Violet Dreams
Part II
Chapter 32: A Promise
"Never judge a man's actions until you know his motives."
Location: The Whitehouse
Violent gusts of wind smashed and pushed against all those who attempted to reach the presidential building. Mighty, Cream and Amy grunted as they ran against destructive wind, hiding behind overturned vehicles to avoid rolling debris. With his back pinned up against the underside of a taxi, Mighty sighed with annoyance and disappointment. He didn't understand why Crush would just let go of all her values and fight against him. Noticing his discouraged expression, Amy rested a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly to reassure him everything would be okay. Mighty returned the smile, and then nodded, turning his attention to the Whitehouse.
"I think Shadow is in there," Mighty explained, noticing the intense ruby glow coming from within the uppermost office. "And by the looks of things, shit's about to go crazy!"
"What's with this horrible weather?" Cream muttered, using her large ears to shield her from the heavy downpour.
Amy looked up at the hellish storm clouds, lightning shooting across the sky. "It's like the world's ending." Cream added, while Cheese nodded frantically in agreement.
Debris suddenly shot out from the Presidents office, forcing the trio to take hiding in an overturned car. A body rolled out of the smoke, spinning violently against the asphalt before bouncing upwards and onto a small shop. Another figure flashed through the air, a screaming mass of electrical energy flickering through the sky beside the figure. Bolts of Chaos Energy danced and jumped upwards from the impact on the tiny building, missing the target by just a hair. Shadow's ruby eyes darted to his left, as he immediately tore his hand from the concrete that formed the roof of the building in order to block a violent kick coming from his left. Rings of purple and black particles splashed out from the impact, and then exploded, throwing the dark hedgehog across the street and into an overturned eighteen wheeler. The trailer of the truck shot upwards, and then tumbled across the street.
Yelling in panic, the trio evacuated their cover just before the trailer of the transport truck ripped the car apart. Shadow landed atop of the wreckage, his breathing having become heavier. A purple portal parted upwards like an eye opening in split air, allowing Galaxy to walk through.
"We're no thieves, Shadow," he begun, his voice losing its calm tone. "Pioneers is what we are. Harbingers of a golden age of retribution and harmony. Every great nation must rise through the ashes of its fallen mother." Slowly, insanity began to show through; a menacing laughter lacing his words. "We'll use the gifts granted to us by the Gods to tame this wild world, and mold it into a perfect nation!"
"Someone sounds like they have a screw loose!"
A blue whirlwind burst between Shadow and Galaxy, pushing the cat backwards in order to break up the fight. The blue hero, Sonic, stood confidently at Shadow's side, helping the Ultimate Life Form stay on his feet. Sonic clutched the Chaos Emerald in his grasp, noticing three portals opening up beside the enemy standing before him. From within the portals, three cloaked figures made their way through, each carrying a Chaos Emerald. Then, Galaxy revealed two more from within his cloak.
"We'll return for those two later," Galaxy sneered, and disappeared with his comrades. "I can assure you that."
Helping Shadow down to the ground, Sonic noticed his team mates running up to them, as well as Rouge and Omega. The clouds in the air continued to thicken, creating a dark overcast sky. Sonic couldn't help but grin somewhat at being reunited with his friends for another adventure. He was really starting to wonder if this is what their lives were destined for! After giving Amy a reassuring hug, and Mighty a pat on the shoulder, the group turned to Shadow, who had started an extraction call to GUN.
"Team Dark ready for extraction," Shadow murmured into the communicator on his wrist. "First aid care is needed down here as well. Dispatch all Medic's and get this place cleaned up before those people come again."
"Roger that," came the voice on the other end, followed by static.
Rain poured down on the heroes, each one of them taking in the cryptic events that had taken place throughout the day. Shadow moved away a chunk of rubble, followed by a destroyed taxi, preparing a landing pad suitable for the GUN helicopter. From within the swirling, dark clouds came the grey and camouflage aircraft. Slowly it began it's descent, which at the same time Shadow walked up to the blue blur sternly, holding his hand out.
"In order to prevent those...crooks, from gaining anymore leverage." Shadow gripped the Chaos Emerald in the blue hero's grasp, "I'll be taking both the Chaos Emeralds and storing them somewhere safe."
With sharp retaliation, Sonic turned his attention down to the Emerald being pulled away from his possession. His grass green eyes quickly swept upwards, and with them his fist flew against Shadow's abdomen, causing the powerful gem to clatter to the ground. The dark hedgehog staggered backwards slightly, while the other gasped in shock. Sonic bent over and grabbed the gem once more, holding it tightly in his hand to ensure it's safety.
"You and I both know that if we don't have the extra fire power, we won't stand a fighting chance!" Sonic belted, finding it hard to stand from his injuries.
