Chapter Text
The brilliant summer sun was merciless as it beat down ceaselessly against the deck of The Black Comet, not a single cloud in sight to offer even the briefest moment of reprieve from the harsh rays as the heat caused the horizon line to warp and wave.
It had been hours since Sonic began scrubbing the wood spotless, armed only with a bucket, his meager toothbrush and enough spite to do the job as flawlessly as possible.
Fine, he thought, as his muscles and joints screamed and sweat dripped to the ground in puddles around him, He wants useful? I’ll show him just how damn useful I can be.
He doubled down the pressure on the toothbrush in both determination and frustration, bedding the flimsy thing to the point it threatened to snap. The dark, rusty stains left behind from where his blood seeped into the wood were proving rather stubborn, not unlike the hedgehog they had originated from. The wound had begun to crust over, the blood trying its best to clot but with the hot and humid conditions combined with the buckets sweat Sonic was producing, his body couldn’t seem to fully staunch the bleeding. This led to a few more stray drops falling to the deck as he worked. The new bright red spots mingling with the ruddy brown blotches that refused to come up no matter how hard he scrubbed.
Just as Sonic let out a frustrated grunt, a shadow fell over him, blocking out the intense sunlight that seemed to mock him so.
“That was pretty impressive, what you did back there.” A small feminine voice said as Sonic looked up from his vigorous scrubbing. It was the purple stoat, the one that had unwittingly caught Shadow’s hat in the face during their duel.
“Thanks,” Sonic responded, taking a moment to sit back on his haunches, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his forearm, “got a pretty sweet prize for it too, heh.” He joked, vaguely gesturing to the deck before him.
The stoat gave an apologetic giggle, sinking down to sit on her knees alongside the exhausted hedgehog. “I’m Mierin by the way.”
“Sonic.” He said politely, extending the hand he hadn’t just used to wipe his brow.
“A pleasure.” Mierin responded, daintily accepting the handshake. “I know Captain Shadow can seem rather… brash, but he’s really a fine and caring leader once you get to know him.” She said, fishing around for something in the satchel that was slung across her shoulders and resting at her left side.
“Not the big bad brooding buccaneer he wants everyone to think he is, eh?” Sonic asked with a cheeky lilt.
“Oh he absolutely is. Especially to his enemies and those he doesn’t like. But once you’re under his care, he will do everything he can to ensure your safety.”
“Well unfortunately it looks like I fall under the ‘those he doesn’t like’ category.” Sonic said with a humourless huff.
“Only because he doesn’t know you yet, none of us do really.” She said, turning back to Sonic, producing a small glass bottle and a dark green cloth. “May I?” She asked, gesturing towards the cut on Sonic’s muzzle. The blue hedgehog nodded.
There was a moment of awkward silence as she uncorked the small glass bottle and blotted its contents onto the cloth.
“I was an… employee of a brothel in Apotos.” She began, “The night Captain Shadow came across me, I was in a dark alley next to the bordello sniffling and tending to my wounds. I had a particularly brutal client who preferred his pleasure with a side of violence… he enjoyed knives.” She said with a far away look in her eyes. Shaking her head slightly, she returned her focus to Sonic, dabbing the cloth lightly across the cut. The smell of rubbing alcohol burning his nostrils was the only warning he received before a sharp sting struck his cut, causing him to take a short sucking breath through clenched teeth. Mierin continued.
“At first I thought he was just another sailor looking to procure my services. I yelled at him, called him a bastard and told him- ‘wait a gaia damn minute while I stitch my wounds you pig’.” She chuckled softly as she continued to dab the rag. “Most men would have taken what they wanted then killed me for being so insolent.” She withdrew the rag, replacing it into the satchel along with the bottle and pulled out another smaller vial and strip of crisp white linen. “Instead he simply looked at me and said ‘do you know how to sew your wound?’ I had a pretty nasty gash on my chest and a needle and thread in my hands. You see, before I was a lady of the evening, I had a family and we were all quite skilled seamstresses and tailors so I knew my way around a needle and thread. This was the first time I had to stitch skin however. I figured it couldn't be much different than cloth.” Mierin then produced a small paintbrush which she dipped into the vial and swiped its contents gently around the perimeter of the cut on Sonic’s face. The opaque substance was thick and tacky.
“From there, Captain Shadow bought me from my mistress and brought me aboard The Black Comet as a seamstress and sail mender. He has also allowed me to study as a surgeon’s apprentice.” She concluded, placing the white strip of linen over the cut, it stuck in place thanks to what Sonic assumed to be the tree sap she had applied.
