AN: I'm back~! Been a while ever since I updated this story! I may still be slow, but I'm working on it...while having a junk pile of assessments to get through, lol. There's something I might also want to prepare as well since there is this one new idea in relation to a special month coming soon!

Another long chapter, yay...

Hope you enjoy this chapter! You might be surprised.

Chapter 17

If there was one task that would get me in the zone, then it would be cleaning a messy hallway after it was generously belittled by your fellow agents. I kept scrunching up my nose, feeling really picky to just wipe the entire place clean.

Nearly a week have past ever since my stunt with Willy Walrus. It took quite a while for G.U.N to make them settle in. While the Commander considered my request, I don't think the leading council was willing to let them go on the same community service treatment as I am doing. Instead, they decided to try to 'turn them back to civilians' in their own words.

Maybe that was why Willy didn't want to go into therapy sessions.

Willy's and the Weasel Bandits' therapy program began yesterday, though I wasn't able to meet up with any of them due to doing a task outside in the city. But what I heard…it didn't seem pretty since at least one Weasel Bandit came back to his cell with a broken tooth. Willy was said to be somewhat disciplined but reported to be a bit more moody than usual.

Hearing this made me feel a little sore.

At the moment, I was more focused on cleaning the hallway. Need to finish this if I want to see Willy. Still on September's condition to not exceed my ruby's powers, I only used my telekinesis powers to lift up one soggy mop to do the job while I had another mop in my hands. However, it turned out to be a bit difficult since I had no idea how to even control a mop while simultaneously using one manually.

As I scrubbed the floor, I could only watch the floating mop flopping around pathetically. I narrowed my eyes, trying to give a single command. But thinking proved to be more complicated as it only flew forwards and slapped a passing agent in the face.

I immediately turned around, pretending not to be aware of this. There was a grumble and the wet mop dropping to the floor before the agent stomped away. I didn't expect to hear someone chuckling from behind.

"There's the little terror of the place," said Topaz. "I'm surprised that you're now taking the janitor job."

I shrugged. "Just felt like this place is untidy. I keep seeing so many spider webs everywhere!"

That was when I noticed some stains on the ceiling. Turning around, I tried using my telekinesis to move the mop closer to it.

"Is this something the Commander assigned you to or is it your own work?" she asked.

I didn't answer since I was concentrating on trying to get the stain off. Could have just flown upwards, but the mop was already close to there. And it actually worked when scrubbing that part of the ceiling. Topaz seemed to have grown quiet as I concentrated on cleaning that stain, until…

"Your tail is still bandaged," she commented. "Are you OK, Obsidian?"

At first, I didn't know what she meant. But when I turned behind, I curled my tail upwards to catch the sight of my tail with the brown bandage wrapped still around it. It was starting to wear out as the wrap looked like it could fall out. However, the fur seemed to be adapting to it as it looked neater than the first time. The blood stains on the bandage even grew a darker color.

"...oh, I'm doing alright," I reassured. "I gotten used to wearing it."

"Why do you still have that there?" asked Topaz. "Your tail isn't injured, is it?"

"No, no, it's…I don't know. Maybe it reminds me a little about Willy. I mean, he's the one who gave it to me and…"

Topaz appeared a little curious about this but shrugged it off. "OK then. Speaking of which, there's…three things I need to inform you of."

"What is it?"

She inhaled nervously. "There was an incident that happened with the imprisoned members of the Lightning Bolt Club-I mean, Society. I'm not used to hearing this."

I gulped. "Is it…really bad?"

"You have no idea. They were assigned to an early therapy session, but something seemed to happen when they took their coffee. The second they did they…they…" She trailed, covering her mouth as if about to vomit.

Any plans of visiting Willy seemed to be pushed aside due to THIS being revealed just now. I frowned, slowly lifting down the mop.

"What…happened to them?" I asked nervously.

"I…I have no idea actually!" said Topaz, looking lost. "It was as if it changed their bodies immediately! It looked like their stomachs were beginning to expand, but there was something definitely going on due to Willy and the Weasel Bandits holding onto their bellies like having a baby! They made it to the sick bay, but they had to be put into surgery for a while. It was as if they drank bleach."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"So now…they're resting. Unfortunately, their stomachs and lungs were severely damaged, so they'll be likely in comas for now." Topaz scratched her chin. "I wonder if it had to be something due to the drinks, but we…don't have evidence on who poisoned them."

My face paled at the image of Willy's stomach and lungs being twisted into knots like dough. Topaz made it a bit vague, but I feared what kind of monstrosity grew inside their bodies. Or maybe it was just food poisoning that was the problem. But food poisoning couldn't really deform both the lungs and stomach at the same time, right?

And it couldn't be that much of an allergic reaction…unless one of the four was allergic to something.

Wait, did Topaz say that they don't have evidence on who made the coffee drinks for them?!

"...are they still alive?" I asked worriedly.

"Thankfully, yes," said Topaz. "Unfortunately, their voice boxes and lungs aren't working properly, so they won't be able to talk for…I don't know. A couple of days or weeks? It's also a problem since Willy wouldn't give up the location to the Lightning Bolt Society and we were planning to confront the Weasel Bandits again today…until this happened. It's like they staged their own downfall."

I bit my lip, cringing. I don't think I heard any details on the society's whereabouts on where they might be hiding. Looks like our ticket to finding out was crushed. However, I wasn't worried about that.

In the midst of my confusion, I saw Stone standing there in the distance around the corner. He appeared so shocked that his eyeballs could pop out from their sockets. Mirroring my thought bubble of progressing this, he looked both left and right…

…and ran like hell, throwing papers in the air. Dust was left in his tracks from the blur of his feet.

And then, he meekly came back to pick them up.

He sped off again.

That was weird.

But that brief moment was overshadowed by my growing frustration. I felt stumped. Helpless. And I was getting ready myself to see Willy again, even if that meant getting to see the Weasel Bandits again. I did promise to see him and my chance was already dashed two times already. All because someone chose to barge in and impair them like this.

