Lilac joins the others outside, cyan Chaos Emerald in hand, walking slightly funny as she works the stiffness and soreness out of her legs. "Anyone know a good masseuse?" she asks the group.
"I know a thing or two," Carol volunteers.
"Thanks for the offer, but I know how felines like to claw things," Lilac replies. "Also, I remember what happened last time you gave me a massage."
"Oh yeah…" Carol recalls, blushing slightly.
"What happened?" Amy asks.
"Let's just say I found out what it's like to be a scratching post," Lilac explains.
"You promised never to tell anyone about that!" Carol protests.
"I told Bunnie and Sally about the time I got us both locked in that crate, if that helps," Lilac placates.
"…OK, we're even," Carol accepts, her trademark grin back.
"I want to hear that story!" Amy asks.
"I'll tell you when we're back on Sky Patrol," Lilac promises.
"About that," Carol interrupts, her gaze fixed on the sky. "Can anyone else see a hole the size of Mayor Zao's ego?"
The others look up to the sky. "Who is Mayor Zao?" Antoine asks.
"His ego's almost as big as Sonic's," Lilac explains.
"In zat case, no, I do not see a hole zat big," Antoine reports.
"Me neither," Lilac confirms. "And that presents a problem."
"Eggman knows we're here," Sally realises.
"And he's sent the cavalry," Nicole reports. "Incoming badnik horde, led by Silver Sonic."
"Size?" Sally asks.
"Two hundred," Nicole answers.
"In which case, we'll need all the hands we can get," Sally decides, taking a Power Ring from her pocket and fixing it to the handheld computer.
Nicole appears in hologram form a moment later. "Let's hope the Ring lasts long enough," she states, accepting her handheld from Sally.
"I have a spare," Sally informs, lighting up her ring‑blades. "No Red Ring, sadly."
"I wouldn't risk the Red Ring anyway," Nicole reminds. "Not after last time."
"Me, Bunnie, and T‑Pup will slow them down," Tails volunteers as he and the augmented rabbit take off.
"I wish Pangu was here," Lilac sighs.
"Who needs Pangu when you got your tail?" Carol boasts, referring to herself.
"You're right," Lilac agrees. "Let's do it to it!"
"That's Sonic's line!" Amy replies, hefting her hammer.
The badnik horde descends on the heroes.
Tails, Bunnie, and T‑Pup are first to engage. Bunnie unleashes powerful blasts from her arm cannon as she tries to disrupt the horde by flying right through the middle of it while Tails and T‑Pup attempt to outflank. But despite their efforts, the horde remains on target and smashes right into the group on the ground.
The heroes fight back hard. Sally elegantly dances from badnik to badnik as she cleaves each in half with her ring‑blades, while Amy is brutal, her savage hammer swings leaving a trail of mangled machinery. Antoine's swordplay is precise and efficient, and Nicole protects her friends where she can with summoned green shields, slicing a few badniks of her own with them.
But nothing compares to the trail of destruction left by Lilac and Carol. The wildcat fights on training and instinct, her hands so fast they're naught but a blur: by the time a badnik is dispatched, she's halfway through the next. Lilac is not as fast, but a few well‑timed Cyclones make short work of several badniks at a time, her hair whips ripping through them like shrapnel through paper. Together, they dispatch badniks at almost twice the rate of anyone else.
However, even with Tails, Bunnie, and T‑Pup now offering aerial support, the horde's sheer size starts to slowly turn to their advantage. Silver Sonic chooses this moment to strike, swiping Bunnie aside with ease as he charges directly at the heart of the battle.
"Ma chérie!" Antoine exclaims, breaking from the fight to assist Bunnie, only to be surrounded by badniks.
"Keep fighting!" Sally commands. "She can take care of herself!"
Antoine is about to argue, but stops himself when he sees Bunnie has recovered and rejoined the fight. "Oui, ma princesse!"
Silver Sonic slams hard into the ground, knocking everyone not airborne off their feet.
"What on Avalice is that?" Lilac cries out as she picks herself up.
"Silver Sonic, the horde commander," Sally explains, doing her best to not be overrun by badniks as she recovers.
"I'll take him," Lilac volunteers.
Silver Sonic turns to face Lilac. Wordlessly, he curls into a ball and spin dashes directly at the dragoness.
"You're not the only one who can do that!" Lilac quips as she jumps, curling up to charge a Dragon Boost.
But this is no normal Dragon Boost.
Fuelled by the energy of the Chaos Emerald, Lilac spins far faster than the normally spins. Before she can work out why, the Boost fires with a massive shockwave, instantly smashing dozens of badniks and knocking everyone off their feet again. Enveloped in an intense aura, Lilac tears right through Silver Sonic as if he was paper. Struggling to remain in control, the dragoness then pulls up through the badnik horde, her wake ripping them all to shreds. As the last few badniks are dispatched by the Freedom Fighters, Lilac, now out of control, dives straight for Carol.
