Chapter 10

"That will be all, Antoine. I expect you to be ready to set out with us in the morning... Just know that we need to function as a team, so no heroics on your first day! Got that?" Sally adjusted her ponytail as she finished debriefing the young royal guard and tried to comfort him with a warm grin. A well of nervousness racked her gut as she observed Antoine's shivering frame and hoped that it was mostly eagerness to be involved as a full-time Freedom Fighter.

"A-as you wish, my Princess. I will p-protect you with my life. Oui, that I p-promise!" The teeth chattering from the coyote did not give her much comfort and she dismissed him with a proper salute. Hopefully his training would kick in when the time came to act...

Not long after he left for his hut, another would make a speedy entrance to the scene, turning on his heel to shoot the new recruit a dismissive glare. "I can't believe you invited Ant along, Sal. We've only been at this for a year now! The last thing we need is dead weight-"

"That's enough!" Sally Acorn's voice was sharp, yet the crack in her voice belied her own inexperience. They were children fighting an adult's war, but what choice did they have!? Clearing her throat she continued, "Sonic. We need all the help that we can get, especially with this new operation. Look, all he needs to do is stand watch while we plant the explosives. It's a simple job that fits his skill set."

A hearty groan emanated from the hedgehog's mouth and the chipmunk was quick to fan the air around her nose in disgust. Chili-dogs? Again!? She was beginning to get quite irritated with the young speedster, since his unique diet gave away their position on the last mission. "You've got a point, Sal! Maybe he can stay -just- far enough away, so he doesn't try to be the 'hero'. Y'know how he gets, especially around you..."

Those last words stung but there was a grain of truth to his comments, since she caught him lugging a royal portrait of her into his hut. She thought it was only to remind him of his duties to the crown, but the accompanying flirtations tipped her off to his true intentions quickly. He was smitten. However, Sally would not let that get in the way of developing him further as a helpful soldier for her cause. "Antoine is a potentially valuable asset, and you know that even if I were to refuse, he might go running off to Robotropolis to prove himself anyway..."

"...and get roboticized for his trouble." Sonic was quick to finish her thought, "Okay. I'll go along with this for a bit, but the moment he puts someone in real danger, you'll have my back when I send him back to Knothole." The nervous tapping of his foot resounded in the young leader's ears as a sly smile played across her lips. So you do care...

–

A bright light overtook Sally's entire field of vision as she moved a brown arm up to shield her eyes, letting blue eyes adjust to the piercing illumination that flooded a cozy little room. A simple electric lamp was set beside where she lay on a handcrafted nightstand. Much of the wall on her right was taken up by a wide bookcase, built up in much the same fashion. Numerous books lined the shelves and she swore that the majority was historical literature on Old Mobotropolis. Feeling around, the young lady found that the bed she rested upon was a set of straw bales with only a thin sheet to shield her from the rough material beneath.

Only the cold gray walls of the sewers brought the chipmunk back to the reality of the situation at hand. Sally soon shot up into a sitting position, drawing a woolen blanket around her chest as she eyed the open door leading further in to the dwelling. Sliding off the bed as quietly as possible, she grabbed her blue vest hanging on the corner of the nightstand and put on the boots sitting right beside. A blush flooded her cheeks as she considered what had happened while she was unconscious, but quickly shook the thought out her head. No time for this, I've got to get back to Sonic and Lupe, wherever they are... Just had to pick this mission to leave Nicole behind!

–

"I think we lost 'em, Lups... There's a whole army of those rats hidin' down here!" Sonic paused a moment as a wave of worry overtook him as he furrowed his brow. "Hope Sal's okay..."

A mixture of gray fur and crystal material clasped his shoulder gingerly as Lupe shot him a comforting look and pointed further down the halls of the lower pump station as faint overhead lights flickered throughout the facility. "She couldn't have gone far. From what I've seen of the map, this is one of the smaller sewers in Robotropolis." The she-wolf couldn't help but grin as she added, "Reminds of the caves back home to be honest!"

"You're right, Lupe. Thanks..." The blue blur replied as he fished out a familiar set of wires and headphones from his backpack. As he set out the communication device, the young chieftain's muzzle bunched up with a new concern, and she placed her hand on the device. "Hey! What are ya doin', Lups!?"

"If Sally is captured, we don't want to give away our position just yet. Not until we know exactly who we're dealing with. A good hunt requires patience, young hedgehog..." She retrieved a hand-brush from the satchel at her side and brought it close to her nose, breathing in the scent deeply.

"Dude, that's not how you use that..." Sonic barely stifled a giggle as she continued her 'ritual' before the realization hit him. "Wait a minute, that's one of Sal's...! Good thinking!" He kipped up from his position as the wolf began to sprint forward! The blue blur swore that he saw one of his stray socks poking out of her satchel as well. I don't plan on getting lost in this place anytime soon. Let's find Sal and juice on outta this dump!

–

Moving further into the makeshift base, Sally shielded her eyes as the piercing glow of several monitors flooded her vision. A smile crept across her face as she looked over the familiar interface, although a hidden worry emerged as well. The screens showed multiple camera feeds scanning numerous locations around the sewer system, with helpful numerical designations in the corners. Someone was watching them the entire time. "Wow. This looks like Sir Charles's setup. Creepy..." To her dismay, she found that none of them showed any signs of Sonic or Lupe. A mixture of emotions flooded her mind as she desperately ran through the feeds again and again. I know they're still looking for me and that they're good at not being spotted. But why do I feel so...alone? "Where are you...?"

Sally glanced over her shoulder for a moment and was only slightly comforted to find that she was still alone, returning to her investigation soon after. Her fingers flew across the keys as several prompts came on the screen, including a curious prompt flashing in a dull red. "Remote control...? What is-?"

Suddenly, a clatter of metal and scraping sounded throughout the underground hovel. With a sharp gasp, the chipmunk hastily brought up the security feed once more. The noises drew closer as she silently fled back to her bedchambers, immediately shutting the door behind her. Bringing an ear to the entryway, she heard the clattering of the keys outside, along with high pitching humming and curious guttural noises.

"Hmm, nothing out of order, besides the uninvited guests of course." The nasally voice matched up with the improvised melodies he uttered as the unknown man stifled a labored cough. After a few more taps on the keyboard, the chipmunk held her breath as the metallic scraping sound moved past her station. As much as she wanted to retreat back to the bed, any noise would have given away her position. She brought her hands over her mouth as the sound of his breathing caught her by surprise! "Rest well, Sally. You've already been through so much."

"Oh my gosh. That was close..." As Sally caught her breath, a new resolve overtook her anxiety as she clenched her fist. It quickly became apparent just who her mysterious rescuer was. Her brow furrowed in anger as this new revelation took hold. I think my "secret admirer" has got some explaining to do!