“Who’s the ship’s surgeon?” He asked
“Why, Captain Shadow is.” She said matter-of- factly, “He’s rather guarded about his past but he does possess a good deal of education and medical training. I’m unsure where he procured such extensive knowledge but nevertheless, I am grateful he sees it fit to impart some of it onto me. I do my best but The Captain is vastly more skilled in the medical arts than I. Though I doubt he would come to dress your wound himself seeing as he’s still a bit sore about the duel. Don’t let him fool you though, I think he was at least a little impressed. I know the rest of us were.” She said with sincerity in her hazel eyes. “For the record, I’m glad to have a new face aboard The Comet. It was lovely meeting you, Sonic.” Mierin said as she packed her satchel and rose to her feet.
“Thanks for patching me up, Mierin.” Sonic called after her, turning back to his brush and bucket, his hand gently touching his now dressed wound.
Mierin seemed nice enough, and this was twice now he had heard tell of Shadow’s apparent good will. This gave Sonic a lot to think about as he resumed scrubbing on his hands and knees, the task much easier now that his face had stopped leaking and adding to the mess.
For the first time Sonic found himself wondering why Shadow and his crew were searching for a miraculous treasure in the first place. I mean yeah, they’re pirates. Pirates and treasure go together like chilli and hot dogs, but Shadow didn’t strike him as the type to frivolously chase rumors and legends. He had to have a reason. A good one.
Hearing how his crew spoke of the Captain, it was obvious that they’d follow him without question and from the sound of it, he would in turn, do everything in his power to make sure the crew was safe and prosperous. It seemed as though they were more than just a crew of ruffians and degenerates… They were a family.
Sonic paused and looked into the bucket of soapy water, his own reflection staring back at him through the suds. He wasn’t here to join their family. If anything, he was here to tear it apart, unwilling though he may be. As it stood now, it was either Sonic’s family or Shadow’s…
This whole thing would have been so much easier if these people had all turned out to be just a bunch of ruthless and bloodthirsty pirates. He could at least justify screwing one evil over in favor of another. It was becoming glaringly obvious that this would not be the case… Despite trying to play the hero, Sonic himself was becoming the villain.
The war raging inside the blue hedgehog's mind pulled more energy from his already depleted reserves. With a defeated sigh, Sonic took a deep breath in through his nose with his hands braced on either side of the bucket, head hung low, and let out a weary exhale.
One step at a time.
~~~
Following the duel, Shadow had holed himself up in his Cabin for hours. Rouge would say he was “brooding” but The Captain would vehemently deny it. There was work to be done; routes to plot, research to conduct… Though try as he might to distract himself, Shadow couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to the duel. How Sonic had wielded his sword with such reckless abandon. How he had adapted and overcome despite literally being backed up against a wall.
Where had he trained?
There was a cavalier freedom to the way the blue hedgehog fought that suggested he was self taught but there were certain things about his style that seemed to be influenced by multiple different sword arts from all around the globe.
Shadow’s mind thought back to the first “guard” Sonic had taken in their duel. At first glance, it hadn’t really seemed like a guard at all. Just a casual stance with his weapon resting carelessly over his shoulder. Though thinking about it now, in the calm candle light of his cabin, Shadow had remembered a technique his teacher had spoken of. It originated from Germana, a small country to the north of Spagonia where they mainly practiced swordplay with long two-handed style weapons. A particular guard they taught was known as Vom Tag or “from the roof.” Essentially the swordsman stands enguard with their sword tip high over their shoulder, poised perfectly for a descending counter cut to a centerline thrust… which is exactly what Sonic had done. He seemingly modified the Vom Tag to fit his careless and lazy fighting style…
Perhaps Shadow was putting too much thought into it. It was very possible, and really rather likely, that Sonic had seen the move somewhere and simply taught it to himself with no formal kind of training.
Suspecting this was the case, Shadow couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit impressed. If Sonic’s swordsmanship was this skilled and adaptable with no formal training whatsoever, think of what he could do with mentorship…
Shadow shook his head quickly dismissing the idea. There were plenty of fine swordsmen onboard. If he chose to do so, Sonic could seek out any one of them to further his knowledge. The less time he had to spend around that annoying blue nuisance, the better.
Before he had even realized it, evening had fallen upon The Black Comet, the pale light of a waxing gibbous moon shone through the window by his bed. Shadow couldn’t stomach the idea of sleep now though. His mind was still too awake. Perhaps now was a good time to walk about the main deck. With most of the crew adjourned to their quarters for the evening, save for Whisper who had night watch up in the crow’s nest, he would find fresh air and solitude.
