-Chapter 265-

What the Shadows Hide

Thunder Plains

Tangle looked on in horror at the sight of Knuckles lying on the ground, bleeding from Razorklaw's attack. The Felidae cackled viciously as she dropped to her knees, holding her shaking hands over the echidna's bleeding form.

"Knuckles! No!" She began tearing up, bordering on hysterics. "Oh Aurora, no! What have I done!?"

"You made my job a helluva lot easier," Razorklaw jeered, stalking closer.

Tangle was torn between crying, running, or screaming. Then, she felt a weak hand close around her arm.

"Tangle..." Knuckle groaned, getting the lemur's attention. "Run...get outta here..."

"What?" She pulled away, stunned. "No! I-I can't just leave you!"

"If you stay here... if you fight him, he'll kill you." He tried to get to his feet, but couldn't even manage to get his arms under him. "Just run. Forget about me."

"I suggest you listen to him, girl. My business is solely with the echidna and his companions. Get in my way, and you will share his fate."

"I... I…" she clenched her fists. "I won't. I won't run."

Razorklaw quirked an eyebrow as Tangle steeled her gaze, facing him fully.

"If I did, Sally and the others would never let me hear the end of it. Besides, I'm a Freedom Fighter. I may be new… But I know this much: Freedom Fighters don't leave anyone behind. Especially not their friends."

Tangle assumed a combat stance, getting between Razorklaw and Knuckles as the tiger began to laugh.

"I don't know if you're brave or just stupid. Either way," he readied his claws. "You'll die all the same."

Tangle gulped nervously but held her ground.

"Jewel...Dad...watch over me..." she thought, sending a quiet prayer to Aurora. "I'm either about to make you proud… or cry."

Tangle and Razorklaw charged at each other and their fight began…

Donar-7

The Donar was driving through the fields at breakneck speeds, trying to put as much distance between them and Ferdie the Frog as possible.

"Holy…" Sticks gasped. "What was up with that guy? I didn't even see him move! He almost lopped my head off!"

"That's Ferdie for you," Bow said.

"And he used to be the court jester!?" Cosmo demanded.

"It wasn't our best choice," Rob conceded. "We know that now."

"Least we lost him," Thorn sighed.

"Hey, Roooooooooob!"

Rob and the others looked out the window to see Ferdie gliding through the air.

"You were saying?" Bow deadpanned

Cosmo rubbed her eyes. "My word, is he...flying!?"

"That's right!" Ferdie boasted. "I'm not just Mercia's royal court jester! I'm also its greatest acrobat, Ferdie the Flying Frog!"

The group noticed Ferdie had shed his jacket, leaving him shirtless and revealing large flaps of excess skin hanging from his arms, similar to Ray.

"His arms..." Cosmo managed.

Thorn sighed. "Right, forgot about Ferdie's gliding wings."

"Gliding wings!?" Sticks demanded.

"Yeah…" Bow sighed. "You know how frogs are born as little tadpoles and grow their arms and legs as they grow? Well, Ferdie's arms never completely separated from his body."

Cosmo winced. "That... doesn't sound pleasant."

"Climate change, folks! It's turnin' the frogs GAY!" Ferdie blinked. "Wait, that's not right..."

"Shoot him!" Amy shrieked frantically. "For Aurora's sake, SHOOT HIM! "

Bow and Rob drew their weapons.

"Hmmm?" Ferdie let out.

"Steady Bow..." Rob said. "Aim…"

"Hey, guys! What are you doin' down-?"

"Fire!" Rob and Bow let loose.

"Yipe!" Ferdie narrowly avoided being hit. Rob and Bow began unleashing a volley of arrows at Ferdie, who managed to barely avoid each one, letting out yelps and cries all the while.

"You can't dodge forever, Ferdie!" Rob yelled.

"Stay still and let us hit you!" Bow shot an arrow, which just managed to nick Ferdie's cheek.

"Yes!"

"Ohhh no!" Ferdie exclaimed. "My face! My precious modeling career! Now I'll never get the hot, young princesses to kiss me!" He giggled. "Y'know, cuz I'm a frog?"

Bow shot him again, Ferdie narrowly dodging before glaring at them.

"Alright, no more Mister Nice Assassin!" He went into a power dive, falling toward the Donar at high speed.

"Floor it, Amy!" Rob yelled.

"It is floored!"

Ferdie continued diving, his cheeks flapping about, showing his gritted teeth. All the while, Bow and Rob kept shooting at him.

"Dammit!" Bow cursed. "He's moving too fast! I can't get a bead on him!"

"No, no, NO!" Amy screamed.

"Amy hit the brakes!" Sticks ordered.

"What!?"

"Trust me!"

