-Chapter Two-
A Working Relationship.
Six years ago:
The location is a peaceful mining village located up in northern Mobius, which lies in a valley nestled deeply between jagged hills. It is one of the poorer villages on the planet, and considering the rare diamondium which lies below it, you wouldn't think so. From all over the globe mobians come here to try and get rich, but finding actual diamondium is a rare commodity. It's been awhile since anybody has found anything down in the mines; some say that it's been emptied of its keepsake for good.
Whatever the case, this village has seen some colorful characters over the past few decades. Tents are lined up outside houses, where the out-of-towners live, when they're not hard at work down in the mines. Merchants often come by here, trying to con those that had found diamondium into parting with it. There would often be an argument when working mates couldn't agree over who gets what. Most of the huts were very small and had the look of homes that were built to be lived in only for awhile, even though families ended up spending their whole lives living in them. People would leave for home in the winter, making it quieter around this time of year. The infertile ground was not good for growing vegetables, and the only available water villagers could get was from the forest two kilometers away.
For Fiona Fox, her father Amon had worked here for as long as she could remember. However, ever since she was five, he started going off for extended periods of time. That was because there was a war going on. Far away from her quite little village, an evil dictator was capturing mobians and turning them into slave robots, and her father was one of many in the fight against this tyrant. Young Fiona didn't understand what a robot was. She didn't really care about the war either, as it had nothing to do with her or her family. She just wanted her father to stay in the village, as her mom was always worried about him. Fiona's mother, Violet would often put on a brave face for her.
"Your father will be home very soon" she'd say.
At times he would return after being away for months, sporting wounds of various kinds all over his body. Though he would never show his pain, always pretending like it didn't hurt so his daughter wouldn't worry.
Fiona always wore a yellow bow in her hair. She only had a few friends as there weren't many other kids here. Families would come and go, and Fiona would make new friends, and then lose them. One thing she enjoyed was hearing about different places of Mobius, having only ever lived in the same place her whole life. Families from all over the planet would come here, some with strange clothes on, others would speak unusual dialects. She heard stories about wizards, and Overlanders and Dr. Robotnik. She was glad that she lived a long way away from Robotropolis, so that nothing bad would happen to her or her family as long as they stayed in the village. She was about to learn how wrong she was.
It was a regular day, as always workers were busy tolling away in the mines. Fiona's father had once again returned after a long absence, where he had taken out one of Robotnik's factories. She was spending time with him down at the river, which was about a mile away from the village. It wasn't a very deep river; it flowed along the outskirts of the small forest. They would walk through it, skipping stones along the surface while having some time between them.
"I was down here with Evan this one time" she explained, telling of her friend Evan the duck. "And we found this huge fish, it was like this big" she spread her arms out as long as their puny length would allow it.
"I've never seen a fish THAT big down here before" he joked. "Did it taste good?"
"We didn't eat it... it slipped away. But Evan's pretty cool; he gave me this thing that takes pictures of people. He said they had it where he used to live, in Mobotroplis."
"Have you taken any pictures yet?" he wondered.
"One" She said, skimming a stone along the rivers surface at the same time. "Evan took one of me and mommy I thought that maybe, I can take one of you. Since you're always gone and stuff...."
She stopped talking; her father knew she hated it when he was away. The war going on all over the rest of Mobius wasn't their war, but Amon knew that she couldn't understand that it could one day be brought right down to their doorstep. They walked on in silence for a few minutes more, till Fiona let out what he knew she wanted to say.
"Daddy, how long are you going to stay here with mommy and me?"
"For a couple more days, until my wounds heal." He answered, holding his hands behind his back.
"Why can't you stay for good?"
"Well, I'd like that myself, nothing would make me happier. But I can't."
"But everybody else's families stay together! I mean, you can just stay here and not worry about the rest of the Mobius!"
"Fiona, it is hard for me to describe... if I don't go, then nobody else will. If I don't fight, then eventually Robotnik will make his way up here. If that happens, I will lose you. Villages and towns, not unlike our own have been burnt to the ground by him."
"So why can't other people deal with it? Why does it have to be you!?" she started to cry. "Momma always gets worried when you're away, please stay daddy, please!!!"
He knelt down and put his hand on her shoulder. "The number of those willing to stand up and fight is steadily decreasing. It's about doing what's right, for not just my own, but everybody's families. I fight to try to make the world a better place, for you to live in. I pray you never have to go through what countless mobians have. I love your mother and you, that's why I have to go soon. I know it's hard to understand, but know that I'm always thinking of you. It's because of you and your mother that I fight. You're what I'm protecting"
She shoved his hand aside and ran off.
