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Post by tails_chao on Mar 19, 2008 14:01:17 GMT -5
"Perhaps, maybe I used too much... um... gasoline..."
"I'd say."
There was the crackle of flames loudly as the two of them stood in a mass of fire roaring stories high. A support beam of what used to be the small garage went crashing down in front of them, sending a pillar of dust skyward. The shorter figure looked up at the spiraling column of dust and sighed.
"We'd better get out of here before the cops show up," a male voice said.
"Mmm-hm," a female voice responded. The flames that licked at the clouds reflected off of both sets of glasses they wore.
There was a wailing of a siren off in the distance. The male, more than a head taller than the girl next to him, turned towards the sound, trying to figure out just how close that it was. "That's right, I have the transport," he said, almost as if he was in a dream.
"Not quite, genius," the girl replied, scooping up what looked to be a small remote. She pressed a button on the panel and a green light went off, accompanied by a high-pitched beeping noise. "I have it now."
"Oh, right," the man said, patting himself over, "I must've dropped that earlier..."
She shook her head and placed the remote in his large hand. "You're so forgetful, doctor," she giggled.
Shortly after the words had left her mouth, there was a whirring sound that became apparent nearby, and they both looked up. A hovercraft descended on the two, hovering just barely a few inches over the scorched ground.
The man walked over to the machine, and swung one lanky leg over the side. He paused for a moment, looking odd halfway in the pod. "Do you think that anyone else survived except for us?" he asked, rather confused.
"No," the girl responded back, shaking her head.
"Ah, good. Serves them right for trying to get me to divulge my mechanical know-how. My techniques are my own to keep!" he said with pride, holding up a finger. Unfortunately, only holding onto the vehicle with the one hand caused him to lean backwards towards the ground instead.
The girl walked quickly over and put her back against his, propping him up from falling. "You forget. Some are mine, too..." she said, straining against the pudgy doctor's weight. She then scooted back so that the absent-minded man would tilt into his own vehicle. And indeed he did, landing with a metallic thud in the machine.
"Oops... Sorry," she hissed, wincing at the noise, "Can you... turn on the shield?" She flinched back from a flame licking at her fingers. "So we can go?"
"Urf," he muttered, sitting up and rubbed his head, "All right. Must get out of here before the cops see us."
The girl only shook her head as he flipped a switch on the hovercraft's control panel. The machine and a good five feet around it were coated in a translucent green bubble. "They'll see us escape," she added to the statement he'd already said.
"Ah! Finally wrong, my dear assistant!" he cried, "They'll see ME escape!" He then reached a long arm out and pulled her into the craft. The teen let out a groan as she herself hit the steel floor of the hovercraft. "Stay down, now," he warned her.
Finally, the man gunned the engine, and the small vehicle shot straight upwards, the flames sliding against the shield with a crackling sound of static electricity. It stopped almost immediately as it had started, then suddenly took off in a straight line for his HQ.
After the girl was sure they were at least three miles away(approximately one minute), she poked her head up from the floor. The man had just set the controls to auto-pilot and leaned back in his pilot chair, propping his feet up on the console. "We'll be there in about ten minutes," he grinned, tapping the time display on the dashboard.
"You should invest in a sidecar," she joked, rubbing her head where it had collided with steel.
He laughed heartily, and shook his head. "Now, now, remember, you're my stand-in in public, too. You can't be seen with me, or you can't go out to buy a stick of gum without being arrested!" he explained.
"That's right..." she murmured to the floor, thinking, "But still, you need a seat for me..."
"Eh, I usually don't need that, remember? That was an emergency situation, and plus, people will get suspicious when I have two seats in here and no one in the other one. And then the tabloids will swoop in," he rambled. The man shuddered at the thought of his face plastered all over the bogus media. He may want to be famous, but he'd rather have his mustache pulled out hair by hair than end up on the cover of one of those things.
"Right..." she sighed. She sat on the floor of the craft with no complaints, and the ride back was silent for a while.
-----
"Lynn?" the doctor said after a while, his voice foreign after nothing but wind for several minutes.
"Y-Yes, doctor?" the girl responded, jerking from her thoughts with a jolt, "Wh-What is it?"
"...I'm... sorry that I had to get you involved in that mess back there," he said, fidgeting in his seat and looking straight forward.
"Don't," she said firmly, "You don't like apologizing. Besides, that's my job." She smiled as she caught a glimpse of the base as they swooped low towards the hatch.
"R-Right, right," he sputtered, "Well, uh, er-hem! Could you get back to work as soon as possible, then?"
Lynn nodded. "Right away, doctor."
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 19, 2008 14:01:37 GMT -5
"Are you almost finished, Miss Lynn?"
"I've almost buffed out this last knick. Give me a sec," she responded. She squeezed a grayish gel from a tube onto a thin rag, then bent down and began to carefully buff the last scratch on the blue metal of the robot's casing. She scrubbed vigorously, but not hard enough to rub the paint from the sleek robot's head.
"...There we are, Metal Sonic. All finished," she said, straightening up and smiling.
The shorter robot raised a clawed hand up to inspect his cranium where she'd fixed the scratch on his hull. He nodded at her work after a moment, and put his hand down near his side. "Thank you, Miss Lynn," he responded in a monotone voice, "Though I do not know why you would do such a thing when it is not your duty."
She smiled again. "It's called concern. I feel the same way about your siblings," she said. She, of course, was referring to Robo Knuckles and Tails Doll. "And I feel that way for all of the robots here."
"Are all humans as odd as you?" he asked. Lynn smiled, wondering if he was serious or joking.
"Nope, just me," she thumbed at herself, "Now go about duties as requested. If you're asked about tardiness, just say I asked you for something."
He nodded and did as he was told. As soon as the shuttered doors behind Metal Sonic shut with a thud, there was a crackle over her headphones. Lynn jumped at least two feet back in shock, and let out a shaky breath. It was a communication from the doctor.
"Lynn, I need you to come to the observation deck. I have a favor I need you to do for me," his voice came in over the music that she almost always had on.
She reached up to her headset and pressed a button on the side to activate the built-in microphone. "Yes, doctor, I'll be right there," she responded. Lynn decided to pass up the transport and elevators and walk to the deck instead. It saved power, and besides, it was better for her that way. This place could give you a real workout when you wanted to traverse the hallways by foot. He'd have to wait a moment more.
-----
When she got to the observation deck a few minutes later, she found the doctor, staring out of a terrarium-styled window overlooking the vast ocean. He turned as she entered the room, and stared for a moment.
"What took you?" he asked bluntly, adjusting his glasses lightly.
"I decided to walk," she shrugged, "What was it you wanted me to do, doctor?"
"I need you to go to the city and get a few parts I ordered from the usual shop," he said, holding out the confirmation fax to her, "And... uh..." He fidgeted for a moment, putting his gloved index fingers together. "I kinda... ate the rest of the doughnuts..."
Lynn giggled. "All right, all right, I'll pick up another two dozen, okay?" He nodded, producing a few bills sheepishly for her to use. She just shook her head and took them. "Chocolate-frosted and cream-filled?" he asked. She got another nod as an answer.
"You can use the transport tube if you like instead of walking," the doctor suggested.
Lynn shook her head. "I'd rather walk."
"I'll never understand you."
Lynn laughed. "I'm the oddest machine you'll see here, huh?" she said. The doctor only laughed and nodded to her as she left the room.