Opening his cabin door and stepping out into the surprisingly cool night air, Shadow thought about popping back in to grab his red and gold frock but decided against it. He wouldn’t be out here for long anyway.
As he made his way over to the starboard bulwarks, Shadow took in the state of the main deck. It was spotless. Even in the dim light of the waxing moon, the live oak panels sparkled.
That little punk actually did a good job…
Once again, the Captain attempted to push all thoughts of annoying blue hedgehogs from his mind. Shadow had come outside to clear his head, not become more irritated than he had already been all day.
As he reached the starboard railing of the main deck, he rested his forearms on the banister and gazed out upon the clear horizon. The light of the moon glinted off of the light chop of the ocean, mimicking the twinkling stars of the night sky above. There was a slight breeze that trussed through his ebony quills, reinvigorating him with its gentle caress. It was moments like these where Shadow swore he could almost feel her presence. Whispering sweet words of encouragement into his ears, spurring him onward.
“Thank you Maria.” He whispered quietly to himself, allowing his soft words to be carried away on the wind blowing far out to sea. Maybe they would reach her wherever she was. Maybe she would hear them…
Shadow spent a few precious moments like this, eyes closed, breathing deeply.
It was peaceful.
Until it wasn’t.
A small rhythmic noise found its way to Shadow’s ears. Not loud, but definitely consistent. It sounded like… breathing.
It sounded like snoring.
Shadow’s ear flicked in its direction, his head quickly following. Surely it couldn’t be Whisper. The crows nest was up too high to hear soft snoring like this and she was far too responsible and vigilant to ever fall asleep on duty.
Slowly Shadow made his way across the deck where the soft snoring grew a bit louder when his eyes caught a flash of blue.
And there, sitting on the ground leaning up against the portside bulwarks fast asleep, was that irritating blue hedgehog. He was hugging the bucket Shadow had thrown at him earlier and his head lolled to one side, a thin line of drool working its way from the corner of his mouth down to his chin. It hardly looked like the most comfortable place to sleep, but somehow the hedgehog had managed.
Unbelievable, Shadow thought in exasperation, must this fool always interrupt me with infernal noise making?
Shadow marched over to the snoozing hedgehog, fully intent on kicking him awake and berating him for napping on deck. As he approached however, it became clear that Sonic had passed out not from carelessness, but from exhaustion.
Had he really spent all day scrubbing the deck with just a tooth brush? Shadow figured the hedgehog would have either quit halfway through or half-ass the job all together. Perhaps out of spite? Perhaps to prove that he could not be told what to do. But it seemed that this hedgehog had more tenacity than Shadow had originally given him credit for. He had proven that not only could he take orders, he could exceed expectations.
Looking down on the tuckered out hog, his slumped position on the ground, the deep bags underneath his eyes, the little white lines running down his forehead and temples where his sweat had dried and left its salty residue, it almost made Shadow feel bad.
Then Sonic let out a bone rattling snore and the sentiment vanished immediately.
“Wake up hedgehog.” Shadow said, giving the blue hedgehog’s boots a firm nudge, “this is not the place to take a nap.”
“Huh, wha– who–” Sonic flailed his arms, the now empty bucket almost tumbling to the deck before he regained control. Once the blue hedgehog had determined that his life was not in immediate danger, he groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes with one hand, his other arm still curled around the bucket.
“Did you really scrub the entire main deck with a toothbrush?” Shadow asked incredulously.
Sonic’s mind had finally caught up to him as he placed the bucket on the ground and rose to his feet lazily, “Well yeah,” he said, failing to stifle a yawn which Shadow promptly leaned away from, “you told me to.”
“Mmm.” Was all Shadow hummed, carefully weighing his next words. “Well… you’ve done a passable job, the deck looks good, you’re dismissed.” He said, quickly turning to look out onto the horizon with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Whoa, was that a compliment?” came Sonic’s aggravating response.
“No,” Shadow insisted firmly, “it’s merely an observation. The deck looks passable and so your job is done. Now either go find some space in the crew quarters to get some sleep or haul up a bucket of water and wash yourself off, you stink.”
At that, Sonic lifted an arm and gave himself a quick sniff, “Whoo, you got a point there heh.” Shadow only rolled his eyes and retreated back towards his cabin. Clearly he would not be finding any more peace out here tonight.
“Hey… thanks.” Sonic called, stopping the ebony hedgehog in his tracks.
