Tikal stirred in her sleep and awoke in her soft bed surrounded by silken drapes. She started patting herself and looked down to see if she was real. She looked for wounds, and found none, felt for bounds but had none. She breathed easy knowing she was safe in her room. Safe at home. She sighed in relief and laid back down. She rolled over and stared at the emerald-green fields outside her room, through the purple, imported silk. She could never get over the wonderful view her room had. She stared at it for some time until she heard someone enter her room.

There were no words spoken, however. She turned her head and looked for the one who entered. It was improper to come in unannounced and worse that they hid themselves from her. She was nervous at first, but she chuckled and realized it could be Tupac. He was a mischievous suitor. An ambitious one too, but he knew what he could get away with. Tikal had no romantic feeling for him, but she had become quite fond.

"Tupac, come out," She smirked, "I know your there. You can't trick me this time."

He didn't. Tikal frowned a little. More out of confusion or annoyance. She thought maybe he was going an extra mile to salvage his prank. So, she humored him and stood to her feet to investigate the noise he was making.

She stepped down three steps that raised her bed higher above the rest of the room then looked around her decorations to catch him, but he was not there. She frowned again and looked around. Now where could he be? What was he plotting this time? She heard something clattering behind her. A scurry of sorts. She gasped and jumped back from it then looked at its direction. She slowly approached the sound to investigate.

"Tupac, this isn't funny," She said rather nervous. "Come on out now. You know I hate it when you do this."

There was no response. No one revealed themselves. She heard it again and she started to back towards her door. She was ready to escape if she had to. It was getting darker. She realized it was nighttime now. But it should have been day! It was day just a moment ago! Tikal started backing away more. Over her head, she saw what could have been fingers of a giant hand reach over and get hold of her blanket, only to discard it and start to clatter away. She ran for her bedroom door, but the door was locked. She started banging on it and tried to get it to open but it would not move, and no one heard her. She turned around and saw a lone black spider staring up at her and cleaning its fangs. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

It crawled at her at lightning speed. She screamed and tried to defend herself, only praying it would give her a quick death. she felt it around her and opened her eyes only to find herself bound again in darkness, with just enough light peeking through stone to see the black spider opening its mouth for a bite off her face. She screamed and wiggled then suddenly heard the spider squeak as a larger spider than it had pulled it away and flipped it on its back. it took one of its large legs then forced it through its chest. The smaller spider died instantly with a raspy screech. Then the larger spider looked up at her. She was still terrified. It clacked its fangs at her then started eating the smaller spider in front of her, while another had climbed over from her right to investigate her.

She started screaming again as it picked her up and started to reweave her webbing. Then she was set against the wall, and she felt a sudden pain in her stomach.

X

Silver stirred his soup, warming over the fire. He sniffed the contents of the pot and smiled. "Smells just right." He lifted the spoon over to his mouth, blew on it, and tasted it then smacked his lips. "Needs a little more kick." Silver opened a jar beside him, grabbed a single chive and tossed it in and stirred it.

"Silver," Blaze called from inside their tent. She stepped out a bit puzzled as she looked around. "Silver did you see my left glove anywhere? I seemed to have misplaced it."

Silver looked around and shook his head. "No, no gloves here." He tasted his soup and nodded. "Ah, just right."

Blaze looked around, clearly a bit frustrated. "I know I had both of them somewhere. I had it just here a moment ago…" Blaze started moving things around the outside of their tent to search for her missing glove.

"Is that Silver's cooking I smell?" Rouge took a seat next to the fire and started to rub her hands together for warmth.

"Ah, if it isn't the Dark Team. Have a seat, I just finished some onion soup," Silver welcomed them.

"Making good on our surplus of onions I see," Rouge sighed accepting a bowl.

Silver took another bowl and filled it for Blaze. "Blaze, worry about your glove later. Just eat, you'll find it."

Blaze sighed. "If you insist. Shadow." She nodded at him.

"Blaze." He nodded back.

Blaze sat down next to the fire on silver's right and Shadow's left. Shadow was seated across from Silver on a log. Omega sat next to him. "I can't believe I misplaced it. I know I had both this morning. I stuffed them into my belt and when I went to retrieve them I only had the right one."

"I figured someone as organized as you would struggle less with that," Rouge teased, taking a bite of her soup.

Blaze deadpanned at her but did not reply. Shadow looked around the camp then noticed something between Silver's legs as he started eating. "Silver, you're sitting on something."

