Healing Hearts Chapter Ten

The journey back to Knothole was a somber one. Both Austin and Sally were silent, a heavy and foreboding feeling hung over them following the revelation at Robotropolis. Robotnik was out to secure emeralds of untold power, but worst of all, a spy had been revealed among the Freedom Fighters. And from what they had heard, it was Cream.

"I can't believe it," Sally said, breaking the silence. "I won't believe it! I don't care what I heard, I refuse to think Cream has betrayed us!"

Austin remained silent, deep in thought. His mind echoed the words "spy" and "little rabbit", over and over, and try as he might, he just couldn't see anyway past it.

"Austin," Sally said, placing her hand on his arm. "Say something, please."

Austin glanced at her. "I'm sorry. I'm just...you know, trying to get a grasp on things."

"What are we going to do," she asked. "How are we going to tell everybody?"

"I don't know," Austin replied. "I...don't know!" He lashed out furiously at a tree, knocking out a large chunk of wood. Sally stepped back in surprise. "This is a bunch of bull! There's no way Cream is a spy! There's just no way!"

His shoulders slumped as his anger drained from him. He let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said to Sally. "I didn't mean to lose my cool."

Sally stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He embraced her back, seeking some comfort from her.

"It's alright," she said. "Believe me, I want to yell and hit something, too. Preferably, Robotnik."

"So, what do we do," Austin asked. "I can't bring myself to tell Vanilla her daughter might actually be working for the enemy."

"Lets just stop and think this through," Sally said, stepping back. "Robotnik never mentioned Cream's name. He just said little rabbit."

"But who else could that apply to," Austin said. "The only other rabbits we know are Bunnie and Vanilla. And neither of them are little."

"Maybe...maybe it's just a codename," Sally offered. But even she had to admit that sounded weak.

"I think we need to discuss this with the others," Austin said. He held his hand up to forestall Sally's protest. "Just hear me out. I'm not saying we make accusations. You and I both know the others won't believe it anymore than we do. We need some other opinions and ideas on how to figure this out."

Sally sighed. "I guess so. Alright, we'll do that. But we say nothing to Vanilla, and we certainly say nothing to Cream about any of this. If they ask, we tell them there is a spy but we're not certain yet who it is."

Austin nodded. "Fair enough."

"And we'll need to tell everyone about the emeralds," Sally added.

They continued onwards into the forest, making their way back to the entrance to Knothole.

"I can already tell how everyone's going to react when we tell them," Austin said.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT," Amy yelled, slamming her hands on the table.

Sally and Austin had returned and immediately called an emergency meeting. Amy, Tails, Rotor, Bunnie, Antoine, and Darren were all present. They had just informed everyone about the spy. And, with more reluctance, who that spy could be. Just as Austin had thought, Amy was the first to explode with righteous fury and indignation.

"There is no way that sweet little girl is working for Robotnik," Amy continued, pounding the table to emphasis her point. "There's just no way!"

"Amy, calm down," Sally said. "I think all of us here agree with you on that. I'm just telling you what we heard."

"You're certain that's what he said," Rotor asked, no doubt hoping they had misheard.

"I wish we had heard something else," Austin said. "But I'm afraid that's what he said."

"It's a trick," Amy said. "He's just trying to psych us out." She glanced around at everyone, desperately hoping someone agreed with her. "Right?"

Silence hung in the air. Sally had to admit, it didn't look good.

"I got it," Tails suddenly spoke up. "Maybe that's not Cream. Maybe it's one of Robotnik's robot duplicates. He has tried that before."

Instantly, everyone started nodding. Maybe Tails was right.

"No, that Cream is not a robot," Austin said. "I can tell. She has the scent of a living, breathing person. Not the metallic scent of a machine."

"So much for that idea," Tails said.

"Hey, I had a thought," Darren said. "Two words: Shape-shifter! Maybe Robotnik did replace Cream, though not with a robot duplicate, but with someone who can shape shift."

"You do realize how asinine that sounds, right," Amy asked.

"You got a better theory," Darren replied.

"It is a possibility," Sally said. She glanced at Austin. "What do you think?"

"I suppose," he said. "I can usually detect someone in disguise. But I've only known Cream for a few days, so I can't be certain if she's acting differently from how she usually acts."

