This story was originally made for a contest on the Domain of Netraptor site so some of the credit to this story goes to her, as a small portion from the beginning of this was written by her.
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Legal stuff:
This story uses characters created and copyrighted by SEGA Co. and Archie Co. with the sole exception of Sydney. She is copyright © to myself and may NOT be used without my expressed written permission.
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-Elsewhere-
"Fire in the hole!" Vector shouted taking cover as a plasma rifle was fired.
"This is insane! We're all going to get ourselves killed!" Julie-Su snarled ducking out of the way as well.
"Heiy, yeh know why we'er here to distract attention them tha others!" Barby scolded.
"Liake that maikes it any less stupid" Bill challenged.
Another round of fire rained down as more shadowbots advanced forcing the group back. So far the group had managed to stay relatively unharmed and intact. However worry was beginning to set in among many members, at the rate new waves were being dispatched before old ones could be destroyed it was obvious they would find themselves overwhelmed before too long.
"Whiy can't we all jest get along?" Guru sighed rubbing his temple after having decapitated a shadowbot's head.
"Robotnik's a nitwit that's too dumb to stay in the grave where he belongs." Julie-Su growled.
"Oh, that was so witty. So very witty." Bill rolled his eyes.
"Let's see you come up with something better!"
"Both of ye knock it off!" Rob scolded as he prepaired an arrow onto his bow "We're on the same side, are we not?"
"You heard Rob, so knock it off already!" Mighty growled literally smashing a shadowbot to pieces with his bare hands.
"Yo, yo, what are we doing out here anyway?! We ain't got no stinking reason to be putting our butts on the line!" Vector whined cranking the sound on his headphones up jarring a couple more shadowbots.
"Hector, yah dolt, if I haive ta explain it to you one more time--!" Barby started in.
"I'll quit asking when you quit calling me Hector! This cool croc's name is Vector, and don't you forget it!"
"You have my blessing to throw him into the mass as live bait." Julie said simply as a sly grin spread across her features.
"At this point ah'm considering it."
"There is no hope for us..." Guru sighed facepalming.

* * * * * * * *

"That way." Sonic mumbled pointing the group in the direction Nicole had displayed in her holographic map. The hedgehog's stress factor was now at an alltime low. After his outburst earlier he'd spoken as little as possible and avoided making eyecontact with anyone, especially Sally. The utter humiliation of being caught so vulnerable had been the last straw for him. He'd felt he was now completely exposed, that there was no way he could mend his ego now and simply wanted the horrible nightmare to end. Oh how bitter he was about it too.
Sally marched alongside Espio and Knuckles not far behind Sonic. She inwardly sighed letting her eyes fall apon the hedgehog in lead. Sonic had become so different in such a short amount of time, he hardly acted like himself at all, it was worrisome for the princess. So much had happened in so little time, so much had changed. She wasn't even sure how long things had been the way they were, she had not yet received the full story and figured she most likely wouldn't for some time. Tearing her eyes away from Sonic she glanced at the four others, two she knew, two she only just met. The entire group had been silent the whole time, an eerie silence at that with only the occational orders from Sonic.
"Stop," Sonic motioned his hand out, peeking around the corner of the building they were standing by he scanned the area
"We're here, but we need a distraction to get in." he paused, a bitter expression etching his face "Yours truly will handle that. You guys worry about the technical stuff with getting inside."
Before a word could be said by anyone in reply, a gust of wind blasted the four of them leaving a cloud of dust as he vanished around the corner.
"Yo crome-domes!" Sonic called appearing close to where the two guards stood, a sadistic smile spread across his face "Come and get me!" Sonic mocked sticking his tongue out at the duo. With a smirk he dashed off as without fail the two followed. A few minutes later the painful sound of metal crunching was heard by all as the hedgehog raced back with a satisfied look on his face.
"Let's go!" Knuckles commanded leading the way toward the door. Stopping he took a look at the steelreinforced door
"Umm... any ideas on how to get in guys?"
"Wei could try hacking the access code, but that'ad take waiy too long." Walt mused.
"Allow me." Sally said simply as she walked up to the door. Poising a metallic fist she rammed it into the door ripping it partially off it's hinges leaving a gap just big enough for everyone to fit through.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Knuckles scratched the back of his head watching everyone slip inside.
"Hope the others are having this much luck..." Sonic thought inwardly as he slipped inside the building last.

