Chaos Born

45 Minutes And Still Counting

COUNTDOWN TIL SELF-DESTRUCT: 45 MINUTES 22 SECONDS.

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The burning cloth caught alight pretty quickly and Ira threw the rag into the cupboard as fast as he could. The lighter fluid would likely only last three more uses and then he was out of there. Whether he believed that a little arson would hurry things along or was simply a way of adding salt into the wound, even he wasn't certain but behind him, throughout the complex, various cleaning cupboards were burning away nicely.

The first cupboard, situated snugly beside a carpeted 'lounge' of some kind, would most likely be spreading into the neighbouring room and filling the area with smoke by now. From there, all it needed was a little encouragement and then the whole place was going to blow.

Checking his watch, Ira noted he had only a little time left before he ought to start thinking about either abandoning the place or attempting one last search for the cursed hedgehog. All his carefully laid plans had fallen apart at the seams and the only thing he could do was try and grab any flyaway threads if he wanted anything to come from all his hard work. It was a clear indication that he'd left it too long, however, when he considered that the additional allies that Sonic had gained over the years were the forefront reason that he wasn't already sitting on his kingly throne and enjoying the rest of his eternal life.

'Blasted creatures', he had bitterly thought to himself. 'Most of them aren't even pack animals by nature.' Despite this, Ira managed to calm his head long enough to actually do some proper thinking. "Ivo will have him," he reasoned, "He was always a snatcher. If I so much as looked at something that belonged to him... So the question is, where?"

Thankful for a good memory, Ira recalled that one of the first things he had done upon taking over the factory was to look up a detailed map of the complex so as to determine where it would have been best to house a supersonic hedgehog. There were a few dark areas on the map that hadn't been labelled and which his brother had refused to give information about. If he wanted to hide something, it would be in those rooms.

"Hey, buster, yer got yerself a whole lotta explaining t' do."

Freezing, Ira cursed his luck and, at this moment in time, cursed anything and everything that breathed. He wasn't sure how, but a large green crocodile had suddenly appeared in front of him. Perhaps his hearing was failing him too.

"Out of my way before I turn you into a pair of boots," Ira spat.

Not a fan of bad manners, Espio had him pinned to the wall with a pair of excellently aimed shurikens that had caught his coat shoulders. The lighter that Ira had been clutching in his hand dropped to the floor and dribbled flammable fluid around his feet. It was well that the burning cupboard was several paces further down the corridor.

Vector marched slowly towards him. 

"P'rhaps an apology would do yer some good?" he suggested, baring an aggressive set of teeth as he did so.

To the Chaotix surprise, Ira, having looked around pathetically, smiled. The smile then became a chuckle which became a hearty laugh. The Robotnik family were, after all, prone to insanity.

"Oh what's the point?" Ira cackled merrily. "I'll be leading the lot of you to hell myself!"

"Looking over your history," Charmy gulped quietly, "I'm not certain you're leader material, pal."

"And seeing as yer not in a position to demand anythin'," Vector continued, also a little taken aback by the scientist's mad threats, "how's about yer start tellin' us what the deal is? My boys and I have been following yer work since yer boat theft at the harbour and, bein' detectives, a little closure would be appreciated."