Chapter 2: Chemical Action
Somewhere, in a mountainous region of Westside Island, a bright, vivid, technologically advanced city stands, boasting buildings that nearly reach the clouds in the sky. The place is filled with flying vehicles going from place to place, large guns manned by Badniks, tube-shaped transport tunnels made of see-through material and factories with smokestacks protuding jet black fumes. Doctor Robotnik and his minions are flying through this city right now in three hovering vehicles.
"Five seconds, Lord Robotnik." said Turbo, flying his master's vehicle through a transport tunnel.
"Yohoho!" Robotnik laughed, sitting next to Turbo and Rockbottom. "What a good morning, indeed. Launched a full frontal assault, snagged a valuable device and came home closer to my goals than ever before."
As Robotnik reminisced about his day, his hovering vehicle passed through the tunnel and a series of giant, automated doors, along with the other two vehicles trailing behind it, piloted by Ball Hog and Clucker, respectively. After the last door, they arrived at a landing site, setting the vehicles on top of a big, circular pad.
"Whenever i'm away on business, I do miss the beautiful sites of Metropolis." Robotnik stated, fondly. "Everyone, join me in my laboratory." He jumped out of his vehicle, to be greeted by two orange, tall, humanoid Badniks with glowing, blue grins, spherical shoulders, large, four-fingered hands and wide, egg-shaped torsos with four headlamps on them.
"Welcome back, Lord Robotnik." the two Badniks greeted in unison, crossing their arms.
Rockbottom, Turbo, Ball Hog and Clucker jumped down from the vehicles they rode, following their leader. They all approached an oval-shaped gate, occupied by the orange Badnik duo. It opened, letting the five evildoers in. After walking for some time down a hallway, they entered a high-tech laboratory with chairs and a series of computer consoles.
"My lord." Rockbottom started, rubbing his shoulder wound. "With the Chaos Radar in our possession, we can speed up the search for the other Emeralds substantially. But we need a plan to find them efficiently."
"Which is why I have my Universal Badnik Communicator." Robotnik stated, pointing at a particularly large supercomputer, shaped like a cylindrical hologram between two metal discs. "By installing the Radar's map into this console, I can download it into the entire Badnik Army. When all of my minions know where find the Emeralds, i'll have all 7 within a matter of days." He inserts the Chaos Radar into a round slot on the big console in front of him, closing it afterwards. He begins tapping a few buttons.
"Very well." Rockbottom agreed. "But the Fighters have been growing just as much as our empire, you know. Those vermin are a source of continuous vexation."
"Oh, believe me." said Robotnik, assured. "They have been a significant pest for the last decade, but now I have the edge over them. Trust me." After hitting one last button, the Chaos Radar quickly installs into the system. A hologram took form on the computer, depicting Badniks of various kinds, like the ladybug-bots, the bee-bots, the crab-bots, and some others shaped like monkeys, spiders, caterpillars, bats and spiky anemones. Even the tall, orange Badniks were displayed. They all glowed with what looked like white energy. a big '100%' was spelled out on the cylinder. "Yes! All of my Badniks have successfully received the coordinates. Do I have a faithful army, or what?"
"Wow, I had no clue." Rockbottom sarcastically responded. "Now, about the agreement."
"Ah yes." Robotnik said, remembering what he said back at the M.E.G.A. base. He pressed another button on the computer console, held it down and began to speak. "My beautiful Badnik Army, this is Doctor Robotnik. Assemble into six squads and advance on the locations of the Emeralds marked on the map I have sent you." He ordered his troops. He let go of the button after that, turning off his intercom. "Now, i'll order us that four-cheese hotpie I promised, and then i'm going out to supervise the operation and ensure that nothing goes south. Commander Rockbottom, you'll be in charge of my Robian labour force. Turbo, keep everyone updated on the Ovoid Destroyer Project." He then walked into another room through an automatic door.
"Yes, Lord Robotnik." said Rockbottom, bowing.
"You got it, boss." said Turbo. The turtle-shaped Master Badnik hooked up his body to the supercomputer, transferring his A.I. into it. He appeared in the cylinder as a holographic turtle face. "Since he brought up the Robians, I have to ask. Why don't YOU get robotomized, Commander? It could save you alot of blood and sweat. Well, ALL of it."
