Chapter 13.

Confliction and Redemption.

After walking down a extremely long hillside, the group finally found themselves right outside the outskirts of the bio lab. Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and Sticks all smiled as they neared the base. Fara, her brother, Red, Tauren and Esmer just couldn't wait to infiltrate the base and help in taking out the bio lab. Soon enough, they approached what looked like two tall metal doors that were joined with a wall. Jerek quietly devised a plan just in case they got caught. After all, after witnessing Tails fall into the chasm, Jerek didn't want to risk having the rest of Team Sonic getting caught right beside them. Fara, Cody, Red, Tauren and Esmer all said that they understood what the oldet wolf was meaning. Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and Sticks were told to hide somewhere, just in case if things got ugly. Cody and Tauren turned the handles on the doors, but as soon as the doors opened, the one half suddenly found themselves standing right before an army of Regency mercenaries, weapons pointed right at them. And right between them was none other than Caden Andross...

Team Sonic, minus Tails, had just witnessed their friends get captured by the Regency. They watched as the whole thing went down. Knuckles was beyond disgusted by the fact that Caden Andross was right there, with his army behind him. However, the strangest thing was that Murdoc wasn't with Andross. If the bounty hunter wasn't with the hawk, then where was he at? Sonic and Amy hushed Knuckles and Sticks as they heard the Regency leader start talking...

"...as I said, was is he?" Andross questioned Jerek.

"Like I told you before, he's dead." The wolf responded rather calmly.

Andross eyed each of them, starting with Fara, and finishing with Esmer. Then he motioned for one of his soldiers to come foward. The trooper did as he was asked, not even thinking twice about it. As soon as he was by Andross' side, he saluted the hawk.

"Yes Sir!?"

Andross smiled wickedly. "Hand me your weapon a moment."

"Yes Sir!" The soldier replied as he gave him the weapon. As soon as Andross felt the laser rifle was in his hands, he aimed it up at Esmer, and just as quickly as he took the rifle from the soldier, Andross pulled the trigger on it. Immediately, everyone else backed away as the mongoose fell to the ground.

"NO!" Fara cried as she saw Esmer get shot down by Andross.

Andross immediately pointed the weapon at her face.

"Unless you want Miss Fara Prower to be to be next, I would advise you all tell me… where's Team Sonic, and where's the freaking two-tailed freak at!"

"What just happened…?" Knuckles asked as he and his friends watched Esmer get shot down by Andross.

Sonic, Amy and Sticks couldn't believe what they just saw. They only hoped for the best for Esmer. But there was the possibility that the mongoose didn't survive the blast. Sticks just started growling, like she wanted nothing more than to rip off Andross' face. As the badger got up, Amy pulled her down.

"No! Let me at him!" Sticks grunted.

"Sticks, take it easy." Sonic whispered.

Amy suddenly gasped, then smiled. She had forgotten that Esmer had put on a laserproof vest underneath his shirt. When she told the rest, they all were relieved.

"I had enough of this! Put them all in interrogation!" Andross yelled quite angrily.

"What about the mongoose?" One soldier asked.

"Throw his body out of the base! Let the buzzards have at him Captain Tay!"

Captain Tay did what Andross told him. As soon as it was finished, he told the soldiers under him to cuff the prisoners and to bring them to the base. Jerek, Red, Tauren,Fara, Cody, and Kari were all pinned down by soldiers as they were being cuffed. Then they were jerked off the ground and shoved as they were headed towards the base. Right into the belly of the beast.

When the coast was clear, the four teammates of Team Sonic rushed over to where Esmer had been trossed. As soon as they made it to where he was at, Sonic knelt down and placed a hand on the mongoose's neck to feel for a pulse. However, seconds later, the blue colored hedgehog felt himself get jerked down to the ground as Esmer grabbed Sonic's wrist. The mongoose then pulled out a laser gun and pointed it at Sonic's head.

"Hold it right there Andross!" Esmer said.

"Whoa Esmer! It's ok, it's me! Sonic!" Sonic said.

Esmer then realized his mistake and let the hedgehog go. Amy, Knuckles and Sticks looked at Esmer.

"You okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good," the mongoose replied.

Sonic got himself back on his feet.

"So, who's ready for some rescuing?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, I don't know about that one, yet." Esmer said.

"What do you mean, not yet!?" Sticks said. "Considering that ya just got shot at!"

"Well, at least, I'm like your friend now, if you know what I mean."

Sonic and Amy shook their heads at him when they realized what he meant.

"Ya meanin' when my friend got shot down by the Cubot-"

"Sticks, enough!" Amy interrupted.

"Esmer. Not funny!" Sonic said. "He could've died!"

Sonic then lowered his head as he remembered Tails. Esmer then looked at the hedgehog's face.

"Hey, I know that look. That's why we're going back there." Esmer said calmly.

Sonic, Amy and Knuckles looked at him rather confused.

"We are?" Knuckles asked.

"Oh I get it now." Sticks said.

"Ya saying that Tails' still alive?"

"I hope so. I hope so Sticks." Esmer answered.

Meanwhile…

Tristan "Murdoc" Rhoms felt it. He felt conflicted. Was he even doing the right thing? All he wanted was to have that pesky nine year old two-tailed fox out of his hair. But now, he felt unsure about it, yeah, sure, the pesky fox cub was the reason why Murdoc ended up in prison. Or was he? He had just seen his twin brother, Tauren Rhoms get beat up by a bunch of his comrades. At the same time however, Murdoc didn't want to betray the Regency. He felt like that was his livelihood. Murdoc felt conflicted. He didn't know what he wanted anymore. If the nine year old two-tailed fox was still alive, maybe, just maybe, he would try to make amends by rescuing him. Yes, Murdoc had heard that the pesky fox cub had been killed in an earthquake, or had he been? Murdoc knew that if the kid was still alive, then he would feel a little better. Suddenly, Murdoc didn't even want to serve the Regency anymore, he just wanted to be free. Free from his past. Free from the bondage of the Regency. And most of all, free from wanting vengeance on Miles"Tails" Prower. Murdoc mentally told himself that from this moment on, he would make up for his wrongs, and that he was ready for change. And Murdoc knew that this change needed to start in him. He was ready to go out and make amends for his wrongdoings. He was ready for change. He was ready to finally be free. He was ready for him to be no longer called Murdoc. From now on, he was Tristan Rhoms. Tristan Rhoms.

Wow! Bet you didn't expect that. Murdoc suddenly having a change of plans… and a change of heart. I would say, that's redemption! And by the way, SO SORRY about Tails! Speaking of which, next chapter will focus on exactly that! Yay! God bless you all until next time!

JalcoFox.