Sonic and I walk through the doors. We had been called back to base since Tails had said that he was on his way with information from his trip to Robotnik's database. We had a quick trip to the armory so that I could grab some more ammunition, and then the hospital wing to grab some medical for our pain. Sonic still needed it for his injuries from his torture, and I needed it for my hurt ribcage. So, both of us had a reason to go.
Everybody was in the bull pen. Except, of course, Tails and tiny Sonic.
I have to come up with a better title for that small Sonic, I think. Junior? Junior Sonic? I don't know. I'll think of something eventually.
I went to my crate that I had left my sketchbook on. I grab the book and the pencil, sitting down with it in my hands while Amy fussed over Sonic's recklessness in defeating Metal Sonic. Amy obviously watched the whole thing go down through my earpiece.
The real reason I stuck to my crate in the corner was so I could avoid Shadow. I don't know what I'm going to do when we're face to face again, and I don't want to. Besides, there's already too many things to worry about.
I heard a metal click, followed by shuffling feet, then a high voice. "I got it!"
My head turns to the doors. Tails held a USB port in the air, victorious. Junior Sonic stood behind him, hands on his hips, smiling. Black eyes shimmering but dead.
"I figured out a way to stop Eggman's Phantom Ruby!"
"Great work, buddy!" Sonic walks over and pats Tails on the shoulder.
"From what I've read, the Phantom Ruby requires an incredible amount of energy, which only resources like the Death Egg can provide. We just need to stop the energy flow, and boom, the Phantom Ruby is useless."
"Simply?" Knuckles looks at Tails, skeptical. "It's a Death Egg."
Sonic looks at Tails, hopeful. Seeing Tails eyes, you could tell that the yellow fox was expecting this response.
"I understand," he replies, "that's why I have a plan. First, we distract Eggman. While he's not paying attention, we will be able use the Chemical Plant's computer. We can hack into the Death Egg's weapons system and shut it down. With no weapons, destroying the Death Egg will easy! No Death Egg, no Ruby."
Knuckles looks at the floor, thinking, arms crossed. "Well... it might be crazy enough to work. You need a distraction?" He looks up with determination. I'll give you one."
"No way, Knuckles," Amy buts in. Clearly not bothering with formalities. "You're too easily distracted for a distraction. Besides, you're our commander, we need you here."
Knuckles held an eye roll, exhaling. Clearly hating being stuck here without being able to get out into the field.
"What about her?" Silver gestures to me. "Eggman would never expect her out of all of us to attack him."
Everyone in the entire room stared at me, eyes hopeful, or skeptical. It made me nervous, tense. I try to not squish my sketchpad, but I do snap my pencil in two.
"You have your orders, Rookie," Knuckles says.
"Told you she was tough!" Sonic walks over to Shadow who stood in the corner. Sonic punches Shadow's jokingly with his confidence boost.
Is that why he took me with him to defeat Metal Sonic? To prove a point?
Shadow slowly turns his head to face Sonic, agitated. Sonic laughs nervously and backs away from the dark figure.
I force my gaze away from the two and look to Commander Knuckles. I nod, drop my sketchpad and broken pencil and the crate then head out the door with my assault rifle in hand.
"Hey, Knuckles," I hear Tails say. "I also found these highlighted files in Eggman's database. Titled 'J. S-0. I', and 'S. S-W. 1'."
The doors closed behind me. I stood there for a moment, considering eavesdropping. Normally I don't listen in on things, but this has piqued my curiosity.
"J. S is titled 'complete' but is heavily protected by passwords. Same with S. S, but it says, 'subject lost'."
I tried to unscramble the file's names in my head to find something the letters stand for but couldn't come up anything. I don't have the mentality of a mad scientist. I'm not going to lie, I'm not as smart as Ivo Robotnik is, so thinking of answers is just about hopeless.
"Can you hack it?" Silver asks. "We could really use an upper hand after what happened with Operation Big Wave."
"Yeah, but it will take time. I don't want them to erase themselves if I get something wrong, then it would all be for nothing. For all I know, Eggman has viruses at the ready if an outsider fails to hack into his documents."
"Well, I'll see if I can get Rouge to help. In the mean time, your clock starts now," Knuckles says.
A giant robot stomped over me, long legs leaving indents in the earth and grass. I pressed my earpiece, turning on my camera. I ran under it, glancing at the underbelly. The robot was supposed to resemble a crab or something similar. Only, it was recreated as a monster made of metal.
"Unidentified heat signature! Requesting analysis!" a fellow soldier radioed. He must have been with the squad I passed about a mile ago.
"It's a multi-legged battle mech!" Amy replies. "Its energy readings are off the charts!"
The legs of the mech kept pressing into the ground around me, nearly crushing me underfoot at some points. I pick up my pace, not wanting to take the risk of getting killed by something so measly compared to other dangers out there.
