Chapter Text
Sapphire Seas
About half an hour later, the ship had left the shores of Station Square far behind them, leaving it and its passengers out in the open ocean. The sea shimmered in the sunlight like its namesake as fish jumped and seabirds flew overhead, filling the air with their squawking melodies.
“Whoa…” Tangle said as she hung over the railing. “I can’t believe we’re actually on a boat in the middle of the ocean! This is so freakin’ cool!”
“Tangle, you’ve been on a plane and an airship,” Keith pointed out. “Is a boat ride really that exciting?”
“Duh! Of course it is!”
“Let her have fun, Keith,” Sally said. “That’s the whole point of this trip.”
“Fair,” Keith said with a shrug.
Just then, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the boat, nearly causing Tangle to fall overboard.”
“Holy…!” the lemur let out as she scrambled to keep from taking a plunge. “What was that!?”
“That… was Sonic,” Keith let out, sighing for a good minute. “Again.”
“For Aurora’s Sake…” Sally pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear that hedgehog is giving me gray hair, and I’m only sixteen!”
Just then, a blue streak zipped by, nearly knocking the trio over.
“Sonic, careful!” Keith called out.
“You guys okay?” Tails asked as he and the others ran over.
“Yeah…I’m good,” Tangle replied. “Seriously, what’s up with Sonic?”
“I have no idea,” Shadow began. “All I did was release my Chaos Binding. Next thing we know, he’s running laps around the deck.”
“He’s having another ‘boat fit’,” Chris explained with a sigh. “He gets anxious when he has to sit in one place for too long, and once he’s free, he starts zipping around everywhere.”
“Why is he acting like this?” Tangle questioned as they all got back up.
“His aquaphobia, mostly,” Sally answered. “That and he’s never been good with small spaces.”
“He calls this massive yacht a small space?” Knuckles asked.
“If he can’t run somewhere new, then yeah.” Chris chuckled slightly. “Remember the last time we took him on a boat ride?”
“How could I forget?” Tails shook his head. “He tried to convince me that the Tornado 'missed' me so we’d go back."
Tangle stared back blankly. “Okay, wow. I mean, I know he has issues with water, but…”
Just then, Sonic completed another lap, this time knocking Tangle into the railing.
“Okay, this is getting ridiculous!” Sally shouted.
Sally turned around and lowered her stance, spreading her arms and legs wide.
“Three…two…one…”
As soon as she saw blue, she pounced, pinning Sonic to the ground and wrapping all four limbs around him.
“Got him!” she shouted as the hedgehog flailed and struggled.
“Help, someone! I’m trapped!” he screamed.
“Sonic, please, calm down!”
“Struck! Confined! Bound! Locked away!”
‘Sonic, listen to me! It’s okay!”
“Everything’s shrinking! Blue walls are closing in all around me! It’s the end of the world as we know it!”
“SONIC!”
Everyone gaped in shock as Sally slapped Sonic across the face so hard, she left a bright, red handprint in his fur. He blinked, looking around.
“Huh? Wha? Sally? Where am I? What happened?”
Sally sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re on the boat. You were running around, screaming like a lunatic…again.”
“Eyup,” Tangle confirmed.
“Seriously Sonic, show some dignity,” Shadow chastised as he shook his head.
“Don't talk to me about dignity, Shadow! I'm stuck on a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean. With nothing to do and nowhere to go!”
”And I spent the first part of my life confined to a space station and you don’t hear me whining about it.”
“Yeah, you just whine about everything else!” Sonic snapped as he got right in Shadow’s face.
“What was that!?” Shadow snarled.
The two hedgehogs growled as their bodies sparked with Chaos Lightning. Realizing things were going downhill quickly, Hope rushed over to Chris, grabbing his arm.
“Hey Chris! Didn’t you want to tell us about all of the new features on the ship?!”
Chris perked. “Oh yeah, that’s right!” He put his fingers to his mouth and let out a whistle, grabbing everyone’s attention and breaking up the fight. “Everyone head down to the bow of the ship! Keith, Tails, and I have something to show you!”
He motioned for the others to come with him, prompting them to follow.
“Thank you, Mr. Thorndyke,” Sonic whispered.
“Hold up a second, Sonic,” Sally said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Sonic turned around to find Sally giving him a serious, but sympathetic look.
“We need to talk,” she said.
