Sonic X - Chaos Control

[Miranda_]

"Wonder how that happened?" Clare wondered out loud.

Bokkun quailed. "Delivering a message," he said. "From Mephiles."

[spirit_queen]

"Dunno," Blaze said.

"A message? Well, do your job, boy! Stop stalling and play it!" Eggman barked at Bokkun, not at all considering his feelings.

[Miranda_]

Looking visibly crushed, Bokkun turned the TV round so it could be seen easily, and switched it on. His shoulders slumped as he started to realise that Eggman wasn't going to save him at all, and also that he hadn't even bothered to go and look for him when he'd been captured by Iblis. The message started playing.

[spirit_queen]

"I shall be quick and to the point: I have Nicole, Sally Acorn's artificial life-form companion, here with me. She will remain unharmed so long as you agree to send someone to meet Ashura at these coordinates-" the screen briefly showed the coordinates, then returned to Mephiles' grim and creepy face, "- preferably within the next few days. Beyond that, I will not guarantee the handheld device's condition; as you can see by the messenger, Iblis has an unfortunate tendency to... meddle with things. In this particular case, he used a machine that converts biological matter into the mechanical, but somehow managed to reverse the way the machine works and also managed to destroy it in the process." There was a pause as Mephiles managed a nasty, mouthless grin. "Your refusal would be most unadvised."

"WHAAAT?! That unnatural flame-freak destroyed one of my machines? does he eve know how long it took me to gather the materials and devise a working plan, to come up with a suitable power source that could possibly convert-" Eggman exploded.

But he was interrupted by a very angry Blaze, who saw Bokkun's state and had guessed all that was going on in the young critter's mind. "Eggman, you BA.STARD!!" She grabbed the tv just as it was finishing the message and tossed it with all her might into Eggman's hovercraft. Eggman barely managed to cry out before the thing exploded in his face. While Eggman was coughing and trying to wave away the smoke, Blaze kneeled beside Bokkun. "Bokkun, would you like some water? You came a long way without your jet-pack; you need rest. I'm sure they won't use the collar just yet; they have no idea how long it'll take you to get here, or how long to get back," she said kindly.

[Miranda_]

Bokkun managed to nod. He still looked utterly broken by Eggman caring more about his machine than about him.

Clare laughed when the TV exploded in Eggman's face. If Blaze hadn't thrown the TV, she would have.

[spirit_queen]

Blaze gently guided Bokkun away, wishing she could do something more for the heart-broken ex-robot.

[Miranda_]

Clare went to tell the other denizens of Angel Island the message. She sought out Sally first, as she had been specifically mentioned by Mephiles. Clare had taken down the message in shorthand as it was playing and had made a note of the co-ordinates.

[spirit_queen]

Ever since Sally had been rescued and brought to Angel Island, she'd been unusually quiet, and seemed quite unsure of herself and her abilities. She'd been hating herself for her failure to protect her people and her friends; it had been Angelica who'd devised the escape plan, not Sally.

She wasn't so much jealous of Angelica as she was disappointed in herself.

[Miranda_]

Clare found Sally. "A message just arrived from Mephiles," she said. "Here; it would be easier for you to read it." She handed the notepad to Sally.

[spirit_queen]

"Whaaat?? They have Nicole?" Sally said. "Who else have you told?"