MBMH - Chapter Four

Chapter Four
The Illusion of a Broken Sky; Deliverance or Despair

Morning had broken. The long fingers of dawning radiance had descended peacefully upon Knothole Village – as they reached in through the open windows of the thatched wooden huts which stood clustered together, they gently touched the faces of the sleeping Mobians, stirring them back to wakefulness one after another.

A short while after her own turn had come, Bunnie Rabbot stood in the doorway of her hut. There was a coarse purple towel draped over her metal arm and a quizzical look on her face as she looked around at the gradually awakening village. Gosh darn it… she mused silently, running a finger across her towel. Ah’ll be missin’ Mah chance if Ah don’t make Mah mind up lickety-split!

Normally Sally would be up and about and, her regal status regardless, as tirelessly active as a worker-ant by this time – as far as The Princess was concerned, an hour of daylight not spent occupying herself in furthering The Freedom Fighter Cause or else improving the lives of the villagers was an hour of the day wasted. This fine morning however Sally-Girl was nowhere to be seen – perhaps she was pouring over her holographic map of Robotropolis one last time before departure, her keen and alert eyes in search of any kind of flaw or oversight that might turn their plan from smooth sailing to ruinous disaster. Either that or she had stayed up late last night doing so and was now catching a few precious hours of sleep before she and her comrades took the plunge…

Whichever was the case, Bunnie didn’t like to disturb the Princess with her petty little problem – so what was a rabbit to do? It was just as she verged upon resigning herself to being forced to use the metal tub she kept in the back of her hut that Bunnie saw her chance finally appear…

Tails’ head was bowed low, his eyes gazing down at his sneakers as though they held endless fascination for him – his shoulders were slumped listlessly and Bunnie had the distinct impression that, had he pockets, his paws would’ve been stuffed into them. As he walked between the huts with no apparent destination in mind, he didn’t notice Bunnie standing there.

But Bunnie noticed him, “Tails!” in her eagerness, her voice must’ve sounded louder than usual – Tails certainly jumped before turning and looking at her in surprise. “Well hi there! Guh’mornin’, Sugah!”

Tails was frowning as he faced her, "Morning.” He grunted noncommittally.

Bunnie’s eyes were curious as she appraised him – he was neither looking nor acting at all like himself that morning. “Couldn’t stay in bed, hmm?” she teased, “Ya’ll feelin’ tense about the mission? Ah don’t blame ya, sugah – Ah am too!”

Tails looked down at Bunnie’s gleaming right arm, what little of it was visible from beneath the towel anyway. “Yeah…I bet you are.” He said softly – as his mind was drawn away from whatever it was he'd been dwelling on, his eyes cleared noticeably.

Almost unconsciously, Bunnie touched her robotic arm - her gentle paw quivering faintly as she wondered whether it would still be so hard and lifeless by this time next month. “Yes…that Ah most assuredly am.” She responded softly – for a long and reflective moment, her eyes remained deeply wistful. Then she redirected them back to Tails and her pretty face was bright again. “Anyway…let’s not be jawin’ about that right now! Tails darlin’…Ah was wonderin’ if ya’ll would be a gentleman and do a lady a lil’ favour?”

“Such as…?” Tails prompted, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

“Come down to the river with me and keep watch while Ah bathe?” Bunnie asked sweetly.

She could just imagine the response of just about any of the other boys had she made this request of them – Tails, however, merely looked puzzled. “Huh?” his voice was blank, “Why do you want me to do that?”

“Ah need someone to warn me if any o’ the boys should wander too close while Ah’m…” Bunnie broke off at this point, coughing tactfully – turning up the charm, she gave the fox a dazzling smile. “Well anyway…Ah believe that ya’ll are the perfect candidate for the job, Sugah Tails. What do ya’ll say? Ya’ll aren’t gonna leave me high an’ literally dry, are ya?”

Confusion was written all over Tails’ face. “But…what’s the problem? You see me without clothes on all the time! What’s the difference?”

Bunnie laughed – she honestly couldn’t help it. “Oh there’s a difference, Sugah – a real big difference.” She replied airily. “Ah’ll explain it when ya’ll are older. But now…” elegantly, she held her organic arm out to him. “…are ya’ll escortin’ me down to the river or ain’t ya?”

And despite his extreme confusion, Tails shrugged and took it – arm-in-arm, they walked together between the huts. As they went, the rabbit noticed one of the fox’s tails brush slightly against the side of her leg though she didn’t feel the accidental and fleeting contact at all. This would have made her feel sad a couple of years back, just after tragedy had befallen her…even sadder than she would feel whenever she turned to find one of the normal villagers staring silently at her. Those gazes had been filled with revulsion and horror, as though she had been twisted and perverted into something so disgusting and utterly wrong that they could not tear their eyes from her – that was until she caught them doing so. Then those untainted Mobians would turn from her, whether to act as though nothing had happened or to blatantly run away from her, in either case leaving her to feel just that little bit more hated and alienated than she already had.

Of course things had changed a great deal since those dark days – whether the catalyst had been her many heroic acts in the name of The Freedom Fighters or simply that they had gradually gotten to know the rabbit within her partially mechanised form, the other villagers had gradually warmed to her again. And whenever she felt the wisps of sadness that had lingered within her, Bunnie would always remind herself of one thing; the wisdom upon which she’d rebuilt her life which her extremely close call with The Roboticizer had so very nearly destroyed. And this wisdom was the knowledge that though her metallic paw could not feel a thing, that she could still feel things within proved she was still a Mobian – that she could not feel Tails’ brush-like appendage as it touched her lifeless legs meant nothing when compared to how the fox’s affection touched her heart.

