Sonic the Hedgehog

Unveiled

In all of his life, Zero has never felt the way he does at this very moment. A weird sensation it is- truly. Before in past defeats, (which were extraordinarily rare), the proud Jackal would feel a sense of enragement. Rage he would then use to accomplish his goals and come back with a vengeance so fierce, none could challenge it. Right now, that intense rage is still very much present and is not going anywhere anytime soon. But alongside it lies an unfamiliar feeling. Moreso a thought. One the Jackal tries to shove out of his mind. The unacceptable reality that maybe... just maybe... he is out of his depth.

When challenging the blue speedster, he was mocked. The echidna rendered him unconscious with a single blow. Even when he had a clear line of sight on his target, he ended up blowing it and hitting the metal copy instead. Every chance he has been given to reclaim his former glory has been squandered by non-other than him. And that was more infuriating than anything he could bear.

He currently walks through the lower deck of the ship, deep in thought about this ever so blatant reality. His hands are balled in unstable fists. Eggman looked as if he was on the verge of murdering him the last they spoke. That could have so easily and so effortlessly been the end. If the thought about his lack of capabilities was unbearable, Zero remembers something that makes him more frustrated. The moment he was brought before Eggman. As he stood there, being looked down on like a disposable nuisance, he felt something he hadn't in years. And that was fear.

Just the word makes Zero want to punch the nearest wall when his ears pick up something. Down the hall, he can so clearly hear Eggman talking in a hushed voice, which surprises him. It almost seemed as if the Doctor never left the Control Room. What could he possibly be doing down here in the lower decks? Zero almost steps away to avoid detection when something stops him in his tracks. The familiar, unmistakable voice of Metal Sonic. It's not his added presence, but what he says that sparks his curiosity.

"Such power..."

Those two words capture all of the Jackal's interest. He peers down the long hall and sees that both Eggman and Metal Sonic are in the same room to the right of it. With the elegance of a feline, Zero silently makes it to the wall just outside the small room. Where he is now, he can hear what the two are saying more clearly.

"-this time it'll be different," Eggman continues. "I had the tools, the machinery, and the smarts. But that pathetic clone of yours got in my way. Not this time. No, with the phantom ruby's power, reality will be what I will it."

"Your glory will know no bounds," Metal Sonic says.

Zero slowly peers around the wall to get a glimpse of what the two could possibly be talking about. Upon doing so, his eyes widen in awe. Eggman and his metal henchman stand in a small, compact room surrounded by tangled wires and brown boxes. What has the Jackal shocked is what the mad machinist holds in his gloved hand. A purple, ruby-like gem that glows brightly in his palm. Zero has seen the chaos emeralds up close and was surprised when he wasn't as wowed by them as he expected. This, however... this is something else.

"I've already charged it with the three emeralds we've collected thus far," Eggman states. "They're no longer of any use to me, but just in case, I've stored them in my safe at the Control Room. It'll be a good way to test that spy's loyalty and see if she takes the bait. There is simply too much riding on this to afford traitors. I must admit, even I was surprised at my own genius when creating such power. It just needs chaos energy to be fully operational!"

"Just four more emeralds and the world will be yours, Doctor," Metal Sonic says, kneeling.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Eggman says with a smile. "But I might as well try! Just four more emeralds... and the world will be mine."

Before he gets spotted, Zero leaves his spot and silently hurries away, unsure of what to do with the information he's just uncovered.

...