01 /22 /04
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux
By Antipode Echidna
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com
Mobian Time: Year 3238, Day 065
Episode: Return
Story (c) 2004 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by copyright laws that r00r your b00rz!
Other characters:
Chip and Cruiser, and Jewel (c) Antipode Echidna (Adam Czech)
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood (David Pistone), without permission.
The screen scrolled slowly, each member of the list being looked over one by one. It had been fortunate that Colin had found the file, a record of all of the late Robotnik's special projects. Most were outlandishly ridiculous, and he loudly scoffed at all these. So far none of them struck him as particularly efficient in destroying the freedom fighters, which was his number one priority.
As he progressed through the text, the projected plans getting more and more grand and idiotic. A tank-like battle cruiser, a heavily-armored airship, even a space station was on the list. "And you wondered why you couldn't find the freedom fighters..." Colin shook his head. "Stupid."
In short, Colin's plans for taking over Robotropolis hadn't been going well. Not only had Robotnik locked up his main control codes, but some of them were dummies, and the real codes were locked up somewhere else. He had been searching for them when he stumbled across the project list, and had been compelled to look through what the good doctor had been doing before he met his end.
He only found one thing that perked his interest. Colin read the heading aloud, slowly: "Ah... the Void. I remember that incident."
More like a debacle, at least for Robotnik. The idiot had made a pact with the devil, a devil named Ixis Naugus. He hadn't trusted Naugus in the least, but recognized the old man's skills, which he had needed for his plan to take over the throne to succeed. Then after it was complete, he had double-crossed the sorcerer and locked him in the dimension Naugus had created, the Void. Colin had also been skeptical at the time, but quickly learned that the old man was wiser and more powerful than Ivo Robotnik could ever hope to be.
Colin sat back in the control chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. With the power of a sorcerer on his side, finding the freedom fighters would be no trouble at all, and in a matter of weeks they could all be eradicated. He grinned sadistically as he thought of it, then rose from the chair, grabbing his data card from the console. "Perhaps it's time to pay our old friend Naugus a visit."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
Tails sat silently in the desk chair, in the quiet darkness of the garage. It had been empty of people and sound for nearly five months, in somber reverence of the former keepers of the building. The kid wiped his eyes, having no more tears to shed. He had spent every spare moment of his life inside these walls, first working on the Freedom Stormer than various other vehicles as time went on. Aside from Sonic, Kara had been Tails' best friend, someone he could relate to and learn from.
And now she was gone.
At first the fox hadn't understood completely, but the realization came as soon as he stepped into the empty garage, and wasn't greeted by her warm voice. He had found himself stumbling to her workbench in a state of shock, collapsing into the chair and staring at the floor, crying. When he finally did regain composure, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, all the memories slowly returning, reminding him.
Why did she have to die? he asked himself over and over again. It's wasn't fair. He had known her for a long time, it had been almost three years since they had started the Freedom Stormer project together. What would it be like now that she was no longer there, to talk to him or help him with things. His gaze fell to her workbench. Things would never be the same for him.
Tails saw a small scrap of paper tucked under the base of the lamp. He reached over to pick it up, almost gingerly lifting it from its place. It was folded twice, and he carefully opened it. What he saw threatened to make the tears come again: "Dear Tails..."
He reached up to wipe his eyes, struggling to read the handwriting through mistiness.
"Dear Tails,
"You're reading this note, and I didn't give it to you. You know what that means, so I won't go into any more detail.
"I really loved having you around the garage, buddy. Take care of it for me. If Grease is there, have him help you. Smack him if he doesn't behave.
"Tell everyone at Knothole 'so long' for me, okay? I've got something special for you, too, something I've been working on, as a surprise. It never got finished, but maybe you can do that for me, all right? It's in my cabinet, top shelf, on the left.
"Don't be sad, either, you hear me? You know I wouldn't want that. You have to keep on going without me, but you've got Sonic and everybody else there, too. Remember not to let them feel bad.
"Take care, buddy. I'll be watching out for you.
"With love,
"Kara Kincaid"
Teardrops spattered on the paper, staining it with slowly spreading dots of moisture. Tails sniffed softly, his small fingers clenching around the edges of the letter. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook gently, curling forward until his head was on his knees.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
Colin brought himself to humming as he entered the portal room. It was a habit he had developed long ago, but was unable to embellish whenever Robotnik had been around; he would silence him with a "Stop that infernal racket, Snively!" or "Concentrate on your work, Snively!" Now, without him around, Colin could do as he pleased. He didn't have to live in his large, rotund shadow again.
"Now I am Robotnik," he declared to the empty walls. "I am Robotnik!"
He went to the control console and looked it over, getting a general feel for what the buttons and switches would do once he manipulated them. He chuckled a moment as he slid his key card into the slot. It clicked, and the small screen on the board lit up, allowing him access to the data in the banks of the computer.
"Interesting..." he hummed as he looked it over. "Three signatures. I would have thought only Naugus and the king would be in there." He smiled. "Perhaps someone else decided to piss off the doctor, and he locked them up, too."
But then the question arose in his mind: which one to enter? Clearly it was only a matter of random selection, since the stupid machine wouldn't give him any data, other than an entrance code. He frowned. Like it really made any difference.
He punched in the top code, and the machine switched on and set to work. Colin stepped into the middle of the room, turning to face the circular braces set into the wall as they powered up. The lights flickered as the gateway was opened, shedding its prismatic light into the room. He outstretched his hand in a dramatic pose, calling out toward the portal, "Come forth, my friend! Come to aid me in my need!"
Someone did emerge, slowly, but it was definitely not who Colin was expecting. "Why, Snively... So good to see you."
Colin could do nothing but scream.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
It was a blueprint. Tails had found it in the cabinet, as instructed in the letter, amid a neat stack of papers and journals and binders that Kara had kept in there. He brought it down and hopped off the stool, taking it over to the lighted workbench before unrolling it and trying to read.
At first it resembled the plans for the Freedom Stormer, and Tails almost thought he had gotten the wrong one. Upon closer inspection, however, he saw that it was modified, heavily modified, in many respects. It had an open-air cockpit, only large enough for two or three people, including the pilot. The only weapons were two small guns mounted near the nose, and the engine was several factors more powerful than the original. It was clearly built for speed and maneuverability, not combat.