I could only feel my fists shaking, the claws nearly digging in due to how hard I clenched them. Only if I got there in time. I should have known that someone would hurt Willy further once he get caught. I should have known better that he might be in the same state as the other prisoners I saw…

"Obsidian!" exclaimed Topaz. "Calm down. You're gonna scare the folks around here."

It felt like the same mistake was happening again. Most of the agents passing by nearly had their hands on their weapons attached to their belts. Others appeared miffed. It only came to me that I was surrounded by a green aura and I was audibly snarling. I didn't even think of clenching my teeth together.

Realizing how much attention I was drawing, I immediately dropped the green aura, directing my eyes to the floor. There were a few people still staring, but I didn't really want to. I barely acknowledge Topaz trying to gently shove me over to a secluded area of the place, blindly following along.

Closing my eye, I let out a big sigh. Memories from my heist with Willy came back to me. The enjoyment of getting to rob a museum. The sympathy I held for him. And the worry of what might really happen despite his punishment for his own good. Something told me locking him up felt wrong while I get to walk around freely.

"It's still a whole world out there. And now that I'm free from Dave's control, I can feel comfortable with what I want to do."

"The way you so innocently think is the good and lucky life…"

My ruby glowed, whispering to me. It hadn't been acting naughty for the past few days and only seemed to respond whenever I felt tired or down. This time, it felt sorrowful as well. I could hear it telling me that I shouldn't need to feel bad for leading Willy into this. It was ultimately his choice. It told me that he'll be alright once he recovers.

I sniffed, trying to block that message out of my head. What if I didn't want to feel better when…the ruby protested, giving the same warm sensation of keeping me safe. A trusting presence. Eventually, I found myself feeling less heavy.

"Obsidian?" asked Topaz softly, taking a step back. "Are you alright?"

The ruby seemed to also make me feel…wanting to open up about how I actually felt. I grunted to myself, thinking that it would be a stupid idea since I couldn't appear weak.

However, I just heard the news of Willy being in a horrible state and my plans to visit him were botched.

I sighed, pinching my nose. "I'm sorry, Topaz. I just…suddenly feel helpless about this. I hate it."

"It's not your fault," reassured Topaz. "Unexpected things can happen, especially here-"

"No, not just about him ending up getting hurt, but…I feel sorry for him. Is it alright to feel…really bad that he ends up here?"

Topaz bent down on one knee, raising an eyebrow. "He tricked you at the start. Enlighten me."

I took another deep breath, trying to recompose myself. "I had the feeling that the reason why he blackmailed me was because he thought I would have done the same as well. You know that I'm still a weapon; a feared murderer. But when I acted nice to him, he was…surprised by this. That led him to explain everything about his views on his friends lately."

Her eyes widened in surprise, nodding slowly. "...guess that he isn't much of a huge villain, is he?"

"Seems to be not. And when he did reveal his future plans, he did acknowledge my warning. He just wanted to go out there for his own choices. I don't know why, but I-I…I feel like it was my fault for being around." I felt my hands curling into balls, grabbing the ends of my jacket. "He might have been able to figure out a better life instead of…too many punishments. And now, he's probably rotting away in bars while I…"

I wasn't able to finish the sentence when I heard my voice croaking. I felt embarrassed, feeling teary. Topaz seemed to observe my body for a while before eying the glow intensifying from my ruby. It took a while until she placed an understanding hand on my shoulder.

"You know that you couldn't be able to save him," she said. "And he would have been caught anyway since he did lead us to find him."

I closed my eyes, fearing they might become tearful. "...I kind of forgot. It just seems so little…"

"Everyone has different treatments, Obsidian. It might look unfair, but there are some things we don't fully understand. I might not understand it clearly. What I can see is, however, Willy has his own path and he needs to work that out. The two of you are quite different, you know. You did the best you can; if Willy does remain your friend, then he'll listen to you."

It didn't feel right somehow. I stared down at my tail, remembering the time he took to wrap it up when I got shot. "But…fellow criminals don't just leave one behind, do they? I failed to meet him yesterday in his first therapy sessions and now…what if-?"

"You still think about him," answered Topaz. "It shows that you really do care. Though, second-guessing yourself isn't going to solve anything. Maybe he's even second-guessing as well. He'll be OK when there is no worry floating around. He'll KNOW he'll be alright if you believe in that hope."

If I went out of my own way, then I wouldn't really listen to her. But after thinking through it, it got me wanting to take her advice. The ruby glowed brighter, telling me that she was speaking the truth. Close to the truth. It reminded me of her reassurance of my decision to stay here when I lamented about being weak. And right here, I told my worries without falling apart too quickly.

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. I felt a little panicky, noting how shaky I was. Despite the feeling that everything might fall apart, I chose to try to believe in Topaz and returned my mindset to visiting Willy soon.

"OK…I trust you, Topaz," I said, trying to smile. "Thank you…"

She smiled, rubbing my hair. "Glad that I can help."

"Anyway…I should get back to mopping the floor now. I…"

"Let me guess, that was your own task you made?"

I didn't really want to say the full truth, so I used the abridged version. "I just felt bad for robbing a museum and causing some property damage of nearly 1 million bucks. It's…also a good practice to use my Phantom Ruby."

"Oh! That reminds me!" piped up Topaz. "The second thing I need to tell you is that September is starting to make a machine to separate your body from your ruby."

That was new. "Really?"

"Well, it's a protocol so far and he wants to make sure that his team keeps working on it until it is proven to be safe. He thought of letting you know and whether you would be more than happy to use the first machine to try taking the ruby out from your chest. Or if you want to keep it, of course."

"Wait, wouldn't it be wasteful to make the machine if I say…I want to keep the ruby?" I asked curiously.

Topaz froze. "...he would…still create it anyway in case of emergencies. Are you…actually…?"

I didn't even need to rethink. I had my own evidence and it was enough to prove my point. It felt like I don't really need to fear it anymore now that I'm in better hands instead of in Eggman's. For some reason, my ruby didn't feel like it was a weapon of his.

"I have thought for a while," I explained, finding myself feeling happier when saying all of this. "I came here to find a solution with getting rid of the ruby's influence. But from the experiments and the experiences I learned…it doesn't seem to be a bad thing. I-I mean, of course, I'll probably regret it sometime. Maybe someday."

