2.

The Freedom Fighters Mystic Ruins Operational Base was, indeed, a well hidden place. So hidden, actually, that I forgot how to enter in it. Fortunately, our two-tailed protagonist knew how so the story could continue…

"Hello there Miles, have you found something interesting during your routine patrol?"

"Well… Excluding a SWATBot waaaaay out of it's usual patrolling zone and a frightened rabbit girl… Not much."

"We know. Our camera systems detected it's presence. It's strange though, they never dare to go this far from their confines. There has to be a reason for that."

"It's what I figured. It's been a while since Eggman's last 'take over the world' plan."

The Mobian female cat nodded in approval.

"There is something that you need to see."

She showed the way.

The feline's name was Blaze. She was one of the latest members of the militia, being a part of it for barely a couple of years after her kingdom was conquered by the Eggman Empire. Blaze the Cat was a queen, the youngest crowned queen in all of Mobius but she didn't like to talk about it, she has always saw herself as a warrior more than a royal diplomat… She became a Freedom Fighters not long later her forced exile by a personal favor to Sally Acorn. After her first mission, she made perfectly clear what she was capable of…

Blaze was a pyrokinetic… A master of the element of fire. She, just like Tails, was born like that. Unique. Was she a curious evolutionary step or just a mutation accident? No one could really tell.

"So… How are things going?"

"Burning, as usual."

And she was also a master in puns.

The two F.F. entered the main room of the hidden base and were greeted by a couple of persons.

"HIYA TAILS! HOW ARE YOU!?" Said an obnoxious, over exited young pink hedgehog girl attempting to learn some new delicious meals from her cookbook.

"Mmmpfh." Was the usual, quiet rumor that this particular purple reptile does to acknowledge others people presence… And only the people he considered worth of it.

"Hi Amy. Espio. What are the news?"

Espio the Chameleon did not say anything, he usually, or better, he never said anything during all time that he joined the Militia… It was just his way, he was a mystery for everybody. The purple Chameleon was a former trained, professional contract killer and used to work for an agency called, Chaotix. That until his partners were killed during a vicious battle against 100 Badniks. They didn't stand a chance. Somehow he was able to survive thanks to his peculiar abilities. Espio was a ninja, a real ninja that followed the ancient code, in which Failure is not contemplated. The day he failed, however, was something that scarred his pride in many ways. He never spoke again since that day.

"Espio, could you please let us see it again?" Said the now less cheerful voice of Amy Rose. She was the youngest member of the F.F. ,besides Tails, and her role was basically the cook or the cheerleader… But under that mask of genuine happiness laid a deep and more profound personality that comes out only in very serious moments, moments like these. No one really knows about this girl's past and she never spoke about it, Espio, however, seemed to be the only one to see beyond her happy face and caught her internal sorrows… But of course, he's not telling anybody.

The purple ninja, who also happened to be a skilled hacker, put on the giant computer's screen a registration tape from no more than 20 minutes ago.

This section of the Freedom Fighters Militia had disposed several hidden cameras all over the forest confines in order to be prepared for an eventual attack. This time, instead, their use would have saved a life.

Tails and the others watched the tape from the south-west zone with concern and concentration. The video showed a certain someone chased by a 20 well armed SWATBots right into the forest.

"20 full armed SWATBots for only one person? He or she must be very important…" Said Blaze in her typical polite manner. The other nodded.

"Espio, can you zoom the image so we can see her / his face a little better?" Asked the Kitsune.

Espio nodded and did.

She was definetelly a "Her", no doubts about it, but what really left the F.F. , even Espio, speechless (no pun intended) was the fact that this girl was nothing similar to what they used to know. She wasn't even near to resemble a Mobian, a human or any kind of species living on this planet.

She was unique and, to Tails standards, very pretty.

"What.. Is.. That THING?"

"Amy, don't be impolite, she a living being (I think) that needs help. I say that we shall roost those SWATBots for good!" Blaze, the master of fire puns.

Espio showed his concern.

"I know, I know, that we should wait the return of the leader but I don't think that she has much time left… She could be dead right now as we speaking. Or even worse…"

They all knew what was the Worse that Tails was talking about. They all saw it…
"So, it's decided! I shall turn their worthless corpses into frying pans!"

"Will you ever stop to do this puns?" Asked Amy.

