Team Tails Takes Off

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Tails?" Princess Sally asked over the monitor. "I mean, I don't mind still funding your team and I trust your judgement completely. But won't it be a better idea to field some professional recruits from teams with combat experience like the wolf pack or the Chaotix?"

"I know an open recruitment sounds risky, Aunt Sally." Tails replied. "But we might be able to get some individuals with hidden talents that the professional circles aren't aware of."

"Alright, Tails. You know what you're doing." The chipmunk replied with a smile. "Just make sure not to let any badnik spies or undercover members of Team Hooligan get into your base."

"Alright, alright. I'll make sure to be careful, Princess." Tails shook his head. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go and help Marine greet the potential recruits." The fox twirled his tails and hovered his way back out to the Sky Patrol's main meeting area. Marine and Cream were rushing around making sure the large meeting table was all set and enough info flyers for every recruit were stacked neatly at Tails' place at the table.

"Blimey, Cream. I really want to thank you for helping Tails and I get this place set up for the recruitment drive." Marine stated, gratefully. "I'm sure your organizational skills will come in very handy around here."

"Well golly, Miss Marine." Cream replied, laughing. "When I heard that your base would need a secretary and maid. I just knew I'd be perfect for the job." The little rabbit narrowed her eyes and put her finger under her chin thoughtfully. "Besides, working here on the Sky Patrol lets me be close to my dear Miles without you realizing it."

"Uh? What was that, Cream?" Marine asked, raising an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Oh, nothing." The gleeful little mobian flashed a plastic smile. "Just thinking to myself how hard of a baseball bat it would take to knock a mobian raccoon out with one blow."

"What?" Marine asked, confused.

"I said nothing." She concluded. "So, want to go ahead and start letting the new recruits in?" Marine nodded, and pressed the button to open the airlock. Tails walked into the room just as a crazy swarm of mobians of every shape and size came pouring in through the entrance.

"Wait, no. One at a time." Tails called out as they all stampeded right over him. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Hey, watch the tail, buddy. Ow. Ow. Ow, my head." The fox laid on the ground with a bunch of foot prints all over him. "Can't you guys be a little more orderly, please?" The group of candidates had already spread out around the room looking at Team Sonic's old trophies from their adventures and admiring the interior of the ship.

"Hmm, this isn't a bad looking place especially with that blue annoyance gone." A familiar feminine voice noted as she walked through the crowd. "After I join Team Tails, I'll have to redecorate this whole place in pink and black. Lots and lots of jewels."

"Rouge?" Tails exclaimed. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Oh come on, Tails. Surely, my thieving skills could help your little team out." She walked over to the young fox, rubbing her hand on the bottom of his chin. "With Shadow too busy playing doctor with his magic powers now, he doesn't have time for little old me. Don't you think I should use my abilities for the betterment of Mobian kind?"

"Duh." Tails exclaimed his jaw hanging open as he stared blinkly at the bat mobian's attributes. "I… I… guess you can join the team. I mean, I'd love to have such a talented pair of… I mean, talented thief on board the team."

"GRRRR!" Marine hissed, her raccoon tail fluffed out. "Now, see 'ere you bloomin' floozy." The angry raccoon spat. "We don't need some rodent tramp with too much make-up and not enough clothing, sauntering around the base and stealing everything not nailed down."

"Oh… give it a break, kid." The annoyed bat thief complained. "Why don't you go back to the Down Unda nursery where you belong, and let the nice adults talk?"

"That's a funny thing coming out of your mouth, grandmum." Marine crossed her arms in front her chest. "By the way, I have some really good make-up that you could use to cover all those sassy wrinkles."

"WHY YOU LITTLE TART!? I DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE AND GET INSULTED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!" Rouge angrily turned on her pointed heel and stormed off. "By the way, it's a good thing if you keep your arms crossed like that. It would be best if you kept the fact hidden that you're not very developed as an adventurer. In fact, you kind of come up flat." Rouge flew out the entrance as Marine threw a skillet from the kitchen after her.

"Well, that's one less useful candidate we have to draw from." Tails sighed. "I just hope theirs still some good talent left here."

"Mister Tails man, you gotta stop stressin' about dese things." The voice of a mobian reachd his ears. "De universe, she a cosmic pool a wata that is calm and tranquil. You only need calm your spirit to feel the cosmic energy flow, man." Tails turned to see a sloth about his age wearing monk's robes with a short beard and dreadlocks. The sloth seemed to have an air of tranquility around him.

"Thank you for that batch of new age mumbo-jumbo that didn't make any sense at all." Tails replied, sarcastically. "I take it you're one of the new recruits who wants to join the team."