* * * * * * * *

-Roughly 40 miles east-
"I can't wait to get this stupid bomb planted so we can go home." Diablo growled trudgling alongside the rest of his pack with a bitter scowl across his face.
"Diablo, we are not leaving once this is finished. We will join the freedom fighters in a direct strike."
"This is crazy! This war doesn't involve us, we should be continuing our journey home!"
"You would do well not the challenge the orders of our Alpha, or have you forgotten your place in this pack?." Reynard challenged subtly baring his teeth.
"While you speak with good intentions Reynard, it would also do you well to not challenge members of our pack." Leeta interjected.
"We will settle this dispute at a later date, for now we--?!" Lupe cut her sentence short with a gasp as she rounded a corner, followed shortly by the rest of the pack. At the end of the alleyway the group were about to enter stood an artic wolf, a tattered and torn purple vest on his back.
"Is--that--Drago?" Canus asked with a look of disbelief on his face.
The wolf turned his head giving a good view of his face; indeed, it was Drago. But; something was noticeably different about him--His left arm and less than half his chest were obviously robotic. At a closer look it was easy to see the dark black color of dried blood on the wolf's body.
"What is HE doing here?" Diablo hissed through bared canines.
"Shh!" Reynard growled hushing his companion.
"Who's there?" Drago's head snapped in the direction of the wolfpack, slowly and cautiously he walked toward them.
"Get back and get down. We can't trust him." Lupe hissed as the pack quickly spread themselves out as Drago entered the alley.
"Show yourselves!" Drago growled glaring around. Tilting his muzzle in the air he sniffed several times, turning to a large sheet of metal laid out across a wall he narrowed his eyes walking toward it. In one fluid motion with the aid of his mechanical arm the artic wolf clenched the sheet effortlessly swinging it to the side revealing Leeta and Diablo.
"You two!" Drago stumbled back tripping over the sheet he had just thrown.
"What are you doing here, traitor?" Diablo snarled jumping to his feet taking a fighting stance, Leeta although obviously not as willing for a brawl doing the same.
"What's with the hostility? I could ask you the same!" Drago shot back quickly climbing to his feet.
"I find it strange out of a crumbled city, you emerge. And knowing your past relationship with Robot--"
"I had no involvment in this!" Drago snarled baring his teeth "And in fact, I find it stranger still that you yourselves are here, unharmed and whole! More then I can say!" the wolf snarled holding his robotic arm out in a clenched fist to emphasize his point.
"All of you, stop it now! The last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves from unwanted guests." Lupe commanded stepping out of another alleyway. At the Alpha's appearance Reynard and Canus also revealed themselves.
Drago set his jaw apon seeing his former Alpha, "I figured if those two were here you three couldn't be far behind. And what rock is Lyco hiding under?"
"Lyco is not here," Lupe said simply "But that is of no concern to you. Diablo brings up a good point, explain yourself."
"What is there to explain, look at me!" Drago growled motioning to his arm, tattered vest and dried blood caked onto his fur "I was in the Mobotropoline Penitentiary serving out my sentenced time when Robotnik hit, and hard at that." he stopped, glaring at the Alpha female.
"Go on." Lupe said with a slight edge to her voice foldering her arms returning her own glare.
"Geezus women! What do you want, my life story?!" the artic wolf snapped clenching both fists.
"How dare you talk to Lupe in that tone of voice!" Renard roared posing his stance.
"You may back off." Lupe growled only slightly making direct eye contact with the brown wolf before returning her glare to Drago "And you may continue."
Drago growled smacking his head "I was taken prisoner by Robotnik's army and was in the line to be robotizied." he paused for a moment "I broke free from the line and made a run for it, one of the shadowbots shot me down, hence the blood, and my arm went flying into the robotizier. I blacked out shortly after being shot, woke up to find myself in a dumpyard--full of--dead bodies." Drago hesitated his last words cringing deeply at the memory.
Lupe glared analyzing the artic wolf, as he once more crossed his arms.
"Are there any other survivors?" she finally asked.
"Actually--Yes." Drago answered, a bit surprised by the question "Seems those shadowbots are poor judges of weather or not someone is dead. Most of them are in critical condition and many have already been lost because we can't get them the right treatment."
"We?" Canus spoke up arching a brow.
"I may be one of the ones in better condition but I'm not the only one!" Drago snapped "We've been scavaging around for food and supplies mostly for the ones who'er in too bad of condition to find their own."
"You? Willingly helping others instead of being selfish?" Diablo asked; half in skepticism, half taunting.
"You know what? You're friggin' hilarious!" Drago snarled baring his teeth.
"Whatever the case may be, we still have a job to do and very little time to do it in. However," Lupe sighed "If Drago's telling the truth we need to help these people."
"We can't be in two places at once though!" Leeta spoke up.
"No, but we could split into two groups." Reynard offered.
"We'll need at least three people to help shut down the generator."
"Whoa, whoa, did I just hear you correct? You're making a strike against Robotnik?" Drago asked tilting his head.
"What would you expect?" Reynard mumbled "We're trying to stop him before he gets the chance to spread himself out again."
"You? The five of you alone?" Drago couldn't help but scoff.
"Of course not you nitwit! There's more of us out there, we're only a part!" Diablo once more snapped.
Drago paused on hearing that "Yeah, well, good luck to you on that, than. Give that fat idiot a good kick in the balls for what he did to my arm!"
"We'll save the balls for Mobotropolis, although I suppose we could give him a good kick in the shin if that'll make you happy."
"Enough talking, we have to go now." Lupe announced "Leeta, Diablo; you two are to go with Drago to check on these survivors he speaks of, Reynard and Canus are to stay with me to take out the generator."
"Not to mention make sure Traitor-boy here isn't lying." Diablo sneered.
"I am not about to listen to you two bicker, both of you just stop it!" Leeta snapped.
Lupe sighed deeply to herself as the two groups split up with orders in hand. Now to get the ball rolling...
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Getting there, getting there...