"Will you ever stop being so obnoxious." Responded Blaze.

"Oooooh, BURN! And that pun was intended!" Said finally a laughing Tails.

Espio snorted. He was just him.

After that laughing session, the young Kitsune, who was allowed to have the lead of the fortress while the real leader was out, gave a few orders and was preparing to leave with Blaze and Amy, when the video-phone rang. Amy answered.

"Ehi, 'leader', it's your mommy!"

Tails blushed furiously between the girls giggles, his weakly built bad ass attitude was reduced to pieces.

"Hi mom." The kit answered. "I told you not to call me at work. It's embarrassing."

"It's embarrassing that a mother loves and get sickly worried about his 8 years old son who happened to be involved in a WAR!?"

"She's got a point, you know?"

"Shut up Amy! You're just 4 years older than me!"

Resuming the conversation with his mother.

"Don't forget to be punctual for dinner. Tonight I will cooked those chilidogs that you like so much."

"Thanks mom. I'll try to be punctual but, you see, there is this emergency…"

"No excuses, young boy! If you won't be here for the 8 o'clock, you will be grounded for 2 month! That means, no freedom fighting and putting your life on line for a loooong time! AM I UNDERSTOOD!?"

"Gulp! Yes sir! Her, I mean, yes Ma'am!"

"Good. By the way, your father wants to play baseball with you this weekend."

"Great… Ok, see you tonight."

"I love you, hun!"

"Yeah, whatever. Bye mom."

For a casual observer that happened to be in the vicinity, the excessive amount of hysterical and uncontrollable girlish laughs that followed that video-phone conversation could have been misunderstood for a massive pigs slaughter fest.

"And be punctual Tails! Or you'll be grounded!" Said Amy through a monstrous laugh and another.

"Oh oh oh, your mother has definetelly the upper hand of the flamethrower!" Blaze, who else?

"Why don't you just grow up!" Complained Tails.

"Looks who's talking… Mama's boy!"

Even the quiet Espio couldn't help but smirk.

"Ok, I have had it. When you guys are finished with your 'laughing-at-the-mama's boy' session, reach me, I'll be on the way."

With that said, the fox cub departed from the base and went for his scouting mission. He was furious about his comrades immaturity for a while but then he became focused once again for his mission. He had a life to save and some ugly bots to smash.


Meanwhile.

Anf.. Anf.. I-I can't go on… I'm so tired. NO! I can't let them catch me. I.. Must.. Run.. Away.

The fatigue was quite evident in this young girl's motions. She was barely able to move and her body was going forward out of pure determination. She didn't really know why that doctor wanted her so bad. She didn't want to know, all she wanted was to escape. To run as far as possible from the mad Overlander and his minions.

And she was breathless… And wounded.

Her left leg was a bloody mess.

Blood. Something that she knew very well after seen what They have done to her parents.

She was next. She only knew that.

Unfortunately for her, the blood loss became a further track for her hunters and 5 of them were already following it.

It wouldn't be long now. They would find her. They would kill her. It was hopeless. It was…

NO! I m-must find them. The Freedom Fighters. I must…

And she collapsed. Her lack of strength and her bad wound didn't left her a very big chance. She was now like a wounded animal ready to be eaten by it's predators… Only, she wasn't an animal.

"Subject: Seedrian. Priority one: bring to Dr Eggman. Alive."

She could still hear them. Fear was once again, the key word.

It's over… It's all over. Mom. Dad. I will see you again.

She hadn't the time to finish that thought.

Something happened, or better, someone.

"Vulpine Alert! Vulpine Alert! Priority One: kill the two-tailed rat!"

"Oh, how kind of you." Said the "two-tailed rat" to the SWATBots.

Eggman still had a grudge over the kid, he didn't quite love the idea of having a rival.

The bots started shooting at him with their blaster rifles, Tails was able to dodge them by barely inches. When together and well equipped, this hunk of junks were no joke. Luckily for him, the vulpine had trained very hard in the last 4 years in order to achieve his current level of reflexes. While dodging the shots, Miles quickly thought of a plan of action, he rose in air with his namesakes and performed an aerial kick to the head of the first bot in reach, than he used the corpse as a cover for some of the shots, after that he launched himself over another bot but than rose once again in air while the shots that were following him blasted the unfortunate metal jerk, instead.

