-Chapter 62-

House Rules

Casino Street Zone

Sonic and Tails stood on a hill at the end of Splash Hill, overlooking a massive casino-inspired city.

"Uh…" Sonic began, "this hasn't always been here, has it?"

"No," Tails shook his head. "Sally said the only thing here is the Lost Labyrinth."

"Then this is another money making scheme," Sonic deduced, rolling his eyes. "Casinos, amusement parks… Jeez, Eggman, pick a new damn theme already."

"Shall we see what tricks he has in store for the throngs of people living on an empty isle?" Tails asked.

Sonic shrugged. "We don't really have much of a choice."

The duo entered, seeing they were now in a huge city ablaze with neon lights flashing by filled with casinos, fun parks, city fairs, with dashing giant pinball machines infused with the city along with bumpers and hot-air party balloons glowing against the night skyline.

"What the hey, I'll just say it," Sonic began. "Eggman's so obsessed with making casinos and amusement parks to make cash. Seems a bit…"

"Childish?" Tails offered.

"Yeah, that works," Sonic agreed. "So, what should we smash first?"

Before Tails could respond, they heard a familiar evil laugh, and looked up to see Brutus hovering above them, closing in.

"Commander Brutus," Sonic rolled his eyes. "Didn't I leave your head in a trash can back on Angel Island?"

"You were warned I'd be back, Sonic," Brutus retorted.

"Wow…" Tails admitted. "I'll be honest, I forgot about him."

"So Eggman dumped you on this backwater island with Snively?" Sonic pondered. "You're really moving up in the world."

Brutus scowled. "I chose to come here, you fool!"

Tails raised an eyebrow. "You chose to come to an uninhabited island and set up a casino?. No wonder we haven't seen you around. You're not all that bright."

"Yeah," Sonic agreed. "Even the 6-S are smarter than you."

"Oh, really?" Brutus scoffed. "This casino is filled with tricks and traps to torment you and seal your doom. The law of averages said one of them has to get you, and if not, I'll do it for them. When I destroy you once and for all, I'll win back the doctor's respect from that infernal Metal Sonic!"

"So Badniks are capable of jealousy," Sonic mused. "Who knew?"

"I am not jealous!" Brutus roared. "I am the superior bot! I was Robotnik's commander before Metal was even a concept! How can I be jealous of such a clearly inferior Badnik!"

"Right…" Sonic shrugged. "Yeah, you're jealous."

"No, I'm outraged!" Brutus snapped. "He shows undue favoritism to a robot who's failed to destroy you not once, not twice, but three times! Even empowered by the Phantom Ruby, he lost to you pathetically! If it was any other Badnik, the doctor would have melted them down into slag and turned them into a paperweight by now!"

"You mean like how you lost to Sonic three times and ended up in a garbage can on Angel Island?" Tails retorted.

Brutus sputtered for a few moments.

"What's the matter, Brutus?" Sonic asked. "Short in your voice chip?"

Brutus scowled before pressing a button. A massive card came flying, and Sonic dropped to the ground as it embedded itself into the wall behind him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Just what are those things made of?"

"Solid metal," Brutus replied. "Sharp enough to split a hair. Or in your case, a quill."

"Right, avoid the cards," Sonic nodded. "Got it."

"So you built a casino just to distract and kill us?" Tails remarked. "Aren't you recycling what happened on Angel Island?"

"Of course not, fox boy," Brutus snapped. "Carnival Night was just that, a carnival. This is Casino Street, a casino. There's a difference."

"Yeah, we dealt with one of those before," Sonic recalled. "All the games were rigged and everything."

"Well, then maybe you'll recognize THIS!"

Brutus pressed the button again, and Sonic was dropped down a trap door, bouncing off multiple bumpers. He caught onto the edge of the slot machine on top, and looked to see what he had been dropped into.

"Another giant pinball table?" he asked. "There's rehashing an old scheme, and then there's just being desperate."

Brutus was snarling with anger now.

"So where are the controls?" Tails questioned. "I'm assuming I have to beat the high score? That's how the other one worked."

Brutus was fuming even more.

"Oh, I think I see them," Tails went over to a console set up for "City Pinball". "Whoa, that's the high score? Hey Sonic! We only have to beat 10,000 points!"

"You kidding?" Sonic called back. "Even a pinball novice could beat that score!"

"Ah, but Tails has to help you beat the score while under pressure," Brutus declared before firing his arm cannon at Tails in a rage, narrowly missing him and getting a yelp. "If you thought I'd just stand back and watch while you helped Sonic beat the pinball score, fox boy, then you have not thought!"

"Tails?!" Sonic shouted in fear and worry.

"Game over, Sonic!" Brutus shouted. "Your little buddy's dead meat, and before long, you will be too!"

Tails flew around, drawing Brutus' fire as Sonic tried to figure out a way out of the machine. He suddenly heard a shot, as well as a yelp of pain from Tails.