"That's just it," Bunnie said. "She hasn't been actin' differently. She's just as polite and sweet as always. I haven't seen her do or say anything suspicious."

"So, we're back to square one," Amy huffed.

"Um, I am wondering something," Antoine spoke up.

"Go ahead, Antoine," Sally said.

"Well, if zat is Cream and not some imposter," Antoine said, "zen perhaps she is ze, how you say, unintentional spy?"

Austin nodded. "Now that's something we hadn't considered. Maybe she doesn't even realize she's spying for Robotnik. The best spy would be one who doesn't even know they're a spy."

"But, how," Amy asked. "We always check for any spy devices when we return to the village. If she was bugged, we'd know."

"Perhaps she is hypnosized," Antoine suggested.

"Hypnosized," Darren asked. "I think you mean hypno...tized. Oh, my god. I never considered that."

"Of course," Austin said. "Cream may be hypnotized or, maybe had subliminal commands implanted in her mind. She was being held captive. They may have done it then. Antoine, you're a genius!"

Bunnie planted a big kiss on Antoine's cheek. "Way to go, Sugar-Twan."

"Alright, everyone settle down, please," Sally said. "Lets keep in mind that these are just theories. We need actual proof. Now, is there anyway to know for certain?"

"Well, not unless you want to keep tabs on Cream," Rotor said.

"You mean spy on her," Amy asked. "Forget it. I'm not resorting to that."

"Yet you had no problem spying on me when I first got here," Austin pointed out.

"That was different," Amy said. "Besides, are you going to spy on her?"

"Heck, no, I'm not," Austin said. "But, that might not be necessary. I've been thinking, if Antoine's theory is correct, and Cream was hypnotized or received subliminal commands, then the only time that could have been done was on the transport where she was being held."

"But how do we find out for certain," Tails asked.

"I say, we go to Robotropolis and beat the truth out of Robotnik," Amy suggested, pulling out her hammer.

"As tempting as that sounds, I have another idea," Austin said. "There were two others on that transport. Nack and Drago. If anyone knows something, it might be them."

"What do you suggest," Sally said.

"I'm gonna track down Nack and get some answers from him," Austin replied.

"You know he won't cooperate," Sally said.

"Let me come along," Amy said, her eyes glinting. "I'll make him talk."

"Thanks, Amy," Austin said. "But I can handle this alone. I'll get Nack to talk. I can be pretty persuasive at times. And I'll know if he's lying or telling the truth."

"I'm not so sure about this," Sally said.

"What other choice do we have," Austin asked. "If Nack knows something, then we have to find out. We have to prove Cream is innocent. Please, Sally. I'm asking you to trust me on this."

Sally remained quiet for a moment. Then she nodded. "Alright, Austin. For Cream's sake, I'll trust you on this."

"Thanks," Austin said. "I promise, you won't regret it."

"And if Nack doesn't know anything," Tails asked. "What then?"

Austin glanced over at Amy. "Then we go to Plan B: Beat the truth out of Robotnik."

Amy grinned. "Now you're talking. You sure you don't want me to go with you? I can be pretty persuasive, too."

"I'll be fine," Austin said. "Save that energy in case we do need to..."talk" with Robotnik."

Sally addressed the others. "After Austin returns, there's something else that needs to be discussed. But for the time being, this meeting is adjourned."

Austin stepped outside of the hut, followed by Sally.

"Nack likes to hang out at a bar just a few miles west of Robotropolis," Sally explained. "Be careful, Austin. Nack's not the only unsavory type in that place."

"Understood," Austin said. "I'll be back as soon as possible." He leaned in and kissed her. "Don't worry. I'll get some answers, good or bad."

Turning, he looked up at the sky. In a flash, he changed forms. His wings unfurled and then he launched himself into the air. Soon he was out of sight.

"Good luck, Austin," she said.

The Bottom of the Barrel Bar and Grill was considered the seediest dive on Mobius. Austin landed just a few feet from the entrance. The place was a squat building in need of a major overhaul and paint job. Surly looking Mobians were hanging out near the front door, and they looked like they were spoiling for a fight.

"Can't wait to see the inside," he muttered as he made his way to the entrance.

