This page contains a detailed summary on each chapter in Hostile Encounters.
Summary
Chapter 1: Only Temporary
Roughly one month has passed since Azure took Rouge's place on Team Dark, temporarily, and while she has enjoyed her time working with Shadow and Omega and has learned a lot, she is forced to rethink her place when Rouge return, determined to retake her position on the team she started. Azure has a less than pleasant meeting with Rouge and seeks comfort in her uncle, Azreal. Unbeknownst to them, Azure's brothers, Garnett, Ghost and Pine arrive outside Azreal's hut.
Chapter 2: MIA
Unsure of where she will be placed, Azure speaks with Commander Towers, who gives her a week off while he works on her reassignment. Azure decides to spend her break with her uncle, but discovers him encased in ice when she arrives at his hut and is ambushed by Garnett. A fight ensues and despite Azure's resistance, Garnett overpowers her and he, Ghost and Pine take her with them as they leave.
Chapter 3: On Ice
Shadow grows concerned over Azure's sudden disappearance and begins his search in the Mystic Ruins, where her uncle Azreal lives. On his way to search for Azreal's home, however, a Chao crashes into him and frantically leads him to Azreal's hut, where Shadow notices the signs of battle and finds Azreal encased in ice. Shadow calls Omega for assistance and Azreal is thawed, after which he reveals the reason behind Azure's disappearance: an age old prophecy foretold the destruction of the surface world at the hands of the Mythos bloodline, but only when all nine elements of darkness, earth, fire, lightning, wood, ice, water, wind and light are united. Each of these nine elements has been born within Azure and her eight siblings and in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, Garnett requires Azure's presence and has hunted her down since her escape. While Azreal is initially hesitant about mounting a rescue, Shadow convinces him to come to his niece's aid.
Chapter 4: Family Reunion
Garnett, Ghost and Pine arrive back in the Mythsetia Veil and, using his family's seal, Garnett gains access to the underground bunker where his people reside. Upon his arrival, he orders Kabuto to gather everyone in the center of town. Once there, Garnett makes a speech about recent events and how some have come to question his leadership and right to rule, even going so far as to defy his orders. Knowing that Azure's escape prompted a series of events of insubordination, Garnett brings her upstage and proceeds to publically beat and humiliate her, breaking her tail, wing and leg in the process, so as to render her physically incapable of escaping again. Before any more damage can be done, Umber interrupts while Sapphire and Sepia rush to Azure's aid. Umber asks Garnett to leave Azure alone, as she is still only a child and not "conditioned" to his form of punishment - hinting that Umber may have been a frequent victim of Garnett's abuse. Garnett refuses, stating that he must get his point across and will not be able to do so if Azure is not punished for leaving the Veil and traveling to the surface against his orders. Umber offers up himself as Azure's scapegoat in response. Intrigued, Garnett agrees and adds on that the blame and punishment for any and all infractions to Garnett's law committed by Azure will fall onto Umber, which he accepts.
Chapter 5: Love Story
The route to the Mythsetia Veil is a long one and gives time for Shadow to learn more of the history of Azure's bloodline and people. Azreal starts by recounting the Great Purge and destruction of his people. He then divulges to Shadow how he came to leave his home: Azreal had a falling out with his brother Hydra over Adalinda, Azure's mother with whom Azreal was in love. He then reveals that a supposed prophecy states that when the nine elements are united in the Mythos bloodline, it will bring about the destruction of the world. Garnett believes he will bring this prophecy true and Azreal proposes that they depose him as the ruler of the Mythsetia Veil to prevent him from completing his plan.
Chapter 6: Trauma
Azure recovers from Garnett's beating and reconnects with Sapphire, who is tending to her. During their conversation, Azure mentions her time on the surface and her budding crush on Shadow. Sapphire believes Shadow will come after her, but Azure does not, knowing that Shadow is a very busy person and that he may not consider her enough of a friend to worry where she has gone. Meanwhile, Umber's offer as Azure's scapegoat does not go unfulfilled as Raph and Lobo discover him injured. Raph and Lobo express their concern for Umber and anger over the fact that a tyrant like Garnett is their leader, both favoring Umber as their prospective leader instead, something shared among the rest of the Veil in fact. As Lobo escorts the injured Umber home, Raphaella disappears to tend to unknown matters.
