State of Decay (Chapter 28: Ambush)

[With emergency lighting all they had to go by and at least one squad hunting them through the corridors, pacing slowed. They moved as fast as they were able, Fiona guiding the way with her own map and Miles doing his best to make corrections as the topography changed, some sections closed off to reduce damage and others caved in completely. Nevertheless, progress was made. Steadily.]

Sally: This sort of thing is never like the stuff the horror movies show.

Sonic: In fairness, "Fake-abandoned-air-fortress" isn't a horror subgenre that I'm familiar with.

Miles: You've got plenty of time to become acquainted with it.

Sonic: True, I have.

Mecha Fiona: I'm getting a lot of energy readings, guys. Whatever's here is trying to mask its signal.

Miles: Can we get a location on it?

Mecha Fiona: A rough area, nothing more. And it appears to be in the way.

Miles: There aren't many routes to the generators. I think we'll have to go through this time.

Sally: So much for the quick route.

Miles: We hit them hard and fast and lose as little time as possible. Shouldn't be too difficult. If we can get through them fast then we can go on the defensive, and it's a lot easier to hold ground in this place than it is to gain it.

Sonic: Works for me.

Mecha Fiona: Same here.

Miles: Fiona, if they start stalling us, get Sally to the core, then tail back.

Mecha Fiona: Roger.

[Once again Miles starts forward, blade sliding from its sheath.]

Miles: Just focus on getting past them first.

Sonic: I think we can handle that.

Miles: We'll see.

[Picking up the pace the group speed down the corridor, descending a long, shallow ramp and opening into a long room full of piping. Here the emergency lighting is brighter, though the room is silent.]

Sonic: Who smells the obvious trap?

Sally: I do.

Mecha Fiona: Same.

Miles: Agreed.  Looks like it's time to test one of my new upgrades.

[Taking one hand off the hilt of his blade he directs it down the room, a circle on his palm irising open. A moment later a bolt of energy erupts from it, rocketing away past the pipes and tubing. The recoil rocks him backwards and he has to shift his weight to stabilise before the bolt makes impact. It explodes violently against the wall, flaring light down the corridor and blasting shadows into full focus.]

Miles: That requires later calibrations. For now, we have our targets.

Mecha Fiona: Time to break some heads!

[The quartet press forward.]

Mecha Scourge: Alright, who's first?

[Scourge pushes out into the crimson lightning, interposing himself between them and the doorway.]

Mecha Fiona: Wow, you're even uglier as a bot.

Mecha Scourge: Aww, guys, what did you do to her? The fun one is gone!

Mecha Fiona: Fun one? Someone mind explaining what he means?

Mecha Scourge: You don't- you don't even remember? Fucking hell!

Mecha Fiona: I know I was hypnotized, and I know Nicole fixed me. That's all.

[Scourge starts laughing, a horrible wheezing cackle.]

Mecha Scourge: Ya know, that's a real shame. Still hot though.

Mecha Fiona: That's really not going to work. Come on, see how hard you can really hit this.

[Fiona shifts her pose defensively, squaring off against the robotic hedgehog. As she prepares, Miles glances over at the other two.]

Miles: When he moves, we move.

Sonic: Got it.

[Sonic draws his swords, as Sally readies her own weapons.]

Mecha Scourge: Like it's gonna be that easy!

[Miles frowns a moment with the words, then starts in surprise.]

Miles: Move!

[He breaks formation into a charge as other shapes in the light start to move, a knife-like blur slashing across him, lifting him into one of the massive fuel lines, pinning him against the thick metal casing. His motion arrested, Predator Hawk's figure comes into stark relief, Sergeant Simian and Flying Frog making their returns, blocking the passage alongside Scourge.]

Scourge: Alright, guys! Kill them!

[Fiona steps forward, hands raising instinctively to block a volley of gunfire from Simian's twin cannons. Untested, the weapons light up for a moment, the bullets stopping dead and clattering to the floor as their entire force is absorbed. She glances down at them, shrugs, then returns the attack with a volley of her own, half a dozen bolts of energy whistling through the air to scatter the three defenders.]

Mecha Scourge: Oh, forgot about those... Shit.

[In the wake of the attack Sonic darts forward, diving beneath Frog's swinging whip-tongue and ricocheting into Scourge. The impact barely even phases the Robian, backhanding Sonic away from him.]

Mecha Scourge: Still pathetic, blue?

Sally: Sonic. You have two ancient mystical weapons! Use them!

Sonic: I'm getting to it!

[He wasn't, but wasn't about to get loud-mouthed at by Scourge. Rebounding off a wall he brings both blades to bear in a scissor-motion, cutting them across his opponent's torso. Once again Scourge raises both hands to block, energy exploding around his wrists to counter the respectable power of Sonic's blades.]

Mecha Scourge: Ungh... almost feeling this...

Mecha Fiona: Sonic, you help Sally and Miles! I'll handle Scourge, it's kinda what I'm here for!

Miles: We're not here for any of that!

Mecha Fiona: At least I can easily counter him! Sally, get going!

[Exerting more force upon his foe, Miles wrenches Hawk away, dropping to the ground with only a passing swipe. Sally rushes past him, spurred on by the momentum gained by the weight of the armour. Scourge smirks, and fires two streams of Anarchy at her, only for Fiona to leap in his way, and block the attack with her gauntlets.]

Mecha Fiona: Good news, Miles! The upgrades work!

Miles: I found that out when I started doing this!

