Flames of Chaotic Fury
Part 2: Hope returns

It has been five years since young Tails had entered Robotnikatraz after selling himself to his worst enemy in order to save Sonic’s life. Now Tails was no more a kid: he was now a young, strong adult, completely capable of using the metallic arm Eggman planted on him to replace the original limb, lost during the siege. Eggman gave him full control: aside from escaping Tails could do anything, go anywhere and even talk to anyone of the inmates, including his best friend locked in the infamous third floor. But he never did. Not once, in five years, Tails went to meet Sonic or the others. He felt like a traitor, a worm not worthy of their friendship. So he focused on the jobs Eggman requested him, like repairing and inproving the Metal Chasers with new weapons, and even learning some tricks from Eggman himself, who gave him anything he needed. The only bother was Tribot: that obnoxious robot, despite Tails being his superior, never stopped harassing him with his acrid comments or asking to build faster despite Eggman to Tails to take as much time as he needed. The two-tailed fox lived his life like this and, just as always, it started the day where everything changed…

Tails was in his office/bedroom, building a new weapon for the Metal Chasers “How many weapons do these contraptions need?” he asked to himself, his arm turned into a blowtorch that crackled on the metal. He stopped a bit to wipe the sweat from his forehead and he gazed at the vertical mirror he had installed in his lab: the short, wimpy kid had turned into a much more mature individual with very refined muscles “All thanks to this…” he said looking at the metal arm. Yet he didn't felt strong: he only saw the reflection of what Eggman turned him into. He gritted his teeth, his hand turned into a hammer and smashed the mirror into tiny little shards “I hate you…” he growled to himself “Hm…” Tribot’s voice brought him back to reality “Seven years of bad luck…” “Do you believe those nonsenses?” said the genius returning to his working table “What do ya want?” “Oh nothing… I just passed by… And got you slacking off! Why aren't you working?” The robot accused Tails “Never heard of pause, coffemaker? Of course not… You ain't programmed with those, are ya?” he grunted, barely repressing the impulse of squashing his head and getting back to work “No I don't! And that's why the Sonic Cannon master wanted you to make is still unfinished: the manpower is lazy! Not to mention organic! Two things that a Deputy Director shouldn't be!” growled the robot, showing all of his disappointment towards the Mobian. At that Tails slammed his organic fist on the table and removed his goggles, showing a tired but furious look.

“LISTEN CLOSELY, YOU PIECE OF JUNK!!” growled Tails, having enough of being harassed by the robot “I am literally breaking my back here! The doctor said I can take all the time I need so why do you keep bothering me?! Then let's not forget that I am your superior, so the next time you talk to me like that…” he growled inhaling “CHAOS HELPS ME, I'LL TURN YOU IN A REAL COFFEEMAKER! IS THAT CLEAAAAAAAAAAAR?!!” he roared with all the air he had in his lungs. The robot floated backwards, visibly shocked by what Tails said, or rather screamed. He was right. Like it or not he was right: Tails was his superior and his master’s protege. One false step and he would've ended up on Eggman's desk, whistling for 5:00 p.m.’s coffee “M-my apologies… Deputy Director… I just wanted to know how long for the Sonic Cannon… If you wish…” he muttered, looking down. “Better…” he said, wearing his glasses and getting back to work, feeling a bit better after letting it all out “It's almost done… I should finish in 48 hours… Good news for Eggman though. The Antimatter Gun is ready. I'm going to deliver it now” he said moving away from the Cannon “M-marvelous… Sir… Now, if you excuse me… I shall leave…” Tribot muttered “Good idea!Get out of my sight…” he growled lightly as he took a purple shotgun-like weapon and went out of the room. Teibot looked at him as he entered his master’s office, thinking hateful thoughs while he left.

Tails went in his “mentor"’s office “Doctor? You there?” he asked with obeisance “Oh yeah, boy!” Eggman's all round face peeked from behind his desk. Tails could help but notice that in all those years Eggman didn't got any older, and that slightly freaked him out “Great timing, boy! Could you help me?” “Huh?” “See…” Eggman’s cheeks turned red in embarassement “I was trying to take a pen… Then my back played me a bad joke…” “Oh my…” Tails sighed, putting down the weapon and helping him up “You know you can't do everything by yourself! You could've asked me… Or your butler…” “Hm? There's… bitterness in your tone.... Did Tribot annoyed you again?” asked the doctor, sitting down. Tails looked down and nodded, his tails submissively laying between his legs “You know, Tails, just say the word and I'll dismantle that microchipped moron. Just talk and I'll provide.” He said paternally placing a hand on his shoulder “T-too good… Oh! I have the Antimatter Gun you asked!” Tails remembered showing it to Eggman “BEAUTIFUL!!” he said taking it “Light…”. He opened a window and fired on a rotten tree, disintegrating it “And deadly! My boy, you surpassed yourself!” Eggman complimented him gloating “T-thanks…” said Tails, blushing and wagging his tails like a happy dog “I-if you excuse me… I'll go finish that Sonic Cannon.” He said bowing slightly “Sure. But take your time! I'm not in a rush for it!” he replied “…Hail Eggman…” mumbled Tails before leaving. Tribot got in as Tails got out and the robot saw the wide grin on Eggman's face.

