Hey everyone! Sorry if this chapter seemed to come out a bit late. I had some personal time last week to myself. But that doesn't mean that I'm not giving up on this story! To compensate, this chapter is a longer one. I hope you all enjoy, and if you wish, leave a review or follow/fav this story so others can find it too!
Chapter 13: Kindling
Hidden GUN Bunker
"What are you talking about?" Shadow said. "Why would Tails be the main culprit in all of this?" He didn't know that the Abyss Voyagers were after Tails, so it was quite a shock for him that this new Silver brought it up. It left him confused about why of all people to be responsible for the end of the world, it would be Tails. Not Harrow, James, nor that fox demon he saw in his vision, just one of his most trusted allies.
"There is so much you don't know." The new Silver responded. "It's not what he is going to do that dooms us. It's what the Abyss Voyagers are gonna make him do that will doom us. Despite my numerous attempts to go back and fix everything, I never learn what they do to him that sends our world into the void. Nevertheless, the catalyst stems from the Abyss Voyagers finding Tails before we can."
"That'll be hard with both him, Sonic, and Knuckles out in space." Rouge adds, weakly sitting up in her bed. "They could be anywhere."
"No, they just came back, that I know for sure." The revelation stuns both Shadow and Rouge. If they were back planetside, did they bring back the chaos emeralds? That was the main thought drowning Shadow and Rouge. "But there is a problem. Your Silver and I share a similar trait. We are both disconnected from time. Our actions in this timeline are never set in stone, meaning every little action we take ripples through, altering major decisions for others. So no matter how many times I come back, your Silver can leave anything uncertain. But… I'm sure of four possibilities that never change. One, your Silver's initial decision in his fight against Harrow determines the web of outcomes to follow. Two, Team Sonic makes it back with the Chaos energy. Three, the energy is lost and scattered around the world again. And four, Sonic and Knuckles are separated from Tails."
"What do you mean by 'Silver's initial decision'?" Shadow inquired.
"As I've said, a being disconnected from time can drastically alter the fate of the timeline. Here, I'll illustrate it to you." The new Silver raises his hand and forms a silky blue line horizontally floating in front of him. He points to the middle of the line and marks a dot. "Take this dot as your Silver's first action. He has just been through an exhausting battle with Arsonal, one of the other Abyss Voyagers, and is faced with a decision once Harrow arrives. He either fights-" He draws a line diagonally from the dot, stemming into a new path. "He runs-" Another line. "Or he freezes." Another line. "Each of these possibilities has its own outcomes that vary. For example, if he chooses to fight and loses. He can either die or be captured. And vice versa if he is lucky enough to win." He draws four more lines stemming from one of the branching paths. "These may seem obvious, but you must know how specific each little action contributes to a new consequence. For instance, if Silver fled, he could've ripped a hole through the ceiling and flown out. But there is a chance that a rogue piece of debris hits Harrow's head, or doesn't. That little step determines how Harrow proceeds to attack Team Sonic later. And if you apply that butterfly effect to all of these scenarios-" The new Silver spreads his hands around the drawing and it explodes with countless paths and lines forming by the dozen. Infinitely, and rapidly. "Suddenly, it becomes impossible to track what timeline you're in."
"So what exactly does this mean for us?" Shadow asked, prompting the new Silver to dissipate the web of line.
"It means that we cannot take this timeline for granted. Nothing is in a firm lock for us to recognize. Our world is very likely to be lost again, with all of you with it." It was a lot to take in and process. Knowing the fact that their world had already experienced the end multiple times was unnerving to Shadow. Was it an endless cycle that they were trapped in, or was there something that they could do to finally change the destiny of everything? Before, Shadow didn't think much about the horrors of the world Silver would describe, since he was already confident that they could stop it. But even with two Silvers back to help them, was it really true that wouldn't be enough either? Caught up in his thoughts, Shadow fails to notice the sound of movement shuffling behind him. He shimmies his head back and sees Rouge lifting herself out of her bed. Clinging to it to support herself.
"If that is the case, then I'm ready to do anything to help."
"Rouge-" Shadow tried to intervene and help her back onto the bed, but she was quick to stop him.
"I can't stay here, bound to that bed. If there is something, anything I can do to assist, I'll take that chance. If the situation is as hopeless and dire as Silver says, then that is no incentive for me to give up." She stumbles away from the bed and almost falls down, but the new Silver steps forward to catch her and raise her back up. "So, have you got any strategies to help us get started?" She said with a smile.