“Hey…Bunnie?”

Bunnie looked down at her companion as his tentative voice tugged her back to the present – Tails was gazing up at her, his eyes curious and hesitant at the same time. “Yes, Sugah?” she smiled at him, ready to answer any question he might put to her.

Tails opened his mouth, looked like he was going to close it again, then determinedly asked her. “If we pull off this mission today…you’ll get to go back to being the way you were before, won't you?”

Bunnie couldn’t ignore the eerie little shiver that ran up her spine – it was as though she’d been thinking so deeply about the effects her condition had had upon her life that the fox-cub had been able to sense it. “Why yes, Tails.” she replied slowly, “Eventually, Ah guess.”

Tails stared at her, his brow furrowing. “Eventually?” he repeated, “But…you’ve been like this for years, Bunnie. And you were so happy that time you got to go back to being…” he paused as his voice snagged upon the word ‘normal’ – he hurried onward, substituting the tactless phrasing with one less likely to hurt her feelings. “I mean…I thought that you’d wanna go in The Deroboticizer as soon as Sally and the other others repair it!”

Bunnie was silent for a long moment, silent and contemplative as the very matter she’d spent so many hours thinking about was brought up. “Yes, Tails…Ah’m certain that Ah will. Will want to, Ah mean t’ say. But…” she broke off from that sentence as she found herself suddenly at a loss for words on which to build it.

“But what?” Tails jumped on her moment of hesitation – he probably thought that it was irresolution. “Why not? Why not just take the chance when it comes along? You’ve done so much for The Freedom Fighter Cause, Bunnie…the least you deserve is to be happy!”

He had stopped walking and now stood staring up at her – forced to stop with him, Bunnie reflected on the words he’d just uttered. And now she did feel her resolve tremble. Why shouldn’t she step into the Deroboticizer when it was finally perfected? True, by finally shedding her robotic arm and legs she would forfeit her mighty strength…but surely the fact that there would still be plenty of Freedom Fighters left to continue the war would justify the sacrifice of this asset which, for herself, came at great personal price? Had she been this way for so long that she was now too used to being a martyr to just let herself be happy…?

Then she looked into Tails’ eyes, shining with innocence, and the moment ended – a glance, just a glance, into the fox’s eyes was enough to reaffirm the position that she had adopted. Listen to him…no-one his age should be talking this way. He’s a kid and I’m an adult…a young one maybe but one anyhow. Ah should be thinking about his future, his happiness, not him about mine! “Well…it sure is sweet of ya’ll to say that, Sugah.” Her voice was unusually grave as she spoke, “And ya’ll are right - gettin’ t’ be normal again for that one day was nice t’ be sure. But it also put a whole lot into perspective for me. And Ah for one won’t consider Mah efforts to have been enough ‘til the day this war is finished and nobody has t’ go through what Ah have evah again. An’ since Mah strength will go a long way toward makin’ that happen, Ah don’t think there’s any question of me bein’ selfish and throwin’ it away so easily.”

Tails looked unconvinced, “But…” he began to say.

“Tails…ya’ll must nevah’ experience the pain an’ sufferin’ Ah have. And Ah think Ah can bear mine for just a little longer if doin’ so means that ya’ll will never have to.” Her emerald eyes shone with a breath-taking clarity, unyielding and yet full of love, as she spoke her heart to Tails – then she smiled brightly, ruffled his fringe with her robotic paw and tugged at his arm. “This way, Darlin’. Enough dilly-dallyin’ now!”

Tails allowed himself to be led again by Bunnie, their conversation now stretched to the limit of the possibilities it had held – as they strolled down to the riverbank, the rabbit did not look at the fox again. And so she did not see the distant look now in his eyes nor the tiny frown on his face, either of which would have served as a hint that her words had further troubled rather than reassured him. After all…there was no way she could have realised that she had inadvertently reminded him of a certain conversation that he’d had the night prior.

The two of them walked together in silence until the long and swaying grass that grew beside the riverbank rose into view, – it was at this point that Bunnie gently disengaged her arm from Tails’ and looked down at him. “This is far as you go, Darlin’.”

Tails had actually bumped into her shoulder when she’d stopped – now he looked at her in surprise. “You…want me to stay here?” he asked slowly.

“Yep. Now ya’ll be sure to gimme a whistle if ya see any o’ the other boys comin’…’specially if it’s Antoine.” Bunnie giggled as she reached over and pinched his whiskered cheek playfully, “And no peekin’ now!”

With that the rabbit sauntered over to the long grass which she used her arms to brush aside like a pair of curtains…to reveal a scene truly magnificent to the eye. The river looked, that morning, like a misplaced piece of the sky; a shard that had cracked away and fallen to the earth. Only the wobbling of the fluffy white clouds, which she gazed down upon as they floated along by her feet, revealed that they were little more than reflections of those up above. Since she had been coming down here to bathe nearly every day over the last couple years however the illusion of a broken sky had lost its power over her long ago – the enchanting beauty that it contained, on the other hand, had not.

