So apparently I was in a much stronger writing mood than I thought. I was so determined to improve the initial preview I uploaded to the point where I even finished the whole chapter! I guess I just got really excited. Plus I'm still on a time crunch. I'm aiming to finish this fic and it's sequel by this time next year.
But I digress, here at last is the first chapter of Hostile Encounters, sequel to Whitewash. While it's not required, I do recommend reading Whitewash before reading this unless you've done so already.
Before I continue, I warn you that I might be portraying Rouge a bit more bitchier than she's actually portrayed. It's very likely my hatred for the character is affecting my ability to portray her properly. But I've read some of the comics scenes with her and I really think this is how Rouge would behave.
Any spelling and grammar errors are my fault as a writer and I would be grateful if you pointed any out so I could fix them.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, only any OCs of my creation and original plot lines.
Normal POV
"Shadow, on your six!"
Shadow swiftly turned around and thrust a Chaos Spear into the chest of one of Eggman's robots that was coming up behind him. Shadow gave Azure a curt nod in thanks for her warning. Nearly a month had passed since Azure took her place alongside Shadow and Omega as a member of Team Dark. Technically, she was a substitute member for Rouge the Bat, but that didn't seem to matter to any of them. Shadow had seen her potential during the mission against Mephiles and decided to give her a chance at joining Team Dark. And so far, he hadn't regretted his decision. Azure was skilled already and her knowledge and abilities have only grown during her time as a part of the team. Shadow trusted her with his six and she hasn't let him down.
Azure, meanwhile, couldn't be happier. She was part of the team with her greatest idol and inspiration. She had only joined G.U.N. several months ago and was still classed as a rookie agent. But in such a short time, she had fought to earn her spot on one of G.U.N.'s top teams. She was standing alongside her two idols, one of which she bore very strong feelings for, and for good reason. Shadow came from a past like her own, in which her kind was seen as powerful and therefore dangerous and evil. But he kept fighting, using his powers for good. He was brave, strong and always persevered, traits that she admired so it was no surprise that she immediately leapt at the offer to work alongside him.
True to Tower's word, her training only intensified and the missions were far more dangerous. She had even improved in her ability to handle her lightning. She could handle a larger amount than when she first joined G.U.N. and was starting to exhibit some control over the weather. Many times she felt like this would be it, her final moments, but Shadow and Omega were there to help her out. But it wasn't like she was useless and they were always bailing her out of trouble. Azure was determined and always persevered and made sure to contribute to the team rather than hinder it. She depended on them and she wanted to make sure that they could also depend on her.
With their robot attackers defeated, all three returned to G.U.N. HQ, their mission completed. "Mission status?" asked a G.U.N. agent as Team Dark entered the hangar bay.
"Hostile targets neutralized," replied Shadow.
"Excellent work, Team Dark. Take a break, you've earned a rest. Commander Towers will inform you of your next mission," the agent said, leaving as he typed into a digital data pad.
"Glad that's over. It almost felt like those robots were never ending! So, what should we do for a break? Catch a movie with Hope?" asked Azure.
"I must go to the weapons lab and restock my ammunition," said Omega. Shadow simply said nothing and made his way to the training center, likely to spar.
"Of course," Azure sighed to herself with a light chuckle. In her month of joining Team Dark, she had gotten to know Shadow and Omega a bit more than when she first met them and their responses – or rather, Shadow's lack of a response – came as no surprise to her.
She smiled to herself as she made her way through the halls towards the main entrance of the HQ. Since she joined Team Dark, she had been exceptionally busy and rarely had time to visit her uncle. Several months ago, she did not even know her uncle, let alone that she had one. But according to her mother's old journal, he was her father, Hydra's younger brother who had been banished from their home long before she and her siblings were born.
After leaving her home, she had nowhere to go and no one to rely on. She was on her own, but Azreal changed that. All her life she had lived underground and the expansive world above opened her eyes. She could hardly believe that all of this existed right above her! But she was on the run and for good reason. If Garnett was to pursue her – and she knew he would – she would need help.
But who would she trust?
Growing up she was taught to be wary of the surface dwellers, for it was they who cast her people underground and committed the horrid act of genocide against them. All because of something they were born with. But luck was in her favor. There was one person, not just Mythsetian, but family on the surface: An uncle, Azreal.
He was someone she could trust.
It did not take her long to find him, since her mother had even provided his location and a map – though crudely drawn – to his hut in Mystic Ruins. At first, he would not even open the door or acknowledge her presence, but as soon as she said her name, he opened the door and the look her gave her told her that he instantly knew she was family.
"She said she was going to name her next daughter Azure," he told her before warmly welcoming her into his home. His hut was small and completely wooden, but cute and rather peaceful. It sat near a stream of water, so they were always treated to the serene tune of the flowing stream. He offered her a seat and prepared his favorite tea, oolong tea, for them to share.
