Embedded Files
Sonic sat in a daze. Catatonia would be the wrong word, but not by much. Sally had been talking for the last several minutes but he’d been completely unable to hear a word. The rush of adrenaline had worn off and Sonic was crashing hard. The dimly-lit cabin played host to the collected Freedom Fighter group.
“Sonic?”
Sonic snapped out of his haze as Sally addressed him directly. He glanced over at her, meeting her eyes but not answering.
Sally continued, “I was just saying to the others we need to take stock.”
“Take stock?” Sonic tilted his head, almost confused.
“We need to work out who’s still here in the Zone and get them to safety.”
Sonic sighed slightly, “Okay, well let’s start with the easy ones shall we? Sonic the Hedgehog, fastest thing alive. Sally Acorn, Princess of South Island.”
“Sonic—” Sally tried to cut her friend off with some exasperation but to no luck.
Sonic motioned to each of his friends in turn, “Tails, twin-tailed fox who can fly. Porker Lewis, genius tinkerer pig; Johnny Lightfoot, likes hitting things with a staff; Antoine D’Coolette, attendant to the princess; Bunnie Rabbot, stylist with mechanically enhanced strength; Rotor Walrus, weapons expert; Dulcy, a dragon who’s great at flying but not so top at landing.”
“Sonic.” Sally tried again.
Sonic was getting more and more exasperated, “Tux, a posh penguin; Joe Sushi, laid-back walrus; Flicky, a bluebird who loves to sing; and Chirps, the completely insane chicken.” An awkward pause filled the room. “Did I miss anyone?”
“Well, I don’t like to make a fuss,” N.I.C.O.L.E. spoke up from the handheld attached to Sally’s leg.
“He always forgets us AIs,” the Kintobor Computer added, speaking from Sonic’s watch.
“No, absolutely, quite right,” Sonic nodded, annoyed, “We have to be thorough, don’t we? Well, I think that’s everyone, unless I’ve missed someone? Sally, what do you say?”
“Sonic,” Sally walked over towards the hedgehog, a patient tone in her voice, “I know you’re hurt. And upset. And sick with worry. We all are. Every single one of us has come home to the Green Hill Zone to find out loved ones missing. We were gone for six months. And in that time, Robotnik conquered the planet. We have to assume our friends and families are either being put to work in Robotnik’s factories or they’ve already been turned into Badniks.”
“Or roboticized,” Sonic added, “Like my dad.”
Sally nodded gently. She had no desire to upset her friend but he needed to hear it all the same, “Yes. Like your dad.”
“I bet he’d love to do the same to my mom. And Uncle Chuck. And—”
“Sugah-hog, this ain’t helping none,” Bunnie spoke up. Everyone looked over at her, “Ah know Ah’m the newcomer to this Zone so Ah don’t know as many folk here as some of y’all. But Sally’s right. We’re all worried sick about your mom, and Uncle Chuck, and Ben, and well, everyone. In the blink of an eye, we lost half a year. And without the people in this room to stop him, Robotnik took over the whole darn planet. I mean, ya can’t fault the plan- the persistent thorns in his side were the two of you,” she pointed at Sonic and Tails, who exchanged a glance, “so it sure makes sense to get rid of the pair of yuh. An’ if you two hadn’t been here, Sally would have stepped up, Ah know it. So Robotnik got the hat trick. The rest of us, well, Ah guess we were caught in the cross fire. But it’s down to us to do what we can to help. Everyone, the whole world over, is hurtin’ right now, with Robotnik steppin’ on their necks. We have to be the ones to rescue them! We have the power to help the weak and oppressed! So Ah say let’s fight until the last- heck, we’re still the Freedom Fighters, ain’t we?!”
The room filled with beaming, appreciative grins. Chirps started to applaud but, on realising he was the only one doing so, stopped after the third clap. Antoine stared at Bunnie, “Ma chère, your way with words… c’est magnifique.”
“Well said, Bunnie,” Sally concurred, “We’re a team. And though times are tough right now, we have to be a beacon of light in the darkness. We have to show people there’s no need to be afraid. Even if it takes years to liberate Mobius from Robotnik’s cold grasp, we’ll fight with everything we’ve got until we seize victory! Who’s with me?”
A cheer rose up from the room.
Sonic looked around at his friends. Of course Sally was right. There’d be time to process all of this later. Right now, Sonic had to file his sadness away and turn his anger into action. Thoughts of his missing parents and friends would provide fuel for the days ahead. But not just them- people like them the world over. Sonic knew he had to do what he could to help.
A thought struck Sonic and he suddenly felt very small. He placed a hand on Sally’s shoulder, “I’m sorry for being weird there, Sal. I know you’re probably feeling the same way for your family as I am mine. Your dad’s the king, after all.”
“Right,” Sally nodded, “and that will have made him a prime target for Robotnik. I imagine West Side Island looks much the same as things do around here. But there’s only one way to be sure.”
“What are you proposing, Sally?” Porker asked.