Silver stood up, swept his log, and out came Blaze's left glove. "Oh, there it is."

"Silver!" Blaze began to scold, but ended up laughing with the others. "You mischievous hedgehog."

"I didn't realize I sat on it!" Silver defended, "I was busy cooking, Blaze, I'm not exactly thinking about what I'm sitting on."

Blaze shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You'd sit on a spider and not notice! He's lucky he's a good cook. I might have requested a transfer otherwise."

Silver planted a hand on his chest. "I'm hurt, Blaze."

Rouge giggled but her team remained rather stoic. Blaze shrugged apologetically. "Alright, perhaps I'd miss you too much anyway."

Shadow threw a log into the fire and stirred the coals. The camp fire was quiet. Rouge found it was the best time to mention their mission. "We spoke with the captain today. Both of them."

"Really?" Silver chuckled, "Were you in that much trouble or was it that important?"

Rouge scoffed lightly and shook her head at the joke. "As it turned out, it was quite important. Sonic went on a scouting run. He ran past the borders and found some… disturbing things. But better yet, he learned of something that might help us. Or so we hope."

Silver and Blaze leaned in, clearly interested. "Go on."

Shadow took out his map. "Our jurisdiction, as you know is restricted to the kingdom of the Acorn Family. Here's the border he passed. He did this on a theory that the Spider's main nest, their source as we've called it, is not here, but beyond the border. His theory so far has held water. He believes the spiders are working as a nation, not on feral instinct of seeking food. He found a temple that was heavily guarded. Here." Shadow tapped the map. "If Sonic's instincts are correct, and they usually are, then this place is quite important. He followed a colossal spider to it. Whether it is a leader or not is yet to be seen."

"A colossal spider?" Silver echoed

"What do you mean by colossal?" Blaze asked crossing her arms after putting her bowl down.

Rouge let out a deep breath. "Larger that we've seen by far. It walked leagues in single strides, he said."

"By Chaos," Silver covered his mouth and leaned on the hand he covered it with. "What are we supposed to do to that thing if it comes here?"

Rouge shook her head. "From what we can tell, the spider colony we've been fighting is a base camp. A foothold to invade this kingdom. We're going to bypass it, and hit the temple."

"We?" Blaze asked. "This includes us then?"

Shadow nodded. "With your pyrokinetic and my command over chaos energy, Knuckles believes we'll be enough. Omega will support with his powers, and Rouge will keep us organized. Silver will make sure we get out alive. His psychics can make short work of stragglers."

Silver smirked. "My specialty. This doesn't sound so bad."

"Always the optimist, Silver," chuckled Blaze. "It sounds like a plan. The Nightmare of Nightmares and the Mother of Fire once again strike at the heart of our enemy. We are building quite a reputation, Shadow."

Shadow chuckled. "Let's hope we can live up to our names." Shadow and Blaze shook hands.

The Mother of Fire was an endearing name Blaze had earned in the Assault of Placid. When the spiders had made it their home, Shadow and Blaze were one of the ten mercenaries sent with the Acorn army to take it back. The two had made names for themselves but six of their mercenary kin did not survive. Shadow, near the end of the battle, managed to intimidate the spiders as they retreated. But as he stuck them with his spears, they're screeching was engrained into the minds of the soldiers as he finished ever last one of them. The men said there were a hundred retreating spiders. But in actuality, there were only ten, maybe twenty.

Blaze was called the Mother of Fire when she had burned the entire next off the town. Web, eggs, and all. All the while, each building remained uncharred. If there was any damage to the homes and stores, it was the spider's doing. Blaze, had the highest kill count to date. And she never let Shadow forget it. However, their rivalry had created surmountable respect for one another.

Shadow wouldn't blink an eye if the royal princess walked the camp. But he made it a priority to greet Blaze as she passed him by. Likewise, Blaze would render her own respects and offer the same courtesies.

Rouge finished her soup and placed her bowl beside Silver who took it and stacked it with his own. "Thank you for the meal, Silver. More details will come in terms of our pay, our strike time, and whatever else Knuckles is planning. If you have any more questions, I suggested seeking Sonic. We're acting based on his information."

"I'd expect we leave tomorrow," Silver said as he dropped the bowls in to a bucket of water. "There's no sense delaying an assault like this with the strength we have now."

"Yes, strength we entirely achieve through easting onions," Rouge jested. "Omega, Shadow, let's go. We should prepare for tomorrow."

Shadow stood and fixed a gauntlet. "Very well. Omega, give them a copy of this map."

