Chapter 57

The Metal Broadcast

Cream let the scepter fall out of her hands and stepped back from the shattered pieces. Her heart thumped madly inside her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the Heavy King. The red bandik seemed frozen with rage. His red eyes turned a deeper shade until they resembled blood. "You…" Before he could even take a step towards her, Emerl appeared. He spread his arms to shield Cream.

"Not her," He said firmly. Emerl's fists were still slick with blood from where he had hit Tails.

The rest of the heavies gathered around their leader. Heavy Shinobi drew his blade and looked ready for a fight. "Is that what it comes to Emerl? You're gonna betray us now after everything we've done for you?"

"We don't have to fight. Promise to leave and I'll come with you. We can find the rest of the emeralds on our own."

"And what will you do once we have them all?" Snarled the Heavy King. He rose to his full height and pointed a metal finger at Emerl. "Your power belongs to us, the Hard Boiled Heavies."

Emerl shook his head. "My power is my own. I'll use the emeralds to keep us safe, nothing more."

The Heavy King shook his head. "Do you think you can defy me, the Heavy King? This is only a setback. I will build a new scepter and you will be under my control again. Heavies, neutralize Emerl, and kill the girl!"

Cream let out a squeak as Heavy Shinobi and Heavy Rider charged forward. "Stay behind me!" Emerl shouted as he squared up to meet his foes. Shinobi brought his blade down and Emerl caught it on his forearm. Emerl's gilded armor cracked but did not break.

"I've been waiting for this day," Shinobi growled. "Time for you to learn your place."

"Look out!"

Shinobi leapt backward as Heavy Rider and Gunner fired missiles at Emerl. The Gizoid covered his face with his arms, but the force of the blast sent him flying. "Got ya!" Heavy Magician unleashed a wave of black aura that encased Emerl and wrapped around him like a serpent. She flung him to the ground while Gunner and Rider tackled Emerl. They wrestled him in place, holding the Gizoid still as Shinobi approached with his sword.

"No!" Cream rushed at the attackers, only to realize she had fallen straight into their trap. Shinobi rounded her and raised his sword. There was a flash of silver and she closed her eyes. The expected pain didn't come. Cream opened her eyes to see Emerl tackling Shinobi and the two of them rolling across the ground.

"Not her!" Emerl flung Shinobi away and fired a rapid barrage of golden blasts. Shinobi deflected most of them with his sword, but one caught him in the chest and knocked him down. Emerl did not get a second to relax as the other heavies quickly resumed the battle.

Cream watched helplessly as Emerl fought the other four heavies by himself. The speed and ferocity of the combat terrified her. Though she wanted to help, she wasn't sure what she could do. The Chaos Emeralds! Cream surveyed the area and saw the Heavy Brigadier parked on a plateau not far from Tail's workshop.

She soared in that direction and sighed in relief when she saw that the heavies had not closed the blast doors. Cream climbed inside and saw the black case resting on a seat. Emerl will win for sure once he has these. Cream took the case just as she heard a loud thud behind her. She turned and jumped back in fear. The Heavy King was standing at the door, his hulking figure completely blocking her way.

Cream did not understand how an expressionless machine could emit so much menace. He took a step towards her. The floor groaned beneath his weight. Cream searched desperately for a means of escape but there was only one way out. "That little traitor isn't here to save you this time." King whispered. His sharp metal fingers expanded grasping outward to seize Cream.

Fear made Cream tremble. Her limbs felt heavier and heavier. It was a struggle just to stay standing. Resistance was pointless but Cream was possessed by the idea that she had to remain strong. She would not plead or beg for mercy. "Wretch!" King's fist came screaming forward and struck Cream in the stomach. She doubled over but made sure to keep the case behind her. "Pathetic creatures like you should know your place. You have done nothing but delay us. Emerl will be under my control again and as soon as he is I will order him back to your village and have him-"

SMACK! Cream's punch glanced harmlessly off King's steel frame. Pain shot down Cream's arm bringing her back to her knees. The Heavy King threw back his head and laughed wildly. He did not notice Cream gathering up a handful of his cape. When he was done laughing King raised his foot and hovered it over Cream's head. "Time to squash you like the bug you are!"