“For what?” Shadow finally said, not turning to face the other.
“For the spar earlier. It’s been a while since I fought someone who could give me a run for my money.” Sonic answered earnestly.
“Yes well, don’t go getting a big head about it.” Shadow said, turning to face the blue hedgehog. “The only reason you won is because I let my guard down, a mistake that I can assure you, I will not be making again.”
“Yeah, yeah I know. I got pretty lucky. But ya gotta admit you were a little surprised by my kick ass sword fighting skills right?” the blue hedgehog said, tilting his head and fanning out his arms and fingers presentationally. He looked ridiculous.
“Your skills were… sufficient, despite your obvious lack of discipline or formal training whatsoever.”
“Hey, you don’t know that!” Sonic whined dramatically, “... It’s that obvious huh?” he finally relented, chuckling just a little bit.
“Your form is sloppy and all over the place. It’s beneficial for taking an opponent by surprise for the first time but it is no match for disciplined training and efficiency. You may be talented but talent will only get you so far before someone matches it with trained skill.”
“...You really think I’m talented.” Sonic said with a shit-eating grin and a cocked eyebrow. Of course that’s all this imbecile would choose to glean from their conversation. Here Shadow was attempting to impart some kind of wisdom on this idiot, only to have him go and squander it. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes once again, Shadow turned to leave.
“Wuh- whoa- wait,” Sonic said, darting in front of Shadow to block off his retreat, “I’m sorry, I was just joking.”
“Well it wasn’t funny.” Shadow spat back, crossing his arms.
“Eh, most of my jokes aren’t funny, it’s part of my charm.” Sonic quipped with a smarmy grin, then it softened into something more genuine. “But in all seriousness, you’re right. You had me dead to rights. If you hadn’t gotten cocky, I’d be pitching a tent on a deserted island out there somewhere.”
“I did not get ‘cocky’ hedgehog. It was a momentary lapse of judgement.”
“Eh potato tomato or whatever.” Sonic said with a shrug.
Shadow gave an unimpressed huff and the hedgehogs returned to their tense silence.
“... That first guard you took, where did you learn that?” Shadow found himself asking despite himself.
“Hmm? Oh you mean the whole ‘casual sword over shoulder’ thing?” Sonic responded, turning to rest his forearms on the railing. “Well way back when I was sailing on a ship headed from Apotos down to Shamar and there was this guy on board. Strange dude, he was a little crazy but then again, I guess every sailor is at least a little crazy dontcha think? Well anyway, he had this wild lookin’ sword on ‘im. It was the first time I’d ever seen someone use a two handed sword before, I think he said his family was from… Gerania or something like that? Anyways, one day like halfway into this trip a bunch of these pirates boarded us and tried to commandeer the ship. And this guy just wasted ‘em, I’m talking arms, legs, all different kinds of body parts were flying. Finally the pirate's Captain puts this guy on point and he’s got his two handed sword tossed over his shoulder like it's a handbag or something. And you gotta remember this is a steel sword that was like, taller than me and heavy as hell I mean, the thing must’ve weighed like ten, fifteen pounds. But he swung that thing down so fast that the Captain’s head was rolling across the deck before any of us could even blink. I told him ‘dude, you’ve gotta teach me that. Then he did.”
The blue hedgehog had gotten caught up regaling Shadow with his story of the past, gesturing wildly out across the water, his eyes alight with excited energy as he relived the thrilling tale. And Shadow couldn’t look away. The story and the way in which it was told was… captivating.
Sonic turned his gaze back towards Shadow and the Captain quickly looked away, casting his gaze anywhere but the blue hedgehog.
“Germana.” It was the only thing the ebony hedgehog could think to say, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“What?” Sonic asked.
“Germana, that’s where the sailor’s family hailed from, not ‘Gerania’.”
Sonic regarded the Captain for a moment causing the Captain to shift uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Then he said, “So how about you?”
“What?” Shadow said, genuinely confused.
“How about you?” Sonic repeated insistantly, “What’s your story? Like, what were you before you were The Ultimate Lifeform, Great Pirate Captain of Doom Bay, blah blah blah? Were you a lord? I bet you were a fancy duke in some court somewhere? Or a prince maybe.”
If Sonic had noticed the way all of Shadow’s muscles locked, the hitch in the dark captain’s breathing, or the desperate way in which he clenched his fists, he might’ve shut his mouth… but he didn’t.
