Brothers in Arms

Eclipse: What do You Mean I Almost Burnt Down a Sublevel?

"Watch your right!"

I dodge left, mind heeding the warning without needing to process it. The small projectiles stream by me, not a single one grazing my granite skin, and I tuck into a roll to tumble across the floor. Coming up out of it like I never hit the ground, I launch myself towards the machine firing at me, planting my left hand claws first at its base and swinging my legs like a rotating arc of doom.

The momentum behind the already powerful strike isn't necessary, but, if there's one weakness in battle that I will admit, it's my lack of endurance. While I can actually replenish Chaos faster than Shadow, who's limited by his inhibitor rings, my muscles tire far more quickly from having to channel my power. Thus, I am a great assassin, with powerful bursts of energy coming easily to me, but the lengthy work here at G.U.N. is taxing and challenging.

Having taken care of the small turret, I let my legs carry me to the left, turning in midair to face the room as I land, crouched. I watch, stone still, senses scanning the walls, floor, and ceiling. After several seconds, they reveal nothing to me, and the lights brighten, indicating the training is over.

As I stand up straight, pleased with my performance, Shadow teleports out of the observation deck. Hardly one to wait, that hedgehog.

Indeed, the moment he walks within comfortable earshot, he starts critiquing me.

"That was good. You're taking care of the bots quickly and efficiently. But, be careful not to always attack them as soon as they engage you; it'll become predictable if you're in an extended battle. Also, you're still slow to respond to attacks coming from the back right. I even had to warn you that time."

"As someone with large quills, you should know the disadvantages of having things sticking out from your head," I retort, a little annoyed. "My left eye can't see around to the right, and, in loud close quarters fighting, you know how unreliable hearing is. I'm working on it. You only mentioned it to me last time, you know."

"I know," he sighs. "But, a second's delay like that could be a deciding factor in a skirmish. I don't want you getting hurt because I'm not telling you something you need to fix."

"I appreciate your concern, Shadow," I reply, glancing skyward but resisting rolling my eyes. "I'll keep that in mind during training today."

"That's all I ask," he says, standing a little uncomfortably.

Fact is, we're still struggling to interact consistently. Shadow still annoys me with his constant worrying, and I still drive him crazy with my flippancy. We've come a long way, but...

Well, most of the team doesn't know how hard we're trying. Take today, for example. Starting last week, Shadow and I have been meeting up every day at five thirty for specialized training, so we can work not just on fighting but also on combating foes together. By studying each other, we hope to eliminate holes in our technique and to work in tandem more efficiently.

It's been working rather well, too. But, sometimes I wish people knew about it. With all of the effort we're putting in, it'd be nice to be appreciated. I think Rouge suspects something, and I'm sure the Commanders and Captains know--Commander Tower authorized it, after all--but it's not the same.

"We, uh... We should hurry," Shadow begins, glancing at his watch. I nod, knowing we must be getting close to seven thirty. He hurries to set up the program, then comes back. This is the hardest fight of them all: Shadow and I working together not as separate individuals but as one.

Resigning myself to another day, I reach out to his mind. Neither of us likes it, but the hivemind is one of our most valuable assets in battle. Complete awareness of everything the other is doing allows us to function as a perfect team.