Nick was becoming increasingly irritated that Rin hadn’t responded to his calls. He wished she had a cellphone but until now she never needed one. He was running out of places to look at, and his mind would not think to look to the school for quite a while yet.
Nick’s cellphone rang. When he pulled it out he noticed the time. 3:50 P.M. He had Two hours and ten मिनटों left. Where was Rin? “Rin!” He called out. “Answer!” He had to find her, explain, convince, and… He didn’t even know what he would convince her of. Nick did not want to make that call, and he had no control over Rin’s actions. No matter what though, he had to try.
Talon was near the area where he talked to Kal earlier that day. It was near enough to the school. Perhaps she was there for some reason. Normally Nick wouldn’t look there as an option but he had no idea where else she would be unless she went back to one of their houses. ‘I’ll call Jesse.’
Before Talon could grab the phone it rang in his pocket. Hoping that this was news about Rin he yanked it out, nearly ripping his pocket-sack, and flung open the screen. “Hello, what is it—did you-“
“Nick, Nick, h-hold on; I need to tell आप something.” Kal interrupted. “My parents aren’t coming to my house.”
A stern and dark सवाल of “why” replied.
“They got called द्वारा the school about Rin, they told me that they had to go and couldn’t come over!”
“She’s at the school!?”
“Most-likely. Are आप near there?”
Talon barely had any time to sigh in relief but he worked one in regardless. “I’ll… ye-yes I’m near it.”
“Okay, get over there quick.” Nick didn’t wait to say goodbye. He slammed the phone down and dashed off, awkwardly shoving it back in his pocket while he went.
The halls echoed with the screech of the waxed-wooden floor as Talon turned a corner upon entering his High School. Some students and teachers who had stayed late for projects and such were either पार करना, क्रॉस या confused but paid no attention. “I have to figure out where she is…” He muttered, thinking back to what Kal had said. “The school called… about Rin… the principal!”
Normally an ironic thought about trying to get to the Principal’s office instead of escape it would be called for but the idea passed over Nick’s mind. Ten screeches against his tennies later and Talon was at the office door. He pounded on it thrice before calling out “Principal Istl!” He yelled repeatedly. The door yanked open with the human Principal looking extremely energized द्वारा Talon’s urgency.
“What is it!?” He demanded urgently, assuming the worst.
“Is Rin here?”
The Principal calmed himself with a sigh, pressing his fingers between his eyebrows and answering in a grumble “Yes…” He faintly opened his eyes up again to remind himself of whom he was talking to, “Nick Falon right?”
“C-can I talk to Rin?”
“Miss… Rin, is in the restroom right now, why do आप need to talk to her?”
“I can’t really explain but it’s really important. I just need a few मिनटों is that alright?” Nick wanted to ask why Rin was being detained, and extend his time as well, but he had no idea how dire this situation was at the High School, and despite his being definitely worse, he hardly doubted Principal Istl would believe him.
The human nodded soon after the suggestion was made, confusing Nick a tad द्वारा his willingness, but he wasted no time asking and dashed off towards the restrooms. The Principal yelled to him about keeping out of the girls’ bathroom but he paid it no attention.
The travel that took place going to the Principal’s Office became reenacted as Nick made his way to his new destination. Upon his third bang on the door he कहा loudly “Rin! Are आप in there?! I need to talk to y-OOF!” Nick found the identity strapped to his stomach, and did not see any means to remove her. He noticed though that her entire form was an almost radiating white. She wasn’t saying anything but she wasn’t dead, he knew that द्वारा her grip.
“R-Rin...?”
“Th-the-they found out about me and Kal’s f-family…” She muttered out. Had the दिन not been so troubling already Nick would be tempted to dismiss this problem, and Rin’s reaction, as juvenile and oversensitive, but either way he had to tell her the harder news, and there was not a worse time for it than now, but he had to do it.
“Rin… I have something I need to tell you, and you’ll need to liste-, wait, why didn’t आप reply with the connection?”
“You broke it… when आप got rid of the infecting Nanites from Arma-9…” She कहा muffled. Nick sighed. He felt a bit stupid not realizing that sooner. Talon half-expected to feel some sort of emotion about that, the loss of the connection, but he felt nothing. This did not surprise him much though. After all it was barely a loss in the first place.
He waited for Rin to let go. She eventually did, standing in front of him, vibrating almost. The only part of her not glowing white were her dark blue eyes. “What is it…” She whispered.
How would he say this? If Talon spoke the wrong words would she explode? Judging द्वारा her state Talon thought she might just collapse into a pile of sand. He had to start somewhere, and it needed to be a reassurance. Nick took a deep breath… held it… and almost passed out.
He fell forward, almost falling into Rin had she not moved to the side, though looking very confused as he braced himself, regaining full consciousness. “I… आप need… I…” He turned to the identity. She looked no और like her normal self than five सेकंड्स prior though she had managed to give a puzzled stare. “I need आप to know before I say any of this that I wish I could control this, या change it, या something…”
“Talon… what happened?” One could only guess what Rin was thinking right now. Was Talon admitting to the same problem that Jesse had? Did someone die? Did Arma-9 find them and brainwash them? Was he going to tell her… that… “Talon!” She couldn’t stand waiting, and she didn’t have time.
Nick straightened himself up. He was not prepared but he had to say it. “Rovor—the guy from Arma-9, he… CALLED me…” Nick forced out.
“… Wh-why…?” She could talk for the moment; that was good.
“He… wants to capture आप again. And… and he’s threatening to destroy the city if we don’t hand आप over.” Rin कहा nothing to this so Nick added, “He gave me four hours and now I have around two.”
He did not want her to ask, but he knew she would. He was not prepared to give a response but she कहा it anyway. “What are आप going to do about it?”
Stutters… stammers… groans… growls… deep stressed forced breaths… In the end… the lives of the many… outweighed the lives of the one. “I… can’t let anyone die… because of us…”
“But… I… I’m not…”
“Not…?”
“R-read-…” She turned aside. Nick would have remained melancholy if it weren’t for the red sparks starting up around the identity. Red… meant anger, he couldn’t have that happen. “Rin, I know it’s hard, I can barely stand it- I can’t stand it, but we ca-“
“Hand me over… to … them…?” The sparks became larger and और frequent.
“We can work something ou-“ Nick didn’t believe a word he was saying. “It’s… I can’t…”
The sparks stopped… the white faded, and was replaced द्वारा a dark grey. “You… you’ll… do it?”
“I’ll be there all the way if I can… a-and I’ll spend however long it takes to… get आप out again,” Talon paused only when he realized what he was promising. He had no resources, and barely any knowledge. The flash drive from Tori was all he would be able to use but as far as he knew all it held was information about Identities only, not Arma-9. Maybe if Tori was alive she could have told him more… another person he tried to save, help, but wasn’t able to.
It was then that Nick realized just how much he was not able to follow through with in this promise. Rin was a friend, yes, but he had no way of helping her, and no experience in anything he would be going up against. And even if he did, one wrong हटाइए and Arma-9 could destroy the city, whether या not they had Rin… they would destroy the city whether या not Rin was captured. “They… they must…”
Rin, who had previously been caught between admiration and devastation now faced Nick with a strong look of confusion as the hedgehog searched through his thoughts. ‘Arma-9 is willing to blow up the city. There has to be a reason that they think that’s a reasonable loss. They can’t just be wanting to destroy it because of losing Rin, they… they’re going to anyway…’
‘But why? Is there evidence या something underne-! …’ Nick remembered the first time he met Rin, and how quickly she was taken down द्वारा Arma-9. He had no doubt that even in her current experienced-form they would be able to take her again. But it wasn’t just Rin they wanted out of the picture. Rovor wasn’t going to leave Nick, Kal, या Jesse alone, या their families. Rovor was going to get rid of them too because they knew too much. That’s why he tried to mindwipe them, because they knew too much! He needed to do two things and he had less than two hours to do them now.
“Rin… leave. Run, fly, whatever, but get away from this place.”
The identity was now so confused that she had faded almost completely back to her normal form. “Bu-but I thought आप were going to let them… y’know…”
“They aren’t going to stop there. I have an idea of how to fix this but आप can’t be there. If they destroy the city and get आप too then no one will know the truth.”
“But… I don’t want to leave you… I- I can help fight them! I’ve got the most experience after all!”
“I’m hoping we won’t have to fight at all. I don’t know how much force they’re bringing, but what if they use those green-gun-ray-things on आप again? I can’t let that happen.”
“Why not?”
“I alre-“ Talon forced himself to not correct her and quickly added “So that they don’t get all of us if this goes badly. Rin… promise me आप won’t come back.”
“I can’t promise tha-“
“Please!”
“Talon आप don’t kn-“
“Your few मिनटों are up.” Principal Istl कहा as he approached them both. Upon noticing Rin’s state, and lack of Mobian facial structure, he froze in his steps. Shortly after he looked from Rin to Talon. Nick knew what the Principal was thinking.
“Rin, go.”
“I can-“
“Go NOW!” He knew that it would hurt her, and he knew that she might hate him for it, but Nick had to get her to leave somehow. He picked her up… and blasted the identity through a nearby window with his mist-abilities.
Nick didn’t get a सेकंड to check her reaction as the Principal pinned him to the ground. Of course aside from a brief stun Talon wasn’t worried about this. Channeling his mist powers around his body he began to burn the man’s arms until he let go. Upon being freed Nick dashed through the window, landing on his feet in the glass-covered grass. Rin was gone.