"Though I am wounded, I recover quickly." Rockbottom replied, disdainfully. "I pledged loyalty to this Regime as one with a life debt to it's leader, and he knows my evergrowing potential. Many times i've outperformed you machines." He put his claws on Turbo's currently inactive Badnik body.
"I think i've touched a nerve." Turbo snarked, noticing his body being threatened. "You know that your finite energy reserves could be remedied easily."
Don't talk to me about what's finite!" Rockbottom snapped, clutching Turbo's body. "I grow with every battle I survive, while robots stagnate, thanks to the limitations of their parts. For as long as Lord Robotnik runs this empire with me, i'll work with you for the cause. I'll never BE one of you." He then clawed down on Turbo's metallic shell, leaving scratch marks. "As your Commander, I demand you recognize that fact, Tommy." He then left the room through another automatic door, which is on the opposite end of the laboratory from the door Robotnik went through earlier.
Turbo paused and gasped at the mention of the name "Tommy", as if it was a forbidden word. For a moment, he could only mumble. He then shook his head before turning his holographic head into a large, egg-shaped image.
"Anyway, the Ovoid Destroyer Project is 92% complete." Tommy reported, regarding the object he displayed on the supercomputer. "For that remaining 8%, we need..."
"Uh, nobody's answered me yet." Ball Hog interrupted. "Seriously, where the heck is Phage?"
"How should I know?" Clucker answered, annoyed. "That girl's really slippery." Turbo groaned at his fellow Master Badniks.
"Oh yeah." Robotnik said, suddenly coming back into the laboratory through that first automatic door. "Ball Hog, Clucker, watch over the Chemical Plant at Emerald Hill. I need some muscle to keep Mega Mack production up and running. Also, hotpie's on the way." He then returned to where he was before.
"It's an honest question." Ball Hog insisted, hoping for an answer.
Back in Emerald Hill, miles upon miles away from Metropolis, Sonic and his four companions are travelling across the plains of Emerald Hill. They haven't encountered another Badnik since the battle from earlier that day. Right now, they're looking for a settlement where they can take the load off.
"Yo, Tails!" Tiara called up to the sky. "Do you see any houses?"
Up in the air, Tails is flying high with his namesakes twirling, observing the wider area around him and his companions.
"I see trees! Lots and lots of trees!" The fox cub responded. "And a big lake!"
A growling sound was heard. It was Sonic's stomach.
"Definitely should've brought a snack kit." Sonic moaned. "This is trying my patience, and my stomach's."
"Easy, man." Jun said. "Hunger's like an itch, thought of it breeds undue woe. Find your green meadow."
"I appreciate your poetry, Jun." Sonic commented, smiling a bit. "But I can't let anything spoil my running. Not after Uncle Chuck granted me this chance."
"US." Tiara corrected. "It's always been US."
"I know that." Sonic said back. He put his hands around his mouth and looked up to the sky. "Tails! Anything yet?"
"I'm trying to get a closer look at every direction!" Tails cried from above. "Actually, i'm getting a little tired up here!"
"OK, he should come down." Sonic suggested. "I'm sure I could find a town if I just quickly pace around the area."
"Yeah, no; I wouldn't put the slightest stock in that idea." Tiara chastised. "As team leader, I have a right to keep this group together tightly. You, Sonic, have always been the loosest."
"She's not wrong." Flex concurred. "I've had to find and protect you pretty often."
"Come on, guys." Sonic grumbled. "It'll just be a skip and a hop."
Flex let out a "hmph!" to express his doubt.
"Heard that one before." Tiara murmured.
"Speaking of which." said Tails, coming down from above, looking a bit exhausted. "It took a while, but i've found a place. Just 20 minutes northeast, and we'll reach civilization." He took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Green meadow, Sonic." said Jun. "It's a lush, green meadow from here to there."
"And hey, the day is still young." Tails reminded his brother. "You must still have some glucose to spare."
