Chapter 9:
Inevitable
A/N: Part 1 is almost at its conclusion. The title inevitable of this chapter has a double-bladed meaning that will bring joy but then bite at your heart.
The four of them all stood outside the bounty hunters tent, looking around at the worried citizens. "I need to get to my lab." Tails told the others.
"That can be done, but we need to establish a plan with the mayor first." Tyler ordered him.
Tails hesitated, but then shook his head. He grabbed something from his belt, and then tossed it to Tyler. "Wha… what the heck is this?" Tyler said, perplexed, examining what Tails tossed him, which looked like a com-link.
"It's a communicating thing." Tails told him. "It was the scientist's…"
"Wait… this is that thing that you can speak to and it comes out of a device that looks…" Tyler looked at Tails, who indeed had a com-link of his own. "Well, hopefully I remember when that scientist showed us how to use them."
"You just hit the button like this." Tails said, demonstrating as he held up the com-link in his hand, his thumb pressing the button.
Tyler nodded. "Alright, go ahead. Rosaline, Lily, let's go to the mayor."
Tails rushed through the streets toward the mayor, who in turn was rushing toward them. "Dagnabbit! Have you guys seen Brock? He was supposed to warn us, he…"
"He's a traitor." Lili snarled. "But we don't have time to explain. We need to formulate a plan."
"I'll fly above and alert them of their positions." Tails offered. The mayor looked at him like he was crazy.
"Have you tested the plane yet?" The mayor asked him.
"No, this will be its maiden voyage." Tails admitted. "But hey, if anything goes wrong, you'll only risk losing me."
The others looked at him with concern. "Tails, if…" Lili began, but Tails stopped her.
"Lili, I've dreamed of this." Tails said with a proud smile on his face. "Besides, who else would test run it?"
The silence answered the question well. "Very well, fox." The mayor complied. "But how will you alert us? Signals?"
"A com-link." Tails told him.
The mayor looked at the device, but didn't ask what it was, Tails presumed he must have known it was the scientists'. "You wish to give this to one of our military officers?"
"Nah, I'll give one to Rosalinda. She'll alert you guys of anything I see."
The three looked at him baffled, turning to glance at the tiger with a skeptical look. "Tails, I think you should reconsider—"
"She can do it." Tails said, placing a hand on the tiger's shoulder confidently. "I trust no one else."
The turtle locked eyes with him for a moment, but then shaked his head. "Young louts never demanded this much in the past. Very well, but you better realize how importance this is, tiger."
"I do indeed." The tiger said, unusually serious.
"Very well." The turtle said, waving them off. "Come on lads, it's time for the young to save our sorry butts again."
Tails glanced at the plane with a slight uneasiness as he looked at the plane, situated just outside of the lab, hauled there carefully with the combined efforts of himself, Rosalinda, and Lili. Tyler had stayed behind to help direct the effort back there.
"It's time." Tails said quietly, before being completely engulfed by Rosalinda, who hugged him tightly. "Err…. You can let go, now." Tails somehow got out.
"I'm sowwy Tails, I'm just so fwightened"
"It's frightened." The cat pointed out.
"Don't Cowwect me!" Rosalilnda growled fiercely at the cat, glaring at her sharply. The cat didn't dare mock her again.
Tails examined the plane, painted a beautiful orange, although Tails didn't have much time to add any fancy symbols to it. It was a design of a biplane, just like the scientists. Tails smiled proudly as he climbed up to the cockpit.
"Be careful, Tails." Lili told him, as he turned around to look at his friends.
"You too." Tails said, climbing in, and snapping his seat belt in. He glanced at his instruction booklet one last time, although he was certain he had memorized everything. He then started the engine, grabbed a hold of the steering wheel, and pulled down the stick to begin driving out of the hanger. "Press the button, Lili."
The cat hit the button, and the hanger door gradually rose and slanted toward the ceiling, pulling itself in to slide under. The plane gently drove itself underneath, and Tails knew he had to pick up speed right at this moment. There wasn't much room to launch him, and he would need plenty of acceleration to keep him in the air.
