Still a Need for Heroes
Chapter 2: Get Together
"Well that was fun!" Sonic said completely serious as him Sally and Tails were exiting the Freedom Fighter Special Mark 2. The small scare with the reactor was enough to get the thrill seeking hedgehog's blood running again.
"Says you! Forgot how frightening working in the field with you has been." Sally responded jokingly.
"Well nothing serious came out of it so I'll say it was a success." Tails chimed in.
"That's right it was!" Sonic blurted out.
"Alright guys, just wait here while I deal with the checking us out." She said as she entered the main office of the airstrip. The process took almost as quick as it did to check in, having the title of 'princess' usually meant she could bypass the normal security clearances and checks which made it all the faster, and soon she was back outside with the other two.
"Alright, and now to kick back with my girl and some chili dogs at HQ." Sonic said as he extended his arms in the air in a genuine stretch, then landing his right arm on Sally's shoulders.
"Sounds nice to me." She said returning the favor by wrapping her left arm around Sonic's backside.
...
The three were well enough down the road when they saw Mina and Ash heading toward them down the same path. "Hey you two. How's it going?" Sally said casually.
"Hey Sally, hey guys!" The songoose greeted while being quite chipper. Ash on the other hand greeted as his normal melancholy self. "What are you all up to?" Mina asked.
"We just got back from a mission. We were about to take the rest of the day to chill back at Freedom HQ." The princess explained.
"Cool. Mind if Ash and I come by?" At her request, the more melodramatic mongoose of the two shot his partner a glare that demonstrated his view at the bid. "We were just about to hang out at my place. I wouldn't mind chilling with you guys as well though." Ash let out a huff which was shortly followed by an elbow to the side from Mina.
"I don't mind." Sonic said, looking at the rest of his party as they nodded in agreement. "The more the merrier."
"Alright then!" She said as her and her 'manager' joined the group on their journey to their pad. "So Tails, you were telling me about some project you were doing with your sub the other day. How's that going?"
"Pretty good. Still not as stable as I'd like but that'll come in time." He quickly explained in simple layman's terms.
"Since when were you interested in that mechanical kind of stuff Mina?" Sonic but in.
"Well I just ran into him the other day when he was working on it and he told me a little about it."
"So how's the new tour planning going?" Sally asked her curiously.
"Good. It's delayed our plans for the wedding but–"
And with that, Sally yelped with a hand cusped over her mouth about the detail she completely overlooked. "Oh my gosh! How could I forget? You're engaged! Congratulations!" She broke from Sonic and gave Mina a hugged. She looked over at Ash to give him some recognition as well but he just looked away.
"Thanks!" Mina said as Sally let her free.
"Oh I feel terrible, I completely forgot!"
"No don't, it's fine." She smiled. Ash huffed. "It's been a while since I've seen you all anyway."
"Yeah, I assume everything's going well for you two if you're engaged. Congrats bro!" Sonic said as he gave Ash a playful slap on the back.
"Don't touch me hedgehog." The mongoose said through gritted teeth.
"Still not too chummy are we?" Sonic asked rhetorically and a little spiteful.
"Bother you knowing not everyone is a fan?" He responded getting up in Sonic's face a little, causing the group to stop their walk and delay their down time at HQ.
"Not at all, but I don't like to be insulted." The hedgehog said, getting even more into Ash's face than he was already in his. His quills were beginning to rise. Both Sally and Mina rolled their eyes and sighed at their partner's reactions but it was Tails that came in to stop them.
"Really guys? You get aggravated over something like that?" He pushed the two away from each other. "Just chill alright. We're almost at Freedom Headquarters anyway." Sonic still wasn't used to the fox being the size he was now but even if he wasn't playing guardian just then, Tails was right. Sonic and Ash stared at each other through scorning eyes before finally they backed away.
They continued walking and as Tails said their location was not far. They soon saw over the rising hill the flagpole that rested on top of the dome roof of HQ with the flag of the Republic of Acorn swaying wildly in the wind.
"Now that's a sight I wish I saw more often." Sonic said slightly dreamy as the entire complex came into view.
"The good old days right?" Tails said with a nostalgic tune.
"You got that right little brother... Race ya!" He said as he swung his leg back, getting ready to take off.
