SONIC HEROES: THE SERIES
Gemini, Corrupt © DarkspineSilver92
Rodrigo © Kiba Sniper
Chapter Eighty-Four: Gambling Fate
The scene opens to the largest gambling center in the world: Casinopolis. While the lights and sounds attracted a new horde of suckers to lose their money, a particular group did not seem interested. Rector, along with Hybrid and Howl, were sitting outside the main office of one of the most prestigious casinos, waiting for their chance. Howl and Hybrid seemed calm and collected during the wait, but Rector, if anything, looked more irritable than usual.
"I can't believe we're here." Rector grumbled. "If that stuck-up, spoiled brat..."
"Rector, you need to remain calm." Howl said soothingly. "I know you don't like coming to your cousin for this situation, but it is necessary."
"I can't believe I have to ask money from Gemini, of all people." Rector scowled.
"Team Virtex needs money if we're expected to get by this month." Hybrid explained calmly. "Besides, I thought you and your cousin made up back on Eastern Island. I'm sure he would be happy to help."
"You don't know Gemini like I do." Rector hissed indigently. "My aunt and uncle have never shown charity to anyone, not even to their family. My dad asked his brother for a loan and he called security on him. Gemini is the same way. He's never given anything to those less fortunate."
"Well, maybe he's changed." Hybrid suggested.
At that moment, a voluptuous vixen, who was supposed to be Gemini's secretary, told them that they were allowed to see him now. Rector could only think of two reasons why his cousin hired her. Shake his head of the thoughts, Rector followed his team through the door into Gemini's office. The hedgehog himself was sitting behind his appointed desk with his feet propped on the furniture, apparently enjoying the view of the team's entrance. He waved for the vixen to leave them, who bowed outwards before shutting the door behind them.
"Well, well, well..." Gemini said amusingly. "If it isn't my cousin and his trusty team. To what do I owe the honor of this unexpected visit."
"Team Virtex is suffering from a financial crisis." Hybrid explained; Rector was suddenly interested in the wall. "We have tried advertising Team Virtex Mercenary Corporation for some time now, but the results have been...lacking. With a short supply of job listing and six people to care for, it would be very helpful if..."
"I lend you some money." Gemini interjected.
"Just as a loan." Howl stated. "We are hoping to some publicity by joining the Sonic Heroes on a few missions. But until then, we need a little money for our needs.
"That's sounds like a good cause." Gemini smirked victoriously. "Unfortunately, my family didn't make this far by being stupid. If you want the money, you'll have to get it yourself. Might I suggest taking a trip to the casino downstairs? I bet you three would have a great time at the slots."
"We're not here to gamble, Gemini!" Rector snapped. Se slamming his fist on the desk, forming a pair of dents in the wood. "Our team needs that money! We have two children and a woman with a poor education that is unable to find a job!" He calmed his nerves; his breathing was harsh and heavy. "Please, Gemini, we need your help. I can't think of anyone else to turn to."
"That's not my problem, Rector." Gemini replied coolly, turning in his chair. "You can leave now."
Shifting a glare back at his companions, the ruby hedgehog turned on his heels and stomped out of the office. After several uneventful hours, night had finally fallen over Casinopolis, but no one could ever tell the difference. The luminescent signs always filled the air, making the day seem eternal – Gemini always hated that about the city. The dark hedgehog sat restlessly in his office with a stack of papers piled high on his desk by the vixen secretary.
"Ugh, more paperwork?" Gemini groaned. "What's the point of have a secretary if they can't do the work for you?"
"This is your company, meaning it's your responsibility." The vixen huffed. "Honestly, how did you manage to keep this place up after all these years?"
"I had a good secretary." Gemini replied, earning him a bump on the head. "Yow! That's coming out of your pay!"
"Well, I'm done for the night." The vixen stated as she exited the room. "I expect that report done by tomorrow morning."
"Whatever." Gemini shrugged.
The vixen glared at the hedgehog's backside before closing the door with a snap. Gemini sighed and turned off the lights in the office, allowing the room to be filled with the pale combination of the neon signs and moon. The dark hedgehog groaned, resting his head against the polished surface of his desk. This mind was wrapped around what had occurred moments ago – Rector's words still echoed through his thoughts. They had two children to look over, a 4000 year-old woman with a remedial education, and a lack of work ethic. For some reason, he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Was he feeling guilty?
"That's ridiculous." Gemini muttered to himself. "What should I have to feel guilty about?"