"Ah, sure." Sonic said, smiling a bigger smile than before. He dashed off northeast, but then caught himself. Thinking of his brother and friends, he slowed down. Having to move less hastily made him groan.
"Forward, team!" Tiara called out to her friends, pointing northeast.
A few miles away from Sonic and company's current position, an industrial plant towers over the green fields of Emerald Hill. The metallic walls and floors of this place consist of purples, blues, yellows and greys. Inside, there's self-operating machinery producing two types of unpleasant liquid: one blue, and the other purple. The blue kind flows through see-through tubes, while the purple kind travels throughout the plant's lower area, like a lake. Ball Hog and Clucker are observing the premises of this terrible factory through telescopes.
"See anything yet, my woman?" Ball Hog asked through a communication device.
"About the same things I did when you last asked me that." Clucker replied snarkily into her own communication device, from the other side of the facility.
"Man, if I don't get somebody to punch..." Ball Hog murmured. "Oh. Oh! I see somebody!"
"What?" Clucker asked, frantically.
"I see... five little creatures." Ball Hog confirmed, gazing through his telescope and spotting five Mobian figures coming towards a town that happens to be not far from the Chemical Plant. "I must be a most fortunate pig."
"OK, my man!" Clucker said, psyched. "This is just what the doctor ordered!"
Back with Sonic and friends, they have arrived at the town near the Chemical Plant after walking for a good while. There are two-story houses, cars, and shops. But, it all looks very dreary. The vegetation is dead, the houses look murky, the shops are abandoned, the cars are wrecked and nobody is around.
"Hoo!" Sonic panted. "Finally, we made it to- by Angel. Haven't we been here?"
"This is Peridot Town." said Tiara, recognizing the place. "We used to fly over here with Chuck all the time when we were younger. What happened to it?"
"I'll answer that question, young lady." said an elderly voice. It was an aged, male anthro-type Mobian bear with a blue coat and yellow pants. He got a good look at the five young Mobians and suddenly realized something. "Hey, you're Charles' kids. My, have you all grown up. Long time, no see."
"Good eye." Sonic complimented, before his stomach growled again, prompting him to clutch it. "Oy vey."
"Well, more these guys than me." said Tails, humbly.
"Always a pleasure, dear old friend." said Jun, bowing with his hands clasped together.
Flex gave a simple thumbs up and a smile.
"Salutations, Banjo." Tiara greeted. "Man, it's been several years since we've been here. This place has seen way better days, huh?"
"I think he'll take offense." Flex remarked. Tiara shrugged at him.
"No, she's right." Banjo affirmed. "Peridot Town's golden days are far behind it. Robotnik's influence, for the last decade, has been most unkind to this little burg. Even the Fighters' Fellowship and M.E.G.A. have deemed this place beyond saving. For that, the Peridot community has decided to relocate to a new home."
"But, Badniks and all other sorts of surly types are everywhere." Tiara noted. "Where will you all go?"
"Wherever the grass is greener, dear." said Banjo. "At least somewhere far away from that factory over on Corkscrew Mountain. That sure hasn't helped, what with it tainting our water." He pointed towards the Chemical Plant, sitting on top of a nearby mountain with a twisting pathway.
"How long has that been standing?" Sonic inquired.
"For a few years, it's been constantly pumping out this horrific substance." Banjo replied. "I hear many of gone in there, but all have fallen victim to what lies within. It's a heavily defended place."
"You're kidding me!" Sonic said in disbelief. "Somebody made of stern stuff has got to inspect that dump immediately!"
"Sonic!" Tiara snapped. "Look at this place! I doubt doing something about the factory is going to make a difference now. Besides, I know you just want to smash things senselessly, like you wanted to do to that energy weapon. You're gonna come into contact with things that could really hurt you, if not kill you outright."
"C'mon, Tia. It's me." Sonic reminded his old friend. "When I see a problem, I gotta take care of it at a desirable pace. Robotnik's things are like wildfire, and they gotta go out. But of course, I shouldn't be in a rush. I'm hungry. Banjo, can we get some food?"
"Sure you can." Banjo affirmed. "Our resident cook may have closed up her shop, but she will still accommodate."
