Chapter 23
Resistance Army's Second Hideout

The Big Rig Vector arrived in front of a large featureless rock. Vector took out a golden ring and pointed it at the rock. The ring emitted a laser beam from the front side at the rock, causing a door to materialize on it and open up, allowing the truck to drive inside the "rock." The door closed and disappeared afterwards.

Inside the "rock," the truck drove down a street of what appears to be a normal-looking city. There were civilians everywhere, watching the truck. The civilians consisted of humans, robots, and anthropomorphic animals.

The truck eventually came to a large building located in a certain area of the city and stopped at an empty lot in front of it. As the passengers of the truck got off, two robots came over to greet them. One has a scissor on his head, while the other one is a large bulky robot wearing a construction helmet.

"Cut Man! Guts Man! It's so great to see you guys!" Charmy said to the two robots while waving at them.

"We've been waiting for you arrival!" said Cut Man, the robot with scissors on his head. "You sure took a while though. We were worried that something must've happened to you while out there…"

"Yeah, you're right about that… We did run into trouble, but all that's taken care of now!" replied Vector.

"Cut Man! Guts Man!" said Mega Man happily as he came up in front of those two robots. "I'm so glad to see you two!"

"And you are?" Cut Man asked him.

"You may have heard it from Doctor Light already. These are the otherworlders who came to this world," Espio told him.

"Right, he did say that people from another world are coming to this place… Though I still find this claim fishy…" said a skeptical Cut Man with his hand underneath his chin.

"Eh, I don't blame you for doubting… I'm still having a hard time I'm in another world too..." said Mega Man.

"You'll get used to this sort of thing eventually," said Sonic, putting his hand on Mega Man's shoulder.

"If Doctor Light says so, then I believe him!" says the large bulky robot, Guts Man. "Anyone that the doctor trusts is a friend, so you're my friends too!"

"I'm glad you understand and believe us!" Mega Man said to him, while Rush barked.

"Anyway, the doctor is expecting you, so c'mon in," said Cut Man as he led the way.

"Can my robot come in?" Kilo asked from inside T.A.L.O.S. "If she can't, I'll park her outside."

"It's okay. The space inside is big enough for your robot to come in," Cut Man told her. "We work on large and heavy machinery all the time, so the space in there has to be big. Your robot is actually quite small compared to some of the things we have in there."

The group followed the two robots into the building. The interior was highly advanced-looking, with high-tech equipment and machines all over the place. Lab workers consisted of both humans and anthropomorphic animals, as well as some robots. They stopped what they were doing to look at the otherworlders as they walked through the place, led by Cut Man and Guts Man. "All these stares are making me feel uneasy…" said Snow White, glancing at the people staring at her.

"You feel that way? I don't feel anything at all," said Red Hood, looking around. "Guess I'm something of a sucker for attention. Heheh!"

"The doctor's up ahead," said Cut Man, pointing at a door at the end of the hallway.

They entered the room and arrived at a spacious lab room that stretched in all directions for several meters, though there weren't much people inside. A white-haired woman wearing a lab coat looked up from working on a computer and looked at them. "I take these are the guests I was told about?" she asked, and Cut Man said yes.

Snow White was surprised to see the woman. "Aren't you Cecil, that scientist from Eden?"

The woman looked at her and asked, "How do you know my name? Have we met before? And I don't think I've heard of the term Eden before..."

"They come from another world, so maybe this girl knows a version of you in her own world," Guts Man told her.

Cecil looked at Guts Man with a confused expression and said, "Another world…? What are you talking about…?"

"The doctor didn't tell you about this?" Cut Man asked her, and she shook her head. "Okay… So yeah, they claim to come from another world… It's crazy, right?"

"You'll believe what we said soon enough!" Sonic said to Cecil.

"What do we have here?" said the voice of an older person. An elderly man with a large busy beard then came forward, accompanied by a blonde girl wearing a red dress with long black sleeves.

"Doctor Light! Roll!" said Mega Man happily, while Rush barked happily.

"So you're Doctor Light?" Sonic asked the old man.

"Yes I am, and you're the otherworlders, right? I'm glad you could make it here safe and sound!" the old man named Dr. Light said to them.