Amy hesitated but nonetheless slammed on the brakes with all her might.

"You can't escape! I got you right where I want-!" Ferdie overshot, splatting into the ground. "Ow..."

He slowly got up, spitting out some dirt. Amy promptly floored it again, making to ram him. Ferdie looked over his shoulder to see the Donar heading right for him. The deranged frog screamed, narrowly dodging in time as Amy kept going. Ferdie patted his chest as he attempted to regain his bearings.

"Holy… That was a close one. I actually thought I was done there for a moment." He grinned. "But it's alright. I'm still alive, I'm still kicking. And I'm still ready to get those little snots and– Why is everything getting lower?"

He looked down to realize he was sinking to the ground. He also happened to spot a sign planted in the ground right next to where he was standing. In big bold letters, it read, "Danger: Quicksand. Do NOT Stand Here" complete with a big arrow pointing right at where Ferdie was sinking.

"Oh. That's why," he said calmly before flipping out. "Help! The ground is eating me! The ground is eating me! NOOOOOOO! Somebody! Aurora! Mommy! Help me!"

He went under, but right before his hand disappeared into the muck, someone grabbed it and pulled him out. Ferdie panted, sighing in relief as he was deposited safely into the more solid dirt.

"That was a close one." He looked up. "Who are you?"

The stranger chopped him on the side of the neck.

"Ohh...nice to meet you..." Ferdie let out woozily before passing out. The stranger picked up the downed frog, walking in the opposite direction of the Donar.

Thunder Plains Forest

A group of Stormrunners were spread out across the forest, searching for the Freedom Fighters.

"No sign of the Freedom Fighters," one announced.

"You sure they didn't get blown up?" a second one questioned.

"I doubt that," a third one answered. "It'll take more than an explosion to kill Axel the Water Buffalo or Fender the Rhino."

"What even was that anyway?" the second one wondered.

"Don't know, don't care," the first one declared. "Point is, the Boss wants us to make sure whatever it was took them out. Now stop gabbing and get back to the search. We need to find those do-gooders asap."

As they were talking. a shadow loomed over the trio. Suddenly, the first one got whacked over the head by Johnny's staff. The second goon barely had time to cry out before getting clocked by a weight with a chain. The third one was probably the luckier one. Rather than a weapon, he ended up getting slapped in the face with a Pig Sticker. He peeled it off, looking at it curiously.

"The hell is this thing?" The sticker released some purple-blue gas which immediately made him woozy. "Smells like lilacs…"

The goon fell over. Johnny looked over the Stormrunners and shook his head.

"Poor cat bastards," he lamented.

"On the bright side, the stickers worked like a charm," Porker noted.

Piper examined one with fascination in her gaze. "Seriously, if we survive this, we are so swapping notes. I could have some serious fun with these."

"I'd love feedback."

"Hey, gush later," Axel interjected, taking the sticker from Piper and returning it to Poker. "We gotta move."

"R-Right…" Piper nodded sheepishly.

The group prepared to head out, stepping over the fallen Egg Soldiers. As Clove made her way over them, one of the soldiers managed to grab her ankle.

"Heh heh! Gotcha, bitch!" the Stormrunner cackled, sending an electric current through Clove and getting a pained scream out of her that immediately grabbed everyone's attention.

"Clove!" Dirk screamed.

"Clovey!" Piper ran over, furiously stomping on the Stormrunner's face. "Get! Your! Stinking! Paws! Off! Her!"

The goon released Clove, who Piper quickly caught before she could hit the ground.

"Clove! Clovey! Are you alright? Say something!"

"Ow..." Clove winced. "That... was unpleasant."

Piper gently set Clove down, then glared at the Egg Soldier hatefully.

"You bastard!" She kicked him, getting a pained grunt out of him before furiously landing multiple kicks. "How dare you hurt my Clovey! I'LL FUGGING KILL YOU! Girouette!"

She drew her axe, holding it over her head and preparing to bring it down.

"Dammit! Piper, no!" Dirk moved quickly, grabbing her arm mere seconds before the axe split the Egg goon's head in two.

"What the...Dirk!?"

"We don't kill," the rhino said firmly. "You know this."

"But he...he was gonna...and Clove...I-I was just..."

"She's okay. You saved her. That's all you need to do."

"I…"

"Piper…" Clove slowly got to her feet. "I'm fine."

"But Clovey!"

"We have to go. We don't have time to waste on these guys."

"But...!" Piper reached out to Clove, but she walked off. That made Piper tear up, but she lowered her arm, sighing morosely. "Yeah...okay..."

The others watched as Piper followed after Clove like a kicked puppy.

"Man, that was..." Porker shook his head. "Wow..."

