Chapter 47- Last Chance

Sotsu pressed onward. The wind stirred up sand blasts that threatened to send the Black Knight flying backwards, but with one arm bracing against the wind and his powerful legs pressing forward with determination, set in mind of Skara being at the goal, he knew not God himself could stop him. The name of the desert city of Sandopolis was repeated in his mind, it’s presence could be felt but it’s form could not be seen.

A steep incline rose from the ground. A monstrous dune loomed over the long-tailed echidna. He pressed onward, climbing the hill, slowly but surely. He strained his muscles until he was sure they would snap, but he never gave in.

"Skara! Hold on! I’m coming!" Sotsu cried out, he was sure though the strong wind would loose his voice, but regardless of it going in vain he cried out again for Skara.

He neared the top of the dune, grappling the unforgiving, unstable sand with his large, gloved hands. His suit flapped wildly about, snapping loudly as the wind tried to pry him off the dune and cast him back to the sandy floors far below. His hands felt the curved slope of the top, he tried to pull himself up, pressing his feet strong into the dune wall, only to have it break and crumble underneath the black and green shoes.

His sly body dangled from the top of the sand titan. He yelled out in shock as he hands nearly slipped completely from their hold. His hands scrambled about to regain their grasp, and succeed. Straining hard, Sotsu pulled up and landed both feet on the dune’s slight and narrow top.

Ending from the slight top was a vicious incline that ended at the sandstone walls of Sandopolis. The yellow-gold desert city stood strong in the desert wind. Monster columns of sandstone bunched together to form the city. It held a strange beauty of it’s own. Then in a white blazing flare, it all disappeared, and Sotsu came back to reality.

"He’s waking doctor," he heard Generation’s voice call out.

"Good, good let me in here," the black echidna heard Doctor Quack reply.

Sotsu’s eye-lids slowly let up and his vision, blurred at first, became clear as the form of the duck loomed overhead shining a light in the echidna’s face.

"Welcome back. We were worried you might be out longer, but we remember you’ve got Knuckles’ healing powers," the doctor said as he turned off the light.

"Not afraid of me attacking you now?" was the first question that came from Sotsu as he slowly sat up and rested his back against the hard, wooden backing of the bed.

"No, Gen here told everything that had happened. Frankly I’m surprised Sally wasn’t upset that the team didn’t succeed," Doctor Quack stated as he went over to fetch a glass of water.

"Oh yeah… Sally," Sotsu grimaced, remembering the humiliating experience he had gone trough with her shortly after his rescue from Robotnik.

Sotsu looked about. He was in a medical ward similar to the one he was in back from Knothole, except it was larger. Several beds were lined along the walls, him being in one, each bed held one of the members of the group he was in, as well as the others that Wolf was with.

"You’ve only been asleep for about half a day," Gen began softly, "the others might be for several."

"What about you? You were there," Sotsu questioned, then upon looking at the blue hedgehog he noticed the large bandage about her head.

"Only a slight concussion," she replied.

"Well glad to see you’re not hurt," Sotsu returned with a weak smile.

"Glad to see you’re okay too," she returned as Doctor Quack handed her the glass of water to hand to Sotsu.

"What about Quicksilver? How’s he?" Sotsu asked as he took the cool container of liquid into his hands.

"He’s fairing better then others. Guardians have a naturally better healing process. Though Knuckles, and therefore you, have the best," she said, a slight frame of sorrow glommed about her.

"I’m sorry that he’s been hurt. I’m sorry I can’t do anything," Sotsu said, trying his best to think of a way to help, but failing.

"Don’t worry about it Sotsu. There’s nothing you could have done. We dragged ourselves into this by attacking you guys-" She began before Sotsu cut in.

"It’s not your fault, you were following orders. If you disobeyed then you would have been trailed for it and most likely jailed. It’s my fault for ever beginning this whole ordeal," Sotsu pleaded, trying his best now to prevent Generation from throwing herself into a guilt trip.

"After all," the echidna thought, "ever since I came here all the events that were suppose to happen haven’t, or changed order."

"Well since you’re up did you want me to fetch you your jacket and gear?" Generation asked as she indicated toward a closet.

