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Chapter 35: Pawn Takes Castle
June 12th, 3239, 0004 hours
New York City, Earth
En Route to UEG Government Building
Sonic shuffled in his seat on the bus as they drove through the thoroughfares of the city. Cars whipped by them quickly and out of the windows, many thousands of advertisements shined upon the streets, compelling people to buy and consume. Sonic wasn't much one for such things, but as soon as he saw an advert for chili dogs his mouth began to salivate. It was his Achilles' heel, hot dogs of any sort. Konstantinos saw this and looked at the same sign, turning back in an instant.
"What's the matter?" Sonic asked.
"I'm starving, man. Don't make me look at anything I don't have to." Alex groaned.
"Well, you looked at it." Sonic laughed. "Man, I wish we didn't have to take the bus. We could have walked."
John was monitoring their conversation with his superb hearing. He was allowing it so far because they weren't spilling any sort of details that spies or surveillance equipment couldn't pick up. The minute he felt that they were getting too far, he would cut in. His reaction time was certainly quick enough.
"Where do we get off?" Konstantinos asked the Spartan.
"We get off when Cortana tells us to." John replied. Cortana was well aware about where they were headed along the transit routes and no doubt she had already picked out an optimal point for them to disembark. She was quiet for now, but it was clear that she would chime in when the time was right. Currently, her AI chip was sitting in a storage contained on John's belt, made to look like a soft pack. He communicated to her with an earpiece.
Sonic looked out the window again. He was feeling much better after their escape from Tokyo, but the scarring would remain for quite some time. The ONI agents were adept at interrogation and he didn't want to see them again. In truth he wanted to be quite non-confrontational this time around. Sticking to the background in this case would get him farther than not. He glanced at the government building and how it shot into the sky.
"How long do you think it took to make that?"
"Dunno." Konstantinos said. "Building's very old. It was built after the Covenant War was done, that's all I know." the Human coughed and tapped Sonic's shoulder. "Um, how well known are you?"
"What do you mean?" he then immediately saw what Konstantinos meant. There were quite a few Mobians in this bus, one or two of them were looking at him. He decided to give something approaching an answer. "Depends on how well known. Outside of the Kingdom, some people know about me, but not very much. Oh man this could be trouble though."
John looked in their direction. "Cortana, assessment." he whispered.
"We're not close enough." she replied. "We need to wait a bit longer."
"We may have a few gawkers."
"Look natural." she advised.
John took a moment to reflect on the fact that he was a six foot five bodybuilder with twenty-two inch arms riding public transit and decided that, sure, he would look natural.
The bus riders for the most part seemed to be minding their own business. A feline Mobian sat in the far corner with her young son sitting next to her. She was reading a magazine while the child was looking out the bus window. The other two Mobians would probably raise more ruckus. One was a hedgehog as well. Not a problem in itself, but what sent it into danger territory was that he had a disturbingly similar quill styling to Sonic. The other was looking at a handheld chatter device. He was a rodent for sure, but unknown species to be sure. The hedgehog though was looking at them with a curious glance.
Sonic decided to avert his own gaze and tried to find something interesting to look at. He eventually settled on some of the advertisements on the top of the bus. They were relatively uninteresting and not at all geared towards him. He stopped for a second wondering about the possibility of a Swedish massage from a rather attractive looking masseuse, but then reminded himself why he was looking in the first place. As he craned his neck, his back felt sore from lying in an uncomfortable cell, not to mention the 'accidents' that took place between moving from the cell to the interrogation room.
John however watched the Mobian from his peripheral vision. If Sonic was recognized, that would mean that ONI could have a clue about where they were. Of course, the other two teams may have had a fair shot, but ideally they would all get through with minimal trouble.
"Hey man, pardon me?"
The hedgehog spoke. Sonic didn't look towards him for a moment, choosing to focus more on the toothpaste advertisement on the roof of the bus.
"Dude, you got a second?
The young man spoke again, this time getting excited. Sonic had to think fast, this time choosing to do something that seemed obvious in a time like this: he decided to lie through his teeth and take on a new identity.
"Yeah, what?" he asked in a gravelly voice, a sharp contrast from his usual upbeat tone.
"Are you..." the other Mobian asked again. "Are you... Sonic the Hedgehog?"
Some of the other bus riders looked around at the mentioning of the name. Many of them Humans, Sonic observed. Mobius was one thing, but how well known was he on Earth?
"No, I'm not Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic said in his low voice. "Every damned time I get asked that. You think if I was Sonic I would be riding this bus?"
The other hedgehog's face dimmed a little. "No... I guess not."
"You think I would be out fighting evil instead of running to get a cup of coffee?"
The other hedgehog started to look a little embarrassed. "No, I would think so."
"Mistaken Identity."
"I'm sorry." the young Mobian said, almost red in the face if it would have shown through his fur. With that, the bus lost interest. Sonic let out a sigh of relief.
"Smooth." Konstantinos said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you." Sonic whispered back. Of course, another factor into his deception was that a lot of his blue fur dye had been washed out from the dreaded prison hose. The only indication of his blue hue were a few stubborn highlights that remained behind. Not enough to draw that many eyes.
"Cortana, now." the Spartan whispered.
"Alright." the AI said. "Now's as good a time as any."
John pressed the button slightly above his head to stop the bus. The vehicle screeched to a halt next to a sidewalk where the three men left and merged into the crowd. John took advantage of the multitude of people and spoke through this earpiece. "Team One is in position, how copy?"
"Team Three is still en route." Sally reported from her end. "Hitting every traffic light along the way."
