Rise For Me (Sequel to Scream For Me)

-7-

"Holy-did you do that?" Tails exclaimed.

"No," Claire replied, looking up at the building. She tapped her comm. "Detonator? Where are you?" Tails waited as she communicated with her partner until she dropped her hand, turning to the fox.

"Alright. Someone shut off the power remotely, but Detonator says there's still unknown personnel inside," the agent said. They both jumped as Sonic suddenly skidded to a stop beside them, equipment in hand.

"Whoa," he said, looking up at the hospital. "What happened in the whole minute I was gone?"

"Starline," Claire said. "He's probably been tracking you at least as long as Detonator has. We need to get in the building and run interference. Tails, I need you to be our eyes and ears. Can you do that?"

"Yes," the fox said, opening the computer and settling on the ground. "I'll get at least some of the cameras back online and guide you from there."

"Good." Claire raised her hand to her comm once more. "Detonator, get inside and monitor the doors as to who comes and goes. Sonic and I will get up to (Y/n)'s room."

"Copy that," the blue blur said. He touched Tails' shoulder lightly before following Claire into the dark hospital.

"Sterile as it might be, I think I like this place better with the lights on," he whispered once they were inside. Claire lifted her wrist, activating a flashlight and sweeping their surroundings.

"G'day, mates." They both turned to face Tom as he approached the pair. "I've got here covered. You head upstairs. I highly doubt Starline would be courteous enough to use the doors, but I'll monitor them all the same."

"Sonic, you head upstairs," Claire said. "I need to get the essential equipment back online so critical patients don't die while the power's out."

"Tails?" Sonic said into his communicator, all the while nodding at Claire's instructions.

"I'm working on it. I did get some of the cameras back online and it looks like there's someone up by (Y/n)'s room. No robots as far as I can see, just the one Mobian."

"Starline?" Tom asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Tails replied. "Black cat, I think."

"Cliff," Claire said. "Our plan still stands. Be wary of him, though, Sonic. He's been experimenting with Chaos Energy for thirty years, which could end up making you a liability with how much is running through your veins."

"Don't worry," Sonic said, waving off their concerns. "I've got this." He then raced up the stairs, arriving at (Y/n)'s room within seconds. He spun around to face the intruder, who was brushing himself off from the gust of wind.

"Might want to be careful with that," the black cat said, nodding at Sonic. "We're in a hospital, and from what I've heard from my associate, a very delicate surgery was taking place."

"You must be Cliff," the blue hero said. "You don't look like much."

"At first glance, the same could be said of you." Sonic laughed.

"Alright, before I knock you out, mind telling me where Starline is hiding out?" he said, tugging on the ends of his gloves. Cliff chuckled.

"I believe it will be you who is unconscious by the end of this," he said. "I specialize in Chaos Energy. And you are overflowing with it." He drew a gun and pointed it at Sonic. "One of my specialties is extracting Chaos Energy from a source. I've been saving this for a certain dark hedgehog, but you'll be a good guinea pig." Sonic opened his mouth to say something smart when Cliff pulled the trigger and suddenly all the air seemed to flow out of the hedgehog's lungs. Sonic dropped to his knees, grasping at his throat.

"Sonic? What's going on? What's he doing to you?" Tails panicked voice came through the communicator, but the blue hero couldn't respond.

Then all the air came rushing back and Sonic gasped, dropping to all fours. A click. "Like I said," Cliff said. "Overflowing. This prototype can't contain even a quarter of your power. Now imagine what I could do with the pure Chaos Energy from Shadow."

"Do you have another prototype?" Cliff whirled around, only for Shadow's fist to connect directly with the center of his face. The dark hedgehog stalked forward, kicking the cat down as he tried to push himself up. "Good to see you again." Shadow looked up at Sonic, the blue hedgehog sitting back on his heels. His rival narrowed his eyes. "We'll talk."

"I'm sure," Sonic rasped. Shadow turned his attention back to Cliff.

"You threw in with Starline," the anti hero sneered. "Pathetic. He's groveling for Eggman's attention. With a company like CE and technology like that, you could be doing so much more." He pressed his foot into Cliff's chest, the breath huffing out of the cat. "But I suppose I never got to truly pay you back for what you did to me."

"I suppose not," Cliff wheezed. His right hand fumbled for something, emerging with a disk that he quickly threw under the door into (Y/n)'s room. "But what better way to go out than with a big bang?" He dropped his head back.

"Shadow, it's a bomb!" Sonic shouted, scrambling to his feet. The dark hedgehog stepped off Cliff, hesitating. "Shadow!" The anti hero looked back to the black cat.

"What did you do to me?" he spat. He didn't wait for a response before kicking down the door to the surgical chamber. The bomb flashed red and he picked it up, aiming to throw it out the window.

"It won't make it," Sonic said, stumbling to Shadow's side and grabbing the bomb. He limped to the window, the bomb heating up in his grasp. He stepped back and pushed into a spindash, shattering the window outwards. He uncurled briefly to throw the bomb, rolling back into a ball and colliding with the bomb. The force knocked it back just as it detonated, the explosion launching Sonic back through the window. He slammed into the wall, slumping to the floor.

"Is everyone okay?" one of the doctors called. Shadow approached Sonic, shifting the hero's head and feeling his pulse.

"Just unconscious," the dark hedgehog said, standing. He turned back to where Cliff had been, but the black cat was gone. Shadow bared his teeth slightly.

"Everyone else is intact," the doctor said. Shadow turned to her, his ear twitching. She shrunk away from him. The lights flickered then turned on, the whole building seemingly coming back to life.

Shadow took in the lights for a moment before striding into the surgical chamber and stopping beside (Y/n). He lifted a hand, hovering it hesitantly over her face. He then brushed his fingers over her cheek, squeezing his eyes shut. She was here. She was real.

And once they were finished with the surgery, she would be free.