"Not as safe and sound as we hoped for… We had a run in with Turbo Man and Nitro Man, and our truck received a bit of thrashing… Gotta get it patched up properly later..." said Vector.

"Yeah! But thanks to our new friends here, we are able to completely annihilate Turbo Man and Nitro Man!" said Charmy in excitement. "You totally had to see how they fought! They're awesome! This Sonic the hedgehog runs around at supersonic speeds, completely outrunning those two in every aspect possible! And then Mega Man here can shoot lots of stuff from his arm cannon, and then these girls have really awesome guns that goes bang bang bang!"

"Those two were nothing at all!" boasted Sonic.

"Yeah! What pushovers! No match for us at all!" said Red Hood in agreement.

"I had experience fighting versions of them back in my world, so I was able to apply the same techniques when fighting them," said Mega Man.

"What's all this here?" asked another person as he came forward. Mega Man immediately recognized him.

"Proto Man!" the latter happily said. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," said Proto Man with a smile. "I seem to be very popular among many people."

"Proto Man, these people came from another universe where different versions of us exist and are related to him," Dr. Light told the newcomer.

Proto Man looked at him with a surprised look, though not that anyone could tell because of his pitch-black visor. "Oh? That's not something you hear everyday… You sure they're not making things up?"

"In the very least, I do know that they have talented combat skills that may very well be what we need to turn the tides of this war," said Dr. Light. "I've watched a video of their simulation combat given to us by the branch headquarter, and I have to say that I am impressed with what I saw!"

"Huh, interesting… I'd like to see it for myself that video and find out just how good they are," said Proto Man.

"You'd be surprised about how much I fight like a real hero!" said Laplace smugly.

Dr. Light wasted no time in replaying the simulation video to those who hadn't seen it yet. After sitting through the entirety of the video, Dr. Light said to the others, "What do you think?"

"They're good!" said Guts Man. "Looks like they will make great combat partners!"

"I think that girl on the hoverboard may need a bit more touch up," observed Cut Man.

"The hoverboard girl and the one inside robot looks like they can't last too long in the battlefield, though that's not to say they aren't good," said Proto Man. "They are definitely skilled in their own right, but when you compare them to the others, they seem to be on the lower end of the spectrum."

"Did T.A.L.O.S. and I not do good enough…?" asked Kilo, whose head was sticking out of the robot's body.

"Did I not live up to expectations…?" asked Epinel.

Protomon pointed at Epinel and said, "It seems that you rely on your hoverboard a lot for movement. While it's true that in the heat of battle, being able to move around while attacking is a huge plus, reliant on a medium to move around often can put you at a disadvantage if you lose it, especially if you're not used to moving around by yourself. To be fair, the video didn't show you getting off your hoverboard even once, so for I know, maybe you do have skills on foot."

"Well, I won't deny I like being on my hoverboard when fighting…" said Epinel.

Proto Man then looked at Kilo and said, "Your robot does seem to pack a lot of firepower, but its size and movement speed makes it somewhat of a sitting duck. It still moves quite fast for something its size, but it's not enough in a battlefield when enemies are attacking you from all sides. It may have impressive defenses that allow it take to hits, but everything can only take so many hits before finally falling apart. In short, your robot will not last long in a lengthy battle unless it can dodge well enough."

Kilo sighed and said in disappointment, "I understand… I'll see to it that T.A.L.O.S. is more mobile during combat…"

"Then the rest of us pass, huh?" Sonic asked Proto Man. "Impressed?"

"The rest of you do look impressive, but this is only a simulation, so I can't say for sure it will work in a real battlefield," replied Proto Man.

"Hey, I've been on a real battlefield more times than I can count! You better not underestimate what I'm capable of!" Sonic told him.

"You talk like a huge war is coming soon…" Mega Man said to Proto Man.

"It seems inevitable at some point that the resistance army will start an all-out war against Eggman and Wily," said Proto Man. "So far, we are buying time to make preparations and also rescue Shadow, who may be our biggest asset in this war. His speed and power are extremely valuable, so losing him has been a huge blow to us for some time already…"

"I can't believe Shadow is captured…" said Sonic in disbelief. "The enemies must've got him good!"

"Yeah… We have a hard time believing this too…" said Cut Man.