-----
Lynn yawned long and loud. Walking down the streets of Station Square was boring when the citizens were not running in terror around the town. She toted along two boxes of doughnuts in her arms, trying not to let them slide in the box. Dr. Eggman got a little... unreasonable... if they squished together... He trusted her with it, and she wasn't going to be the cause of any undue stress on his behalf!
She made her way to the mechanical equipment shop that the doctor liked to use so much, even though she was the one that had to order the various parts in an account under her name so that he wouldn't get caught. She sighed. No doubt she was going to need to borrow the store's dolly once again. But then again, it was fun to ride it downhill every time she did... Hey, she could have fun, too!
She wandered into the store carting the boxes carefully in front of her. She walked up to the counter, but stopped short as she saw that there was someone in front of her. It was a fox, orange in color. It took her a few seconds, but soon it clicked in Lynn's mind that this was a bad thing! She broke out into a cold sweat, not knowing what to do in this situation. Should she talk to him? Should she ignore him? Fortunately for her, the answer was made for her.
"Oh, hello. Am I in your way?"
She looked down at the small fox and smiled, disguising her fear with amazing ease. "Oh, no, I can wait. You go right ahead," she said, "Unless you're finished..."
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for an engine part that I ordered," he said, smiling back.
Lynn set the two boxes down on the counter besides her and turned to face him. "So, you like to tinker too, huh?" Lynn said. Then she stopped and looked him over a moment, trying to "place" where she knew him from. "Oh, wait!" she half-shouted, pointing at him, "You're Tails... right?"
"Y-Yes, that's right," he said nodding, kind of looking nervous.
"Wow, I didn't know you came in here, too!" she said gleefully, "I'm surprised that we haven't seen each other before. I've come in here for years!" She held out a hand. "Nice to meet a fellow mechanic."
Tails seemed to relax a bit. "Nice to meet you, too!" he smiled, taking her hand and shaking it, "And that's the thing... I don't usually come in here... My private dealer went out of business, so I've made this my new stop."
"Oh, cool! That means we'll see each other a few more times, then!" she said, trying to keep as nice-sounding(and normal) as she could.
"So what are you getting?" he asked, obviously having the time of his life now that he found another engineering-minded person to talk to.
"Oh, I've ordered in a few special parts, a jet engine and such," she said. Having read the confirmation fax on the train ride here was paying off! "Also a few new tools. I always seem to forget the toolbox in front of the engine before I test..." She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. That one she actually did herself and she hoped to replace them before the doctor found out...
Tails laughed. "I remember doing that once," he giggled, holding up a finger, "Sounds like a lot of equipment you have!" Just then, the store clerk came from the back holding a box in his hand, no doubt Tails' engine part.
"All right, Tails, I've got it right here, lemme just ring it up," the young man said. He then turned to look at Lynn. "Oh, hey, Lynn. Be right with ya as soon as I'm done here."
"Take your time, Rich," she replied, waving a hand, "Man, I hope I can bring the dolly back before sunset... The weirdoes always come out then."
"I dunno... I don't think you'll make it in time, considering the train never lets you take the dolly on board..." he said, typing on the register.
"Um, if I may..." Tails started, "Wh-Where do you live, exactly?"
"Out near the Mystic Ruins, sucks for me," she said, heaving a sigh.
"Wow, that's right where I live!" he cheered gleefully, "Maybe I can help!" His two tails began twitching excitedly, eager to help like the child he was.
"I suppose..." Lynn wondered, tapping her temple, "But only TO the Ruins. It's mostly downhill back, so I'll be fine that way. "
"You're riding it again, aren't you?" Rich said, handing Tails his part and raising an eyebrow.
"No, no," she shook her head, "Well... All right, yes." She drooped her head. "But only because it's so dang fun!"
"Okay, me and Sonic can help you get it there fast! No hill can stop him!" Tails grinned, thrusting a fist in the air happily.
Lynn's mind froze on the spot. "S-Sonic?" she sputtered, her facade faltering for a moment. She then picked herself back up and disguised it as disbelief. "You-You mean he's here, too?!"
"Yep, only, he got impatient and went for a run around the city while I finished up in here," Tails responded, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Not my fault I'm not super-fast," Rich said, "Hold on, I'll be right back with the dolly." He walked off and disappeared into the back again.
"D-Don't forget another set of tools while you're back there, Rich!" she shouted after him in a panic.
Just then, the doors opened to the store, and before it'd even chimed, the blue hedgehog was standing right next to the both of them. "Heya, Tails!" he said, waving a gloved hand, "All finished yet?"
"Yep, I am," Tails said, "But... my new friend needs some help first. Lynn, right?" She nodded, trying to be silent and stay out of the conversation. "Well, she lives up at Mystic Ruins, too, and she needs some he-elp..." He said sing-songingly. "She has to take the... long way home."
"Cool! I get to run more, yes!" Sonic cheered, "All the way back to the Mystic Ruins!"
"But, are you sure...?" Lynn said, waving her hands, "I mean, it's a lot of heavy equipment uphill, and I can make it myself... I always have to anyways..."
"No prob!" Sonic said, giving the teen a thumbs up, "That just makes it a challenge!"
"Yeah, it's on the way after all!" Tails said, "Glad to help!"
Then, Rich came out of the back room with a dolly that had seen better days piled with a few boxes and a large toolbox on top. Sonic whistled. "Wow, you tinker a lot!" he exclaimed.
Lynn shrugged. "It's the only thing I can do with my spare, and otherwise, all of my time," she explained sheepishly, trying to dodge the truth at all costs.
"Wow, I'm sure your parents must be proud!" Tails said.
"Yeah, parents... Right..." Lynn muttered. Family wasn't a good topic for her, considering she hadn't seen most of them in so long. That was half due to the fact that they probably thought she was dead, and half due to... well, death on their part.
"Put it on your tab, Lynn?" Rich asked, thumbing at the toolbox. She nodded, and he pressed in a few keys. "All right, you're all set! You all have a good night, okay?"
"Okay, Rich!" Lynn said, and waved to the store clerk. Before she knew it, Sonic had taken hold of the cart and had skated past her, one foot on the cart and one on the ground. Tails called to her, holding the door open as Sonic went out almost without rolling over the curb. She blinked, snatched up the boxes of confections she'd left on the counter, and rushed after them, trying not to think of exactly what she was doing...
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 19, 2008 14:02:05 GMT -5
Lynn had to run the entire way to keep up on the trip out of the city, Sonic always keeping ahead of her and Tails hovering between them. Even though he was pushing the cart, it was obvious that Sonic definitely WAS the fastest thing around. She knew that he was pacing himself to help her keep up, and she knew for a fact that going slow annoyed him. So just to be nice, she ran as fast as she could to keep up.
"Don't push yourself too hard back there, Lynn!" Sonic called back, "I could slow down if you want..."
"Nope!" she barked out, "I'm A-ok! ...I... need the exercise anyway."
Sonic laughed. "If you say so! Doing good, though!"
Soon, they reached the steep uphill climb that she had to make every time she brought back parts. Lynn looked up, wondering how she made it each and every time. Which brought her to the thought... How would she do it this time, especially with the enemy in tow?!
"Tails, help me with this, will ya?" Sonic said, snapping the teen out of her musing. The orange fox went floating past her, the breeze from his rotating tails ruffling her hair lightly. She watched as he gripped onto the handle besides Sonic, the two exchanging warm smiles at one another. She could tell they held a lot of respect for each other...
