A lone combot paced down the dimly lit halls of a Robotropolis detention center, erect, silent. Its metallic footsteps echoed throughout the building.
It strode towards one of the many clear-doored cells, where a cyborg rabbit and a sea lion crouched next to each other against the wall.
"Ah hope this stuff isn't really as thick as it looks-" Bunnie murmured as she climbed to her feet. "Remember, if we get through, don't hold back. Freezin' up is what kills people." She coughed again, grasping at her shoulder. "Ah still can't believe you let me sleep all mornin'."
Rotor didn't reply. He was too busy watching the combot. He blew out a deep breath and jumped up behind her. He braced himself against the wall opposite the door. A wild light shone in his eyes.
The combot was about to walk past.
Bunnie turned to face him, and put her hands on his waist. He put his hands on her shoulders.
The combot was passing their cell—
"Ready?" Bunnie asked.
"R-Ready," he hissed.
With a loud shout, Bunnie ran her feet up the side of the clear door, pulled them free, then shot them back. They expanded out, punching towards the glass.
Rotor held Bunnie's shoulders, bracing her as if trying to keep her from falling apart.
Bunnie's metal feet hit the wall like two wrecking balls.
Bunnie pressed her face against Rotor's shoulder, shouting, her limp curls falling in his face. He stared at the door, his eyes wide with terror.
The whole structure bent outwards, crumpling.
It had happened in merely a second, but by the time Bunnie's legs retracted and hit the floor again, Rotor shook as if he had been holding her for hours.
"A-again!" Rotor shouted, his voice trembling.
Bunnie took one quick look over her shoulder. There was a bubble-shaped dent in the glass.
She took a deep breath, bracing again.
The combot's face appeared through the clear door, staring in at them.
Bunnie let out another shout—her legs shot out, her toes pointed, Rotor braced her—
Her metal feet shot against the dent and ripped the whole wall out. It fell into the hallway and over the combot.
Bunnie toppled, crumpling over Rotor as the two dropped to the floor.
Rotor shouted. "Ah—your arm is pinching—"
"Sorry, Rotor!" Bunnie howled back, rolling her metal limbs off him.
The combot shot up, throwing the clear wall off itself.
Bunnie whipped around, automatically yanking her blaster arm to cock it. She stopped, looking down at her twisted stump.
Rotor charged headlong. He slammed what little of his sea lion bulk he still had into the combot.
Bunnie shot up. She followed him with a whoop, slamming her legs against the combot's mechanized limbs.
Combots were strong and big. Stronger than any Mobian. But thankfully, Bunnie wasn't fully Mobian anymore.
Bunnie slipped onto her rear, bracing herself against the floor. She crashed her heels down into its sensory panel and arms and shoulders and hip sockets. Rotor snatched onto one leg, holding on for all he was worth.
Bunnie rolled forward, wrapping her legs around the combot's raising blaster arm like a wrench. She whipped herself around with a yell, her hinges hissing.
The combot's arm twisted out of joint. The combot beeped, setting off alarms. The camera along the hall started beeping too.
"Ah, got it, Rotor!" Bunnie shouted.
Rotor jumped up from the combot leg and pounced on the arm, Bunnie switching places with him. He yanked the metal structure backwards, his muscles working hard, and slammed his fist against a corner of the armpit.
A spherical guard fell off. Rotor poked at the armpit with his fingers and the entire arm came off into his hands.
"Bless mah stars!" Bunnie gasped. She gave another kick at the sensory panel in the combot's chest. "You weren't pullin' mah leg when ya said you'd built these things—we could use you back at the Underground, sugah-boy!"
Rotor did not pause, but a small grin crossed his face. He jumped up, taking ahold of Bunnie's arm. She got her footing and began to run with him—down the hallway, away from the decimated combot and their cell. Alarms blared.
They stopped at the metal door at the end of the hall. Rotor shoved the combot hand across the panel.
The door before them shot open.