"Team Two is in position."
Roan was the first to exit the subway station. He took a quick look around to determine if there was any sort of danger that would be awaiting them. However, after glancing around at street corners and security cameras, he determined that it would be safe enough to travel.
Samantha was second and Borne followed her up. The three Mobians moved with little interest thrown in their general direction. For all intents and purposes, they were invisible.
The massive government building stood above them punching through a low cloud cover. It seemed crazy to think that Marshall was somewhere inside of that, but that was the truth of the matter.
"Security's going to get tighter as we go." Jackson noted.
"Of course." Roan nodded. "But that's where the fun begins."
"Just like in the gulag."
"Hopefully with less collateral damage this time though."
Borne's ear twitched. "How come I get the feeling there's a story behind this?"
Roan smirked. "Maybe there is; we're a bit behind in telling it anyway. Regardless, stay somewhat separated. Sam, Bill's your husband. I'm just another schmoe who's walking in the same direction as you."
"I can live with that." Borne chuckled, hooking his arm around Samantha's. She scowled slightly. "Enjoy it dog breath; we're getting a divorce after this."
"So feisty." William said. "I like that in a wife!"
"Hey, can it." Allen growled. "We're coming up to Belling Square."
"Heavy police presence." Jackson noted. "Look Allen, three squad cars, all parked on the same side of the road."
The angular police cars were parked, but there were a few officers up and about. One was leaning on the hood scanning the area, sunglasses concealing his eyes, but it was clear that it had some kind of computer beaming information onto the lenses. He was looking for people.
"Looks like someone was expecting us." Borne said raising an eyebrow.
"Not us, Mister Borne." Roan announced. "Regardless, they've got a pretty good blockade going on the street. The way forward's covered. Lookee Lookee. Unmarked SUV."
It was a clear sign of an ONI agent in the area. Same make and model as the original reports. Borne recognized it in particular.
"So how do we get past?" Samantha asked.
"Give me a minute." Roan said. He tapped his earpiece. "Police presence and an ONI car at Belling Square. Cortana, please advise."
"That one's a bit tough." she said. "I could masquerade as Dispatch and get the police away, but that won't work on the ONI car."
"So we go through it?"
"You may need to get a bit creative, Roan."
"Well thanks." he closed the channel. He looked to the others with a grumble. "OK I have an idea, but it's a little risky."
"Lay it on us." Jackson said sitting on a bench. "Can't be any worse than some of our other bright ideas."
Roan paced softly tapping his chin. "OK, so here's what I've got: we're going to snag a couple of uniforms from those cops."
"Is that it?" Sam groaned. "Spare me, Allen, I thought you were going to give me something interesting." Her tail waived in annoyance.
"You two must lead a charmed life." Borne shook his head.
"You should see what we do when we work under stress." Jackson sniggered.
"To do so though, I'm going to need to get the attention of those cops." Roan continued.
"Well, give us a show." Jackson said waving her hands.
Roan looked at the Mobian who sat on the bench with a self-satisfied smile on her face.
"Oh, no backup or anything. I see it's going to be like that."
"You never needed my help before."
"I hope your tail gets torn off by a truck."
She pointed a finger at him. "Hey, I may need to kick your ass for that, but first, get moving Humie. My cast will probably get broken anyway. Now begone." She shooed him away with a flick of her wrist.
Allen sighed and turned to walk through the moving people. He had been on Earth several times before, but the crowds were always something that he could never truly get used to. There were never this many people in Copperdown, probably not even on all of Sigma Octantis IV. He revelled in the sound of it though as he pushed through the moving lines of humanity. The police cars were across the square, and Allen needed to think of half of his idea while circling the fountain at the center of the area. He spent one final minute contemplating the hovering spheres drawing and shooting water out of its structure before finally moving.
The police cars were very noticeable now. Allen could clearly make out the serial number on the body as well as the emergency number. The cop leaning on the hood started to look in his direction and straightened a little. Roan could guess why: the glasses probably showed far less information than the rest of the crowd, and that was throwing up a red flag. Allen purposely stepped past the cars, and moved in the direction of the government building. Just as planned, the officer started to walk behind him.
From their safe bench, Jackson smiled. "It's remarkable how often this trick works."
"How many times have you used it?" Borne wondered.
"Dozens. At least three times already in a short space of time."
"Won't they ask for facial scans or something?"
"Inside the tower maybe. But out here?" she watched as Roan disappeared into an alley with the cop behind him. "Not a chance."
Allen walked deeper into the alley and was convinced that it was safe to lash out.
"Excuse me, sir?" the officer asked trailing closer and closer. "You can't be here sir."
Roan stopped and let the officer come a bit closer.
"Sir, this is a restricted area, I'm going to ask you to leave once."
"Oh don't worry." Allen smiled. "You're going to give me the clearance I need." Before the cop could even react, a fist swung from nowhere, slamming into the side of his skull, knocking him out in seconds.
Sally kept her coat bundled up to her neck, ensuring that the cap she stole from a street merchant covered her face. It wouldn't be unusual to see a Mobian in New York, but the less her face appeared on security logs the better. Bunnie too seemed pretty comfortable in the jacket that Reyes gave to her. The tall and strong Marine walked at her side. Sally had to smile at the sheer genius of it. Jamie would serve as a sort of attention magnet. More people would be looking at him than the two Mobians who walked alongside him. The girls were virtually invisible.
"I hope your dad's OK." Bunnie said in a low voice. "Your mom too. They've been taking it pretty hard."
