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"I didn't sign up to be held by your girlfriend," Phage spat, Breezie laughing at the remark.
"You hear that, Neo? She thinks I'm your girlfriend! That's such an honor," Breezie exclaimed with a mocking grin toward Neo.
"Hush up," she ordered, glancing over to Neo to see that they were smiling. "ARE YOU ENJOYING MY SUFFERING?"
"Indeed," Neo admitted, sitting down on the other side of Breezie, maintaining their concentration.
"Cheer up, Phage. At least Eggy didn't delete you. So, you and I are gonna have some fun," the female hedgehog snickered, the virus slowly turning her attention back to Neo.
"What do you expect me to do? Entertain her while you sit around?" Phage spitefully questioned, to which Neo shrugged their shoulders.
"No, I won't be just sitting around. I have some scouting to do in an unspecified area. Also, I think Breezie has the right to know the information you told me as well since Clutch is her competition, and she needs to be informed of who she's dealing with," Neo bluntly replied, making Breezie in awe with this new direction.
"And the plot thickens because why wouldn't it? What more twists and turns are we about to find ourselves in?"
"For one, judging by the intel this Geoffrey person told Neo before his sudden departure, he's setting up another place near the edge of the Artika. You can send Abyss and Akhlut to clear it out. They're the most equipped to handle it since they're near the water," Phage speculated.
"If Clutch is already making his move, then he knows Starline is at one of Breezie's locations, possibly stalling for an encounter with him again," Neo further added, an idea crossing their mind. "I can send Abyss, but not Akhlut. Despite being uncooperative and unprofessional at times, her team is the most effective one, whether in or out of the water. If all else fails, then Tundra can be on stand by."
Phage's figure tilted her head to the side, coming closer to the camera.
"I see no point in allowing such a wasteful specimen to take charge of a valuable task such as this. Send someone else," the virus argued as Neo's eye twitched.
The organic hedgehog sighed heavily, then crossed their arms.
"Wendy," Neo declared.
"You're kidding," Phage reflected.
"Axel," the organic hedgehog offered.
"The opposite of what we're looking for." Phage dismissed the suggestion entirely with a teasing wave of her hand, or what happened to be one.
"Kukku," they resentfully responded again, this time grabbing the tablet from Breezie as she observed the sibling rivalry in front of her unfold.
"Too disruptive, more than Axel, might I add? Are you even taking this seriously? The empire's equipment was stolen, and this is what you have to offer? A subpar solution for my intelligence and insight? I feel insulted, dear sibling!" She taunted with a boisterous laugh, mocking their efforts.
Neo's grip increased as they nearly broke the screen of the device, yet they settled down in an attempt to calmly solve this dilemma.
"Hood," Neo promptly fired back.
"Cowardly, disgraceful, and on top of that, pathetic," Phage excused, Neo slowly growing more unhinged at her answers.
"Ma-"
"No, absolutely not," the virus cut them off, Neo leaning near the screen while pointing at her.
"The Conquering Storm."
The virus appeared to be pondering until it shrugged.
"Stealth and brute strength, however, entrusting her with Abyss and Tundra alone would be problematic. Anyone else at your service who could work with them?"
A knock on the door stopped them before they could answer, revealing it to be Clove. She physically froze up when she saw Neo aggressively holding a tablet as Breezie was patiently staring at her.
"I apologize for the interruption, Lord Metal. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak with you about some minor issues of mine," she politely phrased.
"Why, of course! You can speak with Neo all you want. They needed a break anyway, so what's the harm in wanting a talk?" Breezie agreed in a lighthearted tone, snatching the device out of their hands. "Neo, you're dismissed! Don't have too much fun without me."
"You're ordering me around? How bold of you, Miss Information, how bold of you indeed," Neo reflected the same energy back, leaving the hedgehog pleasantly stunned.
"Excuse me? You did not just do that?" Breezie pleasantly laughed.
"Take that as you will, Bree. I was simply imitating the energy that was given to me," Neo excused.
They exited the room, hearing Phage start to berate Breezie about how she treated Neo just then, arriving at the hallway.
"Clovelly, what can I do for you?" Neo inquired in a casual manner, the pronghorn being strongly repulsed by their attitude. "Apologies, I was merely testing some new bio data scanners of a certain someone recently. What seems to be your concerns as of late?"
She cleared her throat to banish any lingering thoughts about what she had witnessed and spoke up front.
"I am fairly paranoid about not meeting the specified criteria for this mission. You have us just lounge around and do little to no tasks. I know Cassia doesn't mind, yet I do, and I have to admit that I'm not used to being in such a spacious area twenty-four seven. It appears unproductive. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the operation at hand isn't complicated, even so, it feels snail-paced," she addressed her apparent crime, Neo blankly staring back at her while clasping their hands.
"Good news. I'm going to send a group to investigate a helpful tip that was kindly donated to us. Abyss, Tundra, and the Conquering Storm will be your support. Does that fit the specific type of mission you were expecting?" They questioned watching Clove's body cease to move.
"Connie will be joining me?" She beckoned for a response, Neo tilting their head.
"Connie? Interesting choice for a nickname," the organic robot mused.
They saw Clove stammer, only stopping when Neo put their hand in front of her face.
"I am not entitled to know about your relationship, nor am I truly concerned about it as of this current moment. Contrary to popular belief, I do allow all of you to have some form of confidentiality," Neo politely explained, slightly leaning forward while looking at their surroundings as if they were cautious. "However, just to make sure, when did you start dating given that it seems impossible for the Conquering Storm to find someone she has an affinity for?"
