Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of this story.

Chapter Seven

-4:30 P.M. Wednesday- New Mobotropolis-

"Why... won't... these... things... stop?" Zonic snarled between gunshots.

Mina was behind him, cowering against the wall. Her entire body twitched every time Zonic fired his gun. The freaks kept coming, though Zonic couldn't figure out why. Neither of them had any real reason for things to attack them; it should've been safe for them to wander town. Glancing back, he was relieved to see that Mina hadn't gone anywhere.

"You doing all right?"

"I- I think so..."

Large frightened green eyes met his gaze. Looking so much like Sonic, Mina had thought she'd feel safe in his presence. But something about it only frightened her more. When he reached a hand out to help her to her feet, she shrank away. Zonic frowned. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"We have to move. Now."

Mina was pulled along behind Zonic as he ran down street. The path wasn't open for long. Luckily, the two were fast enough to get through. Sections of road kept caving in as they approached, leading them in the direction of the coliseum, where she'd held numerous concerts. Mina was fearful, convinced more of the monsters would come out and attack them at any moment. If it came to that, she wasn't sure how long Zonic would be able to protect her. He was bound to run out of bullets eventually. Then where would she be?

"There's a building up ahead," Zonic said. "We should go inside and try to regroup."

"That's the Coliseum," Mina explained. "It's where I held most of my concerts."

"You must be quite the popular singer Mina."

"Why, yes..." Mina's face flushed.

As Mina stood there wondering whether or not his words had been a compliment, Zonic checked the front doors. Luckily, they swung open without many problems. Zonic didn't waste any time pulling Mina through the doors and into the coliseum itself. No one except them were there, though Mina could feel someone watching her as they moved through the empty building. Zonic was at her side, so it couldn't have been him. Every door they tried wouldn't open for one reason or another. Finally, they sat on one of the staircases in the hall. Zonic checked his gun as Mina leaned against him. The entire situation was frightening her; the odds of getting out were beginning to look dim. Zonic wrapped an arm around Mina and kept his gaze on the hall before them. If any of those freaks came at them, he had to be ready. Noises that didn't quite belong echoed through the hall. A rattling here, dragging there, and the random creaking of an old wood floor. The coliseum didn't have wood floors. NICOLE didn't design them that way.

"How you holding up?" The sudden sound of Zonic's voice startled the mongoose.

"Fine," Mina said.

In fact, she was less fine than she wanted him to believe. The noises constantly floating around the building had her nervous. They were abnormal, especially for an empty building. Zonic's arm around her brought comfort to her. She never thought such a familiar place would be so terrifying again. There was no reason for NICOLE to turn against them. That hadn't stopped her from forming the barriers, though. Mina shuddered and pressed closer to Zonic. The Zone Cop didn't seem to mind; he had worries of his own plaguing his mind.

Like where all the monsters were. Monsters of this sort didn't simply leave altogether because you went inside a building. No, they appeared in the building with you when you least expected it. Which was why he was so concerned. Everything he'd read about the Zone of Nightmares had warned about the monsters. Everyone had something hidden deep within the confines of their mind. Whether they remembered it or not. Only children were spared, but they'd have to be young an innocent to the harshness of the world. Zonic looked at Mina, who kept shivering against him. It didn't come from the cold, he was sure of that. It must've been something on her mind.

"What's troubling you?" he asked. "It's best to get it out now, rather than wait until something happens."

"NICOLE... She's made the city a prison before, I wouldn't be surprised if she was doing it again. I'm just scared we won't make it out of here. With those monsters and no way out of the city..."

Zonic rubbed the singer's back.

"We'll fix this mess," he assured her. "Everything will be okay before you know it."

-5:00 P.M. Wednesday- New Mobotropolis-

"NICOLE!" Sally yelled. "Come on. I need to talk to you!"

"Princesse, I do not zink zat is ze best of ideas," Antoine said.

Sally looked at him. The coyote was right. She just didn't know how else to find NICOLE. Sally sat on a fallen section of a house. Everything was beginning to take it's toll on her. They'd been looking for NICOLE for close to two-and-a-half hours. Nothing had really come after them, though that was more due to Antoine's skills at avoiding danger. Every time a monster came out of hiding, Antoine got them away from it. Sally had decided a while ago that she shouldn't have bothered taking a gun with her. Antoine was eager to get in front of her and protect her from all the dangers, as well. Sally turned to say something to Antoine when a new sound reached their ears. It was a squeaking sound, like the kind old wheelchairs had.

