"Following the disappearance of Ethelred a short note has been found at his house explaining his departure. Though details are scarce at the moment we believe the letter has been signed by the People's Revolutionist Assembly. It has now come to light that this faction wishes to systematically defeat countries defences in order to seize control of Mobius and create a 'universal living society', a utopia. I am joined by a political scholar who has recently found out about this extreme political faction and what it intends to achieve, Michael."
Walter quickly turned the volume up on the little fourteen inch television he kept in the kitchen, perched at the edge of one of the massive worktops.
"Thank-you. We have been researching this small party of people ever since we came across them a year or two ago. They seem to have set themselves up as a replacement for Dr Robotnick if you can remember him. They're goal is to achieve world domination to create a universal living society or a utopia as you correctly called it. If they manage to achieve this it seems they would destroy all defences, weapons and any other weapon, implement or person that could cause harm. This may sound perfect, no guns no crime, but this leaves the world and it's people defenceless. Defenceless people pose no threat to the dictator that will be in a position of power. At the moment this man goes by the name of the Baron, but we have no further information on him as of yet. They try to come across as socialists, but anyone can see that through their recent and past actions they are clearly a right wing operation and we should be careful. "
Walter quickly turned the TV off, shoving it to one side up against the wall just as Sonic and Knuckles walked in. Walter stood there looking agitated, tapping his fingers against the work surface, staring into the wall, thinking hard.
"Hey there Walter, you alright?" Knuckles asked.
"Yeah, yeah, fine, I've just, it seems. The group that brainwashed your friend, it seems they have taken or captured Ethelred, you know, the animal that saves peoples lives by dragging them from fires and such. It's now imperative that we find your friend, without him we will never be able to infiltrate their headquarters or whatever it is. They are beginning to make a move, we don't have much time and by the time the Mobian leader's sort something out it will all be over and we will be under their rule."
"I remember him, last week I think he saved that family from drowning in that reservoir. It looks like we better have something to eat and go find Tails!" Sonic said, sounding quite excited.
"I'm going to start preparations on the helicopter so we can set of as soon as we can."
Walter then left the room quickly. Sonic or Knuckles had never seen him so agitated and jumpy. He was wound up like the alarm clock that startled them awake this morning. His normal, calm voice was replaced by a thin, higher pitched one that had a sharp edge to it, making them feel a little uneasy. Amy and Cream then entered the kitchen and eyed the cereal that was on the table.
"That alarm clock is horrible. It made me jump when I heard it," Amy stated feeling fairly annoyed that she was awoken so abruptly.
"Yeah, ours was like that too," Knuckles replied.
"Walter's found out some more information and wants us to move quickly, he said it is important that we find Tails." Sonic then told them exactly what Walter had told them.
It was twenty past seven when they finally took off from one of Walter's lawns and now they were slowly flying over the forest of the Mystic Ruins. Using the edge of the two bench like seats all four where able to look out of the window, Amy using a pair of binoculars she found on the floor, Walter sat upfront, seeing everything below him pass by.
"Some of the trees are already loosing their leaves," Knuckles noticed.
"It is quite cold though for the end of the summer, lucky for us though, it'll make it easier to spot Tails," Sonic shouted back, trying to get Knuckles to hear over the constant roaring of the engine.
"Tails is orange though and so are the leaves covering the ground, how's that gonna make it easy?" Knuckles shouted back.
"Ah you're right, this is hopeless, we're never going to find him," Sonic then turned on the seat so he was sitting more comfortably facing the front of the helicopter, sharing Walter's view.
"We can't give up! We need him," Cream said, trying to make Sonic hear.
"I suppose you're right," Sonic then slowly dragged himself up so he was perched next to the window again and continued to watch the ground below roll past.
After three hours of scouring the forest they flew over the road that marked the perimeter line of the land, beyond the road was rough gorse land and grass, the Mystic Downs as they were known by those who lived locally. The overcast day made the ground beneath look dull and lifeless, possibly the most uninspiring image nature could create. It looked baron and desolate, a true wasteland that stretched for miles and miles, until the next small town.
"Walter, I really don't think Tails would even think of wandering out to here," Sonic said through a sigh of boredom, "it's too windy, look at it."
"Hey look!" Amy screeched, "oh no it's just a white sheet or something, sorry…"
"No, you're right, over there, look!" Knuckles shouted, sounding quite excited for once. Everyone followed his gaze as much as they could and all crammed their faces against his window, pushing Knuckles' head in to the seat beneath. Sure enough, on the other side of the helicopter there was an orange figure making his way back to the sheet that Amy saw.
"I am going to put this down now, so do strap yourselves in." Walter shouted back, sounding pleased.
As soon as everyone strapped themselves in there was barely any time to breath before the helicopter seemed to fall out of the sky. The ground below began rising at an alarming rate. The inside suddenly became very draughty as the displaced air whistled through any crack it could find. The sound of the engine disappeared through the whistling and rushing air and then everything went dark.