"And I thought Kat was scary when she was mad," Johnny muttered.

"Yeah…" Porker managed.

"Seriously, what is with that gal?" Johnny questioned. "If Dirk hadn't been here, she would've killed that guy."

"Yeah, Piper can be...obsessively protective," Cassia admitted. "Specially when it comes to me and Clove."

"That... doesn't sound healthy," Porker remarked.

"Trust us, we've been trying to get her help," Axel replied. "But her issues run deep."

"What exactly are her issues, Axel?"

"Codependency."

"Yeah, obviously," Johnny deadpanned. "But why?"

That made Axel rub the back of his head awkwardly. "Well..."

"I can tell my own story, thank you very much," Piper cut in before taking a breath. "I'm an exile."

That made the two Freedom Fighters perk slightly. She turned around, removing her jacket vest before pulling her shirt up. This revealed a massive brand across her back that made the two wince.

"Oh geez..." Johnny let out.

"Yeah…" Piper lowered her shirt, putting her vest back on. "Before I joined the Engine Corps, I belonged to a tribe of plainsfolk in the Efrikan savannah. Hunter-gatherers, shamans, loincloths, and body paint. That sort of thing. Then one day, I caught a glimpse of the 'civilized world' when my people wandered close to a big city."

"Must have been jarring," Porker remarked.

Piper nodded, though her eyes were full of wonder. "It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Buildings that shone like precious stones and glowed in the dark like the sun. Big, metal beasts that carried people from place to place faster than a cheetah. And the lights… Everyone was scared of the city, said it was… cursed. But I thought it was beautiful."

"What happened?" Johnny prompted.

"I grew curious… I decided to explore the city. And I had a blast! I got to see the sights, make new friends. It was nothing like what everyone said it was." She grimaced. "But when I told them… they didn't listen. They said that the city had corrupted me. Turned me away from the 'righteous path'. So, they tried to 'purify' me. 'Cure' me. And when that didn't work...they cast me out."

"Jeez…" Johnny hissed.

"That's awful!" Porker exclaimed.

"It's even worse when you're a zebra. My people are social creatures and with good reason. A zebra without their herd is easy prey, so we have strong bonds to support and protect each other… so if those bonds break..."

"...how long?" Porker asked.

Piper paused, looking down at the dirt. "I lost track."

"I found Piper starving to death on the way back from a job," Dirk chimed in. "Took her back to the Corps and nursed her back to health. Physically at least. She was completely closed off and quiet." He turned to Clove. "Until somebody managed to break through her shell."

"The first word we ever heard was my name," Clove recalled, smiling at the memory. "And Cass got her first smile. Since then, she's clung to us like glue."

"You're my world, Clove. If anything happened to you..." Piper clung to herself, unable to stomach the idea.

Before the conversation could continue, Johnny's ears perked as he heard a noise. "Piper, move!"

"Huh!?" Piper turned to see another rocket heading right for her. "Barometre!"

She summoned a shield and managed to block the rocket. However, the force of the explosion sent her flying into a tree. She hit it hard enough to leave an impression in the wood, sliding to the ground with a groan.

"PIPER!" Clove screamed.

Piper rubbed her head, looking up to see a log trap swinging toward her and Clove. "Clove, get down!"

She pulled the pronghorn down onto the ground, both of them narrowly avoiding the trap

"Dammit! Simon found us!" Axel cursed.

"Everyone ready yourselves!" Dirk ordered. "Protect the injured!"

Everyone assumed combat stances, unaware of the camera drone spying on them through the trees.

-X-

From a concealed hideout in the trees, Simian watched the Engine Corp through various camera drones he had throughout the forest. He chuckled as he reviewed the footage, planning out his strategy.

"Hmmm… Let's see… Axel, Dirk, and the rabbit are protecting the pig and the robot hedgehog. Using a bomb or rocket would take them all out, but their numbers would mean they could see and counter. Plus, I'll need time to get into position."

He thought for a moment, then smirked as he got an idea.

"Then again… Who says I have to use mine?"

-X-

While the group was trying to keep a lookout for more of Simian's traps and weapons, Heavy and Bomb were working on getting Shard back online.

"Come on Shard, why won't you reboot already?!"

"Beep."

"I'm working as fast as I can, Bomb!"

Unbeknownst to the others, a small drone was creeping up on Bomb.

"I never got to work on Metal Sonic, and modifications or not, Shard is still a Metal Sonic."

The drone took a moment to prepare, then fired a projectile at Bomb that latched onto him. Immediately the little robot was in panic mode.

"Beep!"

"Bomb?" Heavy let out, seeing his companion running around in circles while flailing his arms.

"Beep! Beep! Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep!"