"You got dat right, man." The sloth replied, taking a meditating position. "Me name is Rocket and I come from a long line of Down Unda mystics."

"Bonza, you must be from the island of Rastarafara. The place of mystics just off Down Unda's coast." Marine stated.

"Dat's right, man. And you're two-tailed friend seems a little too high-strung here." The sloth reached into his robe and pulled out a ziplock bag full of a strange green plant. "Mr. Tails man, dis stuff will make all your stress and tension go away."

"Nuh-huh. No way. Nobody in Sonic's whole group of friends, even touches stuff like that." Tails raised his hands in protest. "We take enough otherworldly trips. We don't need any of your mystic plants."

"Eh, man. What are you talkin' about?" The sloth replied, insulted. "Dese are salad greens meant for a ham cheese and bologna sandwich calms you right down and gives you a warm feeling in your belly." He pat his stomach.

"Oh, sorry." Tails apologized. "So what talents do you possess that could be of use to Team Tails."

"Dat's easy, man. Watch this." Rising from the floor, the sloth vanished in a blur of lines before appearing on the other side of the room. He disappeared and reappeared in several different places in the surrounding crowd before reappearing at Tails' side.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Marine exclaimed. "I neva seen anybody move that bloomin' fast except for King Sonic."

"Ah, my dear." He blinked over toward her patting her on the head with his three-toed claw. "It is not a matter of speed but rather a state of mind. Distance is part of the material world and the material world is only an illusion. I merely move through the illusion as I see fit for I understand the true nature of-."

"Okay, okay, we get it." Tails replied in frustration. "You have mystical powers that mimic either super speed or teleporting. Save your new age explanations for yoga class." Tails shook his head. "You're on the team."

As Tails started to talk to the new comer, Marine wandered off into the crowd where she heard an unfamiliar voice talking in an eerily familiar accent.

"Oh bloody hell, there are so many bloomin' people here I don't think I have a chance of joining the team." A depressed canary mobian sighed and I so wanted to compare notes with a scientist like Tails. Hearing the voice, Marine went running up to the battle bird moving through the crowd.

"Excuse me, are you from Cocoa Island?"

"Sure am." The other mobian replied. "My name's Techno and I've been sent from the battle birds to be their representative to Team Tails."

"Really? I'm Marine." The raccoon replied, excitedly. "Krickey…"

"Blimey…"Techno replied.

"Bonza…" Marine added.

"Narf…" Techno finished.

"Well, that's interesting." Marine finished. "Well, it was wonderful having such a deep and meaningful conversation with you. G'day."

"Cheerio." Techno added as the two walked off.

As Tails waited for Marine to return, he heard the soft movement of a pair of leafy feet move up behind him.

"Um, excuse me. Mister Tails." A timid but mature voice called out. "I don't mean to bother you but I was thinking about joining Team Tails, if I could." The two-tailed fox spun around and suddenly his eyes went wide.

The flower-like dress, the short cropped haircut, the two closed rose buds on top of her head. Tails couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"C… Cosmo?" Tails sputtered out, nearly falling to his knees. "But I… But you… how?"

"No, wait Tails, it's not what you… Mmph!" Before she could say another word, Tails jumped forward grabbing the seedrain mobian in a tight embrace and placed a powerful kiss on her lips. The seedrain's face turned a bright red before Tails slowly moved away from her. "Oh Cosmo, I thought you were gone forever."

"Uh… actually tails. I'm not Cosmo." The fluttered and embarrassed seedrian replied. That's when Tails noticed her leafy hair was blue. "I'm her sister and I wanted to join your team in her memory."

"Oh… Galaxina… It's you… I didn't expect you to be here." Tails laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Oops, sorry about that. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll go over into the corner and die of embarrassment."

As Tails' little drama was playing out, Marine was moving around the crowd when she spotted a figure from the covers of her record album.

"Oh my gosh, it can't be…" the excited teenager ran up to a female mobian mongoose with yellow fur who had a keytar strapped to her back. "Excuse me, are you Mina Mongoose the famous popstar from Sand Ocean?"

"Yep, that's me." She answered. "Minoko J. Mongoose, Professional performer and part-time military pilot."

"OH MY GOSH, I HAVE ALL OF YOUR ALBUMS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE!" Marine raced back to her private quarters and brought out a shopping bag full of CDs. "Could you please sign this one and this one and this one? Oh, and this?"

"Wow, I didn't know you were such a big fan." Mina replied, before she stared at the excited raccoon for a moment. "Hey, wait a second, aren't you Amanda Willow Rescue. The daughter of Captain Rescue Raccoon?"