"Well, I figured out that Tails always hides away in a city once he splits up from Sonic and the rest. Which one it is, always varies, but once we do figure out where he is, a hoard of GUN and Abyss Voyagers are bound to follow. We'll need more firepower, and I have a plan for that." That assurance sparks hope in Rouge's face. "Since the chaos energy is back in this world, we can try to collect them and use that against the Voyagers. The only problem is that they returned without their original casing, so once they scattered, they returned back to their special zones. If we can get to them before the Abyss Voyagers do, we'll have the advantage in the upcoming battle."
"I like it." Rouge said.
"It's too risky." Both Rogue and the new Silver look back in surprise at the comment Shadow made. "Searching around for the portal into the special zone will take time. And if we don't have all of the emeralds before fighting Harrow, we lose. I know since I recently lobbed a whole heap of chaos energy at her, and she got up with barely even a scratch."
"Whoever Harrow is, I'm sure that in one of these infinite possibilities, you come out on top, Shadow. Right Silver? You must know." All eyes were back on Silver as Rouge brought up the question. Was there a scenario where Shadow wins? Silver pauses, and conflict fills his face as he struggles to say anything. Hesitancy trembling from his lips before finally uttering a single word.
"Yeah…" He says. He shifts his expression to be more hopeful as to give Shadow confidence. "In fact, you win in many other timelines." Shadow saw straight through the lies. He really had no chance to win, and if he didn't, who else did? If the fight was led by his hollow faith, he was sure that his nightmares would come to fruition. But, it was a better end than sitting around and waiting for the finale to pass. So for now, he had to tolerate the new Silver's lies.
"Ok… then I'm ready."
GUN HQ: Interrogation Room
In the dim and cramped room, Tower was tied to a wooden chair, stripped of his uniform, and left with a white tank top. Bruises and cuts flourished around his face, and blood dripped down to the ground as he heavily breathed. "Are you ready to talk?" James walked over and hovered above Tower. His sleeves rolled up, showing more of his raw arms and battered fists. Tower simply responds by spitting on James' shirt, to which the man just laughs it off. "Alright, I guess you want more." James throws a right hook into Tower's face. "That's just a taste, you know?" James shows up his left hand, balled into a fist. Tower nonchalantly lifts his head and extends his cheek out to James.
"I have an itch, right there. Can you get it?" James sighs and throws a left hook. Despite the abuse, Tower is taking it like a champ, managing through each punch like a hammer on a steel plate. Eventually, James starts to lose some of his patience.
"At first, I was into this tough guy act you were putting on but now I'm starting to get a little sick of it. Yeah, I wanted to do this for fun but I have a job to do also. So, you can start telling me what I want, or I can expedite your suffering more. Let's see what you choose, shall we?" James kneels beside Tower and uncomfortably moves his face next to his, staring him dead in the eye. "Now, where was the base that you told Shadow to go to-" In a surprising act, Tower leans his head back and throws it forward to headbutt James in the nose. The impact was forceful and James' nose is for sure broken. "Ahh! You stubborn piece of-" James grunts louder as he tries to put his nose back into position. This time, Tower is the one who is having a good time. Laughing hysterically at James' amateurish interrogation skills.
"At this point, you should just kill me. Because no matter what you do to damage my body, my soul will never speak out against the ones who trust me."
"The ones you trust? The ones you trust!" James topples Tower's chair and he falls to the ground. "It's a miracle that someone like you can trust anyone here at all. With how GUN took everything from you. How because of Shadow, Maria is gone."
"You don't understand. The old GUN took her away. Both Shadow and I understood that and did what we could to ensure that a new GUN would be established and made sure that no innocents had to die to cover up anything again."
"Well, your new GUN is now the old GUN. Congratulations. Perhaps if you sought revenge against those who actually killed everyone on the ARK, we would've made good mates."
"What are you talking about?"
"We are the same, you and I, but you chose to become a coward and not fulfill your revenge. I am here to fix your mistakes." James grabs the head of the chair and pulls it toward the door, taking Tower with him. "C'mon, I want to show you something.