"No, I’m okay for now. A little tired too, but sleep can come after I clear a few issues I’m sure need clearing," Sotsu said as he drew off the covers and stood, sending his spine into a series of pops and cracks. Sotsu placed the glass on the nightstand nearby and swiped back the few loose bangs hanging over his face before proceeding to the exit.

"So I’m in the clear about the whole villain thing, right? I need to talk to the others," Sotsu said as he neared the door.

"I would stay here for now," Doctor Quack replied. "We’re unsure about your current status. But we know they didn’t go as far as to lock you into a psychic nullifying device as they did last time."

"Psychic?" Generation asked, with slight curiosity.

"Oh yeah, you’re like Wolf and Remoan. I remember that now. Though, how come you seem more powerful then the others?"

"I’m not really," Sotsu stated matter-of-factly, "it’s that application that matters. Though I’m able to draw off Chaos sources due to having Guardian blood, and that does help a lot."

"Does that mean Quicksilver could-" Generation began.

"Not exactly. Most normal Guardians aren’t adept to use their powers until much later in life. As I’m sure you know about Knuckles, before he had hatched he was suspected to Chaos Energy beams that had altered him and made him much more powerful. It’s a shame I get noticed for it and everyone wants me on their side," as Sotsu said the last part his head hung down in shame.

"Like the Dark Legion and Robotnik," Generation said, his eyes casting to the floor hiding the shadows of her past. Sotsu picked up on this, recognizing it from what Skara had done.

"You?" Sotsu simply asked.

"Yeah, I was forced to work for Robotnik. He had captured just about everyone in my town and turned them into his work force. That's where I had met Quicksilver, he was one of my few friends there. This was fairly recent. A little after you had blown half his base up. He had taken us in for the most part because he needed extra workers to rebuild the place," Gen explained, taking a seat on the bed as the emotional pain resurfaced.

"Once again my actions come to cause regret and other’s suffering," Sotsu thought, wishing he hadn’t pursued leaving Knothole.

Generation placed her head in her hands and cried quietly. Sotsu felt a pain in his stomach, the guilt spread about him, pressing him into trying in some way to comfort her. Sotsu sat down next to the hedgehog and placed one arm about her slender shoulders and another on her closer arm. He cradled her slightly trying to coop with her to calm down and that everything was okay. She turned into him and cried into his chest. Sotsu grimaced thinking symbolically how the cause of the whole problem was trying to be the solution. Yet the issue extended far beyond just Generation, it spread to perhaps the thousands that had been in her place due to his actions.

"No, please don’t cry. I promise you I’ll fix things out," Sotsu found himself saying as he hugged her slightly.

"Great," Sotsu thought, disgusted with himself, "make a promise you can’t hold."

There was a slight creak of the door opening followed by an obnoxious remark from Sonic:

"First Sal now he’s going for Gen! God what a creep!"

Sotsu blushed slightly from the remark, regarding his feelings toward Gen he didn’t incline for this to be in any way making a move toward her. Sotsu growled slightly toward the remark and slowly let Generation go to stand and face his antagonist.

The blue hedgehog stood strong, along his side stood Kevin, and Sally. Sotsu took a few steps toward the hedgehog until he was a stride away.

"Come to make stupid remarks or shall we discuss more serious issues?" Sotsu asked as his eyes narrowed.

"Sotsu. I’m sorry this has to happen," Kevin began in a soft voice, sounding sorry for what he was about to say, "but you’ve become too dangerous; and for the good of everyone, we’re sentencing you to life in suspended animation."

"No!" Generation cried out," Please, he’s a good person."
"How’d you know?" Sonic shot back harshly, "Where you here when he tried to kill everyone aboard the ARK?! Where you here when he cast Knothole into a black hell and put Kevin’s wife into a comma!? This bastard deserves to be shot were he stands! He deserves to be sentenced into the Forbidden Zone! And-"

"Sonic that’s enough!" Sally shot, leaving Sonic growling low.