"CHAO!" Cheese darted into the ship and flung itself over King's face. That gave Cream her chance. She tugged at King's cape forcing him to teeter to one side and fall. Cream leapt up, snatched Cheese with one hand and flew out of the ship. King gave chase but he could not pursue Cream into the sky.

She soared towards the battlefield and held up the case. "Emerl! The Chaos Emeralds!" Emerl reacted instantly. He separated himself from his opponents and soared into the sky. Cream tossed him the case which split open in the air. The five Chaos Emeralds started to glow and then circled around Emerl. The Gizoid's eyes flashed, and he was cocooned in a powerful aura of white energy.

The energy shot down like a comet and exploded near the heavies. The impact of the blast knocked them all backwards. Emerl emerged shining with a brilliant diamond coat. All of the heavies hesitated. None but Shinobi dared get too close. Emerl moved faster than Cream could see. A blur hit Shinobi and the green heavy flew twenty yards away and collapsed in a ruined heap.

The battle was interrupted by a loud siren. The Heavy Brigadier had taken to the sky, and it was calling the heavies back. Without so much as a second glance, the heavies retreated. All except Shinobi. It rose slowly and slouched to its side. Emerl's last hit had destroyed one of its arms. Despite the injury, Shinobi twirled its blade and advanced on Emerl.

Cream wanted to cry out, to urge the machine to stop but she did not. She had the sense that its intentions were beyond her understanding. Emerl accepted Shinobi's challenge and approached him. The two paused when they were face to face. There was a moment of calm then Shinobi struck. Emerl caught the blade with ease and crushed it. A heartbeat later, Emerl fired a white blast from his other hand and Shinobi was completely eviscerated.

Emerl raised his head and relaxed his shoulders. The Chaos Emeralds emerged from within him, and his usual golden coat returned. Cream flew towards him but stopped short of embracing him. Emerl had turned and was looking over to where Tails was laying. The fox had slumped over and was clearly unconscious.

"Emerl? Are you okay?"

The Gizoid turned his head slightly. His unnaturally alive eyes seemed to shimmer like the surface of water. "You freed me. I may have inflicted permanent injury on Tails had you not."

"That wasn't you," Cream insisted. "King made you do that."

Emerl nodded. "We should check on him and make sure he is okay." He walked away from Cream and lifted Tails over his shoulder. Cream followed him at a distance as they made their way over to Tails' workshop.

Tails was placed gently on one of his workbenches. Cream cringed when she saw the heavy bruises and dried blood on his face. Emerl lounged by a wall and did not make a sound. For an hour or so, Cream made use of what she could find to patch Tails up and clean his wounds. Every now and again she would steal a furtive glance over at Emerl. However, the Gizoid appeared to have put himself to sleep.

When she was done with Tails, Cream walked over to inspect Emerl. The Gizoid was heavily damaged from the battle. There were scorch marks all over his gilded frame and deep cuts where Shinobi had cut into him.

"I can help him," Tails groaned as he sat up.

"You should rest!" Cream said as she rushed over.

"Why? Did something happen to me?" Tails asked with a rueful smile.

Cream could not take it anymore. She burst into a fit of tears. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault. They came here because of me. I'm the one who told them you had given me a Chaos Emerald."

"Hey, it's alright." Tails placed his hands on her shoulders. "Cream, really, I'm not blaming you. You just saved my life."

But Cream did not feel that way. She felt like baggage that kept getting passed from group to group. Always in need of rescue, always in need of others to get hurt for her. Tails guided Cream over to his chair and had her sit down. "You look exhausted, when was the last time you got any sleep?"

Cream shrugged. "I haven't since they told me they were coming here. I wanted to get here first to warn you. But…I wasn't' fast enough."

"You were fast enough. You did perfectly Cream. Just lie back and rest awhile."