A cautious glance around easing her mind with the knowledge that the coast (or more accurately the riverbank) was clear, Bunnie smiled in anticipation – her body simply crying out for the cool water so tantalisingly close at hand, she slowly undid the black karate-belt tied about her slender waist. A minute later and her purple leotard lay in the grass as she slowly lowered a foot into the river – as the crystalline water closed first around her toes and then her ankle, Bunnie continued to step slowly and carefully into it.

Always had it been a mystery to the rabbit how she was able to do this at all, get the parts of her body which were robotic wet to any extent without suffering any adverse consequences – the best theory that Sally and Rotor had been able to devise was that the bodies of those subjected to Roboticization were somehow insulated in a way that anything wholly flesh or wholly mechanical could never possibly be.

Whatever the case was, the rabbit walked further and deeper into the shimmering water, her body descending lower beneath the surface with each step…until she felt it. The moment in which the rippling water arrived at the end (or perhaps the beginning) of her metallic legs…and met with fur and flesh for the first time that morning. An ecstatic tingle rose slowly through her body as the water closed around the swell of her bottom – her lips parted, a sigh as soft and smooth as velvet passing between them as it was granted right of way by the electrifying sensation. As if responding graciously to her childlike delight, the water rose around her wide hips and flat belly, setting every sense that it reached alive and tingling.

The lids of Bunnies eyes were lowered in serenity, her lips forming a perfect o as the water reached the curving crest of her bosom – for a long while she stood completely still, her partially immersed body infused with the thrilling sensation.

Gradually the practically divine sense of serenity faded, her body adjusting as it always did – as her lips relaxed once more, Bunnie felt them slowly twitch into a smile. Hoo-kay now…let’s get to work here. The rabbit cupped both of her paws together and dipped them slowly into the river – just as carefully, she raised the two pawfuls of water into the air as though seeking to return it to the sky from whence it had come.

This fanciful image was shattered as she tilted her cupped paws back, liberating the water she had collected in a miniature rain-shower which cascaded into her hair, plastering it against her head – again she felt the excited tingle race through her. And as the water ran down her face, streaking around her shoulders and femininity in rivulets…she suddenly felt something else entirely.

It was a sensation altogether removed from her thrilling contact with the water…a tingle that was manifested in the back of her neck. Hmmmmm. Unless Ah’m very much mistaken, Mah finely honed instincts are warnin’ me that someone is… Her fur sleek and shiny as it clung to her, Bunnie turned around, ripples swirling in the face of the river as she pivoted.

When her eyes fell upon the riverbank it was to see nobody at all standing there. A patch of the long grass was however swaying erratically from side to side…even though the wind was practically nonexistent that morning. It was like something had moved quite suddenly from within as she had turned to look at it…

Bunnie’s eyes widened as they reflected the light of dawning truth – as she understood, her gaping mouth closed, settling into a resigned smirk. Aw shucks…Ah sure as heck jinxed mahself, by tarnation! The rabbit thought as she gazed at the grass swaying in the near-distance…the grass in which he had hidden seconds ago.

As she turned away from the riverbank for a second time and began to run a metal paw across her softer arm, a wry smile adorned her gleaming face.

About ten minutes later Bunnie was stepping back through the living curtain of grass – she was clothed again, her sleek fur was already beginning to dry beneath the sun and she was feeling just as fantastic as she always did after a morning dip. As well as amused by the prospect of the conversation she was to engage in very shortly.

As the grass closed behind her again, Bunnie saw Tails standing a short way ahead – he had his back firmly to her and was standing very, very still indeed as she quietly walked up behind him. At least that was the way it appeared from a short distance – as she approached the fox-cub, the rabbit noticed how his shoulders trembled in faint recurring waves.

Bunnie felt just a little guilty about what she was about to do – however she also felt that Tails deserved it considering what he had done. So she did it.

Tails gave a yelp and leapt almost clean out of his sneakers – in one second he’d been rooted to the ground, his face flaming-red rather than its usual orange and white as he’d struggled to regain control of his breathing-apparatus. In the next a paw had clamped down on his shoulder!

He span around, drops of guilty sweat flying from his face…to see Bunnie standing there, smiling down at him. Her fur, his heart started to pound all over again as he perceived it, still gleamed brightly – there was also a glimmer of mischief in her eyes as she regarded him.

“Been keepin’ watch just like Ah asked ya’ll to?” she asked casually, deciding to play with him a little first.

He moved his head so clumsily that it was more a jerk than a nod, his wide eyes making it clear that he was within a hairs breadth away from either running away from her or fainting clean away on the spot. His shoulders were motionlessly tense beneath her paw…

“Good. Ah’m just sure ya’ll didn’t budge an inch from this spot, hmmm?” Bunnie cooed. Even though she felt guilt mounting as she saw the nervousness wracking his eyes, she still couldn’t resist the temptation to continue her fun. “So…ya’ll kept your eyes peeled, huh Sugah? Did anyone come by?” Tails shook his head so quickly that his whiskers whipped his still crimson cheeks. “Oh…so you’re tellin’ me that ya’ll didn’t see a thing just now?” there was a smirk on her face as she finally decided to put him out of his misery, “Ya’ll peeked didn’ cha?”