2 gone, 3 to go.

Stupidly, the remaining SWATBots shot at the aerial kit at the same time and their collective blasts collided to each other while inevitably missing the uncatchable fox. The small explosion blinded their visual systems for a few seconds, just like the kid had predicted and that was all he needed.

With a few massive aerial kicks and powerful tail lashes (he used his own tails as weapons to), the bots became nothing more than scrap metal for the junkyard.

"No sweat." Said the confident, yet not arrogant, vulpine warrior.

At this point, he's attention was directed to the poor unfortunate girl laying in the soft grass of the forest. He approached her fast enough to see what she was.

To see this being in person was definetelly a different story that seen her on videotape. She was a young, candid brown / white skinned girl, she wore a greenish dress with leaf like long skirt and a red gem on her chest. She had short leaf green hair with curious rosebuds on the sides, yet to blossom. All in all, she looked like… A plant! But what shocked Tails even more, was her wounded leg and not for the fact that it was in a bad shape but because of that blood… That unusual green blood.

Incredibly worried for her well being, the boy took her soft, surprisingly light weighted body and headed to the base. She needed immediate medical attentions, fortunately Amy was also a nurse.

Unknown by the young hero, a floating camera had registered the entire event. This camera had a very recognizable mark on it: a red face with a giant mustache, the mark of the Eggman Empire.


Elsewhere.

"Those guys weren't exactly a challenge, where they?" Said a tired, yet very proud Amy Rose while holding her trademark giant Piko Piko Hammer on here shoulder.

"I've burnt things less inflammable than this amateurs." Said, of course, Blaze, still flaming hands.

They stood in front of a sad pile of metal junk (former SWATBots, naturally), pretty satisfied for their handy work.

"Ehi Amy?"

"What?"

"Your wrist communicator in vibrating."

"Oh! Hold on."

The wrist communicators (or wc… Which was a pretty embarrassing pun, to say the least), was another brilliant idea of Tails, so he could keep himself in constant contact with his colleagues.

"AMY! COME BACK TO BASE QUICK! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" Cried the agitated kit in the receiving end.


A few minutes later.

"Green… Blood. OH MY CHAOS! IT'S AN ALIEN!!"

"THIS IS NO TIME FOR STUPID JOKES, AMY! DO SOMETHING FOR HER LEG! I DON'T WANNA LOSE HER!"

"All right! All right! I'll save your girlfriend."

At this, the youngster blushed a little.

"What… What are you saying?"

"You know? It's almost 8 o'clock, you should go home. You don't want to irate your mama, do you?"

"She'll understand. This is too important. Sigh. I'll end up grounded for two months."

An hour of loving cure later.

the young plant like female was sleeping serenely in her bed (in Amy's bed, for the sake of clarity) her leg was bandaged and would heel in time. The question remains: who or what was she? But the answer could wait her awakening, for now, she needed rest.

"Poor thing. She's been through a lot of pain lately, and I'm not only talking about her wound…" Amy was capable of great perceptivity when she wanted.

Espio nodded in agreement and then resumed to his usual activity, which was meditation and other ninja stuff.

Tails never ceased to look at her form. There was something in her that really fascinated him but he couldn't say what, at the moment. While he was distracted by his thoughts, Blaze and Amy were immersed in a review of the latter events.

"…And when I smashed that stupid bot's head with my hammer and than danced on his rotten metal hips, that was hilarious!"

"Indeed we had fun with those 10 idiotbots."

At this remark, something in the Kitsune's mind suddenly clicked.

"You said you destroyed 10 robots?"

They looked at him strangely for a moment, than responded positively.

"There were 20 bots that entered the forest and I smashed 5 of them…"

At that statement, a sick sad realization hits.

"THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE STILL 5 SWATBOTS GOING LOOSE IN THE MYSTIC RUINS!!!"

Without even awaiting an order, Espio launched himself over the computer console to check out all the zone cameras… Only to find nothing, they disappeared, somehow.

Than a cold, chill sensation crossed the young kit's spine, there was only a zone that haven't a hidden camera, basically for privacy motives, the north-east zone, the one that bring to the great cliff… Were his house was!

Without saying a word, without a single breath, Tails rushed out of the base to the direction of his parents home.

"What happened to him?" Asked a bewildered Amy.