"Um, don't mean to interrupt, but..." Lynn said, holding up a finger, "What am I supposed to do about keeping up with you guys?"
"Oh, don't worry," Sonic replied with a chuckle, "We'll go slow, so you can keep up." Just how "slow" he was going to go was the issue here...
Sonic and Tails both sped up the hill together, the rickety cart ticking and rocking against the weight and speed. Lynn started quickly after, clutching the boxes of doughnuts next to her and trying desperately to keep them from scooting around in the box. She had to lean forward at an angle to keep from falling backwards, which brought her face dangerously close to the ground in front of her. She didn't particularly like this angle much...
The two shorter figures topped the first hill ahead of Lynn, disappearing behind the small incline. She came to the top soon after, and saw that they'd traversed the small patch of flat ground and had already started up the next hill a good ways. Lynn grit her teeth and pumped her legs harder to follow after the two with her stuff.
Up a few more hills they went, the angle getting a little less steep the more they went. Lynn couldn't stand much more of this "keeping up" business, and she swore she thought her lungs were going to burst. She wasn't out of shape, but she was more used to sitting on her butt or walking for her line of working instead of running uphill.
Finally, they crested the last hill upon their trek, and found themselves standing near the clearing for the train station. Lynn stood for a second staring up at the train station for a moment before a voice interrupted her daze.
"You still with us, Lynn?" Sonic said, looking up at the exhausted teen with a wary eye.
"Oh! Yeah, yeah," she said, clutching the almost-forgotten boxes next to her, "It's just I usually don't take the route back as fast as that..."
Sonic laughed. "Well, that's what happens when you travel with the fastest thing alive!" he thumbed at himself in an egotistical gesture. Lynn resisted the urge to snort.
'My God, the doctor was telling the truth. Sonic the Hedgehog is an ego-stroking jerk that complements himself. Well, he's not as bad as the doctor plays him out to be, I suppose...' Lynn thought to herself while managing to maintain a smile on her face.
"Thank you so much, you two," Lynn said, bowing slightly, "Maybe now I can return this before it gets dark out." She walked over and placed the two boxes of confections on top of one of the large boxes and turned back to the two mobians. "It's not everyday that I meet famous people, too!" she added with a grin.
Both Sonic and Tails let out a giggle-snort, and Tails spoke up this time. "Oh, we're not THAT famous..." he mumbled, scratching the back of his head embarrassed.
"Now, don't you dare be modest!" she said, wagging a finger like a disapproving schoolteacher, "You guys have accomplished more than most people dream of! Just how many times have you saved the world again?" She grinned at them, while inside, her conscience was striking at her mentally. 'You've opened it up to let them make fun of your mentor, you idiot!'
"Eh, it was nothing!" Sonic grinned, running a finger underneath his nose in a bashful gesture. He closed an eye and thought for a moment. "After all, if the doc can dish it out, I can take it!"
"Me too!" Tails chimed in appropriately.
Lynn smiled. 'Good, they didn't really take a shot, I'm glad,' she thought, relieved. "At any rate, thanks for carting this up for me. I gotta be going, or I won't make it back in time despite your efforts!" she said, giggling. She placed a hand on the handlebar and waved at the two as she pushed it off in the direction of the jungle.
-----
'Oh my God, talk about stress!'
Lynn practically sweat bullets as she walked through the dense forest. The worn dirt path kept the wheels from snagging any stray blades of grass, which freed up her thoughts to... well, tie themselves in knots.
"How dare I?! That was cavorting with the enemy! He'll tan my hide! ...No, he won't, he's not like that. He'll just chew me up and spit me out! Probably won't even trust me with the errands anymore, either!"
She ranted to herself as she pushed the cart absent-mindedly. She casually strolled past a rickety log hut, not noticing the large cat that sat on the makeshift bed watching a frog. Suddenly, a voice cut through her muttering.
"Hello, Lynn! Wanna go fishing with me and Froggy?"
Lynn jerked out of her (audible) thoughts and pulled the cart to a stop. She looked over at the huge feline, and managed a smile. "No, Big, I gotta get this back real soon. Some other time, okay?" she said, waving.
"Duh, okay. Bye, then!"
She waved as she continued on her way. She liked that purple ball of fluff, no matter how dim he seemed. She liked to come out on her off days and just sit and fish with him. Despite the fact that he was involved in the "Chaos" incident, she figured there was no harm in sticking with him. After all, what were the chances of him being a threat to a good plan again?
She finally found her way to the edge of the forest, where she came to a thick sheet-rock wall. She rummaged through her pocket for a moment, then produced a card key with the symbol for the Eggman Empire printed on it. She ran a finger over a nearby rock jutting out of the wall. She found a slit near the bottom and slid the card in carefully.
There was a beep as the disguised machine accepted the ID, and a six-foot slot in the bedrock opened with a pneumatic hiss. This revealed a chamber containing a round elevator, lined in stainless steel and neon blue back-lit buttons. Lynn quickly grabbed her ID and shoved the dolly into the elevator, tracking a small amount of mud and dirt into the pristine cylinder, then jammed the close button with her pointer finger.
The teen let out a heavy sigh as the doors shut with a dull thud, and she slumped down against the heavy boxes. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders in that moment. Actually meeting the ones that the doctor rants and raves about so much when he gets worked up, it was... a different situation that she thought it would be, at least.
Her ears popped suddenly as she descended down in the elevator, which brought her thoughts back to the present. Dang, she'd forgotten to chew a piece of gum again to keep that from happening. The doors spread wide to reveal a large, steel-lined hangar, the roof of which must've reached a good two-hundred feet. After all, it did have to house the Egg Carrier. Err... What was left of it, anyways...
Lynn looked up at the former glory that was the Egg Carrier, still splattered with the occasional dried piece of seaweed or the ring where a barnacle once stuck. It had taken forever to extract the water-logged moving base out of the ocean, much less drain it to store it. Also here and there were pieces of the Egg Carrier 2, which was dashed to pieces all too quickly by Perfect Chaos...
The girl pushed the small cart out of the elevator and coasted it past several other machines that rested here. The Egg Walker, the Hoverpod, and bits and pieces of what Lynn suspected were droid bots that had long since been rendered obsolete. She pulled the cart to a stop near a corner that had been designated as new deliveries and flicked her tongue for a moment to moisten her lips.
She let out a shrill whistle into the bay, reverberating off of the walls of the metal structure. This place had good acoustics, but only if you had the lung power to back it up. No sooner had she even heard the echo dissipate than four nearby Egg Pawns doing their routines dropped what they were doing and scrambled over to the teen.
"All right, boys!" she announced, grinning at the robots, "New arrival! Get these off the cart, will ya?"
"Yes, ma'am, Miss Lynn!" all four responded in the same metallic voice. They then began to scramble to get the heavy machinery from the dolly, only having trouble when one bumped into another in haste, sending the bumpee clattering to the floor. Lynn just smiled and shook her head.
She took the two boxes of doughnuts from the cart before they picked them up by mistake and started off for the pantry farther off in the base. She knew those robots weren't that competent, but they could get the job done if they worked together. They also REALLY liked to fish for approval on several different occassions.
Lynn returned about five minutes later to the bay to find the four Pawns engaged in a sort of tug-of-war. Each bot held one side of the largest box out of the set, pulling back and forth to gain control. Lynn started to panic.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA, guys!" she yelled out, jogging over to the group. They all stopped what they were doing to look. "No fighting over the engine! You might break it." She rubbed the side of her temple lightly to think, grazing her ever-present headphones. "Here, EP-042, you carry it. You got knocked over earlier, you might as well."