Tails gulped as he realised that she knew…she knew! “I-I…” he panted, pausing only to take a great gulp of air followed by three more – his face was burning so hotly that he was amazed he didn't spontaneously combust. “I’m-I’m sorry, Bunnie! I don’t know why I did it, I swear I…”

There was amusement rather than fury in Bunnie’s eyes as she watched him struggle, “Ah do.” She said simply, “Ya’ll did it because Ah told ya’ll not to.” She closed her eyes and giggled behind her paw – when she opened them again, they danced with sparkling light. “Ah shoulda known you would after Ah said that. So…it’s happened at last.” Planting her paws on her hips, she leaned toward the fox. “Ya’ll have finally discovered girls!”

The redness of Tails’ blushing cheeks deepened as he thought about how, overcome with curiosity, he’d crept toward the riverbank…and what he had seen as he’d peered though the grass. “But-but…aren’t you gonna get mad at me?” he asked, hardly able to believe that his sin could possibly go unpunished.

“Well…that really depends, Sugah.” Bunnie remarked, compressing her lips into a straight line as she gazed interrogatively at him.

“Er…on what?” Tails stammered, worry rekindled by the stern look now on her face.

“On just how much ya’ll saw!” Bunnie smirked as she decided that she really didn’t want to know – reaching out to him, she ruffled Tails’ fringe reassuringly. “Naw, Darlin’…Ah ain’t mad. If Ah was t’ get steamed at’cha for growin’ up then Ah may just as well get mad because ya’ll will be as tall as me one day! Yes you will, Sugah!” she just had to laugh at the look of disbelief that crossed his face at that comment, “But ya’ll are gonna have t’ promise me that’cha won’t go doin’ that again, Tails. Ah know ya’ll are at an age where boys start to like lookin’ at girls but all the same ya’ll also need to respect our privacy. Besides…Ah wouldn’t want you gettin’ in trouble.” She was looking him directly in the eyes, her face now serious. “Ya’ll gonna promise me, Tails?”

Tails readily nodded in agreement – he felt so relieved that she wasn’t angry with him that, had she asked it of him, he would have promised to sleep over at Antoine’s. For an entire month. “Yes, Aunt Bunnie.” He answered meekly.

“Well that’s good enough for me. Ya’ll are a sweet boy an’ Ah know that Ah can trust ya.” Bunnie gave him a smile of satisfaction, “Now Ah’m thinkin’…should Ah ask Sonic t’ talk t’ ya’ll about this?”

Tails’ eyes shot wide open, “On no!” he gasped in shocked horror, “Don’t, please! If Sally finds out, she’ll kill me!”

“Aw, Sugah…Sally-Girl will understand, ya’ll will see!” Bunnie exclaimed – for a moment she tried to think of what else she could say to bring him around to the idea. Then she shook her head thoughtfully. The rabbit had never been in this situation before but she realised that there were some cases in which a woman couldn’t be expected to do a man’s job. She sighed. “Well…let’s talk about that later. For now…well we won’t be settin’ off for the city ‘til later an’ Ah don’t really have anythin’ t’ do in the meantime. So Ah was wonderin’ if ya’ll are feelin’ up to a trainin’-session with me?” Tails nodded his head, still eager to please her as well as immensely relieved that she had allowed the subject to be changed. “Swell! Come on, Sugah-Tails!”

With that the rabbit headed back to her hut with the two-tailed fox in tow, following at her clinking heels – and as she noticed that he was taking particular care to ensure that his gaze remained firmly away from her body, she couldn’t resist one last bit of fun.

“Well, well…guess Ah’m gonna have t’ keep Mah eyes open for a cute lil’ fox-girl for ya’ll!”

“Aunt Bunnie!!”

Little did Bunnie realise that, by mid-day, Tails’ growing-pains would be at the bottom of her list of worries…

¤¤¤¤

I’m waaaitiiing!

It was mid-day.

Despite the fact that time had no meaning whatsoever in a place like this, Sonic felt an impatience so acute that it was actually visible in the form of the dark scowl on his face – the hedgehog’s spikes were flattened against his back as he pressed it against the wall, his tense paw aching as he held onto the walky-talky, the soles of his feet itching chronically. All of this as he stood perfectly still at the corner that led onto the next street, waiting for the all-clear.

Man oh man…this is all messed up! Those long wide empty streets out there…I can almost hear them crying out for my feet! Inviting me to leave a smokin’-hot trail blazin’ across them!

For a moment, unable to bear the snail-pace at which he’d so far been forced to move, Sonic came close to yielding to that tantalising temptation…dangerously close. With a deep breath however he took a mental step back from the alluring edge of that precipice – as he reasserted his self-control, the hedgehog reminded himself of why he and the others were here. As he did so he acknowledged that to throw caution to the (polluted) winds would not only be reckless but also potentially disastrous…not, of course, that he himself would have put it that way. Sonic would have said that he might mess everything up if he decided to wing it.
Sure, it doesn’t look like there are any stray SWATbutts hangin' around…but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Reasoned the hedgehog as he denied his feet what they were craving so desperately.

One thing that must must never be done in Robotropolis was to take a single thing for granted – many such misguided people, be they Freedom Fighters or regular Mobians who had accidentally wandered into the city of nightmares, had found him or herself being thrown into The Roboticizer as a direct result of that deadly mistake.