"What's wrong with Bomb?" Porker questioned, more than a little nervous.

"He's lost it!" Axel exclaimed.

Heavy then took notice of the device on Bomb's back. "He's been tagged with some sort of device! No doubt one of Mr. Simian's."

He went to remove it, but Bomb wasn't holding still long enough to be aided.

"Bomb stop running around! I can't help you unless you hold still!"

"Beep! Beep! 'Beep!"

All of a sudden, Bomb froze in place, not making a noise. Heavy took the opportunity to grab him.

"Got you!" He hoisted Bomb into the air. "Alright, let's take a look at you."

Bomb suddenly punched Heavy, stunning the robot and making him drop his companion.

"Beep."

"Bomb?" Bomb started flashing, and Heavy began to sweat. "Oh, dear..."

Bomb rushed at Johnny and Co.

"Bomb's been hijacked!" Heavy called out in warning. "He's gonna blow!"

"WHAT?!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Get rid of him!" Axel commanded.

Heavy ran to and try and grab Bomb again, only for the hijacked Goodnik to slip his grasp. "I'm trying! He's too fast!"

"Not good!" Axel let out.

Suddenly, something hit Bomb in the back. There was the sound of something shattering, then the device attached to him burst into flames.

"What the heck?!" Johnny exclaimed.

Bomb stopped running, allowing Heavy to quickly pull the now flaming device off his companion and crush it beneath his foot.

"Well… that was fortuitous," he remarked.

-X-

"The hell?" Simian exclaimed, quickly searching his cameras to find out what had been thrown. However, the drone suddenly went offline as something was thrown at it. Followed by another… and another… and another, until every last drone was offline and he was left completely blind. "Shit! What the hell is going on!?"

At that moment, a sizzling noise reached his ear. He turned around, just in time to see a small, clay figurine sitting on the floor of his hideout. He was in the shape of a duck and had a small hole in the top. A hole that was issuing a small trail of smoke.

"Oh fu-!"

The duck exploded, launching Simian into the air with a scream. He landed with a loud thud right in front of the Engine Corps and the Freedom Fighters, groaning as they gathered around him.

"Simian!?" Clove shouted.

"Where the fugg did he come from!?" Piper demanded.

Simian began to sit up, rubbing his head as Heavy approached him.

"Excuse me. Can you hold this?"

Something was placed in Simian's hands. As his vision finally cleared, he looked down to see Bomb waving at him.

"Beep!"

"Oh no..."

Bomb exploded, sending him flying once again. He screamed once more as he vanished with a twinkle into the distance.

"Well, that takes care of that," Heavy declared as he popped out a fresh Bomb.

"What just happened?" Porker questioned. "Who got that thing off Bomb?"

"Pork," Johnny put a hand on the pig's shoulders. "This is one pasha we're not checking for teeth."

"He's right, we gotta get outta here!" Axel gestured for everyone to get moving. "C'mon!"

"You heard him, girls!" Dirk called out. "Shake a leg!"

"Right!" Clove called back.

"Coming!" Piper shouted.

The group ran off, unaware of a small figure watching them from the bushes. The figure slid a small, clay disc into their sleeve as a much larger figure approached them from behind. Rather than be scared, the smaller one seemed thrilled by their presence.

"Ne, ne, Oneechan!"

The bigger figure scooped up the smaller one, holding them to their chest.

"Otsukaresama. Sā, yarubeki shigoto ga aru." (1)

"Hai!"

The older figure pulled a Warp Ring from their shirt, throwing it and opening a portal. With a quick hop, they slipped through and vanished.

Donar-6

Meanwhile, Jet and Wave were fighting Squall, and not having much luck. Jet was using his Bashōsen to launch blasts of wind, while Wave threw explosives at him, but the blue hawk's Extreme Gear let him dodge them easily.

"Yaaaawn." Squall waved a hand over his mouth, bored

"Dammit!" Jet cursed. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"Gee, ya think?!" Wave demanded.

Seeing this, Hope and the boys made for the door, but Storm blocked their way.

"Storm, let us out!" Chris ordered.

"Yeah!" Keith insisted. "We can help!"

Storm shook his head. "No. Boss said so."

"Storm, Jet and Wave are completely defenseless!" Hope objected. "Without their Extreme Gear, they can't even touch him!"

"You don't have Gear either. You'll die."

Chris threw up his arms in exasperation. "We face off against guys who could kill us every other week!"

"You ain't never faced a guy like Squall before. You stay in the Donar!"

"Storm, you can't keep us in here!" Keith shouted. "The whole reason we're here is to fight guys like him in the first place, not hide in the car like scared little kids!"

