Emerald the Lynx, thanks for the review, and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter!
Entry 31
The Starfall
''The feelings runnin' deep (deep), ain't no time for sleep, a second to unwind, head up in the sky. I follow to the beat (beat), it's just what my heart's demandin' (yeah), friends and laughin' (come on). Hear me, dancin' in the flow (flow), yes, I feel it's my time (time), watch me glow (glow). Livin' in the dream lights (lights), in the zone (zone), yeah, this world is all mine, come see what you'll find, right!''
– Stars in The Sky by Kid Cudi (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
xXxXxXx
Silver hummed contently as he watered the plants outside the greenhouse building, using his psychokinesis to carry three watering cans and directing them towards the plants that needed water. While Eden had a sprinkler system installed to keep the plants watered properly, Silver still liked to do it by hand, as being around plants calmed him down. He knew that he needed to do something else he felt as if he'd lose his mind.
I have finally a lead on Ignis Infernalis… and I can't even find Mephiles. Silver sighed, remembering how he had spent the previous days trying to track down Mephiles and Toshiro, with no luck. He even called Shadow and Touka to ask them whether they've encountered the two, but they both replied how neither Mephiles nor Toshiro showed themselves, but promised to keep in contact if they got any news. This left Silver with spending his free time working at Eden.
''I shouldn't even be here, though. I should be searching for Mephiles and stop him from setting the whole future on fire,'' Silver said to himself, his eyes narrowing.
''Silver?''
Silver was suddenly startled when he heard Makoto calling out for him, causing him to drop the water cans, one hitting him on the head. He cried out in pain, rubbing his head.
''Silver, are you okay?'' Makoto asked worriedly, carrying a few gardening tools in his arms.
''Yeah, I'm fine…'' Silver replied, smiling in an attempt to pretend that he was fine. He saw the look Makoto was giving him, clearly reading him like an open book. Silver sighed. ''Okay, maybe I'm not fine.''
''I assume it's about Mephiles,'' Makoto said.
''How do you know?'' Silver asked.
''Silver, you were just talking to yourself about finding Mephiles,'' Makoto pointed out, with Silver giving him a sheepish smile. ''Not to mention, you had been spending the past few days trying to find him.''
''I just want to make sure that the Ignis Infernalis doesn't destroy the future, and with Mephiles being the source of it, it means that I have to destroy him. But, how am I supposed to do that when I can't find him?'' Silver aired his grievances. ''Shadow and Touka promised to keep an eye out for him, but I didn't hear anything from them. What if Mephiles is actually trying to set Neos City on fire and I wake up tomorrow and everything is destroyed?!''
''Silver, please…'' Makoto crouched down to Silver's height, placing down the gardening tools and placing both of his hands on Silver's arms. He could see that the grey hedgehog was shaking under the pressure he felt, clearly freaked out over the prospect of the future being destroyed before he could do anything. However, it seemed that Makoto's move snapped him out of those terrible thoughts, as his gaze fixed on his partner. ''Take a deep breath, okay?''
Silver nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling. His nerves were killing him and he felt like he was about to explode, but Makoto's presence and firm gaze calmed him down, if only for a bit. ''Better?''
Silver shook his head, but then added, ''A little…''
''Okay, now listen up,'' Makoto started, giving him a confident look. ''You are not alone in this. Sure, we have no information in regards to Mephiles' whereabouts, or Toshiro's for that matter, but you can be assured that the moment they show themselves, the whole of Team Neos will descend upon them to make sure they don't hurt anyone. The future is not determined yet. You, I, and everyone else will make a difference.''
Silver felt his heart beating rapidly, taking another deep breath and then nodding. Makoto's assurance that things will be okay gave him some confidence and he wanted to believe that he could save the future… no, that he will save the future. He felt like a sword was held up against his throat every time he thought about Mephiles, shuddering. However, he knew that he could trust Makoto and his friends. Makoto nodded when he saw Silver relaxing.
''You're right. We will make a difference,'' Silver told him.
''Speaking of which, I had just gotten a call from Lucas. We'll be meeting up with everyone at the clearing close to Starlight Lake for The Starfall.''
''The Starfall?'' Silver rose an eyebrow. ''What are you talking about?''