Not that Sonic was at all worried on his own account – heck, he’d left those chrome-domed jokers analysing his dust many times before and knew he’d do it again if he needed to. Only one thing held him back, one thing convinced him to stick to the meticulously arranged and unanimously agreed upon strategy; the knowledge that the entire plan would be blown if whatever enemies still roamed these streets were to become aware of The Freedom Fighters’ presence.

Just the thought of the sheer number if people depending on the success of this mission made Sonic reign in his ego…well for the moment at least. Uncle Chuck, Bunnie, everyone who’s lost family and friends ‘cuzza Robotnik over the years…this is for them! For their sake, I can’t fail now! At that moment, as though to reward the blue hedgehog’s newfound sense of responsibility, the walky-talky crackled in his paw.

Realising that he was receiving an incoming transmission, Sonic whipped it to his pricked-up ear. “Ten-Four, T2!” he exclaimed eagerly as he deftly pressed the button on the side of the black device. “Am I burnin’ your ears or what? Over!”

The response came a second later, “I hear you, Sonic.” The faint crackle of static aside, the voice was clearly that of Tails – for some reason however he didn’t sound as into this as the hedgehog would’ve expected. “I just called to give you an update on the situation.”

“Well what’cha waitin’ for, Big Guy? Shoot from the hip, that’s always been your style!”

“There are no SWATbots between you guys and The Dumping-Zone.” Tails stated, his voice noticeably flat and unexcited – for some reason or other, Sonic was reminded by it of somebody else though just whom precisely he couldn’t quite put his finger upon. “Plus I watched The Dumping-Zone for ten minutes and saw no sign of anything moving. It looks like they really are all at the dig. Anyway, I’d say you’re good to go.”

Sonic gave the thumbs-up even though he knew that Tails wouldn’t be able to see it – it had been a truly inspired decision to have the fox serve as their look-out for this mission. Like Dulcy, he could fly. Unlike the dragon, however, Tails was small enough to escape notice within the city due to the fact that security had lessened a great degree under the regime of its new Overlord. “Way to go, Bro!” he exclaimed, “When you’re cool, you’re cool! And boy, are you…oh.”

Tails had cut the transmission – for a minute or two, Sonic stared at the dead walky-talky with a blank look on his face. Then he shrugged and returned it to his backpack with a deft flick of the wrist. Time ta’ do it to it! He thought, looking over his shoulder. “Yo! You guys comin’ or what?” he breathed in an intense whisper.

The brief pause which followed was broken by the sound of turning wheels – they were attached to the sides of the wooden cart which rolled out from the depths of the long shadow cast by the wall. It was pushed along by two of The Freedom Fighters – namely Rotor and Antoine. The latter of the pair was emitting a noise which sounded a great deal like an old-fashioned steam-engine in motion as he put his back into the task – the coyote’s face was dripping with the a sweat that had already drenched his blue uniform.

“C’mon, Ant!” Sonic encouraged his comrade in the way he knew best, “Beat that egg in your boot before it ends up all over your face!”

“Ridiculicious!” Antoine panted as he and his blubbery comrade brought the cart to a halt – learning against it, he breathed a heavy sigh and ran the back of his sleeve across his forehead. “I am having you know that I am cleaning my boots every night and am never finding any hecks in them!”

Oh brother… Sonic thought as he put his paws on his hips and hefted a long-suffering sigh.

Letting go of the cart, Rotor cracked his knuckles – though his joints clearly ached just as badly as the coyote’s did, the walrus bore it a lot better. “Did I hear right, Sonic?” he asked in his slow voice, “Tails said we’re good to go?”

Sonic nodded – as he did so he felt that urge resurge within him, this time totally impossible to resist. The urge to run faster than lightning. Hunching his shoulders, the hedgehog hopped first from one foot and then from the other as he warmed up – after all, Tails had assured him that there was nothing to worry about, right? “Sure did.” He answered, suddenly a hedgehog of very few words. “I’ll be on point. Follow me, guys!”

Rotor’s cheeks puffed out as he grinned at the hedgehog, “You’re gonna juice.” It was a statement of fact, not a question.

“Nah…” Sonic’s mouth wasn’t the only thing that was active now – his feet were moving, so fast that they looked like burning rubber-bands as they built up speed. “…I am juicin’, Rote! Up…over and…outta here!”

And with a sonic-boom accompanied by a shockwave that would’ve sent the cart hurtling back the way from which it had come had Antoine and Rotor not been able to grab it at the last second…he was. As Sonic streaked around the corner, he was running so fast that the boarded-up doorways and windows on both sides of the street appeared to merge into a dull-grey blur. Man…no SWATbots ta’ dodge! It just don’t feel right! The hedgehog’s destination rose into sight in no time at all, growing larger and more detailed to his eyes like a staggeringly complicated balloon being blown up by some street-entertainer - digging his heels into the cracked road, Sonic screeched to a halt in front of it.

The Dumping-Zone had been the perfect basis for a rather crude (and in his own opinion really funny) joke on the hedgehog’s part back when he and The Freedom Fighters had first been told about it – that joke had also been the basis for Sally to fold her arms and make a scathing comment about growing up as she’d glared at him. Tails had sniggered and, though this had also earned him a look so stern that it could have frozen coffee, Sonic had been deeply heartened – at least someone had been sophisticated enough to appreciate his refined humour.