Talon had no time to think about what he did, time was running out. He ran away from the school as quickly as he could. Once Nick pulled out his phone it read 4:30… he had an घंटा and a half before Arma-9 came to level Hicksville, and all of its residents.
Fifteen मिनटों later…
“First आप want me to talk to my parents, then my parents are called off, then the school calls about your powers and Rin’s COMPLETELY normal appearance, and now we’re meeting secretly in the कचरा, जंक, रद्दी YARD?!” Kal would have sat down in a huff had the floor not been composed of dirt, rush, and garbage. As a consolation she simply crossed her arms.
Jesse stood to her left, and Nick to her front. Jesse had been almost completely silent. Rin was not the only female who had a gripe with him. Talon felt barely any और loved द्वारा either of them and he was forced to keep making things worse. “I couldn’t really think up a gigantic strategy in the time I had, Kal.” He grumbled.
“How did they find out?” She demanded.
“The Principal saw her normal appearance when I tried talking to her. I had to make her go.”
“So आप used your mist to do that?!”
“It wasn’t on purpose, it’s not like I have that much practice with triggering it.” Nick grumbled, becoming increasingly irritated with Kal’s verbal attacks. “Right now that isn’t important, but if आप have ANY idea of how I could have done things better, then go back in time and replace me with yourself because I’m not immortal and I’m not going to be able to make all the right choices!”
“Do आप know what happened to Rin after that?” Jesse questioned timidly.
Nick shook his head, closing his eyes in remembrance of the day’s events. Jesse shifted to his side with another layer of guilt blowing on चोटी, शीर्ष of him. “Guess this is all my fault, huh?”
“Your fault?” Talon gave a half-scrunched stare. “How’s this your fault? Arma-9 was going to call me whether या not Rin was upset to begin with.”
“Because I wasn’t able to get everyone brainwashed,” Kal stepped in. “making it my fault.”
“This isn’t about whose fault it is, but either way it’s Arma-9’s. Not you, not Jesse, not me, not Rin. We’re not the ones threatening the city, and we need to get back to that topic. We have,” He checked his phone, “One घंटा and twelve मिनटों before they दिखाना up again.”
“And what’s our plan for stopping them?” Jesse asked somewhat hopingly.
The सवाल almost shocked Talon sending him into a brief stammer. He needed a way to say this in detail and in a convincing tone. “We… d-don’t…”
“Come again?” Both फ्रेंड्स asked sternly.
Nick rubbed his eyes, using his index finger and thumb. “Look, there’s no way that Rin can get captured द्वारा them again, but we can’t let them get rid of the city either. So we… le-let them… m-make us forg-“
“No!” Kal took a threatening step towards Nick. “I’m not letting those creeps in my head a सेकंड time, especially willingly. How do we know they won’t blow up the city anyway?”
“We don’t but there has to be something we can do to convince them.”
“Can’t we at least get some kind of… memory saver...thing? To get our memories back afterwards…?” Jesse questioned.
Nick shook his head. “If we do that then this will just happen again.”
“So we just go back to being normal teenagers?” Kal was still angry. “Even if we WERE okay with that plan it doesn’t change that they still exist, and they’re still blinding the whole world to all of this! We’ll just be sitting around doing happy-day-hooey while और mobians, and who knows what else, are captured and experimented on!”
“Rin will know.” Jesse noted. Nick nodded and took over from there. “We can only hope that Rin will spread the word and find a way to take down Arma-9 at one point.”
“Even if she were able to do that, she’s going to come back here, to find us, and they’ll get her then.” Kal retorted.
“When Rin finds out what happened to us she’ll… leave. It’ll hurt her too much to be around us… and then she’ll हटाइए on.”
“Right,” Kal remarked sarcastically. “You know you’re the only one she was comfortable around right? आप couldn’t have दिया her a little और info?”
“The Principal was RIGHT THERE, Kal!” Nick snapped. “And she was on the brink of running away regardless. I couldn’t think of everything right then and there! THINK, guys! The whole city is at stake! What can we do? I don’t want to forget, I don’t want them to win, but are we going to sacrifice all these peop- our FAMILIES for this?!”
“If they are our families…” Kal grumbled to herself.
“Whether they are या whether they aren’t…” Jesse spoke up softly, notably lacking in aggression for the moment. “We… I can’t think of another… way.”
The feline looked to the two boys back and forth in disbelief. “You’re both just gonna give up your memories?? Why not just fight them? If we’ve got powers-“
“Oh so now आप think we have powers.” Nick mocked.
“IF WE HAVE POWERS… can’t we just get rid of them?”
“Talon’s the only one who’s had experience with his.” Jesse noted. “CAN आप spread the mist that wide, Nick?”
The grey hedgehog shook his head. “Even if I could I don’t know what they’ll bring to the table. Tanks? Hoverships? I can’t make it attack people specifically या anything like that, at least not yet. What was your power, Jesse?”
“I don’t even know… strength?”
“I punched through a तकिया if I recall correctly.” Kal added. “Not sure if that qualifies…” He ears lowered as the truth of the matter finally began to sink in. “Can’t we… scout out first; have one of us check them out to see what will happen—how many of them there are?”
“I can I guess.” Nick suggested. “Rovor called me after all so it only makes sense.”
“Can आप call him back?” Jesse asked.
“I tried, and the message I got कहा that if I do it again and it’s not our decision then, well…”
“Right.” Jesse sighed. “Then I guess we have to make our decision now.”
Kal searched for a different option, “But… we… h-how do we-“ and came up empty.
“I’ll do it.” Nick volunteered. “Get your families to a सुरक्षित area… try to save mine too if आप can. I don’t know if they’re here yet या not so आप might have a chance to sneak them out before this goes down.”
“And if they kill you?”
“I don’t know… go.” Nick turned around and pulled out his phone. His allies reluctantly turned as well, and left the area. The conversation lasted such a short time; Rovor answered, Nick informed him, Rovor told him to go to the Highway. Just like that Nick was leaving to determine the fate of every citizen that lived around him.
The black and red blur zipped across the Highway, barely noticeable to the naked eye. She didn’t know where this person was but he had to be somewhere. After reaching a clearing out of the clear-road highway, Rin noticed a large mountainous city in the distance. A सेकंड later and she had reached its chilly-weather roads.
Ducking between a nearby trash-bin and a wall, Rin quickly morphed into her feline form and walked out to the public. The streets were nearly covered द्वारा busy people. One of them had to know. She tapped on the shoulder of one many waiting for a green light on the crosswalk.
Upon the man’s turning, Rin quickly and nervously sputtered out “I-I need to find the Guardian.”
Nick was becoming irritated द्वारा the sound of the many cars at his side. During his wait a few even yelled at him; one threw a bottle. What made it harder to भालू was the lack of motivation for him to continue with this idea. He didn’t want to forget. He had been दिया his own adventure, met new and powerful people, uncovered a secret evil, and now he was about to forget all of that if he got the good end.
A sort of watery-gurgling sound came from right in front of him. As it did a grey-suited figure, with blue indentations around this suit, wearing a grey हेलमेट to match. Talon was startled, falling backward to his personal shame.
The हेलमेट pealed back. “What is your decision, Mr. Falon?” Rovor asked. He did not chuckle, या grin. He was a constant stillness with his mouth and eyelids the only constantly moving pieces of his person. He was not here to play, या delay, या to tease. He was here to pass Ultimatums, nothing more, and he wanted it to finish quickly.
Nick brushed his pants off once back to his feet, narrowing his eyes at the भेड़िया who showed little less hostility. “I couldn’t convince Rin if that’s what you’re asking.”
Rovor began to turn away. “Then we’re done h-“
“HEY!” Nick yanked the भेड़िया back द्वारा the shoulder. Rovor gave a dull stare to Nick, briefly looking to his shoulder until Nick let go, then back to Nick. “What?”
“You couldn’t expect that I could just do that!” Nick fumed. “You’ve got all the technology for that, not me. I tried, it didn’t work. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.”
Rovor still remained untarnished emotionally द्वारा this statement, but took time after a long pause to ask, “Do आप know where she is now?”
Talon knew that he was not winning the भेड़िया over. His head dipped towards the ground in shame. “She ran off before I could ask- b-but-“ He raised his head back up, “I have another option.”
Rovor kept silent, so Nick continued. “You don’t want just Rin do you? आप want all the evidence gone.” Still no motion, so he continued further. “If me, and the others, let आप take away the memories of this, आप wouldn’t have to blow up the city.”
“… Is the Identity still in this city?” Rovor asked calmly.
“I don’t know. She’s probably not—don’t आप have a scanner या something for that?”
Rovor turned aside, his eyes towards the घास and asphalt. “Your फ्रेंड्स agreed to this?”
Nick nodded. Rovor was not looking. “Did you-“
“Yes, they did.” Nick spat out.
“And where are they now?”
“We विभाजित करें, विभक्त करें up after I told them but they should be arriving soon.”
“They will be.” Rovor turned around, walking from Nick while motioning for him to follow. Nick did. They came to a distance of fifteen feet before Rovor began poking at the air. Nick assumed something else was cloaked that Rovor was opening, and sure enough a see-through door moved upward, leading into a large room.
Rovor moved aside, giving a bowing gesture for Nick to go in first. While skeptical Nick needed to keep from creating hostility, so he stepped through.
One foot in the room vanished, revealing itself to be much smaller, a person-size capsule of a sort. Nick had barely noticed, and was halfway through his सेकंड step when the door slammed behind him, and his body was yanked around towards the door, and clamped down on द्वारा restraints.
Talon worked through the startle, he needed to get out, he could not panic. With a deep breath, Nick channeled as much of his mist-energy as he could, and blasted it in every direction possible. Whirring went off, but his cell was unaffected.