The door was guarded by a hulking gorilla. Standing at six and a half feet, the gorilla glared at the approaching Edenian. He crossed his massive arms and waited for Austin to get near.

"Not so fast, chump," he growled. "Where do ya think you're goin'?"

Austin stopped and stood before the guard. He looked up and stared him down.

"Out of the way, King Kong," Austin said. "There's someone inside I need to talk to."

"Too bad," the gorilla snarled. "You ain't goin' in, see. So hit the road, before I grind you into it."

Austin's hand shot out faster than the eye could follow. He grabbed the simian by his shirt and pulled him close, their faces just inches apart.

"Look, I'm in no mood for this crap," Austin ground out. "Either you move away from that door on your own, or I'll move you."

Behind him, some of the loitering Mobians began converging on him. Some of them had clubs while others cracked their knuckles in anticipation. Austin sensed their approach. Reacting quickly, he hurled the guard into the nearest group. With that threat taken care of, Austin attacked the other group. His sword made short work of their makeshift clubs and his fists and feet knocked them out cold. He stood among the downed Mobians. Those still awake moaned in pain. Reaching down, Austin hauled one to his feet.

"Nack the Weasel," he demanded. "Is he inside?"

"I...I ain't sayin' nothin'," the Mobian replied.

"Wrong answer," Austin growled. He changed into his Edenian form and lifted the Mobian clear off the ground. "Talk! NOW!"

"Okay, okay," the Mobian said. "Yeah, he's inside!"

"Thank you," Austin said. He unceremoniously tossed the Mobian back to the ground. "If you'll excuse me."

He turned and made his way to the entrance. Foregoing any subtlety, he kicked the door in, nearly knocking it off it's hinges. Inside, the gathered patrons all looked up in surprise. Austin stepped in and gazed around the room. Then he spotted his target.

"You," he pointed at Nack.

"Aw, cripes, not you again," Nack groaned.

"You and I need to talk," Austin said, making his way over.

"Fat chance," Nack sneered. "Get him, boys!"

The others in the bar stood up and closed in on Austin. As they moved in to attack, Nack snuck around the bar and ducked out the backdoor. Outside, he climbed onto his sky sled. Starting it up, he hit the gas pedal and sped away from the bar. A few moments later, he had put some distance between himself and his usual hangout. Slowing down, he coasted at a leisurely speed, confident he was safe. He figured he'd probably have to lay low for a little while. If that red head was still looking for him, he probably wouldn't give up the chase.

A sudden whoosh overhead caused him to look up. He shrieked in terror as a winged figure swooped down on him. A pair of strong hands grabbed him and he found himself lifted up into the air. The sky sled continued onward without it's driver for a moment and then crashed into a tree.

"No! My sky sled," Nack wailed. He looked up and saw his captor. "You! What have you got against me?"

"You need to ask," Austin said.

"How did you get past all of those thugs," Nack asked. "You were outnumbered!"

"Don't you know," Austin replied. "Sometimes quality is better than quantity. Now, let's talk."

"I got nothing to say to you," Nack sneered.

"Oh? Have you by chance noticed how high up we are," Austin asked.

Nack glanced down. The ground seemed miles away.

"Oh, what," he said. "You gonna drop me if I don't cooperate? You wouldn't dare. I know you goody-goody types. You have morals."

"True," Austin said. "But, sometimes, we make exceptions."

He let Nack go. The weasel screamed as he plummeted. The ground rushed up to meet him. Nack covered his eyes, waiting for the imminent impact. But, it never came. Something grabbed him by the tail and halted his fall. He opened his eyes and saw the ground just inches from his face. Shaking, he looked up and saw Austin hovering above him. He had caught Nack at the last second.

"That was pretty close," Austin said. "Ready to talk now? I might not be as quick next time."

"Y-You're crazy," Nack yelled.

Austin hauled the weasel up and brought him face to face. Nack stared into his eyes. They were narrowed and smoldering with rage. The sight filled Nack with more fear than the near-impact.

"I'm not in a good mood right now," Austin said. "The lives of my friends are on the line. And when that happens, bad things happen to the ones who are responsible. Am I making myself clear?"

Nack swallowed nervously. "C-Crystal clear. What do you want to know?"

"The young Mobian you and Drago kidnapped," Austin began. "Cream. What did you do to her?"