"You're on!" Tails accepted the challenge as he immediately took flight. And just like that, the two were off leaving Sally Mina and Ash in the dust of their sudden movement.
"The good old days indeed." Sally said after a few small coughs. "You're not going to show 'em up Mina?" She then said jokingly.
"Nah. Can't really run well in boots anyway."
...
"I win!" They both shouted simultaneously as they reached their finish line. "What? No you didn't!" They said again at the same time.
"I clearly won." Sonic bragged as he reclined on a fully extended arm that rested on the wall of the compound.
"Pfsh, whatever! You may be fast, but it's easier fly around trees and buildings than run. If anything, we tied."
"Only because I went easy on you." The hedgehog said as he opened the door to their hangout.
"Uh huh, sure." The fox smirked. The two walked in and saw Antoine and Bunnie sitting on the couch. Bunnie was right up next to Antoine with her legs curled up on the cushions and her head and torso leaning on Antoine's side and shoulders. They sat casually on the far end of the sofa while Antoine had one arm clung around wife and the other holding up both their weights, supported by the armrest to the other side. Bunnie's ears twitched at the unsuspected sound of them entering the room and both their heads cocked slightly in their direction to see who it was. "Hey Antoine, hey Bunnie. What brings you to HQ?" Tails asked.
"What's up guys?" Sonic quickly snuck in his greeting as well.
"Howdy y'all. Nothing really, just relaxin' a bit."
"Et az been a long week. Just glad it is finally ze weekend, non?"
"I hear you there Ant." Sonic said as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He twisted off the cap of one of the bottles and took a swig. He walked over to the couch and tossed the second bottle to Tails just before jumping over the backside of the couch Bunnie and Ant were sitting on and plopped on the other end. He reached down the side and pulled the lever releasing the recliner. It caught his legs as it sprung up and he eased back to suit more of a resting position. Tails moved over to a nearby single seater and threw himself down. He brought the bottle too his mouth and took a drink of the malt.
At this time, Sally Mina and Ash came in through the door. "Bunnie!" The princess shouted with glee. The rabbit didn't hesitate to get up from her comfortable position to greet her old friend as she dashed over to her and the two embraced.
"How ya doing sugah?" She said with a huge smile as they pulled away from the hug but still clenched each other's arms. "It's been ah while. Ant and I have just been so darn busy the past few weeks."
"I know how that is." Sally said with a light chuckle. "Antoine, I assume you're doing well."
"Very well, princess." He responded. Sally just ignored the formal greeting. The two women moved to the couch where the rabbit resumed her previous posture and Sally adopted a similar stance alongside Sonic. Meanwhile, Mina and Ash had made it over and sat on the loveseat that was near the couch and across from Tails' chair.
"And you two, I hear you're engaged now?" Bunnie asked Mina and Ash, bringing them into the conversations.
"Yup." Mina said as she snuggled next to Ash a bit. "Happened not too long ago."
"Good to hear! So what have y'all been up to?" She said, redirecting the latter question back to Sally.
"Pretty much whatever my brother needs us to do. Look over reconstruction, delegate to some other kingdom or nation." She explained.
"Sounds like you're finally living up to yer title of princess." She said referring to the field tactician of years before.
"I'll say." Sally responded.
Bunnie giggled a little at her next inquiry. "How 'bout you sugah hog, how's the life of a 'prince'?"
"Enthralling." The hedgehog said in a completely sarcastic and unenthused tone.
"Hah, you mean ze life of honor and ministering to ze populaces does not thrill Sonic, Hero of Mobius?" Antoine stated laughingly.
"It's as if you don't know me at all Antoine." Sonic said in a similar tone as before except a smile crept on his face before taking another swig of his drink.
"And what about you Tails?" Bunnie said, continuing her recap of what she has missed from her friend's lives. She smiled seductively. "Any luck in the dating realm?"
The fox blushed at the abrupt statement which caused a giggle to form from Mina. "Uhh–"
"Yeah, what about that feline you brought to our wedding? Haley was it?" Sonic asked.
"You two were going at it for quite some time weren't you?" Sally tacked on.