"Yeah, that's me. But my da, never talks to me that much." She waved her hand dismissively. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Know him? He was my mentor in the Sand Ocean Air Force." She replied proudly. "I served in the Civil Defense Forces during the Battle Bird Invasion. That old codger taught me everything I know, he's a real hero."

"Yeah, well, I wish somebody would teach him how to be a good father." Marine rolled her eyes. "Anyway, sign these two hundred CDs and you're on the team."

"Wait a minute, don't you want to find out what I can do?" Mina asked in confusion. "Wouldn't it be better to wait and talk this over with Tails?"

"Are you bloomin' kidding me?" Marine exclaimed, setting down the bag to rush back and get more CDs. "I've got me own popstar to sing for me whenever I bloomin' want." She narrowed her eyes "And you'll be performing for me forever."

"Why do I get the feeling I made a big mistake coming here?" The mongoose asked nervously.

"Oh, don't worry." Marine replied with a giggle. "I'm just fangirling a bit. Welcome to the team." As the two mobians were talking, one of the candidates looked over and saw Mina standing there.

"HEY! ISN'T THAT MINA MONGOOSE!" He exclaimed, causing everyone else to look over in shock.

"MINA MONGOOSE?" Everyone else shouted running towards her like a herd of stampeding cattle.

"I want your autograph."

"I love all your music."

"You're the best."

"Oh sh-." It wasn't very long before Marine got trampled by a swarm of raving fanboys and fangirls. As the crowd swarmed around the overwhelmed Mina, a dizzy Marine lay on the floor with footprints all over her body. "Krickey, I feel like I got hit by a kangaroo stampede."

"Excuse me, miss. But it seems you've been knocked around quite a bit." A deep voice uttered as a large powerful form walked up in front of the battered girl.

"What?" She looked in front of her to see a pair of sown moccasins with an eagle design stitched across them. Looking up, she saw the towering form of a mobian wolf dressed in buffalo hide clothing with a bone choker around his neck and a feather in the headband on his brow.

"Oh my… Krickey, a wolf pack member. I didn't expect a gorgeous hunk of wolf like you coming to this meeting." She stared at him starry-eyed. "So, where's your name and what are you from?"

"Oh my, I never heard that question before." The wolf answered with a toothy smile. "My name is Greywolf and I am second in command to Chief Lupe of the Wolf Pack. Every other sound was drowned out as Marine stared at the wolf warrior. She even failed to hear the jealous growling of a two-tailed fox behind Greywolf. The wolf warrior had barely managed to help Marine back to her feet when a loud and bright explosion suddenly shook the Sky Patrol.

"What's that?" one of the potential recruits called out. "What's going on?"

Tails and Marine turned to find the hatchway had been blown open and several strange looking humanoid robots came pouring through the hatchway. One of them pointed a finger at the gathered crowd before declaring in a monotone voice.

"Attention, citizens. This is an unauthorized gathering." It stated. "Please vacate the premises or we shall use deadly force." At that moment, most of the candidate ran screaming out the open hatchway. Pouring out into the decking bay where the Sky Patrol was parked.

"Well, a good thing we didn't invite them to join the team." Tails quipped, turning to the seven remaining mobians. "Looks like it's just Marine, Galaxina, Rocket, Mina, Cream, that wolf guy, and myself to handle this situation."

"Hey, I'm still here." Techno stated, angrily.

"Blimely, what are up against?" Marine asked. "I've never seen anything like those units before."

"I have Marine." Techno replied, a shiver going down her spine. "Our spies found the plans for them in Julian Robotnik's RND labs." She turned a deathly pale. "Those are the SWAT BOT Mark III. The latest in freedom fighter hunting technology."

"But why were they never put to use when Sonic and I were fighting Ro-butt-nik?" Tails asked.

"They had just finished testing when you and your friend fighter friends sent Julian to Hades." Techno answered as the swat bots raised their guns. "Eggman fell back on his much weaker but far cheaper egg pawns. But it looks like somebody else has revived Julain's designs."

The five robots opened fire on the mobians, barely knocking several of them off their feet. The swat bots quickly moved in for the kill as the mobians jumped back up and fled for their lives.

"Blimey, these things are tougher than they look." Marine cried out, spinballing into one of them several times before simply bouncing off. "It's gonna take a whole lot more fire power than what we have to take 'em down."

Tails and Techno looked at each other and nodded.

"Do you have that little project the three of us were working on last time?" Techno asked.

"You mean the little toy we made at Rotor's lab?" Tails nodded as he and Techno both pulled out two green spheres with something that looked like a popcan tab on top.

"What are those?" Galaxina asked, confused. "Ultra-powerful energy drinks?"