Chapter 7: Memories of the Past
Azreal flashes back to when Adalinda tracked him down twenty years after he left during which the two were unable to resist their feelings for each other and became intimate. Back in the present, Azreal notes that the Mythsetia Veil is an island and lies beyond the cover of a thick fog that prevents navigation through it, a result of a magical countermeasure. Azreal recommends that Omega remain behind as he cannot carry Shadow and guide Omega through the fog at the same time, to which Shadow reluctantly agrees. Once they land, Azreal points out that Shadow does not fully trust him and if they are to succeed in their mission, there can be no doubts between them. In hopes of dispelling any doubt, Azreal reveals his greatest secret to Shadow: that he is possibly Azure's real father and not Hydra. Nearly six months after he and Adalinda were together, she returned pregnant and revealed that because she was intimate with Azreal and Hydra within too close of a time range, she cannot be certain who the real father is. Shadow suggests he get a DNA test if he truly wishes to be certain, but Azreal declines, stating that if he find out for sure, it has the greater potential to ruin their relationship than it does to strengthen it. Azreal tells Shadow that he trusts him with this information and that he knows Shadow will do the right thing for Azure, whether it be keeping the secret, or revealing it.
Chapter 8: Secret Meetings
While Joan heals Umber's wounds, Ren of the House of Divinus has a vision with the Prophet's Eye, showing him the events of Garnett's prophecy that is apparently to take place the next night. Later, Raphaella of the House of Arch, Anubis of the House of Galen and Esmeralda of the House of Divinus meet in secret to further discuss their plans of deposing Garnett. Possible replacements include Umber and Azreal. However, Azreal's generation of rule has already passed, his banished status would not allow him to be considered and there is no guarantee of bloodline continuation with him. Alternatively, while Umber displays the virtues that make him the prime candidate, he is reluctant and doubtful of himself as leader with Esmeralda commenting that they cannot force the position of leader on someone who will not have it and that he is too submissive to Garnett. Umber, having discovered Raphaella's secret meetings from Joan, enters and orders then to cease all operations against Garnett, for fear of their safety. Raphaella fears what will happen if Garnett is to succeed the next day, but Esmeralda assures her that if something were to interrupt the events, then the future may change.
Chapter 9: A Hidden Tunnel
Azreal brings Shadow to the site of what was once the Mythsetia Veil's capital city. An engraving in the stone tiles still exists, bearing the crest of Mythos and the symbols of the nine elements he controlled. When they travel to the underground tunnels, Azreal reveals they cover the entire island and that he spend nearly a week just trying to find his way out. However, they are suddenly attacked by Anubis the Jackal, who has become aware of their presence. Just as Anubis prepares to finish them off, he stops, recognizing Azreal and releasing them. Anubis reveals what has happened since Garnett returned, namely his beating of Azure, Umber shutting down the conspiracy and Ren's vision of Garnett's prophecy that is to occur tonight. Anubis agrees to get them in, but urges them to remain hidden.
Chapter 10: Under the Radar
Anubis grants Azreal and Shadow shelter while trying to figure out what to do with them, but Shadow manages to slip away and makes his way to the Mythos household. On his way however, he is discovered by Esmeralda the Fox, who had apparently foreseen his arrival. Esmeralda reveals that she knows of Azreal's secret, but does not reveal if she knows the definite truth, citing that it is not her place to reveal this information. Shadow, however, seems adamant that Azure has a right to know the truth, but Esmeralda counters that she has the right to want to know for herself. Despite this, Esmeralda adds to what Azreal originally stated, that revealing this to Azure could do more harm than good before Shadow continues on to the Mythos home. While inside, he overhears a conversation between Umber, whom Shadow recognizes, and Sapphire, Azure's older sister. Like many of the others, Sapphire attempts to convince Umber to step up to Garnett, stating that not only does their family and people need him, but that Umber himself desperately needs this as well. Shadow makes it to Azure, but she refuses to leave, fearing what would happen to her family if she got away again. Garnett suddenly enters the room and Shadow is able to hide from him at Azure's urging before Garnett drags her away.