"Yeah, I don't know. It just…didn't work." Tails was managed to say while awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He pulled off his goggles that still were strapped around his head and placed them on the end table next to his chair. His bangs dropped a little in front of his face.
"Come on, mon amis. It appears he wishes not to talk about his deals with ze courtship." Antoine stated, coming to the aid of the Fox.
"Not that anyone would." Ash mumbled low enough for only him and Mina to hear. Mina shot him an evil glare to silence him.
"I can tell you one thing though. It sure is nice to relax for a bit." Sonic said, changing the subject as suggested. "I wonder what Knux is up to. Haven't seen him in a while."
"That's it!" Sally shouted as if having a revelation.
"What's it, sug?" Bunnie asked.
She got up and stood in the middle of the group as she explained. "Well it is the weekend now. So let's hit everyone up and throw a party here at HQ. It'd be good to see everyone all together again."
"I'm down." Tails said, giving his opinion on the subject all the while drinking again from his beer.
"You think we can pull Knuckles away from that blasted rock for too long?" Sonic said with his typical attitude.
"We could probably manage something." Mina added, showing her interest in the event as well.
"And The Chaotix is bound to follow. It's settled then!" The princess declared. "We might as well start getting everything set up."
Sonic let out a big sigh. "Come on, Sal! Can't we just do that in the five minutes before everyone shows up?" Sally rolled her eyes. "I still need some down time." He said as he closed his eyes and fell further back in the couch.
"Because you weren't just begging for adventure earlier today." Tails humorously mumbled.
"Don't try." Sally smiled and advised to the fox.
"Bunnie and I can help with ze 'up setting.'" Antoine said with broken English as his minor adjustments in his position signaled to Bunnie that he wanted to stand up. She leaned off him and he got off the couch.
"Thanks Antoine." She said. "Sonic, feel free to join us anytime." Her Antoine and Bunnie walked off to the other side of the lounge area to begin the preparations.
"I'll keep that in mind." The hedgehog said as he placed his arms behind his head, using the forearms as a makeshift pillow.
"I'm going to help them out too." Tails said, as he got up and moved away as well.
"I think we should help too Ash." Mina said, getting up. She grabbed her fiancée's hand to pull him off the loveseat but he showed constant resistance.
"Are you two staying for the party?" The hedgehog said through one peeled eye lid.
"You bet!" Mina said cheerfully as Ash just grumbled. Finally Mina was able to pry him off his seat.
"I think I'm going to go." He said sternly.
"What? Why?" Mina inquired.
Ash's voice went a little softer. "You know how I feel about these guys. I don't want to be stuck here a whole night with them."
"Come on Ash. It's not going to be that bad."
"You can stay. I'm out of here. See ya." He gave her a quick kiss then moved away and headed to the door. Mina was used to his rebellious and sometimes stubborn attitude and learned to just let him be.
"Well are you going to join us Sonic? Or just lie there on the couch all night." Mina bargained to him as he remained motionless.
"Hmm….Might as well." He said as he slowly crept up to his feet. The two joined the others in helping set up.
*o*
A few knocks pounded on the door. The sound was barely audible over the loud noise that was being created inside. The host and hostess continued their conversation as they headed toward the door. They opened it all the while still speaking to each other and abruptly ended their conversation with interrupting shouts of glee and greeting at the echidna couple that was on the other side. "Hey! Knuckles, Julie su! Come on in!" Sally demanded excitedly as she embraced the two simultaneously.
"Rad Red, how's it going?" Sonic said as he extended an open hand to his friend once Sally backed off the couple.
Knuckles took his palm and shook it firmly. "Pretty good, True Blue. When you told us you were having a party we had to come by. It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Yeah it has. And you Julie su?" He said turning his attention to the pink echidna dressed in the normal teal and black tac-vest that gave off somewhat of a fashion statement for her.
"I'm great!" She said giving the hedgehog a hug and a pat on the back.
"Come on, I'll get you a cup. What do you feel like?" Sally asked the two.
"I'll just take a beer." Knuckles stated.
"What all do you have?" His date asked as her and Sally directed them away toward the fridge, leaving Sonic and Knuckles to themselves.
Sonic took a swig of the bottle of beer that he was holding in one hand before continuing conversing. "I was kind of surprised you didn't come with the rest of The Chaotix."