"Fiona!" he yelled. "Please".
He started to run after her but then something in the far off distance caught his attention. Back at the village, he could see smoke rising, and hear the faint sound of screams. It was being invaded by Doctor Robotnik's armada.
"Fiona wait! The village is being attacked!!!"
She stopped running and looked towards the village. A wave of fear engulfed her heart.
"Daddy, what's going on? What's happening?!?!"
"It's what I've always feared. Robotnik must have tracked me here as I returned two days ago. Fiona, run, get far away. I'll be safe as long as you go as far from here as you can!" He knelt over and hugged her.
"No! What about momma!?"
"She'll be alright, just GO!" He stared straight into her eyes, and for the first time in her life, she saw a side of her father she had never seen before. It was fear. Fear of her being captured. It was a look that frightened her more so than the robotic invasion itself. She always saw him as a strong, yet reserved fox. She hesitated for a second, and then ran off while her father headed towards the opposite direction. That was the last time she ever saw him, at least it seemed that way at the time....
She didn't want to go; she wanted to make sure her mom was safe. She had nowhere else to go. She couldn't keep running, as she felt like she would lose her family if she went any further, and was too scared being on her own. Tears swelled up in her eyes. It was going against what her father had told her, but she turned around and ran back towards the village, smoke growing thicker as she approached. She stayed hidden behind a stone fence. For the first time in her life, she saw what robots looked like. Swatbots to be precise. Flames reflected on their armor plating, making them seem even scarier to Fiona. She saw no sign of her mom or dad, but recognized some of the villagers that were being rounded up.
"Surrender all hope and prepare to be roboticized under penalty of Dr. Robotnik." They had a strange way of speaking, like they didn't stop to breath.
"Could this be the roboticized mobians I've had heard of?" she wondered.
Then came a strange floating pod, at its controls was the one she had heard so many times in stories, even though she didn't know who he was at the time. Dr. Ivo Robotnik, his menacing look and large physic was the stuff nightmares are made of. He descended to the ground and then hopped out of his pod.
"I've finally found it!!" he chuckled. "The infamous village where Diamondium is produced. Thanks to that stupid fox who led me back here, I'll be able to make superior Swatbots that will be indestructible!" He had a deep, commanding voice that made the fur on Fiona's neck stand up. "Search the village to see if there are any other vermin hiding under rocks; I don't need any hassles today."
Fiona turned around to sneak away, but a group of three swatbots had just found her. She gasped with fear, turning to run but it had grabbed her by her small bushy tail.
"Surrender and prepare for complete roboticization, under penalty of Dr. Robotnik." It lifted Fiona off the ground by her tail, she was hanging upside down. It carried her over to Dr. Robotnik.
"Ah, look what we have here. A little fox girl, thinking she could evade my ever vigilante prowess. Toss her into the roboticizer." As the Swatbot went towards the cargo ship Fiona belted out...
"Where are my mom and dad? Where are they!!!?"
"Roboticized with the rest of your kind, fur ball. Hurry up and get her inside there!" he ordered to the swatbot.
"You're Doctor Robugnik aren't you!? You're the one doing bad things all over Mobius!?" she screamed, getting his name wrong. That infuriated him.
"What, how dare you. It's Dr. Ivo. Robotnik. When you're roboticized you'll learn some respect you little pest." She had a look of anger on her face as the swatbot carried her away, a look she had never had before, one that Robotnik was familiar with.
"Wait", he signaled to the robot. "I know that stare. It's the same look I've seen on that loathsome fox Amon."
"He's my daddy! He'll make you pay for what you did to my home!"
"Is that so? Well why don't we ask him ourselves shall we? Amon, report for duty!"
Out of one of Robotnik's small cruisers came a robot, which looked like her father, but couldn't have been. Yet the robot had a similar voice when it spoke, only it was more empty and hollow.
"What are your orders Doctor Robotnik sir?" it asked.
"No. No it's not him, you're lying. It's not him!!!" She squirmed about trying to free herself from the swatbots hold, which made it grip harder. She yelped out in pain, giving up in defeat.
"HA HA HA HA HA. Now now little girl, that's no way to talk to your father, isn't that right Amon?"
"Yes sir, Dr. Robotnik." He spoke with no emotion, but there was no denying it, beneath the cold metal frame was her father, as much as she didn't want to believe it. She had heard the stories of Mobians being turned into robot slaves, but she didn't realize how horrible and scary it was until now.