Suddenly, Sally was all business once more, “We have to face facts. The Green Hill Zone has been compromised. Strategically, we’re on the back foot. If we stay here, it’s only a matter of time before Robotnik’s Trooper Badniks find us. And while some of us can hold our own in a fight, the rest of our group aren’t so blessed. It’s too risky by far to stay here. Now, we landed lucky with the bi-plane- it wasn’t discovered by Robotnik’s goons. So I say we lock down Doctor Kintobor’s lab and move to a new base of operations, even if only temporarily.”
“Where did you have in mind?” Dulcy asked.
“Well, if you’ll forgive me for sounding a little biased, West Side Island. The reality is, that is where Citadel Robotnik is located. It’s also where Mobotropolis- the royal city- is. Which means Robotnik’s activity will be heaviest there. We need to hurt Robotnik’s supply lines, we need to cut him off at the pass before he can get going. And we need to do that as close to his home base as possible, before his influence can spread.”
Rotor raised his hand to get Sally’s attention, “Question- is anywhere on West Side Island likely to be safe?”
Sally looked around at her friends, “There is an expanse of woodland next to the royal city known as the Great Forest. Now, I’m banking on Robotnik having left it intact because it’s uninhabited and, therefore, largely useless to him. But we’re talking miles of greenery.”
Antoine nodded, “Oui, it is truly a sight to behold.”
Sally smiled, “It’s where I honed my climbing skills when I was younger. If we can set up a community in the Great Forest, we can make a safe haven for everyone displaced by Robotnik- a home away from home for people seeking refuge. We’ll all have to have one another’s backs. It won’t be easy but it has to be better than the fate Mobius finds itself staring down right now.”
Tails piped up, “If you need me to fly people to West Side Island in the bi-plane, I’m more than happy to.”
“I knew you would be,” Sally smiled, “And, yes, we’ll need to start taking our group there in trips. Dulcy, I assume you’re comfortable flying to West Side Island yourself. And Sonic, you can travel via Star Post if you’re feeling up to it. But we’re probably looking at a minimum of three trips in the plane.”
Sonic smirked, “Actually, we can do it in one. Tails and I will take the bi-plane.”
“And how will the rest of us get there, in your mind?” Sally raised an eyebrow.
Sonic looked at the time on his watch, “I thought something like this.”
A white, crackling flash lit up the room. The Omni-Viewer arrived, “9:42pm, exactly on time. As ever. How’s it going, Sonic?”
“Hey, Big Om, nice work, you’re good at this!” Sonic turned to his friends, “Guys, you’re going to travel via the Omni-Viewer.”
“How did you arrange this exactly?” Sally put her hands on her hips, somewhat indignant but still quite impressed.
“Sonic told me to be here on this date at 9:42pm,” Omni-Viewer responded.
Sally furrowed her brow and looked at Sonic, “And when exactly did you find the time to do that?”
Sonic shrugged, “I don’t know. I haven’t done it yet.”
“But he just said—”
“Time travel, Sal. I got the idea just now. At some point in the future, I’ll tell Omni-Viewer to come here now. Then he’ll come here now and we’ll have this conversation. Well, he’ll have it, we’re already having it. But by then we’ll have had it.”
“You’d better start making more sense or you really will have had it, mister.”
“Look, never mind that, here’s my plan,” Sonic shook his head, “You travel with the Omni-Viewer to instantaneously arrive at West Side Island. Tails and I will take the bi-plane and we’ll meet you there.”
Dulcy tried not to sound rude as she asked, “No offence, Sonic, but how can we be sure you’ll get there alright?”
“Hm. Good question. Big Om?”
Omni-Viewers screen-like face faded away as it turned into a window through space and time- revealing a second Sonic and a second Tails standing in the Great Forest.
“Hey, guys!” Future Sonic said.
“Looks like we get there just fine!”
Sally’s eyes narrowed but she found it impossible to fully conceal her smile, “You show off.”
“Every time. Come on, hop in.”
Everyone but Sonic and Tails leapt through the Omni-Viewer’s screen, instantly arriving in the Great Forest on West Side Island.
“What took you so long?” asked Future Sonic, who was now just Sonic.
“Very funny,” Sally admonished.
Past Sonic leaned through the screen after his friends, “Don’t pay attention to her, she’s always like that.”
“I’ll take that under advisement, cool, handsome, blue dude,” Sonic quipped.
“Right back at you, good lookin’!” Past Sonic grinned broadly.
Sally raised her arms, “Alright, enough, would you get in the plane already?”
“Already did, Sal!” Sonic replied.
It was going to be a long night.
As the Omni-Viewer flashed out of sight, Sonic explained the rest of his plan to the others. They’d set up base in the Great Forest and make preparations to bring in the first wave of refugees. Then, under cover of darkness, Sonic would sneak out into the nearby Emerald Hill Zone and search for the Zone’s Star Post to snag. The group would bring this Star Post back to the Great Forest, whereupon Sonic could establish a link with the Star Post in the Green Hill Zone, allowing him to bring the remaining inhabitants of the Green Hill Zone through the portal to safety.
And once they’d done that, they’d set about travelling Mobius to bring everyone they could to safety, hopefully undoing any damage caused by Robotnik along the way. This would be a long game, Sonic knew. But he had to try it. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.
And, maybe, if he was lucky, he’d be able to find his parents and Uncle Chuck along the way.
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