The ruby huffed, sounding a little annoyed. Chuckling a little, I patted it. For some reason, I felt like I was in Zero's role as a 'father'.

"It's already connected with me," I continued. "Maybe I have been feeling like it's…my own invention. Not Eggman's nor anybody else's. And it didn't make me a monster."

The next few words sounded like a true announcement to the world.

"I think I would want to keep it for longer."

Topaz was understandably surprised by this. I was too while I knew it would be expected. It was just that I didn't know I would end up wanting the ruby. It actually made me feel safe. It didn't try to manipulate me. It acted like a guide buddy; something to confide with since it knew all my thoughts. And just like this, it was beaming brightly and happily.

After a few seconds, Topaz smiled. It was neither small nor huge, but it was still one.

"And yet, I fear that the latest jackal agent would have the largest, ugliest scar on his chest," she joked, booping my nose. "You're surely gonna take Zero's role as the 'ultimate mercenary'."

I nearly burst out laughing, but it felt more sweet than funny. "Don't say that! Seriously, don't. No pictures."

"In all seriousness, I'm happy you're deciding to keep it," said Topaz sincerely. "I'm alright if you'll keep it or not. But whatever choice you make, I wish you luck and a good blessing for how you will use it in the foreseeable future."

I chuckled, bowing down. "Thank you, Topaz."

Topaz grinned, standing upwards. "Now that you're in a good mood, I'm guessing that this would be the right time to meet Willy soon…and maybe some new faces. Say, do you think you have time now?"

I tilted my head. "...OK, my schedule would allow me to see Willy in…thirty minutes or an hour. I just want to be early to see him. Why's that?"

"The third thing I have to inform you is that you have an invitation to an elite squad," explained Topaz. "Well, the council is actually reluctant to let ANYONE join since this squad is…" She clenched her teeth sheepishly. "...unstable? It makes the former Jackal Squad members working here look merciful. The leading directors of the squad took interest in your recent activities and are asking if you like to help them with their missions in black ops."

Well, this was different. For a while, I had been mostly helping out different groups as part of my community service. Patrolling, cleaning up streets, delivering resources. Though, I haven't been assigned to an official mission I'm allowed to. Let alone black ops.

Black ops don't sound like my own thing, however. I was much wilder than that.

"So, you're saying that they want me to be their new member?" I asked. "Is this part of my community service?"

"No and no," said Topaz helpfully. "They just thought that you would be an honorable addition to the team. Your expertise matches well with theirs."

At first, I didn't know what to think. But the sound of getting back in a squad reminded me of the feelings that I had of going back to my mercenary ways. The excitement of constructing a dangerous plan. The thrill when robbing buildings and collecting bounties. And the action that came along with it. The heist nearly made me a wreck when I realized how bad I was becoming.

But here, it felt like…the safest gateway to being a mercenary again.

I bit my lip but refrained back due to my sharp canines. "Tempting. Can you tell me more about this 'squad'?"

Topaz cringed HARD. "Oooh, well…believe it or not, they're actually criminals doing this 'community service' to shave off their jail sentence. By going on dangerous missions not even the best G.U.N agents usually go on."

That got my attention. "Other criminals, you say?"

"Yeah, though we don't talk much about them," said Topaz, a sweat drop rolling down the side of her face. "Well, except for their leading directors. Breezie's popularity skyrocketed even after she was arrested, probably for her tricks into rising for power. Ash Mongoose is working as her co-director due to having past relations with G.U.N. The rest…brrrr! They're a nightmare!"

My immediate response: "They don't sound that bad. I can meet them."

"Well, until you visit them. I heard that their crazy antics are due to drinking too much ink and the only way to stop them is nail polish."

I was taken aback by this, leaning back with my tail supporting my weight. "What? No. That's absurd."

We remained quiet for a while. I crossed my arms, firmly not believing her. But then, it was starting to set in as I remembered the craziness from the Lightning Bolt Club. There were many times I could roll my eyes at them despite their competence. But something was definitely not right in their heads.

These criminals of this squad; they must have been given a chance. Their lack of news amongst the agents here could mean they were feared or awkward…why did it suddenly make sense that they consumed ink?

How…long were they in prison for…exactly?

"...I heard that there's nail polish in Molly's purse!" I said hastily.

"I'll just get my nail polish!" remarked Topaz.

After I packed away the mops and Topaz collected a bottle of nail polish, the two of us were marching down the hallway to find the meeting/rec room for the elite squad. I wondered if I just sold my soul to a group of criminals. I was already used to facing the toughest desert criminals, but I don't have the slightest clue of how dangerous they were.

Breezie doesn't sound like a name high on the mercenary list. Maybe she's more infamous in civilizations.

However, I felt happy that there were other criminals given a second chance. Maybe this might not be so hopeless or unfair after all. Maybe everybody would get a chance at redemption.

We took a couple of turns through different hallways and needed to enter through locked doors with approved access from bodyguards. It got me confused at first…until we reached the more secluded hallways. There weren't that many agents around. The only ones who were there appeared to be on the higher rank.

I was nearly wondering when we would be there soon until I turned around the corner to face a familiar coyote.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" said Antoine, taking a few steps back. "OK, I just didn't see you there."

"Antoine?" I said, feeling my tail wagging.

The coyote only took a few seconds to recognize me. He seemed pleased at first. But it slowly turned into a sheepish look when he saw Topaz behind me.

"...hey, you two?" he said with a frozen grin. "How are you two…doing?"

"Agent Antoine?" said Topaz. "Are you actually in one of the most illegal squads here?"

"...you know that I bounce from squad to squad. I still stick by Thomas' squad."

"And yet, you're wandering around here?"

Antoine hummed, curling his lips. "...OK, OK. I came over since…" He let out an irritated growl when it was clear he couldn't lie. "Breezie requested for me to help her out. Again."

"Wait, you got an invitation as well?" I said.

The coyote nodded grimly. "Yeah. Though, she already called me for the third time this week. I don't really want to go with that band of hooligans, but I'm guessing that I need to satisfy her."

Topaz did an audible gulp. She was already flickering around the nail polish bottle in her hands.