*No armor,* Tails thought skeptically, thinking over the specs for the engine scribbled in the margins. *That's kind of risky, but it might work.* He glanced down to see what Kara had written on the bottom: "For EVERYONE'S little bro, Tails. Freedom Stormer, Mk. II, Freedom Tornado."
Tails smiled. Freedom Tornado; he liked the sound of that. Though with Robotnik gone, "freedom" wasn't something they needed to fight for anymore. Even so, the "Tornado"... Just the name inspired images of greatness. "Thanks... big sis."
The fox looked up as he heard someone enter the garage. He set the prints on the workbench as he stood.
It was Brainerd. "Hey, bud," he called out as he rolled through the doorway. "What are you up to in here?"
"Nuthin, Brain," Tails answered, sitting in the chair again. "Just rememberin' stuff."
The wolf brought his wheelchair to a rest beside the bench. "Kara, huh?" The kid nodded. "Yeah, it's too bad. It's sure not going to be the same without her here anymore."
"Yeah..." he whispered. "But she said 'don't be sad,' so I'm not gonna."
"Good," Brainerd nodded, then patted his shoulder. "Hey, Princess Sally wants you in her office."
He looked up at him. "Huh? What for?"
"Don't know, but she does. Better get over."
"Okay," he replied. He made to stand, then looked over at the airplane plans laying on the desk. He reached over to grab them, then headed for the door.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
"B-but how?" he stammered, eyes wide. "You died. I saw you die!"
"And again, your perception is flawed," Ivo Robotnik grinned at his former assistant. He tightened his grip, and the little man cried out again. Colin was presently half a meter in the air, held firmly against the wall by the dictator's iron fist. "I see you've kept busy while I've been... incapacitated."
"You... you..."
Robotnik squeezed harder to silence him. "But you see, I've been making my own plans. Naugus!"
The bent old man came forward and bowed, a wily smile on his face. "Yes, my liege?"
"Dispose of this trash," he commanded, still looking at Colin. "I have no further need of him."
"Yes, sire," Naugus replied, still staring at the floor.
Robotnik cast him to the ground. "Double-crossing swine," he muttered as he turned to walk away.
Colin struggled to rise, eyes shooting daggers. "Look who's talking..." he managed, though his voice was so weak the other didn't hear it.
Naugus seemed to glide toward him, reaching down a gnarled hand to lift him to his feet. His other hand came forward, an unearthly glow emanating from his fingertips. "Now, what shall we do with you, eh?" he hissed into his face.
"What's your angle in all this?" Colin spat. "Have a change of heart?"
"Oh, no," the sorcerer shook his head, lowering his voice so Robotnik couldn't hear it. "But he can't control me, no matter how hard he tries. You see, I've had more time to formulate plans than he has, by a long shot."
Naugus glanced across the room. "And what of the king, Master Robotnik? Are we to leave him?"
Robotnik was about to answer, then he stopped, an idea forming in his mind. "Actually, let's bring him out. I have some ideas on how he can contribute as well."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
The door to Sally's office slowly creaked open, and Tails stuck his head inside. "Aunt Sally?"
"Come in, Tails," Sally replied from behind her desk.
He entered, looking around. Everyone else was there, too. Whatever was going on, it must be important. He came in and took a seat in one of the chairs. Tails immediately looked at Sonic, who had a concerned look on his face.
"Did I do somethin' wrong?" he asked nervously.
"Oh, no, Tails. You didn't do anything," Sally replied. "But we need your help with something. Something important."
"Really? What?"
"Do you remember," she started, choosing her words carefully, "when you were captured by Robotnik?"
"Yeah," he replied sadly.
"You said you saw Robotnik, right?"
"Uh-huh..." he glanced nervously from Sally to Sonic and back. "What's goin' on?"
"Did you see anyone else there? Besides Robotnik?"
He nodded. "Yeah. There was this goofy little guy, too. The one who poked me."
Sally sat back in her chair and looked up at Sonic. "You were right, Sonic. There's another one."
"Another what?" Tails asked excitedly. "What are we talkin' about?"
"We've been discussing, Tails," Sally answered. "We think there's someone who's taken control of Robotropolis. When you went with Sonic into the city before, and the SWATbot told you about a different Robotnik who put in access codes that day... I don't think it was malfunctioning."
"Oh..." Tails thought that through. "Who? Is it that little guy?"
Sonic nodded. "We think so, little bro. His name's Robotnik, and the dude you saw is the only other Overlander in the city, as far as we know."
"We're just saying that it fits together," Sally put in. "If it is true, though, we have to find out for sure. This could change all of our plans so far."
"Okay... Can I help?"
All eyes in the room turned to face him. Tails was sitting straighter in his chair now, looking to Sally with a steadfast gaze. His request was different from the childlike willingness to tag along he had expressed so many times before. Now he wanted to *help* them, as a skilled member of the team. They had all seen and observed the kid through his life, watching him grow and mature. Now it was coming to fruition, as they all realized.
Sally nodded. "Yes. I need you to go with Sonic and the rest of the team. You're the only one who's seen this 'Colin Robotnik' so we'll need you to ID him when you get there."
Tails blinked. "Okay. Then what are we gonna do?"
"That's it," Sally replied. "We take no action right now. We just need information at the moment."
Sonic shrugged. "Seems easy enough. When do you want to leave?"
"We'll go right away. As soon as everyone's ready. Antoine, you're welcome to come, if you want."
The coyote bowed his head. "*Merci*, Princess. But I believe I will stay behind."
"All right. I'll ask Lupe then." She noticed that Tails was staring down at the ground, as if deep in thought. "Was there something you wanted, Tails?"
He jerked his head up as she called his name. "Um, yeah..." He came forward to set the rolled paper reverently on her desk. "Just something... for you to look at."
Tails turned and left the room, slowly as if in a daze. Sally blinked as she watched him go. Kara's death had been hard on him, that much was evident. He was maturing, definitely, perhaps faster than any child should have to.
"Poor Tails," Sonic sighed as his buddy left.
"He's growing up," Sally nodded. "He misses his friend." At the mention of friends she looked across the room, to the young woman sitting in the chair quietly next to Antoine. "How are you doing?"
"A little better," Georgia answered, blinking. "Still kinda dizzy an' lightheaded. An' this whole hoo-ha with Robotnik's not helpin' much, either."