The door in front of him, which was a deep black before, cloaked itself to allow Nick an audience with Rovor, who still retained his serious straight stare. “Had this been a genuine notion.” The भेड़िया began, his voice slightly static-formed द्वारा the barrier, “I would have considered your offer, Mr. Falon, but आप failed to understand that when we say we are the government, that includes the branches that allow us access to cellphone audio. I heard everything; your plan for the Identity, your talk with her, and your friends, and an annoying amount of breathing.”
Nick’s lip curled back as he jerked about, trying his best to break the restraints. He knew he couldn’t. His strongest attack did nothing, but he felt an urge to keep trying, he could not let Arma-9 win. Rovor stepped aside and revealed a new nightmare to the grey hedgehog. Hundreds of armor-plated machines de-cloaked around and in front of them—Airships, tanks, vehicles that looked like aircraft-carriers with wheels—this was the end.
“Of course these won’t be noticeable DURING the attack.” Rovor informed. “We can’t have anyone actually seeing what is wiping the area clean, but then again, they won’t see for long anyway.”
Nick could not look at the wolf. He was too disgusted so he looked down. “You traitor.” He grumbled. Rovor raised an eyebrow at the grey hedgehog, taking a step closer to him. “You’d destroy a city filled with your own KIND?!”
“Is that a sign of hatred for humans, या a lack of ability to accept both types of sentient beings as brothers? I hold no preference to mobians no और than I do homosapiens. I want little और than to clear up this issue.”
“The entire CITY?!”
“Of course. Do आप really think that no one will be left wondering if we take आप out of the equation? If we did that we would have to get rid of your parents as well, then their friends, then their friends’ friends. One mass nuclear explosion will not only eradicate that issue, but it can easily be hidden.”
“You can’t HIDE this? How will that be any different? The govern-…ment…” Rovor nodded to Talon’s stirrings, keeping his non-grinning face straight still. They weren’t hiding anything from the government, they didn’t need to. They were hiding from the public, the civilians.
“A country that fears their government cannot flourish. A country that thinks that their government is innocent has no need to. No one will be able to tell anyone in the outside world, an EMP has done that for us-… will do that for us in around thirty सेकंड्स that is.”
“You… all these… lives…”
“A few million is nothing to seven-billion, Mr. Falon, I trust आप will understand that. If आप somehow managed to escape your only option would be to kill me, and everyone that supports Arma-9. That bloodpool will rival today’s.”
The sound of tires grinding against the घास and asphalt neared. A sort of armored-jeep, though looking quite a bit like a turtle-shell, sped over behind Rovor, opening at its side. A suited figure, similar to Rovor’s attire but in black, carried out an unconscious Kal and Jesse.
Nick watched as they were also placed in capsules in other vehicles. As soon as that was over Rovor gave a brief salute to the grey hedgehog and stepped out of sight, as did the vehicles. Nick was raised up into the sky in his own prison, conscious as he watched a red gas fill the air.
The gas must have been surrounding the entire city. It was followed द्वारा a murky green gas, following the same pattern as the first. Nick bashed his arms, head, and legs against anything he could. Maybe he could blast off the door at least. Charging up his energy once again he shot it at his window. It blasted back and hit him in the face. It did not hurt—in fact it actually felt like swallowing water—but it got him no और closer to saving anyone.
He must had been half a mile into the air द्वारा now. He could see skyscrapers in the distance being covered in the mist. He could not believe this was happening, he could not accept it was happening. His brain would literally not compute that everyone was dying. It felt like he was in a dream, and that he would wake up, and he believed it. He could not understand what he could do. He felt helpless and guilty and sick.
He could not hold his stomach, nor bend over for a less uncomfortable position. He thought he would be okay. “I… it’s… “ His eyes began to water. Talon was not one for whining या blubbering. He suppressed his emotions constantly to seem strong and inspiring. This had led to his emotions working incorrectly at times, making him indifferent to others when he wished he wasn’t. Right now was not one of those times.
His talk with Rin, where he was going to give her away to them but chose to help her; this replayed in his head over and over. He was trying to help, he wanted her safe, he wanted everyone safe. He- *BOMPH!*
The first bomb went off… and an orange-brown बादल followed directly after. Nick… shattered. “I’M SORRY!” He yelled, tears dampening his face and shirt. He yelled this over and over, louder when a new bomb went off. He knew that no one could hear him but he could not accept it. He just wanted them all to know, he just wanted to दिखाना that he was apologetic. “I JUST WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING!”
Dozens of explosions were heard. They lasted a good two मिनटों and became extremely frequent. No time for a call, no time for an Email, या a drive out. A white बादल rose above the others as the ground shook beneath them. This was the nuclear missile.
Nick’s stomach could not handle this and promptly released its contents onto the floor below the tear-dirtied hedgehog. He felt his own consciousness begin to leave him, his mind could not handle the torment. He gladly welcomed this sleep, closing his now red-edged eyes in hopes that when he awoke this will all have been nothing to worry about.
Pain awoke the hedgehog. His eyes flew open as his head flew sideways from a hard clanging slap to his cheek and right temple. The ground beneath him was hot and once he raised himself up he noticed that the knees in his pants were burnt through. Nick did not want to raise his head.
“Look.” Rovor’s voice ordered from his side. Nick only shook his head. Rovor grabbed hold of Nick’s hair and pulled his face upward, but Nick kept pulling down. Rovor eventually let go and stepped a few paces away, four द्वारा the sound of the crunching beneath the artic-wolf’s feet.
A clicking sound piqued Talon’s curiosity. What came अगला imploded it. “Look up now या both of your फ्रेंड्स will be shot in their eyes.” Reluctantly Nick’s face flew upward, darting about for Kal and Jesse. He saw waste, gravel, still-burning metal and only rare pieces of buildings sticking up from the ground.
Many holes, canyons almost, were seen cracking open the ground. In the distance to her left he saw just how deep they were, at least three stories of this crater. The toxic gas, both the nuclear, and that which came from the red gas, was already being cleared and purified. No doubt this was to cover their tracks. Neither Jesse nor Kal was here. Rovor just wanted Nick to see.
The grey hedgehog took deep breaths, glancing over to the भेड़िया who still wore his armor and helmet. He had nothing left to live for, did he? Either way he was not going to sit there and let Rovor enjoy the moment. With whatever strength he recovered from the rest, Nick span his foot around, jabbing it आगे at Rovor.
As soon as his arch made contact with the artic-wolf’s stomach Nick released whatever energy he could. His mist blasted outward, sending Rovor hurdling backward. The भेड़िया span for a bit before landing अगला to one of the canyon-veins. द्वारा the time Rovor recovered, Nick had dashed over to him with the intent of kicking him down inside of the hole.
Something landed on Nick before he could reach Rovor, forcing the hedgehog into the ground. It was cold and metallic. Robotic arms held his hands down, and forced his head to tilt up as Rovor recovered. He stepped over to Nick, twitching his fingers as he approached. The metal gloves around Rovor’s palms retracted, allowing his white-furred fingers to breathe.
Cracking his knuckles for a moment, Rovor retracted, then slammed both fists into Nick’s jaw at opposite ends. Nick felt the pain, but he was so numb at this point that he barely cared.
“You won’t die here, Mr. Falon.” Rovor kept his tone as calm as ever. “No, आप are coming with us. आप will be reprogrammed, repurposed, and sent out to do whatever tedious task we have for आप next. This time your identity will have no Nanites to protect you.”
The robot holding Nick released him. The hedgehog plopped onto the dirt floor, half confused, half furious. He pulled himself up to Rovor, who had retracted his हेलमेट for a और personal conversation. “You’re quite clever, Nick, I will give आप that. Believe it या not I don’t want to brainwash you, and I would be…” he paused for a moment, turning his head about the area in observation,” WOULD have been,” he corrected before directing his attention back to Nick, “perfectly fine with आप living a normal civilian life, with या without your memories of this incident, as well as your friends. In fact, I might even had been reasonable enough to let आप keep your identity. The sad truth however is that आप aren’t going to leave things alone, you’re driven, you’re smart, and आप want justice. Now look around आप at this justice and realize that everything आप do will cause something like this.”
Nick remained stubborn, but he understood what Rovor was saying. But how could he stop? How could he just let them do this to anyone they come across? He couldn’t. “I won’t stop…”
Rovor sighed, he almost looked genuinely sad. “Then there is nothing we have left to discuss here.” Nick could see the enemy around him as the mech began to restrain him a सेकंड time. He could see bombs still going off far in the distance, turning whatever was sticking out to rubble; the airships, the tanks, and worst of all soldiers. He could barely believe it. There were actual people working to destroy the city further, kill survivors. They weren’t from alien countries, they were citizens of this one, killing their own people. It was then that Nick finally लॉस्ट hope.
Rin was gone, and even if she came back how much better would she fair against them? Kal and Jesse he saw अगला to him once more, unconscious still. At least they were asleep. He was going to be taken and changed. He would not remember any of this, he would not care. He would do what they would want… like the soldiers below him. He did not want to believe it would happen, he I did not want this to be true, but it was, and he could do nothing about it.
The Mech dragged Talon into a large egg-like station, small, and tall. Why? As soon as it attached he felt something clutch around his head. It… it was going to happen now? B-but… he… he- ‘no… this can’t…’ hopeless. He felt hopeless. He barely had any urge to try to stop it.