''Oh, right, I forgot to tell you… The Starfall is actually an annual meteor shower that can be seen all over Starpoint Area. It's a whole event which everyone in Neos City observes, even turning off all the lights across the city so the phenomenon can be seen more easily. That is, all lights aside from the essential facilities and the AR Fields,'' Makoto explained.
''That sounds amazing!'' Silver's eyes were wide in awe. Makoto shrugged.
''It is, but I've seen it enough times so it isn't anything new to me. However, I'm sure you're going to enjoy this,'' Makoto replied. ''As a side-note, The Starfall is also the main reason why this place was named Starpoint Area. Apparently, the people who settled down here were fascinated by the meteor shower.''
''I see! I can't wait for it to happen! It's already great to just see a sky not covered in constant smoke, let alone a meteor shower,'' Silver replied, excited for the evening.
xXx
After learning about The Starfall, Silver anxiously anticipated when Makoto would give the go-ahead for them to leave to meet up with everyone. The sun had already set down when Makoto grabbed his backpack and put a blanket and a flashlight inside it.
''We still have an hour until The Starfall,'' he told Silver. ''That should be enough time to get everything ready.''
''Great! Can we go now?'' Silver asked excitedly, even lifting Makoto's backpack with his psychokinesis. Makoto chuckled as he picked up his hoverboard.
''Yeah, yeah…'' he replied, grabbing the backpack Silver was holding for him and following Silver outside the house. The street lights have turned on and as they flew towards Infinity Forest. Makoto grabbed his flashlight as they entered the forest as it got darker and darker, illuminating the path before them so they could at least see where they were going. It took them a while to get to Infinity Forest and actually navigate through it to Starlight Lake, finding the clearing which itself was illuminated by battery-operated by three white paper lanterns that someone hung up on the nearby trees.
''…don't worry, we're gonna turn them off once The Starfall starts,'' Minami told Lucas, who gave her a questioning look as he stared at the lanterns.
Further away from them were Warren and Tails, who were assembling what appeared to be a telescope, tying to attach a camera to it, with Sonic, Lily, Knuckles and Amy either looking at them or trying to help them. Shadow and Touka were a bit further away from the group, with Shadow leaning against a tree as he observed the antics of the group surrounding Warren and Tails, who helpfully explained how the telescope worked, while Touka was staring at the sky, awaiting for The Starfall to finally start. After all, this was her first time seeing it, as she was never allowed to go out of the Codex Research Facility and she was anticipating it. There were also several blankets spread out on the grass, in case someone wanted to watch the meteor shower while lying down. Silver flew over to the group gathered around the telescope.
''Hey, guys, what are you doing?'' he asked.
''We're setting up a telescope and a camera to take footage of The Starfall,'' Tails explained.
''I didn't know you guys were into astronomy,'' Lily said, folding her arms across her chest.
''Well, we had figured that we could try to learn more about The Starfall, maybe even do comparisons in case anything changed between years,'' Warren explained.
''I hope Earth won't get hit by a meteor and wipe out all life,'' Knuckles stated grimly.
''Woah, Knux, I don't think something like that will happen tonight,'' Sonic said, his lips quivering as he smiled while sweatdropping. He knew that this statement could easily be taken as a joke, but considering this was Knuckles, it was possible the echidna really believed that this was a possibility.
''Wasn't there once a meteor which wiped all life in ancient times?'' Knuckles asked.
''There was, but that meteor headed straight for Earth. The meteors during this event will pass by Earth,'' Tails told him. ''Besides, if there was really a meteor hurling towards Earth, there are several factors that would prevent it from causing much damage.''
''What factors?'' Amy asked.
''For example, its size and speed. A meteor has to pass Earth's atmosphere first, and that alone will cause it to burn and break apart into smaller, harmless pieces,'' Tails explained.
''Not to mention, Starpoint Area has one of the biggest and most advanced observatories. If there was any meteor heading for Earth, we'd be the first to know,'' Warren added as he mounted the telescope on the tripod.
''I suppose that makes sense,'' Knuckles said, satisfied with the answer.
''I can't wait for The Starfall to start. It was already rare to ever see a blue sky or the stars in my future, let alone a whole meteor shower,'' Silver said.
''Then be prepared to have your mind blown away,'' Makoto said as he joined them. Silver just nodded in response. ''I think we still have around 15-20 minutes left until it starts. Admittedly, you cannot predict something like this precisely.''
