'How come a simple escape plan can't just work out the way you want it to?' I thought as the machine soldiers opened fire. I could hear the sound of the bullets hitting the metal walls and floor as a hail of gunfire went off. I felt the sting of several stray shots strike me in my right arm.

"Get behind that pillar over there, I'll distract them!" I yelled against the roar of bullets pushing her out of the way

'Tactical retreat suggested'

I ran across the room and took cover behind a large truck similar to the one I had driven before.

"Are you okay?" Tik'al called over to me as I leaned against the metal plating on the back of the vehicle

"Yeah I'm fine!" I yelled back, knowing in my mind that it wasn't really true; I had a rather painful wound in my arm and the amount of bleeding was more than I cared for

"If I had a weapon of some sort this would be so much easier." I said aloud to myself

'Scanning for nearby armaments'

'Well?'

'Vehicle mounted 50mm cannon found'

"I don't see any such thing." I said looking around as the machine soldiers were advancing closer, their heavy footsteps getting louder as they came

"What are you doing just sitting there? They're getting closer!" Tik'al yelled

"I'm working on another one of my plans that don't work." I said standing up

I felt something against my back a reached behind me and found a handle. I turned it and inside the truck was that cannon that I couldn't find a minute ago.

"That's exactly what I need." I said stepping up into the back and closing the door; I got behind the gun took a hold of the handles, which proved to be difficult with my injured arm but I still managed.

The sound of approaching footsteps stopped just outside of the door. I could hear the electronic sounds of the soldiers, possibly scanning the truck to find me, just what I was counting on. The door swung open and I pulled the trigger and the gun let out a thundering blast that sent a painful jolt through my wounded arm. The shot rang out and the machines all were sent flying back; at this close range they were at they couldn't help being blown to smoldering piles of twisted metal.

I stepped out of the truck and looked around for Tik'al. She was still standing by the pillar where I left her.

"You're very reckless you know that?"

"Well it worked, just like I planned it."

"Now how do we get that door open, or did you not plan that for ahead?"

"We just need to get inside of one of the vehicles and the door will let us out automatically."

"Which one are we taking?"

"I think we'll take the one with the gun."

"Alright then drive us out of here then."

"I think you should drive, my arm still hurts a bit." This was a bit of an understatement; I could tell that the bullets went strait through my arm and out the other side.

"I don't know how to work this thing."

"Just get in already before more of those things come back; I'll show you what to do as we go along." I said getting inside of the passenger side

"Alright now how do you do this?" Tik'al said sitting in the driver seat

"Easy; ignition, gas, steering, and brake." I said pointing at all the key parts

"What if we hit something?"

"As long as it's not bigger than this thing is we'll be fine; now drive forward the gate is opening."

The vehicle lumbered awkwardly forward and out the gate, and down the metallic path leading away from the tower.

"See how easy it is?"

"No."

"Oh well." I had leaned back and thought for a minute about the strange silence, aside from the still wailing alarm. "Have you noticed that no one is,"

"Don't say it!"

"What?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about; the second you say something we'll be in trouble."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What about all those times your 'plans' went wrong, huh?"

"The fact that they did go wrong was all part of my plan."

"Sure it was; just like getting shot in the arm was all part of your plan."

"My arm is fine; it's actually doing better since the bleeding stopped."

"So this doesn't hurt then?" she said poking my wounded arm

"Of course not..." I said grimacing from the pain

"I see." She laughed and continuing driving

"Anyway, we need to go somewhere that they can't find us at."

"Somewhere like where?"

"I know a place; but I don't remember how to get there from here."

"Why not?"

"Ever since I was captured, I kind of lost my bearings."

"So then you have no idea where you are?"

"Not even the slightest clue."

"Hmm, do you know anyone we could call on a radio?"

"If we could find one."

"What about where you came from? You do live somewhere don't you?"

"Yes, but I can't get their right now."

"Because?"

"We need a plane."

"What for?"

"Have you ever heard of Angel Island?"

"I think I have information on that somewhere. It's some large island floating around the sky isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Well where are we going to find a plane then?"

"I know some friends that have one."

"Who are they?"

"The Freedom Fighters."

"Freedom Fighters? I remember seeing some of them in a city a while back."

"Really? Which ones did you see?"

"Umm, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles if I remember correctly."

"Did you talk to them?"

"No, I was too busy breaking someone's arm."

"You're a violent person, you know that?"

"He tripped over my tail and then attacked me; I was just defending myself."

"So you say."

"Anyway; from the information I have, the Freedom Fighters are mainly located in someplace called Knothole."

"That's right, do you know where it is? Because it's location is supposed to be a secret."

"That information hasn't been found yet, so no."

"Well then we can just go there and get help from them."

"You mean Tails and that plane called the Tornado?"

"How do you know all that?"

"There's a lot more information on everything that goes on in the world than you think."

"Oh really? Does that mean that you're all-knowing or something?"

"I don't think so, there are a few gaps in what I do know."

"Like?"

"Cliff."

"What?"

"Brake!" I shouted as the truck came to a screeching halt inches from the edge of the high cliff, "You should really watch the road when you drive."

"What road? We left the road a while back, we're in a forest now."

"You know what I mean."

"Now what?"

"Find that Knothole place, obviously."

"I told you I don't know where we are."

"No sense of direction?"

"You could say that."

"Well I was supposed to be the one that found that place anyway."

"How's that?"

"One of the things I was intended to do was to find and kill any and all rebel factions, including Knothole."

"Glad you changed your mind."

"So am I."

"How were you supposed to find Knothole if you didn't know where it is?"

"Well from the little information that has been taken, it's supposed to have been in a forest area somewhere."

"There are a lot of forest areas around."

"Well I was supposed to burn down every piece of greenery on the planet if necessary."

"That's a bit extreme don't you think?"

"Yeah." I said looking at my arm. It had healed up a bit and the pain had stopped. "Switch places with me, I'll take over driving."

"Why? I thought I was doing a rather good job for a first time?"

"You almost drove over a cliff."

"Almost and did aren't the same thing."

"Close enough when it comes to possible death."

"Says you."

"Well for now we need to go and find a radio and make a call and I think I know just the place; an old tower I ran into a few days ago."

"Another tower? I've had my fill of those for while."

"Too bad."

I turned the car around and started driving toward the location of the tower, since it's the only place I'm sure isn't being guarded by those machine soldiers.