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Disclaimer: I own Kim! Of course, considering she's me...

Chapter 3: Snapping Point

The next day found the Freedom Fighters trouping back to Knothole, Kim in tow. She finally seemed to have gotten over the shock of being dragged through space (and for all they knew, time as well) to a whole other world. She was even starting to enjoy herself. That was until they were surprised by one of Robotnik's robots.

It was Kim who heard it first. She was walking at the head of the group next to Sally, chatting about her world and learning about the situation on the world in which she was now. They had been in the middle of a lively conversation when Kim suddenly stopped dead, ears twisting to the right. Her fur stood on end and she backed up a few steps, baring her teeth in a defensive manner.

"What is it?" asked Sally. She couldn't hear a thing.

"Something's coming," Kim whispered. They all strained their ears but they couldn't hear a thing. Finally when they were getting ready to give up and go the unmistakable sound of a tree crashing to the ground. Very close by. Hard on the sound a robot waded out of the trees. Kim shrieked as it fired a laser from it's arm, barely missing them.

The Freedom Fighters sprang into action, trying to take down the robot. It only seemed interested in Tails, however. Sonic was the first to realize this, as well as the first to realize why. Tails was carrying the bag containing the chaos emeralds.

Dodging a blast from the robot's laser, Sonic sped to Tail's side and snagged the bag of emeralds from him. In his hands the emeralds activated again, lighting in a flurry of power and becoming airborne. Sonic grabbed one and shot straight through the robot, which stood still for a moment before toppling backwards to take out a few trees behind it. The emeralds, meanwhile, glowed brighter for a second then exploded outward, each shooting off in a different direction. The only one left was the green one, which Sonic had kept safely in his grip. The glow faded from it, then died out altogether.

"How did that thing manage to find us?" Sally asked breathlessly.

Antoine was glaring accusingly at Kim, but Tails, who was examining the robot, spoke up before he could say anything.

"This tracking devise here," he said, indicating something on the robot's neck. "It's been programmed to track the chaos emeralds, and because all seven were together it was able to do that from a distance."

Kim stared in amazement at Tails and distinctly heard Knuckles mutter "Showoff," and Sonic mutter, "Dammed mechanical genius."

Then Kim's head snapped around again, to stare in the direction they had been traveling. The group immediately went on the defensive again. But the form that broke through the trees was not one of Robotnik's robots, however it was a form they were almost as displeased to see. Geoffrey St. John the skunk stepped out of the trees to greet them.

He stared around at them haughtily before announcing, "The King has sent me to accompany you back to the castle," he said regally. This produced a variety of reactions. Tails goggled, Sonic scowled, Sally sighed, and Knuckles rolled his eyes. Kim decided that she didn't like Geoffrey, he was too egotistical. Geoffrey's gaze fell on her then and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"And who are you? What is your business in Knothole?" he questioned sharply. Kim's only response was to be completely taken aback. Geoffrey snapped, "Are you deaf? I just asked you a question. Answer me!"

Kim narrowed her eyes. Her nerves were tightly strung as it was, and that robot attack had frayed them to the breaking point. She was not in the mood to be treated like slime by someone with an ego the size of North America.

"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers," she said and sniffed condescendingly. And because her dad wasn't around she added, "And I don't talk to jerk-offs anyway."

Everyone burst out laughing at the completely dumbstruck expression on Geoffrey's face. Sonic gave Kim a thumbs-up behind Geoffrey's back. Sally, trying desperately to salvage the situation, took hold of Geoffrey's arm to steer his attention away from Kim.

"How did you find us?" she asked.

Geoffrey shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. That robot was making enough noise to wake the dead, so I just followed the sound." He nodded at Kim again. "So who is she anyway?"

The group sat down and began to fill Geoffrey in. At the end of the tale Geoffrey turned a glare on Kim, apparently harboring the same reservations about her that Antoine did.

"And how do we know she's not working for Robotnik?" he demanded.

'Open mouth, insert foot,' Sonic thought bemusedly. He could tell from Antoine's expression that he was thinking the same things Geoffrey was, and was triumphant that he had found an ally. Of course, this was Geoffrey they were talking about, so that wasn't exactly saying much.

"She could have led that robot here!" Geoffrey continued, talking about Kim as if she wasn't there.

"No, The robot was set to track the chaos emeralds. I don't think Robotnik is even aware that Kim exists," Tails interrupted logically.

Geoffrey simmered. He hated being proved wrong, and was still pissed at Kim for her comment earlier. "Little freak anyway," he muttered angrily.

That did it. Kim's control finally snapped. Before anyone could reprimand Geoffrey Kim leapt forward with a shriek of rage and slapped him across the face, claws extended. Geoffrey fell sideways and crashed into the dirt, blood blossoming spectacularly on his cheek from cuts that appeared to go bone deep. Everyone stared at Kim in shock, surprised at the violent outburst from the mild girl.

"Don't you ever call me that! Don't you dare!" she shrieked at Geoffrey in a hysterical voice. "People always call me that! I'M NOT! I'm not a freak! I'm NOT!" Tears were splashing down her face. "I'm not," she whispered, lowering her hand, which was still raised.

It was Knuckles who got over his shock first and stood and gathered the distraught girl to him to give her a shoulder to cry on. He then turned a death glare on Geoffrey, who was still lying on the ground with a hand on his cheek, which continued to bleed freely. Everyone else glared at him too, even Antoine stared at him in shock. He didn't trust the girl true, but that comment had been completely unnecessary.

"That remark was uncalled for, Geoffrey," Sally hissed after a while, when she seemed to have gotten her anger under control. "I had better hear an apology from you."

"Don't bother." Everyone turned to stare at the now sniffling Kim, still held protectively by Knuckles, who glared at them and dared them to make a comment. "If you force him to apologize he won't mean it, and he'll just resent me for it. So what good is it?" Kim reasoned. Sally shrugged, and shot another glare at Geoffrey.

"We should get moving," she finally said. Everyone stood up and followed her. No one assisted Geoffrey. He pushed himself to his feet, cheek saturated with blood that was now seeping to his shoulder and chest as well. He eyed the downcast Kim as she passed him with wary respect. He definitely did not want to be on the wrong side of her claws again.

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