"Don't tell me you're going to join them," said Antoine, crossing his arms.

"But isn't it a good squad since it allows…mercenaries like us to redeem?" I asked innocently.

Antoine cringed, the same way Topaz did. "It's best not to know. I don't think some of them even took their jobs seriously since all they left are messes."

"It cannot really be that bad," I said, shrugging. "As an eyewitness, the Jackal Squad isn't so ruthless on the outside. We do tend to goof around when off mission. I can already list down all the silliest members of the squad…well, except me, of course."

Antoine shared a look with Topaz before patting my shoulder. "Hold onto that thought."

It didn't take long for us to find the right room where this squad was hiding at. But as we came close, my worries came back when I counted at least EIGHT guards surrounding the door. I was beginning to wonder if Antoine was right since it looked like those criminals killed more than ten people. It made me wonder if they were even locked up in that room.

The guards didn't even react at all when they saw me and Antoine approaching them. One guard glanced at Topaz and gave a weary nod, opening the door. Two guards followed us in and that was what made me ready to fall into my instincts.

But it wasn't what I expect.

It looked like a picture I saw of a studio apartment minus the shiny, metallic cyan walls, the giant monitor that seemed to be their computer/television and a table presenting a hologram. It looked like a normal room consisting of bookshelves, a kitchen and several doors that might lead to different bedrooms. Though, the pictures, 'trophies' and certificates decorating the place were questionable.

There seemed to be only two people in the room. Like it was a show, they slowly turned around, having a sparkle in their eyes.

Though it was the female hedgehog that struck a subtle yet sensual pose while the male mongoose next to her just turned around in a normal fashion.

The female hedgehog had slightly dark aqua-green fur, purple eyes with purple eyelids and long quill gatherings with blue tips to resemble long hair and two smaller, curved bangs resting on her forehead. She looked pretty smart in her outfit which composed of a red business suit with yellow buttons, a white undershirt, white gloves held together by yellow cuff rings, a pair of red trousers and black boots.

The male mongoose had yellow fur, black short spiky hair between his ears and dark blue eyes. He wore something simpler; a red jacket, a pair of small red sunglasses resting on his nose, a black shirt with a red frowning emoticon, blue pants and black boots.

"Morning, you two puppies," said the female hedgehog flirteously. "Glad that you came over to the Blood Team; your ticket to the club you will definitely fit in right!"

I raised an eye. "Team Blood?"

"Apparently, their motif," muttered Antoine.

The calm mongoose raised his voice. "I'm Ash Mongoose and this is Breezie. We'll be your leaders for the next few days!"

"Now," said Breezie with a teasing wink. "You two excited to get things started? I can show you the ropes."

…what?

Crickets.

BANG!

One of the guards next to us dropped dead, collapsing onto the floor like a rag doll.

Immediately, me and Antoine pulled up a response.

"Yes!" exclaimed Antoine, saluting.

"Yes…" I squeaked quietly, grabbing the nail polish bottle from Topaz.

Thankfully, it wasn't their technique. Upon seeing the dead body, Breezie placed a hand over her forehead and shook her head in exasperation. Meanwhile, Ash slowly turned his head to the shooter in question.

Oh, and the shooter was nearby and twice my height.

It came from the grey claw-like glove on the tip of a giant, monstrous snake's tail. A dark green snake with several sharp teeth and circling dark green eyes wouldn't have fazed me, even if it was sentient or taller than any of us.

But it was the body armor he was wearing that scared me; a sophisticated reddish-brown body armor designed like a torso with three ring segments on the lower section, two antennas on his back and a blue button on his chest. A glass sphere covered his entire head with a silver frame connected to his back by three thinner frames. He even wielded a pair of arms with ball joints and three-fingered hands.

"Lyric!" hissed Ash in annoyance. "How many times do we have to tell you that we need trust and not fear?!"

"...thought it would be useful for those two new recruits," said Lyric casually, lifting down his tail. "Trauma is the best teacher!"

It felt weird that Ash and this Lyric snake were acting like a teacher and their student, but it was creepy that one of the guards casually dragged the dead body out of the room. Even Topaz looked unfazed albeit disappointed.

I could even hear the resigned guard saying, "Not again. I think that was the new guy…he should be fine."

"Don't worry about Lyric," said Breezie through gritted teeth. "I reassure you that we are nice to our visitors."

Lyric rolled his eyes at the emphasis on 'nice'.

"...can you guards go outside? This is already awkward."

"I'm supposed to accompany Obsidian," said Topaz.

"Good luck then!" said the guard cheerily before closing the door.

Without the guards, I felt like I was already on a battlefield. It didn't even feel too out of place from my old birth town. Just standing in a room with a bunch of likely criminals (and murderers) having a nice conversation. If that weren't enough, a couple of faces were peeking through opening doors, curious.

Despite feeling shaky, I felt like this could be my kind of party.

Antoine, on the other hand, seemed to disagree.

"Breezie," he said. "You guys are good without me. Today is just gonna be me volunteering TEMPORARILY."

"Aww," cooed Breezie, coming close to us. "But have you ever wondered what this would mean if you join? With your presence and skill set, you'll make our squad a good redemption to those wishing for a better community service!"

"I'm NOT a poster boy."

"And yet, you have good tastes. I quite like your French poems."

Antoine's face reddened, his ears twitching. "My French is still rusty."

"It's still a good effort." Breezie then turned her attention to me. "And you; Agent Obsidian, ain't that right? The last remaining survivor of the Jackal Squad?"

I grinned bashfully. "Well, you already know me!"

"It's a delight to have you here. Now, there's no need to worry here since-"

"INTRUDER! WE GOT AN INTRUDER!"

The next thing I knew was my head colliding with the wall, tackled to the floor. I nearly blacked out, but the ruby helped me stay awake and pause any likely concussions. Though, it was as surprised as I was with who attacked. Slowly trying to look up, I became aware of giant metallic fingers wrapped around my head.

It came from what appeared to be one of Eggman's badniks, except it was in a silver color. It had red and black striped gauntlets and shoulder pads, and black eyes with red glowing pupils. A couple of spikes decorated the arms and the long squirrel-like tail it gained. There was a bright red V resting over its head, resembling a samurai helmet.