"Nope, these are EMP grenades."

"What does that mean?" She asked asked again.

"It means they contain and electro-magnetic pulse that will knock these tin cans out."

"Okay."

The two mobians threw the grenades at the feet of the Mark IIIs. One went off and electrified one of the swat bots knocking it over, but the other Mark III picked up the grenade at its feet and tossed it right back.

"LOOK OUT!" Techno chirped. The magnetic pulse didn't harm the organic mobians but the blast that companied it sent Tails and Techno flying back into the wall knocking them out.

"Blimey, it looks like Tails and Techno are down." Marine exclaimed. "Looks like it's up to us to stop these robots."

"Tails. They hurt Tails?" Cream's face contorted into a look of psychotic rage as foam began to ooze from her mouth. "YOU HURT TAILS! ARGH!"

"Look out." Greywolf howled as they all ducked for cover. "It's the killer rabbit of…"

"Don't say it." Mina added. The insane little ball of fur leapt at one of the swat bots landing on its head and bringing it down. The robot let out a digital scream of terror as wires and gears went flying in every direction as Cream laughed maniacally and chanted 'What's up, doc. What's up, doc. What's up doc.' as she was getting covered in oil. But just as the little lunatic was finished with one robot, another Mark III shot a stun grenade at her, hitting Cream in the back and knocking her unconscious.

"Target Neutralized." The robot noted. "Moving to secondary target."

"Hello there, my mechanical friend. You look to be a little to wound up." Rocket said, calmly as the SWAT BOT marched towards him. "Perhaps, I could help you unwind a bit. Work out some of that stress in your circuits, man."

"Terminate target. Annoyance factor, high." Loading up its gatling gun, the swat bot opened fire on the laid back sloth. Rocket, then, proceeded to blink all around the room staying just ahead of the bullets as they shot at him. Everyone else dodged towards the floor to avoid the hail of fire. "Target too maneuverable." The robot declared as it finally ran out of bullets. "Need alternate offensive strategy."

"Why don't you forget about the strategy, man. And try looking inward." The sloth walked up and put his three-toed arm around the robot's shoulder. "There are so many mysteries of the universe to contemplate: Which came first the gear or the cog? If a drop of oil falls in an empty robot factory and there are no audio sensors to pick it up, does it make a noise? Is the SWAT BOT hunting me or am I running from the swat bot?"

"Philosophical debate not in program." The robot's head began to spark and sizzle. "Does not compute. Does not compute. Does not…" BOOM. The swat bots dome exploded in a shower of sparks as its headless body fell over lifelessly on the ground.

"Mmm, it appears I totally blew his mind, man." The sloth commented before sitting on the ground and returning to a meditative position. The remaining two swat bots closed in on Rose, Mina, and Greywolf. As they approached, Mina pulled her keytar off her back and pointed the microphone attached to the side towards her mouth.

"Hey tinhead, would you like a free performance." She played a ground shaking note on the keys. "YEOOOW!" The sonic waves from the instrument and Mina's voice tore the first robot to pieces. As the second one came towards them, Greywolf stepped forward.

"Do not worry ladies." He growled at the swat bot. "I'll handle this." A smoky cloud shifted around Greywolf and he suddenly turned into one of the robots.

"You can take other forms!?" Galaxina cried out. "Such a talented little doggy."

"Attention, unit one." The greywolf-bot instructed it. "Priority one hedgehog spotted in vicinity. Move to engage."

"You changed form in front of me." The robot replied. "You think I could be tricked like that. Hahaha." At that moment, Galaxina launched a string of vines from her wrists entangling the confused swat bot. "What the...?" The Seedrian pulled tightly on the vines shredding the robot's body.

"This is what happens when you mess with Mother Nature." Galaxina stated.

"It's finally over." Greywolf gasped out. "Is everybody alright?"

At that moment, the visor on one of the robots' heads blinked to life and the robots suddenly slide back together. Their parts resembling as they raised their arms and powered up their blasters.

"Well, it seems Team Tails was victorious." A voice called out as the hologram of a large red robot with a silver dog-like face appeared before them, projected from the lead robot's visor. "But I'm afraid your victory is short-lived."

"Who are you?" Galaxina demanded. "What do you want from us?"

"My name is not important. The fact I could crush you without a second thought is." The hologram replied. "I have only spared you for my own personal reasons, but I want you that if you cross my path. I will not hesitate to crush you into dust." He pointed a finger at the three mobians. "Go and tell your blue spiked king and Acorn's little brat that their reigns are about to come to an end. So swears the Robotnik Appreciation Society." And with that, the hologram vanished and the robots retreated, leaving the confused mobians to worry for the future.