Wiping his mouth free of a small amount of blood and saliva, Shadow turned a glare towards the blue hero. "You truly are juvenile," he barked back.
Before Sonic could process what had happened, an agonizing pain shot throughout his body. Shadow's fist bolted against his face, and then another flew up against his chin. The blue hero stumbled backwards and onto his rear, pain shooting through his face from the consecutive hit. A shadow loomed over his body, a swift kick smashing into his chest and effectively knocking the blue hedgehog onto his back brutally. Shadow grasped the second Chaos Emerald once more, and moved towards his group, Rouge giving him a look of concern.
"Shadow!" Amy hollered, running up to him in anger. "What do you think you're doing?"
Pulling free from her grip on his arm, Shadow continued towards the latter that had just dropped. "If any of you want to see the light of another day, stay out of my way."
Remaining quiet, both Rouge and Omega followed suit, and before long Team Dark disappeared into the air. Meanwhile, the group of bewildered heroes watched on, unsure of what to say. Sonic grunted, and stood up, a pained frown playing his features as he watched the GUN aircraft fly into the distance. With everything coming into play so quickly, Sonic began to wonder if they were ready for what was to come.
"Now what?" Mighty piped up, wiping the rain water off of his forehead. "There's not much else to do here."
Slowly GUN vehicles begun to fill the streets, aiding civilians and helping with clearing the streets. Humvee's pulled up to the Whitehouse, as floods of soldiers rushed in to ensure the safety of the President. Soon, static played through Sonic's wrist communicator, followed by Tails voice.
"Hey, are you guys okay?"
Sonic looked at the blinking dot on the radar, showing Tails draw closer. "Yeah, we're all good over here, buddy," Sonic replied quietly. "We're all a bit beat up, though. I think we need to regroup and head back until we figure something out."
"Good idea, Sonic," Tails acknowledged. "I think I've found out where they have Professor Pickle, as well!"
The Tornado burst through the heavy clouds, and descended down to retrieve the heroes. Sonic quirked a brow, noticing Knuckles absent from the passenger seat.
"Where's Knux?" Sonic commented in confusion.
"I gave him the coordinates to Professor Pickle, because if I'm correct they're also storing the Master Emerald with him. Besides, he seemed a bit desperate to do something," Tails explained, jumping out of the plane.
"Let's hurry, then!" Amy exclaimed, with an enthusiastic nod from Cream. The duo quickly jumped into the biplane, followed by Mighty on the wing.
"I'll load the coordinates to your communicator, Sonic." Tails nodded with a grin. "Knuckles should just be arriving, so we have to hurry!"
Pulling a long cord from the interface of his plane, Tails plugged the small end into the communicator wrapped around Sonic's wrist. A loading bar popped onto the small screen, as a percentage followed. Waiting only briefly, the loading process completed, and Tails resumed his place in the pilots seat, ready to go. Stretching his legs momentarily, Sonic jumped back up, and after shedding a glance to make sure the President was safe, he gave a nod showing he was ready to his brother.
"Ready when you are, pal," Sonic exclaimed. I'm not sure how much more of a beating I can take, though. I haven't had any time to recover in the last day, and it's starting to take a toll on my body.
Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Sonic ignored the aching throughout his body. The Tornado began to hover into the air with the use of its newly acquired thrusters, and as Sonic launched off through the city streets, the Tornado followed behind in the sky. Despite the rainy conditions, Sonic could feel a victory in the cards for him and the others.
Location: Capital Mountain Range, Outskirts of Capital City
Five figures trudged through the deep snow, while the largest of which carried a capsule like object on his shoulder. Leading the group, an eerily quiet figure remained roughly five paces in front. Luminous red eyes watched the path ahead, as it wound through the thick evergreen trees and alongside the side of the mountain. A heavy sigh sounded from a figure following up the rear, his winding, bouncing tail starting to droop as he walked. Finally, a sigh came from the man at the back of the group.
"Are we there yet?" Hurricane groaned and stretched his arms. "Boss never said it'd be this long of a walk!"
"We've barely been walking for ten minutes, you damn primate," Athana growled from beside Gaia.
"Who let you in, anyways?" Hurricane snapped back. "Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?"
Athana twirled around angrily, at the same time throwing a fist into the monkey's face. "Say that again, why don'tcha!"
Snow kicked up from the struggling primate, his hands clutching his face in pain. After regaining his balance, Hurricane slouched over, groaning in pain from the powerful blow to his face. Blood leaked down between his gloves, as it dripped onto the white snow. Paying no attention to their quarrelling team mates, the group continued upwards, leaving Athana and Hurricane to their own. Stepping forward viciously, the young fighter gripped Hurricane by the collar of his cloak, pushing him up against a tree.