Now that he was actually here, Sonic realised that there was nothing at all funny about this place – the hedgehog was standing in the main square at the centre of the city, his eyes growing round with awe as he gazed at it from the cloud of dust he’d just kicked up. During King Acorn’s reign, this area had been constantly full of people, young and old. Children running around and playing together, teenage boys trying to act cool in order to impress the teenage girls, most of whom strolling around in cliques and giggled at the boys. Elderly men seated on the many benches as they’d smoked their pipes whilst talking about the latest news regarding The Great War. Courting couples sitting at the edge of the fountain which had constantly gushed with sparkling water.

This place had once been the symbolic heart of Mobotropolis, a shining testament to the thriving unity of the multitude of species which had come together in order to form that glorious civilization.

When Robotnik had risen to power, it had become a vast area of concrete devoid of anything but the howling wind and ghosts of a lost kingdom – and now, under the third regime of the last decade, it had changed once again.

Though it remained lifeless save for the odd rat or cockroach, this part of town could no longer have been called empty by any stretch of imagination – almost every yard was now home to a chunk of the debris which had been tossed here over the last two months. In towering piles and dangerously unstable-looking stacks it stood - into the ground it had been flattened by the feet of the SWATbots who had brought it here, to such an extent that it had come to form a carpet of junk.

And it wasn’t just worthless scrap, Sonic realised as he stepped forward and cast a look around – mixed in with the array (which could have passed for the greatest work of Surrealist Art in the world) were Hover Units that had flown their last, dismembered pieces of SWATbot, dull and lifeless Surveillance Orbs as well as many of the machines that had once worked the assembly-lines of the now abandoned factories. There were computer-terminals and smashed monitor-screens, masses of unidentifiable circuit-boards – Sonic didn’t want to look too close for fear that he might see the face of a WORKERbot, crumpled and twisted beyond the point of usefulness to its new master, staring chillingly back at him.

As he cast his gaze elsewhere it fell upon something he had not expected to see. Something from his past; the gold-plated body of a large and yet at the same time elegant robot which bore a distinct resemblance to a cheetah. The two pairs of long legs, now sticking up into the air as if in death, looked as though they had once been strong and powerful…in fact Sonic knew they had been. It was none other than the machine he’d found himself pitted against that time Robotnik had challenged him to a race through the city…The Speed Bot.

Sonic walked over to stare down at it – it was strange. True, this robot had been created by Robotnik for the purpose of defeating him - true, it had even cheated during their race. But it had also been the one opponent he’d ever encountered whose speed had truly rivalled his own – as a matter of fact, Sonic had always secretly hoped that one day the two of them might have a rematch. Seeing it lying here as an inert and lifeless shell, no longer a speedster but an unwanted and abandoned toy…that just made the hedgehog feel sad.

With a sigh of regret, Sonic turned away from his fallen foe – he had work to do. But how the heck am I ever gonna find anything in there…?!! The answer came to him a second after the thought. By lookin’ is how. An’ there ain’t no time like now ta’ get goin’!

A second later Sonic was a brilliant blue streak rocketing into the graveyard of machinery and over a heap of SWATbot heads, which toppled seconds later in his wake – when the object of his search didn’t spring to view, the hedgehog blazed a trail through a complicated series of stacks comprised of crushed TEKbots. This brought him no closer to locating his goal, resulting instead in giving him the beginning of one major headache as he tried to find his way out again. Geez…it’s like a maze in here! Well, it sorta slipped my mind to bring along a trail of breadcrumbs so…

Deciding to take the most direct route out of here, Sonic cranked his speed up a mach and ran right up the side of one of the stacks – and it was as he soared through the air that he saw it. His eyes went completely blank along with his mind – because of this he almost failed to notice as gravity began to reassert its power over him. Just in time to prevent himself from crashing face-first into the final stack, Sonic thrust out his paws, breaking his fall as well as performing a somersault – already flattened oil-cans crunched beneath the soles of his sneakers as he landed on the far side of the scrap-stacks.

Paying no mind to his extremely close call, all in a day’s work for a hero like himself after all, Sonic rose back to his full height – after he regained his breath, he looked up. The area he now found himself standing in was wide and yet enclosed by the piles and stacks of junk on all sides, increasing the sense of him having just conquered a maze…and there before him, as clear as day, was the prize that awaited him.

Sonic stood as still as a rock, unable to believe his staring eyes…unable to accept that this hour he’d had his fingers crossed for, for which he’d hoped and prayed for so many years, had finally come. It felt so unreal that the hedgehog had to pinch himself – the sharp pain shooting up the arm he’d chosen to perform this little test on confirmed to him that he had not actually bashed his head just then and that this was not merely a hallucination. It was actually happening…what he saw in front of him now was real.

Wow...and ow.

So distant and faint that it was only just caught by his pointy hedgehog ears it came…the sound of well-oiled wheels turning. Followed by the voice that called to him; “Sonic? Sonic!”

Sonic recognized it at once, “I’m here, Rote!” he called, his transfixed gaze not leaving it for a second.

“This place…wow.” Rotor’s voice sounded awe-filled as he evidently looked around at The Dumping-Zone, blown away by what was all around him – Sonic could just picture the walrus’ fervent eyes as he thought of what he could do back in Knothole with some of this stuff.

“I know.” Sonic answered simple, “Hey…ain’t Ant with ya?” the hedgehog was struck by the coyote’s uncharacteristic silence.

