"I see." The Commander said when Oniisan and I met with him a few weeks later, after my brother had had time to recover from the recent events, "Well now that we know who you are, Savannah, we can decide on the best course of action."
"Of course, sir." I replied politely.
"Before I decide that, I want to know your thoughts on all of this." He said to me.
I put my thumb to my lip, thinking carefully before answering, " I want to honor the Professor's wishes and support Shadow in protecting this planet... That being said, I am not the type of person who could take a life... In fact, I'm not particularly violent at all. I tend to avoid confrontation whenever possible and will flee if given the chance."
"Then you are a coward?" E-123 Omega asked me. Why was he even here? Regardless, I could see where a violent robot like him might get that idea, so I shook my head.
"It's not that Omega. I just... don't like to hurt people." I explained, "I will fight, if I have to, but I simply prefer not to."
Oniisan smirked, "You remind me so much of her in that regard."
I smiled softly, knowing that he was referring to Maria-oneesan. However, I was not about to admit that I also lacked faith in my own abilities.
"I think your self-assessment is accurate Savannah." The Commander replied, "I've kept an eye on you as you were growing up. You're not the type of person suited to the battlefield... but there are other ways to help."
"Do you have something in mind, Boss?" Rouge asked curiously. As far as I could tell, only she could get away with addressing the Commander so casually.
The older man nodded, "With Shadow and Omega both joining GUN, I think it would be ideal to have the three of you operate as a three-man unit. You've already shown that you operate well together. 'Team Dark' was it? I have a feeling that you will be the ones I can count on to do the things nobody else can." He explained.
"That makes sense." Oniisan replied, "But where does Savannah fit into that?"
"Although none of you are lacking in terms of intelligence, there is one thing that your team is lacking, and that it is someone who can provide technical support." The Commander explained, "Omega will require maintenance. From time to time, you and Rouge will likely require some device or another to aid in your assignments. Savannah has the skills to provide these things. She will work specifically as a member of the Technical Division assigned directly to Team Dark, developing whatever you may need to complete your assignments."
"In that case, the first thing I would like to do is perform an upgrade on Omega." I replied, shifting my weight to one leg as I usually did.
"What do you mean 'upgrade'?" Omega asked, sounding almost offended.
I turned to him and explained, "All Eggman Robots rely on small animals as their power source. This is entirely inefficient. How the animal in question has survived inside of you for so long without starving is intriguing, but nonetheless, sooner or later, that animal will die and you will lose power. Not to mention that leaving the animal trapped inside of you is just cruel on so many levels. The Chaos Drives developed by Professor Gerald are a far superior power source. I would like to remove the animal from inside you, set it free, and replace it with a Chaos Drive."
"Assessing proposition... acceptable." Omega-san replied. I guess even if you accidentally give him a soul, you can't take the 'robot' out of an Eggman robot.
"I agree." The Commander said with a nod, "That will be the first thing you do after you, Shadow, and Omega pass your Agent Tests."
"Agent Tests?" Oniisan asked while raising an eyebrow. I'm guessing that he was questioning the necessity of such a thing.
"Just a formality really." The Commander assured him, "All agents partake in these tests to determine whether they are physically capable of serving. Even a tech specialist might find themselves in need of self-defense, for example. That being said, I'm already aware that you three are more than capable, but you have to partake in the tests just to satisfy regulations."
"Fair enough." I replied. Oniisan still wasn't pleased, but he settled down well enough when I explained to him that it would not be advantageous for anyone to accuse us of being accepted into GUN on the basis of favoritism. Nepotism doesn't exactly build trust after all.
"Shadow, when the two of you both have time, I want you to train your sister." The Commander continued, "Even though we now know what she is and why she was created, we have no knowledge of her powers, other than her enhanced speed. Even if she is not serving in the field, there may come a time when she will need those powers to protect herself."
"Understood Commander." Oniisan said with a nod.
"Savannah, I would also like for you to perform some maintenance work on the ARK." The Commander added, "It's falling to pieces. It's only a matter of time before parts of it start raining down on the planet. Or worse, the ARK itself might fall from its orbit altogether. I expect that you're the only one within GUN who would have the technical expertise needed to do the repairs."
I looked thoughtful at that, "...The deterioration was probably triggered by the incident that Sonic and Oniisan stopped a few months ago... The planet's gravity when the ARK was in free-fall must've taken a toll on the lower levels and caused them to start breaking apart. The gravity of the ARK--both real and artificial--must not be enough to counteract the stress that the planet's gravity now places on the already weakened areas."
"Can it be repaired?" My brother asked.
"It has to be." I replied, "The Eclipse Cannon is an important means of defense for this planet from potential invasions. Just because the Black Arms are gone doesn't mean there aren't other threats out there. That said... fixing it is no easy task... it's not something I can do on my own..." I closed my eyes in thought for a moment before snapping my fingers. "I've got it! Eggman manages to construct massive airships and large-scale military bases practically overnight, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Rouge asked.
"There's no way he's doing that kind of thing by hand--he must have an army of construction robots who are capable of executing his designs!"
"Affirmative." Omega confirmed.
"Uhh... I don't think the doc is gonna let us borrow his construction robots..." Rouge pointed out, but I just smirked at her.
"Who said anything about borrowing them?"
"You want to steal them?" Shadow asked.
"The robots? No. That would be a pain in the butt." I replied bluntly, "Not only would we have to haul them back here, but then I would have to reprogram each and every one of them. That's too time consuming and tedious. I can't stand monotonous work. What I want to steal isn't the robots, but their schematics."
"Their schematics?" Rouge asked.
"I can build just about anything so long as I have the instructions." I said with a wink, "If you bring me those schematics, I can build a team of construction bots to be used by GUN. Oh, I'll need the code for their programming too. I'll have to adjust it, of course, but that's way easier than writing the code from scratch. Especially since coding isn't my specialty by any means. Stealing this kind of information should be a piece of cake for you, right Rouge-senpai? Oh and while you're at it, please see if you can find the schematics for Omega. That'll make it way easier to maintain and repair him."
"...You adapt to things quickly, don't you?" Rouge asked.
"For me, thinking on my feet is often a matter of survival." I said while shrugging nonchalantly.
"Well then, I think that covers everything. Shadow, Omega, Savannah, report to Castle Town in Soleanna for your agent tests. Rouge, get to work on acquiring that data."
