The Knothole Mobotropolis Exploits: New Teams Arise

(A/N: Because this chapter and the next are closely tied together, I'll be putting two up today. Enjoy.)

Chance Encounter: Team Gentry, Team Dash, Team Heart

"My goodness, did we really need to get up so early for this?" Bartleby complained, yawning as he, Cyrus, and Trevor walked towards the outskirts of the city, Cyrus checking their gear and weapons, Trevor looking just as tired, silently agreeing with Bartleby.

"The sooner we get some answers, the better," Cyrus answered.

"Couldn't we, I don't know, send them a letter or something?" Bartleby questioned.

"To who? We don't know anybody in Knothole," Trevor replied.

"Look at the bright side Bartleby, we might meet some of Sonic's old friends," Cyrus said, trying to cheer him up.

"I hardly care about who Sonic made friends with," Bartleby remarked.

"Look, we're going, and that's that, whether we like it or not," Trevor bit, sharper than normal for him. Cyrus and Bartleby looked at him in surprise. "Sorry, I'm just grumpy," Trevor apologized.

Reaching the outskirts, Bartleby relented, saying, "Oh very well. The sooner we get this over with the better." He took the lead, asking, "Ready?"

"Ready," Cyrus confirmed.

"Check," Trevor said, lightening up.

"Good, do try to keep up," Bartleby declared. With that he ran out over the land, Cyrus and Trevor hurrying to keep up.

"How much farther is this place?" Trevor questioned after they had been running for a while.

"No one said it would be easy to get to Knothole Trevor," Cyrus replied.

"Perhaps the boredom you feel is being confused with difficulty, Cyrus. We've been running practically nonstop from Mobotropolis and haven't encountered a single danger. Oh look, there's a tree, and another tree, and a road, look, a river just to change things up a little," Bartleby said in an unimpressed and annoyed tone.

"Look, at least we're not being attacked by Robotnick's robots," Cyrus said, trying to lighten the situation.

"At this point I'm not sure whether that's a blessing or curse," Bartleby remarked.

"We should have a little excitement, just for variety's sake you know," Trevor remarked.

The phrase, 'be careful what you wish for,' came to their minds barely a second later; for all at once, seemingly from nowhere, landed a squadron of Eggman's various robots! The trio cried out in alarm as bullets flew at them from all angles. Quickly Cyrus activated a jet pack and seized the other two, flying above the crossfire. He dropped them on the outskirts of the robots, and instantly Trevor clenched his fist, activating the metal robotic hand covering. He ran right into them, Cyrus following with his gun. Bartleby swallowed, drew his sword, then ran into the fray, crying out in terror.

Team Dash fought valiantly, many of the robots falling to them, easier than they had the first time they'd faced them. Then again, they supposed they had gained some experience from that incident, and thank the gods for that. "We're beating them!" Trevor whooped.

"We are?" Bartleby fearfully asked, looking at the other two.

"So far," Cyrus replied, grinning.

"Then what about those ones!" Bartleby exclaimed, pointing up in terror. Quickly the other two followed his gaze, victorious expressions falling. On seeing it, they paled with gasps. More were flocking towards them!

"Oh no!" Cyrus said.

"Cyrus, Bartleby, we'll never beat them! We have to run!" Trevor exclaimed.

"You don't have to ask twice!" Bartleby exclaimed, seizing their wrists and tearing off. The bots followed them quickly, but soon enough, with speed born of desperation and adrenaline, Bartleby miraculously managed to leave them behind.

"Whoa Bartleby, you're moving like crazy," Cyrus said, amazed.

"Don't remind me," he pleaded. He was almost afraid to think on how he was avoiding trees. If he thought on it, then next thing that would happen with their luck, was that they'd crash, or he'd run off a cliff. "What am I doing here? I'm nobility. I shouldn't be getting hot and tired for this," he complained.

"Well it's worth it, look, Annes, dead ahead!" Trevor exclaimed, pointing. Sure enough, the city was coming into view.

"Oh goodie," Bartleby sarcastically replied. Cyrus and Trevor looked at each other in exasperation. They were grateful to the guy, they were even starting to get a new respect for him, liking him even, but he was as annoying as you know what.

Meanwhile, Team Gentry was racing towards Mobotropolis behind Antoine. "I wonder what Sonic's friends are like," Rotor remarked, taking the lead to remove a barrier, then letting Antoine ahead.

"We'll see them soon enough. As soon as we get there, we'll get in contact with the freedom fighters," Elias said, taking the lead in order to fly over a large jump.

