Chapter 8: Reunion
Location: Station Square
Twenty minutes later…
Emerging from the school alongside Danny, Chris gazed up into the cloudless afternoon skies. Summer break had finally arrived, and the school wouldn't resume for the next two months. Plans had been made to visit Mobotropolis, again postponed because of unforeseen circumstances.
"Boy, sure is hot out here," Danny complained.
"We're not exactly in a climate-controlled environment anymore."
Already damaged by Eggman during the Chaos Incident, the mountain that had housed Station Square had been destroyed when the Xorda attacked. Now exposed to the outside world, the inhabitants were forced to deal with situations they weren't accustomed to.
"So…, are you ready for your trip?"
"Somethings come up."
"Oh well. At least you can keep Helen company," the dark-skinned boy commented, elbowing him in the ribs.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Pretend all you want, but I see how you look at her."
His friend's blossoming womanhood hadn't gone unnoticed by Chris, who feelings of friendship were developing into something more.
"They're still coming up though," he stated, wanting to change the subject, "We just won't be able to visit the Acorn Archipelago."
Danny gave a noncommittal response, as the pair eventually began walking away from the building.
"What are you doing for vacation?"
"We'll be heading up to Golden Bay in a few days."
Part of the Hidden City Initiative, Golden Bay was where the Throndykes had briefly relocated to following the Chaos Incident. Reaching the sidewalk, the two boys were hit by a gust of wind that provided relief from the oppressive heat. Looking for the source, the pair discovered a blue Hedgehog sitting atop a nearby streetlamp.
"Sonic!" Chris cried out in surprise.
His announcement immediately drew the attention of the surrounding pedestrians, as he had become something of a celebrity. It would have been impossible otherwise, given the role he had played in saving the city. The hedgehog's heroics had gained mainstream appeal, which had spawned the Freedom Movement.
"Hey, buddy," he greeted.
Dropping down from the streetlamp, the hedgehog headed over to where the two humans were standing.
"Are you heading out on another adventure, Sonic?" Danny asked.
"Yep," he replied, his gaze shifting to Chris.
"I was heading straight home, there really wasn't any need for you to escort me."
"Yeah, but I had nothing to do after I finished my race with Sam."
Chris gave his head a shake, unsurprised that the first thing Sonic would want to do would be to challenge his Uncle to a race.
"I guess we'd better get a move on then. I'll see you later, Danny."
"Later, Chris."
As the two boys separated, Chris continued alongside the blue hedgehog, who was getting photographed by half-a-dozen cell phones.
Location: Thorndyke Estate
Twenty minutes later…
Stepping into the mansion, Chris was welcomed by the air-conditioned interior of the foyer.
"I'm home," the teenager announced.
"Welcome home, Mister Chris," Tanaka greeted, seemingly manifesting as if out of thin air.
"Hi, Tanaka. Where is everybody."
"They're waiting in the conservatory."
Setting his backpack down on the tiled floor, the human headed through an adjacent door with Sonic following behind. Gathered around the coffee table were his friends, most of whom had their attention fixated on the television. He immediately noticed a Dog, a Badger, and a Skunk in the room, none of which were familiar to him.
"Uh…," the teenager began, finding himself at a loss for words.
"Hiya, I'm Muttski," the Canine greeted.
The Badger made no attempt at introducing herself, instead choosing to glare at him with suspicion. Amy quickly intervened, not wanting her friend to start something, regardless of how inadvertently.
"This is Sticks," she introduced, "Don't mind her aloofness, she's actually quite nice."
"Geoffrey St. John of His Majesty's Secret Service."
"It's nice to meet all of you."
"Have you packed?" Chuck inquired, "We'll need to consider leaving soon."
"I'll start packing right away."
Chris quickly departed from the conservatory, taking the staircase and heading up to his bedroom on the second floor.
"I'll go and assist him," Tanaka stated, bowing and taking his leave.
"Make sure he packs a suit. There's no doubt we'll be meeting with some very important people."
"So…," Sonic began, "Where is Murasia located exactly?"
"It occupies an area of Eastern Efrika," Tails replied.
"Speaking of which; we never discussed how we intend to get down there," Sally pointed out.
"If we head further south and then east, we'll be able to cross over without having to fly over the Great Mobocean."
"But that puts us further from our destination."
"But we'll be near the Kingdom of Leonus if something happens," Rotor pointed out.
"Well…, it would be better then getting stranded."
"Does the United Federation have any settlements down there?" Amy asked.
"Muzuri is located there," Chuck replied, "As is Shamar, although it's technically located in Midesta."
"And annexed by the Kingdom of Shanazar," Tails stated.
Located in Midesta, the desert kingdom was one of the largest petroleum producers on the planet. With the rise of the Eggman Empire, Princess Kupacious had relinquished the sovereignty of her country. Now existing as a vassal-state, she retained her authority and ruled on behalf of Robotnik. To add insult to injury, she had relocated the capital from Tashistan to the newly conquered Shamar.
"Something's been bothering me," Sonic said, "How in the hell did G.U.N. manage to lose Shamar?"
"The administration isn't clear on that," Chuck replied, "Though the city was rendered exposed in a recent earthquake that struck the region."
The Hedgehog immediately turned in Geoffrey's direction, anticipating that the spy had some knowledge on the subject.
"That's classified."
"I'm guessing that there isn't a whole lot that the President can do," Sally commented.
"Not without instigating a conflict. He's requested that G.U.N. Forces to stand down, but we both know that not going to happen."
"I'm ready!" Chris announced, appearing in the doorway.
Instead of his normal attire, he had donned something that was more appropriate for the weather. His new clothes now consisted of a pair of denim shorts, a sleeveless yellow shirt with a vertical white strip running through the middle, and a pair of white and yellow sandals. There was a suitcase and a duffle bag resting at his feet, and there was a smile plastered on his face. He was making no attempt to hide his excitement at being able to go on another adventure with the hedgehog and his friends.
