294. Sonic Universe #16
Journey to the East (Part 4 of 4): A World Under Constant Vigil
Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley Colors: Jason Jensen
So good ol' Espio's back from being a bad guy! Everyone's certainly surprised to see him, but Khan seems a little more than just surprised.
He's got a very fair point. I mean, let's be real, just how many friends would Sonic have left if he rejected everyone he's ever gotten into a physical fight with? Like two? Despite Sonic's words, Sally is suspicious of Espio as well, and when he informs her that he's only with the Iron Dominion because of his affiliation with the Shinobi Clan, she still insists that because of his previous actions she can't trust his word alone. So, he decides on a new tactic to gain their trust - by revealing all the dirt he has on each of them.
Oh, my god. I… honestly can't even imagine where that royal birthmark might be that's so embarrassing, first of all, given that she wears next to nothing all the time anyway. I suppose it'd have to be a place you really have to shift the fur around awkwardly to see. And second of all, look at Khan's freaking face! His reaction! This whole thing is just amazing. Khan still doesn't know what Espio is getting at, and no one really understands how this is supposed to make them trust him more, but Espio explains that his clan's entire philosophy is based on the collection of information, and by divulging it all, he's just lost any advantage over them he would have had, if he desired such a thing. That… doesn't necessarily make much sense and really just sounds like an excuse to have that page above of him hilariously spilling some secrets about the four heroes, but I digress! Espio blindfolds everyone and leads them to a secret cave, where they stand above a dark abyss, and he informs them that they must make it to the other side to meet with the bride of his clan before disappearing. Tails decides to try flying over, but Khan pulls him back before using his lightning powers to reveal a plethora of deadly traps hidden in the stalactites on the cave's roof.
Ah! Not quite the Indiana Jones leap of faith trick, but then again, this isn't a matte painting. Sonic, against Sally's wishes to take things slow, grabs a huge armful of dirt and races on ahead, bridging each break in the twisting path ahead through sheer speed like Mario over a one-tile gap and spreading the dirt everywhere so the path is plainly visible. They cross, expecting more tests, but to their surprise they end up immediately in the Bride of Constant Vigil's main chambers.
Shh! Khan, don't ruin the easiest set of negotiations you've had thus far! At first it really does seem like he's just mad they put so much effort into all this for the last clan to be so easy to win over, but when Sally makes him take a deep breath he reveals that the real reason he's angry is because he thinks the Shinobi Clan should have done more to stand up to the Iron Dominion and help the free people of the Dragon Kingdom. She calmly tells him that once upon a time the clan did just that, tried to act as the "police" of sorts to the Dragon Kingdom, and when they were nearly wiped out as a result they adopted their sneaky ways to survive. Definitely a reasonable position - but she then goes on to say that Espio has demonstrated to her with his actions that sometimes, those rules must be broken for the greater good. Espio, with his bride's permission, explains to everyone that he was never a native to Angel Island as everyone thought, but is rather a Shinobi spy sent to monitor the Brotherhood. W-wait, the Brotherhood? The ones who spied on everyone else across the entire globe for centuries?!
Right here, right now, the Shinobi Clan has earned my everlasting respect. They figured out early on exactly what I've been saying this whole time - that the Brotherhood is (or was, considering all but one member is dead now) shady as hell, and operating with extensive superpowers and no oversight essentially ensured that they became way too self-assured of their "right" to spy on, and potentially take over, the entire freaking world. I'm not even exaggerating here - remember their really creepy conversation in KtE#16 where they were talking about forcibly leading the planet into a new "golden age" under echidna guidance? The Shinobi are the smartest people on the goddamn planet for not only noticing what the hell was going on over there, but taking action to make sure it never went too far. It also adds a hilarious note of irony to the Brotherhood's ever-so-secretive nature - all this time they thought they were the ultimate spies, watching over all of Mobius to look after "echidna interests," with one of them even stationed directly in the Dragon Kingdom, and yet they never suspected for a moment that someone else was watching them.
Anyway, Espio goes on to recount from here how Valdez was his predecessor, keeping tabs on Locke, and when Espio was chosen as his successor he helped him settle into the Rainbow Valley on Angel Island, pretending to be just another local. Espio watched Knuckles for basically the entire time he was alone on the island after Locke disappeared, and the only reason he was permitted to reveal himself at all was due to an emergency, when the Freedom Fighters were captured and Knuckles was stripped of his powers in the Knuckles Chaotix special. His feelings eventually got the better of him, and he became close to Knuckles and the others despite being under orders to remain secretive.
Oh, boy. Even when your mom's the leader of a ninja clan, it's still hard not to be excited when she lets you do something fun, huh Espio? Espio is overjoyed to be free of his former duties, but Constant Vigil remains serious, reminding Khan that he has his work cut out for him in the future. In response, he takes the plain power ring band from his head and, uh… makes a fist around part of it, and after a flash of light there's some kind of little sigil on it. I can only assume this is meant to signify he's accepted his role as King of the Free People, but I have no idea how he just randomly decorated his bit of jewelry with no real effort. Constant Vigil offers to have her clan ensure the heroes' safe journey back to their own kingdom, and when Sonic points out that they don't seem like they can spare the muscle due to the lack of guards, several dozen chameleons melt out of the shadows, revealing they've been watching the conversation all along. Man, I really like these guys. The next day, the heroes thank Li Yuen for hosting them before flying back out, ready to retake their city and break the grip of the Iron Dominion for good.