“Sir? Are you alright?” asked the robot “Aside the chest pain and the choking feeling, I've never been better, my metallic servant! I mean, haven't you heard? He hailed me! I did it! I broke him!! Now he'll do whatever I say without raising a brow!!” he gloated getting up and coughing violently, stopping Tribot with one hand “He's the heir I've been looking for! When Sonic dies, and he will, he'll be more submitted to me! Only then will my victory over these animals be complete!” he muttered pressing a hidden button in one of his busts and revealing a secret elevator. They took it and went in an underground lab, full of scientific tech, out of all of them there was a giant regeneration chamber filled with a green liquid and with a humanoid form in the middle of it. Eggman went there and placed a hand on the glass “This… Is the next step for my empire! If something happens to embryo, my plan will go south!! The existance of this laboratory must be kept secret! Got it, tincan?” asked Eggman “Yessir!!” said Tribot “A secret!” “Good. Now remember: the embryo must be activated only after my death…” “B-but sir… If I can, you still look like a youthful rascal…” stuttered the butler-bot “Tribot… Let's not fool ourselves! You know what's wrong with me… If only I didn't tried to trick Father Time…*cough* *cough* I can feel it, you know? I can hear it coursing through evey inch of my body… Devouring me from the inside… And without a real heir, Robotnik's future lies in here…” Eggman sighed and looked at his reflection in the glass “Could you… Please leave me alone?” He asked. Tribot shivered: he ASKED? Not ordered or shouted at him? He must've been really worried! “Surely…”said Tribot, bowing and leaving his creator alone.

Meanwhile, in the world outside the prison, the situation was critical: without a leader, the world had fallen in total anarchy. Mankind had regressed to primal animals, willing to kill each other to survive. Almost all of the cities had been razed down and a good part of human population had been arrested and deported into another facility of the doctor. It really seemed that doomsday had arrived! Yet, in Station Square’s undergrounds, there was people who still hoped: G.U.N., or what remained of it. Some agents, a couple of hackers, Omega and Maria(the only friends of Sonic who weren't captured) and the commander, who was now forced on a wheelchair. “Situation, Patterson?” he asked, coughing lightly, to one of the hackers “As usual: those who live up there are crazed and destroying everything…” said Patterson, shaking his head “Animals… I can't believe we belong to the same kind…”mumbled the general, going to Maria “How's Omega?” “Not well… His battery won't last long… I putted him on stand-by for now. That way he'll spare some energy…” the blonde hedgehog sighed. Towers looked at her, with wonder: so many years have passed, yet she didn't aged a bit. “I envy you…” “Hm?” “How I wish I was back in my prime! I'd assaulted the prison, save Mobians and humans and…” “And get yourself killed… Abraham, no one can get inside the prison if not those metallic monstrosities… It's impossible…” She whined, covering her eyes with her hands. Towers grabbed her hands and looked into her best friend's eyes “We can't give up now… Hope is the last thing to die…” “Well said” said a female voice which made everyone jump on their seat “WHAT THE?” croaked the commander going to the computers “You… Heard that too?” Abraham stuttered to the hackers, which nodded surprised “Okay… So I didn't went crazy… But… Who talked? Is someone here?” “Yes and no…” chuckled the voice. Suddenly the screens started waggling and changing colors, until yhe smiling face of a lynx showed up “Please don't be startled. I'm not a virus, I'm a friend! My name is NICOLE” she said with a wide smile “NICOLE? And… What are you?” asked the commander raising a brow “I understand your skepticism, Commander, but rest assured I am on your side! I'm a last generation AI sent by my maker to tell you “Waiting is over!”” she said. A moltitude of green cubes started to flow out of the computers and reorganized to form NICOLE's body. She had a long purple dress, long black hair and a reassuring look “And… Who made you, NICOLE?” asked Maria “A friend, Maria Robotnik! Oh yeah! He sends you his regards… And his apologies…” she said lowering her ears like if she was the one having to apologize “I… I… I don't understand. He apologizes? But who…?” she asked, confused. NICOLE gave her a disk and headed back in the computer “That disk holds the answers… And a supercharger for Omega. Stay calm! It's almost over!” she said smiling and vanishing again
Meanwhile, in a cave far from the city, a strange figure was training under a waterfall. A loud BIP coming from his supercomputer caught his attention, he dried himself and went checking. NICOLE's smiling face appeared on the screen “Did you delivered the disk?” he asked “Yessir!” she said with enthusiasm “And… And them?” “They're okay. Still hoping” she answered, reassuring him. He sighed in relief and went to a wardrobe, wearing a white shirt, mimetic trousers and a backpack, filled with a compass, a map and a strange glowing bag.

“Wait…” said Maria thinking “NICOLE said that her maker know us all… That's not possible… Unless…” “Unless…!!” said the commander, knowing what she meant. Slowly a smirk formed on his face.

The individual got out of the cave, the weak sun made his metallic limbs shine.

“That son of a… So he really is immortal!” he said while Maria cried again, only this time they were tears of happiness.

He placed his hand in front of his eyes to shield them from the sun.

“So… He really…”

“Yes, Maria… He's back…”

The imposing figure of the Ultimate Lifeform standed in front of the cave.

“SHADOW IS BACK!!”

To be continued…

