Sonic GeneX - The Series
Episode 5 - Heart & Might
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Previously on Sonic GeneX...
After his misadventures during the battles with the Covenant of Despair, Lucky the Cat left to explore the world on Zeke the Dragon's suggestion.
Bucky traded a power-transferring invention to GUN in exchange for his freedom. He parked his flying laboratory in Central City, where he experiments peacefully now.
Copter, Punchy, Rainbow and Gemini have settled together in Darkegg Fortress after most of them lost their previous living situations. Copter has been looking for a job due to Gemini's nagging, but otherwise things have been going well...
Now, let us begin today's story...
Tails was in Central City today, visiting a home improvement store where he could pick up parts both for his normal building and for the continued repairs to his Mystic Ruins Workshop, which were set back by Eggman Nega's recent "visit." Cream had gone along with him, just to hang out. Cheese would fly up and attempt to bring down anything on a high shelf that Tails needed, but the Chao was nearly always too small. At any rate, Tails had to have the heavier stuff mailed to the Mystic Ruins, while he and Cream carried smaller bags on their way back to the train station. "You were very helpful today, Cream." he smiled. "Maybe you can teach me to help out at your workshop, too." she giggled. "Not sure you'd enjoy that..." Tails shrugged, "I'll have to tell you about the last time Knuckles tried to 'help...'" he added with a chuckle. As they walked, they noticed a black cat sitting in the middle of the road, holding his head in his hands. He wore red pants with blue leg-ends, yellow shoes, and a red collar. He looked vaguely familiar to Tails. "I think I know him from somewhere..." he mumbled. The cat looked up and jumped. "Me-yow!! You! You helped us out when that crazy island was sinking into the ocean!" he stammered. Cream gasped. "He must've been on the Covenant of Despair's island..." she realized. The cat stood up to properly introduce himself. "I'm Lucky... Experiment 13." he said. Tails nodded. "Yeah... You're the one that... has no powers?" he said as delicately as he could. Lucky sighed. "Yep... that's me. I'm not even brave enough to go back home... I kinda left without telling anyone." he explained. Tails and Cream glanced at each other. "I can carry this stuff back..." Cream offered. Tails nodded. "Huh? What...?" Lucky said, watching Cream walk off with Cheese and the bags. Tails glanced in the direction of Shadow Arc, the rather conspicuous lab now parked just outside the city limits. "I'll go with you. Bucky's supposed to be good now. It should be okay." he smiled. Lucky scratched his head. "You ever been on his bad side?" he asked. Tails nodded. "Yes... So I kinda get where you're coming from. C'mon, I've got your back!" he said.
Meanwhile, Copter and his room-mates were enjoying a calm, peaceful day hanging out in Darkegg Fortress. Rainbow and Gemini were busy feeding the Chao in the base's massive Chao Garden, while Copter and Punchy lounged nearby on beach chairs, trying to relax between their respective work. Punchy still kept busy trying to snatch the Master Emerald, a "training exercise" for both echidnas. Copter was working at the burger shop in Station Square, his boss a sadistic otter named "Dave." At the very least, Dave couldn't bother him here. However, their rest was soon broken by a loud shouting at the entrance to the Chao garden. "SQUATTERS!!!" Copter and Punchy jumped at the sound of Dr. Eggman's shouts, and quickly sprang to their feet. "This was an abandoned base! It's not squatting!!" Copter shouted. Eggman fired a laser into the air, scaring off all the Chao. "I left a psychotic Shadow Android! The base was NOT abandoned!!" he yelled. Hoover scurried out from behind the rotund doctor. "That's wut I been tryin' teh tell 'im, Doc! They got ZERO regard fer personal property!" he said. "Please, Hoover, BAS tells me you've been maintaining Copter's plane for him... A plane he's used AGAINST me!!" Eggman yelled, making the robo-beaver scurry away. Gemini held up her wand defensively. "Well, our need is greater than yours! So, is this tower too big for all of us...?" she growled. "It's barely big enough for him..." Punchy joked. Eggman snorted angrily. "That's it! Char! Summon the Chao! Have them throw these squatters out!" he ordered. The red Chao, Char, fluttered in from behind Eggman and looked around. "Huh...? Hehe... Looks like you scared 'em off, Doctor! I guess they forgot you built this place!" he said. With Copter, Punchy and Gemini advancing on him, and no real weapons prepared to repel them, Dr. Eggman sighed frustratedly. "Maybe I should've brought Alpha up here at least... Look, I could be back with Metal Sonic and the whole E-X series, but... I've graciously decided to share the tower with you for now... You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of your way..." the doctor offered. Rainbow smiled. "It's a deal, Tubby! I missed Charlie and Alphie!" she chuckled. Copter groaned. "Guess that means I gotta clear out of the control room, huh...?" he said. "Is the lab okay?" Eggman asked. "...You mean the Rec Room?" Rainbow asked. "No, no, NOOOO!!!" Eggman stammered, rushing off to check on his gadgets and gizmos.
