Chapter 92 - Culture Shock

“…And they’re going to blow up the mountains.” Ekyt finished. “What should we do?” Amy Rose asked. “Evacuate everyone, and stop them.” Ekyt offered. “We need someone to evacuate them…” “Tiffany and Kurt can do that. Chaos Control them someplace else.” Knuckles stated. “I can diffuse the charges, but I need someone to watch my back. And, someone else has to guard the city.” “Ekyt, you should go with Sonic. I’ll guard the city. If the city falls, Angel Island is next.”

Sonic and Ekyt made their move, running. Sonic would take care of the enemies while Ekyt cut the wires to the charges. Ekyt had learned that there were ten charges. Set to go off in ten minutes. They defused 8 of them when they hit a snag. A small ambush that took time to fight off cost them precious time. Ekyt cut the wire to the ninth charge. With five seconds left, and everyone evacuated, there was no way for him to reach the last charge. “Sonic…run. The mountain will still be standing with only one charge. I can’t keep up, and besides, I have an idea.” “But.” “Go!” Ekyt gave Sonic a shove, while running back toward the city. Without thinking, he pulled the chaos emerald he had found out of his pocket. Somehow, when the charge went off, he knew to say “Chaos Shield.” A see-through pink shield engulfed him as the rocks bounced off it. When they stopped, the shield evaporated. Eggman and a small task force marched up. Sonic, Knuckles, and Ekyt were the only ones.

“If it isn’t the good doctor. You’ve put on weight.” Ekyt said, stony-faced. “Shut your mouth, you little punk. I don’t now how the fall didn’t kill you, but since it didn’t, I will.” “Fat chance. Oh, sorry, that was a low blow. Slim chance…oh, that’s still kind of insulting. How about…no chance? Yeah, that works.” Ekyt’s anger finally came spilling out.

Eggman’s task force shot at the three, who scrambled in different directions. Knuckles glided into the robots from the right, Ekyt attacked from the left, and Sonic bounded up the middle. The small task force couldn’t contain the three, who ran all over the place, dodging and attacked. Eggman cursed, he wasn’t going to win. He piloted his ship away, making a break for it.

“That loser will never give it up!” Sonic laughed. “He hasn’t won yet!” Knuckles added. “That doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous…and he took that defeat a little too well…like he knew what was going to happen.” Ekyt said thoughtfully. “You’re paranoid, he never changes his routine!” Knuckles shot at Ekyt. “I could be wrong, you’d know better than me.” But Ekyt had a sinking feeling that Eggman was up to something…

Linda was also up to something. She swung out in front of Ekyt. “I think we need to talk.”

Sitting on top of the mountain, Linda made him hear her out. “Look, I understand how you feel, and why. I don’t blame you. But…you’ve got to get over me. It’s not like you’ll never meet someone else.” Ekyt looked at her mildly, his eyes half-lidded. “I understand how YOU feel, and why. I’m not over you. I don’t suspect I will ever be totally over you. But I respect you enough to not pester you over it. Before I met you, I swore I’d never get mixed up in anything that’s remotely love-like. That I’d fight for people, but never waste my time looking for the good in them. Then I met you, and you helped me figure out there’s some good in the world. You kind of validated my ideas, made them plausible. I can never thank you enough for that. But I was better off in my shell…I hope it’s not too late to go back.” Linda winced; he was really trying to hold his anger in. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he jumped down the mountain- right into an ambush.

“Oh crap.” Ekyt muttered, jumping over a set of blasts from the weapons the mechs had. He landed on the shoulders of one of them, wrapping his arms around it and wrenching the head off. He swung the head around, knocking one robot’s weapon it one of it’s comrades, destroying it. That left two more. Ekyt threw the head like a Frisbee at one while swing his staff around at the other one. He jumped again as a stray blast singed his arm. He gritted his teeth, but said nothing. He instead reached out and grabbed the weapon’s muzzle, kicked the robot holding it, and shot. He broke the weapon against the rocks.

“Did I just snub him again? Tell him to get over me? What kind of whiny princess does that? When did I become that?”

Ekyt stayed silent, listening to the others crack jokes about Eggman’s defeat. He ignored them eventually, busying himself with bandaging his arm up. Eventually, all eyes fell on him since he was the only one who didn’t seem to find the jokes amusing. When asked why, he told them bluntly that “They’re not taking Eggman seriously” and that “Eggman is more dangerous than you’re giving him credit for.” They laughed it off as paranoid suspicion.

Linda fingered her chaos gemstone cross. He DOES care. I must have said the wrong thing. I’m being so…airy. Like I’m too good for him. I’ve got to do something…but what? After that last comment, I’m not sure what to think… She heard a voice behind her. “I’ll take that!” The voice belonged to Eggman as he ripped the chaos gemstone cross off her. “If I can’t conquer this world, I’ll go to where there aren’t any heroes…” Linda, still in shock, ran off to tell the only person who would believe her.

Linda finished her story. Ekyt stood up, running for the door. “Where are you going? Do you know where’s he headed?” Ekyt called back to her. “Yeah, Station Square. I’m going back. NOBODY follows, except Greg. He’s left some robots here. C’mon Greg!” “Catch ya later!”

“Tiff, you’ve got to send me back!” Ekyt came flying into the room. “Eggman’s on his way there. Just send me and Greg back, and tell the others to stay put!” Tiffany looked sideways at him. “I can’t do that…I have strict orders not to let you leave.” Sonic stepped out from behind her. “I’m going back Sonic. If I have to fight you to get back, I will.” Ekyt warned him, knowing it wasn’t going to be a fight he would win. “If you want to go, I’m not stopping you. But Linda thinks, and I’m agreeing, that you’re leaving because of her.” “Think whatever you want! Just let me get back before there’s no Station Square left!” “No. Not until you sort this out.” Sonic insisted. “Grab my coat Greg.” Ekyt said quietly. “Don’t do it…” “Chaos control!” Ekyt was gripping the green emerald he had summoned the chaos vortex from.

“He did that on purpose! He IS avoiding me!” Linda exclaimed. “I don’t blame him. I don’t blame you either, though. But, he belongs there, we belong here, I gues…”

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