"Do to her," Nack exclaimed. "We didn't do anything. We just kidnapped her and tossed her in the cage. And that's where she stayed until you showed up and broke her out."

"Robotnik never ordered anything else," Austin asked. "Just to bring her to Robotropolis?"

"That's right," Nack said. "Just bring him prisoners. Those were our orders. We came across the little brat..."

"Watch what you call her," Austin growled, shaking the weasel.

"Alright, alright," Nack said. "We came across the little...doll, and her mother. I came up with the idea to kidnap the kid and let her mother go free, knowing she'd get help. Once the Freedom Fighters showed up, we'd capture them for the Doc. And that's it, I swear."

"Unfortunately, I believe you," Austin said. Inwardly, he cursed. So Cream hadn't been brainwashed. So much for that theory. Now what would they do? Suddenly, something came to mind. "Wait a minute. What did you call Cream a moment ago?"

"A brat," Nack replied. "Which you told me not to call her."

"No, no, after that," Austin said.

"Uh, oh, I called her a doll," Nack said.

Doll! An image of Cream's doll suddenly flashed in his thoughts. The doll she had found on the transport. Robotnik's transport.

"What can you tell me about a doll," Austin asked.

Nack stared at him in confusion. "Say what?"

"Was there a doll on that transport," Austin said. "Think! Did you ever see a plush fox doll with a small gem dangling from the forehead?"

Nack fell silent, racking his brains trying to recall if he had.

"Hey, wait, yeah," Nack said. "When we first boarded the transport, I checked the place out. I remember seeing a doll in the storage room. It was just sitting there on a crate." He shuddered. "The damn thing gave me the creeps. I couldn't figure out why it was there, so I just left it where I found it."

"You left it in the storage room," Austin asked. He remembered entering the transport via the rooftop hatch, which had led down into the storage room. But he had never seen the doll in there. "You're certain that's where it was?"

"Yeah, I'm certain," Nack replied. "I didn't want anything to do with it. I had a prisoner to look after."

"When you saw the doll, did it seem like it was...watching you," Austin asked.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, it did," Nack said, shuddering once more as he recalled the doll.

Austin lowered Nack to the ground. "Thank you for your time, Nack. You've been most helpful."

Without another word, he ascended into the sky and flew off. Nack watched him fly away. Once he was out of sight, Nack went over to see if his sky sled was still in decent condition. And he hoped he'd never see that guy again.

Sally sat on the front step of her hut. She was watching Cream as the young rabbit played with some other children. She seemed so innocent. Sally just couldn't accept the fact she might actually be a spy. And if she was, what then? Would they have to imprison her? And what about Vanilla? The mother rabbit's heart would break. Sally felt her own heart breaking at the thought. All she could do was wait, and hope...hope that Austin would uncover the truth. Overhead, she heard the sound of wings. Glancing up, she saw Austin above her. He descended and landed next to Sally.

"I know how Robotnik's been spying on us," Austin said, the second he landed.

"How," Sally asked, afraid of the answer.

Austin glanced over at Cream. She was still playing with her friends and had yet to notice he and Sally were watching. Austin saw the doll clutched in Cream's arms.

"It's that doll," Austin said, nodding at the toy. "Cream found that thing on the transport. When I questioned Nack, he said he had noticed the doll in the storage room. Yet Cream found it in the control room when I hid her there so I could deal with the Swat Bots."

"So, Nack was lying," Sally asked.

"No. He was telling the truth," Austin said. "Somehow, that doll ended up in the control room...by itself."

They both glanced at the doll in Cream's arms. It looked just like an ordinary plush toy. And yet...

Sally shuddered. "Now that I look at it, it gives me the chills. It's like it's..."

"Watching you," Austin provided. "I know. I get the same feeling. And even Nack said the same thing."

"But how can we be certain," Sally asked.

"As it is," Austin said, "I have an idea. If that doll is indeed relaying information to Robotnik, I know how to find out. First, we need to get it away from Cream for a while. Once we have it, you and I are going to discuss the location of a chaos emerald."

"But, we don't have any locations," Sally said.

"I know," Austin said, smiling and raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, I get it," Sally said. "We feed it false information."

"Exactly," Austin said. "We act like we found an emerald, name a location and then, we go to the location and watch. If Robotnik and his forces show up, we'll know for sure."

