Atomic Outpost: Power Struggle

"I know your simple present-time hedgehog mind probably can't comprehend what's happening to this country. So I'll explain it in a way you can understand." The grey hedgehog dropped his ammunition and pointed toward a pool of liquid below them. It was another chamber. But this one was open for anyone to fall and drown in…At least that's what Sonic thought would happen.

"Hey, wait a sec. I see where you're going with this Silver…" the gleam in Sonic's eyes returned.

Oh no, Sonic thought, I have to fight these mood swings!

"Yeah." Silver continued, "Looks like loads of other test are here in the Air Labs. But I still can't find the Arma project and I've been to three other ports already…What's in that room?"

Sonic looked behind him as his gleam faded away, "Oh that. That's a different project in there too."

"Is it dark purple and look like a large spiral?" Silver asked longingly.

"Sorry, slow-mo. That's not the case at all."

Silver shouted and punched a large monitor on the wall, which made a lot of sparks fly, "I'll never find it. And those G.U.N. soldiers just wasted more of my time!" Silver looks towards Sonic, "And you were sent to help them capture me, weren't you?"

Sonic wanted to say no. But the split-sense that had been bothering him for the past three days had other plans in mind, "So what if I was. You're gonna get mad at me because you can't achieve your dumbass "Dream of an Absolution" and everything can't be as perfect as you want it to be?"

Silver looked at Sonic in anger, "What did you say, you dirty rat?"

Sonic's split-sense continued, "'Oh, I'm Silver and I dedicate this cheesy techno song to my friend who I hope likes me the same way I like her. But if she doesn't, I might just kill myself!' Oh boo-hoo! Get a life!" Sonic came back to his senses. Realizing that a) that mood swing lasted a lot longer than any of the others. And b) Silver might just tear his face off.

Silver's gloves glared green and he slightly levitated in the air, "This is the protectorate of the future, you fool! And now, for your insolence; yours will be stripped away!" Silver disappeared into thin air.

"Derrick must be having a ball…" Sonic stated as he looked around for Silver.

All of a sudden the gray hedgehog appeared right in front of Sonic and pushed him through the doors he came out of, including the elevator.

Sonic flew out the glass and out toward the port he came from. Only he was hundreds of feet above it. Silver soon followed and threw objects including pipes, rail pieces or anything else he could grab onto while they were up there.

"If your gonna be a psychokinetic; you could at least be a good one." Sonic said, sounding a bit more like his childish self.

"Shut up!" Silver said as he threw a metal pipe at Sonic, hitting him across his abdomen. That got the Geddon project pumping through his veins.

Sonic held out a single hand toward the gray hedgehog.

Silver looked toward him confused as he threw a random crate Sonic's way. Just then, Sonic shot a stream of rage energy toward the crate and Silver.

Silver was knocked out of his skydive toward the left side of the port and down to the earth below.

As Sonic landed right on his feet, four figures walked over toward the edge of the port, where Silver flew past. The two new figures were a purple cat with a ruby on her head and a royal purple vest and white pants; and an orange raccoon with an orange shirt and white short, next to a black Mech a lot like Tails'.

The purple cat spoke up as she walked toward Sonic, "What the heck was that for? That's my boyfriend you just shot off the edge of this laboratory! Or do you not know what a relationship is really like, Mr. supersonic playboy?"

Sonic rolled his eyes, "You know, a person who CLAIMS they don't like someone anymore, tends to stop complaining about it after three weeks, Blaze."

"You think this is about you breaking up with me—I mean, me breaking up with you?" Blaze asked, "Oh no, sir. This has nothing to do with you. I want to know why my boyfriend is heading toward the Knotholean Forest in a downward spiral!"

"He has a nice form, y'know." the raccoon said with a British accent as she Sally and Tails continued staring over the edge.

"Forget it, Marine." said Blaze as she walked toward the edge of the platform, "We need to catch up with Silver to make sure he's alright." She looks over at Sonic, "As for you…I hope the Knotholeans lock you up…"

With that, Blaze jumped over the edge. Marine shook Tails' hand.

"Thanks for fixing my Mech, mate." Marine said, "I hope it doesn't catch fire again."

"Me neither!" said Tails as Marine hopped inside of it; "It would be mighty lonesome without you, Aqua."

"Aw, thank you!" the Mech hovered over the edge after Blaze, and disappeared into the disappearing fog.

"Aqua?" Sally asked Tails as he blushed slightly.

"Yeah." said Tails, "As you may have noticed; she's almost as tall as me now. I do love her. But something tells me that she deserves more..."

"So that's why you've been letting a lot of stuff go. Like the thing with your real name and—"

"Hello!" Sonic said lying in a bored position, "We need to get going!"

Sally scoffed, "Just for once can't you just slow down for SOMETHING!?"

"It's okay," said Tails, "This might be important. What's up, Sonic?"

"I've found out where Ian Derrick is based!"

"Really!?" said Sally and Tails in unison, "Where!?"

"In the Asian Community…" Sonic's gleam reappeared for a quick second and disappeared instantly.

"The Asian Community? Are you sure?" Tails asked.

Sonic wasn't SURE if he was sure or not. He had just read up on Derrick a couple of hours ago. The photographic memory of the bio page had Asian Community…but was that what he saw…or what Derrick wanted him to see. But Sonic wasn't one to question his instincts.

"Yep, I'm sure of it." Sonic tossed the water Chaos Emerald toward Tails, "Will that be a good enough power source?"

"Uh, sure!" Tails said surprised and amazed. Tails took the emerald and put it into a drive mechanism on the back of the Mech as Sonic and Sally held on to the two harnesses on both sides of it.

Tails jumped in, flipped a dial and in no time at all; the Mech was airborne, "Next stop, Knothole Asian Community!"

Sonic and Sally cheered as Tails flew into the Mech and hovered toward the end of the port, opposite to the side Silver and his friends left.

Sonic looked down toward the fogged sky as Tails and Sally fell asleep. At the rate they were going, it would be a few hours before they got to the city. Sonic just hoped that Derrick was there…or some sort of clue that he was close to ending this nightmare…