A fizzing sound started up; Nick cringed, tensing in every area of his body. He just wanted to be asleep when it happened but no luxury like that presented itself. It paused though. It stopped. Nick opened his eyes; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He looked about however and saw that many of the airships were gathering near him. Were they going to blast him to ashes? Rovor changed his mind that quickly? No… They were pointing at something else. A सेकंड pod was in front of him, blocking the view, but it slowly moved.
At first it was just a small cyclone on the ground, spreading outward a few feet. Tornadoes were not a regular thing in this State especially when red sparks are concerned. In fact this nano-nado seemed to be sparking quite a bit, practically beaming with its red color. It became so bright at one point that Nick had to squint to keep from hurting his eyes.
*v’toom* A zipping sound went off at the center of the cyclone, replacing it with a quick red and black light. It cooled from its burning-coal texture, allowing herself to be seen clearly all-around. Something was different this time. Her flame-red-style collars were gone, her hair, her eyes. The blue jeans faded to a deep grey, as did everything else. It was as if this were a statue, unmoving, and unresponsive.
Talon was deeply confused, and at the same time deeply relieved, but he couldn’t let Rin stay या they would get her as well. He yelled repeatedly as hard as his vocals would allow “RIN! GO! आप CAN’T STAY HERE!” but she did not move. Something was happening to her… inside of her…
Arma-9 was fairly content with finishing their mission with the identity, and so they promptly activated their green-energy-guns (or Nanite-decomposer beams as Nick would शीर्षक them), lighting up the crater in a deep murky ivy.
Every blast was a concentrated and direct hit that tore into this shell that was once Rin’s body, ripping and cracking, tearing away at every piece. They were making very certain that she was dead with their two-minute long barrage. They would have gone for even longer if not for a chilling cackle stirred up from their target.
Nick had closed his eyes during the attack, but opened them upon their finish. Clumps of Nanites lay on the ground circling around a different kind of figure. There still seemed to be some Nanites swirling around it, but mostly this was energy.
Her hoodie was a pale, almost white, red, flaming upward as if crystals on fire. Her pants mirrored this, and her skin was completely white. The Nanites that lay at her feet spiked forward, glowing a deep dark red as her laughter continued to echo in every direction.
Slowly a face began to form at the center of her head. Two flaming black eyes, and an empty, toothless, wide, smile. A hiss escaped her as the Identity formerly known as Rin turned about, observing the competition. और and और of the attack-force moved in around her, some that Nick hadn’t even seen before; giant robot-like mechs with a blue energy shielding around them. An odd choice for such an occasion.
But neither the mechs, nor the airships, nor the tanks, nor the giant mechs acted. They were waiting, perhaps praying even. The hissing and laughter seemed to spin about the area like its own cyclone, centering itself at Rin, then ending. From her toothless-grinning face she कहा four words before an action was taken…
“You wanna fight? ALRIGHT!!” What seemed to be repeating DOMES of energy shot through the crater, blasting outward and tearing at anything made of matter, which including the station holding Nick. A giant white hand of energy shot out, whipping around and tearing into the airships before the Identity blasted into the air, firing madly and blindly.
One of the giant mechs leapt forward, slamming into the energy-identity, and pinning her down to the ground. Others began to follow suit, but no dog-pile was going to help them. The mechs began to glow with the heat destroying themselves from below, before what could be described as a beacon of energy, at least three yards in diameter, ripped into the sky, eradicating the mechs, and a foolish airship above.
Nick’s station was damaged enough to the point where he could escape, and he took his opportunity promptly. Whatever had happened to Rin wasn’t something he could stop. He needed to get Kal, and Jesse, and get as far away as he could.
He dashed over to their stations, noticing as he went that Rovor was not in sight understandably. Kal’s was the closest so he began there. He was about to blast off the window from the station but a gust of wind and chaos energy from the blood-lusting identity flew him to the side. He grabbed hold of the door, barely managing to keep himself from flying further away. The whole ground was shaking now, heating, tearing, disappearing from existence.
The identity had created a sort of flatways windmill with her arms, spinning rapidly in the air, and slicing up whatever resistance was left. Nothing Arma-9 had here was standing a chance, and Nick feared he would be next. The stations flew backward, crashing into the ground. They were dented enough to be offline, but Nick still was unable to open them.
A large THOOM shot into the ground, causing Nick to fly upward a few feet. He thought it was Rin, but this was possibly even worse.
It looked like a robot but… organic. It’s appendages seemed like twisting vines from a plant. It had a sort of हेलमेट face, though no visible eyes. It’s face was a sort of 3-dimensional triangle, and it’s arms were wide with it’s legs. It’s body was fit and thin. It looked almost like a child, a giant robotic child, easily taller than any skyscraper. It came in many colors, mostly green, red, and grey. It moved quickly, very quickly in fact Normally giants were slow due to their weight, but this one moved casually and as quick as any smaller average-size person. Each step was causing a gust of wind that shook the area. It was moving towards Rin. A sort of headset was on top… a control helmet? Arma-9 was controlling this thing?
Rin had noticed the giant and immediately focused an energy blast at its head. The giant knocked the blast away, causing a ricochet from the bust to slam against the ground. With a hiss the identity fired again, this time rapidly and repeatedly. The robot was not able to block every blast but it did begin to हटाइए closer regardless.
The energy bounced off, occasionally denting but very faintly. The giant slammed it’s hand down at Rin, causing a dust-cloud to gust out in all directions. The Identity gripped the giant’s hand and flipped the creature into the air before ramming at it. The robot giant was too quick however, and kicked back as he slammed into it, following up द्वारा crushing the identity into the ground.
Energy poured from beneath the giant. Rin was trying to blast her way out. The robot remained motionless as this went on. The energy faded eventually and was replaced द्वारा large thooms. The foot of the giant raised slightly with each one; the identity was now trying to kick it up. Nothing seemed to be working.
Finally the rabid red-chaos-creature formerly known as Rin decided to teleport out from the hole, reappearing in front of hear of the giant which she promptly blasted into, stretching her hand while swinging it for और leverage. The giant staggered back, falling to the ground for the moment. The identity began to charge up और energy as her opponent laid on the ground.
A ball of energy began to appear around her, becoming larger and larger, heating, then burning, then melting whatever was around her. A सेकंड appears inside of it, which also expanded, then a third, a fourth, and so on. The giant had recovered and slammed it’s hands around Rin, grabbing hold of her energy sphere. It attempted to crush her but it was too late. The identity released the build-up, causing the entire are to go blind with a red light.
Nick was already behind what he hoped as appropriate cover, and shielding his eyes, but even then they burned. The heat from the energy had torn away at his backside’s फर and parts of his spines. ‘It’s dead’ he thought. ‘Good’.
Turning back around to check… the giant still lived. In it’s untarnished, though notably black-tinted, hands lay a pile of dust; the remains of Rin’s Nanites.
The giant clamped it’s hand holding the Nanites and charged an energy inside to burn away at the remains, dropping whatever else was in its hand afterwards. Ten? Eleven maybe? Nick could barely see from his distance. Whatever this thing was… it had just claimed whatever else was left of this destroyed city. Arma-9… once again they were undefeated.
Tears returned to the sore hedgehog’s face; tears for Rin, tears for his city, tears for loss of hope. All he could do was look up as the giant stood victorious, blotting out the sun. It turned about, starring at the ground… it was looking for Nick.
The grey hedgehog quickly realized this and pulled his unconscious फ्रेंड्स nearer to him behind shelter. He doubted this would do much for long. He was right. The giant yanked away the station revealing Nick’s location. “There comes a time in anyone’s career,” a voice called from the giant, Rovor’s of course, “where even the greatest of resources becomes such an issue that it should be removed. And you, Mr. Falon, are about to be.”
The tips of the giant’s fingers lit up with a yellow glow. It was charging it’s energy. Before it pointed it’s hand at the ground however someone yelled “HEY!”
Rovor knew who कहा that. He wasted no time turning completely around and blasted at where the remains of the Nanites were. Too late. *Zip* a red light shot through the giant’s hand and out it’s shoulder. *zip zip* through the other shoulder and out the opposite-side-elbow. An energy shield began appearing around the giant but it wasn’t going to be enough now. The light flew out of sight, then back, then around again, and again, each time faster and faster until it drilled through the chest of the giant and continued flying holes through it sending yellow energy, metal, and green-colored materials everywhere.
The giant was thoroughly damaged but weakly kept its stance. The identity flew above her opponent, then rammed it’s head into the ground. The giant gave its final attempt to obliterate the crazed Rin, opening its face up and releasing an energy wave from below her. In retaliation the identity slammed her arm into the face of the giant, blasting with her own red energy.
The two were giving it their all, blinding the area in an नारंगी, ऑरेंज sunset of death. With one last scream Rin pushed forward, surging Chaos Energy through the robot, and back out in cyclone of energy punching through its body. She kept her scream pitched, unstopping as she continued spreading the energy until every piece of the giant was no longer existing.
As the last blast of energy left the identity, her insane glow and structure faded… as the remaining Nanites attached to the energy collapsed, burning on the ground. The battle was over.
Nick’s cellphone rang. When he pulled it out he noticed the time. 3:50 P.M. He had Two hours and ten मिनटों left. Where was Rin? “Rin!” He called out. “Answer!” He had to find her, explain, convince, and… He didn’t even know what he would convince her of. Nick did not want to make that call, and he had no control over Rin’s actions. No matter what though, he had to try.
Talon was near the area where he talked to Kal earlier that day. It was near enough to the school. Perhaps she was there for some reason. Normally Nick wouldn’t look there as an option but he had no idea where else she would be unless she went back to one of their houses. ‘I’ll call Jesse.’
