Author Notes: Random. Utterly random. Not connected to any other fic. Just something I wrote between midnight and one AM after being very, very bored. Being an angst nut, this resulted. Fear. :P

Warning: Character death. Bwahaha.

-----------------------------

Oblivion

--------------------------------

            "Move! Move now!" It was more a cry of warning than an order, but the words were obeyed nonetheless. When Knuckles the echidna said something, it was better to take it seriously than not at all. Bodies flew and dove, taking cover behind any stable objects possible; explosions rocked the ground and air where ever the five would look. Debris, as well as bodies, littered the ground of what has once been the proud city of Echidnopolis.

            They were being attacked. Black robes swirled in the day, threatening to twist the light into darkness.

            It was their job to protect. So far, they were failing.

            Risking life and death, as they often did, they ran from their meager shelters; sticks, stones, weapons of any type they could get hold of were gathered as they ran towards the robes.

            Attacking was folly; they did so anyway.

            Mighty the armadillo opened the attack; two robes were felled by a simple two-by-four. Laser reigned upon the five nearly immediately; somehow, they were not hit. However, they separated by their own accord into the chaos.

            Music from a device normally called mundane blasted into the air; half a dozen robes became deaf on the spot. It was used to the advantage of Vector the crocodile; he took down the newly deaf as he took down the still able.

            Julie-Su the echidna released laser of her own against former allies; her blaster survived everything, somehow, and it was now being used as it was created to be.

            Robes fell, despite a complete lack of a reason for it to happen; it seemed as if the wind itself became a torrent of destruction, releasing its anger upon individual entities at a time. Confusion came and passed, as the robes quickly understood who and what it was; Espio the chameleon used his skills as well as possible.

            The current guardian of the floating island barked orders even as he attacked with all the power bestowed upon a being of chaos; to both enemy and ally, it appeared as if everything were under control.

            However, battle, as it often does, quickly turned sour for the forces of justice.

            Several beams of deadly light converged on a single spot, seemingly as one; Espio fell upon the ground, loosing his shade for a brief moment. A single lucky shot had his him upon the shoulder; the crimson that formed allowed the robes to find him amongst the chaos. A scream threatened to escape, as his left arm was rendered useless from multiple shots, yet held it back; he would not distract his allies now.

            Instead, he fled; changing shade to match the world around him, despite crimson still lacing his form, he ran.

            His friends never saw him leave.

            Robes gave chase; it was near impossible that there would not be witness to his attempt at escape. One arm could not be used, but it did not render him helpless. He lashed out with a weapon he chose not to use when given the chance; his tongue shot out akin to a whip. The appendage struck four robes, before it returned to its owner; he ran again, thankful that he did not loose his tongue.

            His back was not turned long; several strides were accomplished, shade changed, before one of the robes struck with either luck or grace. Pain spread through Espio's mind as he fell to the ground.

            A shot had skimmed the top of his skull.

            Blood swelled and began to leak; he could the representation of life and death pool around his golden horn, sliding along his face. For the moment, he was still conscious, still aware.

            For the moment.

            The approach of the robes was not heard; he didn't turn as they stood near him, was not able to to shake his mind away from pain and sudden lethargy. He never heard the lasers lift, never heard them cock and prepare.

            He never heard them fire.

---------------------------

            Mighty found his friend amongst the chaos some time later. At least, what remained of his friend.

            He nearly screamed at the sight, had nearly forgotten the battle in sudden grief. The face of the corpse was unrecognizable; the right side of the skull had been blown apart, burns clearly visible on the remaining flesh. Gray matter coated the ground with death the shade of a fresh rose.

            The robes had murdered his friends.

            With a scream of rage, grief, frustration and denial, the grieving armadillo threw himself into the battle anew.

            At least one Chaotix would not walk away from this battle; it was enough to spur the rest into vengeance.

------------------------------

Author notes: Bwahaha. Done. Finished. Oneshot. Not gonna do anything with it. ^^; However, I would still love reviews! Comments, flames, suggestions, everything feeds my muses and helps me write more in the future! ^__^ Viva la feedback!