The plane began picking up speed as Tails turned on the propellers, and he neared closer and closer toward the trees. It was too early to pull up, he just had to wait a couple more seconds.
The foliage was getting uncomfortably near, and Tails knew he couldn't wait any longer. He pulled up, and the plane lurched itself up a feet. If it didn't go higher however, it would slam into the tree. Wouldn't that be a grand sight, right when they needed him?
Tails held his breath as the plane plunged forward, lifting up farther and farther away from the tree, but getting closer and closer, the wing was just grazing its upper branches, striking against the leaves.
But it made it through unscathed. Tails thought he heard his friends cheering from below, and he couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief. He had done it, he had always known he could do it, but to see it actually done was uplifting.
He flew around, and his com-link buzzed. "That was awesome, Tails!" Rosalinda screeched into the link, making the fox nearly throw it off.
"A bit quieter please!" Tails told her. "It's quite sensitive."
"Sowwy!" The tiger apologized.
"It's alright." Tails replied. "Hey, make your way back to the mayor; we want him to know what I see."
"Alweady going!" Rosalinda happily informed him.
Tails looked around at his surroundings. He was only near the scientist's house, he'd have to turn the plane towards where the mayor had pointed out the enemy was collecting: due west, were forces were collecting.
For a moment, as the plane roared on through the skies, Tails breathed in, and enjoyed the sweet taste of success through his nostrils, the sky air light and cool, breezy with the wind, but nothing the fox minded. He loved the sky, and he now could be with the sky.
He snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed he was away from the village, and he searched the trees below him. The undergrowth was thick with forest, fallen leaves and branches; it could be a while before…
There! Tails was almost shocked when he saw it: They were people, just like the ones in the town, except they weren't completely alive… Tails noticed the sleek metal, some partially robotic, some mostly robotic, some completely robotic.
What had happened here? He looked down again, and his heart leaped as he noticed a blaster shot soar in the air after him.
It missed, and it missed terribly, the shot was far right, nowhere near even threatening distance close by. It seemed their aim would suffer at this distance.
Tails pulled higher, swerving away as others looked up at him with angry eyes, if their eyes were still intact, as he reached for his com-link. "Rosalinda, do you copy?" There was no response. "Rosalinda, are you there? Respond!"
"I got you, Tails!" The tiger's voice responding from this range was soothing; Tails almost feared he was out of range.
"Tell them that there are enemies west of the camp, hidden by trees, hiding below a hill. Tell them that if they position themselves left of the entrance on the high hill about three hundred meters away, with the lone sakura tree, they will have prime footing position."
Tails listened as Rosaline relayed Tails suggestion to the troops. Looking towards the gate, he noticed several helmeted men and women running towards the hill, and noticed the lion he meet earlier at the front of the entourage, relaying orders. Next to him stood Rosaline, whom Tails noticed he was speaking to.
"The commander wants to know if you can relay a number count."
"A good score or so." Tails relayed back. "A few are moving forward." Indeed, about a dozen were spreading out, moving slowly towards the gate, not yet learning of the base.
Tails watched as they moved past the hill, and a few dozen more sneaked out. What was the general waiting for? Why wasn't he shooting now? Before he got a chance to ask however, Tails heard the guns fire from below.
The enemy was completely surprised, soldiers falling left and right, bullets striking with good accuracy. The soldiers were shocked at the preparedness, at the fires from ahead and behind. It seemed that they, not us, that were the ones to be ambushed. "Mr. Miles."
Tails heard the Lion speak through the link. "This day is yours."
Tails couldn't help but grin to himself.
Tails was surprised to see not only Lili, Tyler, Rosaline, and the mayor, but several of the other soldiers and the general himself. Tails found himself first in the arms of Rosaline, who kept praising his name, then with Lili squeezing in, then his hands shaking the various hands of soldiers and friends.
"Dang proud of you, fox." The general said. Tails beamed at the strong lion, and smiled at his daughter, who looked up at him with awe, as if he was a legend. "You've brought us hope yet."
"Yes, yes, most excellent." The mayor commented. "But I have my end of the deal to fulfill, do I not? Although you are welcome to change your mind and stay."