Before Talon could grab the phone it rang in his pocket. Hoping that this was news about Rin he yanked it out, nearly ripping his pocket-sack, and flung open the screen. “Hello, what is it—did you-“
“Nick, Nick, h-hold on; I need to tell आप something.” Kal interrupted. “My parents aren’t coming to my house.”
A stern and dark सवाल of “why” replied.
“They got called द्वारा the school about Rin, they told me that they had to go and couldn’t come over!”
“She’s at the school!?”
“Most-likely. Are आप near there?”
Talon barely had any time to sigh in relief but he worked one in regardless. “I’ll… ye-yes I’m near it.”
“Okay, get over there quick.” Nick didn’t wait to say goodbye. He slammed the phone down and dashed off, awkwardly shoving it back in his pocket while he went.
The halls echoed with the screech of the waxed-wooden floor as Talon turned a corner upon entering his High School. Some students and teachers who had stayed late for projects and such were either पार करना, क्रॉस या confused but paid no attention. “I have to figure out where she is…” He muttered, thinking back to what Kal had said. “The school called… about Rin… the principal!”
Normally an ironic thought about trying to get to the Principal’s office instead of escape it would be called for but the idea passed over Nick’s mind. Ten screeches against his tennies later and Talon was at the office door. He pounded on it thrice before calling out “Principal Istl!” He yelled repeatedly. The door yanked open with the human Principal looking extremely energized द्वारा Talon’s urgency.
“What is it!?” He demanded urgently, assuming the worst.
“Is Rin here?”
The Principal calmed himself with a sigh, pressing his fingers between his eyebrows and answering in a grumble “Yes…” He faintly opened his eyes up again to remind himself of whom he was talking to, “Nick Falon right?”
“C-can I talk to Rin?”
“Miss… Rin, is in the restroom right now, why do आप need to talk to her?”
“I can’t really explain but it’s really important. I just need a few मिनटों is that alright?” Nick wanted to ask why Rin was being detained, and extend his time as well, but he had no idea how dire this situation was at the High School, and despite his being definitely worse, he hardly doubted Principal Istl would believe him.
The human nodded soon after the suggestion was made, confusing Nick a tad द्वारा his willingness, but he wasted no time asking and dashed off towards the restrooms. The Principal yelled to him about keeping out of the girls’ bathroom but he paid it no attention.
The travel that took place going to the Principal’s Office became reenacted as Nick made his way to his new destination. Upon his third bang on the door he कहा loudly “Rin! Are आप in there?! I need to talk to y-OOF!” Nick found the identity strapped to his stomach, and did not see any means to remove her. He noticed though that her entire form was an almost radiating white. She wasn’t saying anything but she wasn’t dead, he knew that द्वारा her grip.
“R-Rin...?”
“Th-the-they found out about me and Kal’s f-family…” She muttered out. Had the दिन not been so troubling already Nick would be tempted to dismiss this problem, and Rin’s reaction, as juvenile and oversensitive, but either way he had to tell her the harder news, and there was not a worse time for it than now, but he had to do it.
“Rin… I have something I need to tell you, and you’ll need to liste-, wait, why didn’t आप reply with the connection?”
“You broke it… when आप got rid of the infecting Nanites from Arma-9…” She कहा muffled. Nick sighed. He felt a bit stupid not realizing that sooner. Talon half-expected to feel some sort of emotion about that, the loss of the connection, but he felt nothing. This did not surprise him much though. After all it was barely a loss in the first place.
He waited for Rin to let go. She eventually did, standing in front of him, vibrating almost. The only part of her not glowing white were her dark blue eyes. “What is it…” She whispered.
How would he say this? If Talon spoke the wrong words would she explode? Judging द्वारा her state Talon thought she might just collapse into a pile of sand. He had to start somewhere, and it needed to be a reassurance. Nick took a deep breath… held it… and almost passed out.
He fell forward, almost falling into Rin had she not moved to the side, though looking very confused as he braced himself, regaining full consciousness. “I… आप need… I…” He turned to the identity. She looked no और like her normal self than five सेकंड्स prior though she had managed to give a puzzled stare. “I need आप to know before I say any of this that I wish I could control this, या change it, या something…”
“Talon… what happened?” One could only guess what Rin was thinking right now. Was Talon admitting to the same problem that Jesse had? Did someone die? Did Arma-9 find them and brainwash them? Was he going to tell her… that… “Talon!” She couldn’t stand waiting, and she didn’t have time.
Nick straightened himself up. He was not prepared but he had to say it. “Rovor—the guy from Arma-9, he… CALLED me…” Nick forced out.
“… Wh-why…?” She could talk for the moment; that was good.
“He… wants to capture आप again. And… and he’s threatening to destroy the city if we don’t hand आप over.” Rin कहा nothing to this so Nick added, “He gave me four hours and now I have around two.”
He did not want her to ask, but he knew she would. He was not prepared to give a response but she कहा it anyway. “What are आप going to do about it?”
Stutters… stammers… groans… growls… deep stressed forced breaths… In the end… the lives of the many… outweighed the lives of the one. “I… can’t let anyone die… because of us…”
“But… I… I’m not…”
“Not…?”
“R-read-…” She turned aside. Nick would have remained melancholy if it weren’t for the red sparks starting up around the identity. Red… meant anger, he couldn’t have that happen. “Rin, I know it’s hard, I can barely stand it- I can’t stand it, but we ca-“
“Hand me over… to … them…?” The sparks became larger and और frequent.
“We can work something ou-“ Nick didn’t believe a word he was saying. “It’s… I can’t…”
The sparks stopped… the white faded, and was replaced द्वारा a dark grey. “You… you’ll… do it?”
“I’ll be there all the way if I can… a-and I’ll spend however long it takes to… get आप out again,” Talon paused only when he realized what he was promising. He had no resources, and barely any knowledge. The flash drive from Tori was all he would be able to use but as far as he knew all it held was information about Identities only, not Arma-9. Maybe if Tori was alive she could have told him more… another person he tried to save, help, but wasn’t able to.
It was then that Nick realized just how much he was not able to follow through with in this promise. Rin was a friend, yes, but he had no way of helping her, and no experience in anything he would be going up against. And even if he did, one wrong हटाइए and Arma-9 could destroy the city, whether या not they had Rin… they would destroy the city whether या not Rin was captured. “They… they must…”
Rin, who had previously been caught between admiration and devastation now faced Nick with a strong look of confusion as the hedgehog searched through his thoughts. ‘Arma-9 is willing to blow up the city. There has to be a reason that they think that’s a reasonable loss. They can’t just be wanting to destroy it because of losing Rin, they… they’re going to anyway…’
‘But why? Is there evidence या something underne-! …’ Nick remembered the first time he met Rin, and how quickly she was taken down द्वारा Arma-9. He had no doubt that even in her current experienced-form they would be able to take her again. But it wasn’t just Rin they wanted out of the picture. Rovor wasn’t going to leave Nick, Kal, या Jesse alone, या their families. Rovor was going to get rid of them too because they knew too much. That’s why he tried to mindwipe them, because they knew too much! He needed to do two things and he had less than two hours to do them now.
“Rin… leave. Run, fly, whatever, but get away from this place.”
The identity was now so confused that she had faded almost completely back to her normal form. “Bu-but I thought आप were going to let them… y’know…”
“They aren’t going to stop there. I have an idea of how to fix this but आप can’t be there. If they destroy the city and get आप too then no one will know the truth.”
“But… I don’t want to leave you… I- I can help fight them! I’ve got the most experience after all!”
“I’m hoping we won’t have to fight at all. I don’t know how much force they’re bringing, but what if they use those green-gun-ray-things on आप again? I can’t let that happen.”
“Why not?”
“I alre-“ Talon forced himself to not correct her and quickly added “So that they don’t get all of us if this goes badly. Rin… promise me आप won’t come back.”
“I can’t promise tha-“
“Please!”
“Talon आप don’t kn-“
“Your few मिनटों are up.” Principal Istl कहा as he approached them both. Upon noticing Rin’s state, and lack of Mobian facial structure, he froze in his steps. Shortly after he looked from Rin to Talon. Nick knew what the Principal was thinking.
“Rin, go.”
“I can-“
“Go NOW!” He knew that it would hurt her, and he knew that she might hate him for it, but Nick had to get her to leave somehow. He picked her up… and blasted the identity through a nearby window with his mist-abilities.
Nick didn’t get a सेकंड to check her reaction as the Principal pinned him to the ground. Of course aside from a brief stun Talon wasn’t worried about this. Channeling his mist powers around his body he began to burn the man’s arms until he let go. Upon being freed Nick dashed through the window, landing on his feet in the glass-covered grass. Rin was gone.
Talon had no time to think about what he did, time was running out. He ran away from the school as quickly as he could. Once Nick pulled out his phone it read 4:30… he had an घंटा and a half before Arma-9 came to level Hicksville, and all of its residents.
Fifteen मिनटों later…
“First आप want me to talk to my parents, then my parents are called off, then the school calls about your powers and Rin’s COMPLETELY normal appearance, and now we’re meeting secretly in the कचरा, जंक, रद्दी YARD?!” Kal would have sat down in a huff had the floor not been composed of dirt, rush, and garbage. As a consolation she simply crossed her arms.
Jesse stood to her left, and Nick to her front. Jesse had been almost completely silent. Rin was not the only female who had a gripe with him. Talon felt barely any और loved द्वारा either of them and he was forced to keep making things worse. “I couldn’t really think up a gigantic strategy in the time I had, Kal.” He grumbled.
“How did they find out?” She demanded.