"Since Amon and I are such good pals now," Robotnik chuckled, "I'll send you off to my special concentration camp. You can be a guinea pig for my Top secret research. Swatbot, release the girl!"
"As you wish Dr. Robotnik sir." He released her, and she fell flat on her chest.
"Amon, escort the prisoner to the cruiser heading to my concentration camp at once!"
"Yes Sir Dr. Robotnik." He walked over to Fiona; she was too scared to do anything.
"D-daddy... please don't. It's me Fiona! You said you loved me, and momma. You were going to save her, if you really are my daddy then you'll stop that bad man and rescue momma."
He jerked her by the arm without hesitation, as if she hadn't said anything. He dragged her to the ship while she was kicking and screaming. His hands were cold and hard just like the swatbots, and it showed no emotion whatsoever.
"Don't do this, fight it! Please!!! I'm sorry for not listening to you daddy, but I was worried about you and momma. STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!" she continued kicking and screaming until they got to the ship. He threw her inside, where there were other Mobians, some from this village, others from neighboring towns. She looked up, and looked into is eye plates. Once again she had seen a look on her father she had never seen before, but it was no longer his face. It wasn't a look of fear, or sadness, but one of emptiness. The roboticized Amon for just one moment appeared to be confused. He looked up at Fiona, as the door was closing, and said,
"Fi-on-na? I lu-luv"- the door shut darkening the cell, and the ship took off.
She would never know if that was him or not, or if he had regained consciousness for that brief moment. But once again she had seen her father for the very last time.
Under her breath, as the ship took off, she whispered to herself "Goodbye... daddy."
Present Day:
Fiona had woken up from her dream, thinking about her father. It was the day after the raid on the necropolis of Osiris. Fiona and Nic' got back home early in the morning. Fiona had gone straight to bed; her throat was still a bit sore from earlier. Nic' stayed up reveling in their catch. Fiona slept a lot, Nic' always thought she was a bit of a space case, though that hardly does Fiona any justice.
It was now daylight outside but she wouldn't know it, living in an underground facility in the middle of a jungle. Apparently Nic' got this place in a gamble she made with a wealthy aristocrat cheetah, but when he lost he blew his castle up and handed her the keys. All that was left is this underground storage area which also acted as a hidden escape route. Though with Nic' the Weasel you could never be too sure if her stories were true or not, honesty not being a weasel's strong point.
Fiona, after much deliberation forced her way out of bed and walked over to her dresser draw. She grabbed a brush and started stroking it through her brown hair. Her reflection showed that she was still in a bit of pain from last night, sporting a few bruises, but it's nothing she can't handle. She then tidied up her hair and put her yellow bow on. It's the only memento she has of her childhood, so she still wears it even though she has outgrown it.
She exited her room, coming out into a large passageway with lots of doors. Fiona has never actually looked inside every room, but most of them contain crates full of stuff she'd rather not know about. Besides, as much as she considers this place home, it's really Nic's house.
Nic' was in the main foyer of the facility, sitting on her King chair (she stole it from one of King Acorn's holiday resorts). The main room has an arching rooftop, with some old century craftsmanship. There were stone pillars on the side of the room and the pebble floor gave it a unique look for what could be considered a bunker. All kinds of paintings that Nic' had stolen over the years rested on the walls, some hanging lopsided. The wooden table was stacked with treasures they'd stolen from Heliopolis last night. Some dated centuries back. Nic' was examining them all with her microscope.
"Yes, well aren't you a pretty thing" she said to the gold scarab, that had a red ruby embedded in it. "Pretty priceless I mean, ha-ha. Hey Fiona, can you believe all this. We'd only need half of this and we'd never go broke. I could give up being a bounty hunter for good...... but then life would be boring. You know, if I coul- Oh my, do you know what this is!?"
Fiona, not being a jewel aficionado knew that Nic' knew she didn't know what it was.
"Something priceless I bet."
"Not just anything, it's the opal choker that was worn by Queen Nefertiti!"
Nic' kept going on about diamonds and staffs, beads and other accessories. Fiona knew better than to be around her when she's idolizing jewelry and went into the kitchen. The kitchen was almost always empty, she opened the fridge to find it mostly cleaned out, save for a few a few left-over meals from yesteryear. They often eat out since neither one of them can cook. Even with all the riches they had, it still looked like they were broke sometimes. Fiona took out a sandwich that was made two days ago.