"Yes sir." We all replied before filing out of the room.
The agent tests were a breeze. I honestly could not understand how any Mobian could fail them. Humans I could understand, since they were usually less physically capable than Mobians, but I was pretty sure that even a Mobian as klutzy as Heather could've passed these. Once we were finished with them, Oniisan took me home to explain things to Miranda and Heather.
"I'm joining GUN as tech support for my brother's unit." I replied matter-of-factly. I had already explained to them about my origins and relationship to Shadow, but Heather was terrified of Oniisan for reasons I only sort of understand.
"But what about the shop?" Miranda asked with concern.
"I'll only be working part-time, so I'll still be able to manage." I said with a shrug, "You know how efficient I am."
"But still, you're joining GUN?!" She exclaimed. I held in a sigh and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Miranda never had handled sudden changes well.
"I want to help my brother to protect this world. It's important to me." I sighed as I fiddled with a random object, "Look, this isn't about just 'fulfilling my purpose', or whatever. I've always wanted to... to be part of something bigger than myself. To have a positive impact on this world. And I feel like I can do that most by helping my brother and his team. He's my family and he needs me, just like you guys."
Miranda and Heather both sighed in exasperation, knowing that there was no talking me out of something once I had made up my mind. "Well, if it's that important to you..." Miranda said. I nodded. I understood that it made them uneasy--I even understood why--but as she said, this was important to me. And knowing that, I knew they would support me.
Heather's eyes suddenly widened in alarm. "Wait, he's not going to be living here is he?!"
I shook my head, trying to hide my amusement, "No, he said he preferred to have his own place. Somewhere where he can get some privacy once in a while." It seemed my brother was even more introverted than I was. Besides, it wasn't at all appropriate for one guy to share an apartment with three girls, even if one of them was his sister.
Heather sighed in relief and I rolled my eyes in amusement.
光る紗花
The following day was... interesting, to say the least. Oniisan thought it would be a good idea to teleport into the penthouse at 6am and try to wake me up for training. I felt him shaking me gently and telling me to wake up, but I only groaned in annoyance and turned away from him. It was too early to do anything in my opinion. I heard him sigh and leave the room. The next thing I knew, he had dumped a cup of ice water on me. I shrieked in surprise and shot my brother a glare before simply lying the other direction on my mattress in order to avoid the wet spot. I heard Oniisan's quiet footsteps walking around to the other side of my mattress, and then I suddenly tumbled to the floor as he flipped it. I grunted as I hit the floor, then groaned in annoyance and glared at him.
"Get up. It's time for you to start training to master your powers." Oniisan said sternly.
"I know we discussed starting that today, but we never discussed starting it at 6am!" I exclaimed.
"You have a problem with that?" He asked me.
"Yes, I do! I don't like mornings! I prefer not to get up before ten!"
"Well get over it." He replied, "Do you expect to do all of your work at HQ during the graveyard shift?"
"Why not? Fewer people around, quieter... not to mention lower risk of casualties if something goes wrong." My brother raised a brow when he heard me say that, but I was dead serious.
"One of your jobs going forward will be to monitor us on our missions. They aren't all going to be in the middle of the night." He informed me.
"I thought my job was tech support?"
"In your case, that's part of tech support."
"Funny, I'm not keeping tabs on Rouge, and last I checked, she's on a mission as we speak."
"I expect that Rouge's missions often require radio silence."
"And yours won't?"
"Why do you think it's your job to monitor me?"
"Oh, right." I said as I got up. I was the only person who could monitor Shadow while maintaining radio silence. "And Omega's a robot, so radio silence doesn't exist in his case."
"Exactly."
光る紗花
Oniisan took me into the forest, where we could avoid prying eyes, and began trying to teach me how to use my powers, but I just wasn't getting it.
"All right. Try again." Oniisan began, trying to hide his frustration for my sake, "Remember, you need to absorb positive energy from the Emerald."
"Easier said then done." I replied. I was well familiar with the properties of the Chaos Emeralds and how they worked, but even with that information in mind, activating the right kind of power was much harder than it seemed. I closed my eyes and focused, only to open them again when I heard Oniisan tell me to stop. He reached out to touch me and the red aura that had formed around my body dissipated.
"You were absorbing negative again." He told me. I groaned in frustration, not even considering that this would only make the problem worse.
"I don't get it! What am I doing wrong?!" I cried out in exasperation. I wasn't usually one to throw tantrums, but I didn't normally have this much trouble learning to do something.
"Let's take a break." Oniisan replied calmly, leading me over to the log that had been serving as our bench. We both sat down and drink a bit from our water bottles before he turned back to me. "Before we go any further, let's discuss the Chaos Emeralds a little bit." He told me, "The power balance of the Emeralds shifts depending on the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of the user. Emotions are the most natural, but also the most difficult to control. More accurately, you can't control your emotions, so they are not a reliable source for focusing your power."
"What do you mean I 'can't' control my emotions?" I asked him, "I've been doing it for years."
"No. You've been controlling your actions." Oniisan explained, "Emotions are something that you can't control. You feel what you feel and you can't do much to change that. But that doesn't mean that your emotions control you. In fact, allowing them to do so would be a massive mistake. Even when you're sad, even when you're angry, you choose how you respond to a given situation, rather than letting your emotions dictate. That being said, you must also be able to channel your thoughts in order to absorb the right kind of energy."
"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked him. He might as well have been teaching me to master Qi at this point.
"By focusing on your end goal, on what you want to accomplish, rather than how you feel at the moment." Oniisan replied, "For example, during the invasion, I often felt confused, angry, and sad, all at the same time, but I had to block out those emotions and focus on my current goal, otherwise, I wouldn't get anywhere. There were times when I thought 'I must protect these people, because they can't protect themselves', and that thought allowed me to channel positive energy. But in the moments where I let my anger get the better of me, I would build up negative energy and then release it as a destructive force. So you have to focus on the good that you want to accomplish, instead of the way you feel in the moment."
Like I said, he might as well have been teaching me to master Qi.
"But how can I do that here?" I asked, "We're just training. There's nothing to accomplish."
"Actually, there is, but we'll discuss that in a minute. First, I want to you to tell me what's troubling you." Oniisan directed.
"What makes you think there is?" I asked cautiously, instinctively putting my guard up.
