Something New

[Zyra Zteller]

She slowly opened her eyes and started looking around. When she saw the clean white walls, instead of the walls of her jail cell, or the spacey void of the Cosmic Interstate, she sat bolt upright. "What the...? Where am I?"

She scanned back through her memories, trying to think of what brought her here. The last thing she could remember was running along the Interstate, when her visor had lit up like a concert she'd lied her way into when she was 16. Sudden warnings of extreme Chaos and Sol energies. She hadn't noticed the roadway breaking apart until her balance had shifted due to pieces falling out beneath her. Despite her efforts, she hadn't been able to make it anywhere stable and safe, and the road crumbled beneath her, dropping her into the multiversal abyss.

She got to her feet, and quickly checked herself to see if anything was broken. When she was satisfied that she was all in one piece, she tapped on the side of her visor to activate the device. The display acknowledged power, but when she tried to connect to the Zone Cop's mainframe for information, she was met with a large "NO SIGNAL" message. The device could only offer the admission that her boots were in working order, as well as scattered Chaos and Sol readings, to which she responded by shutting the device off.

She meandered out of into the city, making her way to some of the busier thoroughfares of the city, an ever growing smile coming to display her sharp teeth. "Well, looks like I've managed to stumble into a fresh start... This is gonna be a good day..."

[Mammoth Mogul]

[Just a side-note, but for the sake of the story-line, the events of this thread will take place a few days after the battle currently taking place in Robotropolis concludes]

On the far side of town, the citizens of Solenna would be treated to a very unusual sight. Stepping out from one of the city's most prestigious banks, a larger, towering Mobian stepped out into the bright noon-day light. An elephant in a finely crafted suit and a well-polished black cane stood taller than many of the city's human inhabitants, but the elephant paid the random looks and stares with no heed. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a shiny golden pocket watch to check the time. He smiled, pleased to see his meeting had gone by faster than he originally hoped it would.

So much to do, so little time.

Returning the watch into it's appropriate pocket, the elephant strode down the steps of the bank and across the sidewalk to the waiting limousine. Of course, given the size of the elephant who owned said limousine, it was taller than normal, but no less elegant. The chauffeur quickly pulled the door open for his employer and promptly shut it once he was inside. The chauffeur, a dalmatian, came around to the driver seat and started the engine. He then lowered the tinted window separating the front seats from the rest of the spacious back.

"I take it the meeting went well, Mr. Phant?" the dalmatian asked in a cheerful, pleasant tone.

"Indeed it did, Dominic. The burly elephant replied with his deep, husky voice. "Mastodon Investments is now officially in business."

"Glad to hear it, Sir." Dominic replied with a pleased smile. "So, where to now?"

"Back home now, I think. I'll be meeting a few associates there this afternoon." Mr. Phant answered with a grateful nod.

"Righto. Sit back and enjoy the ride."

Oh how easy it all was. Mr. Phant mused as he watched the scenery roll by his window. All it takes is a soft hand here, a little gold there, and voila, the makings of a support network that would soon put him on top of the world. Literally. Oh sure, this might not lead directly to his ultimate goal, but building his resources would enable him to spread his eyes and ears and influence further than he could alone.

It was during this internal gloating, that noticed a most unusual resident wandering the streets. No it was not her unique, draconian heritage that caught Mr. Phant's interest. It was the strange, very strange attire the mystery dragon wore.

A Zone Cop... Could they have sent one of their ilk to meddle in his plans already? Surely their own zone had been torn asunder just as every other zone had. Was this Zone Cop perhaps displaced like so many others? He had to know. He could not afford to leave rogue factors out of his calculations.

"Dominic, quickly, pull over!" Mr. Phant called out urgently to his driver.

Dominic was, of course, confused at first by this seemingly random request. But, he dutifully pulled over anyway, just a little further up the street from Zyra. As Zyra walked past the limo, she would find the window rolled down, with a large elephant's head staring out at her with a charming, welcoming smile. "Excuse me, Madame. But, might I have a word with you?"

[Zyra Zteller]

Zyra's attempts to explore the city were working rather well. She had given a good few blocks the once over, learning what she could from sight on the city. From this initial glance, wherever she was appeared to be a rather prosperous city, but all things in good time.

As the limo drove past her the first time, the dragon girl's ideas of the city were fairly confirmed. Must be some money flowing through this place, if people can afford such huge rides.

Her smile remained large and visible as the limo stopped. her smile remained as she started walking past it. Her smile remained as the limo's window rolled down, and the occupant called out to her.

