Kinos sat in the command chair as he waited for Arias to contact him again. Shadow sat at the computer with his feet propped up and Mecha Sonic stood silently in the back. The black hedgehog kept twitching as if he had an itch he couldn't scratch.
"How long does he plan on making us wait?" Shadow said finally. "It's been a week since you sent him that message."
"You mean how long has he made me wait," Kinos corrected him. "Ever since that woman was here you've been getting...what was the word? Cheeky."
"Because whatever she did to you she perfected on me," Shadow replied with a near snarl. "Now I'm a Mobian, not a mix like you."
"Really, the two of you should lay off Cidana," Arias said from a flash of yellow light. "After all, she's the one that gave you these gifts."
"Some gift," Mecha Sonic said as his body twitched. "The very least you could do is fix whatever the hell is wrong with me." Arias glanced at him before holding his hand up. The symbol on his hand, two parallel lines with a semi-circle in the middle of the top line, began to glow as did Mecha Sonic. When the light subsided Mecha Sonic tested his joints, finally able to move. "Thanks. Some animals around here suck as mechanics."
"I tried at least," Kinos snapped. "Speaking of, when do you plan on returning us to normal?" Arias cocked an eyebrow. "You made your point clear: I'm your bitch."
"Crude but accurate," the human said with a chuckle. "You have learned your lesson but I never said anything about turning you back to normal. The only reason that I helped Sonic is that I have other uses for him and I need him in working condition."
"Don't think for a second that I'm working for you," Sonic said. "I appreciate your earlier help but-"
"I don't intend to collect on my debt any time soon," Arias interrupted him. "What I'm more interested in is why you feel that you can call on me whenever you damn well please." He held his hand up again and bolts of electricity ran through Kinos, forcing him to his knees. "Do not think that an insignificant worm like you can order me around. You will do as I say, when I say, understood?" Kinos grunted an answer that was not to Arias' liking as the human twisted his hand and the electricity arced around the room. Kinos grunted another answer and Arias smiled. The symbol dimmed and the lightning vanished, dropping the exhausted hedgehog to the ground. "Glad we have an understanding. Now if you don't mind I need to get back to Azosarria." Another yellow flash of light and he was gone. Sputtering curses and obscenities Kinos limped to the back room to lie down. When they were alone Shadow turned to Mecha Sonic and looked the mechanized hedgehog over.
"Are you sure this will work?" he asked.
"Convincing Kinos to get in touch with Arias worked better than we hoped," Mecha Sonic said as he walked next to the hedgehog. "Can you get everything ready?" Shadow nodded as he made the necessary adjustments to the security equipment.
"Whenever you're ready," Shadow said. "Make it quick. Once Kinos comes to we're not going to have much time." Mecha Sonic nodded and took off at full speed, leaving a trail of fire behind him.
In the prison block, the Wolf Pack sat in their cells for the inevitable moment when Kinos would have them roboticized. Sitting in the corner was Lupe, trying to keep her mind off of Orchid and the news of Sonic's robotization.
"Why hasn't Kinos roboticized any of us yet?" Ari asked, breaking the silence. "It's been over a month and all he's done is allow you to recuperate after giving birth."
"I suspect that he is waiting for all the Freedom Fighters to be in one place," Lupe answered. "And with Sonic working for him..." Before she could continue their SWATbot guards were ripped apart, their limbs hitting the bars and shorting them out.
"You called?" Mecha Sonic said as he ripped the control panel off the wall. "We don't have a lot of time. You guys need to get out of here, now."
"What is going on?" one the wolves asked as Mecha Sonic ripped the door off its hinges. "What does Kinos have planned for us? Why would he send you to us?"
"Kinos doesn't know that I'm here," the bot said. "Somehow I managed to keep my freewill after being roboticized. I don't know how or why but while Kinos is occupied I figured now was a good time to start breaking you out." He grabbed the other gate and pulled, ripping it out of its place. "Listen, if you guys wanna stand around, be my guest. The others are already on their way out of here."
