Chapter 105

The Last Journey

They came for him at night. Espio sat crouched upon the tallest tombstone. His translucent skin allowed him to fade into the backdrop of the surrounding forest. In one hand he gripped his former master's katana, and in the other, a hand made trigger.

Hundreds of lights poured into the grove. Human soldiers armed with rifles were reinforced by GUN drones with head mounted lamps. They approached the cemetery cautiously. The trial of blood that Espio had made stopped just at the first row of graves. With silent orders, the soldiers began to fan out and form a perimeter around the area.

Espio watched them go without moving. He hardly seemed to breath as he sat in complete stillness. His heart was racing, desperate to beat as many times as possible before the end. However, the fear of his mortal body did not affect Espio anymore. He finally understood what Master Sakai had meant about inner balance. Adrenaline, fear, all the instincts that were generally outside of one's control were finally tamed. Espio would hold them back until it was time to unleash.

Once the cemetery was surrounded, the soldiers took defensive positions. The silence of the night was disturbed by a hundred clicks as the soldiers trained their guns into the center. A pause followed as the drones moved noiselessly forward. Their lamps flashed as they scanned the area. Espio felt a shiver run down his back as one of the drones scanned the area a few inches away from him. However, they could scan the area all night, and it would make no difference.

The drones finished their scan and drew back. Soldiers exchanged looks. One near the entrance jerked forward. "He must have run off."

"No, he's here." A heavily accented voice said out of the darkness. There was a heavy clink and clank of spurs as the newcomer entered the light of the flashlights. Fang spun his revolver around his finger and munched on a straw of wheat. "He didn't come here to run. He came here to die."

Fang's two lackeys hurried to keep up with their leader. Bean had belts strapped around his waist and shoulders. Connected to the belts were bags most likely filled with all manner of explosives. Bark wore a pair of metal gloves furnished at the knuckles with steel spikes. The entrance of the Hooligans clearly annoyed the humans. They moved aside, muttering as they did so. Fang smiled broadly and let out a loud whistle. "Come on out, Espio. We can melt this grove with gunfire, but I don't think you want us to do that."

Fang strutted into the cemetery. His eyes narrowed as he inspected the area. "There's no point in keeping up this charade. Running away won't make a difference either. You'll never find it again. Not now that they've moved it." Suddenly, and without warning, he fired his pistol. The bullet struck the top of the grave a few feet from Espio.

Fang laughed. "Did I scare ya?" Bang! Fang fired a second time, this time at the grave at the far end. "Woooohweee, I do admit, you do make things interesting." Fang continued to strut through the rows of graves. "I was certain I killed you before. You took a bullet and quite the fall. Couldn't believe my ears when I heard you was still walking." Bang! Fang fired another random shot. This one hit the ground just beneath Espio. "You're wasting everybody's time!" Fang hollered. "Come on out now. If you do, I'll give you one more shot at me. I'll have these lapdogs stand down. Whaddya say? Just you and me?"

Fang tipped his cap forward and turned slowly on the spot. He was now facing the tombstone Espio was sitting on. A twisted smile spread across Fang's face. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I know where it is." He tapped his head while his fingers twitched on his gun. "It's all here, inside my head, why don't you come get it." Bang! Fang's next bullet struck the tombstone, mere inches from where Espio was sitting.

Espio stood tall and resumed his usual skin color. At his sudden appearance, the soldiers all readied to fire. Fang whistled over the commotion. "Put 'em down! Let me handle this."

Espio leapt off the tombstone and faced Fang. The two of them were on opposite sides of a narrow row between the graves. Fang spat out the piece of straw he had been munching on. "You could have kept running. But I guess you're just too proud for that."

They both took a calculated step forward. Espio's hand with the trigger was hidden behind his back. He led with his sword, his eyes focused on Fang. "Fancy steel you got there," Fang said. "Might be worth something once I pawn it off."

Espio inched forward. They were close enough now to see the light in each other's eyes. Fang's expression was one of captivated delight. This was his element. With an army at his back, and a prey before him, Fang was in complete control. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, never bring a knife to a gunfight?" Bang! Fang spun his pistol around and fired point blank.