Her smile quickly faded as she saw the passenger. A scowl quickly grew in its place as she turned to look in through the window at him. She stopped walking, and narrowed her eyes at him a bit. "Mammoth Mogul. Somehow, I'm not surprised. One pan-Zonal rampage not enough for you? You cost me a lot, you oversized relic."

She leaned forward, placing her hands on the window sill, and sticking her head into the window. She took a quick peek around, before focusing back on the well dressed pachyderm. "What do you want, huh? You're always after something."

[Mammoth Mogul]

[Oops, should have mentioned Mogul was using an illusion that makes him look like a normal elephant, not a mammoth. But don't worry, I can roll with this.]

Mogul's friendly smile faltered for a moment when this zone cop called him out. She knew about his prior attack on the multi-verse; yet somehow he did not detect the kind of righteous indignation he'd expect to hear from one such as Sonic or that accursed Tails. The fact she was not attacking him and trying to drag him to some kind of dimensional prison was nevertheless a good sign.

"Ah, I see you know who I am then. I'm afraid I am at something of a disadvantage then. I can tell you are a zone cop, though I fear I don't know your name specifically. Care to step inside. I suspect there might be much we need to discuss." Mogul offered, as he opened the limo's door up for her.

[Zyra Zteller]

[Whoops. That woulda gone a little differently if I'd know that XD Sorry. Also, gonna make a slight assumption that the back of the limo has multiple seats, and not just the back seat.]

Zyra stepped off to the side a bit, to avoid being hit by the opening door. Her scowl lessened a bit at his offer though, as she started thinking a bit. After about half a moment of silence and thought, she shook her head, and stepped into the limo. She sat down, picking a seat that was facing toward the mammoth or middle of the vehicle. She stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles, and leaned back against her seat. "First things first. I'm not a Zone Cop anymore, thanks to you. Your hissy fit got my smuggling operation noticed. They threw me in jail, until Eggman Nega's attacks caused enough trouble for me to bolt."

She took another glance around the interior, before relaxing her posture just a bit, and looking out the city again. "My name is Zyra, by the way. And for the record, you've got me at a disadvantage too. You have the element of location here."

[Mammoth Mogul]

[Yes, you are right to assume it's one of those more spacious limos. Also, don't worry about the mix up. I forgot to mention it. That's one of the great things about role-playing, thinking on the fly.]

Mogul closed the door behind Zyra, then motioned to Dominic in the front seat to carry on. The dalmatian nodded, and once more pulled out into the main traffic. Lastly, Mogul made certain to raise the tinted window at the rear of the driver compartment so as to afford him and his new guest some privacy.

Once they were at last, assuredly alone, Mogul dropped his elephant illusion, revealing his true form as he listened intently to Zyra's little tale.
Not a Zone Cop, eh? Interesting...

"Well, the where can come in due time, my dear. But I confess I am somewhat curious about this smuggling ring you spoke of. Obviously you're not quite so... inflexible as some of your fellow Zone Cops such as Zonic.

[Stormer Aurion]

A small flash of light glimmered in the sky above Soleanna's city square. When it stopped, a strange figure with blond hair, a fedora, and a black outfit appeared unconscious on the ground of the square. It was a man no one had seen around before. None of the citizens around knew what to make of this and pondered who this man could be.

[Stormer has arrived!]

[Tails]

Flying low over the glittering city of Soleanna, Tails sat back and enjoyed the view. The last time he was here, the city was under siege by the Egg Fleet and under threat of invasion. As usual that scheme was put down.

Taking the plane in lower, Tails had no trouble in landing. Before the engine was even off, ground crews were already en route to refuel the plane. Turning to Sonic, Tails gestured toward the city beyond the airport.

"Well here we are. Soleanna is just as beautiful as I remember. It'll take a while to get the Tornado flight worthy again so I say we check out the sights for old times sake."

[Zyra Zteller]

Zyra shrugged, and shook her head. "It was a pretty simple thing. People wanted access to the Cosmic Interstate. The rest of the Zone Cops, being stuffy and strict didn't allow it. However, for the right price, I found that certain bits of evidence could be removed and altered, making it seem like nothing had ever happened..."

She shot a sharp look at him again, frowning for a few seconds. "But again, SOMEONE ruined it when he starting blowing things up, because the rest of the cops were able to focus more on what was left."

[Mammoth Mogul]

Mogul let a short guffaw out as Zyra laid blame upon him for her woes. "Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, my dear. If it's any consolation, I was imprisoned myself for quite some time after that meddlesome hero Tails interfered. In any event, that's all in the past now. You say you are no longer with them, yet you still wear their uniform. Why?"
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