As soon as the suggestion came, Cream felt her eyes grow heavy. Sheer desperation had driven off her need for sleep over her long chase of the heavies. Now that it was over, Cream's fatigue overwhelmed her. "What about you?" She whispered.

"I'll be okay. Just rest."

Cream did not really mean to sleep. She slumped over in the chair and closed her eyes, intending to dull the ache behind her forehead. The next thing she knew was the smell of cooked meat. Cream lurched up and covered her face. The sun was streaking through the open window.

Tails had set Emerl on the workbench and was busy repairing the Gizoid. The two of them were speaking in low whispers. Cream reached inside the pocket of her dress and found Cheese still slumbering. "How long?" Cream asked hoarsely. Her throat was very dry and she felt sore all over.

Tails hurried over to help her out of the chair. "Quite a while," He said cheerfully. The fox's mood clashed dramatically with his heavily damaged face. "I have some drinks in the kitchen and I have some food in the oven."

At the mere mention of food, Cream's stomach growled. She blushed badly. "Excuse me…"

Tails merely laughed and returned to repairing Emerl. Cream tiptoed to the kitchen and got herself a bottle of water. She took another whiff of the aroma coming from the oven and a longing shudder ran down her back. It had been so long since she had enjoyed a proper meal.

"This is advanced stuff," Tails was saying as Cream returned. Emerl's back was open revealing the impossibly complicated inner wirings. "I'm surprised Eggman was able to figure it out. He isn't usually so nuanced."

"The doctor was obsessed with obtaining my power," Emerl replied. "He was even willing to humble himself enough to borrow another's design if it meant he could defeat Sonic."

Tails closed Emerl's back and used a welder to seal it shut. "That sure sounds like Eggman, meddling with technology and power he doesn't understand."

Emerl raised his hand and flexed into a fist. It seemed Tails had repaired all the damage Emerl had taken from the battle. "You have my thanks."

"And you have mine. It's not every day I get to work on schematics as advanced as yours." Tails smiled brightly, but Cream had the feeling there was something forced about it. When he thought they weren't looking at him, Cream saw the smile fade.

DING! Tails' ears perked up and he raced over to the kitchen. "Foods ready!"

At that exact moment, Cheese erupted out of Cream's pocket and let out an appropriately excited "Chao!"

Ten minutes later, Cream, Cheese, Emerl and Tails were sitting at a small square table in the kitchen. Tails had made a delicious bowl of garlic mashed potatoes topped with butter matched with a rather uncouth dish that he called 'chili dogs'. He had demonstrated to Cream how to eat the oblong sandwich without utensils, successfully spraying himself with chili and cheese. Cream was determined to eat her meal with more dignity but as soon as she had a taste, her ravenous hunger overcame her manners.

Feasting after so many days of hunger and fear, made Cream giddy and lightheaded. She laughed easily and often, especially when Cheese dive bombed into the chili bowl, spraying the brown mess all over Emerl's face. Tails also behaved as if he were emerging from a period of sorrow and anxiety. He was quick to laugh and make jokes, but many of his smiles died quickly as if he felt guilty for enjoying them. Cream saw him cast many longing glances towards his workroom.

The Gizoid did not eat and spent the majority of the meal sitting silently. On occasion, he would answer Tail's technical questions and would indulge Cheese when the Chao wanted to play with him. Still, Cream got the sense that his thoughts were far away, with the Heavies and wherever they had gone.

Day passed quickly into night. Clouds gathered overhead and a harsh wind started to blow against the walls of the workshop. After dinner, Tails brought out a large bowl of ice cream for Cheese and Cream to share, while he relished a couple of pieces of mint candy.

Their desert was serenaded by the storm brewing outside. Cream felt strangely cozy inside the workshop, listening to the patter of the rain beating down on the roof. The intoxication of dinner was fading, and Cream felt her worries slowly creep back to the forefront of her mind. They had defeated the heavies and taken their Chaos Emeralds, but Cream knew that King would come back. Would he go back to Cream's village and hurt the others just out of spite?

She looked towards Emerl who was busy staring out of the window. Would Emerl come with her to protect her family? "Tails?" She asked suddenly, breaking the long held silence.