Later: In the lab
James walks into the vast and wide lab with Tower, who is freed from the chair but still in a bind. They meet up with a group of scientists monitoring through a cleanroom window. Tower looks through the window in horror as he sees a line of GUN soldiers in handcuffs, with drones pointing ballistics at them. The line of soldiers are stationed right next to a large machine with an empty chamber and a wide open blast door. "These are your men, Tower. The ones who would not surrender to the Abyss Voyager's order. See the white markings on them." James points to them, and Tower sees a white cross with a line passing through the middle painted on his soldier's uniforms. "That is the mark of a rebel, and that mark will never leave them, even when they convert to us." James turns his head to one of the scientists. "You can proceed." The scientist pushes a button that activates the drones. The drones push the line of soldiers forward and into the machine's chamber. At the end of the line, the last soldier tries to escape and run away, but he is grabbed by the drone and tossed into the chamber. The door closes and all of them are locked in. "I'm sure you recognize this machine. We borrowed it from a good doctor you might know. Now, I'm going to count to three, and if you want these brave men and women to maintain their humanity, just tell me where to find Shadow before I stop counting. One…" Tower was frozen with fear, he didn't find the choice cut and clear at all. Either rat out his most powerful asset or save his poor soldiers who didn't deserve what was coming to them. "Two…" James had Tower right where he wanted to be, where either outcome was in his favor. "Execute."
Out of nowhere, Jame abruptly finishes the countdown, and the scientist pulls a lever. The machine powers up, causing an unstable whirring to play throughout the room. Electricity sparks on the floor in the chamber and shoots up into the soldiers. They cry in pain and fall to the ground as their bodies spaz out and twitch. Tower screams in terror as his soldier's skin, clothing, and mannerisms turn robotic. Every layer shifts into a metallic material. Their uniforms turn to a hard metal plating, and their face warps into a hard helmet with a red cyclops eye. Their arm snaps and morphs into a cannon where it once was. The scientist switches the lever back and the machine turns off. The soldiers are roboticized into soulless drones that rise into stillness. "Let me be clear, Tower, that you would be in there with them if you didn't have something we needed. But I will not stop sending more of your soldiers into the roboticizer until I get that something. To that, I'll let you decide when it stops."
Whisper's Apartment
It was a slow six hours of lounging that Tails had to work with. The TV was cluttered with depressing and bleak news. He frowned every time he saw more footage pop up of the world falling to pieces. Meanwhile, he had to hide away and just hope that his friends were ok. It wasn't the same as when Eggman took over. Sure, the Eggman Empire was after all of them, and the thought of Infinite always brought a shiver down Tails' spine. But when dealing with Eggman, there was always the accountability that the doctor would be predictable, or overplay his hand. However, there was no information laid out for them about the Abyss Voyagers, and each step they took was calculated down to every minute detail with a slow-hitting denouement. There was so much to learn about them, with it being within Tails' grasp, but locked away under layers of complex code. Tails had spent all-day toying with his wristwatch, trying to use its connection to the Abyss Voyager's mainframe as a starting point to hack into valuable data, battle plans, and more. What was six hours of what seemed to be hard work turned into a complete waste of time as Tails had gotten nowhere in his progress to hack into it. Back at the space station he successfully cracked the firewall, but there were several more instances of filters attached to designated documents and codes that were inaccessible. Tails groaned and pounded his head back on the soft cushion as he contemplates further about giving up. The extensive screen exposure giving him lumpy bags underneath his bloodshot eyes. His prolonged exhaustion concerned Whisper, who was looming around in the kitchen.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Whisper asked Tails as she scavenged through her diminished cupboard, only finding a few packs of cheap tea in a flimsy tin container. "I got… well, some tea."
"I'm good, thank you." Tails responds. Whisper decides that one cup for herself wouldn't hurt and begins to put a teapot on the stovetop. She ignites the gas burners and blankly stares at the pot as it starts to heat up. Light noises of scampering echo out from behind the bedroom door, but the lively pittering is too faint for Tails to notice. However, as the noises cease, the bedroom door creaks open, and a quartet of wisps peep their little heads through a small crack in the door. A cyan, pink, green, and orange one. They curiously scan around the living room and see Tails hunched over on the couch. Three of them seem perplexed and nervous, but the cyan one bravely shoots out from the door and darts next to Tails. It flourishes around him at quick and playful speeds, startling Tails in the process. The cyan wisp's fearlessness encourages the other wisps to join in and interact with Tails. The fox is overwhelmed by the number of wisps flying around him, but he still is having fun, just as they were. Laughing and giggling as they dance around his head. The commotion alerts Whisper, breaking her from her trance. She expresses a brief sign of panic before rushing into the living room. "I wondered where you had these little guys." Tails commented as he rubbed the thorny head of the pink wisp, making sure that his fingers scratched perfectly between each spike.
"I told them to stay in my bedroom." Each wisp wraps around Tails' torso, hugging him tightly as the fox gives Whisper a modest smile. "I'm sorry if they're disturbing you."