"The fact that you're unable to channel positive energy tells me there is." He replied, "I'm not exactly one to talk about expressing emotions, but if we're going to get anywhere, you've got to tell me what's going on." He gently placed a hand on my shoulder, "You're never going to grasp this as long as you keep everything pent up. Just let it all out."
I sighed and clasped my hands together in my lap, fidgeting nervously, "Where do I begin? First off, I have trouble trusting people, and I never open up to anyone. Furthermore, I dislike being around people I don't know because people mistreated me a lot growing up. It's hard to fit in when you have a 200 IQ and are the most athletic person in the city. And I... I've always had to do everything on my own..." I felt tears beginning to well up, but I tried to hold them back as usual.
"What do you mean?" Oniisan prodded gently.
"The first few years with my adoptive parents were happy." I explained, "I loved them, and they loved me. But that happiness was shattered when they were killed. Miranda and Heather lost their parents then too. The three of us escaped when I spindashed through an emergency exit. That first night, I cried my eyes out, but not long after, I realized that continuing to cry wasn't going to do any good. Miranda and Heather were just as frightened and alone as I was, but they were younger than me, and unlike me, they didn't really understand what had happened to their parents. I decided that I had to be strong, for them. I had to be the pillar of strength that they could lean on for support. I looked after them, I comforted them, I protected them, but there was no one to do those things for me... Well, not like a parent, at least."
"So you did have somebody?" He prompted.
I nodded slowly, "There was... a therapist in the orphanage who would spend time with me and try to understand me, but... it was mostly a revolving door of caretakers. That's part of what led to my inability to trust people. There were many times when I cried all alone... Not much has changed since that time... Miranda and Heather are my sisters, and I love them immensely, but my need to protect them also prevents me from showing weakness to them. So I just... always... keep everything to myself..." I was beginning to tremble now, so I wrapped my arms around myself in attempt to nullify that. I couldn't look at Oniisan just then.
"I understand... I'm the same way... but keeping it all bottled up inside you isn't good." Oniisan replied thoughtfully.
"What do you do then?" I asked him.
"Depends on the situation." He replied, "Sometimes I go train to blow off steam. Other times, I push those thoughts aside and focus on what I have to do in the moment. I find that when I do that, often the problem resolves itself in the end. At those times, I can count on Rouge and Omega for support. Simply put Savannah, you've got to stop trying to do everything on your own. You want to be a pillar of strength for them, but even a pillar needs support beams. Otherwise, it will eventually crumble and the people beneath it will be crushed." I didn't respond. I couldn't. I didn't know what to say. At that moment, Oniisan placed his hand on mine. "You don't have to carry everything alone anymore..." He told me, "I'm here now. You've let them depend on you for all these years, so let yourself depend on me. We'll depend on each other." I looked up at him, tears beginning to flow down my cheeks. Oniisan caught one on his finger and looked at me gently, "Just let it all out." He told me.
The next thing I knew, I was clinging to him tightly, crying like a child. "Oniisan..." I managed as I sobbed. My brother gently wrapped his arms around me to comfort me. It was the first time, the first time in years, that I felt safe.
Like a child, you keep on crying
Let the tears fall without holding back
I decide then and there, although it's unclear
What awaits
I gaze up far away into the summer sky
光る紗花
The following year went by in a blur. I enjoyed being a member of Team Dark, even if I was only technical support, but sometimes things would get... weird inside of HQ. For starters, the vast majority of GUN Agents are humans. Mobians were rare there, and Mobians with powers were even more so, never mind a sentient robot. As the Commander had predicted, the members of Team Dark wound up taking a lot of missions that were considered to be beyond the abilities of other agents. This created a bit of friction, especially with the Spider Troupe, who had previously been GUN's top unit. It seemed like most of them thought of us as freaks and as being favored by the Commander. For the most part, I ignored them. I was used to being treated this way anyway and it was better to keep my temper in check. That was really hard sometimes though, because sometimes, I just wanted to kick their butts and make them see why Team Dark was GUN's top unit.
Heather also started her archaeology career and began researching the Mystic Ruins. I received some stealth training from Rouge and developed new weapons to compliment my powers. I also developed a few transforming vehicles, which definitely came in handy.
However, as much as I enjoyed being on Team Dark, sometimes Oniisan and the others exasperated me. Like the time the world split apart and it was all Omega and I could do to keep Oniisan from rampaging at night while Rouge-senpai when on a robbery spree. Or the time that Rouge-senpai and Oniisan decided to enter the World Grand Prix and invited a random robot--which actually turned out to be Metal Sonic--to join their team instead of just asking me to assist them. And the time that apparently everyone associated with Sonic got sucked into some weird time-space void. All of this eventually led to my asking Oniisan about some things that had piqued my curiosity.
We were taking a break from training in the Green Hill Zone one day when I decided to bring it up.
"Oniisan, can I ask you something?" I asked after swallowing a bite of food.
"Hm? What is it?" He replied, setting down the bento I'd made for him.
"You promised to Maria-oneesan that you would protect this planet, right? But lately you haven't been taking a very proactive role... Rouge even told me that you challenged Sonic to a fight for a Chaos Emerald in the Time Eater's Dimension." I remarked. It was true. I knew very little about the whole "Time Eater" thing, save for what Rouge had told me, but lately I had observed that my brother was only taking on missions and rarely acting on his own.
"Ah that." Oniisan replied, "It's true, I made a promise to Maria and I've every intention of keeping it. However, it would seem that fate favors Sonic as the destined protector of this planet. At least for now."
"'For now'?" I echoed in confusion.
You're always playing it cool
While you refuse to show your tears
"Sonic isn't like us." Oniisan explained, "Eventually, he'll grow too old to protect this world. And even now, there may be times when he can't do it alone, or can't do it at all. Like with the ARK and the invasion. When those times come, I'll be there to take his place, or to lend him a hand, whichever the situation calls for. That being said, I occasionally challenge him to make sure he's up to the task at hand, and to help him keep his skills sharp. If someone doesn't keep him on his toes, one of these days, he'll fall flat on his face. While that would be hilarious to witness, it could also be very bad for the planet, so I do what I must to prevent it."
"I see..." I said thoughtfully.
When really, underneath, you are afraid
"Sonic is the hero, the one who's always in the spotlight, and I'm fine with that." Oniisan continued, "But I will watch over and protect him and everyone else."
"'Just like a shadow'"? I asked, referring to part of the reason for his name.
"Precisely."