"Is there any reason why he hasn't been executed yet? If he is as powerful as you claim, then the enemies should see him as a major threat and eliminate him right away when they have the chance," asked Snow White.

"From what we know, Eggman and Wily wish to harness his powers," replied Cecil. "Shadow possesses a unique type of power known as Chaos Energy. Combined with his speed, it allows him to become a powerful force of destruction when used at full potential. I believe Eggman and Wily want to extract and replicate his powers first before getting rid of him."

"And this is all the more reason we have to act fast and rescue Shadow before it is too late!" said Dr. Light.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going already! Where is he kept at?" asked Sonic.

Cecil turned to her computer and typed some things to make the image of a building on an island appear. "He's currently located on Prison Island. It was an abandoned military prison that had been used by the villains after they took over the world. However, they usually don't take prisoners and instead kill people right away, so it's likely Shadow is the only person there."

"Prison Island? Been locked up there before back in my world! I should still remember how that place looks like!" said Sonic.

"Now don't get too ahead of yourself. It is best that we come up with a plan and a team to break into that place," Dr. Light told him. "Other than rescuing Shadow, there is another thing that we have been planning on doing, and I think we should do it now too."

Cecil whipped up another image of a large building on the computer. "This is a weapon facility belonging to Wily and Eggman. Many robots and dangerous weapons are being produced there, and if we can destroy that place, we can cut down there fighting power by quite a bit."

"So… rescuing Shadow and destroying that place? Got it!" said Sonic.

"Since we have a good number of people here, I nominate that we split into two teams," suggested Proto Man. "One team will go rescue Shadow, while the other one destroy the factory, and I plan to take the latter."

"I have some word to say to the Shadow of this world, so count me in on rescuing him," said Sonic, pointing to himself.

"I'm going to rescue Shadow too! It makes sense for a hero to rescue another hero!" said Laplace. "Perhaps I can teach him some more lessons on heroism so that he doesn't get caught again in the future!"

"I'll take the weapon factory," said Snow White.

"I knew you would take that, given your interest in tinkering with guns," Red Hood said to her.

Mega Man and Kilo decided to go to the weapon factory as well, while Red Hood decided to go rescue Shadow.

"All right, it's decided," said Dr. Light with a nod. "There are a couple more people I'd like send along. Bomb Man will go to the weapon factory. He's an expert in demolition, and surely it will come in handy in tearing down that place. He's also something of a weapon expert, so perhaps that knowledge will allow him to point out useful weapons we can make use of and bring back."

"Bomb Man? I guess it makes sense, considering our mission…" said Mega Man.

"Sneaking into a prison requires stealth, and there's someone I know who should be of use in this category," said Dr. Light.

"I think I know who you're talking about," said Sonic while thinking of a particular female bat in his head.

Dr. Light turned to Cecil and said to her, "Contact K and see if she is available."

Hearing this, Sonic scratched his head and said, "Okay, not who I had in mind… Never heard of her either..."

"She's willing to help, and very eager too," Cecil told Dr. Light.

"When do we start?" asked Laplace impatiently.

"I think we should understand what we have to do better first before starting," Epinel said to her. "And I'm just reminded… You like to break windows and doors by entering them, don't you? I don't think you're really suited for this sort of mission if that is the case..."

"But she's been entering through doors normally the whole time," Mega Man reminded her.

"Wait til you see her in action for real…" Epinel said to him.

"Hey, a hero's got to make a grand and memorable entrance, and what better way than to break through doors and windows? Even walls are a fair game!" Laplace said to Epinel.

"Then you're not fit to go to Prison Island, because not getting seen is top priority there!" Epinel said to her.

"Then we'll just blow up everyone and we'll never get caught! If you want to rescue Shadow fast, then the easiest way is to force our way through the place and pull him out of there as fast as possible!" suggested Laplace.

"You may have a good idea there!" said Sonic in slight agreement.

"I wouldn't recommend that… Even if we know what to expect, I believe it's best not to rush in this sort of thing," said Dr. Light. "For all we know, the enemies may have set up traps to get rid of Shadow or other prisoners instantly if intruders are spotted. We cannot be reckless in rescuing people. If Laplace is as impatient as Epinel say, then maybe she is not suited for this mission."

Laplace crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine! I'll play by your rules, okay?! Just give me the chance to beat up bad guys!"