"Don't worry about me. I'm sure these little guys have nothing but gratitude on their minds."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Sonic and I helped their whole species out of enslavement by Dr. Eggman. So I'm sure that they have no intention of disrupting me." A sharp whirring noise sparks Tails' attention back to the bedroom door. He sees a blue wisp peeking out the door with a skittish oddity to it. A wave of sadness across its eyes as it retreats back into the confines of the bedroom. "What's with them?" Tails asked.
"It's a long story. But to put it short, that wisp isn't mine. None of them are except for orange." Whisper points to the orange wisp.
"So… whose were they?" Whisper contemplated long and hard whether to open up or not. A long stare and wounded look bestows her as quivers form in her eyes.
"My… never mind." Whisper slinks on the couch next to Tails and wraps herself in a blanket. Tails' features are set in concentration and open to spark an exchange of words. The wisps move away from Tails and huddle around Whisper. They're resolved to comfort her.
"I wish I could talk to you about what you're going through but I can't unless you tell me what is troubling you."
"If I tell you, can you keep what I say a secret?"
"I promise!" Tails sticks out his pinky finger to Whisper. He was finally getting through to her to open up, and maybe if she did, she'd be more inclined to help Tails out on his journey back to Sonic and the others. But one step at a time. Right now, Tails needed to make sure that anything disturbing Whisper was something that he can help alleviate. Uncertainty shrouds Whisper's actions as she is conflicted about whether to put all that trust in Tails. However, he was someone that she suspected would never betray her, despite the little amount of time they knew each other. She couldn't put into words why that was meant to be, but she knew it to be true. Whisper meets Tails' hand and imitates his gesture. They lock their pinkies and shake, ensuring the word of honor.
"Thank you…" Whisper takes a deep breath in and sighs. She was ready. "During the uprising against Eggman, a group of four others and I banded together to perform hit-and-run operations against high-priority targets belonging to the Eggman Empire. Slinger, Claire, Smithy… and Mimic… made up our group called the Diamond Cutters. For a while, we remained but a thorn in Eggman's blubber. Irritating, but undetected. Eventually, Eggman sought to eradicate us from the picture. He struck a bargain with our own, Mimic, who cared more about his payment than us. During one of our operations, I was left outside the base as a lookout, but as the rest went in, Mimic sprung the trap. I don't know what happened to them, but all I could hear was their cries for help. Their cries for me." A gloom overcame Tails. He truly felt sorrow for poor Whisper.
"I'm so sorry." Tails quickly glanced over to the wisps, still trying to comfort her as thin streams of tears fell. They did their best to wipe them away. "How did you get their wisps then?"
"They narrowly escaped, under the orders of their partners. The blue one you saw in the doorway was Mimic's. Seeing the horror he committed, it fled as well. Now it can't bear to look me in the eye without feeling any semblance of remorse." Feeling satisfied with what he was told, Tails senses that it is best that he discontinues his questioning.
"Thank you for telling me all that. Although, I shouldn't have pressured you into doing so. It wasn't right of me."
"I'm sure it had to be said. I can't hide away forever. I should be thanking you." Whisper yawns. "It's been a long day. I should get rest." Whisper slouches into the couch, closing her eyes and peacefully dozing away. Tails was surprised that she would choose to stay out here with him, but he wasn't one to object. However, he wasn't done yet with his work. He still had more time to research the Abyss Voyager's mainframe. In the meantime, Tails turned the TV back on to glance at the news. In order to not disturb Whisper, he muted the volume. He would keep his promise. Not a soul would know of Whisper's past but him, but he still needed to do everything he could to find where his friends ended up at.
Black Void
Nothingness surrounded Harrow. Her weightless body drifted through an endless abyss. She was on edge, but not afraid. "Child of my creations, what do you seek?" A booming voice called from the darkness. Harrow snaps around to locate the voice, but it echoes all around her. "I sense a war raging within. Tugging your ambition is fickleness. So I ask, what do you seek?" Once paralyzed with fear, Harrow swallows her panic and answers the disembodied call.
"To fulfill my duties. The Abyss Voyager's guidance is above my own."
"Hmmm… Nothing more? I sense suppressed pride. Surely not of your own fault."
"Is there a point to your words?" Harrow impatiently barks back. Suddenly, a warm feeling crawls on her back, like embers dancing beneath her fur. She turns around and sees a pair of harvest-colored eyes with black irises engulfed in the void. Pearly white teeth show as a ginormous figure steps forth into a nonexistent light. The fox demon reveals itself to Harrow.
