-Chapter 230-
Your Mission…
Westopolis
At the corner of 15th and Naka Drive, there was a bar called Archie's. Originally opened some seventy0five years ago, it was a popular watering hole among all the city's residents, rich or poor, man or Mobian. It had even served a few celebrities during their heyday, including business mogul Randolph T. Rodent, actor Vincent Faire, and the world-renowned Acorn Special Task Force, Squad Saturn. But with the capture and Roboticization of its manager (as well as gross mismanagement by his replacement), the establishment fell on hard times, which only grew harder with the Black Arms invasion.
Today, Archie's was a mere shell of its former self. A rotting carcass, stinking of vomit, smoke, and cheap liquor, and crawling with maggots. Maggots who, in the pursuit of more smoke and cheap liquor, would do just about anything…for a price. For, in addition to the usual bar fare, Archie's also served as a workplace for freelance,- often unlicensed - mercenaries; a "Scum Guild", as such places had come to be known. If you needed work of dubious legality done and had a couple hundred Mobiums to throw around, you could contact the bartender or one of his colleagues and they'd nail your request to the wall. But most of the time, said mercs were content to sit around the bar, drinking and gambling away what little money they had.
Which was exactly what they were doing.
A small crowd had gathered in one of the back corners of the bar, shouting and jeering and pounding their fists as two of the patrons engaged in an arm wrestling contest. The first contestant was a large, bald human man with a powerful build and clad in biker gear, and wasn't doing too well against his opponent, a Mobian skunk.
The skunk was a pale giant of a Mobian; tall and muscular with pale cream and beige fur, as well as a pink, triangular nose, short ears, and piercing, black eyes with bright red sclera and light purple streaks around them. He was clad in classic punk rocker attire - burgundy leather pants and a black vest with spiked shoulders, but no shirt, revealing a prominent W-shaped patch of fur on his chest. He also wore a pair of black boots and spiked wristbands, all with comically large, gold-colored belt buckles. The fur on his head had been styled into a prominent mohawk, which ran down his back with his stripes and ended with a long, powerful, bushy tail. A tail he was using to wrestle his opponent.
"S'matter buddy?" the skunk asked in mock concern. "Gettin' tired?"
"Y-You wish!" the human replied through strained breath as he pushed back against the skunk, his arm quivering like jelly. Despite that, the two were evenly matched, neck and neck, neither one gaining any ground over the other. It looked like it was going to be a…
"Oi, Tumble!" a voice called out.
The skunk looked at the crowd and saw a smaller skunk walk up to him irritably. He was also dressed like punk…if he were completely colorblind, his bright orange vest (also open, revealing V-shaped mark on his chest) with matching gloves and boots clashing heavily with his dark teal and cream white fur and ratty, blue jeans. Like his taller counterpart, he also had a prominent, scruffy mohawk, as well as some cheek tuffs. His eyes were bright red, with yellow sclera, which were fixed in an annoyed scowl. All in all, he looked like he was trying way too hard to look tough.
"Will ya hurry it up already? I'm starvin' here!" he snapped. "Let's grab the pot and bounce."
"Oops! Sorry, Rough," Tumble said sheepishly.
As soon as he did, he immediately slammed his opponent's arm into the table with his tail, winning the match and bending the unfortunate human's arm out of place at the elbow. Half the crowd cheered as Tumble took a moment to revel in his victory, giving his long tail a kiss before heading toward a bulldog holding a suitcase full of money.
"Pay up, sucker," the skunk demanded. Not wanting to get his arm snapped too, the bulldog nervously surrendered the case…and was punched in the face for his trouble. "Ha! Pleasure doin' bizness wit' ya!"
With the pot in hand, the skunks took a seat at a nearby table to count their winnings.
"Ha! Another day, another sucker," Rough cackled. "Gosh, I love idiots!"
"But bro, ain't ya always yellin' and screamin' at folks fer bein' idiots?" Tumble asked.
"Only when it don't make us money, lil' brother," the shorter skunk replied as he flipped through a stack of hundreds. "Then, I could just kiss 'em!" He took a moment to kiss the stack before moving on to the next one.
