I must admit, I was kind of disappointed to only get one review- but what they hey, I don't write just for the reviews. I'd like to say thanks to Ice Wolf17 though, for his nice comments and all. To answer his question, the Cyborg that Sonic defeated was not Tails- it was created from a fox so that it would give the impression that it was Tails. The kid was framed, you see.
The previous chapter was just a prologue of sorts to set up the scenario. This chapter is where the real story begins, and as you shall see, it's where it begins to earn its rating too.
I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, so I should do it now. As most of the characters in SatAM were teenagers, I've assumed that they were not fully developed growth-wise. As they are now adults in this fic, imagine them a bit taller.
Oh yes, and they all have four fingers and a thumb.
Enjoy! And please review so that I know what you think!
Chapter 2: MercenaryWith a tired yawn, a 28-year-old Bunnie Rabbot leant back into the fake-leather cushions of the coffee bar. It had been a long few days, but now the task with which she and Amy had been issued was over- the mayor of the city of Chestnut, a wolf named Raid (once a Freedom Fighter leader himself), had agreed to go into talks with Princess Sally of Knothole on the possibility of starting a Republic between them.
They had decided, once the talks were over, to go somewhere to relax and get a bite to eat- this coffee bar, situated along one of the main roads of Chestnut, had been prefect. A quick drink, a cake, and then they'd set off to their military issue hover-car to make their way home.
It had been ten years since the war with Robotnik had ended, and the world had changed a great deal. The constant threat of the insane professor had ceased to loom over them all, giving some measure of freedom- however, the power vacuum that came from his downfall had caused an unforeseen occurrence. The different divisions of Freedom Fighters, scattered all over the world, had quickly formed their own city-states and provinces. Of these, the state of Knothole was the most powerful for two reasons; first, because its borders followed those of the Great Forest (providing unmatched defensive capabilities), and second, because of it's short distance from Robotropolis- a great deal of the technology found there had proved to be very useful. It had allowed them to create the de-robotisizer (the reason why Bunnie now had all of her original organic limbs back), hover-transports (the machines they could use to get to places in the far south, such as Chestnut, very quickly), and the Knothole Freedom Fighter uniforms (a lose form of armour and identification).
Bunnie had grown a little taller since the end of the war, and had become a smart woman and an excellent leader. She still looked much like she had at eighteen, one ear drooping whilst the other stood tall. Without her robotisized limbs, she no longer possessed the incredible strength that she used to, yet to remain useful to the Freedom Fighters of Knothole she had poured large amounts of time into extra firearm and hand-to-hand combat training.
She, like the other leaders of Knothole, wore a personalised uniform. It was the goal of the military department of the town-turned-city to create enough uniforms to provide each and every Freedom Fighter with one- but at the moment, they simply didn't have the money to buy the raw materials from elsewhere. There were seven suits completed at this time, six of which had been customised whilst the last one remained unused.
Bunnie's uniform, like the others, looked like a baggy black jumpsuit with grey flak plates attached so that they would protect certain areas of the body. There was one over the chest and back, one on each forearm to hand like a set of gauntlets, one on each leg from the knee down, and one on each shoulder. Soft-soled boots were worn with them, and the crest of the House of Acorn on the left shoulder pad completed the outfit. The colour of that pad was dictated by who wore it- hers was purple whilst Amy's – who sitting directly across from her in her own uniform – was pink. Sonic's, she knew, was blue. Sally's was red, Rotor's was light grey, and Antoine's was yellow (though he insisted that it was, in fact, gold).
She always felt a bit butch when wearing it, but it kept her safe and in contact with the rest of the group via a radio built into the right gauntlet. It also had seven LEDs built into the left gauntlet, one representing each suit. When one was being worn, and was within a certain range of another, the corresponding light would wink on- in this case, a purple one and a pink one were brightly lit.
The uniforms weren't really huge as armour went. It was actually quite form fitting, aimed for ease of movement. It was just that walking around in it reminded her of her old clunky artificial limbs.
She also felt a bit silly.
By the way Amy was shifting around uncomfortably on her cushioned chair, she imagined that she felt much the same way.
Amy had grown to become an attractive young woman, having got out of her crush on Sonic many years ago. At 22, she still had her quills brushed back like hair, and it suited her in civilian wear- but looked a bit odd when in uniform.