“Cause you obviously have some deep knowledge and high falutin training under your belt. That jumpy lunge move you did? That was crazy fancy, I don’t know the actual name for it or anything but you sure made it effect–” Sonic was cut off in his ramblings suddenly and violently as Shadow seized him by the throat, pulling the blue hedgehog in close and off his center of balance.
“Don’t you dare presume to know who I am or anything about my past. You know nothing hedgehog, do you understand me? Nothing.” The dark captain hissed.
Sonic, thoroughly caught off guard by the sudden switch in mood, looked at Shadow and said, “... Touchey subject?” Perhaps not his finest moment as his words seemed only to increase Shadow’s hostility tenfold.
“Listen to me you son of a bitch, the only reason your pathetic little lungs are still sucking air right now is because I’m a man of my word. If I weren’t, if I had it my way, you’d be taking up permanent residence in Davy Jones’ Locker, do you hear me?”
“Loud and clear.” Sonic croaked out with a swift two fingered salute, his other hand clamped firmly around Shadow’s wrist as the dark hedgehog’s hand tightened around his windpipe. Sonic was sure his face was beginning to match the color of his fur. His vision began to fuzz and darken around the edges, his grip on Shadow’s wrist loosening when all of a sudden, the pressure around his neck vanished and he felt his rump make solid contact with the hard wood of The Black Comet’s deck.
Shadow looked down on the blue hedgehog still fuming and at a loss for words. To say his past was a touchy subject was perhaps an understatement. Shadow hadn’t meant to over react like that. It felt as though he was a cornered animal, lashing out when Sonic prodded at the painful wound that was his past. He hadn’t meant to react so violently, he just saw red when this reckless stranger had read him like a book, so openly… so accurately.
Shadow let loose a frustrated huff. Maybe he should apolog–
Before he could finish the thought, a shrill whistle sounded from the crows nest, cutting through the tense quiet and startling the two hedgehogs down on deck. A warning.
Whisper had spotted something.
Grabbing Sonic by the back of his collar and hauling him to his feet, Shadow looked towards the crows nest and shouted, “What is it?!”
“A naval ship flying the Robotnik Empire colors! Off the port bow and closing fast!” Whisper shouted as best she could in her soft spoken timbre. And sure enough, when both hedgehogs turned their attention towards port, they could clearly see the strange angular outline of a Robonik Empire naval frigate. Even in the low light of the moon there was no doubt it was headed straight for them, fast. They had mere minutes before the large, heavily armed ship would be upon them.
Shadow sprinted to the quarterdeck without hesitation and rang the alarm bell. It sounded bright and loud throughout the night air, rousing the entire crew from their slumber.
“All hands on deck! To arms! Enemy vessel spotted and closing fast!”
Before the dark hedgehog had even uttered his final syllable, the door leading to the galley and crew’s quarters flew open with a percussive BANG! As Omega exploded his way on deck.
“THIS IS MOST THRILLING NEWS.” The robot said, his hands already having been replaced with rotating gun barrels, fully loaded and itching for a fight.
The rest of the crew flew from their sleeping hammocks, threw on their boots, and jumped into action. Omega and the brown raccoon Tawny, the ship’s gunner and armourer respectively, headed down to the armoury to begin handing out weapons.
Rouge sauntered on deck last, her frilly pink sleep mask pulled up and still resting on her forehead. She yawned as though the entire situation was nothing more than a trivial annoyance.
“Another Robotnik frigate?” She asked, blinking drearily out at the approaching ship. “Surely you don’t need everyone in order to fend it off.” Her tone was joking but there was a hint of sincerity hidden within it.
“All. Hands.” Is all Shadow said before he dashed back to the Captain’s quarters to retrieve his frock, hat, and Doom’s Spear.
“Alright Blue, look alive.” Rouge said, giving Sonic a couple pats on the shoulder before heading up to the quarter deck. She sounded far more awake now.
A rumbling noise could be heard below as deep vibrations shook the main deck. Peaking over the bullwarks, Sonic watched as The Black Comet’s gun ports slid open. The great holes in the side of the ship were quickly filled with powerful cannons equipped to fire devastating round shot.
Snapping his head up to look once more at the approaching Robotnik ship, Sonic wondered; Is this ship manned with more than just robots? If so, who would be on it? Would they blow his cover before he had even begun his mission?
This whole situation could blow up in his face. Metaphorically and literally.
Sonic shook his head and ran towards the armoury.
One thing at a time
Sprinting down the hallway, Sonic came face to face with Tawny in the armoury. He presumed Omega was farther below deck, arming the rest of the cannons. The brown raccoon handed Sonic a cutlass and a flintlock pistol.
