Chapter 9: Mr. X:
Sonic's POV:
Tails, Knuckles, and I were getting some chili dogs.
"So, got any visions," I asked.
"Lately, no," says Knuckles, "it's lucky that Eggman only ever goes after the Emeralds on the same day I can sense them."
"Yeah, it's a little illogical, but it helps us," says Tails.
Then the nearby bank was being robbed. We some the thugs coming out with money and someone too familiar...
"Julie-Su," asks Knuckles.
I ran after them as they were driving away. I'm fast enough to keep up with a car, heck, I'm faster than a car... but I slipped on a banana peel. Embarrassing, I know.
. . .
We were back at Section Twelve.
"They're called the Syndicate," says Agent Bass, "a criminal organization led by the mysterious 'Mr. X'."
"Was it really Julie-Su," asks Amy.
"It was her," says Knuckles.
"But she left that life when she left the Dark Legion," says Tails, "something isn't right."
"Any idea on where we'd find these Syndicate guys," I asked.
"No clue," says Agent Bass, "but there is a hangout where the biggest scum in Green Hills goes, they call it the 'House of the Dead'!"
"Sounds like my kind of place," says Day.
"Why do we let you come here," asks Agent Bass.
"You got me," says Day.
. . .
Tails, Knuckles, and I arrived at the House of the Dead.
"What do you see, Tails," I asked.
"Witchcart and her gang," says Tails, "some Zeed members, including Nakahara, and Great Battle Kukku... as well as a bunch of crooks we don't know!"
"This won't be easy," says Knuckles.
"We're going to have to be sneaky," I said.
. . .
We were in disguises and despite how obvious we were, people fell for it. We then walked to the bar tender.
"Can I help you," he asks.
"We're looking for the Syndicate," I said.
"The Syndicate? Never heard of them." Knuckles breaks part of the desk. "But... I think those gentlemen over there might know something."
We looked at Goji Rokkaku and his gang. "Them," I asked.
"No, them," says the Bartender.
We looked at members of the Chi You Men. "Them," I asked.
"No, them," says the Bartender.
We looked at some random thugs. "Them," we all said.
"NO!" The Bartender then walks over to the right crooks. "Them!" He then returns to the bar.
"Got it," I said.
We then walked over to those guys. "Can we help you," one asks.
"You guys with the Syndicate," I asked.
"Who wants to know?"
"The name's Scourge," I said, "this is Nine and Dread and we're looking to join up."
"Well, if we were the Syndicate, you'd have to pass a test. Meet us the junkyard first thing tomorrow morning."
"Wait, is that before or after breakfast," I asked.
"First thing tomorrow morning!" They then leave.
"Nine," asks Tails.
"I like it," I said.
Then someone removes Tails' disguise. We looked and it was Tails' crazy admirer, Carrotia. "Hi Snooky-Wooky," says Carrotia.
Everyone then spots us. It was lucky the Syndicate left.
. . .
After surviving that angry mob, we were back at Section Twelve.
"Now, we just need to earn the Syndicate's trust," I said.
"So, who is this Carrotia," asks Mina.
"She's just some weird girl who convinced herself that I'm her boyfriend," says Tails, "why?"
"No reason," says Mina.
"Right," says Amy, "so, how are you guys going to impress the Syndicate?"
"We'll work on it," I said.
"And we can figure out why Julie-Su is with them," says Knuckles.
. . .
The next morning, we were at the junkyard.
"Okay, so what do you want us to do," I asked.
"First, I want you to go to the donut shop and steal us a dozen donuts!"
"To join your group, we have to steal donuts," asks Knuckles.
"Get to it!"
. . .
We actually bought the donuts, but we're going to make those Syndicate guys think we did steal them.
. . .
"Not bad," says the Syndicate Guy, "now, I want you to mess with the Sheriff."
. . .
We had to let Tom know we were going to spray paint his car.
. . .
"Now, I want you to make cookies the way my Mother would."
. . .
We found the guy's mother.
. . .
As Knuckles was carrying the bag.
"There's the laundromat," says the guy's mother.
"Now that we got Jet's laundry out of the way," says Knuckles.
"We can get to the kitchen," says Tails.
"Let's make some cookies," says the guy's mother.
. . .
The Syndicate Guys were enjoying their cookies.
"How was that," I asked.
"Hey, they're as gullible as you thought, Mr. X!"
Turns out, the Bartender was Mr. X. "Well done," says Mr. X.
"I did not see that coming," says Knuckles.
"Look, Julie-Su's with him," says Tails.
"Now, time for the real test," says Mr. X, "to show me you're really worthy of joining the Syndicate, you're going to break into a G.U.N. base and steal me Dr. Eggman's latest invention."
"We don't even know where their bases are," says Tails, "G.U.N. is one of the highest organizations in the country!"
"I know a secret," says Mr. X.
. . .
We were talking with Julie-Su.
"What are you doing," asks Julie-Su.
"We were going to ask you the same question," says Knuckles.
Julie-Su sighs. "Look, like you, I'm working undercover. When I came here, I was found by these guys, but I could tell they were crooks, so I'm attempting to take them down from the inside."
"So, we're gonna help," I said, "just as soon as X tells us where we're going."
"Here we are," says Mr. X. It was the Mean Bean Coffie Shop.
"This is a G.U.N. Base," asks Knuckles.
"Let's go," I said.
. . .
We found the secret door and snuck into the base. "These guys sure use a lot of money," says Knuckles.
"Mr. X says that invention should be here," says Tails.
"So, what is it," asks Knuckles.
"It's incomplete," says Tails, "Sonic, it kind of looks... like you."
"Weird," I said, "oh well, let's grab it."
Then an alarm goes off and a bunch of robots surround us. X was expecting it!
Julie-Su's POV:
"I saw through their disguises even before that rabbit girl exposed them," says Mr. X.
"What," I asked.
"Now, G.U.N. is going to take care of them for us," says Mr. X.
Sonic's POV:
We had to fight the robots, but we managed to beat them and made our exit.
. . .
When we got out, we saw Julie-Su tied up.
"They're getting away," says Julie-Su.
I then chased after them. I managed to smash their car with a spin dash, but Mr. X was nowhere to be seen.
. . .
"It's not the last we've seen of X," says Knuckles.
"We'll take him down another time," I said.
"At least we got Julie-Su back," says Amy as she hugs Julie-Su.
"I'm glad to be with my friends again," says Julie-Su.
"I'll show you around the place," says Knuckles.
"I'd like that," says Julie-Su.
In the next chapter, Sonic and his friends go after the Green Emerald.