The Freedom Fighters finished their lunch, and then went back to helping out Rotor. They worked the rest of the day, after which, it was suggested that they all go to the living area and relax. The object was to spend some 'quality time' with each other. At this point Sonic was getting a little tired of this bonding experiment. He voiced his opinion to Sally, who only frowned at him, and told him he was letting everybody down. So, there he was in the living room with the whole gang, but he was letting his mind wander.

"So Sonic, aren't you glad I told you to come?" Sally asked, sitting next to him on the couch. "Sonic?"

"What?" Sonic questioned, his mind snapping back to reality. "Did I miss something?"

"NO," Antoine answered.

"Rotor, have you received anything from that bug yet?" Sally asked, glancing questioningly at Sonic.

"Nothing yet, but it should be transmitting something soon. I can't look up any porn until it does…I mean I can't use the computer until it does," Rotor stammered.

"I have the first verse to the song written," Bunnie announced with joy.

"Uh, what song?" Tails asked.

"Well, sing it for us Bunnie," Sally prompted.

"No, I couldn't do that in front of y'all, I'd be too embarrassed," Bunnie replied. "Plus I'd need an acoustic guitar."

"Sonic has one in his room, don't you?" Sally asked, turning to Sonic.

"What?"

"You have an acoustic guitar. Is your head up your ass right now?"

"Huh?"

"Well are you going to get your guitar or what?" Sally questioned.

"What guitar?" Sonic countered.

"Just go back to your room and get it," Sally demanded.

"But I…"

"Now Sonic!" Sonic got up off the couch and started making his way to his room. On his way there he noticed something stirring in the bushes. As Sonic went forward to investigate Knuckles popped out, scaring the shit out of him.



"G'day mate," Knuckles greeted, emerging from the bushes.

"You greet me with day, when you know perfectly well it's evening," Sonic recovered. "Good evening."

"Goodbye?"

"Hahaha, no. How's it going, you dirty bastard?" Sonic asked, shaking Knuckles hand.

"Just thought I'd lob in, I'm a bit bushed, mate. What are ya doin out here by yourself?"

"Sally told me to fetch my guitar…"

"You're such a bitch, mate. She have you on a leash yet?"

"No, but I'm getting the collar tomorrow, jerk-off."

"Ah, still sharp. You gettin a little wham, bam, ya know what I mean, mate?"

"Hey I'm trying to work here asshole, I don't got time for twenty questions. Finding you will save my ass though."

"How's that?" Knuckles inquired.

"I had to sell that guitar for money I had to put in the kitty. You know, for saying fuck and shit all the time."

"Bummer mate, no rules just right. So about that Van Dykin…"

"Let's just get you over to the others," Sonic said, pushing Knuckles in the direction of the living room.

--

Back in Robotropolis, Robotnik was admiring his latest creation. As usual with his gloating, he was exclaiming what an evil genius he was. Snively stood next to him, watching the monitors as the new creation continued constructing the Death Egg…I mean The Project.

"You see that Snively, that new bot nearly has the whole thing built. By the time I wake up tomorrow The Project will be complete. Then I will be ready to unleash chaos onto the unsuspecting world below. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Yes, sir. You see what happens when you create something? That's why you're supposed to be the engineer."

"You don't have to point out how fucking useless you are, Snively, I know. Without my ingenuity this thing wouldn't be ready until the end of the month, so sad for you," Robotnik said, making a face at 

Snively. "Now I have to go pack a few things." As Robotnik stood up, his pants fell down because he had forgotten to tighten his belt. "Oh shit!"

"Pull up your fucking pants, sir," Snively commanded, looking away in a disgusted fashion. Robotnik got the pants situation in order, and then made his way into his room to begin packing.

"What kind of things do you bring with you when you're outside the planet's atmosphere?" He asked himself aloud.

"Don't forget to bring a belt, sir," Snively shouted from outside the room.

--

"You still play billiards, mate?" Knuckles asked as he walked with Sonic.

"Not professionally, but you know, for recreation," Sonic smirked.

"Damn, you're razor sharp tonight, mate."