Over the course of the last few days, Bunnie had come to envy her second companion, a young rabbit who went by the name of Cream. She was only twelve years old, and had creamy fur (which was where her name came from, she supposed). It had been quite a struggle for her to go with them- she had wanted to see some of the world outside of the forest, and had only been able to upon getting the reluctant go-ahead from Princess Sally Acorn. Years ago, Bunnie would have refused to bring her along, but she was okay with it now. It would give the girl chance to learn outdoor survival techniques, which would be very useful should she ever have to leave Knothole alone.
And why did she envy the little girl? Well, because she didn't have to wear this uniform. She had stuck to school instead of opting for training as a Freedom Fighter, so was free to wear and travel in 'civilian' clothing. But, as Amy and Bunnie were representatives of Knothole, they had to be suited up whether they liked it or not.
"What do you think? Did we do well?" Amy asked as Bunnie sipped her fresh cup of coffee.
"Ah think that we've done the best we can, sugah. Sally-girl will be able to sort the rest out, and get that 'New Mobian Republic' of hers offa the ground," the rabbit replied,
"Won't it be amazing if it all works?" Amy said wistfully, staring off into space. "It would be like Mobius reuniting... We would have finally beaten what Robotnik started."
"And it only took mostah our lives to do it, too."
"Aw, c'mon Bunnie! Sure, it's taken a good few years, but not most of our lives. At least we'd be able to move on."
Bunnie let out a snort, and regarded her friend with scepticism.
"Yeah, but you ain't one to talk Amy-girl. When we get back, I bet you're gonna start mopin', 'cause you don't have a boyfriend yet. Y' can't even got over that."
Amy's face immediately fell as she looked down to admire the surface of her drink. Bunnie had not felt so guilty in a long time, and mentally berated herself for saying something so nasty.
"Aw, I'm sorry sugah... I didn't mean to be nasty or anythin', you know that..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, It's just that..." the pink hedgehog waved her hand, not knowing how to explain what she felt about Bunnie's comment. It was true, she was the only girl her age who hadn't had a boyfriend yet (or a serious one at least), and it had made a severe blow to her confidence.
"Yah miss Tails, donchya."
Her words were not a question, but after a short pause Amy replied nonetheless.
"No. It was a long time ago Bunnie, I hardly knew him."
And it was true, too. She had known him for maybe a few months, and had mostly forgotten about him- all she remembered were his two tails. Despite how many thought that they would have made a perfect couple, she didn't think so- she had never thought of him romantically.
"Ah miss the little guy," Bunnie said, looking directly at Amy.
"Not as much as Sonic and Sally do."
Bunnie laughed quietly and simply said, "Drink your coffee."
Amy smiled.
"What are we gonna go now, Aunt Bunnie?" Cream asked, looking quite bored. Diplomatic negotiations were not the thrill ride she had expected, apparently.
"We're just gonna finish our drinks, then we're gonna head home, okay sugar?"
Cream smiled.
"So how are things goin' at school? Is Amy teachin' ya well?"
Cream began to nod vigorously whilst smiling in the general direction of her teacher. Amy had always been reluctant to fight, even though she was good at it. To counter this destructive side of her personality, she had become a teacher in the school in central Knothole. Cream was in her class- and, according to Amy, was an excellent student.
She talked for a while about the various things the class had been learning, Amy getting a word in edgeways every so often. Bunnie thought it was amusing, how enthusiastic the little girl was over something as mundane as school.
But, they had to return home- Sally was waiting for their report, and so they did not stay at the bar for long. After leaving, they quickly made their way out of town towards where they had left their transport- and were met with a nasty shock.
----------
"Where is it?!" Amy gawped as she stared at the empty ground before them.
The hover-car was a machine far sleeker than the hover units that Robotnik had used. Painted in a deep forest green, it had two forward facing 'wings' that curved slightly towards the end as though they wanted to touch each other. The cockpit, built behind them and in-between a pair of air intakes, was slightly offset to the left with room behind it for up to six passengers. Structurally, it was quite weak- a direct blaster hit could potentially disable it, but it was very fact and perfect for transporting the people of Knothole.
And this was all well and good, but it didn't change the fact that it was no longer where they had left it.
"Ah don't know, sugar... Ah'm sure we left it here. I'm not goin' crazy or anythin', am I? It was here, right?" Bunnie said, whilst scratching her head.
"Yeah!" Amy said. "It was right here! "Blast, someone must have stolen it... Sonic and Sally are going to kill us!"
"Don't worry, Sugar-hog will understand. C'mon, we gotta think of some other way to get back to Knothole. There aren't any 'o those transport links yet, so that ain't an option. An' it'll take days to walk, that's assumin' we go in the right direction..."