"On what?" Sally asked.
"Everything really." her friend spoke. "I mean, our sort of problem isn't really something the Kingdom's faced fairly often in the past you know."
"Ancient alien superweapons?"
"That's on the list."
"Conspiracy?" She added hesitantly.
"We've done that before."
Sally had one. "Ever been made pregnant by someone from another dimension?"
Reyes bobbed his eyebrows. "Well, that'll do it."
"Any advice in that area?" the Princess asked.
"It wasn't fun telling my girlfriend's parents she was pregnant."
"Oh, you too huh?" the Mobian smiled. "Probably not the same social stratification though."
He pursed his lips in thought. "Well, her father was the captain of the ship I happened to serve on."
"Ouch." the girls said in unison.
"What happened? Burial at sea?" Bunnie asked.
"As a matter of fact, I lucked out." Reyes said. "Simple banishment. I get to breathe and see my daughter in exchange for me never setting foot on a single deck plate of a ship that he commanded, business or pleasure."
Sally chuckled. The jokes were nice as always. A light in a dark room and all that fun stuff. However, she noticed that they had come across Columbus Plaza. It was an area close to Central Park out in the distance. Above her the skyscrapers stretched into the clouds of the dark sky, barely even visible thanks to the constant lighting of the city. She knew this area well, as she had been here many times before.
"Why are we stopping?" Reyes asked.
"He lives here." she pointed to one of the buildings. "We came here often."
Bunnie was about to ask who, but then stopped herself. She knew well enough. "Her Human." she explained to Reyes. "The Captain."
"Ah." Reyes responded. "We... are on a deadline you know."
"Please, Jamie, I need a moment. I just want to see what happened here. If anything."
The large lobby of the building was covered with wanted posters. There was his face, scowling and angry, a very well chosen photograph of the Captain. His normally calm face was scrunched in anger in the middle of a yell at someone out of the shot. They wanted millions for his head, dead or alive. An extended list of crimes were underneath the picture, scrolling automatically. The Elijah Jones, the apparent slaughter of ONI Agents, Marines, and Sailors, destruction of military property, stowing away, trespassing, resisting arrest, and one of the most apparent, conspiracy to commit treason against the President of the UEG.
Sally's mouth was dry. An older Human lady was looking at the picture, noticed Sally and shook her head. "And to think." she said to her. "He used to live here. You never know who you share your home with young lady." She grumbled to herself as she shuffled away. Sally was very uncomfortable here. The air was not as lively as she remembered it. The people who lived here were not so proud of this building anymore.
Reyes looked around the area. "Nice place." he noted.
"It was his parents'" Sally responded. "They left it to him."
"I wish I was as lucky."
They walked to the elevator. Sally punched in the floor that Chris lived on and the car shot up and above the shorter buildings into the sky. The entire Skyline was visible now – a galaxy of man-made lights contrasting the natural ones above.
"Golly, I never get tired of that." Bunnie breathed.
"To die for, huh?" Sally whispered.
The car opened. A long and vaulted hallway stood beyond with fine carpeting, windows overlooking the city and the park, and fine benches for looking outside. Sally glanced out of the window, easily spying the government building towering above all of the others. She glared angrily at it, cursing Marshall with her eyes for all that he had done. But she then remembered the first time she saw it, and was indeed in it. She remembered Sonic jumping from that very building as he went to run around the city causing mischief and mayhem. He gave the police a nice workout.
"What's so funny?" Bunnie asked.
"A good memory." Sally responded.
They didn't have to go far. The room that they were looking for was 207-34. That was his apartment. However, when they got closer, they noticed the air was growing more and more... sterile.
When they rounded another corner that would lead to Chris' residence, they noticed that something entirely different awaited them. His door was there, but it was guarded. The man that was there was tall, buffed, and looking incredibly deadly. His muscles barely seemed contained by his uniform, and his eyes seemed like that were barely there at all. She recognized him as a Hunter, one of Marshall's pet projects. That would have been enough, but the hallways were cordoned, pipes were running into the room, and chatter was coming from within. Marshall's men had already been here and had been going through every single inch of his room.
Sally felt many emotions at once. She felt confusion, rage, sadness, and a sense that she had been violated in some way. That room was private. For her and for her Human. She fought the urge to do something incredibly stupid. She needed to act smart.
"Oh, excuse me..." a voice said. The group wheeled around. A Mobian stood there. Male, late twenties it seemed, and a canine. He looked at the girls, but then made eye contact with Reyes.
"What?" the Human Marine asked.
The Mobian seemed slightly intimidated. "You were... uh... trying to get through?"
"I have a friend on this floor." Sally explained quickly.
"Oh really?" the Mobian said. "I'm probably one of his neighbors. Christopher Ashton." He extended his hand, which Sally took.
"Aaron, Sandra." Sally responded with her handle, starting slightly at the sound of the identical first name.
"Pleasure." he cleared his throat. "Uh yeah, they've been there for quite some time. People have been coming in and out from that room. They're not letting anybody past there. I mean, the Faustins have been quarantined behind that cordon until he scanning has been complete."
"How long have they been there?" Bunnie asked.
"A week? Maybe two? Poor Mrs. Faustin." his ears dipped. "They send runners with groceries and goods, but they don't let them leave, simply because they're behind the cordon. I think the Quincents are behind there too. All because of that... man that lives there. I heard he did some things."
Reyes asked. "You think he did it?"