"Yeah well believe it or not, Julie su, even with her tomboy attitude, still has to take the time to 'get ready.'" He said with a light laugh. The two moved over to the couch and sat down. Their voices were above normal having to overcome the loud DJing of Vector behind the turntable and subwoofers. "How's the whole 'prince' thing going?"
"Why does everyone wish to know." Sonic said quickly, almost as an inside joke with himself. "It's good. A little too slow for me but…"
"What isn't too slow for you?" Knuckles said with a cheeky grin. Sally and Julie su came back with some refreshments. She handed the guardian a bottle. "Thanks." He said while Julie su came back holding a red cup filled with some mixed drink. The two women remained standing while Sonic and Knuckles sat on the couch for a little bit longer.
"So how's Angel Island holding up now that reconstruction is getting close to being done?" Sally asked Knuckles.
"It's holding up, that's for sure. You'd think after a few years everything will be alright but there is still those who wish to remain in Albion, the legionized still seem bitter but they've been getting better. The dingoes are making more progress than they are half the time." He chuckled then took a swig from his fresh bottle.
"As for Lein da, we still don't know which rock that little worm is hiding under." Julie su continued her partner's statement with a little more spite.
"We believe she still has some followers surrounding her but there hasn't been any flared activity so we're not worried." Knuckles finished.
"Come on, we're here to party! Not talk about politics…" Sonic butt in obviously not in the mood to clock-in to his delegation duties on the weekend. Sally and Knuckles looked at each other and shrugged.
"Yeah, you're right. Wanna hit up the BP table?" The echidna said getting up from the couch.
"You bet! Tails and Mina are at it right now. They've been doing well. They're on their fourth game I think!" The hedgehog said as he turned his torso slightly to peer over the back of the couch where Tails and Mina were playing against Bunnie and Antoine on the other side of the room. Tails swayed his throwing arm, equipped with a ping pong ball, forward and backward taking aim with squinted eyes. Soon he released and the ball glided through the air beautifully and sunk straight into the second to last cup. Mina jumped up and cheered then succeeded in taking a drink from her cup. "Looks like they're almost done anyway. Come on, before someone else jumps in." He said getting up, all the while Sally and Julie su replaced the two by lounging on the couch in their spots. Red and Blue went over toward the table and watched the finale of the previous game from the side.
'Plonck.' The ping pong ball sunk perfectly into the final cup claiming the win for Tails and Mina. "Hook line and sinker." The fox shouted out as he threw his arms in the air in jubilation.
"Sacre bleu!" Antoine said as he smack his forehead.
"Shucks!" Bunnie yelped as she starred at the two cups left for them to make.
"How do you say, retribution?" The coyote pleaded.
"It's rebuttal and let's show these kiddos how to take it, sugh!" The rabbit exclaimed as she tossed the ball. It landed in one of the cups but began to spin wildly. Tails quickly tried to finger it out but it fell just beforehand. "That's right!" Mina removed the cup and threw back the ball for Bunnie to continue shooting. She tried again but unfortunately missed. "Shoot."
Antoine picked up the ball and got ready to fire. His military composure was locked on as he focused his blurry vision on the target. He gently tossed the ball but it bounced off the side of the cup and flew in Sonic's direction. He quickly caught it.
"Mon deau!" Antoine shouted in dismay.
"Aww yeah! Game number four!" Tails said as he raised his hand in the air to give his teammate a high five. She slapped his hand and cheered.
"I think it's time for your streak to end." Sonic said with a grin as he continuously tossed the ball he caught up in the air.
"You're on, big bro." Tails added as he took another drink from his beer. Knuckles set down his beer that he already finished, and twisted off the cap of another that he grabbed in the meantime. The two teams set up the cups and got ready. Tails whispered something to Mina which led from a smile and a nod as a response. In an instant, Tails threw the ball in the air but missed. Immediately after the ball was released from the fox's hand, the mongoose quickly bounced the ball on the table. It was headed straight for the front most cup but it was swiftly swooped up in a blue flash.
"You might be fast but always remember. I'm faster." Sonic said to Mina with a smile. She smiled back and huffed friendly.
...
"Need another drink?" Sally asked Julie su noticing her cup was empty as well.