"Sieze, you jackal scum!" bellowed the badnik dramatically. "For I, Shortfuse the Cybernik, will lay vengeance on your scheming and cooperation with the almighty-!"

"SHORTFUSE!" shouted Breezie. "Time-out now, buddy. Time-out."

"He's not an imposter," said Ash, clapping his hand as if getting this 'Shortfuse' to snap out of it. "He's not the enemy. Hold your horses."

"But he was a part of the Eggman Empire!" pointed out Shortfuse.

"Hold on there, buddy boy," said a new robotic voice, this one in a British accent. "Give him space. Don't know how young he is exactly."

I actually wondered if I do have a concussion as the second Shortfuse let go, I was greeted by the hulking sights of two unexpected guests.

One looked like Metal Sonic…except that he seemed to have an edgy makeover due to being coated in black and yellow, swapping the red eyes with green. There was a green gem in his chest.

The other one was some kind of stone humanoid who towered over Topaz; a hulking mass of rigid stone with white eyes, a muscular build and only wearing a pair of black pants.

The stone guy looked pretty nice. Never knew a literally rocky bodybuilder could look...stunning.

"Yo, are you there, man?" asked the Metal Sonic lookalike.

Crap, not again. I had to even concentrate on forcing my tail to not wag before I could even speak.

"Um…I'm…I'm fine there," I said, quickly picking myself up.

"You're sure because you looked like you were in a coma," said the stone giant.

"No, no, just…just a brain fart."

Antoine raised an eye, looking quizzical.

"What's with the noise going on here?" said another new voice. "Did Shortfuse put a hole in someone's head again?"

"Actually, that was me," said Lyric gladly.

"Ah, I was expecting something different. Not that."

The last member arrived and I could have mistaken her to look like a royal guard. A female fox with brown ur, light brown fur on her muzzle, cheek tuffs and the tip of her tail, wavy auburn hair that rests on her shoulders and light blue eyes. She was wearing a blue uniform with red and golden stripes, a blue dress underneath, brown pants and black boots.

My tail began wagging again. Breezie did make up the part for looking sensual, but the nearly tight outfit of the fox and her curves more prominent allured me.

It was only when she stared at me that I immediately tried to rid myself of those devil thoughts.

I wished that the ruby could just turn off and let me faint.

"Wait, you're actually calling for HIM?" said the fox.

"Yeah!" said Breezie proudly. "It would definitely boost up our numbers!"

The fox looked skeptical, "Seriously? I mean, shouldn't you rethink that? It's only been like a month or so since he joined G.U.N. How will we know he'll fit with our level?"

"Neither you nor I are good in hand-to-hand combat unlike Agent Obsidian and Agent Antoine," snarked Ash.

I checked back on Antoine and Topaz. The former was beginning to grow nervous. He managed to adopt a stoic look, but the rush of wanting to get out and the reveal that Lyric had been killing guards regularly were the reasons why his nose kept shifting around. Topaz was scanning every member of Team Blood with a mix of intrigue and paranoia.

"OK, listen up, terrible trio," said Breezie, making her in the center of the impromptu circle. "There's obviously a lot to take in, so we should try to introduce ourselves properly. As you all know, I'm Breeze and my co-director is Ash. You probably already met Lyric; the last of the mystical Ancients."

"As they should be," grumbled Lyric.

"We also have Rosemary, a former bureaucrat of the Acorn Council, and Shard the Metal Hedgehog."

"My friends call me Rose," informed Rosemary, the fox.

"Sup," said the Metal Sonic lookalike, winking at us.

"Kalus, former bounty hunter," said Breezie, poking a finger in the stone giant's chest.

"For now, that is," reminded Kalus.

"And we have Shortfuse the Cybernik."

"Oh, remember that, folks!" said Shortfuse, pointing a finger at me. "Once as the normal and free Shorty the Squirrel, I took on this form, this body to rise up against Eggman! Fought against his programming, destined to save his-!"

"Dignity in not making himself a fool to waste around with?" teased Shard sassily.

"Yeah, yeah," grunted Lyric. "You always say your backstory too many damn times!"

"It's meant as a cool introduction!" whined Shortfuse, stomping his foot.

I was already having some questions.

"Remind me again," I said. "Are you all criminals?"

Ash chuckled. "Well, except for me and Shard. To explain, I used to work in the music industry before I came over here due to my cousin's job. And I got an equal role as he did for a very long time."

"Oh yeah," said Topaz with a knowing smile. "I remember your first mission went really successful. You nearly died in an explosion when you could have just thrown the bomb out of the window."

"Of a tall tower," added Kalus jokingly.

Ash's face turned bright red. "Hey! I only exploded in mid-air one time, people! ONE! TIME!"

"There, there, little mongoose," said Breezie, patting his back. "Don't need to be salty. Well, if it makes you feel better, the first extreme experience leads to starting off at the bottom before you reach the top with the more intelligent ways of doing so."

Ash sighed, brushing her hand away. "OK. So I wasn't intelligent back then. Anyway, Shard here was indeed made by Eggman. However, he ended up rebelling against his Eggman and got a new body here. He hasn't exactly committed big crimes just yet. He's just hopping from squad to squad."

Shard himself grinned brightly. Antoine chuckled a little, muttering how much this robot looked like Sonic. Shard looked quite cocky but friendly enough.

"I'm assuming that the rest of you didn't come here by choice, did you?" I asked.

Breezie shrugged. "We all got in trouble by G.U.N. You two got lucky since you didn't need to wait."

"What were you arrested for?"

The hedgehog grinned sarcastically. "Attempted selling a nuke as a reward on my show."

Lyric just grinned in pride. "Pesky children kidnappings. They started it."

Kalus looked embarrassed to admit it. "Caused an earthquake when riding on my bike."

Shortfuse shrugged. "I guess the military didn't like my secret plan of blowing up an inhabited island infested with Eggman bots."

Rosemary snorted. "Well…I didn't expect that the ruler I worked with would end up throwing me down a ravine! Literally. He was just convincing, you know."