"Not so tough now, huh?" She snarled. "Since the leader isn't here for you to run to for safety, who's to say I won't just kill ya'?"
Hurricane choked against the abnormally powerful grip being demonstrated by the small girl, his legs kicking as he gasped for air. As her fingers pressed tighter around the monkey's airway, a flash of electricity split the two up, as a barrier of lightning expanded between them. Hurricane yelped as the force of the barrier snapped the tree he was against, sending him tumbling to the ground amidst the chipped lumber. Meanwhile, Athana slid backwards through the snow, her cloak ripping up slightly from the intense heat of the attack. As the light died down, Surge stood straight, casually pulling his hood back up to conceal his face.
"We're all team mates," he spoke up with a slight yawn. "So let's start acting like it, huh?"
Scoffing, Athana spun around and stomped up the pathway. "Yeah, whatever."
Shaking his head briefly, the electrical gifted lion turned around to his astonished ally. With a gentle smile, Surge stepped over a few large chunks of wood and offered the monkey a hand. Quietly, Hurricane took the help, and stood to his feet whilst brushing the debris from his cloak. The two males quickly regained their positions with the group after a brief jog, the same silence taking over once again. However, the group finally came to a stop in front of a massive wall. The clearing was roughly the size of a baseball diamond, with a few stumps scattered within. Snow fell all around them, as Gaia set down the capsule. From within, the muffled yelling of Professor Pickle sounded through the quiet air. The quiet figure bearing the luminous red eyes delivered a swift blow to the capsule, his powerful hand denting the wooden exterior.
"Now what?" Surge spoke up, taking a seat on a relatively longer stump sticking out of the ground.
"Someone's following us," the yet to be revealed figure notified, electricity dancing around his clawed hands.
From behind a cluster of toppling trees, Knuckles swallowed to ensure his heart beat remained calm. He had hoped no one would notice the branch he stepped on, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Peering through the shrubbery, the Guardian noticed the quintuplet each turned the opposite way, with Professor Pickle in the middle. He immediately recognized Surge, however the others he hadn't seen before.
"The big one seems to be the powerhouse," Knuckles thought to himself. "But the energy readings coming off of the smallest one are phenomenal! But why can't I get anything from the leader of the group?"
"If you want to live, show yourself," the crimson eyed figure stated monotonously.
Remaining quiet, Knuckles proceeded forwards as quietly as possible. Snow fell gently to the ground around him, as he crouched past a cluster of trees which shrouded his whereabouts. If he could just land one powerful surprise attack he could free the Professor and find somewhere safe until they retreated to their base. Then, he could wait for Sonic and the others to come, and snatch the Master Emerald. His jade eyes scanned across the group once more, noticing the smaller figure turned in his direction. Immediately he caught his breath and stopped moving as she begun walking in his direction.
His heart started pounding against his chest.
A branch suddenly snapped in the opposite direction, grabbing the attention of the group, allowing him more time.
Knuckles let out his breath slowly, and resumed his trek through the trees. He definitely was not cut out for this! Snow continued to fall, coating his red fur with patches of fluffy white. Like a predator, Knuckles continued through the trees, closer and closer to the group. Fiery chaos energy had begun charging in his fists, melting the snow around him into puddles. The Guardian closed his eyes once more and took in another breath to calm his heart, then, begun his assault.
Punching his fist through the opening between two trees, Knuckles released five flaming balls of Chaos Energy. The attacks shot through the bush, striking Athana and Gaia both. The young girl quickly flipped through the air rebounded off a tree, as Gaia slid through it. With a grunt, the Guardian lunged into the open, unleashing a ferocious barrage of flaming punches into the rock solid body of the unknown figure. Metallic clanks echoed throughout the forest as a vortex of flame shot outwards from Knuckles body, pushing the remaining four figures backwards.
"Guard the hostage!" Hurricane barked, as he stumbled out of a cluster of broken trees.
Knuckles spiralled up through the air, slinging his fist upwards at the same time. His flaming namesakes struck the crimson eyed figure, shooting him up into the air. The Guardian jumped off the ground quickly, and reeled back his flaming arm, ready to deliver the final blow. A victorious smirk crawled across Knuckles' face, as his eyes met with the emotionless eyes of his target just as he smashed his fist into the figure. A field of flame spread out from the impact, launching the being through the air and into the rock wall. Another metallic clang echoed throughout the clearing, as the cloaked figure fell to the ground.
"Get rid of him before he gets to the hostage," the recovering figure spoke up viciously as he stood back up.
From the trees, Athana jumped up into the air towards the descending Knuckles, her fist drawn back and glowing with a yellow light. With a heavy grunt, the Guardian slung his arms upwards to guard his face, just as the girls fist slammed into him.