Sonic blinked. “About what?”
Sally let out a sigh. “Look, I know this is asking a lot of you, but could you please try and behave yourself and not make a huge fuss over this? Just this once?”
This time, Sonic sighed. “Sally, I can’t help it. Water, waiting, and small spaces have been a problem for me ever since I was a kid. They’re the three things I hate more than Eggman and this is all of them at once!”
“You were fine when we took Tails’ sub to Meropis,” Sally pointed out.
“That was a mission. This? This is just torture.”
“Sonic, we have life preservers in case you fall overboard and the waters are calm today. Even if you did end up falling in…”
“It’s not just the water.” Sonic cut in. “Honestly, the worst part is that I can’t do anything or go anywhere.”
“Don't think about it that way. it's not that there's nowhere to go, but you don't have to go anywhere. You can relax, soak up the sun…”
“Dream about being anywhere but here,” Sonic snarked.
Sally gave him a glare, one that melted into an exasperated glower.
“Listen to me, Sonic. You have been running yourself ragged for the past two years, going on three, and this entire thing with the Egg Bosses has only made it worse. You need to relax, think about something other than running or fighting. So please…” She took his hand, squeezing it gently. “For me?”
Sonic looked at Sally, seeing the pleading in her eyes, even as her expression softened. She was no Cream, but there was no way he could deny that face.
“Alright,” he sighed. “I'll try."
Sally perked up at that. “Thank you, Sonic. I mean it.”
Sonic simply nodded, a smirk coming over his face.
“Plus, I gotta say…” he pulled Sally in a bit closer, his hand going down her exposed back. “That swimsuit and new hairdo is freakin’ sexy. You should wear it more often.”
Sally chuckled. “Oh, you sweet talker.”
Sonic leaned in for a kiss, only for Sally to slip out of his grasp, causing him to stumble over, lips still puckered up.
“Now, let’s go meet up with the others, shall we?”
Sonic groaned in disappointment. “Okay…”
“And don’t even think about snooping around for Warp Rings! I specifically requested that everyone leave them behind and the lifeboats are all biometrically locked to the Tanaka and the boys.”
And with that, she walked off.
“Dammit!” Sonic whispered, snapping his fingers. “I’ve gotta find a way to get off this floating prison! But how?”
Sonic tapped his foot as he wracked his brain for a solution to his predicament.
“Wait…” he said, remembering something he’d overheard Tails mention during his fit. “Maybe I could…” He shook his head. “No, it didn’t work the first time, you know it won’t work now.” He paused. “Although…you’re smarter now than you were back then and not everyone was here for that trick. Soooooo…”
Sonic chuckled devilishly. “Time for Cruise Blues Part 2!”
“Sonic, hurry up!”
“Coming, Sal!” he replied before speeding off to join the others.
-X-
Within seconds, Sonic had joined Sally and the others at the bow of the ship, where Chris, Keith, Tails, and Tanaka were preparing to give a demonstration of some sort.
"Alright, fellow cruise-goers!” Chris announced excitedly. “Are you ready to see what the new and improved Thorndyke Family Party Boat has to offer? If so, then prepare to be amazed!"
"Man, Chris is really hyped today,” Knuckles whispered.
"Summer Vacation, Knuckles, of course he is,” Amy replied.
“Mr. Tanaka! Show them what’s behind Door #1!”
“Of course, Master Chris,” Tanaka replied with a bow. “Miss Kathryn, you’ll especially enjoy this.”
The group watched as the butler reached a button on a nearby wall panel, causing the deck to open up, revealing a large pavilion with several stoves, grills, and cooking stations.
“Oooh, a cooking deck!” Cream exclaimed.
“That’s it?” Kat asked, slightly disappointed at the reveal. “I mean, it’s nice and all, but…”
“This isn’t just any cooking deck, Miss Kathryn,” Tanaka cut in, his smile widening as he pressed another button on the panel, causing the stoves and grills to rotate, revealing a set of long, metal griddles. A sight Kat instantly recognized.
“An outdoor hibachi grill!?”
“Teppanyaki, but yes,” Tanaka corrected. “So, is it to your liking now?”
“More than! I can’t wait to use it!!”
“Then you will love this.” Tanaka pressed a button again, causing the griddles to rotate and change, revealing several freezers, grinders, and mixing machines.