Panicking, Lilac drops the Emerald.
The Boost cancels, but it's too late: Lilac slams into Carol, sending them both tumbling a full thirty feet before coming to a rest, the wildcat pinned under the dragoness.
Fearful of the worst, the Freedom Fighters race to assist Lilac and Carol.
"Oh ma stars, are you girls OK?" Bunnie asks, worry dripping from every syllable.
"Can I answer when the world stops spinning?" Carol asks, heavily dazed.
"I think I broke my pride bone," Lilac mumbles, half‑insensible.
"Give us a few minutes," Carol requests.
"I'll keep an eye on them," Amy volunteers.
"OK," Sally agrees, signalling for the others to give Lilac and Carol space and time to recover their wits.
"Lilac?" Carol asks.
"Chaos Emeralds rule," Lilac purrs.
"Lilac."
"Fly like an eagle…"
"Lilac."
"Wheeee!"
Carol takes a deep breath. "LILAC!"
Lilac snaps out of her daze instantly. "What? Who? I'm up!" she blurts, looking around quick and aimlessly. "Ow…" she groans, clutching her head. "That wasn't a good idea."
"You were pretty out of it just now," Carol comments, relieved her friend is sensible again.
"Welcome back to the real world," Amy adds.
"Thanks," Lilac smiles weakly. "What happened?"
"You went flying around like a madman, then flew into me," Carol explains.
"Oh… Sorry," Lilac blushes.
"Why are you sorry?" Carol grins. "It was so cool! And the way you tore through Silver Sonic was awesome!"
"Really?" Lilac asks.
"Really!" Carol confirms.
"Are you hurt?"
"Bruised and battered, but otherwise OK."
Lilac then realises she's laid on top of Carol. "I should probably get off you now."
"Yep."
Lilac tries to push herself up, but her shaking arms can't support her slender frame, and she flops back down. "Just… give me a minute."
"OK, but only a‑" Carol begins, stopping when Lilac starts snoring. "…minute," she finishes with a sigh.
Amy takes the opportunity to check both Lilac and Carol for injuries. "You two are really tough!" she remarks in awe. "Tumbling like that, and not one broken bone!"
"We've been through worse and come out fighting," Carol boasts, not entirely without exaggeration.
"I don't doubt it." Amy signals to Sally and Bunnie. "Don't worry, we'll get Lilac back to Sky Patrol safely."
"Everything OK here?" Sally asks as she and Bunnie join Amy.
"Yeah," Carol assures. "Just one tiny little problem…"
"I see," Sally smiles, trying not to laugh at Lilac's undignified snoring.
With Bunnie's assistance, Sally rolls Lilac off Carol.
"Ah, that's better!" Carol sighs with relief as she stands, faltering slightly as she does so.
"Now we just need to figure out how to get her back to Sky Patrol," Sally thinks aloud.
Carol thinks a moment. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's a few rolls of bandages in the Tornado, isn't there?"
"For first aid, yes," Sally confirms.
"In that case, I have an idea," Carol smiles mischievously.
Sally and Bunnie exchange confused yet curious looks.
The flight back to Sky Patrol proves uneventful, and both the Tornado and the Twister make it back to the Freedom Fighters' flying fortress in good time.
"Hey guys!" Sonic greets as the planes come to a halt. "Glad to see you all back safe! Run into any trouble?"
"Not really," Amy teases. "Just saving the girls from the wreckage they were trapped in, then fighting off Silver Sonic and a badnik horde. Boring stuff like that."
"I knew I should have come!" Sonic replies.
"We're all back safely, that's what matters," Sally assures.
"Yeah, I guess," Sonic relents. "Where's Lilac?"
"She's a little… tied up right now," Carol smirks, looking over to the Twister.
Sonic follows Carol's gaze to see Lilac securely bound to the wing of the Twister, snoring loudly. "Is she making that noise?"
"Sure is," Carol confirms. "That's why she normally sleeps on her front."
Lilac stops snoring abruptly. "Carol?" she murmurs as she stirs awake.
"Right here, Lilac!" Carol chirps, grinning widely.
"Good." Lilac attempts to get up, only to find she can't move. "Erm… what's going on?"
"We couldn't think of a better way to get you back," Carol explains.
Lilac lifts her head to see she's held firmly in place with copious amounts of bandages. "I see. You're going to cut me free, right?"
"Eventually," Carol teases.
"You're leaving me like this?" Lilac asks, surprised.
"Don't worry, I'll be back in an hour or so," Carol assures as the group heads out of the hangar.
"But‑" Lilac begins, but it's too late: everyone's already left the hangar.