Chapter 83

Guardian Units of Nations

The tea was cold and had lost its taste. President Alexander took a disinterested sip before setting it aside. The light of the television flashed brightly in the dim office. A male reporter with a large mustache and a wide brimmed hat drooled on and on while standing outside the senate building. Alexander felt curiously deflated as the segment lengthened. His spin doctors had performed their duties perfectly. The midday and nightly broadcasts had been dominated with stories about Metal Sonic with reports of various sightings and new Metal Broadcasts that had been aired in other parts of the world. It wasn't until after midnight when the stations turned their attention to the ongoing debates within the house regarding the proposed amendments to the national charter.

Alexander shifted to ease the throbbing in his back. He tried to focus on what the reporter was saying but the words drifted in one ear and out the other without leaving the faintest trace of meaning. The President rubbed his eyes and turned towards the clock. It was already a quarter past two in the morning. He had a meeting scheduled with the representatives from Shamar in four hours. Alexander groaned. He could not remember the last time he had slept through the night.

His office had become his bedroom more often than not over the previous weeks. The stress of this last term had put a strain on Alexander's family. In a brutal example of irony, his wife had used the threat of an attack by Metal Sonic to move the family away from the capital. How could Alexander explain that there was no danger? Perhaps his wife knew the truth, maybe she was testing his resolve.

Alexander took the remote and turned off the television. He hadn't learned anything from watching it all night. The public was growing more and more fearful of the threat of Metal Sonic, and as that threat loomed larger and larger, so did their forced trust in G.U.N. Earlier that week, they had made the first public demonstration of the MASTER SYSTEM air defense system. G.U.N staged a mock firing of the Eclipse Canon and eased everyone's conscience when the Master System managed to shield the city from the blast. Never mind that it was all entirely theater, every sovereign nation on the earth begged the U.F to send the designs over to them. Something Alexander had agreed to under certain, undisclosed conditions.

Operation New World Order was progressing just as Commander Smith had promised it would. Yet with every success, the pit in the President's stomach grew larger. It was becoming clearer and clearer to the President just what kind of man Argus was. At every step, he pushed back the line of what they had to be willing to do. There was always a need to fire the weapon one more time, to threaten one more person. Alexander hoped that the U.F could stand at the front of a world renewal, one in which the energies of the past were replaced by Sol Gems and the antiquated sense of national separation could be encompassed by a truly global U.F. And it still can be.

Alexander rose and gripped the edges of his desk. He was the President, everything that was happening was still under his control. He could make it right, he had to. All the evil he had done would be resolved by the end. "I won't be remembered as the villain." He whispered to the darkness.

"You'll be remembered as the fool." Something materialized out of the shadows. Alexander caught a faint blur of purple before he was struck in the head. Stars danced in his eyes and fell backward.

When he awoke he was sitting upright. Alexander swooned and felt cords binding his arms and legs. He struggled feebly and tried to yell, but cloth had been shoved into his mouth. "Stop struggling," A sultry voice came from somewhere behind him. Alexander heard the firm stomps of boots walking up towards him. He turned his head and saw Rouge the Bat spinning a key around her finger. "Good evening Mr. President. I have to say, you're a lot better looking in person."

"He looks plenty ugly to me." A second figure approached out of the shadows. It was a purple chameleon with fierce yellow eyes.

"No need for insults," Rouge simpered sweetly. "Now if you promise to be a good boy and not yell I can remove the gag."

Alexander squirmed and tried to rip himself free. The chameleon drew a knife out of nowhere and held it to the president's throat. The steel was as cold as death. "We've got nothing to lose here. Make another sound and I'll slice."

Alexander nodded to indicate that he understood. Rouge smiled. "Now that's better. We can all talk like friends." She removed the gag and tossed it aside. Alexander gasped for breath but did not try and scream.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" The chameleon challenged.

"Just a fact. This house is flooded with security, you'll never make it out."

The chameleon smirked. "Don't worry. My friends are handling your so-called 'security."

"We don't want to be interrupted," Rouge added with a seductive wink.

"What do you want? You know Argus has a bounty on your head. Why reveal yourself?"