Tails shook his head. "I made a second plan just for my exit. I'd love to stay and celebrate…. But I long for home. I need to see if my family is okay."
The general nodded in understanding, extending a hand for the fox to shake. "Good luck." He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden-blazed medal, pressing it gently against the fox's chest. "You deserve this."
"Thank you for the honor, general." Tails told him. The two shared a smile, before his other friends peered at him.
"Would you like us to come along, Tails?" Tyler and Lili asked. "It would be nice to visit your homeland."
Tails shrugged. "I don't even know where it is, but if you will search with me, it would be a pleasure."
Rosaline cheered loudly, excitedly moving back toward the hangar. "I'll get the plane started."
The tiger was racing toward the plane, as Tails felt a strange feeling in his heart. His hears were picking something odd in the sky…
Then they all heard it. The sound of planes… and these weren't Tails' planes. The pilots were animals… but they seemed to look straight ahead, as if they didn't register the excitement or thrill, too focused, too cold.
Eggman's men.
"Fire at will at those planes!" The general roared.
Soldiers began grasping for guns, but suddenly, one of the planes dropped something, and the general told them to stop, uncertain of their motives.
As soon as the objects dropped to the ground, they began exploding. Soldiers got shredded into pieces, blasted into the air, into walls, some killed quickly, some bleeding to death, some missing limbs. A few lucky were moving back as the general directed the group to move. The mayor himself was dead, bleeding not too far away from Tails, who had a piece of shrapnel graze his neck.
"Tyler! Lead your friends to the hangar! Get out of here!" The general commanded them. Tyler grabbed Lili's hand earnestly, who was whining in pain, her shoulder bleeding terribly.
Suddenly, emerging from one of the houses, was more of Eggman's forces. "Brock!" The general snarled. He stopped however, as the bear had a rifle pointing at his daughter, Balthazar.
Tyler had not noticed, but when he turned around, looking for the general's presence, the next thing he stopped, as another bomb blew into another home.
"Traitor!" The general cursed. "Give me my daughter!"
The bear had a rather ugly lump on his head from Rosaline's frying pan attack. He snarled angrily at the general. "I always hated you, general."
Without hesitation, he moved his rifle off his daughter and fired at the general. The general fired back, but Brock used his one of Eggman's men as a shield, letting him die in pain. Lili screamed as the general's hand went to his chest, and Brock fired yet another shot. Another scream, this one was the great lion's daughter, Balthazar. Her father had been murdered in front of her eyes.
Brock then turned to Tails hungrily."Get him. He has no where to run."
Tyler and Lili had already sprinted, and Tails cursed himself for not moving sooner, as bullets grazed past him, feet shuffling madly.
"Dang, he's fast!" Brock cursed. "Put more energy into it, stupid roboticized henchman!"
Feet pounded upon the earth, zigzagging through trees, through alleys, leaping over a fence to get toward the hangar. The door was already open, but the site insides was not good.
"Oh no…" Lili whispered, as they looked upon more of Eggman's forces, two trying to steal his plane.
They stopped as they heard the newcomers, and the two enemies went to grab their guns, trying to fire at the fox who was already diving to the ground for cover…
… yet a tiger came from behind them, racking at one of the eyes, as she slashed at the other's face. The gun fired on the inside wildly.
Tyler moved determinedly, punching hard at the second man as he went down. He then gestured to Lili to take the plane Tails had flown earlier. Tails moved towards the other plane, shouting to Rosaline. "Come on, Rosaline, let's go."
No response.
"Rosaline, quickly!" Tyler added, fearing Brock would appear in the distance any moment.
Tails looked for the tiger, and then saw her crawling towards him, blood dripping from her body. "T-t-t-ails…" She struggled to speak, red liquid spattering from her mouth.
A tear slid down Lili's eyes, as Tyler looked, shocked at the tiger's state. Tails himself was broken, broken as he watched yet another friend fall.
"That was… really brave of you, Rosaline." Tails sobbed quietly. "You didn't have to… we just became friends!"
The tiger's arms reached for him, and Tails held her up, as she held herself on to him, but her hands were growing weak.
"Fwiends…" The tiger whispered weakly. Then her hand fell down cold.