Ashton lowered his voice. "Not a chance. He's a good man." He glanced down the hallway at the Hunter. "Sorry, gotta be careful around those guys. They're supposed to have good hearing. What a time to move in. I got comfortable for a few days and suddenly ONI agents barricade my neighbors' door. Anyway, I don't want to keep you, but it you're ever at the Museum of Natural History, we're having a Mobian History exhibit in three weeks! I'm the curator! It'll be fun, Miss Aaron..." his ear twitched. "Do I know you?"
Sally's heart sped up and Reyes looked at her. "No... of course not." She averted her eyes.
Ashton didn't say anything. "Right. Of course. My mistake." He turned to walk away as he said this, but before he rounded the corner of the hall, he looked at her one more time. "Be careful out there Miss... Aaron. No telling who's looking out for you nowadays." With that, he was gone, leaving Sally, Bunnie and Reyes alone in the hall. Without anything else to stay for, the trio slowly walked back towards the elevator. Reyes was right of course. They were on a deadline.
The words of Jolee Bindo were still strong in the mind of Avery Johnson, but in truth he could only take the Jedi course of neutrality for only so long. The Sergeant stormed through the halls of the castle with Percy in tow. He had to find Prower. The little guy was one of the few people that Johnson could trust, even with Percy at his side. The smaller they kept their group, the better. Earlier, not long after their conference with the king, Johnson told the Corporal about his plan. They had been waiting for far too long and they needed to act. But they couldn't do it alone. Currently, Johnson was walking through the North wing of the castle with a cigar clamped in his mouth and glowing as a string of smoke rose towards the vaulted ceiling. Even though he was wearing off duty fatigues, Johnson felt as if he were dressed for war.
"Gotta say Sarge, I think you've been in the freezer for too long."
"Well, maybe that'll explain why I'm such a ballsy son of a bitch. My pansy lobe must have been damaged." He puffed on the cigar. "We've already passed the point of no return, Percy. I don't care if Bindo has a degree from his fancy Jedi College of Fine Arts, I've got the Corps behind me. Even if it's only a small bunch of men, they're the highest concentration of hardass I can find."
"Oorah, Sarge."
"Keep your mouth shut though. Otherwise you may find you may have a little red dot on your chest."
The men wandered into the far end of the North Wing. Only a few palace guards were on duty, so they wouldn't be a problem. Johnson spotted Geoffrey St. John walking away. The men locked eyes for a few second. St. John nodded at Johnson who nodded back.
"I think Geoff's as pissed off as you." Ryan joked.
"We're all pissed. We all want to do something. We're gonna be the first, Percy." Johnson found R&D easily enough. A quick knock on the door had it open up. Tails cracked the door open.
"Sergeant Major?"
"Come on." Johnson simply said. "We have a meeting to get to."
"Meeting?" Miles edged outside the room.
"Yes. We have a meeting." Johnson insisted. "One I think you should tag along for since we were at the last one."
The young fox looked slightly confused, but locked the door behind him. "Alright, I'm game." He waved his hands. "So, who are we meeting?"
"The STARs."
"What?" Miles asked, looking around to make sure that nobody was listening. "What do we need them for?"
"We're done waiting. We're acting."
They said nothing else until they got to the barracks of the STARs. The room was dark, but the instant that Johnson snapped on the lights, the men and women of this all-Mobian team snapped to attention. Almost as if they all slept with one eye open.
"On your feet, ladies! Sorry if I interrupted your wet dreams, but the Corps has a job for you!" He nodded towards Ryan who locked the door behind them. "Consider it something personal to me! Should you do this, you will have my undying gratitude!"
"Yes sir, Sergeant Major!" the STARs called out. Thirty men and women of all walks of Mobian life were standing up straight with arms at their side and eyes forward. Even though they technically worked for the Kingdom's government, all Johnson saw were Marines in a very clever disguise.
"Now, you may be aware that there may have been some political turbulence, and you may not be paid to think, but that's OK, you're paid to kick ass, unless I'm wrong of course!"
"No, Sergeant Major!" The STARs shouted.
Johnson lowered his voice. "I've had a hand in training you boys and girls. I've broken you and built you up again along with several other drill masters. You're all badasses, each and every one of you. Now I need your help."
The people around him looked slightly confused. Johnson decided to spill it.
"There's a madman on the other side of that gate who wants nothing more than war against you and wants to take over Earth and assert his damned dirty dominance over the government, and the Corps!" Johnson shook his head. "I don't know about you, but that last one pisses me off something fierce. So." He looked at the faces. All of them young, all of them eager to prove themselves. Eager to fight for something they believed in. "Who wants to save the world?"
"WE DO, SERGEANT!"
"Your princess is on the other side of that gate and she needs someone's help! Are there any badasses out there ready to give her a helping hand?"
"YES SERGEANT!"
Ryan was grinning ear to ear. Tails looked equally as excited.
"We have an opportunity to save Earth from a war before it happens! Are you up to it?"
"YES SERGEANT!" They were getting pumped up now. They were all wide awake now. Their eyes were sharp and their stance was even straighter.
"Anyone want to refuse?"
"HELL NO, SIR!"
"THEN I WANT YOU READY FOR A PRECISION BLACK OP INSERTION BY DAWN! BY DAWN STARS!" Johnson barked. "Bring your good boots! You'll be kicking tyrant ass before lunch time, I promise you that! Oorah?"
"OORAH SERGEANT!"
As the Mobians scrambled to get their gear in order, Johnson stood in the middle of it all, holding his cigar triumphantly in his fingers. It was a glorious day to be in the Corps indeed.
"I feel it, ladies and gentlemen. Endgame is at hand!"