The Pawn looked surprised for a moment, then leaned back in a gesture of pride while snatching the box away from the other three. The remaining robots looked at Lynn, then each other. Simultaneously, they all crashed to the ground on their backs, flailing limbs like upturned turtles.
"Oh God!" Lynn held back laughter from their childlike plea for attention, "Get up, you guys, it's not gonna work." The Pawns looked dejected, as much as robots could, and worked themselves to their feet. By then, the previous Egg Pawn had joined them. "Okay, good work! Go about your business."
They all thudded away, chattering in metallic voices about who got the most attention. Lynn shook her head. A little vain, just like their creator. She wheeled the cart back into the opening elevator, finding it much easier now that there were not engines and such on it. She fished through her pocket as she waited for the doors to close, and found a piece of gum which she popped into her mouth this time.
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Post by The Quartz!™ on Mar 20, 2008 23:43:16 GMT -5
Nice stuff. Keep up the good work.
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 21, 2008 1:23:12 GMT -5
Thanks! This is part of an ongoing series I'm working on, so it will probably be a trilogy or more. Different storylines, you know. I actually am still working on 4, but I might get it done over the weekend if I'm lucky. See you then!
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 25, 2008 2:18:42 GMT -5
Lynn skated the cart back through the forest, one foot on the back and the other propelling her forward. She pushed her way through the dampened stream beds of the forest. For being sort of tropical, it didn't rain much in the summer around here. Still the landscape flourished during these small droughts. She suspected underground rivers.
It's a hard trek through the forest anytime, but it's even harder if there was water flowing. That cut off several paths and left only the most remote open, and the weeds always caught in the wheels of the dolly on those routes. Lynn got a rude interruption when a palm frond whacked her in the face mid-thought.
She brushed it out of the way irritatedly, and blew a strand of loose hair from her glasses. She shoved the cart forward and came up to a hole in the old rock leading into a short uphill passageway. She casually pushed it through into the rock way.
Soon the teen came out in a passage right near the entrance to the jungle via mine cart. Lynn smiled. This passage was cut just for her a few years ago, and very few people remember the fact that it wasn't there a short while ago. Kinda made her feel special.
She pushed the dolly out into the open and looked up at the sky for a moment. The sky was just now starting to show tints of red and orange near the horizon, meaning that she still had a good hour until the sun set completely and left her in the dark.
Lynn hummed to herself in amusement. Now it was time for one of her favorite on-the-clock duties. Returning the dolly. She started to walk over towards the downhill route towards the city for the second time that day. Suddenly, however, something sat down on her shoulders and gloves covered her lenses.
"Guess who?" a lively child's voice said cheerfully.
Lynn tensed, then relaxed as she recognized the voice. "Goodness, Tails, you scared me," she grinned, reaching up to pat his head blindly.
"Right!" he said, removing his gloves and lifting from her shoulders. He came into her view and hovered off to her left, keeping steady about shoulder height to her. "You get the parts back to your house already?" he asked.
"Yup, sure did," she replied, "I was just about to return this." She thought for a moment, then asked, "You're not busy or anything?"
Tails shook his head, "No, not really. Sonic's inside getting a drink, but he has to leave soon, or it'll get dark before he can get home. Otherwise I've got nothing."
Lynn's conscience then began to argue with her in anger. 'You know you shouldn't! That could put your whole relationship in danger with the doctor!' 'B-But... I- Hey! I could win them over and gain secrets! Then he'd be happy.' '...Just don't let either party in on it.' 'That seems a little complicated, but... I guess it's the best thing to do.'
Lynn shook her head to dislodge the quick mental fight with herself, and smiled at Tails. "Well, I have to return this back to the shop in Station Square, and if you guys wanted to come with..."
Suddenly, a gust of wind teetered Lynn off-balance, and she stumbled mid-sentence. "That sounds good!" Sonic's voice said as the teen righted herself, "I could always take a good run, no matter what I doing." Tails nodded vigorously in response.
"W-Well, there ya go," Lynn said, readjusting her headphones and looking over at where Sonic had placed himself. "But! I'm not gonna run this time. I return the cart in a unique way."
"You mentioned something about riding it?" Tails said, putting a finger to his chin, "I thought you were joking before..."
"No actually, that's how they get new dollies at the shop. I break the old ones." Lynn grinned to herself for a moment. "It's quite fun, really."
"I wanna do it, too!" Tails said, setting foot on the metal cart, "Can I ride with you?"
"Sure, sure!" Lynn bobbed her head in response, "How about you, Sonic? It's big enough..."
Sonic casually scratched his ear with his pointer finger. "Ah, sure, what the heck. I've never ridden a store dolly before."
"I finally get to actually to help this time. Since I weigh the most, I put the most force into it." Lynn just nodded to herself from the statement. "Actually, that's a rather insulting reason. Augh!" She turned and flailed, acting as if she was upset about bringing up her own weight.
"Hey, hey, slow down. We're supposed to be built lighter, don't beat yourself up over it..." Sonic reasoned with the teen while scratching the back of his head, a sweatdrop running down the side of his head.
"I know, but I've been told to act more like a proper lady..." Lynn turned and imitated Sonic, looking embarrassed, "Don't other women obsess over their appearance?"
"Errr..." Sonic just sat still, not knowing how answer that. He wasn't that good with girls or their troubles... "Right, didn't you say you needed to get this back before sundown?"
The human glanced up at the sky, which had deepened its colors slightly. "Goodness, you're right!" she responded, "Let's get going, then." She placed her hands back on the handlebar as her two new buddies followed suit.
At the top of the hilly region that led sharply downhill to Station Square, the three paused to stare down the far-off city. "Running start, right?" Sonic asked the teen hopefully.
She giggled at the wanting tone he didn't bother to cover up. "Yep, and halfway down, swing around onto the main part," the girl confirmed him, "Got it, Tails?"
"Got it!" he echoed, gripping the handles of the cart while hovering, "Ready?"
"Ready!" Both Sonic and Lynn echoed him this time.
"GO!"
All three sped down the deep incline as gravity pulled them down with the dolly. Tails' appendages whirred steadily to her right while quick footfalls came from Lynn's left. She was used to chasing the cart downhill, but it took a special effort to keep up, let alone upright, with these two helping.
Just as they drew near the halfway point, Lynn realized they had no signal to jump on, but lucky her she was particularly good at thinking on her feet(no pun intended). "Now!" she shouted, hoping they'd get the idea.
Sonic flipped in mid-stride, planting a handstand on the handle and flopping down onto the steel bottom quickly. Impressive... In the same stride, Lynn grabbed Tails' free hand and the fox let go quickly. She used the remaining hand left on the handle and swung herself around the side of the cart quickly, thumping down on the dolly with a bigger jolt, the kit plopping into her lap as he landed with her.
With the additional weight added from the hedgehog and fox, that cart flew down the hill! The old dolly rattled and banged with every jolt from the not-so-smooth landscape, but none of the three noticed because the wind from the ride was a lot more interesting. Sonic looked over at the teen who was grinning to herself about the ride.
"Not bad for something on wheels!" he said, raising his voice slightly over the wind.
"And without jets!" Tails added, looked up at the human holding him.