Clove raised her eyebrow in disbelief.
"The same could be said about you and Breezie, Lord Metal," Clove boldly yet delicately responded, watching Neo reflect upon that well-known fact.
"I can't argue with that accepted reality. Breezie sees this as a relationship, while I am merely going with this idea with no difficulty," the organic hedgehog thought aloud, making Clove perplexed that they would say such a thing. "I suppose the idea of a relationship never truly crossed my mind until everyone assumed that I formed a special connection with her and only her."
"To be fair, she has a way with her words. It's reminiscent of how she would say anything, and you catch yourself staring at them for way longer than usual. You know you shouldn't be doing such things because you should be focusing on a mission, yet your eyes are glued to he,r and when she faces you, it's as though your heart beat increases and decreases at the same time. And when she speaks to you and only you, giving you her uninvited attention, it's like a private invitation for you to stay with them longer similar to a nagging feeling for you to stop being such a coward and cherish her," Clove reflected softly, mostly to her, then found herself outwardly blushing while covering her face when she came back to reality.
"I'm going to pull this assumption out of thin air and guess you both got to know each other to that degree when the Gaia phoenix burned down her base back when the doctor was planning to control the world with the Gaia temples, correct?" Neo asked, seeing the pronghorn begrudgingly nod.
"The doctor instructed me to assist with repairs due to my army not being deployed at the time. It was a mistake on my part due to my foolishness," she instantly narrowed her eyes, continuing to talk. "I… I thought if I got close to her, then we would be able to speed up the construction due to both of our divisions not truly seeing eye to eye. It worked a little too well, as you could imagine. I found out we had many differing views on things; however, that didn't stop us from growing to respect each other. She is assertive, that is a part of her lifestyle, yet she trusted me enough to get into this arrangement."
She hesitated and sighed heavily.
"She trusted me to keep that secret as well, even so, we're past the point of hiding such things if this is what you expect from us."
Neo examined her expression, then clasped their hands.
"Ah! This was a shameful admission for me to judge. Were you expecting me to be outraged by this? Hood is a poker addict who is in denial, Abyss is remarkably unfocused whenever she isn't on a particularly urgent mission, Kukku should be considered insane, two of our allied forces are rivals that still can't stand each other, Thunderbolt and Wendy are… Here, Maw is a sociopath who's also dating, might I add, Nephthys isn't a problem yet, and you were worried about dating within the group with Connie?" Neo summarized, leaving Clove speechless.
"I see… Would the doctor care if this was brought to his attention?" She genuinely asked.
"Yes and no. Moving on," Neo changed the topic hurriedly. "You wanted a mission due to you feeling insignificant? I have a solution. You can guide your partner."
Clove muttered under her breath, regretting that she shared this information with Neo, who seemed pretty pleased with the direction this was going.
"Lord Metal?" A voice called out.
The organic hedgehog shifted their gaze behind them, spotting the lynx Clove was briefly passionately talking about.
"Perfect timing, Madam Storm. Clove was just regaling about my developments after our first assault on one of Clutch's storage units was unsuccessful. She suggested that you join her along with Abyss and Tundra for this endeavor," Neo causally mentioned seeing Clove sweat profusely.
"L-Lord Metal? What's the meaning of this?" The pronghorn nervously whispered. "She's not going to-"
"Very well, I shall join her." The lynx blankly agreed with no issues.
The three stood idly by without saying anything until…
"Hmm, are you by chance agreeing to these terms because Clove is-"
Clove covered Neo's mouth forcefully, the egg boss of Yurashia being quite amused by the pronghorn's boldness toward their leader.
"What they meant to say-" Clove stammered out with panic riddled on her face. "-Was that I'll be the leader of a squad that will be investigating an area that is rumored to have ties to Clutch, and I was hoping you would accompany me."
"Of course. I see no issue in providing my services to you, although the other two may be a problem. I'll just have to overcome this handicap if I want to be with you," the lynx heavily hinted, Clove clearing her throat.
"Good, very good. I'll… I'll wait for further instructions, Lord Metal."
She promptly walked off without making eye contact with the lynx, muttering up a storm to herself. Before Neo could get a word in, the Conquering Storm took action.
"What did you tell her, you shape-shifting bot?"
"Already on the offensive, I see," Neo commented with a soft smile.
She advanced closer to her boss, pointing at them.
"She usually doesn't mutter to herself like that unless you underhandedly spoke about something she didn't want you to hear for an extended amount of time," the lynx interrogated, Neo merely shrugging their shoulders.
"I shouldn't be talking about your relationship openly, considering you both made such reasonable efforts to prevent me from finding out that information," Neo admitted without skipping a beat, the lynx's eyes widening.
"WHO EVEN TOLD YOU?" She grabbed the collar of their vest, forcing them down to her level.
The overlord, thinking on their feet, picked the answer that would most likely avoid Clove from being in trouble.
"Breezie."
"That damn she-devil!" She fumed, the organic hedgehog placing a hand on her head.
"Don't worry, I found it surprising too," Neo reassured her to the best of their abilities, only for Connie to grumble something under her breath, tilting her hat down, becoming embarrassed by these turn of events. "On a more serious note, would you like me to brief you on what your specific objective is?"
"I'll take any info that allows me to swiftly complete the mission without a hitch," she confidently confirmed.