“The Principal saw her normal appearance when I tried talking to her. I had to make her go.”
“So आप used your mist to do that?!”
“It wasn’t on purpose, it’s not like I have that much practice with triggering it.” Nick grumbled, becoming increasingly irritated with Kal’s verbal attacks. “Right now that isn’t important, but if आप have ANY idea of how I could have done things better, then go back in time and replace me with yourself because I’m not immortal and I’m not going to be able to make all the right choices!”
“Do आप know what happened to Rin after that?” Jesse questioned timidly.
Nick shook his head, closing his eyes in remembrance of the day’s events. Jesse shifted to his side with another layer of guilt blowing on चोटी, शीर्ष of him. “Guess this is all my fault, huh?”
“Your fault?” Talon gave a half-scrunched stare. “How’s this your fault? Arma-9 was going to call me whether या not Rin was upset to begin with.”
“Because I wasn’t able to get everyone brainwashed,” Kal stepped in. “making it my fault.”
“This isn’t about whose fault it is, but either way it’s Arma-9’s. Not you, not Jesse, not me, not Rin. We’re not the ones threatening the city, and we need to get back to that topic. We have,” He checked his phone, “One घंटा and twelve मिनटों before they दिखाना up again.”
“And what’s our plan for stopping them?” Jesse asked somewhat hopingly.
The सवाल almost shocked Talon sending him into a brief stammer. He needed a way to say this in detail and in a convincing tone. “We… d-don’t…”
“Come again?” Both फ्रेंड्स asked sternly.
Nick rubbed his eyes, using his index finger and thumb. “Look, there’s no way that Rin can get captured द्वारा them again, but we can’t let them get rid of the city either. So we… le-let them… m-make us forg-“
“No!” Kal took a threatening step towards Nick. “I’m not letting those creeps in my head a सेकंड time, especially willingly. How do we know they won’t blow up the city anyway?”
“We don’t but there has to be something we can do to convince them.”
“Can’t we at least get some kind of… memory saver...thing? To get our memories back afterwards…?” Jesse questioned.
Nick shook his head. “If we do that then this will just happen again.”
“So we just go back to being normal teenagers?” Kal was still angry. “Even if we WERE okay with that plan it doesn’t change that they still exist, and they’re still blinding the whole world to all of this! We’ll just be sitting around doing happy-day-hooey while और mobians, and who knows what else, are captured and experimented on!”
“Rin will know.” Jesse noted. Nick nodded and took over from there. “We can only hope that Rin will spread the word and find a way to take down Arma-9 at one point.”
“Even if she were able to do that, she’s going to come back here, to find us, and they’ll get her then.” Kal retorted.
“When Rin finds out what happened to us she’ll… leave. It’ll hurt her too much to be around us… and then she’ll हटाइए on.”
“Right,” Kal remarked sarcastically. “You know you’re the only one she was comfortable around right? आप couldn’t have दिया her a little और info?”
“The Principal was RIGHT THERE, Kal!” Nick snapped. “And she was on the brink of running away regardless. I couldn’t think of everything right then and there! THINK, guys! The whole city is at stake! What can we do? I don’t want to forget, I don’t want them to win, but are we going to sacrifice all these peop- our FAMILIES for this?!”
“If they are our families…” Kal grumbled to herself.
“Whether they are या whether they aren’t…” Jesse spoke up softly, notably lacking in aggression for the moment. “We… I can’t think of another… way.”
The feline looked to the two boys back and forth in disbelief. “You’re both just gonna give up your memories?? Why not just fight them? If we’ve got powers-“
“Oh so now आप think we have powers.” Nick mocked.
“IF WE HAVE POWERS… can’t we just get rid of them?”
“Talon’s the only one who’s had experience with his.” Jesse noted. “CAN आप spread the mist that wide, Nick?”
The grey hedgehog shook his head. “Even if I could I don’t know what they’ll bring to the table. Tanks? Hoverships? I can’t make it attack people specifically या anything like that, at least not yet. What was your power, Jesse?”
“I don’t even know… strength?”
“I punched through a तकिया if I recall correctly.” Kal added. “Not sure if that qualifies…” He ears lowered as the truth of the matter finally began to sink in. “Can’t we… scout out first; have one of us check them out to see what will happen—how many of them there are?”
“I can I guess.” Nick suggested. “Rovor called me after all so it only makes sense.”
“Can आप call him back?” Jesse asked.
“I tried, and the message I got कहा that if I do it again and it’s not our decision then, well…”
“Right.” Jesse sighed. “Then I guess we have to make our decision now.”
Kal searched for a different option, “But… we… h-how do we-“ and came up empty.
“I’ll do it.” Nick volunteered. “Get your families to a सुरक्षित area… try to save mine too if आप can. I don’t know if they’re here yet या not so आप might have a chance to sneak them out before this goes down.”
“And if they kill you?”
“I don’t know… go.” Nick turned around and pulled out his phone. His allies reluctantly turned as well, and left the area. The conversation lasted such a short time; Rovor answered, Nick informed him, Rovor told him to go to the Highway. Just like that Nick was leaving to determine the fate of every citizen that lived around him.
The black and red blur zipped across the Highway, barely noticeable to the naked eye. She didn’t know where this person was but he had to be somewhere. After reaching a clearing out of the clear-road highway, Rin noticed a large mountainous city in the distance. A सेकंड later and she had reached its chilly-weather roads.
Ducking between a nearby trash-bin and a wall, Rin quickly morphed into her feline form and walked out to the public. The streets were nearly covered द्वारा busy people. One of them had to know. She tapped on the shoulder of one many waiting for a green light on the crosswalk.
Upon the man’s turning, Rin quickly and nervously sputtered out “I-I need to find the Guardian.”
Nick was becoming irritated द्वारा the sound of the many cars at his side. During his wait a few even yelled at him; one threw a bottle. What made it harder to भालू was the lack of motivation for him to continue with this idea. He didn’t want to forget. He had been दिया his own adventure, met new and powerful people, uncovered a secret evil, and now he was about to forget all of that if he got the good end.
A sort of watery-gurgling sound came from right in front of him. As it did a grey-suited figure, with blue indentations around this suit, wearing a grey हेलमेट to match. Talon was startled, falling backward to his personal shame.
The हेलमेट pealed back. “What is your decision, Mr. Falon?” Rovor asked. He did not chuckle, या grin. He was a constant stillness with his mouth and eyelids the only constantly moving pieces of his person. He was not here to play, या delay, या to tease. He was here to pass Ultimatums, nothing more, and he wanted it to finish quickly.
Nick brushed his pants off once back to his feet, narrowing his eyes at the भेड़िया who showed little less hostility. “I couldn’t convince Rin if that’s what you’re asking.”
Rovor began to turn away. “Then we’re done h-“
“HEY!” Nick yanked the भेड़िया back द्वारा the shoulder. Rovor gave a dull stare to Nick, briefly looking to his shoulder until Nick let go, then back to Nick. “What?”
“You couldn’t expect that I could just do that!” Nick fumed. “You’ve got all the technology for that, not me. I tried, it didn’t work. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.”
Rovor still remained untarnished emotionally द्वारा this statement, but took time after a long pause to ask, “Do आप know where she is now?”
Talon knew that he was not winning the भेड़िया over. His head dipped towards the ground in shame. “She ran off before I could ask- b-but-“ He raised his head back up, “I have another option.”
Rovor kept silent, so Nick continued. “You don’t want just Rin do you? आप want all the evidence gone.” Still no motion, so he continued further. “If me, and the others, let आप take away the memories of this, आप wouldn’t have to blow up the city.”
“… Is the Identity still in this city?” Rovor asked calmly.
“I don’t know. She’s probably not—don’t आप have a scanner या something for that?”
Rovor turned aside, his eyes towards the घास and asphalt. “Your फ्रेंड्स agreed to this?”
Nick nodded. Rovor was not looking. “Did you-“
“Yes, they did.” Nick spat out.
“And where are they now?”
“We विभाजित करें, विभक्त करें up after I told them but they should be arriving soon.”
“They will be.” Rovor turned around, walking from Nick while motioning for him to follow. Nick did. They came to a distance of fifteen feet before Rovor began poking at the air. Nick assumed something else was cloaked that Rovor was opening, and sure enough a see-through door moved upward, leading into a large room.
Rovor moved aside, giving a bowing gesture for Nick to go in first. While skeptical Nick needed to keep from creating hostility, so he stepped through.
One foot in the room vanished, revealing itself to be much smaller, a person-size capsule of a sort. Nick had barely noticed, and was halfway through his सेकंड step when the door slammed behind him, and his body was yanked around towards the door, and clamped down on द्वारा restraints.
Talon worked through the startle, he needed to get out, he could not panic. With a deep breath, Nick channeled as much of his mist-energy as he could, and blasted it in every direction possible. Whirring went off, but his cell was unaffected.
The door in front of him, which was a deep black before, cloaked itself to allow Nick an audience with Rovor, who still retained his serious straight stare. “Had this been a genuine notion.” The भेड़िया began, his voice slightly static-formed द्वारा the barrier, “I would have considered your offer, Mr. Falon, but आप failed to understand that when we say we are the government, that includes the branches that allow us access to cellphone audio. I heard everything; your plan for the Identity, your talk with her, and your friends, and an annoying amount of breathing.”
Nick’s lip curled back as he jerked about, trying his best to break the restraints. He knew he couldn’t. His strongest attack did nothing, but he felt an urge to keep trying, he could not let Arma-9 win. Rovor stepped aside and revealed a new nightmare to the grey hedgehog. Hundreds of armor-plated machines de-cloaked around and in front of them—Airships, tanks, vehicles that looked like aircraft-carriers with wheels—this was the end.