"Wait for it...!" she replied, grin spreading wider and threatening to split her face in half. She stared ahead at a curve in the landscape, then gripped the side of the rickety platform tightly with her left hand. "Hold on, guys!" she said, bracing her other arm around the younger animal in her lap.
Lynn felt Tails grip the side of her right pant leg while Sonic grounded himself with the dolly as she did. The piece of land acted as a launchpad, and the wheels left the grass-laden hill. Tails let out a startled noise as he realized they were no longer on the ground. "Whoa!" Sonic said as he looked over the side at the ground below.
After a few seconds of being airborne, the trio landed with a huge jolt and a thunderous rattle from the metal cart. "Not bad?" Lynn said as they rocketed down the hill again.
"Nope!" Sonic replied back as the young fox laughed in delight. Another jolt and the left side of the dolly leaned up off its wheels slightly, and the hedgehog slid over into Lynn's side. "Urk!" The cart crashed back down to all four wheels, making all jump and a quill scratched across the girl's upper arm and ripped her sleeve slightly. She grit her teeth but said nothing.
The last but definitely steepest curve lay ahead, looming in front of them more like a ski ramp instead of a land formation. Lynn looked at it like staring down at the most beautiful sight in the world, and she gripped the back of the dolly again. "Look out, this one's bumpy, guys!" she said, prompting a harder grip on her pants leg. This time, Sonic gripped the side and Lynn's wrist, probably trying to anchor her more than himself. Lynn only raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back to the jump.
There were a few brief moments right before the jump where Lynn's thoughts turned to balance and weight issues concerning the angle, but they were quickly pushed away by the adrenaline. And then there was liftoff.
They were going higher than Lynn had ever gone! She stared down in wonder at the sight, leaning forward a bit to stare at the ground. All three of them left the cart slightly as gravity failed against the speed at which they left the ground. They reached the peak of the jump, and Tails let out a whoop in excitement, never having gone this far up without flying.
As suddenly as it started, the cart then began its descent quickly. They all thumped down onto the cart again, and it was then that Lynn realized she had reason to worry before. When she'd leaned forward, she'd caused the cart to shift midair, and now they were headed straight for a nosedive into the dirt!
The girl grit her teeth as she realized this only a few seconds into the drop. "Guys, abandon ship!" she yelped, letting go of Tails quickly. Sonic blinked for a second.
"Why...?" he started to ask a question, before he followed her gaze to stare at the impending ground that they'd probably face plant into if they didn't move. "Not good!" he yelled out, grabbing Tails' wrist and leaping from the falling cart.
Lynn mimicked their move, leaping instead to the front. It was then that she realized that she was still a good fifteen feet in the air. Tails twirled his tails and suspended himself and Sonic in the air easily. It was too much weight for the young fox to carry if he'd grabbed Lynn too, and Lynn had hopped in a different direction...
Gravity took hold quickly, and the girl plummeted like a stone towards the ground. She began to panic, but a thought whispered to herself from the back of her mind at the last second. 'Tuck and roll!' She did so and tucked her knees to her chest, and the rest seemed a little fast for her.
There was a sharp pain between her shoulder blades as she landed on the ground abruptly, her headphones jarring loose to sit around her neck. She kept going, tumbling head-over-heels a few times, though her mind was too frazzled to count just how many times she spun. Her legs came untucked by themselves, and she sprawled out on the grassy expanse at the bottom of the hill flat on her back. There was a loud bang-crash-clatter as the cart came down after her, luckily not on her head.
The teen blinked up at the blue sky, wondering to herself what had happened just then. But her genius levels of IQ were failing her, and all she could tell was that she was dang close to losing what little lunch she'd eaten earlier. That, and there was silence in her ears for one of the first times in a while. There was a soft whirring noise, and she felt a breeze ruffle her hair.
Sonic and Tails leaned over Lynn's dazed face and stared at her in concern. "You okay? That was some tumble!" the hedgehog said, sounding more amazed with the feat but still worried. Tails said something similar, but Lynn just couldn't get her ears to listen much further than, "I'm sorry I-".
Lynn squinted her eyes closed and placed a hand over her face. "Just don't make me get up," she whined, "I wanna keep my food down all the same, thanks."
Sonic laughed. "Spindashes aren't that easy, huh?"
"Can you sit up?" Tails asked her quickly. Lynn sat up carefully and rubbed her shoulder, trying to see if she dislocated anything. It didn't seem that way, so she nodded to herself and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm okay, just a bit dizzy. Not that used to involuntary cartwheels, you know..." the girl responded, "I think I swallowed my gum..."
Tails just giggled, "Yep, you're fine. If you're up to cracking jokes, you'll be okay." He pushed her back lightly to coax her into standing, and she did so, if not a bit shakily.
The teen stumbled a bit, and balanced herself. She stood still for a moment, then quickly fit her headphones back onto her ears. She felt uncomfortable without them after so long. Lynn then turned to search for the dolly, and found it a bent, broken pile about ten feet away. One wheel was still spinning in the air, which then broke from the corner it was mounted on and rattled noisily to the ground.
"Well, I owe Innovations Hardware a new dolly..." Lynn said, scratching the back of her head, "...Again."
"No, no, that's okay!" Tails said, "I can help pay for it if you want..."
"Yeah, we did help wreck it, after all," Sonic said.
"A-Are you sure...?" Lynn said, "'Cuz I am kind of running low of money after that purchase..." In reality, Lynn had broken the older dolly about a month ago, and the doctor was getting a little tired of having a wrecked cart on his bill at the end of every month.
"Yeah, now come on, let's go explain to Rich..."
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 25, 2008 2:20:36 GMT -5
Just if you're wondering, it's a bonding thing. XP Originally, Chapters 4 and 5 were going to be the same chapter, but it got a bit long, so I had to separate them into two.
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Post by The Quartz!™ on Mar 26, 2008 1:28:01 GMT -5
LAWL!!!
Good stuff.
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 26, 2008 2:59:26 GMT -5
I'm trying sooo desperately hard to keep them in character... Is it working? And thanks, I'm hoping to get Chapter 5 out by Thursday. ^^
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Post by The Quartz!™ on Mar 26, 2008 14:11:07 GMT -5
I'd say you're doing really well. It's actually a pretty good story, it entertains me a lot more than Harry Potter 7. Definitely not more than 1-6. No offense. I stopped reading Harry Potter 7 after like the third chapter. I swear, the story starts up and immediately somebody dies. And due to excessive posts on forums it was obvious that someone would die every chapter or something. Goody. The first 6 books, however, were really awesome... Anyway, that's a bit off-topic. This is the best story I've read for a *long* time (I'm picky about 'em)... Although I must say the whole "helper helping Dr. Eggman without anyone knowing" isn't terribly original. However, for a fan-fic, it is amazing... original. Keep up the good work. ^^
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Post by tails_chao on Mar 26, 2008 23:37:27 GMT -5
Eh, I stopped reading 3 chapters into 4. Just irked me for some reason, I dunno why... So in turn, people told me all the spoilers I could handle. How fun! Quicker than reading the books. Thank you SO much for all that. ^w^ Thanks for the honest criticism, too, I've really thought that helps me make it a better story. However, regarding the assistant issue, I do have a twist on that to make it a bit better. There's something that was going to come out last chapter that would lead to it, but I couldn't fit it in, and it looks looks like it'll be chapter 6 before then. So yeah, hang in there, and thanks again!