Clang! The two halves of the bullet flew harmlessly past Espio. His movement had been so fast, the steel of his sword blurred into a shapeless gray motion. Fang's eyes narrowed. "Cool trick, but can you do it again?" He placed his other hand on the hammer of his pistol. Espio drew back and held up the trigger. At the sight of it there was a loud yell and the human soldiers jumped to the ground.

"BOMB! Watch for charges!"

Fang froze. He stared at Espio in disbelief. "Gonna blow yourself up? Where's the honor in that?"

"The same as when you executed Charmy."

"You're still on about that? I did your little friend a favor. He wasn't strong enough for this world and you know it."

Espio shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, where you've always been wrong." Fang was so focused on his trigger, that he didn't notice the smoke grenade Espio now held in his tail. "Never underestimate Team Chatoix." Espio hit the button. Several things happened at once. Fang yelled and jumped backwards as Espio threw the smoke grenade between them. Loud explosive noises rocketed all around the cemetery. Huge plumes of smoke sprayed up into the air. Everything was covered in smoke, launching everything into confusion. Then, the music started. "Once upon a time you could be a bad guy and think that you could get away." From the speakers Espio had planted all along the cemetery, the music played at such a high volume that no one could communicate.

Espio became invisible again. Hidden by smoke, and his movements muffled by the music, he was a phantom. Espio launched himself into his attackers, striking them down one by one. The humans screamed in panic and started firing randomly. The drones attempted to spot Espio in the fog, but he leapt onto them, stuck explosive ofuda onto their hulls, and left them to explode in a shower of sparks.

"The power has arrived in a dream team. A force where one and one makes three. And when the trail's gone cold and the lies have been told. This crew will find what you can't see."

Sakai's blade was rebaptized in blood as Espio cut down his assailants. When the humans attempted to regroup, Espio pressed another trigger which initiated the bombs he had planted in the nearby trees. Trunks exploded, spraying shrapnel everywhere. The trees groaned and fell onto the soldiers. However, all Espio really needed was the confusion. He had become a shade of shadow and steel, appearing where he wasn't just a second before, and vanishing just as quickly.

Above the chorus of gunfire and music, Espio could hear Fang shouting out orders. "Form a circle, fire in lines!" But his instructions were drowned out as the music increased. "TEAM CHAOTIX! They're detectives you want on your side. TEAM CHAOTIX! Their directive's tracking down your crime"

BOOM! BOOM! Driven to desperation by Espio's assault, Bean started to throw bombs randomly into the smoke. Espio vanished into a blur and appeared beside him. He struck Bean in the head with the pommel of his blade and slashed him in the stomach with a kunai.

"FIND THE SPEAKER, TURN IT OFF!" Espio rushed back into the center of the frey. The human soldiers were on the verge of breaking as their losses mounted. Espio had managed to destroy all the drones, but he could not find Fang. He tried tracking his voice, but the Sniper always managed to slip away before Espio could corner him.

"Yeah, Charmy's thing is dishin' out first sting. And the green one cheers them on. Espio is clearly ready to go. Run down who'd do you wrong!"

BANG! The music died as suddenly as it had started. A heavy silence followed. All of the human soldiers had been defeated or had run away. Only Fang and Bark remained on their feet. Espio stood atop the highest tombstone looking down at them. Blood dripped from his katana and his breath was hot and heavy. He had used almost every ounce of strength he had, but the true fight was still in front of him.

Espio leapt down from his vantage point. Fang and Bark closed ranks and met him in the center of the cemetery. There were no more smirks on Fang's face. Grime and mud splattered his hat, and Espio was pleased to think that Fang had survived the battle by hiding in the mud. "You outta tricks?" Fang snapped.

"Just one more," Espio promised. "Just killing you."

Fang sneered. "How's that gonna happen? We've done this dance three times now, and you still haven't beaten me. I'll make you pay for what you've done to Bean."

Espio slowly pushed his front foot forward. He crouched into a ready stance. Bark slammed his metal fists together. "Once we get him down, let me rip him apart boss."

"Do whatever you want," Fang hissed back. "But he doesn't get to escape again." Bang! Fang barely finished speaking before he started firing. Espio protected himself by tossing forward a shield of smoke pellets. They exploded on impact and Espio used the distraction to dart behind a tombstone. This brought him only a temporary relief. Bark roared and rushed forward, using his bulk to run straight through the grave stones. Rock cracked behind him and Espio narrowly avoided being seized by the bear. He slashed and the edge of his blade cut Bark across the chest. This only made him more angry and he let out wild scream and smashed the earth with both fists. The impact made the ground shudder and Espio lost his balance.