“Just the sword is fine,” Sonic said, holding up his other hand to refuse the firearm, “Guns were never really my style anyways.” And with that, the azure hedgehog zipped off down the hallway, leaving a rather dumfounded Tawny still holding out the pistol.
Sonic had just popped his head out of the hold when the first shots rang out.
The large metallic frigate ship had now pulled alongside The Black Comet, so far it seemed the entire crew on the ship's main deck was composed of robots, not an organic being in sight.
Black Comet crew members began firing upon the metallic navy, Whisper from the crows nest, Tangle from her perch up amongst the ship’s rigging, and everyone else from either the main deck or the forecastle. All those not above deck were firing cannons from down below. Even a large purple cat, who Sonic guessed to be the chef Big due to his impressive size, was present on deck, though he was only armed with a fishing pole.
Strange, Sonic thought to himself before turning and locking eyes with Shadow up on the quarter deck.
“We have to destroy as many of those robots as possible!” he shouted as loud as he could in order to be heard over the chaos erupting around them. “They have flickies trapped inside them acting as a power source!”
“I know!” Shadow shouted back, taking another shot towards the frigate. Rouge nodded down to Sonic alongside the Captain.
Gunshots could hold the bots at bay for a short while but the small ammunition would do nothing to actually disable and dismantle the automations and free the poor critters trapped inside. And the round shot was really effective against other wooden ships, but this frigate was large, angular, and completely made out of metal. Most of the cannon balls shot into it’s sides simply dented the side paneling and dropped into the sea.
The ship had a series of tall metal planks that stood erect on the vessel's sides. Suddenly these planks fell horizontally onto The Black Comet’s bulwarks, splintering the wood under their great weight. Sharp metal hooks bit into the wood, creating sturdy bridges that the enemy forces immediately utilized as they began to storm The Comet.
Sonic quickly jumped into action, utilizing every trick in his book to smash these bots to bits. It felt good to destroy Robotnik Empire property. He may be forced to work for the vial Empire but he had to keep up appearances after all. His side gig as Swift Justice was really coming in handy as he knew these flimsy eggpawns’ every weakness. He was flying down the deck targeting joints, balance points, overload circuits, anything and everything. Destroying these lame things was really too easy–
Suddenly stars exploded across Sonic’s vision as his forward momentum was brought to a swift and violent halt. The next thing he knew, he was laying on his back halfway down deck, his sword thrown Gaia knows where, and staring up at a robot that was twice the size of a normal pawn. It was a similar shape but this one was painted purple and armed with a large hammer ringed with spikes. Similar spikes adorned its shoulder guards and knee caps.
“Huh, that’s new.” Sonic said in a daze, holding his gut where a majority of that hammer had made brutal contact. His ribs screamed at him in agony. Just as he regained his fighting stance, three more of these “hammer pawns” showed up forming a tight circle around him. Sonic out gunned and out numbered.
Well shit.
Suddenly a long grey-ringed tail descended from the boom above him.
“Grab on!” Tangle yelled.
Not having to be told twice, Sonic grasped Tangle’s tale in both hands. She pulled him up as all four pawns sung their hammers down where he had been.
“See ya later suckers!” He taunted over his shoulder as his feet hit solid wood and he found his balance upon the boom, “Whew! Thanks for the save!”
“No problem! What even are those things? They’re like the red lackeys but… more.” Tangle shouted.
“Ha! You guys call ‘em lackeys? I call ‘em ‘Egg Pawns’.”
“Egg pawns?” Tangle said with a confused look on her face.
“I’ll explain later, after we kick some serious robot butt! I need some payback after that cheap shot.” Sonic said, still rubbing his abdomen.
“They just keep coming.” Tangle said, gesturing to a doorway on the Robotnik frigate where a seemingly endless stream of robots came pouring from.
“I have an idea.” Sonic said
“Pfft, that’s dangerous.” Tangle teased.
Before she could say anything else, Sonic was on the move. He leaped from the gooseneck of the main boom to the forward end of the foreboom that was extending out over the deck of the enemy ship. He could barely hear Tangle shout out something that sounded vaguely like, “Wait!”
But waiting wasn’t really Sonic’s style either.
They needed to stem the tide of enemies pouring out of the inner workings of the metallic monstrosity. He also had to know if there was anyone else aboard that ship, a pompous grey platypus he could give a piece of his mind perhaps. And there was only one way to find out.