Neo gently unhanded her mitts off their vest's collar and stood up properly.
"Your target is any important personnel in that opossum's group. Employees or security guards should be taken care of through conventional means. Simply put, don't kill them. Interrogate them for intel if you have to," Neo briefed, the lynx nodding her head. "Furthermore, if you find Naugus, treat that as a severe threat and call for backup. I know you have a habit of charging into danger without thinking; however, I assure you that you may be at risk of dying if you go against him."
She pondered for a bit, then pointed at Neo.
"Then why are Abyss and Tundra with us if I can just sneak around while gathering information?"
"Tundra knows the ins and outs of the Artika. You are one of the best infiltrators who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty if needed. Clove is a headstrong individual who's quick on her feet if something goes south and can improvise on the fly. Finally, Abyss is… Dependable. Yes, let's go with that reasoning," Neo explained carefully, Connie tapping her foot as she thought more.
"I understand that, still, though, I highly doubt that Abyss and Tundra are fit for this mission. I see you getting more results with Hood, arguably enough, and maybe Thunderbolt if she were willing to be a distraction for us," they tried to convince them, only for Neo to counter her point.
"An interesting tactic. Using Thunderbolt would allow you all to sneak into the area with no issues. For a while, that is. What happens when she gets captured? We both know that she relies on her powers more than brute strength, unlike you, so what would be your way of handling that?" They questioned, the lynx hesitating for an answer.
"We could split up and take out as many of them as possible," she quickly replied.
"Hmm, I see. Without searching the area?"
The Conquering Storm, in all her glory, hesitated. She wasn't shocked, more or less; she was annoyed that Neo was making her come to terms with her position at that moment. She could debate Neo all she wanted, but it still wouldn't change anything, and she knew that.
"Cease this mockery, Lord Metal… You win," she bitterly proclaimed.
"It's not about winning the conversation. Now, are you done arguing about my choices, or do you need me to explain how everyone can act like a cog in a well-oiled machine?"
The lynx noticed the shift in their voice. They were being serious this time? What's the harm of hearing Neo out this one time? They never lead them astray.
"Sure, Lord Metal. What did you have in mind?"
Neo leaned in close, the Conquering Storm ready to intake this wisdom. What she heard was nothing she had expected.
"Abyss has to be there instead of Akhlut due to Tundra hating his guts, Clove is assuming a leader-like position for the group, and Tundra is with us for insurance. If I were to let that orca come stomping into this battlefield, he would destroy everything."
"There's no way they said that to you," Clove, in disbelief, chuckled as the lynx sighed.
"Neo did in fact say as much," she confirmed once more.
"Well, that's surprisingly appropriate for that bot to say," Tundra spoke up, looking through binoculars at the site ahead of them. "It's almost like they're getting a kick out of us suffering, like the doctor in a way, which would be on brand for them."
The lynx easily ignored the comment as they ranted some more.
"On top of this, I'm working with Abyss," Tundra fussed again, making his disapproval more apparent.
"What's wrong with her? The last time I worked with her, she was arguably the most entertaining part of the mission. She got along with my faction swimmingly," Clove explained.
"She's immature. A damn child that pretends to be an adult, if you would. She's flaky due to her past of betraying her old crew just because she wanted some riches, but it's a problem when I say it clearly because I'm old and cranky."
"Or perhaps you shouldn't just jump to conclusions all the time?" The pronghorn justified.
"Or maybe you should learn how to put your foot down when you spot something you don't find appealing. You sound like a doormat," Tundra puffed out.
"You sound like a decrepit old man not knowing the definition of having a backbone. I'd advise you to watch your tongue while you're on this mission with me," the lynx aggressively warned, resulting in the Artika Egg boss grumbling as he went back to watching the site in front of them.
"By the way, did Neo say anything else about me when I left?" Clove asked only for the lynx not to answer, tilting her hat down. "Was it something negative?"
"It was unpleasant…" She muttered with a blush.
The walrus spotted a figure with a large fur coat talking to a bunch of staff members gathering around, appearing to have small talk within the halls of the unfinished establishment. They began to walk to the docks and stood there.
"Clutch is here," he commented, handing the binoculars to Clove, who peeked through.
"And he's waiting by the water?" She questioned while looking back toward Tundra.
"Neo did mention that they were doing shady dealings here with the occasional building up this site 'n such. Last I saw him, he had a fancy little cane with him that was really a gun, so I'm assuming he ditched it," the walrus answered.
"It would've helped had you brought your troops like the last time you went to raid a building like this to fully confine him," Connie pointed out, Tundra huffing out air.
"Oh, yeah. Let's endanger my troops a second time. It's easy for you to say it since you weren't even there when it-"
"Umm, Abyss just sent me a text," Clove mentioned with disbelief in her voice. "She's in the building already with most of her team."
The pronghorn faced her communicator toward the duo, the squid being a few feet away from the opossum while posing alongside some of her soldiers with a caption that read, "must be nice to have such a professional on your team." Tundra solemnly stared at the screen, then angrily exhaled.
"I hate working with her…"
"She seems to have the area secured for the most part, so we shouldn't feel stressed about anything as long as Abyss doesn't alert Clutch's other staffers," Clove speculated.