''Then, it's lights out,'' Lucas said as he approached them, with Minami just rolling her eyes.
''I don't think we can really prepare anything with at least some artificial lightning,'' she said.
''Minami is kinda right, Lucas. You almost ran into a tree because it was too dark to see anything before you,'' Sonic said, giving Lucas a teasing grin. Lucas just sighed, with everyone else looking slightly amused. Sonic then glanced at Shadow, who was just observing the scene before him, before turning away and looking at the starry sky. Sonic ran up to him, giving him a curious look. ''Hey, Shads, are you excited for The Starfall?''
''I suppose I am curious to see the meteor shower,'' Shadow replied as he sat down, only for him to narrow his eyes as Sonic sat right next to him with a big grin on his expression. However, instead of telling him to leave, Shadow just let him be. After all, there was something that had been on his mind over the past days, and he needed to talk to Sonic about it. ''Your persistence is as annoying as it is admirable.''
''What do you mean?'' Sonic asked, confused. Shadow sighed, his ears drooping.
''I don't believe that I have ever apologized to you for my outburst,'' he muttered. Sonic rose an eyebrow, at first not understanding what he was talking about, but then it dawned upon him.
''You mean the battle we had a few days ago?'' Sonic asked, with Shadow nodding, only for Sonic to smile in response. ''Don't worry about that, all is already forgiven and forgotten. After all, you were placed in a difficult situation and I wasn't exactly the most helpful person.''
''Yet, you helped more than anyone else. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would've snapped out of that broken mindset,'' Shadow responded, staring straight ahead as he closed his eyes. ''Thank you for being a thorn in my side.''
''Awww, Shads, you're welcome,'' Sonic said, prompting Shadow to look up at his rival, a bit irked to see a smirk on Sonic's expression. However, he knew that Sonic wasn't teasing him, but was instead just happy to see that Shadow doing well. ''I'm sure you'd do the same if I were in your shoes.''
''I would,'' Shadow replied, with Sonic just giving him a cheerful gaze. Shadow paused for a moment, observing Sonic, then lowered his gaze. ''I still have difficulty comprehending how easy it is for you to just move on from the past so easily.''
''Well, I just prefer to live in the present. Why should I worry over past mistakes when I can just focus on doing better now?'' Sonic responded. ''I'm just doing my best to live my life to the fullest. Mistakes will always happen, whether I want it or not, but I'm not going to lose sleep over that. No one is perfect.''
''I was created to be perfect,'' Shadow said in a serious tone, with Sonic giving him a sympathetic look. ''I wasn't supposed to fail, no matter under how much pressure I was. Yet, I did.''
''Shadow…'' Sonic placed his hand on Shadow's shoulder, drawing the dark hedgehog's attention. ''If you ever feel under pressure again, I'll gladly share the burden with you.''
''I know. You made that clear during our battle,'' Shadow said, glancing at Sonic's hand on his shoulder. Sonic's eyes suddenly flicked from Shadow to his hand, only for him to quickly take it off, while giving him a sheepish smile.
''Right, sorry. You don't like people intruding into your space,'' Sonic said, only to be surprised when he saw a smirk on Shadow's expression.
''Don't worry, I don't mind your presence,'' Shadow told him, with Sonic feeling genuinely happy to hear that. Shadow just stared at him, wondering if he should even say the next part. After all, he was already opening his heart to Sonic, telling him what was on his mind and showing vulnerability. He took a sharp breath, deciding to at least tell Sonic part of what he had been bothering him for a while now. ''I suppose you are someone I can trust with my life.''
Shadow noted Sonic's eyes widening in joy, if not even sparking as he looked quite excited. Shadow wondered if he was going to regret this, only to get an answer when Sonic gave him a knowing smirk, his eye-lids lowered, ''So, you want to admit that you see me as your friend? I didn't expect I'd see the day this would happen.''
''Don't make any mistake, we are rivals and teammates, nothing else. Don't expect any kind of special treatment,'' Shadow told him in a sharp tone, frowning at Sonic. However, it was clear that nothing he said would wipe that smile off of Sonic's expression.
''Don't worry, I know that you're not the type who likes to be buddy-buddy with other people. Still, I'm happy to hear that you trust me and that you want to keep up with our rivalry,'' Sonic replied. Shadow wanted to respond that he shouldn't think too much about it, but he kept quiet. He was aware that, while he would never voice it, he did indeed see Sonic as a friend.