BANG! BANG! Fang came spriting up the side, duel wielding pistols and firing wildly. One bullet knicked Espio in the shoulder, but he managed to avoid the rest by rolling into a forward handspring and diving away. "Corner him!" Fang yelled.

Espio ran like a rat in a maze, darting this way and that through the rows of headstones. The whole time he had to duck to avoid Fang's gunfire. Bark was following close behind, he used his huge arms to destroy the tombstones, ensuring that Espio would not have cover for very much longer.

While rounding the last turn, Espio stuck an ofuda on the final tombstone. Bark reached it a second later and the rock exploded. Pieces of stone lodged into Bark's chest and neck area. Bark collapsed to his knees and yelped in pain. Fang hurried over to cover him. Espio dived sideways and leapt into the air. "Yari!" His roped spear came hurling forward. It wrapped tightly around Fang's outstretched arms. Espio pulled back and ripped the guns out of Fang's grasp.

Before Fang could recover, Espio sprinted headlong at his enemy. Fang snarled and drew a knife from his belt. Espio barely reacted in time, slipping to the side, but the blade still sliced him across the middle. Fang tried to follow up, but he was no match for Espio at close quarters. Espio's sword knocked Fang's dagger aside, and Espio kicked Fang in the knees, bringing him to the ground.

"It's over," Espio said as he placed the flat of his blade against Fang's neck.

"No, we've been here before," Fang snarled. "You don't have the guts."

Espio moved his blade aside by a few inches. "I won't kill you yet. That would be too simple." With one hand, Espio made a complex series of gestures. He closed his eyes, but he did not fear that Fang would attempt to strike him. The jutsu he was attempting was extremely complex and required the utmost concentration.

"What the hell is this?" Fang snapped.

Espio ignored him. He had to perform 108 hand movements in rapid succession and without variation in intention. This was a master's level technique that Espio had only ever seen Master Sakai use, but in this case, Espio knew that he could pull it off. Once he made the last movement, he directed all his energy into his pointer and middle fingers. He jabbed these into Fang's temple. "Argh!" Fang's yell died as his eyes rolled back.

Espio walked down a metal corridor. Fang was up ahead, walking in tandem with the GUN commander, Argus Smith. Espio could hear them talking, but their voices echoed and sounded slightly distorted. "You did well," Argus was saying. "I would have preferred that you had brought them all in, but Rouge was the main concern."

"The other two won't be a problem," Fang replied. "They are just some two bit heroes that Espio recruited."

"And what happened to the ninja?"

"Dead, most likely. I shot him on the high tower and he plummeted into the sea."

"But you did not recover a body?

"How the hell was I supposed to do that? You rigged the waters with killer robots, remember?"

They reached a door at the end of the corridor. Argus placed his hand on the console, and it lit up. "So you aren't sure then."

Fang crossed his arms. "Not one hundred percent, but there is almost no way he survived."

"Then I cannot pay you yet," Argus pointed out. "I said bring him in dead or alive, not leave him possibly dead."

They passed through the door and entered what appeared to be a derelict warehouse. Huge shipping containers dominated the majority of the space, each one painted with the GUN "G" on the front. The only light issued from strange pools of a luminous blue liquid.

Espio watched as Argus and Fang walked to the end of the warehouse. A huge steel wall was split in the center. Argus placed his hand against the metal and suddenly, the wall began to slide apart. Beyond the warehouse was a huge laboratory, and residing in the center of many platforms and raised scaffolds, was the Eclipse Canon. "It is unlikely that anyone should find this place, but if it does you and your team will be the last line of defense. Anyone who discovers the location must be your top priority."

Fang flashed a toothy grin. "Last line of defense eh? That's going to cost you."

"I'll pay whatever it takes."

The scene blurred out of focus, and Espio drew back from Fang. The jutsu had completely drained him, leaving his legs wobbling and his stomach nauseous. "What the hell did you just do?" Fang snapped.