"Where's Orchid?" Lupe asked before anyone said anything.
"She's safe in Ash Grove with Rosie on my suggestion." He looked around, the wolves all unsure whether or not to take his word on their safety. "One more thing: Go back to your homes. Kinos is going after Knothole soon."
"All the more reason for us to head back there!"
"And what good are we as Freedom Fighters if we escape only to get captured again?!" Mecha Sonic snarled, causing several of the wolves to cower. "Kinos has three battalions ready to take Knothole. Not even the most hardcore Freedom Fighter would go up against that. And even if they do you'll still be out there to challenge Kinos." Gradually the wolves began to agree with him and they filed out of the prison. Lupe walked up to him and kissed him once on each metallic cheek.
"You are taking a great risk, Sonic Hedgehog," she said softly. "Thank you for giving us the opportunity to escape." She and Ari were the last to leave, leaving Mecha Sonic alone in the prison. Now he just had to undo what Kinos had done to him and everything else would fall in place.
When he arrived back in the command center Kinos had just began to dry his hair quills. The white hedgehog stared at the bot with renewed curiosity. "Where'd you run off to?" he asked. "I tried raising you on the comm but I didn't get an answer."
"Security and comms are down at the prison block," Mecha Sonic explained. "The prisoners are still there and the bars are active so nothing important was lost." Kinos dismissed Shadow, waiting for him to leave before looking to Mecha Sonic.
"I'm sorry," he said. "When I roboticized you I should have told you what I was planning. I never...I never intended for things to happen this way. After everything we've been through you at least deserved a heads up. In short, I'm asking for your forgiveness, Sonic." Mecha Sonic remained silent as he processed what Kinos had said.
"Don't worry about it," he finally said. "I understand why you did it. The fact that you're apologizing means a lot more than you think." Mecha Sonic examined his claws over. "Besides, this form has some advantages. If you really wanna make things right then I need a Power Ring when we get to Knothole."
"Wouldn't that just return your freewill if you had lost it?"
"Normally, yes," the bot replied, "but I'm not exactly normal. The fact that I can use the rings makes me unique and I'm hoping that alone should be enough to turn me back." Kinos leaned against the wall, a smug smile on his face.
"Risky, but I like the idea of it," he said. "With Gedic and Venusia gone we're free to finally take Knothole." Kinos walked to the screen and pulled up the SWATbot factories where they saw the battalions ready to march on the Freedom Fighters. "With this army we can end this war once and for all. Once they're handled what do you plan on doing?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Mecha Sonic said as he stared at the screen. "Anyway, we should get ready. Tomorrow's a big day."
Morning came and Kinos was in full form. He, Shadow, and Mecha Sonic stood on a balcony off the Citadel, staring at the thousands of SWATbots of every generation ready to march on the Freedom Fighters. The nanobot stared, basking in the glory of the moment.
"This is the day that we have waited for," he said quietly. "If I hadn't had your help then this day would still be far off."
"You're welcome," Mecha Sonic replied. "We should get moving before any raids realize that the city is empty." Kinos nodded, walking past the two other hedgehogs. Shadow glanced at Mecha Sonic and nodded before following Kinos. Slowly but surely the army worked its way through the forest as they headed to the coordinates of the last major Freedom Fighter base. They were able to slip past the sentries with ease, putting them one step closer to Knothole.
"Hard to believe it's about to happen," Kinos said to Mecha Sonic. "You?"
"Not sure how to feel," the bot admitted. "I will say that I'll be much happier when I'm flesh and blood. There should be a ring forming just after we get there."
"I haven't forgotten," Kinos said. "After all, I have no interest in betraying my friend."
Friend. As they walked along Mecha Sonic processed Kinos' meaning of the word. Thinking of Kinos that way was strange but it had the ring of truth to it. They'd had each other's back since he had left Knothole all the way until Beech Knoll. Now he was making up for that too. Isn't that what friends did for each other? As he tried to wrap his head around the idea they quickly came upon the village. It had only been a short while since he had been back but it felt like years. And now...Now he was going to hand them over to their worst nightmare.