''Hey, it has started!'' Touka suddenly shouted.
Sonic and Shadow looked at the sky, their eyes widening when they saw a burst of light, followed by a trail falling across the night sky like an arrow. Then, another appeared, followed by another, followed by two more.
''The Starfall!'' Silver shouted excitedly, his jaw dropped as he held his head above, using his psychokinesis to hover. Minami, meanwhile, rushed over to the lanterns and quickly turned them off, so they were in complete darkness, the only light coming from the moon and stars above.
More and more trails of light appeared in the sky, with Team Neos quickly scattering to their chosen spots from where they wanted to observe the meteor shower. Minami, Amy and Makoto lied down on a blanket, with Silver standing next to them, too excited to move. Warren and Tails were standing next to their telescope, with Tails looking at the meteor shower though it, while Warren just stared at the sky. Lucas, Lily and Knuckles chose to just sit down on their blankets, while Touka remained standing, her mouth open and her eyes wide in awe and child-like wonder. While Lucas, Warren, Lily, Minami and Makoto saw the meteor shower every year, this was her first time seeing it and she was blown away. Sonic and Shadow remained sitting under the tree, choosing not to move as they were already in a good spot to observe the event.
''Look Froggy!''
Further away from them, closer to the lake were Big and Froggy, with Big fishing as usual. Both looked up, amazed by the sight above.
xXx
''I told you we'd get the best spots for The Starfall,'' Jet said as he leaned back on his seat. He, Chase, Wave, Rika, Storm and Arven were on the Babylon Rogues blimp, having decided to fly out and observe The Starfall from a great height.
''I suppose you had a good idea for once,'' Wave said, earning her Jet's ire.
''Hey, shouldn't we be wishing for something, Boss? Those are shooting stars, right?'' Storm asked.
''They're just big hunks of stone that fly past Earth, Storm,'' Rika explained sardonically. ''There is nothing magic about them.''
''Do you really have to ruin the mood?'' Arven asked, glaring at Rika.
''What kind of wish would you even want to make?'' Chase asked.
''For us to win any future race! Or maybe just eat a hamburger. I'm getting hungry,'' Storm replied.
''Hmph, as if we need any wish to win a race. We have raw talent,'' Jet said smugly. ''Although, I wouldn't mind finding some kind of treasure.''
xXx
''So, this is The Starfall. It's quite a sight,'' Rouge muttered to herself as she was sitting on top of a building at Sentoraru, observing the meteor shower above. Neos City was mostly clad in darkness, but she could still see the outlines of the people and ARNavs below, all of which were watching the annual event. There was also a shimmer of AR Fields across Neos City, ensuring the existence of the ARNavs.
Rouge noted that it would be quite easy for her to just pop into a jewelry store and take something for herself, as it appeared that everyone was way more interested in The Starfall, but she had to admit that she too wanted to enjoy herself.
xXx
''Tch, is this supposed to be some kind of spectacle?'' Toshiro muttered, hands in pockets, and completely unimpressed by The Starfall. He and Mephiles were in Westoru, both blending into the crowd of humans and ARNavs. It was their first time seeing the famous meteor shower, but they didn't care much about it.
Mephiles, however, noticed something interesting that no one else did. There was a strange shimmer surrounding them, the AR Field seemingly flickering. He got quite interested, realizing that something else was going on. ''It appears that Neos City is going to be thrown into chaos soon.''
Toshiro looked down at him, with both exchanging wordless gazes and then turning away and leaving. ''Let's go.''
xXx
The stars shine brightly
Falling across the night sky
Now, death awaits them.
Shiro the Kyuubi no Kitsune was standing in the woods in Kita, observing the sky above her, her fan open as she muttered a haiku under her breath. She did appreciate the beauty of the meteor shower, but she also knew that enough people would be distracted by it so she could feed on their BioEnergy. She smiled, deciding to look for her next victim.
xXx
Having gotten the message in regards to The Starfall, Honey made sure that the building that housed her company would also turn off the lights for the meteor shower, or at least dim them enough so everyone could have a clear look at it. She was in her office, punching a punching bag, her own way of dealing with the stress of being a successful fashion designer.
''Huh?'' Honey took a glance out of the window, giving a cat smile when she saw the meteor shower. ''It has started!''