Tails and Lucky soon made their way to Shadow Arc. Zipp grudgingly led them to where Bucky was busy working on something. "This quiet life stinks..." he grumbled, "I'm not allowed to fire my guns AT ALL without going to a shooting range or something. I can't even join the military... Too close to Gunner..." he complained. "Have you tried therapy...?" Tails muttered. "Can I shoot my therapist?" Zipp asked, opening up the door to the lab. Bucky hastily covered something up with a white sheet as they entered. It appeared to be someone...who was not alive. "Are you doing another Experiment already??" Tails gasped. Bucky glared at them. "I don't see how that's your business. I'm not using your DNA again." he grunted. Lucky was hiding behind Tails, but the fox stepped around and nudged him forward. "Go on..." he said. Lucky gulped. "H-hey, dad... I-I'm home..." he stammered. Bucky groaned a bit. "I made it my business to know this already... There was precisely nothing keeping you from coming back sooner! I don't know why you left to begin with, but clearly you hold no allegiance to me! ...You have no home here!" he snarled. Lucky stammered a bit, whimpering, and Tails stepped up to speak for him. "How can you say a thing like that to your own creation!?" he yelled. Bucky scoffed. "I created them. I'll do as I see fit. Now, leave this place. My experiments and I may have given up our powers as part of the deal for our freedom, but Zipp still has his guns, and the law has it that we can use deadly force to repel intruders to our home..." he threatened. "Please stay, please stay..." Zipp whispered. "Errr... Fine, I'm going..." Lucky sighed, turning to leave. Tails hesitated a moment. "I know you've been through some messed up stuff, but that doesn't give you the right to be so... heartless!" he growled, following Lucky out. They passed by Whisk the Divine as they went through the door, who had apparently been listening. "This is awful... D-do you want to talk?" she offered. "No!" Lucky said, choking back tears. "Don't listen, he needs cheering up!" Tails told her. They all headed out of the lab together, doing their best to comfort the rejected Lucky.
The three talked for a bit, though Whisk couldn't fully keep up with the conversation. Bucky had begun working on attempts to fix her memory issues, but so far only minor victories had been achieved on that front. At the very least, she could remember names and faces now. Ultimately, the three of them decided to head to Tails's Workshop, where Cream was waiting, and perhaps there they could solve Lucky's problem of where to live if he indeed had no home with Bucky now. "I do have two workshops... You could stay at one for a bit if you really need to..." Tails offered. "I'll talk things over with Bucky. My 'Texie-wexie will help, too!" Whisk suggested. Lucky and Tails both made disturbed faces at her. "Texie-wexie??" they murmured. "That is one way I never in a million years thought I'd hear Vortex referred to..." Tails shuddered. Lucky shrugged it off. "Thanks for helping me so much, both of you... You hardly even know me..." he said. "I know you're whiny. Seriously, stop it." Whisk muttered, "Smile or something. It's all going to be fine!" she said cheerfully. Suddenly, however, the three of them were scattered by a bolt of lightning! "Meee-yow!! What in the--??" Lucky screeched, while Tails sat up from the ground, looking up. "Bucky...?" he muttered, only to see a dragon flying above them instead! It was Zeke, AKA Experiment 10, and his body was sparking for some reason. "Perfect! An opportunity to test my new power! Tell me, runt, if I make you squeal loud enough, will that get Sonic over here? I'd love a crack at that bounty on his head!" he cackled with his raspy voice. Whisk teleported up there and kicked him. "You JERK! We were talking down there!" she yelled. A bolt of lightning sent her warping back to the ground, while Tails and Lucky backed away a bit. "Zeke can't do that!!" Lucky said in a panic. "Well, unless you can do something better, you'd best stay back, Lucky!" Tails warned, spinning his tails to fly after the dragon! Whisk joined him, trying to cut Zeke off from the side. "Kekekeke!! This should be entertaining... Who wants to be fried first? RAWR!!" the dragon roared.
