Robotnik got bored after his lackey started going macho on the Rabbot and turned off the monitor after a few minuets, the pause they had had him very interested seeing that from his angle, he could only catch the rabbots back during their supposed break. None the less his lackey was most likely showing up to him and for that, he would receive a beating later in the night. "Why do I have such a blathering idiot for a nephew." Sighed Robotnik as he fell asleep.
Far from the city of darkness out in the forbidden unknown zone, was a wolf tribe on the move. They were the aborigines of the planet, traveling to and fro, and at that time, they were currently heading towards the Great Forest. "In a few hours we will be in sight of it, the important news that the princess must know about must arrive fast, or I fear that we will be too late." Thought Lupe, the leader of the tribe. Two days prior they had received a strange long distance microwave signal on their personal scanner provided by the freedom fighters on the previous time that they had visited. It was strange enough that it was directed way out to themselves who were located far in the zone; but what made it stranger was the fact that when they decoded it, it read that it was from Robotropolis! Lupe knew that Robotnik wouldn't let any of his own information just leak out, and especially one of this magnitude. It was simple, yet so horrendous that it would level the Freedom Fighting force to the ground. Usually they stayed out of peoples business like the Angel island guardian, but also like the guardian, they knew when they had a common enemy that was big enough to threaten them all; and so they made fast haste upon finally receiving and decoding al of the message. It was too drastic to stay back incase of a trap. The randomness was too coincidental. If Robotnik knew where they were to send that, then they were probably dead regardless. So throwing caution in the wind, the wolf tribe broke camp and set out in record time. "Two and a half minuets isn't bad for 20 wolves to hear the news and pack up" She thought with pride for her group. But where se was going, pride wouldn't hold out for long.
In parallel to this situation, the guardian of the floating island, Knuckles the echidna, had received a powerful and dark omen from the emeralds while meditating in the great emerald chamber. He knew not of how devastating, except that he had the powerful feeling that it had to do with Sally and her crew. Jaw set, Knuckles left the chamber to find the Chaotix after steering the island in the direction of the Great Forest. "Despite the fact that the island travels at amazing speeds befitting it," thought Knuckles with a grimace, "it wont help much that we are located possibly on the farthest point away possible from the forest on the other side of Mobius, of all the bleedin…" Knuckles shook his head and started at a run. They may need to trek on foot.
On another side of the island in general, sat three Mobians. They were Charmy the bee, Mighty the armadillo, and Vector the crocodile. They were sitting around the table drinking fruit drinks and taking life easy. The fourth in their group, Espio the chameleon, had left 5 days prior on a expedition of sorts. The Mobian hadn't said much, except that he would be away for a while and would find the island when he was ready to return. Apart from unnerved from their friends unusual need for distanced exploring, they had no qualms and set him off with a going away party. That party was in its last kegs at that very moment. It came to a full halt when Knuckles rammed the door open and told them to get their lazy asses off of the couch. "No complaining, we have a serious problem, something bad is going to go down near the Freedom Fighters and we need to try and either stop it or provide help. And before you go asking, I had the feeling in the chamber and I was given the incentive to go provide help, so if you want to prove your titles, you will help me prepare for the worst, for it may very damn well get to that." Knuckles probably spoken in that half a minuet the fastest, most clean spaced, and cuss filled sentences in his entire life. The Chaotix were needless to say, speechless. At this, Knuckles lost his short moment of surprise at him self and with a growl, pulled the shaken crew to their feet. "Ill be in the base, be there in 2 minuets or their will be hell to all of you." With a final quick glare, Knuckles ran out of the hut in a blur of speed and risen dust clouds. "Wel..well we better get going…" Mighty said shaken. Charmy and Vector nodded their heads and they all shivered for a moment. Knuckles never ever swore, or chewed them out so fast and sudden. It had to be horribly serious. So with that as motivation in mind, and that they didn't want to feel the promised 'hell' for them if they did not arrive in time, they all ran out of the hut in a beeline to their hidden base as fast as they ever ran before.
"All that had been two days ago," thought Knuckles; he could remember his impatient pacing while the Chaotix made haste and arrived in record time. He didn't mean to chew them out as such, but the feeling he had, he couldn't explain it, if it weren't for the strong urgency that he had to prevent it or help out at least, Knuckles had no doubt that from those brief moments that he saw hell would have left him in a corner in fetal position crying and shivering. He was surprised that he hadn't done that by now; "I suppose its because I haven't yet done anything to help that's driving that feeling away." He thought empathetically. "And were still a few hours away, yet, we are ready for battle and if all goes to hell, we will be right there to heat up the flames even further." He thought darkly. This wouldn't be good, he knew it, he feared that it would probably be his last day alive. So thinking darkly was the only thing at that point keeping him sane. The chaotix were oblivious to their leaders torment. But soon enough in a few hours they wouldn't have much trouble being able to relate to it.
The Northern Mountains was where he visited first to have a good snowboard down Devils Hill. It brought back memories. Then he went to the vast jungle regions to explore and to do espionage. He was quick on his feet, almost as quick as Sonic or Knuckles, and he trained every day, as well as his natural ability to turn nearly invisible. Unfortunately the minute scales on his body that provided the gleam to refract the light around his body distorted it. He was close to invisible though, and getting even better at it with training. "Must be some sort of neural chemical released that enhances the light refracting ability of my scales." Thought Espio. He was currently heading out of the forest at a fast pace towards Robotropolis. As his name suggested, he loved his espionage now and then, and what better place to play the covert spy then in the evil mega-city itself? "Besides" Thought Espio with a grin, "No one will see me, and I may find something useful that can be used against Robotnik." What Espio didn't know was that he would find something very useful indeed that would be needed soon enough in the following day from then.
Nack didn't feel ready to die yet, the fat doctor had duped him on a deal of theirs saying that he had a much more efficient way of eradicating the thorn in his side in the shape of a hedgehog. And now Nack was sitting in the Roboticization lineup because the doctor felt he wasn't needed anymore. "The fat lard has finally lost of his marbles…" Muttered the nervous Mobian. He was the second to go when he remembered about the prototype rifle that was given to him by a different mad scientist. When he was Fang he would use it now and then. But Fang the Sniper was long gone, only Nack the weasel was left. His name's meaning would sure come in handy right about now, as Nack always had a nack for escaping the tightest traps. But it didn't work this time.
The usual screams could be heard as another Mobian was sent through the machine of evil.