“It also includes a creamery and shaved center…”
He pressed the button again…
“An old fashioned brick oven…”
He pressed the button one last time…
“And a bar.” His expression turned serious. “All alcoholic beverages have been locked away for the duration of the trip. No exceptions.”
A muffled groan came from Shadow’s direction.
“But wait!” Chris cut in. “That’s not all the NITFPB has to offer!”
“NITFPB?” Amy said. “Chris, I think you need a better name. How about…” She snapped her fingers. “The Party Barge!”
“Oooh, good one,” Kat said, pointing at Amy. “I like her name better.”
“Alright, fine,” Chris conceded. “Anyway, the Party Barge still has a lot more features. Tails?”
“Right! Everyone, follow me to the middle of the ship.”
As the group followed Tails, Sonic noticed Shadow fiddling around on his phone.
“Hey Shadow, whatcha lookin’ at?” he asked, strolling up behind him.
“Just taking a moment to check Flickee,” he replied.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. “ You have a Flickee?”
Shadow glared. “I have hobbies. Plus, it’s useful for finding potential leads.”
“Neat! Anything interesting?” Sonic leaned over his shoulder, his spines brushing against his dark counterpart’s cheek. “Let’s see…memes, AI art, ranting politicians, porn, porn, more AI art, porn…Ooh!” Sonic pointed to an ad for a news article. “‘Badniks spotted near Beanson Coast in Bretonnia. Officials suspect Akhlut the Orca is involved.’ That sounds serious, GUN should check that out.”
Shadow shoved Sonic out of his space. “They are. Commander Tower sent Rouge, Omega, Topaz, and Garnet to investigate. So far, everything’s normal.”
“That’s good.” Sonic gave him a sly look. “Still, don’t you think it’d be a good idea if the Ultimate Life-Form were to tag along? I mean, if Akhlut’s there–”
“He’s not.” Shadow cut in. “Hope contacted Eggatha and she said that he’s off in Adabat of all places. Something about catching up with some ‘old friends’. Either way, he’s nowhere near Eurish, let alone Bretonnia.”
“But…”
“Alright, everyone, here we are!”
Sonic snapped to attention as the group came to a stop, Tails taking the stage for the next demonstration,
“Part two of the Party Barge Showcase is now underway!”
Tails paused, his posture straightening.
“Imagine, if you will, you’re out on the ocean. When, all of a sudden, you find yourself needing to go underwater. Maybe there’s a Chaos Emerald at the bottom of the sea. Maybe you need to retrieve buried treasure from a sunken ship. Or maybe you just want to explore the ocean floor for a bit and need to get the Sea Fox in the water. Well, with this, you can! Behold!”
Tails walked over to another button panel and pressed the biggest one, causing the top of the superstructure to open up, revealing a large crane on top.
“Presenting the Party Arm!” Tails declared. “The Party Barge’s very own, multipurpose salvage claw!”
A collection of “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs” echoed through the crowd.
“So, we can grab things underwater and bring them up here, Tails?” Cream asked.
“We can do more than just that, Cream! The Party Arm is more than just a salvage claw.” Tails pressed a button, causing the claw arm on the crane to retract and produce several other tools. “It’s also a loading crane, super magnet, and…a giant, industrial strength fishing rod!”
The others looked on in shock as the crane produced a large bobber lure and hook.
“So cooool…” Tangle whispered, stars in her eyes.
"Uhhh Tails..." Amy began. "What would we need a giant fishing rod for?"
Tails prepared to answer, only to pause and think for a moment.
"To catch giant fish Badniks?" he replied with a shrug.
"And giant fish!” Tangled cut in, only to perk in inspiration. “Ooh! I know, let’s Tails' giant fishing claw to catch one and use the cook deck to grill it up!"
“Whoa there.” Kat put a hand on the lemur’s shoulder. “Even if we did manage to catch something with that big hook, there’s no way we’d have any way of keeping it fresh or eating it all. So, I think it would be best if we stuck to regular fishing to catch our dinner.”
“Oh…right.” Tangle sighed as she slumped over in disappointment. “Okay, let’s do that!”
Only to instantly snap back to her normal, happy self.
“Wow, her moods change so fast, she could give herself whiplash,” Shadow snarked, earning him an elbow from Hope.
“Actually, that sounds like a good idea,” Sally offered. “Plus, it’s getting close to lunchtime.”