"Maybe someone in Chestnut would help us," Cream offered.
Amy frowned. Hover-cars came with a map built into their computers, so they hadn't considered a need to take a drawn one. All they could do is to go and get one using the 'ration money' supplied with each uniform.
Even more annoying- all of their survival gear was inside the machine. They literally only had what they wore.
"Come on girls, let's go and buy some supplies. We'll just have to walk 'till our communicators come into range of Knothole, then call for help," she said whilst pointing to the radio located on her right wrist.
"Yeah, I guess so... But this is strange. Mayor Raid woulda let us know if there were dodgy types around, stealing stuff. Keep on ya guard."
Amy nodded in agreement, and let Cream by the hand back towards the city.
----------
They had chosen a bright and clean travel shop to get their gear titled 'Rodney's Supplies', up near the coffee shop and government building. It was quite a nice place, arranged into sections depending on the items sold there- bags, boots, water-proof coats, and so on. The prices were pretty steep though, so the three had decided to just get a good map and then look elsewhere for the rest of what they needed.
Eventually they chose a map and made their way towards the shop front to pay for it, where they saw a most unexpected sight. An orange fox wearing a worn grey jacket and black boots stood with both hands firmly on the counter, and appeared to be having an argument with the store owner. It wasn't the fancy gold jewelled figurine placed before him that caught their attention, nor was it his chipped left ear and dirty fur- it was the fact that he had not one, but two tails.
Surprised, they headed closer. It wasn't long before they could hear what the two were saying.
"Have you any idea how tough it was to get this?" the fox said, apparently in disbelief. "I had to pull in nearly all my favours to just find out where it was! I want 1000 credits, like you said you'd give me!"
"I'm sorry," the raccoon manning the counter replied firmly but calmly, "but this piece is defective. Look, one of the eyes is missing."
"It was like that when I found it, dammit!"
"Then it's not what I asked for, is it? Look Prower, I'm a busy man. 500 is my best offer, take it or leave it."
The racoon produced a small brown bag from under the counter, and sat it next to the statue. The fox stared at the racoon, his eyes boring into him, and said,
"I don't know why I bother working for you."
He snatched the bag violently and stormed towards the door. As he did so he bumped into Bunnie, but was so angry he didn't seem to notice. Once he had left, the older girls looked at each other in shock whilst Cream watched the door.
"He was really grumpy, wasn't he Miss Rose!" the young girl said, displaying her opinion to all. Neither Amy nor Bunnie replied to her, remaining silent until Amy said,
"Uh... Bunnie, was that...?"
The rabbit swallowed, then leapt into action. She spun to the shopkeeper.
"Who was that?"
He blinked at the urgency behind her words, but replied much in the same manner as he had to the fox.
"Him? Oh, uh, he's a jack-of-all-trades. Mercenary, treasure hunter, bodyguard... You name it, and he can do it. Goes by the name of Miles Prower." He smirked, and added, "With a name like that, I don't think his parents were all that pleased with him, you know?"
Bunnie resisted the urge to smack the guy for that comment, instead turning and running out of the door, map dropped and forgotten. Amy and Cream followed close behind.
"Is it... Is it Tails?" Amy asked, wide eyed. Bunnie grinned and nodded.
"Ah think so! Which way did he go?"
They looked down the street. Luck was with them- despite his fast pace, they caught sight of his jacket. Without a second thought, Amy grabbed Cream's hand and set off running after a surprisingly fast Bunnie.
----------
Miles was pissed. Oh yes.
Over the past few years he'd done many jobs for Rodney, and almost every time he'd been swindled when he brought whatever item he wanted in.
It was really getting to him. But he dare not cause any trouble for the raccoon, because not only would the local law enforcers come after him, but he'd also be blacklisted by any Chestnut Freedom Fighters in the area. That was something he could do without.
Plus he still paid more than others, even if less than what was in the original bargain. He needed the money too, and fast- he didn't want to be around here when the New Mobian Republic was formed. He'd heard about it, of course (information was part of his job after all- you never knew when some bit of information would come in handy when bartering), and the whole concept disturbed him. Were all of Mobius to be united under a single government... The he'd have nowhere else to go. He was still an exile from Knothole, after all, and to be caught in their territory would be punishable by execution.
This was just his latest dilemma, though. His whole life since leaving Knothole, the little village in the north which was now (he had heard) a not-so-little city, had been spent trying to scrape together enough money to live. For him, it wasn't a case of questioning what he wanted to do with his life- it was a case of questioning where his next meal would come from.