"The conflict in your mind makes it hard for me to keep a tether to your powers. You must find clarity if you wish to be stronger."
"Then how do I do that?"
"Confess to me. There are two clashes that must be cleared up. The first of which is your essence of battle. Do you fight for the excitement, or out of wrath? Is your true enemy Shadow, or The Highest?"
"Shadow is but an opponent that I find rather enticing. But I have no quarrel with him, unlike The Highest."
"Then, your essence of purpose. Do you wish to take my power for the Abyss Voyagers, or for yourself? Perhaps for both you and the vessel?" Harrow flares with friction. She doesn't know what to say. "Wait… You don't have to answer. I can more clearly define your intentions now." The fox demon lifts its spiky claws and gingerly taps Harrow's forehead with them. "Sit still for me. I shall ignite your soul, kindle your spirit. Carry out your own will."
High Colossus
Harrow jolts up from the cold metal floor, out of breath and in a sweat. She examines her arm as a swirl of crimson mist warps around her wrist and enters her body. Harrow tightens and loosens her fist, experiencing a newfound strength she was unfamiliar with. "Your training is complete, Harrow." She looks up and sees The Highest hovering over her. "You are ready to release our lord's ethos into the vessel."
"That thing is what you pray to?" She coldly remarks. The Highest immediately responds with a backhanded slap across Harrow's face.
"Be thankful that he chose not to tear your body apart. Be on your way now, you have much to fulfill."
Later
Harrow walks through the dull halls of High Colossus. Beyond the door in front of her was the entrance to the hanger. It was about time she returned back to the planetside and finish this war. Yet, she still held onto unfathomable anger. One against not just The Highest, but everything about the Abyss Voyagers. She wanted to burn it all to the ground, but even with her soul empowered, she suspected that it still wouldn't be enough to match The Highest's strength. "Leaving already?" A crude chirp behind her heightened her anger even more. Mocking her was Dr. Eggman.
"Come to rub more dirt in my face?"
"As much as that would please me, I've come to discuss something else. It's about your friend, The Highest."
"What concern is it to you? You have everything you want, being his personal lap pet." Harrow growled, but Eggman remained firm.
"Please. Do you actually think I'd be loyal to anyone but myself? What surprises me is how much resentment you have towards him. So, what is it that he did to you?" Eggman tried to pry into her mind, but Harrow wouldn't budge so effortlessly.
"You don't deserve to know. You've yet to even earn my respect."
"Pardon me for trying to break the ice."
"What are you getting at, Doctor?" As Harrow inquires, Eggman sparks a devilish grin.
"At some point, my usefulness will run dry, same as yours once The Highest gets what he wants. As much as it pains me to say, we have a common enemy." Harrow lowers her guard, she is considering the implication of his words. "But we have to play it smart, we can't let him know what we are planning. When we strike, we'll do it fast and cut off the head of leadership for ourselves." Harrow forms her own devious smile as well.
"Come with me."
High Colossus: Storage Room
Harrow and Eggman enter a boxed room filled with capsules containing alternate designs of vulmechs and other mechs. All of these bots stowed away in a back room for possible future uses or shelved forever. "What are we doing here?" Eggman asked Harrow.
"I want to show you something." At the edge of the room is another capsule covered in a beige sheet of cloth. Harrow approaches the sheet and yanks it off. Eggman drops his jaw at first sight. Within the capsule is Metal Sonic, deactivated. However, his design has been altered drastically, in favor of the Abyss Voyagers. Its tint of blue armor shifted to a pale gray. Its forehead imprinted with the symbol of The Abyss Voyagers. Its secondary color, yellow, changed to a bold red. "We gave it a remodel after our initial meeting. You like it?"
"It's horrendous." Eggman cringed, which made Harrow chuckle.
"I thought you'd say that. Don't fret, we gave it more than a few upgrades. It's perhaps the most powerful robot in the universe. But let me make one thing clear. I am not Vulnter. I will not give you the luxury of being unsupervised half of the day so you can stab me in the back later, as I can only assume that it was what she did. Get us a plan to work off of, but I'm in control of your toy. Got it?" Eggman grunts in defeat, but his up-tone mumbles signify his reluctant agreement.
"When this is over, I want him back."
"When it's over, then you shall."
Mystic Ruins
Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and the Chaotix circled around a flat stone surface where a sheet of paper was rolled over it. The paper was a schematic of GUN HQ. "So, what do we know about the base?" Knuckles asked, mainly waiting for Silver to answer, as he would know out of everyone.
