Water Up to Our Necks

It was pouring like it hadn't in years, and the sky was overcast, black and damp like the mouth of a wolf that had swallowed the entire Babylon nest. Water poured from the ship's platforms in jets that were sprayed by the violent gusts of the storm. In the distance, lightning occasionally lit up the gloomy atmosphere, and a few seconds later it roared with rage, making the windows rattle.

A little mouse girl trembled with each thunder, huddling even further into her tiny hiding place under one of the dining room tables. She had been left behind when Wave called for the evacuation of the nest dormitories and retreat to the storm shelters. She was new, coming from the slave enclave that Mr. Knuckles had liberated. She had nowhere to return to, so Mr. Sonic and Miss Amy promised to take her to a place where she would feel at home. They didn't lie; the other children welcomed her with open arms, and Mr. Jet, Miss Wave, and Mr. Storm had been very kind to her. She felt comfortable, but she still needed time to adjust. The warning took her by surprise, as did the storm. Still sleepy and unfamiliar with the nest, she was prone to getting lost. The older children had intimidated her, the lightning disoriented her, and the thunder paralyzed her. By the time she realized it, she was completely alone back in the dining room, this time shrouded in darkness, inside an airship rocking violently in the wind and immersed in a great storm with thunder that seemed to want to burst her eardrums. Tears threatened to spill from her tightly closed eyes.

"Lily?" Mr. Storm's deep, rough voice calling her name could be heard above the roar of the rain. "Lily! Are you here?"

Storm's heavy footsteps sounded almost like thunder, causing little Lily to tremble even more as the great albatross approached. When she felt a strong beam of light hitting her eyelids, Lily opened her eyes to find Storm smiling at her.

"You sure are hard to find! Your new friends were worried about you when they saw you weren't at the shelter, so they told me to come look for you. Are you okay?"

Lily didn't answer; she was too terrified to react. Lightning flashed and thunder immediately followed. Lily closed her eyes and trembled even more, as did the windows.

"Oh, I see... I understand. You know, even though my name is Storm, I'm not a big fan of thunder either, hehe. That's why..." The albatross took an earplug out of one of his ears. "These are very useful, even for sleeping. I have spares, I can lend them to you if you want."

Storm took the earplugs out of one of the pockets of his apron and handed them to Lily. The little mouse stared at them for a moment, hesitant, until she finally took them and put them in. She looked astonished when the noise around her simply disappeared. Storm gestured for her to come closer, and she did, coming out of her hiding place.

Storm carried her out of the dining room, still smiling. Crossing the outdoor staircase, the huge bird used his free arm to protect the girl from the rain. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, but the thunder that followed sounded like a murmur to Lily, and she was finally able to calm down, slowly closing her eyes until she fell asleep.

The emergency storm protocol had been executed almost perfectly. The older ones had the duty to look after the younger ones, guide them to the shelters, and, when everyone was safe, be the ones taken by their elders to shelter, and so on. Storm was surprisingly very capable at instilling in the children that sense of duty towards the younger ones, perhaps because they saw that even though he was the biggest and most intimidating Babylon, he still treated the leaders Jet and Wave with respect and affection. It could also be that the kids simply liked the albatross because he never treated them like fools and wasn't the least bit embarrassed to play with them at their level.

But of course, even if Storm was the "leader," Jet was "The Boss." And as such, it was he who watched over the operation firsthand, standing tall at the highest point of the nest, his gaze impassive in the face of the storm. Raindrops slid off his hydrophobic plumage as he waited for the signal that the evacuation was complete. He wore his old racing goggles, which he hadn't used in a long time, on his forehead, and although he remained calm, inside he was burning with anticipation.

In the distance, he saw a flash; it was one of the older boys using a small mirror to give the signal that everything was complete. Jet gave a thumbs up in approval, and the boy responded with a military salute before retreating. The first part was now complete.

A hand rested on Jet's shoulder. He didn't flinch, just turned slowly and met Wave's gaze.

"All set," the swallow announced. "Generator sealed, dormitories and shelters closed. The floats have been covered for protection and the lifeboats are ready for any eventuality. I've launched the sub-nimbic probe as far below the clouds as possible, we'll see if my estimates are correct..." Wave ran her hand through her hair, looking worried. "Although I'd like to be wrong..."

"Where's Storm?"