"I hope that you're not touching that sandwich I made Fi' (that was what Nic' often called Fiona, pronounced "fee")!" Nic' was always stingy, so they both have their own sides of the fridge. Not that Fiona cared; she knew Nic' was too interested in the jewels to care about a sandwich.
Fiona left the foyer after devouring Nic's leftover sandwich and headed up the stairs towards the entrance. She got on a platform and pressed a red button on the side-panel. It lifted up while the hatch above opened up to the outside jungle. The platform stopped at ground level, and Fiona came out into the middle of a large gathering of flora and fauna that created a kind of dome, a hollow hiding place artificially placed there by Nic' to conceal the outside entrance. As far as any who might pass would be concerned (not that anybody did, they were out in the jungle after all), it was just more tangled vines and fallen trees amongst the ruins of a once large castle. Rays of sunlight cut through the branches the gaps in leaves and branches. It was very hot out here, a big change in climate from the air conditioned recesses of Nic's compound.
Fiona closed the hatch and walked over to the wall of trees, pushing aside branches and vines in the side of the entanglement. It was late in the afternoon and, and the air was humid and muggy, which was typical whether for the jungle. Rarely would it ever rain out here, though when it does it won't stop for days. She would often go out for a hike, as staying underground for too long can make one feel claustrophobic. She ran through the jungle, cutting aside vines and avoiding the quicksand by running around it. She knew the layout of this area of the jungle, and knew where all the pitfalls and traps were. Snake nests can be trouble if you accidentally step into one, as they don't like to have visitors over. Fiona recalled how she had almost fallen into one a year ago, looking down to see the hissing and their excitement at having dinner delivered to them. Luckily she had grabbed onto the side and pulled herself up, to the disappointment of the snakes. The jungle wasn't meant for foxes, and Fiona was sweating through her fur. But she had grown tough, and just like all creatures, she could adapt to her environment.
She had made her way towards a nearby mountain, which rose high above the clouds. It was a steep climb, one she has made quite often. There weren't any paths to walk up, so she had to climb up using her own wits. She knew which spots are safe to climb up, and where to place her hands and legs. It had become second nature, so much so that she didn't use a grappling hook. One slip and it would be all over. Of course the trick to climbing is always not to look down, but she wasn't really afraid of heights. She had to stop half way to have a fifteen-minute rest and then continued on upwards. When she finally got to the top after a two and a half hour climb, she sat down at her usual spot, against a rock and looked down on the jungle below. It had become a familiar sight these past two and a half years, ever since her and Nic' moved from the small hut they were living in at the Mobian badlands. The large river ran through the jungle, cutting between the mountain she was on, and the one opposite it. It flowed out to the end of a hill, which became a waterfall down below. The entrance port for Nic's Bounty One was through a hole behind the waterfall, which was a large tunnel that went on for about three-hundred meters, arriving at the underground hanger for the compound they lived in. It was a peaceful existence being up here, soaring above the clouds, with nothing but the sound of wind blowing in her ears. It was a serene and beautiful sight to watch the sun setting over the jungle, the horizon going an orangey-pink color. It was a great way for her to unwind after long missions in far off places. Often she would sleep up here for a night, since she would still be tired from climbing all the way up to the top. She closed her eyes for awhile, and left this plane of consciousness, her dreams turned to nightmares, taking her back to the concentration camp she was trapped in for two years in...
Four years ago:
It was dark and damp, and there was nobody else around to talk to. She had been taken away from her fellow mobians and placed into lockdown after the fiasco with Sonic the hedgehog and Mighty the Armadillo at another location. She had hoped that they had been looking for her all this time, and that she would be rescued from by them, or her father. That was what sustained her for months on end. It was scary for a little girl of nine to be left alone for such a long period of time. The closest thing she had to company was the swatbots that maintained the place. The only living visitor she ever had was Dr. Robotnik himself, along with a robotic clone of herself. She had been replaced by a metallic being, instead of being roboticized. "Why?" she wondered. Whatever the answer, she never found out what happened to the robot or why Dr. Robotnik left her there to rot. After a while their visits became far and few between. Starvation kicked in, the swatbots came around every couple of days with water and dry bread. After a year she started feeling sick and that was when she gave up hope of anybody rescuing her. She sometimes wished she had been roboticized along with her family, at least then she wouldn't be alone. Anger kicked in, anger at Sonic and Mighty for letting her get taken away, anger that her father always ran off to fight Robotnik leaving her behind, anger that she couldn't do a thing to save her village.