"How're you feeling?" Kinos asked quietly.
"I'm fine," Mecha Sonic lied. "I figured I might feel guilty about backstabbing them but I haven't felt anything so far."
"Always good to hear," the nanobot said with a chuckle. "Now we wait for the right moment. Let's go over the plan one last time for good measure."
In the village it was a quiet, peaceful morning. The villagers walked alongside the Robians as if nothing in the world was wrong. True, Sonic's robotization had shaken them all but Kinos' lack of action had lulled them into a sense of complacency. Even Antoine, one of the more paranoid villagers, was relaxed for the first time in a long time. He stared out his window into the morning sun as Bunnie walked out of the shower in nothing but a towel.
"You look happy, sugar-'Twan," she cooed as she wrapped her arms around his stomach. "A lot happier than the rest of us."
"Kinos has not sent Sonic against us," he said, lifting one of her hands and kissing it. "That is why I am greatly relieved. If Sonic were forced to come here then we would not be able to fight against him." He glanced at his watch and said, "We should get ready. It is our turn to go on rounds."
They walked through the village, saying hello to many of the villagers, even seeing Geoffrey and Sally debating strategy. Sonic's influence was obvious in Sally as she favored an all-out assault on every front while Geoffrey wanted to strike from the shadows and interrupt his power supply. The two barely acknowledged Antoine and Bunnie and continued their argument. Antoine couldn't help but smile at the thought of them arguing constantly, much like she and Sonic would do. An explosion from Rotor's hut alerted them only to find that Dr. Rose, Uncle Chuck and Rotor were field-testing some of the weapons they had recovered. Quickly putting out the flames, Rotor brushed the soot off of his body as a now-charcoal Dr. Rose stepped out, much to their entertainment. All in all it was a good day, one where nothing could possibly go wrong.
Over at the Ring Pool one of the Robians calmly watched the waters. This wasn't her first time standing watch and she had seen her fair share of rings materialize. Still, every time she saw it she was amazed at the power and grace that had gone into creating them. She felt a twinge of excitement as the water began to glow, the first sign of a ring. As the water began to froth she was pulled to side, her mouth covered and a small electrical shock running through her body. She fell to the ground silently as Shadow eased her fall, making no noise and checking to make sure no one had seen them. Kinos walked past and up to the pool as the ring shot into the air, sending a wave of bright golden light through the clearing.
"Impressive," he admitted as the ring fell into his hands. "I see now why Robotnik always coveted these. Their elegance would have been lost on him, however." He looked over to Mecha Sonic who was patiently waiting to be returned to normal. "Before we do this, I have an idea so we can get the most effect out of this arrangement. SWATbots, begin to converge on the village."
Suddenly surrounded, Bunnie fell into a fighting pose while Antoine drew his sword as SWATbots slowly began forcing the villagers into the village square. "Why are they not attacking?" Antoine asked.
"Ah don't know, darlin'," Bunnie replied as they tried to hold their ground. "But what Ah do know is that Ah ain't gonna be pushed around by some tin can!" With a chop of her arm and sweep of her leg she cleared out a half dozen SWATbots only for them to be replaced. She let out another flurry with the same results. "Not what Ah had in mind."
"It seems we are with little choice," Antoine said as they were joined by Sally and Geoffrey. "Do either of you have a plan?"
"Don't get shot, mate," Geoffrey said and Sally rolled her eyes. "It's like their herding us, but to where? And more importantly why?" Sally was about to reply when she saw the three hedgehogs walking towards them.
"I think I know why," she told them, bile rising in her stomach. As Kinos walked up to the corralled Mobians and Robians he gave a quick bow before turning to the Freedom Fighters. "As much as I hate you I have to respect your method," Sally admitted. "You took over the village without a single shot fired or a single injury."
