip away while the feline duo was distracted.
"Are you ok?" Armand asked.
"I've had better days." Emily moaned. "Hey, whatever happened to...?"
Suddenly a flash of light erupted out of the corner of their eyes. The felines dropped the ground and prepared themselves for battle when they were greeted by the most unusual sight. Silver, Sonic, and Shadow were watching Eggman Nega carefully as Metal Sonic cuffed his arms from behind. And if that wasn't unusual enough, a spinning white vortex could be seen in the background.
"This time, let's get him a parole officer that can do his job." Shadow glared.
"Hey, how was I supposed he built a paralysis gun out of wood and wires?!" Metal snapped.
"Hey, hey, calm down, guys." Silver said easily. "The point is; we've got Nega. That's all the matters."
"Uh...excuse me?" Armand spoke.
The reactions between them were equally scary and comical. Silver jumped frightfully into the air and bumped heads with Nega, who fell backwards onto Metal. At the same time, Shadow pulled a pistol and held Emily at gunpoint while Sonic somehow called laser daggers from a device on his wrist and held them to Armand's throat.
"All right, who are you?" Sonic questioned.
"What are you talking about?" Emily asked confused. "We fought on Eastern Island together during Hybrid's tournament, remember?"
"Uh..." Sonic hummed confused.
"You're talking to the wrong guy, Emily." Silver said, rubbing his forehead. "This Sonic is a clone of the original made two hundred years in the future."
"Two hundred years?" Armand repeated. "Wait a minute; you're all from the future, aren't you?"
"Yes, and I believe you are, too." Shadow said monotonously, finally removing his gun. "I think there is some record of your father in the achieves." He turned to Metal. "What are the records on Tobias the Tiger?"
"Tobias was recorded as the son of Leona and Travis the Tigers." Metal informed. "From historical records, we've learned that he had one genetic son and disappeared for unknown reasons."
"In other words, this guy is from the future like us." Sonic summarized, removing his blades.
"I've heard about this watch from Nega's reports." Shadow said, staring at the device. "Anyone from the past could use that object to take over the world in a matter of weeks. It's not safe in the present timeline."
"What are you going to do with it?" Armand questioned fearfully.
"We plan to take it back to the future." Shadow commanded firmly. "And you're coming with us."
"But I can't!" Armand exclaimed. "What about my friends, my home?!" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What about Emily?"
"Armand..." Emily spoke softly, taking his hand. "This is your chance to go back home to where you belong. You could learn about everything: you past, your family, and even what your father did. You can't pass up an opportunity like this."
"But what about you?" Armand asked desperately.
"Emily Leot." Metal said suddenly, causing the felines to jump. "Records show that she has a close relation with Lunar Leot, but is currently unknown. History states that her only known activity is participating in the first Ultimate World Tournament, but was defeated in the final eight. Afterwards, she disappeared forever."
"In other words, we have a loophole." Silver smirked.
"Precisely." Metal nodded.
"So, Emily can come with me?" Armand asked hopefully.
"Only if you promise to surrender the watch to government control." Shadow debated.
"That's all you really care about, isn't it?" Armand questioned; the other nodded. "Eh, fair enough."
"Well, Armand..." Emily smiled as the tiger surrendered his watch. "It looks like we'll have a bright future together."
"Please, no more pun." Armand groaned.
He found himself lying on the ground a moment later. Silver smiled nervously while Sonic II was in full-blown laughter. Metal pushed their prisoner into the white vortex behind them, which was expected to be a portal in time. Emily followed Shadow through while Sonic and Silver carried the whimpering tiger behind them. This proved to be their last appearance in the world as the time vortex vanished from sight.
Time is written in sand, not stone. What will become of Eggman Nega and the two heroes? Has their actions affected the course of history? And what has become of Ix during this time? Find out on the next Sonic Heroes!
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