You know the drill, all familiar characters belong to Sega; all that aren't belong to me or someone else.
While Sonic, Shadow and Sapphire had gotten away, their friends weren't so lucky. Rouge, Bingo, Teepo and Wildkid were now in the hands of the Sons of the Dust.
Bingo was familiar with the interrogation routine. One by one, they had been taken from the holding cell into another room, and didn't come back. Bingo was sure the others were simply taken to different cells, he hoped so anyway…
The door opened to the cell, where Bingo was now alone. "Come." Said a guard, and Bingo followed him out into the hall. They walked down it for a while, and then the guard opened a door. "In here." He said, and Bingo went in. The door was closed behind him.
The room was small, with a square table with two seats on opposite sides. On one wall was a mirror; Bingo knew it was a two-way mirror, used by observers. Sitting on one seat was a stern-looking woman. "Sit down, Agent Bingo." She said.
Bingo did so. Pleased to see an ashtray on the table, he lit up a cigarette. The woman looked disapproving, but then went into questioning mode. "What are you doing on this base?" she asked.
Bingo puffed on his cigarette. "Now that," he said, "Is quite a story…"
A man watched from behind the two-way mirror and listened to the conversation on speakers. He had watched the previous three interrogations; the green hedgebat was too intoxicated to say anything understandable; the winged boy had refused to talk; and the bat lady had complained and threatened the interrogator until they gave up. But now the G.U.N. agent, this should be interesting…
It was, sort of. Bingo soon started describing G.U.N. as the most corrupt, arrogant, slow, stupid organisation ever to try and exert its authority where it was least needed, and generally vented his complaints over how he was treated and that every new weapon they tried to make backfired as a matter of course, and so on. The man behind the mirror chuckled. Bingo sure wasn't what he used to be.
The woman questioning Bingo was still stunned at the apparent complete lack of loyalty and respect Bingo had for his own agency, when the door opened and a man walked in.
"Hah! And they called me a traitor! Said the man.
Bingo stopped, and turned to face the man. He recognised him. "Roulette… I should have known I'd find a snake like you in a pit like this."
Far away, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles followed the two kids and their parents riding hover-cycles across the Martian hills. "Thanks for the lunch, and everything." Said Tails as they started up a hill.
"That's all right." Said the mother, Michelle. "You need the energy to run all the way there, after all!"
"So, how far to this base you were talking about?" asked Knuckles.
"You'll see it in just a second…" said the father, Stewart.
Then the group reached the top of the hill, and the installation they had talked about came into view- a huge factory, built into the side of a mountain.
"Whoa…" exclaimed Sonic. It was the one of the biggest buildings he had ever seen.
"That's the Tulka Support Station." Said Stewart. "Most of the oxygen used for two hundred clicks around comes from there, as well as other stuff. It's controlled by the Sons of the Dust now."
"Those guys are really mean!" said Jessica. "They barely give anyone enough supplies to survive, and try to make you join the army!"
"That's why I tried to talk you out of going there. It's not safe. Don't suppose anything I say can change your mind now?"
Sonic smiled. "No way! We've taken on way more dangerous stuff. Come on guys, let's go!"
The blue hedgehog bolted off towards the building, Tails and Knuckles scrambling after him, waving back at the family, who returned the wave.
"Goodbye!"
"Good luck!"
"You're welcome to come back if you make it out!"
"Be careful!"
"Not… one… word…"
Amy fumed while seated in the immobile vehicle- quite a feat when it was upside down. Cream was busy rubbing her head, and Scratch was trying to get the door open. Amy had somehow managed to flip the heavy cruiser over while they were moving.
"I didn't say anything…" said Scratch. "Hold on girls, I think I can get this open. Helmets!"
Scratch managed to pull the side door open, just as Cream and Amy managed to ensure their suits were sealed. Cream was blown a bit by the oxygen leaving the cabin, and jumped out behind Scratch, who surveyed their surroundings. "Come on Amy."
The indignant pink hedgehog finally unstrapped herself from the driver's seat, fell to the ceiling and crawled out of the overturned vehicle. Behind her helmet, Scratch looked grim. "I can't see anything for miles… I think we might be stuck."
"Hey, what's that?" said Cream, pointing to something making a dust cloud to the north-west.