"Ha!" Brutus gloated. "Nowhere near as fast as your speedy friend!"

"You grazed me, and you're calling that a victory?!" Tails demanded.

"The more that hit you, the more that will!" Brutus retorted.

Sonic could feel righteous fury boiling inside him. To his shock, he also felt chaos lightning dancing across his body. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, he bounced from each bumper to another, trashing the table before bursting through the trapdoor Brutus dropped him down. Brutus turned in shock and Tails' jaw dropped. Sonic looked him over, just seeing a mild scorch mark on his side before turning to the commander.

"Listen up, Brutus," he began, deadly calm. "You can put me in traps. You can torment and torture me all you like. But when you hurt a friend of mine... you better get ready for the junkyard."

Brutus just stared at Sonic's sparking form. "Since when could you do-?"

Sonic shot forward, smashing right into Brutus and cracking his armor.

"How can you…?" Brutus began. "What is this?!"

"None of your business, that's what," Sonic shot back.

He then grabbed Brutus' right arm, giving it a hard yank. Wires snapped and metal warped as the arm was torn off. Brutus howled in pain as Sonic made for the other arm. However, that's when he noticed something that made his blood run cold. The lightning dancing across him was no longer a bright blue... it was black.

Sonic froze up, taking a few steps back, as well as several deep breaths. Brutus, meanwhile, just grabbed his severed arm and bolted, leaking oil out of terror as he did. The lightning died away, and Sonic stood there, shaking, as Tails came over.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"The dark Chaos energy…" Sonic managed. "It happened again. Just like when I went crazy and almost killed Eggman on South Island."

"You stopped yourself though," Tails pointed out. "You didn't let it go too far. Last time, you needed Longclaw to snap out of it. This time, you did that on your own."

"Yeah…" Sonic looked down at his hands. "Yeah, you're right."

"Maybe you just need something to vent on before we go," Tails offered. "And we have an entire city in need of smashing."

"Right," Sonic nodded, gesturing to the casino around them. "Shall we?"

Tails smiled. "After you."

The two got to smashing up Casino Street. Once they took down the ticket booth, Sonic stopped, seeing a familiar glint of green.

"Yo, Tails!" he called. "Check it!"

Tails came over, rummaging around before finding a Chaos Emerald.

"A Chaos Emerald!" he exclaimed. "Awesome! This could come in handy if Eggman's really bringing back Metal."

He held it out to Sonic, who held up a hand, shaking his head.

"You keep hold of it for now," he insisted.

"You sure?" Tails asked.

"Positive," Sonic replied.

Tails just nodded, pocketing the gem.

Lost Labyrinth Zone

Meanwhile, Snively was in the midst of excavating the Lost Labyrinth Zone, where the power signature had led him. The Labyrinth was an ancient maze, clearly yet another remnant of the Ancients. His work was interrupted by the sound of a stone door being violently thrown open.

"SNIVELY!" Brutus screamed in rage.

Snively sighed. "What is it?"

"This!" Brutus shouted as he tossed his severed arm before Snively's feet. "Sonic has some kind of lightning power now, and he ripped my damned arm off using it! Why didn't you tell me he had new tricks up his sleeve?!"

"Lightning?" Snively repeated before mulling it over. "Well, that's a new one. I don't recall him being able to do that."

Brutus blinked in surprise. "You mean... you seriously didn't know either?"

Snively crossed his arms. "Now that you mention it, my uncle did mention him summoning blue lightning when he destroyed the Heavy King and Titanic Monarch. I just glossed over it at the time, thinking it was a Super State-exclusive ability."

"Well, it's not! He just did it! I had the little fox brat in my crosshairs, and he just came up out of my trap and ripped my arm off!"

"Hmmm…" Snively mused. "Perhaps it's a result of his repeated exposure to Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings. Who can say? Regardless, calm down, Brutus. We're on the verge of uncovering the power source Dr. Robotnik detected."

"But what about my arm?!" Brutus demanded.

"It can easily be reattached," Snively replied patiently.

"THEN REATTACH IT!" Brutus screamed.

Snively rolled his eyes before picking up the arm and taking Brutus aside to do so.

"Once we find this power source, I'm claiming it for my own," Brutus swore. "All the better to crush Sonic's bones to powder with."

"As you wish," Snively replied.

Author's Note:

Brutus' big comeback didn't go so well, did it?

For those of you wondering why Sonic's lightning turned black, allow me to explain. It's Chaos energy, which responds to positive and negative thoughts. When it's blue, Sonic's channeling positive emotions; even when he was angry while facing the Heavy King, it was righteous fury because the King threatened his friends and loved ones. When it's black, he's crossed from righteous fury into just straight up vengeful rage, like when he ripped Brutus' arm off.

Next chapter, Sonic and Tails endure the horrors of the Lost Labyrinth. Will they make it through?

Please R&R. Until next time!