It was then that she met June, Azreal's little Chao companion. Azure had heard of the Chao before, but had never actually seen one in person. And June was simply adorable. True to what she heard about the Chao, June exhibited many of Azreal's physical features red scales, horns, claws and wings.
But once pleasantries were aside, Azure explained her reason for coming and Azreal was quick to understand and empathize. She did not expect him to do so let alone take her arrival as well as he did. But as she thought about it more, it made sense. She was the first of his family that he had seen in nearly twenty years, not including her mother of course. If she were in his shoes and someone of her blood came knocking on her door, she would not hesitate to welcome them.
In the days that passed since her arrival, they had bonded in a way that Azure never thought she would bond with someone. The words of encouragement he would give her made her heart feel so heavy with joy. Azreal was like the father she never knew. He set up a bed in his spare room and welcomed her to stay with him, which she gladly accepted.
Azure was eager to ask why he had been banished and where he got the vicious scar on his chest and the left side of his face, but she decided to put this off until later. It was not her place to bring up a topic that would likely bring him pain. And she was glad she had refrained from bringing it up when Azreal promised to protect her should Garnett find her. She wasn't sure if Azreal would refuse to help her if she pestered him about a sensitive subject, but given her situation, she did not want to take the risk.
Things were going well. She was with family she knew would protect and help her. However, disaster struck when her lightning manifested in a dangerous amount and she ended up blowing off one of the walls of his hut. Though she helped to repair the damage, Azreal saw what she and many others back home had seen.
She was too powerful. And Anubis' inhibitors were no longer strong enough to suppress her powers. For two weeks, Azreal helped Azure to train, in hopes of gaining better controlling her powers. Despite Azreal's help, nothing seemed to work and her control was only weakening.
It was then when Azreal first brought up G.U.N. and to her understanding it was a military faction. Her people had nothing like this so the idea of a military was new to her. Regardless, Azreal suggested she go to them since they would have both the technology to provide her with better inhibitors as well as opportunities to do some good with her powers. Azure did not even wait another second before racing off to apply as an agent.
And look how far she had come now.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Azure was suddenly brought out of her daydream by a deep and sultry feminine voice. She turned her gaze over to the adjacent hallway and saw a white bat in a black cat suit, white gloves and boots with pink hearts on the toes of her boots and chest. "So, you're the little rookie that's taking over for me."
"Um, yes," she squeaked. Azure suddenly felt all the bravery and confidence she had built up over the last month leave her body. She instinctively backed into the wall until she felt the cool metal touch her wings and tail as the bat advanced on her. She had faced killer robots, fire monsters and even faced a vicious god. But what was it about this one bat that made her feel so weak and insignificant.
"You're not at all what I'd thought you'd be. So bony and small. You must know who I am, right?" the bat asked with a smirk.
"Yes. Rouge… Rouge the Bat," Azure answered meekly.
"Oh, very good. You know, I went on that undercover mission months ago thinking that I was going to have my toughest mission yet. Sure enough I did, but what do I find when I get back? Some little kid weasels their way into my team and takes my spot. Now, imagine how I must feel when I find out about this."
"Angry, I guess."
"Obviously the Commander sees something in you if he puts you on Team Dark. Since you're still new here, I'll make things clear: you're just a rookie. Don't let it get into your head that you're suddenly something special just because Towers asked you to fill in for me. I worked hard for my spot on that team – in fact, I'm the one who formed it – and if you think I'm going to let some little rookie come out from under my nose while I'm away and steal it then you're wrong. This is my house and my team."
"That doesn't mean it can't be mine too! I worked hard to get where I am. I've earned it!" Azure shouted back, as she fought back the tears that Rouge's sharp words were causing.
"What you have to realize is that it's my spot on Team Dark. You were just keeping it warm for me. It was only temporary," Rouge said, bringing her face closer to Azure's and lowering her gaze into a vicious glare.
Azure could feel her heart beating faster as Rouge's words pierced her skin, making her feel like she had just been stabbed by hundreds of daggers. A spark of lightning burst out of the tip of her tail, causing Rouge to jump back and raise her arms in defense. Azure looked at Rouge in shock, not expecting her lightning to react like that. She quickly took off in a run, putting as much distance between her and Rouge as possible.
"I hear you have a crush on Shadow!" Rouge shouted, bringing Azure to a halt. "It's really cute, you know, seeing how much you fawn over him, the way you stare at him with those big green eyes of yours when you think no one is looking. But why would he ever go for a child like you, when he could have a woman like me? Face it, kid. Shadow will never love you," Rouge remarked with a low chuckle.
Azure tightly clenched her fist, fighting the urge to release the tears that threatened to escape from her eyes. She wouldn't face Rouge now, wouldn't give Rouge the satisfaction that her simple, but cruel words could entice this reaction from her. "He doesn't have to," she muttered quickly before she took off in a run before lifting herself into the air and dashing out of the HQ, racing to the one person she knew would make her feel better.