June 12th, 3239, 0004 hours
New York City, Earth
En Route to UEG Government Building
Sonic shuffled in his seat on the bus as they drove through the thoroughfares of the city. Cars whipped by them quickly and out of the windows, many thousands of advertisements shined upon the streets, compelling people to buy and consume. Sonic wasn't much one for such things, but as soon as he saw an advert for chili dogs his mouth began to salivate. It was his Achilles' heel, hot dogs of any sort. Konstantinos saw this and looked at the same sign, turning back in an instant.
"What's the matter?" Sonic asked.
"I'm starving, man. Don't make me look at anything I don't have to." Alex groaned.
"Well, you looked at it." Sonic laughed. "Man, I wish we didn't have to take the bus. We could have walked."
John was monitoring their conversation with his superb hearing. He was allowing it so far because they weren't spilling any sort of details that spies or surveillance equipment couldn't pick up. The minute he felt that they were getting too far, he would cut in. His reaction time was certainly quick enough.
"Where do we get off?" Konstantinos asked the Spartan.
"We get off when Cortana tells us to." John replied. Cortana was well aware about where they were headed along the transit routes and no doubt she had already picked out an optimal point for them to disembark. She was quiet for now, but it was clear that she would chime in when the time was right. Currently, her AI chip was sitting in a storage contained on John's belt, made to look like a soft pack. He communicated to her with an earpiece.
Sonic looked out the window again. He was feeling much better after their escape from Tokyo, but the scarring would remain for quite some time. The ONI agents were adept at interrogation and he didn't want to see them again. In truth he wanted to be quite non-confrontational this time around. Sticking to the background in this case would get him farther than not. He glanced at the government building and how it shot into the sky.
"How long do you think it took to make that?"
"Dunno." Konstantinos said. "Building's very old. It was built after the Covenant War was done, that's all I know." the Human coughed and tapped Sonic's shoulder. "Um, how well known are you?"
"What do you mean?" he then immediately saw what Konstantinos meant. There were quite a few Mobians in this bus, one or two of them were looking at him. He decided to give something approaching an answer. "Depends on how well known. Outside of the Kingdom, some people know about me, but not very much. Oh man this could be trouble though."
John looked in their direction. "Cortana, assessment." he whispered.
"We're not close enough." she replied. "We need to wait a bit longer."
"We may have a few gawkers."
"Look natural." she advised.
John took a moment to reflect on the fact that he was a six foot five bodybuilder with twenty-two inch arms riding public transit and decided that, sure, he would look natural.
The bus riders for the most part seemed to be minding their own business. A feline Mobian sat in the far corner with her young son sitting next to her. She was reading a magazine while the child was looking out the bus window. The other two Mobians would probably raise more ruckus. One was a hedgehog as well. Not a problem in itself, but what sent it into danger territory was that he had a disturbingly similar quill styling to Sonic. The other was looking at a handheld chatter device. He was a rodent for sure, but unknown species to be sure. The hedgehog though was looking at them with a curious glance.
Sonic decided to avert his own gaze and tried to find something interesting to look at. He eventually settled on some of the advertisements on the top of the bus. They were relatively uninteresting and not at all geared towards him. He stopped for a second wondering about the possibility of a Swedish massage from a rather attractive looking masseuse, but then reminded himself why he was looking in the first place. As he craned his neck, his back felt sore from lying in an uncomfortable cell, not to mention the 'accidents' that took place between moving from the cell to the interrogation room.
John however watched the Mobian from his peripheral vision. If Sonic was recognized, that would mean that ONI could have a clue about where they were. Of course, the other two teams may have had a fair shot, but ideally they would all get through with minimal trouble.
"Hey man, pardon me?"
The hedgehog spoke. Sonic didn't look towards him for a moment, choosing to focus more on the toothpaste advertisement on the roof of the bus.
"Dude, you got a second?
The young man spoke again, this time getting excited. Sonic had to think fast, this time choosing to do something that seemed obvious in a time like this: he decided to lie through his teeth and take on a new identity.
"Yeah, what?" he asked in a gravelly voice, a sharp contrast from his usual upbeat tone.
"Are you..." the other Mobian asked again. "Are you... Sonic the Hedgehog?"
Some of the other bus riders looked around at the mentioning of the name. Many of them Humans, Sonic observed. Mobius was one thing, but how well known was he on Earth?
"No, I'm not Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic said in his low voice. "Every damned time I get asked that. You think if I was Sonic I would be riding this bus?"
The other hedgehog's face dimmed a little. "No... I guess not."
"You think I would be out fighting evil instead of running to get a cup of coffee?"
The other hedgehog started to look a little embarrassed. "No, I would think so."
"Mistaken Identity."
"I'm sorry." the young Mobian said, almost red in the face if it would have shown through his fur. With that, the bus lost interest. Sonic let out a sigh of relief.
"Smooth." Konstantinos said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you." Sonic whispered back. Of course, another factor into his deception was that a lot of his blue fur dye had been washed out from the dreaded prison hose. The only indication of his blue hue were a few stubborn highlights that remained behind. Not enough to draw that many eyes.
"Cortana, now." the Spartan whispered.
"Alright." the AI said. "Now's as good a time as any."
John pressed the button slightly above his head to stop the bus. The vehicle screeched to a halt next to a sidewalk where the three men left and merged into the crowd. John took advantage of the multitude of people and spoke through this earpiece. "Team One is in position, how copy?"
"Team Three is still en route." Sally reported from her end. "Hitting every traffic light along the way."
