Author's Note: Been a while since I last posted, sorry about that. Did make some fixes to previous chapters and even made cover for the story. Still, thank you to those who are following my story, I hope to get a couple more chapters out for y'all before the end of the year.
Uneasy Start
Sonic skittered along the Martian surface for a few seconds before drifting into the air, the force of his steps pushing him a few feet until he slowly landed back on the ground. I won't be winning any marathons like this. Sliding to a halt, Sonic took a moment to gain his bearings. Even the most dangerous locations Earth had to offer the hedgehog were more inviting than the frozen wasteland he stood in now; the rocky plains seemed to stretch out endlessly and the War Egg's energy cannon just barely stood out from the distant mountains. Clearly I need to change up tactics if I'm ever getting there this century. Doesn't take much to get airborne so maybe if I… Sonic crouched down like a runner on a starting line, one knee and hands placed on the ground. He would then launch off the ground into a series of zig-zagging long jumps.
The blue blur continued along at this improved pace for a few minutes, going several feet with each leap. Mid way through a particularly powerful jump, Sonic took care to resecure the bomb's shoulder strap and check the safety mechanism. Can't believe Tails built a mini nuke and got me to tote it around. Where'd he even get uranium for this thing? Sonic tried to recall all the salvaging trips he and Tails had made in the past; the electronics, machine parts, and weaponry from Robotnik's many bases were of high value to the duo. There was that time Eggman tried firing a warhead into Empire City with that really big railgun. Something about wiping out power for the Federation's northern region so it could be "reborn as the glorious Robotnik Empire". That particular moment stuck out to Sonic when he confronted Eggman some years ago. The massive artillery base tucked inside a canyon complete with an automated train system and anti-air cannons, Tails air lifting Sonic from a hijacked supply train just before it slammed into the railgun's platform, and Eggman cursing them as he gave chase in a battle mech. Best part was Ole' Egg Head's mech running out of fuel and falling right into that canyon.
A rapid series of low booms shook the hedgehog both figuratively and literally and he looked to the present situation. The War Egg was marginally closer at this point with some of the smaller towers rising into view. It was the barrage of missiles sailing out from this gargantuan fortress however that caught Sonic's attention. "Crap! Things just got a little more complicated." Sonic continued his approach with a higher sense of urgency, one hand reaching for the rings in his jacket pocket and the other more firmly clung to the nuke. "Please don't be homing missiles… Please don't be homing missiles…" He repeated to himself as he stared down the quickly approaching storm.
What he assumed was the first volley had about thirty or forty rockets all of varying builds and styles. Their sleek metallic bodies gleamed in the sunlight as they soared ever closer to Sonic; some began to drift downward as others remained high in the air, almost oblivious to their quarry hundreds of feet below. The first couple of missiles to get close to Sonic missed by several feet, safely zipping overhead.
The next missile came only seconds after and was much lower, clearly displaying a stylized portrait of Robotnik on its warhead. Sonic kicked his feet out in front of him, killing his forward momentum, and followed up with a quick side hop. "Ole!" he whooped out excitedly as the missile continued to fly by at a perfectly parallel angle. A few explosions soon rang out behind him, the closest being roughly a football field away. Another cluster of about seven missiles began to approach at a downward angle, each one fixated on the blue blur like hungry wolves. Wait for it… Sonic clutched one of the rings tightly and crouched down, building up energy from the golden artifact. Right about… "NOW!" The air around Sonic gave a resounding boom as he rocketed from the ground in an instant, quickly exceeding Mach one. The seven missiles would strike the ground anyway as if he hadn't just slipped right beneath them. Even the massive blast they left in their wake could barely catch up with the rapidly accelerating hedgehog, the concussive force only propelling him further.
Sonic quickly capitalized off this air dash to ascend the remaining bombardment, bouncing from missile to missile in quick succession. Bet I'm putting on quite the show for ole' Eggy right now. He quickly scanned the remaining missiles, charting the best route through them. Once I get up to that little plateau right there, I'm taking this act straight to his doorstep. Just then, Sonic made a not so stable landing on the second to last missile and made an even less stable jump off it. The blue blur careened under the last missile in a shallow arc, his arms wildly flailing as he slammed into the nearby cliff face. Sonic clung desperately to the cliff face, sliding down a few inches before finding an outcrop for his hands. He then reached behind him with one hand to reaffirm the bomb's condition. Guess I took most of the impact since the shoulder strap is holding up, and I haven't been vaporized yet…
Sonic dismissed the possible outcome of a self-inflicted annihilation and clambered to the top of the plateau. Upon reaching the top of the plateau, the pain from his collision caught up with him; a hammering sensation pulsing through his head and upper torso. "Talk about the headache of the century…" Sonic groaned as he pulled the remainder of the ring's energy into himself. Again, a warm and comforting sensation pooled around his injuries, slowly erasing the damage done. He then opened his hand to see the ring, now expended of energy, disintegrate into a puff of sparks. That's one more ring that saved my skin. Sonic watched the heavenly particles peacefully drift away in a gust of wind before resuming his trek to the War Egg.
From atop the plateau, more of the War Egg's layout became visible to Sonic. The fort was a patchwork of enormous metal slabs resting within a large valley with numerous structures of varying sizes and shapes littered throughout. The energy cannon Robotnik had advertised earlier towered about a thousand feet over the rest of the War Egg, its body being a tall and thin cone with a flattened point. Sonic eyed the superstructure with a sense of awe, wondering what kind of devastation it could cause if it ever fired. No. That's not going to happen. He reassured himself. His attention then drifted to the dynamo; the massive gear firing off arcs of electricity as it spun within a circular pit that sat between the energy canyon and the base of the plateau. Eh, still a few miles out. Can't even get down there with a drop off like that. Sonic then noticed how the plateau stretched around to the other side of the War Egg and sloped down. Gonna have to go all the way around before I can have a shot at- Sonic caught a sudden motion out of the corner of his eye; turning to it revealed a section of the War Egg roughly the size of an office building rising from the ground. Two large missile racks within the structure quickly rotated about ninety degrees in Sonic's direction before letting off a volley of twenty-four missiles, once more producing a rapid series of resounding booms.
Great, just when I was about to ask for a second helping. Sonic thought sarcastically, his hand already reaching for another ring like a cowboy would reach for his holstered gun. Doubt I can pull the missile staircase trick again to get to those launchers. The first three missiles made wide turns, racing towards the cliff face only a few hundred feet ahead of the blue blur. He's trying to cut me off! Sonic attempted to change course, slightly decelerating before veering further away from the cliff. Midway through the effort however, a fourth missile would slam into the cliff right below Sonic. A cacophony of explosions from all four missiles shook the cliffside as chunks of rock were flung every which way. Sonic narrowly dodged the initial shower of shrapnel but barely kept steady as the ground beneath him began to crumble. I didn't think I'd be taking the quick way down! More of the War Egg's onslaught quickly rained down on the plateau, creating a massive landslide that Sonic scrambled atop like it was an out-of-control treadmill. If I actually time this right, maybe I can get down there quicker without getting buried. Sonic quickly picked out a particularly flat rock, using it like an impromptu sled to rocket down the landslide. Massive plums of red obscured the rocky descent ahead, but the intrepid hedgehog continued regardless.