"H-here, boss!" Albatross's deep voice could be heard through the storm as he strode toward his two comrades.

"You're late as usual, big palooka!" Jet scolded him.

"I-I'm so sorry, boss! It's just that..."

"The squad you were in charge of told me you left them more than half an hour ago! Where were you?" Wave reproached him.

"O-one of the new girls got lost and I..."

"Okay, never mind." Jet bent down to pick up the briefcases containing his X-Gear and those of Wave and Storm to hand them over. "Let's go in, give the signal."

"Jet..." Wave was hesitant as she took her X-Gear. "Don't you think we should warn Sonic and the others?"

"If the storm didn't wake them up, there's no need. We already owe that annoying blue rodent too much to want to add to the debt. We get out of this, leave them at the Meropis settlement, and that's it. Understood?"

Wave and Storm nodded reluctantly.

Jet was the first to launch his X-Gear and leap into the void, Storm following close behind. Wave glanced quickly around, pressed a button on her bracelet, and gave a sharp whistle before jumping. As the three birds emerged riding their Gears, behind them followed three dozen lights, the X-Gears of their older and most loyal boys.

The swarm of flying Gears cut through the storm clouds like comets in the night sky. When the lightning began to flash, the Gears spread out, twisting and turning like bees. Nothing but the neon lights of the machines were clearly visible, the glow of the lightning only outlining their silhouettes.

Jet approached Wave and gestured for her to give him information. The swallow activated her bracelet and revealed a holographic panel with all the information she needed, the exact location of everyone involved, and the approximate area where they could find their target.

"Ten minutes to contact the epicenter. I already have the data from the Sub-nimbic probe analysis, and my preliminary estimates are confirmed: not a single drop of water is falling to the ground."

"A fake storm..." Jet muttered with a bitter half-smile.

"A trap. I still don't know how wise it is to fly into it on purpose, Jet."

"The best way to avoid falling into a trap is to activate it, right?"

"A-actually..."

"You know what? It doesn't matter. We must respond to their kindness for this surprise visit as they deserve. Give the signal."

The swallow sighed in exasperation, then pressed a couple of buttons on her X-gear and its lights went out. Jet did the same. Then Wave whistled and the lights on the other Gears went out one by one.

On his holographic screen, Wave could see the exact location of his forces and identify them perfectly. She then put her hand to her ear and tested the radio communicators. Everything was in order. She signaled to Jet and flew away, leaving the falcon alone at the mercy of the storm.

The wind whistled through the sprinter's plumage, raindrops snaked across the surface until they reached the tips of the feathers, leaving a ghostly trail behind him. Lightning zigzagged around him, but he remained unmoved, his gaze behind his goggles fixed on his goal. He began to receive a radio signal.

[We have visual contact, boss!] It was one of his young subordinates.

"Identify the target."

[It appears to be... um...], a strange silence flooded the channel. [A-a Sailing Ship...?]

Jet broke his concentration for a moment and almost fell off the Gear.

"What do you mean a sailing ship, you idiots?! This is no time for jokes!"

[I can confirm it! It looks like a sailing ship!], said another subordinate on another channel.

The hawk began to tremble with anger. He took a deep breath and remembered what Wave always said: They're children. Children do silly things. We did silly things at their age too. Don't let it get to you.

"Wave, give me confirmation and please tell me this is a bad joke."

[I'm almost there], replied the technician.

According to Jet's rough calculations, he was less than five minutes away from his target. Their formation was the same as always: Wave and his team went ahead to reconnoiter, Storm and his team stayed behind for defense, while Jet and his team in the middle took care of coordination and immediate response to attacks from both sides. It was Wave's idea and requirement, as the hawk was bothered by not being at the front, but he was very bad at reconnaissance. At least after Wave gave her report, Jet was free to do whatever he wanted, so he eagerly awaited the Swallow's response.

[I think...,] Wave spoke again over the radio. It was difficult to understand her amid all the background noise of the storm. [Oh my--- NO!] was the last thing heard before communication was suddenly cut off and only static could be heard.

"Wave? Wave! Can you hear me?" There was no response from the other end of the dial. "Someone from Wave's team, give me an update on her status, now!"

[Boss!], one of the guys shouted over one of the channels. [We lost visual contact with Miss Wave and five others! Something took them!]

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jet was interrupted by a cacophony of screams and cries for help.

"Storm, I'm going ahead to get Wave! Watch our backs!"