Naturally, he had become somewhat resentful of the people of Knothole, and all under its rule in the Great Forest, living out their cushy lives in safety, knowing that someone will always be there for them. It was they who had accused him of something he could never have done – a twelve year old boy killing Ari, of all people – had condemned him to a life in the slums of Chestnut, and who now had the gall to force him away from his home, however grubby it was.
Bastards.
Despite the nice reputation that Chestnut had made for itself when dealing with other nation-states, it was not all it was cracked up to be. Anyone living in the city could tell you that. Built upon the coast, it was divided into four main sections.
First, to the north was the Old Quarter, the oldest part of town. Also known as the Slums, the Rot, Hell, whatever you happened to favour. It was full of paupers trying to make a living, though hampered by thugs, thieves, and gangs. Homes were decrepit and dirty, Miles' flat being a perfect example of this. He was lucky though- he didn't have to sleep with a blaster under his pillow. His reputation kept him safe at night.
The New Quarter in the west was the exact opposite of the Old Quarter- this was where the aristocracy of Chestnut lived. Ambassadors from other towns were usually hemmed into just this area, giving a false impression of the city. Built onto one of the high cliffs reaching out into the sea, the government building was an impressive and imposing sight. Positioned along the way to it were the nice hotels, houses, shops, coffee bars (he couldn't understand the use of 'bar'- where was the beer? Don't bars sell beer?), and so on. This was where Rodney's supply shop was located, mainly dealing in selling outdoors equipment (bags, hiking boots, maps, and the like) with a bit of antique bartering on the side. The racoon was a collector, you see.
Then, in the south was the Works, an industrial zone. Large, dark factories littered the area. Most of the working class from the Old Quarter worked down here, being forced to work in harsh conditions and smelly environments for little pay. Miles had made it a point to avoid the area completely whenever possible. He didn't want to die of lung failure.
East-Town, obviously the most eastern area, was in direct contact with the sea. This zone was effectively owned by the city merchants due to its large and busy seaport and numerous warehouses. It had many back streets and alleys too, making it useful if you were being tailed by someone.
Which was precisely why he was heading there.
He didn't know who was following him. In all honesty, he didn't care either. The crux of the matter was that someone was trailing him, and in his past experiences that had always meant trouble in one way or another.
He didn't understand how he knew they were there. He would have put it down to a combination of his hearing and sense of smell, but it was too accurate to be just that- and besides, this 'sixth sense' had only made itself known after... back then. Like so many other things.
Miles shook his head, refusing to think about those few months so many years ago. He was reminded of them almost every night in his sleep- he wouldn't give them the credit of thinking about them now as well.
Keeping a fast stride, he made his way towards East Town whilst making many twists and turns on the way. His pursuer – pursuers, he corrected, realising that there was more than one – were quick, obviously not caring to be discreet. They would catch him too soon if he were to stick to the main roads, so he followed the back streets as he travelled downhill to the coast.
It wasn't long before he got there.
To be certain that they were still behind him, Miles purposely walked across a metal grate. Thanks to his soft-soled boots, he made very little noise- but those following did not. As they crossed, they made comparatively loud clanging sounds.
Confident that they were there, he abruptly turned into a quiet back alley. It was not as dark as he would have liked as it was only late afternoon, but it was good enough for as soon as he had moved out of their sight, he twisted his two bushy tails together. Flicking them out as fast as he could resulted in a sudden and powerful blast of air beneath him, throwing him directly upwards and towards a high windowsill. He caught it, pulled himself up onto it, and perched himself there like a gargoyle, watching the ally and waiting.
He didn't have to wait long, for soon a rabbit and a hedgehog, both clad in a black and grey uniform of some kind, came tearing around the corner. The hedgehog – a pink hedgehog – held the hand of another rabbit, this one a little girl who looked utterly worn out.
"Oh... shit," he muttered as he buried his face in his hands.
He knew who they were. He recognised the uniform. He'd heard about them frequently by those who travelled from the north and came in for drinks in the bars of the Old Quarter.
Freedom Fighters from Knothole.
And they knew who he was, he could tell. The way that they were looking around, and how they had followed him right from the New Quarter spoke for itself.
Plus, they were calling for him by using his old nickname.
"Tails! Tails, ah ya here? Please, we wanta talk to ya!"
Ah. That accent. The rabbit could only be his so-called Aunt Bunnie.