It became apparent that Dr. Robotnik had lost interest in the base, his attentions were elsewhere. So that's when she began to dig. For what felt like forever, she dug and dug, underneath the compound. Even when she was tired or feeling sick, she didn't stop. Nobody was going to save her, so if she didn't try then she would just rot here until she died. She hated being stuck in a small tunnel for days on end, it made her feel claustrophobic. It's because of this that she hates being confined to small places for too long.
When she came out after almost a year of digging, the light was too bright for her eyes and she had to shield them. She had not seen the sun for two whole years. She tried her hardest to look around at where she was, though everything looked blurry. It was hard to see, but after a few minutes she realized, she was still inside the camp. She had not dug her way outside to freedom, but rather out into the courtyard of the facility. All that time she had spent digging, just to end up in the same place she started. She covered her eyes from the sun, peering out of the hole to see if there were any sentries around. Since she didn't see or hear anything, she crawled out of hole she'd dug, her fur covered in dirt. She ran for cover at a nearby wall, waiting to see if anything would come out, but still nothing did. She began to realize that this place was deserted. The main gate to the courtyard was left open. Still in a bit of shock from her realization that she was free, from a prison that had been abandoned, she walked over to the front gate. She exited to find the forest that she saw when she was brought here, only it was a lot more barren than she remembered it. It occurred to her that she didn't know where she was, or what she'd do next. She wanted to be with her family, but they were roboticized. She was lost, scared and overwhelmed. It was there that she met Nic' for the first time, her first contact in years.
"A weasel! You're not safe scavenging these parts!"
"Oh yeah?" Nic', on assignment raised her gun and cautioned the dazed fox.
"Easy there foxy, no sudden moves." Fiona froze, wondering if the weasel was one of Robotnik's dupes.
"Wh-who are you?" asked Fiona.
"Sorry sister, I ask the questions around here. First you tell me who you are, and then maybe I'll be in a mood to reciprocate. If I hear something I don't like, I'll have to kill ya." She said, nodding to her phaser. Fiona wasn't scared, just happy to see somebody, and yet still feeling shook up inside.
"I-I'm Fiona, Fiona the fox. I was just... I was prisoner here for a long time..." she began to cry. "I just want to be with my family.... D-do you know where they are Miss!? Please tell me if you do! I don't want to be alone, not anymore." She looked up at her desperately.
"I... I dunno. Not my problem kid." she said, feeling a bit guilty now.
Fiona crawled up to Nic' and started hugging her. She looked up at her and sobbed, "Won't you please help me find my parents miss, please!"
Nic' was beginning to feel a bit sympathetic, but she didn't want any hassles. The fifteen year old weasel liked things nice and simple, with no complications.
"Sorry kid, but I've gotta go. Best of luck." She pushed Fiona aside, and she fell to the ground. She started crying so hard she could be heard a mile away. Unfortunately for Nic' who was on the run after stealing from a local tribe of wolves, they had found them both. Fiona could see a Wolf behind a tree duck out and aim an arrow at Nic's head. He released it, Fiona running over to Nic' and jumping, knocking her over before it could hit.
"Hey!!! Get off of me you little twerp!" she yelled, lying face down on the ground.
"That wolf fired an arrow at you!" Nic' looked over at the tree to see that an arrow had pierced it. The two of them got up to see that the wolf was ready to fire again. Nic' who was bigger than Fiona pulled her out of harms way,
"Phew, that was close" the weasel sighed. They were hiding behind a tree, the wolves were waiting for them to try and make a dash for it.
"Listen, thanks for saving my life and all, umm Himona",
"Fiona!" she corrected.
"Yeah, whatever. Just don't think I owe you anything, I can take care of myself"-
"Why are they after you" she asked, her eyes still a bit red from crying.
"Well, that's my business. They had valuable goods that belonged to me (well at least they do now), so I was just.... Reclaiming them, yeah that's the word." Fiona looked at her, with a stern look on her face.
"Do you mean, you were stealing from them miss weasel?"
"Hey, you're pretty bratty kid. If it's valuable then it belongs to me, so mind your own"-
"Come out and return the sacred urn traitor!" shouted a wolf from behind the bushes, stopping Nic' in mid-sentence.
"Traitor? So, you're a thief are you?" Fiona said smiling.
"Yeah so what if I am? Listen, if you wanna run that way and cause a distraction that'd be great." Nic' ordered.
"No, I don't think I want to. In fact, I think I should have half a mind to hand you over to them myself." She threatened.
"You'll do nothing of a sort" she said, raising a knife to her throat. Fiona wasn't scared at all. She put her hand on the weasel's hand, and lowered the knife.