"Sure." She said as they got up from the couch. Julie su looked over at the beer pong table where Knuckles bounced the winning shot in the final cup, sending Tails and Mina off the table. He chugged the rest of his beer and slammed it on the table in celebration.
"Hey gals!" Nicole said as she was leaning on the counter by the fridge.
"Hey Nicole!" Greeted Sally. "How's everything going?" She asked, pouring her and Julie su another drink from the cooler of jungle juice that rested next to Nicole on the counter.
"Great!" She paused as she observed a very intoxicated Amy fumbling over her words as she tried to convince a still pretty young and sober Ray that he looked like Super Sonic. "Although I still can't believe how… 'unusual' sentient beings act through the effects of hydroxyl function groups."
"Come on Nicole. You're starting to sound like a computer!" Sally joked as she softly jabbed her elbow into the A.I.'s side. Nicole chuckled but let her face sink a little at the unintended impact of her friend's comment.
"Well hello." Espio said as he came up to the group. He casually brought a red cup up to his mouth and took a sip from it.
"Hey Espio." Julie su said as she too took a drink from her cup.
"Well hello." Nicole beamed. "Long time no see."
The chameleon chuckled a little. "I know right?" He said sarcastically and smiling.
Sally looked at the two with a raised eye brow. "Oookaaay?" She drew out, seeing something suspicious but her thought was quickly interrupted.
"Excuse me." Knuckles said as he appeared by the group, opened up the fridge that lied next to them, took a few more beers out and closed the door. "Beat Tails and Mina." He said as he quickly gave Julie su a drunk peck on the cheek.
"I know, I saw." Julie su said as the echidna disappeared back to the beer pong table almost as sudden as he appeared next to the group. "Good luck!" She shouted. He acknowledged it by quickly waving a hand in the air just before he and Sonic clanked their fresh bottles together in a cheers.
"Damn, so close!" Tails said as he joined the group from his winning streak. He too opened the fridge and grabbed another beer. "Just one more cup!"
"Yeah, you and Mina were really showing us all up." Sally stated then redirected her words to Julie su. "I guess we're going to have to put our men back in their place." As if cued by her statement, Sonic and Knuckles just sunk both shots in the same cup before Mighty and his sister Matilda* were able to remove the cup from the rack. "We'll let them have their fun first."
"We better. I'm not drunk enough to play just yet." Said the tomboy before taking another larger drink out of her cup.
"Gah! One more cup!" Tails drunkily reinstated, sulking in his loss. Mina obviously wasn't too bent out of shape about it. She was over by Vector who was still spinning the turntables. They were conversing about throwing some scratches into some of the Forget Me Knots' songs as remixes.
"Care to get next game?" Espio asked Nicole.
"You know I can't get drunk." The lynx answered back.
"Who says you have to be?" He said coolly.
She let out a small chuckle. "Isn't that like rule one of the game?"
"Oh come on Nicole. I'm sure no one will mind." Sally reassured her.
"…I still don't know." She said, subconsciously rubbing her hand up and down the forearm of her other arm.
"We're going." The chameleon decided for her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the others.
"I swear I'm never going to hear the end of it from Knux if he ends up getting beat by those two." Julie su added.
"Oh come on, give them a chance." Sally smirked.
"Give them a chance? One's a ninja and one can probably calculate the trajectory of every throw!"
"She's got a good point." Tails added.
"… Shit. Oh well." She took another sip from her cup to numb the realization.
"What's bumpin? Other than this beat I've been laying." Vector entered the group and stated. "Mind if get a little something something? This croc is thirsty!" In his own lingo, he was asking Julie su to fix up a drink for him since she was by the cooler.
"You say that as if I'll respond to that." She said blankly.
Vector pleaded back. "Come on, help a brother out! I've got to get back to the turntables." She rolled her eyes and reluctantly filled up a cup for him. "Thanks toots." He grabbed the cup and headed back toward the stereo. He walked so strangely and with so much swagger, it looked as if he was dancing with every step. In fact, he most likely was.