The six anthro-type Mobians walked along the dark streets of the ruined Peridot Town until they reached a bunch of moving vehicles. They approached the back of one of the vehicles, where they met a bunch of other anthro-type Mobians.
"Piccolo!" Banjo called. "We've got mouths to feed."
"I know!" said a female anthro-type Mobian panda, solemnly. Then she gets a look at the five children accompanying the male bear. "Oh, it's Charles' kids. Long time, no see."
"You kids remember my wife, Piccolo?" Banjo asked the five travelers.
"Do I?!" Sonic yipped, happily. "Best chili dogs ever served! OK, one beefy sausage on a bun with chili, cheese and onions. Please."
Piccolo enthusiastically grabbed some cooking equipment from the other end of the vehicle. Within a few moments, she had heated up a big sausage and placed it into a soft, open bun, filled it up with chili, melted some cheese into it and sprinkled onions all over it. Sonic quickly, but carefully munched down his meal, feeling totally satisfied. He washed it down with an energy drink.
"OK, i'm ready to go." said Sonic, feeling lively once again. "I'm about to barge right into that factory and give it to the manage-"
"Wait!" Tiara yelled. "This is no game. I don't mean to be a nag, but do you really think it'll be worth busting your butt to tear down that factory when the damage has been done and you have no idea of what's waiting for you in there?"
"Better question." Flex suggested. "Do I have to tie you down, Sonic?
"Hey, even if I contribute little to a better tomorrow, it'll still count as a contribution, darn it." Sonic said, running in place with obvious eagerness to get moving. "Relax already, i'll be over there and right back here before you know it."
"I'd rather we stick together, but I believe you know what to do." Tails said, faithfully.
"I guess if someone has to go, it has to be the one who's the quickest on his feet." Jun figured.
"Oh, I didn't know we were encouraging him now." Flex grumbled.
"OK, do what you have to." Tiara said, accepting the hedgehog boy's decision. "But what about the rest of us?"
"Hey, you're the team leader, Tia." Sonic reminded the manx girl, beginning to spin his feet like wheels. "You'll figure things out. No need to wish me good luck. See you later. Bye!" He ran off at a high speed towards the Chemical Plant, leaving a trail of dust and wind behind. Tails, Tiara, Jun, Flex, Banjo and Piccolo cover their eyes to protect them from the small storm that Sonic kicked up.
"Friendship is profound." Jun started.
"I'll say." Flex sighed.
"C'mon, Flex." Tails protested.
"When a chance has been taken, character is told." Jun finished.
"And now, Sonic's GOT a chance." Tiara remarked. "Who am I to deny him of thrills?" She looked up at the dark clouds in the sky and turned her look of concern into a genuine smile. He earned this one, she thought.
Sonic, at a speed befitting his name, ran up the spiraling path of Corkscrew Mountain until he reached the entrance of the Chemical Plant. He was certainly in for a nasty surprise.
"Ah, finally." said Sonic. "Just what I wanted. Time to examine this rathole from the inside." He jogged right through the entrance of the plant, when he was greeted with a bunch of blue orbs wizzing past him. "What was that?" He then barely dodged another chain of blue orbs. "Whoa!" He checked his surroundings and realized where they were coming from. There were openings all over the walls, the ceiling and even the floor, filled with some kind of blue stuff. More of the blue orb snakes rapildy popped out of these other openings.
The patterns of these snakes were sporadic. They would come from the right going the floor, ceiling or left wall. They would go straight up and straight down, or swerve to either the left or the right after leaping out from the ground or ceiling. Sonic would have to sidestep, duck and jump to move out of their way. It was a bit of a long hallway, but he managed to make it to the other side. Unfortunately, the wall ahead opened up more jets for the snakes to shoot from. They fired upon Sonic furiously, giving him a lot to dodge. After veering away from their trajectory several more times with skillful crouches, jumps and slight turns, he got to the wall and all the jets stopped.