"You turned you back on your family."
"So?" Gemini grumbled. "My family abandoned me when I was just a helpless infant. If it wasn't for Naga, I would probably still be in the orphanage without any clue of where I come from."
"But you know the truth. You know you care for them."
"I..." Gemini stammered before sighing in defeat. "I guess that is true. I might not have a high opinion on Rector, but those kids don't deserve the same fate I had to suffer through." He smiled lightly and raised his head. "Wow, I didn't think a voice in my head would help clear things up."
"Who says it's in your head?"
At that point, Gemini snapped his head up and unfortunately found himself face-to-face with Orion the Hedgehog. Something in his arm seemed to remember their last encounter. Before Gemini could have the opportunity to stand up, Orion tapped a red ring on his belt – his fur transformed to the same color. The evil counterpart thrusted out his palm and released a fireball that slammed into Gemini's chest and through the glass window behind them. With glass particles surrounding him, the hedgehog warrior dropped through fifty stories towards the ground. However, before he could hit the concrete, Orion tapped a white ring on his belt – his fur turning the same color – and waved his hand across the air. All of a sudden, the wind kicked up and shot Gemini through casino window, scattering the audience.
"Ugh..." Gemini groaned, rubbing his pulsating forehead. "That is going to leave a mark."
"And I've only just started."
Gemini jumped sideways when he found Orion standing next to him – his fur was a deep shade of crimson. The dark copy twisted his body around and slammed his fist to the ground, forming a massive crater in the floor. However, he soon discovered he had missed his target when he found his fist between two Geminis. The doppelgangers grinned and kicked their feet at the dark twin, who unfortunately came prepared. Quick as a flash, the malevolent spirit tapped a ring on his belt and watched as his fur turned a deep shade of grey. The Gemini twins connected with Orion's chest, only to be pushed backwards by what felt like a wall of iron. And to make matters worse, the evil counterpart held out his arm and released a series of metallic spikes from his wrist. With a short yelp, the twin Gemini fused back into a single entity just as the lethal spikes stabbed at the wall around him.
"Seriously, where is this guy getting these powers?" Gemini panted.
"You want to know my secret, do you?" Orion grinned, pressing his foot over his counterpart's chest. "I could reveal my secrets, but then I would lower my standards to equal imbecilic fools such as Eggman."
"But then you wouldn't be a quality villain." Gemini said pointedly.
"Very true." Orion nodded. "I guess I could tell you the secret."
Gemini had obviously hoped to catch his dark side off guard while he was busy explaining, but ultimately failed. When the replicating hedgehog lunged for his vile copy, Orion swiped his fist and nailed Gemini in the cheek. The force of the attack shot Gemini through a row of slot machines and landed on a roulette table – he nearly swallowed the ball. As Orion slowly approached the target, he revealed a secret ring that he kept hidden in his quills. It was a special object with a multiple of colors all twisted together. And by absorbing the ring's power, Orion's fur flashed in an assortment of colors.
"Whoa, nice light show." Gemini joked.
"I had hoped you would enjoy it." Orion sneered. He grasped Gemini's throat, who felt suddenly weak upon connection. "This is a very special ring: absorption. I started with this ring and stole the lives of a million warriors. And from them, I transferred their powers into the rings and used them for myself."
"So you're a thief?" Gemini gasped.
"In a way, yes." Orion hissed.
The evil thief renewed his grip on his counterpart's throat, advancing the process of his ring power. Gemini stretched his arm for anything he could use as a weapon, but the closest he could come to was a deck of cards. The replicating hedgehog seemed to be on his last tether for life once his body slowly started to whither along with his powers. But at the last minute, a blur of grey dashed between them and ultimately separated the connection – the weakened Gemini dropped to the ground. Orion hissed at the scar presented on his hand and looked over as Howl sheathed his sword. The vile doppelganger sighed irritably and tapped his grey ring. Wrong move. A moment later, a flash of electricity escaped from the florescent lights and culminated around Orion's metallic body. Tired and weak, Orion was left defenseless as Rector jumped in on the scene and slammed his fist into the hedgehog's face, sending him crashing into the slots.
"He was right." Hybrid chuckled. "We would have a great time in the slots."
"Are you well?" Howl asked while kneeling to Gemini.
"Do I look well to you?!" Gemini snapped in an aged voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you left hours ago."
"We weren't going to leave without our money." Rector stated coldly. "Unlike you, we have friends to care for and we weren't going to leave without it."