"How about we make a deal. I'll help you out, if you take me from here and help me find my parents."
"Hah! I'm not the kind to make deals, and what says I need your help anyways. I'll escape here fine by myself." She kicked the fox out from behind the tree trunk, gaining the attention of the wolves' arrows as she ran in the opposite direction. Fiona managed to get back behind the tree before she was shot, but the wolves had caught Nic' in a net. Now she was feeling a bit more desperate.
"Things aren't looking too good for you!" shouted Fiona over to where Nic' was captured. "Oh well, best of luck to you" she teased.
"No no no no no no. Wait up kid. Okay, I'm sorry for ditching you just before. You help me out, and I'll help you with whatever you want. Promise."
"Well, I'm not sure I can trust you now. I could probably find help elsewhere."
"No please! C'mon help a girl out here. You save me; you can stay with me till we find your family okay. Just hurry up!"
Fiona, who knew the wolves weren't going to approach Nic' until they had captured her too (they probably thought she was working with her), crawled up the tree and leaped across from one branch to another. She positioned her self just above where they were hiding behind the bush, and jumped down on the wolves, knocking them out one by one. She was small and fast, so they didn't see where she had come from. Nic' looked on at the young fox's abilities, rather impressed herself though she wouldn't say it. After Fiona had taken care of the wolves she went over to Nic' and freed her from the net.
"Well, you're pretty strong for a kid. I would've escaped from the net myself though, just needed a few more minutes."
"Yeah yeah.' She chuckled.
"Well, looks like I'm stuck with you now. I got a few rules, and you have to live by them. I don't like no crying, hugging, joking and singing, I don't want to have to baby-sit you every minute, so just stay out of my face and we'll get along just fine. There's a few more, but I'll tell ya later."
"So, what's your name?" Fiona asked.
"Oh that. Names Nicollet the Weasel, but you can just call me Nic'. We better get back to the rendezvous point where my brothers waiting. C'mon Himona!"
"It's Fi-on-a!" she corrected.
"Whatever... Fi'!"
Present day:
It was now night-time in the jungle. You would hear all kind of noises here at night, some you'd be better off not knowing what they were. The night sky was full of stars, not a patch of it was left empty or devoid of clusters and nebulae. She looked up at the moon, a piece of it missing like always. She'd heard there was some big fight with Sonic the hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik and that it was the doctors doing. Just one more thing he's taken that can never be fixed.
She lost her train of thought when a loud noise rumbled throughout the jungle, silencing all the insects and other creatures for they were half frightened by it. Fiona knew exactly what it was, and surely enough the noise of exhaust engines grew closer, then a large metallic disc came over her, like a lunar eclipse blanketing the sky.
It was Nic's Falcon class cruiser, Bounty One, one of the fastest of her kind thanks to Nic's modifications. It hovered in midair, making all sorts of mechanical noises. The hatch door opened from the side and a rope was thrown out, followed by her partner signaling her to climb up it.
"Hurry up and get in!" she called out.
Fiona got up slowly (still a bit dazed and tired from lying there for hours), grabbed the rope and climbed up it. "Business as usual" she thought to herself. Once Fiona was aboard, Bounty One took off, almost breaking the sound barrier.
........................................................................
They arrived at the Mobian badlands only ninety minutes later, which was not bad for sixteen-thousand miles of distance, over two continents. They landed the ship and locked it up; around here you could never be too safe. Nic' had rewired the Falcon so that it only activates with her and Fiona's handprint, otherwise its system shuts off. The two of them walked up the steep hill emerging from the woods to a location they often visit.
The sign read: "Saint Alamo's Cook House". Fancy name for such a run down dive. It's a gathering place for criminals, Bounty hunters and other vermin. It's appearance suggests that it has been poorly maintained. The place itself looks like it used to be a school of some sort, as there are a lot of desks scattered around outside. The concrete bricks now had moss growing on it, while graffiti is tagged with all sorts of names and slogans. The places central structure is built around a large tree, which comes out at the top of the roof of the three-story building, making the cook house look more like a tree house. The longest roots of the tree stretched out twenty-five meters, sticking out like an Octopuses tentacle waving about at sea.
It was only a few days ago that the two girls came here, and met an old looking duck with a patch over his eye, who sold them a map of an ancient tomb. It listed all the traps and perils within, and he gave it away for a fair price. The two of them were suspicious, but as it turned out, the map was right on the mark, and they came back from the final resting place of Osiris a lot richer. Though it seemed strange why he wouldn't use it for himself. Nic' believed he thought the necropolis was cursed like all the natives of Heliopolis, and thought he'd sell the map to gain a profit rather than trying to pillage it himself. If she ever saw him again, Fiona would ask him why he gave them the map.