"Dang!" Sonic barked, sweating. "Not the turn of events I expected. What else does this funhouse have?" He found a button on the wall. Figuring that it had to do something to help him progress, he pushed it. A door opened when he did, revealing a staircase. "Aw, neat." He swiftly ran up the stairs, entering a new room. An empty, huge room with a featureless, yellow floor. Shrugging, he decided to casually walk across. That was when...
BANG! Part of the floor dropped from beneath the hedgehog. He stumbled a bit, but managed to keep his balance together. When he moved backward, another part of the floor dropped from underneath. He almost fell down below, but he managed to grab onto something - the first lowered floor tile. He quickly climbed back up to the higher area just before the tile returned to it's original position. He balanced on the really thin flooring and lept back to his starting position.
"Holy crud!" Sonic pant. "That was not cool. They spared no expense on this death trap. Well, at least I know they didn't account for this." He spun his legs like wheels again and prepared to charge forward.
He took off, and all the floor tiles he ran across dropped down... except for this line of tiles in the middle of the room, which sprung up high and launched Sonic backwards. Thankfully, it was all the way back to the beginning instead of into an open tile.
"Ow!" Sonic moaned. He was starting to get annoyed. "Alright, room. I'll play along. Nice and easy." He composed himself.
For his next strategy, Sonic would leap onto the parts of the floor where there he could stand between the holes made by the moving tiles. He got a short look at what most of the floor looked like opened up, but he tried his best to memorize the little he saw to get past this obstacle. Several tricky jumps later, Sonic approached the tiles he recognized as the devilish spring tiles. Maintaining his balance, he prepared for a giant hop. He leapt and... he made it. The hedgehog barely passed over the spring tiles, which activated without his feet touching them, but he lost his balance when a new set of dropping tiles opened up beneath him. As he fell, he grabbed onto some of the thin flooring while hanging on to another part of it with his feet. What he saw below the floor was a pit of blue liquid. It seemed to be the same kind of substance the blue orb snakes were made of.
"I do not want to go swimming in whatever that stuff is." Sonic said, nervous. He climbed back up to where he could stand, but not without a bit of difficulty.
When Sonic was on his feet again, he cautiously stepped across more of the floor, avoiding the holes. At the very end of the room, he stopped before the last row of tiles.
"OK, I just know those things are going to send me back, and this time, i'll be taking a dunk in that gunk." Sonic thought out loud. "No way the designers would use that trick only once." So, he took another great leap, and he guessed right. These were another set of spring tiles, and he was able to clear them and reach safe ground at last.
"Aha!" Sonic shouted, proudly. "I saw through that, jerks!" He looked at the wall next to him and saw another button. He pushed it, opening up yet another staircase for him to climb. I guess sometimes, slow and steady DOES win the race, he thought, not wanting to say it out loud.
At the top of this new staircase, he entered a cylindrical room with yellow, levitating, metal blocks above. It looked like a path could be taken by going up. Out of the walls protruded four big pipes. The door Sonic came in through suddenly closed itself, sealing him within this room.
"Alright, with a little bit of Sonic speed and some proper positioning, I should be able to get up there." Sonic pondered. As he thought about what he was going to do, purple liquid started pouring out of the pipes. "Gotta go quickly!"
The room filled up rather quickly with this liquid, making Sonic panic. It was like a glass of water filling up, only the water looked revolting, just from the colour alone. As the liquid touched Sonic's sneakers, he used his speed to run up the wall, proceeding to jump from it and on to the levitating blocks in the air. These blocks seemed to form a rotating staircase. There were even more up above. The rising water was fast, and Sonic had to be the same. He made a great leap towards the wall and kicked it at the right time to propel himself up the next set of blocks. Up the blocks he went, kicking the wall again to rise even higher, reaching a big, circular platform this time. He was at the top of the room. He lept again, only to hit some kind of transparent thing blocking the way. He came into contact with a barrier and fell back on to the block platform, damaged but still concious.
"Aw, geez!" Sonic yelped. "That hurt!"
Even worse, the liquid rose and rose, getting closer and closer to the blue boy. If there was a barrier in the way, how could he survive? Sonic tried spinning into the barrier really hard, but to no avail. Even after charging up, it did nothing.
