So sorry I'm late, and this chapter is short ):
I hope people are still reading this...
P.S -Text within these dashes is over communicators.-
Chapter 11: Just Who Is This Enemy?
"So…" Star said. "You don't even have any kidnapped family."
"Yeah, my only family is Shadow, I guess, and he's definitely not kidnapped," I answered.
"Why are you even here then?" Star asked. "You have no reason."
"My reason is 1, my home blew up and 2, Shadow told me to," I said.
"Why is 'Shadow told me to' the excuse for everything?" Star asked.
"Because no one feels like getting chaos speared out of existence," I answered.
"Hey you two!" Prism shouted. "The mission is about to start!"
"This is going to be so exciting!" Pepper exclaimed.
Everyone gathered around Shadow.
"I have found the kidnapper's base of operations," Shadow said. "We're going to have to perform a stealth operation and see if we can find where your families are being kept."
"Let's go then," Star said.
"Not yet," Shadow said. "I'll teleport us there, but first we're going to split into groups."
"Who am I with?" I asked.
"You and Prism are the actual ones sneaking," Shadow answered. "You have experience."
"I still can't believe you haven't killed Nocny for that," Prism said
"While I didn't know about it, I have to admit that she was capable. She has exceeded my expectations, and there is not enough time to worry about how she did it," Shadow explained. "Star and Stacey, you're the distraction."
"I have to be with her?" Star asked.
"You are good at distracting," Shadow said simply.
"True," Cinnamon commented.
"Pepper and Cinnamon, you're the back-ups," Shadow finished.
"Why do I have to be a back-up?" Pepper asked, a little whiny.
"Because, to be honest, I do not trust that you all will be able to last through the whole mission," Shadow said.
Several of us gulped at that.
"Excuse me… what am I?" Nebula asked.
"Communication center," Shadow answered. "You'll be safe on Angel Island directing the others."
"I think I'd make a better team leader," Star muttered.
I wondered why she didn't say it loudly like she usually did when she spoke her mind.
"And, if I'm correct, you have something that will help with communication?" Shadow asked.
"Yeah," Nebula answered. "Um, they're in my hut, I'll go grab them real quick."
Nebula ran off.
"Has Nebula finally embraced her skills with technology?" Stacey asked.
Nebula ran back, carrying multiple small metal things.
"Nebula has finally embraced her skills with technology!" Stacey cheered.
"I'm not that good," Nebula mumbled.
"Let me see those," Stacey said, taking one of the metal thingys.
She examined it.
"Yep, too complicated for me," she said. "You're skilled."
"Everybody get an ear piece from Nebula," Shadow ordered. "You'll need them to keep contact with mission control."
And soon enough I was crawling around in the vents of a large, clean building in the middle of nowhere.
-"These vents are actually good quality,"- I commented.
-"Yeah, you're right,"- Prism agreed.
-"How many vents have you gone through?"- Stacey asked.
-"Uh… I don't really want to say,"- I said. -"For safety of my life"-
-"You're overreacting,"- Shadow said. -"I doubt I could kill you."-
I rolled my eyes and continued down the hall. Yet what Shadow had said filed itself away in the depths of my mind, ready to come back to the front if the right moment came.
-"Should we start the distraction yet?"- Stacey asked.
-"Nocny and Prism, how far inside are you?"- Shadow asked.
-"You think we know?"- Prism asked. -"Actually, Nocny might know, but I don't"-
-"How would I know?"- I asked. -"I have no idea what this building looks like!"-
-"Nocny and Prism are about one third in,"- Nebula said helpfully.
Because, yeah, Nebula also made trackers for the ear pieces.
-"I guess you can start the distraction,"- Shadow said.
-"I'm FREE!"- Stacey cheers.
-"Stacey, that was my ear!" Star shouted.
-"I'm going deaf!"- Prism wailed, though it was quietly since vents are too echoey to be loud in.
-"Can you not make all of us deaf too while you're at it?"- Cinnamon snapped.
-"Guys, let's all work together,"- Nebula pleaded.
-"I'm bored,"- Pepper complained.
-"Well, crawling through vents isn't any easier,"- I said. -"The monotonous task of one arm in front of another, occasionally looking out the vent grates and seeing the same empty halls."-
-"It's not that bad,"- Prism said.
-"Star and I are distracting now,"- Stacey said.
-"Nebula, let me see the screen,"- Pepper said.
Because, yeah, Nebula also made cameras for the ear pieces.
-"Stacey, STOP!"- Star shouted.
-"I'm distracting right now, stop distracting me,"- Stacey said.
-"Wow, someone get the popcorn,"- Pepper said.
-"Please be nice to each other,"- Nebula said.
-"They are doing their job,"- Shadow said. -"Distracting."-
-"Hey, Shadow?"- Stacey said. -"There's a bunch of robots staring at us."-
-"Don't get captured,"- Shadow ordered.
-"Bit late for that,"- Star replied angrily.
-"Nocny and Prism will get you out then,"- Shadow sighed.
I rolled my eyes at the extra work I had just received.
I looked out a vent grate. Gray, gray, gray, blue, wait-
-"I see something blue,"- I said.
-"Let me see,"- Prism said. -"Yep, that's blue all right."-
-"Can you get a closer look?"- Shadow asked.
-"We can go into the room,"- I answered.
-"I don't see any guards,"- Prism added.
-"Go in one at a time. Don't get caught like Stacey and Star,"- Shadow ordered.
-"Hey, that wasn't my fault!"- Star protested.
I carefully detached the vent grate from the vent and maneuvered it into the vent. Then I dropped into the room.
"Hello?" a woman's voice asked.
Looking around, I saw that I was inside a long room full of cells. The cells were rather high tech, with something cyan and transparent for walls. I was inside one of these cells with the owner of the voice, a bunny.
I turned my ear piece off real quick so that I could have a proper conversation with seven other voices arguing in my ear.
"I'm Nocny, and I'm here to find some kidnappies," I said.
"I'm Cream, and I have been kidnapped," the bunny said.
"Good to meet you Cream," I said. "Is anyone else here?"
"Amy, Sonic, Tails, Rouge, Silver, Blaze, Knuckles, and Shade are also here," Cream answered.
"Most of them are sleeping," a pink hedgehog from across the room said.
"That means everybody except for us three," a white bat added.
Then the bat winked.
"Hi, Nocny," she said.
"Do I know you?" I asked.
"No, but I know you," the bat answered.
"Wait, you're Rouge the Bat right?" I asked. "Prism told me about you."
"The robot guard is coming," Amy warned.
Well, it wasn't enough of a warning, because…
"UNKNOWN MOBIAN IDENTIFIED," the robot beeped.
"Aaaaaaand we're caught," Rouge said.
"I'm caught!" I yelled up to Prism.
"Save you later!" Prism yelled back. "By the way, don't turn your ear piece back on! The others are freaking out over you finding them after Nebula told everyone!"
"Your mom's down here!" I yelled up.
"Prism?" Rouge asked.
"Hi Mom!" Prism yelled down. "We're saving you!"
"Well, well, well," a girl's voice said.
I turned around and saw…
A little girl. She was a human girl, and looked no older than nine.
"Looks like you've fallen for my trap, Nocny," she said. "We can finally be friends again."
"What?" I asked.
"And with my two new prisoners, I'm up to three friends," she said. "I'm going to plan the capture of the other four now."
And she left.
"Um… what was that?" I asked.
Only one more chapter left! Its the finale, where you'll finally learn what's going on :D