"The traffic of the base's security is usually determined by whatever the new GUN director is up to. James Reed is calculated, cunning, and not someone we want to alert. That's why earlier in the day, I had Espio scout out the base to see if there were any frequent occurrences of drones that we can predict and work off of." Espio steps forward and lays his index finger on the schematic, tracing around the wall of the base.
"There are several patrols of drones routing through the outer end of the base. I've concluded that these are James' personal force, as every time he left via helicopter, they would trail not far behind. So our most optimal option is to wait until he leaves with the rest of the drones and then make our way in. Knuckles can give us the edge by digging us underneath."
"How often does he go out?" Sonic asks. Espio closes his eyes and sighs.
"On occasion, once a day over eight hours."
"That long!?" Sonic slams his hands down on the stone. "Every hour we waste waiting is another that Tails is by himself. What if in that time we are hanging back for the moment James leaves is the moment that GUN and The Abyss Voyagers find Tails?"
"I'm sorry, but that's how this has to go." Silver tries to tell Sonic, but the hedgehog was not in the mood for thinking otherwise.
"It doesn't. You know what we can do? Go back to Station Square and look for him without any of this over-complication."
"And search a whole city by ourselves?" Knuckles was quick to question. "Every corner we take will lead into more danger."
"Knuckles is right, there is more at risk that way." Amy said. Sonic promptly turns his back away from the group and storms off toward the forest. "Wait, where are you going?"
"You guys can do whatever plan you want. I'm going to look for Tails. By myself if I have to." Knuckles runs after Sonic and grabs hold of his arm. He wasn't going to let Sonic blindly go alone and get himself hurt or even worse.
"You need to slow down."
"Now what? First, you come up with the suggestion of leaving Tails behind, now you want to stop me from rescuing him twice?"
"If I knew that he would be lost, I would've gladly stayed behind so you two could escape!" Knuckles blurted out, startling and taking Sonic aback. "You're right, I made a mistake. But I wanted to do the right thing for all of us. I know sometimes you don't perceive me as bright, but I'm trying, man! What you are about to do is reckless, and that is saying something from my end. But you're still my friend, and if you think that going back now is the best thing to do, I'm not gonna stop you." Sonic's heart drops. He starts to wonder if his impulsiveness and arrogance was starting to leave a bad taste in his judgment. Words were strangled in his throat. "We'll still go with our plan, but it's up to you if you want in."
"Gee, Knux, I know you only mean the best. I'm sorry if I lashed out."
"Don't be…" A relieved sigh exhales from Knuckles' mouth. "So, what are you planning to do?"
Pumpkin Hill
"You're sure that one of the special zones is here?" Shadow called out to the new Silver. He was grinding down a rail through the pointed mountains of Pumpkin Hill. Ahead of them was the sun setting beneath the clouds. Beside him was Silver and Rouge flying at his side, with Rouge holding on tight to Omega's head.
"I'm certain, keep moving!" The new Silver, which at this point, Shadow and Rouge referred to as Silver II, commanded. "We're almost there."
"Shadow?" Shadow turned to Rouge, who swooped in closer to him. "I guess we'll find out if that theory is correct."
"Which one?"
"To see if the readdition of stable chaos energy cures your sickness." Rouge brought up a good point. Up until now, Shadow was content with knowing that Sonic would never come back with the chaos emeralds. He was banking on Dr. Solace to find a cure first, so Sonic returning was a thought put deep into his mind to find later. Now that the chaos energy was filling the world again, that buried idea was being put to the test. "Silver?" Rouge directed to Silver II. "Is that something that is going to help Shadow?"
"I'm sorry." Silver II glumly put it. "But this is the first time where I've put this idea to practice. Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough. I have a good feeling about this timeline." Maybe it was a lot for Shadow to ask, but he wished there was a bit more clarity in Silver II's direction. He felt a disconnect between himself and this new mysterious version of the personable and optimistic hedgehog. The Silver he knew would put himself in danger before any of his friends would, which made Shadow wonder, would this one do the same? Or would he sacrifice everything to ensure the preservation of the world, considering the indeterminable amount of times they've failed to save it? "We're just about there." Silver II said. The edge of the rail arced up, leaving Shadow to shoot off it with high momentum and soar over to the peak of a rigorous mountain. The trio land at the top and approach the center of the peak. A curious sight beholds them, one that they've thought of as a thing long forgotten in the past. A golden ring spinning in place, with reality distorting in its center, creating afterimages of the landscape around it. These were the portals leading into the special zones. It had been a while since Shadow or Rouge had been inside one, but they assumed the goal was the same, gather enough rings and receive the emerald. Simple enough, if not tedious.
