Prologue
Devastation

Lightening. Ash. Thunder.
Gotta run…
A sense of desolation and fragmented vision.
Gotta keep movin'…
Steel. Ice. Fire.
Gotta get her back…
No time left. No time left at all.
Back to Knothole…

Part 1
Mission

It had started out like any normal reconnaissance. Get in, find Yardley, get the hell out. It was that simple. The elk had gone missing three weeks prior. It had taken so long to work out where Robotnik was holding him, had taken so long to get the plan together. Now they were finally moving out.
Princess Sally, leader of the Knothole resistance against the evil tyrant Robotnik, led the fray. One might have thought a woman of royal blood, especially one as young as 15, would have walked with grace and posture, head held high. But Sally's sensibilities were what kept her alive, and it was as she crawled on her hands and knees through the mud and wet branches, moist from the previous nights rain, freezing cold beneath the jacket, her fur splashed with mud, that she thanked the gods that she was more intelligent than that. She moved quickly, her body sliding across the grass, squeezing out of the briar and just inside the final line of trees that marked the end of the Great Forest. She quickly moved to position behind an old, uprooted tree, reaching for the binoculars that hung around her neck. She raised them to her eyes, and within seconds found the spot she was looking for. An old parking lot belonging to what used to be a mall, long since abandoned and left to ruin. It was unguarded. One of the few areas in Robotropolis like it. She raised her left arm to her mouth and spoke quietly into the tiny microphone inserted into her watch.
"Acorn to Spiky Blue Wonder, come in SBW. Over."
There was a crackling noise. "Hey! You used my call sign! Alright!"
"I figured it was quicker to go along with your stupid request rather than spend all day arguing over it. Where are you?"
"In position Sal. You?"
"Likewise. And the others?"
There was a brief silence, followed by static. Then, "Ready when you are sugah!"
Sally smiled. "Good to hear your voice Bunnie."
There was the sound of a scuffle over the line. "Testing. Testing. 1, 2, 6. Thees eez your hum-bell servent Antoine here at your serveece my Princess. Mwa Mwa Mwa." Sally's eyes boggled. Was he kissing his wrist?
"Er…yes Antoine?"
"I just want you to be knowing my Highness, that we are with you all of the way!"
"Glad to hear it 'Twan."
"And I just want you to know that we'll be well behind you. Well behind you, yes, should any dangaire provide itself to be present."
"Um…that's very reassuring Antoine. Thanks. I think." She took a moment to clear her head. "There's no point wasting any more time. I want you all to move in when I say, OK?"
There were sounds of agreement from the other ends, followed by Sonics' voice. "You sure your up for the distraction Sal? I mean…you sure you don't want me to do it?"
"No. I need you to make sure the others get to the loading bay safely. You're the only one fast enough to get past any hover units that might be in waiting. Rotor, you said there were three hover units patrolling 50 meters west from this location, right?"
"That's right Princess Sally. One of them does a lap that takes it around the old shoe factory, the other two remain stationary by the polo clinic."
"Good. So long as they don't overlap into our sector I'll be ok. But still, I want to be sure. Just stick to the plan and we should be fine."
"Rodger Sal." Sonic paused. "Take care out there."
"You too Blue. I'll be with you in just a small while." She stood and braced herself. "Let's do it to it."

That was the signal they had been waiting for. Sally's voice dropped away, and in the distance they saw her figure, small but distinct, as she ran the distance between the tree line and the old factories. Sonic turned to the others in his group and nodded his head.
"Here we go. Get ready."
Sonic the Hedgehog hadn't liked the idea of Sally being the distraction at all. It was usually his job, since he could outrun anything if things took a turn for the worse, which they nearly always did. But Sally had her reasons, and he wasn't going to argue his judgment. The thought plagued at his mind however, as he lifted Bunnie up in his arms. She was slightly heavier than Sally was, being a might more…compact…than Sally, but still light enough to carry. He started to run, the trees around him melting into a green blur, soon replaced by the dark blue of the sky. The buildings around him, foggy gray, almost seemed to melt into his perception as he passed into the city border, through the main streets and into the old factory car park, where he stopped around the back. There was a large rocky wall right behind the building, so there was no way she could be seen unless someone happened to walk this way. He trusted Sally and Rotor's data, and left the rabbit there as he went back to fetch Rotor and Antoine. He approached the tree line just as his wrist radio squealed. It was Sally.
"Something's not right Sonic…"
"Whaddaya mean Sal?"
"There's nothing here."
"Nothing what?"
"Nothing anything. There's no hover units, no swatbots, no…nothing."
"How can that be?" It was Rotor, and he fumbled with his cap nervously. "I tested those readings against some of our older satellite recordings and the patrol lines match up perfectly. The only way they could be wrong is if Robotnik has…"
"Has what?"
"Made changes…"
"Like what? You mean he's just all of a sudden up and changed his patrol routs? Why would he do that?"
"To catch us off guard, why do you think? Robotnik's no fool. He probably investigates every move we make in the city. Tries to follow a pattern… Maybe he…"
"Hold that thought Rotor. We can try and figure this out back at the base."
"What are you talking about Sal?" Sonic asked.
"I'm calling this whole thing off."
"But why? Just because of a few missing hover units? That only helps our mission, right?"
"Wrong. It's a variable we weren't prepared for, and the slightest change in anything could ruin everything. It could be a trap."
"Everything Robotnik does is a trap. It's never stopped us before."
"I'm sorry Sonic. It's not worth the risk."
Sonic felt a little angry, and he slammed his fist against a tree trunk. "But Yardley's still out there…"
There was silence for a while. Then a snuffling sound. It sounded like Sally was crying. Sonic's expression softened. "Sally, I'm sorry."
"No, it's OK Sonic. Your right. Maybe we should…" Her voice was cut off by another one, which cut over the radio system.
It was Bunnie. She was screaming.