Chapter 9: For Honor and Duty
-Outside Freedom HQ, 4:58 PM-
"Phew, all this exercise is wearin' me out."
"You wanted action so zip it!"
"Man oh man, what's eatin' you?"
"What's eating me? Lasers were eating me! Just look at my dress. It's ruined."
"Sheesh, sorry I asked." Vector walked to the main entrance. "Charmy, Saffron., you guys good?"
"Yeah, we're good."
"Good. Okay you guys are on watch. Keep your eyes peeled for wave two. I'm gonna see how Rotor's doin'. Figured he'd at least a caught the tail end of that brawl."
Amy pushes by them fuming a bit. "Well I'm getting changed while we have some breathing room. Sonic isn't gonna see me like this if I can help it."
Vector shakes his head while Charmy and Saffron look at each other and chuckle. Vector moves through into the lab to see and hear Rotor's hands moving across the keyboard like a madman. "Rotor, you still working in here? What's the holdup dude?"
"I can't find her."
"What?"
"I can't find Nicole! She's not anywhere. I've checked and rechecked ten times."
"How can she be gone?"
"I don't know. All her logs for today are gone too. I've tried everything I can think of."
"What about the shields for the city?"
"I've been trying to hack that too but all control for the city's nanites have been locked by Nicole. Without her it could take a few days to hack into."
"Shit, we're workin' with borrowed time right now if the big ass quake that hit earlier was any indication. So can we do anything more here if we gave you a little more time?"
"No. Since I can't find Nicole, we are better used at the front lines helping the others. We should pack up and…"
"Guy's, another message just arrived from the front." Charmy and Saffron's facial expressions foreshadow their words.
-Front Lines outside New Mobotropolis, 4:36 PM-
"That's it, run ya two bit critters, makes taggin' an baggin' more fun!"
"All unitz, advance! Press ze attack while zey are confusing."
"Ya mean confused Sugar-'Twan?"
"Oui, zat is what I have said non?"
"Get a room later you two." Julie-Su cracks a smile. "Right now we have—"
"AHzHHHzRGzzG!" Bunnie is hit by some small electrical disk and right after her arm and legs begin to short out. The overload sends her into a nose dive and just as Mighty was about to catch her, her bionic appendages explode. The shrapnel hits Mighty's left arm as he tries to spin around to shield himself. Julie-Su and Antoine hit the deck avoiding more than a few scratches. They look up to see Bunnie on the ground unconscious with only her right arm remaining. Her body is lacerated with cuts from the shrapnel and badly damaged from the fall. Antoine's mouth is open as he runs to his wife but he cannot voice any words. He scoops her into his arms and looks to Julie-Su.
"Go! I'll hold our men here and try to keep them back. Get her to the medical unit and tell Sally what's going on."
Antoine gives no answer as he turns to run back to the main base area. 'Hold on ma love, I will save you.'
As Antoine is leaving Julie-Su turns to Mighty and then back to the lines. 'The moral has shifted, we have to brace or we'll be overrun.' "All units fall back and reform the line. Dig in and prepare to defend!" On her orders all who are pressing the attack begin to return to their fortified zones and begin repelling the now advancing enemy. Julie-Su and Mighty take cover behind the line as a medic runs up when Julie-Su waves her over. Immediately she begins trying to stop the blood loss as Mighty grits his teeth. "How's it look."
"The shrapnel has pierced a main artery. If I removed it here he would bleed out. We need to get him back to the city for surgery."
"Mighty, head back with the medic and get patched up. Can you walk?"
"Yeah just… ugh a little dizzy's all."
"Good, just keep your head down and make for the base camp."
"Roger that, and be careful out here." With that Mighty begins his trip back toward the city.
As Julie-Su moves back up to the central part of the front, Espio and Ray move in on foot having landed well behind their own lines to avoid incoming fire.
"What's going on up here? We just passed Mighty and he looks thrashed, and where are the others?"