Rouge shrugged. "Well I could have tried to run and hide, but where exactly could I go? You have a planet destroying weapon after all."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you? You wouldn't happen to know about a little deal made between G.U.N and Eggman? One that saw you give the good doctor precious supplies in exchange for a free pass at the Space Colony Ark. Didn't you earn your second term by telling everyone you destroyed that threat forever when in reality you brought it back to earth?"

Alexander shook his head. "That's a good story, but it's not true."

Rouge's smile didn't break. "And when a certain team of detectives found out about your little secret, you had them killed."

"I don't-"

The chameleon brought the dagger back to his neck. "Don't lie. You and your government ordered the hit on my friends. You hired that Fang the Sniper to kill me."

Alexander shuddered. His eyes were locked onto the edge of the knife. "So…you're Espio then?"

"That's right. And I'm not about to sit here and listen to you deny your part in killing my friends."

Rouge strode between them and pushed Espio back. "There's no need for violence. Let's just cut to the chase. You've been up to no good Mr. President, but we're gonna give you the chance to redeem yourself. Tell us where G.U.N is hiding the Eclipse Canon."

Alexander chuckled. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't say anything."

Rouge frowned and sat cross legged on the president's desk. "When did you become so cold? Do you really want to protect Argus still? Haven't you seen what he really is yet?"

"I…" Alexander swallowed slowly. "You wouldn't understand. The things I've done…they were necessary, it will all make sense in the end."

"Tut-tut, you don't really still believe that do you?"

"Your government has killed hundreds of innocent people," Espio growled. "You'd use the Eclipse Canon to hold the entire world at gunpoint."

"Because that is what it takes to keep people safe!" Alexander spat. He looked widely at both of his captors. "Can't you see that? Before we were at the mercy of a bunch of freaks and mad scientists. The power of controlling the world should belong to those who can hold it responsibly."

"You should be careful what you wish for," Rouge said seriously. "Haven't you heard that power corrupts? I bet when you first secured the Eclipse Canon you never imagined that you would fire it at noncombatants. You've already pushed back the line so far you don't remember where it started. If you think you can take control of all this at the end and turn it to good then you're an even bigger fool than I thought."

"And why should I care about what you think? Why should I care about either of you? I'm not beholden to you. I represent the interests of my people, of the citizens of the United Federation."

Rouge leaned forward to look the president straight in the face. "What do you think of yourself? Is it easy to look into the mirror with all the blood on your hands?"

"It will be worth it." Even as he spoke, Alexander could feel how hollow and empty his words seemed.

Rouge sighed deeply. "Argus must be stopped. He doesn't want to build a utopia of safety and peace. He wants the world to pay. He is a hurt man, who only wants to turn that pain onto others. Can't you see that?"

"It's…it's too late..You couldn't stop him even if I told you." Alexander looked pleadingly at the two of them. "What could you possibly do? There are only two of you. The only person on the planet who could stop G.U.N now is Sonic the Hedgehog." Rouge and Espio didn't flinch. For a second, Alexander was seized with wild rage. He wanted to rip himself free and shake them both until they understood. Why were they looking at him that way? He was the human, the president of the U.F, he did not deserve the contempt of beasts.

The anger washed away and turned into grim respect. There were only two of them. They had no army, nor any superweapons, but Alexander could see in their expressions that they would not back down. Hopeless or not, they would fight until the bitter end. That acknowledgement came with a rush of deep shame. He lowered his head, no longer able to meet their gaze. "I'm sorry…I can't help you. If you try to stop G.U.N now it will only make things worse. The end is coming soon. There will be a New World Order and we must all pray that it is a better one."

"Coward!" Espio turned aside and stormed to the other end of the office.

Rouge slid off the desk and walked behind Alexander so she could stare out the window. "I understand how you feel," She began. "I didn't see the point in resisting either. I always knew the day would come when the dream would break and humanity would seize full control of the world. Technology and science advance at a speed even greater than Sonic. In the back of my mind, I thought I could make myself safe by tying myself to the human endeavor. Perhaps I could have stood idly by and slowly betrayed my own kind. I'll never know for sure and I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life." Rouge circled around and knelt beside Alexander.