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Post by tails_chao on Apr 6, 2008 23:27:17 GMT -5
"You know, I should just run a skateboard store if riding the cart's all people are coming in for!"
"Oh, come on, Richie, we paid for it!" Lynn whined, shrugging her shoulders as they walked back out the door.
The sun was starting to sink below the horizon as the trio walked towards the train station, tinting the sky different shades of reds and oranges. "Are you sure you two don't need me along? I can just run back here," Sonic asked Lynn and Tails.
"We can make it back, don't worry!" Lynn reassured him, "It's only a train ride, geez." She smiled at the hedgehog.
"Yeah, Sonic, we'll be fine by ourselves. You have to get back to your apartment," Tails said, raising a finger.
"It's okay. Nothing will happen to us." She paused to hold out a hand to Sonic. "I promise," Lynn told him in a solid tone.
He stared from her hand to her face, then back at her hand, debating. Sonic slapped his palm into hers and shook it slightly. He then nodded. "Okay then," he grinned, "You guys better get going. The 7:00 train will leave ya if ya don't!"
The girl smiled and nodded back, shaking his hand as well. "Nice to meet you, and goodbye, I guess!" she replied, and let go. She held out her now free hand to Tails, who took it without hesitation.
"See you tomorrow, Sonic!" he cheered as he practically dragged the teen into the train station.
Lynn and Tails sat in an mostly empty car on the train, content on staring out of the windows at the scenery rushing by. Tails stood up on the seat next to her, looking out of the window behind them which held a picture-esque view of the ocean. "It's nice to look at during the morning, too," he commented off to the side.
"My house faces the forest, so I really don't know about that," Lynn said, scratching the side of her head. This wasn't true, though, as she watches out of the observatory window morning, noon, and night, whenever she gets the chance. "Plus, I don't get up in time for sunrise, anyways." That, however was VERY true.
"Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't," Tails shrugged. He sat back down next to Lynn and stared out of the opposite window. He seemed to lose himself for a moment, but then looked up at the teen to his right. "I'm sorry about the cart today..." he mumbled, biting his lower lip.
Lynn blinked for a moment, then responded. "Oh, don't worry about it. I didn't get hurt bad or anything. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." She raised her left arm next to the kit straight in the air, then heard a "krick" noise, and lowered it quickly. "Ow. Or, I could be wrong..." she said quietly, "I did take my full weight on my shoulders..."
"Well, I hope you're okay by tomorrow," he replied, looking concerned, "I will see you around, right?"
"What, tomorrow?" Tails nodded. "Well, yes, I guess. Tomorrow's my off-day." Tails looked at her strangely, and Lynn realized her mistake. "Eh- What I mean is that I usually take a break on weekends. I can't tinker ALL the time, you know. I have to get out, still."
"Oh... Okay...!" he responded. Lynn held back a sigh. That was a CLOSE one. Tails' mouth screwed up for a moment before stretching into a yawn. "Aaah... I'm sleepy..." he announced like the child he is, "But we're on a train..."
"Well, uh... You... could sleep, and I'll wake you up when we get back to the Mystic Ruins... How's that?" Lynn suggested, albeit a bit nervously. Tails looked up for a moment, then nodded. He curled up on the seat next to her and wrapped his tails underneath his chin. 'He looks so cute- Hey, this is the enemy here!'
Lynn leaned back on the seat and stared out the window in front of her, trying to settle and relax. What WAS she doing...? Come to think of it, she didn't quite know herself. It wasn't like her to just go with the flow like this, it was foreign to her. But, altogether nice. The spontaneity of it all, no drawn-out plan like usual, it had a free feeling to it. And she may just prove herself to the doctor during this little undercover operation!
Absent-mindedly, she placed a hand on Tails' shoulders as she thought. 'Maybe even... Run major things behind the scenes finally!' Lynn smiled to herself as she thought of herself being at the head controls while the doctor was out causing destruction, her gathering the army together and giving them commands as if she was their real master...
Lynn felt something shift under her hand, and she blinked, but before she could even look down, the same something leaned up against her leg. The girl quickly looked down to find Tails curled up right beside her, a hand looping itself into her shirt. She practically melted at the sight. She leaned slightly and curved her arm around his back protectively. He sighed and before long, his breathing evened out and he relaxed in his sleep.
How could someone like this make the doctor so... furious, so livid? He seems too precious to do anything wrong... But, then again, wasn't that why they trusted her? Because she LOOKED trustworthy, SOUNDED trustworthy? You can't judge someone merely by that.
Lynn stared down at the sleeping kit. Come to think of it, Tails is right HERE. She could kidnap him and take him to the doctor right now! ...No. It was too early in her little game for that. That'd take the fun right out of it! Plus, she promised Sonic that they'd both get home okay. And Dr. Eggman always taught her to keep her promises, no matter what.
Damn his teachings, they're getting in the way of her job!
She sighed silently as she readjusted herself next to the kit. She then stared about the cabin in boredom. There were a few businessmen here and there, still in their suits and briefcases at their feet. The 5:45 train must've been packed to have a few of them miss it! She knew from the logo on their briefcases that they were from Cyber-Met Inc., and she knew from experience that they were not ones to miss the first train home, even if they had to squish someone or boot someone else out to do so. They must REALLY hate their job.
There was a young woman reapplying her makeup in a compact. Lynn scoffed to herself. Makeup, who needs it? She thought it was a silly concept. If people didn't accept who you were, what do you think they'll do when they catch you without the makeup?
Lastly in the car, there was a tiger-striped tabby mobian a few seats over. He looked to be a bit older, but not too much so. There was a young kitten, about four, next to him, presumably his daughter since she wore a long, deep-blue skirt with a white top. She was mostly black, but had orange ringing around her tail and running up her arms, and yet her ears were white. The only reason Lynn noticed more about her was that she kept staring this way when she thought Lynn wasn't looking.
Finally Lynn and the kitten locked gazes, and the teen smiled and waved slightly, just to be nice. The kitten giggled and waved back, a more exaggerated motion. Her father noticed, and tapped her on the head. She looked over, and the two had a quick but nonetheless painful-sounding conversation. The kitten looked sad and she looked down at her feet in embarrassment. Her father, in turn, glared at Lynn.
Lynn smiled a bit nervously and looked away. There were still mobians out there that didn't trust humans, and it made her sad that the two species couldn't get along completely. Most of that she had her mentor to thank for anyways. She winced at the thought, but pushed it down. In turn for that, she made sure to be very nice to any mobian that she met, and Sonic and Tails were no exception.
Finally, the train began to slow as the familiar scenery of the Mystic Ruins sprawled across the windows. None of the other passengers got up at this stop. After all, this was a rather remote place. She was sure they were here because of the transferal to Grand Metropolis. Despite the huge buildings, it's said to have a huge population and a rich night life. One of the reasons she NEVER went.
She gently nudged Tails' shoulder lightly to rouse him. "C'mon lil' guy, time to wake up, we're here," she cooed quietly. He muttered something half into his tails and stretched slightly, blinking a few times.
"Already...?" he murmured, trying to make himself alert, but it wasn't really working.
"Yes, already. Now get up, Tails," she said, a bit more stern. The kit was still trying to wake himself up properly, and she knew they'd continue without them getting off if he didn't hurry. Finally, she gave up and scooped the fox up. "That's it, come here!"
"Hey, I coulda done it myself...!" he said sleepily, clinging to the side of her shirt.
