Outside Robotropolis, a four-person mass streaked across the open wasteland.

"Still here, Tails?" Sonic grunted out, fighting against the pressure of the air.

Sonic held Bunnie, her arms circled around his neck in a death grip. Bunnie held the walrus, and Tails clung to the back of Sonic's head spikes.

Tails shouted back into Sonic's ear from his perch. "Still here! No surveillance bots, Sonic! We're almost clear!"

Sonic's eyes narrowed, plowing ahead.

He raced over the last remnants of the junkyard and he glimpsed the bulldozer, but he didn't stop there. He sucked up another breath of air and pushed his body forward, through the night forest—over large fallen logs and rock outcrops—around massive trees thicker than all of their bodies put together—through fern and moss beds.

They passed their third mile.

"Sa'nic!" Bunnie shouted, "We're clear, honey, slow down!"

Sonic didn't reply.

Tails frowned, holding his breath.

Sonic was scared.

Sonic heaved up another push of Speed and pain bolted through his body. The hurt streaked across his eyes and he gasped. He couldn't talk. He was running out of juice. He set his jaw in a grimace.

Sonic raced up the side of a small cliff, and gravity set in. For an awful second, he felt himself slowing down against his will, losing momentum, and he gasped.

Tails felt Sonic jolt beneath him. He lunged forward and began to propel his tails behind him, grunting hard. "C'mon, Sonic!"

Sonic rounded the top of the cliff, and he dashed beneath a tangle of tree roots. With a lunge, he slid forward, dust and dirt spraying up onto the four. They skidded several yards before Sonic collapsed backwards in the dirt, pinned beneath Bunnie and the walrus.

Sonic fell with his head spikes on Tails. Tails let out a sharp yelp and scrambled free before the tough spike ends poked him. Bunnie crawled off of Sonic, carrying the walrus in her robotic arm as if he weighed little more than a baby.

She brushed her hair back from her eyes, glancing back behind them. She lay the walrus down on the ground. "Looks like, we made it, Rotor," she whispered. "We're almost there, sugar."

The walrus looked around groggily.

Sonic still lay on his back, his stomach heaving as he gasped for breath. He staring up at the arching and winding roots above them. The Mobium raced through his body, trying to bring some relief to his burning limbs.

He didn't usually carry three people at once. He wasn't actually strong enough to carry three people without his Speed. He'd had to get a running start down the tunnel and scoop up Bunnie and the walrus at the last minute.

He'd made it though. He would not have dared to take a full thirty minutes dodging surveillance bots while carrying them all out one by one. Not when that creep might be on their tail. That thing had had Speed.

They had to keep moving.

Bunnie turned to Sonic, a broad grin on her face. "We made it, Sa'nic, good goin'." She tucked back a strand of hair behind one of her long, golden lop-ears. "You okay?"

Her eyes flashed. She knew something was up.

"Yep-sure thing, Bunnie—we're out—n'good—like always—like I said-" Sonic managed to get out between breaths. His throat still throbbed from the attacker's choke hold. "Let's move. We've gotta move."

Sonic rolled onto his side and tried to stand up. His legs buckled.

"Ah now, Sa'nic, we'll hurry, but you take a good minute to catch your breath, okay? We're in the forest now, those nasty surveillance bots ain't gonna bother us here any time soon," Bunnie said.

Sonic fell back, gritting his teeth. "Just—one minute. So. Who've—who've—we got?"

"Name's Rotor," Bunnie said, casting a smooth smile at the walrus.

Tails had sat down a few feet away, his tails wrapped tight around his body. At these words, he lifted his head up. "He's—awake?" Tail's blue eyes widened.

The fox was trying to put on a good face. They all were.

"He sure is, darlin'," Bunnie said. "Went in and out while I was tendin' to him."

The walrus—Rotor—stared up at the roots and the glimmers of the star-strewn sky shining down above them. "Where—where have you…taken me?" He asked, his voice still shaky.