"Why are we here again?" Fiona asked.
"I told you, we can never be too rich. 'Sides, I'm still on a high after last night. If we're lucky we'll get a case that takes us to another goldmine."
Fiona never really cared about the money, it was just her job. It was what kept her occupied, when she wasn't following leads looking for her folks. Though it has been four years since Nic' promised to help look for her parents, be they at one of Robotnik's factories or not, and they still hadn't found them. Fiona had lost faith long ago, and they had given up looking for them, but part of her still hoped she'd find them... one day.
Inside was even more run down the outside. The place stank of all kinds of malodorous fumes; there was a large fish tank with dead fish in it, and lots of other discarded items. There was a bar that positioned itself against the main trunk of the tree, with stairs spiraling around it up to the second and third floors. All kinds of suspicious people lurked about here, some Fiona recognized as the "familiars". There was smoke in the air as a Lynx at one table light his cigar. An Ox, a Walrus and a Leopard nearby quarreled over a dispute they had.
The floorboards creaked as the two girls walked across the room. They walked up to a small counter at one side of the room, behind it somebody was sleeping with a newspaper over their head. Nic' leaned over the counter, lifted up the newspaper and screamed in his face.
"WAKE UP YA LAZY GIT!!!" He jumped out of his seat in a fright, and fell over. He got up off the floor, putting his glasses on to see who it was. He was an old looking hare with dark brown fur, but had the complexion of somebody you wouldn't want to mess with. He had a red coat on, with a necklace around his neck that read "Boss", which is what Mobians around here called him. As far as they were concerned, his real name didn't matter. He just hands out the assignments. He sipped a glass of water and gave Nic' a nasty stare.
"I'm in no mood for your shenanigans weasel. You'll be getting no information out of me 'till I see the money you owe me. Let's see..." He grabbed his calculator and started tallying up numbers.
"That'll be two-thousand five hundred for the night-vision glasses you borrowed and never brought back. Ten thousand for the damage to my ship the Wing Blade took when I saved your butt out of Goldenhive three months back. Then there was the..."
Nic' threw a pile of jewels from her winnings yesterday down on the counter, his face quickly changing to a look of greed.
"Heh, I take it everything went well in Heliopolis. So what can I do for ya?" he said, while hiding away the treasures before any of the scum hanging around saw what he had.
"Knew you'd see it my way. So let's see the call sheet." The call sheet was a list of jobs, sometimes recon, sometimes hit jobs; other times plain old fashioned rescue missions. Being a Bounty Hunter, you weren't a good or bad guy, you're just doing a job, and clients would pay good money for a bounty hunter.
"Let's see what we have here" she said. "Client.... Jack Rabbit, the job: Kill Sonic? Okay next one, $1,000,000,000 hit for the head of Sonic the Hedgehog, signed Dr. Robotnik." She kept browsing through the sheets, getting impatient and frustrated at anything mentioning the hedgehog.
"20,000,000 Mobian dollars for the one who brings me Tails the Fox alive, client: Crocbot."
She threw the papers down on the desk and shouted out "Are there any jobs that aren't about the stupid Freedom Fighters!?!?!?"
"A few" Boss replied. He pointed to a much smaller pile of call sheets. Nobody ever wanted to mess with the Freedom Fighters, and yet there were so many willing to pay for them to be killed. Nic' knew any jobs with Dr. Robotnik hiring always turn out bogus, since her brother Nack had dealings with him in the past.
"That's just swell. If I ever do meet any of the Freedom Fighters I'll off them just for the fun of it." She moved on to the next pile.
Three and a half years ago:
It had been awhile since Fiona had been home. Last time it was being overrun by swatbots. Nic' had brought her up here, since she had been bugging her about it. Nic' had just returned from a mission, that didn't go over to well. Fiona was still inexperienced so Nic' just left her on the ship for the more dangerous missions.