At that, Storm took on an uncharacteristically horrified tone. "Squall ain't just any old guy! He's the guy! You fight him, he'll rip your guts out and show them to you!"

outside, Wave screamed, dropping with several razor feathers sticking out of her.

"Wave!" Jet screamed.

"So, ready to give up yet, Jetty?" Squall taunted. "Cuz I'm not gonna lie. I'm starting to get bored."

Jet bristled at that. "The FUGG you say?!"

"I said I'm bored...you're boring me."

Jet let out a warbled cry, clearly a mix of anger and worries. It just made Squall laugh.

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

Jet made the same noise, but it was drowned out by a massive roar. Squall blinked.

"Dude, what the hell have you been eating?"

Jet was just as surprised. "That... wasn't me."

Suddenly, something swooped out of the sky in the blink of an eye, grabbing Squall and disappearing

"Huh!?" Wave perked. "Where'd he go!?"

"Who cares!? We need to get outta here!" Jet grabbed Wave, pounding on the door of the Donar.

"Storm! Open up!"

"Boss!?" Storm opened the Donar. "Boss! You're okay!"

"Yeah, but Wave ain't! So get this thing in gear! Brats! Help Wave!"

"Right!" Keith nodded, everyone getting in as Storm hit the gas.

-X-

Meanwhile, whoever grabbed Squall dropped him in another part of the plains. The hawk was on his feet in an instant.

"Alright...who's the dead duck who grabbed me!?"

"I'm no duck," a voice growled back.

"What the...?" A dark shadow loomed over Squall. "Aw hell..."

-X-

As this was going on, Hope was pulling the razor feathers out of Wave's wounds with tweezers, the swallow not making it easy for her.

"Ow!" she yelped. "Ooh! Eeep!"

"If you'd hold still, I'd have them all out already!" Hope snapped.

"I'm trying!"

"Boss, what happened out there?" Storm asked.

Jet shrugged. "No clue. One minute, Squall's using us for target practice. The next thing we know, some...thing lets out a roar that could wake the dead and he just vanishes. It was weird."

"Did you see it?" Hope asked.

Jet shook his head. "No. It was moving too fast. Faster than any bird, or even an Extreme Gear."

"Hmm…" Kordon stroked his chin in thought. "This is concerning. While its arrival was fortuitous, we do not know whether this creature is friend or foe. It may decide to come after us."

"I'm just glad we got away from Squall," Storm shuddered. "I'd rather have a continent between me and that guy."

Jet nodded. "Agreed. Whatever that thing was, it hates Squall, and that's good enough for me. Let's bounce."

Donar-12

The Thunder Plains were being shredded as two unseen fighters clashed, moving at speeds too fast for the naked eye to perceive. Occasionally, a flash of lightning went off, revealing two silhouettes for a brief moment.

"By Aurora…" Lani gasped. "It's like we just walked into an episode of God Machine X … (2)"

"Or Tachibana: Part-Time Ninja. (3)" At that, they gave Vector a look. "Charmy's a fan."

"Let's just hope Espio is Tachibana in this instance," Tekno remarked.

"Yeah...cuz we're one ninja down." Vector turned to Sab, who was treating Valdez's injuries.

"Come on, Val, stay with us," the sheep urged. "You close your eyes now, you ain't opening them."

"Wouldn't dream of it…" Valdez groaned.

"Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't come after us," Lani said.

"Doesn't have a choice," Vector told her. "Not after what Espio did."

-X-

Flashback

"Now...who's next!?" Kazu prepared to strike, only for Espio to throw a kunai down in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hold it right there." the chameleon stepped forward. "Yamaneko Ikazuchi… I challenge you."

Kazu blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Ma'am, what is Espio doing?" Lani asked.

"He's challenging him to a duel," Sab replied.

"Wait...seriously!?"

"I'm with Lamb Chop over here," Kazu agreed. "You realize what you're doing?"

"Did I stutter? I challenge you. Do you accept?" Kazu hesitated, so Espio went for his trump card. "If not, I completely understand. After all, we all know where the true strength of the Raiju lies."

Kazu perked. "What was that?"

"You heard me. It's no secret that the Raiju keeps to the shadows because none of them have the strength for true combat. They're nothing but weak, conniving cowards."

Kazu snarled. "Pretty sure that's your thing, medama-yarou . (4)"

"And yet here you are, afraid to enter into a duel with me. Without your tricks, you're nothing.."

That did it. Kazu let out a yowl. "Urusai! I ain't no stinking coward! If it's a fight you want, lizard, it's a fight you get."

"Then you accept?"

"Hell yeah!"

Lani's jaw dropped. "Huh!?"

"Vector, get Senpai back to the Donar," Espio ordered. "There should be a med kit. Help him."