"Understood." Omega reached back and his hand detached from the rest of his armor body. He managed to dig out a piece of parchment, look at the map, then with a wall of light dragging across the paper, made a perfect copy of the map. He then handed it to them."

Blaze accepted it. "We'll study it to make sure we understand the movements. The mission will be spotless if we can help it."

"We are grateful for your help. Blaze." Shadow bowed.

"Shadow." She bowed back and sat down to look it over while Shadow and Omega fell behind Rouge.

X

Dark Team was returning to their tent. Rouge rubbed her sore head as a couple of soldiers passed them. One of them had bumped her shoulder and nearly tripped.

"Argh." Both he and Rouge stumbled. "Filthy mercenary. Watch where you're going."

Rouge gritted her teeth and stopped Shadow from retaliating. "Damn soldiers. We are paid to help them and what does that get us? Not even so much as a thank you."

Shadow stared at the soldiers until they were a little ways away. "Being paid to fight and enlisting to fight are a world apart in their mind. They fight for honor; we fight for money."

Rouge tsked and began walking again. "Omega, remind me that saying Sonic always uses."

"One fights for what they lack most," Omega replied.

"Ah, yes. You would think they'd learn a thing or two from those words. The Acorn Army should be grateful we're here. If they don't like it, then they can fend the wall on their own."

Shadow hmphed. "They're just disappointed that the king found reason to hire us. With all the talk that goes around about mercenaries, this shouldn't be a surprise."

As they returned to their tent, Rouge took a seat on her cot and crossed her arms. Shadow stood at the entrance while Omega looked around outside. Rouge sighed and rubbed her head again.

"We've only ever done their dirty work. We're more skilled, better trained, and use finer armor. Most of them are only boys and girls with swords. Not enough men and women. Like us. We're I Vector, I'd have charged more."

Shadow chuckled and walked in front of her. "When I was there with captain Espio I think I saw him watch the queen's friend. The rabbit; our nurse?"

"Ah yes," Rouge sighed, "The rabbit. I forgot her name already."

"Vanilla," Shadow said sitting down on camping stool.

Rouge giggled. "Right, Vanilla. So, she's the witch that placed her spell on him and charmed him to lessen our pay. I should slap some sense into that crocodile."

"Perhaps next time you take leave," Shadow said as he took out his sword to sharpen it.

Rouge sighed and laid down. "How did we get here, Shadow? We were fine enough under King Eggman. Why this?"

Shadow started dragging a wet stone across his blade. "You said you didn't trust him anymore. What changed?"

Rouge waved her hand. "I'm mumbling, don't mind any of it. I'd rather just complain right now."

"Hmm." Shadow dragged the stone across his blade again and Omega came in with them.

"I mean, I am happy to have better employment accommodations. The pay is better in comparison. And we get to service under that stud of a captain…" She seemed to trail off. Shadow and Omega stared at her then looked at each other.

"Is she 'mumbling' again?" Omega asked.

Shadow wiped off his sword. "Yes, Omega, she is."

Omega turned to face the tent flap. "Then I'm stepping back outside."

"Suit yourself," Shadow sighed.

Omega turned back around and faced him with a blank stare. Shadow realized his error and shrugged. "Do what you'd like, I mean."

Omega turned around again then continued outside. Rouge came back from her fantasy. "Would you lose an arm wrestle on purpose? Just for me?"

Shadow sighed. "Rouge, do you have anything else that's productive other than sift through your imagination?"

Rouge shrugged. "Not in this cold, I don't. Speaking of, mind getting a fire going? It's cold as death in here." Shadow summoned a spear of chaos energy and stabbed it into the logs at the center of the tent. It lit shortly after, and he dissipated the spear to start stirring the coals. "That's more like it." She started warming her hands as Shadow stirred the fire. "What do you make of our mission tomorrow?"

Shadow scratched his chin and started to clean his helmet. "Knuckles was wise to put us with Sol Team. With any luck we'll be back before noon. The spiders get more active when it's warmer."

Rouge sighed and leaned on her arm which rested on her knee. "I honestly see them and start wondering where they came from. And even how they get along. It's a match made in heaven. She's so wise and mature, and he's so optimistic and naïve. But she seems so fond of him."

Shadow sighed. His eyes aimed down towards the fire, and he had remembered something he heard. "Opposites attract."

Rouge looked over at him and smirked. "Is that so? Do you think they'll settle down together?"