She walked up to it, observing The Starfall in silence.
xXx
''Yay, look at the shooting stars!'' Charmy cheered.
''To be more precise, they're meteors,'' Espio told him, with Charmy pouting.
''I prefer calling them shooting stars!'' Charmy stuck out his tongue, much to Espio's chagrin. Vector decided not to get in-between their argument.
The three detectives were sitting on the roof of their detective agency in Eas, having decided to watch The Starfall from there.
xXx
Dr. Starline narrowed his eyes as he typed on a computer in his hideout at the southern part of Neos City, known as Souto, observing the lines of code on the monitor and the image that formed whenever he added another code. Connected to the computer were three portable AR Field generators, which Starline had managed to steal for his own purposes. With a smirk on his beak, he finally managed to finish what he was working on and leaned back.
''This should do it,'' he said, clasping his hands, his fingers touching as he gave a look of satisfaction. He then cleared his throat, turning on the camera to record himself for another log.
''File: S7H – #I11. I have finally finished reprogramming the portable AR Field generators to fit my plan. I have equipped them with suitable traps for my targets, those being: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles Prower and Knuckles the Echidna. The energy extraction core has also been prepared and tested for any kinds of defects, and it works exactly as intended. I have also added fail-safes to make sure that the energy extraction will go off without a hitch, as the targets will undoubtedly fight back once they find themselves in an unfamiliar environment. It should keep them distracted long enough for the energy to transfer to my private servers,'' Starline said, smirking as he took a look at his glove. ''I won't even have to be physically present for this, removing me from any possible danger than I might encounter. Team Neos is unaware of my existence and I wish to keep my cover as long as necessary. Project: Power Core will be a 100% success, and afterwards, I can finally join the ranks of the Eggman Empire as Dr. Eggman's equal.''
Starline gave a sinister smile.
''I expect nothing but praise from him once he learns that I have managed to outwit his nemesis.''
xXx
''Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic and I have managed to secure our target successfully.''
Dr. Eggman smirked, looking quite pleased with the news Ferra just gave him. He was at the main Egg Base, having already set his newest scheme into motion by sending Ferra and Metal Sonic to a very specific building of great importance in the north, just outside Neos City, along with a small force of Badniks to support them. He gazed at the monitor before him, ''Excellent! Any signs of Team Neos?''
''No, but it is possible that they're too occupied with The Starfall to even pay attention what is going on,'' Ferra replied, glancing at her partner. ''Metal Sonic is disappointed about that, though. He was looking forward to another confrontation''
''Don't worry, he'll get his chance to fight Sonic once Phase 2 sets in,'' Eggman replied. He had figured that their enemies would be too occupied with The Starfall to notice anything. ''Stay at your position until I give you the signal.''
''I have to admit, Doctor, this plan was not something I had expected,'' Ferra told him. ''It's a bit more indirect comparing to what I'm used to.''
''That is because I had decided to change my approach. This time, the Hedgehog will fight under my terms,'' Eggman responded, glancing at Orbot and Cubot. ''Orbot, Cubot, status report!''
''We have established remote connection with the AR Field auxiliary control unit,'' Orbot replied. ''All you have to do is to press a button and you can control all of the AR Fields within Neos City, Boss.''
''All of the projectors are also scattered across Neos City for your announcement,'' Cubot added. Eggman smirked in satisfaction.
''Everything is going according to my brilliant plan,'' he said, turning to Ferra and Metal Sonic. ''You two will be holding position until you're done with your mission. We will keep Neos City in chaos as long as possible and if Team Neos gets in your way – and they will! – you're free to engage them in combat as long as they don't find out what our real plan is. Once everything is done, retreat immediately.''
''Understood, sir,'' Ferra replied, the call then being cancelled. Eggman leaned back, still grinning.
''Isn't it great to actually have Enforcers who obey your every order?'' he said.
''You mean, after you have threatened them?'' Orbot asked. Eggman waved him off.
''Details, details… Besides, sometimes you need to make your subordinates fear you to make sure there won't be any insubordination. There is a reason I have programmed you two fools with a sense of emotion,'' he replied, looking back at the monitor. Orbot and Cubot just looked at each other, both shrugging and turned back to Eggman, who pressed another button. ''Now, it's showtime!''
xXx
''We're getting some really good footage,'' Tails commented as he watched the meteor showered through the telescope.
