Sonic the Hedgehog characters are ŠSega.
Loosely based on an episode of Nash Bridges.
WARNING: THIS IS A VERY DARK VERSION OF THE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
CHARACTERS. VIOLENCE AND DEATH ABOUND.
"Masters of the Game"
Chapter 1
¤¤§¤¤
Sonic was in a panic. He couldn't lose now, not when he had come so
far! But he was out of ammunition. There was no chance; he was
running for his life.
A bullet ricocheted off the wall in front of him. Found! In a panic,
he raced up the wall and onto the roof. No problem for his opponent,
but it would buy him some time. If only this were a game! Clips
of ammo would no doubt be in a crate somewhere, just lying-
"AAAAAAAAAAAGHH!"
Searing pain bit into his left shoulder. He tumbled forward and fell
off the edge of the roof, whirling just in time to grip the ledge. As
he struggled to haul himself up, a thick-soled shoe came to rest on his
hand.
"I like these odds, blue."
He stared up into those freezing blue eyes. "You would." Those sharp
features didn't exactly frighten him, but right now they didn't
decrease his terror any.
Is this how it ends? he thought. After all the time, the playing...
a fatal fall? He looked down toward the spot where he would leave his
final mark on the world.
And he smiled.
He looked back up to his rival, and looked at what he could see of his
belt under the dirty tan trenchcoat. Ammo was very important, and if
he could snag a single clip, he'd be in business.
And there he had it; a pouch hanging on his other hip. He could grab a
few, if he did it right.
"So, you gonna blow me away, Knux, or do I make friends with the
cement?"
The echidna stroked his chin. "Hmm... decisions, decisions..."
Suddenly, without warning, Sonic pushed off from the wall, spinning.
"Let me make it easy for you..." He bounced off the wall of the
building across the alley and careened toward him. Knuckles had no
time to react; by the time he got his thoughts together, he was on the
ground, and Sonic had a couple of his clips, and was loading his guns
quickly on the edge of the roof.
Knuckles lunged forward and pushed him off.
Sonic fell for a few terrifying, agonizing seconds. Then he was
landing face first in a dumpster.
"You're invincible..." The red echidna leapt off the edge and imbedded
his spiked knuckles in the wall. By the time Sonic jumped out, he was
already halfway down.
Sonic pelted away down the street. Hah! Two was enough; one for each.
Knux had bigger guns, but they were against the rules. He had even
declined to use two. Sonic had to admit he was good, though. Not many
could even keep up with him, let alone tag him.
That reminded him that his shoulder hurt. He stopped to look at it,
and found it was bleeding profusely. He dug into the inner pocket of
his leather jacket and grabbed his gauze, and then proceeded to wind it
tightly around his shoulder, taking off his jacket first, of course.
The bullet had gone straight through, so he didn't have to worry about
that.
As he pulled his jacket back on, he almost got hit again. He ducked
behind a parked car and jerked his pistols out.
"Red, you'd better run while you can!"
He looked out and was met by a crossbolt sticking in his spines. He
ducked back down and yanked it out. St. John! How was it he was here,
too?! Three players in the same city block was a rarity. And he
didn't just dislike St. John. He wanted him out, ASAP.
He looked through the windows to see the cocky skunk in the beret
stalking toward him, reloading his crossbow. Sonic aimed through the
window.
"Nowhere to run now, eh, blue boy?"
Sonic looked behind him to see the echidna's gun pointed straight at
his head.
"Red, are you crazy? St. John's out there!"
"Sure he is."
Sonic held up the crossbolt. "Trust me, he's here."
Knux's smirk disappeared. "Fine, so he IS here. Why shouldn't I kill
you off while I have the chance?"
Sonic looked into those icy eyes. He had no answer to give him.
Another arrow came sailing over their heads, barely missing Knuckles.
"Come out, you bloody coward!"
He crouched next to Sonic. "Alright. So we take care of the skunk
first, but then it's just you and me."
"No duh. I'll lead him on."
Sonic stood and fired at St. John.
"You insipid spineswine!" The skunk let fly several more arrows at him
as he ran from him to the end of the alley.
The end of the alley.
He turned and looked at St. John. He was several yards away now, his
crossbow aimed between his eyes.
"End of the line, hog."
Anytime, Knux he thought. He cast a quick glance past his would-be
executioner.
Knuckles was hiding behind a trashcan, twirling his gun on his finger.
When he noticed Sonic watching him, he smiled and waved.
That lying sack of-
"Any last words before I destroy you?"
Sonic gulped. His throat and mouth were completely dry. There was no
way to get a shot in before he was pinned to the wall. He would soon
leave this mortal coil... and he didn't even know what that means. And
at the hands of this... this...
"I gather that's a 'no'."
He saw the glint in the skunk's dark eyes and broke out in a cold
sweat. Then he squeezed his own shut. He couldn't bear to watch that
metal point burrow itself into his forehead. Any second now...
And then a bang.
His eyes flew open to see St. John gasping for air, clutching his
chest. As his hand fell away, he saw the exit wound gushing the thick,
red liquid that came with the territory. He fell to his knees as it
began to pour from his mouth.
Knux stood and cocked his gun again. "Don't think I still won't kill
you."
Sonic, panting, slumped down the wall. "Fine. End it. I can't do it
anymore." He drew a ragged breath. "I can't go on killing over and
over, and for what? To stay in it? To win? I'm sick of never getting
to rest, or getting to eat a meal at an even pace! I-"
"You through, or should I come back and plug you in a couple hours?"
Sonic laughed, but it came out as a cough. "Y-hack- I'm good." Then
he passed out.
¤¤§¤¤
And came to.
He looked around. Where...? Oh, yeah, the alley in South Oni. Wait,
wasn't Knuckles-
He sat bolt upright and looked around. He was alone. What time was
it? His watch said 6 AM. He was out for five hours.
He checked himself and found no new wounds. Then he noticed a piece of
paper pinned to his shirt with a crossbolt. He tossed it aside and
read it:
"Sonic-
Consider this a 1-Up. I don't kill unconscious people. See you on the
next level.
-Knuckles."
He grinned. At least he has some honor.
He pocketed the note and stood up. St. John was gone; all that was
left was a smear. No doubt the Refs got him, but he's sure Knux got
his tags.
He pulled out his own chain and looked at the tarnished medallion. On
the front it had a single blue dot. On the back was his name. The
other necklace had the barcode, but that could actually be taken off.
This was here until it was over.
He heard the distant sirens of the SOPD. No doubt they had gotten wind
of the gunshots and here they came. This was such a bad town; what a
rotten response time.
"I hate pigs."
Sonic ran up the wall and landed on the roof, still rubbing the sleep
out of his eyes. As he lept from roof to roof heading for the city
limits, a helicopter shone a blinding light in his face.
"Sir, what are you doing up here?"
"What, I can't run across a roof or two?" he shouted.
"Sir, stay right there."
"Sure I will." He took off across the tops of the buildings at a such
a speed that they couldn't even tell which way he went.
As Sonic walked to where his motorcycle was hidden under some bushes,
he pulled out the Guidebook. He opened it to the bookmark and crossed
off South Oni, as well as Geoffrey St.John's name. Only two more
locations to go, and the only names left were his, Knuckles and-
Oh, no.
He had never really read the list of entries, just crossed off who was
out. Now he regretted it.