You pray you never will lose
All the things you're holding dear
You've been trying desperately to keep them safe
"And you will be the one there to serve as my guiding light. You and I both have the same soul as Maria, but unlike me, you have remained pure in spite of the pain you've endured. You are the unsoiled silk flower that will illuminate my path."
I smiled softly at his reference to the Nigokunese meaning of my name, "How do you know I won't become soiled somewhere along the way?" I asked.
"That will never happen." Oniisan said confidently, "Unlike me, you have the same true strength that she possessed."
We've been through the worst of it, you and I
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.
"True strength..." Oniisan began, "Isn't the ability to cause mass destruction, nor the ability to overcome a dangerous foe. True strength is having the courage to never waver and to always smile, no matter what. She taught me that. Maria was, perhaps, the weakest person ever to live, but her heart never wavered, even as the people of this world betrayed her and killed her for no reason. She must've known, before the raid, that she was going to die. Even if the soldiers had not come after her, leaving the ARK meant death in her case. Even so... her heart never wavered, and her smile never faltered. She was truly... the strongest person I've ever known."
"Oniisan..."
I look back on long and lonely nights
"And I believe you have that same strength within you, Savannah." He continued, "Even though you and her are different... you are also the same. So I will trust you... to watch over me."
I smiled softly. I wanted nothing more than to do just that, but things aren't always that easy...
From this moment on, you don't need to hide away
When you are afraid, not anymore
光る紗花
Sometime later, Team Dark was assigned to do a reconnaissance mission on Eggman's base. Rouge-senpai was staying in the command center to monitor things while Oniisan and Omega were sent into the field. I was assisting Rouge-senpai by using telepathy to monitor Oniisan's progress. Something within me had a bad feeling about this. Maybe that's because instead of sneaking in, Omega was doing practically everything he could to make his presence known.
"This is an infiltration mission Omega! Stealth! We have no idea what kind of weapons Eggman has hidden in there." Rouge yelled into her headset with exasperation.
"There is no risk. All Eggman machines will be eliminated." Omega replied nonchalantly.
"Shadow will join you shortly." Rouge answered with an annoyed sweat-drop, "Just... try not to cause any problems before that."
"I am more than sufficient on my own." Omega replied, "Initiating mission."
"He's hopeless..." Rouge-senpai groaned. While I had to agree, I idly wondered why Omega had been sent on this mission in the first place. Honestly, he was the last person I would choose for a recon op, and I'm a terrible strategist! This kind of thing was far more suited to Rouge-senpai herself. The only thing I could come up with was that it was impossible for me to maintain radio contact with Rouge and telepathic contact with Oniisan at the same time, and thus, they needed someone else with me. Also, since syncing my mind with Shadow more or less rendered me unaware of my own surroundings, the Commander preferred that I not be left unguarded while doing it.
"Shadow, we've got a report from the Intelligence Division." Rouge-senpai began as she contacted my brother, "They've located an unknown base of operations that seems to be totally outside the chain of command for Eggman's army. There's a large-scale troop presence-suspiciously large for a place with no strategic value."
"I can't imagine the Doctor would do something like that without reason." Oniisan answered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and annoyance on screen. I hadn't established contact with him yet, but even when I did, he was probably used to it by now.
"No kidding." Rouge-senpai agreed, "And there's a rumor going around that ol' rotten Eggman has been developing some kind of new weapon, so..."
"Yeah." Oniisan answered without needing to know what Rouge had planned to say, "Looks like this won't be your garden-variety recon mission." When were our missions ever "garden-variety"? Team Dark specialized in the abnormal for goodness sake's!
"Do it to it Shadow." Rouge-senpai replied (there's an old phrase), "Omega went on ahead of you, so you can link up with him on-site."
"I'm more than enough on my own." Oniisan told her, "I'll handle things my way."
Rouge-senpai chuckled, "Omega said the same thing. You two go together like chili and hot dogs!" Really? "Chili and hot dogs"? I think Rouge-senpai has been spending too much time around Sonic and his friends, because last I checked, nobody else on this team even likes chili dogs!
Apparently Oniisan found Rouge-senpai's choice of words just as annoying, because the next thing he said was, "Cut the chatter. I'm on my way." I sighed, shaking my head at how easily annoyed my brother was and closed my eyes, blocking out the sounds of the control center in order to sync my mind with my his. By doing this, I could see and hear everything my brother did. The downside was that it required me to lose awareness of my own surroundings. However, since Rouge-senpai was the only person in the room with me and Oniisan could hear both her and Omega over his com, I wasn't missing any information.
Oniisan's perspective filled my vision and I saw that he was entering a large city.
"That area is enemy territory. Keep going Shadow." Rouge-senpai said over the com.
"Got it." Oniisan replied.
"Enemy territory?" Did this city belong to Eggman? I could've sworn it was Federation territory. Before I could ponder this any further, Oniisan sharply reminded me to keep my inner thoughts to a minimum so as to avoid distracting him. Another downside to linking up with him like this was that it caused all of my thoughts to flow into his mind if I wasn't careful, and that could be a distraction for my brother.
"E-123 Omega here." Omega cut in shortly, "Extermination proceeding without incident. No problems to report."
"Extermination?!" Rouge asked in exasperation, "This is supposed to be a recon mission! You can't go making a big scene!"
"You should've known better than to send Omega on an op like this." Oniisan replied in annoyance.
"That's what I said!" I told him telepathically, though I kept my further thoughts on the subject from leaking out. Although he could probably sense it anyway, I didn't want to tell my brother about my sense of foreboding.
"Unknown hostile encountered!" Omega-san suddenly said, "Rouge, come in! Position coordinates lost! Location unknown!"
"Omega? What's going on?! Respond!" Rouge cried with concern. My feeling of dread increased, but I tried to put a lid on it for my brother's sake. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by my emotions.
"This is E-123 Omega." Omega responded a moment later, "All sensors offline. Damage to parietal lobe region. Casualty report: Rouge fallen! Shadow to be eliminated!"
What the heck was he saying?! That didn't even make sense! Rouge was right next to me and Shadow was still in the city! And besides, he doesn't have a parietal lobe! He's a robot for crying out loud!
"Omega, what happened?! What's going on over there?!" Oniisan demanded.
"Unidentified system intrusion." Omega replied, "Emergency withdrawal. I am E-123 Omega, the most powerful..."