Antoine reached down to pat her hand as Sally gave a thin smile. She was definitely looking better from the moment she left Bookshire's care three weeks ago. At first it was very difficult for her: her legs were weak from muscle atrophy, her left arm was close to useless, and her eye -- which had been completely mechanized from roboticization -- would need time to rebuild the ocular nerve before she could see properly. She wore a patch over her good eye now, to force her bad eye to do what it needed to do to heal. Bookshire said it would be a slow process, but necessary if she wanted to have her full vision returned. Her hair had completely grown back on the left side of her head, and she let it out slightly longer than she had worn it in the past. But, under all that, she was still the same "Bunnie" they had always known.
Sally came over to sit on the front edge of her desk, closer to her. "Do you feel up for a run to Robotropolis?"
The rabbit's eyebrows shot up as she focused on the large colored blotch she thought was Sally. "Are you kiddin', Sally-girl?"
"Of course," she chuckled. "I just wanted to get a smile out of you, that's all."
Georgia laughed and relaxed back in the chair. "Yeah, an' scare me half ta death!"
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
After the Battle of Doomsday -- as it was being called -- the freedom fighters found themselves devoid of transportation. Vehicles large enough to accommodate an entire team were scarce as it was, so finding another for missions became a hard chore. Sally was able to track one down eventually, from another cell not far from them. To call it old would be an understatement, but at least it ran, so they used it.
Sally had no fear driving it into Robotropolis, since no reports they had gotten thus far indicated the perimeter security was still repaired. The only thing this 'Colin Robotnik' had managed to do was take control of the army of SWATbots and a handful of the buildings. If they were lucky they may be able to quell this threat before he got the rest of it, and spare any further bloodshed.
She drove the van to within three miles of the Imperial Tower before parking it and killing the engine. The five occupants piled out, checking their respective weapons and getting ready to move out. Lupe had declined Sally's invitation to join them, so they filled up the final spots in their five-man team with two of their newest applicants.
"Geez, this place looks like crap," Cruiser commented. "So where are we goin' first, boss lady?"
Chip crossed his arms. "Ya know, if you were in medieval times they'd cut off your head for addressing royalty like that," he scolded.
"Well, excuuuuse me!" he retorted, turning to her and giving a highly exaggerated bow. "Verily, where shalst we tread, Your Exalted Majesty boss lady, ma'am!"
Sally had learned to tune out the two over the months, for just a time as that. "We're going into the palace," she told them. "If Colin is controlling the SWATbots from the control room, he'll be up there."
The main control room was on the upper floors, their recon had told them, and there were only a few lifts that would take them that far. One of them was a service elevator from the large cargo delivery area in the back; that was their objective.
They came in slowly, cautiously, Sally having chosen standard group commando tactics, not knowing what to expect. All of their knowledge of Robotnik's style of fighting may have been completely reprogrammed now. They approached the door from both directions: Sonic, Tails, and Cruiser on one side, and Sally and Chip on the other. As soon as she deemed the coast clear, she gave the order to advance, and the five entered the room.
There were no lights on, so their vision was limited. They could see, however, a large device of some kind in the middle of the room -- most likely a loading crane -- and a cement ramp leading to an upper level in the back, probably where the elevator was. Sally motioned, and they all started up. They were halfway up the ramp, when Sally abruptly stopped.
"What is it, Sal?" Sonic asked.
"Something's not right," she answered, looking around without moving.
Sonic did the same, though he saw nothing. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure... Everyone stay here, I'm going ahead."
"Alone?" Sonic raised his eyebrows. "As if. I'm goin' with you!"
"No, Sonic," she answered over her shoulder, her voice far off. "Stay here."
"Sal, what's up?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as she started forward, as if in a daze. "Sally?"
"You should listen to the little lady," called a voice from above. "Maybe she's just gotten sick of ya."
He looked up to see an old man standing above him. Or maybe floating. "Who the heck are you?"
"Surprised she hasn't told you about me," the old man rasped casually as he descended. He extended his hand. "Name's Ixis Naugus, nice to meet you."
Sonic had been reaching forward, but his hand jerked back. "Holy heck! *You're* Naugus?" He stepped back, turning to address the rest of the team. "Everyone, stay back! This guy's mondo dangerous!"
"Lies! Filthy lies, all of them!" Naugus answered, smiling. "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the world."
"Yeah, right, buddy. Then what are you doin' in Robotropolis, huh?"
"Working with me of course," came an all-too-familiar booming voice from the catwalk above them.
Sonic eyes widened, and he nearly fainted. "N-no way! Robotnik?"
"I'm pleased you still remember me, rodent," the dictator bellowed down at him. "It's been so long, I was thinking you may have forgotten about me."
"Not a chance, after all the crappy stuff you've done, egghead!"
"Ooh, found some new insults for me, have you? I see you've spent your time in freedom well."
"That's not the half of it," he grinned impishly, then turned. "Tails, what were those other ones you got?"
Tails was visibly flustered, but blinked as he concentrated on Sonic. "Oh, um... Eggface?"
"Yeah, good one," he whispered. "You got egg all over your face there, Ro-buttnik! Time to cut down on the cholesterol!"
"Hee hee, yeah!" Tails laughed and jumped forward, joining in. "You get any fatter, you'll be a real Eggman!"
Robotnik put a hand on his heart in a dramatic motion. "Oh, I do believe you've cut me to the quick. What can I ever say to those witty remarks?" He reached forward with his other hand to switch on the lights in the room. "How about... checkmate?"
Sonic gasped. There, hanging from the ceiling by a cable, was King Maximilian Acorn. He was bound hand and foot, suspended upside-down at least six meters from the floor of the loading dock. He was apparently unconscious.
"You see, rodent, I've had some time to think things through. You and your friends wouldn't do anything to me, if it meant risking *his* life." Robotnik pressed a button, and the cable shook, dropping the king a handful of centimeters. "Give yourselves up now, or..." he paused and grinned. "God save the king."
Sally took a step forward, staring up in disbelief. "Daddy?" she managed, a tear coming to her eye. She heard a voice, one that seemed to call to her from a distance. *Sally...*
She couldn't answer, audibly, so just stopped to listen. *Everything will be fine, Sally. Keep Robotnik busy.*
She brought her head up to call out. "Let him go, Robotnik! We... we give up."