The grassy area wasn't serving me any good. The rock formation didn't help either, not providing good enough cover. I ran through a narrow opening in the stone of the rock wall in front of me. It was some sort of tunnel that quickly came to an end. On the other side were aluminum, titanium, steel. The materials Robotnik would use. Many security robots waited for me. I pulled out my assault rifle, aiming, and squeezing the trigger. The bullets hit home. Leaving sparking, twitching bodies behind as I reloaded.
At the end of the hall was an elevator. I quickly looked around, there was no other exit. Then what was the point of this place? A storage facility? It seemed to be somewhat hidden away from any curious wanderers, but it didn't seem to have much of a significant value.
I searched the interior of the elevator. Clear. I lower my assault rifle, pressing the upwards arrow button. It glowed white. The doors closed, and I could feel the small square room move upwards, feet and body being forced more to the ground.
Glowing green grass met me as the doors opened. I ran out of the elevator, not taking the chance that it was trap, or had cameras watching.
"Diversionary tactics are all about the decoy," Knuckles says over the radio. "Do what I do, just go wild and get their attention!"
I smiled, pulling up my bandana. If Robotnik did have any cameras watching, then he can see me tear through every robot he sends my way. He can watch his creations become useless piles of scrap.
I aimed my rifle, planting my feet into the ground, vibration from the recoil filling my shoulder. Several robots drop with the first magazine.
"Just don't push your luck, okay?" Amy says, nervous. Was she watching what I was doing? She doesn't have a reason to worry about my safety. So why is she?
Second magazine: more than half of the robots were dead. Yet more came. I smirked. Perhaps they'll offer a challenge. I jumped overtop of the groups of robots, raining bullets down on them.
"Leave the Chemical Plant to us," Silver says. "Just keep making as much noise as you can there."
The remaining circular robots form a circle around me, flying ones hovering above them, keeping me from simply jumping out. I grabbed a grenade from my belt. Most of the robots had taken one or two bullets, if this doesn't kill them, oh well. I still have plenty of ammunition left to go.
I toss the grenade below my feet, leaping upward into the air, gun drawn. I was boosted into the air when the bomb detonated. All the robots were knocked back. None of them got up, smoke coming from their fronts.
"Perfect," Knuckles compliments as I land. "Head back to base."
I stare at my hand for an instant. Realizing how aggressive I had gotten only a few seconds ago. Perhaps they'll offer a challenge, I had thought then. I sound like... I shake my head, not allowing myself to compare my personality with that monster Infinite.
I endure, going forward. As much as I want to flatline any new robots that could appear to be added to my junk yard, I was ordered to go back to base. I decided that I was going to cut through the city, and loop back to the bunker.
"Watch out! There's a huge energy source approaching your location!" Amy warns.
A shadow casts over me. My eyes widened as I look up. The battle mech that had nearly crushed me underfoot was falling from the sky. I look back ahead of me, quickly clipping my assault rifle to my belt then ran as fast as I could.
The ground shook, making me fall to my stomach. I didn't need to look behind me to know the creature had landed. I quickly scrambled to my feet and ran.
"Rookie, don't let it get to the Chemical Plant! Keep it busy for as long as you can!" Knuckles orders.
I dashed behind several pillars of earth and stone, more of them appearing the further I traveled. Unfortunately, this is were I stop running. I hid behind the rock formation, shifting cover whenever the mech got too close. Soon it had grown aware of what I was doing and it had begun kicking giant boulders at the pillars. Limiting the places to hide. There were only a few left remaining.
The crab creature starts to charge at the place I was hidden. I run, outstretching my arm at the top of a tall stone development. The zipwire pulls me up to the top, and I perch up there, hoping the battle mech didn't see me seek refuge up here. My heart pounds as it searched the ground.
I heard growling on the radio, a struggle. "Give me—" Knuckles started, but never finished.
"You obviously know how to use that grapple, (F/S)," a deep voice says. Shadow's. He didn't sound particularly concerned. More... annoyed? "Make that mech eat dirt."
I took a deep breath, standing up. I walk off the top of the rock, letting my body fall for a bit. Before getting too close to the ground I shot my grapple at the battle mech's legs. I twist my body so that I swing around the creature's legs so I don't hit the ground and break my own.
I swung around several times. My military grade wire was slowing the mechanical nightmare down, making it impossible for it to move. When the force of gravity began to pull the mech down, I hit the emergency detach button on the cuff.
I soared, getting away from the mech. I did a somersault to soften the landing on the ground. I don't stop though, I instantly re-fired what remained of my zipwire again at another stone column.
My heart pounds as the line pulls me out of the way of the crashing battle mech. The ground cracks, rumbling. When I drop to the ground, I think about how very dead I would be if I was only a few seconds slower.