"Team Two is in position."
Roan was the first to exit the subway station. He took a quick look around to determine if there was any sort of danger that would be awaiting them. However, after glancing around at street corners and security cameras, he determined that it would be safe enough to travel.
Samantha was second and Borne followed her up. The three Mobians moved with little interest thrown in their general direction. For all intents and purposes, they were invisible.
The massive government building stood above them punching through a low cloud cover. It seemed crazy to think that Marshall was somewhere inside of that, but that was the truth of the matter.
"Security's going to get tighter as we go." Jackson noted.
"Of course." Roan nodded. "But that's where the fun begins."
"Just like in the gulag."
"Hopefully with less collateral damage this time though."
Borne's ear twitched. "How come I get the feeling there's a story behind this?"
Roan smirked. "Maybe there is; we're a bit behind in telling it anyway. Regardless, stay somewhat separated. Sam, Bill's your husband. I'm just another schmoe who's walking in the same direction as you."
"I can live with that." Borne chuckled, hooking his arm around Samantha's. She scowled slightly. "Enjoy it dog breath; we're getting a divorce after this."
"So feisty." William said. "I like that in a wife!"
"Hey, can it." Allen growled. "We're coming up to Belling Square."
"Heavy police presence." Jackson noted. "Look Allen, three squad cars, all parked on the same side of the road."
The angular police cars were parked, but there were a few officers up and about. One was leaning on the hood scanning the area, sunglasses concealing his eyes, but it was clear that it had some kind of computer beaming information onto the lenses. He was looking for people.
"Looks like someone was expecting us." Borne said raising an eyebrow.
"Not us, Mister Borne." Roan announced. "Regardless, they've got a pretty good blockade going on the street. The way forward's covered. Lookee Lookee. Unmarked SUV."
It was a clear sign of an ONI agent in the area. Same make and model as the original reports. Borne recognized it in particular.
"So how do we get past?" Samantha asked.
"Give me a minute." Roan said. He tapped his earpiece. "Police presence and an ONI car at Belling Square. Cortana, please advise."
"That one's a bit tough." she said. "I could masquerade as Dispatch and get the police away, but that won't work on the ONI car."
"So we go through it?"
"You may need to get a bit creative, Roan."
"Well thanks." he closed the channel. He looked to the others with a grumble. "OK I have an idea, but it's a little risky."
"Lay it on us." Jackson said sitting on a bench. "Can't be any worse than some of our other bright ideas."
Roan paced softly tapping his chin. "OK, so here's what I've got: we're going to snag a couple of uniforms from those cops."
"Is that it?" Sam groaned. "Spare me, Allen, I thought you were going to give me something interesting." Her tail waived in annoyance.
"You two must lead a charmed life." Borne shook his head.
"You should see what we do when we work under stress." Jackson sniggered.
"To do so though, I'm going to need to get the attention of those cops." Roan continued.
"Well, give us a show." Jackson said waving her hands.
Roan looked at the Mobian who sat on the bench with a self-satisfied smile on her face.
"Oh, no backup or anything. I see it's going to be like that."
"You never needed my help before."
"I hope your tail gets torn off by a truck."
She pointed a finger at him. "Hey, I may need to kick your ass for that, but first, get moving Humie. My cast will probably get broken anyway. Now begone." She shooed him away with a flick of her wrist.
Allen sighed and turned to walk through the moving people. He had been on Earth several times before, but the crowds were always something that he could never truly get used to. There were never this many people in Copperdown, probably not even on all of Sigma Octantis IV. He revelled in the sound of it though as he pushed through the moving lines of humanity. The police cars were across the square, and Allen needed to think of half of his idea while circling the fountain at the center of the area. He spent one final minute contemplating the hovering spheres drawing and shooting water out of its structure before finally moving.
The police cars were very noticeable now. Allen could clearly make out the serial number on the body as well as the emergency number. The cop leaning on the hood started to look in his direction and straightened a little. Roan could guess why: the glasses probably showed far less information than the rest of the crowd, and that was throwing up a red flag. Allen purposely stepped past the cars, and moved in the direction of the government building. Just as planned, the officer started to walk behind him.
From their safe bench, Jackson smiled. "It's remarkable how often this trick works."
"How many times have you used it?" Borne wondered.
"Dozens. At least three times already in a short space of time."
"Won't they ask for facial scans or something?"
"Inside the tower maybe. But out here?" she watched as Roan disappeared into an alley with the cop behind him. "Not a chance."
Allen walked deeper into the alley and was convinced that it was safe to lash out.
"Excuse me, sir?" the officer asked trailing closer and closer. "You can't be here sir."
Roan stopped and let the officer come a bit closer.
"Sir, this is a restricted area, I'm going to ask you to leave once."
"Oh don't worry." Allen smiled. "You're going to give me the clearance I need." Before the cop could even react, a fist swung from nowhere, slamming into the side of his skull, knocking him out in seconds.
Sally kept her coat bundled up to her neck, ensuring that the cap she stole from a street merchant covered her face. It wouldn't be unusual to see a Mobian in New York, but the less her face appeared on security logs the better. Bunnie too seemed pretty comfortable in the jacket that Reyes gave to her. The tall and strong Marine walked at her side. Sally had to smile at the sheer genius of it. Jamie would serve as a sort of attention magnet. More people would be looking at him than the two Mobians who walked alongside him. The girls were virtually invisible.
"I hope your dad's OK." Bunnie said in a low voice. "Your mom too. They've been taking it pretty hard."
"On what?" Sally asked.