"Why would there be...?" Sally looked around until her eyes finally landed on a shape moving through the fog. It was moving slowly, as though it was having difficulties. Sally moved past Antoine, going toward the creature.

"Zat is not a good idea as well," Antoine groaned. He followed Sally without a second thought.

The creature, upon closer inspection, turned out to be King Maximilian Acorn. He was slumped backward, staring up at the sky. A chill raced down Antoine's spine at the sight. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

"Sally, per'aps you should stay away from eet."

The princess ignored his words. Antoine had been jumping at nearly everything, with random bursts of bravery.

"Father? Are you all right?" The king didn't respond in any way. The only movement was his white hair ruffling in the breeze.

"Sally..." Antoine whimpered as he followed the princess. "Your pere, he is dead. Zat is not 'im."

"Father." Sally shook Max. She'd lost him once already, and nearly lost him numerous times after that. She didn't want to go through that again. "Father, look at me. I need to know you're all right."

"How's it feel?" NICOLE's voice echoed through the now-still air. "You couldn't do anything to save him. You didn't even try."

"I... I didn't have a choice," Sally said. "The zombies were everywhere... He..."

Laughter echoed around. Something sounded sinister about the laughter. It wasn't like NICOLE.

"I didn't have a choice..." NICOLE mocked Sally's voice. That disturbing laughter echoed around again. "Of course you had a choice. You always have a choice. You chose to leave him. If you had only looked for him..."

"S-Sally..." Max's voice was low, as though it had been out of use for a long time. Sally turned back to her father, who was now looking up at her.

"Princesse!" Antoine yelled. Moving, he got between Sally and Max. "Zat is not your pere. Zat is a monster looking like 'im."

"Brave boy, I didn't think you had it in you." A rasping chuckle came from the body in the wheelchair. "You were always the coward of the group. The weakest link as it were. If it had come down to it, you could have gotten every last one of your friends killed."

Antoine flinched at he king's words. He knew the king was right. If it came down to him, all of his friends would be killed. Cowardice was his forte.

"Sally would've been more than happy to be rid of you. The Freedom Fighters didn't have a need for a coward."

"Silence!" Antoine pointed his sabre at the fake king. "I am not so easily fooled! You are not ze king."

"This place does many things, Antoine," NICOLE said. "How are you so sure that isn't the king?"

Sally looked around, but NICOLE still hadn't made an actual appearance. Unnoticed by anyone, something was slithering across the ground toward Sally.

"Because ze king would never say such zings!" Antoine's sabre remained pointed at the squirrel.

"You can't kill him. He's your king. You have a sworn duty, Antoine." NICOLE appeared directly behind the coyote, leaning on his back to whisper in his ear. "You don't want to disappoint dear daddy do you?"

Why do you 'ave to be such a coward? I 'ave been teaching you better zan zis! Antoine's ears lowered as he heard his father scolding him. He preferred to remember the man for the kind father he was, not the strict teacher he could be.

I 'ave been protecting ze Acorn family for years. My son will not be allowed to fail in zese duties passed to 'im.

Antoine had already failed his father in that regard. He had allowed his cowardice to get the better of him countless times. As a result, he had yet to take his place as the general as his father wished. Antoine decided then. But he'd made a promise to protect Princess Sally. No matter the enemy, he would protect her. Determination flaring in those blue eyes, he drew back his sabre. Moments later, it was piercing through the body of the former king. Sally screamed behind him as NICOLE cackled. The lynx was cut off as Antoine spun, slicing through her holographic form as well.

Blood dripped onto the ground from the tip of his sabre as he approached the angry princess. Once he was within range, Sally's hand hit the side of his muzzle with a stinging slap. Tears had come to her eyes; tears Antoine couldn't bear to see.

"Mon princesse... I was 'aving no choice in ze matter. Zat zing would 'ave killed us if I 'ad failed to kill eet."

"That thing looked like my father! How could you just-"

Sally's angry question was cut off by a scream as her ankles were grabbed and she was hoisted into the air.

"Antoine!" she yelled. "Help me!"

It was a situation Sally couldn't get herself out of. Her kicks were the best defensive moves she had. Now that they'd been taken form her she was unable to do anything but yell for help. Antoine rushed forward, but couldn't see where the thing holding the princess had come from. It was concealed by the fog somewhere. The thing vanished along with Sally. Antoine ran in the direction it had gone, but it was no use. The fog had gotten too thick.

"Damn eet." Antoine set off in the direction it had gone, fully intent on rescuing the princess before something happened to her.