I found myself having MORE questions. This should explain a lot about them. Antoine whistled lowly, twirling his finger around his ear as if to say they were 'crazy'.

"Though, in the end, it was swell when I called for forming a squad to allow criminals and villains to have a more spiritual awakening on turning to the other side," continued Breezie. "From using our abilities in the most extreme missions G.U.N wouldn't dare to perform, it makes use of something in a while."

The others seemed to agree, nodding their heads. But not all of them since Lyric and Rosemary didn't look happy about this.

"That's a lot of talk coming from you," muttered Topaz quietly.

"I guess this isn't too bad, I think," I said to myself.

Breezie took note of what I said. "Ah, I've been hearing how you also tried to make an effort for the crimes you did. Guess that even the last line-up of the Jackal Squad can put down their pride for something other than themselves."

"Hey, I robbed for a living. I didn't always put it for my own survival."

"Huh, humble dog, aren't you?" said Breezie, scratching one of my ears. "Guess that G.U.N is lucky to have you here."

I would have been quick to tell her how close she was, but it felt ticklish when she decided to scratch my ear like this. I could only chuckle, trying to step away. My tail was already wagging at this point. The hedgehog saw this, giggling in a shy manner. Surprisingly, she didn't appear like it was a seduction.

She might have ulterior motives, but she appeared nice.

When she turned to Antoine, he gave a startled chirp and immediately backed away with a low growl.

"Oh, right," muttered Breezie. "You're much older."

"Are you sure we want the jackal on the team?" asked Shortfuse, putting his hands on his hips while moving them side to side. "Haven't you heard the rumors around this guy?"

"Why yes," answered Breezie simply. "I just don't care about rumors; I care more about facts."

"Well, isn't it a fact that he might have a Phantom Ruby protocol on his chest? Eggman got to be controlling it…"

Lyric raised an eye, suddenly coming closer to me. "Wait, THIS dog has a Phantom Ruby prototype? What is it?"

"Oh good!" said Shard cheerfully. "...I don't know either."

"The Phantom Ruby is said to be a really powerful gem," explained Kalus. "It can take control of people's minds and send false information. Another theory shows that it can create new objects developed from virtual reality. But it's impossible to differentiate between reality and fantasy whenever it's used. That being said…" He turned to me, narrowing his eyes. "I'm assuming you have one?"

I felt a little nervous, but I still remembered that I was pretty much nearly powerful with the ruby. Or maybe on the same level as any one of the empowered members of Team Blood.

I simply opened up my jacket to reveal the green ruby. "OK, I do have one. Eggman was the one who attached it to me."

A collective gasp rose from the team. Antoine gasped as well. I nearly forgot that I didn't tell the coyote about it in the first place.

"Wait, so you have been…hiding this for a while?" asked Antoine incredulously.

"He only revealed it to a couple of us," said Topaz quickly. "Not everyone."

Shortfuse snapped his fingers. "I knew that he has one!"

"Is it good?" asked Kalus firmly. "Because it could be dangerous."

"No, no, no," I reassured, patting my ruby. "It's good. It's even friendly. Surprisingly."

The ruby seemed to growl when I added the last word awkwardly.

"It's true!" said Topaz, patting my shoulder. "I've seen it. I trust him. He's using it for the greater good."

Kalus appeared doubtful and worried, but he nodded. "Right…"

On the other hand, Shortfuse appeared impressed.

"Alright," he said respectfully. "Strong warrior. Strong mind. I can respect a guy who knows how to turn evil power into good."

Breezie grew interested when my ruby glowed again. "Oooh, now that's a beautiful one! Never knew that a Phantom Ruby can be green." Up this close, I could see her greedy grin rising. "Say, how about we do trade here? I heard that the scientists are getting ready to help pull that out. Perhaps I can have it and I can give you-"

"I would be flattered," I said immediately. "But I'm not giving it away. I'm keeping it."

The hedgehog frowned. "Wait, what?"

"You're just gonna hog over it?" said Lyric, equally frustrated. "Aren't you going to give it to the ones who know how to take care of it properly?"

When the snake wasn't looking, Ash was shaking his head with a horrified look.

"No, I know how to use it better," I said. "It's been a bit hard, but I trust the ruby and I like to hold onto it. So, no trade."

Lyric groaned, slamming his tail into a couch. "Oh c'mon. You kids and your privileges."

While thankfully more subdued, Breezie was also unhappy. "Bummer."

Ash sighed in relief, but he put up a guard, crossing his arms uncertainly. I couldn't really blame him since I would be worried as well if somebody had a weapon attached to them. Antoine appeared worried as well, not looking away from the ruby. Meanwhile, Shard was smiling, amazed at what I wielded. He didn't seem to have a complaint. However, Rosemary narrowed her eyes as if it was against the law.

It made me remember why this 'rumor' became widespread recently. I nearly forgot, but it had to do with something about the Lightning Bolt Society…

"Just want to confirm," I said. "Where did you all exactly hear that I got a Phantom Ruby prototype?"

"It has been on the hot topic this week ever since someone has been collecting information from G.U.N," said Ash, rubbing his chin. "It's like the Lightning Bolt Society sent a spy to gather intel about you."

I whistled anxiously, remembering what the Weasel Bandits revealed during the heist. So it was actually true someone had been gathering information about the Phantom Ruby prototype. But the question remained who did it if Willy was smart enough to block my powers before?

Strangely, it didn't feel as worrying as I thought it would.

Maybe it was because I grew to use more of the ruby that I don't care if it's exposed to the public?

Then again, I kept it private as well.

"I have been unsure about this," said Topaz. "I thought it would be due to Eggman."

"It can't be him," pointed out Shard. "If he does, then he would have called a huge attack on G.U.N."

"Well, I actually know who the spy is!" announced Lyric, slamming his tail to the ground loudly.

"Wait, really?" said Breezie. "Tell us!"

"It's the little fox right here!" shouted Lyric, pointing at Rosemary. "She's the mole!"

All eyes were on Rosemary. She was as shocked as we were.

"What?" she said. "I didn't do anything!"

"That's exactly what a spy would say!" claimed Lyric. "She's leaking information about the Phantom Ruby!"