“I will procure some fishing equipment from below deck,” Tanaka replied as he prepared to walk off.
“No need, Tanaka,” Knuckles cut in. “I figured we’d be doing something like this, so…I came prepared.”
Knuckles grinned as he pulled out a fishing rod…if by fishing rod, you meant a stick of bamboo with a string tied to it.
“Oh Knuckles…” Kat shook her head while failing to hide an amused laugh. “You call that fishing equipment? You’ll be lucky to catch an anchovy with that thing.”
“Oh yeah?” Knuckles gave the girl a glare. “And what do you have instead?”
Triumphantly, Kat produced a bamboo spear, complete with a stone head tied to it with leather cord.
“Fish are just like any other Mobini.” She threw aside her robe, revealing her swimsuit as she slid a pair of goggles over her eyes. “If you want to catch them, you gotta get down in the mire and hunt them down.”
Kat walked over the railing and climbed up on top.
“Whoa! Kat, you’re actually going down there!?” Tangle exclaimed.
“Oh, she’s going down there,” Keith repeated. “She once punched out a shark and turned it into sashimi.”
“It tried to eat Big’s catch,” Kat clarified. “It had it coming.”
“Big?” Tangle asked.
“Another friend of ours,” Hope explained. “Lives in the Mystic Ruins and spends his days fishing with his friend Froggy. Nice guy. Real gentle giant.”
“Ooh!” Sonic exclaimed. “You know what we should do? We should call him up and see if he wants to join us! I’ll even go get him!”
“Already did,” Hope cut in. “He appreciated the invite, but said that he couldn’t this time. Something about a big delivery for some friends.”
“Oh…” Sonic replied, his excitement deflating. “Nevermind.”
“Anyway…” Kat began. “You guys wait here, I’ll bring us back a feast in no time!”
“I dunno, Miss Kat,” Cream said worriedly. “This seems kinda dangerous. We’re really far out in the ocean. What if a sea monster gets you?”
“Cream, it’s alright. If a sea monster does come after me, then Tangle will get her wish of using the giant crane.”
“Woo! Awesome!” Tangle exclaimed
Kat ruffled Cream’s ears. “I’ll be careful. Pinkie promise.”
As Kat made for the water, Tangle’s gaze caught on something on one of the walls. Something big and red, and practically calling her name. It was a button on the wall, but unlike the others it wasn’t on a panel, but behind a glass dome.
“Ooooh…shiny…” Tangle reached out to open the dome and press the button, only for something to suddenly slap her hand away.
“Yeowch!” she screamed as she rubbed her sore appendage.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Tanaka replied. The butler had just returned from his trip below deck, carrying an assortment of fishing rods, tackle boxes, and other fishing gear (he’d even procured a hat with at least a dozen different lures on it for himself).
“Mr. Tanaka!” Tangle exclaimed. “I-I was just…”
“I know what you were doing,” he cut in, his glasses turning shiny. “You were about to press Mystery Button X.”
Everyone paused as the area seemed to suddenly grow darker.
“Mystery Button X?” Sonic asked. “What’s Mystery Button X?”
“Apologies, Master Sonic,” Tanaka replied. “But that is classified information. All I can say is that Mystery Button X is only to be pressed in case of emergencies…and only emergencies.”
Tanaka looked at Sonic right in the eyes; his own, a pair of dark, bottomless voids that seemed to swallow all light and life around him.
“Ehhh…y-yeah.” Sonic gave a thumbs up. “Got it.”
Tanaka held his glare a few more seconds, then smiled as his expression (and the area) grew lighter.
“Very good, sir. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Sonic watched as Tanaka walked off, still scared stiff from what he had just witnessed.
“Anyway, that's all we have for the tour of the Party Barge,” Chris picked up. “Everyone feel free to kick back and cut loose!”
Another round of cheers let out as everybody began to split off into groups.
“Man, did you guys see Tanaka’s face?” Knuckles said as he cast out his line. “I can definitely see how that guy used to be part of GUN now.”
“Hold on…” She turned to the butler. “You’re ex-GUN!?” Tangle let out, dropping the rods she was looking through.
Keith nodded. “Yep. Apparently he saw some action during the last few years of the Great War before Grandpa Chuck hired him.”
“I made something of a reputation in the East,” Tanaka continued. “But my service was too short to make myself known beyond that.”