"When I saw the Eclipse Canon I knew that it was over. The humans had ascended and the mystic power of nature had finally been eclipsed. But it wasn't the weapon that frightened me most. It was him. Argus is a villain. He will not make a world fit for humans or for anyone else. This isn't a human world versus the natural world anymore. It is the difference between living and dying, slavery or freedom. Find the courage to stand against him. It isn't too late."

Alexander exhaled. He had unconsciously held his breath throughout Rouge's speech. The President felt strangely disconnected from himself as if he were watching the conversation from a higher vantage point. He saw his own head rise to meet Rouge's gaze. "I don't have any hope left, but what I have I'll give. The canon is housed at a secret facility where Prison Island used to be. A machine called the Storm Breaker we purchased from Dr. Eggman keeps the island hidden under a perpetual storm."

Rouge smiled. "Now comes the fun part." She rose and stretched her arms over her head. "We'll shut down the weapon, but if you can you have your own part to play. Slow down Argus, and don't let him know we're coming."

BANG! The sudden sound made the President squirm. Espio and Rouge turned to the door. "Looks like our time is up," Rouge quipped.

The slam was followed by the rush of footsteps. "My guards are coming! You had better leave-" As he was speaking, blast doors sealed the window and front door.

Rouge and Espio retreated behind the desk. More footsteps echoed outside followed by more heavy slams. Brrt! Brrt! Machine gun fire was followed by yells and…laughter? "Is this supposed to keep me out?" A voice called from beyond the sealed metal doors. BANG! BANG! BANG! The doors flew off their hinges. A red armadillo leapt over the threshold smiling broadly. "Sorry y'all, it's time to go!"

The armadillo was joined with a yellow squirrel that glanced nervously back down the hallway. A score of the president's secret service were lying unconscious on the floor. "Mighty, more are coming!" The squirrel yelped.

Ten more guards turned the corner and formed up on the far side. They held up their rifles and prepared to fire. "WAIT!" Alexander struggled at his restraints. "Don't shoot, I'm back here!"

Rouge turned back to the President, for the first time all night she seemed afraid. Alexander was confused but then understanding fell on him just as the guards opened fire. "Get down!" Rouge tackled the president and they both collapsed behind the desk.

Brrrt! Brrrt! Brrt! Alexander closed his eyes and waited for the shooting to stop. After a few seconds there was a delay. Rouge cut him free and the president was able to crawl forward to get a better view. The red armadillo was standing straight in front of the door stretching and yawning. He pointed to the shell on his back. "Can you shoot some here? I have a nasty itch."

A gunman opened fire but to the presiden;t astonishment all the bullets bounced harmlessly off the rodent's shell. "That's perfect thank you!" Mighty switched attitudes in a flash. He went from flippant joking to suddenly blitzing straight at the guards. They opened fire again but by that point Mighty had already rolled into a ball. Gunfire deflected off his shell and ricocheted in every direction. The guards screamed just as the red ball smashed into them like they were pins at a bowling alley.

"Now's our chance!" Espio helped Rouge to her feet. "Let's go!" She glanced down at the president with a look of pity before turning away. Alexander watched in stunned amazement as they left his office.

He came just as the morning light began to dispel the darkness. Alexander had spent the intervening hours reordering his office. There were still bullet casings and shrapnel scattered all over the floor, but he repositioned his personal belongings back on his desk. Alexander sat and gazed at the picture of his family he had positioned right in front of him. When he heard the knock on the recently resecured door, Alexander did not need to ask who it was.

"Come on in." The president's voice was calm and collected. Instead of fear, Alexander felt oddly aloof.

Commander Argus Smith slipped inside and let the door close behind him. He strode towards the desk, kicking aside any stray bullet casings. Argus sat across from the President and fixed him with an icy glare. "You seem composed for a man who was just attacked in his office."

Alexander forced himself to keep his eyes locked on Smith's. He knew he was the weaker man, but for just a moment he would pretend otherwise. Alexander leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. "I'm a little shaken up, but in truth it wasn't the intruders who put my life at risk." Argus's cold gray eyes betrayed nothing. He showed neither remorse nor pity. "How long has my office been bugged?"