Julie su stood in shock at the crocodile's statement but it quickly turned into hysterical laughter when soon Vector tripped over the stereo cords and fell face first on the floor. His drink fell all over him. He stormed back to the group in a walk of shame to get another drink. His rivaled teammate was in a nonstop fit of laughter. "Oh my! What – what, was that?" She almost dropped her cup as she was tearing up and needed to rest with her hands on her knees. "Walk much?" Her merriment was slowly turning into panting.
"Yeah. Go ahead and laugh." He muttered as he downed an entire cup before refilling it and headed back to his station, this time without making a fool of himself.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" She began to calm herself down and wiped the tears that formed in her eyes. "Oh I swear. That guy…"
This time, it was Sonic's turn to fetch the beers for the dynamic duo that were now in running for the longest streak of the night at the drinking game. But unlike Knuckles appearance, he wanted to be a little less subtle. In a flash, he appeared behind Sally who wasn't expecting a sneak up. Even if she didn't have her back turned, she wouldn't have seen him coming. He quickly swooped her off her feet and cradled her in his arms. "Well hello." He said with an obviously red face.
"Jeez Sonic!" She snapped back, clearly taken by surprise. The hedgehog put her back down and reached in the fridge for some more beers. "We're going on game four. Might end up beating your streak little bro."
"I'll be sure to root for the other guys then." Tails sarcastically exclaimed. If it wasn't his tone that gave the sarcasm away, it was his expression. Sonic quickly caught on and pointed at the fox with a similar face and grin. He left the scene and returned to their game.
...
"Island!" The ball was thrown and completely missed the cup, not even getting close.
"Come on, Espio! I know you're better than that! Think of it as a throwing star." Knuckles egged on his teammate as he was not doing as well as he has shown himself to be.
"It's different. And not only that... I'm drunk." The chameleon slurred as his partner got ready to shoot. She carefully took aim and gently tossed the ball. It slid down the rim of the cup and went into a spin. Quickly, Sonic plucked it out before it fell completely.
"Say Es, you've often been vanishing for quite a while now." Espio shot Nicole a glare and she leered back. "Not doing any more secret clan stuff are ya?"
"I assure you, I have no business with them that you don't know about." He said, looking back at his current opponents.
"Aannnd now…" Sonic mumbled as, right on cue, the two launched the balls toward the cups. Knuckles threw it and Sonic bounced it, both landing in the same cup.
"AHH!" The two shouted at the spectacle. "That's game!" Sonic added while he and Knuckles continued to celebrate. Many shouts and gestures were being tossed right and left by the two victors.
"Alright. Time for your fun to end." Sally said a little antagonizing as her and Julie su walked up to challenged their mates.
"Oh this ought to be good." Knuckles said excitedly, accepting their challenge.
"Normal stakes baby?" Julie su wagered to the red echidna across the table.
"You know it." He said with a smile.
"Stakes?" The hedgehog elbowed his partner for input on the inside reference.
"Don't worry about it."
"Whatever." He said brushing it off. "Alright, let's go!" Sonic shouted as he took the first shot. It landed perfectly in the center cup.
It was Knuckles' turn but it bounced off the rim of two neighboring cups. "Gah!"
As the game got under way, it attracted more and more of an audience. Bunnie and Antoine crept out of their old room after disappearing for a short while, Vector let the stereo run on a playlist he quickly devised, Amy and Mina moved the conversation they were having at that time to right by the table, and Charmy, Saffron, Mighty and everyone else came over to see.
"Alright. Send 'em over." Sonic and Knuckles rolled the balls over the table and each took another drink. Sally grabbed one of them but Julie su let her intoxication show as she missed the other one and let it fall to the floor.
"Shouldn't be too hard." Knuckles whispered to Sonic, loud enough for Julie su to hear him.
She shot him a nasty glance. "Don't test me." She shot first and landed it in the front cup. Sally took her turn but missed.
Sonic held one of the ping pong balls like a pair off die and shook it around. "Kiss it for luck?" He said, offering to Sally. She cocked up an eye brow. "Fine. And this shot goes out to all the kids back home." He tried to look fancy and performed a jump shot but it didn't even hit a single cup.
"I feel bad for the kids back home." Sally stated in mockery.
Knuckles lightly arched the ball and made it in a cup. It began to spin and Julie su took the initiative to try and blow it out but failed. "I hope you're better than that!" He said, bringing another evil look his way.