Shadow had his hands tucked and braced on his knees, covering his mouth. "Perhaps. Time will tell. But I sense Blaze hopes to settle down someday."

Rouge nodded and became silent for only three seconds. "Do you think you will?"

Shadow took a deep breath and looked up at the opening above the tent that vented to smoke. "I haven't decided yet."

Rouge tsked and shrugged. "You have plenty of time, I guess. I'm sure you'll find a girl to fall in love with, settle down, and marry. Maybe you'll be a farmer."

Shadow eyed her. "Do you think I could be a farmer?"

Rouge shrugged. "I'm sure you'd try. There's something about growing things at an old age that is so appealing to the world."

Shadow scratched his chin and thought a moment. "I think I'd be a carpenter."

Rouge's interest was piqued. "A carpenter, do tell. Why carpentry?"

Shadow shook his head. "I'm not sure… I suppose gratification. Seeing someone's wagon for instance. It breaks down, and I replace the wheel. Now, every day I watch him pass with his goods I know that was because of me."

Rouge smiled. "I like that. I think you've earned the right to gratification… Shadow the Carpenter…" She chuckled and laid down. "I hope I live to see that."

"I think you will," Shadow said throwing a bit of bark into the fire. He staired at the fire a little then took a deep breath and eyed Rouge, who was taking a nap. "I'll make sure of it."

X

The next morning, Dark and Sol Team met in the captains tent to be briefed. Bunny had them around the table with a large map. They waited for Knuckles.

Silver and Blaze were both lightly armored. Silver wore chainmail head to toe covered by leather. Some metal plated some of the leather such as his gloves, pauldrons, boots, and chest. On his back he had a shield, and a broad sword was strapped to his side.

Blaze wore chainmail as well, covered in cultural cloth from her people. A turban scarf was tied around her neck. One that was hand crafted by skilled clothiers of her country. She kept it close to represent her love for her people. She wore leather boots and gauntlets, but her protection was minimal compared to most of her fellow mercenaries. A thick bladed saber with a large hardcover was strapped to her side.

"Forgive me for delaying," Knuckles said as he came through the tent flap. "I got a report from the east guard there were scouts. In the trees. The spiders might be pushing soon."

"Should we postpone the skirmish?" asked Blaze.

Bunny shook her head. "No, we'll hold just fine alone. Once they figure out you're hitting the temple, they might change their mind about an assault."

"Or start early," Rouge said crossing her arms. "If we get what they were protecting, they might want it back."

Silver rubbed his neck. "She has a point. If we are to believe they are as intelligent as we think they are… they might just throw themselves at our walls."

"Well, if they are smart, I sure hope they'd know when to give it up then," Bunny sighed, her arms crossed as she stared at the map. I've gotten a report that the other defensive lines aren't doing so hot. The north line had to fall back to second position. Heavy casualties. The king had to divert forces to replenish the line and reinforce it. Spiders gave up the push there. East border is under siege. They could be alright now for all we know, but they so far, have been handling their assault well. No other reports than that. I sent our findings and request for extra funding for this mission. Don't know what they'll say yet."

"Should we wait until they agree to pay us?" Omega asked.

Knuckles hummed for a moment and scratched his chin. "No, if they are planning an attack, maybe hitting a sensitive place will get them to pull back and try to compensate. Or delay it, at least."

"Assuming what we're hitting is sensitive," Shadow said as he stared at the map. "We'll get it done. What's the plan?"

Bunny pointed at the camp. "Take the same route Sonic took. Head east, and around the nest, y'hear? Cross the boarder south east and you'll land straight into the echidna country." Bunny glanced at Knuckles who was stoic. "If what Sonic said was true, the kingdom is either gone or infested. Either way… survivors are not a priority."

Knuckles didn't react adversely at all. Instead, he circled around and pointed where she ended. "Whatever it is they're protecting, find it." Knuckles glanced at the two units. "And she's right. Survivors are not your priority. I doubt there are any anyway. Any questions?"

"If we do find survivors and it's convenient, what do we do?" asked Silver.

"Evacuate them if able but don't cling too tightly," Knuckles replied. "We don't need information. But if they happen to know something then listen to what they have to say. Hopefully they'll be too desperate to cling to it. If you bring them here, we'll find a home for them."

"We can arrange something in Placid," Bunny agreed.

"Any more?" They were silent. Knuckles nodded then gave them a bow. "Go. I wish you well."

The two units bowed back, "Be well, Captain," and left the tent. Both Dark and Sol team left beyond the wall soon after.