"Savannah." Oniisan said to me telepathically, and I prepared to be chided for my loud thoughts again, but it seems my brother was almost literally on my wavelength at the moment. "I need you to disconnect with me and try to get some energy readings from Omega's last known location."
"Absolutely not!" I replied, "Whatever is causing Omega to spout such nonsense could cause your com to malfunction as well! I have to stay linked with you. That way, even if we somehow lose contact, at least I'll be able to get a look at what's causing it."
My brother sighed inwardly, but agreed to my reasoning. My job was to monitor him, not Omega, which meant not breaking the link when something was already causing interference.
Just as Oniisan reached the base, a strange, but vaguely familiar being approached him.
"Hahahahaha. The world's most powerful robot is no more of a challenge than Crabmeat." The stranger remarked, "As I suspected, this power is without peer. It is the ultimate strength! Ah, and still more wonderful," He continued as if he had just noticed my brother, "A not-so-tall, dark, and brooding guest has arrived. I've been waiting for you, Shadow." What exactly was this guy saying? For one thing, Oniisan's height was pretty average for a male hedgehog. What exactly was he comparing him to? He also knew exactly who Oniisan was, but then again, if he worked for Eggman, that wasn't a surprise.
"Tell me what you did to Omega." Oniisan responded in a low-threatening voice. I tried to stay calm. That tone could only mean that Oniisan was trying to restrain his temper.
"Weaklings like him are of no consequence." The strange being replied, "Come now, Shadow. Our long-awaited reunion and still you spout such nonsense."
Reunion? Then I have seen this guy before. Although given the circumstances, it was likely that I had seen him through Oniisan's eyes, as I was now.
"I don't know you," Oniisan replied with barely restrained anger, "And the only thing of no consequence around here is that big mouth of yours."
"Hahahahaha. Ah, I suppose you would think so." The stranger replied with a hint of amusement. "Oh yes." Suddenly, for no reason that either Oniisan or I could see, the creature began to laugh like a madman. "I am Infinite." He explained when he'd stopped laughing, "You say you do not know me, and yet I remember you so very well."
Infinite? Although searching my memories during a link was hard, I could easily confirm that I knew nobody by that name, and it was unlikely that Oniisan did either.
"To you, it was simply another in a long line of Eggman bases you tore down without a second thought." Infinite continued.
Well that narrowed it down. And what's more, he made it sound so heartless. It's true that Oniisan destroyed Eggman's bases on a regular basis, but that was one of Team Dark's main jobs! What would be heartless would be to leave them standing!
I listened as Infinite began to tell the story of how he knew my brother. It had happened a couple of months prior to this mission. My brother had been sent into the Mystic Jungle to destroy one of Eggman's bases. In addition to his usual robots, the doctor had also sent out a band of mercenaries called the Jackal Squad, but they were all swiftly defeated by my brother, which hardly surprised me. The mercenaries aside, it had just been a routine mission. So routine that only I was keeping tabs on Oniisan's progress via telepathy. There was simply no need for someone to keep contact by radio. It was highly unlikely that my brother would need backup. ...Or at least, that would've been the case if I had not blacked out the moment Oniisan came into contact with said mercenaries.
I came to and reestablished contact just as Oniisan had reached the base. However, at that moment, the leader of the mercenaries arrived too. He had referred to himself as the "ultimate mercenary" and had tried to attack my brother, but had been no match for Oniisan's skill and power. In three quick attacks, Oniisan had thoroughly crushed this mercenary into the dirt.
"Worthless." Oniisan said as he stood over the mercenary, "Don't show your pathetic face around me ever again." At that moment, I had chided Oniisan for being a bit too harsh, even toward an outlaw, but at the same time, I was keenly aware that my brother hated being challenged by people who were utterly no match for him.
Having listened to his story, I now recalled the events that Infinite spoke of. All the same, he seemed like a completely different person than he had been back then, though more physically than mentally.
Infinite continued by explaining to Shadow that he had cast his former self aside in order to obtain the power to be stronger than anyone else. I sighed inwardly, but delayed my thoughts on this person for the time being in order to focus on the events unfolding in the here and now.
"I've only become what I am because of you, yet you don't remember. But I suppose that's the way it goes." Infinite told my brother. Well gee, maybe if you looked remotely like you did back then, Oniisan's eidetic memory would recognize you! "It simply means that the old me was too weak, too pathetic to remember." He added. I mentally face-palmed. This guy needed a major reality check! "And now you've become nothing more than an insect, waiting to be crushed underfoot." He finished. Wait, what?! I could sense that Oniisan was just as confused by that statement. "Thanks to this limitless power I've obtained, I have become unstoppable!" The strange jackal added. I mentally groaned. I felt like I had heard similar lines said way too many times. "Take THIS!" Infinite yelled.
At that moment, there was a strange sound, and all of the sudden, my link with Oniisan was forcibly broken. I cried out in pain and ended up falling backwards onto my butt.
"Savannah!" Rouge cried in alarm, quickly getting up from her desk chair and helping me up, "Are you okay?! What happened?! And why can't I reach Shadow?!"
I groaned, one hand to the side of my head as I stood up. "That new ally of Eggman's seems to have managed to cut me off from Oniisan. He's likely jamming our communications somehow too." I stood up and walked over to the computer, sitting down in Rouge-senpai's desk chair and beginning to type away. "Thanks to our link, I have a pretty rough idea of Oniisan's coordinates. We might not be able to reach him, but I can at least gather some energy readings and hopefully make some sense of what's happening." I explained as typed away at the keyboard.
Rouge looked over my shoulder with concern, "Any luck?" She asked after a minute or so.
I sighed, leaning back slightly, "These readings are all over the place. I can't identify this energy at all. But still... something that could mess with our communications and Omega's circuitry, so electromagnetic? But also powerful enough to force me to break my link with Shadow and lose contact with him, so also psychic? Ahhh! Wakaranai!" I groaned, quickly taking a random notebook and pencil that Rouge offered to me as I began to jot things down, mumbling to myself as I did. Rouge-senpai watched me with concern, but said nothing. It was best not to disturb me when I was trying to analyze something. I was so focused, in fact, that I failed to notice when Oniisan's consciousness came back within my reach.
"Shadow? Shadow!" Rouge-senpai suddenly said from beside me, "Finally, the connection's back! What are you doing?!"