The footsteps of combots seemed to reverberate down every hall. Sirens blared out over the speakers. Rotor and Bunnie passed by the cells of staring, dim-eyed Mobians, their haunted eyes echoing warnings.
Rotor and Bunnie ran, Rotor taking the front, combot arm at the ready.
"All these halls look the same!" Bunnie shouted. "There's gotta be a way outta here—to the control system, or somethin'!"
Rotor nearly crashed into the next panel with the combot arm. He began swiping at the buttons with the finger, the door opening once again— "I've n-never been in this prison, remember—"
The door opened to reveal a combot, it's blaster at the ready.
Rotor and Bunnie caught their breaths, staggering back.
The combot stepped forward, its baster humming. "Put your hands in the air."
Bunnie kicked hard, extending her leg so that it shot into the combot's blaster arm.
Rotor gripped the arm he had with both hands and fired it. The blast shot into the combot, throwing him back.
Rotor shivered. "This isn't—isn't going to w-work—"
"Don't quit on me, boy!" Bunnie shouted, charging forward, past the combot.
"There will be more coming," Rotor murmured under his breath.
Bunnie kept running. She stopped at a fork in the hall and turned left. There were no cells in this hall. It was bronze with ribbed bearings and the door at the end looked thick and simple—
Bunnie froze. She stared at the door before her.
Rotor stopped.
Bunnie turned around. She looked over her shoulder at the prison behind her. "This isn't gonna work," she murmured.
Rotor skidded to a halt, nearly falling off balance. He caught himself. "Wha-"
Bunnie's eyes looked haunted. She shivered. "Only Robotnik can open that door," she murmured.
Rotor used the combot arm to shut the door behind him, sealing them off from the incoming combots. He shot a blast at the panel, trying to destroy it so no one could use it to open the door and follow. Then he shot again up at the blaring security camera. The camera exploded and died.
Bunnie's brow furrowed. This wasn't just a medium security prison. It was the prison for Mobians who were waiting to be roboticized. The last time she had been in this hall, she had been dragged by combots. She had made it through that door—she shivered again.
"Let's get outta here before more combots come," she said.
Bunnie started walking, but stopped. She glanced at the door to the prison, then along the walls. "It's been remodeled—the prison wasn't as high tech or as big last time…but maybe…" She began to sight along the roof and run her hands along the hall. "C'mon, Bunnie, remember…"
"You—you've been here?" Rotor blurted.
"Ah sure have," Bunnie murmured. "The cameras used to be here, our cages were against that wall—the hall led this way, and the air conditionin'…he probably blocked it off after last time…but maybe he never knew…"
Rotor watched as Bunnie stopped at the fork in the hall. He bit his lip. "W-we better hurry."
"Anywhere they keep Mobians, they've gotta have air flow," Bunnie announced, pointing up at the roof.
Rotor stepped forward, dropping his jaw.
There were a cluster of three small holes extending over the fork in the hall.
"He's made the holes smaller, but hopefully that will take care of that," Bunnie winked at Rotor, pointing to the blaster.
Rotor hesitated, then looked down at the blaster. He caught his breath, levelled it, and fired it into the ceiling.
Bunnie ducked as the metal roof curled beneath the blasts. The air hole widened and Bunnie put her hand on Rotor's arm. "That's enough, sugah, well done."
Something pounded on the panel door behind them.
Rotor jumped.
"C'mon, Rotor, get on my back!" Bunnie dashed in front of him.
"I'm too heavy-" Rotor started.
Bunnie pulled his arms around her neck and pushed up, her legs extending them both all the way up to the ceiling.
"Yes, you are, so hurry an' climb off if you would please, honey," Bunnie grunted out.
Rotor scrambled through the hole and up into the roof. He turned to Bunnie, grabbed her hand and arm stump, and pulled her into the air tunnels just as the door below exploded open.
Bunnie's legs retracted and she pointed down the tunnel. The two of them began to crawl as fast as they could.
