Your success in retrieving Knuckles has brought your three colorful allies back together, thus marking it a resounding success. Still, it's highly unlikely Eggman is going to overlook the destruction of his robots at that base or Knuckles going missing... But strangely, it seems as though life goes on as usual in Chicago.
The patrolling robots have had their numbers cut; a sign that you're doing something, at least. Unfortunately, the humans of this world still don't react to your presence at all, and there's no stopping the chroma slowly overtaking the city. More buildings and wildlife have been affected this week, even though Eggman hasn't set foot here. It's not exactly the most encouraging thing even if this weekend was a success.
THE CITY
Now that you're familiar with Chicago and how to find your way back to the base, you're free to explore as you see fit. You want to venture out into the suburbs? You want to take a day trip to wander even further out? Sure thing! Just be sure to let Tails know where you're going so he doesn't have a heart attack if someone goes missing.
While you're out exploring, you'll likely run across Knuckles or Sonic - both of whom will immediately beeline into the nearest robots to smash them with extreme prejudice. Regardless, they'll gladly help you if you need a hand with anything, or will otherwise carry out their tasks for Tails.
Unfortunately, the rest of the city is as lifeless as it was last week. The humans will scarcely pay attention to you, wildlife will go about lifelessly, and Eggman's unique white chrome slowly overtakes more of the city. In fact, some buildings seem to have been entirely renovated from last week - you'll find more and more "Eggman" versions of stores, attractions, and landmarks.
NIGHTMARES
The biggest difference this week has nothing to do with the world around you at large, however. Instead, you'll find your nights are far more difficult - for absolutely no reason that anyone can pinpoint. If you're lucky, you'll have unsettling dreams that leave you feeling a little worried when you wake, but otherwise fairly well rested.
If you're unlucky, you'll have horrific nightmares.
You may dream about an unwinnable battle - is it against hordes of robots? is it against your enemies back home? - where you simply don't have any choice but to fight, even though you know you can't win. The odds are stacked too high against you, no matter what you do. Will you give in? Will you fight?
You may dream about your fears - the things that threaten to seize you in a vicegrip and never let go. Are you scared of failure? Then you will experience your greatest failures in detail. Even the simplest, most mundane fears will be wildly twisted out of control - and you're powerless to wake yourself up, trapped within the dreams until the night is over and you finally, finally wake up.
You may dream about your past - whatever horrible incidents that haunt you or frighten you to think about will return in full force. These are never perfect recreations of the past, instead twisted facsimiles that only make those thoughts worse. Reliving it is one thing, but having the experience changed on you may be even worse.
Regardless of your dreams, you may find that you're not alone. Others here can be pulled into these dreams - trapped with you until either the dream ends and you wake up... or you die in the dream. Those seem to be the only ways out, no matter what you do. Still, having a buddy with you to help fight might help, right?
When you do wake up, you'll see blood red and you'll feel tired no matter how long you slept. Perhaps a nap is in order - but these dreams are just as likely to infect your naps as well.
SHARDS
You should feel fairly comfortable with using your shard power by now. You may also find that the more you use it, the more things you're able to do with it. Starting this week, your shards' powers are more pronounced, allowing you to do more with them than you could before.
As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.
It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.
TAILS' TASKS
As mentioned to some of you, the rings that Sonic and friends use to hop between worlds have been dwindling in number, given how many were used to visit all of you and bring you in to begin with. Your job - should you choose to accept it - is to track down more rings. Tails will grant you with a tracking device that will allow you to find the exact locations of these rings. All you have to do is figure out how to get them.
Rings, as it turns out, are not quite as easy to collect as one would expect. They can appear anywhere throughout the city or the surrounding areas, but they always appear in some sort of frustrating place. Perhaps one has manifested at the top of a tree, or on top of the bean. Maybe it's hiding behind rows and rows of items in the W*lmart. Maybe you'll have to break into an employees' only room or a restricted area for one. Regardless, no ring is going to be simple to collect, and it's up to you to figure out how to get it. Every single ring counts, after all.
ENEMIES
This week's enemies are the same as last week's, though lesser in number. Like last week, you shouldn't let them escape, but you're growing stronger: they should be easier to beat than last week.
Badnik Surveillance Units are primarily made for reconnaissance. They can be found flying overhead, observing the people go about their lives and following scheduled flight paths and patterns to ensure every inch of the city is being observed. Well, mostly. You can find some back alleys and hidden spots here and there, and these Badniks usually won't go into buildings or out into the woods. They will immediately try to flee upon spotting you. They're easy to take down, though a bit more durable than one would expect, given Eggman's designs. If cornered, they are capable of shooting a simple laser beam that will hurt and possibly leave a burn.
Badnik Drones are the most common combat robot you will find. Small chrome white orbs with red eyes, they are capable of scanning and detecting abnormalities. They are not quite as common as the Badnik Surveillance Units, but you'll still spot several of them floating through the city at any given point in time. Unlike the Badnik Surveillance Units, these come ready for combat. They can fire lasers as well as shoot small homing missiles. The homing missiles thankfully aren't very fast and can be outrun or otherwise blocked, but they pack a punch if they do hit! These robots will stand their ground and fight if they spot you, but they will call for backup - if you aren't fast enough, you'll find yourself facing many of them!
The Badnik Transformer Model B33, more affectionately called Buzz Bombers by Tails and friends, is... well, it looks like a bee. A hornet, rather, as that stinger is actually a precision laser that moves fast. These robots typically look like Badnik Drones, but are capable of shifting and uncoiling themselves to become the B33 units. They are fast, they hit hard, and they are relentless, pursuing you nonstop until they've been destroyed. They will not call for backup, which is possibly the only saving grace about fighting them. Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell if a Badnik is a Drone or a B33 until you're actually in combat - and by then it may be(e) too late.
