Agent Topaz - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Sink Or Swim

-S-

Atop the Master Emerald's shrine...
Knuckles

Angel Island is a floating haven, a place far away from the rest of the world up in the sky. It passed by the Red Mountain range near Station Square every so often, and during that time Sonic or Rouge might stop on by to try and annoy me or steal the Master Emerald (NOT gonna happen by the way), but this was a period the island was away from the mountain range and actually very near the coast. I don't ever get visitors then, but I don't mind. It's a chance for me to relax from someone trying to steal the M.E and for me to train my skills. So you can imagine my surprise when Tails suddenly just appeared in front of me through a hole in the air.
I stood up quickly, moving in front of the Master Emerald. "Ok, hold it right-! Oh, Tails, it's you?" I lowered my ready fists and folded my arms as he ran up to me. "Why, and how, are you up here?"

Back in Central City...
Sonic

I managed to stumble to my feet and noticed Topaz hadn't attacked me while I was vulnerable. Now he was charging again. He was playing with me!
I side stepped his jab and grabbed his two tails, swinging him down. He hit the ground and I leaped up into the air for a trusty Sonic Spin, but he rolled away as I came down. This guy just wouldn't quit!

-T-

(Tails)
"Long story.  I don't have time to explain everything right now... I need to set something up here first."

I set the Reset part I'd grabbed on the ground, then flew back through the portal for more.

(Topaz)
"Lucky shot, hedgehog."

I clutched the Chaos Emerald tightly in my right hand.  The two of us launched several more punches and kicks with each other, none of which actually connected.  Then I got lucky and nailed him in the chest with my right knee.

Yes, I was going easy on him.  If I wasn't he'd have been dead long ago.

...you don't believe me, do you?

-S-

(Knuckles)
Tails ran back into the hole in the air again, leaving the piece of metal he'd bought with him on the ground. I went over to the hole and inspected it. It was obviously a portal, a made from Chaos energy! I could feel the energy signature from it and the Master Emerald responding!
I looked at the piece of metal on the ground. It looked like a piece of a machine of some kind- knowing Tails, some weird thing or other. Then I got hit on the head with another piece of metal.
"HEY! Watch it! Ow!" I stared at the direction it had come from, the portal. Tails must have thrown it through there! That was it!
Well, he seemed pretty determined to get all these pieces on my island, so I decided I'd see what the heck he was trying to do on the other side. I stepped through to see I was in Tails' workshop. He was using a kind of machine (always machines with this guy!) and a Chaos Emerald to open up a portal! Pretty clever.
"Tails, what the heck are you-" I began, but then he told me 'later' and that he needed me to pick up this big hunk of whatever he was dumping on my island and take it through the portal. I was kinda surprised at the panic in his voice, so I picked up the part and took it through the portal, placing it at the steps of the M.E's altar.
'This had better be good.' I thought.

(Sonic)
Topaz was getting annoyed, I could see it. Maybe I could wind him up just a bit more and he'd get careless.
"So!" I said, stretching as I watched him hover. "For a guy that loves destruction, you sure have done a pretty bad job destroying me! C'mon! Even Eggman puts in more effort than this, bless his mustache!"
His face reddened to nearly match his eyes.
I looked at him with lidded eyes, a taunting smile pulling at my lips.
"For a villain, you kinda suck."

-T-

(Tails)
Finally everything was through the portal.  I picked up the Reset's base and put it in place a few yards away from the Master Emerald, then began to take piece after piece to the site and set it up as well.  I could tell by the look on Knuckles's face that he had no idea what I was constructing; no surprise there.

(Topaz)
"WHY YOU-!  You're more suicidal than I took you for!"

I rushed Sonic and grabbed him again, hauling him into the air.  This time my grip was so tight it would leave marks.  He wouldn't struggle out of that easily.  I lifted him up... and up... and up... until we were several stories high.  I eyed the coastline, easily visible from where we were.

"Sonic... remind me of how well you can swim?" I remarked with a devilish smile.

-S-

(Knuckles)
Tails began to put stuff together, slotting in something here, clicking in something else there.
"Ok, Tails, seriously, what are you doing?"

(Sonic)
I thrashed but he wouldn't let go. "Oh, very badly!" I called to him in a casual voice to hide my worry. "But I'm pretty sure you're too weak to carry me all the way from here to the coast!"
Tails would have been, but I doubted the same applied for Topaz. This guy could probably carry me into the middle of next week. I'd have to find a way to get out of that vise-like grip...

-T-

(Tails)
I didn't even look at Knuckles as I explained.

"Well, to make a long story short, there's an evil me out there causing trouble- he has red eyes, so you'll know him when you see him.  I kind of created him by accident using this device, and I'm going to use it to get rid of him."

(Topaz)
"Whoever said anything about carrying you?"

The expression on Sonic's face when I said that line was priceless.  Raising him up, I then began spinning around in circles, gaining rotational momentum quickly, and finally released him.  Much like the Olympic hammer throw, really, only done in midair... and with a hedgehog instead of a hammer.