Sonic spun. "Say what! Whaddya mean, 'we give up?'"
"We've lost, Sonic," she replied. "I'm not going to risk my father's life."
Robotnik rubbed his hands together with glee. "Excellent... I'm glad you finally see reason, Princess. Naugus, please incarcerate the creatures."
The bent old man came forward. "At once, my liege." He stretched out his hands, which seemed charged with otherworldly energy. Sonic felt his body abruptly spasm, his every muscle screaming with pain. He wasn't sure what Naugus was doing to him, but he found himself out of control of his body, only moving where the sorcerer willed him. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't find the strength to do even that.
A gunshot. He thought he heard something, but if it was a gunshot or not he couldn't be entirely sure. He only realized that the pain was gone when his body hit the concrete floor. He looked up in surprise, following Naugus' distracted gaze to the ceiling. The cable that had been holding King Max had snapped, but his body was still in the air, coming to the ground only slowly. Sonic wanted nothing more than to know what was going on, but could only roll over before his body started to hurt again.
Sally, on the other hand, had reoriented herself quickly and came out of Naugus' spell on her feet. She watched and stared as her father gently came to rest on the floor, beside a small canine with a sniper rifle. Chip lowered his weapon from his eye, smiling at his precise aim.
"Ya know," Cruiser called out from behind him, a cocky grin on his face. "If you were in medieval times they'd cut yer head off for treatin' royalty like that."
Naugus snarled. "Why, you little-"
"Now, now, Naugus," a voice soothed from just outside the doorway. "He does have a point."
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Jewel."
"I see you've finally gotten free of the Void," the woman smiled as she entered, smoothly and professionally, the glow of psychic energy fading from her hands.
"Thanks to our dear friend, Doctor Robotnik."
Now it was the cat's eyes that narrowed. "Robotnik's no friend of mine."
Robotnik braced his hands on the guardrail of the catwalk and leaned over. "Naugus! What are you doing?"
"Complications, my liege," he answered through clenched teeth, not taking his eyes off the woman.
"Well, take care of them!" he shouted as he headed for the lift. "Unless you'd rather return to your prison..."
Naugus scowled. "I'll show you who I'll take care of..."
"Why do you let him push you around?" Jewel asked. "You're not the Ixis Naugus I once knew."
"Things change. I mean, except you."
"Why don't you just let them go? It doesn't have to be like this."
"You know damn well how it has to be!" the old man spat. His aged frame moved fluidly into a readied stance. "And you know how this must end."
Jewel kept his gaze. "Sally! Get your team out of he', now!"
Sally glanced about nervously before issuing evacuation orders. Sonic had shaken the dizziness from his head and got up, hoisting the king on his shoulders and getting away. It was only when all five of the freedom fighters had exited did she move again.
Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply, moving in a sweeping motion and into a skilled martial pose, her right hand glowing. Her eyes flashed open into a glare. "Make you' move."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
"Double-crossers, the lot of them!" Robotnik muttered to himself as he marched through the halls. "First Snively, now Naugus... I can't trust anyone, *anyone*!"
He made it to the control room, and the lights immediately flickered on. "I'll show them. I knew this would happen, I knew it."
Robotnik sat into the control chair, pressed a large red button on the side. With a loud hiss of compressed air the chair shook as the catches along the bottom released and the engines powered up. The hum grew in intensity until the force was sufficient enough to bring the control station into the air. He chuckled as he wheeled the odd pod-shaped vehicle toward a secret escape hatch in the wall of the tower.
His finger hovered over another button, one with a plastic cover that he flipped open. When he was out of the building, his thumb jabbed down. "Chew on *this*, rodent!"
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
They had barely cleared a street's-width of the cargo dock when the tower exploded. All five were thrown to the pavement, and Sally was the first to bring her head up and look around. The loading bay was on fire, and something high above them was burning, too. Another explosion came, one that brought the princess to action.
"Everyone back to the van!" she screamed to the others. "GO!"
Thunderous explosions came from nearly every level of the building, as a chain reaction began ripping the palace apart from the inside. She started the vehicle and peeled out onto the street, racing through the streets of the city with reckless abandon.
It was only moments later that the final bomb sounded, the one that destroyed the base of the structure. They all watched in horror as the entire Royal Imperial Tower teetered slightly, before breaking away and collapsing in on itself. Slowly, slowly it fell, sinking into a cloud of dust that spread into the streets and alleys around it.
Sally continued driving, automatically, completely and utterly shocked at what she had just seen. Her mind was blank, save for one though: "If Robotnik is still alive, he will pay."
**END OF CHAPTER**
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Someone's Not Payin' Up
First order of business: Someone's gotta 'fess up here. I've gotten a handful of people sending in reviews on FF.N for this piece of literary art (*cough*), most notably the wonderful Ambre Weisnewski, who's brought in a new review every time she reads a chapter. I LOVE THIS. If some of you are thinking, "Yeah, I love this fic, I guess," TELL ME SO! OVER AND OVER! I LOVE getting reviews for this fic, it lets me know people are reading this. So, send in reviews for me! (If you're reading this on SVT, you can still review, either by email or anonymous review.)
Second order of business: People ARE reading this, and are too afraid to tell me. FF.N kindly says that I'm on someone's Favorite Authors list. Well, that's nice! So, if someone thinks I'm so great an author, would you mind letting me know with a review or five? Thank you, whoever thinks I'm so great! ^_^
Third order of business: More ridiculous incentives. I've got a new contest for everybody. If you read this fic (and since you just read that sentence, I assume you are) and send in a review for me, I'll give you or one of your characters a cameo / guest spot in a later chapter of FFoM. I've got 18 chaps to go now, so if you want to have your guy be in here, send in a review and I'll get back to you about available placements. So far, I've got two fanchars placed for future eps, the aforementioned Miss Ambre and... my mom. (Hey, you, stop laughing!)
Fourth order of business: This is getting too long but I want to put in a shameless plug for my art. LuxInvictus.DeviantArt.com Go there now and check out my lovely pics. Please?
Fifth order of business: I'm just kidding, I'm really done now.