"Right. Good luck, Espio."

As they headed back, Lani was completely speechless.

Flashback Over

-X-

Lanolin watched the duel play out as best as she could from the window, looking confused and conflicted.)

"Why?" she asked. "Why would he do this? And more importantly, why would Lynx agree to it?"

"Yurashia is a different world from ours," Sab explained. "Honor, strength, bravery… Those tenants mean the world to their citizens, especially those who pursue martial arts. Even their own lives are second to such things."

"It sounds barbaric."

"Not to them."

Meanwhile, Espio and Kazu clashed blades.

"Getting tired yet, lizard?" Kazu taunted.

"Why? Are you?"

"Hardly! My clan are warriors! Yours are little more than glorified scribes!"

"Perhaps, But I've gained experience from my time with the Chaotix. And it's made me stronger. And adaptable!"

"Adaptable, huh?" Kazu disarmed Espio. "Let's see how you adapt to this!"

Kazu lunged for the kill, but Espio bobbed and weaved out of the way.

"Huh?" Espio nailed Kazu with a punch to the face.

"What the-?! What was that?!"

"That was a right hook. A prime example of Empire City Pugilism." Espio raised his fists, assuming a boxing stance before going on the offensive, leaving Kazu off balance.

" Shit! " the lynx cursed in his head. " I've never seen a fighting style like this before! I can't tell what the hell he's doing! "

Espio threw a punch.

"Ha! You're open!"

Kazu attempted to strike, only to be hit with a blow from the other hand. "A feint?!"

Espio threw another hook, striking him in the face. The lynx let out a growl.

" Temeeeeee! (5)" Kazu's eyes glowed yellow with rage.

"Uh-oh!" Tekno gasped. "He's pissed!"

"Damn it!" Lani placed a hand by her bell and flicked it, releasing a high-pitched tone. Kazu's eyes widened before he clutched his ears in pain.

"Espio, take him down!" Lani shouted. "Hurry!"

"Lani, no!" Sab objected. "You can't interfere!"

Espio glared at her. "Stay out of this, Lanolin! This is a one-on-one duel!"

Lani was flabbergasted. "You're focusing on honor when this guy is actively trying to murder us?!"

Kazu suddenly manifested in front of Lani. "I am now!"

Lani gasped as he prepared an attack. " Shine! Hitsujiiiiiii! " (6)

A whistle then ripped through the air in a strange musical pattern. Kazu stopped, blinking as the whistle repeated.

"What was that?" Shorty asked.

Vector shrugged. "Search me."

Kazu searched the air as it sounded one more time. "Damn it! Where is that coming from?!"

"Lani, I told you to stop!" Sab snapped.

"I-it's not me!" Lani objected. "I swear!"

The whistle echoed around them. Kazu snapped at that.

"Fine! If that's how you're gonna play, I'll just kill you all right now!"

Something hit him in the back of the head. He grunted before falling over. Everyone looked over the lynx's prone form.

"What just happened?" Tekno asked.

"I have no idea," Sab let out.

"That whistle…" Espio mused. "It sounded like some sort of call signal."

He mulled on that for a bit before shaking his head.

"We can worry about that later. We have a mission to complete." He turned to the others. "Everyone, back to the Donar. We need to get moving."

As they headed in, Espio turned to Lani. "I hope you realize where and how you went wrong here."

"I was saving you!" Lani instantly defended.

"It was a one-on-one duel, mutually agreed upon by both parties. You ignored the rules of engagement, Lanolin."

"Rules of…?! We're in the middle of a mission! We could have taken him down easily together!"

"No," Espio shook his head. "Our victory here was the ultimate fluke."

Lani blinked. "Fluke?"

"I'll explain it later. When we aren't in danger." With that, Espio headed for the Donar.

"I… You…"

"Lani, just drop it," Sab cut in.

"But–!" Sab gave her a look that left no room for argument. Lani flinched. "Y-yes, ma'am."

With that, she followed Espio into the Donar, the group driving off. As they left, Kazu slowly got up, cursing under his breath.

" Kuso… You bastards think you can make a fool out of me and just walk away!?" His gloves sparked with electricity. "Raiju Ninpo…"

Before he could pursue, the whistle returned, this time coming from directly behind him. Kazu stiffened before passing out again. The figure responsible for the whistling shook their head in disappointment.

"Pitiful. Absolutely pitiful. I had hoped your time in the outside world had made you stronger, Ikazuchi. It would appear I was wrong."

"You defeated him without even touching him, Oneechan!" Another voice cut in.

The figure bent down, grabbing Kazu by the ankle. "Indeed. Now come. The others are waiting."