'And 50 credits says that the hedgehog is Amy Rose,' he thought, arching his right eyebrow. 'Who would have thought that she would become a Freedom Fighter.' He did not care to put a name to the face of the youngest of the three girls.
What to do? They didn't seem to have hostile intent. He could confront them, tell them to go away, and then disappear. He knew Chestnut like the back of his hand- there was no doubt that he could escape if they were to attack him.
Besides, he had a secret weapon. Well, six very sharp secret weapons, to be more precise.
He didn't want to hurt them, but then he didn't want to die just yet. Not because of something he didn't do.
Silently, and with almost poetic grace, Miles allowed himself to roll forward off his perch. He fell, stretching out and rotating slowly to come down on his feet a short distance behind them, crouching- and yet not a sound did he make. With their backs to him, the Freedom Fighters had no idea that the fox was there, so he stood and waited for them to notice his presence.
He did not have to wait for long.
"Hey! Miss Rose, there he is!" the little girl said, pointing towards him. The hedgehog and the older rabbit whipped their heads around, looking at him in surprise. He stared at them.
"Uh, excuse me, would ya happen to go by the name of Miles Prower?" the rabbit he knew as Bunnie said nervously- as if all her confidence had evaporated. Idly, he noticed that she moved much more fluidly than she used to- he guessed that they had managed to make a de-robotisizer up north. It was the best explanation.
Looking down his muzzle at her, and slowly walking towards them, he said,
"Miles Prower... Yeah, that's my name." He paused, head tilting forwards so that his brow partially covered his cobalt blue eyes, making him look threatening and sinister.
"And here you speak it as if you know me."
"Tails," she whispered, looking at him in disbelief.
He was a far cry from the boy she had known, he knew- what with his dirty fur, his newfound height (he was taller than her now), his chipped ear and all that.
"What? Oh, you do know me then?" he said. "I'm sorry, but I can't say that I know you. After all, Bunnie Rabbot, I haven't spoken to, nor seen you for a good ten years. I'm curious, though- why are the Freedom Fighters, and their young accomplice," he said with a glance to the little girl, "so interested in me? I have not stepped into the Great Forest again ever since I left Knothole. I have not broken the exile. So, why have you been following me since we left Rodney's? Did you get bored and decide to come down here to finish me off?"
He waited for their response, his face neutral. Whilst he looked relaxed, he was in fact ready to spring into action at a moments notice.
One did not mess, nor take chances with Freedom Fighters. It was an unspoken rule. They were highly trained in both hand-to-hand and ranged combat. But not only that- to attack one of them was to attack them all. Though he felt confident that he could beat the two before him, no matter how close it would be, he knew that he would get every single Knothole inhabitant after his blood.
Needless to say, that would not be good.
"Wha- no, of course not! We saw ya in the shop, an' we jus had to find out if it was you! We've been lookin' for ya for years, Tails!"
"My name is 'Miles', Miss Rabbot, not 'Tails'. Tails died a long time ago."
"Okay, Miles... Listen to me, we know that y'all didn't attack Ari, it was one of Robotnik's weird contraptions! We found it, an' Sonic destroyed it!"
"Yeah? Well, that's great, that just fan-bleeding-tastic. It's a shame you couldn't have found that out and come down here ten years ago, when it mattered."
"But we've been lookin' for ya ever since, we wanta' bring ya home."
His eyes bored into her.
"Don't you understand? I was twelve years old, Freedom Fighter. I was still a child. Look around you and tell me, can you seriously imagine a kid making a fair living down here? Where there are still workhouses? Despite what the Mayor Raid might have told you, Chestnut is not a nice place.
"It doesn't matter that I didn't kill Ari. With what I have done around here to survive, I don't deserve to live somewhere as nice as Knothole."
Realising that this line of conversation was getting them nowhere, Amy switched tracks.
"Uh, Miles, you know the land around here, right?"
"Yeah. So?" he replied smoothly, not being taken off guard in the slightest.
"Well, we're stuck down here because we don't know the way back to Knothole. The guy in the shop said that you're a mercenary... Uh, can we hire you?"
Miles looked at her for precisely three seconds before bursting out in laughter.
"Wha, wha? Wait, you, Freedom Fighters, want to hire scum like me to take you to Knothole?" he managed between his chortles.
Amy and Bunnie exchanged looks. Cream watched the fox wide-eyed, believing that he was their only chance of getting home.
"Well... yes," Amy said.