"Rouge?" Oniisan replied in confusion. It seemed pretty obvious that he had no idea what was going on.
"Ugh, forget it!" Rouge-senpai cried in annoyance, "Get away from there as soon as you can! There are explosions going off all over! The facility's about to collapse!
I heard Oniisan let out a grunt of frustration over the com, "Withdrawing now." He replied. "What's the meaning of all this?" He wondered.
光る紗花
I met Oniisan outside when he returned to HQ and--probably to his slight annoyance--clung to him tightly. "Oniisan, shinpaishita yo!" I exclaimed.
My brother sighed and gently pried me off of him, "Why? Have I ever failed to return from a mission?"
"Don't give me that!" I replied angrily, "Do you have any idea how scared I was when I lost contact with you?! A-And Omega is... is..." I put my fist to my lip to keep from sobbing.
Oniisan sighed and gently rubbed my head to soothe me a little, "He's out there somewhere. We'll find him and you'll fix him up good as new. That's your job, right?"
Like a child, you keep on crying
Let the tears fall without holding back
I sniffled and nodded, "Even so Oniisan, I have a bad feeling... No matter what he says, that jackal... Infinite... hasn't changed. He was always a lunatic, but now he's a lunatic with insane power! I haven't even managed to scratch the surface of the energy readings he was giving off!"
"But you will. I'll help you." My brother assured me, "The doctor managed it, so can we. Now come on. We need to report to the Commander."
I nodded and turned to go back inside, but before we did, we both turned and looked up at the sky above, wondering what awaited us.
I decide then and there, although it's unclear
What awaits
I gaze up far away into the summer sky
光る紗花
One month later, Eggman's army suddenly launched a savage attack on the Green Hill Zone. Upon receiving this intel, Rouge-senpai contacted Oniisan immediately.
"Rouge, are you telling me the truth?" Oniisan asked with a hint of concern.
"What's the point of lying about it?" Rouge-senpai replied, "Eggman got a bead on Sonic and mounted a massive assault. I mean, sure, A for effort, but it's nothing to worry about." She continued nonchalantly, "We've got the advantage now. Sonic is there too, so I don't think it's a big enough deal for you to head out."
Unbeknownst to Rouge, Oniisan was suddenly recalling something Infinite had said to him: 'Not even Sonic will be able to stand against me now.'
"I can't imagine the Doctor would do something like that without..." My brother mumbled over his com.
Suddenly Rouge-senpai gasped, "Shadow! This is not good! Hurry, get over there!"
"What is it Rouge? What happened?" Oniisan asked with serious concern.
Rouge-senpai didn't answer. Instead, she turned to look at me. "I hate to ask, but you're much closer than he is. Can you head for this location? Take your grappling wire and make sure to hide your quills."
I nodded, "Un. Sugu ni iku."
"One more thing." Rouge-senpai said, stopping me for a moment and holding out a small packet. "Take this. You might need it later on."
I was confused, but nodded and took the packet, quickly stuffing it into the pocket of my jacket as I took off toward the place Rouge-senpai had mentioned.
"Sonic!" I heard a young voice screaming just as I arrived at the scene. A young kit who I easily identified as Miles "Tails" Prower dashed out from behind a pile of rubble toward the limp form of Sonic the Hedgehog. I saw Infinite preparing to blast the young fox and moved quickly, tackling the young boy to the ground and rolling out of the way of the attack in the nick of time. Tails instantly sat up when I did and tried to go to Sonic, but I quickly stopped him and held him back.
"Let me go! I have to help him!"
I sighed and took a small dart out of the pouch I was carrying and jabbed into the base of Tails-chan's neck. The young fox groaned before instantly going limp in my arms. "Gomen ne, Tails-chan." I apologized quietly, "Demo, koko de abuna sugiru dakara."
Infinite prepared to take a shot at us both, but stopped when Oniisan landed in front of us.
"You..." The jackal scowled.
Oniisan turned his head toward me, "Go. I'll catch up."
I nodded and quickly used my grappling wire to escape with Tails-chan in tow.
光る紗花
Sometime later, Oniisan met up with me at the meeting location we'd agreed on with my sisters in tow. It was just outside of a small, remote village. The villagers had already heard about Eggman's assault and for that reason, Oniisan felt it best to stay out of their sight in case they had gotten word that "he" was working with Eggman. Before he left, he took me aside.
"Listen to me. For as long as this war goes on, you need to make everyone think that you're just an ordinary hedgehog with no special abilities." He told me.
"But why?" I asked in confusion.
Oniisan sighed, "If you draw attention to yourself, things could get messy. Especially if the Doctor or Infinite realize that you are my sister. Alternatively, if the general public finds out, they may ostracize you out of fear. Keep your abilities hidden no matter what. Don't do anything that would be beyond the abilities of an ordinary hedgehog. And while I don't mind if you and your friends want to help out the resistance here, try to avoid the front lines. You and I both know you are not suited for them. Volunteer for something safe that won't expose you to unwanted attention. Understand?"
"Hai..." I replied before looking up, "But what about you? Where are you going?"
Oniisan sighed again, "I need to make myself scarce for now. At least until I have more information. Rouge is working on that. For the time being, I need to avoid having any run-ins with Infinite until I have enough information to face him. Don't try to contact me while I'm gone. If you space out because you're checking in on me, then people will start asking questions. You can still check for my consciousness from time to time though, just to give you some peace of mind."
"But..."
Oniisan stopped me by placing his head on my head, "I'm doing this for you. To protect you. I will not let them hurt you because of me. For your sake, I must disappear for now, and you must become invisible."
"...I'm afraid you're playing right into their hands." I admitted, "They don't want you interfering and that's why they've got a fake you wreaking havoc."
"That's probably true." Oniisan admitted, "But I have to play by their rules for now, until I have enough information to know what I'm fighting."
I willingly fell for their ruse
With the words I've longed to hear
They compelled the dark in me too easily
"Oniisan... please... don't try to take everything on by yourself." I pleaded.
"I'm not. I'll still keep in touch with Rouge." He assured me, "But your safety is my top priority right now." He chuckled wryly, "If I lost you, I'd probably be in the same state as Tails over there."
"Oniisan..." I began.
"I lost my family once. I will not let it happen again." He told me.
Though I swore I never would lose
The one thing I'm holding dear
It is you, alone, that I had nearly lost
I suddenly clung tightly to him and he returned my desperate embrace.
