Rotor sat, watching Bunnie. It had been almost fifteen minutes and level three had made it down to the exit hole. He and Zoey crouched, waiting in line with wide eyes.

So far, they had all made it out unnoticed under the cover of the darkness. The combots were too busy focusing on Sonic.

Bunnie kept her eye to the crack. "Now!"

Another Mobian slipped through and ran to safety.

Rotor's mouth felt dry. His pale eyes glittered.

She…wasn't much older than him, really. If it wasn't for her robotic parts, she'd be so small and slender—even fragile. Her metal arm was at least twice the size of her real arm. She'd been working all night on freeing these fifty people, most of them strangers, and most of them probably people who would have avoided her back in the city and given her strange looks. And now she was just waiting, guiding them all out.

He knew she would wait to go last. He didn't know much about her, but everything he did know told him she was that sort of person…

Zoey crawled forward. She let her legs dangle over the hole, catching her breath. She glanced up at Bunnie.

"Thank you, ma'am." Zoey's voice cracked.

Bunnie swiped her hand and tucked back a strand of Zoey's hair. "You just run now, ya hear? Follow the winged Mobians."

Zoey nodded.

"Go!"

Zoey disappeared. Rotor moved into her position, catching his breath.

"Bunnie—" Rotor turned and looked at her.

She smiled at him. A real, winning smile. "Now, you stay out of trouble this time, Mister, Ah'm getting tired of rescuin' you." She winked.

He froze, his tongue caught in his mouth. He glanced away. "I—just—"

"Move it, fatso!" a Mobian turtle hissed from behind him. "We've still got two levels to go and any one person can mess this whole thing up!"

"O-Okay—" Rotor scooted back to the edge.

Bunnie held up her hand, watching, waiting.

Rotor looked back at her, trying to catch her gaze. "I mean—goodbye—"

"Go!" Bunnie dropped her hand.

He hesitated.

"Go!" Bunnie repeated, urgency in her eyes.

Rotor went.

He pushed off, and hit the ground. He scrambled to the edge, looking either way for combots. They were all farther down. Rotor got to his feet, jumped into the open, and ran into the woods.

Rotor pumped his arms, catching his breath. He could feel the blood pounding through his veins—ecstasy and terror coursed through him, the hope that he was going to make it—that it was going to be okay.

He could already hear another Mobian enter the forest behind him. He could not help but smile—

And yet a feeling of dread settled in his gut.

He could see her in his mind's eye. She still had two levels to go.

Rotor began to slow, but he kept moving forward, kept walking. The Mobian behind him passed him, jolting him.

"Hurry up!" the Mobian turtle hissed. "Something's going on down there, she's sending them out faster!"

Rotor's eyes flickered and he set his jaw. Bunnie wanted him to leave. He would just clog up the cart. There was nothing he could do to help. It was pointless to try—it would bring more danger to go back—

Then lightning seemed to flash through the sky. An explosion cracked and fire and smoke billowed up behind him.