Chapter 11: Rallying Cry
Garnett gathers his siblings and takes them to the surface to fulfill the prophecy. Raphaella desperately tries to convince everyone to rise up against him, but many fear that Garnett may still be right about the surface. However, Shadow and Azreal enter and prove that Garnett has been lying using Shadow's presence - as a surfacer - and his friendship with Azure as proof. Raphaella, Shadow and Azreal head up to the surface to confront Garnett while everyone else remains in the safety of the Catacombs. Raphaella uses her seal to open the Catacomb doors and the three are shocked to discover that the prophecy has already begun.
Chapter 12: Promised Day
Garnett takes his siblings to the Occulus, an ancient site of their ancestors and begins the prophecy, as each siblings' power is forcibly drained from their bodies. Raphaella, Shadow and Azreal attempt to free them, but are prevented by an impenetrable barrier. Raphaella examines the spell circle that makes up the Occulus and discovers the crest of Bell, making the circle a summoning circle rather than a destruction circle like they initially thought. She determines that damaging the circle will disrupt the flow of magic and stop the spell, prompting Shadow to impale it with a Chaos Spear. The spell is stopped and the siblings are released, but Garnett becomes furious and attacks Shadow. Shadow is caught off guard by Pine's attack, freezing him in place. But before Garnett can finish him off, Azure enters a trance-like state and attacks Garnett, summoning a powerful storm at the same time. Umber rallies his siblings to counteract aspects of her storm before they rip the island apart and Umber is able to bring Azure out of her trance. Umber challenges Garnett to a one-on-one fight and defeats him, taking the Mythos house crest and banishing Garnett from the island, as well as Pine and Ghost if they choose to go with him. Umber asks what will happen to the Veil without a leader, but Azreal explains that by abandoning his post, Garnett has forfeited claim to leadership and it now falls to the next in line: Umber. Umber, although hesitant and scared of potential mistakes, accepts and revokes Azreal's banishment as his first act. As they return to the Catacomb to reform the others about recent events, Azure thanks Shadow for helping her family and he asks to speak with Azreal.
Chapter 13: Reassurance
Anubis adjusts Azure's gauntlets to prevent her from falling into a trance-like state again. Sapphire then approaches her, wanting to return with Azure to G.U.N. not only to see the surface world, but to also get the help that Shamrock needs. Meanwhile, Shadow speaks with Azreal regarding the latter's earlier revealed secret: that he may be Azure's real father. While Shadow is certain that Azure deserves to know, he agrees to keep it a secret knowing that the risks far outweigh the rewards and that if Azure were to ever hear it, it should be from Azreal. Just before Azreal leaves, Shadow secretly secures a strand of his hair. He returns to G.U.N. and secures a strand of Azure's hair as well, giving both to Hope and asking that she conduct a DNA test.
Epilogue: Team Scales
Azure speaks with Commander Towers about a new deal: her sister Sapphire joins G.U.N. as an agent in exchange for psychiatric treatment for their sister, Shamrock. Though hesitant, Towers agrees to pursue this on a trial run. Meanwhile, Hope returns the results of the DNA test Shadow ordered. Although the results are not openly revealed, Shadow simply smiles. Team Dark is called to the debriefing room for a mission and discover that a new team, Team Scales, will be aiding them. Team Scales is none other than Azure and Sapphire, much to Rouge's surprise. As they head out, Azure notices Shadow staring at her and asks if everything is all right, to which he replies that everything is great.