Espio took a series of short breaths. "I…know…I know where it is. You've failed." He moved the edge of his sword back onto Fang's neck. "Now I'll avenge Charmy and then Vector." Fang's hostile confidence broke. He whined and started to shake his head. "No! Don't! I'm just a hired gun. I'll tell you everything, you don't have to do this."

"I already know everything you know," Espio said coldly. "There is no escape from this."

"BACK AWAY!" Espio turned and watched in amazement as Bean came crawling towards them. The woodpeckers' eyes were wide in crazed terror. One hand covered the wound on his chest, and the other held up a thermal detonator. "Back away, or I send us all to hell!"

Espio only had a half a second to decide. "Jōki!" The wound on Bean's chest exploded in a spark of steam and boiling blood. Bean screamed in pain, but somehow managed to throw his bomb. Espio leapt backward and covered his face with his hands. BOOM! The shockwave of the blast sent him flying onto his back.

A piercing ringing sound echoed in his ears. Espio tried to stand, but he groaned in pain. A piece of broken tombstone had lodged into his left thigh. Espio rolled over and pushed himself into a kneeling position. Everything around him was covered in dust and smoke. Suddenly, out of the confusion, he heard someone whistling. Clink. Clank. Fang was on his feet. He moved through the smoke, whistling as he went.

Espio drove his sword into the earth and used it to push himself to his feet. He staggered and almost fell, but a tremendous effort of will kept him standing. Espio limped towards the sound of the whistling, his blade dragging behind him.

Fang awaited him in the center of the cemetery. The Sniper had sustained nasty cuts to his face and arms, but otherwise, he appeared unhurt. When he saw the damage to Espio's leg he started to cackle hysterically. "Bean you son of a gun, you did it!"

"I'm not dead yet," Espio whispered faintly.

Fang's expression went wild with amused disbelief. "You really are something. Again and again you get close, so close, but you just cant' finish the job." Bang! Fang had been hiding a third pistol behind his back. He drew it so fast, Espio hardly registered the movement. The bullet struck him in his right leg. "Hah!" Fang's laughter echoed in the night as Espio dropped to one knee.

Clink. Clank. Fang took a few steps forward. He took off his hat and laid it carefully beside his feet. "Whaddya say to one last draw? I don't want you going into the sweet hereafter with any misconceptions. I beat you, and I need you to know it."

Espio grimaced as he forced himself to stand on his feet. He answered Fang's challenge by slowly returning his katana back into its sheath. Fang's smile sparkled in the moonlight as he stuffed his revolver into its holster.

The two of them stood about six feet apart. Fang's hand twitched beside the hilt of his pistol. His eyes were narrowed and locked onto Espio. He licked his snout in anticipation of the blood to follow.

Espio hardly moved. He stood still as stone with one hand gently placed on his sword. His breathing was calm and intentional. He ignored the enemy ahead of him, and pushed his consciousness outward. Espio felt the grass blowing gently in the wind. He heard the distant rushing of the nearby river. All of his senses were opened outward, removing him from his physically depleted body. Espio closed his eyes. Yet the cemetery remained in view. Espio saw Fang growl in anger. He had not wanted this. He had wanted to see Espio afraid, to watch him beg.

Fang made several moves as if to grab his gun. Each feint was more telegraphed than the last. He could not tell whether or not Espio could see him, and the prospect terrified him. Fang was acutely aware of his injuries, of how his heavy breathing would affect his shot. Across from him, Espio appeared completely at ease, in almost a meditative state. This shouldn't be possible, the mere idea of it filled Fang with white hot rage. "DIE!"

Espio moved before the thoughts had even moved through Fang's nervous system. He crossed the gap between them just as Fang drew his gun. Espio's katana came screaming out of its sheath, striking forward like a silver star. Blood sprayed out of the gashing wound which ran from Fang's hip up to his neck. BANG! The sound of the gun echoed in the night at the same instant that Fang's body hit the ground.

Espio stood frozen in the last moment of his attack. Blood dripped out of the end of his blade. For perhaps four full seconds he remained that way. He looked down and watched as Fang's breathing slowed, and finally stopped. At that point, Espio collapsed into the grass. The last bullet had hit him square in the belly. No ninjutsus would be able to save him this time. Instead, Espio used the last of his energy to summon an ofuda into the air. With the blood smeared on his sword, Espio wrote a few words onto the paper. He then traced something onto the blade of his sword and tossed it aside.