Catch Ya'll Later,
-AE
**FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF MOBIUS**
Sonic the Hedgehog Neo Redux
By Antipode Echidna
e-mail: SonicNeoRedux@yahoo.com
Mobian Time: Year 3238, Day 065
Episode: Return
Story (c) 2004 by the author. Based on characters created by Sega, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Group, used without permission, but protected by copyright laws that r00r your b00rz!
Other characters:
Chip and Cruiser, and Jewel (c) Antipode Echidna (Adam Czech)
Bookshire Draftwood (c) Bookshire Draftwood (David Pistone), without permission.
The screen scrolled slowly, each member of the list being looked over one by one. It had been fortunate that Colin had found the file, a record of all of the late Robotnik's special projects. Most were outlandishly ridiculous, and he loudly scoffed at all these. So far none of them struck him as particularly efficient in destroying the freedom fighters, which was his number one priority.
As he progressed through the text, the projected plans getting more and more grand and idiotic. A tank-like battle cruiser, a heavily-armored airship, even a space station was on the list. "And you wondered why you couldn't find the freedom fighters..." Colin shook his head. "Stupid."
In short, Colin's plans for taking over Robotropolis hadn't been going well. Not only had Robotnik locked up his main control codes, but some of them were dummies, and the real codes were locked up somewhere else. He had been searching for them when he stumbled across the project list, and had been compelled to look through what the good doctor had been doing before he met his end.
He only found one thing that perked his interest. Colin read the heading aloud, slowly: "Ah... the Void. I remember that incident."
More like a debacle, at least for Robotnik. The idiot had made a pact with the devil, a devil named Ixis Naugus. He hadn't trusted Naugus in the least, but recognized the old man's skills, which he had needed for his plan to take over the throne to succeed. Then after it was complete, he had double-crossed the sorcerer and locked him in the dimension Naugus had created, the Void. Colin had also been skeptical at the time, but quickly learned that the old man was wiser and more powerful than Ivo Robotnik could ever hope to be.
Colin sat back in the control chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. With the power of a sorcerer on his side, finding the freedom fighters would be no trouble at all, and in a matter of weeks they could all be eradicated. He grinned sadistically as he thought of it, then rose from the chair, grabbing his data card from the console. "Perhaps it's time to pay our old friend Naugus a visit."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
Tails sat silently in the desk chair, in the quiet darkness of the garage. It had been empty of people and sound for nearly five months, in somber reverence of the former keepers of the building. The kid wiped his eyes, having no more tears to shed. He had spent every spare moment of his life inside these walls, first working on the Freedom Stormer than various other vehicles as time went on. Aside from Sonic, Kara had been Tails' best friend, someone he could relate to and learn from.
And now she was gone.
At first the fox hadn't understood completely, but the realization came as soon as he stepped into the empty garage, and wasn't greeted by her warm voice. He had found himself stumbling to her workbench in a state of shock, collapsing into the chair and staring at the floor, crying. When he finally did regain composure, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, all the memories slowly returning, reminding him.
Why did she have to die? he asked himself over and over again. It's wasn't fair. He had known her for a long time, it had been almost three years since they had started the Freedom Stormer project together. What would it be like now that she was no longer there, to talk to him or help him with things. His gaze fell to her workbench. Things would never be the same for him.
Tails saw a small scrap of paper tucked under the base of the lamp. He reached over to pick it up, almost gingerly lifting it from its place. It was folded twice, and he carefully opened it. What he saw threatened to make the tears come again: "Dear Tails..."
He reached up to wipe his eyes, struggling to read the handwriting through mistiness.
"Dear Tails,
"You're reading this note, and I didn't give it to you. You know what that means, so I won't go into any more detail.
"I really loved having you around the garage, buddy. Take care of it for me. If Grease is there, have him help you. Smack him if he doesn't behave.
"Tell everyone at Knothole 'so long' for me, okay? I've got something special for you, too, something I've been working on, as a surprise. It never got finished, but maybe you can do that for me, all right? It's in my cabinet, top shelf, on the left.
"Don't be sad, either, you hear me? You know I wouldn't want that. You have to keep on going without me, but you've got Sonic and everybody else there, too. Remember not to let them feel bad.
"Take care, buddy. I'll be watching out for you.
"With love,
"Kara Kincaid"
Teardrops spattered on the paper, staining it with slowly spreading dots of moisture. Tails sniffed softly, his small fingers clenching around the edges of the letter. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook gently, curling forward until his head was on his knees.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
Colin brought himself to humming as he entered the portal room. It was a habit he had developed long ago, but was unable to embellish whenever Robotnik had been around; he would silence him with a "Stop that infernal racket, Snively!" or "Concentrate on your work, Snively!" Now, without him around, Colin could do as he pleased. He didn't have to live in his large, rotund shadow again.
"Now I am Robotnik," he declared to the empty walls. "I am Robotnik!"
He went to the control console and looked it over, getting a general feel for what the buttons and switches would do once he manipulated them. He chuckled a moment as he slid his key card into the slot. It clicked, and the small screen on the board lit up, allowing him access to the data in the banks of the computer.
"Interesting..." he hummed as he looked it over. "Three signatures. I would have thought only Naugus and the king would be in there." He smiled. "Perhaps someone else decided to piss off the doctor, and he locked them up, too."
But then the question arose in his mind: which one to enter? Clearly it was only a matter of random selection, since the stupid machine wouldn't give him any data, other than an entrance code. He frowned. Like it really made any difference.
He punched in the top code, and the machine switched on and set to work. Colin stepped into the middle of the room, turning to face the circular braces set into the wall as they powered up. The lights flickered as the gateway was opened, shedding its prismatic light into the room. He outstretched his hand in a dramatic pose, calling out toward the portal, "Come forth, my friend! Come to aid me in my need!"
Someone did emerge, slowly, but it was definitely not who Colin was expecting. "Why, Snively... So good to see you."
Colin could do nothing but scream.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
It was a blueprint. Tails had found it in the cabinet, as instructed in the letter, amid a neat stack of papers and journals and binders that Kara had kept in there. He brought it down and hopped off the stool, taking it over to the lighted workbench before unrolling it and trying to read.
At first it resembled the plans for the Freedom Stormer, and Tails almost thought he had gotten the wrong one. Upon closer inspection, however, he saw that it was modified, heavily modified, in many respects. It had an open-air cockpit, only large enough for two or three people, including the pilot. The only weapons were two small guns mounted near the nose, and the engine was several factors more powerful than the original. It was clearly built for speed and maneuverability, not combat.