Sonic plummeted from the foreboom to the deck of the rival ship below, channeling his downward momentum into a combat roll so as not to snap an ankle or explode a knee joint. Luckily all that seemed to remain on the Robotnik frigate were dinky ol’ regular eggpawns, the heftier troops having been sent to board their enemy's vessel, so Sonic tore through them like a hot knife through butter, making his way towards the doorway leading into the bowls of the ship.
~~
Shadow could only watch in fuming silence as Sonic leaped from The Black Comet onto the enemy ship. He had given no such order and they needed all hands to defend from their own ship.
“What does that idiot think he’s doing?!” The dark captain shouted.
“Taking initiative?” Rouge responded as she roundhouse kicked an attacking eggpawn in the face, sending it tumbling over the quarterdeck railing and onto the main deck below.
“Ugh someone’s going to have to retrieve that imbecile.” Shadow complained as he grabbed the arm of an eggpawn, shifted his hips under, and heaved it over his shoulder, mercilessly slamming it to the ground.
“Sounds like you’re volunteering.” Rouge said, following up Shadow’s body slam by driving her sword into the seam of its main chest plate and prying it open, freeing the poor defenseless flicky inside.
“Fine.” Shadow said with a frustrated growl. “Get Omega up here to thin out these troops!”
“Aye, aye Captain!” Rouge called as he fought his way through three more eggpawns that had made their way up onto the quarter deck.
“Tsk, these things provide even less of a challenge than that blue hedgehog.” Shadow muttered to himself, finally making it to the edge of The Black Comet’s port side. With a powerful leap, Shadow easily cleared the gap between ships, watching as the ocean waves churned restlessly between the two vessels. As soon as his boots made contact with the deck of the enemy ship, every robotic troops onboard turned their attention towards him. Sonic must have already made his way inside. Fine, what's a few dozen more flimsy robots to smash?
Shadow rolled his right shoulder, readying himself to engage in another bout of mechanized fisticuffs when all of a sudden, all of the basic red eggpawns stopped their advance. Shadow raised an eyebrow as they began to back away. Was he really that intimidating? Surely not. Shadow wasn’t about to make the mistake of over confidence again. This was odd though… it was almost like they were making space for some–
CRASH!
A resounding shock wave shook the deck, sending up a giant dust cloud as a hulking robot landed heavily in front of Shadow. It seemed to have been deployed from a large compartment just above the bridge of the ship that had remained sealed until now. Shadow supposed two intruders were enough to warrant the big guns. And this thing was BIG. Easily standing at least ten feet tall, it was painted a dark blue with red stripes. And most worryingly, it wielded a massive mace. A sturdy handle tipped with a dangerous looking flanged ball of metal that was easily as long as Shadow was tall. And it was standing directly between him and the entrance leading to that stupid blue hedgehog.
Just perfect.
I hope that idiot is happy.
~~
Inside the enemy frigate, Sonic took out every bot he came across while simultaneously checking each room he passed. It was odd, as soon as he made it inside, the number of eggpawns streaming down the hallway seemed to dwindle down to trickle.
Nothing in this room.
Destroy a robot
Nothing in that room.
Destroy another bot.
Another empty room.
Be free little flickey!
Aaand I bet there’s nothing in thi–
Sonic stopped short after opening another large metal door. Unlike the rest that were just barren, empty squares inside, this one was home to a simple desk against the far wall. Small, nothing too important looking. But upon its plain wooden surface, sat a small brass object.
Scanning up and down the hallway and finding a rather disconcerting lack of enemies, Sonic entered the room, closing the door behind him. This just screamed “trap” and yet he ventured further inside anyway until he was looking straight down on the object. It was shiny, round, and about the size of Sonic’s palm. It looked almost like a pocket watch or a compass. Ignoring the tiny voice in the back of his mind that was yelling at him not to touch it, leave the room and get off this damn boat and never look back, he picked it up. There was a tiny button on the front. Sonic pressed it and the device popped open.
Huh, just like a pocket watch, he thought to himself.
However, unlike a pocket watch, the inside of the device began to glow a cyan blue, and he was met with the tiny holographic image of none other than Dr. Starline.
“Hello Blue Justice.” The tiny facsimile said, “I trust your mission is going well, I do hope so for the sake of your friends.” Sonic growled, taking a breath to cuss the platypus out, “Don’t bother responding, this is a pre-recorded message.” Sonic’s anger turned back to confusion as he clamped his mouth shut. “This is the latest in a line of Ivo Robotnik inventions. Pretty spectacular is it not? A small portable device capable of relaying audio and visual messages. A ‘communicator’ the Doctor is calling it. Is there nothing that man cannot do?”