No one responded. Espio's face was corrugated and more serious than ever. He knew what the kit's preoccupation was.


In all of his life, he has always been fast. Fast in learning, fast in thinking, fast in running… He was considered the fastest in Mobius. For all of his young life, he believed that. This time, however, things were a little different, for the first time he truly believed not to be fast or intelligent enough. He should have known, he should have imagined, he should have a lot of things, that was what he's mind was telling him, tormenting him with. All in all, Miles "Tails" Prower seemed more the child that his age suggested he was… He was insecure, he was crying.

And he, finally, reached his home… His burning, flaming, dead home.

That was pretty much it: the painful, unbearable prove that nobody is perfect, no matter how intelligent, strong or… Birth gifted, everybody makes mistakes and now young Miles knew that he committed a very big one and in his mind he would never, EVER be capable to forgive himself. It was such a terrible weight to carry for anyone… Especially for an 8 years old kid, even if he didn't have a common childhood.

And he collapsed on his knees.

And cried out loud, consumed by pain, sorrow and a sudden strong desire for vengeance.

"Vulpine Alert! Vulpine Alert! Prio--"

The SWATBot didn't even had the time to finish it's sentence that it's metallic black armored body got mercilessly slashed into pieces by a very enraged and desperate fox cub. The other 4 bots remained followed their comrade's very own fate…

"Wha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

This laugh, he could recognize this demented laugh anywhere.

"EGGMAN!!!!!" Cried the vulpine but to no avail, since the voice was registered on a tape that a floating radio, marked with the Eggman Empire, was playing.

"Dear Miles, if you're listening to this message than it means that you found out that my bots had successfully found your home, killed your worthless parents and burnt your place of living… And I want you to know that I had great pleasure in watching this awesome show through one of my floating cameras… The very same camera that spotted YOU, little pest! Did you really think that you and your stupid kind could escape my grip? HA! I could find you anywhere, I am your worst nightmare and you shall pay for even daring to come to this miserable world from that whore that your mother was!"

Tails's fists were clenching tightly… Almost bleeding.

"Well… Now that I have your complete and utter attention. I want to propose you an offer that you cannot refuse. You see, Miles, you and your little pest friends are currently in possession of something really dear to me… My little plant. I want it back, Miles and you want me to bring her back, because if you won't have her back, than I'll be forced to ERADICATE Station Square and it's surroundings from the map and you know I can, I stood low for a while but I never ceased on working on new weapons, you know? If you won't give me back what it's rightfully mine for the end of this week than I'll have no choice and kill everybody. AND IT WILL BE ALL YOUR FAULT, JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS DEATH!!! WHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"

The Kitsune couldn't take it anymore and reduced the radio to shreds.

"I. WILL. KILL. YOU. EEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN!!!!!!!"

Once again… The pain was unbearable.

Tears blinded his vision.

Rage filled his heart.

It didn't matter what the bastard was up to. He would have never fall for his schemes. He would have never accepted defeat from the round murderer. But right now, he was completely devastated.

After a while, Tails noticed that he wasn't alone. Espio was there, standing besides him, with concern and masked sorrow in his eyes.

"He did it, Espio. He finally did it… He killed my mom. He killed my dad. All because of my stupidity." Tearful young eyes.

Espio stood there in silence.

"I-I will never see them again, do you understand me? They're gone. GONE!!!"

Espio didn't do anything.

"And w-what was the last thing I told my mom? I told her 'yeah, whatever'. I COULD I BE SO IDIOT!"

Espio still staring at him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? SAY SOMETHING! SAY SOMETHING, DAMN IT!!!"

Instead, the purple ninja offered his hand at the young broken fox, he accepted it and rose. For the next few minutes, he stood there, crying on Espio's chest while the older was comforting him. After this deserved outburst, the younger dried his tears and a new look of determination took place instead. Espio managed a small smile of understanding and the kit silently thanked him… Just for being there.

Sometimes the best words are the silent ones.

To complete this picture of utter sufferance, a rain would have been perfect, even only for extinguish the flames, which were still high. Instead, it was a quiet, warm night, the one that usually follows a warm, sunny, happily day. It was in moment like this that Nature seemed to have a sadistic sense of humor…

For the rest of the night, the former house of the once happy Prower family, burnt high in the sky…
Just like pure, untainted, rage.

The rage of a burning soul.

Pun intended.