"Keep it up and I'll prove you otherwise." She responded while finishing with a small nip. She took the ball and threw it. It too begun to spin but luckily for Red and Blue, physics helped them out as the ball flew out of the cup before going all the way down. "Damn."
"My turn. This goes out to all the kids back home." She said, still mocking her husband. But unlike him, hers actually was for the 'kids back home' as it landed right into one of the cups perfectly.
The entire game was neck and neck, Sonic and Knuckles would be leading, then Sally and Julie su, some would make doubles, some wouldn't. It was down to the last cup for each teams and Sonic already missed his shot. Knuckles focused in on the last cup. Julie su tried to distract him as she loomed over the final cup. The echidna threw the ball. It flopped off the cup to his dismay.
"Our turn." Sally launched the ball in the air and it landed straight in the cup. But as Knuckles was moving the cup off the rack, Julie su threw it and it landed in the same cup, while being pushed out of the way. The game was over.
"That's right!" Julie su shouted. Knuckles grumbled something and slapped his palm against his forehead, knowing his defeat. "You know what that means." She said nearly sinister.
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled as he grabbed Julie su's hand and pulled her toward the door, grumbling.
"We'll see you all later!" The pink echidna shouted lightheartedly as she threw a hand in the air and waved, looking back at Sally and giving her a quick wink. Knuckles got the warp ring ready and flipped it as soon as they left the door. Sally chuckled knowing exactly what just happened.
"What was that about?" Sonic asked his wife.
"Oh nothing." Her continuous smiling was a clear indication that that was a lie. "We should be more competitive."
"Whatever that means." He rested his arm around Sally's shoulders and moved back into the crowd.
"Great game sug! 'bout time someone beat those two." Bunnie stated, not getting to congratulate her immediately after the game.
"One of 'those two' is standing right here…" Sonic said a little sourly.
"Oh don't worry sugahog. You're streak had to end sometime. And it was one hell-uv-a streak too." She patted the spiny Mobian on the shoulder than joined back up with Antoine.
"It's getting kind of late, we zar probably best to get going." He said as he gave Sally and Sonic their salutations.
"See ya Ant." Responded Sonic.
"Guess it's kind of dying down." Sally said watching them leave.
Nicole came up to the royal couple with Espio slung over her as his arm around her shoulders was barely enough to keep him up. "I hate to partake in the simmering of the party but I think it's best if I tend to Espio in one of the guest rooms. It's apparent as to why." She said with a half-sincere smile.
"That's fine. Take good care of him."
"It's weird, he kept saying he was drunk but… it really didn't seem like it." Sonic mused.
"I don't know but I kind of want to call in the towel myself." Said Sally as she leaned her head on Sonic's and rested an arm on his chest.
"Time to kick everyone out?" He offered.
"No. Let them leave on their own. Shouldn't be too long anyway."
Sally was right, within half an hour, they were saying goodbye to the last of the attendees. They gazed upon the onslaught that occurred which left a devastating mark on the tidiness of the compound but that was not the time to tend to cleaning up the place. They shut everything down and retired back to one of the rooms for the night. It was a good get together and the two were happy to see everyone. It would definitely have to happen again sometime, they thought.
Author's Note:
I'm happy my last prediction for the destruction of New Mobotropolis was correct but I'm a little disappointed I didn't think the nanites would rebuild in Sonic Universe 36. But this is a fanfic so it's bound to be a little off. At least.
I know this chapter was a little sloppy but it's hard to do a 'party' setting with something like this. I hope it worked enough for you all. I'll be getting back to the actual story part. I just thought this would be a little fun. I also didn't mean for it to be this long but whatever.
I didn't know fanfiction takes out indents and gaps between lines such as multiple 'enters' so I appologize if at some points in the last chapter things jumped around a little. THere was supposed to be a gap to signify scene and setting change. I usually put something in there on my other stories when there is a big gap of time (I think I did it once on this chapter too) so I'll get back into that, as you could see with the "..." inbetween a few lines. I'll put those in for small perspective changes which happened a lot this chapter.
*Another prediction, that Matilda (seen when Sonic and Bunnie visited Sand Blast City) is Mighty's sister that he set out to find.