"Right now we are practically everyone. Bunnie's likely critical, Antoine is taking her back to get treated and report to Sally how screwed we are. Mighty was badly injured trying to save Bunnie and the Knot Hole group is busy fighting on their end. Without the shield… all we can do right now is hold the line as best we can and hope to slow them down as much as we can." With grim looks on their faces the two grab rifles and begin firing along with Julie-Su into the advancing Dark Legionnaires. Julie-Su ducks down to reload, 'Knuckles, please hurry.'
-Base Camp outside New Mobotropolis, 4:41PM-
Antoine has given Bunnie to a medical team, who is now moving her to the hospital inside the city, and just finished his dire report of the front to Sally. Before Sally can even respond to the news she sees several medical personnel carrying an unconscious Mighty towards the city as well.
"With both of our big guns out we can't press the attack. Our men were getting tired but now they're demoralized too. And just when we had the upper hand; I've already sent most of the guards here to the front as relief but, after what's happened, the troops I had wanted to rest will have to go back out early."
"I am sorry ma Princess, if I had not let my guard down-"
"You couldn't have known what they were going to do. And right now all we can do is head to the front and fight so that she and everyone in the city will be safe until we dig ourselves out of this mess."
As she finishes speaking Antoine jumps at her and pushes her out of the way of a laser bolt. The two return to their feet quickly and Antoine begins deflecting laser fire away from Sally.
"How did they get so far?"
"Zey are a stealth unit maybe, here to kill you Princess. You must escape while I hold zem here."
"I won't just leave you here alone Antoine."
"I will be fine here while you find ze guards. Zen you can elp me after."
Rather than distract him she agrees, "Stand strong Commander. I'll return with backup soon."
Sally leaves trying to find the sparse remainder of Royal Guards. She was not able to see the wound in Antoine's stomach from behind. His quick thinking had saved her life but had left a burned and bleeding hole in his lower left gut. The adrenaline has numbed the burning pain of the injury and Antoine charges into the enemy slashing and cutting down the momentarily stunned Legionnaires. As he slays them and deflects as much fire as he can, shots graze and make partial contact. A shot hits his right shoulder as he withdraws his blade from an enemy and he is forced to switch to his left hand. He leaps at the closest enemy and impales him through the stomach as he spins him around to use him as a shield. He then removes his sword and throws it into another enemy before taking the beam pistol from his fallen meat shield's belt and guns down more as he moves behind cover. He then runs out from cover and fires through the Legionnaires grouped together and kills all but the last six. Seeing his weapon is empty, he throws it at the closest enemy as he runs for his sword. He grabs it and turns charging straight at the remaining group that has gathered close together and formed a firing squad. He dodges and blocks what he can but there are too many shots and he can barely see. A bolt strikes his left leg as he reaches the line of gunman cutting down three more with a wide sweep as he falls to one knee. The last three move backward in front of him and take aim but are slashed as he pushes off with his right leg clearing the distance. Unable to catch himself after his last attack, he falls on his right side and rolls to his back struggling for breath. His eyes are growing dark from blood loss and pain now that the adrenaline is wearing off. 'I got zem all I hope. I cannot moving another step.'
"No… Antoine? Antoine!? Can you hear me? Don't worry, we'll get you back to the city and-"
"Non… ma Princess. I am afraid… zis is all I can do. I am finished… I can feel eet."
"You can't die on me Commander." Tears form and run down falling onto Antoine's face. "You have a new wife and she needs you. I order you to hold on until we can-"
"I am… sorry ma Princess… Tell Bunnie… I will love… her… always." His breathing stops and nobody moves.
"I'll tell her Antoine, I promise." She stands up and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Two of you take Commander De Colette's body back to the city and someone find Mina. I need a message delivered to Freedom HQ now. Everyone else prepare to follow me back to the frontlines. We will hold until reinforcements arrive, move!" 'Something is wrong. If Rotor hasn't fixed Nicole by now then either he can't or he won't have enough time too. The shields aren't up either. Even with the Knot Hole group we won't last much longer. Knuckles please hurry! We need you.'