"Let's finish this quickly. We don't have the time to spare." Shadow was the first to enter through, but before Rouge and Silver II could follow, a roaring in the sky alerts them to look up and gaze through the clouds. Piercing through the clouds like a bullet is a GUN carrier ship emerges, covering what little sun was shining left.
"What is that thing doing here?" Rouge exclaimed.
"I've noticed that GUN reboots many old freighters and battleships they've left in storage. A formidable tool for intimidation, but… Go! Help Shadow, let me handle this." Silver II said.
"Can you hold them off long enough?"
"Who said I was just gonna hold them off?" With reassurance, Rouge nods to Silver II and enters through the portal herself, leaving Silver II to face this behemoth of a force intruding on him. Hate and despair fogged up his eyes, clenching his fist with all spite conjoining into one power. 'Every reset… Every setback… You're here to meet me.' Silver II thought. The carrier had spotted him. It swiftly changes course and points the nose of its hull in Silver II's direction. Through a pair of blast doors at the bottom of the battleship, a swarm of GUN beetle drones are deposited and ready for battle. 'Even if you're just a pawn, you think yourself a knight. But you're here just to be sacrificed, just so the king knows what they're dealing with. But I won't give you that dignity…' Pebbles and rocks circulate around Silver II, swirling in a frenzy. He lifts up and ascends into the clouds, meeting the carrier's altitude. "YOUR SACRIFICE WILL MEAN NOTHING!" Silver II sends the rocks around him shooting forward at the drones like bullets. It destroys a few of them, but their numbers are far greater. The drones begin to fire a rally of plasma shots at Silver II, but he cuts through the air like a blade of grass, dodging each shot with ease. His psychokinesis grabs multiple drones, and with the clench of his hands, they crush into a ball of debris. He's not done yet, as he uses the debris the same way he did with the rock, projectiles to throw back at the swarm. He could at least make his time avoiding more plasma shots easier as he kept cutting the drone's numbers down, but the concern was with the carrier itself.
The battleship was equipped with heavy flak cannons. They turn to aim at Silver II, and as they fire, explosive rounds are shot ferociously at him. These rounds were harder to dodge, but if they were ready to bring out their big guns, then Silver II was too. He extends both of his arms to his side and concentrates. His blue aura forming around his hands shoots out and attaches to a random mountain, which wraps around like a ring. The ring rotates at a high speed, cutting deep into the mountain. Half of the mountain is cut off, and Silver II uses all his might to pull the spike up. With a forceful yell, he launches the mountain top hurling upwards, colliding straight into the hull of the carrier. It was finished, the battleship was plummeting from too much-sustained damage. It rams into the valley, creating a short explosion from inside its engines. Silver II flies down to the wreckage and heads to the broken glass leading into the bridge. Inside, he can see a trio of GUN officers laying on the floor. Silver II shatters the glass with his powers and pulls all three of them to him. "Which of you is the commanding officer?" The middle officer raises his hand quickly. Silver II pulls him closer, looking into the fearful face of the man. He had a duty to uphold, but Silver II cherished this downtime to take in the fear of these men. To him, they were filth. They brought upon a bad future, all for what? He despised them. Silver II grabs the commanding officer's arm and rips off his wrist computer.
"Look, the fight is over now. Are you going to let us go?"
"Let you go?" Silver II started to laugh. "A good future deserves better people. And all of you are just scum, ignorant of your own wrongdoings. You aren't deserving of mercy." Silver II tosses them to the side, where they fall further into the deep valley, undoubtedly to suffer a fatal fall. Silver II flies back to the peak of the mountain where the portal was, and continues to wait. Just then, Rouge appears from the portal. "What happened? Are you ok?"
"Where's Shadow?" Rouge asked.
"Weren't you with him?"
"No! When I went in everything was black, and it sent me back here… Wait, what happened out here?" Rouge eyes the crashed GUN battleship. "Nevermind that, Shadow must still be in there, and what he's seeing I don't know what."