"Look Sotsu," Sally began, "I’ll give you one chance, one last chance, to prove yourself. If you succeed you’ll be free. If not," Sally dropped her head, tears pricked at her eyes and fought she to hold them back, "then you’ll be put… you’ll be put into suspended animation. Never to be let to walk this planet ever again."

"Sally! Don’t give him-" Sonic began but was stopped when Kevin politely told him to be quiet.

"Thank you Sally. Thank you, for another chance," Sotsu simply replied, keeping his soft voice even lower.

"Thanks for understand Sally," Generation said, her eyes only a little misty now.

"Arg! I can’t believe you people!" Sonic shouted with disgust, before storming from the place and slamming the door hard behind him.

"I’ll be sure that I don’t let you down," Sotsu said placing his right hand lightly on Sally’s shoulder.

"You said that before storming into the DE-55 factory and getting yourself shot," Sally replied with a slight laugh as she looked up toward Sotsu with a weak smile.

"Yeah well, I’ll be sure not to do that again," Sotsu stated with a light laugh.

"It’s good to see you again Sotsu," Kevin said extending a hand in greeting.

Sotsu looked to the cooxen. He winced as he remembered brandishing the right side of Kevin’s head with his kanji. But to his surprise, fur, really synthetic fur, but still, fur covered up the side of his head that had been scalped in Sotsu’s last attack.

Sotsu extended his hand and shook Kevin’s firmly before pulling the cooxen into a friendly hug and patting his back.

"I’m really sorry for what I did Kevin," Sotsu said sternly as he pulled back, "I’ll be sure to make it up to you. I promise." Kevin held a hurt look in his face. He eyes were sunk in, most likely from the sorrow and emotional turmoil of Nikki’s condition. He no doubt had probably wished death to the black echidna, but in truth Sotsu knew Kevin to be a very kind and gentle soul.

"So what’s this mission then?" Sotsu said as he turned sharply toward Sally.

"You and Generation, the two who’ve both been under Robotnik’s rule. Are going on a recon mission into Robotnik’s hidden base in the Sandopolis desert. Upon recent attacks we’ve noticed several key figures on his side. We’re to believe he has made clones, fairly powerful ones. And from some recent evidence that has came up we believe his new cloning lab is in that base. We’ll fill you in on exact locations and such later. Generation will be your sole partner in this. Seeing that everyone’s either out at the time or is busy with other matters, we’re sending you two. Is that okay?" At this time Kevin had slipped out, not longer needed at Sally’s side.

Sotsu grimaced slightly, not only because he was trying his best to hold back from blushing, but also from the mention of clones. He knew this might be a result from his crash on Mobius when he had smashed into the cloning lab and had knocked over, and mixed up several DNA tubes. Sotsu received a grim vision of something like zombies and horrid monstrosities such as he had seen in Resident Evil.

The black echidna shook the images from his head as Sally asked, "It’s okay, right?"

"Yeah it’s fine with me," Generation answered, then tapping on Sotsu’s shoulder asked," It’s fine with you right Sotsu?"

"Yeah, it’s okay," Sotsu finally answered.

"Great. You’ll be leaving early tomorrow," Sally stated as she began toward the door.

"Oh one thing," Sotsu cut in.

"Yeah?" Sally asked.

"Could you get me a suit like I had before. What I’ve got is pretty well… nothing. And the gear I’ve got is pretty much shot and needs some re-tuning."

"Sure. I’m busy so I think Gen can help you with that. Bye Sotsu, nice seeing you again," Sally said, waving as she exited.

Sotsu stood in thought, blankly staring ahead as he wondered about the mission ahead.

"Well?" Generation asked as she popped around Sotsu into his vision.

"Huh?" Sotsu asked raising an eyebrow. Generation cast a quizzical look at him before taking his arm and pulling him toward the exit. Sotsu, being normally shy and fairly anal about being close to people let alone touching him, blushed as Generation gripped his arm.

"Sally told me to help you for whatever you need. So let’s get going," Generation stated, yanking Sotsu into the light of the outside.

"This is it," Sotsu thought, "this is my last chance at showing my true alignment. I might actually be able to make it through. If I fail, them I’m done for."

-Nicholas D. Wolfwood-