Scattered sounds of screaming and laughter were heard from their position. The Conquering Storm, having had enough with staying put, instantly moved from her spot, dashing toward the site and effortlessly plunging herself upward to reach the edge of an unfinished balcony to enter the building. Footsteps near the main hall alarmed her to what might've gone awry. It was now or never. The lynx was about to act until she heard more frantic laughter, then a familiar voice, boastfully talking.
"I can't believe it was that easy!"
An exhausted expression crossed Connie's face, thus prompting her to move into view of the squid's group.
"Oh, sup Stormy. You kinda got here a little too late and missed all the action. My crew already bruised them up nice and quick. We're locking 'em up over there for the time being," she explained, pointing over to the storage closet where some of her troops were hiding the evidence of people ever existing here.
"And Clutch?" The lynx asked, almost showing some signs of tension.
"I, personally, knocked him out. We can't have the big bad roaming around while we loot the place, can we?"
The Conquering Storm paused, then stepped closer to Abyss.
"You're using this mission as an excuse to pillage?" She promptly demanded answers.
"Dude, Clutch was gonna sell whatever is in those crates over there to whoever he's waiting for, and you're looking at me like I'm doing something wrong? I have all of my crew on deck this time around, so this will be quick and easy. Unless you have a problem with how I just stole your glory, then take it up with Spiky Lord, now, if you'd excuse me," Abyss turned her attention back to her group. "Alright! Moment of truth! RUDY!"
One of the soldiers from down the hall faced her while swaying their body with a moderately big box, the squid smugly glancing over to the lynx, noticing she hadn't said anything.
"What's the matter? You're curious about the loot now, too? You're hoping I'd share some with you?"
"I don't need handouts from the likes of you. Just tell your lackey to open that box. We need evidence on why they're doing this," the lynx commanded, to which Abyss laughed.
"Now we're talking!" Abyss waved them over, Rudy placing down the box as another soldier with a crowbar tilted their head at their boss with excitement.
"We pry? We open now?"
Abyss held up her hand, shifting her attention to the other end of the hallway, spotting Clove and Tundra arriving with some of her troops accompanying the duo.
"Look who decided to show up. You're just in time for the unboxing. Didn't take you all to be the crowd for this kind of gig, but there's a first time for everything," Abyss clapped her hands twice as her crewmate shoved the sharp end of the tool into the side of the crate. "Any bets before he reveals what's behind box number one? Maybe a bunch of gold coins? Wasted parts that could be used for selling? Or knowing that guy, a whole lot of-"
The crate opened, revealing there to be bundles of shirts with Clutch's apparent company on them. The trio of Egg bosses watched Abyss' face fall as she grabbed one of the shirts to properly read it.
"So…" Abyss trailed off into her mind, tightly holding the shirt in her hand. "He was just handing out shirts."
"Seems to be the case," Clove examined further, then pivoted her attention to the boxes they hadn't opened yet. "He could be hiding something in the boxes you haven't opened."
"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but I know when the bounty is terrible," the squid lightly complained, followed up with a hearty laugh.
"She was telling you to open all of them, bandit," the lynx ordered sternly, crossing her arms as she made eye contact with Abyss.
"And why do you care so much? Also, Missy, I'm a pirate, and as said pirate, I'm telling you that this place doesn't have anything worth a damn," Abyss argued back, tossing the shirt toward Tundra as she walked to the Conquering Storm.
"I'd strongly encourage you to adhere to my warning, you lousy bandit. I could paralyze you with two maneuvers alone from where I'm standing."
Abyss mockingly gasped, making a surprised face to fully sell the bit.
"Oh my gosh! You're gonna paralyze me even though I don't have any bones? Wow, Stormy! I can't believe you'd do that," she sarcastically exclaimed, gesturing to her own crew behind her at the threat.
Some of them nervously laughed, but were forced into silence when the lynx solely stared at them. Tundra grumbled to himself as he examined the shirt, leaving Clove to try to calm down the two tyrants in front of her. The Conquering Storm began to close the distance before the pronghorn could properly assess the situation, Abyss' crew being the unwilling and unfiltered audience they needed to fuel this feud.
"Careful, squid. I'm not particularly sympathetic to those who beg for death so effortlessly. Your eagerness does make it amusing, though," the lynx mused crudely, cracking her knuckles, making the squid laugh aloud.
"I might've said you could win in an Egg boss gauntlet, but you're gonna be needing a few stitches when I'm done with-"
A thud from the end of the hallway was heard. The group faced the sound to see one of Abyss' crewmates getting forcibly dragged into a fog that somehow managed to make it indoors.
"C-CAPTAIN!" One shouted as they ran away from the clouds. "THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIST! CAPTAIN, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! YOU HAVE-"
The thick mist covered them, instantly muffling any words they were trying to make, then silence. The four Egg bosses, along with a handful of Abyss' crewmates, cautiously watched the fog stop halfway in the hallway. A powerful yet sinister guffaw was the only thing they could hear when the lights went off. The only light that helped them see was the construction beacons Clutch's workers used before they ambushed the place, yet even that didn't seem to help them in their predicament. Steps echoed from the end of the corridor, each time the mist lingered a few inches, slightly spilling over to the edges of the floor.
"Well, well, well… What do we have here? Thieves and Egg bosses in my domain?" The voice stepped out of the fog, Tundra sucking their teeth.
"Don't you have anything better to do than be in my region to piss me off, Naugus?" Tundra complained, stepping in front of the others to approach the wizard.
"Also, where the hell did Clutch go?" Abyss pointed immediately.