[Wheeling to keep up with Hawk, the fox lets loose another bolt of energy, still overcharged and forcing him to slide back to cope with the shock. The shot slashes past hawk and collides with the ceiling, exploding violently and tossing the Robian to the ground.]

Miles: What's the verdict on killing these thugs?

Mecha Fiona: You know, there's only so far I'm willing to be nice to these people.

Sonic: I kinda have to agree.

Miles: Thank you, both of you.

[Now free to kill if the opportunity presents itself, Miles closes in on Predator Hawk, cutting downwards as the Robian rolls out of the way of the strike. Miles frowns, and fires a bolt of Anarchy energy at him, tracking him across the floor. Once again the bolt misses only narrowly, blasting fractures all along Hawk's plating. He vanishes, warping forward, and and hefting his sword at his target again.

Miles: Do yourself a favour and stay still.

[Augmented by bionic strength he tears downwards a second time, recalling the previous motion and jinking just a fraction to the left as his target rolls once more. The sharpened edge catches against one of Hawk's wings, shearing them away with consummate ease. However, the Robian does not slow, rolling into its feet.]

Miles: Back down, or I will kill you.

[Mecha Predator charges forward, slashing with his remaining wing. Miles simply leans backwards, sliding between the attack and rising back up behind him and backhanding him across the neck. THe bird hits the ground, hard, struggling to stand.]

Miles: Stay. Down.

[The Robian keeps struggling as Miles stamps on his neck, pinning him to the deck.]

Miles: Goodnight.

[He plants his sword in Predator's head, twisting the blade sharply. Predator Hawk spasms as its processor is split and crushed, systems failing. The fox glances towards Sonic and Scourge's spinning duel, then to Fiona sparring with Frog and Simian, gauging the necessity.]

Miles: Fiona, let's get the rest of us moving!

Mecha Fiona: Damnit Miles, how the hell are we supposed to get away from this in one piece?

Miles: By putting holes in them.

[He snarls, raising his hands again. This time, both thump with charges of energy, throwing the fox back a few feet as they streak away. Frog manages to evade but Simian is too slow, the blast shearing through his arm and then catapulting him into the wall.]

Mecha Fiona: Thanks. Sonic, switch opponents, we need to get moving!

[Sonic doesn't have much time to acknowledge her, batting aside another crushing strike and skirting round the robotic hedgehog. He jinks away from him and practically throws himself into Frog as he lands again, letting Fiona place herself between them.]

Mecha Scourge: Miss me, babe?

Mecha Fiona: No, not really.

[Scourge pauses a moment, then huffs, denied the chance for any sort of comeback. Finally he coughs out some badly-executed retort.]

Mecha Scourge: You know you did.

Mecha Fiona: You aren't even trying.

Mecha Scourge: You're the one not giving me any good material, I mean, come on!

Mecha Fiona: Hurry up and start trying to kill me, Scourge. I might get bored.

[Scourge snarls, and takes a swing at her, only to find his fist thudding against her gauntlet.]

Mecha Fiona: What's the matter, can't beat a woman?

[She throws her arm down and takes his hand with it, bringing her opposite up across his face with a dull ringing noise. Scourge stumbles a step with the force, straightening with a smirk.]

Mecha Scourge: Aw, now you're holding my hand!

[The robot vixen sighs, and releases the newly-stored energy into his face. The blast launches him backwards to the floor and she begins to pace round him as he returns to his feet.]

Mecha Scourge: Way to take a leaf outta my book.

[She ignores him, and flies towards him again, her back now to the door. Scourge wheels and bats both fists across her. The first is caught by her gauntlet once more, the second impacting hard against her shoulder.]

Mecha Fiona: Gah...

[She releases the energy again, unbalancing him.]

Sonic: Fi, let's go!

[The hedgehog looks her way briefly, slashing warning blows at Frog as Miles pauses in the doorway to wait for them.]

Mecha Fiona: I need an energy boost!

[Sonic nods, and fires a beam at her, which she catches on her gauntlet.]

Mecha Fiona: Just a little more...

[Before it's necessary, Scourge hammers down on her again, a predictable move easily blocked by her versatile weapons.]

Mecha Fiona: Almost....

[The final burst comes as Scourge channels energy into his gauntlets, trying to break her guard and completely misinterpreting how her weapons work.]

Mecha Fiona: Good for something, I guess.

[Kicking him hard in the stomach she brings all available energy into her gauntlets, punching them into the floor. The energy ripples out in a massive kinetic burst, lifting everyone in the room off of their feet and turning them into ragdolls. She's moving even as it expands, gripping Sonic's arm as he's lifted away and dragging him back to the floor.]

Sonic: Nice one, Fi!

Mecha Fiona: Thank you, thank you!

[Miles ushers them through the doorway, triggering the blast door and slamming the way closed between them and the Destructix. He tracks with them for a few paces then stops, turning to face the door once again.]

Miles: You two, go on ahead. In here they can only come at me one at a time, and I can slow them down. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes, but there's no sense in not making them pay for ground gained.

Mecha Fiona: Okay, I know you want to fight Scourge, but my body is more suited to this than you.

Miles: And you need to take hits to dish them out again. I don't even need to let them get through the door to hit them hard. Just...let me do this. I'll call for help if I need it. Go and make sure Robotnik didn't put more defences in here we didn't know about.

Mecha Fiona: Roger that.

[The vixen turns and flies after Sonic and Sally.]

Miles: See you soon.