"Yes?"

"Where is Sonic?"

Tail's ears deflated. He looked sorrowfully at the floor. "He's gone."

"Gone?"

"He left to chase Dr. Eggman."

Cream and Emerl shared a look. The Gizoid left his pondering to join the conversation. "Will he return?"

Tails shrugged. Cream could tell at once that this was the reason Tails had struggled to maintain his smile. "I don't know if he can. I…I built him a transporter and I was supposed to go with him but it…he went alone."

"That is why you are building another one?" Emerl gestured to the workroom.

Tails nodded. "I need one that will open a portal on both ends. That way I can bring Sonic back. I'm just not sure if that's possible."

There was silence again, broken only by the storm raging outside. At last, Emerl spoke. "You will see Sonic again. If he wants to return he will find a way."

Tails clenched his jaw. Cream walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Emerl's right. Mister Sonic will be back."

Tails smiled slightly. "He's never let me down before…Why should he now?"

"That's the spirit!" Cream pulled Tails to his feet. "Come on! I want to feel the rain." She dragged Tails to the door and pulled it open. The wind was howling, bringing the rain down at an angle.

"It's cold," Tails grumbled.

"It's perfect!" Cream jumped outside. Her ears caught a gust and Cream was nearly lifted off her feet. Tails managed to catch her and hold her while Cream pinned her ears to her side. When they caught each other's eye they both started laughing. They laughed until it hurt. Cream's anxious thoughts faded away as she relished the simple pleasure of the rain on her face.

"Come on!" Tails insisted. "I'm soaked!" Still laughing, they headed back inside the workshop. Tails gave Cream a towel she could wrap herself in and they all gathered together in Tail's bedroom. He had a small television, and a bed with a bi-plane as its frame. The walls were covered with pictures of him and Sonic. Tails made hot chocolate so they could warm up and switched on the t.v.

Cream and Cheese sat on the bed while Tails took the floor. Emerl remained standing by the door. "We didn't have much television in my village," Cream said. "Just novelas but they were in spanish."

"I'm not sure I have anything better than that." Tails said with a chuckle. He flipped aimlessly through the channels then the entire screen turned white. A blood curdling screech emitted from the speaker. Cream got so surprised she spilled her drink into her lap and burned her legs. Tails tried changing the channel but it was no use. The white screen then turned black. An emergency broadcast image flashed on screen for a split second before turning black again.

This time there was something in the frame. It was a robotic version of Sonic the Hedgehog. A cold shudder ran down Cream's back. The robot Sonic had burning red eyes and an expression of such cold menace it put Heavy King's to shame.

"Greetings citizens of the United Federation. I am Metal Overlord." The screen flickered then stabilized. "The day of reckoning that you have long feared has finally come. The Eggman Empire is under my control and I will unleash it upon the entire world. Resistance is pointless. Surrender your governments to my authority or pay the price." Metal Sonic was replaced with footage of the explosion near Emerald City. Cream's hand jumped to her mouth to suppress a scream.

Metal Sonic returned. "That was only a taste of the power at my command. Tonight you will witness a more accurate demonstration. Behold the power of the new Metal Armada!" The screen went black. Nobody moved. All of them were waiting for the broadcast to continue. Instead, the television returned to normal programming. Cream watched a large purple cat advertise a new kind of fishing rod and wondered if that had been real.

Her answer came as the ground beneath them started to rumble. Tails leapt to his feet. "Something's happening!" He raced outside with Cream and Emerl following close behind. Nature itself seemed to be holding its breath as the storm calmed. Cream could not say why, but the sudden peace terrified her more than anything.

Almost in response to her thought, Emerl pointed into the sky. He saw it before Tails and Cream could. A flashing pulse of pink light. It glowed in the far distance before soaring overhead at the speed of a bolt of lighting. There was a colossal flash of dazzling light so bright Cream fell to the ground. The ground rumbled and the stillness broke. Thunder, rain and lighting crashed down upon them. Cream looked over and saw the eastern sky was on fire.