"But why...?"
"We're not here to save you out of charity." Hybrid proclaimed. "For saving you're life, we're going to have to charge you. And we don't come cheap."
"Such an absurd notion." Orion grunted, pushing off the mounds of silver coins. "You actually believe you stand a chance against my powers?"
"That the big idea." Howl nodded.
Orion seemed far from amused. Tapping a ring – his fur turned light-blue – the evil counterpart dashed between the team at speeds equal to Sonic. As he came around for another cycle, Rector pulled back his fist and nailed the hedgehog in the stomach with accurate precision. He was glad for using Sonic as a punching bag. While twisting in midair, Orion tapped a ring on his belt – his fur turned gold – and transformed into a leopard. The transformed clone rebounded off one of the roulette tables and pounced after Rector, only to be intercepted by Howl. The master of bushido crouched lower to the ground with one hand on his sword handle and the other held forward in perfect stance. After allowing Orion to reach a few inches closer, he struck.
"Strike of Bushido: Air Cutter!" Howl roared.
Before Orion knew what happened, Howl skipped off the ground, withdrew his swords and spiraled into a whirlwind. The hedgehog-leopard was caught in the vortex of the attack while being hurtled back and forth with multiple slashes appearing through his body. And the end of the assault, Howl landed with his sword enclosed and in its sheath with Orion falling towards the floor – his body returned to its normal form.
"You filthy mongrels!" Orion roared. He tapped a yellow ring with his fur following. "Just forfeit already!"
"Sorry, but we've never been ones to surrender." Hybrid smirked.
Hissing from frustration, the dark copy thrusted his fists forward and expelled a stream of lighting. Unfortunately, he had clearly forgotten about their last encounter. Hybrid remained still and allowed the electricity to absorb into his body. Satisfied by Orion's shocked state, the mixed hedgehog shot out his own wave of electricity. The electrical surge formed a javelin in Orion's chest and sent him crashing through the wall and into the streets. The crowd gasped and stepped backwards as the dark doppelganger emerged from the pile of rubble. Orion seemed seriously annoyed for a moment before noticing his surroundings – a wicked grin form on his face.
"Are you ready to give up yet?" Rector scowled with his team following him outside.
"Actually, it will be you who should surrender." Orion chuckled.
"And why is that?" Howl asked confused.
"Look around you." Orion smirked, flourishing his arms to the surrounding street. "Thousands of people inhabit this city. There are numerous chances for and 'accident' to happen. And it wouldn't be too hard for me to help speed up those accidents."
"You can't do that!" Hybrid exclaimed. "You're endangering the lives of millions."
"And I don't care." Orion said coolly. "Hand over the greedy rodent and I will leave in peace."
"What should we do, Rector?" Howl whispered.
But the leader of Team Virtex gave no response. In his own opinion, he was just as torn as the others were. It was true that he couldn't stand his cousin, but even he wouldn't willingly surrender is family. But there were the lives of over a million people hanging in the balance. What could he do? But before he could come to a decision, a pair of skeletal arms wrapped around Orion's neck and chest. It took only moments for them to realize that Gemini had forced himself outside and behind his dark counterpart.
"What are you...?" Orion struggled.
"Gemini, you idiot!" Rector exclaimed. "Get out of there before he kills you!"
"I have to end this..." Gemini panted heavily.
"But..."
"Rector..." Gemini murmured softly. "Though you forgave me for killing your mother, I never forgave myself. And because of that, this freak of nature was born. He is the darkness that always inhabited my heart. He is the hatred and envy that I harbored for you. It was because...I always wanted to be like you, Rector."
"But I don't understand." Rector scowled. "You have everything you want. Power, money, everything."
"But not a family that loves and cares for me." Orion replied. "That is why I was jealous of you, Rector. You had parents that risked their lives for you, a sister that loves you, and friends you can always depend on. I never had those things."
"And it's a wonder why." Orion said sarcastically.
"But for what it's worth," Gemini smiled lightly. "I always admired your strength, Rector."
Without warning, Gemini released Orion from his grip and reach into his counterpart's quills. When the dark hedgehog turned, he discovered the weakened warrior holding the rainbow ring. As Orion moved to stop him, it was too late as Gemini smashed the ring across the ground. The fragmented pieces exploded into a ray of light.
"Does it hurt down here?" Hybrid asked.
"I don't know." Gemini answered. "I can't feel a thing."