Breezie, on the other hand, didn't appear too concerned. "I don't see why. Neither any of us are able to contact outside parties."

"I actually have proof!" said Lyric, raising a finger. "The other day, I saw her typing on her computer. On a call. The way she speaks is like the manner of talking with children. She's leaking information to rival corporations!"

There were a few seconds of silence as we all processed this.

"...wait, I actually saw her history page opened on the same day when Obsidian and Willy Walrus pulled this stunt at that diamond museum," said Shard, raising his hand up. "It's mostly on websites that are…let's say we shouldn't open them."

Rosemary slowly turned to him with a look that screamed an embarrassing secret.

Kalus sighed. "Rosemary, were you looking up porn?"

The fox had a thought on it. "Mmm, yes."

Immediately, Antoine took a further step back, disgusted. He nearly hid behind Topaz like she was a human shield.

Kalus shook his head in disappointment. "I thought that you wouldn't do it again. The first time you did, you didn't last for five seconds."

"...well, I thought that since we're going on missions that are absolutely scary," said Rosemary calmly. "So, I tried looking up graphic images to not be scared. For example, if someone ends up stripped naked and blown to pieces by Lyric's, Shard's or Shortfuse's lasers."

Lyric's jaw dropped in disbelief.

I was completely speechless that I nearly forgot what we were talking about.

"I have no idea whether to believe you or not," said Shortfuse, saying my thoughts.

"It sounds safe to me," said Breezie coolly. "Looking up traumatizing things to scare the child's mind is perfectly harmless."

"Are you serious?!" snarled Lyric. "You're all gonna fall for that?! Shard! Didn't you look further into her computer for evidence?! There's got to be a program! An app! You're built to be greater than the rest of the puppets!"

Shard was taken aback, scrunching up his metallic nose. "Geez, man. I'm not a predator. It's not really my business to look into privacy."

"Yeah," said Ash. "We do not have enough evidence to investigate Rosemary."

"Wait, but Rosemary DID invest with bad parties, didn't she?" questioned Kalus. "Look, I may have hunted down criminals before, but sharing information with deceiving parties is one of the worst crimes. She did this too many times that she was arrested when too late."

"Kalus, you got to trust me," said Rosemary in a gentle tone. "I left that side behind a long time ago. What I'm doing now is my own problem."

"You gotta be kidding me!" said Lyric angrily. "You know what would happen if she turns out to be the spy and sends information to the Lightning Bolt Society?"

Topaz shared a glance with Antoine and back at me. None of them were taking this seriously. I even felt like Lyric wasn't worried for all of us.

"I…don't really have the slightest clue," I said.

"God, you are terribly blind!" said Lyric. "If they get more information, then G.U.N will be torn down! And then, those brats will do whatever they want! That's not how the world should be with them on top! They'll show off whenever they want!"

"You're just thinking about yourself, aren't you?" asked Rosemary flatly.

The snake was suddenly up to her face. "Say that again. I dare you, vermin. I WON'T hesitate."

Topaz and Antoine quickly pulled out their guns as a warning. The rest of us watched in apprehension. Lyric was so close to Rosemary that he could bite her head off if it wasn't for his armor. His hand was up to her chin, however, looking like it could strangle her.

But despite being up against a gigantic snake cyborg who could break her spine, Rosemary didn't flinch.

"First of all, you're getting too confronting," said Rosemary with a smirk. "Second of all, if I didn't dare to speak now, then I would be REALLY worried that I was caught."

When the intimidation didn't work, Lyric slithered backward. "C-Cute one! Cute one, little fox. I'm seeing the game you're playing here!"

Rosemary rolled her eyes, turning to me and Antoine. "Sorry about what you have to see. He's been drinking too much ink lately."

Lyric was ticked off so much that I could see a red vein popping from the side of his head. "What?! No, I haven't! That's a lie!"

"Says the guy who tried turning people into machines like Eggman," grumbled Antoine.

"YOU TWO SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!" yelled Lyric, suddenly in our faces. "LISTEN TO ME! SHE'S MESSING WITH YOUR MINDS! SHE'S MAKING IT EASY FOR ALL OF YOU!"

To me, it only looked like Rosemary was messing with Lyric's mind. Up this close, I wanted to just lean onto the floor and scoot away. It was a good thing the glass dome separated his face from mine, but I could nearly feel him breathing on my face. His eye was twitching horribly and his clenched teeth were covered in his own saliva.

At the same time, it made me want to laugh since he looked like he was trying too hard to be scary. Especially the way his eyes bulged like a dog's.

"...nail polish?" I offered sheepishly.

He only slapped the bottle out of my hand.

"That's my only bottle," said Topaz, looking mournful at the remains of it.

"Yep, he's crazy," confirmed Rosemary, wearing the same smirk.

"Alright, big guy," said Kalus, dragging Lyric away. "No need to scare them like this."

The snake could only give a glare at the stone giant, but he slumped forwards in a sulking manner.

Aside from Rosemary, no one seemed to agree with Lyric, sharing the same bored look.

Breezie cleared her throat. "Anyway, this is getting a bit awkward. So…I understand, Obsidian, Antoine, if you two don't want to be full-time members. It's just that we'll really need your help for our upcoming missions. As I said, your expertise boosts our team."

"Yeah," agreed Ash. "And perhaps this will help shave off your sentences as well."

"Really?" I said. "I'm not sure since the Commander doesn't seem happy for me to join."

"I can't really say for sure if I want to help as well," said Antoine. "Tempting, but…I would REALLY need to see how you guys play."

Breezie didn't complain further. "Fair enough then. Now, I'm not going to force you to. For now, you can stick around if you want or you can go continue your regular schedules. Maybe we can inform you of any missions we will be going on."

"As long as they're safe for them to go on?" asked Topaz. "The council might not allow for them to go on certain missions."

"No worries, Agent Topaz. And I'm not worried at all; I know those two mercenaries can handle anything, even the unexpected."

Antoine smirked a little. "You're lucky if I do end up coming along for the ride."

"Maybe the missions will be easy to do," I said casually.

"You're sure about this? A lot to endure."

"You're telling me."