"I"m scared!" I sobbed as tears flowed down my cheeks, "What if you don't come back?! What if... What if..."
"Hey..." Oniisan said gently, pulling me off of him and holding my hands in his, "I will come back, no matter what. I promise."
I said nothing more. I knew Oniisan. I knew that when he promised something, he would go to the ends of the earth to keep it. But that did little to ease my fear.
Always scared of believing in anything
I forgot what it felt like to cry
My brother gently cupped my chin and turned my head to face the sky above us. Following his lead, we both reached out and clenched our fists, as if to grasp the sun.
From this moment on, the wind is right by our side
It's holding us up high
So we can fly
Oniisan turned and wiped my final tear away. "Take off your bracelets." He told me.
"Huh? Why?" I asked in confusion.
"You can't use them while this war is going on." He explained, "Computer bracelets aren't exactly a normal thing. Besides, I have something for you."
I sighed, reluctantly taking off my gloves and bracelets and holding them out to Oniisan. He took them and then placed something in my hands. I gasped in surprise. They were gloves just like his, but the extension was pink and the rings were silver. I looked up and saw that he was also holding a pair of shoes similar to his own.
"I had these made for you after last month's mission." Oniisan explained, "You don't need inhibitor rings, and while they do serve another function, it won't be of much use in these circumstances, but I thought it might help you feel close to me even while we're apart." He held the pair of shoes out to me, "I'm sorry I didn't have time to teach you how to use these, but that would call attention to you anyway. I've turned off the jet function for now, but they'll at least be more suited to the battlefield than the ones you have on."
My eyes welled with tears again and I carefully put the items on. Receiving a gift from Oniisan was so rare and the thought behind these gloves and shoes made them all the more special. Sniffling, I hugged my brother tightly once more. He gently rubbed my back, then pulled away and raced off. I watched him leave, then walked over to the girls and we headed to the village with Tails-chan in tow.
Like a child, I held you tightly
Let me near, holding your hand in mine
I decide then and there although it's unclear
What awaits
We gaze up and aim into the summer sky
We gaze up and race into the summer sky
光る紗花
The villagers gave us as warm of a welcome as they could under the circumstances. Since they'd already received word of Eggman's assault, they were trying to organize themselves as quickly as possible. Miranda quickly joined up with the medical unit, taking the unconscious Tails with her. Heather chose to join the reconnaissance division, being as she was a total klutz and therefore not suited for battle. As for me, I volunteered for lookout duty. In accordance with Oniisan's instructions, it was a good, safe way for me to help. I could alert the village to danger and still get away before I got caught in a place where I did not belong. Plus, in the lookout tower, I was able to be alone most of the time, which I preferred to being around a bunch of strangers. I tried to reach out to my brother once due to how uneventful the job was, but he chided me, saying that even if I was alone, I couldn't let my guard down. If I was distracted with using telepathy, I might not see an oncoming attack until it was too late. I couldn't argue with that, so I only did it that one time.
That's not to say I enjoyed this position though. In reality, how many times had I heard about the adventures of Sonic and his friends and wish that I could be like them? How many times had I been frustrated by my inability to assist my team in the field? And yet, even now, it seemed that there was still nothing I could do, despite the fact that the world seemed to be falling to pieces. 'Oniisan,' I thought to myself as I looked back to the sunset, 'I know I can't reach your thoughts right now, but even so, can you hear mine? Can you feel the weight of my worries and fears? I don't know what to do without your strength...'
In a world of vast horizons
It's so easy to feel you're alone
Let me hear every thought and worry in your heart
You may know...
光る紗花
When he finally got back in touch with reality, Tails-chan set off on his own. He apparently felt that there was nothing he could do without Sonic around, but I was able to raise his spirits a bit by informing him of something he could do. I technically wasn't supposed to tell him this because I technically wasn't supposed to know, but I informed him that Omega had suffered severe damage and disappeared. Therefore, he could help the Resistance if he could manage to find and repair Omega. Tails-chan agreed to this plan and set off. I was filled with relief. There was no way Rouge-senpai had time at the moment, so with any luck, Tails-chan would find and repair Omega and the world would have another hero to count on.
A few months later, the Chaotix showed up to help organize the village's defenses. It seemed the past year had hardly changed them. They were still the same trio of goofballs that I remembered. Then again, they were probably far more useful on the battlefield than I was. Well, at least in Vector-san and Espio-san's case. The fact that Charmy-chan was allowed on the battlefield while I was sidelined was a blow to my pride as an ultimate life form. I was seriously considered less capable than a seven-year-old bee?! I was beyond frustrated, but I kept my distance from the Chaotix and avoided running into them at all times. They would likely recognize me after all, and Oniisan had made it very clear that I was to avoid attracting attention.
During this time, I had concealed my gifts from Oniisan and had taken to wearing the standard uniform of the Resistance instead. Mainly because the helmet was effective at hiding my quills.
About a week after their arrival in the village, I was hanging out in the lookout tower as usual, trying to avoid both watching the Chaotix and falling asleep from boredom, when something caught my eye. A massive airship was floating ominously toward the village, and a horde of robots were pouring out from its cargo bay!
I quickly grabbed the rope and began ringing the alarm bell as loudly as I could. Why we lacked electronic alarms was beyond me, but I didn't really care at the moment. I simply yelled out the warning that we were about to be attacked by Eggman.
"Nobody panic! We've been preparing for this! Everyone take your positions!" Vector's loud voice bellowed. The next thing I knew, his voice was directed at me, "Hey Rookie! Get down here and help shore up the defenses!"
Go down there and help?! That was pretty much a direct violation of Oniisan's orders! On the other hand, refusing to acknowledge Vector-san at this moment was only going to attract attention to myself, so I quickly grabbed hold of the exit pole and slid down.
"It's coming down!" Somebody yelled as she fled from the main gate, which shattered moments later under the laser fire from Eggman's robots.
"Looks like it's time to earn our pay boys!" Vector-san said while cracking his knuckles. "Paid"?! They were getting paid to help in a time like this?! Mattaku...
"Roger!" Espio-san replied.
"My stinger stings..." Charmy-chan muttered while glancing at his behind. Poor thing had been struck there by a laser from the looks of it. Well there was nothing to be done about that at the moment.
The next thing I knew, the Chaotix had leapt at the horde and were taking down robots left and right. I vaguely wondered how it was that Charmy-chan could sting multiple targets like that and eventually decided that Mobian bees must not have barbed stingers like ordinary bees did.