Whisper's Apartment
Tails was still watching the news, but he made sure that Whisper wouldn't wake from the bright light of the TV, by putting the blanket around her over her head. The sun fully set, and Tails was now on the edge of his seat, waiting to see what the night broadcast was going to show. Already, there was breaking news, as the anchorman speaks into the camera. 'This just in, GUN has reportedly spotted the blue blur, Sonic the Hedgehog within Station Square.' Tails nearly jumped out from the couch. He couldn't believe it. Did Sonic really come back for him? He watches as the camera cuts to an overhead shot from a helicopter viewing an alley. There was Sonic, trying to stay out of sight from GUN, but they still managed to spot him. 'This was the last footage of the hedgehog before his escape south of the city's central mall. Current whereabouts are unknown as authorities are asking anyone if they've seen this once proclaimed hero.' Tails turns off the TV, still in shock. He tried to map out where Sonic could've gone in his head. If he was last seen at the mall going south, then maybe, just maybe, Tails knew where he was headed. Exactly south, was, of course, Tails' house. Tails figured that if Sonic came back to find him, he would try to see if he was at his house first. He had to get there if that was the case. As much as it pained him, he would have to leave Whisper, for now. At least until he meets back up with Sonic, and maybe they can all leave the city together. It was risky, but this was his shot. Tails needed something to disguise himself before going back into the city. However, the best thing he had was to wrap a blanket around himself and cover up his twin tails and pray that he isn't spotted. He stands up and heads to the exit. But as he leaves, Whisper's head perks up from her own blanket. She was wide awake, and now aware that Tails had left.
Tails' House
Tails enters through his front door and looks around. Dust and mildew had already infested his pristine home. Now it really was an abandoned shell of a house. He cautiously creeps around, checking every corner behind him just to make sure he isn't being watched. A creak at the story above him startled him. There was someone upstairs. The footsteps approached the staircase, and just in case it wasn't Sonic, Tails grabbed a kitchen knife from the countertop. The footsteps squeak down each step at a sluggish pace, causing Tails to shake in anticipation. But as to relieve all stress, a familiar hedgehog's face darts out from the side. It was Sonic's. Although, he did look a bit worn and washed out. "Sonic!" Tails dropped the knife to the floor and ran to Sonic.
"Hey… buddy, are you ok?"
"Where have you been?"
"Me and Knuckles had to find a way out of the city, but I couldn't just leave you behind."
"Thank you…" Tails hugged Sonic, nudging his head into the hedgehog's chest. "I did it again. I put myself in danger just so I could do something useful. I never should have gone back to the shuttle. I must've given you all a fright." Tails looked into the hedgehog's eye, his own prickling with tears.
"It's ok, I'm here now. Hey, why don't we try to get out of here, alright?" Tails lets go of Sonic and nods to him. Tails is the first to step toward the door, with Sonic trailing not far behind. "We're almost out of here, Miles, let's not give up now." Tails stops in his place, and his eyes widen. Why would he call him that? Tails couldn't ever see why Sonic would. Unless…
"Are you feeling ok, Sonic?"
"Yeah, never better."
"You sure? You look a bit pale." Tails pointed out.
"Trust me, I'm fine."
"Uh-huh. Well, if you were the real Sonic, he'd have to be pretty messed up in the head to call me Miles instead of Tails." The Sonic's stare turns cold and he rubs his fingers against his face in disappointment. There, Tails spotted something else odd about this Sonic, a row of what he thought were suction cups were placed along his palm.
"You have a target this valuable and you can't tell me something this important, James?" The jig was up, Tails had to get out of here quickly. He sprinted to the door and was about to leave. That is until he felt a sharp stinging pain in his right leg, which sends him falling to the floor. He cries out as he looks back at his calf. He was horrified to see a knife sticking out of his leg. A knife! "You're lucky they want you alive and in one piece." Tails looks back at the imposter and sees the figure of Sonic warp back into a flail of violet tentacles. Shifting violently back into its true form. An octopus with blackened eyes and pale beak. A black leathery poncho and slim leg warmers. "But those Tails of yours are going to be a problem on the way back, I suppose." The octopus reaches into his poncho and pulls out a string of rope. Tails tried to crawl away, but the octopus was losing his mind cackling as the fox struggled to reach for the door. "Gullible child, you have nowhere to go and no one to save you. So just stop fighting and let me handle the rest." The octopus closes in on Tails, but before he can bind him, a cyan laser bursts through the window and grazes the octopus's beak, knocking him back and away from Tails. More footsteps approached the door as it crept open. There, to Tails' rescue, was the guardian angel, Whisper. She was wearing her ornate mask and had her fully powered wispon trained on the octopus.
"Whisper!"
"Well, isn't this quite a reunion?" The octopus said.
"You know him?" Tails asked Whisper.
"Yes. He was the one who got my friends killed. That is Mimic."
To be continued…