Thunder Plains

Things weren't going so well for Tangle. Razorklaw had her pinned down, grabbing her by the collar and punching her in the face before yanking her up.

"You should have listened to the Echidna and run away," he hissed. "Now I'm gonna rip you apart!"

Tangle smirked. "Well, I hope you can enjoy the victory with ONE FRIGGIN EYE! "

She jabbed her finger into Razorklaw's flesh eye before kicking him off. As the Felidae reeled back, rubbing his eye, Tangle jumped to her feet and tackled him to the ground, raining jabs, hooks, and all manner of punches down on his face in rapid succession while shouting in exhilaration, stopping for a second to catch her breath.

"I'm winning!" She panted before Razorklaw punched her back, knocking her off of him. As she hit the ground face first, he stalked forward, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her up. Twisting around, Tangle let out a yell before forming a giant fist with her tail and slamming it into Razorklaw's face, sending him into a tree and toppling it over.

"How do you like that, you big, fat pussycat!?"

Razorklaw just chuckled darkly, picking himself up. "You've got spunk, kid. I'll give you that. But you lack experience, and it shows."

"Got enough… to kick your ass." Tangle faltered a bit.

"No, you don't. You're running on fumes, and it's barely been a few minutes. Whereas I have strength and stamina to spare." Razorklaw felt something grab his ankle. "What?!"

Tangle had snaked her tail around his ankle while he was distracted.

"You talk too much." With a mighty yank, Tangle jerked Razorklaw off of his feet, slamming him against the ground a few times before flinging him around with all her might. However, he dug his claws into her tail, then sank his jaws into it. Tangle hollered in pain before releasing him.

"Mutherfuggin' sunnuva Aurora-damned, glob-sucking-!" Razorklaw promptly pinned her down, cutting off her rant.

" You talk too much." He grinned. "Some advice for your next life, girl. Before you face someone leagues above your skill level, learn to take a hit."

He raised his claws in the air and Tangle closed her eyes, bracing for death. Then, light erupted from just over the ridge. Multicolored flames rose up, taking the form of a massive bird. It released a loud cry that made their ears ring, fiery eyes locking on Razorklaw.

"What in the name of Bast…?!" he exclaimed.

It swooped towards him, flaming talons poised for the kill.

"No! Stop! Get away!"

The phoenix was undeterred. It swooped down, snapping Razorklaw up in its talons and jerking him off of Tangle before throwing him across the forest. The Felidae plowed through several trees before slamming full-tilt into a cliff wall that shattered on impact. It gave him no reprieve, landing on top of him, the flames not even touching the surrounding grasslands. His fur, on the other hand, was not spared. Razorklaw yelled in agony as he looked up at the great firebird.

"What… are you?!"

It screamed in his face, loud enough to shatter the glass in his prosthetic eye. It then picked him up and slammed him into the rock repeatedly, waiting until he was no longer moving. When it finished, it dropped the tiger, turning to the barely conscious Tangle and still downed Knuckles. The lemur had just enough strength to watch it shrink before everything went black…

-X-

Tangle came to with a start, gasping as she tried to sit up.

"Holy…!" the lemur began panting heavily, breaking out in a cold sweat. Once she'd calmed down, she looked around to find no sign of Razorklaw. "What just happened?"

She looked down, discovering her wounds had been treated, bandages wrapped around her.

"The heck…?" Her ears perked as she heard a grunt of pain. She looked off to the side, where she saw a figure hunched over Knuckles. They were completely shrouded in a cloak, but she could just make out a glowing hand running along the echidna's back wounds, seemingly cauterizing them. Knuckles groaned in pain but didn't stir as the figure removed their hand.

"Who…" Tangle let out. "Who are you?"

The figure turned its head only slightly to look at her. "A friend."

The figure then stood up, pulling a red Chaos Emerald from its cloak. The energy swirled around both Knuckles and Tangle, alleviating some of their pain. It also revealed a large phoenix tattoo that completely dominated the figure's left arm.

"Thank you," Tangle told them. "You... you saved our lives."

The figure gently picked up Knuckles, passing him over to Tangle. "You can thank me by getting back to your friends and getting to your summit in one piece."

The figure then held up the Chaos Emerald. It began to glow, and in a flash of light, the figure vanished. Tangle shielded her eyes from the blinding light. Once it faded, she discovered the figure was gone.

"Was that... Chaos Control?" she wondered aloud. "So that's what it looks like."

Hearing a groan, she looked down to see Knuckles coming to. "Knuckles!"

"We're… alive?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah. Someone saved us."

"But… who?"

"Once we get back to the Donar, I'll explain. Right now, we better get outta the open before more Eggman goons show up."