"Yeah, and we'd be in a different city by the time that you did," Lynn said, "Can ya not cling so tight? Hey... you just wanted a free joyride, didn't you?" Tails looked up at her for a second and blinked. "That's what I thought, you giant plushie."
"What? Take that back!" he said, tugging at her sleeve impatiently. Lynn only laughed as she walked out of the train. She hopped down onto the small wooden platform and nodded to the conductor to go. He nodded back and the doors sealed shut, and the train went about its way. The loud noises of the train woke Tails up more than before and he shook his head, trying to get his bearings back.
He let go from the teen as she descended the steps and began to hover on his own. "Hwaaa..." he yawned as he spun his tails to keep aloft, "So... you gotta go now...?"
"Yeah... It's nighttime. Gotta get back to the house before sundown. You wouldn't believe some of the bugs that come out at night..." Lynn said, making a face at the prospect.
"I live around here too, I've seen some of them myself. I know what you mean..." he muttered, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lynn?"
"Of course, I'll try to stop by, okay?" she said to the fox. He nodded sleepily, and waved as he hovered off towards his house on top of a long platform-like strip of land. The teen waved back and gathered herself up to go and lie to her mentor. Boy, this was going to be hard. Normally, he could see through her like tissue paper...
She fiddled with her ID card as she descended the sterile elevator to the base. Okay, you can do this... What did he say to her about what her tells were once...? Okay, one... Um... Wringing her hands behind her back. Okay, keep them in her pockets. Uh... Rocking on her heels.
She looked down at her feet as they went heel-to-toe repeatedly. She was already doing it. GREAT. She'll just sit down. Lynn thought hard for the last one. ... Stuttering and a lot of pauses. ...Ooh, that's... gonna be tough to cover up!
There was a hiss that shook the teen to her senses rather abruptly. The doors to the elevator had opened. She put her face in her hands for a moment to calm herself. This was SO not good. The teen stepped from the chamber as the metal doors closed behind her. It'll be fine, just dodge the questions or something...
"Lynn!"
"AUGH!" She practically jumped three feet back from the immediate interruption. She grabbed at her collar to breathe a bit easier. Luckily, she didn't have the microphone on when she screamed, so he didn't hear it. After a bit more breathing, she answered his message as calmly as possible. "Yes, Doctor...?"
"Can you come to my Rec Room? I want to talk to you," he responded, sounding a bit serious.
'Oh, God, oh God, oh God, oh God...'
"Sure, I'll be right there, okay?" she said back. She let go of the button and shuddered. She REALLY didn't like where this was going...! But she had to... If he found out... Well, she didn't know what either of them would do! It quite honestly scared her. Lynn sucked in a final calming breath and headed out of the hangar, walking down the long hallways of the huge base.
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Post by tails_chao on Apr 6, 2008 23:35:53 GMT -5
Lynn stood in front of a silver shuddered door that looked just like the rest in the base. The only difference was the plaque over the door that clearly stated that this was "Rec Room 1". Original, doc. But hey, plain made things easier, and she wasn't one to criticize all that much. She gathered up her courage, and pressed a button near the side of the door to let herself in.
As she walked in and let the door shut behind her, she looked anywhere but for the doctor with her eyes. His rows of books lined up on shelves embedded in the walls, to his desk that remained cluttered with half-finished blueprints for future machines... If Lynn squinted hard enough, she could see something that looked sort of looked like a giant robotic bird with fans mounted on its wings to propel it. You know, the typical kind of stuff the doc comes up with.
Finally, she looked where she knew the doctor would be, in an armchair just the right size for his... shape, shall we say. Lynn just knew that thing had to have been custom-ordered, but she didn't know; it had been here since before she was. Usually he had his plasma screen on, searching the news for anything about himself or upcoming events he could sabotage or otherwise mess up. Today it was off and he sat in silence, using one foot to rock the chair absently. Oh God, he's thinking hard about something...
"I'm here, doctor," she stated plainly and professionally as he always asked her to do so while she was on the clock. At the sound of her voice, a small black face popped from the other side of the chair. A huge grin spread across it's face and it rushed her, snatching hold of the girl's jeans. The spiky ball floating over it's head bobbed up and down as it nuzzled her legs.
"Chao chao!" it cried, happy to see her.
"Hello there, General," she laughed as she picked up the small chao from the floor. It giggled in response, clapping its little paws in happiness. It relaxed her just a bit, this chao. She'd known it for quite a while, after all. Dr. Eggman cleared his throat to gain her attention. It did, as always, and she felt nervous again, just like that. "Yes, sir?" she managed to say without sputtering.
It was then that she noticed something brown in his gloved hand that leaned to the side. She knew what it was almost immediately, and she winced. "They're squished together..." she said, slightly bitter-sounding. He looked to her as if for an explanation and continued, "What possibly made you do that?"
"Well..." she grinned as if nervous, "You, uh... You ordered a jet engine!" She stared at him for a moment in a "Get a clue" expression. "You expected a teenager to handle that by herself and have no trouble? I almost lost the cart, so it was either lose the load or squish the doughnuts to save it."
He stared at her for a moment, before looking back forward. "True, true. Had to be done, then. I'm still not happy about it, though," he said before pausing to take a glass from a small table to his left and sip it gingerly. It held a small amount of amber liquid with ice in it, and Lynn recognized it as his usual after a hard day.
"Doctor..." she scolded, lowering her voice, "Already? It couldn't have possibly been that rough a day. You didn't even go fight with-"
"Lynn," he stopped her mid-stream in a gentle, yet firm tone, "I want you to come and sit for a moment." She practically broke out into a sweat right then and there. Didheknowdidheknow?! She pushed that thought down and walked over to the chair and sat down beside it. She was rather short next to it, the doctor could use her head as an armrest at the height she came up to it.
General seemed to like the comparison as he giggled, then climbed up Lynn's arm to reach her head and squealed. The doctor reached out and patted General's head lightly and the chao responded with a sigh. Satisfied, he climbed back into Lynn's lap and cooed some words in his own made-up language. The teen smiled, then looked up at Dr. Eggman, waiting for some unknown lecture to come flying at her.
"Lynn..." he started, sounding a bit more questioning than she would've thought, "Let me ask you. What would you do in my absence?" He looked down his nose at her for a moment, waiting for her answer.
She blinked at the odd choice of subject. She decided to ask another question to clarify. "Do you mean long-term, like retirement or something like that?" she looked up at him as well, looking more like an inquiring child than the young adult that she was.
"Somewhere in that general area, yes," he said, looking back forwards. The chao cooed and giggled at his name. Lynn knew what he actually meant by that and it hurt her that he was thinking about it this soon. Then again, he was a long-term planner most of the time.
"In that case, I'm pretty sure I'd have all the doctorates that you do by then, and I'd keep the base and everything in shape. And I'd take over as the second generation of geniuses at the helm of the Eggman Empire!" she explained, smiling up at her mentor in confirmation.
"So you wouldn't abandon this for a normal life, then?" he mused, swirling the glass of liquid in his left.
"Are you kidding?" she responded, "Of course not! This IS normal life as far as I'm concerned. Out there is what's weird." She pointed up towards the surface. "Besides, it's definitely not as fun. I can attest for that myself."
Dr. Eggman thought in silence for a moment before letting out a chuckle. Lynn let out a breath she'd been holding without realizing. "I guess I've taught you well, then," he laughed to himself.