*No armor,* Tails thought skeptically, thinking over the specs for the engine scribbled in the margins. *That's kind of risky, but it might work.* He glanced down to see what Kara had written on the bottom: "For EVERYONE'S little bro, Tails. Freedom Stormer, Mk. II, Freedom Tornado."
Tails smiled. Freedom Tornado; he liked the sound of that. Though with Robotnik gone, "freedom" wasn't something they needed to fight for anymore. Even so, the "Tornado"... Just the name inspired images of greatness. "Thanks... big sis."
The fox looked up as he heard someone enter the garage. He set the prints on the workbench as he stood.
It was Brainerd. "Hey, bud," he called out as he rolled through the doorway. "What are you up to in here?"
"Nuthin, Brain," Tails answered, sitting in the chair again. "Just rememberin' stuff."
The wolf brought his wheelchair to a rest beside the bench. "Kara, huh?" The kid nodded. "Yeah, it's too bad. It's sure not going to be the same without her here anymore."
"Yeah..." he whispered. "But she said 'don't be sad,' so I'm not gonna."
"Good," Brainerd nodded, then patted his shoulder. "Hey, Princess Sally wants you in her office."
He looked up at him. "Huh? What for?"
"Don't know, but she does. Better get over."
"Okay," he replied. He made to stand, then looked over at the airplane plans laying on the desk. He reached over to grab them, then headed for the door.
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
"B-but how?" he stammered, eyes wide. "You died. I saw you die!"
"And again, your perception is flawed," Ivo Robotnik grinned at his former assistant. He tightened his grip, and the little man cried out again. Colin was presently half a meter in the air, held firmly against the wall by the dictator's iron fist. "I see you've kept busy while I've been... incapacitated."
"You... you..."
Robotnik squeezed harder to silence him. "But you see, I've been making my own plans. Naugus!"
The bent old man came forward and bowed, a wily smile on his face. "Yes, my liege?"
"Dispose of this trash," he commanded, still looking at Colin. "I have no further need of him."
"Yes, sire," Naugus replied, still staring at the floor.
Robotnik cast him to the ground. "Double-crossing swine," he muttered as he turned to walk away.
Colin struggled to rise, eyes shooting daggers. "Look who's talking..." he managed, though his voice was so weak the other didn't hear it.
Naugus seemed to glide toward him, reaching down a gnarled hand to lift him to his feet. His other hand came forward, an unearthly glow emanating from his fingertips. "Now, what shall we do with you, eh?" he hissed into his face.
"What's your angle in all this?" Colin spat. "Have a change of heart?"
"Oh, no," the sorcerer shook his head, lowering his voice so Robotnik couldn't hear it. "But he can't control me, no matter how hard he tries. You see, I've had more time to formulate plans than he has, by a long shot."
Naugus glanced across the room. "And what of the king, Master Robotnik? Are we to leave him?"
Robotnik was about to answer, then he stopped, an idea forming in his mind. "Actually, let's bring him out. I have some ideas on how he can contribute as well."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
The door to Sally's office slowly creaked open, and Tails stuck his head inside. "Aunt Sally?"
"Come in, Tails," Sally replied from behind her desk.
He entered, looking around. Everyone else was there, too. Whatever was going on, it must be important. He came in and took a seat in one of the chairs. Tails immediately looked at Sonic, who had a concerned look on his face.
"Did I do somethin' wrong?" he asked nervously.
"Oh, no, Tails. You didn't do anything," Sally replied. "But we need your help with something. Something important."
"Really? What?"
"Do you remember," she started, choosing her words carefully, "when you were captured by Robotnik?"
"Yeah," he replied sadly.
"You said you saw Robotnik, right?"
"Uh-huh..." he glanced nervously from Sally to Sonic and back. "What's goin' on?"
"Did you see anyone else there? Besides Robotnik?"
He nodded. "Yeah. There was this goofy little guy, too. The one who poked me."
Sally sat back in her chair and looked up at Sonic. "You were right, Sonic. There's another one."
"Another what?" Tails asked excitedly. "What are we talkin' about?"
"We've been discussing, Tails," Sally answered. "We think there's someone who's taken control of Robotropolis. When you went with Sonic into the city before, and the SWATbot told you about a different Robotnik who put in access codes that day... I don't think it was malfunctioning."
"Oh..." Tails thought that through. "Who? Is it that little guy?"
Sonic nodded. "We think so, little bro. His name's Robotnik, and the dude you saw is the only other Overlander in the city, as far as we know."
"We're just saying that it fits together," Sally put in. "If it is true, though, we have to find out for sure. This could change all of our plans so far."
"Okay... Can I help?"
All eyes in the room turned to face him. Tails was sitting straighter in his chair now, looking to Sally with a steadfast gaze. His request was different from the childlike willingness to tag along he had expressed so many times before. Now he wanted to *help* them, as a skilled member of the team. They had all seen and observed the kid through his life, watching him grow and mature. Now it was coming to fruition, as they all realized.
Sally nodded. "Yes. I need you to go with Sonic and the rest of the team. You're the only one who's seen this 'Colin Robotnik' so we'll need you to ID him when you get there."
Tails blinked. "Okay. Then what are we gonna do?"
"That's it," Sally replied. "We take no action right now. We just need information at the moment."
Sonic shrugged. "Seems easy enough. When do you want to leave?"
"We'll go right away. As soon as everyone's ready. Antoine, you're welcome to come, if you want."
The coyote bowed his head. "*Merci*, Princess. But I believe I will stay behind."
"All right. I'll ask Lupe then." She noticed that Tails was staring down at the ground, as if deep in thought. "Was there something you wanted, Tails?"
He jerked his head up as she called his name. "Um, yeah..." He came forward to set the rolled paper reverently on her desk. "Just something... for you to look at."
Tails turned and left the room, slowly as if in a daze. Sally blinked as she watched him go. Kara's death had been hard on him, that much was evident. He was maturing, definitely, perhaps faster than any child should have to.
"Poor Tails," Sonic sighed as his buddy left.
"He's growing up," Sally nodded. "He misses his friend." At the mention of friends she looked across the room, to the young woman sitting in the chair quietly next to Antoine. "How are you doing?"