"Not...entirely accurate," Kinos replied as he held up the stolen Power Ring. "But don't worry. She'll come to soon enough and then she'll be joining the rest of you in chains." He nodded to the SWATbots and they began clamping the energy bands around the necks and wrists of all the villagers. Sally heard a crashing from the other side of the crowd as Amy and Tails tried to fight their way free but were soon subdued and bound.
"What will happen to us?" Antoine asked as the chains hummed to life.
"Now that is the million dollar question," Kinos said with a smile, making the coyote's skin crawl. "Robotization seems too cliché and killing you just isn't that appealing. But since you destroyed Delta I think it only right that you replace him." Kinos grabbed Antoine's wrist and purple light enveloped them. The light crawled from Antoine's right hand, slowly replacing flesh with metal. Before it extended past his shoulder Mecha Sonic placed his hand on Kinos' shoulder. The nanobot glanced at him before letting go of Antoine, leaving the coyote with a limp, metal right arm.
"Why?" Antoine asked with a pained voice. "Why would you do all this and then just stop? Even Robotnik had the decency to finish what he started!" Kinos snarled, backhanding Antoine across the square only to be thrown back to the ground by a SWAT2.
"Do not compare me to that tub of lard," the nanobot said, placing his foot on Antoine's throat. "You know, I could always do to you what I did to Griff. That would be fitting." Antoine's arm snapped to life and grabbed him by the throat. Antoine fought against the renegade hand until Shadow stepped in.
"That's far enough, Lord Kinos," the black hedgehog said. "You've made your point. He's no use to us dead." Kinos glanced at him before letting the arm fall to the ground again.
"Good point," he admitted as he regained his composure. "It's not the first time I've lost my head after all. Besides, seeing Sonic like this is much worse than torture, isn't it?"
"Turn him back you bastard," Sally snarled as Mecha Sonic paced in front of her. "He left us. He doesn't have anything to do with this."
"You're half-right," Kinos agreed, once more examining the Power Ring. He flipped the ring between his fingers deftly as he debated what to say. "Sonic did leave Knothole behind. But I can't help but wonder if you know the truth of his involvement in everything that's happened." The Freedom Fighters were silent at this, just the reaction Kinos had been hoping for. "You honestly had no idea, no suspicion, did you? You just let him walk away, thinking that he could never possibly hold a grudge against the lot of you. Who do you think came up with the idea of releasing the Robians? Or providing a deroboticizer? Or telling me where every single Freedom Fighter base was, including Beech Knoll? How can anyone be that naïve?"
"Burn in hell," Sally spat. "There's no way Sonic would do that."
"So certain," Kinos replied tsk-tsking her. "Tell you what, why don't we ask Sonic what he thinks." He tossed the Power Ring at Mecha Sonic. The moment the bot's hand touched the ring he was enveloped in a bright golden light. When it finally subsided Sonic stepped forward, flesh and blood once more.
"It's about time," Sonic muttered, massaging his neck. "I thought I'd be stuck like that forever."
"'Bout time you came back to us, sugarhog," Bunnie said as she wriggled in her restraints. "Now how 'bout helpin' us out here?"
"Give me one good reason why I should," Sonic asked spitefully, taking the Freedom Fighters by surprise. "After everything you people have put me through now you want me to help you?"
"Ungrateful if you ask me," Kinos said, crossing his arms and smirking. "It's days like this that must make you glad you came with me." The villagers of Knothole mumbled among themselves as the two hedgehogs conversed.
"Sonic, are you not going to help us?" Antoine asked weakly. Kinos kicked the coyote in his gut, causing him to curl up in pain.
"You'll speak when I tell you to," Kinos said as he pulled the chains up, dragging Antoine with it. "Now, I would suggest that you take one last look at Knothole because this is the last time you see it." The SWATbots began herding them towards the edge of village, slowly but surely towards Robotropolis.