"He can shape-shift," Clove narrowed it down with no hesitation. "Don't tell me you all forgot what he's capable of…"
The pronghorn ruefully watched as her squad avoided eye contact.
"I mean, I sort of forgot since he got arrested. Plus, I'm in the ocean constantly," Abyss bluntly clarified. Clove only shook her head at this confession.
"I don't really read about any mission details. It's more of Hood's custom, and it would feel like stealing from him. It's the only thing he's good for whenever someone is paired up with him, as ironic as that sounds," the lynx also spoke up, the pronghorn starting to lose faith considering their circumstances right now.
"I oddly enough agree with that decision," Tundra admitted.
"You all disappoint me," Clove sighed.
"And you all waste my time!" The wizard raised his claw hand and pointed at the group. "Better start running! The fog is going to cover this entire domain in under five minutes."
Connie, clearly not giving a damn anymore, dashed forward through the fog, aiming to strike at what appeared to be Naugus in front of her, only for it to be smoke.
"What in Gaia's name?"
Her feet were swiped, causing her to fall onto her back hard, the troll near her now with a taunting smile.
"My, my! The Conquering Storm is the first to try to stop me? No surprises there," he dodged a kick launched his way, then another while backing away to create as much distance as possible.
"You are going to feel my wrath through every means necessary after how much trouble you're beginning to cause me," the lynx declared.
The wizard blocked a heavy punch, holding her fist in the palm of his hand while looking at her.
"The empire will feel my wrath soon enough, girl. I'll start with you since you're so eager to counter my efforts tonight."
His grip increased on her hand, and the regret soon began to tremble in when the Conquering Storm's hand was stuck in place. The lynx scoffed and stared at him with nothing but hatred.
"So you picked up a few new tricks over the years. You forgot that fighting isn't your strong suit, you foolish wizard." Naugus raised an eyebrow at this claim, and before he could question this claim, she forcefully kicked his shin, providing her enough time to perform a perfect hurricanrana, flinging him down the hall where some of Abyss' crew were.
The troll roared, the blast from whatever he was planning to do sending the troops around him backwards. Naugus tilted his hat up, pointing both of his hands at the lynx.
"That fierce spirit can only get you so far. Allow me to show you what these past few years have allowed me to learn," Naugus hinted, his hands glowing, yet before there was an impact, Abyss stung him from behind.
"What's good, you sorcery-casting bitch? Thanks to that little stunt of yours, I was able to find you through this fog! You went to such lengths to confuse us, but you forgot that light isn't the same as sound, isn't that funny?" She joked, rolling her shoulders as if she were preparing to fight some more.
The troll scampered into the fog swiftly, the lynx recomposing herself as the squid scanned the surrounding area.
"How'd you know where to find me?" The Conquering Storm asked, the squid laughing aloud.
"As if I were looking for you. Light travels faster than sound. It's something us ocean dwellers use to find stuff. It's a different playing field here, but I can manage just fine, Anywho," she briefly explained, walking around in a circle, keeping her eyes on the surrounding fog.
The lynx suspiciously backed away at the sight of Abyss, somewhat taking charge of the situation. She watched her stop and fully devote her attention to one area of the fog then took a deep breath.
"Alright!" She yelled into the mist in front of her, confusing Stormy. "SCATTER LIKE ASH! I REPEAT, SCATTER LIKE ASH! WE'LL PICK UP THE PIECES LATER!"
She cleared her throat while stretching, taking the lead in this journey.
"Cool, let's get that bumbling wizard," she blankly announced without addressing the clear elephant in the room.
"What did you just say? Matter of fact, why did you say that?"
"It's a code for my crew only. It means find a way out of here as quickly as you can. They have the option to save anyone who's down as they're doing it since, y'know, pirate's code," Abyss casually explained, making the lynx even more confused.
"How are you more organized than Tundra and Kukku?"
"Because I don't have a self-absorbed reputation to keep up or being held up on a pedestal constantly? I know what I am, and my crew knows what I am as well. They chose to follow me for the thrills and bounty we get together. Ruling something sounds boring the longer you think about it, so why not just have fun pillaging it instead?"
The Conquering Storm retreated into her thoughts as this new information staggered her to no end. Abyss the Squid, the Southern Ocean's Egg boss, was somehow the most responsible leader when she needed to step up… Which annoyed the lynx. Why was she such a slob when they needed her the most? Clove runs her legion with little to none intimidation, however, at least she was always dependable and warranted her position as a leader to her people, and yet this lazy, absentminded, selfish, intolerable, sorry excuse for an Egg boss is leading a pitch perfect crew better than some of the experienced veterans in this group who are already accustomed to dealing with troops.
It disgusted her that she earned this spot without even trying.
"Why'd you join the empire again? A pirate such as yourself shouldn't be here, if I'm being quite honest," the lynx began to talk, Abyss saying a word as they carefully traveled through the haze. "Ever since I've met you, I could never truly tell why you were here. Most of the bosses had no other options, were intimidated by the doctor's might, or devoted their life to him. You, however, didn't have that problem. I would like to argue that you're the second freeloader within this empire, the first being Thunderbolt to a certain degree."
Abyss abruptly stopped, pivoting her head to Stormy.
"Be quiet," Abyss ordered in a flat tone.
"Did I offend you for speaking the truth?" The lynx smugly asked.
The squid flinched and turned back around, her body stance becoming more defensive. The duo heard heavy footsteps rapidly approaching them.