"A little better," Georgia answered, blinking. "Still kinda dizzy an' lightheaded. An' this whole hoo-ha with Robotnik's not helpin' much, either."
Antoine reached down to pat her hand as Sally gave a thin smile. She was definitely looking better from the moment she left Bookshire's care three weeks ago. At first it was very difficult for her: her legs were weak from muscle atrophy, her left arm was close to useless, and her eye -- which had been completely mechanized from roboticization -- would need time to rebuild the ocular nerve before she could see properly. She wore a patch over her good eye now, to force her bad eye to do what it needed to do to heal. Bookshire said it would be a slow process, but necessary if she wanted to have her full vision returned. Her hair had completely grown back on the left side of her head, and she let it out slightly longer than she had worn it in the past. But, under all that, she was still the same "Bunnie" they had always known.
Sally came over to sit on the front edge of her desk, closer to her. "Do you feel up for a run to Robotropolis?"
The rabbit's eyebrows shot up as she focused on the large colored blotch she thought was Sally. "Are you kiddin', Sally-girl?"
"Of course," she chuckled. "I just wanted to get a smile out of you, that's all."
Georgia laughed and relaxed back in the chair. "Yeah, an' scare me half ta death!"
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
After the Battle of Doomsday -- as it was being called -- the freedom fighters found themselves devoid of transportation. Vehicles large enough to accommodate an entire team were scarce as it was, so finding another for missions became a hard chore. Sally was able to track one down eventually, from another cell not far from them. To call it old would be an understatement, but at least it ran, so they used it.
Sally had no fear driving it into Robotropolis, since no reports they had gotten thus far indicated the perimeter security was still repaired. The only thing this 'Colin Robotnik' had managed to do was take control of the army of SWATbots and a handful of the buildings. If they were lucky they may be able to quell this threat before he got the rest of it, and spare any further bloodshed.
She drove the van to within three miles of the Imperial Tower before parking it and killing the engine. The five occupants piled out, checking their respective weapons and getting ready to move out. Lupe had declined Sally's invitation to join them, so they filled up the final spots in their five-man team with two of their newest applicants.
"Geez, this place looks like crap," Cruiser commented. "So where are we goin' first, boss lady?"
Chip crossed his arms. "Ya know, if you were in medieval times they'd cut off your head for addressing royalty like that," he scolded.
"Well, excuuuuse me!" he retorted, turning to her and giving a highly exaggerated bow. "Verily, where shalst we tread, Your Exalted Majesty boss lady, ma'am!"
Sally had learned to tune out the two over the months, for just a time as that. "We're going into the palace," she told them. "If Colin is controlling the SWATbots from the control room, he'll be up there."
The main control room was on the upper floors, their recon had told them, and there were only a few lifts that would take them that far. One of them was a service elevator from the large cargo delivery area in the back; that was their objective.
They came in slowly, cautiously, Sally having chosen standard group commando tactics, not knowing what to expect. All of their knowledge of Robotnik's style of fighting may have been completely reprogrammed now. They approached the door from both directions: Sonic, Tails, and Cruiser on one side, and Sally and Chip on the other. As soon as she deemed the coast clear, she gave the order to advance, and the five entered the room.
There were no lights on, so their vision was limited. They could see, however, a large device of some kind in the middle of the room -- most likely a loading crane -- and a cement ramp leading to an upper level in the back, probably where the elevator was. Sally motioned, and they all started up. They were halfway up the ramp, when Sally abruptly stopped.
"What is it, Sal?" Sonic asked.
"Something's not right," she answered, looking around without moving.
Sonic did the same, though he saw nothing. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure... Everyone stay here, I'm going ahead."
"Alone?" Sonic raised his eyebrows. "As if. I'm goin' with you!"
"No, Sonic," she answered over her shoulder, her voice far off. "Stay here."
"Sal, what's up?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as she started forward, as if in a daze. "Sally?"
"You should listen to the little lady," called a voice from above. "Maybe she's just gotten sick of ya."
He looked up to see an old man standing above him. Or maybe floating. "Who the heck are you?"
"Surprised she hasn't told you about me," the old man rasped casually as he descended. He extended his hand. "Name's Ixis Naugus, nice to meet you."
Sonic had been reaching forward, but his hand jerked back. "Holy heck! *You're* Naugus?" He stepped back, turning to address the rest of the team. "Everyone, stay back! This guy's mondo dangerous!"
"Lies! Filthy lies, all of them!" Naugus answered, smiling. "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the world."
"Yeah, right, buddy. Then what are you doin' in Robotropolis, huh?"
"Working with me of course," came an all-too-familiar booming voice from the catwalk above them.
Sonic eyes widened, and he nearly fainted. "N-no way! Robotnik?"
"I'm pleased you still remember me, rodent," the dictator bellowed down at him. "It's been so long, I was thinking you may have forgotten about me."
"Not a chance, after all the crappy stuff you've done, egghead!"
"Ooh, found some new insults for me, have you? I see you've spent your time in freedom well."
"That's not the half of it," he grinned impishly, then turned. "Tails, what were those other ones you got?"
Tails was visibly flustered, but blinked as he concentrated on Sonic. "Oh, um... Eggface?"
"Yeah, good one," he whispered. "You got egg all over your face there, Ro-buttnik! Time to cut down on the cholesterol!"
"Hee hee, yeah!" Tails laughed and jumped forward, joining in. "You get any fatter, you'll be a real Eggman!"
Robotnik put a hand on his heart in a dramatic motion. "Oh, I do believe you've cut me to the quick. What can I ever say to those witty remarks?" He reached forward with his other hand to switch on the lights in the room. "How about... checkmate?"
Sonic gasped. There, hanging from the ceiling by a cable, was King Maximilian Acorn. He was bound hand and foot, suspended upside-down at least six meters from the floor of the loading dock. He was apparently unconscious.
"You see, rodent, I've had some time to think things through. You and your friends wouldn't do anything to me, if it meant risking *his* life." Robotnik pressed a button, and the cable shook, dropping the king a handful of centimeters. "Give yourselves up now, or..." he paused and grinned. "God save the king."
Sally took a step forward, staring up in disbelief. "Daddy?" she managed, a tear coming to her eye. She heard a voice, one that seemed to call to her from a distance. *Sally...*
She couldn't answer, audibly, so just stopped to listen. *Everything will be fine, Sally. Keep Robotnik busy.*
She brought her head up to call out. "Let him go, Robotnik! We... we give up."