A chuckle floated over the mounds of refuse, “Yeah Sonic. Thing is, when you set off…you kind of caused the cart to run over his foot.”

Despite the heavy solemnity of this moment, Sonic found himself grinning. “Well…can’t say this mission hasn’t kept him on his toes!” he quipped.

And so, by following the hedgehog’s voice, the coyote and the walrus made their way into the heart of The Dumping-Zone – the turning of the wheels was accompanied by the sound of their bickering voices;

“His voice was coming from over there…”

“No, no! It is coming from over there…”

“No there, you don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“No, it is you who is not knowing…”

“No, you don’t…”

Soon enough however Antoine and Rotor’s disgruntled faces appeared in view – and as the walrus opened his mouth to greet Sonic, jaw fell. “Oh…wow.” He whispered as softly as the first breath of a newborn creature – his eyes were filled with the desperate light of one who barely dared to dream that what he now looked upon could possibly be real. The light of hope.

Sonic nodded in complete understanding of the emotions that ravaged the walrus’ heart, “I know.” He repeated, feeling déjà vu setting in.

“For…” Rotor’s voice was trembling as he gazed at it; the beginning of the end to the misery that had engulfed the lives of Mobians all over the planet for the last decade. “…for real?”

And again Sonic just understood, “For real, man.” He said, his voice deep with the emotion he felt welling up in his own heart. “For real.”

There before the three of them lay a thing of unspeakable evil, a nightmarish aberration the name of which had once struck terror into the hearts of all whom had heard it. A vile abomination, the mere touch of which had meant a hideous fate for a countless number of wretched souls; an accursed existence compared to which death would have been a sweet and merciful release.

A relic from the reign of Doctor Robotnik...The Roboticizer

Sonic could barely believe this even though he was looking at it with his own two eyes – the machine that had been responsible for the roboticization of so many innocent Mobians was right in front of him, just lying there like a broken salad-mixer. Its glass tubes splintered, grime and dust coating its side...but still definitely there. It was too good to be true, far too perfect to possibly be real.

Eleven days ago, The Freedom Fighter had received an urgent message from Uncle Chuck – its contents had been long in length, extensively detailed and had rocked their world. And what had made the words written on the tightly folded sheet of paper so miraculous was that the turn of events they’d heralded had come as a flash of lightning in a clear sky.

Unlike Robotnik whose complex schemes had been constantly relayed via his computer-systems and satellite-network, both of which could be hacked into with a certain degree of skill and determination, Naugus largely disdained the use of science and technology – in other words the sorcerer’s agenda remained locked within his inscrutable mind, an enigma that The Freedom Fighters could not begin to fathom much less devise a plan to foil. The massive dig currently underway within the city was a perfect example of this. When Naugus had first claimed mastery over Robotropolis, The Freedom Fighters had expected him to immediately go on the offensive; use his magic to flush them out of hiding, whether by engulfing The Great Forest in flames or by freezing the river that ran through it in order to deprive them of their water-supply. Naturally the commencement of the drilling-operation had been a great surprise to them all, a riddle which stymied even Sally’s brilliant mind.

And so, while Naugus maintained his ominous silence, the true purpose of the rapidly expanding and deepening crater would remain a mystery…until the hour of fateful revelation.

Most frustrated of all The Freedom Fighters had been Uncle Chuck whose role as hedgehog on the inside had been reduced to almost complete uselessness – because Naugus chose to give his commands to Robotnik by word of mouth within the secluded confines of his inner sanctum, the wealth of invaluable information with which the spy had once been able to supply the rebels had dried up overnight. Sonic had seized the opportunity to try to convince his Uncle that there was no longer any reason for him to remain in Robotropolis, that he could help The Freedom Fighters so much more in Knothole. The hedgehog still remembered the fire that had blazed fiercely in his Uncle’s eyes as the roboticized hedgehog refused outright to abandon his increasingly insecure position, insisting over and over again that it would yet yield fruit.

And one morning when he’d been sitting and wearily watching the feed from his remaining spy-cameras throughout Robotropolis…it had. Uncle Chuck had checked and then double-checked in order to make absolutely certain he was correct. Then, when not a shred of reasonable doubt remained in his mind, he’d sent the message to Knothole; the great dismantlement of Robotropolis had now reached the fortress itself! The nerve-centre of the city was being emptied of every hint of technology it contained at a rate of one floor per day, its contents being sent to that place machinery was being consigned in order to await destruction…The Dumping-Zone.

And when she’d gone through Nicole’s holographic blueprints of the fortress, Sally had gasped at the implications of this new turn of events – in just eleven days it would be twelfth and highest floor’s turn to be de-mechanised. The floor on which, gathering dust and cobwebs, The Roboticizer had been located!

In that moment, Sally had realised what this meant for all of Mobius…and what she and her comrades must do in the light of it. All of The Freedom Fighters’ years of trying to scavenge parts and cobble together complex codes in an attempt to build a machine to reverse the process of roboticization, all the tears of frustration that they’d shed along the way had ultimately been in vain…without the original machine kept by Robotnik, it was as clear as the harsh light of day that a perfect Deroboticizer could never be created. And with that all-important machine now eleven days away from being destroyed forever, Sally knew what must be done – her will had been like tempered steel as she’d realised it.