''You could also just watch The Starfall without the telescope,'' Silver suggested.
''I know, just let me set this up…'' Tails replied, only to spot something fly past. He stepped back with a confused look on his expression, wondering if it was some kind of insect, only to realize that it was way bigger. ''Hey, what's that in the sky?''
His question had drawn everyone's attention as they tried to make out the shape above them.
''What's that?'' Makoto asked. His question was soon answered when the egg-shaped machine remained hovering above them and projected a holographic screen of a, unfortunately, familiar figure.
''Good evening, Neos City! Your favorite genius roboticist and conqueror of all of Earth, Dr. Eggman, has returned!'' Eggman said, only for everyone to collectively groan of annoyance upon seeing him, with Minami even shouting ''Are you kidding me?!''. ''As you may have noticed, the AR Fields have been turned off all across the city, and according to my calculations, the majority of ARNavs has anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour to stay alive, depending on whether they were within the AR Field or not.'' Their initial annoyance immediately changed to a shock. ''Since I have noticed that you all care so much about the ARNavs, I will give you an hour to surrender Neos City to the Eggman Empire. If you don't do that, I will make sure that the AR Fields will be shut down permanently.'' Eggman grinned. ''I'm sure you will make the right decision.''
The holographic projection then vanished, leaving the sky dark and dotted with starts and meteors that were passing by. Team Neos had already gathered to discuss the current situation.
''Do you guys really think that Eggman had managed to shut down all of the AR Fields?'' Silver asked.
''Yeah, he did,'' Sonic responded in a surprisingly serious tone, holding a holographic panel that was broadcasting the news, with Midorikawa and Kero panicking over the shutdown of the AR Fields.
''Then, what are we supposed to do? We can let Eggman get away with this,'' Amy asked.
''I'd like to know how Dr. Eggman had even managed to shut down the AR Fields,'' Makoto said.
''He most likely took over the auxiliary control unit that powers up the AR Fields,'' Warren said, looking at a holographic screen. Everyone but Tails gave him a confused look.
''Uh, Warren? We need more context,'' Lily said. Warren gave them a sheepish look.
''Oh, right. Okay, so the AR Fields are controlled and powered up separately from the rest of the city, to ensure function even in the case of a mass black out. There is a building north of the city, about half an hour away from Kita, that was designed to keep track of the AR Field network across Neos City, along with other functions,'' Warren explained, showing them a photograph of the building on the holographic screen. ''If Eggman took over it, he could easily shut down every AR Field on whim.''
''So, all we have to do is to get there, beat up Egghead and turn the power on? Sounds easy,'' Sonic said.
''It's not as easy as you think,'' Warren replied, looking at Sonic. ''The issue is, we are too far away from this building and we're already wasting time just talking about it. Eggman gave us an estimate between 10 minutes to an hour in regards to the ARNavs surviving without the AR Fields, but it might even be less than that. Even if we leave now, we wouldn't be able to make it in time.''
''Dude, you're talking to The Fastest Thing Alive,'' Sonic replied, narrowing his eyes and pointing with his thumb at himself. ''I'm sure I'd be able to make it.''
''I know, but would you be able to figure out how to return the power to the AR Fields?'' Warren asked. Sonic kept quiet, a nervous look on his expression.
''I don't think so…'' he said, well aware that he'd need the help of Tails or Warren for that.
''Not to mention, it is also possible that Eggman set up his Badniks to guard the building. He wouldn't want to make this easy for you,'' Knuckles added. Lucas then suddenly stepped up.
''Talking won't bring us anywhere. We need to get there immediately,'' he said, only to falter a bit, well aware that Warren was right in that they wouldn't be able to make it. However, he was the leader – he needed to come up with a plan.
''Shadow and I could use Chaos Control to warp everyone there,'' Touka said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention.
''Really? That's great!'' Amy cheered.
''We would need to use Chaos Surge and know the precise location, though,'' Shadow added, arms folded across his chest.
''Okay,'' Lucas said, turning to the rest of the team. ''Once we're there, we'll figure out the next step.''
xXx
There was a cyan flash of light in the woods surrounding the auxiliary building, with Team Neos taking a quick look at it. There were a bunch of Badniks patrolling around the grounds and they could see the lights on inside the building.
''Shouldn't there be some kind of security?'' Silver asked.