As the twelve year old looked around, she saw that it had been abandoned just like the concentration camp she was in. Homes were demolished. Mining carts were scattered all over the place. Where the caves used to be, is now just a big ditch. Dr. Robotnik did end up digging out all the diamondium and using them for the advanced swatbots. It wasn't the welcome home party she wanted, but it was what she expected. As she walked among the tattered ruins of her house, she found a few things like books she used to read, some of her parents clothes lying around. It wasn't until she noticed stuck under some debris, that there was a photograph lying there. It had been bent under the rubble, but she recognized the picture and remembered it well. It was the photo her friend Evan the Duck had taken of her and her mother. The sight of seeing her mother again for the first time in years made her cry. Nic' was just sitting around rather uninterested, so Fiona hid her face so that her companion wouldn't see her crying (Nic's rule: No Crying).
She wished she had a photo of her father, but she never got to take one. As she sulked over the picture for awhile longer, her feelings inside changed. She stopped crying, realized what the photo really meant. It was nothing more than a memory frozen in time. As hard as it was, she knew she had to move on if she wanted to grow up. The truth was: the picture won't bring back her parents. It was no use crying over it, and she would remember the one thing she didn't have everyday if she kept it.
When you're forced out of home, and have to leave your parents, you have to grow up and stop relying on them. She was alone, and until she found them, she wasn't going to think about them too much. She was going to be a Bounty Hunter, just like Nic'. She split the photo in two, separating herself from her mother. She walked over to Nic', who knew she had been crying but didn't mention it.
"So... how are ya?"
"Let's... let's just get out of here.... and go home."
Present day:
Fiona went over to the bar, to let Nic' fuss over what job to take. As she passed a table, a gang of crooks looked at her, obviously looking at her the way a predator looks at its prey. A leopard at the table called out,
"Hey there foxy, why don't you join us? A cute young thing like you shouldn't be all by yourself in a place like this, you could get hurt." The other Mobians at the table all laughed with him.
"Now I don't wanna see you cryin' like a cub, and I ain't gonna save ya if sumfing bad happens. So come 'ere and sit next ta Uncle Leonid and let me look afta ya, kapeesh?" Fiona paid no attention and sat at the bar.
"What'll it be young lady" said the sad looking toad at the bar.
"Just... just some peanuts thanks." He handed her a bowl of peanuts then went back to cooking. The old toad had been working here as long as Fiona could remember, and he always had the same sad look on his face. This place had seen its share of fights and power struggles over the years, and ownership changes, but he's always worked at the bar. Guess no one else really wanted to. Some say he used to be a teacher here when it was a school, and that he had nowhere else to go.
From behind her, Leonid, who hadn't given up came and sat right next to Fiona. He slammed his cup down on the bench and looked straight at her.
"Perhaps you didn't hear me properly, wit your ears under that girly hair of yours. Come wit' me and I'll show you a good time. Ya wanna see the back of my ship?"
"Not interested" she retorted.
"Ya jus' don't geddit do ya kid? I'm not askin' ya, I'm telling ya ta come wit' me. Learn your place in the world you little brat!" He got off his stool, picking it up at the same time. He went to hit Fiona with it but she jumped out of the way, off her stool. He turned around and came at her again, she ducked and he tripped over her, crashing onto a nearby table. He lifted himself up, and snarled at her, exposing his sharp teeth.
"You're dead little girl!"
"Edward!" she signaled to the toad at the bar. "Throw me a bottle of your finest wine!"
"Sure thing little lady." He tossed her over a bottle expensive wine.
"Well, at least the service here is fast." She said.
Leonid picked up a knife and threw it at Fiona. He missed her face, but it slashed her a bit on her right arm. She jumped up on a table and hit him over the head with the wine bottle. He toppled over onto the floor. He mumbled words of insults, as he drifted out of consciousness.
She covered the wound on her arm with her other hand, as blood poured out between her fingers. Nic' came over, missing all the action.
"Sheesh, can't you ever stay out of trouble?"
"It's not my-oww-fault." Her arm was stinging. "He attacked me first!"
"Yeah sure, you're a real saint. Come on, we'll bandage that up in my ship. I just found us a job that'll pay big moolah!" Fiona looked over to the bar where Edward the toad was still at work as if nothing had happened.
"Hey Eddie!" she called. "Put that bottle of wine on his tab", she pointed to Leonid on the floor, drool running out of his mouth.
Without signaling that he even heard her, he nodded his head and said in a low voice "sure thing little lady, seeya again real soon."
As the duo of Fiona and Nic left "Saint Alamo's", Fiona remarked. "I guess it's true about Leopards, they really can't change their spots."
"Har-har, you're such a comedian" Nic' replied in a bitter tone, never really having a sense of humor." I'll book you a gig on stage sometime."
The two of them got into Bounty One, and sped off towards their next big job...
Go to the next chapter of Fiona's Odyssey...