"About time I found you both!" Tundra huffed out. "Naugus tossed me aside to get to Clove. I don't know where to go from here, so let's stick together."
"Geez, man. Try not to scare us like that again," Abyss dismissed, still looking around.
"Clove still isn't here," the lynx pointed out the obvious, to which Abyss snickered.
"Is Miss Stormy worried for her beloved Clove? You're such a romantic for looking out for her even though-"
The Conquering Storm, proving her title, closed the distance, her index finger on Abyss' neck, staring at her with rage. The squid sighed heavily, pushing her hand away from her neck, walking away.
"Fine, I'll go look for her myself since you want to mop around and do nothing."
"You shouldn't be doing that, child," Tundra warned with authority. "We don't know how we should properly get through this safely without-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Complain all you want, old man. I ain't stupid. I know when I'm not needed or wanted, so I'm doing all of you a favor. Good luck, because Gaia knows you'll need it," Abyss commented, walking into the mist without a care in the world.
"Leave her," the lynx ordered at Tundra. "This is what she wanted, so that's what she'll be dealing with."
"I see communication isn't exactly your best talent," the walrus dismissively criticized, fixing his jacket.
The Conquering Storm scoffed with a smirk. "You think I give a damn about a bratty ex-pirate that's trying to antagonize me whenever she gets the chance?"
"Hmm, that does seem like quite the predicament."
The duo of Egg bosses defensively started to scan the area, finding the wizard standing in front of them, his hands behind his back.
"Seeing that I'm in a merciful mood today, I'll let you in on a little secret. This region has provided me with enough density in the air to make such an illusion. I have to thank you, Tundra for being so absent-minded not to check anywhere else in this area," they spoke with a gracious smile.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Naugus jeered with pride, clapping his hands.
"Ice, snow, water, fog, and wind. It may not seem like much, however, I've been working toward a new development I like to call weather manipulation. Not the best method to use it inside this enclosed area, however, I find that failures typically are something to learn from," they shrugged, tilting their hat down.
The air grew colder as the lynx felt the wind speed picking up, Tundra putting on his hood and visor, the wizard raising his arms.
"It appears to be traveling fairly quickly, faster than the fog, might I add," Naugus pondered to himself, while rubbing his beard. "Ah, well. Not my problem anymore."
"Like HELL it is!" The lynx lunged at the troll, grabbing his arm, pulling him forward, and being flung at Tundra, who was prepared to catch him.
"-Now that I think about it, I could've advanced the fog earlier so that those fools that were supposed to come here gathered the supplies and-" Naugus pondered this possibility, narrowly avoiding an attack from Tundra.
The walrus, suspecting something was up, used his ice breath directly on the wizard, only for Naugus to block it, shooting a glare at the Conquering Storm.
"Taking you out would be the best choice, although," the troll shifted their gaze to Tundra. "He has been a pain in my side for the longest time ever since I got here."
"Or-" A glowing scythe went near his neck, the wizard pausing his movements to an absolute standstill. "-You could forfeit while you're still ahead."
A sigh of relief overcame the lynx, finally seeing the proof of Clove's appearance. Naugus growled when the scythe briefly touched his neck.
"And who are you to be barking orders at me, girl?"
The scythe narrowly skimmed his neck, Clove bitterly looking at him.
"I am the one who just so happened to have followed you throughout this entire fog while you were busy trying to harm my teammates. That's who I am. I am surprised that you didn't notice at all. If you care about your life at this current moment, lift the fog," she ordered in a stern tone.
The fog lifted, everything returned to how it was, minus the lights. Whilst the two were making conversation, Connie couldn't help but feel an overwhelming amount of satisfaction with how things went. Sure, she wasn't the one who took down the big bad of this mission; however, Clove did.
"Forgot to say this, but had it not been for your training, I would've never managed to get this close to him, Madam Storm, so thank you," the pronghorn nodded, the Conquering Storm's firmness turning into admiration.
'She says this, yet is the one who not only sneakily follows Naugus, but also surprises him at the most opportune time. Her lack of awareness regarding her skills are… arguably cute…' the lynx kept that observation to herself, hiding her blush with her hat.
Tundra huffed out air while approaching. "Great job. Now, tell us why you're here again. If you're lucky, I won't turn you into an ice sculpture."
"How charming. You'd have me believe that I'm in danger under these circumstances?" The troll chuckled, Tundra poking his forehead.
"You don't have much room to talk anymore. It's either you listen to our demands or-"
"We can just steal what's near the docks of this site," Abyss announced, pointing in that direction. "My pirate's intuition was going off the moment when I saw some of the loot we found earlier being junk. Those boxes near the dock, though, seemed pretty heavy. Too heavy for just shirts and merchandise."
Naugus clenched his teeth, glaring at the squid.
"You shouldn't be snooping in places you're not supposed to be, you thief."
"Oh? That's rich coming from you," Tundra scoffed, turning to Abyss. "What's in those crates?"
"Dunno yet. I'm hauling them away from this dump for safekeeping," Abyss smugly proclaimed as the walrus snapped.
"How dense are you not to see that the best course of action would be for us to take it back to my base for reviewing?" Tundra offered, more like a demand.
"Because my crew and ship are right here. Once again, making this quick and easy for all of ya, but I'm apparently the problem in all this, aren't I, old man?" Abyss mocked back.
