Tails the Fox
Chapter 15 - The Vicious Virus
Boss 09 - Virus Tri Demon

2BIT: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?

Char flew down from the Virus Tri Demon, laughing at the intruders. "You can't beat the Tri Demon! Each of his three heads has a different power! Fire, Ice, and Lightning!"

Knuckles looked up at the beast. It had a horn on each of its three heads. Sure enough, each horn was emitting its corresponding element. The fiery red head opened its mouth and shot some flame breath in Knuckles direction! Knuckles and Charmy each ran a different direction to avoid the flames. Knuckles ran behind the monster, only to find it had three elemental tails as well! "Ooops, forgot to mention that!" Char said playfully. "What're ya gonna do now?"
The lightning tail whipped at Knuckles and zapped him, causing his digital image to flicker somewhat. Charmy flew over to tell him why. "Knuckles! Don't let that monster shock you! Electricity can be more dangerous in here than in the real world! You could get deleted!"

At this point, the Tri Demon had turned around, and shot an icy breath at Charmy! "Yiiiiikes!!" Charmy screamed before being frozen solid! Now, Knuckles was mad. "All right, punk! You're gonna pay for that!!"

Char just laughed some more. "Tri Demon, just finish him already!"

Knuckles looked up at the three heads of the beast. Then, he got an idea. He jumped up at the middle head, grabbing its icy horn in order to prevent the monster from shaking him off. The ice was giving Knuckles hands frostbite, but his plan worked. The Tri Demon became angry, and tried desperately to shake the echidna off his head. The flame head, sick of this, opened its mouth to blast Knuckles with its fire breath. At this point, Knuckles jumped down. The fire head torched the spot where Knuckles had been standing, and melted the ice on the horn a little! This made the blue head angry and confused. It turned around and breathed icy breath on the fire head, causing its horn's flame to die down a little. The two heads began fighting amongst themselves, so Knuckles tossed the frozen Charmy at the ice head just in time for more flame to hit it. Charmy was defrosted, and quickly flew away!

"Stop that, Tri Demon!" Char said, chuckling sheepishly. He flew to the lightning head. "Are you just gonna sit there!? Do something!!"

Taking Char's orders to heart, the yellow lightning head turned on the other two heads and breathed a lightning breath on the two of them! The electric current now shot through the Tri Demon's entire body, and it began to flicker as Knuckles had done earlier! Char started panicking. "Hey, you stupid virus! Don't you know you'll be deleted! Stop fighting each other and get that intruder!!" So, the three heads stopped just in time and turned on Knuckles!

Charmy, thinking fast, grabbed Knuckles by the hand and flew them both to the Tri Demon's back. "Hey, ya big dummy! Try to get us now!" he teased.
"What do you think you're doing!?" Knuckles shouted. But it then became clear. With its heads unable to hit them, the monster tried to whip them with its tails! Knuckles and Charmy started dodging them, Knuckles in a complete panic. Each time the tails missed, the Tri Demon was injured. Finally, the virus had enough, and twisted its heads around (with great effort). It shot three elemental blasts at Knuckles and Charmy. Charmy quickly flew out of the way, whule Knuckles slipped and fell off the creature's back. The three blasts hit the virus's back, and it soon faded too far and exploded!

Char clapped his hands excitedly. "Great show! I wish I had popcorn!" It seemed nothing could put a damper on Char's good mood. "I guess you win this time. I'll catch ya later! Bye!!" Char then flew off toward the terminal exit.
"I'd better go, too." Charmy said. "I gotta look for that data Vector asked me to find! I'll see you later Knuckles!"
Knuckles waved good-bye as the bee flew off deeper into cyberspace.

After a while, Knuckles finally figured out how to read the data. "I knew it! Eggman DID steal the Master Emerald! That liar! He must be using it to make fakes!"
Suddenly, Knuckles noticed another shadow looming over him. He turned around quickly and struck a battle-ready pose. "Get back! I'm in no mood for more mon--" Knuckles stopped when he saw who it was. Gemini!

She was still in dragon form, which was why she cast such a big shadow. "Hey, Knuckles! What a surprise! What are you doing in here?" she said excitedly.
"I could ask you the same question." Knuckles replied.
"Well," Gemini began, "I found my spell book here in Eggman's base, but the page I needed was torn out! It was a transformation spell. It could change anything into anything..."
Knuckles started thinking. "Anything?"
"Anything!"

A light bulb went off in Knuckles' mind. "That's it!! That's why that Master Emerald was made off rocks!" (see chapter 7)
Gemini looked confused. "What's up, Knuckles?"
Knuckles started walking past Gemini toward the terminal exit. "No time to explain! We need to find a nerd...like Tails! Follow me, Gemini!"
Gemini turned around and looked at Knuckles with a puzzled look. "Follow you? Well, OK...but can't you explain on the way?"
So, the two set off in search of Tails...

To be continued...