Tangle vs. Whisper: Out of Control

Chapter 5: Background

Whisper once again found herself camping in the woods outside Spiral Hill. Leuco had stated that Tangle's hometown would be the first target in a series of crimes that Tangle would unwillingly commit and then be accused of.

Whisper knew she had to intercept Tangle, keep her at bay till the effects of Leuco's "hypno-slime" wore off as they had before, and then get her to safety before Leuco could feed her more of the substance. If the "crime spree" wasn't stopped before it began, the lemur would be in deep trouble even if Whisper saved her.

The wolf sighed and turned on her Restoration communicator.

"Any progress, Lanolin?," Whisper gently asked.

"More progress than I'd like to see," replied the voice on the other side. "I've found some information that I'm surprised is true. I wish Amy or Jewel found this first, but no, they're still in Spiral Hill, it's just me..."

Whisper knew that Tangle had shared the story of the Diamond Cutters with the Restoration. However, even Tangle only knew part of the story. Whisper wasn't sure she wanted the first person to learn the whole story to just be some random Restoration member, but with Tangle's situation, it looked like she had no choice.

"So, what's the deal?," Whisper calmly inquired.

"Well, Leuco possesses a limited degree of psychic power," Lanolin explained. "It is imbued into the slime she produces, which, if consumed by another being-"

"Allows her to control them," Whisper drawled. "That's what she did to Tangle."

"Oh, gosh... Other than her hypno-slime power, Leuco is best known for her former position in the Eggman Empire, in which she was partnered with -"

"Smithy the Lion," Whisper acknowledged.

"The leader of the Diamond Cutters," Lanolin continued, proving Whisper correct. "How did he go from Eggman lackey to the leader of an anti-Eggman merc team?"

"Time to tell you the story," Whisper calmly affirmed.

"Before he started the Diamond Cutters, Smithy worked under Eggman as a Badnik designer. Several of the robots Sonic and company regularly face were Smithy's own inventions. He also occasionally fought in the Empire's battles himself, commanding his own designed Badniks. I figure Leuco must have been with him at the time."

"Smithy, and I imagine Leuco, were brought on board for Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park project. During that time, he came to befriend several Wisps, the ones that would come to be used by the Diamond Cutters, and eventually by me. He realized that Eggman didn't care for the lives of these innocent creatures."

"He realized that this applied to everyone around Eggman, those serving under him and those enslaved by him. And he decided he wasn't going to take it anymore. Smithy and the five Wisps snuck into an escape pod and abandoned the Eggman Empire, leaving Leuco behind. I imagine she was blamed for this, and has wanted revenge on Smithy and everything he cared about since. That's why, even after Smithy's death, Leuco is out for me."

"Shortly after returning, Smithy met Mimic, who at the time was low on resources or will, just trying to stay alive. He wasn't the monster he became during the Eggman War. And so they teamed up, eventually finding Slinger, Claire... and me. That's the story of the Diamond Cutters."

"So that's how you came together," Lanolin spoke. "Should I let others know about it?"

"I'll tell Tangle," Whisper disagreed, "when I get her back. Leuco's bringing her back to Spiral Hill to start a 'crime spree' under her control, and if I don't save her now..."

"She'll be taken away even if you do save her later," the voice replied. "I'll let Tails, Amy and Jewel know of the situation, they should be able to help you deal with Tangle and Leuco. Good luck."

"I'll need it," Whisper muttered under her breath, and hung up.

"Let's head for Spiral Hill," she hustled to her Wisps. "When Tangle comes looking for trouble, we'll be ready."