"Since the start," Argus admitted easily. "It was imperative that we keep track of everything the president did as it directly affected G.U.N's ability to ensure national security."

"And my guards? Have they always been under your direct command?"

"We have been in charge of selecting the president's secret service for decades, and we maintain a constant line of communication."

"We? Don't you mean you?" Alexander had to strain to keep himself from fidgeting. Maintaining eye contact was becoming more and more difficult. "I don't believe the board of G.U.N knew about this at all. I think it was only you."

Argus shifted forward to loom over the president. "I am G.U.N." There wasn't a trace of sympathy or pity in the commander's lined face. "The Guardian Units of Nations is more than just weapons and technology, it is an idea; security at any cost, security at all costs. No one understands that better than me."

Alexander gulped and suppressed a dry cough. "Then you'll go down with it. You won't be able to move the Eclipse Cannon in time. They'll find it and shut it down. It's all over."

Argus smiled. His mirth was far worse than his cold, dead stares. "No, this is the beginning." He reached down towards his side and drew a pistol and placed it on the desk. "I tried to tell you about the nature of power. It is only real when it is in your hand. You are supposed to be the most powerful man on earth, but I'm the one with the gun."

Alexander lost eye contact. His gaze drifted to the barrel of the pistol. "You'd murder me in cold blood?"

"Rouge and that damn chameleon ninja murdered you. They're freaks of nature who cannot be controlled. G.U.N is the only thing that can keep the people safe."

"You can't keep getting away with this." Alexander's throat cracked. His threats were empty and Commander Smith knew it all too well. "Someone will stop you."

"It will take more than a has-been agent and some crackpot team of detectives. Do you think I care that you betrayed the Canon's location? Do you honestly think they can stop what is coming? They'll be destroyed like everyone else. A new world is coming, but it cannot be born until the old one burns away."

Alexander instinctively glanced towards the photo on his desk. He felt a surge of panic, fear and hatred surge through him. "You're a mo-" BANG! The bullet struck the President straight in the heart. Alexander gasped and collapsed back into his chair. Commander Smith rose and wiped his gun clean before returning it to its holster.

"I thought you had more nerve than this," He said dismissively. Argus sighed and looked around the room. The office was in dire need of repair. If he was going to place the blame of the president's death on Rouge and the ninja, then he needed to get rid of all the signs of gunfire. The bullet would be pulled out of Alexander's chest and the coroner would have to be persuaded to suggest a different cause of death. By that afternoon the nation would mourn the death of its president and Rouge the Bat would be the most wanted criminal in U.F history.

Two great villains, Metal Overlord and Rouge the Bat. Argus mused. Once G.U.N had destroyed them both the nation's confidence in their military would be absolute. Smith turned as Alexander slid slowly out of his chair to collapse ignobly onto the floor.

Argus had not been able to control Alexander the way he had wanted to. He would ensure that the next president would be more malleable. But there are more pressing concerns at present.

Argus reached into his pocket and drew his cell phone. He dialed the number and waited for an answer. After a few seconds there was a raspy "Hello?" On the other end.

"I know where Rouge and Espio will be. I will have my men escort you to the facility where you can await them. There cannot afford to be any mistakes this time, Fang, do you understand me?"

There was a long pause. At last, Fang let out a cackle of amusement. "You set the stage, I'll bring the action."

Argus ended the call and turned towards the window. Dawn was passing and he still had a lot of work to do. He cast a final glance at Alexander before moving towards the door. Before he reached it, his phone vibrated. Argus checked the screen and saw that it was coming from Installation Frost. He put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Commander, I am sorry to bother you, but you said to call as soon as there was a breakthrough," The harsh, snappy voice of Doctor Ines Hendryx crackled from the other end. "We have finally achieved full synthesis. Operation Metal Legion will now proceed on schedule."

"Very good," Smith's generally still hands were shaking when he ended the call. A rare genuine smile stretched across his face. Triumph rushed into his heart. Victory was at hand.