''I bet Eggman took them down,'' Tails replied. Sonic then turned to Lucas.
''So, what's the plan?'' he asked. Lucas paused for a moment, mulling over the situation.
''We'll split off into two teams. Sonic, Warren, Tails, Lily, Knuckles and I will break inside and try to turn the power back on. Minami, Amy, Makoto, Silver, Touka and Shadow, you guys take care of the Badniks. We cannot afford to waste time on them, so we'll leave this to you,'' he said.
''Got it!'' Minami fist-pumped, turning to her half of the team. ''Let's go!''
Minami's team exited their hiding spot, immediately drawing the attention of the Badniks. Lucas' team waited for a moment, and once the fight begun, they quickly ran off towards the building. Fortunately for them, they found the back door open and rushed inside, only to be greeted by more Badniks inside a narrow corridor. Fortunately, Knuckles ran ahead and punched through them. Sonic attempted to hit one, but the most he could do was a spin attack, bouncing off the walls and destroying another.
xXx
Meanwhile, Ferra and Metal Sonic, who were at the control room, had accessed the security cameras and witnessed the whole attack. Ferra's eyes narrowed.
''Honestly, I didn't expect they would get here so soon,'' she said, glancing at Metal Sonic, who was flexing his clawed fingers in anticipation of the battle. Ferra then looked down at the device Dr. Eggman gave her, noting how the data transfer was at 80%. ''I'll give it around 5 to 10 minutes. Metal, keep them busy.''
If Metal Sonic had a mouth, he'd be grinning like a maniac as his sensors focused completely on Sonic on the monitor. Then, he rushed through the door, towards Sonic and his friends.
xXx
As for Team Neos, they were currently dealing with a pair of Caterkillers, wiggling around in the narrow corridor. At this point, Knuckles and Lily were the ones clearing the way, having resorted to Chaos Surge to fight off the Badniks. Sonic wanted to help, but he couldn't work up the speed to properly hit them as it was too crowded. Knuckles leapt towards one, clasping his hands and swinging downwards, smashing the Caterkiller.
''You guys go ahead! We'll cover you!'' Knuckles told Sonic, Lucas, Tails and Warren. Meanwhile, Lily, who was now emitting a red crackling electrical aura, kicked away the Badnik, allowing for her teammates to pass.
However, just as they turned corner, they came across a bunch of Motobugs. Fortunately for Sonic, this corridor was a bit wider, so he managed to trash them, but in that very moment, a blue blur tackled him right against the wall.
''Sonic!''
Sonic's ears twitched as he heard his friends calling out for him, but he focused on the person who was currently pinning him against the wall.
''Nice of you to drop by, Metal,'' Sonic said, his teeth gritted and his eyes narrowed. Metal Sonic was about to slash him with his claws, when he suddenly got hit by an laser blast, causing him to drop Sonic. Sonic looked up, amazed to see Tails holding up a small laser gun, looking quite serious. Sonic just gave him a thumbs up, before turning back to Metal Sonic, who was about to charge at him again, and dodged the attack. Tails was about to help Sonic, but was stopped by Lucas, who shook his head.
''Sonic has got Metal covered. We have a mission to complete,'' he said.
''You're right,'' Tails replied, aware that he and Warren were needed to return the power to the AR Fields. They took off down the corridor, going upstairs, where they finally found the main control room. To the surprise of no one, Ferra was inside it, along with several Motobugs. She looked up at them, rolling her eyes.
''Well, if this isn't Team Nosy. Don't you guys know that it's rude to stick your nose into other people's business?'' she said, briefly glancing at device next to the keyboard. It was at 95%.
''You're the one who shut down the power for the AR Fields! You put the ARNavs into danger!'' Lucas yelled at her.
''So what if I did? It's not like it's going to affect your partners,'' Ferra responded in a mocking tone, well aware that she needed to keep them distracted. The four then heard a sudden explosion that shook the building. Ferra just smirked in response. ''I believe that was Metal Sonic. You shouldn't have abandoned your partner, Lucas.''
Lucas gritted his teeth, feeling that she was somewhat right, only for Tails to step into the room, aiming his laser gun at the Motobugs and shooting them down, startling everyone. ''Don't worry, Sonic can handle himself just fine!''