"Geez… And I thought I was the hasty one…" said Sonic in disbelief at her attitude.

"Yeah, she's famous in the Ark, both for her heroism and reckless behavior…" said Epinel.

"Heheh! She sounds like a fun fellow to me though!" commented Red Hood.

Deep within Prison Island, Shadow the Hedgehog was locked up in a room guarded by a wall of solid energy. Sitting against a wall, he glared through the translucent wall ahead and saw a red being with black horns.

"I expected so much more from you," the red being said to him. "The bosses may be glad you're locked up here, but honestly, I'm disappointed!"

"Then why don't you free me, so we can have the fight that you want so much?" Shadows suggested to him.

"As much as that would be a great idea, I'm not so stupid to let you out intentionally!" the red being said to him. "To think that everyone trusted on you so much to save the world! You can't even get out of a small prison room to save yourself!"

"You'll see why they trust on me so much once I'm out of here," Shadow said to him, as if taunting him to release him.

"And I hope that day will come, so you better not go kicking the bucket before then!" the red being said before walking away.

As he was walking through the prison building, on one side of the place, one could see the lower body of a person sticking out of a wall, with her feet hanging a few inches above the floor. Her black and white striped shorts had fallen halfway to show off her thong-clad butt.

Frustrated groaning could be heard coming from her as she began shaking her butt and kicking her legs, trying to remove herself from her current predicament somehow.

"All right! I finally get to cause some explosions!" said a roundish robot with a "Mohawk" happily while pumping the air.

"Bomb Man! It's no nice to see you!" Mega Man said to me.

Bomb Man looked at him and asked, "So you and your friends are supposed to come from a different universe? Tell me, is the other version of me that you know about anything like me? You know, as explosive and awesome as me?"

"Well, I'd say you're the same," replied Mega Man.

"Ha! I like the sound of that!" said Bomb Man as he patted the latter's shoulder hard and rested it around his back. "I'm sure we can get along perfectly! Let's go and blow up some bad guys' buildings together!"

"Yeah! Let's blow them all up!" said Laplace with excitement.

"Isn't there supposed to be another person?" asked Snow White, looking around.

"Yes, K," replied Dr. Light. "She's an assassin and spy who has superb infiltration skills. I believe her skills will be of great asset in sneaking around in a prison. You'll never know that she's coming after you once she's targeted you."

"Huh, sounds a lot like Rouge, but then, I think all thieves, spies, and whatnot are the same," said Sonic.

"Then I hope I far surpass your expectations," said a woman's voice from behind him.

Sonic rushed away in surprised and turned around to face her. "Whoa! No sneaking up on me like that! Don't you see all the spines on my back?"

The woman he was looking at has black and white spiky hair and wears a black asymmetrical bodysuit where one side of her legs are completely bare, almost exposing half of her butt. "Oh, don't worry about me," she said to him. "You're not the first hedgehog I sneaked up on without getting caught in the spines."

"Everyone, this is K, the person I've hired to go along to Prison Island," said Dr. Light, pointing his hand at the newcomer. "I hope she will be of help to you!"

Laplace approached K and reached out her hand to shake it. "Nice to meet you! I hope you get along with each other as heroes!"

"I'm not a hero," replied K, not bothering to shake her hand. "I do dirty things that heroic people wouldn't do so they don't have to sully themselves and cross the line."

"That reminds me… There was a squad called Perilous Siege back in our world that deals with assassination, and its members are the only Nikke with authorities to kill humans," said Kilo from within T.A.L.O.S. "I recall their names single letters..."

"Confirmed. There is indeed a squad in the Ark known as Perilous Siege, consisting of three members: D, K, and X," replied T.A.L.O.S.

"So, you I guess you are a Nikke," Laplace said to K. "Fancy meeting another person from our world here! But if I have to guess, you're not really the same person…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" said a confused K.

"Right, she hasn't been updated on info about you folks yet…" said Dr. Light.

TO BE CONTINUED

X is the third and still unrevealed member of Perilous Siege, but datamining and leaks have shown what she looks like. Unless her design will change for the final release, she looks like K with brown skin, white hair, and gray clothes. Basically a reversed version of K... Hope she gets revealed and becomes playable soon alongside K!