"If you didn't, who would've?" Lynn shrugged, playing with General's emotiball. The chao giggled and batted at the hand that was fiddling with his spiky orb.
The doctor took on a wistful look again and he looked down at his glass. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he said distantly. He then downed the rest of his drink in one swallow.
Lynn fidgeted at the sight. She knew he felt guilty. She stood, General in the crook of her right arm. The doctor looked up at her. The teen had a stern look on her face this time, and he blinked behind his blue-tinted glasses at her. "It was NOT your fault," she said suddenly, pointing at his face, "And even if it was, you were kind enough to take me under your wing instead of leave me there. That's all the apology I need. So don't feel sorry." She leaned down face-to-face with him this time, sporting a cocky grin now that she was able to do so while he was sitting down. "You got that, sir?"
He blinked once more before laughing again, more uproariously this time. "Ho ho ho ho ho! Maybe I've taught you too well!" he said, shaking his head in mirth, "You're starting to pick up what I do."
"Starting?" she responded, "I've BEEN doing it. You just haven't noticed. You need new glasses or something." She loved to joke with her mentor. It proved to her that their bond was more than he probably realized. Plus, c'mon. The guy just needed to laugh normally every so often, not just maniacal laughter about a plan coming together.
Dr. Eggman wiped a tear from his eye from laughing. "You know, I'm glad to have human contact. I think I'd go crazy without you around," he answered, his earlier choice of drink affecting the way he covered his own speech up. Mainly, helping him to talk more freely. He hadn't had many, probably only two; she couldn't smell it on him, after all.
"And here I thought it would be the other way around," Lynn joked again, "Still, I'm glad I have someone at least." She shrugged, "It's what we do. Keep each other company."
"That's right," he replied, hoisting himself from the armchair and standing to his full height, overshadowing Lynn again by a good foot, "I'm going to hate to send you off to college soon." He patted her shoulder in a gesture of acceptance.
"Since you've been drilling all your knowledge into my head all these years, getting my degrees should be a snap!" she grinned, "I could go for extra classes and still do my job here easy. Bet you one thousand bucks I'll beat at least one of your records at the institute!"
Dr. Eggman laughed once more. "You're on!" he said, clasping her hand in his, "We'll see about that in a year or so. For right now, you're still working for me full-time, so there." He walked past the teen to sit at his desk and fan out his papers. "Anyways, I have to work on these plans a little before going to bed. You are excused."
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Ah-ah!" he scolded, making Lynn jump, "You got off the clock at 8:00. You don't have to call me sir. Call me Ivo."
"But I feel funny calling you that!" she fidgeted once more, "What about what I used to call you?"
"That's... just a wee bit radical, don't you think? Oh, and no letting any of the chao sleep in your bed tonight. You're spoiling them."
"Awwww!"
Lynn walked down the halls again, holding General against her chest and sighed. That went a lot better than she thought it would! He didn't ask her anything about today that would've completely obliterated the elaborate plan she was already cooking up. Maybe she really could do this after all!
She felt a tiny hand tug at her shirt. "Hmm?" General looked up at her, his dark eyes looking at her with a mixture of confusion and concern. She knew for a fact that Chao understood a bit of human speech, but they were much better at judging emotions.
She rubbed the top of the normal dark chao's head until he couldn't hold that expression and murmured in delight. "Don't worry, General," she said, "It's okay, I'm just planning a surprise for doc Eggy!" She said in an upbeat tone, "No telling!" He nodded quickly and covered his mouth with his hands. "Very good! Here we are."
Lynn stood outside another door that read "Chao Garden." She smiled and pressed the button to open the door. She walked up and stood upon the small pad in the middle of the small room, and before she could even blink twice, she was on an island out in the middle of nowhere. She knew the endless ocean was an illusion, but dang! This was a good one!
She sat down the chao and watched him dash across the sand towards a dark swimming chao. They glommed onto each other and giggled. Lynn only laughed and walked over. Both Chao then latched onto her legs and nuzzled her. "Come on, you guys!" she said, bending down and picking the both of them up. "You've taught her too much, General." They both gave her the most innocent looks they could muster. Lynn almost died from the cute.
She hugged them both and sat the two of them back down. "All right now. General, Viola, I gotta go now," she said. The teen got a chorus of awww's in response. "I'll be back soon, I promise!" she said quickly, "And if you're good, I might buy you something tomorrow..." There was an eruption of squeals from the little ones. They were so easy.
She patted the both of them on the head and stepped back over to the transport pad. Back in the base, it was back to wandering the halls once again. She wasn't that hungry, so she'd skip dinner tonight. She was more tired than anything, really. She finally reached her room and went in, flopping down on her bed unceremoniously.
"Welcome back, Miss Lynn," a female computerized voice chimed to her. She recognized it as WatcherN, her digital reminder system built into a slightly-bulkier-than-normal desk clock. "Are you going to bed now?" it asked helpfully.
"Yes, I am," Lynn said, lifting up from her bed to gather her pajamas, "Can you please set the alarm for weekend mode, please?" The clock beeped back a response as she ducked into her own bathroom to get ready for bed. As she pulled on her pajama top, she noticed a long, jagged cut across her upper left arm. Where was that-...? Oh. She'd forgotten about that scratch she'd received from the hedgehog. Luckily, the doctor hadn't noticed either.
It had oozed a bit while it was unattended, and the injury looked a bit red. Oh, great, it was trying to get infected. Lord knows what was on those spines of his. She tossed her shirt into the room while she got out the things needed to bandage it. She'd have to patch up her shirt tomorrow. She began the process of treating the slightly deep cut.
After a little while and a bit of odd tying, she'd gotten a small cloth bandage over the now-clean cut. Now she REALLY wanted to sleep. She flopped into bed and crawled under the sheets lazily. "Lights off, please," murmured Lynn from under the covers, bringing a hand out and placing her glasses on the stand where WatcherN stood. The lights clicked off and Lynn settled in, listening to the soft music over her headphones. "Good night, WatcherN."
"Good night, Miss Lynn," it responded back, the key words putting it on sleep mode.
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Post by tails_chao on Apr 6, 2008 23:52:54 GMT -5
Two OMGs this time. First and foremost: OMG, two chapters in one update, whoo! I overcame my writer's block! *dances* Second: OMG, TC just made an alcohol reference! O.o It's a theory that I have that I will spare you unless someone wants me to explain.
In accordance to the story, I'm sure by now it's obvious that Lynn is not merely an assistant, nor someone truly spectacular. Which gets boring... But I have something planned in perhaps the next installment of the trilogy. For now, be amused by her fumbling!
Next chapter will build on exactly where this fanfiction is taking place in the Sonicverse timeline. Hope to get it out soon!
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Post by The Commander ("B") on Apr 7, 2008 8:15:01 GMT -5
What's all this, then? I get on Sonic Spot late at night as I cannot fall asleep, to find this? THIS? A fanfic that's actually GOOD, makes sense, keeps to the topic, AND isn't boring? Well! Isn't this a pleasant surprise! (Uh, not an insult in reference to other fanfics made by the either of you, if that's how it sounded. I just haven't seen a good fanfic in a long time.)
Uh, yeah. I'm impressed. It keeps my attention more than most fanfics, that's for sure. It's... Damn good, really. Given that there isn't much to work with (in the topic of Eggman, Sonic, and Tails.). You managed to keep everyone in character, in my opinion. (Untrained as that might be.) Damn better than anything I could ever come up with.
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