A few minutes later, a large truck pulled up by the overturned cruiser, and four men armed with guns got out and looked the girls up and down. Amy was about to say something when Scratch motioned and said "I'll handle this."
Scratch walked up to the soldiers, hoping the plea to chivalry would work. "Oh thank goodness you're here! Our car broke down, and we thought we'd be stuck! Please, can you take us to the nearest base?"
While Amy scoffed slightly at the damsel-in-distress act, the lead soldier walked up to Scratch. "Sorry miss, but we've already got passengers." He walked closer. "Although, we might be able to work something out.
Scratch let the soldier get within a certain distance from her before she grabbed him and flipped him over to the ground. "So much for knights in shining armour."
The other soldiers raised their rifles and advanced, shouting "Freeze!". Scratch responded as standard in the G.U.N. manual- quickly moved out of the way of a gun, grabbed a soldier and held her combat knife to the neck of his suit. "Don't- even- try- anything." She said to the other soldiers- who had other problems. Amy had summoned her Piko Piko Hammer, and before a soldier could aim for her, flung it towards him with a mighty force. The hammer connected before the soldier could react and knocked him well and truly out.
The last soldier panicked, and sized up the small and unassuming Cream as a potential hostage. "Alright you, don't- wha?" Cheese had flown up right into his face. The next thing he knew, the soldier was lifted into the air by the tiny Chao and thrown to the ground with a mighty force by the Chao protecting its partner.
"Ooh… Sorry, sir." Said Cream. "Cheese, please don't be so mean."
Cheese appeared to raise an eyebrow to that comment. Amy and Scratch weren't listening, they were more occupied with the truck (the soldier Scratch had grabbed before was now lying on the ground, not moving), which had banging and shouting coming from the back. Amy looked at Scratch, and the apprentice agent walked over to the back doors of the truck and activated the energy field on her knife. She cut through the bolt holding the doors and they swung open.
"Finally!" said Rouge, jumping out of the back of the truck. "It's so dark in there, and I'm stuck with those- freaks!"
The winged boy who looked like a girl, Teepo, then stepped down from the back, followed by a staggering Wildkid falling out.
"Fancy meeting you here." Said Scratch.
"Huh? What happened to you guys?" asked Amy.
Rouge brushed dirt off her suit, and stood in a huff. "These idiots got us captured by those awful so-called soldiers. They were taking us to a prison. A prison!"
"Aw, shaddup eh…" slurred the obviously drunk but still lucid Wildkid. "You 'n Bingo were the ones who had ter go shnoopin around and get der man on our tailsh…"
"He's got a point," said Teepo "But it doesn't matter, we're free now… Thanks."
"Wait, where's Shadow?" asked Amy.
"And Mister Sabre?" added Cream.
Scratch gasped. "And Bingo! Where is he?"
"I think Sabre and Shadow got away." Said Teepo. "But Bingo was captured with Rouge. We haven't seen him since the interrogation."
"These people on Mars are so rude!" said Rouge. "And I haven't seen a single decent gem since I got here…"
"We've got more important things to worry about than your stupid jewels!" said Amy angrily.
Rouge responded with equal rage "They are not stupid-"
"SHUT UP!" shouted Scratch. "Sorry, but we do have higher priorities. Any idea where the others are?"
"I lost Sabre's comlink signal a while ago," said Teepo, "But I think he was heading north."
"Then that's the way we're going!" said Scratch. "As you can see we had a little accident, but I'm sure these fine gentlemen-"she motioned to the soldiers on the ground- "Will be nice enough to let us use their truck." One soldier looked like he was getting up, but Scratch fired a pistol shot barely missing his head and he dropped. "Thank you so kindly."
The girls, the drunk guy and the guy who looked a lot like a girl climbed into the truck. "And this time, I'm driving!" said Scratch.
"Shut up…"
Whew, 'bout time I finished this, I've got to do more progress faster, I've got other fics planned.
And in the news, on the day this was finished, the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray. I'll write a proper tribute when I think of something fitting, but for now, please spare a thought for him and his family. He died while doing his life's work, taking risks and living on the edge- I salute him. He was a true Australian.
We'll catch up to Bingo next chapter, thicken Sabre and Shadow's involvement in the plot, and give Sonic and co some action scenes. Sounds good?