"Excuse me, gentlemen?"
"Eh?" The brothers turned around and found themselves face to face with a peculiar looking figure. He was dressed in the garb of a typical, run-of-the-mill hoodlum; jeans, sneakers, neckerchief, sunglasses and a light grey hoodie. However, he had a certain air about him that - coupled with the attache case he had in his hand - suggested he was something else. Something…more.
His hood was up and his neckerchief covered his face like a mask, concealing his identity. The only visible parts of his body were his hands. They were black and scaly like a bird or reptile, with fairly prominent talon-like nails on each finger. But, each of his fingers had what appeared to be retractable webbing between them; like those of a fish, only thicker. All in all, he seemed…off.
"Who the hell are you?" Tumble demanded.
"Beat it, hoodsey! We're busy!" Rough ordered.
"So I noticed," 'Hoodsey' said as he eyed the skunks' winnings. "That's quite the haul you've acquired."
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Rough asked, a knowing grin coming over his face. "Ya lookin' to snag a piece fer yerself?"
"Haw! You kiddin', bro?" Tumble chortled as he used his tail to lift one of the table's spare chairs and began to slowly squeeze it. "I'd break that scrawny, lil' runt's arm…right off his shoulder!" Tumble suddenly squeezed the chair, smashing it to pieces. Hoodsey tugged at his namesake nervously, but otherwise kept his composure.
"But hey," Tumble casually replied. "You wanna give us money, I won't stop ya. Buy-in's 100 Mobis."
"No thank you, I'd very much like to keep all my limbs," Hoodsey nervously declined as he took a seat, placing his case on the table. "But as long as we're on the subject of buying…I would very much like to give you money."
Hoodsey opened up the case, and the skunks' jaws nearly cracked the table, they dropped so hard. The case was packed to the brim with stacks of Mobiums, all hundreds. Like the kind they saw in that gangster movie they snuck into when they were kits.
"Holy Aunt Gurdy!" Tumble exclaimed.
"No stinkin' way!" Rough chimed in.
"Yes, 'stinking way'," Hoodsey stated as he pushed the case toward them, before pulling out a second case from…somewhere. "And there's even more where that came from. All I ask for in return is a little favor. Complete it, and I'll double the amount I just gave you."
"Hey, say no more, Hoodsey, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" Rough said as put an arm around their new "buddy's" shoulder.
"Whaddya need us to do?" Tumble asked excitedly.
Beneath his mask, Hoodsey grinned wickedly.
Knothole
"You need us to retrieve a gem?" Sally asked.
"That's correct," Jewel replied.
After brewing up a pot of tea, the Freedom Fighters and Jewel gathered in the living room to hear Jewel's request.
"In addition to running the Mineral Museum, I also back a mining and excavation company to help find new exhibits, and we recently found a most…unusual specimen in the Crystal Cave Zone."
"Hold on, the Crystal Cave?" Rouge asked eagerly.
"No way…" Sam added.
"I'm guessing from your reactions that place is a pretty big deal?" Shadow queried.
"Crystal Cave is a large network of caverns in the forests near the border between Acorn and the rest of Northamer," Hope explained. "It's one of the continent's greatest natural landmarks, making it a popular tourist destination."
"It's also Mobius' largest gemstone mine, both in size and for its massive amount and variety of gems and crystals!" Rouge chimed in, eyes starry and grinning like a loon. "Walls literally made of quartz! Carnelians the size of ostrich eggs! Rubies and sapphires! Emeralds and peridots! Garnets, amethysts, and pearls, all in one place!"
"Shiny, colorful rocks," Omega scoffed with a shrug. "Nothing more."
"Hmph! Philistine."
"Enough!" Shadow barked as he turned to Jewel. "Miss Jewel, I mean this with all due respect, but the Freedom Fighters and GUN have more important things to do than fetch a new gem for your collection."
"Bluntly worded, but Shadow has a point," Sally said. "Is there a particular reason you need us to handle this?"
At that, Jewel's expression became grim. "Because the gem in question is no ordinary stone."
"You mean, it's a Chaos Emerald?" Hope asked nervously.
"A Power Gem, actually," she responded. "And a big one, at that."