I looked around to see what I could do and tried to lift one of the fallen pillars from the gate to get it out of the way, but it was no use. Oniisan had been right that time he'd told me that I was way too skinny... Maybe I should start eating more protein... Vector-san saw my struggle and came over to assist me.
"If you can do it, say something!" He told me while easily lifting the pillar with one hand, "We don't have time to waste!"
"You don't look busy." Espio-san remarked, "Here..." He added as he held a device out to me, "Take this and help the second division." The item he handed me was a red firearm of some kind.
I recognized this... It was a Wispon! A weapon designed to harness the powers of the benevolent, but powerful, Wisps! I knew because I had developed it! With this, I could actually partake in the battle without revealing my powers! After all, Oniisan had told me not to use my powers; he didn't say I couldn't fight if another viable means presented itself. There was only one problem... even though I had created it... I didn't actually know how to use this thing...
As I fiddled with the Wispon, I ended up accidentally firing it at Charmy-chan and burning his rear end (again).
"Yow!" The little bee cried out, before glaring at me angrily as he flew off after Espio-san, who had taken the Wispon back before I accidentally hit any more of our allies. I felt bad, but it couldn't be helped! Of all the things Rouge-senpai and Oniisan had taught me, handling firearms was not one of them! The only thing I knew how to shoot was a bow and arrow! And resorting to that particular weapon was absolutely out of the question right now.
There was no point. Even with all my power, all my training, I was totally useless out here. I did the only thing I could do at that moment: I hid behind a crate of bombs. In hindsight, that was probably not the smartest choice as one hit from a Egg Pong's laser would've blown me sky high, but it turned out to be a good thing that I'd hidden there.
"Somebody launch the bombs!" I heard Vector-san call out into the chaos, "The robots haven't gotten to the artillery cannon yet! Somebody bring down that battleship!"
My head shot up. The cannon was clear? And I was literally right next to the bombs. I could arm and fire the cannon without fighting... but... there was no way I could load and fire enough of them to bring down a whole battleship. Not without using my speed. I gently bit my thumb in thought. What should I do? It was at that moment that I actually managed to remember some of my strategy training from Oniisan.
'If you're swarmed by enemies and there's more coming, don't panic. Breathe slowly and think carefully. If you're in a boat and it's leaking, you find a way to plug the hole before you bail out the water, right? So if enemies are pouring in, find a way to stop them from coming. Then you'll be able to focus on the ones that are already there.'
Find a way to plug the hole... That was it! I quickly grabbed a bomb from the crate and hurried--actually, more like crawled from my viewpoint, but you know--to the cannon. I only had one shot at this. Fortunately, I had been trained how to fire a turret.
I quickly loaded the bomb into the cannon and got into the firing seat, taking careful aim at the ship above me as I had been taught to do. "Steady... Steady... Now!" I yelled as I pressed the launch button. The bomb shot out of the cannon and directly into the open doors of the battleship's launch bay, exploding on impact.
"What?!" I heard Eggman's voice over the PA--why on earth was he announcing his thoughts to all of us?--"A direct hit to the launch bay?! You may have stopped my invasion, but I'll be back with more! Much more!" I dreaded the thought of what exactly "much more" would mean, but was nonetheless relieved. My plan was actually a success. Anyone who knew me would've been shocked.
"It's over... for now..." Espio-san remarked as I jumped down from the cannon platform.
"Good job Chaotix." Vector-san told his teammates, "Take five, then let's work on organizing an evacuation." Great. Another evacuation. Not that I cared at the moment. I was too excited at having managed to do something and having actually formed a successful strategy. "Hey! You!" Vector-san called out to me, and I snapped out of my euphoric daze. "Way to go Miss!" The crocodile declared while clapping me on the back so hard that I cringed in pain. "That shot was one in a million!" He added.
"An excellent tactical choice." Espio-san agreed.
"Yeah!" Charmy-chan piped up, "You were cool! So cool, I'll forgive you for burning my butt!"
"Th-thanks..." I managed, "Sorry about that."
"Okay, break's over!" Vector-san announced before I could tell Charmy-chan that I had a friend who was a medic, "Let's get these villagers somewhere safe."
I had helped save these people, but I couldn't help but feel like I should've been able to do more. I looked back at the damage around me and made my decision. 'I'll do better. I'll become better.' I thought to myself as I followed the Chaotix, 'I'll become a real soldier and real hero.' In that moment, I ignored the tears that fell from my eyes.
Like a child, you keep on crying
Let the tears fall without holding back
I decide, then and there, although it's unclear
What awaits
I gaze up far away into the summer sky
I yell out "today" into the summer sky
Okay, first, an explanation of the Japanese terms and phrases used in this chapter. I'll start with the honorifics, which are used to address or refer to someone in a polite manner.
Oniisan: Older Brother
Senpai: Used to address or refer to either a fellow student who is above the speaker by at least one grade or to address or refer to somebody who has been working somewhere longer than the speaker has. Savannah uses it in the latter context with regards to Rouge.
Chan: Used to address or refer to children who are very young, or girls with whom the speaker is either very familiar or several years older than. Savannah addresses Tails with this honorific because of how young Tails is.
San: This is often translated as Mr./Mrs./Miss, but it's actually a bit more casual than that. San is used as a polite way to address someone, but very polite people will even use it to address their close friends.
Savannah uses relatively polite speech when speaking in Japanese, so she uses honorifics with all except her close friends. Rouge is an exception to this because she has seniority within Team Dark.
Anyway, onto the other phrases! Oh, and please note that I translate these based on the context. Because Japanese is a very contextual language.
Wakaranai! = I don't understand!
Shinpaishita yo! = I was worried!
Un. Sugu ni iku = Yeah. I'll go immediately.
Gomen ne, Tails-chan. Demo, koko de abuna sugiru dakara. = I'm sorry, Tails. But it's because it's too dangerous here.
Hai...= Fine...
Mattaku... = Good grief... (a way of expressing exasperation)
Unlike with the first chapter, I didn't have to rewrite the song for this, because the artist, Amalee, allows the use of her songs as long as she is credited. The lyrics are from her English cover of "Lovers" from Naruto Shippuden. I used it in this chapter to convey Savannah and Shadow's love for each other as siblings, which is what the chapter title means.