"The forest of Mobia, Rotor," Bunnie said. She eased down to her knees, the hinges in her legs creaking. "An' far away from Robotropolis."

Rotor did not say a word.

"And you are never goin' back," Sonic said, his breath returning. "-Not if any of us have anything to do with it." His eyes sharpened and he forced a smirk, sitting up. He crossed his arms and wrapped his hands around his elbows.

"It's beautiful." Rotor said. Tears brimmed in his grey-green eyes.

"There now," Bunnie soothed, her raspy voice growing softer. "It sure is, deary…."

Stone-blue fur had grown back on Rotor's bare spaces and good thick scabs now covered the deeper wounds. But he wasn't strong yet. He needed time and more healing rings.

Tails stood, hands clasped behind his back. He bowed his head and his tails wound behind him. "Should…should we take him to the Underground, Sonic?"

Sonic took one look at Tails and their eyes met.

What was going to happen to them?

"Yeah, 'course Tails, only thing to do," Sonic said, forcing a grin. "Crème will fix him up in no time—you know how good she is at that kinda thing," Sonic pushed himself up into a crouch, his legs still burning, then half stood up, over his knees. He looked at Rotor. "I hope you like whole food, because that's what free Mobians eat."

They hadn't even found Knuckles.

Sonic glanced away, glaring at the ground.

"Hey, by the way, Rotor," Tails piped up, running over to help Rotor sit up. "Sonic said you knew something about our friend…

Sonic scratched the back of his neck, glancing behind him. "Yeah, uh….Rotor." He snapped his fingers. "You mentioned something about the relic and a red echidna when I first found you. Can you remember what you meant by-"

Rotor's eyes widened in confusion.

Bunnie held up her hand. "I already asked him, Sa'nic. Don't bother him with questions now. The poor fella doesn't remember a thing."

"I'm…sorry," Rotor said, his eyes beginning to haze over.

"It's just fine, honey," Bunnie soothed, patting his shoulder with her real hand. Then she turned to Sonic. "Poor fellah, I really think that nasty ol' Robotnik musta done something horrible to his brain," Bunnie whispered, "He couldn't remember nothin' about our Knuckles or red echidnas or the lab or anything."

"Well, he knew something when I first found him." Sonic crossed his arms tight. He tapped his foot against the ground several times from his crouch.

Tails stiffened, watching.

"For whatever reason, he doesn't remember a blessed thing now," Bunnie said. "We talked a good deal when he came to, and he only remembers workin' in the factories. Ya know, he must have been in an awful state when you first found him. Who can say what's been happening in his brain. You never know, somethin' may come back to him later on-"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever Bunnie, I get it," he swiped a hand, rising to his feet. "I got the info when we really needed it, back there. If he doesn't have it anymore, he doesn't have it. Let's get outta here, okay? I don't even wanna think about what time it is."

Bunnie shut her mouth, her face reddening a little. She picked up Rotor.

Sonic glared up at the night sky.

Yeah, information that had almost gotten Tails and him killed for nothing.

Bunnie began to walk away with Rotor, talking to him gently as he began to fall back to sleep. "Now, we're gonna have to walk a bit to disguise our prints. Sa'nic's speed can be a little messy sometimes."

"O-okay…" Rotor wheezed, still looking a little stunned. He murmured under his breath. "Did…did someone say something about whole food…?"

Sonic's ears pricked forward and he began to march. He stepped next to Tails.

"Oh, he sure did," Bunnie said. "No more nutrition capsules for you, just fried chicken an' cashew salads an' apples an' oranges an' okra-"

"And chili dogs," Sonic interjected, swiping his arm around Tails. The fox almost fell over.

"I just...can't believe…" Rotor stammered. "There are just so many trees—I wish the others could…."

"I know, I know, now you just rest, Rotor," Bunnie ordered.

Sonic shot a sharp glance over his shoulder, back in the direction of Robotropolis, Bunnie's voice resounding in his ears.

The forest met his gaze, dark, silent, empty…