Badnik Tanks are mini... well, tanks. They stand about the size of a large dog and roll around on treads through the city. They're much rarer than the other robots, but it seems some have been sent to Chicago after the destruction of the base. These tanks are capable of shooting a large laser that deals significant damage to anyone it hits, and they're quite durable. When severely damaged, they start sparking - they'll explode when hit, and you probably don't want to be in melee range!
[A frequent gesture, but one that Raven watches closely this time. It's exactly how he tends to bring a hand over his own blastia when he's agitated.
They really are so similar.]
I get it. If Alexei hadn't found me right after I woke up, I probably would've done the same thing. Instead, I let him craft a new identity for me and keep me around to be his tool. I pretended to bury Damuron Atomais.
[He laughs hollowly.]
You know what the Don used to say to me after he took me under his wing? That I looked like a man who lived as if he was already dead. And he was right. I was waiting for any opportunity to finally be taken out of the picture.
But those kids... Something about meeting them changed that. They made me want to keep going just a little bit longer.
I meant what I said back at the start of all this- back when we were in space. It's not too late to find something like that for yourself.
[At some point, during all of that, he ends up looking back at Raven, and this time he can't bring himself to look away.
I don't want to because it would be so much easier to die and I already found it and was willing to throw it away are the immediate thoughts, and frankly, he's not even sure which one is winning out anymore. The answer was obvious when he arrived in space.
You gotta at least last 'til we can share a drink over this madness.
It wasn't even something he recognized he was clinging so hard to until Dorothy snapped at him, Maybe I just want you to kill me, like you almost let me do to you. So I don't have to consider anything anymore, so maybe I can stop having this stupid hope that things will get better. And in that moment, the only thing he could think to do was offer her a hand, both because he could understand, at least somewhat, and because maybe he didn't want to see her walk down that same path. Would he have reacted the same if Raven hadn't reached out to him first?
What does he want?]
...You're right.
[Strangely, it isn't hard to admit that at all.]
At the very least there are a couple of people I owe a tremendous apology to. I certainly can't let anything happen to me before I have that opportunity.
["You're right." Just those simple words bring an inexplicable lightness to Raven's chest that he hasn't felt in a while. Not since he started hanging around the kids of Brave Vesperia. That he could bring Yeager just a little more hope that there's something out there for him, even after his lowest moment...
He can't help but grin back at Yeager.]
Ya hear that, Casey? There is hope fer these sad old men yet!
[He steps over to give Yeager a pat on the shoulder.]
Yeah, let's. Standards be damned, we deserve a bit of day drinkin' this time.
[Okay nightmare Casey don't listen to that part though.]
[He follows Yeager's gaze to the empty space where Casey once stood. An unreadable expression crosses his face for a moment, but he ultimately settles on a soft smile as the visage of Mount Temza begins to disappear.
Be seeing you, Casey.]
Yeah. Let's get goin'. We've got a long day ahead of us.
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cw: suicidal ideation
They really are so similar.]
I get it. If Alexei hadn't found me right after I woke up, I probably would've done the same thing. Instead, I let him craft a new identity for me and keep me around to be his tool. I pretended to bury Damuron Atomais.
[He laughs hollowly.]
You know what the Don used to say to me after he took me under his wing? That I looked like a man who lived as if he was already dead. And he was right. I was waiting for any opportunity to finally be taken out of the picture.
But those kids... Something about meeting them changed that. They made me want to keep going just a little bit longer.
I meant what I said back at the start of all this- back when we were in space. It's not too late to find something like that for yourself.
cw: suicidal ideation, 1/2
I don't want to because it would be so much easier to die and I already found it and was willing to throw it away are the immediate thoughts, and frankly, he's not even sure which one is winning out anymore. The answer was obvious when he arrived in space.
You gotta at least last 'til we can share a drink over this madness.
It wasn't even something he recognized he was clinging so hard to until Dorothy snapped at him, Maybe I just want you to kill me, like you almost let me do to you. So I don't have to consider anything anymore, so maybe I can stop having this stupid hope that things will get better. And in that moment, the only thing he could think to do was offer her a hand, both because he could understand, at least somewhat, and because maybe he didn't want to see her walk down that same path. Would he have reacted the same if Raven hadn't reached out to him first?
What does he want?]
...You're right.
[Strangely, it isn't hard to admit that at all.]
At the very least there are a couple of people I owe a tremendous apology to. I certainly can't let anything happen to me before I have that opportunity.
2/2
When this is all over, let's share another drink, ja?
[The accent returns and he smiles easily again, as if neither one had disappeared in the first place.
One more thing to keep him going. One more promise he can't back out of, no matter how badly he might slip.]
no subject
He can't help but grin back at Yeager.]
Ya hear that, Casey? There is hope fer these sad old men yet!
[He steps over to give Yeager a pat on the shoulder.]
Yeah, let's. Standards be damned, we deserve a bit of day drinkin' this time.
[Okay nightmare Casey don't listen to that part though.]
no subject
Agreed. We've been put through the wringer this week, haven't we? We certainly can't be judged for that!
[His gaze shifts to Casey and she's—
Gone.
There's no fancy exit, no more parting words; she's just simply vanished at some point when they were focused on one another.
...It's the first time in one of these dreams that she hasn't died.
The world begins to fade, the edges fading out into white.]
Ah, I suppose it is about time we got up.
[They can't exactly live in the past forever, now can they?]
no subject
Be seeing you, Casey.]
Yeah. Let's get goin'. We've got a long day ahead of us.
[And for once, he's looking forward to it.]
no subject
[The dream fades; it's the first time during nightmare week that it hasn't ended in death for Yeager.
Thanks, Raven. He'll remember this.]