"I do try so very hard," Sonic said, as they stopped in the living room. "Well I couldn't find my guitar, but I'll do you one better," he announced as Knuckles entered.

"Knuckles!" Tails exclaimed, giving Knuckles a high-five.

"Nice to see ya blokes too," Knuckles said, sitting down in an arm chair. Sonic regained his seat on the couch. "What's new around here?"

"Sonic hasn't told you?" Sally asked.

"Nope, he was just breakin me crown jewels. He did tell me how broke he is because of his swearin addiction, poor bastard."

"He'll tell anyone who'll listen," Sally teased. "Did he tell you that someone stole the can?"

"The thunder box?"

"Thunder box?" Tails questioned. "Is that made out of cardboard?"

"Uh no, mate, it means toilet. That reminds me, ya still have that bidet Sally?" Knuckles asked with a grin.

"Haha, very funny Knuckles. Oddly enough, Tails hasn't developed any terminal illnesses since you've been gone," Sally prodded.

"ZING!" Tails responded.

"I musta been by meself too long, you blokes are somethin else," Knuckles remarked, pulling his Australian slouch hat off and scratching his head.



"Wait a second guys, I've got something here," Rotor said from behind the computer monitor. "Yeah, it's not a direct feed, I must have missed that, but it saves the audio files in a log. That way I can go back and listen to any part of it."

"Well, what does it say?" Sally asked impatiently.

"Hold on," Rotor said, pushing the headphones onto his ears. "The Project will be ready by tomorrow, complete chaos, Snively is useless, Robotnik has to pack some things… and pull up your fucking pants sir. That's all they talked about."

"Bloody hell, whys he got no pants on?" Knuckles questioned. "Is he takin the piss?"

"Why would Robotnik be taking a piss on the control panel?" Tails asked.

"No, not that kind of piss mate," Knuckles replied. "If someone's takin the bloody piss, they're bullshitting, as Sonic might say."

"Shitting?" Tails continued to ask.

"I've had enough of this!" Knuckles interjected.

"No you haven't," Sonic quipped.

"They don't ever say what The Project is?" Sally asked worriedly. Rotor put the headphones back on and replayed the message.

"No, just that it'll be ready by tomorrow," he answered.

"Well fuck me running," Sally whispered under her breath.

"Yeah we could try that, but I'm a pretty fast sprinter," Sonic replied grinning. Sally slapped the smile off his face, and gave him a cross look.

"Now isn't really the time for jokes, Sonic."

"Oh yeah, my mistake," Sonic responded, rubbing his freshly slapped face.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Sally asked.

"I thought you were the leader here," Sonic told Sally.

"No mate, I thought you were his nibs," Knuckles responded looking at Sonic.

"Huh huh, no. You would have ze better luck wis Tails in charge," Antoine added.

"Well he's got a point there," Sonic agreed. "Maybe Rotor instead of Tails, 'cause he's not retarded. Could I do what Sally does? Probably, yeah, but I don't want to be her."

"We have to think of something. How are we going to stop Robotnik?" Sally inquired.



"I hate to put it so bluntly, mate, but you're not," Knuckles replied. "Whatever he's done, it's done, and all that's left is destroyin it. Since we don't know what it is, we have to wait until tomorrow. Either way, we're up in a gum tree."

"Okay, well at least he doesn't know where Knothole is," Sally said, regaining her poise. "We need to try and stay indoors tomorrow. I don't know what he has planned, but I'm not going to be caught in the trap. Do we have any ideas on what it could be?"

"Hold on," Rotor began, "Yeah, I got something. In the background I can slightly hear Robotnik saying something. Sounds like planet's atmosphere, I think."

"Oh no…"Sally drifted to silence.

"Smells like someone shit in the cereal, BUNG!" Sonic said, trying for a cheap laugh. "Nothing? It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Well, if he has something that exists outside the planet's atmosphere, we're talking complete planetary annihilation. Probably can't destroy the entire planet, but he can take parts of it out," Rotor informed.

"I guess he doesn't have to know where Knothole is," Sonic put in.

"I think that's the whole point, Sonic," Sally told him. "Now he can just destroy everything, with no resistance."

"Oh, this is going to be easy."