"Everything really." her friend spoke. "I mean, our sort of problem isn't really something the Kingdom's faced fairly often in the past you know."
"Ancient alien superweapons?"
"That's on the list."
"Conspiracy?" She added hesitantly.
"We've done that before."
Sally had one. "Ever been made pregnant by someone from another dimension?"
Reyes bobbed his eyebrows. "Well, that'll do it."
"Any advice in that area?" the Princess asked.
"It wasn't fun telling my girlfriend's parents she was pregnant."
"Oh, you too huh?" the Mobian smiled. "Probably not the same social stratification though."
He pursed his lips in thought. "Well, her father was the captain of the ship I happened to serve on."
"Ouch." the girls said in unison.
"What happened? Burial at sea?" Bunnie asked.
"As a matter of fact, I lucked out." Reyes said. "Simple banishment. I get to breathe and see my daughter in exchange for me never setting foot on a single deck plate of a ship that he commanded, business or pleasure."
Sally chuckled. The jokes were nice as always. A light in a dark room and all that fun stuff. However, she noticed that they had come across Columbus Plaza. It was an area close to Central Park out in the distance. Above her the skyscrapers stretched into the clouds of the dark sky, barely even visible thanks to the constant lighting of the city. She knew this area well, as she had been here many times before.
"Why are we stopping?" Reyes asked.
"He lives here." she pointed to one of the buildings. "We came here often."
Bunnie was about to ask who, but then stopped herself. She knew well enough. "Her Human." she explained to Reyes. "The Captain."
"Ah." Reyes responded. "We... are on a deadline you know."
"Please, Jamie, I need a moment. I just want to see what happened here. If anything."
The large lobby of the building was covered with wanted posters. There was his face, scowling and angry, a very well chosen photograph of the Captain. His normally calm face was scrunched in anger in the middle of a yell at someone out of the shot. They wanted millions for his head, dead or alive. An extended list of crimes were underneath the picture, scrolling automatically. The Elijah Jones, the apparent slaughter of ONI Agents, Marines, and Sailors, destruction of military property, stowing away, trespassing, resisting arrest, and one of the most apparent, conspiracy to commit treason against the President of the UEG.
Sally's mouth was dry. An older Human lady was looking at the picture, noticed Sally and shook her head. "And to think." she said to her. "He used to live here. You never know who you share your home with young lady." She grumbled to herself as she shuffled away. Sally was very uncomfortable here. The air was not as lively as she remembered it. The people who lived here were not so proud of this building anymore.
Reyes looked around the area. "Nice place." he noted.
"It was his parents'" Sally responded. "They left it to him."
"I wish I was as lucky."
They walked to the elevator. Sally punched in the floor that Chris lived on and the car shot up and above the shorter buildings into the sky. The entire Skyline was visible now – a galaxy of man-made lights contrasting the natural ones above.
"Golly, I never get tired of that." Bunnie breathed.
"To die for, huh?" Sally whispered.
The car opened. A long and vaulted hallway stood beyond with fine carpeting, windows overlooking the city and the park, and fine benches for looking outside. Sally glanced out of the window, easily spying the government building towering above all of the others. She glared angrily at it, cursing Marshall with her eyes for all that he had done. But she then remembered the first time she saw it, and was indeed in it. She remembered Sonic jumping from that very building as he went to run around the city causing mischief and mayhem. He gave the police a nice workout.
"What's so funny?" Bunnie asked.
"A good memory." Sally responded.
They didn't have to go far. The room that they were looking for was 207-34. That was his apartment. However, when they got closer, they noticed the air was growing more and more... sterile.
When they rounded another corner that would lead to Chris' residence, they noticed that something entirely different awaited them. His door was there, but it was guarded. The man that was there was tall, buffed, and looking incredibly deadly. His muscles barely seemed contained by his uniform, and his eyes seemed like that were barely there at all. She recognized him as a Hunter, one of Marshall's pet projects. That would have been enough, but the hallways were cordoned, pipes were running into the room, and chatter was coming from within. Marshall's men had already been here and had been going through every single inch of his room.
Sally felt many emotions at once. She felt confusion, rage, sadness, and a sense that she had been violated in some way. That room was private. For her and for her Human. She fought the urge to do something incredibly stupid. She needed to act smart.
"Oh, excuse me..." a voice said. The group wheeled around. A Mobian stood there. Male, late twenties it seemed, and a canine. He looked at the girls, but then made eye contact with Reyes.
"What?" the Human Marine asked.
The Mobian seemed slightly intimidated. "You were... uh... trying to get through?"
"I have a friend on this floor." Sally explained quickly.
"Oh really?" the Mobian said. "I'm probably one of his neighbors. Christopher Ashton." He extended his hand, which Sally took.
"Aaron, Sandra." Sally responded with her handle, starting slightly at the sound of the identical first name.
"Pleasure." he cleared his throat. "Uh yeah, they've been there for quite some time. People have been coming in and out from that room. They're not letting anybody past there. I mean, the Faustins have been quarantined behind that cordon until he scanning has been complete."
"How long have they been there?" Bunnie asked.
"A week? Maybe two? Poor Mrs. Faustin." his ears dipped. "They send runners with groceries and goods, but they don't let them leave, simply because they're behind the cordon. I think the Quincents are behind there too. All because of that... man that lives there. I heard he did some things."
Reyes asked. "You think he did it?"