My aim was perfect.  I estimated that Sonic would land in water that was about four times as deep as he was tall.

-S-

(Knuckles)
I flicked my dreadlocks as they bounced in my eyes. "An evil you? Say wha?" I was a bit lost, it was all happening so quick! Still, I got the basics.
"Right, so, I'm guessin' you're here for power from the Master Emerald then, right?"

(Sonic)
"WHHHHHHOOOOOOOOONNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"
SPLASH.
I sank.
Didn't see this coming.
So yeah, Topaz had a hefty throwing arm. I sank into the blue as my quills floated with the water. I could still see the mainland from here, I hadn't been thrown that far, but it was more than enough. I looked up and saw the surface quite a way above.
I tried walking forwards. While this worked, I moved really slowly and I didn't have the time. I tried clawing through the sand to move, no effect. I tried swimming, but that was just hilariously bad.
So here I was, stuck in the ocean, running outta air. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in worse situations, but this still wasn't looking good...
Maybe a Sonic Spin would get me outta this mess! But I was worried it'd use up the rest of my air, and if it didn't work I was a goner...
You don't know until you try, right?

-T-

(Tails)
"Something like that."

I produced a cable that wasn't part of the Reset's original plan.  One end connected to the Reset itself; the other, the base of the Master Emerald.

"Sonic's keeping my other self busy right now.  I hope he's all right."

(Topaz)
Was that it?  Had Sonic the Hedgehog finally met his maker?  I flew down to the coast and landed on the shore, looking out at the ocean.

Sonic the Hedgehog.  Who'd have thought that, after all these years, your own sidekick would accomplish what your greatest arch-enemy, Dr. Eggman, could not?

...Wait.  Some unusual currents were coming from near where Sonic had landed.  Seconds later, a familiar blue figure broke the water's surface and rocketed towards dry land.  If I'd been a second slower he'd have nailed me; as is, I managed to dodge sideways just in time.

Yeah, in retrospect I should've seen that coming.

-S-

(Knuckles)
That made enough sense. Tails kept on fiddling with the gear.
"So, wait," I said, a bit confused. "There's an evil you?"

(Sonic)
"Woo! Close, but no cigar!" I panted as I hit the ground beyond the beach (beautiful, solid ground).
Topaz hadn't wasted any time, he'd flown straight down her to watch me drown. Shame I had to disappoint him! He was on the beach, looking pretty shocked, mouth slightly apart, but mainly very angry.
"Nice try!" I said, tilting my head and batting my head to lose the water in my ear. "You'll have to do better than that though. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. I've kinda faced a lot of stuff- trying to drown me ain't gonna cut it!"

-T-

(Tails)
"Unfortunately, yes.  When he was first created he was trapped inside a Chaos Emerald, but from what I understand he was freed just last night by an unlucky lightning strike."

Finally the Reset was all set up.  I had replaced the Chaos Emerald with a special lens, which would borrow the Master Emerald's energy to serve the same purpose.  There wasn't much left to do but lure Topaz to the scene.

(Topaz)
"Your chances of surviving that were certainly less than your chances of surviving getting launched into space in that exploding pod.  At least then you had a Chaos Emerald- albeit a fake one- with which to make your escape."

I turned my own Chaos Emerald over in my hands.  I didn't try to attack the hedgehog just yet; if he made the first move, I was ready for him.

"Your old friend Tails was a total idiot that day.  'How did you know it wasn't the real one?' he asked, without even considering first that maybe Eggman didn't, and that he had just ruined everything by revealing it."

-S-

(Knuckles)
I sighed. "Ok. So now we wait?" Hey, I could relax and guard the Master Emerald all day. But to wait for something to happen?
I hated waiting.

(Sonic)
He had a point.
"Yeah, I guess that was kinda stupid." I shrugged. "He made a mistake. Everyone makes them. He wouldn't be my little buddy if he didn't! You gotta accept mistakes as they come and find a solution. But you, man, you're just desperate to be perfect and beat me, I'm sure!"
I was winding him up again.

-T-

(Tails)
"...I'm going to go let Sonic know we're ready.  You stay here."

Without even saying goodbye, I then retreated through the portal.

(Topaz)
Oh, big mistake.  I didn't hesitate to remind Sonic of who was in charge here.

"Would you like me to toss you a bit further, Sonic?  Say, far out enough that the sand is too soft to use a Spin-Dash?"

-S-

(Knuckles)
"Tails, wait!" But he was gone. I considered going after him, but didn't want to leave the emerald unguarded with an easy access portal on the altar's doorstep. Sighing with frustration, I plopped down on the steps and put my hands on my chin grumpily.
"I hate waiting."

(Sonic)
I winked at him and smiled. "Old trick! Try something new! Catch me if you can!" I turned tail and ran, kicking up enough mud to get him pretty dirty. I heard him bellow with rage and grinned to myself as I began to lead him on a merry chase through the city.