"Eet ees so far. I do not remember zis journey being so long," Antoine complained, taking the lead once more.

"Bots!" Rotor exclaimed.

"Again? How many more are zere of zese annoying scraps of metal? I do not see why you remain surprised," Antoine stated, drawing his sword with a sigh.

"Don't let your guard down Antoine. The next squadron could be the one that actually challenges us," Elias warned.

"I am sure," Antoine wryly remarked, running at the offending battalion. Rotor and Elias exchanged worried looks, then followed.

"He's getting too haughty," Elias remarked.

"Can we blame him? They've been the regular robots so far. We haven't seen a swat bot yet," Rotor replied.

"Why are zey all heading towards Mobotropolis?" Antoine asked, hearing Rotor's last sentence.

"I don't know," Elias worriedly admitted as they finished them off.

Antoine pulled out their supplies and rummaged through for something to eat or drink. The other two waited, sitting down. Antoine frowned curiously. Elias perked up, asking, "What is it?"

Antoine sighed in exasperation, replying, "We are low on ze supplies. Zere eez only three more canteens of water and a leetle bit of food."

"Oh no," Rotor lamented.

"We're going to need to stop at Annes for supplies," Elias grimly remarked, taking his canteen and the food Antoine rationed to each of them. He began to drink, only to have the canteen shot suddenly from his hand! "What the…!" he exclaimed.

He got no further. Suddenly a metallic voice declared, "Citizen, you are under arrest."

Team Gentry turned with gasps. "Zere are your swat bots Rotor!" Antoine exclaimed in fear.

"Fight!" Elias ordered. The trio leapt up and ran towards the five robots.

One shot at Antoine, who expertly rolled to the side and stabbed it. It never went down, only shot at him. Antoine barely moved in time. Elias, meanwhile, dealt with another one of them, fighting viciously. It soon fell, though with difficulty, and Elias turned to another, along with Antoine, who had just dealt with his own. Rotor, meanwhile, stunned one of the remaining two swat bots and picked it up. He was about to throw it into the other, when that one shot at him! Rotor gasped and tried to move, but he wasn't quick enough. The laser grazed his side, making him cry out in pain and drop the swat bot on top of himself!

Antoine and Elias, having just downed the one they'd ganged up on, gasped and turned to their teammate. "Rotor!" Elias cried.

"Come on!" Antoine urged, running at the last swat bot, who currently was advancing on their trapped friend. The duo leapt on it and quickly destroyed it.

Rotor had just moved the one he'd taken down off of him. He crawled out, saying, "Ow."

"Rotor, are you okay?" Elias demanded.

"I'll be fine," Rotor assured.

"We should get heem some medical help," Antoine remarked.

"Looks like we have another reason to stop over in Annes," Elias grimly said.

"Let us geet zis nightmare over with then," Antoine insisted, trying to hurry the others along so he could get back to Knothole. The trio hurried towards Annes, whose silhouette soon appeared in the distance.

Team Dash wandered around Annes looking at the city. "It's pretty nice here," Cyrus remarked.

"Renee loves it here. She'd never move," Trevor remarked. "Best of all, now that Robotnick is gone, it hasn't been attacked for a long time."

"Ah yes, your girlfriend. I suppose it's quaint. If she never wants to move, however, I say her taste could use improvement," Bartleby said.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Trevor quickly defended. "And hey, she has fine tastes. I like it here," Trevor added.

"Well forgive me," Bartleby said, slightly put off.

Team Gentry walked from the hospital, Rotor's wound having been taken care of. "Are you sure you're alright? We can go back to Knothole," Elias said, worried.

"I'm fine Elias, don't worry," Rotor insisted.

"You are so protecteeve," Antoine said, annoyed.

"Well sorry, but if anything happens to you two it's on my head," Elias remarked.

"Oui, but nothing 'as happened to us yet. Neither before nor after you came back," Antoine remarked.

"Sorry, I'm just worried," Elias said.

"Fine, let us leave zis place," Antoine declared. Just then, however, he bumped into someone, knocking them both down.

"I say, watch where you're going you buffoon!" Bartleby exclaimed as he slammed into someone else, falling.

"Me, what about you? You are ze oaf here!" Antoine angrily shot back.

"How dare you!" Bartleby shot, standing up.

Antoine leapt up right after, retorting, "Stupeed fool, you are ze one in ze wrong!"

"Stupid fool! Why you pompous, annoying little…" Bartleby trailed off, however, on summing him up. "Why do you seem familiar?"