“Of course these won’t be noticeable DURING the attack.” Rovor informed. “We can’t have anyone actually seeing what is wiping the area clean, but then again, they won’t see for long anyway.”
Nick could not look at the wolf. He was too disgusted so he looked down. “You traitor.” He grumbled. Rovor raised an eyebrow at the grey hedgehog, taking a step closer to him. “You’d destroy a city filled with your own KIND?!”
“Is that a sign of hatred for humans, या a lack of ability to accept both types of sentient beings as brothers? I hold no preference to mobians no और than I do homosapiens. I want little और than to clear up this issue.”
“The entire CITY?!”
“Of course. Do आप really think that no one will be left wondering if we take आप out of the equation? If we did that we would have to get rid of your parents as well, then their friends, then their friends’ friends. One mass nuclear explosion will not only eradicate that issue, but it can easily be hidden.”
“You can’t HIDE this? How will that be any different? The govern-…ment…” Rovor nodded to Talon’s stirrings, keeping his non-grinning face straight still. They weren’t hiding anything from the government, they didn’t need to. They were hiding from the public, the civilians.
“A country that fears their government cannot flourish. A country that thinks that their government is innocent has no need to. No one will be able to tell anyone in the outside world, an EMP has done that for us-… will do that for us in around thirty सेकंड्स that is.”
“You… all these… lives…”
“A few million is nothing to seven-billion, Mr. Falon, I trust आप will understand that. If आप somehow managed to escape your only option would be to kill me, and everyone that supports Arma-9. That bloodpool will rival today’s.”
The sound of tires grinding against the घास and asphalt neared. A sort of armored-jeep, though looking quite a bit like a turtle-shell, sped over behind Rovor, opening at its side. A suited figure, similar to Rovor’s attire but in black, carried out an unconscious Kal and Jesse.
Nick watched as they were also placed in capsules in other vehicles. As soon as that was over Rovor gave a brief salute to the grey hedgehog and stepped out of sight, as did the vehicles. Nick was raised up into the sky in his own prison, conscious as he watched a red gas fill the air.
The gas must have been surrounding the entire city. It was followed द्वारा a murky green gas, following the same pattern as the first. Nick bashed his arms, head, and legs against anything he could. Maybe he could blast off the door at least. Charging up his energy once again he shot it at his window. It blasted back and hit him in the face. It did not hurt—in fact it actually felt like swallowing water—but it got him no और closer to saving anyone.
He must had been half a mile into the air द्वारा now. He could see skyscrapers in the distance being covered in the mist. He could not believe this was happening, he could not accept it was happening. His brain would literally not compute that everyone was dying. It felt like he was in a dream, and that he would wake up, and he believed it. He could not understand what he could do. He felt helpless and guilty and sick.
He could not hold his stomach, nor bend over for a less uncomfortable position. He thought he would be okay. “I… it’s… “ His eyes began to water. Talon was not one for whining या blubbering. He suppressed his emotions constantly to seem strong and inspiring. This had led to his emotions working incorrectly at times, making him indifferent to others when he wished he wasn’t. Right now was not one of those times.
His talk with Rin, where he was going to give her away to them but chose to help her; this replayed in his head over and over. He was trying to help, he wanted her safe, he wanted everyone safe. He- *BOMPH!*
The first bomb went off… and an orange-brown बादल followed directly after. Nick… shattered. “I’M SORRY!” He yelled, tears dampening his face and shirt. He yelled this over and over, louder when a new bomb went off. He knew that no one could hear him but he could not accept it. He just wanted them all to know, he just wanted to दिखाना that he was apologetic. “I JUST WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING!”
Dozens of explosions were heard. They lasted a good two मिनटों and became extremely frequent. No time for a call, no time for an Email, या a drive out. A white बादल rose above the others as the ground shook beneath them. This was the nuclear missile.
Nick’s stomach could not handle this and promptly released its contents onto the floor below the tear-dirtied hedgehog. He felt his own consciousness begin to leave him, his mind could not handle the torment. He gladly welcomed this sleep, closing his now red-edged eyes in hopes that when he awoke this will all have been nothing to worry about.
Pain awoke the hedgehog. His eyes flew open as his head flew sideways from a hard clanging slap to his cheek and right temple. The ground beneath him was hot and once he raised himself up he noticed that the knees in his pants were burnt through. Nick did not want to raise his head.
“Look.” Rovor’s voice ordered from his side. Nick only shook his head. Rovor grabbed hold of Nick’s hair and pulled his face upward, but Nick kept pulling down. Rovor eventually let go and stepped a few paces away, four द्वारा the sound of the crunching beneath the artic-wolf’s feet.
A clicking sound piqued Talon’s curiosity. What came अगला imploded it. “Look up now या both of your फ्रेंड्स will be shot in their eyes.” Reluctantly Nick’s face flew upward, darting about for Kal and Jesse. He saw waste, gravel, still-burning metal and only rare pieces of buildings sticking up from the ground.
Many holes, canyons almost, were seen cracking open the ground. In the distance to her left he saw just how deep they were, at least three stories of this crater. The toxic gas, both the nuclear, and that which came from the red gas, was already being cleared and purified. No doubt this was to cover their tracks. Neither Jesse nor Kal was here. Rovor just wanted Nick to see.
The grey hedgehog took deep breaths, glancing over to the भेड़िया who still wore his armor and helmet. He had nothing left to live for, did he? Either way he was not going to sit there and let Rovor enjoy the moment. With whatever strength he recovered from the rest, Nick span his foot around, jabbing it आगे at Rovor.
As soon as his arch made contact with the artic-wolf’s stomach Nick released whatever energy he could. His mist blasted outward, sending Rovor hurdling backward. The भेड़िया span for a bit before landing अगला to one of the canyon-veins. द्वारा the time Rovor recovered, Nick had dashed over to him with the intent of kicking him down inside of the hole.
Something landed on Nick before he could reach Rovor, forcing the hedgehog into the ground. It was cold and metallic. Robotic arms held his hands down, and forced his head to tilt up as Rovor recovered. He stepped over to Nick, twitching his fingers as he approached. The metal gloves around Rovor’s palms retracted, allowing his white-furred fingers to breathe.
Cracking his knuckles for a moment, Rovor retracted, then slammed both fists into Nick’s jaw at opposite ends. Nick felt the pain, but he was so numb at this point that he barely cared.
“You won’t die here, Mr. Falon.” Rovor kept his tone as calm as ever. “No, आप are coming with us. आप will be reprogrammed, repurposed, and sent out to do whatever tedious task we have for आप next. This time your identity will have no Nanites to protect you.”
The robot holding Nick released him. The hedgehog plopped onto the dirt floor, half confused, half furious. He pulled himself up to Rovor, who had retracted his हेलमेट for a और personal conversation. “You’re quite clever, Nick, I will give आप that. Believe it या not I don’t want to brainwash you, and I would be…” he paused for a moment, turning his head about the area in observation,” WOULD have been,” he corrected before directing his attention back to Nick, “perfectly fine with आप living a normal civilian life, with या without your memories of this incident, as well as your friends. In fact, I might even had been reasonable enough to let आप keep your identity. The sad truth however is that आप aren’t going to leave things alone, you’re driven, you’re smart, and आप want justice. Now look around आप at this justice and realize that everything आप do will cause something like this.”
Nick remained stubborn, but he understood what Rovor was saying. But how could he stop? How could he just let them do this to anyone they come across? He couldn’t. “I won’t stop…”
Rovor sighed, he almost looked genuinely sad. “Then there is nothing we have left to discuss here.” Nick could see the enemy around him as the mech began to restrain him a सेकंड time. He could see bombs still going off far in the distance, turning whatever was sticking out to rubble; the airships, the tanks, and worst of all soldiers. He could barely believe it. There were actual people working to destroy the city further, kill survivors. They weren’t from alien countries, they were citizens of this one, killing their own people. It was then that Nick finally लॉस्ट hope.
Rin was gone, and even if she came back how much better would she fair against them? Kal and Jesse he saw अगला to him once more, unconscious still. At least they were asleep. He was going to be taken and changed. He would not remember any of this, he would not care. He would do what they would want… like the soldiers below him. He did not want to believe it would happen, he I did not want this to be true, but it was, and he could do nothing about it.
The Mech dragged Talon into a large egg-like station, small, and tall. Why? As soon as it attached he felt something clutch around his head. It… it was going to happen now? B-but… he… he- ‘no… this can’t…’ hopeless. He felt hopeless. He barely had any urge to try to stop it.
A fizzing sound started up; Nick cringed, tensing in every area of his body. He just wanted to be asleep when it happened but no luxury like that presented itself. It paused though. It stopped. Nick opened his eyes; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He looked about however and saw that many of the airships were gathering near him. Were they going to blast him to ashes? Rovor changed his mind that quickly? No… They were pointing at something else. A सेकंड pod was in front of him, blocking the view, but it slowly moved.
At first it was just a small cyclone on the ground, spreading outward a few feet. Tornadoes were not a regular thing in this State especially when red sparks are concerned. In fact this nano-nado seemed to be sparking quite a bit, practically beaming with its red color. It became so bright at one point that Nick had to squint to keep from hurting his eyes.
*v’toom* A zipping sound went off at the center of the cyclone, replacing it with a quick red and black light. It cooled from its burning-coal texture, allowing herself to be seen clearly all-around. Something was different this time. Her flame-red-style collars were gone, her hair, her eyes. The blue jeans faded to a deep grey, as did everything else. It was as if this were a statue, unmoving, and unresponsive.