The Artika Egg boss pivoted his head toward Abyss with nothing but disappointment. "Don't test me, Abyss. You either listen to my orders or I'll pry those crates out of your possession."
"Kinda gonna be hard when all that was in there were-"
"You opened the crates?" Naugus interrupted in a hollow yet somber tone, looking directly at the squid. "You opened all of them… Every single one?"
Abyss raised an eyebrow at his calmness, yet paused when he saw his arms dangle behind him.
"Hey, umm, I think you guys should let him go," Abyss spoke up with worry on her face.
"What?" Clove questioned.
"Enough, you pathetic squid. You've caused us enough trouble as it is," the lynx dismissed the idea, Tundra agreeing with a nod.
The pronghorn noticed smoke surrounding Naugus' figure, causing her to back away out of instinct. The troll muttered to himself, still spitefully looking at Abyss.
"You ruined…" They stopped, then cackled. "Congratulations, girl. I hope you're happy for being the one to slow down my progress. Enjoy this victory. If you'd excuse me, I need to reclaim some lost property I left with your boss."
A blast of smoke scattered, and when it disappeared, he vanished. Again, they allowed such a threat to get away; however, all wasn't lost.
"What were in those boxes?" Tundra demanded to know, stepping up to Abyss.
"Bunch of blueprints for some stuff I couldn't care less about and a gem with some gnarly design in it," the squid shrugged, walking away as Tundra followed her.
"WHICH IS THE REASON FOR ME TO KEEP IT HERE!" The walrus protested once more, catching up to her.
Clove sighed while shaking her head, watching the duo bicker, resulting in Abyss making a run for it toward the docks, causing Tundra to follow in close pursuit.
"I think you should go back to the Casino while I stay here to sort this out. It looks like those two are about to rip each other's throats out," the pronghorn suggested, facing her partner. "I'm surprised this worked out better than expected."
"This didn't work out as you mentioned. Naugus got away and left us with this stuff without a care in the world. I can tell when something is rotten, and whatever he's doing next is gonna be that," the lynx slightly argued with caution.
"Or," Clove boldly placed her hands on the side of her face, the pronghorn's thumbs rubbing her cheeks. "You could learn how to see things my way, like how I've been trying to tell you for the past year now. We didn't stop Naugus, sure, however, we stopped him from doing something way worse today."
Clove spotted an intense blush forming on her partner's face. Had this been the first few weeks of them dating, the lynx would've pushed her away and stated that was a moment of weakness, but now Stormy was practically melting in her grasp. A soft giggle escaped Clove's mouth when she heard the audible sounds of purring, snapping the Conquering Storm out of her trance, with her quickly grabbing the pronghorn's wrists, moving them away.
"You heard nothing, you saw nothing, we did nothing," she quickly spoke before Clove had a chance to tease her.
"Of course," Clove reassured.
The pronghorn noticed her hands were still around her wrists, then gradually made their way to her hands, intertwining them, the lynx leaning her head on the crook of Clove's neck.
"You fought well today," she praised.
"I learned from the best, Connie," Clove hinted with delight.
The lynx lifted her head and muttered to herself, adjusting her hat, getting ready to leave.
"Oh, Connie!"
Her partner stopped in her tracks, Clove approaching the lynx, gently kissing her on the temple.
"That's all I really wanted to do. Now, if you excuse- C-CONNIE?"
The Conquering Storm, living up to her name, grabbed the pronghorn by the waist as she pulled her back to where she was, both of them closer than ever before. Clove bleated out in surprise, her current position being more favorable to her partner than hers as she saw the devious grin on her face.
"C-Connie, there's a decent chance that we might get cau-"
"Forget about that fact, you still owe me from last time, and I've come to collect," she declared, not even daring to hide her eagerness.
A dominant yet gentle kiss was planted on her lips. The tinge of desperation could be felt through the lynx's passion, Clove allowing her to express this emotion a bit longer before the Conquering Storm ceased her actions while stammering for an explanation.
"Remind me to never tease you when you're near certain limits," Clove spoke from the shock, her tail wagging rapidly.
"There shall not be any teasing. The consequences may be even greater the next time you try something like that again," she hinted, genuinely smiling at her partner who shook her head while smirking as well.
"You're unbelievably bold these days. What if the rest of the Egg bosses find out about this alliance?" Clove jokingly asked.
"I couldn't give a damn if they found out, not since Neo and that witch already know."
"Please, don't call Breezie that…"
Abyss screeched from the docks, making the duo refocus on what was going on. Clove cleared her throat and patted Connie's shoulder.
"I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
The lynx nodded, grabbing her hand that lay on her shoulder. "Stay safe… I… I appreciate your patience with me thus far, no matter if we're on or off the battlefield."
The pronghorn gave her a reassuring glance and walked off to the war zone, the docks were allegedly going to be, leaving Connie behind to return to the Casino where that she-devil resided. It'll also be good to inform Cassia of today's progress… Minus the kissing and… Connie's desperation finally showing itself to Clove. More memories that needed to be a reminder of how weak-minded she had become ever since she was in cahoots with the pronghorn sisters. A reminder that Clove was a weakness, yet it never truly felt that way.
It was just a relationship, she thought to herself, a relationship that could cost her everything in the end if she's not careful. Then again, she liked playing with the odds in her favor. It's what she does best, and if her title wasn't 'The Conquering Storm,' then Gaia be damned, she would make this relationship work even if she had to be seen as weak in order to do so.
"Hellooooo?"