Breezie and Ash gave a knowing look at each other, smirking. They could be acting mischievous, but for some reason, they appeared completely confident with us. The ruby sensed so as well, having a sense of trust towards them.

"Would you change your mind if I told you that I was the spy and I forced Rosemary, my accomplice, to be the scapegoat?" said Lyric randomly.

That didn't really make any sense at all.

"No," we all said in unison.

"...that's something I'll need to endure," I joked.

"Well, if you're feeling suicidal, you come to the right place," said Shard flatly.

"Really?"

"No."

"By the way," said Kalus, stepping forwards to us. "You two are looking for a way to 'redeem' yourselves, right? I can tell you that being on Team Blood won't be easy. So, you gotta hold onto the promise that you'll behave, got it?"

"Don't need to be that stone cold," said Shard. "They won't do anything stupid!"

"Just need to be sure," said Kalus, his voice nearly becoming quieter. "I don't usually like other criminals running around freely."

For some reason, it worried me more. This was the first time in a while that anyone called me out for being a criminal running freely with no consequences. The Weasel Bandits already did that. Kalus didn't mean to be harsh, but he sounded concerned about what I might do. Especially with the ruby on my chest.

My ears drooped downwards as I wondered what Team Blood thought of me. Eventually, I puffed up my chest when I remembered that they were going through the same deal. Except that maybe those like Kalus have already gone through their own redemption. I didn't even need to ask how long they were imprisoned; they already made it this far and so can I.

I wasn't able to smile, but I gave a silent nod. Kalus smiled at my acknowledgment. He turned to Antoine, but the coyote was staring at the floor.

His previous stoicness wasn't there anymore.

I was about to ask if he was OK when Shortfuse suddenly grabbed us in his large arms.

"Don't worry about the stoner here," he said. "Just remember that you'll be going on great adventures with Team Blood and the one and only Shortfuse the Cybernik! The one who will show Eggman one day that-!"

"OK, stop! Just stop!" laughed Antoine breaking out from his tight grip. "Do you have to say this every time?"

"Yes!" hissed Shortfuse. "Repetition makes it stick."

The coyote's previous demeanor seemed to change. I couldn't help laughing as well, finding it amusing with Shortfuse's rather short-lived ego. Despite how much the Cybernik tried to make himself look good, his goofiness cheered the two of us up.

"Don't worry, Shorty," I said, stepping out of his grip. "I'll listen to your story next time. If it makes you feel better, I'm honored to be working alongside you."

"Same here," said Antoine politely. "Not sure how long, but I'll be ready alongside my fellow mercenaries.

Shortfuse remained silent for a while. He probably didn't really have this gentle response before.

"Yeah, yeah, I…I suppose," he muttered stiffly.

"I have to go soon now," I said, standing up straight. "Don't want to keep Willy Walrus waiting. Let me know of any new missions."

"Just send the information to me or Agent Stone!" said Topaz.

"Same here," said Antoine. "But don't expect me to come forward for every mission."

"Your request will be advantaged," said Breezie, winking.

"We'll keep you updated on anything," said Rosemary with a friendly smile.

"Yeah," said Shortfuse. "So get ready for the next epic mission!" He pumped a fist in the air in a dramatic pose...before switching to being serious. "Also, avoid Lyric. He's been drinking too much ink."

Everybody silently agreed with this. Not only Breezie and Ash hurried me, Topaz and Antoine out the door, but Rosemary, Shortfuse, Kalus and Shard scrammed away from the dumbfounded Lyric. The giant snake could only watch in defeat as everybody retreated outside or to their own private rooms.

"I haven't been drinking ink!" yelled Lyric pathetically.

AN: No one's gonna believe you, Lyric.

I feel like it came too quickly of getting Willy Walrus and the Bandit Weasels...silenced. They're still alive, don't worry. Though with this, I decided to try going along with it as a consequence that'll hit the fan pretty soon. Anyone who guesses who tampered with the drinks gets an imaginative cookie.

What I like of this chapter is Obsidian's reaching point to bonding with the ruby. At the start, he was paranoid and the ruby was harsh. However, the two began to connect better together, so this time around, Obsidian felt safe to use it.

Anyone who forgot or doesn't remember Antoine, don't worry. Been like 14-15 chapters since his latest appearance! There are some small references to his SatAM and Archie Comic counterparts, but he's still a different character. I had to bring him back because of this:

This has been planned for a long time ago, based on The Suicide Squad, Deadpool 2 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I just need a team of dysfunctional criminals/villains to pick on and for Obsidian to try to fit in. Emphasis on 'try'. And so, I thought to myself 'Who should I use to be on the grinder'? Why not some of the most hated and controversial characters of the entire Sonic franchise? Enter 'Team Blood', the next bloody generation of side characters!

Granted, not all the names from the Scrappy list got in, but I picked Ash Mongoose, Rosemary (both from Archie Comics), Shortfuse the Cybernik (from Sonic the Comic) and Lyric (...well, he does have his fans, but he seems somewhat of a Generic Doomsday Villain in Sonic Boom). Oh, also, I managed to rope Breezie and Shard the Metal Sonic (both popular characters) into the team since I thought they would provide a good contrast to the hated characters in terms of characterization. Kalus (from Sonic the Comic) feels like he's more shoehorned into this. Just a few things to note that there are heavy changes; Ash seems to have a more complex and reasonable personality aside from his temper, Shortfuse was a bona fide destructor in his twisted mindset, Rosemary isn't connected with Tails, Breezie will take elements from her SatAM and Archie Comics counterparts, Shard ISN'T the first Metal Sonic ever created and Kalus' scrapped plans will be expanded.

With a team like this, they'll be in better hands with a better direction. What could possibly go wrong?

The joke surrounding the rumor of one of the members of Team Blood drinking ink is a reference to Shiloh and Bros' 'If Among Us Had a Mini Imposter' (and an Among Us pun would have been used in here). And expect Lyric to kill some more guards later on; he definitely drank too much ink.

Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. If there is any honest feedback or constructive criticism you want to share, let me know in your review. Any spam, flames or threats will be questioned and I'm not kidding.

Until next time, keep on rocking!