"Dang, dang!" Sonic growled. "What else can I do?" He kicked the platform and groaned. "I hate to say it, but this is something I could use help with. If only I had brought my brother or one of my friends." Tapping his left foot, he remembered his friends and thought about what he could do with their assistance in this situation. His combination attack with Tails that he performed earlier that day came to mind. Then an idea hit him on the head. "No. Maybe, just maybe, I could replicate a team maneuver WITHOUT them. It may sound crazy if I told this to someone... other than thin air, but it may be the only way out of here. Let's see if I can pull off a SOLO Sonic & Tails Special." He charged up for a spin again.
After revving up for a few seconds, as the liquid below got even closer to the top, Sonic started rolling around the platform at a very high speed, gaining more with every lap. He went faster and faster, until he decided to jump to the wall, rolling around them as well. Gravity proved to be no obstacle as he went faster, and faster, and faster, and faster until suddenly, the air around him was captured in a raging cyclone. The liquid twirled around with the whirlwind, and Sonic was still going even faster. Finally, he launched himself back towards the platform, engulfed in a furious vortex, and bounced up towards the barrier. He drove his ball form into the barrier until... BOOM! He broke through.
"Yeah!" Sonic yipped, landing on nearby ground. He was rather messed up from both the final impact with the barrier and the intense maneuver. The twister he created faded, dropping the liquid. Sonic moved away from the falling purple stuff. "Oh my Angel! Did I just create a tornado!? Holy cow! That was amazing! Woo! I've got to practice that!" He was exhilarated. Sonic had never pulled off a move like this before in his life, having spent most of it relying on his signature Spin Attack.
As he celebrated his very first self-made hurricane, Sonic felt a little pain that prompted him to clutch his body and groan. He observed the area around him. He saw a bunch of pipes filled with that blue stuff, and a large body of the purple stuff below those pipes. They were all over the place, along with platforms, towers and autonomous machinery. He took a good look at one of the towers, and saw a red, round face with circular eyes, a big moustache and a smug, toothy grin. It was the insignia of Doctor Robotnik.
"Robotnik." Sonic said, solemnly. "You really had me on my toes today."
"Attention, blue hedgehog." said a loud, gravelly voice over the intercom. "Congratulations on getting past those deadly traps, but we knew you were coming. Now, we're going to deal with you personally."
"You have no chance of survival, unless you submit to the Robotnik Regime." said another gravelly voice, that sounds more feminine. "If you want to rush to death so badly, by Angel, I hope you've filled your last will and testament, child."
"Well, that's what I call a welcoming committee." Sonic sarcastically commented.
In another room within the Chemical Plant, Ball Hog and Clucker are watching Sonic from a camera. They had just finished speaking to him through a speaker, activated by holding down a button.
"I can't wait to make him a hotpie topping." Ball Hog said, eagerly.
"Yuck!" Clucker growled in disgust.
The two Master Badniks approached two transport tunnels. Ball Hog turned into his Ball Mode, while Clucker laid down on her metallic stomach. They entered the tunnels and sped off to another part of the plant.
Back with Sonic, he's running across the road over the purple liquid lake. He takes a good look at some of the plant's machines. He notices one in particular that seems to be playing some kind of animation on a red screen. At first, it displays what looks like the Chemical Plant spreading the purple liquid all over it's surroundings, polluting water and causing greenery to die. Then, it shows what looks like a Badnik injecting the blue liquid into mechanical Mobians. And then, it demonstrates the two types of liquids coming together to form a new, violet type of liquid. The result is apparently a sticky substance, as the next thing that appears on-screen is an anthro-type Mobian and a human-type Mobian getting their feet firmly stuck in the sickening goo. Finally, it cuts to big, flashy letters spelling "MEGA MACK! THE MEDICINE FOR DEFIANCE!" before repeating itself from the beginning.
"Just like wildfire." Sonic whispered with dread.
Back outside in Peridot Town, the moving vehicles are all set to go. Tails, Tiara, Jun and Flex are waiting around, hoping the best for their hedgehog companion.
"You know, i'm not as fast as Sonic, but I can move pretty quick." Tails suggested. "I should go check on him."