It took her only minutes to get to the familiar small hut deep in the Mystic Woods. If not for her wings, it would have taken her nearly an hour to get there on foot, but luckily for her, being able to fly on her own greatly cut down the traveling time. The tears she held in broke free as she flew, but she quickly wiped them away before she burst into the hut.
"Azure, what's wrong?" cried Azreal, alarmed by her sudden entrance.
"I-it's Rouge the Bat, the agent I was standing in for on Team Dark? Sh-she came back and the things she said to me, really mean things…" Azure sniffed. She sat down on the couch as Azreal placed a cup of oolong tea in front of her. She cupped her hands around it as the warmth enveloped her hands.
"And what exactly did she say?"
"She mocked me and made fun of my crush on Shadow. She just made me feel so… so…" Azure said, unable to find the words she needed.
"You need not concern yourself with what she thinks of you. You have worked hard to get where you are. You've earned your place. She cannot deny that fact," said Azreal, gently rubbing her back.
"But it was her place to begin with! I was just 'keeping it warm'," Azure said with air quotes.
"Temporary or not, Shadow chose you to stand in and take her place. He could have chosen any other agent, but instead he chose you. That must say something about what he thinks of your skill and potential. And if this Rouge is a supposed super spy and incredibly skilled and Shadow chose you to fill in for someone of her skill, that must say something about your skill, shouldn't it?"
Azure sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought of it that way. I may not be part of Team Dark anymore, but I'm still a G.U.N. agent!"
"Exactly! Sometimes life pushes us down and tries to break us, and it's up to us to pick ourselves up and fight back. From what you've told me about her, I don't condone or support how she would handle a situation and I would much rather be on a team with you that her," Azreal said with a warm smile.
"You're just saying that," Azure said with a chuckle, lightly nudging Azreal in a playful manner. "Thanks, uncle Azreal." Azure set the cup down and gave Azreal a tight hug around his waist, which he gladly returned. "I should probably head back to HQ and figure out where I'm going to be assigned now that Rouge is back."
"Very good. Don't let this Rouge get to you. She sounds like a, oh what is it I hear these surface dwellers saying? A stick in the mud! Yes, that's it!" he exclaimed as they made their way to the door.
"Thanks again uncle Azreal. You always know just what to say. How about I come over tomorrow and we can head into Station Square for lunch? My treat!" she exclaimed with a wide smile.
"I look forward to it," Azreal said as Azure took to the sky back to G.U.N. HQ.
Just as Azreal shut the door behind him, three figures came out from the trees that surrounded the clearing of Azreal's house. Of the three, the one in the middle – the leader – stepped out into the clearing. He was avian, with bright orange feathers tipped a light blue and gold tail feathers. His large beak had two triangles on either side, he wore gloves with a green stripe on them and his clawed feet were wrapped in brown and green shoes.
"Ah, it feels so good to be with family, don't you think, brothers?" the bird asked in a malicious and sadistic tone.
"Shouldn't we go after her, Garnett?" asked the largest of the three. He was covered head to toe in light blue fur with black shoes, white gloves and black and green goggles on his head.
"Not yet, Pine. You heard her: she'll be back here tomorrow. I won't have us charging into a fully armed military base when we can just have Azure come straight to us," said Garnett.
"But what about the other guy? Isn't he our-" started Pine.
"He does match mother and father's descriptions. What do you think, Ghost?" Garnett asked, addressing the rainbow scaled serpent to his right. Ghost nodded quietly in agreement. "Yes, it appears our dear uncle has entered the fray. And here I thought he died long ago after father banished the idiotic fool. Clearly these surface dwellers are far weaker than I assumed. How they managed to cut down our numbers in the Purge, I will never understand. I will enjoy putting these ants in their place. We are gods and they are mere mortals," he said with a growl, clenching his fingers together tightly into a fist.
"So what do we do now?" asked Pine, scratching his head.
"Simple, brother. We wait. When Azure comes tomorrow, that is when we strike," Garnett said with a dark grin. "Time to come home, little sister. You should have known your escape was only temporary."
For newcomers to my content/people who haven't been following me on dA or visited my wiki, here's what you need to know about these new characters:
-Azreal the Dragon: Azure's uncle (younger brother to her father)
-June the Chao: Azreal's Chao friend
-Garnett the Phoenix: Azure's eldest brother
-Ghost the Ghost Serpent: Azure's fifth eldest brother
-Pine the Yeti: Azure's sixth eldest brother
And yes, despite the fact that none of Azure's siblings are even the same animal as her, they are fully related. The theme of her family is mythological creatures after all.
Please do review and tell me what you think of this first chapter. I'm very excited to finally start a story of an original plot since most of my fics are insertion rewrites of canon story lines. Not only that, but I get to bring in all the other characters I've made up and this fic is just going to be loads of fun. Being able to write about all my other characters, put myself into that character's position as I write the dialogue. OH! This is going to be awesome!
Next Chapter - MIA: Azure has gone missing and Shadow sets forth to investigate the disappearance of his friend.
~ZP