From the moment that they’d been briefed about the situation, The Freedom Fighters had all agreed upon their course of action – come the eleventh day, they would brave the dangers of the domain now under the rule of Ixis Naugus in one final effort to bring either deliverance or despair to the most tragic victims of this war.

And here it was right in front of them…an unholy grail awaiting them upon a rusted platter.

Looking across his shoulder as he heard a soft crunch, Sonic saw that Antoine was now standing beside him – the coyote’s eyes were oddly empty, even the pain in his throbbing toes banished from mind, as stared silently at what lay ahead. And all of a sudden Sonic wasn’t even tempted to snicker about the layer of dust which coated Antoine’s face, having been sprayed there by the back-wheels of the cart – he knew exactly what was going on behind those eyes as his comrade stared at it.

Antoine was thinking of another coyote whom he had not seen in ten years, a great coyote for whom he’d felt so much love and respect. That coyote had been the Captain of King Acorn’s Royal Knights. That coyote had been his father. Even after all these years Antoine still had no idea whether Captain Depardiue had perished in a valiant last stand, having selflessly laid down his own life in order to defend innocent people from an overwhelming number of SWATbots…or been overpowered and dragged off to The Roboticizer. It occurred to Sonic in a moment of clarity that the possibility of finally discovering the truth must be terrifying as well as elating for Antoine…

And Rotor. Not once since the day of Robotnik’s takeover had Rotor so much as mentioned his family – in fact Sonic had a feeling that the walrus had, deep down in his heart, resigned himself long ago to the strong probability that he would never see his kin again. After all…even if they had been among the Roboticized, their exhausted and broken bodies had in all likelihood wound up in the trash-compactor years ago. And yet whenever this horrible image forced its way into his unhappy mind, Rotor would hold at bay the despair that threatened to overwhelm him by throwing himself into whatever work had required his attention – whether the task had been to replace one of Nicole’s malfunctioning microchips or to ensure that Bunnie’s robotic appendages remained in perfect working order, the walrus had put into it every ounce of energy that he would otherwise have spent brooding about something over which he had no control. And so he had always ensured that The Freedom Fighters would be ready to take on whatever they might be pitted against, done everything in his power to see to it that Robotnik’s evil would one day be destroyed. Still…the possibility of knowing once and for all whether or not he’d been an orphan for the last ten years was irresistible.

Sonic realised that that Antoine and Rotor were staring at him, both with expectant looks on their faces – as he slowly accepted that this was actually happening, the hedgehog felt himself breaking into a great big grin. What made it so great and big was that he was thinking about how he would finally be able to bring his uncle home, how he would soon be able to free him from the twilight world of roboticization. How the two of them would be able to be a family again at last.

Suddenly the three of them were grinning together like giddy fools – and the feeling of camaraderie that they shared was practically tangible. It had always been there…even between Sonic and Antoine despite the vast differences between the two of them. What was different now was that they could feel it flowing among them in this strange moment of purity, of unspoken understanding and brotherhood. It was an amazing moment and one that each of them was to remember for as long as he lived.

It should have lasted longer than it did…

“Well…” Rotor sounded breathless as he tried to speak while grinning at the same time, “…we did it, you guys.”

“Oui-oui!” Antoine squeaked, clapping his paws together. “As Soneec would be saying, unga bunga!”

Cowabunga, Ant…cowabunga. Sonic thought though he didn’t have the heart to correct the coyote. “Yeah...we rock!” tearing his gaze from The Roboticizer, he looked back at the waiting cart. “Now all we gotta do is bring as much of it as we can back to Knothole…”

The first sign that the rest of the mission wasn’t destined to go so smoothly revealed itself as the soles of the hedgehog’s feet began to vibrate uncomfortably – Sonic’s first assumption was that the distant dig had caused something to topple. His second assumption was that this event had occurred so far away that it wouldn’t possibly effort the trio’s mission. Both assumptions were perfectly sound and rational – they were also completely and utterly wrong.

The Freedom Fighters’ presence had not gone undetected – someone, or something, had been aware of them from the precise second they had arrived in The Dumping-Zone. This awareness had waited only until all three of these organic intruders were together in one spot. Now the moment had come. Now it moved against them

The ground erupted. Sonic and his two comrades all cried out in shock as they leapt back, instinctively flinging their arms out in front of themselves in an effort to shield themselves from the chunks of debris raining down on them…

“What the…?!!”

“Sonic…!”

“Sacra bleu cheeeese…!”

…and so not one of them saw the now crumpled metal hatch that hurtled skyward, torn from its mechanical hinges by a force so ferocious as to shatter ten feet of solid ice.

Sonic was the first to uncover his face…and so he was the first to see what it was they were facing. The figure that emerged from beneath the ground rose into the air as smoothly and gracefully as a bird taking flight – but in reality its true nature was far from avian. In fact…it’s true nature was far from natural. The stunned hedgehog practically felt burned by the sheer intensity of the crimson stare directed at him by the SWATbot which had appeared from the hidden bunker, riding upon a Hover Pad.

Sonic could have slapped himself. When am I ever gonna learn to be careful what I wish for…? he thought, preparing to dodge.

It was for a long moment that Lieutenant Omega stood still and silent, ‘his’ body exuding an aura of raw power – then ‘he’ spoke, mocking The Freedom Fighters who had fallen so completely for this trap. “Looking for something, Hedgehog?” the crimson light emitting from ‘his’ visor intensified menacingly, “Or just browsing?”