Sonic spun. "Say what! Whaddya mean, 'we give up?'"
"We've lost, Sonic," she replied. "I'm not going to risk my father's life."
Robotnik rubbed his hands together with glee. "Excellent... I'm glad you finally see reason, Princess. Naugus, please incarcerate the creatures."
The bent old man came forward. "At once, my liege." He stretched out his hands, which seemed charged with otherworldly energy. Sonic felt his body abruptly spasm, his every muscle screaming with pain. He wasn't sure what Naugus was doing to him, but he found himself out of control of his body, only moving where the sorcerer willed him. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't find the strength to do even that.
A gunshot. He thought he heard something, but if it was a gunshot or not he couldn't be entirely sure. He only realized that the pain was gone when his body hit the concrete floor. He looked up in surprise, following Naugus' distracted gaze to the ceiling. The cable that had been holding King Max had snapped, but his body was still in the air, coming to the ground only slowly. Sonic wanted nothing more than to know what was going on, but could only roll over before his body started to hurt again.
Sally, on the other hand, had reoriented herself quickly and came out of Naugus' spell on her feet. She watched and stared as her father gently came to rest on the floor, beside a small canine with a sniper rifle. Chip lowered his weapon from his eye, smiling at his precise aim.
"Ya know," Cruiser called out from behind him, a cocky grin on his face. "If you were in medieval times they'd cut yer head off for treatin' royalty like that."
Naugus snarled. "Why, you little-"
"Now, now, Naugus," a voice soothed from just outside the doorway. "He does have a point."
The old man's eyes narrowed. "Jewel."
"I see you've finally gotten free of the Void," the woman smiled as she entered, smoothly and professionally, the glow of psychic energy fading from her hands.
"Thanks to our dear friend, Doctor Robotnik."
Now it was the cat's eyes that narrowed. "Robotnik's no friend of mine."
Robotnik braced his hands on the guardrail of the catwalk and leaned over. "Naugus! What are you doing?"
"Complications, my liege," he answered through clenched teeth, not taking his eyes off the woman.
"Well, take care of them!" he shouted as he headed for the lift. "Unless you'd rather return to your prison..."
Naugus scowled. "I'll show you who I'll take care of..."
"Why do you let him push you around?" Jewel asked. "You're not the Ixis Naugus I once knew."
"Things change. I mean, except you."
"Why don't you just let them go? It doesn't have to be like this."
"You know damn well how it has to be!" the old man spat. His aged frame moved fluidly into a readied stance. "And you know how this must end."
Jewel kept his gaze. "Sally! Get your team out of he', now!"
Sally glanced about nervously before issuing evacuation orders. Sonic had shaken the dizziness from his head and got up, hoisting the king on his shoulders and getting away. It was only when all five of the freedom fighters had exited did she move again.
Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply, moving in a sweeping motion and into a skilled martial pose, her right hand glowing. Her eyes flashed open into a glare. "Make you' move."
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
"Double-crossers, the lot of them!" Robotnik muttered to himself as he marched through the halls. "First Snively, now Naugus... I can't trust anyone, *anyone*!"
He made it to the control room, and the lights immediately flickered on. "I'll show them. I knew this would happen, I knew it."
Robotnik sat into the control chair, pressed a large red button on the side. With a loud hiss of compressed air the chair shook as the catches along the bottom released and the engines powered up. The hum grew in intensity until the force was sufficient enough to bring the control station into the air. He chuckled as he wheeled the odd pod-shaped vehicle toward a secret escape hatch in the wall of the tower.
His finger hovered over another button, one with a plastic cover that he flipped open. When he was out of the building, his thumb jabbed down. "Chew on *this*, rodent!"
-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
They had barely cleared a street's-width of the cargo dock when the tower exploded. All five were thrown to the pavement, and Sally was the first to bring her head up and look around. The loading bay was on fire, and something high above them was burning, too. Another explosion came, one that brought the princess to action.
"Everyone back to the van!" she screamed to the others. "GO!"
Thunderous explosions came from nearly every level of the building, as a chain reaction began ripping the palace apart from the inside. She started the vehicle and peeled out onto the street, racing through the streets of the city with reckless abandon.
It was only moments later that the final bomb sounded, the one that destroyed the base of the structure. They all watched in horror as the entire Royal Imperial Tower teetered slightly, before breaking away and collapsing in on itself. Slowly, slowly it fell, sinking into a cloud of dust that spread into the streets and alleys around it.
Sally continued driving, automatically, completely and utterly shocked at what she had just seen. Her mind was blank, save for one though: "If Robotnik is still alive, he will pay."
**END OF CHAPTER**
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Someone's Not Payin' Up
First order of business: Someone's gotta 'fess up here. I've gotten a handful of people sending in reviews on FF.N for this piece of literary art (*cough*), most notably the wonderful Ambre Weisnewski, who's brought in a new review every time she reads a chapter. I LOVE THIS. If some of you are thinking, "Yeah, I love this fic, I guess," TELL ME SO! OVER AND OVER! I LOVE getting reviews for this fic, it lets me know people are reading this. So, send in reviews for me! (If you're reading this on SVT, you can still review, either by email or anonymous review.)
Second order of business: People ARE reading this, and are too afraid to tell me. FF.N kindly says that I'm on someone's Favorite Authors list. Well, that's nice! So, if someone thinks I'm so great an author, would you mind letting me know with a review or five? Thank you, whoever thinks I'm so great! ^_^
Third order of business: More ridiculous incentives. I've got a new contest for everybody. If you read this fic (and since you just read that sentence, I assume you are) and send in a review for me, I'll give you or one of your characters a cameo / guest spot in a later chapter of FFoM. I've got 18 chaps to go now, so if you want to have your guy be in here, send in a review and I'll get back to you about available placements. So far, I've got two fanchars placed for future eps, the aforementioned Miss Ambre and... my mom. (Hey, you, stop laughing!)
Fourth order of business: This is getting too long but I want to put in a shameless plug for my art. LuxInvictus.DeviantArt.com Go there now and check out my lovely pics. Please?
Fifth order of business: I'm just kidding, I'm really done now.
Catch Ya'll Later,
-AE