As Tails and Whisk flew around Zeke, evading lightning and taking any opening to fly in and kick him, Lucky ran around below in a general state of panicked uselessness. "Why didn't Bucky give me any powers?? Ohhh, what do I do??" he whimpered. However, he didn't seem necessary to fight Zeke. Whisk warped around him repeatedly, making the dragon dizzy as he tried to keep up. Then, Tails dropped to the ground, bouncing up from springs concealed in his shoes so that he could smack Zeke with a tail whip! "Ack!! No fair!!!" Zeke yelled as he fell onto his back. Tails landed nimbly on the floor while Whisk warped next to him. "Heh... Been a while since I used the Spring Shoes..." Tails chuckled. Zeke started to climb to his feet, and Tails and Whisk got ready to defend themselves from him, when suddenly a powerful beam of Chaos energy knocked them both over! "Hey!! Any room for me at this party!?!" Tails shook his head and looked up from the ground with alarm as he recognized the voice. "Huh... Zazz??" he gasped. Indeed, one of the Deadly Six they'd faced mere months ago, the pink creature known as Zazz, was standing with Zeke and had just blasted them with Chaos energy. "Wait... How did you do that??" Tails stammered. Zazz's long, bluish tongue hung out as he glared at Tails. "Never mind! I'm here for just one thing! To get that blue boy's attention and take my REVENGE!!" he shouted. Lucky hurried to help Whisk up, and the three of them faced Zazz and Zeke. "Boy, I wish I had some tech with me... Oh, wait!" Tails said, suddenly pulling out some dummy rings and tossing them at the dangerous duo, stunning them! He and Whisk rushed to fight them, but Zeke quickly pinned Whisk down with flame breath along with lightning, cutting off her movement options! As Tails went to strike Zazz, his body burst into a bright light, enveloped in Chaos energy! "Th-that's Chaos Camouflage!!" Tails gasped, repelled as he struck Zazz! Whisk soon joined him on the ground. "No sign of Sonic... Guess we'll send him a message by wipin' you out!!" Zazz shouted.
Zazz and Zeke prepared to launch attacks and finish Tails, with Whisk as collateral, when suddenly Lucky stood in their way, making them hesitate. "Stop, Zeke!!" the cat shouted. "Who? Oh, the runt... Kekekeke... You're a real nuisance, kid! Didn't wandering the world teach you anything??" he laughed. Lucky nodded. "I learned that... there are lots of people. They live in lots of different ways..." he said. "BORING!!" Zazz groaned. "...But while they might disagree sometimes... They aren't like you guys! You... You're villains!!" Lucky snapped. Zazz smirked at him. "Well, DUH!!" he shouted. "You might get that... Too bad you didn't learn to stay out of our way..." Zeke growled. Lightning and Chaos energy blasted toward Lucky as he stood between the villains and his friends. "No, Lucky!! Get away!!" Whisk gasped. The cat's luck seemed to have run out, but just before the attacks could strike, a large net flew out of nowhere and pulled him to the ground, out of the way while the attacks passed over Tails and Whisk as they were on the ground! "WHAT!?" Zazz gasped. Buzzing in the air nearby was Zipp, holding up a net cannon. "I have a gun for every situation... Even this one!" he said, reaching into his jacket pocket and holding a small pen-shaped device. He clicked it, and a beam quickly zapped Zazz, then Zeke, rendering them incapacitated. "The Pause-Gun; Copyright Stein Enterprises blah blah blah..." Zipp remarked, hovering down to Lucky to release him from the net while Tails and Whisk got to their feet. "I misjudged you." They all looked to see Bucky approaching from the direction Zipp had arrived, and heading in Lucky's direction. "Dad..." Lucky gasped, realizing he'd had something to do with saving them. "You were willing to sacrifice everything to save them... I've had such a rocky time getting along with some of my creations; it's often hard for me to accept when I find one with a good heart... Like you." the rat said with a small smile. As he and Zipp turned to leave, Lucky started after them. "Does this mean I can come home?" he asked. "...If you wish. You don't want to be here when GUN comes to pick up those two." Bucky replied, motioning to Zeke and Zazz. As they left, a human wearing a brown cloak stepped out of a nearby building and observed the frozen Zazz and Zeke. "...This world is certainly strange..." he stated, "Never mind, Travis... It's time to move on."
That evening, after Cream had left Tails alone and the fox was resting in his workshop after the rough fights earlier, there came a knock at his door. To his surprise, Bucky entered. "Uh... Hi... What are you doing here??" Tails asked. Bucky glanced around cautiously. "Do you believe this building is secure? GUN's not spying on you?" he asked. Tails scratched his head. "If they are, I feel sorry for them. They must be very bored." he said. Bucky clasped his arm around the fox and whispered to him. "Those powers were not natural, that much you know... GUN is experimenting on animals. Giving them powers..." he warned. Tails blinked a couple times. "Okay... But why send them out to make trouble just to arrest them?" he asked. Bucky stepped back to the door. "Good night, Mr. Prower..." he said, leaving Tails with his thoughts.
At the Hopebringer Center for the criminally insane, Zeke and Zazz were locked in separate cells not far from Zim. "Hey! How's Zavok!? Does he miss me??" Zim asked frantically. "Shut UP!! Who ARE you??" Zazz yelled back. Dr. Nammad watched the prisoners rail against their cages, which had been reinforced to withstand their natural abilities, while the scientist held capsules containing the colored essences of their powers. "Play nice, uh, kids... We'll be talking again soon enough..." Nammad said, walking off to put away his colorful new toys. GUN's schemes were well in motion now, but what madness would they bring next?
Episode End!