"Tails, no." Tiara scolded. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Sonic would kill me if I let you head into danger."
"But, I can fly, too." Tails reminded.
"And the roof of the building may be defended by anti-air guns." Tiara mentioned.
"Fair enough." said Tails, understanding, following a 2 second pause.
"Alright, kids!" Banjo called out. "Our time has come!"
"OK, Banjo!" Tiara called back. "Good-bye!"
"Bye-bye!" Tails shouted.
Jun and Flex waved to Banjo as all the vehicles started up. At that moment, the ruined town erupted in flames. Things were exploding, and the houses were crumbling apart. It was the work of more Badniks. They came in from where the five children had arrived, charging forward with malicious intent.
"Oh no!" Jun gasped. "Please no! Banjo! Piccolo! Hurry!"
"Right on it!" Banjo yelled, getting his vehicle moving. All the vehicles started to slowly go forward, away from the town. However, the Badniks were coming up fast.
"Oh crud." Tiara murmured. "Remember, old girl. You're the team leader."
"Missing Sonic, Tia?" Flex asked the manx girl.
"Do you?" Tiara asked back.
"I mean, he knew how to dispatch these guys quickly." They said at the same time. Both eyed each other awkwardly for having the exact same thing to say, chuckling with amusement.
"We can take them!" Tail assured.
"I don't know about that." said Jun, worried. "We need a good plan."
"Flex!" Tiara called out to the armadillo boy. "Try your best to defend the vehicles-"
"Already on the job!" exclaimed Flex, interrupting Tiara's order. He ran towards the same direction the vehicles were headed. Tiara stared with slight annoyance.
"OK, Tails, go up and get a good view of the town to see where else they might be coming from." Tiara ordered the fox cub boy.
"Got it!" Tails complied, flying up with his namesakes spinning around.
"Jun, you'll be bashing some bots with me." Tiara ordered the monkey boy. "And we're going to like it."
"I don't see this as a good idea, Tia." Jun protested, shaking his head. "Why would you like it?"
"Hey, Sonic can't be the ONLY one who can have fun kicking metallic butt, can he?" Tiara explained herself.
"But i'm used to us attacking together as a complete team." Jun said. "A whole is crucial."
"No more haikus." said Tiara, stopping Jun. "We'll split the share of Badniks. Now let's go to work." She took a battle stance.
"Alright." Jun complied. "You're the leader, but just know now that i'm going to HATE this." He took his own battle stance, with the most nervous look on his face.
Inside the vehicle Banjo is driving, people are sitting in two rows. Among both rows are cloaked figures. Banjo, as he drives away from Peridot Town, looks in the rear-view mirror.
"Our town may have been desecrated beyond repair, but our visitors, the children of Charles, are worth fighting for." said Banjo to some people in the back. "When the time is right, you will jump out and give those Badniks a good scare."
"Ah hear ya', Banjo." said a feminine voice with a country accent from the cloaked figure on the vehicle's left row. "All ya' need to do is give me the word."
"When I get out there, believe me." said a masculine voice from the cloaked figure on the vehicle's right row. "I'll make that filthy Robotnik regret making mechanical slaves out of my friends."
"This'll mark the official end of Peridot Town." Banjo declared. "And it will be a bittersweet one. Make sure it's extra sweet."
The cloaked figures revealed bits of their bodies. The left one seems to have a robotic left arm and hand, while the other appears to have curly, crystalline horns.
As the Badniks drew closer, Tiara and Jun charged forward, with Tiara letting out a war cry, and Jun releasing a panicked squeal. A great battle is about to take place in the doomed Peridot Town, while Sonic is about to come face to face with two powerful Master Badniks in the dreadful Chemical Plant. Will Sonic stand a chance against the dynamic duo of Ball Hog and Clucker? Can his brother and friends save Banjo, Piccolo and all the other townspeople from the murderous Badnik Army? How long will it be before Doctor Robotnik has the first Chaos Emerald in his possession? What is the Ovoid Destroyer Project? Who are the mysterious cloaked figures in Banjo's vehicle preparing for battle? And where the heck IS this Phage character? Prepare for some answers, next time on...
Sonic Synthesis