"Sounds good," Sally said. She looked back at Cream. "Now, how do we get the doll from Cream? What do we tell her?"

"Good question," Austin said.

"I got it," Sally said.

She walked over towards Cream.

"Hey, Cream," Sally said.

"Oh, hello, Miss Sally," Cream greeted.

"Say, Cream," Sally said. "Do you mind if I have a look at that doll of your's?"

"Okay," Cream said, handing the doll to her.

Sally took it and made a show of looking it over. She turned around so it was out of sight of Cream. Carefully, she ripped a small tear in the doll.

"Uh-oh. Looks like it's got a rip," Sally said, turning around and showing Cream.

"Oh, no," Cream said. "I'll have to ask my mom to fix it."

"Oh, no need to bother her," Sally said. "I can patch it up for you."

"Thank you, Miss Sally," Cream said.

"I'll get it back to you just as soon as I can," Sally said. She turned and walked back towards Austin. Smiling, she held up the doll triumphantly.

"You're cleverness is matched only by your beauty and charm," Austin said.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Sally said. "Now, we had something to discuss."

"Ah, yes," Austin said. Time to put on their show. "So, you say you found a chaos emerald?"

"Well, the location of one," Sally said. "My information showed it's located in the canyons just a few miles south of Robotropolis."

"We need to get out there and find it before Robotnik does," Austin said.

"Let me put Cream's doll in my hut and we'll head out," Sally said.

By that time, they had reached her hut. She entered and placed the doll on the table. She turned and exited, shutting the door behind her.

Inside, the doll's eyes began glowing and the gem started flashing.

Outside, Sally rejoined Austin.

"Alright, the trap's been set," she said. "Let's get to the canyons."

Austin changed forms and then picked Sally up. Cradling her in his arms, he lept up into the air and gained altitude.

"We'll need to go that way," Sally said, pointing northwards.

"Hang on," Austin said.

Sally clung to him as he flew in the direction she had indicated.

It wasn't long before they reached the canyons. They sprawled for miles, vast rocky outcroppings as far as the eye could see. Austin and Sally landed just at the entrance of the canyons. The area would provide good cover so they could observe without being seen. Austin set Sally down and resumed his human form.

"And now we wait," Sally said.

Austin nodded. He gazed out at the vast canyons, the late afternoon sun painting the rocks a bronze color.

"Well, if nothing else," he said, "this place offers a nice view."

Sally stood beside him, enjoying the view.

"Maybe some day, this world will totally be free of Robotnik's hold," she said.

"It will be," Austin said. "I promise."

Suddenly, something caught his eye. Several objects were approaching from the north.

"Heads up," Austin said. "We've got company."

They ducked out of sight and watched as several aircraft touched down. The hatches opened and several Swat Bots disembarked, followed by 5 Stealth Bots.

"Figures there'd be more of those things," Austin muttered.

A small figure emerged from one of the craft. He had a big nose and was practically bald.

"Who's that," Austin asked.

"That's Snively," Sally said.

"So, that's Snively," Austin said.

"And no sign of the big man himself," Sally said. "Of course he'd stay in his safe command center."

The Swat Bots moved out and began digging while the Stealth Bots began patrolling the area.

"Well, looks like my suspicions were right," Austin said. "That doll was relaying information to Robotnik."

"Thank goodness," Sally said. "That means Cream isn't the spy."

They watched the bots continue digging for a few moments.

"We've seen all we need," Austin spoke up. "Lets head back."

He was standing up when he heard something overhead, like the sound of a turbine. He looked up and saw something zooming down at them.

"Look out," Austin yelled.

He grabbed Sally and hauled her out of the way. They fell to the ground as the object landed with a loud crash. Dust and pebbles filled the air. Coughing, both Austin and Sally looked up in the direction of the object's landing site. Through the dust cloud, they saw two glowing red eyes. Then the dust cleared and there stood a robot. Metallic blue and silver, it resembled a hedgehog, with sharp claw-like fingers and a turbine in the center of it's body.

"Oh, no," Sally gasped.

"What the hell is that," Austin asked.

"That's Robotnik's deadliest creation," Sally said. "That is Metal Sonic."

End of Chapter Ten...