Jewel finished the last of her tea and set the cup down as she began her story.
"A few weeks ago, my crew went to Crystal Cave to inspect the area's structural integrity. While examining one of the crystal chambers, one of the workers saw something glittering within the cavern walls. But as soon as we unearthed what it was, strange things started happening." The beetle took a deep, shuddering breath, visibly struggling to remain calm as she recalled the incident that brought her here. "The gem began producing orbs of light that drifted around the cavern like fireflies. A few curious workers decided to touch them. But when they did, the orbs let out an awful noise before bursting in a blinding flash, and they disappeared!"
The Freedom Fighters looked on in horror, especially Sally, her mind flashing back to their encounter with the Phantom Ruby.
"After that, everyone started panicking. People were running around left and right, trying to get out, only to bump into the lights and vanish! I remember the foreman even tried to smash the gem with a pickaxe, only to disappear as well!"
"Jeebus…" Sam uttered, taking a sip of tea to settle his nerves.
"H-How did you escape?" Hope asked.
"I didn't. I accidentally flew into one of the lights while trying to flee. Next thing I know, there's a bright flash and I'm suddenly in a papaya tree in Mazuri!" Jewel massaged the bridge of her nose as she sagged into her seat, exhausted from recounting her harrowing ordeal. "I was able to get back home with help from some of the locals. Afterwards, I got in contact with the crew and discovered that they'd been teleported all over Mobius as well. Some of them still haven't been found yet, while others…" Her expression turned sorrowful. "Weren't alive when they were found."
Shadow grimaced at that, knowing full well the dangers and risks of warping space.
"After that, the cave was closed off until GUN could do something about the gem," Jewel continued, her speech growing more distraught and emotional. "They sent a few teams in, but all of them met the same fate as the others. If something isn't done soon, they're going to seal away Crystal Cave forever!"
Tears streamed down Jewel's face as she broke down, unable to contain her emotions any longer. "I can't let that happen! Crystal Cave is one of Mobius' greatest natural treasures, and I've dedicated years of my life to preserving it! If anything were to happen to it, I…"
As Jewel quietly wept, Sally stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, prompting the beetle to look up at her.
"Hey now, it's alright," the squirrel princess said, her voice and smile warm and reassuring.
"I-I'm sorry," Jewel hiccuped. "I'm just really worried about the Caves. I know it sounds silly, but…"
"Not at all," Sally said as she shook her head. "Something you care about is in danger, it's only natural for you to be scared. But that's why we're here." She turned to the others. "Isn't that right?"
"Of course," Rouge replied. "As a Freedom Fighter and fellow gemstone aficionado, I cannot sit by and allow Crystal Caves to be destroyed!"
"Yeah, so you can add some of it to your dresser," Shadow said as he rolled his eyes, earning himself a kick in the shin. "Ow!"
"Quiet, you."
"Oh, thank you!" Jewel exclaimed happily. "Thank you all so much!"
"It's no trouble," Rouge said with a devious smile before turning to the others. "Shadow, Sam. Contact Commander Tower and your father so they can get us greenlit."
"Got it."
"Wait," said a surprised Sam. "I can come too?!"
"I don't see why not." Shadow shrugged. "You can hold your own in a fight, and you hang out with the other Freedom Fighters so much, you're practically a member."
"Sweet!"
"Omega," Rouge continued. "You take Hope back home and get all the supplies and weapons we'll need, along with something to contain the gem. Make sure she gets a shower and something to eat."
"Affirmative."
"Wait, I'm coming!?" Hope shouted. "No! Rouge, I can't!"
"Hope, honey, we need you." Rouge explained. "You, Tails, and Keith are the only members of the Brain Trust with knowledge of Power Gems and their exotic energies, and they're all on other missions or training."
"Rouge is right, Hope," Sally said. "Besides, you're still banned from the lab."
"B-But what about the cybernetics research!?" Hope pleaded. "If I'm not here, there won't be anyone to…"
"We'll tell the others when they get back," Kat said. "You're not the only super-brain here."