Tangle whistled. “Dang, and here I thought you were just that guy who polished the silverware and made everybody sandwiches.”
As Tangle went back to searching, something caught her eye.
“No way!” she exclaimed as she held up a set of small, wooden crates connected with ropes. “You guys got lobster boxes!?”
“Ahh, my apologies,” Tanaka began. “I must have grabbed those by mistake.”
“Awesome!” Tangle cheered. “Now we can really get this fishing trip cooking!”
“Uhhhh…Tangle,” Keith said. “You do realize that we’re in the middle of the ocean, right?”
The lemur blinked and tilted her head. “Yeah, so?”
“So, lobsters are only found on beaches and coastlines. Heck, I’m pretty sure they aren’t even native to these waters at all!”
“You sure? How do you know if you’ve never tried?”
“She’s got a point, Keith,” Knuckles pointed out, just as Kat burst out of the water.
“I’m back!” she declared, raising up her spear. “Feast your eyes!”
On her spear were three small tuna, no bigger than the girl’s forearm. Combined, there was just enough meat for three people at most, but that was it. Still, she looked triumphant.
“Ahhh…maguro,” Tanaka said as he examined the fish.
“Not a bad start, eh? I’m a bit out of practice from deep-sea fishing, but I still caught something!”
“And excellent specimens at that. Ella would approve,” the butler praised.
“Tch, big deal,” Knuckles scoffed. “They’re just fish. Not even big ones.”
Just then, he got a pull, dragging him down so hard, he bumped his jaw on the railing.
“Gah! Holy crap! I got a big one!” Knuckles pulled with all his might, his rod bending so much, it looked ready to snap in two. “A really big one!”
The others watched as Knuckles pulled as hard as he could. He pressed his feet against the railing as he grit his teeth.
“Come on… pull, damn you!”
Finally, his efforts paid off as his lure breached the surface with a loud splash, delivering him his prize.
“Hahaaaa! Gotcha! I…eh?”
A tiny, little sardine.
“I…what the…huh?” he babbled in dumbly as he stared at the puny, possibly malnourished guppy and everyone else burst into laughter.
“PFFAAH! Nice fish, Knux!” Sonic cackled.
“Sonic! Be nice!” Sally chastised, despite being ready to fall over from laughter herself.
“I can’t help it! It’s just…it’s so freaking tiny!” Sonic then perked, a grin spreading across his face. He slid over to Knuckles, patting his back. “Hey, you still tried. But maybe you should let the superior fisherman- oh, my bad. Superior fisher woman handle dinner.”
Knuckles’ pupils shrunk at Sonic’s comment, his body vibrating with indignation.
“What was that?” he grit out.
“Oh please, we both knew that Kat was gonna get the better catch.” Sonic was grinning as veins popped on the echidna’s forehead. “Stronger, better lid on it, more experienced, and clearly the provider. Just accept-” he stepped back, bracing himself. “That she’s better than you.”
Sonic watched as Knuckles grit his teeth, his fists trembling as his body gave off tiny plumes of emerald mist.
“C’mon…” Sonic thought. “Pride, frustration, work your magic!”
Knuckles seethed for about half a minute, his aura growing stronger and brighter, making everyone visibly worried. Until finally…
“Hell no!” he shouted, his aura flaring around him. “Knuckles the Echidna doesn’t give up on a challenge!”
He pointed at Kat, startling her briefly. “Kat! You! Me! Contest! Whoever gets the most and best quality catches wins!”
Kat blinked for a moment, looking into her adoptive brother’s eyes, which glowed with emerald determination. It didn’t take long for her own to burn scarlet as a grin crept over her face.
“Oh, hell yeah!”
“Huh?” Sonic let out, confused.
“So, the usual wager?” Kat asked.
“Loser’s on dish duty for a week,” Knuckles replied.
“Deal!”
The two clasped hands.
“Prepare to eat soap, Xiongzhang .”
“Right back at you, sister dear.”
With that, Kat dove back into the drink as Knuckles threw his line out.
“Wooo! Now we’re really cooking!” Tangle cheered as she ran off. “Fried fish with grilled lobster tail, here I come!”
“Tangle, wait! There is no lobster!” Keith shouted as he chased after the excited ringtail, leaving Sonic and others.