When that was done, Espio laid flat upon his back. He stared up into the night sky. His consciousness, which had been so separated from him a few moments ago, was now firmly locked back into his body. He felt every scar and injury, but he did not give into the pain. Instead, his thoughts turned back to Charmy and Vector. He thought about all the cases they had solved together and their many adventures. In mere moments, Espio would be with them again. All he had to do now was bravely endure the final stage, the last journey.

He was surprised to feel tears streaming down his face. Though he was ready for this moment, Espio realized that there was still so much fear inside him. Espio wondered if Master Sakai had felt the same. Perhaps true peace was not the lack of fear, but the acceptance of it, and the choice to face it all the same. Espio's thoughts turned until they no longer had any concrete form. Memories of events past, turned into memories of emotions, which thinned out into a general memory of memory. Espio's eyes darkened and the world around him faded into a mute gray. Everything he had known, everything he had been or might have been, ceased to have any importance to him. There was a final moment of pause, a vivid awakening in which the great fear of death rose inside him, and urged him to struggle and to fight. This passed in an instant, and left no memory of itself. Instead, the last thing he knew was a profound peace and a deep desire for sleep.

Ray's plane landed just beside the Turvinin river. Rouge, Ray and Mighty searched around until they found the tracks of the GUN soldiers. They went slowly and steadily through the forest. BANG! At the sound of gunfire, they started to run forward.

When they finally reached the cemetery they stumbled into the aftermath of a horrible battle. Rouge stepped cautiously around the bodies and covered her nose with her hand to drive out the reek of smoke and blood. Her heart seemed to beat strangely as she scanned the corpses. During the entire ride over here she had rehearsed what she had planned to say to Espio. She had no intention of letting the ninja off the hook for ruining the mission last time, and she had carefully constructed the choicest insults.

Rouge found him in the center. He lay so peacefully on the grass, he appeared to only be asleep at first. But then she saw the wounds that covered his body. He had been shot twice and slashed in the chest. Rouge's voice caught in her throat as she called the others over. Mighty let out a roar of despair when he saw the body. He took out his frustration on a broken tombstone, picking it up and breaking it in half.

Ray dropped his head and whispered a few words. Rouge didn't know what to say. It had been so long since she had lost anyone she cared about. She was reminded bitterly of the aftermath of the incident aboard the Space Colony Ark. Rouge had not known Shadow anymore than she had known Espio, yet in each instance, she had found herself terribly grieved. Rouge had always prided herself on her stoic strength, but in moments like this, she knew it all to be an empty show.

Rouge knelt beside Espio and tried to say something. Dozens of possible words and phrases came to her mind, but they all caught in her throat. At that moment, she noticed a piece of paper beneath Espio's hand. She picked it up and saw that Espio had written something on it in blood. Rouge read it three times, each time, her heart seemed to skip a beat. She looked from Espio and saw that Fang's body was only a few feet away. Had Espio gotten this information from him?

"What is that?" Might asked as he wandered back over.

"I think…" Rouge scanned the paper again and noticed she had missed something Espio had scrawled onto the bottom edge. "What is this?" She asked, pointing to the symbol.

Mighty checked. "It means weapon."

"This must be it. This must be where they moved the Eclipse Canon."

Rouge sat at the edge of the cemetery while Ray and Mighty buried Espio. She felt strangely flat and disinterested in everything. Even the revelation of the new location of the Eclipse Canon did not mean so much to her anymore. Espio had been a constant nuisance and not someone that Rouge got along with, but now that he was gone….Rouge could not say how she felt. I warned him. Hadn't she warned all of them? She had told Team Chaotix not to go after GUN, and now they were all dead.

A few minutes later, Mighty and Ray came over to her. Mighty held a katana over his shoulder. He approached Rouge cautiously and held out the blade, hilt first. Rouge raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Espio's sword."

"You take it," She said.

Mighty moved the blade so that she could see the words that had been written by cleaning away parts of the blood. "To Rouge, the newest member of Team Chaotix." Rouge took the blade and held it up. The craftsmanship was beyond pristine. Yet, for the moment, she only had eyes for the words. "That idiot. Why would he think I would want to join his stupid team?" However, Rouge did not say this. She accepted the sword graciously, and turned away from the cemetery. "Let's go. We have a job to finish."