In the distance, an engine noise reached their ears. They looked up, seeing the Donar coming back to pick them up.

"Guys!" Tails exclaimed. "I see them!"

"Knux! Tangle!" Sonic called. "You two okay?!"

"Sonic! Over here!" Tangle waved them down.

The Donar pulled over, the door opening up. Sally was waiting, arms crossed as she looked at Tangle reproachfully.

"Um…" Tangle chuckled nervously. "This is the part where I get reamed out for following Knuckles, isn't it?" She sighed. "Shit…"

Sally cracked a dangerous smile, her eyebrow twitching. "Shit' doesn't even begin to describe what you're in right now, Tangle."

"Indeed…" Geoffrey agreed.

Tangle smiled nervously. "Yeah…"

In a blinding light, the hooded figure reappeared where they had left an unconscious Razorklaw. Above them, they heard the sound of wingbeats, which drew their gaze upward.

"I take it you were successful, then?"

"Does this answer your question?" The flying figure deposited a badly burnt and beaten Squall, most of his feathers fried as he let out a cough. "His Razor-Feathers gave me some trouble at first, but once I figured out their weakness, he went down easily."

Hearing a scream, the two turned to see Ferdie and Simian get spat out of the ground.

"Shizun," the hooded figure greeted as the earth opened up, revealing a Mobian tortoise.

"I apologize for being late, dear. The gorilla is terribly heavy and the frog would not stop squirming."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Shizun. Thanks for going to find the gorilla after he got launched."

The tortoise smiled and raised her hand. "Think nothing of it."

"We're still one short though," the flying figure noted. "Where is the Raiju?"

At that moment, Kazu was thrown at their feet.

"Right here," A white tigress in a purple ninja gi declared as she arrived, dusting her hands off.

On her back, a small pheasant girl poked her head out from behind the tiger's.

"Oneechan didn't throw a single punch!" she exclaimed.

"Did she now?" the flying figure asked.

"Didn't need to," the tigress replied. "I can't believe I was ever afraid of this pathetic lowlife." She clapped her hands together. "So, we've gathered all the yohei (7). Now what?"

"Now we head for Boltscar Rock, and catch the mastermind of this entire plot," the hooded figure declared.

"But wasn't that the big bakeneko?" the pheasant asked.

"He was one of them, Cinder," the tortoise said. "But he wasn't alone."

"Indeed. And now it's time to drag the mole out into the light. But first," the hooded figure turned to the tigress. "Jian, wake him up."

"Hai," Jian headed for Simian, slapping him awake. "Oi, ozaru! Okitte! (8)"

Simian snapped awake, seeing the quintet assembled before him.

" Nihao ," the hooded figure greeted.

"What the…?!" Simian let out.

"Shhh…" said the hooded one. "I'm not ready for you to talk yet. My friends and I have a few questions for you, Sergeant. For your own safety, don't speak unless it's to answer those questions honestly."

"And don't even think about lying," the flying figure's eyes glowed. "We'll know."

"If you think I'm going to be intimidated, then prepare to be disappointed. On my pride as a mercenary, I'm not telling you any-" Simian was cut off when the hooded figure raised their hand, which was engulfed in blue flames, focused into a blade point from their fingers upward. The gorilla began to sweat from the scorching heat of the blade but retained his calm, professional demeanor. "What would you like to know?"

The figure chuckled, a wicked grin forming along their face.

Author's Note:

(1): Good job. Come on, there's work to do.

(2): Mobian Dragon Ball Z. Also a reference to Super Knock-Off VS., a Smash Bros.-style fighter made by Team Four Star, where knock-offs of famous anime characters duke it out. God Machine is the game's Dragon Ball rip.

(3): God Machine ref. Tachibana is the Naruto rip from Super Knock-Off VS.

(4): Eyeball bastard. A reference to the Shinobi Clan symbol being an eye.

(5): Bastaaaaaard!

(6): Die! Sheeeep!

(7): Mercenaries

(8): Hey, big monkey! Wake up!

The plot thickens. What will happen at Boltscar Rock, and who is the mole?

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Cinder - Janice Kawaye (Yuzu Kurosaki in Bleach, Melty in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Jenny Wakeman in My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ami in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, Asami Koizumi in Young Justice, Ayane in Ninja Gaiden & Dead or Alive 6, Xiao Pei in Rune Factory 4, Lysithea in Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

* Jian - Cricket Leigh (Mai in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tangier in Red Faction II, Basil in Lost Planet: Extreme Condition)

* Bunker - Takayo Fischer (Kairi Tanaga in Batman Beyond, Chu-hui in Teen Titans 2003, Gillian Hewley in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Li & Lo in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mistress Ching in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)

Please R&R. Until next time!