[Yes, Boss...! Huh? W-w-what is this!?], banging, shouting, interference, static, silence.

"Storm! W-what's going on?" No matter how much he called, there was no answer.

[Boss!], someone else yelled hysterically over the radio. [Mr.Storm has fallen! Something dragged him to the bottom and is chasing us!]

"Assemble at my position! Change of plans! We'll search for Wave, Storm, and the others and return to the nest."

A heart-wrenching scream burst through the radio communicator and could even be heard in the distance amid the roar of thunder. All communication channels became saturated with screams and cries for mercy until, one by one, they faded away, leaving only static. A chill, colder than the storm, ran down the hawk's spine.

[B-boss!] Storm's voice sounded diminished and terrified over the channel.

"Are you okay, Storm? Do you know where Wave and the others are?"

[Run, boss! He's...!] The communication finally cut out. All channels had been silenced.

Jet stopped dead in his tracks. Immersed in darkness, only able to see the sporadic flashes of lightning, his other senses overwhelmed by the roar of thunder, the cold of the rain, the smell of ozone in the air, and a strange, metallic taste on his palate. He felt frustrated, frustrated that his fear far outweighed the anger he felt at losing his comrades and the helplessness of not having been able to do anything. He couldn't run away, his pride made it impossible, and moving forward seemed idiotic, like swimming to the bottom of the sea while drowning. It had been a long time since he had had to deal with a situation like this alone; there had always been someone close by he could trust. Wave was always by his side with a plan, and Storm was there too, ready to give it his all. It was ironic; it was easier to feel confident when he could count on his friends. Was he really being honest when he bragged? Did the Wind Master cease to be so the moment he found himself on his own?

An image flashed through his mind: something elusive and impossibly fast, like a blue blur, shooting through the storm like a bullet with smug smile on its face. Jet felt disgust, clenching his fists so tightly that he could feel the pain in his palms and fingertips. With a stomp, he activated the lights on his X-Gear and went full throttle toward his goal. Whatever was happening, it was coming from the epicenter, and he would show it what the Wind Master was made of.

The hawk traveled at such a speed that the water could no longer touch him. Not even lightning could keep up with him. He reached a point where he could make out the silhouette of something floating in the distance; he was about to arrive. He prepared his ever-reliable fans to attack.

His disbelief at what he witnessed nearly caused him to fall from the Gear. He stopped dead in his tracks, his hands beginning to shake: there was a large Sailing ship in the middle of the clouds.

It was not a ship-like aircraft, but a full-fledged large boat, a boat with the unusual ability to fly, with no wings or floats in sight. Its sails flapped violently in the wind, and at the stern, as figurehead, was an sculpture that looked strangely familiar... but before he could identify it, he felt something strange on his ankles.

Looking down, he noticed a strange, heavy, watery clusters, as if rainwater had accumulated at his feet. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get rid of them, and they seemed to be growing, spreading up his legs, immobilizing them. The mass of water grew, passing his hips, his torso, and chest, immobilizing his arms until it stopped at his neck. It was as if he were immersed in a body of water and at the same time being imprisoned by the hand of a giant, as if the water had taken on a life of its own and was about to crush him. He tried to fight, but it was useless. He thought about screaming, but that was even more useless. As he pondered his options, out of the corner of his eye he sensed a presence.

Thanks to the brightness of the lightning, he was able to make an effort to identify it: a small blue-furred fox, head down, with a fringe of hair covering half his face and reaching his chest, and behind the tuft of hair, a crimson eye glowed ominously. It hung in the air like a specter, hunched over with its limbs dangling, while watery tentacles sprouted from its back, extending in all directions and clinging to the ship in the distance. As Jet followed the tentacles with his gaze, he realized he wasn't the only one trapped, identifying the silhouettes of several of his boys immersed in the same water trap. He could see Storm's silhouette, but there was no sign of Wave.

"Hello," the fox's voice was soft and plaintive, as if a ghost were speaking through a possessed host. "I am Kitsunami. You are my targets."

"You've just picked the wrong targets, brat..." The only thing stronger than Jet himself was his sense of pride.

"No mistakes, it is entirely by design. It takes approximately 118 milliliters of liquid and 40 seconds to drown..." The water began to rise up Jet's neck, dangerously approaching his beak, nose, and ears. "This shouldn't take long."