Cassia wandered into the office, the lights being turned off.
"Oh, great! So everyone is just away. I can't even find Hood! Is he on the other side of the building or am I just…"
She paused to see a tablet on the desk that was propped up on a stand, facing the other way. A light was illuminating from it, beckoning for her to come closer, the curious pronghorn taking the bait as she made her way to the opposite side of the desk.
"What the-"
Upon reaching the technology, she saw the device playing solitaire without anyone remotely touching it.
"Oh?" A voice crackled through the speakers. "Who might you be, you unfortunate soul?"
"How am I unfortunate?" Cassia reflected.
"You're in this casino, are you not? That sounds unfortunate to me."
The screen temporarily went dark, then flicked back on as a figure in a white cat mask greeted her.
"Ah, now that I have a better look at you, you're that Clove girl's sister. Name… What was your name?" She pondered, making a thinking gesture.
"It's Cassia," the younger pronghorn replied, sitting down.
The figure tilted her head and chortled.
"Fascinating… You fully underwent cyberization. Another one of your allies was eager to go through the same process; however, the doctor stopped them," they explained.
"That totally sounds like Maw. I don't really know much about him besides the fact that he's a creep. Plus, sis tells me to stay away from him."
"Your sister has every right to tell you that. He's…" They stopped to think of a more proper word. "… Not mentally well, I suppose?"
"So he's acting like this purposefully just to scare people?" The pronghorn asked, to which the figure nervously chuckled.
"Yes."
The virus blankly stared at her new entertainment, who seemed pouty by this discovery.
"If I may ask, why are you here, child?"
"I was gonna find Breezie to ask about where they put some of the extra rings at," she explained while looking out the window behind her, watching the people below.
"Planning to cheat the system and pretend they were your winnings, are we? A cunning mind you have," the figure praised, making Cassia panic.
"WHAT? N-No! That sounds very confusing, and I can't get away with it. Sis would find out, so umm…"
A moment of silence overcame the two, the virus clearly not knowing why she was here. Well, if she was going to be stuck here for a while, then she might as well enjoy this child's unsure attitude. Nobody of importance was here, and Cassia had undergone cyberization to the fullest potential, thus making her a rather interesting case.
"My name is Phage, little one. If you want to know what I am, I'm a highly intelligent virus that works directly under Lord Eggman. Neo asked for my assistance after realizing how troubling this task would be."
"Then, why are you stuck in a tablet?" Cassia pointed out, the virus coming closer to the screen.
"I'm starting to wonder that myself, that and why my sibling has very complicated taste in women," Phage scoffed out.
The younger pronghorn picked up the tablet, walking around the room as she talked. "Neo's your sibling?"
"In a way, yes. They have more, you know. More siblings, it's just that Neo is the one who father approves of the most these days," Phage explained, analyzing the pronghorn in front of her with fascination. "You know that feeling of being deemed useless by your peers around you?"
Cassia paused.
"A… A bit, yeah. I mean, I'm not exactly useless, I just don't have anything to do, like you, since you're stuck in that device."
Now this was something she wasn't expecting. Phage was stuck in this device, which was clear, and Cassia was standing right there. She was vulnerable.
A humble laugh echoed through the room. "What a fascinating hypothesis, child. I'd agree that we're the same in that regard. Perhaps, you'd be interested in being more useful to the cause?"
She watched the younger pronghorn get a glint of hope in her eyes.
"What did you have in mind?"
"What if I were to tell you that you could become powerful, so powerful that you could protect not only your loved ones but the very people who think less of you?"
They sold her on the idea with how she emitted an excited shriek.
"Tell me!"
"Well…" Phage felt that this course of action wouldn't go over well, and it didn't help that the virus stalled while speaking. "It would require you to allow me to be a host."
As predicted, the pronghorn's excitement faded, Phage's plan going down the drain.
"That sounds a lot like you taking over my body," Cassia debated, walking back to the table to place down the tablet. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that. It sounds wayyyy too creepy for me to do, and not to mention-"
"Ah, so the younger sister would love to stay in the dark about these things?" The virus promptly asked, yet kept talking before Cassia had a chance. "There's a reason why your sister hasn't been telling you certain things, and I'd wager a guess that her not truly explaining your situation fully."
"What are you talking about?"
"Every Egg boss has a reason why they surrendered their well-being to Lord Eggman; your sister is no different. Every Egg boss has their issues, every Egg boss was physically healthy expect you, if you want to count as one," Phage's mask developed a wicked smirk as Cassia looked disgusted at the screen. "Please, don't look at me like that, child. We haven't even gotten to the best part!"
"What are you doing?"
Breezie flicked up the lights, holding a fruit smoothie in one hand. Cassia stammered on her words and pointed to the tablet.
"I was talking to Phage! She was telling me about…" The younger pronghorn became shocked to see that the screen was dark with no one displayed on it. "She was just there."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about Phage," Breezie reassured, whimsically patting Cassia's head. "She's crazy, as crazy as Coconuts when he doesn't have his assistance around! Be a doll and check up on him."
"Fine, will do, boss lady!"
Upon leaving the room, Breezie picked up the tablet, intensely looking at it as she did. Phage hadn't been online since this morning. The virus had decided the ignore her at every turn of conversation. The hedgehog placed down her drink, cautiously waiting for any sign of life on the tablet just for nothing to show up.
A gnawing thought within her brain warned her that this wouldn't be the last time that Phage would do something of this scale.