The scene had alternated to Gemini's office the day after Orion mysteriously vanished. No one knew what had happened after Gemini had smashed the ring, but he had somehow been able to recall the powers of darkness again. But afterwards, Gemini suddenly lost all feeling in his legs. Howl and Rector lifted him back into his office and set him in his chair as Hybrid began to perform various experiments. The mixed hedgehog released numerous sparks throughout Gemini's body, but found that he couldn't feel anything below his waist. After sending static through the hedgehog's ankle, Hybrid stood up with a calculative look.
"I'm not Raine or anything," Hybrid said slowly. "But I believe you are permanently paralyzed from the waist down."
"What?!" Gemini exclaimed. "How did that happen?!"
"I have a theory." Howl said. "By smashing the ring, you unintentionally absorbed Orion's essence back into your body. But the overload of power backlash and destroyed the nerves in your legs. Or, that's at least my belief."
"That's just perfect." Gemini groaned.
"I am sorry for your loss, Gemini." Rector said in a business-like manner. "But you still have other things to occupy your time. But in the meantime, I was hoping to talk to you about our fee."
"I have no intention of paying you." Gemini said shortly.
"What?!" Rector roared. "After everything we did for you?! You selfish, ungrateful..."
"You didn't let me finish." Gemini said calmly. "I won't pay for your expenses, you will." He chuckled at their confused expression. "I have recently decided to go into an investment. I have decided to become the benefactor of Team Virtex. Even now, my company is spreading word about Team Virtex and their business. You should be load with odd jobs."
"We'll be able to pay off food and mortgage!" Hybrid exclaimed happily.
"Thank you, Gemini." Rector whispered proudly.
"I owe you a lot of things, Rector." Gemini smiled. "Just consider this a down payment."
The ruby hedgehog nodded and turned to the rest of his team. With a silent command, Team Virtex left the office without a word. Now Gemini was board in his office with nothing to do. He actually considered doing his paperwork until his vixen secretary entered the room. As he walked around his desk, Gemini felt a little mischievous and gave a small tap on her backside
It's good he can't feel anything.
Meanwhile, the scene alternates to a cavernous corridor hidden in an unknown location. Illuminated by the glow of candles, Naga sat at his chair with his serpentine partner, Nagini, slithering around his legs. Kai and his newest servants, Corrupt and Rodrigo, bowed to the snake master in respect.
"What has happened to Orion?" Naga questioned.
"He did well up to the point where he let his arrogance interfere." Kai reported. "Team Virtex got in his way and Gemini found his hidden weakness. Orion was ultimately defeated in this final confrontation."
"How unfortunate." Naga said indifferently.
"What do we do now, my lord?" Corrupt asked obediently. "Shall we take over for Orion?"
"I had never intended for Orion to finish his end." Naga proclaimed. "He was no longer of value to me, so I had him properly disposed of." His eyes flashed between Rodrigo and Corrupt. "But sure make yourselves as useful as possible."
"Are we still going forward with the plan?" Rodrigo asked, shivering slightly.
"Nothing will interfere with the Solar Eclipse." Naga hissed, waving his hand to the trio. "Now leave me."
The three warriors nodded respectfully and walked out of the room, leaving Naga alone with his companion. Nagini slithered over her master's shoulder and retched something from her thing throat. It was a ring similar to the one Orion used, but entirely black. Then for one moment, the ring glowed.
"Ugh, my lord?" Orion voice echoed. "What happened? Where is Gemini?"
"As expected, you failed me, Orion." Naga glared. "I managed to save a small piece of your essence and transfer it to this ring."
"I will not fail again, my lord." Orion swore. "I promise, I will destroy Gemini next time."
"You won't be seeing Gemini again." Naga stated. "As a matter of fact, you won't be seeing much of anything."
"My lord?" Orion said confused.
"I have no need for someone who cannot do their job properly." Naga hissed. "You powers will become an asset to me in the distant future, but they present nothing of value at the current time. Hen it is necessary, I will call upon the last remains of your strength and add it to my own power."
"My lord, you can't do this!!" Orion shouted fretfully.
"I can do whatever I desire." Naga chuckled malevolently.
And before Orion could respond, Nagini stabbed her head forward and swallowed the ring once more.
Two souls come together and peace is visible. What will become of Team Virtex with the help of their new benefactor? How will Naga make use of Orion's powers? And what is to be expected on the Solar Eclipse? Find out on the next Sonic Heroes!
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