Ashton lowered his voice. "Not a chance. He's a good man." He glanced down the hallway at the Hunter. "Sorry, gotta be careful around those guys. They're supposed to have good hearing. What a time to move in. I got comfortable for a few days and suddenly ONI agents barricade my neighbors' door. Anyway, I don't want to keep you, but it you're ever at the Museum of Natural History, we're having a Mobian History exhibit in three weeks! I'm the curator! It'll be fun, Miss Aaron..." his ear twitched. "Do I know you?"
Sally's heart sped up and Reyes looked at her. "No... of course not." She averted her eyes.
Ashton didn't say anything. "Right. Of course. My mistake." He turned to walk away as he said this, but before he rounded the corner of the hall, he looked at her one more time. "Be careful out there Miss... Aaron. No telling who's looking out for you nowadays." With that, he was gone, leaving Sally, Bunnie and Reyes alone in the hall. Without anything else to stay for, the trio slowly walked back towards the elevator. Reyes was right of course. They were on a deadline.
The words of Jolee Bindo were still strong in the mind of Avery Johnson, but in truth he could only take the Jedi course of neutrality for only so long. The Sergeant stormed through the halls of the castle with Percy in tow. He had to find Prower. The little guy was one of the few people that Johnson could trust, even with Percy at his side. The smaller they kept their group, the better. Earlier, not long after their conference with the king, Johnson told the Corporal about his plan. They had been waiting for far too long and they needed to act. But they couldn't do it alone. Currently, Johnson was walking through the North wing of the castle with a cigar clamped in his mouth and glowing as a string of smoke rose towards the vaulted ceiling. Even though he was wearing off duty fatigues, Johnson felt as if he were dressed for war.
"Gotta say Sarge, I think you've been in the freezer for too long."
"Well, maybe that'll explain why I'm such a ballsy son of a bitch. My pansy lobe must have been damaged." He puffed on the cigar. "We've already passed the point of no return, Percy. I don't care if Bindo has a degree from his fancy Jedi College of Fine Arts, I've got the Corps behind me. Even if it's only a small bunch of men, they're the highest concentration of hardass I can find."
"Oorah, Sarge."
"Keep your mouth shut though. Otherwise you may find you may have a little red dot on your chest."
The men wandered into the far end of the North Wing. Only a few palace guards were on duty, so they wouldn't be a problem. Johnson spotted Geoffrey St. John walking away. The men locked eyes for a few second. St. John nodded at Johnson who nodded back.
"I think Geoff's as pissed off as you." Ryan joked.
"We're all pissed. We all want to do something. We're gonna be the first, Percy." Johnson found R&D easily enough. A quick knock on the door had it open up. Tails cracked the door open.
"Sergeant Major?"
"Come on." Johnson simply said. "We have a meeting to get to."
"Meeting?" Miles edged outside the room.
"Yes. We have a meeting." Johnson insisted. "One I think you should tag along for since we were at the last one."
The young fox looked slightly confused, but locked the door behind him. "Alright, I'm game." He waved his hands. "So, who are we meeting?"
"The STARs."
"What?" Miles asked, looking around to make sure that nobody was listening. "What do we need them for?"
"We're done waiting. We're acting."
They said nothing else until they got to the barracks of the STARs. The room was dark, but the instant that Johnson snapped on the lights, the men and women of this all-Mobian team snapped to attention. Almost as if they all slept with one eye open.
"On your feet, ladies! Sorry if I interrupted your wet dreams, but the Corps has a job for you!" He nodded towards Ryan who locked the door behind them. "Consider it something personal to me! Should you do this, you will have my undying gratitude!"
"Yes sir, Sergeant Major!" the STARs called out. Thirty men and women of all walks of Mobian life were standing up straight with arms at their side and eyes forward. Even though they technically worked for the Kingdom's government, all Johnson saw were Marines in a very clever disguise.
"Now, you may be aware that there may have been some political turbulence, and you may not be paid to think, but that's OK, you're paid to kick ass, unless I'm wrong of course!"
"No, Sergeant Major!" The STARs shouted.
Johnson lowered his voice. "I've had a hand in training you boys and girls. I've broken you and built you up again along with several other drill masters. You're all badasses, each and every one of you. Now I need your help."
The people around him looked slightly confused. Johnson decided to spill it.
"There's a madman on the other side of that gate who wants nothing more than war against you and wants to take over Earth and assert his damned dirty dominance over the government, and the Corps!" Johnson shook his head. "I don't know about you, but that last one pisses me off something fierce. So." He looked at the faces. All of them young, all of them eager to prove themselves. Eager to fight for something they believed in. "Who wants to save the world?"
"WE DO, SERGEANT!"
"Your princess is on the other side of that gate and she needs someone's help! Are there any badasses out there ready to give her a helping hand?"
"YES SERGEANT!"
Ryan was grinning ear to ear. Tails looked equally as excited.
"We have an opportunity to save Earth from a war before it happens! Are you up to it?"
"YES SERGEANT!" They were getting pumped up now. They were all wide awake now. Their eyes were sharp and their stance was even straighter.
"Anyone want to refuse?"
"HELL NO, SIR!"
"THEN I WANT YOU READY FOR A PRECISION BLACK OP INSERTION BY DAWN! BY DAWN STARS!" Johnson barked. "Bring your good boots! You'll be kicking tyrant ass before lunch time, I promise you that! Oorah?"
"OORAH SERGEANT!"
As the Mobians scrambled to get their gear in order, Johnson stood in the middle of it all, holding his cigar triumphantly in his fingers. It was a glorious day to be in the Corps indeed.
"I feel it, ladies and gentlemen. Endgame is at hand!"
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