"And what if they're still gone before we get back!? Stopping Eggman is way more important than some…"
"Hope," Sam cut in, his expression grave. "This gem can zap people anywhere in the world in an instant." He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. "Can you imagine what would happen if Eggman got his hands on it?"
Hope blanched as a thousand nightmarish scenarios flooded her mind. If Robotnik had something like this gem, he'd be able to send his troops anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. He could snatch up more people for his army than ever before, zapping them away to his lab without a trace before anyone could realize they were gone. Before they could realize they were gone.
"…alright, you have a point," she sighed in resignation. "I'll go."
"Then it's settled," Rouge declared as she resumed giving orders. "Sally, you and Kat…" As she turned to Kat, she found the red-head lying on the sofa, sawing logs as Omega tentatively poked her.
"I think I'd better stay here and keep an eye on her," Sally said worriedly.
"Good idea…" Rouge agreed. "Anyway…Team Dark, let's move out! We got a mission!"
Archie's
Back at Archie's, Hoodsey had concluded his conversation with Rough and Tumble; the skunks were completely dumbstruck at what he'd just told them.
"Well gentlemen, we have a deal on the table," he said with cool confidence. "What do you say, are you in?"
Rough took a minute to mull over the hooded man's offer. "Gee, I dunno Hoodsey. I think we need to think about…Hell yeah we're in! Right, Tumble!?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Very well then," Hoodsey said as he reached behind him and pulled a manilla folder from…somewhere and handed it to the skunks. "Here's everything you need to know about the gem's location, as well as some…potential hazards and how to best handle them."
Rough opened the file and sure enough, there were all kinds of papers. A lot of it he didn't understand, so he mostly just skimmed it, until he got about halfway through, and grinned.
"Arite then," Rough said. "Hoodsey, you got yourself a deal!"
Rough and Tumble proceeded to spit into their hands and extended them to Hoodsey, much to the latter's disgust.
"Uuugh…Wonderful!" he exclaimed, his eyes squinting in disgust as he shook their drool-laden hands. "Well, I'd best be off. Call me at the enclosed number once you've acquired the gem."
"Awww, leavin' already?" Tumble asked, looking somewhat dejected. "We was just about to grab lunch."
"The guys here make some mean hot wings and the fried okra is to die for!" Rough bragged.
"No, that's alright. I already ate," Hoodsey replied, holding up his hand. "Thank you though." And with that, he left.
"Eh, suit yerself," Rough shrugged. "BARTENDER! Give us the usual with a bag of greens to go!" A manic grin spread on his face once more. "We got a big one!"
-X-
As soon as Hoodsey left Archie's, he bolted into a nearby alleyway and began frantically wiping his hands on his hoodie.
"Filthy, vile, vulgar, flea-ridden, disgusting, mustelid bastards!" he cursed as he cleaned himself. Once he'd gotten most of the drool off, he reached into his hood pocket and pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitizer, squeezing its entire contents into soiled mitts. "As soon as I get that gem, I'm using it to turn them both inside-out!"
Once he'd finished rubbing the liquid into his hands, he took a deep breath and massaged his temples.
"Alright, calm down," he said. "Remember the plan."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a smartphone. He dialed a number and after a few seconds, someone picked up.
"Hello, Hunter's Union? I have information regarding the whereabouts of the Skunk Brothers and would like to report it. … They were heading northeast in a stolen vehicle, I believe I heard one of them shout 'Crystal Cave, here we come!' or something to that effect. … Yes, I contacted the police. … Yes, of course. Thank you for your time. Godspeed." And with that, he hung up.
"Good grief," Hoodsey sighed in exasperation as he pocketed his phone. "The things I do for science."
Author's Note:
The plot thickens. What will happen now?
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Hoodsey - Rodger Bumpass (Squidward Tentacles from SpongeBob SquarePants, Dr. Light from Teen Titans 2003, Professor Membrane from Invader Zim)
* Rough - Griffin Puatu (Spitz from WarioWare Gold, Louis from Beastars, Dohalim il Qaras from Tales of Arise)
* Tumble - Kyle Hebert (Dribble from WarioWare Gold, Ryu from Street Fighter, Noriaki Kakyoin from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders)
Please R&R. Until next time!