Antoine quickly cooled down, summing up Bartleby. "I do not know. We 'ave nevair met before, 'ave we?" he replied.

"Wait, do you know Sonic?" Cyrus quickly asked.

"Sonic? Do you?" Elias sharply questioned.

"He's one of our closest friends!" Trevor said.

"Ours too," Rotor chimed.

"Wait, you must be Bartleby, Cyrus, and Trevor! Sonic told us all about you!" Elias excitedly said. "What are you doing here?"

"You three must be Elias, Antoine, and Rotor! Sonic went on and on about you guys! We were heading to Knothole to find you all!" Cyrus excitedly said.

"Why?" Rotor questioned.

"Eggman's newer robots have been attacking Mobotropolis, and we have no idea how to deal with them," Trevor admitted. "What about you guys?"

"We were going to ask you guys how to deal with the swat bots, since you've had more experience in general with them," Rotor confessed.

"I say, we really are alike," Bartleby remarked to Antoine. The duo had been summing other up silently, ignoring the conversation going on around them.

"Sonic was not keedding. I am sorry for bumping eento you," Antoine finally relented.

"As am I. It was boorish of me not to take part of the blame," Bartleby said.

Suddenly, from above, came a hail of gunfire, making the six cry out in alarm and dive to the side. "What the… where did they come from?" Elias demanded on seeing a squadron of Eggman's bots coming at them.

"Oh no, they caught up to us!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"What?" Elias asked.

"We were attacked by them about half way from Mobotropolis. We were winning, at first, but then more came, and we ran. We couldn't beat them," Trevor said.

"Well now you've got us to help you," Rotor said.

"I say, I am getting tired of this," Bartleby fearfully said.

"See, I am not ze only one," Antoine shot to Elias and Rotor.

"Who cares, just fight!" Elias insisted. With that, the six raced out to face the attacking robots.

The two teams fought like mad against the attackers. People ran, screaming to their houses, trying to get out of the line of fire. "Oh this is bad," Cyrus remarked to Elias.

"We'll handle it," Elias assured.

"Rotor, come on!" Trevor ordered. Rotor caught on quickly and ran to him. Grabbing his wrist, Rotor spun Trevor around and launched him at an Egg flapper. Trevor took it down easily. Rotor, after Trevor sent the bot to the ground, leapt off the wreckage before it exploded, and took out a few more.

"You can fight I eemagine," Antoine said to Bartleby.

"Of course I can, I am nobility," Bartleby replied.

"Good, come on zen," Antoine said. Bartleby followed Antoine into the middle of a group, for once not closing his eyes or screaming. The two danced around the bots like fencers, taking them out quickly and efficiently.

"I say, this is quite fun, actually," Bartleby remarked.

"Unteel you start to lose," Antoine warned.

"Don't jinx it you fool," Bartleby quickly warned. Too late. Just as they were winning, more bots appeared on the horizon!

"Incoming!" Trevor cried, pointing.

"Where are they all coming from?" Cyrus demanded. To this question, no one had an answer.

Trevor suddenly noticed a target laser on the back of Cyrus' head. He gasped and ran at his friend, calling, "Cyrus, look out!" Cyrus gasped and whirled. He could hardly cry out when the robot had fired! Trevor, however, leapt at him, knocking him out of the way and taking the bullet to his arm! He cried out in pain and rolled on the ground, a little ways away from the others.

"Trevor!" the others cried in alarm.

It shouldn't have been a problem. He wasn't even that far away, but instantly he was surrounded by Egg pawns pointing lances and guns at him! He looked up in horror. The others raced to try and get to him, but the others robots were swarming them! All hope looked lost. However, just as an Egg pawn prepared to shoot, and Trevor realized he would die, a girl's voice cried, "Trevor, no!"

All at once the bot was thrown off, the bullet missing Trevor and hitting another pawn. Trevor gasped on seeing the girl. "Renee!" he exclaimed. He looked up, only to see Sario flying above with Mindy. Mindy instantly dropped right above the bots surrounding Bartleby and Antoine.

"Bartleby, the cavalry has arrived!" she called, shooting a few of the robots and destroying them.

Sario dove towards Elias and Cyrus, instantly cutting at anything metallic looking. "Who are they?" Elias questioned.

"Sario, Renee, and Mindy!" Cyrus exclaimed, relieved. The break Team Heart provided worked for them, and in seconds the three teams were together, lashing out at the offending robots. All at once, however, the bots stopped attacking, then with seemingly no reason, took off, leaving Annes behind.