''Right! We're taking control over this place!'' Warren said, rushing into the control room. Ferra backed away, glancing once again at the device. It was at 100%. She smirked, grabbing it and her hoverboard, then reached for a broken piece of the Motobug and to everyone's shock, threw it against a nearby window, shattering it.
''Fine, then! I'll bid my goodbye!'' Ferra rushed towards the broken window and leapt through it. Lucas ran over, finding her fly away on her hoverboard. Warren and Tails, meanwhile, quickly focused on returning the power to the AR Fields.
''Got it!'' Warren exclaimed, both him and Tails staring at the monitors. They then turned around, only to see that Lucas was gone.
xXx
Sonic knew that he was in serious trouble. Metal Sonic had cornered him in the corridor, leaving no space for him to fight properly. He attempted to punch Metal Sonic, but his robotic counterpart caught him fist, twisting his arm and slamming him against a wall. Despite feeling like his back was snapped in two, Sonic curled into a ball, only for Metal Sonic to suddenly charge up and fire a powerful energy blast straight at him. Not only was Sonic caught in the attack, the blast also tore through the wall, with Sonic flying outside and hitting the ground hard on his back. There was a scent of burning flesh and fur in the air, with Sonic feeling nothing but misery and agony as he desperately tried to get up. He was lucky he was even alive.
Sonic's breath was shallow and pained, but he managed to open his eyes, seeing Metal Sonic walking up to him. Metal Sonic's eyes were glowing red and despite not emoting much, Sonic knew that Metal Sonic was gloating, proud to see his rival and bitter nemesis being at his mercy. Sonic tried to get up, but a bolt of pain forced him back down.
Com'n, this isn't your limit… Get up…
Metal Sonic brandished his claws, clearly relishing this moment as he was about to strike at Sonic, when Ferra suddenly appeared on her hoverboard. ''Metal, we're retreating!'' Metal Sonic gave her a look of disapproval, obviously not wanting to leave yet, but Ferra, who was clearly in a hurry, then added, ''Yeah, I know, but leave a piece of him for next time! You won this one.''
It appeared that this logic changed Metal Sonic's mind, as he shoot a glare at Sonic, then flew off, him and Ferra disappearing into the night. Sonic breathed a pained sigh of relief, still in disbelief that his life was spared like this. He remained lying on the soft grass, the cold air both soothing and irritating his injuries.
''Sonic!'' He could see Lucas running over to him, clearly worried and falling on his knees next to him. ''Sonic, are you okay?''
''Yeah, sure thing buddy. A little charred, but it won't kill me,'' Sonic replied, trying to smile, but then winced when another bolt of pain spread through his body.
''I should've stayed with you.'' Lucas' voice was filled with guilt.
''Hey, I can handle myself…'' Sonic replied, trying to not show that he'd rather remain lying on the ground. His ears twitched as he heard more footsteps and voices, aware that the rest of his team was approaching them. He closed his eyes, trying to force his body to relax as the pain started to wane. He could hear his friends asking whether he was okay, then talking about the situation, how the Badniks were taken care of, how Ferra and Metal Sonic left, how the power was restored to the AR Fields and how they found the personnel in charge of this place knocked out cold inside a closed room. As everyone was debating what they should dow now, Sonic opened his eyes focusing on the dark sky.
All he could do was just stare at the meteor shower above him, each streak illuminating the sky, reminding him of how he'd look whenever he'd use his full speed. He was breathing deeply, a frown frowning on his expression. Neos City was safe, Sonic knew that. However, Eggman wouldn't stop and he was sure that the Doctor was already cooking up a new plan. He knew that he needed to be ready for that.
xXx
''Doctor Eggman, we're back!'' Ferra announced as she and Metal Sonic entered the main room. ''We got the data that you wanted.''
''Excellent!'' Eggman got up, grabbing the device she was holding and connecting it to the main computer. It took a few moments, but then a map of Neos City showed up, with a good portion of it being marked. ''With this, I can access every AR Field that is not supported via a portable AR Field generator.''
''Let me guess, you're planning to use the AR Fields against Team Neos,'' Ferra said. Eggman snapped his fingers.
''Bingo! I can reprogram those to create literal worlds for me to use and only allow for select people to enter and exit them. Since everything within the AR Field is data, I won't have to waste resources on building new Badniks. Sonic and his friends are done once and for all!'' he explained, looking up at the monitor, the map of Neos City being reflected in his glasses as he started laughing maliciously.