Pain like he had never felt before rippled throughout his body. His bones creaked and shook from the blow. The golden energy charged in her fist exploded outwards, launching Knuckles down into the ground. The scarlet echidna bounced off the snowy forest floor violently, and smashed into a cluster of trees. The creaking and snapping of branches echoed amidst the scurrying of footsteps as the other three figures raced to action.
"Guess I'm going to have to step it up a little bit!" Knuckles muttered, as he wiped the blood from his lip.
The echidna quickly scrambled back to his feet, as blue electricity-like energy began to sparkle around his right hand. Three quick blows shot towards his head. However, Knuckles quickly ducked below the first, and knocked away the other two kicks from Hurricane. Knuckles then thrust his fist upwards in an uppercut, knocking the monkey away, and allowing him a path towards the capsule. Thicker orbs of blue electricity spun around his hand now, as Gaia stomped into view, his arms enlarging into two thick shields of rock. Rock shot upwards as the shield connected to the ground, creating a wall of thick rock nearly ten feet high. The rock quickly began to spread around the capsule, as Knuckles raised his hand upwards as if he were throwing a spear.
"Confident are we?" Knuckles smirked.
The scarlet Guardian lunged forwards in one step, while an arrow of white electricity shot out from his palm like a javelin. A crack of thunder tore through the quiet air, as a sizzling hole opened up in the rock shield. Knuckles then roared and heaved his whole being forwards, a gigantic spear of lightning escaping his hand in a flash. Light filled the clearing, blinding everyone within it from the dazzling display of power. As the light cleared, electricity danced off the charred grass, the snow now puddles of water. Knuckles made his way to Gaia, who had now been pinned to the rock wall with a tree branch from the explosion of electricity.
"I believe you have something of mine," Knuckles spoke up calmly, smoke rising up from his charred hand.
Tears flowed down along Gaia's cheeks. White hot pain shot through his entire body as struggled against the chunk of lumber pinning him up against the wall.
"Where's the Master Emerald?"
Footsteps sounded behind Knuckles, and despite is vicious display of power, he was once again outnumbered. From within the group, Surge walked up towards the echidna, a casual smile on his face as he pulled his hood down.
"You really are desperate to get that gem back, huh?" the lion commented calmly. In the background, Gaia continued weeping from the pain, blooding dripping onto the snow. "But do you really think you stand a chance against all of us?"
Water splashed from the movement of the remaining four members, as they closed in on Knuckles. The echidna turned around to face them, undaunted by the numbers.
"If it were just me, I wouldn't stand a chance," he explained, as a shadow appeared above them all. "But lucky for me I have backup."
Location: GUN Central HQ, United Federations
The wind blew gently across the top of the mountain range surrounding the bustling metropolis built solely for the military. Flashing lights filled the sky from the various security mechanisms, and clangs of machinery echoed throughout the valley. If they wanted to retaliate, then so be it. He would bring the fight to them, if they so wanted. Galaxy sat quietly on a log, the grass atop the cliffs-edge swayed gently by his feet. The royal soldier held a small, glowing sphere within his hand tightly. Rings of purple and gold light radiated off of the small object, as small black sparkles fluttered upwards. Slowly the orb began to sink into his palm, the same black specs beginning to rise off his body now.
It begun now. This meant war.
Standing up from his seat, Galaxy walked to the edge of the cliff, grinning sadistically as the screams of all terrified soldiers played through his head. He could just imagined the bloodshed. The thought of the massacre gave him shivers, making it almost unbearable to stand there any longer. His index finger twitched with anticipation.
No, he had to be patient. He had to strike at the precise moment their security became weakest.
Watching like a God over creation, he calculated his exact point of entry. He'd start from the inside out. It'd be a silent kill. No.
He wanted, needed, to hear them scream for mercy. But he'd hold it from them, and watch them all die at his hands.
The clouds in the sky had finally cleared, causing the wind to calm down as well. Illuminating the entire valley, the silver moon hung quietly in the sky, surrounded by billions upon billions of twinkling stars. One day, those would all be unified under the King as well. He knew this because their plan was flawless. Galaxy grinned much wider now, and tightened his fists so quickly his knuckles cracked.
It was time.
Silently, he walked forwards, a portal opening up like an eye into another dimension. His tail swished left to right as he entered the gateway, his tail last to penetrate through to the swirling mass of light on the other side. As it closed, the alarms throughout the base sounded like trumpets of the angels.
Victory would be claimed tonight.
"A nation built upon a lie can only crumble." ~ Abraham Towers – GUN Commander, 2001
To Be Continued
Authors Note~ Sorry for the extremely long wait everyone! Leave your comments, theories and tips in a review!