“Well…that happened,” Tanaka said, adjusting his glasses. “Now then, I had best take Miss Kathryn’s haul to the kitchen for storage. Master Chris, by your leave.”
“Sure, thanks Tanaka.”
The butler bowed one last time as he collected Kat’s catch and headed below deck.
“Hey Chris,” Tails piped up. “You wanna take the crane for a test drive? Maybe we could find something!”
“Sounds great, let’s do it!” Chris replied as he headed for the ladder, Tails flying behind him.
“I’d better go after Keith and Tangle,” Hope said. “Knowing her, she’s probably going to end up falling overboard at least once.”
Shadow simply nodded as the two walked off.
“Amy, how about we catch some fish for Mr. Big?” Cream suggested.
“Good idea, Cream. With the Mystic Ruins still frozen over, he could probably use the extra food.”
With that, they scurried off as well, leaving Sonic and Sally alone with Knuckles.
“Huh…” Sonic finally let out. “That was…not what I was expecting.”
Sally wrapped an arm around Sonic, giving him a grin that gave off a menacing aura.
“And what, pray tell, were you expecting?”
“Uhhhh…”
Sonic’s eyes darted back and forth, before looking over Sally’s shoulder. “HEY! What do you think you’re doing, buddy!?”
Sally turned around, giving Sonic just enough time to slip out of her grasp and bolt off.
“What the…Sonic! Get back here!” she called out as she ran after him.
As Sally ran after Sonic and Knuckles continued focusing on his fishing, neither one of them noticed the sound of wet footprints swiftly splishing away on the deck. The footsteps crept about the ship until they’d reached an isolated part of the ship.
“Carp…that was way too close for comfort.”
The air shimmered and rippled as the owner of the footprints materialized into existence, a slender, dark gray Mobian stingray clad in ornate golden jewelry - a pair of bracelets, a necklace, and a circlet, all containing white gemstones - and a green sash around his waist.
“For a moment, I actually thought he’d sensed my presence.” He wiped his brow as he smiled nervously. “Luckily, he’s just as short-sighted and foolish as the reports say he is.”
“That’s still no excuse to not take him seriously, Shroud.”
The newly identified Shroud turned to the railing and found himself staring down a vaguely humanoid-shaped mass of water rippling and shimmering in the sun.
“Hibiki,” he let out. “When and how did you get here?”
“I’ve been tailing the ship since they disembarked.” Hibiki’s watery form slowly began to become more solid and defined. With a soft splash, the mass of water had become a purple, Mobian dolphin with green eyes. “As for how, I think that obvious.”
“You used your ninpo?” Shroud demanded. “Are you daft!? What if your little magic show alerted the others? And why aren’t you in uniform?”
Shroud pointed to Hibiki’s choice of attire. She was clad in a revealing violet and black leotard with a neckline and trim that resembled the kind seen on ninja. She wore black, knee-high leggings that bared her toes and heels, as well as black, elbow-length fingerless gloves. Her muzzle was covered by a black and violet facemask, and she wore a white scarf around her neck.
“I belong to neither the Guard nor any of the Houses, Shroud. Your rules do not apply.” Hibiki replied, a grin on her face as she pointed to Shroud’s jewelry. “Besides, you’re hardly one to play fashion police yourself.”
Shroud narrowed his eyes. “Touché.”
Hibiki nodded. “Now, what about the others? Have they arrived?”
“I’m about to find out.”
Shroud held one of his bracelets up to his mouth and tapped one of the gems, causing it to glow.
“This is Shroud,” he said. “Hibiki and I have reached the enemy vessel.”
“Raz, here, ready and waiting!” an excited, young voice let out.
“This is Fluke. I may be a bit late, but I’m all set ,” replied a deep, booming voice.
“Aegis, here. I-I’m in position as well,” a shy, timid voice whispered.
“Good.” Hibiki nodded. “Then the plan begins now. Fathoms, move out!”
“Yes, ma’am!” the others said before the transmission cut out.
“Shroud, you handle things on the deck,” Hibiki instructed. “I’m heading back underwater.”
“Very well,” Shroud bowed. “Neptune be with you, Hibiki.” With that, Shroud vanished.
“Sonic thinks he’s clever…” Hibiki said as she headed for the railing. “But soon, his true nature will be dragged out of the depths.”
With that, she leapt over the edge, her body changing back to water as she disappeared into the ocean.