“Get to the point.” Sonic growled even though he knew the miniscule Starline would not oblige.
“Anyhow, I’m sure you want me to get to the point.” the tiny Starline said, eliciting a sneer from Sonic. “This message is to inform you that once you reach your next civilized port, you will be contacted by a… representative of the Robotnik Empire. Do not worry about finding them, they will find you. You are to give them a full report of your progress as well as any information pertaining to the treasure.” Sonic seethed at every word this asshole said, he was ready to chuck the damn device across the room and tell the entire Eggman Empire to shove it when Starline’s next words made him freeze. “You’ll be pleased to know that young Miles had been absolutely excelling in his studies at the academy. Though he has been caught on more than one occasion rummaging around in the Records room which is off limits to students. I do hope he doesn't continue to snoop around in places he shouldn't, especially without his big brother around to steer him right from wrong. Ultimately his future is up to you and I hope we can continue our mutually beneficial arrangement. Next port, full report. That is the end of our communication for now.
Oh and by the way, this message will self-destruct in twenty seconds.”
Shit!
Sonic immediately dropped the communicator, and tore ass out of the room, running down the hallway, twisting and turning in the direction from which he’d come. He had to duck wild swings and dodge grabbing swipes from eggpawns as he went, no time to get caught up in any actual battle.
Finally, he burst out onto the deck, squinting into the bright sunlight as he took in the scene before him.
A massive robot stood between him, and a rather battered looking Shadow, his body language looked exhausted, and there was a cut free bleeding from his brow down into his right eye.
Having no time for pleasantries, Sonic slid between the robot’s legs, popping up to his feet on the other side. He sprinted towards the frigate’s railing, snatching up Shadow’s right wrist as he went.
“Hedgehog–” Shadow had just barely gotten out in protest.
“Sorry, no time to talk! JUMP!” Sonic shouted as he planted one foot on the rail and pushed off, Shadow doing his best to assist as he was yanked along. Their boots had just left the frigate when a deafening BOOM! Shook the very core of the planet itself.
The two hedgehogs felt the heat of the explosion radiate off of their backs as they flew clumsily over the gap between ships, the shockwave from the blast giving them a final violent push as they came crashing down onto the deck of The Black Comet, tumbling head over heel until they came to rest in a heap, Shadow landing on his back with Sonic sprawled out across his stomach on top of him.
For a few moments, all Shadow could do was lie there on his back, stare up into a cloudless blue sky, and listen to the ringing in his ears.
He was then aware of the body atop him convulsing slightly. Then a light chuckle broke through the tinnitus as it grew to a full on laughing fit.
“Hahaha! Whoo! That was AWESOME!” The blue hedgehog currently crushing Shadow’s lungs hollared, taking in heaving breaths as he pushed up onto his hands and knees, coming face to face with the dark captain. “Heh…Are you alright?”
And for a moment, the world stopped. There was not a breath of wind, no shouting crew members, or fiery inferno blazing over on the enemy ship. Just two hedgehogs staring into one another’s eyes. The vibrant orange light from the fire dancing in their irises.
Rubies locked with emeralds. A connection that seemed unbreakable…
Shadow took in a breath, Sonic swallowed thickly.
And then it all came rushing back.
“Captain! Sonic!” voices shouted.
Sonic snapped his head up, looking around, then returned his gaze to the dark hedgehog underneath him. “I– um– hehe, sorry.’
“Get off of me.” Shadow tersely said, firmly planting a hand on Sonic’s face and shoving him to the side, sending the cobalt hedgehog rolling to the deck. He briefly registered a quiet “Oof.” as he rose to his feet, brushing himself off and quickly fixing his quills.
Shadow took in the damage around him. The deck of the Black Comet was littered with the husks of Robotnik Empire robots, the large frigate ship that had attacked them now ablaze, the flames licking the night sky sending plumes of thick black smoke high into the air as the vessel began its descent to the bottom of the ocean.
Rouge flitted down from the quarter deck to stand by her Captain’s side.
“Take stock of the damages, make sure no one was hurt.” The white bat nodded. “Everyone else,” Shadow raised his voice, strong and commanding, “Clean up the deck. Salvage what you can from these things then get some rest. We will arrive at Coral Cove in the morning.” And with that, Shadow threw one short glance down at Sonic, before marching into his cabin and slamming the door shut.
The rest of the crew began the clean up as Sonic wandered to the railing of The Comet. He watched as the final bits of the Eggman’s ship slipped under the waves and into the endless fathoms below.