"Are you crazy? I have been found guilty of murder by Knothole law. If I go anywhere near Knothole territory, then I can be sentenced for execution. No offence, but I don't feel like dying just because you need someone to hold your hand all the way home."
"But we told ya, we know you didn't do it!" Bunnie put in.
"Really. Tell me, how do I know that this isn't all some elaborate ploy to get me to break the exile so that you can finish me off? I mean, all I'd have to do is enter the Great Forest. Then 'bang!', you could just shoot me in the back. You could say I attacked you, and no one would be any the wiser."
"It ain't like that at all, Tails!" Bunnie snapped, forgetting that he did not consider the old nickname relevant anymore.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I think I'll stay in Chestnut for now. Goodbye, Freedom Fighters. Tell Sonic and Sally that I hope they are having nice, comfy lives," Miles said with a sneer.
He turned and walked out of the alley, back onto one of the many back streets of East-Town, intending to get as far away from the girls as he could.
He didn't expect to feel a tugging on the back of his jacket, though.
Confused, he turned to see who was behind him. He was rather surprised to see the little rabbit standing there, tears in her eyes.
He blinked.
"Please, Mr. Miles," she said, "you gotta help us. No one else can!"
"Look kid," he replied in the most gentle-but-firm voice he could manage, "I'm a busy fox. I don't have time to take you all the way to Knothole and avoid being killed by your Freedom Fighter friends. You understand that, don't you?"
"But they won't hurt ya! Aunt Bunnie said so!"
Maybe it was the way that the fading sunlight caught her fur, making it seem orange. Maybe it was how she watched him with wide, hopeful, and innocent eyes. Maybe it was how desperate she looked. Or perhaps it was how she was only half his height.
Whatever it was, he could only see himself standing in front of him. He'd been desperate when he was young, just like her. The only difference was that he'd had no one to help him. If he made the effort to help someone who was in the same position he had been, then perhaps he could sleep peacefully again, without the nightmares.
Unlikely, but worth a shot.
He sighed, and looked over her head to see the two Freedom Fighters standing only a few metres from them.
"Alright kid. Go to your friends."
She stumbled away from him towards the two older girls, and he followed with carefully measured strides, staring at Bunnie as he did so. When he felt that he was close enough he stopped and said,
"Listen. If I take you to Knothole, I want your word that I shall not be harmed in any way. That includes an allowance to leave as a free man, with all of my limbs and tails intact."
Bunnie began to nod vigorously, a smile on her face.
"I do not want to come into contact with the royal family at any time. I don't want to speak to them, hell, I don't even want to see them, understand?"
Bunnie's nodding slowed, and her smile fell slightly.
"Also, I want to be well paid. 2000 credits to escort you there, plus 1000 more to convince me that it is worth putting my neck on the line by going back there for just the three of you."
"3000?" Amy said, thrown by the high price. "But we only have 500 between us, standard issue for diplomatic missions... and 2500 more, that's pretty steep..."
"Look, do you want me to help you or not?"
"Miles, we can't jus' sneak that much money outta the treasury... Sally-girl would notice right away, y'know?"
A growl came from the back of his throat as he thought.
"How about 2000 total. 500 now, 1500 when we get there. After that, we go our separate ways. I go far away from here, and you never come looking for me. Deal?"
Amy and Bunnie looked at each other, eventually reaching into a pocket on their uniforms and each producing a wad of crisp paper money. Amy handed hers to Bunnie, who than placed it in Miles' waiting hand.
He looked at the money for a moment, before saying,
"Okay. You girls have got yourselves a guide. Meet me outside of Rodney's shop at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late. I'll take care of the equipment, so don't worry about that.
"Oh, and don't stay around here for long, the streets of East-Town get dangerous when the sun goes down. Even for Freedom Fighters."
He turned and began to walk away from them, when Amy shouted,
"Ta- uh, Miles! Where do we go tonight?"
"I don't know," he called over his shoulder. "Wherever you've been staying since you got here."
"But we left there earlier... They don't have room anymore. We don't have anywhere to stay."
"Ancient Walkers," Miles muttered, making a curse of the words as he looked back at the three. He thought for a moment, then said,
"Come with me, then. I'll find somewhere you can sleep. But don't expect it to be anything like what you're used to, because you sure aren't in Knothole anymore."
With that, Miles Prower set off towards the Old Quarter, three girls following behind him- two of them he'd rather have forgotten about, and as for the other... Well, he wished that she didn't remind him so much of himself.