Talon was deeply confused, and at the same time deeply relieved, but he couldn’t let Rin stay या they would get her as well. He yelled repeatedly as hard as his vocals would allow “RIN! GO! आप CAN’T STAY HERE!” but she did not move. Something was happening to her… inside of her…
Arma-9 was fairly content with finishing their mission with the identity, and so they promptly activated their green-energy-guns (or Nanite-decomposer beams as Nick would शीर्षक them), lighting up the crater in a deep murky ivy.
Every blast was a concentrated and direct hit that tore into this shell that was once Rin’s body, ripping and cracking, tearing away at every piece. They were making very certain that she was dead with their two-minute long barrage. They would have gone for even longer if not for a chilling cackle stirred up from their target.
Nick had closed his eyes during the attack, but opened them upon their finish. Clumps of Nanites lay on the ground circling around a different kind of figure. There still seemed to be some Nanites swirling around it, but mostly this was energy.
Her hoodie was a pale, almost white, red, flaming upward as if crystals on fire. Her pants mirrored this, and her skin was completely white. The Nanites that lay at her feet spiked forward, glowing a deep dark red as her laughter continued to echo in every direction.
Slowly a face began to form at the center of her head. Two flaming black eyes, and an empty, toothless, wide, smile. A hiss escaped her as the Identity formerly known as Rin turned about, observing the competition. और and और of the attack-force moved in around her, some that Nick hadn’t even seen before; giant robot-like mechs with a blue energy shielding around them. An odd choice for such an occasion.
But neither the mechs, nor the airships, nor the tanks, nor the giant mechs acted. They were waiting, perhaps praying even. The hissing and laughter seemed to spin about the area like its own cyclone, centering itself at Rin, then ending. From her toothless-grinning face she कहा four words before an action was taken…
“You wanna fight? ALRIGHT!!” What seemed to be repeating DOMES of energy shot through the crater, blasting outward and tearing at anything made of matter, which including the station holding Nick. A giant white hand of energy shot out, whipping around and tearing into the airships before the Identity blasted into the air, firing madly and blindly.
One of the giant mechs leapt forward, slamming into the energy-identity, and pinning her down to the ground. Others began to follow suit, but no dog-pile was going to help them. The mechs began to glow with the heat destroying themselves from below, before what could be described as a beacon of energy, at least three yards in diameter, ripped into the sky, eradicating the mechs, and a foolish airship above.
Nick’s station was damaged enough to the point where he could escape, and he took his opportunity promptly. Whatever had happened to Rin wasn’t something he could stop. He needed to get Kal, and Jesse, and get as far away as he could.
He dashed over to their stations, noticing as he went that Rovor was not in sight understandably. Kal’s was the closest so he began there. He was about to blast off the window from the station but a gust of wind and chaos energy from the blood-lusting identity flew him to the side. He grabbed hold of the door, barely managing to keep himself from flying further away. The whole ground was shaking now, heating, tearing, disappearing from existence.
The identity had created a sort of flatways windmill with her arms, spinning rapidly in the air, and slicing up whatever resistance was left. Nothing Arma-9 had here was standing a chance, and Nick feared he would be next. The stations flew backward, crashing into the ground. They were dented enough to be offline, but Nick still was unable to open them.
A large THOOM shot into the ground, causing Nick to fly upward a few feet. He thought it was Rin, but this was possibly even worse.
It looked like a robot but… organic. It’s appendages seemed like twisting vines from a plant. It had a sort of हेलमेट face, though no visible eyes. It’s face was a sort of 3-dimensional triangle, and it’s arms were wide with it’s legs. It’s body was fit and thin. It looked almost like a child, a giant robotic child, easily taller than any skyscraper. It came in many colors, mostly green, red, and grey. It moved quickly, very quickly in fact Normally giants were slow due to their weight, but this one moved casually and as quick as any smaller average-size person. Each step was causing a gust of wind that shook the area. It was moving towards Rin. A sort of headset was on top… a control helmet? Arma-9 was controlling this thing?
Rin had noticed the giant and immediately focused an energy blast at its head. The giant knocked the blast away, causing a ricochet from the bust to slam against the ground. With a hiss the identity fired again, this time rapidly and repeatedly. The robot was not able to block every blast but it did begin to हटाइए closer regardless.
The energy bounced off, occasionally denting but very faintly. The giant slammed it’s hand down at Rin, causing a dust-cloud to gust out in all directions. The Identity gripped the giant’s hand and flipped the creature into the air before ramming at it. The robot giant was too quick however, and kicked back as he slammed into it, following up द्वारा crushing the identity into the ground.
Energy poured from beneath the giant. Rin was trying to blast her way out. The robot remained motionless as this went on. The energy faded eventually and was replaced द्वारा large thooms. The foot of the giant raised slightly with each one; the identity was now trying to kick it up. Nothing seemed to be working.
Finally the rabid red-chaos-creature formerly known as Rin decided to teleport out from the hole, reappearing in front of hear of the giant which she promptly blasted into, stretching her hand while swinging it for और leverage. The giant staggered back, falling to the ground for the moment. The identity began to charge up और energy as her opponent laid on the ground.
A ball of energy began to appear around her, becoming larger and larger, heating, then burning, then melting whatever was around her. A सेकंड appears inside of it, which also expanded, then a third, a fourth, and so on. The giant had recovered and slammed it’s hands around Rin, grabbing hold of her energy sphere. It attempted to crush her but it was too late. The identity released the build-up, causing the entire are to go blind with a red light.
Nick was already behind what he hoped as appropriate cover, and shielding his eyes, but even then they burned. The heat from the energy had torn away at his backside’s फर and parts of his spines. ‘It’s dead’ he thought. ‘Good’.
Turning back around to check… the giant still lived. In it’s untarnished, though notably black-tinted, hands lay a pile of dust; the remains of Rin’s Nanites.
The giant clamped it’s hand holding the Nanites and charged an energy inside to burn away at the remains, dropping whatever else was in its hand afterwards. Ten? Eleven maybe? Nick could barely see from his distance. Whatever this thing was… it had just claimed whatever else was left of this destroyed city. Arma-9… once again they were undefeated.
Tears returned to the sore hedgehog’s face; tears for Rin, tears for his city, tears for loss of hope. All he could do was look up as the giant stood victorious, blotting out the sun. It turned about, starring at the ground… it was looking for Nick.
The grey hedgehog quickly realized this and pulled his unconscious फ्रेंड्स nearer to him behind shelter. He doubted this would do much for long. He was right. The giant yanked away the station revealing Nick’s location. “There comes a time in anyone’s career,” a voice called from the giant, Rovor’s of course, “where even the greatest of resources becomes such an issue that it should be removed. And you, Mr. Falon, are about to be.”
The tips of the giant’s fingers lit up with a yellow glow. It was charging it’s energy. Before it pointed it’s hand at the ground however someone yelled “HEY!”
Rovor knew who कहा that. He wasted no time turning completely around and blasted at where the remains of the Nanites were. Too late. *Zip* a red light shot through the giant’s hand and out it’s shoulder. *zip zip* through the other shoulder and out the opposite-side-elbow. An energy shield began appearing around the giant but it wasn’t going to be enough now. The light flew out of sight, then back, then around again, and again, each time faster and faster until it drilled through the chest of the giant and continued flying holes through it sending yellow energy, metal, and green-colored materials everywhere.
The giant was thoroughly damaged but weakly kept its stance. The identity flew above her opponent, then rammed it’s head into the ground. The giant gave its final attempt to obliterate the crazed Rin, opening its face up and releasing an energy wave from below her. In retaliation the identity slammed her arm into the face of the giant, blasting with her own red energy.
The two were giving it their all, blinding the area in an नारंगी, ऑरेंज sunset of death. With one last scream Rin pushed forward, surging Chaos Energy through the robot, and back out in cyclone of energy punching through its body. She kept her scream pitched, unstopping as she continued spreading the energy until every piece of the giant was no longer existing.
As the last blast of energy left the identity, her insane glow and structure faded… as the remaining Nanites attached to the energy collapsed, burning on the ground. The battle was over.
Courtesy of Tak The Fox
I was breathing deeply at the time from my running " Stop following me Marcos", i screamed at him. "But your the princess i must protect you",Marcos replied."protect this fool" i started to run but that stupid dress i tripped on it."still don't need to be protected", he reached out i his hand."fine, आप can co...". He covered my mouth with his hand. "Shh i hear something".he pulled out his sword and held it back. The five gurads came out holding some bluue long haired guy. He came down and circled Marcos and me. Blue guy said"This calls for one thing... Celebaration."Well, aparrently his name was jess,prince jess aqua."so your from the capitial"he asked."yes, i left because it was boring and i didnt belong there." Marcos rapidly कहा "but we're going back tomorrow". I turned my head fast "What, no i'm not"'.
Reason #1
Rachel's weakness is Dark magic, therefore, Sonic can erect a barrier around Rachel to protect her from the Dark magic in the atmosphere around them. (this cant, however, protect her from Dark energy directed at her द्वारा an attack)
Reason #2:
The only thing that Sonic can't do, is swim, henceforth, Rachel, being part mermaid, can work with sonic when forced into an aquatic environment.
(once again, please, no hate comments, this is an "opinion article", so i would appreciate it if आप would keep yur hate टिप्पणियाँ (if any hate comments, tho i cant see how आप could have any hate टिप्पणियाँ with something like this) to your own thoughts. thank आप very much!)
Reason #2
